by F. F. John
“You don’t look too great.” He gave me a quick glance, turning back to load pancakes onto a plate.
“Thanks. You’d look like crap too if the prospect of your death was hanging over your head.”
Bode strolled into the kitchen. “Good morning, gentlemen.” He opened the fridge, pulling out a bottle of orange juice.
“Morning,” I said. “Can someone distract me, please? I can’t stop thinking about the prophecy and it’s driving me nuts.”
“You’re going to be fine, Vaughn,” the albino clapped me on the shoulder as he walked over to a cabinet and brought out three glasses. “We stayed up all night fortifying the house. Nothing can get in or out.”
I took the glass of juice he offered. “Thank you.”
He nodded and took a seat.
“Caleb, tell me about Rebecca.”
He stiffened for a few seconds before placing strips of bacon on a paper towel-lined dish. “Rebecca is phenomenal. When I met her, she was a volunteer at homeless shelters and had a natural spirit for taking care of people.” He turned from the stove, his lips curling into a sad smile. “You look a lot like her, you know?”
A sharp pain stabbed at my chest.
“Let me tell you about Engel Enterprises.” He shut off the stove with a twist of a knob and brought dishes of food to the dining table.
“What’s that?” I stabbed at two pancakes and transferred them to my plate. Grabbing the maple syrup, I doused my breakfast. It might not be healthy but that was the least of my worries.
“It’s a company I created decades ago. It hires Legionnaires, providing them a job that allows them the semblance of a normal human existence.” He slid onto a seat at one end of the table. “We’ve got offices across the globe and I hope that eventually, you’ll consider joining the company. As my son and as a LegionBorn, there is a place for you there.”
Beside me, Bode shifted in his seat and grabbed his juice, taking a sip.
My hands gripped onto the cold fork and knife, both of which hovered above my plate. I could barely see the food before me. “Thanks, but right now, all I can think about is making it past tonight.”
The burdened silence was interrupted by heavy thudding. “Where y’all at?”
“In here, Ms. Barrow!” Bode called to her.
When she entered the kitchen, all memories of anger dispersed. They were replaced by a cold dread wriggling in my chest. The woman’s silver hair was a wild halo around her head. Her eyes, cloudy-white, were wide with terror. Deep lines spread across her forehead.
I realized I wasn’t the only one whose fear had spiked as both Caleb and Bode leaped from their seats. “What is it?” Caleb demanded.
“I had a vision and…it wasn’t good.” Layla wrung her hands moving from foot to foot.
I stood. “What kind of dream was it?”
Her unseeing gaze fell on me and my breath hitched.
Bode pulled out a chair and guided her into it. “I just had a vision, and you were on the ground,”—she looked right at Caleb— “you were dying. Lucifer was laughing and this one,”—she jerked a thumb at me— “was on his knees.”
“Fine, you had a dream—” I started.
Her expression tightened. “I said I had a vision. That’s very different, boy.”
“Ms. Barrow is legendary for her visions,” Bode said. He lowered himself back into his chair, shoulders sagging in a defeated fashion. His hand trembled as he reached for his juice. “I’m afraid we must take what she’s seen seriously.”
“Fine. What does it mean?”
Nobody responded. Each looked on, their faces set in a concerned frown.
Chin in hand, Caleb’s eyes narrowed in contemplation. “Visions change all the time,” he murmured.
“Sure, but not when there’s so little time on the clock,” she countered.
“He told me my power would be his when he killed me.” All three pairs of eyes fell on me.
“That’s why he wanted to wait until the super moon,” Caleb moved to a window overlooking the grassy knoll beyond. A brood of chickens pecked at the ground in the distance. “If he kills my son during such a powerful celestial period, he’d increase his powers…”
“And become even more powerful before his appointed time,” Bode added.
“More powerful than he is already?” I asked, my voice croaking.
“Yes,” Caleb said. “Humans would never stand a chance against him and the world would descend into darkness. Father would be very angry, and it would all be my fault.”
