LegionBorn_An Urban Fantasy Tale

by F. F. John

  Bile rose to my throat, and I retched.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” Caleb said, keeping one eye on me. I was retching again when he said something else, but I didn’t hear. The edges of my vision fell away, and my nausea spiked as the world went black.

  My stomach leaped in fright.

  --XV--

  “—TOOTHBRUSH. DON’T FORGET HIS TOOTHPASTE.”

  “But we can just get some from—”

  “What if they don’t have the brand he likes?”

  Snatches of a conversation tugged me from quiet sleep. My lids struggled apart, and I saw my bedside table. A few more seconds passed, and I figured out I was lying on my side in my bed. I felt groggy and as I tried to sit up, I soon collapsed.

  Those voices continued to bug me. I didn’t recall letting anyone into my apartment. As a matter of fact, I didn’t recall much of anything. I tried to shake my head loose of the fog it was in, but all I managed to do was make my vision swim.

  I gripped my head in both hands with my eyes closed and waited out the vertigo. Several heartbeats passed before I opened my eyes and stared at the walnut floor.

  Place one foot down and follow with the next. That’s all for now.

  With that ringing in my head, I swung my legs off the bed. The result was a dizzy spell that I held my breath for. Hands gripping the edge of my mattress, I lifted my butt up and stood. I was upright for no more than three seconds when bile filled my throat. Fearing I’d collapse, I scuttled over to the wall and used it for leverage. The cool surface felt good, so I leaned my forehead onto it then moved along the wall toward the voices.

  What if they’re robbers? How will I protect myself?

  Looking around my room, I spied my baseball bat under my bed. My condo might be in a fancy building on with views of the Chesapeake River, but after living in Baltimore, I knew a weapon of some sort was necessary.

  But, how would I pick it up? I could barely think straight standing up. Surely, if I bent over, things wouldn’t go very well.

  “Why do humans need so many things?” A familiar voice said.

  Abandoning my quest for the bat, I eased along the wall to my bathroom, where the voices seemed to be coming from.

  “What that human needs, my friend, is for you to tell him the—”

  “What are you doing in my bathroom?” My voice was a raspy croak when I noticed Bode and Caleb. I coughed a few times trying to clear my throat, but it only exacerbated how dry my mouth and throat felt. The cough also sparked painful wheezing. “Why do I feel like shit?” I asked, holding onto the bathroom door.

  “You feel horrible,”—Bode said, clearly uninterested in joining me in using foul language— “because you went toe-to-toe with Satan. Don’t you remember what happened?”

  My brows dropped as my forehead crimped. Why couldn’t I remember what he was talking about? I tried shaking my head again and lost my hold on the door.

  “Hey, hey,” Bode cried, his voice full of alarm as he grabbed my shoulders. “Let’s take you back to bed. Caleb and I are packing up a few of your things so we can get you somewhere safe.”

  We reached my bed, and I sat but not before saying, “I can’t just miss work. There’s a lot for me to do.”

  “Really?” Bode sounded incredulous. “That job is the least of your worries, right now.” He grabbed a remote control and turned the television on.

  “Earlier today, residents of the Washington, D.C. metro region felt what has now been identified as a 6.7 earthquake,” a blonde presenter mentioned. “Several buildings near the epicenter, on I Street corridor, suffered structural damage. We have confirmation that there were no fatalities. At least 78 people were injured…”

  “There was an earthquake?” I asked, keeping my gaze on the screen’s flashing images.

  “That’s what they’re saying but Caleb thinks the quake was a result of the power you and Lucifer exchanged at your office.”

  My head tilted toward Bode and I became nauseous. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I asked, “Lucifer? What are you talking about?”

  “Caleb? I think you better get over here.” I heard the trepidation in his voice but was too focused on keeping my head still to figure out why. “What did you do to Vaughn?” The albino’s raised voice made me flinch as far away from him as my sluggish body would permit, which wasn’t far enough.

