by N. P. Martin
"A tumor," Ace said disgustedly. "That fucking bitch. I swear, I'm going to hunt her down the second we're done here."
I stopped for a second as I tried to contain the anger that suddenly rose in me. "Maybe you shouldn't get so rough with these women, and they wouldn't do shit like this to you."
"Mind your own fucking business, sorcerer," Ace snarled, his ice blue eyes staring hard at me. From a few feet away, Blaez growled. Ace glanced at the Garra Wolf and then back at me. "I'm just saying, what I do or don't do isn't your concern. You owe Big Joe. You don't have a choice here."
That's where he was wrong. I did have a choice. I could choose to prevent Ace from hurting any more women. I could choose to make it my fucking moral duty to do so. "Down the hatch," I said, handing him another bottle, this one filled with a murky red liquid that had the texture of sour milk, and a smell that was just as bad.
Ace recoiled when he smelled the potion. So did Big Joe, their heightened sense of smell under assault. "Jesus Christ," Ace said. "What the fuck is in this stuff?"
"You really want to know?" I asked him.
He stared at me a moment then shook his head. "Fuck it, I don't want to know." He stared at the small bottle in his huge hand for a moment, his face that of someone who was about to drink their own cum. "Shit."
I took some pleasure in watching Ace drink the potion. As expected, he gagged and almost brought the murky red liquid back up again. "Hold it in," I said.
Ace continued to gag. "Easy...for you...to say."
Yes, it was, and I didn't give a shit.
"What's that going to do to him?" Big Joe asked.
"Allow me to see where in his body the hex is," I said. "It will highlight the dark magick in him."
Strictly speaking, it was the opposite way about. The potion would make it possible for me to see Ace in a different light spectrum. Sort of like an x-ray, but much more detailed. Ignoring Ace's groans of complaint, I closed my eyes for a moment and silently repeated the words to a spell that would change my vision to a different light spectrum, helped by the potion that would have spread throughout the werewolf's body by now. When I opened my eyes again and looked at Ace, it was like the werewolf had transformed into a being of pure light. His essential form was now an interconnected network of illuminated nerves and glowing sinew. It was like he had shed his outer shell to reveal the real being underneath. In most cases, this was a beautiful site to behold. The inner form would glow with iridescent colors--hues of yellow, orange, red and blue as if each strand of nerve and sinew contained strings of LED lights inside. If you are familiar with the work of the visionary artist (and sorcerer, though not many know that), Alex Grey, then you will have some idea of what I am talking about. Generally speaking, the purer a person was, the more beautiful and iridescent they would seem when their outer shell had been stripped away.
But in the case of Ace the woman beating werewolf, his inner form didn't come across as quite so beautiful. The innate darkness in him all but muted the colors of his inner form, turning vibrant reds to muddy browns and warm yellows to shades of muted green and even gray. Where I should have been staring at something akin to a vibrant oil or acrylic painting, I was instead looking at an image that could have been done in charcoal with just the smallest hints of color underneath. It occurred to me then that Ace as a person was much worse than I thought. I doubted anyone but Ace knew just how dark and twisted he really was. There were tones in him that could only have been the result of heinous and unspeakable acts on his part.
"You see it or what?" Ace asked me, referring to the dark magick inside him.
"I see it," I said. "Very clearly."
I did, in fact, see the source of the hex within him. Rather fittingly, it was located in his groin. A dark mass about the size of an orange that seemed to pulsate and send out dark signals around Ace's body, pushing out tendrils of darkness into the air so they could attract the disastrous luck that had been afflicting him.
"Can you get it out?" Big Joe asked, sounding concerned for his cousin. I wondered then if Big Joe knew just how deep the darkness went in Ace. I also wondered how much darkness I would find in Big Joe if I revealed his inner form. Probably not as much as Ace, but still enough no doubt.
"Yes," I said. "This is going to hurt."
Oh, it's going to hurt alright. For the rest of your fucking life, Ace.
