by G. P. Ching
All rational thought abandoned her. Mara's scream pierced the twilight. The thing pounced. Wielding her blade, she lost her balance, falling between the rows of corn. Her back slammed against the rock-hard dirt. Somehow, she managed to slap her blade against the creature's side. It rolled, flattening the stalks next to her.
Mara leapt to her feet, pointing her sword at the creature's throat. It paced in front of her, driving her back into the corn. Crack! Another hellhound appeared behind the stalks. The first hound closed in. She dodged diagonally but the second hound was already there. Together, they herded her. Hunted her.
As good as dead, Mara reached deep inside, to that place she’d called on the day she’d picked up the bell that had changed her life. With a warrior’s howl, she swooped down on the first hound, a whirlwind of slashing sword and dodging feet. Her blade landed in the creature's throat. A spout of oily blood poured from the wound. She yanked the blade free, somersaulting over the first hound to avoid the claws of the second. From flat on her back, she stabbed upward, skewering the second hound through the chest. The beast exploded above her, its black contents raining down.
From out of nowhere, a third hound leaped at her from the side. She scrambled to get to her feet and wedge her blade between herself and the creature. Claws thrashed at her face. Her body fell to the ground once more.
A hooked blade whistled from the right, throwing the hound from the air and simultaneously slicing off its head. Aldric stood above her, turning in a circle, scanning the corn.
“Get up!” he ordered. “With all the blood, there will be more.”
Mara scurried to her feet. “I’m a bloody mess, Aldric. What do I do?”
He tore a strip from the bottom of his toga and tied it around the deepest gash on her arm. “Don’t let the blood touch the earth.” He motioned toward the crimson trails on the corn.
She didn’t waste any time. Ripping the bottom of her dress, she wiped the remaining blood from her skin as best she could, and then tucked the gray cloth behind a corncob so that it wouldn’t touch the ground. “Let’s go.”
Slowly, carefully, Mara followed Aldric into the stalks. The one bonus of the attack was it had moved her beyond panic into survival mode. Heaven or no Heaven, Mara would not be a victim of Lucifer’s trial. She owed it to Aldric, to Henry, and to herself to survive.
Chapter 27
Jacob and Malini
Jacob dreamt he was in an earthquake. He held Malini’s hand while buildings crumbled around them. Everything inside him told him to run, but Malini wouldn't budge.
She was saying something over and over. “It’s time. It’s time.”
He woke with a jolt, Malini shaking his shoulder. “It’s time, Jacob. Dr. Rahkmid is pulling out of his driveway. We need to follow him.”
He shook his head and reached for the keys.
“No. Wait. Don’t start the car until he’s a few blocks up. I don’t want him to suspect anything.”
Forcing his lips to form words, Jacob mumbled, “What if I lose him?”
“You won’t.” Malini dug in her purse and handed him what looked like a piece of candy. He unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.
“EWW! This is horrible. What did you feed me?”
“It’s a Swedish cough drop. The horehound root will help wake you up.”
Jacob manipulated the hard lump to the side of his mouth. “How about a Red Bull instead?” He rolled down his window and spat the lozenge onto the road.
Malini laughed. “No time to stop.”
Jacob turned the key and pulled onto the road as Rahkmid’s car hooked left up ahead. “There are a few behind your seat, along with some snacks.”
Checking the six-inch area behind the bench of Jacob’s truck, Malini gave an appreciative squeal. “Jacob Lau, you prepared for this. You planned for something in advance.”
“I did.”
“When did you become so responsible?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Sometime between being expected to save the world and wanting to spend the rest of my life with a Healer.”
Silence.
Jacob glanced toward Malini who was gaping at him. “What?” he asked.
“Did you just say you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me?”
“Well … yeah. Obviously that wasn’t a proposal or anything.” He laughed. “That would be the lamest proposal ever.”
He heard her shift in her seat. “But you think about it?”
