+1+
Fuck.
I forced myself up and follow the footprints Seraphina left in the sand. Her footprints turn into drag marks that lead to the back side of the compound where a makeshift garage is hidden away. I stay close to the wall and peer over to see Helios hot-wiring a rusted out motorcycle.
Sera is on the ground and I clock four new burn marks on her neck from the fucking stun gun Helios was so fond of. The handcuffs I’d put on Helios are back on Sera’s wrist and Pilos is busy wrapping her face in layers of duct tape. She puts up the best fight she can but pretty soon she won’t be able to breathe.
“W-what do we do”, Pilos asks nervously as he wraps tape over Sera’s eyes.
“First we leave this bitch in the desert for the vultures to devour”, Helios says loud enough for Sera to hear, “Then we get the fuck out of here and regroup”
“Regroup? Everyone is dead, Helios. How do we—“
“Focus on getting out of here”, Helios snaps.
Helios makes a point of taking the keys for the handcuffs and tossing them off in the distance. Sera is trying to gasp for air beneath the duct tape but the men pretend not to hear. Pilos pushes the stun gun to a strip of her exposed skin and she stops moving as much.
“What about Prince and Leon?” Pilos asks.
“They are both wounded. Trust me the desert will take care of them”, Helios attaches a hitch to the back of the motorcycle. Together he and Pilos lower Seraphina onto it. I dash back into the armory and take a crossbow out of the armory safe. The bullet in my shoulder pushes further in sending waves of pain with every movement. I move up to the roof of the compound where I can see the perimeter.
“Leon”, Paris whispers when he sees me climbing to the roof, “What’s going on where is--
“I got this just stay out of sight, Boss.”
I get to the roof and find a spot with a good view of the motorcycle as it heads out the compound. Helios at the front with an armed Pilos on the back. Seraphina is thrashing on the back of the hitch.
I line the crossbow up and take out the tires. The motorcycle swerves and Helios guns the engine. I land another arrow in the tire and the bike veers in a circle before spinning out of control. Pilos and Helios are thrown off and the flat-bed hitch flips over. Even though I’m sore I fly to reach the crash site. Realizing he is officially out of options Helios pulls himself up with a dark expression. Pilos lays unmoving next to him. Helios pulls a knife from his belt and approaches Seraphina. I will my wings to move faster.
“If I die today I’m taking you with me.” Helios shouts and I push my body to move.
Helios flips the hitch over and raises the knife over his head. Sera is still covered in duct tape and doesn’t see it coming. I soar down to him and twist the knife out of his hand breaking his wrist in the process.
“What did I say about escaping?”
+2+
I break down the door to Helios’ rooms with an axe from the armory. It’s the last feat of strength I have left with a bullet still in my damn arm. Sera chains a newly restrained Helios to his desk chair while Paris’ gathers all the files and laptops from Helios' rooms.
“I can’t get it”, I mumble to Seraphina after trying and failing to pick her handcuffs with a screwdriver from Helios’ desk. Another God-awful stun gun is on the desk and I move it out of Sera’s view. I’d patched up some of her wounds and re-bandaged her face again but I couldn’t get the cuffs off of her.
I feel lightheaded and I can tell I’d lost some blood after getting shot, luckily the bullet stayed lodge in my muscle kept me from bleeding out. I sit myself on the floor and prepare to pull out the bullet and treat the wound.
“It’s not too late Leon”, Helios says from the chair as he watches as Paris riffles through the file cabinet Sera sits on Helios' bed her eyes on a discarded file.
“Shut up, Helios”, I say focusing on my mend job. I’d found an expired first aid kit in his bathroom to work with.
“I think we’re done”, Paris says patting the two suitcases he’s filled with files and the laptops.
“Find anything good?” I ask.
“He’s broke”, Paris says looking at a silent Helios, “But he’s rich in secrets.”
“Get these things off me so I can kill him”, Sera says indicating her handcuffs.
“We’re not murders”, Paris says picking up the screwdriver and a pen to pick the lock.
“Speak for yourself”, she says looking at Helios, “He’s going to die and I’m going to watch.”
