Damien waited all the rest of the day and night for Josanna to return. He knew better than to go chasing after her. The only two places she would have gone would have been Alec's or Victor's, and if he stepped foot in either of those places, he was certain to impede whatever it was she was doing. So, he waited and he thought.
Maybe he had been resigned to his fate before, but now he wanted to fight it. He just didn't know how or if it was even possible. He thought of one of his old founding principles- people always want more. This principle applied to him as well, and now that he was free, he wanted more. But, he also wasn't sure what freedom truly meant. It wasn't freedom to do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. It wasn't freedom to manipulate rules, or move goalposts, in order to get what you want. Maybe being free meant having the freedom to try to change things. To try, even if it meant failing, because not fighting equals complacency. The Fates wouldn't be afraid of free will if it wasn't dangerous.
***
2:00 a.m.
There was a knock at the door.
Damien's brows narrowed, knowing Josanna wouldn't knock. Damien crept to the door as quietly as he could and put his ear to it to listen. There was another knock, and Damien called, "Who's there?"
A polite voice coughed and said, "Victor."
Damien rolled his head back to look at the ceiling. This was the last person he expected would find them out in the middle of the woods.
"Devereaux," the voice clarified.
"Yeah. I know who you are," Damien said, and he opened the door. "What?" He saw Victor standing on his wooden porch. The Vampire King seemed so out of place in the twilight of the forest.
"Is Josanna at home?" Victor asked.
"No," Damien said curtly. "You weren't supposed to go looking for us."
"I know, but I need Josanna to know-"
"I don't think Anna wants anything from you."
Victor's eyes hit the ground, and he took in a breath.
Damien remembered Death standing at Alec's door, begging to see him. Damien felt a twinge of guilt.
"Listen, Vic, I can't speak for Anna, and she's not here to speak for herself. But, the way I see it, she asked you to leave us alone if I did what you wanted. I did it, and as far as I know, she hasn't changed her mind about you."
"Yes, but-"
"If she wants to see you, she knows where to find you."
Victor nodded. "Treat her well. She deserves someone good."
Damien gave him a contemptuous smirk. "How'd you find this place anyway?"
Victor glanced around at the porch, and his eyes landed on the spot Damien had found Josanna standing that morning. Victor's nostrils flared as he breathed deep, like taking in the aroma of lilac on the breeze. "The smell of her..." Victor trailed off, closing his eyes.
Shivers crawled across Damien's skin. "You need to leave," Damien said.
The Vampire King nodded once again, and then he disappeared like a blur into the forest.
Damien slipped back inside. Now, he was worried about Josanna. If Victor was looking for her, that meant she was with Alec. He didn't think Alec would ever hurt his beloved sister, but he wasn't sure what a desperate Victor would do.
Buddha, Carl Jung, and Jim Morrison all had opinions of fate, ranging from fuck fate to fuck with fate, and fate will fuck you back, and Damien thought that most of these opinions were just missing the mark. The only words that made more and more sense were the words of his father, have free will, and use it responsibly.
Like Victor, the Fates were going to keep coming back, grasping for the control that was slipping from their fingers. The Fates were scared, they were scrambling, they were desperate. This could make them dangerous, but it also meant this was the best time to strike and to hit them where it hurt.
***
3:00 a.m.
Damien appeared in front of the glass double doors of the tallest white tower in New Bedlam. The streets were cold and quiet. The lights inside were dim on the ground floor, but the doors were unlocked when Damien tried them.
As he pushed the doors open, his ears were assaulted by the echoing suction of a vacuum. There was no one in sight except for a maintenance man sweeping with a shop vac. The man was thin, and he hunched over as he went. He heaved on the long vac hose, and the machine rattled as its wheels rolled towards him. The noise of the wobbly wheels echoing off the marble made Damien cringe.
The man didn't look up as Damien headed up the stairs, and he made his way to Patrice's desk, pleased to find it empty. He thought about covering everything on her desk with post-it notes, but decided that wouldn't be a responsible use of his free will, tempting as the idea may be.
