Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Lark sat in a dark bar; a familiar place filled with people looking for a brief moment of pleasure in an otherwise lonely life. He came here often with his men, looking for just that, always successfully, but tonight he didn't see anything he wanted.

"Hey, so what's hitting your fancy tonight?" Stone asked as he returned to the table with two beers.

"Nothing," Lark grumbled.

"Nothing?" Stone gasped and looked around the room filled with attractive women and the men who hoped to take one home.

"Boy's been moping since we got here, so who's going to tell me what happened at the office tonight?" Granger asked.

Lark glared from one to the other. He considered these men brothers, but he didn't trust them with this knowledge. Not while he was still figuring out what it meant. "Just some chick who couldn't pay for the service," Lark grunted.

"And she's keeping you from wanting any of this fine ass walking around?" Granger prodded, not buying the excuse. He took a sip of his whiskey as he waited for further explanation.

Granger was a tough man, an expert at getting unwilling people to give up information, violently when necessary, and that stare would have worked on Lark if he didn't know him. The threat of violence was palpable in his hard glare and his whole look screamed that he was tough.

None of them were strangers to physical violence. It had been a necessary skill growing up in the orphanages and knowing they were going to have to go out and kill to live a full life, they'd all taken to training with a seriousness that they still held onto. No use getting soft even if they did have full souls now.

Stone was less intimidating to look at, but still a muscular man. His shaggy blond hair made him look like a playboy out for nothing more than a good time. It was useful too, getting information from the softer gender as well as blending into society where Granger would be too noticeable.

They all had their talents and no trouble with the ladies. Lark saw a table full of willing women looking their way and whispering. Soon the women would get brave and walk over, it had happened a million times. It was usually exactly what he wanted when he walked in here.

But not tonight. Tonight when Lark looked at their heavily made-up faces and skimpy outfits, he only saw what they weren't. They weren't a too-skinny woman in an old T-shirt and ripped jeans. They weren't Ebony. She hadn't been wearing much makeup, but she hadn't needed it. Ebony's natural beauty had been obvious. Her long, black hair was surprisingly shiny and healthy, and there'd been such a determined light in her eyes he'd almost given her the service for the old price.

Until Lark had touched her.

That spark, that impossible, wonderful spark. It had touched his soul and his world had collapsed into a single point. Ebony.

So what had he done? Sent her away. Because he didn't want that, he wasn't interested in a soulmate. But how the fuck was Ebony his soulmate when she didn't even have her entire goddamn soul?

Lark realized he was hissing in frustration when Stone told him to knock it off before he scared the dames away. Lark downed the beer and stood up. "I'm out of here, nothing good tonight," he said quickly and walked through the bar before either man could ask him any more questions.

"Hey baby, looking for company? Wanna buy me a drink?"

Lark shrugged off the woman's touch, feeling only revulsion for the petite blonde with full red lips and a low-cut dress.

"No," Lark hissed and walked away. "I want my goddamn soulmate," he muttered too low for anyone to hear.

The next day Ebony was nursing a slight headache as she cleaned hotel rooms at a place far enough inside the city that it catered almost exclusively to fullsouls, and employed exclusively halfsouls. It wasn't a bad job for a halfling, and she got to work alongside her best friend most days.

Ebony was trying very hard to not think about Lark today though, and she wasn't doing a good job of it. He invaded her thoughts constantly and made a thrill shoot through her body even as she was filled with anger at his dismissal of her request. Maybe she should start taking suppressants. Desiring someone who had treated her poorly was definitely a sign of an overactive libido and that was a problem she didn't want.

Taylor didn't seem to be having any problems after drinking last night and likely staying up far later than Ebony had. Taylor chattered on and on about the latest news. Apparently Shine Buchanan, the foremost proponent of separation, was on the morning news shows talking about all the good her family was doing for the halfling districts, really beautifying and updating them.

"That bitch has never set foot outside of DC and you know they don't let halflings set foot across those city lines. It's the most heavily guarded fullsoul city in the world," Taylor snapped.

"They say it's because they were attacked by halflings trying to kill everyone in the government and take over the country. But I think it's because they're afraid the nosouls will get in," Ebony said conspiratorially.

"Yeah, right. Have you ever even seen a nosoul?" Taylor rolled her eyes as she fluffed a pillow. "I'm not sure they actually exist. It's just another way for the government to not give us rights and keep tabs on what we do with whom."

