by W. J. May
He stopped and turned on his heel. He raised a brow and chuckled. “I’m not here to stop you, I’m helping you. Now come on, I’m sure your partner needs clothes.”
He took off again, and she followed. “This way,” she directed as she ducked behind a small rock wall close to the water.
“Bout time,” Brady teased. He stood up fast when he saw Darvin walk behind her. She could see every muscle in his body tense up.
“It’s okay, I think.” She twisted to Darvin. “He’s here to help.”
“Here.” Darvin tossed Brady the pants. “I figured you’d need these.”
“Thanks.” Brady slipped them on without taking his eyes off Darvin. “How’d you know?”
Darvin sucked in a breath then let out a small groan as he exhaled. “I’ve known about Coron for a while. Most of the kingdom does. We’ve had our money taken and families stolen. It’s been a dark place for a while. King Tharious took my wife. I was beaten for trying to stop him. Coron stood by and let it happen.” He looked away, his eyes glossy. “I will do whatever I can to help you. I’m not sure what Coron has conspired with Tharious, but this can’t go on.”
Karis felt heavy with grief for him. Images of the woman with the little girl flashed in her mind. What she said about not being free stung her heart.
Brady cast her a sideways glance as she projected her thoughts to him, but he was still unsure about Darvin and didn’t want to fully take his attention away from him. “I don’t understand. What’s not free?”
Darvin looked at both of them and raised a brow. “What did I miss?”
Karis ignored him and turned to Brady. “That little girl, back in that city, her mother told me they aren’t free and to help them. The whole situation really hit me with Darvin’s story. It’s not just Shamike, it’s Perditus too. There is something bigger going on than what Tarine or Marin told us.”
“You’ve talked to Tarine?” Darvin looked with wide eyes, almost hopeful.
Karis glanced down. “He’s dead.”
“No, he’s not. Coron went behind Tharious’s ruling and had him placed under arrest instead. He’s been serving a sentence in Baratrum. I thought he told you.”
Karis gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “No.” Instantly her whole body felt heavy and mental anguish sheared its way through every vein. It was because of her. He helped her. Remorse and guilt spread through her faster than fire. His fate seemed worse than death to her.
Brady tipped his head slightly. “Baratrum. What or where is that?”
Darvin straightened his back. “It is a dark world full of demon-like beings. They are fallen spirits full of rage. Some of them are outcasts from different worlds, and others are merely beings that follow the darkness.”
“Like Hell?” Brady shifted his weight and folded his arms.
“Precisely.”
Karis shuddered. “And I’m the reason he’s there.”
Brady reached out for her. “No. It is not because of you. Damn it, how did I never know all these worlds existed before? I mean I knew of Hell, but I thought you had to be dead to be sent there.”
Darvin shook his head. “That was only the plan for Earth. Each world has its own plan, its own purpose. Here, we can interact with other worlds, but Earth is special. Humans have the choice, but in this world and many others, Baratrum, or Hell, can be used as a punishment.”
Karis’s stomach flopped. “How do you know about Tarine?”
“He came to me long ago after my wife was taken. He came with news of her. She killed herself so Tharious could not have her. He also gave me something else, something I’ve told no one.” He scanned both of their faces. “He bestowed a gift to me, one that is set apart for royalty.” He glanced down at Karis’s throat where her pendant rested. “If anything ever happened to him, I would be the one to communicate with you.”
She frowned. “Then how did Marin get through?” Then the realization hit her. Tarine was in Baratrum; there, the most evil guards could take over bodies and force them to do things against their will. He opened the communication portal, but it was Marin who spoke. He must have used the demons against Tarine to make him do his will.
She yanked off the necklace and handed it to Darvin. Brady tried to protest and reached out for it, but Karis held up her hand. “He’s telling the truth.”
“Are you sure, Princess?” Darvin hesitated before taking the pendant.
“I don’t want Marin to find us. It is safer with you.”
He placed the necklace in the small pouch he wore across his torso. “I’ll keep it safe.”
