Necessary Evil

by Donald Hanley

  “I said we agreed not to contact each other until Lilith was captured, just in case someone was watching them.”

  “That was very clever, Olivia,” Melissa nodded approvingly. Olivia flashed a half-hearted smile that faded away almost immediately.

  “I miss them,” she said quietly. “I’m never going to see them again, am I?”

  Melissa shot me a helpless look but I didn’t know what I could say to cheer her up. “Probably not,” I admitted finally and Olivia nodded sadly. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, “it’s not your fault. At least I can stay here with you guys, right?” she asked hopefully.

  “Absolutely,” Melissa told her firmly. “Right, Peter?” She jabbed me with her elbow when I hesitated. “Right?”

  “Right, except –”

  “What?”

  “Dad expects her to go back home to New Orleans when all this is over. How are we going to explain her moving in with us instead?”

  “Oh my God,” Melissa breathed. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Oh.” Olivia seemed to wilt and she turned away from us so we wouldn’t see her wiping at her eyes. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “I’ll just go away. I don’t want to cause any problems for you.”

  “Nay!” Daraxandriel insisted, taking her hand to pull her back into the group. “Peter Simon Collins will find an answer for thee, that thou might remain with us.”

  “How am I supposed to –?” I started to protest but Melissa stopped me with another painful jab, inclining her head towards Olivia and her big, hopeful, imploring eyes. “We’ll think of something,” I sighed resignedly.

  “Thank you, Peter,” Olivia told me sincerely. “You’re the best friend I ever had. Oh!” Daraxandriel’s tail poked its head up under her arm and she laughed, hugging it tightly. “You too.” She nuzzled it with her cheek and Daraxandriel’s eye twitched as she bit her lip to keep silent.

  “Here we go!” Mom walked in with three cardboard boxes folded flat and a roll of packing tape. “This is all we had, I’m afraid. We’ll have to pick up some more tomorrow.” She finally noticed everyone’s expressions. “Is everything okay?” she asked doubtfully.

  “Everything’s fine, Mrs. Collins,” Melissa assured her, rising to take the articles from Mom. “We’ll get started with these.”

  “All right. I have to go check on the cake but just let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Why are we having cake?” I asked.

  “I just thought we needed cake, what with all the terrible things going on,” Mom explained. “It’s chocolate,” she added temptingly.

  “With icing?” Olivia asked eagerly.

  “And sprinkles, if you want them,” Mom chuckled. “Come on, you can help me.” Olivia followed Mom out, forcing Daraxandriel to accompany them when her tail refused to let go of her.

  “Poor Olivia,” Melissa sighed once they were out of sight. “I can’t imagine what she’s going through. Well, I guess I can, actually,” she corrected herself somberly.

  “How?” I asked her skeptically. “You’re not dead.”

  “I almost was,” she reminded me. “I was alone in the dark for a long time.” She reached out with a half-smile and took my hand in hers. “But you’re not kicking me out of the house, are you?”

  “Of course not,” I told her. “Who else would pack my stuff?”

  “Keep that up and no one will need to,” she warned me. “All right, let’s see what you have.”

  It didn’t take Melissa any time at all to fill two of the boxes and part of the third with my books and DVDs and she started going through my dresser to see what articles of clothing could be safely packed away until the move. My contribution to the whole process was grumbling under my breath while I taped up the boxes.

  “That’ll have to do for now,” Melissa declared, studying the rest of my room with her hands on her hips. “You’re not keeping those posters, are you?” The tone of her voice made it clear that Asuna Kagurazaka and Rias Gremory, the red-headed anime beauties of my adolescent dreams, were not welcome in the new apartment. I maintained a diplomatic silence as she retrieved her garment bag and her purse. “I should check out my room,” she said unenthusiastically. I hefted her other two bags and followed her into the den.

  “It’s not bad,” I told her as she sat down on the couch with a dubious expression, “as long as you don’t roll over.”

  “If you say so.” She kicked off her shoes and lay down. Since she was shorter than me, she actually fit between the armrests without bending. “I guess this is okay,” she sighed. “At least I can watch porn on the TV.”

