by T. G. Ayer
In a flash of dust and embers, Saleem arrived in what he assumed to be the demon plane. He wasn't entirely certain which part of Dastra it was but he felt the hum of demon energy in his bones. A fitting reminder of exactly what he was. A demon. Nothing more and nothing less. His mind went immediately to Mel, and it was as if the mere thought of her enforced a level of calm that he sorely needed. He needed Mel more, but for now he had to get his thoughts together, to concentrate on what he had to do next. He stood at the dead end of a long passage, the weight of the iron walls looming above him.
He hurried down the corridor, treading softly to ensure his footsteps didn't echo. At last he reached another passage and he slowed before he reached the corner. He was about to pop his head around it to check if the coast was clear when a pair of Lamia demons appeared almost from nowhere. Their gray-white skin glistened even in the weak light. Saleem got the barest glance at sharp shiny yellow teeth before he jumped to the end of the corridor, as far away from the demon pair as he could. He'd be screwed if they were headed down his way.
He waited a few moments and when no footsteps pounded the floor toward him, he let out a sigh of relief and returned to the corner. Mel's face hovered in front of his eyes and he hoped she was okay. Just as he made to take the turn, a voice rang in his head.
Are you a friend of Miss Morgan's? The sweet voice echoed in his ears.
He frowned and looked around him, trying to locate the source of the voice. Had someone crept up on him without him realizing? Or was the speaker here with him but just invisible?
No. I am not invisible. I can just hear your thoughts, even though you are not with me. I heard you think of Mel. Are you her friend? This time the girl's voice was more insistent. Saleem tilted his head and frowned. This kid knew Mel? Then he whispered, "Samantha?"
Yes. That's my name. And you don't need to speak. I can sense your thoughts. You are thinking of Miss Morgan. So you must be her friend.
How do you know I'm not her enemy or maybe one of the bad guys? Saleem asked.
'Cos I saw you thinking about kissing her and I know her. She wouldn't be kissing one of the bad guys.
Saleem almost choked. Good thing he hadn't been thinking of more than just kissing.
Then I would have stayed out of your mind. It would be rude to intrude on adult stuff.
Saleem chuckled. Are you really six-years-old?
I am. Honest.
Saleem grinned. Do you know where Mel is?
I think so. You have to hurry. They've taken her.
Did you see her?
Yes. She came to free me but the magic was too powerful and it threw her into the wall and she fell down. I thought she was dead but I can still hear her thoughts. I was about to talk to her when I heard you think of her. Can you save her?
I can do my best, Samantha. Now can you tell me where she is?
I can't tell you exactly but I can guide you to her.
Okay then, lead on.
Samantha whispered directions in his ear and soon he was on his way. How do you know if I'm going in the right direction?
I can sense you and Mel. And I can feel when you get closer to her. It's like playing Hot and Cold.
What's Hot and Cold? Saleem asked.
It's a game my dad plays with me. He would hide a bar of chocolate and make me look for it. And every time I took a step he would say hot if I was closer and cold if I was moving away from it.
He heard the giggle in her voice and smiled. Interesting game.
Saleem hurried to the end of the passage he was following and paused again at the corner. Don't worry, Samantha said. It's clear. Most of the guards are at the meeting with the scary man.
What scary man?
The one who does the magic. The man who made them take me from my daddy. They want me to do things for them.
Like what?
Turn left and keep along the passage, you're almost there. Samantha paused. They said they wanted me to go to a big party with the hooded man. They wanted me to listen to someone’s thoughts and tell them everything.
Did they say who the person was?
No. Oh, you are almost there. Turn left again. Oh, be careful, there's a guard coming.
Saleem grabbed his weapon, slipping the safety off with a flick of his thumb. The demon took the turn up ahead and spotted him immediately. He reached for the walkie-talkie attached to his belt but Saleem didn't give him a chance to lift it to his mouth. The djinn aimed and fired in one smooth move. The weapon clicked, making a small popping sound that had always made his brother call it the Fart Machine. The djinn were adept at manufacturing weapons and had perfected the art of making demon-killing guns and ammo.
