“Say what you want, but the old Eric is no more. I want a truce.”
Old replaced by decomposed. “Be careful what you wish for, lad.” I stepped up to the table and dropped the bag on top of it. The loud thud startled everyone but Jesse. “What makes you think you deserve a truce? What’s changed now that you’re a rotting nosophor?” I whipped open the kitchen shutter to let the intense sun brighten the room.
Eric blinked but didn’t combust.
Ariane blinked also. “What are you doing? At least hear him out before you kill him.”
“Colton tabs,” I growled. The reason he decayed less than most. “You’re taking them, aren’t you? Which is why the sun didn’t fry your dead ass.”
“You’re right about the tablets. It still smarts, but as long as I pop the pills, I can expose myself to the sun.” Eric sat straight. “Listen before you judge me...”
“Too late. I’ve already condemned you to a slow tortuous death. You would’ve killed my son if Jesse hadn’t intervened and rescued him from your mass slaughter. As far as I’m concerned, judgment has already been served. Hate to spill blood all over Jesse’s new kitchen.” I pointed at the door. “Get out.”
“Let’s hear him out first,” Sabree said.
Ariane echoed his sentiments. “Eric went off the deep end like me… and like you, Brian. We all have our personal demons.”
“Aye, but my demons never threatened innocent children.” I palm-slapped my forehead and swore under my breath. “You know I mean Eric, not you, Sis.”
The words had stung her, but thanks to her lengthy teachings and wisdom offered by the Teachers, hopefully she realized I meant no harm. Avenging rage had driven Eric into the mass slaughter; whereas, she had lost only a smidgeon of her humanity. Tears formed as she gazed into my eyes. “Murder’s a far cry from keeping tabs on my son, Sis.” When she nodded, I returned the gesture.
“Euriel made sure I paid dearly for the DanJal slaughter. Death would have been kinder.” Eric sank into his seat. “Something evil is brewing. You need to know—”
The death I had planned for him was anything but kind. “Too late. We already know about the Caderen’s audacity to prosecute Ariane. They’re wasting their breath. Won’t let it happen.”
Laughter rang in our ears. Eric coughed. “Sorry, but my news is far worse.” He glanced at Ariane. “No offense, dear.”
“None taken.” She stared at me, reading my thoughts, my acceptance of how amiable she had behaved. She shifted into telepathy directed only to me. “Get used to it. Sabree appreciates the new me.”
“No complaints, Sis, just amazed. I might ask Athorsis to give me a few sessions with your wonder-monks.”
“Do you think Eric’s scamming us?”
Good question. I scratched my head. “Let’s hear what he has to say, and then I will give you my opinion.”
“Oui, me too.”
“Who invited you, Sabree?”
“Not polite to talk behind my mind.”
Waving his hand at the three of us, Eric said, “Hello? Do you want to hear the bad news or just stare at each other?”
“Get on with it.” Ariane crossed her arms over her chest.
“Disaster will befall Earth. Some of the surviving Fallen joined forces with the Guardians, the group who hates nosophors and the Fallen who created them. They've been around for a long time, have unlimited funds, people, and resources. The sellouts sold their souls and technology.” Eric scoffed. “But hey, this is serious. I heard the rumors through the nosophor grapevine.”
“What do they hope to gain?” I asked as we all exchanged looks. “Any idea?”
Jesse nodded for Sabree to speak up.
“Perhaps they lost hope of surviving on their own or perhaps they fear the anti-being, and now the anti-son.” Sabree shrugged an apology. “Sorry, Brian, but it’s true. If humanity gains our knowledge, we’re in trouble. Merde, trouble from all sides.”
“Sabree’s right,” Jesse said. “What I’ve learned about the Guardians makes them dangerous, volatile. The Caderen must be warned.”
I squeezed my sister’s arm. “Good news. The bad news will postpone your hearing. Not that I’d let it happen.”
“Are you kidding?” Ariane tore her arm from my grasp. “Get a grip, Brian. If the Guardians arm themselves with Fallen technology, it could mean the end of humankind—the Earth.”
“I know an oceanic planet we could all escape to.”
