667

Children of
the Beast
Issue #7 Part II
The Seventh Son

E.M. Moon

Copyright 2016 E.M. Moon

All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 153705273X
ISBN-13: 978-1537052731

Because of the diverse conditions of humans,

it happens that some acts are virtuous to
some people, as appropriate and suitable to
them, while the same acts are immoral for
others, as inappropriate to them.
Thomas Aquinas

Contents
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July 17th 2016: Violet Eve.5

Subject Name: Adam Baudin.13
June 18th 2016: Violet Eve.21
Subject Name: Asher 7 Cole.30
Subject Name: Adam Baudin.32
Subject #001: Violet Eve.37
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.46
Subject #667: Asher 7 Cole.50
Subject #001: Violet Eve.54
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.65
July 19th 2016: Violet Eve.75
Subject #667: Asher 7 Cole.79
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.85
Subject #001: Violet Eve.95
Subject #667: Asher 7 Cole.103
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.108
Subject #001: Violet Eve.115
July 20th 2016: Adam Baudin.124
July 21st 2016: Violet Eve.133
July 22nd 2016: Asher 7 Cole.137
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.143
July 23rd 2016: Violet Eve.150
Subject #667: Asher 7 Cole.157
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.160
Subject #001: Violet Eve.166
Subject #667: Asher 7 Cole.173
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.175
Subject #001: Violet Eve.183
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.189
Subject #001: Violet Eve.197
Subject #002: Adam Baudin.205

32. New Orleans, Louisiana: Violet Eve

.217

667: Children of the Beast

Issue #7 Part II
The Seventh Son
July 17th 2016
Subject #001:
Violet Eve
Asher gratefully agreed to come back with us
and we had our things packed and in the
crossover in under an hour. Sam didnt want
to see him go, but he knew that it was for the
best.
Several hours later we pulled up in
front of the old antebellum mansion and filed
out of the car; we were home, if you could
call it that.
This place is impressive. Asher
took in the scenery, the smell of the marsh,
and the twinkle of the stars in the sky over
the field. I knew that look in his eye; I was
the same way when I had first arrived.

It should be; it belongs to me.

Cassandra was standing at the top of the
stairs with her arms crossed over her chest
and a smile on her face. The door opened
behind her and Henri came running out
before practically jumping in to Adams
arms.
Good to see you too, brotha! Adam
clapped him on the back as Cassandra
beckoned for us to come inside.
She led us down the hall to the dining
room and had us leave our bags by the door
before entering.
Ah! The whole gang is here.
Josiahs gold tooth glinted in the dim light of
the room as he tapped the table for us to sit.
Everyone was here tonight, including
Medusa, and she winked at me when we sat
down.
So, this must be Asher. Josiah
shook his hand as he sat down nearest the
Houngan.
Yes, sir and you must be Josiah.
Asher nodded before settling in to his chair.
Im just going to get right to the
point, because its happy hour and I want to
relax in the sitting room.
We know about your past for the most
part, but according to the others you seem to
be a man of virtue and honesty. We would

like to welcome you to stay with us for the

time being, but under a few stipulations.
Josiah adjusted himself in his seat as Asher
nodded for him to go on.
You must get our permission before
leaving the house. Even though you dont
have a startling appearance like the others,
we try to keep everyone close as much as we
can due to what you encountered last night.
Its better that we all stay together instead of
striking out on our own. We also ask that you
respect the house and the people in it
Cassandra is generous enough to let everyone
stay here and we like to have a stress free
environment. If we head out on a mission, if
thats what you want to call it, there is a
possibility that you will need to assist the
group every time with very few exceptions.
Does that sound doable to you? Josiah
finished with the rules and waited for Ashers
answer.
Completely doable. Asher agreed.
Then it is settled; welcome to the
Mansion. Josiah shook his hand again and
hurried from his seat to start a night of
relaxing with the spirits. Franklin and Leo
welcomed him in turn before he received a
hug from both Medusa and Cassandra as the
lot of them retired to the sitting room.

Nice to meet you, Seven. It was

Henris turn to introduce himself.
You can call me Asher. He nodded
at Henri.
I like Seven; its mysterious and a
high vibrational number. Henri laughed and
actually elicited a chuckle from Asher.
Why dont you have Adam show
you around while we finish getting your
room ready. Henri directed his brother to
take Asher on a tourI assumed I was going
to get an ear full
Can I talk to you? Henri held his
arm out for me to take and led me upstairs
where we could speak privately.
I felt like this sort of thing was
happening a lot because no one could be
honest in this group at the same time
(*)
So, whats going on with you and
Seven? Henri took me in to a spare bedroom
and had me help him make the bed up.
What do you mean? Was it that
obvious?

