by C E Johnson
Similar scents to the other night, Emily whispered as a chill went down her spine. She froze and turned to stare at the car, but she couldn’t make out their features.
Don’t confront them now, Xena warned. Keep moving, don’t let them know we see them.
Okay, Z. Emily tried to take a deep breath to slow her racing heart. I don’t like how they make me feel. Bile was rising in her throat.
Dr. D recommended we should avoid the people watching us until he sorts this out, Xena advised. Forget the game, let’s go home. You have swim team soon.
Emily nodded, wishing she were as strong as Dr. D. The two dashed away toward home.
* * * Dysis * * *
“Go find out what Dr. Dalton is doing. Right now!” Dysis ordered her agent, and he got out of the car and entered the medical center. Calling Hadrian on her phone, she discussed her observations.
“You’re certain Emily spotted you?” Hadrian asked when she was finished with her surveillance report. He was incredulous. “A fourteen-year-old girl?”
“I’m positive.” Dysis could scarcely believe it herself. “It almost seemed as if her Doberman peered at me first … but that’s crazy.”
Hadrian was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was ice-cold. “Tell me everything you’ve discovered about her Doberman.”
“It’s complicated,” Dysis said hesitantly. She then began to discuss all that she had unearthed.
CHAPTER 7
Four years ago
Dysis had learned bits and pieces of the truth concerning Xena’s history which she began to relay to Hadrian, but similar to Emily’s past, she would never discover most of the details of the Doberman’s early adventures.
* * * Samil * * *
Samil arrived home in a swirl of dust. Droth was waiting for him at the door. “The litters of whelps are downstairs awaiting your selection.” Droth gestured toward the stairs.
“Why do you want mongrels for security when you can have half-deads?” Samil was incredulous. “Are you absolutely certain you want dogs for our defense? I can bring across elite teams of vampires with scores of kills under their belts. Can you imagine a team of were-wolves at your command or whatever half-deads you desire?”
Droth shook his head. “I don’t like working with half-deads. They disgust me, and I’ve told you before, they would be too noticeable. I want a tight web of protection that blends in.”
“So, you want dogs.” Samil snorted. “What anemic creatures.”
“For the last few months, I’ve scoured Earth to find the best and brightest dogs. These litters are supposed to grow to be the largest of their kind. I can promise you, these won’t disappoint.” Droth stood and started toward the stairs. There was a spring in his limping step.
“You’re an expert at training attack dogs, why do you even care about my opinion?” Samil asked dryly as he followed Droth with great reluctance.
“Your magic with animals is expanding,” Droth answered. “I guess you’re learning something on your visits to Ater.” Droth flashed him a mocking look.
“Whatever you say, Earth Chief,” Samil taunted while continuing down the stairs. He knew Droth was a genius, but he thought he was wrong on this account. “I can’t wait to take a look at the greatest mutts this world has to offer.” He spoke with thinly veiled derision.
“After I train them, I can trust them unconditionally,” Droth spoke in a low voice. “How many of your troops can you say that about?”
“Only about my bondsmate,” Samil replied, knowing the barb would sting Droth. The man would cut off his own hand for a bondsmate. “How’s our identity-theft program going?” Samil was curious how one of Droth’s other missions was performing. Besides running security, Droth was involved with purchasing identities and documents for magicians coming to Earth.
“I’m learning the trade,” Droth muttered. Samil smiled smugly, he could hear the irritation in Droth’s tone over his taunt about bondsmates. Droth opened a door and entered a room where ten breeders sat next to scores of puppies organized by litters.
“You’re serious?” Samil rolled his eyes at Droth.
“These are the best,” Droth promised. Samil decided to take the evaluation as a challenge to his growing abilities. He whispered his spell, and a black light shot from his fingers, a light that only he and Droth could fully appreciate. He inspected each and every dog in the room, using a good portion of the energy his rejuvenators had just granted to him. The dog breeders’ eyes flitted nervously around as Samil worked, many weren’t brave enough to even glance in his direction for more than a few seconds.
