04 Last (53 page)

“It could work,” Reaper said.

“Yeah…that’s what scares me,” Daniel said. “You do know what you’re saying, don’t you?” he asked me. “You are volunteering to purposefully hunt down and kill a man.”

“It’s not like I’m going to ambush him,” I said. “I’m going to fight him face-to-face. The better fighter will win. It’s no different than attacking his stronghold and fighting your way to his front door.”

“You are determined to do this?” Daniel asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

Daniel was not happy, but he was willing to trust in my determination and my skills. He had seen both firsthand. He trusted in them in ways the others did not. Perhaps, it was because our minds had been linked so often. He knew I would not fail – I would not give up until I did what was necessary.

“Alright,” Daniel finally said.

“I think around fifteen others will be the perfect size,” Serenity said.

“I’ll find you good fighters,” Reaper promised.

“Many of my people will wish to join us as well,” Serenity said.

Reaper and Daniel looked relieved at her words. While the Saints were trained and highly skilled, they were not on the same level as the soldiers trained by the nine. The nine were more selective about who they chose – which meant that many of their soldiers were more powerful as a rule.

I took a deep breath. Everything was settled. I had finally decided on my course of action. My course was in motion. I would fight Marcus. Tomorrow, I would see who the better fighter was.

The others started talking about strategy. The analytical part of my mind listened to their words, but the rest of me was a million miles away, or as close as Israel was currently to us. Despite my assurances to Daniel, I was worried. What if Marcus already had the sword? What if he was waiting for us to show up? What if I couldn’t win? What if we were throwing away the lives of good, decent Watchers for nothing? The weight of the questions was strong.

I had never felt so strange in my entire life. My life had never been so different from what I imagined it to be growing up.

I had gone from high school outcast to a leader in a rebellion, which was planning an attack on a well-armed fortress in the Israeli desert. The months that separated me from girl to leader did not feel very long. It wasn’t even a year. It was a year I would never forget; it was a year that had changed me forever.

The meeting finally broke up. Everybody went their own way, to organize, to get things ready. We were going to attack tomorrow, and there was still a lot to do. Daniel came over to me and put his hand in mine. He didn’t need me to say what was on my mind; he could tell from the expression on my face. He didn’t bring it up, however. He cocked his head to one side and gave me a funny look as the others left the platform.

“What?” I asked.

“I never did give you your birthday present,” he said.

“No…” I said.

“Still want it?” he asked.

“Depends,” I said.

“On what?”

“If it’s going to hurt,” I said.

“Why would it hurt?” he asked.

“Doesn’t everything eventually?” I asked.

“That’s ridiculous,” he said.

“True though,” I said.

“Come on,” Daniel said, tugging on my hand.

I followed him down the stairs and through the maze of people swirling on the forest floor. I saw the girl who could control the plants working her magic, creating more places for people to rest until the battle started. She waved at us as we passed. The plants seemed to wave with her. Whispers followed us; whispers of the coming fight. Everyone was excited – everyone was afraid. They had heard of my plan to fight Marcus. They were suddenly validated in their trust in me. Their trust was overwhelming.

Daniel led me away from the bustling activity to the more secluded part of the forest. When the loudest sounds were our feet against the earth and the insects humming, he stopped. A jaguar stepped out of the foliage at our arrival. It looked at us in cool indifference for a long moment then jumped up a tree. She settled on a branch and, ignoring us completely, closed her eyes.

“Is my birthday present a tree?” I asked, looking around.

Daniel pulled my left hand up to his mouth and kissed it. When his kiss was finished, he looked at the ring he had given to me with a strange light in his eyes.

“I was never clear what I meant when I gave you this ring, was I?” he asked.

“Not really,” I admitted.

“I want you to marry me,” he said.

My stomach clenched and butterflies filled the space in between. It was strange to have such a human reaction in such an inhuman body, but it was the reaction I had all the same. His words were so intense, so full of passion.

“For real?” I asked.

He laughed. “Of course.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Right now,” he commanded.

It was my turn to laugh.

“Don’t you need churches and people and things?” I asked.

“We have the trees, our friend the jaguar, and each other,” he pointed out.

I thought about it. I liked the idea. It was refreshing and honest.

“How does that work?” I asked.

He shrugged. “It just does.”

“Are you sure you’re not just trying to get out of paying for a gift?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t like me to spend money on a gift,” he pointed out.

I nodded in agreement.

“So…do we have to do anything special?” I asked.

Daniel thought about it. His eyes brightened.

“A promise,” he said.

“Sounds easy enough,” I said.

“Do you promise to be mine forever?” he asked.

I smiled. That was an easy promise to make.

“I really do,” I said. “Do you promise to be mine forever?”

“Forever and ever,” Daniel said.

My smile grew with his words. Daniel’s return smile was full of sweet grace. More, it was immaculate. The butterflies increased. Despite the untraditional approach, I felt married. Our lives would always be connected. I grabbed hold of his shirt and kissed him. His smile gave way to the kiss. Still kissing, we moved to the forest floor.

The night had faded back to dawn when we heard our names being called. Daniel and I had been talking about nothing, the first time since the change. He was holding me as we lay on the floor of the forest. He traced the design of the phoenix on my back with his finger as we talked. His touch was light and sweet, an exploratory thing. The moment was perfect and complete. There was nothing but the two of us, our love and the sleeping jaguar.

