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  PRINTS

  Birth of the Demon

  A. N. Martin

  This is for my husband, Clint,

  who encouraged me to finish something amazing.

  Table of Contents

  CUSTODY

  BLOWN AWAY

  RIGHTS INTO DOMICILE

  BURNED

  IMPRINTING

  THE TALOM BOY

  SCARRED

  A GREAT IDEA

  CABA

  A REASON TO DIE

  DEFENSE

  THE LETTER

  DESPERATE TIMES

  MANIPULATED

  TAKEN

  A DEAL

  ROCKWELL TOWERS

  ATTACK

  INFERNO

  TO FIGHT

  ~1~

  CUSTODY

  Photographs of stern men in black suits surrounded Dominaze Pierce as she sat uncomfortably in her creaky chair. She’d never set foot in a courtroom before today. Yet here she was, wearing her mom’s button-up blouse, with her thick unruly brown hair pulled back into a tight pony tail. Though she knew she was more of a victim, she couldn’t help but feel like a criminal waiting to be given her sentence.

  Next to Dominaze was her sniffling mother, Kora Pierce. Dominaze peeked at her out of the corner of her eye. Tears were streaming down her mother’s pointed pale cheekbones. Dominaze tightened her jaw and glared hoping her mother could feel the hatred she had for her brewing inside her chest. She was being abandoned and she despised her mother for it. After all, Kora had been the perfect mother. She was selfless and nurturing—up until five days ago. A lot can happen in just five days. In that short time, Dominaze had learned of a father her mother had never spoken of and a brother she never knew she had. Her mother had left her father and brother when Dominaze was a baby and refused to talk about anything from her past. It was with them that her future now lay.

  Today was the switch. For reasons that didn’t add up, Dominaze was being sent to live with her father, Kyro Pierce. A wealthy man who knew nothing about her would now have complete custody over her. And where was he? Absent. In his place, sitting at the table to her left was his assistant, Thora Hummington. She was extremely fidgety. Her abnormally pointed nose wiggled every time she spoke. Her pressed white suit looked too expensive. In fact, the only impressive thing about her was her incredibly tangled blond hair braid. It was so long it caught underneath her when she sat down.

  It was no secret how Dominaze felt. She had not been subtle when she expressed her desire to stay with her mother. Yet, in the end, none of it made a difference. The overweight bald judge ignored her pleas entirely. The only benefit Dominaze saw in the situation was that she was leaving Brooklyn and the small studio apartment she called home and heading to warm, high-class, Fisher Island, Florida. Dominaze would embrace the tropical climate, but there was no doubt in her mind that she would stick out like a sore thumb. She knew nothing about the high-class lifestyle she was dropping into.

  The judge cleared his throat. “I hereby grant Mr. Kyro Pierce full custody of Ms. Dominaze Pierce, beginning today, June 8th and until Dominaze reaches her legal age of eighteen years.” The gavel hit the podium and the judge stood.

  Her sentence was set. The very atmosphere in the room suddenly felt heavy as her future was stamped and finalized. Dominaze stood slowly and turned toward the fidgety Thora Hummington, who would take her away. A desperate hand grabbed hold of her. Looking down, she saw her mom’s pleading face.

  “Dominaze, you will forgive me for this.” Kora promised through her tears.

  “Not likely,” Dominaze mumbled heartlessly.

  Dominaze shook her off and turned away. She wanted her mother to hurt for not fighting for her. There was no way she was going to give her the satisfaction of believing she would ever forgive her. After all, it was Dominaze’s fifteenth birthday only two days from now. Her timing couldn’t have cut deeper.

  Kora reached up and touched the back of Dominaze’s shoulder. She knew it had been bothering her lately. Dominaze pulled away and walked toward the other table.

  Thora Hummington smiled cheerfully with her arms open. Dominaze went to her, but stopped shy of them. She could only manage a polite smile.

  “I’m Thora Hummington. You may call me Thora.” She wiggled her nose. “I’m Kyro Pierce’s personal assistant.”

