Path of the Heretic (The Beholder Book 2)

by Ivan Amberlake

  “I promised to tell you why I kept some facts from you,” she started.

  “You don’t have to.” Jason brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. “That mark that you left in your grandfather’s estate showed me everything.”

  Emily blinked, tears suddenly brimming in her eyes. She nodded. “I’m afraid it’s only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more that you should know.”

  Jason listened as Emily told him about herself and her family, then about the Transcendent, about Damien and about Violet, Alexei, and Alice. They talked and Jason couldn’t get enough of being together with Emily.

  “You gave up all your abilities. Why?” he asked, brushing a loose strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear.

  Emily lowered her eyes. “I didn’t need them anymore. I thought I … wasn’t going to return.”

  “You were going to leave me here all alone?” Jason lowered his eyes.

  “No. I just wanted to be as far away from Pariah as I could. You know, at one point he almost convinced me that Darkness was the only choice for me. I still can’t believe I almost gave in. You were supposed to be my last assignment, but I didn’t know what I was going into, and then I met you. I figured out long ago that Pariah kept me because of my powers, so I promised myself to get rid of them. I don’t need all my supernatural abilities. I only need you. When Pariah lanced my neck, I thought that was the end of me. But then Aaron found me and let me stay with him until I got better. He tried to talk me out of my idea to curse myself to my exile in Limbo, but I told him there was no reason for me to return. That was a lie of course. I had to tell that lie to myself every day to believe it, but it didn’t work. And I was afraid you would think I was a traitor, that you wouldn’t listen to a word I’d say to justify what I did. But even after I’d given up everything, there was one thing that kept me alive: hope that one day you’d come and take me away.”

  “You shouldn’t have inflicted so much pain on yourself.”

  “I couldn’t forgive myself for letting Pariah kill my family. I saw him kill my grandma, before he came for me. Even Limbo didn’t help me forget it.”

  “You should’ve told me everything from the beginning.”

  Emily shook her head. “I know, but I was scared. If Pariah had found a way to read your mind and put the pieces together, he would know I was able to change my aura. Damien and I, we were sort of chameleons who could stay close to Pariah and alert Dave if there was danger coming, although Damien played an even more dangerous part, with his little daughter and wife at Pariah’s mercy.”

  Jason raised an eyebrow at the news.

  “I’m afraid they’re both dead,” Emily added.

  Jason scooped Emily into a tender embrace.

  “I’m scared, Jason. I don’t want to lose you again.”

  Jason chuckled sadly, his eyes locked with hers as he wrapped his arms around her a little harder. “You won’t. I promise.”

  Jason thought he knew what made Emily so scared. Stripped of her powers, she was unable to interfere in the war between Light and Darkness. She’d already lost her mom and dad, her grandpa and granny, William, and now Tyler. Her life was a never-ending string of losses, and both of them knew Pariah would keep trying to kill more people who meant the world to her. If the City of Tranquility had fallen, Pariah wouldn’t have spared anyone who opposed him.

  “I have one question that keeps bothering me,” Jason said, and Emily let go of him, her eyes full of concern.

  “Do you know why Pariah left without a fight?”

  Emily heaved a deep sigh. “It’s another one of my Prophecies, I’m afraid. One from a few years ago that Pariah heard me say. According to it, whoever has me in their ranks is going to win the war. But only on one condition.”

  “What condition?”

  “That I’m Sighted.”

  “So, now, no one can win the war, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “But it might also mean you’ll get your powers back,” Jason said.

  “I’ve never known anyone who was able to get their powers back after renouncing them. When a Sighted gives away their abilities, they cannot get them back. Pariah must have realized I was worth nothing, and he didn’t expect you to return, so he probably decided to leave and think of a new plan. He has Violet now, and she’s got my Prophesying ability. I don’t even know what he may come up with.”

  Jason brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I’ll do everything I can to protect us both and everyone around. I’ll never let Pariah do whatever he wants.”

  Emily smiled then wrapped her arms around Jason’s neck.

  “The ends justify the means,” Jason said.

  “You remember?” she asked.

  “I’ve lived all this time repeating the words to myself every day.”

  Emily’s words did make sense now. Jason couldn’t find the words to express how much he enjoyed the closeness of the woman he thought he’d never hold again.

  Chapter 42

  The reconstruction was coming to its end, and Jason and Emily decided it was time to leave the City of Tranquility. They paid Dave a visit to announce the news of their and their friends’ departure.

  Dave seemed to take the news well, although Jason spotted a shade of sadness creeping over Dave’s face.

  “I knew that sooner or later you were going to leave, but I was hoping you’d stay a little longer,” he said with regret in his voice.

  “Unfortunately, we have to go. We’ll leave for New York at first and then we are going to Emily’s estate for some time,” Jason responded. “In case anything urgent happens, your men will always find us there.”

  “When are you leaving?” Dave asked.

  “Tomorrow morning,” Emily replied.

