Children of Sun (Oracle's Legacy)

by R. B. Holbrook

  "Fresh haircut. Let me guess--you're on assignment." Ollie gave him the very icy welcome he'd given her. She eyed his keys sitting on the gray marble surface next to him.

  "We need to talk," he said.

  "Yes, we do." And as soon as the talk was over, he was planning on leaving--before the kids woke, before Mama got to see his face. How wrong he was. She took his keys.

  "What the …?"

  Before he could stand up, she slid them into her pocket. "Hear me. Six months of your hardass routine is all I can stand. One year is bull. For the next two weeks, you'll be here, you'll talk to Mama, you will catch up with the kids without scaring them--and if you think about leaving, I blow your cover. Scott and Ric are here, so play nice with your brother and nephew. If you want, you can pick a fight with me to blow off steam. Do business from here, but no way are you to leave for the next two weeks."

  "Give me my keys." His voice was mean.

  "Your keys or your job?" She stared into his cold eyes, daring him.

  "I have no time for your games,"

  "Games?" She tilted her head to the side to let him know that there was no game involved. "Geo, I'm dead serious."

  "You would sabotage my life like--"

  "Without a second thought." She narrowed her eyes at him, preparing for retaliation.

  "I could do the same to you."

  "Do it." She stepped back, holding up her arms so that he could take in everything around him. "I can retire off of what I've made and still support everyone in the family if I wish. And I have made provisions so that if something like that ever happened, I can just disappear and take everyone with me. You see, Geo, my life's not the job. So get this through your thick-ass skull. If you want this to be a game--" She leaned into his face. "Let's play."

  The hardened lines in his face showed her he was pissed, but there was no way out of the situation; he had to suck it up. Grinning, enjoying her little victory, she walked around the bar into the kitchen and began to fix breakfast. She didn't look at him for a long time, because she knew he was still sitting at the bar trying to find a way out of his mess. She'd had a long year to think it all over, and this course was what had to be. Two weeks was nothing, but it would be something for the kids and Mama. They needed to see their brother for awhile, even if he didn't want to see them.

  Ollie pulled down the pancake mix and began mixing all the ingredients that the box called for. It wouldn't be special like Ellis's cooking, but it would be edible, and the syrup would cover up the not-so-special taste. She got the bacon out of the refrigerator drawer, then she pulled down a large frying pan from the stainless steel pot rack. Turning up the heat on the stove, she placed the pan over the burner and slid the bacon in the pan.

  "So, did you want to talk?" she finally said as she flipped the pancakes in the skillet.

  "Falco wants his money from Greg Hooser." His voice was tight.

  That wasn't why he wanted to talk. He had already called her about that, and Geo didn't have a habit of repeating himself. It was most likely about yesterday, but he had lost the high ground, so the conversation was a moot point.

  She said, "I just visited that prick two months ago."

  "He also wants you to send the family a message."

  "The expensive kind?"

  "Yeah." His voice lost its hard edge, as if he was resigned to the fact that he would be captive. That, or he had something up his sleeve.

  After the first batch of pancakes and bacon was done, she put them on a plate and placed it in front of him. She reached into a cabinet and pulled down the syrup.

  "If you want it warmed …"

  "Yeah, I know." He popped the top of the Mrs. Butterworth's and poured it over everything. She handed him a fork and went back to the stove. It wasn't long before the pounding of feet came down the steps.

  O-no waltzed into the kitchen, eyeing his brother. "'Sup?" he asked quietly, afraid of the reaction he would get.

  "Morning," Geo replied, eating.

  Ollie looked over at the cubby, six foot three eighteen-year-old as he nodded his head in Geo's direction, as if to say, What's up with him?

  She just handed him a plate. "By the way, O-no, you and Sunny are going to school today with Bones," Ollie told him.

  He spun around before leaving the kitchen. "Why?"

  "Because I want you to watch out for him. Some kids have been manhandling him, and if you and he don't figure something out, I'll intervene." She turned back to the stove with the spatula, picked up the frying pan, and flipped one of the pancakes.

