Mirror Bound

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  'You will always have a home here, Lukas,' Paul said with feeling, 'let's just try to keep your life as normal as we can. Except maybe you should go help your dad, and we'll come with you. I feel like getting away from the city for a while. What do you think, Melissa?'

  That was a surprise, I couldn't imagine Paul away from his lovely home and his workshop, and I said so. Paul said he'd been thinking about it for some time, living without responsibility for a while, concentrating on practising magic.

  I could see that the very idea made Lukas very happy, and I couldn't think of a real obstruction, the current projects were nearly finished, the new ones could wait a few months. There was just one possible objection: 'Do you think Hermes can be trusted to treat us with respect and to let Lukas go again?'

  Here, the ringing voice provided the answer: 'We vouch for his character, we have seen his every thought, and he can be trusted with his son. What you do need to know Melissa, is that he is still in love with you. We can no longer read your thoughts, but you seem over your crush. He is not, though he hides it well. In his own country, he will be a lot more difficult to resist, he has used the power of his will before to create attachment in women he wanted.'

  That wasn't a promising prospect, especially not since I had seen nothing of attachment in his behaviour towards me.

  Now it was Paul's turn to face me, intense love in his eyes, he took me in his arms and said: 'It seems you have drawn the attention of no fewer than two gods. How will I ever be able to compete with that, I'm just an ordinary mortal man.'

  I felt my heart skip its usual beat at the look in his eyes, reminded myself to keep breathing, but I just couldn't speak. So much love, from the only man I'd really ever wanted in my life so far.

  Only after a passionate kiss did I find my voice back, and I whispered:

  'You're in no way ordinary. I have loved you since I met you, and nothing can come between me and my love for you. Never.' And as I said that, I knew it was nothing but the solid truth. I hated the thought of Lukas changing or leaving, but losing Paul would surely kill me.

  'Oh my love, it makes me so glad to hear that from you,' Paul said huskily,

  'I've never wanted anyone else either.'

  'All right, that's enough of the soggy stuff,' the ringing voice said, 'time to get to it.'

  Which we did, all three of us, without the slightest embarrassment.

  Chapter 58

  The next morning it was as if nothing had happened, Lukas woke me when he went for his morning run, not projecting anything, looking fine. We kissed, and he left.

  I snuggled against Paul, as I did every morning after Lukas left, and when he woke up we made love in our usual, lazy way.

  He asked me: 'How do you feel about going to Lukas' home world now?'

  Lying against him contentedly, I couldn't imagine anything coming between us, and I replied: 'I'm actually quite curious about his world. Do you think it would be dangerous? To go through the portal, through that demon world, then to Lukas' world, ruled by gods, with someone targeting Lukas?'

  'It might be dangerous, but not more dangerous than cycling through the city by yourself,' Paul was getting reckless, he must really be eager for a holiday.

  'That is why I want to go together, I'm afraid he'll go by himself if we don't.

  He'd go around healing people without us.'

  'You're not afraid Hermes will seduce me into his harem?' I asked.

  Paul replied nonchalantly: 'I'm not. He had George here, but he's actually a ladies-man. All the women at the Nomes' are family, children or servants, I'm not surprised he wants you, you're beautiful, talented, young, and not taboo according to his moral standard. Back home he'll have droves of young women falling at his feet again. Why lust for one that is taken?'

  I didn't worry either: 'He'll be off most of the time anyway, doing his duties to the other gods, I seem to remember from the sagas that he is a really busy god, bearing messages, guiding dead people to the afterlife.'

  'All right, let's see what Lukas decides then,' Paul observed, 'I'll talk to my parents about someone taking over from me for a few months. And we should talk to Tristan and George, maybe your dad as well, see what they know about travel through dimensions.'

  And so we decided that if Lukas wanted to help his father, we'd go with him.

  Decision made, we had breakfast and went to work, and soon Lukas joined us in the workshop, silent, not projecting anymore. He went straight to work,

  and put his heart and soul in his task, his pleasure in his work visible even in his extreme concentration.

