by Matt Ryan
Evelyn knelt over the box. “Travis, give me your hand.”
“Why?” he said as he extended his hand.
“We’re leaving.”
Maggie hurried to speak. “Thank you for giving us a second chance at life.”
“And thank you for getting these. It might be the only thing to save our worlds.” She held Maggie’s hand. “I’m sorry about Kris. I will make sure his death is honored through my next action.” She let go.
Evelyn pulled Travis’s hand down and made him touch the stone at the same time she did. Their feet landed on firm ground and she gazed at the nearby structure, in awe of what laid beyond. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
It struck her then, that there would be no end as long as the Alius stones existed. She’d have to change her plans once again.
TRIP DROVE HIS OLD CHEVY truck down the dirt road, far from Preston. The sky had once been crawling with those damned black cubes, but in a blink, they were gone. It didn’t stop him from checking every few seconds though.
Will said Evelyn had probably wiped them out with some kind of computer virus, but she hadn’t mentioned it when she contacted him to send him the meeting location.
“How much farther?” Will asked. The boy sat between Trip and Gretchen. The bumpy road made him bounce around and grasp the dash from time to time.
“Not far,” Trip said and checked his rearview mirror.
Minter drove his old mustang behind him. Seeing the car sent a tinge of regret through Trip. It reminded him of the day he convinced all his friends to meet Isaac. If he hadn’t brought his friends, maybe none of this would have happened. Or maybe, this cube invasion would have played out the exact same way and they would’ve been defenseless against it.
A fierce bump sent Will into the dash. He held out his hands and narrowly stopped his face from smashing into it. He glared at Trip.
“There.” Trip pointed ahead, to an imposing mountain of granite.
Will leaned forward to get a glimpse of the peak. Trip checked the Panavice to make sure this was the place. Evelyn had confided in him that everything may not go as planned, but she had backup plans. A little prepper in the making.
“Is this the place?” Will asked.
“It sure is.” He pulled his truck near the base of the wall and drove over the grass and around a fallen tree. Then parked.
Minter, Karen, Beth, Opal, and Rick got out of the Mustang and gazed up at the mountain.
“It should be back here.” Trip led them past the fallen tree and around a section of rocks jutting out of the ground—all as described by Evelyn. From there, he found the cave entrance.
A small tunnel led them to the familiar shape of the dome. An Alius stone sat in the middle.
“What makes this one different?” Beth asked, walking closer to the stone. “It’s a master stone, but . . . wait, look at these lines on the side. I’ve never seen that before.”
“Evelyn said to come here. She gave me a location and said we needed to wait for her first. She’ll meet us here.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my kid,” Rick said.
“Same here,” Beth added.
Trip sighed, knowing how they felt. “Evelyn said they’d be on the other side.”
“Why don’t we go now then?” Minter asked.
“Yeah, we’re just supposed to wait here, while our kids are probably fighting for their lives?” Opal said.
“Evelyn planned this out. I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“Look at you all, glowing like stadium lighting in here,” a woman said. Her voice moved around the dome and they all had their weapons out, looking for the person behind the voice.
“Show yourself,” Minter said holding out his gun.
A round rock rolled on the ground, then lit up with a bright white light. The woman appeared at the corner of the dome. She glided across the floor, staring at Will for much of the time.
“So beautiful,” Rick said.
“I can’t believe you fell for it,” the woman said, then changed her voice to sound just like Evelyn. “Trip, I want you to gather everyone and meet me at this location. It’s very important. Can you do that?” She laughed.
“She’s going to kill us,” Will warned.
Trip knew the boy was right, and he’d been the one to lead them to their deaths.
EVELYN AND TRAVIS STOOD NEXT to the massive rock outcropping. She thought Will might have spotted her on the way into the cave, but he’d made no motion to the fact. And when the queen popped into existence at the mouth of the cave, she knew this was the end.
She’d intercepted the transmission from the queen to Trip, but this turned out to be a blessing. It got all of her friends together in one place.
“You sure about this?” Travis asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re putting everything at risk.”
“If I lose, we all lose together. Either way, it will end today.”
“Your last encounter with her didn’t go well.”
“This time I know what she is.” Evelyn walked around the rock, making her way into the cave. Gunshots blasted and she rushed inside.
“Did you kill her?” Karen asked.
The queen lay on the ground and most of the parents formed a wide circle around her. Evelyn thought against all hope, it was over before it even started. But the queen’s embers and connections still floated around. “She’s still alive,” Evelyn said.
Everyone turned to face Evelyn and Travis as they stood at the entrance to the dome.
“Evelyn?” Minter asked.
She walked in with authority. “Get up. You don’t fool me.”
The woman on the ground laughed and floated back to her feet. “This is better than I could have ever hoped for. Just look at the two of you. And with the third, I am now certain this will be the end . . . well, for you. It’s a new beginning for me.”
“Third?” Evelyn asked.
“I didn’t think you knew of her. I could read as much from the others.”
