Hear the Crickets

by BJ Sheldon

I nodded my head.

  “Finite blood. Say it.”

  “Finite blood.”

  “Hath the power to restore.”

  “Hath the power to restore.”

  “Finite blood hath the power to restore. Say it again.”

  “Finite blood hath the power to restore.”

  “Again,” she said.

  “Finite blood hath the power to restore.”

  “Again.”

  “Finite blood hath the power to restore.”

  “Keep saying it,” she said as she laid my hands on my chest and stood up from where she’d been crouched next to me.

  “Finite blood hath the power to restore. Finite blood hath the power to restore.”

  “Don’t stop, Skyy.” The woman began to creep backward, slowly taking one step at a time. “Keep going.”

  “Finite blood hath the power to restore.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  The darkness consumed her as she backed away out of view, enveloping her as she disappeared into obscurity.

  I repeated the phrase over and over as everything around me began to fade. Voices drifted in from somewhere outside the walls. They started as incoherent whispers and gradually grew louder. I stopped talking and tried to listen, to make out any of the words.

  Someone was calling my name.

  Chapter 18

  “Skyy.”

  I tried to respond. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

  “Skyy. Come on. Open your eyes.”

  I again tried to speak.

  “Blood,” I heard myself whisper, voice cracking.

  “Skyy. Open your eyes. Hey. Open up.” Dorian’s voice was commanding.

  I forced my eyes open as much as I could. A squint was all I could muster, but it was enough. The moon was high above us, shining brightly, illuminating the silhouettes of my friends around me.

  “Hey. There you are.” Dorian smiled meekly at me.

  “Wha...what happened?” I asked, straining to speak.

  “It’s probably going to take some time before you get your strength back.” Dorian stood over me, his face looking relieved. “You’ve been out for a couple of hours, but you’re going to be fine.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “It was something you kept saying. Finite blood hath the power to restore. You repeated it over and over while you were unconscious. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but before I could react, Sean grabbed one of my Chakram blades and sliced open his palm. Apparently, he’s smarter than I am.”

  “He’s the smartest guy I know,” I mumbled faintly, forcing a smile to my lips.

  “I have my moments,” said Sean. His hand lay across the wound on my chest.

  I glanced down to see my skin color was no longer as gray as it once was. The once raised, dark veins pulsating through my skin had diminished, and the wound appeared to be shrinking in size.

  “I don’t understand,” I said, my voice continuing to crack.

  “Sean bled into your wound. Finite blood—he’s mortal.” Dorian crouched beside me and placed his hand on my cheek. “So, I guess it’s good that we brought him along after all. How did you know?”

  I pictured the woman’s face in my mind. Unconscious, my mind was a blur, unable to fully understand what was happening at the time. But the moment I opened my eyes, I’d known exactly who she was.

  My mother.

  “Vision. I had a vision.”

  “Well, that vision saved your life,” said Dorian. “When your strength returns, we’ll head back to camp.”

  My head continued to swim with everything that had occurred. Raja, my mother, the spear.

  A feeling of dread washed over me.

  “My sword. They have it. We just doomed mankind to death,” I moaned, trying to lift my head in an effort to get up.

  “Whoa. You’re not strong enough, yet. Just lie still. We’ll figure something out, right?” Sean’s words were meant to be reassuring as he looked over at Dorian.

  “I’ve never given up in my life. I’m not about to start now,” replied Dorian. “Besides, they haven’t won, yet. They need you and the sword. They can’t complete their task without you.” Dorian smiled reassuringly, but I knew he was just trying to keep Sam and Sean from worrying.

  There was no way I could avoid the final battle. I had to do my part to keep humanity safe. But I also knew that if Raja managed to capture me, he only needed my blood to bring about the end of the world.

  I needed to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “I’m feeling better. I want to get up,” I said.

