Syndrome of Mortality

by Eden R. Souther

  The demon found himself pacing on the sidewalk outside of the hospital. Somehow, he was going to have to find a way to do this.

  How did one plan for this? Vaguely, he remembered a hologame that had been popular a few years ago. It had involved plenty of violence and thievery. Typically, it was transports and occasionally involved hitting people for their stuff, and buying sex. Most of it didn’t apply. Yet, there were aspects he could pull from.

  For example, there was the thievery. Granted, the game never made you steal a whole person. But, he’d make it up as he went. That was his best bet.

  It was impossible for him to feel comfortable as he approached the hospital’s entrance. Michelle wouldn’t know what was going on until it was already done. She no longer had the choice, as he’d wished she could have had. That had been the most important thing for him. This was her life. It should be her decision.

  No one else should have been able to pick the direction that her life would go in. She didn’t get to do of that. The universe had dragged her across the rocks. He suspected that if she had the choice, Michelle would have chosen to nap.

  She’d told the story of how her Mom had pressured her to pick a major, and every time she would somehow manage to turn the conversation around to sleeping. Marie had insisted on some kind of decision. Yet, Michelle had always taken it upon herself to nap. Hell, if Ravin could have, he would have used magic to make her a koala, so she could sleep for twenty-two hours a day. Then, she could nap to her heart's content.

  Why did they have to send Ravin alone to get her?

  The last time he’d been here, he and Loviel had fought. Somehow he didn’t think that any of the staff would be too pleased to see him again. Sure, he had been the victim, and his jaw still hurt, but it was still fighting in the hospital. That typically wasn’t smiled upon. In fact, it was potentially grounds for banishment.

  Did hospitals banish people? Was that a thing?

  There was only one nurse that wasn’t staring at him. The others all seemed to be bothered by his behavior. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the last time he was here, or if it was because he probably looked like he was drugged. “On edge” was a better way to phrase it. It was also the most polite way to state it.

  She was blonde, young—possibly—definitely a spirit, with a smattering of freckles. The young woman walked up to him. “Excuse me sir, are you lost?” Her nose twitched, just like a rabbit’s. It matched the two long ears that protruded from her head. Her mint scrubs had a name tag attached to it with a flower pin that read, ‘Delaney’.

  ‘Think quickly, think fast, Ravin,’ he instructed himself. ‘You have to be smart about this, don’t say anything stupid. Don’t look like an ass. Don’t do anything stupid.’ The demon took in a deep breath. “Yes,” he said and released the breath. “I am lost.” Even to himself it sounded oddly robotic and forced.

  ‘Good job.’ Ravin internally cringed. ‘Way to mess it up on the first sentence.’

  Whether it was luck, or sheer lack of attention on her part, Delaney replied, “Well, I just got off work, so I’m heading nowhere fast.” Her ears perked up and her nose twitched again. “Maybe I can help you out. I know this place can be like a labyrinth.”

  Relief flooded through Ravin. Okay, at least she wasn’t freaking out or calling security. “I’m looking for the Aqua Cistern Unit.” Maybe he’d be able to find someway to transport Michelle that wouldn’t kill her. He wasn’t sure if his girlfriend would survive outside of the Cistern. It would be just his luck to kill her while on the way to save her.

  “Oh, what luck!” She gave a bright smile and began heading in the correct direction. “That’s where I work.”

  “How lucky for me.” Ravin followed behind her. That gave him the perfect opportunity. “So, I have a question about the Aqua Cisterns, if you don’t mind, Delaney. It’s been something that I’ve always wondered about. If you needed to transport someone in a Cistern to another hospital, how would you do that? I’ve never really understood how it’s done.”

  “Each of the Cisterns has a travel mode you can activate,” she explained. “It’s really handy for a lot of reasons. Like, if we have a tornado, we can move the patients into a safe location with just a few button clicks.” The process was playing loud and clear in her mind.

