Between

by Mary Ting

  As they scanned the surroundings of Specus once more, Michael gingerly scooped Claudia up in his arms. “My hero,” he said, leisurely unfolding his wings. “My Super Girl.”

  Claudia giggled weakly. “Some hero. My sidekick is the one on his two feet. And I’m going to need a new butterfly necklace.”

  “Of course. Something better…but just as deadly,” he winked.

  “Sidekick? Did I hear you say sidekick?” Davin interrupted, standing beside them. “I can be one of your sidekicks too.”

  “Not now, Davin.” Michael gestured for Davin to move back to give them space. “We’ll meet you at Island of Eden.” Before Michael’s wings completely engulfed them, he called to Davin and lit up with an ornery smile. “Peace out.”

  Davin frowned. “Hey, that’s my line.”

  Then they were gone.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  After Claudia was able to be back on her own two feet, the alkins left for a debriefing meeting at Halo City with Philip, Margaret, and Agnes. Austin, on the other hand, needed more rest. Holly stayed by Austin’s bedside, and Katherine locked up Samuel in her holding cell in Nubilus City.

  Claudia was alone in the room, the room she could almost think of as her room since she’d been there so many times before. She lifted the covers and placed her feet on the cold marble floor. Eagerly, she walked to the double doors. When she opened them, she breathed in the fresh, cool, crisp air. Looking out past the cliff to where it met the ocean, she soaked in the warmth and recalled the event at Specus.

  One thing that surprised her was, though she had disliked Trinity, her heroic action had saved Michael, and for that, she was grateful to her. She had given her life for his and had proved how much she really did love him. It was the ultimate sacrifice. If it wasn’t for her, Michael may have died. Claudia didn’t want to think awful thoughts or the “what ifs” anymore, so she looked up to the cloudless, blue sky and did something she hadn’t done in a very long time. She began to pray.

  “Dear God. I know I haven’t been to church or…I haven’t prayed since I don’t know when, but I want to say…thank you for keeping my friends safe. And thank you for being with me. I killed Aliah…I think, or something inside me did. If I sinned…which I think I didn’t…I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I killed someone, and I feel bad even though he tried to kill me and my friends. He was evil, and he deserved to die.”

  Claudia broke down and cried. All the emotion that was bottled up inside her from all that had happened in Specus finally caught up to her. After she let it all out, she felt better and decided to look for Austin, recalling that Michael had told her that Austin was resting in his room and the watchers were guarding both of them before he left.

  Claudia knocked softly on a door, unsure which room was his and unsure if he was resting.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Turning the door knob, she peered in, seeing him lying on a bed. She took a step forward but retreated.

  “Welcome to my humble room,” he said, smiling. “It’s not much to look at—just a bed, a closet, and a desk.” The walls were plain, just like the other rooms, with no pictures or paintings on the walls. “Come in. I won’t bite…well, maybe a little nibble.” Austin chuckled.

  Claudia rolled her eyes. Even when he was down, he flirted. “How are you feeling?” Claudia took several steps forward.

  “Better now that you’re here. Are you my nurse? Come here to attend my needs?” he smiled.

  “Very funny, Austin.”

  “You’re too far. I can’t see you. Come closer.”

  Claudia closed the gap between them and stood at the edge of the bed. “You don’t stop flirting, do you?”

  “Flirting is fun. You should try it.” He winked.

  “So…what happened to you?” She sauntered closer to him.

  “I guess you could say I got my ass kicked by two females, but they were no ladies. They were demons called soul eaters. They suck out energy from your soul. I guess it was a good thing Samuel or Aliah told them to keep me alive or else I would have been killed.” His eyes held Claudia’s as he caressed her cheek. “I thought I would never see you again.” His tone changed from being serious to playful. “You would miss me, wouldn’t you?”

  “Of course.” Claudia’s smile sent shivers down Austin’s back. “There would be no one here to annoy me the way you do.”

