The Brotherhood: Awakening Book II - 27. Chapter 27

The Brotherhood: Awakening

Chapter XXVII

By X

 

 

The light poured into the room, shapeless and fluid; its brilliance enveloped every inch of the expansive living room. I basked in its warmth as if sunbathing on a beach.

Sunny reacted differently.

"Nave..." he hissed angrily. With little regard for his safety, Sunny leaped in front of me, daggers in hand, ready to serve as my protector. "Stay behind me, Jacob."

He was too cute.

Like a black hole sucking up all matter around it, the light in the room retracted into a center focal point and gradually took shape.

“You rang?” The voice came before its physical host appeared.

“What the hell?” Sunny looked over his shoulder at me, utterly shocked. “You called him here?”

“Well…technically, I texted him,” I shrugged innocently.

“Jacob!” Sunny was not amused. “When? I’ve been with you this whole…oh, wait, the bathroom.”

He looked at me accusingly.

I shrugged.

“Ugh! I thought you got sucked off by Jayden and didn’t want to tell me.”

“Yeah, I get it. I did bad. You can yell at me later. For now, put those away before you hurt yourself.” I reached for his daggers, hoping to disarm him, but he brushed my hand away in silent protest.

“I’d do as he says. It’s Sunny, right?”

“Sundryn to you.”

“Very well, Little Skai.”

Sunny's weapons suddenly fell to his side as he straightened from his fighting stance. With his guard totally down, he shot me an annoyed look. "Did he just call me Little Skai?"

“Maybe…”

He growled under his breath.

“I think it’s kinda cute,” I shrugged whimsically.

Sunny wasn’t amused.

“What is he doing here, Jacob?” he demanded.

“A question I find myself asking as well,” Q said as he looked around the room.

“I thought maybe he could help.”

"Help?" Sunny yelped. "What do you mean help? He can't help us." He pointed at Q with his dagger. "He shouldn't even be here!"

His weapons suddenly vanished in a swirl of black smoke. He shook his head, then vigorously rubbed his face as if trying to rouse himself from a dream. “Oh god, we’re so getting kicked out of The Sanctum.”

"Okay, now you're just being dramatic," I insisted, but the truth was I had no idea how the higher-ups would react. Truth be told, to save the boy's life, I jumped into the fire without considering the consequences. It wasn't until Sunny mentioned The Sanctum that I considered their retribution. Worse still, I grabbed Sunny's hand and dragged him down with me. Was I trading his future with The Sanctum for the boy's life?

“I’m being dramatic?” He was offended by the accusation. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? This was a me and you mission. Not a me, you, and your Nave boyfriend mission. Like…I don’t even know…how do we even…”

“Sunny, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I was trying…”

“You’re sorry? You’re sorry?” He pointed at Q with both hands as if presenting him to the world. “This wasn’t an accident, Jacob. You can’t ‘sorry’ your way out of it to The Sanctum.”

“I’m getting that now…”

“Oh, now you get it.”

“Sunny, I…”

“Quiet!” Q ordered.

We were both shocked by his thunderous tone and immediately fell silent.

“Is there a child crying?” Q’s eyes darted between the two of us.

The mention of “a child crying” elevated Drew’s soft whimpers to hysterical screams for help.

“Okay, so here’s the thing…” I started to explain, but Q pushed past us, uninterested.

“Hey!” Sunny’s objection fell on deaf ears.

Q’s eyes flashed, and the cabinet door swung open. The boy took one look at the man with the glowing white eyes and let out a shriek that would turn anyone’s blood cold.

“Shhh…” Q said softly, and the boy was out cold within a second. A blanket of light wrapped around his small frame and lifted him out of the cabinet. We watched silently as his small floating body followed behind Q. He walked to the center of the living room, sat on the edge of the coffee table, and gently laid the boy across the sofa.

Sunny and I shuffled timidly behind the sofa to see what Q was doing. We were still hesitant about making a sound, half-expecting Q to bite our heads off.

Drew's face was tear-stained and covered in snot. To make matters worse, he had vomited at some point, and a mixture of orange Kool-Aid and what I hoped were Oreo cookie chucks dripped down his chin, neck, and chest. The poor kid was a complete mess. My heart went out to him, especially considering his fate was still in limbo.

Q carefully brushed the boy’s hair away from his face. “Why is he all wet?”

“He was in the pool before we arrived,” I answered.

Q's hand emitted a soft glow as he waved it over the boy's body. Within seconds, the child was dry and cleaned up, peacefully sleeping. I was taken aback by Q—specifically by how he looked at the boy. There was a softness in Q's eyes that seldom surfaced. It was heartwarming yet perplexing as hell.

Q isn't an emotionless monster incapable of feeling. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, Q is still Q, so he guards his emotions closely, particularly in the presence of others—especially Skai.

“What was that?” I asked.

“What was what?” Q answered, still looking at the child.

“You cracked a smile just now. I mean, barely, but it was there for a hot second. You don’t smile for anyone.”

"He reminds me of someone from my past," Q offered fondly.