  “No. Your color still isn’t back to normal. You just stay put.” He turned toward his sister. “Lil, take Sam and Sean back to camp and get some rest. The next twenty-four hours is going to be hectic.”

  She nodded and dutifully took Sam’s hand. She opened a portal and together they stepped through it, disappearing into the dark void.

  “I want to stay here with Skyy,” said Sean.

  “You did your part. And you did good. But now you need to go and get some sleep.” Dorian leaned over and patted Sean on the shoulder. “I’ll stay with her until she’s ready to move. I promise. I’ll take good care of her.”

  Sean glanced down at me and gave me a relieved smile.

  “You better. She’s my best friend. Anything happens to her, I’m coming after you.”

  He leaned down and kissed my forehead. It was completely out of character for him to show me any kind of affection in that way. I was used to his sarcastic wit and asshole tendencies, but I quickly realized that I meant more to him than I’d ever understood.

  Dorian lowered himself to the ground and gently cradled my head and shoulders in his arms, allowing Sean to stand. Blood dripped from Sean’s fingertips, leaving tiny splatters on the ground below.

  “When you get back to camp, have Lillith bind that wound on your hand,” said Dorian.

  Sean nodded. He turned and took one last look at me, tossing up half a wave before finally stepping through the portal. Once he disappeared into the dark void, the portal closed behind him.

  I rested under Dorian’s supervision, cradled in his arms until my strength returned. We didn’t exchange words. Instead, I nuzzled my head into his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat while his hands held me firmly. I could have stayed there forever, feeling his strong arms around me. It felt safe there in that moment, and a peace came over me like I had never felt before.

  But I knew that soon, things would change. A battle would begin; a battle that would ultimately determine the fate of humanity. And regardless of how it all ended, Lillith and Dorian would disappear forever.

  I forced the thought out of my head.

  After about an hour, I began to feel better. Dorian helped me up, and together we headed back to camp through the portal. All was quiet when we arrived. It appeared everyone had taken Dorian’s advice and were resting up for the day ahead.

  “You should get some sleep, too,” I said to Dorian.

  “I’d rather stay with you,” he replied.

  I felt my face grow warm.

  “You’re sweet. But you’re no good to me tired. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Go. Get some rest.”

  Dorian grazed a quick kiss on my cheek. He walked over to his tent and crawled inside, leaving me alone to watch over the campsite.

  * * * *

  Everyone started to stir about eight hours later. Lillith was the first to emerge from her tent. She stepped out and stretched her arms up over her head. With her fingers clasped together, she pushed her palms skyward to face the sun overhead. I watched her stand there for a while, tall and statuesque, soaking in the heat from the summer sky. As she put her arms down, Lillith glanced over and spied me sitting on a lawn chair on the other side of the barren fire pit.

  “How’re you feeling?” she asked, taking the chair next to mine.

  My fingertips swept the raised scar above my h
eart.

  “Better, thanks. I thought I was gone,” I replied.

  “So did we. It’s a good thing you have someone like Sean in your life. That guy’s crazy for you.”

  “No he’s not,” I stammered dramatically.

  Lillith chuckled amusingly.

  “I didn’t mean like that. What I meant was that he’s a good friend. He cares about you a lot. Probably values your life more than his own. You’re lucky to have him.”

  I contemplated her words. She was right. I was extraordinarily lucky to have him.

  “I am,” I replied.

  “The guys still sleeping?” she asked.

  “Looks like it. But they should be up soon.” I sat up in my chair. “You were great back there. I’m glad you’re on my side.”

  “I’m not on your side. I’m on Dorian’s side.”

  “I stand corrected,” I chuckled.

  As if on cue, Dorian crawled out from behind his tent flap and grabbed a water bottle from the cooler. “What are you girls yackin’ about over there?”

  “Oh, you know. Nail polish. Bikini waxing. What to wear to the prom,” Lillith replied, her eyebrow raised at her brother.

  “Cool. I think a strapless number in nude pink would go great with your skin tone,” he retorted without missing a beat.

