by Jamie Hawke
“More like a distant song,” Percival replied. “Not even a dream, but the idea that it exists, that sometimes parts of it play in my head, but not in a clear way.”
“I see.” I recalled Steph’s story about how they had made a sacrifice, and decided that this wasn’t the best time to bring it up. “At any rate, I look forward to getting to know you all more. Thank you, for all that you have done.”
Percival bowed, the others following. Galahad gestured for me to split away from the rest, so I did, joining him by the fountain in the corner.
“While it’s still daylight, we should discuss the specifics surrounding you and your role as the new Senator Funai.”
“About that. Isn’t there another way?”
He eyed me, then shook his head. “Not that I am aware of. Maybe we could illusion someone, but it wouldn’t be the same as with your transfiguration magic. Others could see through the illusion more easily, and this way you can keep an eye on the enemy.”
A shudder ran through me as I remembered Fatiha and how she had become Senator Ohlo. Even with the power of Avalon at my back, Fatiha had been quite the match once she had absorbed Thitis into herself. If she got more of the Nine, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
“If this is the only way, I’m in.”
“Then follow me,” Galahad said, and we left the others to their socializing. “It’s time to teach you how to be a senator.”
The thought was terrifying.
126
Galahad took me to a room where Senator Funai stood floating, staring right at me. For a second I blinked, confused, until I noticed the slight translucence. He smiled, nodded at me, and waited.
“From the Dark Lands?” I asked.
“No,” Galahad said. “This is a remnant of the senator. Like a ghost, if you wanted to put it in simple terms, but more like a piece of him he left behind with magic.” Interesting—and I had to wonder if it had any relation to how my remnant spell worked.
“Similar to what my aunt—er, Gertrude, did.”
“Close.” Galahad stepped up to the senator, passing a hand through him. “Only, this one will fade as you take on more of him. As you master his Funai-isms.”
“Funai-isms?”
Galahad smiled, clearly trying to make a joke. I was too weirded out to appreciate it.
“Can he, I mean, can you…” I turned to the remnant of the senator, but the remnant simply stared back.
“It’s not that advanced,” Galahad admitted. “The senator had to cast the spell in a hurry, as he only learned what would happen at the last moment and then had to rush out to help you.”
“I see.” The fact that the senator had known he was going to die but still ran out to do his duty was a bit overwhelming. Would I be able to do the same? Sure, I had fought insurmountable odds, but with my magic and my team of gargoyles and witches, it simply didn’t seem like dying was a possibility.
“Are you ready?” Galahad asked.
“He died for this,” I replied. “Best not waste any of the time his sacrifice has given us.”
“Indeed.” Galahad motioned to the remnant of the senator. “Become him.”
I frowned, not sure I knew exactly how to do that. Often, my transmutation powers worked by instinct or in moments of great pressure. As of yet, I had never simply ‘become’ anyone.
Still, I focused on doing so. Eyes on the remnant, I tried to become him. It didn’t make sense, the idea of staring at a ghost and trying to take on his look, but then again, not much I did seemed to fit into the world of normal.
A glance at Galahad showed that nothing had happened yet, so I reached deeper. For a moment, I felt my hair shift and my skin slightly burn.
Then it was gone.
“For a second, there, you started to show something,” Galahad told me.
“Wonderful,” I said, annoyed that this wasn’t happening easier.
I tried again in frustration, but after a few minutes, he took me by the arm and said, “Forget about it, for now. Come with me.”
He released my arm and started walking.
“What are we doing?” I asked, jogging to catch up.
“I will acquaint you with the work of the senator, so that you might at least fit in at first. Something tells me this whole battle won’t last long, and when it’s over, you’ll have more time to try and fit in.”
“When it’s over, I was thinking of a ski trip. Or maybe a week in Costa Rica.”
He eyed me. “Jericho, you might be joking, but let me assure you that this is not a laughing matter. The fate of the country, the world, and much of the beyond now relies on you and your ability to pull this off.”
“We’re all fucked,” I muttered, but when his eyes narrowed, I nodded. “Understood. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
We went to a back room and up a narrow, spiral staircase that led to an office. It was very subtle, much less flashy when compared to the rest of the place. Bookshelves lined the walls surrounding a solid oak desk littered with yet more books. Looking closely, though, I saw the desk was also covered in barely visible runes, parts of it—and the books—glowing in a way that reminded me of The Matrix.
“What…?”
“The senator’s, or I should say, your, private office.” Galahad stepped up to the desk, running a finger along one of the runes.
My analytical tools—a digital screen that I’d set up using my magic, basically a weird way that helped me to visualize the use and effects of my magic—quickly picked up the runes. This was odd, as the runes back in Gertrude’s mansion, or under it, were still a work in progress in terms of understanding them.
These, however, were very clear.
“Comprehension runes?” I asked, studying my screen and then the table, joining him closer to look over them. “Runes that will help me absorb all of this, digest it much faster?”
“Correct,” Galahad replied. “How did you think we train those in power? This is the only way people can have as much knowledge as they do—it’s unnatural, for the very reason that it comes from magic.”
“So basically, you plug me into the system, and then what, I know kung fu?”
