Almost all the anxiety had fled Caleb since Styx arrived hours ago. Stars, was it really hours? Had they spent nearly all day together? No wonder his mood was bordering on euphoric. Even with the tendrils of fear that horrible vision caused.

Caleb leaned against the thick hardwood desk in the basement. He wore a stupid goofy grin across his face as he watched her. Styx seemed born to be bathed in semi-darkness. Everything about the dim light complemented her. From the slight shimmer of her clothes to the radiance of her exposed skin. She was so pretty that it hurt.

Sometimes when she turned halfway, revealing her delicate profile, he had to bite down on his knuckle to hold back a cry of jubilation. She simply looked too damn beautiful, bathed in light and shadow, all gentle planes and curved silhouettes. It was like watching a myth come to life. An ethereal goddess to tempt humanity into sin.

[https://i.imgur.com/Ngyga9f.png]

“This is your collection of relic stones?” Styx asked, sorting through a big box.

“Yep, whenever I find one in the wild, I have to get it. They’re just too useful.”

“Except this is fake.” She pulled out a stone and casually tossed it.

The tablet dropped to the stone floor where it smashed on impact, cracks spiderwebbing outward across its surface. Shards and debris exploded outward from the point of collision, skittering across the ground in a chaotic, glittering spray. His insides seized, and he almost cried out. But if the immortal magical being declared it fake, it had to be.

“Oh, fantastic.” She held one up. “This one is excellent. A friend of mine created it.”

He perked up. “Oh! Who?”

“Raiden.”

Caleb tripped as he rushed to her side. “Raiden? The Thunderbird?”

“Yes, they are really cool. Super chill. You labeled it incorrectly, though.”

“How? Why? What?”

“It’s not loud noise that strikes, it’s rolling thunder across ocean. But still a great resource. Combine this with some seaweed, storm cloud and crushed coral to get Tempest’s Wrath.”

“Oh, that sounds epic.”

“You can use it for several spells. One, Aquatic Resonance is fun when you’re at the beach.”

“What does it do?”

“Allows the caster to command marine creatures.”

“That’s so awesome! Let’s go to the beach!”

“Calm down there, Cal. Afterwards, you can’t eat any seafood for six months. It will make you super sick.”

“Oh, well, I don’t each that much seafood.”

Styx grinned up at him. God, he was fast becoming addicted to that expression. Who knew that a mundane and ordinary movement like a smile could be so potent? One day, he hoped to wake up to that smile each morning and fall asleep beside it every night.

“These are fakes.” She tossed out two more tablets that promptly shattered on the ground.

“Uh, don’t misunderstand. I completely and totally love you’re doing this…but um, it’s a little messy.”

Styx eyed the growing pile of rock debris. “Humm, I can take care of that.”

With a twist of her wrist, a flood of magic burst from her hands. The dark mist vanished completely as it flowed across the floor. But a mini-tornado of stone rubble and dust sprouted.

“Eek!” Caleb jumped up to the table and tucked his legs under him.

The tornado left behind a sprawling crystal structure the size of a globe. Caleb gaped at the intricate formation of geometric amethyst shards clustered with budding spikes of emerald and crimson quartz.

The gems pulsed with a trickle of magic, filling the air with a low, resonate hum. As Caleb peered in, bands of citrine and aquamarine winked up at him, swirling together like distant galaxies.

[https://i.imgur.com/BhXIAlm.png]

“What is it?” he asked.

“Crystal Garden of Dreams.” She reached inside and moved a crystal.

When the pattern was complete, all the crystals held a muted and soothing red. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. Just staring at the display was making him sleepy.

“I’m going to give it to Emma, if you don’t mind.”

He perked up. “Great idea. She’d really love this.”

“It will provide a sense of wonder, tranquility and help her sleep. But if you…”

“Awww! Don’t do that to me!! I won’t be able to concentrate on anything until you tell me.”

Styx smiled, a mischievous tint to her eyes. For a horrible second, he thought she might refuse. “I can add crystals if you were ever, if you’re ever, in a different realm. If you add them from the other realms, she’ll be able to use it to see you in her dreams.”

“That’s so AWESOME!”

“It will also make sure she doesn’t have nightmares and protect her subconscious from malicious intent while she dreams.”

“So no visits from Freddy?”

“Exactly, but Morpheus can still visit, just no evil spirits.”

He came closer, unsure how to express all the thoughts swirling inside him. “Thank you, Styx. This is very sweet, and I’m sure that she will love it.”

“You’re welcome. Now, where are the books?”

“You’re not going to smash them on the floor, are you?”

She grinned up at him and winked. Groan! He’d never seen her wink before and it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen in his life.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

He chuckled before leading her to the secluded corner of his basement. “Now, I have a lot of books…”

“No shit, you’re worse than Anubis.”

Caleb froze, turning to look at her. “Anubis? Like the Egyptian God?”

“Yep, he runs the Elysian Archives in the underworld. It’s an immense building.”

“A huge library? Like with a lot of rooms?”

