by Lola StVil
“I know I should have let the redhead kill Swoop, but I was just so excited, I had to come out. Don’t be mad. I will finish killing Swoop. I can, I can! I’m almost strong enough to finish the job. I just need a little more time…No, they won’t be able to save her…They’ll never get their hands on the flower…I can feel her dying inside me…No, they won’t save her…They will all fail…”
All of a sudden, she throws herself onto her knees and begins to cry out.
“I’m sorry, Mommy, don’t be mad. I will make them pay. I will make them all pay,” she says.
She gets up just as suddenly as she dropped to the floor and looks at us.
“It’s your fault Mommy is mad at me. You made her go away and now she’s mad. She’s so maaaaaaaaaad!”
She jerks her head to the right as if the person in her head has called her name. She gives the imaginary being all her attention.
“No, Mommy, please don’t be mad. I can kill them now if you want. Okay, I will. I will focus. Kill later. Get power and send Swoop away forever. Yes, forever!”
She starts to laugh again, but this time it grows and rings out to levels that shake the very foundation of the house. Raven morphs back into a flock of birds and flies out the window.
Our mouths return as soon as Raven flies away. It’s a few minutes later and I force the team to see to their health before we open the box of crazy that’s just been delivered to us. Diana sees to everyone’s wounds, and Randy talks Key out of flying out the window and taking off after Raven.
“I know this is normally Randy’s line, but can someone please explain to me what just happened?” Easton says.
“It’s simple: Pryor tried to kill my sister instead of getting her the help that she needed,” Key accuses.
“I didn’t know she had an alter ego,” I remind her.
“That’s exactly my point. How dare you go off and try to take someone’s life without asking any questions.”
“Key, I saw the same Replay Pryor saw. I would come to the same conclusion,” Diana says.
“I don’t care! Pry has known Swoop all her life. She should have known that something was wrong and that Swoop would never do such a hideous thing. You could have helped her, Pry. Instead you didn’t even give her a chance to speak. You attacked her without any reason at all!”
“Killing my damn brother was good enough reason for me.”
“This has nothing to do with your brother and everything to do with your undying love for Silver. It’s like he has complete control over you. It doesn’t matter what Swoop said or any of us, for that matter. Silver waltzes in here after being gone for over six months and all of a sudden you turn our whole fucking world inside out.”
“I didn’t create Raven. I am trying to fix a problem that your sister has.”
“The problem that my sister has is the same one East and I have: We are being led by an emotional, lovelorn little girl who doesn’t have a mind of her own and who makes decisions based on her emotions rather than facts.”
“It is my job to protect this team. I came here to eliminate a danger that was facing my team.”
“Bullshit! You let your emotions cloud everything. When it’s not your emotions for Sam, it’s Silver. There’s always something driving you. You’re a weak, emotional wreck, and you’re going to get the rest of us killed someday.”
“I know that you’re angry about Swoop, but you will not stand there and talk like that,” I warn.
“I am so sick of waiting for you to grow up. You can’t keep leading this team based on your emotions. You can’t just stand here and play judge and jury.”
“JUDGE AND JURY IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE IS!” Aaden spits.
“Seriously?” Key replies.
“It was hard as hell for Pryor to watch the Replay. It was hard for all of us. I knew about this for six months and I held back because I wanted to make sure it was true. No one here wants anything bad to happen to Swoop.”
“Whatever, you don’t care about her. You only care about yourself.”
“Key, I get you’re in pain right now, but you really need to back off!” Aaden warns.
“OR WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? SLEEP WITH ME? THAT SEEMS TO BE YOUR GO-TO MOVE.”
“Keyohmi!” I shout.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was I out of line? I must admit I’m not all too clear on the rules of this team anymore. So killing one of our own—acceptable. Raising our voices is not.”
“Key, please stop,” East begs.
“Does this upset everyone? Well, you know what upsets me?” she asks.
