by Hunter Blain
“I’m not seeking him. There is another who owes me.”
“Ah,” Greg replied, grasping her meaning. “Ulric, then?”
Narrowing eyes warned the shaman of treading on thin ice as Lily demanded, “And how do you know of our relationship?”
“Mistress Lilith,” Greg said respectfully, “I have a foothold in both Faerie and Midworld, and I have been alive for a very, very long time. Because of these things, I have heard many a tale, including how Ulric was able to defeat an entire army almost single-handedly.”
Lily didn’t move nor did her expression shift as she waited for Greg to continue.
“The history books claim that a heavily outnumbered group—for lack of a better word—of farmers was able to defeat a well-armed army twice their size. If I recall correctly, it was something along the lines of five thousand peasants wiping out an army of ten thousand soldiers?”
When Lily didn’t confirm nor deny, Greg continued.
“Ulric and his maker, Cimeries, did most of the heavy lifting. Which is understandable.” Greg thought for a moment before asking the air, “My only question is, how did they convince thousands of peasants to not say anything? Surely someone would have dared to tell the truth.”
Realizing Greg was showing how resourceful he was, Lily sighed and said, “Ulric has always had an almost virtuosic ability to manipulate minds, especially that of mortals. Cimeries’s gift was amplifying the abilities of others, which made him a powerful ally and a dangerous enemy. Together, they were able to convince the mortals that their victory had been due to the peasants’ sheer will and determination.”
“Everyone loves a good underdog story,” Greg mused.
“Which is why the mortals so readily accepted the lie as reality.”
The pair sat in silence for a moment before Greg nodded his head a few times and said, “Okay. Give me a few more minutes to study the script etched into the portal. I think I should be able to open it for you.”
A part of Lily’s stomach dropped as she understood there was no going back. She would be going to Hell to seek out one of her vengeful children with the hopeless task of convincing him to stop the Ether. Otherwise, there’d be no Earth to rule should Hell win in the upcoming apocalypse.
50
John
As the sun crested the horizon, Depweg went back to say a final goodbye to his family while my celestial batteries began to top off. There was no way I was risking traveling through space and entering a black hole without a full tank.
Lily watched me with a smirk, prompting me to playfully ask, “What?”
“Seeing you in the sun is something else.”
“Tell me about it,” I acknowledged as the warm rays splashed against my skin and invisible armor. “After five hundred years in the dark…I’m still not used to seeing the sun again.”
We stood in Depweg’s backyard facing east as the sun filled me with power. Lily slipped her hand into mine, and we enjoyed the feeling of just being with one another.
“I’m sorry,” I told her without taking my eyes off the rising star.
“For what?”
“For taking so long to love you.”
In response, she squeezed my hand tightly while taking a step closer until we were shoulder to shoulder watching the dawn.
“It sounds like you had a lot on your plate.”
“I promise,” I asserted while turning to grab both of Lily’s shoulders and pulling her close to me. “I promise to make it up to you once this is all over. We can travel the world together, just you and me. Whaddya say?”
Lily giggled while going up on her tippy-toes to kiss my forehead.
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Ha!” I barked out, unable to control my knee-jerk reaction.
“What?”
“You’re not going to like that word in a few decades.”
“What word?”
“Puh-laaaaaan,” I enunciated with a snicker.
“Can we go now,” Depweg asked in a statement as he approached from behind. I could hear him sniffling back the tears that had leaked through his nose.
“Probably going to need a while longer,” I replied flatly, still feeling the awkward energy between my best friend and me. “Wanna make sure I’m completely full.”
“Here,” Lily said softly, lifting her wrist up to my mouth. “Take some of my blood. It’ll help.”
“Oh, I know. Believe me. Your blood is like jet fuel to me. And now that I know how to control shifting, I won’t slip into the In-Between on accident…or whatever.”
Lily pushed her wrist against my mouth, and I smiled before giving her soft skin a few tender kisses. Then my fangs elongated, and I pierced her flesh, making her gasp in pained pleasure.
I drank, deeply, and felt her incredible power flow into my body, refilling my preternatural well of energy with amazing efficiency.
With the sun fueling my celestial batteries and Lily’s blood filling my well to the brim, I nearly passed out from the indescribable pleasure that coursed through my body.
It was at that moment that I really missed blood. But I had to remind myself that blood from a being such as Lily was in a league all its own when compared to the slop that came from the veins of mere mortals.
Feeling the intense power, I pulled away from her wrist before placing a few more tender kisses where her skin had healed instantly.
My tongue ran over the blood coating my teeth, and I moaned as Lily pulled me down with surprising intensity and began kissing me deeply.
“I’d like to go now,” Depweg growled in warning, and I had to take a moment and put myself in his shoes. I was kissing the woman I loved while he had just buried his.
“You’re right,” I whispered, willing myself to pull away from Lily’s embrace.
Something bothered me, and I looked into her eyes and asked, “Hey. How can I interact with you? I mean…you aren’t tied to my time line…right?”
