by F. F. John
What would have happened if one of those serpenti had caught me? Gladys had said something about Lucifer wanting me last night. My heart paced at the possibility of being captured and delivered to the king of hell. Try as I did to convince myself that I was in a bad dream, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things would never go back to normal. I’d seen too much. Still, I told myself to go lie down in my room. Maybe, just maybe, I’d at least wake up feeling more centered and at the next meeting with the client, I would be able to perform to the best of my abilities.
Oh no! The client. I cringed thinking that my unusual behavior may have turned off the Raebon executives. If we lost this client because I saw monsters in suits and dresses, I would lose my job.
I was almost at the hotel elevator when two men walked up behind me. I could see them through the metallic gleam of the elevator’s doors. They came to a stop inches from me and we all waited. An invisible hand squeezed my stomach as my nerves heightened.
The elevator opened with a sharp ping and I walked in, crowding myself by the bank of buttons on the right side of the cube. The other men entered and leaned on the opposite wall. My heart pulsed unsteadily, and I was about to slip out when a man in white traditional attire strolled in, blocking my exit.
The man was an albino with whitish-blond hair. I don’t get to see albinos often and was struck by his pale lashes. I’d never seen eyelashes like that before. His outfit reminded me of an ill-fitting dress with super wide sleeves over matching white pants and brown, leather shoes. In the brief time I’d been in Nigeria, however, I recognized the outfit as an agbada. A few of the men at the dinner last night had them on. The albino adjusted his sleeves over his shoulder and leaned his back onto the wall, standing perpendicular to both myself and the men across from me.
“What floor?” The albino asked with a hint of a British accent.
“Huh?” was all I could reply, and he smiled gently.
“What floor are you going to?”
“N-n-ninth…I mean tenth,” I stuttered remembering that I changed rooms last night.
“You might want to hit the button then, if not, we’ll all stay here.” The albino’s smile widened.
I hit ten as he asked the two men what floor they were going to. Together, they said ten, and the man added, “Well then, it seems we’re all going the same way.”
It was the longest elevator ride of my life. The entire time, I expected the men across from me to attack. With the briefest of glances, I studied them. They were dressed alike and upon closer inspection, I saw they were twins. Both skinny with long faces and intelligent, deep brown eyes. Both had dreadlocks pulled into a ponytail. They wore matching plain white t-shirts and skinny jeans though one had on faded blue denim and the other had on black.
We arrived at the tenth floor and I stepped out first, heaving a sigh of relief. Three steps later, there was a commotion behind me. Spinning around, I watched as the albino man waved his hand effortlessly and sent the twin in black jeans flying into the elevator. He crashed into the back wall and slumped to the floor. His brother, previously on his knees in the hallway, struggled up to his feet from the green carpet, his eyes an endless black. Lips moved with soundless words as he finally straightened his spine.
“Don’t you know your spells have no impact on me, Zwart?” The man in white said with a throaty chuckle. “Ekuro,” he muttered and the twin in blue denim slid backward. The man raised his hand, pointing at the twin and walked forward calmly. He was mumbling words I couldn’t understand. All I could do was stand and watch.
The standing twin began to morph into a zwart. Like the bouncers from Ahas, the young man’s skin erupted in bumps and soon, the telltale yellow puss oozed out. The other twin who had been knocked out on the elevator floor, gave his head a gentle shake as he came to. He started to rise, arms trembling beneath his weight.
“I said your spells will have no impact on me, demon spawn,” the albino bellowed, and his voice bounced off the walls of the wide hallway. “Go back to whatever hole you crawled out from and let the other vermin know that this one,”—he inclined his head in my direction— “is LegionBorn and we will not take kindly to any further attacks on him. Do you understand?”
The young man didn’t respond. Instead, he continued mumbling, and that elicited a long sigh from the older man.
“Clearly we have to do this the hard way.”
In the blink of an eye, the albino stood over the younger man, a hand on his dreadlocks. I watched as the younger man’s eyes widened with fright and his mouth opened into a piercing scream right before he vanished leaving behind the other twin who had finally gotten to his feet. His red eyes were wide with fear and he edged further into the elevator.
I scrubbed at my eyes with my fingers as my brain attempted to catch up with what I’d just seen.
“You won’t forget my message?” The older man asked and the remaining twin nodded violently. “Good, good. Be sure to pass it along.”
The elevator doors slid closed taking the man in faded jeans out of sight.
Spinning on the balls of his feet, the albino pulled out a white handkerchief from somewhere within his oversized sleeves. “Dealing with netherworld creatures can be such nasty work,” he said wiping his hands. “These demon spawn are so hopped up on their strength they forget there are more powerful beings.”
He looked up and must have noticed my mouth was wide open because he added, “You must have seen a zwart before, right?” When I didn’t reply, he gave me a small grin. “Where are my manners, my name is Bode da Silva. No matter how you see it spelled, just remember my name is pronounced baw-day.” He snickered. “Americans see my name and think it is pronounced just like that skier, Bode Miller. Same spelling, but mine has a Nigerian pronunciation. Get it?”
I nodded, mouth still agape.
“Are you okay?”
