Chapter 34

Nectar of the Gods

The inside of the Belle Tout Lighthouse was completely circular with no divides. The room was filled to the brim with odds and ends and antiques; there were animal heads, old propaganda posters, toy dolls, model airplanes hanging from the roof, an old Christmas tree sat in between a grand piano and a fridge that was wide open and clearly not plugged. It seemed every free bit of space around the edges of the room was occupied by these strange items.

The middle of the room itself was relatively clear, filled with many different coloured carpets of many different kinds of materials. A kettle sat boiling away directly in the middle, smelling faintly of honey, while the Oracle himself sat in front of the kettle, sitting amongst his pitch-black hair that was so long that it pooled around his crossed legs. The hair had been split at his face by many different coloured clips to show off a sharp jaw and piercing green eyes. His chest was bare and there was no evidence he was wearing anything else under the waterfall of hair. The Oracle certainly suited his horde of mismatched items.

"Thank you, Ash," the Oracle sat in a soft voice that commanded attention. Ash nodded from behind Ruby and Zach and stood in front of the door, his arms crossed, as if he were standing bodyguard for his uncle. "Ruby Ascot. Zachary Dryer. Please, have a sit."

Ruby and Zach looked to each other, not entirely sure what to make of this man and this room. The man lifted very thin arms and beckoned to the carpets. With that Ruby and Zach moved forward and sat down in front of the kettle; the honey smell grew in intensity until it was almost sickly sweet as it invaded their nostrils.

"Shouldn't we wait for Paige?" Zach asked uncertainty as he sat down cross-legged. Ruby chose to sit with one-leg spread out in front of her to ease the aching of her lower back. All the recent movement over the last few days had been slowly nagging at her old injury.

"Ms Calloway is not necessary for this conversation," the Oracle said as he peered at Zach with those green eyes as if taking in every inch of Zach's appearance. Zach squirmed under the gaze as the Oracle swung his head towards Ruby to look at her exactly the same way. "Archibald Orwell. My name, that is."

"It's… good to meet you," Ruby said as his eyes washed over her.

"No need for formalities. Time is short as it is." Archibald's hair rippled as he raised his hands to steeple his fingers over bony knees. "Bludworth sent you to me. His intent is to learn more but his time is short and he shall learn nothing more of me nor of Death and his List." Archibald let out a small sigh. "His family name is infamous yet flawed… his generation is the last. Mere peasants cannot look for knowledge if they do not understand the words. Ask me your question, Ruby Ascot, and I shall answer."

"William Bludworth said you had answers. I can only assume that means you know of a way to stop Death. So I guess my question is what can we do to stop this List and save our friends?"

"There are many ways to stop the List. One can kill a loved one in order to save oneself. One can drink from the Chalice of Life. One may wield the seven totems of the seven levels." Archibald looked in between Zach and Ruby as if ignoring them. "All three of these have their faults. Saving one is not nearly as proficient than saving the group. The Chalice has long been lost to the Al-Sharqiyya. The seven totems still reside with their owners and the Department of Supernatural Investigation know not their power."

Ruby could only listen. She could barely understand Archibald's words.

"No. For you and your friends, the Nectar of the Gods is your answer."

"The… gods?" Zach couldn't help but ask. "Are you saying gods are real?"

Archibald shook his head, his long hair sweeping back and forth. "Perhaps there once were but this Nectar was so named because of the properties it instilled. To drink the Nectar is to ward off all unnatural death. The drinkers would all die old and content. For millennia it had been consumed by the DSI… at least those that came before. They would drink it for their selfish desires and so they could stand over the peasants underneath them."

"So we just need to find this Nectar?"

"No. The Nectar was depleted over one hundred years ago. The source dried up and the fear of death seeped back into that ignorant group." Archibald gently stood up, his hair rising with him but still remained trailing on the floor even as he stood. "What the DSI did not know… what I kept from them… is that the Nectar can be found… if one knows where to look." Archibald pulled a long metal rod from the floor and took the lid of the kettle. Yellow steam immediately floated out and seemed to coat the room in a yellow haze. "Every year of all of existence, the skies split for but a moment as the binds that tie this world and their world are shaken. Each year was the second of the Doomsday Clock… Yet Death's actions in the last two thousand years has sped up the seconds to twice a year… three times a year..."

"Was that what happened in London?" Ruby asked quietly. She could still remember what she had seen when the sky split wide open with Sabrina's head on her shoulder.

