by Tara Brown
The drive was short as Aimee had ordered the van dropped to a location close to their destination.
The large warehouse looking building had very few windows and almost no doors. They surveyed the area for nine hours straight, watching cars go in and out nearly all black and shiny new cars with flags or plates they knew to be important people.
As dusk began to settle in the sky Aimee knew their window to complete their mission would be very narrow. They approached the building winking the entire way. Ari smiled at Aimee as she flashed a hand past the scanner. The door lock blinked green but she tried hard not to feel smug, people had grown a lot cleverer and some of her kind had been captured before. God only knew or rather didn’t want to know what the humans had done to them. They slowly stalked in looking around seeing the crates and forklifts firstly and then the rest of the huge cement room with the feel of an industrial shipping area. It appeared to be a huge government warehouse filled with crates and of course the special children they knew would be kept invisible.
A black metal door stood behind one of the forklifts looking ominous. Aimee knew instantly it was a certain rock, obsidian. A door made of granite like rock seemed silly but she remembered something about immortals being blocked by certain metals and stones. She panicked a little as she imagined the other side of the door hoping her powers would work on it.
Ari whispered, "Can you get us past it?"
Aimee bit her lip, "No I don’t think so. It's obsidian, devils rock. Flash your hand."
Ari flashed her hand, it was a neat trick she'd learned from her dad/Dorian. He told her the doors would just open like ladies bras did for him, it was a touching moment. She threw up a little thinking about it and the comment he'd made after wondering if Aimee would ever be into him. She cringed and opened the door.
"I'm powerless inside of here."
Ari nodded, "I think we both might be, that door makes me feel funny."
Aimee glared looking around, "If they were smart they built the whole damned warehouse with it."
Ari smiled, "It’s the government, they're not smart."
Inside the hallway Aimee tried to wink ahead but couldn’t.
Ari sighed, "Nice they're cheap with everything except powerful children and private jets."
They walked along the hallway until they reached a small room with the door open. Aimee looked inside to find a pink bed and a dresser covered in books. A blue jump rope sat on the floor beneath her feet. She closed the door looking around the room for it’s occupant. She smelled something, perfume perhaps. She breathed it in calmly looking the source of the smell. The room was disastrous.
"This looks like my sisters room. This will never fly with Annabelle.” She muttered looking at the clothes covering the floor at the base of the closet.
“Who are you?” a small female voice squeaked at her.
Nearly jumping out of their skin they turned toward the voice seeing nothing.
Aimee spoke softly again, “Your salvation. Who are you?”
Ari saw a slight movement in the air she assumed was the little being.
“Sarah, Sarah Martin. Why are you my salvation?” The girl sounded so calm for having strangers in her room this made Ari sad. The little girl had never truly been taken care of. She had a clinical approach to everything from a lack of tenderness.
"May I read you? Hold your hand out and I will touch it and see what your intentions are?" Her little voce squeaked.
Aimee nodded putting her hand out slowly.
Moments past as Aimee stood perfectly still until at last she felt tiny fingers gripping her own.
“I'm a fire witch.” The small voice spoke softly.
The little girl appeared suddenly.
"Thank god. I was wondering if you would ever come. We have to hurry. If we get to Danny first he will tell all the others before they get here.”
She was a cute little blond with curly long hair in pigtails. She looked about ten at the most with very pale skin from lack of sunshine. She had soft brown eyes and a few teeth missing.
She opened the door and peeked a head out into the hall. She walked to a door three doors down on the right hand side. She opened the door and spoke softly, “Danny they're here now. Tell the others we have to go now.” Aimee looked at Ari who looked as confused as she was.
They walked behind the fiery little thing as she pointed to Danny, a chubby boy with dark brown hair and dark skin and blue eyes who looked about twelve at the most. Danny sat playing a video game, “They’ll be here in a minute. Dawn doesn’t want to come though. Hi I’m Danny.” His eyes never left his game.
Aimee smiled, “Hi Danny. I’m Aimee. This is my best friend Ari. We need you guys to be ready to go in about a minute will they be here soon? Is there someone here who is blocking our powers?”
Ben spoke softly waiting for the others, “They’ll be here right now and that would be Anne.”
He pointed as a beautiful girl with big black colored eyes and silky brown hair came strolling in. She was so beautiful and old. Not at all what Amy had imagined when Lydia called them children but when considering the source it seemed to fit. Even she was a child compared to Lydia.
“Hi Anne I’m Aimee is there any way to turn that off?”
Anne looked oddly at her and spoke almost rude in her tone, “No. I don’t control where it happens it just does. If I could control it I wouldn’t be here with the A team.”
Ari raised her eyebrows at the girl wanting to slap her silly but instead took a deep breath. Six kids strolled into the room making the total eight.
“So eight of you. Right well let's get out of here then. Everyone has to touch at the exact moment I wink, do you understand?”
They all nodded except one girl Aimee took to be Dawn. She looked defiant and rude just standing there.
“Do you have a problem?” Ari asked pointedly.
