by Steve McHugh
Rosa shrugged. “It helped me, might not work for you. Or it might, I don’t know.”
Layla got up and opened her bag, removing some gym shorts and a vest. “I need to get out and exercise. I’ll feel better after that.”
A half hour later, after she’d run some laps, she knew she’d been right. Her mind felt clearer, like she’d be able to deal with all of the stresses and trials that she’d faced and would continue to face.
She stopped by a large oak tree and took a swig of water from the bottle she’d taken with her. She was a few hundred meters from the rear of the house, and she looked around, waving at several guards, who returned her wave.
You’re going to get all of these fine people killed, Terhal said, stepping out from behind the tree. She wore an expensive black suit and high heels as if going to some sort of board meeting instead of torturing Layla.
“Piss off. I’m not in the mood.”
“Not in the mood!” she said, her voice reverberating around Layla’s skull. “Well, let’s see if we can change that.”
The scene in front of Layla melted away, to be replaced with fire and the bodies of those who had promised to protect her. Tommy was sitting against a tree, his chin touching his blood-drenched chest and his arms limp by his side. A dozen arrows protruded from his torso. Kasey was close by, three more arrows in her head.
Layla began walking back toward the house, seeing more and more death around her. The mansion was on fire, the flames leaping from the destroyed windows, part of the roof already caved in. Screams of pain and suffering floated toward her, and she tripped and fell onto the grass, where Harry’s body greeted her. Half of his face had been torn off and there was a hole where his heart used to be, as if someone had just punched their way through his ribcage.
“What is this?” Layla demanded to know.
“This is you. This is all you. You are going to be responsible for everyone here dying horribly.”
“No.” She simply refused to believe that as she staggered back to her feet.
“No?” Terhal asked with a laugh. “You think you have a choice here?”
“You’re lying.”
Terhal couldn’t have looked smugger if she’d tried. “I can’t lie. If you accept the spirits and me, this is your future.” She took a deep breath. “Inhale the burning-flesh smell, there’s nothing quite like it.”
Layla turned and ran toward the house, just as another Layla walked out of the rear doors, flames licking at her feet. The second Layla held the scruff of Chloe’s collar in one hand, dragging Chloe behind her.
Layla froze as the other Layla stopped only a foot in front of her and dropped Chloe’s bloody and battered body to the ground. “She deserved it,” the second Layla said, her voice full of darkness.
“I would never do this.”
The second Layla laughed. “You will torture and maim and kill, and you’ll do it all because you let the demon inside.”
“Drenik,” Layla corrected.
“Semantics. This is your destiny if you accept Terhal. The murder of your friends and loved ones. You’ll make our father look like a saint in comparison. You’ll watch the world burn at your feet and you’ll love every second.” Just then the door opened and Jared walked out, tossing several marbles back into the house, which exploded. “You’ll corrupt or kill. That’s all you can do.”
“I won’t,” Layla told her. “That’s not who I am.”
The second Layla laughed. She spun a complete three-sixty, raising her arms as she did. “All of this is what you are. You just don’t know it yet. You think you’re safe from Terhal’s influence, you think you can beat her if you accept her. The second you get a taste of true power, you become everything you always said you hate. It’s intoxicating.”
“I don’t think so,” said a familiar male voice from inside the burning house. How Layla could hear it over the sound of the building breaking up, she didn’t know, but it was as clear as if he was standing beside her.
The second Layla turned back to the house and hissed as Dr. Grayson walked out of the flames. Layla remembered him from her time in the hospital, when she’d found him to be a pleasant and kind man. Clearly he was yet another way for Terhal to play with her mind. Grayson stopped next to Jared and tapped the boy on the head, making him vanish from view.
“Let’s not make this any more complicated than it needs to be,” Grayson said.
“You are not welcome here,” the second Layla hissed.
“Show your true form, or I will force you to show it.” Grayson’s words were said calmly, but with an iron certainty that he would follow through with that threat.
The second Layla melted away, replaced with Terhal. “This is still your future.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Grayson told her.
“How are you here?” Layla asked.
“It’s a long story. I haven’t had to do this in a really long time. Telepathy isn’t my favorite ability. But everyone saw you scream and drop to your knees, and whenever anyone got close, any metal near you went crazy and tried to attack them. I thought it best I step in.”
Layla was horrified that she might have hurt people without meaning to. There was no enjoyment or rush of adrenaline at the thought of fighting, just a deep horror that she hadn’t been in control.
“She is mine,” Terhal snapped. “She is mine to twist and corrupt as I need.”
“She can’t lie,” Layla said. “This could be my future.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Grayson admitted. “It could also be a dream or a nightmare, or you could come down with a fungus infection that turns you into a zombie. Lots of things could happen. Doesn’t mean any of them will.”
“This is her future,” Terhal screamed, her impatience showing. “You can’t rescue her. She’s not your damsel in distress to swoop in and help.”
