by Lola StVil
“I wasn’t thinking. I was in a lot of pain and I didn’t handle it very well. I’m sorry.”
“So you thought why not spread that pain around?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” she admits.
“I want you to say that it’s just some horrible misunderstanding and that you didn’t have sex with my little brother!”
“I did, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.”
“Then I guess we have nothing to talk about,” he snaps.
“Okay, I get it. You’re pissed and you plan to stay that way. Just tell me you won’t be mad at me forever.”
“I can’t be mad forever, Pry, I don’t know how. Haven’t you figured that out? I don’t know how to stop wanting you, I don’t know how to move on, and I certainly don’t know how to take a hint. Because you just stuck a damn knife in my chest and I’m still here,” he barks.
“I’m sorry about Hunter. I really am.”
“This isn’t just about Hunter. I am in love with you and I know my anger will go away, but then what? Where will that leave us?” he demands.
She opens her mouth but doesn’t say anything.
“That’s what I thought,” the Kon says.
“Bex, there’s so much going on.”
“Are you still in love with Silver?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Yes, Pryor, it is. And at first I thought it was because of Silver or Hunter or me. But then I realized the reason things are so complicated is that everyone involved knows what they want except you.”
Not long after Bex leaves, I find Pryor in the backyard, staring out at the New York City skyline, in deep thought.
“I talked to Spider. He swears he doesn’t know any more than what he’s told us.”
“Oh, okay,” she says, still looking out towards New York.
“Hey, are you all right?”
“Yeah, I always forget how pretty the city can be. We go all over the world, but there’s just something about a New York City night.”
“Pry, thank you for…you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” she says with a small smile.
“Bex won’t be mad at you for too long. He’ll come around,” I promise her.
“Maybe.”
“Pry, I know I hurt you, and maybe I will never be able to make it up to you. But I want you to know I’ll never stop trying. I found my light and I walked away from it. Tell me you’ll let me find my way back to it, back to you.”
“Aaden—”
“Tell me it’s not over for us. Tell me you forgive me.”
“I do, Aaden. You and I…we’re good.”
I want to find out more. She forgives me, but what does that mean? Before I can ask her, Easton lands in the backyard with his wings flapping excitedly behind him. Normally he’s just showing off, but this time, I think he actually has something to share with us.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“You guys won’t believe it!” East says as he comes closer with his cell in hand.
“Is Raven headed for Moscow? Does she know about RJ?” Pry asks.
“No, it’s cool. So far, it’s all clear,” East says.
“But that doesn’t mean you can leave him unattended,” I argue.
“The Gentleman saw to RJ’s day-to-day protection. He has a shield around his house,” East replies.
“Yes, but shields can be broken. You need to get back there,” I reason.
“Hey, this isn’t my first day on the job. I called in a few favors, and RJ has a small army watching him. And no, they have no idea what they’re protecting. The Quo and angels assigned to RJ think they’re protecting a human household from some determined demons,” East says.
“That’s good, but Diana and Key called, and the specialist isn’t done with the mixture yet. So we can’t make a move,” Pryor replies.
“I know, but that’s not what I came here to check on. I came because I have an idea—hey, are the walls in the kitchen different somehow?” East asks, looking into the house.
“Yeah, we…remodeled,” Pry says.
“In the middle of a mission?” he asks.
“Easton, focus. What was so important that you couldn’t tell us over the phone?” Pry says.
East shows us a video on his cell. The video features a happy, chubby-faced toddler in a white T-shirt and diapers. He has a thick mess of curls like Swoop, big bright brown eyes, and two pebble-sized teeth, which he shows off proudly as he giggles.
There’s a middle-aged woman with a warm smile and glasses looking down at the boy. She hands him a piece of candy; he bounces up and down excitedly, using his whole body; then the woman turns her back to the toddler and starts cleaning.
“Is that RJ? He’s so adorable,” Pryor says.
Pryor is right. The kid is too cute. In fact, he looks so much like his mom, it’s jarring.
“Just keep watching,” East replies. We continue to view the video.
The woman turns back to RJ and gives him another piece of candy. This happens three times. On the fourth time she pauses, uncertain, but then gives him the candy anyway.
“That’s a lot of sugar for a kid, isn’t it?” Pryor asks.
“Yes, but you’re missing the point. Watch carefully,” East replies.
He rewinds the video and points towards RJ. That’s when Pryor and I catch him blinking. Every time he closes his eyes, the woman forgets what she just did and repeats her actions.
“Wow, nice!” I reply as I study the video.
“RJ can wipe a memory! That’s why the woman can’t recall giving him the candy. He is a walking Blank pill!” East says proudly.
“I thought his powers were all gone?” Pryor asks.
“I talked to my mom. She says depending on the strength of the mixture the Gentleman used, RJ may have a few powers now, but soon, they will disappear altogether.”
“That’s what they wanted for him,” I reply.
“C’mon, look at this kid. Even though he’s using his powers to get what he wants…watch this,” East says as he fast-forwards the video to the end.
