by C. M. Fenn
STOP! PLEASE STOP!
Laughter.
I recognize the beast’s gravely, wet laughter layered over the sounds, the flashes. I try to get away from them but I can’t. In every direction I flee I’m met with more ghastly images and sounds. This is the mind of a demon. This was my mistake, thinking I could navigate my way around here as easily as I could a man’s mind. How could I not have known that inside this evil being would be a mind so dark and twisted that upon entering I would be driven mad?
IT knew.
That’s why it welcomed me in so eagerly. And now I don’t know if I’ll ever find my way out. I’ve completely abandoned my original purpose of shutting down the Shade’s mind. Now I must put all of my focus into merely surviving.
Think. Think, Addy. But I can’t think. I can’t see past the graphic displays of violence and hatred. I feel like I’m losing myself. The panic has stripped away my control and reduced me to a creature of pure instinct. Fight or flight.
Flight isn’t an option. I’ll have to fight. But how?
This evil is extreme—I need another extreme to battle it and decide to go in the opposite direction. Love. If anything can neutralize evil, it’s love. I dig deep. I force an image to form in the Greater Shade’s mind. It’s Ember. My head’s in her lap and she’s stroking my hair. The image is brief but for that short moment the darkness sputters and falters, then returns with renewed strength.
Again.
Concentrating hard and with great effort, I bring up the scene from last night—the laughing Walkers sitting around my living room playing games with my family. I imagine I hear their laughter, warm and hearty, and it begins to drown out the wails and cries of misery.
Again.
Sam. Leaning against his truck in the fast-food restaurant’s parking lot. He’s smirking at me playfully and his eyes pierce me through the heart, melting away my despair. I hear him saying my name in my ear, his voice thick with emotion.
And again.
Jana and I singing at the top of our lungs on a road trip.
Gram tickling me to the point of tears.
My mom and dad slow dancing in the kitchen.
With each new image my self-belief grows. Faster and faster they come, the happy visions filling my sight as the darkness begins to lift. I’m getting stronger, and for the first time the Greater Shade’s confidence wavers. A brief flicker of panic darts across its mind. Now is my chance, while he’s flailing. I begin to spread myself out, extending feelers as far and as deep as I can probe.
The layout of this mind is foreign to me. I have no sense of where to even begin to look for the “off” switch. I continue to throw images of joy and love at the Shade’s mind while I search.
There.
A wall.
I’ve come up against a heavily protected area of its mind. If there’s anything the Greater Shade would want to protect, it would be its most vulnerable part of itself.
Excited by my discovery, I draw all of my presence to the wall and spread myself out along it. The wall’s strong, but like the one I stumbled across in Angel’s mind, not strong enough. I discover flaws in its construction. Imperfections. I find the weakest place and I put pressure on it—as much as I can muster. It takes a few seconds but cracks begin to spread. It gives a little, and I’m pleased when I feel the Greater Shade’s alarm.
With one last, hard push the wall caves in and I’m through.
What I find amazes and terrifies me. I absorb as much as I can from this forbidden area, knowledge and secrets I was never meant to see.
OOOUUUTTT! The Greater Shade roars at my presence, and I find myself being hurled from the demon’s mind and out into the open air. Disoriented from being so forcefully expelled, I grasp around me, desperate to find the tether back to the safety of my own mind. I find the familiar thread and follow it until I’m home again, back in the confines of my own body.
I open my eyes, expecting to look up from the forest floor and see Ember. Instead, I’m balanced on the front of Sam’s bike as he jerkily maneuvers around trees and roots.
“Almost home, Addy. Hang in there,” he says through a busted lip.
My head aches so badly. I close my eyes and grit my teeth. I’m alone in my mind. The Greater Shade feels so far away now. A warmth starts to spread throughout my chest. We’re nearing Major Calm. I feel it the moment we pass through into the garage. Sam lifts me off his bike and carefully rushes me to a nearby cot.
I hear commotion around us, but as I try to sit up and look around, Sam gently pushes me back down.
