by Martha Carr
“I will if you’ll help me with a project of my own.” Perrom looked at his father. “It’s time, we’ve talked about it.”
The Gardener nodded sadly, “Go ahead, the survival of the project will depend on what we decide to do here. They should know.”
“We’ve started returning some of what we’ve protected and sheltered here on Oriceran, to Earth. To create a new sanctuary and for a while it has been a great success.”
“But now it’s threatened,” said Correk. He looked up to see a flock of snow geese overhead in a V formation.
“We wanted to get ready for the opening of the gates as well. If the prophesies are right and Oriceran is coming to an end…”
“Wait, what? To an end?” Leira looked from one person to another, concerned. “Like Krypton gone?”
“That’s one theory,” said Correk, sourly. “Not everyone believes that’s what will happen when the gates open.”
“But if there’s a chance that it’s true, we wanted to be prepared. And if it isn’t, we helped replenish the Earth. Two sanctuaries. There was no down side.” The vines released the ponytail and let the Gardener’s dreadlocks spread out over his shoulders, opening small, trumpeted white and violet blooms.
“It all seems connected at the root. Something put this entire thing in motion. We’re not seeing it, but we will. Pull that string and soon and we may be able to pull it all down,” said Correk.
“Take us to it. This second sanctuary. Use a portal and show us what we’re protecting. It makes it a lot easier to protect something when I know where it is. Correk and I can find our way home from there.” I know we’re close to putting it all together. When in doubt, gather more information. Another Hagan rule.
The Gardener created a golden ball of light, holding it up and letting it grow, opening a portal. “The second one is in a place called Sabinal on land that stretches as far as the Dark Forest.”
Leira looked through the portal and let out a surprised laugh. “Sabinal, wait a minute. We can Uber home. That’s Texas.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Leira stepped through and found her feet on familiar territory, looking out over a vast ranch. “I’ve heard of this place. It’s the Five Star ranch and it stretches over three hundred thousand acres. Pretty standard size for one of these old ranches. It even goes into the hill country.” She turned in a circle looking at the distant horizon. A familiar sense of calm came over her whenever she knew she was on Texas soil. It’s easier to breathe.
In the far distance she saw the outline of a herd of elephants running from the shelter of trees slowly toward a lake. She shaded her eyes with her hand, squinting to get a better look. Even from a distance she could feel the ground shake under her feet.
“Not something you see every day in Texas,” she murmured, awed at the sight.
The Gardener held up his hand and told the large lion to stay as he stepped through the opening from Oriceran. The lion roared but stayed where he was as the rhino turned to go back, shuffling deeper into the forest. Leira couldn’t get the sight of what was done to the rhinoceros out of her mind. Correk and Perrom stepped through and took a look around. Perrom’s scales flipped over to a sandy brown and gold, matching the waving tall grasses.
The portal snapped shut with a pop as sparks sprayed everywhere, sizzling as they rained down.
“Welcome to the Two Moons Sanctuary. The outside world still knows this place as the Five Star ranch. We thought it best if we kept as low a profile as possible. We are registered as a private animal sanctuary.” The Gardener stood with his feet apart and his hands on his hips looking over the veranda. The scales on his skin gradually melded together into a smooth cocoa color and the pupils in each eye shifted together till there were only two. The vines in his hair pulled back into the recesses of his dreadlocks and a tit mouse scampered down the Gardener’s neck to his arm, running to his hand. The Gardener placed him in a pocket on his vest.
He whistled and a pack of coyotes came over the crest of a hill, running straight to him.
“Second time today I’ve had to trust that I’m not about to get mauled.” Leira watched, wide-eyed as the coyotes came and settled down at the Gardener’s feet.
“Dad has always been able to communicate with any living being, plant or animal. Beings that think for themselves override it with their will and can’t hear him. But even here on Earth he’s able to draw a low-level amount of magic and give them a sense of trust.”
“A real-life Dr. Doolittle but more earthy.” And older guy sexy. Like a black version of Aquaman on land. Okay, Berens, head in the game.
“There’s a perimeter I created around the ranch that the animals can sense is there and they stop, keeping them away from prying eyes.”
“Texas is known for wide-open views visible from the air. People would know what you’re doing here and talk…”
“Like I said, we’ve been transplanting animals, birds and plants. Come, I’ll show you.” Perrom let the scales on his skin meld into the same brown skin as his father, his eyes taking on a more human look as he trudged up the grassy plain to the crest of a hill. The others joined him, standing in a line at the top.
In the distance was the edge of a familiar forest. “Another Dark Forest…well, fuck me. You transplanted full grown old growth trees. That is another wonder of the world,” Leira whispered. She started walking toward the forest, looking back to see if the Gardener was protesting but he was calmly following her, with Correk and Perrom behind him.
“That must remain a secret for as long as possible,” warned the Gardener. “There are more animals we need to protect that need a colder climate. Animals from Earth and Oriceran. There are plans to open another sanctuary somewhere frozen and another in the middle of the sea. Once magic begins to return places like this will be easier to protect but we are a generation away from that still.”
