Bloodstone: Written in Stone

by R. J. Ladon

  “Yes, Mistress?”

  “If his arm doesn’t regenerate, I’ll remove yours, without the benefit of surgery.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” Candali’s eyes flashed.

  “There’s a good kitty.” Tai Lu turned away from the woman in white and left the room.

  A few minutes passed before Candali moved. “I hate her! I wish she were dead! She doesn’t deserve to breathe!” The woman screamed with rage, took a few deep breaths, and then approached a snake-man. “Do you have the keys?”

  The man grasped his belt and took off a ring of keys. Kevin blinked then looked again. The snake-man had a belt and a bandolier with bullets crisscrossing his chest.

  Candali unlocked the top lock. She looked like a beautiful dark-haired woman, but he had his doubts. He focused and noticed a slight haze around her.

  “You’re letting him out of the cage?”

  “Hello? The bitch wants the boy’s arm. How do you propose I do that without taking him out of the cage?” Candali crossed her arms. “Well, I’m waiting.”

  “He could escape.”

  Candali laughed. “You can’t be serious. There are nine naga in this room alone. You all have weapons and skills he couldn’t imagine. And there’s me, of course. He is so inexperienced. He smells green.”

  “Hey!” Kevin blinked and took an inadvertent step forward.

  “See.” Candali pointed. “He doesn’t know when to shut up. Green.” She continued with the three other locks and opened the cage door. “So, what do you say, Kevin? Are you willing to work with us?”

  “Why should I?” Kevin smashed his back into a corner.

  “You’re right. You don’t have to cooperate.” She shrugged. “But see those naga behind you? They will force you to comply. Or hit you with enough amps to knock you out, and then we will do what Tai Lu instructs.”

  Kevin came to that conclusion yesterday. He stood, then quickly squatted again. “Um, I’m naked.” He pointed to his torn clothing on the floor.

  “Do you see any pants on the naga? Currently, they are naked too.” Candali raised her eyebrows. “They do not care.”

  “What about you?”

  “I am not human. The form I currently have is one you gave me.”

  “What? How could I give you your appearance?”

  The snake-men hissed with laughter. The word green seemed to pass among them.

  “To encourage others, it is to my advantage to look pleasing.” Candali pointed to the nearest naga. “To Chen here, I’m an engorged female probably with red scales to show fertility. To you, I’m a beautiful young human female in the prime of my life.” She reached into the cage with her hand. “I don’t care if you’re naked. Come.”

  Kevin reached up and took her hand. Once outside the cage, he pulled his hand back and stared. “How did you do that?”

  “You chose to follow me. Can you go one more step and give me your arm?” She indicated the naga who wore weapons on their backs and hips. “Or do you need encouragement?”

  Kevin studied her face, panic in his heart. “I thought this was going to be surgery.”

  “It is, but I need to put a drug into your vein.”

  “To put me to sleep and for pain?”

  “Exactly.” She held out her hand.

  Kevin swallowed and placed his right arm into her grasp. She looked at the veins in his inner elbow, pulled a syringe out of her pocket, bit the cap off, and pushed the needle into his flesh. The needle flexed and broke. “Well, that makes things complicated. Where did she cut off your finger?”

  Kevin showed her his left pinky, pointing at the joint where the finger attached to his hand.

  “Did she pop the joint, or did she cut flesh and bone?” Candali seemed to purr as she smiled.

  He looked at her and blinked fast. “I, I don’t know. I was terrified and in pain.”

  “You need to pay attention, Kevin. It could save your life.” She bopped him on the nose.

  Kevin frowned and studied her. Was she trying to tell him something?

  “I’ll need to gas him.” She looked at the nearest naga. “Find the Nitrous Oxide in the medical supplies. And bring a gurney too. Unless someone wants to carry him to level three.”

  The naga grumbled among themselves. Then two disappeared out the small door.

