Virgo's Vigilantes (The Zodiac Book 6), page 13
"You can say that again," I agreed. "Tell me something?"
"Sure."
"I feel like you have more to say but aren't sure how to say it," I started, shooting Ralrek a firm look. "I know you have history with us," I said, thumbing at the taller demon. Then I pointed at Bilba. "And you don't know him, yet. But I swear, I trust these two more than anyone in Hell. Anything you have to say can be said in front of them. In fact, it would help if it was, so everything doesn't rest on my shoulders. I have a way of getting myself in a lot of trouble, and if anything were to happen to me, then these guys and everyone helping them will be back to square one. Best we all hear it."
Cassie's eyes drifted across the three of us. "Okay, then. Ser—Seraph is devious—"
"We know that already," Ralrek interrupted.
"Let her finish," I said with enough force to remind Ralrek that he might not be Hell's asshole anymore, but he could regain his title.
Cassie cleared her throat. "S—Seraph is devious. She's manipulative, and she has a history of fooling even the most perceptive immortals. She'll use whatever tactics she can to reach her goal. And if that goal includes revenge for Ch—Chax, she will do it. Make no mistake, guys, it isn't just the Underworld you need to worry about. She still has many connections in the Upperworld. And she will use them against you. Count on that."
9
Underworld, Fifth Circle
"Enemies in Hell and Heaven? When Zeke does something, he goes all in," Ralrek chortled.
"Hey, I'd appreciate only partial laughter at my misfortune," I said.
"Sorry, bud, but that deserved a hearty laugh."
Sometimes, I swear, Ralrek is even more twisted than I knew.
Minutes ago, we said farewell to Cassie, who headed back to the Upperworld to do whatever angels do there—which I'm sure are the same things as demons in Hell, but it's fun to craft controversy and conspiracies sometimes. I'm sure it was something important since Cassie herself was more important than the three of us incubi combined. Whatever Cassie's assignment, she was deep in this Balance issue in Olympia. With her returning to her tasks, it was time for us to get to work.
"Ready to take us home?" I asked my best friend, burping up a healthy dose of chicken wings.
Bilba held up a finger. "First, can you give me a chance to get away from the pub before I make a scene that scars these mortals for the rest of their lives? And second, we're not going home."
I squinted. "What do you mean we're not going home? We have to. We've been gone long enough, and I still need to hit the store before you guys drop in on me again and Ralrek complains that my fridge is empty."
"Zeke, remember when we were in your new place and I told you I had someone who wanted to see you?"
The way Bilba's mouth disappeared under an avalanche of cheeks as he smiled told me this wasn't someone I needed to worry about. "I remember."
Away from the pub on an empty side street, Bilba mumbled, resuming his invisible dough ball manipulation gesture with his hands. The rift soon sizzled to life, filled with a murky vision of a stairwell.
"Where is this?" I asked, jabbing a thumb at the watery image of someone's stairs.
"To someone who told me to bring you to her before she rang my ears," Bilba said.
I grinned. "Dialphio," I said excitedly and stepped into the rift.
The world fell away, as it always does in these things. I soon found my feet again, this time in a place I missed as much as any in Hell. The Book Abyss, Dialphio's bookstore. The first place in the Fifth Circle brave enough to employ me. I stepped out of the tear between worlds and onto the main floor of the bookstore, the rift splitting the air right between two book displays.
When Bilba stepped through, I pointed at the displays and his rift. "Luck?"
He wore a reserved grin. "Nope. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent in this bookstore, making sure I knew the exact layout. I don't know about you, but I'm not crazy about the thought of Dialphio's reaction if I shredded a display."
"Is that who think it is?" a birdlike voice called down the stairs.
"The prodigal son has returned after seeing the error of his ways. To right his past wrongs and all that," I announced.
Ralrek snorted. "And you call me cocky."
"Because you are," Bilba and I said together.
Dialphio hung halfway down the stairs, one chubby hand gripping the railing. She set her feet on different steps, watching us with sparkling emerald eyes. I felt like an impling getting caught tugging his little sister's hair.
