Atlas (The Atlas Series)

by Becca C. Smith

  Kala’s mind was spinning. Magic? Until two days ago, Kala didn’t believe in an afterlife, let alone freaking magic! If magic was based on belief then Kala would be an epic fail. And now, this woman was telling her that she could actually fight back against both Demons and Malaks, but the only way to do that was to believe. Well, Kala definitely couldn’t deny what was happening to her, but was it the same thing as belief?

  “I’m not sure I’ll be good at this,” Kala voiced her fears.

  Roberta smiled again as she took out the rest of the leather pouches. “Nonsense. I’ll teach you. There’s not much we can do tonight. Magic takes time to learn and I’m good, but I’m not that good. I might be able to show you a few tricks, but you’ll have to rely on the ‘ooze’ gun for now. Guns should be somewhat of a reassurance for you, right?” Roberta said in a comforting tone.

  “You’re going to leave?” Kala logically knew Roberta wouldn’t be able to stay long, but she was feeling the need for a security blanket. Roberta fit the bill alarmingly well.

  “Our visits will have to be limited due to your current ‘status’ with the government. Geoffrey can’t have Harry finding out that I’m meeting with the enemy. We’ll have to meet somewhere new every time, but you need my help, trust me on that.” Roberta appeared very confident in that fact and Kala tended to agree with her. Just seeing Asmodeus as helpless as he was from an injection and a few simple words was proof enough.

  “What if magic isn’t my thing?” Kala asked what she feared most. What if the one defense against Demons and Malaks was something she was incapable of?

  “Anyone can practice magic,” Roberta smiled. “And you’ll get better over time. Remember, this Asmodeus character is the King of the Demons, meaning he’s the most powerful, and if Geoffrey can squeeze an ounce of pain out of him, you’ll be able to do the same.”

  “I hope so.” Kala wasn’t convinced. “Because I’d really like to cause that ass-hat some serious pain.”

  Roberta raised her eyebrow in curiosity. “You don’t like Asmodeus, do you?”

  “That’s an understatement,” Kala confided.

  “Well, I’ll go over everything I can with you, and maybe we can squeeze in some kind of Demon-torture-spell for you to use.” Roberta seemed genuinely pleased at the prospect.

  “I appreciate it,” Kala said gratefully. She was still shocked that she had any help at all. Kala didn’t want to admit to Roberta that she wouldn’t need anyone’s help for much longer anyway. Once the next two days had passed and whatever disaster hit the planet, Kala knew that Roberta and Turner would know that she failed the mission and would want nothing to do with her. As much as Kala liked the woman sitting in front of her, she knew she’d have to pump Roberta for her knowledge and skills and then get out of Dodge fast.

  “I have one more thing here,” Roberta said. She reached into her satchel and pulled out an old leather-bound book that looked like the pages were about to fall out of it. The cover was so faded Kala couldn’t read the title, but she guessed that this book was probably where the “spells” came from. Roberta held the book like it was the Holy Grail: with reverence and delicacy.

  “I have others, but this one focuses on Demon protection. It was written over six hundred years ago after the Black Death ravaged Europe. It speaks of the time of Demons roaming free and feeding off the plague. At first I thought it was more of a metaphor for the disease running rampant. But the spells in here are so specific that I started to wonder if any of the Demon stories were true. I performed some of the spells just to see what would happen: I could feel the power in them, but it wasn’t until I cast this spell that I was certain Demons were real.” Roberta reopened the book to a specific page and handed it to Kala.

  Kala read the title of the spell: Infusing Demonic Essence.

  Whoa. That sounded bad, but Kala had no idea what it actually meant. “What happened when you did it?”

  Roberta carefully took the book back and her eyes lit up from the memory.

  “Exactly what it says: I infused the power of a Demon inside me. I stole its power for a time. It was both terrifying and exhilarating. It only lasted for a short while, maybe an hour at the most, but I realized that the spell must be used in conjunction with other spells to amplify them. Basically, harnessing Demon energy to be as powerful as the Demons are.” Roberta let that last thought hang there a bit.

