“No time. Must escape.” I spun my son around, landing him on his backside behind me. Their protests went unheard as I tore out of the sweathouse. The red pollution followed me outside. They were safe for the moment.
Gray Wolf cried out, “Jesse, get them out of here! As far as you can go. Brian is changing into his lighted form. We, the house, and everything else will combust to ash.”
Jesse herded my son and Bellamy toward the rental. They stopped and huddled together when Gray Wolf’s red truck melted into a puddle of bubbling metal. Not as close, but definitely next in line, the rental might melt with them inside it. Jesse yelled, “Brian! Lighten up. You’ll end up killing us.”
If not me, aThorsis would destroy them all with a single fiery breath. My gaze fell on my arms as they crackled with lighted veins. The loin cloth burnt to ashes, my exposed body looked like an electrified cityscape viewed from the heavens above. They were right. I was breaking up, stuck in a limbo between not quite physical and not quite an exploding quasar. I’d scorch everything if I didn’t hold myself together. Their lives hung in my grasp, not aThorsis’s. He tricked me into believing he was the threat.
Jesse and Bellamy raced down the dirt road. Trailing behind, my son scooted after them but kept spinning around to check on me. When my voice hollered inside his mind to run, a pair of wings sprung from his back. The snowy appendages carried him in flight until he caught up to the others and grabbed each one by the arm. Flying low, the weight cumbersome, they wavered toward the nearest ridge. A small part of me relaxed when they disappeared over the top.
A voice whispered in soothing tones. My awareness fell on Gray Wolf. Why did he stay? My vocal cords on fire, literally, I reached for his mind. “Gray Wolf. If you can hear me, leave! Please…” The light in the old man’s eyes sparkled. He heard me.
“Brian. Concentrate on my voice. If you must change, then you will have to take me with you, though I doubt I will survive the transference.” His hands reached out to me as he hummed a calming tune. A lullaby of sorts.
Eyes squeezed shut, the blaze shined through my lids as if they had begun to disintegrate. “Please leave,” my mind whimpered. “aThorsis is here. He will destroy everyone I love.” The gentle humming persisted, my warning ignored. No need to steal a glimpse to confirm Gray Wolf had come closer. My entire being sensed his sedative presence. Too foolhardy. “Go back.”
The low thrum attached itself to my core, to the part of me that fought vigorously to hold myself together. The humming tune formed verses from a healing chant in the Navajo tongue. Each distinct utterance drawn from multiple intonations lulled the inferno within me. The network of radiance etched all over my body simmered as the song grew in crescendo.
Gray Wolf held my hands, each thumb massaging my palms. When I dropped to my knees, he knelt on his own without letting go or silencing his song. A coolness rushed over me followed by a calm darkness that crept deep into my innermost self. My mind welcomed the blissful comfort of slumber.
The next morning, I woke with a minor headache, nothing more. The realization that I was almost the death of the party left me in a somber mood during breakfast of coffee and sugar. Heaps of it. Gray Wolf accepted my monetary offer to buy him a new truck, the least I could do. Then he took me aside and advised me to focus on the upcoming battle before I incinerated the entire planet. Pretty sure that was his idea of a wisecrack.
The rest of the day carried on as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Except when…Jesse, Bellamy, and my son bought first-class tickets to fly home on a commercial jet. They let me see them off at the airport. Each one wished me a safe trip home.
Azrian stayed behind after he waved them on to wait by inspections. “Sorry, Pop. Take the private jet home by yourself. Or JLS if you can find the strength.” He squeezed me in a lose hug as if anything tighter might launch me into another hallucinatory fiasco.
“What about you and Bellamy? If and when I defeat aThorsis, do you want to stay on as my emissary for Earth?” I wanted to make sure everyone was happy before I left for battle.
His radiant smile answered for him. Whoever whitened his teeth, matched the brightness of his wings. “Yes, Pop. For a while anyway.” He squeezed me again, a bit tither this time, and ran after the other two to go through inspections.
The silly lad acted like we might never see each other again. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll make it home in one piece.” I waved after the three. Who could blame them for not taking the risk to fly three-thousand feet with an explosive time-bomb? Not me. Still, the rejection hurt.