"Just do it," Ace said. "Get it out of me."
"Lie flat on the table," I ordered. Ace lay back on the table, and I positioned my hands over his groin, above the source of the hex. I looked up at Big Joe. "Hold him down, please."
Big Joe came over and placed his massive hands on Ace's shoulders. "Hang in there, cousin," he said. "You're about to be free of this thing finally. Ain't that right, Creed?"
"That's right," I said, beginning to set my magickal hooks into the dark mass embedded in Ace's groin. Once I felt I had a good enough grip, I started to pull upwards, and when I did, Ace cried out like I was ripping out one of his kidneys. "Hold him!"
I pulled harder, the pulsing black mass stubbornly holding on as I tried to get it free from Ace's body. With every pull, Ace would scream like the pulling was also putting unbearable tension on his nerves as well. Not that I cared about the pain he was in. Maybe, if Ace had have been someone else, I would have taken my time and eased the hex out of him. But as it was Ace, I felt no obligation to save him from any pain. So I tugged harder as I ignored the screams, dragging the hex to the surface of Ace's body, and then finally ripping it free from him altogether.
"Jesus fuck!" Ace roared as the hex became detached from his nerve endings and got pulled through his sinew and skin until it ended up in my hands. A ball of darkness that was malleable like putty and as cold as a frozen orange in my hands.
"God, is that it?" Big Joe asked, seeming repulsed by the pulsating hex in my hand.
"Most of it," I said. "There's still some left in there. It went deep."
"Oh Christ, there's more?" Ace groaned. "How much more?"
"Enough," I said as I folded my hands around the hex, covering it completely before uttering a few words under my breath. When I opened my hands, the hex had turned to dark smoke which then dissipated into the air before vanishing completely.
"Disgusting," Big Joe said. "All magick is disgusting."
"But disgustingly helpful in this case, eh?" I said shaking my head.
Big Joe said nothing as he continued to press down on Ace's shoulders. "Just get the rest out of him."
"With pleasure," I said.
I positioned my hands back over Ace's groin, the source of his latent sexuality now completely visible since I had removed the hex that was covering it. The source of most people's sexuality was centered around the groin area. It tended to dictate the kind of sexual thoughts a person had, as well as controlling their sexual behavior. And again with most people, this wellspring of sexual energy was normally bright and iridescent. Healthy, you might say.
Ace's sexual energy, however, was not what you would call healthy. It was the same dark, muddy color as the rest of his inner being, though much darker at the center. About as dark as the hex I just removed from him, in fact. "Buckle up," I said. "I'm about to go in."
Just like I did with the hex, I set my magickal hooks into the core of Ace's sexual energy and pulled. It came away with little effort. Certainly much easier than the hex. Ace howled as that dark mass of energy pulled free and into my hands. Instinctively, he would know he had irrevocably lost something, but he wouldn't know what. Not for a while, or not until I chose to tell him.
I closed my hands over the main source of Ace's dark, hurtful behavior and made it disappear in a puff of smoke just like the hex.
The wolf was now neutered.
Blaez made a noise and looked away like he knew what I had just done.
"Are we done now?" Big Joe asked.
I nodded as I stood back from the table. "We're done," I replied.
Ace sat up. "I'm finally f
ree," he said. "I can't fucking believe it."
Big Joe smiled and patted Ace on the back. Then he looked at me. "I guess I should thank you, Creed," he said.
"Don't put yourself out," I said. "We're even now, that's all."
Big Joe nodded. "Fair enough."
Ace stood and frowned for a moment, then shook his head. "I feel weird," he said. "Like something is missing."
"There may be some side effects," I said casually as I began to put bottles back on the shelf.
"What fucking side effects?" Ace said, the aggression back in his voice now. "You didn't say anything about side effects."
"I said it wouldn't be easy to remove the hex, and that there might be complications," I retorted, then waited a moment to hit him with the good news. "Your sexual function may be affected."
