| |
Aiden
––––––––
Saturday, prom night; three hours after Zoe’s disappearance.
I materialize and stand in front of Kieran’s house. It makes it convenient that he lives down the street from Zoe and me. That saved me from tracking down where the protectors were holed up. And if anyone asks me why I’m out here, I could tell the passerby that I’m walking home.
I chuckle at my own cleverness.
But unfortunately, Kieran’s property is warded against beings like himself. Try as I might, I will not be able to enter their residence or even step on the lawn. I’ll need to find another way to spy on them.
School is the best option since wards are not permitted in public areas. Thank Hells for that, too. So far I thought I had done well about hiding who I really am. The guardians will run around the world trying to figure me out, and maybe by then, Zoe will have her wings.
I have to make sure that they are running in the wrong directions. This will not be a solo mission. I must ensure that enough time is wasted to allow Zoe to reach eighteen.
I watch as the front door opens. Immediately, I make myself disappear. The wolf and the fairy drive away. Since I can’t get inside the angel’s house, maybe I could get into the green-winged one or the dog’s house.
Since the demons breached the Spiritus Packs’ land, they have doubled the patrols and heightened security. That might pose a problem for me.
So that left me following the fairy. She drives around a few blocks and parks her car in front of a ranch-style house. As soon as she gets out of the vehicle, she inspects the neighborhood, but I know she can’t see me.
Slowly traveling around the house, she spies on her neighbors once again. In the dark sky, no stars or moon shows to light her path. She waltzes like a fairy on a mission. I guess that she is on her way to Fairyland.
I have never witnessed someone using a porta, but some of the Marquises demons used one on their attack on Winter. Of course, they had help to get the portas opened. I was late to that party. I caught the tail end of the battle. The snow-covered land was dotted blue from the fallen bodies from Winter Fairies and blackened by demon blood. Many Knights were still frozen to the ground and unable to get back to Hell to regenerate.
That could be a problem in the upcoming war if the land hasn’t released his front-line fighters yet. A break for them? I don’t even want to think about that.
At least the Marqs’ corpses were no longer there. Only black stains painted Winter’s land.
Their queen had already directed the transportation of her dead subjects. Workers gathered their fallen near the ice path leading to the front of the castle. I watched, invisible, as the queen spoke a language I didn’t know. It almost seemed like a blessing of sorts. I had heard about the ruthless Winter Queen, but at this moment, she looked like she had actually cared for them.
With her hand raised high, the wind picked up as a blizzard rained over the bodies. Snow fell and as soon as a dusting covered the bodies, they disappeared. Crystals floated around the Ice Queen as she absorbed their glamour. Then she glided along the high path to her fortress.
A twinkling light broke me from my memories of that place. I shivered. It’s too cold there for my liking. And here I had thought Minnesota was freezing. I had yet to know how cold since it’s only the start of summer now. I hope this mission won’t keep me into their winter months.
Sidelle walks to a little garden, and there in the center stands an arbor made of driftwood. She glances around one last time and then waves her arms in an arch. The center of the arbor shimmers and through it, I see green lands, colorful trees, and the sun shining.
She steps through the archway. I watch her retreating form grow smaller as she flies through the field. The porta grows dark and closes. The night is back with a full moon and dozens of stars in the sky.
It seems that the guardians have all called it a night. Maybe it’s time to nudge them off their path?
I reappear in Hell.
Home.
Well, it’s actually my second home. But I try not to dwell on that. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts away. Now, I need my wits.
Entering the throne room, I stride toward the stone throne and gracefully sit on the seat, summoning my friends.
“Minions, come to me.” My voice echoes through the great hall. “I have a special assignment for those of you up to the task.”
Within a few seconds, a mix of Knights, a couple of Nephilim, and a handful of Marquises demons appear. I wasn’t sure if I would be strong enough to hold the Veil open to allow this many through. My father’s minions must see the writing on the wall and want to please the current lord.
“I will open the Veil in various locations. You are to disperse onto earth and create havoc in every place you land. Knights, I task you with increasing the murder rates, burglaries, and bar brawls in all the major cities around the world. You’ll start civil wars in as many countries you can.” I stand. “Marqs, you do what you were created for. I want to open the newspapers and read of torrential flooding, typhoons, tornadoes, and drought. And when you think that’s enough, know that it isn’t. I want to hear that hurricanes are at a record high, volcanoes are erupting even from ones that had lain dormant, and you are to decimate the lands with fire. Acres must burn from city to city. I want the angels so busy these next few weeks that once they address one issue, another arises.”