  “What?”

  She snorted in amusement. “Honestly, Peter, do you believe everything anyone tells you?”

  “Well, I’m not used to people teasing me,” I said defensively. “Mom and Dad are usually pretty straight with me and Susie only tells the literal truth or bald-faced lies.”

  “Scary. So is the cake ready, do you think? I could use some chocolate.”

  Mom was just putting the finishing touches on the cake when we walked in, carefully arranging seven candles in a circle like a wax Stonehenge in a field of creamy chocolate icing and colorful sprinkles. Olivia and Daraxandriel were already seated at the table with their plates and forks ready, gazing raptly at the operation like pets hoping for a treat from the dinner table.

  “Seven candles?” I observed bemusedly. “What’s the occasion?”

  “There isn’t one,” Mom admitted. “I thought it needed something extra but these were all the candles we had.”

  “It looks beautiful, Mrs. Collins,” Olivia told her. “It’ll be a shame to cut it.” That didn’t stop her from eyeing it hungrily.

  “Why don’t you do the honors, dear,” Mom suggested, “since you’re visiting from out of state.”

  “Oh no, I couldn’t. Could I?” she asked hopefully.

  “Of course you can.” Mom rifled in a drawer for a lighter and touched the flame to each wick before placing the cake in front of Olivia. “Here you go.”

  “Make a wish first,” Melissa insisted.

  “Okay. Um.” Olivia bit her lip as she considered that and then squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before sucking in a huge breath and blowing out the candles in one quick blast of air. Daraxandriel looked puzzled by the entire ritual but the rest of us clapped dutifully.

  “So what did you wish for?” I asked Olivia as Mom handed her a knife.

  “Peter!” she chided me. “If I tell you, it won’t come true.” She made a cut precisely halfway between two of the candles and then another between the next pair. “Who wants the first piece?” She extracted the wedge and maneuvered it onto one of the plates.

  “Dibs!” Melissa said quickly, almost snatching the plate off the table. She forked a morsel into her mouth and closed her eyes in bliss. “Ambrosia,” she breathed.

  “Nay, ambrosia is gold and like unto honey,” Daraxandriel corrected her. She received the next slice and set on it eagerly.

  Olivia doled out the next three to me, Mom, and herself and silence fell over the table, other than the scrape of forks on porcelain and a few murmurs of appreciation. Daraxandriel finished her portion before I even got halfway through mine, leaving only a few crumbs and a smudge of icing on her plate. She eyed the remaining two-sevenths of the cake disconsolately.

  “Would you like some more, Dara?” Mom asked her.

  “Nay, I am replete,” she said unconvincingly. “Sir Collins and Susie should have their fill as well.”

  “Here, you can share the rest of mine,” Olivia offered, sliding her plate over.

  “Nay, thou shouldst by rights have thy full allotment.” She stared at her cake longingly.

  “I insist.” Olivia touched a forkful of cake to Daraxandriel’s lips and it vanished instantly. She laughed and reached to get another.

  “Nay, Olivia, thou needs must get thy fair share.” Daraxandriel used her own fork to return t
he favor and they took turns feeding each other. Daraxandriel’s tail crept up above the table to poke around the plates and Olivia ended up smearing icing across Daraxandriel’s cheek when she turned to admonish it.

  “Oh, sorry!” Olivia exclaimed. She scraped it off with the side of her finger and then looked around for a napkin, but Daraxandriel took her hand and licked the chocolate off instead, closing her eyes as she savored the flavor. “Oh.” Olivia looked flustered but she didn’t pull away.

  “Chocolate must never be wasted,” Daraxandriel told her. She used her own finger to scoop up a stray blob of icing and gently dabbed it on Olivia’s lips. Olivia slowly licked it away and then she sucked the rest off Daraxandriel’s fingertip. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment and then leaned closer, pressing their lips together in a slow and sensuous kiss.

  Mom, Melissa, and I sat there with our own forks hovering in midair and our mouths hanging open. “Oh my God,” Melissa whispered. “What did you put in this cake?”

