When Emmy goes back inside to join the others, Marcus takes me aside and says he needs to speak to me. My heart is racing and my mouth is dry. It’s stupid, because it’s not like he’s gonna say something romantic or anything. He’s probably gonna say something official.
Eta we need your powers so we can pause time and defeat evil.
That’s good and everything, but it would be kind of nice if he wanted to talk about…us.
Us???
What “us?”
Dear Omnis, please stop these silly thoughts.
“Eta?” Marcus calls out.
“Huh?”
“I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
Can you stand there and let me kiss you like you’ve never been kissed before in your life?
Why yes, Marcus, I can…
“So, you’ll do it for me?” Marcus asks.
Crap, what did he just ask?
“Can you repeat that?” I ask.
“Will you look after Emmy for me?”
“Um…”
“I don’t mean every second of the day, I just mean keep an eye out. We broke up and it’s kind of tough on her.”
They broke up?
That sucks; they belong together, but now maybe he’ll notice me. What am I saying? Iwant them to be together. Sigh, why doesn’t Marcus have a brother who looks just likehim that I could have?
“Why did you guys break up?” I ask.
“It’s a long story.”
“You and Emmy have hung on this long; you two can’t give up now.”
I know the chance of me having Marcus is nonexistent, but at least he is with someone I like. Emmy has always been good to me. Why can’t they just work it out, already?
“Damn it, Marcus, just make her stay with you!” I blurt out of nowhere.
Marcus is taken aback by my outburst.
“I mean, what the hell is wrong with you two that you can’t just stay together?” I push.
He looks pained. Like the words I chose to use somehow cut right through him. He looks down on the ground. It’s like he’s failed to do something he vowed he would do and now he’s hanging his head in shame.
“Sorry, I guess I should just mind my business.” I say.
“It’s fine. Will you look out for her? She means everything to me,” he begs.
“Yes, I will look out for her.”
I will also train my mind to stay away from all Eta and Marcus thoughts…
When Luna calls us, we quickly head back to the exam room. Ameana looks like she has gotten her strength back. Rage stays protectively next to her.
“Is she going to be okay?” Emmy asks.
“The truth is, I don’t really know. There’s never been a case like this before,” Luna replies.
“So we came here for nothing?” Rage says.
“Thomas.” Ameana warns.
Rage wisely decided to stay quiet and let Luna talk.
“Normally, an Angel has a Sib with another Angel. It’s simple and everything goes according to plan; but, in this case, not only is the Sib with a Demon, it’s with an Akon and a Guardian.”
“So?”
“So, Guardians are not like regular Angels. You guys were once human, so there will be human like symptoms. Especially when the female mates with a Demon who used to be human as well.”
“So what, she’s gonna throw up and stuff like pregnant humans do?” Emmy asks.
“She will have symptoms human females do, but with an Angel twist. I don’t know what form it will take; just except the unexpected.”
“Okay, well why did she pass out?” Rage asks.
“Was she experiencing extreme sorrow at the time?” Luna asks.
“Yes.”
“Interesting; this Sib is crafty.” Luna says to herself as the corners of her lips form a smile.
“What do you mean?” Ameana asks.
“Normally, when a female experiences deep sorrow and profound anger, the Sib is disconnected from the mother. That’s when the markings start to fade.” Luna says getting more and more excited.
“We saw that in our Angel friend, she lost the Sib.” Miku recalls.
“That’s because the Sib has disconnected, as I said before, but this time your Sib, didn’t disconnect. Instead, it shut down your body so that it could preserve both your soul and his. That’s brilliant!”
“The Sib made me pass out?” Ameana replies.
“In order to protect the two of you; yes. That’s not all. Markings usually go as high as the female’s wrist; the higher the markings, the more powerful the Sib. It’s only been a few hours and the markings are past your wrist and onto your forearm. It means this child is far more powerful than any other I’ve seen.”
Ameana and Rage look at each other with a mix of concern and wonder. Judging by Luna’s reaction, their Sib will be remarkable. Well, that is, if it gets to live.
The rest of the team is filled with more concern than wonder. I’m guessing they are contemplating what will happen if the Sib should somehow become too powerful.
“Does that mean every time I am sad, I’ll faint?” Ameana says.
“No, that’s only one of many reactions you could have had. Think of it this way; much like a human female, your emotions and reactions will be out of balance while you are connected to the Sib.”
