“What the hell was that?” I ask.
“He’s embraced his demigod side.” Daisy reaches for the door handle, but I open it for her with my mind. She glances at me and smiles. “Thanks.”
My heart goes to a hundred in an instant. Damn, I have it bad for this girl. I follow her, but considering her attention is now riveted on Mrs. Malek, I try to ignore my naughty thoughts. Morpheus has shifted back into a solid human. He’s Chaos’s grandson all right. That was a freaky trick he pulled.
“Mom, are you okay?” Morpheus stares at his mother’s clothes.
“Yes. This isn’t my blood. I’ve been helping with the wounded. Come inside quickly.”
“Any chance you can open the loading gate for us? We have cargo that shouldn’t be left outside,” Xavier says from inside the van.
“Yes, of course. We don’t want any vehicles parked here anyway.”
We all head inside and discover a world that looks like it came straight from a war movie. Part of the warehouse floor has been converted into a makeshift hospital where wounded patients lie on blankets and mattresses on the floor. It makes me sick when I realize that most of them are children.
Daisy gasps, covering her mouth with a closed fist. I start toward her, but the sound of my name being called out stops me in my tracks. I turn toward it and find my mother making a beeline in my direction.
“Phoenix, oh thank heavens you’re okay.” She pulls me into an embrace. I’m too stunned to react, so I just stand there like a wooden pole.
“What are you doing here?” I pull back, wrestling with the conflicting emotions bouncing around in my chest. The little boy in me wants to lean into the comfort of her embrace, but the jaded person I am now can’t let go of the pain.
“I tracked Shereen down when I couldn’t locate you. I heard about that awful cop on the news.”
“Yeah, he got what he deserved. But are you helping the Norms and Fringes now?”
She jerks her head back as if my question offends her. “I’ve never shared your father’s ideals about them.”
Hearing her speak about him makes me nauseated. The latch holding the dark memories of my abuse cracks right down the middle. If I don’t focus on something else, it will split open. I turn to Mrs. Malek. “What can we do to help?”
“Please get settled first, and then look for Ellen. She’ll tell you what to do.”
Bryce steps forward, looking grimmer than ever. “Point me at your most critical cases.”
Daisy’s and Rufio’s faces blanch. Bryce has not fared well after healing the dying. But how could we look at all these hurt people and not try to help?
“There’s one little boy, not much older than two, who’s in bad shape. We don’t think he’ll last much longer,” Mom says. “I’ll take you to him.”
Bryce and Daisy follow my mother, and because I can’t stay too far away from the love of my life, I do too. I avoid glancing at the people along the way, but not because I lack sympathy. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll break down. I’m hanging on by a thread already. Their pain is getting to me; it’s making me remember my own. Another fissure on the latch. Fuck. I grind my teeth harder.
When Mom stops next to a little kid who has more than half of his body covered in burns, my legs falter. Daisy makes a distressed sound, covering her mouth with her hands.
“Those motherfuckers,” Bryce grits out.
“How? I thought they’d attacked the schools. He’s too young,” Daisy says.
“I don’t know. He was found underneath his mother on the sidewalk near one of the attack locations. She died trying to protect him.”
“So he’s an orphan?” I ask through the lump in my throat.
“We don’t know. His father might be looking for him.”
“He’s so quiet,” Daisy murmurs.
“I think Ellen might have given him sedatives,” Mom replies.
Bryce kneels next to the kid, placing his hand above his chest. Immediately, a bright glow comes forth, illuminating the area. The boy disappears underneath the halo. Bryce doesn’t move a muscle. The only indication that he’s working hard is the furrow of his eyebrows. I step closer to Daisy, linking our hands together. She squeezes mine tightly, but I don’t know if she’s aware that she’s doing it. I’m not sure how long Bryce maintains his healing powers at full capacity, but when the light fades, it does quickly, and he tumbles sideways soon after. I try to stop him with my powers, but my mother reaches him first.
“Oh no. Bryce.” Daisy lets go of my hand and crouches next to him.
