by Jim Stein
Destructive spells sucked heat away, but healing magic used Fire on a micro-scale. I had to watchdog my own constitution, balancing the spell so it didn’t drain me. Otherwise, I could end up in worse shape than the patient.
In spite of all my precautions, my head buzzed as I slumped down and tore into a cakey brownie supposedly full of fiber and protein. The soothing sounds of nature turned from mellow symphony to a cacophony. I felt about to scream, but the weight of an old familiar attention settled on me, stilling my angst.
The source was by the four-wheelers. There! Golden eyes gleamed from the shadows as Max pranced into our little camp and plopped down at my feet. He arched into a shuddering stretch, pushed his warm back against my thigh, and draped his heavy head over my left ankle. My fingers found thick fur and the headache vanished. I closed my eyes, content to forget about dinner. But the camp flew into chaos.
“Hey!” Pete yelped.
I cracked an eye open in time to see Ralph catapult off Pete’s stomach and land squarely on Vance’s groin. The deputy sat bolt upright, then slumped back in agony as the imp barreled toward me. Max raised his head and yipped out a greeting.
I sat in the middle of a whirlwind of black fur and gray skin. Ralph pounced on Max, who thundered away a pace only to lunge back with playful nips at the imp’s tail. They darted right and left, both using me as a shield in their little game of war. Flashing teeth and swiping talons came perilously close to my vital parts.
“Come on, guys!”
They ignored me, and I crossed my legs out of sheer self-preservation, especially given poor Vance still lay curled on his sleeping mat groaning.
“What is this?” Muuyaw advanced on us, caught sight of Max, and recoiled with a hiss. “You bring a manatoh into our midst?”
The mock fighting stopped mid pounce, and something between a growl and groan vibrated in my dog’s throat.
“Look closer, brother.” As usual Dawa was the voice of reason. “See how the imp protects him? I feel it too, but this is no manatoh.”
For once our surly captor took advice. He squinted at Max. Ralph had dropped the pretext of fighting to stand between the Ant and my dog, his hand gripping a fold of furry skin halfway up a foreleg and looking for all the world like a rider standing by his noble steed—an impression further reinforced when Ralph swung up to perch on Max’s shoulders.
“I thought I saw…” Muuyaw being at a loss for words made me smile. “Perhaps you are right. Just a dog, a very big dog.”
“His name’s Max,” I said, hoping to capitalize on the bit of respect that flitted across the Ant’s face, but it was gone all too quickly.
“It is unusual for imps to associate with other species.” Dawa looked over to Max and Ralph. “More so for your dog to find its way here.”
“They’ve been through a lot together.” I chose to stick with the truth and ignore his second statement. “I thought we’d see more imps in your world. Ralph got cut off early in ours, and we’ve only seen a couple roaming bands.”
“They are migratory creatures with strange habits,” Dawa said. “Even so, the twin gods use many races to prepare for our crossing. I do not know all involved, but imps have not been seen recently. As with the others, they have either been called to service or are in hiding.”
“So, not everyone is on board with the divine plan.”
“Most will not stay in the new world—only we Ants and a chosen few.” The pleading look was back in his eyes, begging me not to press for more. I ignored it.
“What happens to everyone else?”
25. Helping Hands
A
NNA BLINKED back tears as sheering wind swept them up into the vortex and sent her stomach to her knees. Roaring wind and flickering lights had her spinning, the seat under her butt and Charles’ rigid back the sole reminders she still rode the ATV. The swirling disorientation lasted only a moment stretched across eternity.
They rolled out onto cracked earth under dim sunlight—still desert, but lacking the mounds of sand. It did not lack occupants. Thousands of the creatures they’d fought at the farm camped in tight knots across the desiccated plains. Though camping might have been too generous of a term. Most simply stood or sat on the shattered ground. A few tents with banners snapping in the wind did squat among the masses, but these were the exception.
“Here we go,” Charles whispered, which was ridiculous because it wasn’t like they could sneak past with their obnoxiously loud engine.
