by Lola StVil
“Did we get anything useful? Do we know where Malakaro is?” I beg.
“We don’t know where he’s going, but we know where he’s been. And Pry, it’s not good.”
“How ‘not good’?” I push.
“Take a look…”
I lean in closer and look deep inside the glass ball. Slowly it begins to form an image.
Malakaro stands across the street from a diner. He’s glaring at the old man behind the counter. Without a word, he makes all the patrons in the diner silently put down their utensils and walk out.
The old man’s hands are shaking as Malakaro nears. By the time Malakaro has his hands on the door of the diner, a yellow-colored stream seeps from between the old man’s legs. But although he has urinated on himself, he manages to keep his voice calm.
“Can I help you?” the old man asks.
“Are you Mr. Middleton?” Malakaro replies.
“You know I am.”
“Yes, I suppose I do.”
“You knew I would come. Yet you did not run. Why is that?” the Noru wonders.
“If it’s a man’s destiny to die, then so be it.”
“Brave words. Yet your body betrays you. You have been lucky enough to hide from me for a very long time. It looks as if your luck is all but gone.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m happy all the same,” the old man replies.
“And why is that?”
“Many humans die never having really lived. I loved and was loved in return. That is all a man could ask for.”
“Simple humans. You all bore me.”
“Do what you need to do and get it over with.”
“You are in a hurry, Mr. Middleton?”
“Don’t see any need to drag this out is all.”
“Indeed. Tell me, how does it feel to see death come for you? Are you sorry you agreed to help the angels?”
“It was the right thing to do. And I don’t feel sorry for myself. The one I feel sorry for is you. He denied you.”
“Who, Mr. Middleton?”
“Your father. I’m sure he tried to love you. Just like my son, Gilbert. Good kid, just into some bad drugs. Bailed him out over and over again. Finally had to step back and let destiny take him.”
“And where is this fine upstanding young man now?”
“In the ground, overdose.”
“Would have liked to have met him.”
“You will, Malakaro. The Noru will find you. And you too will be in the ground soon enough.”
“Perhaps, but not today. Today, I walk in your blood.”
With a swift wave of his hand, he makes the old man slice himself in two with the nearby cake knife. The blood spews all over the eatery. The man cries out in anguish and falls to the floor. His blood gathers under Malakaro’s shoes. He reaches over the man’s corpse and yanks something out from his chest. He then smiles to himself and calmly walks out the door…
“Who was that old man? Why did Malakaro seek him out?” I ask as the Replay ends.
“His name is Robert Middleton. His family has a long history of helping angels. His father passed down to him an object that he swore he would guard with his life. He was so intent on doing so, he had a Healer cast a Dye on him,” Aaden says.
“You mean he hid something inside his body?”
“Yes.”
“That thing that Malakaro ripped out of his chest?”
“Yes.”
I know the answer before I even ask the question. My knees go weak, my stomach churns, and a cold chill runs down my body.
Please, please, please, let me be wrong…
“Aaden, what did Malakaro take from Mr. Middleton?”
“The last vial.”
Chapter Two:
You Know Who
It’s an hour later, and we’re all sitting in the Face’s office, staring at Randy. We told him about the fifth vial five minutes ago, and he’s been silent ever since. He looks out the window and stares off into space. It feels wrong to push Randy to talk if he’s not ready, but we need to know that he’s okay.
“Randy,” I whisper softly. He looks back at me but doesn’t speak. He looks lost. I take his hand in mine and smile.
“Hey, you know we won’t let anything happen to you,” East tells him.
“He’s right. We’ll find a way to fix this,” Aaden says.
“Look, don’t freak. I’d never let anything happen to you. You’re my fave nerd candy,” Swoop says, leaving her chair to go sit next to him.
“Bex is out right now, adding more security for us and making sure Malakaro doesn’t get anywhere near you,” Diana says.
“Randy, we know it’s a lot to take in, but everything will work out,” I vow.
“I gotta get out of here,” Randy says as he walks towards the door.
We all go to follow him, but he turns and begs us to let him go alone. We would have argued, but it seems cruel to deny him anything at this point. So we watch helplessly as he opens the door and heads down the hall into the crowd of students.
“He scared. He doesn’t think we can protect him,” Swoop says.
“Can we?” East asks.
“With our last breath,” I remind them.
“The trouble is, if Malakaro turns Randy into the Alago, the all-consuming evil, it won’t just be us who take our last breaths, it will be the humans. As in every single one of them,” Diana says.
“So what are you saying? I should kill my best friend?” I snap.
“That does sound very ‘Ruin’ of you, young lady, and frankly, I’m disappointed.” East pretends to scold Diana.
“I like Randy. More than I thought I could, honestly. But we need to remember that we are not talking about the fate of the beings in this room. We’re talking about the billions of lives that will be lost if we don’t stop Malakaro,” Diana insists.
“She’s right. If our lives end here and now, then it’s something we have to accept. But the end of humanity is a whole different issue,” Swoop says.
