“You want me to ally myself with you?” asked Jack. “What does that mean?”
“Swear an oath of loyalty to me,” said Mezolak. “It’s simple, really. Doing so will create an obligation between us backed by my magic. You’ll still be your own person, but when I have a request, or when I am in dire need of your aid, you shan’t be able to refuse my call.”
“That’s it?” asked Jack. “That’s all you want?”
“I’ll even allow you some time to enjoy the company of your female before making my first request,” said Mezolak. “Simple, isn’t it? I am not an unreasonable entity to bargain with, mortal. You should know that for yourself, after the memory I let you…”
Mezolak trailed off. His mouth was still open and moving, but no sound came forth. He blinked, and for an instant, his expression relaxed into one that Jack recognized. It was the same look that his father used to get whenever he was in a situation that put him under stress.
“Jack,” said Mezolak. “Jackie… you have to… listen.”
It wasn’t Mezolak speaking. The tone of voice and cadence were unmistakable. Jack stared into his father’s eyes, feeling a convoluted and unfair mixture of emotions.
“Run,” said his father. “Jack… don’t do it! For… the love of god… just run! Think of… your—Grah!”
Jack watched his father’s face suddenly contort with pain. He threw his head backward and tipped off his feet, falling to the cellar’s stone floor and seizing with pain. He thrashed for several seconds before finally managing to pull himself back to his feet. Jack knew at a single glance that Mezolak was back in control.
“Insolence,” said Mezolak, to no one in particular. “You already made your bargain, you sniveling wretch.”
The demon shook his head, slowly refocusing his attention back to Jack and the current situation. Jack took a slow breath, feeling committed to what he was about to do.
If anything, seeing that his father still had a small, if insubstantial, amount of control only made him more certain in his choice. Right or wrong, he’d be giving Ryoko a chance at life again. Perhaps, by swearing loyalty to Mezolak, he might also get a chance to save his father, as well.
He knew that the justifications wouldn’t stand up to his own scrutiny for long. He was making a deal with a demon. A deal which Mezolak would only consider if he knew that he’d have the upper hand in it. A deal that would shackle him to the whims and desires of a creature that fit the definition of true evil.
“I accept,” said Jack. “If you save Ryoko, you’ll have my loyalty. But only if you save her.”
“Then take my hand, and make it so,” said Mezolak.
Jack stared at the demon inhabiting his father’s body. Mezolak had a cold smile on his face, but there was nothing deceptive in his expression. He looked down at Mezolak’s outstretched hand, then over his shoulder at Mira.
She held his gaze for a couple of seconds before giving him a slow nod. It was a nod that reaffirmed her trust in him and did more for Jack’s mental fortitude than almost anything else could have. He just hoped that what he was about to do wouldn’t make trouble for her on top of what he was getting himself into.
Jack gritted his teeth, and then reached forward and shook Mezolak’s hand. The demon’s palm was cold and a little slimy, and his smile grew wider as soon as Jack’s palm made contact with his. A sharp, unpleasant sensation reverberated through the rest of his body, as though he was running his nails down a chalkboard while standing next to a church bell in the middle of ringing.
Mezolak’s eyes flashed a hellish, hollow red. The air suddenly became thick with the rotten egg stench of sulfur. A thin wind cut through the cellar, mussing Jack and Mira’s hair and causing a few wine bottles to clack together in their rack.
“There,” said Mezolak. “It is done. Do you feel any different?”
Jack had already started to shake his head when a dull, throbbing sensation right behind his eyes. It wasn’t painful, exactly, but it was incessant, and he knew without needing to be told what it would take to make it go away.
“A little,” he said. “Not really.”
The pain instantly subsided. Jack ran a hand through his hair. He was mortified of the implications of what he’d just done, but that emotion was nothing compared to his fear of Mezolak refusing to follow through with his end of the bargain. Or worse, fulfilling it in the manner of an evil genie, and twisting his original request into something dark and unpleasant.
