Cancer's Curse (The Zodiac Book 4)

by Sating, Paul

  "You're not just going to stop there," Bilba said, continuing his motivational machinations. "I'm in. Ralrek is in. You and I both know Dialphio will be. By the way, you need to write her," he said, almost as an afterthought. "But you have to get Cancer. She is the key. You did what you thought was right, for the benefit of others. There was no selfishness in any of this for you. Heavens, this time you didn't even have a crush to blame your actions on. Write her back, or I will."

  "And what would you say?"

  "I'd tell her she doesn't have a choice after everything you've done for her," Bilba replied. I don't think I have ever heard him sound so resolute.

  "I can't make her do that. That's not right."

  "Right or not, it's true," Bilba said, flipping another page of his demonic notebook.

  "What are you doing?" Changing the subject might help get the focus off me and my struggles. I was wrong.

  "I'm writing my father, telling him what's happening and asking him to coordinate on that side," Bilba said, not looking up as he scribbled away.

  "I wish you wouldn't do that."

  He slapped his pen on the paper. "I'm sure there are a lot of things you wished I wouldn't do. But I'm doing this. I'm tired of you not sticking up for yourself, so if you won't do it, I'll do it for you. It's that simple. Now, instead of worrying about me, why don't you write Cancer again?" He paused, watching me. "Well?"

  I smirked. "You won't let this rest until I write her again, will you?"

  "Nope."

  Groaning, I sat up and grabbed the notepad, scribbling out a quick note, about as safe and bland as possible. It would turn her off and give me an excuse to not carry out this ruse.

  Are you there?

  A few seconds later, a reply came in.

  Yes.

  "She's busy," I said. Bilba was off his bed and hovering over my notebook before I could put it away.

  "No, she's not." He poked my page. "Tell her what you need. Ask for help, Lucifer, bless it."

  I stared at him. He stared at me, refusing to back down. "Okay, okay. Leave me alone so I can concentrate."

  Unsmiling, he retreated to his bed.

  Remember that favor?

  Of course.

  I need you, Cancer. The Council is serious.

  I waited, hoping she would tell me no, and I could prove to Bilba that this had been an immense waste of time. She replied within seconds.

  That's asking a lot. Don't know if I can. I would have to leave the Overworld.

  I was about to set my pen down when Bilba intoned, with emphasis, "Zeke." I put the pen back to the paper.

  I really need you. They're charging me with blasphemy, but it directly relates to Chax.

  What do you mean?

  Chax is the nephew of Seraph.

  The Council member?

  The one and only.

  Then this is more than a blasphemy charge. They're trying to suppress what they've been doing.

  And they'll get away with it if I don't have your help.

  The notebook stayed blank.

  I waited. And waited.

  "I think she's gone," I said to Bilba.

  "Did you say something offensive again?"

  "When do I ever say anything offensive?"

  Scratched words formed. Two words.

  I'm coming.

  Relief mixed with trepidation. She would be there for me. If this family feud was as serious as it appeared, if the curse was true, and there was bad blood between the families, Cancer would be within reach of Seraph. And I didn't trust the rest of the Council enough to fool myself into thinking they'd ensure her safety. My relief at her being willing to help was immediately diluted by the knowledge that she was putting herself in danger. For me.

  "And?" Bilba said, elongating the word.

  "And she's coming," I answered, feeling like garbage while he fist-pumped from the other side of the room.

  17 - Underworld, Undisclosed

  The rift opened at the scheduled time in the middle of our small Conex trailer. My bags were already packed, laying at the foot of my bed. There was no sense in resisting or delaying. Bilba's bags were as well, and so were Ralrek's. Both incubi sat on Bilba's bed, waiting, which was going to be a splendid ambush for Seraph, assuming my best friend was correct about Lucifer's laws.

  Admittedly, I was still reeling from the whirlwind of events that led to this moment. As shocking as the experience was up to this point, it still held one last surprise.

