by KT Webb
“Yes, I think we need to call a family meeting right away this morning,” Dorian acquiesced.
Once they had gathered everyone in the library, Dorian nodded to Kerr and Whitley. They were the two who had experienced the memory; it was only right that they be the two who shared it.
Dorian watched his family for reactions as they absorbed the new information. His main concern was for the reaction of Tahlia and Nora. Keira was perched on her mother’s lap, listening intently. Thatcher and Hadley were actually sitting next to each other for the first time in weeks.
“So if the Creator didn’t put me in the sphere as I am, who was I before?” Tahlia asked quietly as she looked at Keira.
“We don’t know. I don’t know if we ever will,” Romulus told her softly.
“Is Keira going to forget everything if she becomes the next vessel?” Nora asked.
Dorian had anticipated this question, but still didn’t have any answers. They didn’t know what would happen when that day came and their days of talking to the Creator face to face were long gone. Kerr crossed to Nora and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“I can’t believe they were fallen angels,” Hadley said softly.
“I had forgotten all about our encounter with them until Kerr and Whitley told us what they saw. Almost as though the memory was there but had been just out of my grasp,” Dorian told them honestly.
“Do you think the Creator would have blocked our memories?” Romulus asked his brother, voicing the question that had been in the back of Dorian’s mind.
Dorian wasn’t sure what reason there would be to block a memory such as that, but the Creator never did anything without reason. There must have been a purpose behind him preventing them from accessing those memories.
“If he did, he had good reason to,” Dorian told his brother.
“They’re talking again,” Whitley told them.
Dorian watched curiously as Whitley tipped her head like a dog hearing a high-pitched sound. He wondered briefly what it would be like to hear their voices again. It had been centuries since he had seen and spoken with some of them, and even longer for others. They had anticipated the loss of the men as their descendants were picked off one by one. But the surprisingly painful moments came as they lost each of the women; they had no descendants, and they had not been targeted by Absalom. They waited for Tahlia to disappear, but she never did. At the time, they assumed that they were all still there because they were the Virtues, but they have since learned there was so much more to her story.
“They were called back by the Creator,” Whitley said when she opened her eyes, staring directly at Dorian.
“Who?” he asked, suddenly confused.
“Charis and Lida. The Creator brought them home so their abilities could be saved. Now the rest of the council has become a collective. They can share their power amongst themselves. They are there to watch out for you and help the Evolved in the coming battles with the Maladies,” Whitley told him.
“You know, cloud of witnesses and all that?” Hadley said smiling at Whitley.
Dorian processed this information as the twins shared an inside joke. It amazed him how many layers there were to the Creators plan. He always had faith in the Creator and his vision for the future of the world. Dorian would never cease to be amazed by the moments when the pieces fell into place.
Chapter Twenty:
Thatcher
The sudden reappearance of Whitley had left Thatcher reeling. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she returned soon after he killed her sister. He shook his head. He couldn’t think of it like that. Hadley had told him numerous times that she didn’t look at it that way, and didn’t hold any anger toward him.
He was happy for Hadley upon the return of her sister, he just didn’t understand it. He had grown accustomed to not being able to comprehend the things that happened in his world, but he never would have dreamed that someone they lost would return. He glanced at Whitley to see her listening to the voices in her head again.
“So you’re like a two-way radio to the rest of the Old Immortals?” Thatcher asked Whitley.
“Something like that,” Whitley replied with a grin. “Now shhhh.”
It must have been strange to suddenly realize she could communicate with people in a completely different plane of existence. He wondered if they could hear her thoughts all the time, or if they only tuned in when she had something to say to them.
He didn’t want to think about someone being inside his mind all the time. Thatcher had been struggling with his own inner demons since the day he was infected by Rage. He was still working through all the anger that surfaced that day. It got better every day, but he still feared that the anger would burn up in him again and make him lash out.
Despite the guilt he felt over what happened with Hadley, he reached over and took her hand. He felt a flood of relief when she gave it a small squeeze in response. Small gestures like this gave him more hope that they would indeed be able to move past that day on the roof. Hadley had tried to reassure him many times, but part of him still held on to the fear and doubt that led him to believe she would never look at him the same way.
He realized with a start that he was tuning out a conversation that he should be paying attention to.
“By the time we got to Vegas, Chaos was long gone,” Romulus was saying.
“So what is the plan when we do finally catch up to one of these jerks?” Hadley asked. “I mean, are we going to kill them?”
“We can’t,” Dorian told her. “Angels—even fallen angels—cannot be killed. There is only one person who can bend their will.”
“The Creator?” Thatcher asked through the momentary silence.
Dorian nodded his head and exchanged a look with the other Virtues. Thatcher suddenly felt extremely overwhelmed; no one had had a conversation with the Creator in hundreds of years. If the Creator was the only one who could stop the Maladies, how could they hope to do anything? As soon as he began to question their ability to put an end to the terrors brought on by the Maladies, he felt his anger swell.
“This is ridiculous. How are we supposed to do anything? We’ve been given this big mission, and we’ve all paid dearly to be members of this exclusive club, but now we can’t even do anything to stop them?” Thatcher stood up.
