Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4)

by E. I. McAllistair

  Anaar jerked his head back up as if he had completely forgotten Merc was there. “Oh, yes, that. Simple, I just coated my body in a shield. From what I know, Fire attuned Defenders are essentially a myth, which would explain why other True Fire Quintessences have no way to prevent the collateral damage their Flame Form brings. Even if we can control the intensity of our flame, it is still fire. It is going to have a baseline rate of combustion.”

  Merc saw Anaar beginning to open his mouth to speak more, but understood the dangers of such. Putting up a hand to stop him, Merc confirmed the experiment was over and requested to be taken back to the Flowing Ziggurat so they could change. When Anaar asked if they were going to change back into a form other than him before leaving, Merc simply laughed and stared him down. Sighing, Anaar opened a portal to Merc’s floor, snapping it shut before there could be any question as to why he knew which floor to open the portal.

  That night saw a disgruntled Phavian doing everything he could to pull Anaar’s attention from the compilation of his data. Every time Anaar took a bathroom break, or went into the kitchen for a drink, Phavian was all over him, doing his best to pull him from his work. After being ignored the whole night, Phavian left Anaar’s room to go sleep in his own, but realized it was for naught as Anaar had not paid much attention to his absence. It was well after three in the morning when Anaar finally finished his work and stretched in preparation for bed.

  He sniffed the air and realized it lacked the strength of Phavian’s scent to indicate he was nearby. With a delighted spin, he collapsed on his bed, rolling around on it, excited to enjoy the bliss of sleeping alone in his bed for the first time in months.

  39

  Graduation loomed around the corner with less than a month before Sophangence said goodbye to their current Seniors. As if Anaar did not have enough on his plate, with their band agreeing to perform for graduation, and Ixnes springing a mission on him out of nowhere after being out on an extended break, Phavian had become practically insufferable.

  “I’ve waited long enough! We have to do something! Everything is wrong! I can feel it!”

  Anaar sighed as Phavian’s worried face appeared much closer to the screen than he expected. “You know it is 4am for me. Why are you bothering me right now?!”

  “You aren’t even asleep! You don’t even need as much sleep as the normal person anyway! I can tell by your background that you are doing surveillance as we speak!”

  “That is because I am working. Something you should try since there is literally no downtime for you once you graduate. You need all the practice you can get in pretending to be a real adult…”

  “Real adults take care of their families! That is what I am doing!”

  “Codi is fine, Phavian. This whole mess with her family and the scandal will not fall on her. She has been working hard for the past year to ensure that. Just leave her alone and let her handle her business in peace.”

  “But-!”

  “Goodbye Phavian.”

  Anaar disconnects the call, ignoring Phavian’s subsequent attempts at calling back. Though he was almost a mile away, Anaar sat in his nook atop a skyscraper, eyes and ears both piercing the veil of night to continue his mission. Though he was more than capable, he admitted he lacked proper practice in isolating sounds at a great distance, so he welcomed the ability to grow.

  “Are you truly intending to keep him in the dark?”

  Look how he is acting already. If I told him anything, he’d do what he always does. Charge in recklessly without a plan, little intel, and royally screw everything up.

  “He presents valid concerns, and this is something you cannot deny. Though you speak the truth about his behavior, his intuition cannot be ignored.”

  I know, but I can’t help but feel something is missing in this puzzle. The piece is small, but is so important it would change everything.

  Another call came in on his Vizer, but instead of Phavian, it was Ixnes.

  “What news do you bring?”

  Anaar sighed heavily. “I don’t bring anything. That is why I have not called you. At this point you are almost as bad as Phavian.”

  “It is because we both care deeply for Ms. Aya’s wellbeing that we continue to pester.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Don’t act like Codi’s safety is why you are doing any of this. At best it might be some passing thought in your mind that could be used should your actions be uncovered. This would never happen though, thanks to sending me. I am the perfect cover for your actions given my relationship with Codi. If something you are actually concerned about happens, I’ll let you know, but for now, I need you and Phavian to both leave me alone.”

  “Very well. I expect a report in twelve hours.”

  The call disconnects and Anaar felt it went the best it could have gone. He begins reflecting on his true purpose for sleuthing around Tokyo, and it was definitely not so that Codi’s safety could be insured. If anything, he had not seen any evidence of Codi’s presence. If not for his ability to sense her aura, he would presume she was not in Japan at all.

  Roughly two weeks prior, the media exploded with news that the Aya Corporation, fourth largest in the United States, was under suspicion of utilizing their massive influence and network to acquire secrets integral to the protection of the States, colluding with Japan to bring about war. With claims this serious, it of course became an international spectacle. Though Codi’s parents were the main individuals under suspicion, she too had come under some level of scrutiny. In an effort to understand the situation and clear her name, Codi answered a summons she would have otherwise ignored. Two weeks of radio silence had made Phavian more than stir crazy.

