by R S Penney
“Yes,” Mercy said, guessing her thoughts. “There is a piece of me Infused into the crystal.”
Desa stood with her arms folded, frowning at her distorted reflection. She ran her finger over the crystal’s surface. “So, what am I supposed to do with this?” she asked. “Create a thousand Infused bullets?”
“You’ve learned that you can temporarily disrupt Adele’s power by manipulating the Unifying Field.”
“Yes.”
She saw Mercy’s shadow before she felt the woman’s hands on her shoulders. “Concentrate,” the goddess said. “Reach through the crystal and make yourself one with the Field.”
Clearing her mind, Desa did as she was told. It was easy with those pulses lighting the way. She pulled the Ether through the crystal, and the world changed. Particles did their endless dance, but they were insignificant compared to the radiance that drowned out her awareness of everything else. It was as if she stood before a star.
It took her a moment to collect herself, but when she did, she realized that she could sense…everything. Her awareness extended for miles! Past the edge of the desert and the sparse fields beyond its eastern border. Past the curve of the Vinrella and the tiny village of Thrasa on its northern bank.
She followed the route she had taken a year ago back to Ofalla. The city was abuzz with activity, people hurrying this way and that, going about their daily lives. It was hard to track them – even with the crystal, her mind could not process that much information – but the fact that she could sense them at all from nearly five hundred miles away was remarkable.
She directed her thought southward, over the vast expanse of empty wasteland, beyond the desert to Pikeman’s Gorge. A caravan of people and horses was coming north. Once again, it was hard to track any one individual, but she could sense the group.
And she could sense Mercy.
The goddess shone as brightly as the crystal, a warmth that drove away fear and hurt and loss. “Very good,” she said. “With this, you can manipulate the Field to greater effect. You will be able to obstruct Adele’s power for more than a few seconds. Long enough for her body to die.”
Desa severed herself from the Ether.
“So,” she said. “Bring her here, and use the crystal to finish her off.”
“Essentially.”
“Good,” Desa whispered. “That, I can do.”
14
Tommy walked with a heavy heart down a street lined with gray houses. Tonight was the night; Delarac’s party would begin in three hours. The architects of his disgusting war all gathered in one place. Tonight, they would pay for their sins.
Tommy was ready.
He had gone over the plan a hundred times with Miri and Kalia; he knew his role backwards and forwards. Strangely, he didn’t feel much apprehension, only sadness. Men would die by his hand. He accepted that necessity, but he could never make himself like it. Perhaps that was a good thing.
Reminding himself that every one of those bastards had condemned hundreds of men to die on foreign shores helped matters. Or maybe it just drowned the guilt in rage. He couldn’t tell. All he knew was that tonight, he was going to war, and he might not be coming back. A good time to sort out those niggling concerns that he would hate leaving unattended.
He found Dalen shuffling up the sidewalk on his way home from work. Just the sight of the other man made his heart flutter. Tall, lean, tanned with short, brown hair and just a hint of stubble: Dalen was a masterpiece. But it wasn’t just a handsome face that drew Tommy’s eye. The man had the kindest heart in the world.
Of course, Dalen walked with his head down, lost in his own private reverie. He didn’t look up and notice Tommy until they were just about to collide. “Oh,” he stammered. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“What…What?”
Slipping his hands into his pockets, Tommy smiled down at himself. “I thought I’d join you for the walk home,” he said with a shrug. “If you wouldn’t mind the company, that is.”
“I’d love the company.”
They walked in silence for nearly a minute. Tommy kept scanning the tall, gray houses on either side of the road, hoping to catch a face in one of those dark windows. Or perhaps hoping not to. It was just instinct. Spend enough time planning clandestine affairs, and you learned to take stock of your surroundings before you opened your mouth. “How is bookkeeping treating you?” he asked at last.
Dalen forced a smile. “Not bad,” he said. “Not as exciting as what you-”
Tommy gently touched his arm, quieting him. Some things were best not discussed in the open. Luckily, Dalen sucked in a breath and nodded as if to say that he understood. “My apologies.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Jim seems to like the work.”
“That’s wonderful.”
Something was off. He could feel the other man’s tension. Dalen wanted to say something, but he was holding back. Well, that simply wouldn’t do. If Tommy had learned one thing over this past year, it was that love required honesty.
He took Dalen’s hand.
The other man froze, looking over his shoulder with utter shock on his face. “Oh,” he mumbled. “I thought...I thought…”
Unable to help himself, Tommy broke out in a fit of laughter. “What can I say?” He pulled Dalen close for a peck on the cheek. “I spent a lot of time worrying about what people might think if they saw me expressing my true feelings. And then I remembered that I’m a Field Binder.”
Dalen touched his nose to Tommy’s, their foreheads pressed together. “That does make things easier, doesn’t it?”
“Much.”
“So…”
At a gesture from Tommy, they started up the street again. He was amazed to find that he wasn’t afraid. All those people who might have been looking out from any one of those windows? Let them see the truth and say what they would. He might be dead in a few hours; he didn’t have time to fret about the opinions of backward-thinking townsfolk.
