by Kim Cormack
“You’re completely insane, his Mother stammered. “I’m over fifty years old, and you’re a crazy person. You are definitely not my father. Do you think I fell off the damn turnip truck?”
“My goodness, you really are Winnie’s daughter,” Tiberius began to laugh. “You must have been absolutely ancient when you had children. You’re super old,” He stated.
His Mother was getting a little tired of his Grandfather’s insults. She bit back, “You’re an asshole. Yes, I was a little older. I had trouble getting pregnant. I ran a successful company. I was a powerful woman, I will have you know.” His Mother picked up a ceramic owl off of the hearth and threw it at Tiberius’s head. He didn’t even attempt to duck. She smoked him a good one.
Tiberius rubbed his head and said, “Good shot.” He pointed at the wall and said, “So, your son Kevin, the scrawny kid with acne, he is the only one with powers then?”
Kevin’s Mother backed away slowly. She glanced at the kitchen again.
Kevin felt the fury ripple through his body. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt seeped from his pores. He hissed, “I will kill you, if you lay a finger on my Mother.”
Tiberius paused for a second and smiled. He said, “Well, you are a talented kid, aren’t you?” Tiberius reached forward and poked his Mother directly on the nose and said, “Oh, very scary Kevin … Come and get me. I’ll meet you at the Conduit’s house.” The Clay look-alike walked towards his Mother and said, “Listen, sweetheart, Daddy just needs to brand you. So when I break your neck you won’t really die.”
His Mother said under her breath, “You are a stark raving lunatic if you think I'm going to allow you to brand me. What kind of sick bastard are you?”
“My name is Tiberius, if you are more comfortable with calling me that, but I’m not feeling sick bastard as a pet name. Dad or Father is another good alternative. Unfortunately, I am going to have to brand you. There is no way around that. One way or another, I have to do it. We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. I can let you have control over this part of our introduction.”
His Mother grabbed a vase off of the counter to use as a weapon.
His Grandfather chuckled, “Hard way, it is,” punching her in the face and knocking her out cold. Tiberius knelt down branded her, and then broke his Mother’s neck. There was a noise. Tiberius looked up and noticed that his look alike was standing there. Clay had just witnessed himself murder his own mother.
He was in shock as he watched the color disappear from his brother’s face. Kevin felt the rage drain from his body until he felt empty. He couldn’t do a thing to stop it. It sounded like Tiberius was keeping his Mother. He was going to keep his brother. That meant they still had a chance. He still had a chance to save them.
Clay was obviously in shock,” What are you? Did you just … is she … dead?”
Tiberius stood up and took a good look at his duplicate. He said, “As your late Grandma Winnie would say, you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you son. It’s okay, I understand all of my genes went into creating those stunning good looks. It is a remarkable likeness.”
Clay stood there, his mouth agape as his double walked up to him, put his arm around him, and said, “I’m afraid dealing with my daughter took all of the patience that I have, and we are running out of time. I have other places to be, so … Hi, I’m your grandpa.” Tiberius punched his brother in the face knocking him out cold. Tiberius branded him Triad without ceremony and then broke his brother’s neck.
Kevin’s vision wavered around him and everything exploded with light before going black.
~
Tiberius hollered, “Zachariah, Put these in a tomb in the back of the truck.” Tiberius watched Young Zach struggle to drag the bodies of his deceased family members through the grass out to the truck. Nobody else offered to help him. They just stood there and watched the kid struggle.
He would have better luck molding his Grandson to his likeness. Zach was better suited for Trinity. Hell, even Ankh. Zach was not emotionally compatible with the Triad. Zach wasn’t eighteen yet. Tiberius was going to do the kid a favor and leave him behind for one of the other clans. He didn’t have any gifts yet. He wasn’t a fit for Triad. He didn’t need a weak link in his troop of new Triad recruits. One weak link and the whole group wouldn’t make it back from testing.
