Inferno Island Read online

  On my left, Kara wore a simple pink dress that tied up around her neck and left her back bare and open. It fell just below her knees and had a lace pattern that wrapped around the skirt several times. Her bright red hair was curled and sprayed to give it more volume.

  In the middle, Andie wore a flashy gold dress that left little to the imagination. It clung to her in all of the right places and made her athletic build smoother than it normally was. Her hair fell pin-straight, but it seemed as though she had put some sort of spray in it to give it a shimmery look, for when she flipped her hair over her shoulder, it glittered, even in the relatively dim light of the apartment. I couldn’t wait to see it under party lights.

  Finally, Aylin looked absolutely breathtaking in a long black gown that was clearly one of Andie’s, for I didn’t think that she would actually own something like it. The dress was deep black, and the front of the dress dipped halfway down her torso. Her hair was pulled up in a fancy bun and pinned with what looked to be decorative chopsticks.

  I took a long, deep breath as I tried not to let myself become completely devoured by how gorgeous my girls looked. All of them looked me up and down with hungry eyes, and I knew that when we came back here tonight, I was going to make a beautiful mess out of them.

  “See something you like?” Andie winked as she slung her arms over the Kara’s and Aylin’s shoulders. From behind them, Eric’s head peeked over, and I saw him give a thumbs up. I held in a laugh and smiled brightly at my girls.

  “All of you look absolutely stunning,” I complimented, which earned me various shades of blushes and shy smiles. They were perfect, and I loved both of them tremendously.

  “You’re not looking so bad yourself.” Kara finally stepped forward to fix the black tie I’d opted for, though she didn’t tighten it. She knew that I wasn’t a fan of shirts that closed tightly around my neck. When she was satisfied with how the tie was positioned, she smooched me sweetly.

  “Are we ready to go? Matt and Kristen should be on their way, too.” Eric hopped over the side of the couch and bounced on his feet again. The electricity that had temporarily ceased in sparking from the tips of his hair was back as he waved us out the door.

  “All right, I think we’re ready.” I stepped aside and allowed the girls to go ahead of me as Eric gentlemanly opened the door for them. He followed after them, and I closed and locked the door to our apartment behind him.

  Maybe this party wasn’t going to be such a bad thing after all.

  2

  We were escorted by limousine to a fancy banquet hall in the north side of Alexandria. I’d heard, my father spared no expense with this party. Just what all ‘sparing no expense’ might entail was still a mild fear of mine as the five of us drove to pick up Matt and Kristen at the Academy. It didn’t want to go away entirely despite having my Sun, Moon, and Stars at my side, my little brother friend across from me, a flute of fresh champagne bubbling in my hand.

  This was, as people say, the high life. The limousine was large enough to fit at least another ten people, maybe more if we squished together nice and tight. A blue, luminous glow pulsed from behind the seats onto the ceiling in time to the music that the driver patched in through the speakers. There were three more bottles of champagne where the first one had come from, and I wondered what sort of trouble I could get into with enough of it in my system. I’d save that for the ride home, though, assuming that we didn’t blow through all of it before then.

  The limousine stopped outside of the Valcav Academy gates to pick up our last two companions. I had expected the driver to flash their identification to get inside, but there was no need because Matt and Kristen were waiting outside when we showed up.

  Immediately, my eyes landed on Kristen in her dress. Her blonde hair was curled and thrown up in a messy ponytail that gave her bare shoulders the attention they deserved. She wore an emerald green gown that matched her eyes, and I wondered if I had ever taken into consideration how deep and rich the color was before now.

  The gown was strapless and clung to her curves in a way that even the bodysuits we wore during World’s Finest didn’t accentuate. The shimmer of it caught my eye with even the slightest bit of motion. I was captivated, so much so that I hadn’t realized I was ogling her until Matt snapped his fingers in front of my face.

  “Eyes up here, Nick,” he warned with a bit of an edge in his tone, and I tore my eyes away from Kristen. I did notice, however, the slow creep of a hot blush crawl up her neck. That was enough satisfaction for now.

