The Beholder

by Ivan Amberlake

  “Touch the cloth lightly so we don’t leave traces for Pariah to find us,” she said.

  Jason did, and without warning he and Emily shot upwards through the ceiling, dousing them both in bright light. A few short moments later they were at the entrance to a stately, high-ceilinged chamber with enormous windows that invited sunlight. They walked to the middle of the room, their steps echoing off the varnished parquet floor. Emily put one finger to her lips, warning him to step quietly, then pointed.

  “Make yourself at home,” Emily whispered, smiling. “They have.”

  William was already asleep on a beautifully upholstered couch, his breaths a low, rumbling snore. Matt and Debbie were also sleeping, having claimed a throne-like padded armchair and an expensive-looking silver sofa. Tyler was nowhere to be seen.

  Tiptoeing lightly across the room, Jason gazed out one of the numerous arched windows. “Where are we?” he asked.

  “Somewhere in Scotland. Tyler was born not far from here, and he knows this place really well. We are actually in the ballroom of a castle. Beautiful scenery, isn’t it?”

  “A castle?”

  She nodded.

  “Yeah. That’s cool.” His eyes scanned the grassy meadows and hills, lit by the sun. The smooth surface rolled like gentle waves, uninterrupted by trees. “You know what’s bad? Lately I’ve experienced so many new, exciting things that I’m afraid soon I won’t have anything left to get excited about.”

  Emily drew closer and looked up at him, her amber eyes reflecting the sunlight. He was as mesmerized as ever. “Are you saying you’re getting tired of me?”

  Jason almost laughed, but he held it in. He shook his head and touched her cheek with one finger. “No, not you. Never. There’s no way I could ever get tired of you. You are—if you’ll forgive the corny comparison—the sweetest nectar the gods have ever created. They’re probably afraid I’m going to drink it all.”

  Emily smiled, blinking with a slow, hypnotic effect. “Drink as much as you wish.”

  “I’ll sip gingerly, if you’ll let me.”

  “You are always welcome,” Emily said, then shook her head. “But … I have no idea why you see me that way. I think sometimes you’re a little crazy, and blind—especially for the Beholder. You don’t see me the way I really am.”

  “Oh yes I do. I’ve seen you in the Sight. And I look forward to doing that again more than anything else,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You are much more impressive in the Sight than I am.”

  He followed her to the opposite side of the chamber where the scenery wasn’t quite so grand. It was still beautiful, but in contrast it looked harsh and wild. Clouds were gathering in the distance, a thick ominous mass, and it wasn’t clear to Jason whether they were drawing near or moving away from this place.

  “Where is Tyler?” Emily muttered to herself. She folded her arms across her chest, looking uncomfortable.

  “What is it? Is something wrong?” Jason asked.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t feel him. Either he’s very far from here or …” She blinked up at Jason. “But why would he leave? I don’t understand.”

  She looked away, then frowned, staring hard at something Jason couldn’t see. After a moment she exhaled in obvious relief, and all the little lines of worry melted from her brow.

  “He’s all right. I just detected him. He must have just touched the wrong box and turned up somewhere far away.”

  She was right. It did seem strange for him to be gone. After all, Tyler knew this place, she’d said. That meant he knew about the boxes and what happened if you came into contact with them. Why would he have made a mistake like that?

  “Emily, you’ve never told me how you and Tyler met. How did he get his power?” He crossed his arms. “You know, I wish I knew more about your kind. You should tell me more if I’m supposed to become one of you. It’s only fair.”

  Emily hesitated, then agreed. “I’ll tell you, but when the Beholder wakes up in you, you’ll understand all of my words were a waste of time. You’ll see everything in everybody’s traces.” She gestured towards another room. “Let’s not disturb the others’ sleep. The next room’s empty, so we can talk there.”

  Chapter 31

  “It happened a long time ago, when I was with the Darksighted,” Emily said, staring out at the monster cloud sprawled over the skies. She and Jason were facing the huge arch of the window, comfortably seated in upholstered armchairs set close to each other. “That was when I was just starting to be aware of my real powers, though by that point I was able to handle my Prophesying ability.

