Eden (Eden Saga) Page 17

  After another several days of travel – and more sword lessons from Koneh - the group entered Costa Rica and Santino suggested they travel through the capital as well. Again, there was nothing left of the city. Ruined buildings, vehicles and too many bodies to count. No life. When the group was about to make camp, they found a sign that read “Survivors,” and an arrow pointing away from the ruined center of the city.

  “Do we follow it?” Father Callahan asked as Alexandra inspected the sign.

  She shook her head. “It’s out of our way.”

  “Sometimes,” Father Callahan said, “we aren’t meant to travel in a straight line.”

  “And sometimes a straight line is all that is left for us,” Koneh said as he approached. “We are ready to go. Not much here.”

  “There are survivors,” Alexandra said as she pointed to the sign.

  Koneh grunted, “Not for long. Demons can read too.” He tore the sign down from its post and tossed it aside. “Now, these people might live a little longer.”

  As Alexandra weighed the cost of arguing with Koneh, Father Callahan said, “You don’t know that. They might need our help.”

  “Or they could be dead already. Listen Father, we don’t have time for this. Alexandra, we’re ready to camp.”

  “Good,” Alexandra said, “have Benjamin help you secure the area. I’ll be there in a few minutes for my lesson.”

  Koneh nodded and walked back to Santino’s rig.

  Father Callahan sighed and turned to Alexandra. Before he could speak she said, “I know how you feel, Father.”

  “Do you?”

  “But Koneh is right. It’s dangerous to stop.”

  Father Callahan frowned and said, “You must do what you feel is right.”

  “Always,” she said, “which is why we’re going to find these survivors anyway.”

  Chapter 17

  The sounds and smells of the camp greeted Alexandra as she walked past Santino’s rig. Smoke from the fire shifted into her path, stinging her nose and throat. The rig’s engine rumbled to a halt and Santino jumped down from the cab. In the distance, Koneh and Benjamin stood close together, engaged in conversation. Father Callahan squeezed Alexandra’s shoulder and walked to the rig, probably to distribute everyone’s rations for the night.

  Alexandra felt a breeze and looked to the night sky. Moments later, Erzulie landed at Alexandra’s side and said, “The area is clear, Lex.”

  “Thank you, Erzulie.”

  “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

  Alexandra put her hands on her hips and said, “As a matter of fact there is.”

  The angel bowed and said, “All you need ever do is command.”

  “You confuse me,” Alexandra said. “Koneh tells me you cannot feel emotions, that you are some sort of robot. I’ve been struggling with this for quite some time and I don’t see it that way. You are always concerned with my well-being, and out of everyone I feel I can talk to you the easiest.”

  Erzulie brought her eyes to Alexandra’s and said, “What you observe is merely imitation.”

  Alexandra frowned. “It seems strange that demons have a soul and angels don’t-”

  “Astute,” Erzulie said. “However, most demons have a myriad of souls inside of them.”

  Alexandra narrowed her eyes and asked, “And what’s inside an angel?”

  “A host of materials you are no doubt unfamiliar with.”

  “But no soul?” Alexandra asked, afraid to ask what those things could be.

  Erzulie shook her head. “No soul.”

  “Yet more human than many humans I’ve met in my travels,” Koneh said.

  Enthralled by the conversation with her unearthly companion, Alexandra didn’t notice Koneh’s approach. He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed her.

  “What’s the one question you haven’t asked yet?” Koneh said.

  Alexandra mulled over the strange inquiry, but couldn’t decide what he wanted.

  He sighed and turned to Erzulie. “How do you kill a demon?”

  Erzulie replied, “Same as a human. Cause enough trauma to the body or organs and the entire unit will cease to function. However, their skin is much thicker than that of a normal human and their bones are fortified with eons of age. Only the truest of strikes can fell a demon.”

  “Which brings us to our lesson tonight,” Koneh said as he drew his sword from beneath his tattered robes.

