by Linda Jordan
Evangeline began walking on the main path, up the slight rise. Pushing herself ever so slightly. She needed to get back to running soon. Needed to at least be that capable by the time she left. Running with a heavy pack. If she couldn’t fight or do magic, running was her only defense.
Well, that and a gun. Evangeline had kept the gun and ammo that she’d left the Zoo with. Never turned it in. Now she didn’t need to steal one. No one had asked about it. No one knew she had it. It might come in handy on her trek.
She slowed a bit just after cresting the hill. Breathing hard. She could do this. Had done harder things.
Evangeline was concentrating so hard, she was startled when Damon ran out of the dusk at her. Coming down the path from the other direction.
She heard him before she saw him. He was winded.
He was surprised too.
“Hello. I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, stopping. She could have sworn he blushed from embarrassment. Or perhaps he was just flushed from running. It was hard to tell in the dwindling light.
“I didn’t expect you either. Is anything wrong?”
“Besides the fact that I haven’t run in a couple of months? And I’m so out of shape that Angie could take me down?”
She laughed. “You obviously haven’t seen Angie lately. Callie’s making quite a fighter out of her.”
“You’re right, I haven’t. But I’m still betting anyone could take me.”
“Well, I’m in terrible shape too,” she said.
It was a tossup who was more out of breath.
“What’ve you got in there? Rocks?” he laughed and then tried lifting her pack from the bottom. Damon’s face froze at the realization he was right.
“Exactly. How else am I going to get in shape?”
“You’re a glutton for punishment.”
“Yes, I am,” she said. “I’m in worse shape than you. And now I’ve got no magic to protect me. I have to rely on my strength, which has also abandoned me. So, here I am. Rocks and all.”
“Yemaya’s magic won’t protect you?”
“No. Not if I leave here. She’ll stay here. Not off gallivanting with Morrigu’s Army.”
“So, you’ll be like one of us regular non-magical peons then,” said Damon.
“Yeah. Except that I’ll feel the loss of what I used to have and what I used to be able to do.”
Damon smiled a sad smile.
“I feel that a lot these days. Only with me it’s called aging. I used to be so much stronger and faster.”
“And stupider I’ll bet, too.”
“Yes, definitely stupider. It’s also stupid to think I can keep up with all these new recruits, who are just kids. But I need to earn their respect. No resting on past achievements. They won’t care.”
“No they won’t,” she said. “Morrigu’s whipped them into a frenzy.”
“You noticed that.”
“It’s a little early yet for that, isn’t it?”
“She’s leaving tomorrow. It’ll hold them till she returns.”
“Where’s she going?”
“To talk some dragons into joining us,” said Damon, wiping his forehead with a forearm.
“Dragons? No.”
“Yes. She’s found four of them. Thinks she can talk one into helping us attack Collins and defend his property once we take it.”
Evangeline shuddered.
She had seen a dragon only once. In Texas, one of the barons had a white dragon. Not the baron who employed her, but one of her business rivals.
The dragon had been as large as the pool in the courtyard of the estate. Huge. When it flew above her, it had blotted out the sun. Just before flaming the entire stone building. It had actually burned the stone. Those who ran outside of the boiling building were burned to a crisp.
Evangeline had dragged her employer down into the depths of the building. They escaped out through a long tunnel and into a waiting car in a garage outside the estate grounds. Fleeing unseen by the dragon who flew above the house, waiting for them to come out.
She hadn’t thought such creatures existed before then. Never wanted to see one again.
“How long will she be gone?” asked Evangeline, fishing for answers.
“No idea. She thinks it will take several visits to convince them.”
“And we’re still moving out in spring?” she asked, stretching her leg muscles which were cooling down.
“That’s the plan.”
“I have a lot of work to do before then,” she said.
“Me too. I better get back at it.” Damon sprinted down the hill behind her.
Evangeline kept walking as fast as she could, her heart pounding more from fear than exertion. She really needed to get out of here.
Dragons could find her quickly. She needed to leave before Morrigu convinced them to fight for her. While Morrigu was still distracted.
She walked until the light was completely gone. Then stumbled into the Cap, putting her heavy pack down. She hurriedly ate some sort of soup that consisted of potatoes, rosemary, garlic and meat. The meat was chewy and tough, even after cooking all day in the soup. She ignored everyone inside, not recognizing a single face.
But Evangeline listened to the new recruits at the next table telling horror stories about their villages. One worse than the other. She made notes of the names of the villages and wished someone had made a map of the surrounding land. Maybe she would avoid all villages. For a long while.
She made lists in her head. Of everything that needed to be done before she left. It wouldn’t be long now. Out of shape or not, she had to leave.
Sooner than she’d planned.
18
Cady
Cady watched the bright glow on the lake. She worried about the dragons. What if the deities closed ranks?
There was no wind, not even a breeze. No sound either. It felt eerie.
How long had the group of them been standing there? Her mouth felt dried out and her clothes were still dripping wet.
Mazzy said, “We should get you inside. Get you some dry clothes.”
“I’m not leaving,” said Cady. “This is important.”
“What can you do?” asked Tank. “It’s probably not safe for any of us out here.”
Cady turned and noticed that most people had edged away farther from the lake. Some of them were walking away as quickly as they could. Especially those with children.
“If they hurt the dragons, I need to know,” said Cady. “I’ll understand if you want to leave.”
“You’re braver than any of us,” said Tank.
