Alterni

by Sunshine Somerville

  Esme nodded, having gained some experience with the shock of seeing alt-world twins.

  “The conjuri and Cesare trained that second Omet alterni, but he wasn’t as skilled as his predecessor and… Well, he died not long after he arrived.”

  A knot was forming in Esme’s stomach.

  Hakim hurried on. “When the conjuri cast the summono next, they again got another version of Omet. Testing a theory, they decided to summon from several worlds at the same time. Can you guess what happened?”

  She took a breath. “Every world brought an alternate version of Omet.”

  “Correct. From then on, the conjuri decided that summoning several alterni at once was best. That way, they could pick which alterni was right for the task at the time.”

  “Why not keep several alterni here at once, if we’re your best defense?”

  “The conjuri tried that once, but our magic only connects to one alterni at a time. One can wield our magic in ways only an alterni can, but the rest are left defenseless, unable to tap into magic at all. So, now we cast the summono, pick the most capable alterni, and send the others back to the safety of their worlds.”

  This sounded familiar, and Esme let out a breath. “That’s what you did with me? You summoned several worlds’ Esmes, tested us, picked me, and sent the others home?”

  Hakim nodded, but he shuffled in his seat.

  “But why summon me’s in the first place? None of us seemed like we’d be good at fighting…” Then she understood. “This isn’t the first time you’ve summoned versions of me?”

  “No.” Hakim looked her in the eye. “King Cesare had to summon three more versions of Omet. And he was one of the luckier kings. The next king had thirteen alterni. Three generations ago, our king went through twenty-two. Our current king… Owen’s already had eight.”

  Esme felt herself pale.

  “Each king,” Hakim continued, “always has the same…person, for their lifetime. When a king dies and his heir takes over, sometimes the previous king’s alterni is still alive to help. But that’s not common. More often, the new king needs a new alterni right away. Then the conjuri cast the summono, and that first summono always brings a brand new person – and only one version, not multiple alterni like with later castings. It’s… I don’t know if anyone knows why, but it’s not surprising considering how many quirky laws our magic seems to have.”

  She nodded, understanding enough.

  “Anyway, that new person is called the origini. The origini always has a strong connection to our world’s magic, they’re amazing at alterni spells, and they do a lot of damage against the malevolenci. But they die too, unfortunately. If the origini dies, then the conjuri can summon several alterni, though they’re always alternative versions of the origini.”

  Esme was getting a headache. “So with each new king, this process starts over?”

  “Correct.”

  Her palms were sweating. “You said the current king’s gone through eight. There’ve been eight Esmes before me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And that’s why those people downstairs recognized me?”

  “Yes. You’re all basically twins.” As Hakim looked at her, he seemed to realize something. “You, with your hair dark and long, look exactly like Owen’s origini.”

  Esme wasn’t sure how to feel about this.

  Even Hakim looked uncomfortable and glanced away.

  I can’t believe this, thought Esme. I’ve been sucked into a different world. I could die here. Eight others… Am I crazy for thinking this is a little exciting?

  She had so many questions. “How is it possible that we’re so alike? I mean, a few of the Esmes at my summono were different – that albino, for one – but they were all still basically…me. How? If we’re from alternate realities, it seems so unlikely that I’d exist exactly as I am in each of them. We even have the same name?”

  Hakim widened his eyes in agreement. “I know. Crazy, isn’t it? Like I said, many of these alt-worlds are very similar, and that means a lot of our alt-selves are very similar. But there are differences too. We’ve learned from centuries’ worth of alterni that, while you look the same, you often have drastically different personalities. I suppose that’s because of living in different worlds and living different lives. Nature versus nurture, and all that.”

  “You said, ‘a lot of our alt-selves.’ For everyone here, is there an alternate version somewhere else?”

  “There’s no way to know if everyone has alt-selves, but many alterni have claimed to recognize people here from their worlds.” He pointed at her. “Your fourth alterni said she’d met me in her world, although I think she might’ve been screwing with me.”