“My grandmother used to mention this ranch.” The wind was blowing through Leira’s hair as she walked faster, wanting to get closer to the first trees. Those are full grown oak trees…
“Who is your grandmother?”
“Mara Berens, she’s…” Leira watched the Gardener and saw it was his turn to be surprised.
“I should have noted the resemblance. Your grandmother is a trusted friend of the family. She was the Elf who recommended this ranch in the first place. But she stopped coming by the sanctuary years ago.”
“About four years ago? She was trapped in the world in between. Correk and a lot of others helped me to bust her out.” Leira didn’t even look back as she spoke to see the Gardener’s surprise. She was being drawn to what she was seeing as she got closer. The forest was still over a mile away but Leira could see even from the distance that there was movement among the trees and birds flying over the tall treetops. A heron took flight and headed in the direction of the lake and the elephants.
“That’s even possible?” Perrom looked at his friend in surprise.
“Only under the right circumstances with a lot of help,” said Correk, shaking his head. “It’s not something I think we can replicate.”
It was there for a moment. Leira wondered again what Correk still wasn’t telling her. But it passed and she turned back to see the elephants in the distance moving across the prairie, trumpeting with their horns. A feeling of freedom spread through her.
Leira suddenly took off at a run, slowly at first, sprinting toward the forest, building toward a run, grateful to feel her legs strong and healthy beneath her. The wind blew into her face bringing tears to her eyes and it wasn’t until she reached the first line of trees and smacked the bark of a giant tree with a large knot in the center and branches that spread out in a wide canopy. “That’s an oak tree, I was right.” She ran her hands over the deep ridges, being careful not to stand on the large roots. “This looks like five or six trees fused together.”
“Very observant. That is a white oak to be exact,” said the Gardener, catching up to Leira. “O
ver there are elm trees. Very hard to find in North America anymore and we’ve gone to great lengths to protect them from disease.”
Leira looked up in surprise, her mouth open. “I just saw a monkey! That was a fucking monkey swinging through the trees.” She turned and looked at Correk in wonder. “This is Texas, right? I could swear this is Texas.”
The Gardener nodded his head as Correk crossed his arms and watched Leira, amused.
A herd of dama gazelles ran past, startling Leira for a moment. They looked like goats with longer necks and curved horns.
“Do you keep the predators from going after the smaller animals?”
“No, I have my limits to interfering with nature. When left to its own devices, the natural environment works things out. Tinkering usually leads to chaos.” The Gardener walked deeper into the forest. “Well, come on. You wanted a tour, didn’t you?”
Leira grabbed Correk’s arm, excited.
“We should bring Yumfuck. Let him play here.”
“An enormous troll park. He would love it.”
“You are bonded with a troll. Bring him for a visit. There are some of his kind deep within this forest. But do not bring any sentient beings. No humans, no other Elves, no one. We cannot be sure who is betraying us.”
Leira was reminded of why they were there and an anger rose up inside of her. Someone is after these animals for their own gain.
The deeper they got into the forest, the more the light dimmed under the layers of canopy overhead. Large ferns grew along the forest floor and soft, squishy moss spread out over the ground. It looked like green rolling water, creeping up the sides of trees.
Leira moved closer to Correk in the growing darkness and whispered. “We are so far into the woods I’m sorry we didn’t leave a trail of Jujubes to find our way out. Nothing would try to eat those and live to speak again. Have you tried one of those? Four out of five dentists put their card in the box when you buy them.”
“Yes, I’ve tried the things. Felt like it was ripping out my teeth. I finally had to peel them out. The troll, of course had no problem swallowing them whole. How is a normal being supposed to eat them?”
“My point exactly, you’re not. I think they’re meant to be like wax fruit and someone got carried away.”
“Wax fruit?”
“Long story. I’m not getting a signal. We can’t even see the sky. Maybe my phone’s GPS will work.
“You forget you are magical at the most curious times. This place is overwhelming but you can sense your way out of here. Take it all in and notice what’s happening.”
“You sound like Turner again.” Leira let go of thinking about a case or the troll or Eireka or Mara and became more present, taking in the details around her. That’s curious. Her attention wandered to a rabbit with long fur only on its ears, eating a mouse. Hard to tell who’s the predator and who’s the prey in these parts. Good to know. Ecobalance is shifting. The Gardener really doesn’t play favorites. Okay, Berens, focus. There it is. There was a growing low vibration under her feet. She knew at once what it was. “A kemana.”
“There you go. We are near a kemana that’s not on any map in Oriceran. I suspect your grandmother knew about it and told the Gardener.”
“Nana is a regular Jane Bond when it comes to keeping secrets and sleuthing out things. I come by this detective work honestly. Mom is better at finding a bargain even before the internet kicked in. Used to go on trips with her down back alleys to warehouses and voila, there would be beautiful used furniture at a steal. Guess that was her magic kicking in but how do you sense a good sale?”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard you tell a story about growing up with your mother. You don’t do that a lot.”
“I filed them all away so well it’s taking me some time to bring them back out. Look! A goddamn orangutan! How is that possible? Should we be whispering? Something in here is bound to see us as prey.”
