Cataclysm

by Karice Bolton

  Athen stood up and reached for my hand. He was ready to begin the process. Following him to the media room, I quietly closed the door as we began the most difficult change of our time. Looking at the tiny, sleeping dark demon, I saw the innocence that we had to reclaim. She did nothing wrong, and we owed her a chance to find love, hope, and the power within her. My only worry was that we were too late.

  Chapter 18

  We returned back to our Kingston home in search of some sort of sanity. We were able to restore the goodness in the little girl, and Amanda was taking care of her for now. My heart ached at the thought of not having her here with us, but it was for the best. We couldn’t guarantee her safety.

  “Remember where we went to get our Christmas tree last year?” Athen’s voice jolted me back into reality. Feeling his fingers glide along my arm had put me in a trance that was sometimes hard to shake off. It seemed like all I could think about was that little girl we left behind at Amanda’s.

  “How could I forget? One minute I was worried about demon attacks and the next you were telling me I was in a safe zone at the Christmas tree farm. Mr. and Mrs. Claus weren’t actually what they seem, if I remember. Yeah, I’d say it made an impression,” I joked.

  “Well, Arie’s been keeping them in the loop, and all the messengers, like them, have been hearing lots of chatter. What we’re up against isn’t for our eyes only. If it’s managing to make it to the chain of command, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were keeping tabs on everyone and everything. I think we should pay a visit and see what info we can find out. If you’re up for it.” His grin was so irresistible that really all I wanted to do was stay home with him today doing absolutely nothing. I was constantly plagued with guilt when I didn’t devote every second of my thought process to defeating the dark ones, but I just wanted a break. I felt like I was on the verge of a meltdown.

  “Hmph.” I blew my tangled bed head hair out of my face, only to have it fall back where it was. “I think that’s the responsible thing to do, but I really didn’t feel like being responsible today. I can actually say that I’m a little scared to hear what they are going to tell us. What if our bright ideas aren’t so smart after all? I hope I can handle what they say,” I muttered.

  “I know. It feels never ending. It really does.” Athen brought his lips close to mine. The butterflies began fluttering, and I wanted to taste his lips so badly. I needed to be carried to another time, one that was innocent and full of the love I craved.

  “But how about if we do the irresponsible thing this morning and pay our visit out there a little later?” he continued.

  He lifted my hair back from my face and began tracing his finger down my neck to my collarbone.

  “I think in order to stay sane, I need the responsible side of me to go on hiatus right now,” I murmured. “All this has been so exhausting. I need this. I need you.”

  Crawling onto Athen, my lips tasted his, feeling his arms wrap around my waist bringing me closer to him. I knew he felt the same as I did.

  “Don’t feel guilty for wanting this,” Athen whispered, his lip curled slightly, “It’s only natural.”

  The release of everything began trickling out of me as his mouth began to navigate down my neck. He was right. This was exactly what we both needed. His mouth desperately searched mine for the comfort we both craved. Getting lost in the possibilities that we could share, I let myself fully fall into the clutch of our souls embracing.

  ***

  When we arrived at the Christmas tree farm, my mind flashed back to the wonderful beginnings I had experienced here. A little twinge of regret entered, as I realized how much I took those little moments for granted, when I was here last. I never imagined we’d be facing a war between good and evil.

  It looked like they were just about to start the decorating process again for the holidays. It was so odd to me to have this many different immortal layers all working on their own agendas. Knowing what we were facing, I wondered if they even realized the gravity of the situation.

  “Why don’t these guys get involved?” I asked Athen.

  “The messengers?” he responded. “It’s not their place.”

  “Well, they wouldn’t want to see the dark demons having the power over the mortals, right? Then why wouldn’t they at least get involved in that portion?”

  “It’s not their role. They know their limits. We are all here for a certain purpose, and theirs isn’t fighting.”

  “Okay, well, if you use that same line of thinking having white demons like us is pointless. We should all be roaming around like the lifeless ghouls, right? Our purpose was never to intervene in the mortal world. Our purpose was to be punished for our father’s sins. We changed that. We decided to play a part in this world, not just the otherworlds,” I rebuffed.

  Athen’s eyes shot through me. His hand graced mine, bringing a smile to his face. “You are absolutely incredible, my love.”

  “How so?”

  “You never take anything at face value. That’s how. Now let’s go talk to them.”

  I hopped out of the Jeep, ready to absorb any sort of information they may have for us. It was actually wonderful being here again. Enjoying the fact that we were on protected ground, I reached down to my ankle and slipped off the knife holster and took out the other three that I had wedged everywhere on my body.

  “Might as well take advantage of the peace since we’re here,” I laughed.

  Athen smiled at me.

  “It must be wonderful living from holiday to holiday and getting to be so immersed. I’d love that!” I exclaimed.

  Athen turned around, completely puzzled. “Pretty funny that the girl I knew last November was pretty much a bah-humbug type of girl until you met up with me again.”

  Helping Matilda out of the Jeep, I felt Athen place his arm around me. Matilda began warbling as if to tell us to leave her out of the gushy talk. Laughing, I turned around to see Athen, taking me in. A blush began to creep up my skin. I noticed him doing that more lately. It was like he worried I’d vanish on him again or something.

