The Paradox Read online

  Sailor jumps up, fury raging in her eyes and voice.

  “Everyone, shut the hell up. Now,” she shouts, still shivering.

  Sunday and I share one last glare before giving Sailor the floor.

  “I don’t care what’s going on between the two of you right now, I have a few questions. You,” she says, pointing at me, “are going to answer them. No dancing around the subject. No more playing catch-up. I am done, and next time, I want to be ready.”

  Wow, her take-charge attitude is sexy as hell, but I don’t know how much I can and can’t answer. My hands are tied.

  “Who else knows about the impending end of the world in this town?”

  Scratching my head, I can’t figure out why she would choose this to be her first question, but I am also not sure how to answer her. To what end will knowing this little piece of information help or hurt her cause? Also, what does she plan to do with it? Start a save-the-world coalition?

  But before I can say anything, Grace steps up to answer and I smile, glad for the assistance. Just looking at bossy Sailor stirs a desire in me I can’t control, and an empty classroom with the team doesn’t seem like the right setting to talk to her about these desires.

  “There are other beings here in Whisper that would also desire to see the end of the world. Such beings believe in the Imelda view of the world and want to send us all into oblivion. But if you are asking who else knows that might have an interest in our cause, you’re kinda looking at the whole Save the Humans fan club.”

  Grace shrugs and offers an apologetic smile. Sailor sighs, closing her eyes as if in defeat. After a moment of looking around the room, she looks back at me again.

  “Fine, my next question then. Since you all didn’t really answer me last time, let’s try this again. And don’t bullshit me. I just defeated some crazy-ass bull demon thing and nearly drowned, so yeah, I am not in the mood. How am I expected to kill the horsemen?”

  This time Mel steps up. She is our best public speaker after all. Once again, I am saved by my team. But from the look Sailor is giving me, I can tell she isn’t all too happy that I am not the one answering. What does she expect? I made it clear to her I’m not the questions guy.

  “You need to start with focusing on the first horseman. That is War,” Mel says as she walks around the group of us like a professor at a podium.

  “Yeah, War is a real bitch. And like any good quest, there’s a weapon you have to find, little grasshopper,” Jinx interrupts with another chuckle.

  Ya-Ya goes to punch him, but he ducks and she hits the wall behind him, leaving a dent in the concrete. She isn’t even fazed.

  “What does he mean? Am I about to be sent on some Indiana Jones-Lara Croft mission, because I can tell you right now, I don’t have the mobility or upper body strength for any of that,” Sailor says, and sits back down now that the near fight has broken up.

  She winces as she takes a seat, but straightens her back and holds her head high. A warrior’s pose. And a damn sexy one too.

  Stop thinking about the Paradox like that, Rye. Focus.

  “What Jinx is saying is, well, yes you are going to have to go on a, well, whatever you said type of search, but I don’t think you need to worry about your endurance for this one. The Dagger of Dumont is the only thing that can kill War,” Mel explains, back on her podium.

  “And that would be what? Or, should I say, where?” Sailor says as she sits forward, listening to Mel.

  I know Mel is loving this.

  “The Dagger of Dumont is a curved blade used in the 1701 murder of Count Vic Le’Monde,” Mel begins.

  Jinx scoffs.

  “More like Count Dracu-le-monde,” he interrupts.

  Mel glares at him. I take a step toward him, but Ya-Ya beats me to it.

  “Seriously, Jinx? Time out,” Ya-Ya says, shoving him out the door.

  I breathe a little better with the space opened up from their departure. Even Sailor seems to relax with the number lessened. We can make it through this without them for a few minutes. I will just fill them in later. It’s not like they don’t know the history of the blade anyway.

  “Seriously, Jinx is so damn annoying. Aptly named really,” Sunday mutters.

  Grace nods, while Aziza is standing with her back against the wall by the dent Ya-Ya made, one leg up with her foot resting on the wall, watching the shit show around her like a casual observer. Cool, silent, deadly Aziza.

