Gods Of The Stone Oracle

by Krista Walsh

  She stretched her mind further, prodding the space where the rift had been. Some of the magic lingered, but she couldn’t see it or touch it. There would be no following Molly that way.

  Needing to move further into the psychic plane, she breathed more deeply and allowed her mind to empty. Now Molly’s energy was a simple orange light against the darkness, leading Vera like a guiding strip across the world. She had no concept of distance or time on this plane, but it felt as though she traveled for a while, the light weaving and zigzagging.

  Was she lost? Was she just circling the room and going nowhere? Worry made her mind waver, but she held on to the light. She couldn’t give up yet.

  She sank even deeper, until the only thing that existed was the orange light that glowed brightly enough to hurt her head.

  More time passed, and her concern had sunk so deep in her consciousness that she began to admit defeat.

  Then the light changed. Grew even brighter. Trailed to a stop.

  Vera drew to a halt near where the light appeared brightest, and for a while she simply watched it. No energy extended past this point. Had she found Molly?

  Back in her body, her heartbeat pattered with anticipation, but on the psychic plane, she just drifted, cautious about moving too close too quickly.

  Having reached her goal, she rose ever so slightly out of her trance, taking in more of the energy’s source. Other senses reached her, and she wished she could cover her ears. It was so loud. Normally at this point, she would be bombarded by images in her client’s mind. It was how she learned who she would be exacting vengeance against and why. She would dig through memories, thoughts, and emotions to get the full picture without them having to say a word.

  Here, there was nothing but noise. Memories in full audio, all tumbling together, speaking over each other. Vera’s head ached, and she eased back for a moment, just to let her own thoughts settle.

  This had to be Molly. So now she had to find a way to make contact without scaring the poor girl. It wouldn’t do to barge into her mind without warning.

  Slowly, she moved closer again and called Molly’s name. At first, she received no response, but by the third try, there was a stirring of awareness. Faint, but enough that Vera could latch on to it.

  Molly, can you hear me?

  “Who — who’s there?” Molly asked, speaking aloud.

  Vera winced.

  Molly, it’s Vera Goodall. Do you remember me? I’m on the edge of your mind. You only need to think, and I’ll hear you, all right?

  For a while, there was only silence, and Vera was afraid that she’d lost her, but then she picked up a faint soundtrack of voices talking over each other. Stories being shared. Molly’s memories of the locked room. Finally, a soft voice called her name. Vera?

  Relief soaked through Vera’s mind, reverberating all the way back to her body.

  Molly, I need to strengthen our connection, so I’m going to move deeper into your mind. This might feel strange, but it won’t hurt.

  Okay.

  Vera sensed the girl’s hesitation and fear, and did her best to shift as carefully as she could. Eventually, she settled herself into the part of Molly’s brain that could hold the psychic link and allowed herself to relax. There was no risk here that she would lose her. She’d made it.

  Oh wow, Molly thought.

  What is it?

  I can…see you.

  I’m sorry, I didn’t think of that.

  It’s fine. You’re…beautiful.

  Despite the compliment, Vera sensed darker emotions surging through Molly’s brain, the chemicals mixing together to create a stench of terror.

  Are you all right, Molly?

  Sure. Holding up great.

  Vera didn’t believe her for a second. Can you tell me what happened?

  Another hesitation. Will they know you’re here?

  The thought was so fragile, so wavering, that Vera’s heart broke. What had they done to her? She remembered the young woman who had driven her arrow through the incubus Antony’s throat to save her own life. Molly was brave and headstrong, and had proved more than once that she was up for the challenges this world posed. But something had changed in her. Vera could see it.

  I’ve placed a shield around this part of your mind. Even if they pry, they’ll come up against the wall and be deterred from it, don’t worry.

  I’m so scared, Molly said, and each word sent a fresh wave of adrenaline pumping through Vera’s body.

  Have they hurt you?

  They tried. They cut me and burned me, but I didn’t tell them anything. I swear I didn’t say anything.

  Vera felt her body jerk as her physical mind responded to the information.

  It’s all right, sweetheart. No one would blame you if you did. You’re stronger than most of us would be in your situation.

  Then they — one of them. He gets into my head, and he shows me things. He showed me my house burning down, my parents trapped inside. Are they all right?

  They’re fine. I’m with them now. There’s no fire.

  That’s not all he showed me. These horrible scenes. Wars, destruction. And every time, I’m right there, feeling it, seeing it. I hear everything. And then he strips it all away and leaves me in the dark with the memories of all this pain. I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I feel like I’m going crazy.

  Vera wished she could put her arms around her and keep away anyone who would try to harm her. Whoever was responsible for torturing her knew what they were doing, to show her the worst parts of the world and then steal them away with nothing to soften the blow or wash out the bitter taste. Vera just hoped she wasn’t doing more damage by showing herself to Molly, no matter how good her intentions.

  We’re all here working together to find you, she thought. Do you know where you are?

  No. More panic coursed through their connection, and Vera sucked in a breath to prevent it from overwhelming her.