Yet that’s exactly what they did. Charles drove slowly, threading between the disparate camps. Fifty yards was about the closest they came to any of the groups. Anna bit her lip and tried not to make eye contact as the stone trolls turned to watch them pass.
Either no one cared about new arrivals or these particular brutes lacked the intelligence to puzzle out who they were. Charles was magnificent. She’d have gunned the engine when the first troll noticed them, which probably would have triggered a feeding frenzy. But her companion remained remarkably calm and collected.
The road ahead dipped over a rise before vanishing in a gully. Once they were clear, she could try to contact Ed. The slow ride was nerve-wracking, but thrilling. Helping the cause made her feel alive—in almost the same way as getting lost in the music. Between Ed’s quiet competence and Melissa taking care of the farm, Anna had been itching to contribute.
The high, silvery note of a horn sounded off to their left, and her smile slipped. A lone figure wrapped in tattered rags stood outside a tent in the distance. Three more sprang from the ground, spoke with the trumpeter, and zoomed toward them.
“Damn sand demons.” Charles still didn’t speed up.
The three came on fast, seeming to skate across the ground. The broken clay turned into fine sand as they passed, leaving three white trails stretching from the tent. Their magic felt similar to the Earth element Ed and the others used, except the power flowed loose and fluid beneath their skating feet.
“Just say the word.” Anna hunched over Charles and readied her magic. “I can throw up a gust of wind to knock them on their asses.”
“Just be still and let me handle this.” Charles tensed, then relaxed. “Please.”
The three demons surrounded them as Charles slowed to a stop. Red eyes and the hint of a flat wide nose showed from deep within each tattered shroud. They were proportioned like lanky athletes, tall and sinewy—although that last was simply an impression since they were covered from head to toe.
Power gathered in brown leathery hands she’d mistaken for gloved. Charles remained infuriatingly quiet. He propped a foot up on the front fender, looking relaxed and confident—wholly at odds with her own racing pulse.
The demon that had spotted them and sent the runners stepped up to confront Charles. She hadn’t seen this one approach. All four looked identical, but the new arrival’s bearing marked it as the leader.
“You should not stray from your lands.” The dusty whisper poured forth like the sands of an hourglass, marking off time with metered patience. “What shall I do with you now?”
“We aren’t here to interfere.” Charles met its patience with his own. “Let us be on our way, and all will be well.”
Anna blinked in surprise. Subtle power flowed from Charles. Similar to Spirit energy, but weak and diffuse—so much so that she doubted the man was aware of it. Perhaps it was simple charisma or force of will. But the lead demon wasn’t quite buying it.
“Fourth world visitors are not welcome.” The statement was met with more quiet resolve, and the demon teetered on the balls of its feet for a long moment. “Be certain you do not meddle in our affairs.”
The demon gave a dismissive wave, and the others turned to leave. With a curt nod, Charles started the engine and drove on. The lead demon watched them putter off toward the ravine, cocked its head, and then melted into the ground.
“That was awesome,” Anna said when they stopped at the bottom of the wide wash.
“Just an
old service trick. Acting confident is half the battle.” He pointed to tire tracks that cut onto the road from their right. “Looks like they came down the gully and hopped up to the road. They have a full day’s head start.”
“Let me try calling Ed.”
Anna dug through the saddlebag, brought out her candle, and lit it. The smoke smelled of sage as she called up Fire. These small castings were fun. The tiny flicker of magic danced to the music in her spell and sipped eagerly at the candle’s flame.
Ed, we need to talk.
No response.
Ed, it’s Anna. I’m coming to find you. Don’t destroy the shield until you are back at the vortex, or the portal will close and you all will be trapped. Can you hear me?
Something wasn’t right. It felt as if she pushed through water, which was all kinds of bad for a fire spell. She tried again and was rewarded with a headache and similar results.
“Something weird’s going on.” She put the candle away. “Like this place doesn’t allow firespeak.”
“Onward then? If it hasn’t rained, they should be easy to follow.”
