by MJ Fletcher
“The Mapmakers are all so impressed with you and this is all you can do. I must say I’m disappointed.” Tower jumped toward Edgar who stretched out passed his map and slapped his hand onto the street.
Golden light met the blackest darkness and an explosion of light and fury washed over the area.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Status: I may be broken, but I am not going to die easily.
The light explosion subsided and Mr. Tower stood over Edgar smiling up at him. There, on either side of Edgar, stood Nightshade and Slade, crimson blade and green hammer crossed above their heads, blocking Tower’s blow.
“Who said I was alone.” Edgar laughed.
Nightshade spun and his blade sliced into Tower’s coat as he jumped back avoiding the blow. Slade moved in beside him, bringing his hammer around and hitting Tower in the thigh. He yelled and scrambled backwards, trying frantically to access the Bridge.
“I don’t think so.” Nightshade thrust his blade forward, forcing Tower to stop and block the blow.
“I think he’s trying to run, Nightshade.” Slade smiled and walked around Tower’s other side.
“I think you’re right, Slade. Are you scared of us?” Nightshade slashed with his scimitar again.
Tower created a long, black staff in his hand and parried the attack. “I’m not scared of gnats.”
“Could have fooled us.” Slade swung his hammer again and Tower spun his staff rebuffing the blow.
“How did you even get here?” Tower shifted his gaze between them, but always kept an eye out for a path to the Bridge and his escape.
“That’d be my fault.” Edgar leaned his hand firmly on the ground as lines of golden energy raced up and down the street. The calculations from earlier drifted along each line seeping into them, and then shifted and moved to reconnect to the Bridge. “You should know a Mapmaker is never alone. You’re really not very bright are you?”
Slade and Nightshade both attacked, weaving their assault around each other and keeping Tower off balance. He was fast and agile, blocking each assault, and then returning one of his own. He was good, very good.
My senses began to return to normal. My body, which wouldn’t allow me any control before Faith disappeared through the portal, began to respond to me once again. I pushed myself up and got to my knees, taking a deep breath. My face ached from the punches and probably looked like a slab of pounded meat at this point. But my friends needed me and I wasn’t going to let them down.
I forced myself to stand and took out my Skeleton Key and Doorknob and activated both. I took an unsteady step forward and pushed myself to take a step.
Nightshade and Slade continued their assault, but Tower had edged his way to the Bridge and was beginning to score hits of his own. Slade’s arm had a massive welt across his bicep and Nightshade’s neck was beat red from a blast of energy.
I snapped my whips at Tower and he turned at the last moment and spun his staff, blocking them from hitting their target.
“Foolish Old Kind, you still think you can win, just like Ichibod. He thought he had me beat all those years ago, but the First Kind was never defeated.” He raised his staff and slammed it into the ground, a torrent of energy rushed off him, knocking all of us to the ground.
I could feel his power building and it scared the hell out of me. If this is what one true First Kind was like, we didn’t have a chance against their full strength.
“Let me show you true power.” Tower dropped his head back and opened up his abilities. He was a livewire standing in front of me and I felt my own abilities call out, screaming at me to let them run free. But I held them in check fearful of becoming something like the monster before me.
“I don’t think so,” Edgar called out. He stood in front of all of us, near the Bridge, his hand still pressed to the ground, and he said one last thing, “Reroute.”
“What?” Tower’s head shot forward and he glared in Edgar’s direction. He snatched his staff and raced up the Bridge toward the portal.
The air around us changed, as if someone had sucked all of it away, and then suddenly returned it in one blast as hundreds of portals popped open around us. Old Kind streamed into the street and Tower yelled in frustration and ran into the portal, the Bridge disappearing behind him.
I dropped my head down and held back my tears. I’d failed, my sister was gone and we were lucky to be alive. And to make matters worse... Tower had the Artifact. I hadn’t just failed, I’d epically failed. Way to go, Chloe, I thought as I dragged myself to my feet. I wanted to cry, scream, pound my fists, and make it all go away. But I was the adult now. I didn’t have anyone to run to, to make everything all better. I needed to fix this on my own.
“You two okay?” I asked quickly as I strode past Slade and Nightshade. They both nodded in acknowledgement and I struggled to run to where I had last seen Jess. I slid to the ground beside her and lifted her head, placing it on my lap. She turned and opened her swollen eyes as much as she could. Her face was a mask of bruises and blood, and she tried to smile at me.
“How bad is it?” she mumbled.
“You’ll survive.”
“That bad?” She chuckled and wrapped her arm around her side.
She was in pain and I needed to get her help. “I’ll get you to Rosalita, she can fix you up.”
“Erin?” Her fingers grabbed at my hoodie, pulling it tight.
“Gone,” I whispered.
She squeezed her eyes closed. “The Artifact?”
“That too.”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault.” Her voice was so low and soft you could barely hear her.
I leaned my head down and placed my forehead against hers. “No it’s not, I’ve never been more proud of you.”
“We can’t let them win.”
“I don’t intend to.”
