The Shoma

by Lola St. Vil

  “Look, I know it’s not ideal; but it’s the situation we’re in so, we need to stand by her.” Miku tells us.

  “Actually, what we need to do is take off for the mission tonight. We need that first Alpha.” Marcus reminds them.

  “Raphael is supposed to give us the first clue, that can’t happen until the Query is over.”

  “So you need Raphael to find the Alphas?” I ask.

  “In order to get started, yes.” Marcus replies.

  “We can’t keep delaying like last time, it’s getting crazy right now.” Jay replies.

  Jay is referring to the shaky political climate between the Angels and the Quo. While the humans are putting their world back together, it seems the Angel world keeps falling apart. And as for us Quo, even though we won the war against The Sage and the Believers, many doubt Angels will ever truly accept us.

  The Believers, while weak in numbers, are strong in their belief that all winged beings should die or be subservient to them. They have bombed Angel owned businesses, Angel homes and are rumored to be responsible for Angel kidnappings.

  The sooner the Guardians can find the Shoma and put it back together, the sooner the Council can restore peace. Now what does that mean for us Quo? We were told we would be free to live out in the world. Will the new Council honor that? Or will they put us back under lock and key?

  I’m not worried, because I know the Guardians wouldn’t let that happen to us, but other Quo aren’t as sure as I am. That’s why there is so much unrest. Everyone is waiting to see what happens after the Shoma is reassembled.

  “Have there been any more attacks by the Believers?” I ask.

  “According to the Splash, there were two bombings just this morning.” Marcus says as he rubs his neck. I could almost feel the tension rising in his body. He is really trying to hold it together.

  “We should have been there to stop them from attacking.” Marcus says, mostly to himself.

  “We couldn’t. We had no way of knowing where they would strike next or even what they look like. Believers and humans look exactly the same. They can hide in plain sight.” Miku says.

  “She’s right. The best thing to do is to put the Shoma back together.” Emmy replies, picking up on Marcus’s ever rising stress level.

  “Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Marcus asks Emmy.

  Jay and Miku head back into Luna’s apartment. Marcus and Emmy head down the street.

  He instructs me to stay close and be alert. I wanted to tell them I could hear what they are saying, but I didn’t want to interrupt. I also kind of day dreamed about what they would talk about when they were alone and this is my chance to find out.

  Does that make me creepy?

  Yeah, I guess it does. I just can’t help but wonder what it would be like if Marcus needed to talk me alone. He’d take my hand in his and say things guys never say in real life. He’d worry about me, check in with me and he’d show me a side of him no one else ever got to see: Marcus the lover and not just the Guardian.

  “What is it?” She asks him.

  “I don’t know I just…I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Marcus replies, clearly uncomfortable.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s just that you sound…different, somehow.”

  “Maybe I sound different because I am,” she says.

  “Look I know the breakup is hard on you; it’s hard on me too.”

  She turns to him and looks into his eyes. She gently brushes a stray hair from his face.

  “Marcus, maybe you and I won’t make it. Maybe we will, but what I know for sure is that I will not allow our relationship to be manipulated by your wife or my father.”

  “Emmy, this isn’t about them.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s always been about other people. Yes, I was wrong to say that you were never there for me. And you were wrong for taking off to go and be with Bianca, but you don’t end a relationship based on that.”

  “I didn’t do what I did because of them. It’s just you and I, we are always hurting each other and…”

  “It’s hard. It’s painful and it always seems like we won’t make it.” She replies.

  “Exactly, that’s why I ended it. Emmy, don’t you want a painless love?”

  “Ameana told me something once, when she was dangling me over a bridge. I was crying, as usual and she said that when I cry, all I was really doing was shedding courage through my eyes. She was right. I cried more than I ever thought anyone could. And what did that make me?”

  “Given everything that’s happened to you…”

  “Crying never once got me anything. I wept until I passed out, but when I woke up my mom was still dead. So were Sarah, Rio, and Reese. Tears can’t stop anything from happening. I’m done.”

