Alexandra blinked and steeled herself to her next, obvious task. “I’ll need some help,” she said.
Lilev nodded. “The soldiers.”
“Right.”
“I see two immediate concerns,” Lilev said. “The soldiers can be distracted. But, if you fail to pierce Eden – and you likely will – then you will need to enter Babylon to survive while we divine another solution. Tell me, dear child, does anyone within the city know you are here?”
Frowning, Alexandra said, “Padre Hernon would know me on sight.”
“The padre is a busy man. You can stay hidden from him easy enough.”
“And then there’s Marco,” Alexandra said. “I ran into him yesterday and he is likely on his way back to the city to alert Padre Hernon to my presence.”
“This Marco is an enemy of yours?”
“Very much so.”
“And you left him alive?” Lilev asked.
Alexandra nodded.
Sighing, Lilev said, “Then you will have to kill him before he returns to Babylon.”
“If I make it to Eden, I won’t have to.”
“I’m still not certain you will succeed,” Lilev said. “And even if you do gain entrance, your soul may not be strong enough to destroy the beacon.”
“Because of the half I gave-“
Alexandra’s thought died a premature death in her throat. A new excitement rose in her weary stomach and she grasped Lilev’s shriveled shoulder.
“Half of my soul!” Alexandra said.
“What are you babbling about, girl?”
Alexandra took a moment to organize her thoughts. Then, she said, “You told me I weakened my soul by giving half of it to Erzulie.”
Lilev simply waited for the rest.
“Well,” Alexandra said, “if I can find Erzulie, perhaps together we can destroy the beacon!”
The demoness reached for her and Alexandra retreated a step. Alexandra wasn’t certain she could survive another mental invasion. Her knees almost buckled at the thought.
Reading her surface thoughts again, Lilev said, “You will endure it. Now that this course of action is fresh in your mind, I must look through your seer’s eyes.”
Talla whimpered as Lilev grasped Alexandra’s wrist again. Pain exploded all throughout Alexandra’s body like a cluster of bombs dropped from the sky. She fought against the invasion via instinct and heard Lilev’s distant voice telling her to lower her resistance. Through supreme force of will, Alexandra was able to overcome her instinct and allow the intrusion. Every cell in her body felt as if it was bursting wide open. She collapsed and curled into a ball on the ground to try and manage the agony.
Then, just as she was on the brink of death itself, she felt the pain slowly recede. Inch by inch she regained control over her breathing and muscles. She opened her eyes once she was able and the fuzzy outline of Lilev came into focus.
“I saw nothing,” the demoness said dryly. “But nor did I see that future which I fear. I know not what to make of this, Mih’darl.”
All Alexandra could manage was a groan. The agony was still too close to the surface.
“Gather your faculties,” Lilev said. “I will distract the soldiers and you will attempt reentry to Eden. If you fail, you must kill this Marco. Then, we will speak again in Babylon.”
Chapter 17
Lilev was gone.
Alexandra held her head and attempted to make sense of the enigmatic answers she tenuously possessed. Some of what Lilev said made sense but Alexandra wasn’t sure how much of it was madness.
So, was it true? Was Eden a trap left by Elah so mankind could be enslaved? Conquered? The very notion churned her nausea around for another pass. She dry-heaved several times and grimaced from the ripping pain in her stomach.
All the while, Talla watched her with innocent curiosity. The coyote was shielded from these truths and decisions. As long as he received his food and water, life was worth living. His world was so much smaller than hers.
"I'm jealous," she said aloud as she stroked Talla between his ears.
Though Eden offered no second chances at paradise in the flesh, Alexandra needed to confirm things for herself. She knew the truth of her exile the moment she departed Eden to save her friends. Yet Alexandra refused to accept that truth. After thousands of miles of mounting pain, loss and suffering, she was prepared to make her own rules.
If such a feat was even possible.
"Soon, the impossible will become possible for you," Alexandra whispered as she recalled Koneh's distant words.
Not this, that voice returned inside of her mind. You are not all-powerful, Alexandra Contreras, no matter how many demons you slay.
“Shut up, nobody asked you.”
Suit yourself. You’ll see.
She approached the gates. Like before, the sleek silver curved and towered above her. The orange sky gave the metal a molten glow, almost like the forges Koneh vividly described in Sri Lanka. The soldiers raced after Lilev and her servants as she orchestrated a distraction. Some of them also fled after watching one of their number have his flesh flayed from his bones.
Whose side was Alexandra on now? She shook her head and hurried towards the familiar gates. However, this time, unlike her last trip to the majestic entrance, the gates were ajar. Light poured through the narrow opening and Alexandra was forced to shield her eyes like she would against the midday sun.
Talla whimpered and paced in circles behind her.
"Just stay behind me," she said as if the beast could understand her. "I might have a new home to show you."
The light intensified with each step she took towards her goal. At first, she kept her eyes on the ground. However, the brightness soon became too much to bear. She closed her eyes and inched forward, arms outstretched. Talla yelped and she heard him dash forward.
