Order of the Shattered Cross: Pt. 10

"I escaped this place once. I don't think I can do that twice," Timothy said, and Flauros shrugged.

"Magic underpins the entire universe. Even here."

"Magic works here?" Timothy asked.

"Magic from Earth can reach into his realm. Those in it, cannot use it," Flauros explained. "Magic is drawn from the lifeforce of the Earth itself. It has nothing to draw from here."

"I know we don't have the best history, but will you guide me to Eterna?" Timothy asked.

"I have had much time to reflect Timothy. Grudges age like milk. Our grudge brought me here, and I have nothing to blame but my own hubris. This is my penance. I accepted that long ago. I can show you to your witch," Flauros said and raised his hand. "She may not be who you remember. She may not remember you at all."

"I'd like to see her regardless," Timothy said, and Flauros nodded.

"Goodbye, Timothy Augustine."

Timothy felt like he was falling through the darkness again, until he landed belly first on a surface. He did not feel pain, but annoyance, as he rolled over onto his back.

"I hate this place," Timothy said as he sat up. "Eterna!"

"Who's there?" a voice called back. Feminine. Girlish.

"It's me," Timothy said, and stood up to quickly run toward her. "Timothy."

"Timothy?" she asked. "That name sounds familiar."

"It's me," he said, and suddenly fell into a chasm he couldn't see. His body slammed against the bottom, only this time, it hurt. He groaned as he rolled to his back and coughed from the loss of air in his lungs. He was nearing a thousand years. "Pain. Sweet, life confirming pain."

"Who's there?" Eterna's voice asked.

"It's me," Timothy coughed out. "Timothy."

"Timothy?" she asked. "That name sounds familiar."

"Timothy Augustine. Our souls were entwined for decades. You need to remember me," he replied as he climbed out of the chasm.

"Timothy?"

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you."

Timothy followed her voice, carefully this time, and slowly moved by sliding his feet across the darkness.

"I promised that you'd never be alone again," Timothy said as he shuffled to her. "We defeated the Void together. You sacrificed yourself to save the world."

"That doesn't sound like me," Eterna said. "I hate...hated the world. It was nothing but cruel and unfair to me."

Her voice sounded close, so he reached out to find her. He touched the top of her head, and she reeled away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed.

"Sorry, sorry," Timothy said, backing away slowly, then crouched down. "You did save the world though."

"Timothy? Why do I know you?" she asked.

"Like I said, our souls were entwined, for a very long time. You even granted me your name and permitted me to use your magic."

"I did?" Eterna asked. "Why would I do that?"

"I chose to come here, because I promised you'd never be alone again. You knew I kept my promises. Is that the kind of person you would trust?"

"I suppose," she said. "Timothy?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Timothy. Timothy," Eterna said, and placed her hands onto her face. "I hardly remember anything from before I was here."

"It's not all there for me either, but I'm desperately holding onto what I can," Timothy said. "I never forgot one name. I said it, over and over, so I wouldn't forget. Eterna. Your name."

"Timothy...Timothy...I said that name when I first came here. You?" she asked.

"I'd hope, unless you were expecting a different Timothy," he replied with a small chuckle.

"I shared my magic?" she asked, her mind beginning to flutter. Or was it something else that fluttered? Her stomach? Her heart? A memory flashed through her mind, and she winced as it did.

"I Eterna, daughter of Lilith, grant Timothy Augustine, fractured and my mortal vessel, my name and complete essence," she remembered herself saying. She kissed his forehead, and he thanked her.

"Timothy?" she asked again.

"Thank you for loving me enough to try to stop me. But you need to let me go," she remembered herself saying before she woke up in the darkness.

"Timothy?" she asked, and it all came rushing back. A lifetime of memories refilled her mind like water in an empty glass. "Timothy. Timothy!"

Eterna stood up and dove at him to wrap him in a hug. With her memory unclouded, it was like the world became clearer as well. They could now see each other, as if they were the only light in the world to the other.

"You remember?" he asked.

"Everything," she cried. She squeezed him tight, and then started to slap downward at him.

"Whoa, what the, stop it!" Timothy said, covering his face as she swung at him.

"I did it to save you, you asshole!" Eterna screamed in anger. "What the hell are you doing here!"

"I made a promise," he said, and she sat down next to him and placed her head on his arm.

"Eve?" she asked. If Timothy was here, she feared Eve was somewhere in this nothingness as well, and her second death amounted to nothing.