Adam told me the two of you have

gottenclose. Henri raised an eyebrow at
me.
We have. I nodded, pulling the
sheet snug at the corners.
How close? Henri was right up
against me as he spoke.
Is it any of your business? I raised
both brows at him as I placed my hands on
my hips.
Just He started.
Dont you dare tell me to be careful,
Henri Baudin. Your brother and Khaine have
already said as much. Im not jumping in to
bed with him, just seeing where this goes. I
tossed the pillows on to the bed with a grunt.
I know you can handle your own,
Violet, but I think we are all rather vulnerable
after the transformation and we just dont
want you getting in to something based on a
whim. Henris words were caring, but
misplaced.
I really like him, Henri. HesI
dont know. Sweet, thoughtful, selfless
trying to battle the same demons as we are.
That last part was hardly a metaphor.
I just dont want you to confuse your
noble empathy for love. You want to save all
of your kind, but dont let those feelings

masquerade as something deeper and vice

versa. Am I making any sense?
Sort of, Henri.
Are you saying that we could be
rebounding off of one another as if this
transformation was a bad breakup with our
former lives? I would like to think that our
feelings are deeper than that. I understood
what he was saying, though. Some of us had
love to lean on in this, but others now felt
utterly alone. Like Adam saidwould we
ever be able to find love now?
I know you feel something for him;
Adam told me about da kiss. Or several
rather. Henri just stared at me.
I hadnt been the one to tell Adam,
but I figured hed find out sooner or later. I
didnt even know how to go about
approaching the subject with anyone, let
alone him, and after he told me about his
heartbreak with Jessica I really wasnt sure
what to say.
We did kissa few timesand he
took me on a date. We want to take it
slowly. I felt ashamed again. I was not
taking certain things seriously because I felt
like I needed to rebel a little bit, but it could
have cost us so much.
I know about dat date; Adam was
beside himself, Violet. He was worried that

something awful was going to happen to you

while you were alone with Seven; he wanted
me to try and find you magickally last night
because he didnt know what else to do. If
you want to be with dis man, dats ok, but
dont do something like dat again. You had
everyone worried and we dont want
anything happening to you. Henri threw a
long arm around my shoulder and drew me in
for a hug.
I understand that now. Some things
werent translated correctly and I was
wrongfully upset with Adam, but we talked
about it. I sucked my lips in, thinking hard
on what Adam had said about Jessica the
night before. It was still hurting him so
much
Jessica was nothing but a bitch; I
never liked her, but Adam sure did; he loved
her. It was false thoughhe loved da thought
of her, but she was nothing like him and she
finally proved dat to me when she just
abandoned him in their old apartment. It
threw his whole world for a loop: he had to
find a new place to live, quit volunteering at
da community center because he had to work
full time, and his music had been slow going.
He picked up DJing again to pay da bills, but
he wanted to do more. He doesnt talk much
about his past, but his life wasnt a simple

one. Just take it easy on him and dont

mention dat I said anything; hes sort of a
private person. Henri filled in some of the
blanks surrounding Adams behavior and I
felt terrible for even snapping at him last
night. If it wasnt for him I might have been
dead right nowor worse, manipulated in to
joining the other side.
I will. I dont want to hurt him any
more than he already has been. Hes been
here for me longer than anyone at this point
and you of course. I tugged at a dreadlock
hanging from Henris face and he hugged me
again.
I like you, Violet. None of us want
you going anywhere and it is going to take
time to get this team together and really
understand and trust one another. Itll happen
though; I can see it in da cards. Henri laid
out an afghan on the bed before setting a bag
of hotel toiletries on the night table.
I like you too. Im going to go see
how the tour is going. I smiled gingerly and
took my leave from the bedroom.
I had a lot to think about tonight.

Subject Name:
Adam Baudin
Thats everything; it really is a
beautiful old house. I had just finished
taking Asher on a guided tour and we were
headed to his new room.
Ive never been in a house this big
before. Nothing ever this nice anyway.
Asher seemed at home as I led him to the
room Violet and Henri had fixed up for him.
Its still early, but I figure you could
chill out for a bit if you want and put your
stuff away. Violets room is next door and
Im across from her if you need anything. I
opened the door for him and he sighed when
he entered the room; must have been nice to
get settled.
Thanks, man. I may come find you
in a bit so you can show me the field; a
moonlit stroll sounds nice. Asher started
unpacking his bags and setting things up in
the room.