“Really?” I snickered. “Hang out with many eight-year-olds, do you?”

“Once. A very long time ago,” he said cryptically.

“Okay…weird.”

Q shifted his gaze from Drew to me. "So, why am I here?

Before I could speak, Sunny seized my arm and instructed, "Don't. This doesn't involve him."

“Ah, right,” Q mused, adjusting the boy's hair for the last time. “The child is an Enlightened, I see.”

“He’s an Aberration!” Sunny countered bitterly.

"Of course he is," Q's mocking tone wasn’t making him any friends. "The big bad Sanctum, trembling in their boots, dispatched a couple of agents to eradicate this fearsome, menacing eight-year-old threat to their existence. Thank god you’re here to save them."

Sunny leaned forward about to lunge over the sofa at Q like a rabid spider monkey. “Whoa, there, killer!” I quickly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back against my chest.

“Was it something I said?” Q asked innocently.

“Q, you’re not helping!” I said through gritted teeth.

“You’re right,” Sunny agreed, breaking free of my hold. “He’s not helping because he can’t. This has nothing to do with him or The Brotherhood. He shouldn’t be here, Jacob.”

“I hear you.”

“I don’t think you do.”

“I couldn’t just blindly off this kid. He’s innocent in this conflict between the Skai and Nave. It didn’t seem fair that his life should end because El’odians can’t get along.”

“‘Didn’t seem fair,” Sunny repeated with air quotes, shaking his head in disbelief. “Jacob, this isn't some fairytale where everyone gets a happy ending. This is the real world where hard choices are made, and this is one of them.”

“It doesn’t make it right,” I shouted.

“No one is saying it does!” Sunny shouted back. “I don’t want to do this either, but it’s reality. Our reality.”

“There’s no harm in looking for another way,” I insisted. “Maybe Q can take the boy with him.”

Sunny’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Are you nuts?!”

Fortunately, Q put Drew into an El'odian sleep because Sunny's shouting could have woken the dead. "That contradicts our mission, Jacob. We were sent here to eliminate a threat, and your brilliant idea is to hand it over to the enemy."

“Okay, fine, not my shining moment, I admit, but we shouldn’t dismiss the idea that Q could help just because he’s Nave.”

“I agree,” Q said.

“Thank you!” I smiled.

“Oh, color me surprised,” Sunny sneered, rolling his eyes. “Of course, you’d side with Jacob.”

“Actually, I’m agreeing with you,” Q clarified.

“What?” Sunny spat incredulously.

“Yeah, what?” I echoed.

“‘You’ who?” Sunny asked, placing his hands on his chest. “‘You’ as in me?”

“Yes, Little Skai.”

“Well, would you look at that,” Sunny looked at me, beaming with pride. “Who would’ve thought?”

“Oh, so ‘Little Skai’ doesn’t bother you now.”

Sunny shrugged. “It’s growing on me.”

“And you,” I said, turning to face Q. I slapped my hands down on the back of the sofa. “Whose side are you on anyway?”

“Yours, always,” he said lovingly, “but that doesn’t mean I give you a pass when you’re wrong; in this case, your friend is in the right.”

Sunny pushed into me and whispered, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m almost starting to like him.”

I shrugged him off my shoulder.

“This is Skylarian business,” Q continued matter-of-factly. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“You’re saying I should have killed him?”

Q didn’t say anything, but the seriousness in his gaze answered for him.

"I can't believe this," I murmured, turning away from the sofa and running both hands through my hair. "I can't believe I'm the only one here not okay with taking the life of a child."

Sunny began to protest, but Q interrupted him mid-sentence.

“No one here is okay with harming a child. I would get no joy out of that, and I suspect your little Skai friend wouldn’t either.”

“Of course not,” Sunny confirmed.

“But this is about the mission, not your feelings, Jacob.”

I could tell he had more to say, but he held back. I don’t think he wanted to appear to be dressing down his boyfriend in front of Sunny.

"Anyway..." Q's voice tapered off, and I caught a glimpse of a brilliant white light from the corner of my eye. For a moment, I feared Q had vanished, leaving me to clean up the mess I’d made. However, when I turned around, I saw Q with his hand over Drew's chest, casting a radiant glow over the boy.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Sunny and I both stepped behind the sofa again.

“You asked me to help, so I’m helping,” he replied.

Sunny looked at me. “What in the hell is he doing?”

“Didn’t you hear me just ask that question?”

“No, not really.”

I could barely make out Drew’s body as the light intensified. After a few minutes, the illumination began to fade. When it was fully extinguished, a tiny bead of light, about the size of a grain of rice, floated out of his chest and landed on Q’s hand.

“It’s done,” Q proclaimed.

“What’s done?” Sunny and I asked in unison.

“You were sent here to eliminate the child because he carried our Anavi, correct?”

We nodded.

“Now he doesn’t. I’ve removed it.”

“You can do that?” I asked Q, and then I turned to Sunny. “They can do that?”

“How would I know?” Sunny said wide-eyed. “I’ve never heard of a Nave doing this before.”

