by P. C. Cast
CHAPTER TWENTY
Zoey
"I can do it. I was created by Darkness, from Darkness," Aurox said. "The tendrils will not feed from me-it would be like eating themselves. I may even be able to command them. If they will not obey my command, then I will vanquish them and rescue Sylvia Redbird. Zoey, I care very much for Grandma. I can save her. I know it. "
"You can't control that shit inside you!" Stark shouted. "Sure, Neferet will let you into her penthouse. Are you kidding, why shouldn't she? She has plenty of blood from Grandma. She'll just use some of it to feed Darkness and control you. Again!"
"The tendrils cannot feed from Sylvia Redbird's blood," Kalona said. "Neferet admitted it, and I witnessed it myself. I can only guess that her blood is protected by the same earth magick that shields her body. "
"But you can still be controlled, right?" Damien had walked up to Aurox. His voice was clinical and I knew he was accessing all the biology files he had in his very big brain. "You are a Vessel created by Darkness. So the beast within you, which is basically a creature formed from the evil of the white bull, morphs without a sacrifice. We saw it happening earlier when Stark and Darius hit you. "
"The beast feeds on violence and hatred, lust and pain. That is true," Aurox said.
"But you have some control over it. You did not actually change earlier," Thanatos said.
"I try not to change. I try to control it. "
"Well, do you have a clue how you've kinda controlled it so far?" Stevie Rae asked, joining the rest of us.
"No. " Aurox sounded miserable.
"And that is why we are here. We must teach Aurox to control this change, at least long enough for him to break through the cage of Darkness that binds Sylvia Redbird so that he can throw her from the balcony of Neferet's lair," Thanatos said.
"Throw her?" My voice squeaked, but there wasn't much I could do about that. I felt like my head was going to explode.
"I will hover there and catch her and fly her to safety," Kalona said.
"And how long do we have to figure out how not to push Aurox's buttons and grab Grandma?" Aphrodite asked.
"I would not expect her to live another night," Kalona said.
"Well," I said. "Then let's get to work. " I looked at Aurox. "Do you really care about my grandma?"
"I do. Very much. I would give my life to save her if I need to. "
"You may need to," I said. Then I looked from him to Stark and Darius and Kalona. "Sounds like you need to start causing Aurox a bunch of pain and violence. Now. "
The Warriors glanced at Thanatos. "I agree with Zoey. Cause Aurox pain. "
Aurox
"I may enjoy this," Stark said, setting his bow and arrows aside and cracking his knuckles.
"As may I," Kalona said, as he began circling Aurox. "I owe you blows for my son. "
"And I owe you for Dragon," Darius told him, pulling from his belt loop a small, deadly looking knife.
"You're not supposed to kill him," Zoey said. Her voice sounded cold, emotionless.
That absence of emotion frightened Aurox more than any of the three Warriors.
"I'll bet he's pretty hard to kill," Aphrodite said, crossing her arms and winking at Darius. "So, you go ahead and have some fun with your knives, handsome. "
"The beast feeds on anger. Get serious. Get angry," Thanatos commanded the Warriors, and they went silent and closed on him.
Aurox felt the change in their energy immediately. Where before the three of them obviously disliked and mistrusted him, they were not angry. Now tension radiated from them, building in intensity. The beast within him stirred expectantly.
Aurox clenched his teeth and tensed his body. No, I will not release control. It is tsu-ka-nv-s-di-na, not beast. I will tame the bull!
Kalona struck first. With a movement that was inhumanly quick, he spun and backhanded Aurox across the face, knocking him to his knees. Before he could rise, Darius darted in. He felt an electric line of pain across the top of his shoulder, and then felt warmth as the thin, shallow cut began to bleed. An instant later, Stark punched him in the stomach.
Aurox doubled over. The Warriors were angry. The scent of his blood worked on the two vampyres. He could feel the violence within them build, especially that which rested inside Stark. Darkness-I can feel it. Stark has known evil, though he has chosen another path. Aurox was able to gain his feet, where he took a defensive stance just in time for Kalona to send another stinging blow to the other side of his face. Aurox turned, going with the blow, and brought his arm up in time to block Stark's fist.
As he moved, turning, and blocking, the creature within him quivered, trying to break free of Aurox's will. Though his skin twitched and he felt his bones begin the terrible melting change that turned boy to a horned beast, still he remained himself. Still he had control.