  “Um.” Kala was at a loss for words. She felt like her brain was going to explode with all this new information. And not just information, but insane-holy-crap-what-the-hell-happened-to-my-life information!

  Roberta didn’t appear fazed by Kala’s reaction at all. She simply placed the book down and reached across the table to touch Kala’s arm supportively. “This is all a bit overwhelming. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but the fact is that Demons are real and they’re coming after you.”

  “Angels, too.” Kala added, not knowing why she needed to add an extra stressor to the already stressed out situation.

  “Angels, too.” Roberta smiled and took her hand away. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing about protecting yourself against an Angel directly, but if we can teach you to harness the Demon energy…”

  Kala cut her off. “No.”

  “No?” Roberta looked at her quizzically. “No what?”

  “No, I don’t want to ‘harness Demon energy’. I don’t want to have anything to do with Demons, let alone take their power. I may not be religious, but it just feels wrong on so many levels.”

  To Kala’s surprise, Roberta didn’t bat an eye. Kala thought she might have offended Roberta by making her protestations, but Roberta simply smiled and gave Kala an encouraging nod. “I’ll let you stew some more on that topic. You may change your mind later down the road. Besides, the spell is far too advanced to learn in a few hours. It would take time, years even, to really learn how to perform it. I just want you to know it’s an option, okay?” Roberta said carefully.

  Kala knew Roberta was only trying to help and she was relieved that the woman wasn’t pressuring her. And Roberta was right, maybe in time, Kala would be desperate enough to want to use a spell like that…

  It doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m not killing Jack, Kala reminded herself. She kept on letting her mind plan for a future of fighting Demons and Malaks as if she were actually taking the Atlas gig. What did it matter if she said yes or no to Roberta if the spell took years to learn? She’d probably never see Roberta again after tonight.

  “Let’s start out small, then. Shall we? I’ll teach you the trick I taught Geoffrey. I’m not sure what it’ll do against an Angel, but it might be enough for you to run away to safety.”

  And so began the next few hours of Roberta teaching Kala all about different herbs and ingredients that were a part of spell-making. At times it felt like Kala was in Chemistry class, the measurements had to be so exact, but after a while, she started to get the hang of all the different meanings of each ingredient. Together they prepared an entire bowl of the black ooze that had incapacitated Asmodeus. The consistency was thick and disgusting, although creating it really did feel more like science than magic.

  It wasn’t until Kala performed her first spell that she realized it was one thing to talk about magic, spells, Demons and Malaks, but it was entirely different to experience it.

  The spell was a levitation spell. Kala always wished she had super powers growing up, so she volunteered to try this one first. She figured if she got really good at it, she could throw everything including the kitchen sink at whoever was trying to attack her. It might not hurt them, but Kala was under no illusions that she could actually hurt a supernatural being. Though Roberta kept insisting that Kala could, Kala just didn’t believe it. Then, after her third try, Kala levitated a nickel. She had to recite the words from the book, which she committed to memory, but it was one of the few spells that didn’t require any concoctions.

  Roberta appeared to be very impressed with Kala’s progres
s (or, at least, she acted like she was). Kala didn’t know if Roberta was just being nice, or if she genuinely thought Kala was doing a good job, but either way, Roberta seemed very happy to have a fellow “magic-friend.”

  After another hour of trying to perfect the levitation spell, Kala was barely able to lift the nickel three inches off the table. But, to Kala’s surprise, Roberta was thrilled, gushing at what a natural Kala was, while Kala felt like a complete failure.

  “A nickel won’t do much damage against a Demon,” Kala vented her frustration.

  “It’s not the object that you’re lifting that I’m impressed with, it’s the spell. Levitation spells are very complicated because of the fact that you have to rely solely on the practitioner. You don’t have potions or herbs to help you,” Roberta said encouragingly. “And you would be amazed at what a nickel could do when moving fast enough.”