“You need to rest now. You’ve been through a lot.”
I reach up and touch the side of his face where it’s swollen. I lightly run my thumb over his split lip, leaving a trail of rapidly healing flesh behind.
“Stop that,” he says softly, pulling my hand away. “No more work for you.”
“Sam, I’m okay. Let me help.” I try sitting up again. This time when he protests, I push his hands away.
I look around, wide-eyed, at the damage we’ve received. Bodies fill the cots next to mine. Ben is one of them. Mel’s at his side, whispering encouragement as he moans quietly. Oscar’s on the other cot. He’s completely still.
Frantic to help, I jump up. The movement is too fast for me and the room spins. Sam’s arms encircle me, supporting me so I don’t topple over.
“If you insist on helping, at least heal yourself first, please. You’re no use to anyone this way.”
Recognizing the wisdom in his words, I do a quick once-over on myself. I have more injuries than the adrenaline pumping through my veins has allowed me to feel. I ignore the two broken ribs, the torn ligaments in my left shoulder, and the sprain in my left wrist. Those would take too much time to heal. Instead, I clear my concussion and block the pain signals from traveling to my injuries. This will do for now.
“I’m better now.” The half-truth is enough to satisfy Sam, and he lets me rush over to Crank’s cot to do what I can. I thank the heavens aloud when I see he’s only unconscious. His body, however, is broken in so many places, and the broken bones have cut up his insides. He’s bleeding internally. I place my hands on him and block out the rest of the world as I begin to heal him.
Nearly five minutes later I remove my hands from a perfectly intact Oscar. My hair’s damp with sweat from the effort but I’m pleased with my work. I let him sleep. I swivel around on the edge of Crank’s cot so I’m facing Ben and a fretful Mel. Ben’s back has been broken in two places. I marvel at his strength as I relieve his pain and heal his spine.
Mel reaches over Ben and hugs me once I finish. “Thank you, love.” I nod and stand up, scanning the garage for more victims.
Faye, whose head wound is still bleeding, is healing a gash on Kira’s neck and what looks like a broken collarbone. Angel’s with Sam, her hands on a swollen knee. Looking around, I see tired but otherwise healthy-looking Walkers, resting on the ground or leaning against walls. When I’m satisfied there are no more life-threatening injuries to tend to, I decide it’s okay to heal myself. As I’m returning to my cot, however, something catches my eye.
At the far end of the garage, sticking out from behind a parked Big Bike, I see a pair of boots. Curious, I walk in that direction. As I get closer, I see the boots are attached to a pair of legs in dark pants. Concerned now, I run the rest of the way and find a bloodied Mikhail propped up against the wall, barely conscious.
When I kneel down next to him, my hands land in a thick, red pool. Alarmed, I look him over and find the source of the bleeding. Piercing his left side, about six inches under his arm, is a large, jagged chunk of wood.
Idiot, I think angrily. Why would he crawl over here out of sight where no one can help him?
“It’s okay, Mikhail. I’m going to fix you.” His normally sharp, steel-gray eyes are glazed and out of focus. I don’t know if he can even hear me. The first thing I do is turn off his pain. Then, bracing myself, I place one hand around the piece of wood and t
he other flat against the side of his chest. I pull hard.
As the wood comes free, Mikhail arches his back and inhales sharply. There’s a strange, wet, bubbling sound and I realize his lung must be punctured. I place my hands on his ribs and close my eyes. I command the body to expel any splinters or chips of wood and dirt and to repair, re-grow, and replace any broken or lost tissue and blood. Once everything is back as it should be, I scan for other injuries and find him intact and well.
Withdrawing my mind from Mikhail’s body and returning to my own, I feel hands resting over mine. I open my eyes and see Mikhail’s holding my hands tightly against his chest. His gaze is so intense I’m finding it difficult to break away from.
“Mikhail,” I whisper through a smile, “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so happy you’re here and that you fought with us. Thank you.”
His expression is tender as his eyes travel over my face. His heartbeat quickens under my hands.