Paris stops working the lock on her handcuffs
“I can’t let you go if you’re going do that Sera. Hasn’t there been enough blood spill—“
She pushes herself away from Paris, almost knocking him into the wall in the process and goes for Helios. I try to stand but my body won’t let me. Sera locks her arms, bound at the wrist, around Helios’ neck. She pulls the chair he is chained to over and presses her forearms around his neck to cut off his air. I guess she didn’t need Paris to remove the handcuffs for her to kill him.
“Shit”, Paris picks himself up and feebly attempts to pull her off Helios. Paris accidently presses his hand into a fresh wound her stomach and her grip on Helios slackens. It’s enough for Paris to push Helios’ chair upright and into a corner. Paris takes the unbelievable positon of standing in front of Helios.
Sera laugh’s mercilessly at this. A strip of her bandages has unraveled revealing the puckered burned skin beneath it.
“You fight so hard for the life of an evil man, Paris. A man who’s done this to you”, she gestures to his haphazardly buttoned shirt and the staples keeping him from spilling his insides all over the floor.
“I’m fighting for your soul, love”, Paris says. When she take a step forward he holds his hands out as if that could ward her off. Even in a matter of life and death he couldn’t bring himself to really lay a hand on his wife. Even with her hands cuffed behind her back she’s got nearly a foot and several pounds on him. This was not going to end well for Paris. I try to get myself to stand so I can diffuse this situation but my body won’t cooperate.
“Listen to me”, Paris says, “What do you think his death will give you. Peace? No. Happiness. Fuck no.”
“Shut up, Paris”, she turns her cold eyes on him, “Stop defending him. He killed your family. He took everything from you.”
“Enough”, He strikes a serious tone I’d never heard him take with her before, “It’s a fucking massacre out there. How can that not be enough for you? Don’t you feel anything?”
“I’ll feel at peace once he’s dead.” She says.
She goes for Helios again and this time Paris remembers some of the self-defense I taught him. He goes low using his shoulder to push her back and manages to trip her, a feat made all that much easier because she is handcuffed. Before she can get up he climbs on top of her and uses his weight to hold her down by straddling her waist. Sera rolls her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Cupcake”, He says.
“Get off me”, she says her hands pinned behind her back.
“I can’t let you kill him, Sera.” Paris says.
“Don’t be a martyr for this.”
Paris lets her words sink in.
While she is struggling Paris toys with the strip of bandage that had fallen from her face, his eyes studying the damage beneath. He touches the sensitive disfigured skin, curious he removes another bandage exposing more of the damage.
He leans down and she stops struggling. Paris kisses her, his slim fingers gently forcing her mouth open while his other hand works at the bandages, pulling each one off until the full extent of her scarred features is exposed. His lips move along the smile scar Helios had cut into her face and Sera begins to arch her back, pressing her body against his as he moves down to her burned neck and back to her mouth where she carefully sinks her teeth into his lip.
Paris pushes himself up to stand and pulls Seraphina up to her knees. I focus on pulling the bullet shards out of my shoulder instead of Paris unzipping his pants or how quickly he guides his hard dick into her scarred mouth before she can even think about killing Helios again. I passingly notice the intense eye contact Paris has with Helios while he is fucking her open mouth and throat, stopping only when she starts to choke when he comes. I’m just thankful his staples didn’t pop out.
Paris pulls her up and onto Helios’ bed and kisses her over her clothes down to her waist where pulls her pants down to her knees. He kisses and licks the burns on her thighs Helios had placed there before going deeper between her legs with his mouth and fingers.I busy myself with the antiseptic and get a bandage over my cleaned bullet wound. My eyes briefly go to Helios and I notice the satellite phone clipped to his belt. I drag myself over to him and paw at his belt until the phone falls off.
I hear a soft click as Paris successfully picks the lock on Seraphina’s handcuffs—clearly he could multitask. With her hands free she pulls Paris up to her mouth and begins to shed more clothes. I take the satellite phone from the floor and see there is no signal. I have just enough energy to crawl into the hallway. I find a window and get a weak signal. The battery is already down to 9%. I dial Aria’s cellphone but it goes straight to voicemail.
