118. Scheming

Sita

I was in the seventh Library in the city of Caude. Every section had a registry filled with books of records of births and mothers. I was on a mission to find Mateo’s wife and child and why he had hidden them. Since Qadir died, there was no reason for me to stick around. My grandfather was doing better, and it seemed that being close to that infected vamp had its advantages. It meant that I was back to going only once a month.

First, I studied the teleporter logs for the last few years. Mateo hasn’t been on Earth that long. It was easy to see if a woman and a child teleported to Earth or went later, maybe sent there out of jail… He could have bought someone off. But there was nothing in his watcher feed of him ever meeting up with a woman. On Palmyra, it wasn’t a secret who was on Earth. It was adequately documented. It yielded no results. It meant she was somewhere on Palmyra.

In the end, finding a baby girl wasn’t that difficult. She had to be a certain age and with a single parent? There were only a few… I had a photo, and I could travel. The problem was that the last one I needed to check was on the other side of the planet. No teleporters, no cars, and no planes… How did they communicate?

I needed a teleporter… I needed help from a vamp… Or … Bertram.

***

Carl

My training with the Watchers had concluded for a few months, and I was officially with duties and pay. It allowed me to live at the housing in the Embassy. Both my father and I were under the same roof, and when I saw Sita that morning, I knew something was up. She immediately asked to speak to Bertram. After Qadir died and he did what he did, I watched him like they had monitored Juliet all her life. Continual feed recorded to a screen. It was the least I could do. Charlene still contacted me, and we were talking, but I couldn’t face Michael yet.

I had gone on with my day as if nothing was wrong. My father took her to his flat, and she sat down. Sita took out her phone and showed him a photo. Started talking about Mateo and that she needed a watcher and a teleporter. My father was immediately keen. Palmyra was the planet that closely resembled Earth, and our people needed a foothold into the palace, apart from the vamps. He was going to take her.

My father’s relationship with Louis and Juliet was in tatters. He was desperate not to be replaced if he could not secure a good relationship with the species to help us with Earth’s many problems. If we could get rid of cars and our garbage and make traveling cheaper, the Earth would be on its way to healing itself, besides all the other benefits.

Sita and Bertram made arrangements to go that night. I jumped up, ran for the teleporter, and made my way to the compound.

***

I was nervous going in, but I called Louis and David, and by the time I stood at the open red gates, everyone was waiting. I wasn’t the only one with a father who let them down. I wasn’t expecting Marcus. He saw me first from the study across the yard. He waved me over. Louis and Juliet were sitting in their usual places. Juliet jumped up and hugged me, pulling me down on her lap. “Why are you this stupid, Carl?”

“Sita and Bertram is going to Palmyra. She has a photo of a woman and a girl on her phone. She wants to find her and give the info to the queen. She wants entrance into the palace.” My eyes were fixed on Mateo. He and David were sitting with Marcus, both deep in thought. Juliet let me go, and I sat down next to her on the couch.

“Who is the woman, Mateo?” Juliet asked.

“Mother of my kid… My mother disapproved of who I gave my royalty to. I hid them away before I knew my mother would punish me. She banished me here... Until I tell her who it is.”

“I don’t understand… Isn’t it an honor to have the first female baby?” Juliet asked.

“My mother has to defer the throne to her… The baby… on her fifteenth birthday. She is not ready to step down. Brylee is only three hundred herself. If you think Ahasuerus is bad. My mother is ten times worse.”

“You don’t seem worried…” Louis said.

“The problem with Palmyra is it might be a lot like Earth, but it has only one hot spot. It takes them a week to teleport out the army and have them gather on En-gannim. I don’t know what Sita and Bertram think they could do. It takes months to travel that far.”

Marcus turned to him. “Palmyra doesn’t have just one spot.”

“What do you mean?” Mateo ventured.

Marcus took out a stick and waved it in the air. That’s Palmyra… That is Caude… There are at least ten spots that the vamps know about… Where is your wife, Mateo?”

He got up, turned the globe in a circle, and pointed. Marcus pressed some buttons on a glass plate… It lit up ten red lights… One of the lights was close to the village they were hiding in. Mateo got agitated. “I have to go. Is there any way one of you could sneak me on and get me there?”

The room went quiet. All pairs of eyes were on Marcus. His was on Juliet. “It means I have to leave.”

She smiled. “Not if Louis and I come with you… I kind of liked the idea of us working as a team.”

***

Michael

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I loved the fact that Juliet and the guys included me in everything. I went with them wherever they were. My presence was such an issue for Marcus that I had wondered what it would mean for me and Juliet as a couple. It had been three months since Marcus had been back; he helped me a lot with coping, making my mind stronger. He was slowly accepting me… Since seeing me struggle, he had a little bit more compassion for me. As a human, he was growing. His challenges weren’t mental anymore or physical. Marcus actually came to the shop and helped me. Learned all there was to know about bikes. He liked tinkering… Talked to me about Carl. I felt for the kid, but he had to grow up. I was happy that day when Carl showed up, telling us what he had been doing. He had become a true watcher, focused on the greater good of relations.

The group had left for Palmyra... I could have gone with them. But it would be a new place. They would need to fight, and having a human tagging along would have put them at a disadvantage. And honestly, I wasn’t ready. Juliet also didn’t want to leave Sammy with someone she couldn’t trust a hundred percent. I laughed at the grown men babysitting. Watchers to protect the little princesses. Warden for Sammy, and I got James for Miné. Charlene needed to focus on her studies. All of them ran around after the young girls. Jessy was on high alert at the gates. Juliet and Carl might have thought that the threat was real, but I was so paranoid when we had to split up like that, especially when Sita and Bertram were involved.

