Chapter 62: Careful What You Wish

King Nothing, Metallica

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His fingers were tingling. That was the only thing he was really aware of, and he supposed it didn’t terribly matter what else there was to be aware of. He was supposed to be unconscious, but suddenly he wasn’t anymore, and Ezio couldn’t very easily say why.

If he had to guess though, maybe it was the vampire. He could sense her prodding him mentally. She’d put him into a vampire-coma, it’d seem. Well that had to have done wonders for his state of health, but whatever.

If he died, no big loss, right?

Ezio’s fingers curled up, balling into a fist, and then relaxed. It was hard to breathe, and his thoughts were like filtering through molasses, but one grey eye opened, then the other.

“About time you woke up,” the feminine voice said.

Ezio wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean. Oh, no, now he knew. Wait, maybe he didn’t. Did she wake him up a long time ago, or was she just being impatient? Not that it terribly mattered what she wanted, exactly.

Truth be told, he should probably be trying to stop her, not give her whatever it was she wanted, but he supposed that was semantics. At the moment, he wasn’t terribly good at much of anything, so most likely, he should just, drop the idea of trying to stop her because Ezio probably couldn’t.

Instead, maybe staying alive was a better idea, if at all possible. He knew he wasn’t supposed to survive this, whatever this was, but Ezio felt like it was bigger than Sarnai and the stupid All. He should make it past here. Banking on the universe being kind enough to make it easy to make it past here? That would likely be very stupid on his part.

Slowly, Ezio got his arms under him, and sat up. It was difficult to breathe and difficult to move. His heart was weaker than he’d thought it might be, but that was just as well he supposed.

“Move faster,” Sarnai said. “We’ve found the stupid thing.”

Found the stupid thing? What thing? Oh, right, never mind, she was after the All. Ezio could barely remember that. How long had he been unconscious, anyway? He remembered doing something to the barrier, shaking it enough that everyone that was here before could escape it, but he didn’t recall what he’d done exactly.

His excuse was, he’d been in spectral form when he’d done it. It was easy to forget things that happened in spectral form. The brain didn’t like being transparent.

“How did you… you find it?” Ezio asked, sitting up very slowly onto his knees.

“We followed the ley lines,” Sarnai answered. “Your friends abandoned you, you know. We are the only ones left here.”

“The other woman’s gone?” Ezio asked. “I thought she was a friend of yours.”

“Our sister,” Sarnai said. “From the time before the change.”

The time before the what? Never mind. Ezio was not going to be able to solve Sarnai’s riddle-language when his head was killing like this. Now that he was sitting up, he had a definite migraine. He could also hear the screeching in his head. If he heard the song, too, it was drowned out by the screeching.

Well, actually, it sounded a little more like a loud grinding noise.

Ezio started to stand, and then almost threw up, instead. He sat back down, resting his head against one of his hands, elbow on his thigh. “You know I can’t break the barrier,” he said. “You’d be better off trying to do it yourself. You’re a lot stronger than I am.”

Sarnai snorted. “We’re not dumb enough to try it ourselves,” she said. “If it fries you, we have backup plans, no big deal.”

She had backup plans, huh? Right. She’d figured out Liberty is a person that exists.

Gods, he was tired.

“Don’t humans need, hmm, um,” Sarnai started, “hmmm… water is it?”

“Water, yes,” Ezio answered. “Food, usually.”

“How are you stable?” she asked.

“The motes,” Ezio replied. Or at least, he assumed it was the motes. Then again, he wasn’t terribly stable, either, so Sarnai calling him such was sort of amusing. He just hadn’t died, that was all.

He needed to think up a plan, but truth be told, it was hard to think when his heart was this unstable. He had no idea what he was supposed to do in this situation, and he thought he could vaguely hear the All whispering in his head. As if the screech-grinding wasn’t enough.

Man, he kind of missed the days when he could hear himself think.

Steadily, though, he stood up, and moved to stand over next to Sarnai. She smiled slightly, a toothy little grin that made her fangs notable. She did know how to make herself terrifying, you know, if you were afraid of vampires.

Ezio had a very difficult time being afraid of vampires.

“We will get Morgen along the way,” Sarnai said. “She’s been very useful to us.”

“She isn’t even a quarter as powerful as Morgyn,” Ezio said.

