Guardians: The Triplex Part 6

"Maybe. But not today"

He sneers at me and leaves. I'm so weak with relief, I sit on the ground and hold my head between my hands.

One of the workers come up to me and asks if I'm okay.

"Yes, thank you."

He holds out his hand and helps me up.

"Was that guy your boyfriend?"

"No."

"Good, I can tell from his face; he's no angel."

I shake my head and smile at the biggest under statement of the century. Once the sun comes up and the streets are filled with humans, I make my way to The Sage's place. I am carful not to use any side streets or wander anywhere that's isolated. By the time I get to the Sage, it's nearly eight in the morning.

I knock on the door and the old lady with the kind face whose name we never know, lets me in. I don't even get a foot in the door when Marcus moves in to hug me.

"I was gonna come look for you but we didn't want to lead the Akons to you," he explains.

I don't have any words. I just want to stay in his arms but a thought jolts me out of Marcus's embrace.

"Is Rio okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, I healed the cry baby," Miku says.

"What? I healed you just last week when a Demon broke your legs."

"It was just one leg and that took like ten seconds."

As the Twins bicker on, I asked about Jay and Julian. Marcus told me they are in Daraquin getting treated but that they should be fine.

"We should take you there and have them look at you," he says.

"I'm okay."

He shakes his head but lets the subject go. Just seeing his beautiful face again, knowing that he's standing there in front of me and not sprawled out on the sidewalk, dead...

I grab him and hug him again, as tight as I can. I whisper quietly in his ear and ask him to make a promise a leader fighting evil can never make.

"Don't die, okay?" I ask softly.

He looks into my eyes and sees them swimming in tears.

"I won't," he swears.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I put my head on Marcus's chest. I spot The Sage standing at the doorway. His expression is that of a boy who has read ahead in a story and knows it won't end well. I turn and face the other way.

CHAPTER FOUR: PHIN.

"We can't stay here can we?" I ask.

"No. The Sage isn't supposed to be taking sides," Marcus confirms.

"So why is he helping us?"

"It's not because he likes me, that's for sure."

The Twins and Ameana enter the tea room. It seems that every time we get life-altering news, it's here. The Sage has decorated the room with plush furniture, a magnificent tea set, and a chessboard made out of pieces that represent Akons and Guardians.

Marcus hates the tea room. To him, it is the place where we found out that the Hun, an ancient evil was alive and well. For me, this room is where we found out that Rio was alive. It is also in this room that Marcus said he loved me out loud. So naturally, the tea room holds a certain comfort.

"We can't just hide out here," Ameana says.

"I know. I'm thinking," Marcus replies.

"Thinking about what?" the Twins ask in unison. They have been doing that a lot more. It kind of creeps me out, but I guess after all they have been through, they feel a closeness none of us will ever know.

"I'm trying to figure a way out of this," Marcus replies, clearly annoyed.

"We've looked for months Marcus," Ameana insists.

"Yes, and we'll keep looking," he vows.

"The Akons aren't going to stop until they get Emmy," Miku says.

"So I should just kill her here and now?" Marcus snaps.

"Um...I'm gonna head to the kitchen. This sounds like team business," I say, closing the door behind me. The Sage is waiting for me in the hallway. I guess he knew I would be there.

"Naturally," he says out loud.

"That 'reading minds' thing, does it ever get old?"

"Not yet," he replies.

Well, it's getting old with me...

I make my way to the kitchen. Much like the rest of the apartment, the kitchen is spotless and cozy. From the tan checkered dish towels to the embroidered pot holders that say "Home." There is a painting on the wall of a roaring fireplace with a sweet-natured old lady sitting beside it, sipping from a mug.

I go to make myself some tea but it's already been made for me. The Sage had it sitting out waiting for me. It's peppermint, my favorite. That's what I always want to drink when I am at the Sage's house, peppermint tea. It goes well with whatever revelations he's going to share with us.

"There is no revelation this time, Emerson. If you live, many will die," he said, reading my thoughts once again.

"Don't you ever get tired of being inside my head?"

"No, you are very entertaining."

"I do what I can."

He invites me to sit down at the table. I take a seat as he studies me.

"You are managing well for a girl whose love is supposed to kill her," he says.

"Um...thanks?"

"Marcus has wanted to ask you a question for weeks now."

"Whatever it is, he'll tell me when he's ready."

"Marcus isn't ready for anything. He's in love. He's lost."

"Is that what it means to be in love?"

"At this moment, yes."

"He wants to find a way to save me, that's what Angels do."

"He's a Guardian. He has a mission."

"I tried to tell him but he won't listen to me."

"You don't know what's at stake, Emerson. You will bring about the end of everything."

"It's not my fault. The Council did that."

"They hid the map and gave the clue as to its location. Their job is done."

"This isn't fair."

"You have been with the Guardians for nearly a year. You know all their Cores, yet you still believe the universe deals in "fairness?"

"I'm not a fan of dying, okay? But if I have to, why does it have to be Marcus that does it?"

"It doesn't have to be. It could be Lucy."

"Those are my only choices?"

"You know very well it is. That is what you have been trying to convince Marcus of for all this time."

"Yeah and you can see how well that's working."

"He would die for you."

"I know."

"But it is not his life he is risking. It is the humans."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Help him see what he's unwilling to look at."

He shouldn't have to make this decision. We should be in school, taking exams, cutting cla.s.s, kissing in the hallways...

"From what I understand, the two of you have found time to get the kissing part in," he says.

Can I have one thought to myself, please?

"Apologies," he says.

I lean forward in my chair, close my eyes, and rub my temple.

"The mailman dropped off a package. I believe it's a Phin," someone says.

I open my eyes and find the old lady who hardly ever speaks standing at the door way. She leaves the kitchen before I can ask any questions. I turn my attention to the Sage.

"What does that mean?"

"It means we have a visitor."

We head to the entrance of the apartment where the team examines the contents of the package that had just been delivered.

Marcus reaches inside the small cardboard box and pulls out an ivory colored bottle with a carving on the side. The carving is of the number 3, alongside it the letter C, which link together to form a spade.

"What is that and where's the visitor?" I ask.

"Inside," Marcus says.

"It has your name on it," Ameana says to him.

"An Angel's wings are like human fingerprints, each is unique. Since Marcus's name is on the box, only feathers from his wings can make open it," Rio explains.

Then Marcus calls for a feather from his wings. It flows into the air, and then runs along the side of the bottle. Suddenly a dark shadow seeps out of the bottle. It forms into an older man dressed in what looks like a butler's uniform.

"A genie?" I shout, before I can stop myself.