Guardians: The Triplex (The Guardians Series, Book 4)

  “From what I understand, she’s used to that,” Choice replies smugly.

  Seriously, what is this chick’s problem?

  “Marcus, I can handle it,” Emmy says, looking up at the ceiling.

  “How bad is it going to be?” I ask.

  “Not as bad as ripping through her eye socket,” Chance replies as she heads toward the table.

  “How long will it take?” Ameana asks.

  “The entire night.”

  “Okay, I’ll stay with her.” I inform her.

  “Impossible. I need to concentrate.” Chance replies.

  “I’m not leaving her.”

  “Do you understand that even the slightest interruption can render her blind for the rest of her life? That is if she lives?”

  “Your father did this to all of you?” I ask.

  “Yes, he did,” they answer all at once.

  I hate that.

  “And how were you able to endure?” Miku inquires.

  “Simple. He taught us at an early age that love is pain. I would think the human would know that since that’s what loving you has brought her so far,” Choice says.

  I exchange a look with Jay and he, too, is baffled by Choice’s reaction towards me. Ameana is enjoying this moment although she’s polite enough to try and hide it.

  “The sooner we do this, the sooner we get our freedom. So please, leave the room so we can begin,” Chance orders us.

  “I’m not gonna let her get hurt again,” I inform them.

  “I’m sorry, I was under the impression you had no other option. Has an option presented itself since we last spoke?”

  “No.”

  “Then can we get on with it?”

  I look around the room and the team seems to agree; there is no other way.

  I go over and take Emmy’s hand in mine.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” she says.

  “I think I’m supposed to be giving you the pep talk here.”

  “Oh, so you’ve done this before?” she jokes.

  “Can you guys give us a minute?” I ask the others. Chance is about to object but then she thinks better of if and she ushers everyone out.

  Once we’re alone, Emmy sits up.

  “You don’t have to be brave for me. It’s okay if you’re scared,” I tell her.

  “Listen, it sounds like there’s a chance something could go wrong,” she cautions me.

  “Nothing is gonna go wrong.”

  “Just listen, if it does, you have to make sure they keep going. The map is more important that me. Remember you promised, right?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “And if I don’t make it, give Ms. Charlotte to Ben. She really likes him. Tell Uncle Max that I love him. Tell the team…thank you. And when you start blaming yourself, like I know you will…remember, I would do it all over again,” she says beaming.

  I gently pull her towards me and kiss her deeply, desperately, and maybe for the last time. A rush of longing flows through me. It’s only then that I realize it’s not about wanting Emmy. It’s about needing her.

  Dear Omnis, I need her. I need her. I need her…

  All too soon there is a knock on the door. It’s time to let Chance and her sisters cast the Dy out of Emmy. I didn’t think I would ever dread anything more than knowing she’s going to suffer…

  The sisters enter and signal that it’s time for me to leave. I kiss my girl on the forehead and tell her that I’ll see her soon. She smiles sadly, traces my lips with her fingers, then lays down on the table.

  As I walk by Chance, I address her with in a steely tone.

  “If she dies, you die.”

  *********************

  The minute she screams, I run to break the door down and go get her. Jay Glides ahead to me. The screaming coming from the room is far worse than back in the castle because unlike the castle, I’ve actually given permission for her to be tortured.

  “Move,” I order him.

  “Yo, you need to be cool.”

  “You need to get out of my way,” I warn.

  She screams again.

  “Jay, move!”

  “Marcus, if you enter now, you could cause Chance to lose focus and injury Emmy.”

  “You could do much worse than injure her,” Rio says.

  She screams again. Each time her voice cuts me to my soul.

  “She needs me.”

  “What she needs is for you to stay out here,” Miku says gently.

  Emmy screams again. I put my fist through the opposite wall. The cracks spread down the corridor.

  “Marcus, enough, let’s take a walk,” Ameana says.

  “No. I’m not leaving her.”

