Runic Vengeance (The Runic Series Book 3)

by Clayton Wood

  Ampir.

  Kyle swallowed, staring at his backpack, at the faint blue light bleeding from its edges. Of course his father would only see magic around him...after all, Kyle was the only person on Earth who could produce magic. His backpack had absorbed that energy, as had anything else he'd been in contact with, to varying degrees

  Kyle glanced up at his father, a sudden sadness coming over him. Dad would never know the truth, not if Ampir continued to insist that Kyle keep it from him. He would always believe that his memories of his father were just silly dreams. It didn't seem fair to keep it from him. To lie to him.

  “Well, we'd better start getting ready,” Dad declared, pushing himself up from the couch. He yawned, stretching his arms to the sides, then offering Kyle a hand. Kyle took it, and Dad pulled him up from the couch. “Get your stuff and I'll drive you back.”

  Kyle sighed, doing as he was instructed. They both walked through the kitchen to the mud room, and Kyle pulled on his shoes and grabbed his overstuffed backpack – which seemed lighter than he remembered – and slinging it over one shoulder. Dad followed suit, and they made their way to the garage, hopping in Dad's SUV. They pulled out of the garage and down the driveway, making their way to his mom’s house. Neither of them said much to each other as they drove down the street. Kyle stared out of his window at the passing scenery, marveling at how very different everything was here compared to Doma. The trees, the grass, the smells...even the air was thicker, and he felt a bit heavier somehow. It would make sense if Doma were smaller than Earth, with less gravity and a slightly thinner atmosphere.

  Kyle turned away from the window, glancing at his dad. Then he looked down at his lap, taking a deep breath in, then letting it out. He knew he only had a few more minutes with his father before he wouldn’t see him again...potentially for another month.

  “Dad?” he asked, feeling his heart skip a beat.

  “Yeah?”

  Kyle hesitated, taking another breath in, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. He kept his eyes on his own lap, feeling his father's eyes on him.

  “Why did you leave Mom?”

  Dad said nothing for a long moment, and Kyle felt a spike of fear course through him. Then the car slowed, and Dad pulled over to the side of the road, turning the hazard lights on. There was another long silence, and then Kyle felt his father's hand on his knee.

  “Kyle...” Dad began. Kyle paused, then turned to face him.

  “Yeah?”

  “I'm glad you asked,” Dad said at last. “I've been waiting for you to ask that, actually.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” Dad confirmed. “The reason I left was because I wasn't happy,” he admitted. He paused for a moment, as if choosing his words. “It was the hardest decision I've ever made,” he continued. “And the most painful. By far.”

  Kyle nodded, not daring to say anything.

  “Leaving your mother meant losing you,” Dad continued. “Not completely,” he added hastily. “But it meant I couldn't see you every day. Or tuck you in every night before you went to sleep. I remember lying next to you after telling you a bedtime story, when you were three. Before I left. Thinking that...thinking that if I left, I wouldn't get to do this anymore. And it just...”

  He stopped then, shaking his head.

  “Divorce hurts everyone,” he muttered. “Scars everyone.” He turned to Kyle then. “It was selfish, what I did.”

  “Dad...”

  “It was,” Dad insisted. “I did what I did for me. For a chance to be happy again.” He smiled then. “And to be honest, I am happier now.” He put a hand on Kyle's shoulder. “Your mom is a good person. She is.”

  “I know.”

  “We're both good people,” Dad continued. “But sometimes you can have two good people, and no matter how hard they try, they end up not being good for each other.”

  He went silent then, turning off his hazard lights. He pulled away from the curb then, continuing down the road. Neither one of them said anything as they drove the last few minutes to his mother's house. They reached the long driveway leading up the hill to his Mom's garage, and Dad parked just outside of it. He turned to Kyle then.

  “Well, we made it,” he stated. Kyle smiled weakly.

  “Yeah.”

  “I'll see you in a few days,” Dad promised. Kyle paused, then nodded, knowing full well that it would be much, much longer for him. The thought of not seeing his father – for what on Doma could be months – was utterly depressing. Kyle unbuckled his seatbelt, then leaned in and gave his dad a hug.

