Oculus

by S. E. Akers

  I tucked the oculus underneath my shirt and then locked my blue-eyes on Tanner. “Make sure Silas is okay,” I said, ignoring the fierce beg his eyes were drowning in. “You can get up after I’m gone, but you can’t follow me.” I turned my attention back to the fast-footed chimera’s approach after that. I couldn’t take a second more of that lavender hue tugging at my heartstrings and trying their best to sway me out of this.

  Two more roars and a chilly hiss bellowed out of the mouths of the creature as it rushed to claim its freedom. With that, I dug in my heels in wait of its next predictable move, rallying all the confidence I could in light of the First-Class fright ahead of me. After all, who knew I would be jumping a plane speeding down a runway today?

  The creature extended its wings as soon as it entered the alcove and then leaped towards its clear and sunny target. Then with the fiercest of grips readied, I dove towards the chimera and grabbed its snake tail just as its two front heads crashed through the crystal wall. Shards of quartz flew past me as I secured my hold on its neck, carefully trying to avoid any paralyzing bites from its snapping fangs. The chimera was well aware that I’d hitched a ride too and made a sharp nosedive trying to rattle me off. Knowing I had to saddle this beast as quick as I could, I used its dive to my advantage. So without a second to lose, I yanked my hilt out of its holster, pressed it underneath the snake’s head with a firm push, and then commanded the diamond blade to shoot out. The force drove its skewered head straight towards its rear, and then with a feisty shove, I tacked it right to its furry ass — leaving me only two to tangle with.

  The chimera roared out an insanely angered howl and started soaring left and right erratically, which had me digging my nails into its backside even harder. This thing was hell-bent on shaking me loose, but I swore that no matter how dizzy I got or how much I puked, I was sending this thing packing before my butt got bucked off.

  With the resolve of the most avid rock-climbing enthusiast, I began scaling the beast’s backside with my diamond claws. The battering wind and its jerky flight path sent my chest crashing hard against its muscles every time I moved up its body the slightest inch. I glanced down to get my bearings, and I sure wished I hadn’t. There wasn’t a drop of land anywhere, only miles and miles of open water. Now I really needed to get up to the driver’s seat to put the brakes on this thing.

  Four strenuous tugs later, I pushed myself up and onto the back of the chimera. The power my thighs were flexing alone could have cracked a walnut the size of Katie’s new car. I snatched hold of the goat-head’s horns and pulled back on them like the yoke of an airplane as I summoned a gust of wind. At least I was hoping to steer this thing towards a much drier course. Several blustery blasts turned the creature around somewhat, but not enough to matter once its wings got back to flapping. Luckily those couldn’t smack me too much since the chimera needed to keep itself in the air. However the lion-head angled itself back towards me as much as it could, trying to flame-roast me right off.

  Maneuvering this beast was pointless, and I knew it. Then abruptly, one of the horns I was holding dug into my leg when the chimera threw back its goat-head, almost breaking my hold. But on the bright-side of being bloody, getting jabbed with that horn clued me in on what I had to do. With a growl-like grunt, I pulled back powerfully hard on one of the creature’s horns and snapped it right off its head like the pop of a bottle cap. Then I took my makeshift-weapon, slammed it down hard into the lion-head, and carved a wide enough patch for my hand. As soon as I’d pitched the horn, my fist smashed into its skull with the white-knuckled force of a wrecking ball. The chimera started another wretched and wailing high-speed dive, which sent me holding on to its only horn for dear life as it tunneled through the clouds on a hellish path straight down. It pulled up just before it reached the water and then chose a more topsy-turvy route as it soared back into the sky. Needless to say, I was ready to get off this rollercoaster ride.