  Kevin turned to the beautiful woman in white. “I’ve had Nitrous before. It’s not meant…”

  Candali placed a finger on his lips. “Don’t worry, your pretty little head over this.” She smiled and brushed the hair off his forehead. “Did you know Tai Lu has her personal quarters on the fourth level? Just one level away from your surgery.” Her eyes narrowed in emphasis.

  The naga returned. “The gurney won’t fit through the door.” They thrust the nitrous oxide into Candali’s hands. “Give him the gas here.”

  Candali nodded, then winked at Kevin. She turned on the gas and placed the respirator over his mouth and nose. Kevin inhaled some of the gas, then instinctively, he stopped breathing altogether. His body responded the same way when he fell into the pond. Candali closed her eyes slowly.

  Kevin followed her cue and feigned sleep. How did she know this would happen? After a few minutes, strong arms picked him up and moved him to a soft surface, probably the gurney. He felt movement and the hissing-talk of the naga around him. He couldn’t escape now. The naga would overpower and recapture him.

  They took him into an elevator, down a hallway, and into a much larger area that echoed. The naga slithered away. Kevin opened his eyes slightly and looked through his lashes. Four people, wearing blue, milled about the room.

  Someone in a chair rolled near his head. That made five. The person in the chair reached for Kevin’s neck, resting two fingers. “I’m not getting a pulse,” said a masculine voice.

  A cold stethoscope touched his chest. “I’ve got one. It’s slow,” said a female. The stethoscope moved along the side of his ribs. “But he’s not breathing.” There was a slight ring of panic in her voice.

  “What did those naga do to him?”

  “Who cares? We’ll be punished.”

  There were sounds of scrambling and equipment moving along the floor. Kevin panicked. He didn’t want anything cut off or things put places they didn’t need to be. He ripped the respirator off and sat up.

  Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared.

  Double swinging doors faced the foot of the gurney. Medical equipment was scattered around, in the process of being moved. He turned to look behind him. The anesthesiologist stood and stepped away.

  There was another door.

  “Guards! Guards!”

  Kevin swung his legs off the gurney. A steady hand grabbed his arm, holding him still. “Sorry, son.” A syringe hit his arm, and the needle deflected. The fluid inside squirted onto the floor. “Shit!” The man released Kevin, dropped the syringe, and backed away.

  Kevin dropped from the gurney and ran out the side door. The double doors slammed open, and the hissing snarls of the naga urged Kevin to move faster. Beyond the door was an examining room. He shoved the large table against the door, hoping to keep the naga out. He continued through the next door into a hallway.

  There were shouts to his right. A man in a guard uniform leveled a gun at him and fired. A bullet zipped past. He ran to the left to the next door, but it was locked. The gun fired again, and burning heat exploded on his thigh. Fear drove him through the hollow core door. Kevin landed on the floor and looked at his leg. There was a round wound that dripped blood. Underneath was a purple circle. The bullet didn’t appear to penetrate his muscle.

  He was in an office, behind the desk, a window let in the afternoon light. Shouts and running feet came down the hall. Kevin went to the window, opened it, and climbed out onto the small ledge. Below the window was a line of rolled concertina wire atop a fence. Above him appeared to be a balcony. Kevin reached up and grabbed the floor. He heaved and climbed over the metal railing.

  Kevin le
aned against a wall, out of sight of the office window. His leg stopped bleeding, and the pain lessened. The surface of the wound had already scabbed over, like a rug burn. Am I bulletproof?

  The door leading onto the balcony was partially open. Kevin slipped inside. A case sat on a coffee table and a long black leather jacket laid over the back of the white couch. He narrowed his eyes. Was that the case with the stones inside? He clicked the latches and flipped open the lid. The stones drew him in as if they had cast a spell. He closed the cover and smiled.

  Did Candali tell him about Tai Lu’s apartment so that he might take the case of stones? Or something more sinister? The woman wanted Tai Lu dead.

  Kevin grabbed the jacket and put it on. There had to be more windows in the apartment, maybe another balcony. If he could escape the building and wait until night, then Kragnor could fly them home. The living room had a huge bay window with a view of the Chicago skyline, but it couldn’t open. Kevin thought he saw a Play Station and Xbox under a television that covered a wall.

