Children of Krina

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kota's POV

It has been a month since the guys left, Mr. Blackbourne has returned in full force. He is determined to restore the Academy and destroy the Krinar, rescuing Victor and our other brothers. I was beginning to worry that he has lost him mind, but Doc has assured me that he has not. What else was I suppose to think when he informs me that I have been removed as team lead and Gabriel is replacing me? There is no Academy and the team died with it. We were supposed to be a family, which turned out to be a lie. Yes, Victor left first, but it was what was best for him. He turned out to be an alien and he needed to be with his own kind, he would have died otherwise. I was not born yesterday; I know he and his girlfriend helped us when we lived with Uncle and later at the bunker. I did not understand how Mr. Blackbourne and Doc missed it. They were both supposed to be geniuses.

"Dakota Jamison Lee," my mom snarled as she barged into my bedroom. "I've had it. The only way I am going to get any peace around here is if you move out. I have always enjoyed your friends, but the remaining ones are driving me insane with your sister. If you are living somewhere else, they will stop coming over here and acting like they own the place."

"Mom?" I am shocked; my mom never talks to anyone in that way. She is always too nice.

"Shhh," she hissed, looking behind her and shutting the door when she saw it was clear and locking it. She moved to the window, I followed her and looked out it in time to see Gabriel and Doc running to Nate's house.

"I'm sorry mom," I felt bad. The three of them have been spying on me lately, sneaking into the house when no one was looking. I do not know what they are looking for, but it was getting old fast.

"I know that you wanted to leave with the others, but you remained because of your sister and me. I am grateful that you love us, but you are making a mistake." She settled on the window seat so she could watch the street. "Your sister needs to make her own mistakes and learn from them, which will never happen as long as you are always there to fix them for her. As a grown woman and your mother, I do not need you to take care of me I can do it myself. I want you to join your friends and do what is important to you. I understand that I will rarely get to see you, but we can keep in touch by the phone or facetime. I know there are things you will not be able to tell me, but that is nothing new. It has been that way a long time, ever since you joined the Academy." She reached for my cell phone and handed it to me. "Text or call Victor, have him come and get you tonight. Get out of Owen Blackbourne's reach."

Kota: I need your help

Victor: This is Sang, Victor is busy.

Victor: Can I help you?

Kota: I want to join the others

Kota: But I will have trouble getting away from the ones here.

Victor: Do you work at the Diner tonight?

Kota: Yes.

Victor: Someone will pick you up while you are working.

Victor: Be ready.

"Is this Sang Victor's girlfriend, did he meet her when he joined the Krinar?" Erica asked eagerly, she did not know much about Victor anymore. They acted as if he was a hostage for the longest time.

"Yes, Sang is his girlfriend. He met her the same day he went with the Krinar. She was living with the family that moved into the house on the other side of the street shortly after the Krinar invaded." I replied, amused, Victor had always been one of my mom's favorites. "The Krinar Guardians came to our neighborhood to rescue her; Victor was drawn to her side by their mate bond. He left with them and has been with her ever since."

"The tall skinny girl with brown hair, always wore her clothes to tight?"

"No, Sang rarely left the house. She wasn't allowed to." I opened the album on my phone and located the pictures I took at Vic's pool party. I scrolled through them, searching for the one I wanted. I found it half way through and handed my phone to my mom so she could see the picture. It was the best picture I have taken. Victor is sitting at his piano, Sang is sitting on his lap and both of them are playing with the keys. Sang's head is tilted as she looks up at Victor, a smile curving her lips. Victor's eyes are doing that weird thing they do; I caught them just before he kissed her.

"Oh my," my mom exclaimed. "He has grown so handsome and look at him; he is preparing to kiss a girl." She smacked my arm as I snickered, and then started giggling. "I guess you five boys will always remain little to me. Well, maybe not Gabriel, he has been acting so different lately."

"That is because he isn't good at losing people he cares about." A voice spoke from the door, startling us. We whipped around to see Victor standing there with two Krinar Guardians.

"How...," I waved my hand like a flopping fish, lost for words.

"Sang messaged me," he replied. He walked over, took the phone from my mom's hand, and studied the picture. He nodded his approval and pushed the screen to send a copy to his own phone. "Since we were at her house across the street, it made it easier to just come over." He handed the phone back to me.

"Then why did she answer my text?" Talk about being confused.

"I had my personal calls and messages transferred to her so I cannot be traced." He seemed unconcerned.

"Aren't you afraid Gabe and Doc will see you?"

"They won't," he replied with ease. "Erica, these two men are Garim and Daln. They are going to put new locks on your windows and doors. They are going to show you how they work and how to add Jessica's print to the lock when she returns home."

Once my mother was gone, he turned to me. "Agatha Biggs and her daughter have not been captured yet; we think Owen is still in contact with her. Until they are captured and whatever she has done to Owen is reversed, the Guardians will be watching over your mother and Jessica. Nathan is going to rent his house to the new manager of the Diner; Gabe will have to move in with Owen and Sean at Doc's condominium. Since the Guardians use Sang's house often, they will keep an eye out for the three.

"What about Gabe's job at the Diner?"

"He hasn't shown up for the past three weeks, which is considered voluntary quit."

"I never thought anything could break our family apart, I was wrong." I blinked back tears, the hurt of losing my brothers felt like a knife in my heart.

"We are not broken, just a bit bruised." He placed his hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We may not come out of this all in one piece, but even six is better than nothing. While I would prefer nine, I am thankful that five of you do not hate me for being one of the aliens."

"Can the Krinar help him?"

"We won't know until we know what she did to him," he frowned. "There are procedures they can do, but some of them may go to deep and destroy his mind. One of the main differences between the Krinar and humans are our brains, it is like comparing today's super computer to the first computer built. We have had over ten million years to evolve; you are newborns when compared to us."

"Kota," Luke called cheerfully as he rushed into the room and embraced me. "Protect me from the big bully."

North was close on his heels, "I saw you steal that cookie. Give it to me right now." North ordered, his face red.

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