Sticks and Stones

by Alexie Aaron

  “He’s not even three yet. He doesn’t need the publicity.”

  “Damn it, it’s about time one of you Martins got credit for saving the world. I’m sick to my stomach of comments disparaging you.”

  Mia swallowed hard. “They’re just going to say, ‘Naturally he’d lead them into the graveyard, his mother is the girl who screamed there.’”

  “I see your point.”

  “You gave him your star. Is there no better honor?” Mia asked. “I wouldn’t have minded a star or maybe that snazzy tie clasp.” Mia tugged on Tom’s tie.

  “Hands off the tie or I’m going to tell my mother.”

  Chapter Five

  Ted took Varden home. Mia walked through the graveyard until she came to the Deschamps mausoleum. The Countess sensed her long before she strode up to the gate. The gate opened, and Mia walked inside.

  The ghost, who had plagued Mia’s nightmares for decades, had once again come to her aid. The skeletal creature, dressed in the expensive gown she was buried in, appeared before Mia.

  Mia put her hand on her heart. “I’m finding it hard to express what I’m feeling right now.”

  “Nonsense, the boy was in trouble. He’s your family. I was happy to help.”

  “He said he saw a grandmotherly ghost he recognized. You’re hardly a grandmother…”

  “I didn’t want to frighten him, so I used a little graveyard magic. How are the children?” the Countess asked.

  “Confused. They won’t remember this in a few years, but because of you, it won’t be a trauma that they have to work out with a shrink. Thank you for your compassion.”

  “You’re welcome. Maurice was glad it wasn’t a bunch of babies we took in. He still hasn’t gotten over the diapers. Speaking of babies, how are your daughters?”

  “Thriving. Genevieve has caught up to Maeve in appetite.”

  “Brian?”

  “He’s in Kindergarten. He and his best friend Noah are in the same class. Our adopted son Dieter may have a girlfriend. He shuts the door when he’s on the phone. How are things in your domain?”

  “Some new folks causing a ruckus. Nothing I can’t handle. Where is your boyfriend?”

  “My husband is with Varden.”

  “No, the farmer. Stephen Murphy.”

  “He’s not…”

  “I’m dead, but I still have eyes,” the Countess warned Mia.

  “My best friend is fine. He’s helping me to get stronger. I have been advised to stay in warrior condition.”

  “When you die, where are you going?”

  “I think that’s for the light to decide, but inside, I fear, Purgatory is on the path.”

  “Why don’t you skip the light? I’ll have a nice place for you and your boyfriend to shack up.”

  Mia blushed.

  The Countess laughed. “Oh, Mia, you’re so easy to tease.”

  “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “Visit me now and again. Not too much, people will talk. I don’t want the others to think that I’ve gotten soft.”

  Mia nodded.

  “Your mother hasn’t shown up yet?”

  “No. My father looked for her in the museum, and she either didn’t want to see him or wasn’t there.”

  “If I hear anything, I’ll send Maurice. He likes to get out and about.”

  “Thank you.” Mia turned to go but stopped. “I’ve been told there is a spectral chain around my ankle. Can you see it?”

  The Countess nodded slowly.

  “Do you know who it’s from?”

  “No. I see Michael’s mark, Roumain’s tramp stamp, and something much older between your wings. The chain may be a gift of love or…”

  “A leash,” Mia finished. “I worry it’s the latter.”

  “Only time will tell, Mia, only time will tell.”

  Mia impulsively hugged the ghost before she took off into the heavens.

  ~

  Ted was feeding the girls when Mia arrived home. She stood and watched him. He had one gurgling in the basinet and the other burping on his shoulder. Mia walked over and picked Genevieve up.

  “That one drank her bottle and half of Maeve’s. Nanny brought me another, and it seems that these girls are in competition with each other.”

  “I suppose if they get too much, they will spit up.”

  “Barf. It’s barf. Don’t try to pretty it up. It’s barf,” Ted said.