Lily smiled before playfully booping my nose.
“The rules don’t apply to ancient beings like me, lover. Did your angel friend not tell you?” Lily knew the answer to the question she was asking.
“Doooooooes…that mean you’ll, um, remember me?”
“Guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Lily purred before shifting away, leaving me alone with Depweg.
“I, uh…kinda feel like I made a mistake.”
I expected Depweg to joke about losing count of my mistakes or something along those lines. Instead, he simply folded his massive arms across his chest and stared at me with empty eyes.
“Fine. You ready? Good,” I grumbled in annoyance before summoning an ivory sphere around Depweg.
Not caring about the world I was leaving because this stream of time would disappear once all the players had been removed from the board, I willed my Alcubierre drive to carry Depweg and I toward the center of the universe at dangerous speeds. My hurt and anger pushed on the gas while we tore through the Earth’s atmosphere within seconds of leaving the surface.
Gritting my teeth, I manifested the Time Sphere and let it guide me and Depweg toward the center of the galaxy and the awaiting black hole.
51
Lilith
As Greg worked somewhere in the tent-mansion, Lily sat on a rooftop lounge area letting the ocean air caress her skin and hair over and over again.
The mansion floated over the ocean without any land on sight. Not even planes flew overhead, making Lily wonder if Greg had made this area or simply placed his home somewhere where people didn’t travel through. Most airlines had consistent paths, as did ships, only veering to avoid a storm for the most part.
As Lily pondered this, she realized her brain was attempting to stall the worrisome thoughts that brewed in her mind. She was going to Hell, where Samael would have complete power over her…if he found her, that is.
“Mistress…it’s time,” Greg announced from a few feet behind Lily.
She let her eyes soak up
the rhythm of the ocean a few seconds longer as she mustered the strength to do what must be done.
Standing, Lily followed the once again hooded shaman through the labyrinth of hallways to the impressive stairwell with the chandelier of beautiful lights.
Stepping through the foyer, Greg disappeared through the curtain doors with Lily right behind. She glanced over her shoulder to see the modest tent still standing. Greg’s proficiency in magic was noted.
Facing forward, Lily was greeted by the centaur chief. He was easy to spot, given his stature compared to everyone else around him. Then again, she had made him that way.
“It’s good to see you again, Mother,” the chief said with a respectful bow of his head.
Walking to the powerfully built centaur, Lily reached out to gently grab his wrist with both hands and brought the back of his hand to her lips, where she placed a loving kiss. Due to his size, it was their equivalent of an embrace and kiss on the cheek.
“It’s been too long, Regnir,” Lily confessed with a heavy heart, putting more meaning behind her words than she had meant. With the gate to Hell looming in her periphery, important things—like family—became clear.
John flashed through her mind, and Lily quickly squished the thought for fear of losing her nerve for what must be done. Lily trusted what Thomes Philseep had said, but also understood the vast risks involved.
The centaur chief, Regnir, seemed to notice his mother lingering close, his hand still in hers.
“It is my understanding that you wish to activate the portal?”
“Yes,” Lily confirmed, holding her child’s hand just a moment longer. Right then, the mother of Faerie wanted nothing more than to gather all of her children and tell them how proud she was of them. It was funny how once an immortal’s life was given an expiration date—even if only a potential one—regret was allowed to prosper.
“I will accompany you, along with my finest warriors,” Regnir declared, lifting his head to nod toward his personal guard and second in command.
“No,” Lily said softly, kissing his hand one more time before letting it slip from her grasp. “I must do this alone. I fear that only Greg would have the ability to remain unnoticed.”
One of the centaurs that Lily didn’t recognize snickered quietly while looking the bipedal shaman up and down.
“Rude,” Greg responded bluntly.
“Not because of his smaller stature,” Lily clarified. “But because of his skill.”
Greg walked a few steps closer and whispered to Lily, “You’re not helping!”
“Very well,” Regnir boomed for all to hear. “The shaman will accompany you on your journey.”
“I…” Greg faltered with an index finger that was first pointed to the sky—ready to argue—before slowly dropping back to his side. Maybe it was because he realized the chief would not be disobeyed, especially when it came to escorting his mother through the nightmare land that was Hell. “Very good.”
Regnir didn’t smile at his subject’s compliance, knowing the matter wasn’t up for debate.
Lily briefly entertained the notion of going alone, but the thought of having the skilled shaman accompany her was actually brilliant. She knew Regnir would send someone along and was stubborn enough to fight her wishes in the way that only a proud son could. Greg would be able to hide much more efficiently than his half-equestrian brothers, who would stand out in Hell. At least the shaman could pass as a human and blend in.
“What will you do?” Lily asked Regnir as she glanced at the growing cloud of darkness that stretched across the sky.
“We will fight to our deaths to protect this portal, and your way home,” Regnir said with complete certainty.
“Use the elements. I fear metals, even iron and silver, will not stop the Ether.”
The centaur chief nodded once in acknowledgment to his mother’s suggestion.
