141. Let's Try Again

Marcus

The day before, Chris had left the lounge irritated at Ira. Michael had picked Juliet up and left… It was something I would have to get used to… There were two teleporters in the house. I didn’t know what to make of everything, let alone wrap my mind around what happened to Michael and the consequences it would entail for all of us... So I followed Chris.

When I walked into the room, he stood staring at the chains. I closed the door and sat on the bed. Chris joined me… “How are you, Chris? We haven’t really had time to talk.”

“No… So much has happened… I’m actually very happy.” I was surprised. “Marcus. I had a long talk with Juliet… She told me everything.”

Although Chris had been back for a few weeks, all of us went into a lull, like we were, after Ahasuerus threw that stone at Juliet. No one had talked or done much, but give Michael time to decide if he would brand Juliet. Chris had stayed firm in his decision. It left a lot of pressure on Michael to do it. Coupled with all of us having to get to know Caleb and Ira. Liam and Cindy. We were all under the same roof. Charlene and Carl… Kubra… A lot was going on. Our family had grown.

My eyes drifted to the corner of the room… “Even about that?” He nodded. “Will you tell me? Because I still don’t know.”

“I think Juliet has to figure out her relationships with all of us… On her own. Our next prize should be to make her happy… I didn’t like what I saw coming back... The thing is, she doesn’t want to hurt anyone… And the last thing we should do is bombard her with boundaries... Or else it will never work… All of us get up and see where life takes us… You’re driven and like her, very jealous… I always was… But not anymore.”

My eyes cast to the floor. I did feel guilty about all the pressure Louis and I had put her under. Chris had not manipulated her time. Juliet had strangely not clung to him like she would’ve when she was younger. I chuckled. She was growing up.

“But I’ve already told her that she can’t add Soren,” Chris said.

My eyes jumped up to his…

“I told her… no more… Just us four.”

I was so relieved that Chris touched my shoulder… “I was worried. Soren had been there most of the year. Helping. It felt like they had an understanding. Just waiting for me to give the all-clear… I can’t, Chris. I don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to either. But if we take that from her… we have to let up. You have to trust us. You can’t manipulate her time. And I won’t either.”

I could understand that. It had taken a lot of effort for me not to push myself into her space and compete for her time. And it made sense about Soren. “I saw her shoulder cover with skin… She’s still influenced by the stress. I don’t want her whole body to become like that. It scared me… What if…”

“No… I don’t think so. Juliet has grown up.” I smiled, and our eyes met. “So you’re good with providence figuring it out?” Chris asked.

I fell back on the bed. “With you here, I feel better already… We were friends, and it wasn’t just her that lost you… Next time, we fight to stay together.”

“I think the four of us… need to meet without her. If we’re on the same page. It will be better for her… You have to remember she is only twenty-one… You guys are so old, and you, with your self-control… She’s not there yet… But I don’t mind telling her what to do… And we all know she listens to me… Michael might actually get away with it… But he’s….”

“Different.” I drew in a breath.

“There is one other thing… I’m going to say something, and it will hurt. But you need to know. I don’t know if she will tell you. But at least you can be prepared.”

I turned on my side, watching Chris.

“Louis will always be….”

I sat up, looking at the chains. “You will have to spell it out for me, Chris.”

“Louis is The One. Her soul mate. She loves him… No… she’s in love with him, and it will never change. Even if she does love us all… In different ways… Like I’m her friend and confidant who makes her talk. That’s maybe why she gravitates toward me… She feels I’m safe… Michael… Well… We will have to see what role he will play. You? Can figure it out… As you go along… But Louis…”

I cut him off, “I get it.” My tone was a little clipped. It did sting, so I got up and left.

After Chris spoke to me, I had a lot to think about. It wasn’t easy to hear that Louis was unique in some way… Juliet didn’t take off the chains for Michael at all. It had nothing to do with any of us… Juliet did it for herself. Because she was trying… I would try, too… Louis told me; he was jealous of me… And that our love was something that could’ve consumed her… In the end, I had left too many times… At that point, I didn’t understand where I fit in at all or what I brought to the table if it was all physical for her? Louis told me to give her time… And time was all I had.

