The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural Read online

  To find the nearest coffee joint, all Cassie had to do was follow her nose. Right beside the elevator sat a small coffee shop. No lines accompanied the store and with one cappuccino later, Cassie found herself wondering from store to store. She slurped on the last of the cinnamon sprinkled foam and glanced at a variety of magazines on a shelf by a water fountain. Celebrities, politics, celebrities, business, more celebrities- oh, but that was Caring Diaz! She had every single one of their albums downloaded to her phone.

  She snatched up the neon yellow magazine and adored the cover. Michael Caster stood with half of the buttons of his shirt undone so that his Australian tanned torso was exposed. A patch of bright red hair mixed in with his dark curls as a set of earphones were tied around it like a crown. In the picture, he punched the sky with one hand as the other held the mic-stand into the lips of Lotus Stelter.

  Behind the pair stood the rest of Caring Diaz. August Mathews the gorgeous African-Australian bass player rocked the same unbuttoned look as the lead singer. Cassie squealed. There were many people that listened to Caring Diaz because they thought Michael was the hottest stud around. But Cassie had always fancied August. He was taller than Michael and built rather than lean. His short coarse hair grew so close to his scalp, he practically looked bald and having a lack of distraction only brought out the pale green in his eyes. He was absolutely gorgeous. Mocha colored skin, dark hair, mint colored eyes, and an Australian accent? There was nothing finer.

  The other band members- Kellin Mullins on drums and Vic Carlile on guitar were just average Joes. They both had the typical surfer boy look, curly blond hair, blue- she wasn’t sure- eyes and Australian tribal tattoos on their exposed arms. Cassie hardly even paid them any attention. She stared at the image of August holding out his instrument expertly and considered thumbing through the pages for a poster of him, but something else caught her eye. Bass player raps in new album?

  “What?” she gasped as she gawked at the tile. Read more on page 34. So she did.

  On the cover of the article, Cassie was astounded to see a picture of August blown up on the first page rather than Michael. But she was even more astounded when she saw that August was rocking Caster's signature headphones-around-his-head look. Right below his smug smile in rock star font were the words: New Lead Singer?

  Cassie remembered hearing something about this on TV a while ago and she stood there examining the page full of words debating on reading the article. But Cassie's reading level was that of a second graders so she knew she wouldn’t finish reading before her plane took off. Besides, she needed something to entertain her in the six hour flight. She rolled up the magazine, shoved it in her pocket before fishing out a couple dollar bills.

  "Keep the change." she told the cashier then glanced at her wrist. There was still at least twenty-five minutes left to kill and a Tarrillian City souvenir shop just passed the coffee shop seemed entertaining enough.

  Several t-shirts, magnets and shot glasses later, Cassie was already getting bored. She was just about to leave the store when two men walked in. Cassie would have thought nothing of it if it wasn’t for the fact that they spoke with hushed Australian accents. With Caring Diaz still fresh in her mind, Cassie glanced up and nearly let a shot glass slip from her hand and shatter on the ground. However, her jaw did hit the floor as she felt her eyes open wider than they had ever gone because what stood before her was the epitome of serendipity.

  Even with a cap on, street clothes, and enormous shades, August Matthews and Michael Caster stood out like a sore thumb.

  "Oh… my…!” she gasped then ducked down behind a rack of shirts before they could look up.

  As she crouched on the floor with her heart racing at a million miles an hour, she reached into her back pocket. Her stumbling fingers couldn't unfold the magazine fast enough. How crazy was that?! She gawked at the cover. It was undeniable. Michael Caster and August Matthews were right there!! Cassie wasn't normally a buyer of magazines but she couldn't fathom how bazaar it was that she just bought a magazine with them on the cover... And there they were! Maybe they would sign it!

  She glanced back up. Though they stood across the store, Cassie had made such a ruckus when she saw them that and August had taken off his shades to stare at her with those amazing eyes.

  Cassie flushed, "Yuhh shh... hot."

  Michael turned to the bass player and whispered quietly, “What did she say?”

  "She thinks I'm hot." replied August with a smile.