“I can help with that!” Greg quickly added. When no one even looked his way, he accepted his fate by finishing with, “No? Rude, but alright.”
With a huff and whispered mumbles, Greg approached the portal, placed his hands on the scary-looking wood, closed his eyes, and activated the doorway.
A torrent of hot air whooshed out, making the scene seem to dance in the haze of the heat.
Greg covered his face while taking several steps back for fear of being knocked completely over with the wind’s power.
Applause could be heard somewhere far away, making all the centaurs shift uncomfortably where they stood and glance at one another.
Lily knew better.
It wasn’t applause they heard, but the cacophony of countless souls wailing in agony.
Greg turned a nervous glance toward Lily before slowly forcing his face to glide back toward the portal to Hell, sweat already popping out on his forehead like condensation springing to life on a cold glass of water. If he were asked, the shaman would be unable to confidently state whether it was from existential fear or the immense heat spewing from the doorway.
“May your enemies fall at your feet,” Regnir decreed to the universe for both Lily and Greg. He placed a large fist over his heart and bowed his head in respect.
The mother of Faerie and the bipedal centaur shaman approached the gate, Greg’s black cloak flapping wildly in the wind.
52
John
The stars streaked like laser beams as I powered through the galaxy, warping space-time around me with dangerous, powerful rage.
I could feel my lips were pulled back in a snarl as I pushed past the limits of theoretical physics, tearing through space faster than even the speed of light itself.
For a reason I couldn’t put my finger on, a part of my brain suggested I drop the ivory sphere keeping Depweg alive just to see what would happen. Would a large chunk of mass moving faster than the speed of light increase to an infinite size as the theory of relativity potentially suggested? Or would he just instantly dissolve into the smallest particles in the known universe? Maybe he would even create his own Depweg-sized black hole by ripping space-time itself.
“Er-rah!” I incoherently barked as I shook the idea from my head, mentally reinforcing the sphere around my best friend. I had to mentally tell myself that the part of my brain that wanted me to see what would happen if I let my manifestation drop was also the same part of people’s heads that gave them the slight urge to jump when standing on the edge of a steep cliff.
Feeling the nudge of the Time Sphere, I smoothly changed my heading by a few degrees, aiming for the center of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. I didn’t know what would happen if I smacked into the edge of the accretion disk, but I also didn’t want to find out.
The black hole came into view, and once again, I was amazed at the sight. It was mind-boggling to see the accretion disk—which wrapped around a black hole in the direction it was spinning like a Hula-Hoop—was visible from all angles due to the warping of gravity and light. It was like looking at an orange that you held up in front of you, but you could see every side of it all at once. It hurt the mind to try and process.
“Hold on!” I cried out, knowing Depweg wouldn’t be able to hear me.
Reality began to warp around me as it did before, and I had to actively focus on the absolute absence of light that made up the center of the phenomenon. I could see space bending all around my peripheral vision, begging me to pay attention to the oddity.
Altering my trajectory one last time, I furrowed my brow in concentration and sped toward the center of the most destructive force in the universe.
53
Lily
The searing wind tore at Lily and Greg as they stood two feet from the doorway.
With eyes that were almost shut and a beard that looked like it might be torn from the shaman’s face, Greg yelled, “Are you ready?”
Lily nodded once before Greg turned back to the portal, bared his teeth, and then plunged forward with a battle cry, disappearing into the doorway.<
br />
“I’m scared…” Lily whispered to herself as she thought about John one more time, desperately wishing to feel his presence again. She knew that if he were in this universe, he’d be able to stop the Ether. Lily didn’t know how he would do it, but that didn’t matter. John had surprised her time and time again with his ability to miraculously solve catastrophic problems.
One last time, she sent out her senses in search of the silver crucifixes she had made and then attached to his trench coat, replacing the priest’s creation so she could keep tabs on John wherever he was. It didn’t matter what plane he was on; Lily would be able to find the man she loved and the only person who could save all of creation.
Feeling nothing as she searched for him, Lily felt the bottom drop out of her stomach, as she knew that Ulric was now their only hope to stop the Ether. The time had come.
Lily stepped through the portal and into the jaws of Hell.
54
John
With an adrenaline-filled bellow, I pressed the button Gabriel had shown me on the Time Sphere, and passed through the black hole to come out the other side.
The moon—my moon—came into view, and I immediately pulled back on the power I was dangerously injecting into my warp drive.
Letting my Time Sphere wink from existence, as it was no longer needed, I coasted around the moon until I saw my beautiful world waiting for me to return.
I smiled at seeing the blue, green, and brown sphere dotted in vast clouds. Though something was off. Where the clouds were normally a consistent white, black clouds seemed to be building to directly challenge the sky.
Shrugging, I let my eyes wander over my home, letting the sense of success at completing an impossible mission fill my body.
In my jubilation, I turned to Depweg, and was about to say how beautiful our home was when I was instantly reminded of the shattered reality that was my relationship with my best friend. The ivory-white sphere stared back at me without emotion, and I returned my souring gaze to Earth.