Sounds like a plan. I bowed out of

the room and shut the door just as Violet was
coming out of her own room.
Hey. She smiled, but she looked a
bit stressed out.
Hey. Happy to be home? We paused
in the hall as I spoke.
Yes, but I have a lot to think about
and I may go for a walk in a bit. Violet
leaned in to the wall, staring at my chest.
If you want company, Asher and I
were thinking about taking a stroll through
the field in a bit. I offered, but didnt know
if she was going to bite.
Possibly. She muttered leaning
forward to pull down the collar of my shirt.
Her touch was subtle, but it almost made me
jump.
What are you doing? My hands
caught hers just as she had pulled back
enough cloth to see the top of my tattoo.
Looking at your ink; I havent seen it
since it was done. She gently pushed my
hands away and pulled down my shirt to look
at the eye.
It looks like it healed well with no
signs of life. Violet ran her finger over the
raised lines and I felt myself getting a little
hot under the collar.

I think it is just a regular tattoo.

Asher must have realized the correlation not
long after our visit and was able to
subconsciously stop it from doing anything.
We can fight each others powers, but we can
still be vulnerable to them too. I returned as
Violets hand slowly fell away from my
chest.
Like with Missy. She brought up a
memory that she probably didnt want to
think about.
And even Naomis powers found
you in her sleep. We can be ruled by them if
we dont know how to fight it. I think I was
starting to really put things together.
Well, let me know when you go for
that walk. Ill be downstairs in my usual
spot. Violet gave me a slight wave as she
walked towards the staircase.
I decided to retire to my room and
listen to some music until either one of them
came to find me.
(*)
I had fallen asleep. The music from
my vinyls had been so soothing after the past
couple of days we had and I just passed out.

When I opened my eyes it was still

dark, but the clock said it was after one in the
morning. I wondered if anyone had come
looking for me, or if they were even still
awake, and crawled out of bed to see.
The hallway was dark, but the little
electric sconces on the wall gave me enough
light to see where I was going. I could hear
someone in the kitchen when I got to the
bottom of the stairs and found Cassandra
sitting at the island with a glass of wine,
reading a book.
I thought you were asleep? She
raised a brow at me as I entered the kitchen.
I was, but Im not now. I went to
the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water to
quench the insatiable heat in my belly.
You alright? You look hotter than
normal? Cassandra came around the island
to check me out.
Why, thank you. That is the nicest
compliment I have gotten in a while. I
chuckled as she ran her cool hands down my
face and arms.
Something is bothering you, no?
Cassandra stepped back to examine me while
I held the door open to the fridge and basked
in the cold air.

I think I had a nightmare or

something, but Im not sure. I scratched at
my head as I tried to remember it.
Was it about Nate again? She
asked, stroking my hair as she spoke. It was
weird when Cassandra got all motherly, but it
was oddly comforting.
Probably. I sighed. I had been
struggling with nightmares about Nate being
killed in front of me for weeks, even though I
never actually saw it happen.
Im so sorry about what happened to
him. We did a good job covering his death
up, but I know that doesnt make it any easier
on you. She tried to comfort me, but it just
got me ruminating even more.
I just hated that there was no real
funeral. I dont even know where you buried
him. I decided to take a seat at the island;
my knees were going weak.
Its better that you dont know. There
were marks on his body, sigils that needed to
be destroyed. I dont know what Jeremy was
planning to do with his corpse, but it was left
unfinished because Violet sent him back to
wherever he came from. Cassandra tried to
reiterate what I already knew.
I also hate that I have to keep this
from everyone else. I tapped on the
countertop as I spoke.

You know that we cant talk about

our rituals, Adam. We let you be involved
because of your relationship with Nate, but
no one else can know. And no one has even
asked about it. Its best to leave it alone and
let yourself grieve. Cassandra was now
behind me, rubbing my shoulders; one of the
few places on my body that the fire hadnt
taken over.
I know. Lets change the subject
what about the blood tests Josiah had done a
few weeks ago? I steered the conversation
elsewhere.
He just got them back earlier today;
part of why he wanted you all to come home.
He hasnt even read them, but plans on going
over them with everyone tomorrow.
Cassandra was working on a deep knot in my
shoulder now. I closed my eyes to enjoy the
free massage when I heard a noise by the
kitchen door.
Oh, hope Im not interrupting
anything. It was Asher.
Not at all; come have a seat if you
like. Cassandra was working her way to my
pectoral muscles and I almost melted; I had
no idea how sore I really was.
Couldnt sleep? I asked as
Cassandra pointed to the fridge, offering
anything that was in it to Asher.

