"Yes, she did,” says Kyle. “She was supposed to go out with Levinson and our other colleagues."
Lev asks, "So how long have you two..."
"We have been intimate for six months or so."
"Six months? That's when she started at work," says Lev.
"Yes, that's correct," Kyle says.
"You work fast,"
"It was not fast for me," says Kyle. "With her, it was as if time slowed. When I first saw her, I was awed. Though, even with my attraction for her, she made me feel at ease. It started with an innocent conversation. Then, one night, while the rest of you left at the end of your shift, she stayed a little longer and kept me company through the first part of mine. That became our routine. Our late night talks were the best part of my nights. Our talks stimulated our feelings for one another, and our relationship evolved, deepening with every moment we spent together. The electricity of two hearts touching is something I have never felt before. It's a feeling I will not soon forget."
I am reminded of Emily as he says those words. It's been four hundred some years since I last saw her, and she is still fresh in my mind.
Kyle looks to me. "I'm sorry I did not tell you about her sooner”.
"What? No! That's great!” I say. “Good for you. Don't ever feel like you need to tell me that stuff. I mean, you can tell me if you want, but don't ever feel like you owe me an explanation."
"It saddens me to think that I may never see her again due to my folly," says Kyle.
"Well, for what it's worth, your folly brought me back to life,” I say. “Thank you."
"You're welcome, friend. So who are the ‘we’ you referred to?" Kyle asks.
"What?" I ask.
"When I asked you how you found out about Roxxanda and me, you said 'we went back to the barn.' You, and who else? Also, now that we have time, I suppose you can tell me how your sword found you."
Crap. Maybe I shouldn't have gone down this road. I realize now this situation has the potential to explode.
"Okay, Kyle, you have to promise not to freak out."
"Why would I freak out?" Kyle asks.
I have to tell him. I need to tear it right off, like a Band-Aid. I figure I'll begin at the chase through the sewers. I'll tell him about how he passed out after sending a ball of force hurtling down a sewer tunnel to delay the erolith chasing us. Then I'll tell him about how I woke up in my bedroom to find Roxx possessed by the spirit Astraea; that she is now the new Bearer, and Marchosias abducted her. I'll leave out the part with Astraea trying to get with me, of course. Yeah, that sounds like a good summation of the events. This is going to be fine.
"So how far back can you remember?" I ask Kyle.
"I remember waking up in a hospital bed."
"That was probably after the Halcyon bombing,” I say. “And before that?"
"The sewers of District Seven."
"Perfect,” I say. “That's where I'll start."
As I tell Kyle the story, his eyes look back and forth between Lev and me. At first, he concentrates on following my words. As the story progresses, his breaths quicken — fear, and concern building inside him. I've both given and received a lot of bad news, and I know the look on his face. My voice is now background noise to the scenarios he has playing in his head. His eyes glaze over, and his mind is filling itself with images of what's happening to the woman he loves. He can't help but imagine the worst.
I don't get to finish my story, because Kyle starts freaking out. He pulls his wrists apart, trying to break the chain. The iron bites into his skin, and he bleeds.
"Easy, Kyle."
Kyle looks up at me with a murderous rage. "Easy? How could you leave her?"
"Kyle, don't do anything stupid."
"What did you say to me? I should have left you dead!"
Kyle winds up and takes a swing at the window with both wrists. His iron manacles break through the window. The propylglass shatters, pieces flying everywhere.
I shield my eyes. Kyle tries to squirm out the window, and Lev lunges off of his seat to tackle Kyle. I try to get up to help, but Kyle slips away from Lev, and lands on top of me, pinning me to my seat. I wrap my arms around him.
"Kyle...calm down...please..."
"Calm down? This is your fault! Who was supposed to be keeping watch on Thaddeus?" he says.
He jabs an elbow into my ribs.
"Kyle, please!"
"She found you! Why didn't you protect her? Why did you let Marchosias take her?"
"We couldn't do anything!” I plead. “We tried!"
