The grand ball

[Jay Carpenter]

Cruz greeted him like they already met. Jay shook the hand, but the memory was blank. He knew the name. He knew this was the kid Nox was there to protect. But if he saw this guy in a crowd, Jay never would have pointed him out. Probably a sign that he'd not been as sober as he thought the next morning when they'd supposedly met.

The kid charmed Vena and Jensen. Jay was content to stand back and watch a master socialite in his element. Jensen seemed like a deer caught in the headlights. It was curious that he was even here. The guy was a preacher. Jay knew that much. He had problems back in the States, but most of that took place while Jay was in the marines. Given he'd been a little busy to keep up with the tabloid-riddled drama of Texas, he had zero guess as to how he ended up in Moscow, let alone the Kremlin.

But he'd made news recently. Granted, Jay had also been busy in the top-secret, underground channeler training dungeon, but the news trickled down even to their level. Pretty much any channeler that made the news made the topic of conversation among the Nine soon after.

He'd healed a guy. Jay could see the video clear as day. Someone was shot. He'd seen plenty of people shot before. They all shared that same panicked expression of impending death just before the emptiness brushed their face clean. That same contorted expression appeared, but Jensen laid hands on the guy and the emptiness didn't come. Instead, life blushed new. He'd healed the guy. Healed him from dying.

And he became famous for it. A channeler that can heal.
Heal..

Jay felt his jaw drop. The excitement tingled up and down his arms. His mouth went dry even as the light of hope flashed across his eyes. "Jensen-"
Jay started, only to feel a buzz against the skin: Wallet alert. Only one person had the settings tuned to push a call through to his attention on a night like this.

Cayli.

He licked his lips, pulled the wallet from his pocket and the name confirmed it.
"I'll be right back."
He stated even as he turned away. "Don't let him go anywhere!"
He yelled as he strolled away, pointing at the Texan.

He had to get out of the room. The crowd and music was too loud to hear. Probably best to not let anyone see where he was, either.

He yanked the earpiece that connected him to the Nine as the rush of fresh air slapped his face. The balcony was quieter. The red walls of the Kremlin cast their hellish reflections in the uplighting across his shoulders. But the bloody walls couldn't damper his mood. Hope. Cayli could be saved. She could be healed of the cancer that her doctors couldn't treat. All because Jay found himself in the right place at the right time. A servant to Ascendancy. One of the Nine at this ball. Brushing shoulders with the world's most famous healer. This was the answer. It had to be.

He answered the wallet: "Cayli! You won't believe what--"


He stopped. The voice on the other end was crying. "Cay. Talk to me. What's going on?"

"Somethings wrong."
She finally managed.
She was pale. Sickly. Her face gaunt, her eyes panicked. Jay's stomach ripped into knots.
"I feel like I'm going to die. I'm scared. We're at the emergency room. Mom and dad wont--"
she was cut off. The screen jumbled around.
"Cayli!"
Jay yelled like he could reach through the device and bring her back.

His father's voice filled the void, but distant, like he was holding the wallet low at his side. "I told you not to call him!"


Powerless, Jay tried to reach him, "Dad!"
He tried. But nothing. "DAD!"


Finally, dad addressed him. The view was filled with his face. The background moved to some kind of corridor. "Jay. Sorry for bothing you."

"What the hell is going on? Why is Cay in the ER?"

"She's not been feeling well."

No shit! He was lying. It was worse than that. So much worse. That was genuine terror in her voice. She looked like she was about to die.
"I'm coming home as soon as I can fly there. Tell me where you are."
Dad's gaze sunk away. Tears touched the corners of his eyes. "TELL ME."


Finally, with beeps and voices muffled in the background, dad answered. "County Mercy."


Jay closed his eyes just as the connection ended. But the processing delayed him only a moment. Before he knew it, his fingers were flying over the commands on the wallet to find a flight. The party behind him might as well have sank into the abyss. He didn't care. He'd steal a plane and fly it himself if he knew how to pilot.
But panic slowly began to build when the same code flashed every time he tried to purchase tickets. DENIED BOARDING.

TICKET DENIED.
PURCHASE DENIED.
BOARDING DENIED.

He let his arm drop to his side. What was going on? He pinched his eyes. The power seemed to churn and writhe like it sensed the growing anger in his gut. This wasn't financial. He had the money to buy a fucking plane ticket. There was only one reason he could be denied an international trip.

He was red-listed. The CCD wanted him trapped.

Ascendancy was inside. He could turn around and demand the flag to his name be removed. Ask to leave. Beg for help--

But the CCD wanted him trapped was American. He was here with Danjou. Ascendancy had to be the one that ordered the flag to his identity in the first place.

He grew sick.

There had to be a way out. People snuck in and out of countries all the time. But no. There wasn't time. He had to get to Cayli tomorrow; now.

Not Ascendancy then. Danjou? No, he didn't have the political capital for that kind of maneuver. Not inside the CCD anyway. It had to be a CCD official that could grant his departure. If only there was someone--

Someone -- like a Patron.

Northbrook.

Natalie's grandfather was a Patron, and his only chance. He turned around, determination set, licked his lips, and silently begged god that Natalie didn't hate him too much.

Then, as though the force of his need willed it. She was there.