Soul Mates

by Donald Hanley

  A few seconds and a magical swirly effect later, Coronox and Dara Alexander appeared in Fireaux’s main square. It was a smallish town in a relatively remote corner of the province so there were only a handful of players wandering about. Dara Alexander immediately headed south and Coronox trailed after her.

  “What were you doing way out here anyway?” I asked. “I thought we were doing that paladin’s quest in Valeria.”

  “I was bored. I saw someone talking in chat about finding an ogre in a castle out here somewhere so I thought I’d take a look.” The road led us through a stand of trees that were already turning colors. Lorecraft seasons changed every month, so the environment was often out of synch with the calendar.

  “You fought an ogre by yourself?” I asked skeptically. It wasn’t impossible but ogres were very tough opponents.

  “No, I never found the castle. An NPC stopped me and begged me to slay the fire wyverns burning his village.”

  “So you took down a flock of wyverns?” Also not impossible but you had to keep moving while you did it. Wyverns were small but very mobile.

  “No, a band of bandits jumped me before I got there.”

  “But you killed them, right?”

  “Of course,” she snorted.

  “And then you went after the wyverns?”

  “No, because the bandit chief had a map showing the location of their hideout.”

  “So you went to loot them?”

  “Yes. Well, no.”

  “Which was it?”

  “Yes, I went to loot them. No, I didn’t get there.”

  “Why not?” I sighed. Her explanation was taking longer than the quest.

  “I had to go through Dhorm to get there and that’s where the seer told me about the Blind Worm.”

  “Ah.” Finally. “I don’t suppose the seer gave you any hints about defeating it?”

  “No.” The way she said it made me suspicious, though.

  “Did you ask her?”

  “No,” she mumbled.

  “Might I suggest a different course of action when we get to Dhorm?” She chose not to hear me.

  We continued on through the forest as the road narrowed and wound back and forth like a snake. Or like the Blind Worm, I mused. I kept an eye out for any signs of trouble ahead but everything seemed normal, until we turned the next corner and stopped in our tracks.

  “Well,” I said, “that doesn’t look good.”

  The way ahead was completely blocked off by a wall of darkness that stretched up at least fifty feet and extended as far as we could see to either side. As we stood and watched, it crept forward, slowly consuming more of the forest around us. The inky blackness was completely impenetrable.

  The chat window started to light up with frantic calls for help, citing a creeping shadow that drained the life out of anyone who stayed inside it for too long. No one seemed to know what it was and no one knew how to stop it.

  “I think we found your Worm,” I observed dryly.

  “It’s not my Worm,” Dara protested. Dara Alexander backed away from the encroaching shadow, which I thought was an excellent idea.

  “It is now. Well, good luck. Let me know how it turns out.” I teleported Coronox back to Valeria, which I figured was far enough away to survive whatever the Blind Worm was doing.

  “Peter!” Dara called plaintively. “Don’t leave me here!”

  “Sorry, I need to get ready.” I logged off, extracted a change of clothes from my closet, and headed for the shower.

  “Peter!”

  By the time I returned to the bedroom to dump my dirty clothes on the laundry pile, Dara Alexander was back in a town I didn’t recognize, surrounded by a sizable number of other players all milling around. “Any progress?” I asked curiously.

  “No,” she grumbled. “It’s immune to soul magic. We’re waiting to see if Sigfreund shows up.”

  “Has anyone figured out it’s your fault yet? I don’t see any torches or pitchforks.”

  “It’s not my fault! That seer set me up.”

  “Well, she’s probably dead now, so there’s that.”

  Dara brightened up considerably. “Yeah. Serves her right.” Her smile faded as she eyed my polo shirt and khakis. “Do you really have to go?”

  “I really do.” I checked my watch. “Yikes, I should have left five minutes ago. See you! Don’t wait up.” I made it all the way to the front door before I stopped, patted my pockets, and reversed course. I grabbed the small white box from my night table and shook it gently to make sure the contents were still intact. “Bye!”

