by Alexie Aaron
“You just told Dieter there wasn’t a problem,” Audrey said.
Orion’s eyes shot over to where Cid was, and he put his fingers to his lips.
“I told him I’d tell him all about it when we next meet. Cid, you don’t look so good,” Orion said, walking over. He looked at the twin stroller and the books scattered around them and he realized, “This is where Mia fought off that evil ghost.”
“And lost,” Cid said and pointed to a bloody tome. “I forget sometimes that Mia is mortal. Although, she’s been repaired more often than my father’s vintage Buick.”
“Some wounds can’t be repaired,” Orion said. “They need new parts… Oh, oh.” He turned to Audrey. “Nevermind, I understand now. There’s no problem.”
Audrey, who was used to Orion’s meanderings, nodded that she understood and went back to her shelving. She was going to beat Cid Garrett to the end of the aisle, bloody books or not!
Mike sat outside with the librarian on a bench under a chestnut tree. She seemed to be staring off into space, but in truth, she wasn’t awake at all. Angelo and his extraction team had rounded up the evil ghost who attacked Mia and the children. He had her contained in a lead coffin that two of his strongest had just flown away with.
Angelo walked over to Mike and asked, “How is she?”
“Still under. Have you heard how Mia is?”
Angelo angled his head a moment and smiled. “She’s home now. I know it seems that not a lot of time has passed here, but I assure you that Elizabeth didn’t skimp in her care.”
“Funny that Victor got here before you,” Mike prodded.
“He’s been hanging out at the farm. He can’t seem to understand that Varden is safe with the Martins. I had to replace him as my right wing.”
“How’d he take that?”
“Like he takes most things, with a grunt. I think he’d rather be working with John Ryan on the Cynosura intelligence gathering than being my, as Mia puts it, thug.”
Orion exited the building. He walked over to them. “They’re almost finished downstairs. I need to find something to mop up all the blood…”
Mike closed his eyes a moment. “She fought that thing with everything she had. She was deflecting books while calling for iron weapons. That monster was powerful. I’ve never seen a ghost behave like that. If it wasn’t for the raven, I would have never gotten close enough to stab that evil bitch.”
“Raven?” Angelo asked.
“Tell us about the raven,” Orion requested.
“It was pecking at the basement window. Dieter let it in, and it flew in the face of the ghost, distracting it until I planted the iron spike in her chest.”
The two looked at each other.
“There’s more?” Angelo asked.
“Dieter and I’ve were upstairs reading these old poems we found, supposedly written by a raven. So when it showed up, I thought it was a pretty great coincidence. Okay, which one of your team was it? I’d like to shake his hand.”
“Not mine,” Angelo said.
Orion had a sly look pass his face. “I’m not exactly sure but maybe a relative of Victor’s.”
“It would explain how he heard, and I did not,” Angelo said.
“So Varden’s screaming was actually bird calls?”
“It’s very instinctual behavior. Makes sense when you consider his heritage,” Orion said.
Mike saw Cid emerge from the front of the building carrying the folded-up stroller. He stopped and ran the wheels over the grass a few times before putting it into the back of Mike’s new vehicle. He walked over. “Audrey needs something to mop the floor with.”
“Audrey’s mopping the floor?”
“I won the contest. Sure, a few of the books are still dripping wet but…” Cid trailed off.
“She’s home,” Mike said. “Somehow, these medical miracle makers have put our Humpty Dumpty back together again.”
“She’s never going to go into another library again,” Cid said.
“Who knew they were such dangerous places?” Mike said, getting up. “Cid, watch the lady of the books. I seem to remember passing a janitor’s closet on the basement level. I’ll clean the floor. Cooper has once again got out of cleanup.”
Mia ripped the sheets off Cid’s bed. “Fortunately for us, Cid has four sets of the same sheets. You take these to the washer. I’ll make the bed. If we’re lucky, he won’t notice. You’ll have to bribe Jake. I’ll leave that to you.”
