by L. M. Fry
He turned on his side and brushed hair from her face. She turned to face him. His smirk was radiant. Julia didn’t know if she should crawl away, or stay. She couldn’t look away. His finger traced the line of her cheek.
“I know,” he whispered.
Pulling away, she stood up.
“I… uh, I… maybe I should…” she stammered.
He sighed. “You’re right. We’re here to practice. Not play.”
He winked at her and got up. Relieved and reeling, she closed her eyes and soaked in aether. The energy felt like a shield around her. With a deep breath, she reformed the icicle in her mind. This time she felt the power flowing through her arms and out her hands. A pillar of ice rose at her feet. It grew until it reached the ceiling.
“Ahem!” Professor Scrod stood at the door, tapping her foot on the floor.
Julia jumped. She suddenly felt like a naughty child caught playing in in her mom’s armoire. Even Eli wilted. Professor Scrod entered the room and dug through the pockets of her house robe.
“I don’t even have my notebook! How am I going to record this?” She tsked at the two of them. “You should have woken me. Amazing… just amazing. How did you form the pillar? Did the Sword activate your power? Was the ice created from the moisture in the air? Hold on a second, I need to write this down.”
Professor Scrod left the room and proceeded to tear apart a desk. Pens, books, and a large stapler went flying. Theo and Valera returned to the room. They grabbed Julia and hugged her. She’d finally done something on her own.
“That was awesome!” Theo squealed.
“Ah, ha!” Professor Scrod shouted.
The lab doors burst open and a light shone into the room. Eli dropped to the ground and the girls followed his lead. Professor Scrod walked back into the glass room and blocked the door. Someone approached the professor. Julia held her breath.
“Rowan, is that you?” A male voice rumbled.
“Yes, yes, I forgot my notebook down here and had an epiphany and needed to write it down right away before I forgot and I came down here to find it so no need to worry nothing strange going on down here...” Professor Scrod’s disjointed explanation drifted off into silence.
Julia cringed. The professor’s rambling would raise suspicion for sure. The guard shone his light into the glass wall, but Professor Scrod stood in front of him. Julia heard the man grumble.
“Any reason the relic room is open? Is that ice?”
“Well, you see after I found my notebook I remembered a marking I saw on the Sword and decided to make a note of it because it was important and that is what I do and it couldn’t wait so I opened the door. It gets very cold down here at night… I saw a water leak in the ceiling yesterday. It must have frozen. I’ll get it looked at right away.”
“If you say so, Rowan. Just lock up when you leave,” the guard chuckled at the woman.
“Of course, I am the lead director of archeology. I do know how to lock things up…” she continued on even after the man walked away.
The lab door closed, and Professor Scrod popped into the room. A huge crooked-toothed grin appeared on her face.
“You can come out now. I have so many questions to ask you…”
Chapter Seven
Valera
Midway through Professor Scrod’s babbling, Valera dozed off. It was wonderful that Julia had finally managed to use aether, but the cold exhausted her. Valera had stepped into the lab, found a quiet corner, and surrounded herself in warmth. She hadn’t had a good night sleep in ages. However, her nap was short lived.
“I thought I’d find you down here,” Dr. Lawless stated, hovering over her.
Forming a small flame in her hand, she examined his face for any sign of crazy. Lately, she never knew which personality would present itself – Dr. Lawless or Mr. Dubious. Tonight, he seemed normal.
She yawned, “We came to practice.”
“I see. Why was I not consulted?”
He appeared hurt, but a flash of anger flickered in his eyes. Valera frowned. He needed a reminder of who he was dealing with. She smiled politely, but the fireball in her hand flickered and grew. Whatever hold he thought he had was in his head.
“We weren’t sure how you’d react after your little repartee this afternoon,” she shrugged.
He scoffed, “I thought I made my position clear. I’m on your side.” Sighing, he rubbed his chin. “Well, we should join the others. I have something I need to discuss with you girls.”