Ariane punched my arm. “Be serious.” She walked over to the window and glanced outside. My gaze followed hers to Gray Wolf’s hogan. By the looks of the rich wood tones, Jesse fixed it up as well. But how could any of us fix the wrongs committed since the Malakhim raid? What did the Fallen rogues hope to gain from siding with humans? The imbalance of power would devastate the planet. I prayed Eric exaggerated his fears; yet, sensed his words rang true. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Ariane grasped my shoulder and whispered into my ear. “We can fix this. Locate the turncoats and give them a piece of our mind. Your mind.”
“Aye, dust to dust. Take back our technology. Euriel has a way of locating the rogues. Besides acting as our double agent to keep an eye on Eric, it’s time he paid us back.”
“Makes sense except for the dust. Let the Caderen punish them. We need time to think this out. I need air. Still feel out of sorts since my return. I’ll be back.” She opened the slider that led to the deck, burst into feathers, and took off in flight. The clothes she had dressed into earlier dropped to the floor.
“Ariane,” I called after her, “be careful.”
The end of the world troubled me, but more so, the enquiry the Caderen demanded on my sister. What gave them the right to question her? What crime had she committed compared to the offenses on my long list? More fearful of my wrath, they picked on her instead. Who wouldn’t be terrified of my high-and-mighty A-factor. Yielded more power than any of them combined. Even Athorsis expressed trepidation. Thank goodness Duncan took charge of this mess and dictated that I listened to my conscience. Anyone else would have taken advantage of such power and ruled the universes.
3 3 3
“Trustworthiness. Not a characteristic I’d add to Euriel’s résumé,” Brian said. He glanced out the sliders. “Asking flyboy to infiltrate the organization is a bad idea from the get-go.” He pointed at Sabree. “What about you? No one can detect you as one of the Fallen. Not even the Fallen themselves.”
“First things first,” Sabree said, “What about him?” His dark eyes glared at the nosophor guest.
“What about me?” Eric asked. “I’m on your side now.”
Laughter rumbled across the room. Brian shoved Eric toward Sabree. “Lock him inside the hogan while we toss a few ideas back and forth in private. Better hurry before the Colton tabs wear off.”
“I see no reason to hurry.” A devilish grin took possession of Sabree’s lips. Eric combusting into a dust ball under the sun’s deadly rays would make his day. “By all means, I’d be more than happy to escort our guest.” Sabree noticed how his compliance without the usual complaint chilled Brian. Felt it loud and clear. If Brian had grasped his genuine intention to dispose of Eric once and for all, he would’ve never asked him.
As far as Sabree was concerned, the good guys always made the same mistake—lock up the bad guys instead of ridding the world of their evil. Why not perform the dirty deed? Sabree no longer felt like himself and missed the devil-may-care attitude he once wore as proudly as the French puffy wigs. His scalp itched. “Maybe not the wigs,” he said aloud.
“What?” Eric asked as he quickened his pace. “Better hurry. Sun’s bright; it’s burning hot.” He glanced back at Sabree. “The Colton tabs are wearing off.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” The hogan, still a few hundred feet away, Sabree stooped over to tie his sneaker. “Damn, the knot’s too tight.”
“I know what you’re trying to do. Nothing’s changed. You’re still the devil in disguise.�
� Eric kicked sand at the sneaker before he made a run for the truck parked near the hogan. He glanced behind to look around. “Whew.” He let out a yelp when he slammed into Sabree misting in front of the truck.
“Forget I’m a mister?” He grabbed Eric’s arm and pulled him over.
“Are you going to let me go?”
“Oui.” Sabree mashed a set of keys into Eric’s hand. His insides ignited with sensations that had mummified over the years: the burst of adrenaline, the thrill of the hunt and the eventual kill, the thirst. Colton tabs, a remarkable antidote, destroyed the blood lust. Not this time. The sensations more alive than ever since his resurrection, Sabree savored the hunt.
Eric’s eyes lit up. “You won’t regret this.”
“Get a move on before too much light infiltrates the cab.” The windows already down, Sabree reached inside, pulled out a blanket, and tossed it aside. The heat from his eyes outlined in red burned deep within his sockets. The devilish grin he had brandished since they left the house, broadened when fear coursed through Eric’s veins. Tsk, his prey seemed hesitant. “Something wrong?”
