Heart's Darkness

by H D A Roberts

  "Not especially, that's how you get away with so much."

  She giggled, but her expression turned serious afterwards.

  "I'm sorry that I messed things up; that I made things... intense."

  I gave her a look, "Please stop apologising, will you? How fragile do you think my ego is?"

  She looked up and away.

  "That's not nice."

  She looked back at me and kissed my cheek very gently.

  "Okay; that's the end of it. I'm not mentioning it again. Things are back to normal as of now," she declared.

  "Thank God!"

  She swatted my ear, which made me jump, which woke Kandi, who glared up at the pair of us.

  "Sorry, Honey," Tethys said, leaning down to kiss her girlfriend.

  Bearing in mind her position, I couldn't help but go a bit red, which amused them both no end.

  Eventually we all tumbled into bed, with Kandi in the middle; 'to prevent any funny business' was her justification. She slept curled around me, with Tethys curled around her, it was actually rather nice.

  Naturally the pair of them ruined my good night's sleep with their amorous antics, waking me up not once, but twice (and in a very interesting fashion), but you can't have everything...

  Chapter 11

  And that was my weekend, more or less. Hopkins came around to provide the scolding I very much deserved, but she was a little half-hearted about it, if you ask me. Didn't she care enough to yell properly, anymore?

  Wow, my issues might be getting worse...

  Moving on.

  Hopkins told me that Braak was in the doghouse, but that there wasn't much to be done about any of it. If anything, I was more likely to be in trouble for breaking SCA property (and SCA persons) if we pushed it, so I agreed to let her sweep it under the rug until such a time as the incident might be useful for some greater purpose. That annoyed me, but what else could I do? As long as I insisted on leading a double life, things were going to be complicated.

  I spent my time watching movies with Tethys or playing chess with Demise and Kandi. The Pixies turned up on Saturday morning, and I spent the whole time with them on or about some part of me, which made me happy; they always did.

  So, when Monday rolled around, and I had to go back to Uni, I was actually in a pretty good mood. Tethys had hugged me goodbye in a way that left me tingling, but things had gotten more or less back on an even keel between us, which reassured me no end.

  That week marked the real start of my courses, and was a lot more intensive than the one before. Ten until five, Monday to Friday, with an hour's break for lunch, in no way a mellow schedule. I actually rather liked it.

  The Magic days were scheduled with lectures between ten and one, and then practical labs between three and five. Professor Hadleigh's class was the most interesting. We started working with slabs of meat, reanimating and repairing the tissue, it was astonishingly delicate and really fun, in a macabre sort of way. I loved it. It rather appealed to both my nit-picky, detail-oriented and ghoulish sides all at the same time.

  If Hadleigh's class was the most interesting, then Porter's was the most fun. She decided that the other students could work on their defences while we mentally violated each other (her words, not mine). She taught me a huge amount about Telepathic attack and defence, pushing me to think in brand new and exciting ways.

  She truly was an amazing teacher. Her mental constructs were complex and elegant; we took the trouble to create new mindscapes each lesson, for the other to try their luck against. Her favourite was a colossal baroque fortress I'd designed, set in a desolate crater, protected by traps and an army of machines. In reply she created a moon-fortress filled with attractive (and scantily clad) guardswomen. They distracted me very effectively; I got so repeatedly lost that I had to concede the bout.

  It was terrific fun, and Porter was great company. As time went on, we linked our minds and created mental variants of board games we knew, but on a huge scale. So, Monopoly with actual hotels, Chess with our mental avatars sitting atop kings the size of skyscrapers, Risk with armies in the tens of thousands...

  It was the most fun I'd had in years. Truth be told, I think we both rather forgot about the other students, and I don't think they liked it very much.

  If I had a frustration, it was with High Magic. I was terrible at it, which was a monumental pain. As I mentioned, in order to use a High Magic you weren't born to, you had to be able to channel the energy. To do that, you need to sense it, and to do that, you needed to open up and quiet your mind; something I was having real trouble with. My mind just wouldn't shut up (much like the rest of me). The professor was decent about it, though, and I was comforted by the fact that the other students weren't making much more progress than I was.

