by D. N. Leo
“Well, it’s not doing a very good job. That’s totally confusing!” Madeline said. “I verified before. Why did it report my Earth age?”
Ciaran paused. Then he glanced back at the computer. “The only difference I could think of is that Ayana has put a seal on my successor position, but Richard hasn’t put a seal on yours.”
The discussion was going in a direction she didn’t care for. Madeline steered him away. “Ayana mentioned Bran is the king Sciphil, but she didn’t mention he has the same surname as you. Are you related?”
Ciaran shook his head. “Unless I’m totally missing a branch of our family tree, there isn’t a Bran in my family.”
He executed the disk and inputted the codes into the system. Finishing the last lot of codes, he hit the “execute” button. The countdown number flashed once. Then it stopped counting down.
He nodded with satisfaction. They waited through five humming seconds. Nothing happened.
"Could you please call Richard?" Ciaran asked Madeline.
Before Madeline had a chance to call, a holocast appeared, and Richard’s hologram paced back and forth in the room. He puzzled at the machine.
“I’m expecting a confirmation that the elimination has been canceled. What’s happening in Eudaiz?” Ciaran asked.
“I don’t know. At least it stopped,” Richard said.
“That’s not good enough,” Ciaran muttered. “It looks as if the program paused the elimination process. But I’m not sure how long it will hold."
Richard shook his head. “I think you have to terminate the program from the source.”
“How?” Madeline asked. “Didn’t you say Juliette is reforming in her tower, and no one except the king Sciphil has access?”
“But you’re a computer genius, aren’t you? Juliette said so herself. Can you hack into her system?” he asked Ciaran.
“You want Ciaran to hack a multiversal computer system from here? I know next to nothing about computers, but that’s just not possible," Madeline said.
"What exactly do I need to do to access Juliette's system?” Ciaran asked.
The computer hummed and let out a short beep. Then the countdown number started up again.
“The antidote didn’t work,” Ciaran muttered and mumbled some profanity.
Madeline could see Ciaran sweating with anxiety. She could feel the weight of the responsibility he’d put on his shoulders. No matter how much she tried to convince him otherwise, Madeline knew he would still take on that responsibility.
"Juliette must have used her verification code somewhere that you can hack . . .” Richard said.
“In theory, but it will take time.”
The faint smell of burning electrical wiring filled the room. They looked at the computer. It looked fine. A holocast beam appeared, and the hologram of Ayana stepped forward. A corner of her long white robe had been burned off, and blood stains dampened the hem. She turned to Richard.
“Some of the Sciphils protect Eudaiz while some just take a vacation!”
"The Black Rock attacked your district because your defense is weak. Why blame me, Ayana? We're busy here. And you might not have to worry about protecting anyone in Eudaiz soon." Richard's face started to turn red.
"What do you mean?" Ayana asked. She looked at Madeline and Ciaran. "Juliette has been detained to her tower, or so I am told."
"Not just detained—they killed her presence. Now she will reform and be invincible. At the moment, she uses one of the programs to contaminate the food supply system, killing thousands per second,” Richard said.
The color drained out of Ayana’s face. “Only the king Sciphil can terminate Juliette. We can get Ciaran there, but that process will take a long time.”
“That is if he passes the Daimon Gate alive,” Richard said.
Ciaran suddenly grabbed his head and grunted in pain. “I can’t hear you. Your signals are going to blow my brain out. Can you use the system?”
The control panel flashed new signals, and a line of text appeared. "Welcome, Ciaran. We are finally connected."
"Who are you?" Ciaran asked.
The monitor flashed: "I am Sciphil Three."
Ayana gasped. Madeline glanced over and saw tears gleaming in her eyes.
"Bran LeBlanc? I don't recognize your name from our family," Ciaran said.
The monitor flashed: "I am Bran LeBlanc. Consult Jennifer for the alteration of your family tree."
“Don’t drag my mother into this,” Ciaran snarled.
“She’s already in. Go through the Daimon Gate and find out for yourself."
