by Kyle Olson
Impossibly soft!
Its fur delighted her skin, urging her to stroke and pat and scratch and scritch.
“Hydon seems to have taken a liking to you,” Yf said, leaning back into the couch. She wasted no time in taking the pipe between her lips.
“He’s cute!”
Hydon chuffed at her appraisal.
“Haha! Yeah, I’ve coddled him way too much. Some guardian beast he’s supposed to be. But hey, yeah, how about this?”
Yf snapped her fingers and Sophia found herself covered in tiger. Where once there had been an animal the size of a kitten, there was now a tiger the size of, well, a tiger. Or actually, the size of Sejit when she trotted about in her four-legged shape. The couch creaked under the weight of just half the beast, as did Sophia’s bones as she was between couch and beast and he was still just as eager to rub his face against hers. His rumbling chuff of happiness shook the poor girl.
And just like that, he was once again tiny.
Sophia blinked. Hydon seemed to shoot Yf an ornery look at being made small once more. “Sorry, but we can’t have you at full size in here,” she said.
“How, how did you do that?” Sophia asked, once she’d regained her senses.
“Simple, my dear, just like this.”
Sophia looked at Yf, then Hydon, and back to Yf. “Just like what?”
Yf didn’t so much as lift a finger or waggle an eyebrow, though she did puff on the pipe. A pair of black discs appeared from nothing in front of her, each maybe a few feet across, hovering just above the floor. They weren’t just black, no, it was more like an absence in reality itself.
“Hydon,” said Yf. The tiger, smart little thing it was, heeded his mistress’ command and leapt into one of the discs. In the very same instant, without a shred of delay, the parts of him that vanished into one void appeared from the other.
Yf’s expression of smugness faded when Sophia’s eyes didn’t go wide as saucers or her mouth didn’t hang agape. Instead, the girl shot to her feet and began examining her magic.
“Portals? You can make portals?” Sophia inquired, speeding round the discs on swift steps.
From head on they were inky voids, but from the sides or behind they may as well have not existed. Although existence was probably a nebulous concept for whatever it was she was looking at.
“Yeah,” Yf replied, sails empty without the winds of adoration and awe to fill them, “One of my many tricks. Most people who see that are a little more impressed.”
“What? I’m impressed, I just think it’s really cool, too. And how does it work?”
“I already told you—it’s magic. A miracle, maybe.”
“But don’t you still have to know how it works to use it?”
“You can use a phone, right? Can you say how it works, like really works? No, ‘course not. Same shit, really.”
“I see… Well, how come it’s black?”
“That’s the fun, extra-magical part. Only works on things sufficiently catty. Hydon can go through, so can your cats if they wanted. Even Tarkit since Sejit is his mother. But light? That’s not a cat, is it?”
“That makes no sense,” Sophia said, coming face-to-face with one of the black voids.
“Fuckin’ magic, I ain’t gotta explain shit,” declared Yf.
Sophia reached out to touch one of them, but they both winked out of existence.
“That enough for you, or do you wanna see some more tricks?”
“Like what?”
“Well,” Yf began, shrugging off one shoulder of her robe, letting it slip down, “I could fill you with insatiable lust,” she continued, brimming with smoldering temptation, “Drive you wild with desire. How about it?”
Sophia backed away, slowly, “I’m good, thanks.”
“Aw, don’t be like that. I promise it’ll be loads of fun,” Yf’s whisper had begun to suggest all the paradises the god had ever found in her pipe.
“Don’t torment the girl,” Tarkit said, standing with a stretch, “I’m getting hungry, how about you two?”
While Sophia had more to ask, more to seek out and uncover, Tarkit’s timely suggestion was a relief. No doubt things would have detoured down a road she’d rather not travel.
Though, maybe if Yf looked more like…
No, she caught herself. Best to avoid messing about with forces and gods beyond her ken. Assuming Yf simply didn’t do it anyways. Who was she to resist that sort of power?
Fuckin’ magic.
CHAPTER TEN
Every passing second grated on Tess’ nerves. The old grandfather clock in the room ticked away, every chak hammering into her skull. She was distantly aware of the voices of the board members around her, chattering about this report and that, how some numbers were good and others were bad. Some of it managed to go in one ear and out the other, but most of it never made it that far, drowned out by the swinging pendulum.
A month had passed since the warning.
An entire month with her heart and mind frozen by indecision.
Even now, when she ought to be focused on the financial health of her company, she couldn’t find the will to care. So many sleepless nights had come and gone, spent worrying into the dark. More than once she’d sat down with the intent of marshaling her thoughts into order, to draw up a course of action that’d secure the safety of her children. More than once she found an hour, sometimes longer, had melted away and the pages remained blank.
Should I ask Sejit? No, this is mine. She’d watch me if she knew. Maybe she does know. I’ve seen the way she looks at me.
Sophia knows. Should’ve killed her, made something up. Has she already talked?
The ticking of the clock was trying her patience.
I should kill them all.
Who is lying, who is not, no matter, can’t trust anyone. Or I can trust them. Trust they serve themselves. How does Daontys gain? How does Ifon gain? Does Sejit gain?
