“Very nice to meet you, Amanda.” The male wizard on Demus’ right stepped forward to shake her hand. Then it was the female wizard’s turn. She shook Amanda’s hand too. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Forgetting her usual good manners, all a shocked Amanda could manage was “Uh huh.”
Sizing up the two new wizards, Amanda felt a rush of emotions course throughout her veins. Brandon wore a customary yellow shirt – instantly reminding her of her deceased husband, Regi. Sheila sported a blue top, prompting memories of Justica. Both were slim, tall, and blond. Despite the gender difference, yes, they did look like they were related. Amanda frowned. Both seemed – different from their predecessors on the wizards’ council. Rather than brash or arrogant, or uncaring, they seemed – nice. Yes. Nice.
Demus, now imbibing Amanda’s presence, was becoming more and more confident by the minute. Nearly back to his old self. He grinned and held his arms out. “I brought them here to support and back me up. May I spend my last hour of my life with you, Amanda?” His eyes were pleading, yet hopeful.
“We can vouch for him, Amanda,” Sheila said brightly and cheerfully.
Amanda bit her lip. She said, “Demus, can you leave for a bit and give us a minute?”
Demus grew excited. “Of course, Amanda.” He disappeared.
The former Supreme Liaison spoke in a whisper to the twins. “How do I know that he’s not invisible here, listening to us?”
“We know, Amanda,” Sheila said. “We can sense his presence. He’s not here now.”
“Magic may be cruel, but it can also be trusting,” Brandon said.
Amanda appeared quizzical. “Sheila and Brandon? These don’t sound like wizard names.”
Brandon laughed. “We wanted to keep our Mortal names.”
“Are you allowed to do that?”
“Of course.”
Amanda nodded. “That’s very refreshing.”
Brandon glanced sideways at his sister. “We’re a new generation, Amanda. We are a kinder, gentler council. Things needed to change.”
Sheila spoke up. “Yeah! Just barging in and taking over all these Mortals, five hundred million of them.” Her eyes widened. “I can’t imagine doing that; it’s a lot of responsibility!”
“With great power comes even great responsibility,” said a sober Amanda. She knew this too well.
Sheila chortled. “On the wizards’ council, just the wizards, it’s like running a country club. You know, deciding on a towel service for the guests at the pool. It’s real easy.”
Brandon also had an easy laugh that reassured Amanda. “I can see why the previous wizards decided to try their hand with the Mortals. With their world a mess at the time, it must’ve been awfully tempting.” He rolled up his eyes thoughtfully as he recalled. “The Great Blight.”
“What if Elsedor directed you to fulfill The Prophecy?” Amanda asked.
The twins exchanged awkward glances. “Well, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it,” Brandon said. “Right now, They Prophecy is vague enough that we don’t have to start now.”
Sheila playfully grabbed Amanda’s hand, “Perhaps on the two thousandth anniversary of Elsedor’s death!” She joyously looked at her brother.
“Maybe,” Amanda teased, “one thousand years from now, we can all join together. Humans will have developed our own form of magic. Like we’re doing now with inventing the wheel, creating fire, and now the telephone, light bulb, and the worldwide net.”
Sheila was still holding Amanda’s hand. “Yes, you Mortals have developed your own form of magic. You’re just catching up.” She released her grip.
Amanda stepped back, admiring the vivaciousness of the twins before her. The new wizards’ council was in good hands. “You’re so lucky,” Amanda marvelled, “to be born as twins on April thirtieth, at just the right time of the three-year cycle. Is this a first? Twins being on council? Brother and sister on the council?”
The twins exchanged fond glances. “Yes, Amanda. This is the first time we’ve heard of this,” Sheila said.
“I think Demus is waiting for you, and he doesn’t have much time left,” Brandon said worriedly. He whispered to her. “Look, it’s not my business, but I can tell you there’s been nothing out of the ordinary with his behavior. He hasn’t caused anyone trouble or grief. He –” Brandon gulped, “– has been grieving tremendously over you. Be kind to him.”
“He did a lot of wrong,” Sheila concurred. “But he knows it. Be good, Amanda. He deserves it.”