  Can you describe your surroundings? Have they said anything to give any clue?

  It’s cold and damp. The walls and floor are all worn stone, and it feels like someone might have gouged holes out of it at some point. The doors are metal, and they squeak, as if they’re rusted.

  Anything else?

  A moment’s pause, and then, There’s a steady hum in the air. Like loud machinery somewhere. It vibrates in my head, but I’m able to tune it out now.

  How many demons have come to speak with you? Do you have any idea of how many we’ll need to deal with?

  I don’t know. Vera thought she picked up a hint of hope in Molly’s thoughts and crossed her fingers it was merited. They change. There’s the one who gives the orders. He sounds old. More human. Then there’s one who sounds slimy. His name is Karl. They’ve both come to check in, but they haven’t touched me themselves. The one who makes me see things, he’s almost…kind. He warns me and apologizes. In my head, like you are now, like he doesn’t want the others to know. I don’t think he wants to hurt me, even though he’s the one that hurts me most. Then there was one called Rega. He’s the one who cut me.

  Vera’s body stiffened and her thoughts stumbled. Zach had fought Lozak at the trade college, and now Rega was raising his ugly head as well. Who were the others? How were they all tied in together, and where the hell were they?

  The question plagued her, because nothing Molly had said so far narrowed down her location at all.

  Molly, I’m going to go now and tell the others what you’ve told me, but I’ll be back, all right?

  No, please don’t leave me. I’m so scared. I don’t want to be alone.

  Vera wanted to cry. She wished she could stay right where she was while helping everyone on the physical plane as well, but she couldn’t sustain both for long. I’ll leave the connection open a little bit. You’ll still sense me, even if you don’t hear me, and I’ll come back as often as I can.

  All right. So lost and broken.

  Just stay strong a little longer, M
olly. I promise, we’re coming to find you.

  10

  The connection with Vera went dark, leaving Molly alone again in the quiet cell. She curled into a ball on her side and didn’t bother to try to stop the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. Hope had risen at the sound of the vengeance demigoddess’s voice, and part of her had prayed that Vera was going to tell her she was right outside. That Molly was safe, and she was about to come get her.

  Her expectations hadn’t been far from wrong, but she would still have to wait. She would still have to endure whatever Frank did to her mind next, or whatever else they might try when it became clear that she wasn’t giving in to that method either. Maybe she should pretend to crack. Give them something to go on so they believed she was breaking. Maybe that would stop them from stepping up their game yet again.

  Even with that idea in her mind, she dreaded hearing the door down the hall squeal open. She wished they would just leave her alone.

  Testing what Vera had said, Molly prodded the part of her mind the demigoddess had inhabited, and sure enough there was a sense of something other lurking around. To her, it felt as warm as a hug, though she knew it was nothing more than neural synapses and chemicals.

  But at least now she had something to hang on to. Who did Vera mean when she said they were all working together to find her? How did Vera even know she had gone missing? It must mean Zach knew she’d been taken, and that soothed her. He wouldn’t stop until he found her. She had to believe that.

  Vera’s face drifted through her memory, stirring up more tears in Molly’s stinging eyes, but instead of fear, these ones were triggered by plain awe.

  She had never seen a face before. Frank hadn’t even graced her with that much of a gift. Her fingers had picked out the general shape of what one looked like. She knew there were two eyes and a nose that changed shape depending on the person, that cheekbones and jawlines could alter the frame. Never had she imagined that the final result could be so intricate.

  Were all people so beautiful, or did Vera’s goddess blood make her stand out among humans? As far as Molly was concerned, she was what an angel must look like — all delicate features, with vivid hair and clear eyes. She wished she could have touched that hair to see if it felt the same as it looked.

  And she’d said they were coming to get her.

  Molly’s sobs picked up, and she drew her knees closer to her chest, ignoring the pain that flared in her back and along her arm where those two demons had worked their cruelty. Her friends were coming.

  She held on to that thought as the door at the end of the hall opened and closed once more. They’d given her an hour of reprieve, and now they were back. How long would this go on?

  Curling into the smallest ball she could, she didn’t move when the door to her cell slid open.

  “Are you ready for another round, Miss Harris?” Karl said. “You know you can make this stop at any time. Just tell us what we want to know.”

  She wanted to give in. More than anything, she wanted to tell them exactly where they could find their stupid orb. What did it matter if they knew now? Vera and the others were coming and would stop them.

  But instead of adding to the futility of keeping her secret, her new knowledge increased her determination to make things as difficult for these demons as possible. Although she was the only person in this cell, she wasn’t alone. She was one in a team of specialized otherworldly beings. Her role was to hold these bastards off as long as she could until the others arrived to kick their asses. She just had to stay strong a little longer.

  Raising her head off the ground, she spat in the direction the voice had come from.

  A sigh came in response. “Very well. Try again, Frank. Don’t be gentle.”

  Frank approached and knelt down beside her.

  I’m sorry, he said in her mind.

  You’ll be a lot sorrier soon, she wanted to tell him, but she kept the thought to herself. She suspected he was also here against his will, forced to do the bidding of the old man from before, but that wouldn’t stop the others from tearing him apart when they got here.

