by T. G. Ayer
Would I obliterate the blackness or would the two magics cancel each other out. Or would I just end up destroying the ether or the Veil?
Too many bad possibilities.
Saleem floated beside me, his energy now weightless, his consciousness gone. I’d told him not to come here, I’d told him just to throw me a damned lifeline. Beyond him, the second attacker flaoted unmoving, as though at a loss as to his next move. As he rolled over though, I understood he’d also been injured. Impaled through the throat by something long and sharp and shiny. I’d wanted to keep him alive, considering a dead witness couldn’t tell you but I did have a deathtalker on speed dial should I require her services.
My heart stuttered as energy flooded my senses. I knew the sense of energy was coming both from my mental as well as my physical awareness. But when I spun around searching for whoever had arrived, seeking out these new energies, I sucked in a choked, horrified breath. There was nobody else around.
What I’d sensed as energy turned out to be a spiritual presence, or rather, hundreds of spirits. I knew I wasn’t in the Greylands so what I saw around me made little sense. The Greylands was where spirits journeyed to after death, a plane where souls wandered until they found their way to the light.
A place where many souls were lost, or where they chose to remain.
But I wasn’t in the Greylands.
Which was why the spirits circling me made no sense, and why they filled me with fear.
Pale gray shades hovered around us, focusing on me as though they had some explicit purpose. I hadn’t happened upon a plane where spirits moved about on their own personal journeys.
No. Wherever I’d ended up was somewhere worse because these entities were all staring at me, black shadowed eyes focused on me with a sense of dark intent. They seemed to move together, as though compelled by a singular motive, a united purpose.
This was so not good.
I glanced over at Saleem who was still floating in the air a foot from me. The gray spirits hadn’t ignored his presence and I swallowed a cry of shock as I watched a trio of shades reach for him with pale fingers, watched them grab a hold of his ankles and behind to pull him away.
Now just wait one goddamned second.
I surged forward and reached out for Saleem's arms, tugging against the hold of the three spirits. He slipped from their grasp smoothly, the momentum sending us both tumbling away.
Quickly I righted myself and placed my hands on either side of the djinn’s head. His lifethreads throbbed strongly within his consciousness so why was he not waking up? Though relieved, I was incredibly frustrated.
Frustrated enough that I sent an unconscious pulsing of anger at Saleem not realizing that my thoughts, my irritation at feeling so helpless, had taken form and shape as a live electrical current.
A stream of electrical energy flared from my fingertips and zapped right into Saleem’s head, the power rebounding and throwing my fingers off his skull with such force that I felt the electric pulse all the way within my solar plexus.
Oh crap.
I stiffened, watching in abject horror as Saleem’s body bucked, the movement twisting him away from me. I blinked in shock, fear flooding my senses so entirely that I almost missed the stiffening of his spine as he slowly righted himself.
I was already halfway to him, reaching out to grab onto his floating form when he grunted. “What the hell was that?” the djinn prince asked, eyes wide, flames flaring within as he turned to look at me.
I slowed my race to his side and gave a twisted smile and an apologetic shrug. “Sorry?” I raised both hands in apology but Saleem wasn’t paying any attention to me.
His eyes were focused over my shoulder for the briefest second and then he was spinning around, scanning the army of shades that had closed in on us while I’d almost zapped Saleem on a one-way trip into the Light.
“Yeah,” I muttered, spinning to scan the threat. “Not much of a welcoming committee I’ll admit, but it was the best I could come up with on short notice.”
“Mel?” Saleem said, his voice low and rough with warning.
I sighed. Okay, okay. Honest answer is I have no fucking clue where we are or what these things are. All I know is that they don’t look pleased that we’re here.
I wasn't asking about what these things are. I want to know what the hell you did to my brain? Did you just zap me?
6
I blinked at Saleem. Why was he focusing on the least important thing right now? I shook my head. Could we talk about that when we get to safety? We're kinda eyeball deep in trouble over here. I cocked my head in the direction of the nearest of the shades who had now drawn close enough to reach out and touch us with their seeking fingertips.
One of the shades, a little more determined than his friends, surged out of the pack and grabbed for my arm. I sensed him before I saw him, spun sideways and slapped at his hand but he was faster than I'd anticipated. His fingers curled around my upper arm, skeletal digits diggings into my flesh like a manacle. I grunted, trying to tug the creature off me, one finger at a time.
Mel?
I blinked. Yeah?
You could try zapping him. You know, the way you did to me just moments ago?
I sighed and ignored him though I did send a wave of energy into the shade, whose grey skin shimmered iridescent for an instant before he disintegrated into tattered shreds of grey smoke.
Bits and pieces of him flared around as though confused as to where the rest of him was, but then they faded away like smoke on the wind.
I glanced at Saleem who was watching with what looked like pride in his gaze. I glared at him. You could give me a hand you know? His buddies aren't going to run off just ‘cos I obliterated him.
Saleem shrugged. Okay, I'll help zap the buggers. But there is something you should know.
Which is what exactly? I asked as I flicked half a dozen streams of lightning energy at a group of approaching shades.