  “I love you Dad,” he murmured. Dad hugged him back, giving him a tight squeeze.

  “I love you too,” Dad replied. They stayed like that for a long moment, and then Kyle pulled away.

  “Thanks,” Kyle said, opening his door. “For answering.” Dad smiled.

  “Thanks for asking,” he replied. Kyle stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. “And Kyle...”

  “Yeah?”

  “You can tell me anything, you know,” Dad said. Kyle nodded, thinking of all the things he couldn't tell his father.

  “I know.”

  And then he was off, pulling back out of the driveway, then driving down the street. Kyle watched him go, waving goodbye. He stood there on the driveway long after his dad had left, staring off into the distance.

  * * *

  Kyle opened the front door of his mom’s house, stepping into the foyer and closing the door quietly behind him. He took off his shoes, then walked into the kitchen. His mom was standing there in her blue scrubs, eating a bowl of cereal. Kyle felt his heart soar, and he grinned from ear-to-ear, dropping his backpack on the floor.

  “Hey Mom,” he greeted.

  “Hey honey,” she replied, walking up to him and giving him a hug with one arm. Then she stepped back with a frown. “What’s wrong, baby?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Kyle replied. “Why?”

  “You look exhausted,” she answered. “You didn't have another nightmare, did you?” Kyle paused, then nodded. His experiences over the last month – being mortally wounded by an Ulfar, kidnapped and psychologically tortured by the Dead Man, and nearly killed again by the massive Void Behemoth – surely counted as a nightmare of sorts.

  “Kind of,” Kyle replied.

  “What was it about?” Mom pressed. Kyle shrugged.

  “I dreamed that I'd never see you again,” he answered. It was the closest thing to the truth he could think of.

  “Oh honey,” she murmured, grabbing him and hugging him again. She kissed him on the forehead, then held him at arm's length. Kyle heard footsteps creaking in the foyer, and saw Steve – his stepdad – walk into the kitchen, squinting in the light. “Kyle had another nightmare,” Mom declared worriedly. “Maybe we should have him see a doctor,” she suggested.

  “Why?” Steve asked. “They’re just nightmares.” Mom arched an eyebrow.

  “About never seeing your parents?” she countered.

  “Well...”

  “I think he should see a doctor,” Mom opined.

  “He's fine,” Steve insisted. “He'll grow out of it.” Mom frowned.

  “We'll talk about it later,” she promised. “We shouldn't fight in front of Kyle.”

  “Good point,” Steve agreed. “Kyle, go to your room while I beat your mother,” he ordered. Mom punched Steve playfully on the shoulder, and he chuckled, grinning from ear-to-ear.

  “I'm fine,” Kyle interjected, having no desire to talk to a shrink about his dreams. “Really, it was just a nightmare.”

  “Are you sure?” Mom pressed, running a hand through his hair. Her hand stopped suddenly, at his right ear, and he felt her tense up. “What's this?” she asked, grabbing his earlobe between her index finger and thumb. He frowned, pulling his head away from her hand, then reaching up to touch his earlobe. He felt his earring there, the on that Kalibar had given him a few weeks ago. It was a magical earring, a universal translator of sort
s, allowing Kyle to understand any language spoken around him. He'd gotten so used to wearing it that he'd completely forgotten it was there.

  “Uh...” he stammered, covering the earring with his hand. “It's nothing.”

  “Nothing?” his mom retorted, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him incredulously.

  “What is it?” Steve asked.

  “An earring!” she exclaimed, pointing to his ear. “Is that real?” she asked, reaching for his ear. Kyle pulled back, but she was quicker, and she grabbed his ear, peering at it closely. “It is real!” she gasped, recoiling with horror. “Kyle, who did this to you?” Kyle shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, all the while wracking his brain for an excuse – any excuse – for having an earring, but his mind drew a blank. He stared at her helplessly, suddenly thankful that the clothing he was wearing was mostly indistinguishable from his usual Earth clothing.

  “Who put the earring in, Kyle?” Steve asked. Kyle shrugged again.

