Espial (8 page)

     Dinner took
place in the rooftop café without incident. I sat next to Alex, who told
stories about what Los Angeles was like before the Great World War, at least according
to what school had taught him. Rider then told stories about what it was like
living in New York City, with things called skyscrapers, taxis, pizza, and
subways. He even told of a location known as Times Square, filled with people
who would dress in costume and take photos with tourists. Theatres put on shows
with song and dance, and the sidewalks were always packed with people bustling
to and from. It sounded incredible and I wished I could have been alive then to
see all of the amazing things he described. Luke announced that he would be
working in the ARC defense department over the next several days. They had
received word that Sato ordered the Terredome military to expand its search for
me outside of the city. Rider, Luke and my mother were considered persons of
interest. After dessert, we headed to the lobby where we parted ways. Rider
stayed behind with me at the welcome desk.

     “Sol, I
must be up front with you.”

     “Yes?”

     “As you
know, Sato’s factory vents have been spewing fumes for about a year now.
Several months ago, our defense team sent specialized angels in to investigate,
secretly of course. They discovered several troubling things.”

     “Like
what?”

     “Well
first, there is an underground network of factories. All of which contain materials
to manufacture robotic demons. What’s most troubling is that the people working
in these factories are former students who should be away at their three-year
boarding schools.”

     “What? How
is it possible that no one has noticed their absence from boarding school?”

     “That’s
where things become complicated. Sato has created a serum that alters one’s
memory. It seems he has altered the memories of the students’ families. He has
also reprogrammed their minds to believe that they are supposed to be loyal
factory workers.”

     “That’s
insane! There has to be something we can do.”

     “Not quite
yet. Div reported to me earlier that your Oculation ceremony continued on, even
after our incident in the laboratory. All of the remaining Inductees were
shipped to either the factories or the Terredome military base. And the
military base is the most troubling news as of now. All Terredome soldiers are
being mutated into robotic demons who serve Sato.”

     “So people…like
Levi Boz?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

     “Yes. Bionic
wings have been attached to all of them. A chemically engineered serum has been
injected into their system, causing them to transform into demons. We believe
this same method was used to create the technicians you encountered yesterday.
They were early prototypes.”

     I felt a
heat wave rise through my body. Anger boiled my blood and I clenched my fists.

     “Tell me
what I need to do and it’s done.”

     “It’s been
eight days since you’ve turned fifteen, correct?”

     “Yes,” I
nodded.

     “That means
your wings will be fully unsheathed and developed in two more days. Train hard
between now and then. Time is of the essence and as soon as you are ready, we
are sending you and Luke in to assess Sato’s work in Terredome.”

            “I
will,” I responded determinedly. “I’m not going to allow a decrepit old demon
the pleasure of destroying the world twice in his lifetime. Whatever it takes,
I’m going to get it done.”

     “Good.”
Rider then turned and headed to one of the lobby doors. I went back into the
elevator to his quarters. As I lay in bed, I went over all he that he had said
over the last two days. Right before sleep took me, I made it clear in my mind:
Sato would be destroyed for what he had done to my ancestors. History could not
repeat itself.

     The next
morning, I awoke on my stomach. The window was partially open and a breeze blew
throughout the room, rustling the curtains. Something felt strange. The breeze
blew again, and this time I noticed a rustling on my back. I tried rolling
over, but something kept blocking me. I looked over, yet nothing was on the
bed.
Odd
. Another breeze blew and now sitting up, I could feel the
rustling on my back more precisely. It couldn’t be. I slowly stood and walked
over to the vanity, eyes on the ground. I turned to the side and slowly turned
my head to look in the mirror. It was exactly what I had thought. My wings had fully
unsheathed overnight and were protruding from my back. The wind blew into the
room and I could see my feathers ruffle softly. At first glance they were all
gray. As I leaned toward the mirror, I could see that the tips were blonde in
color, matching the streaks in my hair. Around me I could barely make out a
faint white light. “My aura,” I said aloud. I found another outfit resting on
the vanity’s bench. It was a white jean set with a black stripe going down each
leg. With matching white combat boots, it looked incredibly stylish. I slid it
on, carefully pushing my new wings into the slits in the back. Once done, I
took a final look in the mirror and smiled. I was beginning to look like an
angel.