"Yes," Archibald confirmed.

"But Lisa Valentine said that was the first time something like that happened."

"I told you, the Department are ignorant. The cities of the world make up a very small part of it. Most often the sky would open in the vast deserts, the deep seas, the entangled jungles. Over towns and villages and farms… The DSI may have many eyes yet even they do not have enough to watch everywhere at once." Archibald peered up the ceiling. "At least that was the case until two years ago." He shook his head. "But nevertheless, a small amount of Nectar leaks from these rifts and I collect them to give to those who truly deserve it."

Archibald reached into a fabric bag and pulled out five very small circular containers, almost like marbles. He reached with his other arm and picked up some metal tongs. He put one the spheres within the tong's grasp and gently lowered it into the kettle. "Ruby Ascot… this group of yours is a group that truly deserves it."

"I'm not going to pretend I have any clue what you are talking about…" Zach said, his voice shaking slightly. "But what makes us so worthy of this… this Nectar. I mean, surely there are many people that can do good for the world by living to an old age. Scientists and philosophers…"

"I care not for the good of the world," Archibald said simply as he raised the sphere. It was now filled with a bright gold liquid that seemed to emit its own light. It was hypnotizing to look at and Archibald gently set it to the side on a small plate. "I merely care for the balance." He lowered another sphere within the golden liquid. "As you may have guessed, I have seen the future. Yet I do not see one future – I see many. Most people's futures end every single time in meaningless death." Once again he pulled the sphere of gold up and placed it to the side. "All eight of the names on the List I have seen fighting against that which threatens humankind."

It took a moment for Ruby to realise it but she looked to Archibald strangely. "Eight?" She frowned. As far as she could tell, there should be ten on the List. The eight survivors from the original list; Jeffrey, Tanzi, herself, Zach, Naomi, Lacey, Jade, and Paige. Lucas was put on the List when he saved Lacey and according to the phone call from Naomi the policewoman who was driving had saved them. That must mean that policewoman was on the list. "I count ten."

Archibald smiled for a moment as he crafted another golden sphere. "Do you count yourself, Ruby Ascot?"

Something strange washed in Ruby's stomach. "Of course. I was killed in Tanzi's vision."

"You were killed?" Archibald shook his head. "No. You killed yourself in sacrifice. You saved your friends lives at the cost of your own. Death looks favourably upon those who are willing to meet him early."

"What… You can't mean…" Ruby found her hands shaking. All this time… had she not been on the List? Had her life not been in danger? But did that even change anything? Surely she would have helped Tanzi regardless yet… yet… Would you really have gone through it all again had you a choice? That small voice scared Ruby. This Oracle couldn't be telling the truth. There was no way…Yet Ruby knew within her heart that it was true. After all, there was someone four years ago that had strangely not followed the apparent rules of the List. "Lily…" Ruby muttered to herself.

"Indeed," Archibald nodded, crafting the fourth golden sphere. "Lily Talbot sacrificed her life to save Gerald Ryoushi." Seeing her expression Archibald smiled softly. "The musician known as Bridge. By saving his life, Lily got Death's favour and was granted freedom from the List."

Ruby blinked slowly. Part of her had always wondered about Bridge having his accident that burned the side of his face when Lily should have been first. Yet at that time she hardly knew anything of what the List meant. Even Sabrina knew little. To think that she had been exempt from the List and yet she still ended up dead… though Ruby had to admit that even if Lily had known she was not on the list, there was no doubt she would have acted exactly the same in order to help out Bridge.

"That's great news, Ruby!" Zach said with a wide smile. "You don't have to worry about your turn now, right?"

"My turn…" Ruby said. Then her throat suddenly dried up and a knot formed in her stomach. "Without me that would still be nine. Why eight?" She stood up and turned to Zach. "We need to get Paige."

"Do not fret. Her future is set." Archibald set as he made the fifth and final sphere.

"Are you saying she is going to die?" Ruby found her breathing growing more frantic. Archibald merely inclined his head. "Bullshit!" Ruby turned and strode towards the door where Ash stood form. "Get out of the way!"

"No."

"Are you kidding me!?" Ruby asked incredulously. "Move! She's is still alive so we can still save her!"

"No." Ash repeated.

Ruby found anger rising within her. After everyone after Jay had been saved… Lacey, Zach, Naomi, Jade… After all the victories… after all the progress… after finally finding out how to stop Death, Paige would have to die? Ruby couldn't allow that. "Move. Right now."

