by Martha Carr
Maggie pushed out, "No!" with her last breath, even as the black sludge quickly engulfed Bernie, sucking him in. He smelled the air, his whiskers trembling. "Bitter like the taste of pennies." The wave made a slurping sound as it crawled over his head, sucking them into the ground in a flash, leaving nothing but the crumpled bubbles and black droplets clinging to blades of grass.
The dark sludge deposited them in front of an empty Victorian house in Buda, seeping back into the ground. Maggie gasped for air, reaching for Bernie to see if he was still alive. She blinked her eyes against the sun, rolling over the raccoon and pushing on his chest, even as she tried to get enough oxygen to yell his name.
Bernie's paw twitched and his body shook as his eyes popped open. His mouth opened wide and he sucked in air, rolling over to throw up on the ground. Maggie grabbed him by the fur and did her best to sit him up.
"Whoa, hey lady! Little slower. I was just paved over and manhandled by the Earth. Dark magic cannot be trusted." He shook his head, rattling his teeth. "I hope that secret wasn't too big, Maggie Parker. That's the kind of magic that thinks it's doing you a favor that it will eventually want repaid."
Maggie stood up, still trying to get a deep breath and gather her surroundings. She held her finger to her lips, signaling to be quiet and turned her head in every direction, scoping out their surroundings. Too quiet. She started up the stairs, signaling to Bernie to go around back and waited till he had shaken off the effects of the trip and was lumbering around the corner.
She went up the stairs and crossed the old porch, careful to avoid the rotten boards and got to the door, gently trying the handle. No lock, not a surprise. She kept low and moved into the foyer, expecting some kind of angry reception but there was no one. She stopped, listening for any sounds as Bernie came cautiously down the hall toward her.
"Where's the gang of motley Peabrains," Bernie whispered. He sniffed the ground, moving around the floor. "They've been here, but they're gone now. Have been for at least a day."
"The dark magic ever fail?"
Bernie stood up on his hind legs and looked around, his whiskers twitching. "Not that I've ever heard. It's pretty foolproof, except for that almost killing us part. I suppose it has to get in its jollies somehow."
There was the sound of a raspy cough from upstairs and both of them looked up, tensing. Maggie moved up the stairs, being careful to avoid the step missing part of a riser. Bernie followed behind her, balancing on the balustrade and nimbly crawling to the top of the stairs. Maggie pulled her gun, moving down the hallway to the far bedroom. There was a groan and the rustle of sheets as Maggie slowly opened the door. Laid out in bed, tangled in dirty sheets was Simon Wesley lying in a pool of sweat. His skin was ashen and he looked like he had lost weight. He rolled over and saw Maggie and pushed himself up onto an elbow. "What took you so long?" He fell back against the bare pillow.
An odor of rotting flesh clung to him but Maggie couldn't see anything missing on him and his skin was pale but still hanging on his body. Bernie came into the room and recoiled, screwing up his face. "What died in here? Is there a body under the bed?"
Maggie crouched down and looked but there was nothing there. "We're clear." She looked at Simon, her brow furrowed. "Are you alone?" She noticed his eyes were a pale blue and he was too weak to sit up, much less fight them.
"The dark magic did this, didn't it?"
He nodded and she grimaced. First chance I get, I'm spilling everything to Diana. "Where are all your followers?"
"You haven't been feeding them Kool Aid have you? Did you feed them to the dark magic? Is that why it left you alone?" Bernie sniffed the air but drew back once again. "Phew! It's too hard to smell anything over that smell. What is that?"
"That is my rotting magic, I think," said Simon, listless. "It's being eaten away. The price of doing business, I guess. The followers left me after I got carried away and tossed one or two of them through a wall. Actually, that part scared them into silence, but after that I needed to keep them afraid. Inspiration wasn't going to cut it."
"You collapsed and they abandoned you..." Maggie walked around the bed, looking at him from every angle. "You've given up on a quest that no one wants but you?"