“Shit”, I grumble then dial the SGI phone I’d left with Adonis
“Hello—“
“Aria?” why did she have Adonis’ SGI phone?
“…Leon?” Aria says and I hear her chocking up, “Oh my God it’s Leon. Leon where are you? I’m coming for you baby.
“Aria”, I finally breathe, “Where are you? Are the girls okay--”
“They are safe. I’m coming for you.”
“No, I’m coming to you. I’m coming home. Where is Adonis?”
“Adam? He’s busy…he’s flying.”
“What?”
“It’s a long story”, Aria pauses for a moment and I hear her talking to Adonis,”We are outside Guadalajara.”
What the fuck? I knew I’d lost a lot of blood but not this much blood.
“What the—I need to talk to him now. He is so fucking fired.”
“Leon. What are your coordinates? You can fire him in person.”
“I—fuck.” I give Aria the coordinates
“Please don’t hang up”, Aria says, “Hold on until we get there.”
“It’s okay, Aria. I have to go. It’s okay. I’ll see you soon. I love you”
“Love you too.”
I force myself to hang up and get a few minutes of needed rest until its quiet in Helios’s rooms. I hear Sera scream and it rattles me from my slumber. I instantly recognize the pain in her voice. When I enter the room Sera is pushing a dressed Paris away. She has a hand over shoulder covering a fresh bite mark. Paris turns briefly towards Helios before mouthing her an apology. I pick up her clothes and throw them at her, she pulls them on mechanically.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She nods.
“Do you still want to kill Helios?”
Her eyes dart briefly to Paris who is giving the file cabinets one last inspection and walks away without a response
+3+
The four of us are an unlikely sight heading out of the compound. Helios is in front where we can all watch him, I’m close behind with a firm grip on his restraints. Paris follows me walking in step with Sera who is dragging the suitcases filled with files and laptops
“Sera where is that fight”, Helios says and I hear the desperation in his voice. I hear the click of a gun which doesn’t make sense because Sera didn’t have a weapon. Sera and I both turn to see Paris holding a gun on Helios.
“How the fuck did you get a gun?” I ask.
“I have quick hands”, Paris says.
“You aren’t going to kill me, little prince”, Helios says
Paris angles the gun at him. His lack of skill clearly showing.
“You killed my entire family. You stole my brother. You’ve kidnapped and tortured me and my wife.
“You can’t pull the trigger.” Helios taunts.
“I can”, he says, “But I’m going to give you the one thing you never gave me.”
“What’s that?”
“Mercy”, Paris pockets the gun, “The chance to be a better person”
Helios laughs
“Paris Prince you fucking bitch.”
“I don’t want to imprison you Helios. I want to rehabilitate you. “
“The world will never let you”
“The world doesn’t need to know. I’m granting you mercy because it’s the right thing to do.”
+++
Paris and Sera don’t know what to say after I explain Aria and Adam are coming for us in a stolen Helion jet. We’d need certain supplies for clean-up plus we’d need a good cover story to explain Sera’s injuries. Sera keeps her eyes on Helios the entire time we wait for the jet. She looks at him as if she is trying to understand him. Even though Sera’s bloodlust seems to be sated, Paris makes sure to keep space between them.When we get a two minute ETA from Adonis and Aria we head out the compound gates and towards the open desert.
“Leon”, Helios says, “I never told you—“
I hear Paris fall first. I turn to see his thin frame violently flailing. I make to check on him when a hard blow to my back topples me forward and a prick of cool metal against my neck sends a powerful electric shock that forces pain through my entire body. I look in shock as Seraphina drops Helios’ stun gun on the ground.
She opens one of the suitcases and takes out the axe I’d used to break down the doors.
A residual electric current tears through my body as Seraphina slams the axe between Helios’ knees. Hacking until his legs are severed. Helios bites back a blood curdling scream.
“Sera”, Paris scrambles up his body still twitching from the electric shock “What the hell. Stop. Seraphina”
Without missing a beat Sera chops off Helios’ other leg, forcing the blade through the bone. She drops the axe and flips a flailing Helios onto his back.