  Cassie's knees buckled and she stood up all the way. Caring Diaz was right there. Repeat, Caring Diaz was right there!!! She had never met any celebrities before. If someone had told her she was going to run into the biggest rock sensation that day, she would have told them to go to a crazy house.

  "You can't be hotter than me, mate," Michael snickered as he turned to face August. "I'm Michael Caster."

  August shook his head but kept his eyes on Cassie. "You want a picture?"

  Cassie plucked her jaw off the floor and walked on rubber legs to the rock stars. It seemed odd that the stars were so able to keep a collected composure wile Cassie tried everything to keep her heart under control.

  "What's your name?" August asked as Cassie came closer. She was so close she could smell their expensive cologne!

  "Cassie Roswell," she answered finding her voice. "Oh, my gosh your Caring Diaz!"

  "We are." replied August casually.

  "I have every single one of your albums! I'm a huge fan! You guys are amazing! Is Lotus with you? Where are you going? Oh- sorry. I'll bet you get crazy fans all the time!"

  "No worries, mate." said August and Cassie flustered. He called her mate!

  "You want us to sign that too?" asked Caster pointing to the magazine still clutched in her sweating palms.

  "Yes!" she trusted the magazine in his direction and he pulled out a sharpie. It must have been quite often that they ran into fans.

  "What’s a huge fan of ours doing alone in a port?" asked August.

  But before Cassie could respond, Michael gasped. "They're already blabbing about this?!" he exclaimed jabbing a finger to the heading. "One interview and this is what I get? I can’t believe..!"

  "Wait, so you guys are seriously rapping in your new album?" asked Cassie.

  "I'm not rapping. My tongue would get all twisted." Michael answered handing the magazine to his band mate. "But this bloke is."

  "What about Lotus?" Cassie asked as August scribbled his name, "She featured you in just about every one of her singles."

  Michael let out one of the most sarcastic and slightly irritated laughs in history. Oddly enough it was one of the most unattractive things Cassie had ever heard. "Ha! Oh, Lozey, Lozey, Loze." He muttered to himself while shaking his head.

  August leaned in toward Cassie and explained, "She broke up with him right after he asked her to marry him."

  "Shut your face, Auz!" Snapped Michael. "Told you not to bring it up!"

  Cassie's fingers were shaking. She had just walked into some celebrity drama and she kept her mouth closed in hopes that they would say more, and Michael did.

  "I mean, I have never opened myself up to anyone like I have with her! If you were dating me,” Michael said and Cassie’s heart did a little flutter in her chest. Who wouldn’t want to date a celebrity? “And I finally tell you everything there is to know about me. All the good, all the bad- I even explained to her that I’ve been living a second life as-” He stopped abruptly and stared at Cassie blankly with his thick brown lashes. "Almost let the cat out, didn't I?"

  August turned to his friend with a bewildered and irritated expression. “Yes, you did.”

  The rock star chewed on his nail with a glare. "Yeah, well..." he accidentally ripped out a nail, cursed, then sucked on the blood. “Don't you want a picture?" he asked turning back to Cassie. When he pulled his finger out, Cassie noticed that the blood was already gone.

  "Oh, yes!" Cassie exclaimed. She glanced at the magazine just
in time to notice August had written Have a safe flight!:) With haste, she jammed the magazine back in her pocket and whipped out her camera.

  "It's the new Stelter one?" August asked as Cassie snuggled between the boys.

  "Yeah," she beamed, "check this out." she rotated the screen around so she could see what she was taking a picture of then held it out. With a hum, the camera began to automatically adjust the lighting and angel so they could fit in the screen. Cassie didn't even have to press the button for the camera automatically took picture. "Cool huh?" she asked.

  "Well, that is pretty nifty." August replied. "It was nice meeting you… Cassie?"

  She beamed. They still remembered her name!

  "Right, well it was nice to meet you. But Michael is having a meltdown, and our flight is leaving in a few."

  Cassie glanced down at her own watch. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed then shoved her camera back. "My flight leaves in five minutes!"

  "Run!" Michael exclaimed and Cassie did.