"We brought the Void to Eden. I gave her last rites and collapsed the world on top of them. She's with the Creator," Timothy said, and she thanked him.

"I hate you, so much," Eterna said. "Trapped here for an eternity together?"

"Looks like it," Timothy said.

"You got a joke to pass the time?" Eterna asked, and he chuckled.

"Why is six afraid of seven?" Timothy asked.

"You got one not from a popsicle stick?"

"Never mind then," Timothy said, and she giggled.

"I could have worse company," Eterna said with a shrug. "I tried magic in here the first few lifetimes. Just doesn't work."

"Magic from Earth can touch this realm, but it can't be produced from it."

"At least that explains how we got out the first time. Indigo's enchantment. Shame that won't work. The condition was for Sister Frost."

"Yeah," Timothy said, and suddenly laughed. They might have had a way out after all. Indigo wasn't the only one to create an enchantment to bring her to him.

"What?" Eterna laughed.

"That nosy bitch," Timothy said with a smile.

"What nosy bitch...Nora?" Eterna asked. "When you say her name, it's enchanted to bring you to her. Do you think?" Eterna asked. Could that enchantment still be active?

"One way to find out," Timothy said. "There is no guarantee it'll take you with me."

"Worth a shot regardless," Eterna said, and hugged him as tight as she could. "If this doesn't work for me as well, please, don't come back. Promise me."

"I can't promise that," Timothy said and hugged her tightly. "Let's just hope it works. Nora." The enchantment activated and he began to glow. "Hold on."

Light grabbed Timothy, and when it vanished from the abyss, they both went with it.

--

Nora sat alone in the holding chamber, awaiting any news of her future. The room was not as large as a ritual chamber and resembled more of a jail cell. A single bed, a single table. A bucket. An extremely powerful enchantment that electrocuted the occupant if she dared used magic in it.

Chances were likely she'd be found guilty as a traitress and stripped of her magic. A fate worse than death for her kind. She heard footsteps and turned to face the witch who would be dropping off her food. At least she was being fed well. Always a bowl of soup, salad, and bread for dinner. When she turned, she saw the tray, but was shocked by the person carrying it.

It had been a month since the battle against the Void. Over fifty witches lost their lives. It sent shockwaves across the entire Confederation. The largest loss of magical life since the last Witch Hunt. Indigo was already being hailed as one of the greatest witches of her age. When the crisis was over, she turned down the role of High Priestess as she was only appointed as an emergency leader. When the election was held, she refused it, and Annette, daughter of Anita, was elected as the High Priestess of the Eastern Covens.

"High Priestess," Nora said dismissively as Indigo placed the tray on the table. "Never mind, you lost the election. Any news on my trial?"

"I didn't lose, I withdrew. I know that's hard for someone as power hungry as you to imagine. It's been decided because your crimes occurred as a High Priestess, you'll be judged by the other High Priestesses of the Confederation. It'll take some time to arrange a trial."

"So, I'm here for longer," Nora said. She sat at the table and examined her food.

"Your sister woke up," Indigo said, and leaned against the wall. Nora took her bread and bit into it after softening it with the soup. "She'll make a full recovery."

"Like you care," Nora said.

"You're right, I don't," Indigo said. "You didn't care for my sisters."

Nora slurped her soup loudly, and pretended she wasn't there.

"A lot of witches died because of your negligence," Indigo said.

"I'm not the one who led them into battle," Nora said.

"Thank Lilith for that," Indigo said, and Nora scoffed. "The next time we speak, it'll be at your trial."

Nora ignored her, chewing loudly to indicate her complete lack of interest in the conversation. Nora cursed aloud, dropping her spoon which clattered on the floor. She was just shocked by the room. Nora didn't use her magic, but the room responded like she had.

"What?" Indigo asked.

They both jumped as something suddenly appeared in the chamber. It slid across the ground and slammed into the side of her bed. It broke apart, a smaller piece flying over her bed and landing on top of it after bouncing off the wall. The objects began to groan as they tried to stand up. Timothy was somehow on the floor with half of his body under her bed.

"Timothy?" Indigo asked, but then became speechless as he used the bed to stand up and immediately sat down on the mattress.

"Goddamn that hurt," a female voice said. Eterna used the wall next to the bed to crawl up to her feet. While standing on the bed she was as tall as Timothy was sitting on it.