The trip wasn’t a total bust. Jesse took care of HFA business. My son’s angst wasn’t as bad as we all thought, and the ranch intact, Gray Wolf escaped near disaster with a brand-new truck. A blue one, I hoped.
Problem solved, I forced down a few Colton tabs and JLS sped home before heaving them back up.
26
Et Tu Sabree
A n allover weakness, ashen skin, and glassy-eyed gaze depicted the new and unimproved me in the mirror. No atomic spark in my golden-tawny eyes. Not even a glint. The radiant strands the Lighted Realm had once bestowed, dulled along with the rest of my listless hair.
A wave of depression swept over me. I abandoned the wraith-like reflection and lay on the examination table to wait for my sister, our physician. Symptoms of severe malaise and decay mimicked those Sabree 2.0 had endured after feeding on my infected blood. I curled into a fetal position. Did the same sickness afflict me?
A few weeks had passed since the Malakhim attack, since this illness struck. No explanation, hint, or reason for the debilitating symptoms. I almost burned everyone to a crisp inside the sweathouse. Along with me, Earth experienced the same disorders. Wildfires, floods caused by broken dams, and excessive pollution ravaged my home planet. A virus spread, one that indiscriminately wiped out populations in every continent. No cure or antidote, world leaders blamed each other for the exploitation of chemical weapons. Humanity suffered for my ineptness. Certainly, this was aThorsis’s fault.
Nauseated, waiting for my sister to exam me for the umpteenth time, I chewed on a few more tablets. Together, the pills and frosted sweet-cake breakfast shot up my throat and spilled onto the floor. Ariane would be mortified, so I grabbed a roll of paper towels to cover the mess. Since the return trip home, she scrambled to find an antidote while testing the last batch of Colton tabs she enhanced tenfold. No one else reacted the way I had. Scared, mostly upset for falling short, she worked herself thin. Exhaustion set in.
Sabree made himself scarce as well. Except his lame excuses had nothing to do with working in the lab. His last farewell led me to believe he had reported to the Caderen. Another lie, because his aura oozed self-reproach, his desire to be elsewhere ardent. Sure, he asked me how I was or if he could get me anything, but never offered the same kind-heartedness Sabree 2.0 used to express. Why did I dare believe things would be the same? I blinked back the wetness in my eyes. Damn, how I missed my old friend.
Waiting too long, I slid off the table and left the lab and vomit behind. Let her come to me. Both legs felt heavy and numb as I staggered upstairs, pausing for a breath every other step. This sucked. The exertion struck a chord, a sour note. Why put up with this shit when I could be teeming with unlimited electricity inside the Lighted Realm. No illness or fatigue, the lighted version of myself thrived.
The more I observed, the easier my mind processed the explosion of sights, sounds, emotions, hopes, dreams, and despairs of so many beings in thousands upon thousands of worlds. Complex and endless, sorting through every branch of time and dimension took heaps of practice. I flourished within the realm. Superior than ever. Superior than here.
Maybe this general malaise started because I stayed away from the realm too long. I should be there instead of wasting my time on Earth. The longer I waited before returning to the realm, the weaker my condition became. Decrepit enough to wish for death. Worse yet, aThorsis might retaliate fiercer than ever and
I couldn’t do a bloody thing about it.
At the top of the stairs, the leather chair beckoned me. Fresh air would offer more comfort to ease the chronic weariness. I walked outside the office, into the kitchen, and onto the porch to sit on the wicker swing. The fleece blanket I left there yesterday was damp with overnight dew. I wrapped it around me and snuggled into a ball. Tired eyes stared ahead unseeing.
The Lighted Realm hovered on the forefront of my focus. Just thinking about it improved my outlook. No such luck, not while curled up in a blanket. To test the theory, I increased the short visits, practiced hard, enjoyed infinite power and robust health. However, as soon as I returned to Earth, the debility resumed, its renewed intensity desecrating my innards the second I stepped inside the mansion. So, why bother to return.
My limbs grew numb and my eyes drifted shut. A white light flashed in the driveway. Nearly asleep, I sat up and gagged from the sudden exertion. Had my eyes deceived me? Too tired, my throat dry, I let telepathy speak for me. “Loree?”
