“Seph, I don’t know which first things are first. Oh my gosh, I can’t do this. Who do I think I am? I think I can just march down to Hell…” I’ve picked up my beeline path. “And what? Ask Levi nicely if he could please give me my brother’s ancient hammer back? Oh yes, I’m sure, he’ll just hand it right over. ‘Oh, hey, Lyvia, great to see you. Oh—this? This old hammer? Sure, it’s all yours. It’s not as if it destroyed my huge plan of tricking the remainder of the human race to voluntarily come to my playground. How do you like it by the way? The clowns treating you all right? The Devil’s playground, Seph—the Devil, himself!” I stop, hands-on-knees. I’m breathing heavily, feeling a panic attack coming on.
“I need a cigarette,” I say, grabbing the pack and ancient Detroit Red Wings Zippo from my bag.
“Reel it in, Lyv,” she sounds like Shane. I walk out to the balcony. Persephone perches herself on the rail.
“Okay,” I say, blowing out smoke. “Okay. Step One.”
“Step One. Talk to Regina in the morning. We need more clarity on what she knows,” she replies. “We need to get as much as we can.”
“Yeah, yeah, then what?”
“Then she tells us what to do next.”
“Okay. Well, I have to meet Dagan at the library. What time you think we can wake her up?”
“I’m sure she’ll already be up whenever we are.”
Okay. We’ll have to catch a ride in Crystal out to the library. Shouldn’t be too hard. I put the cigarette out in the tiny ashtray that sits on a wrought iron table adorned with two matching chairs. I return to the bedroom.
“So, wake me up at 5 o’clock in the morning.” I envelop myself in the downy goodness of the bed, knowing full well I’m not really alone anymore.
“Sounds good, boss. Goodnight,” and with that Persephone vanishes in a puff of glittery smoke.
As I stare up at the ceiling, I notice it’s made of porcelain tiles reminiscent of the kitchen. Etched in these ones are stars, constellations, and galaxies that glitter in the moon’s glow.
“Levi.” The word slashes my lips. A knife through plump soft flesh. Him.
Guitar chords. Soft downy gold-plated couch. Creamy crème brûlée coats my tongue. The first chords of “What Is and What Should Never Be” by Led Zeppelin, a band from the 1970s, fill my ears. One of my guilty-pleasure songs. The memory comes into focus.
Worn, fitted jeans. White t-shirt. Two bare feet balanced on the champagne glass coffee table. Guitar in lap. He’s sitting across from me in the penthouse of Gold Coliseum. At this time, Levi is the Leader of Gold.
And I am his girlfriend.
We had met years earlier, never fully committing. He had so much charm, endless amounts of charisma and coolness. The guy’s a rock star, for Heaven’s sake. I’m not just saying that. He performs concerts. He’s loved by nearly everyone of every age. He’s also a genius. We used to talk about it. He told me he had Synesthesia too. Or so I believed. His real condition: The Devil Incarnate.
“It just explains everything,” I sigh out loud, looking for the Big Dipper on the ceiling.
He just knew stuff, stuff that was impossible to know. I figured he could read minds, the way I can, but he was really good at it. Moreover, he was really good at changing minds. Something I’ve had no success with. He didn’t always have success either, though. Those cases were very rare. And, he didn’t take failure lightly.
I was writing an article for Dark Times, our shire’s news cycle. It’s my main source of income that’s not family money. I was asked to interview him. I wanted nothing to do with it. His on-screen boyish charm and good looks irked me. He was entitled, too suave, and too public. I preferred being an under-the-radar journalist. I even wrote under a pseudonym and wore wigs and disguises to interviews. Okay, that was more for fun. But—ugh, he was cute and intriguing. It was my job.
“Hook. Line. And Sinker.” I roll my eyes and squeeze them shut.
His intelligence; that was the clincher. He had it all, though. Humor, intellect, attentiveness, magnetism, captivation, understanding, and, oh yeah, he’s hot as hell. Literally. Ew. Pun. Over coffee, he became so relatable. Suddenly, I wanted to be in his club. And he wanted me there. I didn’t make it easy for him. There was always something I didn’t trust. Couldn’t put my finger on it.