Samil felt a sense of satisfaction at Droth’s look of surprise when the first dog he chose was the runt of one of the litters, a female. “I like the power in this one.” Without pause, he then chose three male puppies from the same litter. After all four were selected, Droth paid for the dogs, including a large bonus for the time and expense for every breeder in the room.
After the breeders had left, Samil continued to stare at the female Doberman who was sitting on her haunches, studying him with brown eyes that never left his face. “There’s something unique about this one.” Magic, conveyed his ki, and Samil’s eyes widened in wonder. “There’s a blue magus-spark deep inside this female whelp.”
“Is that why you selected her first?” Droth asked as he kneeled down in front of the puppy, staring at her. He became suddenly speechless. She moved forward cautiously and began to lick his hand.
“I selected her first because she’s the smartest of them all,” Samil answered smugly. He focused on her spark of magic. “I only just realized she has the ability to undergo a bonding with a blue magician in the next few days in this city.” He knelt next to Droth. Without warning, the puppy bared her tiny teeth and started a low menacing growl. Samil scoffed at the puppy’s aggression. “I never considered an Earthly animal would be capable of undergoing a vinculum.”
“I didn’t either,” Droth said while running his hand along her smooth coat. “I thought only Acacean creatures could forge a bond.”
“There’s power pulsating deep within her core,” Samil said quietly. He reached toward her, his eyes lost in thought, and she snapped at him, narrowly missing his hand. Anger surged darkly in his mind, and he lashed at the whelp with a closed fist. Droth’s hand shot out, catching Samil before he could hit the puppy, narrowly blocking his attack.
“Before you hurt her, can you find her potential bondsmate?” Droth asked. There was a subtle tremble in Droth’s restraining hand. “I don’t like the thought of other magicians on this planet.”
“I never really considered tracking her bondsmate.” Samil’s anger dissipated as he began to sort through the possibilities. He didn’t even berate his chief for the blatant disrespect. Droth released his arm and he gave Droth a sour grin. “I can probably do it.” He rubbed his chin while thinking over the methods and knowledge Loff had taught him. “There’s another interesting fact in play here. Since I’m seeing the bonding spark in this puppy, I must have met the other member of the potential bond at some point in my life.”
“Can you remember the magician?” Droth asked while picking up the female.
Samil’s eyes narrowed as he began to sort through his mental files. “My recall is enhanced by memory spells, but I can’t find a matching blue magician.”
Droth cradled the Doberman against his chest. “Could you have met the magician when still a child and pre-aura?” The female pricked her ears and studied Samil warily as if she were listening for an answer to Droth’s question.
“That’s possible,” Samil said slowly. He was surprised he hadn’t considered that idea himself. Droth was extremely smart. “Either a child brought here from Acacia, or even a young Earthly born magician, if that’s even possible.”
Droth exchanged a long look with Samil, hesitating before he asked, “Could it be the elf?” Droth rubbed the puppy soberly behind her small ears.
Could it be the elf? P
ossibilities began to race through Samil’s mind. “I’m not sure,” he answered.
Droth continued, “We need to act quickly. If you can find this magician, perhaps you can offer the puppy in exchange for their dragon-oath. Then you can learn whatever you want from them.”
“You’re right.” Samil felt his heart begin to pound in anticipation. “We need to attempt to discover if they know the location of another portal and discover if they’re on our side.”
“If not, we need to eliminate the competition before they can ruin our plans,” Droth said as his features grew hard. “How should we hunt for them?”
“Get my motorcycle ready,” Samil ordered with steel in his words. “I’m going to try to track our quarry.” He roughly grabbed the female Doberman puppy out of Droth’s arms by the scruff of her neck. Ignoring her painful whines, he held her snout close to his face. “You’re going to help me whether you like it or not.” He placed her in a container.
“I’ll get your vehicle,” Droth called over his shoulder. He was moving abruptly away from Samil with unflinching eyes. He was all business, calm and collected.