  "It's just them fire punks," O-no grumbled.

  She slammed the frying pan onto the stove and tossed aside the spatula. She whirled around, gaze locking on him, as his eyes grew in alarm. "What the …?" She exhaled as she stepped closer to him. Had she heard him right? No way. She stepped forward again as Geo put his arm out between them, more for O-no's benefit than hers. "Are you telling me you knew about this?" His face paled. "Go wake up Sunny, and bring your asses down here. Now," she snarled at him.

  He put down his plate, cursing. He stomped off and went back up the steps.

  "And you tell me not to scare them," Geo chuckled.

  "Oh, shut up," she breathed.

  ()()()

  Ellis woke, hearing shouts coming from downstairs. Ollie was on a tirade. Someone had antagonized her early today. He looked over at the clock. Four-thirty in the morning. Too early. He took in a long, cleansing breath and made his way down to the second floor. He went into Bones's room and shook the fragile boy. Bones stirred a bit. Ellis gave him a moment and then patted his shoulder. The kid moved his shoulder in response, slowly opened his eyes, and then closed them again. Exhaustion was starting to set in.

  "Come on, Einstein," he said softly. The kid moaned a little in protest. "You have to get up and eat."

  "I. Know." Bones slowly raised his body before he lifted his head. He opened his big eyes and slumped. His skin was pale again. Ellis took Bones by the arm, placed a hand on his back, and ushered him out of the room carefully, so the boy would not trip over the piles of books. They made their way down the steps to the kitchen.

  Geo sat in his suit and tie at the bar, watching in amusement as Ollie reprimanded O-no and Sunny. The two boys tried to make compelling arguments in their favor, knowing good and well that they were wasting their time. Ellis sat the half-asleep boy at the dining table before going to the stove and taking the skillets off the burners so that the food would not burn. Noticing that the bacon was done, he put some on a plate and went to set it in front of Bones. Then he turned around to see that Geo was up and pouring a glass of orange juice. When he stepped back into the kitchen, Geo turned with the glass of juice. He handed it to Ellis, who took it. Going back to the table, Ellis saw that Bones was already chewing the bacon with his eyes closed. As he set down the juice, Ric came into the dining area with Scott in his arms.

  "Ollie, who can sleep with that racket?" Ric asked, settling his son in the high chair across from the table.

  "Your brothers knew that Bones was being pushed around at school, and they weren't doing a damn thing about it." She narrowed her eyes at the boys, who stood with their mouths open in disbelief. The room felt cold all of a sudden, making Ellis's skin crawl.

  He and Ric went over to the two quivering boys. Because O-no was the same height as Ric, standing eye to eye, he was not intimidated in the least by the second oldest. But when Ellis towered over both boys, O-no stiffened like a scared child.

  O-no and Sunny attended the same high school as Bones, even though they barely went. Both of them used Sunny's abilities of persuasion to sway the teachers' and administrators' minds, to keep from going to school. Ollie didn't mind, because they were smarter than the curriculum they studied. O-no, who was a computer whiz, was eighteen and scheduled to graduate at the end of the school year. He had already passed all of his major courses. He had decided to remain a normal kid and finish school like normal children did.

 
Sunny was sixteen and was also too smart for the school, but he never tried to hide it like O-no. And he never tried to enroll in a more advanced curriculum, like Ellis had suggested. Sunny was also scheduled to graduate at the end of the year. Ollie was afraid he would miss out on his childhood, moving so quickly. But Sunny didn't seem to mind, and neither did his mother.

  "You will be going to school with your brother the rest of the year. And you will like it," Ric said before Ellis could get it out.

  "You told us that we need to learn to fight our own battles," O-no defended.

  "Bones can hardly defend himself," Ellis reminded them. They dropped their heads. Not only was Bones eight years old, but he also didn't have the muscle mass to defend himself. Being hypoglycemic, the kid could not eat enough.

  "Hold up your head and take it." Geo's deep voice carried from the kitchen as he went to the stove to finish breakfast. They complied.

