After nearly thirty minutes they knew everything, and none of them dared speak.
“So,” Hibiscus said at last, braiding her hair for the third time since I’d started talking. “If the bomb did not kill them, they will keep looking for the jar. And once they find it, all Dimensions will merge into one.” She paused, looking more anxious than I’d ever seen her. “Blimey! And I thought my wedding would be the most stressful event this year!”
“But we can find it before they do, right?” I turned to Michelle, who was holding her husband’s hand. “The Protectors have eyes everywhere. Surely someone’s heard of a lost city sunk to the bottom of the ocean.”
Samera muttered incomprehensible words under her breath, but did not look at me.
Michelle, however, shifted uncomfortably and said, “Let’s just say that we do not have the Protectors’ resources anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“They sacked her,” Hibiscus said.
“They what?”
Michelle took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment as though the memory was painful. “Ian Cohen convinced more than three-quarters of the Protectors in New York that I’m working with Rascals. We are not allowed into HQ anymore. And I could bet anything that Ian is their leader now.”
Anger swelled in me like a growing tornado. “What are we going to do? We have to fight back! He can’t get away with this. What about the other Protectors? Where are we going to go?”
“Those who stood against Ian were banned from Headquarters as well,” Sam answered. “But there aren’t many. And we’ll need to find someplace else,” she continued, as though it was obvious. “We’ll need equipment, new employees, good technology, and a doctor… that’s if we want to keep the Guardian of Chewbacca alive anyway.”
“Chupa. Guardian of Chupa,” I corrected. “And I know exactly who’d be willing to help us.” The only doctor I knew who would be all too happy to be part of a plan to stop Rascals. A doctor who’d believed in ghosts and evil spirits back when I was at the hospital. “Doctor Bennett.”
“Isn’t he the one who cared for you when you were in a coma?” Sam asked. I nodded eagerly. “How do you know we can trust him with the knowledge of the Dimensions?”
I thought of the way he’d explained his theory about evil spirits taking control over European citizens, and how much he’d suffered from knowing his father had killed his mother even though he was known to be a good and respectable man. I wanted him to know it hadn’t been his father’s fault. I wanted him to know the whole truth.
“It’ll make sense to him. Just trust me.”
Michelle refused to talk about it until I was fully rested, even though I kept telling her I’d never felt better in my entire life. They left me alone in the unfamiliar bedroom, where I attempted to go back to sleep. But my mind was rushing with all that had happened inside the mountain. Reeshon, the Guardian, my sister… How had I not seen it coming?
But somehow, I didn’t feel sad and responsible anymore. My current sentiments were closer to resentment and anger towards my sister, whom I had trusted, and especially whom I thought I’d been protecting. I had spent almost an entire week terrified of what the Rascals were doing to her, and responsible for her kidnapping, when it had been her plan all along.
My fists clenched and my heart beat increased just thinking about it.
Clearly I wasn’t making any improvement on falling asleep, so I got up, put on the clothes that had been set for me on a wooden chair, and silently sneaked out of the room.
Patrick’s parents were evidently wealthy. The hall reminded me of a Victorian movie, with pale walls decorated with rectangular moldings and large, expensively framed paintings. The floor resembled a ches game board that spread to the end of the dimly lit hallway, five rooms ahead.
According to Michelle, my parents were in one of those rooms. All I needed to do was listen… I hadn’t made two steps forward when I heard my mother’s voice. With a new rush of enthusiasm, I opened the door from which the sound was coming—
—and came face to face with my father. We both halted abruptly and looked at each other. His eyes were wary, yet hopeful. I heard my mother gasp and immediately clasp her hands to her chest. Did I look any different, now that I was… well, now that I was a Rascal? I still couldn’t believe it myself.
“Hey,” I said, and instantly regretted it. My voice sounded hoarse and distant. What was I supposed to say to my father, who’d lied to me for nineteen years about the fact that he was a creature from Hell who fed on human’s dreams?
When seconds had passed without me finding an answer, and when I realized that neither of them was going to speak, I resigned the use of words and instead extended my arms toward my father and wrapped them around his own. For a split second, he stood there, frozen, before he returned the hug with greater force.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“It’s okay, Dad. It’s okay. I understand.”
A third pair of shaky arms circled around us and I had to think of something else to prevent myself from crying. I felt like we’d never been more united, like our family bonds had never been stronger than at this precise moment… even though we were missing a family member.
Had Michelle told them about Deli? I hoped she had, because I couldn’t. I couldn’t mention my sister’s name in front of them.
Several minutes passed before any of us dared break the embrace, and after that, we all seemed happier and more comfortable. At least I did.
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
My dad offered me his chair as he sat on the bed next to my mother. “We arrived with Michelle yesterday. Mr. Jensen called her during the night, saying that you had disappeared, but your friends had followed your trace. They knew where you were being held. We went directly to Headquarters for help, but Ian never allowed us to enter, so we had to find another way. A certain Jeffrey Archer in… er… the Red Dimension?—I still don’t understand all of it—but this person was able to take us rapidly to Canada.”
