by Amy Cross
I shake my head. “Of course not.”
“And you are ready to be a mother to the thirteenth demon? To raise it and teach it about its heritage?”
I nod.
“There will be those who seek to kill the child,” he continues. “They won't understand its power, and they'll fight tooth-and-nail to keep my species from surviving. Like your father, and like the ancient rulers of Karakh, they will believe that nothing should ever replace them. Fortunately, our child will be too strong, and nothing will prevent its rise. The thirteenth demon will lead to a fourteenth, and a fifteenth, and then hundreds, thousands more. Finally, the demon race will sit astride all of existence, creating its own race and populating the stars with a generation of demons that will be more powerful than any that ever came before. This is how we shall survive. Not through immortality, but through strength.”
I can't help smiling.
“You like that idea?” he asks.
“I love it,” I tell him, although I can't shake the feeling that the scream in the back of my mind is getting louder. “I'm so glad you were finally able to return and put your plan into action. If only the other demons had listened to you millions of years ago, there would have been no -”
“Quiet,” he replies, pressing a finger against my lips. “Don't worry about the past. Only look toward the future, Abigail. I think perhaps the fates always meant my species to reach this point.”
“But -”
“You have lived your whole life in service to things that happened before you were born,” he adds, interrupting me. “Your parents, your heritage, your species... Don't you want to shrug all of it from your shoulders? Don't you want to take that weight and let it fall away?”
“I never thought I could,” I whisper.
“You must,” he replies. “Close your eyes and feel it leaving your soul.”
Doing as I'm told, I take a deep breath and realize that he's right: I can feel the weight of history lifting away, scale by scale, until it's almost as if I'm a new person. Reaching down, I place a hand on my belly and try to imagine the new life that even now is starting to grow. Every time a flicker of concern or doubt crosses my mind, it's quickly cast aside by thoughts of the future. A moment later, however, I hear a gasp and I turn to see that Damos is once again close to collapse, and that this time the blue light beneath his skin is pulsing.
“What's happening to you?” I ask. “You're not... I mean... You can't already be...”
“I took the energy of the other demons,” he stammers, “to prolong my own life, so I could live to complete my task. Now the energy is dying inside my body, and it will either wither away to nothing or flare up in one final burst of power. I suspect the latter. You will be safe, Abigail. I will ensure that nothing can possibly hurt you while you're carrying our child, but the release of energy might well be enough to destroy half this land.”
“Let me help you,” I tell him, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever you need, I can do it. I can give it to you.”
He tries to say something, but he's clearly in too much pain. Instead, he places his hand on my belly again.
“I feel it,” he stammers finally. “A new life, just hours old but already forming. Full of potential. The strongest parts of the demon empire, and the strongest part of the vampires. My species has never reproduced before, Abigail. There were twelve of us, the same twelve all the time, and ultimately that was our weakness. Finally, the original twelve are gone and the thirteenth demon is ready to rise.”
“I feel it too,” I whisper, smiling even though another part of my soul wants to scream. “I... It's a good thing, isn't it?”
“It's more than that,” he tells me. “It's the greatest moment in all of creation. First came the time of the demons, then came the time of myriad species all vying with one another, and now comes the time of a new life-form. This is the change that the whole universe needs. You'll understand more fully, as soon as you see the child's face.”
I open my mouth to argue with him, to tell him that he's insane, but something holds me back. It's as if, every time I'm about to criticize him or question his plan, something jolts my mind and forces me to agree with whatever he's saying.
“That sounds wonderful,” I say after a moment, even though I know that's not really what I think, not deep down. My thoughts aren't even my own anymore. “I'm just honored that you chose me to carry the grail child. I hope I'm worthy.”
“I saw you in a vision once,” he whispers.
“When?”
“When time itself was new. I didn't understand who or what you were, but I saw you.”
I feel a shiver pass through my chest. “It's hard to believe that's even possible.”
“Now, however,” he continues, “you must prove yourself to me one final time. Two intruders have reached the depths beneath the old palace, and they cannot be allowed to interfere in any way with the final moments of the plan. They cannot hurt either of us, they are already too weak for that, but I need you to end their miserable lives. I cannot do it myself, it pains me to admit this but I have become too weak.” He places a hand on the side of my face, and I swear I feel tenderness in his touch. “Can you do this one final thing for me, Abigail? Can you deal with these transgressors?”
Staring into his eyes, I realize I can hear a voice screaming at the back of my mind, struggling to get free. At the same time, it's not hard to push that voice down, to make it inaudible beneath the calm sense of purpose that seems to be radiating from Damos and filling my soul. The blue light beneath his skin is less bright than before, as if it has slowly begun to fade, and at times I think I even see his strength ebbing. Before these doubts have a chance to grow, however, he leans closer and kisses me, and I let the kiss linger until finally he pulls back.
“Do this for me,” he whispers. “Do it also for our unborn child, so that it might feel strength even now, in its first moments.”