“Yes, it is I. The Malakhim need your help.”
A halfhearted chuckle slipped out. “Say again?”
The wings sagged as Loree approached until she reached the edge of the porch. “I realize this request is outrageous after the way we attacked Earth, but we’re desperate.”
She put off a lot of heat, which was most likely my raging fever. “Outrageous doesn’t begin to describe it. Quite the nerve showing up here for help.” I cringed when she took another step, now only an arms-length away.
Her voice roared. “Bah! Earth deserves her fate. You deserve far worse.” She grabbed my wrist and yanked my arm. The skin sizzled at first and then a flame engulfed my hand. The skin melted away to expose raw tissue and muscle.
Unable to pull away, I screamed and screamed as flesh peeled away until each finger bone was exposed. The brutal agony and shock racked my entire body. Charred flesh filled my senses, soured my tongue. Tears blinded me but not enough to miss seeing Loree’s eyes flame. Or her other hand reaching for my face. Her cackles drowned out my feeble pleas.
aThorsis. The bastard had finally possessed Loree. Unable to tolerate the thought of my face experiencing the same fate of my hand, fearful I would lose consciousness and then my life, I focused on the safe haven. The Lighted Realm. Since the first visit, it took far less effort to become one with the realm. The practice runs and lessons empowered me.
The pitiful scream shattered along with the disintegration of my physical body.
3 3 3
The curse resided within the obsidian gem instead of inside Brian. Sabree figured it wouldn’t impair him while housed in an inanimate object. But it did. Everything moved too quickly. In less than two weeks, Brian’s health faded faster than Sabree could mist away. The curse was supposed to weaken his powers, not ruin his health. Or were the two linked somehow?
If he confessed right now, maybe Brian would forgive him. Yes, do it. Sabree began his search at the top of the basement stairs. From below, he heard Ariane call for her brother. She was the one positive light in his life right now, besides the promise of hope from Loree. Ariane would hate him for setting Brian’s demise in motion.
Her voice faded when he hurried out of the office and into the kitchen. A rancid sweet mess wafted in his face. Brian’s typical scent, which used to carry a harmonious aroma of honeysuckle and vanilla, had soured, reeked of decay. My fault. Sabree tiptoed to the window, spread the wooden slats apart, and peered outside. The sourpuss was sitting on the porch.
A bright light made him squint. Loree was on the porch with Brian. Or was she here for him? Ready to mist outside to confront her, Sabree reformed in the same spot, unsure of what was going on. His eyes narrowed when he glanced at Loree again.
She grabbed Brian’s arm and burned it with her touch. His bloodcurdling scream penetrated Sabree to the core, to his very soul. His two hearts shattered like crystal goblets. The light outside glowed brighter, more of a golden sunset. Then, Brian vanished.
What have I done?
“Did you hear someone scream, Sabree?” Ariane asked. “My God, it sounded horrible.”
“Oui, a hawk carried off a squirrel.” Not too far from the truth. Sabree peered through the slats to see if Loree had vanished as well. He stifled a gasp and backed away. Loree stood in front of the window staring in at him. He’d never forget those black eyes encircled in flames. Something had possessed his mother. Something monstrous. If an archangel occupied her body, then why didn’t she come inside to finish the job? Sabree’s darting gaze shot around the room. Perhaps a celestial talisman shielded the house.
“Ariane, come with me. Now!” Without offering an explanation, Sabree dragged her to the basement.
“What did you see? A ghost?” She hiccupped on a nervous giggle.
Downstairs, safe Sabree hoped, he pressed his lips against hers and held her tight. He could think of no better way to distract Ariane. And himself.
3 3 3
After the unexpected kiss, Sabree begged Ariane to stay downstairs. He promised to get Azrian to stay with her but remembered Azrian had left with Jesse and Bellamy.
“What about my brother?” she asked. When mist enveloped his body, she tried to grab his arm. “Wait, where are you going?”
“To see someone. If he will meet with me.” Sabree’s translucent lips pecked her on the cheek. “I won’t be long.”
