Chapter Text
"Yes, well, we must make haste then." Essek stated, clearing his throat to shake free the unease he was feeling. "Ludinus is one thing, but a demon of such design that prays on the fears and self-loathing of individuals is not quite what I had in mind for this excursion, I'm afraid."
"But it's powering the engine and killing people, shouldn't we, y'know, do something?"
Ashton sighed and leaned against his hammer, pointedly staring at Imogen. "It's a grand demon that's been here since before fuck all. I doubt it’s going to matter if it stays chained to an engine for another year or fifty."
"Ash is right." Orym started ignoring Ashtons interjected 'Thank You' "Besides, anything that stalls Ludinus, however good or bad at the moment, is unfortunately a help to us right now."
"I... I guess," Imogen sounded conflicted, turning from Orym to stare off to the side where Chetney and Dorian had been affected, "but once Ludinus is dealt with we should probably come back and take care of it."
Essek nodded in agreement. "A problem for another day then."
'And such is your nature to always run from confrontation. Why?'
His hand was halfway to the pocket of his robes when he heard the whisper. Essek closed his eyes with a quiet sigh.
A hand ran gently across his back, delicate fingers tapping against his shoulders before seeming to settle on the gentle curve of his neck. 'Do you not wish to see the fruits of our research? After all, I have you to thank for everything that I have been able to achieve.'
"We should go. Now." Essek stressed and opened his eyes only to see Caleb in the middle of the room, his form taught against the imaginary bonds that held him in place. Essek swallowed hard when he caught sight of the deep purple bruises that shadowed the white of Caleb's neck. Bells Hells was nowhere to be seen.
Shit.
'If it wasn't for this one here…' Ludinus grinned from his periphery, fingers twisting in the air at the same time Caleb buckled, the man forced to his knees with a grunt.
'Such a thorn in my side.'
Caleb choked, blood beginning to trickle from his nose, his mouth strained to form soundless words, his bloodshot eyes pleading with Essek.
"This is not real." It was not, it couldn't be, he refused to fall for whatever horrid illusion that had been thrust upon him. Caleb was safe. The man had said as much himself just the day before. "You will not get what you want from me."
'You think this to be an illusion?' Essek winced when he felt the hot breath of Ludinus burn against the shell of his ear. 'Some perfunctory grand play of a fiend wanting to eat up all those tasty little demons that call that anxiety riddled head of yours home?'
Ludinus laughed, 'You aren't as important as you seem to think in the grand scheme of things Thelyss. Your life is nothing but misstep after misstep.'
Essek watched while Ludinus stepped from him and moved to stand before Caleb. He tried to ignore the way the vile man's hand traced delicately down Caleb's cheek, smearing blood across pale skin before gently caressing Caleb's lips.
He clenched his hands. This wasn't real, no matter how convincing the stage set before him seemed to be; but, if so, then why did his chest hurt and his breath catch?
'Everything you touch eventually tarnishes.'
Essek huffed a laugh, "Then it is good that you are something that has had the pleasure of my acquaintance. It means you yourself are doomed to corrode and rust. That is if any of this was real and not just desperate parlor tricks."
Ludinus laughed and turned to meet Essek's gaze, the man's eyes bright even in the dim light of the room. 'You still think this to be fake? Some sort of set dressing? Why do you think your precious human was so desperate for you to get to Aeor with these hooligans?'
Essek clenched his eyes closed, his fingers twitched. Caleb had been hurried in his explanation that he guided Bells Hells through Aeor, but nothing had seemed amiss. Caleb had even promised him that he was fine but that he was unfortunately indisposed at the moment; but, like a worm burrowing into a rotting apple, doubt began to slither into Essek's consciousness.
What if Caleb had been sending him a plea for help in his rushed sending? Had he maybe missed something in their nightly talks? Had he been so foolish and lost in the wonders of their relationship that he'd missed some minute detail in the soft words of Caleb's assurances? It wouldn't be the first time he'd made a mess of things. He was nothing if not consistent in his failings.
Caleb screamed and Essek's eyes shot open with a snarl. He swung his hands up and cast gravity fissure; a black mass hurtled forward ten feet to the right of Ludinus cracking the ground and pulling the hanging bodies from their chains. Ludinus gave a yell of surprise as both he and Caleb were pulled towards the center of the fissure.
The air was heavy in the room, pungent and sweet reminiscent of meadow after a rainstorm. "Caleb?" He winced at how loud his voice echoed.
Silence returned his call. Maybe he had misjudged the distance? What if he'd hurt Caleb beyond the point of healing? "Caleb!"
He moved quickly, "Caleb, you must answer me!"
He had been just mere feet from the still bodies of Caleb and Ludinus when something caught his ankle and pulled. Essek turned hand poised to attack only to falter when a familiar set of eyes looked up to him, the face distorted and bloated in death but still recognizable.
No, it couldn't be. "Verin?"
'You left. They came and you had gone. I suffered your fate.'
"No.” He had covered his tracks when he’d left. Had made sure that his transgressions couldn’t be traced back to anyone involved with him. “No, you were safe."
Verin grinned, his skin taught, bloated and soured. 'A life taken for deeds done. Even if it was not the accused, retribution was sought.' A rattling breath escaped Verin. 'Why do you think you've been safe for all these years? I fell for crimes that were not my own, you killed me. You stole my future from me, brother.'
Essek shook his head in denial, for all her misgivings towards him, his mother would never allow such a fate to befall Verin. Not without raising a fuss. A fuss that would have reached him no matter the distance between him and his old life.
'You've doomed us all, Schatz.'
Essek turned from his brother to see Caleb, eyes dull, face stained red and kneeling in supplication. "Caleb, I..."
Ludinus, eyes alight with euphoria, slowly stood from the wreckage, his mangled form towering over Caleb's. 'The War of Ash and Light will be nothing compared to what Predathos will unleash and we all have you to thank.'
He looked at Caleb's tearful eyes and felt his own well in sympathy. He’d already been the cause of so much death in his life and he lived with that knowledge everyday. He was working to atone for his sins; but, this? This was unforgivable. He had never meant for this.
"I’m sorry.” The words felt like ash in his mouth. “You must know that. If I had known, if I had even thought of the ramifications of what handing the beacons over could’ve possibly meant–Caleb, you have to know —I never would have."
The sorrowful expression that met his words made his chest ache, making it hard to breathe.
'Fuck, you've truly made a mess of everything.'
"Beauregard?" Essek whispered painfully.
’We're all doomed anyways if Predathos is released; but you can stop it. You can redeem yourself.' Beau grinned and brought her hands up to form a circle with a knowing smile. 'Boom.’
Essek looked at his hands and blinked against the burn of tears, he looked to Caleb –always to Caleb – ignoring the smug face of Ludinus. He swallowed when he saw Caleb nod in understanding.
With a slow breath, Essek pulled a shard of onyx from his robes and pricked his finger with the rocks tip, the blood quickly disappearing absorbed by the spell he had begun to cast.