by Lola StVil
“Who approached you? Who’s the leader?” I ask.
“I only know him by voice. Everything depended on keeping each other’s identities a secret,” Hunter says.
“So in other words, you are not useful to us at all,” Diana replies.
“Hey, I’m here trying to help,” Hunter adds.
“If you wanted to help, you would have come forward much sooner. This is your fault,” I shout.
“Hey, don’t get mad at me. All I have done has been in the name of justice,” Hunter counters.
“Bullshit. All you have done has been in the name of your ego. You’re pissed that Bex is the leader, and you want him out of the way,” Aaden insists.
“Yes, that’s true. I mean, who else could protect the Para world like I can?”
“Protect the Paras? Are you serious? All you have done is cause death and destruction,” I remind him.
“There have been setbacks. But that’s why I risked my life and escaped the New Order—so I can help. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“You don’t know where Bex has been taken. And you don’t know who the leader is, so how exactly are you going to help?” Aaden asks.
“Bex made me Kon. I think he did that so that I can get the jump on the New Order—combine Kon power with Noru power,” Hunter says.
“So you’re saying…”
“Pryor, you know what I’m saying: If you want to save Bex, the kingdom of Paras, and destroy Malakaro, we will have to unite. You have to marry me,” Hunter reasons.
“Like hell,” Aaden says.
I explain to Aaden that blending my powers with Hunter’s will allow us access to untapped levels of power; we can use that power to beat the New Order and stop Malakaro once and for all.
“There has to be another way,” Aaden says.
“Combining Noru and Kon would result in a serious conversion of power. It might work,” Diana says.
“Yes, and the sooner we do this, the better,” Hunter says.
“He’s right. The longer we wait, the more likely the Paras will find out Bex is missing,” I reply.
“Good. Tomorrow you will be my wife. Lucky you,” Hunter says.
“You touch me in any way and I will pluck the bones out of your wings and grind them up into a fine paste. Then feed it to you. Got it?” I ask.
“Yeah, I got it.”
Not long after, the team and I are gathered back at the hideout. Almost every member of the team tries to talk me out of marrying Hunter. The biggest reason is that they feel he’s untrustworthy. I agree wholeheartedly. However, I don’t see any other option, so I send Swoop off to do what she does best, plan a ceremony. Before she takes off, however, she asks to see me in the kitchen, in private.
“Swoop, there’s so much going on. Let’s talk later, okay?” I ask.
“Pry, I know my timing sucks, but be honest, will there ever be a good time? I need to know what you’ve decided.”
“I decided that you are a terrific mom. And that RJ is a lucky kid.”
“Pry, please don’t keep me in suspense anymore. Every minute I’m not with RJ, it hurts. Can I go be with him?”
“Yes, you can go be with him—when this mission is over. You two can spend two, even three weeks together. He’d loved that.”
“Pry, you know that’s not what I want.”
“I know, but it’s better than nothing.”
“No, it’s not! Look at Randy! He’s a mess. He’s livid with his mother. He won’t even see her. I don’t want that to be RJ and me. I don’t want to be a part-time mom. RJ’s dad is dead. I’m all he has. Please. Let me go.”
“Swoop, I know it’s hard—”
“Damn it, Pry, just say yes or no.”
“No.”
It’s not just that I said no that gets her; it’s the certainty with which I said it. There is no room for debate or compromise. When she speaks, her voice is soft and dripping with pain.
“Okay, I guess I better go and tend to the task that is more important than my son—planning your fake wedding,” she says bitterly as tears spring to her eyes.
Randy comes down the hallway just in time to watch Swoop take off. He asks what happened, but I just shake my head and head back to Hunter’s room.
“Pry, what happened?”
“Do you care?”
“Of course I do. Talk to me.”
“How can I talk to you, Randy? Every other word out of your mouth is about how evil my father was years ago,” I accuse.
“It wasn’t the right time to bring that up and—”
“Randy, I just have one question: Is this how things are going to be between us? Are you going to be a tool from now on?”
“That’s not fair!”
“All you have done is make my dad out to be some selfish jerk. And I know he’s not perfect, but he tried to be there for your new friend Malakaro. He did his best, but the truth is not everyone can be saved. Sometimes you walk out on someone because they’re a lost cause.”
“Is that what I am?” he asks.
“I didn’t mean you.”
“I am not Malakaro’s new friend. I’m your friend, your best friend. That will never change. I love you. But you need to start being honest with yourself. Your father had three children. And he only did right by two of them.”
“You can’t just stand there and judge him. He did what was best.”
“He did what was best for him.”
“So that’s it for you and me? Our friendship is going to end over this one issue?” I ask.
“Friends disagree all the time. It doesn’t change the fact that we love each other.”
“I guess not.”
“Hey, for the record, I know how hard it was for you to say no to Swoop.”
“I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me for keeping her from RJ.”
“I’ll talk to her. I’ll remind her that you don’t suck. Most of the time,” he teases.
“Um…thanks?”
“Come here, Carrot,” he says as he embraces me.
“Pry, can I talk to you?” Aaden asks as he walks out of Hunter’s room and takes me aside.
