“Why?” I asked. “Are ethics and morality dead?”
“It’s easier to do the work if you believe they are at least on life support,” she said. “Idealism is never a good path, Hamilton. Disappointment can be harsh.”
“Life is harsh,” I said. “But there are still things worth living for.”
“You’re too young to know that.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are.” She shook her head. “You only know what’s worth living for when you’ve found something worth dying for.”
“Dying for something is easy!” I yelled back. “It’s too easy! Living for something is harder.”
“You’ve changed, Hamilton.” She sighed. “This is because of your girlfriend, isn’t it?”
“You leave her out of this,” I snapped. There was no way I was going to admit she was right—well, partially right, anyway. There were other reasons I’d changed, too; Raiya just happened to be one of the bigger reasons why.
“I’m only asking because I’m concerned for you,” Cheryl insisted.
It always amazes me in life how the people who say they are “trying to help” are usually the ones who are doing the most damage. It is almost like a red-flag phrase.
“I’m not worried,” I lied.
“What are you going to do?” Cheryl shook her head. “You want to be a lawyer at Pitt still, right?”
“Of course.”
“Is she going to just move with you to college? You don’t know what she wants to do, do you?”
I said nothing.
That was a mistake; I should’ve lied, fast and immediately. Cheryl knew the real answer at once, and she began to milk it for all it was worth.
“What about her family? Is she going to leave them to go with you? How are you going to provide for her? I know from paying all your bills, you couldn’t afford standard rent and your coffee habit. And if she stays here while you go off to school, how do you know she won’t find someone else? That she won’t find a job here or far away from here that she’ll want?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I’m just trying to make sure you know what you’re doing. You need good grades and high scores on your tests to get scholarships and awards and prizes, Hamilton.”
“Have I not been doing that?” I asked.
“Technically, you have done that. But lately, I see you’re distracted.” She shrugged delicately. “You’re going to need to change that if you’re still working toward dual enrollment next year.”
The coffee machine beeped, probably saving me from screaming at Cheryl until the rest of the neighborhood woke up.
I swore I could almost hear Elysian chuckling at the picture I made.
I poured a cup into one of the many hundreds of coffee thermoses we had around the house. “Well, I have my SATs today,” I said, abruptly changing the subject. “Let me go ahead and show you how not distracted I am.”
I shoved the coffee pot at her and turned away, secretly hoping I’d managed to spill some drops on the counter just to tick her off.
Getting outside the door was walking into the very essence of sweet relief, even if I was headed out to take a test on a Saturday.
The chilly morning air reminded me that there was still some talk of snow coming, even in April, but the steaming cup in my hand shut that possibility up.
At the bitter taste, I suddenly wondered why I hadn’t gone to Rachel’s. It was true that since it was Saturday, she wouldn’t have been open until seven, the same time as my test, but I could’ve managed to get a cup out of Raiya.
I looked down at my cup, seeing past the coffee-colored liquid joy to see my own reflection, and I knew.
I was still feeling unsettled about yesterday.
I didn’t want to fight with Raiya. At least, not to the point where I hated her for her remarks.
I didn’t even know why I was bothered by our argument. Sure, maybe I should’ve said that I was sensing a demon attack. But my reluctance to ruin our time together should’ve redeemed my poor judgment in the matter.
Well, I decided silently to myself, poor judgment yesterday doesn’t qualify for a follow-up today.
I decided I would go and see her immediately after my SATs were over. I had four hours to take the test, and then I would be done. Maybe I would even feel better to the point where I would welcome some demon-fighting action.
*☼*
I can’t imagine sitting in a desk chair on a Saturday for a good half of a school day is something a lot of students gleefully anticipate.
SATs, the standardized college tests, were a legacy of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Even as I sat down for mine, I had a feeling they would either go away or they just get more complicated in time. I thought it was hard to argue for them, generally speaking, but it was harder for schools to look for another way to get a kid’s parents to shell out a considerable sum in order to look good on a college admission packet.
Cheryl was right, for once, about college and dual enrollment. I needed that in order to skip through the first year of college, which I knew from my own investigations was similar to my high school classes. It was possible if I did well enough, I could graduate from law school by the time I was twenty-one.
Raiya had joked, when I told her, that it was perfect, since I could start my career the same time it was legal for me to become an alcoholic. I smiled at the memory. I wasn’t worried about law school. I’d succeeded in school stuff all my life. It wasn’t hard for me to learn.
It was the physical toll on me that I was less enthusiastic about, and the SATs were goading me more there than anything else. Actually succeeding into college clearly required the ability to sit and wait for an hour, and then sit, answer questions, and then wait for another hour or two, all while having no access to the internet; I’m sure making the money from the testing fees was just a perk for colleges.
Other than that, the test wasn’t hard for me. I was done with each section with tons of time to spare, and no Game Pac or phone or anything to play with. I had to fight off the temptation to bother Jason, who was just a row over from me; though, in all fairness, it would’ve been a short-lived endeavor, since he was taking his precious time.
