by D. N. Leo
Ciaran shook his head. "I don't think so. I expect the scenarios will change for the whole group. But we’ll have to face individual mental challenges, whatever they may be. I’ll be leading and will need your support based on your roles. The ultimate goal will be to pass the gate as a group—or not pass at all."
"What about Kyle?" Zach asked.
"That’s an unknown variable. We were told he’s invincible. I don't think that’s the case, but I haven't figured out how to kill him yet except to pass the gate and kill him on the other side. Ideally, if Jo and Tadgh could stall him on this side, we could pass the gate, get the power from the other side, and deal with Kyle later. But I'm not sure that’s possible."
"It’s not dangerous from this side to stall him," Jo said. "At least not for me."
"Excuse me. If you think I'm a burden, you're mistaken,” Tadgh said.
"I didn't say that. But we’re still not sure if Kyle can control you or not," Jo responded.
Before Tadgh said anything further, Ciaran cut in. "I agree with Jo, Tadgh. I don't think you should deal with Kyle at all. I regret letting you go this far. I wasn’t thinking straight."
Tadgh lowered his voice. "You need me, Ciaran."
"I do. But I will not risk your life for this."
"He might not be able to affect me at all. Just like how it is with all of you."
"But we don't know that for sure, Tadgh," Madeline said.
"There’s no way we can check this ahead of time, and before we are absolutely sure, I'm not willing to take the risk," Ciaran stated firmly. "I'm sending you home, Tadgh."
"The fuck I'll go."
Zach’s phone buzzed. He ignored it. It buzzed again. He drew his phone out and glanced at the text message. "Fuck. It's Chloe. She tailed me here."
Zach charged out of the room.
Chapter 116
Tadgh looked at his hands and saw them shaking slightly. Was it excitement? Anxiety? He’d just figured out how to kill Kyle. It was definitely a risk. But hell, he had to do it. Kyle wasn’t invisible at all. If he killed Kyle here, it would be a load off Ciaran and Madeline when they went through the Daimon Gate.
He followed everyone outside.
Chloe stood in the front garden. Her hair was tangled, her clothes were wrinkled, and she wore no makeup. Tears streamed down her face.
"There you are," Chloe said in a drunken voice. "You could have done better, Zach. We could have done better. You dumped me with a text? For her?" Chloe pointed toward Jo.
"No, no, Chloe. I . . . I don't know what to say."
"I know . . . You think I'm just a dumb blonde." She laughed through her tears.
"No, I don't think that at all, Chloe."
"But I love you, Zach," Chloe cried.
Jo approached. "You’ve got it all wrong, Chloe. I told you last night, I—”
Chloe whirled around, swinging her arms in the air. "You lied!” Chloe screamed at Jo.
Jo staggered back a step. Tadgh was right behind Jo. He snatched her and pulled her back. "Chloe, calm down,” he said. “Zach is in enough trouble. If you love him, don't do this. It won't help him at all."
Chloe seemed to calm down a bit. Zach approached her and embraced her. She cried into his chest. Madeline had never before seen so much pain on his face.
"Can you tell me where you’re going? Since when do we have secrets?" Chloe asked.
Zach bit his lip and said nothing.
Ciaran looked at Chloe's eyes. "Zach, be careful."
"He's here. Everyone, Kyle is here,” Madeline alerted them.
Chloe's eyes went wild. She grabbed for the dagger Zach had tucked into his belt.
"Oh, Jesus, put it down Chloe,” Zach said.
"Knock her out, Zach,” Ciaran said.
“What?”
Chloe brandished the dagger and attacked Zach. He staggered backward. She screamed and charged forward at him. It would be easy for Zach to wrestle the dagger from Chloe and knock her out, but he couldn't do it. He grabbed her hand, but he couldn't strike her head.
Chloe roared again and gave Zach a kick which sent him rolling across the ground. She lurched forward, about to stab him.
Ciaran darted toward her. He could easily take her out.
Tadgh felt the sensation again. He knew what was coming. When Ciaran restrained Chloe, it would be his turn. Kyle would come to him.
Tadgh grabbed Chloe from behind. "Get away! Get away from Zach, or you'll regret this."
