Soul Eater

by Billy Baltimore

  “I know your guilt and it has drawn me to you,” the demon goddess said.

  The words stopped Emma cold and she tried to focus.

  “You’re Ammit,” she said.

  Ammit’s face lit up.

  “Yes, That is my name. It is who I am,” she said, producing a large feather in one hand.

  Emma watched the feather a second, then stared into Ammit’s eyes.

  “I know that guilt draws you. What was the chief guilty of, being a pampas ass?” she said.

  Ammit turned her head ever so slightly back to the house, then smiling, looked back at Emma.

  “What was his guilt still is. Your guilt is stronger, pulls me from him to you,” she said.

  Emma felt her skin grow cold. Knowing filled her mind.

  “Yeah, well, no surprise there. I liked disco in the 70’s. I dare you to hold still when Staying Alive comes on. Can’t be done,” she said.

  “And will you, Emma Spaulding?” Ammit said, coming closer, a smile almost soothing on her face.

  Emma took a step back. The move surprised her and she tried to steel her resolve.

  “Will I what?” she said, willing her self from retreating even another inch.

  Ammit, still smiling, still holding the ostrich feather, held it before her like a flower, caressed the plumage.

  “Be staying alive,” she said, raising her eyes from the feather and studying Emma.

  Emma brought the knife up behind her back, wanting to conceal it till the last possible second, visualized the way her arm would move in a downward thrust.

  “Well, everybody dies, I guess, but you know, survival instinct and all, I think my odds are pretty good,” she said, hoping her words sounded more courageous than she felt.

  Ammit seemed undeterred. She continued to advance and it was everything Emma could do to just stand still.

  “Yes, Emma Spaulding. Everybody dies and everybody is guilty,” Ammit said, reaching out with her free hand and placing it on Emma’s chest.

  Emma dropped her hand from behind her back, readied it at her side. An upward thrust now in her mind, her muscles tightening to strike.

  “Do you know what your guilt is Emma Spaulding? Do you know why I am drawn to you?” Ammit said.

  Emma felt her resolve waver, her muscles relax. The one thing that ate at her since that first day and every day since came spilling from her mouth.

  “I—It… My partner. Sully. It was my fault. It should—It should have been me,” Emma said, her arms now hanging limply at her sides, the knife forgotten.

  Some part of Emma knew this day was coming, knew that one way or another the bill would come due. All the fight in her drained away and a cold resolve replaced it. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

  Seconds ticked away and Emma waited. The demon goddess spoke.

  “No, Emma Spaulding. That is not your sin. That is not the guilt that draws me to you above all others, now. Your guilt is squandering the life another’s sacrifice gave you. His sacrifice was his choice. Squandering every day after it was yours. For this I judge you,” Ammit said.

  Emma felt the pulling at her chest, felt the fingers begin to clench. Ammit’s words spun in her head, looking for purchase, it was a new thought to her and she reached out for their meaning with her mind.

  “His sacrifice a gift"

  Emma flinched, the words like a slap to her face and she saw more clearly what she had to do. The muscles in her arm again tensed, the grip on the knife made her knuckles white. She opened her eyes and stared into the face of her judge. The demon’s expression serene, her purpose fulfilled. Emma Spaulding raised her arm and fulfilled her own purpose, a flash of ivory, Ammit’s own hand still clutched to Emma’s chest, Emma’s hand falling away from the ivory blade now sunk into Ammit’s. The demon goddess flinched, her serene expression gone in an instant, a piercing scream of realization and she transfigured, from demon goddess to dry mummified husk.

  Sight and sound came back to Emma by degree, the flashing police lights, red and blue, the communal exhalation of a hundred cops, the slow shuffle of the Chief of Police exiting his house, every eye upon her.

