by Jade Kerrion
Duggae smiled thinly. “The Great Arbiter rules the underworld, obviously, where life ends and death begins.”
“So, how does one get to the underworld? Besides through dying.” Varun frowned at the lack of response from Ashe and Duggae. “There is an alternate way down there, right?”
Ashe nodded slowly. “There has to be. Zamir said he bargained with her. It must have been a location in the real world—not some metaphysical underworld.”
A stray fact flicked through Varun’s mind. “Krakatoa.”
“What?”
He turned to Duggae. “When did Zamir first come here? Before or after Krakatoa was destroyed.”
“Before…” Duggae dragged out the world. His frown deepened the furrow between his eyes. “You think Krakatoa was destroyed because the Arbiter was imprisoned there?”
“Ashe once told me the Beltiamatu used the Dirga Tiamatu to destroy Krakatoa…and no one understood why. This was why.” Varun stabbed his finger in the direction of the sphere. “Zamir must have figured out where she was, and used the Dirga Tiamatu to destroy her prison.”
“So, you think there’s an entrance to Irkalla from Krakatoa?” Duggae asked.
“I don’t know, but seeing how we’re all short on alternatives, I think Krakatoa is our next stop,” Varun said.
“I’ll come with you,” Duggae repeated. “You’ll need me there, especially if it involves a still active volcano. We know our way around volcanos.”
“Are you going to leave the sphere unprotected?” Varun asked.
“Of course not. My people and others are already on their way to protect it. Right, Ashe?”
She nodded. The Oceanids are rallying to protect the waters around Atlantis. They’re not a match for the full might of the Beltiamatu, but now, with the Beltiamatu ranks thinned out, the Oceanids stand a good chance. The Daughters of Air will also be sending their own to protect the island. Anyone trying to get to Atlantis will have to contend with the furious crosswinds and riptides.
Varun nodded slowly. The critical urgency of the situation was finally starting to sink in. If the air, water, and earth elementals were actually teaming up, the problem was far larger than he imagined. So what was he, a human, doing in the middle of this mess?
Ashe extended her arm to her parrot. Jinn hopped onto her wrist and clawed along the length of her arm up to her shoulder.
“Let’s go.” Duggae stalked toward the tunnel through which Varun and Ashe had entered the aether core.
“Wait.” Varun hurried after him, grimacing with pain at every step. “There’s a thing out there—”
Utterly indifferent to Varun’s warning, Duggae stepped into the vast chamber. The automaton swung its massive sword at Duggae, but the gnome merely held up his hand and the automaton slid back into standing at attention. Varun’s jaw dropped. “How did you do that?”
“It’s an amalgamation of earth and fire, powered by aether. The gnomes created them, after Atlantis was destroyed, to protect what was left of the core. We use them in many other places. They’re incorruptible and indestructible.”
Varun grimaced. “I can see a potential problem right there. I don’t believe in incorruptible, and indestructible is definitely an issue.”
“Why would we destroy the Earth’s protectors?” Duggae asked. “Come on, quickly now. It will return to its patrol once we have left the chamber.”
“I’m surprised there’s only one.”
“There is no need for more than one. The golems are our most powerful line of offense and defense. No one has ever won a battle against one of them.”
“But we got past.”
“Through deception, but that avenue is not usually available to others. Let’s get back to your ship.”
Varun studied Duggae from the tip of his white curly hair to the toes of his red shoes. “How do we explain you to the crew of our ship?”
Duggae looked confused. “How did you explain Ashe?”
“We didn’t. They still think she’s human.”
“Really?” Duggae’s eyebrows shot up. “They’re obviously unobservant. You can probably just walk me onboard, and they might not even notice I’m there.”
“It’s not quite that simple.”
“You humans always make things more complicated than they have to be.”
Usually, Ashe cut in, but not this time. She stared back down the narrow tunnel that led to the aether core and to the Sphere of the Elements. It is complicated. We’re not just fighting Zamir and merfolk acting on the whims of a mad king or a crazy sea witch. We’re battling the Great Arbiter of Life and Death. Dread chilled the breath of wind sweeping through the chamber. Who has ever fought gods and won?
