Paramount

by Nadia Scrieva

  “One of the Kalgren devas. Have you two girls been getting yourself into trouble?” Bridget asked with a smile. “Let me help you find your friend, Pax Burnson. Something tells me that she is closer than you think.”

  Pax felt comfort and relief wash over her. She wondered what degree of that comfort was due to her mother’s image, at which she could not seem to stop staring. When the woman extended her arm, Pax took it eagerly. “Thank you so much for your help,” she said sincerely as they began walking. “I’m not sure, but I think Amara was taken by some kind of glowing green creature. Does anything like that live around here?”

  “Dear child, look around.” The woman gestured to the landscape graciously. “Nothing lives here except for the beings I have created specifically for these conditions. Is that not the task of a goddess? To create that which others cannot conceive? My children would be frozen solid in the temperatures of Earth, but here, they are comfortable.” The woman glanced sideways at Pax with a small smile. “Are you comfortable, darling?”

  Pax had been gazing a bit rudely at the profile of her mother’s face. She realized for the first time that it was kind of creepy to allow this woman to wear her mother’s body like an ornament. She looked away. “It’s only about eight hundred degrees. I’m comfortable, but I wish I had dressed for the weather,” Pax said softly, glancing down at the remnants of her destroyed outfit.

  The woman laughed again, producing the same achingly melodious sound. “That is easily remedied.” She waved her fingers ever so slightly, and Pax felt a refreshing coolness envelop and caress her body. It felt divine and pleasant, and was so sudden that it caused her to sharply inhale a gulp of carbon dioxide. Looking down, Pax saw that she had been garbed in a white dress made of something like silk. The fabric was so light that it was almost transparent. “Is that better?” the woman asked.

  “Yes,” Pax answered politely as they continued walking. She was still embarrassed at being so uncovered, but the garment did provide some modesty along with relief from the blistering temperatures. Although the woman was being extremely kind, Pax felt a bit distrustful about her intentions. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but are you sure Amara is nearby?”

  “Yes, child. Do not worry. Your friend is safe.”

  Pax felt a sick sensation in her gut. She wouldn’t believe it until she saw Amara. “I don’t even know who you are. Why are you helping me?”

  “I knew your grandfather,” the woman said, patting Pax’s arm. “Kaden Burnson. What a man! If ever there was a god to be loved and feared… but I never did understand why he chose to live among humans. What a disappointment.”

  “What do you mean?” Pax asked.

  “You Burnsons and Kalgrens forsook the old ways, you know. But I suppose the old ways are meant to be forsaken. Personally, I didn’t leave Earth until my husband forsook me.”

  “Your husband?”

  “He was a deva. The deva. He placed perverse constraints on my abilities.” The woman turned to Pax and raised her chin proudly, almost regally. “My personal motto has always been to create one beautiful thing every day. What is the point of having celestial powers if we are restricted from using them?”

  Pax nodded, thinking of her father. She thought of Raymond’s lies, meant to stop her from developing familiarity with her heritage. “I understand that,” she said, “but sometimes people who love us may restrain us for our own benefit.”

  “Is that what they call it?” the woman asked with a laugh. “Darling, the only reason to keep someone else down is so that you can remain above them. There is never any harm or danger in allowing someone to grow and learn about their natural abilities. There is, however, tragedy in scaring a person into submission and forcing them to walk a mediocre path far from their deepest inclinations.”

  Pax forgot how to breathe with her blood for a second, and her body began shutting down on her. She had to concentrate to focus on drawing energy from the ground and very heat which was suffocating her. “You know too much about me,” Pax said finally, when her brain stopped aching from the lack of oxygen. “Have you been watching me?”

  “I can read your thoughts, child. Is that so farfetched?” The woman smiled. “It seems to me you have some experience with that sort of thing. As I scan your mind, I see a great many similarities between you and me.”

