Pain Stones (Coalescence Book 2)

by P. S. Power

  That settled the idea for him at least. Knocking probably wouldn’t be heard over the pounding of the fat drops.

  “Hello? Package delivery.” Willum tried very hard to keep his voice upbeat and happy sounding. It was, of course, just possible that whoever was inside could have taken that the wrong way, as a trick or trap, even if they processed things the same way as he did but after a moment a rather attractive girl came to the door.

  When she spoke it was in English, of all things. Her voice wasn’t soft though, being just on the edge of cutting. Sharp and saying she was willing to protect herself if the need arose.

  “What’s this now?” Her left hand stayed behind the door, probably holding a weapon of some sort. Given how isolated they were at the moment, that made sense to him. In general, anyone coming up to her door like that would be there for a reason other than bringing in a box of treats.

  “Package delivery. I think it’s baked goods? Just from the scent.” Switching up to her language got the lady to stand up a bit straighter. She didn't smile, but there was a look of clear understanding.

  “Oh! I didn’t know that anyone around here spoke my language. That’s a surprise. I… do I need to sign for it? I can’t think of who would be sending me things like this… The people from the village down below?” She looked at him, a bit suspiciously. Then, slowly, she stepped forward to take the box.

  “You might as well come in. The rain here won’t last long, but for an hour it will try to drive you into the ground if you’re out in it. I’m surprised you risked the walk up here, this time of day.”

  She moved back, into the simple dwelling. It wasn’t nice inside. She had furnishings, but they were mainly bits of wood tied together with seaweed. Then dried so that it roughly worked, being able to hold weight when you sat or placed things on them. There was a single chair, a table and a low bed. All of them looked like they might fall apart if used.

  Then, the woman wasn’t a giant. Not tiny either, being about five-nine or so, he thought. Shorter than he was and pale enough that she would have been noticed for it back home. Then, he was now as well. She was lighter than Will, by several shades. Her hair was a nice brown, and hung back in a long tail. That looked to be tied in place with a red ribbon, rather than more seaweed.

  Her dress was old and worn seeming, but had been patched with cloth and sewn in place by hand.

  Almost as if to give the lie to how she lived, there was a shining metal sink to the side. One that was next to a shining stone topped counter space. It didn’t fit with the rest of the decor at all.

  As soon as he was inside, the door was shut behind him. There was light, coming in from around the shutters. There was no glass in the windows, so a soft breeze, scented of salt and formerly living sea life, hit him.

  The woman set the package down on the table, and using the knife in her hand, started to cut it open. It didn’t seem sharp at all, from how hard she was working on the paper and tape.

  Will shrugged.

  “I came in through the node. This is from a different reality. Um… You know about things like that, right? I mean, you had to have built here because of the node.” There were things in the shack that didn’t fit, after all. The most likely reason for that was that things had come from several different realities.

  “I did! I didn’t know that anyone else would be coming through it like that. I can… Well, that’s a story, isn’t it? I’m Elsa. No, that isn’t my given name, and yes, it’s taken from a cartoon.” She stopped, her face closing down a bit for some reason. From the feelings and ideas coming from her, she seemed to expect that mockery or even attack would be coming.

  Due to her admission of being strange.

  Like Willum wasn’t.

  “Will Baker. I run messages between worlds. I don’t know who sent this one to you. It has a scribble on it, which led me here. I just pick things up and take them around, really. It’s mainly a hobby. This way I get to meet new people and things like that. Um, nice to meet you, by the way.”

  “That’s… Very different then. The people of your home don’t hunt you for being a witch? I had to leave… Oh, six years ago now. I was twelve, so that’s about right. They were going to burn me alive. I didn’t… I mean, we lived in a civil world, and didn’t have magic, until the rifts were found. That I could do anything with them was… Well, I had to flee, or die. So I ran.”

  That sounded strange to him, so he shook his head.

