Special Passage (The Coursodon Dimension Book 4)

by M. L. Ryan

  “If they were but ten minutes behind us, we would have noticed their headlights,” Alex said, scowling.

  Deputy MRSA shuffled her feet. “Their vehicle is barely street worthy. They drove really, really slowly, but still managed to bottom out not far from where they left the highway. They abandoned it and walked the rest of the way.”

  “And they never noticed you behind them?”

  “They didn’t seem to.”

  I detected a big hole in her story. Aiden and Cortez had to drive back out on the very road down which she claimed she followed the Jyryxahal. If she was telling the truth, the guys would have seen them walking down the road and warned us.

  Alex must have had the same thought. “And the entire time, you never saw any other vehicles on the access road to the peak?”

  “Two Jeeps came out. They were easy to see from far away because of their headlights. When the Moron Five here saw them approaching, they hightailed it off the road and into the brush. I did the same. At first, I thought it was you in the vehicles, but as they drove by, I could tell there was only one driver in each, and neither looked familiar.”

  “Wouldn’t Aiden and Cortez see the cars on the side of the road?” I wondered aloud.

  Sebastian pursed his lips. “No doubt, my dear. However, they would not necessarily deem unoccupied vehicles something about which we needed to be informed.” He eyed the deputy. “Do not mistake my last comment to imply I believe your tale. I do not. Nevertheless, your veracity will be established in time.” With a humorless smile, he added, “Count on it.”

  The power of his ire made my skin tingle. Since Sebastian left my body, I didn’t often experience his magic, and I’d forgotten how much of a wallop he packed. Sebastian really is a bad ass, I noted, rubbing my arms to alleviate the annoying prickles his power produced. I glanced around, realizing everyone else was doing the same thing. Even Sebastian. As we all exchanged puzzled looks, I noticed Sebastian’s dark locks rise in clumpy spikes and the Jyryxahal’s matching sigils glow.

  When learning about the warning signs of an imminent lightning strike, you never really believe the information would be put to use. I always thought it was similar to telling people that in case of nuclear attack, hide under a large piece of furniture. Like your grandmother’s dining room table would protect against the equivalent of ten-million tons of TNT. If there was enough electricity in the air to make hair stand on end and metal jewelry glimmer, we were in deep shit.

  “Alexander, to your left!” Sebastian shouted, pushing the deputy out of the way. I dropped to the ground and crouched near a large boulder. I knew I was supposed to tuck my head down, but I wasn’t convinced anything would help if a bolt of a gazillion volts hit anywhere nearby, and I wanted to see where Alex was.

  Instead of being huddled somewhere like the rest of us, he remained standing, his hands raised above his head. A bluish light radiated around him, and he looked both beautiful and terrifying. And soon to be incinerated, I feared.

  Before I had a chance to call out, or react in any way, really, I heard a loud crack and a pulse of brilliant white light engulfed me. I wanted to shield my eyes, but I was thrown backward with such force that I couldn’t control my body, much less lift my hand.

  My back ached from the impact with the ground and the intensity of the flash blinded me—temporarily, I hoped. Except for the wind, I didn’t hear anything much either. I couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. The silence could mean everyone was okay but too shaken up to speak, or they were all unconscious. Or worse.

  Being a glass-half-empty kind of a gal, I began to hyperventilate. My headgear suddenly felt like a crushing weight, and I frantically tried to yank it off. The chinstrap was particularly uncooperative, forcing me to reel off a litany of cuss words—in both English and Courso—that would make a sailor blush.

  A familiar voice called out from the darkness. “My dear, it is bad enough I feel as though I have been run over by an eighteen-wheeled truck. Must you regale us with your verbal indolence?”

  Overwhelmed with relief that at the very least Sebastian survived, I opted not to remind him that rather than a sign of intellectual laziness, sometimes swearing perfectly summed up the situation. Instead, I shouted, “You’re alive!” and hoped he took no offense at my abrupt shift from elation over his continued existence when I quickly added, “Where’s Alex?”

