The Witch; Stronghold; Underworld

by Ky Tyrand

  Despite Ki’ara’s vulnerability, she didn’t feel at all threatened by this person. Quite the opposite. She was relieved to have the girl crouch down beside her.

  Her hair was long, but such a mess that there was no telling its color. When she leaned in, Ki’ara could see that her face was blackened and bloodied, with a nasty gash stretching from her cheek to her nose, making the Princess fear that her rescuer was in worse condition than herself.

  But through the blood and soot that smeared this girl’s face, the most brilliant green eyes appeared, silently examining the Princess from top to bottom. Her expression was unreadable, but it was clear she was giving Ki’ara her undivided attention, assessing the broken girl with eyes that looked like gemstones.

  For some reason, the Princess felt disappointed when they shut.

  That all went away when the girl reached out and placed a hand on Ki’ara’s arm.

  It was warm and cold all at once, and brought with it a tingling of energy that poured through Ki’ara’s body, taking away the pain so suddenly that it made her lurch and draw a sharp breath.

  As her eyes blinked wide, they fell on the girl’s cheek, where a wide gash had been dripping blood only a moment ago. The cut was gone now, with nothing but dried blood and soot in its place.

  “Jessica?” whispered the Princess.

  The girl’s brilliant eyes opened, meeting Ki’ara’s with a flash of surprise. It lasted but an instant, before she reached behind Ki’ara’s knee and ankle, warning, “This is going to hurt.”

  She wasn’t lying.

  It was excruciating. But Ki’ara was getting used to the sensation of pain, and this wasn’t the worst she’d felt today. Nevertheless, she had to look away and force herself not to vomit. When her eyes came back, the bone that had been protruding from her thigh was no longer visible, and the pain was all but gone.

  The Healer’s hands were now hovering above Ki’ara’s leg, and the white glow beneath them felt miraculous. They moved over her body, lingering over the areas that hurt the most. A moment later, the girl was finished, and any pain that Ki’ara had felt was gone.

  “You took that better than I expected,” said the girl, her tone offering a hint of respect. “How do you know my name?”

  “Mark, he…”

  Before the Princess could explain any further, the Healer gave an understanding nod. “You’re Ki’ara,” she said, as her emerald green eyes began to glance around. “Where are we?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me,” said Ki’ara as she picked herself up, checking to make sure that she hadn’t lost the Inuwuru. She could see the stones of an Abnukadin surrounding her, and a hazy blue sky above. Everything else was still foggy and filled with smoke, but the ground…

  Tiles.

  She recognized them immediately. She wasn’t in Mark’s world-without-monsters, at all. She wasn’t even outside…

  “Sanctuary?”

  47

  “What have you done?!?” Mother’s voice thundered into the Abnukadin, echoing throughout the dome-shaped barrier.

  The girls both started when they heard her icy call.

  Ki’ara couldn’t believe what was happening. She could now see that the smoke was trapped within the confines of the dome like a cloud-filled bubble. The haze was dissipating through the hole that Kai’ji had dissolved, which was exactly where Mother now stood.

  Nobody else was inside the Abnukadin with them. Not Je’nna, or Petch. Not To’mas, Kai’ji, Boomer or Ashley. Only herself and Jessi remained.

  “What have you done?” repeated Mother, as she stepped inside the smoke-filled structure.

  Sanctuary guards filtered in behind her, surrounding Ki’ara and Jessi while encircling the Abnukadin.

  “I…” Ki’ara stammered, wondering what became of her friends, “I don’t know.”

  “Where’s Je’nna?!” demanded the woman.

  Ki’ara’s heart was pounding out of control as she tried to make sense of what had happened to Je’nna and the others. “I don’t know…” she repeated.

  Mother came to a halt in front of the girls. “Who is this?”

  “This is…” Ki’ara mumbled, as her thoughts and fears swirled through her mind. Her eyes were darting about the stone circle, wondering what became of everyone. She looked to the center of the circle. The Princess could see the slot in the floor where she had placed Excalibur only a moment ago.

  But the sword was gone.

