The World Ends Tonight

by Wood, Rick

  “From all sin, from all wrath, from sudden and unprovided death, deliver us.”

  “Deliver us, Edward King!” Cassy shouted, Martin joining her.

  Come on, Eddie.

  The demon’s anger subsided momentarily, turning into mocking disdain. It chuckled in a pitch so deep it made the ground rumble. Its mouth grew into an infuriating grin.

  “What does it say,” it boomed, “when you no longer pray to your God, but to a weak man conceived by hell?”

  “Eddie is not weak!” Martin cried out.

  “Martin,” Cassy interrupted, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. “During an exorcism, a demon will always try to say things to taunt you. You have to ignore what it says.”

  “By the mystery of your incantation,” Derek persevered. “By your passion, by your holy presence on this earth, by your own history of fighting hell’s creatures, hear me!”

  “Deliver us, Edward King.”

  The demon’s low chuckle grew to roaring hysterics. Its laughter shook them, its breath exhaling so forcefully its snorts blew them back with a savage gust of wind.

  “You are praying for the soul of a dead man! I am Edward King!”

  Derek narrowed his eyes.

  He must resist the taunts.

  This thing was not Eddie.

  This thing could never be Eddie.

  It was a vile, monstrous expeditor of hell.

  Sure, that may have been what Eddie was conceived to be.

  But he had faith in him.

  He had to keep faith in Eddie.

  Or this would be for nothing.

  “By your death and burial!”

  “Your death and burial will be following soon…”

  “Your Advocate on the day of judgement!”

  “I can feel this getting looser… Edward King can’t help you anymore…”

  “On this, the day of rapture, bring back your faithful soul and rid us of this foul, disgusting beast!”

  “Deliver us, Edward King!”

  Sparks ignited off the restraints. Fragments began to crumble. Holes appeared.

  Martin stood to cast another restraint spell, but the heir managed to loosen a claw that it used to send Martin flying onto his back.

  Cassy rushed to his side.

  “That you spare us, that your pardon us, that you bring us to your true penance I tell you, Edward King, you can do this. Bring forth your soul and send this creature back to hell!”

  “Deliver us, Edward King.”

  The muscles of the demon clenched, growing larger, bursting against the golden restraint, causing it to flicker and break in more and more places.

  “I’m not alone, you know…” the demon announced, sniffing something in the air, like he could sense something.

  Derek withdrew his holy water and threw a handful onto the heir’s foot.

  It tinged with a small puff of smoke. The heir just sneered cockily, continuing to push against its imprisonment.

  “You restore my unity, my faith in what is good,” Derek continued.

  The demon lifted its jaw and grabbed part of the restraints with its fanged teeth, ripping it away like a piece of meat and throwing it to ash upon the ground.

  “Lead all the non-believers in your wake.”

  A large hole grew in the remains of the spell’s binding and it fell.

  “That you confirm and preserve us, judge us, help us – listen to us, Eddie! You are strong! Bring yourself forth and rid us of this bastard!”

  “Deliver us, oh Edward King!”

  “Come, Eddie, bring yourself to this unholy world and fight by our sides – we compel you, deliver us!”

  “Deliver us, Edward King!”

  Ash crumpled into a black sooty mound by the heir’s feet.

  Free at last its face rose, looking ahead with furious vengeance.

  39

  Wheezing and coughing, Martin rose to his feet. Cassy tried to keep him down but he shook her helpful hands off.

  “Derek needs my help!” he hastily observed.

  “We need you alive, Martin,” Cassy insisted.

  “Alive for what? This is it! This is the closest we have come; this is our chance.”

  The heir had broken out of its restraints. As it did, it lifted its wild head to the sky and let out a tumultuous roar. It brought its heavy head down, glaring at Derek, who continued to stand before him, screaming the rites of exorcism, bellowing and bellowing his prayers to Eddie.

  “Eddie, we beseech you, we need you now!”

  Martin focussed.

  The sound.

  The smell.

  The rain.

  The tired muscles in his legs.

  The pounding headache thumping against his skull.

  Fuck it all.

  The heir lifted its claw to swipe at Derek.

  “No!”

  Martin threw out a surge of wind that sent Derek sailing across the field, out of the heir’s reach.

  The heir turned its angry visage toward Martin, snarling at the impudence.

  In the distance, Martin saw Derek get back to his feet and give Martin a gentle nod of thanks before continuing with his prayers.

  “Yeah, and what?” Martin taunted, lifting his arms out.

  He cast his mind back to the time his mate Simon kicked his arse. The time Kristy laughed at him, a girl he fancied so much, a girl he was so blindly falling in love with.

  That humiliation he felt.

  Never again.

  This thing would not humiliate him.

  No one will.

  He lunged his open palms forward, conjuring a streak of fire.

  But the fire hit the heir’s chest and rebounded into nothing. If anything, the heir liked it. It had been spawned from a place of fire.It was like petrol to it. It kept it going.

  But Martin wasn’t ready to give in yet.

  With his right hand, he twisted rapid circular motions, creating balls of water. After every few motions he lunged his palm forward, sending another ball of water toward the heir. With his left, he continued to fire flames.