  “You’re remembering it all too, huh?” Athen’s eyes were searching me for a reaction.

  “Well, parts,” I said, laughing. “A couple in particular.”

  “Hard to believe that back then, I only had to worry about staying one step ahead of you. Now, it’s an entire army,” he said, laughing.

  “Hey! Can I help that you drive me absolutely insane?” I grabbed his arm. “Besides, having a chick who wants to attack you on top of a tree has got to count for something, right? I’m sure it signals that I’m full of life and have a craving for adventure?” I laughed.

  “Yeah. We could look at it that way,” he mused.

  “You didn’t make it any easier on me,” he whispered.

  “If I remember correctly, that was one of the only times I was thankful that you stopped me. Arie and Cyril were only steps away. That would’ve been beyond awkward.” I rolled my eyes, securely fastening my hand through his.

  “Yeah. No doubt,” his voice warmed me though to the core. “Let’s go have a chat with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.”

  “Sounds like a deal,” I chuckled.

  Matilda was in heaven running around the gravel parking lot and then dodging through trees, only to return to us completely exhausted.

  “Whoa! Oh no. She’s starting again!” I exclaimed, as Matilda began her route, weaving through the Christmas trees.

  “I hope we can get a bowl of water for the poor girl. I didn’t expect her to go so crazy. She’s gonna pass out! Maybe we should’ve picked a lab for our homing beacon,” I teased.

  Athen completely let go of me, as if I’d committed the cardinal sin.

  “Just kidding. Bulldogs forever.” My grin was hard to hide.

  “With everything we’ve been through. I can’t believe you’d go there,” Athen’s smile melted my core. “I thought I knew you.”

  We made our way over to the home that was behind
the shop for the Christmas trees. It looked as if they had just recently finished cleaning up the pumpkin patch. We walked up the stairs to the little house where they were waiting for us. My stomach fluttered with worry as I thought about what they might be about to divulge. Athen knocked on the door.

  Looking up at Athen, his brow was furrowed with anxiety. He was obviously feeling the same way. There was no turning back. We had to find out what was happening in our world and the other world.

  The woman answered the door, her face as cheerful as I remembered it.

  “We’ve been hoping you would come to see us,” her voice rang out. “Come on in.”

  We followed her through the entry hall that used to house the Christmas cookies that I was so fond of. Down the hallway we went, leading us into their living room. Her husband was sitting in a recliner, newspaper folded on his belly. There were two recliners, presumably, one for him and one for her. Each had a little doily placed over the arms, which was so adorable. There were stained glass lamps everywhere, more for decoration than actual light, judging by the overhead fixtures they had. I felt immediately at home and squeezed Athen’s hand, letting him know I was going to be fine. That we were going to be fine.

  “Lots going on nowadays, isn’t there?” His voice was jovial.

  “No doubt,” I replied, nodding my head.

  “Have a seat,” he pointed to the two couches that were across from him.

  Matilda was snooping around the area as only bulldogs could.

  “Wanna go get Ana’s favorites?” he lovingly called to his wife. “I think it’s time we get on a first name basis, don’t you?”

  Nodding my head, I eagerly looked over at Athen who was undoubtedly trying to sum up our role in all of this as well.

  “My wife’s name is Becky. You can call me Tom. Looks like we’ve got a bit of a problem on our hands, doesn’t it?” His smile crept along his lips, as if there was nothing in the world to worry about.

  “Yes, sir,” I replied, completely perplexed. What did they know or not know?

  Tom closed his recliner up and shoved the newspaper in between the cushions.

  “Now, on to the important stuff,” he grumbled, as his smile gave away his intention.

  Becky brought in a platter full of cookies and milk for us. I wanted to jump off the couch and hug her, but I did my best to remain calm. She placed them on the pine coffee table, easily reachable by everyone.

  “Oh, my word!” I squealed with delight, picking up the first of many cookies, I was sure to devour while we were visiting. “I promise I’ll be on point after this. Thank you, Becky!”

  “Most certainly.” She beamed. “I thought some comfort food was in order with everything you both must have on your minds.” Tiny little creases showed on her face where she had smiled many times before.

  “There are some dark times ahead, if we aren’t careful,” Tom said. “I don’t envy you two.”

  Athen reached over and held my hand. Catching his glance, I decided to begin.

  “We’ve been finding things out daily,” I began. “One huge thing is that memsors aren’t a myth. They actually work, so that’s helped cut down our casualties recently. I’ve gone back and forth with so many things and reasons for everything. At first, I thought Azazel was just after me. I initially thought if I turned myself over, all would be right again. Looking back on it, I can say that was pretty naïve on my part. I actually fell for the bit about him being jealous of my father and mother’s relationship.”

