Mystique noticed his reaction and decided to answer the questions he’d asked without causing any more tension. “The ancient turned the ship around and is kicking us out of their dimension. He did say he was powerful.”
Captain Remington covered his amazement by going on the offensive. He really wasn’t a diplomat. “What do you mean that Shektee isn’t coming with us? The agreement was that she’d answer our questions about her dimension.”
“And I will. I’ll rejoin you when you enter this dimension, as you call it. Passing through the dimensional barrier on a ship does not reduce my hunger the way being summoned does, therefore it’s safer for all if I spend as little time in your dimension as possible.”
“How long before your hunger forces you to feed?” Bruce asked, interested and not trusting Remington to ask the right questions.
“Two, maybe three days, after which I’ll either feed or shift back into my home dimension. I don’t belong in your dimension and I must expend energy to remain, so leaving is as simple as breathing.”
“We’ll figure out some way for you to feed,” Captain Remington stated. The conversation had worked to calm him and get his mind off his injured men.
“Captain, is the ship ready to return to our dimension? Shouldn’t you inform the rest of the crew?” Mystique asked, changing the subject. She wanted to talk with Shektee before the transition and she didn’t want Remington listening in.
“You should strap into one of the bunks,” Remington instructed as he headed out of the berthing compartment.
Bruce closed the hatch after Remington and headed back over to the girls. “Thank you.”
“What for?” Shektee asked, giving him a quizzical look.
“For not killing everyone onboard.”
“Not now. Shektee, what’s a RABUM-ANZILLU?” Mystique needed to know.
“Silence!” Shektee yelled and, for the first time, Bruce saw Shektee panic. Shektee clamped her hand over Mystique’s mouth and looked around expecting an attack. Mystique didn’t struggle and after almost a minute of staring around the room, Shektee finally released her.
“How do you know that name?” Shektee asked, forcing herself to calm down.
“It’s part of a phrase that popped into my head while the ancient was here. I think it’s another summoning phrase, but what does it summon?”
“A creature that hunts demons; if you summon it, everything will die. The ancient may be able to keep it from attacking you, but that does not guarantee you will survive.”
“Bleen! Why would he put that in my head? I get into enough trouble.”
“I would guess it is in case Captain Remington’s superiors decide to hunt you down again.”
“Do me a favor and forget the phrase please,” Bruce broke in.
“I wish I could, but it doesn’t work.”
“Bruce, never say those words. Just speaking of them can gain their attention,” Shektee left it to Bruce’s imagination to fill in the blank as to what their attention would cause.
“Boija Tamoi,” was all Bruce could say as he fell into a seat, stunned at the idea of what one of these creatures looked like and how destructive they could surely be.
“All right. Next question is, can I still summon you if you’re already in this dimension but on another planet?”
“I have no idea. Summonings are actually very rare. It is very difficult to pass the information on how to summon through the barrier, and normally the summoned demon kills the summoner as soon as possible. Most are mindless killers like Captain Remington expects.”
“Would you mind if I tried to summon you in a few months or so? I’ve gotten used to having you watching my back and some things are easier to discuss with you than anyone else.”
“Certainly. I too have grown used to your company, and your understanding and acceptance of my feeding habits makes our time together agreeable,” Shektee said with a smile that made Bruce’s skin crawl. At times he could almost forget she was a demon, and then there were times like this when she really proved she was evil.
“Bruce, I would ask you to have these converted into a currency Mystique can use,” Shektee requested, handing Bruce a small pouch. When Bruce dumped part of the contents out into his hand, his eyes went wide with surprise. The pouch was full of large gems of different colors and shapes. He had no idea how much they were worth, other than a small fortune.
“Where did you get these?” Mystique asked as she looked over the gems.
“There are many creatures in this dimension; I traded a small amount of energy for them.”
Mystique gave Shektee an appraising look as she asked, “What do I owe you for them?”
“Nothing. You allowed me more time to hunt than I’d hoped for, which means I owed you. This payment is to even the scales.”
“The ship is starting to pass through the barrier. Summon me when you’re ready,” Shektee stated as she faded away.
***
Chapter 12
Back to School
Mystique sat with Bruce in the interrogation room waiting to see what would happen. Captain Remington had ignored standard protocol by having the shuttle pilot fly straight to police headquarters. A group of officers had been waiting for them on the roof, but their greeting was anything but friendly. Two of Captain Remington’s men and two officers had escorted them to the room and told them to wait. They’d been waiting for four hours and twenty-three minutes. Bruce was keeping track and informing Mystique every few minutes.
It was another hour and sixteen minutes before the door finally opened. Bruce’s mother was the first through, followed by Mr. Shensi. Major Castleman was a few steps behind, speaking with Captain Remington. Bruce didn’t even try to hide his relief and joy at seeing his mother, and she returned his loving hug with reassuring whispers. Mystique didn’t bother to stand up. No one was eager to hug and reassure her; in fact, Mr. Shensi had moved to put as much distance between them as he could. Major Castleman gave her a quick nod but that was all.
