5.0 - Light Of The Stygian Orb

by Krista Walsh

  “I’m curious,” she said. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but you’re the only member of the otherworld I actually know, and I want to understand why you hate yourself.”

  “What? I don’t—”

  “Of course you do. That’s why you went to Jermaine in the first place. You said you wanted to choose a side because you hated being split down the middle. When we left the locked room, you said you would create your own side. Now, instead of doing that, you’re hiding in a crappy basement eating food you find on the street, with only a cat for company. Even if she is tiny and precious.”

  She tagged on the last words for Dusty’s sake as the kitten sniffed at her fingers and rubbed her cheek against them.

  Zach bristled at having his words thrown back in his face, but he couldn’t deny that she was right. When he’d left Jermaine’s room, he’d intended to make a difference…somehow. Instead he’d continued on exactly as he had before, using his honor debt to Molly as an excuse for not moving forward. By lying in wait for an opportunity to save her, he could convince himself he was doing something useful. Now that he’d achieved his aim, he was walking away. But to what?

  The revelation struck like bells in his mind, and he set the empty container on the ground.

  “I’ve been using the time to think,” he said, although it wasn’t exactly the truth. “There’s a lot I need to figure out, and the conflict of my blood is not something I can just settle by choosing which family I want to be a part of. You say I’m not all monster, but my angel side is far from the warm, compassionate being most humans think about when you hear the word. Angels are cold, brutal, and often no more forgiving than the demons. The only real difference is that they’re capable of mercy if you show the right kind of remorse.”

  During his childhood, he’d never had a good experience with angels. His demon mother had tried to teach him that they carried their own strength, but he’d never seen it for himself. Through her, he’d learned the simple power of his demon blood, strength fueled by anger. It was enough for him.

  Molly shivered and looped her scarf once around her neck. “You don’t go full demon, though, right? So couldn’t you just go partial angel?”

  “All there would be is judgment,” he said. “Some strength, no defenses, just a slight healing ability and an overwhelming belief that I’m right. It’s no use to me.”

  Zach leaned forward and turned on the gas for the stove, lighting the fire so a small flame burned under the element. The warmth wafted toward him soon after, and Molly’s occasional shivers eased.

  “I know there’s a lot about the world — yours and mine — that I don’t understand,” she said, “but if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that you can’t grow in a vacuum. You need something to happen if you want to learn what you’re actually capable of. Otherwise, any thinking you do, any planning you do, is purely hypothetical, and that doesn’t help anyone.”

  She rubbed her hands in front of the heat, and Zach stared at her. After a moment, he snorted. “Never thought I’d hear wise words like that coming out of a kid your size.”

  The corner of her lip curled upward. “I’m far from your average kid.”

  “I’m guessing you speak from experience?”

  Molly turned her face toward the stove and shrugged a shoulder. “Seems like it a lot of the time. My parents are fantastic, and they’ve been incredibly patient and supportive. Anything I needed, they invested in it, even if it meant not being able to afford a lot of extras in their lives when they were just starting out. But when you’re a child without sight or hearing, your frame of reference is so small, and everything you do takes longer to master. Everything has to be accommodated, until there are no accommodations, and you need to learn to adjust to match the environment. Every day, I have to learn some new way to interact with the world.” She ran her scarf through her fingers, then jogged it up and down as Dusty jumped for the fringe. “I had my cochlears put in when I was fifteen months old and started speech therapy when I was two and a half. Even with all that work, some people still have a difficult time understanding me, or they think something’s wrong with me, so they leave me out of things. If my parents hadn’t pushed me to experience the world, I would have been stuck in the same vacuum you’ve locked yourself into. Fortunately, I had people to push me forward.”

  Zach didn’t know what to say to that.

  He couldn’t believe he had just been schooled by a teenager.

  “You might be right,” he said, and the unfamiliar stretch of a smile touched his lips as she raised an eyebrow at him. “I stay here because it’s safe to stay here, but as I keep reminding you, this world isn’t a safe place.”

  Molly’s smile turned smug, and she turned her attention back to Dusty, who was nibbling on the ends of her fingers.

  “Does it make me an ass to ask how you developed your…challenges?” Zach asked.

  He didn’t know why he cared. Why did it matter? He’d never see the girl again after tonight. And yet her story had struck a chord deep in his chest, and he found himself even more curious about this young woman who was apparently smarter than he was. Maybe braver as well.

  “I’ll answer, but only because it’s you,” she said, a faint tease in her words. And then she shrugged. “The truth is we have no idea. My dad pushed for all kinds of tests when I was growing up, but the doctors have never been able to explain it. I was just born this way. I was never ill, I didn’t experience any trauma, there was no gradual degeneration. I was just born without the ability to see or hear, and for no good reason as far as science can tell. If I were religious, I’d say that some higher power really screwed me over.” She gave a dry, bitter laugh. “Since I’ve now learned that gods and angels do exist, can you point me in the direction of who I can yell at?”

  Zach didn’t answer, and after a moment, Molly’s shoulders relaxed. She picked Dusty up into her lap.