“He’s out cold. Is he okay?” Mom asks me as she cradles him in her lap.
“I hope so. Healing weakens him.”
Bryce stirs and mumbles incoherent words, but his eyes remain closed. The boy he healed, however, is awake now.
“Mommy?” he asks in a tiny voice. “Where’s Mommy?”
Ah hell. Now we have to tell him he’ll never see his mother again. My heart tightens to the point that it might shatter into tiny fragments. I sit next to him, careful not to scare the poor kid even more. There’s not a single scar left on his body, but his big hazel eyes are filled with fear as he stares at me.
“Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?”
“You’re one of the bad guys.”
Fuck. It didn’t even occur to me to mask my powers. “I’m not a bad guy. I’m on your side.”
“But you’re an Idol.”
I wince. Hell, we do have a terrible rep. “Yes, but not all Idols are bad.”
He keeps watching me with unblinking eyes for a moment, and then he switches his attention to the others. “Do you know where my mommy is?”
“No, honey. What’s her name?” Daisy smiles kindly at him, but her eyes tell a different story. They’re bright and sad.
“I think Daddy calls her Margaret.”
“Do you know your last name?” my mother asks.
He pinches his eyebrows together and then shakes his head. “I can’t remember.”
Rufio and Morpheus find us, and by their solemn expressions, I gather they have bad news.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Xavier wants to hold a meeting,” Morpheus replies. “But I think we should wait until Bryce recovers.”
“I’ll be up in a second,” he mumbles, his eyes still closed.
“How are you feeling?” Daisy caresses his cheek.
“Like I’ve been running on fumes for days.”
“Speaking of fumes, do you think the lightning-glass stones we brought will be enough to keep us hidden from Bad Grandpa?” I ask Morpheus.
“Nope. I can sense him getting closer. It’s why Xavier wants to talk. There might be another away to hide us from him.”
“Who is Bad Grandpa?” The kid Bryce healed sits up, rubbing his eyes. His blond hair is still covered in soot and dried blood. I guess Bryce’s abilities don’t include cleanup.
“My grandfather,” Morpheus replies.
“Why is he bad?”
“Because he’s old and grumpy,” Bryce butts in, finally getting back up. He massages his temple and then tries to suppress a yawn.
“I don’t have a grandpa or grandma.” The little boy glances down, his shoulders slumping forward. He looks so vulnerable and alone, I want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay.
“You’re not missing much.” Morpheus shrugs.
“What’s your name?” Rufio asks the kid.
“Theo.”
He scrunches up his nose, and a second later, he sneezes, which sends him flying across the room.
“What the fuck!” Rufio yells.
Bryce and I both throw our arms forward, but I’m the only one who actually does stop Theo from a nasty fall. Bryce is still out of juice. I bring him back to us. More precisely, back to my mother’s arms.
“Are you okay, Theo?” She cradles him like he was her own child. I imagine that’s how she used to be with me before my father did what he did.
The fissure on the lat
ch in my brain spreads in different directions like a spider web. One more blow and I’ll drown in my dark memories.
“I sneezed and flew,” he says in awe. “I was never able to do that before.”
“No, but I think things are going to be a little different from now on,” Bryce replies.
“Different how? Do I have superhero powers?” His eyes become as round as saucers.
He has no idea.
“Didn’t you just heal him?” Morpheus asks Bryce.
“Yeah.”
“Wow, so the change is happening faster.” Morpheus passes a hand over his face.
“It seems so, but the side effects are getting harder too. I feel awful.”
“Don’t even think about healing anyone else today,” Daisy tells him sternly.
“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. I’m numb inside; I can barely feel my power in my core.”
I trade a worried glance with Rufio. It’s hard to tell if we’re thinking the same thing. I do wonder if when Bryce heals someone, he’s actually transferring some of his powers to that person. If that’s the case, how long until he has nothing left?
The rumble of thunder reverberates across the warehouse’s high ceiling, getting our full attention.
“Crap. I think Chaos found us,” I say.
