No.
Nonononono. That's impossible! It's the wrong universe!
"But it is possible, my host. Travel far enough through the Nevernever and you can find any world." The voice whispered back, "Like this one. Or even your home. You know that."
I took a slow deep breath and stared down at the small metal disk resting in the palm of my hand. The middle of the Coin was a simple symbol, that of a triangle with overlapping corners.
I wanted to throw it away.
But I knew it was useless. I was so horribly, horribly fucked. I should have gone and looked for vampires when I had the chance.
"Is this really so bad?" that soft voice whispered in my other ear. I could feel the warmth of her behind me, her breath against my ear, "My Host, you think you know some of my kind. But what do you really know?"
"Fuck off. I know what you are doing." I grumbled and looked around, "I'm not having any of it."
"As you wish, My Host. If you are curious, my name is Taziel."
"Don't care. Fuck. Off."
The presence dissipated like it was never there, leaving me alone in the sunlight, looking down on the silver coin sitting on the palm of my hand. It looked completely innocent just sitting there. A old silver coin.
I felt sick. What the hell do I do now?
Well I knew only one thing for certain. Rushing off and doing something desperate without thinking it through first was the second worst thing I could possibly do.
The worst possible thing I could do would be to follow my instinct and throw the damned thing away. What if a little kid found it?
Taking another slow deep breath, I pulled my water bottle from my belt and opened it, pouring the remaining water out before I dropped the coin in. There, that should hold it until I get back home.
Screwing the top back on I put it in my belt and started to jog back home. I got home faster than I thought, but I was lost in my thoughts the entire way back.
I should have known that things had been way too easy so far. I should have fucking known something would show up and fuck me. I just didn't realize exactly how hard it would bend me over and give me a royal rogering.
Panting softly I stopped and pulled my key out before entering. The small piece of paper I left between the door and frame fluttered down and I caught it on the way.
Nobody had been here.
It's not paranoia if they really were out to get you. But apparently I had not been paranoid enough. I glanced at the cross I had nailed to the door and sighed before walking inside, closing it behind me. The inside was how I left it.
A small one room student apartment with nothing but IKEA furniture. Cheap but intact and comfortable. A small TV in the corner as well as an old computer.
Each of the walls had a cross nailed to it.
If I knew how to get holy water without being suspicious about it I would be drinking and bathing in the stuff. I may have a bit of a thing about vampires. As in, not wanting to be eaten by one.
Home. This is home.
I did my best to think of it as home. A lot of things can't enter if it's a home. This was my place. I did my best to make sure it had a Threshold even before I knew the connection with the Nevernever.
I looked at the water bottle with a sense of creeping dread before I took a small breath and stashed it beneath the sink. Not much of a safe place, but it would keep it out of casual sight.
Crossing the apartment, I sank down to sit on the bed, sliding my glasses off and resting my face against my palms.
Fucked. So horribly, horribly fucked. A literally god-damned fallen angel had gotten it's claws in me. If I remember my Dresden Files books, there had only been two ways to give one up and I only remember one of them.
Locking the coin down and then having the shade literally take a metaphysical bullet for you. Or resist that whispering voice forever.
The Council. They were a bunch of fucking dicks. A lot of them were almost as cold-hearted as the demons they fought.
But... maybe. Just Maybe they could contain it.
Or more than likely, if I hand it over they take it and then one of their wetworks teams get an order so I can't summon the Coin to me.
What alternatives were there?
They were the closest to good guys there were here.
Who else did I know that might contain this thing? Wolfram and fucking Hart? Yeah, they would contain it alright.
By giving it to some poor sod after killing me.
Great. The bad guys would kill me and take it and use it. The good guys would kill me and take it to contain it. And considering the nature of the thing likely fail. And no matter which, I would be dead.
It was as old as the universe with as much experience as that implied. It could read my every thought and if it was not trapped like it was, if it had it's full power and was able to use it and the Dresden Books were telling the truth it could undo entire 'galaxies'!
Taking a knife to my throat right now would be a kindness.... but that would just mean someone else would find it.
"I'm sorry my Host. I did not know that my presence would disturb you so." that same soft voice said gently from my left and I glanced in that direction. It was very blurry without my glasses, but I could see her outline. Some sort of short white dress, long flowing red hair reaching to her waist. She was short and thin, the very definition of a petite beauty.
AN// And a big thanks to -Mech- for betaing this section.
