Jack pulled his sleeve back down then followed Olivia out into the bustling market once again. He was led over to a side area where tables were set up with cotton swabs, alcohol wipes, and sterilized razor blades. The sage boy was already standing there, waiting, with a black bandage wrapped around his head and over his left eye as an eye patch. His brown hair had been cut short, but longer than a buzz cut. Small spiky bits swept to the side and stuck up in defiance.
"Ah, Chronomancer Carter, your sage has been prepared, just as you requested. He was bathed thoroughly, his hair was trimmed, and we have furnished him with boots, wool pants, a thermal shirt, and a quilted coat. Does he meet your approval?"
Jack nodded his head, grateful that the boy was adequately clothed for snow with his green coat that hung past his knees to the tops of his tiny leather boots.
"Very well. Then we shall proceed to the final steps. To ensure that no other Chronomancer can claim your property and no one can take him way from you, the sage will now become bound to you through blood. It is much the same as when you take any Time Knight."
"What happened to his eye?" Jack asked, stepping up to the table.
"Ah, that. Every Avelayan purchased in the market has a holographic disk implanted into their left eye that is only visible in certain light or when scanned by a special disk reader. It can only be removed if the eye is also removed. But any Avelayan without eyes is a sign of stolen property and the disk can be traced back to the rightful owner if it is found."
He held his hand to his mouth to keep from vomiting.
The man pinched a tuft of the boy's hair and pulled it roughly to get him to stand up straight. "We recommend keeping his eye bandaged for at least two days to keep the incision clean. The implant is painless, but the procedure was not. As a courtesy to our buyers' differing needs, we always use anesthesia unless asked not to. I hope that is all right."
Jack felt his stomach turn more violently as he nodded his head. He grunted when the old man seized his hand and sliced a tiny incision into his palm with a razor blade. He then did the same with the sage's hand and pressed them together, binding them through blood. Even through the pain, the boy didn't flinch or make a sound.
The herder held up their hands for all the others around to see as he proclaimed in a loud voice. "And the eternal bond is forged. Congratulations, Chronomancer Carter. Enjoy your purchase and do come see us again."
The other Chronomancers clapped their hands together in approval before returning to their browsing.
The chain felt heavy when it was placed into Jack's hand. He trailed his gaze along the links to where it attached to the boy's collar like a leash for a dog. The key jangled on the end of it, as if taunting the boy with his freedom. "Oh, this feels wrong."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "You'll get used to it soon enough. Well, if you don't have any questions, we're done here. You are free to return to your . . . whatever it is you were doing in Stalingrad. Enjoy your new toy. The Zurvan Syndicate anxiously awaits your induction, Chronomancer Carter. Farewell."
"What about Ellie?"
"She's in good hands, I can assure you." Olivia winked at him before holding up a black square box and placing her Chronomancer mark over the top. "Enjoy the snow."
The blank white flash flooded his vision once again, but this time there was silence. He felt his body moving, but he had no pain or pleasure, just a cool breeze that grew colder and colder as the light began to fade. With a sudden chill, Jack fell forward into a snowbank. He sat up, groaning and still clutching the sage's chain. He rubbed his eyes to see that he was feet outside Pavlov's house near the trench in the back.
"Ugh, I hate going into tears." Opal stomped up into the first floor of the apartment complex where she had been unloading boxes before they were taken to the tear. She brushed the snow from her coat. "You mark my words, Jackson Carter. I'm going to make that bitch pay for everything as soon as I get a good opportunity. Oh, the boy, Jack!"
Jack looked to his right where the sage was face-down in the snow and not moving. He quickly flipped him over and wiped the snow away. One white eye stared back at him. "Are you okay?"
The boy sniffled.
"Let's get you inside to some warmth."
Xander appeared in the doorway, dressed in a long black wool coat with what appeared to be a pressed black suit underneath. The cut on his face had been stitched with three sutures and his braids had been redone, shorter and tight against his head with tiny silver beads at the ends. His normally serious face was sullen and stern. "Over here. We need to talk."
