Bill-E beams proudly. Dervish is staring at me awfully, trembling, gripping his chubby nephew tight. I turn hopelessly to Beranabus, maintaining the smile until I"m facing away from Bill-E, so he can"t see the anguish in my eyes. "Is there another way?" I cry.
"No," Beranabus says, no pity in his voice, just determination. He starts across the cave, fingers flexing. But he"s taken no more than three or four steps when Lord Loss drops into his path and fires a bolt of magic at him, forcing him back.
"No, no, no, Beranabus," the demon master coos. "I won"t allow you to spoil such a fascinating scene. This is tremendous sport. Uncle and brother speared on the horns of a most grueling dilemma. What excruciating entertainment!"
Beranabus tries to respond with a magic bolt of his own, but Lord Loss. .h.i.ts him first. The magician collapses, defenses crumbling, all washed up.
The wind is a storm now. Bill-E"s feet are rising into the air. Dervish won"t be able to hold him much longer. Another minute, maybe less, then Bill-E will be torn into the crack, his flesh will join with the rock, and he"ll become a living tunnel between this universe and the Demonata"s.
"Dervish!" I scream.
"I can"t."
"But the demons . . ."
"I know. But I can"t." He pulls Bill-E to his chest and wraps both arms around him, fighting the storm, tears coursing down his cheeks.
"Grubbs," Bill-E grunts, jerking his head clear. "What"s happening? What do we have to do?"
"Dervish," I say steadily, ignoring the question. "If you don"t, we"ll all die. Everybody else too. Including Bill-E. We can"t save him."
"You do it then," Dervish challenges me.
"No. He"s my brother."
"Do what? what?" Bill-E howls as Dervish and I glare at one another.
Then the fingers of Dervish"s right hand creep up Bill-E"s back. They stop at his neck and spread, gripping the flesh tight. He hasn"t broken eye contact with me. I"m crying, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Bill-E doesn"t know what"s happening. He looks at me, forehead creased, trying to make sense of this. I hope he doesn"t. Better if he never knows, if Dervish does it quickly and it comes as a short, sharp surprise.
His right hand in place, Dervish moves his left hand up. I don"t know if he means to choke Bill-E or snap his neck. And I never find out. Because the fingers halt halfway up Bill-E"s spine.
"I can"t," Dervish says quietly, and this time the words are the confession of a broken man.
"I knew it," Lord Loss laughs. "Humans are so predictable. Even though all else must fall, you cannot bring yourself to harm your beloved nephew. You"ll d.a.m.n yourself, him, the whole world, all because of misplaced love." He sighs happily. "Moments such as these make the long, monotonous millennia worthwhile."
Dervish moans and clutches Bill-E close, planning to hug him as long as he can, to maybe get sucked into the crack with him, so the pair can perish together. Except Bill-E won"t die. He"ll become something terrible and twisted, inhuman and beastlike.
I think of Bill-E suffering, captive within the rock, alive down here indefinitely, racked with guilt, a plaything for the Demonata when all the other humans have been slaughtered. They"ll torment him. Guilt will eat him whole. Madness will be his only escape, but the demon masters will use magic to restore his senses, to torture him afresh. An eternity of misery, madness, and sorrow.
I can"t let that happen.
Entering this cave, I realized I couldn"t kill Dervish or Bill-E if they were in league with Lord Loss, not even to save the world. I still can"t. But to save Bill-E from a fate genuinely worse than death . . . for my brother"s sake, as opposed to the sake of billions of others who mean nothing to me . . .
"Bill-E." I lean forward, smiling. "Want to help me kick the c.r.a.p out of these demon creeps?"
Bill-E returns the smile. "Now you"re talking! What do we have to do?"
"Grubbs," Dervish groans.
"Shut up," I snap, then smile at Bill-E again. "Take my hands, little brother. Close your eyes. Focus on . . ." I gulp. "Your mom. Think of your mother."
"How can that help?" he asks doubtfully.
"It"ll clear your head of bad thoughts and fear," I improvise. "I need your help to stop this. But I can only do it if you"re calm. It won"t be easy, but you have to try. Think of your mom and every good time you ever shared. That will generate a positive energy that I can channel. I can use that power to stop the demons."
