1
THE TRUTH.

The Chevelle added to the adventure pulsing through Joel's veins. It left little room for memories of Cheyenne, the Valley, or his father. The time had come to learn the truth about himself, Pivoncia Poi, and his biological family. Although, Joel wasn't sure how this inked-up, biker chick would aid in that knowledge.

Despite his very vocal arguments, Joel found himself bitterly sitting in the passenger seat of his own car, while a stranger drove the car he had built with his very own hands. (Bitterness, thanks to his new "gift", was a constant battle for him now.)

Joel couldn't help himself from staring at her tattoos. Greer had shed the leather, mafia jacket revealing the colorful inked sleeves down her arms. Amongst koi fish swimming around her right arm was a single dagger. It seemed similar to the one that Seth had allowed him to fight with. Only the tattoo dagger possessed a single feather tied to the dagger's handle, and flames danced along the feather's edge.

Two eyes grabbed his attention as they stared back at him from the center of the dagger's blade. They reminded him of cat eyes, the haunting eyes of a leopard.

"If you take a picture, it'll last longer," Greer snarled.

Joel quickly turned straight ahead. "Sorry, I was just..." He didn't know what else to say. The truth was he was staring. Maybe a picture would help, he thought.

Greer was different from any other woman he knew. A rough edge followed her every move. Her tattoos didn't cause it. Her anger did. Every word she spoke seemed to be driven by some unspeakable pain or hatred. There was a purpose to her life that she obviously planned on fulfilling. Joel wasn't sure he wanted to be around when she did.

Greer pulled off the road and entered a side road that led up to a red and white gas station. "I'm gonna get a couple of drinks and snacks for us." The Chevelle stopped beside gas pump number 6. "Fill up the tank. I'll pay with your card inside."

Joel selected the highest grade of octane that the station had. The Chevelle needed higher, but it was hard to find it anymore with all the hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles prowling the streets. Once he began pumping the gas, Joel turned to see Greer entering the station. He slid his phone from his pocket, thumbed through his contacts, and called Cheyenne despite the warning sign on the pump that read, "Do not use Cell Phone while pumping gas. The electric charge could ignite the fuel."

"Hello," Cheyenne's voice carried through the phone. "Joel! It is so good to hear from you!"

"I don't have much time." Joel glanced down at his watch. "Greer said that she was going to grab some snacks and meet me back in the car."

"Okay. Settle down - you called me, remember?" Cheyenne's voice pushed through the phone as strong as ever.

Joel heard her frustration, but even if it wasn't there, Joel also heard her smile. When she was truly happy, a crack in her voice always came before a smile.

"I'm sorry. Have you been able to research Greer's background?" Joel asked.

"Yeah. I used that site you gave me yesterday. It's got everyone on there and all their secrets. With your Dad's password, we can find out anything about just about anyone. Even past presidents have some incriminating info on there," Cheyenne said. "Do you want to know what I found out about J. Edger Hoover?"

"Let's get back on track. What did you learn about Greer?" Joel asked, while looking at his watch again.

"You're right, but you're missing out... Okay, there are pictures of Greer throughout history. You aren't gonna believe this, but there are pics from when photography began. The woman is old, like ancient," Cheyenne said.

Joel drew in a deep breath. "Well, that verifies her immortal, Bacealian lifespan." His eyes began to scan the crowd for Greer. "What else did you find?"

"Som