Strength

Strength The sun was sitting low in the sky by the time Tommy and Cindy made it back to the wagon with Servus in tow, wielding a small video camera. Tommy had to admit that the automaton vaguely weirded him out. He looked for all intents and purposes like a fifteen-year-old boy—albeit one with an incredibly bizarre fashion sense—but he didn’t act, or even stand like it. He stood stock-straight, and stared directly ahead unless directly spoken to. Yet the shape of his eyes almost suggested sadness. Tommy wondered why anyone would design him like that. But more worrying than that was this whole thing that Cindy had found herself involved in. “So, let me get this straight,” he began on the walk over. “You let this older guy you’ve only known for a few months drag you into this crazy mess? And that’s not even mentioning the fact that he’s a two-thousand-year-old vampire and the ‘mess’ is this insane, centuries-old quest for ‘The Truth’?” “Yes,” she said simply, not even pausing. “I know it seems strange, but I trust Lucius. I know things about him that most people don’t. Occasionally I even think I might understand him. And if I’m honest, I think I want to find the Truth just as much as he does, and as Aurum does.” “Why?” Tommy asked. “You don’t even know what it is. It could be dangerous.” Cindy just shook her head, laughing. “If it wasn’t dangerous, no one would want it. And you’re one to talk, Mr. ‘Lives-his-Life-in-Dangerous-Situations.’” “Th-that’s different,” he sputtered. “How so?” “Well...” There was a second’s pause as Tommy thought. Then he sighed. “That’s what I thought,” Cindy stared off towards the setting sun. By then they had reached the abandoned lot, and the playground across the street seemed almost uncanny in its emptiness. Servus lifted his video camera towards the wagon. “Are you recording for Aurum?” Cindy asked, as Tommy leaned against the rounded side of the wagon and started whispering to it. Weirdo. But she blinked when Servus shook his head. Before she could open her mouth to ask just what he was doing then, he hit the record button, and Cindy jumped as a voice came through the tiny speakers. “Hello all! Can you hear me?” “Aurum?” “Yes, that would be me.” Cindy grabbed the camera from Servus, looking at it from all angles. It was an old digital camera, there was no way it could transmit anything anywhere. “How are you doing this?” “I’m seeing through the camera.” Moving behind her, Tommy looked as well. “Yes, but how?” “I’m... seeing through the camera,” they could hear her blinking in confusion. “Okay...” Cindy began, “But—you know, never mind.” Servus gave her a look, one that explicitly said to not question it that Cindy was surprised. But then he turned towards the wagon, holding out the shot for the camera, and the moment passed just as quickly as it had come. He began to inspect the vehicle, with Aurum chirping instructions through the camera, which Servus followed without question. “And you have no control over where it takes you?” Aurum asked Tommy. He shook his head. “Nope. She’s always taken us, uh, me, where she thought I needed to be.” “Hmm. Fascinating.” They could hear her frown. “You speak as if it has a consciousness.” “Sometimes I think she does.” Tommy patted the wagon’s side. “She’s always at the right place, at the right time.” “May we have a look around inside?” “Sure,” he nodded, leading the way into the dark interior. Cindy waited outside; there certainly wasn’t enough room in there for all of them. She did have to admit, it was slightly uncanny that the wagon—Mathilda—had brought Tommy home now of all times. The last few months had been some of the strangest of her life. Bask in September, she’d had no friends, nothing to do, just... nothing. Now she was with her former history teacher, who was older than her by about two-thousand years, her long-gone brother was resurrected right before her eyes, and she had enough friends to count on one hand. Shut up, that was quite an achievement for her! Niko and Lila, Aurum, and maybe even Servus. They were a strange assortment to be sure, but they were her strange assortment. Now if Mike would just come home more often, her life would be damn near perfect. The world was a strange place. Just as soon as she had given up on the worth of her own life, she’d been endowed with a purpose, and people to share it with. Tommy emerged from Mathilda’s back door a second later. “They looked like they needed some space,” he grunted. “I never told you why, did I?” Cindy spoke suddenly. “Why what?” “Why I’m searching for the Truth.” Tommy looked at her expectantly, and she sighed, smiling. “Because my friends want it. I can see it in their eyes. They’re all desperate for answers. And they helped me find mine, so I figured I could return the favor. Being a witch might actually be useful for once.” “How... did you become a witch?” Tommy asked. “You never told me.” Oh boy. She was going to need to sit down for this. Mathilda’s step looked inviting. “I killed someone. Obviously. It’s sort of the rule. You commit the ultimate sin, you get the ultimate powers. It was my chemistry teacher,” she blurted. “Accidentally. Kind of.” “You what?” “I had a C- and I had been too prideful to ask for help the whole semester. He wouldn’t let me do any extra credit so I just lost it and... smashed a vial of acid over his head.” Tommy frowned. “That doesn’t sound like you at all.” “You didn’t know me back then,” she smiled sadly. “I was about to panic, when a daemon appeared and offered me a deal: he’d give me the power to save myself, in exchange for my perspective. I agreed, he gave me a book, and vanished.” “Wait a second,” Tommy interrupted. He paused, and Cindy could see him putting the pieces together. “Back at the pub, you knew Cowell. He wasn’t...” The words died as he looked over to Cindy.

“That son of a bitch.” “It’s not that bad, really.” “He took advantage of a terrified girl! I’ll get it back for you,” he promised. “I know where he keeps the things he takes.” But Cindy shook her head. “Don’t bother,” she said. “I’ve gotten used to it. And besides, if I had my perspective, I wouldn’t be here with the people around me.” “He’s still a sick bastard.” “You’re getting really worked up over him,” Cindy noticed. “But honestly, I don’t think he is.” “How can you say that?” Tommy’s fingernails dug into his palms as his fists clenched. Cindy looked strange as she stared back at him. It was that same expression she’d had when she’d handed him his good-luck charm, all those years ago. “I think he knew.” “Knew?” “I think he took my perspective on purpose, so I could see what was really important.” Tommy looked at his sister. After everything she’d been through, she looked strong. He was almost jealous. He wished he could be strong like that. “And I think there’s another reason we’ve all been brought together like this: you and me, Lucius and Aurum, Niko and Lila.” Tommy felt a sudden chill in the air. “I think something’s going to happen. Any day now, I can feel it.” “How do you know?” “I don’t. But whatever it is, I think we need to be ready.” They didn’t know how right she was. Somewhere close by, a broken girl was waiting for her revenge, a broken boy and all of her associates by her side. It was time. It was time. Time for the world to come crumbling down.