“What do they want now?” Daniel asked, not wanting the moment to end.

“We do have a war to start,” I said.

“True,” Daniel grumbled reluctantly.

Our names were called again, more forcefully. I sighed, and we hurried to get dressed and make our way back through the forest. Reaper was waiting for us at the roots of a massive tree. His expression melted from worry to relief when he saw us.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“Getting married,” I said.

“Oh,” Reaper said.

“Is it time?” I asked.

“Yes,” Reaper said. “The historian wants to see us before we leave.”

“Okay…” I said.

Reaper led the way through the forest. Daniel and I followed after him. The feeling of our shared bliss kept the darkness of where we were headed at bay. Perhaps that was what Daniel had intended when he took me to ‘get married.’

My friends were waiting on the platform. They were gathered in a semi-circle. King and River were holding hands directly in front of the stairs, while Jackson and Margaret were doing the same to their left. Sara and Shawn stood next to each other, their movements strangely similar as they shifted in anticipation. Moira was unmoving – as still as the trees surrounding her. Preacher was next to her, his scarred face a mask of tranquility. He alone saw what we were doing as holy; he had faith to guide him in our mission to stop Marcus. Serenity and Eli were there as well. Serenity was her normal composed self, though her eyes held a burning fire. She was ready to fight. Eli was as closed-off as ever.

Alex and the historian were the only ones missing from the group – Alex was busy in Israel, and I didn’t have a clue where the historian was, though she had to be nearby if she had called us together. I looked at the faces of my friends. I hadn’t known some of them for long, but I felt a bond that would withstand the test of time. We were in this together. Perhaps, we had always been in this together.

“Well,” I said. “What’s happening?”

“The historian said she would be back,” Jackson said.

“I am here,” the historian said.

We turned at the sound of her voice. She had followed our path up the stairs. In her arms was armor. Behind her were two others. They held armor as well. They looked intimidated to be so close to her. They looked even more afraid that she would kill them for doing something wrong.

“I made this armor for you,” the historian told us. “I just finished putting the last touches on it.”

“You made this armor last night?” River asked with a small disbelieving laugh.

The historian nodded. “Yes.”

The historian gestured the Watchers carrying the armor forward. They set the armor on the ground and then stepped away. They looked to the historian for what to do next. She ushered them away with a gesture. They hurried down the steps, their whispers of excitement trailing after them. The armor they had set down was beautiful; they were modern with classy, beautiful touches of antique. The armor would protect against gunshots as well as swords and would look good while doing it. The historian pointed out who got what armor. She was very specific.

“The armor will only fit the person I intended it for,” she explained.

I saw lots of color and bold designs – designs that fit the personalities of the person the armor was designed for. Jackson’s armor was bold and bulky. Margaret’s was light and elegant, with a design like storm clouds on the front. River’s was dark, with designs that hinted at water. Serenity’s armor was curvy and, somehow, seductive. Reaper’s armor was bright and utilitarian. The silver of it highlighted the silver of his eyes. Daniel’s was graceful and bold – just like him.

The historian gave the last set of armor to Moira – it was somehow…romantic in design. I remained armor-less. I looked at the historian curiously. Was she suddenly second-guessing my ability to kill Marcus? The answer was not what I was expecting. The historian stepped closer to me. Her lips lifted up in a strange smile.

“You will face Marcus. For such a task, you need an armor that will move as you move and will remind you of why you fight and what brought you to his door.”

The historian held out the armor she was carrying in her arms. I looked at it closely. I instantly felt a connection to the design. It was as if I had designed it and built, instead of her. There was a design of a silver vine on the front. Spaced at artistic intervals around the vines were red gems. Not just gems…diamonds. I recognized the diamonds. They were the ones I had cried for Daniel. The historian had put them in to the design of my armor. I took the armor from her and noticed that the diamonds were not the only thing she had included. On the interior of the armor were white rose petals. Farrah’s rose.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“That’s not all,” the historian said.

She had been wearing the sword at her side. She took it off and handed it to me. I actually took a step back from what she was offering me.

“I can’t,” I refused the sword.

“You will,” the historian commanded.

She put the sword in my hand, not taking ‘no’ for an answer. The lettering on the sword lit up with my touch, as it had the first time I had touched it. It was bright red for a moment, before dying down again. The warm feeling of it in my hand was reassuring.

“I…” I started to say.

I realized I didn’t have a reply. The sword and the armor felt right. The only thing left was to get on with the fighting.

“Well, we should get this on, then get moving,” Reaper said, when it was obvious I couldn’t find the words. “We have a lot of people we need to move to Israel and less time to do it in.”

The others nodded in agreement. I was still focused on the historian. She had given me the tools to fight Marcus – in more ways than just armor and a sword. I could never repay her. She nodded as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. Her nod was comforting and reassuring.

The others were focused on putting on their new armor. They helped each other fasten the straps and settle the armor in place. The historian helped me put mine on. With her help, I was armored in no time. The feeling of the armor was not foreign. The weight was nothing on my body. I could move normally; I knew I would be able to fight Marcus. The historian moved to the others to help them. Soon, we were all outfitted in our new armor. As I looked at my friends, it was easy to feel the full weight of what we were about to do. It was also easy to feel out of place. I felt as if we had stepped in to another time where princes and lords fought epic battles. It was too much; I started laughing.