“Sure. I mean, after all we’ve been through, it’s kind of ridonkulous to think we’d end up with anyone else. Could you imagine bringing someone new into this life?”
Silence.
Jacob groaned. “That came out wrong. That’s not why I think about growing old with you, Malini. I love you. We’ve tried the apart thing and it does not work for me.”
The force of the kiss she planted on his cheek almost made him swerve off the road.
“You are the best boyfriend ever,” she said.
“Yeah, I know.”
The crumpled wrapper from the cough drop hit him in the temple. “Jacob, look, he’s turning onto the highway.”
Jacob followed the professor up the ramp and merged into early morning traffic. “This is good,” he said. “He won’t notice we’re following him with the other traffic.”
Hours ticked by with nothing but the hum of the engine. Jacob forced himself to concentrate on the road, guzzling Red Bull to stay awake, while Malini dozed against the passenger side window. It wasn’t helping that Rahkmid’s car drove at a steady two miles under the speed limit. No unnecessary or sudden moves to wake Jacob up. It was early, much too early.
As the sun broke the horizon and stretched its golden rays across the countryside bordering the highway, Jacob couldn’t stand the silence a moment longer. He reached over and shook Malini’s shoulder.
“Look, Malini, the sunrise.”
She opened her eyes and stretched. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah. That’s why I woke you up and not just because I was bored out of my mind following this guy.”
“Do you want to know something weird about the sunrise?”
“What?”
“The name Lucifer means literally light-bringer, or morning star.”
Jacob grimaced. “That’s the misnomer of the year.”
“Some people think that it was his name before the fall, when he lived with God, but the truth is he invented that name after he came to Earth. It’s part of his illusion.”
“Sneaky.”
Rahkmid turned his blinker on and exited toward the Chicago suburbs. “It’s about time,” Jacob said. He dropped back, following the blue Honda Accord as the suburbs melted into a more rural landscape. In the distance, a herd of large animals grazed in a field.
“Those look like—”
“Bison. Pull over, Jacob. I know where he's going.”
Malini reached for her cell phone and his mom’s face filled the screen before she hit the call button.
“What? Where are we?” Jacob asked.
“Lillian,” Malini said. “Fermilab … Can you bring the others? … Yes. Send Grace and Master Lee … Perfect.” She tapped end call.
“Malini! What is this place?” Jacob placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Fermilab. It's a government laboratory that studies subatomic particles. They accelerate and smash pieces of atoms together to see what will happen. They discovered the top quark here.”
“Uhuh. Maybe you should skip to the part that explains why Lucifer is here with a team of physicists.”
Malini brought up an image of Rahkmid’s diagram on her phone. “Look at the picture, Jacob. Lucifer is trying to create a way to bring an army of Watchers into this reality. To do that, he has to rip a tunnel between Earth and Nod. Fermilab is the home of the largest particle accelerator in the world next to CERN in Switzerland. It’s called the Tevatron. For years scientists have tried to use particle accelerators to replicate the condition
s of the Big Bang, you know, the force that started it all. But it’s never worked because scientists don’t have God to produce the magic that made the collision happen in just the right way.” Malini pointed at the sketch of human sacrifice on her screen. “I think Lucifer has figured out a way to tap into that magic. Only, if we’ve learned anything about Lucifer, this Big Bang won’t create, it’ll destroy.”
A lump formed in Jacob’s throat. “How do we stop him?”
“The same way we always do. Kill anything or anyone that bleeds black.”
Most of the time the finer points of Malini’s plans escaped Jacob. It wasn’t that he was unintelligent but that he knew his strengths. He trusted Malini with the details and brought the muscle when she needed it. But this time, a tone in her voice tugged at a sore spot deep within his chest. He turned away from her and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.
“I can’t kill her, Malini. Dr. Silva bleeds black and we both know she’s fallen off the grid since we got Dane back. You haven’t said anything to me about her, but I can put two and two together. I won’t kill her. I can’t. I just can’t.”