30
Daisy
Bryce has to rely on me for support as we walk toward the warehouse section that has some office space. Morpheus is ahead of us, body coiled tight with tension. It’s like he’s carrying the entire weight of the world on his shoulders. It can’t be easy knowing a relative is hell-bent on killing everyone you know. What a group of damaged people we are. I lost my parents in a horrible way, and the loves of my life have to contend with terrible ones. At least Mrs. Malek loves Morpheus unconditionally, and it seems Phoenix’s mother is trying to make amends for her past mistakes.
Morpheus stops in front of a door that has a lit sign above it that says “On Air.” It strikes me as odd. But when I enter the room, I understand the reason for it. We’re actually inside the radio station The Freaks. A huge poster showing off the hosts is the first thing I see, hanging at the far end of the wall. Then there are all the other famous bands’ posters, concert T-shirts in frames, and even a guitar mounted on the wall. The actual studio where they broadcast their show is sectioned off in a soundproof room in the left corner. The half-glass panels for walls allow visitors to peek inside. One of the hosts is in there, wearing big earphones and making sure Norms and Fringes still have their source of entertainment despite the tragedy that has struck our town.
“Am I dreaming, or are we actually inside a radio station?” Phoenix asks.
A man with salt-and-pepper hair and a wrinkled tan face approaches, sporting a tentative smile. I recognize him from the poster, I just don’t know which one of the hosts he is, Travis or Morty.
“Hi, I’m Travis Ross. You must be Daisy.”
“Yeah. These are Bryce, Morpheus, and Phoenix, and I suppose you’ve already met the rest,” I say.
“Yes I have. Please take a seat. Your friend looks a little worn out.” He points at the empty leather couch. There are three in the room, and with the current seating arrangement, I can see the battle lines are still firmly in place. Rosie and Felicity occupy one, Jodie and Renata another. Toby and Xavier are standing, clearly not wanting to pick sides.
“Where’s my mother? We’re running out of time,” Morpheus asks. “I can sense Chaos looming right above us. I don’t think the few pieces of raw lightning-glass stones we brought are doing much to deter him.”
“She’ll return shortly,” Travis assures Morpheus.
“Okay, I’m so confused. Can someone explain to me how a Fringe radio station got involved in the fight against the Neo Gods?” Bryce asks.
“Morty and I have always been involved in fighting oppression. It’s the main reason we started the station more than thirty years ago.”
“But why this warehouse?” I ask.
“We’ve only been here for the past few months. We piss off too many powerful Idols to remain in one location for too long.” He lifts his shoulders in a casual what-can-you-do shrug.
“But a warehouse?” Phoenix presses.
“It belonged to Morty’s parents. It was abandoned for years since most businesses in the area either went bankrupt or moved to greener pastures. We figured if we moved here, we wouldn’t have to change locations so soon. But then the war broke out, and our location became providential.”
“Too bad we brought a vengeful god to you,” Renata remarks, earning an immediate glower from Rosie.
“You make it sound like we did it on purpose,” she snaps.
Renata stares in Rosie’s direction, clearly surprised. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Mrs. Malek comes in, interrupting what was sure to become a useless argument. She’s followed by the blind Zions who assisted her before when Morpheus couldn’t yet control his powers.
“You asked them to come here?” Morpheus widens his eyes.
“Don’t fret, young man. We’re not the enemy,” one of them replies.
“Shereen, I didn’t know when you said you were getting help you meant them.” Xavier watches the duo with suspicion.
“Who are they? Priests?” Renata asks Jodie.
“Something like that,” she answers but keeps her shrewd eyes locked on the newcomers.
“How are you going to help us deter Chaos?” Morpheus asks.
Both men turn toward the sound of his voice. I know they’re blind, but they do have an uncanny ability to make you feel uncomfortable under their unseen scrutiny. Kind of like how Andromeda makes me feel. I haven’t thought about her in a while, but I wonder what’s going on in Hawk City with her and the Silverstones. The fact that we haven’t heard from them in so long is troublesome. And what about Delta? Were the Knights’ agents able to get information from him? Hell. We lost precious time in that camp of deranged fanatics.
