Chapter IX
*****
Angeles, answer me,
are you near if rain should fall?
Am I to believe
you will rise to calm the storm?
For so great a treasure words will never do.
Surely, if this is, promises are mine to give you.
mine to give...
Angeles, by Enya
*****
An office. Dot's primary surroundings. As usual, the Command.com was surrounded by several vidwindows, displaying various charts, graphs, and statistics. Her desk was cluttered with numerous papers and read-me files.
There was a soft knock at her office door. Bob's voice came through the door. "Can I come in?"
"Mm-mm."
He walked in and kissed her the head. "Can we talk for a nano?"
"Mm-mm."
"Dot!"
"What?!"
"I need to talk to you."
Dot looked up from her work and finally looked into his face. Something's wrong... She took off her glasses. "Bob, what is it? Did something happen to Kyle?"
I can't tell her about Enzo... not yet. Bob sat on her desk, gripping her hand reassuringly. "No, no. Kyle's just fine. It's something he wants to do."
She sighed and rested head on her fist. "He wants to play in the games, doesn't he?" A look of surprise crossed Bob's face. "How do you always know these things?" Dot smiled. "I just know." Her expression became stern again as she contemplated the situation.
"Look, I'll think about it for awhile, okay?"
Bob smiled. "Sure." He glanced around her office. "If you ever find time to think."
Dot stood up and pecked Bob on the cheek. "Come on, I need to get back to work." She pulled him off her desk and began to push him toward the door.
Bob stopped at the doorway. "There is something else I need to tell you." She wrapped an arm around his. "Yes?"
"Enzo... 'little' Enzo... was hurt in the last game."
Dot inhaled sharply. "How bad?"
The Guardian sighed heavily. "Enzo took a hard blow to the head, and suffered a concussion." Bob leaned against the door frame. "He was still off-line when we left the infirmary."
The Command.com leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sure Enzo will be fine. He will be okay, right?" She looked up at Bob, concern filling her bright violet eyes.
I can't lie to her; and she knows it. He hugged Dot. "I honestly don't know."
*****
Water. Dark. Pulling him down. The darkness... the cold... closing in... Falling. Morgan so far above... The dim silence. Can't breathe...
"Enzo."
The sound of him name being spoken seemed to draw him out of his coma-like dream.
A warm, and much smaller hand interlocked its fingers in his. Enzo's eyes flickered open. At first, all he saw was a exquisite smiling face, light framing it. He blinked, and as his sight cleared, he saw Morgan sitting at his side. That angelic vision wasn't real... Or was it?
"Oh, my User. I thought maybe you weren't going to wake up." Morgan sighed with relief as she leaned back in her chair.
Enzo squeezed her hand and grinned. "Didn't want to disappoint you."
He noticed her pale complexion. "Are you all right? You look worn out."
Morgan shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'm just a little weak." She smiled reassuringly.
Enzo gingerly reached up and winced as he felt the side of his head. "Don't do that!," Morgan said, pulling his hand back. "You'll only make it worse."
"I don't seem to be able to remember much from the game," Enzo said. "Probably because of this." He pointed the thick bandage around his head. "So what happened?"
Morgan swallowed as she rubbed his hand. Why it so hard for me to tell him? "Well, you set off a trap devised by the user."
"Yeah, I remember that. Go on."
She blinked back tears. "Then you fell into the pit. I got you out. You... weren't breathing." Morgan choked back a sob. "Oh, Enzo, I thought you were dead!" She laid her head on his chest, quietly weeping.
He caressed her hair. "I was dead, wasn't I?"
The young woman nodded. "I brought you back." She felt the warmth of his touch as he took her chin in his hand. Enzo spoke softly. "I don't how you did it. But I owe you my life."
Morgan shook her head. "No... we're even."
Enzo looked into her eyes. As he watched, they shifted from dark blue to sapphire. "Even if we are, I'd still give anything for you."
He leaned his face toward hers. Morgan closed her eyes. Their lips touched, and Enzo pulled her closer into an intimate embrace.
*****
Phong tapped on the door to Morgan's room. "Are you awake, my child?," he asked softly. Opening the door all the way, he saw an empty room. Has she left us already? He scooted down the infirmary hall to Enzo's room.
Phong opened the door slightly and peeked inside.
Morgan sat in a chair next to Enzo's bed. She lay across his chest, breathing softly. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders. His other hand gripped one of hers.
Smiling knowingly, the ancient sprite carefully closed the door and rolled off to tell the others of the patients' recovery.
*****
"Enzo, I'm so glad you're all right!"
AndrAIa hugged him tight. A little too tightly.
"Uh, Andy, maybe you should relax your grip a little," Matrix said. "I think you're hurting him."
"Oh, sorry." She released Enzo and sat back in the chair next to the bed. Matrix stood behind her, leaning on the chair.
Enzo smiled. "It's fine."
"We're just so glad you're okay," AndrAIa said. She finally noticed Morgan, who had standing uncomfortably by the window across the room, looking out.
"Morgan, there you are."
She turned around from where she had been leaning against the windowsill as AndrAIa got up and walked over.
"Bob told us what happened." Morgan started to speak up, but AndrAIa interrupted her. "We know what you are, but you don't have to explain to us about it, now or ever. All I want is to thank you for saving Enzo." She hugged the younger woman.
Morgan looked greatly surprised, but she smiled and hugged AndrAIa back.
*****
He faced a blank vidwindow as his new employer spoke. The Council sat in regal silence behind him, watching, waiting.
"Are you fully prepared, Arren?"
"Yes, my lord."
"You know what you are to do?"
"Yes, my lord," Arren answered wearily. He was tired of being so... so courteous. I'll be glad when I'm out of here.
The speaker's voice grew colder, if that was possible. "Do not fail me, my dear boy, or will regret it dreadfully."
Arren bowed low, in the respective etiquette that was required of him. As he bent back up, one of the Guild Advisors made a slight movement, tapping a button.
A bright light became the center of attention, as it grew bigger and expanded into a large circle and a humming noise filled the air. A breeze began to flutter the robes of the Guild Advisors.
With a nod to the Council, Arren stepped through the portal. It quickly closed behind him. Silence occupied the conference room once more.