  “I’m not actually that angry anymore,” she said. “I have days, obviously, but I went through that stage when I was younger where I hated the world. Now I just try to live with what I have and be grateful science has come so far that I can hear some of it.”

  She tapped the plastic piece hooked behind her left ear. Dusty followed the motion of her fingers, then rose up and started batting at it. Molly pulled her away and teased her with her scarf again.

  “I guess we’re both balanced between two worlds,” she said. “Maybe that’s why I enjoy talking to you so much.”

  Zach remained silent. Her honesty was unusual for him, and the horrifying truth was that he didn’t hate her company either.

  He couldn’t bring himself to admit it with words, though. Silently, he opened the container with the apple pie and split it in half.

  ***

  After that night, Zach abandoned all thought of leaving town. Running away from Karl and his minions would only get him so far, and there was no guarantee he’d be any safer somewhere else. If he was going to make a stand, it might as well be on familiar territory, one where he knew — and had created — most of the defenses.

  Zach also stopped making a big deal about Molly’s visits when she came by in the middle of the night, which she continued to do, always bringing containers full of homemade food. Dusty was finally starting to put some meat on her growing frame.

  Taking his own words to heart about the need for Molly to learn how to keep herself safe, he found himself taking up the task he’d imagined the first time the girl had stepped back into his life. He offered to help train her to fight. She’d eagerly agreed, and they spent part of every evening testing her bizarre ability to know where he was in the room. She was a quick study and picked up the basics as he demonstrated them, learning how to escape holds and inflict maximum damage with minimal effort. It wouldn’t be enough to get her out of a fight — not yet — but at least she’d stand a chance if she lost her arrows again.

  He also made a point to fill her in on the traps he’d set aro
und the college. The last thing he wanted was her sneaking around and setting one off.

  “Booby traps?” she asked when he told her. “Like from that movie with the kid and burglars?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re missing out. But, seriously, are we talking paint cans on the tops of doors or blowtorches to the face?”

  “What kind of movie is this? No, kid, no blowtorches. I do have a few buckets of nails though. Some support beams primed to collapse, and one or two paint cans ready to swing.”

  “That is so cool. But you said cops come by sometimes. Aren’t you worried you’ll hurt one of them by accident and they’ll track you down?”

  “It’s crossed my mind,” he said, “but it’s worth it if it keeps the real threats away.”

  After the third night, Zach started leaving the side door unlocked around the time Molly usually arrived. He found himself looking forward to the tap of her cane along the boiler room floor.

  Tonight, she’d been there for fifteen minutes before the unmistakable sound of a paint can swinging into a dumpster broke the silence of the evening.

  In a heartbeat, both he and Molly were on their feet. “What was that?” she asked.

  He scowled. “Someone looking to annoy me.”

  “What kind of idiot would be dumb enough to make that mistake?” she asked.

  Since Karl had left him alone after the night of the ghoul attack, he hadn’t bothered to share his problems with Molly. He’d hoped Karl’s absence meant that he’d finally accepted Zach’s lack of interest. Obviously he’d been overly optimistic.

  Figuring it was only fair to give Molly a heads up if she was going to be spending more time around the college, he told her about the encounter with the Topan demon and the offer he’d made. He left out any mention of Mayzell Industries or the suggestion that the demon wasn’t about to let Zach walk away. Until Zach had a way of confirming if any of that was true, it was all guesswork, and sharing guesses would only cause needless worry for the girl.

  “He just wanted you to go with him? Without any explanation?” Molly asked after he finished telling his story. “Does he think you’re stupid?”

  Zach snorted. He’d been prepared for more panic and concern on her part, but maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised. So far the girl had been too stubborn to let herself appear intimidated. “I’m glad I’m not the only one to see it that way.”

  “And now you think they’re watching you?”

  “Looks like it. That’s two traps they’ve set off this week. They haven’t been able to come any closer than the alley, but I know they’re out there.”

  He eyed her closely, gaging her reaction to the news. Would she finally decide the risk was too great to consider coming here? Part of him hoped so. The other part wanted to reassure her that he wouldn’t let any harm come to her. He kept both parts silent by biting down on his tongue and waiting for her to say something.

  After a few moments, she frowned. “Clearly they don’t know who they’re messing with, but I’m sure you’ll show them when you get a chance.” She paused. “Are you worried?”

  “Nah, kid,” he said, shrugging. “They’re more of a pain in the ass than anything else. I’ll just rig up a few more traps to be on the safe side.”

  “If you’re not worried, then I have no reason to be,” she said. “I know you’ve got my back.”

  Her faith in Zach warmed him as much as it froze him to his core. It loaded a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and he didn’t know yet if he had the strength to hold it up. Especially since the bigger question of what Karl wanted was still up in the air.

  Maybe it was time to start digging for some answers.

  But if Molly was determined to continue her visits, Zach was just as determined to ramp up security around the college. He didn’t want the demons watching them too closely.

  He started by moving the dumpsters so they blocked the windows to his living space. They cut off most of the sunlight in the afternoons, but that didn’t bother him. He’d always been more comfortable in the dark. He lined all the entrances he rarely used with tripwires, guaranteeing he’d hear them coming, and set to work altering the service hatch on the top of the elevator car. In a place a big as the college, it only seemed smart to have some kind of trapdoor available.

