Balance (The Divine, Book One) (4 page)

I
looked at the phone Dante had given me. It was a newer model, a smartphone. I
lifted it up to my chest and turned it on. Along with the standard assortment
of apps was one titled
'Landon'.

 I
thought about opening it there, but I was freezing. I edged my way around the
torch to the small door that led down into the main stairwell. Please be open.
It was. I slipped inside and closed the door; glad to be out of the bitter
winter wind. Not that it was a whole lot warmer inside, but at least I was out
of the elements. I descended the ladder and made my way out to the staircase,
then sat down on a step and opened the app.

Buongiorno
Landon,

I'm
sorry that you will have to learn in this way. It means that we've been
compromised to Mephistopheles, and his Collectors have come for you. Be
thankful that I had suspected a traitor in our midst, and have prepared this
guide to help you on your journey to discovering your full potential and making
good on your promise. I will speak with you again once I can be assured that it
will not lead them to you. In the meantime, if you do nothing else, read the
entry titled ‘Rules’. Following the rules within will keep you alive. Yes, you
are 'alive', although not in the manner you are used to. You are Awake, and a
full member of the Divine, with all of the rights, privileges and power that
comes with it. You will find out what that means in time. Stay safe my friend.

Ciao,

Dante

There
was a menu item at the bottom that said 'Rules'. I pressed it, and read them.

1
              
Check
the inside pocket of your jacket.

2
              
Find
somewhere safe to read the rest of this guide.

3
              
Do
not travel at night.

4
              
Stay
aware of your surroundings. You will be able to recognize the Divine. Most of
the Divine will also be able to recognize you. Only the weakest will be fooled
by glamour.

5
              
When
in doubt, hide. They will know what you are, and they will try to kill you. You
have no allies.

6
              
Both
sides have human allies. The agents of good are called the Touched. The agents
of evil are called the Turned. They have some power that has been transferred
to them by the Divine, but they are still mortal. They will try to kill you,
but will not recognize you so easily.

7
              
You
can kill an angel with anything that has been cursed.

8
              
You
can kill a demon with anything that has been blessed.

9
              
You
cannot kill a Divine with anything that is not
Divine
.

10
          
Do
not lose hope and do not give up. You are special.

That
was it. A few bits of advice that read more like instructions, and a few
helpful tips that may or may not keep me alive. That part about killing angels
and demons; I couldn’t even fathom the concept, but if they really were going
to be out to kill me, I guess I wouldn’t have a choice.

I
reached into the pocket of the blazer, grabbing onto a large wad of paper with
a familiar feel. I unfolded it and a wedge of blank plastic the size and shape
of a credit card fell out. What was I going to do with a blank card? I tucked
it back into the pocket and spread the cash. It was mainly twenties and
hundreds
;
four thousand dollars. That wouldn't last me
too long, at least not in the Big Apple, but it was better than nothing.

Rule
one taken care of, now what about rules two and three? It was nighttime, and
Lady Liberty seemed safe enough for now. The problem was, come morning this
place would be crawling with people and I didn't know if I should be afraid of
that or not. How many
Others
were there? Did they mix
in with the population, or keep to themselves? What about their allies? I could
just picture Joe Blow the Tourist laying eyeballs on me and literally unleashing
Hell. Of course, I was on Liberty
Island
. There was zero way I was going
to get out without getting on a boat. There was no way I was going to get on a
boat without any other people on it.

Decision
made, I figured it best to at least head towards the bottom of the Statue, so
if nothing else I'd be set to make a break for the ferry right away. Once I had
gotten off the island I would find a hole in the wall somewhere and stay there
until Dante got back to me with some useful information.

I was
cold, slightly confused, and really scared. Through some strange twist of the
Universe I had been granted a second life. It occurred to me that this was not
the kind of second chance I would have imagined, and I doubt one that too many
people would have jumped at. What would have become of me if the dark angel's
sword had made contact? Dante hadn't had the chance to tell me what the
downside to this was, but I could guess. I couldn't go back to Purgatory, and
the other places didn't want me. Could a being just cease to exist completely?
Could I be erased from the Universe?

It
was a long way down, but to my surprise I didn't tire. I pounded onto the steps
with gusto, hopping two at a time and expecting to become winded with every
drop. I wasn't a total sloth, but I wasn't exactly Tony Horton either. I kept
my body in shape, but it was more of a visual in shape than an actual
efficiency in power and endurance. When I got to the bottom without even
breathing hard, I began to question Dante's assertion that I was alive. He had
called it being Awake. He claimed I had power. Maybe this was part of it.

I
didn't see any guards, but I assumed that one of America's national treasures
wouldn't be completely deserted. I pushed open the door to the stairwell,
trying to prevent any squeaks or whines from the hinges. The coast was clear. I
slipped away from the stairs and looked around. I assumed the outer door had to
be alarmed, so that was a no-go. What I wanted was the men's room.

I
circled around the entire area, past the old torch, up the steps and around the
exhibits. I had only been the Statue once before, and I never realized that
there was no bathroom inside the pedestal. I would have to find somewhere else
to hide out.

