Crossroads

by Alexie Aaron [Aaron, Alexie]

  “For cripes’sake, Mia, I was in the shower!” he roared as he opened the door.

  “How’d you know I was here then?”

  “Your thug froze my door over.”

  Mia smirked. “Sorry about that. I have a quick question.”

  “Go on,” Burt said, rubbing his hair with a towel.

  “Before I assume anything, do you think you could put up with Paula and Noah here until September?”

  “I guess. But I plan on moving.”

  “Then this place will be available then.”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “The Marshals are tossing Paula out of her house. We have three days to move her out. I was thinking of getting one of those pods to put their furniture in.”

  “The furniture is rented,” Burt said.

  “Better.”

  Mia pulled out her phone. “Thirty minutes. Not enough time. I’ll call her and…”

  “Hello, Burt, how are you?” Burt said.

  “Hello, Burt, how are you?” Mia parroted.

  “I’m fine. Come in and tell me what’s going on?”

  “I just told you.”

  “No, why are you all manic?”

  “Oh, I talked to Mbengar about the situation up at Eagle’s Nest. It’s worse than we thought. Have you read the diaries yet?”

  “Cid has half. I have two to go.”

  “I’ll tell you what I know, and maybe something there will help point a finger at who’s stirring the pot.” Mia closed her eyes and ordered her thoughts. She then spoke calmly and concisely about what she had learned from Mbengar, leaving out what she was going to do and why she could now do it.

  “You and Father Santos and your balance. Now it’s The Balance, and it’s very real.”

  “Primal demons don’t die, Burt. Enos, Murphy, and I can’t kill them. Lucifer can’t control them because they were here long before he fell. They don’t acknowledge him or Dis Pater as their lord.”

  “What can we do?”

  “Stop the ghosts from trying to take their gold.”

  “How do we do that?”

  “Find the human who is helping them before I send the little critters to Hell or worse.”

  “I don’t get it. Dispatch the ghosts and we’re fine.”

  “No. The human, or humans, will go after the gold and…”

  “Sorry. You were always better at the big picture.”

  “Really? I thought it was the other way around,” Mia questioned.

  “Mia we should get going,” Murphy said, manifesting.

  “Read like the wind, my friend. I’ll go and sit on Cid until he gets his read.”

  Burt’s mouth dropped open.

  “What did I say?” she asked Murphy as they walked out the door.

  “I dunno?”

  “Tom says it’s three houses from the elementary school,” Mia said. “You can have the peninsula house until you move. Check it out, and I’ll write a check for the deposit.”

  “No, Mia, I have some money. I can handle a deposit,” Paula said.

  “How much stuff do you have? We can rent you one of those pods, or Burt says you can store your stuff in the garage.”

  “I don’t have a lot. Let me call Burt and talk to him.”

  “Okay,” Mia said. “I’m pulling into the lot. Damn, Lisa Lane-Cordoba has her posse waiting for me.”

  “She’s just waiting for her child. Walk calmly by them. Don’t make eye contact. It’s better to be labeled a snob than have to explain to the sheriff why you tore Lisa’s weave out.”

  “Yes, Mom,” Mia said. “Murphy’s with me. He can’t abide it when I fight.”

  “Good.”

  Mia parked the car and walked by the mob. She stood by the door. Brian came out with a large rolled-up piece of paper.

  “Artwork!”

  “Mom, not so loud.”

  “Sorry,” Mia hissed. “I just love it when you bring home paintings and drawings. My favorite was the picture you made out of Lucky Charms cereal.”

  “You ate most of it on the way home.”

  “Sorry about that.” Mia blushed. “Murphy is waiting, and I have some interesting things to speak with you privately about. Grown-up things,” Mia said.

  “Oh?”

  “After you have fun playing with Noah. You’re not in trouble. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “Phew!”

  Mia and Brian walked hand in hand. He clenched her hand tightly as they walked by the group of women. Mia held it together. They got into the SUV and backed out.

  “Where’s Murphy?” Brian asked.

  “I thought he was in the back.”

  Murphy was standing with the ladies, listening to the stuff Lisa Lane-Cordoba was saying. “She’s such a slut. Mia was hitting on the new history teacher on the steps of the library.”

  “The man is very dreamy. Who wouldn’t hit on him?” one of the women said.

  “Someone should warn the man she’s a two-bagger,” Lisa said.

  “What does that mean?” one of the women asked.

  “It means she’s the town bike. She fucks everyone. They need two condoms, she’s so diseased.”

  “Excuse me, there is no call for such dreadful language,” one of the waiting moms told Lisa.

  “Don’t mind her,” the other mom said. “Lisa is jealous because Mrs. Martin always has a handsome escort. She needs bodyguards because she’s a very important person. Anyway, that’s what the lady at the art store told me.”

  “Speaking of art stores, she poses in the nude,” Lisa said.

  “Honey, if I had that body, I would walk down the street naked.”

  That comment had the other moms giggling. Their children arrived, and the gossip group broke up. Lisa stood there alone. Her daughter came up and dragged her to the car.

  Murphy moved quickly and managed to enter the car at the light.

  “Well, look who’s here.”

