Falls

by Melinda Kucsera

  “Some entities are too proud to ask for aid. I’m not saying that’s the case here. There’s too much I don’t know about your Queen, but it’s possible. Don’t take it to heart. She means well. That much I can tell.”

  Sarn nodded. A chill wind rustled his cloak. Was that a challenge?

  “You can’t keep me out.” Sarn advanced on her leafy attendants and their branches wove together creating a woody barrier. Still, Sarn kept going until he slammed into an invisible wall.

  No, not again! Sarn punched the transparent barrier. He threw all his frustration into that blow and green flames jetted out of his knuckles. But the barrier shoved him hard in the chest, and he backpedaled narrowly missing his son.

  “Papa?” Ran packed all his confusion into that one-word question.

  Sarn shook his head. Shame at losing control in front of his son made his face flush, and he hung his head. Why won’t you let me help?

  Because I’m untutored and I have no fricking idea what I’m doing. Sarn scrubbed both hands over his face hating the truth of that statement.

  Ran tugged his pant leg to gain his attention and an answer to the question depressing Sarn: what now? But the answer was obvious. If she wouldn’t accept his help, then he’d find someone whose help she couldn’t refuse. There was only one man no one refused. But first, he had a bargain to keep.

  Sarn nodded to J.C. “Come on, I’ll help you cross, assuming I can still cross.”

  He caught his son’s hand and headed for the mountain at the fastest pace Ran could manage. In three strides, he was face to face with the outer ring of menhirs again.

  “How do I get you across?”

  “Take my hand and let’s find out.” J.C. extended his hand.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Sarn took it and Ran laid his other hand on the pile, with a smile for them both. At least someone was enjoying the debacle this afternoon had become.

  Steeling himself, Sarn stepped into the gap between those eerie stones and hit another invisible wall. It coruscated as he pressed against it, forcing it to bend then finally part. A tingling sensation started at his toes and spread along the length and breadth of him, warming him as it moved. Then hot hands slapped his chest, balling themselves in his tunic and pulled.

  Sarn stumbled through the first ring of menhirs and crashed into a being made of fire. He stared into emerald eyes that were the luminous twin of his own.

  “Son of stone and bones, what is thy command,” said a voice like the grumbling of thunder.

  Ran huddled against his leg, his eyes wide in shock. His lips moved, no doubt shaping questions the expectant silence swallowed.

  “Let us pass.”

  “Us? The Divine One is with you? You wish to grant him entrance?”

  Sarn stared at the fiery man-shape. Thank Fate its flames were illusory. Divine One? “You mean J.C.?”

  “Yes.”

  The thing snapped its glowing fingers. It was awfully accommodating. Might it be in the mood to answer a few questions? It couldn’t hurt to ask while they were stuck here in between.

  “What are you?”

  “A magical construct called a ‘golem.’ I was created to keep the riffraff out.”

  “Did the Litherians create you?”

  They were a race of stone mages who built the stronghold inside Mount Eredren. So, they could have created the golem.

  “No, I predate them, but they repurposed me.”

  “Mages can do that? How did they repurpose you?”

  “I’m not privy to the ‘how’ just the ‘why.’ But yes, I’m proof it’s possible.” The golem spread his hands.

  J.C. squeezed Sarn’s hand, reminding him of his bargain and he nodded. It was just his luck to finally find a talkative magical creature when he had no time to indulge his curiosity.

  “Let us pass—all three of us.”

  “Done, but there’s a price.” The golem held up a slender finger.

  “What price?”

  “My freedom. I’m not needed anymore. By taking the Divine One across, you accept responsibility for the mountain and its people.”

  “I don’t understand. How does my taking J.C. across free you?” Sarn wanted to rub the bridge of his nose where the beginnings of another headache poked and prodded him, but both hands were busy holding his son’s and J.C.’s hands.

  “The conditions of my—repurposing—are met. I was programmed to watch and wait for a son of their blood to subdue a power.” The Golem nodded as the words ‘a son of their blood’ echoed in Sarn’s head and rang true.

