by M. L. Ryan
“You have not done so yet,” Sebastian admonished.
“A technicality. It’s only a matter of time.” Keem’s attention shifted to Ulut and me. “I can understand bringing a tracking dog, but what use is a bird of prey?”
Interesting. He hadn’t realized who I was, and he couldn’t tell Ulut was Dekankaran. That could be useful. I hadn’t figured out exactly how we could use his ignorance in our favor, but at least it was something.
“Air surveillance,” Sebastian responded. “It’s trained to alert us when it senses magic below.”
The lie seemed plausible enough, and Sebastian’s quick thinking was impressive. Keem raised one eyebrow, much like Sebastian did when skeptical, but dropped the subject.
“Given the rare earth minerals here that impede my ability to lay all the magical alarms I might prefer, I was concerned someone might find a way to sneak up on me,” Keem continued. “But my worries were unfounded. For such renowned enforcers, the two of you demonstrated the subtlety of school children at play.”
Ulut began to stir, which was good, and Keem didn’t seem to notice, which was very good. I watched as the dog came to while I continued to listen to Keem’s bravado. We should lock him and Sebastian in a small room and have their egos battle it out for supremacy over Courso, I thought to myself. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure who might win.
Once Ulut appeared to be somewhat alert, I decided to test if he could “speak” to me without Keem hearing. I was pretty sure Keem would hear me think at the guys and Ulut, so that was out. But Ulut couldn’t be heard by Alex and Sebastian, so I hoped Keem would be similarly deaf when Ulut projected to me. The trick was getting Ulut to project his thoughts to me without any obvious prompting. Luckily, Ulut must have had the same idea, because shortly after he regained consciousness, he thought out a muffled, “You okay?”
I hitched in a breath, waiting for some indication that Keem heard Ulut’s question. But he never broke stride in his continuing disparagement of Alex and Sebastian’s lack of stealth. In case he was simply too caught up in listening to his own voice to notice, I cast out a single, wordless, “Huh?”
This time he glanced around—only for a split second—but it was enough to prove he hadn’t heard Ulut before. Not understanding my mental verbalization was experimental in nature, Alex’s jaw tightened, but I didn’t intend to speak again.
Tuning back into the actual conversation, I realized Keem had moved on to other topics. “That’s where you are wrong, Kess. You are not in my dimension, although I suppose you aren’t really in your own either. I constructed this place as a conduit between dimensions. In fact, in here you are as close to being in another dimension as one can be without actually being there.”
Sebastian rubbed his chin. “So, your magical signature wasn’t disappearing because you were going back and forth to your dimension?”
“Is that what you thought? No, my dear Mr. Kess, while I have simulated my world in this place, I don’t make a habit of returning there. It is much too fun in yours.”
That and no Uncle Jifga, I suspected.
Alex interrupted. “I thought you could only access Courso through the human dimension?”
A momentary twitch in Keem’s eye was the only indication Alex’s question surprised him. We know more about you than you think, douche, I thought with satisfaction.
His arrogant façade returned immediately.
“You are correct, Your Majesty. But, this has little to do with entering your dimension. This room allows me to sustain the portals I opened up between my world and the human one. It also provides me with an excellent refuge in your dimension.”
Keem’s sarcastic emphasis on Alex’s royalness pissed me off. I don’t know why that irked me so much, probably because I didn’t like this demented dickhead looming and lording over my still obviously less-than-robust lover.
“Speaking of which,” Keem continued, “The combination of praseodymium and a mineral found only in my world allows this place to remain concealed. How were you able to find me?” He tried to act as though he was asking merely as an afterthought, but I could tell it was killing him that we’d discovered his little hidey-hole.
Now it was Alex’s turn to smile. “We are renowned enforcers, after all.” I had to hand it to Alex and Sebastian. They were doing a great job of getting more information from Keem than they were giving him. Not to mention buying some time to recuperate from being sucked into the inter-dimensional equivalent of the transit area in the Moscow airport.
