LegionBorn

by F. F. John

  Caleb had said Obcido. That sounded like Latin. Thanks to Sister Patti—I knew there was no accent necessary. Yet, questions remained. Would me saying the words work or was there some additional part to the equation? Would the words work against Lucifer?

  My head returned to my hands as my worry began to spike. My thoughts scampered, however, when my phone rang again.

  It was Delphine and this time, I didn’t waste time picking up. “Hey. Thanks for calling back. About that night, I really—”

  “We can talk about that another time. Where are you?” She said quickly. “Are you on your way?”

  “Um, yes,” I said, more alert than I’d been a few seconds ago. The confusing fog regarding my need to protect myself from death evaporated.

  “You need to get here now. I just heard Watson say he will fire you if you mess this up,” she rasped out in a muffled voice, clearly not wanting her words to carry.

  I grabbed my tie and my wallet, then raced to my door, yanking my keys into my hand from a nearby table.

  “I’ll be there in fifteen.”

  “Make it ten,” she replied before ending the call.

  --XIII--

  CUNNINGHAM, TROTTER & SEVERN HAD ITS offices in a concrete jungle filled with lobbyists, special interest groups and other modern courtiers of power. It was a perfect location—walking distance from the White House, various government departments and of course, Capitol Hill.

  My office was twelve floors up and while in the elevator, I realized I shouldn’t step out into the lobby on my floor. If I did, I’d bump right into Mr. Stern. Deciding it was best to walk up from the eleventh floor then circle around, I jabbed the control panel.

  The metal doors slid open with a cheerful ping as if trying to make me think everything was going to be all right. And at that very moment, my subconscious heard Bob Marley singing his song. That did nothing to keep me from dwelling on the knowledge that I was about to sit with a man who thought I was a threat to him. A man whose niece—if she truly was his niece—tried to kill me.

  The seed of Legion will bring forth the morning star’s undoing. Stupid prophecy. As I climbed the stairs, my thoughts veered to the biblical book of Revelations and its horrible forecast for humanity. It foretold of an Antichrist and a time of suffering. Each generation interpreted the chaos of its time as evidence of the holy book’s predictions. Yet, the world kept chugging along.

  Snapping my finger at my new understanding, I allowed myself a brief smile. Could that be the case here? Could this prophecy simply be a well-meaning line that seemed true depending on how you squinted at the world on any given day? If so, it didn’t mean the feared warning would come to pass.

  Rationale intact, I pushed open the heavy metal door that led out of the building’s stairwell and onto the soft, cream and gold carpeting that lined the floor. Keeping that many miles of carpet clean must have been a never-ending job though I’d trade places with a janitor if it would mean avoiding Mr. Stern. I groaned inwardly then chuckled mirthlessly. Never in my life would I have claimed I wanted to be a janitor. Yet, a few weeks of attacks by demons and I was considering giving up my ambition for safety. All I could do was shake my head at the irony.

  My entrance was met with stares from my coworkers. No doubt, they’d heard my boss would have my hide if I didn’t tap dance just right and bring Davo Stern into the fold. That, or they thought they’d get Ebola. Freaking Antonio!

  “You don’t look too hot.” A voice said, and I turned my head. Mohinder was leaning against his secretary’s table, a smirk on his face. “It’s not too late to go back and get some rest. Watson will take me in and I’ll cover for you. I’ll keep you updated.” His smile was far from genuine.

  “What took you so damn long, Prentiss?” Watson hissed at me in the hallway and I grimaced. Black suit on. Game face staring at me. The Hitman was ready for business and pissed. He called for Delphine and she stepped out of her office, hustling to meet him on four-inch heels.

  “Okay, we’re going to step into that conference room,” Watson flung his arms around us. We huddled like footballers in the final quarter of a crucial game. “We’re going to charm the socks off that man and have him eating out of our hands, right?”

  Delphine’s face lit up with a smile. “Yup!”

