P.C. Cast - Awakened

“What’s going on? What’s happening down there?”

“Neferet is being gifted with a Vessel, an empty, golem-type creature, created by Darkness through a terrible sacrifice and lust and greed and hatred and pain—that she can control completely. He will be her ultimate weapon, or at least that is what she desires. Had her sacrifice been more perfect, the Vessel would be the perfect weapon of Darkness, but there is a flaw in his creation, and that is where your choice comes in, Heath.”

“I don’t get it,” Heath said.

“The Vessel is meant to be a soulless machine, but because the sacrifice that fed his creation went awry, I am able to touch him.”

“Like he has an Achilles’ heel?”

“Yes, a little like that. Should you choose this option I would use the flaw in the creature’s creation, and through that weakness I would insert your soul into an otherwise empty Vessel.”

Heath blinked, trying to take in the enormity of what the Goddess was saying. “Would I know I’m me?”

“You would only know that which all reborn souls know—the most refined essence of what you are. That never fades, no matter how many lifetimes you circle through.” Nyx paused, smiled, and added, “And, of course, should you choose, you will also know love. That, too, never fades. It is only suppressed or missed or set aside to circle back around.”

“Wait, hang on. This creature is in Zoey’s world? Right now?”

“He is being created this night in Zoey’s modern world, yes.”

“By Neferet, Zo’s enemy?”

“Yes.”

“So Neferet is gonna use this guy against my Zo?” Heath felt totally pissed.

“I am quite sure that is her intent,” Nyx said.

“Huh,” he snorted. “With me inside him, she can try, but she’s not gonna get very far.”

“Before you make your final choice, you must understand: you will not know yourself. Heath will be gone. Only your essence will remain—not your memories. And you will be dwelling within a being created to destroy that which you love most. You may very well succumb to Darkness.”

“Nyx, bottom line: does Zo need me?”

“She does,” the Goddess said.

“Then I pick the third choice. I want to be put in the Vessel,” Heath said.

Nyx’s smile was radiant. “I am proud of you, my son. Know that you return to the modern world with my very special blessing.”

From the air above her, the Goddess plucked a single strand of something that Heath thought looked like a shimmering thread of silver so bright and shining and beautiful that it made him gasp. She circled her fingers, so that the strand grew to a quarter-sized orb that glistened and glowed with an ancient, special light like a moonstone illuminated from within.

“That’s so totally cool! What is it?”

“Magick of the oldest kind. It is rarely present in the modern world; it does not suffer civilization well. But the white bull’s ancient magick created the Vessel, so it is only right that my ancient magick be there, too.”

As Nyx continued to speak, her voice took on a singsong tone that seemed to mix with and complement the beauty of the orb.

A window within the soul to see

Light and Magick I send with thee

Be strong, be brave, make the right choice

Though Darkness shouts with a terrible voice

Know that I am watching from above

And that always, always, the answer is love!

The Goddess flung the glowing orb at him and it filled Heath’s eyes, blinding him with its magick light and causing him to stagger backward so that he felt himself toppling over the edge of the gorge and falling, falling …

Her body ached, but Neferet didn’t mind. The truth was, she enjoyed the pain. She drew in a deep breath, automatically pulling to her the remnants of the white bull’s power that slithered in the shadows forming in the gloaming of predawn. Darkness strengthened her. Neferet ignored the gore that covered her skin. She stood.

The bull had left her on the balcony of her penthouse suite. Kalona was not within. But that mattered little to her. She didn’t want him anymore because after tonight she wouldn’t need him.

Neferet faced north, the direction allied with the element earth. She raised her arms and began weaving her fingers through the air, combing invisible, powerful, ancient threads of magick and Darkness. Then, in a voice devoid of all emotion, Neferet spoke the incantation as the bull had instructed her.

From earth and blood you have been born

A pact with Darkness I have sworn

Filled with power you’ll hear only my voice

Your life is mine; you have no choice

Complete the bull’s pledge this night

And always, always revel in his terrible Dark light!

The Tsi Sgili flung the inferno of Darkness that had swarmed to her hands down before her. It hit the stone balcony floor and pillar-like erupted up, swirling, writhing, changing …

Neferet watched, mesmerized, as the Vessel took form, its body coalescing from the pillar of brilliance that reminded her so much of the white bull’s pearl-colored coat. Finally it stood there— he stood before her. Neferet shook her head in wonder.

He was beautiful, an utterly gorgeous young male. Tall, and strong, and perfectly formed. The average person would see no hint of Darkness about him. The skin that covered his mighty muscles was smooth and blemish-free. His hair was long and thick and the blond of summer wheat. His features were perfect—he was flawless in his façade.

“Kneel to me, and I will give you your name.”

The Vessel obeyed instantly, dropping to one knee before her.

Neferet smiled and put her blood-spattered hand on the top of his silky blond head. “I shall call you Aurox, after the ancient bulls of old.”

“Yes, mistress. I am Aurox,” the Vessel said.

Neferet began to laugh and laugh and laugh, not caring that hysteria and madness tinged her voice, not caring that she left Aurox kneeling on the stone rooftop awaiting her next command, and not caring that as she walked away the Vessel watched her with eyes that glistened and glowed with an ancient, special light like moonstones illuminated from within …

“Yeah, I know Nyx forgave him and turned him into a kid. Kinda, ’cause I don’t know about you, but I don’t know any other kid who turns into a bird during the day.” Stark sounded super tired, but not super tired enough to stop worrying.

“That’s his consequence for all the bad stuff he’s done,” I told Stark, curling up against him and trying to ignore the Jessica Alba poster on the wall. Stark and I had taken over Dallas’s room in the tunnels under the depot. I’d done some elemental zapping, and everyone had done a lot of good old-fashioned cleaning. We still had quite a way to go, but at least the place was habitable and a Neferet-Free Zone.

“Right, but it’s still weird that up until just a little while ago he was Kalona’s favorite son, and a Raven Mocker,” Stark continued.

“Hey, I’m not disagreeing with you. It’s weird for me, too, but I trust Stevie Rae and she loves him.” I squinched up my face, making Stark smile. “Even before he got rid of that beak and those feathers. Jeesh, eew. I gotta get the whole story from her.” I paused, thinking. “I wonder what’s happening right now between them.”

“Not much. The sun just came up. He’s a bird. Hey, did Stevie Rae say she was going to put him in a cage, or what?”

I smacked him. “She didn’t say anything like that and you know it!”