by Keith Walter
She focused on the well of magic building up inside the man, and suddenly realized this was one of the same men who had captured and bound her family days before. She recognized his energy. Serin ignored the man’s gaze as he took in the scene. It was all for show. She knew he could tell where all of his people were. Maybe he was trying to lure her into a false sense of security. Or just maybe he didn’t know her exact skills yet.
Pulling the sunglasses from his face he made unwavering eye contact. “I am Major Karish. Answer me, and we can end this peacefully. The man from the box. Is he here?” The man sounded like a lawyer asking questions to someone on the stand. Serin was puzzled. When she didn’t answer, he asked anew, “Do you know where he is?”
Serin was done with games. “I am Serin Adelaide Fortier and I intend to pay you back for what you did to me and my family.” She took an offensive stance and again energy flowed as steam began to rise from her skin.
The man had a confused expression on his face, but shrugged it off. “No matter. We will find out what you know one way or another.”
She hit a quick one-two punch in front of her and sent shockwaves of heat rocketing through the air. Electricity crackled in Karish’s eyes as he quickly lifted his hands and deflected the blasts with his palms. Serin realized this might be more of a challenge than she’d thought. The man disappeared from her vision and suddenly closed the gap between them. Staggering back, Serin commanded flames to erupt in front of her. Her magic was quicker than her opponent, and he hesitated just long enough for her to kick his midsection.
The kick landed, but somehow the man was able to blunt most of it. This wasn’t right—he shouldn’t be that much faster than she was. Reacting quickly, Serin released an explosion of fire from her foot that blasted the man across the highway. He tumbled through the air, crashing into the closest SUV.
Jumping backward, Serin tried to put some space between the two of them. As she moved she whispered a familiar spell under her breath. Instantly, three fireballs materialized and swirled above her head. Now, she smirked, she would have a better counter against his speed.
The SUV creaked and groaned as the captain pulled himself out of the twisted metal. She could feel the pull of magic just before lightning shot forth. Instinctively her spell reacted and the first fireball shot out in front of her as a shield. Thunder roared as steam exploded in front of her. The shield still stood after the exchange. Hope lit up in her as she realized that her magic was at least equal to this major’s.
The moment didn’t last long, as the man seemed to disappear and then reappear beside her. Again a fire ball moved to get between them, but everything happened too fast. She barely got her arms into a defensive position when the man’s fist hit her. It was like being hit by a semi-truck full of live wires. Electricity seared through her body as she flew through the air. Somehow she managed to keep her focus, recognizing that the major wasn’t done. She focused on the fireballs and two impacted him as he raced after her. The thunder roared once more as she hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop a hundred feet away.
Staggering to her feet, Serin tried to make sense of what was going on. Her magic seemed stronger, but this man moved as if he was on a completely different level than her. There shouldn’t have been this large of a gap between the two of them. Her forearms ached where she had blocked the hit, and she flexed her wrists to make sure nothing was broken.
Looking back to where the man had flown, she could sense his energy, but he must have been hiding behind the rubble. A clever trick, but not nearly good enough. The last of her fireballs rose in the air and took on the shape of an eye. Immediately she got a third perspective in her head of the area. She could see the man lying on the ground behind the SUV with burns stretching across one whole side of his body. The burns didn’t look life-threatening, but they had to hurt like hell.
Good, she thought, this should keep him down and out of commission for a while. Turning her head, she tried to find her family fleeing through the forest, but an alarm rang and she instinctively braced for impact. Had her third eye not been directed at the man, she would not have known what was coming. The SUV pulsed with light as it shot across the road like a homing missile. The last fireball intercepted it, but the vehicle still hit hard. Blocking with her hands, she felt waves of pain shoot through her nerves as she realized the SUV was charged with the major electricity. The spell pushed her back as it threatened to explode the vehicle. Panic took over as Serin willed her energy out as fast as it could go. The two forces raged against each other in a life and death tug-of-war. One last surge sent waves of heat out, melting the giant vehicle just before it detonated.
