by Simone Pond
We needed to continue with our plan. I didn’t want to spend any superfluous time here in the desert. The sooner we got to that water source, the sooner we could get back home.
“I think it’s time for the meet and greet to wrap up so we can find some water,” I announced. “Now that Asher’s here, we can use his transference rod to transport out of here.”
My father addressed Asher. “I should note, the water supply is limited. We’ll be lucky to get a few tablespoons. Will that be enough for you to transport all nine of us?”
“I doubt it,” Asher said. “Are there any other water sources?”
My father shook his head. “We’ve been searching for years. And Aaron has been searching for centuries. Just the cacti. And they seem to produce the minimum amount we need to survive.”
“Just enough to keep us alive and suffering,” Saul said, sarcasm biting into each word.
I stared at the group of worn out Protectors. “You all keep forgetting that together we’re stronger.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Saul jeered.
I could tell Saul was the type of guy who was in permanent grouch mode. No amount of positivity would shift his demeanor. Some people find it easier being angry and bitter. I forced myself not to take it personally. Hopefully we wouldn’t be stuck together much longer.
Putting on an air of confidence, I patiently said, “If we work together, we can pull up more water. Remember, I’m still connected to the Monarchy. And we have the Logos. Let’s try to be more optimistic.”
Kaila’s face lit up. “I agree with Fiona. And I’d like to hurry up so I can see my Julian again.”
“We should err on the side of caution and remain realistic,” my father said, then looked directly at me. “Don’t get your hopes up only to be let down.”
I laughed. “We’re supernatural, Dad, we don’t have to be realistic. Come on, let’s go.”
We walked through the sand dunes until we reached the cactus farm. I had expected to find rows and rows of cacti, but there were only seven of the succulent plants. Not much of a farm. Cagliostro was really sticking it to the Protectors. Still, I had determination emblazoned on my heart and I would stop at nothing. We’d make water come up if it took every ounce of our energy.
“Some farm, huh?” Saul said.
I ignored his snide comment and focused on what I had learned in the past. How Ezra constantly reminded me that together we were stronger. And that we could use the Logos to connect with the Light. That the Light was in us and we were in the Light. Those thoughts swirled around in my head until finally I came up with an idea.
“I think we should all hold hands and circle around the plants as we chant the Logos.”
Of course Saul smirked at the suggestion. Kaila was all in. Aaron simply nodded. The others had gazes of indifference. That dimension had really sucked the life out of my parents. What had happened to the go-getters I had idolized all those years?
Asher said, “It could work.”
I formed everyone into a circle. We joined hands—even Saul reluctantly took Soraya’s hand. Standing in union, a strong energy pulsated between our hands and rippled along the circle in currents. But still something was missing. We needed a focal point to harness the energy and crack open the hardened earth.
“I think Asher should stand in the middle,” I said.
My mother squeezed my hand. “That’s a good idea. The Prince of Light should be in the center.”
While Asher scoffed at the mention of being a prince, he positioned himself in the middle of the circle. We began chanting the ancient language of the Logos.
“Your Darkness has no authority. We stand with the power of the Light. The Light binds the dark. The Light binds the dark.”
Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the energy flooding between our joined hands. The louder we chanted the incantation, the more powerful the pulses that shot between our fingers. Forceful winds began picking up around us, creating a rising sand storm.
I kept my eyes shut as the wind blew faster and the temperature rose. We continued shouting the Logos, unrelenting. The desert floor began to tremble as if something from deep below the surface had rumbled to life. The ground began quaking, knocking all of us back and forth. But we held tight, swaying and losing our balance, and repeated the Logos.
“Keep going!” Asher shouted over the forceful winds. “It’s working!”
We shouted louder. I concentrated on my Armor; though it hadn’t been working in this dimension, I trusted it would come back. I focused on my magical helmet, sending a message outward to the Monarchy. Water. We need water …
From the depths below a loud crack sounded like a hundred tree branches breaking at once. The ground rolled like a massive wave, causing our circle to split apart. A sudden blast shot down from the bright blue sky and lit up Asher’s transference rod. He shook with a furious speed, and then slammed the instrument into the dry ground.
Water shot up from the earth toward the sky like a busted fire hydrant. Fresh, cool water sprayed upwards and then rained down on all of us. The Protectors stretched out their arms, twirling under the glorious and refreshing water. We opened our mouths, quenching our thirst and rinsing away the sand and grit. Joyful laughter filled the air as the water gushed from the earth.
I ran over to Asher. “I think this is enough water,” I joked.
He called the other Protectors over. “We must go now.”
Once again, we all joined hands. I hooked my arm around Asher’s free one, and he lifted the transference rod toward the sky, then brought it down to the water pooling around our feet. Lightning streaked upward and outward through each of our limbs. The earth shook and rumbled, but we held together. Electricity sparked through Asher’s arm, then into mine. The energy rippled through the circle of Protectors. We were immersed in a storm of flashing violet radiance. Streaks of flickering light swirled around our bodies, pulling us deeper into the funnel of flashing colors.