Ace frowned, as did Big Joe. "What the fuck do you mean my sexual function may be affected?" Ace said. "Are you saying...that I won't be able to fuck anymore?"
He looked devastated. Big Joe also looked devastated for the guy. "It was your boner or your life."
They both glared at me, Big Joe's eyes yellow, his fangs showing. "Did you fuck us, Creed?" he snarled. "If you fucked us..."
Blaez growled, and I summoned a silver shard into the air before me and pointed it at Big Joe. "You remember this, don't you? Pure silver, just to remind you."
"I can't fuck anymore," Ace muttered to himself, feeling at his groin like he expected to feel some physical defect.
"You're lucky you even stayed alive this long," I said. "Count your blessings there, Ace."
Ace stood staring at me a moment like he was thinking of boning me by the throat, but then Big Joe put a hand on Ace's shoulder. "Come on, Ace," he said. "Let's get out of here." His still yellow eyes lit on me then. He knew I had done something to his cousin. He just couldn't prove it. "I'll be seeing you, Creed."
A moment later, and I had escorted them both out of the Sanctum without saying another word. Then I slammed the front door and shook my head at Blaez, who was standing in the hallway staring at me. "You think I went too far?"
Blaez barked once, and I smiled at him. "I don't think so either," I said.
5
Great Balls Of Fire
The next day, I went to Gadsden Park with a kid from my local neighborhood called Benjamin, though he preferred to be called Benji. Benji was fifteen and knew exactly what I did for a living. He knew I was a magickslinger and wanted desperately to be one himself. From the moment I met Benji two years ago after he came to the door of the Sanctum and breathlessly asked if he could be my apprentice, I knew I was never going to get rid of him. For better or worse, the kid wanted to be a magickslinger himself, and there was no talking him out of it, even after I explained what it would take to become one, and the endless pain it would cause him in the long run. So while I had no interest in taking on anyone as an apprentice full-time, I could see that Benji wasn't going to take no for an answer, so I offered to give him occasional lessons in the arcane arts, which usually took place at the Sanctum once a week or so. But because things had been so hectic of late, I hadn't taught Benji in over a month. Needless to say, the kid was excited when I called him and asked for his help, jumping at the chance to further his studies in magick.
"Today's lesson has nothing to do with magick," I told Benji when we got to the park after I drove us there in the Lincoln.
Benji, a skinny, slightly awkward kid with a mop of curly blond hair, looked disappointed as we walked towards Blackham City Zoo which was located at the west end of the park. "So what are we doing here?" Benji asked. "And why are you carrying a loudspeaker in your hand? And a placard of that woman? Who is she?"
I smiled, more at the thought of what I was about to do than at his question. "All will be revealed. Here." I took out my new iPhone and handed it to him. "I need you to video what's about to go down. Your job is to be cameraman today. Don't miss a thing, no matter what happens to me."
Benji frowned as he looked a little worried now. "What are you planning on doing?"
"Drawing as much attention to myself as possible hopefully."
"Why?"
"It's part of a longer game. I'll tell you all about it when it's over."
"Another case?" Benji asked, his voice tinged with excitement. He loved to hear about my past cases. For him, talking to me about magick and hearing me tell stories was akin to the excitement some kids his age get from reading a new comic book or watching a new blockbuster movie. Benji wasn't like other kids though. He was obsessed with books, which is how he stumbled across magick in the first place. He was also committed to studying and worked hard to master the small things that I had taught him so far. There was no doubt in my mind that the boy would end up like me. Not totally like me, obviously (God forbid). But he would surely bloom into a full-fledged sorcerer over time. He was also fascinated by detective work, which is why I'm saying he would end up like me, spending his days chasing leads and wielding magick for the greater good (that's what I tell myself anyway).
"It's a case, yeah," I said. "A pretty big one. You'll enjoy hearing about it if I make it through it alive."
"It's dangerous, huh?"
"Aren't they all? Anything to do with magick is dangerous. Have I taught you nothing?"
"You said magick is dangerous in the wrong hands."