"You have to fight back!" Zoey called to him.
Aurox blocked another of Stark's blows. "I cannot!" he yelled. "If I fight-I change. "
"Then what the hell good are you?" Aphrodite lifted her hands in frustration. "Neferet isn't going to let you walk in there, tell Darkness to get lost, and then walk out holding hands with Grandma. "
"They are correct," Thanatos said. "You must fight back. And you must control the beast as you do. "
Aurox nodded and, feeling a terrible dread, he ducked under Darius's knife hand and came up swinging, sending a blow under the Warrior's chin.
Aurox felt the pain and anger explode within Darius. The beast felt it, too. The emotions siphoned into his body, filling the creature within with power. Aurox tried to stop it, tried to control it. But when he whirled and kicked Stark, connecting with the Warrior's stomach and knocking the breath from him, he felt his feet begin to solidify and morph into hooves.
"Think of moonlight!" the True Sight fledgling yelled at him. "You have it inside you. Try to find it. "
He thought of moonlight and lavender, of silver and turquoise and the earth around him.
Kalona struck again-another stinging backhand. This time Aurox grabbed his wrist and, using his own inhuman strength, tossed the immortal away from him.
The beast roared.
"He's losing it!" Aphrodite said.
"You guys get back down the tunnel," Stark called. "I don't know how long we're going to be able to control him. "
"You better control him because we're not going anywhere! Aurox, hang on!" Zoey shouted.
"I try!" Aurox cried, backing away from the three Warriors, who were breathing hard but not attacking him again. "I control!"
"If you do not. If you harm any of them I will destroy you. " Kalona's voice was calm. He did not shout. He did not posture. But Aurox felt the truth of his statement. The immortal may be able to destroy me. The thought had the beast retreating, releasing some of its anger.
Aurox stood his ground. "Control! I control. "
"That's what I'm counting on," Zoey said. "Guys, stand down for a sec. I have an idea. " The three Warriors nodded, but continued to watch Aurox warily. Zoey continued, "Damien, Shaunee, Stevie Rae-take your places. Form a circle around Aurox. The three of them scattered. "Aphrodite, take Erin's candle and stand in for water. "
"Better idea. " Aphrodite handed a blue candle to the True Sight fledgling. "Go west and think wet. "
"Water? Me?" The girl took the candle, but shook her head, looking confused.
Aphrodite pulled a small, handheld silver object from her pocket and snapped it open. Aurox saw light dance across its mirrored surface. She held it up to the girl's face. "Read your own aura. "
The fledgling sighed and looked into the mirror. Then her brows went up and her eyes seemed to double in size.
"Awesome! Wow! I never even thought about reading myself. I'm all different colors of blue!"
Aphrodite clicked the mirror closed and put it back in her pocket, looking smug. "Yep, just as I thought. So, head west. "
Smiling, th
e fledgling took her place in the circle.
"That was wise, Prophetess," Thanatos said.
"I have my moments," Aphrodite said. Then she called to Zoey, who was watching, wide-eyed, along with the other fledglings, "You are welcome. "
"Okay, well, let's see if I can be as wise," Zoey said.
"How may I help?" Thanatos asked.
"Cast the circle. I don't want to be anything but spirit this time," came Zoey's quick answer.
"Agreed," Thanatos said.
"Aurox, do you have a handle on yourself?" Zoey asked him.
He was still breathing hard, and the beast hovered just below the surface of his skin, but since the Warriors had stopped their attack, Aurox had gained a measure of control again. "I do. For now. "
"Alright, here's what we're gonna do. " As Zoey spoke, she walked toward him. "Thanatos, cast the circle. We'll manifest our elements and hold them here, ready. Warriors, once all five elements are present, attack Aurox. Aurox"-she'd stopped just a few feet from him and the three Warriors-"I want you to fight back and do your best to control the beast, but when that control starts slipping, 'cause we're all seeing that you can't stop what's happening to you, it'll be our turn to try to help you. "
"How?" he asked her.
"I did it a little before. I sent spirit to strengthen you. Imagine that times five," she explained. "You say the beast feeds off of violence and anger and pain, right?"
"That is right," he said, nodding.
