by Brea Viragh
You think I jest?
Astix could tell Darkness was not pleased with her wisecrack. The shadow wavered as though torn between substance and nothingness. Not for the first time she saw the shape of a body, a woman’s figure with full breasts and curved hips.
The image was gone before she was sure it existed.
You think to make light. I exist outside of time. I am keeper of the balance.
Was this what her mother’s poem referred to? Darkness, in whatever form, haunting their family? Astix found it difficult to think. The pieces were there for her, all laid out and ready to be placed together. She grasped at them, feeling like a kitten chasing a laser light and about as effective.
Darkness moved closer and discarnate fingers reached out to stroke her hair. Her face. Blood instantly froze in her veins and her heart stuttered.
Astix tasted death. It took a moment for her blood to thaw, to regain control of her motor skills. Then she fought through blue lips and numb tongue. “Are you…” Her teeth chattered. “Are you from beyond the veil?”
Stupid girl. I am the veil.
CHAPTER 19
My Harbinger.
“No.” Astix shook her head. “It’s not me. It’s not me.”
Great change. Great destruction. You were chosen. Darkness will rise in this world, given birth through you.
Pressure built behind her eyes and her sinuses felt close to bursting. The longer she listened, the more pain she internalized. Vaguely, Astix became aware of a pounding. It took precious moments to realize it came from the outside, from someone pounding at the door to the room and not from the pain in her head.
Herodotos spared a glance at the steel door before looking away. He was content the mechanisms imprisoning them would hold.
Metal cracked against its equal and refused to budge. Unsure whether the display was in her mind or not, Astix spoke. “My life is my own, to do with as I choose. I’m not your plaything. I’m not your anything.” The gloves were off and there was steely resolve underneath. “From this point on, I’ll do what I please. You don’t scare me, and your goon over there certainly doesn’t. I’ve been inside his mind and I know it’s weak. You’re weak.”
Oh, my girl. You really think there’s a choice? You’re mine.
There was abatement somewhere, a weakening in the structure of the room, the bonds holding them. Herodotos kept their magic quashed through amplification of his own power. The runes on the wall… As long as those held, there was no escape.
Astix sensed the moment cracks formed and threatened the seal keeping their powers in check. A few more moments and she may be able to do something. Anything. To save herself and her sisters.
“What will you give me if I agree?” she asked slowly.
You will have all the power of the dark at your disposal. Anything you wish can be yours with a simple snap of your fingers. You will control the balance. Keeper of eternal night.
“So easy? So simple?”
You want your family to love you? To live long, peaceful lives? As easy as a wish. You want the rest of the Claddium to respect you? That is a given.
“What’s the catch?”
No catch. Only power. Unlimited and absolute. Forever.
The banging on the door continued without headway. Whoever controlled the lock had done a fantastic job of making it impenetrable. Herodotos spared a second glance at the large steel trap with nothing more than a flicker of irritation. “Boss? Do you want me to take care of this?”
You speak out of turn.
Keep her talking, Astix told herself. Keep her distracted. “I find it hard to believe there’s no catch. No drawback. If this power is so great, then why are you willing to give it up? Why do you want me to take over for you?”
I grow tired of this conversation. Darkness floated several inches above the floor in lazy tornados of gloom.
The pounding continued, insistent. The distraction divided its attention for a moment only. The shadowy head turned back to Astix. Red embers glowed from the depths of the murky interior.
Yield. Say the word and you will be free.
“I think I’ll take my chances.” Astix prayed. She’d never been one for religion, organized or not. She found no comfort in the thought of a higher power or an afterlife, good or evil. The only might she trusted was her own. It was the only one she could depend upon. The only thing she’d ever been able to depend on.
Still, with her own magic blocked, she turned to the heavens and begged for guidance. If there was a way out…show it to her.
Your decision must be given freely. Accept the bed you’ve made, Astix, for if you fail to yield, you doom your sisters.