"You don't get used to that," Timothy grunted out.

"Wait...that hurt?" Eterna asked, and Timothy looked at her. And he could see her.

"I'm not a Fractured anymore," Timothy said and reached out to touch her face. She took his hand before it arrived and held it against her cheek. "Are you?"

"Am I?" Eterna asked. "Slap me."

"What? No, I'm not going to slap you," Timothy said, and Eterna asked him again. He lightly smacked her cheek with his fingertips. He felt her. She felt him.

"I have a body. My body," Eterna said, and jumped on the bed and saw it sink under her meager weight. "I'm alive?"

"Timothy?" Indigo said, and they both turned to her. "Timothy!"

Indigo ran across the room and tackled him into the bed in a hug.

"Get a room," Eterna said, and Indigo looked up at her. Indigo reached out and quickly tugged on her hair which yanked her head down. "That hurts," Eterna said, but sounded happy about it.

"How are you here?" Indigo asked.

"Nora enchanted me a while back. Knowing her, I figure it was still active," Timothy said and grinned at Nora.

"I enchanted my name," Nora said, then looked at Eterna. "It pulls you anywhere you are, body and soul, to me. Your souls are entwined, so you're spiritually one being. There is no reason it would make her material."

"We're not entwined anymore," Timothy said, and then looked at Eterna. "How would that pull her body back. She didn't have one."

"You were pulled from the abyss. From nothing to material. Magic can't pull nothing, but it needed to pull you. It made you material to fulfill the enchantment," Indigo said, but it honestly sounded like speculation on her part.

"Magic, remade my body?" Eterna asked, and Indigo shrugged.

"There is so much we'll never understand about magic."

--

It had been several months since Timothy and Eterna had returned from the abyss. Eterna had returned with a living body. She had also grown since then, so she knew she was no longer immortal. She got a second chance at the life she had always wanted. In the modern world, a young girl suddenly existing could be problematic. Paperwork needed to accompany her newfound personhood.

Timothy walked side by side Katrina on a path near her Rhode Island home. It was just after new year, and most of New England was under snow. They both wore winter coats and boots as they strolled down the path. Timothy had maintained an open offer for Eterna to live with him, but she didn't care to. They needed other accommodation for her.

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this," Timothy said to Katrina who had offered to house Eterna. Katrina had imagined what her life would have been if her and Timothy remained together after she broke her vows from him. If they had, their children could be Eterna's age. Katrina also knew Eterna needed to be with someone familiar with her background. No one else could be trusted with that.

"No one else could understand her," Katrina said with a warm smile. "Besides. I've fostered kids before."

"She's not a kid," Timothy said.

"Of course she is," Katrina said. "What about you?"

"What about me?" he asked.

"Not a Fractured? Not committing to being a Priest?" she asked.

"I like sex way too much," Timothy said, and she laughed. "I just secured some land in Idaho."

"With what money?" she asked.

"I didn't work for free, and I haven't really bought anything in years. The church basically gave me a severance package on my way out," Timothy explained.

Along the trail was a bench. Sister Frost sat next to Eterna and were talking until they saw the two of them approaching. Sister Frost stood up, and Eterna had to swing her feet out to make a small jump to land on her feet.

"Sister," Timothy said with a smile she returned. She handed him a manila envelope which he opened. Inside was paperwork to help Eterna start her new life.

"Birth certificate. Social Security card. Medical records, including dental. Speaking of which, watch out, she already has a sweet tooth," Sister Frost said to Katrina who giggled.

Timothy pulled out her birth certificate. Emily Lilith Augustine. Timothy was annotated as her father with Katrina as her mother. On paper they had joint custody.

"You can still live with me if you want," Timothy said and slid the paperwork back into the envelope.

"I just spent forty years with you. I'd like to experience life without you for a while," Eterna said with a grin. "Not saying forever. You better visit, dad."

"I will, daughter," he said, and they both laughed.

"Thanks again," Timothy said to Katrina who nodded.

"I have a room all set up for you," Katrina said and gestured for Eterna to follow her. Eterna started to but stopped a few steps later. She ran back to Timothy who knelt to hug her.

"I'll visit soon," Timothy said, and Eterna kissed his cheek and followed Katrina. "See you later, kiddo."

Timothy and Sister Frost started walking in the opposite direction. "Thanks for handling the paperwork," Timothy said, and she nodded, saying it wasn't a big deal. "Did they assign you a new Fractured?"