  “I was only twelve, but even at that age I knew how to keep secrets from Pariah. If he planned to destroy somebody who, in my mind, wasn’t dangerous, I interfered. But he never knew it was me.”

  Jason watched her with fascination, saw how quickly the curl of her lashes flicked when she blinked, how she bit her upper lip when she was unsure. Now she was in her element, sharing a story she had known for far too long, and the telling of it soothed her into something like a trance. It was beautiful to watch.

  “Pariah was worried the new Sighted might get more power than he had, but he still wasn’t afraid of me.” She shrugged in a light, unconscious gesture. “Maybe he thought I was too gullible. Anyway, once I eavesdropped on part of Pariah’s conversation with his servants. Something had caused an inconceivable outburst of Energy, but they hadn’t known there were witnesses. Pariah’s followers came to him with the news of someone wandering aimlessly in search of the Sighted like himself, and when they told him where the trace started, he knew that person had seen something that put him and the Dark Side in jeopardy.

  “The followers were really curious about that Sighted person. They followed him for a long time without getting in touch. According to their theory, the huge mass of discharged Energy had come from the Dark Power, and instead of dispersing it had infiltrated that person, making him into one of us. Pariah was concerned a stronger Sighted would come, and his own followers would abandon him, so he planned to turn the wanderer to the Dark Side, then bind his mind. If that plan failed, he’d kill him.”

  “And you interfered?” Jason ventured.

  Emily’s chin jerked upwards, startled out of her reverie. “Yes.” Her eyes sparkled. “When I saw Tyler’s aura, I knew he belonged to the Light. There wasn’t even a speck of evil in him. For me it was wondrous, to witness a person with absolutely no evil in their heart. I mean, all people have light and dark within, even you. But not him.”

  The remark hurt, and Jason’s expression tightened, though he tried to hide it. Emily noticed. “That’s all right, you know. We should have a choice. It should be up to us to decide whether we want to be kind or unkind, tender or harsh, loving or detesting. It’s just that, well, Tyler doesn’t have that.” She lifted one eyebrow. “And trust me, it’s not as great as it sounds.”

  “What happened to the evil in him?”

  “It left, but he had to pay the price. Have you ever wondered why he wears such a high collar, even when it’s hot?”

  Jason nodded. He’d just figured Tyler had a rather strange fashion sense.

  “It’s to hide a scar. He has a really bad gash on the left side of his neck. But that’s not all. If only it was just his neck.” Emily sighed, sounding sad. “His back and part of his chest are covered in scars. When evil left his body, it left indelible marks on Tyler’s skin. No Energy can heal them.”

  Jason was impressed. “Was he as young as you were?”

  “Yeah, he was fourteen. He didn’t remember where he had gotten the scorched trace on his body, or how he had become Sighted. I showed him some of my knowledge, and after a while his real talent developed. Now our world is his home.”

  “Did he ever remember what happened?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet, but once I prophesied that he would. The down side to that is it may allow evil back inside his soul. He is still expecting it to show, but up to now nothing ha
s happened.”

  Jason closed his eyes, lulled by Emily’s voice. He couldn’t understand how she still seemed so wide awake, and assumed it was because of her Energy. Maybe someday he’d be able to do that, too. But for now …

  His last conscious thought was of Emily kissing his forehead and whispering, “Sweet dreams.”

  ***

  From here, he looked so perfectly regular. The soft, smooth lines of his face, relaxed in sleep, brought a smile to Emily’s face, and she let herself stare. Meeting Jason and finding the Beholder in him had been the greatest event in her life. Now her only fear was that she would lose him. That he would never understand why she acted like she was about to act.

  She got up noiselessly and took a light blanket from the back of her chair. She needed to leave, didn’t want to be so near him, in the same room, while she had these thoughts.

  “Sweet dreams, Jason,” she whispered, then kissed him on the forehead. She laid the blanket over him, light as a breeze, then headed for the room where William, Matthew, and Debbie were sleeping.