“So her hormones will be off?” I ask.
“I didn’t know Angels had hormones.” Emmy says.
“They do. It’s a section of the female soul called the Syton and with it, Ameana could just as easily kiss you as she could skewer you with a blade.”
“Will she be more powerful?” Marcus asks.
“While she will have movements of feeling weak or drained, yes, she will also have moments of immeasurable power.”
“How is that possible?” Rage says.
“If the Sib feels that its mother is in danger, it will take from its supply and feed soul back to her. That will make her far more powerful, but since the Sib is using its supply, the stronger you are, the weaker it gets. So try and stay out of dangerous situations.”
“I’m a Guardian, how am I supposed to that?” Ameana asks.
“Well, you could have started by not mating with an Akon,” she says under her breath.
“Luna, he’s the father of my Sib and if you roll your eyes at him one more time, I will pluck them from your head.” Ameana vows.
“Well, looks like the Syton is already affecting your judgment.” Luna replies.
“Actually, that’s just how she do,” Jay says.
“He’s right,” Marcus confirms.
“Is it going to be a boy or a girl?” Miku asks eagerly.
Luna shows us the palm of Ameana’s hand. It has markings all over it. Luna draws our attention to the center of Ameana’s palm.
“It’s the one spot that doesn’t have any markings,” I reply.
“That’s because the gender is not known yet. When it is, it will appear in the center of her palm. That marking is called the Susu. If the Susu is a triangle, with three slashes to it, the Sib will be a male. If the Susu is circular with three slashes, the Sib will be female.” Luna informs us.
“Thomas, do you have a preference?” Ameana asks, smiling.
“Male. Or female.” He replies.
“Well, it’s gonna be one of those.” I reply.
“Or nothing at all.” Luna says.
We all look at her with disapproval.
“I’m sorry, I just heard about the Query and well…what are the chances that the Originals will reverse a Kon’s decision?” Luna asks.
“How did you even know about the Query?” Emmy says.
“Nothing is kept secret for too long in the Angel world and I’m sorry to say it, but there’s no way the Kon’s decision will be reversed. Shame, it may be my only chance to study a half Akon, half Guardian Sib,” Luna says to herself.
“Don’t listen to this quack; nothing is going to happen to our kid.” Rage swears.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset anyone, but c’mon, you had to know Wolf was going to take action. I mean, look at what he did to Audro.”
“What are you taking about?” Ameana asks.
Luna looks around and sees our confused faces. That’s when she realizes we have no idea what she is talking about.
“You don’t know about Audro?” She asks.
“No, but now would be the time to tell us.” Ameana says, starting to lose patience.
“Wolf had a castle built entirely of white marble in a mountain range of Carrara, in the Tuscany region, just for you. He called it the House of Audro. Meaning the house of light. That is where he planned to marry you and make you the Queen of Paras.”
“What? When did he do that?” Ameana asks.
“Rumor has it, since he met you, he’s been planning to spend forever with you.”
Ameana looks down at the floor and Rage’s jaw clenches. Although the tension in the room is palpable, Luna gladly continues.
“When he found out that you were with the First Akon, he destroyed it, piece by piece. He was a one Para wrecking ball.”
“How do you know this?” Rage asks.
“It’s what everyone’s been talking about. That and latest BB: Believer Bombings.” Luna explains.
“He never told me,” Ameana says sadly.
“So what if he didn’t; would it have changed things with you and me?” Rage asks.
“I’m not saying that.”
“Kind of sounds like you are,” Luna says.
“Please let me light her up.” Rage says to Marcus as a fire ball springs into the palm of his hand.
“No.”
“Well, can I punch her?”
Marcus pauses to think about it. Miku jabs him in the ribs.
“What, I was gonna tell him no; no Rage you can’t punch the wacky lunatic.” Marcus replies.
“I don’t have to be here. The Home Shopping Network just unveiled its new Harry Potter line. I could be on the phone right now, ordering a tote bag with Daniel Radcliffe’s likeness in macramé.”
“Yo, son…” Jay says, trying not to laugh at Luna and failing miserably.
“We gotta go.” Marcus says, interrupting.
“What is it?” Rage asks.
“Raphael just texted me: The Originals want us to go to New York to meet with them and hear their decision.”
When we get to New York City, we find Paras along every rooftop. They illuminate the skyline and stand guard over The Peninsula Hotel, where the Query was held.
