by R F Hurteau
“Go?” Gavin looked startled as they surged past by him and began to follow them down the road. “Go where?”
Onyx gave a small huff of impatience.
“Come with us. I’ll explain on the way.” She gave Felix a reassuring smile. “I would trust Gavin with my life. It’s all right.”
Felix led them as they went back through the village, following the path into the woods. People scurried out of their way, casting worried looks in their direction as they passed.
Onyx ignored the other villagers as she spoke in low tones with Gavin, who let out a gasp.
“Felix?” His expression suggested this was not what he’d expected. “You’re certain?”
“Of course I’m certain, you great oaf!”
“But why was he acting all—all—” He paused. “And he looks just like—” He stopped, too baffled to finish a thought.
Felix let out a small, awkward laugh. “Yeah, uh...sorry about that,” he said, scratching the nape of his neck uncomfortably.
All at once, he found himself speaking. Not knowing where to start, he began at the beginning. When he told them about Willow and about the twins, Onyx stopped him abruptly.
“You mean to tell me that you’re a father? And I’m a grandmother?”
Felix smiled. “Hard to believe, I know. But it’s true. That’s how this whole mess started. But they’re so worth it, mother. They’re amazing. It’s so incredible...” his voice trailed off.
She reached forward and gave his arm a light squeeze. “I want to hear all about them. But there will be time for that later. Try your radio again.”
Felix did, but received only static. They continued, and he went on with his story.
They listened as he explained how he’d come to be there. He told them about Ripley, the plan to destroy Sanctuary, and how they’d foiled it.
He told them about Pravacordia, Ambrose, and the Ministry. How they’d been shot at coming through the Gate. Felix’s emotions swirled around him like a storm as he told them everything. It felt so good just to get it all off his chest. Neither of them interrupted until he explained about Culei and their hopes to ally with the Elves.
Gavin let out a low growl. “That isn’t going to end well,” he said, his gravelly voice serious. “If the Culeians make an alliance with Imradia, the Therans will play at peace for as long as it takes to conquer the rest of your world before they turn on their so-called allies. They’re only prolonging their own destruction.”
Felix nodded. “I know. Everyone knows, except, apparently, Culei. That’s why I’ve been sent here to sabotage the alliance talks. They’re trying to find a way to destroy or bury the Gate back in Pravacordia, but they need to buy themselves time. Pravacordia doesn’t want Culei to do anything that might entice the Elves to speed up their return to Earth.”
Onyx spoke from just to his right. Her arm brushed his as they navigated the underbrush. She didn’t seem willing to let him out of her reach.
“Sabotage the talks how?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure. They don’t have much to go on back in Pravacordia. They...kinda asked me to wing it.”
Onyx frowned. “I don’t see that as having much chance of working.”
Felix shrugged. “Neither do I, but I am pretty good at improvising.” He cast an apologetic glance at Gavin, who nodded.
“I’d have to agree,” he muttered grudgingly, and Felix thought he also detected just a hint of bitterness.
There was a chirp from the radio and Felix stopped, holding it up to listen.
“Felix, can you hear me? It’s Tobias.”
“Yes, Toby, I can hear you,” he replied. “Listen, I’m so sorry. Something came up and I lost track of time.”
“I’m glad to hear your voice!” Toby’s voice was full of relief. “We were getting worried!”
“Well, don’t worry anymore. I’ll be there soon. Oh, and I’m bringing friends.”
Felix looked up, studying their surroundings. “This way,” he decided after a moment. “We’re almost there.”
As they approached the clearing where Pluto had landed, Felix looked up. The sun shone high above them now, somehow more intense than Felix was used to back on Earth. He could make out the tops of several trees that had been severed by the ship’s passage. Pluto sat like a small silver hill in the grass, silent and still.
Felix was just about to call out when Gavin tackled him to the ground, throwing a calloused hand across Felix’s mouth. Onyx dropped, too.
“Quiet,” Gavin growled. “Floater.”
