by Peach, Hanna
Alyx gritted her teeth and tightened her fists. She couldn’t believe he was doing something so ridiculous. “But it’s dangerous.”
“And what you’re doing isn’t?”
“But that’s different.”
“How?”
Alyx spluttered, flustered that she couldn’t seem to explain herself.
Israel grabbed her hands. “Alyx, you don’t think it kills me when you go out there and risk your life? It’s not any different for me, you know. But the difference between us is that I trust that you can take care of yourself. So, please... I’m asking you to trust in me.” He bent his head down. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers and placed his hands gently around her neck, holding her to him as they made an arch with their heads. An arch that supported each other. “Do you trust me, Alyx?”
For a moment, Alyx lost herself in the closeness of him and his familiar smell of sweet musk. He trusted her. She needed to trust him.
“I don’t like what you’re doing,” she said finally. “But I understand why you’re doing it. If it can’t be me who is there with you, I’m glad it’s Vix you’re taking along with you.” Her voice stumbled over Vix’s name.
As Israel pulled away, Alyx could see an amused look on his face. He glanced at Vix and a similar look came over Vix’s face. Then they both turned to look at Alyx.
“What?” demanded Alyx, feeling like there was an unspoken joke they were sharing that she had been left out of.
Israel said, “Tempted as I might be to keep your jealousy alive—”
“I’m not jealous,” Alyx bristled, crossing her arms.
“You have no reason whatsoever to be jealous of Vix and me. We are just two people with an understanding. With similar crosses to bear. Good friends.”
“In fact,” Vix said, “Israel would have more to fear of me hitting on you.” She winked at Alyx.
The realization ebbed across Alyx like thick honey. “Oh. Oh.”
Israel laughed and crushed her to him with one arm. Alyx relished in the strength of his body as she pressed herself into the side of his ribs. Was it possible that he had gotten stronger?
“You,” he said to Vix, “keep your grubby hands off her. I’m not above kicking your ass, you know, even if you are a woman.” Israel frowned. “Although, sometimes that’s debatable.”
Vix jabbed him in the ribs on his other side. “Yes, well, you’d have to get in line behind Xiang. She’d kick my ass first.”
Alyx felt her facial muscles relax. As Israel and Vix continued to banter, she could see that the affection between them was clearly more like the affection between siblings. How did she miss it before?
Despite the lighthearted mood, Alyx couldn’t help the worrying feeling she was getting about this.
Chapter 31
There were so many things that could go wrong.
Tobias clung to the roof of the Kaaba as if it were a small boat, exposed in the middle of this huge open-aired praying area of the Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām mosque. As the pale mosque walls and floor gleamed around him like white sand, he couldn’t help but think, where are the sharks? Tobias couldn’t stop the chattering of his nerves; in his head, under his skin, in the way his heart thumped – thud, thud – like a drumbeat against his ribs.
For years the FreeThinker community had managed to stay off the radar of the Darkened and kept out of the way of the Seraphim still under the Elders’ rule. For years he had managed to keep the community of FreeThinkers safe.
Things had changed in recent weeks. Starting with Zia’s death. His heart clenched when he remembered young Zia; a lively thing, she was. Tobias had hoped that she would have been the one to smooth out Marin’s rough edges but... it was not to be.
Even the presence of Omniya pressed up next to him on the Kaaba wasn’t enough to make him calmer. No, her presence actually made it worse. But she tended to heighten his awareness when she was around. Even after all these years of not seeing her, apparently she hadn’t lost her effect on him.
“The coast looks clear,” Omniya said. “Let’s go.”
Tobias nodded. Making sure they kept within the boundaries of the mirage, Tobias and Omniya slipped off the Kaaba to face the Black Stone, tilted up in its frame against the Kaaba wall. There were several cracks in the stone which gave it the appearance of having been broken and reassembled again.
“Let’s hurry,” Tobias said.
Omniya nodded and placed her fingers on the silver frame. Immediately an intense heat began to radiate from her palm. As Omniya worked, Tobias glanced around the area looking for any sign of the caretakers or guards. When he turned back, sweat beads were breaking out on Omniya’s face. Glancing down, he could see that the sides of the frame had started to liquefy.
He was about to speak when something caught his eye. His heart almost stopped. A robed figure was walking towards them from a building in the distance. A caretaker? Or a guard? Either way… big fat dammit.
Tobias turned to Omniya. “I hate to hurry you, but in less than five minutes we will have company and our mirage will be broken. How much longer do you need?”
Omniya cursed. “Silver has a melting point of almost 1000 degrees Celsius. I need more time.”
Tobias glanced back to the advancing figure and he cursed inwardly. Why didn’t he think to calculate the time it would take to melt the silver frame enough to loosen the Black Stone? Silver had one of the highest melting points of all the metals. Of course, he knew that. He was an Alchemist for God’s sake and used to working with all sorts of metals.
A thought occurred to him. “I have an idea. Step aside.”
Omniya raised an eyebrow at him.
“Trust me, Niya,” he said softly.
Her eyes widened at his use of her nickname. He hadn’t called her Niya in a long time.
