by Rain Oxford
“And I made you save the boys.”
“And you made me save the boys,” Xul confirmed. “I’m supposed to be in Los Angeles right now, and if I called my manager to tell her I missed my shoot because I was teleported to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, she would probably come kick my ass before canning me.”
Ron entered the kitchen with his hair mussed and his eyes shut, made his way to Dylan, and climbed into his father’s lap.
“Where’s Hell?” Dylan asked softly.
“Sleeping,” the child muttered against Dylan’s neck. Dylan rubbed the boy’s back and Ron fell back to sleep in seconds.
“He’s a cute kid. Unlike the other one,” Xul said.
Instead of moving with Ron in his lap, Dylan looked at me expectantly. I cuffed Xul in the back of the head in Dylan’s stead. Xul was smart enough not to retaliate.
“Both of my boys are ridiculously cute. Now, I understand you need a job, but why are you looking here?”
“For three reasons. One, I sort of fit in here, two; the boys aren’t out of danger yet, and three; things are going down in the void. Something is happening to everyone involved with the void and I truly believe the safest place in the universe for a demon is right by your side.”
Chapter 5
Divina
Unlike my brothers, it was never in my nature to distance myself from my world. Throughout the history of Earth and my people, I was very hands-on. When Erono gave me a semi-mortal body, I enjoyed my newfound life a little too much, to the point where I usually left humans to their own devices. But when Dylan wanted to move to Earth, it was my intention to reassert myself as the god of Earth.
I guess it was from arrogance that the knowledge of one lowly demon loose on my world made me angry. Instead of confronting the demon directly, I sought Janus, guardian of the void. While there were demons that were as old as us that we called the Ancients, the rest of the demons were insignificant, annoying, and destructive pests. It was no secret Janus was only half demon, but since he was one of the Ancients, the real mystery was what else he was.
The void was mostly emptiness to my knowledge, with several dislodged patches of universe protected by unknown means and for unknown purposes. Everything inside the void was ruled by the demons, and the demons were ruled by the Ancients. Janus was the one who controlled the incoming and outgoing; the only one from the void side to keep the demons from getting through to the universe. If a demon made it passed him, they were in our hands.
There also happened to be several people of each world who controlled entry into the void from this side. A void guardian would never willingly open the void into the universe, though they could create a neutral zone. This would protect a living person for a very small amount of time in order to contact Janus. I had always been told by my brothers that the void was toxic to us, but that we couldn’t be attacked while in the neutral zone.
While the void itself was confusing at best to me, I understood this neutral zone as a sort of thick membrane of universe that bled between the universe and the abyss. The few times I had the misfortune of addressing Janus, he came to me instantly upon my arrival. Therefore, it only took a short time to realize something was wrong.
The gray, half-melted trees were a twisted interpretation of something between life and death. It was disturbing because they looked so much more sinister than normal; instead of dead, twisted branches, they were covered in spikes and blood. There were random patches of actual skin on some of them. Even the wind sounded like the echoing screams of dead souls. Something was wrong and Janus was missing.
Demons were notorious trouble makers and without Janus, they would eventually discover how to break out of the void.
I sought my oldest brother. Even though I absolutely didn’t trust him, I knew that if anyone had answers, it was him. What I found was even more shocking than anything I had seen since I found out I hadn’t destroyed him. I was in a room that was empty except for a large, tall bed laden with dark colors and satin fabrics and occupied by two mortal women, one of which was dressed in a black satin thong and the other was entirely naked. The naked woman was asleep while the other was drinking wine from a glass goblet, completely unfazed by my arrival.
“Your timing is deplorable, little sister,” my brother said, appearing behind me.
It was with my sincerest relief that he was fully clothed, even if it was in a black satin shirt and jeans. While I was very guilty of dressing to impress my mate, it was disturbing to see Vretial dressed as a mortal man. He was the oldest and wisest of us so, despite the fact that he had created a semi-mortal body with which to live in, it was very disquieting to witness him acting like a mortal.
“I think it could have been worse.”
“Yes, I suppose so. Why have you come to see me?” As if to unsettle me even more, he went to the bed and sat. The conscious woman immediately wrapped herself around him and caressed his neck. He ignored her.
“Janus is missing.”
“Good for you. I know you disliked him, so you should have a hand in picking whoever is to replace him.”
“That’s not my point,” I snarled. This wasn’t like Vretial at all, but I knew I was also different since I became… alive. Maybe this was some weird side effect of Vretial having a flesh body. Maybe all Iadnah became absolutely insane if they took a real body.
Vretial sighed and stood. “You said you didn’t trust me anymore. You made it quite clear I was dead to you.”
“You attacked Dylan.”
“It wasn’t by choice. At first the balance was in control, but then I tried to help him. I saved his life a thousand times over, even gave him Mordon. He trusts me more than you. You hinder his magic and lie to him at every turn.”
“I do what I think is right to help him.”
