I squint and look away as the light streams through the window and hits my face. When

my eyes adjust to the light fully, I look around the room. I’m in the warehouse. One of the rooms has been converted into a makeshift hospital room.

He saved me... Where is he? Is he here? Did he stick around to make sure I was okay? Or did he just drop me off like a sack of potatoes and take off? Did he come with his harem? Or is there one special girl accompanying him? I hope he’s still here...

“Hey, you’re up! How do you feel?” Key says, smiling brightly as she looks down on me. 

“Not bad, is Sam okay? Did anyone check on him?” I ask.

“Many times. Bex got him a thousand-piece puzzle and he’s completely taken with it. He’s with Tony and they are doing just fine. Now, are you sure you’re okay? You were burned pretty badly.”

“Yeah I’m good, but my arms are tingling,” I admit as I try to peek outside the door to see if I spot him.

“Yeah, you weren’t burned by normal fire. The only way to put it out was with the blood of the demon who set it,” Swoop tells me.

“As you can see, your skin is back on and everything is just like it was before. But it will tingle for a few days and then fully heal, thank you, Omnis,” Key replies.

I sit up and realize Key also fixed my shoulder. I thank her as I surreptitiously take another peek behind the door. There is no one there.

“Who you looking for?” Swoop asks with a knowing smile.

“No one,” I reply.

“Don’t tease Pry, she’s had a rough few days,” Key says.

“Tease me about what? I wasn’t looking for anyone,” I lie.

“Well, we bought you some fresh clothes while you were knocked out,” Swoop says.

“You know, just in case you wanted to look your best for ‘no one,’” Key says slyly.

The twins exchange a look and burst out laughing.

“C’mon, be serious. There’s something I need to be caught up on,” I remind them.

“Okay, okay. We’re sorry. So what do you want to know?” Key asks.

“Duh, she wants to know if Silver’s still hot; and the answer is—even more so than before,” Swoop replies. 

“Really?” I ask.

The twins exchange a knowing glance.

“I mean, whatever,” I say dismissively.

“So here’s what happened. He came into the house filled with flames, took out one of the two demons. But the second one, Kill, got away. Luckily before he fled, Silver was able to injure him and acquire his blood to put out the flames,” Swoop says excitedly.

“And the baby?” I ask.

“He rescued her first. She’s safe and sound with relatives,” Key replies.

“Good, that’s good,” I say simply, while trying to suppress my desire to shout “IS AADEN STILL HERE?”

“You should have seen him when he brought you over to us. He carried you over his shoulders with a grave, desperate look on his face. He knew the girl he loved was clinging to life!” Swoop says as she places the back of her hand over her head and sighs dramatically.

“Can you please make your sister stop acting like she’s in Gone With The Wind?” I ask Key with a smile.

“Yes, Swoop is taking it a little too far, but...”

“But what?” I ask.

This time, the twins are more understated in their meaningful glances; they are not sure they should be saying what they are about to say.

“Keyohmi, tell me: What was Aaden like when he brought me over to you guys?” I push.

In reality, I’m sure Key only took a few seconds before she replied, but in my mind she stood there for hours while my heart was in my throat.

“Silver was...he didn’t know if he got to you in time. I could be wrong, but he looked empty.”

“I’m sure he was just worried. We’re all friends, so he wants me to be okay,” I reply, more to myself.

“Pryor, it’s not about what he wanted; it’s about what he needed. And he needed you to be alive. As if his own life depended on it,” Swoop insists.

Dear Omnis, I hope he’s still here...

“Key, thanks so much for healing me,” I tell her, ready to change the topic so the girls can’t see me blush.

“It’s what I do,” she says proudly.

“Swoop, where’s...Randy?” I ask.

“He would have been by your side but he knew his dad would go nuts if he missed school.”

“How long was I knocked out?”

“Nearly four days,” Swoop replies.

“Really? I don’t feel like—wait! Randy went to school by himself? What if—”

“Bring it down. We all enrolled in human school so we could take turns watching over him,” Swoop assures me.

“So the guys are at school with Randy...what about...?” I ask as if I am asking about the weather.

“Aaden?” Swoop asks suggestively.

“Um yeah, him,” I reply.

“He’s outside. He’s been waiting for you to wake up,” Swoop adds.

“Okay, send him in.”

“Try not to set off the sprinkler system with all that heat you two will be generating,” Swoop jokes.

Key playfully grabs her sister and goes to fetch Aaden.

I spring up from the bed and rush over to the makeshift vanity the girls have set up. I’m not as girly as they are; no one is really. But it’s times like these that make me really appreciate the twins and their uncanny sense of fashion.

