The 7th Relic, page 16
“He didn’t once ask me what I did while he was gone.” She shakes her head. “I don’t think he even looked at me once.”
“Aw, come on. How could he not look at you at least once?”
“I mean, yeah, he looked at me when we talked, but he never really ‘looked’ at me. It’s like he sees past me, not really seeing me.”
“That’s because he doesn’t have to see you. He knows you.”
I close my eyes and even though she’s lying next to me, she is all I see. “He knows how the color of your eyes changes from a soft brown to a dark burgundy when you’re pissed. He knows when you laugh out of control, you snort and then laugh even harder.”
“He does?”
“And he knows that when you’re lost in your sketching and painting, nothing exists outside of what’s on your pad or canvas. And it’s the only time you share yourself.”
“Seriously?”
“And how you hate it when I let you win in a match or don’t take you seriously.”
“What? Why would he notice that?”
Huh, maybe I should keep my eyes open when I’m talking to her. I shrug. “Why wouldn’t he?”
We lie quietly, letting the peace in this strange room seep in and make our worries seem distant and unreal. I hold her tight and she sighs as if falling asleep. I feel myself slipping away when… “What are you doing?”
“I’m feeling your chest.”
“Ah, why?”
“One, it feels nice, and two, when did you get so thick?” I’m about to stop her hand from moving downward when she suddenly sits up.
I’m on my elbows quickly. My eyes wander about the room until they settle back on her. “What?”
She grabs the hem of my shirt and throws it upward. “What the hell? Jesus, Andrew, what have you been doing this past year, working out 24/7? It’s like a road map to the Sahara’s dunes here. What do you call this…a twelve pack?”
“There’s no such thing.” I yank my shirt down, pull her back to me and re-settle in.
It only takes a second to realize the mood has changed. Grace no longer leans against me with her arm thrown over my chest. Instead, she keeps it to herself, using her forearms to put distance between us. I’m not sure what has changed to make her feel uncomfortable, but whatever it is, the moment we had is gone.
I take my arm from around her, getting up. I walk to the doorway and stop. “It’s getting late. We leave when Vilzen returns, which could be anytime, so get some rest. We’ll be up early and ready to go when he gets here.”
“Okay,” she replies quietly.
And there it is: that tone to her voice when she’s unsure or afraid. It’s the voice that calls to me to return and comfort her as I did when we were kids. I turn to her and the reaction I have at seeing her like this is painful. Dark auburn curls softly caress her shoulders, lost from my sight as they fall behind her back. Large doe eyes stare back at me, wanting me to stay, but not sure why. She’s wearing her new pink shirt she purchased earlier. Does she know it’s too small, stretching tightly and enhancing her breasts? And it’s too short, exposing her stomach? Too much toned skin and soft curves for only a glancing view.
I turn away. We’re not kids anymore and the memory of our kiss comes rushing back at me. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did and I don’t regret it. And for that reason, I won’t comfort her as she pines after Reiko. Besides, ‘comforting’ her is the last thing on my mind.
“Goodnight.” I step through the door, ignoring her quiet “goodnight” in return. Before I change my mind, I close the door and hurry down the hall.
~ * ~
Chapter Twenty-Four
~ Grace ~
I rise from the bed like the living dead. I couldn’t sleep last night and it wasn’t because of the usual visions of Reiko going through my head, but because of Andrew. I even got up and took out the sketchpad, only to find my original profile of Reiko somehow turned into Andrew. Even now I try to make sense of what happened with him…if I can just get the image of his hard-ass abs out of my head.
“Hey,” greets Reiko from the sink. I shuffle to the counter and take a seat.
“Hey. What time is it?”
“3 a.m.”
“3 a.m.? So, I’ve only had an hour’s sleep? How is that possible?”
“It’s this place. I set my watch for a fifteen-minute nap. When I woke up I felt like I’d slept for hours, but according to my watch I only slept for five minutes.”
Elven magic…amazing.
“Did you work out Alorn’s plan?” I look around the empty room. “Where is everybody?”