"Well, now you can report your discovery to The Sanctum. At the very least, it should earn you some brownie points. You're welcome."

"Q!" I scolded in the best "disappointed dad" voice I could muster.

“Or perhaps it’s information The Sanctum didn’t think you needed to know. The point is the child is no longer a threat.”

“We’ll see about that.” Bending over the sofa, Sunny extended his hand, now cloaked in shadow, over Drew's body, probing for the faintest trace of Anavi. "Nothing. I sense no Anavi in the boy." A smile stretched across his lips. “He’s no longer an Aberra…”

“An Enlightened,” Q interrupted.

The smile faded as he glared at Q.

“Is that it?” I asked, pointing at the bright dot hovering in Q’s hand. “That tiny bit of light was the cause of all this?”

“That tiny bit of light could’ve created a warrior of unimaginable power,” Sunny added.

“True,” Q agreed as the luminous speck pulsated erratically before dissipating completely. “I guess now we’ll never know.”

It reminded me of watching my memories fade into oblivion.

“Does this count?” I asked, looking at Sunny.

He shrugged. “This is so out of left field I don’t know what Raz will say. The point was to eliminate the threat to our people, so I guess…mission accomplished?”

“I like the sound of that,” I smiled. “What happens to the boy now?”

“I’ll wake up the nanny. She can stay with him until his mom gets home,” Sunny stated.

“The mom won’t be coming home,” Q asserted as he looked down at Drew.

“How do you know that?” I inquired, looking between Q and Sunny.

“Look at the urn over the fireplace.”

Sure enough, a silver urn inscribed with “Beloved Mother and Wife” was on the mantle.

“Now what? We can’t just leave him here.”

“I mean, there’s still the nanny,” Sunny said, nodding toward the patio.

“That’s not good enough. This kid is about to go through a world of grief, and I don’t…”

“I will take care of the child,” Q declared.

“Ha, you’re about to be a dad,” Sunny joked while elbowing me in the ribs.

“No,” Q said flatly. “I will take him to a place where he will be happy and want for nothing.”

“He must have other family members who could care for him,” I suggested, glancing at Sunny as if he knew.

He merely shrugged.

“That doesn’t matter now,” Q said, touching Drew’s bare chest. A ribbon of Anavi wrapped around the boy as if being mummified, but when the light faded, his swimming trunks were replaced with jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie.

Drew remained peacefully asleep but shifted onto his side, clutching Q's hand and holding it close to his chest. The innocence of the scene was almost overwhelming.

“Of course, it matters,” I argued. “His family will be able to help him through his grief.”

I saw Q gently squeeze Drew’s hand. “There will be no grief,” he affirmed boldly, his eyes still fixed on the child.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“He will remember this night as a bad dream.”

“What about his father?”

“He’ll wake up with the memory of losing his parents at the same time, years ago. He’s moved past his grief, barely even remembers it, and is now living a full and happy life.

“I mean, that sounds great and all, but should we really screw with his memories like that?” I asked.

“The alternative is letting this boy get crushed under the weight of losing his only parent. I see no reason why he should endure such pain when I can prevent it.”

“I’m just saying. It’s his pain to process. Maybe we shouldn’t take…”

“Remind me again, why isn’t his father coming home tonight?” Q’s accusatory gaze shifted between me and Sunny.

We said nothing. The answer was obvious.

“Exactly. So, let’s not stand around debating the ethics of changing this boy’s reality for the better. The fact is, none of this would be necessary if you had done your duty.” Q stared at me. I felt like I’d been hit.

“Oh shit,” Sunny mumbled, snapping his head in my direction.

The room got quiet as the three of us exchanged glances. Q and I were the main players in this silent game of stare-tag. Poor Sunny just looked lost.

I felt like I was sucker punched and had the wind knocked out of me. I couldn’t believe he still thought I should’ve gone through with it, especially after showing Drew such warmth and affection. His contradiction didn’t make any sense. Was Q having a schizophrenic moment or something?

Sunny leaned close and whispered, “This is getting way too weird, even for me. I’ll wait for you outside.” He gave my arm a quick squeeze before turning to leave. “Take your time.”

Sunny got about halfway to the door before he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Q. “Thank you.” He left without waiting for a response, closing the door behind him as he stepped outside.

I walked away as well and stood in front of the fireplace. Q’s footsteps followed closely behind. I pretended to admire the pictures and figurines displayed alongside the urn on the mantel, but honestly, I didn’t want to look at Q.

“So, I should’ve just killed the kid, right?”

“Yes,” Q replied unemotionally, his voice soft yet firm. “If that was your mission, it was your duty to see it through.”

“You make it sound so simple,” I scoffed.

“Because it is.”

“Is it? I can see you are fond of the kid for some reason. Could you have done it?”

Q didn’t answer right away. I saw his reflection in the highly polished urn as he looked back at Drew. "I admit, seeing boy stirred up some memories from my past."

“What does that even mean?”

Q sighed. “When I awoke in this new world, I was lost, disorientated, and weak. A human family took me in and cared for me while I slowly regained my strength.”

