He stepped through the portal and noticed the difference immediately. The trees on the other side were taller, their leaves and bark different from any tree he had ever seen. The quality of light changed, too. The forest in Windsor had been dark, deep in the middle of night. Here the sun shone, its light more orange than anywhere on Earth. One thing this place had in common with the other forest was a complete lack of animal life. The only thing that moved in the trees and underbrush was the wind.
He did not have to go far before he heard the roar of the waterfall. It was louder than Niagara Falls; it distracted him. He did not notice the figure until it spoke.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” it said.
Wisdom whirled around quickly and snapped an elemental barrier around him. His fingers erupted in fire, but he held it in check. He focused on the stranger before him. He was here to talk, not to fight.
It was obviously the same man Josh had described. Long, dark grey hair hung down his back in a ponytail. His features were sharp and somehow birdlike. His nose was long and sharp, cheekbones high and severe. Upon closer inspection, Wisdom noticed the pale green tinge to the skin and the vestigial gills at the base of the man’s neck. He was barefoot and topless, wearing only loose raw-hide pants. His chest was covered in scars. Strangest of all was the man’s left arm. Just below the elbow, a ridge of thick scar tissue separated two skin tones. Above the scar, the skin was the same pale green as the rest of the man’s body. Beneath it, the skin was as white as new-fallen snow. His forearm also seemed to glow with an internal light. The hand ended in long, thin fingers completely unlike the fingers on the man’s other hand. Wisdom spent a long time looking at the fingers of his left hand, especially the one adorned with a gold ring.
“If you know anything about me, this visit shouldn’t be a surprise. Or did you really believe you could keep screwing around with my life and I’d just stand by and let you?”
The man chuckled and shook his head. “I wasn’t screwing with your life, Wisdom. Not any more than you screw with the life of an ant when you water your garden. Whatever happens to you is of no consequence to me.”
Wisdom looked at the ground. “Oh, of course. That must be why you helped my father kick my ass a few days ago. That makes complete and utter sense…in the way of not making any sense at all. Whatever you may have heard, I’m not an idiot. You have something to gain or you wouldn’t be involved. Or do you expect me to think you are some sort of dispassionate saint?”
“At one point, some would have called me a saint.” The stranger blinked. “Not anymore. I do have something to gain, Wisdom, but not from you. I really couldn’t care less if you live or die, but the people I am working with do. They want you off Earth. It will be better for their plans. I’m just trying to assist them.”
“Why? Oh, don’t give me that look. I’m not in the mood for diplomacy. This planet, you call it Maghe Sihre, right? Well, since this is not my home, I don’t really care what happens here. See that sun up there? I can open a portal right now that would blanket this whole area in molten plasma. Actually, I can do that a few times. It won’t take long before this whole planet isn’t what you’d call inhabitable. From the way you just went three shades paler, I’m guessing that’s something you would like to see not happen. So stop the silent act before I lose the last bit of patience I have left.”
For several minutes, the stranger glared at him with his pale blue eyes. Wisdom could almost hear the man’s internal conversation; he knew the man was going to be reasonable.
“So much like your father,” the man said, finally. “So much power and so little regard for it. Fine, Wisdom. I’ll tell you what I can. It’s too late for you to do anything about it, anyway. My name is Gaysun Defksquar and…”
“I’m not really looking for a biography, here, my friend.” Wisdom pointed a flaming finger at the man. “Give me the condensed version, the one without all the unnecessary back-story. You probably already know this, but I am on a tight deadline.”
Defksquar smiled. “Ah, your legendary charm. Fine. The condensed version. I have something I need to get rid of. The Council of Peacocks has agreed to take it. End of story.”
Wisdom rolled his eyes. “Okay, you can be a little more back-storyish than that. What exactly do you have to get rid of? Why did the Council agree to take it? And what does all of this have to do with my father? Please remember I’m not stupid. Try lying and see what happens to all these pretty trees.”
“I underestimated you, Wisdom. If I knew you were going to be this annoying, I would have killed you when your father beat you down. The exact nature of the device I want to get rid of isn’t really important. Some call it technology, others call it magic. What it does is the important thing. Think of it as a sophisticated terra-forming machine. It alters the reality subnet of a planet, reshaping it in the image of the person who activates it. My world is at war. Both sides want it. I don’t trust either side to use it properly, so I’m getting rid of it.”
Wisdom trained his senses on the man, analyzing his facial expression and auric emanations. “You’re telling the truth. And I can see why the Council would want something like that. They can reshape the world to make it whatever they want. I wouldn’t mind one of those myself. So why not just give it to me?”
“Well, for one thing I’ve already made a deal. And second, I don’t have it yet. I’m actually in the middle of an expedition right now to recover it.”
“So it’s somewhere in these woods?”
Defksquar shook his head, his eyes burning brightly in amusement. “Nowhere near here. You’re not the only person who can teleport, Wisdom. As for the deal with your father, well, that’s complicated. I don’t really know how the Council is going to alter the world, but I do know they are going to weaken the boundaries between dimensions. I believe this has something to do with creating an alliance.”