  Down a hallway, he found a bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom had a set of katana blades, a bastard sword, and a mace hanging on the walls.

  The front door flew open, striking the wall. “No, I’m not letting those dirty naga into my home. Yes, I see. He came in through the balcony.” Tai Lu screamed with rage. “That bastard took my stones and my jacket! No, I don’t need help. This is the fourth floor. He can’t go anywhere.”

  He quietly closed the bedroom door, shoving a chair under the handle. He tried the window, but it wouldn’t open. Kevin rolled his eyes. On the dresser were numerous mythology books, held in place with crystalline bookends.

  The katana blades looked menacing, but he didn’t know how to use them. Odds were high that Tai Lu had a gun or other stunning device. Kevin thought about the cattle prods the naga had. He shook his head, the decision made, and tossed a bookend through the window.

  Feet pounded down the hallway. “Kevin, darling, what are you doing?” She rattled the doorknob.

  He picked up the other bookend and rubbed it on the window’s edge to remove all the broken pieces.

  “We are on the fourth floor. You’ll die if you jump.” The door creaked as if she were leaning or pushing on it.

  Kevin put his legs out the window, sitting precariously on the edge, case of stones in his lap. “Are you worried about Kevin or your investment?” he snarled.

  “Damn it!” She shot into the door, trying to break in.

  The ground below Kevin’s bare feet was cement. He thought about his new-found athletic skills, running, holding his breath, the needle breaking, and the bullet failing to penetrate his flesh. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped.

  Chapter 58

  J ohnny knocked on the door, waking Ruby from her chair and Megan from the couch. Megan slept in her clothes, only taking off her shoes. Ruby launch herself to the door, flinging it open.

  Johnny stepped into the living room. “Megan, we need to go.”

  Megan touched her chest. “Me?”

  “You, and if you have any weapons, bring them.” Johnny waved her toward the door. “Come on, we don’t have time to dilly dally.”

  “Dilly-dally? Seriously Johnny?” Ruby tapped her foot.

  “I’m always serious.” He looked at Ruby then Megan. “If you want to save your friends, you need to move now.” He turned and left the house.

  “Gimme a second,” Megan complained, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stopped long enough to take her shoes.

  “Bring Kevin back!” Ruby hollered at them from the porch.

  Megan opened the passenger door of the Honda Civic and jumped in. The bright colors of the sunrise made the eastern horizon glow. She shot a glance at Johnny. “You were gone most of the night?”

  He revved the car and took off. “I had a lot to report.”

  “Did you find Kevin’s phone?”

  “No, it was turned off, or it's out of power. But we did find its last location.” Johnny turned down a side street and headed toward I-90-39 to Chicago.

  “That seems like it wouldn’t have taken that long.”

  “It didn’t. The longest part of my report was you.”

  “Me?”

  Johnny nodded. “The Wolf of Siberia is a mythical deity. She lures poachers by seducing them with her womanly ways. Then changes form into a wolf, gigantic in size, and kills them. She loves nature and protects what she loves.”

  “She is supposed to be my mother. Does that mean my father is delusional?”

  Johnny sighed. “No, he’s not delusional. I’ve had my suspicions that you were witchy. Whether you knew it or not was another story. You might think being a demi is unusual, but not in my line of work. In fact, I would dare say it’s normal. I suppose some of my equipment brings the unusual to me.” Johnny jerked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating some items in the back seat.

  “What? Demi? As in demi-god?” Megan swallowed. “I just woke up. And you’re going to throw that kind of information at me and expect that I understand?” She shook her head, imagining the feats of Hercules. He knew he was half god. His strength made it obvious for anyone to see. “I’m just a girl. There’s nothing special about me.”

  “That’s your upbringing. You were raised human, and no one treated you special. It’s expected that you don’t know or believe.” Johnny raised his index finger off the steering wheel. “Well, that isn’t one hundred percent true. Nikolai treated you special. I talked to him a few weeks ago, he told me about one of his students. He was always impressed by this person, but Nikolai refused to give me a name. When my job brought me into town, I took the opportunity to stop by his gym. I figured I could find the special student he bragged about. That was the night you saw me and bolted.”