“You’re right, I can’t,” Grayson said, his eyes never leaving Layla’s. “I can’t stop this. I can’t rescue you. You need to do that yourself. Layla, this is your mind, not hers. This is your power, not hers. The drenik was put in the scroll to be the source of power, and that is it. It was meant to be like a well with a bucket. The drenik is the deep well full of water, and the spirits help you create a bucket. Over time you get a bigger and bigger bucket, until you can take as much water as you can stand. The more water you take, the harder it is for the drenik to stop or corrupt you.”
“I want her to go away,” Layla said, and looked over at Terhal. “Leave me be. Now.”
“You’re not powerful . . .” She paused.
“Just piss off!” Layla screamed, causing Terhal to roar in pain as the fire and death began to vanish, replaced with nothing. With pure calmness.
Layla stayed silent for several seconds, allowing herself a moment to breathe steadily. “So, if I accept Terhal, she could still corrupt me?”
“Yes. That’s true. You could become a great and powerful force of evil. Just as I or Kasey or even Tommy could. I once succumbed to that temptation, and it took me a long time to return from the darkness that consumed me.”
“What did you do?”
“I destroyed those who stood against me. I burned anyone who dared try to stop me. I allowed something evil to create more evil. I wasn’t strong enough to stop it.”
“And what if I’m not strong enough?”
“I don’t know, Layla. I wish I did. But I can’t say what kind of person you’ll be with the power at your disposal until you’ve accepted it. I do know that even without accepting the drenik and spirits, you’re more powerful than many umbras I’ve met.”
“With great power, etc., etc.”
“Ah, yes, Uncle Ben. Tommy has quoted it several times over the years. In case you don’t understand yet, Tommy is a massive geek. He could also bench-press a truck, but still . . . massive geek.”
Layla laughed. “So, what happens now?”
“When you’re ready, we leave this part of your mind. I take you to your room and you get some
rest. No one will think less of you for what you’re going through. Everyone understands. Any embarrassment you will feel is unnecessary.”
“How do you know I’ll feel embarrassed?”
“You freaked out in front of everyone and scared people half to death. You’ll be embarrassed because anyone would be.”
Layla smiled. “You’re the wise old guy, aren’t you?”
“Old, yes. Wise, not so much. Are you ready to go back? Just relax, and I’ll take us there.”
“Just one more question. What are you?”
Grayson smiled. “That is a story for another time. What I am is not something I share lightly, even with my closest friends. Maybe one day you’ll find out.”
Layla smiled. “Everyone has their secrets.”
She closed her eyes and a few seconds later opened them to find Chloe beside her, a look of abject fear on her face.
“Is she okay?” Chloe almost shouted at Grayson as he got to his feet.
“Yes,” Layla told her. “I’m fine. I’m just . . . I’m . . .”
Chloe hugged her tight. “I’m so sorry for everything, Layla.”
Layla hugged her back. “Me too. I don’t know if I can just forget, but I’m going to try.”
Chloe helped Layla to her feet. “Thank you.”
“You’re my best friend. Doesn’t matter how or why it came about, you’re still my best friend. You can’t fake that.” She took a step and stumbled, holding her hands out to stop herself, but she never touched the ground. The water pipes from deep underground stuck up through the soil at just the right angle to support her.
“Did I do that?” she asked, as the pipes pushed her upright, before vanishing back into the dirt.
She stared at everyone in front of her: at Tommy, Diana, and Harry, who had a big grin on his face.
“It appears you’re a lot more powerful than we’d anticipated,” Tommy told her. “And that you’ve ruined my lawn.”
Layla looked around at the holes on the lawn in the vicinity of where she’d been standing. Layla had dragged the metal out of the earth. Several rifles and revolvers littered the ground nearby, torn from their owners’ hands as she’d manipulated the magnetic field around her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Tommy as he stood before her.
“New house rule,” Tommy whispered back. “Never say sorry for being awesome. And judging from all this, you’re the definition of the word.”
She’d used her power without even meaning to. Terhal had forced her to believe she was living in a nightmare, and her mind reacted accordingly, protecting her from harm. The Terhal situation would need to be resolved, and soon. She would need to find a way to accept the drenik for what she was. But for now, and for the first time since her abduction and the murder of her friends and co-workers, Layla felt accepted.
28
The next few days of Layla’s stay at the mansion were relatively quiet. She spent her mornings training with Diana, and after the first day, Harry decided to join in, determined to pull his weight. After twenty minutes of Diana’s training, they were both drenched in sweat.
“This is torture,” Harry said, after doing another sprint with weights around his ankles and wrists. “She is a master of breaking people.”
Layla was on all fours, sucking in oxygen. “I don’t think she likes us.”
“I don’t think she likes herself, if this is how she exercises.”
“I like myself just fine, thanks,” Diana said with a smile. “I just like torturing you both. It’s so much fun.”
“She’s a cruel mistress,” Remy said with a chuckle after running over to the group. “So, are you done breaking them? Because I’m pretty sure it’s Chloe’s turn to break Layla.”
Diana’s smile intensified. “I guess we can continue this later.”
“Yay,” Harry said, with about as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “I’m so happy.”