Tiberius hollered, “Chuck them both in the same tomb. We need to save space kid.” Tiberius strolled casually back into the house. He sauntered into the kitchen and grabbed a bunch of household cleaners from under the sink. He chucked a few metal ones into the microwave for shits and giggles. The couch had been occupied by two felines only moments earlier. He couldn’t help but grin. Zachariah, that softy, had evacuated the cats from the house. He didn’t start the microwave right away. He needed something first.
Tiberius picked up the photo of Winnie from when she was young off of the floor. He cracked the frame and took the photo out. Her hands would have touched this before it went into the frame. He had cared about her as much as he was capable of caring about someone. She had hidden his child. He would keep Lillian entombed for twenty years or so just to make a point. He would release her and wipe her memory. He would give her the assumption that he had always been her father. Maybe if she adored him he could even learn care about her a little. He took a lighter out of his pocket and lit the curtains in the kitchen on fire. He stood there and watched them go up in flames. You would think inflammable kitchen curtains would be a thing. He set the microwave for three minutes and strolled out of the house.
He stood in front of the truck with its engine running. He grinned and kissed he picture on the lips and promised aloud, “I am going to turn our grandson Kevin as dark as I am. You can watch from wherever you ended up my love.” He tucked the picture under his shirt and hopped into the truck, as they drove away there was a small explosion. The Smith house went up in flames.
~
Kevin came to and began to thrash around the bathroom. He punched a hole in the wall in a show of testosterone. His knuckle was broken and bleeding.
“Feel better?” Frost chuckled and grabbed him by the arms,” That anger that you’re feeling. Just embrace it.”
“Embrace it … really? My Grandfather just branded my Mother and snapped her neck. Then he did the same thing to my brother.”
Frost shoved Kevin into the shower stall. “That’s good, they are still alive then. He’ll chuck them in a tomb. I bet he leaves them in there until after the next testing. Get in the shower so we can go kick his ass.”
Kayn stared at him. She was sick to her stomach. Her family was next. Nobody was going to keep her family alive though. They soaked Kevin down and doused him in salt. The water pummelled the open wound on his knuckle. Lexy grabbed Kevin’s hand to help him out of the shower stall and his knuckle healed instantly. Kayn watched him, unable to say or do anything that would help him. The fury in his eyes spoke volumes. Kayn whispered, “They are still alive Kevin.”
They descended the stairs together solemnly. The group walked out to the living room and all placed their hands together for a moment of silence. Kayn watched Kevin walk forward and place his hand with the others without hesitation. He had come a long way in only a short period of time.
Their signs all began to glow as Markus spoke a sort of old poem or toast, “May you run so fast that the wind feels you. Fight hard enough that your heart can heal. Be good, but never blind.”
“ANKH!” They all shouted.
Kayn realized when they all touched and their symbols glowed together there was a euphoric, giddy feeling. It was like riding on a wave of intense emotion. Like they had all drugged each other. They were both happy and angry at the same time. Her emotions felt heightened, it was like nothing she had ever experienced.
Kevin kept holding Kayn’s hand for a minute. He was thinking about something. How come she couldn’t hear it? He squeezed her hand and raised it to his lips, turning it over to kiss
the palm and gently closed her palm around his kiss. This was something from her favorite book as a child. It was so she could save the kiss for later. Kayn smiled and felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Kevin kissed Kayn’s tear, stopping it with his lips.
He whispered, “No crying. Remember it will make you weak. Be angry … be strong. I won’t let anyone get up the stairs, I promise.”
Markus took Kayn’s cheeks in his hands and said, “You get upstairs into the safe room. You will be doing something equally important.”
Kayn said, “Can’t Kevin come with me?”
Markus replied, “Kevin needs to face Tiberius.”
Kayn whipped around to look at Kevin. He had already moved to stand by a window. He looked determined. He seemed unafraid. Frost motioned for Kayn to come and stand at the window beside him.