“There’s only Paras here. Did they empty the block?” Emmy asks.
“No, they emptied Manhattan.” Marcus replies.
We look around and sure enough, aside from Emmy, there is no human to be found.
Luxury sports cars and limos line the streets. Jay comments repeatedly on the impressive cars and begs Marcus to let him get behind the wheel of one.
“No.”
“C’mon, man. They want me. Look at that sweet Aston Martin One-77, its calling me, man.”
“Why is it called the One-77?” Miku asks him.
“Because there are only seventy seven of them in existence and I’m standing next to it. Hi, baby, Daddy loves you.” Jay says as he strokes the hood of the car.
“What’s the big deal? It’s just a red and grey car.” I reply.
Everyone in the group rolls their eyes and silently wishes I hadn’t said what I said.
“Did you really just say that?” Jay says, deeply offended.
“Jay, let it go.” Miku says.
“It’s not just a car. It’s an experience and it’s not red and grey; its chrome and ruby with midnight trim.” Jay corrects me.
“Just apologize or you’re in for an hour lecture on the history of the cars,” Emmy cautions me.
“In 1803—” Jay begins.
“—Okay, okay. I’m sorry. It’s a lovely car—experience.” I interrupt quickly.
Miku takes Jay’s hand and promises he can take a ride in it when things settle down.
Rage asks Miku what it’s like for her, knowing she will always come second to Jay’s obsession with cars. Miku says she is looking for a twelve-step program she can send him to for his addiction.
We all laugh at him. I think making silly jokes is a way for them to keep Ameana and Rage’s minds off of the fact that, at any moment, they could lose their Sib. It works for a few minutes, but once we enter the hotel lobby, the laughing stops.
A team of very serious looking Paras guide us up the steps of the grand staircase and into the conference room, where the Originals are waiting.
We enter the room and find the Originals seated behind a raised “C” shaped podium. It extends several feet in the air so that they are looking down on us. The Originals wear designer suits and are impeccably groomed.
Marcus points Raphael out to me; he’s the Original who’s not dressed in a suit. In fact, he wears a tee shirt and jeans. On the front of his shirt is an old fashioned video game controller and a bottle of Coy and it says “Level up!”
Standing in the center of room are Wolf and his guards. Wolf turns and glares at us. Rage is only a seconds away from attacking him.
“Demon, we let you in here because this involves you, too. Show us any disrespect and we will reconsider our position on the matter,” the Original seated in the center says.
Ameana takes Rage’s hand to get him to stay calm. The Originals thank the team for their hard work in the war. Marcus says they are always honored to fight for good.
They review the facts at hand: A Guardian had a Sib with the First Akon; the Sib in now in Noni.
They then asked Wolf if he is certain of his decision to kill the Sib. Wolf tells the Originals he is certain that the Sib could pose a horrific problem to the Angel race and the light.
“Wolf, please don’t this just because you’re mad at me,” Ameana says, unable to keep it in anymore.
“I am a Kon; I make my decisions based on what must be done. It has nothing to do with how I feel,” Wolf counters.
“I’m sorry I hurt you. That wasn’t my intention,” Ameana insists.
He looks into Ameana’s pleading eyes, and he seems to soften for a moment. Then he catches a glimpse of Rage and he is back to a stony expression.
“I want the Sib destroyed.”
“Rage may not be an Angel, but he has saved my life and the lives of this team.” Marcus tells the Originals.
“Are you saying this Akon has the capacity for good?” One of Originals asks.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” Marcus replies.
“Rage is a killer. All Demons are. He has brainwashed them into thinking he’s changed, somehow, but he hasn’t because Demons can’t change. And as soon as the Sib is able, it will seek our destruction.” Wolf says passionately.
“That’s a fucking lie!” Rage shouts as he charges toward Wolf.
Rage doesn’t even get two steps towards him when Wolf’s guards hold up their hands and bind Rage, by placing a ring of light around his neck. The ring renders his body motionless.
“Let him go!” Ameana shouts.
“He’s an animal and violence is all he knows!” Wolf swears.
“He may be evil, but he isn’t the one standing here asking for permission to kill a child!” Miku barks.
“That baby is the spawn of evil,” Wolf says.
“Just because you’re hurting doesn’t mean you have a right to do this, Wolf!” Emmy shouts as him.
