by KT Webb
“Malice touched you. You freaked out. As soon as you rounded on me and started acting like a macho douchebag, I grabbed this and whacked you over the head,” Nora told him, tossing aside the pipe she’d been brandishing.
Kerr laughed in spite of the nauseating pain in his head. Nora never ceased to surprise him, and this was no exception. When faced with a merciless enemy and a suddenly violent and cruel husband, she chose to simply eliminate part of the problem. His amusement quickly turned to concern as he wondered what he had done to warrant the crack on the head.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t let you close enough to do anything stupid. It wasn’t you anyway. Sorry for the headache though,” Nora said as she offered him her hand.
As Nora helped him stand, he felt slightly dizzy. She must have hit him pretty hard. “Remind me not to tick you off alright?” He grimaced.
They made their way over to the others and found themselves looking at the Maladies as they must have appeared before they allowed themselves to become corrupted by their hatred. Disease and Pain no longer showed physical manifestations of the evil within.
“What happens to them now?” Hadley asked. With the Maladies bound, Pain could not infect her anymore.
“I will spread them out. They will be John and Jane Doe’s lying comatose in hospitals for a long time. When they wake, they will start to look for one another. That will be the sign the Creator needs to return,” Elpis told them.
Kerr nodded. He still wasn’t entirely sure what they were supposed to do with their lives while they waited for the Maladies to wake up, but it felt good knowing they weren’t going to hurt anyone for a while. He didn’t know what the future would bring, but he knew they could face it. In that moment, Kerr resolved to accept whatever challenges they faced. He felt his body begin to vibrate from his toes to the top of his head. He felt himself lift off the ground as he embraced the future, fulfilling his prophecy.
“Whoop! It’s about time!” Thatcher called out as Kerr came back to the ground.
Kerr laughed at Thatcher’s excitement. All of the Evolved had finally fulfilled their prophecies. They fulfilled the expectations the Creator set for them long before they were born.
He looked around him, realizing for the first time that he was standing in the remains of his store. He hadn’t had time to do much with it, but now it was gone altogether. The building had been empty for at least a year, but it was his home at one point. He looked beyond the boundaries of what used to be a building to see that a few neighboring buildings were in a similar state.
He made his way into the street, taking in the damage that the citizens of Benton had been led to do. He and Nora managed to find only fifty survivors lying in the street. He was heartbroken that they were just seconds too late for many of them.
He could only hope that most of the citizens of their small town had gotten away with their lives. Kerr desperately needed to check on his mother and stepfather, but he knew it would have to wait until they spoke with the Virtues and Whitley.
The crisp night air was filled with a deafening silence. It was almost as though the people had simply abandoned one another in order to save themselves. He felt so much sorrow for the innocent people who lost their lives to their friends and neighbors.
“They can’t do this anymore, right?” Kerr asked Elpis as she came to stand beside him.
“Not directly, no. The evil they represent will still be in your world, but they cannot turn people into something they’re not. It will be similar to when they were trapped in the Underworld. They will absorb the negative energy of the people who invite those evils into their hearts. They won’t be conscious, and they won’t know they’re doing it,” she replied.
Kerr felt Nora take his hand; he squeezed in response. They turned back to the wreckage of the Book Nook and made their way back to the Maladies. Hadley and Thatcher came to join them.
“I need to take them now. When I return, I need to speak with the Virtues, then I will give control back to Keira,” Elpis told them before she disappeared in a flash of light.
Kerr looked at the other Evolved. His head was pounding, and he needed to sit down. Nora and Thatcher supported his weight as he started to collapse.
“We better get back to the house. If we’ve been gone for a month, we need to fill the others in on what has happened,” Nora said calmly.
He felt the now familiar pull in the pit of his stomach as Nora transported them back to their house. The Evolved found themselves standing in the entryway of the house. Kerr lost his grip on Thatcher and Nora and fell to the ground with a crash. In seconds, the Old Immortals and Whitley surrounded them. They all held some manner of weapon at the ready.
“Whoa. It’s just us,” Thatcher said with his hands in the air.
Whitley threw her crossbow to the ground and ran to her sister. She pulled her into a tight hug before releasing her to look at them all.
“It’s about time! Do you know what’s happening out there?” she demanded.
Kerr raised a hand from the ground. “Trust me, we know.”
Romulus made his way to Kerr and helped him up from the ground. Tahlia came forward and looked at his head.
“What happened to you?” Tahlia asked.
“Nora,” Kerr told her with a shrug.
Romulus couldn’t hold in his laughter at Kerr’s response. He shook as he tried to support his grandson’s weight.
“It’s not funny. Malice touched him. He turned into a jerk. He said some stupid crap and threatened to kill me. So, I hit him over the head with a pipe,” Nora said as she barely controlled her own laughter.
Kerr scowled at them. Romulus and Dorian high-fived Nora. Tahlia helped him to the kitchen and began washing the wound.
“So you beat them?” Whitley asked.
“Not exactly,” Hadley told her.
“Wait.” Whitley looked them all over one more time as the panic became evident in her face. “Where’s Keira?”