"Well, even though the elements aren't good or bad, how they make each of the five of us feel is definitely good. So, I figured if the five of us channel not just our elements to you, but the good way they make us feel, then maybe you can grab onto them and get enough positive power to shut down the beast. "
"Aurox, if this works"-Thanatos joined Zoey in the middle of the circle-"then it will prove that you are more than the Darkness from which you were fashioned. "
"Then it will work because I am not Darkness. I cannot be," he said firmly.
"Prove it," Stark said.
"I will," Aurox replied. He met Zoey's gaze. "I am ready. "
"Then we begin with air. " Thanatos took the lighter Zoey offered her and walked to Damien. Speaking simply Thantos called, "Air, you are the first of the elements, and I call you to this circle. " After she lit Damien's yellow candle, she moved to Shaunee, invoking fire in the same way. When she stood before the True Sight fledgling, she took longer, saying, "Water, you are ever changeable, always adapting. You have been called to this circle and manifested many times for your fledgling, Erin Bates. But that fledgling has, like water, changed and adapted to another environment. This new daughter of Nyx stands here, open and excited to accept your gifts. As High Priestess I invite you to this circle. Come, water, and show Shaylin she may blessed be!" Aurox watched as Thanatos lit the fledgling's blue candle, and then she gasped in pleasure.
"I can feel it! Water is here, all around me!"
Thanatos smiled. "And for that gift we thank Nyx most profoundly. " The High Priestess moved to Stevie Rae, invoked earth, and lit the green candle. Aurox could smell grass and earth. He breathed deeply as it reminded him of the morning he'd woken to Grandma Redbird's singing.
I must do this. She believed in me and I will not desert her.
Then Thanatos was standing in front of Zoey. "Spirit, you are the last element to join a circle. You open and close our union. I call you here with a resounding, merry meet! Come, spirit!"
When she touched the lighter to the purple candle, there was a sizzling sound and Zoey's candle flamed a pure, silver color. It grew and flashed, and suddenly the silver flame became a glowing rope, connecting each of them around the circle. Aurox could feel the power stir the air around him. He drew a deep breath and readied himself.
"Let's do this," Zoey said. "Warriors, bring him pain!"
This time Stark attacked him first. Aurox had thought himself prepared, but the vampyre surprised him. Instead of punching, he kicked his legs out from under him. Aurox went down hard. He was trying to collect himself and get up when Kalona kicked him in the stomach as Darius sliced the knife's blade across his other shoulder.
Aurox reacted automatically. He grabbed the immortal's legs and twisted as he turned and struck out with his hand, which was already solidifying into a cloven hoof, and struck Darius in the back. Both Warriors grunted in pain and that pain lit within Aurox like a match on dry tinder. The beast within him exploded to the surface. He roared and charged Stark.
"It's time!" Thanatos said.
"Command your elements to fill Aurox! Show him what it's like to feel the joy of air, fire, water, earth, and spirit!" Zoey shouted.
Aurox could dimly hear Zoey. His head swung in her direction. The silver flame she held before her caught the beast's attention. He roared, wanting to change course, wanting to attack the flame.
"Watch him, Z!" Stark was yelling. "Over here, you bastard! Don't you fucking look at her!" The Warrior rammed Aurox with his shoulder, knocking him backward. Aurox pretended to stumble, but instead he feinted right and his left fist, now a fully formed hoof, caught Stark in the middle of his gut, doubling him over. Aurox was lowering his head, ready to gore the Warrior when the elements hit him.
This time his stagger was not pretended. He felt spirit first. Felt it deep within him. Something stirred. Something that was the opposite of the beast of Darkness that shared his skin. Joy leaped to life. It was an oddly familiar sensation, and with it Aurox turned his head, his gaze automatically seeking and then finding Zoey. Their eyes met. Hers had tears in them. In one hand she held the silver-flamed candle. Her other hand was pressed against the middle of her chest.
"Don't cry, Zo. You'll get snot everywhere," he heard himself say in a perfectly normal, perfectly human voice.
Then air whooshed into him and he gasped-and laughed. It felt like a mini-tornado. Fire was a sizzling rush, which water cooled. Earth was a fragrant field of lavender, calming and strengthening.
Aurox laughed. He looked down at what had been hooves, cloven and deadly. He had hands and feet again!
"Don't take a victory lap yet. This doesn't mean shit if you can't fight. " And Stark punched him. Hard. Blood rained with pain from his nose.
