The Flooding
Page 29
“If Rebus was such a threat,” I ask, “why did we meet with him in Amsterdam?”
“Rebus and I were once like brothers. When the time was right, I reached out, and he agreed to a brief truce. I hoped my old friend would come to his senses once he’d met you.”
“But he didn’t?”
“Unfortunately not.”
“Do you know why?”
“There is one oracle he trusts above all others. Her visions about the apocalypse have never changed.”
“Kaya?”
“Yes.”
“What if she’s right?”
“Then the future of this planet is doomed. And so are we.”
I can’t think about that. I ask, “How does Tammuz fit into all this?”
“When a soul is created, it splits into two parts: male and female. You and he are one and the same.”
“Wow,” I say, staring off into the distance. I’m totally blown away and overwhelmed. So much so that I’m finding this revelation—one I know in my heart to be true—difficult to process.
“Does he have the dark fire as well?” I ask, trying my best to refocus.
“He does.”
While I’m keen to investigate the subject of Tammuz in more detail, there’s something else demanding my attention. “Why haven’t I been able to get pregnant until now?”
“I’m not sure. I assume it has something to do with what happened in that cave. You were emotionally scarred on a very deep level.”
The questions just keep coming. “What about New York? Why didn’t Meta warn you about Rebus?”
Ashkai takes a deep breath. “It was meant to happen, so it happened.”
There’s something about the way he said it, something that makes me think . . .
“You knew he was coming, didn’t you?”
Instead of answering my question, Ashkai says, “Do you remember who Pythia is?”
I nod. “She’s the street urchin you took under your wing in Egypt but also one of the seven oracles.”
Ashkai raises a finger. “She was and is the most gifted of them all. As the years and lives rolled by, I continued to consult her. The more love I gave you, the more her visions changed until eventually, the future became uncertain. The apocalypse was no longer a foregone conclusion.”
“That doesn’t explain why you were captured.”
“You needed to be set free. You needed to feel as if you were alone. You needed something to fight for in order to evolve and grow.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “So you just let Rebus take you?”
Ashkai reaches a hand out to touch mine. “It wasn’t supposed to go that far.”
“What do you mean?”
“Meta was there to usher me into the next life.”
“But she failed,” I say, remembering how hard she tried to kill him before turning the gun on herself.
“She did her best,” Ashkai says. “I have answered your questions, little owl; now it’s my turn. The Demiurge has been waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Its goal is to turn you away from the better side of yourself.” He pauses to look at me in a deep and penetrating way. “Has it succeeded?”
I think for a moment.
“All I know for sure is this: a dark, malevolent energy has been lurking in the shadows of my heart for as long as I can remember. Since you were captured, it has kept me alive and become a more powerful presence. I don’t think it has succeeded in turning me, but if it had, would I tell you? I mean, what if it has been using us all, even Pythia? What if this child is still destined to destroy everything?”
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Rebus is still out there. He’s going to come after me, isn’t he?”
“Yes, but I have not given up on him. He has just lost his way. I can bring him back.”
The mere mention of that man awakens something deep inside of me, an instinct to protect . . .
“Are you sure about that?” I say, removing my hand from his.
The voice speaks to me then. It’s as if an invisible man is standing to my left, whispering into my ear.
“You must protect our progeny.”
I get a rush of blood and stand, turning toward the sound, feeling the presence of a deep and ancient darkness. “Leave me alone,” I shout. “Or my next stop is an abortion clinic.”
There’s a ripple of movement in the air, the blur of a predator striking.
Something grips my throat, and I am raised from the ground, choking now. I try to fight, but all I’m able to grasp is thin air. The voice says, “You belong to me. You always have. You always will.”
It’s as if my soul is being siphoned out of me.
Ashkai is on the bed behind me. He says, “Resist, Samsara. You are stronger than you realize.”
Meta bursts into the room. Her indigo eyes lock on mine. She raises a hand, and a white, blinding light burns through the air. The grip on my throat releases, and I fall to the ground.
Meta crouches beside me. “What happened?” she asks, lifting my limp and dizzy head.
I gasp for air and try to sit up, but my energy has been completely drained.
Ashkai speaks next. He has clambered out of bed, weak, frail, and unsteady on his feet.
“It’s okay, Samsara. Together we can beat this. You have to believe that.”
I touch my stomach, worried something might have happened, relieved because I can still feel a spark of life inside of me.
“I hope you’re right,” I say, readying myself for the battle ahead, promising my unborn child I will do my best.
But will it be enough?
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Hancock was born in1977 in Oxford, England. He lived in London and Kenya before his family settled in Devon where Sean spent his formative years. His mother is from Somalia, East Africa, and his father is English.
In 2010, after a decade working as a freelancer in television, Sean joined the BBC as a commissioning editor in entertainment. Among other notable shows, and during his four years with the corporation, Sean commissioned and executive produced The Revolution Will Be Televised, which won the BAFTA for Best Comedy Programme in 2013.
In 2011, Sean released a coming-of-age novel, Trick. The book was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. It was also a Top-20 Kindle bestseller in the United Kingdom.
The Flooding marks a change of genre for Sean, who now resides in Los Angeles with his wife Simone.