“Stop her”, Paris orders but my head is still cloudy from the stun gun and I topple over when I try to stand.
Sera kneels down and wraps her hands around Helios’s throat. His hands scratch at her worn and callused ones. She squeezes his throat and watches the way he thrashes beneath her. He begins to shake and she starts to throttle him. Her lips part slightly as Helios gasps for his last breath. There is a strange stillness when she finally let’s go. She picks up the axe one last time and severs one of his fingers.
Sera shoves the dismembered finger into her pocket and drags Helios' mutilated body by the arm towards a rocky ravine bordering the side of the compound. She heaves his body into the anonymous dark space where no one will look but the vultures. His legs follow.
Sera tries to wipe the blood from her hands, but the truth is she is literally covered in it.
“…you should cleanup” I say when I can feel my body again.
Sera looks down as if realizing she’s covered in Helios’ blood. She nods and walks to the water pump by the courtyard gates. Paris is shaking from what has to be fear. I swear I hear a few last gasps at air from down below.
“She had to do it”, I tell him, “He can’t be reformed. He didn’t deserve another chance.”
“I’m not a pacifist when I choose to be”, he says picking up some dirt and letting in scatter into the ravine, “God have mercy on his soul.”
+4+
Aria
“This can’t be right.”
Adonis gets the plane down as low as it can safely go as we cruise toward the coordinates Leon gave us. The desolate landscape is vast, I can’t make out any signs of civilization.
I keep my eyes trained below as Adonis pulls back so we can rise above a ravine. That’s when I notice what looks like a great house in the middle of a flat plain. Something looks …off from this distance.
“Look!” I squeal seeing a figure waving a gray shirt in our direction.
“Let’s land this thing.”
Adam circles the area before getting just enough space to bring the jet down. It’s a bumpy landing and I keep my hands wrapped tight around my middle. I wipe the tears from my face before getting out. Adam rushes to help me down the steps and as soon as I touch the ground Leon breaks into a run and pulls me into his arms. He’s somehow aged years and I inventory every cut and bruise on him.
“Aria”, he buries his face in my neck, “Baby, what did you do?”
“I had to get you. I told the girls I was bringing you home. We were bringing you home.”
Leon looks up to see Adam trying to lean casually by the plane.
“I can explain, boss”, Adam says
“No you fucking can’t”, Leon says bringing me closer, “We are having a serious conversation when we get back, Adonis.”
“Oh, Leon it was my idea—“
I step around Leon and notice Sera slowly approaching me with a vacant expression. Paris is slowly trailing behind her. I’d recognize her frame and gait anywhere but her face is something else entirely. I start crying because I don’t want this for her. I look to Leon then Paris for an explanation but they say nothing. There is something off about this place.
“Sera. Come here. It’s okay”, I close the distance between us. She doesn’t move to acknowledge the embrace. I lead her over to the jet and out of ear shot of the men, “Whatever you did it’s okay.”
Sera places something wet and rough in my hand. I look down at my palm and nearly drop the cold severed finger she’s placed there. I study the finger a little more and realize what it is. I clasp the finger tighter in my warm palm. New happy tears begin to fall. I try to give the finger back to her but she just pushes it back toward me.
She wipes the tears from my face while her own start to fall. She forces a smile to mirror mine. I pull her cloer to me, my forehead pressed so close against her out tears began to meld together.
“It’s over”, I whisper realizing a weight has been lifted off of me, “It’s over.”
+++
12 Weeks Later
Aria
+5+
I shouldn’t be doing this.
Persephone coos a little bit from her stroller as if in acknowledgement. I lift the stroller up the small flight of marble stairs and onto the large circular dais that overlooks the reflecting pool surrounded by marble slabs bearing names of soldiers, civilians and activist who had died or gone missing during Helios Regime. The Remembrance memorial is a popular tourist destination during the day but wass closed this early in the morning. Only people with special access can get at nearly 5 am. Right now it is empty save one person.