Anna nodded and waved to the road ahead. She tried firespeaking several more times throughout the morning. Something definitely blocked the spell. The desert in New Philly had a similar effect, but this wasn’t shifting sand, just baked clay giving way to twisted forest as the road dwindled to a path. Back home the problem felt more like static, less…personal.
“Strange.” Charles slowed, pulling her thoughts back to the present. “Tracks end here, and there’s been a skirmish.”
“A fight?”
Faint impressions next to the hard-packed trail showed where the other vehicles had pulled off. A couple of bushes were smashed and burnt and the ground looked scuffed up.
“No clear prints, but lots of feet moved around in a frenzy.” He hopped off to run his hand over a furrow in the dirt. “These ruts could have been from moving supplies, but marks like this usually come from a makeshift drag for transporting wounded.” He followed the track for a few yards. “Yep, standard two-pole arrangement. The ATVs pulled over, then angled off the trail, heading straight for that mound.”
They walked over to an eight-foot tall gray gumdrop. Of course it wasn’t really a candy, but the shape reminded her of the ones Ralph horded. This was smooth stone set into a hillside. Charles swept back leaves and debris to reveal tire tracks. The wall just beyond the tread marks was less weathered than the rest of the mound. She traced the arc of the lighter-colored material with her fingers.
“Recently sealed,” Charles said. “They went underground. Maybe try your fire-talk again?”
“It’s just not working!” Anna was pretty sure the problem wasn’t with her magic. Something or someone didn’t want her communicating…but she wasn’t beat yet. “Let me try a seeking spell. It’s a different element entirely.”
Like all Brights, Anna carried basic spell components. She withdrew a fluffy brown feather from her supplies. For her to find something with Spirit, the music needed to be smooth. Ed taught them to look for songs that resonated on a personal level.
It was funny that Ed far outstripped her in magic, but used old pre-virus music. His songs were awesome, but Anna had spent months listening to, then following, the A-Chords on tour. Their songs touched her heart.
Billy opened with jazz-piano and synthesizer edging “Crystal Vibrations” into techno. She swayed to the haunting melody, called up an image of Ed perched handsome and proud on his ATV, and released the spell.
Spirit energy soared off to her right, paralleling the base of the hill. It connected, showing her an image of Ed hunched over a shallow stream that ran red. The feather slid from her palm to lead the way.
“Think you can follow that?” Anna grinned as she tied the spell off just below her sternum where a trickle of magic would keep the seeking active.
“I can until sunset.” Charles nodded, but didn’t seem at all surprised as he mounted their ride.
The engine let out a strange whine just as she was about to get on, echoing through the trees along their back trail.
“Hurry up. Hop on.” Charles gunned the engine impatiently.
“Can’t you hear that? Someone’s coming.”
“And we’ve got enough problems already. Your feather?”
A lone dirt bike careened up the path. Turf and leaves flew up behind the black-clad rider as they slammed a foot to the ground, pivoted into a tight turn, and raced straight at them. Stinging debris slapped Anna as the bike turned sideways and skidded to a stop less than ten feet away.
“You two are hard to track down.” Curly dark hair cascaded out as the rider removed her helmet. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you didn’t want to be found.”
“Rhonda?” Anna wouldn’t have thought Manny’s elegant assistant rode a bike, especially a dirt bike.
“Why are you here?” Charles narrowed his eyes at the woman.
“Oh, Chucky, you know me—always want to be in on the excitement. The nice farmers managed to exhume this little gem.” She patted her gas tank affectionately. “Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the barn to join up and found you’d left early.”
“I didn’t know you wanted to come,” Anna said. “There was a lull in the bombardment, and Charles thought we should get a jump on things.”
“No, you wouldn’t have known, but I have a vested interest here too.” She shot the drummer a glare that slid into a smile riding on silky words. “The Company would have my head if Manfred went missing, and the paperwork would be a nightmare.”
“You’re welcome to ride along. They’re closer than we thought, only a half-day ahead.” Her spell told her that much.