Everyone else sighed as the girl answered, “Yes I have a problem. I don’t want to leave. We are asking for trouble. Here they feed us and give us clothes and somewhere warm to live. I am tired of running and I want to stay.”
Aimee nodded, "That ones yours dude."
Ari laughed and nodded feeling sad about what she was about to say but she needed everyone on board, “Our options are to end you or take you so your choice will result in one of those two selections.”
The eyes of the kids around them, mostly teenagers, all looked like they might come out of their heads.
“You’re a death dealer, Sam saw you coming. He saw you taking us to some old house. You can’t kill us. God won’t let you.” She crossed her arms defiantly.
Aimee grinned at her, “why would you think I serve god, he didn’t make me?”
The girl took the hands of the girl beside her with a lump to swallow in her throat.
A noise made them all jump, Aimee smelled them as they made their way down the hall.
“Now!” She screamed as the kids all took hands and ran. At the end of the hall Ari had a door open leading into another part of the warehouse. She watched as another black door closed.
"WE'RE FREE AIMS, NOW!"
Aimee put her hands out and she winked them away as fast as she could. Not fast enough, she caught a glimpse of Daniel's face as she faded away. He looked panicked as he reached for her too late.
She opened her eyes to the minivan parked miles away. She stopped momentarily feeling her heart pounding in her chest after seeing his face. Daniel had seemed upset. She smiled thinking about it.
“Well now we know that works lets leave the minivan and try to get to Lydia's."
She had expected to be long gone by the time the sun went down. All the bickering and bull had prolonged their stay in the creepy warehouse.
Ari looked nervously at the huge boy standing in front of her as they all took Aimee's hand, "So are you Sam?”
He nodded looking straight ahead. He looked incredibly sad as he spoke softly, “We need to get there as fast as your able to. We
have a small problem your not aware of.”
He looked around at the kids all reaching in to touch Aimee, “This group of kids is full of the most dangerous weapons on the planet and you’ve just taken us out of the only place we were guaranteed not to do bad things to the world. There will be people after us from here on out.” He raised an eyebrow looking extremely unhappy with his circumstances.
Aimee nodded, “We didn’t decide to come get you on a whim contrary to your belief. We have given this a lot of thought and the woods near our house are the safest on this continent. You will be safe there, we just have to get you there. We're not exactly without skills young man. We will do our best for you and them.”
He frowned, “I think we will probably need some hellfire to get us there. And don’t call me boy, lad or young man. I would bet you I’m older than you are.”
Ari laughed for the first time in days, “Yea well I wish that you were. Then perhaps I wouldn’t feel so alone right now. And don’t ask for hellfire sonny unless you know what your talking about, it is a very bad thing to mess with.”
He snorted at her, “Fine whatever just don’t say I never warned you.”
Ari shook her head in disbelief. They were the least grateful group she had ever met. They had no idea the kind of things she had saved them from.
“Anne just out of curiosity why was your block only working on us? How come the other people in the little science experiment camp could use their gifts of foresight or vanishing or whatever but ours was blocked?”
Anne shrugged, “I didn’t know you. That makes you a threat to me. No one has ever explained how this all works to me, they just get excited that it does. I have the ability to put up a shield around myself and others near me against the threats.”
“So does that mean that they won’t be able to track you to Lydia's house or sense you being there?"
“I don’t know. I’ve never had it explained to me.” Anne continued to look out the window as Aimee winked.
“Aimee are we almost there I’m hungry and I need to pee?” A small voice came from below her.
Sam sighed, “If we stop now they will find us and make us do the bad things again, okay? Everyone just follow Aimee and Ari. Aimee is going to take us all now and get as far away from here as possible.”
Ari looked at him for a second before feeling the words hit her, he was a good-looking teenager. His brown hair was soft looking framing his handsome face. He had dark brown eyes that looked black in the night. Ari took a deep breath to cool herself off.
She scolded herself remembering Lucas and his sweet face.
Ari thought again to the comment Anne made about her being a threat, “So what the heck are you guys?”
Sam shook his head, “Not right now.”
Aimee winked them all smiling at the groans of nausea.
Ari raised her eyebrows in annoyance, “We just saved you and that’s your answer, not right now? Fair enough you’ve been nothing but ungrateful since we met you so why not continue in that direction. We're here anyway, see the huge house. That’s your new home away from home."
Lydia and Annabelle waved at them from the front door as the huge crowd walked into the driveway.
Lydia smiled, "Everyone inside and Annabelle will give you the tour." She turned to Aimee and Ari, "Have a fun trip girls?"
Ari rolled her eyes watching Sam walk into the house, "Weird would be the better word."
Aimee shrugged, "We got there just before Daniel. He looked pissed cause we got the kids first."
Lydia shook her head, “Not kids Aimee. Those are something else. They’re half angels, like from the tales of a long time ago. Those kids are the product of very old and powerful angels. They're like Ari and possibly the problem we have been seeing coming for a long time. We need for them to agree to live here, maybe forever.”
Ari frowned, “So we are essentially doing the same thing as the government, making them stay in a place against their will.”
