by J. M. Briggs
He nodded slowly when she glanced at him for confirmation that he’d heard. Suddenly it was difficult to swallow, and the fear was back. He was so small compared to them. How could they walk in a life such as this? These Old Ones were deities, creatures of fearsome power, no matter how Morgana and Merlin might dismiss them. He was tempted to ask how the missionaries’ God fit into all of it, but the stories of that God spoke of power that was horrifying to imagine. If such a thing was real, he didn’t want to know for sure.
“I’m sorry,” Merlin said gently. Dobiemir blinked and focused on the mage rather than his thoughts. “This is a lot to take in, but thank you for helping us.”
“You helped my son.” That was the core of all of it. “And I suppose that these things are dangerous. It isn’t safe for them to just be running about.”
Merlin nodded in agreement. Dobiemir was certain that the man was amused by his answer. There was understanding in his eyes. He wondered if Merlin had ever been married or had children. It was tempting to ask. He didn’t.
The temperature suddenly shifted. It grew colder. Not sharply, but it was noticeable. Looking around in alarm, Dobiemir tried not to think too hard about what he was going to do if they found any Shadows. Merlin shifted closer to him and caught his eyes with a serious gaze.
“Calm yourself, Dobiemir,” Merlin said. “I will keep you safe.”
“Thank you.” He swallowed and kept moving. “They don’t seem to have a den or anything like that.”
“But they must come from somewhere,” Merlin said. “Either on foot or by magic. Have you ever seen a figure near them?”
“No, no one. People run when they are nearby.” Merlin hummed thoughtfully and nodded, indicating that he’d heard. Dobiemir didn’t think the statement had been helpful, but Merlin wasn’t distressed. “What are we looking for?”
“Signs of an encampment,” Merlin said. “Or signs of decay… well, that isn’t helpful with these creatures. I am still unsure if they are a creation of something or from another world. Either is possible, but magic has not greatly increased, so I don’t think anything has found a way into our world.”
“I don’t understand.”
“No, I suppose not. I fear that there is a great deal of history between Morgana and myself. Far too much to ever bother you with. But our world has defenses. They are all but impossible to breach. That which is in our world that does not belong here, came here long ago. Nothing new enters the Iron Realm.”
“Something made it colder,” Morgana said. “But I don’t see any Shadows.”
Merlin looked up into the sky and hummed thoughtfully. “The sun has gone behind some clouds, but that doesn’t seem enough for the chill.”
“No.” Morgana nodded in agreement. There was a curious spark in her eyes, almost excitement. “This is something else. We might be close to something.”
She pushed on. The tree branches above them grew thicker, and as the world darkened Dobiemir wasn’t sure if it was the sun being kept out or something else. He hoped it was just the thickness of the forest, almost started to pray before thinking better of it. If he hadn’t been sure who to pray to before, he was even more conflicted and confused now.
They followed the game trail around the hillside. Dobiemir frowned and examined the trees around him. It was foolish to think that he knew the forest well. He didn’t, and this was farther now than he usually went. Glancing over his shoulder, he reminded himself that he just had to head down the slope of the hillside to return home. Here the trees were taller and closer together. Everything became even darker as the sun was blocked out. Dobiemir shivered and looked around nervously.
It was quiet and still. Even the wind seemed to have died down. They were approaching a steep cliffside of rock that cast a shadow across the area. Looking towards Merlin, he found the old mage examining the area thoughtfully. Neither he nor Morgana spoke, both slowly surveying the area. Nothing came. There were no Shadows suddenly leaping out, but something felt off. His eyes met Merlin’s, and the old mage nodded cautiously. He gave Dobiemir a pointed look that he translated as ‘stay close.’ It was a suggestion he was glad to take.
Morgana eventually moved forward, and Merlin followed her leaving Dobiemir trailing along behind them. As still as the forest was, Dobiemir was sure that all the animals would hear his heart beating. Fear was creeping up along his spine. It whispered in his ears and made his footfalls distressingly loud.
Then he caught sight of a dark patch slightly ahead of them. For a moment, he held his breath before realizing that it wasn’t a Shadow. There was a hole in the hillside, almost hidden in the shadows of the trees. Shivering, Dobiemir wrapped his cloak tighter around his shoulders. He wasn’t sure if the temperature was truly changing or it if was his fear.
“Dobiemir, do you know this cave?” Merlin asked.
“No,” he answered quickly. “I don’t usually come up this far.” Frowning at the cave entrance, he searched his memories. “I’m sure I’ve not seen it before.”
“Have you been here before?” Morgana asked. “Even some time ago?”
“I don’t know,” Dobiemir said. “I’m not sure.”
The mages exchanged a look before inching closer to the cave entrance. Dobiemir stayed back, eying the cave uncertainly. This area was vaguely familiar, but it was possible that he’d missed the cave before. It wasn’t easy to access, and the thick trees made this section of the forest very dark. Dobiemir stayed back and waited for them to tell him what to do. Nervously, he checked the nearby trees and found one that looked sturdy with low branches.
