by Lola StVil
“Yes, Kon.”
“I know that these are dark times for us. But if we surrender to our fear, we will be just as culpable as Malakaro. We need to stand united and assure our people that we have not forgotten about them. And while we will strike back at evil, we will not lose our souls along the way.”
“Yes, Kon,” they reply.
“I know that some of your friends and families were killed at the ball. I cannot give them back to you, but I can promise you their deaths were not in vain.”
“Thank you, Kon.”
“One last thing. I ordered the Freedom Project to be shut down. My brother had other ideas. However, he would not have been able to go against my wishes unless a member of the Omari allowed him to go off on his own. Which one of you allowed that to happen?” I ask.
The head of the Omari, Cash, steps up.
“Cash, I ordered you and your team to keep an eye on Hunter,” I remind him.
“Yes, Kon, you did.”
“And why was he able to go off on his own?”
“The team isn’t to blame. Hunter told me about the Freedom Project, and I agreed that it was worth continuing.”
“Were you unclear about my orders?”
“No. I decided you were wrong.”
“I see. You also disobeyed my orders back in New York when I told you not to fire on the home of the First Guardian and his daughter.”
“Yes, Kon.”
“You and I seem to be at odds.”
“I suppose so,” he says in an icy tone.
“I am open to discussing any and all issues. I am not running a dictatorship. However, once we have conferred and I have considered everything all of you have to say, I will make the final decision on how we proceed. When I give an order, it will be carried out. That is your job.”
“Kon, I am aware of my duties.”
“Yet you failed to perform them.”
“I felt you were wrong in ordering the project to be shut down. I also felt that we should have fired on the house in New York, and so I did.”
“Thank you for your honesty, Cash. Perhaps you should be Kon,” I suggest.
“Perhaps.”
“Then come, take the throne,” I offer as I stand up and step aside.
Cash looks up at me, shocked by my offer. He then looks back at his team, not sure what to do.
“Cash, you have grown a set of steel wings. You do what you want, when you want. You don’t give a damn what I have to say about it. Surely you are bold enough to come up here and sit on my throne,” I offer.
He looks back at me and studies the expression on my face. He’s looking to see if it’s some kind of trick.
“Come, take my seat.”
“Kon, I…”
“You what?”
“I don’t wish to have your throne.”
“I’m going to have to disagree. Every action you have taken has been to make your stance clear. You feel as though you would lead our people better than me. So, sit on my throne. Make it official.”
“Kon, I am sorry if I—”
“You have disobeyed me repeatedly. That takes bravery, Cash. Now, sit on the throne.”
He moves towards me slowly, taking one step at a time. He is two feet away from the throne, but he doesn’t go for it. Instead he stops and looks at me as if he’s expecting me to stop him. I smile and signal for him to continue his journey. He makes it to my throne and sits down. A smile creeps onto his face along with a smug look of superiority as he looks out at the Omari.
“So…how does it feel, Cash?” I ask.
“It’s…fine.”
“Oh, c’mon…” I reply with a laugh.
“It’s okay,” he lies.
“Cash, you have been trying to get on that throne since the start of this. And now you’re on it. Don’t be modest. You have earned this. Now, tell me, tell all of us, how does it feel to be in the chair that governs the entire Para world?” I ask with a big grin.
“It feels good,” he says, unable to stop himself from smiling.
“Oh, be fair, Cash, it feels great!” I encourage as I laugh.
Cash joins in and we share a heartfelt laugh.
“CASH, DON’T HOLD BACK! TELL YOUR FELLOW OMARI: HOW DOES THE THRONE FEEL?”
“IT FEELS—”
I reach into his chest and pluck out the orb that houses his soul. Blood gushes out of the cavity in his chest and onto the floor. He looks back at me with vacant eyes. Cash Bowen is dead.
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Bonded
Killing has never felt good. But killing one of my own is a special brand of torture. Cash was raised to be Omari since the day he was born. He trained for this night and day. He lived and breathed the life of an Omari. For him to risk everything, including his life, meant that he really believed in what he did.
Yes, if I had it to do all over again, I would still take his life. That’s just a sad part that comes with leadership. Had I allowed him to continue to disrespect and openly disobey me, it would have caused others to question me. Once that happened, it would only be a matter of time before the whole Para world was thrown into chaos. I did what I had to do.
Then why do I keep justifying it to myself? Why do I keep going over my reasons again and again? It’s the least I can do after taking the life of my own kind.
The Healers I have assembled are making progress, but not nearly as quickly as I would like. I’ve had a strategy meeting with Para leaders from all over the world, and together we agree that we need a mixture before we engage Malakaro in open battle. Anything else would be foolish.
As for the Omari, I have replaced their leader, Cash, with Bellamy. She is the first female Omari. Bellamy is skilled, capable, and completely trustworthy. I assign her to watch Hunter because I know she won’t let him out of her sight.
