by JJ Krzemien
Maybe I could change that. Take charge and then dissolve the Amigis. Yeah, year’s from now, after I’d killed a bunch of hybrids, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Always looking over my shoulder. Waiting for that moment when my own aunt decided she’d had enough of me. That would never work. I was no actress.
A few hours later, at least that’s how it felt, my cell door opened. Cadoc was back, with his bare feet and shirtless chest. Black wings folded against his back and horns reaching for the ceiling. He looked like some of kind of dark god.
“On your feet,” he said. “Mitera wants you.”
Not surprising after the stunt Oscar and I pulled. I stood and walked past him out the door. He took my arm again in a firm grip.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
He considered me for a moment. “I’d rather not risk it.”
The elevator doors had been somewhat repaired, but on the inside there were dents in the metal. One seemed suspiciously the size of Cadoc’s head. If he was taking me to Rose, then he wasn’t on Oscar’s side.
At the ninth floor the doors slid open with a squeak.
Oscar, in human form and dressed in his old army fatigues, sat on the floor in front of Rose’s throne chair. This afternoon she wore a long red evening gown that pooled at her feet while she sat. In her hand she examined a small piece of jewelry hanging from a chain.
Cadoc stepped out of the elevator, dragging me after him. As we approached, I recognized the jewelry. My locket. The protection charm from Oscar. What was she doing with it?
Rose spoke to him, “Why didn’t you ever give me one of these?”
Oscar didn’t respond. He sat with hunched shoulders, his head down.
Cadoc positioned me next to Oscar, released me, then went to stand beside Rose.
I sank to the floor and reached out. “Oscar?”
He turned bloodshot eyes on me. Had he been crying? “I’m so sorry, Lili-girl.”
“It’s okay.” I touched his shoulder. “I mean things are clearly not okay, but thank you for trying to save me.”
“I kept telling myself I had no choice when they came for me—when they set the trap for ya. But I did, I was just too weak to make the right one.” He turned his head away. “I’m stronger now. I can make the right choice now.”
He held an empty syringe in one slack hand. Gingerly, I took it from him. It was the humanizing serum. “What have you done. Oscar?”
This time when he met my eyes, tears streamed down his ancient face. “Join or die. You know the rule.”
“No!” I shook him. “You can’t. I-I need you.”
He shook his head. “Ya would have been better off without me. I wish I’d never found you that night.”
“Don’t say that. Oscar, please.”
“I wish I’d been stronger—”
“Oh, spare me.” Rose stood, a gun in her hand.
She aimed the gun at Oscar and pulled the trigger twice.
I screamed as gore exploded from the back of Oscar’s head. He lay back with a thud, eyes staring wide at the ceiling.
“Oscar!” I shrieked.
I grabbed him by both arms and squeezed. Blood pooled around his head and more seeped from his chest.
I glared up at Rose. “What have you done? What did you make him do?”
“You have so much to learn.” She put the gun down on the chair. “That was an honorable death for a traitor. No hiding, no running, no pleading for mercy. Enono i pethaino. Join or die.”
She’d taken everyone from me. My shoulders shook with sobs of rage. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart and a ringing in my ears. I swiped at my eyes while slowly standing.
Had Rose thought she’d win me over by murdering Oscar in front of me? Was this a show of dominance? She could take anything and everything away from me, was that it?
In a flash I leaped forward and caught her by the throat with one hand. I was ready for Cadoc’s leeching power to hit me. This time I made eye contact, focused on him, and pulled at the energy he threw at me.
Instead of pain, I felt a burst of strength. I drew harder and saw his eyes widen. Every fiber of my body tingled. I could see the dark force of his power coming into my every pore. Were angels stronger than demons after all?
He closed his eyes. Face contorting in pain, he let out one long, continuous screamed. But he wasn’t the one I wanted to suffer.
In my unusually strong grasp, Rose gagged. Her face was turning red and her eyes bulged. I wanted her to die—no, I wanted to kill her.