He elbows me in the ribs again, leaving me winded. I let go of him. He spins around and pushes the chain of his manacles across my throat. I can't believe I'm getting strangled again. The blood vessels in his eyes are popping red. He is applying intense pressure across my neck, crushing my Adam's apple. Panic sets in, and I hammer down on his forearms with my fists to no avail.
"Kyle...please...we'll get her back...we'll get h..."
My breath is leaving me. My vision is starting to go. Then Lev, like an orange blur, shoulder tackles Kyle off of me. I gasp with a huge intake of air and go into a coughing fit soon after. Amid the commotion, there is a bright purple flash. I look down.
Kyle is knocked out on the floor of my car, beneath Lev, with purple snakes of arcane electricity arcing all over his body.
Twenty-Nine
Lara dismisses the purple crystal spinning in front of her, pulls Lev up, lifts an unconscious Kyle off the floor, and puts him down back into his seat.
"What happened?" asks Lara. "What was the cause of all this?"
Lev and I straighten ourselves out. Lev sits in his seat, panting. I sink into mine, rubbing my neck.
"Sorry, it was my fault," I say. "I shouldn't have mentioned her."
"No, it's all right,” Lev says. “He had to find out some time."
"Mentioned who? Find out what?" Lara asks.
"Roxxanda Snow," I say. "The woman whose body Astraea possesses. Your brother is in love with her."
"Oh..." says Lara.
"That's right, 'Oh...'” I say. “But I wouldn't expect you to know anything about the subject."
God, my neck hurts.
"I beg your pardon," Lara says. “What are you trying to say?”
"That you don't strike me as the affectionate type," I tell her.
"Do not presume to know me, human."
"Well, so...have you?" asks Lev.
"Have I what?" Lara asks.
"Ever been in love?" Lev clarifies.
"I don't see how any of that is your business," Lara says.
I scoff. "Stop it, Lev. You might as well be asking a rock."
Lara's lips tighten. Her eyes squint in my direction.
"Why are you saying these things to me?" She's projecting her voice through a low growl. She wants to kill me. She should want to. I'm a dick.
I decide to swallow my pride and apologize. "I'm sorry, Larastrumbala. I didn't mean to be rude. That was unfair of me to say those things to you. I'm hurt, I'm pissed, I'm tired, and my best friend tried to strangle me. This isn't a good day."
Her lips remain tight, but her eyes soften.
"It is all right. I too apologize," Lara says.
Lev and I look at each other quizzically.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"I admit, I may not have treated you as well as I should,” says Lara. “Though I did not like hearing what you said, I am not surprised by your hurtful outbreak. I understand that any resentment you feel for me may stem from the way I've treated you in the past."
Am I in the Twilight Zone? Either that, or she's much less cranky after a nap.
"Larastrumbala, it's not that I resent you. It's just sometimes you can be a little bit much."
"Perhaps we have only ever spoken when tensions were running high," says Lara.
"I would have to agree," I say. "Thanks for understanding, and subduing your brother."
"You are welcome."
"L
arastrumbala, may I ask you something?" says Lev.
"You may," she says.
"From what Nyyx has told me, it seems that you elves hate us. Is that accurate?" Lev asks.
Lara shrugs. "We do not hate you. We pity you, and we lack respect for you as living beings."
"Oh, that's...something," Lev says.
"What do you expect?” Lara says. “For centuries you and your people have multiplied and spread like a blight upon this planet — stripping it of its resources, poisoning its waters, and changing ecosystems to fit your sense of comfort. Had you not squeezed yourselves into your giant hives, we elves would have had to do something to interfere lest you destroy this planet completely. Now, I hear that you've colonized another planet. I wonder, has that been achieved before? Have people from one world successfully created Ashyanthinasi on a nearly dead planet?"
"Well, we can ask Astraea when we find her," I say.
"I admire that you think we can," Lara says. "Your tenacity is not lost on me, Nyyx. It's admirable."
"Thanks, but it's not a matter of tenacity,” I say. “It's a matter of survival. There's a reason they wanted Astraea out of the picture. They needed to get to the new Bearer when she's inexperienced. She's our best hope at winning this thing. Only she can wield the power of The Destroying Angel and banish spirits back to the plane eternal."