“I know you’re not happy about me and Hunter—”
“I’m not, but we need to put that aside for now. I was talking to Hunter, trying to get more info.”
“Did he figure out who the leader is?” I ask.
“No, but he did overhear two members talking, and with the amount of mixtures they plan to inject Bex with…”
“Aaden, what is it?”
“We have three days to find Bex, or he’s dead.”
“What do you mean it will take two days to combine our powers?” I ask Hunter shortly after speaking with Aaden.
“The Para that is supposed to marry us, his name is Asher. His family has been marrying Kons for centuries. He’s the one with the ability to combine our powers,” Hunter says as he inspects the fading scar on his chest.
“So why can’t he just come and marry us—and stop picking at your scar. The Healers said to leave it alone,” I remind him impatiently.
“Asher is what the humans refer to as a purist,” Hunter says as he forces himself to walk away from the mirror near his hospital bed.
“What does that mean?” I push.
“It means he believes in love and blah, blah, blah. He won’t marry anyone who he doesn’t believe is truly in love. He can detect when love is present and when it isn’t. He’s like a ‘love’ lie detector in the Para world. Haven’t you ever heard the expression ‘I like her, but I wouldn’t go before Asher’?”
“No.”
“Well, now you have. Basically if you don’t really love someone and you stand before Asher, he will sense it. And he won’t unite two beings that he feels aren’t truly in love.”
“Great, so he’ll take one look at us and know that we aren’t in love. We’re screwed,” I reply.
“That’s why we need two days. That’s how long it will take to create a mi
xture that will simulate love. We both drink it and Asher will think we’re deeply in love.”
“Everyone knows I’m with Bex. Won’t Asher be suspicious when I show up with you?”
“He was in a battle a few years back, and it left him blind. So as long as I sound like Bex and have the markings of the Kon, we’re fine.”
“If we take two days to join our powers, that means we will have only one day to save Bex.”
“And we will,” Hunter says, mostly to himself.
“What if—”
“Pryor, stop worrying. We’ll get married, Asher will blend our powers together, and we’ll get Bex back.”
“Are we sure we’ll get him back? Hunter, what if they hurt him? Or worse, what if they—”
“Pryor, my brother can take whatever the New Order throws at him. He’s strong. He can survive this,” he assures me.
“Yeah, you’re right. Bex will be fine,” I reply, filled with uncertainty.
“He will. And he wouldn’t want you to worry. We’ll find him,” he says, taking my hand in his.
“Who knew you could be a decent guy?” I reply.
“Yeah, it surprised us all.”
“I just wish you had come to Bex earlier. I wish you guys had talked so that things didn’t go this far,” I admit.
“I tried. I used every trick I could and snuck back here weeks earlier.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, I came to try to reason with Bex. I wanted him to let me back into the Para world.”
“He said no?”
“Well, I never got to talk to him.”
“Why not?”
“I tracked him to your house, but he was in the middle of a conversation with Diana. He didn’t look like he’d welcome the interruption.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t spy on him,” I reply, only partially joking.
“Honestly, I would have, but there aren’t a lot of hiding places on the roof.”
Chapter Fifteen:
Slow Road To Death
The rage that surges through me as I march up the steps and to the front door is unlike anything I have experienced before. The fury engulfs me and causes a low hum in my ears while nearly blinding me to all else. It’s as if the entire world boiled down to one face: Diana. I run into the house and make my way up the steps to her room. Swoop, East, and Randy call out my name as I blur past them, but I don’t stop to talk. The second Diana’s room is in sight, I kick the door.
“You poisonous little bitch!” I shout as I grab her by her neck and fling her across the room.
“What the hell?” she shouts as she tries to get up from the floor.
“I should have killed you years ago!” I declare as I spin in the air and drop kick her in the face. The blow causes blood to spew out from her nose and mouth. She’s about to talk, but I pound her face with my fist again. She groans and rocks back and forth as the pain runs through her.
“Don’t play victim now, you low-life snake. Fight me!” I demand.
She makes no move to fight back.
“Fight me!” I cry out as I grab her by the shoulders and shake the shit out of her.
Suddenly I feel my energy being sapped away. Someone is fighting me, but it’s not Diana. It’s East. He’s unleashed his electric lasso and wrapped it around me. Before I can stop him, he yanks on the lasso and sends me flying to the other side of the room.
“Pryor, what is your problem?” Swoop demands as she rushes to tend to Diana.
“Don’t help her. She’s a lying, manipulative piece of trash,” I yell. I’m so angry, East’s weapon is starting to have no effect on me. He’s forced to send yet another surge of energy coursing through the lasso.
“Pry, I don’t want to hurt you, but you have to stop,” East says.
“No! I’m not going to stop until I have pieces of Diana’s flesh between my fucking teeth!”
“What did she do?” Swoop asks.
“She slept with Bex,” I reply, so full of rage that I am now shaking.
East and Swoop look at each other in utter shock. They then look down at Diana and wait for a reply. She stays silent and just looks at the floor.
“Diana, tell Pry it’s not true,” Swoop says.
“Diana, say something,” East begs.
She looks up at me, and tears spring to her eyes.
