by Steve McHugh
Layla maintained eye contact with Diana. “What do you know about it?”
Diana smiled. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Layla, than are dreamed of in your philosophy.”
“You’re quoting Hamlet to me? That doesn’t exactly have the happiest ending.”
“It was the first thing that popped into mind. I always liked the play, saw it not long after Shakespeare first put it on.”
“That’s over four hundred years ago.”
Diana shrugged. “I like to moisturize.” She winked and walked over to the door. “Like I said, you shouldn’t be afraid of your new powers. Just accept them. It’ll make life easier, I promise.”
Layla took a shot. “Did you accept yours?”
“I’m not an umbra, Layla. Not even close. When the doctor comes, tell him the truth about the wound. He’ll know more about your circumstances than you could possibly imagine.” Diana opened the door. “And, yes, I accepted them. I love everything about what I can do. Except the shedding. I’m not such a fan of that. Call if you need anything.”
Diana walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Layla staring after her. She wondered what Diana was, and exactly how many others were like her. It was odd discovering that something you thought was unique, wasn’t. She sat for a few minutes before going to the door and opening it, catching Diana mid-bite of a bacon sandwich.
“Can I have one of those?”
Diana swallowed the mouthful and nodded. “Sure. Anything else?”
“Something to drink that isn’t lukewarm water?”
“Coffee?”
Layla nodded. “That would be amazing, thank you. And some fruit. Apples or oranges, just something to snack on.”
Diana smiled. “Anything else on my shopping trip?”
“I have university work to do. It needs to be handed in next week, and I can’t do it sitting here.”
“We’ll talk to your university and get you an extension. These are exceptional circumstances, and I think a few of our people turning up at the university will be able to convince them to grant you an extension. You’re in your last year anyway, yes?”
“Yes, my dissertation is on the application of different compounds in nanotechnology.”
“Sounds like hard work.”
“I find it interesting. I’m not sure anyone else would be able to say the same thing. Looking at the manipulation of tiny particles of metal isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun time.”
“That explains the window then. You moved the metal in the frame to move the window?”
Layla paused, and then tentatively shook her head. “I moved the metal solder in the runners.”
Diana nodded as if impressed. “If you want to keep that window open, can you put bars across it?”
Layla looked behind her at the open window. “I don’t know.”
“Try. I’ll feel better knowing it’s not an entry point. I’ll get you your stuff too.”
Layla thanked her and walked back over to the window. She placed her hands on the runners and tried to think about moving the metal inside them.
You don’t need to touch the metal to use it, Rosa said from behind her.
Layla bit back a reply, and moved her hands a few inches from the runners. She imagined the metal coming out of them and forming a cage around the open window. She imagined taking metal from the two blocks and the runners, making sure that parts of the metal gripped the window in place first. She didn’t want the glass falling out.
She opened her eyes and the metal slowly moved out from the runners, as if it was made of nothing more than modeling clay, until the various strands of metal linked up, forming several bars across the window.
Layla stepped back and admired her work. “Wow.”
It’s an impressive talent.
Layla turned around and saw Rosa in the same spot she’d been in earlier. “And I’ll get more powerful?” she asked.
Rosa nodded. “That’s the plan.”
Diana arrived shortly after with a stack of books and some food. “We found these at your house. I thought you’d like some reading material.”
Layla picked up each book; most of them were about metal usage and technology.
“Thought you might get some ideas.”
“Thank you.”
“Just take it slowly, Layla. Don’t push yourself too hard; I’ve seen what those scrolls do to people who allow their emotions to take control. That demon inside of you can’t ever be let out. Trust me.”
Layla was shocked. She hadn’t really thought about how many others were like her, but she imagined there weren’t all that many. Her mind raced with excitement. She wasn’t alone. “You’ve seen it happen? How many umbra are there? Are they like me? Did they accept their demon? Can I meet one?”
Diana smiled. “You have questions then.”
“Sorry, but yes, lots.”
“Okay. I’ve seen it happen a few times. I’ve met a half dozen umbra in the last few years. We only discovered they existed as a species a few years ago, but they’ve been living in this realm for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Most are just like you: a human who found a scroll and bonded with some spirits through no fault of their own.
“We’re trying to get an umbra to come meet you once you’re done here. Right now, they’re busy with a few other things, but I promise they’ll come see you when they can. They did accept their demon. I spoke to them about it after, and they told me it was the hardest thing they’d ever done. From what they told me, trust the spirits, and trust yourself. That’s the only advice my friend ever said mattered. I’m sure they’d tell you that if they were here.”
“I wish it was that simple.”
“Nothing worth doing is ever simple, Layla. If accepting the demon and spirits was simple, we’d have a lot more umbra running around.” Diana stood and stretched. “I’ll leave you be for now.”
“Aren’t you worried about me losing control? About the demon breaking free?”