  The twins had settled on the adjacent row of seats next to Eric, who had scooted down for them. Had I really been staring at Kristen for that long?

  My question was answered instantly when I faintly overheard Andie whisper something to Kara about ‘childhood friend threesomes.’ Kara promptly hushed her with a hard poke to her side.

  I brushed off their chatter, though I had to admit I was intrigued by the idea of the implied threesome. Instead, I ran my hands through my hair with the intention of engaging Matt in conversation about his choice of attire. He sported a magenta-colored suit with a pink button-up shirt and shined brown shoes. A gold chain necklace hung from his neck, and I almost joked about how he looked like one of those Italian family mobsters that put cement shoes on the people who did them dirty and dropped them at the bottom of the ocean. He didn’t look bad, though. On the contrary, he sported the bold design choice well.

  “Well, don’t you look dashing,” I half teased with a slight smirk.

  Matt let off an amused huff before he settled further back into his spot beside his sister. “Yeah, yeah. You clean up pretty nice yourself.”

  I looked down at my own attire and shrugged. I didn’t have much in the way of dressy clothes, but I was glad that what I’d been able to put together didn’t look like a hot mess. I wanted to keep the conversation going, but I found myself more inclined to listen to everyone else. It was refreshing to hear everyone’s general excitement about what was in store this evening. The thrill seemed to buzz throughout the limousine, and it was infectious.

  The pop of a cork next to me caught my ears, and I turned to see Andie had opened another bottle of champagne and was offering the whole thing to Kristen. She looked at the bottle skeptically, then took it from her. The car erupted into cheers as Kristen took several long swigs of the bubbly drink before she forced it away from her lips and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

  “Damn, that was hot,” Andie purred through her elated laughter as she took the bottle back and handed it off to Kara, who smartly kept it in her lap.

  I didn’t miss the ghost of a blush that spread across Kristen’s cheeks, but that could very well have been from the amount of alcohol she’d just sloshed down her throat. Matt didn’t look concerned, though. If anything, I thought he was enjoying his sister’s ability to let go a little. The world hadn’t been kind to them, so it was nice to see them without as much weight on their shoulders for a change, especially because I knew that once classes started back up, we would all go back to the way things were.

  One night of frivolity would be nice before that.

  By the time we pulled up to the venue that my father had chosen, all four of the girls and Eric were various levels of tipsy. Even Aylin, whom I’d doubted had much exposure to being intoxicated, had loosened up quite a bit and had taken to practically sitting in Kristen’s lap as she went into detail about how her race had varying shades of purple skin. Apparently, some of them were so pale that they were almost iridescent, and some were dark enough to appear as though they would disappear into the night sky, as she had put it.

  Everyone seemed to be fascinated by this, and I couldn’t blame them. I was, too, but not nearly as enthralled as Kristen, which was saying something because Eric was so close to the edge of his seat that he may as well had been sitting in Andie’s lap, and the ends of his hair sparked frantically.

  Kristen’s fingertips tentatively ran up along the inside of Aylin’
s arm, then back down. She appeared to be mesmerized by the way it glittered even in the dim lighting of the limousine, and Aylin didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she was basking in being the center of attention for a change. It was a little shocking to witness but still nice to see her come out of her shell, even if it was under the influence.

  However, the conversation came to a halt as the limousine stopped, and the door was opened for us by none other than Triton himself. After Matt and I filed out, we stopped to help the girls out. I barely held in a chuckle as they fell over each other trying to stand close to me. Even Kristen, who kept catching my eye as she stood by her brother, gave off the vibe that she wanted to be closer to me than she was, but maybe I was reading too much of my own desires into it.

  I would be a liar if I said the thought of introducing Kristen to our little circle of love hadn’t crossed my mind, and an even bigger one if I said I hadn’t entertained the idea on more than one occasion. Somehow, I talked myself into believing that it was something she wanted as well since our victory in the World’s Finest competition. I was further supported by her previous hints that she wanted to go on a date, as she had mentioned before the event began, but beyond that, I didn’t have much else to build that fantasy upon.

