by KT Webb
“Oh, Nora, I love you,” Kerr said, his smile evident.
“Well, I can’t say I blame you,” Nora replied, snaking her arm around his naked abdomen.
Kerr laughed out loud. They snuggled in and fell asleep.
Chapter Three:
Thatcher
Thatcher watched as the people walked up and down the street. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but he knew he’d recognize it when it appeared. He had spent the last few years tracking down the effects of the negative energy released into the world after Absalom was killed.
The day he destroyed his ancestor, Thatcher absorbed all the abilities Absalom had stolen from the descendants he murdered. But they discovered a few short months later that they hadn’t just released the abilities. They had released the evil.
The world had become a terrifying place. Thatcher often felt like he and the other Evolved were part of a supernatural cleanup crew. They traveled the world whenever an area displayed a spike in negative energy.
He and Romulus made this trip to Chicago a few weeks ago. They had been working tirelessly to find and calm the people who appeared to be infected with Absalom’s negativity. Both Romulus and Kerr had the ability to incite emotions in others, but they could only counter an emotion someone was already feeling. If someone was angry, they could calm them. If someone was depressed, they could help them dig out of the depths of despair. It was the only way they were able to nullify the evil they had encountered.
Romulus came up beside him and cast a sidelong glance at Thatcher. This had become their pattern. They split up, did their rounds, then came back to make sure the other was alright.
“Did you find him?” Thatcher asked.
Romulus shook his head. “No. But he’s here. Lurking. Waiting for the next girl.”
Thatcher felt his stomach turn as he thought about the condition they found the last girl in. They had been tracking a man who abducted women from Millennium Park. He took them and did disgusting things to them, before dumping their bodies on the Red Line train. The girls usually disappeared in the afternoon, and would reappear the next morning.
Thatcher caught the sound as though the world had gone silent. A muffled cry to his left. With his heart pounding in his chest, he turned and made his way toward it. Romulus wordlessly followed, understanding that Thatcher would fill him in when it was time. He walked down the street and came to an alley. Thatcher knew he needed to gain a better perspective, so he leapt into the air. He usually only flew when he wanted to feel close to Malcolm, but he knew this was the only way to see. Careful to stay near the building to avoid being noticed, he peered around until he saw the man struggling to pull a woman off the street.
Thatcher came back to the ground and motioned for Romulus to follow him. “He’s just around the corner. I don’t know where he’s taking her, but she’s putting up a fight. That should slow him down.”
They made it around the building in time to see the woman twist out of his grasp and stumble as she tried to run. He must have drugged her. Romulus’ face was tight, and his mouth drawn in a thin line. It was clear that he was struggling to control the emotions of this predator. The man stood staring at them, but Thatcher could see he was going to fight anything Romulus threw at him.
“You’re going to be alright,” Thatcher said soothingly as he approached the young woman on the ground.
“I can’t move my legs,” she answered in terror.
“I need you to stay as calm as possible. Here’s my cell phone. Call 911,” Thatcher replied as he handed her the burner phone.
He turned to Romulus to ask if he could help, but found the Old Immortal shaking as he attempted to maintain control.
“This man doesn’t feel anything. I can only catch bits of emotion. None of them are strong enough to hold him,” Romulus said through gritted teeth.
This wasn’t a result of Absalom’s negative energy; this was something else entirely. He felt someone watching them from the shadow of the alley. Thatcher whipped around to see a tall, thin man standing at the edge of the darkness. Thinking quickly, Thatcher lunged at the man who had attacked the woman. It broke the connection Romulus had created, but gave Thatcher the advantage. He landed on top of the man and pulled his arm back. He felt his fist connect with the man’s jaw and heard a sickening crack. A hand gripped him from behind. He felt a surge of anger fill him and punched the man again. As he pulled back to take another swing, Romulus caught his arm.
“Thatcher, we need to leave. There was another man here; one that we cannot fight. The police will be here soon. The woman will be alright. We should go, unless you want to spend the rest of the day down at the precinct,” Romulus said to him.
Thatcher closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew Romulus was right, but he couldn’t calm the rage that tightened his chest. The man lying underneath him was a monster. He had a darkness in him that was inhuman. Thatcher didn’t think he should live. He represented everything they were trying to eradicate from the world.
“Why was it so hard for you to influence his emotions?” Thatcher asked.
Romulus shrugged. “It was strange. He wasn’t feeling anything. All I could sense was darkness and anger. It was as though all he had inside him was fury. If there is no opposite emotion present, I can’t counter it.”
The two stood against the building, watching the man warily. Thatcher was ready to strike again if the man so much as took a deep breath.
It didn’t take long before the alley was flooded with police officers. Thatcher and Romulus disappeared in the commotion.
Chapter Four:
Kerr
Kerr woke to the sound of the hair dryer as Nora got herself ready for the day. He smiled to himself and lay with is eyes closed for a few moments. They had a big day planned for Keira’s fourth birthday. Everyone was supposed to be home.