I saw Q's reflection turn back to me.

“It was a family of little means: a father and his sons, who had also lost their beloved wife and mother. I grew close to the brothers, especially the youngest, an eight-year-old boy. He became my…little buddy.”

I smiled despite myself. Hearing the words “little buddy” leave Q’s lips was too fucking adorable.

“But regardless of whatever memories this child elicits, if the situation were reversed and he was infected with Askyli…he would be dead right now. Like you, it’s my duty to eliminate any threat to The Brotherhood and those I hold dear.”

“And that crack you made about The Sanctum being afraid of little kid? You’re no better.”

“I said that to get under your friend’s skin.”

“So, you were being a dick for no reason?”

I saw him shrug through the reflection. “I wouldn’t say no reason. He is Skai, after all. The point is, yes, we would’ve feared what the boy could become if he had Askyli in his system.” I saw him look at Drew again. “I’m okay with that not being the case.” His gaze hung on the boy for a moment before he returned his attention to the back of my head. “I worry about you, Jacob. Stunts like this will only hurt you in the long run. You’re already walking a fine line by being with me. It kills me that I can’t be there with you…to protect you. I don’t want you alienating yourself from your people, but that’s exactly what will happen if they can’t rely on you to fulfill your duties as a Skai.”

“Maybe I fucked up tonight,” I conceded halfheartedly. “Maybe. But you make it sound like they’re going tie me to a pole in front of a firing squad. That’s not going to happen. They’re more reasonable than that.”

“One hopes,” Q added.

“They’re my brothers, Q. I think I know them better than you.”

“And I think I know what it means to be a leader in this conflict,” Q said sternly. “I love all my brothers dearly. You know that.”

“Your point being?”

“Do you know what I would do to a Naverian warrior who comprises a mission because he can’t separate his personal feelings from the objective of protecting The Brotherhood?”

“Is this a rhetorical question or…”

“He’d be cocooned and put to sleep after having his powers bound, only to be awakened again after the war. I wouldn’t love him any less, but I couldn’t allow one soldier to compromise the security and well-being of The Brotherhood. It wouldn’t happen after one offense, but if it becomes a pattern…”

“How merciful of you,” I interrupted snidely.

“Yes…mercy. Let's hope your superiors are more merciful than I would have been for neglecting your duty.”

“You keep repeating that word,” I said softly.

“What word?”

“Duty. It’s your duty. It’s my duty. Duty. Duty. Duty.” I was beyond annoyed. “Well, if that’s the case…” I spun around, katana in hand, and pressed the blade to Q’s neck. “When full-blown war inevitably breaks out, I should just kill you then? That is what you’re saying, right? That’s what would be expected of me as Skai. It would be my duty!”

Q never flinched.

I pressed the blade harder against his skin. Its eiyrlin crackled and pulsated with Askyli against his skin. “What say you, General Commander of the Naverian army? Should I kill you the moment I get the chance?”

“Yes.”

The chill in his tone made me shutter. My hand trembled, causing me to drop the katana and step back. The sword hit the floor with a loud “clang” and vanished in a cloud of dark smoke. “Are you out of your fucking mind? You think I should kill you?”

“If it’s between me and the survival of your entire race…yes.”

His cold, calculating responses were pissing me off. “You are out of your mind.”

“No, I’m being honest. When war breaks out, the best thing you can do for your people is take me out. That’s just a fact, Jacob.”

“And you’re okay with that?” I’m sure I was shouting.

“No. It would be quite the bummer, actually.”

“This isn’t funny, Q!”

“I’m not trying to be.”

“That means you’d be okay killing me? Because it’s your duty?”

“I could never and would never hurt you, Jacob.”

“What the fuck? Then you’re a hypocrite!”

“I’m a realist.”

“Bullshit. I have to kill you, but you can give me a pass.”

He placed his hands behind his back and took several steps toward me. “How do I say this without coming off as a complete dick?”

“Why stop now?”

“Ouch,” Q snickered. “No offense, Jacob, but I’ll be the more significant piece on the board in a war. I’ll need to be eliminated. You, I’m happy to say, will not.”

“That’s you not being a dick?”

“It’s a work in progress,” he slipped his hands into mine and pulled them behind my back.

“So, you’re saying I’m just a pawn?”

“Not at all.” He pulled me close until I was pressed against him. “I was thinking more like a knight or rook – still very important, but not the main objective.”

“Don’t try and get cute with me. I’m still pissed at you.”

“Are you? Really?”

“Yes! I can’t believe you think I should kill you.”

“I never said I’d be happy about it. I’m just laying out…”

“Just shut up before I actually kill you!”

Q tried to kiss me, but I looked away in protest, and he ended up planting one right on my Adam’s apple.

He laughed. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Something is bothering you. I can tell.”

“I didn’t want the kid to die.”

“I understand, but there’s more to it than that.”

I avoided his gaze by counting the lights on the chandelier. There were eight. Nine if you count the light strip interwoven between the chain links that affixed the chandelier to the ceiling.