They have set aside only a small assortment of makeup, but they chose all the best brands. In addition, the soft warm color palette the twins picked goes very well with my skin tone. I quickly apply a layer of rose-colored gloss, mascara, and a hint of blush. I beg my hair to behave as I brush it hurriedly and let it fall down my back. Argh, I wish it wasn’t so damn red!

I pick up my new outfit, draped on the back of the nearby chair. I hope they didn’t go overboard. I could never dress as...loud as they do. I’m more of a “cute jeans and top” kind of girl. Maybe once in a while I might do a wedge, but mostly, I’m boots and flats.

I look over the outfit; I freaking love these girls. It’s perfect. It’s fitted jeans with a white peasant blouse that hugs my body but not too tight. It’s casual, which is good because I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. Yet it’s dressy enough so that he knows I made an effort. 

I know it’s crazy to be this concerned with my looks given all that’s going on. Not to mention the fact that Aaden has been a real jerk. And I certainly don’t mean to be that girl but the fact is I really want to look my best for him.

We have not seen each other in a year, and the first time he sees me I’m soaking in flames, passing out, and drooling on his shoulder. I have to make a better second impression. I hear someone enter. I turn around and see Aaden standing in the doorway.

He’s taller than I remember. He has washboard abs, a broad chest, and perfect pecs. He was always fit, but now his muscles are so defined they make an imprint on the fabric of his black tee. His hair is the color of nightfall and slightly longer than it was the last time I saw him.

The most startling thing about Aaden is he has his mom’s amber eyes. There’s something behind them that pulls me in and makes it impossible to look away. How did they manage to get even more intense than they were before? Looking into them I forget, well...everything.

I long for him to get closer, but then again, I can barely handle the current of excitement running though my body having him stand across the room. Everything around me fades into the background. As of right now there is no one in the world but the angel standing before me. I wonder if he feels the same way. I thought I saw him linger a little, as he looked me over...

“Aaden, thanks for—”

“Exactly what the hell is your problem?” he demands from the doorway.

Taken off guard, I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

“I asked you a question: What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“You are supposed to be laying low, not going around setting homes on fire and attracting attention to yourself!” he admonishes.

“I didn’t set the fire, Kill did, and why are you talking to me like I’m some lowlife Seller off the street?”

“Listen, ‘Buffy,’ this demon hunting crap is over.”

“Who the hell are you to give me orders? You haven’t been here. It’s like you turned your back on angels,” I remind him.

“You’re damn right I did. It may be news to you, but I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to the Angel world.”

“Then why did you come to save the group?”

“I didn’t come to save the group; I came to save...look, you need to stop searching for Oden. Leave it alone,” he orders.

“I can’t. Oden has info that will save my best friend’s life. His name is Randy and—”

“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHO YOU’RE SAVING OR WHY. YOU NEED TO STOP.”

“You can’t come in here and order me around. I’m not your second in command; you’re mine. Don’t get that confused,” I bark.

“I’m not gonna warn you again: stay away from the demons,” he shouts firmly as he storms out.

Furious, I follow him out of the room.

“You can’t just order me around and fly away,” I remind him.

“The hell I can’t,” he snaps.

Just as he’s about to take off into the air, the rest of the group appear on Ports.

Before they can even jump off, Aaden charges towards them.

“Who’s the asshole that let her go after demons seconds after the new evil appeared?” he asks.

“Hey, Silver, nice to see you too,” East replies, confused.

“We didn’t have a choice,” the Para counters.

“Bullshit, Bex, you should’ve stopped her,” Aaden says hotly.

“I tried to stop her; too bad you weren’t here to do the same,” Bex shouts back.

“Can you guys stop talking about Pry like she’s not in the room?” Randy says.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I’m...I’m her best friend and you need to watch how you talk to her,” Randy says bravely.

Aaden looks Randy over, decides to ignore him, and addresses the group.

“How can any of you be this careless?” he demands.

“Silver, you have no right to come at us like this,” Bex begins.

“I have every right; you never should have let this take place.”

“ENOUGH!” I order in no uncertain terms.

Bex and Aaden shut up but they don’t stop glaring at each other. I address them in a calm but firm voice.

“I will go after whomever I want, whenever I want. Oden has info that will save Randy and I will not rest until I find him.”

“What does Oden have that you need so badly?” Aaden asks.

“We don’t know yet,” I reply.

“So you’re off scouring the globe to get something from a demon but you don’t even know what it is?” he blasts.

“Aaden, it—”

“You guys were crazy to let her get into this mess. Pryor, this is done. This. Ends. Now.”