"It wasn't just me," he barked, trying to sit up. "We need to return home! This crusade started in another generation and there have been thousands of followers. A storm is coming," he said, darkly. "You have no idea." He lay back, coughing hard.
Maggie ignored the warnings of the weakened man. "If you ask me, the sign of a good crusade is if the people stick around till it's done. You're all alone here," said Bernie.
Simon looked up at Maggie. "Am I so far gone that I'm seeing a talking raccoon?"
"No, he's real. Things get complicated around you." She held up a hand to stop him. "Don't bother. You drew us all in by stealing the compass and bringing in the dark magic. Everything that happens is partly because of you, especially Lucinda's death." Maggie pulled out the handcuffs from her coat pocket and opened them, leaning across the bed. The stench stung her eyes as she helped Simon swing his legs around to the side. "Simon Wesley, you're under arrest for the murder of Lucinda Crane and kidnapping of Carl Hopkins, for starters. You have the right to remain silent..."
"Hey, how are we carting him back to the car? I don't think he'd survive another tangle with any kind of dark magic." Bernie looked out the window at the open fields. "There's nothing out here."
Maggie held up her phone. "We'll have to Uber it. I'll pay the guy extra to let you sit in my lap. Do us both a favor and don't say anything."
"That'll be tough, I'm not gonna lie to you."
Maggie pulled up to the station with Simon in the backseat and turned to Bernie, safely strapped in next to her. "You're gonna have to get out here. I'll be about an hour getting him booked and then I'll come find you." She glanced in the back seat at Simon who was staring at her, slumped and leaning into the seat belt. "We can decide what's next after that."
Bernie saluted her and undid his seat belt. "Sorry about the slip at the end. The driver didn't look too freaked out. It's habit, I thanked him. I was raised right."
Maggie let out a sigh. "It's okay. He'll probably give me a two star rating with a warning. I look like a low rent magic act, anyway. Raccoon's not dressed very well and my assistant can't get out of his cuffs."
"Hey, this is a vintage ZZ Top t-shirt. I plan on selling it on South Congress after I get back to my much bigger self. Meet you right here in sixty." He jumped down and looked back at her. "Don't take your eyes off him. He may be weak but he hasn't changed his mind and he still knows how to do powerful magic, even if it's ghosting him." Bernie shook his head. "You know what, hang on. Let me try something." Bernie rubbed his paws together and sucked in air, blowing it out across his palm. "Dang it! Still nothing." He tilted his head back, looking up at the sky and opened his arms wide. "What's the beef, Mother Earth? Come on!" He hung his head for a moment before straightening up and putting his shoulders back. "Fine. I will not let this defeat me! After all, I'm a Huldu mechanic."
Simon's eyes widened and he leaned forward to get a better look. "You're a Huldu? I thought you were all gnomes."
"Ignore him, Bernie. He's an insane murderer trying to send an entire planet... Don't say it, this is a planet to me. He's trying to send it back where it came from without asking the seven billion others it would affect."
Bernie rubbed his hairy chin with a paw. "You can do this, kid. You can put a ward on him that will make him keep his hands to himself and stop him from calling in dark reinforcements."
"You want to give me a vowel on how to get this going?"
"You don't need to know the how. You have to find the willingness and let it happen. Trickier than it sounds, but do it now. Trust me, Maggie and you're just gonna have to put up with that word, dark magic sneaks up on you. It's never really done, not with someone like Simon. If it suits that energy, it'll come coiling back inside of whatever shell is left o
f him until he's dead." He looked at Simon. "Are we sure he's not really dead now?"
Maggie managed a crooked smile. "I got this, Bernie. Make yourself scarce. I'll find a way to put a ward on him and lock the door behind me." She turned and looked at Simon. "You're done. Whatever your plans were for world domination, they're over."
Bernie gave another salute and looked both ways, running under a car and crawling to the other side, heading off into nearby woods. Maggie got out and pulled Simon out of the back, helping him stay on his feet, pulling him toward the door of the precinct. "Was it worth it, Simon?