“Perhaps they had…engine trouble.” Rhonda stared daggers at Charles.
Ed may have been right to worry about Manny’s assistant. Charles had been wonderful in handling the three-wheeler, getting them past the demons, and tracking Ed. They were operating smoothly and didn’t need anything getting in the way.
“Listen, Rhonda—” Anna screwed up her courage when those withering hazel eyes turned on her. “We’re happy to have help, but Charles and I make a pretty good team. Just…let us get on with it. We don’t have time for feuds.”
That sounded rational while making it clear Anna wouldn’t put up with bickering. Koko and Pina had given her this mission, and she wasn’t about to let it spiral out of control. If she had to be the grown up, so be it.
“Well, our little groupie is all grown up.” Rhonda held both hands palms out and cocked her head. “No offense. Just not what I expected. I will do my utmost to not interfere if that’s what you want.”
“Let’s just get on with it.” Charles sounded none too happy.
Anna rummaged in her bag. “Give me a minute to shoot off another tracer.”
26. Double Dreaming
A
NNA RUBBED sleep from her eyes as they bumped along following the feather. The night had been a disaster. Rhonda and Charles sniped at each other into the wee hours of the morning, making sleeping damned near impossible. The only plus side was the background song from the invisible creatures of the prairie. She’d listened hard, trying to drown out the “adults” and counting the stars blazing overhead as they twinkled up a storm. On a clear night back home, the brighter stars might flicker with a bit of color. Here, they all glittered like Christmas lights shifting through the colors of the rainbow. The chorus of sounds and lights helped her drift off, but all too soon, the night’s concert ended and the too-large sun peeked over the hills ahead.
“I should take lead,” Rhonda called over when the colorful boulders allowed her to ride up alongside the trike.
Charles shook his head and gunned them forward. Being on the move severely limited the woman’s ability to pick fights. Holding a grudge wasn’t in Anna’s nature, but she found herself adopting Ed’s distrust. Piper told her to watch Charles from the whole horny-man-at-night perspective, but her wary eye was now firm
ly locked on the slim powerful woman on the dirt bike.
They didn’t know much about Rhonda, and everyone had been surprised to see Manny’s assistant show up out of the blue in the company of Kokopelli—doubly so when one of the dark legion summoned her. The Dark Court might currently be helping, but none of them could be trusted. Anna had learned that the hard way.
“Slow down or we’ll be eating dirt,” Charles called over his shoulder.
“Oh sorry.” Anna backed off on the spell, and the feather slowed.
Damn! She unclenched her teeth and blew the tension out with a big breath. Emotions played havoc with her spells, and the power that unintentionally leaked into the seeking had poor Charles chasing her accelerating projectile. Anna wiggled in her seat, resolved to keep her feelings in check, and focused on the beautiful lights playing across the landscape.
She held up a hand to let reflections from the crystals dance across her skin. They’d quickly discovered the danger of looking directly at the rock outcroppings and their crystalline growths. Afterimages still plagued her, and stray flashes caught her unawares every few minutes. Still, it was beautiful.
More glitters ahead made her smile and want to dance through the silent rain of colors. But unlike the other reflections, these rose from a low outcropping and extended across their path in a shimmering wall.
“Shit!” Charles turned hard, and the right rear wheel came off the ground.
The wall shifted to intercept them. As it drew close, she saw it was made up of fist-sized creatures. Their translucent wings shifted through the colors of the surrounding gemstones. Charles whipped up the shotgun he kept strapped to the front fender and fired. The shots tore holes in the swarm that quickly filled back in.
Rhonda shot past, nearly clipping the front tire. A spray of glinting metal flew from a short gun with a fat round magazine that appeared in her left hand. The flechette darts cut a wide swath. But more bodies filled the gap, knitting the trap shut. Each small face had glinting orange eyes tucked in tight above a slit nose and mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. The humanoid figures were naked, but covered by fine white fur. Thorny horns sprouted from their cheeks, and a rudder tail—segmented like a dragonfly’s—twisted and spun as they jockeyed for position.