Old Kind were all around us, most looked confused as to what they were doing there and I wanted to have a little chat with Edgar about that. But I knew we were working on a timetable.
“Is she alright?” Nightshade was standing over me, his hand slipping over my shoulder.
I was happy for the warmth and just to feel his touch again. “She’ll be okay, though we need to get her to Rosalita. What the hell happened here?”
“I rerouted everyone.” Edgar was rolling his Map up and sliding it into his bag as he joined us.
“What?”
“While Tower was busy talking, I was working. I rerouted all portals on the east coast to show up here. To him it must have seemed like an army coming to kill him.” He smiled, happy with himself, and I had to admit I was impressed as well.
“Good idea, we need to get Jess to Rosalita, and then try and track down the First Kind.” Nightshade and I helped Jess to her feet.
“I talked to the Engineers working on the Bridge. They finished it a few hours ago, but they said Tower had moved it already,” Slade said rubbing a nasty bruise on his cheek.
“Damn it,” I said.
Edgar played with his goggles. “That’s okay,”
“What? Why?” Even I didn’t think Edgar was that oblivious to how bad our situation had become.
“Oh, when I was rerouting I also attached my map coordinates to the Bridge. I’m tracking it right now.” He smiled patting his Map bag.
“Edgar, have I ever told you that I love you.” I smiled and Nightshade and Slade laughed.
“No, but I’m not sure Val would approve.”
Chapter Forty
Status: The Reliquary; a plan and some coffee.
I swallowed the potion in one gulp and smirked at how I had become so used to the taste of it. I secured the stopper back on top and returned the bottle to my Polymorph case. The warm sensation of my body being repaired sent a tingle up my spine. I’d already cleaned up and was waiting on the others to finish up.
I leaned back on the couch in the Great Room of the Reliquary and pushed out a long breath. This was it, we’d come to the end of Tower’s big mas
ter plan. If we didn’t stop him now, all would be lost. I still wanted to beat the crap out of myself for handing over everything to Tower that he needed; my uncle, sister, and the Artifact. How could I be so stupid?
Tower had used Erin just like he used me and every other member of our family. I needed to get her back and stop this maniac once and for all. The problem was how the hell to do it.
“Hey,” —Slade slipped down on the couch beside me and crouched over inspecting my Polymorph case—“this is pretty cool.”
“Thanks, it’s a family heirloom.”
“And that?” He pointed to the Looking Glass.
I thought about Hawk. Maybe he would have some information that could help me in this final battle with Tower. “Yeah, that’s the Looking Glass of the HVO.”
“Too cool.” He motioned toward the mirror and I nodded my permission. He scooped it up and immediately began inspecting it, checking the dials and gears that ran along the handle.
“Do you know anything about the Artifacts?”
“Well,” he leaned back on the couch while still inspecting the Looking Glass, “I’ve done as much research as I can on them the last few years. I figured it was a good idea with us looking for them. When the war between the Old and First Kind broke out, the Old Kind came together and built the Artifacts. The Impossible Engineers of course had a hand in each device and helped to create them. Here you can see the markings of the Engineer who worked on it.” He pointed to the bottom of the handle on the Looking Glass where there were a series of small cross hatches.
“I want to use the Artifacts.” I’d been thinking about this for some time now. The fight with the First Kind was about to escalate more than ever before. We were going to need every weapon at our disposal. The Artifacts had helped to defeat them once. Maybe they could do it again.
“That’s dangerous,” Slade cautioned. “With the amount of power these things generate you know what could happen.”
“I know that better than most.” I’d seen my mother burned up trying to contain the power of two Artifacts. But if we had any hope of beating Mr. Tower and stopping him, I was going to take it.
“You have a plan?” Slade asked holding the Looking Glass out to me.
I took it from him. “Starting to, but first I need to show you something.”
“What?”
“This,” I clicked the button on the Looking Glass activating it and Hawk appeared in the mirror, “Slade, this is Hawk. He is stuck In Between.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish she was,” Hawk deadpanned.
“This is too cool.” Slade turned the object over in his hands, inspecting it once again. “You’re actually stranded In Between?”
“Yes,” Hawk replied, his impatience obvious to everyone but Slade, who kept turning the Looking Glass over in his hands, even going so far as to flip it upside down.
“How long?” Slade asked.
“Far too long,” was Hawk’s annoyed reply.
For the first time I wondered how long Hawk had been stuck like this, not really dead, yet not able to do anything. It had to be maddening.
“You’re connected to the Artifact, how?” Slade held the Looking Glass up staring directly at Hawk.
“The Artifact gives off a powerful signature. Even stuck where I am, I can sense it. I’m able to follow it and attach my abilities to it. That way whenever Chloe activates it, I can appear instantaneously.”
“Like a portal that only let’s through thoughts or images,” Slade clarified.
I understood what Slade was talking about, though I hadn’t ever done it. My father had been trapped by the First Kind and was able to send me images and thoughts through a portal. I’d learned later he could only do it with me because of our close connections. It was nearly impossible for most Old Kind.