“I think so, but I’m sure he’ll go over it again. And as for where everyone’s at, let’s see. Vilzen hasn’t shown up yet, Mellis and Haro left to get some supplies, Alorn is wherever the hell he wants to be and Andrew is in the back room.”
“There’s another back room?”
“Yes, there is, and there’s probably a dozen more if you know the Keebler magic words.” I laugh and he joins me.
“This place, this tree, is amazing. I wonder what else Vilzen can do?”
“It’s almost too scary to ask. And I definitely don’t want to be there when he’s pissed off. Did you see what he turned into last night?”
“He was…beautiful,” I breathe, thinking of the creature that burst out of Vilzen’s small alter ego. “And scary. What are you drinking?”
“Bark tea.”
“Ah, I want some. Give me some…now.”
Reiko laughs and reaches behind him for the pot of tea. He hands me a nice hot cup and I take a long, slow sip. The warm, soothing liquid seems to ease my stiff neck, release what tension I had upon waking, and revitalize my spirit. I sit quietly, savoring the elixir that is bark tea.
“This is pretty good, right?” asks Reiko, nodding for my agreement. “Who would’ve thought…bark tea.” He places his cup down, pausing for a moment before continuing. “By the way, thanks for listening last night. I know I can be a little overwhelming when I talk about Molsna.”
I quickly do a rewind of last night’s talk and can only grab bits and pieces of it. Some I remember, others I can’t get a grasp on, but I do remember about Molsna. “Of course. I’m glad we had a chance to catch up.”
And time stops.
We grow quiet as he stares at me. I stare at him. It seems like an endless space existing for only two…followed by an awkward silence. Then we bust out laughing, breaking that silence for good. An invisible barrier I subconsciously placed between us disappears and I realize Andrew was right. Reiko doesn’t need to look at me—he knows me, and in doing so he’s always seen me. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for…so why am I thinking of Andrew?
“Morning.” Andrew’s sudden appearance startles me, causing me to go into a fit of coughing during mid-sip. He walks over and pounds on my back in a not-so-gentle way.
“You okay?”
I pull away, swallowing hard as I ward him off. “I’m good, I’m good.” I take another sip, clearing my throat.
“Any word from Haro?” asks Reiko, turning to pour Andrew some tea.
“Yes.” Andrew takes the seat next to me.
He gives me a quick glance and nod toward Reiko. I shrug and shake my head, knowing exactly what he’s asking. Have I made progress with Reiko since last night? I’m not sure why I indicated no, because it certainly feels like I have.
“And?” prompts Reiko, handing the steaming cup to Andrew.
“And…he and Mellis will be back soon.”
“What of Alorn?” I ask, thinking of the warrior. “Where’s he at?”
“He’s not coming.”
Reiko and I give him an expectant look, waiting for him to elaborate. He takes a sip of his tea. “He received a message in the middle of the night. He has another matter to attend to.”
“Yeah, like what?” asks Reiko.
Andrew shrugs, taking another sip. “Something to do with Velesi’s queen coming to Pathen.”
“I love you, Maggie-Girl.” Vilzen kisses the old woman on the top of her head. “Now you sit here while I get you some lemonade.”
“Okay, but make it sweet, Zenny. You never put in the right amount of sugar,” she scolds as she settles into her chair.
“That’s because you’re all the sweetness I need in this world.”
The backyard is not what you might think if you based your assumptions on what you see of the front yard. It’s not yet 4:00 a.m., but the mage has Maggie wrapped in her thick robe and extra blankets. It must be over seventy degrees in the early hours, but the frail, thin woman looks as if she has a chill. Vilzen lovingly wraps another blanket around her lap, tucking it under her legs and feet. He waves a hand behind him and an image floats before her. A soft “ah” escapes her as she claps her hands. The image is not a still photo but a movie, The Princess Bride. Haro discovered that this is a morning ritual of theirs for many years now.
