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Zoe
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Vash dashed over to catch Cali. He lifted her arm, and it hung from his hand, limp as a noodle. My mind went back to two nights ago, to when she was being choked to death by a demon. Oh, God, could I bring her back to life again?
“Cali,” Vash coaxed, gently shaking her. “Wake up.” He looked at Sidelle, dark eyes pleading. “What’s wrong with her?”
Sidelle knelt beside Cali. “Maybe she remembers what happened Thursday. I tried to wipe her memory, but I’m not sure it worked. She’s your mate, Vash, and because of that, glamour doesn’t always work.”
“She’s your mate?” Era asked. “That’s so cool! I’m sure she’s not de—”
Vash glared at his sister as he lifted Cali’s slender body and held it safely against his chest. With a delicate touch he moved some of her hair to the side, revealing a dark tattoo that matched his own: an intricate leaf design wrapped around a brown paw print. I’d seen it Thursday evening as we were getting ready for the prom-dress fashion show, but it wasn’t prominent. Kieran and I looked at each other helplessly. Sidelle was probably right; Cali was in shock from suddenly realizing what was going on. The brain could only handle so much, and this was probably Cali’s way of processing the information. She lay still in Vash’s arms, her silent tears trickled down her cheeks, but she didn’t wake. Vash carried her out of the room and into our bedroom. We followed close behind and waited while he laid her on the bed.
“She should rest,” he said. “I’ll stay with her until she wakes up.” He brushed the hair away from her face and glanced at Sidelle. “She will wake up, won’t she?”
“I’m sure she will when she’s ready,” Sidelle said softly. “And of course we’ll stay with her.”
“Era,” Vash said, his eyes back on Cali, “why don’t you leave and let us—”
“No. I’ll be quiet. I won’t get in the way,” Era assured him, her feet planted firmly.
“We’ll take turns.” I sat on the bed and looked at Sidelle. “What do you think she remembers?”
“I don’t know but my guess? All of it.” She joined me on the bed. “I can try to Mind Walk her to see what’s going on inside her brain, if you want.”
“Do it,” Vash decided.
“Wait,” I cried. “Kieran? Can you heal her?”
“I’m not sure. If glamour doesn’t work on her, I doubt Angel Light will.”
“But we should try it before Sidelle invades her mind, right?”
“Okay, move over.” Kieran placed his hands on the sides of Cali’s face, and white light filled the room. A pulse of energy lasted a few beats then faded. “Sorry, Zoe. It didn’t work.”
He stood to let Sidelle lean in, and we waited in silence as she touched Cali’s face with the palm of her hand. A pale green light glowed from her fingers, and she closed her eyes in concentration. No one moved. Minutes passed before Sidelle’s eyes opened again.
“It’s a mess in there,” Sidelle muttered, rising. “And yes, she remembers everything. I couldn’t get a good read on the minutes before she died, though. So either she doesn’t remember that part, or she’s blocking me.”
“When will she wake up?” Vash asked.
“When her mind is ready to come to terms with what it saw Thursday night.”
“Is that how Ordinaries normally react when they find out about the Enlighten stuff?” I asked. “Or is something else going on?”
“It could be because I tried to wipe her memory,” Sidelle admitted. “It’s a lot to take in, you know? Seeing demons for the first time and watching them get killed, then her coming back to life ...”
I knew the feeling well.
“Okay,” Vash said, reluctantly backing away from the bed. “I’ll go scrounge us up some food from the kitchen and bring it back here.”
“I’ll help you,” Kieran said. He patted Vash’s back. “Don’t worry. She’ll wake up. Give her some time.”
The boys left, and I motioned for Era to join me on the bed because she hadn’t moved since she entered the room. I didn’t know if she’d ever experienced anything like this. Sidelle paced the room and started moving things around. I’d never seen Sidelle out of sorts before. She was always the calm, cool, and collected one.
Eventually, Vash and Kieran came back with sandwiches, but no one ate anything. For a long time, no one said anything either. There wasn’t anything to say. Both Sidelle and Vash paced the room, and I couldn’t take it any longer.
