“Well Lucy said just you two, so…”
“Wait, you’re okay with me and Marcus going to face Lucy without you?” I ask.
“I’m not but I know that…well…I guess if it can’t be me that protects you…he’ll do,” Julian says begrudgingly.
“Really?” Marcus says taken aback.
“Yeah well…if you gave up your Day of Grace, I suppose, she’s not just some girl to you.” Julian says, having figured it out.
“No, no she’s not. Julian, I love your daughter. I’m going to marry her the very day we come back from the mission.”
“Oh. Okay I guess. I don’t suppose you want a disgraced First Guardian in attendance?” he says.
“Who is going to walk me down the aisle if not my father?” I ask.
I thought I would try it out and see how it felt to call him that: Father. It turns out; it wasn’t as hard to say as I thought it would be. Julian bursts into tears; Marcus and I were completely thrown. I go over to Julian and embrace him tightly. After returning my hug, he quickly clears his throat and acts as if something was in his eye.
“Well, go ahead, finish the mission. Get your team and the Council back,” he orders us.
“We will,” Marcus replies.
As we start walking away, my father calls out to my fiancé.
“Marcus, I don’t care what has to happen. You make sure and bring my little girl back in one piece,” he threatens.
“I will.”
The two of them shake hands for the first time ever. Then Marcus and I head towards Thailand to get our team back and just this last time, save the world.
CHAPTER TWENTY:
HEARTBEAT
If this were in the movies, we’d have a plan. If this was a movie, I’d also face Lucy with a perfectly made up face and stylish outfit. But as it is, this isn’t a movie. We don’t have a plan and I look like hell. My hair is tangled and clothes are disheveled.
“So help me out here, what does one wear to meet the Devil?” I ask Marcus as we stand a few yards away from the gated abandoned dome town of Sloan.
“Don’t worry about dressing up for her; she didn’t even bother to clean up her town for us,” Marcus replies.
We step towards the gate and behold Sloan; a town in ruin. Every domed shape home is rusted over and on the verge of falling down. There are loose scraps of metal and iron everywhere. Sloan makes Chernobyl look like paradise.
Seriously, it’s the kind of place you enter expecting to see emaciated little ghost children with no eyes seeping through the walls. And the tall black tower on the outskirt of the town makes it look even creepier.
“We should have brought weapons,” I tell Marcus.
“Yeah, next time,” he jokes.
He won’t say this out loud but we both know the reason we didn’t bring any weapons is because there simply is no weapon that can take on Lucy.
“Actually, I did get Tony to find me a small item,” I tell Marcus.
“What is it?”
I take out a small picture frame from my back pocket and show it to Marcus. It’s a picture of my mom.
“You brought it to give you courage?” he asks.
“Um…something like that.”
He looks at me suspiciously but decides not to probe any further.
We have no idea what’s going to happen once we get inside the gate but since we only have an hour left to assemble the Shoma, we have to take our chances.
“Once we get inside, we find the team and then go find the other Alphas Lucy took,” Marcus instructs.
“Got it.”
“Emmy?”
“Yeah?”
“Whatever you have to do in there to save yourself and this world promise you will do it,” Marcus says.
My heart skips a beat; several in fact. He thinks he may not make it out and he doesn’t want me saving him should it come down to his life or mine.
“I will but only if you vow to do the same.”
“What?”
“Marcus, I’m serious. If something happens to me and you have to make a choice, you have to promise to choose the mission over me. I’m going to be your wife; you have to do as I say,” I remind him, half smiling.
We both agree that the mission comes first. We go to enter but the gate has a force field. We are hurled into the air, and come crashing down.
“What the hell?” I shout.
“She won’t lock us out. She needs me to put the Shoma together,” Marcus replies.
“Look up there,” I say as I study the intricate pattern on the crest of the gate. There is a space in the center that is the size of the Alpha.
“So in order to open the gate, we have to place the Alpha inside,” Marcus says shaking his head.
