The Fallen

by R. J. Wolf

  “The beginning and the end,” Castillo replied with a tremble of fear in his voice. “Is that where you were?”

  Richard gave him a brief look then turned back to Safron. “It’s true my friend. The time we have all feared has come.”

  Safron curled his fingers into fists and squeezed until his knuckles popped. His lips quivered and he clenched his jaw, trying to chase the horror from his thoughts. Eric had never seen him so anxious, so worried. Safron was always composed, observant behind his stoic gaze as he analyzed everything. But now, he was scared, terrified even. And that shook Eric to his core.

  “They can’t, they can’t come back,” Safron stammered and shook his head. “They’re all dead.”

  “I went to see her,” Richard continued. “Against everything, I went to see her. It’s true, Safron.”

  “Went to see who?” Eric asked.

  “The oracle.”

  “I saw the oracle in New York. Why wouldn’t she tell me about this, this inferni thing? Why wouldn’t she let me know that I had one living in my head?”

  Richard let out an empty chuckle, trying to hide his sadness. “Because that’s not the real oracle.”

  “What?”

  “The real oracle is here, in Los Angeles, Eric.”

  “But she was right, she’s the reason I’m here now. Everything she told me is true.”

  “Of course it is, she’s an oracle…but not The Oracle. Think of it like, like the legs of an octopus.”

  Eric scratched his head and wrinkled his brow. “So, who is, The Oracle?”

  “That matter is much more complicated.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the actual oracle, is my mother.”

  CHAPTER 17

  A HISTORY OF MAGIC

  Eric’s head felt like it was floating, like he’d just gone over a dip and was waiting for the rest of his body to catch up. He swallowed what felt like razor blades then stared at Richard with confusion. “I…I thought you, um, you killed your mother.”

  “Sit down, Eric,” Richard said calmly. “It’s time you learn the truth.”

  “The truth? The truth about what?”

  “About everything. Sit down. Besides, Castillo needs to dress your wounds.”

  Eric hesitantly took a seat on the couch then looked to Safron. He nodded with a reassuring smile then left to the kitchen and returned with a pack of bandages and antiseptic.

  “There’s much you don’t know, Eric. It’s best you let Richard explain,” Safron said calmly as he handed the supplies to Castillo

  “Okay,” Eric agreed. “Go ahead and explain, Richard.”

  “I didn’t kill my mother, I turned her.”

  “What?”

  “It was an accident. I was a new vampire. I thought I could control it, but I couldn’t. And that night when I attacked her, I drained her of every ounce of blood. In my ignorance, I fed her mine, thinking I could bring her back.” Richard paused and lowered his face into his hands. “What I did, was condemn her to a fate worse than death.”

  “It’s okay,” Castillo said and rubbed his back then whispered something into his ear.

  “No,” Richard replied. “He deserves to know.”

  Castillo fell silent. He sighed then took a seat next to Eric and began to dress his wounds. Gary paused for a moment and wiped the sadness from his face.

  My mother and I…we’re anomalies. Perversions that shouldn’t exist,” he continued. “Our kind shouldn’t exist.”

  Frowning, Eric mumbled, “I don’t understand.”

  “Vampires are born and vampires are turned, turned from zeroes. Not underworlders. Less than half a dozen of our kind have ever existed. Two in the same bloodline is unheard of. But when that occurred it sent shockwaves throughout the magic world.”

  Safron flinched and looked away. Richard frowned then swept his hair over his shoulder and began to pace the room. He gazed at Safron for a moment then turned back to Eric.

  “That is what awoke the oracle, the true oracle. That night the oracle’s essence took hold of my mother and whatever humanity she had left, was erased.”

  “I’m, I’m sorry.”

  “I accept the fault and have tried to make amends for my hubris everyday sense,” Richard finished and let his head hang with his final words.

  Castillo stood up and kissed Richard on the forehead. He stared at the blood on his hands and licked his lips. “Safron, it’s been a while since I’ve fed. Would you have something I can drink nearby?”