So Ariane waited. An hour later, no one showed. Neither Brian nor Sabree. She felt foolish hiding downstairs all by herself. Maybe Sabree asked her to stay here to keep her out of his hair. According to her brother, their so-called cousin was typically up to no good.
“Sabree?” Ariane climbed the basement stairs and peeked outside the office down each end of the hall. A faint voice called her name. She cocked her head to listen.
“Ariane,” a voice whispered.
“Brian? Sabree?” Pleased someone else was home, she hurried toward the kitchen, recalling her brother’s favorite perch—the wicker swing. He must have fallen asleep. Maybe locked himself out, calling for her to let him in. Ever since the mystery illness overcame him, he used telepathy instead of exerting himself with words. So why wasn’t he in her mind? Her nerves on end, she paused at the kitchen door. Why hadn’t her brother used speed to disappear and reappear inside? Use the JSS, or something like that. Too ill?
Yes, that had to be why. Brian couldn’t keep the super-dosed Colton tablets down. She’d never forgive him for throwing up in her lab. Worse yet, he hid the vomit under an entire roll of paper towels. How wasteful. How gross.
“Help me.”
Ariane’s heart stopped. “Zoeree?” Brian would have told her if he rescued her daughter. Not leave her alone to find out like this. Something seemed wrong. If a trap awaited, maybe she should turn into a she-wolf. Tear out the entrails of whomever stalked outside.
However, Brian would admonish her if she used the morphing gift after he warned her several times, that if exploited, it could warp her mind. More than likely, this was a brotherly scare tactic to ensure dominance over her. But what if the mailperson was at the door with a special delivery?
“Mom,” the same frail voice called out.
Certainly not mail delivery. This time Ariane heard a distinct female voice. She peered out the door panel at the woman standing on the porch. Blonde curls dropped down around her shoulders to her waist. Zoeree? Could it be her long-lost daughter? Did Brian find her after all? Ariane swallowed the mixed emotions on the rise. What should I do?
The young woman turned toward the door and smiled. Her eyes glistened. “Mom? Please open the door. It’s been so long…I miss you so much.” Tears welled in her turquoise eyes.
Unable to stomach the sight of her daughter in tears, Ariane yanked the door open. “Zoeree, is it really you?” When she stepped onto the porch, Ariane held out a hand to touch her and thought it strange that the girl pulled away. Then all hell broke loose.
“The name’s Loree, ghoul.” Her eye
s blackened with the sky. “Take her!” she commanded the unseen.
A dozen winged creatures, similar to the woman, whose wings also sprouted, flew out of strange openings. Brian’s portal? Thunder clapped as each portal joined together to form one. They marched on her from all sides. Their wings glistened white hot as they whipped an electrified net over the top half of her body.
Ariane yelped and flung her arms in an attempt to pull it off. Then she concentrated on turning into a bird as she tried once before with success. Nothing happened. She called out for help.
The door flung open and Sabree rushed outside. “Ariane!” He tried to yank the net off. “Leave her alone, you’re supposed to take me.”
“Pathetic fool,” Loree snarled. A large fireball shot out of her hand and blasted Sabree, propelling him back inside. The door slammed shut.
Ariane screamed when the twelve dragged her toward the portal opened wide enough for everyone to fly through together, her included.
The portal closed, her screams swallowed up.
27
Timekeeper
A ll at once, the agony, my burning hand, malaise, and fears vanished. In its place shone the radiant gilded light. I relished it as a welcomed part of me. The luminous outline billowed in and out as if breaths filled my lungs. The intimate amber hues warmed me throughout.
On a previous visit, aAriel warned me of each archangel’s individual color. They must never touch one another, or their distinct hues would blend as one. Those painted a dominant pigment, took control of the lesser, causing the Lighted One to lose some of its identity. Then she disclosed how she represented and cared for nature. aThorsis was assigned as the Timekeeper. That title would go to me.
Made sense, I guessed; however, I approved of the Steampunkery title. This time, more powerful than ever, I relished in the brief victory of escaping my nemesis. To hideout for a spell, I’d occupy myself with juggling time, dimensions, and the dreaded data overload of trillions of beings demanding my attention all at once. Something—anything—to keep me busy until my strength returned to full capacity.
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