by Alexie Aaron
“I remember having stiff competition, and that I lost,” Ted pointed out.
“Temporarily,” Mia reminded him.
“She was temporarily insane,” Bernard pointed out. “It runs on Ralph’s side of the family.”
“Hey now,” Ralph said good-naturedly. “I was only thinking with a design eye and not with my heart.”
“When was the pivotal moment?” Lazar asked.
“I’m sorry?” Mia asked. “What?”
“When did you know that you were in love with Ted?”
Mia wrinkled up her face but was silent.
“I know,” Burt said. “I knew before both of you.”
“When?” Mia challenged.
“When Beth left that horrible voicemail message and you shared it with Ted. Why did you do it?”
Mia’s eyes opened wide at how observant Burt was. “Because I wanted to see if he was taken. But that wasn’t when I fell,” Mia said. “You were close, but it was earlier. We were being chased by a gang of ghost bikers. I didn’t think we were going to survive. We crossed the river and pulled over. I jumped in the back to find Murphy. He had been severely injured and disappeared just after being asked to be taken home. I thought he was gone forever. I sat there and starting crying. Ted climbed into the back of the truck and held me. At first it was the feeling of being safe, understood, and comforted, but then it changed. That’s when I knew I was falling in love with him.”
Ted turned her around. “Um, you could have let me know.”
“Timing wasn’t right,” Mia said. “I didn’t want to have another relationship with someone from PEEPs. Beth had already dropped enough hints that you were hers. I had to figure out the Whit thing, and Burt had just broken my heart.”
“That was the flitch and not me,” Burt said.
“Keep telling yourself that, Hicks,” Mia said.
Cid stood up. “Okay, so Burt’s the closest, pay up.”
“Come on, you guys bet on this?” Mia said, getting to her feet.
Ted pulled out his wallet. Mia was gobsmacked. She walked over and grabbed Cid’s sheet of paper and looked for Ted’s name. She ran her finger across and read, “When I carried Mia out of the well.”
“Clueless,” she said and stomped off to the bathroom.
“I think it was the voicemail that really scared her off,” Ted said. “For me, it was the message left for Burt in the pocket of my jeans that scared me off.”
“What message?” Burt asked. “And why was it in your jeans?”
“Mia had called Whit to notify him that she was going to use April’s house to clean up in after we planted Murphy’s axe head back in the tomb - Whit was watching it for Mia at the time. She asked if he had some clothes he could loan. He thought that it was you at the house with her not me.”
“I’m following, so what did the note say?” Burt asked.
“Whit wrote, ‘Don’t hurt her. She’s all I have.’”
“That would do it,” Cid said.
Mike laughed. “That was a slick move. How many of us believe that note now?”
Ralph was the only one to raise his hand.
“Had I known, I would never have sent the two of you to the hotel,” Bernard said.
“So you were setting them up,” Mike said.
Bernard smiled. He looked over at Ted. “Maybe you should see if you can get the same room tonight?”
“It was a suite,” Ted said.
“Take it from me, if it’s romance you’re looking for, book the same suite,” Bernard said.
Ted was waiting for Mia at the end of the hall. He wriggled his finger as she exited the bathroom. Mia walked over.
Ted bent down and asked, “Would you like to duck out?”
“Yes,” Mia said. “Do we have to say our goodbyes?”
“Not unless they catch us.”
Mia took off her kurta and brought her wings out, wrapped them around Ted, and they disappeared. She opened them up on the other side of the door. Ted pushed the elevator button and swept her into his arms. “Those are handy things to have around. Can you take us to, let’s say, the Renaissance hotel?”
“Yes.”
“Take me to the Renaissance hotel, Jeeves.”
Mia brought out her wings and wrapped them around the two of them. They reappeared outside the hotel. Ted walked her in and over to the desk where he picked up his key. Mia was a little tipsy, so she didn’t realize what was so significant about the room until he opened the door. “Oh my god, you remembered.”
“Mia, all the time we wasted playing stupid games.”
“I don’t think either of us was ready then. I remember how easy it was to scare you away, talking about having children. And now…”
“All I want to do is fill you with babies,” Ted said. “I want to surround you with large-nosed children.”
Mia giggled. “I need to use the restroom.”
“I’ll still be here, or do you want me in that room or that room over there?”
“I want you in every room and in front of the Autobots and Decepticons too,” Mia said.
Ted grinned. He texted Cid his whereabouts. Cid sent back an attaboy.
Mia walked out of the bathroom stark naked. She turned around, and tattoos Ted hadn’t seen in a while appeared.
“Why, Mrs. Martin, I do believe you’re trying to seduce me,” he said, his voice cracking. He walked up and ran his hands over her back and turned her around. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the nearest bed. Mia’s eyes locked on his and never left as they made noisy love with each other.
Chapter Twenty
Captain Waite stood looking at the door he was promised was a vault. “It’s a door, but it could be a door that opens into a vault.”
“We can’t get into the museum,” his first mate said. “Charley’s locked inside. I fear that little miss you were so eager to humiliate has ratted you out.”