“Of course,” I reply, getting to my feet with a great sense of purpose in my chest. Heading to the door that leads out of the old chapel, I stop for a moment and glance back at Damos, only to see that he is already leaning against the altar again, as if his strength is fading fast. He looks so troubled, as if the effort of speaking to me has drained him, but suddenly – from nowhere – I start to smile.
This is just how things have to be.
As soon as I step out into the corridor, I realize I can sense Jonathan and Emilia coming closer. The screaming voice in the back of my head is calling out, telling me not to do this, but that's the voice of the old Abby, of the Abby who still clung to the past. She was pathetic and weak, and lost in the world. The new Abby has been calmed by Damos and sees the power of the future; the new Abby is ready to push forward and wipe away the past. She has a purpose. Reaching down, I place a hand on my belly.
“Don't worry,” I tell the unborn child. “This is all for you.”
A moment later I hear footsteps nearby, and I turn just in time to see Jonathan and Emilia stopping up ahead, their faces filled with shock when our eyes meet.
Emilia
“What the hell is that creature?” Jonathan whispers, his voice filled with tension.
“I'm not sure,” I reply, watching as the ravaged, bloodied thing takes a faltering step toward us. With one hand reaching out to steady itself against the wall of the passageway, it has its other hand clamped across its belly, while wide eyes stare at us from a face that has been carved open. “I've never seen anything like it before,” I continue, “but at the same time it seems almost...”
A shiver passes through my chest.
“Familiar,” I whisper, “but... It can't be...”
“Whatever it is,” Jonathan mutters, stepping forward, “we have to kill it.”
“Wait!” I grab his arm, while still trying to make sense of the conflicting impressions that are running through my mind. “Can't you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“Its
thoughts,” I continue, “they're so conflicted. Whatever this thing is, there's chaos in its mind and...” I step past Jonathan, watching as the creature continues to limp toward us. “I've seen it before,” I add. “Or maybe not seen it, but felt it or been around it or -”
Suddenly the creature lets out an angry hiss, baring rows of sharp teeth, and I instinctively take a step back.
“What is it?” I mutter, as my mind races with all the possibilities. “I sense...”
The creature hisses again, although this time it stumbles a little, almost losing its footing.
“We have to get past this thing and find Abby,” Jonathan says firmly. “We don't have time to waste here. We can kill something without knowing what it is first.”
“I guess that's our only option,” I reply, as the creature comes even closer. “Still, it's a pity to -”
Before I can finish, the creature lunges at me, grabbing my throat and slamming me into the wall. Startled by its speed, I barely have time to reach up and push its face aside, narrowly avoiding a bite to the neck. Whatever this thing is, it seems to have the instincts of a vampire. I try to wriggle free, but the creature is too strong and it leans down toward me again; I'm not certain I can force it back a second time, but fortunately Jonathan grabs it by the shoulders and hauls it off me. Kicking and screaming, the creatures twists around and bites his arm, forcing a cry of pain from his mouth as he slumps back.
“Tough little thing, huh?” I mutter, reaching out and grabbing the creature, wrapping my arm around its neck in the hope of holding it in some kind of choke. The damn thing struggles again, exhibiting way more strength than I could ever have expected, but I'm just about able to drag it away from Jonathan.
“Whatever it is,” Jonathan stammers, clutching his damaged arm, “it's taken a decent chunk out of me.”
Suddenly the creature slips free of my grip and turns to me, hissing as it bites down hard against my neck. I fall back, momentarily too weak to force it away, but Jonathan grabs the creature's shoulders and together we're just about able to force it to the ground, while I tear my shoulder from its jaws. Reaching out, I grab a rock and raise it up high, ready to bring it crashing down against the demon's face. I've faced a lot of enemies over the years, some stronger than others, but I've never yet met a creature that can't be beaten by a good old-fashioned skull-crushing. Some just take more time than others.
Swinging the rock down, I hit the creature's cheek. It cries out in pain but I don't stop, raining down blow after blow until I feel its cheek starting to break. I keep hitting it, filled with a furious drive to make the monster pay for biting my neck, and finally I'm certain that just a few more strikes will -
Suddenly I freeze.
Beneath me, the creature looks weak now, its eyes filled with pain and fear, but something seems strikingly familiar about its face. I tilt my head slightly, telling myself that I must be wrong, that this is just some kind of trick, but after a moment I lean a little closer and try to listen to its thoughts. There's chaos in its mind, and a kind of overriding hatred, but there's also something else, something deeper down, something screaming and calling out and...
“What are you waiting for?” Jonathan asks.
“Look at its face,” I say breathlessly, as the creature squirms in my grip, trying to get free.
“I'd rather not.”
“Look closely!”
I wait as he leans toward the creature, and after a moment I hear a faint gasp from his lips.
“Abby?” he whispers.
“Abby,” I reply.
“But what...” He pauses, clearly shocked. “What happened to her?”
“No idea,” I tell him, as she continues to try pulling free, “but I'd bet good money that it's something to do with the demons.”
“She barely even looks...” Another pause, as he stares at her withered, almost rotten face. “I mean, she's almost unrecognizable. It's like she's been transformed.”
