by Shawna Logue
I watched the battle, shock slowly turning to horror as I realized that the gargoyle was dodging most of the magic. He was lightning fast, and seemed to be able to predict each move they threw at him. Every once in a while a spell would hit him, but they seemed to have little effect and only creating small showers of dust as the magic ricocheted off his granite skin.
His maniacal, grating laugh cut through the noise of battle, making up my mind before I had realized it was forming a plan.
I jumped up, and could feel pure adrenaline pumping through my system. I ran out the door and down the steps in my stocking feet; no one noticed me as I turned the corner at a full sprint.
I didn’t need to run too far to feel the magic. Concentrating, I tugged with all my strength, taking from three lines at once. I was grateful that it only took a few seconds before my body was full of energy. I filled up so quickly that it was almost too much. I had to resist the urge to throw up as I sprinted back the two blocks to where the fight raged on.
Jack was slumped against the side of the building, clearly exhausted. Without thinking, I grabbed his hands, forcing the energy out of me. He understood, pulling his hands away when he had enough. With renewed vigour, he rejoined the fight. I could see Justin sitting prone against a street light, and though he was fairly close to me, I knew he was no longer able to fight. Connor was farther away, still casting. I thought about running to him, but I had given Jack almost three quarters of my power, and I knew the last twenty-five percent wouldn’t make a difference.
I took off running again, my feet burning with pain from sprinting shoeless. I blew past a man sweeping in front of his store, but he didn’t appear to notice me.
I took too much power this time, nearly passing out when I snapped the elastic energy back into place. Forcing myself to regain my balance, I practically flew back, aware that the sound was quieter now. As I rounded the corner, I watched in horror as the gargoyle easily deflected Connor’s spell, and redirected it toward Jack. Jack rolled out of the way and missed most of it, but he was still thrown backwards as the magic passed by him. His eyes stayed shut as he crumpled against the brick wall and did not reopen.
Connor’s hands were on his knees, clearly exhausted. I couldn’t run fast enough to get to him. With cat-like movements, Zarek clutched Connor’s shoulders in his talons and pulled him into the sky. It only took two seconds before he was high enough to let go.
I felt like Connor fell in slow motion; I watched in defenceless horror as his limp body accelerated to the ground. I knew I was shouting something, but I couldn’t hear it. I only barely caught Jack’s movement as he reached out weakly towards Connor, who halted to a violent stop inches from the ground. He hovered for only a moment before hitting the pavement. He did not get up.
Around me was nothing but devastation. Justin was unmoving, his arm bent unnaturally as his eyes focused on something far away. Jack’s eyes closed heavily in defeat as he lay amidst the pile of brick that had fallen from the wall when he hit it. Connor’s eyes were open, but I couldn’t be sure if he was conscious as he lay face down in the middle of the street. Glass and brick were everywhere; the dust hadn’t quite settled either, casting an eerie fog over the street.
Zarek’s high pitched keen brought me out of my daze as the gargoyle dove rapidly toward the giant cavity in the wall of my building.
“NO!” I screamed, reaching helplessly for Maria, who was still in the apartment.
As I screamed, I felt an unfamiliar surge of power eject from my body. Bright white and blue electricity shot from me like lightning, except instead of a single bolt, it flowed out like a continuous stream of energy. The jet flew rapidly through the air, searching for a target before sensing the gargoyle’s approach. The energy bent, magnetically drawn to the assassin. It blasted through him so quickly that he did not react. One wing was blown off completely, falling in rocky pieces to the ground. He spiralled uncontrollably into Connor’s black Audi, crushing it with the weight of his fall.
The wailing of the car alarm was the only noise aside from the crackling energy flowing from my palms. It had only been a few seconds, but I didn’t know how to shut off the flow. I turned my hands to the slowly rising beast. The energy left a path of destruction as the steady stream repositioned itself on its target. The force of my power pushed him back into the remains of the SUV, and I had to plant my stocking feet as I slid backwards from the resistance.
Though I was doing visible damage to the gargoyle, he appeared to be more determined now, fighting against the electricity. Pieces of him blew off in chunks as he struggled to walk towards me.
He took two steps before I slipped backward. My left hand waivered, leaving the target for an instant and sparking angrily against the scrap pile that was Connor’s car. I only had a split second to make my move.
Taking a deep breath, I focused both hands back on my attacker, and pushed the energy out of me. I saw the responding ball of light crackle from my hands and blast into Zarek. He flew back into the car, the metal protesting loudly as it curved around him. Knowing I only had a moment or two before I would run out of energy, I moved my hands to the car’s engine.
The shower of sparks was the only warning I had. As the last spark of power left my fingertips, I squeezed my eyes shut. The fiery explosion rang in my ears, and I felt my body lift effortlessly from the force of the blast. The heat was so intense I was instantly drenched in my own sweat. I kept my eyes closed as I landed in a crumpled heap somewhere down the street. I felt the searing pain as the sticky wounds on my back adhered to the pavement but I was unable to scream. My nose burned as the smell of blood overwhelmed me, and I knew I must be bleeding somewhere other than my back. I tried to inhale only through my mouth, struggling to stay conscious as I listened to the dwindling crackle of the fiery wreckage in the distance. It was only moments before the familiar weakness of the massive power drain caught up to me. I managed a weak sigh, recognizing the pull into blackness, and my inability to stop it.
