Aloft

by J F Rogers

  The corpse’s back lurched with a sharp inhale, and I jumped.

  Kai laughed. “That startled me too.” He placed a hand on his chest and took a deep breath.

  Her new fasgadair blinked, revealing freakish pupils and engorged irises. He touched his stomach where the wound had been, then sat up and lifted his tunic to find pale but otherwise healthy skin. It was like watching someone redeemed in reverse. Rather than fill me with excitement and hope, I wanted to be sick to rid my body of these toxic emotions. I’d seen a creature from the pits of hell create another.

  But I couldn’t give in to despair. There was hope. I couldn’t change the past. But with God, I could help undo some damage and offer hope for the future.

  Jaw agape, the fasgadair turned to her. “Na tha air tachairt dhòmhsa?”

  “What did he say?”

  “He asked what happened to him.”

  She did her demon-possessed doll-head swivel thing and reached to touch the man’s face.

  “Dè th ’annad?” The man’s face shifted between fear, curiosity, and gratitude.

  “He asked her what she is,” Kai translated.

  Morrigan didn’t respond. She rose and walked away. Barefoot, she stepped through the carnage, the soles of her feet dripping with reddish-brown mud.

  The man rose and followed.

  We tailed her across the field, into the woods, and along a path. She walked without wavering, like someone on a mission, yet slow, as if time was of no consequence. She didn’t act desperate or in need of anything. Then again, she’d just gorged on a huge buffet. That should tide her over for a while.

  And how did such a little thing consume so much blood anyway? Did her undead body dissolve it somehow? And why was she walking? Why not do her teleporty thing?

  The man called to her. “An urrainn dhuinn fois a ghabhail airson mionaid?”

  “He asked to rest,” Kai said.

  She continued forward as if he hadn’t spoken a word.

  I threw Kai a skeptical look. “He used a lot more words than that.”

  “That was essentially what he was asking.”

  “Mmmhmm,” I said in a disbelieving tone. “I’m going to have to take over soon if there’s going to be much more conversation.”

  “You needn’t worry. Clearly, she’s not one for conversation.”

  She walked in a straight line into a village. A man approached her. As he neared, he slowed. His concerned look morphed to fear. He stepped back, but it was too late. She grabbed him, bit his neck, and then tossed him like a salad.

  The other fasgadair lunged after the people, desperate, chasing men, women, and children to get his fill. Fortunately, the kids were quick, and the adults protected them. Still, my body shook in anger. The battlefield was repulsive enough. But this… If only I could jab my arm into his mouth and force him to gag on my blood.

  She cut a path to a hut and entered as if she owned the place. We passed through the doorway behind her. A man lay on a pallet in the corner. Somehow, he’d slept through the commotion outside. She drew near what looked like an apothecary chest and rummaged through the drawers.

  “Okay. I’m done resting. Hand over Drochaid.” We switched places. I couldn’t rest if I’d wanted to.

  The man stirred, rubbed his eyes, and then bolted upright. “Whoa. Who are ye to be going through me things?” He stood and reached for Morrigan.

  She seized the man’s wrist and flung him across the room. Then she continued to search his items, unfazed.

  Wincing, the man pulled himself up to sit but otherwise remained where he landed. He leaned against the wall and put a hand to the back of his head. It came away with blood. “Bleedin’ banshees. Are ye mad? Who are ye?” his voice shrilled. “What do ye seek?”

  “I sense it… ” She pinched something and held it up to inspect—a smooth, alabaster stone.

  “That old rock? What do ye want with that blasted thing?”

  With the stone in her palm, she made a fist. Beams of light peeked out through the gaps. She disappeared.

  Chapter Seven

  ◊◊◊

  KAI AND I BOTH gasped. Frozen, we both seemed to be asking the same wordless question: Where’d she go?

  “What was that thing?” I raised my hands and flopped them back to my side. “I have no idea where to go from here.” What a waste of time.

  He shook his head. “At least now we know what the zpět looks like.”

  “Can I imagine it and end up wherever it is? In whatever time?”

