Having no real appetite for greasy human food Nathaniel headed further into the park. At last he began to feel the whisper of another presence, moving around somewhere in front of him. Closing the distance, the presence began to get stronger. Using it to guide him, he turned a corner and there propped nonchalantly against the side of ‘Williams’ Candy’ was a man. He looked as if he were in his early forties by human standards, but his clothes seemed older and somewhat dated. He wore nondescript black pants and shoes, with a white linen shirt open to the chest revealing a slight smattering of fair hair and tanned skin. Over the shirt he wore an ornate kind of jacket in heavy rich fabric of gold and red brocade, and from the sleeves protruded the long cuffs of his shirt. His hair was slightly shaggy, falling to his collar in a mad tumble of natural blonde highlights.
His amused blue eyes watched Nathaniel from his tanned face then he opened his mouth, revealing perfect white teeth, as he bit down into some sort of sugary confection. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment and swallowed.
‘Hello Nathaniel,’ he greeted conversationally, as if they’d only just seen each other last week. ‘You’re late.’
Nathaniel’s eyes glittered in irritation.
‘I’d have found you sooner if you hadn’t insisted on this merry little chase and met me directly.’
‘Where’s the fun in that?’ the Hierophant smiled, taking another bite. ‘You know you really are getting quite stuffy in your old age Nathaniel,’ he watched in amusement as Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. ‘You want some?’ he offered the treat in his hand.
‘No thank you,’ Nathaniel replied stiffly.
‘Are you sure? Its cashew, marshmallow and caramel,’ he took another bite and let out a little moan of pleasure, his eyes rolling back slightly, ‘uh… so good.’
‘When you’ve quite finished, there are things I would like to discuss with you.’
‘I’m nowhere near finished,’ the Hierophant told him and chewing the last bite he tossed the wrapper in the trash, before he pushed away from the wall. He moved past an assortment of round tables with red and yellow umbrellas. Nathaniel glanced up and saw the words ‘Nathan’s Famous.’ He followed in behind the Hierophant, watching as he let himself behind the counter of the abandoned restaurant and started helping himself.
‘Are you sure you don’t want anything? Chili cheese dog? Hot dog nuggets? Beer battered onions?’ he looked up at Nathaniel as he filled a huge soda cup and snapped the plastic lid into place. ‘Seriously, their bacon ranch fries are to die for.’
‘No thank you,’ Nathaniel grated from between clenched teeth.
The Hierophant shrugged, piling up a box with a chili cheese dog, a corn dog on a stick, some bacon ranch fries and some beer battered onion rings, andthen he headed out with the giant soda in one hand and his box of food in the other. Settling himself outside at one of the tables he began to eat, watching as Nathaniel took a seat opposite him.
‘Mmm,’ he bit into his corn dog, purring in pleasure and picking up a couple of crinkle cut fries dripping with ranch sauce. ‘These humans,’ he shook his head, dipping an onion ring into the ranch topping on his fries, ‘so creative when it comes to food.’
‘Creative when it comes to ways of making themselves fat, you mean,’ Nathaniel replied scornfully as he looked around in disgust. ‘Where are all the filthy pigs anyway?’
‘You are in a sour mood today, aren’t you,’ he replied mildly, ‘and may I remind you, you used to be one of those filthy little pigs you disdain so vehemently.’
Nathaniel’s eyes flashed dangerously and his fists clenched. The Hierophant watched him, his blue eyes glittering with amusement. He almost seemed to enjoy pushing Nathaniel as far as he could, just to see if he would snap.
‘In answer to your question,’ he continued after a moment, taking a noisy slurp of soda through his straw, ‘I thought this was a conversation best had in private. So I gave the humans the day off and sent them all off home.’
‘Why here?’ Nathaniel asked.
‘I bet you’d prefer some filthy clandestine alley, complete with dumpster and rats wouldn’t you?’ he replied dryly. ‘As for me I love Coney Island; it’s one of my favorite places in the world and I never pass up an opportunity to visit.’
‘Can we get down to business then?’ Nathaniel asked pointedly.
