The awakening hc-1

by Stuart Meczes

  She snatched her hand away. I glanced over and noticed that without a doubt, her cheeks had flushed. Sage Etorre chuckled. Despite the churning feeling inside, it was impossible not to like him.

  “Anyway, I was very impressed when I learned about you dispatching that vile Rahuman. And without training no less.”

  I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. “Well, I got pretty lucky really.”

  “The way I see it, you acted quickly in a deadly situation. I wish some of my Guardians shared those instincts.” He patted my shoulder. “Anyway, I shan’t keep you any longer. I’m sure you have plenty of other people you would rather speak to. I just wanted to take the opportunity to meet you.” His face sobered for a second. “Look after each other.” He turned his attention back to the Chosen he had been speaking to before.

  Dozens of Sages came over and introduced themselves to me. I shook hands with them all and engaged in small talk in an array of languages, whilst keeping one eye fixed on the clock above the fireplace. I noticed that the number of people in the room was diminishing. Agents kept walking in and ushering the leaders through a door in the corner of the library.

  I’m running out of time.

  I made sure I sounded more and more confident with every person I spoke to. It had the desired effect of making Gabriella split off and leave me to my own devices. I finished talking to Sage Glid — a terrifying looking black Oni with red markings, who lead the Beijing base.

  Seizing the moment of solace, I moved over to where Rachel stood talking to Dakin. I’d almost reached them when I was intercepted by a thin woman wearing a long black dress. Her dark hair had been dragged back into a tight bun. Her features were pointed and thin, reminding me of a bird. She extended a spindly hand, which I shook gently for fear of breaking it. When she spoke, her voice sounded stern, like a boarding school headmistress.

  “Alexander, my name is Sylvia. I am here on behalf of the Coven.”

  “Nice to meet you Sylvia.”

  “Selene, the head of our Coven wishes to meet you in person. It is customary for all new Chosen. I trust this won’t be a problem?”

  “No, no, I would be happy to meet her.” Please not now.

  “Excellent, I shall arrange for you to be brought to her within the next few days.”

  I breathed an internal sigh of relief. “I look forward to it.”

  Sylvia gave a curt nod and then marched out of the room. What a strange woman.

  I reached Rachel and Dakin. The Vampire glared at me, top lip curled. He snatched a glass of blood from a passing tray, drained and slammed it back down without once looking away. His eyes flashed sliver. Then he barged past me and headed to the other side of the room.

  “Seriously, what is that guy's problem with me?” I asked, jerking a thumb in the direction of the brooding Vampire.

  Rachel shrugged. “To be honest I don’t know. He’s always been moody, but he seems to really dislike you. I think the Crimson Twin thing just rubbed it in for him. They are pretty sacred.”

  I sighed. “Whatever. Anyway listen I need to ask you a favour, but you can’t tell Gabriella.”

  Rachel frowned. “I’m not sure I like the sound of this. But go on.”

  I told her about the conversation I had overheard between Faru and Asmund. She listened intently. When I was finished she looked thoughtful and then tapped a finger in the air.

  “I think we need Del.”

  Rachel dragged him away from a group of female Guardians who were hanging off his every word. When we were sure no one could hear, she got me to repeat my story.

  No way buddy,” he said when I’d finished. “You shouldn’t have been eavesdroppin’ in the first place, let alone plannin’ to do it a second time! You heard what Ella said. Faru will tell us when he’s ready.”

  I grabbed Delagio’s arm. “Please Del. You don’t understand. How would you feel if something this big involving you was happening and you were being kept in the dark?” I have to know!” His face softened. “But why are you even tellin’ me?” Something seemed to click. “You need my gift.” I shot Rachel a confused look. “Do we?” “You do if you want to get close enough to listen to that meeting.” Delagio placed a hand in his pocket. “I don’t know about this guys. We could get in serious trouble.”

  “I know. That’s why I don’t expect you to stay with me. I just need you to get me close enough, however you can. Then I’ll do the rest by myself. If I get caught I’ll say I was acting alone,” I said.