***

There was a knock on my door. I knew it was Juliet. I had been waiting for my turn. Juliet had been locked up in the room with Louis since the day before. When she came into the house and yelled his name, everyone in the living room jumped up, thinking that there was something seriously wrong. The door had slammed, and Silvanus said. “Seems the missus is upset.” We were a family, but she had to manage us all separately. I still didn’t want to leave. Soren wasn’t staying, and I would also fight for us.

Eventually, Juliet opened the door. I was on my bed and lifted one arm, inviting her in.

“You seem better?” I prompted, closing my arms around her as she lay down, only to sit up a second later and turn to me. I smiled. Juliet was growing up, but still my Julie…

“I am.”.

“You happy? About Caleb. He’s a great kid. I always had a soft spot for him.”

She fell on my chest, holding me.

“I’m so happy Chris is back. He was my friend more than anyone else. Rather glad I have someone I can spend time with. Talk to.” I said, trying to let her know how I felt.

“It’s so funny to me… You know exactly how you feel but not what anyone else is feeling.”

“My one weakness.” She chortled. But she was still being quiet. “Julie, do you have nothing to say to me?”

She shook her head against my chest. “Is there anything you need to hear?” She asked.

I thought about it. There really wasn’t. Chris had stabilized everything. I wasn’t the only one who felt she needed some guidance. Two men to give her what she wants… Indulge her. And two that will say no. Follow through and… But he was right. I was old. Had to keep reminding myself of the age gap.

She sat up again, and I had to laugh. Up and down… “I do need to ask you something.”

Oh, that’s what the nerves were about. I smiled. Intrigued.

“Will you fight for me, Marcus?” I laughed lightly. Not what I thought at all. “You’re smiling… Mar…cus.”

I smirked. “Really, Julie. If it’s that easy to get you into bed, we’ll have a problem.”

“Maybe not today. I’m kinda sexed out.”

“You know, for guys… there isn’t such a thing.”

She bumped my nose with her finger. I gripped her wrist. “Don’t do that. It’s patronizing.”

“Why not?” She did it with the other hand. I caught that wrist, too.

“It’s what you did back on the compound... It’s like you’re challenging me….”

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“That’s exactly what I’m doing.” She said with a silly smile on her face.

Challenge accepted. I got her into a hold I had not taught her. Tickled her and made her squirm. “Tell me who I must fight? You got a beast now. You don’t need me anymore.”

She tapped, and I let her go. “I do need you.” Juliet adoringly stared into my eyes. “Or you wouldn’t be here.” Those simple words had stilled the nagging in my heart. I leaned in, asking for a kiss. She got up and pulled me to the lounge, sending a text as we moved. It's not so much about the physical anymore… I glanced at Louis. He smiled when our eyes met. Juliet sat next to me as we waited. I dragged her onto my lap. Maybe I was the problem… All physical for me… Louis laughed again. I was glad he was back… It wasn’t long before everyone was there. “Ira, I want to know where we stand,” Juliet said off the bat.

After I came back for good, I prompted myself to push in and be a part of it all. Just to learn that pushing would only make things worse. I was being tossed around. Not used to it. Hiding away in my room or the gym also didn’t work. I didn’t know half of what was going on or what Juliet was thinking.

“Okay! Obviously, we have to take over Palmyra.”

All eyes were on Ira. Not in a million years would I have thought he would use us… It wasn’t what I thought he would say. And it didn’t seem like it was what anyone else thought he would say. But Ira’s eyes were on me… Seemed that it was my choice... Not once did I think we would so quickly go into another year of fighting some new enemy. Pushed to the brink of exhaustion. I met Louis’s eye… He was as old as me. Yet Ira was freaking thousands of years old, ready to make the system that little more peaceful.

“It’s because you’re not a fighter, Marcus. We trust you to tell us the variables.” Louis said. “If you think we should wait. We wait.”

I closed my eyes and my arms around Juliet, quickly assessing what it would take… It didn’t take long… “What do you want, Julie?”

“Before she answers. Why don’t we get all the facts first? Michael, if you please.” Ira asked.

Michael gallantly bowed and left the house. They had already talked about it. We waited… A few minutes passed. Juliet stood, and I followed her... We walked outside onto the small porch, staring down the road. We waited a few more minutes. But no, Michael.

