by Alexie Aaron
Mia bit her lip to stop it from quivering.
“What’s wrong, Minnie Mouse?”
“You overwhelm me. I don’t deserve this kind of praise.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t taken the time to tell you.”
“Ted, I love you.”
“What’s not to love?” he said and kissed her.
Baxter watched the two from the window on the second-floor landing. Quentin walked up the stairs and over to the wizard and looked over his shoulder.
“Ah, the two lovers,” Quentin sighed.
“She told him. Mia was brave and told him about Lucifer, and he understood. Ted understands her. I barely do, and I went to school.”
“We have put a lot of pressure on her… on them,” Quentin said. “I feel guilty about that.”
“Good. It shows your humanity.”
“Can you save her?”
“I’m not sure. She’s going to have to understand, she can’t be as forthright with the others as she is with her husband. She’s going to have to perform as if she has all the confidence needed to save this world when the time comes.”
“You’re going to tell her to lie?”
“No, Ted is.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s going to tell her the greatest secret of warfare.”
“And that is?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?”
~
Mia walked beside her husband and looked at the closed door in the moonlight.
“It doesn’t look big enough for a giant to get through,” she said.
“I’m sure, once it’s open, it changes.”
“It could grow to accommodate the size,” Mia said. “Mbengar was consulted, and he said the frost giants he remembered were pretty big. How can there be an infinite number of them?”
“Mia Cooper Martin, you’re starting to sound like me.”
“A sceptic?”
“I was thinking intelligent, but I’ll take sceptic.”
Mia leaned against him as they walked. He had his arm curled around her. She had come to see his defense grid, which she thought was very impressive. “This all feels so unreal. Even though all the predictions tell us it’s going to happen, part of me thinks that there is a chance it won’t.”
“I pray that it doesn’t.” Ted stopped. He knelt, drawing Mia’s body to him, and he kissed her stomach. When this is resolved, I’m going to put a child inside of you.”
Mia stroked his head. “Give me a girl and a pregnancy without morning sickness.”
“Or hormonal spikes with threats of gelding.”
Mia laughed.
Ted pulled a small box out of his pocket and took Mia’s hand.
“Mia, would you do me the honor of marrying me again?”
“Yes,” Mia said, happiness filling her.
Ted stood up and took Mia in his arms and kissed her so completely that she could have walked on water.
He held her hand.
“Ted, I have a ring that I love.”
“This is different. You were told you that you can’t wear a ring if you are going to change into a clawed fighter, but this one you can.”
Mia looked at the tiny series of interlocking crystals.
“It will grow with you and shrink small enough when you’re a little bird.”
He took off her wedding ring and pocketed it. “Mia, with this ring, I promise to love you, care for you and our children and all of the strays who find their way into our household.”
“Ted, I promise to come home to you, listen to your counsel, love you until you cry uncle, and rescue you when you become numbers-numb.”
“And bear me many more children.”
“You’re pushing it.”
“And…”
“Bear you many more children,” Mia finished.
“I now pronounce us partners for life,” he said.
He kissed Mia, and she kissed him. They ran to the museum where Baxter and Ralph were waiting for them. Mia extended her hand to Ralph. He oohed and made a fuss.
Captain Waite watched the couple, keeping to the shadows. So this was the man who came between Murphy and Mia. He was just a man not a Titan. But he was powerful. Even a jaded pirate could see the value of Mia’s provider. He had heard enough to know that it was this man who could open the vault, and with the right encouragement, he would.
~
Amanda couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t find anything she was looking for. She knew she had placed the emails she had accumulated from Beverly Cooper somewhere, but she couldn’t locate them. It was possible Charles mistook them for recycling and took them to be shredded. She only had herself to blame. She was a bit of a hoarder.
Today, she sat down with Charles, and they discussed who to invite to the opening of the vault. There was the usual list of the who’s who of their branch of the scientific community, and then there was family. Ted would be there. Charles asked Amanda a strange question. “Are you sure you want to ban Mia from attending?”
“Why? She’s our daughter.”
“But you said…” Charles said and stopped. “Amanda, I was under the impression that you thought Mia wasn’t living up to the Cooper name.”
“I seem to remember spouting some such nonsense, but I can’t seem to support my assumptions with facts.”
“Bernard told me today that Ted and Mia renewed their vows. They are going to celebrate tonight. We weren’t invited because of the cruel things you said about Mia to Ralph when we were at his condo for dinner.”
“Ralph oversteps himself. He’s always butted in. Mia isn’t his daughter. She’s ours.”
“Amanda, we weren’t and aren’t very good parents. Can you blame Mia for seeking out the comfort of others?”
“I’ll have to ponder that question. How are the other samples?”
“Cataloged, and our team is busy time-dating them. I’m glad that we didn’t prematurely open the vault. The focus must be on the science not the spectacle.”
“Have you heard anything from Gerald or Beverly?”
“No, I’m not expecting to. I believe they have their own problems to deal with. How did you spend your day?”