  “Bye,” Dara said glumly.

  2

  Why do we celebrate birthdays? Don’t get me wrong, I like cake and presents as much as the next guy, but it seems like a strange thing to do. What’s so important about a random date on the calendar?

  Sure, some birthdays mark important milestones in a person’s life. At sixteen you can drive. At eighteen you can vote. At twenty-one, in Texas at least, you can drink alcohol. But these are all arbitrary. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to drive at any age and European kids start drinking wine and beer much earlier. What’s so special about someone turning twenty or thirty-one or fifty-seven? It’s just a number.

  Certain events, like graduation or marriage, are worth celebrating since they only happen once, at least in theory. Birthdays happen every year, though, like the relentless ticking of some cosmic clock. Setting aside Daraxandriel’s unexpected appearance in our garage, my eighteenth birthday was a lot like my seventeenth, which was a lot like my sixteenth. Other than the actual occasion of my birth, none of them were particularly special. I can’t imagine any reason to get excited about my sixtieth birthday if and when that day comes, other than the fact that it would prove I wasn’t dead yet.

  I’m sure our economy would collapse if people didn’t shell out their hard-earned dollars every Christmas and Valentine’s Day and every other occasion the greeting card industry has dreamed up but let’s not pretend any of it really means anything.

  I managed to make it to the center of town without breaking any traffic laws, assuming no one noticed that last turn onto Milton Street. Downtown Hellburn tended to be pretty desolate even on Saturday nights so I was able to park along the road just half a block from the restaurant. Even so, I was still running a few minutes late.

  Melissa was standing on the sidewalk looking worried and glancing at her watch but her face lit up when she spotted me hurrying towards her. “I was beginning to think you stood me up,” she accused me with mock seriousness. She pecked me on my cheek and took my hand to pull me towards the door.

  “Never,” I told her sincerely. “You look nice.” She wore a light blue dress that flowed around her knees with every movement and her dark hair was tied back with a matching ribbon.

  “Thanks,” she said shyly. “You do, too. Are you ready?”

  I opened the door for her and followed her in. The foyer was dimly lit but I could still make out the polished oak and brass fixtures. The hostess at the podium eyed us to make sure we were suitable. We passed muster and she turned on her smile for us.

  “Do you have a reservation?” she asked, with a tone in her voice that suggested the answer better be yes.

  “Andrews,” Melissa told her. “At six.”

  The hostess checked her register and nodded. “This way, please.” She led us further in, through a series of alcoves each containing a single table, most of which were occupied. The other patrons gave us the once-over as we passed but no one raised any alarms about our presence. A few of them smiled to themselves.

  “Have you been here before?” Melissa asked me over her shoulder. Something about the atmosphere of the place required speaking in hushed tones.

  “No, never.” I knew about Goodwin’s but it was well above my pay grade. “I’d have to sell my car to eat here.” Melissa laughed but I drew a reproving look from the hostess.

  We were led to a small table in the corner that had a
full complement of silverware, a pair of flickering candles, and only two chairs. I looked around uncertainly.

  “Where’s everyone else going to sit?” There were no empty tables nearby.

  “Is there a problem?” asked the hostess archly. “The reservation was for two, was it not?”

  “Everything’s fine, thank you,” Melissa assured her hastily, her expression begging me not to make a scene. I pulled out her chair for her before taking my own.

  “Marcel will be with you shortly,” promised the hostess, laying the menus by our settings. “Enjoy your meal.” I waited until she was out of earshot before looking accusingly at Melissa, who carefully adjusted the position of her forks.

  “How many people are coming tonight, Melissa?”

  She brushed an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear. “Just us,” she admitted.

  “Just us? You said there would be a bunch!”

  “Right. You and me.”

  “Two is not a bunch!”

  She looked up at me hesitantly through her lashes. “Are you mad at me?”

