by Lola StVil
“Why not?”
“It makes me love you more, and if I love you any more than I already do…I’ll go all supernova on you,” I warn him teasingly.
“My dad thinks that given everything that happened, you regret our night together. Is he right?”
“No, he’s not. I wanted to make love to you. I’m glad I did. I just wish the next morning was a little more…”
“Uneventful?” he ventures.
“Yeah.”
“You shared the most intimate part of your soul with me. I spent my whole life wondering what that would feel like. I thought making love to this girl would be mind-blowing, but I was wrong. That night was so much more than that,” he says earnestly.
“Given everything that’s going on, I thought maybe you forgot about our night together,” I confess lamely.
“How could I forget? Pryor, the only time I really understood the beauty and brilliance of Omnis was when I was inside you.”
Wow…
We lean in slowly, ready to kiss, but we don’t; instead we stay a few inches apart and don’t touch. We’re enjoying the anticipation too much to give in. He takes me in with his ardent, heated stare.
He slowly X-rays me, as if he can see right through my clothes. It only takes a fraction of a second, but in that time, with almost no movement, Aaden manages to scan my whole body. He starts with my eyes. He sees something in them that gives him immense pleasure.
He then scrolls down to my lips and I can almost see the flashbacks in his head. I’m certain he’s remembering everything we did that night having to do with my lips on his skin. He lets a low growl escape his mouth. When he aims his laser-like stare at my breasts, they eagerly push against the material of my bra, determined to let him know that they remember his touch and they want more.
No, wait; they don’t want more. They need more.
Aaden’s touch is now officially a ‘need.’ And by the time his eyes sweep past my stomach and onto my thighs, I crave him so much, I ache. If I don’t kiss him now, I’ll die. I’ll die.
Both of us are no longer able to withstand our desire. I moan in submission as he slowly grazes the inner lining of my lips with his tongue. I close my eyes and brace myself for the surge of ecstasy about to engulf me.
Nothing happens.
WTF?!
“Pry, do you see that?” he asks, pulling away.
“Huh?” I reply, opening my eyes.
“Look.”
I turn and face the direction Aaden is pointing to. I see my house a few yards away, surrounded by Paras. There were supposed to be a dozen or so protecting us, but there are well over a hundred of them. And at the center of the mob of Paras are the Omari.
The Omari are an elite team of Para angels whose job is to track and kill angels on the run for breaking the laws. It is NEVER a good thing that they are there. Their job is to kill, pure and simple. Without stopping to confer, Aaden and I race towards the house.
As we make our way towards the house, we see East standing in front of the window in the living room, with a bottle in his hand. He tilts his head back and guzzles down the Coy. He then goes over to where he has his stepdad, Frank, bound to a chair.
East has blackened both of Frank’s eyes, busted his lip, and split open his left cheek, leaving Frank’s face a purplish swollen mess. He has bound his stepdad with his lasso. And while it can’t kill a demon, it can certainly kill a half human like Frank.
Normally, the Paras would step in and stop this, but East has sealed himself and his stepdad inside a Holder, a bubble-like prison that’s almost impossible to penetrate.
In fact, a Holder is so strong it requires a large amount of power to break through it. That’s why the Omari are here. Together they can gather enough of a Powerball to crack the Holder open. However, in order to do that, East would end up getting hurt if not worse.
We barrel through the crowd of Paras and make our way to the front, where the Omari stand ready to fire into my living room. Standing beside them are the twins, Randy, and Bex.
“What the hell is going on?” Aaden asks before I can.
“We’re so sorry, Pry. We tried to talk to our cousin, but he said he wanted some time to be alone. And then his sister called. He was pissed at her for calling the cops when he was arguing with Winter,” Swoop says.
“That’s when he found out it wasn’t his sister that called them, it was Frank. So he got on a Port, knocked Frank out, and drained him of his powers,” Key says.
“We’ve been trying, but the Omari won’t let us go inside the house,” Randy says.