Amanda nodded. She wasn’t sure what to say.
Brandon, taking some solace in Amanda’s hesitation, announced out loud, “Okay, Demus! You can come in now!” He waved at her. “Goodbye, Amanda. Come see us anytime.”
Sheila sported a lovely, huge smile. “Goodbye, Amanda.”
Both wizards disappeared.
In their place, Demus materialized. He panted, “Oh, Amanda! It’s so good to see you!” He stared straight at her.
“Demus.”
“I don’t have much time left. In case I pass away in the next second, I wanted to say this first, so you remember me. I know you can’t reciprocate, and you shouldn’t.” His face registered profound longing. He held out his arms dramatically. “I love you, Amanda, and I will until the end of my time.”
Amanda crossed her arms.
Sensing some accomplishment, he pleaded, “Before I die, I seek only one thing. Not your love. I only want for you to forgive me.”
Amanda felt sick. Forgive him? “Demus, you tried to kill me!”
“I know, I know.” He massaged the back of his neck, thinking furiously, improvising upon the moment he’d anticipated for the past two years. “I was wrong. I’m very, very sorry, Amanda.”
“Being sorry doesn’t make it right.”
Demus had a thought. He perked up. “You’re a Christian, right?”
Not comfortable disclosing her religious beliefs, Amanda shrugged. “Raised as one, yes. Not active, but yes.”
“Don’t Christians forgive?”
“Not in this case, they don’t,” snapped Amanda.
“I want to tell you more about my past,” Demus said, pacing the floor, knowing that his time was running out minute by minute. “I showed it to you. I lost my brother, whom I loved dearly.”
“I know.”
“And I was a juvenile drug dealer, living in the sums of Detroit.” He laughed. “Doesn’t that tell you something, Amanda? I was a hopeless case from the start. In fact, if I had never been a wizard, I might be dead by now.”
He felt a surge of triumph as he detected a look of realization on Amanda’s face. “Yes,” he said, “I was a vagrant – a nobody, dealing with smuggled cigarettes and hash and heroin. That’s who I was. I’m not proud of it.” He exhaled, overcome with emotion. “So, then I found out I was a wizard.”
“By smashing beer bottles against two men,” Amanda recalled, horrified.
“I know, I know. But think of it! I became a wizard, with all these powers. And thanks to some incredible luck, using a forged birth certificate I never bothered to throw away, I found out I was eligible to sit on a very distinguished council.” His eyes invited Amanda to connect to him. “Can you imagine what it meant to a hoodlum like me? It was a whole world of difference.”
“Demus,” Amanda muttered softly, “you didn’t belong on that council. You were a fraud, and you knew it.”
“But if I weren’t on council, none of this would’ve happened,” Demus argued. “Don’t you see? This was fate. It was my drive that encouraged the Five Continents to conquer Earth the first time around thanks to The Great Blight. If we didn’t liberate the Earth, you may have never become Supreme Liaison. And, therefore, I would never have met you. Regi would never have been your husband. Don’t you see how this all ties in together?”
“It’s scary,” Amanda admitted. She pondered, and then said, “But it’s making my head spin. If you weren’t supposed to be on council none
of this would’ve happened. You planted the seeds of the destruction of The Prophecy!”
“And that is something I’ll always be remembered for.” He sighed, forlorn. “The wizard who severely damaged The Prophecy. It’s still intact, but no wizards’ council will touch it for a very long time to come.” He beamed at her. “We did make some good things happen, didn’t we?”
“Well,” she acknowledged, “I do admit I’m proud of some of the reforms we introduced. We’ve improved a lot of lives.”
“We destroyed the nuclear missiles.”
For once, Amanda’s approval shone through. “Thank you for that, Demus.”
He relaxed. He had all the time in the world now. Nonetheless, mindful of the ticking clock, he paced himself for this, his last moments with Amanda. He had a lot to talk about.
He exhaled twice, and nearly came to tears. Amanda braced herself.
