Devil Inside (55 page)

Randall and Alice’s mouths fell open and they looked at each other in shock.  “I’m guessing this isn’t normal for Nocte, either?” Alice asked.

“No,” Nya answered simply.  “I have never known anyone to actually ‘speak’ to their Nocte.”

Randall recovered from his initial surprise.  “And how exactly do we know this is true?  And not just your imagination?”

“Take my word for it?”

“Humpf,” he scoffed.

Harley didn’t wait for him to say more.  “Most recently I spoke to my Nocte while recovering from an injury.”  She saw Castor’s hand clench.  “She let me know that I have been focusing on the wrong thing since joining the Praesidio.  An Ignis by the name of Cutter…caused me great personal trouble.”  When she spoke his name Alice and Randall’s reactions told her that they knew of the Ignis.  “My first goal since becoming a Nocte has been to eliminate this…piece of shit.”  Nya laughed at Harley’s word choice.  “My Nocte has been determined to go after the Rogue from the beginning.  But I didn’t listen.”  The Lux looked doubtful again.

“And so you’ve changed your mind?” Randall asked narrowing his eyes at her.  “Now you see the bigger picture and want to give up your crusade for vengeance and help eliminate a creature that is dangerous to everyone?”

Harley tilted her head and examined Randall.  He didn’t just dislike her personally.  While that was true, he disliked all Nocte because he assumed that they were creatures of darkness.  She could see it in the arrogant way that he looked at them all.  The way he expected the worst from them.  Nya’s behavior seemed even funnier to Harley now.  There was no doubt in Harley’s mind that Nya was aware of what she was doing and the reaction she was causing.

Harley smiled at Randall.  “Yes.  You are correct.”

“And why you?” he asked.  “What makes you so special?”

“I am stronger than other Nocte.  The sun doesn’t affect me.  I can fight in the sun or the dark.”

“And what exactly is your plan?” he asked her, clearly still doubtful.

“We go to California.  We pool our forces and confront the Rogue.  I will fight him.  One on one.  I’ll put an end to this with as few casualties as possible.”  As she spoke she could see Cas slowly stiffen in response to her plan.  His back stiffened and his relaxed neutral posture turned into one of growing outrage.

“No,” he said and his voice was like ice.

Everyone turned to look at Castor but no one was as surprised at his words except for Randall and Alice.  Both of their eyes narrowed at him.  But he ignored them as he glared at Harley.  “That is a terrible idea.”

“No, it’s not,” Harley answered.  “It’s the best idea any of us have.”  She laid out the facts.  That she was the only one who could fight him at any time.  That if they could get the Rogue to agree to fight her one on one then fewer people would die than in an outright war.  “I think this—fighting the Rogue—is the whole reason I am here.”  She felt the rightness of those words when she felt her Nocte agree with her.  “I’m pretty sure that my Nocte is in this world for this very reason.  We all know that there is a balance.  That there is both light and dark.  I am sure that my dark is the opposing force to the Rogue’s light.”

Castor looked like he wanted to argue more but Levi interrupted him.  It was the first time that he addressed Cas directly.  “I don’t like this idea either,” he said pointedly.  “None of us do.  But I am confident that Harley is right.  And I’m confident that she can do this.”  Castor opened his mouth to speak but Levi interrupted him again.  “And we can all argue with Harley’s logic as much as we want, but that won’t change the fact that she has a good argument.  And besides,” Levi looked at Harley with a small smile.  “I’m pretty sure that Harley is going to do what she wants to do—what she believes is right—whether we go along with it or not.”

Harley couldn’t help but return Levi’s barely perceptible smile.  He was right.  If everyone came out of this meeting not agreeing to this idea, she would just go to California herself.  It would be better to bring reinforcements.  But she would go with backup or not.  Her Nocte huffed in agreement.

Throughout this exchange the other Lux had been quietly staring at Castor and Levi.  Randall’s eyes were narrowed in suspicion and Alice just looked sad.  Castor looked down at the table refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.  He wasn’t looking down in shame or embarrassment.  The only way that he was going to be able to keep his mouth shut, and not give away just how mad he was, was to not look at anyone.  She knew he wasn’t going to agree to this—but she also knew he would go along with it because he wouldn’t let her do this without him.

