Evenstar

by Darcy Town

Tracy nodded and backed away.

  Belial stared at the mud around her. Despair gnawed at her, the feeling that did not die. She was thrust back to the time when she’d been naïve, open, and scared. Hopeless and defenseless again. Belial squeezed her eyes shut. “I am not helpless anymore!”

  Lightning lit up the clouds. Belial flinched and snarled at the sky. She willed her rage to come back, the fire that gave her power over herself. Her heart burned and craved violence.

  The rain continued. Cars passed by. The water at her feet rose to an inch, then two. A paper flyer slipped by in the rainwater. Belial snatched at it; she recognized the symbols. She looked up, her eyes following the path it had taken. A white nondescript car was parked and empty in the lot. Belial jumped to her feet.

  Tracy knocked on the window and held up the bill to the glass.

  Belial ran back inside. She stood in front of their table and blocked them from view of the other patrons. Belial motioned for Jacob and handed him the car keys. “Get Tokala out now.” Her eyes darted around the diner as Jacob passed her, carrying the drowsy prince with him.

  Men emerged from the kitchen.

  Celeste eyed Belial. “What is going on?”

  “Shut up.” Belial stood stock still while Jacob got Tokala to the car. Belial dripped on the floor. She did not take her eyes off the men. She picked up napkins from the table, wiped off her face, and cleared her eyes. She waited.

  One man moved in front of the others, his gaze focused on her. As he moved she saw his shielding slip, his iron armor glinted. The man stared at her, Tracy, and Celeste. Belial grinned, anger fueling her. “Girls, keep your heads down.”

  Jacob walked back in. Tracy grabbed him and pulled him into their booth. Belial pointed the man out to the trio. Celeste followed her gaze and paled. “But we’re in public…they wouldn’t do anything in public.”

  “Lesson one. They kill your kind anywhere.”

  The man clenched his fists. The men at his side unsheathed iron blades. He looked at the diner patrons who stared between the two groups in shock. He lifted up his hand and touched his ring. “Wake for they are among us, destroy them!” The ring flashed with blue light.

  The humans in the diner went blank-faced. They blinked and stood, moving like zombies. The wait staff dropped their plates and carafes. They reached for knives and forks; a few diners had guns already. The humans oriented on the three at the table.

  Celeste, Tracy, and Jacob shrank in their booth.

  Belial jumped on a different table, and the humans walked past her. “They ignore me. The drones know that they cannot kill me, but they can kill you.”

  Celeste pulled Tracy behind her, shielding her. “What the fuck are you doing, Belial?”

  “I’m not doing anything!” Belial grimaced. “This is a great illustration of what humans are, they are automatons.” She stepped back as the crowd pressed in on the table. The entire restaurant was on its feet. Belial pointed to the humans around her. “You can never be safe around them, not even if they’re your dearest friends.”

  Celeste punched a man that grabbed at her. She looked at the Solomon Soldiers. “Call them off! We have done nothing wrong!”

  The leader smirked. “Demon spawn and angel killers. I hardly call that nothing!”

  “Plus, he can’t.” Belial stepped to another table. “Angelic programming prevents a reboot.”

  Celeste punched a waitress; veins stuck out on her neck. “This isn’t funny!”

  “Oh, I know.”

  “Are you going to help us?”

  Belial smiled. “Can’t you take care of yourselves? Having to be saved all the time must be humiliating.”

  The trio stared at the twitching humans; they were slow, but getting closer and bolder. Tracy held up plates between her and the reaching hands of the truckers in the next booth. A man snarled and grabbed her hair. Jacob stabbed the man’s hand with a fork and pulled her back. The three stood on the table.

  A police officer leveled his gun at Celeste’s face and fumbled with the safety. Jacob slashed at another man. “Belial, do something!”

  Belial grinned. “Oh, if I must.” She leapt onto the police officer and broke his arms. She dove into the crowd; she stabbed at people, her body moving in a blur. Men and women dropped without a sound. Belial wove through the crowd like a dancer. Each slash and stab fed her desire for pain, covering over the memories she did not want. She maimed without thinking, each move done many times before.

  Belial stilled. Every human in the establishment lay on the ground stabbed at their kneecaps, their arms dislocated, or bones broken, but they breathed still. She smiled and wiped her hands off. She grabbed the leader of this group of Solomon Soldiers and brought him over to their table.