  “I know who you are,” Dominaze muttered.

  She had to get out of here before the tears came. Not tears of sadness, tears of rage. Thora continued to smile as she guided Dominaze toward the exit. Before leaving, Dominaze glanced to the back corner of the courtroom. Sitting on the very back row were her younger twin sisters, Amanda and Fallen. They starred silently in disbelief as she passed; no farewells from them. This didn’t surprise her. She had always struggled to get along with them. It was always two against one when it involved Dominaze and her twin sisters. Now she wasn’t certain if she would ever see them again. She wasn’t sure if she was more bothered that she might never see them again, or by the fact that they got to stay with their mom. Looking away, she scowled and hurried out the door.

  Outside, Dominaze watched as Thora waited impatiently for the car to pull up. If she was going to be stuck with this awkward woman for the next few hours, she may as well get her to tell her more about where they were going.

  “Do you live on Fisher Island, too?” Dominaze asked.

  Thora wrinkled her pointy nose. “I’m sorry, what island?”

  “Fisher Island?” Dominaze repeated. “I thought Kyro…I mean Dad…lived in Florida, on Fisher Island.”

  “Oh right, Florida.” Thora nodded quickly. “Yes, I live on the property in my own quarters.”

  “Which is on Fisher Island?” Afraid she misunderstood where she was going, Dominaze repeated the question.

  “Yes, Fisher Island.” Thora again nodded without making eye contact. Her hands shook as she aimlessly flipped through a blank planner. “Oh look, here’s the car.” She nearly sprang forward to open the door.

  Dominaze’s chest tightened and her heart pounded as fear for the uncertain future crept in. For a brief second she thought about running in the other direction. There was no way Thora could catch her in the seven-inch heals she was wearing. But if Dominaze were to be honest with herself, she knew nothing about survival. She wouldn’t last one day on her own—not in Brooklyn. Reluctantly, she followed Thora into the car and watched out the window as the City Hall building and her crying mother shrank into the distance.

  Thora avoided eye contact and all unnecessary conversation for the rest of the day. She barely acknowledged Dominaze as she hustled her through the airport and aboard a plane. She was skittish and seemed uncertain of her surroundings. It wasn’t until the plane started its descent that Thora finally turned to Dominaze.

  “We will meet Hemrick at the airport.”

  Dominaze nodded. Hemrick. The older brother she never knew she had. This was sure to be awkward.

  “He will escort you the rest of the way to your father’s estate,” Thora explained.

  Dominaze’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait. You’re leaving me alone with him?” Butterflies filled her stomach.

  “He’s your brother, Dominaze.” Thora snickered through her nose, “Yes, I have to do something before going to the Island. You’ll be fine.”

  Dominaze wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t good at meeting new people. The wrong words always came out and she already knew this would be an uncomfortable sibling reunion.

  Thora continued, “Once we land you will meet him at the passenger pickup. I won’t have time to bring you to him.”

  “I have to find him myself?” Dominaze felt her eyes bulge. “Do you at lea
st have a picture of him?”

  “Of course I don’t have a…” Thora paused to think. “I mean, not on me, no. You shouldn’t have a hard time spotting him though. He’ll stand out in this crowd.”

  Dominaze looked around. “This crowd?”

  Thora was either the most confused assistant ever, or more likely, she was hiding something.

  Dominaze sank low in her seat. “At least tell me what he looks like. Does he look like me?” She perked up, hopeful.

  “He stands tall with longer, light-colored hair, tanned skin and blue…eyes.” She stuttered, “He’ll be the only one holding a sign that reads ‘Dominaze Pierce.’” She smiled stiffly.

  “Great.” Dominaze sighed, hanging her head.

  Hemrick’s description matched that of her mother’s and sisters’. Apparently she was the only one with thick dark hair and an ivory complexion—the misfit. Hemrick sounded like a young, male surfer version of her mother, whom she was trying not to think about.