“I loved you, Amanda, so much. Do you know how much?” He didn’t look into her eyes just yet. “I loved you so much that, despite my overwhelming urge to just see you, to talk with you, to share any precious time with you, I left you alone. For two years.” He held up two fingers.
“You didn’t spy on me? Appear invisible around me?” Amanda wanted to know.
“No. You know how I can prove it?”
“How?”
“If you were in my sight, I just couldn’t have resisted you. I would’ve appeared immediately. Just like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“I’m not sure I should be thankful at all. That’s the minimum I could expect. After all, you tried to kill me.” Amanda spoke angrily, through clenched teeth.
Demus became exasperated, pumping his arms above his head in frustration. Amanda retreated physically. What if Demus exacts his revenge on me just before he dies? Will I die today too? I should have never agreed to Sheila and Brandon’s request.
Fear covered her from head to toe, but she did her best not to let it show.
“You don’t understand,” Demus said wistfully. “Let me talk, and listen. You can judge me later.” He drew in his lips. “Just think about that day. All in one day, I found out many things. One, I found out you had a relationship with Regi. That just broke my heart. Two, I got kicked off the council, and you know how important that was to me. Three, I failed Elsedor. I did not succeed in delivering The Prophecy. As a result, no wizard for the last two years would be my friend. No one checked up on me. Can you imagine?”
Amanda stood silently.
“I see you have a knife in the glass cabinet over there.” Demus pointed at it.
Amanda’s nerves tightened. Why would he focus on a knife now? Am I in danger? “Yes,” she said dryly, “It was a gift from the Republic of Yemen.”
“That’s a real knife, Amanda.”
“It’s ornamental.”
“No, it’s a Mortal knife. Not a magic knife.”
She started walking backward. “Demus, you’re scaring me.”
He didn’t acknowledge her fear. Instead, he continued, “If I had wanted to, I could use a knife like that, to stab myself and bleed to death. That’s how I felt every single morning, Amanda. Ever since that day.”
She desperately looked for clues on his face. He appeared calm, not angry. But didn’t all madmen behave that way? She looked about for some way to escape.
“You’re right,” Demus said. “A wizard can’t use magic to kill himself. But I could use a knife like that and commit suicide.”
Amanda felt the blood leave her face.
“But I didn’t. You know what kept me alive every day?”
“What?” Amanda gasped.
“The image of your face, Amanda. I visualized it every time I thought of suicide. You are what kept me going every day. My love for you kept me alive.” He thought some more. “I never, ever thought I’d ever love anyone other than a wizard. I was wrong.”
Amanda relaxed her posture. Still not sure. Waiting to see how this played out.
“And I left you alone. So many times, I thought of you.” Demus paused, then exclaimed loudly, looking off in the distance. “One time,” he began darkly, “I was out on my own, in the air, and I saw a cruise ship. You know, the ones where older couples celebrate the fact that they’d just renewed their wedding vows after fifty years of marriage. Where their grandchildren were playing shuffleboard on the deck. Where everyone gorged out at the buffet. I saw all their happiness. I wasn’t happy about myself. Do you know what this means?”
She swallowed hard. Demus had a knack of getting under her skin. “What?”
“It means,” – that menacing look again – “I could’ve decided on the spot, at that time, to capsize that ship!” He pointed his finger into the air.
“Oh!” Amanda shuddered.
“Thousands and thousands of lives. But I didn’t do it. You know why?”
“Love?” Amanda shrank away, believing he didn’t even know what the word truly meant.
“Yes.” He calmed down, with a wicked grin on his face. “Well,” he looked about her office, “I’m still alive. I don’t want to prattle on. I want you to enjoy your time with me.”
“Did you have something in mind?”
“Wizard chess.”
“What’s that?” Amanda asked apprehensively. She’d remembered many of his games, all of which had terrified her. Did he still have a hideous plan to kill her, taking her along with him?
“Why, just like your chess, but with magic.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Amanda,” Demus murmured softly, “I swear by our god Elsedor that I won’t scare you in the slightest bit. Have faith in me.”
“I – I guess.”
“I don’t blame you. I’ve truly changed.” He reflected, and gazed at her. “Regi was a good man.”
