She understood, and it surprised him to see her smiling. “EJ’s a demon, too, but what happened with him wasn’t his fault. His brother took over his mind and made him do that.”
“Trey?” he asked. “But, I thought he was your friend.”
Her tone grew bitter. “Yeah, so did I. But he’s been after me for centuries. He’s the one who killed my father while he was protecting Mom, who was pregnant with me.”
“That storm in Atlanta, right before Christmas…It came out of nowhere, then faded so fast…” He looked up at Mickala, his eyes wide. “That was the same day Victor died, and you had your accident.”
“I caused it,” she said, her eyes closing, and her hands clenched into fists at the memory of her carelessness. “It was my fault, but the gods know, I never meant it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give back damage, the pain I caused.” He couldn’t believe it when he saw tears in her eyes, and he quickly asked what happened. “Aiden had a half-brother, Xiden, and someone paid him to kill Aiden and me.”
“By who?”
She shook her head almost angrily. “That I don’t know for certain. I killed him before I could get that piece of information, but we’re almost certain it was Trey. It started when I was at school, and he killed Victor before I got home. I lost my control, and that’s how the storm happened. The shock wave of my attack hit me, and I went through a few walls. That’s how I got hurt so badly.”
Travis frowned, thinking of something, and Mickala smiled at how quickly he was picking up on everything. It was one thing she loved about him. He was no stupid human. “That last week you were in Miami. You weren’t really sick, were you?”
She shook her head, then explained about Valez, how Trey had sent him to kill her. He couldn’t believe it when she told him how Valez, on more than one occasion, had actually succeeded. That led into another conversation about her ability to have been reborn. Travis shook his head, more than amazed at this world he’d unknowingly married into. “Well, that explains why Michelle threw your mattress away and had another one rush delivered.”
Mickala laughed. “Yeah, that one went through a hell of a week.”
“But what about EJ? He was really there, right?”
“Yes. He came just a couple of days after Valez after he put the others to sleep, including you, then blocked me from my powers. He damn near killed me again, but I got through his shield and reached Aiden. As soon as Trey thought I was dead, he lifted the Compulsion, thinking Mom, Ian and Aiden would kill him before they found out the truth. Needless to say, that’s not how it happened. Aiden found out the truth, that EJ wasn’t to blame.” She laughed. “He’s been living at the house ever since school started back in August. It worried Aiden, once Trey revealed his true self, he would try to kill him.”
“Wait, wait. So, your ex-boyfriend is living with you, who tried to kill you twice, even though it wasn’t his fault, and your current boyfriend is okay with it?” Travis asked, an eyebrow raising.
Mickala grinned. “It was actually Aiden’s idea. He felt like EJ had already had to spend time in prison for something that wasn’t his fault. He shouldn’t have to die, too. EJ moved into the apartment Victor had over the garage. He and Aiden have actually gotten really close, and Aiden stayed with him while I was in a coma.”
“Why haven’t I seen him, then?”
Mickala’s own eyebrow went up. “Before we figured out the truth, you were ready to blast him with a shotgun in Miami, remember? He stayed well away whenever you were coming. I mean, it wasn’t exactly like we could have told you the truth then.”
Travis grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess you have a point.” Mickala just laughed. “So, basically, my wife is an alien demon queen, my daughter is an alien demon princess, both of whom turn into wolves. Said daughter’s boyfriend is a demon fox, and daughter’s best friends are a character out of Lord of the Rings, a fucking dragon, and the guy who tried to kill her?”
“Basically.”
* * *
He laughed suddenly. “I feel like I’m trapped in one of those fantasy books your mother likes to read so much.”
Mickala took his hand. “Nothing’s really changed, Travis. We’re the same wife and daughter you’ve known for years. It just depends on how your view of us has changed considering you’ve gotten additional information. Mother is really hoping it hasn’t. She loves you, you know.”
“Where is she?”
“Out in the hallway, eavesdropping,” she said.
