by Bryan Cohen
She buried her face in his chest and howled.
PART THREE
Chapter 21
Natalie felt at least three of her joints crack as she woke up the next morning. She was used to waking up in pain; two-a-day workouts and practices would do that to a person. This was something else entirely. Even after the stab wound the previous year, she'd been on drugs so she couldn't experience it at full blast. Pluric did the opposite of dull the pain – he'd enhanced it. He'd made it deep and primal. While Natalie had always felt mature for her age, the man had made her feel young and helpless.
Returning for a second session wasn't an option.
Unlike the previous day, she could open both eyes, which gave her a look at their latest prison. It was more spacious than Razellia's basement had been, but the furniture within screamed mass-produced as opposed to hand-made. The air was stale and moldy, though Natalie had a feeling that the potential for black mold was the least of their worries.
As she attempted to rise, she remembered that Ted's arms were wrapped around her. It was the second time they'd shared the same bed since going through the portal. His touch was warm and his comfort helped her get through all of this. She tried to relax back into his embrace.
Then Natalie shook her head.
I'm weak. All of this is wrong.
She was too sore to remove herself from Ted's grasp with much finesse, so he woke up right away. Sitting up wasn't happening quite yet, so she gingerly rolled herself away until she faced him.
He yawned. "Hey. How you feelin'?"
Natalie didn't have the energy to glare. "You know how most injuries hurt worse the next morning?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
Natalie sighed. "Well, there's your answer. Thank God we don't have a mirror."
Ted reached for her. "Nat, you look beau–" He pulled back. "You don't look any different from normal."
Natalie shook her head and turned away from him. "This isn't the time for flirting, Finley."
He swallowed. "I wasn't trying.... Look, we're both scared. We need to stick together out here until the others–"
Natalie sprung up, ignoring the pain that came with it.
"What if the others can't get to us? What if they think we're dead? What if they died the day of the rally?"
She planted her feet on the cold stone and walked away from the bed. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to put as much distance between herself and Ted as possible. There were too many thoughts and feelings that bubbled to the surface with her vulnerable and him nearby. As limiting as the pain was, she stomped away and yanked at the door handle. To her surprise, it opened into an empty hallway. She smelled the dry, sandy air and followed her nose. It didn't take long for her to find her way outside. The bits of sand that stuck to her bruised eye were more than worth the sun she felt on her skin. It made her feel less trapped, even though a few steps in the wrong direction would cause her to plummet to her death beside a fortified castle. Natalie looked toward what she assumed was the east. A giant statue of the General nearly reached the height of the tower where she stood. It was an exact likeness of both the dark soul who'd ordered her torture and the ex-boyfriend who almost called her beautiful. Looking at the Ted replica brought up too much sadness. There were too many memories of what could've been. She flared her nostrils and walked in the opposite direction. She bridged the gap between her and the edge, leaning on one of the stone indentations and looking out into the cloudless sky.
She had a moment of peace before Ted came bounding around the corner.
His breath was heavier than she expected. "What are you doing?"
She scoffed. "I'm singing 'Somewhere Out There' to Travis. I bet he's doing the same exact thing."
As he gently put his hand on her shoulder, Natalie flinched and shrugged it off. She didn't need him touching her right now.
Ted crossed his arms. "I'm not trying to start a fight, okay?"
Natalie relaxed her body and looked straight into his eyes. "But you could have."
Ted squinted. "What?"
Natalie thought of their breakup at Page's. She remembered falling on top of him in gym class basketball and their team-up to deal with the amnesiac Erica. Even during the tender moments at junior prom and in Razellia's basement, the words had been brewing within her mind. She knew she'd have to let them bubble over eventually.
Natalie sighed and allowed the words to tumble out. "You could've fought for us. Last year, when all that crap went down." She let her fingertips brush against the top of the turrets. "As soon as Erica got back and you had the chance, you stuck your tongue in her mouth. Even though it wasn't really her." Natalie flared her nostrils. "You wanted a copy of Erica more than you wanted me."