Ebony didn't disagree with parts of that, she didn't believe the government had the halflings' best interests in mind and she didn't think they would let one walk into the capital and demand more rights. But she definitely believed in the nosouls.

Most halflings just lived lonely lives and died young, never marrying and definitely never having children to perpetuate the suffering. There were two beliefs on halfsouls breeding, one was that the babies, on the rare occasion they weren't immediately spontaneously aborted, died shortly after birth. The other was that the ones who did survive, had no soul at all. It was said that they had black, lifeless eyes and pale skin, they were allergic to the sun and often resorted to drinking blood to survive because the government didn't give them even half an allotment of rations. They were stolen from their mother by other nosouls immediately after birth and raised in cities below ground, coming out at night and killing to slake their thirst.

Most believed that was just a scary story invented to keep halflings from breeding with each other; Ebony felt differently. She'd seen one born and it had been the scariest thing she'd ever experienced.

The mother hadn't believed the rumors either and had risked the pregnancy. Ebony's mother was the woman's friend and helping her through the birth and Ebony was learning a little about life by watching. The baby was born deathly pale with huge black, soulless eyes, and sharp teeth.

Ebony's mother had tried to convince the poor woman to mercifully kill the thing, but the woman had refused to let her child die, assuring them that she could care for whatever it needed for however long she might have it. They left her alone, promising to return in the morning with some food, but the next morning the mother was dead, the baby was gone, and no one, except Ebony and her mother, had any idea what had happened.

"They come in the middle of the night to take the newborns and kill the mothers so there are no witnesses," Ebony whispered, knowing it would rile up her friend.

"Oh pish, that's ridiculous. Patrice died because she didn't have proper medical care and the danger of a halfling giving birth is so extreme no one should do it. The stories of nosouls are just a government-propagated conspiracy to keep us under control and taking their suppressants, god forbid we have a little fun in our lives that doesn't cost money," Taylor said.

Ebony shrugged; she knew what she'd seen. "Then where did the baby go?"

Taylor ignored the question. It was a familiar argument that led nowhere. There was no proof that either of them could bring forward for their side and neither of them was willing to change their minds about it.

"You're sure you don't want to buy a new dress or a pair of cute shoes?" Taylor said to lighten the mood.

Ebony laughed. "And wear them where? I come here to clean up other people's crap, then I go home and sit with you by the river. What do I need a dress or fancy shoes for?"

Taylor held up a glittery red gown that had been tossed on the floor of the hotel room. "Sometimes a girl just wants to be pretty," she said as she held the slinky dress up to her body and twisted to make its skirt flow.

"And sometimes a girl just wants to eat," Ebony said with a sigh, staring down at the remains of a large steak with potatoes and apple pie. She had never had a meal as big as the leftovers she usually found in the rooms. She wasn't too proud to admit she'd sampled bites before, most of the housekeeping staff considered it a perk of the job.

"Well then, how about you treat us to a nice dinner tonight? It would still leave you with enough money to donate and make a difference to the orphans."

Ebony admitted that didn't sound like a terrible idea, except that she hated going into places that didn't usually serve halflings. Even if they didn't outright discriminate, they still made her feel uncomfortable and awkward, like they didn't really think she would be able to pay the bill or that she was going to leave a stain behind from her dirty half soul. "Sounds like a hassle," she admitted.

"Everything worth having is a hassle," Taylor said, heaving the garbage out the door and down the hall.

Alone in the room, Ebony picked up the shiny dress and sighed, she would never have anything half as nice. But if she could figure out a way, her life would make a difference to someone, and she clung to that bit of hope to keep her going. It just wasn't going to be easy without Lark's help.

"Maybe I should try to find another searcher," she said to Taylor when she returned with the vacuum, "before giving up and donating to the orphanage."

"Another searcher? I can ask around, get another name for you. But Lark is the best in the country, or so I hear, and definitely the best one in town."

"Well, he already turned me down," she snapped and threw her rag on the cart, pushing on to the next room.

"Pissy," Taylor shot back. "A nice meal would fix that attitude!"

"Or it would show me what I'm missing every day for the rest of my life," she grumbled too low for Taylor to hear.

"I got a job!" Peter said, running down the hall toward Ebony with a huge smile on his young face.

He'd been waiting for Ebony and Taylor promptly that morning with the hopes of finding employment with the hotel. Ebony had been doubtful that it would work out, but she was glad it had. The kid was eager and energetic, willing to do anything, or so he'd said. He was tall and lanky in the way of eighteen-year-old boys, with short, almost shaved, blond hair and dull, blue eyes large in his face. He had sunken cheeks and a sharp nose. He didn't look like he had lived well at the orphanage, and she wondered if he'd been giving his rations to the younger ones.

