by Jasmine Walt
And just like that, a figure appeared in the open door. Of course, she appeared in the doorway looking for me. She was my family, the only person in the world who shared my blood.
Vau’s eyes were wide with surprise at the open door. She had some gadget in her hand. I had to assume, from her shock at the easy access, that the gadget’s purpose had been to free us. Vau’s chest rose and sank in relief when she saw me on the floor.
The corners of my eyes crinkled as tears pooled, knowing she’d come for me. Her forehead creased into lines that could only mean As if I’d be anywhere else when you were in danger.
She quickly made her way toward me but paused a few feet away. “Gil? Is that you?”
In the time Vau had known Tres, he was called Gilgamesh, the great ruler of Sumer.
“Vau?” said Tres. “Is that you?”
Tres rose and embraced Vau. Then he was engulfed in a bear hug by Epsilon, the only male slightly larger than him.
“We came to rescue you,” said Vau. “But the door’s open.”
“Eden unlocked our cage,” I said.
“Then why are you still here?” Vau asked.
“Well, we don’t have a plan yet. Why are you rescuing us? I thought you agreed with the Elohim.”
“We do,” said Vau. “But not like this. I’ve never cared for revenge. Humans are awful. No offense,” she said to Loren.
“I’m half witch,” said Loren, “so I’m only a little offended.”
“We chose to live apart from them,” Vau continued. “But I believe there’s room for all of Eden’s creatures. I believe there’s a possibility for redemption, maybe even improvement, especially with the young.”
“If only you weren’t the only ones who believed that,” I said.
“We’re not,” said Vau. “There are others. Come with us.”
15
No one stopped us as we left our gilded cage. No one glanced at us. In fact, Elohim and other beings—the extinct and the rare entities—parted as we walked out.
Why would they have tried to stop us? They’d have no reason to. No one defied Eden or her angels.
Eden was all-powerful, but not innocent. She said she did what was necessary for all, but she had avoided witnessing Michael’s assault on his own children. She had displayed something like sadness when she spoke of the plight of the dragons and the dinosaurs. She had turned away when harm had been done to my friends in that cage of a room.
Speak of the devil, I spied Eden a distance away. She stood before the dragon her daughter had ridden. I supposed Bryn hadn’t listened to her mother and still hung around somewhere below the surface. Likely just to spite her mother for her inattentiveness.
Atta girl. Not that I was warming to the Valkyrie. But I certainly understood her misbehavior a bit better now.
The dragons had defied the Elohim. For their stance, their rebellion had been nipped in the bud and the roots of their kind had been torn out. The majestic beasts were reduced to domesticated conveyances now.
My steps slowed as I continued to watch Eden. She approached the dragon. Her footfalls appeared heavy even from this distance.
She reached out, a warm glow emitting from her palm. The massive dragon could’ve blasted her to bits. It could’ve chomped down and swallowed her with one gulp. It could’ve batted her into the stalactites with one sweep of its spikey tail.
Instead, it bowed its head. Its long, sinewy neck bent down to receive her touch. Its large eyelids shut, a sign of both trust and gratitude.
Eden bent her forehead to the great beast. More warmth glowed from where their crowns met. Was the embrace the dragon’s sacrament or Eden’s benediction? I couldn’t tell, but neither could I look away.
My ragtag group of rebels were a few steps ahead of me. They marched into battle, preparing to stand behind a cause I championed. Zane paused his advance and looked around until he spotted me behind him, but he didn’t come to me. One by one, each of my friends stopped and looked back for me.
What was I doing? We couldn’t win this battle. I couldn’t save humanity. I wasn’t sure I could save those who lined up with me. This rebellion had shown its inevitable trajectory when Michael had barely lifted a finger to stop us. My father and Eden did nothing to stop him.
But my friends’ eyes showed determination. They were not backing down. Whatever happened, we’d do it together. I loved each person who stood in front of me. I’d go down fighting for the connections we all shared. Otherwise, what was the purpose of life?
Zane held out his hand to me. I entwined his fingers with mine. Tres and I exchanged a glance and a nod. Loren brushed up beside me, wrapping her arm with mine.
“They’re over there,” said Vau.
She pointed to a small crowd of Elohim off to the side under one of the open structures. They slowly moved away from the structure, leaving two beings behind. It took me a moment to recognize who Vau pointed to. But when I saw the two identical faces, I knew what I had to do.
I let go of Zane and marched up to Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. The God Twins were larger than life below ground as above. To me, it had only been a day since I’d last seen them. But apparently weeks had passed since that encounter.
One of them saw me coming, but the one who faced away spoke. I supposed what one saw, so did the other. “We told you not to go through the door, little Ishim.”
“You should’ve listened to us,” said the other twin, the one looking me over.
“That’s not what you said,” I protested. “Not exactly.”
The twin who had kept his back to me turned. He looked me over with a salacious smile. But I didn’t worry about my virtue. I knew I wasn’t his type. Too much light in my veins, where they liked their women with a little more flesh and blood.
“You didn’t listen,” he said.
“What does it matter?” said his brother.
I had trouble telling them apart. In all honesty I couldn’t tell which was which when I’d walked up to them. It didn’t matter.
