Echo (The Halo Series Book 2)

by Melody Robinette

  “Ah,” Logan muttered, looking sideways at Luna who was frowning deeply. “That was never fully explained to me.”

  “What exactly happens to the people once their souls are locked?” Brielle asked uncertainly.

  Verity’s face drooped slightly at this, her eyes cutting to the ground for a moment before she looked back up. “We…do not know for certain. This is the first time we’ve ever had to lock all the souls of Earth for an extended period.”

  “What if everyone just dies?” Logan blurted.

  “Their souls will be safe. That’s the important thing,” Verity said with a reassuring smile as the Halos’ mouths fell open in disbelief. “I certainly doubt everyone will die. The Light wouldn’t allow that.”

  “He flooded the entire Earth,” Aurora muttered.

  “But he sent a rainbow to promise he’d never do that again,” Brielle reminded her with a bright smile.

  “Yeah, to never flood the Earth again,” Aurora retorted. “He didn’t send anything saying he’d never lock all the souls of the Earth and, in turn, kill all of their Earthly bodies.”

  Verity fixed everyone with a stern look now. “You were created for the sole purpose of saving the lives of all the humans on Earth. Do you honestly think the Light would create you and train you only to do away with all humans?”

  Aurora exchanged a mildly guilty look with the others before she brought the subject back to the task at hand. “So, we’re flying to England tomorrow? Then what? We just wait for the Dominions to come find us?”

  “You’ll be sailing, actually.”

  “Sailing?” Chord interrupted, speaking for the first time. “That will take forever…”

  “These boats are quite a bit faster than planes, I assure you,” Verity said. “And, once you and the other Halos have completed your affairs in London, you will move on to New York.”

  Gray looked up at this. “New York?”

  Verity nodded. “London and New York are the cities to which you’ve been assigned.”

  “Pretty big cities,” Chord muttered.

  “Only the strongest and most advanced Halos were assigned such large cities,” Verity said. “It is an honor.”

  The Halos didn’t look like they felt all that honored at this moment. More like thoroughly confused, overwhelmed, and terrified.

  “Also,” Verity continued. “Know that any time spent on land is at your own risk. Horns are waiting for you. They will be watching you.”

  “Didn’t you say time passed more slowly on the sea?” Aurora asked. “Will it speed back up when we’re on land?”

  “It will.”

  “How will we know when it’s time to lock the city?” Logan asked.

  “The Virtues and Dominions will find you.”

  Chord folded his arms over his chest. “We really need Halo iPhones. hPhones. Something.”

  Verity tilted her head in thought. “Angels typically communicate soundlessly. Though, Halos are unable to do this, so you may be onto something, Chord.” He perked up proudly. “For now, however, you’ll just have to trust us. You have the rest of the day to gather your things and prepare yourselves for your journey. Your boat will leave at 7 pm.”

  Verity stopped Aurora and Gray as everyone moved to leave. Luna’s arm tightened as Gray stopped and turned, her hand falling from his. Luna turned around to see what had severed the tie before a shadow passed over her features.

  Verity looked from Aurora to Gray. “Patrick and Abigail asked that I have you two go to them after this meeting. They have a few last minute words to discuss with you.”

  Gray and Aurora exchanged a wary glance, and Luna’s eyes cut to the ground. Aurora pretended not to notice when Gray kissed the sullen girl on the cheek, ignoring her cold demeanor as he left with Aurora out the door.

  “Just when you think you know everything, they reveal yet another secret,” Aurora murmured as they ambled towards their usual Stellar meeting place.

  “Yeah, well, after spending time with you on Etheria, I’ve grown pretty accustomed to it.”

  Aurora rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I told you way too much on that ship as it is. We can’t all be open books, Grayson.”

  Not like Luna, she thought. But, then again, it seemed Luna was bottling things up more than usual lately.

  “You’re more than a closed book,” Gray said. “You’re like one of those journals the girls in my elementary school had with a lock and a password and a fingerprint scanner.”

  Aurora laughed. “A fingerprint scanner? Was your elementary school in the future?”