Sera is as waiting for me at the edge of the dais, she is leaning on a column and looking down into the reflection pool. Her crisp white oxford and tailored black slacks are reserved and solemn enough for this somewhat sacred place. I knew my Sister’s faces better than my own but even now when I looked at Seraphina I had a hard time knowing it was her. Helios had left a permeant reminder of himself on her.
Her face had healed the best it could and while a skin graft had covered some of her burns the patch work of scar tissue would always be visible. She kept her hair short now, shaving off the sides so the scars were always visible, a constant reminder of how that part of her life ended.
---
That day in the valley I had settled in the back of the jet with her while Adam and Leon talked. I’d wrapped Sera up in Athena’s blanket that I’d snuck into the camera bag. I hadn’t wanted to let Sera out of my sight when I realized she couldn’t speak. Leon had other plans though.
“We need Sera’s help…cleaning up”, was all Leon said and Sera dutifully followed him out.
I sat alone in the back of the jet while Paris wheeled in suitcases filled with files and laptop.
“Did what I think happen out there happen?
Paris settled in the seat next to me.
“It’s better you don’t know what happened down there”, Paris said, “That way you can’t lie to your boss.”
“I don’t know how much longer I will be working for the Bless. What happened here did she kill--”
“Aria you can’t stop working for Bless”, Paris said turning on the A/C at his seat and changing the subject.
“I can’t trust Lady Bless. And If Edwin Bless finds out about this it’s over for you, Paris.”
“They aren’t going to find out. Aria, I need you working for Bless because I need someone on the inside.”
“I’m just an assistant”
“For now”, he said. He shifted in his seat and it’s then that I noticed the deep incision on his stomach.
“God”, I reache for the jet’s first aid kit, “How are you ever going to explain this?”
“Half my job is coming up with cover-ups.”
Paris and I waited in the jet for hours while Adam, Leon and Sera did whatever unspeakable things needed to be done. When the time came for us to part I didn’t want to leave Leon again. I gave Sera a hug she didn’t return. Then I gave Paris a pointed look.
“You take care of her”, I warned Paris as Leon jumpstarted a motorcycle and lift they’d patched up with materials from the jet.
Adam had just enough fuel to land Kronos at a rural private airstrip in Wisconsin. We arrived in time to hear the news that on the way to the airport in Mexico a car carrying Paris Prince and his wife was in an accident and tumbled over an embankment. Somehow the pair survived the terrifying ordeal.
I watched the news of the “accident” from the small office of the airstrip owner as he closed a deal with Adam to buy the jet. Adam undersold him considering the jet was rigged up to explode in four hours. By then we’d be halfway to Ohio.
It was my idea for us to stay at Rowena and Siobhan’s farm before heading back to New Aeterna. Being reunited with my girls felt like I was coming together again. They were playing in the wild flowers with Rowena when we pulled up .Siobhan, who looked only a little worse for wear, was stacking up wood to fix the barn.
I eventually turned my phone on to see I had 46 missed calls. I prepared myself and called Lady Bless’ private line. To my surprise she picked up on the first ring.
“Aria. What is going on? Did you…there was…that man you were with was a Helion.”
“No. He is an Angel. Not a Helion.”
“Did you—“
“Steal a Helion Plane?” I preempted her, “From the vault of Helion spoils that the U.S government is just hiding from people?”
“It’s not hidden.”
“No, but it’s not exactly good taste is it? Maybe someone should tell the press and there can be a full investigation.”
She was silent.
“Aria”, Edwin Bless said and I realized I was on speaker phone, “I think we can all just move past this. There is no need to make anything public. Perhaps it best you look for employment elsewhere.”
I put on my best fake happy voice.
“I wouldn’t dream of it Minister Bless. I’m sure if I can look past your faults…you can look pass my indiscretions.”
“I…suppose we could…work something out.”
“I look forward to it.”
I let out a breath and clutched the phone to my chest. Hopefully I hadn’t tanked my career.
“Daddy daddy !” the chorus began the minute a brand new shiny black Escalade pulled onto the Cypress Tree property. Leon got out of the passenger seat and was nearly tackled by all the girls. Once they had him on the ground I sat next to him.
