Julian #3
“It wants something to feed on; it wants the unborn child. In exchange for saving his loved one, he wants his unborn son.” Madam Lu has her eyes squeezed shut, and I notice her hands are trembling slightly.
“What does? A demon? Did he summon a demon?” I can hear the desperation in my own voice.
“Yes,” she whispers. “His sacrifice fails, and to save his loved one and his unborn son, he… makes a bargain. At the altar, the man promises the demon of desire a child of his bloodline, under one condition. He must pass before the child is claimed.”
I’m hearing every word Madam Lu is spewing, but only growing more confused by the second. So the man gave the incubus a child, but he couldn’t claim it until the man himself died?
“I feel guilt,” Madam Lu continues. “He didn’t wish to see it. Giving the demon this offspring meant he would not see the destruction caused. The demon accepts these conditions, and the man’s loved one and unborn son are saved—but the curse has been placed.”
Slowly, her eyes begin to open. They’re watery and wide, as if she saw the whole thing unfold and will never be the same again. Not a second later, she drops the Black Book onto the table and takes a gasping breath.
I wait for her to calm before I speak again.
“Are you alright?” I ask, and she nods.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just… stay away from that magic, do you understand? There is never… There is never any good that comes from dealing with demons.”
I don’t have the heart to tell her I’m already dealing with a demon, so I just grab the book from the table and shove it back into my bag.
“Thank you for your time,” I say, and Madam Lu stands from where she was sitting.
“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help,” she apologizes. “If I had a way of contacting Serenity, I would, but I unfortunately don’t. She left quite a while ago.”
“You’ve helped plenty.”
Though I didn’t get any answers when it comes to the cure, I got plenty when it comes to the origins of the curse.
Madam Lu walks me out, standing awkwardly on the porch as I climb into my dad’s truck. I find it odd that she stays there, staring at me with what feels like a sense of dread, but psychics are weird in nature, I guess.
I begin the drive home.
So, it appears that Atlas was the chosen child of that man’s bloodline. Which means one of his ancestors did play with black magic, cursing his family.
Atlas will not like this.
I’m curious as to who it was and why Atticus wasn’t chosen when he was born first. Abigail was lucky to be born a woman.
I intended to tell Atlas as soon as I returned—to fill him in on what I learned. But now, having learned this, I’m reluctant to share. Maybe I should wait until I have more information, like who made that bargain, and why he was chosen.
Or, you know, literally anything about the cure.
As I enter the supply door of Chastain Castle, the Black Book securely back in my backpack, I run straight into Oscar.
He’s watching me with a pointed gaze, his back ramrod straight and his lips tilted into a frown.
“Good evening,” I say, moving to slide past him.
Oscar sidesteps, blocking my exit.
“Mister Julian,” he says harshly. “Can I speak with you?”
The book on my back suddenly feels one-hundred times heavier, but I nod, playing innocent.
“Sure. What can I do for you?” I ask.
“I just wanted to remind you of our house rules.”
“Oh! I haven’t brought anyone inside without permission or gone anywhere I shouldn’t,” I quickly supply, though I imagine the altar room would definitely be classified as somewhere I shouldn’t if Oscar were to learn of it.
Or… maybe he does know of it.
“Yes,” Oscar agrees, though his tone says otherwise. “But you should also remember to mind your own. Putting your nose in the business of others will only end in your own suffering. Do you understand me?”
“Are… are you threatening me?” I question, my tone telling me just how insane I believe him to be.
I get that the old man is taller than I am and definitely in good shape, but he’s still just that—an old man. Where does he get off threatening me?!
But Oscar just smiles. “Of course not. Just a friendly warning.”
Then he turns and leaves the room, where I’m left to stand in shock.
He was definitely threatening me.
In a rush, I escape to my room. Sitting on my bed, I pull out the Black Book and flip open to the page I marked with a stray scrap of paper.
A sacrifice is to be made, altar?, it will save Elizabeth.
It all makes sense. Everything Madam Lu said fits the scribbles on the page and the description of the incubus.
But how does that connect with the cure? What stipulations was this Serenity talking about? If Madam Lu hadn't looked so frazzled, I would have pressed her more, demanded she try again.
Now, I’m forced to figure this out alone.
The moon is out, sitting high in the sky and mocking me as it shines through the window.
A part of me wants to run up to Hall W4, to the door of the west tower, and up those stairs. To barge in and see exactly what might be happening in that room.
But a larger part of me is petrified of what I’d find; of what it’d do to me.
So, instead, I’ll sit right here on my bed, figuring out how to rid Atlas of it.
I just hope it continues to stay unaware of my efforts.