"It's dangerous all the time. Never kid yourself that you control the magick. It controls you. Makes you its slave. It's not a very equal relationship."
Benji nodded. "Is any relationship truly equal?"
I shook my head at him. "You're too wise for your own good sometimes."
Due to his obsession, he knew something of what I said already. But Benji could never walk away from magick. He wanted it too badly. I understood that about him. Still, I made it my duty to inform him of the dangers, so he wasn't going in blind.
A nice mid-morning flow of people was coming and going through the main gates of the zoo, with quite a number of others hanging around outside, sitting on benches eating snacks or walking their dogs around the large field opposite the zoo. This should do nicely, I thought as I looked around at the crowds of people. There seemed to be enough bodies around to cause a decent ruckus. No sign of any park cops, but they would turn up soon enough, once I got started. "Alright, kid," I said to Benji as I stopped by a park bench just opposite the gates of the zoo. "Head over there and start filming as soon as I start."
"Start what?" Benji asked, slightly exasperated now at the fact that I still hadn't told him what was going on.
"Let's call this a lesson in manipulation and deceit." I stood up on the park bench, pleased to see that I was already getting queer looks from passersby. "Sometimes, kid, you have to make people believe that you're something you're not."
"Why? Isn't that one of the marks of a sociopath?"
I stared down at him. "Just go over there and start filming. And remember, keep the camera on, no matter what happens. You'll have to find your own way home as well. I don't think I'll be around to drive you."
Before Benji could ask any more questions, I raised the loudspeaker to my mouth, the placard I was carrying now resting on the bench beside me, facing out so everyone could see the photograph of the falsely smiling, platinum-haired Angela Crow. It was one of her election placards. The words VOTE CROW was written across the bottom. "Ladies and gentlemen," I said in my most theatrical sounding voice, happy with how well and how far my voice seemed to be carrying. Even the people inside the zoo would be able to hear me. "Good people of Blackham, I am here today to talk to you about a great deceit--a great evil--that is being visited upon you. There is a conspiracy in this town, ladies and gentlemen. An underground network that has existed since this great city was built."
"Fuck off," some man shouted as he was passing by. "No one cares."
"Another fucking nutjob with a loudspeaker," someone else shouted. "Piss off!"
I'll admit, the assault on my ego almost made me get down off the benc
h right then and go home. But I was doing this for a reason, a very good reason, and so I took the hits and carried on. "Evil runs this town from the shadows," I proclaimed. "The people you think are in charge are not in charge at all. Other's pull the strings in this town, and this woman here." I pointed down at the placard with Angela Crow's face on it. "This is the woman who really runs this town, folks, and I'm here to tell you right now that she is not as she seems. This woman is not who you think she is."
"Who is she then?" a woman's voice shouted out from the small crowd that had now gathered around me. It seems that no matter how mad you were, you could always guarantee a crowd if you stood high enough and shouted loud enough. Maybe someone should let Lady GaGa know that.
"Who is she?" I bellowed back, impressed by my own over the top theatrics. Normally, I would rather cut my own toes off one by one as put myself in front of a crowd like this, but I had to say, I was rather enjoying it, and found the whole experience quite liberating. "I'll tell you who she is." I reached down and grabbed the placard, holding it up so everyone could see Angela Crow's pale but strikingly beautiful face. "This woman here is a bloodsucker, ladies and gentlemen. That's what she is."
"She's a politician," someone shouted. "They're all bloodsuckers."
"I know that," I replied. "But folks, I'm telling you this woman is really a bloodsucker. This woman--" I vigorously shook the placard as I paused for effect. "This woman is a vampire." I paused again as I let that sink into the crowd, most of whom shook their heads, some making tutting sounds, others walking away. "I'm deadly serious, folks. Vampires exist in this town. More than that, vampires run this town."
"He's right," an old guy said at the edge of the crowd, a bum by the looks of it, my little performance probably being the highlight of his day. "I've seen them."
"See," I said to the crowd. "That man knows. He knows."