“So, what? Should I just fly out into the hallway and crack Randy’s head open and avoid all this trouble? Is that what all of you are saying?” I ask angrily.
“We know you can’t do that,” Silver reasons.
“Yeah, for one thing, you have no wings. And no offense, but right now, I think Randy can take you,” East quips.
“Then what is it? What are we supposed to do? Because taking Randy out is off the table,” I remind them.
“Perhaps this will help,” the Face says as she enters the office with a small wooden box the size of her hand. It’s carved with complex patterns and has three black stones embedded in it.
“What is that?” Diana asks.
“That’s the Pandora box,” I reply.
“I’ve heard about it, but I’m not sure what it does,” she says.
“I’ll break it down for you. Whatever situation is already hard as hell, the box opens and makes it that much harder,” East reasons.
“He’s not too far off,” Swoop replies.
“The Pandora box reveals secrets, but on a timetable predetermined by the being that created it. This Pandora box was created by Fate. Pandora boxes usually hold bad news, but not always,” the Face explains.
“Don’t listen to her. Whatever is inside that thing will make you regret looking in it. I say blow this whole thing off and go to Vegas,” East says.
“Now is not the time for humor. I was told by Fate to hand you this box at exactly 1:24 p.m. on this day,” the Face says as she hands me the box.
We wait for it to open with bated breath.
“Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it,” Aaden says, reading the concern on my face as we wait.
East also senses my reluctance; he gently rubs my back and whispers loudly, “Don’t worry, Pry, for all we know, the Pandora box could reveal that you are the proud new owner of a cappuccino maker.”
“Or maybe a really cool salad spinner,” Swoop teases.
“That wo
uld come in handy to combat your new affinity for chocolate,” Diana adds with a smile. Before I can reply, the box slowly begins to open.
Please let it be a salad spinner…
Inside the box is a miniature black whirlwind. It swirls around and leaps out of the box. We watch as it forms words in the air:
“Should the Butterfly find the Rose, only darkness will remain.”
“Well, that clears that up,” East says sarcastically as the box closes again.
“What the hell does that mean?” Aaden asks.
“Mr. Case, language!” the Face says.
Aaden is about to reply but thinks better of it and says nothing. I repeat the phrase over and over again in my head, but it doesn’t help.
“Well, we know the ‘Rose’ is Randy,” Diana says before she can catch herself.
“Diana!” Aaden scolds.
“Sorry,” she replies.
“I have suspected for some time that Randall is the Blue Rose. Fate has a way of putting beings together,” the Face says.
“So if somehow the butterfly finds Randy, we’re screwed. But what butterfly?” Swoop asks.
“I don’t think it’s an actual butterfly. Just like the Rose isn’t a rose. ‘The Rose’ stands for Randy, so maybe the Butterfly could stand for a person,” East suggests.
“Could it be Malakaro?” I wonder.
“No. Think about it. We already know that Malakaro and Randy joining forces will cause chaos. Why would Fate need to tell us that again?” Diana asks.
“I believe she’s right. It may be that Fate is telling you how the chaos will begin. When this ‘Butterfly’ being enters Randy’s life, it will change him,” the Face chimes in.
They all start to talk at once. Everyone has a different theory; each one gets more ridiculous than the next. I shake my head impatiently and head for the door.
“Pry, where are you going?” Swoop asks.
“I’m going to find my best friend and make sure he’s okay.”
“He’s under guard; he’ll be okay for now. We need to stay here and—”
“And what, Swoop? What are we doing here? We have waited on a stupid box to open up for years, and when it does, instead of telling us something useful, it says some vague crap about butterflies. We are told it’s our place to save the world, but Omnis took away our powers, and this clue we got from the box is worthless!”
“Pry, I know you’re upset—”
“I’M NOT UPSET, AADEN. I’M PISSED OFF! THIS IS BULLSHIT! THIS ENTIRE THING IS BULLSHIT!” I shout as I storm off.
Aaden runs after me and calls out my name. He catches up to me and makes me turn to face him.
“What do you want?!” I snap.
“Hey, we’re on the same team here,” he reminds me.
“What team? Aaden, we don’t even have powers. And I can’t…I have no idea…butterfly?! What the fuck!”
“Okay, first, you need to calm down. And do what the humans do: breathe,” he orders.
“I don’t—”
“I’m serious. Take deep breaths in and out.”
“You’re really going to stand here and watch me take deep breaths.”
“Damn right. I’m waiting.”
I sigh and hang my head, but I do as I’m told. I feel the air fill my lungs, and while air is still a strange sensation, it does help me to relax a little.
“Look at me,” he says.
I pull my head up and look into his eyes. The intensity in his gaze makes waves ripple through me. We should never be as close as we are right now. It’s way too hard to pull away.
“You are not allowed to do that,” Aaden says.
“Do what?”
“Lose it. You cannot lose control. Ever.”
“I know,” I mumble.
“You want to go off, fine. You can go off on me as much as you want. I’m the second in command; I can take it. But Swoop is barely over Key’s death. East just got his powers, only to lose them again. And Randy needs you now more than he ever did before.”
