Once we got to the house, everyone went to work getting information we needed. Not just on Emerson, but on Julian as well. He knew the council better than anyone. I sent Reese and Jay to look into the last address we had for him. The twins had narrowed the list of people named Emerson Baxter in New York City down to three. They went to check out their addresses. If they found Akons nearby, they were to call and wait for back up.

Ameana and I would look in the Muse to figure out where to go next. The Muse is a red leather-bound book in which past Guardians have written. It tells of their encounters with previous Akons, Sages and Runners.

The most important part of the Muse is the list of Sellers and where to find them. A Seller is a low-level criminal who committed nonviolent crimes while human but who died as a result of a selfless act. Due to their past offenses, Sellers cannot go to the light. But their last act on Earth proved that their souls have the capacity for good. So they don’t belong in the darkness, either.

Both Omnis and Atourum agreed to give Sellers eternal life until they do something so pure of heart or so evil that they go directly into the light or the darkness. Sellers rarely know what to do with the gift they’ve been granted. More often than not, Lucy gets the Sellers in the end.

“Here, I found one that may be able to help us,” Ameana said as she walked over to me and sat down on the sofa. I should have been paying attention, but I was thinking about what the Sage had said. I repeated the words over and over in my mind. “You will betray them all.” The thought that I could betray my team was still impossible for me to digest. But what was even harder to doubt was the Sage’s track record: he was never wrong.

“Marcus,” Ameana called out again. I didn’t know how many times she had said my name. I guessed she had been trying to get my attention for some time.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing, just…thinking.”

“You’ve never been good at lying.”

“Isn’t that a good thing for an angel?”

“It’s a good thing for a guy. What is it you’re thinking about?”

“Something the Sage said.”

“What did he say?”

I told her everything. She listened calmly and didn’t speak for a full minute after I was done. I wanted her to talk and let me know what she was thinking, but Ameana’s not one to be rushed.

“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.

“We’ll head out in a sec. The rest of you get going.” Before I had even finished talking, they were airborne. Ameana and I remained on the roof.

“You’re not going to tell them what the Sage said, are you?” she asked.

“Why should I? It’s not true. Why would I even worry them about it?”

“They need to know.”

“There’s nothing to know.”

“You can’t leave them in the dark like this.”

“They wouldn’t believe what he had to say. They have faith in me and aren’t so easily convinced of my betrayal.”

“You’re making this personal, and it’s not.”

“Is it ever personal with you?”

“This is not about us. I’m the second-in – command, and I think your holding out information from the team is in poor judgment.”

“I’m sorry you don’t like the way I’m handling things. But it’s my decision, and I am not saying anything until I feel it is absolutely necessary.”

“So, you’re gonna wait to Turn and then tell them?”

“I AM NOT TURNING!” My wings spread across the night sky and moved wildly.

“Don’t you flare your wings at me! I am not here to agree with you. I’m here to get a job done and you’re getting in the way.”

“You aren’t the only one who has to make this mission happen. We all have to play our parts.”

“Good. Why don’t you try playing the role of a First Guardian and take care of his team?”

“I am done having this conversation.”

“You have to tell them.”

“Because you think it’s true?”

“Because it’s your duty.”

“I will. But only when I feel they need to know, and not one second before.”

“You’re just afraid that they will lose faith in you.”

“Well, if they’re anything like my girlfriend, they never had any faith in me to begin with.”

“Marcus—”

“Enough.”

Without another word, Ameana took off into the night sky. I followed her. She was taking me to see a Seller that she thought the Akons might have gone to. She took us to a pawn shop on the Lower East Side. It was still dark out and had we not had the strength of angels, it would have been a bad idea for us to be out.

The dark alleys and suspect-looking humans make for a scene in some kind of street-crime drama. We landed in an empty alleyway. The wind whipped and battered the garbage on the street. It smelled. The rats had long taken ownership of the area.

We entered the pawn shop and found random items on display. They had everything from guitars to baby monitors. They were held in place by Samson string. Samson is the guy who had had all his hair cut off by a woman he loved and trusted, Delilah.

But what they don’t tell you is that Delilah then sold his hair to a Seller after finding out that it was as strong as that of an angel’s. Samson string could hold a car in place on the wall. But the most impressive thing about Samson string is that it could not be untied by any hands other than the ones that had tied it. You also never needed more than a few inches, so it was something Sellers often kept it in stock and made good money off of.

The guy behind the counter was heavyset, with a hairy chest, a half-open button-down Acapulco shirt and a gold chain. The chain is a holder, just like the one Jay wears. Except Jay’s is platinum. I’m guessing the pawn shop gets robbed so often, he keeps the Holder around as protection. A Holder is a bubble-like prison. Once it is thrown onto the floor, it traps the person it’s been thrown at by encasing them in a film that can not be pulled apart.

I’m sure many robbers have been held in place at this shop until the cops came. Then, when the cops show up, the Holder is removed and it seems as if the robber just stayed behind to get caught. The truth is they were held prisoner by the holder chain around the Seller’s neck. No robber ever got the best of a Seller. These are men and women who have lived not one but many lives. And each time Sellers come back to Earth, they get better at stealing and cheating.

Many argue that Sellers should be sent to the darkness, but every once in a blue moon, a Seller sees the error of his or her ways and gets entrance into the light. Also, the act that the Seller committed on Earth to be granted eternal life is always an act of courage. I guess it’s hard to send a guy to burn to ashes after he has saved a baby’s life or done something equally heroic. The Seller looked at us and gave us his best car-salesman smile.

