The Shoma

  Rage isn’t much into wedding plans, but he is hell bent on getting her a Rah. We all try to explain that there’s no way he can get one, but he insists on somehow finding it. Ameana assures him she will be happy with just a diamond ring (granted a large one), but Rage won’t hear of it. He vows to her that he will in fact find a Rah by the time they are to be wed.

  The mood in the villa is shattered when Bianca appears on the patio on a Port. She looks stunning, as usual. Her jet-black hair flows gently behind her as her eyes sparkle with mischief and ill will.

  “How did you know we were here?” Emmy asks, as the rest of us follow her onto the patio.

  “He’s my husband, why wouldn’t he tell me where he is?”

  “Bianca, what is it?” Marcus says.

  “What is it?” Bianca repeats.

  “Has something happened?” Marcus asks.

  “Yes, Marcus, something did happen. We got married. Then you deserted me.”

  “That’s not what’s happening,” Marcus replies.

  “Well, let me see; you left me in our place in London and you’re here in Italy with your ex. What do you call that?”

  “We need the Paras to know we are serious about our position. The best way to do that is for us to go away completely,” Marcus explains.

  “Meanwhile, everyone is starting to suspect that our marriage is fake. What do you think that’s going to do to the Quo? They will hate your kind and we will be right back where we started. Both of our races have to think that we are together. I thought you understood that.”

  “And I thought you understood that this marriage was fake and I was only doing it to win the war!” Marcus shouts.

  “In the eyes of the Quo people, you are casting me aside,” Bianca tells him.

  “How long are we supposed to keep up this charade?”

  “Until the Quo feel that you are truly on their side. You don’t want a second war and neither do I, but you keep acting like this and the Foundation members will start to side with the Believers. Then a second war will be on the way.” Bianca promises.

  “I can’t keep this up forever, you know that,” Marcus barks.

  “Then just until you get the Shoma back together.”

  “We don’t even know if the Paras will cave in and let the Sib live,” Miku says.

  “That’s Ameana problem, not ours!” Bianca snaps.

  Ameana marches up to Bianca; we’re sure there is going to be a fight at any moment, but instead, Ameana hugs Bianca.

  “You must be so upset, Bianca, I hope you feel better,” Ameana says.

  We all look at each other in awe.

  “Hormones?” Marcus asks Jay.

  “Scary ain’t it?” Jay replies.

  Bianca is thrown off by the hug, once Ameana frees her; she tries to regain her composure.

  “Everyone knows our marriage is a fake now,” Bianca says.

  “They don’t know anything,” Marcus counters.

  “Really? Then explain this,” Bianca says as she throws a snow globe against the wall.

  The globe smashes on impact. The words gather on the wall and the latest article of the Splash appears.

  Separate beds; separate agenda?

  Hello my little winged ones. We have gossip so good, I’m sure it’s fattening. It seems that newlyweds Marcus and Bianca are on the outs already. Sources tell me the two don’t even sleep or recharge in the same bed.

  Given the wave of drama this strike brings with it, wouldn’t Marcus turn to his new fresh‐faced wife for comfort? Well, he has done no such thing. In fact, many report the couple fight regularly and hate the mere sight of each other.

  Many have long suspected this marriage was a political one. It looks like they might be right. If so, many Quo wil be livid and view this as deception on the part of Angels. And we know what happened the last time the Quo were unhappy…

  Yours,

  IM Trouble

  “Who leaked this info?” Marcus demands.

  “I don’t know, but we have to do some damage control,” Bianca replies.

  “What do you want us to do, knock on doors and kiss in front of everyone?” Marcus asks snidely.

  “That won’t be necessary; I’ll take care of it,” Bianca replies.

  “Bianca, I’m in the middle of—”

  Bianca does not wait for him to finish. She simply gets on the Port and disappears.

  “Damn her!” Marcus swears.

  “Marcus,” Jay calls out.

