THE TEMPTING

by D. M. Pratt

  “None of this is real?” Beau asked.

  “What you are about to see from this moment on, defies everything you know,” Aria said. “Beau, I must warn you, when my mother comes through, if she needs my physical body to reinstate hers, she will take it. Hopefully, I get to come back. If not, her name is Evine. Make sure you ask her and she answers to be certain. A.V.?”

  “Hey,” A.V. said. “I’m just here to go with the flow and do as I’m instructed.”

  “Good,” Aria said with a smile. “Are you ready Beau?”

  Beau nodded and the three carefully crossed into the circle, over the pentagram, and sat in the chairs.

  “Aria? Thank you…” Beau said. “… for everything. And if anything happens, promise you’ll tell Eve, I’m sorry and I love her.”

  “You’ll tell her yourself,” Aria said with a brave smile.

  “Place your hands face down on the table. Breathe, slowly and deeply, and when I ask you to, we’ll take each other’s hands. No matter what happens, keep breathing and stay calm. I won’t let anything happen to you. Most important, DO NOT let go no matter what you see happening unless I tell you. Promise me.”

  Both men nodded again and placed their hands palm down on the table.

  Aria struck the tuning fork with the thick gold wand before also placing her hands on the wooden table. The sound that emanated from the tuning fork at the center of the table was as tender and sweet as the singing of a violin. It was warm and filled with mystery and somehow the promise of all things good. They could feel the table vibrating gently under their hands. The sound grew louder and stronger, changing with each breath they took. As the volume increased, the flames on the candles grew brighter and the crystals began to glow and the sound encircled them.

  “Take hands,” Aria said.

  All three of them reached out, intertwining their fingers, Beau with Aria, Aria with A.V., and A.V. with Beau.

  “Evine,” Aria said, her voice clear and commanding. “We are here and we summon you into our world. We ask you to come for reasons you already know, to do things you have already seen. Evine, I, Aria your daughter, calls out to you in love.”

  The lush tone of the tuning fork began to wane, as if it were falling into a vast canyon far, far away. The sound faded until there was nothing except the thick silence of the room. Not even the night sounds from the bayou penetrated the space. It felt as if time had stopped. The candles glowed even brighter and the crystals levitated off the table. Beau exhaled and saw smoke pass through his lips as he noticed the air around them was freezing cold. Beau looked around the table and saw Aria’s and A.V.’s breath flow from their mouths in fine white mist. The crystals hovered for a moment before dropping back onto the table. In unison, the candles extinguished.

  Cast by the glow of the tiny fire, a large black shadow fell across the table. Beau and A.V. exchanged a look and together turned their gaze toward Aria. Her color had drained to a deathly white. Even her eyes, blank and open, had no iris visible. She wasn’t breathing.

  “Don’t touch her,” the voice from across the room said.

  Beau and A.V. turned to see Evine floating before them, her white hair, wild and flowing in the same directionless wind that encircled her when she appeared before Eve.

  “Aria,” Evine said. “Why have you summoned me back into human form?”

  “Kirakin and his demon have possessed this man, Beau, and the woman called Cora,” Aria said.

  Beau and A.V. both noticed Aria’s lips didn’t move even though they could hear her words.

  “I… got away and now I’m asking for your help,” Beau blurted.

  “You are blood kin of the Nephilim, damned by your forefathers. I cannot save you,” Evine said looking at Beau.

  “Then take my life, but save Eve and my son? Please,” Beau begged.

  “Eve has the power to save herself. But the child, like you, is of the Nephilim,” Evine told him.

  Shaken, Beau started to stand.

  “Don’t break the bond!” Aria shouted.

  “And this one?” Evine asked, looking at A.V.

  “You can leave me out of this,” A.V. whispered.

  “You will help this man you love? That’s why your heart says you’re here,” Evine asked A.V.

