Blood Ties (14 page)

Oliver almost laughed. “Don't I? My whole life is being controlled by people and things I don't even understand. Destiny sucks.”

“I wouldn't mind having a destiny.”

Oliver turned to Dean and almost smiled. “I'd trade you.”

Emalie gasped. They turned to find her staring into the flow of spirits, her eyes wide.

“What?” Oliver asked.

“It's him.…” she whispered. “The security guard.”

Oliver peered into the blur of faces and caught a glimpse of his wide, bearded face, glowing white and green. The blood was gone from his neck.

“Quiet now,” said Emalie absently. “His spirit was so loud last night in the museum, so upset … but now the sound is gone. I don't know whether that's sad or happy.”

Oliver shrugged. “For who?”

“For him, for his kids, his wife…”

As Oliver watched the still face slide by, he became aware of yet another sound, this one a smooth humming.

They looked up to find a light high on the wall, lowering toward them. In moments, an oval-shaped glass elevator came into view, sliding along a seam in the rock, its curved glass distorting the reflections of the spirits.

The humming slowed and the elevator reached the ledge where Oliver, Emalie, and Dean stood. Oliver turned to Emalie, only to find that she'd disappeared.

I'm right here.
Oliver felt a nudge on his other shoulder. He turned and saw Emalie in the corner of his eye, but then when he looked directly beside him, she wasn't there.

I was going to ask you to do that thing where you're not noticed,
Oliver thought to her.

It's pretty good, right?
she thought back.

“Stop doing that!” groaned Dean.

Oliver turned to find Dean looking right at where Emalie supposedly was. “You can see her?”

“Yup.” Dean waved at her. “Yet another advantage of being a lowly zombie.”

“All right.” Oliver led the way to the elevator. “This is the way to the Asylum.” Its doors were quietly rolling open. A group of vampires emerged, all adults dressed in antique suits, the men with bow ties, the women in skirt-jacket combinations like Oliver vaguely remembered folks wearing when he was very young. An elevator operator in a gray uniform remained behind, sitting on a stool, his hand on the wheel that opened the doors.

“I thought the Colony was in
lower
Morosia?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” Oliver replied. “In the Old World, the surface world is considered ‘lower' than the Underworld. Like less powerful, less important.”

They were just about to start into the elevator when Oliver felt another tap on his shoulder.
What now?
he thought, turning.

“Hello, Oliver.” Sebastian stood beside him.

“D-Dad,” Oliver stammered, stunned.
Hide!
he thought frantically to Emalie.

Don't worry, I am.

“H-hey, Mr. Nocturne,” Dean offered nervously.

Sebastian glanced at Dean before continuing. “What brings you two out this way?”

“Oh, um.” Oliver's thoughts raced. “Gram told us about the Well, so we were just checking it out.”

“How fortunate,” said Sebastian mildly. “I was looking for you. Come along.”

“Oh, but Dean and I were going to—”

Sebastian put his arm across Oliver's shoulders and led him into the elevator. They turned and Dean started to enter—

“Sorry, Dean…” Sebastian reached out and firmly pushed Dean away.

“Hey, what—”

Sebastian's tone remained calm. “Oliver and I have some business to attend to,” he said, and then to the operator, “Top level, please.” The operator spun his metal wheel, and the doors slid closed.

“He'll find his way home,” said Sebastian. He reached into his pocket for a tip for the operator, and as he did, Oliver saw a flash of leather within his long black coat, like the handle of a Stiletto.…

The elevator began to rise. Oliver watched helplessly as Dean's face slipped out of sight.

Chapter 10

The Confrontation

NEITHER NOCTURNE SPOKE. SEBASTIAN
just gazed out the window, the light of the Well making a watery pattern of green on his inscrutable face. Looking down, Oliver saw Dean growing smaller and smaller.

The elevator continued its smooth ascent.

“Where are we going?” Oliver asked nervously, staring straight ahead into the blur of spirit faces.

“The same place you were already headed,” Sebastian replied.