The
somewhere else turned out to be a small janitorial closet out of the way of the
main traffic lanes. I was fortunate in that the door was unlocked, hanging open
about a quarter of an inch when I spotted it. It was your standard maintenance
room; shelves with cleaning agents, buckets, mops, and so on. I turned on the
light hanging over the center of the room, found a comfy looking box to sit on
in the back corner of the small space, flipped the phone over to face me, and
opened the 'Landon' app again, pressing on 'Guide' in the menu.

*******

What
is written here has been collected through over five hundred years of
exhaustive research, along with a number of interviews conducted by Mr. Ross,
and through direct verbal interviews with Miss Charis Stone, the first true
diuscrucis to be granted access to the mortal
realm.
Miss Stone’s first hand experience is the most vital part of this guide, as it
will give you a common insight into what it means to be what you are, and to
take on the responsibility that you have. Read these words and take heed in
every message contained within. Do not expect that being Awake will be easy. It
is a difficult yet rewarding existence.

 The
assumption has been made that you have already read the rules, and are hiding
out somewhere safe so that you can read this guide. In order for you to be
prepared to survive the coming days, you must learn to control the universe
around you. This will not be an easy task, but I believe you will find it most
beneficial.

You
may be wondering what this means. When you were in Purgatory you had the
ability to change your surroundings at your will, although only subconsciously.
You hold this same power in the mortal realm, albeit to a lesser degree. How
much less, I cannot say. Your ultimate strength rests within yourself. Since
you are still wearing clothes, you have your first physical proof of this
power.

To
control it, you must above all things believe in it. This is not a simple task,
as you must let go of every natural law that you have ever learned or
experienced. These laws do not apply directly to the Divine, as the Divine
originated from the Creator to help guide the world He created. This does not
mean you will be able to fly, or walk through walls, or any such nonsense
because abuse of these laws can have catastrophic consequences on the fabric of
the universe that you are manipulating. The more you push, the more resistance
you will encounter. You do not have unlimited resources. You will become
fatigued and could lose consciousness if you push too hard, leaving yourself
open to your enemies, of which there are many.

Read
this first exercise, then close the Guide and practice it. Once you are able to
succeed in producing the desired effect, move on to the next page. Do not give
up, no matter how difficult it may seem.

Make
It Rain

1.Close
your eyes, try to relax

2.Think
about rain

3.Open
your eyes.

4.Focus
on a spot directly in front of you

5.In
your mind, command the water vapor to condense in the air, creating rain.

*******

I
turned off the phone and put it in my pocket. After what I had been through
already, how hard could it be to reject the laws of nature? Was there any
reason I couldn't make it rain? At the same time, it just felt silly.

I
closed my eyes and tried to relax, but even that proved difficult. I didn't
feel like I was any different now than I had been before. True, I had just
hiked down the Statue of Liberty without a sweat, but that was physical. I
opened my eyes and focused on a spot just in front of me. Rain! Nothing
happened. Rain! No dice. Dante had known this wasn't going to be easy. Anyway,
what else did I have to do while I waited for daybreak?

"Rain,"
I said out loud. I felt a small touch in my mind, as if I was actually using my
brain as a muscle to physically push something. Nothing happened. I concentrated
on that feeling, tried to duplicate it. Nothing. I took a deep breath and
started over, closing my eyes and slowing my breathing. When I opened them, I
was face to face with a vampire.

Her
face was only inches from mine. Her fangs were bared in the scariest, most
malicious smile I had ever seen. She had come out of nowhere, and hadn't made
the slightest sound. Her skin was a lifeless white, her hair and eyes black. I
could feel the animosity pouring off of her. Even if she had been a little girl
smiling at me and offering me candy, I would have known her intent.

"Oh
crap," I cried as I leaned to the side and started flailing like a fish,
desperate to get off the box and away from the thing.

The
force of her strike put chips in the wall where my chest had just been. The
momentum of my flailing sent me off my seat and onto her, shoving her back and
onto the floor. I fell on top of her, and by her expression I could tell she
was surprised by the maneuver. I guess she had been expecting someone who
actually knew how to fight.

Recovering
from her shock, she grabbed my shoulders and literally threw me off of her,
sending me slamming against the wall next to the door. I looked at it
longingly, but
who
was I kidding. There was no way I
could outrun or outfight this thing. I was done before I had even gotten
started.

She
hopped to her feet, not even using her hands to help push up. I got a good look
at her now. She looked to be between eighteen and twenty two years old, five
and a half feet tall, an athletic build, and a small face with high cheekbones.
Her eyes had changed from all black to a more human looking, and quite striking
blue. She was wearing a cropped leather jacket over a pink tank, a short black
skirt and medium-heeled black boots that cut off just below the knee,
accentuating her pale, well-toned legs.

She
stood there and looked at me. If she hadn't been a demon-spawn who was about to
kill me, I might have been thinking about asking her on a date. Why wasn't she
finishing the job? I was the mouse and she was the cat. It made sense.

"What
are you?" she asked me.

I
hadn't expected her to speak. It caught me off guard. "Wh
..
.
what
?"

"You
smell like a seraph,” she said, “but you fight like a human."

I
didn't know what to say. I figured either way I was about to become a meal, so
I went with the truth.