“She doesn’t need to be as strong as Morgyn,” Sarnai said. “She just needs to demonstrate a point.”

* * *

The damned thing was gigantic, and for whatever reason, the moment Ezio came in range of it, it instantly gave him the most massive migraine he’d ever had in his life. The only thing he could figure was that it was screeching for help in his head or something and he was having a hard time processing it because he was too damned weak to do much of anything.

He had no idea how Sarnai figured he’d be able to break this damned thing’s barrier, but whatever made her happy. Maybe he’d have an easier time stopping her if he was dead. At least he wouldn’t have a disability in his way anymore.

(It was really unfair that he was at a disadvantage here.)

The All was apparently a very large crystal. Several pieces of crystal had gone in every which direction, but it all grew from a central core. Ezio couldn’t quite make out how many layers of stone there were, but he was curious to know.

Shame he wouldn’t be able to study it. Oh well.

Strangely though, the feelings he got from it, he thought they were communicating to him through his necromancy, not his bond with the thing through Morgyn. Once again, he found himself wondering what in the fuck it was.

It didn’t really matter right this second, though, so he let that thought go. He had bigger problems anyway.

“Go on,” Sarnai said, gesturing at it, and looking at Morgen. “Go try and break through its defences.”

Morgen looked at it, a little unsure, but she stepped forward, and started magically pushing against the barrier. At first, nothing happened, and then suddenly it unleashed a burst of light, throwing Morgen right off the island they were on, and incinerating her.

Ezio watched her ashes fall off the island. That was the worst way one of Morgyn’s clones had ever gone out.

Sarnai frowned, her hands resting on her hips. “Alright then,” she said, turning to look at Ezio. “Your turn. We’re just curious how long you’ll last.”

Not very, if he had to take a guess, no thanks to her. Whatever. Ezio breathed out, looking up at the All. Then, he stepped forward, figuring the worst that happened was, he died, and really, that could be a worse outcome. The closer he got to it, the more of a migraine he had, and he thought he could hear screaming in it…

Ezio shook his head, raising his hands, and pushing on the barrier with his magic. It resisted, of course, but it felt like, after a minute or two, the barrier started to give way under the force instead of its resistance staying strong.

That was weird. Ezio frowned, trying to ignore the way his body started to hurt, and then gave one great magical shove against it. The barrier shattered.

And Ezio collapsed.

Sarnai released a pleased sound, immediately scurrying over, and absorbing the All’s power. Her eyes began to glow. She turned around, looking at him, lying on the stone, barely breathing.

“You did well,” she said. “Better luck with your next life.”

And then she turned, and disappeared in a burst of smoke.

Ezio rolled over onto his side, struggling to breathe, his chest screaming in pain, and closed his eyes. He wished he’d gotten to see Drake, Cassandra, and Morgyn just one last time. No one ever got everything they wanted, though.

His consciousness slipped. And he missed it, when the star whale shot out from the sky over to him, debated for a moment, and then draped over his form, creating a protective cocoon around him.

* * *

“Morgen got left behind,” L said.

Morgyn wasn’t surprised to hear that. While unfortunate, it was also a little understandable, because in the grand scheme of things, Morgen was fairly low priority. Morgyn could make more clones, but they couldn’t make more people, of course.

Drake and Cassandra were still working on that potion, or whatever it was Cassandra had wanted to do. Morgyn was trying to think up some other ideas, but nothing really came to mind. It wasn’t really every day that Morgyn had to face a psychotic ancient vampire, of course. Thank the gods for that, but that did leave Morgyn in a bit of a pickle when it happened.

Simeon, in the seat between Morgyn and L at the restaurant table, tilted his head. “You’re still not sure what to do, are you?” he asked.

Morgyn’s head shook. “Not a clue,” Morgyn answered.

“You’ll come up with something,” L said. “You know, you always were the brightest of us that were training under a sage.”

Morgyn loosed an amused sound, drinking some of the brunet’s root beer float. “If by brightest,” Morgyn answered, setting the glass back down, “you mean insanely skilled at thinking up new ways of nearly killing myself.”

“I mean it, Morgyn,” L said. “Come on now, you know I don’t say nice things unless I really mean them.”

“Sorry,” Morgyn said. “I have to make fun of everything to keep myself from being depressed.”

“I noticed,” L said.

