SleepWalker

Chapter 13

"Oh come on," Darcy pleaded. "You can't just send me away to die!"
"Watch me," Michael snapped back.
They were in Michael's library. He was busy pretending to be reading a book which was ironically titled 'Listen'.
"Please, Michael." She asked. "I can't do this without help. If not for me then at least do it for Morph."
"Morph is gone," he said without looking up from his book. "You can't bring him back."
"You don't know that," she replied. "Please, why won't you help me?"
Michael snapped his book shut and glared at her, a dangerous fire burning in his eyes.
"You wanna know? Fine!" He spat. "My parents were forbidden from being together. But they broke their laws for love. But once I was born, they had created an imbalance. So do you know what the Angels did?"
Darcy stared in silence. She hadn't expected Michael to explode like this. But he was on a roll now, his voice and expression laced with bitterness.
"They stood idly by as the demons murdered my father. Then they separated me from my mother and bound me to the Earth. All because I was too powerful. They were afraid I would upset their precious balance. So I made a decision that I would never have anything to do with them. They can screw themselves and screw their stupid fight for balance. I refuse to play by their rules, or anyone's."
Darcy didn't know what to say. She felt tears welling up in her eyes but she blinked them away.
"Michael," she said. "I'm sorry... But I lost my family too. And I am going to find a way to destroy the bastard who did this to me. I'm asking you to help me, not the Angels."
He stared at her with a look of equal parts anger and resignation. Finally he sighed and got up, retrieving a book from the shelf beside him.
"Alright," he said. "I'll tell you what you need to know. Nothing more."
"Okay," she said, relief flooding her insides.

"As a Keeper, the majority of your powers are dormant." Michael said. They were standing out in his back yard, which was about half an acre of open land. Perfect for blowing stuff up.
"I'm going to use a spell to unlock your potential," he said.
"Okay," Darcy said. She was standing in the middle of a stone circle. Norse runes were engraved into the stones forming a focus for the magic. Michael started reading from his spell book. He had kept his shirt on this time but Darcy was sure his tattoo must be changing shape to reflect the type of magic he was casting. When he was done, he took a small stone from his pocket and whispered to it before throwing it at her feet. Instantly, the stone circle blazed up with blue flames.
The fire licked Darcy but she didn't feel any heat. Michael kept chanting, making a series of low rumbling noises deep in his throat.
The fire started rising, moving in rhythm to his voice until it covered Darcy in a cocoon of flames. She heard voices whispering in the flame, speaking of ancient lands, violent gods and honourable warriors. She felt her body move against her will, dancing in rhythm with the flames. It started as a tingling in her fingertips, slowly spreading up her arms and to the rest of her body.
Then, with a sound like a thunderclap, the cocoon exploded. Darcy was floating above the stones, slowly twirling in the air like a falling snowflake. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she opened her eyes revealing first a mass of blue flames which subsided to reveal her normal brown eyes.
"Michael?" She called. It took her a moment to realise she was speaking another language.
"I see it worked," he said. "Not much of a surprise. My spells always work."
Darcy rolled her eyes.
"What now?" She asked.
"Now one last thing," he said. "You'll need a weapon. One powerful enough to take out a god."
"Do you have one?"
"Several," he replied. "Including myself. But the one I have in mind is something you already possess."
"What's that?"
"Your soul."
"What?" Darcy said. "How can my soul be a weapon?"
"Trust me," Michael replied. "Just do as I say. Close your eyes."
She shrugged and complied, shutting her eyes.
"Now concentrate on yourself, on who you are. In your mind's eye, picture Darcy Jones as you see her. Forget what the world thinks of you, what matters is who you know you are."
She pictured herself in her mind, curly brown hair, soft brown eyes, a face that wasn't conventionally beautiful but still sort of pretty.
"Now imagine you are looking in a mirror and reflected in the mirror, you see your soul, just as you have now pictured it. Done? Now repeat after me: through these mortal eyes, my immortal spirit I seek."
"'Through these mortal eyes, my immortal spirit I seek.'"
Again, she almost didn't notice as she fluently switched to the language of Heaven.
"Now open your eyes." She opened them and gasped at the sight she saw.
A white glowing body faced her, a shifting mass of energy. But even in the constant state of change, Darcy recognised herself, her soul.
"Now ask it for a weapon," Michael instructed. "One you know you can handle."
Um hey? She thought.
Hello, came the reply, a voice identical to herself.
Yes, it continued. You are talking to yourself.
Okay, she thought back. I need a weapon.
What do you need?
She thought about that for a moment. She was a little tempted to ask for a machine gun, or a rocket launcher. But she didn't know how to even carry one, forget use it. Instead she settled for something simpler, something she knew she could use. Her soul responded immediately, extending a part of itself to form the weapon before merging back into her.
Darcy brandished her newly made and glowing sword.
"Impressive," Michael said. "That sword will be your protection for the coming battle. A mortal wound from it will burn away a demon's essence, effectively killing him. But once used it will need at least a week to cold down or you'll risk killing yourself again."
"Thank you," she said.
"Don't mention it," he said, opening a portal for her with a flick of his wrist. "Seriously, don't. I don't wanna hear it. Ever."

"Michael," Ruth said, stepping into the library from a hidden door that led to an inner study she used.
"Yes?" He asked without looking up from his book.
"You lied to Darcy," she said. "About your origin, who you are."
"Not really," he shrugged. "I told her the truth. Just not the whole truth."
"A lie by omission is still a lie," she said severely. Michael looked up at his mother and smiled.
"We both know I'm not in the truth telling business," he said. Ruth's expression softened.
"Yes, I suppose we do." She said, smiling softly and shaking her head. "Why do you try so hard to be the bad guy?"
"Well you tell me," he said. "You're the Angel in the family."

Cap'n's Log: Ahoy mateys! Sorry I couldn't post yesterday. I had a terrible headache. My updates might not be that regular from now on since my classes are starting. But I will update the story at least twice a week. Or twice a month. I WILL UPDATE!
Sorry again :3 hope you enjoyed this update. RJ_TheDemigod Shout-out to my most consistent reader/supporter of this here dastardly enterprise. You be awesome, Demigod. Everyone please read her story New City. It is amazing.
So now, avast me hearties! We be sailing into uncharted waters. There be twists and turns yet to come.
And to all you mateys who braved the story so far, a yo ho ho and a bottle of rum