  Within a few hours we had finished our designated tasks for the day, and we started on the new projects, studying the drawings, discussing the calculations. I had made four, one of which I already knew was totally impossible, even drawing it had been a challenge with the results of my calculations different each time.

  I managed to convince Paul almost immediately that I was right, and he took it well, tickled to have the drawing and the numbers as proof, making a prototype would have taken him a week, and it actually would have been quite dangerous to test, involving high pressure steam with a distinct risk of an explosion.

  Of the next three, two were plausible, and the last one seemed impossible to realize to me, but Paul really wanted to try, and since he was going to spend the time making the prototype, I looked forward to seeing who would turn out to be right. It never hurt to put one's skills to the test, not Paul's, nor mine.

  That done, we had lunch, and prepared to cycle to the Nomes', to speak to Hermes again, but Paul and me also had a secret agenda, talking to George about travelling through dimensions and about ancient Greece, and hopefully finding Tristan present to discuss the same matters.

  We did not want to influence Lukas in his decision, and making preparations might make him feel obliged to help his father, something we most certainly didn't want to happen.

  Cycling past the wasteland, it already looked much better, both to normal vision and to sight.

  The sickly phosphorescence was gone completely, and some of the worst trash had already been cleared away.

  There seemed to be fewer gulls and pigeons there, could it be that people from the neighbourhood had been leaving food out for the rejected children, which attracted scavengers when they were gone, and now the absence of the children had been noted and food was no longer left?

  I would ask Jonathan as soon as he returned, it would be quite something if the factory workers had noticed those poor children and taken pity on them from their own meagre resources.

  The path between the two neighbourhoods showed signs of more intense use already, there were no potholes yet, but the grass was trampled, and we could

  see people walking across.

  The factory was not in use, but the chimney was being replaced by a taller one, so I guessed it would not take long before it was brought back to life.

  Apparently George had not been totally preoccupied by Hermes, he had found time to arrange the future of the plant and the workers who depended on it. Or someone else might have bought it, but I didn't think so.

  Lukas was still quiet, and Paul wasn't any livelier. They were probably both thinking hard about the choices they had to make, whilst I had recently chosen to give up my job with the council, and was now more or less free to take some time off. Paul of course wasn't at all free, he'd have to talk really fast to get out of his duties for a few months.

  That reminded me, what would we do for money if we were to go to ancient Greece? We'd have to think of that before we left, it wouldn't do to depend on Hermes for our maintenance, that would give him way too much power over us.

  Occupied with our own thoughts, we reached the estate quickly, and soon rode on the shaded lane towards the house.

  Frances was very pleased to see us, and we had coffee with the family, exchanging the news on Lucy, and the two-headed puppy, Jonathan's stay with his parents, even the factory was discussed at great lengt
h.

  But of course the most important matter was whether Hermes was in any state to return to his own world, and whether Lukas cared to go with him, but neither was forthcoming, drinking coffee and eating pie. Hermes did not look as distraught as yesterday, apparently George had managed to talk him into acceptance.

  When Tristan dropped by for his share of the coffee, Paul asked him and George to talk privately for a few minutes. They left together for the garden in front of the greenhouse, and I stayed back with Lukas and Ilsa, the latter telling us she was going to assist her father in running the factory, and going to study with a private tutor, taking classes in subjects she felt she needed more knowledge on.

  Hermes joined our little group, but he didn't say much, and neither did his son, until Lukas offered to check his father's state of health as soon as Paul returned to anchor us. This pleased Hermes, and he managed a sweet smile.

  Lukas asked: 'When do you plan to return, as soon as the shields are off and you can bear a full charge of power again? And how are you going to pass

  those creatures that live where the portal comes out, can you sneak by them?

  How do you get back to your realm from there, another portal?'