  I laughed, glancing at the two of them. They’d been together their entire lives. Siblings, connected by a bond far greater than just blood. Their whole existence had been centered on fighting Azazel’s Hybrids.

  “Can I ask you guys a question?” I asked.

  “Sure,” said Dorian, plopping down on the ground in front of me.

  “What made you decide to fight against Azazel? I mean, there are plenty of Hybrids fighting alongside Raja. Why did you choose the side you’re on?”

  The siblings exchanged glances before Lillith gestured for Dorian to speak.

  “We were born into it so to speak. The divide between the Hybrids is a birthright, for the most part.” He pulled his knees in tight to his chest and continued. “There are two separate bloodlines. Ahijah is one of the Fallen. He had a son, a giant named Og. His descendants are the Hybrids that fight alongside Raja. They hold a certain allegiance to Azazel. They want nothing more than to raise the Fallen, claiming that this world is their inheritance.”

  “What about you and Lillith?” I asked.

  “Before Shamsiel turned away from the Fallen, he bore children with multiple human women. We’re his descendants. Our lives are devoted to carrying on Shamsiel’s pledge to defend humanity against the Fallen and their allies. We spend our years finding and defeating the descendants of Og, thinning out their masses.”

  I tried to do the math in my head, yet without knowing how far back the ancestries went, there was no way to know exactly how long the feud had been happening. But, it got me thinking about my own bloodline.

  “What?” Dorian asked. “You look confused.”

  “So, what about me?” I asked. “Where did I come from?”

  Dorian and Lillith glanced at one another, but only for a second before quickly looking away, avoiding any and all eye contact. Dorian stared at the ground.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.

  “Not everyone stays with their family, as it were. Sometimes, a Hybrid is coerced into joining the enemy. It’s rare, but it happens. Keelin, your mother, was from the line of Og, but she deserted to join with the side of Shamsiel. And the fact that she was entrusted with something as valuable as the Spear, well, it just tells you what a powerful asset she became to our side.” Dorian finally looked me in the eye and seemed to wait for me to respond.

  “You’re telling me that I’m a descendant of Og. That my family has been the enemy of mortals for centuries.” I got up from my chair and wandered to the edge of the campground. I stared out at the Badlands and took it all in. “So, what does that make me?”

  “It makes you vital to the cause,” said Lillith.

  I turned around and squinted at her in disbelief. “I thought you didn’t believe in my abilities. In fact, I thought you didn’t like me at all.”

  She shrugged. “I still don’t. But you’ve proven yourself in a fight. That’s all.”

  Dorian pulled himself up off the ground and dusted off the backside of his jeans.

  “Your mother sacrificed everything for you. She left the people who were once her family. You are a part of her. Don’t question who you are or where you came from. Your lineage means nothing. Your dedication to the cause does. And I think you’ve more than proven yourself.”

  I wasn’t sure that I fully believed him, but he believed in me.

  It was a start.

  “What are you guys doing?” Sean hollered over in our direction. He and Sam had crept out of the tent unnoticed and had grabbed a couple of powdered donuts from one of the boxes by the cooler.

  “Hey guys,” I said. “Sleep all right?”

  “I slept just fine, with the exception of this guy snoring so loudly that it could raise the Fallen,” joked Sam. “Seriously man. You need to get that looked at.”

  Sean rolled his eyes and headed for one of the lawn chairs while Sam and I exchanged amused looks.

  “I don’t snore,” Sean mumbled quietly.

  I sauntered over to where he sat, leaning over the back of his chair. “Yeah you do,” I whispered in his ear, punching him in the arm.

  “Now that we’re all awake, we need to talk.” Dorian motioned for everyone to take a seat. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  I grabbed a chair next to Sean. He bent over and studied the wound on my chest. His hand reached out and traced the scar, his expression turning solemn.