Something in Wisdom went cold. “They want to release the Orpheans from the Axeinus.”
“Yes. Something like that. Only, what they have planned will not stop there. It’s going to weaken all the barriers.”
“Including the one between Earth and the Kaz.” Wisdom let the fire on his fingertips go out. “Now it all makes sense. He wants the Kaz to stay isolated. He figures if there are no remnants of the Djinn on this planet when the Council uses this device, the barrier will stay strong and he gets to remain the isolationist. If I’m still on the planet when the device is activated, more Djinn will be created.”
“Like you said. You’re not stupid.”
Wisdom opened his mouth to say something, then clamped his jaw shut. Several moments later, he tried again. “I can’t let this happen. I’m going to have to kill you to stop it from happening. You know that. And yet I don’t see you exactly shaking in your boots. Why is that?”
Gaysun smiled again, this time showing his slightly-yellowed teeth. “Because of the nature of the Foramen you just used. That’s what we call these portals between the worlds. Physically traveling through the Foramen sends ripples throughout the world. That’s why I don’t travel to your world physically. I always send my astral form so the players on this planet stay in the dark about what I have planned. When you came here, it sent signals all over your home world. You won’t be alone for long. In fact, your father should be here right about…”
“Now.”
Before Wisdom could look over his shoulder, a bolt of fire and earth slammed into him. He flew forty feet in the air before smashing through several trees. Dazed and in pain, he barely managed to get a shield up to block the follow-up attack. He looked around for a sign of Defksquar but he was long gone. The only ones in the forest were Wisdom and his father.
“Sloppy old man.” Wisdom got to his feet. “You lost the element of surprise. You also lost the ally that helped you win the last time we fought. Now you’re all alone and I’m beyond exasperated. Make peace with the Eternal Fire. We’re ending this.”
***
Jessica jumped into the air and screamed. Pinkish-white lightning spun around her body in jagged lines and then shot out at the approaching Edimmu. Like the wrath of Zeus, it sliced through the air. For a moment, it seemed that electricity was the only thing in the world. One of the creatures was consumed instantly.
After that, things moved very quickly.
Elaine shot an Edimmu in the head. Garnet cupped her hands and focused on the black, oily wings. One by one, the Edimmus flared, screaming as their wings erupted in flame. Still they approached.
‘We’re going to have to do better than this.’ Josh looked down at his fists and made a conscious decision. ‘Make my hands as hard as steel’, he thought. ‘I’ve decided not to be wounded by these bastards.’ As the thought solidified in his mind, energy crackled all around his body, inches from his skin. His aura hardened, creating a suit of psychic armor. He jumped into the middle of the Edimmu.
Claws scraped at him but bounced off the armor. He struck out again and again, cracking bones and stabbing into their reptilian flesh. He was vaguely aware of Jessica screaming again, bolts of lighting and flame flashing all around him. One Edimmu, back a bit from the fray, stuck one hand in a pool of shadows and pointed the other hand directly at Josh. With shocking speed, nickel-sized particles of darkness shot out from that hand and struck Josh square in the chest. He flew backwards and hit the wall. He fell limply to the ground, his armor flickering.
‘Can’t. Let. It. Fall.’ he thought. He focused his will. Once again the energy solidified. He stood and looked for a place to re-enter the fight. Elaine shot again and the last of the Edimmu fell. The lights stopped flickering and the shadows retreated.
Silence filled the corridors. Jessica was breathing hard, her face pale and clammy.
Josh looked over at Garnet. “Was that it?”
Garnet shook her head. “Not even close.”
Josh looked down the hall again. This time the stream of Edimmu went on forever. There had to be at least a hundred of them.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Where are the others?” David asked.
Todd shook his head and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “That was…wow…sooo unbelievably wrong. Please tell me I get to kill whoever did that to me.”
Echo went to the top of the stairwell and looked down. “I’m thinking no. That was Wisdom’s father. He’s not going to be killed by the likes of us. Come on, we have to catch up with the others.”
Off to the left, the air shimmered and pulsed. A dark blur flew out of an oily patch of shadow and slammed into the rough wooden shelves. Wood splintered and bottles flew in all directions. Echo drew a deep breath and prepared to lash out. Then the dark blur stood and Echo relaxed. Wisdom shook the dust off his suit.
“What the hell?” Todd took a step back and stared at the patch of still-shimmering air to the left.
“Wisdom,” Echo went to him and put a hand to his head. “Do you need….?”
“Please, Echo. Show a little faith.” Wisdom smiled, showing just a touch of teeth. Then he walked back to the patch of darkness and stepped into it. After he disappeared, the air stopped its shaking and the darkness receded.
***
“What do we do?” Garnet asked.
Elaine threw her shotgun aside and grabbed her sub-machine gun. “We do like Wisdom said. Kill everything.”
“But what about…?”
“No buts, Garnet. Wisdom said you three were strong enough for this.”
Something in the way she said that made Josh uneasy.
“What do you mean ‘us three’? What about the others? Did he know we’d get separated?”
