by David Gallie
‘I got two of them so far!’ I hear Artemis cry out.
‘Three to go, help me out brother,’ I hear Jerub shout.
‘If you are the guardian then you will have to put me back yourself,’ shrieks Ezikal and before I know it he’s wrapping his smoky body around me. I feel like I’m floating and moving at a high speed, ‘Let’s make it a little more personal.’
When he unwraps himself from around me I find myself in the classroom where my friends had died. Ezikal moves to the far corner of the room, forcing the door to lock by magic. Then I hear the crackling of flames before they rise up from where the walls meet the floor.
I’m trapped in a burning classroom, just like my friends had been over a year and a half ago. I feel defeated, even though the fight isn’t over yet.
‘Now it’s just you and me,’ he cries out as he picks up a chair and throws it as hard as he can.
I manage to sidestep out of the way, a loud crash coming from behind me as the chair connects with the blackboard.
‘Ezikal, if you don’t stop I will have to finish you and I know you don’t want that,’ I shout, hoping to reason with him.
‘Then so be it, Guardian. It’s better not to exist at all than burn in hell for all eternity,’ he picks up another chair and throws it at me. This time, his aim is much better and I squeal in pain as a chair leg glances off my shoulder causing massive amounts of pain.
‘Ezikal please, I’m begging you to go back,’ I cry, clutching my damaged shoulder.
‘Begging is all you will be good for in a few moments,’ he sneers and picks up a table.
I dive to the teacher’s desk as the table flies through the air and crashes against the blackboard, damaging it beyond repair.
‘Alright, you know what, I’ve tried to play nice and you just don’t want to listen,’ I scream and I mentally grab him by the neck, making the motions with my hand as I do so.
Ezikal clutches at his throat, unable to escape from my grip, as I pick him up off the floor and throw him as hard as I can against the wall. As his body connects with the solid surface it explodes into a thousand puffs of smoke before it reforms and comes charging at me.
Before I have time to react he hits me hard in the chest. Winding me and sending me crashing into the blackboard. I hear it crack under the force and the world swims before my eyes as Ezikal reforms into his human-like shape before me.
‘The guardian cannot be beaten. You are just a little girl that won’t leave well alone,’ he growls and behind him, I can see Artemis at the small window on the class door. He’s smiling and giving me the thumbs up. Him and his brother have beaten back the other shadows.
This gives me all the strength I need to get back on my feet. I picture my hands glowing with the light of heaven, and when I look at them they’re shrouded in a golden mist like a set of spiritual boxing gloves.
‘And I told you to stay in hell,’ I growl back at Ezikal and before he can react I lash out with an uppercut.
There is a blinding burst of light as my fist connects with the underside of his head knocking it clean off his shoulders. A scream fills the air like its coming from the very depths of hell and his body teeters back and forth in front of me before finally exploding into a black mist which then fades away.
The flames licking at the walls suddenly disappear and I can hear the sound of the room door unlocking. I can feel my eyes growing heavy as my body relaxes. Jerub and Artemis are the first in the room. They come rushing towards me as I fall back against the blackboard and then slide down until my butt hits the floor.
Before I’m enveloped in the familiar darkness that always precedes my visions, I can see Derek, Steven, and the other two men, still wearing their robes, following the spirit brothers into the room.
CHAPTER 24
When I land in the sacred circle Satan and Deliria are already waiting for me. They look pleased with themselves as I look up at them.
‘Well done young lady,’ Satan is about to pop a cigarette between his lips but when he sees Deliria scowling at him, he begrudgingly flicks it away.
‘Yes, well done honey. We knew you could do it,’ says my mother and her words fill my heart more than I would have ever thought they could.
‘So I get to keep my job,’ I look up at them hopeful, realizing that I like the idea of being able to live and experience life even if it means being the guardian.
‘It’s impossible to lose a job that was created for you in the first place,’ says Satan, his wicked smile growing. He looked very much like the cat that got the cream.
‘He’s right, you just have a lot to learn and to be honest, we weren’t sure you would realize how powerful you are in such a short space of time, but then again, circumstances can force a girl to show her mean side quickly, right?’ Deliria winks at me with a playful smile on her face and I find myself smiling back with genuine happiness. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that.
‘Don’t suppose this means I’m no longer a fugitive?’ I ask, wondering if the cops would still be on the lookout for me.
‘Ah, well, unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of control over fate. I will see if I can pull someone’s strings, I mean pull some strings, and see if we can have your arrest erased from your record, but until then stick close to your new friends, they’ll keep you right,’ says Satan and I wonder if he enjoys being so hands on with his work.
‘Thank you, I will. What’s next?’ I look at the pair of them thinking that they have a new mission for me.
Satan shrugs his shoulders and looks to Deliria to answer my question. She too looks a little bemused.
‘What’s next is that you need to get out of Orange. The human realm is going to need you as will heaven and hell in the coming years so take some time to breathe. Be the young woman that you are and enjoy what life has to offer,’ says Deliria and I can sense that there is something else there but she doesn’t want to say in front of the dark lord.
