by John Corwin
"Maybe we can make our own dinosaurs." I slung the shotgun strap over my shoulder. "It'd be better than walking."
"The Gloom has rules just like any other dimension." David belted a holster to his waist. "Timothy obviously knows them better than we do."
"He could make himself a tank and blow down the building," I said.
"But he hasn't." My father headed into the den. "Either he doesn't want to, or creating things takes more effort than simply thinking of them."
I decided to test our theory and thought of a sword appearing in my hand. Nothing happened, so I closed my eyes, and imagined it harder. When I opened them, my hand was still empty. "Yeah, I guess there's something more to it than just wishing something into existence."
We exited the apartment and were making our way down the stairs when an unpleasant thought occurred to me. "What if these dream guns don't work?"
David stopped, raised an eyebrow. "Everything else seems to work, so why wouldn't the guns?"
I shrugged. "Just paranoid thinking, I guess."
He smiled and patted my back. "Let's hope we don't have to use them."
I tugged on the shoulder strap holding the shotgun to my back, wondering if I'd be able to handle the firepower should the need arise. I imagined the kickback knocking me down, giving Gloria Richardson a free shot at liberating my guts. "I agree."
We made our way down to the first floor and went into the hallway. The place was eerily silent. I imagined people slumbering in their beds, invisible to us. What if another dream sequence started while we were in this building and the Gloom swallowed it up to create whatever landscape the dreamer created? The thought was unnerving to say the least. Would we be consumed along with the building or transported to another place? The urge to leave the possible deathtrap caused my stomach to clench.
David tested each door on the side of the hallway facing the street. They were all locked, and they looked too sturdy to kick down. "Looks like we'll have to exit blind."
I nodded, tension gripping my shoulders.
"Don't get nervous," he said. "It'll cause you to freeze up."
"Who's nervous?" I said. "I mean, if the Gloom decides to tear this place down because someone's dreaming about tossing a Frisbee to their dog in an open field, it only means we'll be squished to tiny bits."
He pursed his lips. "True. Maybe we should accelerate our escape."
"Good idea." I jammed the revolver into the pack and unslung the shotgun. "Let's do this."
We reached the exit at the end of the hallway. I eased open the door and peered into a hallway that connected the center courtyard with the sidewalk in the front of the building. I listened intently for a moment for the sound of raptor claws clacking or Timothy shouting curses.
Silence.
I pushed through the door and looked both ways. "Which way?" I whispered.
David pointed toward the courtyard. "We can sneak out through the parking garage. He might be patrolling the street we were on earlier."
I clenched the shotgun tighter and nodded. We jogged down the hallway and looked into the courtyard. No sign of dinosaur or vampire. We went right, down the sidewalk, and through the metal door to the parking garage. The place was deathly quiet. I took a few steps and felt a faint vibration in the ground.
"Did you feel that?" I asked.
David nodded.
I heard a faint rumble and felt a stronger vibration in the ground. Panic seized me, and it took everything I had not to run gibbering for the exit. It was a good thing too. I heard a hiss. David jerked me down behind a car just as Gloria Richardson walked around the corner and into the parking deck entrance. Another rumble shook the ground, and another.
"No, no, no!" Timothy shouted, whirling his mount back toward the exit. "I almost have them." The raptor stepped outside, and the vampire looked down the street.
Another thunderclap echoed. The ground trembled, and the car bounced on its shocks. David and I exchanged worried glances. The next boom set off car alarms all up and down the street. Dust and bits of concrete rained down. Timothy raised a fist and cursed at the top of his lungs, but even that was drowned out by the next shockwave. The cars parked on the street bounced like toys.
"If he doesn't move," I whispered, "I'm going to shoot him."
"Let's reverse course and go out the other way," David suggested, motioning toward the door to the courtyard.
"Make a run for it?" I asked, looking at the vampire. His attention seemed fixed on whatever horror was coming our way.
The car we hid behind jumped several inches off the ground as the next earthquake hit. The bumper hit me in the chest and knocked me onto my butt. I scrambled to my feet. "Go!" I hissed.