  “There is no need to yell. I merely cast a simple sleeping spell, so I could get him out safely.” Caleb sounded closer with each new word.

  “What type of spell though?” Bode lifted my head at the chin and peered into my eyes like a doctor would during a checkup. “His energy is low. Is that simply because of the power exchange?”

  When I heard the word power this time, it triggered something and memories of my encounter with Lucifer came rushing back. The images flashed by as if I was reliving them. I pushed past Bode, causing him to stumble backward.

  My body was on fire and this time, I tugged at my tie, jarring it loose before unbuttoning my shirt. I had to get out of these clothes.

  “Stop!” someone yelled but I continued, now grappling with my belt to get to my pants.

  “He can’t stop, Caleb! He’s still feeling the effect of being that close to Lucifer for that long. Help him.”

  “No. He has to figure out a way to control—”

  “Why won’t you help your—”

  “Tranquillum.”

  With that one word, the heat on my skin disappeared. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop the nightmare unfolding in my mind’s eye. I saw Lucas holding his chest. A glint of the metal cross he clutched twinkled at me.

  “Lucas,” I cried. “I’ve got to help him!” I dashed out of my room, padding over the wooden floor as I headed for the door.

  “It's too late,” Caleb muttered.

  My hand was on the doorknob when I remembered Lucas dropping to the floor twitching. He’d been looking at me, probably wondering why I didn’t even try to help him. He’d stayed that way until he stopped moving, eyes unseeing. Tears sprang free, unbidden. Lucas Han, the boy I’d known my whole life. One of my best friends, was dead.

  Shoulders slumped, I trudged back into my bedroom. I could have done something, but I left that damned necklace behind. I looked up and saw the metal chain on a dresser and rushed for it. With a sweep of my hand, I sent it and everything else crashing. I gripped onto the dresser’s edge for support. Maybe the naysayers were right that I wouldn't amount to much. After all, I couldn't do anything to keep one of my best and oldest friends alive.

  My eyes darted to the one item that somehow avoided descent from the dresser. It was a silver-framed picture of Lucas, Antonio, and I. We were twelve at the time and had our arms looped around each other’s shoulders. We were a brotherhood. Nobody could take a jab at Lucas’s Asian heritage without hearing a word from me. No one could say anything about Antonio’s unibrow (which we got rid of after a spring break prank involving duct tape) without Lucas finding a way to make the person look silly. And as for me? When bullies held me down for one reason or another, both would always be there to help me.

  And now, my brother was dead. I’d watched him die and did nothing.

  “Breaking news! We just received word from the George Washington University Hospital that one person is dead. No word yet whether the death was a result of the earthquake.” The blonde news reporter’s monotone irked me. “More details to come in the hour.”

  She didn’t give a damn about Lucas. He’d be nothing but a blip on her radar in a few days’ time. A lost life never to be mentioned again.

  The same way Lucifer didn’t care when he killed him. He didn’t hesitate. My friend meant nothing to him and with a flick of a wrist his life was snuffed out. All while I watched, impotent.

  My hand reached for the picture frame to send it clattering to the ground but at the last minute I changed my mind and rammed my fist into the drywall behind the dresser instead.

  I left behind a crimson-rimmed hole and sco
wled at my bloody hand.

  All this because of my father! Because I was Acyel’s son. I needed to find him. There was no need for me to deal with this on my own. He needed to help me figure out a way to get over his brother and this stupid prophecy.

  I was still staring at my bruised knuckles when I heard Bode’s voice. With each passing second, he sounded further away and soon I heard and saw nothing at all.

  --XVI--

  I’D STOPPED COUNTING HOW MANY days had passed since Lucas died. What I really wished was that I could stop seeing his death each time I closed my eyes. If I could have, maybe then I could get some sleep. Instead, I’d spent several days awake.

  Bode, Caleb and I were somewhere rural. We called an old farmhouse home. It looked like it could be the poster child for cozy American farmhouses. Homemade quilts featuring daisies, seat cushions with roosters, and a sturdy dining table likely constructed from a tree lining the properties’ perimeter.