"It was worth all of it. I was keeping a promise."
Maggie stopped at the door. "A promise to who?"
"To my father as he lay dying on the battlefield. He was the one who started this cause and he died eighteen years ago this June."
Maggie felt a chill go down her spine as she tried not to stare at Simon. The day my father died, yours died. "Who was he fighting?"
"The Huldus and a few Peabrains who wouldn't listen. The Kashgars mowed a lot of us down. Some of them died too. I saw it all."
A shiver passed through her as a momentary flicker passed through Simon's eyes, turning them black and fading to blue again. What really happened that day? Why won't anyone tell me?
She pulled the door opened and shoved him inside. "We're gonna need to set the truth free, Simon, and it looks like it's gonna start with you."
12
Iliad waited till everyone left the chambers. No one dared to look at him as they left. There were always rumors about the extremes he had gone to with his enemies. No one knew if they were true, but no one wanted to be the example that proved they were, either.
"Casper, you stay." The tall, young Kashgar slowed down. He was hoping to slip out quietly without being seen. He was friendly with Jake and he knew that was going to stain him in the eyes of the council. The two Kashgars he was with looked away, not wanting to look like they were with him. Iliad was known to have a short fuse and Kashgars who fell out of favor with him were known to suddenly be transferred and never seen again.
Iliad sat back in his council chair, sizing up Casper. "Your parents are both loyal Kashgars."
"I believe so, yes." Casper's square jaw was set, and he looked Iliad directly in his eyes, not breaking contact. It was better to see what was coming, no matter what.
The corners of Iliad's mouth curled up into a smile and he sat forward, resting his arms on the council table. "So much easier with a purebred, don't you think?"
Casper didn't answer and Iliad let out a laugh. "Yes, you'll do. I need someone to accompany me on an errand. Our young friend Jake may have been doing his best not to be useful, but as it turns out he gave up the one piece of information I lacked to find an Elemental. The stand of ancient trees. It narrows it down to only one real possibility." He stood up and straightened his jacket, smoothing back his silver hair, make careful, slow gestures to make a point. "The enemy is at our heels, nipping as usual." He let out a sigh. "Like a weed that is almost impossible to kill off and, at best, we can only burn it back. An unwelcome chore that is at hand again."
"I'm not sure Jake is our enemy." It was a bold move and as close to a challenge as he dared, but he had to do it.
"I suppose that's the problem. We don't know and we are at a critical point."
"His family will be worried about him."
"You mean the Peabrains?" Casper sniffed the air as if there was a foul odor. "A very anxious group, as a whole."
"I could pass along news, as a way to keep the peace." He saw Iliad clench his fist at his side and knew he had pressed almost to the line. He stood still, looking at Iliad. At least I can live with myself, even if there's only a few minutes left of life.
"Be careful, Casper. These are dangerous times and it's too easy to get turned around by false promises. Let's go, time is of the essence."
Casper felt the muscles in his legs quiver and he made for the door to hold it for the head of the council. Iliad passed by him, not even looking up as he headed for the stairs and the sunlight. "The Huldus will surely be doing their best to cipher the rest of the puzzle to find the Dirt Elemental and we need to get there first. Even a weed when it's left untended can choke the life out of you."
Casper glanced back, wondering where they had taken Jake. Who's the one offering the false promises?
"Hurry up, there isn't much daylight left."
Casper followed Iliad's directions, not asking any questions as they went further into the hill country as the sun set over the cliffs, until finally turning into the Wild Basin Preserve. It was two hundred and twenty acres set aside for wildlife. Relatively small by Texas standards but well-taken care of with a hands-off policy. Casper glanced over at Iliad occasionally, not used to being in close proximity to him, and especially without one of his aides lurking nearby.
They pulled into the first parking lot, Iliad pointing out the best spot and Casper parked, getting out to take a look around at the natural setting.
