Heart's Darkness

by H D A Roberts

  The things it did to them, though... I still have nightmares about that.

  The Black was, at its heart, a force of Creation, the dark side of it; the ugly side. For every flamingo, there's a goblin shark; for every phoenix, there's a labyrinth spider. Beauty and death, light and dark. White and Black.

  It was an almost direct conduit between the mind of the user and the world around him, with reality itself warping to accommodate it. He could have used that power to raise monsters from my very nightmares, brought forth Demons from the darkest parts of hell, created an army of stone monsters with souls forged from his power... if he knew what he was doing.

  Instead, he was using it to try and peel my limbs off.

  I knew that because the Spells I redirected did that (and worse) to the Hyde. They were torn to pieces, arms and legs ripped away; some were skinned alive, or had their eyes and ears pulled off, some were simply gutted... it was hideous and utterly brutal.

  Thank God he was too limited in imagination to realise what he was playing with, and what it was really capable of. On the other hand, he may simply have been incapable of realising the true potential of the Black. It took a very specific sort of soul to use it at all, without going mad, and it likely took a Magician's to do what my Grimoire had described.

  Again, thank God! A true master of the Black was not a problem I could deal with on my own, not without going bad myself. It was fairly obvious that the idiot didn't know who he was dealing with. If he did, there's no way he'd risk using the Black on me. If it ever got into me, I could peel him like a ripe grape and barely realise I'd done it.

  And then, likely everything else on the face of the Earth shortly afterwards...

  It clicked!

  Oh, that son of a bitch!

  Bloody Neil, he planned this!

  He was setting me up, and using this monster to do it. Oh, I was going to have words the next time I saw him...

  That was assuming I survived this with my soul intact. If I didn't, I'd likely be thanking him.

  Thankfully, Solomon was blasting as many Hyde as I was, his attacks almost indiscriminate. That gave me enough breathing room to let rip with a blistering combination of Light, Force and Heat that blew more than a dozen Hyde into messy pieces, but which got nowhere near Solomon, unfortunately.

  I started moving towards him, calling my Shadows to smash at the Hyde pressing towards me, swatting and crushing as they advanced, but there were so many of them! I could only imagine the sheer amount of money he'd have been forced to fork over to secure the services of so many.

  There was one good thing about fighting the Hyde, though; I didn't have to hold back. I called a clump of Shadow to me, enchanted it and threw a shower of Shadow Lances, each of which lodged in a different monster before exploding, taking out the smaller constructs next to them as well. Some shards peppered an ogre-bull-lion monster and did no more than slightly annoy it, so I pulled heat from the air and sank it all into the creature's head, burning its brain from the inside.

  The smell of that alone... yikes.

  And the Hyde weren't the only things being damaged. The square was torn up and wrecked, the surrounding buildings were scorched, some broken badly. To top it off, I wasn't taking enough of them down, and their basic attacks were starting to damage my shields. They may not have been that strong, or Magical, but there were a bloody lot of them.

  So, I cast a variation of Rending Fog just to see if it would help, and a dozen of the Hyde fell, their faces torn up, eyes, ears and mouths mangled so badly that they lashed out without being able to see what they were hitting. That helped, so I threw up a whole bank of it, which quickly caused the carefully managed attack to dissolve into chaos. That meant that there was no Prime in the vicinity, it could have directed them with its own eyes and mind. The sheer confusion likely meant that Solomon's funds hadn't stretched to the loan of a control creature... or perhaps Solomon was just too arrogant to assume that he needed one.

  And suddenly the way to Solomon was clear! I raised my hand, and a beam of white light smashed into his shields, rocking him back with a grunt, but doing very little damage! He was a lot stronger than before.

  This was not good. I was expecting him to have the same basic capacity as he'd had the last time we'd fought, which was still a lot, but manageable. As he was now, though...

  Well, I still had a trick or two up my sleeve.