  Still, it was a nice thought to fall back on.

  When we were all assembled outside of the car, I caught City Master and Amazoness standing nearby, and my eyes lingered on the latter. Amazoness, or Gemma as I referred to her outside of the Academy, looked like a babe from one of those old black and white detective movies. Her dress was as black as night and clung to every dip and curve of her perfectly sculpted body. Painted red lips smiled at me over her shoulder, and her long lashes fluttered through a few flyaways from her pinned-up hairdo.

  As she and City Master approached us, heat rose up the back of my neck, and I straightened myself upright. I kept a close hold on Aylin and Kara, who flanked either side of me to ground myself. Gemma was truly breathtaking, but it was best for us to keep our relationship as it were, no matter how much I’d thought about her.

  “You all clean up rather nicely,” she complimented as they stopped in front of us. Her eyes lingered on me, and I smiled warmly before she could tear her gaze away.

  “This night is about all of you and your victory in the World’s Finest,” Triton interjected. “You are all heroes well on your way to becoming the new wave of justice that this world is ready for.”

  “Thank you, sir.” I nodded as everyone else collectively repeated my gratitude.

  Triton held up a hand as he chuckled. “We will make a speech introducing all of you and boast about your performance at the start, but the rest of the night is yours after that. This is a private event, so there will be no reporters of any kind.”

  I nodded, a little relieved for that. Not that I wasn’t grateful for the attention our victory surely brought to the Academy, because I was. It was great publicity, especially after the ceasefire had been introduced. It showed that we were still capable of defending the city without blurred lines of loyalty. At least, that was what I hoped it showed. However, I needed a night like this to let loose and not have the lingering worry of some impending doom that was surely going to come of this.

  “That said…” City Master stepped forward slightly and cleared his throat. “There are some things you should know before we enter.”

  I quirked my brow, suddenly on edge again.

  “Can’t it wait until after?” Andie piped in with a bit of a whine in her tone. She was clearly in the mood to party.

  City Master looked between Triton and Gemma, who gave him conflicting glances. City Master sighed and shook his head as he folded his arms over his chest.

  “I’m afraid not,” he replied more tersely.

  Andie’s shoulders fell, and the fun atmosphere we’d arrived to had started to dissipate and vanish. We looked between one another, preparing ourselves for whatever it was we were about to be told.

  “Hey! Junior!”

  My eyes flew wide open, and my heart slammed into my ribcage when I heard my father’s voice a short distance away. City Master rolled his eyes and stepped aside as Lord Inferno himself jogged up to us. He blew past the other teachers and beelined straight for me.

  “Oh, look at you! So handsome!” He touched my face, and I reeled in the sudden close proximity. “He gets those looks from me, you know?” He winked at Kara, who managed a quiet giggle, not wanting to seem rude.

  “Dad? What are you doing here?” I asked as he patted my cheeks.

  I could have pushed him away, but what was the point in that? I didn’t not want him around, but I also didn’t want him to make a scene. Of course, I knew that was asking a lot of my father. Everywhere he went a scene was sure to follow, and I inwardly cringed at whatever it was he had up his sleeve this time.

  “I came to celebrate you, of course!” he boasted as though it should have been the most obvious answer in the world. I guess it should have been, but I didn’t have a normal relationship with my father, seeing as he was the world’s most diabolical supervillain.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” I smiled weakly. I appreciated him trying, but I could feel the heat radiating from Matt and Kristen beside me as they tried to keep themselves in check. I chanced a glance at them from the corner of my eye to see Matt glaring at me with a look that screamed ‘Did you know about this?’

  I shook my head discreetly before I turned back to Lord Inferno.

  “Oh, I know that! But it isn’t every day your boy shines in the World’s Finest, Nicky,” he prattled on as he finally retracted his hands from my cheeks. He smiled politely at Kara, though I was sure that was only because he knew her.