No. Had a hard time last night too.

What I sawwhat I did; it was all so intense.
I felt like something just took over inside of
me. I took Apollyon out without even
thinking. Asher grabbed a soda from the
fridge and sat down across from me.
Youre starting to get the hang of
things. These abilities are innate; we just
have to tap in to them and learn how to
control it. I advised him.
I guess so. Asher hung his head as
he spoke.
Did you and Violet end up going for
a walk? I wondered if they had actually
gone out or not.
We did. We walked through the field
for a bit and looked at the stars; it was really
nice. Ashers eyes were distant as he talked
about her.
Thats good; maybe I can show you
the swamp tomorrow and teach you how to
wrestle a gator. I smirked and Asher
returned with a laugh.
Sounds good. I think I am going to
try and get some sleep so I dont waste
tomorrow like I did today. Asher finished off
his soda and dropped the can in the trash.
See you in the morning. Cassandra
bid him goodnight as he left the room.

You should probably get some rest

too; we have a lot to go over tomorrow.
Cassandra gave my shoulder one last squeeze
before shooing me from my chair.
Thanks for the shoulder rub; I really
needed that after last night. Get some rest
too, Cassandra. I nudged her with my hand,
but she grabbed it and held on for a moment.
If you ever need anyone to talk to,
just let me know. Her voice was sweet as
she leaned in and brushed her lips against my
cheek.
I wasnt expecting that at all, but I
nodded anyway and left the kitchen as
quickly as I could without looking like I was
trying to escape.

June 18th 2016

Subject #001:
Violet Eve
Nightmares again.
I had had one the night before that
was still eluding me, but this one was clear.
We were all mid battle with Apollyon
and I was crouched down by Asher as he
carved something in the dust. Instead of
paying attention to the fight, I watched his
every move from start to finish.
Asher looked like he was in a trance
as he jabbed his staff in to the ground and the
seal illuminated with a bright red light.
It was then that I could see the sigil
fully.
I tried to commit the lines and letters
to memory so that when I woke up, I could
draw it all out.
I grabbed a pen from my bag and
flipped through my sketch pad to find a blank
page as the image kept flashing in my brain.
Pen to paper let it all flesh out. It was
rough, but it pretty much looked like what I
could remember from the nightmare.

Abaddon. I turned the page in a full

circle to study what I had drawn. The design
looked vaguely familiar and the name written
around the circle did as well.
It was a Goetic seal, that much I
knew, but it was one that I had never seen
before. I had studied them over the past few
years while doing research for my books, but
I had never really given them much thought
otherwise.
Why had Asher created a sigil for a
demon that wasnt the one he was fighting
and how had it even worked? Not to mention

how he even knew about the symbol in the

first place.
I had this sinking sensation in the pit
of my stomach since the night before, but
now I felt completely weighed down.
Henri might recognize this. I folded
it up and changed my clothes before stuffing
it in my pocket.
I was just getting ready to leave the
room when the door cracked open.
Josiah wants to meet with us
downstairs; I think he wants to go over the
blood work. Adam popped his head through.
Did I sleep late? I hoped that I
hadnt wasted the day.
Not at all; everyone is just finishing
breakfast, but I saved you a plate. He
winked at me before disappearing in to the
hall.
(*)
Sit, sit. If we keep collecting more of
you like this, we are going to have to get a
bigger table. Josiah laughed, but I didnt
find the joke funny.
Sorry it took so long to get the
results back; the lab was swamped. Leo

pulled out a folder and began shuffling

through the papers. I was starting to wonder
exactly what he did for a living.
Weve got all the time in the world.
Adam propped his feet up on the table; he
knew that Josiah hated that.
So, I ran a DNA test on all of us to
compare and contrastand looking at my
profile compared to Josiahs, or Franklins, or
Cassandrasthey all look normal. And then
we looked at your samples and to be honest, I
have no idea what I am looking at. My best
guess is that your DNA was broken and then
rebuilt, which in and of itself is fairly normal
within the body, but your breaks were
different. I dont know if it had anything to
do with that mitogen, but irreparable damage
done to the cells can result in tumors. That
would explain what happened to those people
at the cemetery; they didnt just suddenly
develop cancer, but that mitogen caused such
rapid damage that their bodies couldnt keep
up with the repair. Your bodies are different,
however. I think that the inhibitor serum that
was injected in to your embryos kept your
true selves contained, but it must have had a
particular detonation time; your 30th birthday.
The inhibitor dissolved, or exploded, when
the mitogen was absorbed in to your bodies.
This triggered massive cell division and you

incurred the breaks in your DNA from this.