“I can’t believe I almost communicated with him again. That was our plan once we got back. I could have made things worse for everyone here.”
Brady wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in for an embrace. “It’s okay. We’ll find a way.”
Darvin grinned. “I am the gateway keeper.”
Karis looked up. “Of course!”
“We should hurry before Coron returns.” Darvin took off. Brady and Karis followed close behind him.
The entry to the portal was just as bright as Karis remembered. She shielded her eyes with her hands. “Where do we go?”
Darvin turned to Brady. “You take her home, to Aridam. You have family there.”
Karis reached out and touched Darvin’s arm. “I don’t know the energy codes to get there.”
He smiled at her. “It’s in his blood. He’ll get you there. Now go before all the portals are shut everywhere on lockdown.” He reached his hand out. Brady accepted and shook it, sealing an unspoken deal.
Brady took Karis’s hand, pulled her to his side, and looked at Darvin. “What about you?”
“What? And miss a fight with Tharious?” He had a gleam in his eye, and Karis knew what he wanted. “Goodbye, friends.”
“Goodbye.” Karis walked into the blinding light and gripped Brady’s hand tighter.
Chapter Ten
Wind whipped around them. Karis held her breath as she felt herself move. The portal opened, and majestic mountains stood tall in the distance. A rush of warm air blasted them. Brady wrapped his arms around her and held her tight as the image moved closer. Then, a bright flash and the portal was gone.
Brady opened his arms, and they both looked around. They stood on dry sand. The horizon across the sand was open as far as they could see. High mountains stood proud on their left. The warm sun beat down on them as they looked around.
Karis had missed the sunshine and fresh air. This was just as good as going home.
“What happened to the portal?” Brady spun around.
“Darvin,” Karis whispered. “He closed it so Coron or Tharious wouldn’t know where we went.”
“Closed it? How?”
She tried to smile for Brady’s sake. “Only a power greater than the portal can close it permanently. It would have to be a great sacrifice.”
“You mean he was the sacrifice.” Brady let out a long breath.
A tear slid down her cheek. “Yes.”
“I figured.” He nodded and walked around. They both needed the moment to compose their thoughts.
He threw his arms up. “Well, where are we?”
“Aridam.”
“At least we’re dry now.” He kicked at the sand with his toe. “I miss my boots.”
She gave a small chuckle. “I know; I miss my sandals too. Maybe once we reach the city we can find something to fit us. Besides, I like the view.”
He raised a brow. “Of my toes?”
“No, but your bare chest and tight pants make a great sight.”
He darted toward her and grabbed her around the middle. “Oh really?”
“Oh, wait. My necklace.” Karis wiggled from his grasp, her eyes wide. “With him gone, Coron can take it.”
Brady flashed her a devilish grin and held up a small pouch that looked like the one Darvin had. He opened it and pulled out her necklace. “You mean this?”
She snatched it fr
om his fingers. “How did you get it back?”
“He passed it to me when we shook hands. I don’t think he wanted you to see. I think he knew you’d try and stop him if you knew what he was doing. That’s how I figured out what he was planning, or at least an idea.”
“I had my suspicions.” She closed her fingers around the pendant. “We should put it back in the pouch. I don’t want to activate the communication gateway by accident. Who knows what kind of torture they’d put Tarine through to talk to me.”
“Deal.” He took the pendant and dropped it in the bag. He shielded his eyes from the morning sun. “How is it morning here and night in Perditus?”
“It might not have seemed like it, but it can take hours to portal jump. That and other worlds are not on the same cycle. Just as one slips into the darkness of night, the other can be halfway through the day.”
He pondered that for a moment. “What about home, I mean Earth, how long have we been gone by Earth time?”
She stiffened. He cocked his head. “What are you not telling me?”
“We told you that Earth is special.”
“Yes, so...”
“We have been gone for what, two weeks roughly?”
He nodded.
“Then it’s only that night that we left.”
“What?” He rubbed his face with his hands.