Again, I nodded.
He stepped in my direction and I scurried backward forcing him to hold up his hands as if surrendering. “Calm down, I’m one of the good guys,” he said slowly. “You just watched me kill a zwart and send one off with a message to let others know you’re not to be messed with, remember?”
I gulped back some air. This is crazy. I made a mental note to schedule an appointment with a therapist when I got back to Washington, D.C. Perhaps he or she could help me make sense of things before I truly lost my mind. At that thought, I felt my knees weaken, and I reached out for the wall.
Bode was at my side in a flash, “Let’s get you to your room. It’s that one over there, correct?” He pointed at the door to my new room and I briefly wondered how he could know but my vision was clouding and the last thing I remembered before the world went black was the ping of my door’s lock as it opened.
***
My lids fluttered open, and I was on my bed in the hotel room. Lifting my head, I found Bode by the window.
“Ah, you’re awake.” He faced me with a warm smile. “Ms. Barrow thought you might need some help and so here I am.” He spread his hands like a game show presenter highlighting some fabulous prize.
“Who’s Ms. Barrow?” I croaked.
“Older woman, sparkling silver hair, round white eyes and feisty?”
“Layla.” So, she sent this man. “But, how exactly did you find me?” I asked sitting up. Last I read, the city had over three million people.
He walked over and pointed at my neck. “The necklace.”
“It has a tracking device in it?” My hands flew to it as my eyes widened in alarm.
“What?” His brows creased in confusion. “No. All I needed to do was cast a spell to track Layla’s essence down. She left a little of it on the necklace. That, and I knew a fancy lawyer would be in the best hotel Abuja has to offer.”
“I’ve heard that a lot,” I mumbled.
“So, Layla says you don’t know your parentage,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “If I touch you, I might be able to figure it out. May I?”
; “I don’t know how comfortable I am having a strange man in my room asking to touch me.”
He squinted at me. “Excuse me?”
“It was a joke.”
Bode’s squint deepened. Folding his arms, he said, “I don’t get it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be sure to not quit my day job.”
“Ah!” His face brightened. “It was a bad joke. Do you usually tell bad jokes?”
With a sigh, I replied, “Only when I’m nervous— “I broke off as he sat on the edge of the bed and placed his palm on my arm.
I felt a surge of energy flare within me and noticed, for the first time, that his eyes were violet.
“Whoa, what was that?” I yanked my arm out of his reach and rubbed my skin to dissipate the strange sensation.
He was frowning when he said, “I need you to leave Nigeria.”
“What? I just got here.”
“You’re not safe and the longer you stay, the more likely you’ll have visitors like the ones I dispatched.”
I realized I shouldn’t tell him about the imagen I dealt with last night. My mind filled with images of her porcelain flesh giving way to decay.
“You were with an imagen last night?” His tone sharpened as he jerked to his feet.
“Please tell me, you just read my aura and not my mind.” I sighed.
“I’m LegionBorn so yes, I can read your mind. As could any higher being like a fallen angel. Lesser beings will need you to think purposefully to interpret your aura.”
Oh no! Not only am I being chased by monsters from the netherworld, but this one reads minds too!
“Correction, this one,”—he pointed at himself— “is not a monster from the netherworld.” He sniffed, seemingly offended. “There’s a significant difference between a demon spawn and a LegionBorn.”
It might not be smart to insult someone who kills demons and can read your mind, Vaughn.
“No, it is not,” he said, irritation filling his expression.
“First of all, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. Second, please stop reading my mind— “
“I can’t. Your thoughts are so op— “
“Third, please explain what a LegionBorn is.”
He shook his head. “I can’t do that. It’s not safe for me to bring you deeper into Celestial matters until I know more about your lineage.”
Flying to my feet, I said, “That’s bullshit! Maybe if you told me what I am, I can figure out a way to stay safe!”
He put his hands out in a placating gesture, encouraging me to calm down. “You don’t understand how unusual this is. A LegionBorn doesn’t reach his or her Becoming night without some foreknowledge. I must consult with others before I can tell you more.”
“And while I wait for that to happen, I could be captured and offered up to Satan on a platter.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me! I was told Lucifer wants me. That’s why all these demon spawn are trying to get me.”
Bode rose slowly and walked back to the window. “This changes things. The child is in more danger than I thought,” he muttered to himself. Still looking out the window, his hands dove into the folds of his outfit and he added, “You really must leave Nigeria. Go back home. Let Ms. Barrow create some protective wards for your home, your car, your office. I can get some Legionnaires to protect you until I get answers.”
“There has to be some way to keep me safe.”
“Sure, if you can get your hands on a macula,” he answered still looking out the window.
I get off the bed. “A macula? What’s that?”
“It is a weapon made from— “he paused to huff and shake his head. “Look, I wish I could get one for you, but they are hard to find.”
“Well, I can’t go home until we land the client I came here for. Besides, I already bombed my presentation this morning when I saw serpenti in the conference room— “
“How many of them?”
“Three.”
“So, you interacted with an imagen last night, three serpenti this morning and two zwarts this afternoon? Can you not see your life is in danger? Is your job more important than your safety?”
