by Lola StVil
Diana straightens herself out and starts to walk away once again.
Barelle calmly calls out to her, “But what I can do is take away something you love—something you’ve always wanted and finally got—a family.”
“What are you talking about?” she snaps as she turns back around to face him.
“Did you forget what my inactive power is?”
“You enter people’s dreams. So what?”
“I’ve entered your dreams a few times. And for the longest time, it’s just been major boring shit. Dreams about your kid—what she’d be like if she got to grow up, what it’d be like to hold her, blah, blah, blah. I was close to giving up.
“Then one night, I stumble on a dream with some real heat in it. You were creative, flexible, and oh so willing. Kill told me once how good you were in bed, but I never imagined you’d be that good. I pray at your altar. I mean…damn.
“Now, while it was fun to peek inside your spicy sex dream, it was even more mind-blowing when I realized this wasn’t a dream, it was a memory.”
“Barelle, please…don’t,” Diana says with a shaking voice.
“She has no idea, does she?” he asks.
“No.”
“If I tell her—or better yet, make a Replay and show her—it will be the end of your newfound family. She will never trust you again. She will make it so that you are back out in the cold. And since no civilized demon will ever team up with you again, you’ll be all alone. No one will care if you live or die, just like when you were human.”
“Barelle, don’t do this.”
“Get busy on the mixture or say good-bye to your new friends. Oh, and I don’t know if Diana would try to kill me so her secret doesn’t get out, but I know Ruin would. So…I die, a friend of mine sends a very well-constructed Replay to the whole team.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’d love to. But alas, I’m afraid it may not be as good as it was with ‘you know who’ on the rooftop.”
Chapter Three:
Crazy/Sorry
The demon takes to the air before Diana can reply. She turns and heads out of the alley and sees me standing not far away. She takes in the scene before her and folds her arms across her chest. When she speaks, the shock of being overheard lingers in her voice.
“Are you following me?” she demands.
“I saw you and I called out to get your attention. When you didn’t hear me…”
“So that’s a yes on the ‘did you follow me’ question?” she replies.
“I was just making sure everything is okay.”
“You were spying on me.”
“No, I wasn’t. But since we are here, you want to tell me what that demon was talking about? Who did you sleep with, and how will it affect the team?”
“Are you asking as the First Noru or the girl who says she’s now my friend?”
“Both.”
“Tell the First Noru that the team will be fine. And as for my friend Pryor, she needs to know that everyone is entitled to some privacy.”
“Diana, you know very well it’s not that easy,” I remind her.
“It is, Pryor. You overheard something you weren’t supposed to. So let’s just drop it.”
“You’ve seen how much our personal lives can collide with our missions. East’s ex-girlfriend almost put an end to us. I can’t just act like I didn’t hear what I heard. What is the demon talking about?”
“I slept with some random demon, and he thinks it will piss off the team because I shouldn’t be interacting with demons.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
“Yeah, I know, it was stupid. Won’t happen again.”
“So that’s it? Some stupid demon?”
“Yes.”
“Diana, don’t lie to me. I really hate that. And it always turns out badly for everyone.”
“You really don’t trust me after all this time?”
“I want to trust you, I really do. But having clandestine meetings with demons in an alley is no way to gain my trust.”
“Funny, I thought I already had your trust. Guess once a demon, always a demon, huh?”
“No, I just want to know what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is that I spent the night with the wrong guy. Period. The same way you ended up having sex with your boyfriend’s brother on the side of a mountain. When that came out, I didn’t grill you about it and I didn’t judge you. I respected your space, so please, be a friend and return the favor,” she pleads.
I sigh and shake my head. I’m about to demand she tell me what’s really going on, but looking into her eyes, I can’t help but remember what she was like when we first met her. Back when she was “Ruin,” she was glib, bitter, pissed off at the world, and ready to kill any- and everything in her path. She delighted in darkness and death. But since she had Sparks, things changed drastically. She’s saved our lives more than once. And she’s never asked for anything in return.
“Diana, the team doesn’t need any more drama. It’s been a really hard fucking year. If this was just a one-night-stand thing, if it really was nothing, then fine. But if you did have sex with someone who could somehow affect the team…I need to know.”
“It was a random demon. There will be no blowback on the team.”
“You promise me?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” I reply as I start to walk away. But before I get too far, the thought that I didn’t want to dwell on grabs me. I have no choice but to turn and confront my fear.
“Was it Aaden? Did you guys hook up again?” I ask as my stomach churns.
“Do you really want to know?”
“No…wait, was it Bex? Did you and he—”
“You can’t say you trust me and then ask a million questions. Trust means you let it go and move on.”
“Yeah, okay. But, Diana, just so we are clear, this would be a very bad time to cross me.”
“So do you believe her?” East asks as we head to our lockers a short while later.
“I think so. I mean, she’s changed so much in the past few missions. I owe her the benefit of the doubt, don’t I?”
“Yeah, I guess you do. It’s just that the last thing we need to add to this mess is a love affair gone wrong.”