  Now Hermes laughed out loud at so many questions at once, and he replied:

  'Frankly my son, I don't know when I dare return. There would be little use in hurrying back and landing amongst those creatures in agony, for I was indeed planning to evade them if possible. I have studied their habits, and they use that place only when they have prisoners.

  To go from their world to ours it takes a simple spell, I'll write it down for you, should you ever wish to visit. You can use it now easily, you have plenty of magic for it. The spell places the caster in the cellar of the villa, you know it well. It is not a spell that requires a lot of power, most of the power required is stored in the patterns of the mosaic floor, and I have that charged at all times.

  As long as my body can handle the power that will flow into me once I set foot in the demon world, I'm fine.'

  This seemed to please Lukas, of course he didn't want his father to fall prey to his former captors, though Hermes would have no trouble subduing them if he was able to use his powers as a god.

  Hermes continued: 'And then when I'm home, I'll have to think of what to do, I guess I'll have to find out how bad things are, and work from there. Of course I'm the faster than anyone, and I can be virtually invisible, so I can gather information quickly. My greatest fear is, that my powers are damaged, or my speed.'

  Lukas now said seriously: 'Father, have you considered that whoever made me disappear, might have done that to damage your reputation? What reason could they have to try to discredit me so totally, I was nothing. Someone may be after you, they might try to hurt you personally.'

  Shaking his head, Hermes observed: 'I have no idea why someone would want to hurt you, most people like you. But if they wanted to hurt me, making it seem as if you wanted to leave was not sensible, and paying those creatures to keep you alive was also weird. Why not just dump you in a hole somewhere? Do you think they wanted you to live and escape to an unknown world? Never to be seen or heard of again? Why?'

  If Paul, George and Tristan hadn't returned, we could have broken our heads over these questions for hours, but they did return, and joined us immediately.

  With an encouraging smile, George asked: 'Do you want to see if we can take off the shields, Hermes?' He nodded, and Paul and me sat on both sides of Lukas, linked to his mind, and touching his father he set his talent to work.

  His talent had grown a lot, the detail of what we saw was incredible, and the power was not drained from Lukas as fast as it used to. With a feeling of triumph, Lukas moved around freely, zooming in on his father's nerves, finding them as good as new, even in the very tips.

  We decided to stay in whilst the men removed the shields, it was easy to relay the message to Paul. The result was spectacular, we heard nothing and saw nothing happening outside Hermes' body, but suddenly the green trickle of power started diffusing into his body, filling up the pockets used to contain power at a steady rate.

  The nerves took this onslaught without change, it really seemed as if the damage had healed, so we went back into the now, to see how things were there.

  This time, Lukas didn't faint, and suddenly I realized I had not fed him any power at all, he had used much less, and he had much more power himself. It appeared that Lukas didn't need help anymore for a simple procedure like this.

  When I looked at him, he did have a fire in his eyes, a promise of some rough loving, but it was not very urgent. His father caught our exchange of looks, and for a second I thought I saw a flash of desire cross his beautiful features, but that may have been my imagination, I mean I was looking for it because of what those elves said.

  Still, it didn't matter to me, my infatuation had been cured by our master healer and lover, and in all honesty, my Victorian common sense.

  Checking out his father intently, Lukas asked: 'How do you feel, any pain?

  Do you feel the power, is it any different from what you were used to?'

  Slowly, a smile lit Hermes' face, and he replied: 'I feel great, no pain, and the power feels fabulous, heady even. I feel like I can take on the world, my worries are fading fast. And that is just with my personal power restored partly, I'm not even back to godhood yet. Thank you so much, Lukas, after all I threatened you with, you found it in you to forgive me and restore me to what I was. Can I check something?'

  And with those words, he blurred and was gone, only to return a second later, still in a blur, until he stood before us again, breathing slightly heavy. His

  face was a study in boyish happiness. He fell on Lukas' neck, hugging him intently and laughing out loud.

