by Jeff Hale
They didn’t seem to have any intent other than to entertain the crowd, so I didn’t let their undead state worry me. After their current song they decided to go with Michelle Branch’s “Everywhere”, and I asked Kat to dance with me. She just about dragged me out to the dance floor in answer, and I held her and we danced slowly, enjoying each other’s company. It was a start to what would prove to be a very memorable night.
I remembered Nina and me going to get drinks for all of us, and her and me mending fences a bit more over the punch bowl. Later on I danced with her, at Dave and Kat’s insistence. Just happened that the song that the Vixens decided to play was Nine Inch Nail’s “Closer”.
I don’t think I’ve ever been that close to Nina, and I’d be lying if I denied having something very much awake afterwards. Kat didn’t look thrilled when we got back, despite her comments from in the limo, and I had to reassure her that it was nothing. Despite that, I decided to stay seated until I was more myself.
I remembered half the basketball team staggering in drunk and getting busted by chaperones when they tried to spike the punch bowl. I also remembered Roger having the insane nerve to come over to our table and invite us all to his party after Prom. Like that would happen.
Jessie and Malcolm showed up together at some point, Jessie dressed in an ankle length side slit leather skirt and a sheer white blouse. We were all sitting there, laughing, talking and having a good time in general, when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“Well, well, if little Kerensky isn’t all growed up.” The voice was male, thick with an Italian accent.
“No way,” I said, not even looking behind me. “No fucking way!” I turned in my seat, and sure enough there was Jacob. I hadn’t seen him since right before I’d dropped out. He was a longtime friend to all of us that hung out at the Wall. He had been expelled from school for beating the hell out of one of the teachers for making what Jacob thought was a racist comment towards him. Last I checked it was a bad idea to assume that just because someone was Italian that their family was Mafia, even if Jacob’s was.
His tux almost matched mine, but he was shorter than me by about half a foot. His grin reached all the way to his dark brown eyes and his equally dark brown hair was slicked back trimly. He looked every bit the Italian gentleman and spoke the language fluently.
I stood quickly and gave him a big back-slapping hug. It had been forever and last I’d heard he had decided to go traveling after the incident with the teacher. “What the fuck brings you here?” I asked, happy beyond belief to see him.
“Oh… nothing much. Just them,” he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the Vixens. “I’m part of the sound crew.”
“What? Really?” Nina had been waiting patiently for me to step back and she hugged him too.
“Aye, aye, aye. Nina, you could give my grandpa Claudius a woody, and he’s near ninety!” Jacob said, holding her at arm’s length after the hug. “And yes, really. Look, I know you’re all probably dying to meet them, but they have to leave for another gig early tomorrow, so they’ll be leaving almost immediately after their last set. But the next time they’re back this way, I’ll make sure to get you all VIP backstage passes.”
“Oh, sweet! Thanks, Jake!” Nina hugged him again, while Dave just looked supremely pleased at the thought of getting to meet them in person.
“Yeah, thanks, bro,” I said, patting him on the side of the arm.
“Anything for you guys. And oh, yeah, Rick, looks like you have a fan yourself. Kyra was asking about ya, that’s why I came down here,” Jacob said, pulling me aside. At the table, Dave just shook his head and dropped it into his hands.
“What? Me? Why?” I asked, suddenly nervous.
“No reason. She uh… likes you, and I told her a lot about you. You were the one person I was closest to, so I ended up talking about you a lot.” Jacob gave me a reassuring smile.
“Oh wow, thanks, man. That means a lot to me, but… I’m taken,” I said, gesturing towards Kat.
He leaned around me to get a good view of her. “Wow. She’s new, huh? Things have changed. Don’t tell me…?” He scrutinized my face. “Oh my fucking lord. You’re in love! Or you’re almost there anyway! I never thought I’d see the day that you would fall in love with anyone besides Serena! Congratulations, your heart still works,” he said, laughing the entire time.