Samil walked through the front courtyard of his sprawling villa. He passed scores of stone warriors standing silent sentry along his path. In minutes, the revving of an enormous engine shattered the silence in the serene hills, and Droth brought forth his monstrous Tomahawk. The chrome glinted deadly in the sun. Samil spoke to Droth while placing the container in another box that attached to the back of his motorcycle, “I’m going to ride through the streets of Austin with the runt using her as a tracking device to locate the magician.”
“Good luck,” Droth shouted over the noise from the engine. He bowed his head and backed away.
Samil roared out of the driveway into the hill country of central Texas, unleashing the powerful engine. Unfortunately, he began to weaken rapidly with the locating spell which was taxing him more than he had predicted because of his use of magic while sorting the dogs. Although he ignored the red lights and was moving rapidly, he knew he wouldn’t be able to track the magician for very long. The cold air blew in his face as he hugged the curves, tires squealing in a plaintive way. I wish I had my black dragon to help me in this hunt.
Samil was making good time until he found his progress delayed by a slow-moving sedan. Engrossed in the magus-spark, he wasn’t paying enough attention to his driving as he began to pass the car. Danger, screamed his ki in his mind as an oncoming vehicle with an equally distracted driver angled toward him. Samil swore softly as he swiftly realized he wouldn’t be able to fully change the primary direction of his motorcycle no matter how much magic he expended. He did what he could, slamming on his brakes while using a psionic spell to form a buffer against the oncoming vehicle. Instincts mixed with his magic took over and he was able to avoid the majority of the attacking car, but in his weakened state, the bumper of the vehicle still caught the edge of his back wheel. He felt the forceful motorcycle slipping out of his control and the Tomahawk lurched on its side. Casting a shielding spell over his body as he began to slide, Samil partially protected himself from injury. He instantly performed a dream-link with Droth to inform him of his predicament. Even as his leather-clad body skipped twice over the pavement, a squad was already on the move toward his position, scurrying from the safe house like irritated ants. Soon they would begin the process of restoring health to their wounded master. Once Samil’s head smashed against the curb, only darkness reigned.
While Samil landed close to his motorcycle, the puppy did not. The uninjured small creature remained in the box, which had unlatched from the vehicle in the crash, and slid quite a distance down the hill before coming to rest near the edge of the blacktop. The driver of a passing car noticed the box and pulled over to investigate. Upon hearing the pitiful whining, the driver came to the puppy’s aid, unaware that the animal was connected to the wreck up the hill where a crowd of vehicles was beginning to gather.
* * * Emily * * *
Several hours after the box had been discovered by the roadside, Emily underwent her first calling originating from her ki, a fascinating pulling sensation directing her toward a location. She could even picture the place, the Austin Animal Shelter. In a daze, heart hammering, she went to her father who was in the living room watching the weather channel in his worn leather chair.
“I was hoping we could go to the animal shelter.” Although Emily spoke in a low voice, her mother immediately hurried into the room from the kitchen.
“Em, don’t tell me you want a cat or a dog.” Jean put her hands on her hips. Emily knew her mother was concerned about the prospects of animal hair invading her spotless house.
“Can we just go look?” Emily pleaded. The sensation was gaining strength and Emily was ready to hike to the shelter through the cold if need be.
“Honey, we’ve talked about a pet, but this is fairly sudden.” Her mother spoke haltingly as if she were weighing the options. “Pets need to be groomed, walked, and fed, and you’re doing so many activities right now.”
“I’ll do everything.” Emily went to her father and started rubbing his back.
“Maybe we could look at a little dog.” Richard gave Emily a wry smile. “That backrub does feel good … a little to the right side.”
Jean glanced at herself in the hall mirror. “I guess looking can’t hurt. Give me a minute to freshen up my makeup.”
