Jule and Mr Brown sat outside the master suite where Vincent lay. Flea and Knife were inside at the dining table, studying. She’d tried to join them but her whirling mind made it impossible. Mr Brown set his paper on the patio table. Dave lounged in a chair near the corner of the house, his swarthy Cajun features appearing at ease. Jule noticed that his blue eyes never stopped roaming the area surrounding the home. Another man positioned himself at the edge of the yard, keeping watch on the place where the Tear appeared.
Mr Brown tapped his pipe on the table a sure sign something would follow. ‘Do you recall, before Vinni dispatched the Tearer, there was that ruffian with the domino?’
How could she forget that night? Meeting Mr Brown for the first time, witnessing Vinni move at speeds so fast he was a blur, Vinni getting the blades from Mr Brown, being attacked by a gang of bikers…it was pretty eventful. ‘Yes, of course I do.’
He chuckled. ‘It was a rather silly question, wasn’t it? Anyway, I have an idea about that domino.’
Jule raised her eyebrows and peeked over the rim of her cup as she sipped her coffee.
‘Obviously, anyone who refers to themself as the Master has a rather large ego. The domino speaks to that with its Latin root meaning lord. Additionally, dominoes are referred to as bones, which adds yet another level of possible meaning.’
She nodded. ‘Right, I remember you telling us something like that.’
He raised a finger. ‘But why that specific domino? Why the zero-one?’ Ever the dramatic, Mr Brown paused for effect.
Jule let the moment stretch before shrugging and smiling.
Mr Brown wiggled his raised finger. ‘Because he was telling us that he is the one and only master. That he would eliminate any who opposed him.’ He sat back in his chair and picked up his paper.
Jule started to speak and found herself overwhelmed. How can someone like that be stopped?
***
Coleman looked open-mouthed at his mother, in stunned amazement.
‘Power?’ she asked. ‘Oh, you are the one who has forgotten.’
‘Again you question our —’
‘Show us then.’ His ma gestured to the group.
<Has she gone insane?>
This is beyond…I…
She waved her hand grandly. ‘Will you blow dust around and flash bright lights to amaze us?’
The man came to the ground and screamed at her, ‘I have created the Kafla!’ The shout brought dust from the cavern walls, but his ma didn’t seem to notice — or care.
‘Have you? Really? I think not, “Light Bringer”. You have added your evil to them, but you can’t create anything. All you seem to be good at is destruction.’
He thrust a finger at them, and his mouth turned downward as he spat out, ‘And we shall destroy you!’
‘Again, I say, show us.’ She raised her hands. ‘Go ahead. Here we stand before you and yet,’ she shrugged, ‘Here. We. Stand. You cannot touch us because we do not belong to you.’
‘We can send our Kafla.’
‘Yes, you can, and have,’ his ma said.
Coleman heard the pounding of clawed feet approaching but couldn’t drag his eyes from the spectacle before him. His mother was like nothing he’d ever seen.
<Glorious…she’s…>
He couldn’t agree more. His mother seemed to shine, pushing back the darkness that emanated from the Being before them.
‘Light Bringer, I know you enjoy winning. So why are you still here?’ She glanced at the group. ‘These brave ones have brought me to the Tear. You’ve lost this battle. Don’t you have other…more profitable things to attend to?’
‘We will hound you forever!’
Frances lifted her shoulders. ‘Why? Will it change the outcome of today?’
The man growled and shook his head like an angry animal, emitting a vicious bark. ‘We may have lost this battle, but we will win the war. Now, or sometime in the future, you will pay with your lives.’
A stream of Kafla poured into the far end of tunnel. Sari and Jolie readied arrows and stood near the top of the narrow path. Pride and love rushed over him. What had he ever done to deserve the love of such women? Coleman faced the Light Bringer. If it took his life, he’d guard them from him.
‘In that, Light Bringer, you are at least partially right,’ his ma said quietly.
The wind whipped, assaulting them again, and the man stalked toward a deep shadow and disappeared without breaking stride.
Coleman turned to his ma like a cracking whip. ‘Ma, who was that guy?’
She looked at him. ‘An ancient foe.’
‘Yours?’
‘Of any who follow the Divine.’ She glanced at the Kafla racing across the cavern. ‘Jolie, Sari —’
Jolie answered without turning. ‘The path is only wide enough for one. We can hold them off as long as we have arrows.’
