“Adelia!” Phinneas screamed as he finally looked back up at Walter, his eyes glossed over with the beginnings of tears. “It’s been her all along. It’s Adelia! She’s been ordering the Noxin demons to kill the humans like Melina. And I’ve been covering for her.” His saddened expression quickly hardened. “But not anymore. It ends now.”
“Adelia’s the one who’s been working with the demons?” Walter asked.
Phinneas nodded his head in confirmation. “Yes, I’m afraid to say that over the past several years she has struck up quite the friendship with the Noxin demons. Well, more of an arrangement. They kill the humans for her if they get to steal the humans’ powers by taking their souls. But I came here to put an end to it all, to stop her.”
Walter’s face was full of shock. “Why do they want to steal the humans’ powers?”
“That I don’t know for sure,” said Phinneas. “But it can’t be good.”
“Do Cecil and Helene know everything?”
“Adelia approached us all with the idea that humans like Melina were abominations, but Cecil and Helene didn’t agree with her. I was weak, though. I allowed her to brainwash me, to make me believe that these humans needed to be destroyed. So I helped her put her plan into action and told Cecil and Helene that the humans were dying from the powers being too strong. No one was the wiser.”
“So the powers won’t kill Melina?” Walter asked.
“No, that’s true. It’s just that up until now the demons got to the humans before their powers really started to affect them.” Phinneas glanced over at Melina and then back to Walter. “Does she know about her parents?”
Walter nodded. “But I think you should be the one to tell her how many humans it has really happened to, not just the number you elders wanted us to believe.”
Phinneas sighed and looked at Melina. “The ability hasn’t only shown up in three humans before you. It’s occurred in over three thousand humans.”
Melina’s eyes grew wide.
“But considering the world’s total population, it’s still a rarity,” Phinneas continued. “It’s passed on from family member to family member, but it can take several generations to show up again. It showed up in you because both of your parents had the unique ability. That’s also why your powers have developed much faster than any of the other humans it has happened to before.”
“Is that why she’s been experiencing so much pain when she uses the powers?” Tessa chimed in. “Are they stronger in her because of her parents?”
Phinneas stroked his chin. “Possibly. I’m not sure, though, because while some of the other humans exhibited a small amount of pain, most of the others didn’t even make it that far before the demons took their souls and killed them.”
“So that explains how the demons knew more about my powers than I did.” Without saying another word, Melina walked back over to the park bench and slowly sat down, her eyes fixed on the ground.
Everyone turned to look at her. “Melina, are you all right?” Walter asked.
Melina heard him, but she remained silent and sat perfectly still. She was even more scared than she'd been before. After listening to Phinneas tell her what was really going on, the seriousness of the matter finally hit her. One of the most powerful angels in existence wanted her dead.
She raised her head and stared at Phinneas. “How do I know you’re not still helping Adelia? How do I know it’s not all part of her plan?”
“No. I’m not still helping her, and it isn’t her plan,” he replied as he shook his head.
“How can I trust you?”
“Melina,” said Walter. “Trust me. What he says is true. I can sense it.”
She met Walter’s eyes and held his gaze for a long time. Then finally she spoke. “So what do I do? The most powerful elder guiding angel wants me dead. I’m even more scared now than I was before.” She lowered her head and covered her face with her trembling hands as she broke down into tears.
No one said anything to her. They could all see how scared she was, and instead of trying to tell her that everything was going to be okay, they simply let her be, and she was glad. Allowing her to take her time to sort through her thoughts and emotions was what she needed at the moment, not positive words of encouragement that would go in one ear and out the other. For her to survive, she had to find her own strength and encouragement.
For the next few minutes, there was nothing but the sound of Melina’s sobs. What was she to do? She was no match for the demons, and even though Walter had said that guiding angels had no offensive powers, did that apply to elder guiding angels, too? Or did Adelia have powers that Walter was unaware of? Henry was a small comfort, but for how long could he protect her? Would he eventually wear down and not be able to handle the demons?
She shook her head back and forth several times and then slowly let her hands slide down her tear-stained face as she looked up at Walter. “Even if I overcome the powers, I won’t be able to get away from Adelia. Will I be able to survive against her?”
“You don’t have to worry about Adelia. I thought I told you that guiding angels only have defensive powers. That’s why she needs the demons.”
“What if she has powers you’re both not aware of?” Melina turned to face Phinneas. “Like the demons. They can fly. Did you know that?”
Phinneas’s forehead creased in concern. “No, I didn’t.”
“Exactly,” said Melina. “So what if Adelia does have other powers and only uses the demons to assist her?”
Walter didn’t respond as he turned his gaze to Phinneas.
“Adelia doesn’t have any other powers,” Phinneas replied. He gave her a small, comforting smile. “Trust me. You have nothing to worry about.”
Melina shot up from the bench. “I have nothing to worry about? Adelia may not be able to harm me herself, but she won’t stop sending demons after me until I’m dead. How can I possibly be anything but terrified right now?”
