Damian's Oracle

"That is all I will say, ikir, except to remind you that the White and Black Gods cannot kill one another directly. To do so would release the Original Beings, and then things would really be bad."

Damian's jaw clenched. He didn't often feel helpless, not when he held the powers of a god among humans. But Watchers played on a different level. He was restricted to the physical world by the Schism despite his god-powers. By and large, the Watchers did whatever the hell they wanted. That this one had come to him with a warning was the most he could expect.

"By your leave, ikir," the Watcher said and bowed his head again.

"Try not to screw up too much of my shit," Damian returned.

The Watcher nodded and disappeared in a wink of light.

First a possible Oracle, then a Watcher. He had a feeling the war was just starting to get interesting. Damian crossed to his window and gazed out at the setting sun. Chances were, things were about to get ugly.

*****

The next morning, Sofia awoke stiff and cold on the bathroom floor. Her apartment was cold, and sunlight streamed through the blinds, making her head pound harder.

"Oh god, Sofia!" Jake's voice came from the doorway of the bathroom. "I've been trying to call …" His voice trailed off as he took in her bloodied hands and the pills scattered all over the bathroom floor. "You tried to kill yourself!"

"No, Jake," she mumbled and pushed herself up. She sat on her knees for a long moment. Jake reached for her, and she recoiled. "Don't touch me!"

"I've gotta get you to the hospital!" he said, grabbing her arm.

The visions started. Jake cleaved in two by a maniacal man with a sword. She shoved him away, landing hard on her backside while he careened into the bathroom wall.

"No, Jake. Leave me be!" She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hiding her face from the light. She shivered from cold and pain. He brought her a blanket and draped it over her. "Jake, something is really wrong with me."

"No, really?" he retorted. "Did you call Dr. Bylun or not?"

"He didn't want to talk to me."

"Even when you told him your issues?" he asked, disappointed.

"I couldn't get past his secretary." She saw Cody's broken body again in her mind and pushed it away. Every vision she'd had, even when Jake touched her, had been of death.

"That's strange. He should've called you."

Her phone rang, and she saw Dr. Mallard's number flash on the screen.