‘The libation is not enough’ she said, in her aged husk, ‘we are weakened from time.’
‘The Hermeporta speaks’ said Hermes, ‘I thought I had forgotten that sound’ he whispered. The light within the crystal began to intensify and cast its glow into the incense smoke like a moving torch in the fog.
‘Only our daughter may pass’ said Illawara, before her cropped hair began to swirl about her in the air as if she were underwater. Her eyes glowed like fog lamps, casting beams into the smoke. Raven looked on in terror, not knowing in what situation he found himself. The Professor’s gaze flicked to him, dreading what the device would say through Illawara.
‘A sacrifice is needed’ she said, ‘we are too weak, for centuries we have slept. We are hungry, we thirst.’ In unison Lucia, Hermes and the Professor all turned to look at the Gondolier. He grasped their logic as Illawara then stood swaying in her trance, her eyes glowing like two blue fireflies as she stared at the Hermeporta. The Professor thought of his little sister again when he saw Illawara possessed and feared she would come for him again.
Like a mantis, Lucia reached into her case, opened the jar she found there and dipped her fingers into the unguent. She then rubbed the melting waxes into her arms as the Gondolier, seized with terror, tried to back away. Lucia began to glow all over.
‘I should have done this hours ago' she said. The Professor looked at Raven's terrified face as Illawara swayed where she stood pointing at him.
‘Sacrifice… we need a sacrifice’ she hissed, before slowly walking towards the Gondolier that tried to crawl away. Illawara’s eyes illuminated his ebony skin revealing the horrified glare of the whites of his eyes.
‘Please,’ Raven said to the Professor as he convulsed with terror, unable to coordinate himself, ‘don’t let them take me.’
Winston stood with a look of anguish on his face, his lips trembling, his eyes flitting between the helpless Gondolier, and the eyes of Lucia, Hermes and Illawara - none of whom looked human. The Professor thought of his life’s work, every effort and sacrifice he had made for decades. The Professor heard Iona’s warnings reverberate around his mind, and hated himself. He looked at the three pairs of eyes that had stared to stare at him with one unified mind. Hermes, Lucia and Illawara all seemed possessed to him: united by the same malevolent spirit. The Professor realised, without a doubt that his own life was in danger.
‘I’m sorr…’ the Professor tried to say, but he got choked off as the Gondolier barged past him, in a bolt of fear, and fled for his life.
‘The SACRIFICE’ roared Illawara from the depths of her being, sounding like a creature from beyond a place that the Professor could contemplate. Lucia obeyed the command and lifted her arms in The Grip to snatch up Raven as he fled to the steps at the back of the subterranean temple. He screamed at the top of his lungs filling the space with his shrieks, as Lucia pulled him through the air towards her. Raven called out in his native tongue crying for his mother and father, as he fought and struggled in the air. The Professor struggled to watch as he glided through the incense smoke in his futile struggle within Lucia’s grip.
Illawara’s possessed eyes illuminated the Gondolier like tractor beams, as he cried and howled. Lucia wore an expression of grim determination as she manoeuvred the man towards the waiting Hermeporta. Hermes stood implacable in his focus, his pupils dilated to black pools, expressing knowledge, dark and pragmatic, of what had to be. The Professor felt his eyes sting with guilt-ridden tears, as the innocent man, fighting for his life, moved through the air towards the glowing pool of the Hermeporta.
‘Lucia, put that man down this instant!’ Orsini roared from the shadows. The Gondolier tumbled from the air to fall upon the steps of the Hermeporta before scrambling to hide like a spider. Lucia felt as if the voice had stabbed her somewhere in the heart. A voice she had not heard for many years. A voice she wished to forget, forever. The Professor almost choked with shock to see Orsini again. ‘What is this?’ he bellowed, filling the temple with his presence. ‘Is this what you have become?' He said, his brow crossed with fury as he pointed at Lucia, 'an apostate of hell? A prostitute of Lucifer?’
‘How dare you’ Lucia hissed back at the figure shrouded in smoke, ‘how dare you to call me a prostitute' she spat, 'and this coming from a man who’d sell his own mother for power.’ The Professor stared at Lucia and then Orsini who began to stride forward into the candlelight. Lucia’s breath stiffened, and her pulse began to race, as Orsini walked forward with majestic strides and seemed to emerge from a place frozen in time deep within her past. He glowed with the youth he once did many years ago, and Lucia’s emotions thrashed into turmoil.
