Vizkaroth's induced dreams on Wyatt and Sam were almost on a daily basis now. Tipping them closer and closer to the unthinkable point of no return. He decided it was time for the next step. Late in the evening, Wyatt and Sam were wrapping everything up down in the kitchen when something unusual happened.
"Was that there a minute ago?" asked Sam as Wyatt dried his hands on a kitchen towel having washed the last plate.
"That's… odd" he picked up a rolled piece of parchment, fastened with a velvety black ribbon. "I don't think we've ever received magical mail before"
"Well, I just cleaned the counter. I can assure you that was not leftover from tonight's dinner" she tossed the towel in the sink. "What does it say?" she wrapped her hands around his waist from behind him, kissing the back of his shoulder blade. He unrolled the parchment, scanned it and then decided it was harmless enough so he read out loud in a sort of uninterested monotone.
I humbly request an audience with your majesties (like this guy already, Wyatt joked) to discuss the matters of a brighter future only you, powerful ones, can provide. If you would grant me a chance to explain further, simply call out my name. Your humble servant, Vizkaroth.
"Mmm, where do you think he's going with this?"
"Bits me, but it seems he is going through a lot of trouble to get in touch with us. I mean, demons usually just drop by unannounced"
"True. But then again, if they do, they don't get the chance to do much talking, do they?" she smiled peeking behind him enough for him to see her. He pulled her to him, dropping the parchment back on the counter where it burnt away. "Oh, I do hope that doesn't leave a mark or I'll have that guy's head for dinner" she leaned in to make sure it hadn't.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's… interesting. Like you say, why would they wanna talk? I mean, I think it's pretty clear they won't be able to force us to do anything we don't wanna do" she toyed with his hands. "You think it's got anything to do with Elak?" Wyatt held her by the waist. "After all, she was the last leader they had"
"I don't know" he sighed. "But if it did, are you sure you'd be up to it?" he cradled her face in his right hand.
"I don't know… but at the state of things, this might actually be the only way we figure out first hand what's going on in the underworld, whether it's related or not" the family had been sharing less and less about the demonic problems around the city, particularly after their latest insight trip, the sisters had asked every member of the clan to keep them out of it as much as possible. They had even given up on their annoyingly close watch on them. They were keeping their distance even, which made Wyatt and Sam distrust their every move even more, reassuring them, they were increasingly counting on themselves alone.
"Whatever it is, it might actually help us keep our Meghan from ever becoming Elak in the first place" both parents were doing their best to move on, away from the fear of losing their daughter, but it was way harder said than done. They constantly sunk into deep conversations about what the whole ordeal of him coming back from the future chasing their daughter had actually achieved, besides little Kai, in terms of their future. They would spend sleepless nights just talking about it, unable to let it go, only to be caught by the sunlight and a brand-new day waiting to begin at the cry of the first child.
"Called Bianca?" Sam asked her husband the very next morning.
"Yeah, she was surprised I asked her to watch the kids again… and yet, she seems like the only one not judging us at the moment"
"I know. I guess it's because everybody thinks she's evil before they even get a chance to even talk to her" Sam added some more diapers onto Kai's basinet, which he had outgrown since he started moving around in his sleep and was now being used as a sort of baby service cart. "She tells me Chris had a problem with her babysitting on her own again. I think he's scared we might be a bad influence on her"
"Wow, that where we at now?" said Wyatt adding some wipies to the pile. "To think some days, he stayed over just for fun, now…" he sighed.
"Now, they accuse us of doing evil and can hardly be in the same room with us without wanting to vanquish us. Life does take some unexpected turns" Sam went to hug her husband. They joked about it to ease the pain, but Sam knew Wyatt was deeply hurting over not being in good terms with his brother at the moment.
"You think Bianca minds we're leaving the kids with her so we can go and meet a demon?" Wyatt wondered for a moment.
"I'm not sure she would to be honest, but it would the rest of them, so it doesn't help our case telling her that. Not now anyway. Wouldn't want to put her in a position where she would need to hide stuff from Chris" Wyatt nodded in agreement, looking down into her eyes. "What'd you tell her anyway?"
"Just said we needed to run some errands and they would be a lot faster without the kids"
"Good. For now, anything demonic related will have to be dealt with on the DL..." Sam said in a sad undertone.