He creaked open the office door, not sure if Thanatos would be there that late, but he was. Of course he was. He was always working.
Death's pale eyes strained up from the blue light of his computer. "Damien?"
"Hey."
"What are you doing here?" Thanatos was calm, almost gentle, almost concerned.
Damien said, "I know we've had some major... disagreements lately." He walked up to the desk, but did not sit in either of the two chairs. "After we talked, I went to the Fates." Damien laughed at himself.
Death stood, his chair rolling back. "You did what? Are you insane?" He slammed his laptop closed.
"Maybe. But... I realized something." Damien said.
Death sneered. "And what is it you think you have realized?"
Damien held his ground. "They're desperate. They're scared."
"Scared?" Death spat. "Damien, I have known those women for a long time, and they do not get scared. Trust me." Death was growling through clenched teeth. Desperation for Damien's understanding clung to every word.
"They were scared." Damien continued, confident, despite his father's rage. "They didn't like me showing up in their world unannounced, so I know I rattled them. But, aside from that, they lost a battle for the first time in a long time because of Eros. Now, they're back. We know they have a plan, but it's probably a shitty one, given how obvious their moves have been with the portals and Alec and all. They are trying to regain control as quick, and dirty, as possible, and that means they're probably being sloppy. I know you want to wait, but this is the exact reason you need to move now."
"But, move how, Damien? That's what I don't think you understand. We don't have a feasible means of attack. We don't have a weapon. I suppose we could drag Eros from his hideout with the Bowl of Fate, and he can make them sing their song to activate the bowl to create a completely different fate again, but I think they'll see that one coming."
Damien's nostrils flared. "Use me. Tell me how to defeat them, and I can."
"No. It's too dangerous."
"How?"
"They imprisoned you once, and-"
"You can't protect me forever." Damien was looking Thanatos dead in the eyes, and he didn't break eye contact.
Thanatos peered back at his son. He both admired and feared the fire in his son's green eyes. "You might be right. I might not be able to protect you, but I will damn sure try."
"I think you enjoy fighting a losing battle," Damien quipped.
Without missing a beat, Death said, "Any coward can fight a battle when he is sure of winning, but give me the man who has pluck to fight when he's sure of losing. That's my way, sir, and there are many victories worse than a defeat. George Eliot."
Damien nodded, halfway agreeing. "Smart man."
Death smirked, and sat. "George Eliot was a woman. There are other ways to do this that won't jeopardize you. There is no reason to sacrifice yourself."
"Hi, Pot. I'm Kettle," Damien quipped. "And if someone else's life is at stake?"
"I have news for you, Damien. I don't care about the lives of other people. I care about yours, and yours alone." Death returned to his feet and began walking from the room.
Damien sighed, "So, what's your plan, old man?" He followed him out into the office hall and down the stairs.
"I apologize, but my plan hasn't changed because your girlfriend is in danger or because you assume that the enemy is scared. My plan remains the same: wait and launch my transportation system. They haven't revealed their whole hand yet. Attacking too soon could prove detrimental. We will probably only get one shot. We cannot miss. I have to be sure of what they are planning in order to know how best to attack. You wanted me to tell you how to defeat them. We wait. It won't be much longer now."
"How much longer? Because Victor found us today. He's looking for Anna, and if the Fates are going to use him to hurt her-"
"If you're so concerned about her, then why are you here with me?"
Damien pressed his lips together. "Because she's with Alec-"
Death failed to restrain an I told you so snigger.
Damien continued, "And I doubt Victor would be able to do much if Alec is right there, but-"
Death and Damien exited the front double doors. Once outside, Death stole a glance at his pocket watch. "The launch is in 18 hours. Let me talk to Victor. I can buy you some time at least."
"You think?"
"Yes. Where are you hiding out? A cabin somewhere?"
"Sort of. Are you sure you can make him leave her alone?"
"I can certainly make him think twice about it," said Thanatos.
"Appreciate it." Damien disappeared.