‘Sell my own mother, you say?' he said pointing at Lucia with disgust, 'I’ve never met a woman as devious and grasping as you. It seems that all your years of praying in that nunnery did nothing to stop your plotting and scheming.’ Lucia's chest heaved as she flushed pink from her neck to her forehead.
‘If I’ve had to scheme and learn my ways it’s because of you’ she yelled. The Professor and Hermes looked on agog.
‘Release her’ he commanded, gesturing to Illawara who had sunk again to her knees with her arms still outstretched entranced, the light dimming in her eyes.
‘She is not under my control, and she doesn’t belong to you' said Lucia, before she pointed at him. 'Look at you’ she snapped, ‘you come here with your stolen youth and think that you can still take whatever you want - like how you took me.' The Professor's eyes grew wide. 'You used me, and I suppose you just want to do the same to her, just as you once did with me.’
Tears started to well in Lucia's eyes as she quaked all over. She did not want to cry in front of Orsini. She had wasted enough tears on him. But her rage overwhelmed her, and she could not control them. The Professor stood riveted to the spot.
‘Shut up, you foolish woman' said Orsini swiping his arms through the air as if to strike away Lucia's words, 'preaching here to all as if I ravished you. You offered yourself to me like prawns on a platter, of your own free will.' The Professor flicked his eyes to Lucia, but she inhabited another world as Orsini spoke. 'It's true: I thought I knew pleasure until I met you, but it was those skills of the bedchamber you had perfected before these dark arts’ said Orsini, gesturing around him. Lucia looked like road-kill. A devastated look the Professor had not seen once in her before: Orsini had destroyed her aura of invincibility with words alone. She tried to clench her fists to abuse her enemy physically but struggled to maintain the grip of her fingers. She seemed to tremble with rage and helplessness in equal measure.
‘I loved you’ she croaked, ‘I may not have been innocent when I met you. But it wasn’t fair, Pietro. But my heart was pure; my heart lay untouched.’ Orsini flicked his hand at the air.
‘“A common whore”, that's what they told me afterwards about you. And to think I was going to elevate you to marriage.' Lucia's eyes streamed as Orsini continued, 'you filled me with those abominable potions of yours: do you know I nearly lost my mind?' he said glaring at his old lover. 'Luckily, I had a friend, someone who revealed what you were up to, and what you and your witch mother wanted to do with me.’ The Cardinal snorted with disgust. Lucia collapsed into a heap.
‘We were poor, Pietro… I had to support my mother and family. You know I’ve never been recognised by my father, a true Borghese, and a brother to the Pope, my uncle no less: and more than your EQUAL!’ She shouted. But her voice lacked its usual control and came out more like a shriek of desperation. The Professor could not move. Orsini stood still to close his eyes, tight-lipped as if to suffocate a memory that had surged back to him from an unwanted past.
‘I've never loved you’ said Orsini, Lucia’s eyes began to turn red, ‘I realised that after I left you, that any love I’d begun to feel was forced by you, contrived, make-believe. All cooked up in your mother’s intoxications.' Orsini shook his finger at Lucia, 'you tried to force me, Lucia, you tried to steal from me what can only
be given.’ The Cardinal then bent down next to Illawara who sat kneeling, still with her arms outstretched and eyes glowing, her hair still flowing as if underwater. Orsini showed no fear of her. He stroked her short hair that seemed to move in a whirlpool. ‘I’ve given my heart to Illawara - and she didn’t try to steal it’, and with that, Orsini closed his eyes and kissed her. Illawara’s arms grew limp, and the glow fell from her eyes to leave them glittering, as she came back to herself.
The air cracked with a piercing shriek that came from the depths of Lucia as if crucified with burning nails. She hurled the starry fabric covered box at Orsini’s head. The container smashed into the side of Orsini's face before he tumbled backwards, dropping a confused Illawara, as the box broke open. Hermes yelled and covered his eyes in shock when he saw the contents of the box that lay strewn on the dusty floor. The Professor looked and then covered his mouth to stifle a howl of disgust.