Darkness slithered toward where Karsia and Aisanna waited.
“No, wait!”
And suddenly the door gave way. Leo burst through in a shower of sparks, the small metal battering ram dented at the end, with green flecks of paint marring the flat metal head, the lock, handle, and frame a mangled mess of steel.
If Astix thought it possible to love him more than she did in that moment, she was mistaken.
“Leo, watch out!”
“You bastard.” Herodotos growled and reached behind him for the gun tucked at his lower back.
Eyes wild, Leo surveyed the scene. He threw the battering ram to the side and immediately fell upon Herodotos.
He would do what needed to be done, Astix knew. With the attention divided and the magic barriers shattered, she called on her power. Thank God for the element of surprise to give her a chance to escape. Already the minerals beneath the cement floor jumped to do her bidding. She allowed herself a single second of peace at the return of her magic, the warmth of it spreading through her body, honeyed and familiar.
“You are going to pay for what you’ve done,” she yelled.
Aisanna shook her head. “Astix, no!”
She spread her fingers and the ground erupted. Twin splinters of obsidian leapt up through the earth and sliced through her ropes. Freed, Astix stood and drew upon the deep well of magic she possessed. “You leave my family alone!” Her power built from her heart, strengthened by her conviction.
She threw her strength forward and urged the floor to crack. Her consciousness multiplied with the energies from every gemstone and mineral she could reach. She pulled on them before urging them upward through the earth’s crust. Calcium, granite, and lime deposits shattered through the cement floor and sliced through Darkness.
What do you think you are doing? You can’t win.
“Yes, I will.”
I’m the very stuff that gave you your magic.
“Then this should feel pretty damn familiar.” Her fingers flicked, and jagged edges of rock tore through her sisters’ bindings. Both women surged to their feet but fell when the ground shook.
Large concrete slabs broke apart, rising like jagged teeth in a monster’s mouth. Herodotos and Leo both dropped to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Their arms and legs fought for purchase. Leo, using his own power, stabilized the cement beneath them for an even playing field. Although Herodotos had the upper hand, Leo’s reflexes were faster. He slammed the bony protrusion of his elbow into the other man’s side and pushed him down with a yowl. Herodotos was quick to retaliate. He rammed his head into Leo’s stomach and forced them both into a wall.
Astix turned to her sisters while keeping an eye on Darkness. “Run!” she shouted to them. She harnessed the granite and formed a bridge to the door for her sisters to use. “Get out of here, now.”
“What about you?” Karsia cried.
Astix growled as she faced her foe. “I’ve got this.” An aura rose from her skin in a lavender-colored glow. She finally accepted her gift for everything it was meant to be. The rightness clicked into place.
Darkness laughed. Well, come, then, if you think you can manage. One tiny speck against the keeper of the balance. I am ready for this charade to be over. When it is, you will be mine.
“I am no one’s toy!”
Astix screamed, flinging minerals from the ground. Javelins of gems sprang forth in a ring around Darkness, to trap it in one place. “I am not a game, or a specimen!”
With each word, her confidence grew. It didn’t matter that Darkness escaped each attack she threw at it. The confine of gems didn’t hold. Everything passed through the shadow and shattered on the opposite wall.
She fought on. “I’m in control of my own life. Not you, not the Claddium.” Astix spared a glance at Leo.
He and Herodotos grappled like wrestlers in a game of Olympic proportions. Without the sanctity of the seal, Herodotos couldn’t touch Leo, try as he might. He made every attempt to lay his fingers on Leo’s bare skin and infiltrate his mind. Leo ducked and spun, calling on his own magic. A rope made of crushed limestone lassoed Herodotos’s feet and caused him to stumble. He yelled when it pulled him away toward the edge of the growing, glowing crater in the center of the room.