“You are not my father; my father is Marcus Cane. And even if he was here, he couldn’t order my team around.”

“ Your ‘team’? So what, you’re putting the band back together?” he says sardonically.

Argh, I hate him!

“Well actually, we’ve got a couple of gigs lined up. You know, a bat mitzvah here, a retirement party there and soon...we’ll go on the road.”

“East, can you be serious for just one minute?” Aaden snaps.

“If history’s any indication...no,” East replies.

The twins try to suppress smiles. Aaden looks around the room and shakes his head. When he speaks his tone is sobering and certain.

“Malakaro is working on finding a mixture to counteract the one we took to hide our location. And given the amount of powers that you and the others have been using... it’s not a matter of if he finds you, it’s a matter of when.” 

His angry tone slices through me. But I make myself look back at him without flinching. I’m pissed too. He hasn’t seen me in a year and the first thing he does is reprimand me? Just because I’m a girl he thinks he can tell me what to do? And Randy’s right; how dare he address the group as if I’m not there?

Argh, I really, really hate him; sexist, pig-headed fascist!

“Silver, we get what you’re saying but we can’t just abandon Randy. It’s not right,” Key says. 

“This is your idea of leadership? Taking stupid, foolish risks for just anyone?” he asks me.

“Randy isn’t ‘just anyone’—you know what, Aaden? If you don’t like the way I’m running things, you can take off. I’m sure there’s a line of half naked, drunken girls just waiting to receive the ‘Silver’ package. So why don’t you go give it to them?” I reply.

“Whoa,” Swoop whispers.

Aaden glares at me so hard, had I been a guy, he would have decked me for sure. Seriously, First Noru or not, he would have beat the hell out of me.

“You know what? I never should’ve come back here,” he says darkly.

I can’t let him know just how much his words hurt me so I clear my throat,

straighten my posture, and agree with him.

“You’re right; you shouldn’t have come back.” 

He looks around the room, starts to say something but then Swoop interrupts him.

“Hey guys, I think I might know what Oden has that could help Randy.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“I had a contact of mine do some digging and Oden has access to Stirr,” Swoop replies.

“Stirr? What is that? How can it help?” Randy asks anxiously.

“It’s a mixture that can alter contracts,” I say to him.

“I’m not exactly sure how Stirr works,” East admits.

“Least I’m not the only one,” Randy says.

“It blurs the portion of the contract that has the name of a specific being and renders it unreadable. And Death’s list is essentially a contract. So while Randy’s name would still be on the list...”

“Stirr would cover it over,” Key says.

“Yup, Angel Wite-Out,” Swoop confirms.

“So Stirr allows you to get out of a contract?” East asks.

“Yes, that’s why the Council outlawed it ages ago. And even if they didn’t, it’s a mixture so complex and dangerous, few dare attempt to make it,” Key says.

“Key is right; just trying to procure the ingredients needed to make Stirr has cost many their lives,” Aaden says.

“Wow, what’s in Stirr?” Randy wonders.

“Demon blood, human cartilage, three-headed serpent tongue, a few slabs of fresh shark belly...”

“Yeah, I am so sorry I asked,” Randy says to Key.

“Your friend is sure Oden has access to Stirr?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s the only reason to think Oden would be of help,” Swoop says.

“Does he know where Oden is hiding?” Bex asks.

“No, but he has eyes on Kill. He offered to follow him and see if he leads us to Oden.”

“What does your friend want in return?” Aaden asks.

“What they all want: me,” she teases.

“He’s willing to risk his life just to date you?” Bex asks.

“‘Just’ to date me? Please. I’m amazing,” she says, dripping with charm.

“Swoop, thank you so much for helping me; I love you!” Randy says, embracing her tightly.

She hugs him back and blushes at his outpouring of emotion. 

“It’s a long line,” she says, smiling brightly.

“Pryor, don’t do this; don’t go chasing after Oden,” Aaden warns yet again.

“Look I told you—” I don’t get to finish my thought, thanks to an incoming text.

“Carrots & Peas: Now”

My jaw drops and I look at my cell again to make sure I’m seeing it correctly. How could this be?

“I don’t understand,” I say to myself out loud.

“Understand what? What’s wrong, Pry?” East asks.

The rest of the group looks back at me with concern and confusion.

“This text: Carrots and Peas. It’s a code from like forever ago.”

“A code for what?” Bex wonders.

“It signals I’m in danger and need to get to the safe house.”

“Where is this ‘safe house’?” Key says.

“Across the street from my school.”