  “Could’ve been. After all this,” he waved a hand at the Halo town around them, “it’s entirely possible.”

  “Well, if you went to elementary school in the future, don’t tell me what happens. I like to be surprised.”

  Patrick and Abigail were waiting for them in the small sitting area attached to the training room. Patrick’s face was impassive, but Abigail appeared somewhat morose at the sight of them.

  Patrick stood to greet them. “We are so sorry to hear about your friend’s loss.”

  Gray shook Patrick’s hand, and Aurora moved to sit in the chair across from Abigail, who was now dabbing at her leaking eyes. Crying—even angel crying—made Aurora uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and fixed her gaze on the floor. She figured angels would be more immune to human emotions.

  The silence, save for Abigail’s sniffling, was growing awkward. So, of course, Aurora had to break it. “Are we training today?”

  Patrick shook his head, and Abigail patted at her eyes again. “No,” Patrick said. “We wanted to speak with the two of you, to stress the vital importance of your continued practice. Caducus will fall sooner than you think. His dark followers will begin to grow restless; they will aim to kill as many Halos as possible. Your gift may very well mean the difference between peace and hell on Earth.”

  “Oh, is that all?” Aurora said dryly.

  “What do you want us to do exactly,” Gray asked, ignoring Aurora’s comment, “in regards to practice.”

  Patrick placed a hand over Abigail’s, squeezing. “Tighten your connection. Practice moving objects by making eye contact. That will be your greatest weapon if you can hone those skills.”

  “And communicate with each other,” Abigail added, speaking for the first time. She usually conversed with an airy quality to her voice, but this time her tone was dark and severe. “Don’t block one another out or let your ego get in the way.” She looked at Aurora as she said this. “Trust each other. The bond you share isn’t only beneficial to you. Think of the other Halos. Your friends. Your families. They depend on you two. Don’t let silly, trivial things get in the way of the gift the Light has given you.”

  Gray nodded and Aurora bit her lip, struggling between annoyance at being indirectly scolded and recognizing that Abigail was right. Being a Stellar and a Halo was a rarity, and a power few had. Thoughts of her mom and Danny filled her mind. She had the power to save them. She couldn’t let her past insecurities get in the way of what they had to do.

  A resolute drive blossomed in her chest, overpowering any feeling of wanting to remain furtive and protected from Gray. She didn’t have to share her past with him...but she did need to share her present.

  “We won’t,” Aurora assured Abigail, making Gray look over at her with raised eyebrows.

  They left the room which Aurora had—until recently—grown to dread. Now, she surprised herself by feeling a twang of remorse at having to leave it for however long. Maybe forever.

  The pair of them walked in silence back toward their townhomes to gather and stuff their things in their bags. Aurora’s red and white polka-dot suitcase and Gray’s yellow duffel bag. It felt like yesterday and forever ago that Aurora stood impatiently by the metal luggage carousel in Alaska waiting for their bags. At that point, Gray had only been a handsome stranger who Aurora planned on never seeing again, even if they were boarding the same ship. Now Aurora wondered if sh
e would ever not see him. Was she destined to live always near him and whoever he decided to marry? Maybe Luna? Would Aurora be the annoying next-door-soul-mate who'd come over on occasion to re-strengthen their Stellar powers, or borrow sugar?

  Aurora snorted. Like any of the Halos had that kind of a future ahead of them. They were about to venture back into the real world full of demons and Horns, without the constant protection of angels to fall back on. White picket fences and porch swings didn’t seem forthcoming.

  “What’s so funny?” Gray asked her, and she shot him a bemused look before she realized she’d snorted out loud at her stupid picture of Gray, Luna, and her as neighbors.

  “Oh. Nothing. I was just thinking of our unlikely futures.”

  “Meaning you were picturing a future that was unlikely…or you were thinking it was unlikely that we would even have a future?”

  “Both, I guess,” Aurora admitted, surprising herself with her honesty.

  “That’s optimistic.”

  “You know me,” Aurora said. “Always looking at the bright side of things.”