Then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes I was in my living room back in San Francisco. But something was off. Like way off. It was no longer the immaculate and stunning remodeled home Asher had meticulously decorated. My home was trashed and looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. Holes in the walls, broken windows, ripped up furniture and utter disarray.
seven
My house was in shambles. Whoever had broken in hadn’t left one corner untouched. They had demolished walls, lifted floorboards and even ripped open furniture. I was pretty sure it was under the order of Cagliostro, who was desperate to get his hands on my Sacred Scroll—the one I had stolen back from him at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco during that demonic blood ritual. I had a feeling the demon mage ordered his minions to tear apart my place just out of spite. Asher’s masterpiece of Victorian beauty had been destroyed.
After doing a quick tour of the house to assess the damage, I returned to the ramshackle living room where the rest of the Protectors were attempting to make themselves comfortable on my slashed-opened couches and armchairs. Asher stood behind me, massaging my tight shoulders. He didn’t seem bothered by the destruction.
“It’s just a house, Fiona,” he said calmly.
“But all of your work. My vision boards. Gone. Did that idiot honestly think I’d hide the Scroll in my house?”
Saul perched by the bay window, pulling back the torn curtains. He rubbed his thick black beard in deep thought. “Where did you hide it?” he asked.
My stomach felt like the bottom half dropped, while the top part shot to my throat. Why did Saul want to know where I had hidden the Scroll? That one belonged to my bloodline and was none of his business.
Thankfully, my mother interjected before I opened my big mouth. “I’m sure Fiona’s placed it somewhere very safe.”
“I think we’re gonna need it,” Saul said.
I pressed my lips tightly together. Nobody needed to know the location of the Scroll—except m
e. “Why?” I asked, suspiciously.
“Because our Armor isn’t working,” he said.
I looked down at my body and noticed my suit wasn’t glowing. Same with my parents and the other Protectors. I lifted my hand and called on my sword, but nothing happened.
“What about you guys?” I asked.
The Protectors began calling on their swords and shields to no avail.
“What do you think happened?” Kaila’s eyes bugged out. “This can’t be safe. Won’t the Shadow Order come after us? What if Julian is out there without any protection?”
Jeff patted his wife’s shoulder. “Shh, it’s okay. We’ll figure this out. We just got here, it’s probably just a momentary glitch.”
“What should we do?” Kaila asked.
“We can’t stay here. This place is clearly a target for the Shadow Order,” Saul said.
“I don’t think they’ll be coming back,” I said. “They already know the Scroll isn’t here. I think we’re safe here until we figure out our next steps.”
“I hate to rain on your parade,” Saul said, pulling back the curtains. “But it looks like the whole world’s gone to shit.”
I stared through the giant bay window at the front of my house, thinking maybe Asher had brought us to the wrong dimension. I ran over to Saul to get a better look, unable to accept what I was seeing: my posh Pacific Heights neighborhood appeared to have been bombed, and then struck by a few natural disasters. Trees were charred and blackened, there were multiple gaping ditches in the road, and where Alta Plaza Park used to be across the street was a leveled terrain of burned land. An orange-ish brown haze blanketed the skies. And everything was way too quiet.
“Asher, come here,” I said.
He joined me by the window, as did the other Protectors.
“You sure you brought us to the right dimension?” I asked.
“I’m positive,” he said.
“Something’s not right,” I murmured.
Saul punched his fist into his palm, making a loud smacking sound, then began storming through the living room. “This whole thing is a mess. First, we get separated from Hayden. Then sent to a desert shit-hole. The Armor isn’t working. And now this insanity. What is this shit? The apocalypse? I don’t remember signing up for this bullshit.”
“Saul, darling,” Soraya said in a soothing voice. “Please, just take a few breaths. This kind of attitude won’t help us. If we’re going to find Hayden, we need to remain calm. I’m sure we can figure out what’s going on.”
The curmudgeon lifted his arms in surrender and sat on the couch, focusing on some breathing techniques. His level of complaining made me look like an angel. I’d be sure to tell Ezra—when I saw him again, because I was most definitely going to see my Guide again—that he got off easy being assigned to me. I shoved away the vision of his head being lopped off and refocused on the group.
“I think we should get some water and food supplies. I know you’ve been surviving off of cactus juice for years, but I need some substance. But first, I need to get out of these desert rags and into some proper clothes. Ladies, I have some things that will probably fit you. Men, I’ll defer to Asher for your attire. If the Shadow Order hasn’t stolen or destroyed our clothes.”
The eight of us went upstairs to change. Aaron of Sardis remained in the armchair he had collapsed into the moment we had arrived. He sat in deep concentration, his wrinkled eyes staring off into the distance. He hadn’t spoken a single word since we left the desert. The tattered rags actually suited his wise-old-man vibe, so I left him to meditate or whatever he was doing. Besides, I couldn’t picture the old man sporting one of Asher’s designer t-shirts or dark denim jeans.
Upstairs in the hallway, I pulled Asher aside. “I’m worried about Charlotte. It’s a mess out there. Do you think she’s okay?”
“You found her in New York, so I have no doubt you’ll be able to find her again. You two have a strong bond. And don’t worry, I’ll help you. But first we have to figure out what’s going on.”
