THREE
At 5:57 that night, Sebastian walked back into the main lobby at Temple. He’d showered, shaved, and eaten. He hadn’t slept much, though. He had sunglasses on again, this time to cover up his red eyes. Everyone else had tense looks on their faces and were dressed in very much the same fashion as he: black suits, dress shoes, and sunglasses. Once again, the sunglasses were out of necessity and not fashion. From the looks around the room, it was obvious most of his brothers and sisters had spent the day crying. Most of the women had yet to stop. Sebastian caught sight of Victoria carrying a cup of something to Evans. Victoria was wearing the same black suit from earlier in the day, and he was sure she hadn’t left. Evans had been home to change into a long, black dress. She wore a black hat and a tissue was pressed under the left lens of her sunglasses as she attempted to stop the flow of tears. Off to her side was Russell. Sebastian headed in their direction.
Russell lifted his head as he approached. “Hey,” he said. “You get some sleep?” Sebastian shook his head. “Yeah, you don’t look like it.”
“I tried my best,” Sebastian muttered.
Russell nodded. Evans floated over to Sebastian, and he slid an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, Evans.”
“Sebastian,” she said. “Did you talk to Mom?”
“Yeah, before I left.”
“She says you’re to go to Rome.”
He sighed and tried not to groan. “Yeah. I guess I am.”
Evans looked at him sympathetically and patted his arm. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad. Mars isn’t the same guy he was in the beginning.”
“Yeah, you’ve got that right,” Sebastian muttered, watching as the door to Psyche’s office opened. Instantly, the room fell silent. Hans, Psyche’s personal Guardian and the head of all the Guardians at their Temple, carried a file to the podium in the corner of the large lobby. All around Sebastian, the other Golden Arrows began taking their seats. There were over one hundred of them in the Chicago Temple. It always overwhelmed Sebastian a bit to see them all in one place, to realize how long they’d been operating together. A long time had passed since they had reason to worry for their safety.
Russell and Sebastian leaned against the wall as Hans cleared his throat and spoke to the room. “Thank you all for coming.” He shuffled papers in front of him before he looked at up with his sad eyes, his athletic form standing militant over the podium. “I understand it is hard in our service to cancel plans at the last minute, and we’re grateful to you for doing just that. We also know a lot of you haven’t had any rest after coming off of your shifts, and for that I’m sorry. It is necessary to meet together to discuss the tragedy that occurred last night in Boys Town. I’m going to turn this over now to our goddess. Psyche?”
Psyche stood, her lithe form moving to the podium, her hair pulled back tightly into a bun at the top of her head. Her light vest suit from earlier had been traded for a black tailored suit with the Golden Arrow insignia pinned on the lapel. She looked much more composed than she had been earlier in the day, but Sebastian could see traces of exhaustion on her face. Even so, she was stunningly beautiful.
Standing tall behind the podium, she looked at them all, her eyes settling longest on Sebastian in the back of the room. “Good evening, my children,” she said. “I had hoped the day when we’d have this discussion would never come. It has happened occasionally in the distant past that someone in the service of Jupiter was removed from our world. Those were days of terrible violence. We saw much destruction of life, even immortal life, both before and after the Fall.”
Many heads around the room nodded slowly as they watched their mother speak of the horrible crumbling of their empire in ancient Rome. Psyche took a deep breath and continued. “However, times are changing. The world is just as violent now in some areas as it was during the most desperate times, even during the Fall. Mortals kill each other every day in droves. We have been struggling to keep the unrest at bay and away from our organization. The other Temples have reported it is the same everywhere. I have contacted the Lead Arrows’ director, Mars.” Heads began to bow together across the room and the whispering began.
“That’s enough,” Psyche said, and the muttering and whispers silenced immediately. “We’ve always had a very stable relationship with the Lead Arrows. While we might not approve of their methods, we do not have their job. You were chosen to spread love to the mortals of this land. Ask yourself what your life would be like, how different your days, if you were asked to be the ones responsible for their hate.”
Several of Sebastian’s brothers and sisters began fidgeting and avoiding Psyche’s gaze. “It is important to keep our alliance strong. The Chicago Lead Arrows have been invited to the memorial for Jeremy, which will take place tomorrow night here at Temple, in the chapel.”