Ted reached for her. "Nat, I–"
She brushed his hand away before it could get close. "And now you want to comfort me in my time of need." Natalie stared into his eyes. "I don't need your comfort, Finley. I may want it… but what I need is for you to take me home."
Ted was the first to look away. "So, you're saying I should surrender the war."
Natalie looked back out into the endless blue. "No. I don't think having a bunch of possessed Jason Torellos out there would make the world a better place." She leaned back against the stone. "But you need to find us a way back. I can't handle this." She pointed to her face. Natalie thought for a moment and gestured back and forth between the two of them. "Or this."
Natalie had nearly walked all the way back into the building when Ted spoke. "Okay."
She raised her eyebrows. "Okay, what?"
He walked up to her, stopping just short of arm's length. "I'm gonna figure out how to escape. And then I'm gonna get us home. Somehow."
Natalie couldn't help herself. She had to smile. "That's more like it."
Over Ted's shoulder, the castle stretched as far as the eye could see.
She rubbed at her face. "And if we can lay the smack down on Pluric the mind reader on the way out, you'll get some extra credit."
Ted grinned. "You've got it." He bent his arm at the elbow, presenting it for her to link her hand through. "Shall we get to plotting?"
Natalie rolled her eyes and took his arm. "It's good to know that being the most important person on multiple worlds hasn't made you any less of an idiot."
Ted tipped an imaginary cap. "Why, thank you."
Natalie stared straight ahead as they walked back to their room. She could feel Ted's confidence through their connection.
Maybe there's a chance after. Maybe we'll actually get to go home.
Chapter 22
Dhiraj watched Jennifer in the back of the van as the vehicle bounced along an unfinished road. Her hands retained a trace of the blood she'd picked up when she'd cradled her father's body. Dhiraj helped her wash them off as best as she could, but Erica gave them less than two minutes to get out of there. She was certain that Kable had sent the assassin their way, whether or not he was a willing participant in the plan. Because of that, the farm was no longer a safe haven. Travis drove the vehicle while Erica barked directions at him. Their de facto leader hadn't unclenched her jaw since the incident.
"It should've been me." Jennifer's stare into nothingness was eerie. "I had Redican and then he took him. I shouldn't have–"
"It's not your fault." Dhiraj took her hand, though he wasn't sure she even noticed. "I know this is hard, but you can't blame yourself."
She gave the slightest of nods. "I wish we could've buried them."
All Erica gave them time for was to pull the bodies of Sheriff Norris, Redican and Kelly into the house. Dhiraj wasn't sure what Erica had said to Jennifer to get her to stop weeping over her father's corpse, but it seemed to do the trick.
Dhiraj tightened his grip on her hand. "Me, too. I wish we could've buried 'em, too."
Dhiraj knew he hadn't processed all of this yet. He loved the sheriff like a father, and he'd had faint ideas of calling him "Pop" some day. Dhiraj recalled th
e death of his mother three years prior. By the time she passed, Dhiraj had seen her go from healthy-looking to ravaged-by-cancer over the course of a single year. He'd known it was time for her to go. Ted and Natalie stuck by him during his low points, and he vowed he'd do the same for his girlfriend, even though he imagined her coping process would be quite different under the circumstances.
"I'm gonna kill him."
The matter-of-factness in her voice frightened Dhiraj. He looked into her cold eyes. "Let's focus on staying alive first, cents."
Jennifer barely acknowledged his existence. "I don't care if it's on national TV." She looked straight at him. "I'm gonna put a bullet in his head in front of everyone."
There was so much Dhiraj wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that getting her revenge on Daly hadn't stopped her from rage-punching that field hockey girl in September. He wanted to tell her that shooting Kable would be a suicide mission and it'd stop her from being the girl he knew and loved. But he didn't say any of that.
"He'll pay for what he did." He put his other hand on top of hers. "One way or another."