Jack helped the boy stand then led him into the small alcove away from the soldiers. He let the chain clank loudly against the cracked floor when he dropped it. "How is Niki? Why are you dressed like that?"
"Where have you been?" Xander asked.
Opal held her arms around herself. "In Alvezenden. Olivia Morningstar set this all up just to get Jack to agree to join the Syndicate. Ellie was there. They're engaged now."
"I would say congratulations are in order, but I feel it's a trap. You didn't agree to join them, did you?"
He chewed on his bottom lip. "I did what I had to do."
"And who is this? White eye? Is he what I think he is? A sage?" Xander extracted a silver disk from his pocket and squatted down in front of the boy before lifting up the black fabric to swipe it over the boy's healing eye. "Property of Chronomancer Jackson Carter. You didn't. You bought a child?"
Jack had only one thing on his mind at that point. His heart raced faster, threatening to burst out of his rib cage. "How is Niki?"
Instead of answering him, Xander stood and returned the disk to his pocket. "If Ellie left with the Syndicate again, then I think we're done here. What a waste of time. I should have known the Syndicate would set up this meeting just to mock us. Olivia didn't say anything else to you? Nothing at all?"
Jack was in no mood for the stalling. "Is Niki alive? Xander, tell me."
"Let's go."
"Stop playing games with me, damn it! Tell me!" Jack grabbed Xander by the collar of his coat and shook him. In the hazy sunlight, Jack caught a glimpse of the flash of purple underneath Xander's coat. He pulled it open and felt his soul collapsing in his chest. His heart ceased beating while his veins turned as cold as the snow around him. A purple lily was tucked into the breast pocket of Xander's black suit. "No."
The older Chronomancer sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"No. No, no, no."
"Niki told me he wanted purple lilies. We found a field where we can plant an entire garden of them. We'll plant millions of them. The world will never see so many lilies. We need to get back so you can prepare for the funeral. Sand usually buries their fallen the day or the day after they pass. You'll need a suit."
Jack stumbled backwards, the warmth draining from his body. His frantic breaths sent puffs of warm fog into the air. "No."
"Jack, I need you to take a breath. He was peaceful when I left. He wanted to be alone when he passed, just listening to his favorite song one last time. He was okay with it. He accepted it. Niki is gone, but even with all the pain he was in, his only concern was you. He told me to make sure you didn't do anything stupid. He wanted me to make sure you didn't give up."
"You're lying."
Xander held out a hand towards him. "His last words were 'Take care of Jack.' I swear. Why would I lie to you about this? Do you think I'm that cruel of a person? I know Nikolas was more to you than a Time Knight. He was your brother. I know it hurts, believe me I know. But you can't let it break you. You still have fighting to do. Ellie needs you and you can't save her if you break here."
The sharp pain shot through his abdomen, into his shoulder, then straight down into his left arm where it jolted into his tattoo. Jack felt himself falling as his vision blurred. When he hit the floor, his muscles convulsed uncontrollably as he vomited violently. He cried out with every surge of pain that tore through him, reducing him to a collapsed mess of sweat, vomit, and blood that
poured from his nose.
Opal shrieked. "What's wrong with him?"
"The emotional trauma is too much for his body. It's making his warp sickness worse. We have to get him some help immediately, or he'll be joining Niki." Xander removed his coat then draped it over Jack. He knelt down to lift Jack's head when he started choking. "This is the worst case of warp sickness I've ever seen. His body is attacking itself. Once we get back to the present, I need you to get to an herbalist station immediately. We'll need an elixir. Um, I think it's vanilla, ginseng, chamomile, pink salt, royal jelly, star anise, and vinegar. Oh, and yak blood."
"I got it. I have all those ingredients ready to go. I should have made an exhaustion elixir before we came. I'm sorry for not thinking ahead."
"It's fine. You stay here and I'll be back for you and the sage. Jack, stay awake. Whatever happens, don't pass out on me."