  “Why?”

  “She said her world’s Hakim Safar was straight and something of a womanizer.” He made a doubtful face.

  Esme smirked at him, then looked outside in thought.

  There are other versions of myself in the cosmos. This is mind-blowing! Dozens or hundreds of alt-Esmes exist, living their own lives. It’s like I’m suddenly connected to this huge family I never knew I had… And we’re connected by the unfortunate fact that we’re at risk of being pulled into this world’s drama. Eight of me already have been…

  Hakim likely guessed where her mind was. “Do you want to hear about the previous Esmes, what they were like?”

  She swallowed. “Not right now. I’m sorry if I’m not taking this very well, but…”

  “You’re doing quite well.” He smiled.

  Oh, she thought with a swallow. He’s had this conversation with me eight other times…

  Hakim grinned at her. “You’re stubborn, a little too shameless, but your willingness to fight back is a good sign. You’re quick on your feet, and you have a natural instinct to protect others. All positive qualities, in my opinion.”

  She gave him a small smile.

  He reads people pretty quickly. That must be why he’s good at this. Plus, there’s something comforting about him. I certainly wouldn’t be this calm if Roman had been the one to initiate me.

  “So this is your…job?” she asked, trying to take the focus off herself. “Roman casts the summono spell that pulls us alterni here. Then it’s your job to explain how we’re next in line to likely be killed by monsters in a world that isn’t ours?”

  Hakim winced, but she hadn’t meant this as a dig.

  Esme studied the man. “It must be awful. To see our face over and over and remember what happened to each… And knowing it could happen again.”

  Hakim dropped his gaze to his tie. “To be honest, it’s not great. But it’s far worse for the king than myself, so I’m glad to be of service.”

  “The king must feel guilty about all this, huh? I mean, he needs us to help save this world, but he keeps losing partners over and over…”

  “Yes. It’s a fair assessment to say he’s in emotional turmoil.” Hakim looked at her sharply. “Don’t tell Owen I said that. He’d break my pretty face in two.”

  She saw he was kidding, and she smiled. “You’re very loyal to this king. You’re friends?”

  “Yes, I dare say like brothers. When my family moved to Kansas City, I was nervous about a new school, but Owen became an immediate friend. We grew up together. I’ve been proud to call him friend, prouder still to serve him.” Hakim smirked. “Owen isn’t as kingly as the conjuri would like, but he has a good heart. He’s a good king. When his father died – peacefully, I might add, since they don’t all die by malevolenci – Owen stepped into his role without hesitation. He’d die for us. Every day, he puts his life on the line for a public who doesn’t know who he is.”

  “But his alterni keep dying.” Esme tried to sort out how to say this. “No offense, but it’s not reassuring to hear that my partner-to-be isn’t very good at protecting me.”

  “I promise, Owen will do everything in his power to protect you. He’s done so for each Esme before you. This is just extremely dangerous business. It’s har
d on him, whenever…”

  She nodded, knowing what he meant.

  Hakim debated with himself a moment. “That’s why I was the one to pick you. Owen couldn’t bring himself to do it again. At least this way, if he loses you, it won’t be entirely his fault. I was happy to choose you if it meant easing his burden, and perhaps now he can train you without that guilt distracting him.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “Sorry.”

  Esme sighed and looked around the office.

  I’m not feeling great about my chances. Or this emo king…

  She faced Hakim again, her next question the biggest. “I don’t have a choice in this, do I?”

  He held eye contact. “We returned the other Esmes to their worlds. If you wish, we can do the same to you. You won’t remember any of this, and you’ll go back to your normal life. If at any point you wish to leave, the same offer stands.”

  She hadn’t expected this from her abductor, and she felt a pressure rise off her chest. “So if I can’t handle this…”

  “You can go home, yes.”