  Tom and I developed something of a friendship; I think it was mostly because I was the only idiot who would put up with him for more than ten minutes at a stretch. His reputation for... rapid fire seemed to have spread, which mortified him. I sympathised, which was probably why he kept coming back to me. I was quite impressed by how stoic he was about that; in his place, I would probably have been chewing the walls in sheer embarrassment. He was also a good conversationalist; surprisingly knowledgeable about the economy and public relations. He could even make intelligent conversation, providing there wasn't a well-filled bit of female clothing within leering distance, not that I was one to talk...

  I spent my weekends at Blackhold with the Pixies and Tethys, and naturally Kandi, who'd become even more clingy, if that's possible, not that I was complaining.

  People grew less afraid of me; life started getting easier. I hadn't heard anything about Faust, either one, and Tethys was keeping a close eye on the Conclave, all was well...

  Yes, I know that sort of thing couldn't last.

  But I could hope!

  It was the end of my fourth week, and I was in one of the smaller squares, bundled up against the oncoming cold. It was just after eight on the Friday, and I was chatting with Mila (found her eventually). She wore a heavy jacket and tight trousers, along with a bright red ribbon in her dark hair. We had hot chocolates, bought against the chill, and I was laughing at a ghastly joke she'd told. She really was a nice girl, funny, smart, and with a sharp wit that I found very attractive...

  "Hello Matty," Jocelyn said from behind me just as I was about to reply to Mila.

  I held back a sigh with great effort.

  Typical. I knew something like this would happen; I just bloody knew it. Every time I made any progress with a girl, the universe conspires to ruin it. And nothing ruins a budding romance like the sudden appearance of an ex-girlfriend.

  Especially that one.

  "Jocelyn, how are you today?" I asked, turning to look at her. She looked nice... her hair was set in curls, framing her face, which bore a trace of makeup and some glistening lipstick. Her clothes were tight and revealing; madness in the cold, but she was a Magician...

  "Mad. At you."

  "What did I do this time?"

  Mila turned to look, her smile disappearing, "Who's this?" she asked.

  "Old friend."

  "You broke the old man, that's what you did! And now I have to deal with all of his affairs. Do you have any idea what a pain that is?" Jocelyn said, as if Mila wasn't there.

  She plonked herself down next to me, a little too close, really. Mila noticed and frowned.

  "Could we talk about this later?" I asked; well, pleaded is more accurate.

  "Oh no. You come into my ancestral home, break my grandfather, leave me with a mess to clean up; we'll speak now."

  She was smirking. Evilly; her eyes darting to Mila.

  "And he won't even tell me what I need to know!" Jocelyn complained, "He knows things about the family affairs, the accounts... I'm hamstrung, and I blame you!"

  She didn't really seem that annoyed. Predatory was a better descriptor. I wouldn't have put it past her to have waited until the most inconvenient moment to have this con
versation; when it would cause the most mischief.

  "Then ask him to tell you what you need to know," I suggested, just to get her moving. If I could get rid of her quickly enough, I might be able to salvage my date...

  She frowned, "What do you mean?"

  "Just what I said. Get him alone and ask him to do a specific thing. I'm sure you'll find him... receptive."

  "What did you do?"

  "Have you directly asked him for anything? Anything at all? 'Would you tell me where the keys are?', that sort of thing?"

  "Well... no. It was really more of a general 'help!'."

  "Try," I suggested, smiling.

  She looked at me, confused and wary.

  "Just... ask him?"

  I nodded.

  "And... and what if I want something he can't give me?" she asked, looking down.

  "I'm not a miracle worker, Jocelyn, just how many brains did you want me to scramble?" I asked.

  "Maybe you could stop messing with other people and sort out your own stupid head!" she said, turning on her heel and stomping off. I got the distinct impression that I'd just missed important subtext...