‘LOOK AT IT!’ screamed Lucia, striding over to Orsini who tried to stagger to his feet, ‘look at it.’ The young Cardinal clutched at his head and saw his hand come back red with blood. He felt dizzy, and his eyes struggled to focus on the little mummified body that lay next to him. Lucia pointed at the shrivelled corpse of a new-born baby, its papery skin clinging to the bones. Lucia screeched and wailed, her eyes overflowing, her voice chopped and ragged with emotion, as her skin flashed in the light: ‘that’s the son I BORE you… born dead into my arms in the catacombs. I never heard him cry. He died because of the suffering you inflicted upon me; he died because of you.' Tears, and mucus came down Lucia's face like glue, 'his little heart stopped beating because yours did: when you abandoned me.’
No one uttered a word as Orsini stared in disbelief at the dead child he never knew he sired. He tried to speak, but no words came out as he looked at the fragile little body. His lips trembled as he reached towards the little child, shaking his head: ‘I’ve always wanted a son’ he whispered, and almost howled with grief before the Henchman, watching all from the side-lines, rushed forward in the stunned confusion and grabbed Illawara. Illawara screamed as the Henchman griped her short hair with one hand,
‘It’s you who should die. I’m going to end this’ he snarled before he stabbed Illawara as hard as he could in her chest. The men screeched with their arms outstretched, but the blade shattered in the Henchman's palm for he struck the diamond over Illawara's heart. The Professor dashed forward but Hermes, being nearer, kicked the confused Henchman in the teeth with a searing crack.
‘Illawara’ yelled Orsini, forgetting himself, rushing forward to her aid. The Henchman crashed back at Hermes’ blow and clutched at his bleeding jaw. But he did not have time to recover before the Professor cleared the distance to stamp on the Henchman’s wrist before he could raise his broken dagger for another slash at Illawara. The Professor then stamped on the Henchman’s fist until he howled in pain and dropped the blade before Winston hammered the man with his fists like gorilla. The Henchman took beatings from all sides by Hermes who stamped and kicked him with all his might, as the Professor punched and thudded his fists on his body. The Henchman recoiled bloodied, overwhelmed and dazed. He curled into a ball as the blows smashed down on him from both men.
Lucia saw Orsini rush forward to cradle a shell-shocked Illawara, as the Professor and Hermes continued to beat the Henchman. The Gondolier, almost petrified, had crawled off to a safe distance during the fray. Lucia wiped away her tears and glared at Orsini as he poured love and affection on Illawara as he cradled her in his arms. Her expression was bitter. She looked at the body of her dead baby. A body, a ghost, that she had carried with her since she was seventeen. She looked at Illawara and almost envied her:
'Good luck to you' she said. But Lucia then raised her hands in The Grip, and the Henchman’s body, attacked from all sides by Hermes and the Professor, then lifted into the air, groaning but still alive. The men stood back as he lifted off the ground. Lucia turned the Henchman in the air before she tossed his body towards the Hermeporta. The awakened device sensed its prey and caught what she threw. The half-conscious Henchman, beaten and bloody, then became aware of his situation, but it was in vain. He then screamed with the fear of a man that stared into the jaws of hell, seeing himself reflected in the Hermeporta, seeing the blackness of his own soul.
His howls and struggles ended quickly. The Hermeporta snapped all his bones, and consumed the Henchman's soul and contents in moments, his scrawny body, reduced to a shrivelled heap, was flung aside, like dry dung, so little flesh there had been to consume. The Hermeporta then blazed with light, and ancient tanned sandstone burned away to reveal a new skin of smooth alabaster. The rusted dials of the zodiac turned and glided about the circumference of the device, shining and spinning renewed. Hermes stood transfixed. The rejuvenated Hermeporta then spoke to all present using his voice.
‘Lady of the Mysteries’ Hermes said, speaking with the voice of the ancients ‘your babe’s birth was not in vain. Know that he sacrificed his life so that you could become what thou art.’ Lucia paused, shaking her head, with her hands over her mouth, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at the tiny body of her son. ‘Illawara, daughter of the Hermeporta and her guardian, it is time.’ Orsini's eyes grew wild.
‘No, no’ said Orsini, not wanting to let Illawara go, 'don't take her from me' he pleaded.
