by Lola StVil
“Daddy, can’t save you with these shoes; I’m gonna get better shoes.”
Her father suppresses a smile and then apologizes for not understanding her point of view sooner.
“Okay! Be white back,” she says again.
The “victim” tied to the chair starts to laugh as his precious little girl leaves the room in search of more “hero appropriate” attire…
I signal for the Quo to turn off the memory. He is about to argue with me, but I glare at him, and he rushes out the door. The memory fades once the Quo is gone. I walk up to Jay, who is sitting in the corner drunk and immersed in the fading memory of his daughter Key. He barely noticed that I had entered the room.
“Jay, you need to leave this place,” I tell him as I kneel before him. He reeks of Coy. His eyes are cloudy with a mix of pain and bitterness. His words are slurred and dripping in desperation.
“Where’s the Quo? I need him to keep sending me more memories.”
“Jay, the Quo is gone. The memory is fading,” I reply as Key’s room begins to drain of color.
“I didn’t sign the deal yet,” he says as he reaches over to the small table beside him. There is a crystal orb the size of a tennis ball. Once Jay touches it, strings of letters are released into the air. The letters form a series of small paragraphs. At the end of the floating contract, there is a line with a red X on it.
The Guardian takes out a small blade from his pocket and slices into his finger. He reaches out into the air to sign his name in blood. I walk through the paragraphs, and they scatter. However, they gather once again a few feet away.
“Jay, no! You can’t sign that.”
“When I sign, the memory will play forever. Even if the Quo isn’t here. I will have my little baby girl back,” he explains as he stands up and stumbles over to the newly formed contract behind me.
“Jay, you won’t have her back. It will only be a memory. You’ll have to stay here in this place forever in order to keep seeing your memories.”
“I don’t care! I have to see her. She’s my baby. You understand that?” he snaps bitterly.
“Yes, I do. But you have to think about the other angels in your family. Swoop needs you.”
“Her mother will take care of her, yo! Just back off,” he demands. I block him once again. The Guardian can move with unnatural speed. However, he’s so out of it that I can keep up with him—barely.
“Jay, don’t do this! You can’t stay inside a memory forever.”
“You don’t get it! I have to do this. I have to be with her. Look, I’ll be one hundred percent honest with you right now, okay. It’s my fault she died.”
“No, Jay, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is! I’m her father. I’m supposed to protect her. But I was weak, yo. I couldn’t get back from the light. I just stayed up there and watched as she was cut open. That bastard cut my baby girl open,” Jay yells.
“I know it seems impossible right now, but you will keep going. You have to,” I plead.
“I can’t take it, all right? I can’t take missing her, her big eyes looking up at me, excited to show me what she learned in training. I hear her voice calling out ‘Daddy, look!’ when she got a new outfit. When she grew up and said she wanted to go on her first date with the Kon…I said no because I wasn’t ready for her to grow up.
“I thought she was going to be pissed and tell me off. But she didn’t. She took my hand and she sat next to me and she said, ‘Dad, I really like Bex, but he’s always going to be the second love of my life. Nothing will replace you. Nothing…’” He bursts into tears as he aims for the contract. I try to stop him, but his speed is returning. There is no way to get to the flowing words before him.
I try one last thing: I snatch the orb the contract emerged from. That works. The letters fold into one another and get sucked back into the orb on the table. I take the ball in my hand and close my fingers around it tightly.
“Give that back!” he demands.
“I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“Aaden, hand me the orb.”
“No.”
“I’m not playin’ with you, man. Give it to me.”
“We need to get out of here now!” I reply as the fire starts coming towards us.
Jay tackles me and throws me off balance. We roll on the ground as the fire spreads all around the room. I know the kind of pain Jay’s feeling, and I know that he’d rather be burned alive than lose his daughter again, which, in his mind, is what he would be doing if he lets the orb get away from him.
Jay isn’t just an angel, he’s a Guardian. That means he’s a hell of a lot stronger than most. He grabs hold of me with both hands and throws me across the room. I go flying into the air and right through the next room. Before I can recover, Jay is on me and sending me into the air yet again.
His speed makes him a blur as he comes up behind me, yanks me off the floor, and slams me into the ceiling. The pain radiates from my skull and down through my body. I can’t send a fireball and risk hurting him. So I need to find another way to get him off me and fast.
“Yo, son, give me the orb or I’ll fucking kill you!” he vows as he lifts me over his head yet again and catapults me down the flame-filled hallway. He comes after me, but now I know what to look for when he moves. I make myself focus, and when he’s close to making contact with me, I yank a Holder out of my pocket and I manage to trap him inside.
“Let me out! Let me out!” he orders at the top of his lungs. He bangs on the Holder with so much force it begins to crack. Shit! I’ve heard of a Holder cracking, but I’ve never seen it before.
The flames are closing in. I can’t keep Jay inside the bubble-like prison any longer. Even if he wasn’t about to smash it open, the fire is now out of control. We both need to get out of here as soon as possible. So I make a risky move and free Jay from the Holder. I then hand him the orb, and he looks back at me, shocked.