Matching me bolt for bolt, Saleem replied, Well, firstly they will just keep coming back because this is kinda their hood and technically you're trespassing. And secondly, fighting them off will use up too much energy if we want to work on getting out of here alive.
I groaned silently. So how exactly do we do that? I asked, curbing the urge to yell at him. The djinn was far too calm for my liking. And exactly where are we?
Saleem sent a sweeping blast at another line of shades who all sparked with flame momentarily before they turned to ashy smoke and faded away. Then he glanced over at me. I think this is a plane called Axiat. It's a little known level of the ethereal plane and you kinda had it pegged as their equivalent of hell.
I scowled, swallowing the dozens of questions that milled around inside my head. Okay, then. Do you know how we get out of here? Preferably alive?
Saleem sighed and I wasn't blind to the fact that his usually golden tanned skin was a particularly bland shade of gray. It's not the easiest feat in the world but I guess we have to try.
Yes, djinn. we have to try. Something tells me that if we don't get out of here ASAP we're going to end up living here forever.
Something like that, he muttered.
I was about to ask him again, this time without controlling my irritation, but he spoke just in time. So Axiat is a plane much like the Greylands and access to this zone is limited to creatures of demonic origin or those in possession extremely powerful magic.
I snorted. So that pretty much describes you and me. What next?
Saleem ignored the ice in my voice as he replied, You have to connect yourself to someone back home. Someone who is currently experiencing deep emotions related to you. Only problem is, I think that person would be me so we may be out of luck on that front.
I rolled my eyes. As much as I would love to grow old with you here in this holiday paradise, I think maybe you need to rein in the arrogant bullshit for a second.
Saleem chuckled and I realised then that he'd been deliberately provoking m
e. Fine, smartass. I think Steph has enough pent up fury related to me so I'd vote for her.
I would have suggested her but I didn't want to piss you off, or hurt your feelings.
Throwing a few more lines of electric power at a handful of shades to my right, I said, So what do I do? Just reach out for her the way I did for you?
Yeah. It works exactly like that, only the emotions you want to contact should be darker ones. And I think Steph has a few of those with your name on them.
Okay, okay, I get it. So I tap into her anger towards me and what? Call to her?
No. You used her as a conduit. A sort of an anchor line to guide you back home.
I nodded. It made sense, although I didn't like the idea of using Steph's anger toward me as a lifeline. Something about the integrity of it just didn't gel with me.
But if I had to think about it, I did prefer breathing to integrity. Maybe I could get back home and just never tell her that I used her anger without her permission.
I took a deep breath. This was getting a little too confusing even for me.
Shaking my head sharply, I cleared my thoughts and focused on Steph, trying to imagine her expression, her aura and her emotions as she glared at me as I'd told her to remain behind when I'd left for Mithras. I reached out, mental threads calling to Steph, to whatever darkness lay within her anger at me.
And I came up blank.
What's wrong? asked Saleem, decimating a dozen or so shades approaching from his riight.
Well, I think we might have a problem. Steph isn't going to work.
Why not? Saleem asked sounding affronted.
I shook my head. Her anger isn't dark. I think it comes from love and the need to help us. She was genuinely hurt which only fuelled her anger as a way to express herself.
Saleem stared at me for a moment, allowing a pair of shades to get a little too close to him. I sent a bolt of power that got the pair of them one at a time through the torso.
You're going to have to come up with someone else who could have a darker emotional reaction toward you. Maybe someone who isn't a friend.
I shrugged. I have no idea who that would be. I'd have chosen Ari but it's possible she's not even in the EarthWorld right not. If it worked we'd just be taken to some random demon realm.
And we'd probably end up in an even worse situation than this. Saleem bit his lower lip.
I'm not sure who I could latch onto. Detective Fulbright aka the bane of my existence is dead. Storm too, from the last I'd heard. What about you? Maybe you can find someone that would pull us out of here. And I think I know just the person
Don't you dare say Rizwan.
I said, Rizwan.
7
Saleem blinked at me, eyes conveying his utter disapproval of my suggestion.
He's perfect and you can't deny it. He's had years to build up a good solid brotherly hatred of you. And you yourself said he was emotionally irredeemable.
Saleem was shaking his head. I don't think that's going to work. You're the one who got here first. I think you will need to be the one to make the pathway home.
Couldn't you at least try? I suggested, dreading the thought of failing when I tried. Nothing much was going my way today. Connect to Riz, get us to Mithras and we can jump back to the EarthWorld easy peasy. What if it works?
Saleem rolled his eyes. Come on, Mel. Stop evading. Don't you have people you've put in jail or something? Someone who could still be holding a grudge against you who also happens to be a bad guy?
I blinked. Well...there is this one guy. Luthor Vesper. Supernatural serial-killer type. Dabbled in necramancy. I found him by accident while tracking a missing boy. He swore he’d pay me back for getting him caught and thrown in jail.
Where is he now?
I shook my head. I'm not sure. It's possible he's in a supernatural prison somewhere.
