by Ilana Waters
We made it off the bridge just in time to see mortals screaming and pointing when they realized the statue had been destroyed. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, we hurried back to the suite. Upon our return, we saw a new coffee table—wooden, this time—in the living room. The mess I’d made, including the broken glass, was gone. Arthur and Philip were bent over their books on a different table, looking more exhausted than ever.
“There you are!” exclaimed Philip as my family and I emerged from the elevator. “Where have you been?”
“What do you mean?” I sank onto the couch. Titus sat next to me, leaning back and heaving a large sigh. “We went for a walk. We told you that. Were you expecting us back at a certain time?”
“Philip got a signal on that device of his that corresponds to the dynastructor,” Arthur said. He stood next to me by the couch, tucking his reading glasses into the pocket of his sweater-vest. “So we knew you were somewhere near the Bridge of Angels, and that Nocifari had found you. Thank God you’re all right.”
“Yes, we’ll tell you everything as soon as we get this spell back up,” called Abigail. “All entrances and exits, remember?” She stood in front of the elevator, arms raised above her. Magic hovered in the air as she perspired. “Titus, a little help here?” He sighed again and reluctantly complied.
“We already know what’s happened.” Philip stood next to Arthur. “I just got off the phone with Nocifari. She’s gone back to the PIA to strategize and plan her next move.”
“Fantastic,” I groaned.
“And where were you in all this, Philip?” asked Titus. Finished with the elevator spell, he and Abigail sat down across from me. “Aren’t you supposed to be distracting Nocifari so that this exact sort of thing doesn’t happen?”
“I told you,” said Philip, “I can’t follow her around all the time. She’d know something was up if I did. You have no idea how hard it’s been just preventing her from finding your hotel.”
“Yes, we see where all your hard work has gotten us, both you and Arthur,” I snapped. “The research, keeping Nocifari away from me. It’s all gone brilliantly so far.” Everyone looked at each other, then at me.
“Take it easy, Josh,” Abigail said. “We’re all on the same side here.”
“Well, maybe not Signorina Nocifari,” said Arthur. He picked up the quiver of crossbow bolts and several books and put them on the table. Then he started putting a few of the books in his satchel, packing up to leave. “I mean, to say nothing of trying to kill you, I can’t believe she’d do that to a work of art. Really, it’s almost Philistine.”
“I suppose, in her mind, it was an acceptable loss,” Philip said. “You’d be surprised what consultants are capable of when pursuing their objectives.”
“Oh, will you stop calling them ‘consultants’ already?” I barked. “They’re bloody demon hunters. Use their rightful name. And you.” I stomped over to Arthur. “You should be a little less concerned with your so-called ‘works of art’ than with me. Your new master.”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “You . . . you don’t mean that. Joshua, you’re not . . . this is Oblivion talking.”
I laughed. “Of course it is! We are one and the same. I’ve been here the whole time. It’s always been Oblivion talking.” Titus rose from his seat.
“Joshua—” he started.
“Oh, shut up. I won’t even be using that name for much longer. It’s as idiotic as calling demon hunters ‘consultants.’ ”
“Josh—er, whatever your name is. Listen.” Arthur put his hands in front of him. “We can help you.”
“Help? We don’t want your help.” I drew one of the wooden crossbow bolts from the quiver and pointed it at him. He inhaled sharply and stepped back. “There’s nothing you need to do except sit around and wait for the inevitable. The magnificent, glorious inevitable.”
“Darling, please. Put the bolt down,” Abigail begged. She sprang up, but Titus held her back by the shoulder.
“It’s not inevitable. Not yet.” Arthur kept his eyes on me while placing one hand on a book. “We still have research to do, plenty of volumes to—”
“We don’t want your volumes or your petty research,” I hissed, rolling the bolt between my fingers. “We want your obedience, your absolute loyalty. And we want them now!” On the last word, I grabbed Arthur’s arm and raised my own to bring the head of the bolt down into his hand.