  Almost as soon as the plane arrived at the gate, Thora disappeared from sight. Dominaze was grateful to be rid of her. Thora’s skittish personality was making her nervous.

  Having never flown anywhere in her life before today, Dominaze was completely lost in the airport. She decided to inconspicuously follow a man who she’d hoped was heading to the luggage pickup. This got awkward when she ended up waiting outside the men’s bathroom while her unsuspecting guide went in. It wasn’t until she had followed him all the way through the airport that she finally saw the obvious signs with arrows directing her where to go. Hurrying, she found her small yellow suitcase and continued to follow the flow of people to the Passenger Pickup. Heart thumping, she took a deep breath, and sure enough, Hemrick stood out.

  Dominaze found him instantly. He looked nothing like a surfer guy. Instead she couldn’t decide between a twenty-year-old Tarzan and a lost ‘70s flower child. He had hair that reached his shoulders and a lean muscular stature. It was easy to picture him swinging through the trees or rocking bell-bottom jeans with peace symbols hanging around his neck. Dominaze stopped just a few feet in front of him. He neither smiled nor moved.

  “Hemrick?...Um…I’m Dominaze Pierce.” She pointed to his sign.

  He looked at the sign and back at her with no expression.

  “Are you?”

  “Yes.” She furrowed her brow.

  “Well it’s about time.”

  “My plane just barely landed. I came straight here…I just…” She paused as she noticed his expression changing.

  A smirk—at first just a subtle half-smile, but soon his entire face was lit up.

  “Sorry, it’s just that I have imagined what it would be like to see you again for nearly fourteen years.”

  Dominaze folded her arms. “Really? Because I had no clue you even existed.”

  “Well you weren’t allowed to know.” He reached forward and took her suitcase. “Come on.”

  “Wait, what do you mean I wasn’t allowed to know?”

  Ignoring her question, Hemrick led the way to a black car. Inside the driver’s seat was a man patiently waiting.

  “Don’t you drive?” Dominaze asked.

  “Not here.”

  “Here?” She looked around confused.

  Hemrick laughed. “Get in.”

  “You know I have a lot of questions and would really appreciate some answers.” She climbed into the car. “This change is hard enough without all the vague half-answers everyone gives.”

  “I can’t answer your questions here.”

  “You see,” she pointed at him. “Like that. What does that even mean?”

  He just laughed again as the car pulled away from the airport. “Well, tell me about you.”

  “There’s not much to say. Until five days ago I lived happily enough with our mom and sisters, Fallen and Amanda. I thought we were fine, that we would always be together. But…then…” She looked away.

  “Something suddenly changed.” Hemrick finished.

  “Well, yeah.” She turned back. “I mean it has always been difficult to see eye-to-eye with Fallen and Amanda. Though we’re less than a year apart, we couldn’t be more different, but Mom…well, she always needed me. She’s forgetful and unorganized. She gets lost and loses things.” Dominaze’s eyes stung as the anger crept in. “I needed to stay with her and she practically gave me away. And why just me? Why weren’t Fallen and Amanda forced to leave, too?”

  “You’ll forgive Mom.”

  “Why does everyone keep saying that?” Clenching her teeth, Dominaze glared at him.

  “Because she didn’t have a choice, Dominaze.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “You will understand soon and you will forgive her.”

  Pulling away, she crossed her arms. She wasn’t quite ready to let herself trust Hemrick, though everything about him seemed inviting and kind.

  Staring out the window, she watched the signs go by as they took the I-395 through Miami and out onto the water. They passed over a small island with homes that looked like they were built right at the ocean’s edge. Boats and yachts were docked along the properties. Dominaze’s stomach squirmed uneasily at the idea of ever feeling like she would belong here. With clammy hands she rubbed her throbbing shoulder.

  “Your shoulder hurts?” Hemrick asked

  “It’s fine.”

  “Try to relax. Home isn’t out there.” He nodded out the window.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Home isn’t on the cookie-cutter islands or lost in the weak steel-framed buildings here. Just relax, you’ll see soon enough,” he encouraged.

