The First Male (38 page)

“Save Simon, and you will save the world,” she whispered. “I have felt the goodness in his heart. I have seen so much in these days. The closer I come to death the clearer things become. Come here, Addie,” Clara said, her voice sounding formal. Addie moved closer, and Clara placed her hands on Addie's head. “Love will save us all. Find the one who owns his heart.”

“What if love isn't enough?”

“Love is always enough.”

“No, sister, sometimes love fails; look at my failures.”

Clara coughed loudly and then spit out a wad of blood into her hands. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and then closed.

“Clara!” Addie screamed. “Clara.” Addie shook her.

Clara's eyes opened. “I . . . I . . . have seen it. Blood of the father.”

“What?”

Clara looked at her one last time with eyes that were crystal clear. “B-b-blood of the father.” Suddenly, the room was filled with a warm, yellow glow. A sweet smell filled the room and wiped the entire house free from the stench of death and the shadows. Addie held onto Clara's hand.

“It is my time, sister, but I bequeath to you my gift, the gift of sight. May it serve you well in these trying times.” Addie kissed her forehead and stepped back, letting nature take its course. Addie could hear choir bells as the life force from Clara drained away, leaving her body an empty shell.

“Dear sister. I'll see you on the other side.”

Addie wept for hours.

C
HAPTER
25

“W
here are we, Eli?” Simon and Eli sat atop a hill higher than any mound Simon had ever seen. The hill was surrounded by the most vibrant colors, and the sun shone down with a brilliance that hurt Simon's eyes, which had returned to their natural blue color. As far as his eyes could see, vivid colors sparkled in the hillside, creating the most spectacular vision he had ever seen. Even from their great distance Simon could see two great streams of the purest blue water that ran on either side of the peak. The calming sounds of the running waters rang out in a perfect, peaceful melody. The valley beneath them was fertile, full of life. In the center of the valley stood a huge edifice, a glittering castle made of what appeared to be solid gold. The word
paradise
echoed inside Simon's head.

“We are at the top of the world—
our world
. From there we shall rule,” Eli said, pointing to the castle. “All of this is ours. The entire world. Our castle. Our land. Our rivers. Our people.”

“How did we get here?” Simon asked while looking around, seemingly unimpressed by what he saw. The darkness had settled in his spirit and he scratched his forearm to rid himself of the sudden itch that he felt over his body. He tingled.

Eli opened his arms wide and spun in a small circle. “I bring you to the top of the world and all you can ask is how we got here? Brother, don't you know by now that we can move with
our thoughts? We can do anything, and soon we'll be able to do everything. Our powers have no bounds. The sooner you realize that, the better off we'll be.” Simon pulled thin, cool wisps of air into his lungs and exhaled loudly, as if bored. He folded his arms and looked around casually. There was beauty everywhere and wonders abounded on every side of the mountain, but the majesty of their vantage point didn't impress him much.

“Eli, what will happen during Ascension?” Simon asked, suddenly.

“We shall take our rightful place atop the world.”

“No, I mean what will
actually
happen? Will it rain and storm? Will we be bathed in blood? Will fire shoot from our eyes? Will the ground tremble beneath our feet? What?” As the words left his lips, Simon felt empowered by them. He thought of what it would all mean. Power. Blood. Pain. Terror.

Eli chuckled. “You're funny, brother. Funny, indeed. Truth be told, no one really knows what'll happen, except that our powers will . . . 
mature
.” Eli said with a sparkle in his eyes, “An Ascension has never happened before. By the way, did you learn anything useful while you were in Grandmother's captivity? The witches are powerful seers and they may have more information about the Ascension than we do.”

“I wasn't in captivity,” Simon corrected and then searched his mind for any answers the book may have provided him, but none came.

“Think hard, brother.”

“I don't think they know anything. They are as ignorant as we are. Simon rolled his eyes. “I am amazed that with all the power gathered on both sides no one knows more about the Ascension.”

“Well, it's only a matter of days now. We shall all soon find out, together.”

Simon plucked a purple flower from the ground and brought
it to his nose. “And, what about my power? You said it was bound by Addie. Will the Ascension break her spell? Do you even know the answer to that question?”

Eli paused. A speck of worry flashed across his face. “The universe has ordained our strength. There is no power on this earth that can prevent that which was meant to be.”

“You speak with such confidence, Eli, but I can feel something inside me. It's like a noose tightening around my neck. What if her spell cannot be broken?”

“It shall break,” Eli said with impatience. “It
must
break.”

“If it doesn't, what will happen?” Simon scratched his arm, again. Eli looked at him, but did not mention it.

“Simple. We'll be denied enough power to rule, and I'm sure the witches will attempt to seal all of us in shadows forever—that cannot happen. The spell
will
break and so will her neck. Eetwidomayloh said so.”

Simon smiled. “Eetwidomayloh. Tell me about him.”

“Didn't you learn of him in Addie's book?”

Simon looked at Eli with impudence; a hint of anger seethed just beneath his skin. “I want you to tell me about him, Eli.”