  "I swear that girl is trying to drive me mad!" I complained.

  "What did you do to her grandfather?" Mila asked, her face a mask, part fear, part loathing; thank you Jocelyn...

  "It's not what you think, and he started it," I said, beginning the process that would see me trying to justify mental mutilation, like an idiot...

  "You hurt an old man?" she asked, her expression hurt, her tone deeply disappointed.

  "Firstly, he's a Magician, so not old by our standards; secondly, he tried to have me killed, and that was after he tried to have me enslaved, but before he got bored of sending middle men and gave it the ol' try on his own. Anything that happened to him was entirely... mostly justified. May have stepped a pinkie-toe over the line with the most recent round of justice, but karmically I think I'm still ahead."

  So far, but try to keep the vengeance to a minimum, okay, Sweetie?

  I blinked, looking around, her voice had popped right into my head. She did that from time to time, but this was a little... unusual.

  Rose? Did you just call me Sweetie? I thought.

  There was a long pause.

  No... she replied at last.

  Did so.

  Did not!

  "What did you do?" Mila asked, now looking at me like I was a lunatic.

  "Oh, reprogrammed his brain so he couldn't hurt me, himself or anyone I love. And threw in a little caveat that gives Jocelyn anything she wants for the asking," I said, still looking around.

  Trying to get in her pants, huh? Anything I can do to help with that?

  Gabby?! How did you get this number? I mean head. I mean how are you in my head?!

  Firstly, it's Gabrielle if you ever again want a quiet moment, and I'm piggybacking on our little feathered friend.

  Why?

  My own amusement, mostly.

  "That's monstrous!" Mila said.

  "Sorry, lost the thread, what's that?"

  "You're a psycho!" she said, dropping her hot chocolate and making a break for it. She was away and through a door before I could even... well, probably make it worse.

  "Ooh, a swing and a miss!" Gabrielle said from right beside me, making me jump.

  "That's not very nice."

  "I'm a Demon, Graves. 'Not nice' is rather in the job description."

  I glared hard, but it just bounced off.

  "Besides," she continued airily, "she was all wrong for you."

  "Wh- Jus- Who- I really liked her!" I said, going bright red.

  "Really?" she said, smiling at me, "You know she was celibate, right?"

  I made a highly frustrated sound that turned her grin evil.

  "Aw, is the little Magician all pent up? It's true what they say... once you go Succubus you... well you can't stop till you die, there's not really a witty way to say that."

  "Not witty, who'd have guessed?" I muttered.

  She shoved me over.

  Rose caught me before I could hit the grass, dropping me back onto my feet.

  "Thank you," I said, rubbing the offended shoulder.

  "No problem," Rose said sweetly.

  "What brings you two by?" I asked as Gabrielle approached.

  "We were in the area," Rose said evasively, "We thought we'd check in."

  "And just in time, too, that was smooth," Gabrielle said, looking in my eyes as she slid past me.

  "I was doing just fine! Right up until Jocelyn turned up."

  Gabrielle smirked. Rose patted my shoulder reassuringly.

  "So why were you in the area?" I asked Rose.

  "I'm not sure, we were just told to come; we came," the Angel replied.

  "Some of us do as we're told," Gabrielle said from right behind me, raising the hairs on my neck. I wished she'd stop circling like a bloody vulture. My heart wasn't built for this sort of stimulation.

  "Are you alright, Mathew? You eating enough? You look peaked," Rose said, giving me a very hard look that reminded me of my mother when she thought I wasn't taking care of myself.

  "Oh, I'm fine," I said, going with the safe response.

  She was about to say something else when the man appeared. He stepped out of a dark patch and onto the square, the figure tall and forbidding, dressed all in black. I knew him the moment I saw his face.

  "Oh balls," I managed as the half-cherub Solomon walked towards us (I'd finally got around to learning his name. My initial guess wasn't even close, as it turned out).

  "That's not right..." Rose said, "He shouldn't have resurrected for years."