  Belial had broken and dislocated his limbs so he wobbled like a worm as she held him up. “You can still speak.”

  “You will burn in Hell for what you’ve done!” Spit flew from his mouth. “We will kill all of you; hunt you to your nests! Already it has begun…the final purge!”

  Belial rolled her eyes. “Do you know how many ‘final purges’ I’ve lived through, many. They never succeed.”

  He screamed, “We will decimate you!”

  Belial leaned in. “You know that only means reducing us by ten percent right?”

  The man howled in pain and frustration. “I will be a martyr! My soul will go to Heaven, yours will never be saved!”

  Belial laughed. “Neither will yours.” She broke the man’s neck and dropped him to the floor. She waved at the trio. “Come on, time to go.”

  Celeste punched Belial across the face.

  Belial grabbed Celeste’s fist and pulled her close. “Yes? Want to say something?”

  Celeste couldn’t speak. Enraged, her eyes flicked between misty red and brown. Belial saw herself reflected in the red glow. She grinned and grabbed Celeste’s chin. “So, you’re our berserker.” She laughed. “That explains a whole hell of a lot about you, sweetheart. I love berserkers! Punch me again! Do it! Punch me!”

  The laughter derailed Celeste’s blood rage. She swayed and fell back into Tracy.

  Tracy caught her and looked at Belial. “Did you know they were here?”

  “Not until after you left me outside. Good thing too, you guys would have been toastified if I’d waited in the car.”

  Celeste regained her voice. “Why didn’t we walk out and escape? We had time.”

  Belial shrugged. “I wasn’t looking forward to a car chase in the rain. They would have no doubt followed us.” She clapped her hands. “Come on. Out you go, children!”

  Jacob looked at the moaning people on the floor. “Will they be okay?”

  “Who cares?” Belial shooed him towards the door.

  “But, it wasn’t their fault!”

  “So?” Belial lifted Jacob and carried him out. Celeste and Tracy dashed out after her. Belial pushed Jacob into the backseat of the car. “If it makes you feel any better none of them are mortally wounded.”

  Jacob held his stomach, ill. “I guess so.”

  Belial got in the driver’s seat. She gripped the wheel, her hands shook. She breathed out through her nose. “Tracy, can you drive for awhile?” Tracy nodded. They switched places. Belial stared out the window. “We’re still headed towards Phoenix.”

  Tokala looked up blurrily from his place between Jacob and Celeste. “What’s wrong?”

  Belial waved him off. “Nothing, I just need time to think.”

  Celeste leaned forward. “Does that mean our friends would try and kill us if flipped on?”

  Belial shook her head. “If they’re half-bloods then no, but if they weren’t, then yeah. Now shut up please.” She rubbed her temples. She stared at cars and rain as they drove.

  Everything outside was gray. She’d lost her claws; her hands were soft, feminine and covered in blood. She shuddered and leaned her head on the window. The soft beat of rain on the glass lulled her into a daze. Her eyelids slowly closed an
d she slept for only the second time in her long life.

  She remembered pain and laughter.

  Uriel grabbed her wrists and bit her shoulder. Belial head butted him. She heard someone speaking, but could not remember what they had said. She heard her own screams, heard bones snapping. Uriel threw her repeatedly, her wings broke under the impact. Her own blood poured into her eyes, she could not see. She felt hands running over her skin. She was lifted and thrown again. More laughter. She felt her shoulders dislocate as she was swung around like a ragdoll. Then the cutting began.

  In the car, Tracy watched Belial warily. Belial twitched. High whines escaped between her lips. She dreamed. Her fingernails lengthened into claws.

  Tokala leaned forward. “Belial?”

  Belial sliced at the window. A plate of shorn glass fell into the road. She spasmed and kicked the dashboard, leaving a dent. Her eyes remained closed.

  Tracy stared at the road. “Someone do something before she stabs me!”

  Belial swiped in Tracy’s direction, claws missing by an inch. Tracy swerved and a car that had been in the next lane zoomed ahead. Tracy breathed hard. Belial slashed at her and her nails cut through the radio. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, showing razor-sharp teeth.

