The Nycren

  “Wait, what are you saying?” Emmy asks, confused.

  “I’m saying, in order to get Ameana out of her contract, the First Guardian has to kill the Kon.”

  CHAPTER THREE:

  WALKING WINTER

  “No, Marcus isn’t fighting Wolf,” Emmy says with irrefutable certainty.

  Everyone looks towards her. She clenches her jaw stubbornly and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

  “You guys can look at me all you want but he’s not fighting a Kon,” she reiterates.

  “The team needs to talk about this before any official decision is made,” I remark carefully.

  “What is there to talk about, Marcus? We have enough on our plate right now,” she challenges.

  “I’m not the one choosing this, Emmy. But I can’t just let Wolf take a member of this team hostage.”

  “Well, I can’t just let him kill you,” she blurts out before she can stop herself.

  “Really, you think that little of my chances?” I reply.

  “That’s not what I said,” Emmy counters.

  “No, but it’s what you’re thinking,” I accuse.

  “Hey, can we take the tension down a few notches, please?” Miku says.

  Emmy and I glare at each other as Alex looks on.

  “Marcus, I can’t ask you to put your life in danger for us,” Ameana says.

  “It comes with the job Ameana, you know that,” I reply.

  “This is different, Marcus,” Ameana pleads.

  “She’s right,” Rage says.

  “Yo, everyone be easy. We don’t know everything yet. So can everyone play their position and calm down. Alex, what happens at this Uten thing?” Jay asks.

  “The Paras gather and the Kon battles whoever is challenging him. When one of them dies, the winner can then become Kon or choose a Para to replace the fallen one,” Alex informs him.

  “So just like that, the Omari allow someone to attack their king?” Miku says dubiously.

  “It’s not an attack. It’s a challenge. And once the sitting Kon agrees to the challenge, the Omari are forbidden to interfere,” Alex replies.

  “You’re sure there’s no other way to get Ameana out of her contract?” Rage asks.

  “No, it’s pretty much iron clad,” Alex replies.

  “Then it’s what we have to do,” I conclude.

  “Marcus!” Emmy scolds.

  “Emmy, never mind Ameana and Rage. Do you really want Aaden growing up with Wolf as a father?” I reason with her.

  She looks at the worried faces of the expectant parents. She then turns her attention back to us and reluctantly nods. I poll the rest of the team and we are all in agreement.

  “The good news is Wolf will have three chances to void the contract before you challenge him.” Alex says.

  “Why is that?” I ask.

  “Before you can have an Uten, you have to send a message conveying your dismay of the Kon’s contract. He has three chances to fix what he’s done. After the third time, there will then be the Uten,” Alex explains.

  “How do we get a message to Wolf? Do we use one of those Shadow Servants that look like a butler?” Emmy asks Alex.

  “A Phin? No. Marcus would have to use a bird called Indigo; It’s a relative of the Alexi,” he says.

  “I’ve seen a few Indigoes. They pull your thoughts out, right?” Miku asks.

  “Yes, that’s how you know they are part of the Alexi family. They are able to extract thoughts or information from the being who has summoned it,” Alex adds.

  “Well, I’ve never seen one. Tell me about them,” Rage demands.

  “The Alexi is also called ‘the surgeon’ because it cuts you open. Well, the Indigo’s other name is ‘the suicide bird,’” Alex replies.

  “Seriously, ‘Suicide bird?’” Jay says, shaking his head.

  “They are called that because when they take the message to the recipient, his feelings on the subject will reflect on the bird. So for example, if Wolf does not see eye to eye with Marcus the bird will come back blind.”

  “Then what?” I ask.

  “Then you send the Indigo back with new arguments to try and convince the Kon. If Wolf sees things your way, the health of the bird will improve. But if Wolf doesn’t the bird will get worse.”

  “How many times can Indigos take flight on the same issue?” I ask.