“Yes, though it’s not a way out for me. I’ve been stuck here so long that I don’t believe there is a way out of here. Besides, the In Between does have its advantages.”
“Such as?” I asked.
“For one thing, I don’t have to worry about the First Kind coming to my dimension and wiping out all life.” Hawk grinned.
“Cute,” I said.
“Also true, so to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting an Impossible Engineer?” Hawk motioned toward Slade.
“I intend to use the Artifacts we’ve found against Mr. Tower and the First Kind,” I answered bluntly.
“Oh,” Hawk lowered his eyes, “I’ll tell you whatever I can to help you.”
“Thank you, but I also wanted to see if Slade could find a way to connect you to another device in case the Looking Glass doesn’t survive the battle.”
Hawk perked up smiling and glanced back and forth between us.
“It’s possible.” Slade scratched at the stubble on his chin as he considered the problem. “I could make a device that acts like a beacon for you. It wouldn’t get you out, but you would be able to stay in contact.”
Hawk nodded. “That works for me.”
“Let me see what I can do.” Slade pulled out a notepad and began sketching out an idea.
I lifted the Looking Glass and regarded Hawk with a different perspective. He’d been stuck In Between for lifetimes watching as life moved past him.
“Hawk, you said you can hear from the In Between?”
“Yes, we catch conversation and whispers. I don’t know everything but I do know a lot.”
“I want to know something.” I had been thinking about this ever since I learned about my family being so instrumental in locking away the First Kind “Mr. Tower, is he truly a First Kind?”
“Yes,” Hawk said as he shook his head looking off into the distance of the In Between.
“How come he isn’t locked away in Accadia with the rest of them?”
“Most of the First Kind was in Accadia at the time, but a few remained in other dimensions.”
“So he got lucky?”
“Yes, but he’s had a burning hatred for Old Kind since then. Don’t underestimate him.”
“I won’t, thank you.” I clicked the button turning off the Looking Glass and placed it on the table beside Slade. There was still a lot to do and we needed to get started.
“I’m going to need you to contact the Impossible Engineers.”
“Why?” he didn’t look up as he continued drawing a diagram of a new device.
“We’re going to need someone to wield the Artifact of the Engineers.”
He stopped and turned to face me. “I’ll do it.”
Chapter Forty-one
Status: Why do people listen to me anyway?
“Slade, you know what that can mean.”
“I do, and I know you’ve risked your life and so have all of our friends.”
“How do you know the Impossible Engineers who have sided with us would want you to be the one to wield it?”
“You mean because of my father?”
Slade’s relationship with his father had always been tense, especially now more than ever with his father trying to negotiate peace with the First Kind. They hadn’t talked or had any contact for months and I knew it was weighing on Slade.
“Your dad is on the Council and everyone who has sided with us has turned against them. Do you think the other Engineers will accept that?”
“I’m not my father.”
“But what about Mr. Miller, he’s with us and has experience?” Levi Miller had been friends with my dad and was a former teacher at the Paladin Academy. He was well respected among the Engineers, and I thought that he might have the right level of control for the Artifact.
“Mr. Miller is great, but I want to do this.” Slade lowered his head and took a heavy breatth. “I need too.”
“Why?” I reached out, slipping my hands over his and squeezing them. “I don’t want any more friends to get hurt.”
“Chloe, I need this. If you recommended me, no one would deny you.”
“You want me to put you i
n harm’s way like that?” I’d done it so often that I didn’t want to do it ever again. I was tired of holding people’s lives in my hand.
“I want you to trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
“Then let me do this,” Slade pleaded.
“Why is it so damn important to you?” My anxiety turned to anger and I yelled standing and pacing the room. Why was he putting me in this position?
“I failed you before, I won’t fail you again,” he said adamantly.
“What?”
“At the Badlands, when Nightshade stayed instead of you. That should have been me. I should have been the one who saved you.” His voice trembled as he spoke.
“That’s all in the past.”
“For you maybe, not for me.” He lifted his head and held my gaze. “My whole life my father prepared me to take his place on the Council, to be the man he wanted me to be. I was the perfect Boy Scout, always doing the right thing. At least that’s what I thought, until it really mattered. Then I was more concerned about the damn Artifact of the Impossible Engineers than you. I’ve never forgiven myself for that. I want to do this.”
“Slade.” I didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know how to stop him.
“Let him have it.” Nightshade stood at the entrance to the room watching us.
Slade stood up, raising his hands. “Nightshade this isn’t anything.”
“I know exactly what this is, Slade, and you deserve your shot. I say let him wield the Impossible Engineer Artifact.” Nightshade looked my way.
I wanted to punch him. I had no idea how long he had been listening, but he obviously knew what was going on.
“I don’t want anyone else getting hurt,” I replied.
“We’re past that point, Masters. We all signed on knowing this could be our last shot. Slade knows the outcome if this goes bad. I’d sooner trust him than some Engineer I’ve never met. He’s one of us.”