“No!” Arthur cried. Then I heard a sound like ffpptt, and the fist holding the bolt landed on Arthur’s. But that was all it was: a fist. As Arthur yanked himself away from me and cradled his injured hand, I realized the head of the bolt lay on the table. Behind me, another bolt was lodged in the wall. I turned to see Philip bringing the crossbow down from his shoulder, having shot its one bolt into the bolt I’d been holding. I opened my fist and looked at what was left of it.
He shot it right beneath the head so it would splinter off. Amazed, I placed it on the table. “Dabbler,” my ass. Even a seasoned archer would have trouble making that shot. Little Philip was looking more intriguing by the moment. Perhaps there was a place for him in my new world order after all.
“Joshua, I think it’s time we restrained you.” Titus walked up to me. “For your own safety.”
“What about mine?” Arthur clutched his hand, where a large bruise was forming.
“For everyone’s,” said Titus.
I turned my head very slowly towards Titus and grinned. “Restrain us? Go ahead, if you think you can. We’ve already breached your pesky wards once.” I jutted my chin at the windows. “Just how long do you think your puny magic can hold us?”
“Enough,” Titus said in his general’s voice. “Either submit, or there will be consequen—”
“Submit?” I scoffed. “We no longer recognize that word.” Why was I even talking to this man? He’d called me a weakling. Oh, he’d apologized all right, but what difference did that make? It was too late. He’d revealed what he really thought of me.
“Maybe the Joshua you knew before would have submitted,” I continued. “The one you thought ‘didn’t act like a man.’ ” I could feel fury rising inside me, like heat and smoke from a fire. “What are you to us anyway, Titus? Merely a tool to help bring forth a physical body from which to rule. You’ve served your purpose, and now you see fit to pass judgment on us?” Now it felt like I was on fire in earnest. There was a burning from my stomach all the way to my throat, a rage demanding to be released. I stared at Titus with hateful eyes, chest heaving, nostrils flared. This canker sore had no idea what strength truly was. Well, I was more than happy to show him.
“You think I’m a weakling? Could a weakling do this?” I pulled back my arm and hit Titus across the face so hard he stumbled back. He was almost on his feet when I punched him in the stomach. “Could a weakling do that?” I taunted. My demon powers were nearly at their full height. It felt so good to be more than just a mage.
“Joshua, please!” Abigail’s voice was pained as she came at me, a ball of magic forming in her hands. Effortlessly, I struck her the same way I had Titus. She hit the floor, and I stunned her with her own magic, leaving her breathless. Arthur ran to her side, and she winced as he tried to help her up. Philip’s eyes were scanning the room, frantically looking for a weapon, I imagined. But of course, I was between him and the only other crossbow bolts. I turned back to Titus.
“If you insist on doing this, we will stop you,” Titus growled. He put his hand to his stomach and stood up. “I’ve conquered enemies before, Oblivion. I can conquer you as well.”
“I think not.” I called the remaining bolts into my hands. I snapped all but one in half. “At least, not according to what you told your son on the Bridge of Angels.” I warmed the head of the last bolt until it glowed white-orange. Titus looked on with wary eyes. “Even the supernatural opponents you’ve faced have nothing on us. We are divine.” I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him to the ceiling. Then, with th
e scorching head of the bolt, I began lazily tracing lines along the base of his neck.
Vampire screams are typically quite wretched things. More like metal tearing apart than noise that comes from a person. But this time, Titus’s roars sounded like music, real music. I could hear the soaring melody just beneath his howls, and it was beautiful.
“Joshua, I’m begging you,” Abigail cried. Arthur and Philip were on either side of her as they all looked up at Titus and me. “Please stop!”
Again with that ridiculous name. She was still too shaken from having her own magic turned against her, and no threat to me now. I pulled the bolt head away from Titus’s throat. Perspiration was pouring down the sides of his face. His breath came in short gasps. Yet that stoic look still remained in his eyes, that hardness built up over millennia. He would not yield easily. Although my iron grip on his throat prevented him from speaking, it did not prevent his thoughts from reaching me.