He hugged me, and I breathed in his intoxicating scent of vanilla and amber. For a brief second, I considered staying back at the house and letting the others figure out what was going on, but that wasn’t the responsible thing to do. Not when Ezra’s head was in potential danger, or when Charlotte was out there with her ex-succubus sister, Lilith, fending for themselves. Business first. Kissing Asher second.
eight
After everyone had changed out of the desert rags, we headed outside to brave the new world. Aaron stayed back, still sitting like a statue in that armchair. I led the pack of Protectors up the middle of the demolished street toward Fillmore, where I hoped the market would still be stocked. Though it was highly unlikely. Food, water and toilet paper were the first items to go in the event of a disaster. I was not sure I wanted to live in a world without toilet paper.
Everything was too surreal. In addition to the city being in complete disarray, seeing my mother and the other two women walking down the crumbling and litter-filled street wearing my skinny jeans and t-shirts was plain bizarre. And the men looked like they were trying hard to pull off a hipster vibe, sporting Asher’s casual but stylish clothes.
I was wearing my darkest jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather bomber, letting the world know I was ready to kick some demon, vampire, shifter and warlock ass. The only protection I had was a sledgehammer one of the looters had left behind in my living room. The other Protectors had grabbed hammers, screwdrivers, and kitchen knives. Fortunately, Asher’s transference rod was still working, and since I had first-hand knowledge of how powerfully that thing could knock you back, I wasn’t too worried.
Fillmore wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. Most of the shops were still standing, although the windows had been shattered and the merchandise stolen. Random people—who I assumed were not the original shop owners—sat at tables or on blankets next to the entrances, selling or trading their own wares. A variety of random items like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, combat boots that looked as though they’d been stolen from the feet of dead soldiers, and water in pre-used plastic bottles with the labels torn off. Some people were even selling salvation.
I stopped in front of such a shop to further investigate. The only salvation I knew about was the afterlife the Monarchy had promised all humans, Protectors, healers and followers of the Light. Anything else was suspect.
Two men—one with salt-and-pepper hair and the other decades younger with a few pimples on his chin—sat at a table handing out pamphlets. They wore long black trench coats and sunglasses, but I could detect they were human. Though my Armor wasn’t working, my sense of smell and discernment was intact, and they oozed the scent of sharp onions and musk. Typical human male scent.
“Would you like to learn more about The Shining One who has come to purge the world of all evil?” the older of the two men asked.
“The Shining One?” I asked, half laughing at that ridiculous moniker.
Asher grabbed a pamphlet. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
I glanced over his shoulder. On the cover was none other than that demon mage son-of-a-bitch, Cagliostro. He stood in a field of red poppies with kids and animals all around him. Looming behind him in the distance was a chrome tower that reached into the clouds. It was the exact same tower I had seen in my vision. The vision where the world was being destroyed and Ezra’s head got chopped off. An icky feeling pricked through my body, leaving me sick to my stomach
“You’re sure we’re in the right dimension?” I asked Asher.
The younger man, who was probably the older guy’s son, perked up. “What did you say?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Oops. I had crossed some sort of invisible line into a potential danger zone. No more talk of supernatural things. I quickly tried to recover before they got suspicious. “Oh, it’s an ongoing joke I have with my boyfriend. We’re not from the city.”
“Where are you from?” the older man asked.
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“Um, we’re from—”
My father jumped in for the save. “We’re down from the Pacific Northwest. Heard about the big changes coming and thought we better get down this way.”
The younger guy lowered his sunglasses and stared at me specifically, like he could smell the supernatural on me. “Well, if you’re planning on getting to Neo-Babylon, you’re a long ways from Kansas.”
I snatched the pamphlet from Asher and examined it more carefully. The content was three pages of marketing propaganda, selling some new city Cagliostro had built to save the world from evil. Ha!
Come one, come all. Neo-Babylon is waiting for you. Join our haven of peace. Share the harmonious vision of our very own leader, Cagliostro Crowl—The Shining One—as he creates the only safe place. In Neo-Babylon you will be protected from the evil Monarchy that is trying to destroy humanity. Walk in the lush gardens of plenty, soak in the sumptuous pools of bliss. In Neo-Babylon, you are truly free from the shackles of this world. So come and join us as we forge a new future together!
Then there was a bunch of other crap about job security and protection from the next round of natural disasters the Monarchy would be sending to earth.
“Wow,” I muttered.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” the younger man asked, beaming.
“Oh, it’s amazing, all right,” I replied.
The older of the two adjusted his sunglasses. “So, if you’re on your way to the new city, are you planning to stock up on supplies? It’s a jungle out there. What with the East Coast obliterated and threats of the West Coast being next on the list. We’re only sticking around another week. Then we hit the yellow brick road to Kansas.”
I turned around and huddled with the others. “This is super insane, right? Did he just say the East Coast is gone? We need to find out what the hell happened.”
My mother said, “We should get supplies, try to gather intel, and get back to your place to make a plan.”
I stared at the pamphlet again, noticing the date stamped in the corner. It couldn’t have been right. It had to have been a misprint. Maybe the whole damn dimension was a misprint.