“Jacob…”

“What makes you think there’s something else wrong with me? Trying to save a kid's life isn’t enough?”

“You pulled your sword on me, for starters. Not only did you pull it out, but it was imbued with your Askyli.”

“Yeah, but can my Askyli even hurt you?” I asked, trying to downplay the severity of the situation. “Hell, I’ve swallowed your Nave load, and I’m still standing.”

“Not the point, and you know it. What’s going on?”

With a heavy sigh, I finally looked at Q, whose face was so close to mine that I rested my forehead against his. “I’m going home in a couple of days.”

I didn’t follow up on the statement with anything else, which confused Q.

“And…that’s a bad thing?” he asked.

“It is if they don’t recognize me,” I shrugged meekly.

“Are you planning to change your face in the next few days?”

“Don’t be dumb.”

“Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jacob.”

“This will be the first time I've seen my parents since my life turned upside down. How do I sit down to dinner with them like everything is normal? What do I say? ‘Hey, can you pass the sweet potatoes? Oh, and by the way, I was sent on a mission to kill a guy and his son. The son part was problematic for me, but killing his father was kind of meh.’”

“Well, I wouldn’t lead with that.”

“I’m serious!”

“So am I,” Q insisted. “Nothing kills a dinner vibe more than talking murder and assassinations.”

“Q!”

“Jacob, you’re going to be fine. When you show up on their doorstep, all they’ll see is the boy they raised and love. Being Skai doesn’t change that.”

“But I am different.”

“Obviously, but that doesn’t change how they feel about their son. Why would it?”

“What if I see them differently?”

“Ah, so we finally arrived,” he said softly. “This has nothing to do with your parent’s feelings towards you. You’re afraid your feelings will change because they’re human. That you’ll feel nothing, just like you felt nothing for that boy’s father. Yet, you fought for the child.” I felt him press harder against my forehead. “You’re trying to hold on to a sliver of your humanity.”

“No one likes a know-it-all.”

"Just let it go," Q continued. "It's a battle not worth fighting. You are El'odian. Not some soulless monster. We Love. We feel. We grieve. We avenge. You don't need to be human to feel those emotions." He kissed me suddenly. "Just be Jacob."

“What if that’s not enough? What if I’m more Akuzio than Jacob?”

“You are love and compassion personified,” Q replied warmly. “Trust me, both Akuzio and Jacob are more than enough.”

I kissed him hard and passionately. His words gave me the courage I didn’t know I was lacking. I thought I was afraid of losing my humanity. I was, in fact, terrified of losing my family. I don’t know why I equated one with the other. I’ve experienced El’odian love. It was foolish to think I couldn’t extend that love to my human family.

A loud cough rang out behind us and forced us apart.

“Um, just checking to make sure everything is good.”

“Everything is fine, Sunny.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll keep waiting outside then.”

“I’ll be right out.”

“Cool. Cool.”

When he didn’t leave, I looked past Q, who joined me in staring Sunny down. He stood there, oblivious to our gaze, looking around the room.

Now, I was the one clearing my throat to get his attention.

“Oh, right,” he said awkwardly. “I’ll be on the front step.”

“Yeah, got it. Thanks.”

“Interesting friend,” Q said.

I smiled, “Yeah, he’s great.”

Q looked towards the front door. “Something about him reminds me of CJ, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Trust me, you’re not far off,” I laughed. “Anyway, thanks for coming.”

“You called; I came. Of course, I came. But, in the future, when it comes to Skylarian business…”

“I know, I know, leave you out of it.”

“Good,” he said before kissing me one last time. “By the way, what’s this about you getting blown in a bathroom?”

“No one was getting blown in a bathroom,” I assured him, spinning him around and pushing him towards Drew. “Well, except for Sunny, that is.”

“Oh, so that’s where the CJ connection comes in?”

I laughed. “You don’t know the half of it.”

I watched Q gently scoop Drew up into his arms. The boy yawned and instinctively cuddled against his chest. Never in a million years would I have pictured Q with a child in his arms, not holding it the way he held Drew. He gave off tender “daddy” vibes; I lived for it. I couldn’t help but stare at Q, wondering if he ever saw kids in his future.

“What’s that look for?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Nothing,” I shrugged dismissively while caressing the boy’s hair. “Are you sure he’s going to be all right?”

“He’s going to fine, Jacob; more than fine. I promise.”

“Oh shit! What about the nanny? She’s probably still passed out cold in the back. We can’t just leave her here. They’ll think she did something to the kid.”

“I’ll take care of everything. No one is going to miss anyone. Now go.”

“Okay…” I kissed my fingers, then slapped them hard against Q’s forehead – with love.

“The hell!”

As I walked away, I said, "I still can't believe you think I should kill you."

“It’d be a sound tactical decision, Jacob.”

“Yeah, well, you’re a tactical idiot for suggesting something so stupid!” I stopped at the door and turned to face Q. “And another thing…”

The room flooded with his radiance before he disappeared with the boy.