The bullet hit the demon in the middle of the forehead, Saleem's aim being extraordinarily accurate, one hundred percent of the time. The demon tipped backward and fell heavily to the ground, his walkie-talkie falling at his side with a soft thud.
You are safe now.
Thank you, Samantha. Saleem turned back and hurried to the tunnel the girl had said led to Mel. For an instant he wondered if this was all a setup and the girl worked for Nathaniel.
If I told you I'm not working for this Nathaniel man, would you believe me? Saleem hesitated. That's okay. I do understand. You can't trust everyone just because they ask you to. Before Saleem could think of how to answer her, she said, You're almost there.
Barred cells flanked Saleem as he walked along the passage. He scanned each cell as he passed until he looked into the one that contained the tracker. She paced up and down the cell. She hadn't seen him yet and he waited for her to turn back towards him.
***
Chapter 28
The first thing I said to Saleem was "Don't touch the bars." Of course, I wanted to thank him for coming. I even wanted to tell him I'd never been happier to see anyone in my life. Or that all I wanted to do right now was to kiss him senseless because he actually came to save me.
But the moment was gone. Saleem dropped his hands. "The bars have some kind of electrical current running through them. It could kill you."
He shrugged, his lips turning up in a sexy grin. "A bit of electricity wouldn't hurt me."
I raised an eyebrow. "Good to know." When he only smiled wider, I shook my head. "How do you plan on getting me out? Electrified bars, and the cell is warded so be careful about that too."
Saleem's face darkened, his forehead scrunching into a bunch of thin lines. "Well, it looks like we will have to resort to a little kaboom."
"That could work." An explosive force was capable of creating a rip in the ward, a small opening that lasted mere seconds. I'd have to waste no time jumping through it. I used explosives only as a last resort, especially when rescuing those I tracked. The last thing I wanted was for the captors to have immediate awareness of my rescue. Jump signatures could be followed by another jumper or by someone who had powerful magic. And though I was adept at covering my own tracks, the person I carried usually wasn't.
But now the situation called for drastic measures. Then I thought of my bag of weapons and contraptions. "But I don't have my bag with me. It's in Samantha's cell. Nathaniel probably has it." My voice was bitter as I recalled the necromancer's face beneath his hood.
"That's no problem. I tend to carry around my own firepower too. I've come prepared." He dug into his pockets and withdrew half a dozen of Drake's mini bombs. When my eyebrows bobbed in question, he said, "When I left your house to look for you, I thought it best I was prepared."
"Smart."
"I know."
"Get over yourself. Get me out of here first, then we can give you the Smartest Djinn in the Room award."
"I see being confined to a cell does nothing for your sense of humor, Ms. Morgan." He winked and moved away from the cell.
But before he could take a step I said, "Wait."
"Make up your mind, Mel. Wanna go free or not?"
"No, it’s not that." I pointed down the row of cells. "There are kids in the
se cells."
"They won't get hurt."
"They may not get hurt but they may get left behind when we make the headlong dash to leave."
Saleem nodded. "You want me to take them away first?"
"Please. The blast will bring the guards. It's probably better for the kids to be gone when they do get here."
"Okay. Hang tight. I'll be back."
As he moved away, I called out, "Watch out for electrified bars."
I went to the far end of the cell to give myself a better view of the passage and of Saleem. I could only see one cell from my position. Saleem moved toward it. "How do I know if there aren't any wards protecting the cells?" he asked.
"There probably aren’t any. Too many spells to cast and keep going. If they wanted to protect all the cells they would have set one large ward. I'm betting mine is the only one powered by dark magic."
"Okay. It's your head if I end up dead."
"Mmhmm" was all I said as I leaned against the wall to watch. He hesitated only a moment before jumping inside the cell. After a few long moments of pained silence, he called out. "One down."