“What matters now is that Eden is going to exterminate humanity,” I said.
“It’s what the purists do,” said one of the God Twins. “Eden experiments and Michael cleans up after her.”
“Cleans up?” said the other brother. “More like gets rid of the competition.”
“Competition?” Loren asked.
Like the leeches they were, both twins zeroed in on her. A smile spread across their deceptively youthful faces. In that moment, they looked exactly like their shifter sons, the Mohegan twins. I’d seen panties drop when Chak and Saka split their lips into wide grins.
But not with my Loren. Loren raised an eyebrow at them, cool enough to chill the light beings. Which was odd. She was never above using her feminine wiles to get her way. But I supposed this was a stressful time, and she was solely focused on her family.
One of the God Twins, perhaps because he saw he’d have to work for it, gave up the pursuit and spilled the beans. “Before the dragons, there were the beasts of the sea. But you only spy a few of those from time to time in lochs or out in the deep ocean. Millions of years ago, life in the primordial seas easily outnumbered those that walked on the earth. There’s only a fraction of the original sea life left. And most are docile.”
“What are you saying?” I asked. Because I had no idea.
“Michael doesn’t like competition,” said the other twin. “He believes in exclusivity. When the dragons emerged as the dominant species of the dinosaurs, Michael saw a threat to his livelihood, his authority. Ever hear of the saying thin the herd? It was around before humans began hunting deer.”
“But I thought the dragons rebelled?” I said.
“Yes. They did. I’m sure you would too if you were told your kind needed to undergo population control.”
Eden had said that I could choose a few humans to save. Wasn’t that a form of population control? Weren’t we now rebelling?
“She’s getting the picture,” said one br
other to the other.
“Fire and brimstone rained down and the world was cast into darkness,” said the other brother. “The fae left before the smoke and ice cleared. They were fearful they would be next on Michael’s hit list.”
“But Eden has to see what he’s doing,” I said.
“Not likely,” said Tres. “She doesn’t even pay attention to her own daughters.”
“And,” said Zane, “she admitted she rarely goes to the surface to check on her creations.”
What a mess. The world was about to be exterminated because its mother was too busy working late.
“You have to help us,” I said to the twins.
“We don’t have to do anything,” they said in unison.
“Eden’s going to let Michael wipe out all of humanity. That means all of your progeny. Your children, the Balam and Mohegan.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” said one twin. But he looked away when he said it, not meeting my gaze. Meanwhile, his brother looked skyward.
“So, you’re okay with it happening again?” I asked.
They said nothing.
“This was a waste of time,” Loren huffed.
“You can’t stop them,” said one twin. “Anyone who rebels is wiped out of existence. Eden’s probably anticipating your move now. The word omnipotent doesn’t mean she sees all. It means she has ultimate power. She can do whatever she wants.”
I shook my head in the negative. She did not have all the power. Not while we still had breath. “There has to be something? At least help us get out of here. Let us through one of your doorways to the surface. Then we can warn our loved ones. Get them to safety. Or high ground. Or low ground. Something.”
The brothers didn’t immediately say no and hope sprang in my heart. But then one of them sighed. The other one’s broad shoulders drooped. “There are no doors to the surface opening for many cycles.”
I wasn’t willing to admit defeat. None of us were. There had to be a way.
“You could get out through the seas,” said one twin. “But the temperature is a few hundred degrees. It will burn your flesh away and kill your halfling friend.”
“But,” said Vau, “the Elohim don’t need a door to leave.”
“You’re right,” I said. “You two put that star door system into place after the Ishim were born. How did Elohim get to the surface before that?”
“Oh,” said one of the brothers. “There is that way.”
We all waited for him, or the other one, to finish the statement.
“How?” I shouted into their prolonged silence.
“You won’t like it,” said one brother. He looked at me and Zane. “It’s going out the way you two came in.”
He was right. I didn’t like that idea. That way had hurt like death. Because it had been death. But if I could save the ones I loved, I’d just have to do it again.
“How do we get there?” I asked.
“The way is through Eden’s lab.”
16
We left the open-air structure and the God Twins behind. They didn’t exactly wish us well. I’m not sure they believed our attempts would work. I wouldn’t be surprised if they would soon be taking bets with some of the Elohim on whether or not we’d succeed. Five Ishim and a witch against a dozen ancient beings of light? I didn’t like our odds.
The six of us came to the structure that housed Eden’s lab. A crowd of Elohim stood outside. Once again, Michael stood at the center of them. Gabriel stood just beyond him, staring into the distance as though he wasn’t really listening to Michael’s speech.
I didn’t blame him. Michael spoke in a monotone, passionless voice. It would’ve put me to sleep if his words weren’t so vile.
“Humans are crowding every bit of the globe,” said Michael. “Wherever they touch the surface, it runs fallow. Their numbers have multiplied beyond what can possibly be sustainable by the Earth’s resources. They take and give nothing in return, which makes them parasites. This is our world. They only exist by our leave. If we allow the scourge to continue, there will be nothing left of our world.”
Michael paused and looked around at the assembled crowd. I waited for a dissenter. Not a single one spoke up.