“You better run!” I walked out, closing the door behind me while mumbling to myself. “I should kill you just to see how much you like it.”

“Who we killing?” Sunny asked. He was biting his nails and pacing back and forth.

“Nobody,” I replied, shifting my eyes like I was watching a tennis match. “What are you doing?”

“Thinking of a way to explain all this to Raz.”

“Oh…” I nodded knowingly. “Well, don’t worry. You won’t have to explain anything to Raz.”

Sunny stopped dead in his tracks, looking at me like my brain was oozing out of my ear. “We can’t lie to him, Jacob.”

“Obviously,” I laughed. “But you don’t need to explain anything. This is on me. I’ll report to Raz and tell him everything first thing in the morning.”

“No, I can’t let you do that.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to see you get in trouble. No, I’ll take the fall. I already screwed up the thing with Aulus, so screwing this up wouldn’t be too far-fetched.”

“And how exactly will you explain Q’s presence here without lying to Raz?”

Stopping momentarily, Sunny snapped his finger and admitted, “That’s the part I haven’t figured out yet.”

I laughed and grabbed him by the shoulders to stop him from pacing. “You’re not doing this.”

“I’m your guardian. It’s my job to protect you.”

“Yes, it is,” I smiled, touching his cheek. “But protecting me doesn’t mean protecting me from the consequences of my actions. This is my mess. You did your duty. I’ll do mine.”

“Yeah, but…”

I covered his mouth. “Just no!”

He kept yapping into my hand, so I started whistling until he shut up.

“Fine!” Sunny conceded loudly and shoved my hand away. “I’m still going with you.”

“Fine!”

“Why are we yelling?!”

“I don’t know!”

We paused to appreciate the absurdity of our situation and busted out laughing.

“Okay, I’m off,” Sunny announced. “You should head back to The Club.”

“Wait, I thought we were going after Dom?”

“I am, but…”

“But what?” I flicked his forehead hard. “You were planning on leaving me behind?”

“Ouch!” He pushed me with one hand while rubbing his forehead with the other. “I told you, things are going to get dark with Dom, and considering how things played out tonight, I didn’t think you’d…”

“Well, you thought wrong,” I interrupted. “This is Zac we’re talking about. I’ll tear that fucker from limb to limb and smile while I do it.”

Sunny grinned wickedly. “That’s on my list. All right, let's go.” Slapping my arm, Sunny’s wings exploded from his back in a veil of fire before he flew away.

“List?” I shouted. “What list?”

 

* * *

A hop, skip, and gate jump later, we strolled through the streets Zac walked not too long ago. Let me tell you, it wasn’t exactly the nicest part of town. The area looked like it was pulled straight out of some dystopian hell hole. It was dark and dingy, with every other streetlight struggling to stay lit. Trash littered the streets, and businesses had bars guarding their windows and doors or were boarded up with flimsy pieces of wood. You’d think they were closed for business, but you’d be mistaken.

And the smell! Every alley we passed unleashed a unique blend of urine, old grease, and the not-so-pleasant aroma of decaying meat into the air. Cats were sitting on top of the dumpsters, rats scurrying below them, and at least one human was standing, leaning, or lying nearby. They appeared to be living in harmony.

We walked four blocks and were repeatedly approached for “some back-alley fun” by both men and women. Others straight up offered drugs, or a “taste,” as they put it. It didn’t help that we stood out like sore thumbs. I’m sure Sunny’s fancy clothes and my “fresh-faced boy next door” look weren’t too common around those parts.

It was a depressing sight. Many of those people were hanging on by a thread. With their best days behind them, they did whatever they could to survive. And then there were the young—the forgotten, robbed of their future, heading down a hellish road they were never meant to travel.

This was Zac’s home.

“What are we doing here?” I asked Sunny, taking in the misery before me. “I thought the bar this fucker operated out of was out in the woods in the middle of nowhere.”

“It is,” he replied.

“Well, I don’t see any trees, and we’re definitely in the middle of somewhere. I think it’s hell.”

“We’re meeting up with the kid who gave me the info on Dom. He wanted to meet face-to-face. You know, to see if I’m the real deal.”

“The real deal for what?”

“To get him and his friends out from under the boot of that shit bag.”

I laughed. “Boy, he’s going to be disappointed.”

Sunny snapped his head in my direction, looking offended. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m cute.”

“That’s my point,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You don’t exactly inspire fear and terror in the hearts of men. You’re more like a plushie you snuggle at night.”

“Laugh all you want, but I take that as a compliment,” Sunny said proudly, placing his hand on his chest. “I’m a master cuddler. Besides, I can end Dom like that.” He snapped his fingers.

“He doesn’t know that! He’ll take one look at you and probably ask, ‘Where’s the rest of you?’”

“You worry too much.”

“Just saying, when he runs away…”

“Hold up,” Sunny interrupted, tapping me repeatedly on the arm. “I’m pretty sure that’s him over there.” After pulling up a picture on his phone and confirming his identity, Sunny grabbed my arm and dragged me across the street.