Poncey was a couple rows over from Jason, but he couldn’t see me very well. It wasn’t like he could turn around without one of the testing proctors getting angry, anyway.
My desk was next to the window, and that was seriously the only entertainment I could enjoy. And the horizontal blinds were halfway shut, making it all the more enjoyable.
[Insert sarcastic eye roll.]
It was boring and I don’t remember much, only staring into space for hours, and then looking up at the clock to see approximately two minutes had passed, and then repeating this a bunch of times. I also remember glaring at the clock, and mentally yelling at Aleia to speed things up for me.
Surely she wouldn’t deny me that request? She was a friend, after all.
Adonaias probably wouldn’t let her, I thought an hour-long moment later.
There is absolutely nothing worse that this—
My train of thought was derailed and ran into a barn silo as searing soreness clasped around my wrist.
Again?!
I almost cried out an overly-clichéd long, drawn-out “No!” If there was any appropriate time to do just that, it was at that moment, while I was sitting with an hour to go on my SAT writing test, and demons were working in all their terrible ways.
Glancing out the windows, I could see next to nothing, other than the other wing of the school building. I was in a different classroom than my normal routine, so even Elysian would have a harder time finding me.
Raiya, I knew, had opted not to take the SATs. She decided to worry about her GED test first, and then she said, she would “worry about college when and if the time came.” I assured her, in my typical, unfeeling fashion, that it was a matter of “when.”
College had been a ma
ndate on my life for forever. Now that she was a part of my life, it was one on hers, too.
There was a loud crash! that sounded from out the window.
But fighting off the demons, and all of their leaders and masters, was also a calling on my life.
Instant frustration ran through me. I felt like Draco did this on purpose, like he had been working in secret conjunction with Cheryl. Her challenge to me this morning burned into my mind, making me hate my mother and life and everything else all the more as I faced brutal reality. I could taste blood as I contemplated revenge.
I did this while I remained in my seat.
I let the pulsations of pain and suffering slither through me like a poison, seeping from my wrist down to my heart and infiltrating my mind.
Never did I feel the demand on myself so much as when I sat there, writing my essay, reading through questions, figuring out math problems—all while my friends were called to the battlefield.
I glanced at the clock.
Come on, Alora, stop time for me so I can help … Aleia, tell Alora to help me!
When I got no response, I turned to a higher power. Adonaias, where are you? Answer me! Go help Raiya and Elysian! What could you possibly be doing that matters as much as this does right now? Why aren’t you helping them?! Why are you keeping me here?!
Nothing.
I got nothing.
Minutes passed. I could hear sirens and screaming. I could hear buildings buckle. At one point, I felt the shockwave of an attack. My heart twisted in agony, and I wondered if Raiya was doing okay.
But I did nothing.
I couldn’t leave. I mean, I really couldn’t. Not without cancelling my scores, forfeiting my testing fees, and losing my chance for dual enrollment at Apollo City College next year! This was the last testing session they had before my application had to be in. Even if I took the test again, it would be too late to apply for the program.
There was also the matter of my mother. If I left, I would be proving her point—that I was focused on other things besides my long-term success.
Not to mention, I rationalized, I could easily draw suspicion to myself and Wingdinger, if someone were to realize the connection between my disappearances and Wingdinger’s appearances. Gwen had been quick enough to pick up on it, hadn’t she, months ago? And she was quick enough to use it against me, too.
So I did nothing.
All my conflicting panic stymied me, stilling me, trapping me in my chair.
I was only slightly comforted by the fact no one else who was around did anything. I could see the confusion on the faces of the testing coordinators. Some of them asked questions over their radios, but there was no change.
All of us in the room were told nothing—nothing other than what to do, how to answer questions, how to pack up our materials, and when to expect our scores.
The dam of confusion and anger broke the instant we were allowed to pack up and leave.
A hand clasped me on the shoulder. “Dinger!” Poncey called. “What do you say?”
“To what?” I snapped.
“To going to my house, kicking back, and playing some video games? I got Drew and Simon coming,” he said, clearly unaware of my inner turmoil. “They’re going to bring over some—”
I shook my head quickly, interrupting him. “No.” I pushed him away. “I gotta go.”
“But—”
“I gotta go,” I repeated brusquely, emphasizing each word, like he was unable to understand me.
He had a hurt expression on his face, and I felt my frustration compound itself further inside of me.
But I brushed it off. I had to. I had to go.
*☼*
“Augh!”
I winced at the sound of Elysian’s cry; I was flying over the old Rosemont Academy grounds as I saw him slump down against the ground, defeated not entirely in his body, but somewhat in his spirit.
I shook my head, which is a bad idea to do mid-flight, and tried to reassure myself it was not too late to make a difference. There was a price to be paid when it came to making difficult choices.
Raiya, transformed into Starry Knight, was fighting with Draco in his human form. His energy crashed against hers as they edged closer to the vortex.
“Hold on,” I yelled, probably more to myself than to either Starry Knight or Elysian. “I’m coming!”