  A.V. looked at Beau. They had been boyhood friends and Evine had read his heart correctly. Yes, he loved Beau like a brother. In truth, he loved Beau more than a brother, but long ago accepted his love would never be returned in that way. So A.V. took what he could and remained grateful to be Beau’s friend. He’d come to love Eve and Philip as though they were part of his family.

  “Will you fight for him?” Evine shouted at A.V., her voice booming across the room.

  “Hell yes, I’ll fight for him,” A.V. blurted back looking into Beau’s eyes.

  “Will you die for him?” Evine asked.

  There was only a moment of hesitation and A.V., his eyes locked onto Beau’s, said, “Yeah, in a heartbeat.”

  Beau squeezed his friend’s hand in gratitude.

  “If the time comes, keep your promise,” Beau said.

  “He has the heart of a warrior,” Evine told her daughter.

  “Hear that. I have the heart of a warrior,” A.V. whispered to Beau, proud of himself.

  “You will be tested,” Evine said to A.V. “As will you,” she added, looking at Beau.

  “Where is the book?” Evine asked Beau.

  “Book? What book?” Beau asked.

  “Eve must have the book if she is to stop them,” Evine said.

  “I don’t know,” Beau said. “Tell me and I’ll get it. I’ll get whatever you need to help her.”

  “Where are Eve and the children now?”

  “Gone,” Beau said. “It made me drive her away.”

  Evine could see the sadness in his heart. “Forgive yourself. I can see your heart did not betray her because each time your body was no longer yours.”

  “Tell me how do I get possession of my body back from that thing?”

  “You are blood kin of the Nephilim. Your freedom will come only if you can kill Kirakin. With his death, maybe you can be free.”

  “Is that how I can protect my family?” Beau asked.

  “You will know when the time comes. Just be sure,” Evine said.

  “Be sure of what?” Beau asked.

  “Your freedom comes with a price. You will know when the time comes,” Evine said.

  With that Evine turned to dense, gray smoke and blew across the room, slamming into Aria. Aria’s back arched and she screamed as if in excruciating pain.

  A.V. started to reach for Aria.

  “No! Don’t let go,” Beau whispered to A.V.

  They watched as the two entities of smoke and flesh blended into one. Aria fell face first onto the table.

  The candles ignited into a blaze of flame, the crystals rose, glowing, from the table and began to spin. The tuning fork vibrated, its pure tone getting louder and louder until Beau and A.V. thought their ears would bleed. One of the walls vanished and all eyes turned outside to see a brilliant, beatific light as bright as the sun rising from the bayou. It rose from the center of the water, churning and bubbling and from this ball of blinding light, a man appeared. He was at first huge: ten, perhaps twelve feet tall. As the light subsided, he became smaller, perhaps six and a half feet tall. He was beautiful, muscular with features like an Adonis and his skin glowed with an aura of soft blue. In the next instant, Gathian was standing next to the table.

  “Fuck no,” was all A.V. could say.

  “Where is she?” Gathian asked. “Where’s Eve?”

  Evine stepped out of Aria, her human form of flesh and blood intact, leaving her daughter whole. Evine stood as real and as solid as Beau and A.V. Aria’s body collapsed as she fainted. Beau caught her, breaking their hands.

  “You can let go for now. Dis bond ees sealed,” Evine said to Beau and A.V..

  “We’re here,” Evine said to Gathian
.

  “I asked you where she is?” Impatience was ringing in Gathian’s voice.

  Evine closed her eyes and allowed her spirit to reach out into the night.

  “She’s headed to da tower temple. Da others are gathering as well. Da good and bad.”

  “Kirakin is waiting for da full moon. He will be ready for us,” Evine said.

  Gathian turned to look at Beau and a huge sword appeared in his hand. It was silver and gold with a single large emerald in the handle. He swung it back ready to decapitate Beau.

  “Stop!” Evine told him.

  “I can sense Kirakin’s spirit in you,” Gathian said, his sword stilled raised.

  “Dis one say he’s here to help,” Evine said.

