Everyone was quiet. They agreed. Rhen was their best friend. They owed it to him to keep his secret. They wouldn’t tell the Thestran Royal Family about his powers, nor would they tell Rhen or Ceceta that they had discovered their secret. They would act as if nothing had changed. If he wished it, Rhen’s secret would remain a secret forever.
They sat talking to each other about the Black Angel and Rhen, until they heard the front door to the apartment open.
Rhen and Ceceta strolled into the room discussing something in Surpen. They were speaking so rapidly that neither Crystam nor Latsoh couldn’t understand their words.
“Hi,” Ceceta called out to them as she joined them. “Sorry. We’re much later than I thought we were going to be.” Rhen nodded to everyone in greeting before walking into his bedroom to take off his armor. His friends sat on the couch staring at him. Ceceta noticed their intense interest in Rhen and called them on it. “Okay,” she said, looking at their faces, which were turned towards her bedroom. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing,” Crystam said, feeling flustered. “We were just looking at these photos and um…” She didn’t know what to say.
Erfce reached over for the picture of Rhen fighting the Dristar Beast. “When we came upon this photo, it kind of freaked us out,” he confessed. He handed Ceceta the picture. “We can’t believe Rhen is still alive. Why didn’t the Dristar Beast kill him?”
“Oh, yeah,” Ceceta said, taking the photo. “I forgot that picture was in there. It would freak you out.” Rhen walked back into the living room wearing a simple green tunic. As he bent down over Ceceta’s shoulder to look at the picture in her hand, everyone stared at him. They couldn’t help themselves. The Black Angel was Rhen. The Black Angel was standing right in front of them. Ceceta reached up to stroke Rhen’s cheek. He turned his head, gave her a kiss and walked over to sit down on the ground next to the coffee table.
Ceceta handed the photo back to Erfce. “To tell you the truth Erfce, Rhen didn’t have any trouble with that Dristar Beast. My husband has a way with animals.”
“No kidding,” Latsoh laughed out. She was remembering a time when the Black Angel had communicated with a herd of vicious Yuris. The Yuris had been terrorizing a town and the Black Angel had somehow told them to leave.
“What do you mean, ‘no kidding’?” Rhen asked.
“Oh,” Latsoh said, her face blushing. “I was thinking of the time when Charlie gave his horse some Tgarus weed and it freaked out. You did something to calm the horse down and saved its life. Remember?” Rhen nodded. He remembered that incident. Charlie had done some stupid things while at the University, but that had to have been one of his dumbest moves.
Rhen leaned over the coffee table to look at the pictures. He smiled at some of the photos, as Ceceta held up a few of them to explain to the others what life was like on Surpen. While Ceceta was talking, everyone continued to stare at Rhen. They realized their big decision to keep Rhen’s secret a secret was going to fail, if they couldn’t relax around him. They needed to treat Rhen like they had before they had found out.
When Rhen was finished looking at the pictures, he glanced over at Ceceta. Realizing she was in her teacher mode, he lay down on the ground and closed his eyes. The others continued to stare at him in amazement. When Ceceta concluded her lecture, she tossed the picture, she was holding, back onto the coffee table.
They sat in silence, with their thoughts, for a couple of minutes.
“So, Rhen,” Latsoh said, jolting everyone back into the present moment. She studied Rhen as he lay on the floor in front of her with his eyes closed. “What are you studying now? Politics? Astronomy?”
Latsoh’s teasing words broke the tension that Erfce, Tgfhi and Crystam had been feeling. Somehow, she had put everything back into perspective. Rhen was their friend, a normal guy with, well, with super, abnormal powers.
“No,” Rhen said, keeping his eyes closed. “This time, I’m actually tired.”
Latsoh laughed. “Well, you could’ve fooled me. The way you look when you’re tired and the way you look when you study are the same.” She stood up. “I’m going to bed. Good night everyone.”
As Latsoh stepped past the coffee table, Rhen kicked out at her in retaliation, but his boot missed her leg by inches.
“And you’re the amazing fighting teacher that everyone’s talking about?” Latsoh sassed, making everyone laugh.
“I’ll walk you home,” Erfce said. He jumped off the couch to follow her.
“When will that boy ask that girl out?” Crystam grumbled, after they had left.
