by DM Fike
He did touch me but not with his antlers. Rough, wet sandpaper tongue slashed across my forehead, licking my hair back.
“You’re not mad at me?” I breathed.
He nuzzled my cheek in response.
I lost it then. Every ounce of emotion I’d held back poured out of me like water out of a sieve. Tabitha’s sacrifice to save me, despite everything I had ever done to her. Guntram’s crushing disappointment in my abilities as an eyas. Rafe’s betrayal of my trust and all the damage he’d caused because of it. And now Darby trying to murder me. It all came flooding out of my weary body. I grabbed onto that poor deer’s nape and wept, grateful that Tabitha’s kidama forgave me.
And maybe I could forgive myself.
The deer let me hold him like a security blanket until my tears wound down to hiccups. I at least had the courtesy to wipe my nose on my hoodie sleeve rather than his fur. “Th-Thanks,” I whispered in his ear.
He gave me one last nudge, then stood back up to his full height.
I gave a shuttering sigh, staring down at Darby. “She needs someone to watch over her. Can you do it?”
He pawed the ground in an affirmative response.
It took some maneuvering, but I managed to lift Darby’s limp form up and drape her over the back of a random deer. Other deer gathered around us in support, a few of them even butting their heads around Darby’s sides to help stabilize her position. Then, when I’d gotten her as secure as I possibly could, two more flanked the gurney deer, ensuring she would not roll off the side.
I rubbed the lead deer’s nose. “You’re sure you can handle this?”
In response, the deer jerked his head, and the two does at his side strode forward in perfect lock step as if members of a marching band. The others followed, including the trio carrying Darby. They trotted away at a decent pace, but I knew Darby would not fall.
As the herd slowly faded back into the trees, a loud creaking caused me to twirl around. Across the new shepherd-made potholes, the store’s glass door inched open. Carol stood in the doorframe, gaping with mouth hanging down almost to her name tag. She watched as the last of the black tails disappeared into the woods.
“Is that…?” she asked, pale. “And you…? A storm…?”
I cringed. “Sorry for the mess.”
Then I plunged back into the forest. Even if I could dream up a plausible explanation for Carol, I didn’t have time. I had to catch up to Rafe.
CHAPTER 21
THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE had mentioned that Wonderland built its headquarters along a section of downtown Eugene that bordered the Willamette River. It was all part of the city’s long-term plan to transform a bunch of vacant lots into a “vibrant, active, and accessible riverfront district.” Having attended a few semesters of college there, I translated that political speak for “get rid of the vagrant-filled abandoned warehouses along the tracks and replace them with nice businesses.”
A wisp channel brought me near the northern banks of the river, a large wildlife area with lots of running trails and tree cover. I’d only ever used this portal once before, when Guntram had recruited me to become a shepherd in the first place. Scrambling up the river’s embankment, I emerged not far from a famous track star’s running trail. My mind flooded with nostalgia. I’d taken so many walks in and around this area instead of studying, trying to figure out why I could see strange animals that other people couldn’t. It seemed fitting that Guntram had approached me along this very river to explain my burgeoning ken. I’d come full circle returning for my Shepherd Trial, yet still staring upwards at the same overcast Oregon sky.
I jogged down the trail until I crossed the pedestrian bridge. Instead of following the path toward the university, though, I headed west. My feet protested as my old boots pinched my heels. I wished the lava hadn’t destroyed my last good pair.
I ran past a few empty lots and one large metal frame for a future apartment building before ending up at Wonderland’s headquarters. Standing five stories tall with tons of curved glass supported by gleaming silver beams, the modern design appeared out of place next to the small motels and restaurants around it. Even if the building hadn’t been screaming for attention like a prom queen at a cowboy ranch, Wonderland’s six-foot-high logo with a skier swishing down a W would have been a dead giveaway that I’d found the right place. Two hundred people milled in the concrete courtyard, some holding cardboard signs. An empty podium had been set up closer to the entrance, roped off with a police car nearby to signal that everyone should behave.