  “I don’t understand,” she grumbled.

  They turned off the highway and stopped at a park. Hemrick got out of the car and Dominaze scramble to follow him while hauling her suitcase. He walked along a path until they were at the water’s edge. Behind them rose the tall apartments and hotels of Miami Beach and across the water Dominaze could see an island with a few large buildings on it. Further out, over the ocean, dark clouds were forming and the echoes of distant thunder rumbled deeply as the sun dipped behind the horizon.

  “It’s nearly time.” Hemrick nudged Dominaze. “Ready to go home?”

  With pursed lips, she dropped her suitcase and once again crossed her arms. “First tell me what’s going on. You and Thora are already keeping secrets from me and I want to know what they are.”

  Hemrick took a deep breath as he looked at her.

  “Well Dominaze, I’m about to show you something that will change everything you think you know.” He paused, eyeing her. “Just how attached to this life and world are you?”

  “It’s okay.” Dominaze answered slowly, raising an eyebrow.

  “Great, because I’m about to take you out of it.”

  ~2~

  BLOWN AWAY

  Thunder shook the ground as a thick storm seemed to race toward them. The air was heavy and dense in Dominaze’s lungs. She had to concentrate to breathe. Hemrick stood unshaken, watching, waiting for her reaction.

  “I don’t understand. Like everything else, you’re not making sense. You’re just making me mad.”

  To her surprise, he laughed.

  “Isn’t that what older brothers do?”

  The storm was suddenly upon them. Lightning lit up the sky.

  Dominaze ducked at the sound of the crashing thunder. “Can we please get out of here? I don’t want to hang out in a rain storm.”

  “That’s too bad. It’s here just for you.”

  “I’m tired of asking what you’re talking about.” Dominaze yelled over the booming thunder.

  “You don’t need to. I’m going to show you.”

  Hemrick held up a finger, gesturing for her to wait as he removed a stained, silver container from his pants pocket. Carefully opening the container, he took something small out and held it up for her to see. It appeared to be nothing more than a pale blue rectangular piece of p
lastic. No longer than a stick of gum.

  “This is my strip and when it’s in place I am a Print with authority.” He eyed her. “Are you ready to be blown away?”

  He didn’t wait for a response. She didn’t have one anyway. Dominaze knew her face said it all. He was out of his mind. Just her luck. Her brother was a lunatic.

  Pulling his shirt down on the right side, he pointed to the back of his shoulder blade. There appeared to be a slit in his skin. To her horror he inserted the pale strip. Immediately, soft blue markings appeared across his entire body. They swirled over his skin and through his hair. His eyes grew pale and the wind encircled him.

  “What the…” Dominaze breathed, stepping back.

  Hemrick grabbed her arm and looked into her eyes. For the first time he was completely serious.

  “Hold on tight.”

  His eyes grew white as he threw his hand over his head. A sudden gust of wind exploded from him. The force pushed Dominaze back and lifted her from the ground. Reaching for him, she pulled herself into his chest. The roaring wind was deafening. Her insides twisted. She felt as if she were spinning. Pressed and pulled by the relentless gusts, Dominaze held on tight, cringing at the sting of the rain as it hit her skin.

  “Hemrick!” she called out, but the sound of her own voice was lost in the chaos.

  The ground seemed to drop out from under her—or maybe she was falling toward the sky. With her heart pounding and breathless, her fingers grew numb and she couldn’t hold on any longer. She screamed, afraid she was about to fall. Giving in at last, Dominaze let go. There was nothing around her except Hemrick’s unyielding grip on her arm. Though her eyes were wide open, she saw nothing but blackness…

  …and then it was calm. She didn’t remember the ground coming back, but it was suddenly there, beneath her jelly legs. The storm was no longer overhead and the thunder a mere distant rumble.

  “That was intense.” Hemrick breathed.

  Dominaze shrank to the ground as if the life had just been blown out from her. Through dazed eyes she stared at him.

  “What was that?” she asked, still shaking.