  Her playfulness sparked a fire in him. He wanted to pull her in and swallow her up in his arms and taste her. How she consumed his heart and mind. Then he closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly, breaking his thoughts. “Are you in pain?”

  “Just a little,” he said.

  “What can I do?” she asked compassionately. “What do you need?”

  “Just a little kiss here,” he said, pointing to his shoulder.

  “You’re such a flirt.” Claudia gave a quick peck, amusing him.

  “Over here,” he pointed to his cheek.

  Claudia was hesitant, but she thought a kiss on the cheek was no big deal. After all, he was here because of her.

  “One kiss on the cheek and then I’ll leave so you can get your rest.” She leaned in and said warmly, “Thank you, Austin. I’m glad you’ll all right. I don’t know what I would do if something were to happen to you. I’m just glad you’re better.”

  Claudia’s words touched him deeply. He wanted to hear that she cared, but to actually hear her words drove him wild. When Claudia leaned over to kiss his cheek, he turned, and she accidently planted her lips on his. Then without a thought, he pulled her in so fast she didn’t have time to fight him off. She was now wrapped in his embrace.

  “Austin!” she yelled. “Ahhh! You’re terrible!”

  Austin started to tickle her. “But you like me that way.”

  Claudia tried to release herself, but she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Okay, you win. I thought you were still recovering.”

  “Let’s say…I feel better now that you’re here. Your presence is my cure.”

  “I thought my presence was killing you softly.”

  “Well, that too.”

  Claudia smiled, shook her head, and rolled over to the other side of the bed. Claudia and Austin both flashed their eyes toward the door when they heard footsteps.

  “Even when you’re recovering, you can’t keep your hands off her,” Gracie said lightly, standing by the door with Michelle.

  Austin gave an irritated expression. “What do you want?”

  “We came to see if you were okay. We heard you ran into a couple of soul eaters,” Michelle reminded.

  “I’m fine. Thanks for caring,” he replied, trying to sound sincere.

  “Oh…by the way, Claudia. I heard you were awesome. We wished we would have seen Aliah fire up in flames,” Michelle cheered. “He so deserved it.”

  “Uhhh…I…thanks.” Claudia blinked and blushed, not knowing how to respond to something that she didn’t think was something to be proud of. Though she had defeated Aliah, killing any soul, especially an angel, was heartbreaking.

  “Well, see you around. Katherine asked us to join the venators,” Gracie grinned.

  “Whaaat!” Austin sat up in exasperation. “My mother did what?” He felt horrified. It was bad enough he had to share Island of Eden with them, and it was bad enough he had to protect them, but to work as a team, that was the last straw for him.

  Gracie laughed out loud. “I told you he would be mortified,” she muttered to Michelle on the way out.

  Claudia’s mouth dropped open as she slowly turned to look at Austin, contemplating his reaction. Austin’s eyes were closed, his fist clinched on the sheet as he exhaled and inhaled deep breaths.

  “Austin,” Claudia called when she thought he was calm enough to actually hold a conversation.

  “I’m okay. I just need a minute.” He paused again. “I’m not teaming with them,” he said through clenched teeth.

&
nbsp; Claudia didn’t know what to say. “Well…look on the bright side. At least you know you can trust them.”

  He gave her an “are you kidding?” look. “Trust is hard to earn with me. I guess I can trust them a little…not like the way I trust you.” His eyes were soft and mellow, looking at her as his heart glowed with admiration and adoration. “So…how do you feel? I mean…do you feel any different? Can you just puff and make anything happen?”

  “I don’t know. I still don’t know what I can do.”

  “Gamma would’ve been proud. No, I take that back. She is proud. She may not be here with us, but she is in your heart.”

  “Thanks, Austin. But seriously,” she continued, changing the subject, “trust is hard to earn with you…huh? I guess the soul eaters somehow earned your trust, though I can’t see what they did to earn it.” Her tone was reprimanding.

  Austin confessed. “Okay…so I let my guard down.”