I stuck close to the river, away from the crowd and unsure of how to proceed, when a deep voice called out to me.
“Ina!”
It took me a second to locate Vincent since he wore a windbreaker and jeans, easily blending in with everyone else. As he approached my remote vantage point, I flung myself at him before I could stop to think about it. So much had happened in a short time, and I needed the emotional support.
He immediately wrapped his arms around me in a fierce hug. “Glad I could finally make it before the fun started for a change.”
A full holster underneath his jacket dug into my hip. “You brought your gun?”
“You better believe it.” He pulled away from me. “I’m ready if that bastard shows up.”
I raised an eyebrow. “But no uniform?”
“C’mon, you know Eugenians distrust the police. Look at them.” He gestured toward the largely white, middle-aged people with their neutral-toned secondhand clothing. Several shot furtive glances at the police officers talking to each other at the bottom of the building steps. “I’d stand out as much as they do.”
I swallowed, imagining Rafe trying something with this big of an audience. “Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’re right and he won’t show up.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve changed my mind on that.” Vincent pulled up the USGS database on his phone. “I got an alert about a 4.0 earthquake due east of Mohawk. It occurred less than a half hour ago.”
“That’s not good.” Mohawk, Oregon lay northeast of Eugene, about twenty miles away. I’d probably missed feeling the earthquake’s tremors during my fight with Darby.
Shouts erupted suddenly from the protesters. A business man in a suit emerged from Wonderland’s large revolving door. Despite jeers and boos, he stepped up with confidence to the podium, a fake smile plastered on his chiseled face. The microphone squealed as he adjusted it to his mouth.
“Citizens of Eugene, my name is Richard Caruso, acting CEO of Wonderland. I welcome you to the grand opening of our new headquarters.”
“Leave Mt. Hood alone!” a woman shouted when he paused for breath. This caused a wave of similar declarations, accentuated by a low-grade hiss.
Caruso continued as if he didn’t notice. “We at Wonderland are pleased to welcome those who have completed an application in advance to tour our new building. Its certified LEED design reflects our commitment to sustainability as we usher in the future of outdoor recreation.”
Cardboard signs shook at this declaration. “Stop old growth deforestation!” a rally cry went out as another group started a chant. Caruso seemed unfazed as he listed the platitudes of the architecture. The amplified speech and rising cries of the protesters soon collided in an inaudible soup.
I cringed. “Well this is just the worst.”
Vincent scanned the crowd, but instead of a reply, his hand went for his holster.
“We’ve got company.”
I followed his gaze toward the backside of the building. We were high enough that we could see behind the headquarters, past the river itself. An orange glow rose out of the muddy banks, growing higher and higher until you could clearly make out a humanoid figure outlined in fire. Its fathomless yellow eyes emerged as it burgeoned into giant form. Stumpy arms swung as it lumbered up the embankment toward Wonderland Headquarters, setting dry brush beneath it ablaze.
“What is that thing?” Vincent squeaked.
My heart raced. “A fire g
olem.”
I tried to run forward to confront it, but Vincent grabbed my wrist. “Wait!” Dumbfounded, he glanced back at the ceremony. “Why isn’t everyone panicking?”
I jerked out of his grip. “Because only shepherds can see it!”
“I’m not a shepherd! I can see it!”
The fire golem halted on the bike path. It straightened its chest and leaned its head back as if preparing to blow a little piggy’s house down. Then its breath erupted with a roar, flames shooting straight at Wonderland Headquarters.
The fire collided with the building’s third story. It set off a mini-explosion, glass raining down in millions of pieces, just barely missing Caruso.
Everything froze for a half second as numb brains processed the blast. Then panic ensued. Half the crowd ran away from the building toward the street while the other half stood dumbfounded in their tracks. Police officers grabbed those people nearest to the damaged building, pulling them farther away before returning to grab more. Unintelligible cries mingled with an alarm screeching inside the building, a slow trickle of office workers exiting as smoke billowed up into the air. Fortunately, given the slope of the courtyard, no one had wandered toward the river for shelter.