“Okay, do it.”
“I can’t let the third Alpha out of my sight,” Marcus says.
“She still needs you to place all the pieces together. She can’t do it without you. So let’s get in, get the team and then try and stop her.”
“You’re right. Here we go.”
Marcus opens the ring size box given to him by my father. Once he touches the carving it floats into the air. Marcus places it inside the center of the crest. The crest closes up around the Alpha and the gate opens.
A dark beam emanates from a black tower and the crest disappears along with the third Alpha. Marcus is about to chase after it when I signal for him to come with me. I explain to him that over to the left I thought I spotted flames.
I was right. As we near the corner, we find ourselves in a junkyard filled with busted cars; we see a slew of demons guarding Rage. They have him in a Holder-like prison.
However instead of a bubble, he is being held in place by three dark crystals that form a prism. Rage keeps blasting fireballs at the prism he’s held in but it does not release him.
“Those are the flames I saw,” I tell Marcus.
“I have a plan,” he whispers.
I listen closely to him and go over the plan in my head. Then I head towards the cars.
I grab the nearest metal rod and smash as many windows as I can. Instantly the demon in charge takes off after me along with a dozen others. They hurl power balls at me from every direction. All I have to do is make it to the designated spot and I’ll be safe.
Power balls whiz by me and land on the cars. They explode one after the other. When I reach the spot I’m supposed to be in, Marcus quickly drops a Holder on me. I stand still and let the demons come. They are too angry that I got away to notice the stack of cars about to fall down on them.
By the time they realize what’s happening, Marcus has already broken me out of the Holder and taken me into the air. Moments later the demons can be heard screaming under the weight of the two-ton metal. The cars wipe out most of them. Although they are alive, their bodies are mangled and shattered.
We hurry over to where Rage is being held. There are still demons around him although not as many. Marcus approaches them and they immediately start to take aim.
“If you kill me, Lucy will never get what she wants. Then she will kill you,” Marcus warns the demons.
“She said not to kill you but she didn’t say we couldn’t break a few bones,” one demon replies.
“Fair point. Hey, can you move a little over to the left?” Marcus asks the demon.
“What?” the demon replies.
“He said move over so I can get a better shot,” I reply as I bash him in the knee and beat him to death while Marcus quickly attacks the others.
By now the place is flooded with demon reinforcements. Marcus shouts to me to help Rage out of his prison.
I run over, narrowly escaping a power ball and remove one of the dark crystals. Rage is shouting for me to hurry up. I go for the second crystal but a demon gets to me before I can remove it. He grabs me by the ankle and drags me on the ground. My face smashes into the pavement, and scrapes against it leaving pieces of my flesh on the ground.
It feels like half of my face is on fire. I ca
ll out for Marcus as tiny pebbles embed themselves inside the gaping wound that was once my right cheek. I feel myself being lifted off the ground by the demon. I flail out my arms helplessly as he throws me onto one of the nearest rusted cars. I hit the windshield like a ragdoll.
I roll off the car and onto the floor. I hurt in places I didn’t know a human being could hurt. My body has had enough of my adventures and is now demanding I stop abusing it.
But I can’t. Even though I’m pretty sure I will fall back down, I try to get up. I have to help Rage. Thankfully before I can try and get off the ground, I feel his strong arms around me, carrying me into the air.
“I’m fine, go help Rage,” I tell him.
“I think Rage is doing fine on his own,” Marcus replies.
I look down at the battle below and find Rage blasting the demons left and right. That’s why Marcus wasn’t able to get to me before I fell. He went to release Rage. He sits me down away from the fire and mayhem.
“Rage said the others are down that way. I’m going to get them. You stay here,” Marcus orders.
“No, I can help.”
“Emmy…”
“I don’t want to fight with you. If you want me to stay then I will. But you’re my heartbeat. It’s odd that you should be away from me.”