“We thought these beings were evolving,” Michael continued. “But in truth, the species has been abating. Humans barely have any light to their persons. They are primarily water and flesh. And yet these are the beings that are meant to inherit the Earth?”
Again, silent acquiescence as Michael paused and eyed the onlookers. Gabriel still looked off to the side with apparent disinterest. The only ones who bristled were the non-Elohim. Tres had an arm around Loren’s waist. Zane’s arms were wrapped around my shoulders.
“It is time the Earth’s first children reclaim our birth right and retake the surface.”
That drew a series of nods from one corner of the crowd. But still most of the Elohim watched impassively. Tres’s hold tightened on Loren. Vau looked from Epsilon to me, her features grave.
I turned to Zane. I wasn’t sure if I was seeking comfort or preparing to bark out orders. I couldn’t do either. He pressed his soft lips against mine.
The kiss wasn’t passion-filled. There was no message in it like goodbye. It could’ve been an ordinary, any day kiss, if this wasn’t the last day for humanity on Earth.
“Guys,” said Loren. “Now is not the time.”
Zane pulled away from me. His brown eyes were soft on me. His lips, so soft a moment ago, firmed into a determined line.
“I know that look,” Tres said.
“So do I,” I said.
“What’s going on?” asked Loren.
“I’m about to go and get punched in the face for love,” Zane said.
“Wait,” Vau said.
Zane paused and faced her. She came into his arms and embraced him. “This feels like goodbye,” he said.
“It is,” Vau said. “Properly this time.”
“You’re not coming with us?” I asked.
Vau released Zane and then took me into her arms. “This is where we belong. When things die down, or you die again, you can come visit.”
Letting her go was harder than I’d thought it would be. But she was right. At least we got to say goodbye this time. We all exchanged hugs, Epsilon and me, and then Epsilon and Tres and Zane. Vau also gave Tres a peck on the cheek.
“Take care of her,” Vau said to Loren. “Stop her from doing anything too stupid. You know the boys won’t.”
Loren nodded. She got a hug from Vau too. Then Vau and Epsilon walked off into the light. We stood and watched, though they never disappeared behind a valley or a dip in the flat land.
Finally, Zane took a deep breath and took off toward his father before I could stop him. A couple of steps later, Tres was on his brother’s heel.
“Michael,” Zane called. “May I have a word?”
Michael glanced at his son. “I’m in the middle of planning an apocalypse. Can it wait until after humanity has been wiped from the face of the Earth?”
“That’s what I want to talk with you about,” said Zane.
“Are you going to ask for leniency?”
“For mankind? No. But I did want to try and save a few priceless pieces of art.”
“Art?” Michael’s nose crinkled as he tested the word and found it sour. “Sculpted rock and splattered bits of dye?”
Zane bristled. “Art is the expression of inner light.”
“I don’t have time to save etchings and structures,” said Michael.
“Wait?” said Tres. “Structures? I’ve spent my life building structures. Those should not be on the chopping block. What has a temple or a shrine or a skyscraper ever done to disrupt the earth?”
“They’ll be dust in centuries,” said Michael.
“Not my buildings,” said Tres.
The arrogant engineer was on full display next to the optimistic artist. But then Zane turned to Tres, ire in his eyes.
“Ex
cuse me,” said Zane. “I was talking to our father. Your buildings aren’t more important than my art.”
“I beg to differ,” said Tres. He pushed his shoulders back, as though readying himself for a fight. Zane did not disappoint.
“You always do this.” Zane poked Tres in the shoulder.
Tres stumbled back a couple of steps. He reached up and brushed off the spot on his shoulder where Zane had touched him. Then he dug his heels in, preparing to charge.
Michael looked at his two sons in confusion. The gathered Elohim watched the exchange, their large eyes just a touch wider than normal. I turned away from the melee. I knew exactly what the two men were on about.
“Loren,” I said. “Come on. This is the diversion.”
It was hard to look away from the man I loved. But it had to be done. I needed to find a way into Eden’s lab and then that doorway of death. Zane and I might be separated again, but I knew it wouldn’t be the last time.
“I’ve never understood this emotion.” Michael’s voice carried to where Loren and I were dashing away. “Love? It goes against self-preservation to put someone else before you. It’s not natural.”
The hairs at the back of my neck prickled. I knew I should go forward, but I couldn’t help it. I turned back. Michael wasn’t focused on his sons and their grievances. He was looking directly at me.
And so was my father. Gabriel’s eyes darted between Michael and me. And then I caught it, the slightest twitch of his left eye. Gabriel didn’t move toward me. Michael did.
Michael’s skin began to dissipate. I knew what that meant. Where it took a moment for flesh to make its way across distances, light traveled instantaneously.
“Loren, run.”
We took off, moving as fast as our bodies would allow us. The light door to Eden’s lab was opaque, announcing that it was open. And why wouldn’t it be? No one here would defy her.
Loren and I dashed inside the lab. I felt Michael’s heat at my back. We crossed the threshold, but there was no door to shut.
Rays of light wrapped around my shoulder. I struggled, throwing punches and kicking my feet. But to no avail. The rays of light held me still, rooting me in place.