Damian's Assassin

"Stay with Dusty this weekend," she continued. "You'll know when it's time."

"No!" he snapped and pushed her hand away. The young man rose and stormed to the library door. "I won't do it! I won't spend my life being a monster! I can choose not to!"

"You'll do it, or you'll watch your sister die at the Black God's hands," Sofi said in a hard voice as she rose to face the door.

"I'll find a way to save her," he said, stopping at her words. He was breathing hard.

"You have a way to save her. One way."

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, facing her again. Anger and terror were on his face.

"I only See what fate allows me to," she replied. "I can't change what I See. It is the most likely event to occur. There are two paths for you to follow: you become the Black God, or your sister and everyone else in the mortal realm dies. That's all there is, Jonny."

His anger faltered, and sorrow filled his face. "If what you say is true, the first person I kill once I'm the Black God will be you. If you can really see the future, you could've prevented all of this!"

"Sometimes, death and evil are necessary," she told him. He looked at her long enough for her to see resignation in his gaze. He wrenched the door open and slammed it behind him.

Sofi watched him go and swallowed hard. It wouldn't be an easy weekend for any of them. Worse, she'd lost telepathic contact with Damian a few days before she realized she needed to send a 911 message.

There was a knock at the door; Jenn opened it and froze.

"Sorry, ikira," she murmured. "I was looking for the kid."

Sofi gazed at her, visions from Jonny's future swirling in her thoughts. Gazing at Dusty's trusted Guardian, she felt a familiar ache, the same she felt telling Jonny his fate.

"He's not here, Jenn," she said softly. "Would you do something for me?"

"Of course." The Guardian snapped to attention, expecting a mission. Sofi smiled to herself. Dusty's Guardians were disciplined, unlike her own personal bodyguard, Pierre.

"I just need you to remind Darian of something. Not anytime soon. You'll know when," she said quickly. "Your path is intertwined with Darian's, so you'll be there when he needs to know this. Just tell him the gateway can't be closed."

Jenn's brow furrowed, but she responded quickly. "I'll do that."

"Thanks. It's important," Sofi said. She picked up her book and walked past the female Guardian, who watched her go, puzzled.