  Kala conceded the point. She’d done a lot of damage with far less when out in the field. Maybe in time...

  But, right now, Roberta grabbed the black ooze they’d concocted. “Let’s put this in vials.” She pulled out ten empty vial cartridges specially made for the tranquilizer gun.

  Kala and Roberta worked together to pour the black mixture into the vials. Kala loaded one on the gun, ready for an attack.

  “I should make a holster for this gun,” Kala thought out loud.

  “You’ll find everything you need in that closet.” Roberta nodded to a door under the staircase as she finished filling the vials.

  Kala walked to the closet door and opened it. Inside was gear central: gun belts, holsters, flak jackets, even some extra clothing if she needed it. Though everything was obviously for guys, but Kala would make do.

  “I have clothes for you upstairs, but take what you need,” Roberta said as if reading Kala’s thoughts.

  Grabbing a holster that looked like it would do the trick, Kala brought it back to the table. She picked up the tranquilizer gun and placed it inside the leather cradle. Perfect. Exhaustion finally caught up with Kala. She didn’t think she could keep her eyelids open a second longer. Roberta picked up on this when Kala plopped down on her chair, almost missing it entirely.

  “Let’s get you to bed,” Roberta said softly.

  “No, I need to learn more,” Kala protested weakly, unable to mask the tiredness in her voice.

  “You have enough here to help you survive the next two days. I’ll send word for our next meeting place.” Roberta helped Kala to her feet and led her up the wooden staircase to a small bedroom with a queen-sized bed inside.

  “How will you send word?” Kala wanted to know. If she was trying to stay hidden from the supernatural, she didn’t think Roberta would be able to locate her.

  “I have my ways,” Roberta smiled.

  Kala wanted to ask her more, but couldn’t stay awake. She just needed a few hours rest, then she could think clearly again.

  As soon as her head hit the fluffy feather pillow, Kala fell fast asleep.

  DAY THREE

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kala woke up not knowing where she was. It took her a few moments to figure it out, and when she did, she wished she were back asleep. At least when she was unconscious she didn’t have to accept the reality she was currently living. Glancing over at the alarm clock only solidified that belief as she saw the countdown.

  1d 21h 12m 32s. 8:39 a.m.

  Her heart jumped at seeing a 1 in the day slot. Time was running out and though Kala had vowed not to kill Jack, a part of her still felt the stress of not completing a task. It wasn’t in Kala’s nature to not see a mission through. A part of her was energized by being a rebel and the other part wanted to crawl under a rock from guilt. She didn’t know how she was going to live with herself if something truly horrible happened as a result of not completing her mission. Being trained her whole military career that the good of the world far outweighed a single soldier’s life, Kala hated that she was still struggling with the decision she’d made.

  Killing Jack couldn’t be an option for her.

  The thought of pulling the trigger eased her doubts about that choice. It was not something she was capable of. Besides, Kala still wasn’t totally convinced that anything bad would happen. This whole situation felt more like a fantasy. She wouldn’t believe it until she saw it.

  “Roberta!” Kala called out as she thumped her feet on the floor to get ready for the day.

  When no answer came, Kala noticed a fresh set of clothes lying perfectly folded on the foot of her bed. She quickly dressed herself in the jeans and pull-over sweater and hurried down the stairs to see if Roberta was still there.

  Kala felt a stab of disappointment when she realized Roberta was gone. Roberta was the first person on this whole journey that had made her feel somewhat empowered. Just having a handful full of ooze-ammo and a gun to shoot it with made Kala feel more confident if she ever ran across Asmodeus again. And maybe she could get better at the levitation spell. It might just be throwing things with her mind and a few choice words, but the more she learned, the more it leveled the playing field.