Chapter Forty-Five:
Dorian
He listened as the Evolved told their story. Their time in Eternity had been well spent. He was in awe of their experiences and wished with all his heart that he could remember the wonders his home held.
When the Evolved detailed their attempts to intervene in the fight between the Maladies and Elpis, he appreciated their zealousness but was pleased that they let go in the end. He learned through the years that putting faith in the plan would pay off in the end.
The binding of the Maladies gave him some comfort. Dorian didn’t entirely understand why Tahlia hadn’t been able to bind them. He was glad everyone was safe, but he felt confused about what to do next.
They had removed all threats to mankind, but the Creator had not returned. He had no idea when the Creator would return or if he would be alive to see it.
“You will.” A voice startled him from his thoughts.
He looked up to find Keira standing in the middle of the library. It took him only a moment to realize it wasn’t Keira staring back at him, but Elpis, the spirit of hope.
“I’m mortal now. I won’t be around forever,” Dorian told her.
“Yes, that is true. You have fulfilled the mission the Creator tasked you with, and you will now age as a mortal. But you are only about forty by the standards of man. The Creator will return long before your mortal body expires,” Elpis replied.
Dorian blinked at her for a moment as he processed what he had just been told. He would still be here for the Evolved when the Creator returned. He would still be here for the final battle.
“Something has been troubling me, and I hope you’re able to answer my question. Why was the battle so easy?” Dorian asked curiously.
“Because this was never about the Maladies. They were simply a bump in the road. This has been about me,” Elpis replied simply. “While I hadn’t intended to take up residence in this vessel for many years, I had to move sometime. Your world was teetering on a ledge between the future the Cr
eator intended and a future filled with hopelessness.”
Dorian nodded his head as he looked at her brilliant blue eyes. “So when you sent hope through the world, you pulled us back from the ledge?”
“Essentially, yes,” she said. “Evil is infectious, but hope is contagious. People will feel the hope in each other and begin to move forward and heal from the harm that has been done to them. The people who were infected by the Maladies will not be charged for their crimes. No one will remember; not even them. As far as the citizens of Benton are concerned, there was an F5 tornado that struck the town, leaving significant damage in its wake.”
Dorian wasn’t sure he fully understood. “So why weren’t you able to bind the Maladies prior to Tahlia losing hope?”
“I had been a part of Tahlia for so long she had forgotten that I wasn’t a separate entity. Anytime I tried to speak to her, she brushed it off as her own random thoughts. She is aging. As people mature, their hearts and minds are less open to things that seem impossible,” Elpis said with a hint of sadness.
“So you needed a younger vessel; one who would be more open to the possibilities you bring to the world,” Dorian said slowly.
“Basically, yes. There is more to it than that. Keira was chosen for a reason. She gave your family hope in desperate times,” Elpis told him.
The library door opened and Dorian was pleased to find Romulus and Tahlia shuffling into the room.
“I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to speak with you all. I have a message from the Creator,” Elpis said.
They sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the message. Elpis pulled a worn book from the pocket of Keira’s jacket. She handed it to Dorian. He looked down at the book of prophecies in his hand.
“There’s more. You are all going to be mortal soon enough, but you are still the guides for the Creator’s plan,” Elpis told them.
“I don’t understand,” Tahlia told her.
Elpis gave her a kind smile; it reminded Dorian of a grandmother looking lovingly at her grandchild. He knew the connection between the spirit and her original vessel was still strong.
“The Creator has given you more prophecies. Three more. They will help you guide the Evolved as they help the Creator in the final battle,” Elpis said.
“The Evolved, and their children after them, will help to shape the world in the New Era. There will be much to rebuild and much for the people left in the world to learn. It will not happen overnight,” Elpis told them.
“What do you mean, ‘the people left in the world?’” Dorian asked apprehensively.
“When the Maladies engage in battle with the Creator, they will destroy people and places without hesitation. There will be an army of people who join ranks with the Maladies of their own accord. The casualties will be staggering in number,” Elpis said sadly.
Dorian wished he could say he was surprised. If the damage the Maladies had done to Benton was any indication of what would come, the world was in for a rough ride. He found comfort in the feeling of the leather-bound book in his hands. This book had brought them this far, and would help them to move on to the next phase.
“These prophecies pertain to the end of the present era. You mustn’t share their existence with anyone outside this circle until it is time,” Elpis instructed.
“We’re expected to keep secrets from the Evolved?” Romulus asked in surprise.
Elpis nodded. “You must. If they know of these prophecies, they may be reluctant to move forward with their lives or will look for signs where they do not exist. You may not tell them there are more prophecies; they must live their lives as though their part in the battle is over. In fact, the book will not open until the end is near.”
Dorian furrowed his brow and tried to open the book he was holding. It wouldn’t budge. He looked at the others in surprise.
“How will we know what to look for if we cannot access the prophecies?” Dorian asked.
“The book will open when it is time,” Elpis said. “Now, I must go. You should have plenty of time before the final battle. Enjoy each other, enjoy your lives, and please encourage the Evolved to do the same.”
With that, Keira collapsed to the floor. The unearthly glow that had surrounded her was gone. Dorian fell to his knees beside her and touched her head. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully. He lifted her from the floor and carried her to her room.
