Guardians(27)
“I’m not really worth all of this…”
“You are the most important thing in my life. But that doesn’t matter if you think you’re worthless. I can’t give you any value. You have to give that to yourself.”
“I don’t know why all of this is happening. I’m just some girl.”
“You had a mother who loved you. You have a father who would fight me to the death if it means protecting you. You also have a boyfriend who would lay down his life for an extra minute with you. How could so many people be wrong?”
“You don’t ever doubt me, do you?”
“No. I’ve seen you in action. I’ve seen you in hell, and hell bowed down to you. So I know what you’re capable of. Emmy, it’s time you had a little faith in Emmy…”
CHAPTER EIGHT: IF I DON’T RETURN
Once we’re back in New York City, Jay has Marcus call up his buddy who has been studying Kairo. His friend suggests that if knowing Kairo’s mindset is vital, he should seek out the number one Kairo historian: Isabelle Gonzales. We meet the Angel at a small café near my house.
Isabella is a pretty Latina with dark brown eyes, rich curly hair, and glasses. Her slight accent makes her even more endearing. When she enters, she begins speaking in Spanish. Angels speak every language so the group joins in.
“Hey, don’t leave out the human who only got a C in Spanish.”
“I was just telling the Guardians I can’t believe how close I am to the map,” she says, leaning in to study my eyes.
I smile and try not to feel weird about her being so close. I fail. This is totally weird. It’s like being on display.
Please stop looking at me…
“Does it hurt?” Isabelle asks.
“Not really, no.”
Please stop looking at me…
“When you blink, can you feel it move?”
“No.”
Please stop looking at me…
“What happens when you wash your face?”
Why can’t I be invisible just for a few minutes?
Rio and Marcus sense my discomfort because they rescue me.
“Isabelle, we heard you know ‘all things Kairo,’ is that true?”
“No one here or in the Light has done as much research as I have,” she says proudly.
“And what have you learned?” I ask.
“Most Demons have a desire to cause physical pain, but for Kairo that’s only secondary. His first priority is anguish. He likes to make his victims die a thousand mental deaths before he actually kills them.”
“So we’ve heard,” I reply.
“I’m fascinated by Kairo; always have been. For example, did you know that while Lucy created him from a number of depraved mixtures from Hun’s market, she also added a human component?”
“And what was that?” Miku asks.
“No one knows. Lucy destroyed the Seller who gave it to her. All that’s known is that somewhere inside that body of evil and malice there’s one human element.”
“Well, from what I’ve heard about him, it’s not mercy,” I inform Isabelle.
“That’s the question posed by historians everywhere: What kind of human emotion does Kairo have? Can it be used to nurture a more humane, understanding version of him? Is he evil because he was created this way or because he chooses to be?”
“You sound like you admire this guy,” Ameana says, put off by the thrill Isabelle’s voice.
“The more we know about evil, the easier it is to destroy it,” she defends.
“How close have you gotten to destroying Kairo?” Rio inquires.
“Not close at all. I’ve read accounts of his terror but I’ve never seen it firsthand. I can’t help but feel that if I was able to study him up close, I could get the info I need to know what he’s really like.”
“How do you feel about seeing him in person?” Marcus asked.
“Very funny.”
“He’s serious,” I add.
“You guys are going to Pyron?”
“Yes. Kairo has something that belongs to some friends of ours. We need to get it back. You would be extremely helpful on this mission. If you need to think about it—”
“I’m in!”
“You understand this isn’t a road trip to Los Vegas, right?” Miku asks.
“She knows and she’s excited,” Rio confirms.
“Look Isabelle, reading about a Demon and taking him on face to face is different,” Marcus warns.
“I know it sounds crazy but I think I could really help you guys. I’ve been looking for this opportunity for many Cycles now. I can do this.”
“We don’t doubt that. But we want you to know about the danger you will face,” I plead with her.