by Platt, Sean
Fifty-Six
Caleb
Caleb woke in a dungeon that made the one in The Citadel seem like a resort.
It was dark, the walls and floor were stone and cold, with black iron bars so close together, you could barely slip a hand through much less attempt an escape. If he walked to the cell door, Caleb could see a long hall with many cells on either side. But he felt alone, and hadn’t heard a single sound. Caleb was curious, but he wasn’t about to call out and inquire. He might not like the response.
At least he wasn’t confined to a chair, or chained up. A small thing to be thankful for, sure, but in times like these you took your blessings where they came. Another blessing was that he wasn’t forced to sit in the cell naked. When he woke he was dressed in clean gray pants and a matching shirt.
He hadn’t seen anyone since waking, about six hours ago he figured, and was getting hungrier by the minute.
There was no food in his cell. Just two metal buckets. One with water, and another that was probably his toilet.
He had thus far resisted the urge to use either.
Instead, he spent his time trying to think of a way out of the dungeon, and fruitlessly trying to reach Raina telepathically.
Caleb assumed he was in Jacob’s castle in The Forgotten City, though he couldn’t remember anything after his brother conquered his mind in the soma den.
He looked down at the bandages covering his wounds. Someone had cleaned him up and dressed his wounds — clearly Jacob didn’t intend to let him die in the cell.
So what does he want from me?
Caleb remembered Jacob forcing him to confess all he knew about Golden Cove, The Citadel, and The Hand of the Seven Gods. But Caleb didn’t think he knew much that Jacob could exploit. You couldn’t exactly sneak into the city with a secret password, and Golden Cove’s guards were everywhere. Jacob and his men would be swiftly defeated if they attempted invasion. Caleb figured they must have known that, or they would have tried to attack before now.
Maybe they want The Hand to come to them. That’s why they have me.
That made sense.
A part of Caleb smiled at the thought of killing himself to rob their leverage, making it hard, if not impossible, to lure The Hand into a trap.
But fuck that. Caleb wasn’t ready to die.
Not before he saw to Jacob’s final breath.
Caleb smiled at the thought of killing his brother. Then he thought of his other brother, and wondered if John was here, too.
Caleb remembered seeing the girl, Abigail, just before he passed out. If she was here, then had John come, too? And if so, why? Had they come to save him? And if so, did they just arrive, or had they come two years ago when he crossed over?
Suddenly, Caleb heard a voice in the cell beside his.
“It’s funny, when I used to watch movies on Earth, I always thought it was stupid when the bad guy would confront the good guy and tell him his diabolical plans. I’d think, Just kill him and get it over with already. Don’t give him time to attempt rescue. Didn’t you think that was stupid, Brother?”
Footsteps, then Jacob was standing in front of his cell. “Well, didn’t you think it was stupid?”
“Yeah,” Caleb said, standing up and approaching the cell door. “Yet here you are, about to do the same thing?”
Jacob laughed, his dark eyes twinkling. “That’s what made me think of it. But then I thought, no, this is different. Because I’m not the bad guy. I mean, sure, I am to you. But that’s a temporary thing, a paradigm shift waiting to happen. In time you’ll come around to my way of thinking.”
“And what way is that?”
“That the time for false gods has ended.”
“You know what, I do agree with you. Fuck those false gods! Why don’t you let me out so we can discuss it?”
Jacob laughed again. “I like you. You’ve got one hell of a sense of humor, unlike the boring prick other brother of ours.”
Jacob made an exaggerated sad face, then smiled again.
The man was truly insane.
“So, you’re not going to let me out to talk so we can discuss this?”
“No, sorry, Brother. Perhaps after I’m done.”
Caleb knew that Jacob only said this in hopes that Caleb would ask when what was done. He hated giving him the satisfaction, but damn it, how could he not.
“When what’s done?”
Jacob smiled, reached down the front of his black shirt, and pulled out a glowing red heart-shaped amulet dangling from a gold chain.
“You see, this right here is the collected crystals of the wizard who helped you and your brother and your mommy all escape to Earth. He hid his soul to avoid my father’s wrath. And who could blame him, really? Dad was a bit of a cunt. Anyway, he hid these magickal crystals in people, which I’ll say is pretty damned clever, then shipped them off to Earth so Daddy wouldn’t find them. But I’m not Daddy. And, as you can see, I did find them, and ripped them right out of the fuckers. Now I’ve got them all in this pretty little necklace.”
“Good for you.”
“Oh, you got that right! You just don’t know how good yet. You see, these crystals give me all kinds of power. This wasn’t just any wizard, but The Last Great Wizard, and now all of his power is mine!”
“And what are you going to do with all that power? Something positive, I bet? Maybe feed the homeless, help some unwanted children find good homes?”
Jacob let the amulet fall back into his shirt as he laughed. “You and I are going to get along well, Brother. I truly believe that. And that’s why I’m here telling you of my evil diabolical plans.” He held up his fingers doing air quotes for that last bit. “That’s a bit redundant, isn’t it, evil and diabolical? I mean, really, I could’ve just said diabolical and that would’ve pretty much covered things, right?”