“That’s because they’re planning on attacking at any moment,” Aaden says bitterly as he glares at Bex.
“The Omari can’t attack East. He’s not dangerous. He just needs someone to talk to,” I reply.
“It’s not that simple, Pry. East has been draining the life out of his stepdad’s body for over an hour now. We should have gone in and stopped him a while ago, but we didn’t. Instead we’ve been trying to talk him into lowering the Holder so we can talk, but he refuses,” Bex says.
“So your guys are gonna go in there and kill East? Is that your brilliant fucking plan?” Aaden asks.
The Paras do not take kindly to threats or their kind being disrespected. As soon as the words leave Aaden’s mouth, every Para on the block summons up a Powerball and readies to fire it at Aaden.
“I’m right here,” Aaden says to the Kon fearlessly.
The two exchange hostile stares; an already tense situation reaches new highs.
Bex, surrounded by the Omari, warns Aaden with a certain and venomous tone, “Open your mouth to disrespect me one more time, Silver, and I promise it will be your last.”
“Hey, can we please focus here?” I ask.
“You need to call those guys off,” Aaden tells the Para leader.
“What we need is for East to come to his senses. Frank is a jerk, but he is a prominent member in the Quo community. Not to mention a vocal supporter of Quo advocacy. We can’t just let East kill him.”
“Just let us go inside the house. He’ll listen to us,” Swoop says.
“I’m sorry, but we’re trying to get everyone out, not let more of you in. East is unstable and we don’t know what he’s likely to do,” Bex pleads.
“You can’t stop us from going in, Bex. He’s my cousin. He’s just going through a hard time. We can help him.”
“Key, we’ve been trying to talk him out of this, and it hasn’t worked. He’s drunk, pissed off, and ready for revenge. You are not going inside. East is just too volatile right now.”
“You can’t keep me from going inside. You and I aren’t together anymore,” she reminds him.
“This isn’t about that. And just because we aren’t going out doesn’t mean I’m okay with you walking into danger, or any of you, for that matter,” Bex snaps.
“I know you’re looking out for us, Bex, but East needs us,” Randy pleads.
“I’m sorry, Randy. No one goes in,” Bex says to the surrounding Paras.
I take him aside so we can talk in private.
“Bex, you tell them to stand down, now!” I demand.
“No!” he barks back at me.
“Are you serious?” I shout.
“I can’t do what you’re asking me to do,” he assures me.
“Why the hell not?”
“East is using his powers on his father, who is a Quo. That may mean he’s only half human, but we still have to protect him.”
“Sending in the Omari could very well end up killing Frank too. That Powerball they generate could kill everyone inside the house.”
“We have cracked open Holders before. We know how to aim for its weak spot and get out the being we want to rescue.”
“And what about East? What happens to him?” I ask.
“We will try to save him too. You know that. But the fact is, Frank is the one who’s under attack, so he’s the one we have to help first.”
“You can’t bla
me East for this. You know he isn’t in his right mind; if he was, he never would be doing this.”
“That’s just it. He’s not in his right mind, which means we have no idea what he’s capable of.”
“He’s not going to kill Frank,” I snap.
“You don’t know that. East has drained all of Frank’s powers. Frank is barely holding on.”
“You cannot allow the Omari to attack East. He’s a member of your team,” I remind him.
“Yes, and that’s why he’s still alive. But I can’t stand there and tell the Omari to back off. If East actually kills his father and I stood by and let it happen…Pryor, I cannot make them stand down.”
“I am not asking you, damn it, I am telling you. Make the Omari stand down!”
“I stood by Silver when he went crazy and attacked a Para. I cleaned up his mess at great cost to me. But this is different. We cannot allow a Quo to be murdered five feet away while we just stand here and watch!”
“For the last damn time, East is not capable of murder.”
“Really? Because right now I think he’s doing a really good job of it. Frank can’t even hold his head up.”
“So your solution is to kill East? Who are you right now? The Kon or a member of my team?”