  The rift hissed and Azazel stepped through tentatively, a stale look on his face. "Good day, young Ezekial. I apologize for my tardiness. Traveling isn't as easy as it used to be."

  "Azazel," Bilba yelped, shooting to his feet.

  The Founder rotated as if his neck and chest were connected to the same pulley system. His goatee, nearing touching mid-chest, was still tipped with the same faded orange that streaked his long gray hair. "Hello, Mr. Ravenous. How are you doing this fine day?"

  Bilba seemed confused. "Oh, I'm fine … sir. Can I …" he looked around our trailer, dashed to the refrigerator and pulled it open. "Can I offer you something to drink? We only have milk. Um." He straightened. "It's from a mortal farm, but you're welcome to it."

  Azazel laughed heartily before coughing into a fist. "No, no. That's fine. My stomach doesn't cope well with mortal cuisine, and I'm only here to collect Mr. Sunstone. We've finished expunging your service to the mortal Army. Those in your unit will miss you, but the official record is already gone. To the Army, you never existed, so it's best if we move along. Are you ready to leave?"

  I looked at my two friends. Bilba gave me an encouraging nod. Facing the Founder, I lifted my chin, forcing myself to manifest the confidence I didn't feel. "They will be joining me." Azazel blinked as if he'd been slapped. "They're my character witnesses. You'll also need to open a rift at the clinic where Cancer is assigned. I can give you the coordinates if you need them. She'll be coming too."

  My statement hung in the air. Of the Council members assigned to babysit me back to the Underworld, Azazel was the least confrontational. Never once did I think he was a pushover, but he also would not drag out the torture of debating the legitimacy—if it was legitimate—of my claim. But in a way, it was a stranger experience having him selected, because it was as if I was hurting the ancient demon's feelings.

  "Most interesting proposition, Mr. Sunstone," he said, his upper torso stiffly bending. "As is your right. I will open the rift for Cancer Nijal as soon as we are back in the Council chamber."

  I breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed a 'thank you' to Bilba for knowing the obscure things he knew. When I went to retrieve my bags, my best friend stopped me. "Hang on." He turned to the Council member. "Sir, we request that the rift be sent to Cancer now, before Zeke attends the trial."

  Azazel's cheeks wobbled. "That's highly unconventional."

  "It needs to become conventional."

  I didn't move for my bags, pausing to see how this power struggle played out. Bilba's courage in the face of a Founder lifted my deadened heart. This was for me.

  "With all due respect," Bilba continued, "Zeke is entitled to character witnesses, one for each Council member, as you know. And with the Council's history of … interactions with him, I think it's well within reason for him to ask this of you."

  Azazel mumbled to himself. "Highly unconventional. Highly unconventional. The rest of the Council won't like this. But alas, the imp is right." He shook his cheeks, his eyes becoming clear as he addressed me and Bilba. "So it shall be."

  He extended his arms straight and clapped loudly. "There, young ones." When he read our expressions, he clarified. "The rift has opened for Cancer. Now if you three young ones will join me."

  Azazel didn't say another word as he turned and walked into the rift. This was it. We were saying goodbye to the Overworld once more, to the human army who had become an extended family, and to the mortal struggle for power that was killing more of their species each day.
r />   I took stuttering steps toward Bilba and Ralrek, and in the small confines of what was nothing more than a metal box in the middle of the desert, we hugged. Three incubi sharing a solitary moment of togetherness. "Thank you, guys."

  Ralrek slapped me on the back before pulling away and grabbing his bags. Within seconds, he was back in Hell.

  Bilba lingered. "You deserve demons standing beside you. That and so much more. Now, let's go kick the Council's ass."

  ***

  Ralrek paced the atrium outside the Council chamber. The serious look on his face lifted slightly whenever he looked my way as we waited. "We've got your back, Zeke. I'm done with this shit."

  "Thank you," I said, hearing the truth in his fervor.

  Another sizzle from a rift a few feet away and Cancer joined us, stepping tentatively onto the smooth brimstone tile. "Zeke," she rushed into my open arms, her mass of curls enveloping my head. "I'm so sorry about this. It's all my fault."