Ted smiled and left the apartment. He liked it when Mia ordered him around. He loved it when they had sex. They were playful and immature, but the love flowed. After, he looked her over, inch by inch, and told her what had changed. He told her he missed her stretch marks, and she told him that was one of the reasons she let him live for knocking her up. When he found the imbedded locket, she told him what it supposedly did when she brought out her wings. Ted asked to see her new wings, Mia declined, saying the space was too small.
Ted avoided the office and walked around the back of the barn and into the mudroom. There he put the sheets into the washer and started them. He nosed around the kitchen, pouring a healthy dose of coffee into a thermos. He heard voices in Lazar’s rooms. He didn’t want to disturb the discussion they were having. It sounded dire, and Ted was too happy.
Mia looked at herself one more time before she left Cid’s bathroom. Her nose was a bit different but not horrible, considering that it had been flattened by the thrown book. Mia took another look around before she closed Cid’s door and walked down the steps.
Ted was standing at the bottom looking up at her.
Mia turned around and looked behind her. She looked back again, and he was still staring. “What?” she asked, walking down the steps.
“I never get tired of seeing you,” Ted said.
“Well, it’s a good thing I change every so often,” she said. Mia walked to the center of the barn. “Are you ready for this?”
“I’m not sure,” Ted admitted. “But I can’t think of a better time.”
Mia thought wings. They pushed out of her back, and she took her time unfolding them. She was amused to see that she could almost reach the width of the barn with her new wingspan.
Ted’s mouth dropped open.
Mia rose a bit off the ground and let the outer armor form. As each feather tip touched the cement floor, sparks flew and the barn echoed with what sounded like the rapid fire of an automatic weapon.
“I’m going to have to work on a new Kevlar suit. Your old one will be too short through the body. Turn around,” he said, climbing the steps. “I want to see the change in the locket.”
Mia did too.
Ted kept walking up the steps until at one point Mia disappeared. He walked down a few steps and saw that she was still there. “Mighty Mouse, you have cloaking powers. If it’s sunny, no one will be able to see you from above.”
“I’m not sure how useful that is since I don’t plan on flying anytime soon…”
“Why not?”
“I barely kept upright on my old set. These are lethal,” Mia said, retracting the armor and then the wings.
“Why do you have them then?”
“They were pretty so I said why not?” Mia said in a Betty Boop voice.
“Michael will expect you to use them,” Ted warned her. “Maybe Victor will be so kind…”
“NO!” Mia seemed surprised by her own reaction and confessed, “I don’t know why I shouted that, but I sense that Altair will be a better choice.”
“It’s the heart feather, isn’t it? Have you gone gaga for that magnificent beast?” Ted asked playfully.
“No, but until I get a handle on why he did what he did for me, I’m playing it safe.”
The sound of someone turning a page of a book was all the warning they got before Altair walked into the barn.
“The heart feather gives the wearer the exact wings of the giver,” Altair read from the volume he had in front of his nose. “Hello, Ted.” He continued, “The
reason is so that both birds will be equal for the death plunge of the mating.”
“Death plunge?” Mia squeaked.
“He gave them to you, so you could protect Varden as if he was here,” Ted reasoned.
“Sounds plausible,” Mia said.
“I betcha you’re not scared of Sentinel Woods now,” Ted said.
“Less. At least I can fly out of the sinkholes. But the creature is an unknown entity.”
“Tell me,” Altair requested.
“I think she’s older than the fall. Have you ever read Pumpkin Head?”
Ted groaned.
“I have if you mean that cheesy story about revenge that never ends?”
“That’s the one.”
“Why do you say the creature predates the fall?” Altair asked.
“She doesn’t follow any doctrine, be it good or evil. Recently, I met Mbengar, and there are similarities to both entities.”
“I heard about Mbengar from Michael,” Altair said in passing. “Well, Mia, are you ready for your first lesson?” he asked.
