Noru 4: When Angels Break (The Noru Series, Book 4) Page 3

  “Miku is Key and Swoop’s mom, right?” Randy asks.

  “Yes. Miku lost her twin brother, Rio, in a battle,” Winter says.

  “Okay, I think I got it. Miku and Rio were like the ‘wonder twins,’ but one of them died and the other lived and had two children, Swoop and Key?”

  “That’s right,” I confirm for Randy.

  “Sorry, I just want to make sure I’m up to speed. Things can get kind of complicated in the Angel world,” Randy says to Winter.

  “Yes, they can…” she replies, in deep thought.

  “Go on with your story. You broke up with Frank and then you went to war and met Rio. What happened after that?” I ask.

  “When I met Rio, I found something I didn’t know actually existed—complete bliss. That’s what he brought to my life. We were only around each other for a few days, but that’s all it took. Rio and I knew we were going to be together for the rest of our lives. Obviously we didn’t count on him dying,” Winter says, lost in regret.

  “So after Swoop’s uncle Rio passed away, you went back to Frank?” I conclude.

  “Yes, but not before having spent one night, one beautiful night, with Rio,” she says.

  “Um…okay. So you and Rio got together. Why is that making you cry now? I mean, that was a long time ago. Are you missing him?” Randy asks.

  “I miss him every single day, but I take comfort knowing that there will always be a part of him that lives on, in my son.”

  “WHAT?” both Randy and I shout at the same time.

  “Easton is Rio’s son,” Winter confirms.

  “Are you sure?” I ask, beside myself.

  “Very.”

  “How can that be?” Randy asks.

  “I will try to explain as best I can, human. There’s a bird that comes to collect the seed that will turn into a baby angel. The bird is called Alexi. It is graceful and immortal, although Malakaro did manage to kill a slew of them.

  “The Alexi lands near the woman who has the baby inside her. Or the Sib, as we call it. The Alexi takes the Sib to Noni, a place in the light where the Sib can grow until the parent is emotionally ready to have the child in their life. Some mothers are ready in weeks and some take up to two years. There is no set time.”

  “Okay, so the Alexi came to you?” Randy asks.

  “Yes. I was in the Believers’ camp, riffling through their battle plans, trying to figure out where they would strike next, and that’s when I saw the silver bird at my feet. I contacted Rio. He managed to get us far enough away from the battle to go into a hidden cave. There, I endured the agony of childbirth. The Alexi cut into my chest and nearly killed me to get the Sib out of me. When it was done, the Alexi took to the sky to bring the Sib to Noni, where it would grow,” Winter says.

  “If what you say is true, then that means—”

  “Yes, Pryor, Easton is Noru,” Winter confirms.

  “That can’t be. He doesn’t have wings. He doesn’t have the amount of powers that they do,” Randy says in disbelief.

  “That night, after the Alexi flew away, Rio and I talked. He told me how much he was looking forward to being a father, but we worried about raising a powerful child. He knew that East would be hunted and that there would never be a normal day for him. He hated the amount of bloodshed and death that was involved with being part of a team. So we agreed that, at least for the time being, we would hide East’s real powers. That’s what Rio wanted, and when he passed away, I knew I had to honor that.

  “So when East was born, I took him to my longtime friend and healer Vladimir. He conjured up a mixture that was able to strip much of Easton’s powers away. He was only a baby, so taking his powers wasn’t all that hard. He then placed the powers in a vial called ‘Layu,’ which I placed in the mountains, and I check on it once a month,” Winter explains.

  “How could you do that to him?” I shout.

  “I allowed him to keep enough powers to defend himself,” she replies.

  “So what? This isn’t about that. You kept the truth from him. He had a right to know that he was one of us,” I bark at her.

  “That’s funny, I thought East was already one of you. Does he have to officially be Noru to count?” she counters.

  “That’s not what I mean. Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for East to be the only one of us without wings? How could you take that away from him? Not to mention the fact that you stuck him with that Frank asshole!”