There had not been much time to be together since Absalom died. When Nora brought Thatcher back from the battle, Kerr had experienced a vision that left him wondering what would be next. Kerr allowed himself to relive the vision, as he did every morning to keep it fresh in his mind.
A woman was kneading dough near a window. The room was simple, and the walls appeared to be made of clay. Kerr watched the woman for a moment before he wandered to another window to take a closer look at the scenery. There was a breathtaking view of the ocean, and the hut appeared to be surrounded by others like it. He was alerted to the arrival of a man as the woman addressed him.
“Epimetheus! Welcome home!” she said with a smile on her face.
“Hello, my love. How has the day been?” Epimetheus asked.
“It has been as fair a day as any,” the woman replied.
Kerr watched as Epimetheus kissed the woman on her forehead and embraced her. He became rigid in her embrace as he noticed something out of place.
“Pandora, why is the sphere out in the open?” Epimetheus asked with great concern.
“I was just looking at it,” Pandora replied.
Kerr looked over at a chair in the corner and saw a beautiful object. It was gold and glowing, pulsing with an ethereal light. He couldn’t take his eyes off it.
“You know we are to protect it, we are not to play with it,” Epimetheus scolded.
“I know. I was only interested in the beings inside. It seems cruel to keep them locked away,” Pandora said in a troubled tone.
“We must trust that the Creator knows what is best,” Epimetheus said as he carefully picked up the glowing golden sphere.
Pandora reached for it and snatched it from Epimetheus’ hands. Kerr heard the sharp intake of breath as Epimetheus saw how carelessly his mate handled the precious sphere. Pandora held it up to her eye as though trying to peer in.
“Sometimes I think I can hear them speaking to me. They speak to me in dreams. Their whispers tell me the Creator is trying to keep us from being like him. I have spoken with one of the Immortals, and he has confirmed this suspicion,” Pandora said as if in a trance.<
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“That is absurd. The Creator only has our best interests in mind. We are his children. He made us. He would never do something that would hurt us. Who is the Immortal you have spoken with?” Epimetheus asked in a steady voice.
Pandora shrugged her shoulders and continued to examine the sphere. Kerr knew Hadley had discovered that Tahlia was born of the sphere, but none of them had been told how it had happened. He had a feeling he was about to find out.
“I think it best we put it away,” Epimetheus told his wife.
“But I can hear them,” Pandora replied as though in a trance. “They want to come out.”
Kerr watched in horror as Pandora simply let the sphere fall from her hands. He heard Epimetheus scream and saw him fall helplessly to his knees.
Instead of hitting the floor, the sphere stopped inches above the ground and began to shake. Dark cracks began appearing, and black smoke began to snake its way out of each fissure. Suddenly, it shattered as though something inside exploded.
Each fragment of the sphere began to take the shape of some creature, but they whooshed away before becoming corporeal. Kerr felt the fear, anger, pain, and confusion as each strange malady passed by and through him during its escape. He saw Pandora fall to her knees next to her husband, wailing in fear and regret.
When all the dark, smoky figures had gone, Kerr sank to the ground in relief. It was over. But there was one piece of the sphere remaining on the floor. A curious smell began to fill the air that reminded Kerr of the first blooms of spring. Golden light filled the room, growing so intense that Kerr had to shield his eyes.
When he opened them again, Tahlia stood in front of him. She was bathed in the golden light, and she was wearing a dress that appeared to have been made from the light. Kerr let out the breath he had been holding and watched as Tahlia walked toward the couple cowering in the corner.
“Pandora, you have broken the trust the Creator placed in you. You have released all the Maladies back into the world. They are now free to do as they please. I am the final piece of the sphere. I am Elpis. The spirit of hope,” Tahlia told her.
Pandora whimpered quietly, nodding her head.
“Because of your betrayal, I have been asked to tell you that humankind will no longer be able to speak with the Creator face to face. You will never again be able to hold assembly with the Creator or the Council of Immortals. This will be your last encounter with one of our kind,” Tahlia told them in a gentle but stern voice that Kerr was familiar with.
The light grew more intense until Tahlia was gone. Kerr began to fade away as Pandora and Epimetheus clung to each other and cried.
Nora came out of the bathroom and smiled at Kerr. She finished getting dressed and turned to face him again.
“You should get your lazy self out of bed. We’ve got a little girl to spoil!” Nora said with a giggle.
“I know. I was just thinking,” Kerr said quietly.
“Were you thinking about your vision again?” Nora asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Kerr nodded. “Every morning. It was the first full vision I had of the past. I need to know why.”
Nora put her hand on his shoulder and leaned over until she was nose to nose with Kerr.
“We’ve been over this a million times. Absalom had absorbed all the evil of the world. When he died, it had nowhere to go, just like when the sphere shattered. Dorian is searching to see if there is more to it than that,” Nora said soothingly as she gave Kerr a quick kiss.
Kerr nodded and made his way to the bathroom. He knew she was right, but he had a nagging feeling that there was more to it than that. He felt he was missing some important detail that would help them as they fought the evil that Absalom had held within him.
Chapter Five:
Hadley
Hadley leaned her head against the window in the sitting room. After the commotion of the night before, she was anxious for Thatcher to return. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.