Do to me what you will, he said. Others will rise against you. Vampires. Witches. All manner of supernatural creatures. Even mortals with their modern weaponry. You may win this battle, but ultimately, you will lose the war.
I bared my teeth, my face inches from his. His eyes bulged as I squeezed his throat harder, trying to control myself. Then again, why should I bother? His words were but scraps of an ancient scroll on the wind. They could not harm me. In fact, this old man, this lowly beast, was nothing more than the decaying rubble of a bygone age. And he was in. My. Way.
Eventually, I’d wrap my fingers around his throat so tightly I’d crush it, then decapitate him. But I wanted to savor the moment. Wanted him to know who was truly vanquishing him. I heard Abigail choking back sobs. Arthur’s and Philip’s yells merged until they were indistinguishable. But all that seemed distant, faraway somehow.
“What do battles and wars mean to someone who won’t be around to see them?” I sneered at Titus. “As I’m sure you’re aware, patricide was the worst crime one could commit in ancient Rome. So, why not start our reign with the most heinous crime of all?”
A strange feeling came over me, like the one I had when battling Nocifari. My body was my own, and yet it wasn’t. I felt less like a puppet and more like an actor. I was going through motions I’d rehearsed a thousand times in my mind. The play couldn’t end any other way. This was what I was born for. All I had to do was act out the part written for me, and I would be a star. The only star in a galaxy of galaxies. I dug my nails into Titus’s skin, getting ready to finish him.
But then came that voice again, the one that was louder than any mage’s or demon’s. The one yelling, “NO!” with such ferocity, it was like a bell ringing in my head—and then bludgeoning it. What is that damn thing, my conscience? Infernal meddler. The effect blew me back and onto the new coffee table, which collapsed beneath me.
And just as before, I was panting from the force of it, barely able to stand amid the splintered wood. I wiped perspiration off my forehead with my sleeve. Titus was slumped on the floor after falling hard when I let go of his throat. Abigail knelt next to him, tears in her eyes. She struggled to bring forth enough magic to heal him, and he cringed when it did. Philip grabbed the last bolt from where it landed on the floor. He loaded it into the crossbow and pointed it at me.
Titus gritted his teeth, stood up, and made a red, crackling ball of magic between his hands. Abigail managed to do the same. Even Arthur pushed up his sleeves and balled his fists. Every person in the room was watching me, holding their breath to see what I’d do next.
This isn’t me. This can’t be me. I would never try to kill my own father, no matter how much we irritated each other sometimes. Now, I knew why they called the demon “Oblivion.” It was because he obliterated his host. Pushed their personality and consciousness further and further outside them. The host didn’t die; their spirit or soul or what have you didn’t depart for another realm. They simply ceased to exist.
Everyone must have seen my shocked expression, because they realized the demon was temporarily subdued.
“Joshua?” Arthur said slowly.
“You take his right side, I’ll take his left,” Titus said to Abigail. They stepped forward while Philip tightened his grip on the crossbow.
“Don’t come near me!” I shouted, staggering back. “Not even to restrain me. It could be a trick of Oblivion’s. He may be trying to draw you close so he can murder you.”
“We must do something.” The magic in Titus’s hands grew larger, more powerful. “If this continues, you really will kill someone.” I squeezed my eyes shut. I knew he was right.
“Joshua,” said Abigail, “we know what you’re going through is hard—”
“Oh, really? How can you know that? Do you know how it feels to have someone—or something—take over your body? To not recognize your own reflection? To not be able to control yourself?” I picked up pieces of wood from the broken coffee table and flung them around the room. “I mean, what part of me is even me?”
“Steady on, now.” Arthur lowered his fists. “Clearly, you’re still in there somewhere.”
“I agree,” said Titus. “There must be a way to save you and defeat Oblivion.”
“Has everyone gone mad? You’re still trying to save me after what I just did to all of you? Going on like this will only get you killed, and Joshua won’t—I won’t let that happen.” My eyes fell on a piece of wood shaped like a stake. I picked it up and pointed it at my heart. “I think there’s a very simple solution to this that we’re all overlooking.”