  I wasn’t so sure when I murmured, “Uh huh.” Seeing Mohinder had thrown me off. The bastard.

  Watson slapped us on the back. “Let’s get that money!”

  ***

  “Mr. Stern! Our boy finally got out of that other meeting I told you about,” Watson lied easily. “Thank you for being so patient.”

  Davo Stern looked exactly like he did four nights ago—blond hair, a confident demeanor, and an exceptionally well-tailored suit. I noticed his irises were some sort of gray at first but as he stood up, the color of his eyes shifted, almost turning green.

  He walked over, hand outstretched. “Good to see you again, young man.”

  The overhead lights flickered. I shoved down my mounting fear. I should’ve expected no less from the king of evil. Even here, darkness struggled to follow him anyway it could. My eyes skirted around the room looking for demon spawn. Were they invisible to the eye? Were they lurking, waiting to pounce and rip me to shreds?

  “Hello, Mr. Stern,” I took his hand but withdrew quickly as I felt a tingling upon our connection. I didn’t miss how his eyes widened ever so slightly.

  “This is another one of our rising stars, Ms. Delphine Corniere. She works in the corporate division and would be an essential team member for any tasks your companies would need.”

  Stern merely nodded his head and spun on his heels returning to his seat. Delphine and I rounded the conference table’s edge and settled across from him. Watson took the seat to his left.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Watson asked, picking up a notepad on the table and fanning himself.

  Stern said no and some small talk began. I couldn’t get my lips to move, so remained mute during most of the discussion. My eyes were on Stern, who laughed affably at something Delphine said about growing up in New Orleans. He then rapped the table with a knuckle to make a point about a recent golf tournament.

  “You’re mighty quiet, young man.” Stern’s gaze fell on me and I noticed Watson signaling me with narrow eyes to say something. “I noticed my niece, Mila, seemed to disappear not too long after you did from Luxor the other night. I take it you two had an interesting night?”

  It was interesting, all right. Interesting in that she morphed into the girl sitting beside me and almost killed me. I didn’t speak a word of my thoughts and instead plastered a smile on my face, which was now beaded in sweat from the room’s rising temperature.

  Beside me, I felt Delphine stiffen and the hand she was using to fan herself went limp. She must have realized Mila was the girl she saw me with. Hopefully, my repeated explanations would help her understand that no matter how suggestive Stern’s words sounded, absolutely nothing happened with that girl.

  “Mila and I didn’t spend that much time together, sir.”

  “She seemed to like you a lot.” His tone darkened, and the lights sputtered on and off again.

  Why did I come here? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew the meeting was a farce. The man, seated across from me with an aristocratic air, was Satan. He had no interest in hiring the firm. He just wanted me dead. I was tired of the game being played.

  Pressing my forearms onto the table’s surface, I leaned forward and say, “Your niece wasn’t my type and I sent her on her way.”

  Neither Stern nor I looked away from each other for what seemed an eternity. I could sense the discomfort felt by Delphine and Watson as they shifted in their seats.

  “Well, whoever this Mila is, she must be a looker, I’m sure,” Watson blurted out with a choked laugh that was followed by Delphine feigning amusement as well.

  “She really wasn’t,” I said, wryly and peered at him with a defiant look. I didn’t
know if Stern could read my mind, or my aura, the way a few others did. If he so, I wanted him to hear me think—What are you going to do?

  Indignation lashed at me from within and I sat up straighter. Stern thought I’d scare easily. The same way bullies thought I’d cower in high school because the poor, orphan boy showed up with holes in his soles. The same way Sister Magdalene frequently told me I’d amount to nothing. The same way the Dean of Financial Resources at law school suggested I quit early to open a space for a more deserving student. Even though I graduated from college with a 3.9 GPA and scored a 171 out of a possible 180 on the entrance exam.

  Stern thought I was going to bend over for him, but I was sick and tired of being attacked, and I wasn’t going to take it anymore.

  “Leave us!” Stern ordered and the chairs in the room rattled on their wheels.