  Dave’s eyebrows twitched. “Wow. So soon.” He nodded, looking Jason then Emily in their eyes. “You should know that whatever happens, you’re always welcome here.” Dave shook Jason’s hand first, then offered his hand to Emily. She took it after a moment’s pause. “You will always be like a daughter to me, Emily. I’m really happy that you’re back.” Dave hugged Emily, stroking her hair and pressing his lips to her forehead.

  Leaving Dave’s office, Jason and Emily headed to their apartment where they had to talk to Alice, and the idea made him a little nervous.

  Alice really enjoyed staying in the City of Tranquility. She met a lot of friends her own age, and they had a great time playing hide-and-seek, laughing, joking, and fooling around.

  It was about dinner time, so Jason knew she would be at home, in her room, drawing. It turned out she was really good at it. When they tiptoed into the room, Jason and Emily saw her hard at work over another of her masterpieces that adorned the walls of the room.

  Jason and Emily came over to the girl and looked over her shoulder at the picture. It was the City of Tranquility in the background and Jason, Emily, and Alice standing hand in hand in the foreground.

  Alice worked skillfully with her crayons, outlining the city’s buildings, with no signs of destruction in her picture.

  “Wow! This is so beautiful!” Emily exclaimed.

  “You’re amazing!” Jason added.

  Alice looked up at them, smiling.

  “Alice, can we talk to you?” Jason said.

  “Yes.” Alice put the crayons aside, came over to them and sat on the couch in between Jason and Emily.

  “We have some news for you,” Emily said.

  “Tomorrow morning we’re going back to New York,” Jason said.

  “You’re leaving?” Alice asked, her shoulders suddenly hunched, her surprise replaced by sorrow and then tears threatening to pour down her doll-like face.

  Jason knelt in front of the girl, took her small hands into his own, and looked into her beautiful eyes.

  “Alice.” He looked at Emily who stroked the girl’s hair and nodded at Jason’s words. “Emily and I have been thinking a lot, and we have a question to ask you. You know that your parent
s are in heaven watching you. Unfortunately, they can’t look after you, so we wondered if you would agree to go with us. Would you agree for us to become your mother and father? I promise we’ll try our best to become good parents for you. Of course, if you’d like to stay here, we—”

  Before he had anything to add, the girl hugged him and Emily, and then Jason wrapped one arm around Alice and the other around Emily.

  “Yes, yes! I’m going with you!” Alice giggled.

  Emily laughed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “That was easier than I thought.” Jason smiled. “I thought you had lots of friends here.”

  “Yes, but when they leave and then you leave I’ll be all alone here.”

  Jason hugged her once more. “Oh, Alice, you’ll never be alone. Wait. I’ll be right back.” He winked at her, then went out of the room and returned with a small box. “I’m sure you two are going to make great friends.”

  Curious, Alice looked into the box and her eyes widened. “Wow! Is it the rabbit you said you saved from the fire?” she exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.

  “Actually, yes.” Jason smiled. “I went to check if it was all right, but it seems the fire scared him a lot, so you’ll have to take care of him.”

  “Thank you.” She beamed.

  “It’s settled then,” Emily said, beaming. “We’re ready to go.”

  “Yes.” Jason nodded. It was time for them to turn the page and start a new chapter.

  ***

  It was the middle of the night when Emily’s whisper cut through Jason’s sleep. He thought at first it was a dream, but then a hand touched him gently.

  “Jason, wake up.”

  He stirred, groaning, and opened his eyes. Emily pressed a finger against his mouth, then beckoned him to follow her. It took him great effort to push himself up and get to his feet. He put on a pair of jeans and a shirt.

  “What’s going on?” he groaned.

  “I want you to see something, but I need your help,” Emily said.

  Jason didn’t ask questions. They left the building and walked down the empty street in the wee morning hours when the whole city was still asleep.

  Emily stepped onto one of the platforms, and Jason joined her. They moved upwards and got past the entrance doors.

  They arrived at a spot where the tunnel split and went in several directions, and this time the platform spiraled downwards, sliding into a different tunnel. They were not leaving the underground as Jason had thought. He eyed Emily with a raised brow, but she only teased him with a smile.

  He could see a dark spot far below them. The platform shook a bit as the spot grew larger in size. It was darkness and they were about to plunge into it.

  Emily took Jason by the hand. Suddenly, the darkness swallowed them, but then the platform slowed down and stopped shaking.

  “What’s going on?” Jason asked in total darkness.

  “Could you use some of your Energy to light this place?”

  The same way his Energy lit the City of Tranquility, it sprawled around and let him see where they stood.

  In front of them there was a door.

  “It’s the door leading to the Hall of Refuge, right?”

  Emily nodded.

  Jason’s heart thudded in excitement as he studied the beautiful arch studded with myriads of sapphires, moonstones, topaz, and other sparkling gemstones, smooth and faceted. They stepped closer to it, and the stones glowed even brighter, welcoming them inside.

  It’s the safest place in our world, Emily had said the previous time they were there.

  Like the last time, she was the first to go inside, and Jason obediently followed her, through a short, dark tunnel. The nervousness Jason had experienced in the dark evaporated, and as they walked through the antechamber lit with an incredible light, they found themselves in the chamber.