  Sarn just stared at the Golem with the question he was too stunned to ask on his lips.

  The golem nodded. “You’re descended from their line—the Litherians. As the golem talked, he circled Sarn and his companions. Your mother was of their blood. Their power passed from her to you.

  Sarn glanced at his son. A new hope buoyed him up and he smiled. “If the Litherians’ power only passes from mother to child—then my son won’t inherit my power.”

  Ran could grow up to lead a normal life. Oh, how Sarn wanted that. A life free of ridicule and hiding where his son could do anything he put his brilliant little mind to without worrying about Seekers or magic-haters coming after him.

  Ran, of course, had heard the entire conversation and his scowl proclaimed how much he disliked the direction it'd taken. “No, Papa, that can't be true. I'm just like you only more talkative. Everyone says so.”

  That was true. Sarn’s hopes shattered on the emerald eyes scowling up at him. Any eye color but brown signified magic in the blood, and Ran’s eyes were just like his without the glow.

  The golem shrugged. “Eye color and magic used to flow together from parent to child until your ancestors sought more power. They did something before my making which broke that association, and that something interfered with their magic. Certain conditions must now be met for it to breed true. But those emerald eyes are still part of their racial identity.”

  “So, you're saying my son might inherit my power, but there’s a chance he might not?”

  The golem nodded.

  ‘Maybe’ was better than ‘definitely.’ It fired Sarn’s hopes again.

  “I want to go. I don’t like this place.” Ran shivered and drew a little closer to Sarn.

  His son was right, and he did have a bargain to keep, so Sarn nodded. “Do we just cross? Or do you need to do something, so they’ll let us?” Sarn waved to the shadows beyond the light streaking between those standing stones.

  “Just go as you came, one step, two, three steps and you’re through. They’re keyed to you now, the stones, they’ll do as you bid them.”

  Sarn took a cautious step forward then stopped, gripped by a new worry. “What will they do?”

  But the golem didn’t answer. It shoved Sarn and he stumbled through the inner ring of menhirs onto the meadow, trailing his son and J.C.

  Sarn spun and regarded those stones but they were quiescent now. No hint of their magical cordon or their golem-keeper remained. He let go of J.C. and struck a hand through the space between those stones and relaxed when he felt magic caress his skin. The protections were still there.

  Sarn faced J.C. “Why did that thing call you ‘Divine One.’ I thought you said you were from Heaven-on-Neverthrall.”

  He’d heard good things about Heaven-on-Neverthrall from people who’d passed through that village. It had a nice inn and a good school—if the rumor was accurate. It was the kind of place where people kept to themselves. He could find work there and Ran, an education when his Indenture was up.

  “Good name,” Ran said and Sarn nodded because Heaven-on-Neverthrall sounded like paradise. Though with an enormous freshwater lake right outside his future door, he’d better learn to love fish.

  Sarn rubbed his chest with the heel of his hand as a pain stabbed his heart. He’d told Beku, Ran’s mother, about that place. They'd planned to travel there together—the three of them—and make a fresh start, but
that was before things broke down beyond repair between them. She was gone now and that was for the best. But he’d gotten way off track and J.C. hadn’t answered his question.

  “Well?”

  “It’s complicated,” J.C. finally said. “If you’ll travel with me for a little longer, I think the answer will reveal itself.” J.C. extended his hand again.

  And Ran, who wasn’t a fan of walking, hiking or stair climbing—all of which were in his immediate future—latched onto that proffered hand. He was still holding Sarn’s hand and the imp grinned up at him, daring him to contradict his wishes.

  And he did, he picked Ran up, forcing his son to let go of the man and the mystery. “Another time perhaps. There’s something I must do.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To get help.”

  “But I want to go with J.C.” Ran struggled as he protested.

  “You can’t. You must come with me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want you with me, we make a great team.” And I can keep you safe, but he didn’t say that last part out loud.

