by Jamie Hawke
I didn’t fully understand what he was saying, but nodded, watching as he continued to become clearer to my eyes.
“There’s a way to go back,” I said. “At least, I believe that’s what I’m here for, and I intend to return.”
He stared at me blankly.
“There must be, right?” Gesturing at myself, I let it sink in. If I had managed to go to that place, it stood to reason there might be a way for them to leave it.
Realization dawned on his face, and he nodded. “It could be possible. I don’t know.”
“Well, let’s try something.” I held out my hand. He reached out, clasping it in his own. His touch was cold and sent a slight shock up my arm. A light formed where our hands touched, then pulsed up through both of our arms before filling us. It faded, but I felt its presence, and assumed he did as well.
“A bond,” he said.
I nodded. “Maybe you will be able to come with me, or I’ll be able to pull you out once we’re on the other side.”
Like the wraith knights, I thought, hoping it would be more than that. Time would tell, but in a way that’s what made sense. Maybe I could change it, though?
Another thought hit me, as I stared at Riland. His eyes, expression and all, were clear. Not just somewhat clear, but as if we were now completely on the same plane. Only, his eyes had a steely blue to them that they’d never had before.
“How do I know you’re the same man?” I asked.
“I’m not. But if you want to know how you can trust me, how you can be sure I’ll be there for you when the time comes, all I can say is I will be there to prove myself. I will have vengeance for what they did to Rianne and the others.”
“You don’t know,” I said, and at his look of curiosity, sighed. “They are alive. Some of them, at least.”
“I get the feeling you don’t mean here, but…”
“In my world, yes. Ebrill, Kordelia, and Aerona are with me. We are searching for others, and believe we will have luck. Me coming here, for example, was a lead that came about because of Rianne and a plot involving one of the Nine.”
“Rianne is out there, too?”
“In Avalon.” I let that sink in. “It’s been restored.”
He stumbled back, releasing my hand finally, although the link between us remained. It was like I could sense his shock, feel the emotions battling within him.
“Then, you are here… for me?” he asked.
I frowned, then nodded. “It’s possible. You, and maybe others?”
“Come,” he said, motioning for me to follow. He turned down a path that led back out to another side of the mountain. Here, the rain had either stopped or never reached, the torrent of spirits replaced by a slower stream of mist again. As I followed him, I was able to see more of this world than I had before. Our connection had changed my sight, so that where before I had seen only wisps like clouds and spirits, now there were dark fairies fluttering along. That made me wonder what the storm I had seen might have been—an army preparing for an attack? In here, or upon our world, was the question.
In the hills, I could make out more of those sinewy creatures like the one I had first encountered when visiting this land. The ground was slick rock, so I had to watch my footing, moving slowly.
We descended through the hill and to an exit that was like a Roman archway, emerging into an arena for battle. Indeed, we were at the edge of a large opening, where the rocks around could very well have been stands.
“Back,” he said, motioning me to stay back against the wall, and he did the same. Myriad fairies flew by then, accompanied by witches and other magical beings, the ground shaking as others ran past on foot as well.
“What is it?” I asked, fearing the answer.
He didn’t have one, though. Not a solid one. “Movement lately, that’s all I know. For years, we barely existed, vaguely aware of a world around us, and now… activity. Something has changed.”
Indeed, it had. I had brought the Liahona to my time. Everything was changing.
“I understand,” I replied, then turned to him and said, “Let’s return.”
“How?”
I frowned, realizing that I wasn’t sure of the answer. Glancing around, I found an area in the rocks that pulled back from the main wall, and focused there. Sure enough, I was able to create a portal. Maybe it wasn’t necessary and all I’d have to do was focus on being home or click my heels together three times. Whatever, I liked the idea of portals.
“Together,” I said, motioning him to join me at my side.
We stepped into the portal, but as his body vanished and I was halfway in, I heard a whisper, almost like… my name? I turned to the surrounding darkness, cautious but curious.
Eyes like narrow slits, beady and black, staring at me. The figure emerged from the darkness, enough for me to make out a nude silhouette of a female. Petite, light showing enough to highlight perky breasts the size of small melons, and with her black hair tied up in two little Princess Leia buns.
She crouched, scurried off to the ledge to my left, assessing me, and then held out a hand. For all I knew, this could be one of the enemy. She could have seen what I was trying with Riland, and was there to stop my plan from working.
I glanced around, shook my head, and allowed the portal to take me.
110
Back in bed, I hadn’t yet decided what to tell them of the dream. At first, I turned, looking for Riland, even muttered his name.
“You saw Riland?” Aerona asked, sitting up next to me, curious. The others entered as if on cue, and I groaned, trying to clear my head of the fog.
“In a sense, yes.”
“Then what?” Ebrill asked.
I frowned, confusion causing my irritation to rise. “He’s not here?”
“No,” Steph said, and came over, a hand on my shoulder.
“We connected,” I said. “And I don’t mean in some weird way—I mean, a connection based on magic, so I thought maybe he’d be able to come with me. And when he stepped into the portal, he vanished. It made sense that he would have come through.”