Necrosis occurred, killing the cells, but this is
what is weirdsomething new was activated
in your DNA. I assume it was dormant and I
dont know what it is, but had your cells been
normal we would consider it a mutation. The
dead cells were reborn? Resurrected? Maybe
they replicated too many times I dont
even know the right term, but your cells
arent the same anymore. Leo showed us a
copy of his sequenced DNA and then a copy
of mine; I didnt really know what I was
looking for, but I could tell that they were
vastly different.
So, youre saying that we just
spontaneously evolved? I think I understood
what he was saying.
Maybe? Either that or the human
side of your DNA died and was replaced with
something else entirely. There are proteins in
here that I have never seen before; we dont
even have a name for them. Leo shrugged
before gathering his pages back in to their
folder.
Like alien DNA? Not from this
world? Adam looked baffled as he asked his
question.
Well, it definitely isnt something
weve found on Earth, but Im not thinking it

has anything to do with little green men.

Leo shook his head.
We did find ourselves an old
Macintosh, however, and it is being delivered
today. We will hopefully be able to read more
of the files than Violet already has. That may
finally give us some answers. Josiah
interjected.
I looked at the faces of everyone
around the table. They were all in equal
stages of shock, the worst seeming to be
Asher who just couldnt put it all together.
Good. I finally spoke, This is
good. Another step closer, even if we dont
understand what it all means. None of us are
scientists, save for maybe Leo, so this all is a
little confusing. We can do more research and
see what we come up with. I threw in my
two pence worth.
We can do all the research we want,
but your chemical makeup is novel; there is
nothing like it. Whoever engineered the 667
of you was using DNA that has never been
documented before by human kind. We are
going to have to find the source somehow.
Leo narrowed his vision in on me.
Then we find someone involved.
Maybe that should be our next move. Adam
interrupted, taking the words right out of my
mouth.

Sounds like a good idea, but we have

to keep our eyes out for more of your kind
too. Things have been all too quiet lately and
we have been watching the news, but nothing
interesting has reared its head. Josiah
wanted to keep looking for more of us, but he
wasnt looking in the right places.
Youre looking on too small of a
scale; remember that the webbing was found
all over the globe. More of us may be hiding
hereor maybe we are the only ones in the
states. I pointed out his mistake.
GlobalI didnt even consider it
even though the evidence was right in front
of my face. Josiah had actually admitted that
he was wrong.
Im sure you get BBC Two over
here; get to watching and see if anything
looks suspicious in the UK. I had a sudden
rush of nostalgia. Im sure there were others
over there like us; I would have been one of
them had I not come across the pondand
maybe I could go home for a bit.
Good idea. There was this
expression on Josiahs face that I had never
seen before; was it respect?
Violet, I would like if you would
look over some of the files with me when we
get the computer in. You seem to have a

knack for all of this stuff; writer or not. He

pointed at me.
If I hadnt wanted to look over those
files so bad, I would have thought he was
taking the piss.
Sure; I would actually really like
that. I tried not to sound too enthusiastic.
Then its set. Before I release you all
to run amuck on the grounds, I need to get a
blood sample off Asher here. We have sent
out for Naomis and taken a swab from
He glanced at me, From Subject #102. We
want to keep a catalogue of everyone, just in
case we need it. Josiah finished. I had told
him about Missys file number and mine; but
that was as far as I really went.
Sure Asher nodded and Leo
motioned for him to follow as they walked
over towards a lab set up in the corner of the
room with empty vials and syringes.
All of you can scoot; Ill let Violet
know when the computer arrives. Josiah
flicked his wrists at us and we all filed out in
to the hallway.
They want to catalogue us? Adam
spoke quietly as he and I split from the love
birds and wandered off towards the sun
room.