Vincent ran instinctively forward to help his fellow officers. He was trained to act in emergency situation. I, on the other hand, had no idea how to evacuate the masses. But as Rafe’s minion took another step toward the building, I knew what I could handle.
I sprinted for the golem.
My boots pounded on concrete as I evaluated my options. I couldn’t absorb the golem and risk ruining my pithways again. Been there, done that, bought the lousy T-shirt. I also didn’t have the chops to disperse the golem, like Guntram could. I had to rely on my normal magical abilities to contain the situation.
As I spied the Willamette River gurgling below, I realized what might work.
I veered off the sidewalk, boots sinking into mud until I stopped only yards away from the golem’s knees. It straightened its chest again, preparing for another wolf-like blow. My hands flew in a series of squares, but I needed more time.
I yelled, “Hey, ugly!”
It paused, neck crackling as it peered down at me.
Just enough time to finish the sigil. I slapped my palm down so fast into the mud that my fingers got temporarily sucked into the gunk. Full contact augmented my earth pith.
“TIMBER!” I screamed.
The entire slope of the riverbank suddenly slid downward, only me remaining stationary. Trees and bushes snapped in protest as they fell along with the sudden mudslide. The golem’s clunky stump-legs couldn’t keep balance with the abrupt shift. Flares shot out of its frame as it landed on its backside and gravity pulled it toward the river.
I had no idea how much water it took to douse a fire as big as that golem, so I didn’t take any chances. Grabbing onto the water charm around my neck, I wrote a series of Vs with lines bursting out of the top, fusing my pith with the river down below. As the fire golem hit the riverbank, I released the sigil and conjured a leaping wave out of the river itself. It rose twenty feet and came down on top of the fire golem as it flailed for leverage to stand.
Steam and screams mixed together as water overwhelmed the fire golem. Grunting, I kept my legs spread in a sigil stance, absorbing as much ambient moisture in the air to renew my water pith. I had no idea if I could pull off a move like that again, but if the fire golem came back, I didn’t have many other options.
As the steam cleared, I scanned for a flickering glow that would indicate the return of the fire golem. Instead of a giant, though, a human-sized shadow appeared. Rafe had decided to show himself. The scowl that marred his face made him appear almost like a caricature in his rage.
“You!” he yelled. “You should be dead!”
My jaw tightened. “Guess you’re not the only special snowflake that can’t die.”
“We’ll see about that!” One minute he looked ready to kill, the next he had drawn a rapid air sigil. He knocked me on my back so fast it left me breathless.
An ominous shadow bore down upon me. Rafe landed on me in a full tackle, then held me down by sitting on my stomach, hands pinning my shoulders to the ground.
Desperate to get him off me, I reached for the earth pith that should have been abundant around me as I lay in the mud. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn’t absorb anything. In fact, all my remaining pith slowly seeped out where Rafe had his hands on me.
He was draining me of my very pith.
Rafe must have noticed my terror because a sick smile spread across his lips. “You can struggle all you want, Ina, but I have a lot more experience doing this than you. And when your pith’s completely gone, I can murder you as easily as any other pitiful human.”
I couldn’t grab onto any of the pith in my system—not fire, air, water, or earth. Even my charms’ pith faded away as Rafe immobilized me. Thrusting my head down, I could feel my chin brush against Sipho’s lightning charm. Elated, I tried to absorb its energy into my pithways.
But I couldn’t. In horror, I realized the lightning charm was empty. I must have used the entire supply during my fight with Darby.
I thought I was dead as the last of my pith drained away and into Rafe, but an ear-splitting crack interrupted the assault. Rafe yelped in pain and scrambled off of me. I crab-walked away to put some distance between us.
“Stand down!” a familiar voice called out.
Rafe clutched his left arm as Vincent towered over us at the top of the embankment. He held his handgun in both hands, its barrel focused on Rafe.