Travis gave a low laugh. “Michelle?”
Mickala’s mother stuck her head sheepishly through the door, then glared at her daughter. “Traitor,” she said before grinning.
Michelle stood at the door, looking uncertain, but her face lit up as Travis held out a bandaged hand. “What I feel for you hasn’t changed, Michelle.” He smiled suddenly. “I’ve always thought you were out of this world, so it’s nice to know I was right.”
Michelle looked at her daughter. “Is he safe to hug now?”
Mickala smiled at the relief on her face. “Quite safe, I promise.” Her smiled widened as she watched them embrace, Michelle’s head buried in his shoulder, and he gently stroked her hair. “I always knew I liked you, Travis.” She got to her feet. “I’m going to get some rest before I head home. Just for a few hours.”
“Of course, dear. Take all the time you need,” Michelle said, hugging her tightly. Thank you.
Mickala squeezed her hands in reply, then bent and kissed Travis’ cheek. “I love you, Travis. No more trying to play chicken with a big rig, okay? They’ll win every time.”
He grinned. “I promise.” He took her hand and clung to it. “You gave me my life back. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem to be anywhere near enough.”
“We’d miss you,” she said simply.
It didn’t take her long to pull the motorcycle into Michelle and Travis’ driveway. She let herself in, then called Aiden, raiding their fridge. “Hey, sorry I’m just now calling you, but I didn’t have time to when I first got here.” He asked how Travis was. “He’s going to be just fine. Better than ever, actually.”
“Good, and what do you mean?”
“Mom wanted me to tell him the truth, and he actually took it quite well. He was remarkably calm, then just asked a few questions. Well, a lot of questions, but he and Mom were hugging and kissing when I left. I’m just going to sleep for a few hours, then I’ll head home. I should be there sometime in the morning.”
“All right. Be careful, and I’ll see you when you get back. Love you,” he said with a laugh.
“I love you, too,” she said, then hung up. As soon as she laid on her bed, she was unconscious.
As the sun sank below the horizon, she woke up, then called Michelle to let her know she was going home. “Good. They’re going to discharge Travis in the morning.”
“Good. No shock yet?”
Michelle laughed. “No. Just a lot of questions.”
“I thought as much. Tell him I love him, and I’ll see you guys in a couple of weeks for graduation.” She hung up with Michelle, then called Aiden before fixing a couple of sandwiches and grabbing a bottle of water. This time, she stuck to the speed limit until she crossed the Florida/Georgia line.
It was after three in the morning before she finally pulled in her driveway, and Aiden met her in the garage. He caught her in a rough embrace. “How are you?”
“Exhausted,” she said, then smiled. “But, it was worth it. Travis is going home later today.”
“And he’s really okay with what we all are?”
She nodded, then laughed. “He’s the human you thought I was.”
“Come on, and let’s go to bed,” he said, taking her hand.
As soon as she took a shower, she dove under the covers, and before Aiden could even really get settled, she was already asleep. The next morning, she told Ian and Nehela about Travis knowing the truth about them when they asked how he was doing. She looked at EJ and grinned. “And he sa
id he’ll see you next time he’s here.”
Twenty Three
Graduation…Again
Two days after getting back, she had an appointment with Healer Jones, and she bent all the way back, placing her hands flat on the floor, then she straightened and bent forward, her legs together, her hands on the floor again. Each movement was effortless, flowing. Her grin matched the Healer. “All right, Princess,” he said a few minutes later, looking at her X-rays. “There’s been no pain, no pulling or anything?”
She shook her head. “Only a slight ache when it rains,” she replied. “And popping a couple Tylenol will usually take care of that.”
He nodded thoughtfully, then grinned. “You have my permission to burn the brace.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. Just, if you experience any pain unexpectedly, come back, but I don’t see why you should.”
“I can go back to performing?” she asked, bouncing on her toes.
“You have my all clear, your Highness,” he said.