  Ravin hardly had to try to pick up every detail. If this got her in trouble, he was going to have to make it up to her, somehow. Especially now that he knew how he was going to save his girlfriend. “I really had no idea. That’s so cool. You must have a pretty exciting job in such an intensive unit.” He had to keep with her so it wasn’t suspicious. If he just took off, then she would know he was lying, even if she was oblivious.

  “I spend a lot more time with the families than the patients…” She got to the elevator and pressed the ‘up’ button. Delaney rocked back and forth on her heels. “People get that look. I can pick it out by now. I’m just glad I can help.”

  “It was really that obvious?” Ravin rubbed the back of his head. “And here I thought I was holding it together this time. It’s really hard…” That, at least, he could be honest about. This was going to be one of the hardest things he would ever have to do. Nothing really took the place of saving the world. That was still the most difficult thing in his life.

  Delaney put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about. Really. When your loved one needs special care, it’s bound to hurt. Really.” She stepped off the elevator.

  Ravin followed after her. “Thank you very much, Delaney,” he sighed.

  She showed him to the unit. “There you go. Is there anything else I can help you with?” Delaney asked.

  Ravin shook his head. “No, thank you.” He already had everything he needed, thanks to her loud thoughts. “I hope you have a good rest.” It was already the deep of night. She would sleep in the day, like a lot of hospital workers had to.

  There was no fuss as he entered the unit. It only took a few moments to find Michelle. He hadn’t been able to see her before now, and now he wasn’t sure it had been a bad thing. This wasn’t Michelle, that much he knew. No. She wasn’t some terrifying shell hovering in ooze. If he’d thought her transformation after her first hospitalization had been horrifying, then this was Hell. This was something that belonged in the worst torturing circles.

  Gaunt and lifeless: that was how she looked. She was barely holding on. Fenriel had come at the perfect time. Everything had fallen into place for them. There was no higher power that he would be unwilling to thank for running into Delaney. The King of the Under wouldn't have done that sort of thing for him, even if he hadn’t been sealed away since the Dawn of Time. The King of the Beyond didn't have time for a singular demon. If anything, he was likely to smite Ravin for just existing.

  So, instead, he just put his thanks out to the universe. Someone, hopefully the person who had helped him, would hear it. And maybe they would continue their assistance when it came to getting Michelle out of the hospital.

  Ravin placed his hand on the glass surface of her tank. There was no chance that she would put her hand to his this time. Michelle was in a coma, as was prudent. At least she finally got her extended nap. Maybe she was enjoying that.

  More than anything, he hoped that she wasn’t in pain.

  A quiet breath escaped his lips. “Okay, let's get you out of here.”

  Determination flooded him. In his mind, he reviewed Delaney’s thoughts. The first step was to prime the tank. That was achieved by pushing the purple button on the panel at the back of the tank. It was located under the topmost tube, which filtered out the solution, removing larger impurities that the Cistern couldn't resolve on its own.

  There were two smaller tubes: one replenished the nutrients for the patients, the other dispensed medicine into the liquid which was absorbed through the skin. Ravin made a mental note to read the minds of more professionals. He felt so smart. He’d never even seen a Cistern before. Now, he felt like an expert.
The green button retracted the nutrition, and the blue, the medicine.

  On the wall where the tubes connected, the red button deactivated the monitors and retracted the cords. When they were gone, the backup power hummed to life in the pod.

  ‘Don’t touch the yellow switch,’ Ravin warned himself. ‘We don’t need to call for a code.’ The last thing he wanted was a stat team rushing in while he was being covert.

  “Sneaky Spy Time” would have been fun if it hadn’t been a life or death situation. He also knew that he couldn't do this on a regular basis. “Sneaky Spy Time” was not the professional term, and a professional spy would probably be offended by it. But it wasn’t like he knew any, that he was aware of.

  Spies tended to not be so vocal.

  A quiet bing let Ravin know that the priming sequence had finished. That was when crunch time started. The left switch on the Cistern, then the right. Turn the middle, not too fast, but not too slow.

