Oculus

by S. E. Akers

  Tanner’s expression remained as heads-or-tails as ever. “I’m thinking.”

  It seemed I needed to pull out some “bolder” guns. Luckily I had one tucked away that I’d been itching to unload, knowing firsthand how persuasive the powers of guilt could be.

  “I know you’re ready,” I sighed. “You can’t stand there and deny it.”

  The sternness chiseling his jaw crumbled into confusion instantly. I’d definitely struck a nerve. Now all that remained was going in for the kill.

  “I heard you out in the hall talking to Silas before you left. I know how frustrated you’ve been and how ready you are for this summer to come to an end,” I added. I couldn’t have felt any higher if I’d physically sprouted wings and soared to the peak of a mountain after letting that one loose, courtesy of Silas’ emotional soul-clearing.

  Tanner’s chest heaved defensively. “That’s not what—”

  I cut him off with a curt wave, fearing the foulness that would set in after hearing a denial squeak past those tantalizing lips of his. “I’m not upset,” I insisted. “Actually, I couldn’t agree more.” Of course I was lying through my teeth about that one. But he couldn’t tell, not with me barricaded down in my happy-place.

  The Amethyst Talisman stood there, his arms still locked in a rigid cross while his eyes maintained their unshakable hold. Strictly going off the lengthy number of seconds that had ticked away, I suspected he was engaged in a secret two-way conversation with the other party who’d been present that day out in the hall. And I knew the very second it had wrapped up from the way his shoulders relaxed.

  Tanner’s brow shot into an arch. “When?” he finally asked.

  A confident smile drifted across my face. “Now is as good a time as any. I just need to grab the oculus.”

  Tanner unlocked his arms. “All right,” he agreed. “You can go down to the weapons vault and—”

  “All I need is the oculus,” I interrupted. “I won’t be requiring anything else magical.”

  This was the most stunned I’d seen my mentor’s face all morning, even after the layria bark torching. “Nothing?” he questioned.

  I shook my head, unfazed.

  “No additional Veil-blessed devices or protective armor of any kind?” he posed.

  “My powers and my sword have gotten me this far,” I assured him. “And I wouldn’t dream of draining an ounce of the Veil weapons’ magic, not when mine are more than enough.”

  Tanner’s stare glided over my frame with an indelible sweep, his hazel eyes bearing a distinct violet twinkle. He stepped closer, undeniably intrigued. “And which creature will you be starting with?”

  “The imp,” I said. “Just as soon as Silas prepares the chamber.”

  “I believe that’s my cue,” the house steward announced abruptly. “Excuse me, Professor.” Then he disappeared down the hall straightaway, leaving the two of us alone in the heat of our huddle.

  “I’m curious,” Tanner began.

  I shrugged my shoulders innocently. “About what?”

  “This change I’m sensing.”

  “There’s no change,” I insisted. “I’m just tired of wasting both our time.” I turned to head down the hall, only for Tanner to latch on to my hand and guide me back towards him, almost into his chest.

  “Are you familiar with the saying, believe none of what you hear and half of what you see?” he asked.

  “I am,” I said. “But we’re not talking about any unproven rumors or misleading circumstances. It doesn’t apply when what you hear comes straight from the horse’s mouth.” I turned away from his sultry stare and headed down the hall as soon as I sensed the walls of my emotional stronghold starting to cave a little. Damn that touch of his!

  “So whatever ‘the horse’ says is taken as undisputed truth?” Tanner posed as he trailed my steps to the triptych.

  “Yep,” I called out.

  “Strictly going off its words?” he continued.

  “Yes,” I hissed with a round-ending glance directed his way. He may have waved the panels open when we arrived, but the angle of his frame prohibited my entrance. And for the life of me, I’d never seen a more brazen grin gracing the mug of someone who’d just been burned so badly.

  “It’s sort of ironic that you chose a reference that’s origin comes from a competition . . . considering the four you’ve appealed for today,” he remarked. “But there is only one problem. A horse can swear to anything. And no matter how clear or profound its words may seem, they don’t carry an ounce of weight until it’s standing in the winner’s circle at the end of the race.”