“Anyway, Caleb suggested that vampiric mist form should be able to side-step the barrier issue,” Morgyn said. “So we’ll have to tap our vampire friends, but we should be able to get into magic realm, at least. From there it’ll be figuring out how to down the stupid psycho vampire, and I still have nothing for that.”

“Sunlight,” L said. “Everyone knows that, vampires are weakest to sunlight.”

Morgyn frowned. “Sarnai is immune to the sun,” the brunet said.

“There’s no such thing as being immune to the sun,” L answered. “Humans aren’t even immune to the sun. Its energy disperses in the form of radiation, nothing is immune to radiation, and if you subject someone to enough of it, it can be deadly. Vampires are just more susceptible to it.”

Well, that was true enough. Morgyn was kind of learning that in science classes, but the brunet did have to wonder what she was suggesting. “What are you saying then?” Morgyn asked. “The sun in magic realm isn’t really a star, and I can’t cart the whole ass sun into magic realm in a jar or something.”

L laughed. “You silly,” she said, “UV rays. They make UV bulbs you can buy on the market now, just make them into arrowheads or something.”

Morgyn almost said that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever said, but then thought about it. That had some merit, for sure.

“Or you could just do the most Morgyn thing,” Simeon said, “and set her on fire. Vampires are never immune to fire, either.”

Morgyn’s head tilted. “Now that one might be more satisfying.”

L spent a long moment, watching Morgyn and smiling a bit. Eventually, Morgyn raised an eyebrow.

“What?” the brunet asked.

“Nothing,” L answered. “Okay, it’s something. I just wanted you to know, that I’m very proud of you. You’ve come a long way from the scrawny kid from France that couldn’t even read.”

Morgyn’s head ducked.

“I mean it,” L said. “Everything will be okay now. You’ll figure this out.”

“Thanks L,” Morgyn said, smiling.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to see it, though,” L said.

Morgyn frowned. “What? Why?” the brunet asked. “You’re coming with us, aren’t you?”

L shook her head. “I’m sorry Morgyn,” she said. “I can’t go, because I’ll just be in the way. Leaving magic realm stripped my magic.”

“Why?” Morgyn asked. “That seems a strange thing to do.”

“My best guess,” Simeon said, “is that the protection spells couldn’t figure out how to do their job outside of magic realm. So they stripped her magic on the way out, so she wouldn’t be magically detectable.”

Morgyn was quiet a moment, and then the brunet’s head shook. “No, we’ll just put your magic back and-“

“No, Morgyn,” L said. “I’ve been a sage a long time. I’ve been in magic realm for an even longer time, and I’m sorry, but I want something else out of life now. I want to have a life. You’re always leaving magic realm, I’m sure you know what that feels like.”

Yes, Morgyn was very familiar with that feeling. But Morgyn wasn’t ready to lose her. And yet, in the same breath, the brunet realised it had absolutely nothing to do with Morgyn at all.

“I… also, intend to leave,” Simeon said.

“What?!” Morgyn shrieked, sitting up straighter. “I can’t deal with you both leaving at once, why are you going?!”

Simeon sighed. “The same reason,” he answered. “I met Lana and… I kind of want a family. I want to get married and have kids, and do something besides watch over magic realm.”

Morgyn looked devastated, shrinking into the brunet’s seat.

“Hey,” L said, reaching across the table to take one of Morgyn’s hands. “We’ll always be here if you need us, just call. And I’ll come by sometimes, promise. It’s not the end of the world.”

Morgyn didn’t say anything at first, and then the brunet’s hands raised to bury in the brown waves and pull on them slightly. “I don’t want to lose you guys,” Morgyn said, voice thickening with tears. “But I can’t ask you to stay, either.”

It was understandable that they wanted to go their separate ways. All sages did, eventually, and someday Morgyn wouldn’t be any different. Someday, maybe Morgyn would want a family, too. The All would choose new sages, and that would be that.

Of course, untamed sages never came back once they were gone, or at least they weren’t supposed to. Morgyn wasn’t sure what the rules were, for an untamed sage to retire.

L stood up, shuffling around the table and hugging Morgyn. Simeon also stood, and hugged them both.

This was Morgyn’s family, Morgyn’s little weird, slightly broken and unconventional family, and it felt like it was falling apart.