  He opened his mouth.

  “Or should I follow Cairbre?”

  Again, he opened his mouth.

  “What if Cairbre was on a hopeless mission to begin with? Should I try to find Morrigan later in time and see if she still has the zpět?”

  One brow rising, he squinted at me. “Do you want answers to these questions? Or are you ranting?”

  I slumped against invisible stone. “What should I do?”

  “Let’s go back.” His hands warm, he cupped my shoulders. “We can figure this out later.”

  “There’s no telling how much more time I have, though. The leaders plan use Turas tonight. Once that happens, I may never get it alone again.”

  “What do you suggest?” He cocked his head and slid his hands from me.

  I shrugged. “Morrigan’s centuries old. I’ve never seen her wearing the zpět. There had to be a reason Cairbre was searching in the Cnatan Mountains. Should I try to follow him?”

  “Sounds like a waste of time. As you said, he never had it and never found it.”

  My surroundings wavered. I swayed on my feet.

  Kai steadied me. “This is too much on you. Let’s go back. God didn’t put you on this mission for no reason. But maybe you weren’t meant to find the zpět this way. Perhaps we should regroup. Besides, they’ll need you to help test the blood on the fasgadair tonight. You should rest up before then. It will be in the current time, which will exhaust you.”

  My shoulders sloped. He made sense. Wasn’t that where I went wrong last time? This was God’s plan, not mine. I was supposed to follow Him in His plans, not try to force Him to follow mine. It seems I either run ahead of Him or forge my own path. But I never sit with Him and wait for Him to show me what to do. “I’m not good at waiting.”

  “Then that’s probably what you should be doing.”

  When did he become so wise? Defeated, I returned us to our normal time. When the wall stopped, excruciating pain pulsed through my temples, and I fell into Kai. Frustration permeated my mind, then relief. Neither emotion felt like mine.

  Kai carried me to a stone and sat me down. He pulled me into his shoulder and wiped the hair from my face, then touched my forehead. “You’re sweating.”

  The pain dulled. Frustration still rumbled somewhere below the surface, but relief washed most of it away. But… I wasn’t frustrated or relieved. I was discouraged at returning, expecting to be refreshed, and met with a blaring headache and suspicious emotions. So, where were these feelings coming from?

  He picked me up. “We need to get you back.”

  “I can walk.” I strained against him.

  “Nonsense.” He trudged forward without missing a beat. “I’m concerned about these recurring headaches. You need to stop being so stubborn and rest.”

  I sighed and leaned into him. My headache had lessened to about a two on the pain scale, but he was right. I didn’t have the energy.

  Perhaps that was part of God’s plan too.

  ****

  After another big lunch, a long afternoon nap, and dinner, I felt much better. My headache was closer to a one now. And, ready or not, it was time. I recognized most of the faces gathered in the war room—King Aleksander, King Abracham, Maili, Pepin, Wolf, Declan, Alastar, Cahal, Torian, and Kai. Evan should have been there since his blood was being tested. But he’d already given us a sample, and General Seung and a bunch of other selki
e officials kept him preoccupied. I wanted to see how he was doing. But at least Rowan was with him. True to her word, the princess was doing what she could to help.

  We trekked the two hours back through the woods to Turas. Everyone bore bows and quivers on their back, except me. But I had a dagger at my hip… just in case. Wolf, Alastar, Declan, and Torian held flasks of their blood. Maili carried Evan’s and Rowan’s.

  As we neared, and I should have been tiring, a new energy swept through me. I was eager for this experiment’s results. So far, I’d turned six fasgadair back to gachen in total. Declan and Evan each turned one. Only six still lived. Morrigan killed Aodan, and Alastar killed the nameless vampire he forced to feed on me. But, if what Rowan shared with me about her transformation applied to all redeemed fasgadair, those two were in heaven right now.

  How many more would be redeemed? This question spurred me on, quickening my step as we went.

  Once we arrived in Turas, everyone else pulled out an arrow and dipped the tip inside a flask.

  King Aleksander stood beside me and gave me a wink. “Ready?”