  “As I was saying,” Mel continues. “The dagger killed the count and disappeared for a century. It resurfaced in 1812 when a merchant sold it to a British soldier. In 1815 it changed hands and went to none other than America’s fourth president, James Madison.”

  “Sorry, Mel, but do you think you could skip to the where part of my question? I don’t mean to be rude; this is a really enthralling history lesson, but I kinda don’t care if the pope has it. I just want to know how to get my hands on it,” Sailor says.

  I see the flicker of disappointment in Mel’s eyes and I have to bite the inside of my lip to keep from smiling. Another one not interested in her history lesson.

  “Sorry, right. It disappeared again, captured by someone, or well, something otherworldly. Basically, even if the dagger is still on this current plane of existence, it is going to be really difficult to get in or out with it and survive.”

  “Of course it is. So, who is looking into the dagger?” Sailor asks.

  Aziza raises her hand.

  “Me and Az are,” Sunday jumps in. “We have been looking into it for a while now. Our next stop is the Avo section of the library, where the rare and forbidden books are hidden. We might get some better leads there.”

  I’m starting to worry about what Ya-Ya could be doing to poor Jinx when the door opens and we all get quiet. Hackles rise momentarily, until their familiar faces resurface. Jinx has one black eye and Ya-Ya looks unconcerned. I shake my head. I will have to have a sit-down with the two of them.

  “Carry on. Don’t let us interrupt your proceedings,” he says and winks at Sailor.

  “Miss anything pertinent?” Ya-Ya asks me.

  “Mel is giving her the rundown on how to kill the horsemen, Sunday is looking into the Dagger of Dumont’s location with the help of Aziza, and that’s really it. So, no need to brief you guys later.”

  I move closer to Sailor, who is eyeballing me hard.

  “Look, you are going to have to start training, whether we have the dagger in our possession or not,” I tell her quietly.

  “He’s right. We can start tonight if you are up to it,” Mel agrees.

  “No, she needs to rest,” I argue. “I wasn’t suggesting we start tonight.”

  “I said I am fine,” Sailor huffs.

  She glares at me, those eyes burning through me.

  “Fine, but you won’t be training with me.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  She crosses her arms but doesn’t drop her glare. I can do this all day if I have to. Which reminds me, she still has to make her decision before the end of it.

  “Besides, Sailor still has until tonight at midnight to make up her mind on whether or not she is with us or not. She can still back out.”

  That does it. I can feel the shift in her stance. I am sure the rest of the room can feel the fumes rolling off her. She shoves my arm, taking me by surprise. If I hadn’t been so stubbornly trying to piss her off, I wouldn’t have lost my balance, but I do, although I recover quickly.

  “What’s your problem? Like, seriously?” Sailor fumes.

  I lift my hands up.

  “I’m just trying to make sure you understand what it is you are signing up for. What you’re agreeing to, well, it isn’t short of a death sentence.”

  “I was nearly ripped apart, drowned, and sucked into a fiery pit that spiraled to the center of the Earth, and I survived. I don’t need you and your doubts getting in my way. I’m stronger than you think. Hell, maybe I don’t even need you. Maybe I have this all
by myself. I mean, you have to have a Paradox to stop the horsemen. And I am it. The Paradox.”

  I don’t like the tone she is using or the way she is looking. I mean, I do. It’s hot. But I don’t, because I feel like she’s going to do something really, really stupid.

  “It’s not like that, Sailor. I know you’re strong,” I say, trying to backtrack and calm her down.

  Finally joining us, Aziza moves into the circle.

  “Okay, lovebirds, we get it. You have been ripping each other’s clothes off in your minds since you met. But let’s cool it, the tension is palpable in here. Too much.”

  “You might need to get your ears checked,” I tell Aziza.

  One penciled-to-perfection eyebrow lifts my way and I swallow whatever words were going to follow. I am not afraid of Aziza hurting me. I am worried what she will do while I am sleeping. Even gods like to play pranks on one another.

  “Look, I am just trying to inform her. She has options, and she should be fully aware of them before making up her mind.”

