CHAPTER NINETEEN
Aclick then the relentless light from a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling brought me back to consciousness. Even after I managed to open my eyes, I had to blink them to try and bring the swinging light into focus. Fog enveloped my brain and my mouth felt like I’d been sucking on cotton for a day. My limbs were stiff and cramped where I sat. Cold had crept into my naked torso, and rope bit into my wrists.
Where am I? Where is Emma? Did they get away?
Instead of allowing panic to engulf my senses, I focused on taking note of every little detail around me. After some shifting, I discovered I couldn’t move my legs either. The strong smell of mildew and concrete reminded me of the liquor store, except it lacked the scent of yeast.
Emma. Where are you?
I wanted to call out for her, but I kept my mouth sealed as I tried to orient myself. The light switch cord clanged against the bulb softly and I detected the sound of dripping nearby.
When I could finally see clearly, I realized I wasn’t alone. Two people dressed in black had been waiting for me to return to my senses. One stood, arms crossed, in a relaxed waiting stance. The other figure was perched on a cabinet counter in a sizable, yet empty, basement. The wood stairs behind the standing man ascended to what I assumed to be a suburban household. The agents of Veritas had caught up to me once again.
“How are you feeling?” Regina asked from her spot on the counter. I might have believed the concern in her voice if they hadn’t tied me up.
I leveled my gaze at her. “Like I’ve been drugged.” I vaguely recalled the sting of the needle in my neck.
“I apologize for our methods,” Phillip said, his hands folded behind his back, “But it was doubtful you would have voluntarily granted us a second interview.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. He was right.
I consciously relaxed my shoulders. “Well now that you have me as a captive audience,” I said the words with pointed disdain, “what is it you want to tell me?”
Phillip said, “You must know the balance has been interrupted.”
“The soul eater,” Regina said, disbelief and fear colored her voice. “It became flesh.”
“So you saw the whole show?” I asked drily. I couldn’t expect help from anyone when it had attacked, especially not someone from a different Order, yet the stinking seed of bitterness shivered in my heart when I thought of the lives that could have been saved if these agents of Veritas had intervened. “From a safe distance, naturally.” I subtly worked my wrists behind the chair, trying to find any give in the ropes. I spotted my brown armored coat lying across the stair railing.
Regina’s expression became distressed. “You can’t think that would have helped anything. We were not trained to engage with such entities.”
“But youaretrained,” I accused, trying to confirm what I suspected.
“Well, yes,” Phillip said this time. “It takes a great number of us and many sacred artifacts, but we have managed to send dark beings back to the Stygian before. When we detected the Soul Eater nearing you, we planned to intervene but once it became solid, we thought it best to hold back.”
“So you just watched innocent people die.” My teeth ground against the words. I’d never known hate before, but it was the only word I could think of to describe the bag of hot snakes roiling around my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Phillip’s forehead and eyes wrinkled in distress. “You don’t understand. We are not even qualified to banish a normal soul eater. We would have been completely out of our realm attempting to aid you. We couldn’t possibly be of help to you once it became flesh.”
Seeing the look on my face, Regina straightened her shoulders and said to Phillip. “He isn’t going to be reasonable, dear. They made him Chevalier. They don’t think past what they are told.” The word “Chevalier” dripped with derision and the tension in my chest intensified until I thought I would explode.
I wanted to correct her. The Luxis didn’t make me into anything. I was what I was. But these people were beyond reason.
Phillip held up a hand and continued to study me. “We are as sorry for the casualties as you are, but you also must know we could not risk our lives for them. It is more important we report the imbalance to our Order.”
“Then why do you need me?” I asked, my voice gravelly with repressed hate. “Go tell your people of the imbalance and leave me be.”
He continued to stare at me in an unerring fashion. After a long moment, he responded. “Because we suspect you are either the cause of the imbalance or know what is.”
My eyes fell away from his and I shrugged. “Why should I know anything? I merely tried to save those civilians.”
Regina spoke this time. “Because first it was the Crib coming to this plane and now a Soul Eater has been made flesh. And they both appeared at your location. What have you gotten yourself into, dear son?” Her words were cold, but her eyes betrayed a warmth toward me that let me know they truly believed this preposterous lie of me being their kin.
“I’m not your son,” I spat. My wrists continued to move, feeling out any give. My fingers toyed with the edges of rope.
“What has the Order of Luxis gotten you into?” Phillip asked, though it sounded more like he was asking himself.
“The only thing the Luxis has granted me is illumination. Illumination of everything, which is where I ground my power. Which is how I saved at least some of those civilians you deemed expendable. And it is also why I see past your lies meant to manipulate me. You have no power over me.”