The kid was looking around nervously as we approached. He couldn’t have been much older than Zac – sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. He looked worn down and tired. It didn’t help that his clothes were dirty, and his jacket was tattered. How he hadn’t frozen to death was beyond me. Yet, when he saw us, there was a glint of something in his big blue eyes. Hope, maybe?

“Are you Sunny?” he asked anxiously, his head still on a swivel

“How did you know?”

“The way you described yourself over text,” he said, pointing at Sunny’s head. “We don’t get a lot of Asians with red hair down here.”

“It’s maroon, actually,” Sunny corrected him.

“He doesn’t care,” I corrected Sunny.

“Quick, hand over the money and walk down this alley.”

I peered into the dark, narrow space behind him and saw a rat slip behind a broken wooden crate. Oh, great.

The kid’s eyes nearly fell out of his sockets when Sunny pulled out a wad of cash and handed him a few hundred-dollar bills. I’m sure it was substantially more than the standard rate for his services. As he ushered us into the alley, he looked past me and nodded slightly toward a black car parked across the street.

Sweet. We’re getting robbed.

The kid led us down the narrow passageway between an unmarked brick building and something that appeared to be a pawn shop, although only the ‘paw’ and ‘hop’ were lit up on the sign. We went just far enough in to be out of view of the parked car.

“I don’t have much time, so let's make this quick,” he said.

“Why?” I asked, looking over my shoulder, expecting to see armed muggers coming our way.

“Who’s this?” he asked Sunny.

“He’s my brother. It’s cool.”

The kid nodded. “They watch us,” he said nervously, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them for warmth. “If I take too long, they’ll come looking to see what’s going on.”

“Who’s they?” Sunny asked.

“Dom’s men. They sit in their car while we work the street.”

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Just call me Skip.”

“Okay, Skip, I’m Jacob,” I smiled, offering my hand.

Skip looked utterly shocked, as if such a simple gesture was alien to him. When he shook my hand, I passed along a bit of my power to warm him up. He shivered, that good shiver you feel when you finally escape the cold.

“Oh wow, did you feel that?” he asked.

“Nope,” I said. “I didn’t feel anything. How many boys are out here with you?”

“There’s me. Andre is across the street. Billy and Little Ron are by the 7-Eleven, and Kas just took one of his johns up to the room they rent out in this building behind me.” Skip pointed to the unmarked brick building. “Where are the rest of your guys?”

“It’s just us,” Sunny said.

“What do you mean it’s just you?” The panic was beginning to set in. “You told me you were going to take care of Dom. You said if I helped you, we wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. You promised.”

“And I plan to do just that,” Sunny assured him.

“With just the two of you? Dom runs with a crew of at least eight guys. What do you plan to do against that?”

“It’s fine. We know Karate.”

“Karate!” He started breathing heavily while frantically running his hands through his hair. “You know karate?” Skip began pacing and mumbling to himself. “This was a mistake. This was a huge mistake!”

“Trust us, Skip.”

“Trust you?” he spat. “Do you have any idea what Dom will do to me after he puts a bullet in your head? I need to go! I need to go!”

Skip tried to run, but I snatched his arm and gently pushed him back.

I looked at Sunny and pushed the words “I told you this would happen” into his head. He looked back at me, rolled his eyes, and then focused on Skip.

It took me a few minutes, but we were able to calm him down enough to finally hear me out.

“My brother meant to say that it’s just us for now. We couldn’t bring our whole crew because it would’ve tipped Dom off that something was up. Trust me, Skip. We have another fifteen guys waiting in the woods around the bar to handle shit.”

“You do?” He turned to ask Sunny.

“Yes…what he said.”

“Look here,” I directed firmly, pulling up a picture we took after an intense training session with Eolaeis. Twenty brothers were in the picture, with Eolaeis smack in the middle.

“Is he going to be there?” Skip asked, pointing at the shirtless and muscular Eolaeis.

“Yes.”

He let out a massive sigh of relief.

I felt bad lying to the kid, but the fact was that Sunny and I were more than enough for these clowns, even if Skip didn’t know it.

“Are you good?” I asked.

He nodded while the color came back to his cheeks.

“Where is Dom now?” Sunny asked. “Is he at the bar?”

“No,” Skip said. “He’s probably cruising town, checking his spots, making collections and shit like that. He won’t head to the bar until he picks us up.”

“He comes to get you?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Every night between midnight and one, he pulls up in his shiny, new truck to pick us up and take us back to the bar where we pony up the cash we made for the night.”

“We can take you away from here now,” Sunny offered.

“No!” Skip said in a panic. “If I disappear, he’ll just take it out on the other guys. No. No way. Just be there tonight at the Loose Goose and keep your word.”

“I will,” Sunny assured him sincerely. “You’ll be free after tonight. No more Dom.” Moving closer to Skip, Sunny placed his hand on his shoulder. Skip flinched instinctively, but Sunny held his hand in place. “About tonight…you might see things.”

“What things?”

“Things you’ve never seen before.”

“Like what? Weird Karate moves?”

