Inquest

by J. F. Jenkins

  When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar black brick walls of the underworld castle. Standing in the halls, he could feel a familiar presence. Zes is already here and in the garden. Teague's heart was heavy as he made his way to greet his uncle. Upon entering the garden, he saw Zes staring down at the pool in the middle of the lavish display of flowers and plants. The frown he wore on his face suggested confusion.

  "Hey," Teague said softly.

  Zes faced him. "Where am I? The last thing I remember...actually, I'm not sure what the last thing I remember is. I think I was with Anj."

  "Yes." Taking in a full breath of air, Teague continued. "You two got into a fight. Lucien came after you and brainwashed you into showing him how to become one of the Divine. Then I'm guessing he decided you'd make a great road block for everyone trying to stop him. Anj tried to talk some sense back into you, but it didn't work because Lucien's black magic is just too strong. He was able to feed off of your hurt and..."

  "You're good at making educated guesses," Zes said.

  Shaking his head, Teague averted his gaze to the ground. "No, it's not a guess. I saw it in a vision, because I'm like you and one of the Fates."

  "Wow...and I still barely understand how all of that works."

  "It's not something you need to worry about," he whispered.

  Zes gave him a small smile. "But I want to. It would help me understand my brother so much and..." He stopped speaking, and his jaw dropped. "W-wait...I know...I know where I am...this is...this is the underworld."

  Teague nodded slowly.

  "So that means I'm dead..." Zes swallowed.

  Again, Teague nodded. "T-the fight..."

  "I'm starting to remember." Zes squeezed his eyes shut. "This can't be happening. There's no way. Not now. Not when things were just starting to get better!"

  Unsure of what to do, Teague let him have his moment of pain and grieving. Understanding what getting that kind of news must have been like was hard for Teague to grasp. Once again, he was left with no other option but to remain silent. Back home, he'd learned patience and how to keep quiet. Too much drama would give anyone that virtue. Before the tears forming in Zes's eyes could spill over, however, Teague decided to speak up.

  "I-I can bring you back to life," he offered in a shaky voice.

  Zes' dark eyes seemed to light up. "H-how?"

  "I'm the heir to Hades," Teague mumbled. "It's one of my special privileges."

  "What? I can't believe...wouldn't that make you Denver's...how is that..." He shook his head.

  Teague chuckled. "Denver doesn't have any kids. He gets to choose who he wants to take over his job. It's weird, but...I don't mind. Because it means I can help you." And that's what I've always wanted this whole time. "There are a few things you have to know about how the resurrection thing works. I can only do it once. When you die again, you'll have to serve me here in the castle for a while. Well, and out of it. Back in the land of the living, I mean. But I don't want that to freak you out or anything. There's no reason for me to boss you around or make you do things you don't want to be doing."

  Forming a T with his hands in front of his chest, Zes stopped him. "Hang on a second. You're trying to tell me that if you bring me back to life, you're going to own me? I just got out of that kind of a mess. Why would I put myself back into a similar situation?"

  "I don't know, but I'd like it if you did."

  "Why?"

  "B-because we're family."

  Zes' gaze roamed over him. "You make a good point there."

  "Do you trust me?" Teague asked.

  "I...want to."

  Sighing, Teague shifted where he stood. "Why would I hurt you? I would hope you know me better than that by now. I'm not evil like Lucien, and I don't get a thrill from pranking other people like Denver does. The window of opportunity we have is kind of limited. If you don't want to, there isn't going to be a way for you to change your mind about it later. This offer leaves the table if you reject it." And I'll go back home again with everything being the same, everyone being broken.

  "This is scary and overwhelming. I just found out I died."

  "And I can make you undead," he stated. "Not, zombie undead, but you know, non...dead...and stuff."

  That got a chuckle out of Zes, if only a small one. "You're right. Why would you hurt me? I can't think of a time that you've done anything with bad intentions."

  "I try not to," Teague whispered. Please agree. Please.

  "I want this nightmare to be over."