  “You’re trying to scare her.”

  Aziza’s phone buzzes and she looks at it after directing the accusation my way.

  “Yeah, I am trying to scare you. You should be scared.” I turn back to Sailor, who snorted when Az mentioned me trying to scare her.

  “I’m not scared.”

  “Yes, be scared. Because that’s what’s normal in this situation. I can’t protect you if you are going into this blind.”

  “I was pulled into the earth and almost died. You can’t protect me period. If I was counting on you, I’d probably be dead,” she says.

  It’s a hard blow to my chest that feels like Sailor stuck a knife in me. If only she knew the truth in her words and how it stings. I open my mouth to respond, but I think better of it and move to the door.

  “Rye, wait,” Mel calls after me, following me into the hallway.

  I stop outside the door and hang my head low, but I can still hear them in the room talking.

  “What did I say?” Sailor asks.

  “Rye is the best fighter among us. That’s one of the reasons he’s the leader. But while he’s saved hundreds of lives, in the end there was a group he couldn’t save.”

  “His family…”

  SAILOR

  “Thank you so much, Ya-Ya,” I say as I pull my head through the neck of a very soft lilac blouse and untuck my hair, brushing my fingers through the damp mess.

  “Eh,” Ya-Ya says with a shrug. “This is my extra stash for any fashion 9-1-1s. You know, if someone else is sporting my look or if I spill water on something.”

  “You know water just dries clear, right?” I look at her, concern probably etched all over my face.

  I mean, she can’t really be worried about water on her clothes?

  “Honey, you are in this mess because Nexus spilled water on you.”

  She spins to check herself in the mirror, her dreads so perfectly placed on her head they don’t move.

  “Right.”

  Should have thought of that one.

  I watch her for a moment, transfixed. Ebony skin, her body long and lithe. It’s like we’re back at the cabin and I am standing there like an idiot in a room of runway gods and goddesses.

  “Come on. We still have to get to class eventually.”

  We step out of the girls’ restroom. Across the hall is the rest of the gang, except Rye. I guess he couldn’t stick around after our argument. I don’t blame him, but he doesn’t have to be such a dick.

  It’s total torture walking down these hallways. My first day and already I am the number one bit of news on everyone’s lips. I usually like to run in a small crowd with a few close friends unnoticed. I hunch down as much as possible, keeping my head low, but the others don’t seem to notice or care that everyone is clearly talking about me.

  “That’s her! Dude, she must have been stuck in some freak downpour.”

  “She was soaked, like really fucking wet. Weird.”

  “It wasn’t raining this morning.”

  Their voices trail off as we pass by. My cheeks are burning and my hair is still damp. I exhale and keep moving. My first day can’t be the worst first day ever. Much.

  “You okay, Para-D?” Sunday nudges me in the shoulder.

  A soft smile plays over the edges of his mouth. He has his dirty blond hair styled simple, but it looks like he’s ready for a photo shoot. Just looking at these beautiful creatures, I start twirling the ends of my frankly unappealing brown hair nervously.

  “No. They’re all talking about me. Everyone. They think I got stuck out in the rain.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about them. Humans just need a way to cope with the unexplainable.”

  Sunday looks ahead, but I can hear it in his voice, there’s concern. I mean, I did just appear in the middle of school waterlogged. Mel stops and puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. Her eyes are crisp and bright, and her flawless skin makes me want to punch her. Who gets to be so damn beautiful? I mean, I wish I could have a tan like that all year without effort. I bet Rye would notice me if I looked like her.

  “He’s right. They have to have a way to deal with this shit. So, they make shit up. A downpour, a random fully clothed shower, a prank. They will circulate whatever they have to if it means staying in their comfort zone.”

  And last year I would have been one of those kids staying in her own comfort zone. This year I’m the Paradox who is supposed to save all of humanity. Great. No pressure.

  “Okay love, have a good day.” Sunday winks.

  Bit late for that, but as Sunday and Ya-Ya wave me off and break away, I wave back, glad to have at least a few friendly faces.