Shocked by his sudden outburst, the rest of the Evolved, the Virtues, and Keira looked at him for a long moment before anyone spoke.
“I agree with you, Thatcher. It’s unfair. We haven’t been appropriately prepared for many of the challenges we are facing. I’m upset by it too. But none of those feelings change the way I feel about fulfilling my purpose,” Tahlia said in a shaky voice.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just ready to put a stop to all this,” Thatcher told her.
Thatcher thought for a moment—did his frustration change anything? Did the anger that occasionally swelled within him cause him to lose faith? He realized he couldn’t even answer that question. What he really needed was answers, and the only way he was going to get any answers was to talk to the Creator face to face.
“What do we have to do to get an audience with the Creator?” Thatcher asked them.
Everyone stared at him with blank faces.
“We haven’t seen or spoken with the Creator since the night he gave us the prophecies,” Romulus told him patiently.
“I know that, but we have to get some answers from somewhere,” Thatcher told them.
No one seemed to have anything to say, so Thatcher made up his mind. He would leave. He wasn’t going to sit around like a bump on a log waiting for the next attack, or waiting for the next Malady to shove their nose in his business. Thatcher took Hadley’s hand and pulled her up to a standing position. He gestured for her to follow him, before turning to leave the room. Thatcher was relieved to feel her hand slide back into his as he made his way to the store room where they had shared their first kiss.
He turned to face Hadley
, unsure of how she would react to his plan.
“I’m leaving,” he told her.
A mixture of emotions passed over her face. He saw shock replaced by fear, followed by hurt and concern. He waited patiently for her to speak.
“I’m going with you,” she said simply.
“No, you’re not. It’s not safe,” Thatcher told her.
“To hell with safe. I have been patient with you long enough. You can’t shut me out anymore. I love you, Thatcher. You’re stuck with me,” Hadley told him firmly.
Thatcher watched her for a moment, wondering what he could possibly say to counter that argument. Her stubbornness was one of her many endearing qualities.
“I love you too. You know that, don’t you?” Thatcher told her.
Hadley nodded her head and leaned in to kiss him. Thatcher felt his breath catch in his chest. He hadn’t allowed himself to be this close to her since he went nuts. She seemed to register his hesitation, because she stopped and looked directly into his eyes. He felt her fingers trace his jaw line, then run through his hair. He exhaled slowly and let his body relax. Hadley stepped closer to him, pressing her body against his. She gently pulled his face down to meet hers.
He felt her breath on his lips, inviting him to surrender to her kiss. He continued to look into her eyes and saw the passion and desperation burning in them. Thatcher reached down and pulled her body even closer to his as he allowed their lips to meet. She deepened the kiss and he welcomed it fervently.
That kiss became more than a kiss as their souls seemed to merge, healing the hurt between them. Thatcher was so lost in her kiss that he lost all sense of reason and pulled her legs up to wrap them around his waist. He pushed against her as he rested her on the counter in the storage room. He came to his senses and slowly ended the kiss, then he lowered her to her feet and took a step back.
He opened his eyes to see Hadley looking at him sheepishly. He grinned at her. He had lost all sense of insecurity regarding their relationship. He pulled her close for another kiss.
The door to the store room opened slowly, and Kerr appeared behind it, followed closely by Whitley and Nora. They squeezed into the store room with them, closing the door behind them. Although they had interrupted an obviously private moment, they paid no attention and showed no concern for their interruption.
“Guys, we’re kind of having a private conversation here,” Thatcher told them.
“Don’t care,” said Whitley with a smile and a wink at them both.
“Look, whether you like it or not, we’re in this together. We are the Evolved, abilities or not,” Kerr told them all with a glance at Whitley.
“Thanks,” Whitley said quietly.
“We know you’re going to leave,” Nora told Thatcher.
Thatcher didn’t bother to protest, he just stood with his arms crossed, waiting for the others to say their piece.
“I can’t explain it, but I felt the direction of our mission shift when you made the decision to leave,” Kerr told him.
“So did I,” Nora said.
“The bottom line is we’re stronger when we’re together. We can’t all go, but you need to have all the facts before you leave,” Kerr told him.
“What is that even supposed to mean?” Thatcher asked.
“I can’t really explain it. I had a vision of sorts. It was bits of the future. Hadley and Nora have to go with you. I saw the three of you climbing up a set of crumbling stairs, and speaking to the Creator. You’re going to do it, but you’re not going to do it alone,” Kerr told him.
Thatcher gave his friend an appraising look. He had never known Kerr’s visions to be wrong. And because he had essentially been given those visions by the Creator, Thatcher had to trust that he was shown those instances to tell them that they could be successful in this venture.
“I already told him I’m going,” Hadley told the others. “I don’t want to leave you, Whit, but I have to do this.”
Whitley smiled at her sister and nodded, ignoring the tears that had sprung to her eyes. She pulled her sister into a tight hug. Thatcher knew they would all be leaving something important behind. If Nora was joining them, she would be leaving her husband and daughter behind. With the recent revelation of Keira’s future, she had to be nervous about leaving. Hadley would be leaving the sister she had recently reunited with, and Thatcher would be leaving behind the only home he had ever really known.