After a long and frustrating day of going over possible yet ultimately useless plans of attack on Malakaro, I head for New York City. Things have gotten so screwed up and crazy, all I want to do is look at Pryor. She has a way of making things better. All she has to do is smile and tilt her head to the side like she does, and suddenly everything is fine again.
When I get near the house, I hear talking coming from her window. I fly up there and hover. I don’t want to listen in, but she’s talking to Silver and, well, I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave a victim alone with the sneak who bit her.
“I know I’m the last being you want to see or hear from. And I know that I hurt you. Please understand that I would do anything to make the pain stop. Bex says Diana and I need to leave the house and go live somewhere else. He thinks me being here is too much for you. I think he’s right. Us being here is unfair to you. So we’re gonna go,” he tells her.
“You two are part of the team; you can’t just take off,” she replies in a small voice, not bothering to face him.
“I know. We’ll stay in contact, and we’ll be in the city as much as possible. I’m not leaving the team,” he promises.
“No, you’re just leaving me,” she says.
He gasps like she just slapped him. In a way, she did. Being confronted with his decisions has proven difficult for the second in command. Hearing her say he abandoned her hurts him.
Good. He deserves to be hurt.
“I just want it to be as easy for you as possible,” he replies.
She bursts out laughing. It’s sad, ironic laughter that contains no joy at all. She shakes her head and pulls herself from the window and finally faces him.
“How?” she asks.
“What?”
“How can you make this easier? Is there a mixture you know of that I can drink? Is there some kind of potion or ointment that I can use to make this torture stop?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Then I guess you can’t help me.”
“I’m sorry, Pry. I really am.”
“Get out.”
He’s going to say something, but then he thinks better o
f it and heads for the door. She calls out after him.
“Wait. Are you taking Diana to Roslyn? Are you? Are the two of you staying at Roslyn?” she asks, getting more and more upset.
“That’s not gonna happen. I promise.”
“NOOOOO! YOU DON’T GET TO DO THAT! YOU DON’T GET TO MAKE PROMISES TO ME ANYMORE!”
“Okay, okay. But I am not taking her to Roslyn.”
“Did you know that you were going to break up with me when we were there? Did you plan it this whole time?”
“No, baby, I didn’t.”
“You call me ‘baby’ one more time and I will end you!”
“Pryor, this was the last thing I wanted. Hurting you was never my plan.”
“That’s too bad because you’re awfully good at it,” she replies.
“I’m sorry.”
“When I found out Diana was pregnant, it broke my heart. But I tried to make it work because I love you. Why couldn’t you do the same? Why couldn’t you fight for us? What is it about me that makes me not worth fighting for?” She weeps and her voice trembles.
Silver immediately goes over to her and holds her. She isn’t the only one with tears in her eyes. Silver blinks his tears away as she cries on his chest.
“No! No!” she says as she pushes him away.
“I just want to help,” he pleads.
“No, you don’t. What you wanted to do was use my love for you to destroy me.”
“Pryor…no, that’s not it.”
“Yes, yes, it is. You let me believe that you loved me. You took me to Roslyn; you made me believe we had a future. And you took it away, but I don’t know why. I don’t know what I did to make you hurt me so much.”
“Pry, I swear it’s not you. Please, you have to know it’s not your fault,” he says, stepping towards her.
“No! Get away from me!” she says, taking a step back.
“Pryor, please…”
“I hate you. I wish you died in the Center. I wish they had killed you because then you wouldn’t be standing here stepping on my heart.” She sobs as she sits on her bed and places her head in her hands.
Silver motions to go towards her, but I enter through the window in time to stop him.
“Demon, you need to go, right now!” I order.
“I can’t! Don’t you get that? I can’t leave her like this,” he shouts.
“YOU ALREADY LEFT HER. NOW GET THE FUCK OUT!” I rage.
Silver looks over at Pry, then back at me, and wisely decides to leave the room. I go over to her and ask if she needs anything, but she shakes her head.
“Do you want me to get Randy for you or maybe one of the twins?” I ask.
Again she shakes her head. She then lies across the bed and rests her head on her hands.
“Pry, tell me what to do. What can I do?” I ask.
“Can you turn off the light, please?” she asks without looking at me.
“Pry, you just got up an hour ago,” I remind her.
She stands up, goes over to the light switch, and turns it off. She then gets back into bed in the same position. I have no choice but to give her the space she needs.
I thought that Pry would want to be alone for a few hours, but I was wrong. It’s been days and she’s still in her room. The twins check on her, but the only thing she does is ask them work-related questions.
“Is everyone on the team safe?” she wonders.
“Yes.”
“Is Firebug okay?” she says.
“Yes.”
“Any news about the last vial we need to get to stop Malakaro?” she asks.
“No.”
“Okay. Turn the lights off on your way out, please,” she says.
The twins try to get her to talk about Silver, but as soon as they mention his name, she turns away from them and faces the other way. I thought nothing could be worse than watching the girl I love crying her eyes out, but I was wrong again. Watching Pryor look out into nothing is worse than hearing her cry. She’s lost in her head, and no one is able to get her back to the real world.