Chapter 17
Ashe stood on the edge of the cliff and stared out over the ocean. The Veritas was still anchored on the far side of the outer islands. The speedboat lingered in the calm waters between Atlantis and its harbor islands.
Varun limped forward to stand beside her. “Jinn can’t fly. Are you going to send a tornado to get their attention or just yell directly into Jackson’s head?”
She did not look at him; she merely held out the satellite phone from the backpack she had retrieved at the entrance into the aether well.
“Oh.” Varun had the grace to flush. He took the phone from her and made a call. “Hey, Jackson…Yeah, we’re both all right. We’ll need a pick up. Did we find…uh—” He glanced at Duggae. “Yeah, we found a couple of things. Picked up a couple of lasting souvenirs too.” He winced at the shrill note on the other side. Ondine, obviously. “It’s not serious. Just a little bite. Corey will be able to take care of it on the ship…No, I don’t need a med evac. I do have a hell of a story to tell, though. Will you put Jackson back on? Hey, man.” Varun’s tone of relief was audible. “Yeah, I can send up a flare.” He glanced over his shoulder as Ashe dug through the backpack for a red flare, and released it. The crimson burst shot straight up, propelled, in part, by a helpful little breeze. “You see it? Great. See you in a bit.” He disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Ashe. “Fifteen minutes.” He darted a quick glance at Duggae who was sitting on a rock, his legs outstretched and his arms folded across his chest. “How do we get him on the ship?”
Ashe’s fingers danced out the words. Jinn squawked, “How badly do you need what’s in your backpack?”
Varun climbed down into the waiting speedboat first. The difficulty of the descent, aggravated by his fear of heights and his injured leg, would have been hazardous if not for the cushion of air that surrounded him, propping him up on all sides and inching him down the rope until he was safely on the deck.
The cushion of air evaporated an instant before he found himself fielding an armful of Ondine. “What happened?” She pressed the palms of her hands against his cheeks. “You look like hell. Oh my God. Did you know what hit the water? What Jackson shot?”
“Yeah. I know. It was charging at us.”
She stared at his blood-soaked pants leg. “What happened?”
“One of those big kitty cats mistook me for a snack. It underestimated Jinn, though.”
“Jinn?” Ondine followed Varun’s gaze up as Ashe climbed down the rope, the bulky backpack on her shoulders, and Jinn balanced on her head.
Jackson’s eyes widened as he stared at Jinn’s splinted wing. “What happened?”
Varun grinned up at the bird. “Jinn almost took out the panther’s eyes, but it got a lucky hit in. Still, we made it out okay, didn’t we, big guy?”
The parrot snorted. “Dumbass.”
Ondine stalked up to Ashe. “Are you crazy? What did you get us into? All of this…” She swept her hand over Varun and Jinn, who was cozying up to Jackson. “And for what?”
Ashe shrugged the backpack off her shoulders and set it down carefully at the foot of the speedboat, out of everyone’s way.
Varun saw the bag twitch, but fortunately, no one else was focused on the bag.
Ashe turned to face ev
eryone else. Her fingers flicked.
Jinn squawked, “Jackson, take us back to the Veritas.”
The first mate’s brown-eyed gaze fixed on Ashe for a long, silent moment before he nodded. “Aye, captain.”
Damn it. Varun’s jaw tensed. The last thing Ashe needed was a doubting first mate second-guessing her. Was she even aware of the emotional undercurrents? Did she know she had to manage them if she wanted to keep working with humans, and through humans?
Or did she—air elemental and water elemental that she was—not give a damn?
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Ondine demanded of Ashe. “After that ridiculous story you told on the way out here? After what we saw coming over that cliff? And now…all these injuries? How much longer do you think you can keep lying to us? How much more danger are you going to drag us into?”
Jinn growled.
Varun jolted. That sound coming from Jinn’s throat couldn’t possibly be real, but apparently it was. Damn, that parrot could growl.