“Adelaide,” he speaks softly. I lean forward to hear him better.
“There you are.” Sam’s voice startles me. I turn around to see him standing there with an uneasy look about him. Mikhail’s hand drops from mine.
“Is everything all right?” His distrust for Mikhail is written plainly on his face.
“Everything is now.” I smile up at him.
“Well, looks like everyone is put back together. We should get to the briefing room and figure out what happened out there.”
“Sounds good.” I turn back to Mikhail. “Will you come?” I ask quietly, pleading with my eyes. He looks at me for a moment then gives a reluctant nod. Grinning, I stand and offer him a hand up, and after only a moment’s hesitation, he takes it.
Chapter 45
I’m the last to walk through the doors of the briefing room. On my way here I finished healing the rest of my body. Given the fierceness of the battle, I’m lucky to have fared so well.
An anxious Ember greets me the moment I step inside.
“How are you?”
“I’m better.” I grab hold of her hand. “Thanks for staying with me.” I remember the image of my head on her lap while she hovered protectively over me.
“Always,” she says simply.
“All right, everyone.” Sam watches from the podium at the front of the room as the last of us find our seats.
“What happened? Did you guys kill him?” Simone’s at the table next to Ember and me. Her hair is slightly messy and her eye makeup is smudged. She looks as if she’s been crying. I’m surprised—I’ve never seen her look anything less than perfect.
Sam lowers his head. The room is silent. No one wants to admit defeat.
“Well?” she demands.
“No, Simone.” It’s Angel who speaks. “He was too strong for us.”
She stares in disbelief at Angel. “What about the plan? I thought you and Adelaide were going to get in his head.”
“We underestimated him,” she says sadly.
The room’s quiet again, and the weight of everyone’s despair settles down around me like a thick, suffocating blanket.
“I got in.”
Everyone turns and looks at me, shock and puzzlement on their faces.
“It was almost easy,” I say, staring blankly ahead. “He let me right in.”
“What happened, Addy?” Lang-hao speaks up. “One second we were kicking trash and the next you were screaming.”
I swallow a few times, trying not to think about the pain the Greater Shade caused me.
Angel saves me. “He found us. He targeted Addy again. He was in her head.”
“Did he talk to you?” Kira asks hesitantly.
I nod. “He was mocking me, amused that I thought I could stop him. He said …,” my voice is shaking and I’m embarrassed, “he said I wasn’t the ONE.”
“I don’t understand.” Crank sounds confused. “You aren’t the ONE? The ONE what?”
“To stop him,” I say miserably. “All this time I was so stupid. I thought that’s why I was called here, that I was the one who would be strong enough to destroy him. And I’m not.”
“But you have to be,” Ember insists. “You got inside his head when Angel couldn’t.”
I’m shaking my head before she even finishes.
“No, no, no, no. I told you guys. I was LET IN.”
Angel inhales sharply. “Oh no. Addy. What did he do to you?”
A powerful wave of nausea hits me as the horrifying sights and sounds resurface. I wretch involuntarily. My hands clutch my head as I try to shake the images away.
“Hey. Hey! It’s okay, Addy, I’m right here.” Ember’s arm is around me, pulling me into her. Sam’s standing in front of our table, arms crossed, peering intently at me, worry on his face.
I want to tell them about all of the horrible things I witnessed, how it crippled me, how I never imagined I’d escape. But I can’t. I can’t let anyone else experience the things I saw. I can’t burden them with that.
“What matters is what I was able to find out,” I say. “I couldn’t kill him from inside his mind. It wasn’t possible. I’m sorry.” I look around into the faces of my fellow Walkers, searching for signs of disappointment. None, surprisingly not even Simone, show a trace of accusation.
“But I found an area of his mind that was guarded. I managed to get through his defenses there and what I learned changes EVERYTHING.”
“Is it how to kill him?” Timothy asks eagerly. His fists are balled up angrily, and he’s leaning forward in his seat.
“No,” I say with dread. “I saw his memories. His plans. I know what he intends to do.”