  “Certainly. Dakota has…” he said then paused and looked toward the headless body lying across the carpet. “Dakota kept a supply here for me. It’s just in the kitchen.”

  Castillo followed Safron around the corner. Eric watched them go, trying to avoid the awkward silence in the room as Richard drifted away into his broken memories. He waited a few minutes then cleared his throat and leaned forward.

  “I’m sorry,” Eric started. “I just don’t see what all this has to do with me.”

  “It has everything to do with you,” Richard grumbled and slowly lifted his head.

  Eric swallowed and tightened his jaw. “I just want my wife back. That’s the only reason I’m here.”

  “How much do you remember about Anna?”

  “How do you know about Anna?” Eric asked in surprise.

  Wiping blood from his bottom lip, Castillo stepped back into the living room and took a seat in the chair across from Eric. “You probably need to start at the beginning, Richard,” he suggested.

  “We don’t have time to start at the beginning,” Richard spat.

  Castillo turned his head and glared. Richard stared back at him then groaned in exasperation.

  “Fine! I’ll start from the beginning. Anna used to come to me. We, we had similar interests.”

  Eric leaned forward. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m quite the warlock and she was quite the witch. We discussed various spells together…including the one that brought you back. I helped her find it and she kept an eye on my brother for me.”

  “So, you know about what happened to me? You know what happened to her?”

  “I know enough. But what’s important is what she knew. She believed Rabelial would return and that he’d return for you.”

  “What? Why?”

  Richard turned to Safron, “Do you think I could get some of that…private stock?”

  Safron looked at Richard then looked to Dakota’s corpse.

  “He was going to kill us, Safron. I saved all of our lives.”

  Safron didn’t reply and Richard sighed. “Fine…Fine. I’m sorry, Safron. I should’ve let you handle it. This, after all, is your establishment.”

  Safron shook his head then stood up and walked back toward the kitchen. Richard cracked a slight grin and winked at Castillo then turned back to Eric. “We underworlders have a confusing history, Eric. I’ll try to keep it simple.”

  Eric shrugged, “Thanks?”

  “There are many worlds beyond this one. Most underworlders are descendants of creatures from those other worlds.”

  “Descendants?”

  “Yes. Long ago, there was a rush to come here. You see all underworlders are born with some type of magic but they’re made stronger by the magic they can pull from their surroundings. Earth didn’t have many magical creatures but this world is full of magic, untapped magic. It only made sense that underworlders would make this their home.”

  “Okay? So, your descendants came here?”

  “Not mine,” Richard replied. “Gary and I, we were born in another world, but that’s not important. You just need to understand that Earth is a special place for underworlders, even now with so many of us calling this place home.”

  “Where do I play into all of this? I’m from here, so why do I have magic?”

  “I’m getting there, Eric. I promise. Now, the inferni are the original celestial beings. Older than angels, demons, maybe even the gods.”

&nb
sp; “God or Gods?”

  “That’s a question for another day. But Rabelial is the last inferni…as far as Anna could find out.”

  “What happened to the other inferni?”

  “Well, they ruled for a long time. All of the known worlds bowed at their feet. You see each world was governed by an elder. Creatures much like inferni, not as strong but ancient and powerful. For a while there was peace. The elders paid homage to the inferni and in return they allowed the underworlders to live freely.”

  “That’s not what I was told,” Safron interrupted and handed Richard a glass filled to the brim with chilled blood.

  Richard tipped the cup to his lips and drank until it was halfway gone. He let out a satisfied groan then wiped his face. “Oh, do tell us your ancient gossip, Safron. You puritans and all your self-serving lore,” Richard replied then glanced at Eric. “Safron and others like him shun turned vampires. They believe the original vampire was the first inferni…misguided as they are.”