  “What does that mean? You’re gonna stop feeling?”

  “No, it means I’m done losing people I love. Marcus, I’m not giving up you up.”

  “Don’t make this hard. You know what you mean to me, but we can’t keep doing this.”

  “I know you’re tired. You have battles on all fronts, but it’s okay to stop fighting for us because that’s my job, now. You save the world and I’ll save us.”

  CHAPTER THREE:

  CERTAINTY

  When Emmy goes back inside to join the others, Marcus takes me aside and says he needs to speak to me. My heart is racing and my mouth is dry. It’s stupid, because it’s not like he’s gonna say something romantic or anything. He’s probably gonna say something official.

  Eta we need your powers so we can pause time and defeat evil.

  That’s good and everything, but it would be kind of nice if he wanted to talk about…us.

  Us???

  What “us?”

  Dear Omnis, please stop these silly thoughts.

  “Eta?” Marcus calls out.

  “Huh?”

  “I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  Can you stand there and let me kiss you like you’ve never been kissed before in your life?

  Why yes, Marcus, I can…

  “So, you’ll do it for me?” Marcus asks.

  Crap, what did he just ask?

  “Can you repeat that?” I ask.

  “Will you look after Emmy for me?”

  “Um…”

  “I don’t mean every second of the day, I just mean keep an eye out. We broke up and it’s kind of tough on her.”

  They broke up?

  That sucks; they belong together, but now maybe he’ll notice me. What am I saying? Iwant them to be together. Sigh, why doesn’t Marcus have a brother who looks just likehim that I could have?

  “Why did you guys break up?” I ask.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “You and Emmy have hung on this long; you two can’t give up now.”

  I know the chance of me having Marcus is nonexistent, but at least he is with someone I like. Emmy has always been good to me. Why can’t they just work it out, already?

  “Damn it, Marcus, just make her stay with you!” I blurt out of nowhere.

  Marcus is taken aback by my outburst.

  “I mean, what the hell is wrong with you two that you can’t just stay together?” I push.

  He looks pained. Like the words I chose to use somehow cut right through him. He looks down on the ground. It’s like he’s failed to do something he vowed he would do and now he’s hanging his head in shame.

  “Sorry, I guess I should just mind my business.” I say.

  “It’s fine. Will you look out for her? She means everything to me,” he begs.

  “Yes, I will look out for her.”

  I will also train my mind to stay away from all Eta and Marcus thoughts…

  When Luna calls us, we quickly head back to the exam room. Ameana looks like she has gotten her strength back. Rage stays protectively next to her.

  “Is she go
ing to be okay?” Emmy asks.

  “The truth is, I don’t really know. There’s never been a case like this before,” Luna replies.

  “So we came here for nothing?” Rage says.

  “Thomas.” Ameana warns.

  Rage wisely decided to stay quiet and let Luna talk.

  “Normally, an Angel has a Sib with another Angel. It’s simple and everything goes according to plan; but, in this case, not only is the Sib with a Demon, it’s with an Akon and a Guardian.”

  “So?”

  “So, Guardians are not like regular Angels. You guys were once human, so there will be human like symptoms. Especially when the female mates with a Demon who used to be human as well.”

  “So what, she’s gonna throw up and stuff like pregnant humans do?” Emmy asks.

  “She will have symptoms human females do, but with an Angel twist. I don’t know what form it will take; just except the unexpected.”

  “Okay, well why did she pass out?” Rage asks.

  “Was she experiencing extreme sorrow at the time?” Luna asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Interesting; this Sib is crafty.” Luna says to herself as the corners of her lips form a smile.

  “What do you mean?” Ameana asks.

  “Normally, when a female experiences deep sorrow and profound anger, the Sib is disconnected from the mother. That’s when the markings start to fade.” Luna says getting more and more excited.