“Since you got your early memories back, you regressed to being the one who killed our kind. When Dylan met you, you were compassionate and open minded. Do you think he would love you if he had a choice? I’m sure he tells you every day that he loves you, but have you ever asked him why? Does he even know?”
“He’s my mate. You were the one who told us that each of us had---”
“A soul mate. The universe is in balance and for that reason every god has one person who balances us; one person who is perfect for us to love. Does that even make sense to you?”
“You told me that. Are you telling me now that it isn’t true?”
“We have no soul! How can we have a soul mate? I think when you took my power, you lost your mind, and it hasn’t come back to you. By that time, Dylan already belonged to you. He knows you aren’t the same, and I bet he’s wondered what he even loves about you.”
“Stop it,” I demanded. Vretial was always kind to me before. He never spoke to me like this. “What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s not me that is wrong. You’re not one of us, Tiamat. You’re not Iadnah, you’re not my sister, and I highly suspect you will be the death of Dylan. You’ve seen his death, yet you’ve never told him or done anything to stop it.”
“I’m working on stopping it.”
“You will fail. Dylan will die with his misplaced trust in you. He will die because of you.”
A hand gripped my shoulder and I turned in utter shock. I was back in the neutral space of the void and Vretial was behind me… wearing a black button-up shirt and black pants with a black trench coat. One of the spiked branches of the half-melted trees was wrapped around my wrist, so I jerked my arm away until the branch snapped, uncoiled, and dropped to the ground. The vine left behind a red, raised rash around my wrist about three inches wide that looked somewhere between bruised and burned.
Vretial put one arm around me in a sort of half-hug and the void dissipated around me. We reappeared in the Land of the Iadnah under the apple tree. “You are too young to be alone in the void,” he cautioned.
It must have been the living part of my mortal body that caused me to shake uncontrollably. I was a go
d; I had to be more dignified than that. I never felt like it was a hindrance more than in that moment. “What happened?”
“The void is a poison to life. We are not meant to have mortal bodies, but the void can feed on them when we’re there. You were seeing the horrors that are in your heart.”
“You said I will be the death of Dylan.”
“That wasn’t me but your own fears. I assure you, Dylan will not die by your hand. It will be, at least indirectly, the fault of Samhail and Ronez.”
“You can stop it then?”
“I cannot. If the balance still possessed me, or even if I had my full power, I could. You know as well as I that these bodies encumber our power.”
“Then I will give it up.”
He stared at me. “You cannot be with Dylan without a body.”
“If it comes down to giving him up or losing him to death, I will give up this form that hinders my power. These bodies are amazing. I can feel emotions and sometimes I hate it so much. Sometimes I feel powerless, when I was once infinitely powerful and all-knowing. But I figured it out when our brothers wanted to take him from me; he makes it worth it. As powerful as I was, we don’t feel emotions like joy. I never understood that a little unhappiness could make the good things sweeter. The happiness I feel with Dylan makes it worth everything.
“He makes me laugh at ridiculous jokes, but he can be so wise when the time calls for it. He loves me no matter what I am or what I do, and he will always take my side. He knows when I need space or when I want to be treated like a mortal woman. With him, I can be whatever I want to be. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to stand the pain.”
“You’re going to make me jealous now.”
“Maybe you will find your mate someday.” If what I had seen really was just a manifestation of my fears, then that meant it was me, not my brother, who doubted the concept of the gods having soul mates. That didn’t mean I loved Dylan any less.
“No, I’m not like you. You were always different and that isn’t a bad thing. It was something beyond my understanding that drove you, and I believe that you are who you are because you were meant to be with Dylan.”
“He’s just a mortal with Iadnah magic.”
“We both know that isn’t true.”
“How can he have influenced me before he was even born? I’m much more powerful than him, so it should be the other way around.”
“See, I don’t believe that, either. He looks human, he sounds human, he even smells human, but there is something in him not quite right. I don’t think he understands it, either. He can use mortal and Iadnah magic, yet he controls a demon. He took the demon’s power away and then gave it back to him.”
We could kill a demon easily if they were in a mortal body, but we could not strip their power like we could a mortal’s. “You’re saying he can use demon magic as well?”
“I believe he might be something we have never considered. He might be a being who can control, and even create, any form of magic.”
“But his mother is human and his father was Ronez.”
“I’m sure that is correct, and I’m not suggesting otherwise. We made people, but we don’t know everything there is to know about them. You choose to forget that while we may be the most powerful species we know of, there is nothing to say there isn’t a being more powerful out there. Maybe there is something out there beyond our little surviving universe that can destroy us with a mere thought.”
“You mean something that would be a god to us? Absolutely not. We are Iadnah, all-powerful and all-seeing. If there was anything out there that could even rival us, we would know.”
“Oh, little sister, Dylan didn’t marry you for your brains, that’s for sure. Anyway, I guess you realized Janus is missing.”
“I did,” I said, ignoring his insult. Vretial honestly didn’t mean any harm by it. “Do you know what happened to him?”