Only I know where they are. They can’t find them. Can they? If I know, someone else can know. If I go to them, they’ll know. If I don’t go… What happens? Can’t lose them again. Why would they kill them, they must have forgotten who I am.
Yes, they forgot who I am. If they didn’t, this whole scheme couldn’t exist. Or, no, only Sejit knows.
Because they don’t know, they lash out. Because they don’t know, they threaten and kill. Do I remind them? Maybe. Yes. Remind them and I no longer have to hide. They would not threaten my children. But they’d fight me. They’d be stupid not to.
How many humans would die?
No, can’t risk it. Can I?
Why can’t my children ever be safe?
Thoughts reset and the cycle continued.
“-phina.”
“Seraphina!”
Her head snapped up. The whole board of directors were focused on her, some wearing annoyance and others concern.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Are you not feeling well? You’ve been out of it the entire meeting,” one of them said.
She forced a polite laugh, “Yes, I suppose you could say that. In fact, I think I will excuse myself. I’ll review the minutes when they’re posted,” she said, standing up.
There was a round of concerned looks, but they nodded. “Hope you feel better,” one of them said.
“So do I.”
Tess sat in her car, staring off into the gray concrete wall of the parking garage. She knew hesitation and indecision were death. She knew and…
“Fuck!” She screamed, then buried her face in her hands.
Why am I like this? This is so important, why can’t I make up my mind?
She looked up into the rear-view mirror. Ruby eyes peered back.
You hate me, don’t you? Ha ha ha, how could you not… Look at me.
Look at me.
…Look at them. Everyone is preparing to scrap, and what about me? Oh, sure, I could probably hold my own against any of them, if they were alone…
Then there
was the world. The world would know if a fight broke out, a real fight. Back then, the world was a non-contender, but then the years passed. They didn’t get stronger, but their tools did.
Then the War kicked off, struck by an atomic spark. Fear drove them to madness. Gods who’d disappeared took notice and sat up. Some observed, others participated. That’s how she and Sejit were reacquainted after so long.
The tools became even stronger since then. The world was narrowing the gap between god and mortal. They may have even pulled ahead.
What hope do I have?
No, no. I am stronger than that. They don’t know.
…But what good is it if I have to hide all the time? So why don’t I do something about it to save them?
Unable to meet that ruby stare, she settled for the apathy of gray, chipped concrete.
It took her a few seconds to realize her phone was ringing and it wasn’t just anger thumping in her ears. Digging it out of its pocket, she nearly snapped the thing in two. But she knew that number now.
“What the fuck do you want, Daontys?”
“My, is that any way to answer? Since you seem to be in a poor mood, I’ll keep it brief: They are close to discovering your family’s whereabouts. I believe they have narrowed it to a pool of twenty or so family names within Erton.”
If someone had burst through her window right then and there and stabbed her, they’d have gotten a face full of boiling blood.
“Why,” she began, slowly, carefully, “Are you telling me this? What do you have to gain?”
“Gain? We’ve already been over this, Tess,” Daontys went on, taking a doting, patronizing tone.
“Answer me!”
Tess cursed herself. Every outburst, every show of emotion just proved how much they could hurt her.
“…If it makes you feel better, I do not wish for open conflict. Mortals have forgotten us, and it’s best it stay that way.”
Her grip tightened around the phone, forcing creaks from the casing, “Bullshit. We all want something, so cut the shit and tell me.”
Daontys made an exaggerated sigh so loud it sounded like the phone had been thrown in a wind tunnel. “If you must have a reason, it is as I have said—I wish for us to remain hidden. If Ifon killed your family and you became embroiled in a spat with him, your discovery—Our discovery—would be unavoidable.”
“So how about instead of just telling me this shit, you help out?”
“I cannot. As it is, I push my policy of non-interference by simply telling you this,” he crooned.
All that was missing was him to add: “You should be thankful.” She couldn’t take anymore. But, in a feat of restraint surprising even herself, she settled for jamming the power off button instead of reducing her phone to bits of scrap.
How much is lies, she repeated to herself.
Hazarding another glance, she looked up into the mirror. There, a bolt of clarity shot through the fog of doubt. It didn’t matter if every word snaking from his treacherous throat was a lie or none of it. The Lofgrens were only 11 strong in all. Wasn’t much after five generations, but the family had a long history of difficult pregnancies and conceptions. An anomaly of their divine birthright, though as her blood thinned from theirs, the curse weakened. The latest generation had fewer difficulties.
She could easily hide them away, keep them someplace where she could watch over them. It would take some convincing, but she knew things that would prove to them beyond any doubt the validity of her claims.
Yes, that was it. Collect them up, keep them safe until Ifon had been dealt with. Or Daontys. Or both, if needed. It was all so clear now; why had it taken her this long?
She laughed, dry and self-deprecating.
While the family was split between three estates, they were close to one another and so often had family dinners or outings together on the holidays. That’d be the ideal time to gather them up, all in one go. If she went to one first, and this turned out to be a ploy to get her to lead them to her kin, the others would be at immediate risk.