There was no stopping it this time. Pandemonium immediately broke out across the lobby, people jumping from their seats to protest. “Mother, do you think that’s a good idea?” asked Barron, his face filled with shock.
Elizabeth spoke from her seat a few feet away. “We don’t know the circumstances of Jeremy’s death yet. Shouldn’t we wait?”
Psyche shocked them all into silence as her small fist pounded the podium, the blast ordering them into submission. Her eyes glowed slightly as she looked around the room, truly the immortal leader now, every illusion of softness gone. “That is quite enough!” she thundered. “Don’t you forget that without the Lead Arrows you are useless!”
A deafening silence descended over them, the Golden Arrows’ eyes not even daring to meet each others’ as they sat in silence, confusion and shame clouding their features. “Do you all not remember the Fall?” Psyche walked away from the podium, walking between the rows where her children sat. “Do you remember what the world was like when there were no Golden Arrows? Do you not see the exact same thing would occur were there no Lead Arrows?” She stopped in the middle of the room, the eyes of those nearest her still not daring to look around. “These times make our union too fragile. The Lead Arrows have no more to gain from our demise than we do theirs. Our societies are not the only immortal clans. There are many that would gain from the destruction of the Golden Arrows, but the Lead Arrows are not among them. As awkward as they may make you feel, they are not your enemies. The sooner you can get that into your heads, the sooner we can stop the ridiculous tension that holds us apart.” Psyche sat in a vacant chair in the middle of the room, but with a presence as strong as hers, she might as well have been standing on a seven-foot-tall platform. Her face softened as she looked around at her children.
“Don’t you see?” Eyes wandered until they met hers. “We should be one family. It is the resentment we have built up in our hearts based on our differences that has kept us apart.”
Sebastian exhaled as he realized what their immortal mother was saying. She wanted to make the Lead Arrows and the Golden Arrows one family, operating together. As he looked around the room at the faces of his brethren, he knew it would be a long time, if ever, before that dream was realized. There were too many hard feelings between the Golden Arrows and the Lead Arrows. The Lead Arrows’ very existence on this planet, their purpose for being, was exactly opposite of his.
It wasn’t a one-sided hatred. The Lead Arrows couldn’t stand Golden Arrows either. Unless Sebastian was way off, he doubted there would be many attendees tomorrow night from that side of the “family”.
Psyche stood and walked back to the front of the room where the podium stood. “Enough politics. These things will happen when the time is right. After all, time is all we have. Most of you know I am going to be visiting all the locations of our Temples over the next few months to discuss the events of last night with all divisions of the Golden Arrows. This is a very time-sensitive duty. Therefore, Sebastian will be taking my place at the fiscal meeting this coming term in Rome.”
Eyes around the room found Sebastian and smiled, showing their approval. He nodded in return, the reason for the assignment still heavy on his mind. Psyche should be going to this meeting, and Jeremy should be alive.
“Sebastian has been working very hard on a project for the Golden Arrows as well, which I trust him to keep working on, and we hope to have updates on this next term.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows raised in surprise as his mother looked at him from her place in the room. He had not expected her to bring this up at all. It was still a risky venture, and they both knew it. Heads around the room turned to look at Sebastian quizzically, and he dodged direct glances. No pressure, huh?, he thought to himself as he gazed at his watch for a really long time.
“As always,” Psyche continued, “I would like to thank you for your continued dedication to our mission. You keep the mortal world at peace, with the help of the Lead Arrows. Always when your path seems too steep, your objectives too harsh, remember why you are called here today. Your father is very proud of you. Even now, Cupid is in Rome, informing the Golden Arrow Temple of the events of last night. Which brings me to another issue: security.”
Psyche looked to the hallway as many Guardians of the Temple entered, carrying heavy, black canvas bags. These bags were placed on the long oak table at the side of the room.