“He is the source of all shadows. He is the bringer of the fire. He
is
death and he is father to the shadows. He has always been. He is endless.”

“Endless and apparently impotent.”

By the expression on Eli's face Simon surmised that his words shocked his brother. “What do you mean?”

“He is the source of all shadows but remains entombed. He is powerless to free himself from the Shadowland.”

“Only The One—only we—can unlock the door to his cage and allow him to walk the earth; that is our power—the power of The One.”

“Oh, I see. Do you love him?”

“Love? What is love? I respect him.”

“Does he respect you?” Simon's voice was peppered with sarcasm.

Eli contemplated the question, pausing momentarily and then speaking introspectively. “He will. They all will.”

Behind him, Simon hid his smile and paced around the hillside, his mind suddenly on fire with thoughts of things to be. He could still feel the darkness crawling inside him,
becoming
him. His skin itched. It felt like thousands of hairy spiders crawling slowly over his body, inch by inch, weaving together a web of new skin that would finally fit his face, his true face. It was a joyous feeling. He stepped closer to the edge of the mountain and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with power.

“And what of Mother? I want to see her.”

Eli frowned. “In due time, brother. In due time.”

Simon felt a surge of hatred rush through him; it was thick, like molasses. “Why do you hate her so much?”

“Who?”

“Our mother.”

Eli raised his left eyebrow and looked at Simon. “Who said I hate her?”

“Don't be coy, brother. I can smell the hate on you. What did she do to you?”

Eli smiled. “Let's just say we have a complicated relationship.”

Simon shook his head from side to side, disappointed in Eli's words. “One of my recurring childhood dreams was that my mother would one day find me and whisk me away from the orphanage, or whatever foster home they stuck me in. I dreamed of her being a famous movie star or a singer and that when she found me we'd live this wonderful life. Suddenly, I feel disappointed.”

“Don't let my words or feelings disappoint you; you'll have more than your fair chances of being disappointed by her.”

Simon wanted to find out more details about Eli's complicated relationship with their mother, but he didn't want to bear Eli's burden. He turned his back and took a few aimless steps away and he focused on expelling Eli's hate for their mother from his system. Eli's cross was too heavy for Simon to carry.

“Eli,” Simon said, his voice solemn as he changed the subject, “with all the power you have and the shadows have, I don't understand how
you
, of all people, couldn't find me. We are one, aren't we? Are you telling me that one witch's spell is more powerful than all of you? Is the dark really that weak?”

“She's not just any witch. Grandmother is a witch of the highest order. Her powers are . . . great.”

Simon shrugged off his words. “Still, she will have to die. She stole me from my family. Deprived me of my heritage. Killed my father. She is the enemy.” Simon spun around quickly and faced Eli. Then, he spoke in a booming voice that spread out evenly in every direction. “I want you and every shadow everywhere to know that
I
will have no patience for weakness. In the new world, failure will be dealt with harshly. Instantly.” His voice bounced off the side of the mountain, causing large stones to shake and roll down the hill.

Eli's face froze in a half-smile, one part admiration, another part uncertainty. Maybe fear. Then, his smile cracked. “Spoken like my true brother.”

“And what should I know of you, Eli?”

“You already know me. I am you. We are the same, you and I.”

Simon walked over to him and stood side by side, draping his arm around Eli's shoulder. “Yes, we are, aren't we?” Eli pulled away and took a few steps closer to the edge of the mountain and
looked down on the glimmering castle. His eager face was filled with wonder, excitement and awe. Simon could feel Eli's strong desire and his dark aspirations.

Simon looked at his brother and the world through newly formed eyes. “I thought you said we were going to have some fun?”

In a flash, the brothers stood outside the huge golden doors of the glittering castle. Slowly, the doors swung open and they stepped inside a great hall with large alabaster columns lining the long aisle. The other hues in the room were dark, dull shades of metallic gray and basic black. There were no windows in the hall, and even though not a sliver of sunlight could be seen, Simon could still see everything with crystal clarity, even the shadows lurking in every corner. The darkened room was in stark contrast to the heavenly scene outside.

Eli marched down the hallway with his usual harsh footsteps and Simon followed behind him. When they reached the end of the hallway they took a left and ascended a long staircase that led to another long hallway. Eli stopped and looked back at Simon, when they reached the end and were greeted by a double-set of black doors. Eli placed his hand on the knob and slowly turned. The doors opened and they stepped inside a cavernous room decorated in earthly brown tones.

“Welcome, Simon,” Eli said as he ushered him into the room. “These are my quarters. Make yourself at home.” Simon stepped inside and the doors closed behind them.

Simon looked around the room. An expensive-looking, brown leather sofa was pushed against the wall. On the opposite wall was a bar that was complete with exotic liquors and drinking
glasses of every kind. Behind the bar were a few small stairs that led to a vast bookshelf built into the wall. Simon eyed the shelf and tilted his head upward, realizing that the bookshelf rose endlessly into the ceiling and probably beyond.

“This is the dark library. Every spell that has ever been written by a shadow is archived here. There is much power here.”

“Oh, I see,” Simon said.