“You can have it. You want to stay in this building and live in a fantasy world. I get it. I really do. When my daughter died, I begged for death too. I didn’t want to live in the world without her. I would have done anything to stop missing her. I would come to these places and…so go ahead, stay here if you want. But I know that’s not what Key would want for you. She would want you to be happy,” I inform him.
“No, she wouldn’t want that. She knows I don’t deserve that. I left her.”
“Malakaro separated you from Key. She knew that. She never blamed you for not being here.”
“I’m not talkin’ about that. She needed me that night. The night when she was…”
“The night in the alley,” I reply as I watch Jay closely.
“I was on the other side of the world, on some stupid mission while Key was being violated. They hurt my baby girl. They got on top of her and…I left her alone in this world, and I’m sure she hated me for letting that shit go down. She must have.”
“Jay, Key didn’t hate you. I was there. I held her after it happened. I know how she was feeling, and the hatred wasn’t for you.”
“Then why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t she…”
“Jay, Keyohmi should have died after what happened in the alley. She should have ended her life. That’s what anyone else would have chosen to do. But she didn’t. She found a way to get past it. She had to go into her worst nightmare and survive. Where do you think she got that strength?”
“Man, when I think of her in that cold alley, screaming, crying, shaking…my baby. And then she goes and gets killed, and again, I’m not there. I did her so wrong. I…I let them down, yo. I let my fam down.”
“The only way you do that is by staying here.”
“That’s bullshit, yo! I was her father. I should have protected her, and now I will make it up to her.”
“Jay, she made it this far because you and Miku taught her to be strong. I’ve fought alongside her, and she was exactly what you two raised her to be—powerful. Resourceful. Skilled. You have to honor her. And
you can’t do that locked in some memory. But you know what? Do what you want. I’m done,” I reply as I head for the nearest debris-filled exit.
“You were there for her that night. You had her back, and that…thank you.”
“You wanna thank me? You can start by remembering that you have a wife, another daughter, and now a grandson. They need you. So get over yourself,” I reply as I walk away from him. As soon as I make it outside, the hotel blows up, taking Jay with it.
“OH MY OMNIS.” I pick up my cell and dial Pryor.
“Hey, babe…I think I just let a Guardian get killed,” I whisper into the phone.
“Yeah, like anything could kill me,” Jay says behind me. I turn quickly and find him standing a few feet away. With his speed, getting out of the building proved no problem. I’m so damn relieved; I lower the phone from my ear and shake my head at the Guardian.
“Pry, never mind. We got it handled,” I say once I get my bearings. “Wait, what? When? Okay, we’ll be right there,” I reply as I hang up the phone and take to the sky.
Jay takes off after me. “Aaden, what is it? What’s happening?”
“Pryor found an object that can kill Malakaro.”
Chapter Twenty-Two:
Monsters and Moms
Jay lands about six blocks away from the Guardian home. I follow, not sure why we landed so far away. I don’t say anything at first; I figure he will explain himself.
“My bad. I just need like a cool minute before…” He doesn’t finish his thought; he doesn’t need to. Jay has been through a lot tonight. I can see why he would have to pace himself before walking into the Guardian home, where his wife and daughter will most likely be.
I’ve always liked Jay. He’s a pretty easygoing guy. He loves to drive too fast, curse too much, and say whatever is on his mind. The best part about Jay is his laugh. The Guardians have so much bullshit and drama, it’s rare for them to really laugh and let go of things. But Jay manages to maintain some sense of humor about him.
He’s always the first to drag his wife, Miku, onto the dance floor when there’s a concert or party. He talked our fathers into not killing us the first time Pryor and I missed curfew. He’s always been confident but not arrogant. But right now, that Jay is gone. The guy I’m looking at is full of self-doubt and apprehension.
“Um, yeah. It’s fine. I get it,” I reply as we both start walking. We are both silent for a few minutes, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Jay is the first one to break the silence.
“Yo, real talk. You looked out for my girls. That means a lot to me. No matter what goes down, you know I got you, right?” he says.
“Yeah, you’re right. You owe me big. I mean, like new car big,” I joke. He laughs and promises me that any car I want is mine for the taking. We are now across the street from the Guardian house. This time, I’m the one who stops. He then studies me for a few moments.
“I know why I’m trip’n about facing anyone in the house, but what’s up with you?”
“Nothing, I’m good.”
“Aaden, I know that you and I don’t spend a lot of time together. But I know you. I mean, for real. I was there when you were only a few markings on your mom’s hand.”
“It’s nothing. I just can’t wait for my dad to come back,” I reply.
The day the Guardians came back and Emmy killed the New Order members, everything in the angel world was upside down. While the guys on the Guardian team were able to hold their emotions when confronting the Paras, Emmy and Miku were not. In fact, both ladies warned the Original Paras (the oldest living Paras in the world) that if any of their kids got so much as a paper cut from a Para, they would band together.
“If your kind messes with our kids again, Redd and I will be back and nothing will remain standing. I swear to Omnis we will dance in Para blood for years to come,” Emmy spat venomously. In the days following her proclamation, social media went crazy. #ReddDeath has been trending ever since. My dad, having been part of the board, has been tasked with making sure Guardian interest is represented among the Paras.