We ran for the door.
Something bellowed. It sounded like a lion with a locomotive horn caught in its throat. The entire parking deck shuddered. A chunk of concrete and rebar slammed atop a car. I looked left just as Timothy looked to his right. Our eyes locked. The vampire's gaze lit up like Christmas ornaments.
"Get them, Gloria!" The raptor wheeled around and loped toward us.
I jerked open the door. My father and I raced through, down the hallway and out into the street. A monstrous foot crashed down in the intersection to our left. Any cars that weren't crushed flipped and rolled away from the impact. Glass shattered on nearby buildings. I looked up at the behemoth lizard-like creature towering over the buildings as it roared. Its head and arms looked tiny in relation to its massive body. The monster walked upright like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Large spikes ran from the top of its head all the way down the tail.
And it was about to kill us all.
Chapter 11
Elyssa
Elyssa stalked back into the planning room at the mansion.
"This is crazy," Shelton said. His phone projected a live feed from a nom news station. People had taken videos of Ivy's brief encounter with the police.
"Authorities still can't explain how or why the robbers were able to crush the police cars," a female news anchor said as the video of the event played in the background. "Officers on the scene said something stopped their bullets before they ever reached the target. Bystanders have plenty of opinions on the matter."
The image switched to show a man. "Giant underground magnets, dude!"
It flicked to another interviewee. "Probably some precocious teenager with telekinesis," said an older woman. "These cell phones are mutating the rotten little parasites."
"Does this mean I'm famous?" Ivy asked.
"Shelton, don't encourage her," Elyssa said, shooting him a warning look.
He simpered and turned off the news. "Any news about reinforcements?"
Elyssa took a deep breath to ward off the knot of stress. It didn't help. "The Synod is sending troops into Atlanta. My father can't spare any men to assault the Exorcist church." Her heart ached with worry, frustration, and anger. Her shoulders and back felt taut as iron cables. All her options for saving Justin had evaporated, and she was out of ideas.
"How the hell are we gonna break in there without an army backing us up?" Shelton said. He slammed his fist on the table, sending marble-like ASEs bouncing. "Those people are doing only god knows what to Justin and his father. We have to do something and soon."
"What if they're holding him somewhere else?" Bella asked.
"Where else would they keep him?" Shelton said.
Elyssa held up a hand for silence. "The Exorcist ninja was there. She's the one who knocked me out. I'm positive they have him there."
"Maybe I can talk to Daelissa," Ivy said. She licked a grape lollipop. "I'll bet if I was really nice she might let my brother go."
Shelton shook his head. "Ain't gonna happen."
Elyssa's felt defeated. "If only I could contact Nightliss or Alysea," she said. "With them, I'm sure we could break through their defenses." Ivy was powerful, but alone, she wouldn't be enough.
"The Colombian Templar legion is still incommunicado?" Bella asked.
> Elyssa nodded. "I don't know what's going on in Colombia, but it must be pretty bad. Even my father hasn't heard any news yet."
"I'm looking for images of the inside of the church," Cinder said. "Perhaps we could open a portal with the omniarch."
"That's a great idea," Shelton said, slapping the golem on the back.
"Thank you, Harry." Cinder flicked through holographic images projected by an ASE. "So far, I have been unable to locate anything, even in the city historical archives. Perhaps the Exorcists have never allowed pictures."
"Maybe I could destroy the doors," Ivy said.
"Not a good idea," Elyssa said.
"Please." The girl stood from her chair. "We have to do something."
"I just thought of something crazy," Shelton said, a worried look on his face. "This is probably a long shot, but maybe Ivy could convince Jeremiah Conroy to help us out."
"Are you insane?" Elyssa said.
Bella shook her head vigorously. "I'm certain the man won't be pleased to learn Ivy is here. He's not a person we can trust, and, in case you've forgotten, he's in league with Daelissa."
"He's not a bad man," Ivy said, sticking out her chin defiantly. "I just know I can convince him to help."
"Absolute insanity," Elyssa said.
"These are dire circumstances," Cinder said. "Perhaps radical action is called for."
