by Ivy Sinclair
“Now what?” Klein asked.
“Now we talk,” I said. I looked at Paige. “This van has a mystical boundary spell of its own that ensures we can speak freely here and don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.”
“I see,” she said. As she shifted in her chair, she still looked uncertain. I didn’t blame her, but this was the part where my skills and background came in handy.
“Case 210,” I said. “Klein, I need you to go back through it.”
Klein’s jaw dropped. “But case 210 is…”
“I know what case 210 is,” I said.
“I don’t,” Paige said, looking back and forth between us.
There was a short pause. “Case 210 was the one that I worked on for Proctor five years ago,” I said. “It involved locating a very dangerous relic. You were looking for a relic when you went to Calamata Island three years ago before you lost your memory. You said that Proctor was helping you with accessing Eva’s magic. That’s the reason that you made the blood pact with him.”
Paige had started to nod, but Klein exploded. “WHAT? She made a blood pact with the demon who offed your whole family? What the fuck is going on?”
I held up my hand. “A lot has happened in the last few days, Klein. Suffice it to say that right now, at this moment, the most important thing is finding out everything you can about that compass. If Paige can access Eva’s magic, that could help us. I think it’s all tied together.”
It was Paige’s turn to look surprised. “The relic is a compass?”
“The compass of death,” Klein muttered. “Wherever it is, I think it’s best if it just stays there.”
So far, the conversation was going about as well as I expected. “I told you that Proctor hired me to find something for him and that when I failed, he took it out on me by killing my mother and sister.”
“Yes, I remember you telling me that,” Paige said softly. I knew what she was thinking, but I didn’t have time for any more pointless discussion on that topic.
“What I didn’t tell you was what he was looking for. It was an ancient relic that I found out through my investigation was imbued with powers of mass destruction. I believe that sometime in the sixteenth century, its appearance was altered to look like a compass, and it has remained in that form since then. Demons have used it for centuries to bring terrible events and plagues on humankind. But each time, they lose control of it themselves. The relic is cursed, and that curse applies to anyone and anything around it. Needless to say, once I figured out what it was, I wasn’t as keen to give it to Proctor anymore.”
“And you think that’s the relic that will help me ward off Eva’s possession? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Possession? And who is this Eva that you both keep yapping about?” Klein appeared to be growing increasingly agitated.
“That is really the million dollar question,” I said, ignoring Klein’s outburst. “I’ve got basic information at best, and it’s coming from an impartial source. Supposedly Eva is, or rather was, a small-time deity who managed to get on the bad side of both God and Lucifer. She was banished to the ether but created an escape hatch to get back.”
“Escape hatch?” Klein asked with a confused look.
“Me,” Paige said with a long sigh. “When the time was right, a vessel would be born and would provide a way for the Goddess Eva to come back into this world.”
“Jesus Christ,” Klein said, leaning back in his chair. He stared at me. “You really know how to step right into the biggest pile of shit possible, don’t you?”
“First of all, I’m pretty sure God’s son doesn’t have anything to do with this,” I said with a mocking smile. “Second of all, I don’t know if I had any more choice in the matter than Paige did.”
“What do you mean?” Paige asked.
“The tattoo that you noticed on my back earlier? That wasn’t there a few days ago. That’s why Alice connected me with Abigail. It’s a symbol that is tied to Eva, and Abigail offered to tell me more about it as long as I brought Fernando back from his prison in the inner circle of hell.”
Klein held up his hand. “Just to be clear, we have to worry about Bruno Proctor,” he pushed his index finger down, “A previously unknown deity named Eva,” he pushed another finger down, “And possibly Lucifer himself because you decided to jailbreak somebody who was on his shit list. Am I missing anybody?”
I shrugged. “You might want to add in the cult members of Eva, who are currently surrounding this van.”
Klein’s chin dropped to his chest, and he started to rub his face. “There was a reason that I told you I didn’t want to do field work. This is going to turn into Barcelona all over again.”
“What did she tell you about the symbol?” Paige asked. She seemed unaffected by Klein’s meltdown. That was good. I didn’t need anyone feeding into Klein’s dramatics.
“Eva had a bodyguard of sorts. He was called the Protector. Right before Eva’s banishment, he went missing. If you listen to Abigail, she believes that’s the reason that Eva was defeated. The symbol is his.” The silence in the van was deafening as two pairs of eyes stared at me. “It won’t do us any good to jump to any conclusions. Not until we have more information. So that’s why you are here.” I pointed at Klein.
“You’ve saved my life,” Paige said slowly, as if choosing each of her words with care. “Out of nowhere you came into my life, and every time I’ve asked you to leave, you stay. You keep putting yourself on the line for me. I kept trying to figure out why you would do that for a complete stranger.”
I reached across the table and took her hand. It was cold. “Paige, I helped you initially because contrary to popular belief, I’m not a complete jackass. I’ve stayed with you for other reasons beyond that.” I squeezed her hand and tried to will my thoughts across the table. I didn’t want her to think for a moment that what had grown between us wasn’t real.