  “I’m Jessica,” said the girl, as her green eyes swept over the Abnukadin’s new occupants and their strange attire. “Jessica Masterson.”

  “You brought her here?” Mother’s question was directed at Ki’ara.

  “I… I guess.” Ki’ara’s thoughts were a mess as she tried to process the situation and figure out what went wrong. “To’mas, he…”

  “To’mas?” said Mother, her head rolled in a circle that followed her eyes. “Well that explains it, then.”

  “What?” asked Ki’ara. “What do you mean? What does it explain?”

  Mother blew out a frustrated breath. “It means, this was all a part of his ‘masterplan’.”

  Ki’ara watched her curiously as her mind fought to process. “To’mas had a masterplan?”

  Mother shrugged. “To’mas always has a masterplan. The problem is, nobody knows what it is. Except him.”

  “So, you think he planned all of this?”

  “Planned? Let’s just say, To’mas knew that things would play out exactly as they did. That said, I am surprised that he would take such a risk. You’re lucky to be alive after that blast. I only hope Snapper and Boomer are so lucky.”

  “Snapper and Boomer…?” Ki’ara’s eyebrows went up as she registered what Mother was saying. “You mean, they’re still here?”

  “Yes,” said Mother. “The explosion threw them across the room. I don’t know the extent of the damages, but they’re being taken to the infirmary. We’ll know more, soon. They’ll probably need the Abnukadin.” After glancing around, she added. “If you haven’t destroyed it, that is.”

  “What about Kai’ji? Is he here as well? Is he okay?”

  Lines appeared beside Mother’s eyes, as she said sharply, “He’s gone, Princess. With Je’nna, I presume.”

  Ki’ara’s eyes dropped to the floor. What could have happened? “Do you think they’re okay?”

  The woman watched Ki’ara for a moment, before her voice softened. “I wouldn’t have thought To’mas would intentionally do anything to harm any of us. I always thought he knew what he was doing, but this…” Mother shook her head. “He’s never made a mistake like this before.”

  “He didn’t,” Ki’ara realized, looking up from the floor. “He didn’t make a mistake.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Mother. “You could have all been killed. You think he did this on purpose, knowing how serious the injuries would be?”

  “Yes,” said Ki’ara.

  Mother’s eyebrows were up. “Explain.”

  “He foresaw exactly what would happen here, knew there would be an explosion and that people would get hurt.”

  “And he did it anyway?” Before receiving an answer, Mother’s eyes quickly glanced over the two girls, as if something had just occurred to her. “And how are you two not blasted to pieces? You were in the middle of the explosion, and look like you’ve been to Hell and back, but you don’t appear to be hurt…”

  “The same reason To’mas allowed us to be injured…” said Ki’ara, as she looked to the girl standing beside her. “Jessica.”

  Mother’s eyebrows dropped as she focused on the newcomer. “Why?” she asked. “Why are you so special that he would allow my people to be harmed in order to bring you here?”

  Ki’ara was about answer when Jessi stepped forward and said, “Take me to your injured, and I will show you.”

  48

  Boomer and Ashley were in bad shape, but not nearly the mess Ki’ara had been.

  Like the Princess, they
weren’t wearing their armor, and their condition showed it.

  Mother and Ki’ara watched in awe as Jessica Masterson erased their injuries in a matter of moments.

  An instant later Boomer was on his feet, lifting the Healer off the floor in a surprise hug before she even realized what was happening. Her eyes were wide as Mother shouted at the tall boy to set Jessica down.

  He did as he was told – only to snatch up Ki’ara next, before Mother had a chance to tell him not to.

  Not even Mother herself was safe from Boomer’s excited affection, as he scooped the leader of Sanctuary off the ground and held her in his powerful arms until she ordered him to put her down.

  Despite her straight face and sharp look, Mother couldn’t prevent her cheeks from going red as she forced away her smile.

  It was hard not to smile around Boomer. Ki’ara wondered if he knew that Je’nna and Kai’ji were missing.

