“And then what?” Maeve asked.
“Then nothing. I had been on an academic track, aiming for full professor at NYU. Then my paper got buried. It finally did get picked up by a smaller academic press. But my academic career was over.”
“How could they do that?” Caradoc came closer. “That’s important research, and they buried it? What reason?”
Bart looked to both Caradoc and Aisling. “The High Council felt it would cause panic in the general populace. My research was shut down by the high king and queen themselves.”
“Damn. Good way to support the theory that we might be right and this all goes back to our parent.” Caradoc leaned down to look at something stuck in the solidified goo, then jumped back. “I think it moved.”
Stella went over and glared at the goo, which, as far as Aisling could tell, wasn’t moving.
“Two hundred years?” Reece looked to Aisling.
“You think my death caused the veil to go bonkie?” Aisling had caught the two hundred years mention also. Damn thing kept popping up. But not everything could be tied to when her mother killed her. “That’s a stretch, don’t you think?”
“Or it’s when our father brought you back.” Caradoc moved away from the goo, but kept an eye on it.
Stella nodded. “From what I’ve heard, and what I learned from my aunt, death causes a ripple in the world and beyond the veil. Every death. It’s natural and minor. Who knows what kind of impact coming back would have?”
“Might be on track,” Maeve said. “Think about it, we don’t know why she killed you, why your father or someone brought you back, or the repercussions. It’s too bad none of you can safely go back through the veil—I think a lot of answers are on that side.”
Reece had been close to an arm of the solidified goo when it liquified and reached out and grabbed his leg, pulling him off balance. Jones was closest to him and pulled him back, but he couldn’t break him free. Nor stop the forward movement. The long arm of active goo was slowly, but determinedly, dragging Reece into the hole. Reece tried to fight, kicking at it with his other leg, but screamed as the part pulling his leg in started to smoke.
Aisling ran over to help, grabbing Jones and pulling as he had a good grip on Reece. But the goo kept dragging them forward. Caradoc ran to one of the cars, grabbed some electrical wire, connected it to the gizmo he had been using and swung it at the goo. The sections he hit froze again, but the rest was still liquifying, reforming, and reaching out.
Aisling let go of Reece and ran around the goo. She shoved aside the terror at what was happening to Reece and focused as much magic energy as she could at stopping the goo. It wasn’t easy. The smoke around his leg had stopped but he still looked to be in a lot of pain. Forcing her eyes away from him, she pulled out the pendant, If the theory about the dome being connected to the goo was right, this should have the same result. But she kept her hand on the chain, not the pendant this time.
Caradoc ran to her and grabbed her hand. She thought he was trying to stop her, but then realized he was adding his magic to hers. A very tricky thing for any magic user and one they hadn’t tried since they were kids and he’d accidentally flung her a few houses over. They were better matched now and his magic flowed along with hers and the pendant’s.
Reece yelled as his foot was pulled into the hole. Aisling tried communicating with the pendant; if it was aware at all, she was going to make it listen to her. She felt it become aware, then furious at the goo. Primitive thoughts, but very pointed. They might both be from the other side of the veil, but they were not friends. The pendant took the magic she and Caradoc created, focused it, and blasted the goo.
The goo steamed, then exploded into blackened pieces of what looked like burnt glass. They shot high in the air, then rained around the entire road.
Reece was suddenly released and he and the others pulling on him were flung back a few feet.
Aisling and Caradoc both stumbled, but recovered. Unlike stopping the dome, Aisling didn’t feel weak this time. The pendant had worked with her and Caradoc, not against them. It gave a soft humming sound; then whatever awareness was in there was gone.
“That was different,” Aisling said with a smile to Caradoc. “Thanks for the assist.”
“Reece isn’t breathing!” Maeve yelled.
Chapter Forty-Four
Aisling reached Reece first, with Caradoc right behind her. Had she killed Reece in trying to save him?
Her heart was in her throat as she dropped to her knees and put a hand on his heart. She forced herself into a healer trance when her magic didn’t initially respond to him. He was still there, but barely hanging on. His breathing was shallow and his heartbeat faint. Shoving aside the terror she felt at possibly losing him, she reached into his mind and grabbed that spark of him that remained and started mentally yelling at him as she worked on repairing his body. She needed him to fight back against dying.
“Don’t you dare leave me! I will hunt you down and bring you back. Hang on—fight it!” His body had looked fine on the outside, but whatever power the goo had must have shot through him as they defeated it. His nerves and muscles were all fried. Which meant his heart stopped beating.
She focused on doing CPR externally as she worked on healing him from inside. And continued the mental yelling. “You can’t leave me you fishy, annoying, superspy. Damn it. I don’t care if you’re a siren.” She let everything she felt about him out in one mental shout. “I love you!” The force of her words, and the extreme anger she felt about him trying to leave her, surged her healing.
His awareness came back as his body responded to her magic rebuilding his nerves and muscles. Everywhere that had been burnt or damaged was healed now.
“I knew you did. I can sense these things.” He kissed her.