  Delagio’s expression was pensive as he mulled over my request.

  “ Please.” He sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it.” I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” “But we have another problem. How’re we gonna get outa here without raisin’ any suspicions? After all, it’s your party.”

  “I’ve got an idea, hold on.” Rachel weaved over to where Sophia was sitting on the edge of a worn sofa, playing her handheld computer. As usual her tongue was sticking out at the side. Rachel bent down and whispered something in her ear. Sophia nodded. Rachel stood up and threaded back over to us.

  “Delagio, follow Alex out half a minute after he leaves.”

  “I don’t under-“ I started to say.

  I was cut short by the sharp wail of pain followed by the stifled sobs of a child. I snapped my head around to see Sophia sitting on the floor clutching her foot. Midnight was there in seconds. “What’s wrong pint size?” he soothed. “I did something to my ankle. It hurts so much,” she wailed. “Okay hun, don’t worry. We’ll go get you a booster.” He went to lift her up, but she pushed him away. “I want Alex to take me,” she sniffed. Midnight looked at me with the unmistakable expression of someone contemplating murder.

  That is going to cost me. I walked over, trying to avoid his skull-boring stare. Gabriella motioned to join me, but I shook my head. “It’s okay, I’ve got this. I’ll take her to the training area in the gymnasium. We won’t be long.” Gabriella smiled, resting a hand on Sophia’s leg. “Okay.”

  I felt awful deceiving her, but I knew that this was one thing that we wouldn’t agree on. I scooped the girl into my arms, noticing how she barely weighed anything. Looking around, I noticed that only Chosen remained in the room. All of the Sages had gone — including Faru. I hurried out of the doors. In the Entrance hall, I pressed the elevator and waited.

  “It’s okay, you can put me down now,” whispered Sophia. I placed her gently down on her feet. “Rachel told me to hide for a bit. Don’t worry, I’ll tell Midnight what happened so he isn’t mad at you.”

  “Thanks Sophia.”

  She waved goodbye and vanished down a corridor. The elevator arrived at the same time as Delagio appeared on the balcony. He vaulted off and landed soundlessly next to me.

  Inside, he pressed the button for the temple. We raced through the Nexus. As the elevator began to slow, Delagio leaned over and slapped the emergency stop button. We cranked to a halt. He lifted up a hatch in the ceiling and hitched himself up, until he was halfway out. “What are you doing?” I asked his dangling legs. “Checkin’ how much further we need to go.” His reply was muffled. “I don’t follow.” His legs disappeared as if some invisible beast had dragged him into the darkness. “Del?” His face reappeared in the hole.

  “Over the decades the Nexus has been redesigned accordin’ to changes in London’s layout.” He slipped deftly back down, his uniform covered in streaks of oil and dirt. “The old passages still exist; the elevators just don’t run along em anymore.”

  “So where are we going?”

  He raised a finger towards the ceiling. “But I need to get us in the right position first.”

  I watched as he moved into the centre of the lift. He held his hands out at his sides and shut his eyes. For a while nothing happened, and then the elevator started to groan and hiss. Slowly it rolled forward like a train pulling out of a station. “Okay, we’re good to go.” He opened an eye and grinned at me. “You may want to hold on. This could get a lil’ bumpy.” I gr
abbed a rail with both hands. Delagio gritted his teeth together. He took a deep breath and threw his hands upwards. The elevator launched like a rocket.

  I held my breath as we flew up the old tunnel. The elevator screamed and hissed as we were bumped from side to side. It was then that I realised with utter horror that we weren’t on rails. The only thing keeping us airborne was Delagio.

  He stretched one hand out towards the doors. They cranked apart and I could see the dank outside walls lurching back and forth as we pinballed up the old tunnel. Out of nowhere an old door appeared in a small recess. In a split second it was gone.

  “Del! I think that was it!”

  The kinesist coiled his hands into fists and the elevator screeched to a standstill. Slowly he lowered us back down until we were level to the door. He nodded a head towards the pouch at his side. “Take one of these. It start’s vibratin’, you’ve got one minute to get back before me and this puppy take a nose dive.”