  “He can’t help himself. It’s too dangerous to bring him near Eve, especially if she needs to transcend.”

  Beau handed Aria to A.V. and stood to face Gathian.

  “Who are you to tell me I can’t go and protect her?” Beau demanded.

  “I am Gathian. I’m her protector. Who are you?”

  “The man she’s going to marry,” Beau said.

  “Your presence gives her to Kirakin. Better you die here than live as what you will become,” Gathian said as he lifted the sword higher.

  “Stop!” Aria said to Gathian as she weakly stirred in A.V’s arms. A.V. helped her to her feet. “If we can just release the bond your brother holds on Beau, his love for her will be an asset.”

  Gathian lowered his sword and studied Beau.

  “The demon pact that holds this man in his powers was made long ago,” he said and turned to Beau. “It allows Kirakin to exist through the males of your family whenever he needs to enter into this realm. You should know too, in my world, Kirakin was chosen to be Eve’s husband. She rejected him and came to me. To protect her, I hid her here,” Gathian said,

  “But not before you fell in love with her,” Evine said. “Now she hides from you as well as Kirakin.”

  “She knows I won’t harm her,” Gathian said to Evine, then turned back to Beau. “But you are powerless against him. If you stay here inside this field, you might be safe,” Gathian told Beau.

  “And do nothing? No,” Beau responded.

  “You won’t be doing ‘nothing’. You’ll be fighting for your life,” Gathian told Beau.

  “He’s right Beau, your only chance to survive is to stay as far away from this fight as you can,” Aria told him.

  “You’re asking me to run away and leave Eve alone for the rest of my life?”

  “Not if we win this fight. But understand, if you come, you could open the pathway for Kirakin to have her. Those are your choices,” Aria explained.

  “Aria is right,” Evine said.

  Beau paused trying to comprehend the choices he was being given.

  “I… won’t stand by and do nothing,” Beau said.

  “If you’re going to help Eve, Beau and I are going with you,” A.V. said to Evine, Aria and Gathian. “That’s the way it is.”

  Without another word, Gathian, Evine and Aria vanished leaving Beau and A.V. standing alone. The walls and roof that had appeared around them vanished back into the illusion and rain crashed in on them. The storm was suddenly raging. In a matter of seconds they were soaked.

  “What the fuck just happened? Where did they go?” A.V. asked.

  “The only tower I know is at Thibodaux Hospital. Can you take me there? Please?” Beau asked.

  “Oh, hell yeah. This is just getting good,” he replied as they raced through the rain and got into the car.

  Chapter Thirty

  A boiling sun climbed over the city igniting triple digits by eight AM. Blistering heat and mixed with a cold front, signaling the next phase of the approaching storm. Even with the air conditioner on, Mac’s house was still clammy. Eve woke drenched and went into the bathroom to splash water on her face. She looked in the mirror and saw in her eyes a weary sadness and still too many unanswered questions. But she was beginning to understand some of what was happening to her and, for the first time, she had a plan.

  Eve showered and slipped on the light cotton dress the color of periwinkles Mac had picked for her when he went shopping for the kids. It was pretty and it made her feel a little more human. She stopped by the guest room to check on the children. They were still sleeping, their heads touching. Delia was hugging a plush rag doll and Philip held his favorite little red pick-up truck, which she always carried in his diaper bag. They looked so peaceful.

  She quietly closed the door and came downstairs to find Mac sitting at the computer.

  “Anything?” Eve asked.

  “No. Not yet. Maybe she’ll contact us when she arrives,” he replied.

  “She said meet her at the hospital. She’ll know what to do? Won’t she?” Eve asked.

  “She seems to think you know. Why?” Mac asked.

  “I don’t know,” Eve replied. “The last line of her email haunted me all night. She said the book will tell me what must be done.”

  Eve noticed a bag sitting next to him marked anumu.

  “You’ve been out? You found it?” Eve asked.