She opened her eyes to see where her friend went and felt the pain enter through her eye sockets and explode into her skull. Screaming, she cupped her eyes with her hands and fell to her knees. Her entire head throbbed in reaction to the blinding light. Paralyzed by the agony, Alexandra attempted to control her breathing. Once she was able to move again, she crawled away from the gates.
Her back against a rock, she cautiously opened one eye. Light still enveloped the area but she was able to see. Colors unmuted and definitions took shape. She opened her other eye and sighed. Was that all there was to it? She calculated that she could make the distance blind if she needed to.
A few soldiers noticed her presence, but they appeared content to nervously watch the sky and hold their entrenched position.
Both Alexandra and coyote panted and Talla watched her as she produced a length of filthy cloth from her backpack.
"We'll try again," she said as she blindfolded herself for the extra protection. "Just stay behind me."
With new determination and embers of hope rekindled, Alexandra stumbled towards the gates. This time, she was close. The light attempted to pierce her protection, but she could bear the pain. Then her ears began to ring. The sound graduated from an annoyance to deafening within seconds. Again, she was forced to retreat.
Exhausted from the effort, she collapsed behind a rock formation and flung her blindfold to the side. Talla sniffed the cloth and then curled himself into a ball at her side. Did he experience the same things? Were animals allowed to enter?
Alexandra opened one heavy eyelid to examine her friend. She gasped.
His pupils had darkened.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, she opened both eyes and plundered her backpack. One of her matchbooks had a reflective opposite side. Did she still have it? She tossed articles aside as she frantically searched. Then she found the matchbook. Flipping it over, she strained to make sense of the reflection staring back at her. Grime-covered face. Knotted and frayed hair. Jagged scar across the cheek. Drawn skin.
She inhaled sharply when she noticed her eyes. The chestnut color had given way to the deepest black. Only her
pupils and a small area around had changed, but her shock was no less severe. At once she realized what was happening to her - what had likely happened to Koneh.
Eden would deny her body entrance.
Would she be burned to cinders or simply blinded? Exploded eardrums? Scrambled brain? If she endured the pain long enough, would she be allowed entrance?
"Probably not," she whispered as she stroked Talla's soft fur. "Sorry. I thought we could return."
Talla muzzled his wet nose under his paws and exhaled.
"Promise I won't try that again."
Defeated and woozy, Alexandra laid against her backpack and watched the gate. Elah's influence upon her was still imposing. His shaking finger was almost visible. She could hear his voice telling her she wasn't on the right path.
"Alright," she said as her eyes closed again. "We'll play by your rules for this one."
Alexandra imagined Elah and other cosmic forces sitting around a table discussing their playbook. Like a conference on some business topic, they’d swap stories and best practices. All the while, Alexandra and other small organisms played their roles. For what purpose? Amusement? Experimentation?
Lilev didn't have that answer, but Alexandra was determined to discover the motivations behind it all. Her lawyer instincts told her that if she found the why, then the how would present itself as flagrantly as the massive silver gates of Eden. If she knew the how, she reasoned she could change it.
Destroy it?
In her mind, everything was fair game.
Could she?
Lilev seemed to think Alexandra’s soul was weakened, whatever that meant. Was she really designed to thwart Elah's plan? Why would Elah allow it?
Locking her jaw and gazing to the north, she knew what she had to do. A part of her already mourned what she was about to lose. Each time she was forced to kill, it was in self defense. Now, she planned her next kill. She realized Marco had to die if she was going to save Benjamin.
You see what happens when you don’t consult me first? her familiar, berating companion said from within the shadowy recesses of her mind. You are not strong enough for what you need to do next. Allow me to give you strength, like I always have.
Alexandra closed her eyes – or were they already closed? Leaning her head against the rocks she whispered, “When have you ever helped me?”
Though she couldn’t see whatever part of her shattered psyche spoke to her, she could sense the smile through the voice’s words. Her voice. Her words?
Do you think you killed Ael all on your own?
Alexandra recalled that day and how she buried all her grief and guilt into a hole. From that hole wrath sprung like a cracked water main. Her eyes widened.
Yes, the voice said, I am that part of you where you bury all those emotions you wish not to face yourself. And I’m happy to be of service.
Her eyes open now, she said, “I can do this myself.”
Really? You are ready to hunt Marco down and kill him? All by yourself?
Alexandra paused. She hadn’t thought about Lilev’s practical contingency plan. The demoness was correct – if Marco made it into Babylon alive then the city wouldn’t be safe for her.
It’s a burden to know you need to kill a man. I was there for you when you were shot, making you strong against your enemy. I can do this again.
“Stop it!”
To her surprise, the voice was silenced.
Frustrated that the answers always seemed to lead to more questions and apparent insanity, Alexandra repacked her meager supplies and sought a safe place to rest for the night. Her wounds begged for mercy, as did every bone and muscle in her body. She had burned hot the past few days and the pace had taken its toll.
Alexandra found a narrow cave and she wedged herself as far back as she could. One horse remained after her attempt at reentry into Eden. She made certain to tie him securely lest he wander. Talla laid near her feet as she settled fitfully upon the unforgiving rocks. Her mind buzzed with new questions but she managed to achieve a few moments of sleep.