Liam, Cindy, and Samuel were all outside playing with the kids and having breakfast. I was feeling more and more at home. It was a relief when Samuel walked through that door with Marcus. He was the one missing puzzle piece... But overnight, Carl became a new one. When I walked out of my room to go sit outside, the lost piece looked up the corridor towards me and averted his gaze.

“Come on, Carl,” I called out to him. “It’s time.” He put his hands in his pockets and came to my room. I had always wanted a son… Seeing Carl like that… was close… I hoped that one day Juliet and I could get there. We would have to make a list of who gets to go next. As long as we all got one. Chris was already ahead.

Carl is as tall as me, but he couldn’t meet my eye. I knew his mother left a long time ago. She couldn’t take the politics. The father wanted to keep the son and fought the mother in court, for the public opinion and all. I sat next to him and pulled him to my chest. There really was nothing else to do. “I am sorry, Michael. I should have known. Found out.” He snorted… “Watched him.”

“How long have we known each other, Carl.”

He smiled. “Since I was fourteen. My father was telling me about everything going on. I didn’t believe him… You literally came flying into the yard. Appeared out of nowhere on several occasions…. It really didn’t even feel like work. I liked them both from the start. Charlene was just a very happy coincidence.”

“If I were your father… No… I wouldn’t have, but… I understand why he played both sides. The world cannot afford to miss out on its best chances. You have to understand the pressure your father is under.” I held his shoulder and squeezed it. “Juliet won’t let anything happen to him. But after, I don’t know. He might lose his job… You can come home.”

Carl jumped up. “I think I’ll come back either way if you don’t mind. Or do you want me there to check up on him?”

“No! Come home. We are so vigilant. And we have Jessy.”

He held out his hand to me. I shook it… Carl was growing up a little slower than the girls… He was already twenty-one. Juliet’s birthday was in three months, and we would not be celebrating…They didn’t miss his birthday. I felt terrible when Juliet and Charlene had to go out of the compound to find him and force him to go out with them. We all had to find ourselves and sort out where we belonged. “Why don’t I come to help you pack.” Carl and I walked out of the room. Liam was watching us. I lifted my chin at him. Liam smiled; the guy was always busy assessing and managing.

Carl and I left down the corridor. “I would love to go on rides with you guys. Charlene has been begging.”

That made me smile. I couldn’t wait. “Let’s go buy a bike!”

***

Chris

It had been two years of traveling, out of the city, out of routine. We were enjoying ourselves. Fighting monsters, having competitions, and honing our teleportation to see who could travel the furthest. We lounged around. Ira went back and forth a bit to get water and check in with the elders. Sometimes, we went back with him to have a drink. That night we were at the bar. Since reading Juliet’s journal, my dreams changed, from nightmares where I sleep with Selena to nightmares of Juliet dying in the ring. Louis and Marcus dying with her. I was reminded of my life on Earth… I held out so long I might as well go all the way. Juliet’s suffering was probably the thing that pushed me over. I wasn’t treating Selena any differently, and she was still a very good friend. We enjoyed each other. The bar was full that night. Summer was a little bit more relaxed. People were out late and bored. Jamal would have a conjugal with the first girl who would ask… And they did. Selena watched as Jamal and the girl left. Her eyes were dreamy, and in the little fire they allowed in those areas, she was stunning. I had seen her watching Jamal. The way her eyes searched for him… She was restless, and I didn’t understand what she was waiting for.

“Why don’t you find someone, Selena? I haven’t seen you with anyone in a while? Do you want me to tell Jamal it’s okay?”

Her eyes drifted to the ground, “I think I’m going to go home. See you tomorrow, Chris.”

When she walked past me, my hand wrapped around her wrist. My eyes shot down at the familiarity of the situation... I had done it again. I immediately let go of her. Her skin burned into my conscience. I knew how I felt being married and touching Juliet. It wasn’t the same… I turned away from her and downed my last glass.

“I know you want to. You’re fighting the inevitable. I was hoping tonight would be that night.” She whispered. “It’s not about Jamal at all, Chris. It’s us.”

I scoffed. My head wasn’t buried in the sand anymore. “You’re not the only woman on Zoreah that I wanted to sleep with. I’m a little past inevitable….”

She didn’t leave and stared me down.

“It’s not like you’ve waited, Selena. I know you’ve slept with so many guys. And I can see the way you look at Jamal… Once that happened… There will be no line crossing… I’m using you. Can’t you see that?”

Selena sat down. “Are you going to tell me what you mean?”

“Ira wants me with someone… having you… makes him back off. He thinks I will eventually cave… Just like you… If I don’t… I can at least have a friend watching out for me. Tell me when my father will drug me and force me into it… You are my friend, aren’t you?”

“Does Jamal know?” I nodded. She was a little clueless. That was why Jamal was holding out... I could see him wanting her. And he would have made his move a long time ago if it hadn’t been for me.

I was sitting, rubbing one hand with the other. “Will you even tell me? Or will you follow the King’s orders?”

Selena got up. I quickly got to my feet to stop her and had to lift my eyes to meet hers; she was just too tall. It was another thing that I didn’t like. Juliet and I fit like a puzzle piece.

“I don’t know how I feel about your father drugging you. What if he drugs both of us.” She complained.

“At least I know you want to sleep with me… Does it really matter?”

She moved past me, “At least you want to sleep with me too… So no, not really.”