“I guess you’re right.”
Tylia’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and she looked at us suspiciously. “What were you two doing locked in here?”
“Escaping bad guys,” I answered with a shrug.
“Among other things,” Travis coughed, looking up at the ceiling. I elbowed him and he gasped, “Geez, Nualla ow!”
“Right…” Tylia said skeptically. “Let’s get the hell out of this place,” she said as she turned around and walked down the hall.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Travis said, following Tylia out the door.
“Oh, and your boy’s passed out on the lobby floor,” Tylia called over her shoulder to me.
“What?!” I yelped, running after them.
PATRICK
After what seemed like a very long time, I heard someone calling my name.
“Hmm?” I answered woozily.
“Oh, thank the gods,” a female voice said, it sounded familiar, but it wasn’t Nualla’s.
“Tylia?” I guessed as I opened my eyes to see Nualla and Tylia looking down at me. The second I sat up everything pitched off-kilter. I was so going to hurl if I didn’t close my eyes again.
“Just what exactly were you trying to do, kid?” Tylia asked, stifling a laugh.
“Follow Nualla.”
“What made you think you could just walk in here easy as pie? Did you see a sign that said, ‘Hey humans, come right in, the water’s great.’” I could hear the smirk in her voice even if I couldn’t see it.
“Actually technically he’s not exactly human,” Nualla confessed in an unsteady voice.
“Excuse me?” Tylia replied as she shifted her weight.
“I’m apparently something called a Marked One,” I clarified as I rubbed my aching head, it had been hurting all day, and I’m sure smacking it on the marble floor hadn’t helped.
“You’re kidding me?” Tylia said in disbelief. When no one said anything Tylia let out a heavy breath. “And you thought this gave you a pass just to run into the building?”
“Well I mean—” Yeah, that’s exactly what I had thought, but thanks for making me sound like an idiot.
“Patrick the effects of the door won’t go away until after you’re a daemon,” Nualla informed me as kindly as possible.
I felt arms wrap around me and pull me to my feet. “You know, for a smart kid you’re kinda dumb sometimes,” Tylia said with a snort as she put my arm over her shoulder. I started to open my eyes, and Tylia stated very close to my ear, “I’d keep those closed if I were you, but then again, I like my lunch in my stomach and not on the floor.”
I squeezed my eyes firmly shut and swallowed hard. Another person wrapped my other arm over their shoulder, but it wasn’t Nualla. This person was far too tall.
As we began to move forward I asked, “Who else is here?”
“Travis,” Nualla answered from behind us.
“Hey,” Travis said from next to me.
Great, because I really wanted him to see me like this.
After we were down the steps Nualla asked in a worried voice, “Patrick, did you hit your head?”
“I think I saw my dad,” I answered woozily.
“Yeah, he most definitely hit his head,” Tylia said before I felt her lean away from me. “Here, help me get him into the car. We can check out his head when we get to the house.”
“Can I open my eyes now?” I asked hopefully; being led around blindly was more than a little unnerving.
“Yeah, it’s fine. We’re outside,” Tylia answered, letting go of me.
I opened my eyes and instantly knew it was going to be bad. We were outside, away from the illusionary field, but apparently nobody had bothered to tell my body that. I wobbled on my feet and dropped to the ground.
After I was finished losing the contents of my stomach in the gutter, I finally sat back on my heels. “So, what exactly happened in there?” I looked up into Nualla’s eyes afraid of what I would find there. “Is your family okay?”
“I think so, I didn’t see them among the—” She looked back at The Embassy, unable to finish her sentence.
“So those were bodies in there?” I asked as I looked past her to The Embassy.
“Yeah—a lot of them,” she confirmed, looking down at her shoes.
“Just like the school.”
“You know, if you hadn’t had Nikki call your father, he probably would have been there when The Embassy was attacked,” Tylia pointed out, all mirth gone from her face.
That sobering fact hit home, and we all sat in silence looking up at The Embassy. I suddenly felt tired, so very, very tired.
43
The Bonds That Bind Us
Wednesday, May 9th
NUALLA
The three of us, Travis, Patrick and I, stood outside the front door of my family’s Marin house. Tylia had opted to stay further out by the car and relate the news about The Embassy to the other members of the Kalo Protectorate. I took a deep breath and turned the knob; I didn’t know what I would find on the other side of the door. Would my family be whole and safe—or would someone be missing.
The door fell open, and my family rushed forward the second they saw me. “Nualla!”
They were all there, every single one, even Shawn. They all looked worn and stressed, but no one looked injured. I let out my breath. Thank the gods.
I was folded into a dozen hugs, and after today I just wanted to hold them close and never let go.
“Nualla, where have you been?” Loraly asked frantically.
I recounted the last few hours for them all. The escape from the assassins, the trip to the hospital and the graveyard that The Embassy had become. But I had left out one very important piece—the truth about Patrick.