  Marcus doesn’t pay attention, he keeps raving about Bianca. Miku also calls out to him, but it does no good. Finally, we all call out his name to try and get his attention.

  “MARCUS!”

  “WHAT?” he snaps.

  “We have company,” Emmy tells him.

  He turns and finds Rahell hovering just a few feet in the air.

  “What are you doing here?” He asks her as she lands.

  Even with the missing hand and very little makeup, Rahell is gorgeous. And while she is just as alluring as her ‘party girl’ sister, Arden, she is all business.

  “How did you find us?” Miku asks.

  “Tony-Tone owed me a favor,” Rahell replies.

  “I really need to kill that guy, someday,” Marcus notes to himself.

  “Marcus, I need to talk to you,” Rahell says.

  “Look, it doesn’t matter who Wolf or the Originals send. We are not going on the mission until the Sib is safe,” Marcus tells her.

  “They didn’t send me. I’m here on my own.”

  “Look, I know how important finding the Shoma is, but you can’t convince me to go on this mission so, there’s really nothing to talk about.”

  “I didn’t really come to talk; I came to show you something.”

  “What is it?”

  “Come with me,” Rahell says.

  We all follow her to the outskirts of Greenland. We enter a vast warehouse that has been turned into a makeshift triage.

  “What is this?” Marcus asks.

  “This is where we put the victims until we can help them.” Rahell says.

  “Victims of what?” I ask.

  “Bryne. It’s a virus Angels get when they have stayed on Earth too long.”

  “I know we get weak, but an actual virus?” Jay says.

  “It starts as a black spot in the eye. Then if they don’t get back into the light, it spreads.”

  Rahell takes us over to one of the victims. It’s a male Angel. His body is pale with what looks like black spiders’ veins, covering him from head to toe. He reminds me of a porcelain doll that fell and is now cracked all over. His fingernails are decaying, as are the tips of his toes, his mouth and eyes.

  “This is Daniel. He’s had Bryne for a few weeks, now. We don’t think he will make it,” Rahell says sadly.

  “There has to be a vial or something that can help him,” Ameana says.

  “We’ve tried everything. Our best healers have failed to find a cure. There is only one way to fix this and that’s to get them back into the light. Or this will keep happening until there are no Angels left,” Rahell pushes.

  “Why didn’t we know about this before?” Miku asks.

  “We didn’t want the Splash to get wind of it and make it front page. It would cause a panic. We also didn’t want Believers to know we could get this weak from not being in the light.”

  “How bad can it get?” Rage asks.

  “We’re had over two dozen fatalities so far. Once they get to the stage where the tips of their fingers are blackened, they are then only a few hours away from death,” Rahell says.

  “What exactly is happening to them?” I ask.

  “Their souls are corroding. Please do not share this with other Quo.”

  “Eta would never do that. You can trust her,” Emmy says.

  “You should have told us about this; why the hell didn’t we know sooner?” Marcus asks.

  We hear random groaning and moaning from the infected patients. br />
  “I am not supposed to be telling anyone, but once you and your team went on strike, I knew I had to do something,” Rahell confides.

  “How did they get infected?” I ask.

  “It’s not based on contact, thankfully. It depends on the individual soul. Some are strong enough to fight and others aren’t.”

  “Is there any way to prevent it?” Marcus asks.

  “As of now, no. I have been exposed to it for days and I’m fine.” Rahell replies.

  “So they need the light, or they will die?” Emmy asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Even if we didn’t go on strike, Rahell, there’s no guarantee that we could find the three Alphas in time to help these people,” Miku says.

  “Just finding the first Alpha could help them. The Alphas are made up of the light. There’s a chance we might be able to use it and create a mixture that can help treat the virus.”

  “How many patients are there?” I ask.

  “Over four hundred.”

  Marcus and Emmy exchange a look of concern. Rage and Ameana look at each other with fear and terror.

  “Marcus, you have to help them. You have to call off this strike, now,” Rahell says.

  “If I do that, they’re going to kill the Sib, I can’t let that happen,” Marcus replies.

