Regret: Volume Two of Ebb & Flow [Psychological Superpowered Thriller]

"Oh, Sydney, Dappur, and his date are here," Raf said, looking at his phone.

Everyone is arriving. I need to figure out how to kill Aubrey. It's too risky to leave things to chance any longer. Having Anika here means I can't count on Vivienne to help. That means I need to involve Emma. She's the only pawn I have access to. I don't have my helmet, any equipment, or a plan yet. If I commit to this, I'm intertwining Emma and my paths forever. She's a sociopath with a desire to push boundaries and hurt other people, but she does have feelings for me. I can't keep treating the women in my love life like Maria; Violet is proof of the arrogance and ignorance in doing that. If I do this, I can't half ass our cooperation; I'll need to bring her on completely.

The sound of multiple voices talking brings me back to reality. In walks Violet, flanked by Sydney, Dappur, and his date. Sydney is the most casual dressed of everyone, which is expected. She's the type to show up to a funeral in something comfy. She's got a black sweatshirt on that says Hex, Hugs, Honey in bold gold lettering. A green skirt goes down to her ankles, where she's wearing her typical hiking boots. The bird's nest of hair is free, swaying in front of her face, and she keeps having to move it with her hand. I can't understand why she lets her hair remain like that. She stands out wherever she goes while trying to remain undetected. I remain undetected by standing out.

Dappur's date is a darkskinned woman wearing a red dress that's two sizes too small and struggling to contain her voluptuous body. She's got more tattoos than Dappur does, all over her shoulders, legs, and arms. Her curly hair is cut short, to just below her ears, which have two bone white plugs in them. Dappur's got white pants with red suspenders and a yellow polo that's fully unbuttoned to show a glimpse of his chest tattoos. The two of them are fused at the hip like conjoined twins and keep touching each other every chance they get. The two of them look like they'll be sneaking away at some point to do the deed.

Right behind those four is the second group of people—Sy, Emma, Vivienne, and her girlfriend Anika. Vivienne looks great, wearing green skinny jeans, checkered sneakers, and a deep purple dress shirt half-tucked into the jeans. There are a few buttons undone at the top, and the loose bottom half of it gives her outfit a calculated, messy style that has to be Anika's work. Isaiah would never allow her to go out like this. Her partner, Anika, is wearing a navy colored blouse and a matching skirt. She's also wrapped in a slate gray shawl. She and Vivienne are holding hands as they walk in together. Despite losing affection, the sight of her with Anika is sparking a bit of joy inside me. I haven't asked her about the relationship at all. I've been an absentee friend to her. She deserves better.

Emma is talking animatedly with Sy, V, and Anika, playing her desired role perfectly. Everyone looks to be having fun around her, and it would be hard to believe these four just met. Emma is masterfully navigating the conversation, always interjecting a funny remark or assenting noise, but never to the point of being rude. Emma's dressed very differently from earlier. Actually, entirely different from what I've ever seen. A brown sweater with a stick figure turkey on it and a pair of ripped jeans. She's only got a small amount of makeup on, and it isn't in her usual grunge/goth/alt-pop style. She's got a regular smile on her face, and I realize that I was probably overthinking her ability to remain in character. Her mask is exquisite.

Sy is wearing pants for the first time since we met. They're black, to no one's surprise, he can't seem to help dressing like the frontman of a dad rock cover band. He's got on his signature sword earring and lip ring, with his mustache curled to perfection. He's wearing a white and gold hockey jersey on but it's not for any real sports team; the jersey number is triple sixes, and there's a demonic goat face wearing sunglasses on the front.

Emma sees me and playfully sprints over with her arms stretched out toward me. She jumps into my arms, and I instantly understand what she's aiming for, so I spin her around in the air twice before putting her down. She lets out a squeal of joy, a sound I've never heard anyone make in real life. Oh, we're really laying it on thick, huh? I take a glance around and see everyone staring at us, including Violet. She stands up on her tiptoes to give me a brief kiss on the lips. Our kiss is just long enough to accomplish her goal of making us the center of attention, and in Violet's case, envy. Not long enough to be seen as sexual and inappropriate, just drawn out enough to reflect intimacy.

"I missed you," she whispered in my ear.

"Same. I'm going to need your assistance with something before the end of tonight," I said quietly.

"Get a room!" Vivienne shouted, causing everyone to laugh—everyone except Violet.

"I made some finger foods to snack on if anyone's hungry," I said, pointing to the two trays of food. "And it looks like Aubrey and Violet have broken out the booze."

Everyone breaks up, some people go for food, and others go for drinks. Friendsgiving has officially begun. Sy seems slightly awkward, fidgeting with his sleeves and standing about. He doesn't know any of them. I ought to make him feel more welcome. I make my way over to him, smiling. The transition from anxious to comfortable warmth is instantaneous when he sees me. Sy truly likes me. He said his dad died recently and that his mother isn't doing well. How badly is his life for me to be a source of light in it? I am no sun, spreading warmth and light to all who witness me. I am a shadow swallowing everything in darkness.

"Hey, Sy. Thanks for coming," I said.

"Thanks for the invite. I gotta say, Eryk, I'm not sure if I fit in with this kind of group," he said nervously, rotating his lip ring with his tongue.

"Why not? Everyone here is friends and we're friends, aren't we?"

"I've never done something like this before. I'm not the type to get invited to events like this, at places like this, and with people who look like ya'll," Sy admitted after a minute of silence.

Stolen novel; please report.

