The Son of Light Book 1: Rebirth (11 page)

The Failed Plan

Nick

It was late in the evening. Nick awoke to the smell of fresh, clean sheets. The walls around him resembled a blue sky above a field of grass. He turned to his right and saw a large triangular symbol over the doors with the words
medical wing
over it. Then he turned to his left and spotted Josh in a bed at the end of the large room through the dim light.

He forced himself from his bed and collapsed onto the cold marble floor. He noticed that he was wearing a white hospital gown. His bandaged left calf throbbed with a stinging pain and his throat burned. He placed a hand on it and could feel the bandages around it too. Nonetheless, he continued to move towards his brother. When he reached the middle of the floor, he let out a loud cough, but continued to crawl.

After what felt like ages, he pulled himself up to Josh’s bed and immediately placed an ear on Josh’s chest. His eyes watered when he heard a heartbeat. He turned away from him to cough again, which brought him back down to the floor. The burning in his throat was unbearable. Blood was now spilling out of his mouth with each cough. Suddenly, the front doors were flung open and he heard a male voice.

“Alaura!” cried the voice.

He glanced up and saw Tyshawn rushing towards him with Zelda behind him. They picked him up and helped him onto the bed, next to Josh.

A few moments later, Alaura, dressed in a lavender flowered dress, rushed through the doors. She carried a silver bottle and a small cup with her. As Zelda cleaned Nick’s bloody hands with a towel next to the bed, Alaura sat on his bed, tipped the bottle over the cup and poured, what looked like tea, into it. She placed it Nick’s lips.

“Drink,” Alaura said politely.

Nick sipped from the cup, made a sour face, and pushed it away. It had a strong lemon taste with a hint of honey and mint.

“Nick.” she urged putting the cup back to his lips.

He sipped it again and the burning in his throat eased.

"How did we get here?” Nick said softly, turning to Josh. It hurt him to speak, but he was willing to endure the pain.

“We got a call from Seth telling us where you were. He’s still above ground in trouble somewhere. We’ve sent a recuse team after him,” said Alaura.

“We got a report from them sayin’ that everywhere they go, there is some crazy shit going on. Dead bodies, burning cities, what the hell happened up there?” asked Tyshawn.

“Hexen!" said Nick burying his face in his right hand.

Alaura, Zelda, and Tyshawn all gasped.

"What?" said Tyshawn.

"I knew it!" said Zelda clenching her fists.

“And I think Trent was helping him, too,” said Nick.

“They chased you all the way from Thousand Oaks? Why didn’t you call us?” asked Alaura.

“I wasn’t in Thousand Oaks,” said Nick.

Alaura and the others looked puzzled.

“Then where were you? And who is he?” Alaura asked glancing at Josh.

Nick paused as the others waited for him to speak. It was time to tell them everything. Forcing his mind off the pain in his throat, he spoke in the softest tone as possible.

“This stays between us. I want you all to swear it,” he said passionately.

They all swore to him, looking him dead in the eye.

“This is my adopted brother, Josh. He is the Son of Light.”

His friends’ faces were a mixture of shock and disbelief.

“Your brother?” asked Alaura. “Your mother never told me she had adopted a child.”

“She didn’t want anyone to know. After she died, I raised him myself in secret,” said Nick.

“What do you mean, the Son of Light?” asked Tyshawn.

“He’s the one who will defeat Hexen,” said Nick.

The room went quiet.

“Defeat Hexen?” repeated Zelda, sounding a bit skeptical.

Nick knew Tyshawn and Alaura were thinking the same way as Zelda, and how could he blame them? Hexen had terrorized his family and friends for decades. How could a sixteen-year-old boy stand a chance against a foe like Hexen?

“Do remember the story my mom told you all, after Hexen attacked Pasag? About the book of Rebirth and Death?

Zelda and Tyshawn nodded.

“Well, it also spoke about a person called, the Son of Light. The Son of Light would be reborn and fight against Hexen. My mom left this part out of the story because she wanted to keep him safe.”

“So that’s why you would leave for long periods of time,” said Zelda.

Nick nodded.

“She wanted to have things ready for Josh once we got here to the guild. Remember?” asked Nick turning to Tyshawn.

“Yeah. But she didn’t tell me about him. So you were training him secret?” asked Tyshawn.

“I wanted to, but I was afraid that Hexen would find us,” said Nick, “after Karl used his powers to save those people that day, I was sure it was the reason Hexen came after us. I was sure he saw Karl, or sensed him using his powers. Leaving Josh alone with that kind of power would be very dangerous.”

He saw images of Karl flashing through his head. How Karl had saved those people at the theater, and how Hexen had murdered him. And then his thoughts drifted to Trent.

“Trent lurking around only made things worse. I bought a house in Thousand Oaks to fool him and the guild, and left in secret to my other house in Porter Ranch. I couldn’t be too far or too close to Josh. I placed high level of protection around that house especially, and monitored all of his movements.”

His throat was in pain again and gestured to his godmother to give him more of the medicine. After take a big gulp, his throat felt cool again. He continued.

“But Josh became so uncontrollable, and I couldn’t handle dealing with him and the guild anymore. So I gave in, even though we hadn’t caught Trent yet, and even though Hexen could attack again.”