  “We saw that in our Angel friend, she lost the Sib.” Miku recalls.

  “That’s because the Sib has disconnected, as I said before, but this time your Sib, didn’t disconnect. Instead, it shut down your body so that it could preserve both your soul and his. That’s brilliant!”

  “The Sib made me pass out?” Ameana replies.

  “In order to protect the two of you; yes. That’s not all. Markings usually go as high as the female’s wrist; the higher the markings, the more powerful the Sib. It’s only been a few hours and the markings are past your wrist and onto your forearm. It means this child is far more powerful than any other I’ve seen.”

  Ameana and Rage look at each other with a mix of concern and wonder. Judging by Luna’s reaction, their Sib will be remarkable. Well, that is, if it gets to live.

  The rest of the team is filled with more concern than wonder. I’m guessing they are contemplating what will happen if the Sib should somehow become too powerful.

  “Does that mean every time I am sad, I’ll faint?” Ameana says.

  “No, that’s only one of many reactions you could have had. Think of it this way; much like a human female, your emotions and reactions will be out of balance while you are connected to the Sib.”

  “So her hormones will be off?” I ask.

  “I didn’t know Angels had hormones.” Emmy says.

  “They do. It’s a section of the female soul called the Syton and with it, Ameana could just as easily kiss you as she could skewer you with a blade.”

  “Will she be more powerful?” Marcus asks.

  “While she will have movements of feeling weak or drained, yes, she will also have moments of immeasurable power.”

  “How is that possible?” Rage says.

  “If the Sib feels that its mother is in danger, it will take from its supply and feed soul back to her. That will make her far more powerful, but since the Sib is using its supply, the stronger you are, the weaker it gets. So try and stay out of dangerous situations.”

  “I’m a Guardian, how am I supposed to that?” Ameana asks.

  “Well, you could have started by not mating with an Akon,” she says under her breath.

  “Luna, he’s the father of my Sib and if you roll your eyes at him one more time, I will pluck them from your head.” Ameana vows.

  “Well, looks like the Syton is already affecting your judgment.” Luna replies.

  “Actually, that’s just how she do,” Jay says.

  “He’s right,” Marcus confirms.

  “Is it going to be a boy or a girl?” Miku asks eagerly.

  Luna shows us the palm of Ameana’s hand. It has markings all over it. Luna draws our attention to the center of Ameana’s palm.

  “It’s the one spot that doesn’t have any markings,” I reply.

  “That’s because the gender is not known yet. When it is, it will appear in the center of her palm. That marking is called the Susu. If the Susu is a triangle, with three slashes to it, the Sib will be a male. If the Susu is circular with three slashes, the Sib will be female.” Luna informs us.

  “Thomas, do you have a preference?” Ameana asks, smiling.

  “Male. Or female.” He replies.

  “Well, it’s gonna be one of those.” I reply.

  “Or nothing at all.” Luna says.

  We all look at her with disapproval.

  “I’m sorry, I just heard about the Query and well…what are the chances that the Originals will reverse a Kon’s decision?” Luna asks.

  “How did you even know about the Query?” Emmy says.

  “Nothing is kept secret for too long in the Angel world and I’m sorry to say it, but there’s no way the Kon’s decision will be reversed. Shame, it may be my only chance to study a half Akon, half Guardian Sib,” Luna says to herself.

  “Don’t listen to this quack; nothing is going to happen to our kid.” Rage swears.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset anyone, but c’mon, you had to know Wolf was going to take action. I mean, look at what he did to Audro.”

  “What are you taking about?” Ameana asks.

  Luna looks around and sees our confused faces. That’s when she realizes we have no idea what she is talking about.

  “You don’t know about Audro?” She asks.

  “No, but now would be the time to tell us.” Ameana says, starting to lose patience.

  “Wolf had a castle built entirely of white marble in a mountain range of Carrara, in the Tuscany region, just for you. He called it the House of Audro. Meaning the house of light. That is where he planned to marry you and make you the Queen of Paras.”