  “Three. If at the end of third flight, the parties cannot come to an agreement, the Indigo dies. Then Uten will be scheduled. The good news is no matter how injured the bird may be, the recipient always leaves some room, however slight, for negotiating. The Indigo has always gotten to fly three times,” Alex says.

  “Yes, but how many leaders come to an agreement; how many Indigoes actually live past the third, final flight?” Ameana asks.

  “Five percent.”

  I look over at the team; they’re concerned and apprehensive. But the fact remains; Wolf is trying to hurt my team. I cannot allow that. I don’t know if I can take him. What I do know is that I would die trying if it means saving Ameana’s son.

  “Well a five percent chance is better than nothing. Let’s do it,” I conclude.

  Alex makes a call and moments later, there’s a raven colored Pterodactyl-like bird in the air. It maneuvers through the air as if it’s riding invisible waves. It lets out a blood-curdling cry as it lands at my feet.

  “It sounds awful,” Miku says.

  “Babe, it’s called a ‘Suicide Bird’ what did you think it would sound like, Barry Manilow?” Jay says.

  We all turn to look at him, shocked as hell that that name came out of his mouth.

  “What? My mom got me into him. He’s got skillz.”

  “Speedy, that’s disturbing,” Rage says trying to keep himself from laughing.

  Jay looks around and everyone is avoiding eye contact and attempting not to laugh.

  “Hey, you ain't gonna put me in a box. I am a diverse Angel with a variety of interests.”

  “Like Barry Manilow?” Ameana says, unable to stop the laughter from escaping.

  “Hey, Barry is an international treasure,” he says emphatically.

  “So your iTunes playlist is Jay-Z, Tupac, and Barry Manilow?” Emmy asks between fits of laughter.

  “His song ‘Mandy’ got me through some hard times okay?” Jay says proudly.

  To convey his support for the old singer, Jay begins to sing the song “Mandy.” That’s when we all lose it and start laughing so hard, we can barely stand still. The more we laugh, the louder Jay sings. It’s a vicious cycle.

  The thing that gets us to finally get back to business is the Indigo. Apparently it does not like to be kept waiting. It cries out, clearly pissed. We all fall silent. The gravity of our current situation comes back to us. The laughter is gone.

  “I was told you are to think of nothing else but your feelings about the contract. And what you want the Kon to do. Once your thoughts are strong enough, the Indigo will pull them from you and inhale them,” Alex says.

  I walk up to the irate bird and do as Alex says. A few moments later, the bird opens its mouth and I feel as if someone is pulling on my own flesh. Then a bluish smoke emanates from my body. The bird inhales it and turns from black to indigo. It hisses at us and then takes off into the sky.

  “The fact that there is an Indigo headed for Wolf tells him that you’re ready to fight him to the death. Maybe he’ll void the contract on the first flight and the bird will come back unharmed,” Miku says hopefully.

  “Alex, has an Indigo ever come back unharmed the first time?” Emmy asks.

  “Never.”

  Great…

  Alex tells us that the Indigo will find me wherever I am since I’m the one that sent it on a mission. That being the case, we head to the new place Jay and Miku secured for us. It’s a townhouse in Manhattan. It’s a few blocks away from the old Guardian home. I can understand why they would want to be back in New York City, it’s the first home we had when we
came on the original mission to find the Triplex. New York City is the closest thing we have to a home at the moment.

  Rage is still giving Ameana the cold shoulder as the team settles in. Miku tries to comfort her but so far, no luck. True to her character, Ameana has decided to pretend she’s fine with the fact that Rage doesn’t even want to be in the same room with her. But we all know her well enough to know she’s hurting.

  “She didn’t get with Wolf because she wanted to; she felt she had no choice,” I tell Rage once we are away from the others.

  “She made it so I can’t even touch my own son,” Rage replies bitterly.

  “It’s her job to think of him first and you two second,” I reply.

  “No, it was her job to let me handle things and she didn’t do that. Instead she went off and…that chick did what she wanted,” Rage spits.