“Earth has its own schedule. Time has no meaning here, or in Perditus, or Shamike. There are many worlds in existence, worlds I’ve never heard of, but Earth is the only one where time truly matters. We are all immortal. Humans are not. Therefore, time slows down for them.”
“Holy crap. I’ve heard that time crawls, but you’re serious.”
“I’m sorry, Brady.”
“It’s not your fault. I just have so much human still inside me. Some things are harder to process.”
“And yet having a tail didn’t bother you?” She laughed.
He chuckled with her. “Dude, that was intense.”
She picked up the skirt of her dress. “We better get walking. This sand will get hot fast with the sun rising.”
He rubbed his hands together. “Wanna see something I practiced with Jarion?”
She stopped and slightly pulled back, staring at him. “What?”
Without a warning, he scooped her up and took off running. She giggled as she realized yet another extreme power he had. She should have noticed while in the water with him. She’d assumed that he held back while swimming, and this confirmed it.
Brady ran at inhuman speed across the desert. Up ahead, Karis saw a town as he slowed down. He stopped and let her down. What would’ve taken hours, he did in minutes. She laughed and squealed as she danced around on the sand. “Oh my goodness, Brady that was incredible! I can’t believe you can do that.”
He let out a boisterous laugh. “Ya, Jarion pushed me after he saw how fast I ran toward you when he didn’t let up on his energy. I guess it’s pretty cool.” He leaned over with his hands on his knees to help slow down his breathing.
Karis squatted down beside him so she could look him in the eyes. “Pretty cool? Brady, it’s amazing.”
He gave her a playful grin. “This superpower stuff reminds me of being a kid, you know. All boys pretend they can fly or have super speed, but now I have it. Not to mention I’m a freaking merman now too. That crap is awesome. I can swim just as fast I think. Do you think these worlds are where humans get their superhero stories? Maybe Spiderman and the Hulk were real?”
Karis smiled at his excitement and stood up. “I guess. Although, they wouldn’t actually be named Spiderman. Humans would have to know about it somehow. I know a lot of our kind have found a new life on Earth. Who knows?”
He stood up straight as well. “Okay, wicked idea. Do you think all the aliens,” he used his fingers to make quotations, “that people talk about, do you think it’s just people like us? I mean, heck, the Syrenae don’t exactly look one hundred percent human.”
She shrugged and started to walk. “I guess. I never thought about it, but then again, I wasn’t raised there. The only time I ever spent on Earth was alone.”
“Oh jeesh, this is too much to wrap my mind around.”
“Look.” Karis pointed up ahead. A group of men stood about one hundred yards away.
His bubbly excitement vanished and his body tensed. “Stay close.”
She loved how he was protective even though she knew more of the worlds than he did. It was strange, but it made her happy to know he would risk everything to keep her safe.
They stopped about ten feet in front of the guard that came to meet them. They looked human, each of them bearing a tattoo that ran up their arms like Brady’s, but each design was different. They wore loose cotton pants but no shirts and open flowing robes. “Why are you here?”The man had a thick accent. It was the same English that she and Brady spoke, but his tongue rolled harshly with each ‘r’.
Karis chewed on the inside of her lip. “Darvin sent us.” She hoped she said the right thing.
“Where is Darvin?” the tallest one with long brown hair asked as he looked around. His accent wasn’t quite as thick but was definitely pronounced.
She held her head high. “He stayed behind to give us a chance.”
“You both have the mark of Aridam and the Syrenae. How is that possible?”
“Coron tricked us; he set us up to be captured by Tharious. In order for that, we had to travel through the water. A gift to us at his expense.” She let out a small smirk. “As for the mark of Aridam, his parents were from here. You might remember them.” Karis scanned each of their faces. They looked a little more relaxed than at first, but they still held their stance. “Sampson and Rebecka.”
One of the men stepped forward and looked Brady up and down. “This is the son of Sampson?” He had the same rolling accent as the others, but his was smooth and enjoyable.