“I see you’ve finally reclaimed what the shadows took. You’ve accepted your legacy,” one of the Zions says.
“Wait a second,” Rufio butts in. “Did you know he was Erebus’s son?”
Mrs. Malek drops her gaze to the floor. “Yes, they’ve always known.”
A deafening rumble above us sends my adrenaline levels through the roof. If Chaos decides to strike now, what will happen to all those wounded people?
“You’d better start talking,” Xavier intervenes. “We’re on borrowed time here.”
“Morpheus needs to fully embrace his demigod status.”
“I thought I did that already. Still, I can’t win against Chaos. He’s a primordial god.”
“You don’t need to win against him. We just want to become invisible to him. And that’s your specialty, boy,” one of them replies.
They look so similar, it’s hard to tell them apart. Their white hair is cropped short, and they seem to be about the same age. The only difference is that one is slightly taller than the other.
“Sorry to interrupt, but an introduction would be appreciated,” Travis says.
“I’m so sorry. Where are my manners?” Mrs. Malek replies. “These are brothers Ismael and Iago.”
They bow their heads, and then the one named Ismael says, “I sense distrust in your heart. You don’t need to fear betrayal from us.”
Travis scowls at the duo, but he doesn’t offer a retort.
“Do you want Morpheus to cover the entire building in shadows and keep that up for an indefinite amount of time?” I bring the conversation back on track.
“You sound surprised, child. He’s a demigod; he’s capable of unbelievable things, just like you were once before.”
“Me?” I squeak. “Do you mean Magia?”
“Yes, naturally we meant her,” Iago replies.
“But Magia was an Idol. Even if she was the Unmaker, she didn’t have infinite abilities,” Xavier pipes up.
The Zions crinkle their forehea
ds in deep frowns. “What gave you the notion Magia was an Idol?”
“Uh… wasn’t she?” Phoenix crosses his arms in front of his chest, watching the Zions through slits.
“No. Magia was a demigod, just like Morpheus,” Ismael replies.
“Well, not like Morpheus,” Iago butts in. “She was the daughter of Eris and an Idol, unlike Morpheus. And she also had better control of her abilities.”
“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Morpheus glowers at the duo.
“Hold on.” I raise my hand. “Who is Eris?”
“Eris, also known as Strife, is Nyx and Erebus’s daughter,” Xavier replies almost to himself. His eyes are troubled, unfocused.
“Whoa. So Magia and Morpheus were related?” Phoenix glances at Morpheus and me. “Dude!”
“Quit looking at me like I’ve suddenly become a perv,” Morpheus grits out. “Even if that’s true, Daisy is not Magia.”
I rub my head, trying to get rid of the headache that’s already brewing.
“If she was a demigod, how could she have turned into a Norm?” Rufio asks.
“Because she asked Gaia for a favor, and Gaia can do just about anything,” Mrs. Malek replies.
I’m still reeling from this revelation, and judging by Jodie’s stupefied expression, she also didn’t know about that detail. However, another thunderclap draws our attention to our priority, which is to hinder Chaos.
“Okay, tell me what I must do.” Morpheus turns to the Zions. “You can give us a lecture about my messed-up side of the family later.”
“To fully embrace your demigod powers, you must give up your humanity completely,” Ismael says.
No.
The blood seems to drain from Morpheus’s face. “I’m not sure I want to do that.”
“You don’t have a choice. Your attachment to your Fringe lineage is keeping you from unleashing your true potential. It’s either that or Chaos will level this place to the ground,” Iago counters.
“What’s going to happen to Morpheus if he gives up his humanity? Will he turn into a complete asshole?” Phoenix asks.
“That, we can’t answer,” both men reply in unison.
Resting his hands on his hips, Morpheus dips his chin low, staring at the ground. His shoulders hunch forward as he lets out a heavy exhale. Even though I’m terrified at the possibility that he might become someone as cold as Chaos, I can’t lose faith in him now. I step closer and lift his face to mine with the tip of my finger.
Broken Knights: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 4) Page 20