  Tracy leaned as far away as she could. “Fuck, someone do something!”

  Tokala winced and pushed Celeste and Jacob back in their seats. He touched Tracy’s cheek. “I am sorry, I must do something to you, but I do not know if it will work. It could hurt you.”

  Tracy avoided another swipe. “Don’t talk to me about it! Just do whatever you need to!”

  Tokala closed his eyes and concentrated. The air around Tracy shimmered. Her eyes went from brown to emerald green. Her black hair took on hues of green and blue. Her hips became curvier, her breasts more pronounced, her pale skin glowed with a gold sheen. She blinked her eyes; her lashes grew thicker, her irises larger. Curving horns grew out of her temples and raced backwards curling towards her ears like a rams.

  Tokala let go and opened his eyes. “Oh good, you’re not dead.”

  Tracy held on to the wheel. “What the fuck! How does this help!”

  Tokala tore Tracy’s seatbelt. “Tracy, wake up Belial.” Despite being weak, he had the strength enough to push her towards Belial. “Do it.”

  Tracy’s knees hit the wheel. They swerved across traffic. Tracy fell on Belial. Belial snapped her teeth, barely missing her neck. Tracy pushed at Belial. “What the hell, Tokala! Are you insane?” Cars avoided them like the plague.

  Tokala’s eyelids drooped as he ran out of energy. “Right now, you’re the luckiest person alive. If anyone can wake her up without getting killed, it’s you.”

  Tracy screamed as they raced towards a semi. The semi veered out of their way, leaving their lane clear. Tracy tried to move, the wheel jammed, keeping them straight on course. She gripped Belial’s shoulders. “Wake up!” Belial swiped at her. The car jostled and Belial missed.

  Tracy screamed at Belial’s face, “Wake up, you bitch!”

  Jacob and Celeste stared at the road. Celeste closed her eyes. Jacob pointed. “We have gridlock coming up fast!”

  Tracy tried to move back into her seat. Belial’s hands locked around her wrists. Tracy pulled. “Fuck! Someone take the wheel! I can’t get to the brake! Wake up, Belial!”

  Belial’s eyes blinked open. “What’s going on?”

  Jacob struggled to touch the wheel, but there was not enough room for him to reach around Tracy and Belial. He stared at the oncoming wall of stopped cars. His pupils dilated. Tracy and Celeste screamed.

  A wall of air rushed up from the south and enveloped the car, slowing it gently. Vehicles swerved around them.

  Belial let go of Tracy.

  Tracy got back into the driver’s seat and hit the brakes. The wall of wind ceased as the car came to a stop on its own. The passengers went silent.

  Belial realized where she was. She sat up, forgetting her nightmares. She grabbed one of Tracy’s horns and pulled on it, grinning. “Yakshini! Yakshini!”

  Jacob rolled down his window and threw up his breakfast.

  Belial grabbed Jacob’s wrist and pulled him close to her. He appeared bluish all over. She punched Tokala in the knee. “I thought you didn’t know how to do this yet!”

  Tokala shrugged. “Death inspires confidence. And we were going to be killed, I didn’t have a choice.” He looked Jacob over. “But I didn’t do him.”

  Jacob stared at his blue-tinted hands. “Do what?”

  Tokala passed out again. Belial grinned. “You’re a sylph.”

  Jacob stared at his hands. “Okay?”

  Belial let him go. “There are only a handful of male sylphs left. You’re going to get mauled by the girls once we get to the City.”

  Jacob managed a weak laugh and wiped puke off his mouth. “For the first time in my life.”

  Belial smirked. “They’re sex freaks, Jacob. So have fun with that.”

  Celeste looked between Tracy and Jacob. “What just happened?”

  Belial assessed the damage she’d given the car. “Tokala and his father have the ability to take latent Lilliam blood and make it dominant, basically turning a person to a full blood Lilliam. Tokala’s never done it successfully before.”

  “What happens if you’re unsuccessful?”

  “Instant death.”

  Tracy touched her breasts. “Why are these so perky? And my waist, it’s tiny; I shrunk like three sizes!”

  Belial smirked. “You’re a lucky sex demon now.”

  Tracy admired herself in the rearview mirror. “That sounds cool. These horns are kind of weird, but I like their pearlescent sheen. Holy shit my eyes are green! I always wanted green eyes!”