     At
breakfast, everyone congratulated me on my unsheathing. Everyone, except for
Div. She took one look at me, then turned and left with her breakfast in hand. Alex
chatted me up more than usual, and I felt it was safe to assume he had a
genuine interest in me. The feeling was mutual.

     “We have a
bit of a surprise for you this evening,” he smiled with a twinkle in his eyes.

     “Oh
really?” I asked, intrigued.

     “Yes. Make
sure you’re back here by 7 o’clock.” He turned and strode out of the room. I
watched him leave, wondering what plans he had in mind.

     Luke and I
later joined Rider in the defense department. Computers and holograms filled
the room as angel agents manipulated various images on the screens. Rider
showed us the security camera monitors that oversaw every section within the
ARC, including camera feeds from the demolished New York City and Terredome.
According to him, Terredome was erected on a portion of land formerly known as
Westchester. He pulled up images on a computer screen of what it had once
looked like. He was showing me a map of one of the towns when Div burst into
room. She flew over several angels’ desks and landed next to Rider. She
proceeded to whisper anxiously into his ear. His face grew dark and he nodded
twice. She then flew out of the room.

     “Is
everything OK?” asked Luke.

     “I believe
it will be. Apparently a frayed power line was discovered in the grotto, but
nothing to be worried about,” he mumbled, still frowning.

     Luke and I
looked at each other and shrugged.

     After a day
of tours throughout the ARC, time spent examining the skeletal samurai angel
murals in the lobby, and registering ourselves in the welcome desk’s facial
recognition system, Luke and I went back to our rooms to change for dinner. I
found a sparkling gold cocktail dress on my vanity, along with matching gold
shoes. The dress had a deep V-neck halter top and an open back. It was
form-fitting and stopped just above my knees. The stilettos of my heels were in
the shape of lightning bolts and a small pair of white wings was attached to
the back of the shoes. A necklace rested to the side, a golden chain holding a pair
of wings. A note was left on the mirror.

Dear
Sol,

I
made these for you to wear tonight. I hope you like it!

-Sacra

             I
smiled at her thoughtfulness. Jumping into the bathroom, I luxuriated in the
tub while testing out my wings in the water. Seemingly water-repellant, I could
see actual beads of water form and slide off of each feather whenever I moved.
Occasionally, they would flap on their own, showering the entire bathroom in
sprinkles. After stepping out, I examined my hair. More platinum streaks had appeared
throughout my head. They were thin and from afar, it made it look as though my
black hair had glitter in it. I parted it on one side and let it air dry, its
natural waves falling over my shoulders.

            It
was 6:58 when I finished dressing and made my way into the living room. Alex
was standing by the window. He had cobalt blue dress pants with a matching
blazer and a silky white collared shirt. His wings shone in the sunset peeking
through the windows. The blonde highlights in his brown feathers stood out in
contrast to his suit. He heard me enter and turned to face me. His eyes lit up
as he gave me a long once over.

            “Soleil.
You are truly stunning.”

            “You
look quite handsome yourself,” I replied.

            He
slowly strode toward me, still taking me in. I had never been admired by anyone
like that before. And it felt incredible. He held out his arm and I took his
elbow. He turned to say something to me when Luke came into the room.

     “Sol, are
you ready to go?” he called out, looking down as he buttoned his shirt.

     “Yes.”

            “Great
then I’ll…” his voice trailed off when he looked up and saw me. “Where’d you
get that dress from?”

            “Sacra
made it for me.”

            “Oh.”
He stood there staring at me. His mouth was partially open as shock seemed to
have taken over.

            “I
was just about to walk her up to the café,” said Alex. “Would you like to join
us?”