I turn to Lev.
"Remember what happened to that wolf you killed?" I ask him.
"Yeah,” Lev says. “It died, but not really because something flew out of it and went into Marchosias."
"Exactly,” I say. “We can kill the physical, but the spirit absorbs itself inside another and makes it stronger. Astraea, with The Destroying Angel, can get rid of that demon wolf completely."
"That's so stupid," Lev says. "Why make it so that only one person can do that? Why can't Larastrumbala banish demons? Why can't I? Why can't the dwarves banish them? Why does this Bearer person have the monopoly on getting rid of spirits?"
"It's not that easy, Lev," I say. "Larastrumbala can banish demons too. But doing so, to even one spirit, would probably kill her."
"The amount of energy needed to do such a thing will kill me," adds Lara. "Crossing planes is the single most difficult thing to do in the universe. One cannot simply move from one state to the other."
"The Field acts as a barrier between our world and theirs, remember?” I say. “It takes a helluva lot of energy to send a spirit back to the spiritual plane, or bring something from there to the material one, even for us. When we die, our spirits don't go easily to the beyond. Our souls need to go through a ton of stuff — a kind of purification process, and whatever is cleaned off becomes part of the Field. Crossing over is rigorous, and our souls need help from a guide. Astraea used to be one of those guides before she was assigned to be the Bearer's helper. Which is why we worked together."
"So this Destroying Angel or whatever it is, can banish spirits without any effort at all?" Lev asks.
"Yes," Lara says. "With one swipe, the Bearer may use Azrael to send spirits through Ashyanthinasi and back to the plane eternal."
"With conjurations, it's as easy as one-two-three,” I say, “since their physical shell is made up of Field energies. But with possessions, Astraea and I had to be careful because the spirit is a parasite that's taken over a living host. Astraea used to separate the demon from the living. Without the host, the demonic spirit isn't strong enough to stay on this plane and is sucked back."
"So you and Astraea had to separate the two because if you used The Destroying Angel to shed living blood, then..."
"Then I would die via The Rending," I say.
"But you're not dead," says Lev. A moment later, he realizes the gravity of his statement. "You're...oh."
We all look at Kyle.
"My soul had crossed over, and Kyle brought it back," I say.
"So what does that mean for him?" Lev asks.
"It's a death sentence," Lara says.
Thirty
After traveling northwest for three hours, the rolling grasslands of the Prairies give way to the tall conifers of the great North American boreal forest. One-point-eight million square miles of uninterrupted woodland, separating the tundra to the north and the grasslands to the south.
The sight of it brings a smile to Lara's face. Lev is glued to his window, looking down at the trees and wilderness below him.
People like Lev don't get too far out of civilization. There's no need to. Whatever one needs, the city provides. There are several parks and green spaces floating in almost all of Minneapolis' city districts. I mean, if Thaddeus can recreate a damn rainforest inside a building, the city planners can build floating woodlands for those looking to picnic, go on wilderness hikes, or take camping trips.
It takes another hour of driving before Lev passes out in the passenger's seat. Kyle is unconscious in the back, and Lara assures me he will be out until after sundown, or whenever she chooses to wake him up. Lara is awake, alert, and as stoic as ever. The car is on auto-drive, and I tell Lara I'm going to sleep as well. Then I follow Lev and Kyle to the land of slumber.
I wake up to Lev shaking me, my head lolling limply against my shoulder. My eyes flutter open, and I groan, wiping the sleep away from my eyes.
"Nyyx, Nyyx,"
"What is it?" I ask.
"Larastrumbala says we're almost there," Lev says.
"Prepare yourselves, humans," Lara says to Lev and me, with an even tone of professionalism. "I have sent word that there may be an attack on our lands. Our patrols will be on high alert."
It's a little past seven in the evening. The sun is shining with a fading softness over the forest below us and is an hour away from beginning its descent into the mountains to the west. The ground below is full of resplendent green, blanketing deep valleys and tall rises — such a change from the flat portion of The Canadian Taiga running over old Manitoba and old Saskatchewan. Here the elevation changes; sometimes slow, and sometimes swift. We are in the foothills leading up to the gray giants of The Canadian Rockies.