“Bullshit.”
Ayana spoke, “Juliette is reforming in her tower and has been causing us tremendous problems. You need to terminate her, Bran.”
The monitor flashed: "Can I borrow some of your energy to make contact, Ciaran?"
Ciaran was about to respond when Madeline pulled his arm.
"What exactly do you mean by borrowing his energy?” Madeline asked.
The monitor flashed: "I cannot make a physical appearance on Earth without borrowing some energy from Ciaran because he’s my successor. My energy source has been disconnected."
From the back, Ayana said, "It's true. That’s why he’s been unable to communicate with us in the last thirty-three years. We didn't know that this connection was possible. Please help us, Ciaran."
Ayana trembled. Tears rolled down her face.
Ciaran contemplated and held his eyes briefly on Madeline. “All right, Bran.”
The air thickened. A beam of light and an image appeared. This was not a hologram. This was a physical appearance from an advanced holocast. This was similar to what Juliette had used before.
Bran LeBlanc was a tall man with a kind face, white hair, and very intense gray eyes—the strongest resemblance shared in the LeBlanc family.
Madeline approached Ciaran. She wrapped her arms around his waist and could feel the energy leaking out of him in waves.
Chapter 97
Ciaran staggered back a few steps and then regained his stance. The appearance of Bran had sucked up a significant amount of energy from Ciaran. Madeline could feel his body weakening by the second. He was finding a point of support. She braced her body against his.
Ayana cried out loud as soon as she saw Bran. Bran gave Ayana a nod of acknowledgment. Richard stood in shock and gave Bran a stern stare. Bran was about to say something to the two Sciphils, but Madeline cut him off.
"With respect to your reunion, sir, whatever you’re here to do with the borrowed energy from Ciaran, could you please do it quickly?"
Bran stepped closer to Ciaran and Madeline. He smiled. He had a genuinely kind smile, Madeline thought. The kind of smile that made her want to call him Uncle Bran.
"She's my successor. My granddaughter," Richard spoke up from the corner.
Bran’s eyes brightened. "You’re Madeline. You’ve grown up to be a beautiful young woman. It was worth it, wasn't it?"
Ciaran shifted his stance. A drop of blood trickled from his nose. Madeline tightened her grip.
"Why are you here? What can you do to stop the program?" Madeline asked.
Bran glanced at Ciaran. "You're strong, Ciaran. You resisted my full training. I hope you don’t live to regret it."
"What do you need from me to stop that program?" Ciaran asked, wiping off the blood.
"You think you're responsible for what Juliette did. You hold yourself responsible for too much of what you cannot control. That's your weakness, Ciaran."
"He didn't lend you the energy to give him a lecture. So be quick, Uncle Bran." Madeline couldn't believe that had slipped out of her mouth. She’d called him uncle. A flash of a smile came across Bran's face when he heard it. He let it go.
"This is a very temporary solution. With your human energy, I can only cancel the program in Juliette's tower. The energy will not be enough for me to perform any other function. Do you understand that?"
Ciaran nodded.
Bran continued, "I know Juliette has turned against Eudaiz, and I need to end her existence. But I can no longer do it myself. Thus, you, as my successor, have to do it. To take my role as Sciphil Three and King of Eudaiz, you have to go through the Daimon Gate. I authorize Ayana to give you the induction and take you through the opening. You will not take commands from anyone but me. Am I understood?"
"And what if I fail to go through the Daimon Gate?"
Bran looked at Ciaran. "You know you won't fail. Why ask such a question?"
Ciaran nodded. He was leaning fifty percent of his weight on Madeline now, without showing the others. Madeline was glad she was tall enough to support him.
"You are using your human energy to support me to go to Eudaiz and cancel the program Juliette is running. You might not be able to recover from that loss of energy. Do you understand what you’re agreeing to?"
Ciaran nodded.
"You're a brave man, Ciaran. I am pleased. This will only take ten seconds."
Bran nodded at Ayana and Richard and beamed off. As soon as he swooped out of the room, all six foot three inches of Ciaran collapsed to the floor.