* * *

The keys made a loud clanking noise as they hit the coffee table. Morgyn fell heavily onto the couch, watching the light reflecting off the windows of the adjacent high-rise buildings. There was still pain in there, enough pain Morgyn didn’t know how it was possible to think around it, but Morgyn kept moving.

It was at least partially for Ezio’s sake, and partially for Caleb’s.

Morgyn slid down in the brunet’s seat. Caleb came down the stairs, wordlessly shuffling over to the couch and settling down next to Morgyn. Morgyn purposely rearranged, snuggling down against Caleb’s side, legs pulling up onto the couch.

The brunet could probably fall asleep like that, but now wasn’t time to sleep. Morgyn was still fairly upset that Simeon and L were retiring as sages, but such an event, truly, it was a long time coming. It was amazing they’d stayed sages after Aine’s disappearance as long as they had. Morgyn wouldn’t be the youngest sage anymore. Most likely, Morgyn would suddenly be the oldest sage.

How weird would that be?

“How are they?” Caleb asked softly.

“They’re okay,” Morgyn answered. “L seems in a happier mood somehow.”

Caleb snorted. “You know she’s not left magic realm since Keisha disappeared,” he said. “That’s a small space to be stuck in for that long. You can’t even do it.”

Well, he had a point. Morgyn took a breath in. “They’re retiring,” the brunet said. “As sages, I mean.”

Caleb was quiet a moment. “I see,” he said. “Isn’t this good?”

Morgyn whined. “Not really,” Morgyn said. “Everyone’s leaving me all at once.”

“They’ll still come by, you know that,” Caleb said, hugging Morgyn. “It’ll be just like they’re still in magic realm and you aren’t, really. Besides, who could ever leave someone as cute as you?”

Morgyn turned a little pink across the nose, and nuzzled down against Caleb even more than the brunet already was.

Caleb made an amused sound, and then sobered a bit, reaching into a pocket. Then, he turned to look at Morgyn.

“I know now is a really bad time,” Caleb said. “But I may not have a better opportunity to do this, so… Morgyn, would you marry me?” One hand held up a ring, a rose gold band with a peach-pink coloured round stone in the middle, small colourless gems around it buried in the band’s filigree designs.

Morgyn’s breath caught in the brunet’s throat, and for a long moment, Morgyn didn’t say anything.

“Sorry, that was stupid wasn’t it-” Caleb decided, moving to put the ring back, but Morgyn reached over and took his hand.

“No,” Morgyn said, “I just wasn’t… I wasn’t expecting that, and, it’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Caleb said, smiling. “It’s morganite and diamond.”

Morgyn laughed. Of course it was morganite.

“It should fit, I never really asked you what your ring size is, so I just kind of guessed, but if you need a ring sizer or something we can get one or I can just get a totally different ring if you’d rather-“

Morgyn smiled softly. “Caleb, try it,” Morgyn said, holding out the brunet’s left hand.

Caleb quit rambling, answering Morgyn’s smile with one of his own, and slipped the ring onto Morgyn’s ring finger. It fit like a glove.

Morgyn admired it for a moment, turning the brunet’s hand around a little to watch the light dance around in the morganite. It really was beautiful.

“Yes,” Morgyn said, and then looked up at Caleb. “I’ll marry you.”

Caleb’s eyes lit up. He moved, intending to hug the brunet, but Morgyn suddenly loosed a pained squeal, and Morgyn hit the floor.

“Oh shit,” Caleb breathed. “Morgyn, what happened?”

“I don’t know-” Morgyn answered, but then Morgyn’s magic suddenly sparked and unleashed on its own; sparks of energy and bursts of flame loosed. Caleb frowned, staying out of range of it.

“Your magic’s-” Lost its nonexistent mind, it looked like.

“Magic died,” Morgyn said. “Sarnai… just got the All.” Which meant Morgyn’s connection to the All had just severed, and apparently that meant expelling some of Morgyn’s magic. Maybe the bond with it raised your magic cap or something.

Was that even a thing? Whatever.

Caleb wordlessly reached over, and pulled Morgyn into his lap.

“What are you doing?” Morgyn hissed.

“Holding you,” Caleb answered. “You’re hurting. That’s all I need to know.”

Morgyn released a breath, falling against his arm, twitching and sparking uncontrollably. Well, this was part of why Morgyn said yes, wasn’t it?