  “What were you doing, Uncle Murphy?” Brian asked.

  “Recon. I was gathering intelligence.”

  “K,” Mia said.

  “The moms don’t believe the lies Mrs. Lane-Cordoba says about you.”

  “Well, that’s a nice surprise,” Mia said.

  “Someone said the new history teacher is handsome,” Murphy said.

  “He’s nice looking, but he has an ordinary beak,” Mia said. “I prefer a distinctive nose.”

  Brian laughed. “I have a distinctive nose.”

  “I know, that’s why you’re so handsome in my humble opinion.”

  Ted noticed Noah sitting on the steps of the porch. He wandered over and sat down. “Whatcha doing?”

  “Waiting for my best friend.”

  “He’ll be home soon.”

  “Mr. Martin, my mom says that we are going to be moving soon. I don’t want to.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’m going to miss Brian.”

  “Are you moving to Mars?” Ted asked.

  “No. Just back with Mr. Hicks until our new house is ready.”

  “You’ll see Brian in school and have playdates.”

  “That’s what mom says, but I want to be with Brian forever.”

  “Well, did your mom say anything about being around your best friend too much?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, Mr. Garrett and I are best friends. We don’t live in the same house because we would get on each other’s nerves and have fights. He has his own house. This way, we can have time to ourselves.”

  “Oh.”

  Mia drove up the driveway and stopped and let Brian out. He ran up to the front porch and handed Ted his rolled-up piece of paper before he and Noah ran into the house.

  Ted walked over and opened Mia’s car door. “Welcome home.”

  “Thank you!” she said, popping out and hugging him. “I’m glad to be home.”

  “How’d your trip to Mbenga
r go?”

  “I have lots of information, not necessarily good stuff. I think though, if we can get a handle on what humans are pulling the strings, then we can deal with the ghosts, and I get the pleasure of speaking with the demons.”

  “Lucky you,” Ted said. “You seem more yourself today.”

  “I have more energy. I’m going to go and look in on the twins, and then I’m going to raid the refrigerator.”

  “Good. If I have to hear you’re too thin one more time.”

  “You’re not thin, you’re wiry,” Mia said.

  “Not me, you.”

  “Me?”

  “You. Nanny just gave me a lecture that you’re doing too much. You need to settle down and eat something.”

  “Well, maybe I should speak with her. I can’t have her upsetting you.”

  “No. That’s not what I mean.”

  Mia hugged him. “I need her advice anyway. I think my milk’s drying up.”

  “That happened with Varden and Brian,” Ted reminded her.

  “Not this soon,” Mia said.

  “Twins. Very hungry twins,” Ted reminded her. “Come inside, talk to Nanny, and then maybe we’ll wean them to that formula Idra has been pushing.”

  Mia followed him in. She reached for the rolled-up drawing, and he held it above her reach. “Come on!”

  He handed it to her. Mia unrolled it and sighed. “It’s a tree. A beautiful tree. Wait, there’s Sticks in the tree! I wonder how he explained that?”

  “Mia, we have enough of your milk stored to wean the girls. Don’t you worry. Idra warned me your breasts were weak.”

  “Gee, now I feel depressed.”

  “Don’t. This will help your husband to bond with the girls. He can help you feed them. They won’t have to depend on you all the time.”

  “You’re not helping,” Mia warned Nanny.

  “I’ve been worried about you for some time now,” Nanny admitted. “You’ve been overly tired.”

  “I just had twins.”

  “You’ve become too thin.”

  “I have not.”

  “Your perspective is off. Step on that scale in your bathroom,” Nanny ordered.

  Mia walked in, dropped her sweats, and stepped on the scale. She got off and stepped on it again. “Oh.”

  “You didn’t notice because of those rags you’ve been wearing.”

  “They are called sweats, and I don’t have any other clothes that fit.”

  “What about those?” Nanny pointed to the pile on the corner of the dresser.

  “I found those in an old backpack. That was when I was ten years younger.”

  “Put on those shorts.”

  Mia put them on, expecting to tug them up. They buttoned very easily. “Damn.”

  “Your body has begun to eat your muscle. You can’t keep enough calories in you to feed these girls.”

  “But other women do it.”

  “They don’t have superhuman/birdman hybrids.”

  “Understood.”

  “Being a caregiver to new mothers has taught me that every mother is different. Your milk dried up, and you started to regain your energy.”

  “There may have been other factors,” Mia said, not wanting to lie to her compassionate friend.

  “Whatever they are, it’s a good thing. Now go downstairs and eat something,” Nanny said and left the room.

  Mia pulled on one of the T-shirts from her backpack. They made her look obscene. She may be skinny everywhere else, but the size of her breasts had not changed. “Oh joy, the boobs are still big. No milk. Stuck with big boobs. Life isn’t fair.”

  “That depends on your perspective,” Ted said, shutting the door behind him. “Come to Teddy Bear.”

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Mia shadowed Enos as they flew a grid, taking pictures of the area in question. He was amazed how fast Mia could fly. He knew she had Victor’s wings, but she still had the body of a woman. Birdwomen, even warriors, didn’t have the muscle mass to keep up with the younger birdmen. But the more he pushed his speed, by rapid descent, Mia was right at his wingtip. They finished the grid in record time and flew home. Mia landed and detoured to the kitchen, grabbing a handful of bacon before she walked over to the office to see how they had done.