Serin didn’t have time to rest before a heavy right hand slammed into the side of her head. Even with her magic at full power, the impact hurt. It lifted her off the ground and sent her soaring thirty feet. She prepared for the impact of the ground, but the man appeared above her before she landed and she barely got her hands up when he landed a vicious kick to her midsection. The force drove her in to the ground, creating an impact crater and cloud of rubble.
Black flakes wafted off Serin’s now-charcoal skin. Like burning embers, reds and oranges pulsed under the black while she pushed herself to the limit. The major was just too fast, whatever magic he had may not have been as powerful as hers, but he was certainly more experienced in fighting. Trying to block another assault, she formed more fireballs and desperately threw them into the air. The glowing balls rose higher and higher before getting lost in the clouds. The man raced toward her just as the sky above began to glow.
If Major Karish could sense the storm above, it was still too late. Flaming rock rained down, exploding on contact. Electricity arced from his skin as he opened his magical power to the maximum. A shell of electricity surrounded him as the fiery meteorites bombarded the entire area. At first, he seemed to hold back the assault, but soon his shell began to twist and fizzle as the onslaught refused to abate.
A leader doesn’t have the same options as everyone else. A leader has to do whatever it takes to get their people through the situation. Barclay’s voice echoed in Serin’s head. Her opponent was willing to fight to the death and kill her to win. She was willing to die, but wasn’t sure she could bring herself to kill. There was distinction there that she had never made before.
A third of her magic faded as the meteor shower began to slow. If she chose to use the rest, she was confident the man wouldn’t survive. Precious moments ticked by while she made the decision. Exhaling softly, she spread the last of the spell over a larger area. Maybe she would be lucky and it would intimidate him. But as the major let his shield fade and she watched the maniacal determination in his eyes, she knew that wasn’t in the cards. It wasn’t that he had called her bluff, she realized, he was simply too committed to his cause to be deterred.
Tears rolled down her cheeks and sizzled as she realized she would never see Leslie again. The meteorites subsided. The major looked singed and bloodied, but not seriously injured. Without missing a beat, he flashed from her vision. Though Serin couldn’t make out where he was, she knew he was coming right for her, and she couldn’t stop him. As she tried to see through the tears, a bright flash of light erupted right in front of her.
Thunder rang in her ears but there was no lightning. Instead of electricity, the cool evening breeze was all she felt as it caressed her aching muscles. Something hit the ground and skidded to a stop a hundred feet in front of her. Then soft, familiar hands found her face. Her eyes adjusted to the light as Leslie hugged her tight enough to make everything okay, if for just a moment. As the realization hit her, Serin tried to push Leslie away. “What are you doing here? We promised…we promised we’d get away, that we’d protect the family.”
“I’m sorry, my love,” Leslie whispered as she tried to wipe away Serin’s tears. Whispering into Serin’s hair, she added, “If any of us are caught, all of us are caught. Besides, without you, I have no family.”
Serin c
hoked from the emotion. Shaking her head, she nodded toward her attacker. “He…he’s stronger than he looks.” Taking a breath, she calmed enough to assess the situation. “He pulled out all his energy and it doesn’t seem to be dwindling.”
“A Rashtra then,” Leslie replied with conviction.
Serin had been so focused on the fact that her magic was stronger she had never stopped to think of why. She was blessed with a considerable well of magic and a very able body, so with training she was able to focus a large amount of magic into her attacks. Her combination of magical reserves and aptitude was considered a pride of her clan. Unfortunately, her clan focused on large, flashy spells designed to end fights quickly. Without the luxury of killing her opponent, and already being weakened from her adventures with the limo runes, those spells quickly drained even her considerable reserves.
A Rashtra was one whose body had a greater-than-normal well of magic, but a lower-than-normal ability to conduct it. This meant they were not able to bring out high-level spells, but also meant they almost never ran out of magic. That was why he moved so quickly—he must have used his electricity to continuously enhance his muscles. Now that she had forced him to release his full magic, she knew how powerful his attacks could be, but there was little chance of him wearing out before they did.