  No male with a beating heart could have said yes to that. “No, it’s fine,” I sighed. “I just thought you’d want to have all your friends with you for your birthday.”

  “I’m having a big party in a couple of weeks,” she shrugged. “You’re invited, by the way,” she added with a smile.

  “Gee, thanks,” I said dryly, “I appreciate that.” I reached into my pocket and extracted the box. “Well, happy birthday.”

  “Oh, Peter! You didn’t have to get me anything!” She took it eagerly enough, though. “Can I open it now?” I nodded and she carefully untied the bow and eased the lid open, as if she was afraid there was a spring-loaded snake inside. She gasped when she saw what it really was. “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

  She lifted it up by its silver chain and the little fairy dangling from the loop glittered and flashed in the candlelight while the clear gemstone it held in its tiny hands cast rainbows across the table. “An engagement charm! Oh, Peter, this is so sudden! We hardly know each other!”

  The smile froze on my face. “What? An engagement what?”

  Melissa snorted as she tried to hold in her laughter. “I’m just kidding. Put it on me, please?”

  I eyed her doubtfully but complied. She held up her hair as I undid the clasp and carefully fastened around her neck. She positioned the fairy on the bodice of her dress and then twisted around in her seat to grab my hand.

  “Thank you, Peter,” she said shyly, “this is perfect. I –” Her smile faltered suddenly and I turned to see an older man with thinning hair and smile wrinkles around his eyes standing there.

  “Pardon the interruption,” he said with a slight bow. “Allow me to be the first to congratulate you two on your new life together.”

  “What?” I said, aghast. “No, we’re not –”

  “He didn’t –” added Melissa, looking panicked. “I was just –”

  Our protests faded out as we finally realized he was joking. I resumed my seat, watching him uncertainly as he bowed to us.

  “I am Marcel,” he announced, “and I’ll be your server tonight. May I get you something to drink to start with?”

  Melissa asked for an iced tea and I ordered a Coke. Marcel departed and we sat in awkward silence for a moment.

  “So,” I said, “what else did you get for your birthday?”

  “Oh, nothing as nice as this,” she smiled, toying with the charm. “Mother put another ten thousand in my investment account.”

  “Ten thousand?” I couldn’t possibly have heard that right. “Dollars?”

  “I know,” she sighed, “it’s not very personal, is it?” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all but I nodded anyway. “She tries, I suppose, but she just doesn’t get it. I really don’t know what Daddy saw in her. It’s no wonder they’re divorced.”

  “Oh. Well, uh, what did your father get you, then?”

  This time she drew circles on the tablecloth. “He’s paying the lease on an apartment for me,” she said quietly. “I move in at the end of the month.” She glanced up at me fleetingly to assess my reaction.

  “You’re moving out? By yourself?”

  “I’m eighteen now,” she said defensively. “Daddy says I have to pay for the food and utilities, though.” She sounded unhappy about that stipulation.

  “Ten thousand dollars should cover that pretty well,” I pointed out but she shook her head.

  “I don’t get access to the account until I’m twenty-one. I’m supposed to be saving it for retirement.” She made a face. “I guess I’ll have to get a job. Or ...” She let her voice trail off.

  “Or?”

  “Or I could get a roommate.” Her circles started orbiting closer to my hand. “With someone who already has a job. Someone who’s compatible. Someone I really like.” She batted her eyes at me hopefully.

  “Me?” I asked doubtfully.

  She gasped in surprise. “You’ll do it? Really?”

  “No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Her face fell in disappointment and I scrambled to find a plausible excuse to get myself off the hook. “I don’t think my parents would go for that,” I told her. That also had the benefit of actually being true. “I mean, we’re not even out of high school yet. Besides, I just quit my job.”

  “You did? Why?”

  “It wasn’t going anywhere and I got tiring of smelling like french fries all day long.” Not that Dara minded, I thought, but this didn’t seem to be the time or place to mention that. “It paid for gas money and that was about it.”