“No. Like I said, these bodies are a hindrance. Perhaps he was overruled. I do know, however, that the demons are escaping. The best I have been able to deduce without speaking to anyone directly is that the demons had someone on the outside that helped them make it through.”
“Ron sent all the demons back into the void when he closed the gates.”
“He did, but the demons were spread throughout time as well as space. Some had plenty of time to ensure a passage back with their blood.”
“Offspring.”
“Yes. They get a woman pregnant and they have an easy blood bond with the universe.”
“I will find the keepers of the void. One of them must know what happened to Janus.” I had one particular person in mind, so I flashed to Dios, to the High King I had met twice before. The boy was bonded to the void by blood, hence his presence destroyed nominal and Iadnah energy. He was much older than he appeared, most likely due to the void essence in his blood, and I had heard from Nano that he used it to his advantage.
Nila was asleep on the ground in a cold, dark cave with a too thin shirt and pants that were worn through in many spots. The boy wasn’t even wearing shoes. I knew Dios was dreary, but I didn’t think their leader would be sleeping in the dirt. Beside him was a goblin dressed in armor.
They both woke with a start and the goblin pounced to place himself between me and his king. When the guard pulled a sword on me, the boy pulled him back. “No! She is a god!”
The goblin grumbled, but let himself be pulled away. Nila bowed slightly to me, although it looked more like he was just trying to buy time. His eyes darted around as if to make sure I was the only one who appeared.
“Where is Dylan? Is he okay?” he asked, panic on the edge of his tone.
“Dylan is fine. Why? Do you expect trouble?”
“Not as long as he stays away from Dios. You have to protect him; there is a force gathering to bring him down. I believe my father might be leading them.”
“Where is your father?”
“Not here right now. I mean, he died before I was born… but he’s back. He’s back as a demon and I think he means to kill Dylan through me. He believes Dylan will come to save me and… Tiamat, you have to keep him away.”
When a person died, they couldn’t return as a demon. Demons were a species created in the void with no soul and no life. Although a soul could imitate a demon by forming a temporary body in the universe, this was regulated by Janus because it was a construction of demon magic.
“If you are in need of saving, there is nothing in this universe that can keep Dylan away.”
Nila slumped to the ground dramatically. “I will not be his death.”
“Your father is leading an army of demons to kill Dylan?”
He shook his head. “I think he has a small group ready, but he wants Dylan to come here. He wants to meet Dylan alive… he was very specific about that. He never even said he wants Dylan dead. There’s something very sinister about him, though.”
“Why would Dylan need to save you?”
“Most of my people have moved above ground. Those remaining are criminals and slaves who didn’t make it out before crime overruled order. I tried so hard to get everyone out. Trolls and goblins arrest people on sight, but evil prevails here. There is peace above ground and people mourn the loss of family members who aren’t dead, who are just trapped down here.”
“Then move above ground and mourn with the rest of them.”
“I will not abandon innocent people!” he screamed. He paled suddenly and backed up against his guard’s chest. “I’m sorry, goddess. You are Dylan’s wife; I thought you would understand. It is my responsibility to save my people. I am High King. My people will not die for me to live in peace but the other way around.”
“Dylan sure as hell knows how to pick his friends. I think everyone my husband befriends is certifiable. I will help you so Dylan isn’t drawn here, but I must find the guardians of the void. You can sense them, right?”
“Normally.”
“Not right now?” I asked
&nb
sp; He looked embarrassed and looked up at his guard’s face. “We have not had water or food for ten days. We are both a little distracted,” the guard said, putting his hand on Nila’s shoulder. It was very clear how much the goblin cared for the young king.
“I will be right back,” I said, flashing to my apartment. I grabbed a plastic bag, threw in the loaf of bread from on top of the fridge, and then searched through the fridge until I found lunchmeat, cheese, and bottled drinking water. Then I flashed back to Dios and handed the bag to the young king. “This should be enough for today.”
“Why are you helping me? You’re not the god of Dios.”
“Zer is not interested in helping his people. Besides, you’re a friend of Dylan.”
“Thank you,” he said. I waited while he and the goblin discovered sandwiches and swallowed them down like they were… well, starving. I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt until they finished off the food and each drank two bottles of water.
“Are the other gods as giving as you?” the goblin asked.
Several of my brothers were more giving than myself, but I would do what I could to help Dylan’s friends. If Dylan decided they were worthy friends, I would assist his allies whenever possible. I wanted to help my people in general, but I normally left the people of other worlds to their own gods. The thing was, Dylan had the ability to make friends anywhere.
“How much do you know about the void and those who guard it?” I asked.
“Not a whole lot. I can sense things that involve the void, but the only real knowledge I have is from Nano.”
“Where is Nano?”
“He and Vivian moved above ground.”
“Nano should be protecting you.”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes and I knew there was a lot more going on here than I was privy to. I considered it for a moment, but if the mortal wasn’t desperate enough to ask for help, I would stay out of it. Of course, Dylan would see his friend in trouble and demand to help.