“How would that be your fault? Have you forgotten he’ll kill you too?” I asked him, brows furrowed in confusion. “You’re not responsible for your brother’s actions.”
“Maybe, but I’m responsible for you, Vaughn.” He faced us all. “Father didn’t want fallen angels fraternizing with his human children, he could blame me for creating the child who empowered my brother.”
A hush descended upon the kitchen. I didn’t know what anyone else was thinking but my mind raced with the possibility that Lucifer would kill me. I was only twenty-five. I didn’t want my life to end over some asinine prophecy. And to learn my death would give the devil with even more power than he already had? My last taste of his power left my friend dead and left me severely weakened. A power that most of the metropolitan D.C. area felt as an earthquake.
I scratched my scalp with the pads of my fingers. If Lucifer found some sort of power in me and drained it, what would happen to my mother? What about Antonio? Now that Lucas was dead, he was the only brother I had left. And what about Delphine? What would happen to her? Additionally, what about all the other innocent people who would be caught in the resulting madness?
“I think y’all are losing sight of the main issue,” Layla said. “If Lucifer drains Vaughn of his powers and kills Caleb, Legion will fall and there’ll be nothing standing in his way.”
I watched as understanding registered on both Bode and Caleb’s faces. All that did was make me even more scared, but I willed myself to stay calm.
“I-I…” I dragged in a deep breath. “I don’t care what you saw, Layla,” I said, my voice even. “We cannot allow Lucifer to win. We cannot allow him to become all-powerful.” Turning to Caleb, I said, “What’s the plan?”
“Well, the original plan was to wait for him to show up here. Knowing my brother, he’ll arrive with as many demon spawn as possible their numbers overwhelming us.”
“However, they’ll be mighty surprised when the wards git ’em in they ass,” said Layla with a determined sneer.
“Wards?” I looked at each of them. “All we’ve got are some spells?”
“Of course, not,” Caleb sounded insulted. “Layla is a very strong witch, Bode is the son of the most powerful Orisha priestess of all time and his father was Legion, so he’ll be able to hold most of the demon spawn back. And as for me,” he paused briefly, “I’ll handle my brother. Don’t forget the work we did in the basement. As long as you stay down there, we’ll be able to stay safe.”
I scoffed. “The three of you plan to go up against Lucifer and his horde alone?” I waited for an answer and get none. “That’s a stupid plan. Unless you plan on divine intervention from on high. Please tell me that’s not the missing ingredient here?”
“Your grandfather doesn’t tend to get involved,” Bode said, leaning into his seat, a chair made from the same wood as the table. “And, you’ll get no disagreement from me. I keep telling your father to call—”
“I will not!” Caleb’s voice boomed. His hands cut through the air in a slashing motion. “This has nothing to do with them and we don’t need them. The super moon’s power wanes by two a.m., and as long as we keep Vaughn alive until then, he’ll be fine.”
“And what about the rest of us?” Layla asked in a quiet tone. “Bode wants me here, so here I’ll stay. That don’t mean I wanna die and this plan of yours makes meeting my maker tonight a possibility.” She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I
don’t like your plan and I don’t care that you’re an immortal. I ain’t scared of you, so I’ma let you know how I feel.”
“Now, listen to me—”
“Naw. You listen!” Layla interrupted. “The last time I got involved in something like this was when Bode’s pappy died. Erimiel didn’t call on Legion either and it was his wife, Yetunde, who asked me to help him.” Sadness flashed in her eyes. “I got him back to my place and warded my home up tight but my grandbaby, Anne, walked into the house. I’d forgotten she and her daddy were coming by. The minute the door opened, in swept those demons!” She shivered, clearly overwhelmed by the memory. “I lost my only son and grandchild. I would have died if he,”—she pointed at Bode— “hadn’t arrived right then.” Bode looked down at the table, his hands gripping each other tight enough for the skin at his knuckles to lose color.
“When I die,” Layla continued, “that’s the end of the Barrow family. And you want me to lay my life on the line for an immortal? His son who is likely an immortal as well? All because you’re too proud to ask for help? How is that fair?”
