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  Alexa Rose’s blue eyes grew wild and she frowned. “I know. You told me like a thousand times,” she mumbled.

  “I’ll tell you a thousand times more if I must.”

  “I already pinkie promised. You were there when we spoke to Philip, Margaret, and Agnes. I know I’ll get in big, big trouble if I do it again. And I really don’t remember what I did or how I did it. And I don’t like it when you’re mad at me,” she pouted, crisscrossing her arms, emphasizing the word “don’t.”

  Michael slid his hand down her golden hair. “All right then. Enough is enough. I won’t remind you again,” he smiled, enjoying her pouting. “Why don’t I tell you a story? Gather your friends around, and I’ll retell the story of Noah and his ark.”

  Alexa Rose beamed with excitement. “I’ll be right back,” she said and quickly ran to find her friends.

  As Michael waited for Alexa Rose’s return, he recalled the conversation he’d had with Philip. Though he had sided with Aden at one point in his life, Philip continued to treat him with only kindness and respect, and the truth he kept from Philip was eating at him. Guilt had consumed him, and it was unbearable to look Philip in his eyes. But Philip knew Michael too well, and he knew something wasn’t right. Michael finally owned up to his guilt and told Philip almost everything; everything except the part about loving Claudia.

  Michael’s thoughts were broken by the sound of laughter. Alexa and the other children gathered around him. He instructed them to sit comfortably on the grass, the grass that never grew, the grass that never needed a trim. Halo City was a place where there were neither clouds nor sun but a light that glowed constantly, where the day never met night, and where there was no sense of time of day; everything was always and had always been perfect here.

  As the children sat, they waited attentively. Michael sat on the brick that surrounded the fountain and began. “A long time ago, there was a man name Noah. He was a good man. He had a wonderful wife with many children.”

  The children giggled, gasped, and smiled as Michael continued. After he finished, the children clapped and asked for more.

  “Sorry,” Davin interrupted. “It’s time for the grownups to play.”

  “Play?” Alexa Rose giggled. “Grownups don’t play.” The children joined in and laughed out loud.

  “Okay then, Michael and I are not grownups; we’re big kids,” Davin replied, making the children laugh even harder when he poked Michael on his chest.

  “Speak for yourself,” Michael said, poking him back. Then Michael effortlessly pulled Alexa Rose up in midair by her arms and squeezed her tightly. “I’ll tell you more stories later. I promised this big kid that I’d practice sword fighting with him.” Then he planted a kiss on her cheek. After he let her down, he walked beside Davin to the main corridor.

  “So, have you thought about when we should see Claudia?” Davin asked suddenly.

  “We?”

  “Yes, we. You know, like Caleb, Vivian, you, and me—the fantastic four team.”

  Michael kept on walking, ignoring Davin’s question.

  “Ahhh, come on Michael. We want to see her too. Don’t be selfish,” Davin chuckled, hoping to lighten Michael up a bit.

  Michael curled his lips and raised his brows. He was just about to say something when Davin spoke first. “Fine. If you win, we stay. If I win, we go too.”

  “Deal,” Michael said and took off like a lightning bolt, surprising Davin. Davin sprung after him.

  “What took you so long?” Michael teased, twirling his sword, gliding from side to side.

  “We were supposed to have a romantic walk together. How was I supposed to know you were going to take off like that?” Davin teased back, circling Michael.

  “So, you want to see Claudia?” Michael asked.

  “Not just me, but Vivian and Caleb too.” As Davin released his last word, Michael caught him off guard and struck.

  Davin blocked. The two swords collided as Davin’s sword slid off, causing a loud metallic slicing sound that reverberated in the room.

  “You know you’re making a deal that is impossible?” Michael said, blocking Davin’s sword, causing Davin to coil.

  “You may be faster and stronger than me, but I’ve got some secret moves up my sleeves.” Davin flipped and landed behind Michael. Michael anticipated what Davin would do and drove his sword behind him, blocking the attack.

  Michael chuckled. “I know all your secret moves, my friend.”

