The Inner Circle: The Gates of Hae'Evun

by Cael McIntosh

  'Sorry.' Seeol looked at his toes. 'That's Holy Tome talk. He isn't here. I haven't played with him since those scary actualities in Belly-Beldin. I miss him because he is sometimes my friend but not always and he was nice to me on the big riverboat when Gilrei Far-a-mael wanted to squish me before we went to the freezing cold lands and I turned into a monster and didn't kill El-i-miir.'

  'Ah! You are hurting my brain. I don't know what you're going on about,' Jakob said after a moment of staring at Seeol in stunned silence. 'Can you take me to Seteal's place?'

  'I will walk there. You can follow because I don't want to sit on your shoulder or your head because I don't like you and you can't fly very fast or very far because you don't have wings.' Seeol shrugged his own wings, although he wasn't terribly sure if using the gesture had been appropriate.

  Seeol hopped toward Seteal's house with Jakob in tow. He fluttered onto the balcony and landed by the door, which swung open before he could even tap against it.

  'Jakob,' Seteal said as though she'd been expecting him. 'Why have you come?'

  'Noah has gone mad,' Jakob whispered. 'I can't go home. He'll find me there and I've got nowhere else to go. I was hoping I might be able to stay here with you for a while. I'll work around the house . . . anything . . . I just can't go back there. He'll kill me.'

  'Sure.' Seteal shrugged.

  'What!' Seeol gasped.

  'Really?' Jakob stepped back in surprise. 'That was easy.'

  'He is a terrible human!' Seeol shrieked.

  'Quiet down, you two,' Seteal grumbled, 'and come inside before you wake the neighbours.'

  Seeol waited until Seteal had closed the door behind them and placed a lantern on the kitchen table. 'Why?'

  'Because,' Seteal's vision shifted from Seeol to Jakob, 'I know you're probably up to no good. I also know you're like a dog with a bone and if you're planning something you'll accomplish it whether you're living here or not. Frankly, I'd rather you stick around so that I will have a chance in figuring out what you're up to. Then I can decide whether or not to kill you,' she finished nonchalantly. 'And I should warn you, I could do it without lifting a finger.'

  'Sure,' Jakob said nervously.

  'Can I have a talk to you?' Seeol narrowed his eyes.

  'What is it?'

  'In privately.'

  Seteal sighed irritably, but headed up stairs anyway. Seeol followed. 'All right, then,' Seteal said impatiently. 'What is it?'

  'This is a terribly terrible idea,' he replied. 'He could kill you in your slumber.'

  'I'm not sleeping much these days,' Seteal murmured and for the first time Seeol noticed the tiredness in her face and the vacant look in her eyes.

  'He could poison a delicious meal that you could eat.'

  'I haven't been eating much lately.' Seteal leaned against the wall and for the first time Seeol noticed how much weight she'd lost.

  'He could sneak up on you.' Seeol tried desperately.

  'Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing,' Seteal said dismissively.

  'Don't say that!' Seeol shouted.

  'Look.' Seteal rolled her eyes. 'This is my house and I've made up my mind. Jakob is staying.'

  'You are playing a game with fire. He betrayed you and Mish Mish,' Seeol snapped, before flying back down stairs to stare daggers at Jakob.

  'Here,' Seteal said, stumbling down the stairs with an armful of blankets that she dumped in front of the fireplace. 'Make yourself a bed.'

  Jakob frowned. 'What about your father's bed?'

  'What about it?' Seteal replied with a scathing tone.

  Seeol made eye contact with the man and very subtly shook his head in warning. 'Nothing.' Jakob bit his lip. 'The floor looks very comfortable, thank you.'

  'It does, doesn't it.' Seteal smiled with mock-civility.

  A rapid knocking at the door stole Seeol's attention and he watched as Seteal moved to the window and parted the curtain. A genuine smile spread across her lips for the first time in weeks, if not months, and she pulled the door open.

  'Ilgrin,' she said warmly, putting her arms around the silt. 'You came.'

  'It's good to see you.' He smiled back as he and Teah entered.

  'Who's she?'

  'She's okay,' Ilgrin reassured her. 'Teah's a friend.'