My vision took on a red hue. All of the energy I’d drained from Cadoc swirled inside of me. It seemed to solidify in my stomach. Then a pressure began to build. And build. I gritted my teeth. I couldn’t contain it anymore.
I screamed. A ball of fire burst from me. In that same moment Rose was yanked from my grip. Cadoc clutched her to his chest as he unfurled his wings. He slammed his back into one of the giant windows, shattering the glass, and flew away.
I screamed again in frustration and the remaining windows blew out. Under my feet fissures appeared in the cement. As another wave of energy escaped me, the roof exploded outward.
Oscar’s body slid to the far wall as the building split in two. I fell backward to the opposite side of the room. A metal beam crashed down upon my head, and darkness consumed me.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cold. Dark. A pungent burning smell in the air. I coughed, spitting grime out of my mouth. My head throbbed from the impact of the beam. I shoved it off.
Reaching out, I felt concrete mixed with metal bars. Someone cried for help far away, also trapped in the rubble of the destroyed building. I was dizzy, and felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. Was I trapped?
Now I’d find out how strong I really was. I pushed at the concrete slab above me. It shifted up a couple of inches before meeting resistance. My muscles strained as I pushed harder, heart pounding faster from the effort and a need to free myself. The slab wouldn’t budge any further.
I let go and the piece thudded back in place. Either I wasn’t as strong as I thought or I was buried really deep. The stagnant air brought up an image of a tomb.
How long could I possible survive without fresh air or water? Probably longer than an ordinary human. But it could take days for them to find me in the rubble of such a huge building. I started thrashing and screaming in the small space, my arms scraped against the jagged edges of rubble. I smelled the metallic scent of blood. My shins felt bruised.
I lay back on the smooth surface. Really needing to get a grip before I worked myself into hyperventilating. If only I could control the power that got me into this mess in the first place. But I couldn’t summon it up at will. I was too terrified to feel angry.
For a moment I thought of Rose and how she’d murdered Oscar. I thought about my parents and Sarah. Squeezing my eyes shut, I focused on the feeling of hatred. I could grasp it for a second, but then it dissolved into fear.
My palms grew clammy and my lips cold. Breathing faster, I stared into the oppressive dark. Trapped alive for hours or days in this cramped space seemed worse than dying of suffocation.
“Help me.” My voice sounded thin.
A horrible rumbling sound came from above. At first I thought my thrashing and screams had caused a delayed cave in. Then the slab above shifted. It lifted up a few inches and a giant hand reached under to fling it away.
I inhaled deep breaths. My eyes widened as I took in the sight of the tallest man I’d ever seen. The late afternoon light gleamed on his black braided hair and olive skin. His shoulders were broad and proportionate to his height. In contrast to his extraordinary size, his clothes were quite normal: Jeans, flannel shirt, and combat boots.
He reached down a hand so massive I could have fit three of mine in it. Mesmerized, I grasped it, hoping he didn’t intend to squish me to death. He seemed to sense my dark thoughts.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said in
a smooth, deep voice. His brown eyes softened. In a single fluid motion he lifted me out of the rubble and set me on the ground.
The building had collapsed into a heap the size of a small mountain. Muffled cries for help came from within it. I felt a pang of guilt that I’d caused this disaster. Then I remembered that nearly everyone in the building were members of the Amigis.
I glanced around, something was missing. “Where are the rescuers and fire trucks?”
The big man answered. “Nearby, ready to begin their jobs as soon as we leave.”
Standing beside him, I guessed he was about nine feet tall. “And who are you?” I asked.
“Proteus. I’m with the Tribe. Come.” He turned to lead the way.
“The Tribe! Seriously? I can’t believe you finally found—”
From around the fallen building, Edgar emerged. Behind him walked a woman with white wings and long silver hair. She was glowing.
I fixed him with a glare. “Traitor!”