“He wore me down though,” I exhale loudly as I roll over to face the window.
Flashing lights. Golden brick walkway. Taste of lipstick. Itchy stockings. Gold Shire attire. Ick. For four years, we had a back-and-forth. One of us not wanting to commit for various reasons. Then, last year, it seemed all the pieces fit. I gave in. I got swept up in his lifestyle.
“Our lifestyle,” I spit out.
The parties, wigs and disguises 24/7 to stay under-the-radar, the lavish dinners, the intellectual talk, his limitless resources—it was all helping me write my book at the time. I had grown bored of Dark Times and wanted my next great feat. I figured a book would be just the ticket.
I was so wrapped up in my ‘world’ that I failed to see who was staring me right in the face—Lucifer, the Devil, himself.
Levi was appointed the leader of Gold Shire by birthright; the same way Shane became the leader of Onyx. When Levi was young, his genius was glaringly apparent. He restructured Gold Shire’s entire Framework, opening all kinds of communication possibilities. His ‘Slabs’ are owned by anyone who has enough virtues. His device made every personal computer, phone, camera, etc. obsolete.
I created Persephone with spiritual help, because there was still something I didn’t trust about the guy. I needed a clean Slab. She doesn’t look anything similar to his, either. His mass-produced devices are shaped as a scroll. When rolled out, they’re the size of your hand. They’re made out of thin flexible glass and etched in gold.
Persephone is made out of archaic moonstone, although surprisingly lightweight and flexible. She is shaped as a notebook. If you didn’t know better, you would think she’s a historical paper notebook, similar to the one I keep on me at all times.
On top of his technological genius, his talent as an artist was unparalleled. In fact, he was a triple threat—musician, actor, and singer. Everyone loved him.
“How did I miss it?” I whisper to the universe outside my window.
I’m smarter than the average bear. I should have seen this, especially while I was researching my book. The subject to be explored was the history of Gold Shire, the shire that prizes extravagance above all else. I was comparing its system with that of Crystal’s, a shire that places God above all else. I got more involved with Crystal; that was the problem. Because of my bias, I focused primarily on the Unconnected Shire. The Gold parties, concerts, dinners; once mesmerizing, grew into irritating obligations. I escaped into my book.
Shining Ruby buildings, vegetation-covered Emerald domains, concrete city limits—I started to travel and check out the other shires. Research.
“Yup, research,” I roll my eyes and flip onto my back. The tile galaxies seem to twinkle. I spot the North Star.
Levi told me vaguely about his plans concerning the Great Reveal. He always had a competitive streak when it came to Dark Shire. Needless to say, Shane and he were cordial, but that’s it.
He wanted Dark Shire’s vortex. Impossible. It is a natural passageway that was created at the beginning of time. I knew there was absolutely no way he could create and upgrade his own. I figured it would be similar to his failed Framework Spirit Receivers, which were personal phones that should have been able to reach the Spirit World.
Yeah, not a chance. That was a colossal failure. According to Levi, the only reason they worked in testing but not to market was because some unseen spiritual barrier had been put up. He suspected Dark Shire. Now, I suspect God.
“I knew those things wouldn’t work,” I say, flopping my arms outside the down comforter.
The Slabs did, however. Massive success. I figured he had moved on from his obsession to connect to the Spirit Worl
d. Stick with what he knows, what he created—the Framework. He never had any business dealing with the Spirit World. That’s Onyx territory.
While I was traveling, he became just as distant. That was fine with me. I was reconsidering the relationship. I should have realized how dangerous he was, especially when I heard the Great Reveal was official. I just thought it would be another Spirit Receiver sitch.
“Stupid.” I throw my hands above my head.
He wanted me at the Great Reveal. Of course, he did. He needed his arm candy. A place I had never been comfortable. I liked disguises when it was sporadic for the paper. It became exhausting day-to-day. I was finishing up research in Turquoise and decided this would be the last Gold event I would ever attend. It was time for this to be over. I finished up with the Turquoise Leader the morning of the Great Reveal eve.