“But I thought we already knew that,” Simone interjects. When everyone turns her way, she holds up her hands defensively. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be negative. It’s just …,” she shrugs her shoulders, “he’s a Greater Shade. Don’t they ALL want the same thing? To find a weak spot, make a tear, and get to Earth Realm?”
“He isn’t just a Greater Shade, and that isn’t what he wants.”
Ben leans around Mel to better see me. “Not a Greater Shade? Is that what you said?”
“I said he’s not JUST a Greater Shade. He’s more. When I was in his memories, I saw an awful land.” A violent shiver passes through me. “It was a nightmare. The sky glowed a dull red, as if it smoldered. The horizons were littered with jagged mountains, all tapering up and off into sharp, jutting peaks. Everything was black as far out as I could see—the land, the mountains, the cliffs—bubbling swamps like prehistoric tar pits.”
“The Nether Realm.” Mel’s whisper carries through the whole room.
Nodding my head, I continue. “The blackness was so complete that I almost didn’t notice the Shades.” A crawling sensation creeps up my arms, and I reflexively try to brush it away as I remember what I saw.
“At first, I thought the ground was a river—a black flowing river of oil. But then I saw that it was the Shades—thousands of Shades, writhing, clambering, and climbing over each other. It was like the ground was BLEEDING Shades. Lesser and Greater alike.”
“Disgusting,” Lang-hao spits out.
“At the top of a peak a wide cavern opened up onto a ledge. In the cavern was a large circular slab. Standing around it, as if in conference, were six towering Greater Shades.”
I look up at Sam. “But these six, they aren’t JUST Greater Shades, Sam. They’re ancient. It felt as though they’ve always existed, since the beginning of time. I could feel the power ebb from them. It doesn’t compare to anything we’ve ever seen. Not even close.”
“What are they?” Sam asks intently.
“They are the Circle of Elders. The Elder Shades.”
The room feels colder to me than it did moments ago.
“Elder Shades?” Angel puzzles.
“Yes. And the Greater Shade that’s HERE in Chaos is one of them. He’s the newest of them—the youngest—and he was sent here on a mission. You see, they all have different strengths, like each of us. No
t all of the Greater Shades are rippers—very few have that ability. For some reason, the rippers are the only Greater Shades that can pass from their realm to Chaos. It’s as if the two abilities go hand in hand.”
Some Walkers nod in understanding, but others still look confused.
“What about the Lesser Shades?” asks Crank. “If there are so many in the Nether Realm, how come only a fraction of them are here in Chaos? You’d think they’d all want to get out of that hell hole.”
“Because, Crank, it’s the same with us over here. There are billions of people in Earth Realm, but only a dozen or so Realmwalkers in Chaos. Only a few of us are allowed through. Same with them. Which brings me to my point. This Elder Shade that’s here in Chaos, he ISN’T trying to create a tear into Earth Realm. He’s trying to tear open the fabric between Chaos and the Nether Realm. He wants to let in not only the Circle of Elders but the entire Shade population. Every last one of them.”
Chapter 46
“No!”
“He can’t!”
“That can’t be possible!”
Several of the Realmwalkers’ shouts are incredulous, others angry.
Sam motions with his hands for the room to settle down, but it takes a minute before it’s quiet enough for him to be heard.
“This is serious. What scares me the most is that all of us are in here right now. We need to end this briefing and send out a crew immediately. I’m sorry guys. I know you’re all tired, but it’s down to the nitty-gritty and we’ll need Walkers in Chaos every hour of the day. We simply can’t risk the Elder Shade making that tear.”
“I’ll go. Boss.” Timothy stands.
“I’ll join you,” Kira says gravely, strapping her katana to her back.
“That should be good,” Sam says. “Go now.”
The two of them rush from the room. “Good work, everyone. I know this may feel like a defeat, but it isn’t. We gained knowledge tonight and knowledge is power. Be prepared to answer a summons at any time. Consider us DEFCON one. Got it?” He waits for each of us to affirm the order. “All right. Happy hunting,” he says grimly.