“I need to get out of here,” I declared. “Anyone want to go outside?”
“Okay,” Kieran said. “We don’t all need to be in here, hovering around her.”
“I’m staying,” Vash said. “I need to be here when she wakes.” He took my place on the bed.
“Okay,” I said. “We’ll be outside. Call our cells if you need us or if she wakes.”
He nodded. I waited for a response from Sidelle, but she just shook her head then disappeared from the room.
I hesitated by the door. “Era?”
Tears had formed in the corners of the little girl’s deep brown eyes. “This is my fault,” she murmured. “If I hadn’t said anything about going shopping, she’d be okay.”
I placed my hand on her back. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know. Don’t beat yourself up. Do you want to come with us for a bit?”
She shook her head, so Kieran and I left.
Cali remained in her coma-like state for the rest of the day. Sidelle didn’t return to our bedroom after the episode. Vash never left Cali’s side, leaving Kieran and me to find our own entertainment. There was nothing we could do for Cali, so we opted to hang out with the rest of the pack members.
As dusk fell I changed into my jeans and a borrowed hoodie. Then we made our way outside toward the lake for the bonfire. Groups of people emerged from the woods in small numbers. Everyone gathered around a massive pile of wood stacked on the beach. A half-moon shone over the glassy water. Someone used a torch to light the bonfire, and the powerful whoosh made me take a step back. I cringed away from the intense heat and stayed close to Kieran.
“Have you heard from Shay?” I asked. “Because I texted him when I woke this morning and a few times after school yesterday. He still hasn’t said anything, which isn’t like him.”
He glanced away. “No, I haven’t.”
“I’m starting to worry. Do you think something could’ve gone wrong on their mission?”
He led me back to the fire, and we sat on a fallen log. “The angels would tell me if—”
“Would they? Are you sure?” I snapped. “I’m sorry, Kieran. I just ... with Sidelle gone, Cali out of commission, and no sign of Shay, I feel completely useless.”
“Hey, don’t.” He shook his head and embraced my shoulders. “We are doing something. I’ll go find out. Would that make you feel better?”
I threw my arms around him. “Yes. Would you?”
“Of course. Anything for you. You know that.”
“When? When will you go?” I bounced on my legs. “Now?”
He smiled. “Yes. I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’ll get word to Sidelle to see where she went off to, and tell her to get back here ASAP. You stay in the compound until my return, okay?” He tipped my chin up. “Zoe? Okay?”
“Yeah, fine. I won’t go running off. Since I don’t know where Shay is, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Kieran’s gold wings emerged from his back as he sprang into the air. My neck strained to watch him until he became a dot in the sky, then nothing. With him gone, I sat completely alone despite the crowd of people. I stared blankly into the dancing flames, letting the hushed voices around me soothe my nerves. Eventually, I blinked and noticed most of the pack members staring at me. Some looked at the sky.
“Most of us haven’t seen an angel with their wings out before,” Jackson explained, settling into Kieran’s spot. He was grinning. “We’ve only read about them. But to see one right before our eyes? That was cool.” He nudged my shoulder. “So I’m on Zoe detail now. Vash sent me.”
I nodded.
“Are you mute?”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
He chuckled. “I bet you do since you’re the one who will unite us. Must be a big task. Are you up for it?”
“Let’s hope so. Right now, I’m seriously having doubts.”
“Everyone second guesses themselves. Especially when tasked for something as momentous as this. But from what Vash tells us, you’ll figure it out.” He grabbed my hand. “I’m on board with you.”
“Even if it’s against your father’s and pack’s wishes?”
Jackson’s eyes dropped.
I snatched my hand back. “Are you saying you will because of Sidelle? Because she kinda has a—”
“Don’t say it.” Jackson turned to face me. “I know perfectly well that Enlightens need to stay within our own Order. Fairies are Eternals, and wolves are Naturals. I just ... ” He gave me a lopsided smile. “Well, she’s hot.”
I couldn’t help smiling back. “Don’t let her hear you say that, because she won’t let you live it down.”
“Where is she, anyway?” He scanned the area. “I thought she’d be out here with you.”
