Fearless (The Blue Fire Saga)

by Scott Prussing

  All she could do now was to wait. Even if Dominic understood her message clearly, she knew it might be some time before he could make it to a telephone. He could be on a bus or a train in the middle of nowhere. The good thing was that most train stations and bus depots had plenty of public phones. Once he finally stopped somewhere, Dominic should have no trouble finding one.

  She glanced at her clock and saw that it was nearly ten o’clock. She wasn’t the least bit tired, which was good, because she planned to stay up at least until midnight waiting for a call that might never come. That gave her two hours to practice her magic, which was about all she could handle at one time, anyhow.

  She closed her sociology book and turned her head toward her CD player. Colbie Caillat was singing “Falling for You” for the second or third time tonight. Leesa liked the song, but wanted the room quiet for her practice. Focusing on the machine’s tiny on/off button, she pictured the button being pushed in by an invisible finger. A moment later, the disc stopped spinning and the player went silent. She smiled at the small success.

  Mentally pushing a small button was unlikely to be of much use against the black waziri or the Necromancer, though, so she turned her attention to shooting an energy beam from her hand. Although her results continued to be feeble, she thought her beam was just a bit longer and hotter tonight than it had been the night before. It wasn’t as powerful as the ones she created when she practiced with Jenna, but she thought it was the best she had managed on her own since her magic had diminished.

  She was concentrating hard on one more energy beam when her cell rang, startling her. She scrambled to her desk and picked up the phone. When she saw “Unknown Caller” on the screen, her heart began to beat faster. Pay phones always registered as unknown callers. She put the cell to her ear.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Leesa, are you all right?”

  It was Dominic. His concern was evident in his tone.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. For the most part, anyhow. I’m glad you understood my message.”

  “Well, I can’t say I really understood it,” Dominic admitted, “but when I sensed your ring continually going on and off your finger, I figured I’d better call and see what was going on.”

  “I needed to talk to you,” Leesa explained. “It was the only way I could think of to get your attention without having you rush back here.”

  “You did well, then. That was a clever way to get my attention. Tell me what’s on your mind. Try to be quick—my bus leaves in ten minutes.”

  Trying to be as succinct as she could, Leesa told Dominic about the zombie attack in Romania, and then about the sudden weakening of all magic in a wide section around the Moodus Noises area. She included her meeting with Jenna, as another example of diminished magic.

  For the most part Dominic let Leesa speak without interruption, breaking in only a couple of times to try to get additional detail.

  “I’m glad you figured out a way to contact me,” he said when Leesa finished. “There is much in what you told me that I needed to know, especially about the problems with magic back there. I have to think more about that, but rest assured I will not return until I know my magic will not be weakened. As for the Necromancer, that is disturbing news indeed. I suspected he might be up to something when I sensed that Viktor had left my trail a few days ago. I imagine he returned to Romania to aid his master. I will see if I can steal a few moments at a library computer in the next day or two to see if I can learn anything more.

  “I must go now. I’ll call again as soon as I deem it safe, to check up on you if nothing more. Perhaps I will also have some information to share.”

  “Please call soon,” Leesa said. “And if I need you, I’ll take my ring off a few times again. I’m glad we have a signal that works.”

  “Me, too. Goodbye for now, Leesa. Stay safe.”

  “I’ll try,” Leesa said. Before she could tell him to be safe as well, the call disconnected.

  She sucked in a deep breath. She was pleased her plan had worked. She yawned. Now she could go to bed.

  36. TRAINS

  Leesa’s eyes were glued to the window as she rode the train southwest from New Haven toward New York City. This was her first time ever aboard a train, and while it wasn’t as amazing as her first plane ride—had that really only been seven months ago?—it was still pretty fun. They rumbled through the heart of several cities and skirted the edges of suburban towns. Occasionally, the train passed though open or wooden areas. A couple of times, she even got a glimpse of boats docked in crowded marinas or of the blue-grey waters of Long Island Sound.

  It was nearly ten o’clock Monday morning, and the train was barely half full, allowing Leesa easy access to a window seat. The earlier trains were much more crowded, she knew from her research, filled with commuters heading into New York for work. Since she didn’t need to be in Grand Central Station until noon, she had been able to take a slightly later train. This one would get her there at eleven-thirty, allowing her plenty of time to meet Dominic at twelve.

  His phone call on Saturday had surprised her, since she had just spoken to him late Wednesday night. She had not expected to hear from him again so soon. When he told her he needed to see her she was totally shocked. Meeting him while the black waziri could still track him was dangerous—she knew he wouldn’t risk her safety unless it was extremely important. He said he had formulated a plan about the black wizards and needed to discuss it with her in person. Ever since his call, she had been on pins and needles wondering what kind of plan he had come up with. It seemed like she had barely slept at all last night, and when Bradley arrived at her dorm at seven-thirty to drive her to New Haven, she had already been up for two hours. Still, she wasn’t the least bit tired—just eager to see Dominic again and hear what he had to say.