Chapter Seventeen
My head was spinning when I woke up, and even before I opened my eyes I could tell something was wrong with gravity. A soft yet consistent pressure cushioned my face and I felt as though my head was trying to push its way through a small hole. My arms were spread outward, making a stiff L shape on each side of me. My feet dangled carelessly in open space, but the rest of my legs were supported, no, strapped down to something. I tried to look around, but my head was bound to the unusual vice as well. In fact, now that I thought about it, I could tell my arms were also pinned. Frightened, I tried to move, violently rattling the braces supporting my arms. Sharp, shooting pains raced up my body.
Fighting the pain, I pulled harder at my shackles. “Aaaaugh!” I grunted, barely raising my body an inch.
“Alex! What’s wrong?” Maria’s voice called from behind me.
“Get me out of here!” I shouted frantically. “I’m stuck!”
I felt her hand on mine. “It’s okay. You’re at the hospital. Your back was pretty messed up. They had to put you like this so you could heal. You kept trying to roll over.”
As she spoke, the hazy memories of the fight returned. I relaxed slightly, and after a moment of deep breathing, I tried to open my eyes. It took some effort, as they felt fused shut with salt and sleep. It was incredibly frustrating not to have to use of my hands. I gave up and kept them closed.
“Why aren’t we at Mobius?” I asked weakly.
She sighed. “Once the fight was over, I was the only one left conscious. What was I supposed to do? I called 9-1-1 and made up a story about the wall collapsing. Jack regained consciousness in time to help me move you and Connor closer to the rubble, and to disguise enough of what really happened before the paramedics arrived.”
I didn’t have time to ask more questions as a door burst open from somewhere behind and several frantic footsteps rushed through.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked worriedly. “I heard shouting.”
“She’s fine,” Maria answered. I was surprised how exasperated her voice sounded. She squeezed my hand lightly, and I knew she was trying to tell me something. “She was just talking in her sleep. It’s probably just a side effect of the pain medication.” She squeezed my hand, harder this time, and I knew I was meant to keep quiet.
“Should I get the doctor?” Jack asked.
“Maybe I should check on her?” Connor continued.
“She’s fine,” Maria gritted. “Out. Both of you. Don’t make me get angry.”
I suppressed a chuckle as I thought of Maria turning into some gigantic, green, hulk-like thing. Still, the two men appeared to be threatened enough by her that they left silently.
After I heard the door click shut, Maria let out a deep sigh.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
She giggled quietly. “Oh, the two of them have been behaving like little children. At first, neither of them would leave your side, each of them holding a hand as though you might float away if they let go.”
“At first?”
“You’ve been out of it for a couple days,” she said, as though this was the most normal thing in the world. It was certainly starting to feel normal. How many days had I lost to unconsciousness in the past couple months? This couldn’t be healthy. Maybe I should request an MRI or a CT scan or something.
“Anyway,” she continued, “The two of them practically had staring contests with each other. It was pretty funny. I finally convinced them that neither one of them were doing you any good by creating all this tension. Now they hover outside the door, but at least you can get some peace in here.”
“How much longer am I in here for?”
“Well, that’s something the two of them actually agree on. As soon as they can get you out of here, I believe. Mind you, they disagree on why they want you out so quickly. Jack wants you out so he can get some Elven ointment on your wounds, and I think Connor wants you out because he hates seeing you like this.”
“That sounds like Connor,” I sighed. “If he truly had his way, he would put me in a vault so no one could hurt me.”
“I know he ‘urt you, Alex, but he really loves you.”
“Dermot? How long have you been in here?”
Maria squeezed my hand. “Sorry, I forgot. He’s been here the whole time.”
“Oy!” he said, and I could tell from the Guinness smell he was inches from my face. A very small breeze passed over my face, and I got the impression he was waving his hand in front of me.
“I can’t open my eyes, you freak,” I laughed. “Go be useful and get me a wet cloth.” I heard a shuffling noise, and a few seconds later the faint sound of running water.
After a moment I felt the damp cloth placed in my hand.
“Funny,” I mumbled, and I heard he and Maria laugh at my incompetence. “Can you wipe my eyes, please?”
The cloth left my fingertips and a moment later was gently brushing the sleep from my eyes. It was almost too cold on my face, but it was still refreshing. When I finally opened my eyes, I finally understood why gravity felt funny.
I was upside down, my face looking downward to the off-white linoleum tiles. Dermot was lying on his back, looking up at me with a goofy expression.
“You look like an alien,” he said thoughtfully. “Yer face be all stretched like you be in a wind tunnel.”
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes.
“Just tellin’ it like it is.”
“Maria?” I asked, remembering something. “Did we win?”
She laughed, and below me Dermot’s face broke into a wide beaming grin. He slid out from under me, and I heard him rummage through something.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Zarek is a pile of gravel.”
“Oh! I got you a pressie!” Dermot cooed, and I saw his hand reach under me first, clutching something, before he slid in after it.