“Ryoko,” said Jack. “You told me you’d bring her back.”
“And I shall,” said Mezolak. “If I do not, you may consider yourself released from our bargain.”
Jack felt the pressure and stakes of Mezolak’s words, almost like a physical thing. It was both a relief, and absolutely terrifying. If Mezolak didn’t fulfill his end of what had been promised, Jack would automatically be free of the effects of his magical obligation.
On the other hand, Jack’s best-case scenario moving forward was to let himself be turned into a glorified pawn, incapable of refusing any serious demand that Mezolak issued. He didn’t much care to think about what the demon might end up using him for.
CHAPTER 36
“Let us begin,” said Mezolak. “The spell is a rather difficult one. Especially for me to perform while confined to a human body. Silence, if you will.”
Mezolak stalked over to the bottle which held the water nymph. He let out a dark chuckle as he examined it through the glass. It didn’t look much different from a normal halfway-filled glass bottle, except for the way the liquid would occasionally seem to move against gravity, or swirl in a curious and unpredictable manner.
Jack chewed his lip as he watched Mezolak carrying it toward the center of the cellar. The water nymph had been a monster, but she’d also been oblivious to the effects of her own actions. Like a beautiful wild animal rather than a true creature of darkness. She didn’t deserve to be sacrificed for her life energy. Of course, Ryoko didn’t deserve her fate, either. Even if she had chosen it for herself.
Jack felt guilty, but in a cold, calculating sort of way. He couldn’t release the water nymph back into the ocean. He didn’t like the idea of keeping her imprisoned indefinitely, either. If the only remaining option was to destroy her, better she serve a purpose in the end rather than dying a pointless death.
It was all just words. He still felt a little like throwing up as Mezolak held the bottle over Ryoko’s body. He spoke silent words under his breath for a couple of seconds, gathering his internal magical essence for the spell.
Then, he tossed the bottle into the air. In the brief instant while it was still aloft, Mezolak slammed his arm forward, extending a spear of dark purple magical energy forward and through the bottle. The energy slammed through the glass, shattering it and letting the water within fall across Ryoko’s chest and stomach. A high-pitched, chirping scream of pain echoed through the basement.
The spear of purple energy continued to exist, swirling once through the air, and then coming to a stop right over Ryoko’s body. It hung there for a moment before fracturing into hundreds of smaller pieces. Each piece crawled across Ryoko’s body, sliding into her nose, mouth, and ears like tiny, dark bugs.
Jack felt a mixture of hope and disgust as he watched it happen. He’d seen Mezolak do the same thing for him, in the lost memory the demon had shared with him. Remembering that made him wonder how much of what had happened over the past few days had been because of the demon’s direct manipulation. He didn’t want to think about it. Not now. Not after he’d thrown himself headfirst into a situation he couldn’t change.
“She might not be herself immediately,” said Mezolak. “Mortals don’t typically react well to this kind of magic. She may have some memory loss or personality leakage from the donated essence.”
Ryoko twitched and then seized. Her body flailed against the cellar’s stone floor, limbs and head swinging recklessly and painfully against anything in reach. Her mouth opened, and she let
out several ugly gasps.
Jack hurried to her side. He slid a hand under her head as gently as he could and cradled her to him, trying to keep her from hurting herself as the seizing subsided. She was breathing again, taking small, ragged breaths. She felt warm. Jack was grinning like an idiot, and he could feel his eyes starting to heat up as the relief hit him in a sudden, overwhelming flood.
“Did it work?” asked Mira.
Jack nodded, and then gave Ryoko a gentle hug, only barely managing to restrain himself, for her sake. As he pulled back, he saw her eyes flutter open. She looked at him without recognition, and it took Jack a couple of seconds to notice what was off. Her eyes were still the same deep emerald green, but the pupils were now horizontal, rather than vertical. Like a cat. Or like a water nymph.