“I know you must have a point — these walls aren’t gonna stare at themselves.”
“Yes, the point is that I’m going to go destroy The Citadel. Then I’m going to destroy The North. And then, I’m going back to Earth to give it a much-needed enema.”
Caleb nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me. Why don’t you let me out? I’ll help you get into The Citadel. You can’t just stroll right in there, ya know.”
Shadows fell over Jacob’s face as he worked some dark magick.
Caleb wanted to take a step back, but didn’t want to show fear.
“Oh, I know I can’t just walk into The Citadel.” The shadows fell from Jacob’s face, and Caleb gasped. It was like staring into a mirror. Jacob had shifted his appearance, and now looked exactly like him.
In Caleb’s own voice Jacob said, “I can’t. But you can.”
Fifty-Seven
Hope
As John and the others plotted and planned on one side of the room, Hope, Abigail, and Larry sat at a small circular table near the rear, talking with Hope’s mother.
Though she kept calling her Esmee, Hope couldn’t yet think of herself as anyone other than Hope. Hell, sometimes she still thought of herself as Hannah Quinn, the life she’d lived for the past decade after John’s friend had wiped her mind.
I’ll be Hannah. I’ll be Hope. But I’m not Esmee.
Most of the conversation had been Abalena telling them about her world, how bad it had been before Under Harbor offered sanctuary for magick users, thieves, freaks, and seers such as herself.
Abigail, wearing the white garb that Raina left for her, sat in a chair with her knees tucked under her chin, listening intently.
Abigail suddenly lit up, “Ooh, we met a seer named Cassandra. Do you know her?”
“Yes,” Abalena said. “We’re good friends.”
“Cool,” Abigail said, then looked around awkwardly like she was expected to carry the conversation but didn’t know what else to say.
Larry, being Larry, broke the ice by asking a question that Hope couldn’t bring herself to ask.
“So, Abalena, you’re a seer? Why didn’t you s
ee what was going to happen to Hope, er, Esmee? That the wizard was going to take her away, hide a crystal inside her, then ship your daughter to Earth?”
“I can’t see everything, nor do I pretend to understand the will of The Gods who gift it to me.”
“But you can see the future for people you read for, right? So you do have some control over it? If I come to you for a reading, can’t you touch my hand or do whatever it is you do and see something?”
“Yes, usually,” Abalena said, showing a surprising amount of restraint given Larry’s questions, which another person might interpret as accusatory. But she smiled through it all, her voice melodious and warm.
“So, why didn’t you look into your own daughter’s future?”
“Because I don’t read people close to me. There’s nothing worse than seeing a fate you can’t change. I’d rather not know.”
“I call bullshit.”
Hope nearly gasped, but Abalena took it in stride.
“To which part?”
“That you can’t change fate. If you knew the wizard was going to take Esmee, you could’ve kept her home that day, or maybe never let her be a stable girl for the King, let alone the wizard’s apprentice.”
“Even if I had known, there’s nothing I could’ve done.”
“Because of fate?” Larry asked sarcastically.
“No.” Abalena’s voice became stern. “Because VVessolff hand selected Esmee to be his apprentice. He knew of my abilities and knew early on of Esmee’s natural talents. Selection was an honor. And even if it weren’t, you don’t refuse the King or his wizard.”
“My talents?” Hope said. “I’m a seer, too?”
“I don’t think so. But you had other abilities early on: moving objects with your thoughts, reading people’s minds, even charming them.”
Larry looked at Hope, suddenly happy like a big shaggy dog. “Okay, girl, you need to teach me that shit yesterday.”
Hope laughed. “As soon as I remember it, I’ll teach you.”
“I can unblock your mind,” Abalena said.
“What?” Hope said, caught by surprise. “You can?”
Larry leaned forward, hands folded over one another.
“It’s one of my services, though more people need me to help them forget.”
“Can I forget Justin Bieber?” Larry joked.
Abigail giggle-snorted, and Larry gave her a wink.
Missing the joke, Abalena looked at Larry oddly, then continued talking to Hope. “Would you like to remember?”
“More than you know. How do we do it? How long does it take?”
“Tonight, as you sleep, I will slumber beside you and go inside your mind. I’ll remove the blocks, assuming they’re not too difficult. And if all goes well, you should wake up in the morning remembering everything, though sometimes it takes a few days or more.”
“Some blocks are too difficult?”
“Some are locked, where only the person who created the block can unlock it.”
“Don’t you think VVessolff would’ve done that, made it impossible for me to remember? He was this ‘great wizard,’ after all.”
“Perhaps, but sometimes I can still get through if I’m able to forge a strong enough connection with your dream self. And given that we’re blood, I think I’ll have an advantage over the Last Great Wizard’s locks.”
Hope began to feel anxious. She wanted to remember. It was the very reason she urged John to stay rather than retreating to Earth after the werewolves decimated their team. On the other hand, she didn’t know what she might be remembering. Or the effect it might have on her psyche. She was already having difficulty remembering which memories were hers and which belonged to the fabricated Hannah. What if remembering more was too much?
“Is it dangerous?”