“I told them I’d bring you home.” I said
“You did”, he said, “And I’m never leaving again. I’m running SGI from home after this. From now on my only missions involves you and our family.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. As long as you promise to be a lot more careful with this car.”
He tossed me the keys to the new Escalade.
“No guarantees.”
Rowena and Siobhan barley recognized Seraphina when she got out the driver’s seat. The way Sera pulled them in and studied their faces let me know she had never forgotten them. Paris had already taking a flight back to New Aeterna to lay low and convene with his remaining Brothers. Sera and Leon had doubled back to that awful compound or more “clean-up “and I could smell smoke and fire on them both.
Sera hadn’t spoken a word since that day. It wasn’t new to me having grown up with her. Every now and then something would happen that would trigger her selective mutism. She’d spoken so little before that the girls didn’t even notice anything was off.
She, Leon and Adam spent the week working to rebuild the barn. When it was done Leon and Adam went back to New Aeterna to get SGI started. Seraphina and I stayed in Ohio for a bit longer. I used the herbs Rowena grew to make teas and treat Sera’s wounds the old old fashion way but she would still need surgery in the long term.
We taught the girls Homeland songs and poems. We gardened, read stories, danced around bonfires, and helped take care of the animals. Paris updated me from the confines of his bed after having emergency surgery in the basement of his Demon Bothers brownstone.
“You should go to a real doctor”, I’d told him when his face filled the screen
“And explain why my blood is black? Not worth it. Just a mild internal infection. I’m fine. Damien is not a surgeon. I think he watched an online video.”
“…maybe you should admit that you are Demon.”
“People already hate politicians. Let’s not give into their fears that all politicians are Demons.”
We had to go back to New Aeterna. Sera was scheduled to have surgery to prevent future complications with her injuries and I had a life to put back together. Before leaving Rowena and Siobhan and I had brainstormed starting a camp or summer program on the farm so younger Angels could leave the city.
Getting back to normal had been easier knowing Helios was dead and having Leon naked in my bed every night helped make the transition very smooth.
After her surgery I set up a vigil by Sera’s bedside. I busied myself doing what I should have done years ago. Maybe if I’d done a better job watching out for her when we were young she wouldn’t haven’t gotten involved with Helios. She wouldn’t have killed all those men.
I’d made peasant soup in Sera’s pristine kitchen but Sera drew the line when I tried to feed her.
“Aria”, she spoke for the first time in 12 weeks. She takes the spoon from me and spills soup on her shirt.
“Careful it’s hot.”
“I can feed myself.” She’d said
“I’m just trying to help.”
“I’m okay.” She made her way to the bathroom to clean up.
“You can feed me”, Paris said from where he was still on bed rest. It had been a bit awkward trying to take care of my Sister with her husband in bed next to her. He didn’t seem too worried about Sera not speaking and simply adapted to it. Paris mostly read and sometimes we’d engage in a little political debate. I could see why Sera found him attractive He was smart and had way too much confidence, plus he was so compact and strangely handsome.
Paris closes the heavy book he’d been reading and I can’t tell if he’s joking because we were both flirts.
“Am I doing too much?” I asked
“Aria. You have a school, a job and four kids, Leon plus you’re pregnant. You can’t also take of Sera.”
“But—“
“It’s okay”, he said, “I’ve got this”
I knew Paris was right. I couldn’t take care of my Sisters anymore. At least not in the way I used to.
Still.
I had to bring Adam to the Angel’s commune. He’d called me so excited the day his pardon went through and he officially became SGI’s co-founder and tactical operations commander. Adam was ready to put his past behind him. All of his past.
The day I took him to the commune I’d sewn up one of Leon’s old shirts to fit and made sure he had a fresh haircut and shave. We stopped to pick up flowers from a bodega before heading inside.
There was shift in the atmosphere when approached the communal yard. Lots of weary eyes on him. Sisters were setting up a projector for a movie in the yard. We awkwardly walked through the blankets and sprawled out children until I spotted Poppy’s blonde curls.
When she saw us Poppy ran to her father. Like with my girls Antony and Little Adam follow out of obligation. Adam walked them back to Thea’s blanket. Thea wouldn’t even look him in the eye when he presented her with the flowers. “Can we talk?” Adam asks.