  “Inferno, if I may?” Triton kicked in, and my father, dressed in a spectacularly shimmering tailcoat with matching red slacks turned to face him. There was some sort of quick, silent exchange that I wasn’t privy to, but it wasn’t long before my father stepped back beside him, something that I knew took him a great amount of effort. He didn’t step down to anyone usually.

  “Lord Inferno is here to negotiate terms of a new educational program that we wish to try out,” Triton explained. “With the recent events involving Carter Academy, we think it might be a wise decision to spread out our resources.”

  Our line straightened. It had only been a couple of days since our last encounter with the Carter kids and the one they called ‘Mother.’ It was still fresh in our memories, and I felt my blood boil.

  Aylin’s hand squeezed mine, and Kara nestled closer to my side to comfort me. It was a temporary balm, but it was much needed.

  “What are you talking about?” Matt asked with a tightened jaw.

  “What I mean is that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to expand your education and broaden your horizons,” Triton continued, but his words only confused Matt more. To be honest, I think we were all a little bamboozled.

  “Like an exchange program?” I ventured, and suddenly, Inferno clapped his hands together.

  “Yes, precisely!” he exclaimed. “You’re so sharp!”

  “Dad, stop…” I sighed, and I distinctly heard Andie and Eric trying to conceal their amusement at my overbearing father’s antics.

  “This was something that we were considering alongside the ceasefire,” Gemma stepped in to explain. She seemed to have a better handle on talking to us after having spent the last few weeks as our coach. “It just so happens that it is convenient for us to set up an exchange system to form camaraderie and allies between Valcav and the Brand. Not only between us but yourselves as well.”

  We were initially quiet as we took her words in, but that was broken when Kristen chimed in.

  “You’re expecting there to be another superhero war?” she asked with a strangely quiet voice.

  “That is possible, yes,” Inferno interjected, and it was the most serious I had heard him talk in years. “None of us want it to come to an all-out war.”

  “But you’re more than
happy to just pick off heroes one at a time, right?” Matt snarled.

  “Easy, big guy,” I soothed as I looked to my father.

  He really was attempting to stay true to his word and play by the books. I could see that it bothered him, but I could also see that he truly wanted things to be different between us, and this… it was a bigger step than I had ever imagined him taking.

  “It’s okay, Nick,” he replied calmly as he looked over Matt. “I deserve that.”

  Matt opened his mouth to spew out something else, but a sharp elbow to his side from Kristen kept him in check. He settled, or at least pretended to for the moment, and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Personal feelings aside,” City Master narrowed a look on Matt before he addressed the rest of us, “we’re all in agreement that there is something big coming, and we need to be prepared. The exchange program is optional, as it coincides with your ride-alongs which begin this semester.”

  I perked up at the sound of that. Finally, some real action in the field instead of simulations. This was what I had been waiting for, a real chance to prove that I was more than my father’s son, that I was Nick Gateon, a hero.

  “But that is all we are going to bore you with for now,” Gemma added. She must have sensed the rising tension that was building in the air and sought to diffuse the situation back to its original, gleeful state. “You’ll get more gritty details via email tomorrow morning. Tonight, forget about politics and fighting crime.” She turned to the side and gestured to the beckoning venue doors. “Tonight, it’s about you.”

  Triton, City Master, and Inferno stood down, now not so eager to divulge every bit of the plans they were working on to get to the bottom of this Carter mystery. They, too, realized that this was a night of celebration, and with a deep breath, Triton smiled.

  “You have earned this,” he told us. “Now, if you will follow me, we have a party to attend.”

  He winked at me and lead the way, flanked by City Master and Inferno and trailed by Amazoness. I exchanged a few glances with my friends before Eric shrugged and took up the head of our group. We filed in after him, and some of the buzz we’d generated in the limousine began to recharge, but much of it had already fizzled out with that sobering revelation. We would have to remedy that.