"Niki's really gone?" Opal began weeping, but she remained focused. "Jack can't make it. He's too weak for this. Not even an elixir will bring him back if the warp sickness defeats him."
"What other choice do we have?" Xander asked, appearing genuinely worried. "We can't leave him here. If it comes to it, I'll be the one to face the council and take responsibility for his death after I bury him next to Nikolas. It was my idea to bring him here. I'm the elder Chronomancer and I should have used better judgment. You would think that two hundred years of doing this would teach me better. I know I made a mistake, but I have to at least try to save his life. We don't need to lose anyone else."
Jack tried to hold onto Xander's arm, but his fingers refused to obey him. Another wave of retching overtook him, followed by agonizing coughing from deep in his lungs.
Opal brought the sage boy to her side, hiding his young face from the scene in front of him. "Xander, you're already on probation. This could get you ten years bound to the stone."
"I know and I'm prepared for that if it is the sentence the council hands down. It's not the worst thing in the world and the herbalists can use my blood for many things."
"I can't bear to see anyone like that, much less you."
Xander lifted Jack up in his arms then swiped his hand over his tattoo. "We will discuss this later. I'm leaving now. You'd better pray to whatever you believe in that he makes it. Samuel had no other children. Jack's our only hope."
Chapter 14
You are invited to attend the funeral for Nikolas Kaveh Rahim Valentino. Age nineteen, Nikolas passed on December 23, 2021 from a gunshot wound while protecting his bonded Iskaydrian, Chronomancer Jackson Kai Carter in Stalingrad, 1942. Time Knight Valentino succumbed to his injuries at Sand Headquarters. He is survived by his father, Time Knight Leonardo Valentino and stepfather, Time Knight Allen Lambert. For his loyalty and exemplary devotion to his Chronomancer by blocking the bullet with his own body as a sacrifice, Time Knight Valentino will be buried with both Iskaydrian and Avelayan honors. The funeral will be held December 25, 2021 at sunset in the field located at the attached coordinates. All who receive an invitation are welcome to attend, no matter their affiliation as a show of a temporary truce to honor this fallen Time Knight.
Dean's hand shook as he read over the text of the email on his phone. The car was cold from idling in the street outside the Memphis Police Department he had once proudly called home. His coffee steamed in the cup holder and a fire blazed nearby in a dumpster that had been lit during the riots the night before. The computer on the console beeped, alerting them to radiation levels, but he didn't care.
Everything was a mess. He watched the soldiers marching down the sidewalks, pinning civilians to the sides of buildings, arresting some for questioning, and beating those dared to defy their orders. A body was mangled on the opposite side of the street, covered in a garbage bag. Blood stained the pavement and wrecked vehicles had been left stranded after looters smashed in their windshields and gutted them. Stores had been ransacked and set ablaze, two tanks sat ready behind military barricades, and gunfire echoed across the war-torn city. It was a scene out of an apocalyptic movie, not a winter afternoon in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dean thought back to the content of the funeral invitation. Stalingrad? He rubbed his eyes as he came to the realization. "It's real? Like, it's not a joke?"
"Hmm?" Shay Terringer raised an eyebrow as he shut the engine off. He unrolled the sleeves of his white priest-like robe then sighed from the driver's seat. "What's real?"
"You read this, didn't you?"
"Of course. What do you not believe is real?"
"Time travel. Iskaydrian Chronomancers. It's all real."
"Of course it is. I figured you already knew." Shay showed his hourglass tattoo on his forearm. "I'm a Chronomancer as well, you know."
"I just . . . how is that possible?"
"Call it magic. Call it genetics. Call it whatever you want, but it is real. We just choose to keep it hidden from normal people because it allows us to work undetected in the shadows, manipulating things as we see fit. Are you all right? You look upset. Sad? Are those tears in your eyes? Ah, it's because of Nikolas, isn't it? You befriended the boy, didn't you? You're welcome to go if you want."
Dean read over the invitation again. "This can't be real."