  My fingers wrapped around his wrist, forcing him to look me in the eye. “I’m fine. Really. Stop worrying.”

  “I just—”

  “Stop. I’m okay. You saved my life. Thank you for that. But you need to stop worrying. I know how you can be. Got me?”

  “I got ya,” he replied. “But I’m going to worry, regardless of what you say. That’s what friends do. Got me?”

  I tried to hide a smile. “Got ya.”

  Everyone sat in a semi-circle as Dorian stood before us, the center of attention.

  “I’ve called for reinforcements.”

  “We don’t need ’em,” barked Lillith.

  “That would leave five against possibly hundreds. We’re good. But we’re not that good. We need the other Hybrids in the fight if we’re going to have a chance.”

  “Still don’t think we need them.”

  “Ignore her,” said Dorian. “She thinks she’s the equivalent of twenty men.”

  “Thirty, at least.” Lillith tossed her head back defiantly.

  “Two Hybrids, one girl with wings, and two humans won’t be enough to fend off Azazel’s army. We need help. Arna and Rami will be here by tonight. The rest will be here by tomorrow.”

  “Who’s Arna and Rami?” I asked.

  “Rami is a Hybrid like us,” he said, waving a finger back and forth between Lillith and himself. “He’s like your mother, a descendant of Og, but he defected over to the good guys. He’s younger than us, though. A baby.”

  “A baby?” asked Sean.

  “He’s like, what, about fifty years old?”

  “Oh, he’s a baby, all right,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And what about Arna?”

  “Arna is a Watcher. He’s a cohort of Shamsiel,” Dorian explained.

  “An angel,” I remarked, trying to clarify his explanation.

  “Yes. He’s an angel like Raja. Only he fights with us, not against us.”

  I nodded.

  Dorian’s attention focused on me, his lips pursed as he appeared to think carefully about the words he was about to speak. “Look. Now that they have your sword, we’re in even more danger than we were before. Especially you, Skyy. If they get a hold of you and get your blood, that’s it. Game over. The site needs to be protected, as do you. If they manage to cut off your wings or
manage to wound you again with your own sword, you’ll be vulnerable. And if that happens—”

  “I’m dead,” I said, interrupting his train of thought.

  Dorian let out a long sigh. “Yeah.”

  I was stunned. How had he not shared that tidbit of information with me earlier?

  After all those years of trying to end my life unsuccessfully, it turned out that the one thing responsible for my isolation was also the reason for my immortality.

  “I thought that the Spear of Azazel, my sword, was the only thing that could kill an angel. But you’re saying that if you cut off their wings, they’re mortal?” I asked incredulously.

  “Not entirely. An angel’s wings, as strong as they are, aren’t impervious. They can be sliced off by any sword if sharp enough. But once the wings are gone, angels can be killed. But only your sword can do that.”

  I stared into the sky for a moment. “So you’re saying that after all these years, if someone had managed to cut off my wings…” My voice trailed off in mid-thought.

  “You’re not an angel. Remember?” He turned away, rubbing the back of his neck with his fingers. His silence told me far more than any words could.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” I began. “That I might use this little bit of information in the future to kill myself.”

  “Well, you do have a track record,” he said, facing me once again.

  “You don’t need to worry about that anymore.”

  “I don’t?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

  “I came to an understanding with myself when I almost died.”

  Dorian shot me a look of skepticism.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I snapped. “What I don’t understand is why it affected me the way it did. The sword barely broke the skin and I nearly died – with my wings intact.”

  Dorian’s face contorted as he thought.

  “The only thing I can think of is that since you’re not an angel, it affected you differently. Your wings don’t need to be sliced off in order to be killed with it. I mean, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Your mother was a Hybrid, so I’m sure it has something to do with that.”

  I nodded, although I wasn’t sure I understood myself.

  I stood and faced my friends. “Anyway, someone needs to head to the site tonight. I’ll go if someone wants to go with me.”