  16

  Emma leaned against the hood of her P.O.S and waited. Adelaide had called, wanted to meet her at the entrance to the row. As she waited, she looked around. Everything looked different somehow. She felt different, too. Lighter, like a weight had been lifted. Just at the edges was the darkness. She could use a drink and Sully was still gone, but something was different. She didn’t have time to contemplate any further, Adelaide came toward her, swiftly walking, calling her name.

  Emma pushed herself off the car and walked to meet her friend.

  “Addy? What’s going on?” she said.

  The two women stopped and faced each other. Adelaide seemed concerned about something. Emma noticed a paper in her hand. Adelaide raised the page and held it out to Emma.

  “Oh, Emma. I’m so sorry, but I just thought I should be the one to tell you, and in person,” she said.

  Emma stared at Adelaide for a second, not taking the paper.

  “Addy? What’s wrong? What is this?” she said, finally relenting and taking the sheet.

  Adelaide turned her head and bit her lip, looked like she was about to cry.

  “Just read it, Emma,” she said.

  Emma stared at her friend a moment more and then looked at the paper.

  “Hereby and forthwith, by the authority of the governing council of Conjurer’s Row, let it be known—Addy, what is this all about?” she said.

  Adelaide turned away, her back to Emma.

  “I tried to talk them out of it. I truly did, Emma, but their minds were made up. There was nothing I could do,” she said.

  Emma stared at the back of Adelaide’s head, the fiery red hair looking brighter than ever in the afternoon sun. Emma started reading where she left off.

  “let it be known a fine has been levied upon one Emma Spaulding, to be paid in hard currency upon receipt of this notice for the misdemeanor crime of littering and public endangerment by way of flung object—Dammit, Addy, are you going to tell me what this is about or not?” she said.

  Emma could only watch as Adelaide’s shoulders began to quiver.

  “They’ve levied a fine against you, Emma,” she said.

  Emma furrowed her brow and tried to think.

  “For what? I’m not allowed in the row. I haven’t assaulted any jammers since the flower guy, whatever his name was. Wait, a fine? How much?” Emma said.

  Adelaide didn’t say anything. She covered her face with her hands, her back still toward Emma, her shoulders shook with more intensity. Emma started to worry.

  “Addy? Are you all right? Geeze, I didn’t mean to make trouble for you, tell me what I can do to make it right,” she said.

  At this, Adelaide spun around, causing Emma to take a step back in surprise.

  “You can pay the bleedin’ fine, is what you can do,” Adelaide said.

  Emma looked at Addy, tried to read her face.

  “Okay, okay. How much is it? I mean I don’t have much, anything really since… but it’s okay, I’ll try and work something out. Just tell me what I owe,” she said.

  At this, Adelaide broke out into a fit of laughter. Emma felt more off balance than ever.

  “For the bottle, Emma. You threw a bottle into the row and it shattered. Someone could have been hurt,” she said.

  Emma gave Adelaide a stern look.

  “And that’s funny, why?” she said.

  Adelaide put her hands on her hips and looked aghast at Emma.

  “Cause the fine is a whopping five dollars, Emma. The governing council is nothing if not pretentious,” Adelaide said.

  It took Emma a second, but then she smiled.

  “Got it. Right here,” she said, pulling a crumpled five dollar bill out of her pocket.

  “Some civilian gave it to me right here, probably around the time I was chucking that bottle do
wn the row,” she said.

  Adelaide stared at the five dollar bill, dabbing her eyes.

  “Go on, take it. It’s the last of it,” she said.

  Adelaide took the money, then paused.

  “The last of it? But I thought you got paid a handsome sum from those museum people, for, you know, taking care of their little problem,” she said.

  Emma nodded.

  “Sure, was the highest fee I ever collected. Got half up front. Ahkbar paid me the other half on his way out of town,” she said.

  Adelaide looked at Emma questioningly.

  “So… Oh, Emma, no. Please tell me you didn’t buy booze with all that money,” she said.

  “No! Damn, Addy. I may be a drunk, but I’m not a lush,” she said.