  "Me too." I'll take that as a yes? If not, then the spell won't take, right? Can't hurt to just try it. Closing his eyes, Teague summoned up the dark magic within him. He wasn't quite sure how to make the spell work, but so much of his magic was intuitive — it would guide him in the right direction. When he touched Zes' chest, he could feel magic rushing out of him and into his uncle's soul. Zes closed his eyes, taking it all in.

  Smiling, Teague moved closer to him. "There is something I want you to do. A few somethings."

  "I knew there was a catch!" Zes snapped, his eyes growing wide.

  "Listen to me," Teague said calmly. "It's nothing bad, I promise. First, you need to get over Cheyenne, because you're never going to be with her again, and you're way too good for her anyway. Second, you have to fall in love with someone who's actually worth your time, get married, have kids, and be happy together. Next, you have to live for a long time because I can't do this again, and I don't want to see you here until you're a lot older and have fulfilled everything you've ever wanted to. And finally...I want you to forget this ever happened for all of the days you're alive. So you never have to live with the pain of knowing you were ever here."

  Zes exhaled, as if with relief. "See you on the other side?"

  "Eventually." Teague smiled and released him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Only one final step needed to be completed to guarantee Zes' resurrection. His spirit had to be reunited with his body. Because he was in control of the underworld, Teague could take human spirits wherever he liked and do whatever he wished with them. Since Zes had agreed to be brought back, he'd given his nephew full control. He resembled a lost child as Teague held his hand and traveled with him through the spiritual realm and back to the physical one. Zes' dark eyes were wide as he gazed about him with a great deal of curiosity at the flash of colors they passed through to make it back to the living world.

  When they arrived at the pool where he had died, Teague stopped in his tracks at the sight of his father sobbing over his dead brother's body. The sound echoed throughout the room. It was by far the most painful of all things he'd witnessed on his journey in the past, and that was saying a lot.

  Quietly, he walked toward Anj, not wanting to make his presence known. While Zes was only a spirit, a ghost, Teague was physical again. Unfortunately, as he got closer, his footsteps started to splash in small puddles of water, catching his father's attention.

  "Wh-who's there?" Anj's voice cracked as he spoke. He visibly shook as he set his brother's body down and placed himself between Teague and Zes. Even though Zes was dead, Anj still desired to protect him.

  Zes tilted his head to the side. He said something, but the words were faint since he was speaking in the spiritual realm and Teague was too fixed on being in the physical one. Whatever it was, he seemed sad.

  Without a word, Teague moved closer to the body, being mindful to step around his father. Zes' spirit passed through his brother's body, and Anj gave a shudder, his arms immediately hugging himself. The distraction gave Teague enough time to get out of his reach, because he was the next thing Anj tried to grab hold of.

  Carefully, Teague helped Zes' spirit settle back into his body. Anyone watching would think he pushed Zes in. When his fingers touched his uncle's cold flesh, a small bolt of lightning shot out from his fingers, creating a loud crack that caused everyone to jump. The electricity was just the spark needed to get Zes' heart beating again. He sat up, gasping and pa
nting, his dark eyes full of fear. Before he could catch sight of Teague, Anj plowed his brother over in a suffocating hug.

  "Y-you're...I thought..." Anj whimpered, clinging to Zes.

  "R-relax, or I'll stop breathing again," Zes wheezed out.

  Anj's hold on his brother lessened some. "How? I tried CPR for five minutes and nothing and..."

  "I don't know. I don't care. Stop crying, it's scaring me."

  "You were dead."

  "I don't want to think about it right now. Can we do this later?"

  The two held one another, and Teague stepped away, slowly letting himself fade into the shadows so he could remain unseen. It was the last time he would see his father or his uncle in the past. As much as he wanted to linger in the moment, he desperately wanted to get back home again to his normal life and see them both again in the world he belonged in.

  Okay, Cory, Alain, bring me home. I did what I was supposed to do. Teague waited in the shadows for some kind of sign he could go back, that he hadn't messed everything up beyond repair. His older brothers were always supposed to be reachable through the rift between time and space. Without his memories, Teague hadn't known to try and contact them. He had those back, so he could make an attempt — or he would have, if he could feel their presence.