And Ashe was furious.
The wind whipped through her hair, spreading the long blue and green strands out like a cloak. Her eyes glittered, and the speedboat rocked on the rising waves.
Jinn snapped, “The Veritas’s next stop is Bar Harbor, where the charter ends.”
“Whoa!” Varun held up his hands. “I asked to come here, all right? We came because the data pointed to something out here. This isn’t about Ashe, so don’t make it about her.”
Ondine spun around. “What do you mean it isn’t about her? Of course it’s about her. She’s filled your head with crazy stories about Atlantis. She knows it’s the way into your heart.”
“My what?” Varun’s jaw dropped. “Look, this is a research project on the ocean. It has always been precisely that. There is nothing between me and Ashe.”
“Isn’t there?” Hands on her hip, Ondine glared at Varun. “When did she stop being captain and start being Ashe?”
Varun stiffened. His breath caught in his throat. “Ondine, don’t twist this into something it’s not.”
“You’re blind if you don’t see the kind of danger she’s led all of us into. She’s a witch. I’ve told you that since we first got onboard. Weird shit happens around her.”
Varun glanced at Jackson, but the first mate clearly knew when to keep his nose out of trouble. His back was turned to Ashe, Varun, and Ondine; his attention focused on steering the speedboat through the dangerous shallow waters around the outer islands.
The clear blue sky darkened into storm clouds. The ocean tossed, the white-capped waves riding higher. Ondine glanced around, like a skittish doe caught out in the open. Even Jackson looked nervous.
Varun threw his thought out. Ashe! You’re not helping the situation.
A wind tore past them, so strong it ripped a hole through the clouds. The sun burst through, spreading a rainbow over the ocean.
Varun glared at the Daughter of Air. And you think that’s helpful?
She glared back at him. You don’t want a storm, so I give you a rainbow, and you’re still complaining?
I don’t want anything, Varun retorted. Stop doing weird shit.
A water spout exploded out of the ocean several feet away from the boat, drenching all of them in seawater.
Varun dragged his hand over his face, wiping the water away. Jackson’s shoulders were taut, his stance hunched in, defensive. Ondine looked shell-shocked.
You don’t want weird shit, then go find some normal people to hang out with, Varun. Ashe lifted her chin. The wind swirled around her like a living barrier, protecting her.
But from what?
From him?
The sharp, sudden ache in his chest surprised him.
The fact that she was hurt, and that he had hurt her, shocked him.
Varun opened his mouth to speak, but Ashe spoke first. I promise the wind and the seas will be highly favorable. You’ll be getting off at Bar Harbor in three days.
Chapter 18
Varun accepted the pair of crutches that Corey offered him. “No crazy stunts for the next few days,” the medic warned. “You’re lucky nothing’s broken. Drenching it with antiseptic within moments of the injury kept the infection at bay. Give it a couple of days, and you’ll have nothing more than a bunch of ugly scars and a hell of a story.” Corey thumped Varun on his back to get him off the examination table, then turned to Jinn. “Now, let’s see what I can do for you.”
The parrot shuffled restlessly. “Dumbass.” The bird’s beady eyes fixed on Varun. “Not you. Him.”
Corey chuckled. “Yes, I know.” He shook his head. “Varun just doesn’t know when to quit.”
Varun’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“You almost drowned on your first dive off the ship, back at the Sargasso Sea. You make a stop at your home at Kalymnos, and are hit by a massive storm. Biggest ever for that area; it’s one for the record books. An underwater volcano no one even knew was there blows up about ten leagues from Kalymnos. Then, to the immense gratitude of everyone on Kalymnos, you head to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, go explore an island, and come back with absurdly sized bite wounds, biggest I’ve ever seen. And Ondine is out in the crew mess hall, telling everyone about an oversized black panther, and some kind of warrior astride its back.”
“So?”
“So, whatever it is you’re doing, the universe is telling you to stop.”