A low growl made them all stop. Merlin’s hands began to glow a bright leaf green and silver sparks shimmered around Morgana’s right palm. The mages slowly turned and surveyed the area. It took Dobiemir only a moment to see it. The darkness itself seemed to shift. He gasped and pointed, opening and closing his mouth, struggling to form words. In the shade of a tree, the darkness was stretching and twisting. Then it started to move, pulling out of the darkness like it was stretching fabric. A long snout appeared, and glowing green eyes snapped open. With a tug it pulled loose, the shade transforming and snapping into the shape of legs and a torso.
The Shadow was moving slowly. It was large and vaguely catlike all the way down to its ears. Its fur was pitch black with a strange shimmer, and its eyes glowed green. The thing released a soft hiss that made Dobiemir’s heart jump into his throat. It was watching them, focusing on Merlin and Morgana. Like it knew them; knew what they were. Shivering, Dobiemir fought to ignore the cold and moved towards the tree. Another low growl made him jump — another patch of shadow near another large tree had started shifting. A shape pressed at it, pushed against the shadow against the stone of the cliff.
“Get up a tree,” Merlin ordered.
Dobiemir spun and grabbed the lowest branch of the tree he had noticed earlier. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to help him get a grip. Catching the next branch, he pulled his feet off the forest floor just as a snarl cut through the silence. Everything was darkening; it was worse than the twilight. Behind him a light flared to life, but he didn’t look back. The cold was sinking into his shoulders. His skin tingled and tightened. Nonetheless, he grabbed the next branch and went higher in the tree. More snarls and growls reached him. He wanted to look, but fear tore at his chest. Tears pricked at his eyes as a sharp, throbbing pain from the cold filled his head.
Collapsing against the trunk, Dobiemir let his teeth chatter and attempted to wrap his stiff arms around the middle of the tree. More Shadows were creeping out of the darkness towards the mages. He wanted to shout, but his lips weren’t working. Merlin and Morgana somehow hadn’t collapsed. The magical fire between them kept burning, filling the air with warmth and light, but it was fading as the Shadows came too close.
“Morgana, I think the fire is making them stronger!” Merlin shouted. “Look at them, look at the light. They’re absorbing it!”
“Then what do you want to do?!”
More Shadows were coming forth, pulling out of the darkness surrounding the cave and dragged it forth into the world with them. Dobiemir’s breath danced in the air as his chest tightened. They were surrounded by Shadows. His eyes went back to the cave, to the strange and unfamiliar entrance. The cold was seeping out into the world from there. There were six Shadows now, all circling Merlin and Morgana, growling and eyeing them with gleaming eyes. Then, in the pitch blackness of the small cave mouth, Dobiemir saw a pair of large, unnaturally bright green eyes open wide.
16
Waiting Room
Alex hated the Ravenslake hospital. It wasn’t because it was dirty or a bad hospital or anything like that. Nothing good happened here. Just the smell took her back to when Aiden had been in a coma, and she’d been reeling from learning that Arthur was a traitor. She’d been trying not to cry or shut down. Those first few hours were a blur, but the sharp smell lingered in her memory.
The nurse at the desk kept giving them odd looks. They hadn’t brought the man in themselves. After he collapsed, an ambulance had been called, though Alex had put pressure on his head wound while they waited. They weren’t family, they didn’t even know his name, and yet all of them were waiting for news. Alex’s head fell back against the boring white wall as they waited. They hadn’t been given any real information, but the man wasn’t dead yet.
He was probably getting an MRI or something to check for brain damage. At least, Alex hoped so. She didn’t know what the combination of mind control and a head injury would do to a person. Tapping her fingers on the arm of the waiting room chair, she held back a sigh. Jenny was across from her, leaning against Lance and tapping away on her phone. Aiden and Nicki were in a corner while Bran and Avani were talking softly.
There was only one other man in the waiting room. He’d been there before them. A nurse came over to talk to him, and the man eagerly followed him back towards the patient rooms. They were alone, but no one rushed to speak. Closing her eyes, Alex listened to the whispered suggestions of her previous selves. No one had any real ideas, but the gist was that sitting in silence wasn’t going to help.
“Did anyone notice anything about him that could help?” Alex asked.
“He came into the diner just after you left,” Jenny said. “I was watching the doorway. The waitress talked to him, and he was waiting for a seat at the counter I think.”
“That does sound right.” Lance nodded in agreement. “I remember thinking that he was a mess. The waitress didn’t look happy with him. He went back to the bathroom for a moment, I think.”
“Okay,” Alex said. Exhaling, she was sharply aware of the frustration building up in her chest. “We don’t even know who the guy was,” Alex groaned. “I mean, maybe they’ll tell us, but I’m not sure how much it is going to help.”
“His name is Austin Parker,” Lance said softly. They all looked at him, and he smiled a bit sheepishly. “I checked his wallet while the waitresses were panicking. He’s from Las Vegas, according to his driver’s license. There wasn’t a cell phone in his pockets.” Lance ducked his head a little as they all stared. “I didn’t have a chance to write anything down. Didn’t want the paramedics freaking out on me.”