  Megan laughed. “I saw you the evening before on the street. I thought you were stalking me.”

  “I was. Sort of.” Johnny shrugged. “I was looking for magic sources, expecting to find one in all of Avalon. I found three distinct sites. And a few others that were weaker.”

  Megan closed her eyes. “For the sake of argument, what if my mother is the Wolf of Siberia? Why would my father hide it from me and make me think she was dead?”

  “The Wolf is a protector with supernatural abilities. If he told you that he is your father and your mother was killed by the Russian Mafia, you would protect him as no other person could, especially from the Russian Mafia. Demons could not defeat you. You’re the perfect shield.”

  “He did convince me that he was my father.” Megan turned to look out the window. “But now, I doubt everything.”

  “Good, you should doubt. That’s healthy. Believe with your eyes, heart, and mind. Don’t take anyone’s word.”

  “All right, let’s say I am the daughter of the Wolf. Why would you talk to your superiors about me?”

  “First, I needed authorization to bring a civilian into a potential fight with Chinese Nationals. Second, I wanted to offer you a job.”

  “A job?”

  “Kevin and Kragnor will need protection. You seem to care for them, so it’s a perfect fit. You’re also a guardian of the forest. By your very nature, you’ll sense special animals and objects. You’re a divining rod for the supernatural. Your skills, even untapped, are exactly what this company needs.”

  “You’re crazy!” Megan folded her arms across her chest.

  “Am I? Didn’t you sense danger before Bonnie left her house? You knew who was going to attack and warned her.”

  “She didn’t listen.”

  “Irrelevant. You may not have known how you knew, but you acted upon it. You also knew I was stalking you. You sensed it.”

  Megan sat in silence. She broke the hold the man had on her and killed him. She pulled that from somewhere, too. Megan also knew Annie was off. She frowned. Was she making something out of nothing? Would she have seen that man because Nikolai taught her to be suspicious? Or did Nikolai capitalize on her awareness and taught h
er to pay attention? He taught her how to focus and use more than her senses.

  She stared out the window watching the buildings become more abundant and the traffic heavier. They’d be in downtown Chicago soon. Mentally she marked the museum as north of their current location, ten or fifteen blocks.

  “This is where we figured Kevin’s phone was last active.”

  All the street parking was taken. Garbage skittered along the gutters pushed by the wind. “How do you propose to find it in this mess?”

  “I’m not. You are.” Johnny smiled at her.

  “You’re serious?”

  “All you need to do is focus. Focus on Kevin and Kragnor. Focus on their smell or their appearance. Whatever you need to feel their essence.”

  “Essence?” Megan raised her eyebrows.

  Johnny nodded. “Do you want to find them or not?”

  “Of course, I do.”

  “Get out of the car, breathe in the air, extend your feelings and focus. Trust your skills. Believe in yourself. I’ll drive around the block. There’s no parking here.”

  She held up her hands in surrender. “All right. I’ll give this a shot.” Johnny slowed the car, and Megan stepped out. She tried to focus on the cologne Kevin wore but couldn’t bring it to mind. Her brain kept flitting to Kragnor’s rough skin and his earthy smell, like a rotten log or freshly turned boulder. She felt a tug, like the directional pull of a magnet.

  She remembered using the same technique to find her lost keys. The distraction caused the pull to waver. She sighed, then refocused on Kragnor. There, down the street, at the corner, under that car. She checked the traffic and ran. The phone was near the back tire, its glass face smashed. The protective cover was still attached; it had the Celtic knot design.

  The Honda Civic double-parked. “Get in.” Johnny stopped traffic. Megan looked at the angry drivers behind him, opened the back door, and climbed in.

  “Is it his?” Johnny asked.

  “I think so. The case looks like Kevin’s, but it’s smashed.”

  “How do you feel about your skills now?” Johnny asked smugly as he drove forward to appease the other drivers.