  “It’s just a regular store-brand mix,” Mom protested. “It’s never done that before.”

  “I think chocolate might be an aphrodisiac for succubi,” I said uneasily. There was definitely some tongue involved in that kiss now. “Lilith couldn’t stop eating Mom’s chocolate chip cookies.”

  The two chocolate lovers finally broke apart, breathing heavily, and Daraxandriel’s tail nudged Olivia on her chin, startling her. Bits of cake were stuck to its head with icing and she took hold of it gently, teasing it with her tongue for a moment before wrapping her lips around it. Daraxandriel drew in a shuddering breath and clutched the edge of the table but she didn’t make any effort to stop Olivia.

  “Oh my God, Peter!” Melissa hissed. “Do something!”

  “Like what?”

  “Anything! Hurry!” Olivia had both hands around the tail now as Daraxandriel arched back in her chair.

  I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Uh, guys? Dara? Olivia?” Daraxandriel’s breath was coming in short gasps now. “Dara!”

  Daraxandriel’s eyes popped open and Olivia jerked back, staring at me blankly. The tail wriggled in her grasp and realization slowly dawned on her face. She hurriedly released the tail and hid her hands behind her back, ducking her head as her ears turned bright red. Daraxandriel grabbed her tail and jammed it back down under the table, looking everywhere except at us.

  Melissa reached over and pulled their plates to our side of the table. “Maybe that’s enough chocolate for now,” she said firmly.

  “Mayhap,” Daraxandriel mumbled. Olivia nodded meekly, shifting her chair over to put some space between them.

  “I’ll just put the rest of this up for later,” Mom said hurriedly, retrieving the cake plate and placing it on the counter well out of reach. Melissa started gathering up the plates but then she paused, giving me a speculative look before aiming her last forkful of cake at my mouth. I flinched back automatically and she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

  “You are the least romantic person on the planet,” she declared.

  “I am not,” I argued. “Susie is.”

  “Being second least romantic isn’t something to be proud of, Peter.” She ate the cake herself and carried the rest of the plates to the sink.

  “What’s going on?” Dad walked into the kitchen, surveying us with a dubious expression. Daraxandriel and Olivia quickly turned away from each other, as if to avoid giving away any hint of recent events.

  “We were just having cake,” Mom explained brightly. “Would you like some? It’s chocolate,” she added hopefully, casting a sidelong glance at Daraxandriel.

  “Mom!” I protested, aghast.

  “There’s no harm in trying, Peter,” she insisted, but Dad shook his head.

  “Maybe when I get back,” he said.

  “You’re leaving?” Mom asked, surprised.

  “I’m going out on patrol. The more eyes we have out there, the sooner we’ll find Lilith.”

  “I’ll help,” I told him. Cruising the empty streets at night was better than just sitting here waiting for Lilixandriel’s next move.

  “I appreciate the offer, Peter,” he said somberly, “but it’s too dangerous. You’re not equipped to deal with someone like her.”

  We’re better equipped than you are, I thought. I couldn’t tell him that, though, so all I said was, “Be careful, Dad.”

  “I will. Keep the doors locked,” he told Mom. “Don’t let anyone in and call me immediately if anything happens.”

  “We’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Don’t worry about us.” She hugged him and kissed him and stepped back with a gentle smile to watch him leave, with only her tightly-knotted fingers betraying what she really felt about him being out there alone, hunting for a dangerous fugitive.

  I wanted to tell her not to worry about Dad, that we were likely to see Lilixandriel long before he did, but that revelation wouldn’t make her feel any better about the situation. It certainly didn’t do a thing for my piece of mind.

  22

  Most quests in Legends of Lorecraft have pretty straight-forward goals, even if it takes you a while to actually achieve them: slay an enemy, find a talisman, rescue a princess, that sort of thing. Some of them, however, force you to choose between two or more possible outcomes, none of which you want to happen.