  Just as soon as the creature had leveled out, I shoved my hand into the opening I’d bashed into its lion-head and went to blindly rooting around in search of its eyes. After all, the back door worked just as good as the front around my house…and pending the hour, sometimes much better. I fanned my fingers and grabbed hold of anything my grip allowed. To my sheer delight, one of the little glowing yellow orbs was dangling from my hand when I wrenched it back out of its skull. I quickly pulled the oculus out from under my shirt and called for its points to open. With the lock of a magnet, the lonely little gory eyeball connected with its light and began to vanish right before my eyes. I couldn’t have been more elated until I realized I was freefalling and a hair away from hitting the ocean. The few seconds leading up to my splashdown were spent on another nagging dilemma: I had no idea where my wand was. The last time I’d laid hands on it was after playing Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Chimera. But knowing that the only thing the oculus absorbed was something that had been birthed in The Darklands or held some of its magic, I knew it had to be taking the plunge with me somewhere.

  My body smacked the water with a thunderous “WHACK” and then sank with the weight of a dropped anchor. The jolt left my body rattled and my mind reeling. I had no idea how far I was from shore, but I knew I needed to find my wand and get topside as soon as possible.

  I tucked the oculus back under my shirt and then started trawling through the seascape of shifting blue hues in search of any telltale sparkly gleams coming from my wand. That was a helpful plus, knowing its blade was still drawn. And too, as heavy as that thing was, I knew the focus of my efforts would be best served charting a course straight down.

  My eyes tirelessly searched in all directions as my swim carried me closer to the ocean floor. Yeah, I needed to get my weapon, but I also wanted to keep a wary eye out for Lorelei. And if I didn’t feel a little queasy about scalping the sea-bitch before, I sure-as-shit did now. Hopefully almost changing into an even more heinous creature had sent her swimming home with her tail between her tentacles. That’s what I was rooting for.

  Hopefully…

  My anxiety kicked into overdrive when I arrived at the craggy and sandy ocean floor and still hadn’t caught a glimpse of the diamond’s sheen. Trying not to panic, I closed my eyes for a moment and shut everything out of my mind. The water would carry the diamond’s energy to me if I just focused on it enough.

  Slowly but surely, I began picking up on its signature vibe. I followed its trail without delay, paddling through the current as fast as I could despite the drag of my clothes and the fact that I was without the aid of my moonstone. That was the one thing I regretted most right now. Having it on would have made my swim even quicker. Mark my words… When I get back, I’m NEVER taking it off!

  The sweetest rush of relief swept through me when I spotted my diamond wand lodged in the ocean floor, sticking halfway up out of the sand. My strokes quickened after every one of my strides. Then with an effortless snatch, I yanked it right out of there while a cloud of sand swirled around my frame. I could have very well kissed the daggone thing base-to-tip, if I knew I wouldn’t be minus a pair of lips. Though it wouldn’t be that much of a loss; nothing but fists and food had hit them all summer.

  And a fake kiss, I grumbled as I retracted my blade and holstered my weapon. I can’t forget THAT…

  I was about to start my swim up to the surface when a shadow passed over my head. Heart pounding, I jerked up to spy a large school of silvery-blue fish swimming past — to my relief. So after realizing how spooked I was from a pack of daggone tuna, the Chicken of the Sea was ready to hightail it back to land A.S.A.P.

  I’d no sooner pushed off the ocean floor when something latched on to my leg and jolted me with a wicked shock. I knew what it was immediately. Sure enough, more ion-charged seaweed began coiling around my legs, electrifying my skin with feisty stings and tethering my kickers to keep me from swimming up to the surface. I used my fingernails to hack away what I could, but there was so much of the tangly clumps coming from all directions I
was well on my way to being trapped. I’d no sooner sawed-off a section of vines when two more would take its place. One of the thicker strands latched around my waist and started tugging me through the water. It was a lot harder to whack into, and I realized why when I noticed its special glimmer.

  The same mystical aquamarine glow that I’d seen last week appeared in the distance and started closing in fast. But that wasn’t the shiniest thing I was able to make out. Lorelei was charging full-steam ahead through the water with her fearsome supernatural golden pitchfork leading the way — all polished up and ready for me.

  Lorelei’s approach came to a halt when she drew back her arm and then sailed her trident straight at me. As fast as it was ripping through the water, it was only a matter of time before it speared me straight through. And as angry as what I figured she still was, that wicked mother probably had enough diamonds fused to its pointy prongs to purchase all of Microsoft. That’s what I would do.