  'It's an honour to meet you,' the angel replied, performing a very poorly practised curtsy.

  'Hello!' Seeol crowed and did a little dance. In responce he received an expression of recognition from Ilgrin.

  Seteal peered passed the demon. 'Where's El-i-miir?'

  Ilgrin's face fell. 'She's not here?'

  'No,' Seteal said worriedly. 'She's always with you.'

  'She's always with you.' Ilgrin put a hand over his mouth and his eyes filled with fear. 'Torrid,' he choked out. 'We've left her back in Beldin. I told you we should've kept looking,' he snapped at Teah. 'I've got to go back.' He spun toward the door and yanked it open.

  'No.' Teah closed it. 'It's getting too light. Look out the window.' Seeol flew up onto the table and looked at the street to see a little old lady already hobbling about her day. Considering the speed at which she was moving, he figured she probably needed the additional time. 'El-i-miir will come,' Teah said. 'We flew most of the way. She had to walk.'

  'I walked.' Seteal frowned. 'Granted I found a carriage, but I've been back well over a week. Now that I think about it, what held you two up?'

  'That'd better not be who I think it is,' Ilgrin said through gritted teeth, his eyes coming to rest on Jakob.

  'Hi, Ilgrin.' The Sa'Tanist waved, his face still a little battered from Ilgrin's previous beating.

  Before anyone could react, Teah flashed through the air and crashed down on Jakob's chest. The two hit the ground and Jakob gagged as Teah started strangling him. 'You ruined everything,' she shrieked. 'We were going to be free. With Ilgrin as the Devil, I could've shown my face in public. I'll kill you!'

  'That's enough,' Seteal murmured, but Teah either didn't hear her or didn't care. 'I said enough,' Seteal snapped and the air became hot as Teah was blasted backward. The angel threw open her wings, smashing into pots and ornaments to land with near-perfect dignity. She glared at Seteal, but the look was one of fear and respect.

  Seeol cocked his head to examine Ilgrin's stitches. 'What happened to your wing?'

  'I was shot,' he replied distractedly. 'Humans were coming after us and I got separated from El-i-miir. Seteal, I need to know what in Maker's name he's doing here.' He pointed at Jakob.

  'Nothing,' the human replied anxiously. 'I was just leaving,' he blurted out, hurrying for the door and pulling it open. And there stood Seteal's friend Cindi with her fist elevated in preparation to knock. Her eyes moved passed Jakob and landed on Ilgrin. They moved slowly to Teah and then back again. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. For a moment she was too shocked even to scream, but eventually the sound came out long and piercing.

  'Cindi.' Seteal rushed over to the woman and put a hand on each shoulder. 'Listen to me.' It didn't work. The woman continued to scream.

  Seeol flew down to the floorboards and looked up at her from his place at her feet. 'Shut up,' he barked and miraculously she did, apparently so stunned by Seeol's ability to talk that she herself had been left speechless.

  'Shut the damn door,' Seteal snapped at Jakob, who promptly did as he was told.

  'Now, Cindi.' Seteal stared into her friend's eyes. 'You have to listen to me, okay?' Cindi shook uncontrollably, her eyes locked on Ilgrin.

  'D-d-demon,' she stuttered. 'There are d-demons in your house.'

  'There are.' Seteal nodded. 'They're not going to hurt you, Cindi. Cindi? Do you understand what I'm telling you? You are not in any danger.'

  'There's more,' Cindi squeaked.

  'What?' Seteal asked.

  'I remembered what you d-d-did at the funeral,' Cindi spluttered. 'Th-that's why I came. Because of the other ones.' She pointed toward the door.

  Seteal and Ilgrin l
ooked at each other with matching expressions of concern. 'There are more silts outside?'

  'Oh, my Maker,' Cindi cried hysterically as the reality of her situation sank in. 'What have you brought upon us? I believed in you. The whole town was saying horrible things and I believed in you. You have demons in your house,' she finished with an accusatory tone.

  'Well, technically . . .' Teah stepped forward. 'I'm an angel.'

  'Not helpful, Teah,' Seteal grumbled. 'Seeol, I need you to go and find out what's happening.'