  The situation was a complicated fiasco that brought all the nationalist propaganda that typically resided in the background, to the forefront. The Aya Corporation was one that was legally capable of being claimed by both America and Japan, but all official documents considered it an American conglomerate. It was not uncommon for companies of such a size to hold substantial sway over other countries, but the Aya Corporation nearly owned Japan itself. This was a concern that had always been presented by other major corporations and country leaders but had been allowed to exist since it was not posing immediate complications.

  As an even bigger player in the international sphere than the Aya Corporation, Ixnes could have easily overlooked the controversy surrounding Codi’s family, but there was no way her machinations would allow her to ignore the possibility of obliterating an opponent. At the current time, the Aya Corporation had the entire world against them, with only Japan being their bastion. Anaar found it absurd that companies were required to declare allegiance to a specific country once it became public.

  From the clip in her voice, Anaar could tell Ixnes was none too pleased with his recent attitude. Though he was truly grateful for the things Ixnes had done for him, he always knew each move was self-serving. He marveled at how much he had grown and changed in just under three years.

  Upon applying to Sophangence, all he had hoped for was a quiet education that would ensure his future. He had never expected to become embroiled in an almost impossible series of events. Through these events though, he not only grew stronger, but also came to see more of the world and its ugliness. The naivete he once had was now barely a vestige of his past. If his own life had not been enough to educate him, the numerous missions he had completed would have fulfilled the role.

  Much of the world was controlled by the megalomaniacal ambitions of a few, Ixnes being one of them. It was with this understanding Anaar began seeking his independence. Even though they were not related by blood, and their relationship could be considered new, Anaar could understand Codi’s feelings more than anyone else. With every increase of his powers, he could see Ixnes becoming more twisted with greed. She had made the greatest investment of all time. With so little, she had already received exponential returns. This was why he had b
egun keeping more of his true abilities to himself, in preparation for the day when Ixnes wanted him to cross a line.

  He drew himself from his thoughts to refocus on the task at hand. His integration and use of Hobb had become so normal, Hobb had been recording everything he was observing even though his mind was elsewhere. Of everything he felt he had come to a decision about, Hobb was the only factor that he felt would always grate on him.

  Hobb had become an essential part of himself. No longer did he consider their goals or desires separate. With so much of one another shared, it was hard to do otherwise. Hobb though, for all his own growth and beliefs, still was a creation of Miles’, funded by Ixnes. Even if Hobb made a stand against them for the sake of Anaar, his termination was something they alone controlled. Self-preservation was paramount for Hobb, as is most beings, and he still could not fathom what it would feel like to essentially betray himself. He had decided that he would begin working on a way Hobb could be truly free if the time came.

  The clandestine meeting in the middle of the night had concluded, which left Anaar without a primary objective for the time being. Sleeping would have likely been a better use of his time, but he decided he would instead go home and spend some time with Phavian. Though his neurosis was insufferable, it was understandable. If Maggie, Dan or Stefani had been in a situation he felt meant their peril, he would not be able to sit idly by.

  Though he would not show it, Phavian’s anxiety about graduation ran far deeper than he let on. He was positive he had not picked up Empathy somewhere, as a scan of himself confirmed, but perhaps the combination of all his other abilities, and his knowledge of Phavian allowed him to sense his emotions more acutely. Every moment of his days lately had been gripped in fear, despite his façade. He recognized how his annoyance was inappropriate given what Phavian was going through and wanted to make it up to him.

  Anaar found Phavian gazing sullenly into the refrigerator, most likely not hungry, but needing a distraction. Throughout his relationship with Phavian, he came to learn people show intimacy and affection in different ways. He always thought something was wrong with him since he preferred not to be touched, and he was typically not one to initiate physical contact. This was in stark contrast with Phavian who hugged, kissed, grabbed and squeezed at any opportunity.

  Though Phavian’s physicality knew no end, Anaar found himself frustrated with Phavian’s lack of thoughtfulness. Just once he wished Phavian would leave him a random love note, or look into his eyes and tell him all the things that he adored. Anaar had come to believe Phavian lacked emotional maturity, which meant despite his feelings, Phavian could never love him the way he loved Phavian. Anaar was always twenty steps ahead, attempting to secure the safety of those he loved, but Phavian only created more issues.

  It was on one particular day that Phavian had just been the most inconsiderate and ungrateful person Anaar had ever encountered, when he immediately swept Anaar up and carried him off to the bedroom. Seething with anger and annoyance, he wanted to rip off one of Phavian’s limbs and beat him with it, when Phavian whispered into his ear, “You always know just what to do to make me feel like a king.” It was then that Anaar’s grand epiphany played out in hyperspeed, but with even grander detail.

  Remembering all the times he was angry, yet Phavian seemed to disregard his affections with his abject horniness, he now understood that was just how Phavian expressed his gratitude and feelings. With this knowledge, so much suddenly made perfect sense, and his relationship had far fewer friction points than he thought. He knew that it was always said communication was key in relationships, but what happened when neither person realized their communication was unintelligible to the other? It was not that Phavian lacked emotional maturity, he simply communicated it differently from Anaar.