  "No," I said firmly, "it's not. Don't blame yourself. This isn't on you; it's squarely on the Vicu family's shoulders."

  "The Council too," Bilba said from the side.

  "The Council too," I agreed.

  We stood there awkwardly looking at each other while Bilba and Ralrek played spectator.

  Bilba was the first to break the silence. "Awfully nice to be back in the Underworld. I want to conjure a few snakes just to see if I remember how to use my Abilities. I really got tired of relying on a rifle to save my ass."

  Ralrek snickered. "That ass would need more than a rifle to save it. Plus, you could have conjured in your trailer. Zeke was your roommate; I had a mortal, so I couldn't practice unless he was at chow or in the shitter."

  Bilba straightened. "You conjured there?"

  "Of course," Ralrek said. "No way I was going to go that long without touching my Ability. Can you imagine how rusty I'd be?"

  "B—but, I didn't," my best friend said.

  "Your own fault, dumbass," Ralrek said with a brief chuckle. "I'm sure it will only take you a year or so to get back to where you were. If you can touch your powers at all."

  Bilba looked from him to me and back again. Each time he looked away from Ralrek, the tall incubus would wink at me. "I—I can't lose my Abilities. That's not possible ... I don't think. I'll have to check the—"

  "He's screwing with you." I slapped Bilba's shoulder.

  The tips of my friend's ears turned pink. "You jerk."

  Smiles were shared around the small circle, but no one laughed at their good-natured sparring. No one felt like laughing. The ominous air dampened any joy.

  "Can I tell you guys a secret?" I asked, immersing myself in the conversation because I wasn't sure if this was the last one I would have with my best friends. They were the only demons in the Underworld who mattered besides my boss, and to a lesser extent, my parents. "That was my third trip to the Overworld and I sort of liked it there."

  "Even in the middle of a war?" Bilba asked.

  I found Cancer's big, soft eyes. "Weird, right? But it's the truth. I mean, I didn't like the war and could do without the Army controlling every aspect of my life. There's something liberating about just existing, not worrying about who is more powerful than the other. Not watching your back at every turn. In the Overworld, I'm just Zeke, not the Segregate. It's weird; I only ever wanted to come back home, but … I'm not sure I'll ever be welcomed again. I guess I never was."

  Bilba stared at me. Ralrek nodded sadly. Cancer's eyes held mine as she bit her bottom lip. We became a silent friendship circle until the two incubi looked at each other and chuckled.

  "I don't know what Overworld you went to, but I want a ticket there next time," Ralrek said with a fading grin. "Because the one I just spent a year in was terrible."

  "You almost had me with that one," Bilba punched me softly on the shoulder.

  I was serious and let the laughter slowly die, feeding into the uncomfortable knowledge of the event looming over us.

  "No matter what happens, I want you all to know how much I appreciate you coming here and being willing to put yourself in front of the Council for me. I know it's risky, and none of you asked for this. So it means the world to me that you're taking this on. I just hope that—"

  The air buzzed as a gateway opened a few feet away, cutting me off. I knew who was coming before she stepped through.

  "Dialphio!" I hugged her before she oriented herself. "You came. Thank you so much!"

  "Did you think I would miss this for anything? Don't be silly. If this is the only way I can get you to come back to work, then I'll do it. You've been slacking for too long. And might I say, you look dashing in uniform, Ezekial."

  As we hugged, the Underworld felt slightly more like home again.

  The other three approached as the gateway disappeared behind my boss.

  "Well, that makes four of us," Ralrek observed. "Did you invite a fifth, Zeke?"