  “That ‘chick’ gave up her happiness for her son. And if you can’t understand that, then maybe you are not ready to be a father.”

  “Just because I won’t be a perfect father like your dad doesn’t mean I don’t love my kid,” he counters.

  “My dad was far from perfect. He did his best.”

  “When I was human, I wondered what it was like to be part of a family like yours; big house, nice lawns, successful parents and popular ‘All American’ kids. Your lives always seemed so damn perfect. That’s what I wanted to show Aaden: a perfect and painless life.”

  “Well this ‘All American’ boy had a drug addict mother and a father who cheated on her, twice. There is no such thing as ‘painless’ in this world of ours. You want to show Aaden something, try showing him you know how to forgive,” I advise him.

  “She said she would let me handle it and then she went off on her own. Now she’s made things worse,” he rants.

  “Rage, get over yourself and fight for your family,” I push.

  Rage reflects on what I said. He looks towards Ameana’s room but decides against going in. Instead he heads back to his room.

  How did these two get together? They are both so damn stubborn, it’s a wonder theyhaven’t killed each other yet.

  A few yards away, Emmy and Alex are gathered. I hear him ask her to step outside with him. She agrees and they head out the door. Jay appears in the living room and studies me.

  “I won’t judge you man. I’d do it too,” he says.

  “Do what?” I ask.

  “Eavesdrop and see what’s up with them.”

  “I shouldn’t. I said I would give her space and that’s what she needs to try it out with humans.”

  “I know that’s what you said. But I also know, baby girl is always gonna be on your mind.”

  “I can let go of her,” I reply defensively.

  He laughs, pats me on the shoulder and heads back into the room he shares with Miku. I look through the window and the two of them are engaged in what looks to be a deep conversation. Against my better judgment, I crack the window open and listen in.

  “Thanks for helping us out,” she says to Alex.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  The two remain silent as the cool wind streams through the trees. It’s evening in New York City and there is a rare moment of calm.

  “I heard something earlier and well…I guess I shouldn’t listen to gossip because as it turns out, they were wrong,” Alex says taking in the view of the nearby park.

  “What did you hear?” she asks.

  “That you and Marcus broke up,” he replies shrugging his shoulder as if he isn’t hoping it’s true.

  It’s official: I detest the opportunistic little rat.

  “It’s true…” she replies in a soft voice.

  “Really? Wow, it’s hard to tell; the way you reacted when I brought up Marcus having to fight Wolf…” Alex says carefully.

  “Just because we’re not together anymore doesn’t mean I’m okay with him putting his life on the line,” she replies.

  “Of course, you’re right. So…can I ask what happened with you two?” he says.

  “We…I’m gonna see what life is like with a non-angel,” she says trying to sound casual.

  “So you guys broke up so you could experience life with a human?”

  “Yes.”

  “I feel like a jerk asking you what I’m about to ask you but I need to know: is there any human in particular you want to be with?”

  “We can’t do this now, Alex. Really, there is too much going on,” she says avoiding eye contact.

  “You make a valid point. But let’s be honest, given who your friends are, your life is always going to be hectic. There will never be a good time to talk about this, Emerson.”

  “I know,” she says sadly.

  “Well, I’m already an ass for mentioning your breakup so I might as well ask what I have been wanting to ask since I first met you,” Alex replies.

  “Ask me what?”

  “Is there any chance at all you might go for a guy who needs an airline ticket to fly?” he says nervously.

  I look on in horror as some other guy asks my girl out. She is about to answer him and crush what’s left of my heart when a figure appears on the front step, a few feet away from them.

  The figure is of a lanky guy with a long white trench coat and matching scarf. He has spiked trendy hair the color of snow. His skin is nearly as white as his outfit. He wears white-rimmed designer shades and gloves.

  A feeling of dread washes over me. I close my eyes and hope when I open them again, the being standing outside will go away but he doesn’t. He never does. Having no other choice, I call the team and tell them to come outside because we have company. As soon as everyone is gathered I signal towards the window.