‘Uh ah,’ he tsked, shaking his finger. ‘It’s rude to speak with your mouth full. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that?’ he asked condescendingly. ‘Then again I doubt she did, manners never were her strong suit were they, the darling little whore.’
Nathaniel smashed his fist down on the table in rage.
‘Temper, temper,’ he replied in a sing song voice, obviously enormously enjoying the fact he was getting under Nathaniel’s skin. ‘Remember you came to me. You want something from me; you can wait until I’ve finished my meal.’
Nathaniel’s eyes burned holes into the man in front of him. From the murderous expression on his face it was clear he’d love nothing more than to cram that food down the Hierophant’s neck and choke him to death. However, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut and wait until he was ready. After all the Hierophant was right, he wanted something from him and as all of his kind had pledged neutrality, he would need to be at his most convincing best.
He sat quietly, watching as the Hierophant savored each mouthful of his food. The silence hung in the air, heavy with anticipation and punctuated every so often by the noisy slurp of soda through a straw.
Finally, after what seemed like an inordinate and totally unnecessary length of time, the Hierophant wiped his mouth and fingers on a paper napkin and sat back, patting his flat stomach in contentment.
‘You know you really can’t beat Nathan’s Famous,’ he sighed in pleasure. Scooping up the box and wrappers he dropped them in the nearby trash and picked up his soda, continuing to sip at it, as he began to walk. He got a few steps away before turning back to Nathaniel. ‘Are you coming or not?’ he asked pointedly, ‘I haven’t got all day you know.’
Forcing down a wave of murderous rage, Nathaniel clenched his fists and bit his tongue until he tasted the metallic tang of blood flood his mouth, before slowly rising from the seat and falling into step next to his companion.
‘Now then,’ the Hierophant began pleasantly, ‘how about a ride on the Cyclone? Built in 1927, it is the oldest wooden roller coaster in the world still operating. In fact it may be one of the most iconic roller coasters anywhere in the world,’ he turned to look at Nathaniel who was staring at him blankly. ‘Not a roller coaster aficionado, no?’
He tapped his chin thoughtfully and snapped his fingers in triumph. ‘I have just the thing, how about the Wonder Wheel?’
‘I came here to speak with you, not play on the stupid human toys,’ Nathaniel snapped. ‘Now are you going to listen to my request or just continue to waste my time?’
‘Fine,’ he replied, his blue eyes dancing in amusement, ‘I’ll listen to your request, up there.’
Nathaniel looked up to see where the Hierophant was pointing, only to discover it was the very top of the giant Ferris Wheel. His gaze dropped back to the Hierophant who winked at him.
‘Come and find me when you’re ready to talk,’ he grinned and with a snap of his fingers he disappeared.
Growling in frustration Nathaniel swirled angrily in a mist of green smoke, disappearing and reappearing in one of the tiny little, colorful cages swinging precariously at the very pinnacle of the Wonder Wheel.
The Hierophant was already seated comfortably, his foot propped up on a metal bar and his arm folded at a jaunty angle cushioning his head as he nosily slurped his drink. Nathaniel was beginning to realize that he was purposefully drinking his beverage as loudly as possible just to piss him off.
‘Now then, what is it you want Nathaniel?’
‘I want to get a message to Zeus,’ he stated matter of factly.
‘Anonymously I pre
sume?’ he replied, ‘given that you’re not exactly the big guy’s favorite person.’
‘It cannot be traced back to me at all; I simply want to make sure certain information gets into the right hands. That’s all.’
‘And what makes you think I’ll do that? Do I look like a messenger?’
‘No, but you’re the only one who knows how to find him.’
‘True,’ the Hierophant conceded, ‘still…why should I? The Arcana have always remained neutral; if I were to aid you it would create an imbalance.’
‘Name your price,’ Nathaniel countered.
‘I can’t be bought,’ he smirked in amusement.
‘Everyone can be bought,’ he replied. ‘Everyone has a price.’
The Hierophant gazed out of the cage, looking out across the ocean as the sunlight glittered off the waves.
‘Not everyone,’ the Hierophant murmured absently as he watched a small boat in the distance.
‘So what will it take to get you to help me?’ Nathaniel asked warily.