  'I have it back, I have my speed back. No stamina of course, but that'll be back soon enough. Now I'm no longer afraid to return home,' and looking straight at Lukas, 'though I still wish you'd come with me. Just a few weeks, to find out why Katarina turned on me. You're a real diplomat, she'd talk to you. But it's your choice, I'm not going to put any pressure on you. I love you and I want you to be happy, I can see now that you are loved, in the ways of this world. Maybe Katarina was right, maybe this kind of love is more suited to your nature, you give so much love, maybe you need steady love to keep it up. She would be so proud to see you with this magnificent strong Gift, it would make both her and her mother so happy.'

  Did I imagine it, or did Lukas look decidedly guilty at this last remark? Very briefly, a fleeting look? Was Katarina's mother one of his father's wives that he had slept with?'

  I controlled my curiosity, it wouldn't do to alert Hermes to his son's guilty looks, but I was going to ask.

  Now I got one of those bear-hugs too, Hermes was incredibly happy, and so was I, to find my body not responding to the touch of his sleek shape against mine. I didn't see any reaction in him either, being healed he was clearly looking forward to all the willing girls he would have at his disposal soon, he didn't need my attentions anymore. Excellent!

  'Go for a short run, father,' Lukas encouraged his dad, 'enjoy the green of this climate whilst you are still here, feel the air filling your lungs.' He was clearly remembering his own first run, after months of confinement, and his father took his advice, not blurring this time, clearly taking it easy on himself, but still moving faster than anything I'd ever seen.

  As soon as he was off, Lukas faced Paul and me, and told us: 'Melissa, Paul, I need to go to my home-world, will you please come with me? If I don't stop Katarina, my father will hurt her, or one of the other gods will. And I feel responsible for her.' Looking around if his father was returning, he blurted out: 'She's not my sister, I think she's my daughter.'

  I was speechless, but Paul rose to the occasion and took us with him to that little grassy glade where we had made love after healing Lucy.

  As we were walking there, Lukas seemed to get smaller and smaller,

  projecti
ng guilt and shame quite clearly. 'You're leaking again, Lukas,' Paul said dryly, 'do you want your father to pick up your feelings?'

  The steady stream of emotions stopped abruptly, as if a door was slammed shut on them. Lukas looked up at Paul and I could see hope replacing the guilt: 'You're not mad at me then?' he asked in obvious relief.

  'Why should I be mad at you?' Paul asked matter-of-factly, 'for having sinned in your youth, or for wanting to take responsibility for your deed? Come on, Lukas, Katarina is what age? Twenty-five? And you were there when she grew up? What could I possibly be mad about?'

  'She's near thirty, she was born two years after her mother allowed me to move in with her, and I lived with them until my father forced me to move to Dionysus' court, when I was twenty-seven. And then I'd come back every time I could.

  Katarina's mother, Ophelie, shared her love with me only once in all those years, and from that union Katarina was born. My father left her on her own most of the time, only visiting now and then, and she was often lonely, but after that one time she never allowed me in her bed anymore. In my disappointment I shared my love with everyone willing, woman or man, young or old, but I always came back to Ophelie.

  Whenever my father visited, I took Katarina on a long walk, he never stayed long and he never asked to see either of us. He had a lot of wives, and a lot of lovers besides, and a lot of children. Ophelie never had another child besides Katarina.'

  So now it was decided, we would go to ancient Greece with Lukas, and help him to try and calm down a hornet's nest that someone had lobbed a stone into. It is not that I didn't want to be afraid, the situation was just so outrageous that I didn't manage to fear for Paul and myself, I just feared for Lukas, sure this was just the tip of the iceberg of trouble he had made for himself, hoping that if he went in, he would be able to come out again, preferably in one piece.

  A tentative touch on both sides roused me from my musings, and as I looked up I saw Lukas sitting on my one side, and Paul on the other. They both put an arm around me and Paul said: 'It'll all be fine, you'll see. George and Tristan said that a lot of mages travel between dimensions, and that they can make a safeguard for us to ensure we can always return. It will take two weeks, so if Hermes is not willing to wait for us, he'll have to come and pick