Tadgh heard a voice in his head now. "Let her do it. Let her kill him. He's your enemy."
Tadgh ignored the voice. He pulled Chloe away kicking and screaming. He could handle this. He ignored the voice. Tadgh could feel his nose bleeding. The voice was pounding in his head.
Tadgh grabbed Chloe's arm and bent it until the dagger was pointing at her neck.
"Tadgh, what are you doing?" Zach screamed.
"He's getting to Tadgh," Ciaran muttered. Madeline and Jo heard him.
"Oh, no!" Jo charged toward Tadgh and Chloe.
"Tadgh, I told Chloe last night that I love you. Tadgh, listen to me. Look at me,” Jo said.
"I'm looking at you, goddamn it. He's not getting to me,” Tadgh growled. His nose bled more. He continued to focus on blocking the pounding voice from his head.
"Cut her throat. Kill her. Kill the bitch," it said.
Chloe was crying now. Tadgh could feel her body shaking with fear. Jo stood in front of him. Tears rolled down her face. He wanted to wipe those tears away, but he knew better. As soon as he let go of Chloe, Jo might be the next person the beast asked him to kill.
Ciaran, Madeline, Jo, and Zach now approached Tadgh and Chloe.
Tadgh dragged Chloe, stepping backward.
"You hear me, Tadgh? Are you there?" Ciaran asked.
"Fuck yeah. I told you—it's not getting me."
"So why don't you let Chloe go?" Zach asked.
"Stay back, or I'll slit her throat, Zach."
"I don't know if you’re still with us, Tadgh. The only way to prove that you understand what I’m saying and the implications of what you’re doing is to let Chloe go,” Ciaran said, stepping forward.
"Fuck it. Fuck you. Fuck all of this." Tadgh's head was pounding. His nose dripped blood.
"Slit her throat. She's a bitch. She asked Jo to leave you. Kill her,” Kyle said.
"No, no, no!" Tadgh screamed out loud.
"It asked you to kill Chloe, didn't it, Tadgh?" Madeline asked. "I know you're still in there. I know you can control it. Otherwise, you would have killed her already."
"Let her go. I'll take care of it, Tadgh," Ciaran said.
"You mean you'll knock me out, Ciaran. How the fuck do you think I can face that humiliation?" Tadgh shook his head, hoping he could shake the beast’s voice out.
"It's not a humiliation, Tadgh. It's a prize to let your pride go. You cannot take a life, Tadgh. You are the best fighter I’ve ever known. I’m proud of you. I can't lose you like this." Ciaran stepped forward again.
Tadgh dragged Chloe backward.
"Don't come any closer, Ciaran," he said.
"Kill her. Kill her. Kill her,” Kyle chanted.
"I'll let her go. Step back, Ciaran." Suddenly, Tadgh’s voice was calm and collected.
"Tadgh." Ciaran narrowed his eyes.
"I said step back. I'll let her go. But I won't let you knock me out."
"No," Ciaran said.
"You want her dead?" Tadgh asked.
"Kill her. Kill her. Kill her," the beast roared in Tadgh's head.
"Ciaran, step back. Please,” Zach pleaded.
"Ciaran, Tadgh might hurt you. Move back," Madeline said.
"Yes, big brother. I might pierce this dagger through your beating heart. I don't want to do that. Step back. I promise I'll let Chloe go."
Ciaran took a step back.
"More," Tadgh directed.
Ciaran moved back one more step.
"Kill her. Let her go, and you will die.
Kill her,” Kyle roared again.
Tadgh released Chloe. She ran toward Zach.
As soon as Chloe left, a wave of sensation and sound took over Tadgh's mind for a brief moment. Then he blocked it out again.
"You fucking bastard. You will only get me in hell." Tadgh turned the dagger toward himself.
"No!” Ciaran yelled and charged at him. A wave of energy rushed past Ciaran, knocking him to the ground.
Tadgh felt a force of energy holding the dagger back an inch away from his body. Then on the blade of the dagger, blood appeared, dripping down.
It wasn’t his blood. Someone was holding the dagger back.
The voice was loud in his head again. "Stay alive. Let go of the knife."
Tadgh smiled. A smile of victory. “Didn’t see this coming, did you, Kyle?”