Chapter Forty-Six:
Hadley
2016
She stood in front of the mirror staring at her long white dress. The day had finally come. In less than an hour, she would marry Thatcher. The door opened behind her, and Whitley came in, followed by Nora.
Her sister and best friend looked beautiful in their coral dresses. Their hair was loosely swept up with long curls falling here and there.
“Don’t look so nervous!” Nora told her.
“Yeah, it’s not like you haven’t been talking about this for the past six months,” Whitley chimed in.
“I’m just flustered. Does my make-up look alright?” she asked her sister.
“You look a little splotchy. Let me help.” Whitley led Hadley to a chair and grabbed her make-up bag.
Hadley closed her eyes and let her sister work her magic. “How many people are out there?”
“Not many. You said you wanted a small ceremony,” Nora reassured her.
“Although, that doesn’t count all the secret service agents that are here to protect mom and dad in little old Benton,” Whitley told her with a smile in her voice.
“Well, it’s not like they don’t need to be overly cautious after the last time they were here,” Hadley said.
“Yeah, well, it’s not every day the President’s daughter gets married.” Nora laughed.
“Oh Lord!” Hadley said, trying not to change her expression.
“There! Done,” Whitley declared.
Hadley looked at herself in the mirror and was much happier with what she saw than she had been minutes before.
“Is mom out there? Why hasn’t she come in to see me?” Hadley asked.
“I’ll go get her,” Nora said as she disappeared through the bedroom door.
“Had, are you alright?” Whitley asked her sister.
“I’m fine. Just ready to get this over with. The whole wedding part is great and all, but I’m looking forward to spending some time with Thatcher away from all the planning and family and secret service,” Hadley said.
“About that . . . Dad is insisting that a few of his agents accompany you on your honeymoon,” Whitley told her carefully.
“For real? Thatcher has a whole arsenal of abilities, and I can strike people down with lightning whenever I want. What are a couple of guys with guns going to do that we can’t already do ourselves?” Hadley asked.
“Well, pay attention to your surroundings for one thing. I’m sure you two are going to be a little pre-occupied.” Whitley laughed.
Hadley crossed her arms and pouted. The door opened, and her mother came in with Nora. Tahlia caught a glimpse of her daughter sulking and rolled her eyes.
“I take it Whitley told you,” Tahlia said.
“Yeah,” Hadley replied shortly.
“Well, your father and I feel that it would be best for you to have some added protection while you’re on your honeymoon. The head of the secret service agrees with us,” Tahlia told her.
“What, now that you’re the First Lady you have to be even more overprotective?” Hadley asked.
Tahlia rolled her eyes and grabbed Hadley’s veil. Tahlia and Eric had remarried shortly after the Maladies were subdued. Hadley and Whitley’s mother adjusted to life at the White House fairly quickly, but it was clear she missed her home in South Dakota.
“There. Perfect,” Tahlia said as she finished fastening the veil to Hadley’s head.
A knock on the door startled Hadley as a secret service agent spoke from the other side.
“Ladies, it’s time,” he said.
Hadley smi
led at her sister and gave Nora a quick squeeze. Tahlia left the room to be escorted to her seat by Thatcher.
Nora and Whitley left to be escorted down the aisle by Kerr and Dorian. The next knock on the door brought Eric to escort his daughter to her soon-to-be husband.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Eric asked as he came into the room. He stopped when he saw Hadley in her dress. “You are breathtaking.”
“Thanks, daddy,” Hadley said as she scooped up her bouquet and took Eric’s arm.
They walked down the stairs and into the foyer. They had decided to have the wedding in the backyard as her parents and fellow Evolved had before them. When they made it out the back door, they felt a chill that had begun to settle in the early evening air. It was unusual for a June evening to be this chilly. Hadley wondered momentarily if her nerves were messing with the temperature, but she shook it off when she saw Romulus standing at the head of the ceremony, ready to officiate her marriage to Thatcher.
She caught sight of Thatcher standing at the front of the ceremony and her heart skipped a beat. He smiled widely at her as he eagerly awaited her arrival. They began walking, every step bringing her closer to her future husband. All the nervousness she felt moments before disappeared as she closed the gap between them and her father gave her away to the love of her life.
Hadley didn’t hear a word Romulus said. She was staring into Thatcher’s gray eyes. He had to clear his throat when it was her turn to say her vows and exchange rings. She felt her cheeks redden as the people in attendance chuckled at her. When they were announced as husband and wife, they were both smiling like idiots. The reception and dance came and went, all while Hadley was basking in the glow of her adoring husband.
The next morning, they headed to the airport to leave for their honeymoon. Despite the chill in the air, they were dressed for tropical weather. The temperatures would be much higher in Florida.
Chapter Forty-Seven:
Kerr
The house felt empty after everyone had left. Tahlia and Eric returned to Washington D.C. the same day Thatcher and Hadley left for their honeymoon. Dorian and Romulus took advantage of the empty house by heading out on a weeklong fishing trip. That left Kerr, Nora, Keira, and Whitley with the large house all to themselves.