Cecile looked on in horror as Kiko was intubated and wheeled away to the hospital. As soon as everyone had left she smiled. Ahora la fuerza de el ejercito esta con migo y yo se lo que quiero.(Now I have the power of the army at my command, and I know what I want) She commed D’Angelo who wasn’t in the best of moods.

“Que quieres Cecile!” (What do you want, Cecile!)

“Sabes bien lo que yo quiero. Que vamos hacer para obtener la?” (You know very well what I want. What are we going to do to get her?)

“Por ahora ella está a salvo en casa de Don Rodríguez. No podemos hacer nada.” (Right now she’s safe in Don Rodriguez’s home. We can’t do a thing.)

“Ahí estás equivocado. Kiko está en el hospital. No se sabe cuando despierte. Yo tengo la dirección de su ejército. Si unes el tuo con el mío, tendríamos fuerza para extraer la muchacha a fuerzas.” (That’s where you’re wrong. Kiko is in the hospital. Who knows when he’ll awake. I have possession of his army. If we join forces our military strength can extract her forcefully.)

“Woah, tu dices guerra?” (Woah, you mean war?)

“Si, Puerto Nuevo es pequeño. No tendrá la fuerza de sobre pasarnos. La descarada no tendrá para donde ir y podremos coger la ayi. Tu la puedes usar como seas y yo puedo tener el cristal.” (Yes Puerto Nuevo is small. It doesn’t have the military strength to overpass ours. That wretched girl will have nowhere to go, and we can take her from there. You can have her as you want, and I can have the crystal.)

“El cristal no se puede separa de ella. Ya Doctor Tao lo dijo.” (The crystal can’t be separated from her. Dr Tao told us this already.)

“Nunca tratamos el convertidor.” (We never tried the converter.)

“Eso no va funcionar. Lo único que la puede separara es el Council Galactical y ellos te quitarán el cristal.” (it won’t work. The only thing that can seperate them is the Galactic Council and they’ll take the crystal away from you.)

“Ay que ver una forma D’Angelo, y lo buscare! Queste lo que queste y quien gane! Y yo juego para ganar!” There has to be a way. I’ll find it whatever the cost! Whoever wins and I play to win!)

“Cecile, estás loca pero...yo quiero la niña. Si ganamos ella es mia-viva!” )Cecile, you’re nuts...but I want the girl. If we win, she’s mine-alive!)

“De veras quieres una niña tan espantosa? Cuando mi nieta sea grande será una mujer encantadora.” (You really want such an ugly girl? When my granddaughter grows up, she’ll be an enchanting woman.)

“La quiero viva.”(I want her alive.)

“De acuerdo, la niña Zen será entregada viva. Vamos a la guerra entonces?” (Fine, the girl will be turned over to you alive. Are we going to war then?)

“Si porque no? Vamos para la guerra.” (Sure why not? Let 's go to war.)

A click of the comm signaled D’Angelo off and Cecile smiled. She was getting that crystal one way or another but she was getting it. All she had to do now was plan that annoying girl’s death...as an accident of course.

###

Isaias and Zen were being driven back to Carmelo’s home. Isaias was still in shock it seemed. He hadn’t shadow-warped himself into the car, instead getting in like a normal human being. This time he rode shotgun as Zen opted to nap in the back. She unmade the stench of urine that clung to the seats and lay down. She couldn’t get to sleep though because Isaias was thinking a mile per minute.

Penny for your thoughts?

Zen. What am I doing? I can’t…

You can and you will! This is your chance to prove that we Amargaritas are not just talk.

He turned to glance at her in the rear mirror. What about you?

What about me? I have Ishevara, one of the most powerful sources in the galaxy. I have trinity blood that is awakening and I have a half-water elemental, half-traveler for a boyfriend. Right now I have it all. I don’t need anything. Power? By the bucket loads, check friends. Check family? Check Love? Check. Now you have everything too and our dreams can finally come true. We are no longer low caste and when Mama marries Carmelo she won’t be low caste either.

We have completed our dreams haven’t we and I’m the heir of the Arrio Mafia. Dang, we’re good!

Zen chuckled and turned over on her back smiling. This wasn’t what they had planned but it came out working for them and better. Now they had the Guerreros backing them up with Isaias as the heir apparent. The car stopped just as she managed to fall asleep. She groaned and sat up then smiled. There on the front steps were Stephan and Marco behaving as brothers for once. Marco was rattling on about something and Stephan was rolling his eyes and nodding like the naughty younger brother he was. Edline was between them listening to Marco and yawning. Stephan had just picked her up when his eyes met Zen’s and he grinned whispering to Edline who shrieked and shocked him accidentally. Stephan winced and set her down where she ran straight to Zen who was getting out of the car. She pounced and Zen slowed time so she could wrap her arms around the bouncy girl. Speeding up time Edline gasped and looked around. “I felt different but normal. Why is that,” she asked.

Zen smiled. “I only slowed down time for myself. You felt the effects but it didn’t have such an effect on you as me,” she said, stopping time around a bird as it flew by. You could see every flap of its wings as it moved through the air chasing another bird. Edline squealed and Zen returned time to its normal pace. The bird quickly flew away, startling Edline with its speed.

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Stephan grinned and snuck up on Zen and Edline.” Nice day for a swim, right Edline,” he said, squirting some water at the little girl. Zen stopped time and the water froze in mid-air before it could touch Edline. The little girl laughed at her brother’s crestfallen face before Zen smirked and turned the water back on Stephan who simply reabsorbed the water and smiled angelically.

“That smile might have gotten you out of trouble with others but it doesn’t fool me, waterboy,” said Zen.