The relentless wind howled through the chasms, waking her. Talla jumped at the sudden motion and then yawned when he realized he wasn't in any danger. His ears pivoted and he licked his lips.
"Okay," Alexandra said as she reached into her backpack/pillow. "A quick snack before we search for the bastard."
Could she really kill him in cold blood? Could she even find him? Had he already returned to Babylon?
“Only one way to find out,” she said as she handed some noodles to Talla.
She knew she still needed to find Benjamin and Erzulie. Lilev’s plan made sense – kill Marco before he told anyone about her. This appeared to be the only way to achieve her immediate goals. Did everything always boil down to life and death? What else could she do? Her options swirled around in her mind as she broke camp and set out on horseback through the narrow chasms.
The morning’s orange sky painted her way. Marco was on foot and he would likely approach on the horse path. Alexandra followed the empty trail for a few hours when she came across a man on the path. His fedora and long coat betrayed his identity – this was Marco’s companion. Not the tracker, but the other man.
And he was alone.
When he noticed the figure on horseback he waved his hand. From this distance, perhaps Alexandra appeared like a rider from Babylon. She returned his wave with one of her own and approached slowly. Last she remembered, the man had a gun and she needed to get as close as possible before he realized who she was.
As she maneuvered her horse closer she noticed his uneven gait and drawn features. He wasn’t in the best of shape.
Alexandra dismounted and let her horse forward. The man smiled and then stopped. At once Alexandra realized her mistake – he recognized Marco’s horse.
Confusion and then anger visited his dark face. He drew a large revolver and Alexandra put the horse between them as she slid her sword from the scabbard. She wasn’t close enough to rush him.
“Diablo!” he shouted.
His voice was strained. The man had likely been traveling without much food or water. Alexandra took their supplies a few days ago.
He aimed and Alexandra ducked behind the horse.
Bang!
A shot sailed high and ricocheted off a rock facing. Talla scurried away.
Bang!
Alexandra felt the horse shudder from the impact. It neighed and kicked as it spat saliva and stumbled to the side.
She was exposed.
The man grinned, though the effort appeared to cause him pain. Alexandra flinched when she saw the hammer on the weapon fall again. This time, however, a loud click echoed between them.
The man’s grin morphed into a panicked frown.
Doubt threatened to seize her but before she allowed hesitation to stay her hand, she charged and swung the pommel of her sword in an arc towards the man’s face. Though visibly weakened from whatever trek he recently endured, the man was able to sidestep her attack.
She should have struck with the blade.
Whirling, she dodged his knife swipe and corrected her earlier mistake – she brought the tip of her sword to the man’s chest.
But she stopped.
Gaping, the man dropped his knife and waited. He licked his cracked lips and kept his eyes on her. Was he too frightened to speak? Should she kill him?
The hardness Alexandra felt when she was planning her hunt with Lilev had faded. Was Marco already in Babylon or did he head to the docks? Even if Alexandra knew the answer to that question she didn’t have the right to end this man’s life.
“Go,” she said.
The man blinked as confusion stretched across his weathered face.
“First, leave your coat and hat. Then, go back to the docks and row across the water. Leave this place and never return,” she said as she lowered her weapon.
The man glanced at his survival knife on the ground and then complied. Without any words, he discarded the c
hosen garments and turned away. Alexandra watched him until he disappeared around the bend of razor rocks. Once the man was out of sight, her heart began beating again and she exhaled. Knees trembling, she planted the tip of her sword in the ground to provide some balance.
How could she have considered murdering Marco and his friends? Was Lilev playing some trick on her? What about everything else the demoness said about Eden? Separated from the conversation, Lilev’s theories did indeed seem across the border of sanity.
“I don’t know what to believe any more,” she whispered.
One certainty remained in her thoughts – she must save Benjamin. With Marco alive, her time in Babylon would likely be short, she reasoned. She realized she needed to move quickly if she was to succeed.
Talla cautiously advanced from the side of the trail and surveyed the scene. The horse had collapsed on the side of the road from its wound, apparently killing the beast. After sniffing the survival knife, Talla panted and watched Alexandra.
“Sorry buddy. Let me clean this up and we can get moving.”
Alexandra inspected the horse and noticed the bullet hit the poor beast in the base of the skull. Blood oozed from the wound and the body twitched sporadically. Retrieving her belongings, Alexandra sighed when she realized there was no hiding the carcass. She wasn’t strong enough to drag it.
“Ready for Babylon?” she asked Talla.
Her companion simply tilted his head in response.
“It may not be as safe as I was hoping,” she said. “I’ll just change my attire a tad.”
Alexandra retrieved the man’s fedora and long coat. She stuffed her bomber jacket and the man’s knife into her backpack. Then she secured her sword under her new garment. Chuckling, she weighed the option of covering the bottom half of her face with a handkerchief, like the bandits of the Old West.
She tried it on for size and turned towards Talla. “What do you think – time to go rob a bank?”
Talla barked at her and re-initiated his olfactory inspection of the dirt.
Babylon (Eden Saga Book 2) Page 16