  I ironed my lips together. The denying was insulting enough, but now he was blatantly trying to turn the tables. It seemed the horse’s other end had taken over the reins of this conversation.

  “Looks like there’s a lot of speculation flying today,” I grinned. “But don’t worry. I don’t plan on stepping in any.”

  With our smirks officially holstered, the two of us headed into the cave and worked our way down the steps, keeping a tireless lock on our lips. After a quick stop by my bedroom to collect the oculus, I decided that now was the ideal time to initiate Phase Two of my plan.

  “How about we make this interesting?” I posed as I fastened the portal around my neck.

  “Believe me,” Tanner grinned. “It’s already that.”

  “I mean with a little wager,” I submitted.

  “Please proceed,” he encouraged.

  “If I can send back the imp, the balegore, and the two eye-less creatures without any trouble, then you’ll let me face the chimera alone,” I proposed. I honestly couldn’t have cared less about the others, but I refused to have a worrywart riding shotgun in the chimera’s cell with me, screwing up my concentration.

  The only sounds came from our footsteps, which I took as a passive “no” after we’d descended two more floors. So now I had to sweeten the pot. “And I have to send back the imp in less than ten seconds.”

  “In ten seconds?” Tanner blurted.

  “Less than ten,” I corrected. Of course I couldn’t fault the doubtful grain of salt pinched between his fingers. Once that relentless little winged-devil had sunk in its claws, shaking it off in less than a minute was an unheard of miracle.

  The Amethyst Talisman’s teeth were sticking to his smile by the time we’d reached the dungeon floor, undeniably humored. “You’re stacking the odds awfully high, aren’t you?”

  “They’ve been stacked like that all summer,” I replied and leaned into his ear. “Right down to turquoises tucked in the tips of pool sticks, lucky stones hidden inside game pieces, and pretty purple playing cards.” I took a casual step back to catch his reaction. “I guess I’m just used to it.”

  His gaze remained shamelessly cemented to mine, despite being busted six ways from Sunday. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” Then he straightened the crook bending his lips with a modest lick. “Do you wish to seal this bet any particular way?”

  My eyes were shining brighter than my smile. “Your word is more than enough,” I assured him and headed down the hall, straight to the chamber that once held the succubus. I grabbed hold of the handle when I reached the door and threw him a glance. “I instructed Silas to bring it in here. Hurry up or you’ll miss something,” I winked.

  I thought I’d caught the makings of a sly smile shooting my way as I turned to head inside, however Silas snatching me into the shadowy room cut my view rather short.

  The house steward angled the torch to my face. “I must say, Ms. Wallace . . . You have ascended to an entirely new stratosphere of cocky.”

  “You were the one who basically told me to ‘go bold or go home’,” I countered.

  “Oh, I’m not complaining. I simply want you aware that sometimes one’s mouth can write checks that their bum may have trouble cashing,” he warned.

  “I’m not,” I answered. Hopefully… “But just in case, do you take credit cards or camels?”

  Sil
as’ eyes looked as inflamed as the torchlight flickering between us. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the stroke of midnight,” he groused. “See how cheeky you are tomorrow when that lucky-day high-horse bucks you right off its back.”

  I turned from his stare, rightfully amused, and began inspecting the boudoir-turned-battlefield. Just as my instructions dictated, Silas had prepared the room perfectly. The entire space was pitch-black with the exception of one lonely light shining down from above, spotlighting the imp’s silver domed cage that he’d placed on the floor. And if my “lucky day” proved true enough, the imp would fall for my trap before the little winged-bastard knew what had hit it.

  Tanner stopped in the doorway, intrigued by the chamber’s ambiance. “Talk about setting a stage.” He homed in on the silver dome curiously. “So why in here? Like this?” he inquired, eyes curiously bouncing all around.

  “You’ll have to wait and see,” I simpered and then motioned to Silas like a magician hailing their assistant. I leaned into his ear. “So where is it?”