RJ then divides the stack of candy among all his stuffed animals. He hands one to the stuffed bear with the honey pot, one to the zebra with the fuzzy mane, and two pieces to the stuffed monkey.
However, the alligator had apparently been bad because RJ points his little finger at him and scolds him briefly before finally handing him his reward. RJ then presses down on the hand of the monkey; music starts to play. RJ bounces his head to the beat. He’s in tune with rhythm. Swoop would be proud.
“You see? He has a kindness about him. He’s a good kid,” East pushes.
“East, what’s going on?” Pryor pushes.
“I think RJ should live with us,” he replies.
“You know that isn’t what his parents wanted,” I reply.
“IT’S NOT UP TO THEM TO DECIDE! YOU DON’T JUST TAKE SOMEONE’S POWERS AWAY. HOW IS THAT FAIR?”
Pryor and I exchange a worried glance. East is never this passionate about anything. He hardly ever gets upset, let alone goes off like this.
“East, I get what you’re saying, man. I do. But his mom and dad wanted him to be protected. That means no one can know about him. That means he has to live his life as normal as possible,” I reply gently.
“You don’t get it, Silver. He will never be normal. Somewhere inside him he will always know that he was meant for more. It’s like giving him wings and then chaining him. It’s not fair,” East counters.
“Swoop isn’t going to agree to place her kid in the center of the angel world. That’s crazy,” I snap.
“No, it’s not. We can protect this kid. We can help him reach his full potential,” East begs.
“We can’t guarantee his safety and you know that. If we want this kid to be safe, then we have to keep him a secret and let him stay with the humans,” Pry argues.
“No, we can keep RJ safe. I know we can,” East pleads.<
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“You’re out of your mind. That kid has barely learned to walk. He needs to be out of danger,” I reply.
“Oh, c’mon, Silver! You know there is no better place for RJ than with us,” East says.
“I don’t think the Gentleman would want that. That’s why he sent RJ so far away,” Pryor replies.
“He was a full-on demon, what does he know?” East asks.
“He knows enough to try to save his kid, and you can’t undo that by bringing RJ here,” I tell him.
“I know what it’s like to have your powers taken from you. You saw the video; RJ is fighting to get access to what is rightfully his.”
“There’s no need to talk about this anymore. His parents wanted him in the human world, and that’s where he will be,” I conclude.
“You don’t get to decide this, Silver. When we save Swoop, I’ll talk to her. She’ll understand. She won’t send her own son away. She won’t rob him of his right to power. You’ll see. As soon as we save Swoop, she’ll want RJ with us.”
“That won’t happen,” Key says as she flies down to us, tears in her eyes.
Diana stands alongside her, also upset.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Ambi, the Healer making the mixture for us, was attacked,” Diana says.
“We would have been there to help, but she insisted on working alone. She didn’t want to lose focus by having someone else there,” Key says.
“Is she okay?” I ask.
“No. She’s dead. And the Midnight flower has been destroyed.”
“WHAT?” Pryor demands.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
Key bursts into tears and Diana holds her. I ask if we can get another flower, and Diana tells us after one flower has been plucked from the field, they all die.
“I thought they grow more flowers,” Pryor says.
“Yes, they do. But they take a full year to reappear,” Diana says.
“Guys, Bex just texted me. The Paras have spotted Raven. She’s heading to Moscow right now,” East says as he looks at his phone.
“She’s after RJ!” Key says frantically.
“We have to stop her!” I shout.
“How?” East demands.
“May I make a suggestion?” someone asks from the air.
We look up and find Malakaro descending toward us.
Chapter Twenty-Four:
The Cane Family
To say the team goes on high alert would be an understatement. East brings out his lasso, Key has her palms out, fireballs are ready and waiting in the palm of my hand, and Pryor readies both hands to pull the life out of Malakaro.
“Why the icy welcome? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you don’t want me here,” he says softly as he lands.
“Get the hell out of my house,” Pryor demands.
“I would have thought it our house, sister dear,” he replies.
“I won’t tell you again,” Pryor warns.
“You see it in your mind’s eye. Yet when it’s up close, in front of you, your mind refuses to process it,” Malakaro says as he looks around.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask.
“The home of Marcus Cane. It’s not as I pictured,” he admits.
“I’m sorry we didn’t have time to put banners up to welcome you, you murderous asshole,” Pry spits.
“All that needless cursing and shouting. Why so hostile?” her brother asks.
Pryor gives the signal and we all blast Malakaro with full force. Everything stops mid launch. East’s lasso is frozen in place, as are my fireballs, Key’s burst of energy, Diana’s surge, and Pryor’s life-draining stream. Not one of our weapons comes anywhere near him.
“Really? Must we play these games?” Malakaro asks.
“We will keep shooting until we get you, I promise,” Pry says, dripping with rage.
“With all due respect, I have had rather bad experiences with the Cane family and their…promises,” he says.
“This is all because Marcus never took you home to be with him? You are so wounded that you would terrorize the world?” East demands.