  “Yes. Everyone needs to link hands with me now. When we get to April 24, 1521 BC, I’ll imagine us out of there right away. I don’t want to risk us getting caught by a demon. And when we arrive in current time in Bandia, anyone not linked will materialize there. We all need to be linked to return.”

  “As we discussed”—King Aleksander raised his voice for all to hear—“if you’re not commanded to shoot, remain connected to Fallon.”

  I placed Drochaid in its spot and almost swirled it myself. Oops! Pepin didn’t know I’d been taking Turas for drives without him. I dropped my hand.

  Pepin eyed me askance as if he suspected I might’ve done this without him. But he swirled his finger along Drochaid’s face as I repeated the date. The rocks whooshed around us. The minute the stones ground to a halt in the spiritual realm, my traveling companions oohed at the complete Stonehenge. But they only got a brief glimpse before I imagined us in the fields beside the castle in Bandia. A fasgadair spun around and looked right at us.

  “Maili, shoot!” King Aleksander shouted.

  Chapter Eight

  ◊◊◊

  THE FASGADAIR LUNGED TOWARD Maili. In one swift movement, she nocked her bow and shot the monster square in the chest.

  Declan caught her wrist. “Go!”

  Heart pounding, I watched the maimed fasgadair falter, then step forward, determined to destroy at least one of us.

  “Fallon!” A collective yell came from the group.

  I collected myself and imagined us back to our time in selkie lands, just as the fasgadair grabbed Maili. Fangs bared, he neared her neck. The rocks groaned to life and, with Maili still in his clutches, the fasgadair spun as they picked up speed. The ground didn’t move, but the fasgadair seemed off balance. He released Maili, splayed his arms, and stepped back to catch himself, eyes bulging with unanswered questions. The demon clutched the arrow in his chest and fell to the ground, writhing. He gasped for his final breaths just before his skin sifted to dust.

  Everyone stood still.

  I broke the silence. “How did it see us?”

  “Perhaps because it’s an abomination, somewhere between life and death, a demon. You said demons travel the spiritual realm, correct?” Wolf asked.

  “It makes sense.” Kai ran his fingers through his hair. “Morrigan could see you when we traveled in the current time.… She even seemed to sense you in the pa—”

  I glared at him, sending him a silent message to shut up. But it was too late.

  “You used Turas without me?” Pepin’s scowling face mottled many shades of red before settling on a deep purple as his eyes skewered me. His fists shook at his sides.

  Kai threw me an apologetic look and lifted his shoulders.

  “Sorry, Pepin. I had to find out about my brothers. And try to find the zpět.”

  “How many times have you used it?” He quaked like a boiling pot.

  I pinched my fingers together and backed away. “Just a couple.”

  He rubbed his face, pulling his lower eyelids down, giving me an extremely unattractive view. “This is your fault.” He jabbed a chubby pointer finger my way. “That’s how the demon found us. I warned you not to overuse Turas, Fallon. The angel warned you. Yet you chose to ignore us to follow your own silly notions.”

  I gulped a spoonful of guilt.

  King Aleksander stepped between us. “We have bigger concerns.” He motioned toward the pile of dust still in human shape, except where the arrow fell to the side, caving in the surrounding area. “Evan’s blood worked to kill the fasgadair. We have yet to witness its redemptive power. But since we know they’re able to see us in the present time, even when we’re connected”—he smoothed his embellished coat—“we need to come up with a new plan.”

  Alastar cleared his throat. “Not that I want to remind everyone I was the lead fasgadair in charge of the seize of Bandia… but I believe my knowledge, and the fact that the fasgadair possessing the castle still believe themselves to be under my command, puts me in a unique position to assist.”

  “By all means.” King Aleksander swept the air, prompting Alastar to speak.

  Alastar’s gaze ping-ponged between me and Pepin. “This thing will allow us to go anywhere, right? Even the sky?”

  Pepin snarled and gestured for me to answer.

  I picked at my hangnail, attempting to ignore Pepin’s blaming stare. We couldn’t deal with this now. I had to help reclaim Bandia. “It should.”

