Palindrome

The pain exploded inside me, spreading out. I could see the trees swaying, my anger manifesting into a physical touch. Belinda screamed and got knocked down, she slid across the wet grass and ended in a heap by the bench. She raised a hand in defence, “He said it was me or William. I can`t die now, it isn’t just me anymore.” She put a hand gently to her stomach, but my fury didn’t care about my niece or nephew right now. William was gone, his still body invading my vision.

“And you just did as he told you to? Without talking to someone, without thinking that maybe, just maybe, we could HAVE FIXED IT? What about Natan, does he know where you are?”

Green balls of fire shot from my fingers, making Belinda hiss as they hit her.

“He thinks I`m out searching for you. Ophidian cornered me in the bedroom. He held the sword against my belly, what could I do?” Belinda cried; her face contorted.

“Anything but killing William. Your brother.”

She refused to look at his body, she just broke down and hid her face in her arms.

I sat down beside him and forced my trembling hand to touch him. He was getting cold already, his face like wax. I kissed his forehead, tears rolling down my face and into his hair.

“William.” I whispered; the words needed to be between us. “I love you. I will call for you. I will never let you go. I will come to the other side and get you if I have to. Wait for me, don’t go too far. I will be back for you.” I stood quickly, I needed to leave now, or else I would just stay here, guarding him. I pointed at Belinda, my golden eyes staring coldly at her.

“You have to take his body back to the house. There is an altar in the backyard, put him there. Then you must protect him at all costs. Do not let Ophidian or anyone else near him.” She swallowed and nodded, too afraid to talk. I wondered how I looked like, if I was capable of scaring a mighty Beast. I nodded slightly to her stomach. “I hope it will be worth it.”

I don’t know how I managed it, but I just jumped into the air and willed myself to fly. It was like the Goddess had said, I just had to want it and want it for the right reasons. Now the reason was to kill Noah and Ophidian.

Where would he be? Ophidian wasn’t stupid enough to remain in my house after he`d sent Belinda to kill William. He knew I would be coming for him. What was the real reason for him killing William? It was probably because William wasn’t fooled by him. I don’t know what they said to each other, the language long forgotten by mankind. He knew William would get in the way, and mess with his plans of getting me to resurrect Eve. How to find them? Would they be together? I needed a map over the area.

The town hadn`t realised the Undead was gone, everyone was still hiding inside their houses, huddled up together against the evil waiting for them. I hoped my town would survive this, but humans are unbelievably strong. I landed in front of the Sunshine Café, the windows broken and the inside trashed. I prayed my colleagues were safe, with their loved ones. A flashback of the first time I saw William blinded me, his eyes staring into my soul. I knew already then that my life was changed.

We kept a stack of tourist-maps on the counter, I found some on the floor, wet from the rain coming in the holes. I cleared a table and spread the map out, it was of the whole town and surroundings, Ophidian wasn’t capable of getting far on his own. I still had the broken vials around my neck and took the chain off to use as a pendulum. I tried to envision Ophidian and Noah before me and concentrated on them. The way they smelled, their voices, their energy.

I didn’t use a spell, but the chain started swinging, slowly at first then faster and faster. I was afraid it wouldn’t work, the circle got bigger and bigger, the pendulum searching frantically for the Beasts. Then it latched on to the map. I marked the place with a pencil before I removed the necklace and squinted to see the small writings on the paper.

Saint Mary`s rest.

The town-church. I gave a small smile; did he think I wasn’t allowed in?

The church was the traditional kind, with a big wooden door in the front and a small one at the back that the minister used. The smart choice would maybe be to sneak in the back entrance, but I was beyond smart. I needed drama, I needed to show my anger and fury. So many dead and wounded because of their actions, I was done going silently. The solution to all this had popped in my head as I screamed at Belinda, and I hoped my reasoning stood. Only one way to find out, I told myself. Before I walked up the stairs to the church, I changed my clothes – Instead of the practical jeans and sweater-combo, I twirled and envisioned a white dress, not unlike a wedding-dress. I even had flowers in my hair, and to my surprise I recognised them. I had last seen the pretty blue and gold petals back in Eden, on the Tree of Immortality. I hoped Ophidian would remember them as well.

The only sound heard was the squeak from the heavy doors which echoed under the high ceiling. Candles lighted strategic around the big room flickered wildly from the draft, alerting the two men by the altar that someone had entered their hideout. The doors banged shut behind me, making my dress billow.

Noah composed himself quickly and walked down the three steps to the floor.

“Hannah, dear. I didn’t expect you here.” He gave Ophidian a side glance, telling me Ophidian was the one with the delusional thought that witches couldn’t enter churches. Idiot.

“Ophidian, Noah.” I bowed my head slightly to greet them. Ophidian gave me a saccharine-sweet smile.

“Palindrome. Where is your consort?” I saw the glee in his eyes and could have killed him on the spot. Instead, I smiled just as sweetly back, I didn’t want them to see how broken I was, not yet. “He`s at home, healing, Belinda came to her senses at the last minute, but it was a nice try. He sends his love.”

They didn’t respond to that, and we stood there in silence, waiting for the gates to hell to open. I took a step forward, and one more. Noah clutched something in his hand, I saw the faint glimmer of a metal. He came prepared. Good, it would make it easier for me.

“I came to talk to you. It seems we might have gotten off on the wrong foot. But we are related, and we need each other. Promise me you will stop your plans and I will help you in return.”