Jennifer's features softened. "Thanks, dollar." She laid her head in her lap as the van rumbled on.
An hour later, Travis and Erica found a good point to rest beside an abandoned cornfield. Dhiraj opened the van's back door and saw browning crops in all directions. He doubted anybody had tended to the field in years, though a few stubborn stalks rebelled with new ears of corn despite the lack of care. As soon as they got out, Dhiraj saw Erica wrap her arms around Jennifer and not let go. He watched Jennifer cry and felt his heart break.
When Erica said they were going to take a little walk, Dhiraj was grateful. He also needed a few minutes of coping, and he'd rather Jennifer wasn't a witness to that.
Travis sat down beside him as their feet hung out of the open van door. Dhiraj thought of ride-alongs and boxes of fritters. He pictured the heroic and powerful man who stuck by them in all this inter-dimensional craziness. Then he saw the body, and the blood that still stained one of the shirts he'd been able to pack before they left. Dhiraj let the tears flow a bit, and Travis remained silent until the crying stopped.
Travis sighed. "I never really got to know him." A smile crossed his face. "I did get busted by him once or twice."
Dhiraj wiped away the last of the tears. "Grand larceny?"
Travis took a sip from one of the water bottles they'd snagged before their escape. "Nah. Just underage drinking." He took a deep breath. "The sheriff could've come down on me hard, but he was actually kind of nice about it."
Dhiraj nodded. "That was the kind of guy he was."
Travis offered Dhiraj the bottle. He accepted and took a sip.
Travis looked in the direction Erica and Jennifer had gone walking. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Dhiraj let the water trickle down his throat before conserving the rest of the bottle. "Losing a parent changes you. Someone who's been there your whole life can't be there anymore." Dhiraj rubbed away the last of the tears with his sleeve. "She'll be okay. But she won't be the same."
Travis nodded like he understood. Dhiraj wasn't sure the jock did, but he appreciated the company.
Jennifer and Erica were laughing by the time they came back. His girlfriend's laughter was accompanied by tears, but Dhiraj was happy to see her smiling. That night, they all kept warm in the back of the van, minus Erica, who kept watch. Dhiraj dreamt of the shooting and saw his hands covered in blood. He was glad when the morning sunlight roused him from his nightmares.
After she took a power nap, Erica huddled the group together in the field. She had the face of a commander who'd lost soldiers before.
"We need to shift our priorities. I thought Kable wouldn't find us, but I was wrong." Erica kept her eyes away from Jennifer's. "We need to take him down. Getting Ted and Natalie back will have to wait."
Dhiraj felt a nervous shiver go through him, though he could see in Travis' eyes that the change in plans had a bit more impact on him. Natalie's boyfriend tried to hold it together, but after a moment, a restrained scream and a kick that sent an ear of corn flying showed the futility of those efforts. Travis stomped back toward the van and pulled out a backpack and the staff. He tossed them both to the ground and cursed to himself.
Erica ran over to him, and Jennifer's soft eyes showed more than a little concern. Jennifer took Dhiraj's hand and they walked toward the van as well.
After covering it with a little dust, Travis reached down and brought the staff high into the air. "This was supposed to work!" He ripped over the backpack to expose the book. "We were supposed to bring you back!"
Dhiraj's heart fell down the stairs when he saw Travis fumbling with the book's plastic coating. The protective covering tore open.
"Travis, no!"
It was too late. As his skin came into contact with the book, Travis began to tremble as Redican had. A blue spark or two shot from the staff as his face turned pale. Erica reached him and attempted to pull him away from the objects. Whatever had caught him got ahold of her as well, and Erica began shaking. As she did, Dhiraj noticed something. The sparks seemed to grow wider, and within a second or two, there was a portal the size of a DVD to the side of the van.
Dhiraj's eyes grew wide. "Holy crap."
The portal expanded a few more inches before the power became too much for Travis. He dropped the staff and the book at once, and he and Erica fell to the ground. The portal wavered for a few moments before it contracted and disappeared.