“I AM A KON; I WILL DO WHAT I WANT!”
“Right now, you are a child; spoiled and impulsive,” an Original replies.
“Michael is right, you are acting out. It is unbecoming in a leader and you will fix this matter at once!” Raphael demands.
Although his attire suggests a playful personality, his tone is serious and leaves no room for argument. He signals for Wolf’s guards to let go of Rage. They do and Rage falls to the ground. Ameana goes to tend to him.
“We really need to know what you have decided,” Marcus says.
“Yes, we know time is of the essence. You have a Shoma to put back together. Speaking of which, here is the Plate. Inside of it there is the clue to finding the first Alpha.”
He sends a flat circular crystal the size of a coaster towards Marcus. Once in his hand Marcus studies it closely.
“There are no words inside it,” he says.
“As soon as this meeting is over, the words will appear and form a clue; that clue will lead you to the first Alpha.” Raphael replies.
“We are in a hurry for you to find all three alphas. As you know the Quo are restless and we need the Council to set things right.” The Original known as Michael replies.
“Understood. What have you decided?” Marcus asks.
I look around and see Rage silently freaking out, holding Ameana’s hand tightly. The rest of the team is also on edge.
“We are certain that the young Kon has other motives for making the decision he did. However, it does not change the fact that the Sib in question is, in fact, a Demon. We cannot permit evil inside the light; no matter how young that evil maybe. The Sib is to be destroyed.”
Ameana raises her hand in the air swiftly and suddenly every single Original Para is sent hurling out of the window. Paras are swift and graceful, but even they could not stop the ferocity with which Ameana threw them.
“Ameana, no!” Marcus shouts as he goes to stop her.
What he discovers is that there is no stopping Ameana at all. She is actually causing the entire room to crumble by calling the building to come to her. The Paras fly back into the room, fully papered to defend themselves against her unexpected surge of power.
Rage, fearing she may be tapping into too much power, grabs her before she can strike again.
“You’re too powerful,” he begs her.
She looks at him as if it’s the first time she’s actually heard him. She bursts into tears; everyone in the room is in utter shock and disbelief. For the first time in the history, a Guardian cries.
The Paras effortlessly assemble the room back to what it was. They tell Marcus that they are sorry, but that’s the way things have to be.
“I can’t allow you to kill Ameana’s Sib. She’s my second and I will not let that stand,” Marcus promises.
“Guardian, I know it is difficult for you to accept, but you have no choice. It’s what’s best.” Raphael says.
“I thought you were on our side,” Miku tells him.
“Redd, I am a huge fan, but my personal feelings have to be placed aside in matter of business.”
“This isn’t about business, you asshole, this is about a baby who hasn’t done anything wrong!” Emmy shouts.
“Not yet. That is why we have to destroy it—before it grows and gains even more power,” the Original sitting on the end says.
“And you will watch how you speak to us, human,” Michael warns Emmy.
We hear the sound of Ameana crying loudly. She sobs into Rage’s chest and I’m guessing that is the only reason he’s not spraying the room with flames. He knows she needs him.
“I’m not say’n this Akon thing is right, but to hurt a kid even before it’s born? That’s dirty. You’ll are do’n us dirty after all the sacrifices we’ve made? C’mon, man!” Jay says, clearly pissed off.
“I’m sorry, but that is our final decision.”
“I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT!” Marcus screams.
“And what do you want to do, Marcus? You want to go to war with us? You know it would mean the death of all of you.” Wolf vows.
Marcus looks around at the team. His second in command is in tears, Miku and Jay are livid, Emmy’s fists are balled up and I have my hands over mouth to stop from crying out.
This can’t be happening; they can’t just kill a Sib.
“You’re right, Wolf, we’re not gonna fight the Paras. In fact, we won’t fight anyone at all,” Marcus replies.
Everyone looks at him, confused. He takes the Plate that Raphael gave him and throws it onto the Podium.
“Marcus, what are you telling us?” Michael asks.
“There will be no mission. No Alpha. No Shoma. No light. Until you contractually agree to let the Sib live.” Marcus says as he heads to the door and signals for us to follow him.
“Marcus, you can’t do this!” An Original shouts.
Marcus looks each and every Original Para in the eye, and then he speaks with the certainty of a First Guardian.
“As of now, the Guardians are on strike!”
As we make our way towards the exit, Marcus whispers to Wolf.
“Your move…”