"Are we in trouble?" I asked.
A strange smile appeared on the bookstore owner's face. It wasn't of happiness and joy, nor was it sad or remorseful. This one landed somewhere in between. "No. Not at all, Ezekial."
"Good," I chuckled, "because the look you just gave us made me feel like we were, and I was trying to decide whether to blame it on Ralrek or Bilba, or both."
Dialphio chirped. "Seeing you home again fills my heart. Thank you for bringing him, Bilba."
"Of course," my friend said. "We would have been here at the planned time, but Zeke wanted to see his girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend," I said.
Dialphio descended the stairs to the main floor. "And how is Cassie?" Her question was still dangling on her lips by the time she had me wrapped in her arms. Her squeeze was like a warm blanket on a cold Overworld night.
I hugged my ex-boss. "She's doing well, but she's very busy handling things in the Overworld."
"Things?" Dialphio asked, cocking her head.
We took turns filling Dialphio in. Dialphio took in every word, her expression neutral. No emotion, not at the activities of the mysterious Council member in Olympia, the Balance, or even at an angel asking for help. She didn't get excited until we mentioned the formation of Virgo's Vigilantes.
"This is an interesting dynamic. One that could be advantageous, but one that could also cause some problems if the Council finds out, which I'm sure they will. How they react will tell us everything we need to know." She paused, clicking her fingernails on a nearby book display, looking toward the front door of the store. "Of course, these Abandoned bear the brunt of the risk if they get too involved. This could be tricky."
"Why is that?" Bilba asked.
"The mortal war continues without an end in sight," Dialphio said, still clicking nails on wood. "The war will keep everyone distracted. The world war can have many unanticipated effects on the Balance. With so many countries fighting, and such great strife for mortals, the attention it receives from the two Councils is justified."
Bilba snapped his fingers. "Giving anyone who wanted to shift the Balance an opportunity to move subtly?"
Dialphio nodded. "Exactly. With a distraction like that, anyone with ulterior motives who wanted to go unnoticed could take advantage. There are a million ways they could do it. If Cassie's reports about these… I don't even know what they would be called. Hate groups, maybe? But, if accurate, this could be early signs of powerful demons working their agendas."
Her voice trailed off as if her thoughts were taking her somewhere else, somewhere that wasn't in the middle of the main floor of a bookstore in the Fifth Circle of Hell. I waited. There was a reason she had Bilba bring me to The Book Abyss, more than giving me the opportunity to catch her up on my chaotic life. Not that I didn't appreciate it if a short social call was the only reason we were here. Being back in the store, even if for only a few minutes, was doing me a world of good. The displays and stacks of books weren't half as chaotic as I imagined it would have been, a tendency Dialphio had any time I wasn't working for her. The small store, filled with thousands of books, held the smell only bookstores have. An aromatic decay of paper of all ages hung in the air. The store was quiet. Looking out the front door, on which hung her CLOSED sign, nightlife in the Fifth was waking. Soon, the street would fill with demons seeking entertainment. Sights, sounds, and smells combined to remind me that this Circle was my home, and I missed it.
Dialphio blinked and refocused. "All of this makes me more grateful to you, Bilba, for bringing him here. We can't dally. Too much is happening. Now that we know they're maliciously manipulating events in the Overworld, we have to assume Olympia is not the only place this is happening." Her voice drifted away again. "Likely many locations, I'll bet." She looked at me. "Ezekial, have you given thought to your role in all of this? Have you considered how you will help? You will help, of course?"
"Absolutely," I said.
"And not simply because you have a crush on this angel, I assume?" Dialphio said. That was definitely not a question.
"I don't have a crush on her. Cassie is a friend. A friend, I can't believe I have to remind you, who recently saved my life. I sort of owe her."
"Many are involved already, and many more will join your cause," Dialphio said. "It is time for you to recognize that. Some do it because they care about you, but others, take for example Virgo's Vigilantes; they're doing what they're doing to help the cause as well, because of your power. You lift others. It is your role. Your responsibility. You know this. We've had this conversation."
"Doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it," I said.
"With what?" Ralrek asked, moving to the foot of the steps and taking a seat.
Dialphio's eyes never left me as she said. "Based on the research I've done, I believe Ezekial is the one spoken of in The Histories of the Balance as the Great Prince. Did he not share that with you?"
Ralrek snorted. "Yeah, we know about that. Some great prince," he said, looking me up and down. "I expected him to be taller, fitter, and not so ugly."
I blew him a kiss.
But Dialphio was all business. "The Great Prince isn't something you're elected into. It is deigned, if you will. Destiny. Mandatory. Required. Fated. Your responsibility. However you want to categorize it. As such, you alter things."
"Huh? Like how?" This was the first time Dialphio had mentioned anything along these lines. Not that we had time to discuss it. That was probably by design. The Council's design.
Her cheeks bulged as she blew out a breath. "A tall mountain alters weather patterns. You, your presence, your proximity changes the way people, angels, and demons act around you. You don't do it consciously, so it's not like you're using anyone. A result of who you are, something you haven't tapped into and may never."
"I wasn't there when this started in Olympia, I don't think. I was sitting in the Council's prison," I said.
"But you were in Olympia before," Dialphio said. "You dealt with Chax, Leo, Virgo, and Cassie. Each of those interactions, you were influencing them."
I rubbed my face in frustration. "Are you saying I pushed the Council toward rallying groups of idiots to harass and threaten mortals to shift the Balance while the war distracts everyone?"
Tap. Tap. Tap. Dialphio rolled her fingers, tapping her nails on the book display. "Honestly? I'm still working this out. But, in a way, yes. Think of that example with the mountain. Weather moves as weather does, but when it comes upon a mountain, it's changed. Not wholly. It remains what it was. But the mountain forces it to take a different course. That would explain many of these challenges with the Council. It would explain why they never saw what you were, though credit still has to be given to Aries for his insight." Dialphio's face brightened. "Of course, this is under the influence of One. For all we know, this could be part of Their design, a role you were always supposed to play."
"I told you, thinking about that gives me a headache," I admitted. Dialphio had guided me toward thinking about One and the nature of Its existence in the All, a concept too large for a simple demon like me to wrap my head around.
"Let me give specific examples. Remember the Angelfire attack in the First Circle?" Dialphio asked. Silence fell over The Book Abyss when she stopped tapping her fingers.
"Of course. That's not something I'll ever forget," I said.
"None of us should," Dialphio said. "Do you remember what happened after the attack, after those who fled tucked tails and ran home to hide while the brave and caring tended to the injured? While the mournful searched the devastation for loved ones? While you looked for your parents?"
My mind raced back to the details of the attack. The square was a pile of wreckage of roof tops and storefronts, the hangman's platform upon which Gemini was to be executed, and of the bodies that littered it. I could recall a lot about that day, along with some finer details I'd rather forget. Details made obscure by the immensity of the tragedy.
"Someone gave you a note about Creed," Dialphio said, nudging the conversation.
A cloaked figure handed me a note after I had spent hours searching the bodies for my parents. That note served as another clue to what Creed was. I never learned who the stranger was or how they found me in the chaos of that day. Until now. My eyes widened. "That was you?"
Bilba sucked in his breath.
Dialphio's unwavering eyes locked on me.
"But the Council was still around. Their muscle-head guards were around. You could have been caught. They would have imprisoned you, Dialphio." The sudden role change felt odd, me becoming the parent of the bookstore owner who had been as much a mother to me as my biological one.
"Yet I did it because it was needed," Dialphio said coolly. "It was my role. Someone had to do it. Fate or circumstances, it doesn't matter how you look at it. I was in a position to alter your course. That is the effect I'm talking about, Ezekial. You do that. No doubt you've been doing it to these two for thousands of years." Dialphio waved her hand at Bilba and Ralrek. "Look at the chances they're taking to support you, even though in the back of their minds, they understand the risk, and everything they could lose because of that support. Life would be simpler if they never had supported you. Still, they do it because they love you."