Diana paused. “Yes. It is a concern. But after talking to you and spending time with you, I don’t think I have anything to worry about. The demon can’t just take control like that.” She clicked her fingers. “It takes time. Time enough for us to make sure you’re safe and get you any help you need.”
“I feel like I should be more surprised about all of this.”
“Surprised?”
“About the world I never knew existed. I think the spirits are somehow making me accept things without question. It’s like they already knew all of this, so I’m okay with it. It’s a bit weird.”
“That’s probably for the best then. It’s a lot to accept. And there’s a lot more to come. Magic, monsters, and more species than I can even remember.”
“And you kept all of this secret?”
“It was decided long ago that humans would have no knowledge of our world. It was too dangerous, and humans were too easily influenced by people who want to do us harm for their own benefit. Besides, humans make up about ninety-nine percent of the population of the planet. Having them know we exist wouldn’t have ended well, not with all the different governments and religions. People vying for their own agendas, control, riches, or anything else that drives them to deal very badly with the idea that they were no longer the top of the food chain, so to speak. It was better to stay hidden.”
Diana left the room, and Layla spent the rest of the day reading the books and watching TV, occasionally practicing her new power on the metal legs of the table. The doctor arrived just as the night was beginning to settle in. He was a middle-aged man who appeared to know Diana, and came across as a pleasant and easy-going individual.
He checked Layla over, asking her a few questions about herself and how she was feeling. He appeared to be happy with the answers.
“Doctor?” Layla asked, as he was writing in a notebook.
He glanced up. “Yes?”
“What are you writing?”
The doctor
smiled. “Your bullet wound is healed. The power inside of you will increase over the coming weeks and months. Less than two days after being shot and the scarring is all but gone. It’s impressive.”
“Thank you for being honest, Doctor . . .”
“Grayson. You can call me Doc, everyone else does.” Grayson had a trim white beard and bald head. He was a short man with pale skin and a wooden bracelet on one wrist, which had several marks carved into it. He wore a dark blue suit and carried himself with the kind of confidence you get when you know exactly who you are as a person.
“You work with Diana?”
“I work for Tommy, and with Diana when she manages to injure herself, which isn’t often.”
“Are you human?”
Grayson shook his head. “I’m something entirely different to you and Diana. Can’t tell you what, though . . . It’s complicated.”
Layla nodded an understanding, although in reality she had none. “Can I go home?”
Grayson placed the pen and paper on the table beside him. “Short answer: no. Not for a few more days. Long answer: no, because while you’re here we can monitor you and the spirits inside of you. We can monitor your power and how you cope. And we can monitor that demon and how well it tries to screw around in your head too. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but this is the safest place for you right now.”
“Why don’t I just accept the spirit and demon and be done with it?”
“From what I understand, it’s not that simple. I wish it was, for your sake.” He stood and picked up the notebook and put the pen inside his jacket pocket. “I’ll be back to see you tomorrow. In the meantime, sleep. You need as much rest as possible.”
Layla watched the doctor leave, before settling in to watch TV for a few hours. Eventually she drifted off to sleep, ready to face whatever came next.
16
Layla stared at the opulent palace in front of her: the tan painted bricks, the white columns, and perfectly manicured lawn. Birds chirped somewhere nearby, and there were several trees that sat alongside a twenty-foot gray stone wall behind her.
“This is where I worked,” a man said as he walked down the steps of the palace toward her. “My name is Servius Tullius.” Servius was a giant of a man. Over six feet tall, and as solid as an oak tree, he gave the impression that he was not to be trifled with. He had dark skin, short black hair, and was clean-shaven. His eyes were a mixture of brown and green, and a scar stretched from the right side of his top lip, curving under his nose and finishing just under his left eye.
“Spear deflected from my shield,” he said, touching the scar. “It’s the first thing people asked back then.”
“You’re a Roman?”
He nodded. “A praefectus legionis.”
Layla was about to ask what that meant, when the answer popped into her head. “You were an equestrian legionary commander?”
Servius nodded. “I was part of the army for twelve years, before Emperor Trajan rewarded me for saving the life of a son of a close friend on the battlefield. I was given the opportunity to become a guard here, at one of several residences that the emperors used. This one is in northern Italy. It’s officially a home belonging to one of the senators, but it’s used by the emperor as a getaway.”
“It’s stunning.”
“It’s a sad, lonely place. Mostly slaves and soldiers who have been rewarded with an easy life staff it. We’re rarely bothered by anyone, and the family who lived here—a mother, two daughters, and three sons—were all nice enough.”
“For slave owners.”
Servius nodded. “It was the way of the times. As far as slave owners went, these were kind and allowed their slaves a measure of freedom, but slavery isn’t something I remember with any fondness. It isn’t something I’ve ever been proud to say was a part of the world I lived in.”
The pair began walking around the gardens, and Layla looked at the statues depicting various Roman gods and goddesses in various states of undress, in amongst colorful flowers and a stream that appeared to run the length of the estate.