“That’s not fair, Pryor.”
“To hell with being fair. Tell the Omari to stand down!”
“No!”
“Bex, do not try me.”
“I have been faithful to this team. I have risked my life for everyone on the team at one point or another. But there are things more important than the team, like protecting innocent humans and half humans.”
“East would never take it that far. You make the Omari stand down!”
“Neglecting to stop East from killing a Quo is the same as condoning it. If we let this happen, the Quo community will never trust us. Pryor, this could start a war.”
“You can risk the possibility of war with the Quo or the certainty of war with me.”
“You do what you feel you need to do, but the only rule that must be upheld is protecting innocent lives. Frank is an asshole, but he’s not a demon. I will not allow him to be murdered.”
“You are willing to sacrifice Easton for Frank?”
“This is not about that, Pryor! We can’t just stand back and let a Quo get killed. Period. I won’t order the Omari to stand down.”
“Even if it costs East his life?”
“I love East. He’s family to me, but he’s not himself right now, so, yes, I will sacrifice him if that’s what it takes to keep the peace.”
“What about me?”
“What?”
“Are you willing to sacrifice me?”
Without hesitation I dash towards the front door of the house.
“Pryor, no!” Bex yells as I race into the house.
Aaden calls after me furiously, as do the other members of my team. Once inside, I look through the window and watch as Aaden and the others face down the Omari. The team of angel assassins is highly pissed and ready to strike. The Kon looks over at me from the front of the house; he glares angrily and shakes his head. The Omari await a signal from their leader.
I would like to think that Bex isn’t going to allow the Omari to strike. However, as a Para, his main job is to keep humans safe. And as the future Kon, or king, he has to keep peace in the Angel world. That means he can’t let anything drag them into a bloody and tragic second war with the Quo. Not sure how much time I have, I try to focus on the problem in front of me.
East stands over his bound stepfather’s barely conscious body. The lasso continues to suck the life force from him. East greets me without ever taking his eyes off of Frank.
“Hi. Dad, look! We have company,” he says with a trembling voice.
Frank does not say anything in return. East looks at me from inside the Holder.
“Don’t be upset with my dad. He can’t talk right now; he’s dying,” Easton says with sad, hysterical laughter.
This is so not good…
“I’m sorry I brought this mess to your door, Pry, but I wanted my dad to see where I spent most of my time. Even before the Guardians got stuck in the light, I would come to Pryor’s house. I mean, I would be here all the time. Do you know why, Dad?”
Drool slides down from Frank’s mouth and onto the front of his clothes.
“I’ll tell you why. I came here all the time because I wanted to see what it was like to be loved by your family. That’s why I brought you here, Dad. I wanted you to die in the place that I love the most. The place that gave me what you couldn’t—acceptance. Pryor’s family liked having me around. They were good to me.”
“That’s because my parents love you, East. We all love you. That’s why we want you to take the Holder down. We’re worried about you.”
“There’s no need to worry, Pry. I’m happy. My dad and I are finally gonna have an honest chat. Isn’t that right, Frankie?”
“Easton, sweetheart, I need you to release your father.”
“Actually, he’s not my father, haven’t you heard?”
“I did, and you still need to let him go.”
“He called the cops on me. He told them that I was displaying violent behavior when I was arguing with my mom.” Easton lets out yet another mirthless laugh into the air.
“East, you have to let him go.”
“YOU CALLED THE COPS ON ME, FRANK? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I COULD HAVE CALLED THEM ON YOU?”
Frank groans weakly as blood drips down from his nose and onto his plaid shirt. His skin is sallow and his eyes swollen shut.
“East, please don’t do this. Let him go,” I beg.
“Let’s play a game! I’ll name an incident and Frank here will tell us if it warranted calling the cops, okay?”
“East, we can’t—”
“Okay, the time I was late from training and you used your powers and threw a baseball bat at my head,” East says.