Valera took her time in standing up. She was still miffed at being awaken. Inside the relic room, Julia worked with the sword. Swirling patterns of ice covered the blade and a pale blue light shone from the metal. She touched the tip of the blade to an ice pillar. The sword vibrated in her hand. A musical chime filled the room. The ice expanded. Tentacles spread across the ceiling and down the walls. The glass froze over. Before the entire room became a giant block, Julia released aether. In an instant the ice dissipated, raining down on them in a fine mist.
“Julia! I can’t believe it,” Dr. Lawless said, surprising everyone in the room.
“What are you doing here,” Julia snapped.
“I came to speak with you three. You’re in danger. The True Followers are unhappy with the progress you’ve made. I was hoping they’d give me more time to find another way, but…”
“Another way for what?” Theo asked.
“They’ve decided to perform the ritual earlier than I expected.” He looked at Professor Scrod, whose face shriveled.
“What ritual?” Julia spat.
Dr. Lawless’ Adam’s apple bobbed in his neck. “There’s a codex that suggests that the suffering of the Trinity will release Danu. Professor Scrod and I disagree, but the leadership is impatient. I was working on another way, but we’re out of time.”
“What do you mean our suffering?” Julia shrieked.
“The plan to sacrifice you, but I won’t let that happen. However, we don’t have much time…”
“Are you kidding? Sacrifice? Danu’s Ass,” Julia growled.
“Like Dr. Lawless said, we won’t let that happen. We believe that Aeda’s Sextant is the key to finding the tomb,” Professor Scrod said, scrambling around the room. “Valera, it’s up to you.”
Professor Scrod held the sextant out to Valera, but Valera didn’t take it. Taking a step back, she shook her head. She didn’t like being the object of everyone’s curiosity. They all looked at her expectantly. She didn’t know how to use the Sextant. Professor Scrod had to be mistaken. Valera’s insides twisted. Even though the room was freezing, she felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Aether teased her, and the smell of salt burned her nose.
“I can’t…”
Theo took the Sextant from Scrod’s hand and approached Valera. “You have to try. We can’t stay here any longer. This is the only way. We’ll be right here with you.”
Valera took the instrument. Professor Scrod picked up her notebook and prepared to make notes. Everyone else stood back. Valera felt like throwing up. She held the Sextant in her hands, turning it slowly before bringing it up to her eye. She channeled aether into it. The metal warmed in her hands. She pushed herself harder. A faint light flickered in the eyepiece.
“All I see is a small light,” she stammered. “It isn’t working.”
Julia and Theo stood next to her. She felt their hands on her shoulders as they added their power to hers. An intense blast of aether flowed through her. The instrument hummed and shook in her hands. She focused on aether and chanted “Danu” over and over again in her mind. The light became stronger and poured from the eyepiece, blinding Valera. She pulled the Sextant away from her eyes.
“Look, on the far wall!” Eli pointed out shapes forming on the wall. “It’s a projection of….”
Professor Scrod squealed, “A map!”
An image of the world shone on the wall. The Arctic Ocean appeared, and, just north of Iceland, a small spot of light twinkled. Valera knew what the dot re
presented – the Sextant was showing them the location of Danu’s tomb.
All three girls said in unison, “She’s there.”
The professor marched up to the wall and squinted at the dot. “Are you sure? Perhaps it’s a piece of dust on the mirror.”
“I’m sure. Hurry.” Valera’s voice shook, and her strength weakened.
Professor Scrod scribbled the map in her book. Valera couldn’t hold aether any longer. The map faded in and out on the wall. She had to release aether or risk passing out. Theo and Julia let go of her, and all three collapsed to the floor. The map disappeared.
“We know where to go now,” Valera breathed.
Relief flooded her. She hoped that the nightmares would end, and life would return to normal. They were so close.
“I knew you were conspiring against us! I’ve known all along,” a man shouted from the lab doors. “I want them arrested. All of them.”
Slammy stormed into the room with a platoon of white robes. His men moved forward, charging at the relics room. Valera struggled to her feet, leaning on Theo and Julia. Professor Scrod handed her the notebook.
“Keep it safe,” she whispered before leaving.
She closed the door to the relics room, locking them inside. Turning on Slammy’s men, she held her hands in the air.