  I called in other forms of energy, leeching it out of everything, Chemical energy from the grass, Gravitational energy from the very earth, Atomic energy from the heavier elements around me. I combined it with the energy I was already stockpiling, and just let him have it.

  And the bastard, who'd standing in that one place since this had started, dodged easily out of the way of the attack... which brought down a small (and thankfully empty) cafe instead. He jumped high, great black wings unfurling from his back to flap and dart him towards me. I felt his Magic pulse, and a lance of Black Magic, seared towards my face.

  I swear that, for one long, indescribably painful moment, I nearly let it through. But instead, I pulled my Shadow-shields in tight, and they bent under the strain of the attack. Solomon just kept flying at me, putting more power into his Spell. I didn't think he wanted me alive anymore. He was too furious... but that made him stupid.

  I threw another Chaos lance, and he didn't dodge that one, so intent was he on his strike. It tore his left wing apart, and he fell to the ground with a scream of pain and fury. His small army surrounded him, and absorbed a second Lance that should have taken off his head and sent him right back where he came from.

  The bastard was up again in seconds, throwing gouts of Black Magic at me, tearing his own army to pieces now, ripping the flesh from their bones, crushing their bodies; some just exploded into towers of blood and bone. I barely got a defence in the way of the energy that found its way through to me, and I was shaking with the effort of not taking that power and using it. It was right there... there for the using, there for the enjoyment.

  It called to me, taunted me, teasing and seductive, all that power, not meant for him at all, forced down his gullet like a breathing tube. It belonged to me, all of it, I could feel it resonate deep in my very soul, calling to me in a voice filled with the promise of every ugly desire to ever flash through my mind.

  I could have anything I wanted...

  No, said a dim voice of reason, quiet, but getting louder.

  Anything I'd ever dreamed of, it could all be mine...

  No! Not at that cost.

  What cost? It would be so easy, and it's right there...

  No.

  Just a little taste...

  "NO!" I screamed, pouring Magic into my Shadows, forming the strongest, densest Shadow Lance I'd ever made. It tore through twelve Hyde, detonating each one before it hit Solomon's shields... and still only gave him a glancing hit!

  Still lost his right wing, right arm and a solid chunk of skull, though. Shadow Lances made messes even with glancing blows.

  He was thrown hard by the explosion, sending him to the ground with enough force to render two Hyde goat-men things into paste before slamming straight into the side of a building and through the wall, making me wince. I hoped that the school's insurance was paid up, because I was making a mess!

  I started after him, but a pile of medium-sized Hyde dropped on me; crocodile teeth snapped at my shields while eagle talons slashed and rhinoceros feet stomped. My defences held easily enough, but it cost me valuable time to dismantle my attackers, and by then Solomon was gone, the bastard having tumbled through a Portal while I was fighting.

  And then the Hyde just mobbed me! Almost in a frenzy, they threw themselves at me. That actually made things easier. I filled the air around me with shadows, tearing and crushing with barbs and sharpened tendrils that ripped them to pieces.

  It seemed to take forever, as they just kept getting up or dragging themselves towards me.

  But finally, it was done, they were gone,
leaving smelly piles of rapidly decomposing remains behind (those that I hadn't managed to burn, anyway).

  I just stood there for a while, breathing hard, feeling the euphoria of survival. I started incinerating remains, but had to take a break as the adrenaline started to fade, and my limbs began to shake.

  I staggered over to lean against a tree, almost completely exhausted.

  Rose and Gabrielle reappeared.

  "Oh, now you show yourselves?" I gasped.

  "Rules, Mathew, you know that," Rose said, looking very upset. I sometimes forgot that their rules of conduct could be just as onerous for the watcher as the subject.

  "Sorry," I said, not wanting to make her any more miserable.

  "Well, that certainly was interesting," Gabrielle said, looking around at the devastation.

  "Too interesting. And what was that you said about your father?" I asked, looking for confirmation.

  Gabrielle grinned at me.

  "It looks to me like Solomon made a rather interesting deal with my father to get back here sooner. The other side doesn't expedite their resurrections. You do make the very best enemies, don't you?"

