Evil Waking

by Michael La Ronn

  Darius rolled down the window, and with a long swipe of his hand, he sprayed magic on the road.

  As the woman approached, the road broke into jagged potholes.

  The front wheel of the motorcycle hit a snag, throwing her off.

  “Atta boy!” Terrance said.

  The woman flipped through the air.

  The owl swooped down toward the road, turning into an ostrich running at full speed.

  The woman landed on the bird’s back, and the ostrich darted in front of the car before running into the right lane.

  “Not cool,” Darius said.

  A black sedan sped past us. The rear passenger door opened and the woman climbed in.

  Terrance cast an ice spell on the road, and it froze up around us, causing a pile-up.

  The black car eased out of the pile-up, narrowly avoiding a collision.

  A bright blast rocked our car.

  Whumpf!

  “There's a wizard in there!” I cried.

  Ahead, the skyscrapers cut away and Lake Linette appeared in its frozen glory on the left.

  “Keep the windows up,” Terrance said.

  He and Darius rolled up their windows.

  “They can't hurt us,” Terrance said. “This car is protected by impenetrable wizard tech.”

  “The problem is how we’re going to shake them,” I said.

  The ostrich turned into an owl again, flying over us.

  “We've got to take that shifter out,” I said.

  “Ideas?” Darius asked.

  Terrance rolled down the window a smidge. He fired a tracking blast at the owl, hitting it. The impact knocked the owl into the lake.

  “Problem solved,” Terrance said, rolling up the window.

  The black sedan changed lanes and rolled up alongside Darius.

  Darius scowled.

  “I just need one blast,” he said. “I can hit their tires and send them packing.”

  “Leave the window up,” Terrance said. “Gordon, how close are we?”

  “About ten minutes away, boss,” Gordon said.

  A rush of air filled the car.

  Terrance screamed.

  “Roll up the window!” he cried.

  Darius reached out the window and flicked a spell at the car. A blast hit the front tire and the car accelerated as it spun out of control, striking the median and swerving in front of us.

  “Watch out, Gordon!” I shouted.

  Cars swerved around the black sedan as it came to a stop in the middle of our lane.

  Gordon slammed on the brakes and we fishtailed as we approached the black sedan.

  We stopped right in front of it.

  “What the hell did you roll down the window for?” Terrance asked.

  “I thought I could get a good shot!” Darius answered.

  In the sedan, the wizard was slumped over the steering wheel, an airbag in his face. The woman lay unconscious.

  Gordon tried to roll up Darius’s window but was so flustered he accidentally rolled his window down.

  “Get it up, get it up!” Terrance cried.

  A blue blast erupted from the car, washing over us.

  Blue energy rippled into the car, and Darius and Gordon fell asleep.

  “Shit!” Terrance cried.

  A man stepped out of the car. He had a beard and a sweater vest.

  I recognized him.

  He was the mage from the dream, the one from the movie theater.

  He smirked and disappeared instantly.

  I unclicked my seatbelt.

  “No!” I cried.

  He was jumping into Darius’s and Gordon’s dreams.

  But which one?

  I had to choose.

  “I'm jumping,” I said, pulling Gordon out of the car. I opened the back door and pushed him into the backseat. “Terrance, start driving.”

  Terrance crawled out of the car, running for the driver’s seat.

  Jumping in, he reversed the car and sped down the parkway.

  “You sure you know what you're doing?” he asked, looking back at me.

  Darius and Gordon were snoring.

  If I didn't do something, that dream mage was going to rip one or both of their minds apart.

  “I got this,” I said.

  I closed my eyes and jumped into Darius’s dream.

  16

  I manhandled my way into Darius’s dream, dragging ether around me the moment I entered.

  His mind was a mess of images, lights, and sounds.

  With the fury and the fire of all the step classes I took in high school, I stomped and clapped my way through his mind, separating the images, lights, and sounds, spinning them off into nowhere until there was nothing around me. Just fog. And darkness.

  Was the mage here?

  I couldn’t tell.

  Darius’s mind was still too thick for me to penetrate. A dream was forming, but it felt organic. Like the kind of dream that grows on you—the kind of dream that recaps everything you experienced before you fell asleep.

  The kind of dreamless, mind-restoring sleep that everyone experienced most nights.

  “If you’re here, come out and get ready to fight,” I said.

  I spun a ring of shining ether into the darkness. It spiraled out of control on its way into darkness, illuminating only clouds and fog.

  Quickly, I sent more ether in every direction around me.

  Nothing.

  The dream mage wasn’t here.

  That meant he was in Gordon’s mind, probably wreaking havoc right about now.

  I pulled dream ether around me, then reached down into the fog, pulling Darius’s consciousness into my hands.

  Had to work fast.

  His dream was taking hold slowly, and not fast enough.

  I heard screeching tires, magic whooshing past, owls screeching, my voice screaming, the cold hard crunch of cars colliding with each other.

  I pinpointed each of those sounds and snapped my fingers to silence them.