“I have a lot to think about,” she said as she pulled her hand back into her lap.
“We can talk more once we get on the road,” I said. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“We just got here,” Paige protested. “I got to sleep in a bed. I have clean clothes for the first time in days. Besides, where would we go?”
“I’ll know by the time we leave,” I hedged. I hadn’t gotten that far yet. I just knew that the sooner I got Paige away from Abigail and Fernando, the better.
“That’s not good enough, Riley. I’m sick of running. I’m sick of hiding. If you have a plan, I’ll listen, but for once I don’t feel like we should be running off half-cocked with no idea of what we’re going to do next. You said we’d be safe here and that we’d have time to figure everything out. Now you’re saying we have to leave again. Make up you your mind.”
I understood everything that she was saying and why she was frustrated with me. But the feeling I had wasn’t something that I could easily explain. My gut said we were getting by on borrowed time on Abigail’s farm already. “Let Klein do his thing,” I said. “I’m sure once we have more information the next step will be clear. You just have to be patient.”
“Well, at least I understand what’s going on now on Calamata Island. I was really worried when I didn’t hear from you that you got caught up in that mess,” Klein said.
“What’s happening on Calamata Island?” Paige asked, swinging her attention to him.
“War,” Klein said simply. “The archangel there, Benjamin, completely lost control. That’s too bad because if there was anywhere in this realm that could be called a vacation spot, I think that was it. Now, it’s full on demon against angel everywhere. Apparently there were human casualties as well. You know the demons have wanted access to Calamata Island for a long time. A few days ago, it sounds like the dam finally broke. I guess it makes sense if you think that the relic is there.”
Paige and I looked at each other. “It’s not just a coincidence, is it?” she asked me.
> “I wish I could tell you that it was,” I said. I knew that Paige loved the island. It had been her home for three years, and that was a happy time in her life.
“I’m feeling a little lightheaded,” Paige said. “I think I need to eat something.”
I heard a soft knock on the door as if on cue. I opened the door and found Abigail standing there. “Dinner is ready. Would you like to join us? Fernando would like to speak to you now. He has more to tell you about Eva and the Protector that might be useful.”
Paige was out of her seat and moving past me before I could say another word. “It smells delicious,” she said to Abigail. “I feel as if I haven’t eaten in weeks.”
Abigail patted her arm. “You’ve come to the right place, dear. No one goes to bed hungry on the farm.” As the women moved away, I saw Klein’s surprised expression again.
I shrugged. This was one battle that wasn’t worth fighting, especially when my own stomach started to growl. “Let’s eat, kid. It’s going to be a long night.”
CHAPTER EIGHT – FERNANDO
Abigail asked me to wait until the farm’s three guests were seated with food in front of them before telling my story. I cared little for two of them. My focus was only on the woman named Paige. After so many years of waiting and watching for Eva’s vessel, I was still in shock that she sat here before me. She looked nothing like Eva, but that wasn’t unexpected. It would have been nice to see my friend again in the flesh, but her essence back with me would do.
The community had prepared a feast in their guests’ honor. That generosity was a thread that I was glad to see had lived on from my Goddess’s legacy. I felt the wistful pull of nostalgia again. Abigail said it was my words that would turn the tide for us. As I looked down at my life companion and saw her nod, I hoped that I lived up to her expectations. I had failed so many times in my long lifetime. The weight of that was heavy on my shoulders.
“It is easy to understand why, in the presence of those who are different than you, you would feel fear and trepidation,” I said. Abigail had already said the magic words that carried my words across the many tables to ears of the entire community. All would hear this story. It might seem like it was mine, but truly it was Eva’s. “In the time when the realms and those in them reeled from the divide that happened in Heaven with the casting out of Lucifer and his supporters, everyone was distrustful of everyone. My parents were first-generation demons created by Lucifer right after the divide. It was a dangerous time for everyone. Demons and angels battled whenever they found each other. God had already turned his attention to his human children, and the jealousy that the angels had of them was aroused.”
I paused and looked around me. It was easy to get lost in the images in my head. I had to make sure that I held everyone’s attention, especially the one whose opinion mattered the most.
“With the innocence of any child, I had no fear of those different than me. I was curious, and that curiosity took me away from my parents and my home too early, before I was truly ready for the world outside. I won’t bore you with all of the details other than to say I met a young deity who struggled equally with finding her place in the new world. She saved my life, and we became fast friends.”
“Goddess Eva, right?” The question came from one of the children at a table next to us.
I smiled. “That is right, little one. God called Eva ‘Little Sister.’ He showed her favor and gave her position and authority over all of the realms. She was an archangel who he imbued with even more special powers. He made her into a version of himself, because God didn’t want to be bothered with having to keep track of Lucifer and his demons. He only cared that there finally be peace, and it was up to Eva to help him with this task.”
“She wasn’t born a Goddess?” Paige asked. I could tell that her large companion, the one called Riley, wasn’t pleased that she appeared intrigued with my story.