Jacob stuck around to visit for a while before the band took a break a short while later and he had to part company with us so that he could do his job. That’s when our principal came out and made some speech about how we were all adults now and that the life ahead would be a hard road, but one well worth it if we remembered to work hard and persevere. Then he asked for the results for Prom King and Queen, and Kaycee La’Morte actually came on stage with two envelopes in her hand. She smiled and waved at the round of applause, then accepted the microphone from the principal. They’d managed to get her to announce the results? I was impressed.
“Alright, Cimarron High School! This is what you’ve been waiting for. Your Prom King and Queen!” Kaycee shouted, and everyone applauded again. “Okay, first off. This year’s Prom King is… Roger Connely!” to which the crowd cheered.
“Hmmph. Like that asshole has friends,” I muttered snarkily.
“Be nice, Rick,” Kat whispered next to me.
“I don’t have to be, and you know it. I should have crippled that bitch when I had the chance,” I stated. Kat nudged me in the side and motioned for me to keep quiet. I grumbled under my breath a bit more then lapsed into silence.
“Okay, now for this year’s Prom Queen, who is…” She actually waited almost a minute before announcing the winner. “Kelly Fergeson!”
Kelly soon joined Roger on the stage. She smiled brightly, and then glanced at me, and waved. I just waved back, happy for her that she had won.
The band came out shortly after the announcement and played a song for the King and Queen to dance to. A little while later I danced with Kat again while the Vixens played “Time After Time”. For some reason, I was getting a lot of pats on the back from many of the students and random hugs from some of the girls, along with comments about how Terry and his friends had mistreated them. My class mates were actually beginning to like me, but I wondered if it was also from being a Sentinel. That journal I had read had mentioned that it was a side effect, a passive aura that Sentinel’s exuded as someone to be trusted and liked.
It was towards the end of the song when I saw him. As I was dancing with Kat, I felt an odd sensation and as I looked towards one of the tables, I saw Azryel. He looked just like he had at Angel Park and he gave me an evil smile before heading towards one of the doors.
I tried to fight the urge to just leave Kat standing there and take off after him, but I could only fight it for so long. Another minute and the need to go after Serena’s killer overrode my new-found feelings for the vision of loveliness that I had in my arms.
“I’m… I’m sorry, Kat. I have to go,” I said suddenly, pulling away from her and running towards the exit I had seen Azryel use. I heard her call after me, demanding to know where I was going. I hated hurting her like this, I really did, but I had to catch that demon. Now. More than likely Kat would never talk to me again. If that was the case, then so be it. I would sacrifice anything to avenge Serena’s death.
I ran out into the main casino, just caught a glimpse of him rounding a corner, and I gave chase. He played cat and mouse with me for a good portion of the rest of the night. I was always just a step behind. Always catching a glimpse of a bit of clothing or his leg as he rounded yet another corner. Always seeing him give me that smile and a wave before he disappeared.
Later that night I finally made my way home, completely exhausted. Dave wasn’t there and I just assumed he was spending the night with Nina. I was too tired to try and call Kat, promising myself I would tomorrow, but she didn’t answer the next day. She was angry with me, probably avoiding my calls, and I couldn’t blame h
er. I took up the search for Azryel again, calling Bianca and getting a fix on his latest energy signature whenever I needed an update. Luckily, she was more than happy to help me. It went on like this for two long and frustrating days. In the middle of my second straight day of searching I heard a familiar voice in my head.
“He’s just trying to keep you busy. He’s playing with you. And it made it a lot harder for me to find you,” Talon said as he materialized in front of me.
“Talon? Where have you been?” I asked, incredulous. He’d been gone again for a lengthy bit of time, but after his previous explanation of having his own life, I hadn’t worried too much.
“It’s time to take you to Merlin,” he told me, as if that should explain everything.
“Huh?” I asked stupidly. Talon didn’t have any connection to Merlin.
