by R. E. Carr
“Two guards,” Kei hissed.
“One for each of us,” Licia whispered back. “Hey you, Serif-fan. I’ll open the door so you just have to run in while the guards are preoccupied. With any luck you’ll cause a fine, embarrassing scene for the Zhanfos as well as ‘rescue’ your Phantom.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Jenn muttered as her escorts rushed ahead. After giving them a couple of moments, she barreled past two stunned men in black and yanked open the door. “Thank God there are no locks around here.”
She skidded to a halt when she saw the chains that spanned from column to column in the dimly lit room. A limp form with matted, violet hair hung from the chains, blood dripping from multiple slashes. As she took a tentative step forward, the broken man raised his head.
“Eon!” she gasped when she saw that his eyes had once more been drained of color. “What have they done to you?”
She ran to his side and started tugging on the chains burrowing into his arms. The more she pulled, though, the deeper the metal dug in.
“CALA, you have to help me again!”
“System offline.”
“What the hell?” Jenn said as she yanked herself back into the present.
“What are you doing here?” a new voice cried. Jenn whirled around just in time to see a woman in a jaguar mask running right for her. She couldn’t dodge her fully, however, and ended up sprawled on the floor.
Mihasu shoved the Serif-fan away.
“You can’t do this!” Jenn cried as she pushed herself back to her feet. “You can’t turn Eon back into one of those monsters.”
“Do you think I want this?” Mihasu asked as she positioned herself protectively in front of Eon. “It breaks my heart.”
“Oh really?” Licia asked as she too was dragged into the room. “I thought you’d like a more obedient lover.”
Mihasu recoiled in horror. “You . . . you think that . . . ?” she stammered. She watched the snarling Kei get thrown into the cell as well. “Were you jealous?” she asked.
“Eon, please!” Jenn said. “Can’t you hear me?”
Mihasu yanked off her mask. Jenn took a stumbling step back as she saw Mihasu’s face next to Eon’s. The princess pressed her forehead against the Phantom’s.
“He can’t seem to hear me either,” she said. “Mother says it is what he deserves, but I have no stomach for it.”
“Oh my God,” Jenn said softly. “Is he your . . . ?”
“Yes, he’s my brother,” Mihasu said as she glared at the Oracle.
“Not anymore,” Eon said. His eyes stared right through the trembling Mihasu. Eon then turned his gaze toward Jenn.
“My name is Kukulkan.”
Parting
“No one mind the ginger in the corner,” Jenn MacDonald muttered as she pushed a little pile of shredded pink gari to the edge of her bowl. She sighed as she barely managed to avoid a stray elbow, then scooched closer to the Formica table.
“Be careful, you’ll get your hair in your soup,” the man across the table said. He flipped his bright purple bangs out of his eyes so he could give Jenn a proper smoldering look. “Also, why do you always order the deluxe ramen when you never eat anything but the extra pork?”
“Because it’s cheaper than ordering the regular ramen and getting extra pork on the side,” Jenn sighed. She turned her attention to dutifully plopping her pile of mail into her bag. She flipped up one marked “MacDonald—Final Check.”
“At least I never have to help out the old man’s buddy ever again,” she said. “But the extra pays for this fine lunch, doesn’t it?”
“And what about the letter from BU—?” her companion asked.
“Well, it’s probably them denying my grant for the umpteenth time, but I really don’t care,” she said, still smiling. “After all, it’s my mom who wants me to go to Europe instead of my already-paid-for trip to Mexico. She still thinks it’s only real archeology if you go to Greece or Rome.”
“And you’ve always been drawn to Mexico,” her companion said with another sly grin.
“And Mexicans,” Jenn purred as she reached over to squeeze his hands. “Ian, you will be the death of me, but I can’t help it. I’ve always been a sucker for your punk-ass charms.”
The woman at the counter shot the stink-eye to Jenn as she tried to engage in a little public display of affection. Jenn rolled her eyes and grabbed her backpack. Ian took their bowls to the trash before escorting his lady out. They looped out the front door and immediately walked into the recessed stairway of her Allston apartment building. She hadn’t made it two steps into the hall when the door to apartment 1A swung open and a short, stout lump of a woman stepped into Jenn and Ian’s path.
“You! 2B!” she snapped, hands on hips.