“Stay alive.” Kyle pulled at the dagger.
“Oh, I haven’t killed anyone on your command yet, have I? When your victim acts against your control, what will happen, Kyle? When your victims reverse your command, what will happen to your scores? If you want to know how to play the double-edged sword game, you should consult my brother. You’re doomed."
Tadgh pressed the knife further. Blood streamed from Tadgh’s body, soaking the handle of the dagger and revealing the hands of an old man.
Kyle roared. His image flickered. Flickered. Flickered. He revealed himself as an old man staring at the blood on his hands.
That was his real and true image in naked human eyes.
Kyle let go of the dagger. An electrical burning smell thickened the air.
"You are an ugly motherfucker,” Tadgh said before he slumped to the ground. The world in front of him started to blur. But Tadgh's mind was as clear as it had ever been.
Kyle had lost his power of invisibility. Tadgh could see that Kyle was no longer invincible. He could not control Tadgh's mind now.
Tadgh saw an opportunity. But he had to be quick.
He looked up. Kyle was still dazed by the loss of his power. Tadgh pulled the dagger out of his body and charged at him. He stabbed Kyle with the dagger stained with his own blood.
Kyle roared in pain and slumped to the ground. He looked as if he was going to burst into flames. His body was almost transparent with burning fire which appeared to ignite from within him.
Jo darted toward Tadgh. She pulled him away from Kyle.
"Tadgh, please stay with me. I love you. Please."
Tadgh could feel her tears raining down on his face.
The others hurried toward them.
Behind Jo, Kyle rolled and stood up. He roared like a beast with all he had left. He swung his arm and created a powerful wedge of wind that swept Ciaran, Madeline, and Zach several feet away. Then he snatched Jo, swung her over his shoulder, and zoomed away as if into another dimension.
Tadgh faded away on the ground.
Chapter 117
They rushed Tadgh into the house. The hospital was too far away. They did all they could to stop the bleeding. Ciaran used whatever drugs he had on hand to treat his brother—drugs that Madeline did not know about and did not want to know about.
He ordered more medical equipment and drugs from his lab. He had what he’d requested airlifted to the mansion. His money and his well-built business empire came in handy at times, Madeline thought. As long as Tadgh survived, nothing else mattered.
Where had Kyle taken Jo?
Madeline looked out the window, gazing into the late afternoon. The sun was burning. Or maybe it was the anxiety in her that was burning. Kyle could not control Jo’s mind, so what did he want? He seemed to have lost his invisibility. Maybe he’d lost his power. Madeline wasn’t sure.
She needed Ciaran to make sense of what had just occurred—and to think of a solution. But she wouldn’t be able to get Ciaran to think about anything else until Tadgh recovered.
Zach had taken Chloe back to the city. He had to find a way to secure her.
Tomorrow was the day of the gate opening. Madeline was sure it was going to be challenging. But she wasn’t sure how they were going to survive today.
The sun had gone down now, and Tadgh had not yet opened his eyes. Ciaran could have airlifted Tadgh to the hospital, but for some reason, he did not. He hadn’t talked to Madeline for hours while attending to Tadgh.
Ciaran worked on Tadgh and was on the phone with Doctor Thomas at the same time. It came down to a simple and final step now—Tadgh needed more blood. Ciaran and Tadgh shared a very rare blood type, but they did not store spare blood in the blood bank for convenient use overseas.
They also hadn’t planned to bleed this much, Madeline thought.
Ciaran did not waste a moment thinking. He meticulously followed the steps and procedures as instructed by Doctor Thomas. There were times Madeline thought Ciaran would airlift Tadgh to a hospital or call in a medical professional. But she knew he trusted no one but Doctor Thomas and himself when it came to medical matters.
He drew his own blood and transfused it into Tadgh. It was a lot of blood. Madeline didn’t need advanced medical knowledge to know that the amount of blood Ciaran extracted from himself was potentially dangerous.
Finally, the task was completed. Ciaran seemed to have done all he could. He sat down. Madeline approached the chair. She embraced him and kissed his tired face.
"I'd be very pleased if you’d take an hour to rest," Madeline said.