Varun’s jaw dropped. “What? No, that’s—”
“That’s exactly what a stubborn man, focused on a goal, to the exclusion of all else, would say. But life rarely throws this much shit in one person’s way, so if I were you, I’d be wondering if I’m on the right path.”
“Maybe I’m encountering all these hurdles because I’m on the right path.”
Corey shrugged. “Then I’d be asking myself what I’m up against, because it sure looks like you’ve bitten off a lot—and been bitten by it too. Now, get out. I have another patient to tend to.” Corey picked up an x-ray of Jinn’s broken wing. “I’ve set broken bones before, but they’ve all been on people. I gotta confess, Jinn, I’ll be winging it here.”
“Ha ha,” Jinn snapped. The parrot’s head swiveled toward Varun as he awkwardly maneuvered through the door on his crutches. “Make sure the door hits you on the way out.”
Varun grimaced. So much for gratitude. Apparently, mutual life-saving was not sufficient to reset Jinn’s less-than-friendly relationship with him.
Why do I even care what a parrot thinks of me?
His knuckles tightened around his crutch until they were white. The tenseness made the narrow metal steps down to the laboratory especially difficult, but leaning against the wall kept him from falling.
Breaking his neck would certainly put a neat bow on everything.
He refused to give Ashe—or Jinn—that satisfaction.
Varun flung open the door of his laboratory and flicked on the light. Something tumbled to the ground. Varun did not understand the accompanying curse words, but he recognized the voice. “Duggae?”
The gnome appeared from behind a laboratory table, dusting off his clothes, his expression one of barely salvaged dignity. “Next time, knock.”
“This is my laboratory.”
“It’s my room now. Ashe said no one comes down here.”
“No one except me.”
Duggae folded his arms across his chest. “Guess you’ve got a new roommate, then.”
Varun grunted as he moved around the gnome to sit at his desk. His gaze fell upon the pile of notebooks, under which he had hidden his journal.
The journal Ashe had stolen from him.
He kicked the table with his uninjured leg. Damn that woman!
Duggae hopped up on the desk without any apparent effort, and sat cross-legged across from Varun. His silver-speckled black eyes stared at Varun. “What’s got you all twisted up in knots?”
“It’s that…” That what? Varun’s mind stalled. Woman? T
echnically, Ashe wasn’t a woman, was she? Her body was merely a physical projection of astral energy.
Female? Possibly correct, but it seemed so derogatory.
Ashe defied description—
Duggae’s voice cut through his thoughts. “She is fae. Like all Daughters of Air, she is a shapeshifter. Her physical form is as malleable as the air.” The gnome sighed, his chest drooping. “We all have…reputations.”
“What do you mean?”
“People say the earth elementals are stolid and inflexible, even unimaginative, and that the fire elementals are reckless and hot-tempered.”
“And the air elementals?”
“Fickle and easily distracted.”
“Is it true?” Varun asked.
“Is it true?” Duggae repeated, then chuckled, his face creasing into laugh lines. “Have you ever seen a hurricane? How fickle and distracted did it seem to you?”
“Not particularly.”
“Behind every hurricane is a Daughter of Air—a powerful one, like Ashe. Directing a hurricane is no mean feat. The focus and energy required to manage those beasts is astounding. As Daughters of Air go, Ashe is ancient—coming up on three hundred years.”
“What does that mean?”
Duggae’s white bushy eyebrows drew together like fat caterpillars. “Don’t you read your fairy tales?”
“The fairy tale painted her as a lovesick calf.”
“Yeah. She never quite forgave that Hans writer guy for it. He got part of it right, though.”
“Which part?”
“The Daughters of Air promised her a soul in exchange for three hundred years of service. She’s only three years away from attaining it.”
Tightness clenched around Varun’s heart. He did not know what to make of it. “And then what happens when she gets a soul?”
“She moves on.”
“To where?”
Duggae shrugged. “To wherever beings with souls go. You have one; how about you tell me?”
Varun chuckled. “I can’t. We have multiple world religions—each with a view on what happens to the soul—and no one agrees on anything.”