  “We are not! And we don’t shun your kind, Richard. You do that yourself. But it is true, that the first inferni was vampire and all pure vampires descended from him.”

  “I’ll concede, Safron. That makes no difference in the great scheme of things.”

  Safron narrowed his eyes and huffed.

  Richard smiled. “Very well then. As the story goes, inferni were the first true immortals. It is unknown how old they really were but their power was unchallenged.”

  “So, what happened to them?”

  “Well, as far as we know the inferni always were. Eight of them since the beginning unable to die, unable to make more. A balance that seemed like it would never be broken. But one of the inferni, Astrial, the strongest of them all, craved control, craved power. She wanted to consume the other worlds. But the rest of the inferni didn’t support her, until she did the impossible and bore two sons. One of them died shortly after birth, but the other was Rabelial.”

  Eric rubbed his hand across his forehead, shivering as a chill ran up his spine. “What happened then?” he asked.

  “Astrial started a war. The inferni began to attack other worlds, one at time and the elders did they only thing they could to stop them. They sacrificed their lives to kill the inferni.”

  “I thought the inferni couldn’t be killed.”

  “That’s what they thought as well but it seems the elders’ lives were tied to the inferni. Neither could live without the other. But, I guess in some ways they were partially right, because Rabelial lived. Even as a child his power was beyond comprehension. He left this realm and escaped to hell. He’s been trapped there ever since.”

  “So, why does he want me?”

  “Anna wondered that too. And the only thing that makes sense is you’re some kind of descendant from the elders. Your bloodline must be what kept him alive.”

  Eric shook his head in confusion and Safron gasped.

  “I’m human. I was born in Chicago…I, I’m human,” Eric said in disbelief.

  “Are you? Think about it, Eric. What do you really remember?”

  Eric leaned back into the couch. His mind drifted to visions of distant lands and strange people. Things he’d seen when he’d taken Zoey’s potion. He thought it was all some kind of hallucination. Then he saw her face, her eyes that reminded him so much of home. He knew her, down to his bare soul he knew her. “My mother,” he whispered. “I remember her.”

  Richard smiled. “Anna told me you were born in Hilyrah, a far-off land, and the elemental home to the fae. Of course, many other underworlders call that home as well.”

  “She knew…why didn’t she tell me?”

  “I don’t know, Eric. But she was certain that Rabelial would come after you…and so he did.”

  Eric took a deep breath and tried to soak in everything he’d learned. The walls felt like they were closing in on him and he stood up and walked to the kitchen. Blinking wildly, he dipped his head under the sink and ran the water. He let it roll down his head then he splashed it on his face and straightened up.

  “Maybe it was too much too soon,” Castillo whispered.

  Eric stepped back into the living, patting a towel across his face. “Okay,” he said. “What do we do now?”

  Richard took a deep breath and looked around the room. “We need to take him to go see her. Where is my brother?”

  CHAPTER 18

  THE ORACLE IN NAME ONLY

  “What do you mean you haven’t seen him?” Richard asked as they made their way toward the elevator.

  “He went to see an old work colleague. I haven’t seen him since. He tends to do that.”

  “Who is this colleague?”

  “A vampire named Cortez.”

  Castillo laughed then straightened his face as Richard shot him a warning look.

  “Cortez came all the way out here to see Gary,” Richard growled through clenched teeth.

  “I never saw him but yeah.”

  “I’ll deal with that later. Safron will you be joining us?” Richard asked with a laugh.

  Safron sneered then stepped off the elevator and headed toward the front desk. “Mr. Strange, take care and I’ll see you when you return. Castillo, Richard, best of luck,” he finished then nodded and vanished behind a stack of files.

  As they walked outside, Eric turned to Castillo. “What was that about?”

  “What?”

  “With Safron and Richard.”

  “Oh, they have history. Safron can’t leave the hotel though, it’s a long story.”

  “Hurry along Castillo, you know how I hate to linger.”