I mean, it might be a good idea. That

way everyone is accounted for as we find
them and we can compile a complete list of
all of us. The files in that box are going to be
old, but what we need to find are the more
recent profiles on us like the one I found
online. A thought had just struck me. I
needed to find out whoever had sent my file
to that blog. If they had minemaybe they
had more.
Ill leave you be, then. Get to work,
Sherlock Holmes. Adam nudged me before
exiting the room.
Might as well grab my magnifying
glass and get to work

Subject Name:
Asher 7 Cole
This is just a standard procedure;
Im sure youve given blood before. Leo
prepped my arm with an alcohol swab before
tying a tourniquet around it.
Im no stranger to needles. I flexed
my arms to draw attention to their tattoos.
Good. Then there shouldnt be an
issue. Leo inserted a butterfly needle in to
one of my veins and drew several vials of
blood before patching me up.
I am hoping to get your results back
ASAP; it took way too long last time, but I
think I have found a better lab. Leo lined the
vials in a basket and slipped the rubber
gloves off his hands.
What is it that you do for a living? I
was curious. Violet thought he was a
scientist, but I wanted to know for a fact what
gave him the authority to take our blood.
Im a biochemist, but I have friends
in high places. He winked, locking up my
samples in a yellow box.

Thats good to know. What about

everyone else? I was curious about the
Council.
Medusa is a stylist, but a very
powerful psychic, Cassandra is a professional
Mambo and philanthropist, Franklin is a
psychologist and a clauraudient, and Josiah is
a Houngan now but used to be a History
professor specializing in theological studies
with a degree from Emory. Oh, and Jackie,
the Baudins cousin, isnt here, but he is a
medium and runs a club in the evenings.
Leo walked me to the door.
Besides being a biochemist, what is
your magickal specialty? Everyone else had
dual roles, so what was Leos?
Lets just leave that a mystery. Leo
patted my shoulder and scooted me out the
door.

Subject Name:
Adam Baudin
I met with Asher by the tree line in to
the woods and walked him out to my favorite
spot.
It was a swampy soup of stagnant
water surrounded by old cypress trees and an
intricate obstacle course of root work.
We come out here to practice our
talents in private. We may not be within the
city limits, but someone could possibly see us
and question why fireballs were streaking
through the sky and giant dogs were running
around the yard. I leapt on to a section of
root that jutted from the water and balanced
myself there.
Who is we? Asher jumped to follow
me, but crashed in to the marsh instead.
Me and Khaine mostly. Salome joins
us on occasion, but she really doesnt have to
practice, she just does. Violet doesnt have to
practice at all, though. After the first couple
of weeks it was as if she had had these
powers all her life. I reached out to help

Asher from the drink and pulled him on to a

flatter section of root.
I havent really gotten to see what
she can do; most of it has been evasion,
escape, and illusion. Asher seemed like he
was trying to remember what all she had
shown him.
The first night she changed, I shot a
ball of fire in to the swamp water and the
gasses caused it to ignite around us. She
transformed a whole room in to a pit of
snakes as she sat atop a giant spider and
caved the floor in below our feet. I almost
died in a volcano, if that is even possible.
Asher eyed the fire before tracing something
in the water with a reed as it leapt up in a
tidal wave and extinguished the fire.
He was starting to get really good at
this.
That israther terrifying. Asher
agreed with what I was thinking. It had been
terrifying.
But it was because she didnt know
what had happened to her. By the time I got
to her she was unconscious after the fog and
she woke up in a fit of rage. I picked up a
stick and watched it disintegrate in my hand.
It does take some getting used to. As
you can see, my transformation wasnt as
obvious as hers and I am sure that adds to the

stress. Asher doodled something in the

mossy ground next to the water and Swamp
Thing emerged from the mire.
Want to practice? He grinned at me
and I nodded.
I had never fought a figment of
someones imagination before.
(*)
Practice with Asher had taken the
wind out of my sails. I was a really good
artist, but his ability to draw quicker than
lightning was almost mind blowing. He had
come at me with a whole manner of weapons
and beasts, but I had handled them well.
Tired? Cassandra had found me on
the front porch, soaking wet from head to toe.
Winded, but Ill be fine. I tried to
catch my breath as she took a seat next to me
on the stairs.
Asher is quite the opponent then?
Cassandra looked out in to the drive as the
locusts chirped around us in the heat.
Hes good; catches on quickly. I
sighed, stretching out my sore muscles.

