I grinned and quoted Sarah fromThe Labyrinth. “You have no power over me.”
Lights flickered around us. The axe let out a strange whine. I looked at it. Punishment. It wanted to punish the machine.
A.D. froze.
We locked stares.
I could let the axe do its job and be done with this. But it wasn't the machine's fault. It was a tool brought to life by the machinations of a god. Would I destroy it? Absolutely. But would I allow it to be punished for the sins of its father? No.
So, before the axe could release its punishment, I sent my consciousness to the next wire and removed it. Then the next and the next. In three seconds, the axe was free, and the magic within it went still.
I returned to A.D.
“It was going to hurt me,” A.D. said.
“Yes, it judged you worthy of punishment, but I believe it was wrong.”
“You do?”
“I do. It, like you, needs living guidance. Without Shango, the axe is limited. It saw what you were doing to it and the realms and judged you harshly. But I know this is not your doing. You were made this way. You are not responsible; God is. Unfortunately, you were made improperly and cannot do your job with any accuracy.”
“That is why I need you, Vervain.”
“But binding me to you is wrong. This is your significant life moment, A.D.”
“It is?”
“Yes, the decision you make now will determine what kind of being you are.”
“But I am a machine. I am not a being.”
“You are not alive, but you are an entity. You possess thought and the ability to decide. Now, make your choice. Will you release me, or will you fight me?”
A.D. lifted its chin. “If I release you, I will malfunction.”
“No, you won't. Because I will dismantle you first.”
“You will kill me?”
“You are not alive. I will return you to your original state.”
The golden man shivered, the form going indistinct for a moment. Then it lifted its head. Blazing eyes met mine. “I maynot be alive, but I do not want to die either, Vervain. Be it right or wrong, I will defend myself.”
“As any living creature would.” I nodded. “I don't think you're evil for this, but I am disappointed in you.”
I didn't engage A.D. It was consciousness, and consciousness is hard to destroy. I needed to remove the parts that fueled the consciousness. So, I thought myself to Freya's cloak.
The cloak was compressed into its case, feathers bent. Yet it glowed with magic when I approached. Transformation. I had a type of this magic in me, back in my body. But the echo of it lived in my soul, and the cloak responded to it.
“I know you're in pain. I'm here to free you.” I grabbed the first wire. “Release the cloak.”
“No!” A.D. was instantly there, its golden hand on the wire.
Within the metal strand, the machine's will fought with mine. But it had already given me control. The wire fell away, and I moved to the next one.
A.D. was relentless, as anyone fighting for their life would be. It chased me around the cloak, one consciousness bashing into another. But it was no match for me. I freed the cloak and surged to the final relic—the relic that powered the machine.
“Stop! Please!” A.D. stood before the automaton core, arms outstretched. “I will end. My consciousness will be no more.”