“What is it?”
He shook his hand, as though that would make me focus more clearly. Once he stopped waving, I could see his hand was holding the cylindrical base of something roughly the size of a cantaloupe, though the rest of it wasn’t round. Above his grip it fanned out, extending into four, hooked extremities. The rough and dark grey surface was mottled with small, ashy black patches.
“Ew!” I said as I recognized the gargoyle’s broken off hand. “That’s disgusting!”
Dermot laughed at my discomfort. “It’s just a rock.”
“I told you she’d hate it,” Maria grumbled from above me.
“I think it’s kind of fun,” he continued. “It could be a paperweight! Or even hold rings and things,” he added thoughtfully, setting the dismembered hand on the floor, directly in my line of sight. It easily stood upright.
“Good grief,” I muttered.
“Oy,” Dermot defended, “at least me present will last longer than a week!”
I was confused. “What happens in a week?”
He pointed off to somewhere I couldn’t see. “All those silly flowers will die. Me gift will last forever!” He was particularly pleased at this.
“What flowers?” I asked, interrupting his glee. He rolled his eyes.
“I think someone robbed Butchart Gardens,” he answered, referring to the popular tourist attraction in town. “Can’t you smell ‘em?”
I inhaled. I could smell them now. I was fairly certain of lilies, freesia, and roses. A lot of roses. I also caught a very faint scent of daisies. It was a little overwhelming, but also smelled comforting and warm.
“The boys keep outdoing each other,” Maria said quietly. I could tell from the way she said ‘boys’ that she was sick of their games.
“Yeah,” Dermot added, “but Connor dropped the ball on this one.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“That elf keeps bringin’ you these intricate bouquets: roses, lilies, roses, orchids. Oh! Did I mention roses? All Connor brings is these.”
His hand appeared under me, holding a giant, bright purple daisy.
“Gerberas,” I smiled, inhaling the faint scent of my favourite flower.
“Kind of boring,” Dermot said, taking the flower away. I was glad he wasn’t below me anymore; he would have laughed at my crestfallen face when he took the simple flower away.
I heard the door open, and Maria placed my hand flat on the arm board before her chair squeaked noisily along the floor as she stood. I saw felt prodding hands along my back, and I winced.
“Alexis?” a low woman’s voice asked.
“Yes?”
“I’m Dr. Montgomery. How are you feeling?” Her hands continued to prod along my back.
“I’m fine,” I answered, unsure if I believed my own words.
I heard her flip through some paperwork, murmuring something to herself, or possibly Maria. “Your admirers seem to think I should let you leave this afternoon.” She was clearly amused. I groaned.
She misinterpreted me. “Of course, I could always keep you here a while longer.”
“No,” I said, far too quickly. “I mean, if I can, I’d like to leave. No offense, but I really hate hospitals. And I’m not sure how long I can stare at this boring floor.”
“I get that a lot,” she laughed. “I’ll come back in a few hours to check on you one last time, but I am only going to release you if promise to follow certain rules.” She didn’t wait for me to answer and I heard the faint click of the door behind her. Three seconds later, the door burst open with a loud bang.
“You’re getting out!” Jack exclaimed gleefully.
I felt a hand brush lightly against my hair, and I knew it was Connor. It was too warm to be Jack’s.
“Yeah,” I mumbled. “In a few hours, I guess.”
“Don’t sound so ‘appy,” Dermot joked.
Maria’s protests to get the two men to leave were ignored. Both of them talked over each other as they tried to decide wher
e I was going. Jack argued that now that Zarek was gone, the castle was the best place for me, because of all the easily accessible medicine nearby. Connor wanted me at his place, because, well, his argument was purely selfish.
“What about Mobius?” I said during one of the rare pauses in their debate.
Surprisingly, neither had seemed to have considered this option. They both agreed, but soon after found something new to debate. I caught sight of a pair of large, shiny, black, buckled shoes.
I wiggled my fingers in his general direction, hoping no one else would see. I was counting on the others being too distracted to notice. Luckily, he caught my motion, he peered his head under the bed. I laughed, wondering how much luck had to do with it when dealing with a leprechaun.
He was waiting expectantly for me to speak.
“I’d like to be tired now,” I whispered.
He looked up at the two arguing men, then back to me, and I knew he understood. He waved a hand, and in moments the stark floor transformed into a softly lit rainbow of colours. The sounds around me slowly faded away as I was hypnotized by the dancing lights.
A moment later, I felt the bonds being removed from my legs and arms. The lights disappeared, and I could tell from the change in shadows that it was hours later. As the nurse helped me up, I caught the apprehensive expressions of my friends as they peeked through from the hallway window into my room.
Looking around now, I could see what Dermot had meant by the two men outdoing each other. Mixed bouquets lined one side of the room, each one bigger than the last. On the other side, a similar floral procession lined the windowsill, but these were only gerberas.
“Quite a fan club you’ve got there,” she laughed, as she pulled the curtain around us, helping me into my clothes. I didn’t recognize them, but I figured my old ones were probably destroyed.
“Yeah, they’re alright.” We both laughed. “Can you give these all homes? Find some patients who might need cheering up?”