by Lola StVil
Where the hell is the human on the bus? Damn her, she missed it. She missed the bus—again.
“Pryor, do you hear me?” he asks.
I wonder if the human will make the next bus.
The half demon hangs his head, hurt and frustrated. Later, I have another visitor. This one is a full demon. I know him but his name escapes me at the moment. He looks into my vacant eyes and brushes my hair away from my face.
“Pryor Reese Cane, you can’t stay locked up in your mind, kid. You need to cut the crap and come back to us. You got it?” he says firmly.
The human is back! She makes a dash for the bus.
“Pryor! They need you. I need you. You’re my family. You can’t stay away. You have to fight to return to your senses. Your parents…it would kill them to see what’s become of you. You’re all they have left, kid. You have to fight to come back,” he says.
The human gets on the bus.
“I’m gonna be honest, it’s not just that the team needs you to come back; he needs you. Pryor, you are the Omnis in my son’s world. You are his everything. If you don’t come back…I don’t know how he will go on without you. I lost his mother and that broke me. I don’t want him to feel that kind of pain. Save him; save my son…”
The bus pulls away. The spider returns to her web. The full demon kisses me on the forehead and leaves the room. While I’m turned away, someone comes into my room and mumbles something about cleaning up. I don’t reply, I just stare out at nothing. It’s only when I turn back around I realize that the cleaning lady has actually cleaned the entire room; including the spiderweb.
I don’t remember striking the cleaning lady or going berserk and screaming at the entire staff that I would kill them all for destroying the web. The Healers restrain me and inject a mixture into me that forces my eyes to close.
When I open my eyes, I find the Para is looking down at me. He gently makes me sit up and face him.
“The Healers said you got very upset about a spider’s web,” he says.
I remain quiet and look over where the web used to be. He follows my gaze. He opens his hand and there’s a small envelope inside it. On it is the spider’s web. It’s still attached.
“The cleaning woman used a broom and dust pan. She swept it right off the wall and it landed in the dustbin on top of this envelope. We’re gonna have to leave it on the envelope because it’s so fragile, but it’s still intact. You want to help me get it back up there?” he asks.
I nod and he is suddenly overcome with emotion. He gasps as if he were a human who had been holding his breath for half an hour and now he can finally exhale. He places his hand in front of his lips to hide his shocked expression.
“That’s the first time you’ve responded…” he says as he pulls me towards him and hugs me. He whispers that he knew I was in there somewhere. He composes himself and together we carefully place the web back on the wall.
The Healers agree that even though I overreacted to the web being destroyed, the fact that I care about anything, even a spider, means I am regaining my sense of purpose. They think I am getting reconnected to what it means to be an angel. They send me back home to New York City.
***
When I enter Pryor’s house they watch me. They watch to see if she will return to the empty shell she left behind, but she doesn’t. They exchange looks of disappointment and concern between them. They should stop looking for Pryor. It would make them happier to expect that she’s gone. I do.
They place my things in one of the rooms and the human points out that it’s my room. He tells me what memories are attached to what item on the dresser. He starts with the picture again. The twins rush to get my mixture medications.
The Para fusses with the room temperature, determined to find what he refers to as “the perfect balance,” because Pryor is always too hot or too cold. I want to point out that she doesn’t care about the temperature since she is no longer with us but that requires words.
The half demon is having a hard time. I can see that because he looks pained and exhausted. Whoever this girl was, she mattered to him more than he could ever express. The same can be said of the Para. The two of them rarely exchange words, but they seem to suffer the same profound loss.
They place all my things in “my” room and remind me that they are just outside the door should I need them. Then they leave me alone in her room. It’s like being left at ground zero of an explosion. The remains of someone who is no longer there surround me.
I don’t know where to place myself as everything here seems like sacred ground. Someone once loved used to live here. How dare I touch her things? How dare I sit on her bed or touch her picture frames? Who am I that I should be where a leader once stood?
The Quo slowly opens the door and looks in. He tells me that I have been standing still, in the same position, for six hours. Judging by the sound of his voice, this information seems to cause him great pain. He gently brushes the side of my face with his hands. His touch is warm. He too cared about this Pryor girl.
Suddenly, I hear a sound traveling up the steps—it’s a loud roar and it’s getting louder. It’s the machine. They are going to put me in the White Room!!!
“Pryor, it’s just the can opener!” the Quo tells me.
I don’t listen, I rage against him and as the others enter the room, I battle them too. I kick, scream, claw, bite, and punch my way free. I run down the steps, terrified they will get me. I can’t let them get me. I can’t let them get me. I bolt for the door and the half demon catches me.
“NO!!!!! I can’t go in that room! Please…don’t make me go…ahhhhhhhhh!” I sob into his chest.
“Okay, we won’t go in that room ever again,” he promises.
“NO, YOU’RE GONNA MAKE ME GO BACK. I WON’T GO BACK. I WON’T GO BACK!” I cry.