“I know.”
“I get that this whole thing sucks, but you are the leader for a reason. You can do this, Pry. You can save everyone. You will save everyone. That’s what you were born to do, and I have no doubt you are up for it.”
“How? How can you still believe in me?”
“You went to the Center and endured pain beyond anything most angels can conceive of.”
“So did you,” I remind him.
“Yes, and I let it change me. But you didn’t. You are still the embodiment of light, kindness, and love. That’s why I know you can take on Malakaro. I’m not just saying this as your second in command. I’m saying this as your…friend. Stop the pity-party crap and get it together.”
“Okay…”
“We need to figure out who or what the butterfly refers to,” he says.
“We can start searching for any ‘butterfly’ references in my father’s journals.”
“Good. I’ll have Diana and the others ask their contacts. Someone may know something. Now, we need to figure out how to stop Malakaro. Power or not, we have to try.”
“I have a suggestion,” East says as he approaches us along with Swoop.
“Guys, I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean to—”
“Pry, it’s okay. We get it. We’re here for you,” Diana says.
“Thanks. East, what’s your suggestion?” I ask.
“Well, this whole time we’ve been trying to figure out a way to kill Malakaro. But what if we aim all our efforts not on Malakaro but who he used to be?”
“You mean back when he was Jason?” Swoop says.
“You’re right! We need to dig as deeply as we can into Jason Cane’s life. That might be the key to his death,” I say.
“And as far as Randy goes, I think if we want him not to worry, we need to keep going on with life as normal. That way he’ll see that we aren’t panicking.”
“Silver has a point. While we aim to get at Malakaro, it’s important not to let fear and sadness get to Randy. The closer he is to happiness, the further away he is from being tempted by darkness,” Swoop says.
“And what could be happier than having an awkward dinner with my mom and her new boyfriend,” East says with a sly smile.
“What?! No!” Aaden quickly objects.
“That’s great! We’ll all go to Uncle Rage’s house and show that we support him and Winter being together,” I reply.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Aaden says.
“Why? Is your dad planning to use my mom and throw her away?” East asks.
“I told you before, I’m staying out of it,” Aaden replies.
“C’mon, Aaden, I think Winter wants us to do something with her and Uncle Rage. It would mean a lot to her. And to your dad,” I push.
“Okay,” he says reluctantly.
I smile brightly and address my team. “Perfect! Tonight we’ll focus on making sure Randy knows everything is fine. And in the morning, we tackle the butterfly thing and Malakaro’s history. Finally, a plan.”
I set out to check on Randy and also fill him in on what he missed. He’s always liked sitting far off in the bleachers. It’s one of his favorite “space out” places. So I make my way to the football field; that’s when I spot Diana headed down the block. I call out to her, but she doesn’t hear me. Something feels off to me, so I follow her across the street. She enters an alley, where a lanky, dark-haired demon with beady eyes awaits her.
“What are you doing here?” she demands, not bothering to hide her contempt.
“This is how you greet an old friend?” he asks.
“Barelle, you and I were never friends,” she corrects him.
“Maybe not, but we were almost family.”
“That was a long time ago. Before your brother killed my child.”
“I talked to Kill before he went to the bar to meet with you. He didn’t go there to kill your kid. He gave you a choice, and you made the
wrong one.”
“What Kill was proposing was ridiculous. There’s no way I could have raised a kid with him.”
“But you could raise a kid with Silver? That guy’s killed more than anyone I know.”
“Silver was a great father. He loved our little girl in ways you and Kill can’t even begin to understand.”
“Whatever. All I know is that my brother saved your ass more than a few times in battle.”
“And I saved him by not killing him myself. Because I promise you what Silver did to him for killing Sparks is nothing compared to what I would have done.”
“Fine, you feel no allegiance to Kill, but what about me? I’ve helped you out in the past. I saved your life once.”
“And that’s why I’m not sucking the life out of you right now. That makes us even.”
“After you do me this favor, we will be even.”
“What favor?”
“There’s some Healer bitch who has been blocking my active powers.”
“Why?”
“I kind of killed her whole family. Anyway, I need you to make a mixture that will counteract hers.”
“And then what?” she asks.
“Then I pay that angel a little visit.”
“I don’t know if you were hit in the head during a battle or what. But you are seriously crazy if you think I would ever help you.”
“Oh, I forgot. You’re good now. Is that it?”
“Yes, Barelle. That’s exactly it. So fuck off,” she says as she turns on her heel and starts to walk away.
He quickly lands in front of her and backs her into a corner. “Look here, Ruin. The others may be buying your good-girl bullshit, but I know exactly who you are. I know the dark shit you are capable of doing, and you will knock off this ‘goody-goody’ act and help me kill this angel.”
“Or what? What are you going to do, Barelle? Do you think you can take me on? Even when you had active powers, I could drop your ass in a second. Now you come here with no active powers and you want to take me on?”
“You’re right. I can’t take you on,” he says with a sinister smile as he takes his hands off her and backs away.