  In the quest Lorian Dawnstar, for example, the titular Lorian inadvertently encounters the spirit of a long-dead sorcerer who steals her soul and stashes it away in an ancient reliquary along with thousands of others it gathered over the centuries. Destroying the sorcerer frees her along with all of the other souls, many of whom belong to some truly nasty characters. Convincing the sorcerer to free Lorian, on the other hand, requires taking the amulet currently sealing the Black Gate, one of the many entrances to the demon Netherworld. Doing nothing at all drives Lorian’s betrothed insane with grief, sending him on a murderous rampage through the castle. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t, and damned if you give up and go home.

  It’s just a game, of course, and whatever you decide to do won’t affect you personally. Fortunately, these sorts of choices rarely come up in real life but when they do, you can always fall back on that old adage: the needs of the many outweigh the needs the one. In other words, pick the option that helps the most people. Unless the one is very special to you, in which case all bets are off.

  I sat in the dark in the front room, thumbing through the police alert texts, searching for any sign that Lilixandriel had been spotted. There were a whole bunch of coded messages from around the time we were battling Orixnador and for a couple of hours afterwards but the feed had been pretty quiet since then, mostly just regular check-ins from the patrols. The latest one was marked COP – Chief of Police – which reassured me that Dad was still okay.

  I set my phone down beside me on the couch and stretched my back to loosen the kinks. I wasn’t physically tired, thanks to the Philosopher’s Stone, but I felt mentally worn out. The stress of the last couple of days was really wearing me down and I toyed with the idea of scrounging up a blanket and lying down here for a couple of hours. This couch was shorter than the one in the den, though, and there was no way I’d fall asleep with my legs dangling over the armrest.

  I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Other than the soft rumble of the AC, the house was absolutely quiet. I hadn’t seen Susie since she made a brief appearance to claim her slice of cake but she normally went to bed early, so she was out of the picture. Daraxandriel and Olivia held out as long as they could, staying as far away from each other as possible, but they finally nudged the rest of us out of my room and shut the door. I wondered how they were making out together on my narrow bed and that unfortunate turn of phrase conjured up an image that made me shift uncomfortably on the couch.

  Melissa seemed reluctant to go to bed but she couldn’t give me a convincing reason when I asked her why. Instead, she helped Mom with her cleaning binge as she worked off her anxiety about Dad,
even polishing Daraxandriel’s sword until the blade gleamed. The two of them finally called it a night around eleven and disappeared into their rooms, leaving me alone with my grim thoughts. Now I just had to wait until everyone was fast asleep before I put my ill-conceived and very possibly fatal plan into action. One way or another, it would all be over tonight.

  A faint metallic click sounded somewhere in the house and I listened carefully, trying to discern the source. It wasn’t repeated and I finally convinced myself it was one of the doors shifting when the AC fan kicked on. A couple of minutes later, though, a toilet flushed, followed by a faucet running. Someone’s in the bathroom, I realized. That’ll set the schedule back. I hunched down on the couch, resigning myself to a longer wait.

  “Peter?”

  I jumped and flailed my arms and legs before I identified Melissa’s voice coming out of the shadows. I sat back and clutched my heart. “Jesus,” I muttered. “Don’t scare me like that.”

  “Sorry.” Even with my dark-adjusted eyes, her black spaghetti-strapped slip made it look like her torso was missing. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  Dying. “Nothing important,” I told her. “What are you doing up?”

  “I had to pee.” She hesitated and then sat on the other end of the couch, pulling the hem of her slip down as far as it would go over her bare legs, which wasn’t very far. “And I’m afraid to close my eyes,” she admitted quietly.

  “You’re afraid of the dark?” I asked doubtfully.

  “I’m afraid of the darkness.” She lifted her hand and let the flames flicker over her palm. They were even blacker than the shadows around us. “I afraid of hurting someone if I fall asleep.”

  “You won’t,” I told her firmly. I slid over beside her and took her hand in mine, smothering the fire. “You’re stronger than you think.”

  “You’re the strong one, Peter,” she said sadly. “You’re not afraid of anything.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I couldn’t believe she actually thought that. “I’m a nervous wreck.”