  “Pryor!” Randy shouts.

  “I’m sorry, but she needs to know exactly what she’s done. East has a horrible relationship with Frank. He has walked around for years thinking it was his fault, when the truth is Frank is pissed at you for having a child with another guy.”

  “I am fully aware of what I have done,” Winter replies.

  “I don’t think you are. You had no right to take his powers away. Those are his powers, not yours. How dare you steal them away?”

  “I did what I needed to do to ensure that Easton was safe.”

  “How is he safe? We’re in battle all the time,” I counter.

  “That’s because he insisted on joining the team. I tried to talk him out of it. But at least they don’t know that he’s Noru. Not knowing what he is has saved him from unspeakable pain.”

  “You are unbelievable,” I rant.

  “I do not regret withholding the truth from Easton, especially with Malakaro out there waiting to murder any and every Noru.”

  “I don’t care how you try to justify it. You were wrong to take his powers away. Period,” I reply.

  “Pryor, if you knew what was going to happen to your little brother just because he was Noru, and you could save him from that by taking his powers away, wouldn’t you do just that? If taking Sam’s powers from him meant that you wouldn’t have to walk into the room and find him dead, tell me you would not have done exactly what I did,” she says.

  “My parents didn’t raise me to be afraid and to hide who I am. Sam died knowing he was Noru and proud of it. He also died knowing that he was special and loved.”

  “I will not let what happened to your brother happen to my son,” she rages.

  “How do you think East is going to take this news? How is he going to handle the fact that his own mother has been lying to him every day of his life?” I push.

  “Pry, you’re asking the wrong question,” Randy says to me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The question we need to ask isn’t why she kept it from East. The question is why is she telling us this now?”

  A current of anxiety runs through my best friend and me. We look over at Winter, and her face is dark with fear.

  “Winter, why are you here?” I ask.

  “I went to the mountain where I stored the Layu vial filled with East’s powers,” she says.

  “And?”

  “And…it’s gone.”

  Chapter Three:

  Watch This

  Honestly, I love and respect Winter, but right now it’s all I can do not to grab her by her shoulders and throttle her. Randy can sense my growing anger, so he wisely places his hand on my shoulder and takes the lead.

  “Winter, how long has the Layu been gone?” he asks.

  “It was there when I checked a month ago. It could have been taken this very morning or it could have been gone for weeks. There’s no way to really tell,” she replies.

  “Do you have any idea where it could be?” I ask as I compose myself.

  “The Layu vial is hidden inside a small clay jug with markings on the rim. I embedded it into the wall of the cave. It’s possible that humans were studying the cave and they discovered it. But that’s okay, because they won’t be able to unlock the jug and see its contents because the markings on the rim serve as a lock. I’m the only person with matching markings who can unlock it. There should be nothing to worry about.”

  “If that’s the case, then why do you look so terrified?” Randy asks.

  “Because
there is another possibility. Not far from the cave there’s a little town where demons are known to frequent. It’s possible that one of them got their hands on it,” she says desperately.

  “Why would you put it near demons?” I demand.

  “Because that’s the last place a demon would look,” Randy says.

  “Exactly,” Winter adds.

  “What do you need us to do?” I ask.

  “I know you have a lot of pull in the Angel world because of your father. You can get questions answered that I can’t. I need you to use all your resources and find out if anyone has reported a demon with a sudden surge in powers. Chances are they found the Layu. Let me know who it is and I can retrieve it.”

  “You think it will be that easy?” Randy asks.

  “I’m hoping whoever has it doesn’t really understand what they have found. And that they will part with it for money.”

  “So you want us to go on a mission to find Easton’s powers?” Randy pushes.

  “No, I do not. I just want you to ask questions. I can’t have you endangering yourself for me. Just get me a lead and I will take care of it. I also need to know that this is between us. I can’t have Easton find out.”

  “I am not keeping this from him,” I protest.