The aura around the battlefield was deadly dark; I could see the demonic spirits swirling around inside the core of the vortex.
I landed beside Elysian and put my hand up to his scaly cheek. “Are you okay?” I asked.
His jaw snipped at me, as angry smoke came rushing out. “What took you so long?!” he yelled.
“I had my test today. I couldn’t leave.”
Elysian roared at my words. He blew a string of fire out of his mouth as his body snapped back into action, his will sharpened by his anger.
Even if it was because he was angry with me, it was good to see him moving.
But it was not good to see the fire stirring. The vortex grabbed up the celestial fire he unleashed, spinning in faster circles with flames leaping up out of the mix.
“What’s happening?” I called, keeping up beside Elysian as he hurried over to dodge a spurt of his own power.
“My power is mixing with the demon remains,” he explained. “We need to make sure it doesn’t spread!”
I glanced at the fire. How was I going to stop that? My power would likely cause more trouble for us. Would my sword work?
Doubt burned into me, as the flames grew hotter.
“It’s nice of you to finally join us,” Draco said to me. “You’re just in time for the big finale.” Calling forth his power, Draco squeezed it into his palms, gathering it up together in one big energy ball.
I stepped forward, my sword out and ready. “I’m the one who just got here, and I’ll decide when the show’s over—”
Draco didn’t wait. He unleashed his power; it circled around me, before trapping me in a deadly spiral.
“You … won’t … win,” I said, gasping as his power met mine. The sword in my hands shook from the pressure. I could feel my power bend around me, protecting me, but I was unable to move forward against the surging tide.
I caught sight of Raiya and Elysian; both were struggling in the power fields, the same as me.
Draco’s cold laughter forced my attention back to him. His power continued to grow as the vortex opened up to reveal its heart—or rather, what was lying at its heart.
A strange but familiar rock was there, glowing with a blueish shimmer.
It was the meteorite!
The same one that had smashed through the Rosemont Academy streets, the same one that had blown up as it was being moved to a lab, and the same one Logan had kept watch over for all those months at Lakeview Observatory.
I watched as the meteorite burned away, the shadow of Elysian’s flames and the darkness of the demonic aura reforming its shape.
The power binding me slowed, and I was able to wriggle into a weak spot. Seconds later, I felt a rush of jubilee. “I’m out!”
“Watch out!” Raiya called to me as she was pushing through her own bonds.
I jerked my sword up just in time to stop another round of Draco’s energy. “I can’t hold out forever!”
Draco’s red eyes pierced me through the wall of flames between us. He opened his mouth, and for a moment I thought he was going to laugh or gloat again.
I was wrong.
A burst of fiery lightning erupted out of Draco’s mouth, scorching the skies and mixing with Elysian’s fire in the demonic pit. Power unleashed upward, cutting its way through clouds.
It was loud and terrifying and I wished I’d had earplugs. A foreboding hum electrified through me. My skin crawled with light and chaos, as my ears closed up at the frightening force.
“No!” I saw, rather than heard, as Elysian cried.
When I could see again, the only things I could make out clearly
were Draco’s smile, and the newly-transformed meteorite.
It was no longer a rock, but a weapon of power and shadow; the dragon fire combined with the pressure of the vortex had forged a sword.
As the vortex disappeared, Draco reached out for his prize. He grabbed it by the hilt, and it was at once remade, colored with the emptiness of his soul. The power holding me back, the power holding Elysian and Raiya back, disappeared.
“Excellent,” he hissed.
The vortex was suddenly gone; even the road seemed to fix itself, emptied of the demonic power it once held.
Fully released from Draco’s power, Raiya fell forward onto her knees, clearly spent.
“Stop him before he gets away!” Raiya called to me.
I didn’t even stop to think; I knew she was right. Elysian and Aleia had warned me before that objects such as the meteorite could be used to cause further damage, and its power would magnify when used to further evil’s cause.
That had to be it!
He’d used the vortex as a dumping ground for calamity, and used the fire and power provided to meld the meteorite into an even deadlier weapon of choice—one that could counter our attacks and serve an even darker purpose.
Our swords met and clanged, sending a tremor through my body. Lightning flared out from our swords, as mine attempted to seal away a sword of nothingness.
“Ouch!” He managed to score a lucky swing, and I tumbled to the ground, cursing my delayed defense.
His eyes narrowed in grim pleasure as he lifted his sword over me, preparing to deal me another blow.
I braced for it, calling my power up to shield me. My eyes squeezed shut, bracing for the impact.
Nothing came; I heard nothing other than a quick intake of breath.
Glancing up, I saw him glaring at the arrow of light sticking through his shoulder.
Behind him, I saw Raiya shaking. She’d broken free, and her bow was out; she had a despondent look on her face.
Draco surprised us both by grinning. “Tsk, tsk,” he told her as he jerked the arrow right out from his body. The purity of Starry Knight’s power had decimated a hole right through him, but a second later he healed himself. “I thought I taught you better than that, Raiya.”