The pair of them managed to make it back to the mansion, where Layla spotted Chloe sitting on a nearby bench. “Maybe I should have a shower first?”
Remy shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter to me, you all smell awful either way.”
Layla stopped. “We smell awful after the shower?”
“You use scented soaps and body wash. My nose is about a hundred times more sensitive than yours. You all lather yourselves in those scents, and it smells ridiculously strong. I’ve gotten used to it because it’s either that or I go insane, but sweaty or not doesn’t really make much of a difference to me. Your underlying scent is always there.”
“I’m going to try to forget you said anything about my scent.”
“Good luck with that,” Remy said with a smile, and he walked away.
“So, how are you feeling?” Harry asked as the pair walked toward Chloe. “It’s been a few days now. Your powers improving?”
“I’m getting a better handle on them, and I’m beginning to think I might actually be able to do this. And Terhal hasn’t bothered me since Grayson intervened.”
“That was crazy. Like, badass crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that. It hurt to look at Grayson when he walked over to you. It was as if power was literally coming off him in waves. After it was over, I asked him if he was an angel.”
“An angel?”
“Hey, a few weeks ago I’d have said there’s no chance, but after seeing monsters and magic and all this insanity, why not an angel?”
“What did he say?”
“He laughed as if it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Eventually, when I felt as stupid as possible, he said no. Apparently he’s not an angel.”
“I don’t think he wants people to know what he is. It seemed like it was a big deal to keep to himself. Maybe one day he’ll tell us.”
“I kind of want to know, just so I can say I know. Does that make sense? I don’t like mysteries.”
Layla chuckled. “Yeah, I pretty much figured that out, considering you Google every film we watch for spoilers before watching it.”
Harry smiled. “I like to know where things are going.”
“This must be hell for you.”
“I can keep myself busy, so it’s fine. Besides, this whole world is something I’d never have imagined. It’s pretty crazy.”
“Tell me about it.” Layla stopped in front of Chloe. “Reporting for duty.”
Chloe stared at Harry. “You here for moral support?”
“No, I’m here because I want to hide from Diana. I think she might kill me.” He glanced over to where Diana was currently bench-pressing several hundred kilos as if it were nothing. “I’m going to go eat.”
Chloe waited for him to walk away before she said, “You’ve been doing well with your training.” She placed a pin on the wooden bench between the two of them. “I want you to push this pin through the bench, but without making a hole bigger than the pin.”
Layla stared at the pin. It was a regular pin used by tailors. It was two inches in length, and there was nothing special about it. Layla wondered what this would teach her.
“Control,” Chloe said, as if reading her mind. “This lesson is about control.”
“Control,” Layla reiterated. “Sure, why not.” She raised a hand toward the pin, which raised itself off the bench, the sharp point just touching the bleached wood. Layla closed her eyes and concentrated.
“Open your eyes.”
Layla did so, and the pin fell back onto the bench. “You made me drop it.”
“Yes. Because when you’re in a fight, you don’t have time to close your eyes and concentrate. You need to be able to control your power without stopping and thinking about it.” She removed her iPhone from her pocket, opened an app, and music began to play.
“I never took you for a disco fan.”
“This will hopefully help you learn control while you’re being bombarded with information.” She turned the music up and motioned for Layla to get on with it.
Layla managed to grab the pin w
ithout any problems, but the second she got it upright and ready to move, the music managed to distract her and she had to start all over. And if it wasn’t the music, it was Chloe, who either hummed along or made funny faces.
After what felt like the hundredth attempt, Layla managed to get the pin into position and began pushing it into the wood, but stopped when Chloe shrieked.
“Seriously?” Layla asked.
“Never said training was easy,” Chloe pointed out, pausing the music. “I know what it’s like to let the drenik take control. Mine did. And it took a lot of people to stop it. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me, and”—she clicked her fingers—“that’s all it took.”
“And now?”
“Now I can use the power of my drenik to great effect. I can even allow the drenik to take control for a short time, boosting its own power. We have managed to come to an agreement. It might not work for everyone, but it does for me.”
“How did you get past the drenik wanting to kill you and everyone you love?”
“I made him respect me. I made him understand me. I beat him before it could beat me. I made it submit to my will. Maybe it was easier for me because he was allowed out before I’d managed to assert my control over it and wasn’t as strong afterwards, or maybe he’s just not as big an asshole as Terhal. No real way to know. It’s your mind, Layla. You’re in control, not Terhal. You just need to realize that and things will be easier.” She pointed at the pin and restarted the music. “Again.”
Layla exhaled in one long, exaggerated motion, before going back to the pin.
“You need some help?” Rosa asked from beside her.
If I talk out loud, I’m going to look like an insane person, Layla said inside her head.
“You can use us to block out the world around you. It’s all about moving your own consciousness slightly, so you’re still aware of your surroundings but also oblivious to them. You need to concentrate on the pin and feel your mind drifting off toward one of your spirits.”
That sounds ridiculous.
“You’re essentially using magic to try to push a pin through a bench. You really want to tell me what sounds stupid?”