Tears ran down Amanda’s cheeks.
“He was a much better man than I ever was,” Demus said. “My only regret is that I could not be that man for you.”
Amanda sobbed. The wizard zapped up some tissue and patted her on the shoulder. He stepped back, and lifted an arm. “Now, let’s play.”
In front of them, directly on the floor of Amanda’s office, appeared the beige and brown tiles of a chessboard. On top were three-foot high chestnut brown chess pieces, with two very different shades of brown in order to distinguish the rival teams in some variation in height. The pawns consisted of men in armor, holding up shields clutched close to the chest. The knights, as usual, consisted of mares, standing up on hind feet. The bishops wore cassocks and mitres, culminating in peaks. The castles consisted of turrets topped with battlements. And the kings and queens – as majestic as ever – wore crowns, robes, and sashes.
He said, “Since I don’t know when I’m going to ‘go,’ let’s agree on the outcome. If the game isn’t complete before I start The Luminescence, it’s a stalemate and no one has won.”
“I’m white. I go first,” Amanda said. She wondered how she’d lift these heavy objects.
“No,” Demus held up his hand. “It’s wizard chess. You tell them where to go.”
“Oh,” Amanda said, understanding. She took a few moments to re-orient herself. “Pawn, e2, to e4.”
To her amazement, that beige pawn started walking, and then landed two squares up ahead.
Demus replied, “Pawn, d7 to d5.” His “black” pawn, which was actually dark brown, walked two squares ahead, to meet diagonally opposite Amanda’s.
Amanda couldn’t wait to see if there’d be a battle scene. “Pawn, e4 to d5.” Delighted, she watched as her pawn took out its sword, slashed Demus’ pawn, and walked over to beside its fallen comrade. Demus’ stricken pawn then disappeared.
“Cool,” Amanda remarked. She was still on edge. What if Demus used this game – like he did with many others – to trap her? Did she have a choice?
The game continued on. Many battles played out, with each match resulting in one vanquished. Amanda learned that knights kicked their opponents to death, bishops stabbed wit
h their pastoral staffs, castles toppled over, and the queens used daggers concealed within their elegant robes, when eliminating an opponent upon a strategic move.
“Amanda,” Demus said, eyeing her, “you’re letting me win.”
His opponent grimaced. “No, I’m not, Demus,” she lied. His mind wasn’t as sharp as it used to be. These two years of purgatory had taken their toll on his aptitude. She felt sorry for him.
He pleaded with her. “Don’t. If you respect me at all, fight back as hard as you can.”
“Okay, Demus.”
The game was more than half over. What if she won? Would he stab her in the heart? Or, if he won, would be unleash his magic to strangle her, stomping over her corpse?
She shuddered, and pushed aside her tormented thoughts.
The game clicked along, with both wizard and Mortal vying for supremacy.
Amanda released a long, full breath. Just one more move. Her queen, with dagger outstretched, now stood before his king. How ironic… the king was about to be exposed to no mercy.
She looked up at Demus. “Checkmate.”
Suddenly, Amanda heard a gasp. Beams of light shot out from Demus. He clutched his throat in agony and fell to his knees. Amanda’s queen was still on her square, the knife near the rival king’s throat, but hadn’t yet stepped over to move in for the kill.
“Demus!” Amanda cried out.
“It’s started, Amanda!” Demus yelled. He moaned, undergoing spasms.
Amanda desperately wanted to run over, to help Demus stand back up. She froze, unsure what to do.
The wizard solved her problem for her. Making a concerted effort, he unsteadily stood up. Shutting out his acute pain, he forced a smile, gazing at her.
“No one won, Amanda. It is stalemate.”
“No,” Amanda agreed, staring on in shock.
He grimaced. “Your queen hasn’t… ugh! You queen… has not moved.”
“Demus!” Amanda cried out, “How can I help you?”
His face under incredible strain, he winced, but locked eyes with hers. “You already have, Amanda. You’ve given me far more than…” He nearly collapsed, moaning. “…than I can ever contemplate.”
The Four Kings Page 32