Espial (7 page)

            “Thrilling,
isn’t it?” replied Rider. My shoulder blades began to ache slightly. Glinda’s
elixir respite beverage seemed to be wearing off.

            “Luke,
Sol, this is Alex. He is an angel working at a center similar to the ARC in Los
Angeles. It’s called the LARF.”

            Luke
reached forward and shook his hand. I followed suit and was now able to get a
good look at him. Alex was incredibly handsome. He appeared to be slightly
older than myself, possibly seventeen or eighteen. Tall, with brown hair, full
lips and hazel eyes, he seemed able to see right through to your soul. His tan
indicated he spent quite a bit of time outdoors, or was that his aura coming
through? His wings were light brown with blonde highlights throughout. It
reminded me of my hair. His aura was tawny in color, warm and inviting. He wore
black slacks, with a white button-up shirt tucked in. He even smelled as
delicious as he looked; emitting a sweet and musky fragrance I had never
smelled before. Rather than shake my hand, he took it and kissed it gently. I
was mesmerized.

     “Sol, I’ve
been waiting quite some time to meet you,” he said, smiling while his eyes
pierced through me.

     I blushed
and looked away, unable to hide my smile. “Thank you,” I mumbled. Luckily,
Rider jumped in to save me.

     “I was just
showing them how to activate the ATS. I’d like for both of them to give it a
try. Afterword, we can break for lunch.”

     “Wonderful,”
said Alex, still looking at me.

     “Luke,
you’ll go first. Remember to enter the password, launch destination, and
finally, the launch code. Select this same exact pod. You both will be
transported to the Los Angeles location. An associate there will then launch
you back.”

     “Where
exactly are we and the ARC located?” asked Luke.

     “A place
known as Manhattan.”

     “Oh.” Luke
went over to the desk and followed Rider’s instructions. The pad lit up again
and the countdown began. He ran over and jumped onto the standing pad. He
winked at me and crossed his arms. I wished I was as confident as he clearly
was. He then turned yellow and disappeared. Rider explained that Espials always
turned yellow when transporting. A few moments later, Luke reappeared, smiling
from ear to ear.

     “How was
it?” I asked, my heart beating rapidly.

     “It was
amazing!” he replied, beaming.

     “Great job,
Luke,” said Rider. “Did you encounter any problems there or back?”

     “No. I
arrived at the Los Angeles center and everyone there clapped when I appeared.
They then sent me straight back.”

     “Wonderful.
Sol, your turn.”

     I nodded
and walked over to the desk, trembling with nervousness but determined to get
it done.

     “Do you
remember the steps?” asked Rider when I hesitated in front of the hologram.

     “Yes.” I
entered the password and the launch destination. For the launch code, I entered
112056 and red lights and alarms began flashing throughout the room. Rider ran
over and quickly typed in a series of commands. Everything went silent again.

     “Sorry,” I
blushed.

     “Try
again,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

     I
re-entered the launch code correctly and the pad’s lights lit up as the
countdown began. I ran over and stepped into the pod. I faced Luke, Rider, and
Alex. They were all watching me, arms crossed. I took a deep breath as the last
three seconds were counted. I then saw everything around me flash white and
then go black. I blinked and when I opened my eyes, I was standing in a launch
pod, but in a different room. Five angels were in the room smiling at me. I
smiled back and they began to clap and cheer for me. One neon pink angel
stepped toward me.

     “Glad you
made it, Sol!”

     “Thank
you,” I replied, happy that I had made the trip without incident.

     “We’re
going to send you back now.” She went over to a hologram desk and spoke the
launch destination. “Manhattan.” She then turned to me and waved goodbye. Right
as I waved back, I was surrounded by the flash of white light again. I then
found myself back in the ARC’s ATS room.

     “That was
unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” said Rider to Alex, both shaking their
heads.

     “Same. She
truly is an arch.”

     I stepped out
of the pod and walked toward them.

     “What
happened?” I asked.

     “Well,”
began Rider, “we’ve never seen anyone turn white before. But it was more than
just you turning white. The entire room lit up and the moment you disappeared,
a bolt of lightning flashed in your place.”

     “How is
that even possible?” I asked, confused and unable to comprehend what he was
describing. “I didn’t feel anything.”