“Well, you figured out you weren’t a sorcerer, yes?” Talon asked impatiently, cocking his head to one side.
I nodded.
“Well that means I am not your familiar. I work directly for Merlin. Sorry for the deception, but he needed a way to keep an eye on you. Besides, I’m way more intelligent than the average familiar, but you had no way of knowing that. Anyway it’s time to go. Azryel will come after you in due time, trust me. He’s just trying to keep you away from what you really need to be doing right now.” Talon began to pace a circle around me, leaving a trail of thick black fog that enveloped me even as he dissolved from sight. When I could see again, we were in a large cave complex, the ceiling vaulted high above us and the floor smooth, as though it had been eroded by water for millennia. There was a tunnel at the far end, and another to my right. Both of them were dozens of feet in diameter.
“Where are we?” I asked, looking around. The whole area was lit brightly, but when I tried to find the source I couldn’t. Then I realized my connection with the Aether was allowing me to see.
“We’re somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, under Colorado I believe.” He made a gesture with his snout. “Down that far tunnel is the chamber where Merlin is beginning to perform the ceremony ritual that will break down the Barrier. For now, you’ll be needed for preparation work. There’s too much to be done, and not enough time for the old man to get it all done himself.” Talon began to trot down the tunnel and I followed him.
He stopped in front a natural stone door that opened upon our approach. We stepped into another cavern, though this one was significantly smaller, and more luxurious. The walls were covered in glyphs, runes, and similar writings, all of which glowed brightly, and went dim alternately, some silver, some gold, others blue, red, yellow, or green. Heavy rugs of thick white fur covered the floor, from some creature I wasn’t familiar with but guessed might be arctic or cold-weather. Two divans faced each across a large table in the middle of the room. The table looked to be made of white marble, carved with runes, and floating over the center of it was a crystal cut into the shape of an irregular sphere.
Within the crystal, the elements played out their eternal war with one another, but found their harmony as well. Fire was extinguished by water, which was in turn boiled and turned into steam, which was dispersed by the earth, which was in turn rent asunder by lightning, which caused the earth to heat into fire, and so the cycle went.
Sitting on the table below the sphere was a silver dish filled with burning oil. I recognized the symbolism. Oil was a liquid, like water, but it was born of the earth, and gave birth to fire, which caused smoke to rise into the air. It was a perfect representation of all the elements.
“Indeed it is,” came Merlin’s voice from the far side of the room, obviously reading my mind. His back was to me, long dark robes covering him from neck to feet, as he scrutinized a set of runes along the wall. “All the elements, except one; the human element. The element of the soul, of life itself, and it is that element I need to complete the ritual. Well, that and the incantation which I wrote into the very essence of your soul.”
“Why me? Why choose me?” I asked, completely confused.
“Oh, that is a very simple answer attached to a very long story.” He turned to face me and moved to sit on one of the divans. “But I will indulge you. The next phase will not start for some time. Now relax, look into the sphere, and I will tell the story of your past,” Merlin said as the crystal went blank.
“You’ve of course heard the tales of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Morgana Le Fey, and Mordred,” he began, and the sphere began showing pictures of a vast countryside dominated by a castle in the distance and a bustling town built up around it. “They are all true… for the most part. Guinevere did have an affair with Lancelot, but only after Arthur went mad with power. Morgana Le Fey was the evil witch that the story makes her out to be, but she thought she was doing what was in the best interest of the kingdom, and Mordred was Arthur’s son, and he did challenge for the throne. What the stories don’t tell is that there was another son.”
Merlin gestured offhandedly. “But let me start elsewhere. In a small village not more than fifteen miles from Camelot. It was there that a boy grew up, not knowing what his true heritage was. He was raised by a mother, and a father, who had found him upon their doorstep and took it as an omen, as such things were in those times. The boy’s parents raised him well and right, and he soon became a blacksmith, the trade of his father, or at least the person he had come to know as his father.