  Anaar’s understanding allowed him to act in manners that now resonated better with Phavian. Though it was not his native language, it was reasonable to eliminate a language barrier for the person who held your heart. He decided not to place the burden of trying to have Phavian learn his way of expressing love, simply because it would likely be more work than it was worth.

  Gliding like silk across the smooth floor, Anaar crept behind Phavian, hugging him tightly from behind, squeezing their bodies together. He could feel all the tension and anxiety in Phavian’s body melt into his as it relaxed and allowed submission to another. There were no words, just a lasting embrace that transcended the physical, communicating in a way words could not. As Anaar held on for minutes, he could not believe how drastic a difference simply speaking the same language made.

  When Anaar could feel Phavian reclaiming control of his body, he took a page from his book, sweeping him over his shoulder and carrying him to the bed. After tossing him on the bed, Anaar plopped down, their faces mere inches from one another, their hands interlocking.

  “Talk to me. There is a lot more going on than just Codi. I can’t help you if you won’t let me in.”

  Phavian did his best to remain tough, his emotions made of hardened steel, but the smoldering gaze of Anaar’s crystalline eyes, overflowing with love and concern obliterated his defenses, causing his own eyes to leak. “I don’t know what I’m living for anymore.”

  Anaar’s eyes betrayed him as his attempt at remaining calm failed. “What… What does that even mean?”

  “I was like you ya know? I came here because I knew my family deserved better, and as someone with the ability and the opportunity, I knew it was my responsibility to make it happen, no matter the cost. I thought I’d be able to do that once I graduated. I had no idea I would have achieved it long before. The house is paid off. The credit cards are paid off. My dad has done massive renovations, my sister is in nursing school, everything is exactly what I wanted.”

  “Is that not a victory then?”

  “What is the point of life after graduation if my goals have already been achieved? I thought the Seeds would be in a sorry state without me, which would give me reason to be required even after I left. With Maggie in charge now though, the group runs better and does more than I could have ever imagined. They don’t need me. I thought meeting someone I loved more than anything meant I would always have a job: Protecting you from the world. The joke was on me because I ended up with a literal god, who not only needs no protection, but instead constantly protects me. The last person I had to live for, I have failed in taking care of her, so what the fuck is the point? I serve no purpose.”

  Anaar found himself overwhelmingly saddened by Phavian’s plight. He knew that as the baby in a large family, he had a complex that caused him to crave attention and subsist off his service and importance to others, but he had no idea it was so dire. Perhaps it was due to there always being at least some need of him from others still existing, but Phavian had never presented it as the sole nutrient for his continued existence.

  With his clothes left behind, Anaar fades into a wisp, slithering along Phavian’s body, reconstituting behind him. Wrapping Phavian in his arms and pulling him tight, Anaar feels Phavian’s body tighten in his embrace.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Phavian’s body relaxes, though his heart begins to race and his body heats up. “I never get to be the little spoon! This is nice!”

  “You never get to be the little spoon? That is your choice!”

  “Well you aren’t usually the one to initiate any kind of cuddling… It would be weird to just plop down and shove my ass into you while you are reading or something…”

  “But it’s perfectly acceptable to sneak, well your best attempt at sneaking, up behind me and lock me in a bearhug. You know, you have gotten a lot more aggressive now that you can’t accidentally break me. I’m sure you would quite literally crush other people. I feel like I have to keep you around now if only for the safety of others.”

  “Whatever…”

  Anaar chuckles and buries his face in Phavian’s hair for a long beat before pulling back. As they lie there in one another’s war
mth, he contemplates Phavian’s words and finds himself at a loss for how to fix something so broken. As he thought of all the ways he could fix Phavian, a thought came to him, blaring and savagely slapped him across the face.

  Phavian is not a thing.

  He was so comfortable in his role as the solver of problems, and the master craftsman that could repair anything, he failed to acknowledge how absurd it was to even consider Phavian as yet another one of the items on a long list of tasks to address. In a moment of clarity so shocking the words seems to fall from another’s lips, Anaar gave Phavian a tight squeeze.

  “What do you need?”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “You said there was nothing left to live for. What will help you feel differently?”

  “Well we could stay like this forever.”

  Anaar squeezes Phavian tight and shakes him slightly. “I’m serious Phavian.”

  Phavian was quiet for a long time until he mumbled something that would have been inaudible to most people, but not to someone with senses like Anaar’s. “Could let me protect you.”

  “I can’t do that. I need something within my control Phavian. Even if I could insure all the perils that would befall me were within your power to handle, I still could not leave them to you for the same reason you should not live to protect me. The desire to protect those we love is normal, but if it is a dependency, what would happen if we separated? I don’t think we should bring our problems to one another and expect them to be solved. We should be responsible for our own wellness, and come together to share that.”

  Phavian once again fell silent. For the next hour they lay there, the rumble in Phavian’s stomach telling Anaar dinnertime approached. Though it was unlike him, Phavian ignored his stomach and continued to be silently held. Suddenly his body sprang to life, as he twisted out of Anaar’s grasp and turned to face him.

  “If you can’t let me protect you, at least help me protect Codi. I know something is wrong.”