“Damn you,” he swears, shaking his head.
He helps me get up and we are about to go save the others when we hear Rage call out for help. Rage is so rarely in need of help.
Marcus and I run over to find six demons have ganged up on Rage. They manage to bind his hands, and loop some kind of dark beam around his neck, each of his wings, and his feet. They take to the air in different directions with the beams. Rage is about to get ripped apart from limb to limb.
Marcus quickly takes to the air but a power ball blindsides him, sending him tumbling out of control through the air.
“Marcus!” I cry out.
I don’t know what to do. Who do I try and save?
I realize it doesn’t matter because the demons aren’t going to let me get out of here alive.
I won’t be able to rescue Marcus or Rage at this point.
Think Emmy, think!
Like I said this isn’t a movie and I don’t have any last minute tricks. Rage is howling as the demons fly further away in different directions and trying to tear the bones from his body. Marcus isn’t back and there are about three-dozen demons surrounding me. They could just throw a power ball and kill me but they want to see the terror on my face close up.
Shit!
Just when I’m about to make peace with the fact that my life is over, I see a blinding light emerging off to the side. This light is so powerful, every demon in front of me turns away groaning.
Where is that light coming from?
It’s not coming from a place; it’s coming from a being: Rage. He emanates a powerful blast from his hands. It sweeps across the junkyard and obliterates the demons that had him tied down.
Rage quickly gets up and aims at the demons in front of me. Before they can stop him, he wipes them out effortlessly with a white blast from his hand.
“What’s going on?” Rage asks afraid of his Para-like powers.
“Oh. My. Omnis,” is all I can say as I watch markings spread themselves throughout Rage’s body.
“It’s Aaden,” Rage says as he looks down and sees the markings that once appeared on Ameana now appear on him.
Marcus returns just in time to watch the markings imprint themselves onto Rage’s chest, arms and legs. Not only is Aaden back, but also judging from the complexity of the patterns, he has gotten stronger.
“How is that possible? How can he be back?” Marcus asks, shocked.
“I don’t have a soul, what is Aaden holding on to?” Rage asks.
“You,” I reply as I embrace him with happy tears.
“He’s back. My son is back,” Rage says weak with relief.
He holds tightly to me and keeps repeating, “He’s back.”
“Okay, I don’t want to interrupt but we only have ten minutes before the Shoma has to be put back together. We have to go get the rest of team, now,” Marcus says.
“We won’t have time to get the team and the Shoma,” I warn him.
“I’ll go get the team. You and Emmy get the Shoma,” Rage says.
“Are you sure?” Marcus asks.
“Yeah, but first I heard the demons talking. They said the Nycren is the most powerful weapon not only because it is used to control the mind but also because it is intelligent. It will do anything to assure its own survival. That’s why it goes into powerful beings; should someone try and weaken it, it will tap into the power of the being it inhabits.”
“So not only will we have to destroy the Nycren, we have to destroy the being it’s inside of?” I ask.
“Yes, that means you could very well have to destroy Lucy herself,” Rage replies.
Marcus and I look at each other. We always knew we’d have to face the devil. It’s just different when someone says it out loud.
“GET DOWN!” Marcus shouts.
A Fire Swan from above sends a sea of flames down at us. We take cover just seconds before the flames hit the ground. The air is now swarming with the wrathful birds.
“I’ll free the team, you guys go!” Rage shouts.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“Aaden and I, we got this.”
We look on as father and son skillfully dodge flames from above and disappear around the corner. Marcus and I link hands and head to the black tower where the Nycren awaits…
Marcus and I enter the black marble circular tower and head to the top. There we find a vast hall with a black floor to ceiling mural. There are tormented souls shouting from behind the blackness of the painting. Their arms, head and feet stick out but they can’t break through.