  “Okay,” I said, scooping a silver marble out of the bag. “Thanks Del.”

  “Yeah, yeah just get going and for god’s sake don’t get caught!”

  I winched the doors open further and leapt into the recess. Wrapping a hand around the handle, I gingerly pushed against the warped wood.

  It was pitch black. In the distance, I could hear the unmistakable sound of voices. I ushered the door closed. Lowering myself onto all fours, I crawled forward.

  What am I doing? I asked myself as I shuffled deeper into the gloom.

  I noticed a glow ahead. The small amount of light was enough for me to understand that I was on a walkway high above the Temple. The grand pillars reached a ceiling only a few feet above my head. I reached out and my hand pressed against the cool stone of a low wall. I hoisted myself up and peered over the edge.

  The Sages were standing in a large circle. They were so far away they looked like ants, but their voices boomed around the area as if they had microphones fitted. “How many settlements have fallen?” I recognised the speaker as Glid — the Bejing leader. “At least ten,” replied Etorre. “What of the Iron City?” asked Asmund. “Gone,” sighed Faru. “What do you mean gone?” “He means it has been wiped from the face of Pandemonia.” “My God! Did anyone survive?” “Those it didn’t kill it turned into Depraved.” A rush of groans and gasps filled the room. I remembered what Faru had said about the poor soulless creatures. I shuddered. “How many follow it now?” asked Sylvia, Fae Sage of Conduit — the Manhattan base. “Over a hundred at least.” “Including Prince Ashan,” admitted Faru in a solemn tone. A fresh round of horrified gasps swept around the room. A few of the Sages began to weep. “Then that’s it. The battle is lost”, sniffed Sylvia. “Pandemonia belongs to Hades.” “The hell it does,” growled Glid. “I’d sooner forfeit my soul than let that cowardly bastard rule my home world!”

  Faru made an agreeing sound. “Glid is right. It is not the end. We all know that someone else will rise in Prince Ashan's place. The Luminar will not lie down without a fight.” “There is also some good news. Prisoners have broken out of the Colosseums and joined the fight,” said Etorre. There were murmurs of confusion. “They still live? How many?” asked Glid. “At least two hundred.”

  There was a universal sigh. I leaned further over the wall desperate not to miss a thing. Each of their words mixed with the sound of my own pulse, which roared in my ears.

  “Unfortunately, there is more bad news,” sighed Etorre. “We think we know where it is headed.”

  As I heard the words, a chill swept through my body. I finally understood why they all sounded so fearful. The Sorrow. They are talking about The Sorrow! It’s tearing across Pandemonia, destroying everything in its path. “Where?” asked a Sage whose name I couldn’t place. I held my breath. “Here.” My heart stalled. A deathly silence rolled into every crevice of the Temple, hanging in the air like a shadow.

  “The path it has taken,” explained Faru, “is a direct path to the Water City. As you know, this is where the section of the Veil that connects to Chapter Hill is situated. There are only a few settlements around it, and behind stretches a thousand miles of the Dark Sea. Simply put, there is nothing else it could be heading for.”

  Barely contained fear seemed to pour from everyone. Even from my place in the shadows — high above the crowd — I could feel it.

  “You think it has something to do with the boy?” asked Asmund. “That’s what you told me earlier.”

  “I am not sure. Perhaps. Perhaps not. It appears to me that the timing of his Awakening and the sudden movement of The Sorrow seems a little to co-incidental.”

  “If this is true then we must be missing something — a connection of some kind,” Glid pointed out.

  “Maybe there’s no connection at all,” countered Sylvia. “No doubt Hades has learned of his Awakening. Perhaps his accelerated use of The Sorrow is simply to destroy the major cities and claim victory over Pandemonia before a new wave of Chosen are born.”

  “You could well be correct Sylvia. However, I do not wish to take the chance. And that is the main reason I have asked you all here to the Warren tonight. For your permission.”