She nodded and pulled her fingers off the frame. Tobias held his fingers to the frame, Alchemist flooding through his fingers so that his consciousness extended to the whole frame. It was hot but it didn’t burn him, since it was part of him now. He began to shift it. The metallic color faded into a molten gray.
“Pull the stone out,” he said, his fingers still on the frame.
“How?”
“Tin. Its melting point is one of the lowest of the metals. It should be hot enough that the whole frame is melted now.”
Omniya placed her fingers around the edge of the Black Stone and pulled. The stone shifted and with some working back and forth, it came out of the frame.
“You were always so clever, Tobias,” she said, almost a whisper. Their eyes met and faded memories flickered across his mind. This was not the time to reminisce.
“We need to hurry,” he said, his eyes flicking to the caretaker approaching. He was close enough now that Tobias could make out the features on his face. His heart thudded like the drum of hooves on hard ground. He tried to convince himself that it was because they were running out of time, but he knew that wasn’t completely true. Tobias stole a glance at Niya, then forced himself to focus. They both had made their decisions long ago.
Tobias held open the thick sack strung to his waist and Niya slipped in the stone. He turned back to the frame. Opening a second sack, Omniya poured sand into the frame as Tobias aimed his palms to it. As the sand hit the frame, it transformed into black agate.
“Hurry, Tobias,” Niya urged.
A glance over his shoulder told him that the caretaker would be on them in less than ten, nine, eight…
“On three, lift up,” he said. “One.”
She grabbed his arm. The last of the sand turned black.
“Two.”
Tobias touched the frame, turning the edges of the tin frame to silver.
“Three.”
They rocketed up into the air. Below, Tobias could see the caretaker pause at the sudden movement of air with no visible cause.
When they were far enough away, he heard Omniya let out a loud br
eath. “That was cutting it too fine.”
Tobias couldn’t help but agree.
Chapter 32
Israel watched the house from across the road. The red light over the porch had been switched off. No jazz slipped through the cracks of the house as it had when he was here before. The trees still stood bare and cold, like up-righted bones along the front yard.
It had been only a few weeks ago that he had watched this house from this very roof, but it had been Alyx who was crouched next to him instead of Vix. That seemed like a lifetime ago.
“There doesn’t seem to be anyone inside,” he said to Vix.
“Doesn’t mean that there isn’t anyone in there. Let’s proceed, but slowly.”
Checking that there was no one walking along the street, Israel took Vix’s hand before stepping off the roof of the building. They floated down to the roof of the old demon den.
“You’ve got that weightless thing down pat,” she whispered as they settled softly on the roof.
Israel grinned. “Thanks.” He stepped around a broken roof tile as they moved to the edge of the roofline. Israel glanced over at Vix and she nodded. Israel jumped lightly to a window ledge below while Vix hovered close to the outside wall. They moved along, testing one window at a time, hoping to find an unlocked window while keeping an eye out for signs of movement inside. After testing all the windows, neither of them had found anyone or anything inside and all the windows were locked.
“What now?” asked Vix.
Israel grinned. “We do what any civilized person would do… we use the door.”
Vix rolled her eyes. “We’re not civilized.”
“Speak for yourself.”
Vix followed Israel to the back door which, of course, was locked. “Do civilized people break down doors?”
“Watch and learn, newbie.” Israel knelt by the lock.
Minutes later, Israel had picked the door lock. He held the door open for Vix and turned to let her through. He chuckled softly. “Don’t forget to pick your jaw up off the floor.”
Vix ribbed him as she stepped past him. Israel followed her inside.
It was perfectly quiet as they moved through the working kitchen, then the more formal gallery kitchen. There was a slightly sour smell that tainted the stale air. Israel wondered if it was coming from the fridge. Despite his superior night sight, the shadows spilled everywhere.
“I’ll take upstairs,” he whispered. “You check downstairs. We’re looking for anything that they might have left behind or any sign of where they may have gone.”
Vix nodded and Israel made his way to where he believed the stairs were near the front door. Although he had been inside this house before, he had been unconscious. Israel lightened his body so that his feet wouldn’t make any noise on the stairs.
Upstairs seemed darker. Israel noticed that one of the doors had been kicked off its hinges. This must have been the room where he had been kept before Alyx rescued him. He would check this one first. He moved towards the broken door.
Chapter 33
Samyara burst through the doors into one of the windowless rooms in his mansion, Adere following behind him. He frowned at the skinny Darkened who sat behind the far wall filled where computer equipment and monitors were set up, wires coiling around like tubes around a sick patient. “This had better be good.”
The skinny Darkened jolted and turned hurriedly in his swivel chair from the desk, where several large computer monitors created a glary landscape. There appeared to be footage playing across the screens, although of what, he couldn’t see clearly from here.
“Yes, sir.” The Darkened waved his arm out to them. “They triggered the Viewers we left behind not five minutes ago, sir.”
Samyara stepped forward just close enough so that he could make out what was on the screen. The first one showed a formal entryway stopping at the base of a set of stairs. Samyara could see a seraphelle with cropped hair and fierce eyes creeping onto the edge of the screen. He didn’t recognize her but from the way she was holding her weapon and the way she was moving so cautiously yet assuredly, he knew she was a warrior. A Rogue warrior.