  You’re a fat, hideous, disgusting cow. Pax thought, just to test whether the woman was really a true telepath. When there was no reaction, Pax’s suspicions grew. I’m about to strangle you, crush your head with rocks, and then… uh, rape you, because I’m actually a transvestite truck driver from Arkansas? When Pax saw that the woman had absolutely no reaction to any of these outlandish and shocking thoughts, she had her answer.

  Instead of saying any of those things, Pax asked, “How are we similar?”

  The woman’s face remained completely serene. “Like you, I possess power, although my foolish husband tells me I must conceal it. I delight in using my power. It is who I am.”

  “I haven’t used my powers as much as you think,” Pax said. She was growing upset, and wanted to see evidence of Amara’s safety as soon as possible.

  “Yet, you are greater than a human. You have the fire of life in your blood. Tell me, how can they expect us to bottle ourselves up and waste our lives away being mundane?” The beautiful woman’s eyes narrowed in anger. “We are so obviously special, and we should be allowed to express that.”

  “I agree,” Pax said, “but my mother was human, and I am mostly human.”

  “Child, tell me you don’t get a thrill from being able to stand on the surface of Venus. It’s positively torrid but it barely bothers you. I can’t say the same for your little friend. Can you imagine how the delicate-but-stylish Miss Kalgren would fare in these conditions?”

  “Where is she?” Pax asked sternly. “Please take me to her. She’s not strong enough…”

  “And whose fault is that? By pretending to be human, Miss Kalgren has become as weak as any human. You know the laws of nature. The strong succeed and the weak perish.”

  Pax stopped moving, standing completely still. “What do you want from me?” she asked abruptly. “I’m listening.”

  “It’s simple, Pax. I want you to see the possibilities that stretch before us.” As the woman spoke, she raised her arms before her. The ground began to tremble with the onset of an earthquake. Pax levitated off the ground to prevent her body from being agitated and tossed around. A pointed black object began to rise from the dark soil at a rapid rate. As the woman wearing Bridget Burnson’s body lifted her hands, it became evident that a structure was emerging from the surface. Pax recognized it to be a palace. It seemed to be made from a dark kind of steel.

  Pax was filled with a simultaneous anxiety and anticipation. Even the rumbling of the ground caused a thrill in her gut, and the ascending palace filled her with wonder.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Pax said, once the terrain ceased trembling.

  “Thank you,” the woman said proudly. “It took me more than a day to create this. I call it the Palace of Ishtar. It remains hidden beneath the ground to protect it from those who would seek to harm me. A woman must protect that which she owns.”

  “I’m impressed,” Pax said, trying to gain control of the naked astonishment splayed across her facial features. “I’m really just… blown away.”

  The woman smiled graciously. “I want to be a different kind of ruler here than I was on Earth. Sakra is such a foolish man. He observes everything from his little temple in the mountains, but what does he really do?”

  Pax froze. Even in temperatures exponentially hotter than the most brutal desert on earth, she managed to feel her blood run cold. “You’re Sakra’s wife. That’s who you are.”

  “Yes—you should have been able to gather that by now. I am Suja, Queen of the Asura.” The woman’s body began to transform once more, and Bridget Burnson’s dark hair swept into the classy blonde French twist worn by the scientist Rose Kalgren
. Her dark eyes transitioned to pale blue effortlessly, and all of her new features looked at Pax as kindly as Amara’s mother truly would have. “I would reveal myself to you in my true form, but I fear that I have long since forgotten what that even was.”

  Pax’s pupils had dilated, and her mind swam wildly as she processed this information. Sakra’s wife was a supremely powerful being. She was sure that there was some formal way to address the woman, but all she could think of saying was, “It’s nice to meet you.” She mentally slapped herself for how retarded she felt this sounded, and tried to cover up by asking the important question. “Is Amara in the palace?”

  “Yes, of course. Why do you think I brought you here?” The Asura woman smiled with Rose Kalgren’s classic witty and mischievous smile. “There’s a bit of air conditioning inside. And oxygen, if you like that sort of thing.”

  “Thank god,” Pax said.

  “Why, you’re very welcome.”

  Chapter 18: Palace of Ishtar

  “There’s nothing here,” Pax said as they walked through the palace.