“Don’t be absurd.” He pulled out the chair and gestured for me to sit. “You have to study, but… give it a go.”
At the moment, the last thing I wanted was to sit down and crack open a book on politics or economics, but I sighed and did as he asked. The first book he slid my way looked like it was straight out of the college textbook realm and was titled “Understanding Political Theory.”
To my surprise, as soon as the page was opened I saw letters glowing, floating off the page and up toward me. Then it wasn’t only letters, but my mind taking in full passages, whole chapters at once. It was like I was there, hearing Thucydides discuss the Peloponnesian war, instantly understanding the major role it played in the school of realism. Charts appeared, and I was walking through game theory, then moving on to another book that opened up my eyes to the checks and balances of our governmental system. The Constitution flowed through my mind suddenly, as clear and simple as that damn Baby Shark song.
I blinked, sat back, and closed the book.
Galahad was there, handing me another, but I held up my hand. “It’s… too much.”
“No such thing, not anymore.”
“I thought you said the kung fu reference was absurd?”
He chuckled. “It is. Your body can’t suddenly have muscle memory and cat-like reflexes without physical practice. Mental kung fu, however? Sure, thanks to your unique magic.”
“You mean…?”
“While these runes would help anyone, your transmutation power essentially puts all of your learning on a fast track. What took the senator years to understand, you will have down in weeks, maybe even days.”
“Holy hell.” I glanced around, the perverted mind that I had instantly going to the point of wondering what would happen if I got my hands on the Kama Sutra. Shakin
g that away, I laughed, remembering that I was still supposed to go to college. “Getting A’s shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“We’re so far past A’s, the whole alphabet is a dot at this point.” Galahad grinned, then thrust the book at me.
Glancing down, I was actually interested to see this one. “Magical Runes and How to Use Them?”
“We’ve had one or two Rune Wakers in our service in the past,” he replied. “They were kind enough to jot down what they learned. Considering your skill set, I imagine you’ll have much to add. Along with much to gain by absorbing the information within.”
I eagerly reached for it, but he scooted it aside.
“On your own time,” he said. “First, we have to ensure that your cover won’t be blown, and you don’t have much time.”
“Before…?”
“Senator Funai is expected at several social events, but also in the Senate itself before too long.”
“Right.” My throat went dry, but I nodded, taking the next book and breathing deep, ready for more learning.
“The Order has been infiltrated,” he reminded me. “Your work here will be instrumental in weeding out the enemy from among our ranks.”
I leaned over the desk, going through the books as fast as I could. At times, my mind felt like it would either melt or explode. Instead, it simply absorbed, grew stronger… evolved. Crazy? Maybe a little.
127
Night brought with it the beautiful sound of gargoyles waking. The stunning sight of those beautiful creatures breaking out of their stone skins and the alluring scents of each, pulled my senses to new levels of alertness. Maybe it was more than the sight and smell, but an awareness, a connection.
I was about sick of studying, so I’d taken a little nap in anticipation of the others waking, then stood with them waiting for the moment. It was definitely worth it. My mind craved relief from economic graphs and debates on trade agreements and defense spending. Seeing these ladies in the flesh, and damn fine flesh at that, was the relief I needed.
Aerona was the first to see me staring. She tilted her head and gave me a a half smile, then walked over to the window to glance outside.
“I have to wonder if the next time I wake will be in daylight, and all of this will be over.”
“In what way?” I asked, glancing from her to the sexual way that Ebrill was stretching, certainly knowing exactly what she was doing to me with her movement.
“Maybe it’ll all have been a dream. Or… we’ll wake up and find ourselves in the afterlife, the statues that hold us during the day smashed to bits.”
“God, I hope not.”
“If there’s an afterlife,” Ebrill said, now moving to my side and wrapping an arm through mine.
“You mean, other than the Dark Lands?” I asked.
“Right. Because, what happens when someone dies in there? Such as…” She glanced at Aerona.
“We don’t know,” Kordelia chimed in, the last to fully wake, and still in a crouched, thoughtful stance.
“Know what?” I asked.
The other two looked at Aerona, clearly waiting to see how or if she wanted to answer that.
“The reason I’ve been hesitant, compared to the others,” Aerona said. “Hesitant with you. I’m not totally sure what has happened.”
“Draedar is gone,” Kordelia said.
Ebrill left my side to comfort her friend, but a strange unease was boiling up inside me.
“The other guy, with Riland?” I asked.
Kordelia looked up and nodded.
“He’s not… completely gone,” I said.
“What?” Aerona’s eyes were wide and confused as she stared at me.
“I mean, shit. I don’t want to get your hopes up—maybe it’s just a chance for closure, to say goodbye? I’m not even sure. But… We really should get Riland up here.”
“Do it,” Ebrill said.
I sent a mental ping his way, and a moment later he came running in, Steph, Megha, and Shisa with him. Shisa came to me and let me scratch him between the ears while I turned to Riland and asked, “Is Draedar still there, in any capacity?”
Riland frowned, eying Aerona. “He was fading even when I was there, but… there might be a chance.”
“We’re going,”
“And finding Yenifer?” Megha asked.
