The Summoner's Sigil

by Renee Sebastian

  “Maybe Blake Morlock can finish the last sigil without you, but maybe he can’t. All I do know is that if the goddess enters our world, I don’t see how we can stop her.” I thought back to the Cthulhu and he wasn’t even a god. Colin was right. We had to stop this tonight, at any price, even if it was with our lives.

  “Basil, I want you to know something...”

  I put a finger to his lips and shushed him. “Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

  His mouth became a hard straight line, and then he shook his head yes. I removed my finger and we crept up the stairs to the top floor.

  There was only the penthouse up here. I had heard that the owner of the hotel, Thomas W. Lindberger, used it as his personal apartment until he remarried. His second wife, a New Paris opera singer who was twenty years his junior, demanded an estate house in New Paris. He complied and now it was just another suite for rent.

  Luck was on our side finally, as no one was guarding the door. We silently crept over to where the door was, but Colin spied a vent on the ground outside the room, and we both knelt down to eavesdrop on whomever was in the room.

  After a prolonged silence, I exclaimed, “They are already on the roof!” Balderdash! We should have been across the street with a scope rifle from Renee’s Recontres. We were now stuck here and would have to make do with our guns, my knives, and our combined wit. It had to be enough.

  I jumped up and found the door locked. Maybe they didn’t want me here after all. “Colin, would you?” I asked as I stepped away from the door.

  He took a few steps back and shoved the door open, popping it off its hinges. It made enough noise to easily serve as our calling card. We ran through the foyer, past the parlor and the receiving room. But just before we passed the dining room, I paused. There were French doors on the other side of this room.

  I stopped and entered the room with Colin trailing after me. I moved the curtains aside and observed that the dawn was mere minutes away, as the sky was awash in lavenders and oranges. To the left of the extended balcony was a spiral staircase leading to the private roof terrace. The ten foot hedge prevented the casual onlooker from seeing what the elite did in their private gardens, but I was determined to see what those holly bushes hid from the world.

  I opened the French doors, and a thug of a man came at me from the right. I instantly recognized him as the town’s blacksmith, Edwin. His big hands with black stained nails reached into the room after me, and he would have had me too, if Colin hadn’t brusquely pulled me back into the room behind him. Then the real fight began.

  I took out my pistol and clutched it to my bosom, but did not dare shoot it. Not only would it further alert whoever was on the roof that we were here, but it was nigh impossible to make a clean shot in such cramped quarters when the fight went by with such blinding speed. I couldn’t make the mistake of shooting the wrong person.

  If I didn’t know any better I might have thought that the blacksmith had been a wolf too, judging by the way they were both clawing, punching, and, dare I say, biting at each other. Finally, Edwin slammed Colin onto the dining room table, and I threw one of my knives at the smithy. It landed directly between his eyes and he dropped down dead on top of Colin, who then shoved him off onto the floor. I retrieved my athame, surprised by the lack of blood that came out from the wound.

  Either he was on his way to becoming mummified, or he was already a deader. If he was one of the undead, it mattered for naught, since they were expecting us anyway.

  “Do you think that will be the only obstacle on our way to the roof?” I asked Colin as I wiped what liquid remained on the blade against my thigh.

  “I doubt it. Look,” he said, turning towards the opened door. The first of the sun’s rays were breaking free of the horizon, and there was not a cloud in the sky to hide them.

  Colin went out first this time, and when no one else attacked, we both went up the wrought iron spiral staircase to the top of the hotel. He paused when his head came up just far enough to see what was happening on the rooftop.

  We could hear people singing, but I didn’t recognize the tongue in which they spoke. There seemed to be a cadence and rhythm which implied a real language and not just the words a Summoner might say. I waited impatiently behind Colin, ready to storm out and do whatever was necessary to stop the insanity.

  Colin turned around, crouched down on the steps, and whispered, “There is a group of people gathered in a loose half circle. There is also an altar, with a man and two mechanical mummies.” Two? “There are also several bodies discarded outside the main group.”