Minutes later they were on the road to the shelter. Emily closed her eyes and delved into the magic of the moment. The pulling was like an ocean current or tide, gently pushing her along her way. She felt full of wonder as she studied the intricacies of the power within and around her. Opening her eyes, she glanced out the window of their minivan at joggers circling on the hike-and-bike trail. The air was crisp and cold on the gray January day, and the breath of the runners streamed up in white clouds to meet a fine layer of mist that hung over the sparkling water like a soft white blanket.
Emily was full of nervous excitement, the pulling sensation was so unusual, like a memory at the edge of one’s mind unable to be recalled but important and hoping to be remembered. As her father pulled into a parking space, she leapt out of the vehicle before it had fully come to a stop. Rushing toward the entrance, she marveled at the shivers flowing up and down her spine. How wonderful. She was in awe of the sensations within her, she was positively radiating magic.
The attendant greeted her at the entrance with a wink. “Hello young lady, my name is Jesse Gunlock, but everyone just calls me Mr. Jesse.” He was a portly older man with large black-framed glasses and long silver hair that was in a braided ponytail running down his back. He had a tie-dye T-shirt on that read something about keeping Austin weird.
Emily shook his hand quickly before side-stepping him and continuing her search. It’s here … she’s here. She could barely hear her parents talk with Mr. Jesse above the noise from her heart pounding in her ears.
“Will you look at that.” Mr. Jesse’s voice was hushed. “I’ve never seen someone so determined. Visitors usually look through the front cages for hours.”
Emily ignored both the front cages and his words because the throbbing in her head was becoming relentless. She sped toward the very back of the building. She’s drawing me. The pull was stronger now, and she felt like she was on the losing end of a tug-of-war game. She continued to the very last cage, straight to the pen of a small black and brown puppy with floppy black ears, curled in a ball, fast asleep.
“That dog arrived today.” Mr. Jesse pointed at the puppy. He was panting as he caught up with Emily. He flicked his silver-haired ponytail and shuffled closer to the cage. “Ms. Bowman, one of our regular donators, brought her in. She was abandoned in a box by the side of the road. Pretty, isn’t she? Ones like this don’t last long.”
“Is she a Dachshund?” Emily’s father asked while peering suspiciously at the puppy.
Mr. Jesse shook his head. “I think she’s actually a Doberman or Rottweiler mix with floppy
hound-dog ears.”
“I’ve heard Dobermans are mean dogs,” Jean said with a frown. She crossed her arms and her stance turned rigid. “In fact, I think they’re on the list of the most common dogs to bite people.” She moved to hover protectively at Emily’s side.
Mr. Jesse gave a dismissive wave of his hand while leaning against a row of cages. “Let me tell you what I know about Doberman Pinschers.” He pulled off his glasses and polished them with the edge of his shirt. “They say the breed was developed by a tax collector in Germany, who also ran a dog pound. He wanted a dog to protect him from thieves during tax collecting and to help sway people to pay their taxes.”
“Something that would bite,” Jean repeated her thinly veiled warnings, her eyes glimmering with concern.
“Animals learn manners from their owners,” Mr. Jesse chuckled with a gentle smile. “Dobermans are a ferocious-looking animal with a perfect balance of strength and speed.”
“Are they smart?” Richard asked as he stuck his finger in the cage just short of the puppy.
“They’re one of the most intelligent and trainable dogs around,” Mr. Jesse answered with a touch of awe dancing around the edges of his words.
“Well, that history’s fascinating, but do they shed?” Jean asked with a tone that was still chilly. She was unconsciously stacking clusters of animal hair on the floor into semi-orderly piles with the toe of her shoe.
“Dobermans shed like nobody’s business,” Mr. Jesse chuckled again. However, the warmth in his voice hadn’t relaxed the tension in Emily’s parents.
“Em, this one’s going to get big, maybe we should look at something else,” Richard suggested. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently attempted to steer her in the direction of another cage, but Emily didn’t move. She was barely hearing his words. The hammering in her head was changing into something melodious and wondrous. The inner song was becoming just as spectacular and extraordinary as the puppy before her. It was reaching a crescendo, strengthening in majesty and power like a grand orchestra.