They walked hand in hand for a little while, but it wasn’t long before Dalen grew tense again. “I…I have to tell you something,” he began. “And I want you to know that I didn’t plan any of this.”
When Tommy spun to face the other man, Dalen was breathing hard, mouthing words that he couldn’t bring himself to speak. “Jim kissed me,” he said at last. “I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t ask for it!”
Tommy’s eyebrows shot up. “Interesting.”
“It is?”
Tommy answered that with a shrug and a sheepish grin. “I already share you with Miri,” he said. “I can’t see the harm in sharing you with one more person. If you return his feelings, that is.”
“I…I honestly don’t know.”
Resting his hands on the other man’s shoulders, Tommy kissed Dalen softly on the lips. “Well, I guess you’ll have to figure it out,” he said. “But there is one thing I want to tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“I know I’ve been spending a lot of time with Miri lately,” Tommy murmured. “For obvious reasons. But that doesn’t mean I love you any less. It’s not a competition. And I need you to know that.”
He found relief in Dalen’s large, brown eyes. Relief and understanding. “I do. I just wish I could help with…you know.”
Backing away, Tommy paused for a moment to regard the other man. “You have!” he insisted. “You think we could have done any of this without you? Paying the bills and doing the research might not be glamorous, but without you, we never would have made it this far.”
“I suppose.”
“Come on.”
It took another twenty minutes to get home. Their open affection earned a few questioning stares from the people they passed, but Tommy was ecstatic to find that his fear was gone. True, there was the possibility of drawing unwanted attention from the City Watch, but he was willing to risk it. This might be his last chance to share an intimate moment with Dalen.
They foun
d Miri and Kalia in the living room upon arriving at the apartment. Both women had donned their black clothing. He could already tell that Miri was carrying the Infused accessories that he had made.
She had her back turned as she laced her boots. Twisting around, she shot a glance in his direction. “Out for a walk?” she asked. “You should be getting ready.”
Tommy leaned one shoulder against the wall, cocking his head as he studied her. “We have time yet,” he replied. “The sun won’t be down for another hour, and we certainly can’t risk traveling by daylight.”
“I suppose.”
“Maybe you might like to have a quiet moment with Dalen,” Tommy suggested. “Given that this will be a risky endeavour.”
Miri stood up slowly, turning around to face them full on. At first, Tommy thought she might protest, but her face softened. “You’re right,” she said. “Come on, my love. We should talk.”
They disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Tommy alone with Zoe, Victor and Kalia. The young lovers were sitting on the sofa, murmuring soothing things to one another. Tommy decided to let them have their privacy.
Kalia stood by the window with her arms folded, looking out on the street below. He was confident that he could guess what the poor woman was thinking about. She missed Desa.
It was unfair. He and Miri had been given a chance to say their good-byes to the man they both loved. Kalia had no such opportunity.
Joining her at the window, Tommy chose his words with care. “She knows you love her,” he murmured. “She always has.”
Kalia looked up, blinking. A smile replaced her puzzled expression in an instant. “I certainly hope so,” she replied. “But Desa can be a bit thick when it comes to matters of the heart.”
“I haven’t known her much longer than you have,” Tommy said. “But one thing I learned very quickly is that Desa runs when she feels overwhelmed. Ten minutes after she told me about killing Sebastian, she hopped on Midnight and fled into the desert. It was easier than facing me.”
“And you think she’s running from me?”
Tommy grinned and shook his head. “No, I think she’s running from herself,” he said. “From the guilt that is always two steps behind her. She thinks that if she can fix her mistakes-”
“Then she’ll finally have peace.”
“Yeah.” He racked his brain for words, for something to say that might ease Kalia’s anxiety. “I don’t know what she’s gonna find in that desert. But I do know she’ll survive it. And she will be coming back to you. So, let’s make sure you do the same.”
“Thank you, Tommy.”
He grunted when the tiny woman threw her arms around him in a fierce hug.
The night was cool but not painfully so. Tiny stars twinkled over the city. Tommy felt the wind cutting right through his black clothing, but he heard nothing. The Sonic-Sinks that muffled his footsteps silenced everything else as well. He wore a black mask with two eyeholes. And just to be on the safe side, he had shaved.
With his bow in hand and a quiver slung over his right shoulder, he ran along the peak of a gabled roof. A Gravity-Sink in his belt buckle kept him from falling, one of several that he had created over the past week.
At the edge of the roof, Tommy leaped
He sailed effortlessly over a narrow alley, then killed his Sink and somersaulted across the flat top of the next building over. A second later, he was on his feet again and running at full speed.
Miri and Kalia were nearby, following routes that ran parallel to his. He could feel their Infusions even at this distance, especially Miri’s. Hers, he sensed all the time. He only detected Kalia’s by the stirring in the Ether when she used them.
Fifteen minutes later, he stood silently in the street outside Delarac’s mansion. He sensed Miri’s approach before he saw her falling out of the sky. She touched down in a dark spot between two lamps, massaging a sore back. Tommy hissed when he imagined the jolt she must have experienced. Using a Gravity-Sink for a controlled fall was no easy task. None of them had Desa’s finesse.