  “You’re still seeing with your eyes,” Suja remarked. “If you relax and allow yourself to believe what your intuition already knows, you will be able to perceive the presence of my army.”

  Pax tried to do as the woman recommended, but could just barely sense that anything living was in the castle. She did, however, sense Amara. “I haven’t practiced nearly enough,” she told Suja apologetically.

  “I can teach you all you’ve missed and more,” Suja said. “You just have to open yourself to me and have faith. I know you don’t trust me yet, and that is wise. I am a stranger, and although I have always been on your side, I am a highborn Asura woman by birth.”

  “You’re very understanding,” Pax said. “Thanks for being so candid.”

  “I’m selfish in the end, my dear. As all living things must be. I only wish to gain your favor so you will assist me. I only strive to be honest so that I may retain your respect.”

  “How can I assist you?” Pax asked. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

  “Really, darling?” A smile transformed Suja’s features. “I am so pleased to hear you say that. All I want is for you to be my ally. All I want is for you to rule!”

  “Rule what?” Pax asked.

  “Earth of course,” Suja answered. “I rather like it here in Ishtar. I’m a solitary woman, and I enjoy warm places with little oxygen. But if you wish, I can give you Earth.”

  “Sakra rules Earth,” Pax answered nervously.

  “No, he observes Earth. He’s a pathetic shrimp who should never have been appointed Lord of Devas. Your lives are all little more than a soap opera to that self-righteous, so-called god.” Suja’s voice was bitter when she spoke of her husband. “Also, he’s getting fat.”

  “Really? I thought he was a skinny little guy.”

  “He was. But underneath those embroidered golden brocade robes, there is a definite potbelly starting to appear. I just can’t believe how flabby his arms are getting. I swear, Pax. He won’t even shapeshift into a body that doesn’t have man-boobs. It’s humiliating.”

  “I’m… sorry,” Pax said slowly, a bit perplexed, “but what did Sakra do?”

  “I would prefer not to discuss that. Let’s just say we had a final difference of opinions. He upset me so much that I couldn’t watch him blinking without wanting to disembowel him. So I left.” Suja reached up to finger Rose Kalgren’s sophisticated blonde bun. “But all that is behind me now. Will you help me overthrow him, and retake the highest temple of Earth?”

  “I’m not sure I can,” Pax answered cautiously.

  “With my training, you will be capable. Your father is Sakra’s prime bodyguard, and he won’t stop you.” Suja placed both hands on Pax’s shoulders. “It’s what you were meant to do, child. You were meant to rule!”

  She’s insane, Pax realized. Do I try to placate her until I get Amara back and betray her later? That could be dangerous. Should I just tell her that I’m not the person she’s looking for? Even though she’s mad, I still admire her for some reason. I should be honest.

  “Suja, I am not capable of overthrowing Sakra. Even if I could, I wouldn’t know how to rule as the god of gods. I’m just a human girl. I’m flattered that you see this great potential in me, but I’m not as strong as you think.”

  The woman wearing Rose Kalgren’s body pulled away abruptly. Her hair became white again, and it lengthened until it touched the floor. She began levitating off the ground, until she was suspended in the center of the great hall. Her snowy hair had lengthened as she rose, and it was still sweeping the floor. “I expected that you would say that, Pax Burnson. Allow me to change your mind.”

  Extending an arm, Suja used her finger to touch the corner of a geometrical shape which had not been previously visible. Pax watched in awe as a pyramid made of thick transparent glass became visible, suspended in the center of the room. There was a woman concealed within the glass, and Pax knew it was Amara.

  “Let me present my bargaining chip,” Suja said with a gesture. “The helpless Kalgren girl.”

  Pax sighed, allowing her shoulders to fall. “Seriously? You seemed so cool about five minutes ago.” She gestured at the glass pyramid. “This? This is just tacky second-rate villain stuff.”

  Suja laughed, and the sound was still magical. Her hair began to glow and twist, rapidly braid itself. Pax had to leap back to avoid being struck by the ropelike collection of strands. “If I am so second-rate, it will be easy to defeat me, fire deva. Here is your task: overpower the monster and liberate the princess.”