"Brilliant!" Bill-E gasps, face lighting up. He sticks his hands out, shuts his eyes, and concentrates, lids twitching, eyeb.a.l.l.s rolling behind them as he searches his memories for cherished moments. He trusts me completely.
Lord Loss has drifted closer. He could stop this, kill or delay me, but he"s entranced. He"s forgotten his mission of all conquering mayhem. Living only for the bittersweet pain of the moment. Dervish has lowered his face to Bill-E"s shoulder, diverting his gaze. I can"t see Beranabus, Kernel, Spine, or Artery. I don"t care. There"s only Bill-E and me in the world now. We"re all that matters.
I let magic build within me, then reach out to take Bill-E"s hands. I stop. A moment of doubt and disbelief. I can"t do this! I can"t do this! Then I look over Bill-E"s head. I see claws coming out of the crack. A ma.s.sive, shadowy cloud of a face, pure evil. Every shade of darkness imaginable. It fills the gap entirely. I"m not sure what it is-no ordinary demon, that"s for sure-but I know it exists only to destroy, and will unless it"s stopped. Then I look over Bill-E"s head. I see claws coming out of the crack. A ma.s.sive, shadowy cloud of a face, pure evil. Every shade of darkness imaginable. It fills the gap entirely. I"m not sure what it is-no ordinary demon, that"s for sure-but I know it exists only to destroy, and will unless it"s stopped.
"I love you, Bill-E," I whisper, my heart breaking. And take his hands.
Magic flows from me into my brother. Soft, warm, pleasing energy. His smile spreads slowly from the warmth of the magic or an especially fond memory. Maybe both. The face of shadows within the crack splits with hatred. It hisses-the sound of a sea boiling dry. Tendrils of darkness dart toward me, a thousand writhing snakes, intent on tearing me away from my brother, separating us forever, using Bill-E for their own evil ends.
"Time to fly, little brother." I sob, and quickly push. The energy touches Bill-E"s heart and stops it instantly. No pain. Bill-E"s smile freezes in place. The tendrils of darkness blow apart. A furious, hateful bellow as the shadowy face disintegrates. Screams within the crack from scores of cheated demons. The wind stops dead, and the howl is replaced by the noise of rocks grinding together as the crack closes. The screams rise sharply, then die away.
It"s over.
I lean forward. Put my lips to my dead brother"s forehead and kiss him, my tears dropping onto his still-warm flesh. Then I hug him and Dervish tight, and pray for Lord Loss to kill me swiftly, before I lose my mind to wretched, soul-destroying grief.
Empty Vessel.
GROWLS coming nearer, the patter of tiny feet and the snapping of sharp teeth-Artery. I squeeze my eyes shut, silently willing on the demon child. coming nearer, the patter of tiny feet and the snapping of sharp teeth-Artery. I squeeze my eyes shut, silently willing on the demon child.
"No." Lord Loss stops him. "To me."
I reluctantly open my eyes and look up. Lord Loss"s face is glowing with sad satisfaction. Artery is making his way to his master"s side, glowering. Behind them I spot Beranabus, looking old and frail but triumphant. Kernel is still locked in combat with Spine.
Dervish puts his ear to Bill-E"s chest. Listens a few seconds, then raises his face-his eyes are those of a haunted man. "He"s -"
"Shut up." I sob before he finishes the sentence. Then, softer, "I had to. Not to stop the Demonata, but for his sake. He would have suffered worse than any of us. They"d have used him. He couldn"t have died. He"d have been stuck down here, tormented by demons, knowing he"d handed our world to them. I couldn"t let that happen. If there"d been any other way . . ."
Dervish finds my left hand and squeezes rea.s.suringly. We both weep fresh tears.