“This won’t take long,” Riland promised.
“We have to do it,” I added. “For Aerona. But actually, maybe you can try to see what you can find on Yenifer’s whereabouts while we do.”
“You don’t all have to come with me,” Aerona said. “This can be something I do, alone. No?” She addressed Riland for that last part.
“Actually, you might need Jericho’s help getting there,” Riland admitted.
Aerona’s gaze in my direction was vulnerable, maybe even… ashamed? I gave her my most reassuring smile, trying to put myself in her shoes. If I’d lost a lover many, many years ago, started to hang out with someone new and even shared a kiss, only to find out there might be some element of my lover still alive? Confusing emotions, certainly.
“Wait,” I said. “If we got there, won’t the army that Fatiha was trying to raise be there, too, waiting?”
“We foiled her plan with the portal,” Steph said, shaking her head. “My guess? She’s moved on, trying something else now.”
Megha held up a finger, eyes going black for a moment. “Actually, that checks.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, my powers let me pull on those ‘spirits,’ for lack of a better word, that aren’t claimed. When she was pulling them into our world, she had to sort of claim them first. Right now, I’m sensing an immensely large number of available spirits to summon.”
“Which only means they aren’t hers,” Ebrill pointed out. “They could still be hostile.”
“That’s fine.” I nodded to Riland. “Let’s not waste any more time.”
“Agreed.”
He stepped over to me, one hand in mine, one in Aerona’s. “The three of us will have the best shot. In and out.”
“You’re sure?” Ebrill asked, eyes on Aerona.
“We’ll be fine,” Aerona said, taking my hand.
I closed my eyes, my other hand going to Riland’s and, as I heard Megha exit the room, the three of us were swept away. Pulled through darkness.
Only, something wasn’t right. Every other time it had been I’d go to sleep or be pulled out of consciousness, then woken up in the other place or land. This time we kept moving, the energy kept taking us, or me.
It didn’t take long to see why. Light ahead, a figure silhouetted there as if looking down a well at me, or at the end of a long tunnel. Our magic moved me away from her, but pain rocked my body as an invisible force jostled for control over me. Without a doubt, this was one of the Nine, attempting to intercept my travel.
As fast as my mind could move, I muttered several spells, but nothing worked. The words didn’t even leave my mouth.
Faster and faster I began plummeting toward the figure, until a force caught me, gentle. Tender.
Never leave my side, it seemed to say without words—even mental ones, as sometimes happened. Then I was back at Megha’s side, her arm looped through mine, the two of us shooting through darkness in a different direction.
I opened my mouth to explain, or maybe to ask her if she could explain it to me, but she pulled me close, cheek to mine, and that same sense of words entered my mind. I’ve got you.
Next thing I knew, my eyes were opening to the Dark Lands. Aerona and Riland already waited for us. Except, it wasn’t ‘us.’ Just me, no sign of Megha.
“You got distracted?” Aerona asked. “Is this not important enough for you?”
“Megha saved me,” I muttered.
“What?”
“Something, one of the Nine I guess, tried to pull me away. I don’t know, it was confusing, all happening so fast.”
“That’s not good,” Aerona r
eplied, her annoyed glare turning to curiosity and worry.
“We’re here now and have our own problems.” Riland indicated our surroundings.
Rocks, in jagged, cutting formations. No stars in the sky, but in way, this was starting to feel familiar. That in itself was troubling.
“This way, I think,” Riland said, leading the way, eyes on a far mountain—likely as a point of focus to guide himself.
As we walked on, cautious because of the loose rocks and steep falls to our left, Aerona seemed distant, her tail wrapped around so she could hold it, her wings almost limp.
“This place,” Aerona said, looking around. “Something’s wrong.”
“Wrong, how?” I asked, instantly on guard.
“Not here, not now but… in my memories.” She continued in silence, looking around as if she would find the answers to whatever questions she had. “My memories are of this place, of being here, of being aware of it. But now that we’re here, I sense… I don’t know. I sensed it before, too, and now I’m wondering. Wondering if the dreams have merit…”
“Dreams of being here?”
She shook her head. “Elsewhere. A time when maybe I was awakened, when maybe I had a whole other life. But… it was all blocked out, for some reason. It’s only accessible when I’m here, and even then, only in pieces.”
I stumbled, caught myself, and offered her a goofy smile. “And what do you see in these dreams?”
A troubled look came over her. “Temples, curved blades, glowing stones…” She lifted her hand, looking at her fingers sparkling in the light of Avalon. “Gold.”
“Gold,” I repeated the word, letting it sink in. Judging by the reality of my dreams, there was plenty of reason to wonder if hers might be real, too. Or memories of a time that, like she said, had involved her not being trapped in Avalon.
It wasn’t like memory loss related to that time was unheard of among these women. In fact, all of them had suffered some form of it related to their time being trapped or cursed. I let out a breath, trying to ease the tension, but it didn’t work.
Riland glanced back, paused, and then started walking faster. Apparently misinterpreting the unease, he spoke up to say, “Nobody fought like Draedar.” A few more paces, then, “Did you know he saved my life?”