“I will not explain myself,” Caleb said walking over to the table. He leaned forward, balancing his weight on palms that lay across the pine surface. “You are welcome to leave whenever you like,”—he swung his head to look at Bode— “both of you.”
And with that, he stormed out of the kitchen.
--XX--
THE TENSION AT DINNER WAS high and barely anyone spoke. Feelings were still raw from the disagreement at breakfast. I also suspected we were all nervous about what was to come.
It was, after all, the evening of the super moon. Looking out the window, I glared at the moon.
A better use of my time would have been to check on Antonio. He hadn’t seen or heard from me in days. Then, I would have liked to find Delphine and show her how sorry I was for disappointing her.
Luxor. My mind hurtled back to the alley and Mila. She’d tricked me.
I shook my head at my naivete as I sliced into my baked potato. Thank goodness, Caleb had shown up. My gaze wandered to him. Seated across from me with a stern expression, his jaw squared as he chomped his food. It wouldn’t have surprised me if his food tasted as bland as mine. To his right was Bode, who also had a long look on his face. Unlike Caleb and I, he wasn’t eating. Rather, his fork was rearranging the peas on his plate. And from the bags under his eyes, he looked tired.
I snuck a glance at Layla beside me. She didn’t bother to look at her plate or fuss with her food. Rather, her face was turned to the window. A cloud had moved in front of the moon, leaving behind a stream of moonlight that coated a few trees in the distance.
Returning to my meal, I said, “This feels like a last supper, guys. Maybe we should liven things up?”
My failed attempt to lighten the mood fell on deaf ears as none of them reacted.
“Hello?
Bode lowered his fork with a clank. “Sorry, Vaughn. I guess I’m just not in a good mood.” He gave an apologetic smile.
“I’d be in a better mood if ya pappy called his goons. I’ll tell ya that!” Layla grumbled, cutting a glare Caleb’s way.
For his part, my father put down his utensils with a deliberate slowness and reached for his glass. After a long drag, he put the glass down next to a smartphone I hadn’t noticed earlier. “As I already said, both of you are free to go.”
“We want to help you, Caleb, but we’re allowed to disagree with you so stop being such a brat about it.” The pitch of Bode’s voice rose slightly.
“If you want to help, then stop complaining,” Caleb retorted. “I’ve already explained why I can’t call on them.”
“Can’t or you won’t?” Layla asked. “There’s a big difference between the two and I ain’t gotta be an angel to know that.”
“For the last time.” Caleb banged his palms onto the table making everything on it clatter. Plates jumped as did glasses. Even the cell phone by his glass hopped several spots in my direction. “It’s not Legion’s job to take care of my family. Legionnaires come to me for help, how would it look, me asking them for assistance?”
“Ah, now I get it.” Layla rose from her chair, wagging a thin finger at him. “This is about pride. Your stupid pride!”.
“Pride is a sin, my friend,” Bode said, coldly.
“And it’s a sin I will bear, thank you very much. It’s not as if I have a chance of going home after being struck from the record!”
Looking down at my plate, I realize I could never eat sitting amid the noise. I picked up my plate and a few things and popped open the kitchen door with my butt.
The evening air was cool with just enough chill to remind me that fall was around the corner. Hope I get to see it. I banished the thought as quickly as I could. This wasn’t the time to be pessimistic. That attitude wouldn’t help me survive.
Tipping my head back, I looked up at the moon. It was unusually large with a reddish tint. My stomach flopped. The super moon. The sight of it washed away any optimism I felt.
With a sad sigh, I studied my sneakers as they moved to the barn. It was as good a place as any to find some quiet. I had to put my plate on the grass to open the doors. My eyes struggled with the darkness but eventually adjusted. I soon realized the barn was a stable.
The soft neighs of horses on either side of a wide passage loaned me comfort. If they could sleep so peacefully, I should be able to find a way to relax.