  Mia giggled. “We really are too immature to have children.”

  “What were we thinking?” Ted asked. “How was your visit with the Countess?”

  “Rather nice. I know she’s dangerous, but her perspective is refreshing.”

  Ted got up and walked Maeve over to the changing table. “Let’s take the girls out for a walk. Varden is sleeping, and I want to talk to you away from his ears anyway.”

  Intrigued, Mia nodded.

  The air was still warm. Summer really didn’t want to give way to autumn, not during the day at least. The couple chose to stroll the shady lane going north from the house. Ted waited until they had found a little spot off the road where the girls could doze safely while the adults talked.

  “I received a communication from Angelo.”

  “Email?”

  “No, snail mail. It came in one of those envelopes you would expect to get a wedding invitation in.”

  “Is he getting married?” Mia asked.

  “No. It was a letter addressed to me, which I found odd. Why exclude you?”

  “I haven’t a clue. Please continue,” Mia said.

  “He apologized for being remiss on a promise he made to Brian.”

  “Hoo boy,” Mia said, knowing where this was going.

  “Evidently, he promised to teach Brian to fly when he was four.”

  “I remember him extracting the promise of Brian not trying to fly on his own.”

  “He asked if it would be presumptuous of him to come and fulfill his promise.”

  “Yes. Not without asking us or, in this case, you,” Mia said, irked.

  “Mia, I think he’s doing his best to keep out of your doghouse,” Ted said. “He asked me to call him and left a number. What do we think?”

  “If you would have asked me this when Brian had just turned four, then I would have asked Angelo to let me tell Brian why he wasn’t mature enough to handle the responsibility of wings. But I have seen growth when it comes to protecting the nest from unwanted scrutiny. However, he’s going to need to have a tracker because the kid is going to take off.”

  “But if Angelo takes him in hand, I believe he will be more responsible. Also, from what I’ve overheard, Brian doesn’t want to be too different from his schoolmates.”

  “Enos is here in case of an emergency. The kid is fast. He knocked the crap out of me when we were training.”

  “I thought you were moving a little stiff,” Ted said.

  “I’m getting old, Teddy Bear.”

  “No, you’ve just taken time off to gestate and nurture. You’ll be kicking his butt soon.”

  “I’m not sure I will, but thank you for being on team Mia.”

  “What do you think about Angelo teaching Brian?”

  “I wish he had taught me instead of Sariel.”

  Ted turned and looked down at Mia. “Those were horrible times. My defection caused you to fly in the first place. I understand that a lot of baggage comes with this decision. When the kids were in trouble and you were attacked by the government and the elementals, I couldn’t help but think that if they had their wings then, they wouldn’t have had to go underground.”

  “True. But the drone or the elemental would have picked Brian off in seconds. Damn, if I knew about this before, I could have asked Victor his opinion on whether he thought Brian was ready to fly.”

  “I did know it but didn’t want Victor involved. This was a promise between Angelo and our son.”

  Mia looke
d at her husband and saw the honor radiating off his aura. “I never seem to grasp how smart you are. Just when I think I’ve reached the end of the road, it branches off and there is so much more of you.”

  Ted blushed.

  “Please understand, this opens the door that I worked so hard to close,” Mia said.

  Ted took Mia in his arms. “I know where your heart is. You’ve even taken steps to make sure no one is thinking of you being theirs a hundred years from now… Well, except for Murphy and Roumain. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when that happens.”

  “Oh, joy,” Mia grumbled. “Let’s not bring that up again.”

  Ted laughed. “I have the most popular girl in the universe, and for some reason, she wants to live her life with me. I’ll never take that for granted again. You’ve worked so hard with Baxter to be the person you want to be. I trust you, Mia.”

  “I love you, Ted,” Mia said. “Call Angelo and ask him to dinner. We have something to celebrate. Brian’s wings and Varden’s star.”