Jenn took a deep breath. “Mrs. Bukowski,” she said. “How are—?”
“You need to get your mail, and you had too many computers plugged in. It’s causing brownouts! I got a complaint from 2A that you were loud too.”
“I got the mail already, before dinner—”
Mrs. Bukowski kicked a box next to her door. Jenn squinted to read the name “Sara Jorgenson” on the label. The woman from 1A kicked it again.
“Hey!” Jenn snapped.
“It’s more of those computers isn’t it?” Mrs. Bukowski barked. “If you knock out the power while I’m watching Days of Our Lives again, I raise the rent!”
Jenn bit her tongue. Ian picked up the box with a polite nod to the landlady.
She surveyed his all-black clothes and brightly dyed hair and sneered, “That one is trouble . . .”
“Excuse me?” Jenn asked over the box.
“Tattoos, piercings, purple hair—”
“We really should get upstairs,” Jenn said as she tried to escape again.
“Don’t you be loud!”
“I’ll talk to Sara about the noise,” Jenn muttered as she kept walking. She turned abruptly to Ian, but ended up bumping into the poor guy. As he stumbled, the box made a terrible thump against the plaster.
“I said don’t you be loud!” Mrs. Bukowski screamed from downstairs at a volume that could wake the dead.
They fumbled and stumbled inside. The stereo in the living room played a classical piece while the television showed some sappy talk show. “And Sara wonders why the utility bill is so high,” Jenn muttered as Ian dumped the box on their coffee table. “I’m sorry about the landlady,” Jenn finally said.
Ian shrugged. “I’m used to being misunderstood,” he sighed. He leaned in and gave her a suggestive smile. “As long as you appreciate me, it really doesn’t matter.”
“Appreciate you?” Jenn said with a snort as she leaned in to kiss him.
“Is that you, Jenn?” she heard.
“Yeah,” Jenn said as she pulled away from Ian and yanked out the mail. The lights flickered the moment she pulled Sara’s other package out of her backpack. “Were you expecting more packages?” Jenn asked as she eyed the growing tower of open boxes next to the couch.
“No. Did I get one?” Sara called.
Jenn rolled her eyes. She could hear faint voices coming from Sara’s room—and an occasional buzz. She turned off the stereo and flipped the channel to the Sox game. Ian went to the fridge to grab two beers.
Sara poked her head around the corner and gave a wave. Jenn raised a brow as she saw her roommate in nothing more than a bra, panties, and a pair of safety goggles over her spectacles.
“Um, you’re . . .”
“Sorry! Static electricity is the devil, so we—”
“We?” Jenn interrupted.
A second figure in underwear and safety glasses peeked from the hallway. Jenn cocked her head at a buff, tanned chest and a head of shaggy blond hair. “Heyo!” the stranger said cheerfully.
“Well, I see I’m not the only one having a good day,” Jenn said awkwardly as she scooped up th
e box and schlepped it over to the sweaty, nearly naked couple.
“Well, you know, a raid array doesn’t assemble itself!” Sara said. Sara looked back and forth between her blushing roommate and her buff companion. “Will, why don’t you open up the new arrivals? Oh, where are my manners? Will, this is my roomie and bestest buddy, Jenn. Jenn, this is Will from my thesis group. He’s helping me screw tonight. Oh, and the guy in the kitchen is Ian. I’m sure he’ll be helping Jenn screw too!”
“Bye, Sara . . .” Jenn sighed as she handed over the box to the beefcake. “We’re just going to be in here while you’re busy in there.”
“Well, we’re gonna get pretty loud in a bit. I’ve finally overclocked the main processor,” Sara said. Before she could continue, Jenn put her hands on her roommate’s shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a gentle shove toward the hall. The beefy blond gave Jenn an appreciative smile as they shuffled off to play with the computers.
“Also, Sara, your MIT shenanigans are scaring the neighbors,” she called after her friend. “Mrs. Bukowski said you were a little loud and that you’re messing with the power.”
“Oh?” Sara called back. “It’s not my fault that the wiring in this building is woefully inadequate, and our neighbors run their A/C when it’s only eighty outside . . .”
Ian flopped on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Jenn eyed his tight pants and the muscles bulging under his T-shirt. “Later, Sara!” she called before joining him on the sofa.