“Stop, I… order you to stop… these people are here on my request… they are—
“Enough Scrod! You have no authority,” Slammy screamed.
The professor turned to face the relics room. She looked at Dr. Lawless and mouthed the word, “Go.” Grabbing a copper-coiled pistol from the table, she aimed it at the approaching guards. She pulled a trigger and an electric bolt shot from the muzzle. It hit two of the men, and they fell to the ground twitching. Eli dragged a large table to blockade the door, holding off anyone who tried to get in. The lab erupted into chaos. More men stormed Professor Scrod. She shot one more time before she was disarmed. Mercy wasn’t a word in Slammy’s vocabulary. Valera felt helpless as she watched Slammy’s men beat the professor.
“We have to help her,” Valera shouted, banging on the door. “We’re trapped in here!”
Eli pulled her away. “There’s nothing we can do right now.”
Dr. Lawless opened a drawer and removed the Trinity Key, stuffing it into a duffle bag along with the three relics of Danu.
“This way.” Dr. Lawless cranked a lever and a hidden doorway opened. “Hurry.”
Dr. Lawless went through first, followed by Theo, Julia, and Valera. Eli snapped off the gear that opened the secret door and squeezed through before it closed. He lit a torch and whispered to the doctor.
“I know a place we can hide until we figure this out,” Eli informed them. “Follow me.”
The tunnels curved and zigzagged for what felt like forever. Valera wondered if they’d ever find their way out the labyrinth. Everyone stopped in front of her. They’d arrived at a welded metal grate. Aether and anxiety slipped through her, creating a wave of heat in the cramped space. Theo touched her arm.
“Everything will be okay,” she whispered.
The grate screeched open, and they emerged into an alley in the dirty part of the city. Instead of the glorious glass buildings, dilapidated wood structures surrounded them. The air smelled like rotten eggs, which made Valera gag. She wrapped her collar around her face, but it only dampened the odor.
Julia wretched. “What is that?”
Eli turned to her and handed her a handkerchief. “Welcome to the Lows of Pacifica City. Put this over your nose. You’ll get used to the smell.” He pointed to a fissure in the ground. “It comes from the sulfuric gases. Pacifica uses the volcanic vents to heat the city. The air recyclers don’t always work in this part of town.”
Eli led them through the seedier part of town as if he’d frequented the place in the past. The simple boards that formed a sidewalk sank into the wet sandy ground. Crabs skittered in the alleyways, picking at the muck. Loud music and boisterous voices emanated from the series of gambling and drinking establishments. Greenish slime grew on the rotted wood planks of the buildings.
“Where are we going?” Julia asked Eli.
He took her hand and helped her step over a drunken man lying across the walkway. Valera followed along behind, but the drunkard grabbed her ankle.
She shrieked, “Get away from me!”
“Hey, yer a purdy lil thing, ain’tcha,” the man slurred. “Be nice to an ole’ man.”
She kicked him as hard as she could. He yelped, pulling his hand away and coddling it.
“Ya don’t hafta be so sore bout it,” he huffed.
He struggled to stand, smacked his filthy brown cowboy hat on his leg, and stumbled back into The Crooked Crab Tavern. Valera felt the urge to scrub the spot where the man had touched her.
“Are you all right?” Theo asked.
Valera nodded, but stayed close to the others.
“Keep moving. We’re almost there,” Eli said from the front of the pack.
They wound through a few busy streets and came to a quieter neighborhood. The buildings were brick, but they still lacked the grandeur of the Elders’ tower. They stopped in front of Madame Blackbird’s Hostelry, a crumbling, two-story place.
Two lace curtains cracked open and a dark figure appeared. Eli walked up the steps and pulled on a cord. A bell rang inside the building, and the figure disappeared from the window. The door swung open, and a robust woman with a massive pile of blonde hair on her head filled the frame.
“Eli, mon beau oiseau! We’ve missed you,” the woman squealed.