She powered her phone on and searched for the next major holiday in Erton. The result was both comfortingly close and worryingly far. In just under three weeks Erton would be celebrating the Endless War’s armistice day. Could she wait that long?
Tess grit her teeth. She’d have to, but in the meantime, she could busy herself by preparing and assembling the documents to bring her children to safety.
Yes, she would save them. It wasn’t too late. It wouldn’t be too late.
Right?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sophia’d first noticed it walking past Yf’s room. How could she not? The door was wide open and it was right there in the center of the room. It wasn’t that she was snooping, in fact, would have required some sort of willful ignorance to not notice the person-height, oval-shaped void. She didn’t linger too long, didn’t want to be too nosy, after all.
She walked by the other way a minute later. It was still there, unchanged. She carried on but did an about-face once she’d gotten to the stairs up to her room. Pausing in front of Yf’s room again, she took a long look around. All was quiet. No sign of Tarkit or Yf nearby.
Creeping into the room, she walked around the portal. Just like before, it was invisible—if that was the right word for it—from three sides. From behind and the sides it may as well not have existed; she could stick her arm out in the space where it ought to be and nothing happened.
Standing in front of the portal, she got as close as she dared. Absolute darkness stared back at her. No breezes or scents came from it, nor sounds or even a wiggle of a border or speck of light. She’d always imagined magical portals as noisy things, humming and thrumming, a disco ball of light. If light came through she’d have a hint as to where the other end was instead of pure mystery.
She fished around in her pocket, pulling out the ring with her house and car keys.
Why do I keep these in my pocket still?
At least it gave her something to prod with. And prod she did. The tip of the key poked into the void, which had the same effect as if she’d tried to push the little bit of metal through a brick wall. Well, that was to be expected from what Yf had said. Though, maybe like a wall, if she pressed harder it’d go through? Probably not, but it was worth a shot.
Harder and harder she pressed, but nothing gave. Not even a little crick or creek or maybe an angry flash from the portal. She put her whole weight behind it, one final attempt at scientific endeavor.
Her hand slipped and went clear through the void, past her wrist, to her elbow, all the way up to her shoulder. No resistance at all, that is, save for her shirt, which if she hadn’t been wearing, most likely meant she would’ve toppled all the way in. For several seconds she froze. Or maybe several minutes. Sudden terror had a way of making time flow in funny ways.
She wiggled her fingertips. They were there, or somewhere, dancing in the air. She felt them, along with the rest of her arm. Wherever it’d gone, it was someplace not too hot, not too cold. Room temperature.
Maybe Yf was wrong about what could go through? No, he… she would know. Right? …What does that make me?
Reasons and explanations abounded in her mind but were crushed underneath the desire to go further. She was already shoulder deep, so what was a little more?
Her face came up to the portal, she clenched her eyes shut, and went for it. When she felt nothing after several long seconds, she opened one eye, then the other.
She, or her head at least, was most definitely someplace else.
White marble floors and ceiling, towering bookcases as far as she could see in all directions. They had to be 20 feet tall with not a single gap in the books. Overhead lamps, each dotted with dozens of candles, poured off more light than would be expected from simple candles. Rather than one of those pale, yellow flickering flames, they burned bright, just like modern bulbs. The nearest bookcase was too far away to make out any titles on the spines of the books or the plac
ard on the face of the shelf.
Sophia pushed in further, straining for a better view, but her shirt was getting in the way and nothing was going to let it through.
Pulling all her appendages back into the reality of Yf’s room, she tried to stick a foot through the portal. To her nonsurprise, her socks got in the way. There was one obvious way to get through, to explore the probably-library on the other side.
Not too long ago the idea, the very notion would’ve been preposterous. She was a proper young lady. Occasionally.
Must be because I see them naked all the time, Sophia thought as she disrobed.
She wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, but hells, the first night wasn’t the only time Yf had ventured into her room while either of them were nude. It’d been awkward at first, but then it just became annoying. However, excited as she was, it wouldn’t do to leave her clothes in a pile, so she folded them neatly and placed them at the foot of Yf’s bed.
Confidently naked, she stepped through the portal.
Immediately, she wished she had her socks back. The marble floor was worse than the coldest bathroom tile.
Skittering away from the portal on her tip-toes, Sophia buzzed straight for the nearest bookcase. Unfortunately, the lettering on the copper, or maybe bronze, sign wasn’t something she’d ever seen before. They were mixtures of shapes, like circles and lines and triangles with various lines through them, sometimes dots. Most of the shapes, however, were stars of various points. Some had a single point, others as many as ten. And like the plain circles, sometimes they were outlines, other times the entire shape was pressed in, like it was intended to give the impression it’d been filled in by a marker.
The spines on the books, or rather, grimoires, considering their size and bulk, were much the same. Pages were some kind of parchment and the covers leather. But when she opened one, the characters came to life and shone, seeming to hover and shimmer blue above the page. With a free hand she swiped at the floating characters and her fingers passed right through. Strangely, the more she focused upon the glowing, ephemeral characters, the more she felt like she ought to know what they meant. It was like trying to recall a childhood memory—it was right there, on the tip of the tongue, yet so far away.