I took the SkyChariot, which ended up being an adventure in itself. Levi asked me to meet at the alcove that evening at 8 o’clock. Sunset. He wanted to show me what was in store. I hadn’t heard much from Shane at that point. He had his hockey season going, along with preparing for football, then baseball, not to mention his responsibilities as Dark Leader. He was always a busy guy. We sent a few messages here and there, but I hadn’t seen him since before I started my travels.
When the chariot hit Emerald, a farmer got on. He was loading his animals into a cart. One cow was being particularly stubborn. I was watching the minutes tick by. I’m late to everything. Perpetually. It even annoys me. I wanted to make it on time to prove that I could be on schedule for once.
Another stop, a bunch of Granite teenagers got on. Laughing, dancing, and playing with their Slabs, they put on a show. Until, one of them cracked her head on a hand pole during one wild dance move. The train made an emergency stop in Granite. Then, the system went down. Framework was imperfect. The train got delayed often. I was going to be late.
I jumped off and found a vehicle rental shop in the city. I rented an old Ninja crotch rocket. I looked ridiculous. There was no time to change. I had to wear my Turquoise attire. A short, feathered grey skirt with tiny built-in shorts, thank God. An aquamarine lightweight corset-style top, and my original Greek warrior sandals completed the outfit. It would have to work. Luckily, Shane had a Ninja and taught me how to ride it. It was my only chance to get there in time. Persephone supplied the directions.
At 7:58p.m, I climbed the rocket up the last hill. As I breached the crest, I saw a familiar 6’3” form standing with his back to me. It was Shane.
Suddenly, he flew backwards landing in a heap on the ground. I saw Levi standing there, something large in his hand. I looked at Shane on the ground, completely unmoving. By the time I looked back up, Levi was gone.
Running over to Shane, I saw the blood. He had been battered up pretty badly. A lot of blood. No heartbeat. I tried CPR desperately, knowing it was for naught. I could tell he had fought hard. A large stab wound was most likely the cause of death. The battery alone wouldn’t have done it, but I wasn’t about to get an autopsy.
“Levi.” The word slithers from my lips. A snake slinking its scaly body across the room.
He will pay.
I pull the powder pink silky sleep mask I find in the nightstand’s drawer over my eyes and finally drift into an uneventful sleep.
13
“I’m going to start whispering extremely quietly, and gradually raise my voice until you WAKE UP—” Persephone shouts the last two words.
“Ugh, okay. Okay. I’m awake.” I sit up and lift the corner of the sleep mask off one eyeball.
Squishy tie-dyed stress ball. Matching t-shirt and ripped denim skinny jeans. Persephone is sitting on the edge of the bed dangling her legs. Deep colors spray her fitted cotton t-shirt. The jeans are worn and adorned with tie-dyed tennis shoes. Her hair is pulled back in her signature ponytail.
“It’s gonna be a long day, Seph,” I say, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
“Yup,” she replies, now fingering a tie-dyed Rubik’s Cube.
“How does that work?” I ask, toothbrush in mouth.
“It’s all about the patterns,” she replies in deep consternation.
I look in the mirror. My hair is standing up straight from my head. I look as though I have 1980s ‘mall bangs.’ I sleep completely face-down on my stomach, so I’m rewarded with this look every morning. I finish brushing my teeth and work on the mane. Regina’s products make it an easy task. I throw on some make-up, a flowy 1970s hippie top and jean shorts. My snake warrior sandals complete the ensemble. I walk down to the fore’ and hear Regina in the kitchen.
“Morning, Lyvia. Did you sleep well? I’ve got eggs, pancakes, bacon. Have a seat, dear.”
“Sounds good,” I say, sitting down. “I slept very well, thank you.”
She’s singing quietly. I think it’s “Winnie-the-Pooh.” My mother always sang that to me when I was little. She comes into the room and sets the dishes on the table.
“Help yourself.” She disappears into the kitchen and returns with coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice.
“Wow. This looks excellent, Regina,” I reply, pouring a large mug of coffee. I’m not a morning person.
“So, you’ve figured it out,” she says, spooning eggs onto our plates.
“Figured what out?” I ask, piling pancakes onto mine. I lather them with butter and pure maple syrup. I take a bite of the fluffy goodness. It melts in my mouth. I think I detect fresh-squeezed orange juice in the batter. The maple syrup tastes as if it came straight from the tree. Sweet, syrupy goodness—pure and simple.