She turns to him with such tenderness I feel a hitch in my chest, then laugh when she giggles at him like a schoolgirl. He takes her hands and kisses them gently before letting her go. He stands and makes his way to us at the same time someone comes from behind us. We didn’t hear a sound from this new person, and it only takes a second to note he is identical to Vilzen. The doppelganger glances our way, tipping his head slightly, his mustard-yellow eyes twinkling at us for a split second before returning to the mage’s blue ones.
The sprite.
As the sprite passes Vilzen, Zenny disappears and the mage’s true form comes through.
“You got until the Rising, Andu,” he says as he marches past us, not looking back.
As the others follow, I linger to watch Maggie one last time. The sprite hands her a glass of lemonade that seems to appear from thin air. He sits next to her and leans in to wait. She takes a sip, says “ah,” and smiles at him. When they sit back to silently watch the movie, Maggie reaches out for him until he takes her hand gently.
“Come on,” whispers Andrew from behind me. His head is so close to mine I can feel his warm breath on my neck. I can’t see it, but I know he’s smiling.
“Do you think it will be like this for us?” I imagine this scene with him.
I feel him tense. “Yes, Grace. You and Reiko will live your lives till you’re in your hundreds. Come on, let’s go.”
I turn to correct him about whom I was imagining growing old with. But I don’t get the chance. He’s already moved on.
~ * ~
Chapter Twenty-Five
~ Andrew ~
“And the gateway is where exactly?”
I stare out at the Colorado River from the Lake Mead Marina, scanning the water near the two small islands farther out from the harbor.
Reiko walks up to stand at my side. “Which of those islands do we need to get to?”
“Neither,” replies Vilzen. “It’s the one farther out, closer to the Arizona border.”
Mellis and Haro return from the SUV with the rest of the supplies. They head to the small retro-style speedboat tied at the end of the pier, owned by a friend of the mage. According to him, this isn’t the first time he’s borrowed it for personal use. Grace is sitting quietly in the boat, staring out into the darkness, probably with her thoughts of growing old with Reiko. I leave her to her fantasies.
Reiko watches Mellis and Haro at the small boat. “What’s with the supplies? We don’t need anything once we get through the gateway.”
“They’re not for us, they’re for Grace.”
“Why?”
I glance behind him to watch her move aside, while Mellis places plastic bags in the boat. “It will take her a minute to get used to the food, and if you haven’t noticed, the only clothes she has are the ones she’s wearing.”
Reiko shrugs. “So, she can get clothes there, or borrow some from Seelah. She’s, what? An inch or two taller than Seelah?”
“Grace is allergic to wool.”
Reiko nods, finally getting it. “Right. Every piece of clothing in Omakei is made with some type of wool in it.” He stares at me until I meet his gaze. “I forgot about that.”
“One of those bags is for Vilzen.”
“So what was in the trunk Haro gave Alorn as a gift?”
“Haro gave it to him privately.”
Reiko turns to the mage, but Vilzen’s focus is on the water. He abruptly turns toward the boat. “We have to go. Your blue friend is on his way and he’s bringing about a dozen Skytes with him.”
Reiko gives me bewildered look. “Damn it. How is Jleroh finding us? Did he know about this gateway?”
Vilzen pushes past us. “Not until he received a message from the other side.”
Reiko puts a hand on my arm, stopping me from following. “Morfais?”
“Yeah, looks like it.” I pause, then pull him to the side. “Where is Morfais getting the kind of power to reach through the realms and contact a demon? And, if not him, than who is providing it to him?”
“I don’t know. But I thought the two weren’t connected. I mean, Morfais and Jleroh.”
I think about that for a moment. “Jleroh is after the relic…and maybe Grace.” I shake my head when it seems Reiko is about to interrupt. “I’m still trying to figure that one out. But I can’t believe Morfais is coming after me just for the seat to rule. I don’t think that’s what he’s really after. He’s trying to prevent us from making it to the Rising.”
“Wait, are you saying he’s trying to stop the Rising from happening? Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m still working on that.”
