Court of Glass and Dreams

Chapter 5 - The God of Death

Sullen, I go and change for school, I'm not up to dressing up so a fuzzy sweater, heavy pants, sparkly boots, are all I bother with. I did expect getting sent to school after that stunt, however.
I arrive unfashionably on time, with a cup of coffee and my mind still on the monster the Americans had bred. And how I was bred in a lab as well. I'm thinking those thoughts, and mostly ruminating on how very prejudice we are against that which we ourselves created, when I run into Jacquette.
"Is he really okay?" She sighs.
"He's fine. And upset about this as well, but my mum's teaching him how to write his name," I say.
"Oh is she? Are you going to keep him? You probably should," Jacquette sighs.
"Yeah about that—," I wince.
"I didn't know you went to school here! Thought they banned lab rats," Rupert Sergetta walks up behind me, messing up my hair. He's wearing the usual black mask, but I can tell who he is.
"You're hilarious," I say, moving his arm off of my shoulders.
"Hey, Jackie, guess what? Andre and I have found a way to make sure dad never buys that little psycho back, we can all finally get laid, in peace," Bernard says.
"Oh my god," Jacquette hits me though, which is weird.
"Andre got into dad's office last night, he's paying the kidnapper double what dad is. I mean, the kid'll kill them and get away eventually. But. Nice while it lasts, huh?" Rupert says, slapping her arm. Then he walks on.
Jacquette stares at me intently.
"Don't look at me like that I thought they'd pay for him to come back," I say, "They're your—brothers—,"
"I'm painfully aware of that! Fine, do you promise he's fine?" She sighs.
"Absolutely. My mum's probably feeding him and combing his hair," I say.
"He hates his hair combed."
"She uses like this little soft brush I don't know," I say.
"Can she take me too?"
"Yeah actually, you come visit him if you want? You understand I'm physically incapable of passing up all that money," I say, hand to my chest.
"I do understand that about you. Yeah. Fine," she sighs, "But I told my father to get him back or I'm not marrying Andre."
"Why would you say that?"
"I don't know. Whatever, Andre is pissed at me," she says, "Now he should cheer up. Espen kept breaking into their rooms."
"Hm."
"How are you getting him not to do that?"
"If no one is able to watch him he's cuffed to something so he doesn't commit murder, and usually he's just running places. Last night my mum had him in the spare room as I understand she put in a nightlight because that used to make me happy," I say.
She stares at me.
"What?" I tip up my glasses, "Truth."
"He slept through the night for the first time in his life?"
"We did wear him out."
"Shut up. I'm not talking to you," she says, slapping my chest then walking away.
Weird. I'm not going to worry about it. Time to go take a nap instead of first period. Gonna go nap with some goldfish.
My phone goes off. I hide it underneath my jacket, checking the feed, mostly expecting Jacquette to have continued talking to me.
It's not.
My father: if you are not home, get there. Now. Go to the basement.
My mother calls me immediately.
"What?" I ask.
"I don't know—we're getting down now, how far are you?"
"Close enough, I'm going to court," I say, phone cradled against my ear. I start to run.
"No, Alexander don't—,"
"It's what I'm made for? All right? I'm fine. I'll make sure he's safe. I love you," I hang up. I'm going to get my father. Or die trying. I have no idea what desperation led him to send the message but I also don't care. Something is going very wrong in court. And so I'm going.
My mother tries me back and I silence it. The halls are deserted with everyone in class. I make it all the way down to the first floor before the doors slam shut. Air raid sirens are going off.
All right. More than one way out of the building.
I head for the roof.
I turn back around and climb the stairs, two at a time. The roof is accessible via a fire ladder. As if anyone could make it down it in a real fire. But under these, relatively normal circumstances, I can make the climb to the street. With the building in lock down it's the only way out.
My mother keeps trying to call. I ignore it. She knows why I'm doing it. She just wants to stop me. She never told me this is what I'm for. I just know it.
I'm breathing heavily by the time I get to the roof. Air raid sirens are blaring in my ears. I can't see any enemy planes? Nothing. I assume that it's something to do with what we found out, the Americans are attacking just sooner than we anticipated. And my father got some advance warning to tell us to take shelter.
I take a breath, surveying the roof for the nearest ladder. Should be one on each side. I head for the edge, trying to steady my breathing.
"Should have known you'd bolt."
I jump. Andre is standing behind me, having ducked out of another stairwell. He's wearing a black and white split mask, and standing idly, hands in pockets, brown eyes clearly focused on me. I'm still wearing my glasses.
"I always knew you were trouble," he says.
"That's air raid sirens, both of our fathers will be locked in court I'm going to help him," I say, holding up my hands, "We're psychics right? This battle is bigger than any quarrel."
"Bigger than you fucking my sister?" He laughs.