  “What? When did he do that?” Ameana asks.

  “Rumor has it, since he met you, he’s been planning to spend forever with you.”

  Ameana looks down at the floor and Rage’s jaw clenches. Although the tension in the room is palpable, Luna gladly continues.

  “When he found out that you were with the First Akon, he destroyed it, piece by piece. He was a one Para wrecking ball.”

  “How do you know this?” Rage asks.

  “It’s what everyone’s been talking about. That and latest BB: Believer Bombings.” Luna explains.

  “He never told me,” Ameana says sadly.

  “So what if he didn’t; would it have changed things with you and me?” Rage asks.

  “I’m not saying that.”

  “Kind of sounds like you are,” Luna says.

  “Please let me light her up.” Rage says to Marcus as a fire ball springs into the palm of his hand.

  “No.”

  “Well, can I punch her?”

  Marcus pauses to think about it. Miku jabs him in the ribs.

  “What, I was gonna tell him no; no Rage you can’t punch the wacky lunatic.” Marcus replies.

  “I don’t have to be here. The Home Shopping Network just unveiled its new Harry Potter line. I could be on the phone right now, ordering a tote bag with Daniel Radcliffe’s likeness in macramé.”

  “Yo, son…” Jay says, trying not to laugh at Luna and failing miserably.

  “We gotta go.” Marcus says, interrupting.

  “What is it?” Rage asks.

  “Raphael just texted me: The Originals want us to go to New York to meet with them and hear their decision.”

  When we get to New York City, we find Paras along every rooftop. They illuminate the skyline and stand guard over The Peninsula Hotel, where the Query was held.

  “There’s only Paras here. Did they empty the block?” Emmy ask
s.

  “No, they emptied Manhattan.” Marcus replies.

  We look around and sure enough, aside from Emmy, there is no human to be found.

  Luxury sports cars and limos line the streets. Jay comments repeatedly on the impressive cars and begs Marcus to let him get behind the wheel of one.

  “No.”

  “C’mon, man. They want me. Look at that sweet Aston Martin One-77, its calling me, man.”

  “Why is it called the One-77?” Miku asks him.

  “Because there are only seventy seven of them in existence and I’m standing next to it. Hi, baby, Daddy loves you.” Jay says as he strokes the hood of the car.

  “What’s the big deal? It’s just a red and grey car.” I reply.

  Everyone in the group rolls their eyes and silently wishes I hadn’t said what I said.

  “Did you really just say that?” Jay says, deeply offended.

  “Jay, let it go.” Miku says.

  “It’s not just a car. It’s an experience and it’s not red and grey; its chrome and ruby with midnight trim.” Jay corrects me.

  “Just apologize or you’re in for an hour lecture on the history of the cars,” Emmy cautions me.

  “In 1803—” Jay begins.

  “—Okay, okay. I’m sorry. It’s a lovely car—experience.” I interrupt quickly.

  Miku takes Jay’s hand and promises he can take a ride in it when things settle down.

  Rage asks Miku what it’s like for her, knowing she will always come second to Jay’s obsession with cars. Miku says she is looking for a twelve-step program she can send him to for his addiction.

  We all laugh at him. I think making silly jokes is a way for them to keep Ameana and Rage’s minds off of the fact that, at any moment, they could lose their Sib. It works for a few minutes, but once we enter the hotel lobby, the laughing stops.

  A team of very serious looking Paras guide us up the steps of the grand staircase and into the conference room, where the Originals are waiting.

  We enter the room and find the Originals seated behind a raised “C” shaped podium. It extends several feet in the air so that they are looking down on us. The Originals wear designer suits and are impeccably groomed.

  Marcus points Raphael out to me; he’s the Original who’s not dressed in a suit. In fact, he wears a tee shirt and jeans. On the front of his shirt is an old fashioned video game controller and a bottle of Coy and it says “Level up!”