  “Oh, yeah? Maybe so, but you don’t know this one.” Davin stopped suddenly. With the sword still in his grip, he pointed it downward. He looked past Michael. His eyes widened, looking bewildered, as if he had seen a ghost. “Claudia? What are you doing here?”

  Michael’s heart beat out of control; she wasn’t supposed to be here. Something must have happened. He turned to look for her. When there was no sign of her, he realized he had fallen for a trick. But before he could turn, Davin grabbed him from behind and held his sword across his neck. “I told you I had a secret move, and yet you fell for it,” Davin chuckled. “Must not let a woman under your skin; they are the hero’s weakness.”

  Michael rolled his eyes, placed his hand on Davin’s arm and peeled him off, then lay his sword down in defeat. “That was a good trick—and I fell for it! You nearly gave me a heart attack, not that I could have one. I thought something terrible had happened to her.” Energy drained out of Michael’s face like he had just been given terrible news. “I don’t know what I would do if…”

  Davin felt horrible. He didn’t like seeing Michael looking fragile. He reached for Michael to give him comfort and to apologize, but as soon as his hand touched Michael’s arm, he realized his error. Davin felt Michael’s grip, and instantly knew he was in trouble. Michael flipped Davin over, causing Davin to fall flat on his back. Even before he hit the ground, Michael’s sword had contacted Davin’s chest. “And that, my friend, is an even better trick.” He chuckled out loud in triumph.

  When Davin realized what had happened, his face grew warm. “I have to admit, you are quicker than I thought. That was a better trick.”

  With a huge smile, Michael gave Davin his hand and helped him up. “Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

  “Yah, yah, yah! But we still get to go…I won first,” Davin reminded.

  “But I won last,” Michael challenged and took off again, having Davin chase after him.

  They came to an abrupt halt when they realized the door to the main hall was closed. Having the door closed meant one thing; the Twelve were holding a meeting and the alkins were not invited. Davin gave a mischievous smile and placed his ear on the door. “I hear Philip’s voice.”

  “What are you doing?” Michael asked worriedly.

  “Doing what I do best?”

  “Being a dummy?”

  “That’s right,” Davin said at first, and then realized too late that he’d misheard Michael’s words as he attempted to hear Philip and Michael at the same time. “No…very funny. You know what I mean. You called me peeping Tom once.”

  “You mean several times.”

  “Shhh!”

  “What are they saying?” Michael whispered urgently.

  “I’m not sure. These thick doors are soundproof…something about Alexa Rose. How she let the demons out.” Davin paused. “Jeremiah is saying that Alexa Rose should be punished.”

  Michael felt furious and placed his ear on the door. He would find away to prevent that from ever happening. He didn’t know what the punishment would be; he didn’t care. He didn’t want that for her.

  “Why don’t you just use your supersonic ears and tune into their conversation?” Davin whispered.

  “I can’t. They’ll pick up on it right away. When such powers are utilized, they can sense it.”

  “Then, forget what I said,” Davin said as they continued to listen intently.

  “She is only a child. You need not worry. Philip cleared her memory. She does not know how to release herself f
rom Crossroads,” Margaret conveyed.

  “You should have made her forget that she is a gate keeper too,” Samuel fumed.

  “The poor child has no idea what that means. Please take note. We will keep her safe and guard her here,” Philip promised.

  “How does a child escape? Either you are all fools or someone allowed this,” Jeremiah accused.

  “You dare to call us fools?” Anger flushed through Philip. “We tapped into her mind to find out who may have assisted her, but that part of her memory had been erased. My brothers and sisters, I assure you, Margaret, Agnes, and I have nothing to hide. If anything, you all have access to Crossroads. You come and go freely. How do I know one of you did not come and lure her out?”

  “Philip, please,” Katherine interjected. “You need to calm down. And Jeremiah and Samuel, you need to watch what you say. Philip, we are not accusing you of any wrong doing. If anything, we are all to be blamed. Our main concern is not Alexa Rose anymore. We need to worry about the demon spirits that have escaped, consuming the weakened souls. Fortunately, my venators are highly skilled in what they do. I’ve already given them orders to hunt and kill every single one of them. And who knows what else has escaped? We all need to keep our eyes and ears open.”

