It was hard to describe what I was seeing. In front of me, it almost seemed as if the world had been torn open in a spot. All that was in front of me was a black hole. The edges shimmered and snapped. I walked around it, and from behind, there was nothing to see. You could have walked right through the space and never have seen a thing. Stepping back around the tear, I looked inside. All I saw was dark, swirling matter.
“And this will take me to the spot I imagined?”
It will.
The darkness scared me. Fuck that, it terrified me. I had the feeling that if I stepped inside of this portal, I would never be coming back. Was it possible the voice was trying to trick me? That it siphoned off enough power now that it just wanted to bring me back to its hidden lair? There was no way to be sure. I took a step forward and then hesitated right at the opening.
Step through the portal.
I looked into the inky blackness and was frozen. Panic gripped my heart. Why would I have to do this? I could buy another horse and be back in Paris within the month. That was plenty fast enough for me. Plus, I might even find a few wenches to spend the night with along the way. If you could say one thing about me, I always had a lucky streak with the ladies. A laugh escaped my throat, and it sounded almost more like a titter than my normal laugh, as if it had been twisted somehow. I liked the sound of it.
Have I ever lied to you, hurt you?
“No, of course not.”
Then step into the portal.
I looked around and noticed that man was staring at me. Why wouldn’t he have been? Here I was, standing in a dark alley, talking to myself. He was probably trying to calculate if I was rich and weak enough for it to be worth the risk to attack me. That kind of settled it for me. I would trust the voice. I gave the man a wink and stepped through the portal.
My gut flipped into my mouth. It felt as if my entire body had been twisted around until it broke. Just as soon as it had started, the feeling was over and I was standing in Paris. I took one step forward, and my stomach heaved. I put my hands on my knees and promptly threw up into the street. People mumbled as they passed around me, mostly with noises of disgust, and a few shamed me for being drunk so early in the day. Then it dawned on me that I could understand them. Every single word, in French, and I could understand them.
The power you hold comes with many gifts.
Yes, it did, but it also came with a price. I had killed the wizard, but I hadn’t stopped there. Two more had perished under my hands in Rome. What did that make me? A killer? I had killed before; these weren’t the first murders to be laid at my feet. All of the others, though, had been to escape or to save someone else. That was at least until I became an assassin, but the wizard had driven me to that. The first rule of being a thief was murdering people got you caught, or worse, it got you dead.
That didn’t leave me with much as my anger of being chased from home to home left me. The man who ruined my life was gone, and at first, murdering his brethren felt right. The power I absorbed made it feel right. And really, had anyone ever met a wizard who wasn’t a meddlesome prick? Now that the rage had faded and I could do such spectacular things, did I even need to keep killing? There was enough money hidden away that I could buy a farm and live out my days helping those around me. Something I had always wanted to do.
The power I had now meant nothing if I couldn’t put it to good use. And yet, there was a hunger burning inside of me. It yearned for more, and I knew that there would never be enough. The thoughts of what could be were easily brushed aside for what I could do right now. Right now, I could feast on the power of others. The voice inside of me cried out. It was hungry.
It was like a beacon had been ignited when the voice sensed the power of another magic-user. My vision swam for a moment and came back into focus. When it did, the person I needed to track was almost shimmering. It made them easier to follow. I watched for a moment as the mark turned the corner. Waves of color washed against the street as he was lost from sight. There was no mistaking which direction he went. I wiped the remnants of my vomit off with my sleeve and continued on.
You could never really be sure of what someone was doing or where they were going unless you followed them. In this case, the man I followed was as interesting as mud. He moved from shop to shop, either buying or ordering goods for the future. He almost seemed humble in a way. That was, if you could ignore the clothing it took a servant a year to stitch from hand, and his foppish accent. Already I had grown tired of the game. Now all I needed to do was wait for my chance.
It came as the man turned down an alley. I ran forward to catch up with him, and came to an abrupt stop as I moved around the corner. There he was, standing ten feet away, watching me. Lightning crackled as it ran between his fingers. Somehow he had known I was following him and was ready for me.
“Who are you?” the man shouted.
I heard the power in his voice. This might have been the strongest magic-user I had found yet. It was a good thing I was powered by more than one. “I’m Lucky.” I bowed, removing my hat with a flourish. As I stood up slowly, I replaced my hat. The jaunty feather bounced slightly as it settled on my head. “Pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all yours, I’m sure.”
Another arrogant wizard, big shocker there. As his words ended, the man cast his spell. The lightning sparkled, and the air almost seemed to smoke as it shot toward me. A thought sprang to mind. Maybe it had even come from the voice. I caught the blast of lightning and sent it back toward the man in front of me. The lightning hit him in the center of the chest, sending him flying backward. I rushed forward and placed a hand on him.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this.” Then I felt his power coursing into me. It wasn’t long before there was only a pile of dust inside of his finery. The laugh that wasn’t mine peeled out from between my lips. This time it didn’t sound nearly as nice. It was an odd sensation to hear yourself laughing but to feel none of the mirth or joy that would have caused it. I rose from where I had been kneeling next to the man. “I need another.”