  “Here, carisa.”

  He sounded exhausted and weak, but I’d never heard a more wonderful sound in my life. I still couldn’t see worth a damn, but I crawled to where I thought he must be. He sat about twenty feet away, his elbows resting on his slightly bent knees. When Alex caught sight of me, he reached out and pulled me into his chest. Any remnants of composure dissolved the second he wrapped me in his arms.

  “I thought you were dead,” I sobbed. “I thought you were dead.”

  “I’m fine,” he kept repeating, rocking the blubbering glob of emotional chaos into which I had dissolved. It took a few minutes, but I finally regained some semblance of composure. Alex wiped the tears from my cheeks, treating me to another of his remarkable, albeit a bit shaky, smiles.

  Somewhere in the world, there might be people able to weep with utter abandon and still look presentable, but I was not one of them. I knew I had to look hideous, but if Alex could gaze at me with complete adoration at a time like this, I didn’t care.

  Using the back of my hand to get rid of the snot running from my nose, I asked, “How are you alive? You got hit by lightning.”

  “Actually, not. When Sebastian alerted me to the direction of the impending strike, I simply deflected the energy away from us.”

  “I know Sebastian said you were capable of such things, but I thought he was exaggerating. Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, checking him for burns, gaping wounds, or missing limbs.

  Alex sighed. “Just a bit… depleted. Like I ran a double marathon during an Arizona summer heat wave on stilts. Carrying a Humvee.”

  I shook my head. “Zapped by lightning and still a sense of humor. Is there any wonder I love you?”

  He lifted my chin and brushed his lips against mine. “I love you too, carisa.”

  Sebastian sat down next to us and groaned. “Whilst I can appreciate your somewhat maudlin display of affection,” he drawled with disdain, “there are other issues that require our attention.”

  All a bit wobbly, we helped Alex to his feet and went to find the rest of our group. The Jyryxahal were shaken up, but amazingly unharmed. The worst of the damage was to their shirts, which now bore a charred imprint of their medallions. Cunningham had a nasty cut on her leg, but her perma-bun endured without a hair out of place. Whatever spray she uses must be industrial strength.

  Alex surveyed the sky while I checked out the wound on Cunningham’s leg, which I guessed was a result of Sebastian flinging her out of harm’s way. Surprisingly, she didn’t gripe about it at all. I half expected her to threaten an assault charge, but she must have realized Sebastian was only trying to help. That, or watching Alex play handball with the forces of nature made her wary of messing with us. As it was, she gaped at all of us like we had two heads.

  “The rain stopped,” Alex observed. He seemed puzzled by the change in the weather, but he didn’t stew long. “We should contact Aiden and Cortez and let them know what happened.”

  “Excellent idea, Alexander.” Sebastian pulled the satellite phone from his pack, pushed some buttons, waited, and gave it the evil eye. “Wretched technology,” he complained. “It does not appear to be functional.”

  Alex studied the device. “It worked earlier. Try moving away from the outcropping; maybe that is interfering with the signal.”

  Sebastian relocated a few yards away and tried again. His sour expression indicated the new position didn’t make any difference.

  “Maybe the lightning scrambled the electronics,” the deputy suggested.

  “A reasonable assumption, however, it turned on normally. Perhaps I m
ust find another spot more conducive to satellite reception.” Sebastian walked further away, alternating looking up for a clearer view and down at the satphone for signs of connection. Cunningham followed.

  While they wandered about, I turned to Alex. “How did you figure out you were able to deflect lightning? Sebastian didn’t test out one of his harebrained theories by making you stand on a golf course during a thunderstorm, did he?” I teased.

  I thought I detected a slight narrowing of his eyes, but I might have imagined it. “It’s a long story, one best saved for another time,” he answered, inclining his head toward the deputy.