  She booked it, her footsteps echoing off the vacant hall. When she reached the waiting area, she was heated to see that her comrades were gone and none of them had bothered to take her carry on.

  Filled with agitation, Cassie snatched up the bag, swung it over her shoulder and burst into the gate. A flight attendant nearly tripped her when she held out her hand for the plane ticket.

  "First class down the hall and to the left." said the attendant with her bright lipstick smile and Cassie bolted.

  From the comfortable first class seats, an attendant had just handed Ammon a cup of coffee. He took it and saved another for Larissa even though she was passed out with her head against the window. From in front of him, Josh poked his head over the leather headrest to ask, “Do you think we should call her?”

  Ammon opened his mouth to respond, but he heard the pounding of heavy footsteps coming their way just as Josh looked up.

  "She's alive!" Josh cried as Cassie slid into the wide comfortable chair beside him. Before he could ask her where she had been, she had taken the magazine and smashed it against his thick chest. Though she meant it out of spite, she also wanted to brag about her run-in with the singers.

  "Look at what you missed out on sleepyhead!" she exclaimed and Ammon had to stand up to peer over their seats.

  "What is it?" he inquired.

  Cassie sat on her knees in the nice first class seat and showed him the autographed magazine. "I ran into Caring Diaz while you guys were sleeping!" she purposely spoke loud enough for even the passengers in coach to hear. A couple people looked up, but Larissa was still fast asleep.

  "I got a picture too!" she announced brightly and dug out her camera as Ammon read the signatures.

  "August M…something… says have a safe flight." Ammon read out loud, "And Michael Caster wrote, ‘If you had dropped that shot glass, I would have paid for it. Anything for a fan.’- whoa, you really did get a picture with them."

  "Dang, and the quality's super good too." Josh noted as he gazed over Cassie's shoulder. "His eyes can't be that naturally gorgeous."

  "Well they are." Cassie huffed as she snagged back her camera. "He's going to be my husband."

  Josh snorted, "You'd be lucky if a pig wanted to marry you."

  Cassie glowered and opened her mouth to retort when a flight attendant tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to buckle up. She even called Cassie a sweetie.

  "Oh, sweetie," Josh sang in mocking soprano. "Take a seat, sweetie, we're going on a trip."

  "Shut up," Cassie grumbled as she sank into her ridiculously comfortable seat. "You’re just jealous cuz I saw Caring Diaz."

  Ammon sunk down in the seat and glanced out the window. It was still pitch black outside, but he could make out the flashing lights of the other planes. There were luggage carts snaking their way across the runways. An expensive medium sized jet sat in the hanger beside him. Ammon reached over and pulled down the window curtain just as a limousine pulled up beneath one of the jet’s wings.

  ~Dohnatello disembarked from the back seat of his limousine. The moist early morning air clung to his slick hair and he glanced up at one of his jets. The airplane in the hanger beside him had just begun to drive off down the runway and he hurried to his own jet before the explosive sound of the craft could blow him off his feet. With a snap of his fingers a set of stairs sprung from jet and the Krome leader ascended with haste.

  The interior looked identical to the way he had last seen it. The large space was perfectly vacuumed, the flatscreen hung against the far wall. Pressed in the corner of the room were a set of thickly padded seats and sofas. They looked so comfortable, the High Krome almost wanted to cross over and take a nap.

  Last night had been an exhausting one. There had been a wedding, an in-gang thievery that Avery had to deal with. He had to OK Alma’s request to meet up with another gang of car thieves in Tokyo and Aaron was already busy organizing this year's first major robbery. Busy, busy, and Dohnatello hadn't slept a wink last night. Now this morning he had promised to fly two supernatural to their designated locations.

  Ace of course was going to Heleow and that was why he came to this plane first. So that he could coordinate their flight. Dohnatello stepped past the freshly stocked mini fridge and into the small luxurious cockpit. He took a seat in the captain's leather chair and placed his hand over the jumble of buttons and knobs. To his will, the plane ignited to life. The coordinates were noted, and when Dohnatello pulled back his hand, the beeping instruments stopped.