"I can do it." Ivy put the lollipop into the side of her mouth and sucked. "Just give me the chance to help my brother. Plus, Jeremiah and Daelissa argued about a lot about things. Remember when I helped Justin keep your dad from being assassinated?"
Elyssa's breath caught in her throat. "I do, and I'm so glad you did."
"I didn't really sneak away. Jeremiah told me he wouldn't stop me if I wanted to warn Justin." Ivy switched the sucker to the other cheek. "Bigdaddy said what Daelissa wanted to do was wrong."
"I believe Jeremiah Conroy experienced what humans refer to as a moral quandary," Cinder said. "I still have had no success locating pictures of the inside of the church. Even so, the odds of sneaking into such a heavily fortified location are quite low."
They had no other options, Elyssa realized. They could either sit, wait, and hope Thomas Borathen's Templar forces pushed back the Synod, freeing up a few assault squads or they could risk everything and ask the most powerful and dangerous Arcane alive to help. She didn't know all the circumstances surrounding Ivy's raising by the Conroys. Alysea hadn't been very forthcoming with the details, and Justin only knew Jeremiah had taken her when she was just a baby.
"If Jeremiah threatens us, are you willing to do whatever it takes to get us away from him?" Elyssa asked Ivy.
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Anything."
Elyssa met her gaze. "Even if it means hurting him?"
Ivy crunched down on the lollipop with a fierce look. "Yes."
"Then let's do it."
"Please don't, Elyssa," Bella pleaded. "This is an awful idea."
Shelton shrugged into his duster. "I'll get my stuff."
Elyssa shook her head. "No. It'll just be me and Ivy. I won't risk anyone else." She turned to Ivy. "Where do they live?"
Bella's eyes flashed wide with alarm. "Elyssa, please reconsider!"
"I'll do anything for Justin." Elyssa took the other woman's hands. "Trust me. We'll be okay. I'm sure Ivy can handle any dangerous situations."
"You bet I can," the girl said, tossing her empty lollipop stick into the air and incinerating it with a narrow beam of white energy.
Shelton's eyes went wide as he watched the ash fall to the floor. "I think Elyssa will be fine."
Ivy took out her arcphone and supplied a picture of her bedroom inside Jeremiah's estate. "We can use this with the omniarch."
Bella put an arm on the girl's shoulder. "You're not leading Elyssa into a trap, are you?"
"How could you ask such a thing?" Ivy said, looking genuinely hurt. "I would never do that to her."
"I'm sorry," the petite woman said, looking pained. "But we still don't know each other all that well, and you've been a bit, um, naughty in the past."
"I was being used by Daelissa," Ivy said, blue eyes shining with anger. "Justin showed me how I could be good. He showed me I had a choice, and right now, I'm choosing to help."
Bella nodded her head. "I trust you, Ivy. Please be safe."
The girl pursed her lips and nodded. "I love my brother. I will help him."
The group made their way downstairs. Elyssa used Ivy's picture to open a portal into the girl's bedroom. The room was dark, but the light shining through the portal illuminated a four-poster bed covered in stuffed animals. Elyssa swallowed a lump of apprehension and stepped through, Ivy close on her heels.
"Don't come through, no matter what," Elyssa said to the others. "If anyone besides us comes back, close the portal immediately."
Bella nodded. "Good luck."
Ivy turned on the light in her bedroom. She looked longingly at the stuffed animals for a moment, turned, and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath as if to steel herself, she opened it and stepped into a hallway. Elyssa looked up and down the corridor. It was the same one she and Justin had broken into to see Ivy when they were trying to save Alysea.
The door to the master bedroom hung open. It looked empty. Ivy motioned Elyssa to follow her down the master staircase. They walked down a hallway and to the door of a study. Jeremiah sat inside reading a book and sipping from a glass of amber liquid. He looked the same as ever, neatly trimmed gray goatee, spectacles, and a dark suit accented with a red bowtie. His eyes met Elyssa's, betraying not a hint of surprise.
"I expected I might see you again soon, Ivy." He raised an eyebrow. "I did not, however, expect Elyssa Borathen."
