Sticks and Stones

by Alexie Aaron

  “Gerald did a walk in Mia’s mind house to assess why she was experiencing symptoms of cascading memories.”

  “Gerald? As in Gerald Shem?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wasn’t there, and Mia would have had to go to Heaven and have Michael do it as he is still recovering…”

  “Diabolical,” Altair exclaimed.

  “What.”

  “In a moment… Tell me what happened when Gerald walked Mia’s mind.”

  “I can only tell you what Baxter told me. I’m not sure I should…”

  “Talk, don’t waste time thinking,” Altair barked.

  Angelo told him everything Baxter told him, including the theory Baxter had about the possibility that Michael was the originator of the purge.

  Altair looked at Angelo. “Your original question seemed absurd when you first asked it, but I was wrong. If Lucifer did have his heart in his chest, Mia, in her rage to destroy the thought Lucifer, would have killed the real Lucifer because they are one and the same.”

  “How?”

  “How close are you still to Gerald?”

  “Well…”

  “Do you trust him?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think that Mia can kill Lucifer if she has an archangel or a powerful fallen with her. Gerald must be a fallen.”

  “Wouldn’t you know who was fallen?”

  “So many fell from Heaven. Do you know every birdman in existence?”

  “No. I think Baxter knows who Gerald is but isn’t telling,” Angelo said.

  “Good, the less who know the better. I’m sure Mia knows. Who he is isn’t important. Let’s get back to Michael. I agree with Baxter. Michael started Mia’s problem. She was fine when I left her. He found a way to open the door Mia sealed shut by starting a purge of memories of Nicholai. She has had many wonderful adventures with him. He was there when Lucifer was hurting her. Michael could have done this with purging me, you, or Victor too, but… we aren’t presently upset with her. We and she would have assumed that she was doing this unconsciously.”

  “I agree this was how he started it, but I could have walked her mind house,” Angelo reminded him.

  Altair sighed. “I hope I’m wrong. But why weren’t you available?”

  “Because the birdmen are coming after Mia’s children. I was here researching to build a lawful case against them. Is Michael capable of using Mia’s children?” Angelo asked, shocked.

  “You wouldn’t think so. Maybe the timing was just right. I’m going to go and squeeze Sariel a little.”

  “I have something else to ask you.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “If Orion and I can’t find a lawful way to secure Mia’s daughters from being taken from her because of some archaic law, would you be opposed to Mia being contracted to me so I can protect Genevieve and Maeve?”

  “As what? Property?”

  “A wife.”

  “Yes. You’ll destroy her marriage.”

  “It’s a post-spousal contract. It’s not uncommon in the Brotherhood. Ted is considering this. Mia won’t because she thinks it will ruin my chances of taking over leadership of the Brotherhood of the Wing.”

  “She’s right. And you’ll still ruin her marriage. She won’t thank you for this.”

  Angelo’s face clouded.

  “Spit it out.”

  “Do you think I’m unworthy of Mia?”

  “I think any male is unworthy of Mia. We all hurt her. From Michael on down to Lucifer, we have used her. She chose a human husband before she learned she was going to live for hundreds of years. She reconciled that Ted would die before her, and she plans on dying as soon as she’s sure her children are secure. I’m not going to let that happen. I’m going to give her a reason to live on. Not as a wife, but as a power of good. If she chooses to bind herself to another being after she realizes that she doesn’t need a male to survive, then fine. If it’s you, I won’t interfere, but I will point out that you’re not a good match. You’re too prissy.”

  Angelo laughed.

  “Imagine, sitting at your state dinners with Mia in a wrinkled dress and boots on, with her elbows on the table, and eating with the wrong fork. Angelo, I know you love her, but you must push away the love blindness to really see her. If you are sacrificing your career in order to save her and her family, really look at who you’re binding yourself to. Look beyond the bedroom. She’s friends with beings that turn my stomach. I have given her good counsel, but it doesn’t stop her from causing chaos. She can burp the alphabet and fit in with pirates. Even Stephen is disgusted with her at times. I think it’s a miracle someone like Ted exists. Because, like it or not, he’s the pot for her lid.”

  “Orion pretty much said the same thing.”

  “Go and talk with your sages. I’m not an all-seeing being. Have you tried communicating with Nyx? You have enough Blue Star energy in you. Nyx can see the future. Frankly, I’m surprised you think I have any sway over Mia.”

  Angelo got up and shook Altair’s hand. “Thank you, you have given me things to think about.”

  “And you have given me a reason to return,” Altair said.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Both Mia and Ted were in extraordinarily good moods. Mia offered to handle the school run and pick up groceries. “I have to sit for Acalan before I shop, so if you don’t have a list yet, text it to me.”

  “How are you feeling?” Lazar asked.

  “Calmer.”

  “When do you go back on PEEPs schedule?”

  “Ted and I have the night shift, which really is a waste of time, but maybe we can catch up on some projects.”

  “Why is it a waste of time?”

  “If it is a true poltergeist incursion and the focus person is gone, nothing is going to happen.”

  “But what if it’s something else?” Lazar said.

  “And that is why we’re going.”