“I’m sorry,” Phinneas said, holding a hand up in the air. “That was a very poor choice of words. I was only trying to give you some encouragement because we can fight her and put an end to it all. Having her chase you down until she finally wins is not the only outcome.”
Melina inhaled deeply and let out a long, heavy sigh as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks. He was right. They could try to stand up to Adelia, but would they be successful? And how many other demons was she working with? Certainly these three weren’t the only ones.
“They’re not the only ones,” Phinneas replied. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude on your thoughts, but she’s been working with a lot more Noxin demons than the three that are after you.”
“So if we stood up to her, would they all come to her aid?” Melina asked.
Phinneas shook his head. “They help her on a one-time basis, and that’s only if they receive something in return. Besides, even if they would come to help her, I don’t think she would have enough of a warning to know to ask them.”
“Enough of a warning?” Walter asked.
“I’m going to tell Cecil and Helene everything and get them to help us,” Phinneas said. “Then we can all confront Adelia.” He glanced over at Melina. “Until I get back, you should keep at it with Lee. I think you’re almost there with him.”
Melina’s brow furrowed. “How do you—”
“I overheard you talking to him earlier. The letter from his father should do the trick.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything, still unsure of how she felt toward Phinneas.
“He’s right,” said Walter. “I know you think you should give him some space right now, but you need to keep pushing, so to speak. Go home with Tessa for now, though. I’m going to go with Phinneas to talk to Cecil and Helene.”
She nodded again, and after watching Walter and Phinneas disappear together, she made her way over to Tessa.
Tessa held out her hand. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
Chapter Thir
ty
Melina opened her apartment door and headed straight for the couch. She heard Tessa close the door and walk into the kitchen.
“Well, it’s not quite dinner time yet, but do you want something to eat?” Tessa opened the fridge and started to browse around.
Melina plopped down onto the couch. “No, I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”
Tessa closed the fridge and then made her way over to the recliner next to the couch. “So…” she said as she took a seat. “What’s the plan? What’s our next move?”
“Tess, you’ve helped me more than you can ever know but,” Melina paused as she glanced down at her hands, “now it’s getting too dangerous for you to be around me.” She raised her eyes back up to meet Tessa’s. “I’ve got to do the rest on my own.”
There was silence between them for a few seconds, and then Tessa finally responded.
“Okay. Do you want me to stay with you until you figure out what you want to do?”
Melina had expected some resistance from Tessa, so she was a bit surprised to hear that from her. “Uh, no, you don’t have to. I think I’m just going to lie down for a while before I attempt to contact Lee. I know Walter and Phinneas said to stay on him, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to need some time with that letter.”
Tessa nodded and then stepped over to Melina and pulled her into a tight hug. “Please be careful. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
Melina could tell in her voice that she was trying not to cry. She pulled back and looked at Tessa and saw tears start to trickle down her face. “Hey, hey, let’s not get all sappy now. I’m going to be fine,” Melina said, trying to sound confident.
She and Tessa exchanged glances, both knowing too well that it might be the last time they saw each other, but neither of them wanted to say it.
“Okay, well…” Tessa stood as she wiped at her cheeks. “I’ll let you be, but I’ll see you soon.”
Melina simply smiled.
Tessa took that as her cue to go and made her way over to the door. “Be careful,” she said again and then closed the door behind her.
When Melina was sure that her friend was gone, she slumped back down on the couch and pulled a blanket over herself, including her head. She wanted to sleep, to turn her mind off for a while, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen. The pain in her body had started to build again and was only growing worse.
****
When Phinneas and Walter arrived back at their temple in The Realm, the other elders were nowhere to be found. That bothered both of them, as there was always supposed to be at least one elder in the temple at all times.
“Something’s not right,” said Phinneas as he slowly scanned his eyes around.
Walter nodded as he also surveyed the area. “I agree.”
“I think you need to go back to Melina, make sure she’s okay.”
Walter frowned. “Do you think—”
“I’m not sure,” Phinneas replied, his eyes still darting around the place. “We shouldn’t take any chances, though. Go back and stay with her while I go to the summoning stone to try and find Cecil and Helene. Oh, and have her guardian angel come and stay with her as well. Now that I’ve met Melina, I’ll be able to find you as soon as I figure out what’s going on here.”
Walter nodded again. “I’ll leave now.”
As soon as Walter disappeared, Phinneas began to walk around the temple, wanting to give it one last quick search before he departed to the summoning stone. He still didn’t see Cecil or Helene, nor did he see any clues as to where they might have gone. Giving up, he headed toward the front door when suddenly he heard someone say his name.
“Phinneas.”
The sound of Adelia’s voice pierced through the silence like nails on a chalk board, causing Phinneas to cringe. He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply and then released his breath slowly. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and turned around to face her.
“Adelia. I didn’t realize you were here.”
Adelia didn’t respond. She only smiled at him.
Phinneas cleared his throat. “Where are the others?”