Edgar held his arms wide. “Lili, let me explain.” He kept coming toward me.
“There’s no explanation for what you did.” I took a step back. “Rushi is dead because of you.”
He stopped a couple of feet away and shook his head. “Rushi is dead because of Rushi.”
“Because she didn’t want to betray everything she believed in?” I was so tired, I didn’t even want to argue with Edgar. Yet, I couldn’t let it rest. “You though. You’re ready to give up in a second.”
His eyes glowed golden. “If she had listened to me, we’d all be here right now!”
I glanced around. “Where’re George and Xiang?”
He visibly swallowed then clenched his jaw. “George, he died the day after Rushi. In his sleep. I didn’t think our kind could do that.”
Dead. Another person dead because of me. “And Xiang?”
“He wouldn’t join them.” Edgar gazed down. “They killed him, too.”
I jabbed my finger at his chest. “How could you let that happen? They were your coven. Your family—”
He glared at me. “And we’d all still be alive if it weren’t for you.” A pained expression crossed his face as he turned away.
I took a step back. That was a low blow. And so very true.
Proteus and the nephilim-woman stood watching us argue. When we finally stopped, they glanced at each other. Proteus put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.
Two men appeared before him in whirl of black and gold. Dhampirs. Then one of them flashed his fangs in greeting. Or was that a threat?
A loud whooshing sound came from overhead. I peered up as two helicopters flew toward us. They landed in the parking lot, blowing debris all round.
The dhampirs and nephilim took Edgar to one of the choppers. Proteus gestured for me to follow him to the other. I wondered how he as going to fit. For his build he was flexible and managed to cram himself in with a pocket of room left for me.
As we took to the air, I looked down as the firefighters and medics swarmed the rubble. I had so many questions for Proteus, but the helicopter was too loud for conversation.
We flew in silence for what seemed like forever. Out of the window, I watched the sun sink lower in the sky. We were heading due North.
The events of earlier today formed in my mind. I was angry that Rose and Cadoc got away. But more concerning was what I’d done to Cadoc. How had I done that? How had I taken his power from him?
That feeling of ultimate power returned for a second, sending a tingling sensation through my body. Is that how Cadoc felt every time he pulled energy from hybrids?
My forehead bunched. I’d lost control. I caused that building to collapse. Who knows how many people and prisoner hybrids were now trapped in those subbasement levels. The thought made me shiver.
I felt like I couldn’t trust myself—my emotions, my power. My apparent lack of control got people killed. I didn’t want to be a monster.
Did the Tribe know that I had destroyed the building? Or did they think it had been Cadoc?
The chopper passed above waterways and islands, rivers and forests. After several minutes over open water we started our descent to a small island. Just above the tree tops the air grew thick. It filled the helicopter cabin and shimmered with silver particles. I brushed my hand through the strange air and met resistance, as if I were underwater.
Then we were through it and landing on a pad in an open field. Soft rolling hills of farmland sprawled in three directions. To the south stood a wall of pines.
The hatch door opened and I jumped out, followed by Proteus. I stopped a few yards away from the chopper’s blades and looked up at him. He motioned me to follow, heading toward the forest.
We made our way in single file along a well-trodden path. Dense growths of ferns, bleeding heart, and sorrel covered the forest floor. Ivy climbed the mix of evergreens. I could smell the salty, slightly decaying scent of the nearby reefs.
After several minutes of walking, I asked, “Where are we going?”
“Home.”
Whatever that meant. I stumbled trying to keep up with the giant man, the damp earth squishing between my toes. A series of growls came from my stomach. I needed to eat soon.
A moment later the trees thinned a bit and we were suddenly in a village of two and three story brick buildings. They were connected by covered walkways, moss making the tops green. A stream cut through the complex and little bridges accommodated its path.
“What is this place?” I mused aloud.