  It was no surprise I was uncomfortable here. There wasn’t even a television to see what was going on in the world around us. All I had for entertainment were chickens. They crowed like clockwork at 5:43 each morning. There were also the lazy sounds of an unnamed lake that I spent hours staring at each day.

  And today was no different. I was sitting on the edge of a berth where a boat should be docked, waiting to take its owner out over the silver capped water. Crickets and other insects chirped happily, unaware of how crazy and evil the world, and some of its inhabitants, could be.

  Antonio must be worried sick that he hadn’t heard from me. My cellphone was nowhere to be found so I couldn’t let him know I was alive. I also couldn’t find out when Lucas would be buried. I should be there to act as a casket bearer. At the least, I should be there to pay my respects.

  Not wanting to dwell on the topic, I distracted myself with my new favorite game. I cocked my head to the side and strained to hear any sound of civilization. Perhaps if I tried hard enough, I might hear a train or vehicles on a highway. As had been the case every other time, I resigned myself to the undisturbed sounds of nature.

  Were we still in the metro region? Both Maryland and Virginia had loads of farms. Some within a mere twenty minutes of the city.

  I tried to convince myself I wasn’t far from home. Something in the back of my mind cautioned against such foolish optimism. I could be hundreds of miles away and wouldn’t know it. Bode and Caleb seemed very capable of casting strong spells that could take me across the world.

  “Don’t fear, you’re on a farm in Bowie very close to downtown.” Bode’s voice startled me and it was sheer luck that I stopped myself from tumbling into the lake. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he quickly added, apology plain in his tone.

  I readjusted myself but didn’t say anything, continuing to watch the lake.

  “This must be a tough time. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Can you bring Lucas back to life?” I asked, dryly.

  He let out a weary sigh. “I apologize. Sadly, I don’t have that sort of power.”

  “Do you know someone who can bring him back?”

  “Maybe Michael but he avoids Earth. For a closer option, I know there are witches in Nigeria who can do such things, but they would have needed to get to work immediately after your friend’s death.” Sadness settled into his expression, lengthening his features. “He’s been dead for five days. No amount of sorcery could…”

  I tuned him out. Lucas died five days ago. I rolled the information around in my head but couldn’t come to terms with the fact he was gone.

  Studying the healing scabs on my knuckles, I said, “So, am I supposed to just hide out here for the rest of my days?”

  “Not at all.” He joined me on the edge. “Just until we’ve figured out a way to keep you safe.”

  I recalled something Stern had said in the conference room. “Stern mentioned he’d let me live until the super moon. Guess I just need to make it past that night, right?”

  “Are you sure you heard him mention the super moon?”

  “Yes.” I turned to look at him. “Why?”

  “That’s not good,” he said, folding his arms at his chest and staring out at the water.

  “You’re telling me?” I didn’t bother to hide my exasperation. “One day, I start seeing demons. Then I learn that because I’m the son of a fallen angel, I’m the subject of some archaic prophecy. Oh, and—” I threw my hands up in the air— “my uncle, wants me dead, and had no problem killing one of my best friends.”

  “I know, and I’m very—”

  “Sorry?” I asked, getting up. “Were you about to tell me you were sorry?” I asked again, sweeping the dust off my butt. “Save the apologies and tell me where I can find Acyel! He’s the reason I’m in this mess and he should play a part in getting me out of it.”

  He cracked his knuckles. Instead of making eye contact, he looked at his feet, which rocked back and forth above the water’s surface.

  “You know who Acyel is, don’t you?”

  The albino kept his gaze down, forcing me to hunch down so I could meet his gaze.

  “Tell me! Who is he?” I demanded. Flinching at the desperation in my voice, I took a deep breath. Losing your composure won’t help, I warned myself. I sounded stronger and more in control of myself when I said, “Tell me where to find him.”

  The man refused to speak.

  “Can’t you tell me anything?” I raised my voice.