She kissed his cheek enthusiastically. “Thank you so much, Healer Jones.”
He smiled, giving her a low, formal bow. “You’re most welcome, your Highness.”
She raced home, eager to tell the others, but there was a note on the counter, saying they’d gone to the city, but they would be back later that afternoon. There was a new message blinking on the phone, and she hit the play button as she started getting something together for lunch.
“Hello. My name is Malik Stone, and I’m a representative from Warner Records. I’m trying to reach Chad and Philip Knight, Ian Storm, Aiden Miller, or Mickala Clarkson. We’d be very interested in talking with you. If you’ll just give me a call back, I’d appreciate it.” He left a number with a New York area code, then the message went off.
* * *
She stood frozen for several seconds, her eyes wide, the knife still half in the mayonnaise jar. As soon as she could bring herself to move, the knife clattered to the counter, and she snatched up her cell phone and called the number back. The same voice from the message answered on the second ring. “Um, hi. Mr. Stone? This is Mickala Clarkson, and I just got your message.”
“Oh, yes. It’s great to hear from you so quickly,” Malik Stone replied.
“What can we do for you?” she asked.
“We understand you would more than likely have won the band competition if you hadn’t injured yourself in that accident,” he said.
“Well, we like to think we would have,” Mickala said with a shrug. ‘We’re hoping they invite us back this year.”
“Oh, I know they will, but I was actually hoping you might would be willing to meet with my boss in New York to discuss possibly becoming a member of our music family.”
Her mouth dropped. “You mean, the same label as Disturbed, Linkin Park, and Avenged Sevenfold?” she asked, her heart feeling as if it was going to fly out of her chest. “Of course we would. Just tell us when.”
He laughed. “It’ll be about two or three weeks. I’ll call you back in a couple of days to give you the travel details.” She heard the smile in his voice.
They said their goodbyes, then hung up. She stared at the phone in her hand, then began jumping up and down, yelling in excitement. Kira and Ash watched her from the living room, and she could see their amusement. Also, the hope she would drop something in said excitement. By the time the others had gotten back, she was already working on dinner, whistling as she cooked, and she asked Chad if he could play the message on the machine.
“Yeah, sure,” he said, and she cocked her head at the dead silence that fell over the house as the message played. Chad came running in. “That was Warner Records!! They want to talk to us!!” He began looking around crazily, flipping pillows and cushions. “Where’s the damn phone?”
Mickala laughed. “Calm down, killer. I’ve already called them. Mr. Stone is going to call us back in a couple of days to let us know when we’re flying in New York, because they want to talk about maybe signing us.”
She grinned as they let complete pandemonium loose. Chad and Philip couldn’t believe it, and they caught even Ian and Aiden up in their excitement. Aiden stopped and looked at her. ‘Wait, what about you?” Aiden asked. “Will you be okay by then?”
She grinned, then laughed, raising the hem of her shirt to reveal her bare skin. “Healer Jones said I could burn the brace. I’m good. He gave me the all clear to perform again.”
Chad and Philip did a double fist bump. “Yes!” they exclaimed in unison as Aiden picked her up and swung her around, laughing, then kissed her hard when he set her on her feet.
“Man, we’ve got so much work to do,” Chad said, sitting down and thinking. “We’ve got to get some new music-.”
Mickala pointed her mixing spoon at him. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve got all that well under control. We just have to get back into the studio. I mean, we’ve got graduation in a couple of weeks, but after that, we’ve got all the time in the world.”
“Where’s EJ? Have you told him yet?” Ian asked.
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him today. I think he’s got a new girlfriend or something, and he doesn’t want me to find out,” she said with a grin. “He’s probably afraid I’ll scare her away.
* * *
Their last couple of weeks flew by, and Mickala and Aiden had to take their end of the year exams, because they’d missed so much school because of Xiden, but they knew they’d aced them. They had both graduated so many times before, but this time, it felt different, more final. The ceremony was at seven, and they began getting ready for it around five so they could be at the school at six.