  Alexandra took a step backwards and said, “One moment.” She hesitated before asking her next question. “Erzulie, how do you kill an angel?”

  Erzulie balled her fist and placed it upon her chest. “An angel’s heart rests in the center of their chest. Any attack that penetrates the outer layers and skeleton has a chance of destroying the heart. Such a blow would kill any angel.”

  “Good question,” Koneh said. “Are you ready now?”

  “Heed his advice,” Erzulie said as she spread her dark wings. “Koneh knows his trade.”

  Erzulie darted into the sky as Alexandra stepped to her pack and drew her sleek blade from its scabbard. Before Alexandra could ready herself, Koneh was upon her. His motions were deliberate and obvious – to teach the basics.

  “Mind your feet in each position,” he said. “Good. Just like I showed you. Remember, if you don’t set your feet correctly, you will not have the balance you need. From your balance you will find your strength.”

  Sweat gathered around her head and neck. Through labored breath, she asked, “So, how did you two meet?”

  Koneh advanced and nodded as Alexandra sidestepped or parried each of his slow motion strikes. “Erzulie and I?” he said. “That is a long story.”

  Parry, step, parry, parry, step. “I’m not going anywhere,” Alexandra said.

  She concentrated on the training while waiting for his response. After a minute or so, her teacher said, “When the rest of the world had given up on me, I was surprised to find an angel in my corner. She didn’t appear to me as an angel. She looked human.” Koneh paused after what appeared to be some internal reflection and lowered his sword. “Erzulie had faith in me. And for that, she was banished from Heaven.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Alexandra said.

  He opened his mouth to speak and paused. After a sigh, he said, “Faster now.”

  This was the part of the lesson where Alexandra always faltered. Koneh was just too quick for her. After a few parries, she lost her sword and Koneh pointed the tip of his blade at her throat.

  “Too slow,” he said.

  “No,” she said as she retrieved her weapon, “You’re too fast!”

  Koneh rubbed his chin and smiled.

  “What?” Alexandra asked.

  “Switch,” he said.

  “Huh?”

  “Here.” He held the grip of his sword towards her. “Switch.”

  Alexandra grasped the sword and strained at its weight. Erzulie’s sword was much lighter. In return, Alexandra handed the angel’s slender blade to Koneh.

  “Now, slowly,” he said as he repeated the motions from earlier in the training session.

  Alexandra’s desire to talk about Erzulie was replaced with the arduous task of raising Koneh’s heavy sword to the air. How could he fight with this thing?

  “Good, faster,” he said as he increased the velocity of his attacks.

  Through sheer force of will, Alexandra found strength enough to counter a few blows before her arms turned into noodles and she shook with exhaustion.

  “No more,” she said between breaths. “Too… heavy.”

  “Switch again,” Koneh said.

  When Alexandra gripped Erzulie’s blade again, it felt light as a pencil.

  “Go,” he said as he reengaged.

  Koneh started as fast as Alexandra had ever seen. However, to her surprise, she was able to keep pace. Something clicked in her mind, and she understood the ebb and flow of what Koneh was teaching her. When she saw her opportunity, she turned
the tide and went on the offensive. She felt the same exhilaration with her sword that she felt with her tennis racket during a rally. As she backed Koneh towards the fire, she let go and stopped thinking about her next moves. Instead, she felt them.

  “You go girl!” Benjamin said.

  “Woo!” Marco said, pumping his fist.

  Alexandra swelled with pride. I get this, she thought.

  Thud.

  Alexandra had never been hit in the face – until that moment. The world spun a few times and she fell to the ground.

  “Hey now!” Marco said.

  Benjamin rose to his feet and said, “What was that for?”

  Alexandra’s head throbbed and the camp refused to come into focus.

  “That was good,” Koneh said as Alexandra felt her grip on reality returning. “However, the sword is not the only weapon your opponent has at their disposal. In this case, I used my fist. Against a demon, it could be claws, teeth or a tail. Always be ready.” He turned away from her and stopped after a step. “Lesson over.”

