Chapter Twenty Eight

 

I don’t know what I expected. A voice, maybe, a personality? I encountered nothing of the sort when Dark Brother swarmed over me and swallowed me whole. Laid me bare in an instant to the core of my spirit, dug deep into everything that made me who I was and tore it loose to examine closely while I could do nothing.

Nothing.

Power like I’d never felt engulfed me and ate me alive while I screamed and screamed without a single sound emerging from that thick, impenetrable blackness.

I couldn’t even be afraid. All emotion, every thought, down to the barest bits and pieces of my makeup was taken and shaken and discarded as Creator’s sibling used me up for what I knew and threw me away.

And I’d thought to conceal anything from that presence? Considered myself strong enough to hide even the basest of secrets? I had no idea. No. Idea.

He finally left me, a puddle of nothing that I recognized of myself on the floor of my cell. The stone under my numb cheek had become soaked with tears and saliva from my gaping mouth. Battered and bruised within, aching from the blackness of his assault, I could do nothing but stare into the emptiness of the quiet prison and block it all out.

It was the soft, insistent nudging at my right hand that finally broke me free of my paralysis, drawing my attention where I thought curiosity dead. My chin tipped, my gaze traveling down to my hip. I was on my side, partially turned over, right hand a limp and lifeless thing that felt detached from my body. When my fingers twitched it had nothing to do with my actions. No, it was the quivering, shimmering lump of black bouncing like it was alive in my palm that triggered a visceral response.

My fingers closed over the smooth, warm ribbon of darkness that normally clung to my wrist. And, when they fell open again, it slithered loose of its tight, tense orb shape, sliding yet again around my flesh and squeezing tight.

Leaving the small, pulsing thing it had protected against my skin.

Plastic heart, dented on one side, a broken clasp at the top where once maybe it had hooked to a keychain or a necklace. At least, that’s how it appeared. I knew better. And the moment I registered the piece of Creator was safe, it began to glow.

With a gentleness that was the only antidote to the cruel destruction of Dark Brother, Creator’s kind heart reached within me and began the healing process.

Again, I had no idea what real power felt like, not until this day when first the evil of one side tore me to pieces leaving the goodness of the other to put me back together again. I have no idea how long it took for Creator’s heart to undo enough I could sit up. I wiped at the moisture on my face with disgust and loathing, resting my forehead on my bent knees. Sobs escaped, at last, crushing, devouring things that needed to emerge so I could come the rest of the way back.

I wasn’t alone in the gentle ministrations of the power of the heart. The girls returned to me, slowly and with great hurt, embracing me when they were able to accept what had been done to us. I never missed them so much as I did when they came back to me this time. Nothing like losing them to quiet sleep when I’d been drach. Far worse than even when my demon left me on purpose. Their pain and suffering was my pain and suffering, multiplied by three.

I think I slept then, sitting up with my arms around my knees, the warmth of Creator passing through me and into the girls inside my head. All I know is when I opened my eyes again, I felt more myself than I had a right to after what we’d endured.

Anger woke with me. My favorite.

We won’t survive that again. My vampire’s quiet acceptance was shared by all of us. I clenched my hand around the heart of Creator and pulled myself to my feet, body aching from the awkward position we’d been in, head throbbing and soul full of fury.

I know, I sent. Time to get the hell out of here.

Big talk, considering. But I couldn’t contemplate even for a second another encounter with Dark Brother. The very thought made me want to fall to my knees and scream all over again. Carefully, with the help of the trio of personalities in my mind, I walled off all memory of his presence, of the assault. We’d deal with it later.

Maybe.

I did a quick check of my power, found we were none the worse for wear physically and energetically at least. The mental and emotional abuse… well. Walls of denial were made for this kind of thing.

Oddly, my white sorcery seemed the least affected, humming softly in response when I reached for it. As though Dark Brother’s attack hadn’t touched it.

Could it be possible? Shaylee sounded shaken.

Creator’s ultimate magic never reached this Universe if what we know is true, my vampire sent.

Well, the cat’s out of the bag now, my demon snarled.

Maybe, I sent. Maybe not. After all, Belaisle must have known about it, thanks to Jean Marc. So I doubt it’s a huge secret. But it might be something Dark Brother has chosen to ignore if he doesn’t understand it. Like he had anything to fear. Or thought he did. Arrogance could work in our favor. I rubbed at the black ribbon around my wrist, sent it thanks for protecting the heart. Because I’d failed utterly.

Its answering power embrace gave me a bit of hope, at least. And triggered a flash of recognition. I knew this soul, was far more open to it in this moment than I’d been all along, thanks to Dark Brother. But who was it? There was enough of a difference its identity eluded me. But I did know it, of that I was certain.

Who then in this Universe—which of the drach—was it?

I paced the four walls of the stone cell, once large enough it seemed, now tiny to my desperate need to escape. Any and all attempts to reach Gabriel were blocked by the slithering, slimy shielding. I was just throwing my energy away. Finally, anger at a peak, ready to try smashing my way out despite knowing it was a lost cause, I paused in the center of the room and clenched myself against the truth.

Trapped. I was trapped. And there was absolutely no way out. I’d never in my life felt so helpless. There was always something, a way to be made, a chance of escape or an opportunity to fight back. But right here, right now, nothing.

I looked down at the heart in my hand. Could I access the power of Creator to beat my way out? The moment my mind latched onto that possibility the faint warmth of the piece died and the heart went silent.

I tried not to think of it as a traitor, considering it had saved me. And wondered then where the voice of it was, the personality that seemed to live inside each piece. Wished it would talk to me, even if it was as frustrating and irritating as some of the other pieces had been.

Silence. And hopelessness.

There is a reason we are here. We all focused on my vampire when she spoke. Clung to her words as a unit when she went on. Fate has led us to this place. And it’s time we trusted Creator’s plan.

Could I toss my own fears and doubts and just trust?

Do you have a choice? My vampire’s soft whisper was for me alone.

So hard, giving up my free will for the faith she suggested. Impossible, maybe. The woman I’d become had been created in fire and strife, taught to think for herself, to act and believe in her own power and the strength of her will. And here I was, that woman, trying to step back from everything I’d learned. Everything I'd been taught by time and Fate and battle, and just abandon it for belief this was the way things were supposed to happen.

I know, my vampire sighed. And yet?

And yet.

Creator had a plan for me. I was Doombringer. For good or ill, like it or not, I was here, now, in this place, at this time, with no hope and no prospects, the heart of the Universe in my hands.

Letting go felt like quitting.

Until I did it, in a rush of need so powerful I gasped. Covered my face in my hands, the hard plastic heart pressed to my lips. And felt Her pulse against my cold skin in a hug of magic.

When I dropped my hands, looked down, I saw at last the stone shape of the real heart outlined faintly in my grasp, though the piece itself remained in its disguised form.

And nodded to it. No. To Her.

You won’t let me die here, I sent to Her.

No, She answered, faint, distant.

Okay then. Faith it was.

I actually felt better, hopeful, calm. Funny, nothing had really changed about my situation. And everything had.

Even more so when the door to my cell clanged, the lock turning, and the way opened. I looked up, feeling the most at peace I had since I was drach, and stared down the tall, armor clad figure who entered my prison, power radiating from him like a shroud of darkness.

The Order had come for me.

I was ready.

 

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