Ciaran kissed her. Madeline deepened the kiss. She knew he needed it. He needed her. Especially now. They held each other for a long moment, saying nothing.
A faint sound came from the bed.
Ciaran darted toward it. Tadgh opened his eyes. He was dazed and didn’t seem to register what was going on around him. But he recognized Ciaran.
"You've lost a lot of blood, but you should be fine now," Ciaran said.
Tadgh closed his eyes again.
"No, no. Open your eyes, Tadgh."
There was no response.
"It’s not working. I’ve missed something," Ciaran muttered and grabbed the phone. Madeline knew he wanted to call Doctor Thomas again. She doubted Doctor Thomas could do anything more at the moment.
Ciaran paused as if he’d just realized something. Then he spoke out loud, “Tadgh needed something more than blood. Something metaphysical.”
Zach arrived and entered the room. "He's not awake yet?" he asked Madeline. She shook her head.
"Ayana!" Ciaran called out while pressing the crucifix on his arm.
"Don't waste your time. I've been doing that all night. She's not responding."
"Ayana!"
Nothing happened.
"If I can't fix my brother, I won't go anywhere near your pathetic gate,” Ciaran growled to the air around him.
The air thickened and whirled. Sciphil Nine stepped out of the wind circle. It was not a holocast. He was a physical presence.
"Ciaran, the gate opening is in a few hours. Ayana cannot come. We know about the incident with Tadgh." Pete glanced at the bed.
"And what can you do about it?" Ciaran asked.
"What he did was very significant, Ciaran."
"It's most important that he stays alive. Do you have a suggestion?"
"Yes. I can give him some of my eudqi."
“Life force?” Ciaran nodded. “You’re right. That’s what he needs. What will it take for Tadgh to have your eudqi? What do you want me to do?"
"Nothing. It’s an honor if I have Tadgh as my successor. When he becomes Sciphil Nine, he will have full access to the eudqi in his tower anyway. So this is a payment in advance."
"Then he'd say yes to it," Ciaran said.
"He has to accept the role himself. You know the drill, Ciaran."
"But he can't speak for himself right now, as you can see." Ciaran pointed toward the bed.
Madeline called out for Zach. "Could you send in a sound wave to wake him, Zach?"
Zach messed his hair up. "Oh, man. He's going to kick my ass for this." Zach concentrated. No respon
se. He tried again. No response. He shifted. "Okay, hard head. How about this?" Zach mumbled and sent in a sound. Madeline had a feeling it would be an eardrum-shattering noise for Tadgh.
Tadgh screamed, convulsed, gasped, and opened his eyes.
Ciaran charged to the bed. "Tadgh, listen and say yes. Can you hear me?"
Tadgh was dazed. But he nodded.
Pete approached. "Tadgh LeBlanc, I now name you the successor of Sciphil Nine. Do you accept?"
"What the fuck?" Tadgh whispered.
"Just say yes, Tadgh." Ciaran shook him before he passed out again. "Say yes."
"What?" Tadgh was confused.
"Kyle is going to kill Jo. The only way you can save her is to accept this offer. You hear me?" Ciaran signaled Pete.
Pete repeated, "Tadgh LeBlanc, I now name you the successor of Sciphil Nine. Do you accept?"
"Say yes, or Jo will die,” Ciaran said.
"Yes, I accept,” Tadgh said.
Pete reached out and burned a thumbprint into Tadgh's right forearm.
Tadgh passed out again.
Chapter 118
Jo opened her eyes and found herself in a small cell. It had been hours since she was snatched away from the mansion, away from her friends. The air had gotten colder as if the sun had gone down. There was no window in the cell. Her internal compass told her nothing regarding her whereabouts.
Jo looked at her dead cell phone, feeling hopeless. Kyle must have killed all of the phone network signals. Nobody would be able to track her now.
She ached everywhere and could not move her right arm.
Kyle had run for a long time at an incredibly supernatural speed. Jo had no idea how much ground he had covered—the world had been a blur when he ran. Jo remembered the strong wind and the electrical currents piercing her body.
If it were nighttime now, in a few hours, it would be another day—the day of the gate opening.
How was Tadgh? Was he alive? She needed him to be alive.