  A sharp pain in my knuckles made me realise that I’d been gripping the wall. I released them and used one to wipe away a cold sweat that had appeared on my forehead. “Permission for what?” Asmund asked in a suspicious tone. “I wish to seal the Veil.” The room erupted into a crescendo of panicked voices. “But what about supplies?” “You can’t break the link!” “What if Pandemonia needs your support?” “You want to abandon Pandemonia?”

  “Our kin are dying over there!”

  “Please, please, everyone settle down,” boomed Faru. Slowly the noise ebbed away, replaced once more by strained silence. “I am more than aware of the gravity of a decision like this. Nevertheless, I feel there is no other choice. The Sorrow cannot be killed. Not as far as anyone knows. The only option we have is to stop it in its tracks. I am not suggesting that we seal every piece of the Veil, just the Water City doorway at first. And not for good. The spell would be reversible, but strong enough that The Sorrow would be forced to change its direction and head for a different section. At that point we release the former and seal the latter. And so on, effectively creating a perpetual barrier for its entry to Earth — if that is what it seeks.”

  I found myself nodding. I didn’t know about the others, but it sounded like a great idea to me.

  Etorre cleared his throat. “Sage Faru is not abandoning Pandemonia. There can be no question of his honour. I know full well that if we ever grew strong enough to be a serious threat to Hades’ forces, then he and his Guardians would be first in line to go through the Veil.”

  There were sounds of agreement from the rest of the leaders.

  Faru took over. “While the doorway is shut, we will strengthen links between ourselves and Castello. Extra supplies will come through their doorway and be distributed to Britain. I already have the support of our government on this. I just need yours.”

  “We have to protect Earth from The Sorrow. If this is the only way, then you have my full support,” said Sage Asmund.

  “Thank you Sage Asmund. However, for an action of this magnitude to go ahead, the vote must be unanimous. All those in agreement, please raise your hand.”

  There was a long pause and then Faru spoke.

  “Then it is agreed. We will seal the Veil.”

  At that moment my jacket started to vibrate- hard. I jumped at the sudden sensation and the marble twitched right out of my pocket

  Into midair.

  I desperately swept for it with a hand, but just ended up swatting it further away. I watched in absolute horror as it pinged against several of the columns and then landed on the floor below with a resounding crack.

  I was already running by the time the shouting started.

  22

  I wrenched the door open and dived from the recess into the elevator, almost colliding with Delagio. His face was scrunch
ed into a grimace and I stifled a gasp when I saw the blood seeping from his nose.

  “About time!” he hissed through gritted teeth.

  “Del, I’m sorry, but we need to go now!”

  He threw both arms towards the floor and the elevator fell like a rollercoaster. My breathing was ragged. I slumped over one of the rails, trying to slow my racing heartbeat. After a minute of nerve-wracking descent, Delagio slowed the elevator down and there was a loud clunking sound as the cab settled itself onto the rail. I pressed the button for the main entrance and the metal box happily raced towards its destination unaffected by the death defying detour. “What happened?” he asked, wiping the blood from his nose. I told him everything I’d overheard and finished with what had happened to the silver marble. “Goddamit” he hissed. “I’m so sorry. It was a complete accident!”

  “I know, I know. It’s just there are only a few kinesist’s at the Warren and hardly any that use the weapons I do. The marble is a pretty big giveaway.”

  A cold dread ran through my veins. “Oh no, is Faru going to suspect you?”

  Delagio fell silent for a moment, tapping a finger against the mirrored wall. “Not necessarily. Here’s what we’re gonna do. Go back to the Library and tell Rachel to meet me outside. She’ll know the spot. If Faru asks where we are, just point through the window by the fire, okay?”

  I didn’t understand the plan, but nodded anyway. “What shall I say about Sophia?”

  “Say you took her back to her room.” He slipped a phone from his pocket. “I’ll text her to make sure she goes straight there now.” He started tapping the keypad. “Sophia has a mobile?” Delagio raised an eyebrow. “It’s the twenty first century dude. Who doesn’t?” “Fair point.”

  “Right, Faru will already be in the Nexus by now, takin’ a different route. We’ve got about one minute from the moment we get there to do this. “You ready?”