At first she thought everything was still in her head, then she realized his mouth was on hers. She opened her eyes and returned the kiss.
“That’s great and all, but if you keep crying on him, you might drown him. And we do have a world or two to save.” Maeve’s voice had enough of a shake in it that Aisling knew she hadn’t been the only one who thought they’d lost Reece.
Aisling broke off the kiss and wiped her tears off his face. “Sorry about that, you’re a bit soggy.”
He smiled and wiped as well. “A fair cost for getting you back—and the whole saving my life bit.”
Bart nodded. “Good job, Danaan. I’d hate to have to replace Larkin right now. He is still a bit wet, though.” If he was disturbed or surprised at two of his agents kissing each other, he didn’t show it.
“Aisling is still shaking. How about I help you both up?” Jones reached down and helped them to their feet.
Stella walked over to them. Her eyes filled with worry as she touched them each on the cheek. She broke into a grin. “They’re both fine now.” She turned to Reece and shook her finger at him. “Don’t do that again.” Then she hugged them both and stepped back.
Maeve moved in after Stella and grabbed Aisling and Reece in a hug. “Damn it—no more dying, near dying, nothing even close. For either of you.” She gave Aisling a nod, they’d talk later.
Aisling slipped her arm around Reece’s waist at the same time he dropped his around her shoulders. All the uncertainty of the past weeks at what was going on between them fled when she thought she’d lost him. That he’d never had that uncertainty said a lot too. They’d deal with the possibility of him having siren powers after they saved the world. Or at least freed London.
Caradoc picked up a piece of the solid goo before anyone could yell at him to stop. He must have heard the gasps though. “Sorry to worry you all—but this stuff is dead. I want to look at it with my scanners, but it’s dead now. I’d guess that electricity stuns it, but it takes a lot more to kill it.”
Bart’s eyes went wide as that implication hit him. He pulled out his phone. “Larkin, notify LAX they might have a new problem on their hands if that goo becomes active again.
I’ll call Driyflin and get her to cordon off the sinkhole. Jones, contact the New York office and get them to warn all the agents.”
Reece had to release Aisling to make his call.
Maeve gave Aisling a smile and pulled her away from him a bit. “I know the world is ending again, but we’ve decided he’s not showing siren powers now?”
Aisling shrugged. “I have no idea, to be honest. But when I thought I was going to lose him...I just don’t think what I’m feeling is because of a siren. He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s my pain in the ass. I love him.” She shook her head. “Awesome timing, right?”
“You were always a bit daft when it came to love.” Maeve grinned. “But he’s a good one. And he massively loves you. If we live through this you two can settle down and raise little sproglets. I do claim right of maid of honor and godmother to all aforementioned sproglets by the way.”
“You are so jumping the gun. But I promise both positions of honor will be held by you. Providing we get through this and things get to that point. I just realized I am in love with the man for crying out loud.”
“Deal.” Maeve was focusing on someone past her.
Aisling grinned when she turned and saw it was Caradoc. “When are you going to make a move on my brother?”
Maeve started a bit. “Harlie’s not my type, really, but thanks.”
“Caradoc. I’ve seen the interest from you and him. He’s also a pain in the ass, but a good guy.”
Maeve’s blushes weren’t common. “I...yeah. He is kinda a hottie. And funny, and terrifyingly brilliant. Do not tell him I said any of that. I have to keep my focus on killing Nix, then life can continue.” But her look wandered back to Caradoc as he collected a few more goo stones.
“I won’t say anything.” Aisling gave a sweet smile. “But you would make a great sister-in-law.”
“Ack! Too soon.” Maeve’s face locked into a look of horror. “Oh gods, that would make your mother...”
“Your mother-in-law. Welcome to our hell.”
Caradoc had gathered a handful of stones and was heading back toward the barn with Stella peering at them as they walked. Reece, Jones, and Bart finished their calls—none of them looked happy.
“What happened?” Aisling asked as Reece stepped over to them.
“It’s not good,” he said. “The airport goo had already reanimated a few hours ago, it killed three workmen before it was contained. They are using electricity to shock it back into dormancy, but it has already come back once. They have alc mages coming out, but it takes them a while.”
Alc mages were extremely secretive and off-the-charts powerful magic users who lived in the furthest reaches of the globe. That they were being called out was almost as scary as what was going on around them.
Jones didn’t look any happier. “New York reports three more building drops, all around the city, and far smaller than the ones on the west coast, or even this one. They have alc mages on the way as well.”
Bart joined them. “Captain Driyflin was on her way to the sinkhole when I called her. Luckily Caltrans hadn’t started on repairs but the goo came out and tried to attack the two Area 42 agents on guard duty. The alc mages will go there after they cleanse LAX.”
Aisling kicked one of the goo rocks lightly. “Should we leave these scattered around? I’d feel better if they were gathered in some extremely reinforced and sealed metal container. And perhaps sent into the sun.” The goo certainly looked solid, but it had seemed solid before. Maybe a nice bath in a live volcano would destroy them.