He buried his face in his hand with his eyes watering.

“I took ten years away from his life. I wouldn’t blame him if he never forgave me. If I can get him to understand why, maybe he will.”

Nick felt so relieved to finally tell someone he could trust, and yet at the same time, he felt so ashamed and guilty for the isolation he had put Josh through.

“Don’t blame yourself, you had no choice,” said Zelda softly.

“I contacted Seth,” Nick continued ignoring Zelda, “I was going to bring Josh to a safe house and then here to the guild. Seth, along with a few other guild members would wait for me at a safe house.”

“So Seth and those other guild members knew about Josh?”

“No,” said Nick sensing what Tyshawn was trying to say, “I didn’t tell them anything. All I said was that I needed them to help me with something. The safe house they were waiting in was heavily secured, but on my way back to the house everything went black, and I woke up in front of the college and found Josh. It had all been a trap.”

He paused leaving everyone else in awe.

“Shit,” said Tyshawn, amazed.

“My God,” said Alaura. “But I don’t understand one thing. He found you at Brevig College, coming from Porter Ranch? How did he get there? And why didn’t Hexen just kill him on his way there?”

“I don’t know. But whatever Hexen had planned, Josh must have defeated him.”

“How?” asked Zelda.

“His powers fully manifested, and he’s still breathing. Plus, Hexen hasn’t returned.”

“So then it’s ova!” said Tyshawn excitedly.

“No, I don’t think so. Both Hexen and his servant can regenerate their bodies. I don’t know what he did to Josh or where he’s gone now. Plus, according the Book of Rebirth & Death, Josh is going to need more than his current powers to defeat Hexen for good,” said Nick.

He heard Josh groan. Nick jerked around and saw blood coming from his nose and mouth. Tyshawn and Alaura rushed to him. Josh squirmed, clenching his fists as streams of tears poured from his eyes.

“What’s wrong with him?” panicked Nick.

He pulled himself out of bed with Zelda aiding him and collapsed onto his brother’s bed. Josh began to shake. Nick grabbed hold of him and felt Josh’s skin go from blazing to ice cold.

“He’s having a seizure!” shouted Alaura. “Get the doctor!”

Then after a few moments, Josh ceased moving. Nick felt his heart drop into his turning stomach.

“No, no, Josh, No!” sobbed Nick.

He felt no heartbeat, or pulse.

“No, Please no! Please, Josh!”

Nick was feeling lightheaded again. His lungs began to burn.
Was this Hexen’s doing?
He couldn’t pass out now. Josh needed him.
He can’t be dead! He just can’t be.
What if Trent or Hexen came into the room? Or what if Tyshawn, Zelda, or Alaura were lying? What if they were helping Trent?
Nick was scared beyond imagination that the moment he closed his eyes, it would be his last, or worse, Josh’s. But he couldn’t fight it. Seconds later, darkness was all he saw.

Lord Hexen’s Wrath

The Cloaked Figure

In the misty dark realm, red lightning flashed, illuminating wide canyons as black as night. Lightning bolts crashed against them, blowing off huge chucks of land into the pink and purple sea of ghostly orbs.

At the source of the thunderous bolts, on a small island surrounded in the center of the canyons, a man dressed in a black cloak cowered on his knees as he watched Lord Hexen storm around him covered in red bolts. He felt Hexen’s right backhand strike his face, forcing him to the ground. He saw Damen quickly move away from where he had fallen as Hexen stormed towards him again. The cloaked man grabbed the ends of Hexen’s cloak.

"Please! I beg you! I beg you! Forgive me!"

He peeked through the hood of his cloak and saw Hexen’s eyes bulging and veins throbbing across his face and neck. Suddenly, he saw a red flash. Hexen had shot a bolt of lightning. The burning pain was unbearable, and for a moment, he saw an image of Engel being ripped apart in purple lightning.
Please not that!
he thought as more lightning struck him. Then he felt Hexen’s foot hit him in the face, throwing him back to the ground with a bright flash. It felt more like a sledgehammer than a foot.

"I-I-I didn't know the boy would be that stron—”

He felt Hexen’s foot slam onto his chest.

“I was sure the plan would work, I swear it! I'd never betray you, my lord. Never!" he choked.

Hexen added more pressure and the cloaked man squealed.

“If you’re going to kill me, then p-please make it quick. I’d rather be dead than to live knowing you’ve lost faith in me, my lord,” the cloaked man sobbed.

Hexen curled his upper lip, groaning with his face still twisted with fury. But then the lightning ceased. The man felt Hexen decreasing the pressure on his throat. As he lay there, he heard Hexen’s footsteps storming away with Damen at his heels.

Now alone on the small island, the cloaked man sat up and pulled off his hood, revealing his pale face and blond hair. Tears ran down from his emerald green eyes as he wiped the blood from his nose and lower lip. How could he have failed his master? What would he do now? What would Hexen do with him now? Seth closed his eyes and began to weep uncontrollably.

The End

*Next Books*

The Son of Light Book 2: The M.B.S. Guild

The Son of Light Book 2.1: Fierce Fellowship Games