Bryan Davis - Eye of the Oracle

“Oh, Patrick, you are such a poor liar. You knew Devin was coming, yet you allowed his young victim to stand as an easy target. You didn’t seriously think you and Elam could stop Devin and Excalibur, did you? Even your bullet hardly fazed him.”

Elam smacked his torch in his palm. “If your all-powerful slayer didn’t need any help, then why did you show up?”

“I heard that little Mara was on her way, and her power would tip the scales in your favor.” Stooping low, Morgan withdrew a dagger from her belt and pressed its edge against Paili’s throat. Her eyes opened and darted from Patrick to Elam to Sapphira, but she didn’t breathe a word.

“I have come,” Morgan continued, “to ensure that Mara doesn’t interfere. If she does, this daughter of the earth will die.”

“Daughter of the earth?” Elam repeated. “Is she a?”

“Yes, an underborn spawn.” Morgan winked at Sapphira. “Your little Paili’s all grown up now, a mature flower ready to be plucked. If she were not an underborn, I might have tried using her as a hostiam, though I doubt that Patrick would have allowed it.”

Sapphira pointed at the dagger. “Ignite!” The hilt burst into flames. Pinning her hostage under her foot, Morgan sprang up and threw the dagger to the ground. Sapphira leaped at her and clawed at her face, but her fingers just sank into the witch’s jelly-like skin. Morgan grabbed Sapphira by the hair and slung her onto the driveway.

Sapphira skidded on the wet pavement and rolled to a stop. Too dazed to stand, she pushed her palms against the pavement and tried to crawl, but her head bumped into something solid. She blinked at the object in front of her, one of the two guardian idols. She swung her head around and saw the other idol on the opposite side of the driveway. Her vision slowly sharpened, and a feeling of calamity weighed her down. Still dazed, she looked back at Morgan. Elam and Patrick were both lying on the ground, and Devin stood over them with Excalibur poised to strike.

Morgan raised her hand. “Don’t kill them!” She snatched up her dagger and again pricked Paili’s throat with the edge. “Patrick, I know the prophecy depends on this spawn’s survival, but don’t think I won’t kill her if you and her mutant sister continue to interfere. I would find another hostiam eventually.”

Patrick and Elam struggled to their feet. Patrick clenched his teeth and shook both fists at her. “I swear to you that you will never possess my wife or any of my progeny, so help me God!”

Morgan laughed. “Such a feeble oath from a dragon who lost his armor and now uses children as his protectors!” She pressed the dagger into Paili’s skin, drawing a trickle of blood. “You have no idea how much I can make you suffer. This blade is nothing compared to the torture I have in mind for you.”

Gabriel beat his wings and slid closer to Patrick. “Don’t risk her life. I’m willing to die.”

Sapphira stumbled over to Elam. She leaned against his shoulder, hiding her lips from Morgan’s view. “Listen,” she whispered, “there’s a portal between the idols. If we can lure Devin there somehow, I can transport him out of here.”

Hiding his own lips, Elam kissed her on the forehead. “Then Morgan would kill Paili.”

Morgan pointed at Devin. “Slayer, strike the mongrel through the heart. His courage has earned him a quick death.”

Sapphira cringed. Her tortured whisper rose to a squeak. “Do you have an idea?”

“Maybe. Merlin told me something about Excalibur. It’s a long shot, but it’s better than nothing.”

With blood still oozing from his wound, Devin stalked toward Gabriel and pulled back his sword.

Elam waved his arms and dashed between Gabriel and the slayer. “Wait! It won’t work unless Patrick does it!”

The slayer paused and glanced at Morgan. “Shall I kill them both?”

“Let him explain,” Morgan said, her eyebrows lifting. “I am intrigued.”

Elam patted Gabriel on the chest. “Patrick has to kill him. It’s the only way.”

“Elam!” Patrick’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “Have you gone mad?”

“It would be mad to let him die in vain! We have to do it right or the prophecy won’t be fulfilled!” Elam glared at Morgan. “Or maybe you don’t know anything about ancient prophecies.”

Morgan nodded at him. “Please enlighten me.”

Elam laid a hand over his ear. “I once had a song in my head that kept playing over and over. It told me that I had to betray the one I loved so she could sacrifice her life for me. It said she loved me, and if I really loved her, I would turn her over to you. I didn’t believe it at the time, but now that I see a sacrifice happening right in front of me, I finally understand. The one who benefits from a sacrifice should play a part in the execution. Otherwise, the sacrifice won’t work.”

“I see what you mean.” Morgan eased the dagger’s pressure on Paili’s neck. “Betrayal has long been the instigator of redemptive sacrifice.”

“So” Elam pulled on Gabriel’s arm and began leading him toward the idols “Patrick should do the job over here, right between the idols.”

Morgan narrowed her eyes. “Why there?”

“You know why,” Sapphira said as she hustled to Elam’s side. “The ancient scrolls say that many human sacrifices were made between these idols when they stood in Shinar. What better place is there?”

“No tricks!” Morgan pressed the dagger’s edge under Paili’s nose, drawing more blood. “Or I’ll carve this pretty little face like a pumpkin on Halloween.”

Sapphira shuddered. Her voice pitched up again as she shook her head. “No. . No tricks.”

Gabriel pulled the rubellite pendant from underneath his shirt and let it dangle in front. “Let’s do it and get it over with.”

Morgan nodded at Devin. “Give Excalibur to Patrick.”

“After he dispatches the mongrel,” Devin said, glowering at her, “he will turn the sword on me.”

“You fool! Haven’t you figured out that he is paralyzed while I hold his beloved at the edge of a blade?”

Devin grumbled and laid Excalibur in Patrick’s hands. As soon as Patrick wrapped his fingers around the hilt, its beam shot out from the tip. Patrick’s eyes bulged, and Devin jumped back.

A smile spread across Morgan’s face. “Ah! The king’s heir reveals his pedigree.”

His arms trembling, Patrick frowned at the sword. “And now he wields it in shame.”

“Get on with it!” Morgan shouted. “Disintegration will be clean and quick.”

With his shoulders slumped and the beam angled toward the sky, Patrick marched slowly to the driveway.

Elam nudged Sapphira and whispered, “Light your cross, but try not to let Morgan see it.”

Now standing about ten paces in front of Gabriel, Patrick raised the beam straight up. When Morgan’s eyes lifted to follow the brilliant shaft of light, Sapphira slid the cross out and whispered, “Give me light.” A low flame rippled across the wood.

Patrick swiped the beam downward but halted it just above Gabriel’s head. His face twisted in agony. “I can’t do it!” he cried. “I just can’t do it!”

“Do it now!” Morgan screamed. “Or I will slice your wife into pieces!”

“Patrick!” Gabriel extended his folded hands, his face pleading. “In the name of all that is holy, don’t let that witch hurt your wife! Strike me down! Better you than the slayer!”

Patrick’s stare burned into Sapphira’s. Tears flowed down his cheeks. “What do you two say?”

Sapphira wiped away her own tears. “You have to, Patrick. We all agree.”

“Trust us,” Elam said, nodding. “You have to do it now, before Morgan sheds any more of Paili’s blood.”