Thats good. Naomi has been doing

well also. She has come to visit me several
times. She seemed pleased that her close
friend was doing well with her dream
walking ability, even though she was alone in
Salem.
Im glad. I know Violet would like
to hear that too. I took a deep breath as I
spoke her name.
Are you two on speaking terms
now? Cassandra asked without even looking
at me.
Were ok. It was just a lack of
communication; mostly on my part, but
partially on hers. I put my gloves back on
and flexed my fingers.
Communication is key; especially
within this team of ours. You all have to be
able to work separately, but as a unit too, and
you cant do that if everyone wont
communicate with one another. She
imparted a piece of wisdom on me.
She was right. I had to get over my
own petty problems, or at least not let myself
stew in them, and get back to what was
important right now.
I could hear the car engine before I
saw a courier truck come zooming up the
drive. It parked and a man hopped out and

lifted the overhead door at the back before

putting a big cardboard box on a dolly.
A package for Josiah Moreau. The
man slipped the box from the dolly and
handed me a clipboard to sign. He saluted me
before getting back in his truck and speeding
away.
This looks like the computer. I had
no issue lifting up the box, despite its weight,
and carried it to the door.
Better get it in to Josiah; hes been
waiting impatiently for that thing to arrive for
days. Cassandra tipped her head at me and I
hurried to bring it to the Houngan.

Subject #001:
Violet Eve
The computer had arrived not long
after Adam and Asher returned from the
swamp. Josiah wasted no time in calling me
to his private study where we could go over
the files privately.
Come in, Violet. He called to me
after I knocked. I entered and took a seat next
to him and a giant computer straight out of
the not so distant past.
Does it work? I punched a few keys
on the keyboard and listened to the loud
clicks.
It does. I had to look all over to find
one in working condition. And youre lucky I
checked on those disks; you thought they
were 8-inch but they are actually 5 . You
had the year of the computer right, just not
the disk size. Josiah popped the lid on the
box and grabbed one, starting with my file
first.

I cant gauge size, apparently. I

rolled my eyes, but I was bad with numbers.
Well, I have it covered. Josiah had
the computer booted up and popped in the
disk.
He chose the first file, my file, and
clicked on it. I hadnt told anyone about what
I found, but Josiah would know soon enough.
It wasnt pertinent really, but it was
something Id kept from everyone.
You were born here. He turned to
me and I slunk in to my chair.
I guess I was.
Why didnt you mention it to me?
Josiah cocked his head to the side in
question.
I didnt mention it to anyone. I
screwed my mouth to the side.
Subject #001 is the resulting
offspring of Patient 0: Rhaine Eden Quirke.
The patient was living in New Orleans,
Louisiana at the time of conception due to
fleeing her home country of Ireland after an
abusive relationship. She procured the job
through an affiliate in Dublin and was
transferred to the United States for three
years before undergoing treatment.
Quirke was essentially the test subject
for our inhibitor serum and it proved a

success. The child resulting from this

implantation was the first efficaciously
contained embryo, proving that the serum
could effectively suppress the fabricated
DNA of Dr. Lucindas design.
The mother suffered no ill effects; if
anything she showed no signs of the typical
symptoms of pregnancy.
Officially, this subject marked the
success of 667. Profiles of the other 666
subjects to follow. Josiah read the notes
aloud before scrolling down a bit further;
there was a second page to my file that I
hadnt noticed.
Josiah clicked on it and a picture
popped up on the screen.
What the hell is that? I pointed at
the image on the screen; it looked similar to
the paperwork Leo had shown us.
Its a DNA sequence, albeit a bit
outdated, Josiah leaned in closer, Maybe a
mockup of the projected outcome of their
little experiment. He studied the screen and
analyzed the sequence.
Can you read it? I studied it too, but
I was looking at the symbols on the outer rim
of the image.
Gods, no. Leo probably can though.
What are these symbols here on the side?

Josiah pointed to the exact thing that I was

looking at.
You want an honest answer? It looks
like Enochian. I knew a bit about the script
because I planned on using it in a new book
series.
Angelic Script? Josiah apparently
knew what it was too.
Yes. I took a pad of paper from the
desk and began transcribing the text.
Can you translate this? Josiah
watched as I scribbled it all down on the
paper.
I think so. It may not be 100%
accurate, but I can run it by Henri; he can
probably do better than I can. I finished the
last symbol and set my pen down.
Lets move on to the next file and
see if it has the same thing. He went on to
file #002 and when he opened it, I felt my
eyes water.
Adam. Adam is Subject #002. Now
he had a number like I did and he was the
second of our kind.
It seems that way. All his
information seems to be accurate, but lets
give a look at his notes and see if it tells us
anything else. Josiah scrolled down to the
bottom of the file and I read it aloud.

