*
When Famine and Devon returned from setting up his new place, Angelique was standing in the middle of the great room next to a box draped with a blue cloth. She was smiling mischievously. “I take it everything’s okay?”
Famine had changed from his wet clothes into a gleaming white hooded shroud that was cinched at the waist with a golden belt. His hair was still damp and hung loosely around his narrow face. “It is, thanks. You have quite the place here.”
“Well, thank you.”
Devon had put on a loose fitting green tunic and matching silk trousers. “What’s in the box, mother?”
Angelique stepped away from the box and motioned for Famine to join her. “All will be revealed soon. Tell me, how have you been getting along with your Dead Light?”
He looked perplexed at the question. Didn’t she just say she didn’t care about it? “My Dead Light? I don’t think it’s ever shown itself. Not that I’ve noticed anyway. Why?”
“Genuine concern, my boy,” she answered with a twinkling eye, “can’t I be concerned with my son’s new love?”
“Of course you can. I’m sorry if I sounded rude. I’m still trying to work through all of this.”
Angelique led Famine to the chair on which she had sat earlier, and he took a seat. There was a crystal chalice sitting on the table filled with a sparkling purple liquid. She saw him eyeing the drink. “Go head, you can have it. I brought it out for you. Don’t worry I didn’t do anything to it.”
He hurriedly picked up the glass and drank. It was cool, refreshing, and a bit intoxicating. It was the first thing he had to drink since last night and it hit the spot with its fizzy sweetness. It tasted as forbidding as the drinks he had had the night before. Angelique pulled up a chair near Famine as Devon stood by her. “Is it good?”
“Yes, thanks,” Famine answered, “what is it?”
“It’s carbonated scorpion ale…my favorite drink,” answered Devon.
“It’s quite tasty.”
“I’m glad you like it. I’m having one of the servants prepare dinner now. It shouldn’t be much longer. I hate to keep bothering you, dear, but I want to know more about your Dead Light.”
Famine shrugged as he set the chalice down on the table. “I told you, there’s nothing to talk about.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
“What?”
Angelique turned so that she was now facing Famine. She spoke softly and held his hands. “You see, I think your Dead Light has come through. How else would you have beaten The Hunter?”
The boy’s reaction was one of total surprise. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “How did you know about that?”
“Word gets around fast here in the Borderlands…plus Devon told me all about it. Being able to defeat such an opponent shows great skill. If you didn’t do it with Dead Light, then I don’t know how you did. Tell me more about that night.”
Famine thought about it for a second. He furrowed his brow, trying to come up with the right words in his head. He knew what had happened but talking about it was hard. The tumult of emotions, the surge of strength, and the sudden mental epiphanies were a personal thing to describe.
He spoke at last, but his tone was unsure. “The Hunter came into my house and tried to get rid of my fa…The Reaper. He wanted to take over The Deadlands himself. I don’t know. I was just so mad that I didn’t know what to do. There was all this light coming out of me and I couldn’t see or hear. I was really confused. Once my head cleared up, I was able to think again. This whole new way of looking at things came rushing at me. It was so disorienting at first but once I made it slow down…I was able to think more clearly. It was like gaining wisdom. It was like I knew everything.”
Angelique’s eyes danced with delight. She leaned in and grasped his hand harder. “Yes! That sounds like your Dead Light was turned on! My boy, I think you had your first Dead Light Experience.”
Devon had now gotten around to Famine’s back and had his hands planted on his shoulders. His voice was as excited as the woman’s. “Tell her about the zombies at the dance, honey! Tell her how you beat them!”
Famine nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I beat some zombies who were threatening Devon. There were three of them and they were strong. I had the same feeling I had with The Hunter. I was surrounded by all this bright light…I think it gave me the strength to get them all. The way they were picking on Devon made me angry…just like The Hunter did. I just couldn’t help myself. So, you think it was my Dead Light?”