The actual ceremony seemed to take forever, and Mickala and Aiden, as valedictorian and salutatorian, had to give the typical speeches. Finally, the handing out of the diplomas started, and Mickala got hers first, then the brothers, Aiden, Ian, and finally, Nehela’s name was next to last on the list. As the last person got to their seat, they were all called to stand, and they turned their tassels. Their principal introduced them as the class of 2021, and hundreds of hats flew up into the air and rained down to tremendous applause that shook the windows of the school building next to them.
They all found their hats, then turned in their gowns for their actual diplomas. Ian stared at the small piece of paper, his eyes narrowed. “You mean, I went through all that hell…for this?”
Mickala laughed quietly. “And to think, you only suffered through one year. Imagine if you’d gone through all four of them.”
He gave a very real shudder. “The building wouldn’t be standing,” he said, and they all laughed.
Travis and Michelle same up to them, but it was the woman behind them who made Aiden’s mouth dropped, and he hugged Alex Miller tightly. “I didn’t think you could make it,” he said.
She smiled, laying a hand on his cheek. “Did you really think I would miss this for anything?” she asked. Aiden introduced her to Nehela, Ian, Chad and Philip, and she greeted them all warmly before looking up at her adopted son with a smile. “I see you finally found where you belong.”
He grinned, his arm firmly around Mickala’s waist. “Without a doubt.”
EJ looked at Travis uncertainly, but the newly aware human just laughed, holding his hand out. “If Mika’s good, I’m good,” he said, and EJ grinned, taking it.
They all stood around talking for a few minutes, then someone said something about a party, and they all took off across the football field after giving hugs and saying goodbye. Michelle and Alex smiled at each other. “I think one of the best things we’ve ever done is get them together,” Alex said.
Michelle smiled. “I think you’re right. Aiden completes Mickala in a way I never thought possible, especially after Victor died.” She shook her head. “If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think she would’ve been able to pull herself out of that coma.”
Alex smiled, watching as her adopted demon son tossed his hat high in the air, then d
id a couple of back handsprings into a backward somersault, landed, then caught it. Almost instantly, Chad and Philip took him down in a play fight, and even Ian jumped in on it. “I can say the same for Mickala, though. Aiden’s always been so quiet and reserved, almost aloof, but Mickala’s brought out this whole other side to him, and I’ve never seen him act so silly, so carefree. Meeting your daughter was one of the best things to ever happen to him. She encourages his music, and that’s something he’s always had a passion for, and she’s been a friend when he needed it the most.”
All three adults laughed as they watched the six friends chasing each other around, holding the caps onto their heads. “You know what, though?” Michelle said. “I have a feeling we might end up being in-laws before too much longer.”
Alex grinned. “I think you might be right, and I couldn’t be any happier.”
* * *
Mickala and the others ended up a couple of parties, then without even really planning on it, everyone seemed to end up at her house. They really went to town, the music blaring, the bar open, and all three levels were packed, people playing pool in the basement, dancing in the living room and den, and several were even jumping into the pool. Mickala made the most out of not having to wear her brace anymore.
She had changed into a bright teal mini dress, exposing every inch of her long legs and setting off her deep tan. She caught the intense look in his green eyes, and when everyone began clearing out, or passing out, around sunrise, they continued their own little party in their room.
The next afternoon, Malik Stone called back. “I apologize for the wait, Miss. Clarkson,” he said after they greeted each other. “It took a little longer than we thought to get the arrangements made.”
“That’s fine, Mr. Stone. We’re ready whenever you are,” she said, putting her phone on speaker, and the others were leaning in anxiously.
“Good. We’ve got you all on a flight to New York on June 6th. It’s Delta Flight 547 leaving from O’Hara at 12:30 in the afternoon. We’ve also included tickets for Nehela Woodley and EJ Jamison. Mr. Sands informed us after our last phone call that they’re also heavily involved with the group?”
Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II Page 21
