“I almost feel sorry for you.” I push my box of goodies his way, and he quickly shakes his head as he takes a seat across from me. The entire lot of us gathers around the table with Gage Oliver’s head bobbing in its blue keeping solution as if he were happy to be present and accounted for, too.
“Now”—Marshall looks around at all the faces amassed, and I can feel the disappointment oozing from him—“I gather none of you have heard the news. And why would you? Outside of checking the status of your latest selfie, not one of you is an ardent follower of current events.”
Ellis shakes his head. “They’re so damn depressing.”
“Yes, well”—Marshall takes a quick breath—“they aren’t as depressing today as they are alarming. Six of the missing Celestra from Brazil have been returned.”
“What?” I gasp as each of us reaches for our phone and begins to pull up any information we can about it.
Logan sighs. “Six men, presumed missing, wandered back into a neighboring village late last night. They were said to have been on a spiritual journey that focused on wellbeing and healing, deep in the Amazon rainforest. They have limited memories of what’s happened to them. Their families were thrilled to be reunited. However, twenty-four men from the surrounding areas are still outstanding. It was initially believed that drug lords captured and killed the men, burying them in an undisclosed mass grave. There were many tips in the area that alluded to the grim conclusion. Authorities are investigating and searching the area once again.”
“The feds put out the leak,” I say. “They want the world to feel secure that crime is king. And that’s exactly how they keep their hands clean.”
Marshall ticks his head. “That’s how they’ve always kept their hands clean.”
Ezrina inspects her phone with marked scrutiny. “Rest assured, they’re tracking them. As I will be. They wouldn’t have released them unless they made considerable strides with their analysis of our kind. They may have even isolated the marker by now themselves. This is false security for our people. They want to capture us all. I don’t doubt this.”
My heart jumps. “I’m calling a moratorium on Faction meetings worldwide. The last thing we need is someone with a virtual ankle bracelet wandering in and exposing the rest of us.”
Logan tips his head back. “Speaking of exposing the rest of us.” He nods my way.
“I’ve made a list,” I say, my throat raw just pushing the words out as I slip the paper to Ellis on my left and it circulates around the table. “These people are Wesley’s—and you-know-whose”—I take a moment to glare at Gage’s soggy apex, his hair floating happily as if it were waving to me—“brightest and the best. Sixteen names. Sixteen people who have pledged their undying allegiance to the Barricade.”
Brody groans, “Skyla, you have all the Winters on this list.”
“I realize that. I made the list, Brody. I’m well aware who’s on it.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t do it. I mean, I get why you want to do it.” He nods to Gage. “Retribution for Dominique lopping his head off. But Paragon has enough issues.”
“He’s right.” Marshall presses those crimson eyes my way. “Think before you leap. Leave your wound at the foot of your door, Ms. Messenger. This isn’t the time or place. Deflect from the island as much as you can. Fill the void with others, or leave it empty if you must. There is no rush. We can work in phases.”
I rest my hands over my mouth as if I were praying. “Okay. We’ll take them off the list for now. Nev has agreed to contact the authorities on Raven’s Eye. He’ll report in various ways in various accents and languages, all through untraceable modalities. He’ll report levitation, teleportation, inhuman strength and speed. All buzzwords that should initiate an investigation from our feds across the way. The feds will be in a panic trying to contain the madness. It’s exactly what we want.”
Coop offers a careful nod. “And we are firm in alluding to the fact that they are aliens.”
“We are,” I assure. “In fact, we’ve agreed on peppering the language with references to a place called Eversor.” I flash a brief smile at my floating ex-husband. “I’m sure the feds will have a field day trying to figure out if it’s a planet or the mother ship.”
Ellis drums his fingers over the table. “Why not just turn in Gage, Wes, and Chloe? Cut them off at the quick? Who the hell cares if Paragon falls under a spotlight? We’re fooling ourselves if you don’t think we’re not already under their watchful eye.”
A sigh expels from me. “Ellis, I can assure you I’ve considered this. It would be the ideal scenario.” My mind drifts for a moment envisioning the beauty. “But not only would that put Laken, the boys, and Chloe’s children in peril, but the Olivers, Logan and Liam included, Chloe’s family”—I glance to Brody—“mine. And in an act of retribution, Gage or Wes might just take down what’s left of Celestra by turning us all in. As it stands, they’re more interested in having the final few cross over. They want surrender on my part, and I can’t do that. I can’t unravel the Factions. Not like that.”
Marshall knocks over the table. “And the Viden youth? What becomes of them now?”
I glance to Ezrina and we share a secret smile. “Yes, they return to their families tonight as well. We have three Levatio in our organization and they have agreed to help transport the Viden youth to Sedona, Arizona, to what is known as the Red Rock Vortex, a long believed celestial portal.”
Brody chuckles. “We’re going to play off the myths and fears. And, sadly, the world is thirsty to quantify all their myths and fears.” He looks to Ezrina. “And the serum to hide the markers?”
Ezrina nods. “Enough. More than enough. I have trained fifteen specialists worldwide.” She glances at Coop. “And one here.”
Coop lifts a finger. “But these are temporary vaccines. We still haven’t found the holy grail.”
Brody leans toward Ezrina. “Is this regenerative? What are we in need of to replenish the supply?”
“Nothing.” Her eyes narrow to some invisible horizon. “The stem cells I retrieved from Skyla, from her bones, her skin, her blood, have all worked in conjunction with the new batch of mushrooms.”
I nod. “The new batch being the recent vomit from this pregnancy plus soil from the Transfer.” For reasons unknown to me, I’m unusually proud of my talented vomit. “And Ezrina completed the molecular codes that link the hyper regeneration with a key in Nephilim DNA.” I blink a quick smile.
Ezrina’s mouth crimps and she looks a touch surprised. “Well done.”