Ryoko coughed, and a cup’s worth of clear water spilled out from her mouth. She let out a tiny, embarrassed gasp and clamped a hand over her lips. She coughed again, and this time, the water came pouring out of her nose, instead.
“Ryoko!” said Jack. “It’s okay! Just… stay calm. Focus on breathing.”
Ryoko gasped, and the sound of it was wet and sucking. Jack tried to squeeze her hand, but she pushed him back. A jet of water thicker than the output of a firehose extended from her palm at high speed, slamming into his chest and knocking him into the stone wall of the cellar.
Jack fell to the floor, momentarily dazed from the way the back of his skull had impacted. Ryoko slowly stood her feet, taking shaky steps forward. She was clad only in her blue cotton nightgown, which had been made practically sheer from the thin layer of water that ran over the outside of her skin. She looked scared and confused, and there was no recognition in her eyes as she met his gaze.
“Ryoko!” said Jack.
She shook her head, and then her expression contorted with pain. Ryoko brought both hands to her temples and let out a high-pitched, ear-splitting scream. A crack of thunder loud enough to reverberate through the entire mansion sounded overhead, followed by the sound of pouring rain.
“Jack,” said Mira. “She’s a danger to herself right now. And to us.”
Mira was slowly walking toward Ryoko with both arms outstretched, as though she was approaching a frightened wild animal. Ryoko took a small step backward, and then threw both arms forward on reflex with another scream. A jet of water twice the size of the previous one threw Mira backward and into a wine rack with a painful, glass-shattering crunch.
“Listen to me, Ryoko!” shouted Jack. “You have to try to calm down. It’s going to be okay. Please, I know what you’re going—”
Water gushed outward from Ryoko’s body, swirling around her once before splashing back like the shockwave from a grenade. Jack tumbled backward, head over heels, only coming to a stop on the now partially flooded stone floor after a few seconds of uncoordinated sliding.
She looked so vulnerable, despite how dangerous she’d become. Her nightgown stuck to her body as though it had been painted on, revealing the outlines of her petite breasts and thin frame.
She was shivering and taking shaky steps on legs that threatened to give out underneath her. Jack pulled himself to his feet and tried to hurry to her side. She slammed him with another blast of water, this time only knocking his feet out from under him, but it was still enough to slow him down.
Ryoko hesitated for a moment, glancing at the stairs and then around the cellar, as though coming to a decision. She took off in a burst of movement, taking half the water she’d created with her, which seemed to swirl around her body and strengthen her resolve.
“No!” shouted Jack. “Please, Ryoko!”
Thunder boomed, this time close enough to make the mansion shake through to its foundation. Jack pulled himself to his feet and hurried up the stairs. He made it up to the foyer in time to see Ryoko smashing through one of the mansion’s first floor windows, carried by the water and up into the storm.
He didn’t stop to consider the risk as he ran outside through the front door. The whipping wind and relentless downpour was enough to instantly chill him to the bone. He could see Ryoko slowly rising up into the air, floating through the storm as easily as a fish might meander through the sea.
Jack gritted his teeth and cast Shadow Levitation, calling upon the ample darkness of the surrounding night to carry him aloft. He only made it a short distance into the air before coming to a virtual stop. Ryoko was holding him back, preventing him from following after her with a wall of whipping wind and rain.
He put as much blood essence as he could into strengthening the spell, and for a couple of seconds, it seemed to work. But then, Ryoko simply increased the strength of her storm, and he felt himself being pushed back toward the ground. She was stronger than he was, now, and totally uninhibited.
Jack needed more. His blood essence reserves had been significantly drained from the spell. If he fed off Mira, he might have enough to empower his levitation to push through the storm. Of course, feeding off Mira again in such quick succession posed its own risk, and it would also take time that he didn’t really have. There had to be another option.
An idea popped into Jack’s head, and he was desperate enough to give it a try. He dropped back to the ground and hurried into the mansion. Mira had come up into the foyer, and she frowned at him as he ran by her, back into the basement.