She doesn’t wait for us to reply.
“WATCHING PRYOR PUT A FUCKING STAKE THROUGH MY SISTER!”
Key tackles me and throws me to the ground. She opens her eyes and the red beam she’s infamous for begins to emerge. She is about to reduce me to drops of blood. I order the team to stay back as I quickly jerk her face so that the red beam is redirected at the wall. It explodes and sends a large chunk of the house into the street.
“WHAT THE HELL?” someone says, coming towards us from the opening in the wall as I get on my feet.
“Bex! You have to help me. It’s Swoop; she’s in danger,” Key says as she runs to her ex and embraces him. I can feel Randy’s hurt and resentment from across the room.
“What’s going on? Where’s Swoop, and why aren’t you guys out looking for her if she’s in danger?” Bex asks as he enters what’s left of the house.
Easton explains everything that has happened, and Bex listens quietly. Meanwhile, Randy shoots daggers at Bex with his eyes.
“So Raven is actually the alter ego of Swoop?” Bex says.
“Yes, but she’s not responsible for her actions. Pryor had no right to attack her,” Key replies.
“Key, hurting or not, you are two seconds away from losing all your powers if you don’t watch how you talk to me,” I remind her.
“I didn’t know all of this was happening. I didn’t—Pry, why didn’t your necklace go off? It should have warned me you were in danger,” Bex says.
“I took it off,” I reply.
“Oh,” Bex says, unable to hide his disappointment.
“I know how busy you are nowadays, so…I didn’t want to bother you,” I reply lamely.
Also I kind of slept with your brother and I don’t really deserve your help…
“Is Raven really that nuts?” Bex asks as he notices Silver for the first time.
“Oh, she’s in Norman Bates territory,” East replies.
“Who’s that?” Bex asks.
“Never mind. The point is that chick is crazy and has way too much power. She took our lips away! Am I the only one who noticed that?” East pushes.
“Easton’s right, her powers are really impressive,” Diana replies.
“So you just happened to wander by here?” Randy asks Bex.
“What? No. I had some Paras in the area and I asked them to check on the team.”
“The funny thing is, Bex, this isn’t your team anymore,” Randy retorts.
“What’s your problem?” Bex asks.
“Me, nothing. I’m just a lowly human. What problems could I possibly have, right, Key?”
“I can’t believe you, Randy! My sister is trapped inside a sadistic alter ego, I am about to lose her, and all you care about is some macho male bullshit?” Key counters.
“Randy, relax. I’m not here to get in the way. I’m only trying to help,” Bex promises him.
“Oh, good. Where would we be without you to rescue us?” Randy adds.
“Okay, everyone please just stay calm. We need to figure this out,” I remind them.
“Oh, so now you want to be calm? Whatever. Bex, please, help me save Swoop,” Key says.
“Why are you turning to Bex as if he runs this team?” I ask her.
“I’m turning to Bex because he knows how to do something you don’t—lead.”
“Key, you are really pushing it with me,” I warn again.
&n
bsp; “You think I care? You tried to end my twin’s life.”
“I did what I had to do. I watched Swoop take Sam’s life!”
“No! You watched Raven do it and you placed the blame on Swoop. You never even gave her a chance to explain herself. You used your power and your position on this team to exact vengeance on someone who didn’t deserve it. And I swear to Omnis, if my twin dies, it’ll be all your fault!”
“Key, don’t say that,” Randy warns.
“I mean it. I’ll do it. You let my sister die inside that crazy Raven bitch and I will make it my mission in life to take away everything you love. I will fly out of here and go straight to Malakaro; together we will destroy you.”
Chapter Twelve:
Play Fair
Everyone in the room is taken aback by Key’s threat. They study the two of us, not sure what my reaction will be. The room fills with tension, anxiety, and silence. I calmly walk up to the twin. She glares at me but doesn’t move. The other team members look on as the surreal moment plays out. I lean in so close there is no space between our faces. My wings remain absolutely still as I address her.