  “Follow me,” Rahell says.

  She leads us to the far end of the warehouse, where a female lies under a heavy blanket.

  Rahell lowers the cover and reveals the girl’s identity. She has black cracks all along her face, arms and chest, but there is still no mistaking who it is.

  “Arden!” Jay gasps.

  “Marcus, my sister is dying; please, please save her.”

  CHAPTER FIVE:

  MRS. CANE

  The shock of seeing the once vibrant “party girl” now weakened, and near death, renders the Guardians speechless. The only being to break the silence is Arden herself. She moans softly and opens her infected eyes. The black cracks spread from the whites of her eyes and run down her once beautiful face.

  “Hi, baby girl,” Jay whispers as he kneels by her bedside and takes her hand in his.

  “Hot chocolate, my favorite.” She says, forming a weak smile.

  “Do you need anything?” Miku asks eagerly.

  “No, this is perfect. Bryne is the new black,” she jokes.

  “Are you cold, do you want some more blankets?” Ameana asks.

  “No, what I need is for you to take care of my loved ones; my family,” she replies.

  “We’ll look after Rahell, please don’t worry about that,” Miku vows.

  “No, not her, I mean the true loves of my life: Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Tom Ford, Coco…”

  “Is she delirious?” I ask.

  “No, she wants to make sure her closet is well cared for,” Ameana says, smiling.

  “Give them to people who truly understand what they mean; people who don’t own sweat pants.”

  “I will take care of it,” Ameana promises.

  “Stop talking like that, nothing is going to happen to you; right, Marcus?” Rahell asks.

  He looks at Rahell, but doesn’t reply. Emmy, sensing the enormous strain Marcus is under, tries to help.

  “You know, there are a lot of really hot guys here, is that why you chose this place?” She asks Arden.

  “Well, if a girl’s gonna die, she should be near hot guys. It’s a rule.”

  “Arden, stop it! You are not dying!” Rahell insists.

  Arden tries to answer Rahell, but groans instead. The waves of pain she is now feeling stop her from talking.

  “It’s okay, save your energy. You should recharge now, I have to talk to Marcus and the team alone, I’ll be right back,” Rahell promises.

  Arden closes her eyes and within seconds she is still. Rahell takes us off to the side so that we won’t be over heard.

  “How long does she have?” Miku asks.

  “I don’t know. Bryne spreads at different rates, depending on the soul it’s attacking,” Rahell replies.

  “You don’t have anything that can at least slow it down?” Rage asks.

  “No, Demon, I don’t!” Rahell snaps.

  “He’s just trying to help,” Ameana replies.

  “Well, I’m sorry if I have a trouble accepting his help, after all, he’s the reason my sister is suffering.”

  “It’s not his fault; Wolf’s the one being vengeful,” Ameana counters.

  “It’s fine, Ameana, I don’t care what she thinks,” Rage replies.

  “No, you don’t care, that’s the problem with you Demons,” Rahell says.

  “Look, you want me to leave, chick, just say so,” Rage barks.

  “Yes, I do want you to go.”

  “Fine, Ameana, let’s go.”

  “No. Rahell, I know you’re pissed, but Rage is a part of this team, now. If you want our help, that includes Rage, too,” Ameana says.

  “Is that the case, Marcus?” Rahell asks.

  Marcus looks around at the team and replies. “He’s with us. He’s not an Angel or anything, but he’s been helpful.”

  “You know what? I really don’t give a damn about who you do or do not let into your team. All I want is for my sister to get better.”

  “Rahell, I’m so sorry this is happening,” Marcs replies.

  “I don’t need you to be sorry, Marcus, I need you to go find the first Alpha.”

  “I can’t do that,” he replies in a soft, but certain voice.

  “YOU’RE GONNA LET ARDEN DIE?”

  “Rahell, please calm down. We know it’s hard for—” Ameana says.

  “—I’m not talking to you, Ameana. Marcus Cane, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you are willing to let my sister die to save an Akon’s child!”