What could she mean, a third? Evelyn pushed aside the distraction and focused on the queen. “It ends here.”
“You’re close, it will be ending soon. But only when I say it’s over. You people have given me a remarkable amount of trouble for some rubes.”
Evelyn glanced at Trip and then scanned over the rest of the parents. “This isn’t a group of rubes, these are some of the greatest people I have ever met in my life. Now, I want the rest of them. Where are Poly, Lucas, and Julie?”
“Let’s not forget about Hank, Gladius, Harris, Derek, and little Miss Cindy.”
Evelyn frowned at the list of names. “You have everyone I care about. I guess we’re even.”
The queen laughed, then froze as she saw the wooden box. “Is that . . .?”
“Yes.”
“Impossible. How did you get it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
The queen disappeared and Evelyn was ready for it. She stopped time, and there, a few feet in front of her, stood the queen holding a stone. “Stop,” Evelyn commanded.
The queen stood still and shook her head. “You can’t have those stones. Those are mine.”
“Who would put their own daughter in a box?” Evelyn asked.
“You don’t understand. I had to hide her from all of this.”
Evelyn shook her head and took a few steps forward. “Don’t forget, I’ve been in your mind. You’re scared of consuming her. Your daughter is something of a special person, a powerful person. She would have helped you reach the next level, wouldn’t she?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I put her in there to protect her.”
“I saw into you. I know your fears . . . what you might do to her.”
“Give me that box.”
“You give me everyone I care about, and I will do the same for you.”
“Or I can just take those stones and kill you here and now, along wi
th everyone you care about.”
Evelyn opened the box and turned it so the queen could see the contents. “Kill me, and you will never find them.”
Her gaze darted around as she searched the empty box. “What did you do with them?”
“There are so many worlds.”
“No. This I will not stand for. You’re going to tell me!”
Evelyn felt pressure in her head, as the queen pushed in with her mind. Evelyn tried to block her, but the rage the queen held pushed past her first wall and pierced into her brain. She panicked at the immediate intrusion. With all her strength, she pushed back, yet the queen was stronger.
I need you, Will. She projected the thought and wasn’t sure if he would hear it, or if he did, would he even had the ability to help her. But she was desperate. If something didn’t change, the location of the stones would surface and then everything would be for nothing.
Then she felt it, a hand on hers. Will by her side. It was as if she had another person to push back the crushing weight. Together, it became almost easy to repel the intrusion.
The queen huffed and scowled as she paced. “You can’t keep her from me.”
“Give me mine, and I’ll give you yours,” Evelyn repeated, gripping Will’s hand tight.
The queen looked around at the parents and then at Will. “Don’t you understand what you’re doing? The two of you alone could stop the death of billions. With you, my consumption ends. I evolve into something so marvelous, the heavens themselves will be in my hands. I won’t need stones to travel. I will be everywhere.”
“You will fail,” Will said.
Evelyn glared at the queen. “You need to leave Earth and Vanar alone. Do what you want with the rest.”
“What about the one with the gifted people? You sent them there. I sensed it in your mind. They got the stone from the chamber, didn’t they? Are they like you? There are many of them.”
“No, and you are not to go near them.”
“You act as if this is a negotiation. Tell me where to find those stones, or I’m going to start hurting people.”
“You’ve hurt enough. Now bring my family here and I will tell you where your daughter is.”
“Fine, we could go round and round, but in the end, it’s just not worth it.”
“And if you don’t come back with my family, I will use this stone on myself.” Evelyn held a white, crystal-looking stone.
“Where did you get that?”
“I am the only person in all the worlds who knows where they are located. If I use this, that memory will be gone.”
The queen stopped and took a deep breath. She took her hand out of her pocket, and for the first time, looked unsure about her next step. “I’ll bring your friends here, and then we can discuss the matter of my daughter and her boyfriend. Deal?”
“Deal.”
They released time and Evelyn shushed the parents from asking questions, having them clear the room instead. All they needed to know was Poly and the rest were on their way. She was getting them back. They heard the stone hum.
“She’s going to come back with backup,” Trip said.
“No, she won’t,” Evelyn said.
“How can you be sure?” Beth asked.
“She doesn’t see us as a threat. We’re like ants to her. Annoying, pathetic ants that are ruining her perfect picnic.” She turned to face the group. “Listen, what’s coming next might require action from each one of us, if we have any chance of stopping her.”
“We’ll do what we can,” Minter said. “For Joey and Samantha. We owe it to them to see an end to all of this.”
“Yes, you’re right. For Dad and Samantha,” Evelyn said feeling the weight of everything pressing down on her.
A small hand wrapped around hers. “I’m here as well,” Will said. “I can help. I can do the things you can do.”
“Will, I have a special stone for you to use when the moment comes. Can you do that?”
“Yes, of course.”
Evelyn handed him a stone wrapped in papers. “Just touch it and everything she and I can do will be equalized.”
“Won’t we be vulnerable as well?”
“Yes.”
