and pulled Theroen around by the arms, heaving his son to the ground and landing on top of him. The creature was cackling, a horrific, mad sound, happy at last for action, after so many years of dark study.

Theroen screamed as he felt teeth tear through the flesh of his neck, opening his jugular vein in a warm gush. He struggled against the weight on top of him, to no avail, as the draining sensation began. Abraham was drinking. Laughing. Bathing in Theroen’s blood.

The world began to grey, and Theroen felt his strength flagging. No chance, now. He could not move Abraham. The pulse of his heart seemed to grow distant, like a receding tide. He saw faces. Lisette. Naomi. Melissa. Tori. Two. He fixated on this last, on the face of this woman that he loved. He wanted to focus. He wanted to see her eyes one last time. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry for everything, and that he would meet her in some other place, at the end of the mortal life his demise was buying her. He would wait there for her.

If only he could focus. If only he could see her eyes.

Theroen was still trying to make this happen when he died.

* * *

Two felt him go.

The sensation was like a sharp tugging that pulled at her whole body, and yet held no physical force. She stopped, bewildered for a moment, and then realization flooded in like a dark tide. Samantha and Tori were looking at her in confusion, but Two could not see them, could not see anything except blackness before her eyes. She felt Theroen’s presence -- so established within her that she had ceased even to notice it -- dwindling, blinking out of existence. She felt her knees unhinge, and the gravel by the side of the road they had been following bit into her legs. She didn’t notice. Didn’t care.

Two tilted her head back and cried out denial to the uncaring stars. Wailing, weeping, she fell to her side, curled up like a baby, uncontrollable shuddering wracking her body. Theroen was gone, gone from her and gone from the world. Gone. Two wept, and screamed, and it was some time before Samantha could do anything more than watch.

At last, Two’s grief subsided enough for her to hear Samantha’s voice calling her name, asking what was wrong. She fought against her tears, fought against the despair threatening to engulf her completely. Already she felt weaker, colder, more human, though she knew that she had not yet begun to revert to humanity. How long would it be before the various gifts Theroen had bestowed upon her withered away? A week? A month?

There was no time to contemplate this now. She had to get Samantha and Tori away from Abraham. The destroyer. The dark God. The most evil being that ever she would encounter.

Theroen’s life for hers, but had Two ever truly believed it would come to that? Now she knew it had indeed, and she knew as well that her continuing presence so close to Abraham put them all in great danger. They had to get away. She stood up, brushing herself off and sniffling.

“What is it, Two?” Samantha asked.

“It’s over. He’s gone.” Two’s voice was hollow. Dead.

“Abraham?”

Two laughed. The sound was without humor. She took a breath and shuddered. “No. Didn’t you listen? Abraham is indestructible. He’s a god. It would be s...stupid to even fight him.”

Samantha looked at her, uncomprehending, and Two felt her grief turn to anger before she could stop it. “He’s dead, don’t you get it? Theroen’s dead, and you don’t even fucking know what that means! You don’t even know what your life cost!”

Samantha blanched, stepped back, frightened by this sudden mood swing. Two saw this, felt despair well up inside her again, and covered her eyes. There was nothing to be found in the darkness, nothing to comfort her, so after a moment she looked up again.

“I’m sorry, Sam. We have to go. Now. While we still can.”

“Are you going to be okay, Two?”

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. He’s gone. I owe it to Theroen to make sure you and Tori are safe. After that? Nothing matters. Let’s go.”

They began their course along the road, waiting for headlights. Waiting for someone who would pull over. Someone that Tori could make short work of. Someone that would provide them with a car.

* * *

Chapter 6

Homecoming

Darren’s building. The hallway outside.

Two could hear muffled grunts, the