“You used a convy?” I interrupted, grinning at my father’s confusion.
“Something like that, yes,” Mom replied, frowning. “Very interesting concept, this convy. And you should know that Michelle told us most of the story on our way here, but you will have to explain yourself, Amya. You lied to us about everything: the Dimensions, Rascals, your involvement with Protectors…”
“Let’s not talk about lying for a while,” my dad said quickly. “I think we all had our reasons, didn’t we?”
I nodded vigorously. “I wasn’t allowed to tell you anything. The Protectors are… quite secretive… and for good reason!”
“Yes, Michelle mentioned it,” my mother said. “But we’re still your parents!”
“He’s still my father!” I exclaimed furiously. Seeing his reaction, I regretted it immediately. “Sometimes,” I added in a calmer tone, “we lie for good reasons, that’s all.” My mother was glaring at my father, and the atmosphere became uncomfortable again. I cleared my throat. “If you knew my location right away, why didn’t anyone come sooner?”
Grateful for the change of subject, my dad answered, “To make sure that nobody got hurt, we had to create a weapon against Rascals. We stayed in the Red Dimension longer than we were supposed to. Jeffrey had contacts who helped us create a gun that could fire bullets made of gold. Not entirely gold but enough to hurt a Rascal permanently,” he added, when I opened my mouth to ask where they’d find such a big quantity of gold. “We used all our savings for a dozen bullets…”
“Kellen! Amya doesn’t need to know that!” my mother snapped. She then glanced at me, a genuine smile on her face. “It was all worth it, darling. We were ready to sell the house if we had to. Michelle wanted to use the Protectors’ funds, but Ian Cohen blocked her access.”
“We thought we were getting our two girls back,” my father added, looking at his hands as though they were the most interesting things in the wo
rld.
My mother’s eyes filled with tears and she looked away.
I knew I ought to say something. Anything. “She seemed happy there,” I said. My parents frowned at me. “I mean, she chose to become one of them. She wasn’t forced into it.”
“How can you be sure?” Mom retorted.
“She’s been working with them for longer than a month. I don’t exactly know when she transformed into a Rascal, but it could’ve been days or even weeks ago.”
They fell silent again, until my father asked, “What—I mean—what does she feed on?”
“Others’ powers.”
“And you?”
I automatically opened my mouth to answer, but then realized I had no idea. I hadn’t yet thought about it, and as I did, I wondered if my ability as a Seraph would be erased by the overwhelming Rascal venom now freely flooding my veins. Curious, I asked my father if I could experiment on him. When he agreed, I leaned forward and grabbed his hand in mine, focusing on him, his thoughts, his current feelings.
I was relieved to see the purple spot—though it was much darker than usual—come right at me within seconds. But it was only once my soul had Sojourned that I felt the difference.
It wasn’t as much in the way I saw and heard things. I could see myself looking into my father’s—my—eyes and hear myself breathing, but instead of being completely submerged into my dad’s thoughts and actions, I was able to keep a certain distance from them. I knew who I was.
“My name is Amya Priam, a nineteen-year-old hybrid between a Seraph and a Rascal,” I heard my father say at the same time I thought about it. “What just—?” I turned toward my mother, whose eyes were going back and forth between me—my dad—and my body. “Did I just say that?” I continued, then bit my lips together. “Oh God…”
I Sojourned back into my own body and got up brusquely, flipping my chair upside down. I backed away until I was pressed against the door, breathing fast. One quick glance at my mother confirmed my suspicion. I had just made my father say those things.
“Did it work?” he asked, oblivious to the situation. He peeked at my mother, who was frowning deeply next to him, and he added, “What? Did I say something wrong?”
“You called yourself Amya, nineteen years old, and a hybrid,” my mother said quickly, still incredulous.
“No I didn’t.”
Mom glared at me, while my father’s eyebrows just kept raising higher.
“I did,” I affirmed, shaking all over. “At least, I thought about it. But then I heard Dad say what I was thinking… and—and I don’t know how I did it!”
Or did I? Before I was bitten, my ability as a Seraph was already enhanced by my Rascal genes. Had the bite merely modified the Sojourns so that I could now control people’s thoughts and actions? I had to get to the bottom of this.
I gazed directly at my dad and asked if I could try once more. He did not understand what was going on, so he simply nodded.
This time, however, I tried to Sojourn without touching him. I hadn’t been able to do it on Wyatt and the Guardian, but maybe now…
It worked instantly. I was in my father’s head within seconds. He was wondering why my mother wore such a fearful expression on her face, when he stretched his arm and spoke to my body on the other side of the room. “What are you waiting for?”
“I’m here,” he added, as I thought it. My mother gasped as I tilted my father’s head in her direction. “It worked!” I exclaimed in a deep, low voice.
Okay, my next step was to move. I could feel my dad wishing to remain seated, but when I was certain I wanted to stand up, he stood up, then looked around, astonished.
“She’s doing that, isn’t she?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” I answered in his own voice.
I left my dad’s body, absolutely creeped out by my new ability.
“This is incredible!” he blurted out, examining himself.