"I'll let you in on a secret, buddy. I've never done anything like this, and Violet, that's her over there," I said, pointing to her. "Is the only one of us who lives like this, as far as I know. Vivienne's parents disowned her, Aubrey's dad left when she was younger, my mother died in a car crash when I was five, Emma's an orphan, and Raf and Sydney both come from poor backgrounds. I don't know about Anika, Dappur, or Dappur's date, but Violet is the only one percenter here."

"There I go again, throating my own foot. When will I learn to shut the fuck up?" Sy asked self-deprecatingly.

"It's all good. Do you want to join the others, or do you want to just wander around this place a bit before that?" I suggested.

"You're seriously maybe the best guy I've ever known. Yeah, if we could walk a bit before joining the others, I'd appreciate it. It takes me a bit before the party animal known as Sylvester the Cat can emerge," he said, flexing his arm.

"Alright, just give me a second. I'll be right back."

I leave Sy behind, heading over to where the rest of the group is already through two bottles. Vivienne and I share a look, but I shake my head. I don't need you for anything other than an alibi, Vivienne. Emma's got a slight smirk on her face as she helps pour drinks for everyone. She looks like she's having the time of her life with everyone, but I know it isn't that. What have you done? Or rather, what are you planning to do? I go through the process of greeting everyone, shaking hands, smiling, and talking up the food I've made for everyone, but my true target is Violet. I leave her for last.

"Hey, Violet."

"Hi, Eryk. Do you need something?"

"Bit of a weird request. Do you mind if Sy and I explore this place? He gets nervous around groups of new people, and the walk might help him," I said.

"Wow, that's so kind of you. Yeah, you guys are free to go wherever. There isn't anything personal you might find; no one lives here after all. And about earlier," Violet started to say, reaching for my hand.

"Don't," I said, yanking my hand away from her.

"Sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Sorry doesn't cut it."

A quick look around shows no one overheard us. Except Emma, of course. Her super hearing means there's probably nowhere in this place that she can't hear. I walk back over to Sy, clapping him on the shoulder as I tell him the good news. The kitchen is located to the right of where the entrance is, so we head through the lounge area that's on the left. Dozens of leather couches, large comfy chairs, crystal end tables, and stacks of books dot the room, larger than my apartment. The brick walls, bronze light sconces, and bookcases that stretch from the floor to the ceiling give the room a governor's study type of feel. It's like the kind of room where politicians, business owners, and millionaire philanthropists come to terms and make shady dealings. If this were a movie, there'd be a man of European descent telling everyone he's going to make them an offer they can't refuse. And the place would be full of cigar smoke.

We don't stay long in the lounge; we weave our way through it. There's another room after it that is empty except for giant fish tanks, or rather, a single fish tank that covers the walls. It's a lot like being inside the aquarium. There must be hundreds of fish living in here. Aquatic plants, sand, rocks, and handmade features like castles and houses decorate the tanks. Some fish swim in schools, while others travel alone, staking out their territory from invaders. The room is dyed in dark blues, giving the room an underwater feel. The fact that no one lives here, yet this room is functional, is another detail that speaks to the Graves family's wealth. Sy and I don't speak for a bit, enjoying the silence and admiring the fish.

"Dude, this place is fucking insane. Is the next room going to be a bounce house trampoline park? Or maybe a water slide? I literally don't think that if I had a million years, I could get enough money to buy a place like this. I mean, what does her family even do?" He asked incredulously.

They're Capes in the Heroes' Union, but that doesn't explain how the hell they afford this.

"I'm not sure. My dad's an architect and a pretty highly paid one at that, but he could never afford this place," I said.

"Yeah, my mom's a retired school teacher and my dad is," Sy said, pausing. "Was the owner of a shop. It did alright, enough that I wasn't eligible for FAFSA, but not enough to live like this."

"I'm sorry, Sy," I said.

Sy looks like he might start tearing up, but he holds it in. I don't push; it doesn't really matter to me what happened to his father. The conversation ends after my sympathetic response. I take the lead and walk out of the fish room, Sy shuffling his feet behind me. Sy's hypothesis about bounce houses is proven false when we're just in a regular hallway. I say regular, but there are painted portraits of Violet's family members on the walls. The deeper we go, the closer to the current day of Violet's lineage we get.

At the very end of the hallway is a family portrait of what must be Violet and her parents. The younger-looking girl is clearly her, and I can see the resemblance she has to both her parents. Her face is a near spitting image of her mother's, but she has her father's hair color and eyes. The two of them don't look like they're two of the strongest Capes, and they have to be if they're her parents. Looks can be deceiving; I'm a prime example. The only clue to their secret identities is that her dad has a large scar above his left eye, and her mother is missing her right arm entirely. Separately, these disfigurements could be accidental, but together they speak to combat experience. But what kind of monster could do that to those monsters?

"I'm sorry, but I gotta say it. Having this many painted portraits of your family is beyond masturbatory; it's borderline incestuous," Sy said, breaking the silence. "Rich people are a different breed, dude."

Sy's joke being stupid notwithstanding, it seems he's almost back to himself. Him being in high spirits is preferable to being a sad, awkward guy. We could probably go back now, but I haven't completed my ulterior motive for this tour. I need to get a mental layout of the place so I can plan where and how I can kill Aubrey. There's got to be something here in a mansion owned by Capes that I can use to dispose of a body. We can't go back until I've figured out the plan.

"I hear you. Let's keep going, maybe we can find the swimming pool full of gold coins," I joked.

"Please, I'm sure it's full of priceless gems, not something as paltry as coinage," Sy said with a bad British accent, holding his finger up to his nose to make a fake moustache over his real one.

"Indubitably, would you like to take the lead, Sir Sylvester?" I asked, matching his accent.

"I would be most gracious. Follow me, ole chap."