Brady straightened his back and held his head high. “I am.”
The man slapped Brady on the shoulder. “It’s him, I can tell. You look a lot like your father before he left.”
“I get that a lot.”
The others clamored around Brady, each holding out their hands for him to shake. Karis stepped back out of the way. For once, she wasn’t the center of attention.
The man who confirmed Brady as Sampson’s son turned to greet her. “I am Magnus, Sampson’s brother.”
Brady turned sharply. “You’re my uncle?”
Magnus laughed and smiled at Karis. “Yes. And who is this beauty you have with you?”
Brady protectively placed an arm around her middle. “This is Karis.”
All of the men went quiet. One by one, they bowed to her. “We are sorry, M’Lady, we did not recognize you.”
Magnus gave Brady a wink. “You and the Princess? Nice.”
Karis liked Magnus right away. His lighthearted demeanor spread through the group and made her feel welcome.
Magnus raised a brow. “Just how did you get her off that island? And how did you get mixed up with the Syrenae?”
Brady threw his head back with a deep groan. “Long story.”
“Well, maybe you can tell us over a hot meal.” Magnus nodded toward the city, and the other guards marched off.
“Food? Real food?” Brady’s stomach growled in hopeful anticipation.
Magnus laughed. “Aw, yes, you’ve been with the Syrenae. Ugh, their taste for food is somewhat different from ours. We have real food.”
Even Karis was delighted over hearing that. After so long on the island, eating otherworldly food such as the Ramison churned her stomach. Real food sounded delicious.
Brady sat next to Karis at the long wooden table that quickly filled with family members and visitors. Karis smiled at each one. They seemed genuinely happy to have Brady home, and she wondered how it would be when she returned to her own homeland. Would Tarine be released and there to greet her? Would she have anyone to welcome her?
“So, Earth, what’s i
t like?” a young girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes, who kept making googly eyes at Brady all night, spoke up. She couldn’t have been older than sixteen or eighteen. Karis identified her as one of the local shopkeeper’s daughters, and not part of Brady’s family. That latter part bothered Karis. If she batted her eyelashes one more time, Karis would have to restrain herself from plucking them all out.
Brady half coughed, half choked on the piece of bread he had in his mouth. He glanced at Karis and she blushed. She must have projected her thoughts to him again, and hoped she didn’t project them to anyone else in the room. Quickly she lowered her eyes, afraid to look at anyone.
“Well,” Brady started. “Earth is like here. Families and friends. Home and work.”
“Oh, I thought it was some fantastical romantic place. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to visit.”
Karis mentally rolled her eyes at the girl.
“Karis, what about you? How did you fare on Earth?” Magnus shifted the attention on her. She wasn’t sure she was grateful or worried.
“I ate a lot of fish.” She laughed, and the whole table joined her. “It wasn’t horrible, but time is extremely slow there. I think eternity would’ve been torture.”
“You were all alone weren’t you?” the girl asked her.
She bit her tongue to keep from being sarcastic. “Yes, till Brady showed up.”
“Then you and he were alone on the island. How sweet.” The girl folded her hands together and placed them against her chest.
Oh brother. Karis wanted to laugh, yet throw something at the poor girl. Instead, she took Brady’s hand that rested atop the table and smiled back at her. “Yes, it was very sweet.”
The young girl glared at their conjoined hands and leaned back in her seat, dropping her hands to her lap.
“I can’t believe you’ve been gone for over a hundred Earth years. I thought we’d never see you again. It must have been hard.”
Brady nearly choked on his bread and thumped his chest with a fist. “A hundred years? No, I’m only twenty-five.”
Magnus gave him a knowing look. “It appears that my brother died before he could lift the binding spell over your mind. Before you left, your mother and father placed a binder on your mind so you could grow and be happy without realizing you were immortal. While they obviously lifted part of it, since you remember the last twenty-five years, I’m afraid your other memories are suppressed. You are one-hundred-and-sixteen years old in Earth years.”