Then out from the treetops, fly two humanoid shapes. Had Lara not warned me, however, I wouldn't have seen them. The two shapes are transparent, and as they fly across the forest, the treetops beneath them are warped and bent as if we’re looking at them through a piece of refracting glass. It's not until they get closer that their cloaking magic dissolves to reveal two flying elves, dressed in erolith uniforms — black leathers, yellow trim, with etchings swirling all over their suits and giving off a pulsing gray glow. I stop the car
They stay their approach and hover twenty feet in front of us. One of the elves has flawless, smooth, white skin. He has long gold hair, tied back. The other has brown skin, a shade darker than Kyle's golden brown. Her hair is dark blue and is also tied back. The golden-haired elf gathers Field energies into a pink crystal in front of him. Then his head pops up, live and in color, floating on the dashboard.
Lev nearly jumps out of his seat. "Holy hell!"
"Identify yourselves," the golden-haired erolith commands.
Lara squirms to put her head between the two front seats.
"I am Captain Larastrumbala Uthanasa," Lara says, in Elven. "I have the fugitive, Kylanthansa Uthmandir under custody. The two humans accompanying me are as follows. Levinson Bur-Haskins is to my right. He is a valiant human warrior. He has fought many demons to rescue humans out of a burning tower, killed a demon wolf, and has faced Marchosias head-on, showing no fear. To my left is Nyyx Mara. He is the former Bearer and is currently in possession of Azrael. He has shown prowess in battle, courage, and unrivaled tenacity even when fighting at a disadvantage."
The elf considers us for a moment.
"Welcome home, Captain," the golden-haired elf says. "The High Council awaits your arrival. Because you bring outsiders, we must remind you that while these humans are within our borders, they are to conduct themselves within the bounds of our laws. Any infractions will not only result in punishment for
them but you as well. Do you understand?"
"I will accept the consequences of bringing them," Lara says.
"Very well," says the golden-haired elf. Then he turns to me. "Follow us, former Bearer."
The floating head disappears. Then the two elves both gather Field energy. Two shimmering points of light coalesce into two brown crystals in front of them. They flick the brown crystals at my car as if they were playing cards. The crystals attach to the hood, and a layer of refracting glass covers the vehicle. It spreads in stiff geometric patterns, like ice fractals on a watery surface. The outside world is misshapen and disjointed. I wonder if I'm going to be able to drive properly. Then, a moment later, the layer of refracting glass disappears, the world outside is clear again, but the two crystals attached to my hood remain, and are pulsing with a soft brown light.
"You said some pretty nice things about us, Larastrumbala," I say.
"What did she say?" Lev asks.
"She said we're badasses in a fight," I tell him.
"Well, that's been pretty accurate so far," says Lev.
"Stay your ego, Nyyx," Lara says. "I had to convince them that you were worthy of our company."
"You still said it," says Lev.
"He's right, you still did."
Lara huffs with a smile and leans back in her seat.
I follow our flying escorts as they lead us to their homeland. The ground below gets progressively uneven as we head closer to the Rockies. The soft rolling hills give way to jagged crags until we are flying between steep rises and beautiful waterfalls. The erolith take us between two sharp cliffs, which look like two knife blades facing each other, and we enter the Rockies proper. Rams, ewes, and kids navigate the rocky mountainsides near the tree-line, expertly bounding from rock to rock, grazing on evening grass. Lev looks out his window with wonder, looking up at the snow-capped peaks as we pass.
Then we turn right. The elves are leading us through a U-shaped valley heading north. We're traveling at three thousand feet and can see seventy miles ahead of us. The colors are vibrant. There is a river snaking down the middle of the valley, clear and shimmering. Large moose come out of the trees to drink. A few miles down, a grizzly bear crosses the river, bounding across and shaking its fur dry when it gets to the other side. The valley is blocked to the north by tall mountain ranges. At the foot of those mountains is a large lake surrounded by a thick boreal forest.
The Irispire Portal Page 18