Sebastian picked up where Alex had left off. “I’m curious. How do you plan to destroy Courso if we do not comply with your demands?”
“You don’t seem particularly bothered that I am about to put an end to your world, Xyzok.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I assume you intend to kill us. The investigator in me wants to know what remarkable show of power I will have missed.”
You could say a lot of snarky things about Sebastian. Hell, I’d said my fair share, and I hadn’t known him that long. But that egotistical bastard knew exactly how to goad an egotistical bastard into talking.
“The rain, of course,” Keem taunted.
“But the deadline isn’t for another hour or so,” Sebastian argued.
Keem grabbed the canvas folding chair from the center of the room and set it in front of where Alex and Sebastian were sitting. Plunking down, he stretched his legs out and continued. “To tell you the truth, I was bored so I figured, why wait? If you surrendered, a day one way or the other wouldn’t really matter. In the unlikely event you found some way to thwart me, better to strike preemptively, no? It was always a win-win situation for me.”
“Really? That seems so anticlimactic. Didn’t you imagine he would come up with something much more creative, Alexander?”
Alex nodded his head. “Well, I suppose the volcano stunt probably depleted his energy reserves. Maybe rain was all he could muster.”
Keem’s hand tightened on the fabric arms of his chair. “I assure you, my magic is more powerful than you can imagine.”
What the hell are they doing? I didn’t think it was a wise choice to rile up the insane guy. Ulut, who had been silent this whole time, must have sensed my confusion because I heard him say, “I think they are trying to get him flustered so they can jump him. At least, that’s what I would do if I were them.”
Maybe that was some tried-and-true technique to foil the bad guy, but it seemed too risky. I’d once used a similar means to distract someone bent on harming me, but she was just some disgruntled civil servant who hated me because I was dating Alex. Keem was way, way more dangerous and unpredictable. Plus, there was a lot we didn’t know: Was the praseodymium effective inside like it was outside? Even though Alex and Sebastian were acclimated to high levels, were they up to overtaking Keem? And Keem was probably used to the levels as well. Granted, my headache was better than when we first arrived, but I still felt like hell, and I could only assume the guys were similarly not at full strength.
I decided I was too vulnerable on the ground, and I flew up to perch on a beam near one of the skylights. From that vantage point, it was obvious they were just some contrivance. A nice touch when you were living underground, but not an escape route to the outside.
Ulut let me know he approved of my new location. “Good, stay up there. You’ll be safer.” I wished I could tell him I didn’t want to be safer, I just wanted to figure out some way to get us out of this mess. I wanted to tell Alex to be careful and I loved him, but I kept my thoughts shut. I also had an urge to swoop down and peck out Keem’s eyeballs, but I managed to control that, too.
Whatever Alex and Sebastian were up to, Keem didn’t seem as though he was taking the bait. Any tension I’d noticed before seemed to have vanished as he threaded his fingers together and brought his hands behind his head. “If it makes you feel any better, if the downpour proved insufficient, I thought I might try earthquakes next. Those are always good for a few laughs.”
“Can ever
yone in your dimension affect nature as do you?” Sebastian asked. He already knew they couldn’t, but I guessed it was a way to keep the Dekankaran talking.
“Oh no. That would result in complete mayhem,” Keem snickered.
Alex posed the next question. “We have never detected portals into your dimension through either the human one or ours. How did you find a way into the human dimension?”
Keem’s face flushed with pride. “That is an interesting story. I stumbled upon it quite by accident a few years back. If not for my inquisitive mind, I likely wouldn’t have been able to open the portal at all. It took some time for me to understand exactly what I had achieved, and even longer to devise the means to sustain the portal and construct others, but it was well worth the effort. My powers here surpass any in my own world.
“Is that how you were able to invade Hailey’s dreams?”
“Yes, and quite a remarkable experience that is, let me assure you. To wade through another’s mind, even while asleep, is phenomenal,” Keem said with reverence.
Sebastian pushed himself a bit more upright. “And did you also eavesdrop on her thoughts at other times? You always seemed to be one step ahead of us.”
