I always said I’d go everywhere with you, he reminded her. To every corner of the omniverse.
“You can’t take a week off work!” Rose Kalgren reminded her son. “Who’s going to go to the meetings? I’m not doing it. I’m retired. Why doesn’t Ash go?”
“No!” Amara said a bit too quickly. Asher turned around at the mention of his name. Pax, say something! Don’t let her force him.
“I don’t need my uncle chaperoning my field trip,” Pax said.
Sakra cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, I cannot condone more than two people occupying the Pseudosphere at once. It has never been done before—and Thorn and Ash have already passed their trials.”
“How long will they be in there for?” Asher asked, turning back to stare at the view. “When Thorn and I went, we stayed for two years, but it was only two days on the outside.”
“Ah, but you were very young then. The girls will be able to handle more rigorous training. I anticipate that they will be locked in the room for at least five days.”
“Five days!” Amelia shrieked. “That’s five years of their lives!”
“My good woman, have you forgotten? When they exit, they will not have physically aged at all,” Sakra explained, in a calm voice meant to soothe Pax’s grandmother. “I know it has been several decades since anyone has used the Pseudosphere, so perhaps I should refresh your memory on its properties.”
Sakra released a stream of purple prana from his hands, which quickly formed the shape of a cube. “Upon entering the vector zone, the girls will emerge into a very small room, the shape of this cube. This will be the only safe area, meant for resting. As you can see, there six sides to this cube—four walls and a floor and a ceiling.”
“That seems basic,” Amelia remarked.
“Yes, except that the room floats in nothingness,” Sakra said, using his other hand to create a dark fog around the cube. He pointed and several bright yellow squares appeared in each larger square. “There are six doors in the room. One on each wall, and one on the floor and the ceiling. The portals lead out to six different trials. Six different realms of hell, one might say. Only when the girls can withstand the hardships beyond each of the six doors will they be allowed to return to this dimension.”
“It’s extreme,” Raymond said softly. “I still have nightmares, and it’s been over thirty years since I set foot there.”
Amelia’s face displayed worry, and she rubbed her son’s shoulder. “Maybe the girls shouldn’t go.”
“It’s a worthwhile and necessary experience,” Vincent said firmly.
“The whole point of the Spiritual Pseudosphere is purification,” Sakra said. “It is similar to the human concept of fasting. The girls will have to live as the old gods did, without food or water and often without air or rest. It is our attachment to worldly needs that make us weak. Once we learn to survive on the prana inside instead of on energy from exterior sources, we purge the human weakness out of us and make room for unadulterated power.”
“That’s all very interesting,” said Rose Kalgren, who was furiously scribbling in a notebook. “So would you say that the room is floating in infinite three-dimensional hyperbolic space?”
“Not quite, Rose.” Sakra frowned, thinking of how to phrase his explanation. “I would call it two-dimensional, on a constant curvature. Fundamentally, one could describe the Pseudosphere to be more vastly infinite than other planes of existence.”
“More vastly infinite?” Asher asked in confusion.
“That makes perfect sense,” said Rose Kalgren, making a quick sketch. She held it out to Asher. “Here’s a rough diagram to explain what he means.”
Asher squinted at the scrawled circles and lines and still could not understand. “O…kay…”
Thornton grinned and slapped his friend on the back. “Don’t worry about it, buddy.”
“Paxie,” Amelia said anxiously. “Are you sure you want to go, sweetie?"”
“Grandma, I need to go,” Pax responded. She moved forward to give the old woman a gentle hug.
“Please be careful. Don’t push yourself too hard,” Amelia said tearfully. “Your Grandpa Kaden would be so proud of you.”
Pax nodded at the old woman before turning to her father. Raymond didn’t say anything, but he held out his arms to her. She smiled and let her father envelop her in a giant bear hug. She could feel the unconditional love in his embrace. He did not question her decision or try to change her mind. He respected her choice and supported her, and that was what she most desperately needed. She rested her cheek against his chest in contentment, thankful that Sakra had called her family and not just let her escape quietly in the night. It made her little quest feel more official and righteous when it had previously felt like a frantic escape.