When I was finished I looked at Alex. “I have to say something, but before I do, I have to ask, are they here?”
He understood my meaning and his expression turned serious. “They are not in the house, but yes, they are on the perimeter of the estate.”
I pulled out the audio interrupter device Travis had given me and clicked it on. “I’m going to tell you something that can never be spoken of ever again. This counts as an act of treason, so if you’re uncomfortable with that leave now.” No one moved. “I’m serious.”
“We’re not going to betray you Nualla, we’re your family,” Skye stated sounding slightly offended.
“Shawn?” I asked, looking more directly at him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he replied, pulling Nikki closer to him.
I opened my mouth to speak, but it turned into a surprised gasp when Shawn’s father, Roy Vallen, came around the corner. “Roy!”
He surveyed us questioningly. “What’s going on?”
Roy had always been like an uncle to me, but I wasn’t sure I could trust him with this. I squared my shoulders. “I need to say something and I can’t say it in front of you, Councilor Vallen.”
Roy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Nualla, you have never once called me that in all the time I have known you.”
“Well, it is what you are and because of that, I cannot have you here.”
“Why?” he asked hesitantly.
“Because I’m about to commit an act of treason,” I answered swallowing hard.
Roy put a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Didn’t anyone tell her?”
“When could we have, she just got here,” Andraya answered with a huff.
“Tell me what?” I asked, looking around the room at their faces.
“Nualla, the Grand Council is gone,” Roy answered, looking up at me sadly.
“What?” I said, nearly falling over.
“The only member of the Co
uncil that survived the attack was myself. And it’s actually you I have to thank for that.”
“Me?”
“You had Nikki call Alex. Because of that, none of us were at The Embassy when it was attacked. So you see, sweetheart, you probably saved my life. To betray you now would say that my life was meaningless,” Roy said with a weary smile.
“Thanks, Roy,” I answered in an unsteady voice.
Now for the hardest part, the part I felt terrible for having to say. I swallowed hard and looked Alex dead in the eye. “You have given an oath to place the wellbeing of your region first and your family second. If you are unwilling to break that—leave now.” I hated myself for forcing this decision on my dad, but I wouldn’t betray Patrick, even for my family. Even for my dad.
Alex looked beaten down and utterly defeated. “I was forced to betray my family once. I can’t—no, I won’t do it again,” he stated firmly then looked into my eyes. “I’m staying, Nualla.”
With a nod, I turned to Patrick. “Patrick, take off your shirt.”
Patrick looked at me scandalized. “Excuse me?!”
“Just do it, Patrick, please.”
He continued to stare at me like I was insane for a moment before he finally understood. Without another word, he pulled his shirt off and turned around. They all stared in shock, and the glass Skye had been holding slipped and shattered on the floor.
“But that’s a…” Nikki said barely above a whisper.
“Yes, it is,” I answered quietly.
“But that means he’s protected by the Marked Child Act, they can’t lay a hand on him for knowing our secrets,” Shawn said, grinning at his father.
“No, that law does not protect everyone, Shawn,” Roy said, looking at his son sadly. “It only protects the children of Kalodaemons.”
Shawn looked at his father in confusion for a second before realization crossed his face. “No. No way. He couldn’t possibly be—” Shawn said as his eyes darted between his father and Patrick.
“If he wasn’t, this would not be an act of treason, and Nualla would not have made us swear to silence,” Alex said gravely.
“Your parents are Kakodaemons?” Shawn asked, staring uncomprehendingly at Patrick.
Patrick turned around and slipped his shirt back on. “Yeah…yeah, they are.”
I looked at Alex; he had never looked more devastated than he did in this moment. He had realized that I had chosen Patrick over my people, over even my own family. It was a shattering and harsh reality to have to swallow in silence.
“Did you know this?” Andraya asked, glaring at Patrick.
Alex moved to place a hand on her shoulder. “No, I don’t believe he did. Patrick is not capable of that kind of deceit. The real question is why they never told him about our world, about what he is.” Alex stared at Patrick curiously for a long moment before a sad realization crept across his face. “You disowned your family, didn’t you, Patrick?”
Patrick looked up shaking in anger. “Those people may have created me, but they have never been my family.” And then he slumped his shoulders and hung his head. “I have no family now.”
Alex was by our side in a few swift steps, pulling a shocked Patrick into a tight hug. “No, you are wrong, you do have a family. You are a Galathea, now and always. We are your family now. And I will die before I let them take you, Patrick.” He pulled away to look at Roy. “I cannot let you take him, Roy.”
“Who would I take him to, Alex? The Grand Council is gone, it’s just you and me now.”
We all stood there in silence for what seemed like forever. Eventually Loraly asked, nearly in tears, “What are we going to do? If anyone finds out they’ll kill him.”
“I have a plan,” Travis announced as he moved away from the wall to join the rest of us.