I rant and rave for what seems life forever and then I feel my body go limp. He picks me up and scoops me into his arms. He takes me upstairs. At first I think we are headed for the White Room, but then I don’t hear anything. And even if it was the White Room, I’m too weak to protest. The half demon whispers to me and says my medication is kicking in and not to fight it. There’s something so strong and certain about the half demon. There’s something solid about him, something…safe.
“Don’t let them get me…” I mumble as I give in to the oncoming darkness.
***
The next time I open my eyes, I find that the half demon was true to his word. He did not leave my side. He placed me on the bed and stands protectively beside me.
“I told you I wouldn’t leave you and I meant it.”
I nod, but don’t say anything.
“We need to bathe you and get you out of those clothes. Do you want me to call the girls to help you do that?” he asks gently.
The thought of him leaving me causes a rush of panic. I shake my head “no.”
“Are you sure you want me to do it? I am okay with it, I just want you to be comfortable with me undressing you,” he says.
I nod “yes.”
Someone knocks on the door. It’s the twins. The half demon tells them what he’s about to do and they object.
“She won’t let anyone else do it. I’m not using this as a chance to get a peep show going,” he says, clearly offended.
“Silver, we know you’re just trying to help Pry. The reason we said we’d do it isn’t because of you, it’s because of Pryor,” the smaller twin says.
“Key, what is she talking about?” he asks.
“Right now Pryor is lost somewhere inside her mind, but if she was here, this isn’t what she’d want. This isn’t how she’d want you to first see her naked. She doesn’t want you to think of her as some helpless nutcase.”
“I don’t think that at all. You know how I feel about her!” he snaps.
“Yes, but this isn’t about you. It’s about Pryor. And she would want the first time you two are…you know…she’d like that to be under a different set o
f circumstances. Don’t rob her of that.”
“Swoop’s right. Aaden, let us bathe her. We’ll watch over her. You can stand nearby should she need you, but stand where you won’t see anything. She’d want it that way.”
“Okay, I can do that,” he says as he turns and addresses me.
“The girls are going to bathe you and I will be right here if you need me. I won’t go anywhere.”
“Promise?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says, relieved to hear the sound of my voice.
Once again he keeps his word. The females help me out of my clothes and into the bathtub. They are bathing me, taking care not to make contact with the scars that have yet to heal. The whole time, I am looking towards the mirror that reflects the image of the half demon as he waits for me. We make eye contact and it’s the first time I actually want to wonder about this girl, Pryor. Does she know this half demon’s sole purpose on earth is to watch over her?
When the girls are done, they help me out of the tub, dry me off, and help me put on pajamas. The half demon thanks them. I try to smile but I’m not sure how. When they leave, he tucks me under the covers and stands over me. I don’t need to ask if he will stay; somewhere inside me, I know he will.
***
When I wake up this time it’s not the half demon who’s looking down at me but the human. His eyes are puffy and slightly swollen.
“I’m sorry, I turned on the can opener earlier. I didn’t know it would…” The human’s eyes fill with tears.
“Randy, it’s not your fault. Pry just needs some time,” the half demon replies from a few feet away.
“I know you’ve been through a lot, but I need you back, Pry. You said you would never leave me. We’re best friends. You can’t go back on your word!” he shouts, suddenly angry.
“Randy, stop screaming at her,” the half demon counters.
“No! It’s time for her to hear the truth. You’re the First Noru and you cannot just sink into oblivion. It’s not fair to the team or to me. And you know what? You’re being a shitty sister! Sam is dead and you promised to avenge him and now you’re hiding inside your head!”
“Sam…” I mutter as flashes of a sweet-faced redheaded boy flood my mind.
“Yes! Sam. He loved you and he was taken away and you have to come back and make that right. If you don’t come back because of how much we love you, then come back because of how much you hate Malakaro; he had Sam killed,” Randy says.
Randy! He’s my friend; my best friend.
The half demon looks at me closely.
Aaden.
Aaden!
“Pry, are you okay?” Aaden asks.
“They killed him. They killed Sam,” I reply.
“Yes, they did. Now we’re going to fix that. Someday we’ll make sure they pay,” Aaden replies. I address him for the first time with complete clarity.
“No, Aaden, now. Everyone pays; now.”
Chapter Twenty-Two:
White Meat
I gather everyone in the living room. When I descend the staircase, they watch, mystified that for the first time in months I’m not a basket case. I seem like my old self, well on the outside anyway.
“I wanted to talk to all of you because there’s a few things we need to clear up,” I tell them in my official voice.
“Sure, whatever you need. We’re just glad that you’re getting around,” East replies.
“You look so much better, Pry,” Swoop says with a smile.
“Thanks. First we need to discuss this team,” I reply.
“What about us?” Randy says.
“First, Randy, you’re not a part of this team. I am not saying that to be cruel. You are my best friend and I love you. But members of this team get hurt. And I will not permit that to happen to you. I need you to go; please.”
“Wait, you can’t be serious,” Randy says.
