Orchid

We Meet An Unexpected Guest

Soon enough(and longer than five minutes), a cobalt-blue car pulls in the alley. Lucy breathes gratefully as she opens the door and slams herself in. I let myself in and close the door behind me.

Zetah and Aly are sitting in the front, Aly driving. "My bro was asleep, so I took the car myself," Aly explains. "I know how to drive this thing, don't worry," she says, winking at me. "Now, when are you going to drop and give me 20?"

"Later," I say, as Zetah bursts into laughter and nudges Aly as we pull out. By the way, you should have connected it already. Amphitrite is Zetah's mom. Zetah cranks up the radio and P!NK's "Just Give Me a Reason" comes on. 

I sit snug next to my sister, who's squeezed up in one seat with Jason. "Hey, sis. Hey, Jason."

Jason doesn't reply and Arya smiles widely. "Hey, sis." She grasps my arm. "Ross, Mom, and Dad are worried sick. I slipped out and said I was going to try to find you." She winks. "Which is a lie in itself."

I notice that her eyes are slanted. "Arya, why do you look like a cat?"

"Relax," she says and lets out a throaty laugh. "It's part of the magic. I accidentally looked a cat too long and my intent went out a little...unexpectedly. So now a half of me is a cat, and the cat is half-human." She reaches at a bundle at her feet. "This is Kaitlyn. Say hi to Kaitlyn."

Kaitlyn is a little white ball of fur. A young kitten. As she lifts her head, I see that her eyes are not slanted and are round.

Creepy, I think to myself. The last thing I want to do is hurt Arya's pride. And that could turn out pretty nasty. And I want to avoid pretty nasty.

"Hey, Orchid," Jason says softly, but he doesn't look at me.

I try to make him link eye contact with me. "Jason, I'm so sorry. You were right about Xander."

"You would have been damaged less if you had just listened to me." His jaw is clenched and rigid and his voice is hoarse.

"I won't dismiss your advice anymore." I try again. "You're the one my heart beats for. Xander was an an assasin. You are the knight in shining armor."

The tightness of his jaw loosens, but he remains strong. He continues gazing away.

As we drive(I don't know where the heck we're going) when the world blasts. Trees are uprooted, debris flies around, and the car is blown.

"What the hell is happening?" Arya screams. Her face pales. I keep squinting at her, I can't get used to the cat eyes. 

 And then, Mr. Assassin swings in, effectively smashing the window. I don't understand how he can live after crashing like that and not breaking his skull. There's a faint wound on where he crashed in, but it's not too serious. "Missed me?"

  "Yeah, we really did," I say, because two can play this game.

  He grins in his cocky style, his not-so-little weapon in his left hand. "I missed you too. Though you interrupted my date. But then again, ain't I handsome?" He's nested in a safe position as he brings himself up to the top of the car, where Aly unfortunately left open. He can attack us, but we can't reach him. "Speaking of dates, hey, Lucy. Did you enjoy your McChicken?"

 "I loved it." Lucy's voice drips with utter sarcasm as she fakes a coy and shy blink at him.

 "Glad to know that." Xander shoots at the sky. I flinch. I've got to keep this thanatophobia down. "Because I didn't like my McChicken. Maybe I'll take you out next time, Z, and we'll eat at Popeyes. What do you say?"

 Zetah swallows as the gun is trained on her. "Uh....sure. Tomorrow at five o'clock?"

 "Unluckily, my boss told me you and your pack of friends's lives will end before that?" Xander checks a flashy gold watch I don't remember seeing on his wrist before. He taps it. "You're scheduled to die at four o'clock in the morning. It's three fifty-one. Ah, four. One of my favorite numbers. Four, an ancient curse number. Yes, that's the perfect time for you. Orchid is scheduled for a public execution, though, in Vidalia in front of the whole land." He slaps his side, laughing as tears of joy run down his face. "Oh, what the irony! The people's villain kills the people's so-fated hero." His brow creases. "Don't worry. The bombs will deal with the others. But you, my pretty girl..." He swipes a hand across Zetah's chin. "You will die quickly. I will spare you the agony of the feeling of your body being ripped apart."

 "Ok, thanks...."

 "Oh, Arya." Arya's slanted eyes flick to Xander. "My mistress wants you alive."

 "Why me?" she bursts out. "Why not Aly or Jason or the others?"

 "'Cause," Xander says. "She wants the whole world to see that the hero's sister is serving her without dissent."

 "Without dissent?" Arya raises her fist. "I'll give your bitch mistress dissent, all right?"

 Xander checks his watch. "Oh dear. It's 3:59. Say your last words and be done with it." He positions his gun, pointing it straight at Zetah's heart. Zetah braces herself, jutting her chin out and staring him up defiantly, scowling.

 "Or not. Watch out. This is going to hurt." A cool, melodic voice filled with beauty and natural joy speaks.

 Xander looks up in horror, apparently recognizing the voice. He pulls the trigger to try to deal Zetah a fatal wound before he pulled up sky-high with the car. He flaps around for a while as a pair of soft, gentle hands pulls him and slams him to the ground. I recognize the stars that fly across my vision. We're being transported to Vidalia. I try blocking out the stars until they're gone and I find myself sprawled on the cake table again. Except Aly is the unlucky one. She has her face buried in a chocolate-rose cake. Muttering something incomprehensible, she lifts her face and it's covered with frosting.

 "Oh, no! Mother will be mad! That was a special cake!"

  I get up and find myself looking in Zuzuni's eyes. "Sorry. Faulty transporting again."

 Zuzuni shakes his head, mutters something, and goes to clean up and scrubbing Aly out. Groaning, Aly shakes her head. "Drop and gimme 20," she says.

 I do as she says and drop so hard to the tiled floor that my chin brushes it. After I'm done, she gives me a thumbs-up. "Good job."

 Airilia's thundering voice rings down the hall. "That little beast attacked again?"

 "Yep. Zetah...she's in a really bad condition. She might recover in two or three days." I recognize Arya's voice. Arya is a born doctor. She can detect a little cough and say if it's attention-worthy or not.

 Aly pulls at my arm. "C'mon!"

 Wincing, I let her pull me. Pull me until we reach Airilia, Hero, Arya, Lucy, Zetah, an unfamiliar woman, and Jason. Zetah's lying on a couch, her jaw wrapped up. "Hey," she says weakly.

 "Hey. Glad to see you're alive. Where did he hit you?"

 "Right side of the jaw. Really close to my neck. It's a miracle I'm alive. Shira fixed me up pretty good."

 "Shira?" I assume it's the woman. A jolt flashes through me as I remember the dream. It's the yang woman.

 Shira looks at me, startled to see me. She has very pretty eyes and beautiful hair. The same colors as me.

 In fact, she looks exactly like me except for the height and the age.

 Mr. Burke was definitely right.

 History does repeat itself.