‘Well, I do have to get Miriam out of hell,’ I say, raising an eyebrow at Satan.
‘Ah, I’ve had some time to mull that one over and I suppose your right. I have no reason to keep her soul so if you can find a way to get her out then I’ll be perfectly willing to let her go, if not, she stays with me until you can,’ his smile broadens making him look positively wicked, ‘oh and by the way, you may want to get yourself a Taser or something for Artemis. I’m afraid the boy gets a little too excited around you at times but he means well.’
‘Is that the one that keeps hitting on my daughter?’ Asks Deliria arching her brow at the dark lord.
‘Oh come on. She’s got divine beauty and their both boys,’ Satan points at me as he talks, making me blush, ‘and don’t dare tell me that Jerub doesn’t have the hots for her because we both know he does. He’s just too stuck up his own ass to admit it.’
I giggle at his last comment about Jerub. He does come across as being rather aloof but I suppose that was just the way he was.
‘Umm, I think boys are the last thing on my mind right now,’ I chime in.
‘Oh I understand honey, but just remember there is no rule that says even the guardian can’t have love. The only difference in that respect is that whoever falls for you and you for them, can’t be with you on this side. Your place will always be to guard the realms. As long as you can accept that then don’t hesitate to enjoy your life while you work,’ my mother’s words sound soothing and I do understand that no matter what I will always be the guardian first and foremost.
‘Anyhow, we just wanted to let you know that you did a great job. Of course, it was an easy one to get you started, but don’t worry, there will be plenty more challenges ahead,’ Satan starts to walk away, another one of those awful cigarettes appearing between his fingers.
Deliria blows me a kiss and mouths the words I Love You before she too disappears.
Everyone is looking down at me as I sit on the classroom floor. My eyes feel sleepy as I look up at the smiling fa
ces, especially Derek’s. He seems overjoyed.
‘Welcome back Lynk!’ he cries, while Steven and the others strip out of their robes.
‘How did you guys get away from the cops?’ I ask, shaking the grogginess out of my head.
‘Death convinced fate to make the cruiser’s crash, which gave us enough time to get out and make a run for it,’ says Steven, brushing his hair with his hand until it was somewhat neat again.
‘Old Bart told me you guys escaped from prison,’ I narrowed my eyes at them wanting to know the truth.
‘He was right. We knew your aunt was trying to resurrect the shadows and we felt that in order to stop her and also learn more about you, we should pretend to be occultists who believed in the shadows. It took a while but she let us in on the second ritual once you were already incarcerated in Madison Mills. Unfortunately, we got caught breaking into your mother’s grave to get the ring June wanted. It was the only way she would allow us to join her. We got the ring to her but Bart was able to nab us before we could do anything else,’ he explains looking sincere.
‘Why did you want to take part in the rituals in the first place?’ I ask, trying to push myself up onto my feet and realizing I didn’t have the energy to hold myself upright.
‘We’ve had so many misleading tips about your whereabouts over the years, we needed to make sure you were the real Lynk and once your aunt allowed us in, Death started paying the Ascendite’s a visit. He told us about you, and your real purpose. That’s when we decided to break you out of the asylum, although to be fair we kind of thought you would come with us to Washington without any resistance. We didn’t realize you would want to stay behind and deal with the shadows. Although we should have known better.’ Explains Derek.
Everything he said added up to a complete story. I’m still not sold on how much I can trust him, but the man did save my life from the sharp end of my aunts’ knife so if nothing else I owed him some respect for that.
‘Okay, well, I’m glad you stayed behind,’ I say, looking at my hands and remembering the sheer energy I was able to conjure at a moment’s notice. I wonder if I will be able to do that again.
‘Like I said when I first met you, Lynk,’ says Steven, ‘we’ve spent many years looking for you. We need you more than you will ever need us and if you don’t want to come to Washington then we can’t force you. But we would be deeply honored if you would.’ Says Steven.
There is something about his smile and his eyes that make me feel good around him. I’ve never truly felt comfortable around anyone, man or woman, but for some reason, his energy is warm like my mothers. I know Artemis enjoys hitting on me and Jerub is keeping his crush to himself apart from that one slip-up, but they were spirit boys and I wasn’t even sure if a date was possible with either one regardless.
‘I’ll come, but before we go do you still have your book?’ I look up at Derek hopeful and he offers me a knowing smile.
CHAPTER 25
Steven helps me to my feet and I stand there swaying a little before finally finding my balance. Death was still dealing with my aunts’ soul but the rest of the gang was happy to follow after me as I make my way out of the classroom and to the left.
I can see the doors leading to the restrooms, but instead of going through either one of them I turn right and continue down the hallway until we are pushing through the doors leading into the gym.
My eyes immediately fall on the large circle scorched into the worn, varnished floor. Directly above it, the ceiling had the same circular black mark. I had expected the flames to consume my aunts’ body, but instead, it was still perfectly intact, laying sprawled across the altar where her fight with Derek had ended. I can tell by the look in his eyes that her death had been the last thing he wanted.