            “Um…no.
It’s ok,” said Luke. He looked down at his shoes briefly. “I’ll meet you guys
there.”

            “But
wait…” I started, but he quickly turned and jogged out the front door.

            “Ready
to go?” asked Alex.

            “Yeah
sure,” I answered, uncertain about why Luke had reacted so strangely. Alex
guided me to the rooftop café where it was completely devoid of anyone. A few
lanterns were on and the rectangular tables held an abundance of food. All of
the dining tables had been pushed into a circular formation, leaving the middle
of the room empty.

            “What’s
going on?” I asked. Suddenly bright lights flashed on and angels flew up from
under the tables.

     “Congratulations!”
everyone shouted. Everyone then rushed forward and began hugging and kissing
me. Some I had seen throughout the ARC, others I had never seen before in my
life. They were all playing with the feathers on my wings, rubbing them between
their fingers. Alex pulled me out of the crowd just as some music came on.
Sacra, Div, Glinda, Rider, and my mother were all at a table waiting patiently
for me. The table was piled with gifts. They all rose and gave me a hug.

     “Happy
unsheathing!” screamed Glinda. After a forceful hug, she then ran around me and
began playing with my wings, smacking them with her hands. “Oh goodie look how
beautiful they are!” she shouted to no one in particular.

     “Thank you,
Glinda,” I laughed. Div came over and paused in front of me.

     “Congratulations,”
she said, matter-of-factly.

     “Thanks,
Div.”

     “I guess
you’re one of us now.” She ran her hand over my left wing and smiled slightly.
She then left, leaving the café entirely.

     “I think
that’s some progress,” I said to Rider. He laughed and patted my wings. The
music went up in volume and many ran to the dance floor to begin dancing. Rider
and Luke went to grab some food for our table, leaving only Alex and me.

     “Here,” he
said, pulling an ornately wrapped box from inside of his jacket.

     “Um what’s
this?” I asked coyly. At least I hoped I sounded coy.

     “Open it.”

     I unwrapped
the box and opened it to find a gold necklace. On it was a golden pendant of
the sun with wings on it.

     “Oh my.
This is gorgeous,” I said, catching my breath as I held it up. He took it from
me and stood up. He leaned over and attached the necklace around my neck,
removing the one Sacra had made and handing it to me.

     “There,” he
smiled. “It’s perfect.”

     I smiled
back.

     “Want to
take a quick trip to the ATS after the party?” he asked.

     “Uh I
wasn’t planning to,” I replied. “Why?”

     “Exploration
and adventure, of course!” he shouted excitedly.

     I laughed
and grabbed his hand. I took him to the dance floor just as a slow song came on
and we began to sway to the music. The piercing sound of microphone feedback
cut through the air and everyone screamed.

     “Sorry
everyone,” said Rider. “I don’t know why that seems to always happen to me.” He
had a large wine glass in his hand, filled to the rim with a dark red wine. “I
would like to congratulate Miss Soleil Arch, granddaughter of Solomon Arch, on
her unsheathing!” Everyone broke into a round of applause, including Alex who
was beaming with joy. “Let us all enjoy this night to the fullest, as only our
kind can do!” Rider flew up several feet, drink in hand, as a fast-paced song
came on. He did several spins in the air and then soared down to the ground.
Not a single drop spilled from his glass. Everyone laughed and cheered, then
began dancing. I spotted the angels from the Los Angeles angel center mingling
with Glinda, who was showing off her unique dance moves.

     Ace grabbed
my mother and pulled her onto the dance floor. I couldn’t remember the last
time I saw her laugh and smile so freely. Apparently, she was an amazing
dancer. She and Ace spun across the dance floor, doing lifts and stunts like
they had been dancing together for years. When the song changed, Rider cut in
and whisked my mother into the air, spinning her in circles. She laughed
hysterically, squealing like a young girl. I felt incredibly happy that she was
enjoying herself so much. Rider slowly brought her back down, where Glinda
joined them. Luke stood back by our table, looking on and smiling. I walked
over to where he sat.