Randy comes over once a day and lies beside her. He’s reconciled that she’s not in the mood to talk, but he lies by her anyway so she knows he’s there for her. East goes into her room at least twice a day and tries to make her laugh.
The twins check in on her, and Diana calls every day to ask about her. Thankfully, Silver knows enough to stay away. But I know he’s not too far because I’ve spotted him on her block a few times. It’s all I can do not to rip his damn wings off.
The next day, I manage to sneak out of a meeting with the Quo so I can check in on her. I find her door open and it gives me hope. Maybe she’s feeling better. Maybe this is the end of the darkness she’s been dragged into. I hear her and East talking. I wait for it to be over, not wanting to interrupt.
“East, I need a favor,” she says.
“Anything,” he replies.
“I need you to wipe my mind.”
“Pry, I told you before, the time you spent at the Center was so traumatic, even attempting to take away that memory could screw you up,” he pleads.
“I know, that’s not the memory I want you to take away.”
“Oh, okay. Then what is it you want to wipe from your mind?”
“A night I spent with Aaden,” she whispers.
“Pry…”
“Look, can you do it?” she pushes.
“Well…”
“East, he’s moved on now. I need to do the same, and I can’t. Every time I start to get some distance, I have these flashbacks, and I need them to stop. Help me.”
“Okay…”
He makes her sit on the nearest chair, close her eyes, and focus on that night. He then places both hands on her head. There’s a glow radiating from his hands. It’s so bright I have to shield my eyes. Without any warning, glass shatters. East has been hurled through the plate glass window and falls two stories down to the street below. Pryor runs to the window.
“Are you okay?” she calls out.
“Yeah, I’m great. Just terrific,” he quips as he groans from the ground below. He flies back up to her room.
“Let me guess. This ‘night’ that you spent with Aaden, was it your first time?” he asks her.
“Yeah, kind of,” she says shyly.
“Carrot, your first time isn’t just ‘some night,’” he replies gently.
“What do you mean?”
“Any experience two people share that’s deeply personal and embedded in both of their minds is called a ‘bonded’ memory. Wiping that away is different than other memories.”
“Are you saying you can’t do it? Please tell me that’s not what you’re saying, because really I can’t take it. Please tell me you can wipe a bonded memory.”
“I can.”
“Good! Then let’s try again.”
“Like I said, I can do it. But a bonded memory is like Rah. It requires both angels’ consent.”
“What?”
“Pry, if you want this memory erased, you need to get Aaden’s permission to let me enter his head too.”
“So the only way I can take that night away is—”
“Is if Aaden wants it gone too.”
Now we are about to go into week three of Pry’s silence, and it’s breaking my heart in ways I could never have imagined. I decide that enough is enough and I enter her room without knocking. I turn on the light, but she hardly registers that I’m there.
“Get up; get your things. We’re leaving,” I order.
“No, Bex, just go and turn the light off.”
“I’m not asking you to come with me. I’m telling you. Now, do you want to pack, or should I do it for you?”
“Go away, Bex. Please.”
“Sorry, can’t.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“I know that. But you are.”
“Where am I going?”
“I’ll tell you after you pack.”
“I can�
��t leave my team.”
“I’ve already spoken to them, and they think you need time away. And you’re not on a mission right now, so yes, you can.”
“What about Malakaro and the vial?”
“You can’t do anything until you know where the last vial is. So get up and pack.”
I honestly thought it was going to be far more difficult to get her to come with me, but she doesn’t fight me. I don’t think she agrees to come because she wants to; I think she just doesn’t have it in her to argue.
I could have asked her to go to the moon with me and she would have said yes if it meant she wouldn’t have to engage in a conversation about it. She gets up from the bed and throws a few articles of clothing into a carry-on, and we take off out the window.
“Okay, so…where are we going?” she asks with very little interest.
“The Garden of Eden.”
Chapter Twenty-Five:
La Belle
(MATURE CONTENT AHEAD. READERS MAY SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER WITHOUT MISSING PLOT POINTS.)
The look on her face when we land in the garden is priceless. We are in a small town in the Netherlands called Limburg. I explain to her that this is where Omnis placed the original Garden of Eden. Omnis felt that while humanity had faltered at times, there were those who had shown enormous courage and faith in the face of great hardship. So he had the Paras reconstruct this garden. He called it “La Belle,” meaning “the beauty.” It explains how Omnis feels about humanity.
La Belle has over ten million daffodils, hyacinths, and hectares. The trees sway calmly in the breeze and welcome us with the soft scent of spring. The garden boasts endless rows of bright flowers laid against lush green grass.
She asks for more details about La Belle and says she knows how Randy feels when he has to ask the team questions all the time. I give a tour of the highlights, as La Belle really is too vast to take in in only a few hours. I show her the pristine waterfall, the half-dozen koi ponds, and the captivating landscape that seems to go on forever.
“This place is…wow!” she says.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“No, I love it. Who’s that?” she asks.
I follow her gaze and find a staff member taking a wheelchair-bound little girl over to look at the pond.
