by KT Webb
“I panicked at first. But as I fell I saw Kerr nearly fling himself over the edge after me, and I knew I had to get back to him. Apparently my ability works when I’m falling from skyscrapers too,” Nora told her with a shrug.
“I’m so glad you’re alright. Everything happened so quickly I didn’t have time to react. I wasn’t able to stop Thatcher from hurting Hadley,” Tahlia said sadly.
Nora glanced over at Kerr as he tried to wake Hadley. When she turned to face Tahlia again, she had tears in her eyes. Tahlia knew that Nora and Hadley had become close over the last five years. Losing Whitley had drawn them closer together than simply being two of the Evolved could ever have done.
“She’s waking,” Kerr exclaimed as he leaned over Hadley.
Tahlia came up to them and saw Hadley looking around in a panic. She was terrified and couldn’t speak. Kerr put a hand on her head to calm her. She visibly relaxed as the green light wound around her neck and torso. Tahlia took Hadley’s hand and gently kissed her forehead.
The light slowly dissipated until all that was left were faint bruises around her neck. When she opened her eyes again, the blood vessels were almost healed.
“That’s the most I can do. Her body was badly injured. She’ll need a lot of rest, but she will be alright,” Kerr told Tahlia and Nora, his exhaustion evident
Hadley tried to sit up but grimaced slightly. Nora instructed her to lie down and wait until they were sure she was alright before she took her home. Hadley nodded her head slightly.
Nora went to Thatcher again and called Tahlia over.
“Tahlia, Kerr will stay with Hadley for now. I’m going to take you and Thatcher to Malcolm’s grave. Romulus will join you. I think Thatcher needs to be reminded of the sacrifices people who love him have made. And seeing Romulus alive will show him that he isn’t just like Absalom,” Nora told her.
Tahlia nodded her head. This was a good plan. She needed to show him that, despite his actions, he wasn’t a lost cause. He needed to understand that this was not his nature to act this way.
Nora grabbed Thatcher and Tahlia and transported them to the clearing where Malcolm had been buried. She left them there to wait for Romulus.
Tahlia spoke gently to Thatcher, trying to wake him. He groaned and reached for his head. When he opened his eyes, he saw Tahlia and began to sob.
“I killed them. I killed Romulus. I killed Nora. I killed Hadley. I’m so sorry,” Thatcher choked out in anguish. “Please kill me. I don’t deserve to live.”
Tahlia shook her head and sat down next to Thatcher. She knew he was still dangerous, but she had to show him that she was willing to trust him.
“Hadley did die. But when she died, I was able to use her abilities to repair the damage that was done to her body. Kerr helped her to wake up and healed her more once she regained consciousness. She will be alright,” Tahlia told him.
“But Romulus . . . ” Thatcher began, but stopped short as he saw the large man break through the lilac bushes.
“I’m here, son,” Romulus told him. “I’m alive. You called for Nora when you left me in the alley. She got there in time to bring Kerr to help me.”
Thatcher looked at him in shock. Tahlia could see that the tactics they were using were working. This was the longest she had seen him maintain his usual demeanor since she’d encountered him on the rooftop.
“And Nora?” Thatcher asked with hope breaking through his pained tone.
“How else do you think we got here?” Tahlia asked him. “She transported herself back to the roof as she fell.”
Thatcher was crying in relief. He had hurt his family, but they were going to be alright. Tahlia touched his arm, and he let her instead of reacting in anger.
“We brought you here to remind you that there are people who love you. You are still carrying a lot of grief and anger from losing Malcolm. But you have to understand that it was not your fault. Malcolm chose to sacrifice himself for you because he knew you were to play an important role in the future of the world. Malcolm gave his life for yours because he had hope that you and the other Evolved could stop Absalom,” Tahlia told him.
Thatcher was crying, but he was listening. She could see the darkness in him beginning to leave.