  “Eight feet in front of its cage,” Silas assured with the same amount of hush.

  I passed an inconspicuous glance to the spot in question. I still didn’t see it.

  “Good luck finding it,” he chucked telepathically. “I camouflaged it with a black curtain.”

  Another low-key look confirmed how right he was. Whatever dark draping he’d used was blending with the shadows perfectly. I was impressed.

  “I thought it would enhance the surprise,” he added, directing his eyes towards the suspicious professor leaning against the wall beside the door.

  “Thank you, Silas,” I grinned and issued him a cute curtsy.

  “Oh, it was my pleasure,” he cooed and then left to join Tanner.

  Tanner bounced his wide-eyed, Twilight-Zone stare between the two of us. Then after a shake of his head, he turned his attention solely on me. “Remember — Ten seconds,” he called out.

  “Less than ten,” I lobbed back and then slowly approached the center of the room. I eyeballed the silver dome while I mentally ran through my plan one last time. I’d pored over Silas’ notes regarding the imp’s strengths and weaknesses, almost to the point of going cross-eyed. But aside from the crippling effects of salt-water, the slippery little critter didn’t have any. The last thing I wanted was another humiliating round of the creature’s swift reflexes and ruthless slices making mincemeat out of me. So being at the bottom of the ninth and fearing that final game-ending out, I decided to go an alternate route — throwing a little chaos into the mix, with a little help from an optical illusion I’d cooked up. When all else fails, you have to go tricky.

  I took a deep breath to calm my heart rate. The chamber may have been pin-dropping still now, but all that was about to change real soon. I needed to be on my toes, assuredly quick-draw fast, once I’d released the imp from its cage. Without the added silver muddling its senses, it wouldn’t be long before the creature could accurately pinpoint my energy.

  With my heartfelt plea to the cosmos fired, I bent down, snatched off the lid, tossed it to Silas, and rose just as speedy. There was the unsuspecting little monster sitting directly below me — balled up and grunting heavily. But the sweetest sight of all had to be seeing its winged-back facing my direction, falling precisely in line with my scheme.

  Just as the imp started to lift its head and stretch out its wings, I swiftly summoned a gust to blow away the drape covering the mammoth mirror Silas had tucked in the shadows. Without a second to lose, I commanded the oculus to open. Its light bounced off the glass and blinded the imp’s beady black eyes instantly. The blurry-eyed creature’s gut reaction was to shirk around and attempt to fly away, thinking at first glance that I was standing in front of it. The imp realized its mistake soon enough when it found its writhing body locked in the ironclad grip of my arms and its ugly mug shoved against the business end of the oculus. I pressed the creature harder into my chest, not caring for a second how deep its claws were sinking into my skin. Though despite how trapped the imp was, the feisty little creature kept up its struggle to free itself and clenched its eyes even tighter. But I’d anticipated that and was more than willing to give those little buggers a helping hand.

  Just as soon as I’d secured a firm enough one-handed hold, I grabbed on to its only remaining ear, dug in my nails, and yanked that mother off with the angriest of jerks. The raw and bitter rip forced open its eyes straightaway. Then suddenly, its scaly body started to magically disappear. Once the light had completely waned, the only evidence of the creature’s presence was the blood staining my ripped shirt and its gross pointy ear clenched in my hand. My little Achilles’ heel since Day-One was officially gone and I knew my eyes had to be flashing like a digital explosion on a Jumbotron.

  I turned to Tanner immediately. He was still noiselessly propped against the wall while the makings of a hustled smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was hard not to pop off a showy “Ta-daaa” with him looking so whipped, particularly after having been duped by him so many times this summer, but somehow I managed to pull it off.

  Silas finally broke the silence wafting between us when he poofed on the lights and then issued the silver dome a cutesy pluck with his fingers, rattling the air with a round-ending “ding”. “Seven seconds,” Silas announced as he held up his pocket watch. He may have sounded like the most impartial judge, but it was hard not to miss the cultured house steward’s version of a classy “BOOM” inspiriting those genteel eyes.