“There is only one God,” I said. “He grants special privilege to others, but he has no desire to have an equal who could be his competition. As long as everyone kept to their places, he had no quarrel with them. Eva was given the role of policing the demons and the angels who lived in the human world. She was to keep the peace. She knew that taking on that task alone was almost impossible, and so she used her new powers to create a being that would be loyal to her and her alone. She tied her lifeline and safety to that being as a failsafe in the event she was ever attacked.”
“This was the Protector. I’ve heard this story already,” Riley said. He chewed his food but glared at me. “Tell me something that I don’t already know.”
I refused to be rushed. The story wasn’t for him. “It seemed inevitable to me and to the Protector that eventually a rebellion would grow up against Eva. She was a fair and honest judge, and refused to choose sides or play favorites. She was efficient and effective at her job, and that was a thorn in the side of Lucifer and the archangels as well. There were many who didn’t want a peaceful co-existence of the species. As the scrimmages escalated between all of them, Eva was taxed on all sides. But she kept going because failure was not an option.”
Paige had set her silverware down. She fingered the pendant around her neck. It seemed that it calmed her. That was good.
“It was just at the point where she thought she had turned the tides when her Protector disappeared. Eva was distracted searching the realms for him, but there was no trace of him. One day he had been at her side, and the next moment he was gone. You see, Eva’s enemies knew that without her Protector, Eva’s strength was weakened. She knew only that he was still alive, but she didn’t know where. She neglected her duties. War sprang up all around us. God had no choice but to call her to him, and that’s when Lucifer sprung his trap. He turned God against her.”
I heard the gasps of the assembled crowd around me. I wished that I didn’t have the vision of what happened next as an image that was burned in my mind. I wished that I could just hear the words and not have to relive the experience all over again.
“Without her Protector, Eva asked me to join her when she presented herself in front of God. It was unprecedented what we found when we arrived. Archangel and demon stood shoulder to shoulder and one after one they testified against her. They claimed that the unrest and bloodshed were a direct result of her ineptitude. They said that she cared nothing for those that she had been charged with protecting. They said that she was blinded by affection for the being that she had created and gave him preference over all God’s creatures. It was a charge that God could not turn away from.”
“What happened?” Paige asked. Her eyes had a faraway look in them, and I couldn’t help but wonder if some memories were surfacing in her mind. Eva’s connection and influence on her vessel would have been increasing for some time. It wasn’t inconceivable that some of Eva’s memories could be transmitted through that bond.
“Eva offered no defense. She knew that her distraction was the truth. She had failed her God. But I don’t think that she expected the harshness of his punishment. Because he had blessed her above all others, his wrath at her failure was equally monumental. He allowed the demons and angels alike to torture and tear her apart limb from limb and then her essence was banished into the ether. To attempt a return meant that she would be given back to them for the same punishment over and over again.”
“What?” Riley said, sitting up straight for the first time. “So she comes back, and they all come after her again? Why would she do that?”
“The key is her Protector,” I said. “If she is reunited with him, she stands a chance to clear her name and remain here. This is her home after all. All of the evils in this world, all of the things that happen between the angels and demons would be brought back into balance. Order will be restored, and Eva will be vindicated. That is the future that we have been waiting a thousand years for. And that is why Eva needed a very special vessel to bring her back.”
Paige shifted in her seat when my eyes fell back on her.
I needed her to understand how important she was, and what honor awaited her. Abigail told me of her reluctance to let the Goddess in. She should have been guided since it became clear that she was the one we had been waiting for, but her parents had taken her away and poisoned her mind against her destiny. I blamed myself for that.
“Twenty-two years ago, I saw the signs that I had been waiting for. Eva’s return was finally coming. But before I could do anything about it, demons that I had long considered my friends turned against me. Lucifer trapped me in Hell to ensure that I could do nothing to help Eva’s vessel prepare for her triumphant return.”
“What about the Protector?” Riley asked. “Whatever happened to him?”
I shook my head. “After Eva’s banishment, I did everything I could to try to find him. She had been certain that he was still alive and being held somewhere. It had to have been powerful magic to hold a being like him. I thought after she was gone that he would surface again, but I can only assume that he was killed in the aftermath.”
“You said that while Eva was distracted with looking for her Protector, cataclysmic events occurred in the realms that brought death to all the species,” Riley said.
“Yes. Plagues. War. Famine. It affected everyone. There were those with dark intentions who used these events to their advantage. It was a dangerous time then, just as it is a dangerous time now.”
“It’s just hard to believe that the guy never showed up again,” Riley said. “If he was supposed to be this powerful super being, you’d think he’d have found a way to escape or try to avenge his Goddess. Whatever.”
“His fate has always been intertwined with Eva’s,” I said. “It simply took time to align the stars once again. With Eva’s return, it is expected that the Protector would emerge again as well.”
I felt a great sense of anxiety, but then I felt Abigail’s hand on my knee.
“They are both here. We’ve found them, Fernando. It is our time. Don’t worry,” she said in my mind.