  Marcus’s clenches his jaw and gasps with frustration. He forces himself to look Rahell in the eye as he addresses her. “If we make any attempts to start this mission, they will kill the Sib. I can’t do that.”

  “My sister put her life on the line to help you and your team, I carried your teammates Reese and Rio to Difi myself. When everyone said you were going to mess up as First Guardian, I stood by you. I have never asked you for anything, anything at all. Marcus, this is the first and only time I will ever ask you for a favor. Please, please go on the mission.”

  “I’m sorry, Rahell,” Marcus says, in genuine agony.

  “You’re killing her; she’s all I have and you’re killing her!” She cries as she runs back to check on Arden.

  We can hear Arden moaning in pain as Rahell covers her up with another blanket. We start to head back over to them.

  “GET OUT!” Rahell shouts as we come closer.

  “As soon as the Paras agree to let the Sib—”

  “—I SAID GET OUT!” Rahell screams.

  Marcus is about to say something, but Emmy signals for him not to speak. Ameana tells the leader it would be best if we all left.

  As we head back towards the exit, Marcus asks me if I read Arden’s mind. I say yes and he asks me what she was thinking.

  “The whole time Arden was talking to us, she only had one thought,” I reply.

  “What was it?”

  “I don’t want to die…”

  Once outside, instead of taking off into the air, we start walking. A heavy silence falls upon us as we make our way down the streets of Greenland. Finally, after minutes of tortured silence, one of us speaks.

  “Okay, what is?” Marcus asks, stopping to face us.

  We all look at each other but no one says anything. Marcus shoves his hand into his pocket and bites his lower lips as if to keep him from saying something he’ll regret.

  “Someone say something. I know you all have something to say so, say it,” Marcus orders.

  “Okay, not to be like that, but the party girl has helped us in the past. And she doesn’t deserve to die like that,” Jay says.

  “I agree, but we don’t have a choice. You know
the Paras are just waiting us out, certain we will give in and if we do, that’s it for Ameana’s son,” Marcus reminds him.

  “I know, but…”

  “But what, Jay?” Marcus pushes.

  “Nothing,” he says, looking a way.

  “Stop beating around the damn bush and say—”

  “—You should have talked to us before you said no!” Jay explodes.

  “What?”

  “Yo, I’m feel’n you on saving the Sib, but after finding out about Bryne and who it’s infected, we should have talked about this as a group. Instead, you just went off and made your own decision without us. That’s shady, man,” Jay replies.

  “And what would talking have done? The situation would not have changed,” Marcus argues.

  “That’s not the point; Arden deserves at least a conversation about how to save her.”

  “You think I’m happy about this?” Marcus asks.

  “I think you’re sending our friend to her death and you wrong for that, Marcus!”

  “You guys really need to step back from each other,” Miku says as the two Guardians get closer and closer.

  “What is it you want me to do? Huh? You want to tell Ameana that her son’s life is going to end? Fine, she’s right here, tell her!” Marcus shouts.

  “I’m sorry about the Sib, you know that, but it’s no longer about one person. Hundreds of them are dying. We can’t just stand here and let it happen,” Jay counters.

  “Jay, it’s not my fault she’s dying.”

  “Whatever, man, it’s never your fault!” Jay accuses.

  “Arden is family to me, too, but there’s nothing I can do for her.”

  “Yeah, but if it were Emmy, you’d figure something out, right?” Jay shouts.

  “Jay…don’t,” Miku warns him as she studies the two Angels, now only inches apart, both seething with rage.

  “You got something you wanna say to me, Jay, don’t punk out; say it,” Marcus challenges.

  “If Emmy contracted the virus, you would have said to hell with the Sib and gotten the Alpha back, but since it’s not Emmy, you don’t give a damn. Maybe if Arden had slept with you, you’d let her live.”

  Marcus charges at Jay, the two collide and hit the ground. We call out for them to stop, but they are now in full attack mode.