  “I am his mother. I get to decide what he does and does not know about my past.”

  “This isn’t about your past, Winter, it’s about East’s future. He needs to know who he is,” Randy insists.

  “You tell him that he’s Noru and you have placed a target on my son’s back. I will do whatever I need to do to stop that from happening,” she promises.

  “Oh my Omnis, when you find the vial, you plan to destroy it!” I conclude.

  “It’s what’s best for everyone,” she says.

  “No, it’s what’s best for you. You may be his mother, but he is on my team. I will not let you make this decision for him. He has a right to choose for himself. We will help you figure out who has the Layu vial. But you should tell East who he really is and what his powers are.”

  “The hell I will,” she spits.

  “I don’t want to be the one he hears this from, but…”

  “Pryor, you do that and you will be destroying my family!” she screams.

  “No, Winter, you’re doing that all by yourself. You made the decision to lie to your son, you decided to marry that jerk Frank, and you chose to send East out into the world with virtually no power. The only thing I’m doing is cleaning up the mess you made,” I snap.

  “Easton is my child, and I am doing what’s in his best interest. He should be able to live a long life. He should be able to grow up and have a family of his own. He deserves that. And I will make sure that’s what happens. I am his mother, and that is what a mother does.”

  “OH, I AM SO SICK OF PEOPLE HIDING THEIR SELFISH BEHAVIOR BEHIND ‘GOOD INTENT.’ YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO HIDE THINGS FROM HIM. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO LIE. AND YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO MANIPULATE HIM, RUIN! AND NOW EVERYTHING WE HAVE FOUGHT FOR IS GONE!”

  “Winter,” East’s mom replies.

  “What?” I ask, confused.

  “Pry, you called her…Ruin,” Randy says gently.

  “Oh,” I reply softly.

  “I’m going to meet a contact of mine. He may have a lead on the Layu. You will ask around for me?” she says, addressing Randy.

  “Yeah, sure,” he says.

  She heads towards the door and I call out to her.

  “Winter, you tell him or I will.”

  Swoop, Randy, and Bex gather at my table in the cafeteria a short while later. I update them on what just happened. I skip the part where I had a meltdown and called Winter by the wrong name. Thankfully East is still not back yet, so we can talk freely.

  “Do Silver and Ruin know about this?” Swoop asks.

  “I texted Aaden that we need to update him, but I didn’t get into specifics. He texted back that everything is fine with Ruin and said they would be headed back,” I reply, determined to sound casual.

  “I can’t believe she’d keep that big a secret,” Bex says.

  “She believes she’s doing what’s right,” Randy replies.

  “I don’t care. She should have told us. All this time East is my cousin and I never knew. That’s so unfair. And my mom has mourned my uncle Rio every day since she lost him. It would have given her some kind of peace knowing that he had a son. Why would she do something so cruel?” Swoop asks.

  “I know, but maybe she’ll gather the courage to tell him,” I suggest.

  “Screw that. I’m gonna go over to East’s house and tell him myself,” Swoop says as she leaps to her feet.

  “Swoop, no! I don’t agree with what she did, but she loves East. And she was trying to look out for him. I said I would give her time, and that’s what we need to do,” I reply.

  “This is crap. I have family I never even knew about!” Swoop complains.

  “Why don’t you go call Key and update her? Later today Winter will tell East everything and you can have your family reunion,” Randy suggests.

  “He’s right, Swoop. We need to give Winter time to tell him,” I reply.

  “Family drama aside, what happens if this vial falls into the wrong hands?” Randy asks.

  “I can give you an answer, but you won’t like it,” Bex warns.

  “Yeah, I kind of figured that,” Randy says.

  “That won’t happen. Randy, I need you to scour the Internet and see what you can find. Swoop, call your contacts and see if they have anything. Bex, see what you can find out from the Paras without raising suspicion. I’ve already texted Spider; if he knows anything, he’ll get back to me,” I tell them.