  After he finished double-checking all the other booby traps he kept around the college basement, he finally began to relax. He wished he could do more to keep Molly safe when she wasn’t here, but other than walking her home, he wouldn’t do anything that might draw more attention to her.

  He knew it was stupid to let a thug like Karl drive his anxiety to such levels, but it was no longer just himself he had to look out for. And if he didn’t want Karl bothering him at home, maybe it was time to pay him a visit.

  He pulled the card out of his pocket. Mayzell Industries, it read, with a local address printed beneath, and a toll-free phone number. No direct way of reaching the demon.

  But what if the clue was in the company? Karl had chosen Mayzell for a reason, so maybe there was something to it after all.

  Molly’s words had spurred Zach into taking action. If he wanted to prove to himself which side of the spectrum he fell on, he had to act. Passivity wouldn’t teach him anything.

  The next day, Zach took himself back to the public library, one of his favorite places in New Haven. He loved the silence of the aisles and the smells of old texts. So many words, so many hard decisions made by so many people, both fictional and not. Their stories made his own situation seem simple by comparison.

  Since library use had dropped significantly over the last decade, there were rarely enough people around to make him feel uncomfortable. Here he didn’t need to worry about eyes following him, except for the librarian whenever he drifted too close to the restricted section. He suspected she was at least part sphinx, which was enough to keep him away anyway.

  Settling himself in front of one of the computer terminals, he did his usual check through the weekly news. He used to read the news so he wouldn’t fall behind the times, but in the last couple of weeks, his search had been more pointed. Five weeks ago, three people had died in New Haven’s abandoned hospital, Peony House — one by suspicious means, two by seemingly natural causes — and a fourth had been committed to the New Haven Mental Health Hospital. A week after that, the city had been under siege with a snowstorm that had locked everything down while over half a dozen strange murders had taken place at the harbor. Finally, within two short weeks, one of New Haven’s most expensive hotels and a local bookstore had burned to the ground for reasons the fire department couldn’t determine.

  Add all of those events to the ghoul attack earlier this week, and it was impossible to deny that the energy in New Haven had changed. The otherworld was rising, as though it was no longer content to remain hidden behind its veil of secrecy.

  Zach had no idea if it was a natural occurrence — the regular ebb and flow that could be tracked across all ecosystems — or if something else was forcing the issue.

  And then there was Karl. Zach ground his teeth as he moved away from the mainstream news, which thankfully showed nothing out of the ordinary today, and did a search for Mayzell Industries.

  There had to be something more to Karl’s story that Zach had missed, because on the surface it made no sense. Headhunters did not have their subjects threatened and stalked if they expressed a lack of interest — they just moved on to the next name on the list. Either Karl was lying through his flashy little teeth, or something was going on that the news outlets hadn’t caught on to yet.

  Something that made them want to keep a close eye on Zach. By why? For what purpose did they need him? All to start up some new factory? The only possibility that came to mind was being forced into physical labor to help set the place up, though he had no idea how they intended to make him comply.

  And what if he agreed to work with them? Part of him wanted to
make use of the business card Karl had given him and tell him he’d changed his mind, just so he could find out what this was all about. Molly was right — he needed to get out of his vacuum. Maybe this would be the best way to do it.

  But the thought of giving in without knowing what would be expected of him made him shy away. Jermaine had promised to help him sort out his demon, but Zach still woke up screaming, remembering the way fire had scorched his veins as the warlock had peeled his demon blood out of the depths to try to command it. His throat still scratched from the scales that had lined the roof of his mouth.

  In the silence of the library, Zach felt himself choking, and he coughed loudly to settle his rising anxiety.

  The sphinx glared at him over her gold-rimmed glasses, and he glowered back at her before focusing again on his computer. He hadn’t found any hint that Mayzell Industries was connected with the otherworld, but there were other ways of finding out if Karl was telling the truth. If a new factory was being built, that would give some credence that maybe the Topan demon wasn’t a greasy liar, but a greasy lackey instead. And one that Zach should have paid more attention to.

  There were no new updates on the company’s website, but he did have some success with the New Haven Chronicle’s online archives. Buried deeply in the local news from a few weeks ago was a short paragraph about Mayzell Industries’ new project.

  Most known for its scientific and medical equipment, Mayzell Industries seems to have taken a turn for the mysterious in their latest entrepreneurial step.

  “We felt it was time for a change,” says CEO Edgar Wenzell. “We decided to take the name our clients know and love and bring it into a new field.”

  When asked what this new field might be, however, Wenzell remains tight-lipped. “After everything is set up and ready to go, we will be unveiling our new brand to the world. I’m excited about the response, as I believe this will truly be a turning point not only for New Haven, but the world.”

  Fellow CEO Arthur Mayes shares his partner’s enthusiasm. “This has been a long time coming,” he says. “It’s always been a dream of mine, and I can’t wait to see it come to fruition. We hope everyone in New Haven will enjoy the changes and the opportunity for a fresh start.”