  “No goddess then?”

  “Not yet,” he replied. “But I think the fifth and final sigil, the pinnacle of the pentachoron, is being displayed atop a lightning rod on a ceramic looking tablet.”

  “How many people are up there?”

  “There must be at least forty living individuals.”

  “Who seems to be in charge?” I asked.

  Colin turned around and took another peek. Then he said, “Pastor Robert is there, but he doesn’t appear to be conducting the ceremony. Rather a young man who stands atop of the dais with a table seems to be the one in charge. Behind him is the rod.”

  “Let me take a look.”

  He moved to the side as best as he could manage and then I peeked above the top step. There was indeed a crowd of people wearing robes of white and gold. Many of them wore tall conical hats that resembled what ancient Egyptians might have worn. Others simply shaved their heads bald, while a few women sported hair styles made up of many small braids.

  I also spied Pastor Bob. He had his sleeves rolled up and I saw a large and familiar tattoo on his bare arm. It was of a twisted pitchfork with a plus sign in the middle of a three tonged end. Either he was marked by the same Necromancer who had marked my cousin Nigel, or he himself, was the Necromancer.

  I quickly found Blake standing in front of a large, copper sheeted ankh attached to the lightening rod. I guess they didn’t have enough gold in this town to properly make one, and knowing that gave me a boost in confidence. Who were these half bit hacks?

  I scanned the crowd for a moment longer. It was too difficult to tell with all the people present if they were standing on a summoning circle or not, but there was Pippa, Lucas, Edwin, and Millie. Then I felt my heart sink. Colin must have known it when I spotted him, because when I froze, he grabbed a hold of my waist and pulled me down to him.

  He placed me in his lap and stared deeply into my eyes. He had seen my Uncle Charles among the group too. Colin knew he was there. My family had never really cared for me, but I still had a difficult time believing he was here too. Was he hoping to regain his sight through a miracle that only Isis could provide? The real surprise was that I hadn’t seen my mother, but there were many that I hadn’t been able to identify yet.

  He kissed me, and it broke my stunned disappointment and panic. We still had a job to do. Colin needed me. The only real question was if he would kill my uncle for me, so I wouldn’t have to do it myself. I looked into his eyes once more, and something there told me that he would.

  I nodded my head curtly once, Colin released me, and then we both finished our climb to the top.

  Once we broke free of the spiral staircase, Colin leveled his gun at the crowd, and I grasped an athame in each hand. We approached the throng who seemed oblivious to us. Their attention was riveted on Blake. He had his back turned to us, so a false sense of bravado stole over me.

  Just as we reached the back of the crowd, we heard a man’s voice carry over the throng of chanters. “Our guests of honors have arrived.”

  So much for not being spotted.

  Blake then turned and looked us over. “I presume Edwin is dead.” Neither Colin nor I replied.

  Blake Morlock Jr. sighed and said, “Collateral damage. Congregation, we all know Miss Basil Beckenbauer.” The crowd turned in unison to see whom he had specifically identified. “We need her to complete the r
itual, but the real question lies in what we are going to do with you, Colin Townsend?”

  Colin didn’t wait for an invitation as he raised his gun and fired a shot into Blake. The only problem was that he didn’t go down, and the crowd of people in front of us didn’t even flinch. I looked into their faces, and regrettably, some I recognized like the coal pusher, Mr. Creighton, but thankfully, I did not see my mother’s face.

  “Ha, I bet that surprised you!” Blake said. “See, your family wants you to do this too.

  “Mr. Townsend, your bullets cannot harm me, for I stand in the center of a circle of protection. Not much can affect me while I await the dawn of a new age in the evolution of man.” Then he turned to the crowd and said, “Restrain him and bring her to me now.”

  I looked at the raised dais that Blake had placed himself. Millie was there along with the mummies. Clearly, the platform was symbolic as well. He placed himself metaphorically above everyone else. Next to him was indeed an altar, and it was the cliché perfect length for a person to lie down upon.

