Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Author:Jon Skovron [Skovron, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101612903
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2013-10-02T16:00:00+00:00

15

Sophie, So Good

WE WENT TO a dimly lit club back in the Strip District. Although the outside looked like a drab warehouse, the inside looked ultramodern, with lots of frosted glass surfaces and chrome fixtures. Mozart showed the guy at the door his ID. It looked like he was about to ask for ours, but then Mozart did some werewolf thing with his eyes, and the guy suddenly looked really nervous and just let us in.

Once we were safely inside, Sophie patted his hairy cheek. “You are very useful.” Then she turned toward the dance floor in the back of the club. “Now, if you lads will excuse me, I haven’t been dancing in ages.”

“Go ahead,” said Mozart. “We’ll be at the bar.”

Sophie nodded, her eyes dreamy as she walked toward the flashing lights, pounding drum and bass, and thick crowd in the back.

We sat down on a couple of padded leather stools at the glittering chrome-finished bar.

“I’ve never been in a real nightclub,” I said.

“You do need to get out for a while, then.” Mozart waved to the bartender, a cute human girl with a bull-ring nose piercing. “Scotch on the rocks for me.” Then he turned to me. “What do you want?”

I shrugged. “Beer, I guess?”

“And an Iron City for him,” he told the bartender.

While the bartender got our drinks, I watched Sophie out on the dance floor. She wasn’t anywhere near as good a dancer as Liel. But there was something so free about the way she moved, like she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. Guys would try to dance with her, but she’d just glide right past, lost in her own little world. Liel danced for others. Sophie just danced for herself.

The bartender placed our drinks in front of us. As Mozart handed her some money, he said, “You know what? I think I need to get out for a while myself.”

“You’re going to travel with us?” I asked.

“Nah. Traveling alone is what I really need right now. Think I’ll hop a train tomorrow. Maybe I won’t even check which way it’s going first.”

“That’ll be cool.” I took a sip of my beer to hide my disappointment.

“Look, I know it’s going to be a little weird with those girls, always changing personalities. But they’re survivors. You’ll be all right with them. Besides, what do you need an old dog like me hanging around for, anyway? I’d just cramp your style.”

“What style?” I asked.

“Exactly. You can’t be stuck in my impressively stylish shadow. You need room to do your own thing.”

I nodded and took another sip of my beer. It still felt like he was ditching us.

He picked up his tumbler filled with ice and yellow liquid. He took a swallow, then swirled the ice in the glass. “Something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“What’s that?”

“What was up with those crazy humans attacking you and Liel back in Jersey? What were they after?”

I needed to tell someone about VI. I wasn’t sure what she would do next, but I knew she wasn’t done.

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