“Indeed I do,” Angelique, answered as she pulled away, “I don’t think it could be anything else.”
“I’m so confused…what is it supposed to do for me? It just scares me. I don’t know how to control it.”
Devon whispered into is ear. “Mother can help with that. Let her help.”
Angelique got out of her chair and walked back to the covered box. She patted it lovingly as she talked. She still had her back towards the boys. “I wasn’t fully honest with you back on that road. I only told you what I wanted you to know about Dead Light. I think it’s time you know it all now.”
Famine stood up and walked towards her, Devon followed putting his arms around him. “There’s more? What is it? Please tell me.”
“Dead Light is a great inner strength that gives you power, intellect, and wisdom…I was truthful about that. What I didn’t tell you was that it also gives you the ability to take souls.”
Was he hearing right? Was he that powerful? “Like The Reaper and Uncle Ankou?”
Angelique whipped around to face him. Her face was a mask of delirious happiness. “Yes, like them. Once your Dead Light kicks in, you have the exact same powers as the rest of your family. You can go back and forth between the realms and take souls the way they do. Not only that, but you will be connected with the force that drives Death itself. You will be at one with Eternity…you will know all that’s ever been…still is…and will be. Famine, my boy, you will now know that.”
He had heard the exact same thing on the night he first met her. The Reaper had explained their purpose for existing right after he had tricked Angelique into leaving him alone. Apparently he had been telling the truth.
But he hadn’t taken any souls in any of their jaunts. Ankou had actually taken them; he was just there for the ride. It looked like he had that power now. How would he know if this new information about Dead Light was truthful? It just seemed too good. “But I didn’t kill those zombies…and I let The Hunter go. I didn’t take them…”
“A rookie mistake,” said Devon.
“And that’s what this,” Angelique said pointing towards the box, “is all about. After tonight, you will have opened yourself to let your Dead Light shine!”
She threw off the cover. He saw that what he’d thought was a box actually turned out to be cage, and huddling inside was The Hunter. He was dressed in a dirty, raggedy canvas robe and his face was hollow and darkened. Famine was shocked at his gaunt appearance. It looked as if the man had been through many miles of rough road. As the light adjusted, The Hunter was able to see who was around him. He saw Famine and his face raged. “Famine,” he screamed angrily, “I should have known you were part of this.”
“No, I wasn’t…I’m not.”
The Hunter stood and pointed his ghostly finger. “Don’t give me that shite! You are in cahoots with these two low-lives. You couldn’t leave well enough alone. You just had to make me suffer more. I won’t give you the satisfaction!”
Famine pulled away from Devon and rushed to the cage. Its prisoner stepped back. “No, honestly, I had nothing to do with this. I’m done with you.” He now faced Angelique. “What’s the meaning of this? Why do you have him caged like this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she said, sneering at him. “I have him here so that you may take him out.”
“But he’s a collector, I can’t do that.”
“You can because you were made by The Reaper. You
were made of Death itself…because of that…you can take out anything that’s not of Death. The Hunter is simply a personification of Death, therefore you can kill him.”
Both The Hunter and Famine’s faces registered horror. The very idea of killing struck a fearsome and disturbing chord inside the boy. He had seen The Reaper and Ankou take out many people and things. That was a part of their jobs. Killing another Death Omen was tantamount to murder. That wasn’t in him. Plus, he didn’t hate The Hunter that much. Yes, the man was a massive pain but he didn’t deserve death.
“You can’t kill me! You can’t kill me!” The Hunter screamed as he fought against the bars of the cage.
“I’m not going to do that,” Famine said trying to ease The Hunter’s fear, “I’ll take the soul that needs it but I’m not killing another Collector.”
Devon came alongside Angelique and smiled down at him. “You have to. If you want your Dead Light to shine, you have to do it.”
Famine put his hands over his ears and walked away. “No! I’m not a killer! I don’t care what kind of power it gives me, I’m not killing him!”