  No, my cousin wasn’t going to dream about our fight.

  I whirled my hands around and didn’t stop until a black and white version of the shop appeared. I snapped my fingers and the place filled with color. Aside from a few minor details, everything looked correct.

  Sending dream ether all around me, I recreated the trap glyphs that we had set all over the shop.

  Darius materialized in front of me. We were in the front lobby.

  I pointed to the counter, and I willed Niecy’s pocket radio to appear. Then I willed it to play a phat hip hop beat. He liked that kind of stuff when he was getting ready for fights.

  I blew incense into the air, making the air full of it.

  Staying invisible, I whispered in his ear.

  “D, protect this place,” I said.

  To get his blood pumping, I willed a knock at the door. A pounding fist.

  I spoke.

  “Open up, open up!”

  A deep male voice opened up.

  I danced down the hall, sowing discord and fear as I went. Seeds of ether flashed as they took hold in the dream, growing and growing until Darius startled.

  Magic bloomed in his hand.

  “Open this door or we’re going to beat it down!” the voice said.

  By now, the fear filled the crevices of the dream, so much that it turned into a borderline nightmare.

  “D, protect this place!” I cried, but Destiny’s voice came out.

  I echoed the door pounding and sent the noise toward the back of the shop so it sounded like invaders were coming from both sides.

  Darius turned to the back door, anger and fear in his eyes.

  Just what I needed.

  Just how I needed him to be.

  I jumped out of his dream, hoping it would be enough to protect him for a little while.

  I materialized in the passenger seat of the Rolls Royce.

  Terrance was driving fast. The black sedan was behind us. The city passed by in a blur.


  “What are you doing here?” Terrance asked.

  “Changing minds,” I said. “Keep driving.”

  Before he could respond, I jumped into Gordon’s mind.

  Gordon’s mind was already deep into a dream when I arrived, and I immediately felt the presence of the dream mage.

  You know how you can walk into a room and know if someone is in it just by your intuition?

  It was the way the dream ether buzzed around me. Full, but not too full.

  I materialized in a smoky room, in a crowd full of people.

  Everyone was dancing.

  A night club. Neon lights lined the walls.

  A soul band played on the stage. Blaring horns. Loud drums.

  From the light in the dream, this was a flashback.

  But there wasn’t fear.

  Despite there being a dream mage here, there was no fear.

  There was love.

  Peace.

  I spotted Gordon in an afro and a dashiki, grooving to the music.

  Then I spotted the dream mage in the crowd, stalking toward him with a knife and a crazed grin on his face.

  I ran through the crowd, pushing faceless people aside as I made my way to Gordon.

  I kept my eyes on the dream mage.

  I reached Gordon. In a blink, I transformed my clothes into bell-bottoms and a floral blouse.

  “Wanna dance, baby?” I asked.

  Gordon grinned ear to ear and took my hand.

  I dragged him through the crowd. The dream mage followed.

  Gordon put his hands on my waist, but I shook him off.

  “A little too soon, don’t you think?” I asked.

  I pulled him around, then fired a shot of dream ether at the mage, knocking him back.

  I grooved with Gordon, bumping and grinding with him, rotating in a circle.

  I snapped my fingers to the music. More faceless people sprang up around us, making it harder for the mage to reach us.

  I lost sight of him in the crowd.

  Meanwhile, we danced.

  “What’s your name?” Gordon whispered.

  “I’m out of your league and half your age,” I said.

  I spotted the mage through the crowd. He had the knife again.

  And then I saw him again, a few feet away.

  And again.

  Again.

  Again.

  There were at least twenty versions of him, all stalking toward us.

  Shit.

  I lost sight of him.

  I couldn’t tell which one was the real one.

  Okay. If he wanted to play this game, I would play it too.

  In my mind, I created a hundred different versions of myself and Gordon, all identical. We danced to the beat.

  I took the real Gordon, pulling him across the dance floor.

  The dream mages attacked. They swiped at the false versions of Gordon and me. The false mages, false Gordons, and false mes disappeared upon contact until the dance floor was full of wisps.

  The dream ether around me buzzed wildly as another mage ran at me.

  Him.

  The real mage.

  I jumped into the air and kicked him in the chest, knocking him backward.

  Bingo.

  He landed on his back.

  I touched down, and with my mind, I flung a table across the room. It struck him on the head.

  Rubbing his head, he disappeared.

  The dream ether in Gordon’s mind grew fuller, swelling around me.

  The mage had left.

  I cursed and warped out of Gordon’s mind.

  I appeared in the passenger seat of the Rolls Royce again.

  Terrance was swerving wildly through traffic.

  “What are you doing here again?” he asked.

  “He switched minds!” I said.

  “Obviously,” Terrance said. “Why are you talking to me and not chasing after the fool?”

  I frowned and jumped into Darius’s mind.

  I appeared inside the shop. Darius stood in the foyer, hands glowing with magic as he trained his eyes on the door.

  “Open up,” the angry voice said.

  But it had a different timbre than when I left.

