by Lola StVil
The picture of the morose mountain made of Angel wings makes me queasy. My body pleads with me to slow down or better yet stop.
Emmy, keep going…
I order my legs to keep moving. The buildings go by me in a blur. I pay no attention to them or my screaming muscles. The burn inside my chest grows with every step I take, but I ignore that, too.
Then a few feet to the right of me, a man is set on fire. His cries fill the air. I look up and find Rage in the sky. He throws another fireball and the entire block goes up in flames. I run faster but I know it’s hopeless since I can’t match his speed.
The only advantage I have over Rage is that it is against the rules for him to use his powers in a big crowd of humans. I look around anxiously for the most crowded street I can find. In New York City that isn’t usually a problem but it wasn’t even day break yet.
Finally, I spot a group of guys at a warehouse loading and unloading their trucks. I run right into the warehouse and pray there are a lot more people inside. Thankfully there is. I stand in the middle of the floor. Rage and I now stand separated by a crowd of humans.
Rage stands outside just a few yards away from me. I can see from the look on his face, he’s thinking about whether or not to take the risk.
“Rage, don’t,” I say breathlessly. The crowd starts asking each other what’s going on.
Rage looks into my eyes.
“So, you really have it in there, don’t you?”
I don’t respond. He doesn’t need to know I’m scared. He doesn’t need to know that at any moment my legs are going to give out on me.
“We’re going to get it from you. We will tear into your flesh and pop out your eye balls,” he says with a sweet smile.
“Maybe. But not today”
He sneers at me and leaves. I’m so weak with relief, I sit on the ground and hold my head between my hands.
One of the workers come up to me and asks if I’m okay.
“Yes, thank you.”
He holds out his hand and helps me up.
“Was that guy your boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Good, I can tell from his face; he’s no angel.”
I shake my head and smile at the biggest under statement of the century. Once the sun comes up and the streets are filled with humans, I make my way to The Sage’s place. I am carful not to use any side streets or wander anywhere that’s isolated. By the time I get to the Sage, it’s nearly eight in the morning.
I knock on the door and the old lady with the kind face whose name we never know, lets me in. I don’t even get a foot in the door when Marcus moves in to hug me.
“I was gonna come look for you but we didn’t want to lead the Akons to you,” he explains.
I don’t have any words. I just want to stay in his arms but a thought jolts me out of Marcus’s embrace.
“Is Rio okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I healed the cry baby,” Miku says.
“What? I healed you just last week when a Demon broke your legs.”
“It was just one leg and that took like ten seconds.”
As the Twins bicker on, I asked about Jay and Julian. Marcus told me they are in Daraquin getting treated but that they should be fine.
“We should take you there and have them look at you,” he says.
“I’m okay.”
He shakes his head but lets the subject go. Just seeing his beautiful face again, knowing that he’s standing there in front of me and not sprawled out on the sidewalk, dead…
I grab him and hug him again, as tight as I can. I whisper quietly in his ear and ask him to make a promise a leader fighting evil can never make.
“Don’t die, okay?” I ask softly.
He looks into my eyes and sees them swimming in tears.
“I won’t,” he swears.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
I put my head on Marcus’s chest. I spot The Sage standing at the doorway. His expression is that of a boy who has read ahead in a story and knows it won’t end well. I turn and face the other way.
CHAPTER FOUR: PHIN
“We can’t stay here can we?” I ask.
“No. The Sage isn’t supposed to be taking sides,” Marcus confirms.
“So why is he helping us?”
“It’s not because he likes me, that’s for sure.”
The Twins and Ameana enter the tea room. It seems that every time we get life-altering news, it’s here. The Sage has decorated the room with plush furniture, a magnificent tea set, and a chessboard made out of pieces that represent Akons and Guardians.
Marcus hates the tea room. To him, it is the place where we found out that the Hun, an ancient evil was alive and well. For me, this room is where we found out that Rio was alive. It is also in this room that Marcus said he loved me out loud. So naturally, the tea room holds a certain comfort.
“We can’t just hide out here,” Ameana says.
“I know. I’m thinking,” Marcus replies.
“Thinking about what?” the Twins ask in unison. They have been doing that a lot more. It kind of creeps me out, but I guess after all they have been through, they feel a closeness none of us will ever know.
“I’m trying to figure a way out of this,” Marcus replies, clearly annoyed.
“We’ve looked for months Marcus,” Ameana insists.
“Yes, and we’ll keep looking,” he vows.
“The Akons aren’t going to stop until they get Emmy,” Miku says.
“So I should just kill her here and now?” Marcus snaps.
“Um…I’m gonna head to the kitchen. This sounds like team business,” I say, closing the door behind me. The Sage is waiting for me in the hallway. I guess he knew I would be there.
“Naturally,” he says out loud.
“That ‘reading minds’ thing, does it ever get old?”
“Not yet,” he replies.