“To the Asylum Colony?” Oliver figured it was a waste of time to try lying about that.

Sebastian nodded.

“Why?” Oliver asked.

Sebastian took a moment. “Something needs to be done.”

The elevator hummed.

Is this it?
Oliver thought horribly.
Is this where I'm turned to dust?
It was seventh moon, after all. He wanted to run, jump, anything: but of course, there was nowhere to go. So instead, he stood there, panicking. He felt like he had his back against a giant, heavy door. He was holding it shut, and from behind it he could hear the babble of many anxious voices—all his worries and fears, too many to count. He just wanted to let them out, to start shouting at his dad, but instead he tried to ignore them. It was the only way. Except that it was all he could do to keep the door closed. He felt like it might slam him forward.…

Try this one first.

It was Emalie.
Are you in here?
Oliver asked, resisting the urge to glance around the elevator.

No, I'm still with Dean, but…

Oliver got it.
You're in my head
.

Kinda.

Oliver felt a flush.
I thought you said you needed an invitation?
How often was she able to get inside his head?

Just listen, Oliver: I can feel your fears.… Let me help you. Just start with this one
—

What's the use?

Trust me.

Okay.
He let the door in his mind slip open a crack and felt a single smooth thought slither out like a tendril of smoke. He could hear the other questions clamoring for his attention, but it was almost like Emalie was acting as a gate and holding them back for him.

“Dad,” Oliver began, “where have you been these last couple days?”

“I've been doing work for Half-Light,” Sebastian replied, not helping at all.

Now what?
Oliver wondered.

Now this one
… Emalie let another question slip out.

“Does your work have to do with seventh moon?”

“In a sense,” said Sebastian.

Oliver looked back out of the elevator. Above, he was just beginning to see a shimmering, waving light at the top of the spirit waterfall.

C'mon,
urged Emalie.

What else am I going to say?
Oliver thought defeatedly.
He's not going to answer, anyway.

The elevator slid to a stop. The doors opened, and Oliver and Sebastian stepped out onto another ringed stone platform. Above them, almost within reach, the cascade of spirits seemed to be pouring from a liquid barrier that hung down from a wide hole in the rock ceiling. The barrier was bowed downward like a drop of water about to fall free.

“What is that?” Oliver asked.

“It's the bottom of Lake Naenia, in the crater of Mount Morta. It's a spirit gateway out of the world.” Sebastian turned away from the Well. “This way.” He started down the single rock passageway. “These tunnels are all old lava tubes,” he said as Oliver caught up.

“Huh,” said Oliver.

You're stalling
… Emalie urged.

I am not.

So, what,
Emalie sounded annoyed,
you're just going to do the silent brooding thing until you end up turned to dust? Try this.…

Oliver felt the next thought that Emalie suggested slip through.
THAT question? Are you crazy?

It's what I would do.

Oliver thought about that. Yes, Emalie would. She would ask the biggest question she could think of. Oliver always spent all his energy trying to avoid big ugly questions. He'd rather ask a hundred small ones. Trying it her way sounded horrifying, but maybe at this point it was the only way.…

“So,” Oliver began as they walked down the tunnel, “are you going to slay me?”

Sebastian stopped in his tracks. He turned to Oliver. “What?”

Oliver couldn't believe he'd said it. It was scary, but it maybe felt good, too. “You heard me,” he said.

Sebastian was silent for a moment. Oliver realized right then that he had no idea what his father might say.… “Oliver, what are you talking about?” Sebastian exclaimed. “Slay you? You're my son! Why would you even think such a thing? I would never…” For the first time in months, he reached over and ruffled Oliver's hair, then put his arm around him. “Come on, son. We can talk more on the way.”

Stunned, Oliver allowed himself to be ushered along.

Oliver, keep talking.

And say what?

Say what you're FEELING already!
Emalie sounded furious with him.

Oliver just wanted to keep moving … but he stopped and slipped out from under Sebastian's arm, because something still felt wrong. “You're lying.”