“That is not the adjective I would have used, Kellen,” my mother said, severely.
“Of course it is! Oh, I have to create a character in my books who can do that! It was like I blacked out when you took control of me,” he said to me, his eyes beaming. “One moment I was sitting comfortably on the bed, and the next, I had no clue why I was standing.”
“Could you hear me—well, yourself—when I answered you?” I asked, my heart still beating rapidly.
“Did you? No, not at all. I believe—maybe your soul overshadowed my brain when you were in control. It’s brilliant! Absolutely ingenious!”
I glanced at my mother for help. As opposed to my father, I found my new powers rather scary. Seeing the look on her face, we were in agreement.
“Does that mean I won’t need to feed on anything?” I wondered aloud.
Dad sat down. “You’ll see… But I would not be surprised since you were a Seraph long before you ever turned into a Rascal. Your mother’s genes are still more important.” He paused a moment, then smiled excitedly. “You’re a Serascal now! Oh, I need to write this down! I need a pen and a paper… forgot mine at home… Serascal… how clever…” he muttered as he got up and walked toward the door, giving me a quick hug before he disappeared into the hallway.
As for my mom, she was the first one to recover from my dad’s nonsense. She grumbled something about him getting lost in the house because he was too excited, and she vanished after him.
I did not follow them, because my new ability suddenly made me feel like a dangerous animal that ought to be kept in a cage. Instead, I leaned against the wall behind the door, slid down, and buried my face between my knees.
Chapter XXXVII
Amya Priam
Only a few minutes later, however, I heard Samera’s and Xander’s voices getting nearer. I could not avoid them all my life—which would last longer than I had ever expected—so I joined them in the hallway.
“Oy! Your parents just passed us in the stairs,” Sam told me. “What did you do to your dad? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy!”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. Then I realized what I’d just done. Since when did I groan? Seriously, it felt like all my emotions were intensified tenfold. I would have to work on that later…
“We just found out what I can do now that I’m some weird hybrid.”
“Oh! That’s what he kept saying. He called your kind Serascals, didn’t he?”
“I believe you can only use the word ‘kind’ when you refer to more than one person, but yes, he did call me that.”
Sam was about to reply when Xander said, “What is it? What do you feed on?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “So far, I don’t so much as feed on people; I control them when I Sojourn.”
“Control how?” Sam asked too enthusiastically for my taste.
“I don’t know. I don’t become the person anymore. It feels more like I’m an audience and I can change what the person does or says at will. But they black out when I’m the one in control… I’m not going to use it!” I added, seeing as Samera’s eyes kept growing bigger and more delighted as I spoke.
“Why not?” she asked, clearly disappointed. “It’s awesome! How come you get all the cool powers?”
Both Xander and I glared at her at the same time. “I can bite you if you’d like!” I threatened. “See what kind of cool power you get as a… Protescal? Yeah, that sounds good. Shall we tell my father before or after you transform? You’ll see, it’s a whole lot of fun!”
Sam did not seem so keen on having my luck anymore.
“All right, don’t use it then,” she said stubbornly. “By the way, why did your transformation happen so fast? One minute you were all right, and the next you were convulsing in the parking lot. Xander said he took hours before he passed out.”
“Probably because I already was part Rascal. Delilah told me yesterday that her transformation had been less painful than normal too.” I glanced at Xander. “It must have been awful for you.”
“Once you p
ass out,” he said, “once you don’t feel the pain as much, it gets easier.”
Sam became restless all of a sudden. She kept biting her upper lip and looking at Xander and me back and forth, as though she was struggling not to speak her mind. When neither of us asked her what was going on, her foot started rapping against the floor.
“Could you please not do that?” I snapped. “What is it?”
“Sam…” Xander said as a warning.
What were they hiding?
Samera kept chewing her upper-lip, unable to control herself… until she blurted out, “You died.”
“WHAT?”
“Your heart stopped beating for, like, ten minutes, and we thought you were dead. Well, I did, but then Xander said it was normal. Right? Didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Xander replied carefully. “I also said that it would be better not to tell Amya, but you seem to have forgotten that part, haven’t you?”
“Why…? How?”
Xander walked past me and headed toward the room I’d woken up in. He told us to follow him.
Closing the door behind Samera, he said, “I’ve never told any of you because I didn’t want to frighten you. When I woke up from my transformation, Wyatt told me I had been dead for a couple of minutes. He said it’s a way for the body to reset completely and start over as a new being. We all go through that.”
I remained silent, not really knowing what to say to that. I had died… Xander had died…
But Samera did not let me dawdle on this idea, before she sighed shortly. “I have to confess something too.”
“What now?” Xander replied, exasperated.
“Well, I haven’t been myself lately—”
“We’d figured that much,” I said. “Please don’t give us your speech about your responsibilities and how you’re supposed to protect us. Is it because I was kidnapped? That wasn’t your fault, you know. I walked right into my sister’s trap.”
“That’s not it—”
“And how did you find me exactly?” I interrupted her. “I mean, you couldn’t have guessed I was trapped inside a mountain, now could you?”
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