"Delicious," Lord Loss murmurs, savoring our sorrow. "I wish this moment could last an eternity. It was worth having our plans thwarted. My brethren will break through another time. This world cannot stand against the Demonata much longer. There is a force in motion that cannot be repelled. That is why I pledged myself to the cause of destruction, much as I delight in humanity"s enduring pain. Things might have gone badly for me if I"d resisted. But this is the best of both universes. You have done me a great favor tonight. I am almost tempted to let you all live . . . but there are scores to be settled. A few more minutes to relish your agony, then I shall extract my long overdue retribution."
"Yeah, yeah," I mutter halfheartedly, brushing Bill-E"s hair back from his eyes. I don"t care about the demon master"s threats. I don"t care about anything except the fact that I"ve killed my brother and life can never hold any pleasure for me again. Better to die sooner rather than later.
But part of me cares. It stirs in response to Lord Loss"s pledge. Energy slides down my arms to my hands. I call it back, but it doesn"t respond. It"s a strange type of energy, not like the magic I used to fight the demons (or kill Bill-E). This is more like the power I felt when I thought all was lost, when I distorted the laws of time and . . .
"We can go back!" I gasp, bolting upright. "We can travel into the past again and save Bill-E!"
Lord Loss hisses, not liking the sound of that. His six arms rise and he glides closer. Laughing hysterically, I bring my own hands up, aim at him, and unleash the energy that has been buzzing at the tips of my fingers for the last few seconds. I expect a huge ball of magic to knock the demon master back, then shoot us into the past, where I can make things right. But the magic comes out in a stream, not a sudden burst. And it doesn"t fly in Lord Loss"s direction. Instead it flows into Bill-E.
I try redirecting the energy, but I can"t control it. The magic seeps out of me and into my dead brother. Lord Loss is watching uncertainly, frowning, perhaps wondering if this is part of a time-traveling spell. Beranabus is dragging himself toward us, not willing to die without a fight. Dervish is still weeping over Bill-E, oblivious to all that"s going on.
And then Bill-E moves.
At first I think it"s just Dervish shifting the body, but then I see Bill-E"s fingers shake and curl inward. His lips part. He shudders. His eyes flicker open.
"What is this?" Lord Loss growls. "Regeneration? It cannot be. I felt his soul depart."
"Billy?" Dervish cries, unable to believe it, falling backward as Bill-E sits up and looks around.
"Bill-E!" I yell with excitement, grasping his arms, squeezing hard, delight taking the place of dread. Somehow I"ve brought him back. I"ve used magic to restore his life. Everything"s OK. We"ve beaten the demons and and saved Bill-E. How"s that for a night"s work! "I"m so sorry for what I did, but there was no other way. But it doesn"t matter now. You"re alive. We whupped their ugly hides and . . ." saved Bill-E. How"s that for a night"s work! "I"m so sorry for what I did, but there was no other way. But it doesn"t matter now. You"re alive. We whupped their ugly hides and . . ."
I stop. Bill-E"s looking at me curiously, as if he doesn"t know me. And his face is strange. His skin is bubbling, rippling, shimmering, a bit like Juni"s did when her face changed. Then he opens his mouth and speaks, and I can"t understand a word he"s saying, because he"s speaking the language of the girl in the rocks. They"re Bec"s Bec"s words, not Bill-E"s. words, not Bill-E"s.
Lord Loss gasps. "You! No! I will not let you -"
Bill-E"s right hand points at the demon master. He shouts something in Bec"s language and Lord Loss screeches, "Artery! Attack!" The h.e.l.l child leaps and Bill-E"s hand snaps round. A ball of energy surges from his fingers and Artery explodes into a thousand shredded pieces. He"ll never recover from that. The h.e.l.l-child has been finally, savagely, beautifully killed.
Bill-E stands. His flesh is still changing. The bones seem to be altering too. His eyes and ears. His whole face. Softening. Narrowing. Becoming more . . . feminine. feminine.
Lord Loss stares at the remains of his dead familiar. Trembles with a mixture of rage and fear. "You should not have come back, girl," he snarls. "This is wrong. You are asking for trouble, and be a.s.sured-it will find you."
Bill-E laughs in a way he never laughed before. Catches sight of Spine and waves a hand at the demon-it melts, screaming shrilly, a pool of gristle-speckled liquid within seconds, leaving Kernel to grapple around uncertainly and wonder what happened to his foe.