Abigail let out a bloodcurdling scream, the magic she held exploding in her hands. Arthur and Philip yelled, “No!” Titus threw his magic at me, hitting me in the stomach. The stake flew out of my hand as I tumbled to the floor.
The magic didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, and any pain quickly dissipated. But it did knock the wind out of me. I rose to my feet and put one hand on the back of a chair, trying to catch my breath. Eventually, I collapsed into the chair, feeling as though I were covered in lead.
Slowly, my parents, Arthur, and Philip made their way towards me, faces drawn. Philip lowered the crossbow, but not so much it would be difficult to quickly lift and fire again.
“Nocifari’s right,” I whispered, holding my head in my hands. “If I die, the world will be saved.”
“It pains me to remind you of this, Joshua,” said Philip. “But when you fought her the first time, you said killing you could leave Oblivion exposed, or able to jump into another host. Both still remain possibilities.”
I laughed joylessly. “Nocifari is the only one among us who’s killed demon hosts before. I’m fairly certain she knows what happens to the demons afterward.”
“Perhaps.” Titus held his hands close together in case he had to make more magic. “And perhaps not.”
“After all, Oblivion is different than any demon the PIA has on record,” said Arthur. “For one thing, he’s the only one we know of that’s wanted to take over the world.”
“Yes, there must be something we’re overlooking,” pleaded Abigail. “I’m sure it’s so small we’re missing it. Killing yourself can’t be the answer. It just can’t.”
“And although I hate to criticize my colleagues,” Philip said, “Nocifari may be a bit myopic when it comes to demon hunting. She was never taught to do anything other than kill the host, and has significant personal reasons for doing so. She’s never explored the possibilities of exorcism, nor wanted to. She could be little more than a homicidal maniac with a grudge. Hardly a studied, objective viewpoint.”
I smiled weakly. “And here I thought you wanted me dead, Philip.”
He pursed his lips. “Before all this started, I wanted you gone, not dead. There’s a difference.”
Abigail shook her head, her now-frizzy curls twisting left and right. “The mistake we’re making is assuming Oblivion’s invulnerable. He needed a human body to enter this world—twice. There must be a physical way of sen
ding him back.”
We’re going now, Joshua. Enough of this dawdling. The lead-like feeling around me lifted. Now, I only felt it in my stomach, a dread so deep it threatened to drag me underground.
“Maybe.” My voice didn’t feel like mine, but I was sure it sounded that way. I rose from the chair as the others took a cautious step back. “But we’re not going to find it in time. Good-bye, all.” And with that, I waved my hand over them, and they froze where they stood.
With heavy footsteps, I walked to the elevator. I knew I could leave the suite without interference. My parents’ spell on the exits was useless against Oblivion now. What he’d said to me on the bridge was right. I wouldn’t be an ordinary person for much longer, not that I ever really was. I didn’t know any other mage who was the child of a witch and a vampire. Nor did I know of any creature born of a demon. It looked as if I’d be the last mage who possessed these unique qualities. I would take them to my grave.
Perhaps it was best that way
Chapter 21
Oblivion didn’t make me hurt anyone on my final visit down to him, which should have been a relief. However, knowing Oblivion, it only meant more carnage was in store later. I was sure of it. And that fact only swelled the rage already tearing through me like a hurricane.
What I saw on my way to the underground didn’t help.
Several people were huddled around the large glass window of an electronics store. The store was closed, but TVs both large and small were still on and blaring the news. I drew closer and watched with the rest.
“Like most earthquakes, the one in northwest Nevada today only lasted a few seconds,” a reporter was saying. “But that was more than enough time for it to leave hundreds dead and thousands injured. The earthquake warning system the state put into place only a few months ago failed to pick up on this cataclysmic event, despite the fact that no malfunctions could be found.”
It’s happening again. I saw those around me shaking their heads and gesturing at the screen. It can’t be happening again. But of course, it could, and it was. And just as before, there was nothing I could do but watch helplessly.