  “But then you’d have to bring another Esme to do the job?” She thought back. “None of the ones from my summono seemed like they’d be able to handle this.”

  “Yes, you were the standout. Spoon choice notwithstanding.”

  Esme snorted a chuckle but had another thought. “Do you know the Esme of this world?”

  Hakim lifted his eyebrows. “Never existed.”

  “What? How’s that possible?”

  “It’s another weird quirk of how this works, the conjuri say. For each origini, they’ve investigated that person in our world. And none of them have existed. The conjuri suspect it’s part of how alterni can come here in the first place. It’s like the alterni fill the void of their nonexistent version here.” Hakim shrugged. “It’s beyond me, honestly, but it is interesting. Anyway, you don’t have a counterpart in our world. Never have.”

  She thought on this. “In the summono spell’s golden circle, I saw those symbols for the different worlds. How many alt-worlds are there?”

  “According to centuries of conjuri study, over six hundred.”

  “So there could be hundreds of other Esmes?”

  “Yes, in theory. But again, not every world has an alt-version of ourselves. In some, maybe we were never born, for a thousand different historical reasons. In others, maybe we’ve already died.” He caught himself and swallowed. “Sorry, I know this is all weird to hear.”

  “No, I need to know.” She took a breath. “I might not be the best version of myself, Hakim. Shouldn’t you people find the best one, so you quit killing the rest of us?” She realized how this sounded. “Sorry.”

  “It’s a valid point. But we do try to choose the best alterni to spare the others. That’s why we do the tests with groups, as I explained.” Hakim tapped his fingers on his desk. “Honestly, Esme, while we search, we leave our world vulnerable. In the month since your last alterni was killed, scores of malevolenci have invaded. Without an alterni to cast the termino spell, the rifts stay open. We have people positioned to keep an eye out for malevolenci coming through, but we can’t detect when new rifts open in different places, and…”

  She understood. “While you wait for an alterni, people die.”

  Shit. I saw those other versions of myself. None of them would be up for this. Am I up for this? What if there’s an Esme out there who knows how to kick butt and fight monsters and keep an emo king strong?

  She looked out the windows again.

  But what if that perfect Esme has a family? I have nothing back home…which is a strange blessing in these circumstances. I might not be perfect for this job, but I might be able to save some perfect Esme somewhere else. I’m no great chosen one, but if I did go home, these people would have to keep searching for my replacement. It sounds like a lot of people here could die in the meantime. I don’t want that on my conscience…not that I’d remember any of this.

  “Okay,” she finally said. She looked back at Hakim and rubbed her sweaty palms on the pants he’d given her. “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, and I’m still a little pissed that you abducted me. But if you people are willing to teach me, I’m a quick learner. I promise I’ll try as hard as I can. If I don’t work out… Well, I’ll try.” She thought this sounded weak, but she held to her decision.

  “Great.” Hakim smiled wide and pushed back his chair. “Then let’s go see the king.”

  Esme’s ride with Hakim through downtown Kansas City wasn’t as interesting as she’d expected. Looking out the window as their driver weaved through the streets, she tried to remind herself this was only an alternate reality.

  It’s not like I’m on a different planet. This is the same world, same language, same history…just subtle little differences. Like that billboard for Peppermingles – a candy? Or that movie poster with actors I’ve never seen.

  She frowned.

  Then again, there are major differences. This world has monsters that tear through the fabric of the universe.

  They left the nicer part of downtown, and Esme leaned in her seat as their car rounded the long curve of an entrance ramp. They merged to drive north, then west, along one of several ascending highways. From this height, Esme now saw industrial buildings, concrete streets, and scant trees below. There was a lot to look at and nothing to see all at the same time. In the distance, the outskirts of the city looked as she remembered from her world, with strangely little suburban sprawl for a major city.

  Esme smiled to herself.

  I was so happy to leave this place behind when I moved to Florida. Now, in an alternate dimension, it’s comfortingly familiar.