  “I’m not asking. I’m telling you,” she says coldly.

  “Who are you to command me?”

  “I’m the second in charge. And when the first guy in charge is punching walls, I have the right to request we meet in private and discuss the situation.”

  “Fine,” I snap. I follow her to the garden. Emmy’s cries get further away but I can still hear her.

  “What is it?” I ask her impatiently.

  “Is this the way you’re being strong for her, falling apart?”

  “You don’t understand—”

  “Why? Because I don’t cry every second of the day? Marcus, I know more about hurt and loss than you can even begin to understand. You need to stay focused.”

  “What if she doesn’t survive this?”

  “You girlfriend has a lot of issues. But she doesn’t give up. She keeps going. She’s like a really annoying rash that won’t go away. No matter how many times you try to get rid of it,” she says almost to herself.

  “So you and Emmy will never get along even after everything?”

  “No.”

  “I get along with Wolf.”

  “Please, Wolf gets along with Demons, Sellers, telemarketers…”

  I laugh despite myself. Then Emmy does something that Ameana and I both know will cause me to stop the procedure: She calls out for me.

  “Marcus, Marcus, help me. Help me!”

  Ameana wisely steps in front of me. She’s about to argue but before she speaks, I back down, knowing she’s right.

  “Okay,” I relent, pacing up and down the garden.

  I run my hands through my hair as if it will make this all go away. Then something happens that’s almost as startling as Rage doing a good deed: My ex-girlfriend reaches out for me.

  Her embrace feels warm, welcoming, and familiar. The intoxicating scent of her hair causes my mind to flashback to another time. Back when we used to playfully chase each other across continents. Back when we shared ideas and inner thoughts.

  Back when we shared kisses and so much more…

  We slowly pull apart from the embrace. But the distance between us is too small for Angels who are just friends. I step back.

  “I…I should get inside…” I say apologetically.

  “Yeah, okay,” she says.

  I rush back to the Temple. Before I can open the door, Ameana calls out to me.

  “Marcus?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Nothing…” she says with a sad smile.

  I head back inside where I belong.

  **********************

  The next few hours are a hell that mankind can’t begin to understand. Finally, I see the sunrise through the windows.

  “It’s morning,” I announce, still unable to stop pacing.

  “How long has it been since she last cried out?” Rio says.

  “It been forty-six minutes and twenty seven seconds” I inform them.

  As much as her cries pain me, they let me know she’s alive. So her being silent makes me wonder if something didn’t go horribly wrong.

  Miku comes over and rests against me.

  “She’s gonna be okay, Marcus. It’s almost over,” she assures me.

  “Actually, it’s over,” Rio says.

  I ask him i
f he’s certain and he tells us Emmy’s Wave is reading “relieved.”

  I slowly enter the room. Chance tells me it’s okay to come all the way inside.

  “How is she?” I ask.

  “Weak, but otherwise okay.”

  I go over to her and stroke her hair. Her eyes are still closed. She moans softly.

  I can’t make out what she’s saying.

  “Emmy, what is it?”

  “I deserve ice cream,” she says in a hoarse whisper.

  “Okay, babe,” I shake my head as relief makes its way down my wings.

  “Big. Big. Ice cream,” she adds.

  “You got it,” I assure her.

  “Baby girl, I’m proud of you,” Jay tells her.

  “Thanks Jay. What happens now?”

  “We release all the specks that have gathered in the tube. The map should reassemble itself once it hits that air,” Charity says.

  “Since the Triplex was found by good, there should be a light that breaks into the sky. That light will summon the reflection of three Original Paras. Each one presents a Council member. Then the map will go into oblivion for another six hundred sixty-six years,” Rio tells her.

  “There’s only one possible problem,” Chance says.

  Of course there is…

  “What?” I ask, growing angrier because once again, the sisters withheld something from us.

  “If we missed even one speck from the human’s eyes, the map will be incomplete and the Para reflections won’t appear,” Choice says.

