by Ramy Vance
And that’s when I understood. Serena planned to take the anti-venom home with her.
She was taking it for herself.
Not the other cadets.
Not Justin.
Why? Why was she taking it?
“—we’re shipping it to your house today.”
And that anti-venom was going to be transported to her home today. Once it was gone, it would take weeks to make more.
Weeks that Justin didn’t have.
“I know what you’re thinking, Isa,” I heard Kat say. “Don’t do it.”
I couldn’t let this moment pass. Not without doing my best to save him.
“Don’t, Isa …” Kat said into my ear. “We’ll intercept the vial en route to Serena’s house.”
And I had an illusion—a strong one.
“Isa, you’ll get caught. Or worse.”
He had such strength. I was naïve in admiring that strength—in coveting it. I wanted to be able to protect myself, to fell someone with a balled fist.
“Isa! Please!”
“No,” I growled. “This might be our only chance.”
“Excuse me?” the shorter technician said, a look of confusion painting his face.
“Isa … you’re not trained,” Kat said.
“I’m not helpless, either.”
I heard a growl from the other end before Kat said, “Do you have a bigger, stronger form?”
“I once took the form of a sailor that I swear had bear DNA spliced into him.”
The taller technician’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you talking to, Dr. Russo?”
Kat sighed. “OK, we’ll make a play for this. Do exactly as I say.”
LEADERS AND LIARS
“T ransform. Now. And use their surprise to get the vial,” Kat ordered.
For an encantado, transforming into a previous form can be damn near instant. We tend to slow it down because we know how impressive becoming something or someone else can be. We relish the expression of awe that paints an onlooker’s face—the admiration that comes with seeing something damn near miraculous. And an encantado does love to be admired.
So we tend to do it slow. But we don’t have to.
In an instant, I became that sailor. A man by the name of Malik Khillo. He was a huge man from Moracco, a man who had travelled over from Portugal on the Queen’s fleet.
We had briefly become lovers, before Yellow Fever took him.
But not before he told me about the wonders of Europe.
Back then, in the late 1850s, I had taken his form and sailed across the Altantic to visit Europe on my only time away from home.
Well, my only time away when the gods were still here.
In an instant, I became Malik, taking on the familiar form of his hulking body, and swiped at the balding man, damn near taking off his arm as I grabbed the anti-venom.
He let it go without a fight, curling into the fetal position before me.
I had the anti-venom and considered going to Justin and giving it to him there and then. But the problem with anti-venom was that if I didn’t give him enough, it wouldn’t do anything but slow down the process.
And if I gave him too much … well, that was just as deadly as the venom itself.
I need to calculate how much he needed based on his weight and time infected. It was a simple enough calculation—all I need was a piece of paper to jot down some notes and a few minutes to figure it out.
But I didn’t have a few minutes.
I didn’t even have a few seconds.
I heard Kat scream in my earpiece, shattering any thoughts I had of going to Justin now. “Push the shorter one. He won’t give you much of a fight. And grab his pass.”
I did as I was ordered and turned to the door I had entered.
“No, too many guards that way,” she growled. “Head to the back door. There must be another exit.”
By this moment, several of the technicians had stood, their hands frantically pushing buttons that I was sure were a call for security.
I made my way to the back door.
“Get ready,” Kat said. “I can hear two guards coming from the other side. Use surprise to your advantage.”
“And?”
“And,” she boomed as the back door opened, two guards entering, “hit them in the throat. Now.”
My reaction was immediate. And so was theirs. As they entered, I managed to strike them both in the throats, hard, and they went down grabbing at their necks.
“Grab their guns.”
“But I—”
“Grab them. Now.”
I did as I was told, grabbing the two holstered pistols.
“OK, holding one of them in front of you, enter the hallway. More guards are going to be coming down there. As soon as you enter, fire four shots. Aim high. That should scare them away.”
I pushed through the door and heard the noise of guards’ boots. I fired four shots and the running stopped. Everything stopped.
Then the sound of running picked up again as three guards turned the corner of the hallway and faced off against me. They were carrying rifles that didn’t have the ‘let’s tranq her’ look to them. They were aiming to kill.
“Get out of there,” Kat yelled.
I turned to run, but before I could take three steps, I heard Kat’s voice again, “No, you can’t run away from them. They’ll get a clear shot at your back. Charge them, knock them down and keep moving.”
“But … but, what about Justin?” I stammered as the first guard took aim.
“We’ll come back for him, but you have to move. Now!”
I didn’t hesitate, letting her words spur me forward. I’d never used this body to run—hell, I’d hardly even used it to walk—so I was completely surprised at how fast I was.
Malik could move.
This body’s speed coupled with his strength was incredible, and I nearly took off the guard’s head. But killing him wasn’t the goal. I didn’t even want to hurt him, really. He was probably duped into working for the World Government just like I was.
But what I wanted and what I needed were two different things.
And now I needed to escape. I grabbed the guard and, lifting him with an unexpected ease, I threw him into the other two guards.