  “So what are you going to do?” She sounded worried, as if she thought I was going to end up in a homeless shelter before the week was out.

  “Well –”

  “What?”

  “You’re going to think it’s silly.”

  “I won’t, I promise. Tell me.”

  “Well, after everything that happened last month, I got to thinking, what about the next time? I don’t have any –” I paused to make sure Marcel wasn’t hovering around within earshot. “I don’t have any magic anymore but I still want to be able to help people if they’re in trouble. So I talked to Dad about it and he offered to set up an intern position for me at the department.”

  “Oh my God, Peter!” she gasped. “You’re a policeman?”

  “No!” I told her hastily. “Not yet, anyway. I still have to go to college first and Dad wants me to be absolutely sure this is what I want to do. I’m just going to ride around with one of the other officers and help out around the station. I won’t be carrying a gun and I can’t arrest anyone or anything. It’s just to give me some experience. I start a week from Monday,” I added with an embarrassed smile.

  “Oh, Peter! That’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you.” She stood and leaned over the table with her lips puckered. I hesitated and then met her halfway just as a discrete cough off sounded off to the side. We broke apart and discovered Marcel standing there with a smile and our drinks.

  “Have we had a chance to look at the menu yet?” he asked smoothly, setting our glasses down as we hastily resumed our seats. Melissa snatched up her menu and buried her face in it to hide the bright pink of her ears. “I’ll just give you a few more minutes then.” He bowed and departed.

  Melissa cautiously lowered the menu to confirm his absence. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “How does he keep doing that?”

  “It’s just coincidence,” I assured her. “It’s his job to keep an eye on us, after all.”

  “I think he’s spying on us,” she grumbled, despite the lack of any nearby hiding places.

  I chose not to cater to her paranoia and picked up my own menu. “So what’s good here?”

  Our appetizers were great, the main courses were superb, and dessert was amazing. Melissa licked the last crumble of cheesecake off her fork as her other hand slid across the table to rest on mine.

  “Thank you, Peter,” she said softly. Her eyes were very bright
in the candlelight. “This was the best birthday ever.”

  “Thank you,” I corrected her. “You are paying, aren’t you?” The check sat by my elbow but I was afraid to look at the total.

  “Well, I did invite you,” she allowed with a smile, “and I sort of tricked you. It’s only fair.” She removed a platinum credit card from her purse and laid it on top of the check without looking at it. “I wish we could do this every night,” she sighed.

  “I don’t know,” I mused, surveying our opulent surroundings. “I’d probably get tired of champagne and caviar after a while. Sometimes you just want a cheeseburger.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t mean eating here. I meant being together, just you and me.”

  “We’re on Lorecraft practically every day,” I reminded her.

  “No, really together. Like this.” She reached out and touched my hand again.

  “We went to the movies last week.”

  “Dara was with us,” she pouted. “She’s always with us. I want to be alone with you.”

  I cleared my throat nervously. “Melissa, you do realize – Dara and I – we’re kind of together now.”

  “Peter,” she sighed, “I know you feel responsible for what happened to her, now that she’s stuck being human. But what’s going to happen when her Dead Lord lifts that curse?”

  “Dread Lord, not Dead Lord.”

  She brushed that aside. “She’ll go back to Hell or wherever and you’ll still be here. I’m just saying that maybe you shouldn’t get too attached to her, that’s all.” She traced a slow circle on the back of my hand. “You need a real girl,” she insisted, catching her lower lip between her teeth. “A living, breathing, human girl. One who’s grateful to you for saving her life.”

  “Melissa –” Thankfully, Marcel reappeared at that moment to retrieve the check with a silent bow and I took advantage of the opportunity to collect my scattered and flustered thoughts. “I can’t just abandon her, not after she risked everything to help us. She’s trapped here because of me.”

  “I know,” she said disconsolately. She withdrew her hand and twisted the silver chain around her forefinger. “I like her, I really do, but I love you, Peter. I want to be with you.”