Crap, I didn’t know Frank did that. Man, this guy is a real tool. But I know that doesn’t mean East can just take his life.
“Should I have called the cops on you then, Frank?” East demands.
Frank doesn’t reply. Easton reinforces the lasso by sending a surge of power through it. The current makes contact with Frank and shakes him violently. The blood from Frank’s nose is now pouring instead of slowly seeping like before.
“YOU BETTER ANSWER, ASSHOLE! SHOULD I HAVE CALLED THE COPS ON YOU?”
“Yes,” the old man mumbles.
“And the time Mom was out of town and you found me playing in your office, you beat me until I couldn’t stand up. Should I have called the cops then?”
Shocked and mortified by Easton’s words, I place my hands over my lips to keep from calling out. I didn’t know Frank was sadistic. I had no idea what East had been through; none of us did.
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Easton shouts when Frank’s reply dies on the tip of his tongue.
“YES!” Frank groans as he coughs up blood.
“And when you broke my fucking arm and didn’t even think to take me to a hospital or a Healer, should I have called the cops?”
“Easton, stop it. Please,” I beg.
“ANSWER ME OR YOU DIE RIGHT NOW!”
From the corner of my eye, I can see the Omari gathering in a circle around the house, getting ready to attack. My team is being kept at bay by a barrier implemented by the Paras. I look over at Bex. His expression is stern and official.
“East, the Omari are going to strike if you don’t let Frank go!”
“I DIDN’T GET MY ANSWER! WHEN YOU BROKE MY ARM, SHOULD I HAVE CALLED THE COPS?” Easton rages.
Frank doesn’t reply. East attacks him with yet another surge. The Omari summon up a large orb in the center of their circle. The orb expands quickly. In a matter of seconds it will grow to the size of the house and rip the meat off our bones.
“SAY IT!” East screams.
“Yes, you should have called t
he cops,” Frank says.
“But I didn’t, Dad. I didn’t. Do you know why? Because I loved you. I loved you, you sick bastard. Even when you were hurting me I loved you. Why didn’t you love me back? That’s all you had to do: love me back.” East weeps.
The sobs take over Easton’s body. I watch, heartbroken, as wave after wave of sorrow passes through East. He kneels on the floor, distraught and hurting. He’s in so much pain he starts to lose focus; the lasso begins to loosen around his stepdad.
Frank is still badly hurt, but now that he isn’t confined to the chair, with his life force draining from him, he has enough energy to speak louder. He then opens his mouth and addresses his stepson on the floor.
“How could I love you? You are the son of a Guardian. When your mother slept with Rio, she betrayed me. You are a symbol of that betrayal. That’s why I vowed that if she ever left me, I would tell you the truth about who you are. I would watch as your life was thrown into chaos.”
“You blackmailed my mother?” East says, looking up at Frank from the floor, horrified.
“I should have done much more. I should have killed your whore of a mother and her bastard child!”
East summons the lasso so quickly Frank doesn’t see it wrap itself around him until it’s too late. East sends the biggest power surge he’s ever created into the rope around his stepfather. Frank starts to fall, and a blinding ball of light emerges from the center of the Omari. Bex has given them their orders: They send the illuminated orb of death straight towards us…
Chapter Nine:
By Blood Or By Mixture
The Powerball blows out all the windows. We take cover as shards of glass rain down on us. The Powerball peels away the layers of the house like a supercell tornado. It enters what was once the living room and rips the house from its foundation. When it reaches the Holder, it splits it open effortlessly, and then it turns all of its attention on us.
There is no way to avoid getting hit. What happened to the house is going to happen to us. We will be parted from our flesh, and our blood will line the streets of New York City, among the debris of what was once my home.
The orb of death illuminates overhead. It is a millisecond away from impact. Without a moment to spare, I dive towards East and Frank. I form a makeshift cocoon with my wings and cover them. I shout at them to close their eyes. My wings won’t be enough to stop the orb from ending their lives, but at least they won’t have to look at death in the face.