I couldn't see what he was doing but I assumed he was teleporting all the kids to my house. I worried that it wasn't protected enough. I hadn't had the chance to get Natasha to come over and strengthen our wards. Just one more thing to do when I got back.
Five minutes later, Saleem strolled up to the bars of my cell, the smile on his face decidedly smug. "All done."
"That fast?"
"Only takes a moment to flash in and flash out." He brandished the little bomb. "Ready?"
"Yup. And remember, I will jump us to Samantha as soon as I'm out." He didn't look like he liked it but he had no choice. I was the only one who knew exactly where she was and we were in too much of a hurry for him to follow my thoughts and jump us.
I stepped back to the far wall and waited as Saleem set the timer and placed the small bomb beneath the bars of my cell. He moved away and five seconds went by. Five seconds that felt like an eternity.
The ground shook when the explosives were detonated; metal pieces fell to the ground, some missing me by inches. When I looked up, I made out the mangled mess of the bars lost in a cloud of dust. The dust did nothing to hide the shimmering dome that protected the cell. The bomb had blasted a portion of the ward open and I ran straight through it and out of the cell to Saleem. I jumped him to Samantha's room so fast he barely had time to look up.
***
The moment we landed in Samantha's cell, I caught sight of the little girl, her arms tight around her brightly colored bear. She grinned when she saw me, clearly happy to see me. I smiled back at her, then glanced at Saleem. "Hand me a bomb. There's no time to be subtle. We'll just have to take our chances if they follow us." Saleem handed me one of the devices without question.
I hurried to the edge of the ward, using my senses to detect the perimeter of the magical barrier, and placed the bomb on the floor as close to it as I dared. "Samantha, honey. Can you move back as far as possible?" The little girl nodded, her eyes wide. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you. I just want you to be extra careful."
The girl scurried to the furthest end of her cell and squeezed the bear harder.
I set the timer and moved back as far as I was able. Saleem slid in front of me, the breadth of his body enough protection from any kind of detonation. I wasn't sure if I felt annoyed or grateful for his gallantry. But I remained behind him nonetheless. A few seconds later the bomb exploded, sending vibrations through the small room. The full power of the explosion hit Saleem and me, slamming us into the wall. My head took the brunt of the blow and a moist warmth bloomed at the back of my skull. I really had to stop smashing my head into walls. My ears were ringing as the blast subsided.
Saleem grasped my shoulders and helped me get back onto my feet. My head was still spinning and I needed a moment to get the room to stop turning. I leaned on him, taking advantage of his strength and support. Steady at last, the first thing I wanted to know was if Samantha was okay. I glanced over Saleem's shoulder and sighed with relief. Samantha still stood with her back against the wall, watching the room in silence.
Happy she was safe, I scanned the ward to see if the bomb had worked. And it had. The explosion had ripped a small opening in the magical protection. There wasn't much time before it closed, especially considering how powerful this particular ward was.
"Samantha, can you run to me quickly? Please." I spoke with an urgency the child undoubtedly felt. She did as I asked and ran to me, slipping straight through the rip in the protective wall. She clung to me and I stroked the top of her head. We really didn't have time for hugs and kisses, but I let her have a moment, however short it was.
"Come now." I patted her shoulder and she looked up at me, her eyes filled with trust. "We have to get going. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner you will be safe."
But we didn't get to do much more than blink. The iron door to the cell slammed open, bouncing against the wall, the harsh ringing echoing around the room. Two men rushed into the cell: one a menacing looking red-faced demon carrying an equally menacing looking axe, and the other hooded, cowled and tall.
I pushed Samantha behind me, and whispered to Saleem, "Take her away but not to the house. Then get everyone out of my place to somewhere safe." Saleem hesitated. "Go now. There's no time. You have to trust me."