Lydia shook her head, “No they must choose this. We cannot bend their will for them. They have to see the power they carry is too much to take for granted.”
Ari sighed, "That’s a horrid lesson to learn, trust me."
“Why did the dark ones want them dead?”
Lydia's eyes shone in the moonlight coming in the window, “Someone has seen them as tipping the scales in our favor. Someone has seen them choose our side."
"Well its not like we couldn’t use the help."
Lydia sighed looking up at the old house, "It's about balance Ari. Not one side winning but both sides finding equal ground."
Aimee smiled, "Well I'm going home for the night, I need some sleep."
Ari laughed, "Don’t forget to call about the van. Say it broke down. It's my visa Aims."
Aimee walked away waving, "I will. Good luck tonight." She winked and was gone.
Ari looked up at the house, "Where will they all sleep?"
Lydia giggled, "Oh this old house always finds places to make a room or two when needed."
Ari laughed walking into the house to help the new additions get acquainted.
Lucas smiled at her from across the kitchen, "There's my girl."
She smirked back, "Hey you."
He walked over kissing her lips softly, he was always gentle with her.
She looked up at Sam watching her from the other room. She sighed closing her eyes and wondering what kind of troubles the new group of kids would bring. She thought about her own trouble and cringed. Nephilim were a dangerous group of people.
Lydia laughed behind her, "I love you Ari but you're thinking the exact thing I am."
Ari laughed, "Hurtful, you make me sound like a Luna-Chic. I've managed to gain control," she looked at the group of youths in front of her, "These guys will too."
Sam looked her in the eyes, holding her gaze.
Chapter Thirty-Four- Hyde and Seek
Epilogue
Aimee
She took a deep breath winking into the room. Her hands trembled but she knew it was the only way things could be. She owed him that at least. She walked into the living room and smiled, "Hi daddy."
The older man began crying, he looked afraid but he got up from his chair and walked toward her with his arms stretched out.
She remained very still as his fingers made contact with her arm. His grip tightened and he pulled her to him squeezing her. Had she been mortal the hug would have hurt her.
"How?"
"I faked my death."
He sobbed, "You're not a ghost?"
She shook her head silently as tears streamed her cheeks, "I am dead but not in the same way you would consider someone dead."
He pulled her back, "Do you think you're a vampire? I know that’s all the craze right now with girls your age."
She laughed, "No daddy. I'm a grim reaper, a death dealer."
"How? This isn’t possible."
She felt shame flooding her face, "I sold my soul to the devil to stay alive when nothing else could keep me here."
"Aimee are you on drugs?"
"No daddy I swear. I'm a reaper. I promise."
He touched her arm squeezing it, "I've lost my mind. It's finally happened."
Tears leaked from her eyes, "No daddy I'm here. I'm real. I swear."
He shook his head and walked away from her.
She walked up to him grabbing his arm, "Daddy watch this." She winked herself across the room and then back to him.
He reached out and touched her again, "Aimee."
She smiled and squeezed his hand, "Yes. I can't explain everything right now. Shane said he would come and answer your questions. I just couldn’t bear for you to think I'm dead one more minute."
"You're real?"
She nodded excitedly, "I'm real."
He nodded, "Okay. Okay. I can live with that. I'm not certain I want any details but I can live with that."
She laughed again, "I'm so sorry I hurt you and made you think I was de
ad."
"Are you in danger?"
She nodded, "That and I wont age, I wont get sick, I wont ever have children or be on the PTA. I will always be this."
He hugged her again soothingly, "You're perfect the way you are Aimee and if this is all we ever get than I will be grateful. I lost you once and I cant do it again."
She pulled back looking sternly at him, "Dad you can never talk about me like I'm alive, you cant let on you know. There are things after me, they want me dead or at the very least to join their side. We call them the dark ones."
He frowned, "So you're good still then?"
She nodded, "I am. I don’t hurt people unless I have to, I govern the laws for people like me."
"You have a place to live and food and friends?"
"And you and Shane."
"Then what else could you ask for? Will you stay for a while?"
She smiled, "I'll come back tomorrow night, maybe some Austen?"
He laughed, "Done but I want that…"
She nodded, "I know I know Pride and Prejudice. You know dad there is one you’ve never seen before, it’s a bit more gothic."
His eyes lit up, "Well I feel more open minded as of late so why not." She squeezed his hands.
"I have to go. Shane will be here any minute to talk with you and answer questions."
"I love you Aimee."
"I love you too daddy." She winked from the room.
Her broken heart felt as if it were mending, even if it was just a little. She looked at her watch winking herself to her Roses assignment. She liked being exactly on time.
She walked along the long gravel driveway enjoying the feel of the night air on her. She looked up at the gothic Tudor home at the end of the driveway. She felt her cell phone buzz and pulled it out.
She smiled at the text from Shane.
'He's so happy Aimes. You did the right thing. C U tomorrow night'
She put her phone away and put on her game face.
She knocked on the huge wooden door with the forest scene carved in it and waited as the golden handle turned.
"Good Evening Miss Aimee. He is ready for you."
She nodded and walked in. She hated it when they were nice to her.