Eric pointed at the blanket. “I may need that.”
He yelped again when Sabree grabbed his wrist and bit into the dead skin. As he drank, detesting nosophor blood overall, he absorbed the serum that made up the Colton tabs. Sabree drank until he depleted most of the serum, leaving Eric enough time to drive down the road a few hundred feet before the radiant sun reached inside to do its deed. “Kaboom!” Sabree licked his lips and released Eric’s arm. “Like I said before, get a move on.”
“You’ll be first on my list,” Eric hollered. “Then your daughter.” He jumped into the cab and shoved the key into the ignition. The engine coughed, sputtered, and knocked before it turned over. Then the truck backfired. The skin on Eric’s hands sizzled when he slapped the stirring wheel. The truck rolled forward until it spit gravel, swerved, and sped off.
Exhilaration surged through Sabree’s veins, the kill happening any second. No one would know the difference. Not even Brian. According to his version of the story, Eric knocked him down and stole the truck. In his haste to escape, he exploded into dust. C’est la vie.
Ahead, the truck slowed until it lurched into a ditch and came to a complete stop. It sputtered once. The engine died along with the driver. Sabree bent over to scoop up a handful of dirt and rubbed it into his hair to suggest he had endured a scuffle. Then he brushed his hands clean of the task. He’d fetch the truck after they made plans with Jesse.
3 3 3
The self-satisfied smirk never left Sabree’s face, not even after he told us about Eric’s run of bad luck. Did he really try to escape, knowing he wouldn’t get far? I shoved my doubts aside. “So, we trust Euriel to locate the naughty fraction of the Guardians, and then infiltrate their nest with a double agent of our own. Any idea who?”
Sabree and Jesse exchanged glances. “We believe Azrian is the best man for the job,” Sabree said. His eyes twinkled brighter than usual.
Too bright for my taste. “Man? He’s still a child. Bugger, I’m a child for that matter.”
Jesse plopped his hands on the table and cupped one over the other. “Like it or not, Azrian’s the right man-child for the job. He comprehends and speaks any language. A born diplomat, and with Serine’s tutelage, his understanding of humanity should make him a shoo-in. He’s not a hot head like you, which should keep him out of trouble. I will train him myself.”
“Serine effed up my son’s mind. Couldn’t keep her claws out of my business. And for that, I personally escorted the lass to an abandoned planet as retribution.” Two sets of eyes widened. “And, no, not the Blood Sea world.” The backs of my eyes burned hotter when Jesse sighed a bit too heavily. I spun on him. “Aye, that’s right she’s out of commission. But who put you in charge?”
“The HFA, Human-Fallen Allegiance,” Jesse said. “The group includes both Fallen and human members. Their identities, however, remain anonymous.”
My friends had lost their senses for suggesting I send a teen into a vicious group who hates the Fallen. Strange, how everyone believed my son capable except for me. True, Azrian had numerous doctorates, diplomatic charm, inexhaustible ability to translate every language; however, he lacked one important factor: life experiences.
I slapped both hands on the table to push myself away and circled the others as I spoke, hovering over them with intimidation. “So, let’s say Azrian infiltrates the group and reports back to us. What do we do with the intel? Inform the Caderen? Raid the Guardian lair to lock up the villains ourselves?”
Jesse stood. “The information we gather must be presented to the Caderen and HFA, and then a course of action will be decided upon.”
This time Sabree spoke. “What about the HTV? Can’t they do their own dirty work? Obviously,” he spread his hands out to include everyone, “none of us are trained for espionage.”
“I can dust the Fallen rogues before they exchange secrets.”
“That got dark,” Jesse said.
“Aye, nothing I haven’t done before.” Most of my insidious acts, especially dusting one-third of the Malakhim population, still haunted me with every waking moment. My dreams included.
“Brian’s right,” Sabree said coughing. “Man, I hate to admit it,” he said telepathically. “The rogues must be punished. Certainly, they’re guilty, and the HFAA tribunal, whatever, will propose death anyway. Why waste time? Why risk Azrian? Once Euriel locates them, have Brian mind dust the lot after we interrogate them about their secrets. None given, and viola, the job’s done—fini.”