  As expected, Ashley was not nearly as excited about things. While she gave Ki’ara a sharp look, she did at least offer Jessica an appreciative nod as she sat up and moved about, surprised by how quickly the Healer had been able to repair her broken ribs and sprained ankle.

  Convinced of Jessica’s abilities, Mother ordered Sir Grue’gan’s surgery immediately.

  Hearing Mother’s call to action was enough to send a wave of excitement and relief washing over Ki’ara. Though she was terribly concerned for Je’nna and Petch, the idea that Sir Grue’gan could be healed right here and now brought tears to her eyes.

  It didn’t seem real. Ki’ara had expected to go in search of Jessica, not have her brought here out of the blue.

  While Mother’s people found the Healer a change of clothes and showed her where to get cleaned up, Mother herself took Ki’ara to see Sir Grue’gan and deliver the good news.

  “He’s pretty heavily medicated right now,” Mother warned the Princess. “As much for our own sanity as for his pain relief.”

  Ki’ara cautiously followed the woman into the room at the end of the hall.

  It was sad to see her powerful Guardian in such rough shape. He was barely conscious, hooked up to all kinds of monitors and medical gizmos. His scarred face was drooping and emotionless, until the moment he spotted Ki’ara.

  He closed his eyes and let out a huge sigh at the sight of her.

  She immediately went to his bedside. “It’s good to see you, Sir Grue’gan,” she told him, while trying to hold back her tears.

  “They told me you’d run off,” he croaked.

  Hearing his voice – which was normally so gruff and commanding, now soft and weak – was enough to put her over the edge. Tears spilled fast and furious as she told him everything that had happened, and that Jessica would work with the doctors to get the bullet out.

  “Thank the Gods,” moaned Grue’gan. Even talking appeared to be painful for him. Nevertheless, he added, “This place is boring, and the staff are all too friendly. Except this one…” his eyes pointed to Mother, “She’s just mean.”

  Mother threw up her arms and left the room as Ki’ara tried her best not to chuckle.

  As soon as the medical personnel finished their preparations, Sir Grue’gan was on the operating table surrounded by doctors, nurses, and a Healer from a different world.

  Surgeon’s pulled the bullet out of Sir Grue’gan’s spine, while Jessi repaired and reconnected every bit of damage that had been caused – both by the bullet itself, and the procedure to remove it.

  The doctors watched in awe as the girl worked her magic, hovering her glowing hands over the man’s back as they pulled their instruments away. Damaged and severed nerves were mended and reconnected; bone fragments were repositioned and fused back into place; injured cells and muscles were restored; separated tissue was closed, swelling reduced.

  In no time at tall the operation was over, and Sir Grue’gan was alive and well.

  Mother and Ki’ara watched the entire procedure through a window from an adjoining room.

  “She’s incredible,” said Mother.

  Ki’ara couldn’t argue. Jessica was incredible. And amazing, and powerful, and beautiful, and Ki’ara couldn’t believe that this was the girl Mark had told her about. The one that had brought him back from the dead and stood by his side while he and Ki’ara were worlds apart. “She is.”

  “It would be a shame to send her back.”

  As her chin and shoulders dropped, Ki’ara admitted, “I don’t even know how to send her back.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know how?”

  “It took the Sword of Avalon to bring her here...”

  “The Sword of Avalon?” gasped the woman. “Where exactly did this girl come from?”

  “Mother, she came from a different world,” said Ki’ara. “And now the sword is gone, and I don’t know how to send her back.”

  “Another world?” Mother put her hands to her forehead as the words settled in. “And that’s where To’mas took Je’nna and Kai’ji?”

  “I think so. I mean, I don’t know, but that’s all I can figure. Somehow, they swapped places.”

  Mother blew out a breath. “Why did he take Kai’ji along with them?”

  “I’ve been wondering that,” said the Princess, as her shoulders rose up. “He knew Kai’ji would enter, despite the barrier.”

  “And yet, he put it up anyway...”

  “I think the dome was partly to keep the other guards out,” said Ki’ara, “And partly to protect them from the blast.”