  “What are you doing?”Caleb said out loud.

  Davin and Michael leaped frightfully backwards, afraid of being caught. Their hearts dropped to the ground. Davin’s hand shot to his heart, panting in panic. “What in the…” Before he could finish, Michael clutched Caleb’s and Davin’s shirts from behind and flew out of there as fast as he

  could.

  Chapter Three

  It was the following Saturday, my usual work day at Fashion Wear. Patty would have been working with me, but today she had taken the day off to be with Andrew. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. Nanci, one of the weekday employees, had filled in for her. I didn’t wake up eager to work, but since I had taken so many days off, I didn’t have a choice. It was unusually slow for a Saturday, which only made me miss Patty more. At least she and I would have had things to talk about to help pass the time. She always made the best company. I decided to park myself behind the register and leave Nanci to tend to the customers. The day seemed only to drag, and I found myself daydreaming, especially about Michael.

  “Claudia…Claudia,” a voice spoke softly.

  It took me a second to realize it was Nanci.

  “Claudia,” she repeated, looking at me with her soft, hazy eyes.

  “Nanci…hey,” I replied, wondering what she was thinking. I must look out of it.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Sure, do I not look okay?” I asked hesitantly, wondering if I looked sick or something.

  “It’s just that, you look…”

  “I was just busy in thought. That’s all.”

  “Okay, that’s good, but could we close a few minutes early? I mean…” She shifted her body from side to side, twisting strands of her strawberry blond hair with her index finger. “I’d like to go home. I mean, I’m meeting some friends…well…I have a date.”

  “Oh,” I said in surprise. “Good for you,” I cheered—at least one of us did. I looked at the clock. It was five minutes ’til nine. “Why don’t you head on home? I’ll lock up. I won’t tell Mrs. Lee, if you don’t.”

  “But, don’t you think I should stay and close up with you?” she asked nervously.

  I couldn’t tell if she was concerned for my safety, being that we were the only two in this whole shopping complex, or of the possibility of Mrs. Lee finding out. “Nah, just go. What could happen?” Those were the exact words I had said to Patty on the night I was attacked by Julia. I should just keep my mouth shut, I thought.

  “Okay. Thanks,” she said gratefully and rushed out the door.

  After she left, I realized that we hadn’t counted today’s earnings. Mrs. Lee told us specifically that two employees needed to count the money and sign the papers. Nanci was gone, so what was I supposed to do now? As I thought about how I was going to handle this situation, the chimes of the store bell rang. A customer walked in, but I didn’t bother to look up.

  “Sorry, we’re closed,” I said, thinking I should’ve asked Nanci to lock the door on her way out.

  “Hey, Claudia.”

  I looked up, startled by the sound of the familiar voice. I didn’t know he knew where I worked. Surprised to see him, I said, “Uhhh…hey, Ryan. What are you doing here?”

  “I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d stop by. You’re here alone?” he asked, absorbing the scene.

  “Nanci, the other employee, just left.”

  “It’s not safe to be here by yourself. Does this happen all the time?” He approached closer.

  “Not that it’s any of your business,” I said as politely as possible. “No, it doesn’t. Nanci just needed to leave early today.” I began to take the money out of the register, thinking about the reasons why he would want to visit me.

  “Do you need help counting money? Since I’m here, you might as well use me.”

  He was right, and I did need the help. “Sure, thanks. You can pretend to be Nanci,” I teased.

  He chuckled lightly and walked forward to where I was standing. His sandy blonde hair was gelled neatly, and when he stood next to me, I could smell his cologne. He looked nice wearing a blue and gray striped sweater; it brought out his blue eyes. I stacked the bills in separate piles, according to their denomination. After I counted, he recounted. Suddenly, Ryan gave a short laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “You look so serious. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s cute.”