  “Don’t lose sight of who you trust or not, Austin. I almost lost you,” she said so sweetly that he crumbled at the sound of her voice.

  “You care,” he said, tugging on her cream sweater, pulling her close to him, even knowing she would pull back. To his surprise, she didn’t. He couldn’t believe she was willingly following his pull. The anticipation of them kissing on her terms made him quiver with excitement. Unbelievably, his face became warm when her lips were just a touch away.

  He watched her move in slowly with her eyes locked on his, luring him to her. His heart thumped faster the closer she got.

  But suddenly, instead of the passionate kiss he was expecting, his hands were bound with the Divine golden cuffs against the post of the bed. “What the…Claudia,” he chuckled. “I always knew you liked it rough.”

  “So you were asking what I can do.” She smiled playfully. “That’s one thing I can do, so behave.” Then she planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for being my friend, and thanks for being there when I needed you,” she said sincerely, planting her feet on the ground. “I’m off to see Michael. We have a date.”

  “Ouch.” His ego burst. “I like the old Claudia, the naïve and sheltered one. She wouldn’t have done this to me.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. She just didn’t know how,” she giggled and cantered toward the door.

  “Aren’t you going to unbind me before you leave?”

  She stopped just as she was about to close the door. “Oh yeah…I almost forgot,” she giggled, thinking of Davin. “Peace out!” She concentrated on Austin’s bonds and said,

  “ Licen.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Katherine and the rest of the Divine Elders patiently waited at Island of Eden. As they waited for Michael and the alkins to arrive, they held their small conversations amongst themselves. Austin and Holly stood near Katherine, smiling and creating jovial conversations with Martin and Elizabeth.

  “They’re here,” Philip announced, as they all took their seat. On cue, Philip held out his hand, willing the door to open. Michael and alkins appeared, looking alert and perplexed. They had been told to come but were not given any explanations. As they anxiously walked toward the round table, they were greeted by Holly and Austin who were standing behind Katherine grinning. Michael suddenly felt his breath grow short; he knew his father was one of the Twelve, and he couldn’t control his nervousness. This would be his first time being in the same room with all of them present. Would his father know he was his son? Would he care? Michael quickly glanced at the paintings hung around the room. He noted there were eleven paintings, understanding the reason why Aden’s painting was missing. But when he counted the number present in his mind, there were only nine.

  “Welcome,” Katherine greeted, breaking his thoughts.

  The alkins bowed.

  “You must be wondering why you were all called to this meeting. We’d like to thank you for your bravery, courage, and your loyalty. Because of your efforts, good has overcome evil once more.”

  “Well…don’t forget Claudia. Her powers are incredible,” Davin said proudly, his eyes beaming with pride.

  “Yes, she is very special,” Phillip agreed.

  “Speaking of Claudia…we, the Divine Elders, have made a decision,” Katherine continued.

  “I don’t understand,” Michael said. “What decision is there that the Divine Elders needed to make? And how does this concern us?”

  “Everything that happens concerns us all,” Jeremiah scowled.

  Michael became tense by the sound of Jeremiah’s tone. “Yes, you’re right. Where are my manners?” Michael apologized, his head low.

  “You have broken one of your Divine Commandments, and you know very well which one,” Jeremiah reminded.

  “Technically, she isn’t a mortal,” Davin interrupted. Michael flashed a look at Davin, but it was too late. He’d already finished his words, upsetting Jeremiah.

  “Quiet. I didn’t ask you,” Jeremiah scowled, looking annoyed.

  Feeling satisfied that he’d irritated Jeremiah, Davin smiled inwardly and chuckled to himself. He didn’t care about what the Divine Elders had to say, especially Jeremiah. Jerk, he thought to himself.

  Katherine intervened, “What Jeremiah is saying is true, but that is not the reason why all of you were brought here today. As you already know, falling in love is forbidden, but that is something you will be judged on when the time comes…and not by us. There are more important issues at hand. Do as you are told, and all will be forgiven.”

  “What is it that we must do?” Caleb asked. His face flushed with concern.