"It might be a trap. Sand doesn't usually operate in the open like this, much less inviting us to come along. But then again, perhaps Nikolas told someone that he wanted you there. Rumor has it that he was alive for a few hours after being shot and he had a hand in planning his own funeral."
Dean closed the email and leaned against the door, his breath fogging on the glass. He watched the unnaturally green clouds rolling in to blot out the sunlight, covering the littered streets with shadows. "I mean that he can't be gone. I can't believe this. No. It has to be a lie."
"I don't really see the point in them lying about it."
"This happened today?" Dean asked. "He died today?"
"News travels fast. Sand doesn't like to leave their dead unburied. Aren't you curious? Aren't you going to ask why I've brought you here?"
"I figured there was a reason and I don't really have the will to ask 'why' anymore. After what happened in D.C., I just want to see my family. I hate myself for what I did, for what you made me do. And for what? What did I get out of it? Nothing. A dark night of drinking myself half to death in a freezing shower in some backwoods motel room. That's not me, that's not who I am. I don't kill people. I don't hurt them. I have devoted my life to helping people, but now I'm a murderer. I'm a terrorist. I'm a million other despicable things that I never thought I would ever call myself. And for what?"
"For your family, Dean. You're an honorable man who would sacrifice much for his beloved children."
"Who I haven't gotten to see. You promised me. You promised that I would get to see them."
Shay patted his arm. "And you will. In time, you will. Drink your coffee, Dean. Oh, and eat your sandwiches. They're under your feet in that paper bag. I know you need the nourishment after the night you had."
"I'm not hungry."
"It wasn't a suggestion. If you're going to be useful to me and to the Inquisition, then you need your strength."
He glared at the inquisitor. "Tell me what we're doing in Memphis, first. I thought we were going to your secret base of operations."
"I'm afraid there's been a change of plans. I was ordered to bring you to Memphis so you could take care of a little problem for us. Do that, and you will see your children."
"You already said I could see them."
Shay sunk back in his seat. "Things came up."
"You're not going to let me ever see them, are you? As long as you keep them away from me, you can use them to get what you want. You know that I'll do whatever I have to in order to see my sons and keep my daughter safe, so it's an easy thing to hold over my head."
"While your guess is fundamentally correct, I truly was going to let you see them before I received this call. It's not my fault that your police chief buddy has been meddling where he's no
t welcome."
He had a sinking feeling that he knew where this was going. "And you want me to do what, exactly? Kill him? Plant a bomb like I did in D.C.? Do you have a bomb in here?"
"It's a bit more straightforward this time. You want to look at the security cameras. No face mask. You want to be seen. And heard. Make it a dramatic news story, will you? I want the entire nation talking about the ex-detective who went crazy and murdered an entire police force. Here." The inquisitor handed him an index card. "Read over it. Memorize it if you wish."
For Sand!
Death to the government!
For the Mana Glen Boys!
*Look at the cameras. Make sure you are identifiable. Take off your gas mask once you are inside.*
Dean couldn't believe what he was reading in the curly handwriting in blood red ink. "What's this?"
"Your script. You are going to stare into the cameras at the police station and say these lines clearly and loudly. Then you are going to use this." Shay reached behind him and pulled an AK-47 into the front seat. "It's simple. Spray and pray is what they say."
"You want me to shoot everyone?" Dean asked.
"It's wonderful what a mass shooting can accomplish, especially two days before Christmas."
There was a line and he had already crossed it. Not again. This wasn't him. "I'm not doing this. I can't."
"And why is that?"
"They're my friends. I've worked with some of them for over a decade. I can't do that to innocent people. Besides, I'm a fugitive now, thanks to you breaking me out of jail. I'm a wanted man. They'll be guns blazing if I walk in there. They'll either kill me on the spot or injure me enough that I'm cuffed to a hospital bed before spending the rest of my life in prison or I go to death row."
"It won't come to that. You will not go to prison, I can assure you."
Was he delusional? "How? How can you assure me of that? Unless you're counting on me dying there?"
"Neither of those."
Chronomancer (Time Mage Saga Book 1) Page 25