  They crossed a bridge over slow-moving, brown water. Esme tried to remember if it was the Kansas River or Missouri River, but she’d never been able to keep straight where the border was.

  “Yuck.” Hakim, sharing the backseat, also watched the passing river. He chuckled. “I really miss big bodies of water sometimes. It’s laughable what these locals call a lake. If I see one more pontoon boat in a man-made watering hole…”

  Esme laughed. “I love the water too. That’s partly why I moved to Florida. Where are you from?”

  “Detroit.”

  “Ah. Yeah, that’s certainly on a legit lake.”

  Hakim looked surprised. “You have Detroit in your world?”

  She nodded. “Never been there, but it’s a big city with cool history.”

  “Interesting.” Hakim dug in his suit coat for a pen and opened the folder on his lap, making a note of this. “In most alt-worlds, Detroit is called something different or else doesn’t exist. In one alt-world, it’s underwater. In others, it lies in ruin and decay.”

  She made a face. “Yeah, well…”

  They returned to silence, and Esme faced the window again. The highway ended, and now they drove into a part of the city with fewer and smaller buildings. Short grass grew along the streets and also fought for life in a few parking lot cracks. Buildings here looked more like offices, and the roads were less busy. The area gave off the vibe that you didn’t bother coming here unless you had a specific reason, maybe even an appointment.

  Still, it’s all so normal, thought Esme as they passed a gas station. This whole city looks exactly like my old home…except this version is protected by an ancient, magical Order and their warrior king.

  She was having a very hard time imagining this king as anything other than a bearded man wearing a crown and metal armor.

  Well, that’s just naturally the picture you get when you hear “king” and “magic” in the same story, isn’t it? But he’s Hakim’s age, so early thirties. Apparently he isn’t as “kingly” as the conjuri would like. What does that mean? If I’m going to trust this guy with my life…

  Their driver pulled to the curb, and Esme looked to see a modest but modern building labeled “Police Headquarters.” The building was a few stories high and blocky l
ooking, but with clean brick and high, old-fashioned windows trimmed in white. Stone columns supported the overhanging second story, creating a shaded path along the sidewalk. In front of the station, a flag with the familiar red, white, and blue hung limp in the still air.

  Esme looked at Hakim. “Please, tell me we don’t have to break the king out of jail.”

  He laughed. “Not today. He’s the chief of police.”

  Esme made a questioning face. “Uh… What?”

  Hakim just winked at her and opened his door. Esme took a breath, ran fingers through her hair in an attempt to look presentable, opened her own door, and stepped into bright sunshine.

  The first thing that hit was the humidity. Second, the sounds of the city. She looked farther up the sidewalk to see people entering and exiting shops and restaurants that lined the street. A bus was just pulling up to a stop nearby. The streetlight on the corner changed, and traffic lurched onward again.

  “Esme?”

  She turned and found Hakim waiting, so she joined him as he crossed the sidewalk.

  In the shade by the main doors, they were met by a woman dressed in a normal-looking police uniform. The officer appeared a few years older than Esme. Her face was beautiful, though with an aloof expression. She was as tall as Esme, as fit as Esme, and her long blond hair hung in a low ponytail.

  Esme tried not to fidget.

  This woman was definitely popular in high school. Why can you always sense that about a woman? She clearly thinks she’s too cool for me, that’s for sure… Glad Hakim at least gave me nice clothes, but I’d kill for a hair tie!

  Hakim made introductions. “Esme, meet Lexi Montague, Deputy Chief.” He smiled. “Although, if we’re being honest, Lexi’s the real boss around here since Owen has bigger fish to flip.”

  This saying caught Esme off guard. “Bigger what?”

  “Bigger fish to flip. You don’t know that one?”

  “We say, ‘bigger fish to fry.’”

  “Huh. I like yours better.” Hakim pulled out his pen again and opened the folder to scribble a note.