  The view outside the window became even more spectacular when the train drew near New York City. She switched to a seat on the opposite side so she could watch the city’s bridges and towering skyscrapers go by. She had seen the city skyline once before when she brought her mom back from California and had been picked up at the airport by Uncle Roger, but from her present vantage point everything looked much bigger and more amazing. She was almost sad when they entered an underground tunnel for the last leg of their journey to Grand Central Station.

  Finally, the train chugged to a halt and Leesa followed her fellow passengers out the door and into a large underground staging area. Most of the riders seemed to know exactly where they were going and moved off at a rapid pace. Leesa looked around until she spotted a sign directing her to the Main Concourse. She followed the arrow into a wide passageway that sloped gradually upward.

  When she stepped out of the passage into the concourse, the immensity of the cavernous space took her breath away. From her Google research, she knew the dimensions of the place—275 feet long, 120 feet wide and an astounding 125 feet high—and had seen pictures of it, but none of that had prepared her for the vastness of the space. Streams of sunlight floated in through huge arched windows a hundred feet above her head. She craned her neck upward and stared at the giant curved ceiling, painted with a map of the night sky, with the constellations outlined. She liked the winged horse Pegasus the best. A giant American flag hung down from the center of the ceiling.

  Throngs of people milled about in the concourse, seeming tiny in the huge room. Some crisscrossed the floor at a rapid walk, others stood still or strolled slowly, gawking at the architecture and décor just like she was. In addition to being a very busy terminal, she had read that Grand Central was also one of New York City’s most popular tourist attractions.

  The crowds and the plethora of transit options were the reasons Dominic had chosen this place for their meeting. Despite the size of the station, he had given her an easy spot to meet: by the information counter under the famous four-sided clock. He had instructed her to wait there for him and he would pick her up on the move. With the black waziri on his tail, he
and Leesa would not be staying still for even a few minutes.

  She strolled toward the spherical clock, in no hurry. Even from this distance, she could see the hands of the clock telling her it was still ten minutes before noon. The crowd grew thicker as she neared the circular marble and brass information counter. A few people were actually seeking information from the half dozen workers behind the counter, but most were simply studying the beautiful, unusual clock. Many were taking pictures or videos of the famous landmark with cameras or smart phones. Leesa had read that the four faces of the clock were each fashioned of polished opal, and that it was valued at more than ten million dollars.

  She was still admiring at the clock when she felt a hand on her elbow. Turning, she saw Dominic beside her. He looked the same as ever. She saw no sign that he had been on the run for several weeks. As usual, his clothes seemed clean and fresh. She definitely needed to learn that spell, she reminded herself, once the business with the black waziri was finished.

  “Let’s go,” he said, guiding her away from the counter.

  “It’s good to see you,” Leesa said.

  Dominic turned his head toward her and smiled. “You, too.”

  They strode rapidly across the floor, but not so quickly that they stood out among the many other hurrying commuters. Dominic led her onto a steeply sloped ramp that took them down to the subway platforms. A train had just arrived, so as soon as the doors slid open, Leesa and Dominic stepped onto it. There were only a few other people in the car, so they chose a seat that gave them some privacy and sat down next to each other.

  “Are we going anywhere in particular?” Leesa asked.

  “No,” Dominic replied as the doors slid shut. “We just need to keep moving.”

  A moment later, they were racing away through a dark tunnel.

  This was a much different experience for Leesa than her earlier train ride. The only scenery here was the dark wall rushing by just a few feet from the window. Every now and then the illuminated windows of another train flashed by on the opposite side of the car. The first time it happened, Leesa gasped. There couldn’t have been more than a couple of feet between the speeding trains. It didn’t seem to faze any of the other passengers, so she guessed it must be safe. She turned her thoughts back to the matter at hand.

  “Can the black waziri follow you even down here in these tunnels?”

  “They can, but not so easily as when I travel above ground. They have to follow behind in the same tunnel.”

  Leesa thought for a moment. “Once they know which train we’re on, what’s to keep one of them from leapfrogging ahead and waiting for us?”

  “Nothing,” Dominic admitted, though he did not appear overly concerned by the idea. He pulled a folded subway map from his pocket.

  “That’s why we are going to keep changing trains,” he continued as he spread the map out on his lap.

  Leesa looked down at the map. She saw lines of at least six different colors crisscrossing the city. Each color represented a different subway line.

  “I wish more cities had systems as extensive as New York,” Dominic said. “It’s the easiest place for me to gain ground on my pursuers. I used it right after I fled from Connecticut.”

  The train slowed to a stop. Dominic grabbed Leesa’s hand and stood up.

  “Let’s go,” he said. “Time to change direction.”

  He led Leesa out of the car and up a set of stairs out into daylight. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sunny brightness, but as soon as they crossed the busy street they descended another set of stairs and boarded a new train.

  “Has there been any change in your magic,” Dominic asked after they sat down. “Has it come back at all?”

  Leesa shook her head. “No, not at all.”

  “Good.”

  Good? Leesa wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly. “What do you mean? Why is that good?”