In the center of the great hall stands a throne made from the skeleton of Angels. Standing a few feet away, looking out the window is a beautiful lady with pristine blonde hair. She has it in a stylish upsweep with complex braids woven throughout. Her sea blue eyes are so piercing, it’s like she can see right through me. Her plum colored lips and elongated lashes make her face impeccable.
She has a regalness about her that is impossible to deny. Her leather, midnight colored corset gown flares out and cascades down to the floor. Her black and silver nail polish adds to her ‘edgy glam’ meets the ‘queen Elizabeth’ look. She’s not what I pictured.
She’s dark, mysterious and gorgeous.
Who knew evil could look so freaking good?
“I worried you wouldn’t get here in time, First Guardian, but then I remembered how you Angels hate to lose even one generation of humans. So I figured you’d get to me in time to save humanity. Oh and yes, the light,” she says as she makes her way to the throne.
“Where are the Alphas?” Marcus demands.
“You must be the human. You’re smaller than I pictured,” Lucy says turning to me.
“Funny, I don’t think about what you look like. In fact, I don’t think about you at all,” I reply in a frosty tone.
“Oh, now that’s not true. I think I’m on your mind quite often. Especially after I left you that little gift a while back. You know, the bloody heart I left on your table. Oh wait, is it still considered a gift if I took it from your mother? By the way, how is mommy?” she asks innocently.
“I’ll kill you, you bitch!” I vow as I run up to her.
Marcus tries to stop me but he’s too late. I charge at her and before I know it she has me ten feet in the air, pressed up against the wall without even touching me. She points her index finger in my direction and invisible restraints bind my hands to my side and my feet together.
Marcus races to get to me but Lucy has created a barrier between us. Marcus bangs along the barrier with all his strength but he can’t break it. He calls out my name frantically and vows to kill Lucy if she doesn’t let me go.
“I am not an unreasonabl
e woman, Guardian,” Lucy says with a pleasant smile.
Marcus swears at her and keeps banging against the barrier. I try to break free of the invisible power that has me but I can’t move.
“The Alphas are going to appear on your side of the barrier, Marcus. You will assemble them and then they will gather energy and come to full form. When that happens, the symbol of the Council will be fully illuminated. I will release the Nycren. It will go into the Shoma and the Council will be under my control,” she explains, her voice dripping with malice.
“Screw you, I’m not helping you destroy the world.”
“OMNIS MADE A MISTAKE WHEN HE CREATED THE HUMANS. HE’S TOO PROUD AND VAIN TO ADMIT THE TRUTH: HUMANS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE. AND I, I AM THE ONE WHO WILL CORRECT HIS MISTAKE!”
Lucy is enraged. A strand of her perfect hair falls out of place. She makes herself calm down and tucks the strand of hair behind her ears. She then gathers herself as if she is speaking to a crowd at afternoon tea.
She uses her powers and sends the three Alpha pieces floating towards Marcus. When placed together they will form a perfect symbol of the Council.
“Marcus, assemble the Shoma or I will deconstruct your human,” Lucy promises.
Marcus looks over at me. I try to stay calm and show him that I can handle whatever she’s about to do.
“Go back to hell,” Marcus tells her.
“Very well, Marcus. I will start small,” Lucy says.
She gets up from her throne and with a quick wave of her hand, she rips out three of my teeth at once from the back of out my mouth. I howl into the air as my teeth hit the floor below. The sheer agony causes me to shake uncontrollably as blood runs down my shirt.
“No, let go!” Marcus screams.
“Put the Shoma together and I will,” she replies.
I shake my head “no” to Marcus. Despite the pain, I can’t let Lucy win. She waves her hand again and three more of my teeth are yanked from their roots. I cry out and my head falls forward.
“Stop it, stop hurting her, I’ll kill you!” Marcus rages.
Lucy waves her hand and I feel a bone in my body snap. I open my mouth to scream but the pain is too intense; no sound comes from my throat. Seconds later, one of my ribs tears through my flesh and makes its way towards her. I yell so much and so loud I can no longer recognize my own voice.