“You do?” I asked, turning to face him. Travis had been standing silent this whole time, but I knew better than to think his brain had stayed quiet. Could he really have found a way out of this mess?
“A Kakodaemon Marked One is incredibly rare. So rare, it would be possible to say that they just kidnapped him as a child.”
“What?!” Patrick said, nearly falling over.
Roy seemed to understand where Travis was headed and a devious smile crossed his lips. “How good are you with records?”
“I’m the one who built the modern records system,” Travis answered, almost offended.
“Do you have any qualms about forging records?” Roy asked, crossing his arms.
“For Patrick?” Travis looked over at Patrick speculatively before adding, “None at all.” Then his eyes darted quickly to me before going back to Roy. “This is a frakked up situation, and I’m all for making it less so.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I said, putting up my hands. “What are you guys talking about?”
“They’re going to make me a fake identity so no one can prove what I actually am,” Patrick answered in a calm voice.
“Excuse me?” I said, staring blankly at them.
“I have to do this quick before the systems come back up in the main building,” Travis said, typing away on a sleek tiny tablet he had pulled from his lab coat pocket only moments before. I’m sure it wasn’t the only thing hiding in the pockets either. His pockets could seriously give Felix the Cat’s bag a run for its money with the amount of random ass crap I had seen him pull out of them over the years.
“You’re crazy, you can’t hack The Embassy’s records system from here!” I said incredulously as I watched code go flying across the screen.
“Please,” Travis snorted, rolling his eyes. “I hack much worse at the Coffee Press when I’m bored.”
“Remind me again why we employ him?” Roy asked, leaning toward Alex.
“Because he is a certifiable genius, and he’s far more dangerous to us if we aren’t paying him,” Alex answered in an amused voice.
“Oh, right,” Roy said as he stuck his hands in pockets in a gesture that was so much like his son’s that there was no doubt whatsoever where Shawn had picked it up from.
“And Loraly would kill the both of us if we didn’t do right by Josh and Misaki.”
“I heard that Alex!” Loraly called from the couch.
“So who are you going to make me?” Patrick asked, leaning over Travis’ shoulder.
Travis’ fingers stopped typing for a brief second before he continued. “My brother.”
“What?!” Patrick yelped, standing bolt upright in shock.
“My family was killed in a suspicious car accident when I was little,” Travis said without looking up.
My breath caught and I couldn’t help but stare at him. We had been best friends nearly my whole life, and this was the closest he had gotten to telling me what had happened to his family. I knew they had died, that he had then come from Seattle to live in the orphanage in our Embassy. But he had never wanted to talk about how they died, and I had never been able to bring myself to ask.
“You would be willing to do that for me?” Patrick asked, astonished.
Travis’ fingers froze for a second again. “Sure, I owe you.”
“For what?” Patrick asked suspiciously.
Now Travis’ fingers really did stop in earnest, and a slight blush spread up his cheeks. “For kissing your wife—I mean, fiancée.”
“You mean when we came to get the—you mean that one time in the lab?”
“No, I mean earlier tonight, actually,” Travis admitted, the blush in his cheeks spreading like mad.
Patrick, Alex, and Roy turned to look at me. “What are you all looking at me for? He’s the one who kissed me. And we thought we were about to die, for crying out loud!” I snapped indignantly.
Patrick clenched and unclenched his fists. “Deal.” He didn’t look at m
e, and I was glad, because I wasn’t exactly sure what my expression said at the moment. “Would that even work, though?”
Travis stopped and looked up at Patrick, his expression unreadable. “Why wouldn’t it? I actually did have a little brother, and he was a Marked One. Who’s to say you’re not him?”
“But he looks nothing like you, Travis,” I pointed out.
Travis turned to face me with a crooked smile. “You never saw my mom.”
There was a knock on the door, and Travis’ eyes quickly darted toward it. In the flash of an eye his hand darted out and he slipped the audio interrupter device into his pocket.
Not even a second later the door opened, and a Kalo Protectorate Officer looked around suspiciously before looking at Alex. “Chancellarius Galathea, is everything okay in here?”
“Everything is fine,” Alex answered with a tight smile.
“Better than fine,” Travis added with a grin as he stood. He put an arm around Patrick’s shoulders and grinned wider. “I just found my little brother, Patrick Centrina.”
44
Personal Demons
Wednesday, May 9th
PATRICK
I felt cold, so very cold. I turned the water on as I stripped away my clothes. I had changed clothing back at my home, but it hadn’t helped, I still felt dirty, tainted, wronged. Home was the wrong word; I had no home now.
I got into the water and tipped my head back. The water rushed over me—I was still so cold. I turned the water up hotter and hotter, but it didn’t help. I felt empty inside; hollow, like a tree whose insides had rotted out.
I punched the wall. Why had they kept this from me? Why had they never said a word about what they were; what I was?
I heard the softest of sounds and looked up as the shower door slid open. With the way my luck was going, it would be ninja squirrels or zombies coming for me next.
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