“They’re with a charge. Where have you been?” Her icy, pale blue eyes watched him carefully as she waited for him to answer.
“With a charge.”
“I didn’t realize you had any charges right now.” She narrowed her eyes as she continued to stare at him. “Do you mean Walter’s charge, Melina? You’re trying to help her, aren’t you?”
Phinneas remained silent, but his tense expression gave him away.
Adelia gave him a smug grin as she began to walk around. “I saw the reaction you gave Walter when he asked us how the demons knew about Melina’s powers. I knew it was only a matter of time before you would break and try to help one of the humans. Tell me, what was it exactly that made you change your mind and turn on me so suddenly?”
“I’ve had these feelings for some time now, and seeing how upset Walter was over Melina, how much he already cared for her, it finally forced me to see that what we’re doing isn’t right.”
“You are so weak, just like Cecil and Helene,” Adelia snapped. “You’re afraid to do what is necessary to get rid of these abominations!”
“They’re not abominations, Adelia! What really bothers you is that you think they’re a threat to us, that our charges will no longer need us if they have fellow humans there who can help them like we can.”
“That’s absurd!” cried Adelia.
“No! It’s the truth, and you know it!” Phinneas thrust a pointed finger right at her face. “I didn’t see it before, but that’s what it’s all about. You’re scared, and you want the threat destroyed.”
“Our powers are meant for us, for angels! They’re not meant for human beings. It’s not right!”
“Why, Adelia? Why is it so bad that a small amount of humans can possess our powers? It’s not like there’s so many of them that they’re going to replace us. It might be nice to have a little extra help every now and then. Can’t you look at it in a positive way?”
Adelia glared at Phinneas, her fair skin now flushed with anger. She then walked slowly over to him and stopped when her face was only inches from his. “I’m going to have Melina destroyed, and no one is going to get in the way of that. Not even Walter or her guardian angel Henry. And when I’m done with them, you’ll be next.”
She stared hard into his eyes for a moment and then turned and walked away. When she was halfway across the room, she turned back to him and said, “And don’t think you’re going to be able to tell Cecil and Helene everything and get them on your side. I’ve made sure that they’ll be away for a long time. Now go,” she said, waving her hand in the air. “Go tell the others I’m coming for them.” She smirked as she whirled back around and then disappeared.
Phinneas remained still, his body immobilized by sheer shock and surprise. Not only was Adelia going to destroy Melina, but now she was after Walter and himself? Good grief, how far would she go to keep her secret? How many more would she destroy?
He shook his head, knocking himself out of his temporary trance. Even though it was exactly what Adelia had just told him to do, he had to get back to Walter and Melina. He had to warn them before Adelia and the demons arrived.
****
Melina was still balled up under a blanket on her couch when Walter returned to her apartment. He must’ve sensed that something bad had happened because he rushed over to her, yelling out her name.
“Melina! Melina!” Walter kneeled down beside the couch as he started to gently shake her.
Melina pulled the blanket down from over her head. “Walter?” she asked in a groggy voice. “What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you,” he said. “And by the looks of it, I was right to be. What happened?”
“It’s the powers,” she said, trying to sit up the best she could. “They keep growing stronger, and I’m pretty sure I passed out from the pain
. How long have I been out?” She looked toward the window and saw that it was starting to get dark outside.
“I’m guessing maybe an hour or so,” Walter answered. “Melina, the effects from your powers seem to be rapidly growing worse. You really need to get in touch with Lee to see if the letter has changed his mind. That’s the only way to end the pain and gain full control of the powers.”
“I know,” said Melina as she leaned over and grabbed her cell phone off of the coffee table. “It’s only been a couple of hours since I told him about the letter. I was just trying to give him a bit of time with it, is all.”
“Time is not your friend right now,” Walter said as he gave a paranoid glance around the room. “But before you call Lee, I think you need to have Henry come and join us.”
Melina laid her phone down on her lap and looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but when Phinneas and I went to talk to Cecil and Helene, we couldn’t find them. There were no elder angels present at all, and that’s very abnormal. There’s always at least one elder available.”
Melina nodded as she remembered.
“Something’s not right,” he said. “Phinneas went to find Cecil and Helene, but until then we need to keep you extra safe.”
She was about to call for Henry when suddenly her cell phone began to ring. It was Lee. She quickly answered. “Lee, hi.”
“Can we meet?” he asked without returning her greeting.
“You want to meet with me?” she asked, caught off guard.
“Yeah, is that a problem?”
She looked over at Walter. He shook his head and whispered, “Not at his place. Make it an open area of some sort.”
“No, it’s not a problem,” she replied. “Can you meet me back at the park?”
“Sure, I’ll be there in a little bit.”
“Okay, I’ll—” But Lee had already hung up.
Melina lowered her phone from her ear and looked back up at Walter. “I need to go and meet Lee at the park.”
Walter nodded. “Call to Henry and I’ll fill him in on our way there.”