“Home. Headquarters of the Tribe. Safety.” Proteus said. “Come with me. Our leader has some questions for you.”
I bet.
On entering the complex, I noticed that the buildings were all set at strange angles. It all seemed organic rather than the more traditional grid layout.
Toward the middle stood the tallest building, it even had a tower, though not tall enough to clear the tree tops or the weird air above. We climbed the front steps to a wide porch. Proteus opened the oversized front door and held it for me.
Inside, the room had old hardwood floors and smelled like wood smoke. The ceiling had to be fourteen feet high. He began walking up the staircase and I followed. The boards squeaking with each step. All the way up to the top floor, we continued without a word. Was he not the chatty type or was something else going on?
I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or not that the Tribe had found me. I had to admit that I didn’t really know much about them. They could be polar opposite of the Amigis, but still wackos. How would I get off this island if they were not the safe-haven their reputation said they were?
Proteus opened a door in the middle of the wide hallway. I glanced around for the Tribe leader, but the room was vacant. Proteus walked behind the huge desk and sat down in the chair.
“Oh.” I squinted at him. “You could have told me you were the leader?”
He raised a thick, black eyebrow. “Would it have made a difference?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” I chewed my thumb nail as I stood in front of the too tall desk. The wood paneled walls gleamed with oil. Books overflowed their shelves and were piled on every surface. Proteus looked like a warrior not a scholar.
I noticed him staring at me. “What?”
He motioned for me to have a seat, then leaned forward in the leather chair. “Who are you?”
That was a really good question. The only way I could think of to answer it was to start at the beginning. At the cabin on Mount Hood, not so long ago, when my parents were killed.
At first I didn’t want to trust him. But, something in his earnest manner had it all tumbling out of me: The police, Oscar, Sarah, everyone I’d met in the past couple of weeks. My transformation as it progressed. The plans and how everything had gone wrong at the railroad supplies house. Then I stopped.
I couldn’t tell the Tribe that I was Rose’s niece. That would be as good as telling them that I was co-leader of the Amigis. Oscar and Cadoc were the only ones in that room.
They were the only ones who knew—Oscar was dead and Cadoc was loyal to Rose.
Proteus listened with an attentive expression as I continued my story. I told him everything except the part about the family connection. The end, when the building fell, I admitted was kind of vague. There was no good way to describe it, even I felt unsure of the details.
“So,” he said, “you believe you destroyed the building. It wasn’t Cadoc?”
“I don’t really know.” That wasn’t a complete lie. I knew I’d done it. I just wasn’t sure how.
“A nephilim. Hm.” He seemed to consider that for a moment. “We only have a few others with us. Parisa, who you saw at the disaster site, she’s the eldest.”
Other nephilim? I’d finally get to meet my own kind of hybrid. My palms began to sweat. “The glowing woman. I remember her.”
He chuckled—a strange rumbling sound coming from someone so big. “That glow is her angel’s grace. You’ll gain yours in time. In the meanwhile, she’ll be your counselor.”
“My counselor?”
“Yes, all elder hybrids are counselors to their own kind. You’ll join the Aeras cohort and she’ll teach you, and guide you. That is if you decide to stay—which I strongly advise.”
“And what would that look like? What would I do if I stayed?”
He folded his hands on the desk. “Go to school, make friends, be safe from the world and the Amigis. That is what we offer here.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Could this really be happening? Could I finally be safe?
“I’ll stay. Thank you.” I felt like crying, but it also sounded too good to be true. And I’d learned to be wary. If the last few days had taught me anything, they’d taught me that.
“Very good. Winter break is over in another week. You can join your new classmates at the school then. I’ll have my assistant show you to your room. It’s dorm style, but you won’t have a roommate.”
A room to myself. A bed. School. How much more normal could this get? How long could it last?
“First, you’ll need to go through the intake process.” Proteus pushed a button at the end of his desk and I heard a chime sound throughout the building. The door opened and the nephilim woman entered.