Marker of Hope (34 page)

As I rocked my sleeping daughter in my arms
and paced, I tried to memorize the features of her face. In six
nights, I’d have to leave Faith, not knowing if I’d see her again.
Or Claire. My heart ached. I closed my eyes and forced the tears
back. I’d spend the next six days crying if I allowed myself to
break down today.

By sundown, my army would learn about what
lay ahead—a war with not one, but two powerful adversaries. Would
they stay to carry on with a dubious and perilous plan of attack?
I’d know in a few minutes. Until then, I’d pace to remain calm and
block the chatter coming from the seventeen other people occupying
the room. Was it necessary for all of us to be in the same room to
watch this video? So much tempting flesh in one room.

“Do you want me to hold her for a while?”
Claire asked.

“I’m okay, Mom. But thanks.”

Claire set down her tea on one of the side
tables in the living room. “Isis, honey, come sit down. You’ve been
pacing for an hour.”

“I know. I’m nervous for the reaction the
warriors will have after they watch the video.”

“Just nervous? Because, to be honest, I’m
scared to death of what’s been happening.”

“Really?” I stopped pacing to look at her.
“You sure put up a good front.”

“Like mother, like daughter,” she said.
“Although, I’m reaching my breaking point. I can feel it.” Her
voice caught in her throat. “The closer it gets to the day…” She
breathed in a ragged breath, but quickly composed herself. “Samuel
tries to assure me you’ll be fine. I watched you train because he
suggested I see for myself how strong and able you are of taking
care of yourself.”

“And—are you convinced?”

“Sort of.” She shrugged. “Mostly, yes, but it
doesn’t make me any less afraid for you.”

“I know. And knowing you, I still can’t
figure out why you haven’t locked me up in a bomb shelter,” I
teased. “Called in your cop friends.”

“I’m not in charge of your life anymore.”
Claire lifted one of Faith’s hands and kissed it. “And I’m not that
type of overprotecting mother, am I? You know what? Don’t answer
that.”

I smiled because she was exactly the
type.

“You know,” I said, “I never could understand
why you got so crazy over things I thought were trivial, like when
I didn’t wear a jacket on a cool day, or when I slept too much or
not enough. I figured you were overly dramatic.” I glanced down at
Faith as she yawned, and then back at Claire. “But I get it now. I
understand the impulse to protect your child from anyone or
anything that could be a potential harm. I guess what I’m trying to
say is I’m sorry for putting you through this hell, Mom.”

“Honey…” Claire hugged me, careful not to
crush Faith who was sleeping in my arms. “Don’t apologize for being
my daughter, silly. You’re the best thing to ever happen to
me.”

I kissed the side of her head. “I love you,
Mom.”

“Ditto, kid.”

A tap on the shoulder prompted me to turn
around. Onarit handed Claire and me each a pair of earphones. David
left Gemini’s—Eryx and Galen—side by the bay window and joined
Claire and me. He plugged the earphones into my phone and helped
secure the buds into my ears. As I looked around the room, I saw
every eye was glued to the lit screen of a phone. Claire rubbed my
arm reassuringly before turning to focus on her own phone.

Frederick raised five fingers in the air,
indicating the seconds until transmission began. He signaled at
Cezario and Galilea with four fingers. They nodded, letting him
know their invisible and camouflage blocks were activated. Cezario
was in charge of concealing the squadrons who’d moved closer to the
house for this occasion, while Galilea focused on the people in the
room. Frederick continued the countdown with three fingers, then
two, and then there I was on my phone’s screen, red and blotchy,
hair matted to my forehead, holding a sword. I almost looked
menacing, and…

My. Gawd! My boobs
are
ginormous.

“Warriors,” I said a few seconds after the
video rolled. “I apologize for not reaching out to you sooner.
Under other circumstances, I would’ve addressed you in person, but
complications have arisen, and this video is the best I can do.

“I’ll be short and to the point. In six days,
we’ll be up against not only a deity army, but a Turpis one as
well. I’m not going to stand here and lie to you. We’re
significantly outnumbered. Should we go against both enemy armies
at the same time, we stand no chance. However, we’ve planned a
course of action to better our odds, and I feel confident we will
succeed.