Felix wanted to ask what a Floater was, but there was no need. A brilliant white craft appeared between the trees to the west of the clearing, humming as it came into full view.
It was eerily familiar to Felix. With a start, he realized that it reminded him of Sigil. The construction was strikingly similar to his former workplace, all smooth lines and pristine workmanship. It came to a stop, hovering a foot above the ground, and three figures in hooded gray cloaks disembarked. One carried a menacing looking crossbow, the others had delicate-looking rapiers hung at their waists, glinting as they approached the downed craft.
“Who are they—” Felix began, then stopped.
He watched with a mix of awe and disbelief as he saw himself, stepping out of the vehicle and onto the forest floor. The doppelgänger strode forward, toward Pluto, the three cloaked figures fanning out in front of him. Ambrose, Penelope and Tobias came out of the ship, moving to greet him.
“Felix?” Ambrose’s face was concerned as he approached, eying the three tall hooded Elves. “Who are your friends?”
One of the swordsmen moved with such grace and speed that Felix almost couldn’t follow. He was behind Ambrose in an instant.
Without a word, without even drawing his sword, he had knocked the old man to the ground. Ambrose came up sputtering, and Tobias rushed forward to assist him.
“Felix!” Penelope exclaimed, her tone a mixture of surprise and fear.
“What’s going on?” Tobias demanded, “Why are you doing this?”
“Leave him,” sighed Laevus dismissively. He walked around the three, sizing them up, and gestured at his guards. “Humans,” he uttered with disgust.
He turned to face their ship. “So, this is what happens when you try to reason with Humans. We offer to treat with them, and instead they send this, this—I’m not even sure what to call this.”
He threw his hands up, turning to address Tobias. “Sweet Evenmire, is this supposed to be a ship? We were not told there would be a ship. Is this some kind of nasty Human trick?”
When Tobias just stammered in response, Laevus cocked his head, looking somewhat concerned.
“Where is the Ambassador?” he pressed, speaking very slow and enunciating each word, as if he suspected Tobias was having trouble understanding. Laevus looked at Ambrose, who was on his knees now, wiping grime from his face. “Surely it’s not you, Tubby?”
“Wait, what?” Toby shook his head, caught off guard. “No, he’s not an Ambassador. We’re—we’re just—”
“What’s this now?” snapped Laevus, pointing at a mound of freshly dug soil not far from the ship. Felix knew it must be where they had buried Wilks. Laevus was muttering to himself. “Tearing up our trees, digging up our dirt!”
Felix stopped listening and turned to Onyx.
“We have to do something,” he whispered, trying to convey the urgency that he felt.
Gavin was the one to answer him. “Those are Envicti. They’re the personal guards of the Elder Council. Highly skilled, well trained.”
“I didn’t ask about their qualifications,” Felix retorted in frustration. “How do we stop them from hurting my friends?”
Onyx reached down near her feet, drawing up the hem of her skirt to reveal a small leather case strapped around her ankle. She flipped the top open and pulled something out that Felix couldn’t see.
“We have surprise on our side. Gavin, circle around and take out the crossbowman.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll handle the swords.”
Felix looked at her skeptically and she glanced sideways at him, her eyes unwavering as she repeated herself.
“I’ll handle the swords.”
“What about me?” interjected Felix.
“Whatever happens,” she said, “you must not let Laevus return to the Floater. If he gets the chance to report this, reinforcements will be on top of us in no time.”
Felix nodded, trying to prepare himself for action.
Gavin gave Onyx one last look. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She just raised an eyebrow and he got up, crouching low before he dissolved into the forest.
The two guards with rapiers were standing to either side of Ambrose as Laevus approached Pluto’s hatch.
“Your Lordship—” one of them began, but Laevus held up a hand and disappeared inside the ship.
Everyone in the clearing had their eyes on Pluto, but Felix was watching the crossbowman.
Gavin materialized from the cover of the trees, arms held high, clutching a large stone. He brought it down on the man’s head with a sickening thud and the guard crumpled.