“Diana, tell Pry that you didn’t do this. You didn’t sleep with Bex. You wouldn’t do that,” Swoop says.
“It’s…complicated,” Diana replies.
“Liar!” I yell.
“Pry, tell us what happened,” East says.
“Her demon friend saw her on the rooftop, having sex with someone. He knew it was someone she wasn’t supposed to be with, so he blackmailed her. And as it turns out, the guy on the rooftop with her that night was Bex. You were so desperate to keep your secret, you killed your demon friend,” I scream.
“Diana, just answer yes or no. Were you on the roof with Bex?” Swoop asks.
Diana lowers her head but stays silent.
“Answer her!” East pushes.
“She’s not gonna say anything in her defense because there is nothing to say,” I inform him.
“Pry, I’m sorry. The situation is just really hard to explain,” she pleads.
“Fuck you and your explanations. I know that you weren’t in this alone and that Bex is just as much to blame. And believe me, when I find him…there isn’t an Omari alive that can stop me from ripping his fucking soul out of his chest and using it as my very own doorstop. But since you have no damn soul, I will have to find another way to inflict the ultimate pain.”
“Pryor, I think you need to calm down,” Diana says.
“Bitch, you fucked my boyfriend and now you’re telling me to calm down?” I tackle Diana so suddenly, East doesn’t have time to reinforce the lasso around me. I break free from its hold and have Diana’s neck in between my hands. I press down so hard I am seconds away from snapping her neck. At this point all I see is the color red. Rage this blinding and this all consuming is rare for me. And I feel like the only way I can control it is to end Diana.
I must end her pathetic, miserable, soul-sucking life.
The last few seconds of Diana’s life are nearing. She is about to die, and I feel as if I can’t continue to live unless I stop her from seeing another day. But Swoop and East have both teamed up, and they’re trying desperately to get between my hands and Diana’s neck.
“Oh shit!” Swoop says frantically to East.
“Damn it!” East replies, going into overdrive.
I can only hear them; I’m still too busy literally seeing red. But it’s almost over. Diana is almost dead. I’m glad I didn’t use my powers; I love the slow road to death. It’s what she deserves. However, once again, someone is trying to get in my way. I feel a blow to the side of my face, repeatedly. Someone is slapping me. It helps take the redness away. Now I can see shapes and people again.
The first face that returns to me is that of Easton. After slapping me back to reality, he places his hands on either side of my face and speaks in a firm commanding voice.
“Pryor. You. Are. Killing. The baby.”
“The baby,” I gasp as I look down at the now fading marking on Diana’s arm.
“Oh no,” I whisper in horror.
“Yes. You are killing this kid, right now,” East replies.
“I…I…wasn’t trying to…”
“I know, Pry. But if you want to save this kid, you are going to have to let go of Diana’s neck,” East says gently.
I finally release my hands from Diana’s throat. East helps me to my feet. “Did I hurt the baby? Is she…?” I’m too terrified to finish my thought.
“No, look. The marks are returning,” East says.
I look down, and sure enough, the markings are reemerging. Swoop looks up at me, and from the look on her face, I know she really hates me right now. She helps Diana to her feet. I’m exhausted and drained. Standing up requ
ires a lot more energy than I have, but I try to stay on my feet.
“Tell the baby I’m sorry. Tell her I didn’t mean to…” I whisper in Diana’s direction as my voice shakes.
“It’s not a her. His patterns are developing quickly. Judging by the mark right here on my palm, it’s a boy. We’re calling him Nix. It’s short for Phoenix,” Diana says in a small voice.
We…
“I know you slept with Bex on the roof, but is he Nix’s father?” I ask, too weak to even convey any emotion at all, let alone anger.
“Pry, I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe that,” she vows.
“So that’s a yes, right?” I whisper.
“I’m hoping we get past this. I really do want us to be friends,” she pleads.
“Ruin, you’ll never really be a friend to anyone. You don’t know how. And you know what? After Nix arrives safely in the world, I want you to get your shit and get out.”
“I don’t have anywhere to go. Where am I supposed to go with my son?” she says.
“He can stay here, but you, you have to go,” I reply.
“Pry…I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m sorry I ever tried to be your friend and take you in. I’m sorry that this is the second time love has ripped my guts out. And I’m sorry I didn’t see what was right in front of my face,” I say as I walk over to what’s left of the door and head down the stairs.
I want to collapse and never move again. I want to give in to the wave of sorrow that I’m keeping at bay, but not here. I don’t want to cry at all. But if I have to cry, I don’t want it to be a few yards away from the she-demon up there. However, making it to the door proves to be far more difficult than I thought. I can feel my eyes filling up with tears. The weight of everything makes my head hang down.
Damn…
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” he says from the doorway as he enters the house. I look up and see him standing there. He’s my salvation.
“Randy,” I whisper, weak with relief. He comes towards me with arms wide open. I cling to him tightly and blubber like a heartbroken fool. And he lets me. He doesn’t judge me for losing control or for being dumb enough to try to love again. He just takes care of me. And even though I never said I needed to be away from this place, he takes out his Port and takes me away.