“Logic problems. I can’t seem to get enough. I do believe that my brain is being boosted by working on them.”
“Maybe you should look at the locks on the vault?” he teased.
Amanda thought about it. She pulled up the pictures of the locking mechanisms and started looking at them in a different way…
~
Moving through the Canadian cities was tricky. No matter how good Odin’s cloak was, someone always seemed to notice the 1000 warriors walking by them. Then there was the size of the ponies to deal with. They ate a lot of grasses. The Norsemen were a hungry group too. They hunted in the wilderness, but in rural Canada, the cattle they dined on were getting noticed. Vili had to keep a watch on the men as they grew stronger. They were craving the company of women. He had to constantly remind them of the prize and how they would be rewarded in Valhalla when they returned. Ve displayed the picture of Nyx’s daughter, which didn’t help the men’s unrest. They still were moving at a good rate. They would be crossing the border soon.
~
Abigor winced as his aide changed the dressing on the wound in his side. He was angry at the loss of Mia but couldn’t fault her for leaving. Lucifer had destroyed any hope that Mia would return to the fold. How could anyone be so stupid?
Sticks glared openly at Abigor, and he worried that he was going to go after Lucifer. The young demon wouldn’t last thirty seconds in a fight with Lucifer. He had to save him. He decided that he needed to do something.
“Sticks, I want you to go and check on Moonlight. Mia has him on a hidden island in Lake Michigan. Check on Mia while you’re at it.”
Sticks angled his head.
“She doesn’t blame you. If she does, I’ll pull you out of the Pit of Despair myself.”
�
��Do you want me to bring Moonlight back with me?”
“You’re Mia’s squire. It seems to me that you’re supposed to be where her horse is…”
“Her horse is with her. I stay with her.”
“You’ll have to earn her trust if you broke it,” Abigor advised.
“Why did you break her trust?”
“I’m political creature, a lazy fallen, and I have no honor.”
“But you’re a general. Mia has entrusted her legions to your care. Are you going to disappoint her?”
“No. Unless Lucifer forbids it.”
“Let’s hope he’s come to his right mind. One minute he is charmed by Mia; the next, he’s destroying her.”
“It’s not Mia, it’s Michael.”
“Michael left. Lucifer could have stepped up. Instead…”
“He stepped in it,” Abigor finished.
~
Murphy walked deep into the woods. He knew she was waiting for him. He approached and took a knee. Mother Nature wore her evening clothes of soft, curling birch bark and night-blooming flowers. In her hair she wore a crown of juniper. Her luminous dark eyes took in her servant.
“Stephen, you have served me well. Thank you for coming. I know you’d rather be elsewhere.”
“Nonsense, my place is with you.”
“You’ve picked up some of Mike Dupree’s charming ways,” she teased. “Not that I don’t appreciate it. Tell me why you left Hell.”
Murphy told her as much as he knew. “After I threatened Abigor, Mia was there. She had such courage considering what she was feeling inside.”
“Women throughout history have had to endure frightful indignities. I’m sorry this has happened to your friend.”
“I heard from Quentin that she is healing. Baxter has helped her complete what Roumain had started.”
“Roumain really is a puzzlement. Sometimes he’s a knight, and sometimes he’s a mischief maker. In all my years of knowing him, I’ve never been able to pin him down.”
“Is he fallen? Demon? Man? Wizard?”
“Roumain is all. I think he is one of the few of the fallen who has evolved.”
“Did Gabriel do Mia a favor when he broke the curse?”
“What do you think?”
“No. Abigor ceased to love her.”
“Has he?”
“I think so.”
“But if you killed him, would Mia have mourned his passing?”
“I don’t know. But I know she would have survived.”
“He’s sending Sticks to be with Mia. I’m not sure if it’s a peace offering or if he is protecting her. He’s another one that I can’t figure out. You males are so confusing.”
Stephen scratched his head. “Sticks did what he could to protect Mia within the rules of Hell.”
“Heroes can’t help being heroes no matter what side they are on.”
“How do you feel having your earth defended by Hell?”
“Nervous. But then there’s Mia and the birdmen. Stephen, you will no doubt see things you shouldn’t see, and some things that will hurt you, but I assure you that they are necessary to defend this planet. Please hold your judgement until the end.”
“I will do my best.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Mia touched down and all but ran into the castle. “Where’s my babies?” she asked Judy.
“Your babies and my son are in the stable Ed has constructed to keep the bitter lake wind off your flying horse.”
“It’s not my horse,” Mia admitted. “I stole it.”
“Well, your stolen horse now has a squire.”
“What?”
“A dashing demon who seems to be made of wood,” Judy said.
“Sticks?” Mia asked.
“Oh, Mia, he’s your former fiancé,” Judy realized and put her hand to her head. “I’m sorry, I would have texted you. He came in the night and told Ed he was your squire and instructed to be at your disposal. Ed informed him that he was your brother, and together they built the stable. He looks familiar…”
“Some people think he looks like Ted. But Ted was first,” Mia said quickly. “Ted gave me this last night.” She held out her hand.