  “In most worlds it’s viewed as a really good ability to have. Still, there are infinite places. That you can do that kind of thing naturally, without a lot of training, that’s a big deal.” Outside, the rain started to pound on the roof so hard that he feared for a moment that the little place might just fall down on them.

  Elsa took a deep breath and shook her head softly.

  “My own parents sold me out to the mob. I was hiding pretty well before that, under my bed. It was like something out of an old story. Anyway, I get by. Mainly by going to other worlds and finding things. Junk, for the most part. That’s free in a lot of places, so no one really minds. Scraps of food and bits of trash that were tossed out. Then I fix them here, if I can.” She waved at the things in her place, as if they were indicative of her abilities that way.

  Willum had to admit that some of the things seemed fine that way. Sharp looking and all that.

  Looking in the box, the girl sniffed, then started pulling things out.

  “I have no clue who would have sent this. Why would anyone bother? I don’t know anyone… not past a few words. Most of those are grunting and pointing. The people here don’t speak English very well. They have it, but it’s not common. Do they speak it where you come from then?”

  It would make sense that they did, given his use of it. The way she asked was slightly odd, but not hopeful at all.

  It was, very nearly, as if she wasn’t used to thinking that anything good could come to her.

  “Not really. We’ve met people from other realities, and they speak it in some places, so I’ve learned. You should go and talk to people in those worlds, really. At the very least they won’t think less of you for being able to use the nodes. I didn’t even consider that some people would be born doing that kind of thing. It’s incredible.”

  He meant it, but the woman just sat in her chair, then stood up.

  “Oh! I should give you the place to sit. I’ve never had a guest here before. Want a brownie?”

  She held up a dark square. It was hard to see in the dim light, even for him, but he shook his head.

  “If you don’t know who sent that, you probably shouldn’t eat it. They could be poisoned, or have tracking devices inside. Magic or technology. Or they could be perfectly fine. It’s strange. There’s no note with them?”

  Looking in the box, emptying it for about two minutes, everything being set on the tied together table, she shook her head.

  “Nothing at all. Well, drat. I have nothing else to keep you here with then, either. Unless you want to drink some water out of my single cup? I knew I should have gotten that set of things last month. I didn’t bother, since no one ever comes here. Now I feel silly, don’t I?” The words were charming enough to seem practiced, but also held an air of desperation to them. As if the girl really didn’t want him to leave her alone.

  He shrugged. She was attractive enough, and kind seeming. Not perfectly so, but enough to get his attention. Worse, he felt like he was supposed to connect with her. Even if the rules he’d been given told him not to do that sort of thing at all.

  “I can show you where I live, if you want? Then you can come and visit, if it suits you. Or… Really, I know of some places that you could live and be around people. Not every place has dedicated line walkers, you know, people that can use the Nodes? We call them line walkers. Anyway, if you can do that, then you can have a place in a lot of worlds. Especially if you can take other people with you. Clearly, you can do goods like I do.” She had to be strong, as well.


  The heavy stone counter was at least five hundred pounds. The sink would be bulky and hard to travel with. Honestly, unless her powers didn't allow it to happen, she could probably take people with no issue at all.

  That got a nod, as the box was packed back up.

  “Thanks. I’d like that. I know that just meeting someone and… No, really, I don’t know at all. Trust me, in all the years I’ve been here, no one has ever come through the bend in space outside like this. Other than me. Even traveling to other worlds, most of them have no clue about the rifts. I’ve always hid where I came from, in case it was forbidden or they’d kill me over it.”

  That was a thing that felt correct to him. The girl was pretty though, which was enough to get attention in a lot of places. Glancing at her in the dark room, trying not to stare, he noticed that her breasts were rather on the large side. Her hips were well presented as well, even though she looked thin, otherwise. Like she had food, but eating too much hadn’t been an option for a long time.