  I didn’t bother to look at either Delphine or Watson. As soon as the doors swung shut behind them Stern was immediately on his feet. As he closed the distance between us the lights sparked and died with a loud pop.

  “Let’s cut to the chase, why don’t we? Who are you?” Stern asked, his tone flat. “I take it you’re LegionBorn, but what is your pedigree?”

  I snorted in reply. Devil or no, I wouldn’t let him dictate this discussion. I’d have to get a handle on it immediately. “You don’t know? Even after sending so many of your demon spawn after me? They’ve all died horrible deaths, just so you know.” I stood with so much force, my chair rolled away and smacked into a nearby wall. “Call off your hounds, now!”

  He stopped short, lips curling upward. “Why do you think you’re in a position to make demands of me? You are nothing in comparison to me.”

  “Are you so sure?” I challenged as a muscle ticked in my jaw at his dismissive attitude. “You don’t seem to think so. If you did, you wouldn’t have targeted me, Lucifer.”

  Stern continued to advance, his smile deepening. “So, you know who I am? Very good. Do me the courtesy of revealing who you are.”

  “It’s hard to be courteous to someone who wants me dead.”

  His eyes lingered on his Italian leather shoes. “There’s a little-known prophecy out there that speaks of my demise at the hands of my twin’s child. It’s in my best interest to make sure that never comes to pass.” He lifted his right shoulder in a casual shrug. “You understand, don’t you?”

  I summoned up courage and walked in his direction. Despite the tremor tapping at my ribcage, I mustn’t show weakness. Just like dealing with a bully—chest out, chin up, and give as good as you get. “Are you sure this old wives’ tale of yours has anything to do with me?” Pride bloomed in my chest at the defiance in my tone. It was this ability to show strength even amid doubt that had contributed to my success. That, and my drive to win. I leaned into both traits, hopeful they’d serve me well now.

  He chuckled a haunted sound that echoed. “We’ll see.” In a flash, he grabbed my hands and backed me into the table’s edge. “I need to know who you are!” He roared in my face, spittle smacking my chin.

  Above us, the working light bulbs flickered like the light from fireflies on a dark night.

  “Let go of me!” I said, but he didn’t relinquish his grip. Suddenly, I struggled to breath, heat crawling across my skin and my entire body seemed trapped in quicksand. No matter how I struggled, I couldn’t get free and his grip tightened instead.

  Those hue-shifting eyes of his hardened right before they widened, and a sharp pang of fear filled me. What has he learned?

  “There’s power in you. It’s strong and I recognize it.” Red embers sparked within his eyes as he screamed, “Just as I thought!”

  --XIV--

  I STRUGGLED TO LOOK AWAY from the pit of fire growing in his eyes. My heartbeat was fast enough to break out of my chest. Perhaps I should have played it cool a little longer. I might have prevented this current predicament.

  “Yes!” Stern’s voice echoed. It didn’t quite sound like that of the wealthy businessman anymore. Instead, I heard a monster’s boom through his lips. “You’re my brother’s son. And when I kill you, I will defeat the prophecy!”

  Stern’s blond hair disappeared as did his once-familiar features when two large horns split their way out of a now-blackened skull. Somewhere in the distance, I heard an alarm, as well as screams.

  “Don’t worry, young man, you won’t die today. On the night of the super moon, your soul—and your power—will be mine!”

  “What are you doing to him? Let him go!” A new voice entered my awareness just long enough to break me from the trance I was in.

  Lucas.

  “Run, Lucas!” I yelled, but that wasn’t enough for him to hear me. It wasn’t enough to send him in the opposite direction of the danger.

  Stern—Lucifer—lifted a hand in his direction and a new sound filled the room. It was my screams.

  Everything slowed down and all I saw was Lucas pulling something out of his pocket. I knew exactly what it was. It was a tiny silver cross Sister Patti gave to us. She’d told us to keep it close as a reminder that God would always protect us when we needed him the most. I’d lost mine in college and Antonio lost his the very same day he received it. But Lucas still had his and held onto it for protection.