Bill-E faces Lord Loss again. His face is unrecognizable. His body too-he"s smaller and his clothes are hanging loosely on his frame. I"d think I was going mad, but Dervish and Beranabus see it too. Their faces are contorted with bewilderment.
He speaks again, and this time I hear the girl"s accent as clearly as I heard it when she spoke to me from within the heart of the rock. Lord Loss trembles, then scowls. "So be it. Perhaps you are right-this is not our time. But it will come, be sure of that. And you won"t have to wait another millennium and a half for it!"
The demon master draws himself up straight, then glares at me. "Enjoy your victory, Grubitsch. But remember-the end of the world is coming, and there is nothing you or that apprentice priestess can do to stop it. Remember this also-you killed your brother. He died by your your hand. How do you think you will sleep tonight? And all the -" hand. How do you think you will sleep tonight? And all the -"
Bill-E barks a short spell. The strips of flesh at the end of the demon master"s legs are suddenly alive with rats. Lord Loss squeals, slaps several of them away, then darts to the stalagmite where the body of Juni Swan is impaled. Ripping her corpse free, he cradles her to his chest, snarls hatefully at all of us in the cave, then launches himself at the crack in the rock-now just a thin line a few inches wide. He hits it hard and uses magic to squeeze through. Even so, the walls of the crack sc.r.a.pe much of his and Juni"s flesh away, and the rats on Lord Loss"s legs are knocked loose. They fall on the floor, turn in puzzled circles for a second or two, then tear away, heading for the surface, back to wherever Bill-E summoned them from.
Except it wasn"t Bill-E who made the rats materialize. It was Bec. And I realize, as I watch him looking down at himself, curiously touching his chest and face, that Bill-E"s as dead as ever. The girl from the far distant past has taken control of his body and is transforming it into her own.
A couple hours later. Home. Sitting in the TV room with Dervish and Kernel. Kernel is asleep, moaning as he dreams, pain coming at last. Beranabus and Bill-E . . . no, Beranabus and Bec Bec are in another room, having a lengthy heart-to-heart. The magician was ecstatic when he understood what was happening. He practically burst with excitement. Hugged her hard, weeping happily, kissing her face. And she stood there, hugging him back, crying too, repeating one word over and over- are in another room, having a lengthy heart-to-heart. The magician was ecstatic when he understood what was happening. He practically burst with excitement. Hugged her hard, weeping happily, kissing her face. And she stood there, hugging him back, crying too, repeating one word over and over-"Bran!"
Dervish and I haven"t said anything to each other. He"s staring off into s.p.a.ce, his face a mess of dried tears. Every so often he shakes his head or makes a soft grunting noise. That"s as close as we"ve come to communication.
I don"t know what to feel. I"ve saved the world from the Demonata, but at what cost? To kill your own brother . . . n.o.body should ever have to suffer such a cruel fate. I"m already wishing I could go back and change it. Maybe Bill-E would be better off alive and suffering than dead and gone. Did I have the right to make that choice for him? I don"t know.
And maybe I can can go back. I haven"t discussed it with Beranabus yet, but I will, as soon as he"s through talking with Bec. Find a way to travel back in time like we did before. Stop any of it from happening. s.n.a.t.c.h Bill-E from Juni"s clutches. Never open the entrance to the cave. I don"t see why we can"t. We did it once. I don"t care what Beranabus said about waves and trains reaching the end of the line-there go back. I haven"t discussed it with Beranabus yet, but I will, as soon as he"s through talking with Bec. Find a way to travel back in time like we did before. Stop any of it from happening. s.n.a.t.c.h Bill-E from Juni"s clutches. Never open the entrance to the cave. I don"t see why we can"t. We did it once. I don"t care what Beranabus said about waves and trains reaching the end of the line-there must must be a way to do it again. be a way to do it again.
Eventually, as the sun rises on a normal day, lighting up a world unaware of how close it came to toppling into an abyss of demonic d.a.m.nation, Beranabus and Bec return. There"s almost nothing of Bill-E left. The girl has taken over completely, remolding his body in her own image. Even his hair has turned a dark red color. One or two small traces of my brother remain-she walks like he did, and her left eyelid hangs a fraction lower than her right-but I"m sure those traits will vanish too.