“Bruce, you’re free to go. Your mother will explain the conditions of your release,” Captain Remington stated, expecting Bruce to leave without question. But of course Bruce had plenty of questions and he wanted at least some answers before Captain Remington left.
“What about our records? I know the deal was that we’re not to be harassed, but what about my chances of going to the Naval Academy?”
“Your records here are clean. All charges and evidence against either of you have been removed. There will be no repercussions for the actions taken by anyone involved in this incident. As for the Naval Academy, your application has been fast-tracked. Certain members of military high command will be receiving a copy of the report on what took place here. I would expect them to have a few questions for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Come on, Bruce, let’s go,” Bruce’s mother said, leaving no doubt she wanted to leave immediately. Mr. Shensi was already moving toward the door.
“I’ll see you at school, Bruce,” Mystique said as he turned to her.
“No! You will not. You have caused this family enough trouble. I never want you seeing Bruce again,” Claudia Montagu raged. Her face was deep red and her hands clinched into fists as she stared at Mystique. Mystique calmly stood up, preparing herself for Mrs. Montagu’s attack.
“In that case…Bruce, give me the gems. I’ll figure a way to sell them,” Mystique said calmly as she stepped toward Bruce. Major Castleman and Captain Remington both shifted position to give them a better chance to react if violence broke out. Major Castleman didn’t expect to have time to save Ms. Montagu if Mystique did attack, but he’d have to try.
“Mom, calm down,” Bruce ordered as he moved to block her potential attack. Once he was confident his mother wasn’t going to attack, Bruce turned and started handing Mystique the pouch of gems.
“You’re not giving her anything,” Claudia Montagu stated loudly as she reached past Bruce to grab the pouch from his ha
nd before Mystique could. Mystique’s first instinct was to slap Claudia’s hand away and take the gems, but she knew that her slap would probably shatter the older woman’s hand. Instead she chose to give Bruce a chance to save his mother.
“Those are my gems. Bruce was asked to sell them for me. So, please hand them over,” Mystique said, her voice just slightly over a whisper.
Claudia instead chose to step back and look inside the pouch. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the assortment of gems in the pouch. She had expected to find garnets and maybe a few other worthless stones, not diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. There were even a few she did not recognize. All thoughts of what was going on around her faded into the background as she poured a few of the gems into her palm for a better look.
Mystique gave Bruce a look, letting him know he had only a few seconds to get her the gems before she got them herself. Bruce understood the danger his mother was in. He spun around, saying, ‘Mom, give them back; they’re Mystique’s gems.”
“Where would she get gems like this? If they’re hers, then she stole them from somebody,” Claudia said, feeling her superiority.
“Where did those come from?” Captain Remington asked, looking at Bruce and Mystique. He had an idea but wanted to be sure.
“Shektee gave them to me. Ms. Montagu, give them to me,” Mystique ordered in her quiet voice. Major Castleman moved closer to Mystique. He had heard that voice before and knew it meant she was about to seriously hurt somebody. Captain Remington moved to see the gems, not believing Mystique would do anything in front of so many witnesses.
Bruce knew his time was running out so he made a grab for the pouch. Bruce had never been very graceful. He was able to get a hold of the pouch but, in doing so, he knocked the gems in his mother’s palm into the air. A half-dozen gems sparkled as they went bouncing around the room. The shock of seeing the gems sailing by was enough to allow Bruce to wrench the pouch free; without hesitation, he threw it over his shoulder, confident that Mystique would catch it. Mystique’s reflexes were as good as Bruce had expected; she snagged the pouch out of the air, making sure no more of its contents escaped.
Everyone in the room stood still as the gems bounced to rest. They all knew that the first person to reach for a gem was going to be the target of at least verbal abuse. Finally Mystique broke the stalemate, “They are mine. I want all of them back.”
“They are extra-dimensional material, so I am going to have to confiscate them,” Captain Remington stated, but before Mystique could protest, he continued: “You said that Bruce was going to sell them for you. I will authorize a five-hundred-thousand credit payment for them.”
Mystique looked at Remington, appraising how serious he was. She started to protest his claim on them, but the offer of payment seemed sincere. “Okay, that works for me,” she said as she handed Remington the pouch.
“Wait a minute. They’re worth ten times that amount,” Bruce claimed.
“It’s all right. It’s enough and the captain didn’t have to offer to pay anything. He’s already being generous,” Mystique replied, giving Captain Remington a little nod.
“Bruce, if you ever want to get in contact with me, Major Castleman will know how. I’d strongly suggest you learn how to fight. You’re marked now and the book lady said those who are marked attract bad things,” Mystique told Bruce as his mother dragged him toward the exit. She had clearly had enough of all of them and wanted to leave. Mr Shensi was already out in the hall waiting.
“So, how upset is the ambassador with me?” Mystique asked as she turned her attention to Major Castleman.
“He is annoyed, but it’ll pass once things get back to normal. What about you?”
“You did what you had to. I don’t blame you for anything,” Mystique said to Castleman while looking at Remington, giving the men impression that she meant it for both of them.
“Any word from Angelica or Daemon?”