  Aziza, Grace, Mel, and Jinx stay with me, which is good because I want to ask them about Rye.

  “Hey, guys. Earlier, with Rye. What did happen with his family? I didn’t really get a chance to ask, not with being soaked and confused and all. I mean, I am so glad to be dry now, don’t get me wrong. I just, what was that about with him?”

  Aziza scowls, but I am pretty sure that’s just her face. Honestly, it just adds to her allure. Her dark eyes dart around the group and then she huffs and turns, walking away.

  “What did I say now?” I ask.

  Jinx, Mel, and Grace shift uncomfortably before Jinx steps up to answer.

  “You might need to just talk to Rye about it yourself. You know, it could be he doesn’t want to share that little bit of his history. Hell, even we don’t know all the deets, Sailor.”

  That’s strange. They live together. Fight together. How can they not know such an important part of their leader’s history?

  “Well, that’s not entirely true,” Mel mutters. She crosses her arms over her chest. Jinx and Grace glare at her. “What? We’ve talked.”

  “Okay, so?” I press.

  “We all know the general gist, but it isn’t a pretty story, Sailor. Once I tell you this...I mean, you’re just a human. So much of this is going to be hard for you to fully comprehend. Hell, being the Paradox doesn’t change that fact.”

  “I just want to know. If not for anything else, I don’t want to accidentally trigger him again and I probably will, but I don’t want to if I can help it.”

  I might as well get on my hands and knees and plead.

  “We don’t have enough time for me to give you the full history lesson, so just the cliff notes. His family, his entire bloodline, were slaughtered. There’s a group that calls themselves the ‘Infinity,’ and they’re obsessed with finding the seven stones that were embedded in Imelda’s crown.”

  A group, super loud, comes tromping toward us and Mel stops as they pass. They leave behind a trail of cheap cologne, way too heavy. I fan the air in front of my face but it doesn’t help. Once they are out of view Mel continues.

  “Whoever can put all seven of the jewels in place will have eternal life. The Infinity group wants to take the stone and replicate its magic. Their goal is to get eternal life for their
group while everyone else remains mortal. Rye’s family was in charge of hiding the stones. He was away training, and when he got home, his family had been tortured and killed for failing to disclose the location of the stones.”

  Oh my god. That’s horrible. At some point, my hand had gone to my mouth and a tear slipped out. I didn’t even realize my chest was so tight until I took a breath.

  “I...I didn’t know. That’s terrible!”

  “Yes. Which is why he doesn’t go around flaunting a hey-my-family-was-murdered flag,” Jinx mumbles.

  His hair is standing on end, but shaggy or not, he’s attractive and he knows it. At least he is almost as pale as me. We can look like vampires together. My heart is still hurting though, so the thought doesn’t give me any comfort.

  A bell buzzes and the morning announcements come to life overhead.

  “And that’s our cue. See ya.”

  Jinx gives a two-finger salute and storms off with Grace close behind.

  I continue along with Mel, silent as we make our way to our first period, which we happen to have together. My mind is reeling, enough that I need to have some things sorted out. Mel has been the one in the group that seems to be in the know about pretty much everything.

  “Okay, so let me see if I’ve got this straight: the Four Horsemen are here and, in a year, they will gather and end the world. The only way to stop that is for the Paradox, me, to kill them all one by one.”

  “Yes, that’s right. You already know this, so why are you bringing it up again?”

  Mel doesn’t stop walking, not until we are in front of a classroom, the seats full except for two. I know we can’t talk about this once we step into the class, but I really need to ask about this new piece of the puzzle.

  “But in addition to the Four Horsemen, there’s a group of crazy Avo called Infinity that wants the seven stones that used to belong on some crown so they can live forever?”

  “Yes, but the Infinity aren’t all Avo. Some of the beings are human. It makes sense. Avo live longer than humans most of the time. A human’s lifespan is pretty short compared to say a vampire or werewolf.”

  “So even if the world ended, if they get their hands on the stones, they could live past humanity’s annihilation?”