“Not at all. Well, not usually.”
Larry cut in, “Usually?”
“There’s always a chance someone will go mad when you enter their thoughts. Sometimes the mind can’t handle the breach, and a person snaps.”
Hope’s stomach began to feel wobbly. “What kind of chance?”
“Very small, or I wouldn’t be suggesting it.”
Hope looked at Larry, “What do you think?”
“I dunno. Maybe ask John?”
She looked over at him, leaning forward, eyes intensely focused on the plan of attack against King Jacob. She hated to burden him with her decision. He was about to go after a man with the power to destroy two worlds, and needed to focus.
“No need to bother him. I’ll do it. Tonight.”
Hope prayed she wasn’t making a mistake.
Fifty-Eight
Abigail
After a while, John left Prophet Malachi, Raina, Jonah, and Gerald’s table, then came back to sit with Hope, Larry, and Abalena. It wasn’t long before Abigail began to feel like a fifth wheel as the adults talked. She hadn’t felt that way before, but now that John was speaking, and specifically to Hope, Abigail began to feel ignored.
She was thrilled when Talani emerged from the bedroom, finished with her nap.
She leaped up from her chair and ran to greet Talani with a hug.
Talani, smiling a huge grin, hugged her back. “You’re okay!”
“Yep! All better!” Abigail said, leading her to a chair in the corner, where they could talk in private.
“So, that’s your sister, huh?” Abigail pointed to her, sitting with the Prophet and Gerald. “She’s so pretty. I like the cool blue symbols on her face. Is that paint or tattoos?”
“Paint, I think. Didn’t you see a few of the others with other colors on their faces?”
“Yeah,” Abigail said.
Abigail then noticed that Talani wasn’t smiling as much as someone who just reunited with their long-thought-dead sister should be.
Abigail was about to ask if something was wrong, then thought of what it might be, and felt stupid for being all smiley with Talani still in mourning.
“I’m sorry about Judith.”
“You don’t have to pretend,” Talani said, kinda pouting. “I know you didn’t like her.”
“I didn’t like what she did to you. But you loved her like a mother, so my feelings don’t matter. If you say she was a good person, I believe you. And she had been nice to me. Heck, she saved my life. So no, I’m not glad she’s gone. I feel awful.”
Neither of them spoke until Abigail finally found the courage to say, “So, are you mad at Raina?”
Talani met her eyes, then wiped away a tear. “Yes. She didn’t even apologize for killing her.”
“I’m sorry.” Abigail frowned. “Not that it helps.”
After another silence, Talani asked what had happened during her nap. Abigail filled her in, telling Talani that they were going to attack King Jacob before dawn, meaning they’d have to get some rest soon.
“Great, I’m not even tired.”
“That’s okay, we’re not going.”
“What?” Talani said, brow furrowed. “What do you mean we’re not going?”
She stood and marched over to John and the others. Abigail tried to stop her, but was too late.
Talani pointed at John. “What do you mean we’re not going tomorrow?”
John’s eyes widened in surprise. Larry, Hope, and Abalena all looked uncomfortable.
“It’s not my decision. It’s the Prophet’s. Children are staying here, where it’s safe.”
“Children? I’m older than you by a thousand years or more! I’m going. And so is Abigail.”
Abigail, standing behind Talani, cleared her throat, “I don’t wanna go.”
Talani spun around. “What?”
“I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you.”
“What are you talking about? King Jacob tried to take you from me. Gods only know what he would’ve done to you! He needs to die, and this sorry lot needs all the help they can get.”
Raina stood and approached. “John is right. It will be hectic eno
ugh without you and Abigail there. You must stay.”
Larry, Abigail’s chubby bearded man-child friend butt in, “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll be here too.”
Talani ignored Larry with a vicious eye roll.
Abigail cringed.
Talani, hand still on her hip: “This is bullshit! I am not staying here like some baby in need of protection.”
Prophet Malachi’s chair flew backward with a squeak as he stood. “Silence!”
While his normal voice wasn’t all that commanding, this booming thunder demanded attention, and made Abigail nervous.
“This isn’t up for discussion. This is a matter of The Covenant of the Hand of the Seven Gods, and I refuse to listen to petulant whining.”
Talani looked at Raina. “You’re going to let him talk to me like that?”
Malachi snapped again. “What part of silence do you not understand, girl?”
Abigail gently took Talani’s shoulder, but she shrugged Abigail off, glaring at her sister, then Malachi. “I can fight just as well as any of your soldiers, if not better.”
Malachi gave her a cocky smile. “I’m sure you can, young lady. But you have not trained with my soldiers, nor do you know our methods.”
“And he has?” Talani pointed to John.
“He has trained on Earth with The Guardians, a group much like our own.”
“I’ll bet,” Talani snorted.
“Come on,” Raina said, getting in Talani’s face, pulling her aside and trying to calm her.
Prophet Malachi’s judging gaze burrowed into Abigail’s skin. He could barely hide his contempt, though she wasn’t sure if it was because Abigail was a kid, a vampire, or maybe because she was friends with Talani the troublemaker. In any event, she wanted to shrink from his glare.