“I know that you’re in pain and maybe that pain is clouding your judgment, so let me clear this up for you. You ever threaten me again, I will hurt you in ways that will make what they did to me at the Center seem like a day at the spa. Am I understood?”
She stays silent.
“You want to destroy me? You’re the child of a Guardian; what are you waiting for? Grow a set and come at me. But you better be damn sure you can kill me because I know for a fact I can end you with no more effort than it takes to down a glass of Coy,” I spit.
She glares at me but remains quiet. I look deep into her eyes and address her in a deadly tone.
“If you want to leave the team, you are free to do so,” I inform her as I step aside and allow her room to leave if she so chooses. She doesn’t head for the exit. She stands still and never breaks eye contact.
“You choose to stay here? Okay, fine, but if you can’t stop your tongue from making threats, I will rip it out of you and talk to it myself. Got it?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“Good, because the very next time you say anything that resembles insubordination, Noru, you better make sure you are good with death because you will be seeing her shortly after.”
We place two calls right away. The first call is to a friend of my grandfather, who comes over and reconstructs the house back to its original state. The second call we make is to Ambi, a Healer who has studied alter egos extensively. Ambi has helped the twins’ mom, Miku, with her alter ego Redd. Ambi is a Quo in her late fifties, has brown eyes and a fashionable layered haircut. She sits in the newly recreated living room and we bombard her with questions.
“I can only answer one question at a time, and again, I’m answering to the best of my ability. Alter egos are rare in the angel world. Redd is the first one in recent memory. Well, that is until now,” Ambi says.
“So you’re saying Raven is definitely Swoop’s alter ego?” I ask.
“It would seem so,” Ambi replies.
“Damn it! I should have seen that coming—an alter ego. That’s perfect! And now we have to fight to save her from her bad side,” Randy says to himself.
“It’s one thing to have an alter ego, but Raven was a lunatic. She was ranting to someone who wasn’t even there,” East says.
“Is it possible that Raven somehow can communicate with your mom?” Diana asks.
“There is no contact with the angels in the light unless it’s by messenger birds. And even if she could talk to our mom, I don’t think that’s who Raven is after. I think she thought she was talking to Redd,” Key says.
“I’m inclined to agree with Keyohmi. I have studied Redd for years, and the erratic behavior Raven has shown is more in keeping with Redd,” Ambi adds.
“She even had red feathers throughout her wings. It’s obvious she’s more Redd’s kid than Miku’s,” Diana replies.
“So Raven is talking to Redd in her mind?” I ask.
“From what you told me, yes. She is just as irrational as Redd was.”
“Ambi, how is it that Swoop was hurt but Raven emerged in perfect health?” Randy asks.
“They are drawing from different power sources. If Swoop is good, then she’s drawing from a certain part of her soul. Raven, on the other hand, is feeding from a darker force. Think of it this way—the soul is split. You can drain from one part of it and the other part will remain intact,” Ambi informs us.
“So if we take out Raven, we would still be able to save Swoop?” Key asks.
“In theory, but Raven will be getting stronger with every passing day. Once she is strong enough, she will be able to drain whatever life force is left in Swoop,” Ambi says sadly.
“Do you think Swoop was ever aware of Raven?” Aaden asks.
“Highly unlikely,” Ambi replies.
“But Raven was aware of Swoop, why wouldn’t it work the other way around?” I ask.
“Swoop would have told someone if she felt a darkness in her,” Key says.
“So as of now we are saying Raven is more Redd’s evil daughter than she is Miku’s. And that she has taken over and will soon drain the life out of Swoop?” Randy asks.
“I believe so, yes.”
“Ambi, what did you do to help my mom get rid of Redd? Is it something we can use again to kill Raven and not harm Swoop?” Key pleads.