Leslie let out a grunt as the major attacked again with a supersonic punch. With Serin’s magic now diminished, she didn’t even see the major move, just Leslie flying backward and smashing into the front of her limo.
◆◆◆
Leslie stood up slowly. She wasn’t injured, but she knew it wouldn’t be good idea to take many more hits like that. Her opponent was fast and strong, more so than anyone she had fought or sparred with before.
She could feel the electricity when he hit her, and was thoroughly impressed by the power behind it. She wiped a drop of blood from her mouth and smirked. She knew his limits now, and his secret. She just had to find the right time to use hers. Looking over, she could see the major move toward Serin. Rage grew from the pit of her stomach as green, rootlike tattoos began spreading over her body. Grabbing the front of the limo, she swung it like some sort of oversized bat, releasing it at just the right moment. Silently, the shadow flew through the air until it hit the major square in the chest.
The wards on the limo must have had just enough juice left to confuse the major, because Leslie didn’t actually think the move would surprise him enough to work. Lightning engulfed the limo as it slid down the road. An instant later, Leslie had Serin in her hands, holding her up enough to stand. “I don’t have much time like this,” she whispered. “Do you remember when we met with your brother? I think I can get this one in position if you are up for it.”
Serin smiled for the first time since the fight started as the tiny thread of hope reappeared. “Yeah, this one needs a time-out,” was all she had to say.
The major launched himself from the wreckage of the limo. Just as Leslie had hoped, his focus was entirely on her. Electricity crackled in his wake as sped toward her. She had gotten under his skin. The only reason he would make a direct assault would be because he thought that she had gotten lucky with the limo. To be fair, she had, but it was still a mistake for him to believe that.
The root tattoos on her skin pulsated with energy as Leslie watched him approach. He wouldn’t expect someone to be able to follow his movements when he was using all his power. Unfortunately for him, he was now in her element. She waited calmly, watching in what appeared to her as slow motion when he stretched out his arm to hit her. The fist hit air as Leslie grabbed his fist and swung him over her shoulder.
His speed, coupled with the added throw, shot him like a bullet right into a bridge several hundred feet away. Concrete crumpled and steel bent at the impact. Leslie didn’t care how good his magic was, taking her lightly was going to cost him dearly. Pushing energy to her feet, she cratered the road with the force of her jump. It might only last a short time, but Leslie enjoyed going all out.
Rubble shifted as the major pulled himself out of the mangled bridge. Leslie didn’t give him a chance to recoup as she slammed him with a broad shoulder and pulled both hands above her head. She drove him into the ground with a powerful smash. Landing, she used the last of her remaining magic to get to Serin’s side.
◆◆◆
Serin couldn’t follow everything that was happening, but she knew the opposite of a Rashtra was a Novarim. Her bond was born with a modest reserve of magic, but an extraordinary ability to mold it. Unlike a Rashtra, or even Serin, she could utilize all of her magic at once. The ability allowed Leslie to outclass fey far above her but only for a few moments. Leslie could only keep up her full power for a short time, but it was still enough with Serin by her side. Where Leslie was the speed, Serin was the power.
Serin knew the plan intimately. It had actually been her idea once upon a time. The moment the major was driven to the ground, she created a cube of fire around her hand and pushed it into the pavement. A glowing line erupted from her hand and shot to where the man laid. The square expanded around him, pillars of fire grew out of the ground and bent like fingers to form a burning cell.
Serin watched the major slowly pull himself to his feet, bleeding from the mouth now but not incapacitated. She could see him glare at the cage in disgust, reaching out a hand to grasp the fiery bars. Smoke erupted and his flesh sizzled. Serin couldn’t believe her eyes. Her magic was stronger than his, and they both knew it. If he tried to force his way through, it would kill him.