  He sat there for a moment with his tired eyes glued out the window. Over the distant East Side hills he watched as the first drop of sunlight began to outline the Tarrillian towers. He rubbed his eyes and sucked in a tired breath of air. The captain's seat was so comfortable he wished he could just sit there and nap his life away so Dohnatello leaned his head back against the cushioned headrest.

  “Just for a moment,” he promised himself.

  Sometimes he wondered why he even became a member of the High Krome. All he ever did was run the massive South Side gang. His gang life had begun just like any others; with a passion for cars. But over the years, he found himself farther and farther away from doing the thing he loved most. He hadn't had his hands stained with oil in the longest time. It had been so long since he had even peered under the hood of a car, he hardly suspected he could distinguish the difference between the dip-stick and a windshield wiper.

  From the jacket pocket, his phone vibrated. He had nodded off without meaning to and when his eyes flashed open, he could see the first crest of sun over the East Side skyline. "Yes?" he said frantically climbing out of his seat and hurrying toward the door in the jet.

  "G'Day, Dohnatello." came the familiar Australian voice.

  "Your Majesty!" he exclaimed descending the steps. "I have your plane ready and waiting in…” his brain was still fuzzy from the nap and when he rubbed his eyes he caught sight of the large number 4 painted on the cement. “… in Hanger 4."

  "Brilliant!" Caster replied, "thank you for your help. It has been greatly appreciated."

  "Anytime." Dohnatello replied, and then the King hung up.

  Dohnatello had always thought it was odd that Michael Caster, a rock star with the gift of teleportation was the King. At the same time, it made sense that Caster was the King simply because everybody knew who he was. But based off that fact alone, Dohnatello still found it hard to respect him as the ultimate leader of the underground race. In all honesty, if it weren't for the powerful members of his Council, Dohnatello never would have pledged his alliance. Powerful members like Mirage, Shadow, August Matthews and Ithaca Iglesias.

  Ithaca was unlike any supernatural he had ever met. One, she was by far the most gorgeous individual he had ever set eyes on. Not to mention she practically had the power to do anything. The other Council members were remarkably powerful as well, yet it was Ithaca alone that swayed his alliance. If she were the King, he would have claimed loyalty in a heartbeat.

  D
ohnatello climbed back into the limousine and instantly the engine revved. He willed the car to drive to Hanger 8 where the King's jet waited to take him to Italy. Even though Michael had the power to be wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, some members of his council couldn’t. Using powers on Naturals was the most exhausting thing for a supernatural and so for Michael and August, it was easier to take a plane.

  As Dohnatello kept his eyes glued to the window, he recognized one of his own limousines as it drove past. With his perfect sense of vision, he recognized Lee's silvery hair in the back seat. He hasn't expected them to be arriving this early and had programmed the plane to take off in thirty minutes. Speedily he whipped out his phone and sent a text message

  Ace and Lee's limo stopped at Hanger 4 just as the sun had fully extended into the sky. The engine was still running when the doors automatically swung open. Lee grinned up at Ace. "That was about the coolest ride ever."

  He had to admit, having a ghost driver was scary at first. But the limousine ended up driving as if it had a mind of its own and when they stepped out, the door shut reflexively then the car sped away from the scene.

  Even the jet acted robotically. They did nothing, yet a set of stairs descended from the hatch as if it just knew they were there. As they ascended, Ace reached into his pocket to find the text. DIDNT THINK YOU'D BE HERE SO EARLY. PROGRAMMED PLANE TO LEAVE IN 30 MIN. BEST OF LUCK IN HELEOW. –DOHNATELLO

  Ace had no idea the High Krome had his number. But considering Dohnatello was a guru with machines, he probably didn't even need it.

  "Wow, this is... Nice." Lee marveled as they stepped into the plane. The inside was made of polished wood and lined with comfortable relaxing furniture. Lee crossed over the fresh carpet to the enormous TV screen and checked the cupboards for movies.

  After setting down their luggage by the door, Ace headed straight for the mini fridge and pumped a fist when he saw that it was stocked. "This is awesome. This is so much more than I was hoping for." He continued to marvel at his surroundings until his eyes fell on the entrance to the cockpit. Lee saw it too and together they squeezed through the door.