"Sorry we were such an age," Beranabus says, sitting opposite Dervish. "Loads to talk about. We"ve cut it short as it is, only covered the more important issues."
Bec stares at the couch, then sits on the floor close to the magician"s legs. She looks at me with worried eyes. "I hope you do not mind that I took this body."
I blink. "You can speak our language now?"
"A spell," she replies. "Beranabus taught me. I"m speaking in my own tongue, but it allows me to be understood by others." She sighs. "If I could have worked such a spell when we first made contact, things would have been much simpler."
"I"d normally say there was no point worrying about the past . . ." I begin, but Dervish cuts me off.
"Who are you?" he shouts. "What the h.e.l.l have you done with Billy?"
"Billy"s dead," Beranabus says. "This is Bec, an old friend of mine."
"No!" Dervish yells, lurching to his feet. "That"s Billy"s body. She stole it. I saw her. I want it back." His hands bunch into fists.
"I apologize, but I cannot give it back," Bec says quietly.
"Even if she could, what would be the point?" Beranabus chips in, roughly but typically. "The boy"s dead. Bec took his lifeless flesh and filled it with her spirit. If she vacated it again, you"d only have a dead child on your hands."
"I want him back," Dervish snarls, eyes wild.
"I understand," Bec says solemnly. "You wish to bury him."
"No!" Dervish howls. "I want to hold him and tell him how much I love him. I want to . . ." He breaks down and slumps sideways, sobbing into the cushions. I long to go to my uncle, hold him, help him. But there are too many questions that must be answered. As cruel as it sounds, Dervish will have to wait.
"How did you do it?" I ask quietly.
"Which part?" Bec replies.
"The last bit-taking over Bill-E"s body."
She shrugs. "I could see everything that was happening. I came back inside you-when we worked together to bend time, I joined with your flesh and mind. I could have stayed there within you, hidden away, and I meant to. But when I saw what Lord Loss was going to do and realized you wouldn"t defend yourself, I had to act. I wasn"t sure if I could use the dead boy"s flesh. Even if I could, I only planned to inhabit it temporarily-I thought I could possess it, drive Lord Loss away, then leave it again.
"But, to my shock, the body accepted me. More than that-I was able to transform it and re-create my own form. I needn"t have-I could have kept your brother"s shape-but I wouldn"t have been comfortable that way and I don"t think you would have been either."
"So this is your your body now?" I ask. "You"re alive after all that time in the cave? Free to grow and live like any other person?" body now?" I ask. "You"re alive after all that time in the cave? Free to grow and live like any other person?"
The girl shrugs again and glances at Beranabus.
"We don"t know," the magician says softly, touching Bec"s short red hair. "This body might age and develop naturally-or it might not. We"ll have to wait and see. Only time will tell."
"Speaking of time . . ." I lean forward anxiously. This was what I wanted to ask about first, but it wouldn"t have been polite to barge right in with it. "How did you bring us back from the future?"
Bec shakes her head softly. "I didn"t. We We did it-Kernel, you, and I." did it-Kernel, you, and I."
"But you started it. You knew the spells. You were in control."
Again she shakes her head. "It was the Kah-Gash. Although we are parts of the weapon, it has a mind of its own. When we joined, our magic became the magic of the Kah-Gash. It told us how to unite minds and forces. It used us. Like you, I didn"t know what it was attempting to do. The time travel was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you."
Bec looks around, staring at the chairs, the windows, the TV. This is all new to her. Unimaginable. She comes from a time when the world was much simpler. She"s itching to explore, ask questions, make sense of all the weird shapes and objects. But I can"t let this pa.s.s.
"Do you remember the spells?" I press. "Could we do it again?"
She thinks a moment and frowns. "It"s strange. Normally, I only have to hear something once-I have a perfect memory and never forget anything. But in this instance I have only the vaguest recollection of the spells. I couldn"t repeat them."
"You could try," I insist.