Will collapsed onto his bed with a sigh, a sound that was both exhausted and exasperated. No sooner had he done so than there was a knock on the open door. Glancing up, he saw Charlisa framed in the doorway. For the first time in memory, he wasn’t exactly overjoyed to see her. Her surprise arrival at her father’s side, not to mention the slew of new information that had been thrown at him, had done more than confuse him. His entire view of the Nexus and the world they lived in had been flipped, and now he wasn’t sure what to believe.

“Hi,” she said, her voice soft and a little hesitant. “Are you angry at me?”

He took a moment to think. Then finally, he said, “No. I’m just hopelessly confused.”

“I know Dad and I weren’t completely honest with you, but we had to make sure you weren’t a spy.”

“Right,” Will said, clenching his teeth a moment. “You wanted to make sure I wasn’t a spy for the Soul Nexus.”

“Well, yeah.”

He looked up at her again. “You don’t have to hover in the doorway. You can come in.”

She did so, closing the door quietly behind her. Now they were truly alone. In spite of his mixed emotions about her, Will couldn’t help but feel a little relieved that she still wanted to be around him, at the very least. It told him that she clearly trusted him. If she still felt like he were in league with the Soul Nexus, she wouldn’t put herself in such a vulnerable position. The very thought made him snort with derision. The idea that he could be Edward’s enemy, even after a lifetime in Alaska, was ridiculous.

But why was the Soul Nexus the enemy? Well, he thought, that had been answered pretty thoroughly for him. They’d killed Bai Jian, the first Alpha of the Earth Nexus. For the past three years, Will, like the rest of the world, believed that Hitori had been merely defending himself when he struck down Bai Jian. But if Edward and Rachel were to be believed, it was a deliberate, thought out action. Not self defense, but cold, calculated murder. He let out another sigh. Charlisa, after waiting several seconds for him to say something, finally walked over and sat on the edge of his bed.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “I always knew I could trust you, but Dad had to be sure.”

“Who’s idea was it to send me over here to make a fool of myself?” Will asked.

“Don’t say it like that,” she whispered. A tear was running down her cheek. “You’ll always have my trust. And now Dad trusts you too. He says you’ll be important in the fight against Hitori.”

“You’re asking me to risk my life for people who have lied to me,” Will said. He was surprised by how cold his voice sounded. Not that it was unjustified. “Aren’t you?”

For that was exactly what Edward had said. You’re going to kill him. Not a request. An order. The two Alphas, Edward and Rachel, had sat him down to explain the real history of their wars. The very first thing they clarified was the fact that they weren’t enemies at all. They never had been. Will could remember the conversation all too clearly.

“Then why did you go to war against each other?” Will had asked.

“I made the first move,” Edward said. He looked ashamed. “Several of us were attacked by Water Nexians, and two were killed.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” Rachel said quickly, when Will glanced at her. “It was Togai, all over again.”

“But how is that possible?” Will had exclaimed. “The Soul Nexus didn’t exist until the end of the war!”

Edward had shaken his hand. “No, Will. They’ve existed as long as any of us have. We think they got their power on the same day.”

“But then how come nobody had noticed them?”

“Well, you should know,” Edward replied. “It’s the same reason that nobody ever comes to visit us on the Hill. The real reason, I mean. Not because of fear, but because they view us as different. And you know how Alaskans act around outsiders.”

And Will did know what he meant. He thought about the struggles he’d had with connecting with the others in the Fire Nexus. He couldn’t deny that he was an outsider. Not just because he wasn’t native. He was a stranger to them. A normal person. And to top it off, it was revealed that he was connected to Hitori. Their reactions to him made sense now. Of course they didn’t trust him.

“Why doesn’t the Water Nexus have the same social problems as we do?” He asked now, looking at Charlisa. She gave a little jump, surprised at the sudden change of topic.

“I don’t know for sure,” she said uncertainly. “I think it’s because they do so much for the people here. They act as a police force, and they created a lot of good things for the city.”

Will nodded. In a way, it did make sense. After a few years of constant interaction, the humans around them would have seen the benefit of befriending powered individuals. The Fire Nexus, keeping themselves on the hill, wouldn’t make such overt efforts. But maybe they should, he thought. It couldn’t hurt to have the people on their side, especially if they were about to challenge the very protector of the peace that they all put their faith in. He frowned. How could he possibly learn to take on an Alpha? That would take years of hard training. For a start, he’d probably have to be a lieutenant, or at least have the power of one.

“Remind me to ask Felix how he got so good at using his power so fast,” Will said. “He’s my age, but he’s way better than me.”

“Well, to be fair,” Charlisa replied, “He’s had his powers for about two years now.”

“Rachel didn’t make him a Nexian sooner?” Will asked, blinking up at her. “Why’d she wait so long?”

Charlisa shrugged. “To be honest, I didn’t even know she had children until about two years ago. Today was the first time I met them.”

“Maybe she adopted them,” Will thought aloud. “That seems like the kind of thing she’d do.”

“I don’t think so. They look so much like her. They even kind of look like their father.”