  "My, my, Daddy, what have you been up to?" Gabrielle whispered, looking at the half-breed.

  I sighed, bringing up my shields.

  I cast Mage Sight, and had to swallow hard, because something was very wrong with him. His entire form was saturated with Black Magic. And he wasn't in full control of it, either, the grass around his feet was turning Grotesque, mutating into carnivorous horrors before my eyes. Green turned brown, and then barbed and sharp, splitting to reveal what looked an awful lot like thorny teeth; almost like razor-wire with mouths.

  I shuddered as I felt it, something about it resonating deep in my soul, crying out to me to take it, to use it... and it would be so easy...

  "That's it, take what's yours- Ow!" Gabrielle started to coo before Rose swatted her upside the head.

  "This is hardly the time!" Rose said.

  "This is exactly the time, he's right in the face of temptation, and he wants it so bad, don't you, Matty?" the Demon whispered.

  "No," I said weakly.

  "Liar," Gabrielle replied.

  I started weaving anti-Black shields into my defences. Planes of hardened Shadows, bound by Will, separate from my core, so the Black couldn't seep in and infect me.

  "Easy, Mathew," Rose said, sliding right through my shields like they weren't there so she could put a hand on my shoulder, "Be strong."

  "No, no, she means give in," Gabrielle said, coming up to my other side, also ignoring my bloody shields, by the way...

  "We're your liaisons," Rose said by way of explanation when I looked askance, "And no Black Magic! It's bad for you."

  I took a breath, watching Solomon, he hadn't moved a muscle.

  "Where is she?" he asked finally, his voice an awful gurgle, like his throat was full of blood.

  "Who?" I asked, pulling in Heat, Force and Light.

  "Margaret!" he snarled, "The whore who left me for my murderer!"

  "How can you claim I'm your murderer... when you're alive?" I asked sardonically.

  "Bring her to me. Now."

  "Get stuffed," really seemed like the only sensible response.

  He smiled, an awful, cruel smile, "I was hoping you'd say that."

  He pressed a button on his cuff, and reality bent as Portals opened everywhere.

  Monsters started pouring through, horrific things born of a fevered i
magination and horrific amounts of Flesh Magic. They were made from the corpses of men and animals, combining the strongest, most dangerous parts of each into a nastier whole, reanimated by magic, bound to the control of even more grotesque creatures made from the bodies of Magicians.

  I saw men with the heads of bulls and the claws of komodo dragons, women with the heads of poisonous snakes where their hands should have been, ogres with the arms of what looked distinctly like a lesser drake. I saw the same monster's head on the body of a polar bear... hundreds of different combinations of man, beast and mythical creature, each more loathsome than the last.

  They were the Hyde. Their very existence was an abomination. Monsters for hire, made from the bodies of living things, generally against their will. It was a constant source of annoyance to Kron and Killian that they couldn't find who was making the damned things.

  They looked, and even felt, wrong, but that was nothing compared to the smell. They were made from a very crude form of Necromancy; the dirty kind, with no Death or Spirit Magic at all; and that meant that, no matter how good the Spellwork, they would continue to rot.

  And stink.

  And there sure were an awful, awful lot of them.

  "Oh... just shit," I said.

  "Bring me the Magician alive. I don't care how many pieces he's in as long as he can talk," Solomon said.

  There was no response from the Hyde, but then they weren't big talkers, as a rule. But they were obedient.

  And, just like that, they charged me.

  I fired the first shot, combining my stored Force, Heat and Light into a Chaos Lance which I swept across the front rank, tearing a dozen of the creatures apart and leaving their pieces in a smouldering heap.

  Rose and Gabrielle vanished, which put a real damper on my plan of hiding behind the two of them. That forced me to really concentrate on what I was doing, because the real threat wasn't the Hyde, not at all.

  No, they were simply cannon fodder, a distraction, something to soak up my Spells so that Solomon could finish the job. He threw Black Magic around like it was going out of style, and it was all I could do to shift it into the surrounding Hyde without getting any on me, and that was a close-run thing.