  They all look out and see the being in white. He calmly folds his hand in front of him and looks up at us from the street.

  “Maybe he has the wrong address,” Miku says.

  “Yeah, he could just be here by mistake,” Ameana agrees.

  “I can’t face him: I won’t,” Jay says desperately.

  “Don’t worry Jay, it’s a mistake,” Miku reassures him.

  “Solin doesn’t make mistakes,” Rage says.

  We know Rage is right and that Solin is here for one of us. But we can’t wrap our heads around what it means to have Solin visit. It’s a reality too bitter to swallow.

  Emmy and Alex open the door and tell us that someone outside wants to see us. None of us move towards the door. Emmy and Alex study us, confused.

  “Guys, what’s wrong? Who is the guy in all white outside and why does he scare everyone?” Emmy asks.

  “Is he some kind of demon?” Alex wonders.

  “No,” Ameana says unable to take her eyes off of Solin, who waits patiently outside.

  “Okay then, who is he?” Emmy asks again.

  I pull my attention away from the figure at the window and focus on Emmy. She reads the worry and pain in my face.

  “Marcus, what is it? Who is that guy?” she pleads.

  “His name is Solin. He is a Shadow Servant created by the Council. He was created as a courtesy to the Angels who had come to love humanity. Solin’s job is to inform Guardians when a close human family member on earth has died.”

  Keeping Solin outside will in no way discourage him from delivering his news. It’s rumored that Solin once waited an entire cycle in front a Guardian’s home to break the news that the Guardian’s sister had died. Solin was created with an infinite amount of patience. The other thing about Solin, I explain to Emmy, is that he brings with him a gift; a gift that no one wants to hold on to.

  “What kind of gift?” Emmy asks.

  “It’s called an Irah. It’s a metal band that goes around your wrist. It’s surrounded by swirls of light that form a pattern. The pattern will tell you if the human ended up in the light or the house of fire after they were judged,” Miku explains.

  “So you guys have to wear this horrible thing and wait to find out if the person you love is going to Omnis or to Lucy?” Emmy asks, mor
tified.

  “Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Jay says bitterly.

  “You know Solin is not here for your mom,” Miku says trying to ease his mind.

  “And even if she is, at least you know once we put everything back together, your Mom will be headed for the light,” Ameana says distantly.

  That’s the thing about having Solin here: it forces you to take a good look at the human you love. What were they really like? What kind of heart did they have and do they deserve to go Omnis?

  “Just because my Mom is a good person doesn’t mean it’s okay for her to die. My family still needs her. We love her and she’s…” Jay can’t bring himself to continue.

  He loves his mother so much, the first few months after he died, he couldn’t even bring himself to mention her. He was certain that every time Solin came it was for him. Miku on the other hand sort of waited for Solin. I think part of her wanted her father to die and go to Lucy. I would never say it to her but I don’t believe she ever truly forgave him. But then again, who could?

  Ameana also fears Solin’s arrival. Yes, her mother killed her but knowing that her mom died, would weigh on her. And given what we know about Mrs. Jones, she was a cruel and vicious woman who in all likelihood will go to the house of fire.

  “Okay, we all know how this goes. The fact is Walking Winter is here and we need to face it,” I announce to the team.

  “Walking Winter?” Emmy asks.

  “According to the Guardians Solin visits, when he first places the Irah around your wrist, there is a cold, frozen spark that shoots up your body and makes you feel like you’ve experienced a thousand winters,” Miku explains.

  “Sounds like something out of ‘Game of Thrones,’” Alex says.

  “Yeah, but this isn’t a fantasy. Solin is very real and we need to face him. Whoever he’s coming for, we will do our best to support. Is that understood?” I ask.

  They all agree. We open the door and let “Walking Winter” in. Once he enters, he surveys the room and addresses us with a slight nod.

  “Could you be at the wrong place?” Miku asks.