‘My daughters.’ They turned at his ma’s call. ‘I love you both.’
Robert smiled from her side. ‘As do I, dear ones,’ he said.
Jolie and Sari smiled uncertainly. ‘We love you, too,’ Sari said for them both. They turned back, and Jolie loosed an arrow, killing the first Kafla to start up the path. Sari followed with the next, the sound of their alternating shots setting a steady pattern.
‘Ma, Da, what’s that about? We’re still in this thing,’ Coleman said.
His ma took one of his hands and da the other. ‘Because it is time for us to Mend the Shroud,’ she said.
Why was her voice sad? ‘But, that’s a good thing, right?’ He looked back and forth between them.
‘Yes, son, it is, but…’ his Da’s voice faltered.
‘Coleman.’ His ma picked up. ‘The Shroud isn’t simply a barrier, it’s a living entity. The Tear has damaged it, and the repair can only be accomplished by renewing that life force.’
He nodded. ‘Okay, so do the ritual or whatever, and let’s be out of this place.’
Frances shook her head. ‘You misunderstand. The life force required will come from your father and me.’
<She can’t mean…>
A bolt of understanding shot through him like the lightning that had rocketed around the chamber. ‘What? No! You mean…you can’t just give up your —’
‘Son. I’ve known about this since I was a teen,’ his Da said. His da looked lovingly at his mother. ‘Your mother explained that this might happen.’ He looked back at Coleman. ‘I’ve loved your ma forever, and now we’ll be united in the Shroud for eternity. How many men can claim such a thing?’ Robert smiled.
Loss clamped around his heart. ‘But I’ve just now…after all this time. We’ve only…’ Coleman pointed his chin at Sari and Jolie. His voice thickened and choked to a halt.
‘And that has made us happier than you’ll ever know,’ his ma said. ‘We must do this, son, and it must be now.’ She embraced him, kissing his cheek. ‘We will always be here, surrounding you with our love,’ she said gently.
His da took her place and said, ‘You’re a good man, and I’m prouder than any father that’s ever been.’ He hugged Coleman and patted his back. ‘Name a grandson after me.’ He winked.
His ma smiled and took his da’s hand. They walked to the edge of the precipice, and raised their clasped hands. She said something Coleman couldn’t hear, and golden light erupted from them, radiating love, and joy, and peace. It’s beauty brought him to his knees. When the rays from it touched the Kafla, flooding the cavern, they burst into flames.
A verse came to Vincent, unbidden. <What fellowship can light have with darkness?> Sari and Jolie were on their knees as well, rapt expressions on their faces.
Within moments, nothing remained of the cavern full of Kafla. More streamed into the ash-covered space with the Maidens close behind and as the leading edge of Kafla ran from the shadows, they too burnt out of existence. Those behind tried to stop and were shoved forward by the moving mass. The Kafla turned and fought but found death on all sides.
As the last of them fell, Coleman’s parents turned, facing one another, and kissed. They gazed into each other’s eyes and the light around them intensified. His da’s arm still encircled his mother’s waist as they looked back at him one last time, smiling as light absorbed them. Very faintly, Coleman heard their joyful laughter and then they were gone.
The light winked out of existence. Loss and heartache slammed into him, just as overwhelming as the rapture he’d experienced a moment ago. All those years away from them, he’d always thought there would be time. After the next patrol, once he was promoted, when a holiday came, but he’d taken none of those moments. Now, he never would. Coleman covered his face with his hands and wept.
***
A blast of energy exploded from the ravine behind the house, radiating in a wave at Jule that flattened the grass and tinted the world gold. Her mouth dropped open, and she tried to warn the men, but it was too late. It vibrated through her, touching every part of who she was or ever would be. It changed her, altered her somehow. She knew it like she knew the sun rose. Mr Brown never looked up from his paper. Dave continued to scan the surroundings. It was only for her. Jule’s cup of coffee fell from her nerveless hand and shattered on the patio. Mr Brown yanked his gaze from his paper, and Dave rushed to her side.
‘Jule, what’s wrong?’ Mr Brown asked, leaning over and taking her hand.
‘I…something…’ She looked at him, her eyes wide. ‘Something’s happened with the Shroud.’