“So, when did you get the scroll?”
“I was given it by the emperor as a gift. I kept it for ten years, until raiders came to the estate. They came at night, killing most of the guards, murdering the mother and sons, before hunting for the daughters and anyone remaining in the property. I fought several of them and was badly wounded. It was dumb luck I placed a bloody hand on the scroll, and the rest is history.”
“You drove back the raiders?”
“I killed them all. I was confused; my emotions got the better of me and the demon was released. It was only for a matter of minutes, but it was long enough to kill every single person in this estate. Including anyone who wasn’t a raider.”
The image in front of them changed, became nighttime in an instant. Bodies littered the ground, and the screams could be heard inside the estate, before a creature that had once been Servius burst through the wall, grabbing hold of the nearest raider and tearing him in half. The slaughter of the remaining six men outside the palace was quick and brutal, drenching Servius in blood before he turned back into his human form.
“I fled after this, ran to the hills and didn’t come back. Gyda helped me realize what I was, and I spent the next few hundred years living as a nomad, moving from place to place, never staying long. I saw a lot of the world that way, but didn’t really have much else. In the end I was killed by a man who wanted to make a name for himself and had heard of my prowess with a sword. The funny thing is, I don’t even remember his name. I don’t think it really matters, if I’m honest.”
“No one who’s had these scrolls seems to have lived a particularly happy life.”
“The scroll is a great burden, if you allow it to be. I let what I did this night define who I was for centuries after. Gyda took her own life so as not to allow the demon to take hers because no one told her how the scrolls truly operate, and by the time she’d learned it, it was too late. She continues to tell people that killing themselves is the only option. She’s wrong there. I was wrong to flee too.
“And Rosa . . . she is the only one of us who truly embraced what it meant to have this power. She used it to try to make the world better, even if I don’t always agree with her methods.”
“What if I accept it and I become a killer like my father?”
“I can understand your hesitance. But killing to preserve your own life, or to protect those you love, isn’t the same as killing for pleasure. It’s simple really; you don’t become him. I know Rosa told you something similar.”
Layla laughed, although there was little humor in it, as the scenery around her began to fade. “It’s not that easy.”
“It really is,” Rosa said from beside her. “Hello, Servius.”
The legionnaire bowed his head. “Rosa. I see you’ve taken to invading my time too.”
“We can’t have another you or Gyda,” Rosa said softly. “And there are things about the demon I haven’t told her. That no one has told her. She needs to know. She can only fight this creature with information.”
Servius nodded. “The demon will show you things, things of a future you’ll want no part of. He’ll say that’s what will happen if you accept him. He tried with me after I ran from here. He tried with Rosa, and Gyda too. Gyda let him take control because she had no idea what she was doing. I allowed it to happen because of fear and rage. Don’t go down those paths. Don’t make the same mistakes we made.”
“He showed me killing people I loved,” Rosa said. “Told me that once I’d accepted him and the spirits, he’d bide his time until I needed to use his power so badly that I’d release him. He told me over and over again until I almost believed him. But I fought through it; I decided that there was nothing he could do to those I loved that any one of my enemies couldn’t do if I refused to accept the demon and spirits. Somehow I managed to accept him, although I kept him chained in my mind.”
“So, he’s going t
o show me a possible future? Can’t I just ignore it all?” Layla turned away from the pair. It was too much to take, too much to absorb all at once. It was beginning to sound like no matter what she did, she was screwed.
Rosa and Servius shared a glance. “Yes, but it’s not just something you can ignore,” Rosa eventually said. “Everything he shows you will feel real. It’s how he works. He will make you believe that you don’t have a good option. We can tell you right now that you can fight it, but it won’t feel like you can when you’re in the middle of it all.”
Rosa’s voice became distant, and when Layla turned to look at them both, she discovered they were no longer there.
Instead of the palace there was nothing, just an empty darkness all around her.
“Is it finally my turn?” a voice asked from the blackness.
“You’re the demon?”
“My name is Terhal.” Two points of fire ignited in the distance as the darkness surrounding Layla dissipated, revealing the glade she’d ridden around with Rosa. The points of fire were inside the large cage, where the demon remained shrouded in darkness.
Layla sucked down the fear she instinctively felt. “Does that eye trick impress anyone?”
The globes of fire vanished, and the demon grabbed hold of the bars, placing his face against them. His skin was taut over his skull. A ridge sat around the circumference of the top of his head, pulsing a bright orange color, making it look as though he was wearing a crown of fire. His eyes were large; the orange and red flame where the eyeball should have been seemed to spill out across the skin around the socket. He had no nose, just a hole where darkness sat, and there was no skin around his mouth, exposing bone and dozens of small, shark-like teeth.
His ears were large and pointy, and when he opened his skinless mouth, a black tongue flicked across his teeth.
On his chin sat two tendrils, each a foot in length. They were a silver color, and like the ridge on his skull, they pulsed on occasion with red and orange.