“I know some, if not all, of you question my
validity as a leader. And if you do, you shouldn’t be here. I have
no need for cynics in my army. To those of you who trust in me, are
willing to tread forward and do battle alongside me, it’s you I
need. Because I know you feel the urgency to save the lives of the
people of this world as well as your own. Because I know you live
on the hope of seeing a better tomorrow, unlike the skeptics who
have nothing to live for today. I would rather die with hope, than
to live without any hope at all. So if you’re uncertain about
fighting this war, I tell you again—there is no room for you in
this army. Your chance to leave is now. If you should decide to
fight for your future, know that I value your bravery and loyalty.
Expect further instructions from First Commander Frederick in the
days to come.” The Isis on film lifted a fist in the air as
Frederick had instructed me to do from behind the camera, and the
video ended.

The room remained quiet as I lifted my head
to numerous eyes staring in my direction. The silence was broken by
the sound of Frederick’s vibrating phone. He scanned the text
message and signaled me to follow him to the window. I pulled on
David’s arm so he’d come as well. Frederick dragged the curtain
across the rod from one side, and Pluto helped with the other.
Golden beams of sun poured in through the window. With Faith in my
arms and David by my side, I stepped forward and viewed the
spectacle outside the window. Rows and rows of warriors lined the
front lawn of the house and the edges of the lake. The setting sun
behind the warriors’ bodies created the illusion of an aura around
each of them. Chrosis and Zedin stood in the first line, and then I
saw Ayrie and Onarit walking in front of them, forming a new row. I
hadn’t heard them leave. Just then, Cezario, Vasilika, Pluto, and
Persia walked into formation, joining Onarit and Ayrie. I looked
back to ask Frederick what was happening, but he was gone. David,
Claire, Faith, the Doctors Gunn, and I were the only ones left in
the room. I glanced back to the window, and there was Frederick,
along with David’s family, Samuel, and Galilea standing in the
first row. The multitudes of warriors stood stiff as statues, and
then, row by row, they began to fall to one knee and raise a fist
in the air.

“What are they doing?” I asked David.

“Pledging their allegiance to you.”

CHAPTER 38

Claire sat in a corner of the formerly
enclosed patio, now provisional gym, while Frederick went over
last-minute details with all of us. Claire had been crying for half
the evening. She’d warned me she was nearing her breaking point,
and she’d finally reached it today. On D-day. I was on the verge of
tears myself from watching her agonize as each hour passed. I’d
been keeping my own tears in for her sake. I couldn’t afford to
break down. Not now. I wanted to maintain focus on Frederick’s
words, but it was getting difficult to do so knowing I was causing
Claire’s pain.

“Are we clear on this, madam?” Frederick
asked. I nodded. “Everyone?” Muddled words of agreement responded
to his question. “We’re set, then.”

“We’re done?” I asked Frederick. “Because I
need to go to talk my mom before we leave.”

“Go ahead. But keep in mind, we’re set to go
in an hour, and you still need to gear up, so…”

“Yeah. I won’t take long,” I said over my
shoulder. I kneeled next to Claire and hugged her. “Mom, please…
You’ve been crying for hours. I can’t leave you like this. I need
you to pull yourself together. Otherwise, I…” I breathed. “Faith
needs you. She needs you to look after her while I’m gone.”

“I know, but…” Claire sniffed. She pulled
away from me and grabbed my arms. “Isis, I don’t want you to do
this.” She cupped my face. “I’m begging you. Don’t do this, honey.
What if you…? I can’t even say it.”

“Listen to me.” I took her hands. “You were
the one who taught me to be strong against all odds. You taught me
family comes before everything else. I owe who I am to you. And I
know if you were in my shoes and the one person capable of saving
your family, you would do whatever was in your power to ensure our
well-being.”

“That’s how you see me?” she asked.

“Yes.” I squeezed her hands. “Mom, you’re my
hero. You always have been.”

“Why did I have to be such an awesome role
model?” she wailed.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But you make it hard
for me to fill your shoes.” Claire hiccupped and hugged me tight. I
let her cry into my hair for a few minutes, restricting my own
tears from falling. From the corner of my eye, I saw Samuel and
Ayrie at the door. I knew it was time for me to go. “I need to go
get my armor on. It’s almost time for us to head out.”