  Tanner strolled over to the mirror. I wasn’t sure if he was marveling at its cleverness or too rapt in the played fool staring back at him.

  “I thought it was quite the clever touch, Professor,” Silas remarked. “What do you think?”

  Tanner shot both of us a wary glare. “I think I’m never leaving the two of you alone again.” He then directed his stare my way. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, still practically fluorescent.

  “That was almost effortless,” Tanner bragged and then nodded to the door. “Now let’s see if the balegore proves to be just as much child’s play.”

  “I’m ready whenever you are,” I asserted, despite the twinge of sadness stabbing my heart.

  “Do we need to bring your magic mirror along?” Tanner cracked.

  Oh, his hoodwinking wasn’t sitting well with him at all. “No,” I assured, my white smile blazing a thick coat of snark. I held up the oculus with a proud sweep. “This itty-bitty one is all I need.”

  We were about to head out of the chamber when something caught Tanner’s eye. He walked over to the jagged vertical lines etched in the stones on the wall — the ones Kiera had marked for every day she’d sensed my desire. Now there was a twisted reminder.

  Tanner traced the grooves with his fingers curiously, which right now just added insult to injury. “What are these?” he asked.

  The thought of crawling under the bed crossed my mind, especially since I’d told Silas about them.

  “They appear to be marks,” the house steward acknowledged. “Our former half-demonic temptress must have carved those out.” Silas’ announcement may have blared with the satisfaction of a first-prize winning answer, but Tanner’s suspicions were far from settled.

  “I see that,” Tanner assured. He tallied them up and then turned to Silas. “But why did she make them?”

  “She was just filing her nails,” I fibbed.

  Tanner’s head fell into a tilt. “She told you that personally?”

  “Yeah. She was quick to point those out,” I added, which was the lightning-strike-me-dead truth. I caught the roll of Silas’ eyes when I passed him on my way out. “Trust me . . . They mean absolutely nothing.”

  I was standing outside the balegore’s cell just a few seconds later, regretfully. Truth be told, I’d wanted to face it after the two Sy-Lases to give it more time. And personally, I knew what had prompted him to move the giant troll-doll to the fron
t of the queue. As much as my mentor wanted me to succeed at getting rid of these creatures, he didn’t want me winning this bet, not at the risk of him forfeiting his control over my bout with the chimera.

  I pulled my hilt out of its holster and handed it straight to Tanner when he walked up. “Would you mind holding on to this?”

  His brow furrowed. “You’re not going to keep it as a precaution?”

  I gave one of my biceps a couple plucky pats. “Why? I’ve got everything I need right here.”

  Tanner’s astounded glare could have caved in the walls it hit so hard. “Oh, I can’t wait to see this.”

  I stopped shy of entering when a sarcastic laugh eased out of my mouth. I turned to face him. “Exactly whose side are you on?”

  Tanner edged closer, backing me into the doorway. “The same one I’ve been standing on for weeks,” he assured. “And not because of any reasons you may think.”

  My chest fluttered at the sight of the lavender hue churning in his eyes. I’d only seen them pale like this a few heartfelt-times before. The one that filled my head the most was right after my diamond stabbing, seconds before Silas started to carve into my neck. An indisputable fact rushed to the forefront of my mind. The way a Talisman’s eyes radiated stemmed directly from their soul. They could hide it with enough resolve, but altering the color’s shade or intensity was impossible. His sincerity was as obvious as those lavender stunners pinning me here. Despite what his hallway conversation had revealed, his heart hadn’t meant a word of it—not then nor even now—and he was undeniably hurt that I would even think for a second he did.

  Needing to keep my head straight and emotions clear, I pointedly turned from his stare and then darted into the chamber. The curveball he’d thrown couldn’t have come at a worse time. I had planned on rechanneling a good bit of frustration into my muscles over those sentiments I’d overhead in the hallway alone. Now I wasn’t sure if I had enough juice for my guns. The only thing worse would have been if he had taken me into his arms like I’d envisioned all summer and kissed me on the spot.

  Then I really would feel like a wet noodle…