Prophecy: Tome of Blood

16. Judas

Neither Lorelei nor Austin liked the fact that they were sidelined. He was on the bench for obvious reasons, and already he'd wasted one of his last few weeks on dead ends. The prophecy was still giving him trouble, but he'd chipped away at it day after day, and now he was down to the very last detail. The one where Toby was supposed to die to save the world. That was the price, and they already knew that, but the how was what was still confusing. Yet Austin was determined. Lorelei, on the other hand, was prescribed bedrest because she hadn't been feeling well since she'd woken up, and the last thing she needed was to exert herself. They all agreed.

"I hope Toby's not out there getting himself into trouble, I could see him trying to take on Genesis all by himself," Lorelei rolled her eyes as she scooted closer to her friend on the couch, to view his work. "It doesn't make me feel good that he wouldn't say where he was going. I mean, I know we just had a few minor earthquakes again last night, but he doesn't always have to play the hero."

"Yeah, well, you know him, he's not exactly the let it go type. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine," Austin wasn't lying for her benefit, he really wasn't concerned about his fiancé-he'd proved that he was capable of anything. "It's you I'm worried about."

"Me? Morning sickness is normal, don't worry about me."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Have you thought anymore on what we talked about before?"

"Not this again," she remembered all too well the discussion they'd had about her inability to process Dill's death, and she didn't want to go down that road again. "Dying or not, I will kick you out if you start that."

"Fine, it was just an observation anyway." Austin knew not to push her right then, even if he wanted to.

"Well keep it to yourself. How about you use that power of observation to figure out that tablet?" Unable to tell what she was looking at, Lorelei leaned away from him and his work towards the other side of the couch.

"That's it, I get it now," his response came after a full minute, after he'd finished deciphering the last little bit of the prophecy. Indeed he had finished, and he stared at the whole product and began piecing it together. But when he got it all arranged, and saw just what it said, all the blood froze in his veins, and he was disbelieving. The frightened and dreadful expression on his face drew attention though, and it wasn't long until the pregnant thief was in his space again.

"Please, the suspense is killing me," she rolled her eyes and waited, expecting him to react to her sarcasm, but he still remained in his petrified state silently. "Hey, what is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing." He finally found some words, knowing he hadn't put them out convincingly. It didn't matter, he would not tell her what he learned. No matter what. There was no way he could risk letting it get back to Toby. Yes, it was true that Toby already knew he was supposed to give his life to save the world, but what he didn't realize was that it wasn't as simple as that. It wasn't that he'd end up dying in a fight with the one, great evil. No, no mere man or demon could defeat that evil, and it was far more premediated than that. He was supposed to sacrifice himself, ritualistically, in order to unleash the one tool that could destroy the abomination. Byrenion. Toby was meant to be a sacrifice for the old god.

"Uh, hey, hello? Do I look like I'm stupid?" With a wave of her hand, Lorelei reminded her companion that she was still there. "You're as white as a sheet, what does it say, really?"

"Just the same thing it's always said, that Toby has to die fighting the one great evil." Still Austin worked to recover, hoping that he sounded more convincing this time. Yet he didn't look at her to find out, and if he had then he would've saw that she was still unconvinced. In fact, she was highly aware that he was holding out, and she tried to consider why he would lie to her-or rather, what was so terrible that it would make him lie. Either way she knew she wouldn't get anything from him, so she said nothing else and let him be as she leaned back and concentrated on resting. She could wait for the answers.