“She’s not. Pry, tell Randy you’re just kidding,” Swoop urges.
“I don’t think you guys get it. Do you know what Malakaro said to me right before he ‘rescued’ me?” I ask.
The whole room waits with bated breath as I finally reveal the foul words Malakaro spoke to me at The Center.
“He said, ‘I need you to stay alive to watch the show. I need you alive to experience the razor sharp pain that comes from knowing people around you are dying for no other reason than the fact that they were loved by you. And they will die, Pryor: your teammates, your friends, and your lovers--anyone who means anything to you. They will die slow. They will die often. And they all die with the same final thought. If only they never met you, perhaps they would have been spared…’”
I look across the room at Aaden. He’s enraged by the words Malakaro spoke, but more than that, he’s worried for me. Randy reaches out to embrace me but I pull away.
“Randy, I need you to go home. Now.”
“But you can’t send him away. He’s the Blue Rose Heir, remember?” Key says.
“Yes, but Malakaro doesn’t know that. Randy can just go on living his life normally. In fact, us being in his life is the only thing that could give him away,” I reply.
“Pry, I don’t want to—”
“Randy, please,” I say to him. Hurt, Randy walks out of the house.
“Pry, why would you do that?” Aaden asks.
“Because I want him to be safe; hanging around us is not the way to achieve that,” I remind him.
“We can keep Randy safe,” Key says.
“Really, like you guys kept me safe?” I snap.
“Pryor—” Bex begins.
“I’m not done. The next thing on our list is the demon.”
“If you want me out then I will leave,” Ruin informs me.
“Wait, that’s not what Pryor is saying,” Aaden says.
“Actually, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Thank you for all your help, Ruin. Should there come a time when we can return the favor, we will. Until then, please get your things and get out of my parents’ home,” I order.
Ruin glares at me. She then looks at Aaden and goes upstairs to get her things.
“You have no right to do that, Pry. Not after everything that girl has sacrificed to help us,” Aaden counters.
“I’m sorry, but maybe you haven’t heard. I was kidnapped and tortured by a group of angels that were supposed to be well… angels. They were supposed to protect us and guard us against evil. Instead they tuned on us; on me. They split my body open and mutilated my damn wings. And now, well, I have to say I’m a little short on trust. And whatever little I have will not be given to a demon,” I inform him in a firm voice.
Pissed, he shakes his head and goes upstairs after Ruin. I turn my attention back to the team. They look at me and show me that they are displeased with my stance on the Ruin issue. That’s okay because I’m their leader before I am their friend. And I will keep them away from whatever I deem unsafe, like it or not.
“Now, I’ve been given all the updates and I really am not happy about the way things are with this team,” I continue.
“Maybe you should get some rest. You aren’t acting like yourself,” Swoop says.
“Yes, and I dare say that’s an improvement,” I reply.
“Pryor, you really need to take some time before you can lead us again,” Bex suggests.
“No. I am taking charge of this team. Now,” I counter.
They all exchange uneasy looks but they all stay silent. I turn my attention to Easton.
“I’ve been told that you did not Mind wipe the human girl, Marisol. Is that true?” I ask.
“Pry, I didn’t want to take away the hope she had when she learned that there were angels in the world,” East pleads.
“What about her skin?” I ask.
“What?”
“You have a problem taking away her hope but how do you feel about her skin being taken away from her? How about her ribs being snatched from inside her body? Are you good with that? Because that’s what Malakaro’s go
ing to do to any and everyone we love. He’s going to deconstruct them one piece of flesh at a time. What they did to me at The Center is nothing compared to what my dear bother has in mind for us. Or the people who dare to love us. You love this girl, then save her from you—from us,” I order.
“You think that could really happen?” East asks.
“She may get taken by Malakaro, she may get taken by another secret group like The Center. Who knows? That’s the whole point. We have no idea who or what is out there with the intent to harm us. That’s why we can’t open our doors or our hearts.”
“Pryor may be right—about Marisol. You don’t want anyone to find out how much she means to you,” Swoop warns him.
“Go and wipe her mind. East, it’s the only way you can protect her,” I reply.
“Yeah, yeah, I guess,” East says as he gets up and heads to the door.
“Oh, and Easton?” I call out.
“Yeah?” he says, sounding troubled.
“I lead this team. You follow. That is your job. When I tell you to Mind wipe someone, you damn well better do it. Is that clear?”
“Yeah,” he says under his breath as he exits.
“And I hear you have given your kingdom over to Hollander. Is that true, Bexington?” I ask.
“Don’t feel bad about it. What matters is that giving up being Kon helped get you back. And really don’t thank me; I’m just glad you’re safe,” he says.
“I wasn’t planning to thank you. I was planning on asking what the hell you were smoking when you gave your kingdom to a jerkoff like Hollander!”
“What? I did it for you,” he pushes.
“Yes, and it was a dumbass move. Now we have the biggest power hungry asshole in the Para world running things.”