“Well, I’ll be a Runner’s last meal. The Guardian couple right here in my little old shop! Can you shed some light on some of the rumors that have been circulating? Is it true that you had something going with another Guardian before Marcus? I hear you and the mood ring guy had a thing way back when.”

She walked up to him slowly. She whispered something in his ear. I don’t know what she said, but Tony-Tone’s face went bright red.

“You will never ask me anything like that again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry. I was just curious.”

“We didn’t come here to be questioned. We came to question you. And if you tell us what we want to know maybe we won’t have to end your cycle right here,” I say.

“I thought you guys would be nicer.”

“Tony, I’m low on patience. So if I were you, I’d play it real carefully,” I warned him.

“Look, I can’t tell you anything. I’m a Seller and we Sellers have a code.”

“To rip off as many people as you can?” Ameana asked.

“Well, yeah. But more than that, we have to keep our clients happy. That means whatever they purchase is kept confidential.”

“You will tell us what we need to know,” I threatened.

“Okay, but you should know that I hold my profession in higher regard. It hurts me to break my code.”

“We’ll pay you.”

“What do you need to know?”

“Did the Akons come to see you?” I asked

“Yeah, half hour ago.”

“What did the Akons get when they came here?” Ameana said.

“They brought two things; a vile of weeping oil and—”

“Weeping oil? What’s that?” Ameana asked.

“It holds memories like a collector, but only of the times in your life you’ve cried. You put it into someone’s drink, and after they drink it, you take the cup and fill it up with water. The remains of the oil will reveal the last tearful memory of the person who drank it. On us it wouldn’t do anything, but on a human, it’s like ingesting bleach. The body rejects it. Three or four rounds of weeping oil can kill a human,” I informed her.

“It would only take three rounds. I sold them the good stuff. It comes from the best hospice in North America. I only provide the best. I am not just a Seller—I’m a Seller who cares.”

“You care so much, you sneak into rooms of terminally ill people, wait for them to cry themselves to sleep and gather all their tears,” I point out.

“Hey, I didn’t give them an illness. You can take that up with the council. All I do is gather up a few of their tears. And, by the way, the process doesn’t stop there. I have to pay a guy to mix it, pay a guy to strip the salt from it—a lot of work is done to make it what it ends up being.”

“You poor man,” Ameana said without any sympathy.

“Poor is right. You wouldn’t believe the overhead.”

“What did they need the weeping oil for?” I asked.

“Yeah, like they would tell me.”

“Make a guess, Tony. Guess as if your life depended on it,” Ameana suggested to him.

“I’m guessing they just need information about a human’s past. And once they’ve found the memory that they are looking for, they’ll dispose of the human. That is, if the weeping oil hasn’t already done that.”

I had a lot I wanted to discuss with Ameana. What in this Emerson person’s past did the Akons want to know? Which of the three Emersons would they give the oil to? What could we do to get the same information without hurting a human? Now wasn’t the time to talk. Tony should not know more than necessary. He could not be trusted. No Seller could, really.

“What is the other thing they brought?” I asked.

“You mean stole. That’s why we need a union. It makes no sense to get the gift of eternal life if any Akon, Runner or Pawn can take anything from us! How are we supposed to make a living? It’s always the same thing. We live here in peace, and every six-six-six, you and Akons come and take whatever you want. It’s injustice, is what it is.”

“You can save your speech for the union meeting, Tony. We just need to know what the other thing was they bought,” I told him.

“You guys are supposed to be the good guys. Don’t you care about the injustice and unfairness of life as a Seller?”

“No,” Ameana said.

He looked her over. He admired her beauty and her body. That irked me. I wonder if it would have had I not been her boyfriend.

“Tony, you try really hard not to stare at her like she’s a candy apple. And I’ll try really hard not to split you open like one, deal?”

“Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. What was it you wanted to know again?”

“What was the other object they brought?” I said impatiently.

“They got a Trimeter. The only one I had.”

“So, they can gauge who has and has not been tagged by the council?” Ameana asked.

“Yeah, it takes a few hours, but the council’s mark should show around the area of the clue.”

“Good. We’ll let them take us to the right one and take it from there,” I said.

Tony joined in the conversation.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been a part of saving the world. It’s been like ten or eleven cycles at least.”

“You’re not a part of anything. If you had not given them the oil and the meter they wouldn’t have an idea of what they are looking for,” I pointed out.

“Hey, they threatened to kill me. You have no idea what it’s like in that damn womb. Nine months is a long time to wait. Not to mention living off mashed peas and banana.”

“You don’t care that the world could end?” I asked.

“Only the humans would worry about that. The rest of us know it’s pretty much live and let die, you know?”

I rolled my eyes. Ameana and I headed for the door. Tony called out to us.

“Can I ask you guys just one question?”

“What?” I said curtly.

“You guys are the first Guardian couple. I’m thinking that’s gotta be kinda cool, right? Like Bonnie and Clyde?”

“They fought for the other team,” Ameana pointed out.

“Yeah, but they were a team. You know, one for all, all for one type stuff. Are you guys anything like that?”

“No, we’re nothing like that,” I said, looking pointedly at her. And for the first time today, she didn’t argue with me.