“Believe me, I know.”
“Are you worried it was Bex or Silver?”
“If it was Aaden…he can do what he wants. We’re not together, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah, okay,” he says with a sly smile.
“I mean it, I’m okay if it was Aaden.”
“Your poker face needs work.”
“Ha-ha. It could have been Bex,” I reason.
“And you’re okay with that?”
“What? No! But if it was before he and I were together, then I guess it’s okay. But I would really be hurt that he didn’t tell me.”
“But not as hurt as you would be if it was Silver?”
“Can we move on now?” I ask.
“Okay, okay. I will have pity on you. What happened with Randy? Did you talk to him?”
“No, he’s been avoiding me all day. But I plan to corner him on his way home.”
“Guess he’s not doing well, huh?”
“He’s drowning in fear and grief. I’ve been there, but he won’t talk about it. That just makes it worse.”
“You look like you could use some good news.”
“Yes! Please!”
“Well…”
“C’mon, East, out with it!”
“I’m seeing someone—she’s not a power-hungry human. She’s mentally stable and has never tried to kill me to exact her revenge on the angel world,” he says proudly.
“Wow, she sounds like a keeper,” I reply.
“And don’t worry, I vetted her.”
“What’s her name? Do we know her? Where is she from? How long has this been going on? When do we meet her? How can we contact her?”
“Whoa, back up, Mom!”
&nb
sp; “Sorry.” I laugh.
“You’ll meet her tonight at dinner.”
“Aaden isn’t so sure the dinner is a good idea.”
“Same here, but it’s happening.”
“Is your mom really that into Uncle Rage?”
“It’s more than that; she loves him.”
“That could be trouble.”
“Have you ever known love to be anything but trouble?”
Later that night, I knock on Uncle Rage’s door. Aaden and the others went to the dinner ahead of me while I went to get Randy. A mission I failed at once again. Aaden answers the door and lets me in.
“Where’s Randy?” he asks.
“He knew I was coming to talk to him, so he fled.”
“Should we go looking for him?”
“He has two Paras with him, so he’s safe. I can’t make Randy talk to me if he’s not ready. And I really just…”
“Need five minutes alone?”
“More like ten years.”
“Well, then you came to the wrong place,” he says.
I hear laughter coming from the dining room. Uncle Rage’s house has always been pretty neat, if not sparsely decorated. But tonight it was sparkling. I’m guessing Winter came earlier and fixed everything up. The dining room is decorated in warm tasteful earth tones. The room has a delicious scent, thanks to the pot roast Winter made. In addition to the main dish, Winter made a myriad of sides.
“Who’s the girl with the green streaks in her hair?” I whisper to Aaden as we’re about to sit down.
“That’s Melody. She’s East’s new girlfriend.”
“She’s cute. I like the green, it’s artsy.”
“Yeah.”
“Aaden, what is it?”
“I kind of know Melody,” he says as he walks me to my seat.
“How do you know her?”
“It’s a long story,” he says, clearing his throat.
“Is it a rooftop story?” I ask bitterly before I can stop myself.
“A what?”
“Never mind—hi, Uncle Rage!” I reply as I hug my favorite demon.
For the next hour or so, we go over mission business. The news of the fifth vial being found has everyone up in arms. Uncle Rage has a solution. It’s a fatherly solution. He thinks we should all be under lock and key every second of the day until they can figure out a way to kill Malakaro. He makes me go over battle plans and flight patterns for when we get our powers back.
“Okay, okay, Thomas. Leave the kids alone. They came here to eat and have a good time. No more shop talk,” Winter says, saving me.
“Okay, but we still have things we need to go over, Carrot. We can’t let that dick get his hands on any more power,” the Akon replies.
“Pry, this is Melody, my girl,” East says brightly.
The small-framed girl has a round face, a warm smile, and dimples. Oh, and the green hair, can’t forget that.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about your team. I think you guys do a great job on your missions. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have to do all this and without any help from the Guardians,” Melody says.
“Um…thanks. So how do you and Aaden know each other?” I ask.
“You knew Silver before meeting him tonight?” East asks her.
“No, I don’t,” she says casually.
“Oh…guess I heard wrong,” I reply awkwardly.
“No worries,” she says with a sweet smile.
I flash Aaden a curious glance, and he signals that I should let it drop. I’m happy to. After all, Randy isn’t the only one who needs one night of “normal.” Uncle Rage and Winter exchange lingering suggestive looks with each other. Melody places a hand on Easton’s forearm every chance she gets. We laugh, talk, and put our worries away for the night. Everything is going well, that is until Winter makes an announcement.
“So…I’ve been thinking about making some changes,” Winter says carefully.
“What kind of changes, Mom?”
“Well, it’s just you and me now, Easton. And most of the time you sleep at Pryor’s house. Our house is just too big for one person. I was thinking about moving,” Winter replies.
“Where were you thinking of moving to?” Swoop asks.