  “Does that mean the Dy will be cast back inside me?”

  “Yes, Emmy,” Charity says regretfully.

  “The only thing to do is cast it out onto the sky and see if all three Paras appear,” Chance says, as if it’s no big deal.

  So far, I’m not loving the Quo people…

  “If you missed a speck or two, we do this all over again?” Ameana asks.

  “No. The human will not survive another attempt,” Chance tells us.

  “Why the hell didn’t you mention all this to us in the beginning?” I bark.

  “Marcus calm down,” Rio says.

  “No, he’s right. You three are full of secrets. What else are you hiding?” Jay asks.

  “We should ask the same of you. Where is our Amulet?” Choice says.

  “You get it if, and only if, this works,” I reply.

  “Look, let’s just gather the specks and see what happens,” Charity reasons with the group.

  “This better work,” I caution the three of them.

  The triplets gather the tube and head outside. I help Emmy off the table and we all join the sisters in the garden. I look in Emmy’s eyes and although the map isn’t there anymore, her eyes are still a vivid purple.

  They prick the tube with the point of the needle. Gold specks leap out and take to the air. We wait with bated breath as the specks take the shape of the map and ascend to the sky.

  Emmy takes my hand. Rio places his hand on Jay’s shoulder.

  “Reese died so we could get to this moment,” Miku says softly. Ameana takes her hand. The map is so far up, it’s now the size of a star.

  Nothing happens.

  I tell the group to wait a little while longer.

  Nothing happens.

  Emmy squeezes my hand tighter and tells everyone to give it a few more seconds.

  Nothing happens.

  “Oh no,” Miku moans.

  Then, a Para is reflected in the sky.

  We’re all frozen with anticipation as we pray for Para number two.

  The second Para appears.

  “Yes!” Jay shouts.

  “Shhhh,” Rio says, as we look around for the third and final Para.

  We wait.

  We wait.

  We wait.

  Nothing happens.

  “DAMN IT!” I shout turning away from the sky.

  “Marcus—” Emmy begins.

  “No, this is wrong. After everything—”

  “Marcus—”

  “No, don’t tell me to calm down. This is crap!”

  “Marcus!”

  “WHAT???”

  She points her index finger towards the sky. And there, standing in a pool of brilliant light, is the third Para. The light from of all three bathes the entire sky.

  We rejoice so loud, we scare every living thing in the garden. I take Emmy up in my arms and throw her high up into the air. Jay and Rio embrace as does Miku and Ameana. We’re so euphoric, Rio jokes that our happiness is going to kill him.

  “We did it, baby!” Jay says picking Emmy up. She laughs and hugs him back. By then, all of us are spread out into the garden filled with a ridiculous amount of glee and energy. The sisters watch as we celebrate.

  Emmy and I look at each other from across the garden. We don’t need to use words. We know what the other is thinking and feeling.

  We proved everyone wrong. We loved the way we wanted to and we never gave up. Everyone was wrong about us; our love didn’t destroy us. It kept us alive…

  We are so insane with excitement, we almost forget about the Amulet. But as promised, I hand it over to Chance and she thanks us.

  “When will you be making your introduction to the Angel world?” Emmy asks.

  “Soon. It’s a delicate matter. We want to make sure it’s the right time,” Chance says.

  “Well, good luck,” Miku replies.

  “We’re sure you’ll want to celebrate,” Charity says to us.

  “I’m so ready to party. Let do this!” Jay announces.

  “You’re taken now. You have to ask Isabelle’s permission to party,” Ameana jokes.

  “Wait, seriously?” he says, fear inhabiting his face.

  All of us laugh mercilessly at Jay.

  I pull Emmy against me and wrap my arms around her from behind, and together we look out onto the most beautiful thing we’ve ever seen: A world no longer in danger.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN: REPLAY

  By the time we get back to New York City, every single Angel on earth has left us a Facebook message, text or voicemail. That is if they weren’t coming by our hotel in the plaza every five minutes. We’ve even had gift baskets filled with Snaps sent by the Original Paras.