The amount of wizards I had killed over the last month was horrific. At least one a day, sometimes two or three. Each time I killed, I felt less and less like myself. I had also started to notice small changes to my body. I didn’t know if it was from all the power I was trying to contain, or something else. My skin had turned pale, but now we were beyond that. It was almost gray. Most of my hair had fallen out. So much for being Lucky.
What really disturbed me was how I could go from feeling like myself to seeing me do things that would have never crossed my mind. It was as if I was in control of my body less and less. Now I found myself standing over a man. His hands were bound behind his back as he knelt on the ground. He had an old potato sack over his head. I didn’t remember attacking this man, let alone binding him. His aura let me know he had some magical affinity, but it wasn’t big enough for me to even consider taking. I bent down to free his hands.
Wait. I have plans for this one.
“What do you mean you have plans for him?”
Come, I have something special to show you.
It wasn’t as if I had a choice anymore. If I didn’t go, the voice would make me. At some point, it had become easier to just go along with whatever it said. Fighting it only made things worse. Almost anything was better than being shoved to the back of my own mind and not knowing what my body was doing. Anything except for when he made me watch what I was doing and I couldn’t stop it. I screamed sometimes, but that only seemed to excite the voice in my head further. I had a feeling that he was trying to see how far he could push me before I broke completely.
A portal flickered to life before us, and I stepped through, leaving the man behind. This time, when the quick twist to my gut stopped, I was standing in blackness. It surrounded me, pushing in from all sides. “This is what you wanted to show me?”
This and so much more. Think of a place where you were happy. Somewhere you wished
to spend the rest of your life.
I thought about home. A time before I had met the voice, a time when I was free. I could almost picture it now. The rolling green hills of England, fertile soil to farm, and next to them, the cottages and homes that had made up our village. The rainy sky with just a hint of sunshine. It was a perfect spring day. Above it all, I pictured a castle on a hill. It looked down on the village, but it was there to protect them rather than making the people slaves. It was a perfect version of home. A memory that stripped away any of the bad things that had happened to me there, and replaced them with the fond memories of a younger me.
I opened my eyes, stunned to find myself sitting in a field of grass. I could see a lake in the distance, and when I turned my head, I could just make out a village with a castle built into the hillside behind it.
You have done well.
“What do you mean?”
This place you created will serve us well.
“I created this?”
Indeed. Now we just need to fill it with life.
A portal shimmered open, and people started to stream through the opening. “Who are they?”
The tired, the poor, the disenfranchised. They will create the base of your world. Here they will be able to work the land and create a better life for themselves. This is my gift to you.
“It’s incredible.”
Come, our work is not done.
A portal opened, and I stepped through, willingly this time. In a flash, I found myself standing on top of the castle. The man who was bound had appeared next to me. Somehow I had been pushed back just far enough that I was no longer in control of my body. All I could do now was watch and listen to what was going to happen.
The bonds holding the man’s wrists broke, and I removed the bag from his head. He blinked his eyes for a moment before his gaze settled on me. He cringed away from me. The look on his face showed horror and repulsion at what I had become. His reaction startled me. I spent so little time with actual people these days. It was hard to remember a time when I had sat down to have a pint and chat with someone. As much as I wanted to run, the voice had control now. I felt the smile spread across my thin lips. The laugh that I had become so accustomed to over the last few months tittered from a mouth I could no longer feel.
The man stood slowly, keeping his eyes on me. It was then that I started to speak. Hearing my own voice speak without the words being my own had never stopped terrifying me. Maybe that was why the voice did it. Whatever had control of me now only needed me for so much. The words came quickly and tumbled from my mouth effortlessly. “Turn and look at what I have given you.”
The man looked out of the window and smiled. When he turned back to face me, his smile faded. “I don’t understand.”
“This kingdom is now yours to control.”
“Why me?”
“Because you will be the first of my sons, remade in my image. No one will be able to tell you what to do, or who you can do it to. This world is yours, and everyone in it will bow before you.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“In time, you will. Tell me, are you willing to accept this responsibility?”
“Yes.”
“Then kneel.” He knelt in front of me, and I placed a hand on his head. I felt some of my power leave me and enter him. In that moment, I was jealous and angry. That power was mine. I had killed for it. Now the voice was just giving it away as if it meant nothing. It damn well meant something to me.
The man before me fell away. He started to writhe back and forth on the ground. It was as if he was in some kind of pain. I watched in silent horror as his body broke and then grew. He now stood before me as a monster. His skin had turned red; his eyes burned with the fires of hell. Wings erupted from his back, and claws grew from his hands and feet. He flapped his giant wings and let out a roar of anguish.
“What have you done to me?” he cried.
“Focus on who you once were, and it will be so.” The demon in front of me seemed to almost vanish in a mist, and then the man was standing there once again. “That body is a gift and will come when you call it.” The man looked tired and scared, but he also had the tiniest hint of longing. Had he truly enjoyed becoming the beast? Was he just not strong enough to admit it to himself yet?