  Ellis said, "While we are away, O-no, you are responsible for those here, since you are the oldest. I expect more from you." The young man was more considerate than this. "I don't care if it is Flame, Heart, or the pope--you will not let them hurt Bones. You will take care of this family, just like everyone else does. And if you don't like it--"

  "--get out. There's the door." Ollie finished for him, pointing to the door.

  The boy was eighteen years old and could fend for himself. There was no need for him to stay in a family that he didn't care about, but he did care. "You're right, I got selfish." O-no had understanding written all over his face. He was accustomed to everyone else taking care of him and his siblings, and he was not given enough initiative to help.

  "Listen, you two, we can't be around all the time. And you are getting older. It is time you take charge where we cannot," Ellis told them.

  "You thought that once me and E got back home, we would take care of it, didn't you?" Ollie cut in. She was upset, far more than Ellis thought was necessary. But then Ollie rarely chained her emotions.

  Sunny nodded.

  "Well, it's your turn." Ollie turned her back on them and went into the kitchen.

  They broke up once the old woman came in. She shuffled over to the table, looking all of them over, knowing what was going on yet saying nothing. She always knew what was going on. It showed in her old brown eyes when they lightened. Her long, straight, silver hair hung over her shoulders as she stooped to sit. The skin on her jaw was like pudding, while her high Choctaw cheekbones seemed to keep the skin on the upper half of her face somewhat in place. She was hunched over from age and the pain that had set into her bones and joints.

  Bethea Smoking Shaman, birth mother of two boys, Ric and Geo, took any child in their father's blood line. Though she was aging and kind, no one took her lightly. She was Ellis and Ollie's only mother, because their biological mother had died during childbirth. They considered her a gift, and she considered them priceless.

  "O-no, can you fix my plate for me?" she said, and he complied immediately. "Bones, finish your pancakes. Geo worked hard on them for you. Sunny, pour everyone something to drink," she ordered as everyone began to gather for breakfast.

  The Smoking Shaman could handle the boys but she preferred to let the older ones do it. She had made it clear long ago that they all must take care of each other. That was what family did. Too bad their father didn't understand this concept.

  Jamali was his name; it meant "beauty" in the language of the African tribe from which he originated. But he had an Americanized name as well: Jacob Mason. The mention of his name made them nauseous for numerous reasons. But the main reason was his absence.

  ()()()

  Ellis remembered the story from when Mama first told it.

  "Though these words may seem far-fetched, they are all true. So listen wisely and carefully." She exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke through her lips. "More than a hundred and fifty years ago, I was born in Choctaw territory in a state now known as Mississippi. My family, my tribe, was of the Structure, Sun, but because of much of the unrest between us and the new settlers, the Structure was not doing well. We were divided by war and politics. Though we all struggled to live, those who were enslaved and brought here against their will struggled more. After a time they were freed, but others' scrutiny of them continued.

  "Some of the dark-skinned men and women came to live among us. They were members of the Structure who knew we would take them in. All of them were from the House of Sun. One in particular caught my eye. But I wasn't the only one smitten with him--many of the women in my village were drawn to the man. He was beautiful. Tall, masculine, with eyes like sunset." She closed her eyes and drank in her own words. "So graceful, so smart. Beautiful. Jamali."

  She smiled, opening her eyes. "That is where Geo got his eyes and strong nose. Of all the children, he looks the most like Jamali. Though Jamali was so sought after, he didn't care for anything but enlightenment. He wanted to get stronger so that he and his people could rise above the struggle over the land and its people. So I joined him in his pursuits. I didn't want to be separated from him. I genuinely loved him. Still do. It wasn't until about seventy-five years ago that he decided to marry me. He had reached great enlightenment, and so had I. We had not aged much due to our enlightenment, so we were still capable of having children. Yet the Structure here was considerably more prominent, so we took an active hand at building upon it. Forty-two years ago, I became pregnant with his first child. Motherhood is where my quest for enlightenment ended. Two years later, our second came."