"Great. In maintenance?" Ebony asked.

"No, in the kitchen, but hey, it's work."

"That's great, Peter," Taylor said, coming out of the next room with an armload of dirty towels and sheets. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

Ebony remembered that feeling of accomplishment at a first job and she didn't envy the downward spiral he was going to take when he realized the pay was crap, the work was hard, and their boss was a jackass. But at least it was something, he was lucky to have work, they all were.

"Hey, I'll see you guys later, I can't wait to tell Maralynn." He waved happily and hurried away.

"Poor kid is going to hate working in the kitchen. Steve is a jerk," Taylor said.

"You only think that because he wouldn't go on a date with you," Ebony teased. The head chef in the hotel kitchen was a halfling whose mother had come from a wealthy family on the east coast. They'd sent her away when she'd gotten pregnant, but they'd set her and the child up outside the halfling district in one of the neighborhoods where the poor fullsouls and the rich halfsouls mingled. It had given him certain advantages, like the ability to attend a trade school where he'd learned to cook. Taylor had gotten a major crush on the guy, but he'd told her he refused to date, took his suppressants regularly and threw himself into his work. It resulted in a bit of an asshole attitude if Ebony was being honest. Anyone fighting that hard to appear above their station in this society was bound to be wound tight and taking it out on those around them.

Taylor huffed and went back into the room. Ebony ate a potato off the plate before scraping it into the garbage.

She glanced at the clock that was hung on the side of the cart. It was time for their break and she needed some air. "Hey, I'm going to store the cart and walk down to Gimball's for a quick treat, want to join?"

Taylor appeared in the hall with a huge smile. "Yes! A girl needs something sweet every once in a while."

A few minutes later they were walking out of the hotel through the employee entrance and heading down the block. The fresh air was really nice, usually they didn't leave the hotel during the work day because their breaks were short and their boss was an asshole. But today it felt worth the risk of his dirty looks. Ebony breathed deep and listened to Taylor chatter on and on. Near the hotel were a few places she'd never enter. A clothing shop with items shipped in from across the country, a trinket shop that boasted the best souvenirs and local wine in all of LA, something she'd never been tempted to look at, and a place they were welcome into. Mrs. Gimball was a fullsoul who had a halfling child and so she had a special sort of love for the halflings who worked nearby. Her store was full of convenience items, food, snacks, toilet paper, all locally produced, nothing shipped in. It meant there were often empty shelves and no real options, but the prices were reasonable for a halfling with a little extra spending money.

"What are you girls doing in here in the middle of the day?" Mrs. Gimball asked as they stepped into the small shop. Today it held a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, all in season.

"We needed a little fresh air and a treat to keep the depression away," Ebony admitted.

Mrs. Gimball nodded knowingly, the depression was real, a lot of halflings fell into it so deep they never were able to crawl back out.

Ebony didn't bother going up or down any of the aisles, she wasn't here for anything more than a little sugar boost. She grabbed two small pieces of chocolate wrapped in wax paper and set them on the counter.

"That's it?" Mrs. Gimball asked looking from her to Taylor.

"That's it," Ebony said.

"Rations?" Mrs. Gimball asked.

Ebony held out her right wrist and Mrs. Gimball scanned it then glanced at the screen on the device. She smiled up at Ebony.

"You're good to go, girl, but getting low, good thing payday is around the corner, right?" Mrs. Gimball said.

Ebony nodded and gritted her teeth. She hated the information that she had to give away every time she bought something. That little device told the owner everything they needed to know about her. She was a halfling and she lived on government rations and her meager paycheck.

No one would guess that she had a stack of cash in her purse that she'd managed to save because she didn't treat herself to little bits of sugar often and she didn't splurge ever.

"Thank you," Taylor said as she took the candy Ebony handed her. "I don't think I've had chocolate in months!"

Ebony unwrapped the chocolate as she walked and slipped it into her mouth. She let it sit on her tongue, melting slowly as they walked in silence, both savoring the treat.

Taylor grabbed Ebony's arm and leaned her head on Ebony's shoulder. They took their time getting back to work knowing they would be catching a glare from their boss, Mr. Glick.

"I would bathe in chocolate if I was a fullsoul," Taylor said.

Ebony laughed and agreed. Chocolate was an amazing invention, right up there with wine. Something she'd only had the pleasure of trying once.