  It was Gray’s turn to snort. “I guess I can’t judge. I did the same thing not too long ago, making up this whole alternate future for the two of us. Like, if we weren’t ever Halos or important, and we just happened to meet in Central Park or something. Then my imagination ran off with this crazy scenario complete with a dog, a Frisbee, and a wedding.”

  Aurora frowned now, a nervous energy surging uncomfortably just beneath her skin. “You mean yours and Luna's wedding?” she said, looking sideways at Gray.

  His features slowly morphed into a hardened mask, telling Aurora that Luna had not been the person with whom he’d been picturing a future.

  “Yeah,” he said in a reserved voice. “Who else would I be talking about?”

  Fifteen

  LUNA

  Luna fingered the heart-shaped locket around her neck—gifted by her mother long ago, complete with two heart-shaped baby pictures of her and her twin inside—as she watched Logan attempt to fit her belongings back into her bag, which seemed to have shrunk somehow.

  Logan grunted as she pushed the lid of her suitcase down with a stiletto tennis-shoed foot—a look Luna could never even attempt to pull off. “I swear I got this all to fit perfectly before.”

  “Maybe try sitting on it,” Luna suggested dully.

  “I don’t appreciate that.” Logan laughed before looking up at Luna, her amused look changing to one of concern. “What is with you today? You’ve been looking all bummed out lately.”

  “Sevastion’s family was killed. Shouldn’t I look bummed out?”

  Logan shook her head. “No, that’s not it. It was before that. Are you and Gray out of the honeymoon stage already?”

  Mouth sagging at the corners, Luna's eyes moved to her lap. “I just…I don’t know that we’re going to work.”

  “Cause of Aurora?” Logan guessed.

  Luna shrugged in response, hugging a pillow to herself.

  “Dude, I told you that you’re just going to have to deal with her if you want to be with Gray. You knew going into this they were Stellars and that they’d have to spend time together. Aurora even gave you her blessing. When you and Gray are together he’s always holding your hand and kissing your cheek and all that lovey-dovey shit. What more do you want?”

  “He may be kissing my cheek and holding my hand, but his eyes are on her,” Luna muttered bitterly.

  “What did you expect?” Logan groaned as she finally zipped her suitcase closed. She stood and wiped at her brow as if she’d just been fighting a particularly viscous demon rather than an unruly bag of clothes. “They can move things by making eye contact. If I could do that, I’d be looking at my Stellar all the time.”

  Luna fell dramatically back on her bed. “It’s driving me insane.”

  Logan came to sit beside her, looking down at Luna through a black and blue curtain of hair. “Jealousy can do that to a person.”

  “I’m not jealous of Aurora Coel.”

  Logan laughed. “Did you get green-tinted contacts? Cause I could have sworn you had blue eyes when we got here.”

  “What? No, I’ve never worn contacts. What are you talking about?”

  “You’re terrible with metaphors, twin. Green eyes. Jealousy.”

  Luna rolled her non-green eyes. “Just give me a little bit. I’ll get over it. I will.”

  “M’kay. In the meantime, though, I’m going to need help with my bags.”

  Logan and Luna struggled with their luggage down the silver walkway leading to their designated Halo boat. The vessel was nowhere near the size of Etheria, but it was rather substantial for a group of only seven half-angels, larger than some of the most impressive yachts Luna had seen in the waters around Ketchikan. The boat’s curving and swirling pearlescent architecture was reminiscent of the grand ship on which they'd all met a few months prior.

  As the twins approached the boat, Luna spotted Chord, Gray, and Sev milling around the dock with their luggage. Though appearing slightly more reserved than usual, Sev seemed to be doing okay for just having found out that his parents were killed. Luna imagined most of his emotions coursed well beneath the surface, in the inner recesses of his mind.

  Guilt washed over Luna as empathy for Sev’s pain was quickly overshadowed by the trivial feeling of her stomach twisting and flipping when Gray’s eyes met hers, his mouth turning up in a smile. She’d been giving him the cold shoulder since yesterday because of her inability to swallow his relationship with Aurora. But she knew she was going to have to let go of that if she wanted to retain the privilege of looking into those beautiful hazel eyes.

