***
Myriah put her fork down slowly. Hearing Angalos stories made her cringe.
'Who, in their right mind would want to know such things?' She internally chastised herself, 'To think that I called such a man father... that someone like that raised me...am I capable of…' she shook the thought away and decided to focus on the upcoming mission:
"...so we're here To save that boy and his family?" Myriah voiced her question. Axel shook his head, "We're only here for the boy..."
"You mean-
"From what I could gather on him, he was in foster care as a newborn and adopted as a toddler. No real medical history, He's an athletic star since elementary school and is currently the first freshman quarterback in his schools history. He's a junior and his school is a three time state wide champ."
Atoli rattled off as she took a sip of her coffee. Myriahs lips formed an 'O'.
"How can you tell that he's-" she paused, what were they? Sure they were people. She briefly recalled the solider and the staff calling her a Nillie… but…
'Mommy says that's a bad word… good people shouldn't say bad words.'- the little girls eerie words echoed in Myriahs head. Myriah blinked and decided to try again;
"Does his family-" she tried, but she couldn't finish the sentence. 'How do I…' "We've been watching Tyler since he went into the system." Axel explained, "we have always kept track of our people, despite the task becoming taxing since the war, we also have a general feel for when we're around people like us." He murmured, at which Myriah nodded, "what are we?" She asked meekly, "we are people." Angalo murmured in somber tones. "We may not be completely mortal but we are human." Myriah nodded, "and- why don't-"
"We don't know and we shouldn't risk them finding out if they don't." Axel murmured.
"But-"
"Myriah." Axel put a gentle hand over her clenched ones, "You were just in a facility." He murmured with a gentle squeeze of her hand, "Tell me... how many mortals were in there?"
'Most of them are in there for hiding people like us.'
"A lot of us hid our children in the system. Many new mothers left freshly born babies at doorsteps in hopes of keeping them safe." Angalo murmured, "One of Alexander's victims revealed that fact indirectly right before her death." The elder brother continued, "and it's been a one sided race ever since." The thought made Myriah want to curl into herself but Axels hand was on hers, steady and strong. Axels stern expression softened as he placed his free hand on Myriahs shoulder. "When the child laws of the US changed, many of those abandoned babies ended up adopted into childless families where they were cherished. One day a mortal rushed her child to the hospital, they had an unusually high fever." Angalo murmured as he rented his fingers under his nose. "The child ended up burning out from the change-"
"Burning out?" Myriah asked with new alarm, "sometimes the magic is too great on the body… without the closeness of ones mother and the attention of a healer, children with diluted blood often die during the change." Myriahs eyes were wide, 'they can die? … like that boy…' she shivered at the memory of his ashes. "at the end of the day… we try to get the child before the change happens so we can tend to them during… if Tyler's family doesn't know, there's a chance they could be safe, if we get Tyler before they learn of his heritage."
"But that's-" Myriah couldn't wrap her head around kidnapping a boy who was going to need his mothers comfort when the fever gets to him.
"Alexander Whitman will see anyone who gets in his way tortured and killed to have that boy to experiment on." Angalo murmured again as Axels metallic eyes burned into Myriahs, "I'm sure you're well aware: A mother will protect her child, blood or not," Axel murmured, "so you will also know that it's better to have a home for that boy to come back to one day in the future."
"Hope is paralyzing..." Myriah mumbled.
"Hope is only paralyzing if you allow it to be."Axel countered, "Hope can be powerful too. It can drive one to be stronger, better, faster. It can help one to survive."
Angalo watched Axel being patient with Myriah, assuring her... Axel was only ever tender with Atoli..
They fell into another silence, this one more uncomfortable when Myriah spoke up again: "I want to help..." She whispered.
Axel shook his head. "Take some time and think about this-" "What is there to think about, Axel?" Myriah snapped. She tried to pull her hand from Axels but his grip was as firm as it was gentle. Lavender burned into silver and a silent battle of wills began. "I called him father... and he's been murdering and condoning the torment of thousands of innocent people. How can I, in good conscience, sit by and do nothing?"
Axel's eyes softened, he ignored the shock that rushed through his body, as the hand on her shoulder joined his left, holding Myriahs shaking hands.
"Come to terms with who and what you are...before you make a decision like this..." Axel murmured in somber tones. Myriah scoffed.
"I don't even know who I am anymore." She muttered, her negativity getting the better of her, "My whole life until now has been a lie…"
The sadness started to be replaced by anger, "After he locked me away the first time, he tried to play the doting father again…" Myriah whispered as the anger continued to spread, like an infection, this dark and heavy feeling started to eat away at her again.
"And I…" she paused as tears filled her eyes, "he just watched…"
"And you think to kill him is going to make it better?"
Axel asked darkly. "You think… that to go against your very nature is the answer to your loss and pain?" His cold words were like ice water to her burning temperament. It was enough to completely freeze her. "Parents don't tell you who you are, Myriah." Her eyes darted from his. 'Why tell me that?!' Myriah wondered as she watched Axels eyes grow cold, daring her to keep fighting reason.
Angalo and Atoli looked at the duo across from them as the air around them shifted. "Looks like we're in for another round." Atoli nodded, "my money is on Myriah." Angalo raised an eyebrow, "perhaps. But I'm with Axel on this one." He murmured as he watched Myriahs aura shift from light to dark and back. Part of him saw his little brother in his early years….
Myriah felt adrenaline hum through her body. 'Why make me wonder?'
She watched the silver in his eyes darken.
Axels aura went from gentle to commanding.
Myriah felt herself rise to the challenge.
'You rescue me and now you think you own me? I think the f$!k not.'