Markus said,” We can’t open the windows. You have to jump through them. All of the noise has to happen at once. You need to run during the chaos.”
Kevin said, “I hope they’re not double-paned.”
Kayn smiled, Kevin was trying to make her laugh.
Grey chuckled, “It will be double the pain.
“That is not even a little bit funny you dork,” Lily hissed.
They all laughed, more at Lily’s prissy attitude than their puny jokes about window panes. They had all been handed a small knife.
Kayn asked about why they weren’t using swords. Markus told her that long distance running with swords was never a good idea. That did make sense. They all shut their mouths as Markus began to count. What was Markus counting to? He didn’t tell them what he was counting to?
The front door and back doors were opened and mp3 players with speakers on full blast playing heavy metal were thrown out. They were descended on by black mist before hitting the grass. After the mist, the demons showed themselves. Orin stayed behind. He was a healer and so was Arrianna. They would need them later. Markus and Flora jumped out to distract the demons and mist leading them away from the house towards the road. They threw a circle of salt down around where they stood.
Markus yelled, “Go now.” The six dove through the windows and ran out the doors all separately, glass crashing around them, rolling as they hit the ground. They were followed by the mist which they hoped couldn’t touch them because of the salt. They had no real idea that it would work though; it was an experiment in ingenuity. The mist followed closely behind them swirling through the trees. They were not supposed to outrun the mist. They had to keep it right behind them. They didn’t have the numbers to win this fight, but they sure as hell had the brain power.
It was dusk and the forest took on a strange life of its own. Mist floated hauntingly along the lush forest floor and Kayn felt her heart tighten. It had been a year since that night. She was once again running away from death in the trails. Kayn felt her soul fuel with the fire of survival as she led the group through the trails towards her house. They ran past her family’s shrine and Kayn flashed back in her mind through slivers of memories. She could clearly see the vile man’s form, the smell of his breath, the stickiness of his skin. She kept running, feeling the uncontrollable urge to vomit. Okay if creepy shows up, I will personally rip him a new asshole.
“Do not outrun the mist,” Frost hollered from behind them. That mist is going to save our behinds in a second.”
Kayn grinned as she ran. Insanity or Pure genius, the next five seconds will decide, they ran around a corner directly into four unsuspecting Triad.
Frost yelled, “Stop,” and they froze as the Triad strode cockily towards them.
A Triad mocked, “Those are cute little knives you have there.”
Grey with perfect comic timing said, “Free Pedicures for all of you?”
Lexy grinned from ear to ear and said, “Oh, honey, you know I don’t need a knife.”
“Holy crap it’s her,” The Triad said, and began to back up. He was terrified.
“I am not even going to touch you,” Lexy stated. She batted her eyelashes at them as the black mist swirled around the Ankh to avoid the salt. Things went according to plan, and the mist headed towards the Triad.
“Shit,” they screamed in unison. They made an attempt to scatter and run. Not a one of them made it five feet before being subdued by the mist, which would now signal to the demons guarding their friends that it was lunchtime.
The large clawed demons began to move away from the salt circles and toward the bushes and Markus cheered, “Damn it! I am frigging brilliant.” He looked for a second at his hand. He waved it above his head at the others. To show them without saying it aloud that it had worked. Flora stood in the circle beside him grinning from ear to ear. Markus whispered, “Yes.”
They all wanted to jump up and down, but they didn’t want to do anything to draw the attention back to them. These Demons were going to be the Ankhs’ backup.
~
Orin finished packing the house, ridding it of fingerprints and any evidence that they had been there. The rest of the crew casually walked back in and they all began to laugh hysterically.
Orin said, “It was pure genius using the demons to help us, as outnumbered as we are. I’m almost excited to come back to work next year.”
Markus put his arms around him and said, “We will be glad to have you back. Glad you could help out today. We would have been a healer short. To keep Lexy behind would have been a crying shame. I know she scares the crap out of the Triad.”