  I shook my head without putting words to the fact I could depend on no one else to represent me truthfully and accurately, no one who would stand bravely in the Council's face. Everyone understood, because it passed over their expressions. Bilba took it the hardest, I imagine, knowing he could rely on his father for anything but still relating on a deeper level because of his heartbreaking troubles with his own mother. Ralrek's family had been plagued by divorce and toxic relationships for so long I don't even think he knew what a healthy family looked like. And in all the time I worked for Dialphio, we didn't delve into her family history, but it wasn't healthy enough for her to spend the Samhain feast with them. FamiIial blood ties were lacking for a number of demons, apparently, in my circles. But family could be anything and I had mine here, standing beside me to face the five Founders.

  Behind us, the chamber doors creaked open. Dressed in his formal black robes, lined with red hems, Azazel stepped through. Two guards in black armor pulled the doors closed again, but not before I noticed the virtually empty room behind them. That was surprising. When Gemini was tried, the Council chamber was full of demons ready to slay him there and then if Hell's leaders allowed. I figured I would have the same humiliation before they found me guilty for something I didn't do … again.

  Azazel approached cautiously, without the cockiness of Apopis or the aggression of Beelzebub. He moved as slow as a lava flow. "Young Mr. Sunstone, are you and your witnesses ready to proceed?"

  I checked with the four demons who moved closer, protectively. This was happening so fast. I wanted more time with the most important demons in Hell. But I couldn't deny the Council any longer. They were going to do what they were going to do and the longer I made them wait, the harsher they would be. The four friends gave me silent reassurances. None of them were backing down, even as they stood feet away from one of the five who might change the course of their own journey, if not mine.

  What if they were punished? What if Bilba and Ralrek lost everything they had worked so hard for? What if the Council forced Dialphio to close The Book Abyss? What if Cancer didn't survive this face-to-face with Seraph?

  "Come on," Dialphio said, placing her hand on my back.

  I nodded to Azazel. "Yes."

  He turned and began the slow flow back to the chamber. The doors opened as he approached, their timing so exact Azazel did not have to break stride. I followed next, with the four demons who might be able to change my fate close behind. Inside, I confirmed no raucous crowd waited to witness my downfall. Creed warmed against my leg.

  Adorned in their black and red formal robes, the four Council members—Azazel would make it five as soon as he got to the table—which might take another millennia at his pace—were the room's only occupants besides the door guards and two dozen more guards lining the walls. Was the Council expecting trouble? I guess they didn't understand how beat down I was from their constant harassment. But they were not going to see that side of me. The way Apopis sneered and Beelzebub snarled, I refused to give them that.

  But my heightened sen
ses didn't miss the singular oddity in the room, though they'd been tucked into a far, darkened corner. My parents. The Council placed them off in the far corner, shadowed beyond the Hellfire torchlight coming from the evenly spaced sconces.

  Of course they would be here too, summoned by the Council to witness my humiliation. Even in this moment, all energy focused on fighting this bogus claim, I couldn't help but ache for what they must have went through when the Council's merlin showed up, delivering their summons to appear today.

  Hell's rulers were trying to break me, again.

  Not again. Not this time. No more. Their calculated tactic of using my parents as pawns wouldn't serve their cause. Instead of weakening before their examination, I took a deep breath, swelled my chest and threw my shoulders back, and strode forward. Filled with defiance, I felt like an ancient and powerful demon, maybe even more powerful than Lucifer Himself. The faces of the three Council members beside Apopis and Beelzebub gave nothing away. No one spoke until I stopped thirty feet in front of them, centered on the table.

  "Ezekial Sunstone, you are hereby called to the Third Council of Lucifer to face charges of blasphemy," Beelzebub announced loudly enough that I figured he was aiming for every angel in Heaven to hear him. His muscular arms filled the sleeves of his robe. His dark head shaven, the Prince of Demons still wore matching blonde sideburns. "How do you plead?"

  How did I plead? I didn't do anything—and these five Founders knew that too. This was a trumped up charge to protect Seraph's family secret, along with her, likely, culpability. Blasphemy was a serious charge, but one they had no proof for. If they thought I would sit by without me raising a single question, like I'd beg for their forgiveness, they were clueless. They might as well have charged me with existing, for as good as this farce sounded.

  "I request the Council tell me specifically what I've done," I said instead.