“What do you think?” Regina replies sarcastically, fixing herself some pancakes.
“Oh,” I say, fork paused at mouth. “I was just so curious about the phones and then Persephone…”
“I know,” Regina laughs heartily. “Persephone and I go way back now. Don’t we, Seph?”
I flip open the Slab on the table. Persephone appears in a chair, popping bubblegum. “Hi, Miss Regina,” she says, blowing a bubble.
“Well, good morning, Seph. I love your top,” Regina replies.
“Oh, this old thing,” she replies, pulling her shirt away from her body. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“It suits you,” Regina says, turning her head to the side.
“Thank you,” Seph responds shyly. “I told her about the spiritual armor on the house, then we put two and two together.”
“Well, you are some very smart girls. I knew you’d figure out the puzzle when you got the pieces.”
“I apologize for intruding, Regina. I should have asked permission…”
“Nonsense,” she cuts me off. “You don’t need permission to do anything in this house. We go way back, Lyvia.”
“Or so I’ve heard,” I say suspiciously. She laughs.
“I guess word does get around no matter which transcendental plane you’re on.”
“So, we’re related?” I ask.
“Yes, my dear. We are. You are my great-grand-niece, mother’s side. We thought it best for you to figure it out on your own.”
“Who’s we?”
“You know, I’ve known about you and your brother all your lives,” she says, ignoring my question and taking a sip of coffee.
“How come we never heard of you?”
“When I switched over to Crystal, I just lost touch. You know how life is. I got used to my simple existence and going into Onyx is quite the opposite of simple. Your mother sent pictures and videos, detailed letters. She loved you both so much. So proud.”
“I know,” I say, missing her intently.
“Then—after she and your father, well, vanished, it’s not like you and your brother try to keep low profiles or anything.” She laughs. “The Dark Leader and his professional sports, and you—with your gorgeous rock star… You did good with the disguises, Lyv.” She winks at me over the lip of her coffee cup as she takes another sip. “But, I’ve been watching you. Long before Quinn Harley.”
I decided to flip-flop the comic villain’s names for my pseudonym.
“Ugh,” I roll my eyes at my foolishness.
“Honey, it’s not like this tiny world’s filled with available men. And he is cute,” she laughs again.
“Yeah, he is cute,” Persephone adds, twirling her hair.
“Yeah, and he’s also the Devil.”
“There’s no way you could have known that,” Regina replies.
I take a bite of syrupy pancake. Regina adjusts the napkin on her lap.
“There’s no way any of us could have known that. Just like you, we were all completely deceived. He’s the Devil, you know. He’s got power. He’s the reason for our second Great Rain. It was because of human sin, God brought rain the first time with Noah. It was because of free will and the choice for goodness, he stopped it. This is our last chance. So, of course, Lucifer would attempt to thwart us and bring back the rain. Finish off the world. Finally take everyone left down to his play place. Truly achieve Hell on Earth,” she says.
Our Great Rain happened slowly. A more modernized version of the ark, well, seven of them this time. It was a hundred years until it finally stopped, creating one island that is now the Realm. It’s the only land on the globe that hadn’t been touched during that time.
“He must’ve been pissed God stopped it again.”
“I’m sure he was,” Regina replies.
“I just never thought he would take human form.”
“No one did. Except God, probably,” she says, taking a last sip to drain her mug.
“Well, now what?”
“Well, now you find Levi and get the hammer back. That’s now what,” she says swiftly, getting up and clearing dishes. She knows about the hammer. Sheesh. What else is this woman aware of?
“Yes, I know about the hammer… And the nails,” she says from the kitchen. “Honey, I live in a vortex.” Yeah, that explains it.
“What do you know about this hammer?” I ask.
“Well, it’s a primordial Holy Relic from Jesus’ time. In fact, it was the hammer used with those nails… On Jesus,” she answers, coming back and clearing more dishes. “The Darken lineage can be traced all the way back to the Bible, as you know.” This is true. We learn it in shire training. Schooling becomes strongly based around each shire’s responsibilities. Dark Shire, being the spiritual sector, is familiar with theological history.
I Am the Storm Page 11