  ~

  Mia tapped on the door. Acalan opened it and stared down at a very happy Mia.

  “Who are you and what have you done with my grumpy friend?”

  “Let me in and I’ll tell you,” Mia said.

  Acalan stepped back. Mia walked in. “Where’s Grandma Z?”

  “Home eating breakfast. I’m opening late today.”

  “But it’s Friday?”

  “New hours. Take it all off and put on the robe.”

  “Nice try. No nudies.”

  “How about a compromise? Grandma bought you a nice leotard for your modesty.”

  “Alright, you are paying me.”

  Acalan smiled. “I missed this,” he said and walked off.

  Mia trudged up the stairs pulling the material out of her back crack. “Tell Grandma Z this is two sizes too small.”

  Acalan didn’t say anything. He told Zarita to buy it smaller so he could see Mia’s muscle structure through the material.

  Mia dropped the robe, and in the studio lights, her hair reflected the warm filter Acalan had placed over the harsh lights. Mia was wearing a flesh-colored leotard. If her flesh weren’t so pale, it would have seemed seamless with her skin. The back was low in order for Mia to release her wings. Acalan saw them before she did so.

  “I got my old wings back. These are the ones Michael ripped from my body when he first tossed me out of his lair.”

  “I see. I don’t know whether to kneel or run.”

  Mia laughed uncomfortably.

  “Mia, there are other wings interwoven in your present wings.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  Acalan quickly sketched what he saw. He handed the paper to Mia. She wavered. “Raphael warned me my wings weren’t finished evolving.” Mia traced the outline of the darker wings. “They are different in shape.”

  “I want to show you something. David and I went to Greece for one of our sojourns. We loved to haunt old museums, especial
ly the ones tucked away in people’s homes.” He pulled out an album. “See, that’s David.”

  “He’s very handsome.”

  “He was very handsome,” Acalan corrected. “Anyway, this is a vase that must have been centuries old. That’s you.”

  Mia looked, and a bird with woman’s breasts was painted in blue upon the surface of the pottery.

  “I don’t have a bird head and tail. But the wings are what you have drawn.”

  “They painted what they could understand. You see, this is a siren. Maybe she is an ancestor. Your grandfather Orion is Greek,” Acalan said.

  “Draw what you see. I have to know.”

  Acalan studied her and drew. He drew her from all sides. He colored in the scales behind her ears, the binding marks, the golden chain around her ankle, and long beautiful blue-tinted claws that weren’t visible even for Mia to see yet. He looked into her eyes and caught the starlight. As if in a trace, he said, “You are pulling me, Mia. Relax, think of how the sun sparkles on the lake. Listen to the gurgle of happy streams. Feel the cold sting of snowflakes on your face. Yes, that’s it.”

  He picked up the robe and waited for her to release the white wings and wrapped her in it.

  “What did you mean I was pulling you?” Mia asked concerned.

  “Not sexually, that’s impossible. You were pulling my essence out of my body. I could see me moving out of myself.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. We shared many bad experiences when we were kids, fighting off bullies and consoling the other when we were called names. This was something wonderful.”

  “I heard your voice. You brought with it the feeling of acceptance and joy,” Mia said. “I shall never forget your kindness.”

  They sat together and looked at the sketches.

  “This is Michael’s,” Mia said, pointing to the picture of her neck tattoo. “I can feel it, but I can’t see it.” She tapped the picture of the mark between her wings. “This is a mark of protection. The golden chain is death’s hold on me. You see, I died. I found myself in a great whiteness. Think of it as a heavenly time-out. There I had the audacity to demand something, a forgiveness for a friend, and I traded it for my eternal life. That’s why the chain.”

  “I hope your friend is worth it.”

  “He is. He doesn’t realize he is, but I assure you he is.”

  Acalan pulled Mia’s hair out of her braid. “What were you looking for in the sketches?”

  “I don’t know, maybe a reason for the other set of wings, yet to be realized.”

  “They may just be dormant,” Acalan suggested. He guided Mia to the stool, sat her on it, and dropped the robe off her shoulders. He sketched the line of her neck and the strong shoulders. “Talk to someone you can trust. Take with you the picture of the vase.”

  “Thank you, Acalan.”

  “Thank you, Mia. You have given me inspiration.”

  ~

  Ted was humming happily while he worked in the lab. Cid tried to tune him out, but after an hour, it became grating.

  “Stop humming, you’re driving me insane.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know I was doing it. I think I cracked the code on these beasties,” Ted said, referring to the barbs.

  “My god, your brains are stimulated by your balls.”

  “I beg your pardon.”

  “Mia makes you smarter.”

  “Oh that. You’re ridiculous.”

  Cid opened and closed his mouth. He left and returned but still didn’t say anything.

  Ted turned around and said, “Out with it.”

  “It really isn’t my business but…” Cid threw up his hands and started to leave.

  “Mia and I are closer than ever. Thank you for caring.”

  “I’m glad,” Cid said. “Now explain what you’ve figured out.”

  “I know how to turn them off. I think they can be done telepathically. I would test my theory, but I don’t have the power.”

  “Mia does or did,” Cid said.