His question was a simple one, and I imagined he was waiting for a response in the negative. However, I reminded myself that all the madness must be temporary and when it ended, I would get back to my normal life. I needed to land Raebon Corporation as a client and get one step closer to partnership. These netherworld creatures wouldn’t stop my hustle.
Bode sucked his teeth in a long hiss, pulling me from my thoughts. He must have read my mind because he shook his head in disappointment, “I swear these young people nowadays have absolutely no sense.”
--VIII--
I HAVE NO EXPLANATION WHY, but the rest of my Nigeria trip was demon free. It wasn’t drama-free, however, as Bode showed up everywhere I went. He even managed to infiltrate the executive team at Raebon Corporation attending every meeting and event on my schedule. The serpenti who presented themselves at the first meeting turned their ire on Bode, glaring at him at each interaction. Despite that, he always appeared calm and relaxed, a stance I could never quite replicate.
Bode also managed to become fast friends with Watson, taking him out for several rounds of golf. Somehow, I was always forced to play. I was also dragged to restaurants for dinners and drinks. Within those social events, Bode and I eventually found time to talk in private. Our conversations centered on me asking how I could obtain a macula. He teased that I’d need to find the landing spot of a fallen angel and harvest the amber-colored straion that formed there.
Despite all my questions, his answers didn’t provide much clarity and left me swimming in confusion. Nevertheless, by the time I got back to Washington, D.C., I’d not only avoided demon spawn but avoided Abasi’s offer of a wife. We’d also landed Raebon Corporation as our first Nigerian client.
The minute the plane’s wheels hit the tarmac, I called Lucas and Antonio and asked them to pencil me in for Friday night to celebrate. I’d have invited them for drinks that night but it was a Tuesday and I needed to show up ready for work the next day.
Although we hooked the client, Watson was far from pleased by how I left the first meeting. On more than one occasion, he’d wondered aloud if he’d made a mistake taking me with him, saying one of my coworkers might have been better alternatives.
Knowing I had to impress Watson did one more thing other than push my celebration party to the weekend. It propelled me to get some concrete answers on the other pressing issue in my life. The one that was a matter of life and death—what had I become?
Not too long ago, I was Vaughn Prentiss. A twenty-five-year-old attorney on the rise with the goal of becoming the youngest partner at Cunningham, Trotter & Severn. Fast forward a few days and I’d become Vaughn Prentiss, a twenty-five-year-old who sees monsters and was a LegionBorn and no clue what that meant.
With the latter foremost on my mind, I took a taxi straight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to the Adams Morgan neighborhood.
***
“This thing of yours didn’t stop me from seeing monsters!” I flung the necklace on the table and one end struck the black skull making it rock from side to side.
Layla’s face hardened. “Its job was to keep you safe from them, boy,” she countered and leaned back in her chair after adjusting the skull. “From what I understand, it helped you kill an imagen, revealed three serpenti and sent you Bode exactly when you needed him.”
I scoffed. “Look, I clearly need something stronger. I almost lost my job because of these damn monsters.” Lowering myself into the seat across from her, I continued, “I need to stop seeing them.” The bridge of my nose wrinkled, not just from my irritation at the under-performing trinket, but also the very smell of her shop, which clawed its way into my senses.
She was about to speak when a man entered the shop, chimes announcing his arrival. He stared at me, eyes widening only sli
ghtly then turned to the card reader. “Are you Layla Barrow?” When she nodded, he said, “Bode said someone you know might need my help.”
Layla shifted in her seat. Her hands formed tight fists and then opened, repeating the sequence over and over. I studied the man. He looked normal as far as I could tell. No crazy disfigurations that would normally have me searching for the closest exit. He wore a dark suit that looked black until the light streaming through the windows revealed it to be a very deep gray. A soft blue shirt was closed to the second to last button. He had no tie, seeming to prefer a relaxed, yet suited look. “Bode sent you?”
“Yes, he did.” The man’s accent was undoubtedly European, though I couldn’t tie it to a specific country.
“All right, then. Come a little closer. Let me touch you.” Layla instructed, and he complied. I remember when I let her touch me. That spark of energy I felt was what led me to this point.
She soon gasped and pulled her hands away. They folded and unfolded in between her wiping them on the skirt of her dress. Shuddering, she pointed at me and in a shaking voice, said: “He’s the one you’re here for.” She stood and wandered off behind the beaded curtain.
“Whoa!” I put my hands up and stood. He might not look like the netherworld creatures I’d encountered in the last few days, but that didn’t mean I trusted him or wanted him to be here for me. “I’m not going anywhere with you and I’m not letting another strange person touch me. Seems to me whenever that happens, things go wrong.” I tried to control my new impulse to dash out the door.
The man didn’t move and our eyes locked. Something about him was familiar though I was certain I’d never seen him before. Still, those brown eyes and his firm jaw made me think I’d run into him somewhere.
It seemed like hours passed before the man broke the stare-down by saying, “Hello. My name is Caleb Engel and I’m a friend of Bode’s.”
He stretched out his hand, but I didn’t take it. “Like I said, I’m done letting strangers touch me.”