“The last I asked, it was about 1200 rooms. He continually adds to the archives.”

“Ohhhhhhhhh, I’d love to see it.”

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Won’t happen, mortal. The underworld would kill you dead.”

He deflated, the idea of never seeing a 1200 room library made his soul ache! “But.”

“Nope.”

“But.”

“Still nope.”

“But…”

“Are you going to show me your collection, or should I just leave?”

He lurched forward and grabbed her sleeve. “Don’t go!”

“Then show me what you got.”

“Here.”

In what he thought was a dramatic gesture, he threw back the heavy tapestry protecting his prized collection. Except he smacked himself in the face, staggered backwards and nearly fell. Styx kept him from toppling over, laughing.

Caleb cleared his throat, rubbed his jaw, and tried not to look at her. Because if he did, he might faint.

“Uh, here we are! My prized books. Well, I prize all my books. I cried like a baby last spring when the pipes in the downstairs sink burst. Ruined two stacks. But these are special.”

“I can tell.”

As she held out her hands, the books seemed to react. The spines changing color and shifting slightly on the shelf. He sighed, shoulders slumping, as envy kindled in his chest over lacking any magical perception He’d tried for months and years and decades. But alas, the Creators didn’t deem him worthy, so he lacked magic or the ability to sense it.

Sucks to be him.

“Yes, these are all the grimoires, sacred texts, and scrolls I’ve come across.”

“They’re beautiful and deadly.”

Styx stopped her browsing and focused on one book in particular.

“I found that one in children’s bookshop in Alaska. Super random. I discovered it tucked in the corner next to Where’s Waldo and Eye Spy. Great story, I got it for a steal. The owner couldn’t remember where they’d picked it up.”

“It’s a record of Death.”

Caleb gulped. “Death, as in you Death?”

“Yes.” She picked it up. “Not me specifically, but the history of Death. An immortal penned it.”

“Oh, wow! I haven’t handled it much because I always felt rather disgusting after. Even with gloves with protective runes on it. The flight home was crazy. I got super sick, high fever, chills. They almost had to turn the plane around for an emergency landing.”

“You’re lucky. That’s the sign it’s killing you.”

She opened it up, and he came closer. Usually the pages were a dusty blue color with black text, but now they were a vibrant gray. The text was white, the letters morphing before finding their shape.

“This is my gift to you then, because, frankly, I’d prefer not to keep it if it’s going to be lethal. Emma has been getting curious, and I’d rather not have such books here.”

“Thanks, Cal!”

“Caleb.”

“This is sure an impressive collection. You’ve got an excellent range of materials.”

He rubbed his neck. “Yeah, I always seem to find the best ones. Whenever I go into a shop, it’s like they call to me.”

“That’s because they recognize you’ll be a proper steward. You take great care of them. Some have been seriously neglected. I know Rowan was excited to get Sealochrann back. She hasn’t stopped talking about it.”

“Good, I’m overjoyed to reunite them.”

“That makes everything worth it. If you see anything else that you would like to keep or Rowan, please help yourself.”

“You’d willingly part with these books?”

“I don’t know if ‘willingly’ is right. I love them all, even the deadly ones. But I’m a realist. I recognize it might be better for them and myself to have a magic immortal overseeing them.”

She looked back at the full shelves. “No, I sense nothing else that would pose too much danger. Besides, many of these books don’t want to leave. They like it here. You keep the humidity at an excellent level.”

“Oh good, soooo…” He leaned against the wall and attempted to be sexy. “Is this a date?”

Styx took one look at him and burst out laughing. Just when she calmed down, she’d glance at him again and laugh harder. That was a bad sign, right? If she couldn’t even look at him without laughing hysterically.

Finally, she brought herself under control. “What the hell? It was entertaining enough. Sure, Cal, let’s call this our first date. Consider yourself lucky. The last time I was with a mortal was 1974, Trevor. Excellent dude.”

Everything inside exploded and went in a thousand different directions at once. The fact that she had such a great time with him was exhilarating! But he wouldn’t think about her dating other guys. Nope, nope, nope.

“Really? I had no…”

Sudden dread exploded, seizing his pounding heart.

Everything slowed as the menacing click click of following footsteps echoed. Ragged breaths filled the silence, gasping for relief. Wicked chuckles flowed from the darkness, taunting and teasing.

Rancid acidic terror flooded his mouth as Emma’s face contorted, the guttural shrieks of a young life extinguished in agony. Soulless shining eyes peered close, victory reflected in the depths, rejoicing in triumph.

“Cal? Are you here?”

He had to escape this vision, had to reach her. The setting sun stretched the shadows of the hooded figures long and thin, obscuring their faces as they stalked the nearly empty school grounds.

A cloak flapped in the wind. The fabric smoked slightly, little wisps of gray rising from each movement. It was a dark blue color, deep and endless. The cowl covered everything, so that nothing was visible.