Before she could answer, the Edimmu attacked. They poured over the Anomalies like a wave: black oily feathers and glistening green scales. Josh saw razor sharp claws everywhere he looked. They raked at him but could not penetrate the psychic armor. Jessica was not so lucky. Even as she shot bolt after bolt of pinkish-white lighting, Edimmu slashed at her arm, pummeled her face and pushed her down. Garnet screamed, burned by her own flame. In the close quarters even as she set one Edimmu on fire, the flames spread. Elaine gave up using her machine gun and struck out repeatedly with her dagger.
‘How can we be strong enough for this?’ Josh pushed out with his mind, throwing body after body aside telekinetically even as he struck out with his fists. There seemed to be no end to them.
Then a voice called out: “Enough!”
A familiar voice.
The Edimmu retreated until they formed a tight circle around the four of them. Elaine bled from several parts of her body. Jessica was also bleeding. Garnet’s face was red and blistering, her hands smoking. Josh ignored them. His full attention was now on the man who stood in front of him.
“Dad?”
Richard Wilkinson, dressed in a long robe of blue-green peacock feathers, stood just inside the Circle of Edimmu. He smiled and Josh felt his willpower dissipate. The shield around him weakened as he stared into his father’s eyes.
“Have to say, I’m quite impressed, son. I had no idea you were this powerful.”
“You knew, didn’t you?” The shield around him weakened even further. Josh swallowed hard. “You knew what I really was.”
Richard Wilkinson laughed. “Of course I knew. Kind of part of the agreement, you might say. Oh, don’t look at me like that. It was strictly business.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because it’s the truth. You see, Josh, something big is coming. Something much larger than anything you can imagine. The Orpheans are always looking for new things to play with and the Council needs an ally for the days ahead. Years ago, all the members of the Council of Peacocks surrendered our bodies and our wives to them. I was one of the lucky few to have a son. It’s partly why I rose through the ranks of the Council so quickly. That and the fact I work for Candleworks, which gave me access to all sorts of information the Council found useful.”
“Does Mother know?”
Richard shrugged. “Of course not. She’s about as clueless as a brick. Helps for an easy marriage. I think you realize your little invasion has failed. Give up before anyone else gets hurt.”
Josh felt sick. He knew the man before him better than anyone else in his life; yet it turned out he did not know him at all. Year after year of lies, and now this callous betrayal.
“A father is supposed to protect his son,” he said. “Wisdom was right about you after all.”
“I thought I taught you better than that. Never listen to the advice of vain men, my son, and he’s about as vain as you can get. He actually thinks he’s protecting the world with all his little games and intrigues. You know what Wisdom is? He’s a joke. The Council of Peacocks, on the other hand, we can change the world. And now that we have you, we will change the world.”
“Father,” Josh said as he clenched his fists and strengthened his psychic shield. “You don’t have me yet.”
***
Echo heard the fighting long before they reached the bottom of the stairs. Then everything went deathly silent.
“The others?” David asked.
Todd squinted for a moment. “They’re fine. Still alive but in trouble. We should get to them as fast as….”
A spear of shadow shot out at Todd and struck him in the temple. He fell to the ground, his body convulsing.
Echo spun, looking for the attacker. Before she could react, another spear of darkness shot forward. It stabbed her in the gut, threw her back against a wall and pinned her there. David raised his hands but, before he could ignite anything, three Edimmu flew out of the shadows and knocked him to the ground. Then, another figure stepped out of the shadows.
Echo went pale.
“Propates,” she said.
He looked her up and down, then backhanded her.
“Why couldn’t you stay out of this?” he said. He hit her again and her head bounced off the wall. “Why are you making me do this?”
“No!” David erupte
d, pale blue flame shot out from his body in all directions, instantly consuming the Edimmu. He rose on trembling knees and directed the full force of his flame at him. Propates waved his hand and the fire deflected off an invisible barrier.
“You know, you demonspawn are getting a tad tiresome. Why don’t you go to sleep?”
David scowled, took a step forward, then fell.
He was snoring before he hit the ground.
“Now, my dear,” Propates said as he turned to face Echo. “Let’s get back to you.”
***
Richard Wilkinson knew what was coming a moment before it happened. He didn’t have enough time to react. Josh used his mind to grab one of the dead Edimmu and hurled it at his father, throwing him far outside the circle. Following his lead, Garnet struck out with the full force of her flames. Thick curtains of flame rained down in concentric circles all around them as she set the very air on fire. Edimmu screamed as their bodies burned. Elaine picked up her sub-machine gun again and fired out through the flames, not caring what she hit. Jessica did likewise, flinging bolt after bolt of lightning at unseen foes.
“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up,” Jessica said. Her nose was bleeding and her eyes were bloodshot.
“We have to push on,” Elaine shouted over the roar of the fire and her weapon. “Wisdom is counting on us to destroy the processing room.”
Then the ground started to shake. What started as a low rumble built steadily into a full-fledged earthquake. Walls cracked, the floor twisted and broke. Josh struggled to stay on his feet as a voice filled the corridors.
“Time has come.”
This was their signal.
The voice of Wisdom.
***
The Shadow Box: Paranormal Suspense and Dark Fantasy Thriller Novels Page 116