“Long story,” I muttered.
“I’m listening.”
I figured since he was assigned to my detail now, he should be caught up, so I explained to him what had happened two nights before, covering everything from after our dress shopping, to the DKs and Marqs showing up, and the moment when Cali had died. He listened intently when I explained how I’d used Angel Light to bring her back, and I told him all about Cali’s episode earlier this afternoon.
While the rest of the pack mingled and gossiped, Jackson and I sat in silence, thinking. A parade of food came from the main house, and most of the others gathered around the table to graze. Almost every age group was represented in the crowd. Some were obviously still in grade school, some were college age, and others probably had nine-to-five jobs. I watched all the interactions between the members; briefly wishing my life could be simple again. But that’d be a cop-out. I had been chosen for this role. It was time for me to stop wallowing in what could’ve or should’ve and just be. I had to get over it, stop whining, and figure stuff out.
Something brushed my arm, as if someone was next to me, but when I turned, no one was there. On second glance, Sidelle poofed next to me.
“Jeez!” I yelled, slapping my hand over my heart. “Don’t do that.”
“I heard someone say my name.” She leaned forward and stared at Jackson. “Was it you?”
Even in the firelight, I could see his cheeks flush.
“Kieran told me where he’d gone,” she told me, “so I came—”
“And where did you go?” I asked.
“I had fairy business.”
I glared, waiting.
“All right. If you must know, I went back for an audience with the Summer King and told Oberon about Cali’s situation. He agreed that we need to wait it out. She’ll wake when she’s ready. Anything we try will be useless.”
“Did Kieran say anything else about where he went?”
“No, but he said he’d be back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I stood and crossed my arms. “Something’s going on, and you’re both keeping me in the dark. What’s happened to Shay?”
“Why do you think something’s happened?” Jackson asked. “He’s the Nephilim, right?”
I nodded. “Because neither Kieran nor Sidelle have been direct with me all day. They’ve been dodging my questions, and that’s not like either of them.” I punched Sidelle’s shoulder. “So spill. I’ll knock it out of you. I won’t win or even hurt you, but I’ll try. He’s my soul mate, and if something’s happened—”
“Fine. Okay. The thing is ...” She drew in a deep breath.
Oh, this was going to be bad.
“Gabriel, Michael, and Shay ... they ran into a little problem.” Sidelle twirled her hands nervously. “They fought against a lot of Marqs and ...”
God, no! My mind leapt to the most horrible possible scenario: a gruesome battle with black blood, horns, ... and Shay’s dead body sprawled on a street somewhere.
“The Archangels held their own,” Sidelle said carefully, “but Shay, well, they were outnumbered and—”
“Is he dead?” My eyes stung with tears. “Just tell me, Sidelle.”
“I can’t say for sure. I don’t have all the information. Kieran is blocking me, so I can’t get a good read on the situation.” She scooted closer, cleared her throat, and whispered, “Shay was captured.”
“What?” My body launched off the bench, and I took a few steps toward the house before Sidelle grabbed for my arm.
“There’s nothing you can do about it, Zoe.”
“Yes, there is.” I slapped her hand away. “There has to be. They’ll kill him. I can’t let that happen.”
“We don’t know where they took him. All the angels are out looking for him. Let the Angel Trackers do their job, find him, and form the rescue team. You can’t travel between the Void levels yet, so there isn’t anything you can do.”
“But it’s me they’re after.” I threw my arms in the air. “I have to do something.”
“You are doing something,” Jackson said. “You’re gaining allies.”
That was no comfort to me. I stormed back to the wooden bench in front of the fire, but I couldn’t sit still.
“Sidelle, I want you to find out as much information as you can. There has to be a reason why they took him. I want to know who did it, where he is, and if he’s alive. Can you do that? If you need to track down Michael or Gabriel, do it.”
Without a word, she nodded and disappeared.
Unfortunately, taking charge of the situation hadn’t calmed me one bit. Why had they taken Shay? To get me mad? To throw me off my game?
Well, they’d succeeded at both. I would make them regret it.