Arianna walked into the room, “I changed the tombs back to quartz.” She placed six small rose quartz stones with symbols on them in Markus’s hand. He shoved them in his pocket.
Orin added, “I called the others. They should be here in a few minutes.”
Chapter 32
Loose Ends
Kayn couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty as she ran past the nearly lifeless bodies of the Triad. One of the Triad opened his eyes and looked at Grey, pleading for mercy as he stepped over his body.
Grey said, “Sorry, man, this is going to suck … bad,” Grey went to walk away but paused.
He turned around and stabbed the man in the head, putting him out of his misery. He tried to pull the knife out a few times but it wasn’t going to come out easily. He didn’t have the time to mess around so he had to leave it there.
Lexy teased,” Oh Grey, you’re such a softie.”
Grey defended his actions as they ran through the bushes, “Maybe one day he will do me the same favor, it’s generally traumatizing to be eaten alive.”
Kayn imagined it would be an emotionally scarring ordeal to be coherent while your limbs are torn from your body while something scarier than the devil ingests you. The six emerged from the bushes to see that nobody was blocking the back door route to the house. Kayn could see Jenkins through the kitchen window. She began to wave frantically for him to open the door as they ran across the open yard towards it. Kayn heard the most horrific screams of anguish coming from the Triad they had left incapacitated.
Grey shut the door behind him and said, “One less Triad is screaming because I was nice enough to stab him in the head.”
Jenkins was standing at the sink doing dishes and it was impossible to miss the inhuman screaming coming from the bushes as they shut the door, “Who is screaming? What did that kid just say?”
What in the hell was Jenkins doing downstairs casually doing dishes? Kayn grabbed Jenkins arm and stammered, “We have to get you upstairs.” She towed Jenkins quickly down the hall and towards the stairs.
Grey hollered after Jenkins, “I stabbed a Triad in the head because he was going to be eaten by a very scary demon with giant fangs and claws. Do try to follow along.”
Jenkins struggled free of Kayn’s grasp. He grabbed his gun from his holster and started to run back towards the kitchen. Grey blocked him before he even got into the kitchen and said, “Dude, trust me, what’s going on out there can’t be stopped. Go with Kayn, and get upstairs with Matt.”
“I’m a police
officer and I have a gun, “Jenkins stated with bravery oozing from his pores.
Out of the woods crawled one of the demons twitching with wild, penetrating, yellow eyes. It had a half disemboweled man hanging out of his mouth.
Jenkins began to back up, “What in the hell is that?”
Grey said, “You are brave. I see that, but the gun in your hand won’t even slow that thing down. We have got this. You need to go upstairs and check on Matt. Kayn will be right there. She will explain everything. You need to keep Kayn safe.”
That was the magic phrase. Jenkins turned and walked away from the kitchen. Kayn grabbed his arm and guided him down the hall. She said, “You are going to have to blindly trust me and go upstairs to my room. I will be right behind you.” Jenkins ran up the stairs glancing back down at her.
Kayn said, “I will be there in one second.” Through the kitchen window, Kayn could see a group of people that she guessed were Trinity. They threw a ring of salt around themselves and they stood together in the back yard waiting to lure the demons close enough to dispose of them. Kevin stood in the kitchen beside Kayn. “Be careful, Come upstairs as soon as you can,” she said. Kayn took Kevin’s hand and kissed him quickly on the cheek.
She tried to walk away, but Kevin pulled her back and kissed her on the lips and said, “No matter what happens. You stay in that room.”
Frost said, “Go and say the things you need to say. Don’t worry about Kevin. They will hold them off outside as long as they can. Don’t you dare even think about coming out of that room Kayn.”
Kayn ran upstairs, she grabbed Lily on the way and said, “I know you stayed away from him for me, but I know you need to say goodbye to Matt.”
Lily looked at Grey as he walked out the front door. He smiled and said, “I can give you five minutes.”