Astix closed her eyes and drew on everything she had, feeling her feet rise off the ground with the force of her display. She took herself higher, floating in the center of the destruction, her boots above the ground and her gift keeping her afloat. She harnessed the suspended gems and volatiles of the molten rock to impose her will.
What was the earth’s core but an aggregate of smaller crystals? She took hold of them now, the tiny silicates and zircon, iron and gypsum. Salt, garnet, and the bedrock beneath the streets studded with opals, beryl, chrysoberyl, and tourmaline.
They infused her, opened up under her ministrations and happily gave her what they had to offer. She used the opal for inspiration, to help ease the effort of what she was about to do. About to change.
Like water rolling past roots and debris in a river, she continued on her path regardless of the obstacles. She would be the water wearing at a rock. The water only ceasing once the rock gave way.
The tourmaline, the schorl, would be her talisman, a psychic shield to deflect and dispel any negative energies. They purified her thoughts of doubt and disaster and stilled her internal conflict.
There was red garnet to boost her energy, revitalize her body and wash away her aches and hurts. They provided protection from evil and wounds, and would help stabilize her to bring order to the chaos.
“Get my sisters out of here,” she called to Leo. “Make sure they’re safe.”
“I’m not leaving you.” He had to shout to be heard over the din. “Especially not with that thing.” He drew his arm back and let his fist spring forward until it landed directly on Heredotos’s mouth. “How the hell did you get into this mess?”
Astix knew what she had to do to keep them unharmed. Nothing would stop Darkness, which only seemed to grow with the melee. Above the din, she heard words in her head.
Oh yes, do try. I love a good show. I have not seen this much action in many millennia. Go on, girl. Show me what you can do. Do you think I don’t know what you attempt?
“No matter what happens, Leo,” Astix began, hair flying around her face like a whirlwind, “I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for the things I said to you.” Almost casually she lifted a hand and a shard of amethyst geode struck Darkness, moving it back. “I’m so grateful you came into my life. I’m grateful for everything you’ve given me.”
“What are you saying?” In that instant their gazes held, and Leo saw both Astix’s sheer panic and determination to survive. And he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she wouldn’t make it.
“I’m saying I love you!” Astix brought her arms higher, head dizzy and the world spinning in circles. “I love everything about you, so many damn things I’ve lost count of them. You’re the key, don’t you get it? The key to my happiness. I was too stubborn to figure it out. I’m sorry the last conversation we had was an argument. I’m so sorry.”
Everything inside him went bright at the words, though Leo hung back. Something about her tone gave him pause. A fragment of limestone flew at his head, aiming for Herodotos. Leo swung his hand and the projectile disintegrated. He knew what she planned. He saw it in her eyes, the resolve. “You can’t do this. Not alone. Please, Astix! Don’t. There’s another way around it.”
Fight, yes, fight. I am enjoying this more than I can say.
“I have to.” Astix moved to face Darkness head on. “Get my sisters out and save yourself. I’ll handle the rest.”
“I’m not leaving you!”
You are making a big mistake.
“Astix!” Karsia screamed from the safety of the door. She shielded her face from the wind and debris, hair whipping wildly. “Let me help you.”
Aisanna added her voice. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
Leo sent a final well-placed punch and Herodotos went down, his slight form crumpling to the ground.
“Get out of here.” It was her final demand. Astix flicked her fingers and the ceiling buckled. Large spears of gems rose from above and below to flank her like protective soldiers. Temper lanced through her like lightning and was immediately pushed down. More than ever, she refused to let her gifts be tainted by such anger. She needed a cool head and logic to get her through this, especially if the others were to survive.
Garnet, opal, tourmaline, gypsum…
She drew the fortification of the minerals around her. Given the nature of her foe, she highly doubted she’d be able to best Darkness. But she was damn determined to give it a go. “You leave my family alone! This is the last time I’ll ask you nicely.”
I am your family.
Astix refused to be cowed. “I don’t think so, bitch.”
She sent a wave of magic outward. Gemstones shot forward and passed smoothly through the ephemeral figure. Step one.