Ash merely smiled grimly.

Ruby responded by smashing her head as hard as she could into the bridge of Ash's nose. The boy dropped wordlessly, the blood already gushing from his nose but Ruby didn't stop to think about the violent action she had taken. She threw open the door and stepped into the wrath of the storm outside. Wind and rain whipped around her as she peered to the Cliffside where two figures were still standing. "PAIGE!" Ruby roared but her voice was snapped away by the wind. Gritting her teeth, she started forward.

In her rush, Ruby's foot caught on the edge of the tarmac and she fell roughly to her knee. Cursing, she went to move when she saw something moving in the corner of her vision. She looked with dread to see Zach's car was slowly moving… "No…" Ruby moaned and pushed herself to her feet. It seemed like Zach's Polo had somehow managed to lose grip of its handbrake and was moving faster down the incline of the cliff. "PAIGE!" Ruby cried out again as she moved towards the two figures.

Willow had now stepped out of the way and was standing with her arms behind her back. The car was moving too fast and Paige was not moving for some reason, her hair whipping in the wind. Ruby wouldn't make… she desperately turned to Willow. "SAVE HER!" Willow turned, evidently hearing Ruby's cry. Yet she made no move. "No…" Ruby's voice caught in her throat and she tripped again. She fell roughly to the tarmac, scraping her elbows. She looked up and found herself looking over the tarmac, through the sheets of rain, at Paige.

Paige raised a hand to her head in a mock salute, a force smile on her face. Then she seemed to take in a deep breath and turned back towards the car.

The impact was muffled within the storm and Paige was hit directly in the stomach by the vehicle. Both the Volkswagen and Paige were pushed off the side of the cliff. Lightning blasted off the coast, lighting the sky up in blue and silhouetting the twisted form of Paige. She fell away from the Volkswagen and disappeared below the cliff-edge.

Ruby was speechless as she desperately crawled to the edge of the cliff to look down at the roiling waves below. The car was sticking half out the water, crumpled and broken. She looked desperately around for some hint of Paige – maybe, just maybe, she had hit the water and…

Paige's form was clear on the top of a jutting out stone. Her arms and legs were twisted and her body was bent unnaturally. The side of her face was completely covered in crimson. Even from here, even being an optimist, Ruby could tell that Paige was clearly dead. "N-No…" she croaked. A form walked up beside her and Willow put a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"She made her choice," Willow said as if that was that was any form of an answer. Something snapped within Ruby and a rage she had never felt welled up within her.

She shot up to her feet and grabbed Willow's collar. Ruby lifted the smaller Willow with surprising strength and let the wind and rain whip at Willow's face. "You could have saved her! You had time!"

"The future was set."

"BULLSHIT!" Ruby roared, tears streaming down her eyes. "If you hadn't talked to her… if your brother wasn't blocking the door… if the damn Oracle wasn't speaking to us…" The anger left her as suddenly as it arrived and she gently dropped Willow back down to the cliff-edge.

"It was the necessary option." Willow said calmly as she looked sadly at Ruby. "Had Paige been saved then too much time would pass and the chance would be lost."

"What… What do you mean?" Ruby asked, scrubbing the tears away from her eyes.

"Saving Paige would have meant the lives of the survivors in the hospital and my uncle could not let that happen."

"The… hospital?" Ruby asked weakly. She felt like all her strength was gone.

"Ruby… Five of the survivors on the List are required to make it through today. If they all died then the world would fall to the Demons."

"The…" Ruby shook her head. "I can't… I can't do this… Demons?"

"Not now," Willow said gently as she turned to see Zach running up to them. He looked pale and held a bag in his hand. "Your friend has news."

"Zach…" Ruby said as she turned towards the student. "Paige, she… I couldn't…"

"He said it was unavoidable…" Zach said sadly. "But… Ruby, I know this is shit timing but… we have a problem."

"What… What now?" Ruby asked, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"He only made five."

"What?"

"Five… There is only enough Nectar to give to five of us." Zach's expression was grim as the storm raged on over Eastbourne. "He said only five of us would survive whatever happens at the hospital!"

A/N:- And with that particular bombshell, the pseudo Act IV is done and dusted. One more interlude, a few more chapters, and this journey is at an end and I am excited to finish before the year is done. Thanks as always for readin'!