  ****

  "That's right, we're always going to be with you. Like, there in spirit but not in body," Cory explained. "So when it's time to come back, or if you get too scared and can't handle it, we can just pull you back through easy peasy."

  Alain nodded, then added, "You'll feel us, and you've just got to say the words. Unless something happens and we aren't allowed to, I mean. That's why it's important for you to remember the rules. If you want to make it back, you need to follow them."

  "Okay," Teague said, glad to know he wouldn't be completely alone on his journey to the past. Who knew what kind of people he'd meet? Just because his parents were going to be there didn't mean they would be spending time together. They wouldn't even know who he was.

  "Are you ready?" Alain asked. He looked over the symbols he'd drawn on the ground of the forest floor. "Because we can do it now if you are."

  Teague nodded, glancing over at Denver who was lurking by the trees surrounding the clearing. "Yeah, let's get this over with."

  He closed his eyes and clutched his bag to his chest. The twins began to chant in hushed voices, and the sound eventually got lost in the rustle of the leaves. Nausea overwhelmed him, followed by a massive headache. Slowly, he crumbled to his knees. In desperation he placed his head on the ground, wanting to steady himself from the insane spinning sensation he was experiencing. After a number of seconds passed, he raised his head off the ground. Where am I? Who am I?

  ****

  If I've saved Zes, which is what I came back to do, then I should be able to feel my brothers and go back home. He frowned, wondering why he was more alone than ever before. Then it dawned on him. I didn't come back just for Zes. Something is wrong. I need to find Denver. Closing his eyes, he called upon his dark magic, letting it feel the spirits of everyone within...wherever he was. It would probably help if I could figure that out.

  The place seemed familiar. He still lingered in the room with the pool. Anj and Zes were trudging through a small door as Teague examined his surroundings. The room itself reminded him of a cave, almost. All of the walls were a dark gray, creating a suffocating-like enclosure even if all of the walls themselves were man-made. The pool in the room was only about ten feet in diameter and didn't seem to be any deeper than six feet. Beyond the one pool, the rest of the room seemed bare with nothing more than concrete and two doors.

  Teague peered at the second way out and felt a strong source of evil magic — not dark, but evil. Lucien. It has to be him. And where Lucien was, Denver would also be. He took in a deep breath, mustering up what little courage remained in him, and made his way toward the overwhelming sense of darkness.

  The hallway he walked through was just as dark as the room with the pool. Only, while the pool room had been warm and similar to the underworld, the hallway was like ice. The farther he traveled through it, the colder he became.

  "You're a fool for thinking you could defeat me," Lucien sneered, his voice echoing down the hall.

  Teague picked up the pace, running toward the sound and praying silently that he wasn't too late. He went through another door and found himself in a room with yet another pool. That one larger in size, though not as deep. A current swirled through it, as if jets were powering the water, though Teague saw the distinct glimmer of magic swimming inside — several kinds of magic: red, blue, silver, and gold speckles of light shimmered throughout like glitter. Denver was on the ground, wheezing and bloody, trying to crawl to the pool — where Lucien already stood.

  "My magic is stronger," Denver croaked out. "You might be Divine, but your magic is still weak. I can –"

  "Fight me?" Lucien chuckled. "Please, you haven't had your Divine magic for long. There is still so little you know about it in the first place. You couldn't defeat me when I was a mere demon. What makes you think you can do it now that I'm a god?"

  Denver growled. "I'm not finished yet."

  "No, not yet." Lucien waded in the pool, smirking, and with a flick of the wrist he conjured a sword. "I plan on remedying this problem shortly."

  He's going to kill Denver. That's why I can't go home. Teague moved closer, slowly, still using the shadows to remain hidden. He only had a few seconds to think of something to help buy more time. Lucien is in water. I can use that. After all, Teague did control the weather. And he'd been using his elemental magic ever since he could remember. In terms of experience, he was the most seasoned magic-user present. Perhaps it was the only advantage he had, but he'd take whatever he could get.