Arrows stood to watch as a few guns and several boxes of ammunition were pulled from the bags. They were simple hand guns, .45s, like their own standard issue weapons.. Sebastian’s eyebrows raised, and heads around the room began to shake. “I know what you’re thinking,” said Psyche. “No, these would not protect you from Jeremy’s fate. You already carry guns to protect yourselves in the field from mortals. However, the ammunition is the key to protection from other immortals.” Psyche reached into the podium in front of her, pulling a silver dagger from a cabinet. Walking to a table in front of the podium, she sliced open her palm. Sebastian unconsciously took a step forward, but already she was spilling several drops of her blood on the table. Russell moved to stand beside Sebastian, and they both watched as Psyche gestured to one of the Guardians who walked to the table holding a vial. He held the vial high above the blood, and they saw a single drop fall to mix together with the puddle of red on the table. Instantly, the blood began to sizzle and burn, smoke spiraling toward the ceiling. Many of the women watching gasped and placed their hands over their mouths. The men’s interest perked up. Victoria moved next to Russell and said, “Well, I’ll be damned. She finally did it.”
Psyche wrapped her hand in a handkerchief, looking across the room. “This is a formula that was devised with the help of your father and Garrett, whom most of you know as our Temple physician and scientist. We have been working on it for some time, waiting to release it until it was needed. It appears that time is now.
“This concoction is in each bullet. When it comes in contact with immortal blood, the blood will burn. It will not kill, but it will give you a chance for escape. Everyone is to carry their weapons loaded with these bullets.”
Sebastian’s family began to line up to get ammunition. Russell, Victoria, and Sebastian simply watched and waited. “Well, well,” Russell said, grinning as he looked at them. “Momma went and got hardcore.”
Victoria reached over and smacked him forcefully in the gut, which had him groaning and grabbing his stomach. “Shut up, idiot. She’s saving your dumb ass.”
“I was just messing around, for Jupiter’s sake!”
“Was Jeremy messing around, Russell?”
Sebastian placed an arm on Victoria’s shoulder. “Hey, hey,” he said. “He’s just trying to lighten the situation. Don’t go postal.”
Victoria just shook her head. “This is serious, Sebastian.” He groaned. Victoria, the drill sergeant. The situation was serious, but you couldn’t crack a smile about anything in front of Victoria unless you wanted the shit kicked out of you. She couldn’t see how someone would want to joke around in any situation that involved life or death. Russell always had to joke to keep from going a little crazy. Really, when Sebastian thought about it, they’d never had to consider death before. Russell was just as wiped as any of them were about the whole deal. Russell’s reaction was to laugh while Victoria’s was to get ready for the Apocalypse.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Russell said, rubbing his stomach and looking warily at Victoria. “Give me a break. I’ve been up all night. I’m getting tired.”
Victoria ran her hand over her face and pushed back her black hair. “I know. Shit, I’m sorry.”
“We’re all going to be keyed up for a while, guys,” Sebastian said. “The last thing we need is to take it out on each other.”
“Well,” Russell said. “Mom’s right about one thing.”
“What’s that?” Sebastian asked.
He straightened up and looked over to where the Golden Arrows were grabbing their ammunition. “This brings us one step closer to the Lead Arrows. They’re always ready to be attacked.” Victoria and Sebastian looked at each other, eyebrows raised. He was right.
Psyche walked to the podium, and said, “One last thing. As you’re out doing your service, try not to go out alone. Let someone know where you’re going, try to double up. Always stay armed. There is little chance of us catching the person responsible for what happened to Jeremy.” The room went dead silent. “But we are going to keep trying. We have no choice. The fact of the matter is, there are a great many immortals that would benefit from the fall of our empire. It’s like digging for a needle in a haystack. However,” her gaze turned hard as she looked them over, “any information you come across would be extremely useful. Now, let us all bow our heads in silence and go in peace. We’ll see you here in the chapel tomorrow night, at nightfall.”
With this, they bowed their heads. Goodbye, my brother, Sebastian thought as he listened to the sounds of breathing and weeping in the room. You were the best of us. We’ll see you in the Afterlife.
Slowly, at their own pace, faces lifted and Arrows left in silence. Russell, Victoria, Evans, and Sebastian left Temple quickly after collecting their ammunition, walking into the balmy summer air as they approached their cars.
“Well, one thing’s for sure,” Russell said, looking at Sebastian.
“What’s that?”
“Tomorrow is not going to be boring.”
Sebastian groaned as he remembered. Lead Arrows and Golden Arrows in one room over a dead brother. “Maybe Mom should have waited until after the funeral to hand out the ammunition.”