I feel cautious as I approach her body, half expecting her eyes to shoot open and her mouth to scream profanities at me. But other than a small twitch here and there, she remains lifeless as I slide the ring off her finger.
Once it was safely in my hand I notice something is missing. Scanning the area with a frown, Derek and Steven join me while Artemis was annoying Jerub with something inane until Jerub head slapped him and then he stopped.
‘What’s wrong?’ asks Derek, scanning the area as if he might recognize what I’m trying to see.
‘Somethings missing,’ I say, my mind trying its best to place what it is.
I can see the frown grow on Derek’s face. He too can tell something isn’t right with the scene. Then his eyebrows arch in revelation.
‘It’s not something. It’s someone that is missing,’ he says.
Roland, my tormentor and the last of the hooded shadows, was nowhere to be seen. When I glance over at the double fire doors I notice one of them is wide open. I head in that direction, determined to put an end to this nightmare once and for all. The rest of the gang follows after me.
The mini-van was still parked where it had been earlier as I step outside. I thought that Roland would have taken it as part of his escape until Derek reminded me that the keys were still in the ignition.
How strange. Why would he not take the van?
‘A mini-van scouting around town at this time of night is going to look very suspicious, that’s probably why he left it,’ says Joe from somewhere behind me.
I think about staying and hunting the big nurse down. But then I realize that there really isn’t any point. Roland was nothing more than an accessory. June was the brains behind the whole thing and I seriously doubted the nurse had the intelligence to act on his own. He was too much of a pack animal.
‘Do you want to try and find him?’ asks Steven furtively. His eyes pleading with me to let this one go.
‘No, I have one last soul to deal with and then we can go to Washington,’ I say and climb into the back of the van.
The farmhouse looks rather sinister under the pale light of the moon and the stars. It looks lifeless as if every fiber of its existence hinges on some major event before it can finally call it a day.
Climbing out of the mini-van, I don’t bother to go near the house. Instead, I circle round back which doesn’t look much different from the front. I can see more green trees and grass which actually looks kind of blue under the moonlight.
‘What are you looking for Lynk?’ Derek asks as he sees me scanning the ground.
The truth is I don’t know. I just know I will know it when I see it.
So I start pacing the ground, looking for clues to the whereabouts of Miriam’s body. I don’t know why I think she is buried at the farmhouse, it’s a hunch more than anything.
Desperation is about to rear its ugly head when my foot kicks against something hard. Looking down I see a small circular slab with a pentagram engraved on it.
‘Did you bring your book like I asked?’ I look up at Derek and he smiles at me as he hands over his most prized possession.
‘Page fifty-five, the Sanctum Solvis,’ he says and I immediately start flipping through the pages of hand written notes and symbols. I wonder how long it took Derek to put the book together before I finally reach the page. There are only three phrases that need to be spoken but at the top, there is a note in English which says an item of ownership must be used to raise the spirit.
For a brief moment, I panic, feeling like I have nothing to offer and then I remember the ring in my pocket.
Placing the ornate gold piece on the slab I take a step back and begin reciting the phrases in the book. I have no idea if I’m pronouncing them correctly but Derek gives no indication that I’m doing anything wrong.
On my fourth read through, just when I feel like giving up, the ground begins to tremble a little. It’s not violent like the way it shook back at the gymnasium, but it’s strong enough to be noticed.
When I look down past the pages of the book I see the ring slowly dissolve into the slab which in turn causes the pentagram to twist and warp until it collapses in on itself. Then the slab begins to glow, I hold my ground, but I fee
l a little nervous inside. A sudden shaft of brilliant light erupts from the slab and shoots high into the sky.
I can hear the others gasp as Miriam’s soul erupts from the ground contained in the shaft of light. At first, she looks confused as she swirls around taking in the faces staring at her. When she turns to see me her face changes. A smile grows on her delicate lips and her eyes seem to dance with happiness.
‘You are Lynk? Guardian of the realms?’ She asks.
‘Yes, I am,’ I say.
‘The dark one said you would free me but I thought it was just another one of his tricks,’ she says.
‘He never had any rights to you from the beginning since you didn’t willingly give yourself to the altar,’ I say, hoping the dark one she’s referring to is Satan and not her hell spawn husband who I sent back to the nothingness.
‘I have always felt that, but for many years he kept me his slave and refused to let the angels take me,’ she says.
‘Well, you’re free to go now, Miriam. There will be no more shadows in your life,’ I say feeling confident that she will go on to enjoy her afterlife.
‘Thank you, Lynk. If you ever need my help just call on me,’ she says and then she’s moving upwards, her body becoming one with the light.
As she vanishes the ground begins to shake again. This time, it is violent. I can feel the tremors coursing through my body like I’m standing too close to an out of control washing machine. When I look past the shaft of light I see the land around the farmhouse begin to open up.
The building shakes and rattles. The air fills with the sound of wood splintering and cracking. We watch as the roof collapses into the building before the walls fold in on that and then its crumbled remains sinks into the earth.
As the shaft of angelic light fades away so does the farmhouse. I feel my jaw growing slack in astonishment as the Earth reforms leaving behind nothing but one big green field where a house once stood.