“Said the Noru who tied his stepfather to a chair and tried to beat him to death,” Malakaro replies with a small smile.
“You don’t know anything about me,” East counters.
“Easton, you are nothing more than a subplot in this story; stop speaking—now,” he says.
As soon as the words come out of his mouth, Easton’s lips can no longer part. He’s literally unable to make a sound.
What the hell?
“In fact, all of you sit silently on the floor, with your arms and legs folded like good little boys and girls. Let the grown-ups talk,” he orders in a calm voice.
I feel my body reacting to his command. I try to fight against it, but it doesn’t work. I no longer have a say in what my body does. If he told me to set myself on fire, I would have to do exactly that. All around me the team does exactly as they are told, all of us except for Pryor.
“You see, that is the problem: I can’t seem to get you to do what I want. That’s why you are still standing. I have enough control over you to keep you from tackling me or stabbing or whatever it is you barbarians do in a battle. Yet I can’t seem to get you to obey me completely. Hence the need for the vials,” he says.
“What do you want from us?” Pryor asks, seething as she struggles to stay in control.
“I believe because we are directly related, I cannot affect you like the others. I have heard that some find blood relatives to be a source of support and encouragement. However, I’ve found having anyone related to my blood to be…distracting,” he replies.
“If you came to battle, then let’s get on with it. Enough of this ‘evil speech’ bullshit.”
“Again with the cursing,” he says, shaking his head with disappointment. He looks down on the ground where we have been made to sit and turns his attention towards me.
“I blame you for this, half demon. She’s picked up some bad habits from you.”
“If you don’t get the hell out of here, I’ll rip your damn head off,” she vows.
“Well, that’s rather rude, don’t you think? Especially since I’m the one who brought the Raven issue to your attention. Had it not been for me, you never would have even known she existed. I may be wrong about the half demon. Perhaps the one responsible for your questionable etiquette is our father. In which case, maybe not being raised by him was to my advantage.”
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Pryor insists.
“As I said before, to offer my help.”
“Why would you help us?” she pushes.
“It so happens our interests are currently aligned. I doubt it will ever happen again; nevertheless, here we are. I want to help you destroy Raven.”
“And why would we take any help from you?”
“You have no vial, you have no flower and no hope of killing her without me.”
“I don’t trust you,” she says.
“Trust isn’t required here, only a desire for survival.”
“We’re not accepting any help from you,” Pry says, determined.
“I was made to understand you would do anything for your precious Noru teammates. Have I been misled?”
She doesn’t reply. She just glares at him.
“Dear sister, there is more than enough time for you to plan my demise. For now, I daresay, it’s best to focus on the issue at hand—Raven.”
“I told you I will not accept your help,” she roars.
“It’s not you who needs to accept it. Randall, stand up,” he says.
Randy stands up without question.
Malakaro studies him with growing fascination. “I have altered the stone I gave you. It can now hold a far greater amount of energy. If you want to destroy the Raven, simply aim the stone at her and all her powers will be drawn into you.”
“Don’t listen to this demented snake, Randy. He just wants to lure you with power,” P
ryor protests.
“The stone can only latch on to you and give you powers so long as you want it. If Randall should choose to let go of his newfound powers, then the stone will pull it out of him and self-destruct. However, I have a feeling Randall will enjoy his new powers. Perhaps even relish them.”
“No! Randy will not use the stone, no matter what. He knows better than to do anything you say,” the First Noru protests.
“Well, why don’t we ask the human himself,” Malakaro says, turning to Randy.
Randy is silent. His eyes are full of expression, but his lips do not move at all.
“How neglectful of me; Randall, you may now speak,” Malakaro adds.
“You will not use this situation to make me part of your sick plans. Nothing you do will make me turn evil. I will not be the Alago. Go find your dark sidekick somewhere else,” Randy affirms, working hard to keep his voice steady.
“You are brave. Defiant. Bold. All good traits for what’s to become of you,” Malakaro says with a wicked smile.
“I will not partner up with you to drink the vial. I will not help you destroy Pryor and end the world.”
“I don’t know much about relationships, but I venture to guess that letting your girlfriend’s twin sister die is not the best way to her heart…” he says as he takes off into the sky.
“I WILL NOT BE THE ALAGO!”
As soon as Malakaro is out of sight, we are given full control of our bodies. We stand up and head over to Pryor and Randy. Right away, Randy questions what would happen if he uses the stone.
“You can’t be serious,” Key says.
“I’m just saying, we don’t have another option,” the human reasons.
“Okay, so we’re just going to gloss over the fact that Malakaro turned us into a bunch of preschoolers?” East asks.
“We have to find a way to stop him from being able to control us like that,” Diana says.
“I agree, but right now we need to focus on Raven,” Pryor replies.
“I think I should use the stone,” Randy says.
“NO!” everyone replies in unison.
“Okay, okay, damn. It was just a suggestion. I thought we would do anything to save Swoop,” Randy reminds us.
“Yes, we would. But Pry is right about not trusting Malakaro. What if you use the stone and it traps you or kills you somehow?”