“We’re here because we love you. We all know you weren’t trying to hurt any of us. It is evident that your anger manifested itself in the only way your brain would understand it. Absalom was the source of a lot of pain in your life. He was also the source of a lot of anger. Do you remember why you were able to defeat him?” Tahlia asked gently.
“Love,” Thatcher replied between sobs.
“Yes. Your ability to love is what made it possible for you to overcome the most evil being the world has ever known. Do you understand what happened to you today?” Tahlia asked him.
“One of the Maladies. I knew when I saw him in the shadows. I can’t explain how, but I knew. When he grabbed me, I couldn’t stop the anger from building within me. It was Rage, wasn’t it?” Thatcher asked with more clarity than he had shown yet.
“Yes. You had skin to skin contact with one of the strongest and deadliest of the evils from the golden sphere. He touched you and you became infected. You continued to struggle against the evil infecting you because you are full of love and light,” Tahlia said.
Thatcher took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Tahlia saw the darkness gather in his chest and disappear like smoke. He visibly relaxed then fell into her lap, weeping.
Chapter Thirteen:
Hadley
Hadley lay on the roof staring up at the sky. She had only been awake for a few moments, and everything was still a little blurry.
She remembered Thatcher coming at her with murder in his eyes, but he wasn’t looking at her. She remembered him grabbing her and squeezing her throat. She remembered being desperate for air. Then she remembered white.
She was in the white expanse where she had said goodbye to Whitley. She knew this was death. Hadley had turned at the sound of a voice calling her name. It was Whitley.
“Had! What are you doing here?” Whitley demanded.
“Hi, Whit,” Hadley said quietly.
“What are you doing here?” Whitley demanded again.
“Well . . . ” Hadley began.
“Hadley, what happened?” Whitley asked gently.
“I died,” Hadley replied simply.
“You what?” Whitley asked breathlessly.
“I died. Thatcher, he went crazy. He killed me,” Hadley told her sister.
Whitley looked at her with concern. Hadley was still confused about what had happened to her, and even more confused about why it had happened. She was trying desperately to hold the pain of leaving her family at bay.
“You can’t stay here,” Whitley told her.
Hadley looked at her sister in surprise.
“Where am I supposed to go?” Hadley asked as her voice cracked. “I’m dead, Whitley. My boyfriend got possessed and killed me. My best friend was thrown from a skyscraper. And now I can’t even stay with you?”
Whitley’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s not what I meant, Hadley! I mean you’re not going to die today.”
“Whitley, I kind of already did,” Hadley replied.
She watched in surprise as her sister took a step back and opened her arms.
“Was this part of the plan? Is this what was supposed to happen?” Whitley yelled.
“Whitley, what are you doing?” Hadley asked in shock.
“You’ll see,” Whitley told her.
“Come on! I need to know. Is this part of your plan?” Whitley yelled again.
Hadley felt a rush of wind whirl around them as figures appeared in the white expanse. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. There were other people surrounding them. They looked like Greek gods and goddesses. Their long flowing clothes were white and glowing.
“Hello, Whitley,” said a pleasant woman with long, silvery hair that fell in a straight line down
her back.
“Lida!” Whitley said as she reached out to hug the woman.
“Hello, Hadley,” Lida said with a smile.
“Sorry, who are you?” Hadley asked.
“Oh! These are the other Old Immortals,” Whitley said as though it was no big deal.
“You mean the dead ones?” Hadley asked bluntly.
A chorus of laughter surrounded her as the Old Immortals found humor in her statement. She looked around at each of them, unsure of what was really going on.
“We never truly died, we only faded away as our descendants were murdered,” said a short, portly man with fair skin and white blond hair.
“You know, Had, cloud of witnesses and all that?” Whitley said as she elbowed her sister.
“Alright, but what are you doing here?” Hadley asked.
“This is our home. We are here, just waiting for the time when we are needed again,” the man replied.