Nya addressed the Lux across from her.  “So, your turn.”

Randall tore his gaze away from Castor.  He took a deep breath, deciding where to begin.  “We didn’t realize that the Rogue had been active for as long as you have found.  You are right,” and Harley could tell he hated admitting that.  “We have strict rules, but we don’t spend a lot of time investigating our own.  Maybe we should,” he trailed off thoughtfully for a moment.  “But that is neither here nor there now.  The only thing that we have to add to what you know is the drug aspect.” 

“This Ignis that you mentioned—Cutter.  He is notorious for dealing and manufacturing and distributing drugs.  Mainly meth and cocaine.  But, lately, he has added bath salts to that list.  We have been tracking him for a while.”  At this Cas finally looked at Randall in surprise.  Clearly, he hadn’t known that there was a primary investigation into Cutter.  Randall ignored Castor’s look and continued.  “We began making a connection between Cutter’s shipments and the murders.  It seems that there is a correlation.  Where Cutter ships—the murders soon begin.”

“Do you have any suspicions as to why?” Nya asked the Lux.

“Yes.  Factoring in what you have told us—I have a pretty good idea.  Both meth and bath salts have two things in common.  They are cheap, powerful and highly addictive.  The more humans you can get addicted to drugs the easier it is to create Ignis.  The more Ignis you have the better chance you have of getting around the Vigilum and the Praesido.  Whatever the goal of the Rogue and this cult, the Sol Invictus, they are well aware that both of our groups will be working to put an end to them.”

“What is the goal of the Sol Invictus, do you think?” Alice asked.

Randall looked at her as if it were obvious.  “What is the goal of any devious organization?  Power, greed, money.  World domination?”

“Does it really matter?  They are killing humans, Lux and Nocte.  No matter how strained of a connection between the Vigilum and Praesidio—our goals are the same,” Nya spoke up.  Everyone else nodded in agreement.  Except for Levi, who had been quiet for a moment.  Harley looked at Levi as he cleared his throat.

“I have a theory as to what the goal of the Sol Invictus is.”  Everyone turned to Levi, even Nya looked surprised.  “I need more information from the Vigilum before I can be sure.  But I suspect that the Sol Invictus is trying to resurrect Christ.”

Everyone was stunned into silence.  Finally, Randall broke the silence.  “You can’t be serious?”  The arrogant attitude had been shocked from his face.  Harley was stunned into silence.  As was everyone else.  “What information do you need?”  Randall was wary and you could see that he was ready to disbelieve anything Levi, or any of the Nocte had to say.”

Levi met his gaze steadily.  “How are Lux created?  What is the actual steps of the process.”

Randall and Alice immediately went on alert and the defensive.  Even Castor looked unsettled.  “That is not information we are willing to give to—well, anyone.  But especially not to the Praesidio.”

Harley could see Levi’s jaw clench.  Nya broke in before Levi could have a chance to respond to Randall’s snide words.  “What are you thinking Levi?”  Harley could tell Nya was as confused as the rest.

Levi looked to Nya and visibly calmed himself before answering.  “In the cave in Italy there were ashes.  We had them tested.  They were human, but there was something else unidentifiable in with the remains.  It could be Ignis, Nocte or Lux.  But there were also burnt herbs and pieces of broken glass.  It all looked like a part of a ritual.  My guess is the ritual was creating a Lux.”

Randall and Alice’s discomfort was growing but they continued to look guarded and defiant.  Harley looked at Castor.  Castor was looking down at the table and looked like he was trying to figure something out.

Levi continued his theory.  “The ashes weren’t discarded or spread.  They were buried—as if they were treated with care.  If the cave was where the Sol Invictus has been trying to create a ‘supreme Lux’ I think they have created several.  Or at least tried to.  My theory is that they created more than one Lux and the first one, or ones, weren’t successful or not what they were aiming for.  This is all just a theory, based on barely circumstantial evidence.  But it’s not a stretch to imagine a group of zealot humans learning of the Lux, creatures of light, and perverting their existence into some ‘godlike’ status.”