  Scott Hogan looked at his world history class. They were working in groups on creating timelines for the Roman occupation. Dieter Martin was working with three girls - one who obviously liked him, if the proprietary hand on his arm was any indication. This was Scott’s favorite class. The students weren’t trying to one-up each other as was par for the course in his advanced placement classes. Here, they had banded together to survive the assignment.

  He looked at the clock and clapped his hands. “Are there any questions?”

  The students looked up, but no hands raised.

  “Good. Pack up your stuff and leave when the bell rings. Dieter Martin, if you could stop at my desk after, I promise not to keep you too long.”

  The bell rang and Dieter walked up. His face displayed worry that Scott was upset.

  “You’re not in trouble,” he said quickly. “I actually need your advice.”

  Dieter smiled. His dark eyes took in the teacher and his rich nurturing aura and asked, “How can I be of help?”

  “I’ve been invited to a PEEPs meeting and barbecue this Saturday. I’m kind of a rube and have no idea how to dress.”

  “Jeans, polo or T-shirt. My parents wear whatever they have on at the time. My mother can be a little odd, but you’ll get used to her. Dad wears a sports jersey and jeans almost everywhere. Mike wears a polo and jeans. He’s the clotheshorse of the group. Why are you coming? Are you being haunted?”

  “Past tense. In my college days, my frat house was a target of poltergeists.”

  “I heard Uncle Burt was interested in furthering his study of the creatures.”

  “How many uncles do you have? I’ve met Uncle Ed.”

  Dieter laughed. “My mother was an only child. I have two uncles-in-law from the Martin side. All the rest are really family friends, but they are around all the time, so they’ve become family. The kids in school think that they are my mother’s suitors, but they couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “Gossips never get anything right. Are you going to be around Saturday?”

  “I’ve been asked to keep an eye on the boys, so I’ll see you there.”

  Dieter left, and Scott sat down and took a moment to scroll through his newsfeed before the next class settled.

  He was startled to see the mention of the local preschool and the successful resolution. How could anyone bring a gun into a preschool? This was beyond his realm of understanding.

  Tom fielded phone calls and prepared a statement for the news networks’ representatives who were assembling in the parking lot of the station.

  Cliff Knapp’s lawyer had tried to bail the man out, but Tom held firm that a judge would make that decision. Knapp’s wife wasn’t shocked at his behavior but was embarrassed that her dirty laundry would be aired along with her husband’s.

  Tom pinned his spare star on the freshly ironed shirt his mother brought him. He could tell she was proud of him. He wondered if she would be as proud if he had let the situation get away from him.

  He took one last look at his image in the mirror before he picked up his prepared statement and headed outside.

  His deputies gave him a thumbs-up as he walked towards the door. Outside, he walked up to a microphone and waited until he felt the assemblage were ready to hear him. A sound engineer stepped up and turned on his microphone.

  “Good afternoon. I’m Sheriff Tom Braverman of the Big Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Department. I would like to read a statement, and I will be taking a few questions after. This morning, we had an incident at the Big Bear Lake Preschool that resulted in the arrest of a local man for endangering children and the wounding of a teacher. Cora Jones, the lead teacher of the three-year-old class, was shot as she confronted the armed man. Her act of bravery enabled her class to exit the building safely and the other class to be taken out of harm’s way. We at the sheriff’s department applaud her heroism. She was taken to the hospital, and we understand she is out of danger. No child was harmed today. For this we are grateful. Are there any questions?”

  “We heard rumors that a child was responsible for the safe exit of the three-year-old class,” a Chicago affiliate reporter asked.

  “That is correct. Cora Jones had a student with remarkable calm. He guided the other children outside and away from the building.”

  “You said all the children had left the building?” the local news anchor Sandy Allen asked.

  “Yes.”

  “How?” Ms. Allen followed up.

  “Through the playground and, in the case of the four-year-old class and teachers, through the windows. Concerned citizens helped with the evacuation of the children.”