“Could be. I’ll get even with her when I next see her. Maybe we’ll lure the farmer on board and spring the trap.”
“The farmer hasn’t been back for a visit, has he?” the first mate asked.
“No, but the temptation of being able to feel and eat will be too much for him. I’m thinking, we encourage him aboard, and when the slut joins him, we’ll fill her nethers full of dead man’s seed. That will bring her to heel.”
“I fear for your soul, Captain, I really do.”
“No one messes with Captain Waite, no slut, no farmer.”
Murphy toured his farm, paying attention to things that needed doing. He had promised to go to Hell with Mia and Victor and wasn’t sure when or if he would be returning. He heard Lazar’s jeep pulling into the farm drive. He rushed to greet him.
Lazar was tired. The night, although pleasurable, had been a long one. Adding on the drive, he was rather sore by the time he put his jeep in park. He all but fell out. Murphy was there to give him a discreet hand.
“You missed an interesting evening,” Lazar said.
“I’m not much into dressing up to watch other people eat.”
“I enjoyed watching the room. Mia didn’t know that they were all there for her. She doesn’t see herself as center-of-attention material.”
“She spent most of her life trying to be invisible,” Murphy commented.
“She and Ted disappeared for a couple of hours. They arrived back at Quentin’s when I came back for the jeep. No one was really put out. I think they understood that she and Ted needed some alone time. With her leaving with you tomorrow, they may not see each other for quite a while.”
“I wonder how Varden is handling things. Mia said she was going to see the boys before coming and picking me up.”
“When I was in active service, there were quite a few moms there. I don’t know how they managed. Most had people at home, but you could tell that they wanted to be home with their families. They Skyped which helped. But nothing beats holding one’s child. No wonder Mia still rocks Varden.”
/> “She’s a good mother.”
“Did Dieter make it home?” Lazar asked.
“Yes, about an hour ago. He played in the yard with Maggie for a while and then went in to use the computer.”
“I’m going to speak with him. Maybe I can convince him to stay home tomorrow and see his mother when she comes through.”
“Good luck, I know it’s an away game and he wants to play. If you don’t go to school, you don’t get to play football,” Murphy said.
Lazar walked into the house. Even though he was tired, he climbed the stairs and made his way to Dieter’s room. He knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Lazar opened the door. Dieter was lying on his back looking at the ceiling. Lazar could tell the teen had been crying. Lazar took out his phone and texted Mia before turning around the desk chair and sitting down.
She responded that she would be there in a few minutes.
He heard a thump in the hall before a few quick steps. Mia walked through the door. She was wearing PEEPs sweats. She set her hands on Lazar’s shoulders. He rose to leave, but she shook her head. “Stay.”
Dieter sat up, puzzled.
“Lazar says that you’re upset.”
“So you drop everything?” Dieter asked.
“It’s what moms do.”
Mia sat down and put her arm around her son.
“Nyx told me you’re most likely going to die.”
“That’s old news. My odds have drastically improved,” Mia said. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t leave you. I would be with you here,” she said, placing her hand on Dieter’s heart.
“It’s not fair.”
“Of course it’s not fair, but when things aren’t fair, that’s when we fight harder,” Mia said. “A very smart person told me I’m part of a team, start communicating and acting like it. I’m communicating and listening. I’m just part of this solution. I don’t have to be the sacrificial lamb. I have a feeling that’s what Nyx was setting me up for, but I have decided her plan was crap. Gabriel broke my dependence on her for power. I let go of my grace to stay here. I’m going to be better than fine. I’m surrounded with love. Love, Dieter. Imagine that. You and I had no one when we were young. Both of us were on the streets solo for a while, but now, oh my god, we have so much.”
Lazar looked at Mia with amazement. It was his words she used. She had taken his words to heart.
“Did your dad tell you he met Odin, Vili, and Ve? They are coming and are bringing a lot of help.”
“What I don’t get is, why can’t we just blow that thing up?” Dieter asked.
“I want to steal a big helicopter and grab it and dump it in the ocean,” Lazar said.
“All excellent ideas, gentlemen. But are we pushing our problems off on someone else?” Mia asked.
“Ever since it arrived, it has put this stress on all of us. It’s the waiting,” Lazar said.
“That’s my fault. I asked for time. I needed time to pull my shit together,” Mia said. “Ted has convinced my father to hold off opening it, and when we’re ready, he’s going to decline to unseal it. Then I’m sure the Cynosura’s backup people will open it. You see, part of this whole thing was to lay the blame of the end of this world on Ted’s shoulders. They want revenge for him and Jake taking their future of ruling this planet away from them. They are the evilest of people.”
“Why is your father participating?” Dieter asked.
“He doesn’t know he is. They have their claws into my mother. She is under a spell that can’t be easily broken. It’s a nightmare, Dieter.”
“So what’s the plan?” Lazar asked.
“I’m going to Hell to train with Victor. We are bringing to the surface of this planet a force so immense that whatever walks out of that doorway will pause. We need it to stop long enough for the experts to get here.”
“But why can’t the birdmen fly and bring the Norse army here?”
