Newborn

Chapter 82: What We Didn't See

Anne Halton

Jess calls outside to tell the police that it’s safe to come in.

She should have known who was on the other line, Liam.  They both talk professionally.  There’s no mention of demons or angels or anything besides a group of terrorists who took over the building.  When Legion started getting reckless in its search of the Sword, Liam started to create a back story for what would appear to the world as a terrorist organization.  Now, Liam’s story is being accepted as fact.

After Liam hangs up the phone, Jess turns her attention to Maggie.

Maggie is sitting down on the ground in the main part of the office.  She’s leaning against the wall with her legs curled up against her chest.  She isn’t crying.

Jess sits down next to her.

“It’s over now,” Jess says.  “You’re safe.”

Police officers start to enter the building.  They roam the hallways and secure the school.  They start to search, room by room, looking for members of Legion.  There aren’t any.

I flee the building.  The Scarlet Lady is still a wanted person.  I can’t let the police take me in.

As I run, I feel a familiar energy chase me.  It’s Algea.  I’m weak and I’m tired from the day, but I still want to fight him.  I stop running and decide to hold my ground.

Within seconds, Algea is standing in front of me. 

“Miss Halton,” he says.  “I have a message for you.”  I can hear the resentment in his voice.  He hates that’s been brought down to the status of a lowly messenger boy. 

“What is it?” I ask, enjoying his humiliation.

“Liam wants you at the Lair,” he says.

The fire inside me resents being told where to go.  I’m only here because Liam asked for my help.  At the same time, I suspect there may be good reason to go where I’m told.  “Alright,” I say.  “Now leave.”

Algea lingers for a moment.  There’s a little curl in the corner of his mouth as he thinks about all the things he’s going to do once his probation has been lifted.  He knows that Kali is still inside me, and he wants to bring her out to play, but he has other errands he must do in the meantime.  He turns and leaves to complete his next task.

Inside the school, the bodies of the injured are taken to the hospital and the bodies of the dead are cleared away.

The police are keeping students in the building.  They’re afraid that if they allow a mass exodus, any remaining terrorists will get away.

Most of the students are also minors.  The police need to make sure proper protocol is followed.  The emergency seems to be over, so everything needs to be by the book.  It’s hard for the officers.  They’re people like anyone else.  It’s hard to see dead kids and know that there’s nothing they can do to save them.  The police search the building for the people who did this so that they can at least find justice for those who died and make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

As the police search the building, they miss the greatest threat of all.  None of us see it.  It’s around the neck of one of the victims.  It’s around Justine’s neck.  Nobody paid attention to the little orb on her necklace.  But the orb isn’t a piece of jewellery, it has become a ball of light.  As the police search the school for Legion, the ball of light is hiding.  It isn’t ready to be known yet.  There’s too much chaos around the school for it to start here.  So, when no one is looking, the ball flies away.  It’s been waiting for a chance to come back to this world, and this time it has a plan.