     “We’re not
sure it’s a bad thing. It’s just something we’ve never witnessed before. We
believe it has to do with you being an arch, that’s all.” He tried to sound
convincing, but even I could see a trace of concern in his eyes.

     I looked
over at Luke, who was staring at me. He quickly looked away and ran his fingers
through his hair. Alex came over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

     “I think
you’re going to be very useful in helping us, Sol,” he said seriously.

     “I can only
hope I’m of use.”

     “That was
quite an exciting morning lesson, wouldn’t you say so, Luke?” said Rider.
“Let’s head to lunch and update the three.”

     “Who’s ‘the
three?’” I asked.

     “Oh it’s
everyone’s nickname for Glinda, Sacra, and Div.”

     “I get it,”
I replied.

     The four of
us made our way to the entry. Rider turned around and made a quick motion with
his hand. The hologram desk shut down and the lights under the launch pod turned
back to red. The door closed behind us as we looked up the long staircase. Alex
put his arm around me and without a word, flew us up to the top. After we
landed, his arm lingered around my middle and he looked down at me.

     “Sol.
Soleil.” He looked intently into my eyes. I felt myself become warm and tingly
inside as we gazed at each other. He then looked down and removed his arm from
around me. At that moment, Rider came up holding Luke.

     “Ready to
eat?” he asked.

     “Starved,” answered
Luke, who glared at Alex.  

     Rider had
Luke open the door and we entered the lobby. We walked over to the welcome desk
where Ace was comparing wingspans with Glinda. My mother stood behind the desk,
judging them both. Sacra and Div were sitting on the desk, looking on laughing.
Div noticed us first and flew off the desk in our direction.

     “How’d it
go?” she asked Rider.

     “Well. In
fact, it went extraordinarily well. Luke was solid and we can definitely expect
great things from Sol,” he said proudly.

     “We’ll see
about that during Combat,” she replied, looking directly at me. She then turned
toward the others at the desk. “Let’s head to lunch.” Everyone started making
their way to the elevators.

     We rode up
to the rooftop, yet from a different elevator than the one that lead to Rider’s
quarters. It deposited us onto a rooftop café. The entire room was enclosed in
glass, similar to a greenhouse. Rectangular tables lined the entire outside
perimeter of the rooftop. Each was stacked with tiered trays brimming with
food. Circular table populated the middle of the café with various angels
sitting and eating. Only one table was clear and Alex spotted it immediately.

     “Here let’s
grab this table before someone else does.” He floated over to it and pulled out
two chairs. “Sol, I have a seat for you right next to me.”

     I walked
over and sat down. My mom sat to my right, with Glinda, Sacra and Div taking
seats to her right as well. Luke, Alex, and Rider remained standing, announcing
that they would bring us food from the buffet. After they left, my mother
turned and asked me how the ATS training went. I began explaining what happened
when Glinda, Sacra and Div tuned in. When I got to the part about the lightning
during my transport, Div spoke up.

     “I’ve only
seen something like that once before in my lifetime.”

     “When was
that?” I asked.

     “When your great-grandfather
was killed. When the nuclear reactor detonated, he turned into a bright flash
of white light. As he vanished, a bolt of lightning struck the exact spot where
he was flying.”

     We all sat
quietly for a moment. I imagined what that must have looked like. Suddenly, what
she said fully registered.

     “You were
there when he died?”

            “Yes,”
she replied, looking down at the table. “I will never forget that day for as
long as I live. He was a great man.” I saw the tears begin to well up in her
eyes. She quickly got up and ran back inside.

            “Your
grandfather trained her. Saved her, really,” said Sacra. “She was an orphan
when he found her; just before her fifteenth birthday and unsheathing began.
She looked up to him like a father.”

            At
that moment, Alex, Rider and Luke brought over three large serving trays piled
high with food and beverages. They placed them on the middle of the table and
everyone began digging in. Meats unfamiliar to me tasted savory and delicious.
Sweets I had never eaten before were stuffed into my mouth as quickly as I
could fit them. Bubbly and fizzy drinks of various colors dribbled down my face
as I practically inhaled each beverage. Everyone started talking about the
funny things that happened to them when they became angels. I continued eating
and drinking while listening and laughing along. Soon I felt stuffed and
somewhat nauseous. Alex leaned over as I sat back and pushed a plate away from
me.

            “You
sure that you’ve finished?” he teased.