Gathering all her resources, she reached lower, deeper, farther down than she’d ever dreamt before. The heat from the Earth’s liquefied core assaulted her though she stood hundreds of thousands of miles from its center. She would bring this place down. Even if she was still inside it. Step two.
Behind her, Leo circled Herodotos. Bloodied, the man resembled a ravaged wolf. A mad light gleamed behind his eyes and he spat out a wad of red. He smiled to reveal the rough edges of broken molars. “Come on, Golden Boy. Give me your best shot,” he boasted, using his hands to push himself up, using the nickname to deliberately taunt. “You’ll have to explain to your father what you did here.”
If the statement confused Leo, he didn’t let on. He sent a final shot outward and a hailstorm of sand belted Herodotos until spots of blood beaded up on every bare surface. “You’re done.”
Herodotos grinned, his mouth gleaming crimson. His eyelids fluttered as he struggled to speak. “Prepare yourself.” Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth to pool on the cement. “A storm is coming. And no one escapes.”
Leo was done. Worry for Astix, panic over the thought of what she planned to do, sent a wave of anguish spouting forth in physical form. His magic responded in an instant. Walls of concrete and granite leapt to do his bidding, bending and reforming into a solid prison. A snap of his fingers sent the impenetrable box forward to capture Herodotos inside before the final wall slammed down into place.
Leo scrambled back to the door and took hold of the solid surface. Four small, strong arms grabbed his hands seconds before the cement buckled beneath him. Karsia and Aisanna pulled him up using all of their combined strength, the rest of the room falling to ashes.
“You can’t let her do this.” Large tears streamed through the soot in rows, leaving trails on Karsia’s face. “Please, do something. She’s killing herself.”
“I don’t know what I can do,” he admitted. “I’ve given her everything I can spare but it’s not enough. You two need to leave.”
Already the ceiling caved, dripping into the magma pool forming in the crater and disintegrating instantly. The building gave an ominous rumble in response to his words.
“We’re not leaving without her.” Karsia and Aisanna shared a look. “We’re in this together.”
&nb
sp; “Then let’s hope we can reach her in time.”
Heat from the rising magma began to scorch their skin, melting their shoes. And there was Astix in the middle of the chaos, an avenging goddess as she brought the lava upward.
Surrounded in a purple glow, power flowed around her, through her, penetrated every atom and made her impervious. She struck again, sending out the next wave of her assault. Darkness was unrelenting. The shadowy figure grew in form until it filled half of the room with its evil. When it spoke again, it did so for the world to hear.
I WILL NOT BE DENIED!
The sound boomed and Leo and the girls cowered, their bodies shrieking in pain. Large pieces of steel frame fell to the ground like rain, dissolved in the swirling pool of molten magma.
“Finish her!” Leo ground out, hoping Astix would hear. He only had moments to think. He could not let her destroy herself along with the rest of the building.
Remember, I am not as weak as those who choose to serve me. I am the one whispering in your ear of all the dark deeds you dream and only wish to do. The eclipse is coming, and with it, the bonds will fray. Nothing you do can change fate.
Every hit Astix threw met with no resistance, passing smoothly through the incorporeal shape. Those were distractions. Inside, her magic sizzled and threatened to consume her. Harnessing the huge amount exacted a toll she was afraid she could not handle.
The frantic screams of her sisters urged her to be strong. She thought of them, wished they would go and be safe. They had so much to live for and many things ahead of them.
Then there was Leo. He had come back for her, after all the horrible things she said. He’d found her in the midst of incredible circumstances and risked his social status in coming. His own life.
Boy, she would miss him. That hurt. She forgave the betrayal, and if there was one thing she wished more than anything else, it was more time for them.
In a flash, she pictured the life they could have had together. She’d never loved anyone the way she loved him. The light of her life, the damn golden man with his impossible attitude and amazing smile.