Malini placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, surprised that Malini was weeping in the passenger seat. It seemed like she was always crying lately. Not a good sign.
“It’s not you who has to,” she said, her voice trembling. “But you won’t be able to save her.”
At the words that sealed Dr. Silva’s fate, an involuntary sob escaped his throat. He accepted Malini’s hug, their tears mingling where his cheek touched hers. “I hate knowing the future,” he said.
“Me, too.”
Jacob nodded and wiped under his eyes. By the time they’d pulled themselves together the sound of a firecracker signaled Lillian’s arrival, her enchanted staff in hand.
* * * * *
Deep beneath the earth, within a four-mile-long tunnel, Abigail watched a group of influenced humans build the altar necessary for the sacrifice. She had no idea if their work was accurate or why Lucifer was oddly missing from the construction. Whatever distraction pulled him away must be of ubiquitous importance, and she knew it would probably never happen again.
The muffled sobs of Stephanie Westcott were audible, despite the girl’s gag. Her hazel eyes, so like her mother Fran's and brother Phillip's, begged for release. Abigail had known Stephanie since she was a toddler racing through the aisles of her parents’ grocery store.
With a wave of her hand, Dr. Silva veiled the girl from the workers, even though she was sure in their influenced state they would never notice what she was about to do anyway. Placing her finger over her lips, Dr. Silva signaled for the girl to remain silent. She smoothed the dark-brown hair from Stephanie's face and pulled the gag from her mouth.
“I can’t stop what’s going to happen today, Stephanie, but I can stop your suffering.” A thermos appeared in her hand. She screwed off the lid and poured a steaming cup in front of the girl’s reddened eyes. “This is a tea I’ve made. If you drink it, everything will become much easier for you. You won’t feel any pain.”
Stephanie gave a short nod, although tears continued their silent journey down her cheeks. “Will you tell my mother that I love her?” the girl choked out.
Abigail didn't respond, but raised the cup to Stephanie's lips. The girl drank every last drop. Immediately, Stephanie’s eyes glossed over, her tears dried, and her breathing calmed. Abigail made the thermos disappear and replaced the gag. She lowered the veil.
With the sobs abated, the only sounds were of the torches and saws that constructed the altar.
Chapter 28
Mara
“Thank you for saving me,” Mara said, following closely behind Aldric. The words sounded pathetically trite to her ears.
He looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “If I hadn’t, this whole experience would’ve been a waste of time. I’m not here for my health.” His deep voice rumbled with frustration. “This field is made to feel menacing, to terrify you, but if you run, you will bleed, and if you bleed the hounds will come.”
“Got it. I’m sorry I fell for that.”
“Lucifer is ruthless. Be on guard, always.” He glanced in her direction as if he could tack the advice to her mind with his stare.
“Why did you open yourself up to the challenge?” Mara asked.
Aldric chopped a path through the stalks with his sickle. Stalk after stalk whooshed to the ground but he didn't answer her question. Mara cleared her throat. Maybe he hadn't heard her? Would it be rude to ask again?
“Your question has more than one answer.” His voice startled her. Finally. “I have been Time for over two thousand years. You might say a change was in order.” He chuckled. “But that would not explain why I chose you. It’s true I’d heard of your love affair with Death and if I were a sentimental old fool that might be reason enough. I am not. Love is fleeting. Immortality is not.” He stopped swinging his blade and met Mara’s eyes. “You cannot quit being Time because you break up with your boyfriend.”
Mara nodded. “Of course not.” She hadn't given the challenge enough thought. Had she pondered immortality for more than five minutes before she agreed to this? Probably not. Did she make the decision based on her feelings for Henry? Probably. She mentally slapped her forehead.
“I chose you because I thought you were uniquely qualified for the job.”
“Do you mean because my gift was to stop time?”
“Yes, but also because you used your gift responsibly. Even when your life became difficult and lonely, you didn’t abuse the power. Did you know that your power came from me?”