[https://i.imgur.com/ww5arCU.png]

Nothing except the neon blue eyes. Peering, digging into the soul. A low chuckle emerged, more resembling a whispered curse than a joyful expression. That sound alone was enough to terrorize and paralyze.

Emma’s fear flooded his mind, metallic panic coating his tongue. He could taste her racing heart, feel icy fingers clutching his spine. The figures reeked of ancient magic, of brimstone and blood.

“Caleb. This is a vision.”

They would kill her, snuff out her bright future because of him. Caleb strained against the images, every fiber burning. Sweat soaked his shirt as he fought to get to his niece, to save her from the demons’ claws before they tore her apart. He had to break free...

A scream split the air as red blood flowed across the cobblestone ground.

They bathed in blood, standing over a lifeless corpse.

Because these shadows will end her. Then he would have to hold his sister, as she cried over the body of her only child. Arrange a funeral. Buy a plot. Stand next to a closed coffin.

And Styx, poor Styx, would be called to escort her soul to the underworld. That would probably mean the end of their relationship. Because he couldn’t see her wanting anything to do with him afterward.

Still, the confines of the vision kept him trapped.

“Caleb!”

Something sharp collided with him, throwing him back. Styx saved him from falling onto the shelves as he sputtered and coughed.

“What the hell? You were lost, concealed. What happened?”

He gaped like a fish, unsure what or where he was. Then Styx lifted his head, so they were staring eye to eye. “Caleb.”

Oh, he should say something. But before he could get the words to form in his mouth, his pocket started vibrating.

Emma!

He scrambled frantically to yank the phone from his pocket and accept the call.

“Caleb,” Emma’s voice was not just freighted, but petrified. “Uncle, please help me.”

“Emma,” his frozen lips somehow formed the word.

“Magical beings are following me,” she whispered.

With those words, all the fear and paranoia crashed down on him. Absolute panic flooded his body, tainting each inch and flooding every area.

“They have no faces, but their eyes glow blue in the darkness. I’m scared. Can you come pick me up?”

Styx was gone. Before, her expression was soft and full of joy. Now, she contained only one thing: rage. That’s when he decided to never, ever, ever get on her bad side. Because if she ever turned that look on him, he’d become a puddle of goo on the floor.

“Help me.”

“Where are you?” he asked, finding his voice.

“Outside of campus.” Her words wavered. “They’re shadows. Haunting shadows.”

“Go to a business.”

“There’s nothing,” she sobbed. “Nothing.”

“Fuck.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”

Now there were even more emotions swirling helplessly inside of him. Because he might not make it in time to save one of his last blood relations. Demons could kill that sweet, innocent girl today.

A cool hand pressed down on his arm and with a flash he remembered Styx. That’s right, she was an immortal god. A powerful magical creature that could save his niece.

“Stay out of the shadows,” he said. “Hold your protective amulet in your hands, make sure it’s in the sunlight. Speak these words: By sunlight rays and warm grace, a shield of light, a sacred space. In whispered words, we weave the light, guard my soul, keep darkness from sight.”

“I can’t,” she cried.

“You can. You have to. Listen, Emma. We can’t stay on the phone.”

“No!” she cried out, and the terror in her voice caused his chest to ache worse than he could remember.

“I’m sorry. Cellphones mess with spells. Hang up and repeat those words, over and over. I’ll be there soon.”

“Please, no! I’m scared. I don’t want to die.”

“I know, I’m frightened…”

“No!” Emma shouted, and the urgency in her tone made ice appear in his veins. “No! Get away!”

“Emma!”

Frantic, he pressed the phone closer to his ear. Then more desperation and fear exploded. Emma wasn’t speaking because she was running. He could hear the thump thump of her feet against the ground.

All he could think about was the day she was born. Holding that bundle of hope and possibilities was the most amazing thing he’d done. She was so tiny and precious. To be ended by demons, have her last moments be in fear and panic. That was the worst way to die. The worst way to pass to the next life.

“Leave me alone!”

Her voice became muffled by the panting exertion of running and her distance from the receiver. But the emotion was obvious. More footsteps fell, this time muffled by grass.

The earpiece caught bits and piece of wind, creating a low menacing sound. Emma was running for her life. The demons were going to end her, kill her before he did anything. Every fiber in his entire body was crying out, lamenting, and cursing.

“Stop!” Emma yelled.

The word triggered another vision, shouts catching in his paralyzed throat. Emma’s backpack weighed down her exhausted body as she forced herself to keep running.

The demons edged closer, dark robes billowing, blue eyes glowing with twisted delight at her panic. Emma collapsed to the ground, terror stealing all her strength. She raised a shaking hand, begging for mercy.

No! He lurched to his feet, only to fall. The pain in his knees was nothing, but his phone struck the stones and shattered.

“NO! No! No!” He scrambled to grab the pieces and shove them together. “No. Emma.”

Shadows pressed against him, and the cold caress of magic slipped over him. With tears falling, he looked up.

As the last tendrils of sunlight faded from the window, Death emerged from the shadows.

[https://i.imgur.com/hCN1t8R.png]