  The transformation of the Beholder was about to take place. She sensed it approaching and knew it would happen soon. It should have been such an incredible event, a moment in time they could all celebrate. But Pariah had given them only twenty-three hours. He had set his evil mind on searching for the remaining Pillars protecting the Beholder.

  She would take William, Matt, and Debbie away from Jason, she decided. That was the only way to guarantee their safety when the transformation happened. If it got out of control with them nearby, it might even kill one of them. But she’d have to hurry. The game had already begun, and she would have to comply with the rules.

  If she wanted revenge, she would have to be cruel.

  Her expression was hard when she saw it in the full-length mirror, her mouth tight with purpose. “It’s too late for revenge,” she whispered. “I’m already dead.”

  Chapter 32

  Pariah strode along the dark street, followed by three cloaked shapes. They seemed in a hurry, and when Pariah tilted his head towards a small opening between the buildings, the cloaked trio moved synchronically ahead of their leader, disappearing in the murk. Pariah followed. A flash of light filled the darkness with blood red, and Pariah turned down an empty street, striding soundlessly towards a lone, inconspicuous house.

  The door opened silently at the first shadow’s touch, and the others followed him into a dark antechamber, then a spacious living room. The red cast of the air around them switched all at once to black, lit only by a faraway flash of lightning.

  Pariah stopped and glared at the three, his expression twisted with fury. “Why did you bring us here?” he snarled.

  Darkness hid the trio’s faces, then one cautiously stepped closer to their leader and another flash of lightning lit the pale white skin. “We caught another one. At least …” He held Pariah’s gaze while the other shadows shifted nervously behind him. “At least we hope we did. You’ll have to take a look.”

  Pariah nodded, and the tension eased. “Good job, Damien.” His eyes narrowed. “I’ll need to make sure, but if it’s another fraud …” He stretched a hand towards Damien, and the two shadows behind him stepped towards the middle of the room.

  “It wasn’t I who found him,” Damien said. “It was Catherine. She’ll get us there.”

  Pariah’s nostrils flared with suspicion, then he nodded again. The four locked hands and the foundation of the house started rocking. Then they were in a small room, its cold, damp air clogging their lungs. Water dripped somewhere, its tireless drip drip drip the only sound in the stillness.

  “Here,” Catherine said, leading them to another door.

  As soon as they entered, the room raged in flames of bright silver, threatening to blind Pariah and drive him insane. He searched the cell for the source of the light and found it in the darkest corner. A frail form cowered, its terrified eyes glistening in the dark.

  “It’s him,” Pariah said, allowing himself a smug smile. “It’s another Doomed One.”

  In a second he had grabbed the man and squeezed the fragile throat with a vise-like fist. His victim struggled madly, gripping Pariah’s massive hand in a futile attempt to loosen the fingers, but within seconds the man’s arms hung lifelessly at his sides. Pariah tossed the body across the room like a broken toy, sending it crashing into the wall, its aura waning.

  Dead, yes. But only human dead.

  “Damien,” he said, turning to the group. “You know what to do now.”

  Damien’s eyes lit with a kind of hunger as he crouched beside the body. He applied his hand to the Doomed One’s left shoulder, and his dead eyes opened. Damien’s hand burst into flames as it scorched a mark into yet another victim, and it wasn’t until his hand stopped burning with light that he retreated. In the prevailing dark of the cell, a DB seal glowed on the man’s left shoulder.

  Pariah smiled. “Good,” he whispered. “There’s only one more soul we must take before we return.”

  The trio watched him raise his hands to the ceiling, their expressions focused on the blinding red light Pariah emitted in spirals around him, their hungry rays licking the walls. The cell vanished, leaving them to whirl in a myriad of lights until they arrived in a room shimmering with blue light. In front of a mirror sat a young girl, combing her long, wavy hair, oblivious to their arrival.

  Pariah’s mouth curved into a wide grin, and he stepped towards the girl, who looked up with alarm. She clutched the comb, holding it tight against her body, as if she were afraid the man before her would take it.

