by Al K. Line
"You're coming with me," he groaned, and it was only then I realized we were sinking.
The Chemist was already down to his shins, and my toes were gone, sunk through the ground as though we were in quicksand. Things chattered in my mind and terrible whispers pushed at the doors of my sanity.
I knew exactly where we were headed.
"You've given them their chance," the Chemist whispered into my ear. "The Elders will have their revenge now. But if I go, you go too." His body spasmed again and he gurgled in terrible pain as Grandma's potion took effect.
"Don't let them do this. Don't succumb to this darkness. I'm your friend. Your friend."
We sank lower, going straight to the realm of the Elders. This time I knew they wouldn't let me back out again. Ever.
The baby kicked violently, the Chemist lost consciousness, and we continued to sink.
Never Surrender
"Fight it," I screamed, then I slapped him hard, maybe a little too hard, as something broke in his cheek.
The Chemist snapped back to consciousness and stared at me with his raw, ravaged lids oozing pus, half-closed over bloodshot eyes that failed to focus.
"If you don't fight this then we're both dead. Is that what you want? I have a baby. You can be his godfather. You're my friend, don't you understand that? What more do I have to do to make you believe me?"
"I'm no good, look what I've done," he said as he sagged. We sank lower.
I pushed against the ground with my hands, but it hardly felt real. It was there but not there, like I was pushing against water. Then the surface broke and my hands began to slide through.
"Do it!" I yelled, and I shunted my will into my hands and let my ink flare until it pulsed and throbbed. Magic tore at this reality and the other and I felt myself rise.
The Chemist's grip loosened and then he let go, sinking fast. "Goodbye, Kate," he said in a pitiful voice.
"Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself," I spat, and his head whipped up in shock. The magic surged and I rose as he descended. "Yeah, that's right. Boo-fucking-hoo, you aren't as pretty as you want to be. People stare at you funny. You think imps care about that? You think trolls freak out because Hidden stare at them? You think dwarves give a shit that they're shorter than humans? No, of course not. Don't you get it? Don't you understand? You're already what you want to be. You want to be like humans? Well, congratulations, you got exactly what you always wanted. It's only humans that care what others think of them. What other species think of them. Everyone else is perfectly content in their own skin."
My words registered, and a smile spread across his face as his body descended until he was only a head and shoulders. I was looking down on him now, and with a final push of magic my feet emerged from the road.
Something clicked and I was standing on solid ground.
The Chemist grinned, and as he did so Grandma's potion went into full effect. "You're right, I am like you. Haha, all this time, and I'm just as paranoid as the rest of you."
"Um, yeah, that's right," I said, going with it although he'd kind of got it jumbled, but don't we all. "You're just as messed up as everyone else. Fight it, or you'll never see your godchild. You want that, to be a part of this? Part of our family? I like you. God knows why but I do. You know I could have killed you, right?"
I stared down at the head, the transformation going on beneath the surface of our world now, but then he shook and he was back being the Chemist. Same freaky melted face, same hole in the side of his cheek, same pallid skin, face hanging low like it was being pulled by invisible hooks, and he laughed.
"I do! I want it. I want that. I can return to telling jokes and the baby will giggle and—"
"Then get out of that bloody hole," I ordered, and I reached out my hand, gripped hard, and pulled.
Creatures swarmed from the ground. Insects, and black, nasty things with too many legs and not enough eyes. They swarmed over his head and my feet, making strange clicking sounds.
"No, I will not have any more of this crap. Do you hear me?" I shouted into the twin worlds. My voice was full of authority and the insects retreated as the Chemist rose.
First his shoulders, then his emaciated body, but back being him. Then his arms were free and with twisted fingers and bulbous knuckles he gripped my hand and I yanked for all I was worth.
We fell backward onto the road and lay there, facing each other, both smiling.
"Thank you, Kate. And sorry."
"Hey, don't mention it. That's what friends are for."
"Simon. My name's Simon."
I slapped him on the back, affectionately, and with a smile said, "Pleased to meet you, Simon."
Then my baby gave me a kick so hard I was sure I'd been punted into next week and I lost consciousness.
Yeah, nice one, dude. It's all about the timing.
All's Well...
I woke with a start and opened my eyes only to find myself on Grandma's sofa. The Chemist was sitting in a chair, looking embarrassed, but apparently neither Faz nor Mithnite had killed him so that was good.
They were talking, and before they saw I was awake Faz said, "So how long do you think before she gives birth?"
"A week, maybe a day more or less," said Grandma as though she was talking about when her homebrew would be ready
"Blimey," said Mithnite.
"Damn, that's fast," said Faz, pushing a hand through his hair and slumping into a chair.
"A week!" I screeched. "What do you mean a week?"
Everyone jumped at my voice and Grandma turned. "I mean that by the looks of it, and the rate the baby's growing, you've got seven days before you give birth. Could be sooner," she said with a smile.
"Um, can't we do something? I need to prepare. I haven't got a cot, a crib, clothes, any of that stuff. I'm not ready to be a mother."
"And I'm not ready to be a father," said Faz, wiping at his head.
"Tough, it's coming anyway."
The Chemist stood and hung his head sheepishly and mumbled, "Did you mean it about me being godfather?"
"Of course I did."
"After everything I've done?"
"Family screw up sometimes, but you love them anyway," I said.
"We're gonna be parents," said Faz, smiling and putting a brave face on it.
"Guess so."
But what kind of child would it be? Would I give birth to a monster?
The End
Book 3 in the series is Hunting Trip.
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Author's Note
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this, the second in the Hidden Blood series.
Kate's adventures begin directly after book 8 in the Dark Magic Enforcer series, although you do not need to read one to enjoy the other.
But if you do want to find out more about how we got where we currently are, learn how Kate and Faz got together, what happened on honeymoon, discover what Intus got up to that scarred everyone for life, and how Mithnite came to be their lodger, then please check out the Dark Magic Enforcer series.
Read about Faz's adventures, beginning with book 1: Black Spark, and trust me, it's a real blast. Literally.
Stay jiggy,
Al