Rafe’s wince slowly faded, replaced by a grin. He brushed himself off, casual as you please, not acting like someone about to get his brains blown out.
Vincent took a menacing step forward. “I will shoot you again!”
Rafe’s hand slowly fell from where the bullet had struck, exposing his wounded arm. Where there should have been blood and exposed bone, only a trickle of magma oozed. It slowly glowed with an inner light until it faded away, leaving behind unmarked skin in its wake.
My throat went dry. Rafe had self-repaired somehow with Nasci’s lifeblood.
Rafe raised both hands toward Vincent. “Your pathetic little firearm can’t hurt me!” He drew a complex series of sigils.
I recognized him assembling another golem. “RUN!” I tried to warn Vincent.
But Vincent didn’t have time as an air golem emerged out of the sky. As it formed wispy arms and legs, it sent a wind gust at Vincent that put hurricanes to shame. Vincent flew horizontally, over the hill and out of sight.
“VINCENT!” I cried, trying to get up.
But a steady wind bore on top of me, keeping me down. Half of my face became buried in the muck while the other saw Rafe coming back for me, his newest golem rising as tall as his previous monster. Rafe’s face betrayed his inner soul, a horrifying grimace of death. I grabbed at the elements around me, hoping to restore my pith for a fight, but Rafe jumped on top of me again. My minuscule pith stores drained away, leaving me completely vulnerable.
There was no speech, no grand gesture as Rafe closed his hands around my neck. He knew he’d have to kill me physically because I could absorb any elemental attack. I fought back against him, knee aiming for vulnerable spots like his groin. He avoided every strike. No punch would phase him. An awful glint lit his eyes, the kind generally reserved for kids riding a roller coaster. He experienced some sort of cheap thrill from watching me die, knowing I could do nothing as he squeezed the life out of my body.
My vision darkened as I weaved in and out of consciousness. Random images popped into my head. My mom hugging me under the lightning storm. Vincent’s kiss. Tabitha berating me. Darby coming at me with a wall of earth. Guntram with Fechin cawing on his shoulder.
The raven’s caw grew louder.
The pressure eased.
Hacking up a lung, I pushed myself up out of the gunk. Someone stood next to me, not trying to kill
me for a change. As I regained full control of my muddled brain, I realized this person wore a tunic and cape. He had his back to me but turned his head to reveal a thick black beard.
“Are you well, Ina?” Guntram shouted at me.
I didn’t reply as the air golem threw all its magical energy at us, so forceful that I couldn’t get my lips to surround my teeth.
“Guntram!” Rafe’s wavering voice rode his golem’s magic. The bastard had retreated to a safer vantage point to square off against his former augur.
Unlike me, Guntram seemed unaffected by the air golem’s fury. He could have been standing inside the lodge on a breezeless day, his cape didn’t so much as stir. He executed an air sigil that allowed his voice to boom out around us. “This ends now, Rafe! Surrender!”
Rafe answered with a rallying scream that had nothing to do with giving up. Guntram’s hands flew in a blur as the golem’s gusts intensified. I absorbed earth pith as fast as I could from the mud, drawing a sigil to allow me to stick to the ground before I flew away.
“So be it!” Guntram yelled, and he released so much air pith you could actually see strands of wind weaving together in a beautiful woven tapestry.
I couldn’t contemplate its beauty as Guntram flung me away. I didn’t understand why he’d tossed me aside until I watched him rip the air golem apart and, furiously scribbling, a gigantic tornado even taller than the golem shot up into the sky. It enveloped Guntram and Rafe, creating an elemental boxing ring where the two could face off alone.
I couldn’t hear anything but whistling as so many invisible particles rushed past my ears. Nevertheless, Guntram’s voice came in as gently as if we were having a leisurely soak in the hot spring.
“Go, Ina. I’ll take care of this.”
I couldn’t mistake the melancholy in his voice. Guntram was preparing to sacrifice himself.
Then the tornado shut around both him and Rafe, leaving me on the outside.
CHAPTER 22
“GUNTRAM!”