Ceceta and Rhen chuckled. The same thing could be said about Tgfhi, who was busy getting himself a drink in the kitchen.
“I guess Latsoh’s right,” Crystam told them. “It is late. Do you mind if we take off too?”
“No,” Ceceta said. “I’m sorry it took us so long to return. The King had a lot to say to Rhen, since his birthday is coming up soon. Andres is worried, because Surpen Princes always kill their fathers, after they come of age.”
In the kitchen, Tgfhi choked on the water he was drinking. “What,” he yelled, wiping at his mouth with his hand. “Some of your Surpen traditions are just too bizarre.”
“I’m not killing my Dad,” Rhen said with fatigue.
Ceceta began to gather the pictures. “Rhen told Andres that several times tonight. It seems to be the one Thestran trait of Rhen’s that Andres doesn’t mind keeping.”
Tgfhi and Crystam shook their heads at the irony and gathered their books to leave.
After they had gone, Ceceta walked into her bedroom and flopped down on the bed. She was exhausted. All night long, she had to keep reminding herself to be silent and passive. It took a lot of energy to be submissive. A few moments later, she felt the bed move as Rhen climbed up on top of her. Ceceta willed herself to keep her eyes closed. She could tell that Rhen was studying her face. She smiled, when she felt his soft lips brush against hers. Rhen lowered his body onto hers and she breathed out.
“You don’t have time. You’re public awaits,” Ceceta told him, trying to sound as tired as she felt.
“I always have time,” Rhen whispered, kissing her throat.
“Rhen, go do your business as the Black Angel. If you miss a night, the students will be grumpy and we’ll have a horrible day.” She pushed against his broad chest.
“You have to take care of something for me first,” Rhen murmured, pulling on her robes. Ceceta giggled, when his fingers brushed against her inner thigh.
When Rhen unclasped her bra, Ceceta protested again. “No, Rhen. You’ll fall asleep and then everyone, especially Tgfhi, will be crabby tomorrow because the Black Angel has disappeared again. We’ll have to spend the entire B.A.C. meeting tomorrow night praying for your return.”
“I could rescue a few people in the morning,” Rhen said. He kissed her belly and moved up towards her chest.
“No,” Ceceta said, rolling off the bed.
Rhen lay on the empty bed looking defeated. “Tell me why I do this again?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Ugh, I hate having to do the right thing all time,” Rhen said. With effort, he got up to put on his Black Angel clothes. As he put the sunglasses on his face, he said, “Hey, I was thinking it might be fun to poke my head into a B.A.C. meeting one night.” He laughed, thinking about the reactions the students would have if the Black Angel showed up to one of their meetings.
Ceceta laughed as well. “Maybe next semester, my love. I won’t make you attend their meetings next semester. That way you can easily pop your head into one of them.” Rhen nodded and bent over to kiss her good bye. “Love,” Ceceta said, “if you’re not too late in coming back, wake me up.” She winked.
“I’ll be home early tonight,” Rhen assured her before turning invisible and flying out of the room.
Chapter 24
Elfin University
To the Thestran Royal Family’s despai
r, it had been raining for days. Not only had Rhen and Reed not been able to bond over their jet bikes, but they hadn’t gotten any more information out of Ceceta. The Thestrans were dying to know how Rhen had used his powers to play the piano and they were growing concerned that they were running out of time. In addition, for the last few nights, Rhen and Ceceta had been disappearing each evening after dinner, and nobody could figure out where they were going.
Tgfhi, though, was determined to follow them. He laid a trap, cornering Rhen and Ceceta on the stairwell, right after they had given the Royal Family the slip. “Okay,” he said, his hands on his hips. “What’s going on?”
Ceceta glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. “If you can keep a secret, you can come with us.”
“Of course,” Tgfhi said. Rhen put his arm around Tgfhi’s shoulders to lead him down the stairs.
“I have to tell Crystam,” Tgfhi said, pulling back. “You know?” Rhen hesitated but nodded his consent, so Tgfhi contacted Crystam. She met up with them in the school’s basement, along with Latsoh and Erfce. The group walked down the cool, concrete hallway until Ceceta paused outside a storage-room door. She pushed the black door open and flicked on the florescent lights as her friends followed her in. Once the room was lit, they saw it contained hundreds of musical instruments stored in black and brown cases. Rhen closed the door behind them and locked it.