They toppled over like bowling pins and I leapt over them, charging into the hallway they’d come from.
I didn’t know this part of the facility, but since I didn’t recognize any of them, I figured that if they came from here, there was probably a security entrance somewhere.
But the hallway was narrow and the speed Malik’s body had was limited in such a confined space. I needed to be something else.
I heard Kat’s voice again. “There, at the back. I see a sign for an elevator,” she cried out.
I started down the hall, but before I took three steps I heard the yelling of more guards. They were coming from a side hallway and would cut me off before I could get to the elevator.
I looked around until I saw another sign I recognized.
It had a weird symbol on it … not the typical male/female symbols you saw everywhere. This symbol had elongated limbs and wings—a bathroom symbol for Others.
I guess these guys were into segregated bathrooms.
But given that I didn’t have the time to contemplate the equality of being able to pee wherever you liked, I leapt inside.
“Kat,” I growled, “meet me the river’s edge near where the pipes flow out into the canal.”
“Where?” Kat cried out, her voice frantic.
“Near the shipyard. I’ll find you … Oh, and bring clothes.”
“What?” I heard her say, but I didn’t have time to discuss anymore. I could already hear more guards clambering down the hallway.
As two more guards rounded the corner, I pushed into the bathroom, locking it behind me.
As long as I had a few seconds head start on those humans, I’d be fine.
But I didn’t time it well, because t
he bathroom was, surprise, surprise, already occupied … by Merl.
The dwarf, unfazed like the human guards by seeing an enormous, gun-toting sailor in the hallway, immediately pulled out his gun and pointed it me.
I knew I had only one chance. I transformed back into myself and said, “They broke their oath.”
Merl tilted his head in confusion as he saw my naked body before him. “Isa?”
“They broke their oath,” I said, clutching onto the vial as hard as I could. I could already hear the footsteps clambering down the hall. The human guards would be upon us soon. “I need to run, Merl. Hide”—I held out the anti-venom—“and make this right.”
Merl pursed his dwarven lips and nodded. “Hit me.”
“What?”
“Do it. Punch me.” He positioned himself by the door. “Now.”
I didn’t hesitate. I transformed my hand into Malik’s massive hand and popped him in the cheek. He fell back against the bathroom door with more force that I had hit him with, using his body and bulk to stop the human guards from getting in.
Seeing how he was helping me, I did what I came here to do. I threw the vial into the toilet and, transforming into a baby dolphin, I made my way through the sewer systems of the facility, thanking the GoneGods that Other toilets had larger pipes to accommodate the huge passings of creatures like minotaurs and oni-demons.
This was my way out—as disgusting as it was—and as I made my way through the piping, I hoped that Kat would be there to greet me. And that she would have a plan to get us back into these facilities to save Justin.
But even if we did, things would never be the same again. Saving Justin would mean having to go on the run. Having to hide.
Very well, then, I resolved. So be it.
I was an encantado. Hiding was our thing.
Still, the future looked dark. Grim.
I wasn’t sure what would happen.
But despite the darkness lying ahead of me, I was thankful for one small miracle.
Swimming here in these sewage pipes, at least I finally got to pee.
Thank the GoneGods for small miracles.
PART THREE
Katrina Darling Becomes Katrina Darling
I didn’t mind the pain. The burning was a kind of cathartic release, freeing me from my past. I knew that I would never look the same. That my face would forever bear the scars of this moment.
But that was OK.
More than OK. It was right.
I was finally letting go of who I thought I wanted to be and embracing who I should be.
And as I screamed, letting the acid take its toll on my own flawless face, I thought of my father.
He wore a mask to fight evil.
These scars would be my mask. A mask that I could never take off.
A mask that I would forever wear, never hiding from who I am, never pretending to be someone else.
I was finally … well, me.
He would be so proud of me.
And as the pain subsided and I got a hold of myself, I looked around the room, contemplating my options.
There was only one choice before me. Get out.
But getting out meant outrunning the bombs and, looking at my watch, I saw that I had less than ninety seconds to escape.
I would never make it out in time.
I finally got to be me, and I only had ninety seconds to enjoy it.
Oh well … that’s already more than most, I thought as I started to run. Best make the most out of these last seconds.
KATRINA RETURNS
T HE INNER WORKINGS OF KAT’S MIND …
WE FOUND Isa by the side of the river, right where she said she’d be.
Or rather, she found us.
We had been walking up and down the shore looking for any sign of her, but in the darkness, it was impossible to see anything. Even with Egya at my side, using his hypersensitive nose of his, we couldn’t find her.
Then I heard chirping.
Dolphin chirping.
Followed by the word car.
At the shore, I saw her transforming from what looked like a small dolphin into the form that I had come to associate with her.
It was incredible watching her transform … beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
Beautiful because it was like watching someone grow into their new form. There was no ripping or cracking of the skin as it took on new shapes and sizes, no crunching or grinding of bone as it elongated to accommodate the taller body.