  I knew that voice anywhere.

  “Open up, boy, so I can show you how to be a real man!”

  It was my uncle Leroy. He slurred his words as he banged on the door.

  The ether swelled outside.

  The mage was there.

  I warped outside into another part of the dreamscape that I hadn’t created—the snowy streets filled with brownstones and cars.

  The dream mage sat on the hood of a car, waiting for me.

  He raised his hand, and a blast of dream ether smacked me into a car.

  He jumped off the car and ran toward me.

  I kicked him in the crotch and he doubled over. I flipped up, kicking him in the chin. I landed and rushed into him, gathering ether in my fists.

  Pow!

  Pow!

  Pow!

  I didn’t stop hitting him.

  The mage laughed harder and harder as I hit him. He pointed at the shop.

  Behind me, a shadow beat at the door.

  While I couldn’t discern it, I could tell it was my uncle Leroy.

  What he looked like wasn’t the point. What mattered was his voice.

  If my uncle kept talking, Darius was going to turn into a hothead and burst out of the door.

  D had insecurity issues. It came from the fact that his dad abandoned him. Somehow, the mage knew that.

  “Come on, boy, and I’ll show you what’s up,” Uncle Leroy said.

  I punched the mage.

  Darius spoke from inside the shop.

  “I’ll show you!” he cried.

  “D, stay in the shop!” I said.

  Wham!

  Darius burst out of the shop, passed through the shadow, and tumbled down the steps and into the snow.

  The dream mage raised a hand, lifting a car into the air.

  I spread my hands, parting the car in half.

  Whack!

  The mage kicked me, knocking the wind out of me. Then he stalked toward Darius, his hands glowing.

  Hatred and anger welled inside me, and I threw half of the car at the mage, knocking him halfway down the block.

  With the flick of a wrist, I created a web of ether and trapped him in it. With a flick of my other wrist, I lifted Darius in the air, flung him into the shop, and shut the door, piling the car in front of it.

  I put my foot on the mage’s chest and materialized lightning in my hands.

  “Get out of this dream,” I said. “Now.”

  The man laughed.

  “I’m prepared to fight to the death,” I said. “Are you?”

  In a flash, he cut himself from the web and tackled me.

  I willed myself to escape, and we both tumbled out of the mindscape.

  The mage and I appeared in the front seat of the Rolls Royce.

  I was on top of him.

  I landed a punch.

  He reached up and grabbed me by the throat.

  I punched him again.

  Terrance glanced over at us, incredulous.

  The mage grabbed the handle, opening the door.

  The road passed by below us.

  The mage tried to throw me, but I dug my knee into his chest.

  I screamed, jamming a finger into his eye.

  He screamed.

  Terrance swerved.

  I felt myself falling.

  My equilibrium shifting.

  One of my hands reaching out. Seizing on the handle above the window.

  My legs raising.

  Kicking.

  The mage tumbled out of the car and onto the road.

  I watched as a box truck ran over the man’s body.

  I swung into my seat and slammed the door.

  I panted.

  I don't know how I did it, but I beat him.

  “That was a
little too close,” I said.

  I glanced over at Terrance. He had a fearful look in his eye.

  In the backseat, Darius lay asleep.

  Gordon lay with his eyes open. Blood ran down his cheeks.

  I gasped.

  And then I saw Jim Balthus sitting next to Gordon, smiling at me.

  “It's about time we had a proper talk,” he said.

  17

  A powerful charm hung around Balthus’s neck, and it glowed, protecting him. He wore a blue blazer and white shirt. He looked exactly like his photo, except the sinister air was heavier in person.

  He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Darius.

  “It’s such a shame,” Balthus said. “We’re always a few steps ahead of you, Miss Robinson.”

  “Leave Darius out of this,” I said.

  “You chose to involve him when you started your little scheme,” he said.

  “I killed your dream mage,” I said. “I’ll do the same to you if you even think about touching him.”

  “That’s very cute,” Balthus said. “But I want to know something. Why did you really decline my invitation?”

  “I won’t be part of any organization that indulges in evil,” I said.

  Balthus laughed. “What evil?”

  “I believe everyone should have the freedom to live their lives,” I said. “No one has the right to abuse their power or manipulate others. That’s why I didn’t join your Ridiculous Order of Dream Mages or whatever it’s called.”

  Balthus shook his head.

  “I know about your shady tactics,” I said. “It didn’t take me long.”

  “Then you know you’re walking into your death,” Balthus said. “You give me no choice. I will fight to protect the rights of my dream mages.”

  “And I’ll fight to protect my cousins,” I said. “And you picked the wrong girl to mess with.”

  Balthus hardened and jammed the gun into Darius’s temple.

  Terrance stomped on the brakes, sending the car into a dizzying curve.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Balthus asked.

  In the middle of the road, my cousin Niecy stood with a black charm in her hand, holding it high in the air. The car stopped a few inches from her.

  The charm.

  It was a magic blocker.

  The protective barrier around Balthus disappeared.