            “Ha-ha,”
I tried joking back. I then hiccupped loudly. My hands flew to cover my mouth
as I looked around in horror.

            Everyone
at the table began laughing and Alex shook his head.

            “Well
now I know you have a weakness. It seems to be food.”

            I
looked back at him and laughed. “So if you don’t mind my asking, exactly how
old are you?”

     “I’m seventeen,”
he responded.

     “Oh you’re
young!” I said.

     “I guess
so.”

     “When did
you learn that you were an angel?”

     “I’ve known
my entire life.”

     “Wow. Is it
easier to live in Los Angeles than here?”

     “In some
ways, yes. Sato does not have a stronghold there, so angels and Espials can
walk freely without fear of harm. We don’t interact with the humans because
they really shouldn’t know about our existence. Sato hasn’t put any procedures
in place to try to change the way we live. But it’s only a matter of time
before his reach extends there as well.”

     I nodded in
agreement. Rider then stood and announced that it was time for me and Luke to
head to Combat and Weaponry. I said goodbye to everyone at the table and headed
back to the lobby with Luke. We found Div at the welcome desk, arms crossed,
face stern. Without a word she turned and led us through a door across from the
ATS stairwell entry. We found ourselves in an octagon-shaped room. Along the
walls were various weapons. The entire floor was covered with a black mat.
Rubber figures of humans, angels, and demons dotted the room. I made my way to
a wall mount holding various bladed weapons. Out of nowhere, something struck
my back and I flew forward, landing face-first onto the ground.

     “You must always
be ready to meet your worst nightmare,” said Div from above me.

     I blinked
several times and crawled onto my hands and knees. I coughed, trying to recover
from the wind being knocked out of me. Suddenly, a foot pushed down on my back,
flattening me against the floor again.

     “I said,
always be ready to meet your worst nightmare.”

     I tried to
scramble to my feet. Once upright, I kept blinking. I felt dizzy and the room
was tilting to one side. I put my hands out to try to regain my balance. My
shoulders were throbbing immensely. Div stood in front of me, smiling. Her
wings flapped menacingly, making a whipping sound. She was holding a black
rubber bat. Luke was standing to the side, seemingly scared as he looked on. In
a flash, Div whacked the bat on the left side of my torso, then my right. I
fell to my knees. She gave me one more whack, square in my stomach. I leaned
over and vomited all over the mat. I began to heave everything I had eaten
during lunch. I could hear Div howling in laughter. Luke must have started to
make his way over because I heard her stop him.

     “Leave
her!” she snapped. “There may be a day when she’s all alone, with no one around
to save her. She must learn to fend for herself.”

     I had
stopped retching, yet was still crouched over trying to catch my breath.

     “Get up.”

     I shakily
stood up, right hand on my belly. I used my left hand to wipe my mouth. I stood
in front of her and tried to focus on her face. She then disappeared.

     I blinked,
still dizzy and wondering if my eyesight was starting to falter. She then
reappeared right in front of me, her face only inches away from mine.

     “Sometimes,
in order to see you must remain unseen.” She said with a smirk. “Class
dismissed.” She then turned and walked out of the room.

     I turned to
Luke in a state of shock.

     “What was
that?” I asked, completely irate yet weak.

     “I think
she was trying to make a point,” he said softly.

     “And what
point was that?”

     “I have no
clue.”

     I turned
and looked at the mess that I had left on the mat. At that moment Rider came
in.

     “I saw what
happened from the surveillance cameras,” he said, pointing above our heads. We
turned and looked, spotting a camera in the corner above the sword display. “I
will be overseeing Combat and Weaponry tomorrow while she takes the day off.”

     I nodded glumly.

     “Don’t
worry, that will be taken care of.” He nodded toward my mess. Ace soon entered
with some cleaning supplies.

     “No, Ace. I
can…” I began.

     “Don’t
worry. It’s ok,” he said. “It would happen to anyone.” He smiled at me and gave
me a quick pat on the arm.

     “Thanks.”