The stable smelled like warm dirt on a summer day—grass, sweat and the other natural scents. Moonlight leached in through cracks in the wooden walls as well as the windows behind each stall. That helped me find a light switch behind me. Using my elbow, I flipped it on to reveal the stable’s inhabitants. Some stood, eyes closed and as I walked past, I saw others laying down in their hay-lined stalls.
One standing horse was awake and eyed me as I made my way to the back of the stable where hay bales were stacked almost six-high. Gingerly, I climbed up the first two stacks and sat on the edge, my legs dangling. My food was cold, but that didn’t stop me from eating. If things did go wrong tonight, I’d want the energy to stay alive. Or, this might be my last supper.
That extinguished my appetite, and I placed the plate to the side me on the hay. Digging into my jeans pocket, my hand grasped something cold and metallic. I pulled out the black cell phone that had been on the kitchen table. Living in an orphanage had taught me to have fast hands. That skill just assisted me in swiping the phone right under the noses of Bode, Caleb, and Layla.
I tapped in Antonio’s number and held my breath as the trilling filled my ear.
After several chirps, Antonio’s voice prompts me to leave a message. “Bro, it’s me,” I muttered, suddenly unsure what else to say. “I…” My throat squeezed shut as I saw Lucas dying in my mind’s eye. The rest of my body froze and all I could do was stare at the straw on the floor.
“If you’d like to leave a message, please press one. If not, please hang up,” a lady’s toneless voice suggested. I clicked ‘end’ instead.
Without thinking, my fingers flew over the phone’s smooth glass, inputting another number. It rang twice before a soft voice said, “Hello?”
Immediately, I was filled with memories of cherries, soft hair running through my fingers and the scent of alluring flowers filling my lungs.
“Delphine, It’s me.”
She gasped. “Vaughn?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Where have you been?” Her voice sounded slightly muffled like she’d been crying. “We’ve been worried.” Something told me she meant she’d been worried, and it broke my heart to know I could cause her any sadness.
“It’s a long story,” I mumbled. “How are you?”
A few beats passed before she said, “I’ve been better.” She became silent then sniffed into the phone. “I thought you were dead. Antonio is a mess. He thinks your body just hadn’t been found yet. You need to call him,” she said through tears.
“I did call, but he didn’t pick up. Hey, hey…” I shushed her gently. “It’s okay, I’m okay. Everything’s going to be fine,” I said, hoping I wasn’t lying to her.
“Where are you? Can you come over?”
Something lurched in my chest and I sat up straighter. “I’m in Bowie.”
“It would be nice to see you,” she whispered. “Then I’d know you’re okay.”
“I wish I could be there too,” I said, and I was suddenly embarrassed by the longing in my voice and the desire in my heart. If Layla was correct, Lucifer was going to kill me, then kill my father and destroy the lives of millions. Instead, I was pining to be with a girl.
“Have a car bring you over. I’ll send you my address. We can go to the funeral together.”
That snapped me out of my lustful reverie. “Funeral?”
“Yeah, Lucas is being buried tomorrow. At two in the afternoon.” Sadness weighed down her voice once more. “I just can’t believe what happened to him. How does a 25-year-old die of a heart attack?”
“Is that what they say killed him?”
“Uh huh,” she said, and I could imagine her nodding as she spoke.
My thinking scattered and soon reformed around a memory. “The day we went to Luxor; he’d said his doctor told him he had high blood pressure.” I shared this version of the truth because Lucas’s actual cause of death would be too hard for anyone to comprehend.
She sniffed again. “Poor Lucas.”
My brother was getting buried tomorrow and I didn’t know? I’d been hiding out on this farm waiting for the worst when, the worst had already happened. I’d lost someone I loved.
“Send me a text with the details for the funeral, will you?”
“Absolutely. Are you coming over?”
Just then, the horses started to whinny. I hadn’t noticed them wake, but I couldn’t ignore their agitated state. Several of them stamped their hooves in place. Others snorted and all around me was a rising cacophony of horse sounds.