Rose put her notepad away and moved forward to stroke her own daughter’s hair fondly. “Honey, I know you’ll be fine. You deserve an adventure.”
“Thanks, mom,” said Amara with a smile. “When I get back we can start planning the charity ball.”
Vincent was noticing that his daughter was clad in aramid armor. She usually wore trendy and impractical garments, but for the first time in possibly her entire life, she was dressed for battle. Unbeknownst to Vincent, a strange light had come into his eyes. “Amara. It pleases me to see you’re finally taking your heritage seriously,” he said brusquely. “If you practice diligently, you will see great improvements in your life.” Vincent would never betray the enormity of his fatherly joy. He glanced over at Pax and noticed that she was also wearing the heavy fabric. She normally dressed as casually as possible, often practicing in jeans and a t-shirt. Vincent realized that something crucial had changed about the young women.
It must have been their recent battle with Suja. They were suddenly driven and dogged, and he had not even needed to push them and be as strict as he had been with Thornton and Asher. Their youthful enthusiasm was a formidable sight which he had long forgotten, reminding him of his own formative years, and his good friend Kaden who had been a formative influence. The two men had constantly challenged and pushed each other to new heights of skill, and as he looked at Pax’s face, he could see a shadow of her grandfather’s spirit. It swelled his heart to witness this again.
Although Kaden Burnson was gone, and many devas of old had perished in the wars with the Asura, their old traditions were being carried on in these young hybrids. Of course, one could not have discovered Vincent's nostalgia from glancing at his stoic face as he made eye contact with Pax. He inclined his head to the left.
“Girl. A word.”
He instantly blasted off into the sky a few miles away from everyone. Pax pulled away from Raymond and quickly followed her mentor. When the two left all the others to an awkward silence, Amara wondered to herself what her father and friend were discussing. She glanced after their trails of prana, hoping that their discussion would not result in a more challenging training regimen. She knew that it almost certainly would.
“Why are you going?”
Amara flinched to find that Asher had approached her and was standing not far away. When she turned to face him, she felt a pang in her heart at the lost expression of his chocolate-brown eyes. His sad face was framed by messy dark locks of bed-hair. She lowered her eyes so that she would not have to look directly at him, and of course, her eyes settled on the contours of his chest muscles beneath his taupe cashmere sweater. Why was he still wearing the clothes she had bought for him? Didn’t he own anything else? She knew that she couldn’t gaze wordlessly forever with their families watching. She titled her chin up a little before responding as curtly and succinctly as possible.
“To practice.”
Asher’s arm drifted up as his fingers settled against the back of his neck to scratch absently as confusion displayed across his face. “But you can practice here,” he said softly
Clenching her fists, Amara glared at him. Everyone around could feel the tension fizzing in the air as the two s
ilently locked eyes. Rose lifted her eyebrows in confusion at the strange interaction, realizing that volumes were being communicated that no one but the former couple understood. She also knew that at the core of the matter, and regardless of their current conflicts, these two loved each other.
Amara did not trust herself to speak, fearing she’d either say something too callous or too friendly. She only continued to glower and silently prayed for Pax to return and remove her from the spotlight. Unfortunately, Pax would not return before Asher opened his mouth again:
“You’re not strong enough to deal with the conditions in there, Mara. You shouldn’t go.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do,” Amara snapped, her brows furrowing.
“I know you,” Asher said, moving forward hesitantly. “You can’t even tolerate a camping trip.”
“Who likes getting eaten alive by mosquitoes?” she asked stubbornly.
“I’ve been to the vector zone, Mara. There are things far worse than mosquitoes. Far worse than those worms Suja used on you. You’re going to spend every day crying to return…”
“I will not!” Amara shouted. A red aura of prana flashed around her as she felt bile rise from her gut. “You’re not part of my life anymore, so don’t get involved!”
