Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,49
we could put together on such short notice.” Harry glances at me.
“You don’t live here?” Phoenix asks.
“Oh no. We only use this building in the summer when members of our church come from all parts of the country. My brother and I have a camper parked near the lake. Your bungalows are there too. But eat before the soup gets cold.”
“It looks amazing. Thank you,” I say.
He nods happily and then points at the bench. “Sit, sit.”
I glance at Morpheus, who is looking curiously at me. He then lifts his shoulder in a boyish shrug and takes the bench seat across from where Harry pointed. I follow Morpheus’s lead, and soon we’re all seated at the table, digging into the food the curious men have prepared for us.
There’s not much talking while our mouths are busy, but soon the food is gone and our bellies are full. It’s time to get some answers.
“What exactly is the Church of the Bold and the Fearless?” I ask.
The two brothers exchange a glance, and then Harry answers, “We’re dedicated to preserving the memory of our patron, Magia Rinnegati, and fighting for justice.”
“So, you’re the Norm resistance,” Bryce says.
“I suppose we are.” Artex smiles.
“How come we’ve never heard about you until now?” I ask.
“We’ve always been extremely careful while we waited.”
“Waited for what?” Phoenix reaches for a piece of bread and sticks it in his mouth.
“For Daisy’s return.”
“I’m completely lost,” Felicity pipes up. “Why would you be waiting for her return?”
“You’re in her company and don’t know?” Harry’s bushy eyebrows shoot to the heavens.
“She hasn’t been brought up to speed yet,” Morpheus explains. “You knew Magia’s descendant would come back and regain the powers she lost?”
Both men nod. “Yes, it’s been foretold that the Unmaker would return to bring balance to the world. For hundreds of years, we’ve been preparing for war.”
I swallow the huge lump in my throat. War. I knew it was where we’re headed, but now that it’s finally happening, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to see it through. Bryce, who is sitting next to me, reaches for my hand under the table and squeezes it. Our eyes lock, and we exchange a silent message. He’s got my back.
“What do you mean, you’ve been preparing for war?” Rufio asks.
Harry narrows his eyes. “I remember you. You were on the bus headed downtown. You were going to Unearthly Desires. I hope now that you’ve found Magia’s heir, you’re on the path to enlightenment.”
Phoenix begins to laugh and ends up choking on his drink. I drop my eyes to the table, wondering what Harry and Artex would do if they knew I worked at that strip joint and that the owner is sitting right next to them.
“Yeah, Daisy set me straight,” Rufio says in a tone that’s filled with double meaning.
Jerkface. He’s only making my mortification worse.
“How many followers do you have? And are they ready to fight?” Xavier thankfully brings the conversation back on track.
“We have around one hundred followers in the Saturn’s Bay area, but our chapter in Hawk City has about four hundred. Our numbers doubled since the disaster at the mall.”
“We were there,” I say.
“We know. You were on the news. We’re ready to follow you, Daisy, and change the world.”
Shit. Follow me? I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I’m not a savior.
“No offense, but five hundred Norms won’t change anything. We’re dealing with powerful Idols, and they mean to exterminate your kind,” Rufio retorts.
“You mean our kind.” Harry pierces him with a hard stare.
Rufio’s face turns into stone. He doesn’t blink or seem to breathe. After a moment, he says, “Yes, our kind.”
“We have the Unmaker and her counterpart.” Harry glances at Bryce. “The Maker. We can’t lose.”
“How do you know about me?” Bryce asks.
“It’s been foretold. You found each other, as was meant to be.”
It seems all their explanations will boil down to “It’s been foretold.” Great.
“Wait. Do you expect Bryce to turn your followers into Idols?” I ask, fearing that’s the case.
“Oh no, child. That’s not something we take lightly. To mess with the natural order of things is against our philosophy. What I meant is that your union will bring forth the God-killer. No Idol on the planet can withstand the God-killer’s wrath.”
“What do you mean, ‘from their union’? Like Daisy will have a child with Bryce who will have superpowers?” Rosie asks, wide-eyed.
If the conversation wasn’t already getting awkward, Rosie had to open her big mouth.