“Andu, we’re ready,” calls Haro.
I wave at Haro, letting him know we’ll be there, but I hold Reiko back. “If I’m right about Morfais trying to stop the Rising from happening…” I don’t finish the sentence, but wait for him to catch on; it doesn’t take him long.
“Grace. Without her and the relic, there is no Rising.” A hard look comes over his face before he hurries to join the others. I follow close behind.
“Well,” says Mellis, putting out his arm to Haro. The Cumro takes it by the forearm, giving it a hard shake.
“You’re leaving?” asks Grace.
“Yes, and sorry. The queen will be here and I need to return to Alorn to prepare for her arrival. But if you’re ever back this way, look us up.” He turns to Vilzen. “Okay, Unk. I’ll check in on Maggie until you get back.” He reaches over and hugs the old mage, to the mage’s surprise and chagrin. Mellis waves to the rest of us, turns, and heads back to where we parked the SUV.
“I know you’re his uncle but…how are you his uncle?” asks Grace.
The mage looks after the young elf, eyes distant. “His ancestor married my sister. Her name was Sema.”
We continue to watch Mellis disappear into the night…for only a second. Before we know what is happening, he’s standing next to us again. He moved so fast, faster than Haro or me. I had no time to track him and…he made not a sound.
“We’ve got company.” He turns to face the way he came. A long staff appears from out of his coat, and he twists it until it separates into two spear-ended batons. “Get ready.”
He charges down the pier again. The first attack comes at him from two Skytes.
We’re on the move.
They attack from all sides, coming from the parking lot, between the boats and from underwater.
“Can’t you do something about his?” I yell at the mage.
“Like what? Play a fiddle to accompany the action?”
Despite his words, the mage lifts his left fist in the air. Lightning from a clear night’s sky strikes his fist, but instead of burning his flesh, the electricity covers his hand, moves down his wrist, flows over his forearm and seals itself to his shoulder. An arm made of lightning…son of a bitch!
“Move back,” bellows Vilzen, and we do as he commands. Mellis is still in the middle of a few Skytes, but the mage snaps his fingers and Mellis finds himself with the rest of us. Haro catches him by the shoulder as Mellis comes out of a fighting move. The Cumro helps him catch his balance.
Mellis looks around, unsure of what happened until his eyes fall on his uncle. A wide grin comes over his face before he winks at Haro.
“Show yourself, demon,” demands Vilzen. The Skytes move back, not because they fear the mage, but to clear a way for their master.
“So, you have come out of hiding, old friend,” sneers Jleroh. “I expected you to remain with your whore until she dies…which I believe is not too far off, yes?”
Vilzen points one of his electrified fingers and a bolt of lightning shoots from it, speeding across the distance between them. Before Jleroh can react it slices his face, throwing his head back. The demon slowly turns back to face the mage. The gash is ugly and deep on his cheekbone, black blood flowing from it.
It’s a slight change, a hesitation by the demon. He glares at Vilzen before his eyes roam over to Grace. Immediately the smoke comes from her throat, the collar of her shirt begins to singe, and just when we think she’ll flame up, Vilzen snaps his fingers again. The fire stops as if it never started.
All eyes turn to Vilzen, his back still toward us. The demon screams at him with enough rage to level buildings; even now the boats along the marina give off sounds of crackling and popping as the wooden pier buckles slightly.
“You can’t have her,” says Vilzen calmly, not affected by the demon’s outrage. “She’s under my protection.”
Jleroh shakes his head, pissed the hell off and defeated. He makes one last parting remark. “Come to Omakei, Vilzen. I’ll wait for you there.”
He and the Skytes disappear into the dawning light. His sinister laughter lingers like an omen.
Vilzen spins on us, staring into the sky. He mumbles what I believe to be the words to a spell, and a second later his left arm is back to normal. He rushes past us, heading to the boat, but stops in front of Mellis. “Hurry back to Maggie; stay with her until evening. That should give me time to draw Jleroh and the Skytes back Omakei.”