“Okay. But why are you here now? I don’t mean to be rude, but if I’m dead I’d rather just hang out with my sister,” Hadley said in a snarky tone.
“Hadley, we’re here because you need us,” the man told her.
“Who are you?” Hadley asked.
“I am Marcellus.” He smiled at her.
“Alright, Marcellus. How can you help me?” Hadley asked.
“You’re not supposed to die today,” said another one of the women. She had a kind face with wide-set, narrow eyes and short black hair.
“This is Charis,” Whitley told Hadley.
“Okay, Charis, if I’m not supposed to die, then what am I doing here?” Hadley asked.
“The Maladies,” replied Charis.
Hadley was beyond confused. She was starting to get frustrated. If she wasn’t supposed to be dead, she shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t have been choked to death by the man she loved. If there was anything she had learned so far, it was that no one could be brought back from the dead. She had been trying to find ways to resurrect Whitley and had found nothing but huge brick walls blocking her from any answers. Whether she was supposed to be or not, she was dead.
“I know what you’re thinking, Hadley. That this is impossible and we aren’t going to be able to change anything. If we’ve learned anything through the years, it’s that there are rules that can’t be broken; but those rules can change at any moment,” said a man with white hair and chocolate-colored skin.
Hadley stared at him dumbfounded.
“I’m Lucien, by the way,” he told her with a kind smile.
“Hadley, you can’t stay here. You weren’t supposed to die today, and they’re going to help send you back,” Whitley told her.
“Even now your mother is using your abilities to knit the broken links in your body back together. You don’t have much time left here if you want to say goodbye to your sister,” the final Old Immortal told her gently. He looked as though he had been out in the sun his entire life, with a golden tan and a dusting of blond highlights in his brown hair.
“That’s Rance,” Whitley whispered as she pulled her sister in for a hug.
“Whit, I’m tired of having to say goodbye to you. Every time I dream of you, it hurts just as much as the day you left,” Hadley told her sister as she squeezed her tightly.
“I know,” Whitley replied just before she disappeared.
Hadley had opened her eyes on the rooftop, feeling disoriented. She was looking up at a bright blue sky, while lying on a hard cement roof. Kerr had told her to relax and wait for Nora to come back for them.
“Kerr, can we go yet? It’s been a long day. I want to get home,” Hadley said in a voice that was barely a whisper.
“Of course. Let me call Nora and see if we’re safe to come home now,” Kerr replied gently.
Soon, Nora appeared on the rooftop. She looked distraught, but appeared relieved to find Hadley breathing and awake. Hadley gave her a small smile when Nora came over and took her hand.
“Tahlia is helping Thatcher. We think he will be alright. Are you ready to go home?” Nora asked her.
Hadley nodded her head gingerly, and soon found herself lying on the couch in the library.
Chapter Fourteen:
Dorian
To say a lot had happened since he woke up that morning would have been the understatement of the century. Tahlia and Romulus had managed to talk Thatcher back from the edge, literally and figuratively. He was still beating himself up about what had happened. He still wasn’t able to talk to Hadley.
After Nora and Kerr returned, they whisked Keira off to open her presents. It hadn’t been the birthday they imagined for her, but little Keira took it all in stride. She was very helpful through the entire day. Her birthday had been severely disrupted, but she spent the day helping her family without complaining once.
Dorian found himself sitting in the library with Romulus and Tahlia. They stared in different directions in silence. Hadley had shared her experience with them when she returned home. The Virtues were hit hard by the idea that their brothers and sisters were still there watching and waiting for a time when they would be needed. It showed them that the Creator had not forgotten them, and it renewed their belief in what they had been called to do.
“So they’ve been here all along, just waiting,” Tahlia said in awe.
“Now we know we have a reunion to look forward to when our time on Earth is done,” Romulus replied.
Dorian nodded his head, but continued to stare at the bookshelf in silence. He was pleased to know they were all still in existence, but he didn’t know if it was better for him to know they were there somewhere, or for him to think they were gone forever. Dorian closed his eyes and sighed.