“I think gathering them is a good idea. But, your brother aside, I’d rather you all used shovels and wheelbarrows—not grabbing by hand,” Bart spoke just as Jones bent down to grab a piece.
Bart went back to the barn. Aisling, Maeve, Reece, and Jones were on clean up duty. Finding shovels and wheelbarrows wasn’t hard, they’d moved a number of both items out of the barn when they fixed it up.
“I’d hate to think of someone taking one of these home as a keepsake.” Maeve chased a bunch of them around with her shovel. “But where are we going to put them?”
Dailten came out and looked at the collection. “Those really did get destroyed. Excellent. I am sorry they almost got Reece.” She nodded to him. “But I think I know a perfect holding place for them. An old sealed up well. It’s thick and strong, and has a lot of earth around it to reinforce the containment.” She walked toward the side of the barn. Harpies were unusually attuned to nature, so she would have a good feeling for the strength of the earth around the well.
She stopped in front of a large underground well. It stuck up a foot or two from the ground. There was no way from here to see how large it was, but the heavy-duty lid on it was at least two feet across and had a large wheel on top to turn it. “Mayhap, you young ones can open it?” Dailten held up her hands and showed the slight bending in both. “Clean living hasn’t stopped arthritis from making a visit from time to time.”
Aisling tilted her head. She’d never seen a well of any sort look like this. “What kind of well was this?”
“Better not to bring that up, the ground is still touchy about it.” Dailten grinned at the dirt. “I did apologize profusely. Never you worry, it’s safe now.”
It took all four of them, but they got the top off. The tank was huge and thick. After this was over, Aisling was certain Area 42 would send agents to gather the rocks, but for now this should keep them from causing any more harm. Whatever it had been a well for, it was intended not to let anything out.
Dailten smiled as they started dumping them in. “Harlie, Caradoc, and I are breaking from our prior studies to work on a way to detect the dead goo rocks, in case any were missed. We don’t want any of them out and about.” With a nod, she walked back toward the barn.
Harpies had a distinctive walk, their wings were larger than other flyers, and while they did fold back and become visually invisible, they still threw off their stride.
Watching Dailten, Aisling let out a deep breath as an old sadness hit her.
Reece turned to her. “What’s wrong?”
Maeve knew and squeezed Aisling’s shoulder. “Thinking of Forith, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” Aisling nodded to Reece. “Forith was my partner before Maeve. She’s gone now.” She didn’t want to go into it at this point, over ten years and the memory was still too fresh. It had been a brutal loss, and even though she’d run across harpies since, none reminded her of Forith the way Dailten did just now. “Just an old memory messing with me. We have enough to deal with.” She mentally raised a blessing to her lost friend and went back to the rocks.
They finished dumping what rocks they could find into the well, even going out in a search pattern radiating out from the center to find more. If Harlie and Dailten could make a detector they should be able to make sure none were left.
Caradoc almost bounced out to meet them as they came back to the barn. “Great timing, sister mine!” He was too perky; which usually meant he’d discovered something deadly to create. “We have modified this metal detector to help with any missing stones. Just one detector though, so you’ll have to take turns. We also have verified that the green goo is from beyond the veil. It’s not a reaction to this world—it’s actually bringing in components from the other side.” He held up a heavy canister. “No idea if the pulverized rock dust will prove helpful for anything else, but it is secured now.”
Harlie sat at the other end of the table. “Components, really, more so than aspects. I would love to get a sample of the dome, but the physical and metaphysical implications and aspects are huge. Something on the other side is forcing its way through. In the goo.”
Aisling looked at the analysis Caradoc had up on his screen, but the chemical makeup meant nothing to her. “The pendant doesn’t like the goo. There is some sentiency in the pendant, but it’s not there all the time. Once I made it realize what we were fighting against, it got angry. That’s what blasted the goo apart.”
“Great, the monsters from our children’s tales are now our heroes?” Aisling laughed but it felt true.
“On another front, we’ve reached out to our precog circle. All of them have felt something building. But none know what it is. Just a disturbance of great proportions.” Harlie looked to Maeve. “And I even picked up sendings from at least two people within the London dome. They are confused and foggy, their sendings little more than random mutterings as if asleep. But they are alive.” He knew that news would be welcome by everyone, but mostly by Maeve.
Aisling smiled. “Thank you. That gives me hope for the rest trapped inside there. Any more news updates on Nix and his demands?”
Bart shook his head. “The timeline is still ticking, but no one has officially responded to them. And no confirmation or denial from HLF.”
“Are the British king and queen still in Buckingham? Kind of hard to respond if you’re in a slumber.” Jones studied the screens and nodded. He was an action focused person, but understood a lot of science babble.
“No, they were in Edinburgh for a planned visit when the attack struck,” Bart said. “I believe Nix and whoever he is working with might have felt taking London over was enough to motivate everyone; but locking in the royals might make getting what they want harder. This appears to have been extremely well planned.”
“And that is why I wanted to remove you all before we got to this.” Nix was standing right behind them.
An Uncommon Truth of Dying (Broken Veil Book 2) Page 34