Will remembered the tall and muscular man who had been introduced mere hours ago. Jose Garcia. He’d told them that, though originally from Mexico, he’d spent the past three years living in Miami. Apparently he’d traveled there with the specific intent of joining the Water Nexus. He’d captured her heart, and they’d been informally married shortly after Olivia’s birth. Suddenly, Will shot up in bed.

“What the-” He said, his eyes wide. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?” Charlisa asked. She looked a little alarmed at his sudden energy. “What are you going on about?”

Will was off his bed in a heartbeat, his feet hitting the wooden floor with a loud thump that was sure to transmit to the room below him. He took a step forward, then hesitated. He saw that Charlisa looked a little anguished at his sudden change in mood. Swiftly, he leaned down to kiss her, reassuring her. They stared in to each other’s eyes just long enough for her to smile again, and he knew that she understood. He still cared for her. Hell, he loved her. But then he moved towards the door again.

“Come on,” he said quickly. “You’re going to want to know what this is about too.”

 

——————————

 

Felix answered his door quickly when Will pounded on it. The boy had changed into a loose-fitting tank top and shorts after lunch, which showed much more of his lean but muscular frame. He smiled welcomingly at him, then at Charlisa, his eyes puzzled.

“What’s up?” He asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“How old are you, Felix?” Will asked, almost speaking over him. “You’re seventeen, right?”

“That’s right,” Felix said, frowning at him. “I’ll be eighteen in a month.”

“And Olivia is nineteen?”

“Twenty,” Felix corrected him. “She just had her birthday.”

“Her twentieth birthday,” Will insisted. “Right?”

There! He saw just the briefest moment of hesitation in Felix’s eyes before he replied, “That’s right.”

“Liar.” Will said it simply, without scorn or anger. “Why would Jose tell us that Rachel had Olivia three years ago?”

“He didn’t say that.”

“You’re right,” Charlisa put in. There was a light of understanding in her eyes now, and Will could tell that the same thought had just struck her. “He said that he moved here three years ago, and that he’s Olivia's father. So if he and Rachel didn’t meet until three years ago, then either Olivia’s not their daughter, or something else is going on.”

“What makes you think Olivia and I aren’t adopted?” Felix asked. He had a very stubborn air about him, but Will couldn’t help noticing a nervous tone to his words.

“You look a lot like your father, Felix,” Will said stonily. “Apart from your hair and eyes, you look just like him.”

He definitely saw Felix’s throat move as he swallowed, and his eyes were shiftier. Then, suddenly, a voice came from behind Will and Charlisa. “We’ll explain it to you, but only if you promise to keep it a secret.”

Will and Charlisa whirled around. There, in the hallway, was Olivia. Will stared incredulously at her, then, realizing that she was clad only in a thin nightgown, looked away. He cleared his throat nervously before speaking. “Keep what a secret?”

“The truth about our birth,” Olivia said. “And about what Felix and I are. You must keep it a secret, even from your own Alpha.”

“I cannot lie to Edward,” Will said. “You’re asking too much of me with that request.”

“Sis,” Felix said, his voice a groan of disgust. “Can you put some clothes on, please? You’re making Will uncomfortable.”

Charlisa snapped around to glare at Will, then back at Olivia. She let out a quiet hmph. “Yes, please. Then we’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Olivia ducked into her room for a minute or two, then returned, wearing a bright yellow sundress that contrasted well against her skin. “There. Better?”

Will and Charlisa both nodded, saying nothing. Olivia rolled her eyes. “Alaskans, you’re so weird about showing a little skin.”

“Just tell them,” Felix said. He sounded impatient. “If Will and I are going to be friends, he should know.”

“Fine!” Olivia exclaimed. She glared at Will and Charlisa. “But if I hear that you’ve told anyone apart from your Alpha, I’ll kill you. I’m not putting my mother in danger.”

“Sure,” Will said. He made a gesture for her to explain.

“The first thing I should say is that Felix and I aren’t seventeen and twenty,” She explained. “At least, not by chronological definition.”

“Are you saying that you grew up faster than a normal person?” Will asked incredulously, remembering Edward’s comment from before. You’re a bit more grown up than I expected. So Edward hadn’t known either, he thought.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Olivia said. “I was born three years ago. Felix was born almost two years ago, now.”

“But-” Charlisa started to speak, her gaze switching between the siblings. “But, I thought… I thought Nexian women couldn’t bear children!”

“Where did you hear that,” Will asked, completely distracted.

“Noratuk,” Charlisa said. “Her and Dad have been trying for years. The doctors said that Noratuk’s eggs are burning up in her body, or something like that. It’s literally impossible.”

“Except that we exist,” Olivia pointed out. “So it’s not.”

“You could be lying,” Will said, glancing at Felix. The younger sibling’s face showed no sign of deceit.

“You saw how strong I was, right?” Felix asked. When Will nodded, he continued, “That’s because I have two Nexians for parents. They were powered when they gave birth to us.”

Will glanced at Charlisa, and they shared a long look. He could tell that, despite how crazy their explanation was, she believed them. That was enough confirmation for him. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Felix. “Okay. Is your power only natural? Or did you train to earn it?”

“Most of it was natural,” Felix replied. “But only the power. I taught myself the techniques.”

Will opened his mouth to ask another question, but Felix beat him to the punch. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you. I think you’ll pick it up quick.”