He stole a glance at Iliad and patted the thin blade tucked in his pocket. I can't conjure faster than he can but doesn't mean I wouldn't fight like hell. "Which way?" he asked, wondering if he was helping or being set up.
They hiked into the greenbelt for over an hour, working their way in the dark to where the Triknee Trail met the Possum Trail on the far edge, not far from the scenic overlook. Casper held up his flashlight shining it on different stands of trees as he turned in a circle. "All of these look old. How do you know which ones are ancient? What does that even mean?"
Iliad climbed till he was in front of a hill leading to the outlook. "It means original to the ship, thousands of years old. Trees that have been protected by both Huldus and Kashgars and magicals in general. These trees are probably the only thing we can agree on and their location, knowledge of their very existence is only trusted to a few people in each group.
Iliad gently patted a tall sycamore that stood in a stand of trees that formed a semi-circle on the hill.
"This is it? They look like every other tree." Casper shined his light up and down the smooth white and grey bark. Brown prickly pom-pom balls hung off the branches along with a few remaining leaves. It would be a couple more months before the maple-shaped leaves appeared again.
"Hiding in plain sight. That's really the only method that works. If this information from my grandson is true, then this is the most clever use of that cliché that I've ever seen."
"What's so special about these trees?"
"They contain the information for a backup operating system for the ship. If the worst were to happen, the information can be salvaged and reinstalled."
Casper's eyes widened. "And you're trusting me with it?" This is either very good or very bad news. He looked at Iliad trying to decipher which one it was.
"It's customary to have a backup for this position. It's so vital that more than one must know. Usually it's by bloodline, but mine...well, has been marred with Peabrain lineage."
"Jake. You mean, Jake. What's happened to him?"
"He can no longer serve as a backup." He ignored Casper's continuing protests and snapped his fingers, creating fast-moving bubbles that sucked the sound out of the area. Casper continued to demand answers but there was only silence. He stood back in shock, wondering if Jake were still alive, even as Iliad raised his arms, muttering a spell Casper could no longer hear.
A buzzing sound filled his head and he winced, dropping his flashlight. But Iliad stood still, breathing harder and facing the hillside, his jaw clenched. The air pressure dropped suddenly right around them, bouncing back up and Casper's ears popped, making the throbbing even more pronounced.
The ground beneath their feet shook, hard enough to knock Casper to his knees. Iliad swayed, stepping forward hard, stomping his foot trying to keep his balance. The area of the hill just inside the rim of circles pulled apart as the sound rushed back with a whoosh, startling Casper. The sound of the sod ripping in a per
fect circle filled the air as the large circle of ground continued to tear, rocks and dirt rising up and rolling downhill.
The ground rose even higher and Casper watched in astonishment as the sod lifted to reveal it was the back of a large creature who stood over seven feet tall, completely made of dirt. Casper's mouth hung open as he stared up at the being. "The Dirt Elemental," he said, astonished. "He's actually dirt."
A giant, body-shaped hole was left in the hill behind the Elemental.
Iliad smiled broadly, clapping his hands as he looked up into the face of the Dirt Elemental. Small rivulets of a fine dirt cascaded off him with every movement or twitch. Deeply set, green eyes blinked several times, looking at the two Kashgars and out over the vista, over their heads. He stretched his arms overhead and stepped forward, shaking the ground under his feet with each step, leaving pools of fine silt. "Who wakes me? Is it time? Where are the other Elementals?"
Casper looked back and forth between Iliad and the Dirt Elemental, not sure what to do next.
"It's time," said Iliad, sweeping his arm like the showman at a circus. "The Earth is in a precarious situation and needs your help."
The Elemental stomped his feet, sending a spray of dirt flying into Casper's face. He coughed, spitting on the ground and brushing off the front of his best suit.
"Where are the other Elementals?" the large being demanded. He reached out a hand as roots grew out from his palm encircling Iliad's throat.
Casper took a step back, wondering if he was out of range and if Iliad had finally gone too far and was going to get the life choked out of him. Not sure if that's good or bad news, either.