“I know.” She sniffed. “Before you go, I want
you to know I’m proud of you, and of the woman you’ve become.”

“Ditto, kid,” I said. She smiled at me. I
walked to the door where Samuel stood. “Your orders have changed.
You won’t be coming with us to battle tonight.”

Samuel blinked and turned to Ayrie. “Why
doesn’t Frederick want me to come?”

“I give the orders, not Frederick,” I said to
him. “I want you to stay with my mom. With the exception of me, I
don’t know anyone else who can protect and comfort her as well as
you.”

Samuel parted his lips to say something, but
I walked away before he had the chance to do so. Giving my
biological father orders felt strange. Sure, I held wee bit
resentment toward him, but he was still my father, and he had—since
he’d arrived here—kept his promise and stayed to help with whatever
he could. The fact Claire and he might be kicking it old school
bothered me. But who else did I know who looked at Claire like
they’d jump in front of a sword for her?

***

Battle gear lay on the bed. Among it were
pieces I’d never seen before. I picked up a long, oval-shaped
object. While I studied it, David came in the room, dressed in an
outfit resembling the attire of the hero in a post-apocalyptic
movie I saw once. He wore a sleeveless, tarnished-gold and silver
breastplate. It was the exact shape of his carved torso. One of his
arms was covered in a sleeve of curved silver panels, while the
other exposed his well-defined biceps. His wrists were covered with
a thick leather band with silver spikes. From the bottom of the
breastplate, panels of leather fell over his hips. His knees were
covered in the same large, silvery sheets as his arm. The leather
pants David wore were tighter than the jeans I was used to seeing
him in. Come to think of it, aside from a post-apocalyptic warrior,
he could also pass for an exotic male dancer.

“Hot damn,” I said, eyeing him. “I don’t know
if I should pull out my sword to attack or throw dollar bills at
you.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” I raised the object I held in
my hand so he could view it. “I need help.”

After David explained how to wear each
new-to-me battle garb, I took the outfit to the bathroom to dress.
My attire consisted of tight leather pants like David’s, the
upper-body armor Galilea had given me for Christmas, and additional
armor: a thick metal plate that hung around my neck and over the
center of my chest, a metal, gold and black shoulder harness, which
covered my full right arm, an oval-shaped leather piece sheltered
my back, a leg-and-hip weapons harness—packed and ready—and
knee-high boots. The only piece missing was the shield, which I’d
left on the bed. I slicked my hair back in a ponytail and took a
breath. This was it. It was happening. There was no turning
back.

David knocked on the bathroom door. “Isis,
it’s time.”

I walked into the room, and David scanned
me.

“I feel like I’m about to be sick,” I
said.

“So do I. I don’t want you out there alone.”
He pulled me close to him and lifted my chin with one finger. “You
remember your promise to me. Don’t hold back. Hit them with all
you’ve got hidden inside.”

“Yes.” I nodded. I hugged him tight. My voice
broke when I said, “I’m scared, David.”

“Every hero is scared. That’s what being
brave is about—confronting fear.” He pulled away from me, and I saw
his eyes redden. “My love, how I wish I could take your place.”

“Don’t…” I took in a ragged breath. “Don’t do
that. Don’t cry. I’m trying really hard to keep it together.
Falling apart at this point…”

He wiped my cheek with his fingers and showed
me the moisture on them. “I’m not the one crying.”

“I’m sorry.” I sniffed.

“Don’t be.” He sucked in a long, hard breath.
“I need you to promise me one more thing.” I waited for his
request. “Stay alive.”

“And you promise me the same.”

David nodded. He closed the gap between us.
Our lips met in a tender and sweet, yet pained kiss.

“You’re crying,” I said, breaking away from
his lips.

“I’m not.” He wiped his eyes with the back of
his hand. “Time to go.” He took my hand. Then, all of a sudden, it
was as if time moved faster.

We walked out of the bedroom.

Down the stairs.

Into the living room.

I reassured Claire.

Kissed Faith’s head.

Hugged David one last time.

Nodded at Frederick.

Walked out the back door and headed for
war.