“Kneel before me again.” The man knelt almost instantly. I placed my hand back on his head and felt a small trickle of power leave me and enter him, strengthening him. “Do you promise to obey me in all things?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Then this world is yours. Rise, Adramelech, and rule your people.”
The man stood, and I could see him thinking, tasting his new name and the titles that came with them. I had created this world, but it was his now. He was the prince of this realm, and these people were his to do with what he wanted. I hoped he would be kind to them, but that wasn’t the kind of man the voice would have chosen. That was something I would have to live with. That I had created perfection, only to see it destroyed by another.
The laughter escaped my lips, and the world went dark.
Chapter Seventeen
Jackson, Present
Have I mentioned how much I hate demons? I have, you say? Well, get ready for more. I fucking hate demons. I hated this world that I was in, and most of all, I hated the heat. The cold had been bad but bearable, but the heat of this new world was a test of my rapidly shrinking willpower.
Moving forward had been easy enough so far. I hopped from one rock to another like a goat. Granted, I doubt any goat had to deal with the lava surrounding the rocks they were jumping. Just to make sure it wasn’t an illusion, I had stripped off my coat and dangled it over the edge. It caught fire the instant it touched the lava. I kind of missed that coat, but I wouldn’t need it in this stifling heat.
Flying seemed like a good option. I had the power for it; in fact, I felt more powerful than ever before. But which direction should I go in? Not only that, but I had no idea where I would find food or water in this place. Burning that much magic just seemed like a waste. Instead, I wrapped my feet in shields to keep my sneakers from melting on the rocks. After the first hour, I had used my sword to cut away the sleeves on my shirt and the legs on my pants. I know what you’re thinking. This kid destroys more clothes than anyone I know. It was true; I’d have to buy stock in Target when I got back home, because they were going to be hit with a massive increase in business.
The trick Marcus had used to cool the air when we were looking for the demon stone had come to mind, but I didn’t have his skills in creating something that sustainable, or maybe it was just the fact there was no wind here. A breeze might have been nice, or it might have made it felt like I was walking in a full-body blow-dryer. When I tried the spell, it became a constant drain on my energy, so just like flying, for now using that kind of magic was out of the question. That meant I got to enjoy the heat for what it was, pure misery. Arizona had seemed hot. A hundred and twenty degrees seemed cool now. Sweat didn’t even have the chance to form, and my skin had dried out almost to the point of cracking.
Soon enough, I’d have to throw caution to the wind and just pick a direction to fly in. Until then, it was back to jumping from rock to rock. This was much more like the kind of hell I had envisioned when going to church. It was all fire and brimstone. The only thing missing was cages hanging from the ceiling with people inside of them moaning or screaming. Something told me it wouldn’t be too much longer before this place went from bad to worse.
Cresting the top of a rise left me with a view of what was in front of me. It wasn’t great. A waterfall of lava cascaded down into a large lake of the molten substance. There didn’t appear to be a way around the lake or off the sides. I couldn’t risk climbing the lavafall. I was pretty sure my shield would deflect the lava, but not that much of it for that long. That meant I would have to fly to the top and see if there was anything to see. If not, I’d come back here and start heading in a different direct
ion.
Looking to the top of the lavafall, I gathered my feet under myself and jumped, thinking only of where I wanted to go. The rock crumbled to dust underneath me and was swallowed by the lava as I took off like a rocket. I really was stronger here; it was crazy. The four hundred feet to the top of the rise blurred by, and soon I found myself hovering in the air another two hundred feet above that. What I saw was beautiful.
It was almost as if a city had been built over water. Think of Rivertown in The Hobbit. Instead of water, though, this town was built over a sea of floating lava. Don’t ask me how it worked, but the magic holding it together must have been incredibly powerful. Either that, or this world contained some kind of material that was extremely heat resistant. My best guess was on magic, and that meant whoever was in charge had some major mojo.
Noting a path off to the side of the lake, I moved in that direction. It was only then that I noticed the giant volcano in the background. It was this world’s own Mount Vesuvius. The path cut into the rocks seemed almost too convenient, but it would work for now. I landed on it and started to trek toward the city. At least I wasn’t jumping anymore.
It felt good to be away from the extreme heat. Granted, even this close to the lava, it was still hot, just not mind-numbingly so. I think a bead of sweat might have lasted a whole three seconds before being blasted away by a heat wave off of the lava. I wondered how normal people could even live here. Food and water would be the first two problems I could think of. Ah, the thought of water made me realize just how thirsty I was. It almost made me long for the snow. I could make a ball and just squeeze my hand around it for a drink. All I saw here were rocks and melted rocks.
The city was growing closer but not fast enough for my liking. I still hadn’t seen a demon or a human yet. Where were all of them? It didn’t seem like you would have a city built here for no one. Maybe they only came out at night, when it would be slightly cooler. There was just no way to tell until I got there. I called on my gift and used the magic to make me lighter and faster, and started to run up the hill toward the city. At this pace, I couldn’t be more than an hour away.
Redemption (Ascendancy Legacy 6) Page 14