  Kala wondered if other Atlases had known sorcery or magic or whatever. Kala certainly felt like it should be a job requirement, since no amount of mundane weapons or martial arts appeared to have any effect on the supernatural. Kala felt a surge of frustration at that thought. She had worked her whole adult life to be practically indestructible, the best of the best, so much so that she was chosen for Turner and Clifton’s elite team. To be virtually defenseless made Kala’s head implode. It was grossly unfair. At least the tranq gun made her feel a little like her old self. She put on the gun holster and placed the gun inside.

  Kala sighed. She should be used to the unfairness of life, but it always seemed to knock her on her butt whether she expected it or not.

  Still.

  Kala wondered how Roberta was going to make contact once she left this place. Roberta said she “had her ways,” but Kala was losing hope that she’d ever have another encounter with the woman again. There was so much more to learn and Kala didn’t know the first thing about how to figure it out. If Roberta was able to contact her, she probably wouldn’t want to after Kala deliberately failed her mission.

  Kala walked to the refrigerator for breakfast.

  After a giant meal of eggs, bacon and pancakes, Kala felt ready to face the day. A part of her wanted to hole up in this hideout, but she was sure that this wouldn’t be a safe house for long. Staying on the move was the best bet for survival.

  Kala put on a baseball cap and tucked her hair up inside. She figured if General Clifton had her on his radar, he’d use every surveillance camera available. That meant keeping her head down so not even traffic cams could readily recognize her.

  Kala put on her jacket, making sure the holster was out of sight. Grabbing her bag, Kala left the brownstone and headed for a place where she could find a computer. There was a lot of research to do, mainly about Atlas. She was sure most of what she’d find would be the typical mythology stuff, but maybe, just maybe, someone who actually knew about the real job position would have written something over the years.

  A thought hit her like lightning.

  Asmodeus’s words: “You have to die and you have to die by ritual. It’s only because Atlas needs to grow a pair and show himself after 2,000 years of tricking you idiots into doing his job.”

  Something about what he said struck a chord with Kala. If Atlas tricked humans into doing his job, maybe a human could trick him into taking it back. Though Atlas himself had said this wasn’t possible, the thought still made her head giddy with possibilities. But just as suddenly a horrible thought overwhelmed her: if she didn’t kill Jack, then Atlas would. Escaping from the burden of this job wasn’t the answer because the answer was always the same: Jack and a bullet through his head.

  Kala decided to file away what Asmodeus said for another time. It was definitely important information, Kala just couldn’t process it at that moment, n
ot if it meant thinking about murdering her boyfriend.

  Making her way past row upon row of brownstones, Kala reached a busy street crowded with restaurants, stores and, more importantly an Internet café. She picked the closest one to her and paid the clerk for two hours of computer time. She ordered an iced mocha, feeling like she needed a little sugar and caffeine to jump start her day. Sidling up on a bar stool, Kala signed in to the computer with the username and password the clerk had given her.

  After a few agonizingly long moments, Kala was finally on the Internet and felt like an idiot when she typed in “History of Atlas”: almost every page about the history of the atlas books, as in maps. Although she had a moment of feeling justified when she remembered thinking this in the presence of the real Atlas. Most people did think of the map kind of atlas before they thought of the Greek god Atlas. So Kala refined her search to: Greek god Atlas history. She found out right away he was a Titan and that Titans were the first Greek panthenon known as the Elder Gods, just as Atlas had told her. Atlas was a second generation Titan being the son of Iapetus, but Kala wondered if there really was a big difference between first and second generations. Everything she read was all the same: he led a fight against Zeus and lost and his punishment was holding up the world or in some legends guarding the pillars that kept the earth and sky apart, either way he was definitely guardian of the earth. Or at least the guy that kept the earth from crumbling. It made an odd sense, everything that Kala had been told from the real Atlas. The histories were a watered-down version of what was true. In order for the world to function properly, Atlas had the burden of making it happen.

  Now that burden was hers.

  And she was completely ignoring it.

  There were also a couple of pages that said Atlas taught humans astronomy, and a story about how he tricked Hercules into taking his burden…