“Now I feel like I’m in a horror movie,” Latsoh mumbled, in the ensuing silence. “Any minute now, one of you will start killing us.” Ceceta laughed and pretended to knife Latsoh as she shrieked in response.
When they had quieted down, Erfce asked. “So? What gives?”
Ceceta pointed at Rhen. “He gives.”
Everyone looked at Rhen with expectation. “I have one power that I’ll share with you now,” he confessed.
“Oh,” Latsoh inquired, in a teasing voice. “Is it something worth mentioning?”
“You can decide,” he told her with a dismissive wave. Out of the blue, the instrument cases opened of their own accord and the instruments lifted out of them into the air. They floated six feet above the ground for a moment before coming to life, playing an upbeat, danceable tune.
“That was amazing,” Erfce said, when the song ended. “How’d you do that?”
“That’s one of my powers,” Rhen said, with a modest shrug.
“What a wonderful power,” Crystam laughed out with delight.
“You’re the person who screwed with Professor Orisco,” Tgfhi said. He jumped forward and grabbed Rhen in a big hug, shaking him about.
Rhen laughed as Tgfhi shook him around playfully. “Yes,” he admitted. “That was me.”
“Wow,” Latsoh exclaimed. “That’s an amazing power. I wish I had it.”
Tgfhi released Rhen then reached out to tap him on the top of his head, the way Rhen used to pat him, when he was little. “Thanks for screwing with Orisco. You’re definitely my hero now.”
“Please, please, please play another song,” Latsoh begged.
“Okay. If you want me to.”
“Only if you sing for us as well,” Ceceta threw out. “I love the sound of your voice.” Rhen winked at her as a new song burst out of the instruments. When Rhen opened his mouth to sing, his friends forgot to breath. His voice was amazing. The song he invented was ideal, fitting the melody to perfection. When Rhen was finished, everyone sat in silence.
“Did you really just think that up?” Crystam asked. “It was incredibly poetic and beautiful.”
“Yeah,” Rhen told her. “I have this like… problem. Songs are always playing in my head. It can actually be kind of annoying at times, especially in battle, when a happy song starts to ring out in my brain as I try to conquer someone’s planet.” He shook his head, adding, “That’s when it’s a real problem.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Erfce said quietly.
“Will you play another song for us?” Latsoh asked.
“One more,” Ceceta told her, holding up a finger. “Then we have to return. We can’t be gone too long or someone will figure out what we’re doing. As you know, it’s against the Debrino Code for Rhen to be making music, and I don’t want the Surpen King to find out.”
“What happens to you, if you break the Code by playing music?” Crystam asked.
“We don’t actually know,” Ceceta told Crystam. “When Rhen was young, he played his flute in the Surpen Castle and Andres took it from him. He told us it was against the law to make music and… well, we weren’t in a position to question him about it at the time. Rhen’s never played since.”
“You mean to tell us,” Erfce said, his eyes on Rhen. “That you have this amazing power you’ve kept bottled up and hidden away your whole life? You haven’t made music until now?”
“Right. I’m the Prince of Surpen. I shouldn’t be breaking our laws. It’s not right.”
Erfce put his head in his hands in dismay.
“But, it’s okay to do it now my love,” Ceceta reassured him. She didn’t want him to stop just yet. “We’re on Thestran in a private, locked room. No one here will tell Andres what you’re doing. How about one more song for tonight and then we’ll go?”
After a brief pause, Rhen nodded. “Only if you sing harmony with me.”
“How would we be able to do that?” Tgfhi asked.
Ceceta laughed and clapped her hands with delight. “Yes, please!” She turned to the others. “Just wait, you’re going to love this.”
A moment later, they heard the instruments begin a new song, then, unexpectedly, they felt a presence in their bodies as Rhen somehow manipulated them, so they were singing with him. They sang accompaniment throughout the song, until Rhen finished. As the last notes rang out, the six of them burst into laughter.
“Themrock,” Latsoh said breathlessly. “That was amazing.”
“Indeed,” Erfce said. He gripped his sides. They hurt from laughing so hard.
“You have to let us do that again with you tomorrow,” Crystam begged.