  She now possessed the phone and held it above her head, as if a few feet of additional altitude would make satellite contact easier.

  “Can I help you with that?” he offered, inching toward her raised hand.

  Before he got close enough to retrieve the phone, she dropped the device, reached behind her back, and pulled out a revolver. I should have known she wouldn’t leave home with it.

  Sebastian yelled as he ran past her. “Holster your weapon, woman.”

  “What’s going on?” Alex demanded.

  Sebastian stared past the deputy. “Ulut,” was his only answer.

  13

  How could I have forgotten Ulut? I silently chastised myself as I ran over to where Sebastian and the deputy stood. Alex followed, but at a much slower pace; I supposed even someone capable of deflecting lightning needed some time to recover from the feat. The deputy had lowered her gun, but based on the fact she’d drawn it in the first place, I braced myself for something horrible.

  The reality was way less dreadful than what my fertile imagination conjured. Ulut leaned against a small, granite ledge, clearly disoriented, but otherwise undamaged.

  He also wasn’t a dog.

  I couldn’t fault the deputy for whipping out her firearm. Happening upon an unfamiliar, semi-conscious, naked man must be quite unnerving.

  “Ulut, it worked,” I whooped. “I don’t know how, but damn, you’re you.” When I first “helped” him get unstuck back in Courso, I’d accidentally blasted him with my magic. After all the months of theorizing, it was hard to believe all it took was an electrical jolt to get Ulut back to himself.

  He raised his hands and wiggled his fingers. “It’s nice to have thumbs again,” he announced with a weary smile.

  Alex and Sebastian peered down at the Dekankaran. Rather than the high-fives I would have expected for completion of a successful mission, they huddled together, speaking in Courso.

  While they continued their animated discussion, Cunningham continued to gawk at Ulut. “I don’t understand,” she complained. “Where did this guy come from, and why is he naked?” She scanned the area and added, “And where’s the mutt?”

  Her confusion was something I understood. I had exactly the same thoughts, and likely the identical, perplexed expression, when I realized Ulut could change from animal to man, and I had the benefit of knowing another magical dimension existed. Even with her background as a cryptid hunter, she had no real frame of reference to explain what just happened. Maybe if she hadn’t been such an annoyance, I’d be more inclined to help her out. Besides, if I gave her the full story, the guys would have to erase the information from her head.

  I decided it was rude to ignore her, so I opted for a technique politicians love and replied to the question I wanted to answer instead of the ones she posed. “Don’t be too freaked out; we know him.”

  She wrinkled her forehead, but didn’t push for more clarification.

  Not only had the rain let up, but the clouds were gone as well. The sky was clear, the darkness punctuated by masses of twinkling stars. I was thrilled we wouldn’t have to worry about thunderstorms when we descended, mostly because I didn’t think Alex was ready to repeat his performance as a living lightning rod.

  Sebastian broke away from his consultation with Alex and crouched next to Ulut. “Do you think you can stand?”

  Ulut nodded and with some steadying from Sebastian, rose to his feet. He was taller than the Xyzok, but their builds were similarly well muscled and broad, as if both spent a lot of time lifting weights. While Ulut’s ripped body was easy to appreciate in his current state of undress, I removed my jacket and offered it to him. Since the rain stopped, I didn’t need it anymore, and his man bits demanded covering. He tied the arms around his waist, leaving the bulk of the material in front like an apron. His buns remained exposed.

  “You guys have any spare clothes Ulut can wear?” I inquired.

  Sebastian had an extra pair of sweat pants in his pack and donated the shirt he wore under his raingear. I noticed the deputy couldn’t take her eyes off his torso when he stripped off the tee. Had he known, he could have mesmerized her with his abs a long time ago. If you couldn’t dazzle them with paranormal seduction, baffle them with a taut six-pack.