  “I think I can be of help in that department.”

  Whirling around, I saw Caleb coming closer, hands in the pockets of his dark blue jeans. Bode let out a sharp puff of air and slipped away, leaving us alone on the berth.

  “Please don’t be mad at Bode. He made a promise he couldn’t break.”

  “A promise to what? To keep me in the dark?” I asked.

  “No,” Caleb shook his head wanly. “He promised to let me tell you everything.”

  Now it was my turn to cross my arms over my chest. “And what is it you need to tell me?”

  “The truth about who you are.”

  --XVII--

  “WALK WITH ME, WILL YOU?” Caleb didn’t wait for me and took off at a leisurely pace.

  I wanted to call him back and insist he tell me everything I needed to know, but before I could say the words, he was several feet away from me.

  When I caught up with him, I asked, “Who were my parents?”

  “Before I tell you that, please give me a second to put things in context.”

  I let out a sharp breath through my teeth. “Stop delaying and tell me—”

  “When I met you, I mentioned that Acyel was kicked out of heaven, but I never told you why.” He cleared his throat. “He knew that his brother envied God. He also knew his twin would go against their father and being the loyal son, he tried to kill his brother.

  “When God learned of this, he was so upset that he banished Acyel to earth. He landed at night, causing tremors across the entire planet and as very few angels had been cast out at the time, he was mainly alone.”

  “You have to go back to the beginning of time to give me context about my parents?” I spat out. Why was he wasting my time?

  “Be patient. All will make sense very soon,” he said, giving me a quick glance as he continued past a series of flowers. “As more angels were cast down, Acyel gave them guidance and a purpose for their time on earth. After Lucifer was cast out of heaven, several fallen chose to follow him instead. Those angels—Lucites—now work with Lucifer to give him dominion over humanity.”

  I sighed. “And this has something to do with me, because?”

  “Eventually, Acyel fell in love with a human woman. He’d warned other Legionnaires to limit their interaction with humans. God might not take kindly to fallen angels meddling with them. Especially not sexually, but of course, many did not heed the warning.” Caleb grasped his hands behind his back. “He also warned Legion not to imbue their children with powers. Unfort
unately,”—I heard the disappointment in his voice— “he failed to listen to his own advice and married a human named Rebecca Parker.”

  My step faltered at the mention of my mother’s name. Rebecca Parker. I silently said the name over and over, tasting how it sounded on my tongue.

  “Acyel and his wife were very happy together. The love of his wife dulled the pain of his separation from God. They became overjoyed when they discovered she was pregnant. But their excitement proved short-lived.”

  The light feeling I had only seconds ago was dashed to pieces, and I asked, “Why?”

  “Because he knew of a prophecy which foretold of a child who would speed up Lucifer’s downfall. Acyel feared that his unborn child would be targeted.”

  “But prophecies don’t always come true, right? Why would Acyel, or Lucifer for that matter, take this one so seriously?”

  He smirked. “Just so you know, that Biblical tale of King Herod slaughtering male children in orders to kill the King of the Jews, stems from Lucifer having infants slaughtered around the world to forestall the prophecy.”

  Good God! Lucifer had taken this prophecy seriously for centuries. I swallowed, thinking that I could be the next person to lose their life But, before I could worry about that, I realized something about what Caleb just said made little sense and I gazed out at the oak trees, with their leaves creating a thick canopy above us.

  “Hold on. If the Bible is to be believed, Lucifer’s downfall is all but guaranteed. Why is he worried about some little prophecy about a seed? He loses anyway.”

  “Sure, but he wouldn’t want to lose just yet.”

  I gave a dejected dip of my chin and said, “Fine, carry on.”

  “Like I was saying, Acyel was worried that his child and his wife would be killed by Lucites and their demon spawn. He decided to tell Rebecca the truth about himself. Her human mind couldn’t believe his tale but later that night, demon spawn attacked and almost killed her. They made it clear Lucifer knew where they were and wanted to kill the baby before it ever took a breath.”