“Not exactly.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know,” Sunny said reassuringly. “Just trust me. No matter what happens tonight, you will be safe. Don’t be afraid. Don’t run away. No one will hurt you. Got it?”

Skip nodded, but he was clearly skeptical.

“We’ll be waiting at the bar,” Sunny continued. “When you get there, pull the other boys to the side and find a place to hide away from Dom and his men and keep them calm. We’ll handle everything else. Can I count on you for that?”

Again, he nodded.

“Good man,” Sunny smiled and patted Skip’s face.

“I wish Lucky were here,” Skip said. “He was way better at this than me.”

I looked at Sunny before asking, “Who’s Lucky?”

“That’s Zac’s ‘street name,’” Sunny answered with air quotes.

“Lucky? Seriously?”

“I know, right?” Sunny shook his head. “I’m so disappointed. He’s way more creative than that.”

I smiled while my heart broke. There was nothing lucky about Zac’s journey to us.

“That’s his real name?” Skip inquired. “Zac?”

We nodded.

“Is he okay?”

“More than okay,” I said proudly while Sunny pulled up a picture of them on his phone.

“Good. I’m glad.” Skip took the phone in his hand and stared at Zac’s picture for the longest time. He smiled warmly at the sight of him. “I can’t believe he made it out.” Slipping his finger over Zac’s picture, he shook his head in disbelief. “He looks different…happy.”

“I think he is.” Sunny sounded like a proud papa. It was cute. “That’s your future, too.”

“I don’t think so,” Skip said, handing Sunny his phone. “When you see him again, tell him…tell him Andy says hi.” Wiping his eyes, Skip cleared his throat and blew into his hands again. “Anyway, I should get back out there before they come looking for me. You guys can go the other way if you don’t want them to see you.”

“Will do,” I said.

He started to walk away, but he obviously didn’t want to. Every step was heavier than the last. “This is going to work, right?” He never turned around.

“Yes,” Sunny assured him.

Skip nodded and sprinted out of the alley in a hurry.

When he was out of sight, I backhanded Sunny across the chest. “Just the two of us with our expertise in Karate? You almost gave the kid a heart attack.”

“My bad!” Sunny hit me back. “Nice save, though.”

I rolled my eyes. “It was nice what you did for Skip.”

“Well, I haven’t done anything yet, but we will.”

“Yeah, you did. You gave him hope.”

Sunny seemed a bit overwhelmed by the praise as he shot into the air before I could shower him with more compliments. I trailed closely behind, shouting into the wind, gushing, and singing his praises. Despite his attempts to escape by weaving through the clouds like a daredevil, I stuck to him like a fighter jet locked onto its target.

“Will you shut up with that?” Sunny pushed me playfully when we landed in the wooded perimeter surrounding the Loose Goose.

“You’re my hero,” I insisted, batting my eyes and pinching his butt.

He punched me.

“This is it?” I asked. “Doesn’t look like much.”

“I told you it was a shit hole.”

Sunny wasn’t wrong. The place looked like it couldn’t pass a health inspection if it were the last bar on Eiyr and the inspector was blind. I guess health codes don’t matter if you’re using the place to run drugs, weapons, and other illegal shit.

“I don’t see a new truck, do you?”

“Nope,” I said, scanning the area. There was a row of motorcycles, two beat-up trucks, a somewhat new SUV with an empty boat trailer, and a blue Camry covered in rust, but nothing like Skip described. “He did say he wouldn’t show up until after he picked up the boys.”

“One can hope.”

“It’s too quiet for a bar with all those vehicles,” I mused. “Or am I crazy?”

“You’re not wrong. Come on, let's check it out.”

We emerged from the tree line and headed across the gravel parking lot toward the Loose Goose. The main entrance was to the right. It was a solid steel, dark red door. To the left ran a four-foot-long window completely covered in pull-tab signage, alcohol advertisements, and a mixture of half-peeled-off stickers. The obligatory assortment of neon lights that littered all bars were on, but I couldn’t hear anything. No voices, no loud music. And as someone with Superman-level hearing, it was unsettling. When we got to the door, I grabbed Sunny and pulled him back a bit before he could open it.

“I don’t like this,” I whispered. “Something feels off.”

“It’s me and you,” he whispered back. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

As if the universe was listening in, the door flew open, and a guy stumbled out, hunched over and clutching his stomach. Two steps into the night, he threw up all over the wooden walkway that led to the parking lot. I managed to sidestep the splah, but Sunny wasn't so lucky. He was ground zero. It got all over the bottom of his slacks and shoes.

“You motherfucker!” Sunny eyes went black. He raised his hand and formed a fireball wreathed in shadow in his palm. The Grim Reaper was about to visit this guy.

“Oh god,” the guy said while heaving. “He popped his head like a grape.”

That voice…

“Wait!” I shouted, clasping Sunny’s hand to extinguish the flame.

“Jacob, what the hell!” Sunny protested. “The fucker puked on me. That’s an automatic death sentence in my book.”

“Hold on!” I insisted, bending over to brush the guy’s hair from his face.

“Arsen?!”