  Emma crossed her arms and plopped down on her hood, feeling a little miffed by her friend’s accusation, however well intentioned.

  Adelaide came and sat down next to Emma.

  “So, what happened, then? Why don’t you have any money?” she said.

  Emma didn’t look at Adelaide right away.

  “Kinda stupid, really. Just dumb luck is all it is,” she said, hesitating.

  When Adelaide only waited for her to continue, Emma looked over at her.

  “Well, it was the ivory. I guess the game warden found out I had it, saw me with it on the news. Let’s just say, the fine for the bottle wasn’t the first I had to pay,” she said, smiling.

  Adelaide pursed her lips.

  “So how much was it?” she said.

  Emma looked straight ahead, toward the row.

  “Well, let’s see. I made five thousand from the museum people, and the fine for the ivory was… oh yeah, five thousand,” she said, suddenly finding it all very funny.

  Adelaide watched her for a moment, then she too broke into a laugh.

  “Easy come, easy go, I guess,” Adelaide said.

  “Yup, if you consider going toe to toe with a demon goddess easy,” Emma said.

  When their laughter abated, Adelaide took hold of Emma’s hand, clutching it in her own.

  “Well, the fine is not the only news I have and this bit is better. The restraining order has been lifted. You’re free to terrorize the row once more. So, as soon as you get another five dollars you can chuck another bottle from inside the row this time,” she said.

  Emma looked at Adelaide, her face asking the question.

  “Well, it seems that the esteemed Mr. Corpus wasn’t so innocent after all. Those flowers he planted? They were laced with a potion, something akin to a summoning spell. Seems folk would catch the scent and then wander quite unawares to a particular location far and away from the public eye where Corpus would pick their pockets clean,” Adelaide said.

  Emma shook her head and laughed.

  “Yeah, well, I wish I could say I told ya so, but honestly, it was my own drunken rage that set me on him, not my sharp investigative intuition. I need to make some changes, Addy. I know that now. Maybe always have,” she said.

  The two women shared a meaningful silence, such as can be had only between close friends.

  “Well, Emma, that shows a level head and a pure thought not many people ever have, human or supernatural,” Adelaide said, squeezing Emma’s hand, then pushing herself off the hood. She turned and faced her friend.

  “Come, Emma, come with me to my place and let’s celebrate all this good fortune with a cup of tea,” she said.

  Emma hopped off the hood and took Adelaide’s hand as the two strolled toward the row.

  “Well, you may want to rethink your appraisal of my level head,” Emma said.

  Adelaide cocked her head at Emma.

  “I know what I need to do now and it’s been a long time coming,” Emma said.

  “Yeah, Emma? What do you need to do?” Adelaide said.

  Emma flashed her best pirate smile.

  “I need to break into Super-Max.”

  About The Authors

  Under Cover, But Not Under Wraps

  Hello. Hemisphere Books would like to introduce to you four undercover authors. “Undercover authors?” you might wonder. What exactly, does that mean? Simply that Billy, ‘G’ (he refuses to tell us what the ‘G’ stands for), J.J., and Kitt are established authors under real names… but their fans aren’t particularly fond of the paranormal and fantasy genres.

  So one day, when Billy came up with the idea for Hemisphere and asked if we were interested in writing in that wonderfully weird world, the rest of us said, “Hell yeah!” And when J.J suggested we hide out from our current fan bases by taking on pen names, the guys said, “Hell, yeah!”

  And here we are.

  Calamity Or Death By Misadventure

  Anything Can Happen

  A Paranormal Detective with a chip on her shoulder and a parrot for a partner. A chain smoking guardian angel protecting the righteous from things that go bump in the night. A time traveling romance and a day that just won’t seem to end. How about a suited up vigilante who has all the right tools to put down demonspawn? He lets his fingers do the talking. And all that is just for starters.

  Welcome to Hemisphere, where anything can happen, and something always does.

  Don’t miss a thing.

  http://www.subscribepage.com/d8n7d2