  “Oh, but you didn’t answer my question.” Ran turned his own glare on Sarn. “Where’ll we get help?”

  There was no ‘we’ since none of the Rangers knew his son existed and things needed to stay that way for the foreseeable future. But Ran didn’t know he was a secret.

  “From my master,” Sarn said hating the bitter taste of those words on his tongue, but there was no one else. And he'd proven last month and again earlier today, he made a poor detective.

  “Will they let him pass?” Ran waved over his shoulder to the trees standing sentinel beyond the twin rings of menhirs.

  The question stopped Sarn in his tracks, and he stood there for a long moment trapped by the answer welling up from his gut.

  “I don’t know, but I must try.”

  Jerlo must know what to do. The alternative was too frightening to contemplate. So Sarn ran toward the promise of answers as fast as his legs could carry him.

  But his Queen wasn’t finished with him yet. The Queen of All Trees stood to her full height and looked over the crowns of her sentinels as she wove a complicated pattern with her branches. When she released the spell, it winged across the intervening distance and struck Sarn. White light ate the memory of his visit with her.

  I Wish I Could Involve You

  “Mission accomplished?” asked a shadow leaning against the wall.

  “You didn’t listen in?”

  “No, I trust you.”

  Rat Woman dropped to her knees outside Jerlo’s office and Insect Man did too as a summons slammed into them. Though he was careful to keep all his green-skinned appendages under his cloak.

  “Come, sinners, let your dark desires rise. At my side, thy time is nigh.”

  “There’s another demon loose here?” Insect Man’s cowled head swiveled to face her.

  “There must be. That call is unmistakable.”

  “Like a mom calling for her chicks?”

  The apt analogy startled Rat Woman. “I think so. It makes sense though, they weren’t particular about the demons they summoned. So why not a mother?”

  “Yeah, but what about her children? Are there baby demons running around this place too?”

  They exchanged horrified glances.

  “Come, sinner, thy time is nigh.”

  “Maybe, like does call to like, demon-made to demon incarnate.” Rat Woman bit through her lip and beside her, Insect man writhed.

  “I don’t want to be enslaved again.”

  “Nor do I.”

  She fumbled for his hand, and he manifested one out of spiders and gripped hers hard betraying his fear.

  “What can we do? We can’t resist forever. We’ll give in eventually—” Insect Man broke off and his hand lost cohesion.

  “We have one hope. If we can find Sarn, his presence might mute the call or interrupt it because it’s anathema to him, a curse breaker.”

  It was a slim hope, but she grasped after it and rolled onto her belly. She wormed her way forward, Insect Man at her side.

  “Do you know where he is?

  Rat Woman blushed. “When the mountain started shaking a few hours ago, I sent a rat to check on him. But the level of magic was so low, I lost touch and had to track him down with another rat.”

  Insect Man noticed her flaming cheeks and manifested an eyebrow, so he could raise it—the brat. “Did you find him?”

  “Yes, he was surrounded by a lot of angry people. I tried to help—”

  “Ah, so that’s where you went when you zoned out earlier. Why didn’t you say something? I would have helped.” A hundred swinging spiders shook their legs at her.

  “Because You were looking for Snake Woman. I don’t think Sarn would hurt us, but I don’t trust her. I’d feel better if I knew where she is. Did you find her?”

  “No, but I found signs of her.”

  Rat Woman glanced over her shoulder at Jerlo’s door, wishing she could drag him into this. Instead, she concentrated on prying that grate up then sliding into the dark duct it accessed.

  “Keep looking. We need to know what Snake Woman is up to because she could be the reason those people went after Sarn.”

  After all, their Maker had made Snake Woman too and that made her a sibling of sorts. Neither of them liked to admit that, but for years they’d all worked together doing Shade/Vail’s bidding.

  “Did Sarn escape?”

  “I think so. I lost my connection to the rat tailing him. I think he was headed outside, but that was a while ago. Can you pick up his trail?”