Tears rolled down Madeline's face.
Ciaran looked at her. "Come on, darling. I'm not hurt. I just don't have any strength at the moment. Don't cry. I can't even wipe the tears off your pretty face." He smiled.
Madeline brushed away her tears and forced a smile. "I'll keep a lookout and make sure no one comes to beat you up now."
Madeline removed a strand of hair from Ciaran's face. “Promise me you won't agree to anything else?"
"Okay."
The ten seconds went past. Bran came back to the room.
"Successful?" Madeline asked.
"Trivial. I canceled Juliette's program. And I had a quick look around before I left. Her reform is progressing very fast."
"How fast? How long before we need to cut off her energy source?" Ayana asked.
Bran crouched down next to Ciaran. "You understand that you will take on the Sciphil Three position and that you will be the one who ends Juliette?"
"Yes."
"We won't have much time. Two weeks top before she regains her form. Ciaran has to pass the gate before that. When and where is your next opening, Ayana?" Bran asked.
"Australia. In ten days, Earth time," Ayana said.
"Why?"
"My successor is Zach Flynn. He's an Australian."
Bran nodded. "Fair enough. Good successors are hard to come by. I trust your judgment."
"He's strong, fair, and talented," Ayana responded.
Bran spoke to Ciaran next. "Ayana's gate will be yours, Ciaran. Before I go, there is one last thing I would like you to consider."
Madeline's body tensed up. This couldn’t be good news.
"And that is?" Ciaran asked.
"The chemical in your body, the Golden Life, it was not meant to be there. Your mother put it in there. I know that. But you are better off without it."
Madeline raised her voice. "No, no, you don't understand Bran. He died. Ciaran died in front of me. If Jennifer hadn’t injected him with that chemical, he would have been gone. I saw it with my own eyes . . .”
"He can survive . . .”
"No, I said no. Whatever you’re suggesting, the answer is no. Now, you piss off and go back to where you came from. Give Ciaran his energy back."
"What are you suggesting?" Ciaran asked.
"No, Ciaran, you promised me. You didn't see yourself dying. I did. I won't go through it again. You go away, Bran. No more talking. You saved the people of Eudaiz. Please leave."
"What are you talking about, Bran?" Ciaran asked again.
"I won't forgive you, Ciaran, for doing this to me again. I swear to you." Tears streamed down Madeline's face. She knew what was coming. She knew she couldn’t stop it.
Bran looked at Madeline, and then he looked at Ciaran. "I can purify that chemical out of your body. Nobody else can do this for you. You’re strong. You can survive without it. This way, you don't owe anything to anyone."
"No, he can't. He was shot. He died in my arms!" Madeline cried.
"You have a very strong will. You can survive. If I go now, you will not have the energy to get me back here to perform that function for you. It will be in your body forever. You will owe Juliette forever . . .”
"If you do this, I will not forgive you whether you survive it or not, Ciaran," Madeline said in tears.
"Then get rid of it,” Ciaran said to Bran.
Madeline sobbed.
"This is an equivalent to level one of the Daimon Gate. The purification process is not a big deal. You can pass it easily. But this procedure will return you to the stage just before the time you received the chemical. You will be very weak. Another risk is that I have to use your energy now to perform that function. It will weaken you even further. I think you are strong. But the risks cannot be ignored. Are you sure this is what you want?"
Madeline scrambled to leave the room.
"Madeline!” Ciaran called out. “Please stay with me.”
Nasty son-of-a-bitch, she cursed silently as she sat down next to him.
"I'll take my chances, Bran. Do it," Ciaran said.
"Remember what you promised me when you refused my training, Ciaran. I am holding you to it.”
Ciaran nodded.
Bran grabbed Ciaran's wrists. Ciaran's body jerked up as if he had been electrocuted. His body glowed and gradually turned almost transparent. Then it returned to a solid state.