  “Dude, that was uncool,” Benjamin said.

  Through a pounding headache, Alexandra heard Benjamin and Marco voicing their displeasure in Koneh’s direction.

  Father Callahan helped her to a sitting position and placed a wet cloth to her mouth.

  “You’re bleeding, but not bad,” he said.

  Something inside Alexandra told her that Koneh was justified in his actions. “I did ask for this,” she said. “I wanted him to train me.”

  “Sometimes,” Father Callahan said as he looked in Koneh’s direction, “the lessons we remember most are the ones that also hurt the most.”

  She winced. “I won’t forget this one for a while.”

  Benjamin and Father Callahan helped her to her feet and brought her to the fire. The soldier glared at Koneh the entire time.

  “It’s okay, Benjamin,” Alexandra said, “Koneh is training me.”

  “Still,” Benjamin said, “he shouldn’t be hittin’ a lady – ‘specially not you.”

  The two men lowered her to the ground.

  Benjamin sat next to her and said, “Are ya okay? Really?”

  Alexandra nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Why do you wanna fight with swords, anyway?” Benjamin asked. “Don’t you guys carry guns? Guns kill demons good.”

  “And what happens when your ammo runs out, soldier?” Koneh asked.

  Benjamin smiled. “I’ll go get more.”

  “If only things were that simple,” Koneh said.

  Benjamin leaned towards Alexandra and said, “Nice friend you have there.”

  “You get used to him.”

  Benjamin shook his head. “If you say so.”

  After Benjamin wandered away, Alexandra closed her eyes. Just for a few minutes, she thought. The pain of the punch and the weariness from the travel overtook her.

  Alexandra decided she must have fallen asleep at some point. She came to this conclusion because she now found herself at the edge of a large ocean. The breeze carried the familiar salt and brine to her nostrils. Waves crashed against the rocks below and she realized she wasn’t alone. The white-haired crone was there.

  “I’m dreaming again,” Alexandra said.

  “The world can once again be like this,” the old woman said as she studied her. “But that depends on you.”

  “What do you want from me?” Alexandra asked, terrified of this woman in her visions.

  “Only to see through your feelings. To know your intentions. You are not an open door, however. You must share with me your thoughts.”

  Refusing to yield to this stranger, Alexandra said, “You said before that God has abandoned us. What did you mean by that?”

  “The taint of Elah has passed from this world and now I must heal it. You need to declare your allegiance so I can either show you the way or destroy you.”

  Alexandra studied the crone. “Who are you?”

  Clouds filled the sky and thunder boomed overhead. The old crone rose to her feet and approached Alexandra. “Heed my words, child. You are both an ally and an enemy. Choose carefully the path you would take.”

  Like their previous conversations, this one ended almost as soon as it began. Even worse, Alexandra awoke with a foul taste in her mouth. A quick glance to her side revealed the source of the vileness – a mostly consumed hot dog MRE. When did she eat that?

  Everyone else was asleep, except Koneh. Alexandra wrapped her blanket around her body and approached her guide.

  “Mind if I sit?”

  He gestured to the ground with an open palm, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he gazed upon the dark horizon.

  Alexandra crossed her legs and dropped to the earth beside him. “Listen,” she said, “we’re going to go check on those survivors.”

  “That does not surprise me.”

  She rubbed her sore chin and attempted to read her companion.

  “I hope you’re not waiting for an apology,” he said.

  “No.” She smiled. “I asked for it.”

  “You did well last night. You are a good student.”

  She blushed like she did in the seventh grade when she talked with Antonio, the coolest boy in school. Young Alexandra always tried to find him at lunch time. They talked about kid stuff – the teachers they hated, TV shows and how much they despised homework. If Alexandra had a first boyfriend, Antonio would qualify. Why she thought of Antonio as she talked with Koneh, she wasn’t certain. Maybe she was attracted to him, to the danger and freedom he represented.

  Perhaps she was losing herself in her new world.