Major Karish smirked, an ugly thing devoid of mirth. He simply walked forward, pushing as much magic as he could to protect himself from the flames. Serin was connected to the flames, and could feel them tearing into the man’s hands. He took another step and began screaming as the flames reached his elbow. But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. The Union did not tolerate failure.
Again Serin remembered Barclay and the emotionless way he talked about killing during the war. She wanted to be the leader her family needed, but she knew she didn’t have it in her to take a life. She didn’t know what to do. Leslie was exhausted, and she had already used up too much magic now to continue putting up a fight. If she let go of the cage, it would be the end of them and their family. If she didn’t, this Major Karish would die by her hands. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t do it.”
Gradually, the cage began to falter. The major pulsed his electricity outward, shattering the fiery bars around him. He caught Serin’s eye and smiled. He knew. The moment she pulled back her trap, he knew. Serin curled in on herself to escape that smile. “I’m sorry,” she said, defeated.
Leslie just grabbed her hand and said, “That is why I love you. Your compassion is more powerful than their hatred.”
The two went silent as the major shuffled toward them. His arms were charred and motionless all the way to his shoulders. Blood poured out of open wounds on his chest. Still, he moved forward, charging his power again to deliver the deathblow. In his own dreary state, the major’s magic fluctuated wildly. He was on the brink of collapse. Closer and closer he moved while the two lay exhausted on the pavement.
The major stopped twenty feet away and raised what was left of his arms. Swaying and struggling for breath, he charged his electricity into a ball. The lightning sparked and flickered as Karish struggled to hold it together. He mumbled something but neither woman could make it out over the blaring horn of a limo that suddenly slammed into him. The major was driven back, surprise clear on his face. As the limo crushed him into a concrete barrier just behind, the ball of electricity came undone, expanding and consuming everything around it. A final bright light flashed and the ball evaporated. In its wake, everything in a perfect ten-foot sphere disappeared as if it never existed.
Serin and Leslie simply stared, confused by what had happened. It wasn’t until a new voice spoke up that they put the pieces together. “I don’t think Barclay is getting his security deposit back on those limos,”
Charles announce as he appeared behind them.
Relief swept over them as they pulled each other to their feet. “What took you so long?” Serin said trying to hide her tears.
“Come on now,” Charles chided. “I had to wait for you to soften him up. I certainly wasn’t going to fight him—he seemed terrifying.” He smirked at his own joke, eliciting small smiles from the pair. “Not to mention, I had to pick up a few friends on the way.”
The women looked over their shoulders at the sound of an approaching engine. Leslie’s pristine limo rolled to a stop just behind them and a young convert stepped out. Turning to Charles, Leslie asked, “How?”
“They were kind of just sitting there,” Charles replied. Unconsciously, he scratched the back of his neck. “Of course, I thought we could put the rest in the other car. But now…well, it’ll be cozy.”
Serin didn’t waste another moment. She pushed past Charles and shoved Leslie through the driver’s side door. She followed behind, settling in behind the wheel. Eying Charles, she nodded. “So let’s go get the rest.”
Charles chuckled as the formerly brave convert dashed to the back door. He quirked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I can drive, and you’re not exactly in the best—”
“No,” Serin announced, cutting him off.
Charles saw red return to her eyes and held up his hands. “Yeah, okay.” Serin waited only long enough for Charles to get a foot in the back before slamming on the gas.
CHAPTER TEN:
Nowhere to Go
Captain!” Grace shouted outside the cabin door. Swift pounding followed on the smooth metal. Even in such extreme situations, she couldn’t bring herself to barge in.
Barclay yanked open the door, letting it slam against the wall. His eyes darted to Grace, then all around the hallway suspiciously. “What’s the matter? The Entregon?” Barclay had been meditating, trying to spread his senses far enough to track signs of Serin and Leslie. The attempt had been frustratingly fruitless at these distances. Awoken so abruptly from his meditation, he was still trying to get his bearings.