  Mother lifted her eyebrows. “Interesting.”

  “He saw the entire thing play out. Or at least enough of it to know what had to happen, and when. My guess is that he either needed Kai’ji with him for some reason, or…”

  “Timing,” Mother finished Ki’ara’s thought.

  “Exactly. Whatever went wrong – for Jessica to have been brought here, when we were trying to go there – I doubt it just randomly happened. The Abnukadin needed to be activated at precisely the right moment.”

  “How did he know Kai’ji would enter when he needed to?”

  Ki’ara shrugged. “Because he saw it. I think he sees much more than he lets on.”

  “Agreed. So, how do we locate our people?” asked Mother.

  “I have an idea,” said Ki’ara. “But I can’t do it from here.”

  Mother folded her arms across her chest. “I’m listening.”

  49

  Though Mother didn’t fully understand it, she allowed Ki’ara’s little outing on one condition: Boomer and Snapper went with her.

  Ki’ara had a feeling that neither of them would be letting her out of their sight until she found a way to bring Kai’ji home. She had already cost them one their teammates, and they weren’t about to let her lose another.

  At least as soldiers, they didn’t ask a lot of questions about why they were doing this. Mother had given them an order, and therefore accompanying Ki’ara had become their mission.

  Of course, Mother had a way of making it sound like they were escorting Ki’ara for her own good – to keep her safe – but the Princess was fully aware that their presence had more to with keeping her from running off or doing something stupid. They were babysitters. With guns.

  Also along was Jessica.

  The Healer had a connection to Ki’ara through Mark, which was something she didn’t share with anyone else at Sanctuary. She also had a vested interest in seeing Ki’ara succeed at figuring out a way to get her home. When Ki’ara told her what she was doing, Jessi insisted on coming along; even after the Princess warned her that the accommodations might not be be as comfortable as she was used to.

  Ki’ara wondered how the Healer could be so calm about this situation. It was one thing to agree to come here with the understanding that there would be a way to get back home. But this was entirely different. Jessi had been unexpectedly plucked from her world – with no way to get her back – and yet she remained calm and didn’t seem at all angry about the situation. She hoped t
hat Je’nna, Petch, and Kai’ji were taking things as well. If they were even still alive.

  With gear packed, Ki’ara, Jessi, and the two remaining members of CST-1, assembled in the Abnukadin; along with Mother, who was there to see them off.

  The shield – which turned out to be a part of the structure itself, and not the Traveler’s magic – had lowered back into the floor. Ki’ara could now see a ring of curved tiles around the perimeter of the stone circle that must have flipped open when the dome panels emerged. She never would have noticed them had she not been looking.

  A team of cleaners were hard at work tidying up the stone circle; sweeping debris and washing away soot. Any damage the explosion caused appeared to be superficial. The workers packed up and made way for the travelers, leaving Ashley to comment about how many people it takes to clean up Ki’ara’s messes.

  “We’ll be back in the morning, whether it works tonight or not,” Ki’ara assured Mother.

  The woman nodded. “See that everyone comes back safely.”

  Ki’ara had no idea who that command was directed at. She was about to begin punching the code to take them away from Sanctuary, when she heard shouting just outside one of the chamber entrances.

  “Out of my way, Gnomes!”

  Ki’ara recognized the gruff, raspy voice immediately.

  Mother did her head and eye roll, which included a long exhale. “You’re Guardian has been a delight,” she told Ki’ara sarcastically, before calling to her guards, “Let him through!”

  Sir Grue’gan tromped his way into the chamber, casting a threatening look and gesture back at the slew of guards that had been blocking his path. He had his armor on, his buckler in hand, and a sword and blaster on his hip. “You weren’t planning on leaving without me, were you?”

  There was nothing Ki’ara could do to contain her joy at seeing Sir Grue’gan up and about. She ran to her Guardian and threw her arms around him – as much as she could reach them across his girth. Ki’ara could tell that he’d lost a bit of weight, but he didn’t look at all like the same person who had been on his deathbed only a short while ago. Not even a little. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you on your feet.”