The other guards whipped around, both with swords at the ready, but Onyx was up and moving into the clearing. Felix watched in amazement as she raised her hand, and it flashed forward from her body like a striking snake.
Something shiny covered the distance between her and the closest guard, slipping easily between the folds of his robe to embed itself in his chest. He looked down at it, surprised, before he began to quiver. The other guard grabbed Tobias by the shirt and pulled him upright, wrapping one massive forearm around the smaller man’s neck. Tobias reached up, trying to break the Elf’s grip as he struggled to breathe against the sudden pressure.
“Let him go!” screamed Penelope. She started toward them, but Ambrose grabbed her arm and yanked her back as the guard raised the tip of his sword in her direction, motioning for them to stay back.
“Felix.” Onyx’s tone was calm and commanding. He realized that he’d been frozen, watching the scene unfold.
He forced himself to move, arriving at the ship’s hatch just as Laevus reappeared in the dim opening. For a few moments Laevus just stared at him, confounded.
Felix did the only thing he could think to do. He shoved Laevus backward, knocking him back inside the hold. Felix slammed the hatch shut and turned, leaning against it as his brother began banging and shouting, his voice muffled by the metal hull.
Felix saw Gavin holding the crossbow now. He had it pointed at the guard, but the man was too smart to give him a clean shot. He was backing toward Felix, turning just enough to keep Tobias between him and both Gavin and Onyx.
“Stop struggling!” Onyx shouted at Tobias in frustration. He was making little gasping sounds, clawing at the Elf’s arm around his neck, his feet dangling several inches off the ground.
Suddenly, Onyx’s hand came up in the same striking motion, and an instant later Tobias let out a cry of pain as the spike pierced his hand, penetrating through to the guard’s arm. The Elf let out a loud curse and his grip loosened enough for Tobias to squirm free, the spike still lodged in his hand. Gavin raised the bow and let his bolt fly. It struck the guard in the forehead, snapping his head back.
He remained standing for a moment, one hand still clutching the hilt of his sword. Then he dropped to his knees before falling to the ground in a motionless heap.
Felix stayed where he was, holding the hatch shut against Laevus’ futile attempts to escape. Penelope ran to Tobias, who was cradling his injured hand with a look of abject horror on his face.
Felix watched his mother approach the first swordsman. He realized with a start that the Elf was still alive, his body convulsing. His eyes rolled wildly, and pink-tinged foam filled his mouth, spilling out over his cheek.
Felix looked at Onyx and felt his skin crawl. She didn’t look upset or afraid. Instead, she watched the Elf before her with a look of disinterest, or perhaps mild curiosity.
Ambrose walked up, studying the fallen guard with a troubled expression.
“That didn’t look like a fatal shot.”
Her reply was flat, emotionless. “The spikes are poisoned.”
“Poisoned?” squeaked Tobias in alarm, and Penelope looked up, horrified.
“You don’t have to worry.” Onyx’s features had returned to normal, and her tone was kind and reassuring. “It doesn’t affect Humans.”
“Well, it affected my hand!” Tobias pointed out. “At least, your spike did. How do you know the poison won’t harm me?”
Onyx came over to take a look. “I’ve learned a great many things about what will and will not kill Humans. You’re better off if I spare you the details.”
She examined his hand briefly, her expression unreadable. “Sorry.” Then she looked at Penelope. “It isn’t terrible. We need to pull it out. Do you have any bandages?”
“Yes,” Penelope replied, a worried frown tugging at her lips, “but they’re in there.”
She pointed to the ship, from which Laevus’ muffled threats could still be heard.
Gavin crossed to where Felix stood, freshly reloaded crossbow at the ready. He nodded to Felix. “Open it.”
Felix did as he was instructed and Laevus, looking furious, stepped out into the little clearing. He stopped short when he saw the crossbow, and he looked around at his fallen guards. Then he looked at Felix, and his mouth formed an amused smile.
“Is this any way to treat your own brother?” he asked, feigning disappointment. “I would have expected our first meeting to be a little less—” he shrugged, motioning toward the dead guards. “Macabre.”