Sebastian turned back to Oliver in surprise. “Excuse me?”

Now,
Emalie urged. Oliver seemed to feel her opening the gate wide. “You're lying!” Oliver shouted. “I
know
you are, Dad!”

“Oliver—”

“No! I know about seventh moon, about the night of sacrifice. I know that Half-Light is making you slay me to show your loyalty!” Sebastian stepped toward him, but Oliver leaped back, slapping his hair out of his glowing eyes. “You're going to slay me with that Stiletto because I'm a failure!”

“No—”

“Yes! I am. And you won't say it but I
know
you think so! You don't even
talk
to me since you saw me with Emalie. I mean, come on, you guys know I still hang out with her. And what about all the doctor's visits? You
know
I'm screwed up inside, so you're going to slay me and try again! I heard you and I know you are!”

Oliver couldn't believe the feeling of saying these things. And yet Sebastian's face remained impassive. There was nothing there.
Because I'm right,
Oliver thought miserably. And so he yelled on at his frozen father: “You don't understand what it's like to be me and you don't even care!”

Finally, Sebastian's brow narrowed. “Oliver, stop it.”

“No! Just tell me! Or just slay me here! Whatever! I never wanted your stupid prophecy!” Oliver couldn't control himself anymore. All the tight feelings of worry and frustration were bursting free, walls crumbling, all the lies crashing down upon one another. What would happen next? He had no idea and he didn't care. Whatever it was would be something new?…

He kept shouting. “If I'm such a failure, then just—”

“Oliver!” Sebastian lunged at him. His fist cocked back and shot out—

Everything went black.

Chapter 11

Transference

OLIVER OPENED HIS EYES
to see the moon. For a moment, his stunned brain leaped all the way back to Dr. Vincent's office. He felt a strange hope that he was about to find himself there, back in Seattle, maybe even back in December, when he'd known so little.…

Then he saw the frosted outlines of distant hills and the cold flashing of tiny lights. Fireflies, sinking and floating among the shocks of tall grass around him. He looked around and saw that he was on a mountainside, in the moonlight. Above was the mouth of a cave, and above that, treeless rock scree led to the volcanic crater atop Mt. Morta. Its rim was frosted in bright moonlight. Below, meadows dropped toward gentle, forested slopes. Far in the distance, Oliver could see the tiny bundle of lights at Fortuna and the branching roads. One road twisted right up the mountainside, ending not too far below their perch. Standing at the road's end was an ancient stone castle, surrounded by a high wall.

“That's the Asylum Colony,” said Sebastian. He was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, staring down at the castle. The wind made his coat flutter behind him.

Emalie
… But Emalie was gone. Oliver remembered that she would have been forced out of his head when he was knocked out.

Now Oliver also remembered who had knocked him out and he started to push up to his feet, but his vision spotted with white and he collapsed back to the ground.

“Oliver, listen to me,” said Sebastian, back still to him. “I had to calm you down.” Oliver looked at him darkly. Sebastian seemed to be searching for words. “We're at the Asylum Colony to see an oracle named Selene. Half-Light has sent me to collect her life force. We need it to fulfill your prophecy.”

Oliver stared at him. “Why should I believe you?”

“Oliver, I wouldn't lie to you.”

“Yes—”

Sebastian turned. “No. Ollie, your mother and I love you. There are times when we don't
tell
you certain things. It's complicated, or it feels that way.… I guess we've made a mistake not talking to you more about your prophecy, but it's—it's because we don't know exactly what to say. We kept it a secret from you for your childhood so that you wouldn't feel overwhelmed. We wanted you to have a normal existence for as long as you could. But then when you started having trouble sleeping and all that…”

Oliver wondered if by
all that
Sebastian was referring to Emalie.

“We should have told you sooner,” Sebastian finished. “Parents don't always know what to do.”

“Why didn't you just tell me that?” Oliver muttered.

“Well, I suppose you're right. We should have talked to you as soon as we noticed your troubles, and well before you ended up befriending a human.… I can see how you'd want to get back at us.”