     “Why aren’t
you dancing?” I asked.

     “I…um…I
don’t dance,” he stammered, blushing slightly.

     “Oh come
on. You don’t have to know how. Just go have some fun.”

     “I don’t
know. I don’t think so.”

     “Fine. But
you’re really missing out!” I teased. I then made my way back to Alex, who had
joined the others already shimmying and shaking. Div appeared out of nowhere,
bopping alongside Glinda. They must have learned an old dance move together at
some point, because they started moving in unison. A circle formed around them
as angels and Espials clapped for them. At the end of the song, they both took
a bow. Whoever was playing the music changed it back to a slow song. Rider
pulled my mother close. They began to sway to the beat. Ace positioned himself
next to them with a purple angel. Her skin was as violet as her wings and hair.
It became clear that they were a couple. Everyone on the floor began partnering
up and dancing slowly, friends and lovers embracing each other.

     Alex came
up from behind me and pulled me into a gentle sway. After a few moments, he
spun me out, then back into his chest. I looked up at him laughing when he
leaned down and kissed me. I pulled back, surprised. Slowly I leaned into him
and we kissed again. He placed his hand on my face as he deepened the kiss. Abruptly,
there was the sound of glass shattering and we broke apart. I looked over and
saw Luke storming out of the café, blood dripping from his hand. A few nearby
angels shrugged, while Ace and the purple female angel came over to clean up
the shards of a broken drinking glass.

     “Excuse
me,” I said to Alex and ran after Luke. My wings fluttered as I ran,
momentarily lifting me a few inches off of the ground. I slowed my pace as I
approached the elevators. I found drops of blood in front of the one that led
to Rider’s quarters. I went in and stopped at each floor, looking for more
drops of blood. Finally in the lobby, I saw a trail of it leading to the
welcome desk. There he sat on top of it, wrapping his hand in a bandage. I quietly
walked over.

     “What
happened?” I asked softly.

            Luke
didn’t reply. He continued wrapping his hand.

            “Luke.”

            “Why
did you kiss him, Sol?” he asked, his voice catching in his throat and not
making eye contact.

            “I…I
don’t know exactly why. It felt right,” I answered, watching him closely.

            “What
about me?”

            “What
do you mean?” I was unsure where he was going with this.

            “I
like you, Sol.”

            “I
like you too, Luke. You’re my best friend…” My words trickled off as I realized
what he was saying. “Oh.”

            “I
don’t like Alex for you. I don’t like him period,” he said, his tone sounding
angry.

            “That’s
not for you to judge,” I replied. Although he was my best friend, he had no
right to tell me who I should or shouldn’t be with.

            “He’s
too mature for you. Just because he’s from Los Angeles and is older doesn’t
mean anything. You should be with someone more…who’s like…a lot less…,” he
stammered.

            “Luke,
we’ve been friends since we were five and you’ve never acted like you liked me.
But now, all of a sudden, you want me to ignore the only being who has ever
shown me any interest. That’s not fair and as my best friend, you should be
happy for me.” I was beginning to get angry. This night was supposed to be a
celebration and one of the few people closest to me was now ruining it.

     “Fine!” he
snapped loudly. “Do whatever you want.” Luke hopped off of the desk. He pushed
a small gift box across the desktop and stomped to the elevator. I watched as
he ascended, leaving me alone in the lobby. I reached over and began unwrapping
the gift. Inside was a bracelet made with the same seashells from the grotto. I
smiled in sadness, tears welling up in my eyes. After taking a few minutes to
catch my breath, I went back to the party. I lied to my mother and Alex, saying
that I didn’t feel well and needed to leave. Alex kissed me goodnight after my
mother hugged me. I then went back to my room, finding the silver goblet with
my special wing vibrancy beverage on the vanity. I gulped it down and threw
myself onto the bed. I fell asleep fully dressed and could not care less.