  “Can you name these citizens?” she pressed.

  “They wish to be anonymous,” Tom said.

  “We heard mention of an unfamiliar man who captured the gunman. Can you tell us who he was?” a local reporter for CNN asked.

  “A deputized gentleman, skilled in the apprehension of armed men, was sent in to bring this hostage situation to a peaceful resolution. He stresses that the heroes in this situation were the women inside the office who kept their cool in the hostage situation.”

  “How long did the gunman hold them hostage?” the CNN reporter asked.

  “Just under a half an hour. I repeat, no child was hurt in this incident. Names of the teachers involved are available through our public information deputy. We ask that you not bother the families of the children or the teachers and, of course, their families. Thank you,” Tom said and walked back in.

  Mia turned off the television set. “He did very well.”

  “Mom, why didn’t Varden’s name get mentioned?” Brian asked.

  “It’s part of being a birdman,” Angelo said, walking into the room. “A birdman’s credo is to save children without thought of fame or remuneration.”

  “What’s remuneration?” Varden asked Brian.

  “He means that you don’t accept a reward for saving someone,” Brian replied.

  “Of course not,” Varden said. “Angelo, is this star remuneration?” Varden walked over and showed Angelo the sheriff’s star pinned now to Varden’s playclothes.

  Angelo touched it and saw Tom kneeling and thanking Varden.

  “This is an honor, not remuneration. Nicholai was proud that a member of his flock would distinguish himself in such a noble way. Soren was very impressed, and your bravery will be noted in the birdman book.”

  Varden beamed. Mia’s eyes watered.

  “Did you come to pat Varden on the back?” Brian asked.

  “No. I came to fulfill a promise.”

  “What promise?” Brian questioned.

  “I promised you to return when you were four and teach you to fly.”

  Varden jumped up and down clapping his hands.

  Brian opened his mouth and tried not to cry. “Thank you.”

  “First, you and I will have a long talk about responsibility. You’re part of
my flock - which is confusing as Varden and your mother are part of Nicholai’s flock. Your area of responsibility is research, education, and the safety of children. In a battle, you will refrain from warrior activities unless instructed by your squadron leader. Our group is called Flock Excelsior. We make sure that the children are taken away from the battle zone and, in some cases, taken to places of sanctuary.”

  “Like my great-grandfather’s place?”

  “And others you will eventually learn about.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m going to ask Enos to act as my second in the releasing of your wings. Mia, you may attend, but Varden, you will have to wait for your turn.”

  “Yes, Angelo, I understand.”

  “Enos tells me there is a dip in the between near here,” Angelo said.

  “Yes,” Mia answered.

  “Fly Brian there,” he said, walking out the door with Enos.

  “Varden, stay with Lazar,” Mia instructed. “Nanny is caring for your sisters, and Cid is preparing a feast to honor you and Brian.”

  “Yes, Mommy.”

  Brian was too excited to notice Varden’s slip.

  Mia landed and opened her wings. Brian walked out.

  Angelo and Enos stood there with their shirts off. “Brian, take off your shirt.”

  Brian did so. Angelo approached him and ran his hand over Brian’s shoulders, chest, and back. His birthmark emerged. A small charm rose out of his chest. Mia was surprised. She knew about the charm being placed in Varden and her girls, but when did Brian receive the charm? It could have been when he was with the Gray Ladies having his birthmark hidden. If it were another time, the memory may have been lost when some of her memory had been purged.

  Brian stood tall. His large nose seemed more noble than comical. His soft green eyes took on a glint that spoke of extreme intelligence. His hair was straight and brown with deep auburn undertones. Mia looked at his frail four-year-old body and worried about the toll the next few minutes would take.

  Angelo walked over and began preparing a potion. Enos walked over and explained, “Because Brian’s wings were suppressed, Angelo is going to coax them out. Brian, it’s going to hurt. Maybe go and pee in the woods while you can.”