Mezolak was still down there, smiling to himself as though the entire situation was some sort of private joke. Jack ignored him, instead finding his grandfather’s staff amidst the flooded water and floating wine bottles. It tingled as he took it into his hands, and he hurried back upstairs with it. Mira’s eyes flicked down to his hands, and then back up to his face as her lips pulled downward into a frown.
“That’s Peter’s staff,” said Mira.
“Yeah,” he said.
“You foolish boy,” she said. “Attempting to use that for one of your normal blood magic spells is flirting with disaster. You aren’t in a calm state of mind right now. There could be psychic backlash, or worse.”
“I don’t have a choice,” said Jack. “I have to do it.”
“This isn’t going to end well,” said Mira. “I wish… I could have advised you better.”
“Neither of us knew what was going to happen,” he said. “This is a risk I have to take.”
He looked down at his grandfather’s gnarled wizard’s staff. Katie had once told him that magical weapons were personal artifacts. They oftentimes had immense stores of power within them, but that power was only usable in an efficient, rechargeable, and safe manner by whoever the artifact was originally bound to.
Jack didn’t care if what he was about to do was safe. He’d used the staff as a focus for the summoning spell, and it had worked. It was a longshot, but if he could use it in the same way to enhance his levitation, then he might have a chance to reach Ryoko. If it didn’t, it was hard for him to see it making the situation much worse.
He wasn’t sure what would happen when he reached her. There was a chance that she still wouldn’t recognize him. Given the uncontrolled strength of her newfound water magic, she might see him as a threat and destroy him. The potion Jack had taken earlier in the day had long since worn off. He would be putting himself in danger, but it was a danger that his own, direct decisions had given birth to.
“Please,” said Mira. “Be careful. Don’t let your own feelings get in the way of your instinct to survive.”
Jack smiled but forced himself to nod, if only to put her at ease. He’d already been on the verge of giving up earlier that night. He wasn’t about to go to that place again without at least making an attempt at fixing things.
CHAPTER 37
He sprinted outside and was instantly greeted by stinging rain and hurricane-strength winds. He could still see Ryoko, hovering over the mansion. She’d pulled her knees up to her chest, and she looked more vulnerable than he’d ever seen her before.
Jack took Peter’s staff in both hands and lifted it above his head. A tingle
emanated from his fingers and palms at the points of contact. Jack focused his awareness, reaching into the power contained within the staff in the same way he’d typically reach for his own blood essence reserves.
The pushback was immediate. It was a sharp, uncomfortable sensation, like the psychic version of sliding a razor underneath a fingernail. He gritted his teeth, pushing past the pain and attempting to draw power from the staff.
It was too much. He gasped, taking a breath of stormy air that was thick with rain. Jack fell to one knee, shuddering from the mere echo of the pain. He rolled the staff over in his hands and immediately started trying again.
“Please…” he muttered. “I don’t have any other option.”
The pain built to an unbearable level more quickly this time, with the additional sensation of the staff feeling like a white-hot iron bar in his hands. Jack felt the intensity of it trigger a surge of nausea, and he turned his head to the side and started dry heaving.
“Please!” he shouted, into the storm. “I’m begging you! I can’t do this alone!”
He clenched his jaw tight enough to make his teeth hurt and tried again, knowing that it was pointless. Knowing that he’d already failed Ryoko and had only compounded his failure with another hilariously dumb mistake.
This time, the staff gave ground. He felt it responding to him almost like a sentient thing, flaring forward with pain, and then pulling back as it seemed to consider Jack’s intentions. It released its defenses all at once, and the sudden cessation of pain and obstruction was so unexpected that Jack almost fell forward onto his face.
It was incredible. It felt as though just by holding the staff, the limits of his magical Potential were expanded by at least twice over. It also felt familiar, like it was letting him reach out to the part of his grandfather contained within the artifact. It was nostalgic, a mixture of color, scent, and memory all at once.
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