  He made me blush. “Be quiet and count the coins,” I said playfully, nudging him.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  After the money was counted, it got quiet and things were awkward. “Well…thanks for coming by. I better get going or else Mom will worry.”

  “Do you mind if I use the restroom?”

  “What?” I asked, thinking he had bad timing. But before I could say a word, he started walking. “In the back, toward the left,” I directed.

  While waiting for him to come out, I locked up the money bag in the safe and went to lock the front door. It must have been five minutes before I realized Ryan was still in the restroom. I began to worry, so I went to check up on him.

  “Ryan,” I called out, knocking on the door.

  No answer.

  “Ryan!” I shouted. “This isn’t funny! I need to go home!”

  “In here,” he answered, peeping out of the storage room, and then slamming the door.

  Feeling irritated, I stormed in. It was dark, so I quickly turned to switch the light on. When I turned, Ryan grabbed me and pressed his lips to mine.

  “Get off me!” I yelled, trying to push him off me. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

  “Claudia, I miss you,” he muttered, aiming for my lips again.

  When I struggled to push him off again, he backed me against the wall and locked my arms with his grip. His hands were slowly making their way inside my shirt, and I became frightened as the guy I knew became a total stranger.

  “Get off me!” I yelled again, horrified of what he was trying to do. I fought with both my arms and legs. It was useless; he was stronger. “Don’t do this, please,” I begged. “This isn’t you.”

  “Do you tell your boyfriend to stop?” he asked sharply, raising my arms and pinning them against the wall, his eyes piercing mine with jealousy and anger.

  “I don’t have a boyfriend,” I replied calmly, but my heart was beating too fast for me to catch my breath. Choosing my words carefully, I had to think fast. This was an opportunity for me to get away.

  “Who was with you the night of my birthday party?”

  Someone far better than you, I wanted to say but didn’t, afraid what he might do. “A friend.”

  “A friend? You could have fooled me.”

  “How would you know? You were…drunk,” I said hesit
antly, afraid to upset him.

  “I remember…some.”

  “You remember nothing. You made a fool out of yourself. How did you get alcohol?” I asked.

  “I have my ways; money talks. Don’t change the subject. Who was he?” he demanded.

  “A friend. I wanted to get you jealous. Obviously, it worked. But you were too drunk to even notice. He went home early. I stayed because of you. It’s too bad you don’t remember ’cause I gave you a birthday kiss you would never forget,” I lied, hoping I sounded convincing.

  “You did?” First, he looked doubtful, then confused, and finally relaxed. He took the bait. “I knew you would come around.” He sounded convinced.

  He slowly let go of my arms, and rested his hands on my shoulders. He leaned closer for a kiss. “Why don’t you show it to me again?”

  I played his game, led him on, and welcomed his kiss. Anxiety coursed through me as I prepared myself for my escape. After a few seconds, I bit down hard on his lips and kneed him where I knew it would hurt the most. It felt great to get him back.

  “Ahhh…” he tried to scream. The rest of his cry was inaudible. He was in too much pain, and I saw him drop to the ground, curled up into a ball.

  “Sorry,” I squealed, knowing the kind of pain I’d inflicted on him, but what was I sorry for? He attacked me first. Without thinking, I bolted out of the storage room. As I looked back to see Ryan still on the ground, moaning, I ran into something or someone.

  “Ahhh!” I screamed frantically, as my heart raced even more. He wrapped his muscular arms around me. I smiled, thinking it was Michael. “It’s okay. It’s me,” he said quickly. I looked up, but it wasn’t Michael, it was Austin. I hated to admit it, but he looked really good. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt, and his hair looked slightly longer than last time I’d seen him; plus, he smelled refreshing, like the ocean breeze.

  “Austin,” I whispered, disappointed because it wasn’t Michael but relieved to see him. Given the dilemma I was in, I was terrified to be alone with Ryan. Having Austin here gave me a sense of security. “What are you doing here?” I asked as he released his hold, and my heartbeat became steady again.