  The heir stepped forward with ease, fending these attacks off with simple waves of its claws.

  Then a circle of wind encapsulated the heir, frantically spinning like a manic tornado.

  “Deliver our souls and the souls of our brethren from everlasting damnation!” Derek persisted.

  “Deliver us, Edward King!” Martin heard Cassy’s voice from somewhere behind him and instantly joined in.

  Derek stood behind the heir, cross in hand, sneer on his face.

  The heir went to take a stride toward Derek but found itself struggling, its legs moving like they were wading through water.

  Martin’s jaw dropped.

  It’s working… The exorcism is working…

  “Grant eternal rest to those departed, and eternal help to those that remain. We beseech you to come and fill this demon with your love and care.”

  Derek, you’re a genius…

  Vast circles of wind circled the heir, wrapping around it, tightening it in a tornado it couldn’t brush away.

  “Deliver us, Edward King!”

  The demon tried to move, tried to wave the circling hurricane off him.

  But something was doing this.

  Someone.

  The heir’s immobility. Its lack of ability to resist. The turgid movement of its arms unable wipe away the fight.

  It was Eddie.

  Eddie was in there somewhere.

  And he was fighting, just as they were.

  40

  Eddie stiffly held his arms by his side. He could feel them shaking, the heir trying to move them, trying to resist Eddie.

  But Eddie grew stronger.

  Derek was doing that for him. His faith, his prayers, his reaching out to Eddie was doing all it could to force Eddie into the heir’s unconscious.

  But Eddie’s control of this thing was still only loose, with occasional spurts of dominance. He needed to return
to earth, to find a way back to the battlefield. That was the only way.

  The heir would not be able to defeat its own soul. It would face its own power, and surely be outmatched.

  Yet, the more Derek spoke, the stronger he felt himself getting.

  The more he was in control.

  The more he grew angry.

  Angry at what the heir had done, angry at the use of Eddie’s face, angry at the claim that they were part of the same thing.

  Eddie was in control now.

  And he was furious. Rabid with anger. Drooling with a desire to kill this bastard beast that had taken over his life.

  He was the master of this creature. And he was ready to unleash his fury.

  Then he saw it.

  Something in the sky. Something flapping, something way off.

  He stepped out of the heir’s body and peered upwards, above the sky of his cell.

  A creature.

  Eddie jumped onto the stone wall, digging his fingers into the cracks.

  The wall didn’t stop him. There were no rejections, nothing causing him pain like when he had tried before.

  How am I doing this…

  He leapt to the adjacent wall, climbing up another few stones.

  Eddie took a gasp of relief. His salvation. His way out.

  Something had repelled him off the stones when he had originally tried, but now…

  His optimism was short-lived.

  A fiery fist landed on his chest and sent him hurtling back across the room.

  He looked up and saw what had just punched him, denying his escape. A demon. An atrociously vile demon. The middle of its three human heads had a large spike mounted to its centre. Its large wings ended in sharp claws, and its muscular torso descended into a large, snake-like tail with spikes decorating the entirety of its side.

  “Who are you?” Eddie demanded, willing confidence to his shaky voice.

  “I am Geryon, guardian of hell.” It smirked.

  A guard of hell. Sent to guard Edward King’s soul.

  This only confirmed to Eddie how much damage he could do if only he could free himself from this room. They didn’t send the most powerful guard of hell to keep him trapped for nothing.

  Eddie stood and ran forward, charging the demon, surging toward him, firing ahead with every piece of strength he could muster.

  Geryon forced Eddie onto his back with the swipe of its tail. Though he had nothing to bleed and nothing to injure, the lash of its sharp spikes indented him with pain, leaving him writhing on the floor in agony.

  Geryon turned and soared back into the air, disappearing into the vague darkness.

  Eddie tried to calm himself. Allowed himself to breathe. Concentrated.

  He let the anger pour out of him.

  Eddie jumped onto the stone, but was instantly rejected. Shooting pains going up and down his arms.

  Somehow, he was unable to climb them like he had done moments ago.

  He tried again, digging his fingers into the cracks, pulling himself up, but he just fell, landing painfully on his back.

  He’d been able to climb…

  Now he couldn’t…

  Something was stopping him that hadn’t stopped him before…

  Eddie realised there was a way, he just didn’t understand what it was.

  Something had happened. Something that had let him get closer to freeing himself.

  He needed more strength. He needed Derek to keep going. He needed his mentor’s wisdom.

  He needed Derek to complete the exorcism.

  Closing his eyes, he concentrated once more on the heir’s body. He peered through its eyes, holding his arms still by his side.

  A tornado engulfed him, a gust of wind wrapping around him.

  His body buckled under the pressure but Eddie persevered, holding the heir in place, doing all he could to give Derek a chance.

  41

  As soon as Derek had concocted this plan, he had understood the gravity of the exorcism he was about to attempt.

  And the surroundings did not let him down.

  The wind and rain reacted in such a ferocious way that it felt like they were attacking him in defence of the heir.