  Unless she could use his guilt to her advantage…

  She didn’t have any time to explore that thought before her world once more burst into light and color, her heart once again breaking with the pain of everything he was showing and describing to her, with the horrors that would be imprinted on her brain to haunt her for the rest of her days.

  11

  Zach watched Vera twitch and shift in her trance, his anger growing stronger as her body reacted to wherever her mind had traveled. She’d stiffened, and her throat had worked. Eventually tears had streamed down her cheeks.

  And they were just sitting here, warm and comfortable in this kitchen. He squeezed his hands in his lap so tightly the knuckles strained.

  Gabe had gotten up to make tea as he’d promised, but when Vera’s consciousness returned to the room, she was too distraught to have any mind for it. The Gorgon-Fae wrapped his arms around her and held her until her tears stopped and she was able to tell them what she’d learned.

  Zach’s patience was at its limits by the time she straightened in her chair. Her gray eyes had gone dull, and when she spoke, her voice was the sort of neutral that suggested what she was about to tell them was worse than they’d want to hear.

  “They’re torturing her,” she said, keeping her voice low so the family wouldn’t hear from the living room. “They started physically, but when that didn’t work, they started on her mind. I don’t trust that they won’t try a combination of the two if she continues to withhold what they suspect she knows, but it does seem they want to keep her alive.”

  Zach growled. “Did you tell her not to be an idiot and just answer their questions?”

  “I don’t think she would have listened to me if I had,” Vera said. She locked gazes with him. “I won’t lie — she’s afraid. Very much so, but she’s also brave. She’s holding on. I told her we were coming for her. Hopefully that does something to lend her strength.”

  Stupid human, Zach thought. Hadn’t he told her that staying alive was always more important than protecting other people? Why did he keep wasting time on someone who didn’t listen?

  The anger wrapped around his heart served as a warm blanket over his shaking fear.

  “So where are we going?” Daphne asked.

  Vera shifted her gaze to the sorceress. “I don’t know. She was able to give me a bit of a description of where they’re keeping her, but it could be anywhere. Damp and cold. A stone cell. It could very well be that new factory you were talking about, Zach, but we still don’t know where it is.”

  Before he was aware he was moving, Zach had jumped to his feet, knocking his chair backward against the floor so hard the back of it cracked.

  “This is a waste of time,” he growled, as all eyes moved to him. “There’s got to be a better way to track her down. I won’t just sit around while we pick away at one failed lead after another.”

  Beneath his anger, a small voice was pointing out that he had no other ideas to offer. That the group’s lack of knowledge on the new factory was his own failing.

  “What’s going on?” Dana asked, running into the room. She looked to Vera, her hands clasped at her chest. “Did you find her? Did you speak with her? Is my baby all right?”

  Vera rose to her feet and took the woman’s hands. “I did speak with her. She’s holding up incredibly well for a human woman of her age. You should be very proud of her.”

  “To hell with proud,” Dana said. She flung Vera’s hands away. “What are they doing to her? Where is she?”

  Gabe rose beside Vera. “We’re working hard to find out, Mrs. Harris. She was able to give us some information, but not enough on its own to narrow it down completely. I know someone who might be able to help, but it will take a bit more time.”

  Dana’s lip wobbled, but she managed to hold herself together. Fred stepped into the room, put his hands on
his wife’s shoulders, and stared at Vera with what appeared to be a new respect. “Thank you for trying. I’m glad to know that she’s…alive.”

  Dana pressed her lips together, but Vera nodded. “Alive and staying strong. I firmly believe that she’ll make it through this.”

  Zach hated this conversation. Talking about the girl’s possible death was more than he wanted to consider. As far as he was concerned, it wasn’t an option. He wanted to walk out and start moving, but even in his rage, he accepted he wouldn’t know where to go.

  Daphne stood up beside him, keeping her voice low enough so the humans couldn’t make it out. “It might be a good idea to get out of here. We need to figure out a plan, and it’s probably for the best if they’re not around to hear it.”

  Gabe glanced their way and nodded. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris, Steve, we’re just taking up space here. We should be going so you can get some rest.”

  “No,” Dana said, snatching his hand. “You can’t go. You’re the only people who know what’s going on. You’re able to speak with her. I’m not going to be able to sleep, and your updates are all that’s keeping me sane. Please.”

  “We’ll be in regular contact, I promise,” Vera said, “but we have work to do, and we can’t do it here.”

  It took a few moments for Vera’s words to sink in, but finally Dana dropped her hands to her sides and nodded. “I understand.”

  Allegra rose out of her chair with a graceful petulance and led the way to the door, the others following behind her. On his way past the table, Zach pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and hesitantly took hold of the orb. He didn’t trust it sitting out here in the open if the demons came back to check the house. He just hoped he didn’t find himself in any fights until he found a safer place to keep it. Although he couldn’t sense his power being blocked by the orb’s magic, he also couldn’t trust that his strength would be there if he needed it.