“Your mom did a great job at keeping Redd at bay, and we created a simple yet strong mixture for her. However, in this case, Raven has already taken hold of Swoop. It’s too late to make the same kind of mixture.”
“Then what do we do? How do we destroy Raven and save Swoop?” I ask.
“You are going to need the petal from a rare flower called Midnight Kiss,” Ambi says.
“That must be the flower Raven was talking about. The one she is sure we won’t be able to get,” Aaden says.
“She’s right. Getting your hands on the Midnight Kiss flower isn’t realistic. In fact, it’s all but impossible.”
“Why?” I push.
“Because a Midnight Kiss flower has ‘give’ roots,” Ambi says.
Diana and Key look at each other and exchange a look of alarm. Since they are both Healers, I’m guessing they are familiar with “give” roots. Judging by their reaction, I’m not going to like what is said next.
“I’ll ask on Randy’s behalf because he really hates this part. So, what the hell are give roots and why would it be hard to pull a flower from them?” Easton says.
“Give roots are just that; they are roots that will not surrender their flowers without getting something in return,” Key says miserably.
“That’s crazy! We just rip that sucker out of the ground,” East says.
“NEVER RIP A GIVE-ROOTED FLOWER FROM THE GROUND!” all the Healers in the room say at the same time.
“Um…okay, sorry. What’s the big deal?” East asks.
“Give roots are connected to everything that grows from the ground. You rip out a flower that has give roots and large sections of earth begin to die. This means nothing to us, but for the humans, it means mass famine in different parts of the world. You have to respect a give root and give it what it asks. Or don’t touch it,” Key says.
“However, if you give it what it asks for, it will literally send the flower floating in the air towards you,” Diana says.
“Okay, so what does the root of the Midnight Kiss flower want in exchange?” I ask.
“It depends on the season. I have no idea what it requires right now. However, I should warn you that whatever it asks for in return for the flower you seek, it will be something you hate to give up,” Ambi says.
“So what, we just write a letter saying ‘Dear Root, we love the flower you are growing. Can you please give it to us in exchange for the new iPhone?’” East says.
“No, you place your hand on the ground and the root will pr
oject an image of what it wants from you. You will then place that in the ground and the Midnight Kiss flower will pluck itself from the root and come into your hand. Then a whole new flower will bloom in its place, instantly,” Diana says.
“What kind of stuff does it usually ask for?” East says.
“It may ask for you to sing a song to it or for the blood of your enemy, it could be anything,” Ambi says.
“And once we get this flower, what then?” I ask.
“Then I will create a powder from the flower. You and your team will need to get close enough to Raven to blow the powder in her face. This will drain her of her powers. She will die and Swoop will come back to us,” Ambi concludes.
“Are you sure the flower will work?” I ask.
“The Midnight Kiss flower is the only one that can destroy part of a soul and leave the other part intact. It’s the only weakness there is for an alter ego,” Ambi says.
“Where can we find it?” I demand.
“It’s a very powerful flower, and demons are always on the hunt for the location of the field where it grows. So centuries ago, the location was cloaked. Only one being could know the location,” Ambi says.
“And who would that be?” I ask.
“The one who rules the world of Paras,” she replies, looking over at Bex.
“You know the location of the flower we need?”
“Yes, Pry, I do.”
“Okay, so let’s go get it,” I reply.
“The give root isn’t safe. It can demand dark, cruel things from you or anyone who seeks out its flower. It’s not safe.”
“I have to agree with the Kon. The give root is best left alone,” Ambi says.
“Is there another way to save Swoop?” I ask.
“No,” Ambi replies.
“Then why is this even a debate? Bex, where is the Midnight Kiss?” I ask again.
“It’s somewhere far from here, and we did that for a reason. Pry, it’s not safe,” he says again.
“So you’re okay with my sister’s death?” Key asks.
“Key, you know I’m not. I’m just trying to keep all of you from getting into something you won’t be able to get out of,” Bex reasons.