"I can assure you I never expected to be here either, Mr. Conroy," Elyssa said, trying to keep her voice calm even though she was screaming on the inside.
"It's obvious you've repurposed the arch in the cellar of the mansion." He steepled his fingers and rested his gaze on Elyssa's. "Ivy must have led you here."
"Yes," Elyssa said. No sense in lying.
"Furthermore, you must be here about young Mr. Slade."
"My brother," Ivy said, eyes flashing. "Big—uh—Jeremiah, we need your help."
Jeremiah gave her a sad look. "Do you no longer consider me your grandfather?"
Ivy looked at the floor. "You're not. Mom told me the truth."
"Eliza and I raised you from infancy, Ivy. I'd say that gives us as good a claim as anyone else." His gaze softened. "Come now, child. There's no harm in humoring an old man, is there?"
"You tried to make me do bad things, Jeremiah. You tried to kill Justin. You wanted me to let him die." She looked up, eyes locking onto his. "You have a lot to make up for if you ever want me to let you back in the family."
Elyssa felt a shock of surprise at the tone of command in Ivy's voice. The girl was unpredictable—one minute acting like a child, the next like a little dictator. Elyssa hoped Justin's sister was mentally sound, but considering her upbringing between Daelissa and the Conroys, her childhood had been far from normal or balanced.
Jeremiah chuckled. "I understand."
"The Exorcists have Justin," Elyssa said. "We need help freeing him."
He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his drink. "It appears events have spiraled completely out of control. I was foolish to think I could ever direct the situation, no matter how much information I have."
Elyssa narrowed her eyes. "Did you have something to do with his kidnapping?"
Jeremiah stood. Elyssa blurred back, swords singing as they came free from her sheaths.
"I assure you, I intend no harm to you or Ivy," he said, motioning toward the door. "If you'll please step into the hallway, I have something to show you."
Elyssa put Ivy behind her, and backed into the hallway. It seemed rather foolish to put herself between Jeremiah and the one person powerful enough to stop him, but Ivy was still a young girl, and Elyssa's instinc
ts overrode common sense. Jeremiah stepped into the hallway after them and walked to a set of oaken double doors across the hall. He traced a symbol over the seam. The outline of the symbol flashed white, and the doors slid into recesses in the wall.
Jeremiah stepped through the opening. Elyssa halted at the threshold, amazed at the sight beyond. A massive chamber filled with shelves spread out before her. The place was as large as an aircraft hangar—impossible to fit inside the mansion, no matter how spacious it appeared.
"Oh, we're going into the vault?" Ivy asked.
"How is this possible?" Elyssa asked.
Jeremiah raised a gray eyebrow. "I'm utilizing the same magic which creates a gateway into the Grotto, La Casona, and other pocket dimensions." He touched a foot to the threshold. "Once you step across, you are no longer in Atlanta, but in an underground bunker halfway around the world."
Elyssa stared at the vault. "I didn't think anyone knew how the pocket dimensions worked."
"Not many do." He stepped inside and walked down a long row of shelves. "It operates very much like the arch portals."
Ivy skipped after him, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
Elyssa saw no choice but to follow. If Jeremiah was leading them into a deadly trap, they were in too far now to escape. The old man genuinely seemed to care for Ivy. Elyssa had to hope it was enough to keep him from killing them both.
Jeremiah stopped in front of a shelf and looked up and down it for a moment. Elyssa half expected him to make the hemming and hawing noises an old person made when searching for something, but the Arcane's vision seemed eagle sharp, and his hands betrayed not a single tremor of old age as he took a scroll from the shelf and turned to face her.
"Ooh, can I play with the snow globe?" Ivy asked, pointing at one on a shelf just out of her reach.
Jeremiah smiled. "It's not a toy, Ivy."
Her lips pouted. "I know, but it's fun making it snow in Sheboygan."
He chuckled. "Okay, you can make one snowstorm, but make it a good one, okay?" He gently handed her a large crystal globe attached to a silver pedestal. An intricately carved representation of a town resided within it.