Page 133 of Wings of Ebony
But in a small way, it means something.
Tires screech and the brown brick apartments around us glow from blue to red. A sirenwoopsand my heart jumps. A caravan of blacked-out SUVs line the perimeter of the block.
Feds.
Black-suited men and women step out, guns raised, and swarm around us. My breath catches. But for the first time in as long as I can remember, their barrels are pointed at therightperson—the puppetmaster, this racist-ass white dude.
More guns than I can count are aimed at him, and a lady in a really fancy pants suit with tan skin and dark hair offers me a card. “We should talk. You’ve done good work here.”
I lean back on my elbows at Moms’s old stoop and Julius leans back too. A lady named Keisha lives here now. I explained to her that it used to be my home and how Moms died here. She told me to come back as often as I wanted, that it was as much my home as hers.
By the time the Feds cleared out the warehouse, Julius was sweating bullets. I had told him I called in to the tip line and left clear evidence and instructions that he was working with me, but still, cops. Guns. That shit’s scary.
Julius throws an arm around my shoulder. “Yo, what the fuck just happened? You gotta catch me up on thewholestory, fam.”
I do. I really do owe him an explanation, after all this. I laugh. “You don’t realize what you’re asking.”
He pushes his lips sideways. “Am I fam or am I fam? Do I come through or do I come through?”
I nudge him with my shoulder in that way I used to do and set my head on his shoulder. “You right, you fam. You already know.”
“But foreal though, some folks ’round here wary of all this talk about magic and shit. You know I always have your back. That’s a given. But I ain’t know what to say because you ain’t really told me what’s what. So, what’s up? I’m listening.”
If I can trust no one else on this entire planet, I know I can trust Julius. He knows me like no one else and he’s as good as family. I pull the pieces of onyx from my pocket and turn them in my hands. “Okay… you asked. And it’s easier if Ishowyou instead oftellyou.”
He looks confused.
“Here goes.” I lace my fingers between his and he sucks in a breath, holding it in for a long minute, shock stamped on his face. I hold my hands tight to his as he absorbs all my memories of Ghizon and everything that just happened. His eyes dart around every which way behind his eyelids. Several moments pass. Then he gasps and I break our grip.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“Yeahhhh,”I say.
“You… I mean… and that General dude… your pops too… damn, I’m so sorry.” He brings my forehead to his. “How could you not tell me this, yo?”
“I didn’t want you at risk, that’s all. Keeping fam safe is what I do. You’re fam.”
“I’m more than fam.” He winks and rubs a thumb across my lips. It sends tingles through every part of me. But I pull away gently and put my head back on his shoulder.
“So what now?” he asks, taking the onyx from my hand. He examines it closely. “All that power can be put in this little tiny stone.”
“Wild, right?”
“Ow.”
“What?”
“Is it supposed to be warm?”
“Yeah, when it’s Bound to your skin and filled with magic, it warms when your mag—”Wait, what?“It’s warm?!”
“Yeah, it—”
My wrist buzzes and I’m up on my feet, Julius peeking over my shoulder.
Bri: They broke through the barrier.
Me: What barrier? Who?