  Jacob frowned. “I am translucent. I can see my veins.” He pulled up his shirt and stared at his internal organs. “That’s gross and awesome. Grossome.” He laughed, nervous and hysterical.

  Belial shrugged. “Tokala didn’t switch you over. You look more like half-sylph now. You must have changed because of the near death factor, or could be Tracy’s luck, probably one in the same.”

  Jacob gestured to the outside. “I made that wind?”

  “Yeah.”

  Celeste folded her arms. “So am I next?”

  Belial laughed. “Fuck no! You’re a berserker and we’re all stuck in a tiny enclosed space with you.”

  Ahead of them traffic got moving again. Tracy pulled off her ill-fitting shirt. “Do you have something I can wear?” She put her foot to the gas pedal and looked over as Belial searched through the clothes she’d stolen.

  Celeste watched the road. “Hey, look where you’re going!”

  “Why?” Tracy cranked on the wheel blindly. “I’m lucky!” Behind her two cars crashed into one another, but avoided them.

  Celeste pointed. “Only by making everyone else unlucky!”

  Tracy yawned. “So? They’re all humans right?”

  Celeste scoffed. “So that’s it? You change over, grow some fucking horns, and now care fuck all about anyone else?” She looked out her window. “How can you tell they are not like us? Maybe they’re mixed like us?”

  Belial handed Tracy a larger t-shirt. “Take a good look at them.”

  Everyone in the car gazed outside. Jacob pointed. “We glow and they don’t.” He looked at Belial. “You really glow!”

  Celeste grumbled. “Great, now everyone’s part of the special club except for me!”

  Belial smirked. “Now that everyone has special gifts you want to join too, typical.”

  “You’re wrong.” Celeste glared at her. “That’s not it at all!”

  “Ooh!” Belial turned in her seat. “Let’s fight about it!”

  “No!” Jacob and Tracy looked over at the pair. Tracy pointed at them both. “You two are so alike!”

  “We are not!” Both women went silent and stared out of their respective windows. Belial took Tracy’s old shirt and blocked off the portion of the wi
ndow she’d cut out.

  Jacob searched for something to eat. He opened one of the bags that contained their junk food and pop. He grinned. “Someone bought MadLibs!”

  Tracy bounced in her seat. “Hells yes I did, we’re on a road trip! I want to play!”

  Belial smiled. “I get to pick the verbs.”

  Jacob read aloud, “Okay, it’s called The Big Date. Pick the name of girl in the room.”

  Celeste smiled a little. “Belial.”

  Jacob wrote it in. “Name of guy.”

  “Andy!” Tracy and Celeste answered together.

  Belial scowled. “No.”

  Tokala opened his eyes and grinned weakly. “You only get to pick verbs.”

  Jacob looked at the next entry. “Okay, verb.”

  Belial slashed at the air. “Killing!”

  “And another verb.”

  “Stabbing!”

  Celeste closed her eyes. “I think we can see where this is going.”

  Jacob smiled. “Noun?”

  ***

  A dispatcher took down a message at one of the Canadian Solomon Soldier centers of operation. He pressed a button that would relay the message. He waited for a superior officer to come. Within minutes, a man joined him. “Explain.”

  “One of our sweeper teams reported a group matching the description.” He pointed to a fax printout on the wall. Two girls were described along with two males. “They are travelling together. They now have three Lilliam companions.”

  “Are they currently being tracked?”

  “We have a scout following them.”

  The man nodded. “Contact the headquarters. We’ll need the lamin before I send anyone out to intercept.”

  ***

  Paimon walked down the side of the Burnside Bridge, pushing a shopping cart in front of him. Furcas slept inside it, cradled between cushions. Paimon had covered him in flowers and leaves that he’d picked up along the walk. Furcas was either going to throw a fit or be pleased when he woke up. Either way, it would take Furcas’ mind off his injuries.

  A breeze picked up over the water. Paimon inhaled and smiled. He loved Portland. Furcas hated it, too many teen runaways and homeless vets missing their limbs. Paimon looked down at Furcas and smiled. He whistled as he stepped off the bridge. He wished it were Saturday…he loved perusing the local farmers’ market.