I smile encouragingly at Thea. Thea looks around realizing the others are watching them. Thea turns back to the kids and is suddenly very concerned with their snacks. She makes some space on the blanket farthest away from her
“After the movie”, she said, “Go on. Sit.”
Adonis nods not sure if this is a good thing or not. Adam picked up Little Adam, tickling him before pulling him into his lap. The other kids crowded around for a spot next to him. I knew it would take a lot more than this moment to be a father, but I had hope.
Leon set up a home office for SGI in the garage where he mostly bossed Adam around. We were learning to be a family again and more than ready when we welcomed out newest family member, Persephone Ada Argos
Which was why it was odd when Paris Princes’ cell phone number appeared on my phone at 3am on a Tuesday. Luckily Persephone and I were up.
“Paris?” I said while swaying Persephone.
“It’s me”, Sera said sounding shaky
“Sweetie, are you okay?”
“Do you still have clearance?”
“Maybe…What do you need?”
“I need you to look something up for me. Meet me tomorrow morning at the memorial”
-6-
So here I was. 5am in the morning at the Reembrace Memorial. Sera ran a hand through her cropped hair, I caught a flash of her silver filigree ring with its white bone centerpiece. I nervously rubbed a thumb over my matching one. She was jittery but I attributed it to her trying to quit smoking. Sera kneeled down to look into the stroller at little Persephone. For some reason I always nervous when she touched my girls.
“I have what you asked for”, I say reaching under my sleeping angel to take out a file folder, “I’m already on thin ice so it was risky for me to access U.S military files”
“Did you read it?” she asks laser focused.
“How about a ‘Hello Aria’ ? ‘How are you?’ ‘Thank you for risking your job for me’?”
“Aria”, she says as if that was too much to ask for. Then reconsiders, “Thank you.”
“How did you know this project existed, Seraphina?”
“I saw it in one of Helios’ files when we were packing up the files in Mexico. Paris looked right past it. Is Project Last Hope what I think it is?”
I look around to make sure we were alone, “Yes. The Edwin Bless administration has been giving corporate tax breaks and providing top secret contracts to USPharma and ChemicaEnterprises. They specialize in chemical warfare.”
“He’s going to kill us all.” She says, “Helios was right.”
“No”, I said, “I know Edwin. He’s like every other human…he’s scared. I think they just want a fail safe. Just in case things go bad again.”
“You keep telling yourself that.” Sera says.
“Well, they aren’t going to start a war today or tomorrow. So until then I’ll keep watching from the inside… there is one more thing, Sera.”
“I think I know…”
I take a deep breath
“USPharma and ChemicaEnterprises had a team of scientist based in a U.S prison camp 12 years ago. Around the same time you were a prisoner. Their job officially was to study foreign organic compounds for future drug research purposes. However the project changed course when they suddenly had access to “Alien” stem cells that could be used for chemical warfare research. Before it was called Project Last Hope… It was called Project Arrow.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think the reason they imprisoned you and the other Angels was to develop a weapon against Helios… I think Arrow’s arrival was a breakthrough they didn’t expect. Whatever they are working on…it probably started with his stem cells.”
She tried to shake the tension out of her neck.
“Humans can’t be trusted”, Sera sounds calm almost rational.
“Seraphina?”
“This was supposed to be our country. The humans are tolerating us until they can kill us. They took power from Paris, they want to reunify…they want to exterminate us. Things need to change in the country. We need to fight back.”
I put the Project Last Hope file under the baby’s blankets and watch the sunrise.
“Well, maybe they need a few new leaders.” I suggest. Sera leans against one of the marble columns.
“That is why I’m getting a new commission. SGI was never going to need me. New Aeterna does.”
I’m shocked
“You’re joining the military again?”
“If things are going to change around here. I’d rather be on the inside. I want you with me Aria”
“I’m not going anywhere. I just hope you know what you are doing, Sera”
She nods as a good-bye and I give her mock salute back. She turns on her heels and walks out.
EPILOGUE