  I glared as Rose checked me over for damage, biting her lip in worry at something only she could see.

  But I was having trouble paying attention to them. Something was grating at the edge of my perception, something dreadful... and powerful. I looked around and saw little wisps of Black Magic swirling around, tiny things, really, barely there, hardly noticeable; residue from the fight.

  One or two students were coming into the square, no doubt attracted by the noise (sensible people would have heard explosions and gone the other way...); they were looking around, camera phones in hand, taking in the damage. That drew my attention for a moment. I conjured an Invisibility Illusion around the three of us before they could get any closer. I also concealed the few remaining piles of Hyde parts before applying heat, turning them to ash. The students recoiled in surprise when things vanished, which bought me enough time to prevent them being scarred for life by stepping on people bits (thankfully it was dark enough that the piles weren't easily identifiable).

  But the bulk of my attention was on the Magic, sliding sinuously around, the little coils binding together into larger shapes, moving in a vague circle around me, still slowly, guided by something I couldn't identify.

  It was right there...

  So close.

  I licked my lips involuntarily.

  And then there were blue eyes in front of mine and a pair of warm hands on my cheeks.

  "Look at me and only me," Rose said.

  I swallowed, obeying, but it was still there, I could feel it.

  "You're calling to it," Rose said, "something in you isn't letting it dissolve. Let it go, Mathew."

  "I don't know how," I whispered, trembling slightly.

  "Then don't," Gabrielle said in my ear, "it's yours if you want it. You can have anything you want. All you have to do is take what's yours."

  I breathed carefully. It took a minute to calm down.

  "It's not mine," I said firmly, "I don't want it."

  "Liar," Gabrielle repeated in a throaty whisper, "Take it while you can!"

  Rose said nothing. She hadn't moved, simply watching me, looking me in my eyes. She'd done all she could. This had to be my choice, or there was no point. I focussed very hard, right down to the deepest, hidden parts of me, the parts that were calling to the Black, and with a great effort of Will, I silenced them.

  The Black faded away; I felt the Magic sustaining it flicker and fail. I could breathe again.

  Gabrielle made another very annoyed sound and stomped her foot on the ground.

  Rose smiled at me, and it was a beautiful thing, a smile of faith rewarded, of peace and joy. I can't really describe how wonderful it felt...

  Rose pulled back at last, her eyes glistening.

  "I'm so proud of you," Rose whispered, cuffing a tear away.

  "I'm not! On a platter, you bastard, what's it going to take?" Gabrielle said with a pout.

  "Namia Sutton, according to the terror stains in my favourite underwear," I replied in a mutter.

  "What was that?" Gabrielle asked with a glare.

  "Nothing."

  "And you!" she said, rounding on Rose, "Don't think I didn't see that stare of yours! You helped him!"

  "I am an Angel; I needed do nothing more than have faith in my charge," Rose replied airily, "Besides, you do far worse!"

  "I'm a Demon! I'm supposed to cheat, what's your excuse?!"

  "It wasn't cheating!"

  "Oh really? Shall we ask the Celestial Court what they think of that technicality?!"

  I coughed politely, which made the pair jump and turn back to me a little sheepishly. They may well have forgotten I was there.

  "What's your father up to?" I asked Gabrielle before the conversation could be diverted again.

  "How should I know?" she asked, averting her eyes.

  "You used to have a better poker face," I said.

  "I know!" she said, kicking a clump of earth, which sailed through the air and smacked an unaware student in the chops, "You just... I hate you!"

  "What did I do?!" I asked.

  "You chose her!" Gabrielle said, her lip trembling a little,

  Wait, how did the conversation get to this point?

  "Huh?" I managed.

  "She's baiting you, Matty," Rose said, "I can already see the crocodile tears forming."

  "You are not supposed to tell him that!"

  Rose smirked.

  "Moving back to what I was asking you, what is Neil after?"