“Evidently, with each footstep, the Norse warriors gain power. Your father can explain it to you. I can’t figure it out.”
“I’m confused. Why can’t we use our military?”
“Lazar, do you want to answer this one?”
“Too much collateral damage. We don’t have anything that can handle this kind of a threat without destroying everything around it. Plus, we haven’t found all the Cynosura yet. There are many who have risen to places of power. Not only here but all over the world. If Surtr doesn’t destroy this planet, the mess they will cause will. We need time for the drain-game to work.”
“It’s because it has worked so well that the Cynosura are playing their end-of-the-world card. They actually think that the light is going to send their souls to this solar system where they assume they will be gods,” Mia said.
“So my parents have to stop them,” Dieter said, scratching his head.
“That sounds ridiculous,” Mia agreed. “But you and I know how dangerous we Martins are when we put our minds to it.”
“Why are you sending my brothers away?”
“I’d like to send you too.”
“No, I’m staying.”
“If we fail, Ed will be able to give the boys the life they deserve. Who knows, Brian may save the world and subvert the Cynosura, between getting his hand stuck in the toilet.”
Dieter shook his head. “You’d think he would have learned the first time.”
“When we were sending the souls into the light in Alsace, Nyx gave you a gift. Do you know what it was?” Mia asked Dieter.
“She gave me the ability to stop time, once. Just once. When do I use it? It’s too much responsibility. When I asked her, she said I’d know.”
“I hate vague goddesses,” Mia said. “Lazar, make sure he gets to Ted when the door opens. Here is a charm that will get him to Quentin’s front door. Baxter or Quentin will get him to Ted.” Mia handed him the charm.
“I’ll do my best,” Lazar promised.
Dieter hugged Mia. “Do I still have time for another football game?”
“Oh yes. This all may just go away, and then where would you be?” Mia said, getting up. “I’m staying here with you tonight. I’m going down to get something to eat. I’m famished.”
Dieter, who was surprised but happy that Mia was staying with him instead of returning to the city, hugged his mother again. “I feel so much better.”
“I’m sorry that you may not have a cheering section at this game.”
“It’s an away game. Not many people travel for them.”
“Still, I would have liked to see you play.”
“Mom, fix this and you’ll have a lot of games to see. I intend to listen to Susan Braverman and use my potential. That means schoolwork and sports.”
“We are blessed with good people around us. She’s a special lady.”
Mia’s stomach growled loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Well, that’s my exit cue. How embarrassing.”
Lazar shut the door behind them. Mia walked down the stairs slowly, taking in the familiar atmosphere of the house. She stopped and waited for the veteran to finish the stairs. “Will you be joining me for a snack?”
“After that dinner? No. I’ll sit and have a beer and watch you eat. But, first, I need to get out of this monkey suit.”
Mia nodded. She noticed he was limping. The proud man wouldn’t appreciate her noticing.
Murphy appeared in the kitchen. Mia had a feeling he was in the room with them but didn’t want to distract them.
“Hey, Murph. I’m spending the night here, then heading to the island to be with the boys, and then back here to meet with you and Victor.”
“That’s a lot of travel.”
“My days of training have built me up. I think, when I let go of the angel genes, there was no longer any conflict inside. I’m stronger. But I don’t know what I have lost in the transition. My healing powers come from the birdmen, but the connection to the mages may have been broken.”
“Yo
u could experiment on Lazar…” Murphy said. “He wouldn’t want you to know, but he’s hurting tonight.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“I need to see to a few things before I can leave this place tomorrow,” Murphy said, excusing himself.
“I’ll see you late afternoon,” Mia said.
“I’ll be ready.”
Lazar walked out into the kitchen without his prosthesis, using a crutch. He carried with him the little bottle of salve the nymph gave him.
Mia knew better than to coddle the man, but she did move a chair out for him as she sat down at the table. “I took the liberty of pouring you a beer.”
“You’ll have to tell me how you are frosting these mugs,” he said, lifting his. He looked in front of her, and she wasn’t drinking.
“You’re not drinking?”
“I did have quite a few earlier tonight. I get too flirty when I drink.”
“My grandmother sings show tunes when she drinks.”
“I would really like to see that.”
“No, you don’t. She always sings the ingenue’s parts.”
Mia laughed.
“Mia, I know you and Ted probably had other things going on, but thank you for coming so soon.”
“Ted took me to the Renaissance hotel, and we took full advantage of our time there. But we both knew we had things to get back to, so we didn’t spend the night.”
“Tonight, I realized just how important you are to everyone. Thank you for including me in your inner circle.”
“You’re welcome. Remember, Lazar, how valuable you are. It’s your counsel I took to heart that got me this far. Thank you for looking after my son tonight. Another guy would have shrugged it off as teen angst, but not you. I’m so lucky that you put up with us and our crazy ways.”
Lazar took a long drink of the beer before speaking. “The strangest thing about this household isn’t the magic, the genius in the barn, or the ghost in the yard. It’s how easy it is to fit in.”
Mia picked the tube of salve off the table. “Can I help you with this?”
“Yes. I was hoping you would. I’m worried I may have overdone it tonight.”