  “We can’t let you finish this summoning Blake Morlock,” I felt obligated to say. I watched the crowd stalk towards us like zombies scenting easy prey.

  Colin popped off a few more rounds, astutely avoiding my uncle I noticed. Some of them went down, but not nearly enough of them did. Once his barrel was emptied, and before he could reload, I asked, “Charles, why?”

  “I saw Her coming. She spoke to me, and She needs you to finish the summoning. All will be well once She is here. Delia told me so.”

  “Delia is dead.”

  “Not her spirit.” As if making her a deader wasn’t enough, they had to trap her spirit here too. A little voice inside me said that Pastor Bob had been her mouthpiece when she had been a deader in my attic.

  Millie histrionically said, “The first rays are here! I can feel her warmth filling my soul already!” Surprisingly, Blake looked bored by her proclamation.

  Then several things happened at once. Colin threw off his coat and openly attacked the first robe wearing, Isis loving fool who came his way. I wanted to use the two hand held bombs I had taken from the secret compartment at Brick’s Securities, but now that Colin was mixed in with the fray, there was little I could do. So I did what little I could. I raised my gun, prepared to kill anyone who threatened him, including my uncle.

  Just then, a blackness descended over my vision. I couldn’t see a thing. I began to swing my arms around in a blind attempt to keep everyone away from me. How I loathed Illusionists right now.

  Naturally, I was snagged from behind, and my gun was twisted from my grip. I heard a couple of shots being fired too close for comfort, which was followed by a series of snarls.

  I next heard Blake shout out over the cries of the remaining people, “Don’t harm either of them yet! Bring her to me!”

  That was when a roar shook my core. Where was Colin? I was pushed down to the ground, and I felt panic rise in my chest. My heart quickened at the thought of Colin being hurt. Then I heard the thud of someone falling. Was that Colin?

  “Colin!” Nothing. “Colin!” I shouted more urgently. Then I was roughly dragged, presumably towards Blake, since my vision was still gone.

  I thought I heard my uncle say, “Now you know what my life has been like,” which felt like a knife in my gut.

  Ironically, my knives were twisted away from my body along with the two bombs from my pockets, but I still had the athame I had used to carve the sigil into Colin’s chest. It was hidden under my shirt, so I didn’t resist too hard when they searched me, lest they see the outline of it. I also had the two ropes, each one wrapped around an arm. They even left the crook in my boot, and most importantly, they did not take my flint stone or the ochre stick ring holder on my finger. Granted, it was turned inward so it looked only like a ring from the outside of my hand. They did take the pouch that held all my extra sticks though. Lastly, they left me with my flint stone. Hadn’t they done their research on me? Their naiveté when it came to Summoners was going to be their downfall.

  Next, I was picked back up and shoved through the metaphysical barrier of the summoning circle. Then someone slammed me down onto my knees. Once I was fully in the circle, I could finally see again. I tried to look back, to see what had happened to Colin, but Blakeley Morlock Jr. was quicker. He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and pulled me to him.

  “Aren’t you sweet Basil?” he hissed into my ear. Then he shoved the clay tablet, which had the fifth Egyptian sigil engraved into it, at me. “Now you are going to finish the job for me. Activate this last one to complete the pentachoron, or your lover dies.”

  “If I do this, what assurances do I have that you won’t still kill him and then me?”

  “I have to have something to motivate you to do this, now don’t I? Besides, I have big plans for us after this.”

  I eyed the two clockwork mummies that inhabited the circle with us with trepidation, remembering how fast they could move. Feeling the reassuring pressure of the blade across my sternum, I decided that I may as well stab him with words first.

  “You killed your father?”

  “Actually, he volunteered. He understood that sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.” I was disgusted.

  “Are you cultivating demons in humans?”

  “One must make a realm inviting, before inviting a Queen.”

  “What kind of a User can do that? Are you even a Summoner?”