  Nearby fences uprooted from their static position, flying across the air and encircling Derek. The wind charged at him with such aggression he struggled to stay still. Rain attacked him with a malicious sting, beating his face until he could barely see in front of him.

  “By your name save me!” Derek continued to scream, adamantly resisting the weather, holding the cross tightly in front of him. “In your might, defend my cause, hear my prayer, hearken to the words of my mouth!”

  Cassy tried echoing but her voice got lost in the thrashing of the wind.

  The heir trampled forward, wading through the elements, lifting each foot slowly toward Derek, snarling and growling at the petty resistance before him. It struggled against Eddie’s resistance, making slow strides forward.

  Derek did not back down.

  Martin went to stand, to join Derek in defence, but found Cassy’s arm across his chest.

  “No,” she told him. “You’ve done your part.”

  Martin nodded unsurely but obediently, hesitantly accepting her wisdom. He watched avidly as Derek launched his final verbal attack.

  “Haughty men have risen up against me and fierce men seek my life, but none see this voice like you do. Edward King, you are my helper!”

  The heir swiped its claw toward Derek in a lethal scoop, but as Derek held his cross out, the heir found its hand repelled. This incensed it further, its face a picture of hostility, scrunching up in defiant rage as if to say, “how dare he resist death?”

  Derek scowled.

  Narrowed his eyebrows.

  Turned his eyes into a glare.

  “Turn back the evil upon this foe and in my faith destroy them, freely to Edward King will I offer you sacrifice, in your name!”

  Derek ducked just in time for a swing set that flew past him on the raging gale.

  “Because from all distress you have rescued me, Edward King, and through his eyes look upon his enemies, and glory be with you!”

  A large roar from the heir was lost with the pummelling of the rain.

  Derek could see its frustration growing. It was so desperate to defeat him, but Eddie was there, behind the demon’s eyes. Exercising control. Ensuring no lethal blows were given.

  With Eddie’s resistance and Derek’s cross, they provided a fight from the inside and out.

  This was the way Derek thought they could beat it.

  This was the way Derek knew they could beat it.

  “As it was in the beginning, as it will be in the end, let the enemy have no power over you, and the son of iniquity be powerless to harm the soul of Edward King!”

  The demon tried to roar, but it was stifled.

  A sign that it was losing control.

  Keep going…

  Mentally urging himself, Derek took further strides forward, clutching the outstretched cross.

  “Edward King, send him from your holy place, heed my prayer, watch over us and deliver your soul from wretched pain!”

  Derek stepped forward still, reaching his arm out until the cross was pressed upon the belly of the beast.

  It cried out in anguish, howling in agony, as Derek withdrew the cross to reveal an indentation of red. Smoke floated up in the air, mixing with the wind and rain.

  “Your nature is merciful and forgiving. Accept our prayer that you, servant of no one, bound by the fetters of sin, may be pardoned from your dealings and restored as the rightful embodiment of Edward King!”

  The heir.

  Howling.

  Struggling.

  Falling to its knees, shuddering the earth with its almighty collapse.

  “I command you, unclean heir of hell, whoever you think you may be, minion, attacking this servant of heaven, by the mysteries of incarnation, passion, and ascension – free Edward King’s soul!�
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  Its eyelids wavered, hanging low, flickering with absence.

  It attempted a final snarl but it was too much.

  It fell into submission.

  This was it.

  Enough of the drunken nights. Enough of the crippling self-doubt, self-loathing, and self-pity.

  No more believing he wasn’t worthy.

  No more doubting he’d given Martin the right advice.

  Every bit of it had led them to where they were now.

  Winning.

  Refuting the heir’s resistance. Forcing it into a barbarically weakened state.

  Then Derek saw it. In the heir’s opened eyes. Two weak pupils staring back at his.

  That wasn’t the look of the heir.

  Once again, he saw the look of a lost man. A man Derek used to know.

  Derek turned over his shoulder to Martin.

  “We’re close! We need Bandile, now!”

  Martin turned and ran as fast as he could, leaving Derek to continue to beseech the soul within.

  “Tell me by some sign in the day and hour of the heir’s departure, your soul, Edward King, deliver us your soul!”

  Derek thrust the cross forward one more time.

  “By the love of your friends. By your devotion to your sister. In Jenny’s name, in Lacy’s name, in my name. By the defeat of Balam on millennium night! By all the children you have saved, all the souls you have reclaimed, and the demons you have ridden from this place!”

  Eddie’s eyes grew solemn through the heir, a clear recognition of Derek’s words.

  “By Kelly’s memory, by Jenny’s memory, by your memory! By the defeat of Lamashtu, by the abuse of your parents, by every single part of your history that created the fantastic, undeniably great man that you are. We beseech you, return!”

  Derek looked deep into Eddie’s eyes.

  “Come back to us, Eddie, come back!”

  In a flash, the weather halted.

  Rain ceased. There was nothing but puddles. The wind smoothed into a calm breeze. The gust and gales subsided into the lucidity of nothingness.

  Cassy ran forward to see Derek.

  But he wasn’t there.

  All that was left was a cross without an owner.

  “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”