“Yes. They made it to New Sydney without much incident, though the report I received about the voyage was interesting. It seems Angelica was quite attracted to one of the officers and her empathic ability caused a bit of trouble,” Castleman told her with a sly grin. Mystique understood what’d happened and chuckled. Remington looked at both of them, confused.
Mystique spotted Remington’s quizzical look and explained: “Angelica can project emotions onto those around her. Normally she uses it to keep people calm and cooperative. I am guessing she was feeling a bit lustful and was projecting that instead.”
Both Mystique and Castleman burst out laughing as Remington realized what that meant. Remington joined them in their laughter. If the reports he had read were true, he could just imagine the chaos the captain of the vessel endured.
After a time, the jokes and laughter subsided and Castleman regained his normal professional manner. He asked Mystique if she’d be joining them on New Sydney.
“No. I have to go back to school. It is part of the arrangement with Captain Remington. He needs to be able to find and contact me. We can talk about it later.”
“I have a question before you go. Is there anything more you can tell me about the gems?” Captain Remington asked.
“Not much. Shektee said she traded for them. She felt she owed me for allowing her to feed as much as she did,” Mystique explained, but when she saw the reaction to her allowing Shektee to feed, she decided that also warranted an explanation. “She didn’t kill all the time. In fact, she spent most of the time she was hunting practicing how to feed without killing, as well as erasing the memory of what had happened. The only ones she did kill were bad guys who deserved to die.”
“All right. Who’d she trade with? And what do they use for currency?” Remington asked, not wanting to get sidetracked by a moral argument with a psychopath.
“She said that there are a lot of different creatures in her dimension. Life energy seems to be the main currency everything wants it and it is difficult for them to obtain. If you’re thinking about trading with others of her kind, just remember they don’t see us as anything but food. Shektee would’ve killed me the first time we met if not for the old man. Now I think she might keep me around as a useful pet,” Mystique explained. The reference to an old man didn’t make sense to Castleman, but he made note to ask her more about him later.
“They’re all amoral psychopaths; I think that’s the main reason Shektee and I get along so well. I know what the doctors say about me but they’re wrong. I do have feelings for others and I do know right from wrong. It’s just hard for me to care,” Mystique explained defiantly, challenging either of them to argue with her.
“Mystique, it’s been very interesting meeting you. Please try to stay out of trouble,” Captain Remington said as he bent to pick up one of the fallen gems. Castleman understood the dismissal and ushered Mystique out and down the hall.
***
Mystique was back in the coffee shop having her tea. The only difference was now she shared her table with Alan and Sam. The boys had avoided her at first but Bruce’d asked them to give her a message. Once they realized Shektee was gone and she wasn’t hunting any crime bosses, they’d started hanging around more often. They were still a bit leery, but they offered to help with her studies.
Bruce’s mother had him transferred as soon as she found out the Mystique was back in school. The message he’d sent her was to let her know that he’d been summoned to the naval academy. The summons said that he’d scored high enough to qualify for special early admission. They both knew it was more likely he’d be heading for a lot of questions about Shektee. He’d written that he would try to stay in touch. Mystique was pretty sure he wouldn’t.
The school administrator had not wanted her back but Ambassador Quinn had been able to change his mind. He had also arranged for her to have an apartment off campus. The apartment was close to campus and she’d insisted on it having three bedrooms. Normally it wouldn’t be allowed, but again strings had been pulled. Sara Vickers was now her le
gal guardian as well as her bodyguard.
She liked not having to live in the dorm but living with Sara had its own problems. The biggest of which was about to show up. It had been a little over two months and Mystique had arranged for a trip out to a hunting lodge for a long weekend. She was hoping that by being out in the middle of nowhere, nobody would notice the lightning storm caused by the summoning. She had also checked the weather map and the area where the lodge was located was supposed to have rain all weekend.
Sara had of course refused to allow Mystique to go alone. Mystique bought a fishing pole and a tackle box full of hooks and lures. She also arranged to borrow a rifle from the embassy. Sara planned on bringing a satellite uplink, an assault rifle, and a pistol. The lodge was supposed to be fully furnished and stocked with supplies.
Mystique planned to sneak out on Saturday night after Sara went to bed and summon Shektee. She did not want to risk Sara interrupting her during the summoning. The idea of killing her and having Shektee replace her had crossed her mind but Angelica would find out and not approve. Since she couldn’t kill Sara, there was no sense in hurting her unless she had to.
They arrived at the camp by air car Friday afternoon. One advantage of having Sara along was that she knew how to drive pretty much any vehicle. Sara’d actually smiled once they had left the city limits and she could relax a little. Mystique was a bit surprised at some of the maneuvers Sara flew. She had expected Sara to fly at a safe speed and attitude the entire trip.
They hadn’t fully unpacked the air car before Mystique decided to explore the area around the lodge. The place was built to accommodate up to ten people so the two of them had plenty of room. There were a pair of small buildings, one near the river that ran about fifty feet from the lodge. The other was next to a target range. Mystique thought about the rifle she had brought. Maybe she’d get a chance to use it after all.
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