  “I fancy calling myself a molecular-demonologist.” Of course he would, which was no answer at all.

  “Who made this circle?”

  “Why High Priest Periwinkle naturally.”

  “The mummy?” I asked as I stared at the mechanical corpses who stood inside the circle with us. Honestly, I couldn’t tell which one he was, but in the end, it didn’t really matter, did it? Even if I could take Blake down, the mummies were going to be problematic. Maybe it was time for Calidum to make an appearance.

  “Yes. He is a Summoner in death, as well as he was in life. Apparently, you take your gifts with you into the afterlife.”

  “This isn’t much of an afterlife,” I muttered.

  “It will be when I am done bio-forming it. It is just unfortunate that your Grandfather’s body was too deteriorated to be mummified too.” Glory be! He was beyond convincing. He was a turncoat on humanity. He was mad.

  “Don’t you mean when Isis is done bio-forming it?” I snidely asked.

  He snickered at that, and it made his school girl crush good looks appear twisted and depraved.

  “She is a special demon, something to be cherished, rather like yourself.”

  “What are your real plans for me Blake?” I asked stalling for time.

  “That is Lord Blakeley to you, if you don’t mind. But as to the plan, I thought you would’ve figured it out by now. I guess you are not as intelligent as I remembered.”

  “The plan? What is it?” Focus Blake.

  “Isis is quite keen on coming here permanently. The problem is that she is ethereal in this dimension, and needs a host before being born into this one. We tried using Ordinaries, but unlike the other demon hybrids we put into them, they were far too weak for her and the transference failed. Then we tried Users, but none of them proved strong enough either, although she was able to remain in Summoners longer than the other types. We even tried splitting her up essence into several Users, but that didn’t work either.”

  “I won’t be birthing the Queen today?” Millie asked.

  I swallowed hard and said, “I’m not hosting anything.”

  Blake ignored Millie and stared directly at me when he next said, “Oh it will only be for a short time, until she has accumulated enough of your DNA to birth itself into this world. You see, she needs an incubation period,” he said.

  “She’s done this before, hasn’t she?”

  “She has, almost six thousand years ago.” I didn’t even want to know how people that long ago found a way to sum
mon her into our world. Users only exposed themselves to the world about three hundred and fifty years ago. While many advances have been made in the science of electromagnetic transference, what skills did the ancient Egyptians have to further their advancement in Summoning? They hadn’t any finesse or skill at all back then. It was all raw power… just like me.

  “How did they ultimately banish her?” I asked,

  He didn’t say anything, and diverted his eyes from me. He didn’t know. He didn’t bloody well know!

  I asked, “What if you can’t control her, after all, she’ll be part of me, and you can’t control me now.”

  “If you haven’t noticed, I am controlling you now. You can’t leave, can you? I have your wolf, don’t I?”

  I looked at the sunrise which was behind him, and watched the sun break free of the tree line. I looked down at the circle that encircled us. Then I looked for the place on it where I could put the extra sigil that Colin had showed me back at Brick’s Securities. The one that would allow me to commandeer the circle directly out from under Periwinkle’s control.

  Blake must have grown suspicious, because he grabbed me and I lost track of where I was looking. “Pay attention!” he nearly yelled at me.

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked as I edged my hand towards my knife.

  “I’m only humoring you, so that you will understand my altruistic purpose in doing this. Then you will see that this will all be worth it.” Said like every evil mastermind in history. However, I was grateful, since it was buying me time.

  He backed away and said, “You shall play a most important part in all of this. Who knows, you might even live when She leaves you in Her higher corporeal form.” I doubted it, thinking back to Lucas and the ibis creatures.

  He wasn’t done though, “Our world has looked down their noses at the smaller, if evolutionarily better population, for centuries. We are the ones who can manipulate the forces that God graced the Earth with, us – not them. We are God’s chosen, not those weak and ordinary fools. God changed our DNA to be more powerful, and to be better than our human counterparts.”