“I’m staying if you are,” said Mazzy.
“I’ll stay,” said Bao.
“No, your wife’s pregnant. Go home, but on your way stop and tell everyone to grab their escape kits. Just in case this turns bad. We may all need to flee,” said Mazzy.
Bao nodded and ran off, stopping to talk to those still on their way home. The word would spread quickly.
The three of them stood and watched the white-golden light on the lake. Occasionally, it was punctuated with flames. Which Cady figured was from Onyx. She didn’t know if the younger dragons knew how to do that. Or even if they could. Maybe only certain dragons could breathe out flames.
The light out on the lake began to swirl. Taking on an ominous screeching sound like something about to break.
Cady felt warmer now. From the inside out. Even though dusk was coming and it was growing cooler. Her clothes were drying.
Her magic. That’s what it was. It had something to do with fire. If Bao could call rain, she could call fire. Or maybe something beyond fire. What was more powerful than fire but included it?
She could light fires by just thinking about it. Whatever she had shot at the Hellhounds it had contained fire. Burned a hole right through her screen.
So, she had fire inside her. She could use that if necessary.
This was up to her now. It was the crisis her new magic had been mov
ing towards ever since it appeared. The challenge Onyx had mentioned.
“You two, go grab your things,” said Cady, leaning on her staff.
“What about you?” asked Tank.
“Grab mine too. The pack’s on the floor by my table. Gun’s hanging on the wall. Monster will just have to be okay on his own, unless you can get him in his carrier. It’s next to the table. Shut the human door when you leave. He’ll still be able come and go through the cat door.”
“I’m not leaving you here alone,” said Mazzy.
“Yes, you are. I need to be alone to do this. To make an attempt to defend us. I’ve got some major magic building and I don’t want anyone hurt by its spillover. I don’t have a lot of control over something this big.”
“Are you sure about this, Cady?”
“Yes. I’m sure. If I can, I’ll meet you on the other side of the hill. Now go, while there’s still time. Get everybody out of the village.”
They both left, running.
Cady stood watching the lake. The cluster of light moved up and down, now swirling faster and faster.
It seemed to take hours, but it finally broke apart. There was screaming and squealing. Yelling and pounding.
Rage and fear filled the air, a sound wave echoing outwards.
“Brighid help me,” she said, hoping the Goddess would hear her.
Cady stayed calm, feeling her magic build. She drew up power from the earth and pulled it down from the sky. Felt it move through her fingers like thick liquid, waiting for energy to release it.
The wave of power from the deities hit her and she still stood by using her staff and staggering against the swell of energy. The water from the lake had gotten all tangled up in this too, as well as the white glow from the island.
Cady pushed back with a wave of fire strong enough to move the deities back. She was blinded by their white-gold light and closed her eyes from the pain of the brightness.
Still, she could feel their presence. Sensed their anger that a mere human would defy them. She saw their faces and somehow knew their names. Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Odin, Loki, Hades, Aries, Hanuman, Vishnu and Shiva. There were others beyond them. Walls and walls of deities who had never considered humans to be important beyond their use to the gods.
Those who had never truly considered human life.
She felt more energy move through her. A never-ending wall of flame shooting out the palms of her hands and through the walking stick. Aimed at the lake and the wave of deities, she pushed them back, farther and farther. Her skin felt cracked and dry. Her tongue grew thick and pasty. Even her eyes behind closed eyelids, burned. Tears flowing down her cheeks.
Still she stood.
Until she couldn’t any longer.
Cady hoped it had been long enough. Hoped everyone in the village had got away.
Then she felt her face touch the crispy burnt smoky grass that she’d been standing on.
Hours later, she stirred.
At first, the only light she saw was of that still burnt onto her eyes by the deities. Were her eyes even open? She couldn’t see anything, even the hand she was lying on. She reached out with her other hand, searching, until her fingers found the carved wooden staff.
Cady stood shakily, pulling herself up with the walking stick to lean on.
There. There was a slight glow on the lake. The island. It was still glowing.
She saw no sign of the dragons, but hoped they were safe. Perhaps, they too, had fled.
Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she began walking, clumsily weaving her way through the empty village and into the tall trees beyond, using the stick to help find her way. In the direction everyone would have gone to meet.
Hoping they were still there and safe.
Don’t Miss the Next Book:
Battle Magic: Islands of Seattle, Book 3
About the Author
Linda Jordan writes fascinating characters, visionary worlds, and imaginative fiction. She creates both long and short fiction, serious and silly. She believes in the power of healing and transformation, and many of her stories follow those themes.
In a previous lifetime, Linda coordinated the Clarion West Writers’ Workshop as well as the Reading Series. She spent four years as Chair of the Board of Directors during Clarion West’s formative period. She’s also worked as a travel agent, a baker, and a pond plant/fish sales person, you know, the sort of things one does as a writer.
Currently, she’s the Programming Director for the Writers Cooperative of the Pacific Northwest.
Linda now lives in the rainy wilds of Washington state with her husband, daughter, four cats, a cluster of Koi and an infinite number of slugs and snails.
Her other work includes:
Rescue Mission: Islands of Seattle, Book 1
Faerie Unraveled, The Bones of the Earth Series, Book 1
Notes on the Moon People
Falling Into Flight
The Black Opal, The Jeweled Worlds Series, Book 1
All her work can be found at your favorite online bookseller.
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Metamorphosis Press website is at:
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