“He’s right, we can’t wait,” Eta reminds us.
“Well, I can give you a more potent vial. The CP is more concentrated, but that also means the risk will be greater,” Tony replies.
“Greater in what way?” I ask, growing even more concerned.
“He goes through the same phases, but three times as fast and it’s three times as difficult to pull him out of it. However, he will also be able to read the message quicker,” Tony concludes.
“Okay, let’s do it,” Marcus replies.
“Wait, didn’t you hear what Tony said? You would be in three times the danger, Marcus,” I counter.
“I heard him, Emmy, but we are running out of time and there is no other way.”
“We need to get another Tic to read the Sern,” I suggest.
“We don’t have time and we don’t know that that Tic will be trustworthy,” Marcus adds.
“You just want to get high again. And you know what, I’m not gonna stand here and watch.”
“Emmy, that’s not it. The Shoma is testing us. And if we want to get the Council back and save thousands of Angels, then this has to be done,” Marcus pleads.
I don’t answer. I just look at him with frustration and trepidation.
“So, we all agree that this has to be done, right?” Marcus asks.
Everyone but me nods in agreement.
“Emmy, I have to do this, you know that,” he says.
“Fine, but I’m not going to watch,” I reply as I head out the door.
I get to the front steps of the center and I’m not really sure which way to go. I just want to get away from here, but at the same time, I want to stay. I hate being torn. Resigned, I sit down on the steps and look out at passersby.
“Is this seat taken?” Marcus asks.
I shake my head “no.” He sits on the step next to me.
“I know when you get like this, you start wishing we were living normal lives. So, in your minds-eye, in a parallel universe, what are Marcus and Emmy doing right now?” He asks.
“You’re taking me to a concert. Then we pig out and skip curfew. My mom grounds me, but you sneak back into my room and spend the night,” I confess.
“Nice. What kind of concert are we going to?”
“K-Pop. Miku and Jay got us the tickets.”
“That figures,” he says, smiling.
“I know you want me to say I’m okay with what you’re about to do, but I’m not.”
“I know how you feel, babe, believe me.”
“No, you don’t. When you were high, you didn’t even know who I was. You were so far gone and nothing I did could bring you back. I was so scared you would…”
“After my mom became an addict, I spent my life waiting for the ‘real’ her to come back. I felt so…powerless.”
“That’s why I don’t want you to take CP. What if you can’t come back, like your mom?”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I have a weapon my mother never did. You.”
“Marcus…”
“Baby, I need to do this. I need to find the first Alpha and I’m not worried about what happens to me because I have a kick ass chick who will save me again.”
“What if I—”
“--I have no doubt in my mind that you can bring me back. No matter where I am, no matter how dark or dangerous things get, I know you will somehow find me. You saved me before. If I need it, will you save me again?”
Damn him and his sexy vulnerable side. How am I supposed to turn him down? Imaginebeing told by superman that there may be a moment when he desperately needs yourhelp. How do you say no to that?
“Okay, but I want lots of ‘good fiancée’ points for this,” I joke.
“You got it,” he replies as we hold hands and head back inside.
Once inside, Marcus acts quickly; I think in part because he’s afraid I will change my mind and try to stop him from going through with it. He places the gold colored paste under his wings. He then spreads it around so that is seeps into the feathers.
Watching him take CP is heartbreaking.
The team is also having a hard time with what they see before them. Miku leans on Jay. Ameana takes Rage’s hand and Eta and Alex exchange a look of intrigue. Ten minutes later, Marcus enters stage one: Euphoria.
Marcus’s eyes light up and he talks at super speeds. He tells us he can find the Alphas in five minutes if he works hard enough. He goes on and on about how powerful the team is and how we need to find Lucy, right now. Then, in the same breath, he talks about he and I going away together. From there, he moves on to random topics: Earth’s climate, sneakers, movies, rats, mountains, Paris, paper, etc.…
Then out of nowhere, he tells me he loves me repeatedly, takes me into his arms and we take off into the air. The sudden move catches me off guard. I try to talk to him and tell him that everything is going to be okay. He laughs heartily and says, “Of course it will be.”
The team watches from below. They know so long as Marcus is inside the center, his crazy behavior can be contained. But then, with no warning, Marcus bursts through the roof of the center with me in his arms. The ceiling goes crashing down below. A large piece of plaster falls on my head and blood trickles down my face. The team immediately takes to the sky after us. Marcus calls out to them in a joyful tone.
“If you come closer, I’ll drop her,” he says like a kid who’s playing “keep away.”
That’s when fear grips me. For Marcus, this is a game. He is feeling super confident.
He’s feeling like he can do no wrong. So in his mind, if he drops me, there’s no way he will fail to catch me but, given his erratic behavior, Marcus’s flying is sure to be off.
“Okay, I’m going to drop her, but I’m gonna catch her before she falls. Wanna see? Ready, set, go!” Marcus shouts as he tosses me into the air.
My heart leaps into my throat as I go plummeting toward the ground. The wind whips all around me, I scream and wave my limbs around in a frenzy. I can hear Marcus laughing the whole time.