The vibration grew stronger and steady under Leira’s feet and the growth grew denser as they got to a tall pile of boulders deep in the forest. Carved in the side were three symbols. The infinity symbol, a large S and a pattern of four diamonds.
“Another underground city. I know this one. The infinity symbol opens sesame.”
The Gardener put out his arm to stop Leira. “That one will get you killed with a billion joules of energy.”
Correk scowled and whispered to Leira. “Remember, I told you every set of symbols is different. You need a guide when you first enter or at least a map. There is still a lot for you to learn.”
Leira ignored the reprimand from Correk. “A billion… seems like overkill.”
“A lightning strike.” The Gardener put his hand over the carving of a hand as the air around them grew colder and rays of light shot out from the stones in front of them. A rock in the center slid away, creating an entrance and revealing stone steps winding down into the ground. Lavender crystals jutted out from the interior walls, lighting the way with a soft purple glow. “The diamonds were your grandmother’s idea. She has an odd sense of humor.”
“Nana has a fondness for poker.”
The Gardener smiled as he let his skin flow back into scales and the vines reemerged on his head. The titmouse ran out of his pocket and back to the safety of the dreadlocks.
“It’s just like Hilldale.” Leira peered down into the depths.
“It’s connected to a far side of Hilldale by a road that we have kept hidden to everyone except those who we trust to help us with the care of this sanctuary. The kemana helps us to have enough energy to create a low-level glamour over the entire ranch. Just enough to make people bored with the idea of ever venturing onto the property.”
Leira felt the energy swirling around her feet with the chilled air. The more she used magic, the more it was right there, beckoning her to connect with it. Leira’s phone buzzed in her pocket, startling her and she quickly pulled it out. She saw the general was trying to call her and had already tried a few times. “Hello, yes sir. I was out of satellite range. I didn’t see your messages. I can do that. I’ll pick up Hagan on the way. Not a problem.” Leira hung up the phone. “Duty calls. I need to get myself to Austin as quickly as possible, which is about two hours due northeast of here.” She gave Correk a hard look.
“Not going to make this a habit,” he said, already forming a ball of light. “Perrom will you make the return visit with us?”
His friend nodded and waited for the portal to open. “I said I would help.” He was holding the glamour, letting his skin stay smooth.
“Can we come back again and go down into the town below?” Leira looked at the Gardener expectantly as the portal opened and Perrom stepped through back to Oriceran.
“You are Mara’s granddaughter. You are welcome anytime if you bring her by for a visit.” The Gardener stepped through as Leira and Correk followed. Leira turned back to watch the large rock slide back into place, hiding the underground world. The portal closed with a shower of sparks and Correk hesitated, letting the air clear before he created another ball of light. “Not the best idea in the world to be doing this.”
“You said that. One Mississippi, two Mississippi…”
The Gardener gave out a loud whistle and there was a crashing in the forest as the lion made his way back by the Gardener’s side. The Gardener climbed atop the lion, holding on to the mane. “Take care of the Two Moons. Find out who’s causing all this mayhem and let me know.” The Gardener was looking directly at his son.
That’s not going to be good for anyone. “Let’s get going. That was fifteen Mississippis, more than enough.”
“A foolproof system, I’m sure.” Correk formed a light ball, opening a portal as the three stepped through to Leira’s living room. The troll looked up, surprised to see Perrom with them and stood up, opening his arms wide. “Welcome home motherfuckers!” He chirped and let out a loud belch, swallowing hard as he licked his lips. “Taste it twice!”
He was surro
unded by oversized bags of Cheetos and Doritos that were all empty. Correk looked at the troll and back at Perrom, hissing in a low voice. “Those were mine…”
Leira gave a crooked smile as she went to the lockbox in her bedroom and got her gun. She passed by Correk and whispered, “You know it’s an addiction when you want to hide it from your friends.”
Correk scowled and looked up at Perrom. “They’re unbelievable. One of the better things about being here. You’ll see.”
“Play nice everyone. I’ll be back as soon as I can. There’s something afoot at the Driskill Hotel. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Tell me this again. Getting ahead in the artifacts race won’t just stop others from stockpiling energy it may save an animal sanctuary. Do I have that right?” Leira and Hagan were sitting in Guero’s Taco Bar on South Congress near the ten-foot white guitar painted in splashes of red and blue. The Tailgators were setting up to play. “Is there anywhere in Austin that doesn’t have music?”
Leira bit into a taco and shook her head, swallowing. “Even the laundromats have a little stage tucked in a corner. Some even sell beer.”
“Slow down, we’re not on call anymore. You’ll give yourself heartburn. Magical shenanigans are on pause for five minutes. That was quick thinking you had back at the Driskill.”
“That’s only temporary. I couldn’t very well tell them we may have created a thinner veil between this world and the world in between. The ghost stories there have really picked up. Blaming it on the plumbing won’t work for long.”
“Not an easy fix to that one.”
“No, there is not and we have bigger problems. All the big players on this world seem to know about magic. Every side has their own agenda and it’s some pretty serious shit. The Silver Griffins must be on high alert, twenty-four seven.”