"Ah—yeah, I'm going with yes. War is. War is totally, bigger, worse, so much bigger than that so is my father's life, now, I'm going stay or go I don't really care Andre, this isn't about us," I say, backing towards the ladder again.
"Oh—yes it is," he says, holding up his phone. Way too far away for me to see anything.
"I can't see that," I say.
"It's a picture of Court now."
"Logically why should I believe that though? Or why would it affect me?" I ask.
"Because they're declaring war on America, because they've launched a biological attack on our ports," Andre says.
"Okay—that is good to know—,"
"Don't act like you don't know. When they missed the meeting last night my father automatically blamed a Terik. I get it. You want in," Andre laughs.
"What—you —you were the one they were supposed to meet?" I ask.
"Well not me personally. Bernard wanted to, but that stupid kid vanished and Jacquette was threatening all of us with knives so nobody could leave," he laughs.
Oh it was doubly my fault. Not relevant.
"You—Andre they're declaring war on psychics the Americans think they are targeting us,"" I say, shaking my head, "If you'd made it you'd know that!"
"I do know that. Wait you just met them—? Did you say you were me—?"
"Yeah basically go on, what do you mean you know that?" I ask.
"Well how else do you think we could get a good fight in? Generations like ours only come around once every thousand years, Terik. Me and my brothers. We'll be the saviors of England," he laughs, "They'll always need psychics then."
Monsters.
"So, I take it you want in? That's it you've always got an angle right?" He asks.
"Yeah. Sure. All new information absolutely though, sign me up. I'm still going to checked on my father get him on board as well if he's not already. Fun! Worldwide war! Great, I'm going off this roof," I say, taking another step back.
"Don't even think about it," he says, advancing on me, "Take off your glasses."
"Do I look mad?"
"A little."
"I'm not. No one bares their face to Sergetta I want my mind in tact for this awesome—awesome idea by the way—war," I say, rubbing my hands together.
"Not without letting me hypnotize you," he says.
"Never going to do that," I say.
He throws the first punch but I immediately retaliate with a knee to his groin. He's already in battle armor that was painful. He's got armor beneath his clothes. They've known this was going to happen all day. My powers lay in the mind. And not the fists. He's a head taller than me, and is wearing full body armor, and I'm trying desperately not to loose my glasses.
He kicks me to the ground, laying into me with his fists to tear my glasses off.
"I already fucked her you know. Our father let me do it. She's already mine," he whispers, before biting my neck.
"Disgusting, you are a rapist! Also not even relevant to the war," I say, trying to roll away. He punches me in the face again, this time just shattering my glasses. I close my eyes. Tightly.
"Open your eyes! Open your damn eyes!"
"Why would I do that though?" Is all I get out before he punches me in the face again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
I am feeling myself black out. That's the worst I know my eyes will open or he'll open them. He's clawing my face trying to pry my eyes open. I kick, but it's doing no good he's straddling me, pinning me to the cold cement. Air raid sirens are still going off overhead and in the distance I can hear screaming.
There's a sharp crack, and his fists stop.
"Alexander! Run!" Lucy yells.
I'm barely conscious that she's here. How did she get here? Followed me? Damn it.
I open my eyes in slits as I struggle to rise. She's holding a board and she just brained Andre in the back of the head. He stood though, and is now advancing on her.
"GO! I'LL FINISH HIM, RUN," I shout. She's got on goggles but those won't last long once he gets physical hold of her.
She tries to hit him again, but he catches the stick, twisting it out of her grip easily. He laughs. He actually laughs.
"I wondered where you ran off to. You just can't stop stealing my women can you, lab rat?" He laughs, he lunges for her. She moves away, but not in time. He trips her to the ground, knee in her belly, hand ready to tear off the goggles.
"Stop! Stop it, you want me. Right? Take me," I say, dragging myself to my feet. I can't stand. I think my leg is broken. I fall, eyes squeezed shut now in pain. Blood is pouring down face.
"Oh I will take everything I want to," Andre says, tearing off the goggles. Hand on her throat.
I just charge him. Eyes closed. Pain screaming through my mind. I charge him, trying to push him off of her. My shoulder hits his and we all three fall together.
He rolls over ontop of me. Throttling me, hands closed around my throat. The breath goes out of me. I keep my eyes shut, trying to kick him.
Lucy somehow rises and gets hold of him because he cries out. I open my eyes in time to see her drag him off of me. He turns, smashing her back down to the ground. Her head strikes the cement far too hard, and her hair is immediately thick with blood, eyes staring.
Andre discards her body without another thought, turning back to me. He grabs me by the front of the shirt, dragging me to the side of the building. He hangs my head over it, shaking me mercilessly. I can hear the sounds of the city far below, people screaming in terror. The air raid sirens. The smell of smoke.
My hand reaches down. And I press it against the cement of the building wall.
"Open your eyes. Or I drop you. Open your damn eyes."