  “You are doing well,” Koneh said as he leaned to catch her eye. “And I don’t just mean with the sword. Think of where you were a month ago when I found you. Quite a change, wouldn’t you agree?”

  She shook her head. “I still don’t know why we’re doing this, Koneh. You think I have some special power inside of me, but I don’t.”

  “I think General Ryan and Benjamin Howell would disagree with you.”

  Alexandra glanced at the sleeping soldier. “I don’t know what that was,” she said. “It all seems like it happened to someone else.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Sighing, she turned back to him and gently placed her hand on his wrapped forearm. “Whatever secrets you have,” she said, “I’m sorry I tried to pry them from you. You saved my life and I didn’t even have the decency to respect your privacy. I know we’re a bit different, but I want you to know that I’m truly grateful we found each other.”

  Koneh nodded and she saw the whole picture for the first time since she awoke inside the wrecked bus. She had been living moment to moment and never took the time to step outside of herself.

  “We didn’t meet by chance in that town,” she said. “You were waiting for me. How could I have been so stupid?”

  “Yes, Erzulie and I sought you out.”

  “To re-open Eden?”

  “That is correct.”

  “Why?” Alexandra asked.

  He paused. “Because it is the only path left for me.”

  Though Koneh didn’t answer her question, Alexandra refrained from pressing the matter. Koneh and Erzulie knew enough to seek her out. Lilev mentioned that Derechi, the demon lord, also had interest in her.

  “We are on the run,” she said, all doubt far from her statement.

  He nodded. “Everyone’s looking for you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you are the only one who can re-open Eden for us all.”

  Alexandra huffed. “Yeah, no pressure or anything.”

  “Now that I know you,” Koneh said. “I wish things were different.”

  “How do you mean?”

  He exhaled. “You don’t deserve this. It is too much to ask someone so young.”

  Frowning, Alexandra said, “I’m not exactly a youth. I’ve been around a couple of blocks.”

  “Not these blocks,” Koneh said.
<
br />   Again, Alexandra felt crushed by the weight of her task. Could she really re-open Eden? It was almost too massive to comprehend.

  “Mind if I use that shoulder again?” she asked, her eyes pleading. She needed something stable in this world, and Koneh was her anchor.

  He nodded and gently guided her head to his shoulder. She recalled the dormant flame she felt in her heart when Koneh carried her into the bunker. That flame grew stronger in response to his touch.

  After a few minutes, he abruptly stood and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should not permit myself… This is not allowed.”

  Alexandra held his eyes with her stare and said, “What is not allowed?”

  “I cannot-”

  Alexandra stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew her feelings went beyond mere infatuation with her protector. She felt closer to him with the passing of each moment. He excited her in a way no man had ever done. He was dangerous and caring, troubled and resolute in his path. Her heart needed answers.

  “Nobody else is awake,” she said, her face close to his. “What are you afraid of? I see the way you look at me-”

  Koneh shook his head. “I am on a mission… I cannot indulge, even if I wanted to.”

  “You’re saying you want to?” Alexandra inched closer. His scars didn’t bother her and she wanted to know where each one was from.

  “No,” he said as he disengaged from her embrace. “I’m saying... I wish this task fell to someone else. Someone who I could look upon as an instrument, nothing more. You are more than Elah and the Church expected from their Revelation, and I am sorry.”

  With Koneh clearly returning to business, Alexandra sighed. She said, “Why are you sorry? You didn’t choose this fate for me. If this is indeed my fate.”

  He held her gaze a moment longer before he turned away. “I am sorry because you don’t deserve to be moved like a chess piece by someone else’s hand.”

  “I go to Eden because I wish to go,” she said. “Nobody is forcing me. Why do you think that?”

  Without answering, he walked towards the camp. What was he holding back now? Was she really a chess piece in some sort of cosmic game?

  The camp began to stir as the sky turned from black to reddish-black. Alexandra grabbed an MRE ration and walked to the rig where she found Santino and Marco.