  Leaning in, attempting to act casual about it, the woman touched his hand. That sent a mild electrical feeling down the back. Like magic. Which it was. He could feel the information that made up his life pull away from him. Gently, since it wasn’t being stripped away. He’d felt that kind of thing before, however.

  “You’re a Greater Demon?”

  The girl shook her head.

  “No! I’m just me. Not a demon or witch or anything like that. I swear. It’s just a trick that I learned. I can know about people this way. To see if they’re safe and being honest?”

  She stopped, then gasped after a bit.

  “Which… I get why you’d think that then. Those Greater Demons… Only, I’m not like that. I’m a good person. Just… Different.”

  Will nodded.

  “That’s possible, isn’t it? Infinite worlds means infinite. So that isn’t too big of a shock. Now I have to get you checked out, before taking you home with me. Just in case. Luckily, I know some people that might help with that kind of thing. Do you want to go and do that? As soon as the rain lets up, I mean. You weren’t wrong, that’s the hardest bit of precipitation I’ve ever seen. It’s like a waterfall.”

  He tried to look hopeful, projecting the idea that he was a decently kind person. Which she knew, if she bothered to think about things for a moment. Also that he was strong, and a killer. That part didn’t thrill him to have known, but she didn’t run away, screaming or anything.

  “Sure? That seems… Well, no worse than staying here. We have a bit before the rain ends. So… What’s your world like?”

  That was a harder question to answer than it seemed at first. The main reason for that was down to the fact that he didn't know much about Elsa’s world. It was easiest to show things by comparison, after all.

  “It’s nice? We have magic, rather than a lot of technology. Some of that. Where I live it’s simpler in a lot of ways than the technological worlds. Most people live on farms, or have trades in the cities. Making wagons, or barrels, that sort of thing. We do have colonies on the Moon and Mars. Those are new though. Most people live a simple life. How about yours?”

  That got the girl to sigh and shake her head.

  “It was a world. Lots of cars, computers and televisions. I don’t suppose you know what any of those are? Technology. We polluted a lot. Enough that our scientists were searching for ways to get us off the planet. I think… I don’t know for certain, but I think that my parents were involved in a program, when I was little, that made me like I am. Then we had the religious awakening, because things had gotten so bad and everyone was freaking out, and in the course of, I don’t know, ten years or so? When I was little, we went from trusting in the tools of science, to praying for everything. They weren’t answered though. Things went downhill after that.”

  “Ouch. I’m sorry that happened to you. Elsa… What was your original name?”

  That got a head shake, instead of an angry look.

  “Melissa. Melissa Tombs. I stopped using it when my parents passed me out to an angry crowd to save themselves. Not that they had much of a choice. They would have set the house on fire if they hadn’t, still… It wasn’t fun.”

  That sounded about right.

  They made small talk for a while. Mainly covering the differences between their worlds. How damaged hers was. Things that people had done, in the name of progress, had really harmed things there, it sounded like.

  Finally, as the rain pattered to a stop on the roof above them, the girl stood, leaving the packed up and uneaten box on her humble driftwood table.

  “We can go now. I can take you someplace? Or…” It was clear that she didn't know what to do that way.

  Willum did, since testing her was part of what was needed that day. She could move through worlds, but that didn’t mean she traveled through the void the same way he did. Except, when they went out to the node, it turned out that she pulled the thing open hard, and then linked directly to the far side, where she wanted to go.

  That was a lot different than what he did and while it used the node, it bypassed the void totally. On the good side, once he passed the data to her about where to go, she was able to open the thing correctly, letting him just walk through. As long as she was holding it open, any amount of people or things could be passed.

  She was gasping and in pain after about forty seconds, however. That would, if nothing else, prevent her from taking armies around too easily. Still, ten or more people could rush the hole she’d made in space in a few seconds, if they worked together on it.

  The world they came out in was made of polished wood and stone. At least it looked like it at the moment. They were in Demon Zack’s world, at his node point. The being might not have been human, but he had good taste and bothered to make his world seem both professional and pretty. Anyone coming into the place would feel like something special was about to happen.