Jay comes after me, but Marcus, under the influence of CP, gets to me first. I was only a few feet from the ground.
“Okay, Marcus. I know you’re fast, but I don’t want to play anymore,” I say, trying to keep the panic from my voice.
“Marcus, put her down right now,” Ameana demands.
“I told you I would catch her. Why are you worried?” He says, laughing.
“We know you’re powerful, Marcus, but Emmy doesn’t want to play anymore, so put her down,” Miku says calmly.
“Hey, do you want to see an Angel nose dive?” Marcus asks me, ignoring the team.
“What? No, I don’t want to see that,” I reply.
Marcus doesn’t care what I want. He takes us straight up into the air at speeds Jay can’t even come close to us, and with no warning, he dives back down like a bird that’s been shot midair. We are hurling towards the ground. I plead with Marcus to pull up, but he won’t.
The team is unable to get to us at the speed we are falling. I scream all the way down and Marcus laughs like he’s on a ride at Disneyland.
At the last second, Marcus pulls up, but he makes an error. He miscalculates the amount of force need to pull out of the nosedive. I fall off of him and head once again for the ground below. Rage catches me at the last minute.
Jay takes off after Marcus, who still thinks we’re all just having fun. The team is finally able to surround him and force him to land. Once on the ground, Jay pulls his necklace off and throws it at Marcus; a Holder springs out. Marcus is caught inside the glass bubble.
Once Marcus is inside the Holder, we can rest easy; or so we think. Marcus, is now on to phase two: Rage. He asks for more CP and we tell him “no.” This is the start of nearly an hour of ranting and raving from Marcus. When that doesn’t work, he threatens to kill every one of us. He pounds on the Holder continually. Tony tells us this is all very “normal.
”
“How long will this phase last?” I ask.
“Maybe another half hour, I’m guessing,” Tony replies.
“Emmy, your head’s bleeding,” Jay says.
“Yeah, I just need a tissue to wipe it clean. I will be fine,” I tell him.
Ameana comes over and examines my wound. She shakes her head in disapproval.
“This wound is deep. You’ll need stitches,” she informs me.
“No, I’m fine,” I reply, never taking my eyes off of Marcus.
“You’re not fine. It’s bleeding a lot. You need to go to a hospital,” Alex says.
“Fine, Tony, give me a vial to make this blood stop,” I tell him.
“Your wound is open. That means the vial makes direct contact with your blood stream. It may be too potent for you and may be more harmful, than anything. She’s right, you need to get stitches,” Tony replies.
“Okay, fine. When this is all done, I will get stitches,” I bark.
“No, you’re going to the hospital now. Let’s go,” Rage says, taking my hand.
“What? No, I have to stay here with Marcus,” I protest.
“You can come right back, but you’re going,” Rage insists.
“Argh! Why is this so important?” I ask him.
“Because Marcus is saving Aaden and I think it would suck if I let his fiancée bleed to death,” Rage replies.
“Then I’m going, too,” Alex says.
“Whatever,” Rage replies.
I tell Marcus that I will be right back, but he doesn’t respond. He’s too busy trying to smash out of the Holder.
“Please, look after him,” I beg Miku.
She promises she will and we head to the nearest hospital.
Getting sttiches sucks. Seriously. They give me meds to numb the pain, but I can still feel the needle piercing the flesh just above my right temple. To make matters worse, it has taken over half an hour just to be seen by the doctor. I’m frantic with worry about Marcus and what he’s going through.
Finally, the doctor is done. He tells me that I need to rest and that I should avoid helping out during home repairs (that’s the lie we told him when he asked how this happened). He heads out of the room and Rage follows to talk to him outside.
I’m left alone in the room with Alex. I tap my fingers impatiently on the chrome bed railing and look at my watch. We have been here for almost an hour.
“Will you stop that tapping? You’re driving me nuts,” he says.
“Sorry, I just want to get back and check on Marcus.”
“The doctor will be back in a few minutes with your prescription. Then we can go back to the center,” he assures me.
“Good. I can’t believe I’m leaving him at the moment he needs me the most,” I say to myself.
“You left him because he split your head open,” Alex counters.
“It was an accident. He was on CP.”
“Oh, c’mon. How many times are going to—never mind.”
“If you have something to say, say it,” I dare him.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Excuse me?”
“You really think Marcus cares about you a tenth as much as you care about him?”
“You have no idea what he has gone through to save my life.”
“He’s the reason why your life is in danger at all.”
“He’s not the one who put my name at the center of this mission—wait, why am I even talking to you about this?” I reply.
“Because you need another human to talk to.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Okay, fine, whatever you want to tell yourself,” he counters.
“Alex, are you trying to piss me off or is that just a talent of yours?”
“I’m trying to make you see that all of this that you’re doing for Marcus is pointless. There will always be a mission. Your life will always be in danger and you will always end up hurt.”
“That’s not true.”
“Says the girl with bloody stitches.”
“Whatever, look, I’m not in the mood. Could you just shut up, please?”
“Why did you kiss me?” He pushes.