“Burn it down!” the Knights chant. “Burn everything down.” The room erupts into excited chaos. “This night is ours.” A frenzy overtakes the Knights, and a fight breaks out near my feet.
“Enough.” I hold up a hand. “Save that for the humans. Now, go. Ready yourselves. Bring enough weapons to damage the souls of the Ordinaries. Stomp on their lives. Squish their humanity. And above all, extinguish their hopes and dreams.”
A shimmer passed over my body when I lied in bed that night. It was Zoe’s voice telling me she was sorry. I didn’t know what she was apologizing for, not that I care. She doesn’t have anything to feel bad about.
I had finally found her.
I hated, absolutely hated, the idea of going to Minnesota. The land with freezing tundra, mosquitoes the size of small birds, and only five months of being warm outside. That’s not even half of the year. I liked it hot, where the blistering heat scorches the land every day of the year. I only heard of how cold it could get in the winters, and was not looking forward to experiencing them. Not one bit. Parkas were not in my wardrobe. They covered too much of my perfect body.
I had a good life where I’d been staying. So what if people didn’t like me and call me their friend? Who needed them when I had minions to boss around? I could be myself when I hung out with them and not have to hide who I really was. I could be ‘normal’. The only thing I could think of that was missing in my so-called life, besides being screamed at all the time, was the constant ache of someone I’d lost.
For eons, something was amiss. A dull pain that nothing seemed to quench bothered me, and no amount of bad deeds seemed to fix the problem. I didn’t even know what the issue was or who was lost. How could I find something or someone I never knew about?
But overall, I had been content. I flew under my father’s radar, even though I knew my future was in the family business. Until Dad said otherwise. Nope, the business could run without me. I was not about to set my neck on the line, not when I’ve had to protect myself from the rest of the family.
I was forced to come to the state of Minnesota, where they’re known for their renowned medical and research facilities. The world-famous Mayo Clinic was there. My ‘sister’ applied for a position in a private hospital and she accepted. Why not use a microscopic bit of magic to get in and learn the lingo in a matter of seconds?
I didn’t want to leave. I rebelled a bit. Okay, a lot. It had started out with not coming home for a few days at a time, or not checking in. As a grown adult, I shouldn’t have a curfew. I started to talk back, caused some fights, and resorted to plain old showing off my abilities. Immature? Yes.
Finally, Dad had to intervene and set me straight. He told me to quite acting childish. I hated high school the first time around and even the second. I appeared older that sometimes it was hard to pass off as a young twenty-something guy.
One night I had the most bizarre dream. I kept getting flashing images of a girl’s face. I didn’t know her but felt she was important. She had long, brown hair and dark green eyes. As the dream continued, I noticed she was of medium height, shorter than me. She came to under my chin, which would probably place her around five-foot-seven. I was happy about that because it meant that at some point, she would be standing next to me. I saw a yellow house, her running around a track, purple wings, and a sword—but somehow different from my own.
There really was no storyline to the dream, only images and somehow, somehow my gut told me that I would meet her soon. After I told this story to my ‘sister,’ she pushed me to go find her. It was she who nagged Dad until he had mandated that I go.
So now here I am, in the glorious, great state of Minnesota with Zoe as my prisoner.
I watch her in the vocivus room. Is it horrible that I didn’t create any windows for her? No, she can’t know where she is. Not yet. I need to know for sure, and that’s still a couple of weeks off.
I observed her those first couple of hours, second guessing myself. No magic hums against the walls. Maybe I got it wrong? Maybe those three protectors have it wrong, too. Or maybe she’s better at masking who she really is than I thought.
Zoe goes about her ‘days’ sleeping, eating, and exercising. As time passes she talks to herself. Mumbling, really, because I can’t make out any of the words.
I take notes of her routines that remind me of dancing. She’s fluid like flames that undulate to her own rhythm in the wind. The way her arms extend out; the swift kicks she projects. I imagine what a deadly force she could be with some training. Someone obviously started teaching her stances, punches, and kicks.
I chuckle to myself, knowing I interrupted her teacher.
I decide that Zoe’s doing well for being a captive, and I’ll check on her again later.
I’m off to see what those guardians are planning, but first I must check in with my recruit.