The Angel world has been pretty peaceful since Lucy was killed. In addition to integrating more with humans, the Council and I have ordered Daraquin to be open to the Quo. Given that they spent many cycles imprisoned, it is only right that they should be a part of the Angel world.
However, there are zones they are not permitted to go. And Quo activity is monitored carefully. Quos and Angels now share schools and work alongside each other. This arrangement has not been perfect. But there is progress among our race.
“Baby, you ready to go?” my husband asks.
“Yeah, just a minute,” I reply as I head over to Pryor’s room.
Marcus and I are off to a meeting tonight. We’re leaving Tony-Tone to look after the kids. They love him so much. I think it’s because he’s a child, much like them. Although Pryor isn’t really a child anymore; she’s fourteen in human years.
My daughter is smart; maybe too much so. She doesn’t like rules without a thorough explanation as to why that rule exists. She questions everything. Marcus and I love that about her but it also worries us. We know firsthand what can happen when a being tries to alter the status quo. Oftentimes there is a very steep price to pay.
Pryor is like me in so many ways. She loves books. She’s protective of her family and she’s outspoken. But that’s where the similarities end. She is daring to a fault. She will challenge any and every boy who thinks they can outfly her. She gets into fights every other day at school and has vowed never to fall in love.
“Boys make you weak,” she said to her father.
When asked what she wants to do with her life, she says she wants to make her own island. A place where she can play Runner ball, kill demons and Soul dive. She gets asked all the time if she will take on missions like her parents. That pisses her off; big time.
“I’m not my mom; I’m Pryor. So, get off me,” Jay tells her to say when she gets asked that question.
I stand in the doorway and look over at my little girl. She’s trying so hard to get away from the weight of being Noru. They are only teenagers but they are feared around the world. And if they aren’t being feared, they are being gossiped about or envied.
Most of the fights Pryor’s been in are because she refuses to let things go. While she will not start a fight with you, make no mistake about it, she will end one.
Sam lies besides her Recharging. He has his own room but he won’t Recharge unless he’s next to her. She pretends to hate it but I’ve seen her call him to come Recharge on her bed. They argue like crazy. And she kills him off every other day but they love each other. And Marcus and I are so very proud of them.
“Hey, Tony’s here. We should go,” Marcus says as he takes my hand.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” I admit to the First Guardian.
“I know, baby. But it’ll be okay. It’s just a meeting.”
“A meeting that Fate and Time has assembled. They’ve never left me out of the loop, Marcus. We work as a unit. If they are not telling me something, it means it’s bad.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s no big deal.”
“Then why do they need the whole team to join us too?” I ask.
“I don’t know, but we are going to find out.”
He takes my hand; we say good-bye to Tony and head out to Lincoln Center where the meeting will take place. Since Rage is a part of the team now, Marcus insists, and rightfully so, that all meetings take place on earth so that he can be a part of it.
We gather near the fountain in front of Lincoln Center. There we find with Rage, Miku and Jay. As soon as we are all gathered, I stop the world.
“Yo son, I love when you do that. It never gets old,” Jay says with a big grin.
“Speedy here isn’t feeling too well after I beat his ass in Runner Ball,” Rage says.
“You wish you had my skills,” Jay counters.
“Hey, where are my God kids?” I ask.
“The twins are with Winter. She likes having them around whenever she misses Rio,” Miku says.
“I dropped Aaden off at your house just before I came here,” Rage says.
“Couldn’t find anyone brave enough to babysit a demon?” Marcus teases.
“According to them they don’t need looking after,” I reply shaking my head.
“Hey, does anyone know why we’re meeting?” Miku asks.
“No, I’m out of the loop,” I reply.
Moments later the rest of the Council descends upon us.
“We have summoned all of you because we have news. Lucy’s replacement has been named. A new evil has risen,” they inform us.
We all look at each other, extremely troubled.
“Well we knew that Lucy was going to be replaced sooner or later,” Marcus says.
“Yes, it’s the natural balance of things,” I reply in full Council mode.
“Wait, we’re not responsible for the new evil right? I mean there is no bridge anymore. The souls go directly to the light or the dark based on their deeds now, right?” Jay asks.
“Yes,” Time replies.
“So the new evil is out to do what? Destroy humanity, again?” Rage asks.
“No. That is not the goal of the new evil,” Fate replies sadly.
“Okay, tell us what then, what does the new evil want?” I ask.
“According to the Traveler Angels we sent to investigate, he’s not after the humans. He’s only has one mission: Destroy the Noru.”
Back when I was human, that would have created fear in me. But now fear is a foreign concept to me. I am not afraid; I am angry. I look over at Marcus and the team. The thought that someone is targeting our kids infuriates them. The mood in the air quickly changes. All of us are instantly on high alert.
“There is also another matter. When you and Death were on the final mission you encountered the Malik family. In fact you married one of them: Bianca,” Fate says to Marcus.
“Yes, it was a marriage of politics,” Marcus replies.
“I take it you are aware of the Malik family’s reaction to citrus?” Time says.
“No, we only heard they react badly to it. Marcus said Bianca had lemon juice when they went off to their honeymoon but we don’t know what affect it has,” I admit.
“The Quo have what you could call a ‘reaction’ to various elements. For the Malik family, citrus counters the effects of Tam when used on them,” Fate says.
“What? Wait, what are you saying?” I ask.
“There are six Noru, not five,” Time says.
“What? Who’s the sixth Noru?” I ask.
“Marcus’s other son,” Time says.
“My what? That can’t be, Bianca never showed any signs of—”
“—Marcus, if she could hide her entire body in plain sight why would it be difficult to hide a swollen belly?” Fate asks.
“Wait, she didn’t have enough time to have a child before she died,” I protest.
“She only needed a few weeks in order to find a mixture that could sustain the fetus. It’s a difficult mixture to find: It’s called an Orvid. It sustains life by forming a cocoon around it. We suspect she struck a deal with Lucy so that Lucy would hide your child in there,” Fate replies.
“That’s why she needed access to the light so badly. The baby needed to go to Noni,” Miku says.
“Yes, but she never got to the light. So, how did a child who is half Angel survive with no light at all?” I ask.
“Children are very resourceful. As a former human, Death, you should know that,” Time says.
Marcus and I look at each other again with great concern.
“And now the new evil is coming after him; it’s coming after my son isn’t it?” Marcus asks angrily.
He turns his attention towards me.
“We have to find him and have him come live with us. I know he’s Bianca’s child but—”
“—Marcus, if he’s your child, then he’s mine too,” I assure him.
“Are you certain?” he asks.
“Very.”
He leans in and gives me a passionate kiss.
“Okay, there’s a new evil out to kill our kids. So first I find the son I didn’t know I had, and protect him from this new evil. We can do that,” Marcus replies and looks at the team. They all nod in agreement.
“So, how do I find my son?” Marcus asks Fate.
“Marcus, your son is not being chased by the new evil; your son is the new evil. And there is no need to look for him; he will find you.”
END OF THE GUARDIANS SERIES