  In the Sight, lights and colors blazed even brighter and images danced on the walls and ceiling to and fro like shadows. They paced along the chessboard black and white floor.

  In the luster, Jason was able to make out a lone figure standing in the middle of the hall, and when he peered he made out a familiar shape in the distance.

  “Is that the Guardian?” Jason muttered, his eyes wide open.

  An old man stood there, his body crooked beyond measure. His white matted hair reached the floor covering his ragged clothes. With a face distorted into something between anger and smug satisfaction that forbade laughter, the Guardian kept his chin propped on top of a thin cane glowing with ruby and emerald that he clutched with both hands. Even though the creature would look repulsive to an ordinary person, Jason was happy to see him.

  He was the opposite of an ordinary person. The Guardian couldn’t see in the normal way. He saw only Energetic Auras, and he raised his head to look at them.

  “There’s one thing you need to know before we go and say hello to him,” Emily said. “You remember that for you to become the Beholder, the auras of your defenders should have been destroyed.”

  Jason knotted his eyebrows then nodded. “Yes. Why?”

  “The thing is, your transformation hasn’t been completed yet.”

  “What? But I was able to enter the Sight.”

  “I sort of helped you,” Emily admitted. “I stripped Violet, Alexei, and Alice of their original auras, the ones that protected you, and created exact copies of your aura around them.”

  “Emily, you’re scaring me,” Jason whispered. “Did you destroy them? The auras?”

  “No. They’re here,” she said.

  Jason took a deep breath, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “We have to destroy them for you to become the one you’re supposed to be.”

  The Guardian made small shuffling steps across the floor, his face twisted in a smile. Jason smiled in return.

  “It is nice to see the Chosen One back in the Hall of Refuge. I have been waiting for you for quite a while, and it is even nicer to see you two together.” He buried his shriveled hand into a pocket and pulled out something in his clenched fingers. He unclenched them, and there were three vials in his palm.

  “Here they are. I have kept them with me all the time.” The Guardian offered the vials to Emily.

  “Thank you,” she said with a slight bow.

  She took them carefully, and looked at Jason.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  Jason’s eyebrow twitched, his lips pursed. Then he heaved a sigh. “Okay, let’s try. Do you know by any chance how I’m supposed to do it?”

  “You don’t have to do anything,” Emily said. “When separated from their hosts, the auras are highly unstable, so the slightest impact may destroy them.”

  “Impact like what?”

  “Like this.” She flung the vials onto the floor and they broke.

  Jason blinked once, and then he felt heat wrapping up his body. It burned so hot he stopped breathing for a few moments. He thought his flesh was being torn to pieces from the inside.

  The walls of the Hall blazed with light. Shadows didn’t play along the walls anymore, although his ears caught someone whispering, louder and louder, and he was certain it was coming from behind the walls. The Hall turned into a huge dome made of raging fire.

  Emily and the Guardian stood watching him. Like everything around, they were enveloped by flames as well, their auras spurting bluish and emerald tongues of flames. Emily took a step closer, and the Energy rippled beneath her foot. Another step repeated the trick, the ripples reaching Jason. When she got close he could feel her warmth, her aura welcoming him. Jason raised his hand to caress her cheek, and when his fingers touched Emily’s skin, it felt like silk.

  He closed his eyes, but the picture persisted before him. The Energy was there, and he could see it with his eyes open as well as closed.

  “Welcome to the Sight, Jason,” Emily said.

  The searing heat inside him lessened bit by bit, replaced by strength that rushed along his veins like wil
dfire. Emily’s presence soothed him and helped him be in control of his powers and of the Energy flowing around him. The strength filled his muscles, everything so clear in his head now that he could think straight.

  “I am the Beholder, right?”

  “You’ve always been for me.” Emily smiled. “And now the Beholder has woken for everyone.”

  Epilogue

  When Jason and Emily returned to the City, it was too early and the people were still asleep. Quietly the two made their way back to their apartment and had a couple hours before the others woke up.

  Sleep, however, was the last thing on Jason’s mind. Thinking over what had just taken place, he lay on the bed with a smile, his arms wrapped around Emily. Though she didn’t stir and her chest heaved peacefully up and down, Jason knew she wasn’t sleeping either.

  “You know, I had dreams about you,” he said softly.

  Emily raised her head. “You did?”

  “Yes. And every time you tried to help me figure out where you actually were. I often think I’d have gone insane if I hadn’t had those dreams, so I went to sleep hoping to see you again.”

  Emily’s lips curved into a smile.

  Jason chuckled. “Even now I’m not sure if you’re real, if that path I took was real.”

  “I am real, but only thanks to you. You made it possible.” Emily stroked Jason’s fingers one by one.

  Jason lowered his head to kiss Emily. Whatever miracles he’d seen in the Hall of Refuge couldn’t compare to that kiss, slow and satisfying.

  In a long while it was the first time that Jason felt complete. He had Emily back, and after a few days’ time she’d already found ways to amaze him. Emily hadn’t changed much, except now he knew she always meant him well.

  Their lips parted and they both smiled.

  “I love you, Emily.”

  Emily’s amber eyes, now dark and fathomless, sparkled. “I love you too, Jason.”