Chapter 127
- Micah -
"James...James, wake up." Duke put his hand on my shoulder.
"He's okay; he's just resting. Baby and I will patch him up, then we really need to move him."
"So what about our leads? Will we need to leave him with the others to heal? We are not far; we can turn back now."
"I can keep going on; just give me a second or two. Sorry, I am slowing you down."
"JAMES!" I squeezed him.
"Ouch," James winced.
"Oh, jeez, I am sorry. You had me so worried."
Josh walked up. "I guess you're both even. We don't look to be getting any breaks until now."
Duke and Baby finished bandaging James up. "James has always had an amazing ability to clot and heal very fast. He is in prime condition; nothing has hit anything vital, just a couple of scratches and one pretty deep wound on his chest. It will heal, but I am afraid it will likely leave a nasty scar."
I started to tear up again, looking at James half-dressed as a mummy. "Oh, James," I breathed.
He grabbed me and gently placed me on his chest. "I will always have a part of you close to me wherever I go." He smiled a warm-hearted smile.
This was the first time I ever saw him fully smile. My heart skipped a beat.
Evan walked up and punched James in the back.
"Hey, jerk, what the hell was that for?"
Evan locked eyes with James Tenchion, caught between them as they lowered their gaze.
"Good job, James; you took a risk for once in your damn life!" Evan put his hand up as a high-five gesture.
James's and Evan's hands clapped as they gripped each other's hands, as if they were about to start arm wrestling. I believe James has finally earned Evans' respect. This whole time, Evan never could look James in the eyes, never paid him respect, and always looked down on him. Now he stood next to him as an equal.
"I am still a bit confused. What risk did you take? Was it taking on the hit when I attacked?"
James leaned over and kissed my cheek so casually I thought maybe he was possessed.
"James?" I whispered as I touched my cheek where his lips had been.
"Let's go find out the lead before anything else side-tracks us," James said, helping me to my feet.
James's hand was warm around mine as he pulled me up. The morning was pale and bruised; sunlight filtered weakly through the dust that still hung in the air. The city felt dazed, as if waking from a nightmare, but hadn't realized it was dreaming. Or maybe it was just the other way around... We were all still stuck in our dreamlike illusions. Two of our friends are out. What's worse, James and I were almost taken out as well.
I steadied myself, brushing dirt from my sleeves, when a voice trembled from behind the cracked wall nearby.
"Aunty Micah?"
I turned sharply, relieved to see he was doing okay after being shaken up a bit.
Armaan, my nephew, went through a lot in the middle of that crowd. Thankfully, the only thing that endured was messy hair, his face smudged a bit with grease and grime. He did look worried, however, as he stood there with his backpack hanging off his shoulder and eyes wide. Stunned, like he had just seen something that broke his understanding of the world. He was only a few years younger than me, but he had already seen two demons.
He looked at James, at the other, and at the broken street littered with burned-out glass and claw marks gouged into the pavement. His voice came out in a shaking whisper.
"What...What just happened?"
Everyone froze. Even the wind came to a hush.
Baby and Duke exchanged a glance, their auras still faintly glowing. Even exhaled slowly, muttering, "The kids saw the whole thing."
I stepped toward Armaan, heart slightly racing. "Armaan, hey... Everything is going to be okay, but you shouldn't be here."
He blinked up at me. "I saw you... You made the air move in unnatural ways. You stopped that man, that monster. I saw you—your eyes glowing and the light coming off of you... You didn't act like yourself... I was afraid.
I knelt a bit, trying to keep my voice gentle and calm him. "Armaan, listen to me. What you saw was...complicated."
His lips trembled. "You're like them, aren't you?" He pointed toward James and the others, all still marked by the battle—Evan's sword still glowing, Josh's hands still with a dim blue flame, and Duke's aura still a shimmering, faint glow. Baby was the only one who released her aura so as not to scare the boy. Quick thinking on her part.
I hesitated, but then I nodded slowly. "Yes. I am one of them.
My throat tightened a bit, unsure if I should go on, but there was no turning back. He'd seen too much.
"I'm a Waymaker," I said softly. "We... we helped people when you were in the orphanage, and that demon came out of the fires. Sometimes darkness grows deep in people's hearts. We are there to set things right. It's what we are going to do."
"I had a darkness growing in my heart from my father." Josh stepped closer to Armaan. "I was the phoenix demon that day, and since then, I have aspired to be a better person."
Armaan took a step back. "You see, I am working with him. That should show you alone he can be trusted now. I don't trust very easily." I looked at Josh, wanting to prove to him that I still know, in my heart, he had something hidden, but he's made significant changes, and I didn't want to scare Armaan.
"Sometimes," I said. "But it's not just fighting. It's about protecting the ones you love. Bringing back peace where it may have been taken from. You understand?"
He nodded, but the confusion on his face didn't fade. "Does Uncle know?"
I shook my head quickly. "No, and you can't tell him yet, Armaan. Please, we will when the time is right. I rested my hands on his shoulders. He's got enough on his plate right now. If he finds out before he's ready... He'll try to stop me. And I can't stop, not yet.
His lower lip trembled. "But why? Why you?
I managed a small smile. "Maybe because I stopped running from what I was meant to be."
For a second, he looked like he might cry. Then he threw his arms around me. I hugged him back, feeling that brief, fragile warmth—something real and human in the middle of all the ruin.
I turned to see Uncle walking up the street, jacket a bit torn, face lined with exhaustion. Relief washed through his features as soon as he saw Armaan and me.
"There you all are! He grabbed Armaan and pulled him close. "I've been looking everywhere—are you okay?"
Armaan nodded quickly. "I'm fine, Dad.
Uncle glared at me, taking in the cuts on my face, the dirt on my clothes, and the faint shimmer of energy that still hung in the air around all of us. His eyes narrowed, reading more than I wished he could.
"What happened here?" He asked, voice tight.
"Rioters," Duke said quickly, stepping in. "Things got a little heated. We stopped what we could."
Uncle's gaze lingered on me a little longer. I held it together, steady and refusing to lie, but not offering the truth he wasn't ready for yet.
He signed. "We need to get off the streets. The crowds are still on edge—half the city is losing its mind. Come back to the shelter.
I shook my head. "We can't. Not yet. There's something we have to do first."
He frowned. "You're still hurt. And I am sure whatever you got mixed up in, James protected you, because he looks like he took the largest hit of the damage. Becky and Kaysi are stable for now. But if anything were to happen to you—"
"Please, uncle." I softened my tone, stepping closer. "Just take Armaan back to the shelter. Keep him safe. That's what matters most right now."
Armaan looked up at me, worry clouding his young face. "You're not coming?"
"Not yet." I ruffled up his hair a bit. But I will, I promise."
Uncle searched my eyes one last time. I could see his instincts telling him not to let me go. That something could go wrong, but his faith in me—his trust—was holding him silent. He finally nodded. "All right. But be careful. You've already lost too much blood for one morning.
He guided Armaan away, his hand firm on the boy's shoulder. Armaan turned back once, looking at me with that same hesitant belief children reserve for their heroes. I gave a small wave, and then they were gone, disappearing around the corner toward safety.
The silence that followed was heavy.
James took a slow breath beside me. "You sure you're ready to move?"
I nodded. "I need to be. We can't stop now!"