  “Oooh. Don’t be so quick to dismiss, my dear,” Becky started, “He’s not completely misleading you. I’m certain the jealousy started these things. His motives have expanded undoubtedly, but he wasn’t lying to you about the jealousy. Furthermore, you’re absolutely correct about the memsors. They are no folklore. However, they only work in times of great darkness, like now. Do not rely on them, for they may not always be there for your use. Back to Azazel, though, don’t be fooled by him. If he mentioned your relationship in this, there’s a reason.”

  Reaching for a cookie, her husband nodded.

  “Most can’t hide their true intentions. In Azazel’s perfect world, you’d be on his side, he could laugh in your father’s face, and he’d control the mortal world. I don’t think he’s ever been too shy on any of his goals. It’s mostly whether or not any of us want to believe it.” The cookie crumbled in his hands as he spoke. He must have been gripping it harder than he realized.

  “Why now?” I asked.

  “If not now,” Tom looked at me for my reaction. “When?”

  He was right. Why not now?

  “He’s been dabbling in the mortal world so much, it seemed like he really wasn’t after Ana any longer,” Athen’s voice was harsh. “This cat and mouse game is getting old.”

  “I suggest you proceed as if she’s still a target,” Becky offered. “He’s so distracted with building his mortal army, I don’t see Ana as being his number one goal, but she’s on his list.”

  “What can you tell us about the activity in the rest of the underworld?” I tried to ignore the obvious worry that began building in the room. “Is Azazel garnering a lot of support by the other Masters or is it mostly him?”

  “Asmodeus is the only other Master who has a large enough Legion to do any damage,” Tom looked over at Becky. “He’s the one I’d be cautious about. Truthfully, I’m not even sure what made him jump on the bandwagon. All the other Masters are staying far away from Azazel. They don’t seem to have faith in him, that he’ll be able to pull this off. They don’t want to face the punishment if this goes badly.”

  “I wonder what makes the other Masters think he won’t win?” I questioned. “I’d like to be that confident in his failure, but I don’t know.” The sinking feeling began to set in.

  “You really don’t know, do you?” Becky asked.

  Looking over at Athen, his wondrous green eyes were filled with pride. A smile spread across his face, as he shook his head. “She has no idea,” he whispered.

  Matilda stood up from her place at my feet where she was asleep, stretching and snorting. It was as if she, too, had an opinion on the subject. Petting her ears brought me the distraction I needed.

  “Why, Ana, it is you,” Tom chuckled. “You are what makes them doubt Azazel’s ability. Apparently, more of them are willing to recognize the power of good, after all. That’s saying something.” His eyes were twinkling with delight.

  “They can sense that something is about to change,” Becky said.

  Flushing with embarrassment, I looked at Athen for support. I didn’t know what to say. Silence filled the air, while I contemplated what they were trying to tell me. Looking out the window, a sparrow caught my eye searching for something.

  “Well, regardless, the last decision you made to attempt to turn the already turned? Brilliant!” she exclaimed.

  “It was the right thing to do. That’s all,” I replied flatly.

  “I know, my dear. But not everyone would have been strong enough to make that decision,” she sighed. “The consequences of that decision were heavy. The easy way would have been to turn your own set of mortals. You see?”

  “Well, I appreciate your confidence in my ability, but I think most would have chosen the same,” I whispered.

  “I know you do,” Tom said.

  Unsure of what to say, I uneasily moved my hand up and down my leg. The fidgeting was next, if Athen didn’t get me out of here. Too much certainty was being placed on me, and I knew exactly how weak I was.

  Athen still smiling, remembered to bring up a very important question that we both had thought about the night before.

  “We ran into a little girl who had been turned,” Athen began.

  Both Tom and Becky cringed, which seemed to be the normal reaction.

  “We were able to locate her parents, but we weren’t able to change them,” I said.

  “We were able to change her, though. She’s at a home up north, but we need to f
ind a place for her that isn’t necessarily with our kind…” his voice trailed off.

  “I see,” Tom said.

  “Do you know of anyone who might be able to help?” I asked.

  Becky came over to me, and placed her hand on my knee, smiling.

  “I think we do, my dear,” Becky told me. ‘It just might take a little finessing.”

  “Oh, thank you!” I exclaimed, looking over at Athen.

  “We’ll be in touch on that,” Becky said.

  We learned what we needed to know. Azazel was working with only one other Master, and I had to watch my back. These were important pieces of information.

  Athen stood up from the couch, thanking them for their time. Becky scurried off to the kitchen returning with a Tupperware container full of cookies.

  “Thank you, Becky,” I said laughing. “I must’ve had it written all over my face.”

  “You did,” she giggled.

  Following Becky and Tom back to the foyer, I felt a renewed sense of hope. If Azazel wasn’t being viewed in his own world as a victor just yet, then there was no reason why I should see him like that either. If nothing else, this trip gave me the last nudge of confidence I needed.

  Turning to Becky, her blue eyes filled with the same expression of hope that I had seen from many others. Hugging her good-bye, she whispered, “Believe in yourself, but don’t get caught up in your chase for Lilith.”

  Athen placed his hand my shoulder, and I slowly let my embrace of Becky go.

  “Thanks again for the cookies,” I mumbled, sheepishly. “And putting things in perspective,” I said shaking my head.