No smart ass snort from Ralrek this time?
"But they also do it because they're compelled," Dialphio said. "Just as I did in the First Circle by slipping you that note. I made sure you received the messages about Creed in ways that were safe and didn't put you in danger. Your impact continues, not just with me, but with so many others. Some powerful others."
Again, Dialphio was saying something without saying it. I needed clarity. "Who, specifically, are you talking about?"
Dialphio's nostrils flattened as she drew a breath. It came out with a shiver. "Azazel."
"What about him?" I said cautiously, still confused by the ancient Founder's recent actions, but hopeful his intent aligned with keeping me healthy, happy, and alive.
Dialphio raised her eyebrow. "Do you think all the information I've had, as timely as it was, was coincidental? Do you think I'm uber-perceptive or that luck plays such a role? Don't you think it's strange that I haven't suffered consequences even though the Council knew you worked for me and could have guessed you acquired The Histories of the Balance from my bookstore? Honestly, sometimes I'm convinced you play oblivious too well."
"He is a proven dumbass," Ralrek said from the stairs as he started walking up. Dialphio ignored him.
"These things didn't happen by chance. I was fed information, and in turn, I tried to feed it to you," Dialphio said.
"From Azazel? He's been helping me all along?" I asked, stunned.
She nodded slowly. "When it is safe, sit and talk with him. I'm sure he has interesting things to tell you about his personal story. One that links with Aries. Those two go way back.
"Wow," Bilba said in a raspy breath.
Wow, exactly. "Why you? No offense."
"He's my cousin," she said, the motherly tone refocusing the conversation. "For all I know, this may be part of the effect you've had all along."
"Because I'm fated?" I asked.
For too long, I had pondered and pouted, resisted and complained about the concept of fate. But that time was past. The facts were clear. From Aries to Leo, and everyone in between. Receiving Creed. Being a commodity in a trade between Taurus and someone—Seraph?—on the Council. Assigned to chase down an angel operative in Gemini and connecting with Cassie. Meeting Cancer and helping in her battle against a Founder. Not a chance meeting. It opened my eyes. Being deployed to the same installation as Chax was a script written by a… well, god, forcing me to cross swords with Seraph. Picking Seattle for my Abandonment, only to not be able to afford it and move to Olympia, where I met Leo and learned his family's story, how they suffered because they were family to Aries. How Leo tried to save his family, working through Chax, of all demons. Killing him in self-defense, placing me directly in Lucifer's path. The absolute apathy the leader of the Underworld showed, remaining uninvolved while His Council members ran rampant. The way the Council tried to force me into the grave, and the way they racked up the body count by forcing me to kill Leo to serve a greater purpose.
If fate wasn't real, then it went by a different name.
Whatever I was becoming, someone, or something, was behind it.
Dialphio grabbed my hands in her warm ones. "I'm not here to explain the nature of One. That's impossible. But I can try to explain to you what is happening. That's why I pushed you so hard during your Abandonment. You'll accept that you are the Great Prince, or I'll spend the rest of my life twisting your ear until you capitulate. Many depend on you accepting this role, just as many others have accepted what has been thrust upon them."
I tried to ignore my skipping heartbeat. "I'm trying. I really am." I hated hearing the way my voice shook.
Dialphio squeezed my hands. "I have something I think might help. Let me show you. It's the reason I had Bilba bring you here. Now is the perfect time to show you, to help you understand. Follow me."
Ralrek slid out of the way, allowing us to pass. "After you, my liege."
I gave him a light punch in the stomach, which he returned with a good–hearted slap on my back that almost made me trip. I turned to Bilba who wore a knowing gaze. Even he was aware of what was on the second floor, a level of the store where Dialphio prohibited entry. In fact, I remembered my first day on the job when she warned me from ever thinking of snooping around there. The secret was about to be revealed, at least to me. My friends already knew, those sneaky jerks.
