YOLO-POINT

I stopped dancing to the surprise of everyone present, including Lemon. Looking around swiftly, I sought the face of that devilish man. The audacity he had to attend this party, that unremorseful smile he had, if I get my hands on him I would… I clenched my fist, glaring as I searched in frustration but could not see him. Did I just imagine his presence?

"Hey," Lemon said to me, catching my attention. "It's alright. No one's gonna hurt us here."

"I think I saw him Lemon," I replied.

"Who?"

"Halo, I think he's somewhere here," I said in reply.

She looked around, then at the exit door and caught a man in a black cape, a stick in his hand and a hat walking out.

"There he is," she pointed.

Immediately I turned, looking up at where she pointed. The only thing I caught sight of was the back of the cape waving bye while he walked out the door.

"Stop that man!" I exclaimed, running towards the exit.

But it was too late. The moment I burst out the door, he was gone, it was as though he disappeared into thin air. Probably did it through the use of a portal or the knight's passage. No, the Knight's passage would have been too long a process for him to dip in less than five minutes. The only logical explanation was that he used a portal or teleportation.

Mayor Humphrey and his family were spooked. Lemon and I did the best we could to calm them down, advising that they tighten their security. I had a theory that the man called Halo the Reaper had some kind of connection to the political dealings of the state of Yolo Central. If it wasn't for the tardiness of the night, I would have insisted on a mass interrogation, but most of the guests were already gone. So I asked for a copy of the guest list…someone on that guest list must have some kind of connection with him.

On our way back home, there was nothing much to say. I sat in the driver's seat, moving down the road steadily while she sat next to me, the passenger's seat, leaning on the window, lost in thought as she stared outside.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I've been better," she replied, taking her gaze up to the sky. It was the night of the latude aurora, which came twice in every month. "The sky is very beautiful tonight."

It was 12am. I silently stared at the road after she said that. She might act tough but I know she felt unsteady with the idea that Halo was now stalking us. In all logic, he came to that party for us, nothing coincidental about it. He was sending a message and we got it loud and clear…I'm coming back for you. At least this is what I thought she was thinking about. But then she said;

"I want to dance Ezra," she looked at me. "We didn't get to finish our dance back there, and seeing this night sky I just feel we should under the moonlight."

I chuckled. "How can you be thinking of dancing at a time like this?"

"Time like what?" She asked.

"We're being hunted Lemon, by Halo!"

"Hmm, meh," she shrugged. "Doesn't mean we should stop living our lives."

I tapped on the steering wheel for a while, then I asked;

"We're still going on that vacation, aren't we?"

"Oh definitely!" She replied. "Tomorrow morning, already packed my things."

My eyes glanced at her face. There was this peaceful smile on it as she looked at the aurora. Peace of mind, that's all I really wanted for her, right from the first time we met. My first impression of Lemon was actually awful, I had this belief that she was an uptight, merciless person.

That's how it is with humans, always jumping into conclusions, then again I was told she was the best child assassin in her previous life on Zoar and in New Morocco, and she did alway stick to the rules, hassling me for slacking off and all.

Something changed in her after what Levion did, she feels less uptight and more…laid back than usual. Her smile calmed me. I gave a silent sigh, smiling as I returned my gaze on the road.

The next day, we got to Yolo-Point using the mayor's private jet. Humphrey always had a way of going overboard with things, and his trust and gratitude ever since that winter night I saved him and his wife from the jaws of a Carrotione continues to grow still. A Carrotione is a giant alien rodent that pops up from the earth on occasions, like a burrowing mole, for those who haven't seen one.

Only one word could describe the city of Yolo-Point—majestic! It was an Island like no other Island, much beautiful than the old Hawaiian islands that got destroyed some years earlier. Some dormant volcanoes, alot of exotic wildlife and trees, half of them alien. Architecture was quite ingenious too, there were spiral houses made of wood and glass. Some eco-friendly homes and condos within the forests, on top big trees and some in the trunk of dead trees.

There were alot of tourist sites within the island, but the main attraction was the beach. Alot of people went to the beach, alot of them surfed, while most played with the sand. Lemon instantly fell in love with the coconut bar, as she would spend most of her time there. We even met Tonji and his fiancé there, much to our surprise.

"This vacation is going to be better than expected it to be," Lemon smiled, walking into the bathroom.

It was the third day of our stay in a hotel not so far from the beach. We shared a room, a deliberate mistake made by Humphrey and probably in cahoots with the Chief, who constantly nag us to get together. Honestly, I didn't think grown men could be so childish.

The night was well spent and we were talking about how fun Tonji's fiancé tuned out to be earlier that day. I laid on my bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"I didn't think I could be this relaxed," I replied. "No work, no Chief, no General Luther to ruin my day, just vibes."

Her laughter echoed from the bathroom, and I closed my eyes with a smile of satisfaction. Then suddenly the doorbell rang.

"Oh room service is here," she exclaimed.

"I'll get it," I replied, getting up slowly. The bell rang twice, impatiently. "Hold your horses, I'm coming, I'm coming."

I opened the door, to see a creature that looked exactly like Ratchina. She had a black and white suit on.

"Ratchina?!" I asked, my face drenched with surprise.

"There's been a murder sir," she replied. "The manager requests the presence of Detective Ezra and Detective Lemon."