The stone room hummed and Evelyn walked back in, seeing Poly, Harris, Trip, Julie, Hank, Gladius and a new addition to the group, Cindy. She studied the girl. Similar face to Hank, but no sign of Gladius’s DNA. Who had Hank fathered a child with?
Poly ran to Evelyn and nearly tackled her to the ground. Keeping an eye on the queen, she embraced her mom. When the queen’s mouth hung open in awe, Evelyn took a step back, curious to what she was seeing. The connections. The golden strands increased by tenfold and she too became lost in the beauty of it. They swirled around in a maelstrom, as everyone greeted and hugged their loved ones. It was almost overwhelming. She met eyes with the queen and thought she saw a flash of humanity. A glimpse of the love she probably had for her daughter.
That’s when the queen dropped a stone.
“Will!” Evelyn screamed. But it was too late.
The stone burst in midair and the wave spread over the group, freezing each person in place. Evelyn could move her eyes but nothing else. She stared at Will’s hand, his fingertips at the edge of his pocket. If he could get to the stone, then maybe they had a chance.
The queen didn’t say anything at first, choosing instead to look above the group.
“Evelyn, do you know what I just used? A stone so exceptionally rare and difficult to make, I saved it for a time such as this. There may never be another stone like it ever again. Feel privileged you brought it out.” The queen said. “Now, get on your knees.”
Evelyn knelt, but not under her own power. All the rest did as well. They were in a row, facing her like a group waiting to be slaughtered, and that is exactly how Evelyn felt. She’d led them to this fate and she wasn’t even able to put up a good fight.
She struggled against the stone’s control, but with each attempt, it pushed her back with the power of a bulldozer. Had she really underestimated the woman once again?
“I could make you all kill each other right now, and let the victors live with the knowledge of what they’ve done. It would be fitting to the amount of trouble you’ve caused. Do you think I like to get my hands dirty with affairs such as this?”
Panic filled Evelyn, not for fear of her own life but at what her hands, her mind, could do to those around her.
“Evelyn.”
She perked up, ready to spill her own guts, or anything that would be commanded of her.
“I could ask you the question right now and end this game, but would that teach you a lesson? Do you think it would be fitting for me to let you off so easily, when you have killed my people, ruined my entire reclamation process, and even stolen from me?”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Evelyn said, even as she tried to keep her mouth from moving. The shock of the words spilling from it felt much worse than her body moving. It meant she’d give this woman all the information she wanted, all she had to do was ask.
“Evelyn, pick one person in this room and kill them.”
Evelyn stood and walked in a straight line. She tried to stop it, screamed at her body to stop, but nothing impeded her progress. A marionette of murder, and she a mere puppet. The strings floated above her, hidden as much as her own connections.
“Go on,” the queen urged.
Evelyn stopped and regarded the young girl. Not much taller than her, and she not only had a resemblance of Hank, but she had his eyes as well. Her hands raised and she brought them around her small neck, grip tightening. Cindy gurgled as she fought for breath.
A tear streamed down Evelyn’s face as she tried with everything she had to pull her hands from the girl’s neck. Helpless, she watched the girl’s face change from a pale white, to a dark shade of red, as the blood and oxygen stopped flowing.
“Let her go,” the queen said.
Evelyn immediately released Cindy, leaving her gasping a
nd sucking in ragged breaths.
“Can’t have you killing one of the specials,” the queen said. “Pick another, but not Will.”
Evelyn walked to the nearest adult and saw in his eyes the fear. Lucas Pratt, kneeled before her. Her hands felt small around his neck and she squeezed hard. Her strength never matched her size and she knew the sick truth; she had plenty of force to stop the air from getting to his brain. Much like Cindy, his face turned a sick shade of red.
Lucas whispered something. She struggled to hear it, but it sounded like, get ready.
Before she could register the words, his bulging red face changed to one of determination, and he grabbed her with both arms. “Now, Will!”
Will shoved his hand in his pocket, and Evelyn felt the wave of freedom crashing over her. She took her hands from Lucas’s throat, and the room echoed with gunfire.
She tried to slow time, but she felt the block working. It’d happened. Will got to the stone. She scurried to her feet to get a look at the queen. She lay on the floor, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.
The queen held a stone in her hand and it dissolved into her skin.
“Stay back, she took something.” Evelyn was quite certain of the stone she’d absorbed, because she should be dead by this point. She only hoped the queen had another of them on her.
POLY HELD HER THROWING DAGGER and rubbed the green etched dragon on the steel. Compry’s mark. She’d never forget the person who’d helped her master the skills of the blade. Staring at the top of the queen’s head laying on the dirt floor, Poly took a step closer. She would end this woman’s life.
“Mom, stay back,” Evelyn said.
The queen stirred and lifted her head off the dirt. Some of it stuck to her face as she got to her knees. Impossible. They must have shot her twenty times, and Poly had stuck her with several blades. Despite these wounds, the queen got to her feet, blood trailing down her face and chest. Her lips turned up in a grim red smile, blood smeared over her teeth.