Well then, find the guy and see if he's dark enough to get us out of here, Saleem said, his tone sharp though I knew he meant nothing by it.
He was in the midst of swinging around to zap a few more shades. We hadn't even managed to thin the herd and they still kept coming.
I swallowed and focused on Luthor, thinking about the time when I’d accidentally landed inside his chop-shop. It was honest the most gruesome place I’d ever been, probably on par with Axiat in terms of the heebie-jeebies. I followed the memories through to the end when I'd realised he'd been taken away, swearing blue murder and casting curses and spells as he went. If there was anyone who would still harbor any hatred toward me it would be him.
I reached out and focused on his lifethread, filtering through my memories for something to recognise. I was surprised when I found him so fast. My surprise was quickly replaced by understanding.
I'd found him with such ease only because the darkness within him was still strong, still simmering. Especially the hatred he had toward me for being the one to put him behind supernatural bars.
He's in a prison on Hrísey, an island in the North of Iceland.
Ah yes. The SHC has a high-security facility there. Uninhabitable only because it’s protected by a glamor ward. Only the worst of the supercrims can book a room in that resort.
Okay. So I've found him, now what?
Saleem shrugged. No idea. Hold on and jump to him, I guess? This is my first rodeo too, you know.
And what if I hold on and I go to him and you can't come with me?
Saleem's expression twisted as though he hadn't even considered the possibility. Then he shook his head. No. I'm connected to you because you called me here. You still have a grip on my lifethread. It's almost the same as how you're holding onto that dickhead over there.
Saleem pointed beyond my shoulder at the dead attacker who was floating along, bound by my magical rope, a shard of metal glinting from where it had embedded itself within his throat.
Okay. I think I get it. Hopefully, we can take this asshole with us. I have a question or two for him that needs answers.
Saleem nodded, his expression reflecting my own eagerness to know who the hell the dickhead/asshole was and what he'd wanted with me.
Right, I said as I let a streak of energy off in Saleem's direction. My magic snaked toward him before looping itself around his torso.
What's this for? he asked, eyes narrowing
Just an extra level of security so I don't lose you. This way you're attached to me and to my magic because your power is infused within my own magic.
Saleem nodded but said nothing.
I ignored him then as he fought off another few shades. I focused again on Luthor, found him quickly enough, and then did a quick recon. Had I known that it would be this easy to get help if I connected with someone bad, I'd have had no reason to get Saleem in danger.
But what was done was done.
Besides, I'd never have been able to figure out how to get out of Axiat had it not been for the info the djinn prince held in his sexy head.
With a firm hold on Luthor, I pulled myself toward him, a little worried that I'd be moving too fast and would end up snapping my hold on Saleem and the dead attacker.
I shouldn't have worried. Luthor had enough darkness within him to provide me with a strong conduit to move out of the tunnel. And as I wrapped the dark emotions within his lifethread over me like a shawl, I sensed something within the space around me.
The same deep black emotion that I'd felt just minutes before.
I swallowed hard, suddenly afraid that this connection with Luthor was infusing me with some kind of evil darkness. But after a few moments of tense trepidation, I understood that wasn't the case.
There was a similarity between the two sensations but they were not alike enough for me to simply equate them. The darkness within the tunnel seemed to call me, and with each passing second it grew stronger.
Stronger and more enticing.
There was a freedom within that blackness, something that called like a siren song, tempting me with the knowledge that I'd at
last get what I wanted. That, at last, I'd eventually be able to avenge the deaths of my parents.
And it was that single thought which was like the flicking of a switch, or the snap of the blades of a pair of scissors. The coiling of the dark evil unraveled and I could almost taste the frustration within it.
A part of my mind was yelling at me to be careful. To leave and get the hell out of this place as fast as I possibly could.
I didn't need to be told twice.
Free from the magnetic hold of the dark evil, I surged away, towing both Saleem and the dead attacker along as I went. I reached for the ether, grabbed Erik's lifethread and let out a gasp of relief as I shot forward and out of the black tunnel, materialising knee deep in the snow with my face pelted by ice crystals.
I fell forward, hands plunging into the soft-packed snow, gasping for breath. And then I let out a cry of fear. Saleem. I spun around, only lurching to the side what with my legs buried deep inside the snow.
Saleem!
A few feet from me, a dark man-sized patch marred the purity of the fresh white snow, which could have been where either the djinn or the dead assassin had hit ground. I hunched forward, shivering as I strained my thigh muscles and raised my booted foot out of the snow to take a step closer.
My poor leather boots were going to be ruined.
Then I grunted, not sure where my brain was at. Fudge this. I jumped closer to the patch, relieved to find Saleem lying there, spreadeagled in the snow, blinking at the powder-blue sky. I reached out and he grabbed my hand before boosting to his feet.
Thanks, he said dusting himself off.
I shivered then drew my magic around me to create a layer of warmth. Did you see where the asshole who tried to kill me ended up?
Saleem nodded then cocked his chin beyond my shoulder where another smudge in the snow marked the attacker’s presence. We'd better get moving before his brain freezes.
I frowned as I jumped to the spot beside the attacker. Why?