  “The distributer opened at seven. They carried the largest quantity available in Baton Rouge. I bought a kilo,” Mac said. “I feel like a drug dealer. I wonder if this stuff makes you high.”

  The wheat-colored powder lay spilled across the table.

  “He gave me these. He knew what I needed before I asked,” Mac said as he held up four leather squares and four leather strips.

  He’d scooped a few tablespoons in two of the squares and then one tablespoon in the other two. The smaller obviously for the children.

  “Is this about right?” he asked.

  “I have no idea,” Eve answered.

  They folded the pouches and tied them with the leather thongs. Eve placed one around her neck and one around Mac’s. Together, they took the smaller ones up and placed them around the children’s necks. Then they spilled a line of the powder along the window ledges and in front of the door.

  “Save some,” Eve said. “We might need it.”

  When they finished, they looked around the small room. The scent of the anumu filled the air - pungent and bitter, just like the sulfur from a matchstick that stings your nose when it first begins to burn.

  “Now what?” Mac asked.

  “Mac, I have to go to Dr. Honoré’s and get the book of the Nephilim,” Eve told him.

  “She’s not there,” Mac said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I called and got a recording she would be out of town until Tuesday,” Mac explained.

  “That’s two days away!”

  Eve and Mac sat in silence for a long while. They watched as the children woke and discovered their strange smelling gifts.

  “I’m going over there,” Eve said.

  “And you attained your breaking and entering skills at what boarding school?” Mac replied.

  She stared at him knowing she had zero chance of breaking a lock on a door or window and it was obvious there was an alarm.

  “I know a little about the art,” Mac started.

  “So now we’re adding breaking and entering to aiding and abetting?” Eve asked.

  “Hey, let’s not forget going against a restraining order,” Mac said.

  “What’s wrong, mommy?” Philip asked her.

  “Mommy and uncle Mac …” she said looking at him with a smile, “… have to get into a door that has a lock and an alarm and we don’t have a key or a passcode.”

  “Perhaps a little too much information even for a two year old as special as this one. Don’t you think?” Mac said.

  Philip pondered the words for a while, then reached out his hand and the door to the room blew off its hinges and crashed out into the hallway, slamming down on the wooden floor.

  “Could I do that to help?” Philip said.

  Eve and Mac exchanged a look.

  “How did you do that, Philip?�
�� Eve asked.

  “I thought it and then the door did it. Is that good?”

  “I’m sufficiently freaked,” Mac said.

  “That’s very good, son. Thank you.

  “Philip?” Eve asked.

  “Yes, Mommy.”

  “If you thought about making the lock open and stopping the electricity to the alarm, do you think you could do that?” Eve asked.

  Philip frowned. “How does a lock work?”

  Mac jumped to his feet and gathered the broken door handle and lock that lay in the hall.

  “Like this,” Mac said as he showed Philip how the locking mechanism turned to draw the bolt back.

  “And electricity is a kind of energy that flows through wires. Sometimes they look like this,” she said picking up a white chord that connected to a lamp. “Could you stop the energy from getting from the wall to the light bulb?”

  Eve turned on the light. Philip looked at the cord, the wall, and then the lamp. He scooted off the bed and crossed to take the wire from her hand.

  “You have to be very careful, son. Electricity can be very dangerous. It can hurt you so you have to make sure you never touch the wire part, only the plastic covering.”

  He looked at her and then at the cord. Philip placed his hand around the cord and smiled.

  “I feel it,” he said with a giggle.

  Philip squeezed his little hand and the light bulb dimmed and went dark. He giggled again and released his hand. The light bulb came back on, surging brighter than before until he released the cord.

  “It tickled,” Philip giggled and smiled.

  “You’re amazing,” Eve said, hugging him.

  “You have a very cool kid,” Mac said.

  “Teach me! Teach me!” squealed Delia.

  “After breakfast. First we eat and then we all go on an adventure. Deal!” Eve told the children.

  “Yeah!!!” they clapped.