I can't even speak. I can only feel. One. Two. Three. End him. Four. Right now. Five. So painfully. Six make him suffer. Seven whoever said i\I was a hero? Eight. I'm exhausted even being an anti-hero. Nine. I'll be the villain. Ten.
Electricity courses from the wires, deep in the wall, through the cement, and my own body. But monitor the rhythm of my own heart.
The current flows into him, Andre immediately flies backward. He screams in anguish as it wracks his body. Again. And again. And again. I enter his mind to see it. The beauty of it. So much pain. Pain filling him. He doesn't know when it will end. When I decide it. When I decide.
He stops his own heart. I start it again. And again. He's stopping his own heart to end it. Or he's just dying.
I revive him three times before I'm through. Throwing his burnt body up against the wall. Then I let it flow from me. The city is plunged into blackness. The air raid sirens, silent.
I crawl through my own spilt blood back to Lucy's side. I take her into my arms carefully. She's still warm with life. Even if her body is broken. I bend my head down to kiss her forehead, dripping blood onto her smooth brown skin. I try to find currents to put back into her heart. But I cannot.
I can hear footsteps. I'm not far from dead myself.
"You know it is her time."
"Don't you dare," I say, holding the body.
"Little one, you know it is my right," the God of Death kneels before me. Dark robes, a scyth in hand. They move the hood to reveal no craven form. No. The god appears identical to Lucy.
"Damn your right. I'd have died without her. Take me," I say.
"I don't want you. Not now. You have many battles left, young warrior."
"I am no warrior," I say, blood dripping from my lips, "I know the stories. I know they're true. That each time I come back I'll come back worse. That my existence defies you."
"Well. You defy everything don't you?" The God asks, touching my cheek.
"You look like her," I say.
"Of course I do. I am her now. And I'm you. And one day all the humans will die. And I will be everything," the God says, "Do you love her?"
"Why would my love have anything to do with it? She should be ransomed because she gave her life to save me," I say, my voice coming out ragged, "That's only fair."
"Life is not fair."
"No. It's not. But you're death. We pray to you because you're meant to be fair," I say.
"You fought so well. And you sent me a soul," the god says, gently putting a hand over mine as I hold Lucy still in my lap. I was trying to start her heart.
"Yeah take him," I breath.
"I did."
"And what of my father?" I ask.
"Your father and mother are not mine yet. Nor your brother, who you love so well."
"And the little boy?" I ask. I told Jacquette her son was safe. I promised her. We didn't know war would break out. That part is on me. However.
"Oh I shall never claim him."
I frown.
"I don't want him you see. Ever. He's a terrible creature. And my land is kind to those who come there. I don't want him. I don't want anything that shouldn't exist," the God says.
"But I shouldn't."
"No you were made with love," the God touches my cheek, "So much love was poured into you. You might as well be real. He's like a void you see. He'll never be filled. So I won't claim him. I don't want any part of that. But her? She's a fine child. The world was cruel to her."
"And it only just got better. Give her time. Please. My time. That's your deal isn't it? Take some of another's life, the sorcery. So do it. She doesn't deserve to end," I say, holding Lucy's body gently in my arms.
"You would do that? For one you do not love?"
"For another person. Yes," I say.
"No."
"I'll do something for you? Don't you love deals?"
"No. Humans alone can be tricked. You're a fickle lot. I deal in helping you to move on. I still care about you you see. Even when all the others left," the God says.
"Please. You know. She left too soon," I say, tears slipping down my face, "It's my fault I didn't save her. Please."
"We shall not meet for much time, little one. One day I'll grant you a son like yourself. Until then, take care of them," the God stands.
"Please," I say, tears running down my face. 
The God smiles, and simply walks away into the dark.
I'm back to passing out in pain and grief. I sob bitterly, hand pressed still to Lucy's chest.
It's there.
A faint stirring of her heart. Minor electric pulses. I coax them out, delicately, fingers arched on her skin.
She stirs in my arms, blood still running from her head. But she blinks.
I hug her fiercely without permission, but she grips me back, also weeping.
"Are you all right—Andre—," she begins, hand to her head.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, you scared me there," I say.
"Where did he go?" She asks, trying to move and wincing.
"Dead, death, he died," I say, trying to stand and failing.
"Here," Lucy wraps an arm under mine, then she sees on Andre's battered, electrocuted, smoking corpse.
"What happened to him?"
I did. "Lightening, damned thing. The God of Death smiles on us," I say.
"I ran when we got the word, I knew you'd be alone I was afraid they might come after you and your mother knew you were going to your father—,"
"I know. I know, thank you," I hug her as best I can when we're both limping, "Let's get down, the door's will be unlocked, power's out."
"What's happening?" She asks, looking up at the sky. I do too. There's a faint rumbling. And then. Shapes emerging from the clouds. Winged dragons, prowling the skies.
"War," I breath, staring up, "Just war."

The end