“What was he supposed to do?” I asked.

“Get General Sung for a meeting,” Juliet said. “We were all waiting for you. If I didn’t come get you…” I turned to her, but my phone rang.

“Zoreah is under attack.” We heard Kubra on speaker. Ira and Silvanus were next to us. “Michael is fighting. Everyone is stuck in the city. They came out at Shumaan. The cave is destroyed. General Sung is requesting backup.”

Juliet’s phone rang… It was on speaker. She was walking down the stairs. “Juliet! It’s Soren. I’m in Washington… Ahasuerus’s army is gone on En-gannim. They shipped out…” Soren wanted to say more, but Juliet had killed the call, already running for the teleporter spot... “Juliet, stop right there.” She paused, recognizing the voice… Chris was walking down toward her. Juliet turned to Jessy and nodded. He reached for a gun and shot at Chris. It all happened so fast. A giant net flew out from the weapon and spiraled till it enveloped him. Chris wasn’t expecting it. None of us were. It had weights that made the net fall heavily to the ground. Magnets secured at the bottom that pulled together. Chris manifested, and the more he struggled, the more the wired-like mesh closed around him. Juliet saluted him, flailing on the floor. “Amateur.” She and Jessy made a run for it. High-fiving as they disappeared. Ira tried to stop her, but they were gone. Silvanus was laughing. Ira turned back to Chris, shaking his head. “She is interesting. I’d give you that. Never a dull moment.” Chris lay still, staring at the sky. The massive beast laughed.

“So much for her listening to you.” I quipped. He laughed even louder. I was in the driveway on my way to help. I glanced back. Louis was having a cigarette, leaning against the doorframe, shaking his head. We got Chris loose. He stood up and dusted himself off, and he was gone.

***

Juliet

I was smiling when we walked out in Washington. Jessy and I were so happy with our creation. Over the last year, I gave the army some extra ideas to work on… To counter the Riphaths so they couldn’t teleport. We rounded the corner. My hands jumped up in front of me. Chris was there, fully manifested. I took a step back, giggling nervously. “Where do you think you’re going?” Chris said in such a low rumble that it freaked me out. Jessy laughed next to me. My gaze darted to him. “Nifty trick, you got there,” Chris growled… His eyes were on Jessy, who shrugged. Chris held out a massive paw. I gave him my hand.

The three of us teleported to En-gannim. We came out on an unmanned platform. There were bodies everywhere. My men and women… All three of us checked their pulses… Our eyes met with shaking heads. They were all dead. We traveled again. We came out at an army base. But not the main one. Mine… It was full of Marcus’s men that were on Earth. We had hidden them. Whoever was in charge came running up to us. Relieved, Jessy and I shared a glance. I put my hands on my knees and took a ragged breath. Chris watched us with interest. There were huts as far as the eye could see down the valley. Men and some women were everywhere, training, eating, and doing drills. I stood back up and walked over to Chris. He was so tall that my head rested on his stomach, and he pulled me close. I didn’t know what I would’ve done if they had killed all of them. “I thought you were going to Zoreah?” His voice rumbled. I shook my head. “Who are they?”

“My army.”

Jessy had given an order. A sound echoed through into a sea of fully manifested vampires. Chris stood staring down… “What is wrong with the women? And how big is… your army?”

“The men are about four hundred thousand... And the woman one hundred… modified….”

“What do you mean?”

“Like me…”

“Ira isn’t going to like that.”

“No… Why I ran… I still don’t know if your father is really on board, Chris. He’s so changeable… Should we go see what’s going on?” Chris nodded. His horn was sharp little points and had a long way to go. He had grown in size, and his features were even sleeker than when I last saw him as a little baby Riphath. “Jessy, we are leaving you here.” I dug in my pocket and took out the general’s token. He didn’t want to take it. I took his hand and pushed it down. “You have ten minutes, Jessy.” His eyes shot up, and he scrambled.

“How do you know you can trust him?”

“It’s a gut feeling. Not that it’s enough… but in the past….” I looked up at Chris. “My gut hasn’t been wrong yet.”

He smiled. The mouth full of sharp, pointy teeth made me titter.

“What? I’m not sexy like this?”

“Sure… Scary as hell.”