‘Nothing,’ he laughed. ‘What part of the word neutral do you not understand?’
‘Not even if one of the Gods is trespassing on Earth after being forbidden?’
‘I assume you’re talking about Hades?’ he replied in amusement.
‘You already know?’
‘Nathaniel,’ he tutted, ‘did you forget who you were talking to? Of course I know and I don’t care. If Hades wants to amuse himself with the human girl, good luck to him. I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes when Persephone finds out.’
‘It’s more than that,’ Nathaniel continued. ‘He’s bringing creatures up from the Underworld and leaving them in the mortal world.’
‘Again, old news,’ the Hierophant yawned.
‘But Zeus forbade him to interfere in the mortal world.’
‘Let’s cut to the chase here Nathaniel, because you’re boring me’ he waved his hand negligently. ‘You’re running to tattle on Hades to his brother because it suits your purpose. To pass any information along would violate my strict neutrality.’
The Hierophant flicked and disappeared, reappearing far below on the ground. Swearing angrily Nathaniel’s temper snapped, the metal cage exploded outwards in a show of metal shards and Nathaniel swirled to the ground in a huge tornado of angry green smoke, hitting the ground with such an impact it shook and trembled like the aftershocks of an earthquake.
‘Temper, temper,’ the Hierophant laughed.
‘You’re trying my patience Mystic,’ Nathaniel growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.
‘You don’t have any patience,’ he scoffed. ‘You’ve always been hot-headed, that’s why you get yourself into trouble so often.’
‘Will you help me or not?’
‘No,’ he repeated. ‘I am here to provide wisdom and guidance only.’
‘Can you guide me in the direction of Hermes then?’
‘Hermes?’ his eyes widened slightly in surprise, as he scratched his chin thoughtfully, ‘and if I tell you how to find Hermes?’
‘Hermes is the messenger of the Gods; he’ll be able to find Zeus. If I pass the information to him…’
‘You know, you so rarely use your brain Nathaniel, sometimes I forget you have one.’
Nathaniel glared at him darkly.
‘Of course,’ the Hierophant continued, ‘you haven’t been using that brain much lately have you?’
Nathaniel continued to watch him silently, with hate filled eyes.
‘You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing?’ he arched an eyebrow slyly. ‘How very daring of you, ill-advised but daring,’ he laughed loud. ‘You are so concerned with what Zeus is going to do with Hades for breaking the rules but I don’t think you truly have any idea of what Lucifer is going to do with you, when he finds out you’ve been stealing human souls.’
‘Lucifer is still locked in a cage deep in Hell, right where God put him.’
‘That maybe true, but you’d be a fool to think anything escapes his notice. Even in a cage Lucifer's reach is very long.’
‘Things change,’ Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed.
‘Well I’ll be damned,’ he muttered, ‘you’re actually planning not just to overthrow Hades but Lucifer too,’ his eyes narrowed as he studied Nathaniel curiously. ‘No one can ever accuse you of not being ambitious.’
‘It’s none of your business what I do or don’t do,’ Nathaniel replied coldly.
‘It’s very much my business when you plan on turning the world upside down,’ the Hierophant replied quietly, rubbing his lower lip thoughtfully with the pad of his thumb. ‘You’ll fail you know…’ his blue eyes bored into Nathaniel’s, ‘because you are nothing more than a slave.’
‘I’m not,’ his lips peeled back viciously in a snarl of denial.
‘You are,’ he continued flatly, ‘you’re nothing more than a junkie now, looking for his next fix, just like Charun.’
‘I am nothing like him,’ he replied icily.
‘Tell me,’ the Hierophant asked slyly, ‘and be honest because I already know the answer. How many times have you thought about the woman from earlier, the one with hair like jet and eyes like ice? How many times have you thought about going after her when you leave here?’
Nathaniel clamped his lips together so tightly they formed a thin line.
‘Let’s be honest here,’ he purred as he circled Nathaniel slowly, ‘as it’s just the two of us. You like it just a little too much, don’t you? The feel of that soul pulsing in your hand as you rip it from its mortal body? Watching the light leave their eyes…’
Nathaniel felt the moisture flood his mouth and his body tighten with lust and longing for that moment, for the instant of the kill right before he consumed their soul.