Jesse sat back down and sank his head into his hands. “Thank God, you’re not in charge, Sabree.”
Laughter filled the room again, but this time with nervous chuckles. “Thank God is right.” My eyes darkened. “The plan, as of now, is to have Euriel locate the rogues, Azrian infiltrate the complex and gather info, and then we relay it to the Caderen and the HFA. Then we figure out how to proceed?”
“It’s a start,” Jesse said.
“If my son gets in a jam or worse, if he’s endangered in any way, plan B takes over—plan Brian. Understand?”
Muttered agreement filled the kitchen when Sabree and Jesse rose from the table. I took advantage of time alone with Jesse when Sabree grabbed a battery-operated vacuum cleaner and went outside to fetch the truck. “A word, Jesse?”
“Yes. Time to fill you in about Tim E. Traveler.”
The room spun as I sat down. It had to be the name Jesse spoke of that caused the sudden bout of dizziness. “Who?”
Jesse pulled a chair next to me. “Come on, you know who I’m talking about. He told me all about the rendezvouses you and he shared.”
The way Jesse verbalized the meetings made them sound tawdry. I refused to blink. “What did he say?” I decided to pry information out of him before volunteering any of my own.
Together, we glanced at the door to make sure Sabree was long gone. Jesse said, “Tim warned me about the end of Earth. About the devastation we will face when the Guardian and Farian form an alliance. Neither one knows anything about the other’s agenda. Tim refused to elaborate on the details. Did he mention any of this to you?”
“Aye, something about a catastrophic end all. I had no idea what he meant at the time. So, Farian is involved? No surprise there.” The rogue had caused us trouble from the get-go, from the first time I interrupted the telepathic assault on Turian.
“Tim said you must go back in time to start fresh. To nip Farian and the Guardians in the bud before the damage is done.” Jesse ignored my shaking head, the unruly locks whipping about. “Tim’s sure you will do the right thing this time around. Anyway, you must, seeing as it’s our final chance.” He paused on a thought. “I’ve noticed something different this time. Tim never showed up before, not until Athorsis announced that this was the final trial. We need a safe word to exchange. One that will convince me that you did travel back in time.”
I stoo
d and gazed down at Jesse. What did he mean by our final chance? “You’re not kidding, are you.” I rubbed my hands through my hair mussing it up to match my wits. “Tim’s wrong. It won’t come to that. But…but to make you happy—Tim happy—then how about Gray Wolf Lives?”
“Perfect.” Jesse headed for the fridge. “How about a cold one to toast the contract?” He handed me a beer and placed one on the table for Sabree. “To Gray Wolf Lives then.”
A chuckle almost slipped. Gray Wolf was probably alive for real, relaxing in his hogan as we spoke. My beer half gone, I hesitated with my eyes crossed. “Damn it, time travel is so complex. Won’t you forget about the safe word when or if I jump back in time?”
“That’s the beauty of it. Tim told me this would happen years ago, long before I met you and Ariane.”
“You knew him before you met me? Bugger, this is nuts.” Someone else had to be involved and that someone had to be Athorsis. Jesse and Tim kept that wee bit of detail from me. But why? A fluttering wisp of feathers skidded across my head and landed on the table. The bird morphed into Ariane. She knocked the can of beer onto the floor. Stunned, I still managed a decent comeback. “Need to work on your landing, Sis.”
“Sorry, guys. I guess I botched that grand entrance.” Ariane giggled as she accepted Jesse’s hand down and folded clothing. “Did you boys come up with a plan of action?”
Gray Wolf Lives. “Aye, plan A and plan B as backup.”
44
TWEETING LIKE A BIRD
C loser to Switzerland than the States, my team agreed to set up headquarters in the mansion. The working lab in the basement was already equipped with computers and a secure network. Jesse packed a bag and offered to stay long enough to fast-track Azrian’s training while Euriel reported from time to time. Not often enough for my liking, we took the rogue’s word lightly, not knowing what to believecre.
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