Well, it’s getting old with me…
I make my way to the kitchen. Much like the rest of the apartment, the kitchen is spotless and cozy. From the tan checkered dish towels to the embroidered pot holders that say “Home.” There is a painting on the wall of a roaring fireplace with a sweet-natured old lady sitting beside it, sipping from a mug.
I go to make myself some tea but it’s already been made for me. The Sage had it sitting out waiting for me. It’s peppermint, my favorite. That’s what I always want to drink when I am at the Sage’s house, peppermint tea. It goes well with whatever revelations he’s going to share with us.
“There is no revelation this time, Emerson. If you live, many will die,” he said, reading my thoughts once again.
“Don’t you ever get tired of being inside my head?”
“No, you are very entertaining.”
“I do what I can.”
He invites me to sit down at the table. I take a seat as he studies me.
“You are managing well for a girl whose love is supposed to kill her,” he says.
“Um…thanks?”
“Marcus has wanted to ask you a question for weeks now.”
“Whatever it is, he’ll tell me when he’s ready.”
“Marcus isn’t ready for anything. He’s in love. He’s lost.”
“Is that what it means to be in love?”
“At this moment, yes.”
“He wants to find a way to save me, that’s what Angels do.”
“He’s a Guardian. He has a mission.”
“I tried to tell him but he won’t listen to me.”
“You don’t know what’s at stake, Emerson. You will bring about the end of everything.”
“It’s not my fault. The Council did that.”
“They hid the map and gave the clue as to its location. Their job is done.”
“This isn’t fair.”
“You have been with the Guardians for nearly a year. You know all their Cores, yet you
still believe the universe deals in “fairness?”
“I’m not a fan of dying, okay? But if I have to, why does it have to be Marcus that does it?”
“It doesn’t have to be. It could be Lucy.”
“Those are my only choices?”
“You know very well it is. That is what you have been trying to convince Marcus of for all this time.”
“Yeah and you can see how well that’s working.”
“He would die for you.”
“I know.”
“But it is not his life he is risking. It is the humans.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Help him see what he’s unwilling to look at.”
He shouldn’t have to make this decision. We should be in school, taking exams, cutting class, kissing in the hallways…
“From what I understand, the two of you have found time to get the kissing part in,” he says.
Can I have one thought to myself, please?
“Apologies,” he says.
I lean forward in my chair, close my eyes, and rub my temple.
“The mailman dropped off a package. I believe it’s a Phin,” someone says.
I open my eyes and find the old lady who hardly ever speaks standing at the door way. She leaves the kitchen before I can ask any questions. I turn my attention to the Sage.
“What does that mean?”
“It means we have a visitor.”
We head to the entrance of the apartment where the team examines the contents of the package that had just been delivered.
Marcus reaches inside the small cardboard box and pulls out an ivory colored bottle with a carving on the side. The carving is of the number 3, alongside it the letter C, which link together to form a spade.
“What is that and where’s the visitor?” I ask.
“Inside,” Marcus says.
“It has your name on it,” Ameana says to him.
“An Angel’s wings are like human fingerprints, each is unique. Since Marcus’s name is on the box, only feathers from his wings can make open it,” Rio explains.
Then Marcus calls for a feather from his wings. It flows into the air, and then runs along the side of the bottle. Suddenly a dark shadow seeps out of the bottle. It forms into an older man dressed in what looks like a butler’s uniform.
“A genie?” I shout, before I can stop myself.
“I beg your pardon, madam?” the figure said with a heavy British accent.
“You’re some type of Genie, right?”
“Emmy, there are no such things as Genies,” Miku says.
“But he came in a bottle for Omnis’s sake.”
“I beg your pardon, madam but that isn’t a bottle; it’s a Phin,” he informs me.
“A Phin is a vehicle that houses Shadow Servants,” Rio explains.
“Humans have a myth about beings that come out of bottles and grant wishes,” Miku explains to the figure.
“I am aware of the human’s offensive portrayals of Shadow Servants,” he says, sounding less than happy with us.
“I’ve met Shadow Servants before but they were wrapped around a tree, greeting guests for a party. I didn’t know they also delivered messages. So I thought maybe you were a…sorry,” I replied.
The Shadow Servant looks down at me.
“Yes, well, my name is Lakom. I am a Shadow Servant from The House of Three. I am not a Genie. I do not grant wishes and you will not rub me.”
It was all the Guardians could do not to laugh. I would have thought it funny too, if Lakom didn’t look like he wanted to strangle me for offending him.
“What is your message?” the Twins ask.
“My message is for Marcus Cane. The First Guardian of the current Cycle.”
“I’m Marcus.”
“My Maker wishes to speak with you and your team.”
“Who is your Maker?”
“The head of The House of Three.”
Marcus looks around and, like him, the team has no idea what Lakom is talking about.
“Sage, do you know The House of Three?” Marcus asks.
“No.”
“Nevertheless, she wishes to meet with you.”
“Why should we go see her?”
“Because she is the answer.”
“The answer to what?”
“Everything.”
Lakom dissolves into a shadow again, leaps out and up into the light fixtures, and disappears.