“No.”
“Tough, sister, it’s time. If you let those sit too long, you’re going to have posture problems,” he said to Mia. Altair turned to Ted and mouthed, “She won’t.”
Ted was shocked. Angels lie. Maybe it was just archangels who used to be demons that lie. “Before you two go, Altair, you can’t see Mia in the daylight if you’re above her. Try not to break her. It’s her turn to do the dishes tonight.”
Mia scowled at Ted.
“Mia, it’s either me or Victor…”
Mia nodded.
Altair set the book down on Ted’s worktable before he opened the barn doors telepathically. He demanded to see Mia’s wings, and unlike Michael, he wasn’t impressed. He was horrified. “That’s some set you got there…”
“Ted, he’s hitting on me, make him leave.”
Altair frowned and increased his size so their wingspan matched.
“See, Teddy Bear, size does matter,” Mia pointed out.
Ted couldn’t help laughing.
Mia turned to Altair. “I take it you haven’t seen Victor in full armor have you?”
“No. That’s it. Mia, retract your armor but keep your wings. I’m an idiot. Some teacher I am. I’ll get you flying, and then, if you want, maybe your grandfather can help you to understand the armor.”
“No, I will,” Victor said, walking into the barn. He bowed a greeting to Ted.
Ted, feeling very regal at the moment, nodded his head in reply.
“I can see you don’t need me,” Altair said, backing away.
“Come, maybe you can learn a few things, angel,” Victor said acidly.
Ted worried that this was going to turn into a pissing contest. He was about to call the whole thing off when Altair graciously accepted the invitation.
“I admit that I could learn a few things from you, Victor.”
“First thing, Mia, you must wear this,” Victor said, holding up a strange metal collar.
Mia bit her lip as Victor clamped it around her neck.
“I can’t move my head,” she complained.
“Wait.”
Mia did and the collar adjusted and fell lightly along her collarbone.
“You tap it here.” Victor showed her on his twin collar. A full set of body armor formed around his body. “When you tap it twice, this happens.” A helmet with a metal beak cover formed over his head. He closed his eyes and the helmet retracted. “You have to think it off like you do when you retract your wings. Your turn.”
Mia went through the procedure.
Ted saw a fierce warrior bird form before his very eyes. She unleashed her wings and rose to bring the feathered armor down. He watched Victor’s face. It was devoid of emotion.
“She has a cloak of invisibility,” Altair said dryly. “It reflects the sunlight above her. I expect you have this too?” he taunted.
“No,” Victor said. “Interesting. Mia, where are your sword and shield?”
“Here,” Ted called, pulling the large heavy bag out from Mia’s locker.
Victor reached in and gingerly took the angel sword and set it aside, along with the shield. He looked at the two scabbards and shook his head. He then ripped them apart and braided them into a single holder with another smaller one. He approached Mia and tied one around her thigh. The second, he attached to the back of the armor under the wing. “Here you keep your sword. Take care when you fly with the flock. It can kill us. You won’t need a shield. You are shielded,” he said, knocking on the wings and body armor. “Now the knife.”
“I have a knife, Varden’s knife.”
“You tried to cut your leg off with it. You were stupid but very brave.”
“Victor, you have to work on your compliments,” Mia said.
Ted released the long held in breath. Mia had found her voice. No entity, no matter their rank or degree of danger, could mute Mia when she had something to say.
“Keep that knife for your child. I’ll give you my knife…”
“Wait! That will cripple her with the weight,” Altair said. He reached inside his robe and pulled out a vicious twisted knife with a double blade.
“That’s a demon’s knife,” Victor acknowledged.
“I used to be a demon,” Altair said simply. “Mia, use it until I can have the forgers make you something more appropriate.”
Victor took the blade and secured it to her thigh.
Ted did not like Victor touching his wife’s thigh, but he swallowed his anger for the sake of getting this lesson over with. Mia looked like a steampunk version of an angel.
