Guardians: The Girl (The Guardians Series, Book 1)(23)

“I can’t see you changing sides. You are not the type to Turn. You don’t have an inner conflict, do you?”

“No. I know exactly what I’m here to do, and I’m more than willing to do it.”

“Okay, maybe this Emerson person fights with you and prevents you from completing your task.”

“I thought about that. But even that doesn’t make sense. How strong can this Emerson guy be?”

“The Sage is never wrong. If you Turn, it will be because of circumstances beyond your control.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, like Lucy forcing you to.”

“I don’t think I Turn because of Lucy. The Sage would have said that.”

“It has to be something, Marcus. The Sage is never wrong.”

“So you think I’m gonna betray the team? You think that I am gonna just sit back and let Lucy destroy everything?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“You can’t have it both ways, Ameana. Either you believe the Sage or you believe me. Which is it?”

“Don’t make this about us. This is about the mission. You have to stay clearheaded about this. If the Sage says it’s gonna happen, then it will. We need to think of some kind of back up strategy for when you Turn.”

“Now it’s ‘when’ I Turn? So that’s it? The Sage says it, and suddenly it’s a fact? Suddenly you have no faith in me?”

“He is thousands of years old. He is held in high esteem by the council.”

“I’m not talking to the council. I’m talking to you. Do you think I will Turn?”

“I think the Sage doesn’t make mistakes.”

“So the answer is yes.”

“I’m not saying it’s any easy thing for me to picture, but the Sage had to have said it for a reason.”

“I don’t care about the council or the Sage right now. I’m talking about you and me. Do you think that I am capable of betraying the group?”

“Look Marcus it’s not that sim—”

“Yes or no. Do you think I am capable of betraying the team? Betraying you?”

“The Sage is never wrong,” she said softly.

“Thanks for your vote of confidence.”

“C’mon, Marcus. What do you want me to say?”

“You said enough.”

“You’re being unreasonable.”

“I didn’t think you’d dismiss what the Sage said. But I thought you’d at least put up a token of doubt on my behalf.”

I got up and slammed the door on my way out.

I could have taken off into the air, but the way I was feeling, I didn’t want to fly. I wanted my feet on the ground. I was tired of all things angel-related: the council, the Sage and, most of all, Julian. I was so frustrated with him. I never knew him when he was a Guardian. That was way before my time. But he got on my nerves just the same.

It’s his fault that I’m down here. Why didn’t he just let the girl figure it out for herself? Why did he insist on helping her? What was it about this girl that he had to save her and risk everything? How stupid can one guy be?

It makes no sense to put everything on the line for one girl. He was a Guardian. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. You ask me, any guy who would put his life on the line for a girl he didn’t know is an idiot. Sure, I could see helping her out while she was on Earth—but on the bridge? Didn’t the rules mean anything to him? Argh.

This walking thing wasn’t going to help. I took flight and headed north. I wanted to get out of New York. Yeah, like that’s your problem, I scoffed at myself. But I couldn’t think of anything else. So I just kept going until I reached New England. I hovered above the Green Mountains. Usually the silence and the breathtaking views helped me, but not this time.

Finally, I came down at the edge of a small town. According to the sign, it was called Barre. And according to the sign, it had a population of 9,291 people, none of whom I had ever met, but somehow I was supposed to save. That is, if I could get past the Akons, the Runners, the Pawns, oh, and the Sage.

Alright, the real reason I was sulking on the cliff had nothing to do with any of them. I knew we could handle the Akons, we could even figure a way around Lucy. We might not beat her, but I think we could figure a way to get the Triplex before her. The problem is the Sage.

It’s not the Sage you’re mad at, fool. It’s her, I said out loud to no one. And it was true. Yeah, the Sage had pissed me off, but my girl saying she thinks I’m capable of Turning? That doesn’t just piss me off, it really stings.