Winter’s eyes dart over to Uncle Rage, who is in the middle of gulping down a bottle of Coy Dark. He’s frozen midswallow, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t expecting to have this conversation tonight.
“You want me to find you a place? I know a few spots that are safe, far from most demon hangouts,” the Akon says.
Silver and I exchange a look of concern. It’s not just us. The whole table knows that Winter wasn’t hinting at finding a new house. She wants to stay in this one. The only one who doesn’t get her meaning is Uncle Rage.
“Um…I was thinking maybe somewhere round here,” Winter hints once again.
Uncle Rage takes another swig of his drink, pops a Fire-flavored treat into his mouth, and nods, clueless.
“Yeah. There’s a few places around here. I’ll look into it for you,” he says.
“Thomas, I was thinking…maybe I could move in here—if it’s okay with you and Silver,” Winter says awkwardly.
Uncle Rage looks back at her blankly. The question renders him mute. Winter twists her napkin between her fingers anxiously as she faces him. Aaden studies his father with growing interest. Swoop and Diana lower their heads to avoid looking the couple in the eye. East and Melody exchange worried glances; I bite my lower lip and hope I’m wrong about the direction this conversation is headed in.
“You want to…move in?” the demon asks.
“Only if it’s okay with you,” Winter says.
“I…we never talked about this,” he replies.
“Well, no. I mean, not officially, but we’re together now. And our sons are on the same team. I’m here all the time; I just thought it was…inevitable,” Winter reasons.
“Well, Aaden…it’s his house too,” Uncle Rage says.
Winter turns to Aaden and looks at him with bated breath. He shrugs his shoulders and turns his palm up towards the ceiling.
“Yeah, sure; it’s fine with me. I’m hardly here, so it’s up to you guys,” Aaden says.
“My Easton was never a fan of his stepdad, so I know he’s okay with me moving on. So the question is how do you feel about us living together,” she asks Uncle Rage once again.
“Let’s talk about it later,” the Akon says.
“Okay,” Winter whispers.
“Winter, the roast looks great! How long did it take to prepare?” Melody asks, attempting to diffuse the situation.
“I don’t understand what there is to talk about!” Winter says to Uncle Rage.
“Sonya, later,” Uncle Rage says, calling Winter by her middle name.
“I don’t know why I expected tonight to be any different,” she mumbles.
“What are you talking about?” Rage asks.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about! You find new ways to put distance between us every day! Every day! And I’m so sick of it!”
“Don’t put this crap on me! You bring up moving in here in front of the kids like it’s something we discussed before, and we didn’t. You never brought this up.”
“I never brought it up because I knew you would find some way to run from it.”
“What am I running from?” Rage demands.
“Us!”
“C’mon, are you really doing this right here, right now?”
“Yes, Thomas, I’m doing this right now! I thought tonight you would see how great it is to have us all together. Our sons are getting along; we’re here together as a family. But that doesn’t matter to you because you won’t let me in. Ever.”
“How can you give me that crap about not letting you in? You are in my house right now, and you’re in my damn bed. What the hell else do you want?”
“I WANT TO GET IN YOUR HEART!”
“You are!”<
br />
“That’s bullshit, Thomas! You aren’t letting me in. You barely let your son in! The only person you have room for is her.”
“Sonya, don’t!” he warns her.
“How long, huh? How long am I going to have to live in her shadow?”
“This conversation is over,” Uncle Rage says as he stands up and starts to walk away.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me when I’m talking to you!” Winter shouts as she gets to her feet, grabs the nearest wineglass, and hurls it at his head. Uncle Rage dodges it just in time.
“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?” he rages.
“I’m tired of being a placeholder for a ghost. She’s gone, Thomas! Do you get that?”
“Sonya!” Uncle Rage orders.
“Just once, I would like your total and complete attention. Do I ever get that? No! Instead, I have to share you with a memory. This whole house is a shrine to the perfect woman! I can’t compete with that. And screw you for making me feel like I have to!”
“I never said you had to compare yourself to her,” he counters.
“You don’t need to say it. You either lock yourself up in this shrine you’ve built for her, or you’re traveling the world, visiting the places she used to love. You’re on a world tour. It’s just you and ‘Ameana’s memory.’ I can’t even buy a damn ticket to see the show.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, and you really need to stop,” he cautions her.
“Thomas, I know it hurts. I know loss. My daughter died, and even though we weren’t close, it still hurts. And I lost Easton’s father. I loved Rio so much. And every day that I wake up, I think about him. I mourn him. But I know that he’s gone and that I need to make space for a new love in my life. So no matter how hard it has been, I have made a place for you. Why can’t you do that for me?”
“I have made a place for you. I’m not seeing anyone else. Just like you asked. I stay in touch with you no matter where I am in the world, just like you asked. I’m having this stupid dinner, just like you asked! So why the hell are you standing here acting so damn crazy?”
“Crazy? You wanna see crazy?” she asks in full-on hysteria mode.
Oh shit…