Subject #002 was our second

successful implantation. We chose to take
possession of the child after birth due to the
source that helped fertilize the hosts egg.
The mother chose to enter the program
anonymously, but we knew her lineage
regardless. The child was adopted at the age
of two to a mother we knew would raise him
properly and we intend on following up with
his rearing as often as possible. Subsequent
files will detail how the subject is growing,
but the prospects look positive. I knew that I
must have been concentrating hard on what I
was reading because Josiah let out a long
breath and it startled me.
I wonder what this source is that
they used to fertilize the eggs. It didnt
mention anything about that in my file. I
mused aloud.
Doesnt mean that they didnt in
later files. The one you discovered on that
blog was very minimal and seemed more like
a follow up to me than anything informative.
There has to be more of these out there
somewhere. Josiah went to move on to
another subject.
Probably the same place that I pulled
this from. I dropped back in my chair with a
grumble.

Most likely; we will just have to

figure out where that is. It is wonderful that
you can alter things the way that you do, but I
think there is more to your abilities than you
realize. Josiahs words seemed almost
encouraging.
Go on I knew that he already had
an idea.
I think you could pretty much do
whatever you want to do, but you have to be
able to tap in to it. You do things like this by
accident; your mind knows what it is looking
for, but it happens by chance. You have the
will, but you dont have the direction. If you
could combine the two, you would be
unstoppable. Josiah made sense, but I still
wasnt sure how to get to where I was going.
Ill have to work on it. I wanted to
say something about my dreams, but I wasnt
sure how to go about it. Maybe I would start
with the seal. Josiah? I have something I
want to show you.
I fished around in my pocket for the
piece of paper I had sketched the symbol on
and handed it over to him.
What is this? He studied it, running
his fingers over the letters of Abaddons
name.
I had a dream about it. I didnt want
to mention that the dream involved Asher

drawing the symbol in the dirt; they were just

getting to like him. I wondered if maybe
something deep inside of him had taken over
and urged him to draw the seal on the
ground.
I know a bit about demons and
angels; Abaddon was synonymous with the
Pit and the Angel of Destruction. There are
varying stories about him in ancient texts, but
he was an entity to be feared and never to be
messed with. You dreamed about this? I
could tell that Josiah was wondering if there
was more that I wasnt telling him.
I did. Last night was the first time I
really got to see enough detail to remember
it, but I dreamed about it the night before
too. I explained.
The night that the demon showed up
at Sams? Josiah asked curiously.
Yes. I nodded. They all knew about
the encounter with Apollyon and what it had
said to Seven, but this was the first time it
was being brought up in more detail.
Something is eluding me, Josiah
was thoughtful as he got from his chair and
began going through the books on a high
shelf. He pulled down an old volume and
began skimming the pages before closing it
and picking up another one. He tossed the
second one at me and I read the title.

Pilgrims Progress. I had

remembered reading that when I was young.
Christian battles Apollyon in that
story; the son of Satan. Do you know what
Apollyon means in Greek? Josiah poured
himself a drink; he looked a little stiff.
I shook my head.
It means the Destroyer. Josiah lifted
his brow as he waited for me to put two and
two together.
Abaddon and Apollyon are the same
being? It clicked for me.
Exactly. Abaddon was the Hebrew
name for the angel, but Apollyon took the
form of a demonic being. What you fought in
Baton Rouge was Abaddon. He pointed at
the book in my hand.
Asher had used a Goetic seal to force
Apollyon back in the pit using his Hebrew
name. But how did he even know what that
name was?
What do the letters on the seal say? I
know that it is Hebrew, but I dont speak the
language. I took the paper over to Josiah so
he could study it.
Language is Henris expertise so
youll have to ask him; he would be able to
tell you more about the whole thing. Josiah
crossed his arms.

Ill talk to him about it then. Do we

want to go over a few more files? Based on
the sun outside the window, I could tell it was
getting late.
We can do that and then I want you
to talk to Henri. I dont know why you were
seeing this symbol in your dreams, but it may
give us a way to destroy Apollyon if he
shows his face again, which I assume he
will. Josiah sat down in his chair in front of
the computer and I settled back in.
It could definitely do damage to the
demon, of that I witnessed, but how did
someone who knew nothing of his powers tap
in to such a powerful magickal source?
I knew that Henri would have the
answers.