  “This isn’t a game!” Pax yelled as she levitated off the ground. “This isn’t a homework assignment; my friend’s life is at stake. Release her. I will wreck you if you don’t let her go now.”

  “There’s that confidence you were pretending not to have a mere minute ago!” Suja said triumphantly. “There’s that capacity for violence, that lust for vengeance and justice. Show me your true nature, little one.”

  Pax cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders to loosen them. “In ten seconds I want you to remember that you asked for it.” Tossing her head back, Pax reached deep inside herself and allowed the flames of Ruby Form to consume and transform her body. She formed a precise and economical plan of attack. She would rush at the glass pyramid and shatter it, retrieving Amara. Then she would unleash a stream of blue-hot flames from her hand which would temporarily blind Suja, allowing her to teleport away and escape. She had no hopes of actually killing the Asura woman, but if she could get home, she believed that the woman would not follow. Suja would not risk facing Raymond and Vincent.

  “Let her try,” Suja spoke softly to a being which Pax could not see. With the woman’s obvious madness, Pax doubted that anything was even there, and continued to release her latent goddess. How’s this for dormant, Father? Her thoughts were filled with arrogance and anger.

  When Pax felt fully charged with adrenaline and the natural firepower of her prana, she extended her fist and charged the pyramid. She unleashed an earsplitting battle cry as she imagined her clenched hand having the density and mass of a small star. She channeled all the power she could grasp and all the energy she could access into the two inches across her knuckles before she smashed her hand into the bottom of the glass pyramid. Pax expected the material to crumble beneath her blow, but she was shocked when she instead struck a rock-solid, unyielding wall. The force of her own strike traveled through her own arm, and Pax screamed in excruciating pain as the limb fell limply against her side. She had shattered her own bones.

  Pax clutched her dead arm in disbelief as tears clouded her eyes. She tried to move her bloody fingers, but they lay disabled against her thigh. “Damnation!” Pax whispered as she stared at the unaffected pyramid. There was a new spot of blood on the bottom of the structure, but there was otherwise not even the tiniest of cracks in the material. She turned to Suja, panting heavily in pain. “You’re using magick to fo
rtify the glass,” she said weakly. “I should have known.”

  Suja clucked her tongue. “Glass? It’s not glass, child. That was a miscalculation on your part.”

  “What is it?” Pax said, massaging her arm and trying to regain feeling in the immobilized limb. She was still in denial of the fact that the arm was gone. Her stomach contorted in knots. “That stuff can’t be… diamond?”

  “Honey,” Suja said with a laugh. “You should see the look on your face. You really did believe that the Asura queen, wife of Lord Sakra for a thousand years, was a second-rate, tacky villain. If I had other invincible friends to join me for fine beverages, we would surely be laughing about this until all the planets had circled the sun.”

  “It’s diamond,” Pax said, staring at the transparent material encasing Amara. She saw that her blow had caused at least some vibration in the structure, and Amara was stirring awake. “For Sakra’s sake. You trapped her in a diamond pyramid.”

  “No,” Suja said, laughing even louder. “It’s not an element found on Earth. You don’t have a name for it, but we call it fjuyen. It’s harvested from the center of a white dwarf star, and it’s far harder than diamond, my dear. Who’s tacky now?”

  Amara was no longer unconscious, and was beating her hands futilely against the insides of the fjuyen pyramid. “Pax!” she screamed, but her voice was muffled. She pressed her face close to the translucent walls to peer through the material. Paxie! Where am I?

  You don’t want to know, Pax answered. As she gritted her teeth against the blinding pain in her arm, she realized that she had been defeated. At least for the time being. “Okay, Suja. You win and I’m yours. Just please have mercy on Amara and send her home to Earth. Then I’ll do whatever you command.”

  “I have a better idea,” Suja said. “I’m going to punish you for a little while. Just so you learn the price of calling me names and underestimating me. Obake! Seize her.”