A Second Chance

Ego Sum Luto

An hour passed now, Jordon was still not here. Tina sighed as she glanced at her watch and sat on the bench underneath the oak tree. The shade was refreshing. She had nothing to do even she went home now. She took a book out of her bag "Angles and demons". Jordon recommended the book was awesome, and he was right most of the time.

It took few chapters when Tina felt someone's gaze upon her. She looked up. A young boy with brown hair and grey eyes was staring at her. He wore a loose shirt and a jacket. He looked normal. Tina hardly thought he could look normal when she first saw him. He sat at the other edge of the bench. He smiled as she looked at him. "Remember me?"

"Why not? What are doing here, Jerome Cromwell?" Tina smiled at him and she closed the book.

"I just came to see you. I went to your home, you were not there, and then I came here. Why aren't you home yet?" Jerome asked her, there was not a hit of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm waiting for Jordon. He said he'd be here soon. Usually I go home with him. We wanted to meet you anyway. "

"Why is that?" his expression changed from friendliness to curiosity.

"We need to know something. I read the books you gave me, half a way. Does Lucifer has to accept anything that bible says?"

"I'm not sure, but the books I gave are not the only recourses to get information about Windrunners. There are more in the library of Aura. If you want, we can go check."

For a moment, Tina was unsure what she should do. Then she made her choice. Jordon will understand, and she is doing this all of them, including him. She took her phone out, type few words and touched the send button. Jerome was few feet ahead when she started walking. She looked back over her shoulder to make sure Jordon was still not there. If she looked again when she passed the gate of the school, she might see a boy, with red hair, racing towards her from the distance.

***

Jordon stopped to take a breath. He saw Tina leave, he ran as fast as possible to catch her. Then he was too tired. He took his phone out to call her and say wait for her. Then he saw a message was there from the person he wanted to talk.

"Jordon I'm sorry I'm going to the Aura. Jerome says I could find something about the morning star, Sorry for leaving you. Hope you won't get pissed off. "

Jordon looked up again. Tina got into the car, and then she went. He knew he missed her by minutes. He couldn't blame her but himself. She must be waiting for him for almost an hour and he was chatting with Mia and Mr. Smith until she mention Tina's name. He flashed to the gate as soon as possible, but it was too late. He got the subway and came home with a heavy heart.

Jerome Cromwell is dangerous man, or so Jordon believed or so want him to be. He came to his room, threw his bag and the jacket, and sat on the bed kicking off his shoes. He lay on his bed. He was glad no one was at home when he came.

All the memories stormed into his mind like an unstoppable flow. How Tina and him played when they were young, did their homework, face to anything that came before them, then he recalled how Jerome looked at Tina when they were at Aura. He wanted to go protect Tina from him, just get her out of there.

Then he realized for all these years, he has loved her so much, he has always mistaken it for the friendship. Even when Nathan told him he loves him, he thought it was just an attraction. Something Mia has on him. He never thought he loves her this much.

His heart was aching so much it took him a while to realize that the mark on his arm is burning. He looked at it and found it was glowing red and it felt heavy. He touched it, and felt something hard underneath his skin. Then he lifted his wrist upside down. Something hit his skin, but did not come out. Then he knew what he should do. He lowered his fingers vertically to the mark. They sank into it as if his has changed into liquid. It was warm underneath his skin, his fingers wrapped around the hard object. It was something like a cylinder and a sphere on the top. He felt something creep around his hand. Jordon pulled it out. He half expected to see his hand and the object to covered in blood, but they both were clean.

He was holding a sword. A white crystal was on top. The hilt was gold, and a snake, its head resting on the crystal, it's body slither on the entire hilt and around Jordon's hand and two angel wings, begging from the hilt, were spread across his hand as if to protect it. The blade was long and silver; Jordon was so sure it was sharp enough to cut a falling feather. There were words, letters in gold.

"Ego Sum Luto"

Jordon put on his shoes back, and send the blade where it came from and then he rose to his feet and left the room.

Now he has a reason to go to the Aura.

***

"Jerome" Jerome looked up when he heard his name. Jordon was standing in front of him.

"If you came looking for Tina, she left an hour ago" Jerome said lifting his head from the book he was reading but didn't put down his feet that was on the table. He was still at the library.

Jordon drew a chair and sat. "I didn't come looking for her, I came looking for you"

"What's so urgent? I'm positive it can wait till tomorrow." Jerome said tossing the book to the table.

"Well, I'm negative about that, that's why I'm here. I won't take much time. When I'm done you can do your homework again."

"Why? Is the sky falling down?"

"No. the hell is rising."

"What?" Jerome dropped his feet from the table. "What do you mean?"

Jordon gave him a sarcastic smile. "Would you like a demonstration?" Jordon drew the sward from his skin.

"Dear God" Jerome stretched his arm to take the sward from Jordon's hands. When the sward shifted from Jordon's hands to Jerome's hands, the wings went back to the hilt, but the snake remained.

"Did you see the words?" Jerome inquired examining the blade.

"Yes. Ego sum luto"

"There's more. 'Ego Sum Luto. In tenebris lucet me'. 'I am clay. The darkness lights me up,'" Jerome read aloud.

Jordon sighed. "What I wanted to know is can you train me to use it?" Jordon asked impatiently.

"I don't think I can train how to use such a weapon. You have to figure it out on your own, but I can give you someone to train you to use weapons."

"Okay then." Jordon rise to his feet, and put the sward back. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow morning. At 6. Your friend can join you."

"Which friend exactly?"

"Nathan Ray."

Jordon raised his eyebrows but said nothing. As he went out, Jerome took the book back and started reading it again.