“Not until recently. Henry told me.”
“Each immortal is allowed to give one Soulkeeper a gift. All Soulkeepers have power; it’s in their genetics. But not every Soulkeeper has a gift from an immortal. Without my gift, your power would have been different, weaker. When you were born, I was having lunch with Fate and she pointed you out to me in her weaving. Your parents were a waste of skin and bones, even then. She mentioned that a little girl like you, raised in a home like yours, would be unspoiled, the perfect canvas for a gift from an immortal. I’d waited a long time to give my gift. You seemed like a worthy candidate.
“I came to Earth while you were still in the hospital. I held you, next to your crib. And I gave you my gift. I’ve watched you these many years. You’ve used it well.” His smile gleamed beautifully white against his dark skin.
Mara lifted an eyebrow. “That’s what Henry meant about it not being the right time for him to move on. He’s given his gift to Malini—her hand—which makes her his natural successor. But Malini won’t die until another Healer comes to power. That’s why he couldn’t know when. It would be difficult for him to find another.”
Aldric tipped his head. “And choosing another is a great risk to all of us. If the wrong person becomes an immortal, think of how it would affect the balance? Time, Death, and Fate are forever linked to each other, and have been friends of God from the beginning. If any one of us should be replaced by someone sympathetic to Lucifer…” He shook his head. “You must survive this challenge, Mara.” He returned to hacking the stalks in their path.
They walked for hours, their eyes sweeping the dirt around the stems for any sign of the scroll. Rubbing her sore neck, Mara tipped her head backward to stretch her aching muscles. The sight of the darkening sky made her stomach twist.
“Hey, Aldric,” she said.
“Yes?”
“Do the silks on these corn stalks seem lighter to you?”
He stopped chopping and looked up. Most of the silks they’d passed had been dark brown. These were bright white.
“Yes. They are different.”
“I have an idea. Lift me up.”
Aldric grimaced. Certainly, he was just as tired and sore as she was.
“Just for a minute. I think it’s a clue.”
He lowered himself to one knee and she climbed onto his shoulders. With
a grunt and enough effort to make him tremble, he rose to his full height. Once her head emerged above the tassels, she saw exactly what she was looking for. Excited, she pushed off his shoulders and landed on the ground behind him.
“It’s a bull’s-eye!” she squealed. “The tassels are colored deliberately. We are in the second light ring from the center. If we start moving northwest we’ll hit it. The scroll’s got to be there!”
Aldric’s mouth dropped open. “You brilliant, brilliant girl.”
“This way.” Mara pointed toward the center, then moved out of the way so that Aldric could swing his sickle. Soon, they exited the light-colored ring and entered the dark.
“One more light section, one more dark, and then we’ll be in the middle,” Mara said. It was obvious but it made her feel better saying it out loud. They were close. So very close.
It was a good thing, too, because her sandals bit into her blistered feet. Every step was excruciating. Mara noticed that Aldric’s hands were similarly raw and blistered. Each swing of the sickle filled his face with pain.
“I could go in front for a while,” she said. “My sword won’t be as effective but we could switch weapons. My arms are in much better shape than my feet.”
A mixture of reluctance and relief played across Aldric’s features. He sighed but nodded in acceptance of the idea. He traded his sickle for her sword. With renewed zeal, she attacked the stalks in front of her.
Aldric's voice came over her shoulder. “I know you chose this because of Henry but you need to know that, at first, becoming what I am may be completely engrossing. It may take practice before you can see Henry and not disrupt your responsibilities.”
Mara swung harder at the stalks in front of her. “Like what? I get that there are places like Nod and Hell where you slow time in order to give everyone else an advantage. But doesn’t the rest of it just happen? What’s so hard about what you do?”
Behind her, Aldric's feet shuffled to a halt and his deep laugh rumbled. “How big is the universe, Mara?”
Annoyed, she shrugged. “Infinite, I guess.”