“I know, I’m most proud of that,” Keem boasted. “In reality, I cannot enter anyone’s mind while they are awake. But sometimes, before I entered her dreams, Hailey would be thinking about something strategic right before she fell asleep. I was able to pick up on those thoughts.” He smiled at Sebastian. “Quite impressive, don’t you agree?”
Sebastian started to answer, but Keem interrupted.
“Enough,” he ordered, rising from the chair. “I was just going to kill you, but it seems a shame to miss out on sparring with a worthy adversary. Although it wouldn’t, I’m afraid, prove to be much of a contest.” He inclined his head and glanced up, as if pondering his next move. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together and announced, “I have it. To make it more fair, I’ll fight both of you at the same time.” The glee in his voice filled me with fear.
He moved the chair out of the way and motioned for Alex and Sebastian to stand. They did so, albeit slowly, and positioned themselves a few feet apart from each other. Ulut carefully backed away. Without warning, Sebastian’s arm shot straight out, and I saw a stream of what I assumed was magical energy zoom from his fingertips toward Keem. When the rippling wave made contact, Keem stumbled, but laughed.
“Excellent first attack. But you will have to do better than that, I’m afraid.” Keem flicked his hand, and Sebastian sailed backward into the wall.
Thankfully, Sebastian popped back up immediately, and he and Alex began a furious counterattack. They zapped, ducked, and changed position constantly. While Alex stayed quiet, concentrating only on gaining ground, Sebastian peppered his volleys with dialogue.
“You are not nearly as powerful as you delude yourself into believing,” he taunted, flinging a red stream of light toward the Dekankaran.
“I’m strong enough to end both your lives,” Keem snarled back, flipping Sebastian with a burst of magic.
I could tell Alex was trying to use their banter to maneuver himself into a better tactical position. He was still bombarding Keem with arcane energy, but was slowly moving closer to his target.
Sebastian had righted himself and continued his barrage, both verbal and magical. If I wasn’t so terrified, I’d have marveled at his ability to spout off at the mouth even in the most desperate situation.
“You are nothing but an overindulged hooligan,” Sebastian spat, punctuating his words with multi-colored currents. “Do you still live with your mommy?” Zap. “You shall never rule Coursodon, you repugnant poltroon!” Zap, zap.
Keem grinned. He was obviously enjoying himself. “Oh, I shall rule, Xyzok, and you will go to your grave knowing that all you love will be under my thumb.” He finished the statement with a two-pronged volley of energy that made both Sebastian and Alex stagger. “Thought you could sneak up on me, Your Majesty?” he mocked.
Come on guys, you can do it. My silent pep talk didn’t even convince me. While most of their shots seemed to hit the mark, Keem hadn’t faltered once since Sebastian’s first blast. In fact, it appeared he was trifling with the Xyzok and hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Alex and Sebastian fought on, but I could tell they were tiring. They weren’t moving as fluidly as before, and the once colorful trails of magic had changed to dull green. That in itself wouldn’t have been so concerning if Sebastian hadn’t gone silent. He obviously didn’t have the energy to parry both verbally and physically anymore. What had started as an offensive push quickly dissolved into them trying desperately to stay alive.
Without warning, Ulut sprang from the corner and sunk his teeth into Keem’s arm. While his efforts allowed Sebastian and Alex to get a short breather, Keem had little trouble flinging the dog aside. Ulut yelped as he hit the wall, and Keem zapped him for good measure. He didn’t move a muscle.
Keem refocused on the main attraction, but after a few moments more of the uneven fight, Keem grew impatient. “This is much less amusing than I had hoped.” Instead of using only his hands, this time he drew back his entire arm. “Behold the real power,” he shouted and let loose a stream of bright white light.
When the wave of magic hit them, Alex and Sebastian were thrown into the air. They landed hard and, as they struggled to rise, Keem stepped closer.