* * *

She was still somewhat weak and occasionally a little uncoordinated. But all things considered, she’d survived an attack from Sarnai, and living to tell that particular tale sounded like it should give her some bad ass points.

The cat seemed to know Straud manor better than anyone did. Lilith didn’t remember the place having so many secret passageways, trick doors, and hidden compartments in everything. Vlad seemed to be more paranoid than she’d imagined he was, but somehow that didn’t surprise her either.

As she sat there, fiddling with a tablet, she felt something shift. Inna, not far, sensed it too.

“Damn it,” she said.

Lilith raised her eyebrows.

“What?” Inna asked. “You’re still recovering and I probably can’t kill her.”

Lilith looked amused, but she set the tablet down on the floor and stood up. “I can take her just fine,” Lilith answered, shuffling to the door.

Inna looked concerned, but she stood up and followed.

Lilith half fell against the door frame, as she got out onto the small porch. Miss Hell narrowed her eyes, and then smirked.

“I think Elle and Inna would have better luck taking me down than you would,” Miss Hell said.

Lilith snorted. “Please,” she said. “I could take you out in hibernation.”

“That cockiness is going to get you killed someday,” Miss Hell said.

“Yeah,” Lilith answered. “But that day’s not today.”

Miss Hell growled in irritation, and lunged. Lilith smirked and did too.

Inna stood on the porch, watching the two trade blows. They were almost evenly matched; Lilith seemed a little slower than she usually was, but given she was still recovering a little, it wasn’t surprising.

Miss Hell slammed into the fence around the cemetery again, but then Lilith hit a tree. Missy aimed a punch, Lilith ducked and hit her with a leg sweep, and then blew a psychic explosion at her feet. One would get a hit, then the other got one, then the other… it was almost dizzying.

And just when Inna was afraid of continuing to watch, Caleb and Drake appeared at her side in a burst of black mist.

“Oh thank god,” she said. “You can talk Lilith out of this!”

Caleb watched the two fight for a moment. Drake did, too. Then, Drake shook his head.

“She’s winning,” he said.

Caleb’s lips curled slightly. “Damn it, we don’t have time for this, magic just died a few hours ago,” he said.

“Well, if you want to stop them,” Inna said, “you go right on ahead.”

Caleb snorted. Right. But he waited, instead. It didn’t take long before Lilith slammed Miss Hell into the stone, and then turned and went to fire a psychic bolt in her face. Caleb shot over, catching Lilith’s arm and redirecting the bolt.

“Caleb what are you doing!” Lilith said.

“Oh!” Miss Hell squeaked, “you saved me!”

“No I didn’t,” Caleb answered, turning to look at her. “Do you have any idea what you’ve stolen from me over the years?”

“What?” Miss Hell asked. “Oh come on, I was making you stronger. Emotions are a weakness, Caleb, something you could’ve learnt to shed a long time ago.”

“Well forgive me for not wanting to end up a monster like you,” he snarled back. “When I needed you, you just hurt me. You weren’t making me stronger, you were destroying me, and Lilith and Morgyn are the only reasons you didn’t manage it. Fuck your emotions are weaknesses bullshit, and for that matter, fuck you!”

Lilith looked surprised.

Miss Hell did too, for that matter. “Caleb, you don’t mean that,” she whispered. “I was helping you, yes, so that nothing could ever hurt you again.”

“No,” Caleb said, closing his eyes for a moment. “You were making it so that nothing would ever stop hurting again. Because you do, of course, love to see other people suffer. I won’t buy into that shit anymore. I learnt without you. I grew without you, and beyond you. I have people that love me, and need me, and I don’t need you anymore. I guess I never did, though.”

She suddenly looked worried. Glancing between Caleb and Lilith, Miss Hell then started scooting backwards. Caleb stood up, pinning down one of her arms under his boot. She loosed a surprised noise.

“Hope you make better choices next time,” Caleb said, and then he dropped a bottle of something onto her. Instantly, a burst of light loosed, and Caleb had to let go and back into Lilith, pulling her away from it. Miss Hell loosed a loud shriek, and then… she was gone, only ashes remaining where she’d been.

Caleb slowly let go of Lilith, whom he’d been shielding from it. “Welp,” he said, looking at Drake. “Looks like it works.”

Two birds with one stone; Miss Hell was gone, and they also had the weapon that would take Sarnai down.

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