Looking down at Abby's hands, I see that they're resting on her belly, almost as if she's trying to protect something. “It's been ten years since we last saw her,” I point out after a moment. “A little longer, even. I have no idea what she's been through in all that time, but it's pretty obvious that it must have changed her and -”
Suddenly she slips loose and tries to bite me again. I force her back down, pressing against her throat with almost enough force to suffocate her, but I can't bring myself to strike the final blow. I used to dream about killing Abby Hart, but now I'd do anything to save her.
“Abby,” I say firmly, “listen to me. You have to still be in there somewhere.”
I wait, but I see only hatred in her eyes.
“Abby,” I continue, “do you recognize us? This is your brother, Jonathan, and I'm your old pal Emilia. Remember?”
Again I wait, but there's no hint of recognition in her angry gaze.
“This is hopeless,” Jonathan mutters. “The old Abby is gone.”
“She's still in there somewhere,” I continue, not breaking eye contact with the ravaged creature. “I can sense her mind screaming out, but something has leaked in there and it's suppressing her real thoughts. It's almost like mind control, something seems to -”
Before I can finish, the whole passageway starts to shudder, bringing small chunks of rock raining down on us. Looking toward the darkness ahead, I realize that there's the faintest glow of light coming from one of the other chambers.
“What's he doing?” I ask, looking back down at Abby. “Did he send you out here to distract us, is that it? Is he so weak, he can't even fight a vampire and a spider?”
She hisses at me, as if she's angered by my show of disrespect for her new master.
“No offense, Abby,” I continue, “but you look like crap and your hair is a mess. Is this really how you want to die? Writhing and hissing on the floor, while -”
Again the passageway is rocked by a powerful force, and I turn to Jonathan.
“I don't think Abby's our biggest problem right now,” I tell him. “I think our biggest problem is an angry, dying demon who wants to finish setting up some kind of plan.”
“So what's the good news?” he asks.
“The good news is that I don't think he's nearly as powerful as he'd like us to think.” Looking back down at Abby, I realize that as soon as I let go of her throat, she'll attack us again. I pause for a moment, trying to work out what the hell I can do to fix all of this, but finally I realize that the answer is obvious. “I'm beautiful,” I say after a moment, turning to Jonathan.
He frowns. “You're... I'm sorry, what?”
“I'm gorgeous,” I continue, forcing a smile. “Remember that, okay? Look at me right now and promise you'll always remember my pretty, pretty face.”
“I... Emilia...”
Before he can say another word, I lean close and kiss him with all the passion I've got left, while still holding Abby down with my left hand. The kiss lingers for a moment, before I pull back and look down at Abby's squirming body.
“I'd kiss you too,” I tell her, “but to be honest, you're looking kinda yucky right now.”
Grabbing Jonathan's hands, I force him to take a grip on his sister's throat.
“So remember how good I looked in my human form,” I continue, stepping back as I feel the dark mass starting to twist in my gut. “I guess I got kinda comfortable like this. I should've spent more time in my real form, but I just enjoyed the way humans found me beautiful. 'Cause I am beautiful, and -”
I let out a gasp of pain as I feel myself starting to change. I haven't transformed very many times in my life, preferring to spend long periods in my humanoid form, but right now I need to unleash the spider in my soul. The slit in my belly is being forced open by the emerging fangs, and I can already feel my huge, strong spider legs starting to uncurl, forcing their way through my flesh. I turn with my human face and take one final look at Jonathan, before closing my eyes and transferring my vision to the eight e
yes that are poking out through my belly. Now that the change has begun, it's hard to believe that I let myself remain so cramped and folded-up for all that time, and my spider form seems so completely natural. My mind is flooding through my body, filling every fiber of my being as I embrace my true self.
Finally, once I've completed the change, I stand in the passageway, towering above Jonathan and Abby, resting on my eight firm, powerful legs. Turning my face, I see utter shock in Jonathan's eyes, but I guess I can't blame him.
After all, no matter how beautiful I was in my humanoid form, I'm utterly divine as a spider.
Clambering over them both, taking care not to knock them unconscious with the swing of my legs, I start crawling along the passageway. If I was still in my human form, I'd probably come up with all sorts of hilarious quips and comments, but none of that really seems to matter right now. I'm a spider, I'm the last spider, at least of this size and power, and in my mind's eye I'm already replaying over and over again the moment when the rest of my species died at the gates of Karakh. Their pain and suffering has to be avenged, and when I reach the door to the next chamber I have to lean down to see through into what appears to be a chapel.
Suddenly something strikes me from behind. Feeling a flash of pain, I turn and see Skellig lunging at me again with a knife.
“I know who you are!” he sneers. “How does it feel to be the last of your kind, Emilia?”
“Skellig!” another voice calls out. “It's too late! The plan is already in progress.”
Turning, I see another demon at the far side of the chapel. I guess he must be the great Damos, but before I can react I feel more slashes against my abdomen.
“Die!” Skellig shouts, but I quickly slam him against the wall with a quick leg-flick.