‘It is time’ Hermes said again, raising his arm and stretching it towards Illawara as his eyes glowed orange in the light, channelling the will of Hermeporta that used his voice. Illawara stopped hugging Orsini and stood, as he fumbled over her. She wanted to stay with him, but she knew that the voice of her destiny had spoken to her – trying to disobey the Hermeporta would be futile. She looked again at his young face with its mature eyes and stroked his forehead and jawline.
‘Thank you’ she said before she bent to kiss him, full and slow on the mouth. 'Goodbye' she added before she walked towards Hermes who received her outstretched hand into his. Orsini became distraught.
‘NO, please Illawara, we should be together, don’t leave me… without you, my life is over' he tugged at his hair and clawed at the ground, 'I’ve given up everything I’ve had for you. You can’t go.’
‘You’re not yet ready to follow’ said the Hermeporta via Hermes, his eyes aglow, ‘cease your laments: this is not an ending, but a beginning - the start of your true life, and your true calling.’ And with that Orsini could not utter a word more, knowing, deep down, that what the Hermeporta said to him was true.
His old life was over; he could not go back to it knowing what he knew: all of it seemed trivial to him in comparison to what he had learned and experienced. Normal life was impossible. Trance-like Hermes gathered up the satchel that contained what they needed before he and Illawara ascended the steps hand in hand. The Hermeporta glowed with pearlescent light and lifted Hermes and Illawara into the air. The Professor wanted to say something to them before they left. Perhaps to apologise, or confess, to tell them to go home and live an ordinary life, to forget everything, but his words almost failed him.
'Forgive me' he said to the pair, but he was not sure they had heard him. Forgetting would be pointless. The Professor knew such journeys were impossible to return from unchanged, and impossible to forget. But the he vowed that he would see them again, regretting that he had not done more to get to know the pair better. Light from the crystal, within the jaws of the alabaster snakes, began to bend and twist into ever faster bands of light around Hermes and Illawara. The Cardinal bit on one of his knuckles and then reached out his palm towards Illawara.
‘I’ll never stop searching for you’ he said, as the hissing of the marble serpents filled the space, ‘and I’ll always love you’ he cried, trying to call above the din. Illawara glanced back to him from where she hovered next to Hermes, her lips moved in reply, but Orsini could not hear what she said when the Professor yelled out:
'I'm proud of you!'
The pair heard his cry and acknowledged it, before Hermes the
n said,
‘To Alexandria: two hundred and eighty-two years before Christ.’
With a white flash, the pair vanished into the Hermeporta and disappeared with a crash to ripple the air with sound. The Gondolier and the others covered their ears. Orsini fell to the ground like a man ruined by life. The Professor and Lucia then looked at each other, knowing what had to come next.
‘Are you ready?’ said the Professor, low and soft, as he looked at Lucia who stood bleary-eyed, and desolate, knowing that the world she knew had nothing left for her. She nodded half-dazed by what had happened. She wiped her face and nose with her sleeve. ‘The Hermeporta has fed, but we still need to make it an offering before we can travel' he whispered, 'anything of value.’ Winston made a sheepish expression, realising he fell short. He shrugged. ‘I can’t think of anything to offer.’
'I can' said Lucia. She did not hesitate for a moment and walked in silence towards Orsini. She paused by the sobbing man, but passed him in silence where he lay, as if dwarfed by the world. With the lightness of a feather, Lucia stooped down into the dust pick up the dry remains of her baby.
‘N'no… no, no. I didn’t mean that Lucia, please’ said the Professor, ‘stop, I’ve just remembered that living hair will do…’ But Lucia ignored him and walked forward with her baby cradled in her arms, humming a lullaby to her lost child - her face riven with sorrow. Orsini looked on helpless and wretched, unable to articulate his losses and regrets. The Professor looked at Lucia before he picked up their belongings, putting what he knew to be Lucia's into her case before he strapped his rucksack on his back.
Mesmerised, the men watched Lucia ascend the steps of the Hermeporta with her tiny bundle, dry and lifeless but still her child, her little boy. The Professor could not help but look and stood on a block of stone to observe her. Lucia, oblivious, considered the sunken face of the child.
Beyond the Raging Flames (The Hermeporta Book 2) Page 46