  “Whoa, ladies,” Chord called out. “Do you have a triplet we don’t know about, cause I’m pretty sure your luggage ate her.”

  “It’s mostly Logan’s stuff,” Luna said, shooting her twin an amused glance.

  “You sure pack a lot for a lesbian,” Chord remarked.

  Logan flashed an annoyed glare at him. “And you sure are presumptuous for a queer.”

  “Oh, shut up. You know I’m teasing. Us queers gotta stick together,” Chord said with a small smile before fist bumping Logan.

  Verity appeared shortly after Luna and Logan had arrived, towering over everyone in the group. “All set?”

  “We’re waiting on Brielle and Aurora,” Logan answered. “Brielle is probably still packing, and Aurora is likely sitting alone in her tree until the last possible minute.”

  Verity nodded and invited the Halos to follow her aboard their boat, which she told them was called Echo.

  They entered the elegant common area complete with over-stuffed plum colored couches, bookshelves filled with literature, paintings of starry skies, and golden sculptures of warrior angels. To complete the grandeur of the interior was a grand spiral staircase, which Verity informed them led up to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

  “Look at this freaking kitchen,” Logan called after having disappeared through an archway made of twisted gold and pearl.

  Luna and the others followed after her to find Logan ogling at a floor to ceiling coffee bar situated beside an illuminated glass case full of sugar-glazed pastries.

  Gray ran a hand along the smooth wood of the coffee bar. “Aurora’s going to love this.”

  The familiar sour taste rose in Luna’s mouth as it had each time Gray mentioned or spoke to Aurora. She’d learned to ignore it, attempting to make her face impassive.

  “You’ll find you will never go hungry on this boat,” Verity said with a giggle as Chord opened the refrigerator and gaped at the fully stocked shelves.

  “Sugarclouds!” Logan screeched, lifting the lid of a large silver serving tray on one of the small tables nestled against a window looking out at the side deck.

  Chord moved from the refrigerator to Logan’s side, swiping a sugarcloud off the tray and looking out the window. “And there’s a pool out there. Jeez, we have our own little Etheria. If only there were a wooden
swing set for Aurora.”

  “There is,” Verity said. “Top deck, back of the ship.”

  Chord’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”

  Verity nodded. “This vessel was created specifically for your group of Halos. Each of you has your own sleeping area tailored to your individual tastes and comforts. You have a difficult journey ahead of you. A bit of luxury and comfort is a modest gift in exchange for all you will do for the world.”

  Silence fell over them once again. That was, until Aurora and Brielle showed up.

  “Oh my gosh, y’all!” Brielle exclaimed as she entered the kitchen toting a bag nearly as large as Logan’s. “This place is adorable.”

  “I’m going to go put my stuff in my room,” Chord said, more, Luna figured, because of Brielle’s appearance than anything.

  The others dispersed as well, saying goodbye to Verity as they went.

  “You’re sure you can’t come with us?” Luna asked her timidly.

  Verity granted her a comforting smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I wish I was, Luna. But Michael feels the Halos need to embark upon this journey alone. While we aren’t there physically, know we will always be near spiritually.”

  Luna frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “And you won’t for a long time, I hope. Stay safe, Luna. And don’t let the trivial problems of the world cloud your judgment of what’s truly important,” Verity said with a somber smile as she departed from Echo.

  Luna stood alone in the kitchen long after Verity and the others had gone, thinking about the word trivial. It meant something wasn’t important, that it wasn’t valuable. If Verity was talking about Gray, then she had clearly never been in love. Because, at that moment, Gray was the least trivial thing in Luna’s life.

  Things that made your heart beat faster than a hummingbird’s and your chest lighter than a helium balloon couldn’t be trivial. So Luna wrote off Verity’s words, for she knew no matter what happened in the coming days with demons, Horns, Halos, or angels…when it came to Grayson Cross, she would fight like hell to keep him.