  Katherine exhaled, closed her eyes, then opened her eyes with sadness and concern to face Michael. “Claudia’s memories must be selectively erased. Her memories of you, the alkins, her friends, and her mom; the life she knew must be erased.”

  Michael stared blankly. He wasn’t sure what he had just heard until Davin spoke. “Why? She has done nothing wrong.”

  “This isn’t about what she has done. She has valuable powers that we have yet to discover. When she killed Aliah, her powers were released. She may not be able to control herself. We can help her,” Jeremiah explained.

  “You don’t want to help her. You want to control her so that she won’t do the same thing to you,” Davin fired back, desperately trying to control his anger that had brewed so quickly.

  The room filled with voices expressing their opinions. Philip raised his hand, and the room was quiet again.

  “Silence him or else I will!” Jeremiah threatened, flashing an authoritative stare at Davin.

  “Davin, please, you are not helping the situation. Close thy mouth,” Philip ordered. Davin could see Austin and Holly trying desperately to hold their laughter.

  Michael gave Davin a sideways glance, “Stop it. You want to be put away?” he murmured.

  “Now that I know you care so much, I’ll keep my lips halfway closed.”

  Michael rolled his eyes and focused back to the group.

  “What Jeremiah was trying to say is that Claudia can be a great asset to our venator team,” Katherine explained.

  “Why must you erase her memories of us?” Vivian asked, feeling disturbed at the thought of Claudia not being able to remember their friendship.

  “She needs to be trained. The best place for that will be here at Island of Eden. Holly and Austin will train her. The best way for her to have a clear mind and be able to do what she can possibly do is to forget her past and focus on her future.”

  “But we are her future,” Vivian cried.

  “You are her present and soon the past. You will be sent to Halo City. Your service will no longer be needed after this is over.”

  Vivian inhaled short breaths. She felt like she had just been slapped in her face. Were they insignificant?

  “But that is so unfair!” Davin interjected.

  “Unfair for whom? You or Claudia?”

  Davin didn’t reply. It wasn’t fair for both, he wanted to say, but he knew his words would make
no difference.

  “Will she still be able to remember her grandmother?” Caleb asked, eyes in despair, knowing what their answer could be.

  “Yes, but we believe it is the best interest for her not to have any memories of her mother. For her mother, it will be like she never had a daughter. We’ve already taken care of her. She can make her own life that was taken from her by Lucy. Claudia will also have no memories of her friends, nor will her friends have any memories of her. Furthermore, now that her powers have fully emerged, she won’t age like humans. She’ll stay 18 for another century while the people she loves and cares for will have passed on. Would this be fair for her?

  “We also have another dilemma. Given her powers and her capability, Claudia may be able to resist us. She has the ability to resist our mind control, but she doesn’t know she can. Selectively erasing her memories will have to come from someone she trusts. It will have to be from you, Michael.”

  Michael didn’t say a word. He was in shock. As his eyes flamed with rage, he was unable to look them in their eyes. His fists were tight as his body fiercely trembled inside. He felt like he was going to explode. Building up his courage to speak his mind, he looked up. “You can lock me up for the rest of eternity or send me to Hell. I will not do it,” he said, calmly.

  The room was filled with commotion as the alkins flashed a surprise look. Caleb placed his hand on Michael’s shoulder in hopes of calming his anger.

  “Erasing that much selective memory is too dangerous,” Michael continued. “Once it’s taken, you can’t give it back. Her memories may get mixed up. She may remember the first part, but not the second. I will not do that to her.”

  Jeremiah started laughing out loud. “Defiant, aren’t we? The reason we forbid angels to fall in love…he is the perfect example. You’re more concerned with her losing memories of you.”

  “Do not judge him. ‘If any one of you is without sin, then be the first to cast a stone.’ Don’t sit there and pretend you’ve never lusted for mortals or consummated your love. And Michael is right. Erasing selective memories can be dangerous,” Margaret said, looking at Katherine for moral support.