It was a harsh truth every man woman and child would have to learn one day. That the world they knew wasn’t the end all be all. That it was only a spec in the grand cycle of life. That there was and always had been more beyond the scope of humanity. That they weren’t alone. Not on Earth or outside of it.
For Morino, that was the truth he’d learned the day his eldest daughter was born. When those priests first showed up at his doorstep. When he first learned about the immortal’s soul.
“With all due respect, sir, Angelas is only one city. If it means saving the others, cutting it may be a necessary evil.”
Morino leaned forward in his chair, listening quietly to the exchanges of his generals. He’d made sure to handpick each from different military backgrounds so as not to risk oversight on his part. There were even a few admirals among the group, though he doubted the Coast Guard would be needed anytime soon. Or at least, he prayed it wouldn’t. A war on land was one thing. If they took the fight to the seas it would be near impossible to keep things under wraps.
As is, it was already touch and go with their weather alterations. Not to mention all the property damage, the demon sightings, and lest they forget that citywide blackout. If word reached the outside world. Or worse, the President…He tried not to let his biases show, his stone mask trained from years of front-line duty fixing into place. Even if he’d fallen into the world of tailored suits and politics, it was hard to forget those days.
“That’s still a US city, dammit!” General Thomas shouted, slamming his hand on the table. “What, you’re gonna throw away LA next? Queens? Jersey?”
“Noone’s taking over Jersey, Gary. Calm down.”
Thomas shot a look to the admiral across the table. Welsh always did manage to stay cool headed no matter what supernatural forces were on their doorstep. And they had indeed seen their fair share of them. From that invasion in Atlanta to the big foot sighting in Miami. She’d even helped out with the numerous raid attempts on 51 over the years. As far as Morino was concerned, the elderly lady had as much sway on the taskforce as he did.
“This isn’t rocket science,” she explained. “It’s one city or the entire nation. Take your pick.”
“We still have those mages. Chief Brown-“
“Is compromised.”
It was General Young speaking up again. A more recent addition, but he’d been brought up to speed quickly enough.
“I realize no one wants to admit it, but it’s the truth,” the general continued. “In times like these, we need soldiers more than workers. But Brown still sees this as just another easy mission for the mages. We’re on our way to war and he’s got our best airman doing grunt work.”
Stolen novel; please report.
His gaze shifted, along with a few of the others. After years of attending press conferences and closed-door meetings, Morino had long ago learned not to let his thoughts play across his face. Instead, he simply kept up the same stoney gaze as he looked back at them all.
“I am aware of Alice’s duty,” he said, making sure to keep his tone neutral. “I am also aware that Brown isn’t seeing the bigger picture. And yes. I do agree that she is our best weapon against those demons. When the time comes, she will be deployed to set things straight.”
There was silence at that, Admiral Welsh being the first to speak up again.
“Is that really a good call, senator?” she asked. “I know things are dicey, but…well, you know your kid. Sure we can trust her?”
“It’s not a matter of trust, Admiral. It’s of duty.”
Welsh didn’t seem convinced by that. Neither did anyone else. But he’d expected as much from his taskforce of military veterans.
When it came down to it, Alice really wasn’t the kind of soldier they could trust to win a war. Even one that hadn’t begun yet. She was too unfocused, arrogant, and down-right rebellious towards any semblance of the word authority. In fact, for a while he’d been afraid she’d snap and actually join the demon’s side. She’d certainly dabbled in the occult if her teenage search history was anything to go by.
No, they had no reason to trust Alice to fight their battles. To save humanity. But they had every reason to trust the soul forever tethered to her person.
“As far as I’m concerned, my daughter has no business fighting wars,” he spoke bluntly. “But I’m not talking about my daughter. I’m talking about the soul that resides inside her. Something I’ve taken great measures to gain control of. While she may struggle, it grows stronger. The more it recognizes its adversary, the more it will call to her in turn. That is the duty she inherited. And it’s why I firmly believe deploying her is our best course of action.”
He looked around the room, the looks of discontent waning one by one.
“Is the wizard’s soul that powerful?” General Thomas asked.
“As powerful as the demon it vowed to kill, yes,” Morino answered.
That seemed to quell more of them. Sure, some still seemed skeptical. But even they could not deny the truth of the matter. When it came down to it, Alice was only one vessel in a long line of vessels. And just like all that came before her, she would know to heed the call to fight. And she would be victorious. Whenever that time came.
“Is that why you called me here, sir?”
He looked over to the door, only realizing then that their final member had arrived.
Even with a circle of military veterans, it was just as important to have an ear to the ongoings of the forever haunted city of Angelas. And she’d been more than happy to come forward, using her expertise both as a high-ranking mage and as the mayor’s official secretary. Felissa Green offered a salute to all the members, many of whom fixed her with curious stares in return.
But then, maybe that was because she was the youngest person to join the taskforce.