When she moved, her ample breasts threatened to leap out of her low-cropped chemise and cinched purple corset. The woman grabbed Eli and buried him between her cleavage. Julia gasped. He came up for air and turned to his friends. His face was visibly redder than before the woman’s hug. He looked at Julia and grimaced an apology. Valera stifled a laugh. If Eli wasn’t careful, Julia would skin him alive.
“Madame Blackbird, my friends and I need a place to stay.”
“Of course, bien venue. Come in, please.”
She opened the door wide and smiled at everyone. When they were all inside, she looked up and down the street before shutting her door. She clapped her hands and a teenage girl rushed into the room. The girl smiled coyly at Eli, wrapping her hands around his bicep and giggling. Valera peeked over at Julia, and saw pure venom.
Don’t do anything rash, Julia. Valera said. We’re guests here.
Theo looked between Eli and Julia and added, We don’t know that there’s anything between them.
Julia scoffed, Why would I care. He can do as he likes. I don’t care… I can’t stand him.
Valera sighed. Julia was always so hard even when her heart must be breaking. If it had been Gideon, Valera would have turned the girl to ashes… or at least singed her eyelashes off her fluttering eyelids. Madame Blackbird cleared her throat, and the teen girl released Eli.
“This is Alouette, my daughter. She’ll show you to your rooms, where you can freshen up.”
Alouette twisted the end of her braided blonde hair that hung like a fishtail over her shoulder. Perfect ringlets of hair framed her high cheekbones. Her violet colored eyes flicked back to Eli before she ushered the girls upstairs. Valera had the sudden urge to blacken those pretty purple-tinted eyes. Even if Julia denied her feelings for Eli, Valera couldn’t take Alouette’s utterly flirtatious behavior.
“You are friends with Eli?” She asked in a thick French accent.
“Yes, he’s our friend,” Valera snapped at Alouette.
The way she purred Eli’s name irked Valera. The girl was clearly trying to size them up. Valera noticed Julia ball up her fists. She touched Julia’s shoulder. It was ice cold. Julia grit her teeth and shrugged Valera’s hand away. Alouette stopped and turned with her hands on her curvy hips. Her violet eyes flickered over the girls one at a time. With her nose upturned, her pouty lips grinned.
“Humph, I too am his�
�� bonne amie,” she simpered. She continued down the hall muttering, “Mais, je ne savais pas qu'il aimait les chiennes hideux ausi.”
Even though Valera had a French tutor, she’d never picked up the language. However, she knew enough to know that Alouette was insulting them – something about Eli liking dogs. She felt Julia draw on aether.
Easy, Julia. She’s not worth it, Theo said.
Julia huffed, Why not? The tramp deserves a good beating.
She does, but now’s not the right time, Valera said, scowling at Alouette’s back.
Theo moved to Julia’s other side and linked arms with her. The gesture seemed casual to an ordinary onlooker, but Valera knew Theo was holding Julia back. Valera felt Julia release aether, but saw that she kept her fists in tight balls. Alouette opened a room with three small cots in it. A small cracked washbasin sat on a square table, and a dingy lace curtain hid a view of the alley. Valera stepped onto a damp spot on the threadbare rug and cringed.
“Désolé, we had a small incident in here a few days ago… blood stains are quite difficult to clean.” Alouette feigned a frown. She shrugged, and her smirk returned. “This is our finest room. Nice and cozy, oui?”
Valera doubted that this was anywhere near their finest room. She was about to complain, but Alouette slammed the door on her way out. Valera approached one of the cots and lifted a corner of the blanket, expecting to see stained sheets covered in creepy crawlies. The clean white sheets covering the beds were a surprise.
“Well at least the beds are clean.”
Julia scoffed, “I guarantee a black light would prove otherwise.”
Julia threw herself on a cot and crossed her boots on the footboard. Valera didn’t understand what Julia meant, but she didn’t want to know either. Valera slumped onto the mattress. She could feel one of the springs poking through the blankets. She didn’t care if it were a bed of nails. She was exhausted.
“How do they know each other?” Julia blurted. “I mean, of course, I don’t really care. I’m just making conversation. I just didn’t think this is the kind of place Eli would frequent. You know?”