And it was completely dry … with no moisture of any kind to be seen. (I think I would have been totally grossed out if she had been dripping with sweat or the body produced any kind of umm, shall we say, lubricant to help facilitate the change.)
Watching the change was like watching an artist paint some viscerally engaging masterpiece right before your eyes, and in the seconds it took for her to transform, I found myself drawn to her both with curiosity and awe.
But what terrified me was what Egya muttered under his breath as he, too, watched on with wonder. “Even her smell changes.”
It was true. Watching her sit there, naked on the river’s edge, clutching that vial, I noted that she didn’t even smell like the river water or the unmentionable sludge she’d swum through to get here.
Instead, her body emanated a soft odor of vanilla—the scent of her shampoo. A scent that was completely missing until she became the person who actually used the shampoo.
And that subtle detail showed me exactly how dangerous she was. She could be anyone at any time, and neither I with all my experiences, or Egya with his heightened senses of sight and smell, would know the difference.
Even as I stared at her current form, I knew this wasn’t exactly who she was. The encantado’s natural form was more closely associated with a mermaid and a dolphin.
How can someone who can so easily be anyone ever know who they are?
Isa, now fully transformed, looked at me, and for a moment I questioned whether I had thought that out loud. But when she smiled at me with eyes that asked for my approval, I knew I hadn’t. I also knew she wanted me to tell her what I thought of her little mission.
“You took some terrible risks there.”
Her eyes sank. She had risked all to get the information she had and instead of rewarding her, I was scolding her like a child.
But I couldn’t help myself. After losing Justin to his ridiculous risks, I couldn’t stand the thought of losing another … ahhh …. friend. Shit, I was friends with my ex’s new lover. Arrgh, the old me would have ripped out both their throats and been done with it. Being human is so complicated.
Whatever that confusion was, I cared for Isa, and seeing her in danger when I was standing miles away, powerless to help, had filled me with rage. The trouble with me and rage—I tend to share. “You could have gotten yourself killed. Then we would have had nothing to help Justin with.”
“Katrina, girl, please,” Egya said, walking over to Isa. “You did good. Better than good. Great.”
Isa lifted her head as pride filled her.
“Don’t mind her,” Egya said. “She’s not good at sharing the hero spotlight.”
“I’m not good at tolerating risk-takers,” I shot back.
Egya took three deep sniffs before saying, “Her odor is a mix of sweat and adrenaline. In other words, worry and the desire to fight … to help. She was worried about you. And the girl, being so completely in control of her emotions, shows that in the most mature way she knows how—by berating you.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “Trust me, this is how the legendary Katrina Darling shows you she cares.”
I wanted to scream. I swear to the GoneGods—when I was alone with Egya, he’d pay for that. But that would be later. Now, we needed to figure out our next steps.
“The vial … it will cure him?”
Isa shook her head. “No, but it will revert his symptoms. Stop the transformation and return him to his human state. But whatever they did to him has hap
pened on a genetic level. Completely reversing that would take a concerted treatment. I’d need a lab and time.”
“Neither of which we have.” I threw my arms up in anger. “So let me get this straight. Justin is being held by some evil scientist in a secure military facility filled with guards, soldiers and genetically altered super soldiers. Whatever they’re doing to him will probably kill him. But—and here’s the silver lining, people—we have a serum that can save his life. If we can get to him. But even if we do get to him, we’re not really saving him. We’re just delaying death because unless you can get yourself into a lab and have time … how long, exactly?”
Isa lowered her head. “I don’t know. Six months, maybe?”
“Oh great, so unless we can get you to a secure location where you can lay low doing science-y stuff, saving him now will only delay his death. Not stop it. Oh … oh.” I snapped my fingers as one more thing occurred to me. “Said evil scientist is going to keep doing evil experiments. So as much as this is about saving Justin, our combined moral compasses demand we also stop her. Does that sum it up nicely?”
“Ummm, so very, very tasty,” Mergen said, smacking his lips and rubbing his belly. “Desperate truth tastes like honey-covered strawberries.”
“Good for you, Mergen. Good for you. So outside of Mr. Avatar of Truth, anyone have any good news for me?”
Isa and Egya sat silent for a long moment until Egya lifted his hand like a kid in class. “I might.”
“I swear to the GoneGods, I will stab you with my dirk if you make some stupid joke right now.”
“No, no,” he said, his eyes holding a cautious concern. “Regarding the lab and time you need. I just might know some people who can help with both.”
↔
“KNOW SOME PEOPLE?” I said, drawing out my question more like a warning that a request for him to go on.
He lifted a calming hand. “There is this group of Others and humans. More like a network. They’ve banded together to help with some of the injustices of the GoneGod World.”
“To help Others,” I said.
“And humans. But yes, they exist to help Others who have wrongly been accused of a crime or who are being prosecuted for something. There are plenty of Others who are being accused of crimes they didn’t commit and are now running from the law and need smuggling out of the country.”