Not missing a beat, Miri spun around and strode right toward him. How she found him was a mystery. She couldn’t feel his Infusions the way he felt hers.
She was gesticulating forcefully, glancing about as if searching for something. It took a moment for him to realize that she was trying to speak. The Sonic-Sink that she had failed to deactivate swallowed her every word.
He tapped her second button.
“What?” she snapped. “Oh. Thank you.”
“What were you saying?”
Miri turned her head, staring off toward the wall that surrounded Delarac’s property. “I was asking if you were ready.”
Before he could answer, Kalia dropped out of the sky to land gracefully in the road. She dusted her hands as if she had just finished sweeping her kitchen floor and then joined them in the shadows. “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”
“Lovely,” Miri growled. “Are we ready?”
Setting his jaw, Tommy nodded once. “Ready,” he said.
“Ready,” Kalia echoed.
“Then there’s no sense in dawdling.”
They formed a line with Tommy in the middle and the two women on either side. Together, they began a sprint across the street, each one pulsing their Gravity-Sinks as they leaped.
One by one, they soared over Delarac’s wall, dropping to land in the grass of his front yard. And then they ran. Tommy was in the lead at first, but Miri quickly overtook him, scrambling toward the mansion at full speed. Kalia managed to keep pace with him.
They made no effort to hide. If someone saw them, it wouldn’t matter. By the time whoever it was warned Delarac, it would be too late.
The house grew larger and larger as Tommy charged through the field. He saw lights in almost every one of its windows. The place was abuzz with activity: that much was certain.
Miri tapped her belt twice and then jumped, hurling herself up to the slanted roof. She landed perched upon the shingles, waiting.
The instant he got within range, Tommy ordered his buckle to feast on gravitational energy. The wind whistled around him as he rose into the air. What a rush! Nothing in this world compared to it. How was it possible that he had never known about the Ether until Desa came along? He let gravity reassert itself for half a second, bringing himself down in a gentle descent.
Kalia was right on his heels.
“Come on,” he said.
He took off across the length of the north wing, heading for the main building. His nimble feet barely touched the shingles; the Gravity-Sink lessened his weight without completely freeing him from the Earth’s pull. Poor Miri. A physical trigger restricted an Infusion to performing one task and only one task. For her, it was either complete weightlessness or nothing at all. Still, she kept pace.
As he neared the central structure, Tommy jumped and grabbed the lip of its roof. He pulled himself up, then rolled aside to make room for his companions. They were quick to follow.
Wasting no time, Tommy got up and moved toward the back of the mansion. The ballroom had a skylight, a round window framed by metal beams that expanded from the centre.
He crawled closer, peering through it. He found aristocrats in fancy suits dancing a slow waltz while others sat at tables near the walls. There must have been at least fifty guests. Probably more. Tommy fished a small coin out of his pocket, tossing it onto the skylight.
Twisting around, he shared a glance with the two women who followed him. “It’s time,” he said. “Are we ready?”
They both nodded.
“Stand clear.”
They moved to a safe distance, and then Tommy triggered the Force-Source that he had created for this specific purpose. Glass shattered, raining down on frightened guests who screamed in terror.
Tommy loped across the rooftop and then dropped through the opening, using his Gravity-Sink to control his descent. He landed in the middle of the dance floor, bending his knees upon impact.
Gathering his courage, he stood up straight and scanned the room. “What can I say?” he teased. “I like to make an entrance.”
Most of the guests were pressed up against the walls, forming a haphazard square around the perimeter of the room. A few were still sitting at their tables. And they all looked like they were ready to faint.
Kalia came down on his right and then Miri on his left, both grunting when they hit the floor. Like him, they wore black masks to hide their faces. The partygoers must have thought they were being robbed.
One man, an older fellow with thick, gray sideburns and curly hair, turned and bolted for the door. He nearly tripped over a fallen chair, but that didn’t stop him.
Retrieving an arrow from his quiver, Tommy twisted around and raised his bow. Nock, draw and loose. It was as easy as breathing. The weapon had become an extension of his body.
His arrow zipped past the fleeing man and drove itself into the tiles about three inches away from the door. Tommy triggered the Force-Sink he had Infused into it, and the old fool froze in mid-step.
Several people gasped at the sight.
The cowardly, old codger had one foot lifted off the floor, his arms flung out wildly. But he did not fall. It was as if time had stopped in a small pocket around his body, which – for all intents and purposes – it had.
“I don’t recall giving anyone permission to leave,” Tommy said. He searched the room and found Timothy Delarac in the corner with a glass of wine in hand. Something was off there. The host of this party should have said something by now. “Now, where is Anthony Phillips?”
The man he had named stood up from a nearby table. Phillips was tall with a bit of a belly. He had the kind of face you’d never forget: square with a thick, gray mustache and matching hair that was much too thick for a man of his age. “What is the meaning of this?”
No cowardice there.
Tommy sauntered up to the man, a wolfish grin revealing his intentions. “You’ve argued quite passionately for the war in Ithanar,” he said. “You arranged the loans that financed this new expansionist policy.”