  “A friend,” was all he could say. He kicked himself mentally, wishing he could turn back time and take out the dang earring before he'd come in.

  “From school?” Mom gasped. “Kyle, it's not sterile, it could get infected!” Steve leaned in to get a look.

  “It doesn't look infected, does it?” Steve asked. Mom peered at it, and shook her head.

  “Not yet,” she admitted. “But it should come out before it does get infected,” she added. Kyle recoiled, pulling away from them.

  “No!” he nearly shouted, covering his ear with his hand protectively. They both stared at him. “I mean, it was sterile,” he added, knowing that he was doing a terrible job of sounding convincing. Mom stared at him for a long moment, then put a hand on his shoulder.

  “Kyle, why did you get an earring?” she asked.

  “I, uh...” he began, trying to come up with something clever, but coming up empty. “I wanted to try it out,” he answered rather lamely.

  “You wanted to try it out,” she repeated, staring at him for a long moment. She turned to Steve, giving him a look Kyle couldn't read.

  “Kyle, who gave it to you?” Steve asked. Kyle shrugged.

  “A friend,” he replied cagily. “I thought it would look...nice,” he added rather lamely. Steve's eyebrows rose.

  “I see,” he murmured, staring at Kyle for a long moment, then turning to exchange a look with Mom.

  “Oh,” Mom gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Steve put a hand on her shoulder, then walked up to Kyle, putting a hand on his.

  “It's okay, Kyle,” Steve stated, his tone carefully neutral. “If you want to look...nice, your mother and I will support you.”

  “Wait, what?” Kyle asked.

  “Steve's right,” Mom piped in. “We love you no matter what, it's just that we'd rather you talk about what you want with us first, before you get...pierced,” she added. Steve grimaced at that.

  “Yes, well,” he grumbled. “We’re going to keep a close eye on that ear...and if it looks the slightest bit infected, we're taking it out,” he promised. Kyle nodded.

  “Okay,” he agreed. “Thanks,” he added, feeling quite relieved. Mom smiled

  “Oh honey,” she murmured, reaching in to give him a hug. “Of course we understand.” She pulled back then, running a hand through his hair and letting out a sigh. “We just need some time to get used to it, that's all.”

  “Love you mom,” Kyle stated, smiling at her. And it was true; he couldn't imagine that, only a month ago, he would have been embarrassed to say those words. Steve cleared his throat then, rather noisily.

  “Yes, well,” he grumbled. “Better get going hon,” he counseled. “You'll be late for work.”

  “I know, I know,” Mom replied. “You will too,” she added. Steve turned to glance at the clock.

  “I have another ten minutes,” he countered. Mom turned to Kyle.

  “Bye honey,” she stated, giving him a hug.

  “Bye mom,” he replied, hugging her back. He paused then, staring at her for a long moment, realizing that he might not see her again, at least not for another few weeks. He only had a half a day before Darius would come back for him, after all.

  “What's wrong?” Mom asked, disengaging from him.

  “Nothing,” Kyle mumbled. “Love you.”

  “Love you too sweety,” she replied. Then she turned about, giving them both one last wave before leaving. Kyle watched her go, his heart aching. Both of his parents would be gone for work for most of the day...on the one day he'd come back to see them. By the time they came back, he would be gone again.

  He sighed, sitting on a barstool at the island. He glanced at Steve; everyone was gone except for his stepdad. This trip back to Earth was not turning out the way he'd expected.

  “What's up?” Steve asked, sitting down beside Kyle. Kyle shrugged.

  “I'm just tired,” he mumbled.

  “How was school yesterday?”

  “It was fine,” Kyle answered, not really remembering whether it had been or not. Steve paused, then leaned in, giving Kyle a conspiratorial wink.

  “Did it hurt?” he pressed. Kyle stared at him blankly. “The earring,” he clarified. “I bet it hurt to put it in.”

  “A little,” Kyle admitted, remembering how Kalibar had leapt at him, jabbing it into his ear. Steve grinned.

  “Who was the surgeon?” he asked. Kyle hesitated, knowing he couldn't very well tell the truth. He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.