Aurox grunted and threw his own punch, which caught Stark on the side of his chin. "I can fight!" he shouted. Stark went down.
The beast quivered within him, but Aurox thought of the elements and their presence strengthened him, and as it did, he felt the creature shrink and cower.
Aurox was grinning when Darius struck at him. Aurox deflected the blow, knocking the Warrior's wrist so hard that his grip on the knife loosened. The blade skittered across the basement floor. Aurox was still grinning when he kicked Darius's legs out from under him and the Warrior fell back on his ass.
Kalona wasn't so easy. His speed was otherworldly, and now that Aurox didn't have the beast's reflexes, he was only able to block a third of his blows. But it didn't matter. What mattered was that Aurox was still fighting, and he was still a human.
"Okay! That's enough!" Thanatos's command came as Stark and Darius rejoined Kalona and were closing on Aurox. The Warriors halted, though Aurox thought they did so reluctantly.
"Spirit, earth, water, fire, air-I thank each of you for your powerful presence. You may depart now, and until next time, merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!" Thanatos closed the circle. As one, all of the candles flamed high and then went out.
"Huh, it worked," Zoey spoke into the silence.
Using his shirt, Aurox wiped the blood from his nose and mouth. He didn't actually think about what he was doing-he just followed his legs as they strode over to Zoey. Then his arms were lifting her and his body was twirling her around and around as his voice shouted, "You did it! It worked!"
A burst of laughter escaped from her, but as soon as he put her down she was stepping away from him, moving to stand by St
ark's side.
"It wasn't just me who did it. It was all of us. " She took Stark's hand and, ignoring Aurox, smiled at everyone else. "You guys were all awesome. "
"Okay, yeah, the circle worked," Stark said. "But how does that translate to helping him get Grandma out of Neferet's penthouse? Neferet isn't gonna let you cast a circle up there. "
"Well, I didn't think that far ahead," Zoey said.
"Must you see Aurox to strengthen him with the elements?" Kalona asked.
"Actually, no," Zoey said. "It's harder, and I don't know how long we could keep it up, but we don't have to see someone to send our element to him. "
"I believe a spell of protection is the answer. " Thanatos spoke slowly, reasoning aloud. "Surround the Mayo building. I will open the circle and cast the spell, binding it with salt. Zoey, as long as spirit is at the center of the circle, in the heart of the building, the circle should hold. "
"The lobby of the Mayo is big. There's a bar and a restaurant in it," Aphrodite said. "Food's pretty good, and they actually have a decent champagne list, and it's dark and romantic. "
"I care because?" Zoey asked.
"Because you and I can sit there, in a corner booth. I can sip good champagne. You can read a boringly huge textbook while you really are lighting a smaller, less obvious version of that purple candle and zapping bull boy with all of the elements. "
"Where will we be?" Stark asked, not looking happy at all.
"Outside, watching over the nerd herd so that some street crazy doesn't stagger into, say, Queen Damien and cause him to shriek, drop his candle, and fuck everything up," Aphrodite said.
"I would not drop my candle," Damien said.
"What if he smelled really, really bad and you thought he had lice?" Aphrodite asked.
"Eeew," Damien said and shuddered.
"Told you so," Aphrodite said.
"Aurox, can you do it?" Zoey asked.
He met her gaze and didn't hesitate. "Yes. I can do it. I will do it. As long as the elements can strengthen me. " Aurox paused and couldn't stop a smile of pure joy. "Me! I am more than a beast. I am more than Darkness. " He turned from Zoey to Thanatos. "You said I had a choice. I choose Light and the path of the Goddess. "
Thanatos returned his smile. "Yes, child. Yes, I believe you have. I also believe Nyx has heard you. "
"Well, he's definitely talkin' loud enough for the Goddess to hear," Stevie Rae said, but she smiled at him, too.
Zoey wasn't smiling, though. She'd turned to Kalona. "Can you really catch Grandma? It sounds ridiculous and super scary. I mean, Aurox is going to throw her off the roof of the Mayo. "
Kalona spread his wings. They surrounded the group and brushed against the ceiling of the basement. The immortal's wounds had opened during the fight, and blood ran freely down his body. Aurox thought he looked like an avenging god.
"I will catch her and once I have her, Sylvia Redbird will be completely safe. "
Zoey nodded. "I'm counting on that. Okay, then, that's our plan. "