“Vegas?” Jenny repeated with a frown. “That’s a long way off… then again, he looked ragged, like he hadn’t slept in a couple of days.”
“Maybe he hadn’t,” Bran said softly. They all looked towards the main desk again. “I hope he’ll be okay. Exhaustion, head trauma, and magical possession if we want to call it that can’t be easy.”
“How was the guy who came to your bakery?” Lance asked. “You said he seemed fine.”
“He did, but I don’t think he was far out of town. Maybe even lived in a suburb. It’s not like cities around here are compact and easy to protect.”
“True,” Alex said. “We always focus the blood protection spell on our homes… so some areas are still going to be outside of it.” Guilt tugged at her, but it wasn’t important right now. “And if Bran’s right, then that man wouldn’t have been affected for long.”
“While someone from Vegas who came all the way here would have been under Arthur’s control much longer,” Jenny said softly. “Do- do we know how this works? I mean, does he give them instructions and that’s all or is he with them somehow? The message seemed like it was in the first person, but it might have been more like a recording.”
“That’s a good question,” Alex replied. Exhaling deeply, she slumped back into a chair again. “And I hate to say it, but I preferred the recorded message to the idea that he could watch us.”
“He didn’t try to lash out,” Bran said. He sounded calm. Alex was both grateful for that and agitated by it. How could he be calm? “He got right next to us, but didn’t try anything with magic. Maybe he can’t.”
“His last puppet pulled a gun on you,” Lance reminded him.
“Trust me,” Bran said. “I remember. I’m just trying to wrap my head around this. The last man… it was different. He was more of a zombie; this guy seemed to be a vessel for Arthur. When the gun in the bakery woke up, he didn’t remember anything. He didn’t even really understand that anything had happened. There was no message from Arthur. It was just an attack.”
No one spoke for a long moment. Alex shivered at the reminder of what Arthur had been trying. Maybe he’d been confident that it wouldn’t work. Maybe it had just been another taunting message, but the idea of just how close he’d gotten... He could have hurt Bran, or killed his mother or someone else or forced Bran to expose magic. Or maybe he’d made sure of the timing. Maybe it was all just a game to Arthur. Alex’s head ached, and she nervously licked her lips.
“So, is this the first time he’s contacted you?” Avani asked softly.
“No,” Alex growled. “He’s called me a few times. I suppose he didn’t want me hanging up on him this time.” Pulling out her phone, Alex checked all her recent calls. Nothing new or unknown had come through.
“Not to mention it lets him show off his power,” Bran added. He was staring at the fish tank in the waiting room. “Lets him build himself up as the villain I think he is in his own mind.”
“Yeah,” Aiden murmured. “He is a special sort of arrogant crazy.”
Nicki was fidgeting in her seat. She kept shifting closer and closer to Aiden, who was staring off into space. If he noticed Nicki’s odd behavior, he said nothing. Swallowing, Alex stood up and stretched her arms and legs. Bran caught her eye and tilted his head towards Nicki. She nodded quickly, silently assuring him that she had noticed.
“There’s no reason for all of us to stay here,” Alex said. “Nicki, Aiden, you two can head out.”
“You sure?” Aiden asked. He blinked up at her, his eyes quickly coming back into focus.
“Yeah; plus, I can’t imagine you like being in hospitals much nowadays,” Alex said. The attempt at a lighthearted tone didn’t work well, but Nicki’s shoulders relaxed. Aiden smiled slightly and nodded. “We’ll let you know if anything happens tonight. I don’t expect it to,” Alex said.
Aiden opened his mouth to say something, but then glanced at Nicki. Nodding, he forced a smile and rolled his shoulders to stretch. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed. “Just let us know if you need anything. I suppose I’ll get some homework started.”
“We’ll see you later,” Bran said.
“I won’t booby-trap the door to our room,” Aiden promised.
Standing up, Aiden dramatically offered his arm to Nicki. She raised an eyebrow at the display, but Alex caught the small smile on her face. Looping their arms together, Nicki glanced back at Avani but didn’t stop Aiden from leading her out of the waiting room.
“I’m glad we had some cars at the diner,” Bran said. “Otherwise tonight would have been a real pain.”
“We live too far away now to walk everywhere.” Alex shrugged and slumped down in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position.
“Do you think Nicki and Ai
den are safe going home?” Avani asked softly. She glanced towards the doors they’d vanished through with a frown.
“They’ll stay close together,” Lance assured her. “They’ve known each other a long time. Try not to worry.”
“Lance is right,” Alex agreed. She smiled at Avani, feeling a curious little jolt of happiness at Avani’s worry for Nicki. “They’re basically brother and sister. They’ll probably play a video game or something or at least stay close in case of trouble.”
“Good,” Avani said. She nodded and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her head. “That’s good. Nicki seemed very upset.”
“She was just reminded of when Arthur hurt Aiden,” Bran explained. “That was a hard period for her. For all of us, but especially for her. I think it’s affected how she views hospitals.”