  And his adorable son’s too, but she left that last part unsaid because just thinking about Ran made her arms ache to hold him. He was so adorable, and his smile made her heart swell with joy.

  “Give me a moment to check.” Insect Man stilled, and his body lost some of its cohesion. Insects broke off from the main mass of his body and either flew or crawled away on their own pursuits. The rest stayed in a man-shaped mass crouched inside the duct.

  Do I like Sarn and his son because my Maker liked them, or do I like them because I like them? Rat Woman bit her lip.

  Shade had loved Sarn in Shade’s own screwed up way, but that love had never been requited. Until a deathbed confession last month, Sarn had no idea his best friend had loved him. But Shade hadn’t loved Ran. In fact, Shade had considered the little one an adorable obstacle to any lasting relationship. And her heart hurt just thinking of the child.

  Do I like them because my Maker liked them, or because I like them?

  It was the same question she’d pondered since Sarn destroyed her maker and set her free a month ago. Rat Woman gave the plain door to Jerlo’s office a sidelong glance through the grate she replaced, wishing she dared confide in him.

  The commander of the Rangers was one tough guy and intriguing too. Liking him was so much simpler, and that affection was untainted by her Maker. But he belonged in his mundane world of paperwork, meetings and setting endless watches on the enchanted forest.

  But where do I belong? I’m not human. I’ve only been an independent entity for four weeks now. Where do I fit? Rat Woman crawled on her hands and knees, wishing for an answer.

  Insect Man’s swarm buzzed by her ear. “Got ‘em. Sarn and his son are one-mile northeast of Mount Eredren. They’re crossing those weird circles of standing stones. I think they’re headed back to the mountain.” Insect Man’s green face broke into a smile.

  “Can you follow them?”

  “Yes, they’re at the edge of my range, but it’s high summer, so I have plenty of eyes outside.”

  Come, sinner, thy time is nigh.

  That fell voice seemed to echo in the duct, and each time it resounded, it flattened them.

  Rat Woman pushed up to hands and knees. “Let’s go before the call becomes too much for us to bear.”

  “Go where? After Sarn?”

  Outside—just the word sent chills up Rat Woman
’s spine. There was no protection for them out there nor anywhere to hide. No, they needed darkness and tunnels. She shook her head.

  “He’ll likely use the north entrance. We can rendezvous with him once he enters the mountain.”

  But first, they had to work their way northward. Jerlo would have an office on the other side of the mountain just to be contrary.

  Insect Man nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

  As in all things since their creation, they were together, and there was some comfort in that. Shared misery is misery halved, or so Shade used to say.

  “Go,” Insect man said. The hole was only large enough to admit one of them at a time. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Hold onto my ankle, so I know you’re there.”

  “I’ll do you one better. I’ll ride with you if you’ll permit. I’m not strong enough to maintain my shape.”

  “How?” She paused, and the summons ground her into the stone. Ichor dripped out of her nose and the bonds between the rats comprising her started to loosen. What she wouldn’t give for a real human body, not something she’d cobbled together out of other creatures.

  Many somethings buzzed past her ear. Was that Insect Man trying to explain his plan? She shook her head.

  “Just do it.”

  A shiny marble rolled past her hand. She grabbed it and peered into its translucent core at Insect Man in all his green-skinned glory. He held both his palms up and shrugged. With a shake of her head, she pocketed his essence and crawled into another duct, scraping her bare arms as she went.

  A fat rat missing part of its ear regarded her—he was one of her favorite spies, but she’d lost contact with him hours ago. Seeing him made her feel better. She petted his soft fur, and he nuzzled her hand. After a few more strokes, he bounded off then returned dragging a familiar bear by his ear.

  “Good boy, thank you for bringing this to me. It was very thoughtful of you.” Rat Woman smiled and gave him a good scratch. “Will you do me one more favor?”

  He twitched his whiskered nose in affirmative.

  “Scout for me. Ask your friends and relatives to look for this man.”