Dhiraj looked at Jennifer. She appeared to be just as surprised as he was.
He grinned. "Did you see what I saw?"
She nodded. They locked hands and ran toward their fallen comrades.
Erica and Travis were a little shaken up, but they were otherwise right as rain. Dhiraj could feel some kind of energy in the air and glanced at the area the portal had been. "Erica, did you see that?"
She rubbed at her head. "Sorry, I was too busy keeping sparky here from frying himself." Erica punched Travis in the arm.
Travis pushed himself away from her. "Ow! You don't have to knock my elbow off."
A loud whistle got their attention.
Jennifer had two fingers in her mouth. "Erica. When you touched Travis, the portal got bigger."
The news seemed to completely cure Erica of whatever the staff and book had done to her. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Then I guess it's time for a little experiment."
Minutes later, Erica held hands with Travis, who held Jennifer's hand. Dhiraj was the last link of the bunch.
His breath sped up. "So, does it hurt?"
Travis smirked. "You know how it feels when you get shocked by a doorknob?"
Dhiraj nodded. "Yeah?"
"It's nothing like that."
Erica and Jennifer groaned as Dhiraj gulped. The leader of the pack looked behind her. "Are we all ready?"
Dhiraj lied when he gave an affirmative nod. He wondered if Jennifer was lying, too. Before he had a chance to assess her truth-telling, Erica dropped Travis' hand, took hold of the two enchanted objects, and stood close enough for Travis to grip her arm.
In the few thoughts Dhiraj could fire off before the current of the staff took hold, he determined that Travis wasn't lying. The sensation wasn't like a static shock at all: it was much more painful. Dhiraj's teeth chattered and he could barely feel Jennifer's nails digging into his palm.
Soon the first set of sparks took Dhiraj's attention off his pain. In the space between them and the van, a portal opened up. It was shaky and lighter than the ones he'd previously seen, but at long last, it was big enough for one of them to go through.
Chapter 23
Ted and Natalie sat together quietly as they ate their lunch in their room. There really was no way to know how closely they were being monitored. Natalie had said the dark souls had at least one mind-reader, and there could be many more where he came from. While the rooms and castle they stayed in looked archaic, it was certainly possib
le everything they said was being recorded as well. Despite all of this, Ted and Natalie put together their plan of action. While they didn't know exactly how they'd get back to Earth, they knew the best first step was getting the heck out of the stronghold.
Natalie stared at Ted as she chewed a tough piece of meat. Even with all the bumps and bruises, Ted's ex looked fierce and perpetually ready to strike.
He slurped down a spoonful of liquidy grains. "You sure you want to split up?"
Natalie gave him a wry smile. "Sure. We can cause more damage that way."
Ted was sure Natalie would hold up her end of the plan, but he wasn't as confident in himself. If he failed, he'd probably have his head displayed on a pike by the end of the day.
Natalie must've noticed his concern, because she reached across the table and gripped a clump of his hair. Ted felt the pinch on the top of his head as Natalie pulled him closer.
"You're gonna do fine." Natalie tightened her clench. "Just picture yourself doing it right instead of screwing it up, and we'll be home in no time."
Natalie knew him too well. Ted's powers had given him exponentially more confidence over the past year, but the last two weeks with just his natural abilities didn't make him feel like much of a hero. Ted looked into Natalie's eyes. He'd seen a lot of disappointment there during the final days of their relationship, but that's not what he saw now. Instead, there was trust, mixed with a hint of annoyance.
He removed her hand from his hair and smiled. "You're right. I've got this."
She returned the grin. "There we go.
Ted continued to psych himself up for the next 10 minutes or so, until the guards came to fetch him. He'd asked to see the General to make an agreement that would end the war. It didn't take long for the man in charge to pencil Ted in.
Ted walked down the ornate hallway that led to the General's throne room. He remained flanked by two lines of guards. They were prepared for him to try almost anything, but he wasn't sure anybody would be ready for what was coming.