“Who sent you the code?” Aaden asks, now even more alarmed.

“That’s just it. The only one who knows about the code is my mom...”

Everyone in the warehouse, including Aaden, heads for the safe house. I didn’t ask him to come. And he didn’t ask if I wanted him to join us. It’s just something we all knew we had to do together. No matter how crazy and pissed we have been with each other as a group, we don’t just let one of us go into danger alone. I guess that’s why Aaden saved me: part of the code of being a Noru. Why does that make me a little sad?

Because you were hoping he saved you for reasons far more personal...

I refuse to think about that right now. I have to stay focused on the text message I received. The Pathway being destroyed not only means that angels can’t come down from the light, they also can’t communicate. So how was my mother able to send me this text? And if she’s really here then why didn’t she come find me at the warehouse? She knows there’s only a short list of places I’m likely to be.

We land in the alley by the safe house; it’s a bakery store that’s been closed since I started school. There’s a broken side window my mom and dad found. She told me if she ever sent the code I was to go in through there and go down to the basement and wait for her. I tell the others and we start to head for the side window.

“What are you doing out of class? Get back in here!” someone calls out from clear across the street.

We all turn and look over at the school entrance. Standing there with her hands on her hips, impatiently tapping her pen to her clipboard, is “The Face.”

“Mrs. Greenblatt, oh crap,” Randy says.

“Look, we don’t have time for this,” Bex warns.

“Your mom could be waiting inside for you, right now,” Key reminds me.

“I said come over here; right now,” Mrs. Greenblatt calls out firmly.

“Can’t we get out of this?” Randy asks.

“I can Mind wipe her, but I need to touch her to do it,” East says.

“We could just ignore her,” Key suggests.

“Um...Mrs. Greenblatt isn’t really the kind of person you can ignore,” Randy says.

“He’s right. Let’s cross the street. I’m sure she’ll take us to her office to write us up; East can Mind wipe her there,” I tell them.

“Why not do it once we get close enough for East to make contact?” Randy asks.

“There’s a glow that comes from my powers—too many people around for that. We need to get her alone,” East says.

I sigh deeply and we head over to The Face.

All I really want is to go straight for the basement, so why don’t I? Because I’m afraid when I get to the basement there will be no one there. And I can’t bear to face that very real possibility.

“All of you are in serious trouble,” she says as soon as we are within earshot.

She doesn’t give us a chance to explain. She herds us through the crowded hallways. The girls at the school can barely keep their eyes inside their sockets. They are completely taken with Bex, East, and Aaden. There are girls who literally dropped whatever they were holding when the guys walked past them. One girl actually gasped.

The human males in the hallway all have goofy smiles as they behold the twins. Some quickly try and fix their hair, some prepare their best “macho stance,” but most just stare with mouths open.

I think the biggest surprise of all is that the group of impossibly hot students is with me. I walked by resident mean girl, Harper, and I swear she nearly swallowed her tongue. That alone is worth the trip to Mrs. Greenblatt’s office.

It doesn’t matter how many students want to stop and speak to the group; we all know better than to slow down. The Face is walking with speed and purpose; and we don’t dare fall behind.

“I’m guessing it’s been like this all week?” I ask Key.

“Humans are easily impressed.”

“That’s because you’re impressive,” Randy says before he can stop himself.

It isn’t what he said but the longing in his voice when he said it. The group looks over at Randy and then at Key’s boyfriend.

Bex looks over at Randy curiously. Thankfully before he can say anything, we arrive at Mrs. Greenblatt’s door.

We enter her spacious office. It’s filled with pastel decorations and way too many motivational kitten posters. She also has wall organizers, bookcases, and suspended writing utensil boxes, all from Martha Stewart’s “Pretty things for anal people” collection. All in all it’s a cozy enough space, considering.

“Now all of you sit down,” she orders.

We are about to object but she raises her eyebrows and we all take a seat. I signal to East to get ready to make contact with her. He stands up again and walks towards her.

“Mrs. Greenblatt, I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself the other day,” East says with his arm out.

“Well, there will be enough time for that later. Right now we have more pressing issues,” she says.

East looks at me and I signal for him to wait a moment. It seems rude somehow to Mind wipe The Face. Still we really don’t have a choice.

“Mrs. Greenblatt, I know we skipped school, but—”

“Yes, Pryor, you did. And so did your friends. We will get to that but first things first,” she replies.

Oh no, the book report!

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Greenblatt. I know I’m in trouble,” I admit.

“You certainly are. So tell me, what’s your plan?” she says.

“My plan?”

“Yes. How the hell are you going to kill Malakaro?”