“Of course, we will,” Ceceta told her. “We’ll do it every night.”
“Woo hoo,” Tgfhi belted out with glee. “I can’t wait.”
They headed upstairs to the B.A.C. meeting, where Rhen plopped down into his usual chair to sleep, while Tgfhi and the others pretended to be interested in Stanley’s latest guesses at the identity of the Black Angel. Leaning over to Crystam, Tgfhi said quietly, “I thought I’d find this meeting boring, but it’s actually funny.” Crystam nodded as Stanley insisted that the Black Angel came from the planet of Sastar.
After the B.A.C. meeting, they headed back to Ceceta’s apartment to study. When they reached the landing that led to the apartment door, they saw Charlie walk out of the apartment. “Hey, guys. See you later,” he called out, strolling past them down the stairs towards the exit.
They entered the apartment to find the refrigerator door wide open and bits of food on the kitchen counters and floor. There was a terrible smell wafting out of the toaster oven as well as from the bathroom. “Nasty,” Rhen said, walking over to open the apartment’s windows.
“Maybe we should ban Charlie from using our place,” Ceceta suggested to Rhen. She picked up a broom to clean the floor. She didn’t want to leave it this way overnight. The servants only cleaned their apartment in the morning, while they were at breakfast.
“Whatever you want to do with Charlie is fine with me,” Rhen told her. He sat down on the floor by the coffee table and closed his eyes to ‘study’. He knew Ceceta felt sorry for Charlie. She wasn’t going to kick him out of his ‘home base’.
The next morning, after days of rain, everyone was relieved to wake up to a beautiful, cloudless sky. The warm sun beat down on Thestran, drying out the grass and making everything shine. Reed’s jet bike races were scheduled for later that morning, which thrilled the students, because there was always a big party afterwards in the Wood Elf Castle.
Latsoh and Crystam decided to join Ceceta and Rhe
n for their morning prayers as an excuse to get outside. Even though neither of them believed in Rhen’s God, they still enjoyed listening to Rhen and Ceceta chant. The sound of their voices was soothing and they both found it to be a very pleasant and peaceful way to begin their day.
As usual, when the weather was nice, they prayed down by the lake, facing the rising sun. Rhen always sat in front of the women on his knees, holding his many prayer beads in his hands. Ceceta would sit behind him on her knees, with her hands in her lap, and Crystam and Latsoh would sit behind her. The sound of the water, the birds’ morning calls and the quiet, gentle chanting was more peaceful than usual this morning, after so many days indoors.
Towards the end of their prayers, a man, dressed in Surpen military clothing, walked silently through their little group. He stopped to stand beside Rhen. His presence startled Crystam and Latsoh. They looked up at him, wondering why he wasn’t saying his morning prayers. The soldier waited beside Rhen while Rhen chanted with his eyes closed.
The man looked familiar to Crystam and Latsoh. They assumed they had seen his face before in the photographs that Ceceta had loaned to them. He was older than Rhen, and he had a scar across his face. His nose was small and his grey eyes were rather tiny and close together.
Something stirred to their right. Crystam and Latsoh turned to find ten more Surpen soldiers surrounding them. It was then that they realized this wasn’t a social call.
A large soldier, who looked freaky, because he was so muscular, walked up to join the first man, positioning himself on the opposite side of Rhen. Crystam and Latsoh realized they needed to warn Rhen. Latsoh let out a loud cough and Ceceta, who was bowing down like Rhen, opened one eye to chastise her. As soon as Latsoh had Ceceta’s attention, she jerked her head towards Rhen. Ceceta turned just enough to see what Latsoh was indicating. She gasped, when she saw the Surpen soldiers.
Although Rhen didn’t move or change the rhythm of his chant, Ceceta knew her gasp was enough to alert him. A few more minutes passed before Rhen brought his prayers to an end, by lifting his beads up into the air and placing them on his lap. The minute his beads touched his thighs, Rhen jumped forward, throwing his body into the lake. The two soldiers, standing beside him, had been expecting this. They lunged forward, grabbing Rhen’s legs. The men struggled against Rhen, trying to pull him back towards the shore while he thrashed about, sending mud, rocks and water flying.
RHEN (Themrock Series Book 1) Page 31