I kept my voice level, not letting any emotions through. Ophidian giggled, “Oh my child, it`s too late to stop us, our work is already in the progress. You will bring Eve back and then almost all of humanity will perish. We will rule the world, like we always were supposed to.” He stood from the wheelchair on shaky legs, slowly straightening. “We, the Beasts, descendants from the Gods, will be masters of the universe and control all living.”

My laughter bubbled up, slow at first but soon the room was filled with my laughter. “Oh, you poor things. You say you are descendants from a God. Do you think he will allow this?”

Noah snarled and closed in on me, his footsteps silent against the red carpet.

“Allow it? He made us this way; this was his plan from the beginning. You are here only because we need you. This was planned, this is FATE.”

“I will give you what you want. I just need some help.” I held out my hand to him. “Give me the knife. There is blood-magic needed if I`m to bring someone back.”

Noah glanced over his shoulder, Ophidian was back in his chair, nodding vehemently. Noah gave me the sacrificial knife with some hesitation. The metal was warm from his touch, and my fingers found their way around the shaft like it was made for me. I didn’t recognise the metal, it was dark, dark grey. I smiled crookedly. “Not afraid that I will use it to kill you?”

Noah laughed. “Only a Beast can kill a Beast, you know that.”

My eyes started glowing and I pricked the tip of my index-finger with the sharp knife, a crimson drop of blood popping up instantly.

“You have both lived a long life.” I rolled my eyes at my own understatement. “Did you study alchemy back in the days?” Noah looked confused by my change of topic. “Of course, Nicholas Flamel was a friend of mine.”

“Then you will understand what I`m saying.” I squeezed my fingertip, and we all watched the drop fall to the ground.

“Alchemy, the quest to find the perfect matter, the elixir of immortality, transform plain metal into gold. The creation of a panacea able to cure any disease. Maybe even the perfect human, Magnum Opus, the Great Work. To find the mix that creates miracles.”

Noah lifted his stare from the floor and met my eyes. “Yes? We have used the same theories in our search for the potion.”

“What if I told you I have found it?”

Ophidian coughed, “That`s impossible. We have been searching for eons. You cannot fool us; you are just trying to distract us so you can flee. Noah, watch her.”

“I`ll make it easier for you.” I was now so close I could smell his rotten breath.

“The Philosopher`s stone. A potion to make gold, to cure diseases. Immortality. A mix of human, witch, divinity and one more thing.” I aimed the tip of the knife at Noah`s stomach, the exact spot William had been stabbed. I leaned in, close as a lover. “Can you guess the last one?” My lips touched his dry skin. I saw his pupils dilate in the darkness of his eyes, his fear spiking as his brain slowly caught up to his instincts. I smiled, “Exactly. Beast.” The knife slid effortlessly into his ancient body.

¤¤¤

I expected him to fall, dying like a normal person. Instead, he flaked up like a vampire in a bad Hollywood-movie. I was reminded of the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the German soldier takes the wrong grail. Hiding my shock, I lifted the knife to my mouth and blew away the last remnants of Noah, supposedly chosen by God, Mighty Beast. It is true as the Bible says, Pride cometh before fall.

I detected a small shiver in the hand holding the knife, to be honest, I hadn`t dreamed he would go down so easy. No fight, no bloodshed. I felt almost bereft. I needed vengeance. Then I heard an alien cry, the sound piercing and nerve-wracking. I clapped my hands over my ears and shut my eyes tight. I imagined a pterodactyl making the same sound, it wasn’t human at all. I crouched on the floor, but felt a shadow fly over me, and forced myself to look up. William was magnificent as a Beast, like Lucifer reborn in all his glory. Belinda and Benjamin as well. This thing had hardly any resemblance to them. The body was like a skeleton covered in patches of fur, the wings had a tinge of sickly green, and I saw puss running from wounds all over the Beast, including the wings. It was a miracle it could fly at all; I could smell the foul stench dripping on the benches and carpet. Ophidian finally looked his age. I stood and held the knife at arm’s length, ready to fight him if he came too close. That was until the voice came, he filled my head with a demon`s call. The language was a mix between English, Latin and I even heard some French. It was like he was everywhere, a madness settling in my brain. Was this the real him? He was completely mad.

He circled the room slowly, rambling in my head, never stopping to get an answer. I tried a spell, but he had my mind occupied, I couldn’t concentrate on the magic.

“Fuck.” The word came out strangled through teeth bitten together. I had to get away. Ophidian hovered over me, I could see he was getting tired, but the rant continued at the same speed, hindering me in fighting back. The doors weren’t that far away, I span around and ran as fast as I could. On my way I grabbed a standing cross near the end of the row of benches and hurled it at the big bat. He squealed like a pig when it graced him, but it didn’t do much harm. I heard clawing at the door as I pulled them shut, and the words in my head turned into screaming. I couldn’t fly, so I ran. I ran until I puked, my lungs screaming for oxygen.

After I while, I could breathe more normal, but I was still in danger. I needed to get out of sight, I needed to get home. But I didn’t want Ophidian to attack us there, I had to protect the others. It was clear he had a pull over Benjamin and Belinda, and Natan was still weaker than he should be. Samuel and Bridget needed to leave; no way was I risking them getting killed. Oscar, a plain human, also had no part in this. I was the only one left.