  “Okay, I’ll ask around—here they come,” Bex says as Ruin and Aaden enter the room.

  “Hey! How did it go with the Healer?” Swoop asks.

  “Everything looks good. We should be meeting her soon,” Aaden says, excited and more than a little nervous.

  “That’s great!” Swoop replies.

  “Really? I got the feeling this baby was a bad thing for some of you,” Ruin says carefully.

  “It’s not bad. It’s just a shock, that’s all. Ruin, you saved my sister’s life and I am grateful. You’re not my favorite person, but you’re also not my least favorite. I’ll even babysit,” she says.

  “Seriously?” Ruin replies.

  “Yes, but I should warn you—your daughter and I will avoid places like the playground and parks. Instead we will opt for places that really matter in a little girl’s life: Saks Fifth Avenue here in New York, Rodeo Drive in California, and Bond Street in London. That’s to start with,” Swoop informs the parents-to-be.

  “I think she’d like that,” Ruin replies sincerely.

  It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes and vomit. Bex looks over at me, and I force a smile. He addresses Ruin with a calm voice for the first time since hearing the news about the baby.

  “Ruin, I owe you an apology for what I called you earlier. I do dislike you, greatly. But I was out of line to call you—”

  “A bitch,” Ruin says.

  “Yes, that was…unnecessary,” Bex confirms awkwardly.

  “Thank you,” she replies.

  I clear my throat and suppress the bile inside my mouth.

  “So everything is a hundred percent okay with the baby?” I ask Aaden.

  “So far, yeah. In fact, we kind of got a sneak peek at what she can do. Pry, Diana and I are going to have an amazing daughter,” Aaden says proudly.

  It hurts to hear him say it. I mean, it physically pains me to know that he will be sharing this experience with someone other than me.

  “Wow, really? What can she do?” I ask with what I hope is a genuine smile.

  “It’s natural that she will have power over flames like me, and that she will be able to drain life like Diana can, but she has managed to gather a power all her own,” the proud dad says.

  “I’ve been talking to her since I first found out I wa
s pregnant. I’d say good morning and good night every day. And she has equated that with the light. When I say good morning, it’s usually bright outside, and later when I tell her good night, it’s usually followed by darkness. So now she has connected these things together,” Ruin says excitedly.

  “She is amazing! I mean really amazing! Watch this,” Aaden says as he places his hand on the markings on Ruin’s palm.

  “Good morning,” he says to his child.

  We watch as all the lights in the room turn on.

  “Good night,” Aaden says.

  Once again the baby uses her powers and now the cafeteria is in darkness. While the humans run around trying to figure out what happened, I address him.

  “Aaden, she turned the lights off in the whole school?” I ask.

  “No, Pry, my daughter turned the lights off in North America.”

  After that impressive and awe-inspiring display, it took nearly two hours for the school to get back to normal. Once things had calmed down, we told Ruin and Aaden about East. Aaden was more sympathetic towards Winter than the rest of us.

  “I’m not saying I agree with it. I’m just saying I get why she did it,” he says as we head out into the school’s hallway.

  “Well, I doubt East will share your point of view, Silver. He’s spent his whole life being lied to,” Swoop says.

  “I know you’re mad at her, Bird, but she was really trying to protect him,” Aaden adds.

  “Well, I told Key and she’s pissed too,” Swoop replies.

  “Yeah, I get that. But my little girl just blacked out an entire region. I don’t want to think about how many people will see her as a threat. There’s no end to how far I would go to protect her,” Aaden says, concerned.

  “Once she’s born, you think we should take her powers away like Winter did?” Ruin asks, suddenly fearful.

  “No, I’m not saying that,” he replies to her.

  “But what if she’s in danger because of her powers? What if other fanatical groups like the Center pop up? What if she gets taken? Silver, what if they do to our baby what they did to Pryor?” she pleads frantically.

  We watch as Ruin has a full-on panic attack. Her eyes are wide with fear, her skin is pale, and she’s gasping from pain.