  While Sebastian zipped himself back into his Gore-Tex, Ulut dressed in the borrowed duds. His movements were slow and deliberate; I guessed the extended time between transformations necessitated an equally expansive post-shift energy replenish.

  “There’s a protein bar in my jacket if you are hungry,” I offered.

  He nodded and picked through the pockets until he found the snack, which he consumed in two bites. “Thanks, I was famished,” he said as he swallowed.

  Cunningham wandered away from the group to mull over the events of the last few minutes while the Jyryxahal held hands and chanted, “Fucked up.” With all the crazies occupied, I motioned for Alex and Sebastian to come closer.

  “My dear, you must teach them something less objectionable,” Sebastian admonished.

  “I know, but it’s kind of endearing,” I said with a grin. “Anyway, when Deputy Quick Draw regains whatever wits she had to begin with, we have to decide what we are going to tell her. She’s already asking questions.”

  “Right now, she is the least of our worries, carisa.”

  That did not sound good. Alex and Sebastian exchanged a cryptic glance before Alex continued. “Unfortunately, there’s more to the situation than Ulut’s transformation. Here, I’ll show you.”

  He guided me along the ridgeline and helped me to the top of a large boulder. In the daylight, our new vantage point would have provided a scenic vista. Now, there was just a whole lot of nothing.

  “I don’t get it. What am I supposed to see?”

  Alex pointed into the blackness. “What direction are we facing?”

  I did a mental backtrack of our movements. “I don’t know, northeast, I suppose.”

  “Correct. And what should we be able to see in the distance?”

  The twenty questions thing was getting old, but I figured I’d play along. If we were looking northeast, that meant Tucson should be in our sight line. “Is there fog out there, blocking the city lights?” I wondered.

  “No, carisa,” he said softly. “Nothing is obscured. Tucson’s not there.”

  That didn’t make any sense. “It can’t just disappear. We must be turned around.”

  I looked up at the stars, searching for familiar constellations to orient myself. The Big Dipper was easy to spot, and I followed the bottom two stars of its cup until I found Polaris, the North Star. Yep, we were pointed northeast, all right, but where was the Old Pueblo?

  “Alex, what’s going on?” I whispered, not entirely sure I wanted to hear the answer.

  He laced his fingers in mine. “Sebastian and I think we are in Dekankara.”

  “Because we can’t see any lights?” Granted, I didn’t have an alternative explanation, but definitely didn’t want to accept Alex’s. “That’s your proof?”

  “Many things,” he said, letting my hand go to tick off the evidence on his fingers. “One, the weather changed. Have you ever seen a storm like that disappear in a matter of seconds? And the ground is dry, besides. Two, the sat phone turns on, but it can’t communicate with any satellites. It worked fine a few hours ago. Three, Ulut is no longer a dog a
nd, four, it doesn’t feel like your dimension. Something is… off. When you add the apparent loss of your home town,” he said, pointing toward where Tucson should have been, “I think there is an abundance of convincing arguments.”

  “Maybe the batteries are charged enough to start the phone, but not to grab a signal from the stratosphere.” I was clearly grabbing at straws, but anything was better than admitting we were no longer in the human dimension.

  “Carisa,” Alex cautioned. “It doesn’t work because there are no satellites in this dimension.”

  The sadness in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. Somehow, we traveled to Dekankara. Great, I thought we were out for a strenuous, overnight mountain climb, not a junket to the third dimension. I should have packed a toothbrush.

  “How the hell did that happen? We never found a portal.”

  He shrugged. “We aren’t certain, but our working theory is the electrical energy from the lightning, combined with my magic to divert it, opened a way into the third dimension. The anomaly we checked out must have been a point of access, even though we couldn’t detect a portal. Although, to be honest, what might constitute a usable entryway was complete speculation on our part.”

  “Albert Einstein had it right when he said, ‘If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research,’” I noted sarcastically. “Well, the good news is Ulut shifted. The bad news is everything else. Any ideas how to get out of here?”