“Amazing,” remarked Ambrose, coming closer to Laevus but still keeping a cautious distance. “Is this true, Felix? It has to be true. He looks exactly like you.”
“You,” Onyx pointed to Penelope, “get those bandages. You,” she addressed Ambrose now, “find something to tie him up with.”
“This was a bad idea, mother,” chided Laevus a few minutes later, as if scolding a naughty child. Ambrose had finished securing his hands behind his back and went to work on his feet. “A very bad idea. Oh, mother. It’s a shame to see you treat the First Order with such blatant disregard.”
He made a sort of tsk, tsk sound as he sighed.
“When the Council finds out, you’re going to be locked in a very dark cell, for a very long time.”
“Mother?” Tobias’ head snapped up, his eyes wide. “Then that means—”
Felix nodded. “Everyone, this is my mother, Onyx. Mother, these are my friends. Tobias, Ambrose, and Penelope. And this is Gavin,” he said, gesturing around the group as he spoke. “Oh. And that’s Laevus,” he added as an afterthought.
“So pleased to make your acquaintance,” simpered Laevus with an almost convincing bow of his head.
Onyx said nothing, using Tobias’ distraction as an opportunity to pull the spike from his hand. He yelped. Penelope hurried to dress the wound, but Onyx stopped her. “Let it bleed for a minute; then apply pressure.”
“Thank you,” Ambrose said gratefully. “You saved us.”
But Gavin’s face was grim. “We haven’t saved anyone, yet.”
He still had the bow trained on Laevus, even though their captive was now tied to a tree. “Onyx, I don’t think you’ve thought this through. We just killed three Envicti and captured a Council member. This is going to get ugly.”
Onyx had a finger to her mouth, biting her nail absentmindedly as she pondered.
“No, I think this could work.” She was nodding to herself now. “Yes, this could definitely work.” She strode up to Laevus and bent down so that they were face to face. “How did you find them?”
Despite his situation, Laevus appeared relaxed. He smirked. “Why, I was on my way to see you, mother dear.”
“And why would you be coming to see me?”
“Can’t a boy come home to share a cup of tea with his mot
her without a hidden agenda?” Laevus was feigning innocent surprise now, and doing a good job of it, too. Felix almost felt sorry for him.
But Onyx frowned. “If only that were the case.”
Laevus shrugged nonchalantly beneath his bindings. “I wanted to bring you on a little trip.”
Onyx exchanged a sharp glance with Gavin. “Why?” Gavin asked with suspicion.
Laevus ignored Gavin, continuing to address his mother. “We are meeting a Human ambassador for negotiations. As you are our resident expert on Humans, I told the High Elder I should bring you. He agreed.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” she snapped. “Anyone who came back from Sanctuary could have told you whatever you needed to know about Humans. Nero could have told you himself for Thera’s sake!”
He nodded, his face pensive, pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows as if this suggestion hadn’t occurred to him before. “Yes, I suppose you’re right there.” He offered no further explanation.
Onyx was agitated. She stood, motioning for Gavin to join her as she walked over to Felix and the others. They moved a little way off and then spoke in hushed tones.
“Something isn’t right,” Gavin insisted. “I don’t like this.”
“I agree,” nodded Felix. “He’s too calm.”
“But he was being honest about the talks,” pointed out Penelope. “He didn’t have to tell us about that. He could have just made something up.”
Onyx motioned for them all to be silent.
“I agree that something isn’t adding up. But we’ve been presented with an opportunity more perfect than we could have dreamed. Look, Felix is supposed to sabotage the alliance talks, but until now, he had no idea how to go about it. Well, I do.”
She looked at Felix, her face determined.
“We’re going to turn you into Laevus.”
Seven
Beneath the Surface
BEN was angry.
This whole thing had turned into a giant mess. After the incident in Core Operations, Sylvia had come to him in tears. Both Nelson and Edwin had reamed her for the damages caused to the defense systems, even though it hadn’t been her fault.