  'I'd be delightful,' the bird replied excitedly and then waited for Seteal to open a window.

  CHAPTER Ten

  just like you

  When El-i-miir woke up, she found herself staring at the stars. Her wound was weeping and hot to the touch. The rest of her body shivered uncontrollably. Glancing at the nearby demon corpse, El-i-miir caught herself considering whether she should slide beneath one of his wings for warmth, but the idea of doing so was too disgusting. She rolled onto her knees with a guttural moan.

  'Oh, good. You're awake,' a sinister voice uttered from several strides away. El-i-miir looked up to find herself being watched by a demon.

  'It's like they're everywhere,' She muttered to herself, only to then gasp in pain.

  'Would you like to know why I haven't killed you yet?'

  'I'm guessing not because of your lovely demeanour,' El-i-miir replied sarcastically.

  'My name is Li'Mark,' the demon said with narrowed eyes. 'And do you know who he is?' He pointed at the corpse on the ground. 'That was my brother, Li'Quin,' he said with a sorrowful tone. 'That's why I haven't killed you yet--because I wanted you to know the name of the man you murdered before I avenged him. That bullet was silver, you stupid little cunt.'

  'And now I know.' El-i-miir froze in place. She gripped the grass and thrust a string of affiliation toward her would be attacker, but the strand was weak. It was so weak in fact, that the demon scarcely hesitated.

  'Now you know.' The silt curled up his toes and kicked El-i-miir in the side. Blinding pain filled her senses as she rolled along ground. A hand snapped around her neck and lifted her into the air. Mark's mean black eyes bored into hers, but El-i-miir hadn't escaped so many demons only to be killed by this one. Again she snatched up a handful of the Ways and pushed it toward the man's aura, but instead of burrowing inside it simply slid off and vanished.

  El-i-miir gagged when the demon thrust her to the earth. She hit the ground with such force that she rolled over several times before coming to a stop. 'I can't--' El-i-miir cut herself off when blood arrived in her mouth.

  'Does it hurt?' Mark snarled as he tore off El-i-miir's bandage and shoved his finger into the wound. He wriggled it about and El-i-miir lost whatever control she'd had. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed through the agony. Mark pulled back his fist and punched El-i-miir so hard that she heard ribs cracking in her chest. He rolled her onto her face and brought his elbow done in the middle of her back. El-i-miir realised she could no longer feel the grass beneath her legs.

  'Tell me how much it hurts,' Mark whispered in her ear. 'What does it feel like when your spine is snapped?'

  El-i-miir opened her mouth to release a spray of blood. A blade touched her forehead, but she could no longer scream as the demon slide it horizontally and peeled back her scalp. There was nothing she could do other than breathe and her ability even for that was becoming increasingly less. Mark's hand landed softly, pinning El-i-miir's head to the earth. Slowly he increased the pressure . . . so slowly. Quite suddenly El-i-miir's skull broke and his hand plunged into her brain.

  Silence. And then. El-i-miir heard a scream tear from her throat after her skull had crunched back into place. She felt the slightest sensation in her legs and her pulse became stronger. She opened her eyes with the dull hope in her heart that Ilgrin had found her. Mark's evil face stared down at her as he continued the resurrection.

  'I've decided that that was way too much fun,' he hissed, pulling back to let the whisp escape into the air. 'Now let's do it again.' He smashed his foot down into El-i-miir's head, shattering her skull for the second time that night. The last thought she had before dying, was the horrified realisation that this could go on forever.

  El-i-miir opened her eyes.

  *

  Seeol returned shrieking hysterically about having discovered silts beating up the town mayor. Ilgrin watched in stunned silence as Seteal strode across the room and barged through the front door. He followed cautiously as the woman made her way between houses.

  'Seteal,' Ilgrin gasped as she strode brazenly into the town centre where three silts were taking their time shaking up a stubby little man with black hair.

  'Hey,' Seteal snapped as the distance shortened between her and the demons. Ilgrin watched in stunned silence as the silts turned their attention toward the frail woman. 'This is my town,' she said threateningly. 'I thought I'd made that clear.'