  Ted patted the chair next to him. “What were the two of you doing up there?”

  “I was following Enos as requested. Why?”

  “Here’s you guys in normal speed.”

  Jake showed the colorful blur of the different heat signatures. It looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.

  “Oh.”

  “Fortunately, Jake could slow it down, but the individual cells are too blurry to make anything out.”

  “Sorry,” Mia said. “We’re not machines. We may have challenged each other to speed it up a little.”

  Enos walked in sweat-soaked. “How’d we do?”

  “Don’t ask,” Mia said, handing him a few bacon strips.

  “I really didn’t think it was worth our while,” Ted confessed.

  Ed walked in the door, dressed in his finery. “Ted, I would like to ask you to wait to put up the force field for a few hours.”

  “I don’t see a problem. May I ask why?”

  “Altair asked me to take him into the future. We won’t be gone long. Murphy is going to watch the portal entrance while we’re gone. I want to make sure he can have total ease of movement.”

  “Fine. Stop in when you’re finished,” Ted said.

  Mia looked over at Ed. “Do you want help?”

  “Stay here, little sister. This is a job for an angel and a god.”

  Mia nodded.

  Ed left.

  “They are going to do recon on Sunday,” she said. “I have intel that says Beverly plans on attending.”

  “Baxter should be notified. He may be able to keep her out.”

  “She’s going to curse our children.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Did you ever read Sleeping Beauty?”

  “Saw the movie.”

  “I don’t know if she is going to follow one of the many versions of the original theme or the movie. All I know is, she has evil on her mind, and it’s aimed at us.”

  “I worry your guardians have left you defenseless here,” Ted said.

  “Why, Ted, I’m not defenseless. I have you, Jake, and Enos,” Mia scoffed. “How shall we pass the time?”

  Cid walked in fast and slammed a few booklets down. “Did Burt get here yet?”

  “No.”

  “I’ve finished the diaries, and I need some pieces from his reading, but I think I’ve figured out what is going on north of here, and frankly, it’s not good.”

  ~

  Ed stopped at the edge of the place he would conjure the portal. He put a hand on Altair’s arm. “I don’t have to remind you that you can be seen in this timeline. I also know that your other self will probably take our being there as a warning. I hope he will act with discretion.”

  “I would if I saw me right now,” Altair said.

  “Good. I’m not a man of many words, but I assure you, the words I use, I have thought a lot about beforehand.”

  “I know you’re not stupid. The quietest among us frequently is the smartest.”

  “When you came into my little sister’s life, you brought a multitude of problems in your wake, but you brought a loyalty and a love that has been a blessing. If things were different, you would have been my first choice to run my angels.”

  “Thank you, Ed, that means a lot.”

  Ed brought forth the portal. Ed stepped through and Altair followed. Murphy, who had been quietly watching, assumed his post to protect the portal.

  Altair raised his hand when he exited because the sun was bright coming off the water. Ralph had chairs set up under beautiful open tents that shaded the vast stone patio. Father Santos raised his hands and blessed the
infants and the assembly who witnessed the baptism.

  The godparents filed down the aisle, heading for the house, followed by Mia and Ted. Mia made eye contact with Altair and a question formed. She sent a message silently, “Why are there two of you?”

  “I will tell you later,” he promised.

  Ed didn’t see himself nor his wife and child. He assumed that Judy had given birth and was too weak to attend the festivities. He saw this as a good sign. He walked into the hall and watched as the guests walked in.

  Bernard stood at the door of the ballroom. “Attention, I know you all want to see the children. Ralph had this great idea that instead of a reception line, we would have you walk up in small groups to see the girls before taking your seats at the table. Your children can either stay with you or go and play in the bouncy house Quentin insisted on in the minstrel gallery beside the dais.”

  “It’s like a royal procession,” Orion said to Audrey.

  “Ralph must be in his glory,” Audrey said, patting the head of her son Luke who was standing quietly next to his mother.

  Altair felt a bond with the child who was an earthborn angel. He looked over at Mark who was watching him. He can see angels, so can Acalan. Where is… There he is.

  Acalan was escorting an older woman dressed in aggressive but happy colors. Ester was standing behind them. She looked at Altair and then at the other Altair, and her brow creased.

  “I am viewing this from the past,” Altair told her silently.

  “Do I have to be worried?” Ester asked.

  “I’m not sure. If something happens, protect Luke Stavros.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Sabine Norwood was escorted by Patrick Callen. His brother Mason had corralled Sabine’s three girls along with Tauni Cerise, who was enjoying the attention of the burly Tony.

  Ed leaned in. “He’s the hero from 88 Keys.”

  “I thought you were.”

  “I just saved Mia. He tried to save everyone. In the first timeline, he threw his body on the bomb.”

  “Noted.”

  Mike had a handsome woman on one arm and his mother on the other. Gates O’Brien was taking in all the opulence of the room, along with the friendly vibe everyone attending was emitting. She looked over at Ed and Altair and smiled.