Vincent and Pax returned instantly at the signals they felt and stood beside Amara. Vincent scowled at the man who had upset his daughter. “What the hell is going on?”
“Open the portal, Sakra!” Amara commanded. “Please. I want to go now.”
“Sure,” said the demigod. He began releasing his prana into the shape of a hexagon on the ground. “One weeklong all-inclusive trip to hell coming right up!”
Vincent looked at Pax intently. “Remember what I told you, girl.”
“I won’t disappoint you, sir.” Pax said this with a respectful lowering of her chin. The girls picked up their duffle bags and stepped away from their families. They turned and headed for the hexagonal portal Sakra was preparing.
“Wait a moment,” Thornton said forcefully. “Don’t open the portal yet.”
“It will take me a few minutes, son. I might as well get started,” the god explained.
“I need to talk to Pax privately,” Thornton said.
“We can talk later,” Pax said, “when I return.”
“Wow,” Thornton said in a low voice. He moved across the temple floor, materializing directly in her path. “Could you try to be any more coldhearted, fire goddess? You’re going to be gone for years. You didn’t even bid me goodbye personally. You exchanged more words with my father than with me!”
“She considers me to be of consequence,” Vincent said smugly.
“Shut up, Dad!” Thornton said fiercely.
“You will not speak to me in that…”
“Listen, Father. This is between me and my woman. Please shut your mouth and stop acting like all hemispheres, biospheres, and pseudospheres revolve around you.”
“Your woman?” Pax asked sarcastically.
“Yeah,” Thornton said, glaring at her. “I’m not going to take this kind of treatment sitting down, Pax. You know how shitty it feels when your dad leaves you and runs away to the other side of the world when things get difficult for him?”
Pax nodded slowly, glancing at Raymond.
“I’m not going to let you do the same thing to me. Not without addressing our problems like mature adults and getting everything out in the open first.”
“I don’t want to,” she said. “You’re free to do as you please; just leave me out of it.”
“This isn’t like you,” he said. “You have always fought with me about everything. So attack me. Tell me all the reasons you’re upset and let me apologize.”
“Would you feel like I was paying more attention to you if I hit you in the face?” she asked.
“It would be progress,” he answered, offering his cheek. Pax turned away and crossed her arms.
“God, Pax!” Asher said with a groan. “Just hear him out to save us all from listening to his begging.”
“Okay,” Pax said softly. She dropped her duffle bags abruptly. “Talk, Thorn. You have one minute.”
Chapter 27: The Tigress Eye
“Well, let me start with this,” Thornton said. “I betrayed your trust by being with another woman, and it wasn’t because of magick or mystical manipulation. It wasn’t Suja’s fault. I was blackmailed.”
All eyes were fixed unwaveringly on him, except for those belonging to Pax. She stared at the tiled floor so that she wouldn’t meet his gaze.
Amara sent her friend telepathic messages of encouragement. Be strong, Pax. Whatever he says, we're just going to head into the Pseudosphere and put this world behind us, got it?
“Young man!” said Rose Kalgren, placing her hands on her hips. “What are you talking about?”
“I took an illegal shortcut. Karina Allbright was spying on me and threatened to expose everything with a press release. The evidence was solid, and it would have cost the company hundreds of millions. It would have sunk Kalgren Tech completely. I would have gone to jail, along with many of my best employees. That snake of a woman said she would make it all go away if I…” Thornton hesitated. “Pax, I was just so overwhelmed…”
Pax stared down at Thornton’s black socks. They seemed to be some sort of cotton-poly blend.
“How could you, Thorn?” Rose was saying, almost at the point of tears. “What were you thinking?”
“He wasn’t thinking!” Amelia hissed. “He has zero honor and he is not worthy of my granddaughter.”