  "Oh, no doubt he made a deal for Solomon's soul," Gabrielle said, conceding the bout to her feathered counterpart with a nod of her head, "So, strictly speaking, seeing as how you were the reason for it, you're technically responsible for sending one of the good guys to Hell. Congratulations!"

  "If he was a good guy, then I'm a horse's arse!" I replied acidly.

  "So you're willing to be judge and jury, are you? What progress!" Gabrielle said with a wide grin, "This wasn't such a wasted day!"

  "The man is an animal," I replied, "and the sooner he goes back to Hell, the better."

  "One thing," Gabrielle said, "Resurrection isn't one of the powers my side offers. You blow him up again, he stays blown up. Loved that, by the way, so deliciously vicious."

  I sighed, "Balls."

  Oh well, there was always-

  "That won't work either. You won't be able to get past his defences this time, even his mental ones," Gabrielle said with a grin.

  "At least let me lay out the plan before you pooh-pooh it!"

  "I'm sorry, go ahead," Gabrielle said.

  "Never mind, I'll think of something," I grumbled, "At least we know why you two were here."

  I'd been presented with a Choice. They would have been there for that.

  "And, I also know the consequences of making any sort of deal with your father," I said, "You end up as an evil infused monster."

  Rose giggled, looking away, Gabrielle scowled.

  "Don't you get it?" the Demon asked, "He's saying that he's on your side! He made a profit on his end, and made sure that you'd be protected on yours. Solomon couldn't have harmed you if he used every scrap of power in his body!"

  "Oh yes he could!" I replied, "I have to have a soul attached to a body for the Black to sink into. Some of those Spells he was throwing towards the end there would have left me a greasy smear!"

  Gabrielle just smiled, "Are you sure about that?" she asked, "Do you really think the Black would have done that to you?"

  I ignored her, "And don't get me started on how he knew where I'd be, when I'd be there and who I was. Those aren't pieces of information one comes by without help. I wonder where he could have come by them?"

  Gabrielle scowled even harder.

  "Figured that out, did you?" she asked.

  "Worry when I don't. Because it means I'm too angry to think, which would
be bad for everyone."

  Gabrielle shivered, biting her lip, "I love it when you talk like that."

  "Oh no, you're not distracting me that way-"

  I stopped because Portals were opening, and SCA people had arrived.

  "Crap," I said, "I have to go before they spot me."

  Rose concentrated and time slowed to a halt.

  "That would have been useful a few minutes ago!" I complained.

  "Doesn't interact well with offensive Magic, might have caused an explosion," Rose explained.

  I muttered again before realising that, all things considered, things could have gone a lot worse.

  I turned to thank them both for being there, only to find that they'd vanished... again.

  "I still hate it when you do that!"

  They didn't reply.

  Chapter 12

  I used the moment of Time-manipulation to jump into the Shadow Realm and head home. The last thing I needed was another entanglement with the SCA, and there was every hope that I hadn't been identified, this time. I could only thank God that Solomon had attacked when the park was quiet, or... well, the alternative didn't bear thinking about. That was normally a rather busy thoroughfare.

  I emerged into my usual downstairs bathroom. If you were wondering why I seemed to appear in lavatories so often, it was because they were dark when not in use, not because I was a pervert (something which had been suggested more than once by one of my less charitable Wardens; you guess which one). I opened the door with a stifled yawn. Using that much Magic took it out of me, and I wanted to rest in a safe place as soon as I'd put the warning out to everyone about Solomon.

  "You hear about Tethys and the First Shadow?" said a female voice from around the corner in the front hall.

  I walked a little slower.

  "No, what?" said another woman, who I think was Jillian, one of the Wardens.

  "I heard it from one of the housekeepers that she jumped him and was seen sprinting out of the room seconds later, face even paler than usual. Makes you wonder what she saw down there than made her run away like that!"

  I immediately reddened, moving a bit quicker.

  "Well, you know what they say about Archons, all that power must be compensating for something," said Jillian with a giggle that the other one joined in with.