That is so cool…
Marcus takes the Phin and reads a message engraved on the side:
“Terra Oblivioni.
First light.
Seek: Lakom”
“Judging from the reaction of the team, I’m guessing Terra Oblivioni isn’t a place for fun and laughs,” I say to Miku.
“It’s ‘The Land of the Forgotten,’” she explains.
Rio, reading my Waves, knows I’m still confused. He tries to explain further.
“Terra is home to most if not all Tics.”
“You mean it’s filled with bugs?” I ask.
“No, Tic is another word for an Angel who’s addicted to drugs.”
“Drugs?”
“There’s two major drugs that plague the Angel world: Peeks and CP. Peeks are black market Snaps that last for hours instead of a few minutes. Angels get a high from the new power they have. Unfortunately no matter how strong the Peek is, the high is temporary. So they have to buy more. Peek Snaps are expensive; they come from the third layer of our wings.”
“That’s the layer that can’t grow back.”
“Yes.”
“So the Angels get hooked on Peeks and end up depleting their entire third coat?”
“Eventually.”
“And without their third coats—”
“They can’t fly. They’re Grounded; earth bound forever.”
“What’s CP?” I ask.
“Coy Paste,” Miku says.
“You guys drink Coy though, right?”
“Yes, but the liquid form is fine. It is exceedingly more potent in paste form. Angels smear it on their wings. It gives them a blissful, all-consuming surge. Like Peeks, the rush from CP is also temporary and depletes the third coat.”
“Why do Angels risk their wings just for a rush?” I ask.
“Same reasons humans risk their lives,” Marcus says, bitterly reflecting on his mom.
“Once an Angel is Grounded, he’ll do anything to get his hands on more Peek or CP. The Council found addicted Angels were dangerous. So they banished them to Terra. It’s a small strip of land near New Jersey.”
“Can we skip the Q&A and focus? We can’t just accept the invitation,” Ameana says
“She’s right. We can’t just go to Terra to see some girl. What if it’s a trap set by the Akons or Lucy?” I reply.
“Lucy can’t enter Terra. She’s banned. She doesn’t really care anyway. She knows eventually Tics will overdose and end up in Difi.”
Just then Jay Glides into the room with Julian. Thankfully, his wings have been repaired. And Julian doesn’t have a scratch on him. Julian doesn’t say anything but he looks me over carefully. There is a small breath of relief once he realizes that I’m in one piece. We catch Jay up on what he’s missed.
“So, are we going to Terra?” he asks.
“Julian, have you ever heard of The House of Three?” Marcus asks.
“No, but if it’s located in Terra, it can’t be good. It’s a wasteland of addicts and degenerates.”
Marcus confers with the Sage.
“It is not for me to say. I can only point out that time is not your friend,” The Sage says softly.
“He’s right Marcus. I broke a Splash when we were in Daraquin; the Akons, Runners, Demons and Lucy are all hunting for Emmy. Lucy has vowed to reward whoever finds her.”
“What’s the reward?” Rio asks.
“I don’t know, a lifetime su
pply of evil in a can.”
“Evil in a can?” Miku mocks.
“Yo, whatever. All I know is they are coming for her hard.”
“So, are we going?” I ask nervously.
“Yeah,” Marcus says, without missing a beat.
“Are you sure this is a good move?” Ameana asks.
“It may not be a good move, but it’s our only one.”
Marcus instructs the team to go recharge and be ready to move out in a few hours. As they head off to find a place to rest, I hear Jay address Ameana.
“I saw your man,” Jay teases.
“Excuse me?” Ameana says.
“Please, like you don’t know who I mean.”
“I don’t.”
“Well, Wolf said he’s been calling you, but you don’t pick up.”
“We’ve been a little busy here. You know, saving the world?”
“Whatever man, just call that dude back.”
“So what, you two are best friends now?”
“If we were cool like that, I’d tell him to stay away from you. I have met girls that require a few hours of work, but you are trouble 3-6-5.”
“So you told him how awful I am and he still wanted you to get a message to me?”
“All I can do I warn a guy, ya know?”
“I didn’t call him because I’m on a mission. I don’t have time to socialize.”
“Too bad your ex does.”
Flashes of anger flood Ameana’s face. She raises her hand and sends Jay flying through the window and across the street. We turn around in time to hear Jay shout.
“I’m good. The kid is always good,” Jay shouts from across the street. I can hear the smile in his words. He’s having a good time teasing Ameana.
Marcus shakes his head impatiently and the Twins head out to get Jay.
“Has Wolf been calling you?”
“Who’s asking? The First Guardian or my ex?”
“Your friend.”
“Are we friends?” she laughs joylessly.
“We used to be.”
“We used to be a lot of things, Marcus,” she walks off but he takes after her.
They enter the tea room. It’s all I can do not to go over and put my ear to the door.
That would be wrong, right?
Right.
Luckily, their voices carry down the hallway.
Emmy, it’s a private conversation. You should walk away. Be a good girlfriend and walk away. Walk away. Emmy move!