  The points of the trident were only a few scarily-slim yards away when something black whizzed past my bound frame and blocked its blow from striking me. It happened so fast I couldn’t make out what type of sea creature it was, but I sure heard its high-pitched squeals. I tracked them to a tail fin that was streaking away at breakneck speed, leaving a trail of lingering blood. Now that Lorelei was off chasing after the sea-creature with a vengeance, that gave me the perfect chance to cut myself out of the swathe of seaweed and reflect a little on what the heck had just happened. Seriously… The likelihood of that miraculous intervention was too far-fetched to crop up on even the luckiest of days. I wasn’t in that much cosmic denial. Someone or something had come to my rescue. I only hoped my shielding savior was okay.

  I hurried to slice away the rest of the seaweed with my only free hand. I’d no sooner got myself untangled when another robust vine suddenly lassoed my neck. I turned in the water to see Lorelei roughly thirty feet from me. At this point I had two options: fight the supernatural on her turf and maybe get a chance to use the oculus or the mystical aid of a sapphire. And as much as I hated to waste one, beaming my butt out of here was the best option. I could never outswim her back to land, wherever the heck it was.

  I dug my hand into my right pocket and whipped out the stone just as Lorelei gave the vine a vicious yank towards her. I was a few feet from her swirling red eyes when I crushed the sapphire in my fist and commanded it to take me back to where this whole mess began — to the alcove of Tanner’s dungeon. A blinding royal blue light exploded all around me, the same way it had when Helaine had used hers. And exactly as the sapphire’s ability promised, I was lying soaking wet on the stone floor of my desired destination, clutching my freed throat and hacking up water in-between my heaves. I whipped back my head to find Tanner still standing in the room. I’d never seen arms crossed so tightly or a more put-out look furrowing someone’s face. His chest was actually rising and falling faster than mine. I released him from my full hold as I shot to my feet. Then I waited for whatever tongue-lashing he’d been practicing in my absence. But nothing came. No fury-fueled words… No scathing lectures regarding my arrogant recklessness… Not even a look that let me know he was relieved to see me… I took off his phantom crystal and extended it towards him. He never even looked at his stone as it dangled there, quivering in my hand. The next thing I knew, Tanner was storming down the hall, never looking back my way for a second. Out of all of my fumbles and fiascos, I’d never seen him like this. Tanner was furious with me…and that was nothing short of agonizing.

  I tried calling out to Silas several times, but he never responded. That drove me straight to where we’d left him in the hall. He wasn’t there, and neither was Tanner. I thought I felt horrible enough, but standing alone in an empty hallway littered with rubble while a charred stench baited my nerves sent me plummeting to an entirely new low of wretchedness. I searched everywhere for them—all the chambers throughout the cave, knocked on Tanner’s door repeatedly, then up the stairs to check both floors of the house, including Silas’ bedroom—but they were nowhere to be found. I started to call for Tanner on his totem, but my fingers stopped shy of giving it even the lightest of grazes. He hadn’t uttered a single word to me before he’d left, and wherever he’d taken Silas, he probably couldn’t have cared less to speak to me now. A part of me felt like it was cruel; the other knew I deserved it for the danger my blind haste and willfulness had put them in. And I was going to have to find a way to suffer through it.

  I brushed away a tear coursing down my cheek. Somehow…

  My guilt directed me straight to the library before long. I planned on scouring every page of every journal on every shelf until I found something explaining how serious the situation with Silas truly was. What I did uncover wasn’t good. If a Djinn’s occupied human body couldn’t be mended, the former-faery would be sucked out of its vessel like a supernatural vacuum and sent careening back across The Veil on a one-way flight to The Darklands. Faeries didn’t need a door or seam to open. They could naturally travel back and forth without any problems and were the only Veil creatures that could do so. And with Silas’ essence stripped, that’s what hell lay on his horizon if his vessel couldn’t be patched. He would be bound there, unable to cross its borders without some sort of mystical intervention. I didn’t have a clue how he’d escaped before, but it couldn’t have been easy. It wasn’t like I could call a supernatural cab to go and pick him up. He would be trapped there for eternity, having to exist day and night fighting to stay alive, and it would be entirely my fault. It was official; I’d finally reached rock bottom and had planted my R.I.P. flag.