“What’s troubling you, brother?” Romulus asked with a hint of concern.
“I just don’t know what we are expected to do next. Every minute of our lives since the day we were given the prophecies had been so focused on finding and protecting the Evolved, that in the days since Thatcher defeated Absalom I have felt as though my life has no direction,” Dorian told them.
“Don’t think like that, Dorian. Our lives have always been and will always be dedicated to the mission we were given by the Creator. If we are still here, our mission isn’t over,” Tahlia told him.
“That I know, I just wish we had more direction. I long for the days when the Creator would summon us,” Dorian replied.
“Those days were meant to end. We know that through it all, we were meant to come to this moment. If Pandora had not released the Maladies, we would not have Tahlia in our lives. We wouldn’t have left Greece when we did, which would mean we wouldn’t have moved to Central America. If we hadn’t moved to Central America, we wouldn’t have mated with human women, and we wouldn’t have any descendants to defeat Absalom,” Romulus told him firmly.
Dorian knew he was right. Without all of those events, they could be living in a very different world. If Absalom hadn’t killed them all. After the Maladies were released, the Old Immortals decided to take their leave of Greece. Absalom wasn’t allowed to accompany them; he had been banished to hell when the Creator learned of his involvement in the Pandora situation. At the time, they were unaware of Silas’ involvement in his plans. The Council moved to Central America because it was largely unpopulated. After the way things went with Pandora, they knew their influence had grown too strong for humans to handle.
“One thing is certain: we may not know what to expect next, but we promised the Creator we would stay the course,” Tahlia told them both.
Dorian and Romulus nodded in agreement. They would never break a promise they made to the Creator. Dorian tried to shake the feelings of uncertainty he had been experiencing and focus instead on what had happened with Rage.
“They’re getting braver,” Dorian said more to himself than the others.
“They are, but the braver they get the more likely it is that we’ll catch them and destroy them,” Romulus replied.
“They can sense that I’m getting we
aker. I’ve been waiting to tell you both, but I have no power of my own left. I put the rest of my ability into Hadley when I brought her back. I believe I am mortal,” Tahlia told them steadily.
“You’re not mortal yet. You are still the hope of the Present Era,” Dorian told her. “You no longer have the abilities gifted to you as an Old Immortal, but you cannot lose the spirit that created you in the first place until the new hope takes your place.”
Tahlia looked surprised. Dorian knew she wasn’t aware of the extent to which he had researched her origin story. Through his research, he discovered that in each era, the spirit of hope would chose a vessel to act as the hope of mankind for that era. Tahlia was the vessel that had been created for the present era. She was the first and only vessel hope had chosen. But, as the Present Era came to an end, a new vessel would be chosen and Tahlia would be completely mortal.
"I think there are pieces missing from the puzzle that makes up our history," Dorian told her.
Romulus and Tahlia nodded in agreement.
"I've found little about where you came from, but I don't believe you were one of the Old Immortals from the beginning. I believe you were brought to us later," Dorian said.
"I don't remember anything," Tahlia replied. "I only remember being with you all, and that you all treated me like a little sister."
"Well, I believe you truly are our little sister. From what I've read and the conversations I've had with Romulus, we've discerned that neither of us can remember much from before you arrived, and the details of your arrival are absent altogether," Dorian told her. "But, I think it's time I share what I've learned and what I've guessed based on the few memories I do have."
Tahlia leaned forward and listened as Romulus and Dorian shared their knowledge and memories regarding her purpose and future.
Chapter Fifteen:
Nora
It had been nearly a month since their experiences on the rooftop in Chicago. Thatcher, Kerr, and Romulus got wind of the whereabouts of Chaos. She was one of the Maladies that usually flew under the radar, but her meddlesome activities had recently caused a lot of trouble in Las Vegas.