‘Did you wonder why your body reacted the way it did?’ he purred.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Nathaniel answered stiffly.
‘Yes you do, you little liar,’ he whispered, ‘you experienced a sexual high. Something I’m guessing you haven’t experienced in more eons than you’re willing to admit to. Do you want to know why? Aren’t you in the least bit curious why you experienced a sexual release from the kill?’
Nathaniel looked up at him in surprise.
‘Did you think you could carry on consuming human souls and it wouldn’t change you?’ he asked him bluntly. ‘You were right when you said you weren’t like Charun. You’re not, he was created a demon and he was always a creature of the netherworld. You…you were not. You were born into the light, yet you have fallen so far into darkness. You see, I know who you really are and I know where you came from.’
Nathaniel watched him silently.
‘The more human souls you consume the more you will begin to manifest human traits, long since forgotten. Desire, lust, pleasure, you think you can control it, but you can’t…you my friend…’ he whispered in his ear, ‘are a ticking time bomb…’
‘You’re wrong,’ Nathaniel snapped.
‘Am I?’ his mouth curved slowly. ‘I for one am very interested to see how this plays out.’
He tapped his long slender fingers together, as if coming to a decision.
‘Very well, I have changed my mind,’ he answered suddenly.
‘Excuse me?’
‘You’re excused,’ he replied, ‘and I have decided to grant your little request. I will make sure Zeus himself gets your message.’
‘What about your neutrality?’ he frowned in confusion.
‘Neutrality is boring and overrated,’ he replied carelessly. ‘Maybe I just want to see what will happen if I kick the hornets’ nest.’
‘You were going to help me all along weren’t you?’ his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
‘Not help you,’ he answered, ‘grant your request.’
‘Then what the hell have we been arguing about for the last hour?’ Nathaniel snapped furiously.
‘Meh,’ he shrugged, ‘I was just fucking with you. It’s been a long century so far and we’re not even two decades in, I’m bored stupid.’
‘You…’ his eyes flashed dangerously.
‘Careful Nathaniel,’ he replied, ‘or I may change my mind again.’
Nathaniel wisely clamped his mouth shut.
‘Well done,’ the Hierophant congratulated him condescendingly, ‘that’s the most restraint you’ve shown in months. There may be some hope for you after all.’
‘What now?’ Nathaniel asked suspiciously.
‘Now, I will uphold my end of the bargain,’ he turned and walked away from him, ‘but you need to loosen up a bit. You’re so tightly wound you’re going to give yourself an ulcer.’
‘I hate you,’ Nathaniel whispered.
‘Is that anyway to speak to a person who’s doing you a huge solid?’ the Hierophant turned back to face him. ‘Now you go running back to your little demon bitches; I believe they have something interesting to tell you.’
Nathaniel’s thoughts were immediately drawn back to Sabine and Saffire.
‘And Nathaniel…one more thing,’ he winked, ‘no more human souls. I want you to live long enough for me to see what Lucifer decides to do with you.’
Nathaniel growled, taking an involuntary step forward but the Hierophant disappeared and as he did, the sound of the amusement park roared back to life. Suddenly Nathaniel found himself surrounded by humans once again. Cursing angrily he disappeared in a swirl of smoke, this time not giving a damn who saw him.
18.
The sky was black as pitch. There were no stars, no light except for the moon, which instead of its usual vibrant silver hung dull and muted in the sky, heavy with expectation, a witness of what was yet to come. The woods were alive, a living breathing presence in the shadows, the tingle down his spine, the hairs standing on the back of his neck, a thousand pairs of eyes in the dark.
The air pulsed with a crackle of power, he could feel it. It was a warning. Surrounded by danger he could only press on, fueled by an urgency he didn’t fully understand. The trees were bare and twisted, branches spearing out of the darkness like sly needle-pointed fingers to grasp and tear at his skin. His stomach churned uncomfortably and his heart sat like lead in his chest. Something was wrong, very, very wrong.
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 179