Harley looked at the Lux that sat across from them.  Randall had gone stone still and his face was completely unreadable.  Alice looked almost scared and Castor looked worried.  Harley could feel her Nocte shift uncomfortably.  The anxiety radiating from her Nocte was causing Harley to feel anxious and it was hard for her to sit still.  Levi’s theory was clearly causing the Nocte to become agitated.  Harley couldn’t tell if it was because the Nocte agreed with his theory or if she was just excited.  But the Nocte inside her felt like a caged lion pacing its enclosure.

“If that were true,” Randall began with disbelief and dismissal dripping from his words.  “Why is the Rogue here now?  Why is he working with an Ignis to distribute drugs to humans?”

Levi looked at Harley like her was examining her and her eyes widened in confusion. 
Why is he looking at me like that?
  Harley knew she wasn’t going to like this.  “I’m pretty sure that the Rogue gets stronger with every life he consumes and controls,” Levi explained, still holding Harley’s gaze.  She refused to look away even though she was uncomfortable with Levi insinuations.  Even if the Lux didn’t realize his meaning—Harley did.  He was implying that the Rogue could feed from anyone—just like the she could—in order to acquire more strength.

Everyone one at the table was watching their exchange and Harley was finding it hard to breath.  Between her Nocte’s shifting and the weight of Levi’s words Harley felt like she was about to crawl out of her skin.  Castor’s voice broke the spell that had settled over the table.  “If that is true, what is the Rogue’s goal?  Why is he here and why is he acquiring more power?”  Harley gave Castor a grateful look and he met her eyes silently.  The attention shifted away from her as Levi answered the question.

“I have two theories.  The Sol Invictus is a conservative group.  They are one of the smaller Christian extremists groups, but they are extremists nonetheless.  They have been responsible for some violent protesting.  My guess, and again this is just a theory, I think the Sol Invictus might be trying to ‘save the world,’” Levi explained.  “And it looks as if their numbers have been growing.”

I am sure,” Nya offered, “that the Rogue and/or the Sol Invictus believe that the Ignis will be easier to control and manipulate than either of us.  When a person is ruled by their vices, as the Burners are, it is easy to bend them to your will and get them to do what you want.  The people who have been killed have either posed a threat to the Rogue—Lux and Nocte.  Or a hindrance—humans and Ignis.  If you are going to go into an area and take control through drugs and manipulation you need to get rid of your competition and obstacles.

That made sense to Harley and, whether they wanted to admit it or not, she was sure that the others saw the truth behind Levi’s theories.  She wanted to be surprised by how simple it all was—but really that’s how things were.  Things were always more simple than people wanted them to be.  The idea that a religious group was trying to find salvation through violence wasn’t surprising at all.  It disappointed Harley to her very core.

“What is your second theory?” Alice asked Levi.

Levi shrugged.  “Maybe, whatever the original goal, the Sol Invictus lost control over their Lux.  Maybe the Rogue is acting on his or her own now.  Seeking power and control.

Harley took a deep breath and forced herself to find calm despite the chaos writhing inside her.  “What do you think will happen if we don’t stop the Rogue?”

Levi looked like he didn’t have an answer and when no one else jumped in Nya answered Harley’s question.  “I think a lot more people are going to die if we don’t stop the Rogue—and the Sol Invictus.  No matter how the cult or the Rogue is planning asserting their ideas on the world, if we don’t stop them people are going to die.  Humans, Lux and Nocte alike.”

Resolved steeled itself inside Harley and she could feel her Nocte supporting her.  “So, is everyone in agreement?  That we should move forward with my plan?”  Castor looked at her angrily but didn’t argue.  She could hear Levi sigh quietly next to her. 

Randall and Alice looked at each other for a moment before Randall spoke.  “I think it’s the best plan I’ve heard so far.”  He looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth.  She was sure he hated agreeing with her plan.  But arrogant jerk or not, he wasn’t stupid.  And as had already been said, both the Vigilum and the Nocte had the same goal.  Protect humanity from the evil in the world no matter where it was coming from.