"I never thought I would have to hide from my own family" Wyatt tightened his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. She laid her head lovingly on his chest, trying to kiss away the pain like she did their children.
Once Bianca arrived, they headed down to Seal Cove, away from the crowds, to meet with Vizkaroth.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Sam said as the tide softly caressed the shore, reaching closer and closer to their bare toes. She stared into the waves, her hair flowing behind her.
"Not as beautiful as you" he stared at her, lifted her chin with one finger and kissed her. His every breath intoxicated with her scent, mingled with the salty wind blowing around them.
"Shall we call him?" she went back to the subject at hand, unable to hide a nervous gulp and the sigh that followed. They had dealt with countless demons before, but what made them nervous was what the demon could tell them. Would it be something they could use to protect their children? Or would it be another futile attempt to try and hurt them? At least in the latter they knew how to react, but then that wasn't the outcome they were hoping for. He kissed her nose and turned away from the water. The beach was surrounded by a wall of trees, so they were pretty much out of sight from mortal eyes. Sam hugged Wyatt's arm protectively as he called out the name on the parchment.
"Vizkaroth… we're listening!" his voice echoing in the empty beach for a moment, before getting lost in the unyielding wind. After a moment, Vizkaroth shimmered in front of them, his robes swaying away from him like solid flames.
"I thank you, powerful ones, for granting me an audience" he slightly bowed to them.
"Alright, better make the best of it, cause you won't be getting a second one" said Wyatt.
"Wait, weren't you at the restaurant?" said Sam suddenly remembering him.
"Indeed, my lady. I was but a mere observer of that attempt at keeping this constant chaos going"
"Very well. Who are you exactly then, if not one of them?" asked Wyatt just as coldly.
"Allow me to officially introduce myself. My name is Vizkaroth. I've been around for hundreds of years…" his voice drenched in exhaustion. "seeing this relentless battle between good and evil. Witnessing how one side gets the upper hand for a while and then the balance switches to the other, over and over… and over again… with no real victory"
"Your point being?" asked Sam uncomfortable by the truth in his words.
"Simply that I'm ready for a world where we don't have to hide anymore or fight for somebody else's own agenda… where we could just let the worlds balance themselves out… where we do no more or less than we need to survive"
"Sounds like a recipe for chaos" she said immediately.
"It would be during the transition, but it won't stay that way, not with the right leadership"
"I take it that's where we come in" said Wyatt.
"Indeed. Real balance between good and evil, overseen by your powerful combined strength"
"This might be the wrong thing to confess to a demon, but even though we could easily end your existence without the slightest effort on our part, even we aren't that powerful" Wyatt went on.
"True, but you are powerful enough to bear the power of the Nexus with which you'd be unstoppable"
"Even if that were true, the Nexus was destroyed" added Sam.
"Like I said, I've been around for a long time. I know a way to get it back. It would require the blood of someone born in that house… among other things" Wyatt stood tall, menacing. "Don't get me wrong, it would need to be willingly given"
"If you can do that, how do we know you won't use it for yourself?"
"I'm afraid… and this might be the wrong thing to confess to a powerful being such as yourself" he laughed as he quoted Wyatt. "that I'm not nearly powerful enough to release its full potential, and even if I did, I doubt I'd get very far having you around to stop me"
"What you suggest is impossible. Demons and witches alone would eliminate each other for sure in what you call transition"
"I won't deny that the collateral would be great at first, but for those in control" he eyed them both closely. "There would be the reassurance of a better life for everybody… for the next generation" he purposefully set their minds on their kids. "One where you wouldn't have to look over your shoulder hoping you stay on the right side, simply because there wouldn't be any" as Wyatt and Sam stared at each other for a moment, Vizkaroth knew they had taken the bait.
"We'll think about it and we'll summon you again if need be" Wyatt dismissed him. Viz bowed before them, lower this time, shimmering away utterly pleased.
Wyatt and Sam held on to each other as the wind kept blowing all around them. They knotted their fingers together and sat on the sand, staring back at the sea.
"We shouldn't even consider it, right?" said Sam leaning to hug his arm.
"And yet we are" confessed Wyatt to himself as well as her.