The years without Whitley had only been bearable because of her family. She grew much closer to her mother, and the idea that those evil creatures had finally caught up with her was almost too much for her to process. The nightmares her mother had been having were terrifying just to hear about. But the thought of those monsters being close enough to touch her mom left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
If they were willing to get that close to her mother, what would stop them from attacking the rest of her family? Thatcher was always off on missions with Romulus or Kerr. Anything could happen to any of them. She couldn’t bear losing anyone else.
She turned her thoughts to her research. Hadley had been diving head first into the library, trying to find any loophole that would bring her sister back to her. So far she had not found anything that indicated that was possible. But she knew her sister was still there, waiting. Whitley had become part of her; she talked to her every night in her dreams. Whitley had accepted her decision and continued to tell her to stop looking for a way to bring her back into the real world. But she couldn’t.
Her life without Whitley felt empty. Based on the prophecy she should feel whole; the two had been reunited. But Whitley wasn’t just a part of her, Whitley was her own person. There were parts of her twin that she would never be, and she would not lose those attributes if she didn’t have to.
A knock at the door startled Hadley from her thoughts. She looked up to see her mother peeking into the room. Hadley got up quickly and rushed to hug her mother.
“Mom, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Hadley said into her mother’s shoulder.
“I can take care of myself,” Tahlia said, trying to reassure her. But Hadley pulled away and shook her head.
“No. You can’t do that. You don’t get to do that anymore. You have us. None of us are willing to let you sacrifice yourself to protect us. So knock it off.” Hadley had her arms crossed and her brows furrowed.
“But they’re my demons. Not yours,” Tahlia replied.
“You’re wrong. They represent the very thing we have been spending all these years trying to eradicate from the world. The Evolved were created to destroy these threats and bring the world into the next era. If you don’t let us do that, you’re going against the Creator.” Hadley held her arms rigid, her hands in fists at her sides.
Tahlia stared open-mouthed at Hadley. She knew her mother was probably upset by her outburst, but she needed to make Tahlia understand that she didn’t need protecting anymore.
The door opened wide and a little girl with deep auburn curls came bounding in, running straight for Tahlia. Hadley smiled as Keira leapt into Tahlia’s arms.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Tahlia exclaimed as she hugged Keira tightly.
“Hi, Lia! Do you know what today is?” the little girl asked seriously.
“Hmmm, I think it’s Friday,” Tahlia replied with a sly grin.
As Keira giggled, her green eyes lit up and her small, freckled nose crinkled.
“I know what day it is,” Hadley whispered conspiratorially to her pseudo-niece.
Keira squealed and leaned over reaching for Hadley. She gladly took the little girl from Tahlia.
“Happy birthday, little one,” Hadley whispered into Keira’s curls.
She put her down and smiled as the little girl bounded out of the room, undoubtedly off to coax birthday wishes out of Dorian.
“Hadley . . . ” Tahlia began.
“No. Unless you’re going to tell me you understand and will never try to protect us again, we are done with this conversation,” Hadley told her mother sternly.
“I do understand. You’re right.” She sighed. “When did you become such a grown up?”
Hadley took her mother’s hand and grinned. “It’s a process. I’m still shocked myself sometimes."
They left the sitting room and entered the sunlit foyer just as Nora and Kerr came down the stairs. Hadley noticed the look of concern in Nora’s eyes as they fell on Tahlia. She was as worr
ied about her as Hadley was herself.
“Have you seen a little girl running around this place?” Kerr asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Daddy,” Keira exclaimed as she came running from the dining room and threw herself into Kerr’s arms.
Kerr swung her around and kissed her round cheeks. Hadley smiled at them as they made their way into the kitchen.
Nora took a step toward Tahlia, undoubtedly ready to give her the same speech Hadley already had. Hadley probably could have stopped her, but decided it would do Tahlia some good to hear it from someone else too.
“Tahlia. I am glad you’re alright. But next time, call for me or I will insist on going with you everywhere to ensure that you return to us in one piece,” Nora told her quietly.
This time there was no argument from Tahlia. She released Hadley’s hand and stepped forward to fold Nora into an embrace. She pulled back and looked into Nora’s eyes.
“I promise,” Tahlia told her.
Nora nodded and turned to follow her husband and daughter into the kitchen.
Chapter Six:
Dorian
Dorian sat in the library, staring at the shelves of books before him. He was lost in thought, unsure of where to turn next. He had been over each book at least twice since the day Kerr had his vision. He was not sure why Kerr was given that particular vision, or if it truly had any significant meaning to the future of the Old Immortals and the Evolved. But he promised Kerr he would look into it.
He scratched his well-trimmed beard and sighed through his nose. So far the only connection he could find was the nightmares, and now physical appearance, involving the evils released before Tahlia. There was little known about where the Maladies had come from. All he could remember was that Absalom found the purest evils and the Creator trapped them in the sphere. But they never asked where they came from or how Absalom had managed to find them. Considering how Absalom turned out, Dorian couldn’t help but think that his brother had somehow been changed even then.