  In addition, Angels visit us from every corner of the globe: London, Haiti, Japan, and Tibet. The Splash features all of us including Emmy, Wolf, Tony, and Isabelle. It was front page news:

  “THEYACTUALLY DID IT!!!

  The Sage dropped by to congratulate us on a job very well done. He said how happy he was that things worked out differently than he saw it. He asked when we were planning on going back to the Light.

  “We can stay until midnight of the New Year, so in a few days,” I tell him.

  “Enjoy yourselves,” he says kindly.

  There’s a party thrown in our honor just about every other day. I told the team that they could go to as many as they wanted. After all, work is over. We had found the map and eliminated every Akon. And Rage, if he survived the stabbing, would have his hands full with Lucy for failing to stop us.

  Emmy wanted to join in the parties, but I made her go to Daraquin and get a full checkup. It took only a few hours to return her to perfect health. Even so, she was made to stay in bed by the healers for a full two days.

  So what does my girl want to do now that she is healed and rested? Go to a romantic city? Go on a shopping spree? See the pyramids?

  No, Emmy wants to eat a gallon of rocky road ice cream on top of the Green Mountains. She dives into the container with gusto. I can’t help but laugh at her.

  “Hey, I have earned this! Don’t you dare make fun of me,” she warns.

  “You teeth are chattering.”

  “I do that so I can snuggle with you.”

  “You never need a reason to get next to me, you know that,” I reply.

  She moves closer and rests her head on my chest.

  “Seriously, we should fly down from here.”

  She pays no atte
ntion to me. After she downs half the gallon, she pushes for us to do the other thing she came up here to do.

  “This is crazy, Emmy. Christmas already passed,” I protest.

  “Well we were busy killing Demons then so we have to pretend like it hasn’t passed. Please, Marcus!”

  “I didn’t bring your gift with me.”

  “But you said--”

  “Okay, I may have remembered it,” I smile.

  “Yes!” she says, snuggling up to me.

  “Sitting here on the edge of these mountains with you…this is the happiest I’ve been.”

  “Marcus Cane don’t you use sweet words to distract me. Where’s my gift?” she says, bursting with excitement.

  “Okay, okay. Here.”

  I hand her a small black box tied with a gold ribbon. I told her we Angels don’t celebrate human holidays but she insisted that I share it with her. The last time I cerebrated Christmas was back when I was human. I spent it with my family. I didn’t know at the time it would be our last Christmas together.

  “Now if you don’t like it—” I start.

  “I don’t care if it’s sand. I just like that you thought about me.”

  “I’m always thinking about you. You’re hard to forget.”

  She kisses me and it feels like falling off the tallest mountain in the universe. It’s exhilarating. It’s intense. It’s like being alive again.

  Omnis, I will surrender all my lifetimes to have an extra day on earth with her…

  She pulls away from me gently and begins to unravel the ribbon. Watching her open the box, I suddenly start to miss the Christmases I won’t get to share with her. Then I think about the birthdays and New Years I’ll miss, too.

  When you die those things stop mattering, but then I fall for a human, and now, they’re all that matter…

  “It’s a Splash,” she says, before she lifts the globe out from the box.

  “It’s not a Splash because it’s not empty,” I correct her.

  She picks it up out of the box.

  “It’s a snow globe of a car in the snow.”

  “Whose car?” I ask her. She studies the orb closer.

  “That’s Jay’s car. Wait! That’s us inside the car!”

  “It’s called a Replay. It’s like a snow globe, but it’s alive. It’s been constructed from memory. That memory is then played out by mini Shadow Servants made to look like the people in the memory.”

  “That’s a mini Emmy and a mini Marcus inside Jay’s car. And over there is my apartment building,” she says tuning the grapefruit-sized orb in her hand.