“This was a time of magic and nightmares however, and the nightmares were becoming all too frequent. One such creature attacked the village, and the boy, showing an unusual amount of courage, stepped up with nothing more than a smithing hammer and smote the creature down. I just happened to be there that day, to see this boy, Galeron by name, act with true and unadulterated bravery and courage.
“I knew then that his father must meet the boy, for Arthur had to know that Mordred was not the only possible heir to the kingdom. You are Galeron, and you stood against Mordred to save the kingdom, and then against your father, Arthur, knowing that what he was doing was mad, that to create a Barrier between the worlds would bring nothing but disaster. And I see now that you know this to be true.” Merlin sat back and watched me.
As I witnessed the images in the sphere and heard Merlin’s words, a flood of memories washed over me. Not exactly my memories, but ones from a life I had once lived. I knew exactly what I was now, and what powers I would eventually control.
I was a Sentinel, more specifically, a Paragon. Not only could I control my element of birth, fire, but I could also manipulate the opposing element of water. While there had been several Sentinels, only those of royal blood, of Arthur’s blood, were Paragons. The other Sentinels were limited to their birth element, but there was still another kind…. I had to think hard for a moment before it came to me. Reavers. They had access to more obscure elements, those of light and shadow, life and death, lunar and celestial. And all Sentinels had a strong charismatic pull, especially to the opposite sex. But I was a Paragon, I was Arthur’s son.
“So you chose me because…? I’m a Pendragon?” I asked, stunned by the revelation.
“Yes. You could say that. Though that worries me.” Merlin gave me an appraising glance. “But that is neither here nor there. Blood is strong, but it is not the primary attachment that you have to the Pendragons. Your soul is that of Galeron. It is your soul, the very essence of who you are, that holds the key that I need, and yours was the only one strong enough to carry it. For now, I need help with preparations, so if you could take that quill and begin etching the circle in that book over there into the wall behind you, I would be most appreciative.” He twitched his fingers in the indicated direction.
The next few weeks I spent as Merlin’s assistant, gathering ingredients, drawing runes and circles, and doing any other errand that would him prepare for a huge ritual. It was long and tedious, but he was bringing down the Barrier, and it hadn’t been created overnight either.
I just hoped he and Lucien were correct, and that MAGE was wrong, or I wou
ld be helping end the world. From what Merlin had told me, and from what I had seen in my own dreams, the Catholic Church had helped erect the Barrier, and MAGE was considered an arm of the Church.
Either way, I was going to help irrevocably change the world, for better or worse.
NINETEEN
The day the ritual was to take place, Talon woke me and led me back to the cavern we had shown up in the first day we had arrived.
“You’ll be needed for the ceremony, and it will need to be uninterrupted. But we both know there are partycrashers on the way to fuck things up. You’ll be the old man’s only line of defense and this is the only unwarded cavern, so anyone wanting to cause problems will show up here,” Talon informed me as he turned back down the main tunnel.
Something didn’t make sense. “Wait. Why not just ward this cavern too, so that no one can enter?”
“Because he’s not all powerful. He has his limits based on the amount of Aether on this side of the Barrier and he needs as much as he can for the ritual. At least this way, we won’t be surprised. The other tunnel is a dead end, I suppose they could appear in there… but I doubt it. Keep your guard up and your eyes open, Rick. I gotta go help in the final preparations. I’ll come for you when you’re needed.” And then he was gone.
Great. I sighed and made my way to the exact center of the cavern, then sat down Indian style and held my arms out to my sides. I let my eyes close, tried to clear my mind and meditate, knowing that Talon was right. Azryel was Baba Yaga’s insurance plan to disrupt the ritual and I needed to be prepared to face Serena’s killer when he showed.
I knew he was there before he even appeared, a subtle shift to the Aether alerting me. I stood and willed my daggers into my hands, igniting them into full fiery sword blades. I conjured my shield around me and used the Aether to augment my speed and strength. This was a fight I knew was coming, and I looked forward to it.