I didn't need to look at Saleem to know he would be frustrated and angry. But Samantha had to be saved. So he had to leave. I felt the shift in the air behind me as Saleem jumped, taking our little mind reader with him. A weight lifted off me. Knowing that she was safe freed me to do what I needed. Behind me, Saleem's jump signature let off a simmering energy. I grabbed onto it, a mental lasso, tying myself tight to it. I let the feel of it sink into my mind while keeping an eye on the two men closing the distance between us.
"Don't move," growled the hideous demon.
I would have replied to him, but my attention was solely on the cowled figure. For a moment I thought it was Nathaniel come to confront me. But something told me it wasn't him. And when the man moved his hands upwards, my heart stuttered. He pushed the hood back off his head and met my eyes.
Samuel.
***
Chapter 29
I blinked, not trusting my eyes, not daring to believe who stood before me. Tears singed my eyes and I blinked them away. I couldn't allow myself to cry but somehow, that was the only reaction that made sense. Before me — solid, healthy, real — stood Samuel.
He turned to the guard next to him. "Leave us."
The demon stared at him, shocked, "But the master—"
"I know what the master said. Give me five minutes and then you can return." Samuel's tone was hard.
The demon didn't move. "The master said she must be taken alive."
"Don't worry, I don't plan to harm her. I just have a few questions for her."
The demon looked at Samuel then turned his glare to me. He seemed confused by the unusual request, torn between his master's instructions and the more immediate danger of disobeying Samuel.
In the end, Samuel won. The demon gave him a hard stare before turning on his heel and stalking out the room. He didn't bother to close or lock the door. A message to Samuel; he wasn't going to get complete privacy for his questions. But Samuel wasn't going to leave anything to chance. He followed the demon towards the doorway, grasped the metal handle on the rusted door and slowly pushed it shut. The only concession he gave was to refrain from locking the door.
He returned to me but I couldn't wait. I had to know. "So this is where you've been all this time." I was unable to hold back the hurt and the accusation from my tone.
"Yes, Mel." His eyes held a world of pain all of his own. "I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you where I'd gone, or even why. It happened so fast. And then I was here and I couldn't leave without abandoning her."
"How are you even here?" I asked, walking towards him. I placed a hand
on his chest and a bolt of shock ran through me. He was a solid as I was. Solid and real. But I knew it was impossible. Samuel was still sitting in the chair in his room back home, barely sentient.
He smiled. The curve of his lips benevolent and slightly secretive. "Oh, don't worry. When I get back there is something interesting I have to teach you."
"You figured out a way to project and still be solid?" I asked, still slightly weak with shock. In all the time I'd been projecting, I'd never even imagined the possibility of being able to project and be solid. It meant you had to physically be in two places at the same time, solid and real in two places. As far as I knew, that was impossible.
"Believe me when I say that it was not intentional. Like you, I never dreamed it would be possible, but I suppose if one is determined enough then things become possible that would have never been so before."
I frowned. He was being so cryptic. "So what exactly are you doing here in Dastra? You do realize we've been worried about your health for so long. Dr. Harper was very concerned on his last visit. Your body isn't in its best condition, you know."
Samuel shook his head. "I have to admit it is a concern but what I am doing here is far more important than the condition of my physical self." He sounded so haughty I wanted to hit him.
Instead, I folded my arms and glared at him. "That's a bit selfish, you know. People have been waiting and hoping you would come back for so long that very soon they will start giving up on you. Think about your family, Samuel." His face remained rigid. "What’s so god damned important that you need to be here anyway?" I asked, determined to get an answer.
But he just shook his head. "I can't tell you. Not right now." I opened my mouth to speak but he raised his hand. "Someday you will understand. In the meantime, you just have to trust me."
I wanted to rail at him. Tell him he was being stupid. Stupid and reckless and irresponsible. But something in his tone made me stop. He had a reason for being here. A reason he was not prepared to share with me. A bubble of anger rose within me. But I knew that once Samuel said he wasn't ready to share, he wouldn't. I'd be wasting my time demanding an answer. And he was right. I would just have to trust him. For now I needed to know more about Nathaniel's involvement.