“Your hair is too long. Cut it.”
“Why?”
Victor took the braid and yanked, pulling Mia to the ground. “That’s why. Shoulder length, no more.”
Mia got up and drew the demon knife.
Ted and Altair worried she was going to use it on Victor, but Mia took her braid in her hand, measured the approximate length, and cut it off. She tied off the open end, wound it around her hand, and secured it under her armor. “I’ve used this before,” was all she would say about it.
“Time to go,” Victor said, leading Mia and Altair through the doors.
Ted stood there a moment. “Jake, did you get all that?”
“Filmed, a few stills made, and I’m ashamed to say I’m a little excited.”
“Not you too,” Ted said, disgusted.
“Oh no, sir, I mean, for the first time in my death, I believe that good can best evil, or give it one hell of a bad ride.”
“Mia wasn’t looking too pleased,” Ted said, walking over and picking up the book Altair had brought in with him.
“She was angry but held her tongue. I’d like to venture why.”
“Go ahead.”
“She knows that Victor wants to move on. He can’t until he knows that your child, who has the soul of his brother, is protected.”
“I hope so. Because, unlike Angelo who can be reasoned with, Victor has no match. If he wants to take my wife, Altair won’t survive as a chaperone.”
“Seems to me that Victor wouldn’t survive Mia. Remember she has angel steel and a demon blade. Your wife, sir, is loyal and committed to you.”
Ted smiled. “That’s the only reason I haven’t started crying like a big baby.”
“Yet,” Jake added.
“Yet,” Ted agreed. “Hey, can you translate this?” Ted said, holding the open book up to the camera on the workstation laptop.
“Once I figure out what language… Sumerian. It’s going to take some time. You need to scan the book.”
“Just this area,” Ted said. “This is where Altair was reading from. I suspect this lethal feather starts the text.”
Chapter Fifteen
Murphy and the raven shadowed the three winged creatures as they walked up the hill past the guesthouse. Murphy barely recognized Mia in her armor. Altair hung back, letting Victor explain the principles of flight
to her.
“I have flown before,” she reminded him.
Victor reached over and took her chin as if she were a child and asked, “Have you ever flown with birdman wings? No. Have you ever flown with my wings? That would be no again. Let me explain, I’m not a teacher, I’m a warrior. I say, you do. I will explain later if you do not reach an understanding yourself.”
“Yes, Victor.”
“I think we should take her into the between,” Altair suggested.
“Very wise. Our enemies may have spies.”
“Little Bird, up,” Victor said and watched as Mia took off the way Sariel had originally taught her. She followed Altair to a place where the air was thicker. Victor sliced through the air, and his wake pulled the other two into what the flying creatures refer to as the between.
Altair watched as Victor put Mia through a well thought out flight training program. The warrior didn’t lose his temper, but Mia did her best not to draw his disappointment. She did end up upside down a few times, during which Altair witnessed the first smile he had ever seen from Victor. Victor pulled Mia around, and the two stood suspended in the between.
“You’re fighting the wings.”
“They’re scaring me,” Mia confessed.
Victor nodded. He looked over at Altair for help.
“Mia, think of the wings as beautiful butterfly wings. The merest flick takes you miles. They are as beautiful as a sunrise and as light as your babies’ first breaths.”
Victor scrunched up his face, but to give him credit, he didn’t remark upon it. “Do as he says.”
The training commenced, and Mia quickly recovered and gained in confidence. She remembered the lessons she had been given before and adapted them to be of use now. The natural GPS that her uncle Quentin had awakened in her was taking a little time to adjust for the extra weight of the wings. Mia found herself upside down quite a few more times.
Victor floated next to Altair, the two of them watching Mia circle.
“Why the heart feather? You could have given her another?” Altair asked him.
“I wanted the mother of my godson to have the best wings. I have the best wings.”
“But don’t you feel the pull?” Altair asked.