  “A girl,” he lied.

  “A girl?” Steve asked. “A friend of yours?” Kyle shrugged again, feeling his cheeks flushing.

  “My girlfriend,” he corrected. He glanced at Steve, whose grin was suddenly so wide that it would've taken a sandblaster to wipe it off of his face.

  “You have a girlfriend?” Steve exclaimed. “Really?” Kyle nodded. Steve slapped his knees with his hands, looking oddly relieved. “Oo, wait 'til I tell your mother!” He leaned in closer. “So tell me about her...who is she? What's she like?”

  Kyle blushed, feeling suddenly very self-conscious. He'd never really talked about this kind of thing with Steve before. Then again, he'd never had a real girlfriend before.

  “Her name is Ariana,” he admitted.

  “You should invite her over so we can meet her,” Steve suggested. Kyle didn’t reply. “Hey, between you and me,” Steve continued, “...why the earring?” Kyle shrugged.

  “She thought it would look cool,” he lied. Steve grinned.

  “That explains it,” he declared, a little too obviously relieved. Kyle frowned, suddenly alarmed.

  “What were you thinking?” he asked. Steve shrugged nonchalantly.

  “I dunno,” he answered. “I don't get you young whippersnappers these days,” he added in an old geezer's voice. Kyle couldn't help but smile; Steve was a pretty great guy, even if he wasn't his real dad. He'd been less kind to Steve in the past than the man deserved. “Anyway,” Steve stated, standing up from his seat, “...I've got to get to work.”

  “Wait, already?”

  “Yeah, it sucks,” Steve confirmed. “I should be home by six or so.” With that, Steve walked out of the living room and back into the kitchen. “See you later kiddo,” he said with a wave. Kyle waved back sullenly, watching as Steve disappeared into the foyer. He heard the front door open and close, and then there was silence.

  Kyle sighed, looking around the empty kitchen. He thought about going back upstairs to his bed – he'd hardly gotten any sleep, after all – but the couch in the living room was closer, and he was struck with a sudden, near-crippling fatigue. The thought of doing anything else but closing his eyes and falling asleep was almost overwhelming, and he stood, walking over to the couch and lying down. He knew he only had a few more hours left on Earth before Darius would take him back, but he was too tired to go over his best friend Ben’s house. He felt himself sinking deeper into the cushions, his eyelids growing heavy. Then he spotted something moving in the periphery of his
vision, and glanced up at the ceiling.

  A faint ripple appeared there.

  Kyle blinked, then sat up on the couch, staring at the ceiling. The rippling continued, like water in a pond after a rock was thrown in, spreading outward from directly above his head.

  And then the universe ripped open.

  Chapter 2

  Sabin ignored the constant burning pain that coursed through what remained of his body, suspended for eternity in his crystalline prison. He watched the body he’d been controlling only moments before descend until it was below his field of vision. He could not move his head to follow it, trapped as he was. This body could do nothing but torment him.

  But his mind, ahhh...that was another story!

  He felt his mind expanding even now, extending beyond the thin bones of his skull, spreading through the millions of microscopic wires that coursed through the crystal surrounding him. He felt his consciousness growing as he linked his mind with the thousands of other minds trapped within their Void crystals in this chamber. Still his mind grew, as his awareness spread even further, to the millions of Void crystals beyond, in every Void chamber of every Chosen's lair, scattered throughout every continent of the world.

  It was ecstasy.

  His pain shrank as his mind grew beyond the feeble confines of a single brain, the agony still present, but less important now. He felt the presence of a million linked minds, each with their own consciousness. With a thought, he grasped control from them all, forcing them to give up their brains temporarily to him.

  Within moments, the process was complete. Each mind in the network was his now. Their memories were his memories, their bodies his to control. Every Chosen on the planet was his to command.

  Sabin darted from continent to continent with his mind, feeling the full scope of his army. Within minutes, he knew of the status of entire governments, many of which he'd created and continued to secretly rule through his Chosen. All completely unbeknownst to the humans that believed they were in control, that they had created this modern world.

  Nothing could be further from the truth.