  “We should secure the fortress first. My men, er… the fasgadair will expect to see anything coming from any direction, even in the air. They may not see us coming if we materialize on the roof. We can drop in through the windows and cut the fasgadair with knives laced with redeemed blood.”

  “How do we take over the castle from there?” King Aleksander sheathed his dagger.

  “We should attack during the day. They don’t know I’m no longer a fasgadair. They’ll think I’m still in control. Therefore, they will be in the formation I commanded when I left. The men outside will be sparse, weakened, and in animal form. Most will be asleep in the dungeons. Once we’ve tested the blood-dipped knives on the fasgadair in the fortress, we’ll infiltrate the caverns and cut them with dipped weapons in their sleep.”

  King Aleksander grasped Alastar’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze with a fatherly smile. “Alastar’s plan is sound. We’ll return on the morrow with the first battalion and the second on standby.”

  “Agreed.” King Abracham stroked his Merlin beard. “Return to the war room to solidify our plans and prepare for battle.”

  ****

  I yawned, wavering on my feet, bracing myself on the map table to keep from falling. It was late, and I was tired. Two trips to Turas in one day were a bit much. Eight hours just walking. And even though time hadn’t actually passed during my first trip to Turas following Morrigan, and my body revived when I returned to the present, my mind felt like it had been days and needed a break. But King Aleksander seemed eager to reclaim his lands. So here we sat, gathered around the strategy table when I’d rather be sleeping.

  King Aleksander rearranged the maps so Bandia was on top and slid stone paperweights onto the corners. He placed three silver figures on the fortress, then pointed to Wolf, Declan, and Alastar. “You three. Fallon will deliver you to commandeer the fortress. We’ll need a skilled archer.” His eyes lifted toward Maili. “Are you up to the task?”

  “Most certainly, Your Highness.” She straightened and raised her chin. “My people are adept at hand-to-hand combat fighting within trees as well as archery. I’m quite agile. This is a quest I’m well suited for.”

  “Very well.” He placed another figure on the fortress. “You will join them.”

  “Yer Highness.” Wolf motioned toward Declan and Alastar. “Do ye think it wise to split the triplets? We may need their fire.�
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  “Right.” King Aleksander rubbed his eyebrow. “Wolf, I’ll trust you to choose another soldier to accompany you and Maili.”

  Wolf tipped his head, acknowledging the command.

  Aleksander pushed more figures onto the fortress. “Once the fortress is secure, we’ll drop more soldiers. But hold your position until you receive my command.” He continued to rub his eyebrow. “What happens if they’re killed in animal form?”

  Having been asleep for the past seven years and so far removed from the fasgadair threat, he still knew little about them.

  “A fasgadair in weasel form bit me on the way to Bandia.” I rubbed my fingers together as if I might still feel the bite. “It died.”

  “Interesting.” King Aleksander scratched his blond beard. “We’ve yet to see any fasgadair redeemed through these methods. But no matter, as much as I’d prefer saving lives and having more reinforcements with which to secure the castle, as long as we devastate their numbers, we will succeed. That is the end goal.”

  “Our plans to secure the fortress are solid,” Alastar said. “Once we’ve eliminated the fasgadair in the dungeons, storming the castle will be easy.”

  “We should use the triplet fire,” Wolf said.

  Burn them up while they sleep? “But we haven’t tested it. We don’t know what will happen if the fire ignites while I’m connected to Turas. And if I’m disconnected from Drochaid, I won’t be able to communicate.” No way did I want to risk attempting to survive in Ariboslia among fasgadair without communication. “Also, they’d all die. We wouldn’t redeem any.”

  Wolf quirked his lips. “I was referring to the point in which we storm the castle. But be on the ready, lass. If we get into a situation where we’re overrun, we may need ye three to act.”

  Declan motioned his head toward Alastar. “We should stay close to Fallon, just in case.”

  King Aleksander took a deep breath. “Do you know where they’re taking up residence in the dungeons? The cells, the wine cellar, the underground tunnels?”