  The necklace!

  Somehow, I found the strength to move my free hand to my neck. I only needed to rip it off and have it touch this serpent from hell. That would free me and hopefully, I’d be able to help Lucas.

  My excitement at the possibility of a solution to save my friend crashed the very next second when my fingers didn’t touch cold metal.

  Where was it?

  I slapped at my neck only to realize the necklace truly wasn’t there. I must have forgotten it in my haste to get to the office. Stern folded his flaming fingers around my neck, my search for the necklace an invitation for him to choke me.

  That didn’t bother me as much as the knowledge that because of me, one of my best friends was going to get hurt. All because he tried to help me. Lucas’s mouth fell open, and he clutched his chest. The tendons in his neck stood out prominently against his skin. He was screaming but I couldn’t hear him. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was yelling or because Stern was causing him so much pain he couldn’t make a sound.

  A tear fell down my cheek as I watched Lucas drop to the floor. His entire body shook, and he clutched his hands to his chest. Panicked eyes met mine, and they held a thousand emotions in them. I stood there, powerless. Only able to mumble the word sorry, repeatedly as the tears tumbled with abandon. None of that stopped the light from extinguishing from his eyes. The impotent apology on my lips didn’t keep a good man from dying in front of me.

  A roar filled my ears as I watched my friend lie still on the conference room carpet. I closed my eyes and tried to gasp in some air but struggled. No. A cold flame shuttled through me and my hand flew to his neck. I squeezed.

  “You still think you can stop what’s coming, don’t you?” A rictus grin split what was his face.

  Before I could utter a reply, his fingers tightened, shutting off the small amount of air I could access. I shut my eyes, fighting the increasing lightheadedness. In seconds, my shoulders slumped, and I started to buckle. I returned my gaze to those hateful eyes and in that moment, I knew I had met my end. His talk of waiting until the super moon to kill me would not come to pass.

  I closed my eyes and thought of St. Joseph. He was Sister Patti’s favorite saint and took care of the dying. My mind returned to the prayer we’d been taught. I began, Oh most merciful Jesus, Lover of souls. I pray to thee…

  My mind went blank. Why couldn’t I remember the rest? Stern’s harsh laughter jarred me out of my confusion. Of course, he was blocking my ability to pray. I squeezed my eyes shut. There had to be something of that prayer that I could remember. Willing myself to recall the words, I thought back to that day in Religion class when we learned about the patron saint of the dying.

  Without warning, ten wor
ds flooded my memory—Have mercy on us and on those who are dying.

  I let out a small sigh. Even if those words weren’t part of the prayer, they seemed appropriate enough as I stood in what seemed like the clutches of death.

  But, I wouldn’t get to become the youngest black partner at the firm.

  I wouldn’t make partner at all.

  I wouldn’t get to know Delphine.

  “Now, I know who Acyel’s child is, the seed will not lay waste to my plans. I shall never be undone!”

  I barely heard Stern’s words as regrets ran rampant through my mind. I guessed my life was going to flash by anytime now.

  It didn’t. A loud rushing of sound filled my ears. The heat around my body had been doused, and I dared to open an eye.

  Stern was across the room at a wall and a dizzying pattern of cracks spread out behind him. I saw him in his true form. The beast he really was.

  “You!” he growled.

  Someone grabbed me by the collar and dragged me out, forcing me to stumble past my friend’s corpse. I closed my eyes as we passed him. When I entered the hallway, people whizzed by, their fevered shouts and wild screams at tempos matched to the blaring alarm.

  “I need you to keep up.” I was still being pulled along and angled my head catching a glimpse of Caleb.

  “Lucas,” I murmured.

  “He’s dead and we can’t let that happen to you.”

  Bile rose to my throat, and I retched.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” Caleb said, keeping one eye on me. I was retching again when he said something else, but I didn’t hear. The edges of my vision fell away, and my nausea spiked as the world went black.