acknowledged. “I wonder how long it will take.”
“I don’t know, but in the brief time we weren’t together with you, we ran into some pretty crazy things.”
“Like what?” Arie was completely intrigued, and things seemed as if nothing had ever happened.
“Well, when coming off Mt. Rainier, we tracked down a training camp that is up and running,” I said.
“Did you check it out?” Arie certainly didn’t lose her fire during this process.
“Sure did. Guess who’s running it?” My voice probably gave away the answer instantly.
“Lilith? No way! Did you confront her?”
“No, but we sent her a message. Also, we followed some of the minions, and they actually vanished under a pile of boulders. Our guess is they went into some sort of underground tunnel system or something.”
“Wow! That’s incredible,” she sighed. “I’m out for a few days, and I miss all the big stuff.”
“Not really. I’d say having you get taken down and coming back to us is pretty big. I can’t get over that this worked!” I exclaimed. “Do you know what this could do for all the families that can master this? It could change the complexion of the war and our future.”
“Let’s hope.” She pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen in her face.
“I have to admit, that it’s really startling to not have your bright green eyes looking back at me.” My eyebrows went up in distaste.
My phone buzzed, and I reached for it.
ATHEN flashed on my phone’s screen.
“Oh, yay!” I exclaimed. “I’m not going to do what you did to me. I’ll tell you that much!”
Grinning she grabbed my phone away from me and touched the screen.
“Hey, brother!” she squealed into the speaker.
“Oh, my God, Arie. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that recognition in your voice.” His words were signaling everything that I felt.
“Is Cyril around?” she asked him.
“No, the poor guy. He went down to the beach. We’re still up in Bellingham. This last family shook him to the core. I think the gal reminded him of you. She had the same coloring from the pictures, anyway. How the heck are we gonna know when enough of these incidents will resonate with him? I feel like the biggest louse in the world leading him on like this. Hearing your voice is awesome, but it only rubs in what we are doing to Cyril,” Athen finished.
“I don’t think it’s going to be long. It sounds like the families you managed to find are ringing true with him. I’m gonna get to work right away with Ana on some of the next steps. My hope is some of the things we come up with will influence Cyril quickly.” Arie did her best to sound like her old self, but I could tell she was exhausted. I think Athen picked up on it too.
“Okay, I’m going to go get Cy. Sis, it’s great to hear your voice.”
“Thanks. I might not let Ana come back home, by the way. It’s a bit lonely.” Arie laughed, as Matilda plopped herself down by the couch.
“Hey, I had to last for fifty years, missy! I think you can handle this,” I piped in. “I’ll see ya soon, Athen! I love you!” I yelled into the speaker.
“Love you too, hun and you, too, Arie. So glad this worked. It gives me hope for the battles ahead.”
“I know!” I exclaimed. “We were just talking about that.”
“Oh, I see Cyril making his way up here. See ya soon,” Athen’s voice trailed off. I took the phone back and slipped it in my purse.
“It’s good to hear his voice,” Arie exhaled. I realized she must’ve taken a deep breath in and never let it out while she was talking on the phone.
“Do you mind if I ask how you got this whole process started?” My voice was barely audible even for me to hear.
Her eyes darted over to me in a flash. I worried I’d brought something up I shouldn’t have, but her smile began to resurface. Her eyes had a distance, though.
“If you don’t want to talk about it. I understand.” I fumbled for my words.
“No, it’s
“I don’t know, but in the brief time we weren’t together with you, we ran into some pretty crazy things.”
“Like what?” Arie was completely intrigued, and things seemed as if nothing had ever happened.
“Well, when coming off Mt. Rainier, we tracked down a training camp that is up and running,” I said.
“Did you check it out?” Arie certainly didn’t lose her fire during this process.
“Sure did. Guess who’s running it?” My voice probably gave away the answer instantly.
“Lilith? No way! Did you confront her?”
“No, but we sent her a message. Also, we followed some of the minions, and they actually vanished under a pile of boulders. Our guess is they went into some sort of underground tunnel system or something.”
“Wow! That’s incredible,” she sighed. “I’m out for a few days, and I miss all the big stuff.”
“Not really. I’d say having you get taken down and coming back to us is pretty big. I can’t get over that this worked!” I exclaimed. “Do you know what this could do for all the families that can master this? It could change the complexion of the war and our future.”
“Let’s hope.” She pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen in her face.
“I have to admit, that it’s really startling to not have your bright green eyes looking back at me.” My eyebrows went up in distaste.
My phone buzzed, and I reached for it.
ATHEN flashed on my phone’s screen.
“Oh, yay!” I exclaimed. “I’m not going to do what you did to me. I’ll tell you that much!”
Grinning she grabbed my phone away from me and touched the screen.
“Hey, brother!” she squealed into the speaker.
“Oh, my God, Arie. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that recognition in your voice.” His words were signaling everything that I felt.
“Is Cyril around?” she asked him.
“No, the poor guy. He went down to the beach. We’re still up in Bellingham. This last family shook him to the core. I think the gal reminded him of you. She had the same coloring from the pictures, anyway. How the heck are we gonna know when enough of these incidents will resonate with him? I feel like the biggest louse in the world leading him on like this. Hearing your voice is awesome, but it only rubs in what we are doing to Cyril,” Athen finished.
“I don’t think it’s going to be long. It sounds like the families you managed to find are ringing true with him. I’m gonna get to work right away with Ana on some of the next steps. My hope is some of the things we come up with will influence Cyril quickly.” Arie did her best to sound like her old self, but I could tell she was exhausted. I think Athen picked up on it too.
“Okay, I’m going to go get Cy. Sis, it’s great to hear your voice.”
“Thanks. I might not let Ana come back home, by the way. It’s a bit lonely.” Arie laughed, as Matilda plopped herself down by the couch.
“Hey, I had to last for fifty years, missy! I think you can handle this,” I piped in. “I’ll see ya soon, Athen! I love you!” I yelled into the speaker.
“Love you too, hun and you, too, Arie. So glad this worked. It gives me hope for the battles ahead.”
“I know!” I exclaimed. “We were just talking about that.”
“Oh, I see Cyril making his way up here. See ya soon,” Athen’s voice trailed off. I took the phone back and slipped it in my purse.
“It’s good to hear his voice,” Arie exhaled. I realized she must’ve taken a deep breath in and never let it out while she was talking on the phone.
“Do you mind if I ask how you got this whole process started?” My voice was barely audible even for me to hear.
Her eyes darted over to me in a flash. I worried I’d brought something up I shouldn’t have, but her smile began to resurface. Her eyes had a distance, though.
“If you don’t want to talk about it. I understand.” I fumbled for my words.
“No, it’s
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