The second monitor showed the top of the stairs and a small landing leading to several doors. Samyara squinted closer. One of the doors was broken open, showing a glimpse of the inside of a bedroom. A movement caught his eye. Israel was inside that bedroom.
“Adere, my dear, it appears you are right. Israel has returned to the old house looking for you,” Samyara said, holding his hand out to Adere. She clasped at his hand and kissed the back of it. It was a wonder she wasn’t purring. “Strangely he has not brought the Guardian with him. Why is that, do you think?”
“Perhaps she doesn’t know?” the skinny Darkened guessed.
Samyara smiled as that delicious thought warmed his insides. “Disorder in the ranks... what a delightful thought.”
“Or maybe she is with the others,” Adere said.
“That is a more likely scenario. Divided, they are weaker.” Samyara felt the kick of a thrill course through his body as he watched the screen for a few more seconds. He could almost feel the keye in his grasp. Then he turned to study the Darkened sitting before him. He was newly turned which was why Samyara hadn’t sent him out with the others. But he would have to do. “Adere, darling, it’s about time that you and your lover were reacquainted again. Take him alive. Kill the other one.”
Chapter 34
Alyx placed her fingers on the edge of the glass window overlooking the main hall of the Galleria. She could see the Three Archangels through the glass, perched in the exhibition hall below. It was so close.
“Are you ready?” she heard Jordan whisper from the ledge to the right of her. Beside him was a seraph named Fernando, another Seraphim from Bella’s Florence community.
“As I’ll ever be,” Alyx replied. Alyx could feel Jordan’s breath on her neck as he drew up behind her. Threading his hands under her arms, he placed two suction pads on the middle of the glass. As Alyx placed her fingertips on the outside edge of the glass, she felt Jordan’s lips on her left ear.
“Jordan what are you doing?” she hissed low enough that she hoped that Fernando couldn’t hear.
He chuckled. “Taking advantage of this situation.” He brushed her ear again.
Alyx turned her head to move her ear away from his playful lips. “Cut it out. I need to concentrate.”
She focused on her fingers and tried not to notice Jordan tensing behind her. She felt a stab of guilt about how hot and cold she must appear to him. But she pushed it away. Not now. She couldn’t think about that now.
Alyx pulled her attention to the FireTwirler bloodink at her ribs. It warmed her body and flooded to her fingers. Carefully she began to melt the glass along the rim of the window frame until the main piece of glass stood apart from the window, held up only by the pads that Jordan was holding.
“Ready,” Alyx said.
Jordan moved backwards and up towards the roof. Alyx, caught between his body and the glass, moved with him. On the roof of the Galleria, Jordan laid the glass pane securely down and let go of the suction pads. Finally Alyx was freed. She caught a cold look from Jordan, which she couldn’t ignore.
“I’m sorry,” she spoke, her voice as soft as she could manage. “Let’s please get this done.” Another splinter of guilt lodged in her chest.
After a moment Jordan nodded. “After you.”
Fernando was waiting for them at the open pane. Alyx pulled the remote for Mason’s device from her pocket. She looked at the two of them, both of them watching her. She hit the button to activate the device. “We have five minutes from now. Let’s go.”
As Alyx flew in through the open window, she tensed, expecting the alarms to begin ringing in her ears. But there was only the sound of the wind blowing against the open window in an eerie whistle. Jordan and Fernando followed her in.
Jordan flew straight for the security guard’s room while Alyx and Fernando made fo
r the statue. Fernando hung upside down in the air and secured the Black Stone head of Raphael securely with straps that were fastened to him in a harness. He nodded at Alyx. Alyx pulled the Fire sword from her belt and began to cut the first piece off the sculpture.
Jordan arrived just as Fernando was flying towards the open window with his piece of Black Stone, heading for the truck that was parked in a dark side street, where Luce was waiting to help load the piece.
“Mason’s device is actually working,” he said. “I can’t see you on the screens. But...” Alyx looked up from cutting the second piece. Her stomach clenched when she saw Jordan’s face.
“What?”
“I put one guard to sleep but the other one wasn’t there,” Jordan said.
Alyx cursed inwardly. “Maybe there’s only one on tonight?”
Jordan shook his head. “Always two. It’s their security protocol, remember?”
“There’s nothing we can do but keep going and hope that he doesn’t come back in the next few minutes. Secure this piece.” Alyx tried not to let her nervousness show. The second guard was an unknown factor. They didn’t plan for this.
Jordan nodded, but the frown didn’t leave his face. Alyx helped him secure the second piece of Black Stone to his harness, then she finished off the second cut. Fernando had already returned before they had finished.
“We aren’t working fast enough,” Fernando said when Alyx finally turned to cut the third piece, which he had secured to himself.
“I know. I’m working as fast as I can. There’s a second guard unaccounted for, so look—”
A yell from behind her caused her to snap her head around.
“Hold it right there.” The second guard, tall and spry looking, was holding a gun aimed at them. He pulled his handheld radio to his mouth and spoke into it, “Bernie, situation in exhibition hall B.”