  The man himself, looking fit, possibly a bit thin, walked up from the back.

  “Zack! This is Elsa. She brought me through to here. I was hoping to have her checked out, to see if she’s one of your people?”

  The other man, who was dressed in a light blue shirt, had a tie on, and black slacks, smiled and put out his right hand to shake with the attractive girl. In the light she was a bit better looking than she had been, though it was clear that her dress needed to be replaced soon. It was nearly falling apart and a bit dirty. She, however, was clean. As in it was clear she washed regularly.

  They touched, like country bred adults from his own world. Then Zack looked away for a few seconds, to show he was thinking about something.

  After a moment, the other man started to nod.

  “Okay. I do get the similarities. She isn’t one of us. What she is… Well, that’s harder to say. It’s clear that she’s hiding some things on purpose. Part of a special program, when she was a little girl… Like she said, except that she knows a lot more about it than she told you. Out of fear, not really getting that you won’t care about that. Her world did a real number on her from the data she passed over just now. Well… Our gain? You can work out of here, if you want? We speak English. Or… Will, you’re in with Gwen and Avery on their new project in Gwen’s world, right? Elsa would fit in well there, too. In your world as well, which is a thing to consider. You’ll need a wife there soon. One that can’t be easily taken or threatened. Slap one of your shields on her, hand her an explosive weapon and no one will be able to do a lot to her there. Some, but that would be anyone. Most wouldn’t bother trying anything. Not more than once or twice.”

  It was a bit blunt, and Elsa blushed at the words. They’d only known each other for about an hour, after all.

  “I’ll keep that in mind? For now… For now, I’ll set you up at my place, if that’s all right? You can come and go from there. That way, if you don’t like it, you can just leave. You still own your own home, after all. Is that all right?” It might not be. After all, she was clearly uncertain abou
t things.

  Zack snorted at him.

  “She’s been alone for so long that everything sounds scary to her, Will. Let her see the place, then ask again.” Then he winked at the girl, who was about his own size. “Though, I was serious about working here. Call it… Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings? It’s Friday, just to keep you up on things here. It pays… Enough to be worth doing. I’ll expect you?”

  The girl nodded, smoothing her dress down, a bit nervously. Indicating that it might not be proper for the place she was standing in.

  Zack waved at the gesture.

  “Not a problem. Willum will get you outfitted that way. Magic clothing… It’s a brilliant idea, actually. I need to get some of that, myself. You can bring me some, the next time you visit, Will?” There was no offer of payment, which was something Zack was doing on purpose.

  Willum didn't care about that, but the Greater Demon had warned him once about making sure his kind paid for everything. More to the point, The Technician, his mentor, had done that part.

  “Hmmm. How much would you be willing to spend for that? I can get the amulet easily enough. Still, I don’t want to make your Aunt angry with me.” They’d shifted over into haggling mode, which wasn’t a shock to anyone there. Even Elsa just watched them both, her face flat and slightly shrewd seeming.

  Zack shrugged, the move clearly meant to downplay things to Will’s mind.

  “Well, it’s a nifty gadget, but you can get it free. I could go to your world and collect some up. That would take me a few minutes, so the value of this isn’t all that high for me. I just talk to your Aunt Trice about that, right?”

  That actually was correct. Enough so that Will frowned at him.

  “Then why have me get it for you at all? That’s literally what I’d do. Go to Harmony and get a few of them. They give the things away there.”

  “Ah, you see, I’m not really trying to get the clothing, I’m trying to make sure that you and I have a solid connection. If I do this well, I might work it into some discounts later, for real packages I want taken around. There are some places where me not showing my face might help. A few others where you can get in places that I can’t very easily.” Turning to Elsa, he practically beamed at her. “Willum is brilliant when it comes to finding different places. Probably the best at it that I’ve heard of, by far. He can find anything, or anyone.”