  With a snap of his fingers, a large bolt of lightning released, cracking from the ceiling directly into the pool. Lucien's entire body stiffened as electricity flowed through the water and him. He dropped the sword at the edge of the pool, the weapon balanced by the hilt on the ground, keeping it out of the water itself. While the attack wouldn't be deadly, it'd hopefully weaken the monster and buy some time.

  Denver didn't waste his window of opportunity. He lunged for the sword, lifting it with a great deal of effort over his body to gain momentum. In one swing, he hit the demon in the head, knocking the creature into the water. Blood sprayed, and Teague looked away.

  The sword dropped to the ground, and Denver let out a sharp curse. "Forgot metal is a conductor. Your bolt nipped me."

  "Sorry," Teague said, stepping forward. "Is he...um..."

  "Dead?" Denver supplied. "Being made a Divine changed some of his demonic nature. Pretty sure it made him more vulnerable. He's not moving. Looks pretty burned up and stuff."

  Teague refused to look. "Are you going to be okay?"

  "This?" Denver lifted his hand to show a burn forming on his hand. "It's a small price to pay." His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground. "Guy got me good. Pretty sure I'd have been done for if you hadn't shown up. Your blast gave me enough oomph to knock him down for good, but now I might pass out."

  "You're still talking. That's a good sign," Teague said, moving to his friend's side. "Come on." He lifted Denver up off of the ground. "Let's go find Cheyenne."

  It took some time to get there. The two walked in silence toward her spirit — or rather, Teague walked and Denver hobbled, using him for support. If it weren't for the dark magic of Hades, their journey would have been a lot more painful. Discretely, Teague could use what magic he controlled to heal Denver, giving him more power. He couldn't be blunt about it. Denver would refuse and insist on doing things alone. Though, deep down, Teague knew his friend was aware all the same. Surely, Denver noticed how, with each step, things seemed to get a tiny bit easier?

  "T? You done there?" Cory's voice appeared in his mind. "We're getting bored."

  Just need to do this one last thing. Thankfully, Cheyenne wasn't much fart
her. He and Denver stopped in front of a door. With his elemental magic, he broke open the lock. Inside the small room, Cheyenne lay, curled up in the corner. She sat up slowly, her eyes filling with tears when her gaze caught sight of her beloved.

  Denver limped over to her, sitting next to her so he could place a kiss on her forehead. "It's over now."

  "I know," she whispered. "I don't feel connected to Lucien anymore. My head feels clear. I'm free."

  Teague stepped back into the hall. Okay, now I can go. Soon after, a bright light surrounded him, and he could hear his brothers' voices growing louder.

  Epilogue

  As soon as Teague entered the light, his entire life began to flash before his eyes. Only old memories remained, while new ones played over them like contrasting movies sharing the same scene.

  A newborn Teague opened his eyes to see his uncle for the first time. Fast forward a few years, and the two shared several moments while Zes babysat, taking him to the park, the zoo, and the movies. An entire lifetime of adventures became a part of him forever. The pain from before was overpowered by the joy of the new memories.

  His parents were happy, genuinely happy. The family was whole again. Both Zes and Sonnet were alive; Anj was able to reconcile with his mother so Teague got to know who his grandmother was. There were weddings: first Sonnet and Zacheous, and then Zes and a mermaid named Miranda, who he met in college. The first of the cousins was born around the same time as Teague, giving him a best friend instead of leaving him on his own.

  Like before, his siblings were still obnoxious; Cory still got himself into trouble, and there was still some dysfunction, but overall things were much better. Home no longer felt like a ticking time bomb of disaster. The dark cloud looming over his house was lifted.

  When the light faded, Teague found himself lying on his bed. His room looked almost the same, outside of different pictures placed on his desk. Next to him on the nightstand was still a picture frame holding an image of him and Chanel. He smiled at the sight of her. Despite everything with Halyn, he found himself excited again to see his actual girlfriend. He'd missed Chanel a lot more than he'd realized.