He studied the men, now injured and defenseless. Blood trickled down Alex’s cheek, but he raised his face defiantly. Keem sneered back and began to assail Alex with a flurry of rapid magic. He tried to defend himself, but Keem was too strong. Sebastian attempted to shield him, but Keem just pummeled them both.
I had but one thought—If only I could bend back to human, I could do some zapping of my own. I’d been concentrating on nothing else since the battle began, but I was still feathered and useless.
When Keem finally stopped his bombardment, he grinned at the helpless pair. I knew he was setting up for the coup de gras, and that’s when I flipped out. I was about to lose the love of my life and my inter-dimensional father figure. And probably my pseudo-dog.
“No one fucks with my family, you piece of shit. Brixnil ech!” I bellowed, unconcerned if he heard my mental roar.
That got his attention. Keem stopped his assault on my crew and glanced around, wondering no doubt who just swore at him in his native tongue. I didn’t have time to contemplate his reaction, because I felt my body begin to transform. Finally! A searing pain erupted from within, and instead of falling to the ground as I anticipated, I seemed to be above Keem. That’s strange, I thought, but I disregarded my confusion to concentrate on the task at hand.
My vision was unusually blurred, but I thought I saw Alex, Sebastian, and Ulut scramble for cover. I stared down at Keem; his eyes were wide, and his mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite find the right words.
“Surprised to see me, asstard?”
I wasn’t sure he heard me; there was a lot of other noise—howling wind maybe?—that even prevented me from hearing what I’d just said. Keem smirked and shouted something that sounded like, “I will destroy you as well.”
He pulled back his arm, and I was vaguely aware of an annoying pain in my left leg. Did you just zap me? All I wanted at that moment was to wipe that shit-eating grin off his smarmy face forever. I let loose every ounce of rage, fear, exhaustion, and hunger into annihilating Keem. I saw fire, and I thought I heard Alex yell out my name.
Pride before the fall, Keem. Pride before the fall, I thought with satisfaction as the pungent scent of scorched hair filled my nostrils. I still couldn’t quite see what I’d done. If anything, my vision was even less acute than before. An uncomfortable sensation of being propelled upward with great force interrupted my concerns over my diminished eyesight. And then, I felt nothing.
26
The sun was out. Real sun, not the fake sunlight inside the warehouse. It made the damp leaves on
the trees around me glisten. I was on my back and something sharp was digging into it. I took that as a good sign. Apparently, I was alive.
Slowly, I sat up and immediately realized two things. One, I was in human form and, two, I was naked. Not that I should have been surprised by either observation, I vaguely recalled transforming, but I was still disoriented from the form-bend. Although, truthfully, disoriented was a huge understatement. I was always famished and a little wonky after a bend, but I felt like I’d had the life sucked out of me.
I heard some rustling nearby, and I really hoped it wasn’t someone or something dangerous, because I didn’t have enough energy to do anything about it. And where were Alex, Sebastian, and Ulut? Please, let them be okay.
A soft, tentative voice called out from somewhere out of my line of sight.
“Hailey?”
I closed my eyes and breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was Alex. He was alive.
The sound of multiple feet advancing my way followed shortly thereafter, and soon I was surrounded by Alex, Sebastian, and Ulut, still in dog-form.
“Are you alright?” Alex asked as he took off his shirt. He crouched down and wrapped me in both the shirt and his arms. I didn’t see a cut on his head, just some dried blood. Sebastian must have healed his wound. Alex smelled mostly of wet soil, but underneath, I could still make out the faint scent of Cherry Garcia. I’d missed that.
Sebastian kneeled beside me, scanning up and down my body with concern etched upon his dirt-smeared face. Ulut lay down and rested his head on my leg.
“Why are you all acting like you didn’t expect to see me in one piece? And what happened to Keem? It’s not raining anymore—is he dead?”
Alex and Sebastian helped me sit up. “Do you remember anything that happened in there?” Alex asked once he was certain I wasn’t too wobbly to be semi-vertical.
I recounted the events in the warehouse until I got to the part where I transformed. “That part is still murky,” I explained. “I remember changing into me, but after that, not so much.”