The ring sparkled. Judy, with her 500 years of experience, could see that every link of the intricate ring was placed with love. “It’s so beautiful. You are a very lucky woman.”
“With two fiancés,” Mia blurted out.
“Mia Cooper Martin, you’re married.”
Mia explained. “The first time with Sticks, I didn’t understand demon custom and he was kind enough to undo the binding, which basically meant he dropped me out of his nest on my head. Angelo caught me. The second time, Victor had given me his heart feather so I could have these magnificent wings to perform the waterspout maneuver and, now, the doomsday spiral. He was injured in the practice, and I impulsively gave him my heart feather thinking that he would have my unbroken wings and my power. He told me…”
“That you accepted his proposal. Oh, Mia, what jams you get into.”
“He said he would give me the feather back after the crisis was over.”
“Why?” Judy asked.
“I don’t want to be engaged to Victor.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m married to Ted.”
“Ted won’t live a quarter of your present life span. Do you intend to live alone?”
“Yes.”
“In the birdman community, the warriors die and leave birdwomen who grieve them. But because the bird people live so long, it is encouraged for the survivor to take another mate. We aren’t swans. If you take another human mate, he will die too. How long can you take your spouses dying before you go mad?”
“Judy, I know you are practical. But I will only be tied to one living human male, and I’m not looking to enter a binding arrangement with a birdman. I’m not…”
“Being honest with yourself. Mia, I was in your head. I know you love a dead man. He can’t give you what you need.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When you’re too old to take care of yourself. Murphy can’t go to work and provide the things you need. He can’t hold you when you take your last breath. He will wait for you in the ether, but he can’t give you what you need.”
“So you want it to be Victor just like everyone else.”
“No.”
“Angelo?”
“No.”
“I’m confused.”
“Nicholai loves you. He lost his wife early. He’s lost his son. Let him fill your womb when Ted leaves this earth.”
Mia was shocked.
“It’s not just a crush from your soul that attracts you to him.”
“I think of him like a father. I don’t think that’s healthy.”
“Live out your time with Ted. Enjoy every moment, every child that he gives you. But all I ask is that, if Nicholai comes a courting, to see beyond his years,” Judy pleaded.
Mia grabbed Judy’s hand. “If he knew we were discussing him this way, he would swat my butt.”
“Tell me, when was the last time you felt safe to sleep through the night?”
Mia wanted to lie to her, but Judy knew her too well. “When he stole me. And the time before that too.” Mia put her hands to her face. “Judy, let’s not talk about this now. If I’m not killed in this crisis, I have sixty years to be with Ted. I don’t want to think beyond that.”
Judy nodded. “Thank you for hearing me out. Now go and keep my husband from using your former fiancé for firewood.”
The three little boys stared at Sticks. He was brushing Moonlight. He looked at the two children that he could make out as Mia’s offspring. The eldest assaulted him with a hundred questions. The youngest tried to read his mind and then his soul a few times. Adam, the superhuman child, was much younger than the rest. He was fascinated with everything Sticks did.
“It seems like you have your own fan club,” Mia said, approaching.
St
icks knelt.
“Please, I’m honored, but I’m no different than you,” Mia said.
Sticks rose and smiled.
“He looks like Dad,” Varden said.
“If Dad was made of wood,” Brian said. “Hello, Mom!”
Mia picked up each boy and hugged them. Varden clutched her and whispered, “He doesn’t want to make babies.”
“Boys, this is Sticks. He saved Mommy and Murphy in NOLA, and he took care of me when I had to be in Hell. He’s a high demon and a hero. Sticks, this is Brian, Varden, and Adam.”
“It is an honor to meet you, young gentlemen.”
Brian broke out laughing. “I’m no gentleman. I’m a kid.”
“You will be,” Sticks said. “Mia, Abigor reminded me of my duties. I’m sorry it took me so long to join you.”
“I’m happy to see you. I’ll make arrangements for you to have a room inside.”
“I would be more comfortable in a tree when I’m not guarding you.”
“Very well. Shall we go and look for a tree?” Mia asked.
“After I finish here. I will find you,” he said. “I realize we have words to share.”
Mia scooped up Adam. “I don’t know about you boys, but I need a nap.”
“I don’t,” Brian said stubbornly.
“Judy could use some help weeding.”
Brian yawned.
Sticks hid his amusement.
Judy found Mia rocking both Adam and Varden. She took her sleeping child from Mia, and they walked into the nursery where Brian was sleeping holding on to a book.
Sticks stood outside of the room when the women exited. Judy put her hand on her heart.
“It took me awhile to get used to that too,” Mia whispered.
Sticks followed them down the hall.
“Judy, Sticks is most comfortable sleeping in a tree. Do you have a recommendation?”
“I think the grove of oaks on the hill may suit.”