In front of a devastated Madeline, Ciaran fell flat on the floor. He was no longer conscious. A satisfied smile crossed Bran's face. He turned around and disappeared the way he had come.
Madeline dumped the contents of her purse looking for the phone. She grabbed the phone and shouted into it, "Doctor Thomas!"
Chapter 98
“Jo! Come back!” Tadgh yelled after Jo. She had called the taxi and had cleared her way out of Mon Ciel. The door slid open, not for Jo to go out but for Doctor Thomas’s car to come in. In the sky, the helicopter hovered and landed in the front garden.
“Trouble,” Jo muttered. “When can I get the hell out of here?” She turned back and saw that Tadgh had rushed over to the helicopter transporting Madeline and Ciaran.
She turned and was about to follow everyone inside the house to check on Ciaran when she saw a ghost standing outside Mon Ciel. Jo squinted.
Outside Mon Ciel’s fence, the image of the old man, Larry, stood. The ghost from ten years ago in Australia? He’d come back?
She couldn’t believe this. She had never seen a ghost before. She wasn’t the psychic—Madeline was. The man had died—and she didn’t believe in ghosts.
The image flickered and changed into something else. It was now a demon, the kind that only appeared in her hologames. A metallic stench engulfed her.
She looked toward Mon Ciel and saw Tadgh looking at her. He had read into her emotional reactions. This newfound ability of his was going kill their relationship. At least it would from her end.
Jo ignored the image and walked toward the house.
They were taking Ciaran inside. Madeline was so focused on him, she wouldn’t see anything else. But then Jo saw Madeline pause and turn to look toward the gate where the ghost had just stood.
Madeline frowned then turned to enter the house.
Jo felt to be sure the gun Ciaran had given her was still inside her jacket and walked toward the house.
Half an hour later, Jo stood in the back garden admiring the headless statue of the Goddess of Kindness. Madeline had told her the story of the statue once. Ciaran had blown its head off when he had experimented some chemical compound when he was only four.
Jo shook her head. Madeline loved Ciaran so deeply. She understood why. But the whole thing was still surreal to her.
And now Tadgh and her feelings for him.
It was seriously time for her to leave.
The door to the back garden slid open, and
Madeline strode out.
“How’s he doing?” Jo asked.
Madeline was startled but composed herself quickly. “He won’t be moving for the next day or so. But apart from that, he’s fine. I needed to talk to you, Jo.”
“By sneaking out through the back gardens? You’re going to leave Ciaran now, aren’t you?”
“I . . .”
“How are you going to get out of the gate without alerting security?”
Madeline shrugged as if she hadn’t planned that far in advance.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“What?”
Jo dangled the car keys in front of Madeline. “Tampering with the security system from the inside is child’s play for me, especially when Ciaran is down. Nobody will catch us.”
Madeline nodded, and they both darted toward the garage.
Five minutes later in the car, Jo smiled. “I didn’t know you had tachophobia like Tadgh.”
“I don’t have an issue with speed, but this isn’t exactly the right time for you to be driving fast. You’re worse than Ciaran when he’s mega mad.” Madeline braced herself against the passenger seat.
“Well, he will be apocalyptically mad when he finds this out.”
“I don’t have a choice. But you do. Why are you leaving Tadgh? You obviously like him.”
“The stupid drug he injected himself with gave him the ability to see people’s emotions. He saw my emotions from Australia, and he’s not going to be fine with it.”
“I’m sorry about that, Jo.”
“Madeline, it’s been ten years. I’m no longer eighteen. Shit happened. And I’ve grown out of it. Even if it raped me—”
“What? I thought he tried, but he couldn’t.”
“It wasn’t Larry. You know what I’m talking about, Madeline.”
Madeline narrowed her eyes. “No, I don’t.”
“Larry was being controlled. He was possessed. You said so yourself.”
“Yes. And because of that, he’s innocent. When I killed him, I killed an innocent man.”
“There are no ghosts or spirits, Madeline. What controlled Larry was a mind bender. People who can control other people’s minds. It took me a long time to come to terms with it.”