  She grinned. "Afterward, we saw things differently and agreed to take our own paths. I kept the kids, and he returned to his quest for enlightenment. I saw where his path led him, and I knew what to expect from him. So when he came to me two years later with Elsie, his first daughter, I was more than willing to raise her. It was Elsie who learned to track her brothers and sisters and who brought you all together." She looked at him and smiled.

  "Why does he have so many children?" She asked the question that was at the forefront of his mind. "I will not answer that. But I guarantee he loves every last one of you, whether you realize it or not. But I take in any of his children who are without care, because they are mine as much as they are his." She practically glowed as she looked at him. "You and your sister have a home now. You are family now, and we will always be there for you."

  ()()()

  That was the same day he had learned how the energy of advanced enlightenment could sustain the body far beyond its natural life expectancy. The higher the level of enlightenment, the longer a person could live. Some could live for several thousands of years if they continued to seek enlightenment.

  Ellis looked around at his five brothers and his sister. The table was the fullest it had been in over a year. She would be happy. Maybe soon, all nineteen of the children could gather at once and commune. Mama would really enjoy that.

  ()()()

  Ellis and Ollie left the house right after the kids left for school. Ollie made sure to leave specific instructions for Ric to watch Geo so that he didn't leave. Mama was thrilled to have him home but hid her emotions behind her smokescreen.

  Geo was such a pain, giving her such a lame assignment. And it was a bummer heading back out of town when she had just gotten home yesterday. Since she was only going to Atlanta, she would be back before she blinked. And then she'd definitely take some time off.

  Once at the airport and checked in, Ollie sat at the boarding gate next to her bookworm brother, waiting to board the plane. She checked her watch to see how long it was before the plane's departure. Twenty minutes. Good. She had plenty of time to roam the terminal and maybe grab some candy from the candy bar.

  She patted Ellis's shoulder to let him know that she would be back, then she began her stroll past slumbering business suits and restless kids. Avoiding the passing entourage of wheeled luggage, she walked into the main breezeway. She gave a grin to the college guys in the coffee shop ogling her. Their sweaters said Yale, but they didn't lo
ok that intelligent. Passing the newsstand, she saw a man with a symbol on his forearm. The symbol was made up of dark, almost black lines that formed abstract blades. He was Blade. He looked up from his newspaper, probably feeling her eyes on him. Another man whose back was turned looked over his shoulder at the Blade, who spoke to him. Having grown up around bookworms, the two Blades were too observant to actually be reading. Hmmm. She just nodded, acknowledging the first one, who nodded back.

  When she turned her head, she stopped short; a tall man in a business suit with a laptop bag in one hand, staring down at a paper in the other, was about to run slam into her. He stopped and looked up at her. His eyes were deep blue and looked sunken under his heavy, protruding brow. The military haircut was so close to his scalp that his brown hair barely showed. His hard jaw clenched as he looked down at her in annoyance. His suit, by the threading, had to be expensive, and his laptop bag wasn't something you got at a mall. Definitely high-end leather. This wasn't his normal style, so why the getup?

  Sebastian Crenshaw was the number one elite Blade enforcer. Next to the Blade's Head of House, he was the most powerful man in Blade. The elite enforcer was the Structure's equivalent to a military general. Since Blade was the military strength of the Structure, this meant that Sebastian was the badass of badasses. Especially when Blade had a hand in every existing military organization.

  "Excuse me." He bowed his head, staring at her with hard eyes.

  "Yeah," Ollie said, moving out of his line of vision. The man made her uneasy for reasons she didn't want to think about at that moment.

  She passed the bathrooms and made her way to where many of the parents with kids gathered. The candy bar, with its multicolored displays and dispensers, couldn't have stood out much brighter. It was a beacon to kids everywhere, encouraging them to annoy their parents or older siblings. She opened a container that contained chocolate mints and took out a scoopful, spilling it into a small plastic bag. She grabbed a paper bag and began to filling it with lollipops and peppermint sticks. She finished her shopping at the assortment of chocolate nuts.