     Rider, Luke
and I exited the room. They headed to the elevators, while I made my way to the
Treatment Department. A pastel yellow nurse angel cleaned me up and gave me a
pill that calmed my stomach.  I then rode up to Rider’s quarters where he explained
how Glinda and Sacra would begin clarifying the unsheathing process. We entered
his living room where the couches and coffee table had been cleared. On the rug
lay a purple mat, several clay jars, a cloth, and a lace fan. Incense was
burning from the kitchen and I spotted Sacra applying an ointment onto her
hands. Rider whispered briefly in Glinda’s ear, who nodded and began removing
the covers from the jars.

     “Luke,
you’ll join me downstairs where I can continue giving you a tour of the ARC.”
Rider then left with Luke. I stood watching as Glinda, kneeling on the floor,
removed the last jar’s lid and arranged them all in a line on the right side of
the mat.

     “Come,” she
said to me. I walked over to the mat and knelt down on one end. I peered into
the jar closest to my right and saw that it contained a thick green gel. On the
jar was a light sketch of one wing. I glanced at the others and noticed that
they all had an outline of a body part sketched along their sides.

     “Lie down
on your stomach,” Glinda instructed.

     I did as
she instructed, keeping my arms at my sides. She scooted toward my left side
and cut the back of my jean top, folding the material over. I could feel a cool
breeze brush across my back, sending a slight shiver down my spine.

     “Celtic or
Japanese?” she asked.

     “What?”     

     “Pick one.
Celtic or Japanese?”

     “What does
that even mean?”

     She giggled
and shook her head. “Just pick one.”

     “Ok. The
second one.”

     Glinda then
began humming a song softly while running her hands over my hair. Sacra walked
over and knelt down on my right side.

     “Sol,” said
Sacra gently. “Your wings are just starting to breach. We’re going to apply a
salve over them to help them ease out naturally. It’s going to sting a bit, but
we will give you something to help with the pain after. Once that’s done,
another ointment will be applied along your spine. Everyone’s aura is centrally
located within their spine, so this will help your aura maintain its
pigmentation as long as you live. Finally, you’ll need to drink a special
elixir over the next three days until your wings unsheathe. This drink gives your
feathers vibrancy and strength.”

     “Ok.” I
replied. I concentrated on my breath as I watched Sacra dip her hands into the
first jar with the wing sketch. She leaned over and began massaging the green
gel onto my shoulder blades. I inhaled sharply, wincing in pain.

     “Just keep
focusing on your breath,” said Glinda soothingly and continued humming.

     I bit my
bottom lip and inhaled, counting to five. I then exhaled counting to five. I
repeat this process as Sacra continued reaching into the jar and passed more
gel onto my shoulder blades. As she worked the gel into my back, I began to
ponder about my education, particularly history. I thought I knew a lot about
the world we lived in, but everyone kept making references to things and places
I never knew existed.

     After ten
minutes of continuous massaging, Sacra finally stopped. She grabbed a cloth and
wiped her hands clean. I then saw her reach into another jar. A spinal column
was sketched on its side. She pulled out thick black goo and worked it into her
hands, forming a ball. She then proceeded to place it on the small of my back,
right onto my spine. I felt warmth creep up my spine from where the ball
rested. Her fingers rolled the ball up and down my spine, warmth now spreading
throughout my back. I could feel the ball becoming smaller and smaller as it
rolled back and forth. Soon it was gone, dissipated into my vertebrae. A cool
wind was blowing across my back and I could make out Glinda’s shadow waving the
lace fan over me. When done, she pinned my shirt together and began helping
Sacra clean up the jars.

     “Don’t move
just yet, honey bee,” smiled Glinda. “You’re almost set. We’re going to bring
you the elixirs in a moment.” They both stood and made their way into the
kitchen. Sacra came back moments later with the same brass goblet from the
night before and a silver one. She helped me sit up with my legs crossed and
passed me the silver one first.

     “Drink up.”

     I took the
goblet and finished the beverage quickly. It was thick and highly viscous,
taking a while to slide down my throat. It had an unfamiliar spiciness and
stung my tongue. I scrunched my face when it eventually finished going down. I
prayed that it worked rapidly to make my wings strong. Sacra then passed me the
Elixir Respite. Immediately, the pain in my shoulder blades vanished and I
began to yawn.

     “Fantastic,”
said Sacra. She helped me up and walked me toward my room. “Go ahead and take a
nap. We’ll wake you for dinner.” She gently shut the door as she left. I
carefully peeled off my clothing and slid into bed nude, too tired to search
for clothes. Sleep took me instantly.