  “How about me?” Altair asked walking in, carrying a big box. He set it down and the ground shook.

  “What’s in the box?”

  “Books. It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.”

  “The TARDIS of boxes,” Ted said.

  Cid’s eyes lit up.

  “Nerds, I’m waiting,” Altair complained.

  “What’s the Demon word for open?”

  “Be more specific, are we talking personality-wise or peel?”

  “Burst open,” Ted said.

  “Prasphu Tati.”

  That sounds like Sanskrit,” Cid said.

  “Maybe it is,” Altair said, looking at his nails. “Tell me why you want that word.”

  “I’m going to toss a burr in the air. I want you to force the thought of burst open or Prasphu Tati at it.”

  “Gotcha. Let it fly.”

  Ted picked up one of the barbs with a long metal tong and hurled it high, arching it away from the other projects.

  Altair sent the thought Prasphu Tati at the burr. It opened in quarters like a hickory nut hull and fell to the lab floor harmlessly.

  Ted approached it with caution. He swept it into a metal tray and returned to the containment area.

  “Why would me projecting a thought do this?” Altair asked amazed.

  “These barbs are like living robots. They respond to thoughts and voice commands. I just didn’t know the words.”

  Ted tested his theory, having Altair call out Prasphu Tati. The burr opened.

  “There is a caveat to being vocal instead of silent,” Ted said. “The demons will change the word these things respond to.”

  “You’re a genius,” Altair said.

  “Thank you. I was stuck until this morning.”

  “That’s because he got lucky last night,” Cid tattled.

  “Baxter has a theory that you’re more productive when you’re being serviced,” Altair said.

  Cid sputtered and then roared with laughter. “You sound like an old Chevy.”

  “Or a stud horse,” Ted said smugly.

  Altair was having trouble being one of the guys because it was Mia they were talking about. To give Ted credit, he wasn’t crude just complimentary.

  “Where’s Mia?”

  “She texted. She’s waiting for Varden, and then she will be bringing he and the groceries home.”

  “Do you mind if I camp out in the aerie?”

  “It’s your home,” Ted said, meaning it.

  “I brought a few books.”

  “Do you need some help?” Cid asked.

  “Yes, I’d love some help shelving these. But you better let me carry the box.”

  ~

  Mia had her hair swept back in a ponytail. She sat atop a picnic table looking through her phone, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. She didn’t want to feel rejected, not today. She needed to still feel the emotional high of being with Ted last night.

  “Excuse me, Mrs. Martin?” a woman asked.

  Mia looked up at the smartly dressed woman in her forties. She looked like she had just come from a meeting. Her blonde hair was swept back with a headband, and her brown eyes twinkled when she smiled.

  “My Robbie told me you helped save him when the children were trapped in the classroom.”

  “The teachers had things well in hand. I just dropped Robbie out the window into the arms of one of my friends.”

  “You’re so humble.”

  “Truthful,” Mia corrected. “Ms…”

  “Fairfield. Amy Fairfield.”

  “Nice to meet you, Amy. Forgive the gloves, but I have a skin condition.”

  “Nice to know someone like you has flaws,” Amy said, climbing up beside Mia. “You’re not at all like what I’ve heard about you.”

  “I’m a bit odd, and my life has been sticky, so naturally rumors adhere to me.”
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  Amy laughed. “You’re truthful. I wanted to thank you for helping get my son to safety. What happened was my worst nightmare.”

  “Mine too.”

  “Your son is quite advanced,” Amy observed. “Don’t you think that putting him in a private school, so he can be exposed to better teachers, is better for him?”

  “I disagree,” Mia said. “He needs to socialize. He has extra work, so he doesn’t act up. He and his brother are advanced but not emotionally. They are still little boys with the need to play with other children.”

  “Then you’re telling me that your son learns from kids like Robbie?”

  “Yes.”

  “How enlightening.”

  The four-year-old class left the building first, and Amy got up. Robbie smiled at Mia and fanned his hands in a flying position and smiled. She smiled back.

  Varden came out, his arms linked with two other boys. They laughed when one of them walked into the door. Varden saw his mother and smiled. Mia’s heart soared. She didn’t need wings; she was flying already.

  ~

  Mia walked into the aerie to find Cid and Altair shelving books.

  She wolf-whistled. “Ah, this is what they mean by sexy librarians.”

  Cid dropped the books he was holding.

  “No, Cid, your balls are supposed to drop,” Altair said.

  “Honestly, not you too!” Cid grouched. “I assure you, I’m not a child in the ways of romance.”

  “I know, dear one,” Mia said.

  “You do?” Altair scrutinized.

  Cid smiled. “Now you’re in the thick of it.”

  “I think I’m just drawn to the doghouse,” Mia said.

  “It’s because you’re such a bitch,” Altair said.

  “True. Can I offer you two a cool beverage?”

  “I notice someone’s raided my whiskey.”

  “Brian has developed a taste for it,” Mia lied. “Cid, a beer?”

  “I should get back, but thank you.” Cid picked up the books and set them on the table. He looked back to see Mia shaking the ladder Altair was perched on.