  “You are the next,” Pariah muttered, and the girl’s mouth opened into a small “O”.

  She raised her bluebell eyes to meet Pariah’s satisfied smile, then began to cry, blood seeping from her eyes and flowing in a thick stream down her cheeks. Her cries changed to screams as bone-deep cuts began to appear all over her body, slicing of their own accord.

  ***

  The vision stopped, leaving Jason’s mind in disarray. He stood on top of a skyscraper, his black cloak flapping as the gale caught its edges. Darkness hung low over the city, rumbling with thunder while forks of lightning pierced the heavens like jagged teeth. He surveyed the blackness below, feeling a hypnotic pull as it shivered, snatched at his life. Its pulse pounded inside of him, beating in perfect syncopation with the thudding of his own heart.

  A crushing pain lodged in his throat, as if a slipknot had coiled around his neck and pulled tight, strangling him. The pain intensified, cutting off his breath, bringing stars to his vision, and he jerked his hands to ward off the attack.

  There was nothing there.

  The pain persisted, reluctant to let go. His breathing ragged, Jason staggered back from the edge, but it was too much. In agony, he paced to the edge of the roof, then plummeted into the abyss.

  Chapter 33

  Jason awoke, and every cell of his body tingled. It was impossible to tell whether it was day or night, since any sunlight had been swallowed up by a massive black storm cloud.

  They have killed again, he thought, his brain working slowly through the throbbing pain in his temples. Only one victim left. The game, as Pariah had called it, had begun.

  Jason untangled himself from the blanket and got up, feeling weak. He grabbed for Emily’s armchair to catch his balance, and noticed it was empty. He had to tell her what he’d seen. She’d know what to do. He stepped away, but the air in the room seemed to have been sucked out, and he couldn’t catch his breath.

  “Emily!” he tried to scream, but only a hoarse whisper escaped his parched lips.

  He staggered closer to the door, then stumbled across the room. Weak and dizzy, he tripped halfway across and ended up crawling to the chamber where he’d left Matt, Debbie, and William. He shoved the doors open, and saw to his horror that the chamber was empty.

  “Emily?” he called. “Matt! Debbie! William! Emily!”

  No one answered.

  Then something ex
ploded inside him and spread like wildfire through his body. That was the moment when he first saw fine silver lines floating in the air around him, appearing without anyone else’s influence. The strong silver light grew, filling the chamber, flooding the floor, the furniture, the ceiling … even traveling beyond.

  It was the beginning. He closed his eyes and became aware of tiny bits of truth reaching out to him, flooding through channels unknown—or at least unknown by any ordinary person.

  They could only be seen by a Sighted One.

  Chapter 34

  Jason opened his eyes when he heard the noise.

  His neck was trapped in a cold vise, and someone held him firmly around the waist. Any movement hurt like hell. But the most disturbing thing of all was looking straight ahead and seeing himself standing there. It seemed to be a perfect image of what Jason wished he could be, though the image’s expression looked stunned, the eyes disbelieving.

  The pain from the grip around his neck began to dull, allowing Jason to move his head slightly. The room looked familiar, but it was littered by scattered splinters of plastic and glass, making it unrecognizable.

  He gasped when he saw Matt sprawled on the floor, and the grip on his neck doubled. Then he heard Emily’s voice, as if she were two steps away on the right. He wanted to reach for her, hold her, but couldn’t move.

  Then she started to speak. Her voice was cold and hard. Lifeless. “Come forth, Pariah,” she said, making the hair stand up all over Jason’s body. “Finish what you began centuries ago. Come and wreak havoc over the world.”

  At first Jason thought he was mistaken. It couldn’t be her. It was an outrageous mistake. When the vise loosened again he turned his head and saw her face.

  It was Emily.

  But this Emily was a stranger to him, a graven image of the merciless Dark Ones. Her complexion was of someone who had been dead for a long time, so different from the vital Emily he knew. But what if … No.