  Ilgrin came out of the shadows to stand beside Seteal in a show of support. Not a single other soul could be found outdoors. Aside from the occasional movement of a curtain, the town might easily have been mistaken for abandoned. 'According to Sa'Tan the Devil's decree,' the central demon raised a piece of paper, 'this township is to be declared silt property. If you abide to the rules, you will be allowed to continue living here in the New World order. If you refuse, the town will be destined for destruction. Not a soul will be left alive.'

  Following the silt's speech came a silence lasting so long that Ilgrin became uncomfortable and turned to Seteal to prompt a response. Her eyes were closed and she swayed a little on her heels. The wind moved her hair and she breathed in shallow breaths. 'No,' Seteal whispered. Her eyes popped open and she raised her hands. As she raised them the three silts drifted into the air with stationary wings.

  The demons gasped and squirmed as they were carried higher. 'What're you doing?' the leader enquired furiously. The silts drifted higher and higher, their eyes widening in fear.

  'Go back to your Devil,' Seteal commanded them. 'Tell him what happened here and tell him that the next time he sends his minions, their fate will be far less appealing.' With a flick of her wrists, Seteal unfurled her fingers and the silts were blasted so far into the distance that they could no longer be seen. Fearful eyes peered through windows to crawl across Ilgrin's flesh. They were probably wondering why he alone remained.

  'We should go back inside,' he urged quietly.

  Seteal said nothing, but turned and headed for home. 'I've got to get rid of him somehow.'

  'Who?'

  She nodded up at the window through which Seeol observed their approach. 'Don't you think you're overreacting a little?' Ilgrin frowned.

  'I don't believe so. Why did silts have to come to this village first? They've scarcely had time to take Gor let alone humble little Elmsville.'

  'You can't possibly think--'

  'Of course it's him,' Seteal hissed.

  'Seeol isn't that powerful,' Ilgrin replied without conviction. 'He's only ever caused silly little things to happen: wolves came after us, El-i-miir got knocked out in Setbrana. But what else has he really done?'

  'Everything,' Seteal turned to him with wide eyes. 'Why did you happen to snatch me out of a crowd of thousands in Sitnic? Why have I been in every damn city with perfect timing for the silt invasion to catch us up in the turmoil? Why did the earth split in half precisely where I was hiding in the borderlands? Why did my father kill himself mere moments after Seeol and I had come to town?' Tears rolled down Seteal's cheeks. 'The whisp that got me when I was pregnant. Oh . . . my baby boy.' She fell into his arms and sobbed against Ilgrin's chest. 'Why did it do that to him?'

  Ilgrin's heart turned to ice. 'Where exactly is the boy?'

  'I . . .' Seteal gasped. 'I . . .' She stumbled back and stared at her hands as though she didn't recognise them.

  'What did you do?'

  'I killed him,' Seteal said with a shuddering breath. 'He's dead. I took
his little neck and I squeezed it. I squeezed and I squeezed. He was a baby I never asked for. I know that. I know he had a cruel beginning. But, Maker, I miss him so much.'

  Ilgrin realised that his mouth was hanging open in disbelief. He couldn't remember having ever been so disgusted. 'I have to go.' He stumbled away from the puffy dress and pile of tears that was Seteal.

  'I need a friend,' she sobbed through bleary eyes.

  'I can't do this.' Ilgrin looked at her sideways. He hardly recognised her. He'd never really known Seteal before her rape, but El-i-miir had told him about her smile. Seteal used to smile and although she still moved about like the rest of them, the woman she'd once been was dead. 'El-i-miir isn't here,' Ilgrin mumbled unapologetically. 'We searched for days, but she isn't here, so I have to go back.' He said hurriedly. 'I have to find her because I think that she might be dead and if she is I'm going to have to do something truly evil before it's too late. And then I'll be a monster, just like you.'

  Matthew 12

  31. Therefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men.

  32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the sons of men, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

  Scriptures of the Holy Tome

 

  CHAPTER Eleven

  the tome

  'I am in such sorrow today.' Seeol bounced onto Seteal's knee. 'Ilgrin has flown away and El-i-miir could be alonely and you have tears in your eyes already and now I have to tell you some more of the very saddest news.'

  Seteal continued to stare at the wall for a long time. 'What?'