  “Sure thing.” Castillo rushed off to the parking lot and returned with an all-black Mercedes S class. He pulled up to the curb and honked. “Get in…let’s not linger.”

  Richard cracked a smile and climbed into the passenger seat. “Funny.”

  Eric got into the back and they pulled off. The night air was unusually cool. Eric shivered and clicked the seatbelt across his waist. He had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach and he leaned his head out of the window just enough to get some fresh air.

  Castillo sped down the empty streets, moving further and further away from the city. Blank landscapes, swallowed by the darkness was all that could be seen in any direction. But the darkness was home for the underworld and something stirred inside of Eric as he smiled and laid his head back against the seat rest.

  “Everything okay back there?” Richard asked.

  “Sure. Where exactly are we going?”

  “I couldn’t explain it if I wanted to. You don’t really find the oracle, she finds you.”

  “Joshua Tree,” Castillo added. “Richard is so melodramatic. We’re going to the desert. Well, further into the desert. Somewhere out there in all those rocks and cactus we’ll find some answers. She always seems to turn up for this one.”

  Richard frowned then turned to face the window. Eric certainly needed his help but every time Richard met with the oracle, he left some of himself behind. Seeing her face was like a dagger through his heart, a reminder of how much he’d lost and how much he was to blame.

  The car zipped quietly down the road for half an hour before anyone spoke again. The emptiness of the desert was like a sedative, the hum of the tires a gentle lullaby.

  It didn’t take long for the cabin to fill with the rattle of Richard’s snoring. Eric wished he could sleep but his dreams had been dark as of late and he couldn’t stop his leg from bouncing around restlessly.

  “How much longer?” Eric finally asked.

  Castillo snapped his head up like he’d been sleeping. “Hour…hour and a half.

  “Do you need me to drive?”

  “No, I’m fine. Besides, you need your rest. Meeting the oracle can be taxing.”

  Eric gave him a confused look but didn’t push it. “What happens if we don’t make it back in time?”

  “In time?”

  “Yeah…the sun.”

  “You can drive then,” Casti
llo said with a laugh. “Just kidding, the windows block out UV rays. But we have plenty of time.”

  Eric smiled nervously and sat back. He tried to get comfortable, but the further down the road they went the more he thought about the absurdity of what he was doing. He was in the middle of nowhere with two very old vampires that he barely knew.

  Castillo seemed nice enough but he didn’t know a thing about him. And the only thing he knew about Richard was that Gary hated him and that he killed his own mother. On the other hand, why make such a spectacle of killing him? They could’ve done that anywhere. And just when he’d rationalized his decisions and felt safe, Eric remembered how Brittles and Ivan’s coven had reacted to his blood. That memory stabbed him in the neck and he bolted upright.

  “What’s wrong?” Castillo asked.

  “Nothing,” Eric replied in a raspy voice then cleared his throat. “How much further?”

  “You sure you okay? You look paler than I am.”

  Eric let out a fake laugh. Castillo eyed him from the rearview mirror and smiled. “You know you can trust us, right?”

  “I trust you,” Eric lied then grabbed the overhead handle as the car suddenly veered off the road. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re here,” Castillo said calmly. “As close as we can get in this car at least.” He turned to Richard and gently nudged his arm. “Wake up sleeping beauty, it’s time to go for a walk.”

  Yawning, Richard pried his eyes open and scanned the cabin like a newborn. He smiled as he slowly came to and turned back to Eric. “Now for the fun part.” He pushed opened the door and stepped outside.

  Eric felt a buzz of nefarious energy and tried to convince himself that he was safe. As he stood up next to the car, he took a shallow breath of the chilly air, and couldn’t help but smile. Something inside of him felt like home.

  “This way,” Castillo called out and started into the dark unknown.

  Eric paused. “Don’t we need flashlights?” he asked.

  “We don’t,” Richard grinned and patted his arm as he passed him.

  “I do,” Eric replied with more anger in his voice than he meant.