“I don’t see him,” Ebrill said, voice breaking. “But sure would like to.”
My mind clicked awake and I had to wonder how he played into all of this. “Who was he, to you? I mean, to the group?”
“A soldier,” Kordelia said. “One of many.”
Ebrill scoffed.
“Nothing more.” Kordelia shot her a glare that said enough was enough.
“Clearly, something’s not being said here,” I cut in.
“Sounds like there was a romantic situation, if you ask me,” Steph said. “Don’t worry, Jericho here is a big man. He can handle it.”
“It’s not so simple,” Ebrill explained. She glanced at Kordelia. “You want to tell him, or should I?”
With a sigh, Kordelia leaned against the wall, arms crossed, jaw set.
“Fine.” Ebrill opened her mouth to explain, but was cut off by Kordelia clearing her throat.
“I’m getting to it,” Kordelia said. Then, after a deep breath said, “He was a complicated character. Riland… Nephew of Rianne, fell in love with the princess.”
“Wait, the princess?” I eyed them to see if they were messing with me. “I thought—but didn’t he have a thing for Yenifer?”
“She was twice his size,” Kordelia said with a scoff.
“Excuse me?”
Kordelia eyed me, grimaced, and said, “Not all are as accepting as you. Especially back then.”
“But, I remember him acting a certain way toward her,” I protested.
“It might have seemed like he was into her,” Ebrill cut in, “but I think you’re misinterpreting the looks. See, Yenifer had served as the princess’s royal guard for a time. Until the wars started and the princess reassigned her to Rianne.”
“So, Riland saw Yenifer as his ticket to the princess’s heart,” I said, nodding.
“Close.” Kordelia cut in, agitated. “Or, prett
y much, yes. In a sense, he already had the key, but she had… given out multiple keys.”
“I don’t… Ohhh.” I laughed, then turned to Kordelia. “You were one of them!”
She nodded. “The princess and I, yes. Yenifer and I never really got along, and Riland hoped to leverage her reliance on Yenifer to sway the princess his way.”
“This is some high school bullshit,” I said with a laugh. “Except, with princesses in school, I guess.”
“At the time, we took it very seriously,” Kordelia snapped.
“Sorry.” I held my hands up in surrender. “Wait, but you and the princess… now?”
Kordelia eyed me, then turned and left the room.
“Shit. I didn’t mean to…” I turned to Aerona and Ebrill for help. “Did I mess this up?”
“It would seem so,” Aerona said, and gave me a nod before jogging after Kordelia.
Ebrill said, “I need to use the restroom, anyway. Take five, we’ll get everyone together in the dining room.”
“Sure, I guess,” I replied, rubbing my head, still trying to get over the things I had seen in that other world, as well as the new information regarding the princess. “Wait, Ebrill?”
She paused. “Yeah?”
“This… princess?”
“Dead, by my understanding.”
“And why did Riland think Yenifer would help him? I mean, with the princess.”
“Oh, that part.” Ebrill grinned. “They were bound. Magically connected in a way that few of us ever experience—not sexually, but they merged their powers together at one point. From then on, not only were each of their powers magnified when used around each other, but they seemed to be able to predict the other’s movements and more.
I nodded, processing that, but then added, “Was the princess magical? I mean, if there was a place where magical beings went instead of really dying…?”
“No. Sorry, but… not an ounce of magic in her.”
Taking that in, I nodded to Steph and we went to the door while Ebrill headed for the bathroom. We took the long way, not bothering to rearrange the house or anything, and I noticed Steph eyeing me with curiosity. Finally, I pulled her into a guest room turned lookout, and held her hands.
“I’ve been thinking, since I got back… And you can help me, maybe.”
“With what?” she asked.
“Riland. I want to bring him here like you do your wraith knights.”
“I’m not sure it works that way,” she countered.
“We formed a connection, kind of like what they said he had with Yenifer, I think. I mean, I don’t know. But if so, in turn he might be the key to finding her.”
“And if you have such a connection, you might actually have a chance at waking him.” She eyed me, then squeezed my hands. “When I let go, I want you to keep your hands in place, imagine you’re pulling on that connection. Then pull with all your soul, and bring him to us.”
“Simple enough,” I replied with a chuckle.
Then we were doing it, or trying anyway. I felt the link, envisioned Riland in my mind’s eye, and pulled with everything I could muster. When nothing happened, Steph frowned, summoned one of her wraiths, and told me to try like she had.
“What’s the difference?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Just… do it.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Nike.”
“I mean, can’t you copy me? Like watch with your screen, then use it to copy my actions.”
This time, I sort of scanned her with my magic screen, watching her spiritual essence and how it moved around her like a flame as she summoned the wraith. My body went through the same process, even feeling the similar sensations as I had sensed in her, but… nothing.
“We’ll keep trying,” Steph said, and we went downstairs to find the others. Aerona was cooking steak and eggs while Ebrill made coffee. With the beautiful ladies and this meal, it was perfection.