  A realization hit Ravin. Marie and Collin would be informed when Michelle vanished from the hospital. As the podium that the Cistern sat on rose up from the floor, Ravin pulled out his holophone. He hit the button to dial Marie’s number. It almost immediately went to her voicemail.

  “Hey, Marie,” he started, “it’s Ravin. You’re probably not going to get this until you get the bad news. So, don’t worry. Michelle is fine. Well, she’s going to be fine. She’s with me. I can’t tell you where, but your Angel can give you an idea. He’s probably heard about the commotion with the Angels and… yeah. Don't worry. I’m going to keep her safe and make sure she gets cured. Sorry if you hate me after this, you’re an awesome Mom. Please don't get Esriel to kick my ass. I like it in one piece. Yeah, I’m going to hang up now. Hope you’re not pissed when you see me again, Doc…. Bye!”

  As he went to hang up, an and alarm began to sound.

  “Oh fuck.” He slammed his thumb into the end button on his phone, then pushed everything he could think of on Michelle’s Cistern.

  What had he forgotten?

  Oh. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He didn’t have a badge to swipe to prove his were approved actions.

  Ravin threw his arms around the pod and focused all his energy on getting the two out of there.

  Nothing.

  They’d blocked his ability to teleport. Of course they had. How did they know if he had ill intent or not? They could ask, but Ravin doubted that they would take the time.

  The Cistern had shrunk down to half the height. Each one of the arms on the pedestal had suctioned tight and a set of handles had extended out to make it easier to push. The whole thing hovered a foot off of the floor.

  Ravin grabbed the handles and raced out the door, pushing the Cistern ahead of him. To the left was the nurses’ station and the exit. Right took him deeper into the hospital.

  From overhead came a calm voice. “Code Opal. ACU. Code Opal. ACU.”

  Voices, some more stressed than others, and footsteps were coming from the left as the nurses mobilized.

  “Deeper in it is.” Ravin jumped into action with Michelle in tow. He darted to the right.

  No one was down the hall, as he had predicted. There were footsteps following him. They were still far off, not onto him, yet. That's when he saw the stairwell.

  He picked up his pace. At the point, he was sprinting. From behind him, his pursuers picked up their speed.

  A quiet stream of curses escaped his lips. All he had to do was get to the stairs.

  “You there!” A booming voice reached his ears. “Freeze!” The order was clipped and authoritarian. When Ravin glanced back, he saw a bulky man in scrubs with a baton in his hands, at the start of the hall. Energy fizzled from the tip. Whether it was stun, knock out, or paralyzing; Ravin didn’t know.

  All he knew was that he didn’t want to find out.

  Ravin slammed his shoulder into the door to knock it open. “Sorry!” He called back at the man. “I promise that she’ll be safe. Apologize to Dr. Nielson for me again!”

  Then he bounded down the stairs towards the parking structure. It had a skywalk along the second floor. All the exits would be blocked by now. He had to find his own way out.

  Michelle’s Cistern was still upright and running; a blinking green light at the top let him know as much. It hadn’t moved from its hovering height of one foot above the ground no matter how fast or hard he pushed it.

  As he ran, it hit him. More than anything, he hoped that his guess was right.

  There were only a few people that he sprinted past as he ran. They were all patients and had no time to process what was going on as he bolted by them.

  The parking garage was full of transports of all shapes and sizes. None of them would serve as a good getaway veicle. Security systems would keep him locked out, not to mention that hospital security would stop him at the bottom of the structure. Their voices echoed up the stars and reverberated around the garage.

  The sides of the structure had wide open-air gaps to keep the building from overheating. They were his ticket out. There was a two-foot-tall retaining wall meant to prevent people from going out the side.

  With all his strength, he lifted the Cistern up into the air. The stabilizers tried to push themselves back down until their sensors detected the wall beneath them. “Here goes nothing.” Ravin breathed.