"They have. I'll be joining Theo in Florida next week," Sister Frost said.

"Tell her hello from me," Timothy replied.

On the left side of the trail was a public bathroom. Leaning against the side was Indigo who smiled when she saw them.

"Ready to go?" Indigo asked, and Sister Frost nodded. "Where to?"

"Back to Savannah, please," Sister Frost replied. Indigo's eyes lit up, and a pentagram turned on the door to the restroom. "Don't be a stranger."

"See you around," Timothy said, and hugged her Indigo did the same. The door shut behind her, and Indigo cut off the connection.

"Idaho?" Indigo asked, the confusion evident in her tone, and Timothy nodded. The door was prepared, and they walked through it together.

They stepped into a dilapidated structure. Dusty and dirty from years of neglect. Parts of the ceiling had fallen, allowing winter to claim several parts of the room. It was a miracle there was still a roof at all. Consistent precipitation had rotted the floors. Two pews remained, one tipped over, the other broken in half from a fallen support beam that once stretched across the ceiling. There was a large cross on the back wall behind the alter, held to the wall by one screw, so it tilted to the left.

"Interesting choice of real estate," Indigo said as she stepped over the debris.

"It was Johan's," Timothy said and sat on the stairs leading to the altar. "I'm going to rebuild it and preach here."

"Minister Augustine?" Indigo teased and sat next to him. "I could get some witches here. Fix this place right up in fifteen minutes."

"Defeats the purpose," Timothy said, and she nodded, knowing he'd say that.

"Minister's can have sex, right?" Indigo inquired.

Timothy kissed her, and she held his face and brought them closer.

"Sorry to interrupt," a voice said, and Indigo lunged up, eyes blue and shining, ready to defend herself. The suddenness of his arrival spurred her worst instincts. "May I have a moment of Timothy's time?"

"Who are you?" Indigo asked.

"I'll be fine," Timothy said and stood up. He touched Indigo's shoulder and nodded when she turned to him. "Trust me."

Indigo's eyes returned to normal, and she reluctantly left the church through the front door in a traditional manner to ensure she was still close in case Timothy misjudged this meeting. Something about the man unsettled her in a way she couldn't describe.

"I was wondering when I'd see you," Timothy said as the man dropped a table between the two of them. Timothy sat down on the stairs of the alter, and the man sat himself on a large ornate chair. "I'm sorry we haven't played."

The man had many names, but in casual conversation preferred to be called Morgan.

"Couldn't be helped," Morgan said, and prepared a chessboard between them. "I play black."

"Of course," Timothy said and made the first move. "How much did you know?"

There were too many coincidences for Timothy's liking. He didn't believe in fate, but he certainly believed someone had a plan. Too many chess pieces were perfectly aligned to stop the Void. He only wondered which piece he was.

"You know I can't interfere in the affairs of mortals. I can only offer a choice," Morgan said.

"You did put Flauros into the abyss," Timothy pointed out.

"Is he mortal?" Morgan asked, and Timothy shook his head. "That also wasn't my decision. The Creator let that play out as long as he could before he needed to act in a way he could. He doesn't interfere either, unless he absolutely must."

"Like sending me Sister Frost?" Timothy asked.

"We may have placed a finger on the scale to influence certain things. The choices were still theirs," Morgan admitted. "Perhaps a lecherous bishop in Savannah saw a picture of a new nun, and just had to get her for his cathedral. Perhaps I needed to make sure someone didn't board a bus to New York when she was twelve. Perhaps a few Voids needed to escape to alert a witch in Florida to an existential crisis. Perhaps I need to make a deal that if a Fractured beats me in chess, my disciple will stand down."

"You let me win?" Timothy asked.

After Timothy had sent Flauros back to hell, the demon took it personally. Katrina became his new exorcist shortly thereafter, and the pair spent half a decade in a two-person war against Flauros's legions. The more demons they exorcised, the angrier Flauros grew. His attacks became more and more overt, so Morgan was forced to intervene to maintain the balance of the realms. He offered Timothy a conclusion to this war. A single match in a game of his choosing. Timothy chose chess.

"I didn't let you win," Morgan said, truthfully. "I had to keep the peace. Flauros couldn't keep sending his legions after you and Katrina forever. Something had to give. You chose chess. Why?"

"I figured the Devil couldn't cheat at chess," Timothy said, and took his turn. "Check."