“No. He does have honor,” Amara said, suddenly feeling defensive of her brother. “He was trying to protect our family and save mom’s company. We are Kalgren Tech and Thorn has more responsibilities than any of us. Frankly, I would have done the same thing.”
“Really?” Asher asked.
“Yes. And I would have enjoyed it, and I wouldn’t have apologized,” Amara said with emphasis.
Vincent shook his head. “You’re mistaken, Amara. You would not have done something so foolish because you possess a functional brain. You see, I’m pretty sure your mother was drinking and smoking heavily during your brother’s gestation and…”
“Don’t pin this on me,” Rose said angrily. “You’re the one with the inhuman sperm!”
“Conflict is healthy,” Sakra said in his sagacious way. “My temple is private, and I encourage you to argue all you wish. By the way, the portal is now open. The moment anyone stands on it, they will be transported to the vector zone.”
Pax immediately began moving toward the portal but Thornton grabbed her arm. He looked at her pleadingly. “Don’t go without saying something to me, Paxie.”
“Let her go, boy,” Vincent commanded. “I care nothing for Kalgren Technology and the foolish monetary ambitions of this family. I come from a lineage which is far greater than a multinational corporation. We are devas, and we follow a code separate from those of humans. We respect each other and we are faithful to those who are faithful to us. I am ashamed to call you my son.”
Thornton’s face was stricken, and his grip on Pax’s arm loosened. Her insides ached at the sight of the pain on his face, and she reached out to clasp his hand. She turned to their gathered family members, and knew that she had to speak on his behalf.
“Please don’t be upset with him,” Pax said, gently imploring the Kalgrens and Burnsons. She scanned her mind quickly for any way to turn everyone’s hatred away from Thornton. “I am not sure if all of you know this, but I made a much bigger mistake than he did.”
Amelia scoffed. “Darling, I doubt there is anything you could do…”
“I killed Karina Allbright,” Pax said to her grandmother, causing the old woman to gasp in shock. “I don’t even remember doing it, but apparently after I saw her with Thorn, I incinerated her body.”
There was a silence in the temple. Rose Kalgren stared unblinkingly in surprise while Amelia tried to restrain her tears. “
Paxie!” the old woman moaned.
“And by every rule we have, that was unacceptable,” Raymond said grimly. “We raised you better than that, Pax.”
“He’s right, girl! You can be such a damned fool,” Vincent said, crossing his arms with a sneer. “You should have at least tortured her first.”
All eyes turned to glare at Vincent.
“What?” he asked, with a scowl more profound than the one which usually graced his face. “First of all, my son should have killed the woman straightaway when she threatened him. No one blackmails my boy! Secondly, Pax was far too lenient for a deva. I would have pulled out each of her fingernails, followed by her teeth and hair. Over the course of several days, I would have removed eyeballs, lungs, or kidneys, depending on my mood. It is thrilling to see how many parts you can remove before…”
“Vince,” Rose said in a low voice.
“And of course, instead of incinerating her all at once, you could burn holes through her flesh a little at a time, and enjoy listening to the sound of…”
“Vince!” Rose shouted. When she had her husband’s attention, she cleared her throat. “Don’t say those types of things in front of the children.”
“Why not? The devas of old had specific methods of exacting vengeance…”
Rose glared at her husband to silence him before turning to her son. “Thorn, sweetie. You should have called me to help deal with the situation. And Pax, your reaction… my goodness! The both of you.”
“Yeah,” Pax said softly. “I never want it to happen again. I believe that if I practice constantly in the vector zone, I will learn to control my abilities and prevent a repeat of the situation. No one has punished me for my actions, so I need to punish myself. I can’t think of a better sentence than the Pseudosphere.”
“You shouldn’t have to punish yourself because I hurt you,” Thornton said. “You should punish me. I deserve it—but don’t avoid me, Pax. We’ve been through too much together for you to turn your back on me.”
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