  Then, he jumped.

  Their descent was swift at first, then it began to slow. Their trajectory pushed them over the street and next to the facility. Ravin landed on the sidewalk and cast one glance back at the hospital. The power blocker was still influencing him.

  After just a few paces, he felt it disappear. “Sorry again,” he whispered, then teleported the both of them back to the glade.

  “Made it,” he panted and sagged against the Cistern. “Hope you didn’t start the party without me.

  Chapter 33

  Angels swarmed the house moments after Ravin’s initial disappearance. A loud chant rumbled around them. The song was Haelic and it filled Fenriel to the brim with rage. It was a tune she knew well. It was one of which that had resounded the night she was sealed away. Though eons had passed, it felt like only yesterday.

  How she had missed the sweet feeling of the moon on her face.

  The last time she had seen the Light of Night, she had been at war. Now, as she was rebirthed into this new World, the same battle had found her once again. More than ever, she was ready to fight. Those who faced her would know the true power of the Infinite Night.

  As she flared her wings out, power rippled through the air. The magical walls of the establishment fell to the ground. Her summoning had done enough damage to them to make them weak. It was so easy to break them. Once out in the open, Fenriel could see the force that had come to battle. Ranks of angels stood with spears of light pointed from all direction. Some held swords and in the far lines, archers.

  Then, leading the charge were two faces she knew well, both of which made her blood boil like mercury. One more so than the other.

  The Sect of Swords leader’s crimson glare was like the putrid sun. His blade, forged from the fire of the celestial body, shimmered in the starlight. If she wished to waste her saliva, Fenriel would have enjoyed spitting upon his cocky face.

  “I knew this day would come,” Demias growled. “They said it would be safe to seal you away, but I knew you would escape.”

  “You have not changed,” Fenriel’s voice rang out like clear crystal bells. “Still self-righteous as ever. How could you be fully pleased unless my people’s genocide was completed by your Sword?” The Dark Angel held out her hand and bright light swirled against her palm.

  As if from the stars themselves, a long elegant scythe appeared in her grasp. “You still have not forgiven me for being the one who got away. Twice now, so it seems. You had never failed a conquest before you met me, and it has turned you into a wicked creature.”

  The look in Demias’s red eyes was cool and calculating. His burning anger was only betrayed by th
e clenching of his jaw. “Your kind were a danger to all life. Your power unchecked would have destroyed Earth.”

  “What of the children, Demias? Were they threats too? Their lives had only just begun and y you fed them to Death’s gaping jaws.” Fenriel spread out her wings. “This war will be over, and if I must kill every last one of you to make it so, I shall.”

  “You are outnumbered,” he purred. “You will not make it through the night.”

  Fenriel held up her scythe so it glittered in the light of the Moon. “Amusing. That is what you said the last time we engaged in battle, and here I stand.”

  Demias shook his head, but looked all too pleased with her decision. If she was not going to come quietly, then he could openly act with force. She was breaking any vow of peace that might have been set by tradition. He turned to his people and let out a loud battle cry. The tension in the air was palpable. There was a thick silence for a moment. Then, arrows began to rain down.

  In one graceful movement, Fenriel twisted her scythe in the air. Every shot fired was slashed in two and the wasted energy fell like rain to the ground below. Flowers began to bloom in the light of the full moon.

  Oh, how good it felt to be free. It had been so long since she had been able to stretch. Her body felt strong and able. With every moment she spent in the light of night, her power increased. With a stroke of her wings, she was flying. The sensation was like no other. How she had missed her freedom.

  Another volley was fired, though this time, not at Fenriel herself, but her charge below. She wasted no time in intercepting them. Though she knew Zier would be able to handle himself in a fight, she wanted to strike fear into the soldiers’ hearts. Terror was a weakness she would easily be able to exploit. She could see it in their eyes. They faced the Beast of their nightmares. The stories told of Fenriel had no doubt inspired fear for as long as she had been sealed away.