“Wait, you kissed me,” I remind him.
“Yes, but you could have pulled away. You didn’t. I think it’s because you want to be with me.”
“You’ve only known me for a few days. How did I come to matter so much, so fast?” I ask.
“I’ve been watching you.”
“Wow…creepy much?”
“I’ve read all the Splash articles and heard all the gossip. I’ve been following your story from the beginning. And from the beginning, I’ve liked you,” he says bashfully.
“Alex, you don’t know me.”
“You and I are a lot alike. You got pulled into the world of Angels, just like I did. You want desperately to live a normal life, just like I do.”
“You don’t know what you’re taking about.”
“I know that loving Marcus has cost you far more than anyone should have to pay.”
“Alex, please stop.”
“My dad agreed to work with the Angels and every day, we pay for that mistake. My brother was killed and after Miku sang to my father, he got so depressed he shot himself. And now…now I’m here on a mission instead of getting ready for college, like I should be.”
“No one forced you to take the Reviewer job,” I remind him.
“No, but it’s what my dad would have wanted.”
“Well, I’m sorry you’re somewhere you don’t want to be,” I reply.
“I’m sorry you are, too.”
“Will you stop that? I want to be with the team, with Marcus.”
“No, you want to be happy. And, for some reason, you think he’s the only one that can make you happy, but you’re wrong.”
“So what, I’m supposed to drop him and be with you, just like that?”
“No, you’re supposed to be open to the fact that you have a human life and you need to go live it and stop hiding in the Angel world.”
“Just because you don’t like the way I’m living my life doesn’t mean I have to change it.”
“You’re right, Emerson, but I just want to say one thing: Marcus has lived his life. When will you start living yours?”
Before I can answer Alex, I hear someone clear his or her throat. We turn and find Marcus in the doorway. He has heard everything Alex said. Damn it! What’s worse is Marcus looks weak, worn and hung over. I run over to him.
“What are doing here? Are you okay?” I ask.
“Before he got past phase two, his powers enabled him to get out of the Holder. Rage had to go after him. The center caught on fire. Then he went into stage three and managed to make it out okay,” Miku says as she and the rest of the team enter the hospital room.
“You don’t look okay,” I reply as I study Marcus’s face.
“They said I hurt you,” he replies weakly.
“It’s nothing. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. We were on our way back, just now,” I tell him.
He looks at my wound and a blanket of worry covers his face.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers as he pulls me close.
“I’m fine. I’m just glad you’re okay,” I reply.
“He was able to make out the clue,” Rage says.
“Really? That’s great, baby. What is it?” I ask.
“It’s a phone number and a date,” Jay says.
“What’s the date?”
“A few weeks ago,” Miku replies.
“Well, what happened when you called the number?”
“Jay made us wait for you. He wouldn’t even let Marcus tell us the number,” Miku says.
“You know you’re a part of the team, baby girl, we would not do you dirty,” Jay assures me.
“Thank you for waiting,” I reply, touched.
“Okay, okay, have your moments on your own time. Call the number,” Ameana says.
Marcus takes out his cell
. He’s still so weak he has to lean on the bed in order to not fall over. I stand beside him as he dials. Marcus speaks to someone on the other end of the line and hangs up a few minutes later.
“So, what type of place is it?” Rage asks.
“It’s a Replay shop,” Marcus says.
“What’s a Replay?” Alex whispers to me.
“It’s a globe you can get made with your favorite memory reenacted inside. Marcus gave me one of the two of us kissing in the car,” I reply.
“Okay, so it’s a Replay shop. Did he know anything about the date you gave him?” Ameana asks.
“The shop was closed that day. Although, he did have one client who needed a Replay done fast. So he constructed it for her. She paid him twice what it was worth so that he would keep it a secret.”
“Who’s the client?” I ask.
Marcus turns towards the group and looks at Eta.
“You used that Replay shop?” He asks her.
“Um…yeah, I guess. I didn’t know it was the particular shop the clue was referring to,” Eta replies nervously.
“Okay, then let’s get back to the villa in Italy and take a look at the Replay you had made,” Marcus says.
“What’s in the Replay is my business. Not yours or the team’s,” Eta asserts.
“Eta, the Replay holds the next clue.”
“I’m sorry, Marcus, but if the mission depends on finding out what’s in the Replay, then this is where your mission ends.”
CHAPTER TWENTY‐FOUR:
JUST ONCE
“You’re joking, right?” Rage says to Eta.
Eta does not respond. She just folds her hands across her chest and looks down at the floor.
“She’s kidding right?” Rage asks Jay.
“Yo, this is straight crazy.” Jay replies.
“Okay, everybody back off. Eta what’s going on? Why don’t you want us to see the Replay?” Marcus asks.
“It’s private and the Shoma had no right to use my life for a clue.” She protests.
“I know it sucks, but we don’t have a choice Eta.” Ameana says.
“You don’t, but I do. I’m sorry; I can’t show it to you.”
“Eta, we won’t tell anyone what we see in the Replay, but we need to get to the clue.” I beg.