  “Because my plan depends on it. I’m hoping we can use it to weaken our enemies, and then perhaps defeat them.”

  Leesa frowned. “I don’t understand. How?”

  “First, we must lure them into the area where their magic will be diminished, like yours and Rave’s. Then, while they are weakened, I will destroy them.”

  Leesa thought for a moment. Something about what Dominic was saying didn’t make sense. Finally, she had it.

  “If you come there, your magic will be weakened as well,” she said. “You won’t have the power to destroy them.”

  “I will if we do this right.” Dominic laid his hand atop Leesa’s. “My plan is dangerous,” he said. “Especially for you. I’ll understand if you don’t want to do it after I tell you what I have in mind.”

  Leesa looked down at Dominic’s hand and then back up into his face. If he had a plan to rid them of two of their most powerful enemies, she had to at least consider it, no matter how dangerous. She trusted Dominic—trusted his wisdom and his concern for her. He would not ask her to do anything that wasn’t worth the risk. And he would do his best to insure her safety.

  “Tell me your plan,” she said.

  37. AVATAR

  Dominic reached into his back pocket and pulled out his magic wallet. He glanced around the subway car to make sure no one was watching. None of their fellow passengers appeared to be showing any interest in a couple they probably guessed to be father and daughter—they were all lost in their own private worlds, faces stuck behind newspapers or listening to music with their eyes closed.

  Even so, Dominic turned his body sideways and held the wallet between him and Leesa before sticking his hand inside. Leesa watched, no longer surprised but still amazed, as Dominic’s arm disappeared into the wallet halfway up to his elbow. When he withdrew it, he was holding a beautiful rectangular box slightly smaller than his hand and no more than two inches deep. The box looked like it had been carved from ivory, with engraved silver plates reinforcing each of its eight corners. A ninth piece of silver joined the top of the box to the bottom. From its position, Leesa thought it was probably a lock or clasp of some kind, but she could see no locking mechanism.

  “That’s beautiful,” she said, thinking the box must be some sort of magic talisman. “What is it?”

  Dominic kept the box low and between them, shielding it from sight.

  “It’s just a box—a very lovely box, I grant you—but still pretty much just a box. It is what’s inside that is important.”

  “It’s not very big,” Leesa said. “What’s inside?”

  “The key to my plan.”

  Leesa looked down at the box again, trying to imagine what could possibly be inside such a small container that could be the key to defeating several black wizards. Whatever it was, if it was so powerful, why Dominic hadn’t used it against Josef? They had all nearly lost their lives in that battle, so why hadn’t he used it then? She guessed he must have had his reasons—wizard reasons probably, which didn’t always make sense to ordinary people, or even to apprentice wizards, for that matter.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “My avatar,” Dominic said softly.

  The word sounded vaguely familiar to Leesa, but she couldn’t place it.

  “What’s an avatar?”

  “An avatar is an alternate, magical version of myself.”

  Now Leesa remembered. “You mean like in that movie a few years back?”

  Dominic looked at her blankly. Leesa realized he had probably never been to a movie in his life.

  “It was about this crippled soldier who assumed the identity of an alien warrior on another planet,” she explained. “He wasn’t crippled at all in his other form. So that was sort of an alternate version of him. The movie was called Avatar.”

  Dominic shook his head. “No, it’s not really like that—not too much, anyhow. My avatar is identical to me, except that it’s not really alive and can’t actively use magic.”

  Leesa frowned, still not understanding. “If it can’t use magic, how can it help us defeat the
black waziri?”

  “By making them think he is me and luring them to the place we want.”

  “Will your avatar really fool them?”

  Dominic nodded. “Oh, yes. Not for very long, but for as long as we need, I hope.”

  Leesa thought for a moment. “If you can fool them with your avatar, why haven’t you used it yet, to throw them off your trail?”

  “An avatar is very difficult to create. They require an extraordinary amount of magic. I fashioned this one a hundred years ago, when I was first fleeing my enemies, in case of a dire emergency. Fortunately, I have never had to use it, because it can only be used once. I think this is the time.”

  “Okay,” Leesa said. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Before you can do anything, I must first discover the boundary of the magic-eating zone.”

  “Can you do that? The volkaanes tried to find it and failed.”

  “That’s because their magic had already been diminished. You told me they were trying to find a distance where their magic would return. That is a much different thing from finding the line where the effect starts. Since I know what I’m looking for, I believe that as long as I’m careful, I will see the fringes of the zone before I enter it.”

  “What exactly are these ‘fell powers’ you mentioned that are causing this? Are they evil? Will we have to battle them next?” Leesa hoped not, because they seemed awfully dangerous.

  “They are neither good nor evil, as far as I know. They simply are.” Dominic paused to gather his thoughts. “They are remnants of a long forgotten age, slumbering beneath the earth, powerful beyond imagining. To them, we are as nothing. Be thankful we shall never have to battle them, for they could extinguish us with what to them would be but the blink of an eye.”

  “If we’re so insignificant, why are they doing this to us?”