Guardians: The Triplex Part 21

"Well, Marcus has had you for almost a year now. I think it's only fair that I get one night with you; as friends."

"What do you mean?"

"Hang out with me for a few hours. I've come a long way to be with you," he pleads.

"What about the team?"

"We'll surprise them in the morning. But for now, I really would love to just spend some time with you."

He takes my hand and Blinks me to the edge of a small fishing pond. There are trees and bushes all around us. Unlike Pyron, these trees are serene and tranquil.

"This is the place you and your family used to go fishing in, back when you were human."

"I'm flattered you remember."

"Of course I do. You used to drink river water and disappear into this memory."

"As often as I could. Now I get to share it with you."

He takes his sneakers off and starts walking into the lake.

"It feels so good; Emmy, you gotta get in here."

I shake my head and start to head back towards the sh.o.r.e.

"Reese, we have to go back. We're on a mission. We have to-"

"Don't do this to me, please. This is the only moment I get with you. Then it'll be morning and you'll be his again..."

The desperation in his voice breaks my heart. I remember him in my room telling me he's been wanting to kiss me for a long time. I recall him telling me, how when he was human, he stood in his room earnestly learning lines from a poem for girl who was never going to return his love.

My Reese is back...

"Just five minutes. That's all I want. Will you give me that?" he asks.

I'm so relived that Reese is back in our lives, how can I deny him a few minutes? He looks so happy standing in the water.

I can put the mission aside for a few minutes, right?

I run full speed ahead towards Reese. As soon as I reach him he tells me to let go.

"What?"

"Emmy, let go," he repeats.

Confused, I look up. Reese is gone. The pond is gone. And so is the ground beneath me.

I am now dangling several feet in the air, alongside the cliff. The red lake roars at me from below as if to say, "The Vsk eagerly awaits you."

The only thing that stands between me and a mangled death is a tree branch that's getting weaker by the moment. I open my mouth to scream but the sound gets caught in my throat fearing it will somehow cause the branch to break.

Marcus begins his climb down the cliff to rescue me. From above, I see the team looking down at me, horrified. They order me to hold on and not look down. I want to do as they say but my fingers are sweaty making it hard to maintain a good grip on the branch.

The wind laughs in my ear and whistles a tune dedicated to my demise. I silently beg the branch to ignore the wind and hold steady.

"I'm almost there. Don't let go,

" he begs me.

I look up and he's climbing down to me as fast as he can, but it's not fast enough. The branch snaps and I plummet to my death....

BOOK II.

MARCUS CANE.

"She walks in Beauty, like the night.

Of cloudless climes and starry skies.

And all that's best of dark and bright.

Meet in her aspect and her eyes..."

Lord Byron.

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE GAME.

Rio approaches me a few minutes after Emmy leaves me standing on the edge of the cliff. I know he's reading my Wave and sometimes I wish I could turn him off.

"What?" I snap.

"I thought I'd check on you before you used your fist to take down the mountain. So, what's up?"

"Well, about five minutes ago, my girlfriend handed me a miniature Spiderman action figure and made me promise to kill her."

"What did you say?"

"I told her sure, no problem," I reply harshly. "How could she ask that of me?"

"I don't think that's what's p.i.s.sing you off."

"Okay, then why am I p.i.s.sed?"

"Because you realize she's right. The entire human race matters more than just one person. Even if that person is the girl you love."

"Does your power ever irritate you

? Because right now it's annoying the h.e.l.l out of me."

"You have no idea."

"The more she pushes for me to take her life if we don't get the Amulet, the more I want to fight for her. How is it fair to destroy someone so self-sacrificing?"

"Marcus, there may be a way to get into the castle without having to go into the Lake," Isabelle calls out to me.

I rush off and follow her into the cave. We pa.s.s Emmy and Jay who seem intent on watching our every move. Isabelle has listed several books that mention an entrance into the castle. Jay is right, that girl reads too much.

But she's also the reason we may actually get inside of Kairo's castle; that makes her more than okay in my book.

"There was a researcher friend of mine who wrote a book about the relationship between Kairo and his mother. In it he states that although the two are estranged, they often think alike."

"So, he might have modeled Pyron after Difi?" I ask.

"Not in an obvious way, but like Lucy, Kairo would have made sure that if he was ever in danger..."

"He had more than one exit," I reply, finishing her thought.

We scour her well-written notes in search of more clues. She looks across the cave to where Jay and Emmy sit studying us.

"Is he always like this?" she asks me while eyeing Jay.

"Like what?"

"Nice."

"Yeah."

"I guess everyone is at first."

"No, Jay's the real deal."

"How come he doesn't have a girl?"

"He's not really into commitment."

"Oh."

I can actually feel her disappointment fill the s.p.a.ce between us.

"Every guy isn't a 'commitment guy' at first, Isabelle. Then we find a girl who is worth it and we don't mind being committed. In fact, we insist."

"I just got my Rah back. I don't want to give it away to someone who's not serious."

"The Rah is just a tangible thing. That comes last."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I have seen the way you two look at each other. Your heart's gone already. It's just a matter of time until you hand him your Rah. That's the bad part about it."

"What's bad about taking your time?"

"Nothing, normally. But given the duties that go along with being a Guardian, I'm not sure a long courtship is realistic."

"So you think I should just jump in and be with Jay?"

"I think I wasted a lot of time fighting what I felt for Emmy. In the end all I did was p.i.s.s off my ex and lose precious time."

"There's all sorts of stuff about you guys in the Splash. I'm not really sure what to believe."

"It's up to you but the Splash isn't with us everyday. I'm with Jay most of the time and believe me when I tell you, if he cares about you, then he's in a hundred percent."

She looks over at him as if deliberating on whether or not he's worth taking a chance on. She doesn't tell me what she decides but from the small smile she's suppressing, I would say Jay has a good shot.

When we actually find a possible way into the castle, Emmy and Jay tell us we should let the team recharge. Normally, we wouldn't need to do that as much as we have been, but being here, so close to Kairo, we have to work harder not to let evil in. That requires us to recharge more and more.

So Miku is keeping watch outside the cave while everyone rests. I'm about ten minutes into recharging when I hear Tony-Tone call out my name. I am awake instantly. Right away I see what the cause for alarm is: Emmy is standing in the middle of the cave, eyes open, talking to someone that's not there.

I rush over and call out her name. She doesn't respond. It's as if she doesn't even know I'm there. By now the rest of the team is up. Isabelle calls out Emmy's name, too but Emmy ignores her. After snapping her fingers in front of Emmy's face a few times, Isabelle looks over at me.

"What is it? Why isn't she responding?" I ask.