Stephan smirked and leaned in brushing his lips against hers sweetly before drawing back. “How about that,” he asked, taking Edline back into his arms.

“You play dirty Stephan,” muttered Zen smiling and walking up the pathway with him. “So what was Marco saying to you that had you rolling your eyes?”

“Marco was teaching this little one sex ed with candy euphemisms and getting her confused. I especially liked the one where Edline said you can’t eat a candy bar if you wrap it up in plastic. She is way too young to understand still.”

Zen laughed and Edline smiled toothily. “You can’t eat a candy bar without removing the wrapper. It’s how it’s supposed to be eaten.”

Zen snorted and nodded. “I agree Edline. You have to unwrap the candy bar first,” she winked at Stephan who blushed and Zen was laughing all over again. You’ll never guess what happened with Uncle today,” she said as they reached the stairs.

“Isaias was made heir of the Arrio mafia. Sorry, but Marco thinks loudly. He broadcasted it to everybody within psychic hearing distance. I’m psychically deaf now thanks to him.”

“Is that what that high-pitched squeal in my brain was?”

“Yes. It’s potent against psychic enemies. It even messes with the concentration of abilities.”

“Hmmm, how do you do it?”

“I’ll show you later after I recover from Marco’s unintended squeal.”

He led them into the big house and set Edline down. She took off running down the halls. Zen followed Stephan back to their rooms but before they could relax, an Arachnid came running around the corner. She bent at the knees to catch her breath but uttered her message.

“You are both wanted in the meeting room urgently,” she said in between breaths. Then standing up and exhaling through her nose she continued. “I am to show you to the meeting room. Whenever you are ready.”

Zen let the girl catch her breath first then motioned for her to show them the way to the room. They passed several study halls and inquisitive Arachnids before arriving at a pair of doors. The arachnid knocked. “Enter,” Carmelo called and she escorted them into the room.

It was the first room that was decorated lavishly. The walls were a vermilion red with silver edges and there was a crystal desk where Carmelo was sitting. Her mother sat in the Lady chair and her uncle was in one of the armchairs. Beside him was a confused Isaias. He looked at her and shrugged.

“I received this vid a few minutes ago,” Carmelo said, connecting neural cables and displaying the vid from his memories.

The screen faded in to show a carefree D’Angelo on one side and a carefully groomed Cecile on the other.

“Don Rodriguez it seems you are harboring something we both want for different reasons. You have seventy-two hours before we come looking for it with all our military strength. You have twenty- four hours to respond to this vid. Cheers,” he said, raising his hand which had a glass, and drinking from it. The vid fades to black.

“Esos cabrónes quieren guerra!” (Those bastards want war!) yelled Rosalinda angrily and Carmelo nodded. “Apparently that is their aim.” He turned to Bernado. “With all our forces united we don’t make a half of theirs united.”

“True but ours are better trained. Ten Guerreros match thirty of their men. The same for your Arachnids.”

Isaias sighed. “Uncle, remember a tenth of our force is out and poisoned thanks to your son. The good news is we have his notes on what he did to the poison and I can make the antitoxin but in seventy-two hours? It’ll take a bit for them to get better as well.”

“I can stop time however much you need Isaias,” Zen said, flipping her ponytail. “Besides they just want me, maybe if I…”

“Don’t even think about it,” everyone in the room said at once.

Zen sighed and nodded, slumping down in her chair.

“The Yuka might be able to help us fight. They could send us some tech guns at least,” muttered Stephan as he played with the chain around his neck. Zen wondered about the strange luminescent chain. Was it his mother’s? Stephan caught her eye and shook his head.

Who’s then?

Later Zen promise.

“Well if we agree then I say screw the Don of New Arctica and his war. We’ll meet him head-on with our men,” Bernado said and for once Carmelo agreed with him. Rosalinda nodded and Isaias snorted. “I’ll get working on that antitoxin now then. Zen can you create the ingredients I’ll need as well?”

“Sure, Isa, why?”

“I’m not so sure we have a few of them,” he muttered, scratching his chin. “It’s best to get Shea involved. He’s a fast thinker with poisons and may be able to help. The Hormiguero chemical lab is the best place to do this. They have some of the rarest chemicals and poisons.”

“Well, you are the leader of the Hormigueros now. What better way to introduce yourself to them as their leader? They’ll be under your command for the war,” Bernado said.

Isaias nodded and stood from his armchair. “Looks like we’re going to the Hormigueros again Zen.”

Zen smiled and patted his back. “Looks like.”

“You might want Kiera’s help. She is a med droid and has a database full of knowledge on different types of poisons,” Stephan said. “I’ll get her. She’ll probably be with Layna or Senka.”

“Uncle kept his made-up name?” questioned Zen.

Rosalinda nodded. “Said Mateo was for pansies. He likes Senka much better and I have to admit it suits his personality now.”

Stephan left to get Kiera and Isaias left to gather some things from Carmelo’s lab which he had yet to see.

Zen sighed. A war is being fought on my behalf. Who would have thought a Low caste could amount to so much in such a short time? Ironic isn’t it Ishevara?

Men have always been the same no matter your subspecies. You all want power.

I don’t! Power corrupts!

Indeed it does Zen. Would you give me up after this war?

That’s exactly what I’m going to do, Ishevara. I’m going to ask the council to separate us and to guard you.

What if I don’t want another Guardian Zen? You’ve made me care again for a friend.

Maybe I can visit you? If the council rules me fit to be a real Guardian then we can talk but til then...things just keep getting complicated and…

I know I must return to my keepers Zen. I’m sorry for this Zen.

I’m not sorry for meeting you Ishevara but this has got to stop one way or another.

One way or another?

Yes.