Dad hates having to do it. He would much rather be here helping us find Malakaro, but he’s the only one that Emmy trusts. So he took the gig and has been away for a few days now. I wish like hell he was here.
“C’mon, yo. Be real. What’s up? Why don’t you want to go inside?” Jay asks.
I don’t reply.
“Aaden, I know I’m not your dad. But Rage and I are mad cool. We’ve become real friends. And if I had a son who needed to talk and I wasn’t around, he’d be there. So let me be here for you. C’mon, yo. Spit that shit out.”
“The Kon broke things off with Pry three days ago,” I reply, and clear my throat.
“Yeah, I heard about that. So are you two together now?”
“I don’t know. There’s been so much happening. We’ve been trying to get Marcus and Randy to talk, but it’s been harder than we thought it would be. They still haven’t done it. And since her mom went inside Sam’s room for the first time, things have been tense.”
When Emmy entered her dead son’s room, Thailand flooded. Her pain was so deep and endless the only way to stop the rest of Asia from going under was to sedate Emmy. I’ve never seen anyone in that much pain before. She is far from better, but she has been trying very hard to stay focused on the child she has left. She’s also trying to be there for her husband, who has not forgiven himself for Malakaro.
“So the two of you haven’t talked about it?” he asks.
“No.”
“Because you two have been too busy?”
“Yes.”
“C’mon, man, if you not gonna be real with me, what’s the point?”
“Okay, fine. We haven’t talked about it because we don’t know what’s next. I know what I want, but she…why can’t women ever be straight and just say what’s on their minds?”
“You want answers. I feel you. But standing here across the street ain’t gonna give you answers. Be real. And go find out what she’s thinking.” Before I can reply, he takes out his cell and glances at the picture on the screen.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s Miku. She’s been looking for me. I gotta go. I don’t want her to hear about what happened from social media.”
After I promise to call on him should I need help, he takes off. I walk up to the house, not sure what the vibe will be between her and me. Now that Bex is gone, does that automatically mean it’s the two of us again?
I enter the house, and the team is standing on the second-floor landing, watching as Randy walks down the steps. He goes past me, but he’s too deep in thought to really register that I am here. I quickly make my way up the steps towards the team.
I know I am here on official business, but when I first see her, it’s hard to remember that fact. I try to read her, see if I can find some clue as to what she’s thinking. She looks back at me, and for a moment, everyone in the house disappears.
“Hi” is all that comes out of my mouth, although in my head, I could talk for days.
“Hi,” she replies shyly.
“I would’ve called, but—”
“Yeah, me too. No worries,” she says.
“Hey, I love an awkward moment just like the next girl, but let’s focus, people,” Diana says.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“We were waiting for you to get here, and my dad came into my room and asked if he could talk to Randy,” our leader says.
“How did you get your dad to agree to talk to him?” I ask her.
“My mom pleaded with him. But honestly, it didn’t take much. Going into Sam’s room took a toll on her. My dad would have done anything she asked,” Pry says.
“Speaking of dads, have you seen mine? My mom’s been texting me like a million times. She’s looking for him,” Swoop says.
“Yeah, we ran into each other. I think he’s headed to see your mom right now,” I reply, avoiding eye contact.
&n
bsp; “Is he okay?” Bird asks.
“He’s…fine,” I reply, again avoiding eye contact.
“Swoop, shhh! We can’t eavesdrop with you talking,” East scolds.
“Eavesdrop on what? Randy hasn’t even made his way past the threshold of the door,” Swoop says.
“It doesn’t matter. Missing the moment before they talk is like going to the movies and missing the previews. Wait, it’s starting,” East says excitedly.
“We have got to get that guy a hobby or something,” I tell Pry as we turn our attention back to the living room.
Randy enters with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched and his eyes down to the floor. He looks like a kid who has been sent to the principal’s office. I can understand that. Marcus can be intimidating to me, let alone a human.
He looms above Randy with his arms folded across his chest. His wings seem to take up more of the room than usual. He’s not just a Guardian, he’s the First Guardian. The amount of power within Marcus could easily take out all of New York City. Standing before a guy like that and demanding he explain his actions to you is, at the very least, tricky as hell.
“Randy, have a seat,” Marcus says, sounding official. Pry and I exchange a look of concern. The tension in the room is palpable. Randy pulls out a chair and sits across from Marcus.
“Pryor tells me you have struck up a friendship with Jason,” the First Guardian says.
“We’ve been talking,” Randy says, trying to steady his shaking voice.
“You can’t do that, Randy. Everything that Jason touches gets destroyed. He’s using you to get access to more power. That’s the only thing that matters to him.”
“You walked away from your son. How would you know what matters to him?” Randy says bravely.
Crap. This could blow up in our faces.
“Randy, you don’t understand. You can’t let him into your life. He’s using you, and you need to stay away from him.”
“I think Jason has had enough people walking out on him.”
“There is no Jason. It’s not like when Swoop had Raven inside her. This is different. Jason was always Malakaro. The only difference between him then and him now is that he now has more powers. But he was always, always evil.”