We traveled to Shumaan and were immediately embedded in chaos. Infected werewolf chaos. We had come out on the rubble that was the teleporter cave. The beasts were being pushed through the soft spot thirty at a time… Chris grabbed me so fast, and we were in Ira’s house. It was full of people trying to protect the kids in the center of the city. Chris was gone so quickly, only to come back a few minutes later. “They are everywhere in the city.”

“We need the kids and adults out.” He nodded. “Get your men and start clearing a path. We will replace them with the army… Jessy is waiting.”

His paw cupped my cheek… “You really are something.”

I pushed him out the door. “Everyone!” I yelled loudly… They were already listening. “Four of you on a kid… Just like you’re trained… Let’s go… Smallest first…” I stepped out of the house, flickering my gaze up and down the long road. The orders quickly made the rounds. Riphath warriors were scattered in the street, and it seemed safe. They were armored and carrying weapons and would help us get out. Chris was fighting far down the road, clearing the last of the infected off the street. He killed one, and as he stood up, another Riphath approached him, bringing Chris all his gear. He suited up, turned to me, and saluted. The Riphaths leaving with me were women and men who weren’t fighters. I stood for a moment to assess and gave the order. I didn’t know why they were listening to me… But they didn’t hesitate, and we started running. More houses emptied as we passed them with adults and kids. We should’ve known that Brylee was planning something when we fought that one on the island. She had to have been infecting them on Earth and traveling them out. It was thousands of Riphaths teleporting in droves towards the cave. One man had picked me up and traveled to the front of the herd of creatures. Not long after, we neared the massacre. It would be the most difficult. More wolves were appearing, and they didn’t wait. They didn’t assess. It was instinct to kill. I wondered what would happen if one bit a Riphath.

Riphath’s dropped down, clearing the space. The wolves were flying into the air, speared to death. Other Riphaths were flinging dead bodies into a pile miles away. I ran for the rubble, sent a communication to Jessy, and waited. “Chris! You have to make sure everyone is here. It’s going to be a one-time thing.”

“I love you. Don’t die.” He was gone. Chris would travel all along the road we came from to make sure no one was left behind... It took more minutes.

The warriors had made a massive circular barrier around the rubble. As the wolves came out, they killed them. I ordered the rest to circle them. When Chris came back, the last Riphaths went into formation. I didn’t hesitate, and Jessy was quick to teleport us out and all of my army in. It meant that Chris and I and thousands of Riphaths landed in our base on En-gannim. The Riphaths couldn’t stop fighting because some wolves had traveled with us. Chris was like a machine and so well-trained. My heart swelled with pride and respect for all he had become. General Sung gave orders as she fought. It didn’t take a minute, or it was all over. We all stood staring at each other, waiting. The Warriors took a breath to gather themselves, falling into formation. Chris was next to her to exchange a few words, and they turned around.

“You have to send us back… Will they be safe here?” She asked.

“I don’t know? Do you want to take them to Earth? We have a safe location.”

The two came closer. Chris was waiting for her orders. “It had to be a smokescreen. She is planning something else.” Sung said.

“Let’s travel back. And see what’s going on.”

She gave more orders to the remaining fighters who would have to wait.

I sent us back.

Unfortunately, we needed to operate it all from En-gannim because Ira was stupid. Thankfully, Jessy and I had hours discussing how we would manage it if the rest of En-gannim turned against the current Queen’s rule. When we emerged, Jessy and the army weren’t wasting time. It was a well-oiled machine on the commander’s and sergeant’s orders. They fell in step with the Riphaths, clearing the city of werewolves fighting the incoming, standing together across species. I had nothing to fight with, so I dodged and scrambled to stay out of the way.

“There have to be wolves somewhere communicating with Palmyra. We need to find them. Have there ever been werewolves here? Can they manifest in the daytime?”

General Sung shook her head. “That means they will wait till nighttime.” Chris and I agreed. “That gives us some time.”

The wolves stopped coming through. The cheers from the fighters resonated in the air.

General Sung gave the order, and scouts started combing the area. “We need to evacuate anyone else… Round up the elders, and only the army needs to stay.” I suggested. “I think Jessy should take the Riphaths to Earth. Tell them what’s going on… Get the watchers involved?”

She nodded.