I mean what does a guy have to do to get his girl to have some faith in him? She didn’t even question the Sage. She just started acting like I was the enemy.

I broke off a piece of the mountain and threw it down.

“Um, first we save the planet, then we destroy it. Didn’t you get the email?” I turned around and Jay was standing over me.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Rio called and said you were…you might need to talk,” Jay said tactfully.

“No, I’m fine.”

“What did Ameana do?” Jay asked.

“Every problem I have doesn’t have to do with her.”

“Okay.”

We were quiet for a second.

“What did Ameana do?” Jay asked again.

“Is it wrong to expect some kind of trust and faith in the person you’re with?”

“No,” Jay said, sensing that I would probably throw something at him if he didn’t agree with me.

“I’m serious. What is going on with that girl?” I asked.

“Okay, you want to catch me up?” Jay asked.

I couldn’t tell him what the Sage said. It wasn’t going to happen, so why should I? Anyway this isn’t about him. I took a deep breath to calm down. It didn’t help.

“I told her that someone a long time ago had said something about me that was completely untrue. I wanted her to agree with me, but could she do that? No. She just took the other guy’s word over mine. What the heck is that?”

“What did this person say?” Jay wondered.

“It doesn’t matter. She should have been on my side. I have always taken hers.”

“Ameana’s greatest attribute is her ability to understand. Try and tap into that.”

“She understands cruelty. But the other things—kindness, appreciation, faith—she has a problem with.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I’m not saying I’m Omnis. I know I’m flawed. But I have been nothing but trustworthy and faithful. When do I get that back?”

“Are you sure she has it in her to give back?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t think Ameana would so readily accept the Sage’s prediction. It made me uneasy, to say the least.

****

Jay went home ahead of me. I sat there for another hour or so. By the time I got back to the house, I was somewhat calmer. I wasn’t resolved, but at least I wasn’t throwing things. I told Jay to have everyone meet back at the house so we could have a meeting. The Akons wouldn’t attack any of the Emersons until they were certain which one had the Triplex. To do that they have to get a Trimeter and measure which of the three Emersons had been tagged.

Whoever read the highest on the meter was the one that the council had chosen. The Akons wouldn’t get a reading before sunrise. Most Sellers hide from them. So it would take time for them to hunt one down. Sellers were more apt to sell to Angels because we’re less likely to kill them. Even though Sellers always come back, they hate having to start all over again. It means a new scam, new clients and going through adolescence all over again. So, for tonight, this Emerson person is safe.

As for me and Meana, I’d have to figure something out. We needed to talk, but I didn’t want to do it tonight. If I had walked into the house, I knew I would be having round two with Ameana. So to avoid that, I flew and landed on the roof. That way, we could get straight to the meeting. I found Rio waiting there.

“Hey, thanks for sending Jay.”

“Did it work?”

“I haven’t destroyed anything in an hour so, yeah.”

“Glad I could help.”

He went downstairs and called everyone to come up and join us. Once everyone had gathered, Reese and Jay gave us the run down. They said the house that Julian had lived in was empty but, by the looks of it, he had been there recently.

The twins found the three Emersons. One lived in Brooklyn, one in the Bronx and one right here in Manhattan. “I think the Manhattan guy is the one we’re looking for,” Rio said.

“Why?” I asked.

“He radiates the normal waves for his age: insecurity, uncertainty, and innocence. But he also has a color that I rarely find in humans his age: olive.”

“What does that mean?” Reese asked.

“It means a hidden courage. If this guy were under attack, I think he could handle it. I don’t think the council would leave a clue to someone who didn’t have at least a show of inner strength.”

“Good point. You and Miku cover him. Jay, Reese, you guys cover the other two Emersons just in case. Ameana and I will go find a Seller. We need to find one that has a history of working with Akons.”

“There’s a guy in the Muse, Tony-Tone. I think he’s supplied them. According to past Guardians, he’s the go-to-guy for anything,” Ameana informed us.