“When do we leave?” Nora asked.
“We leave now,” Hadley said.
Thatcher looked at the other Evolved. Even after all these years, it still felt foreign to him to have the support of the people standing in this tiny store room.
Chapter Twenty-One:
Hadley
Hadley was ready within ten minutes. She threw clothes, toiletries, granola bars, and water bottles in her backpack. She knew Nora and Thatcher would do the same.
She made her way to Whitley’s room to say goodbye before they left. She eased the door open to find her sister sitting on her bed reading a book
“Hey, Whit,” she said, dropping her bag by the door.
“Hey, Had,” Whitley said, patting the bed to invite her twin to sit next to her.
Hadley joined her sister on the queen-size bed. She had spent countless hours staring at the navy blue walls, trying to feel closer to her sister. Whitley’s room was a stark contrast to Hadley’s. Her room had been simply and tastefully decorated in muted yellows and grays. Whitley had large coral flowers painted against navy blue walls.
Whitley reached over and took Hadley’s hand. “I remember not too long ago you told me you were tired of having to say goodbye every time you saw me.”
“Yeah, it’s still true. Only this time, I know where you’ll be when I come home,” Hadley told her.
“You and Nora need to stay safe. You both act tough and cocky, but you have so much more to worry about now,” Whitley said.
“Without a doubt,” Hadley told her sister.
“You better come back. I did not pull a Lazarus just to have you trade places with me,” Whitley told her firmly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Hadley replied.
“I’m being serious, Hadley. Don’t be stupid,” Whitley scolded her.
“Alright, alright. I’ll be a good little super hero and protect those who are weaker than me. I’ll leap tall buildings in a single . . . ” Hadley had deepened her voice and straightened her back in a super hero stance.
“Enough already!” Whitley giggled, swatting at her sister.
“Look, I get it, but if I get all mushy now, I’m never going to pull myself together to go with them,” Hadley told her sister as she fought back tears.
Whitley pulled Hadley into a tight hug.
After saying her goodbyes to Whitley, Hadley headed downstairs to meet the others. She wasn’t nervous at all; her only concern was what their mother would say. She knew their dad would be there that night. He had canceled everything when he found out Whitley was back and hopped on his plane with as few secret service members as possible. He would be arriving any minute.
Nora was already in the library with Thatcher. It was clear Nora had shared a tearful goodbye with her husband and daughter. They hadn’t told the Old Immortals they were leaving, so it was a surprise when the three Virtues barreled into the library behind Hadley.
“What are you thinking?” Tahlia demanded from her daughter.
“That we need to take action,” Hadley replied firmly.
“But running off on some secret mission is not the way to do this. You can’t just go demand an audience with the Creator,” Dorian told them pleadingly.
“We’re not exactly going to demand an audience with him,” Nora said.
“Then what do you plan to do? Have you even thought this through?” Tahlia demanded.
The Evolved looked at each other uncomfortably. They didn’t really have a concrete plan put together, but they knew they were going to succeed. Hadley wasn’t sure how to answer
her mother without having to admit their lack of planning.
“You don’t even have a plan?!” Tahlia almost screeched the words.
“Well, it’s not that so much as we know how it will end. We figured we would let the path lead us where it will to bring us to the Creator,” Hadley said, realizing just how stupid that sounded.
“Look, we’re going. You’re not. It’s been settled. You were given the mission to protect us and guide us. Congratulations, you did that. But how can we be expected to accomplish the things we’re supposed to if you keep trying to protect us?” Thatcher asked rhetorically.
Hadley watched as the Virtues processed that information. They knew Thatcher was right; they were all adults now. They had battled unspeakable evils and come out on top. They had been touched by loss and fear and had overcome it all.
“Where are you going?” Romulus asked quietly.
“We’re going to start where we received the prophecies,” Hadley told them. “It seems to be the only place we’ve been that was directly touched by the Creator.”
“That’s smart. You’re right, Thatcher. We have done our part, but you need to understand that we are more than just the Old Immortals, we are your family. You are young, you have barely lived, and we’ve been here for more centuries than you’d care to know,” Dorian replied. “It has been our job to guide you, teach you, and prepare you. Despite our desire to be part of every step of the journey, it is time for us to hand the reigns over to you. Don’t leave just yet, let me get a few things.”
Dorian went to the bookshelves and began grabbing books seemingly at random. Hadley glanced at Tahlia. The strain was clear on her mother’s face, but she needed to keep her face clear or her heart would break. Hadley fought back tears and turned her attention back to Dorian. Hadley recognized a few of the books he began to pile up. She had read the majority of the books in the library at least once, though there were a few that hadn’t made much sense. Finally, Dorian pulled a book aside and reached behind it. He sighed deeply as he handed a battered book to Nora. Hadley recognized it as the book of prophecies that had been so sacred for so long. Now Dorian was entrusting it to them. He reached behind the books another time and pulled out a stack of notebooks. Some looked to be barely holding together, despite their leather binding. Hadley watched Dorian as he approached her slowly, then handed half the stack to her and half to Thatcher.