  Some “Lucky Day”, I sobbed. I never wanted another one of them.

  Night had fallen with the weight of an executioner’s ax and I still hadn’t heard anything. I collapsed onto the chaise, exhausted from worry… From pacing… From dead-silence… Though as weary as I was both mentally and physically, I couldn’t fall asleep even if I chugged down an entire vial of embervale. I needed to hear something. Anything. Whoever coined the phrase, “No news is good news,” was in need of one serious butt-kicking. “No news” was sheer torture as far as I was concerned — the fifth circle of Hell kind. I finally resorted to calling Katie, desperate for some consoling. I should have known my old buddy Karma would shoot me straight to her voicemail… and Samuel’s. I left my surrogate-father an abridged message, censored for my benefit. He didn’t know the full extent of my training this summer. He would be on the phone making an airline reservation or gassing up his Jeep once the words “three-headed fire-breathing creature” shot through his speaker. So I told him that I was just feeling a little blue and wanted to hear his voice. Katie, on the other hand, got the ugly truth — every disastrous bit of it.

  I finally forced myself into taking a shower around 4:30 A.M., but that was strictly to kill more time. Who cares if you looked like death warmed over when that’s exactly what you felt like? I was standing at the sink when I heard the alarm bells tied to Tanner’s door dinging in my head. I dropped my toothbrush into the basin and raced to my bedroom door. I locked my hand around the knob, unable to give it a turn. I’d waited so long to know something, and now I feared what answer would come.

  Two stout “knocks” sent me straight into a chest grabbing fit. Ready to face either side of the coin, I grabbed the knob, gave it a firm twist, and threw open the door.

  My shoulders collapsed on the spot. Silas. I sprang towards his perfectly healed presence like a mother would a lost child, arms hugging his frame and squeezing him like I was afraid he could disappear at any second.

  Silas let out a surprised grunt. “As touched as I am by your sentiment, Ms. Wallace, your hold has me questioning whether or not you’re trying to squeeze the life back out of me.”

  I released him straightaway, my eyes pleading for his forgiveness. “Did I hurt you?” I asked nervously.

  His brow sprang into that pompous peak I’d grown so fond of. “Precisely how much of a wimp do you think
I am?”

  Upon that admission, I pounced on his haughty old frame again and issued him one more crushing cuddle for good measure.

  “If I at least pat your back, will you stop your assault?” he submitted.

  I loosened my hold and looked him square in the eyes. “Only if you mean it.”

  Silas issued my cheek a couple of soft pats. “I’m truly fine, Ms. Wallace . . . Now,” he added with a crimp to his smile. “And how are you doing?”

  I waved him into my room. “How do you think?” I snapped. Now I really was sounding like a mother ready to rake her runaway kid over the coals. “I’ve been worried sick!”

  “You know you can’t kill a former-faery,” he boasted. “At least not in this realm.”

  “No,” I agreed. “But you can sure polish-off a human vessel that former-faery is occupying given enough flames and get him sent back to The Darklands where he can meet his untimely end.”

  “True,” Silas nodded. “But I rather liked having the hottest body in the house for a change.”

  I turned my head away, unamused and cringing.

  Silas tilted his head, angling for my attention. “Too soon?”

  “Way too soon,” I scolded, head shaking.

  Silas narrowed his gaze. “I don’t want you feeling any guilt. My actions were my own, just like yours belonged to you.”

  “Maybe I wouldn’t be feeling near as guilty if I’d known what was going on! Not hearing from Tanner was nagging enough, but I really thought you would’ve let me know something.”

  The house steward shifted his stance uncomfortably. “I couldn’t.”

  For some reason, I didn’t get the impression that it was because of his injuries. “And why is that?”