Minus the little fact that I was completely troubled by the events of the dream, where we would find the other gargoyles, and how this Galahad-related dinner would play into it all. While we ate, I opened up about the rest of what I had seen. I told them about the armies charging, and filled in the others about my attempt to call Riland to us. The only thing I left out, still, was the strange woman I had seen at the end.
“So, why there?” Kordelia asked.
“I don’t get it,” I admitted. “Before, I would travel into the past. Find the past versions of you all. Now, it’s nothing like that.”
“There must be a reason,” Ebrill said, hand on my lower back.
“Maybe it’s related to the fact that magic has changed?” Aerona offered. “Since my return, I’ve felt this darkness hovering over me.”
“A curse they managed to get off before being expelled from Avalon?” Kordelia said.
“I don’t think so. More like, other aspects of the magical world have changed, and we have access to those stores of magic that we didn’t have before. Rianne had hinted it would be different, although she didn’t seem to fully know either. And since it’s linked in a way to Glitonea, I suppose it makes sense, in a strange way.”
Taking a bite of steak, I savored the crispy outside and soft center, the slight taste of garlic she had apparently used, then nodded. I had to tell them. Swallowing, I took a sip of coffee—a bit too hot—and then said, “There was… a girl. I’m not sure why it matters, but it was like she wanted to speak with me, only couldn’t.”
“What sort of girl?” Ebrill asked.
“I don’t know, it was dark.” I racked my brain, trying to figure out what to tell them. That she was naked? No, that felt… out of context. For all I knew, she had been a part of an actual dream, and the last thing I wanted to do was tell a room full of lovers and potential lovers that I’d been dreaming of another nude female. As if I didn’t have enough!
“If you see her again, let us know,” Aerona said. “It could be someone trying to make contact, or could be nothing. We can figure it out together.”
“Understood.”
“So, when do we try again?” Ebrill asked.
“We have the dinner event,” I noted. “After, perhaps?”
Aerona nodded. “It makes sense. You two will need to get outfits, the rest of us need to plan our approach.”
“Do we have money?” Steph asked. “I had means, but… it was cut off when they found out I had switched over.”
I grinned and nodded. That was one area in which my aunt had left us well off. Or, at least I had recently found some of her stashes when rearranging walls and sensing the house. As for outfits and money to come, we had a stash to match whatever Harry had waiting for him at Gringotts. If you don’t get the reference, I’m saying we were set.
We spent the rest of the night going over the plan and a map for where the gargoyles would go when night came. As I understood it, the gargoyles would head to the destination when night came, moving along in the darkness. Staying to the shadows and on rooftops, using what magic they could to keep hidden. Steph and I were debating taking a cab, but apparently that wouldn’t be necessary.
“Wait,” I said, hand on the walls and sensing what we had available. “There’s a room with a back driveway. It’s possible they aren’t watching back there.”
“Or at all, now that the rune magic can mostly hide us, right?” Steph asked.
“Sure so…” I gestured her to follow, and a few minutes later we stepped into a fancy garage with three cars waiting, keys and key fobs hanging next to the door. Two were classics, the third more of a luxury SUV. Using my powers to rearrange the building and grounds, I was able to create a secret way out that would work like a Batcave exit. Even better, I could close it and open it at will.
Having a transmutation ability certainly came in handy sometimes! For the moment, though, morning was coming. We had time, so we headed back upstairs, checked on Shisa, and then headed for the bedroom.
111
Steph was a knockou
t in her regular outfit, but when she stepped out of the dressing room at Macy’s wearing a body-hugging dark green dress, she was downright jaw-dropping. Add a little more red, and with her white hair she would have been a true Christmas in July.
“Not too dressy, yet classy enough,” she spun, giving me a great view of her tight ass. “Yeah?”
“Perfect,” I said.
And she was. In more ways than one. It was still hard to believe the ladies were okay with our situation. I was the luckiest guy alive. To remind me in that moment, she took my hand, pulled me close, and whispered, “Did we ever fuck in a dressing room?”
A woman cleared her throat as she passed, and I noticed the name tag on her shirt. Damn, caught.
“Sorry,” Steph said, laughing and kissing me briefly. “Seriously, though, should we get the dress?”
“It’s that or the mini-skirt, so… I don’t think we have a choice.”
She hit me playfully, then went back into her dressing room to get dressed again. I had picked out a dress shirt to wear with slacks—nothing crazy, but we figured I had to be a bit classier this evening than jeans with a red jacket over my white t-shirt. My normal look certainly wasn’t the type for Embassy dinner parties. If she was going to wear that dress, though, I could at least try the new look for an evening.
We exited and made our way to the car, pausing only briefly to appreciate the way the clouds streaked across the sky over the brief section of the National Mall I could make out between the buildings. Bright orange with hints of purple, the two of us there to enjoy it together.
“Can you believe it?” Steph asked.
“It’s everything I dreamed of.” I replied, opening the door of the car for her, then jogging around to my side. “Only, back in Oregon I didn’t foresee the rest of it.”
She laughed. “How could you have?”
“On that note,” I said, turning in my seat as the car revved to life. “You came out here to see me, to be part of this, I guess. But, what about your family?”