“What an amazing day this is turning out to be,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him. She stared into his deep, dark eyes and watched how little bits of violet reflected in them. She traced her finger slowly over his cheek, making a little spiral as she leaned in. She paused just before her lips touched his.
“What is it, mi mujer?” he asked as she pulled away.
“Something feels different—even though it’s all so familiar,” Jenn whispered.
Ian leaned in and finally gave her that kiss. She pressed her whole body against his and chewed at his lip hungrily. He slipped his hands under her shirt, but before the festivities could continue, the lights flickered and the TV flipped over to static. She jerked away.
“What is she doing now?” Jenn growled as a whine sounded from the outlets.
Something shifted in the window as the lights flickered again. “Jesus Christ,” Jenn sighed as she hopped off the sofa and adjusted her jeans. She took a deep breath before wandering toward the hall. Thunder echoed over the Charles River.
“Hey, Sara?” she said as she knocked.
Blue light glowed from under Sara’s door. The lights flickered again. Jenn knocked. “Jorgenson! Mrs. Bukowski will have our heads if we cause another power outage. Sara? Sara!”
The door creaked open and Jenn’s jaw dropped. Both Will and Sara stared blankly at a trio of monitors balanced on Sara’s desk. Open carcasses of at least a dozen computers littered the floor, and cables snaked from circuit board to circuit board.
“Hey, that’s my fan . . . and my Nintendo,” Jenn said as she surveyed the carnage.
“I needed a sixty-four-bit processor, but I can put it back together,” Sara said as she remained focused on the star patterns on the first monitor. “I have managed to string together five hundred gigs’ worth of hard drives, but the accessing speed is tanked because of the one-twenty-eight barrier—”
“Sara!” Jenn snapped. “What the hell?”
A whiff of smoke entered Jenn’s lungs. She raised a brow at a little brown rock tucked into a cradle in the middle of all the machines. A tangle of exposed wiring made the nest it rested upon. Jenn’s eyes widened when she saw a spark.
“I decided to take our project home,” Sara confessed. “It’s just an extension of SETI—”
“Sara, there is a rock in the middle of your computer and it’s making sparks,” Jenn said. “This is crazy, even by your MIT special scale.”
Sara pulled out a packet of arcane-looking notes. “I’m pretty sure the rock is just a prank, but, come on, we had to try it,” she said. The lights flickered again. Sara then turned back to the dazed surfer in the room. “Earth to Will! Did you hook up that UPS?”
“Sara!” Jenn snapped as another round of sparks flew. A hand landed on Jenn’s shoulder, but she shrugged it away.
The girl in underwear and goggles tapped a few keys and the screen changed. She smiled blandly at Jenn.
“It’s the most amazing prank ever,” she said with a little laugh. “We’ve been following the clues and playing with the code all semester, but it was only when Will mentioned sixty-four-bit that I figured out a way to get enough storage—”
Lightning flashed outside. Jenn stared in horror at all the wires.
“Sara!”
“What?” Sara asked, completely oblivious to the absurdity of her situation.
The screen began to flicker wildly, along with the lights. Sara ran over to Will and started fussing with surge protectors and some black uninterrupted power supplies. Jenn, on the other hand, noticed a packet of papers in range of the sparking rock. Another puff of smoke came from middle of the mess.
“What the hell is it doing? Crashing?” Sara asked.
“Jorgenson, I think we should shut it down—” Will said as the thunder roared again, this time so close that the walls shook.
“Damn it!” Jenn snapped as she leaped into action. She just managed to snag the rogue papers when a strange symbol that looked like a cloud in a box flashed on screen. Jenn stopped to stare at the ancient writing mixed in with constellations for a little too long.
“Organic life-form detected,” the screen read.
“Sara . . .” Jenn said slowly. Lightning crashed outside and Jenn stumbled, her hand just brushing against the stone.
“Initiating download,” Jenn read. She howled as electricity ran up her arm, then stumbled back into the arms of a concerned Ian.
“Nothing happened,” she muttered as she stared at a little red welt on her hand. Ian squeezed her tight before pushing her away so he could check for any more burns or bruises.
“What were you expecting?” Ian asked.
“What have you done to her?” Kei asked as the Phantoms placed the unconscious Jenn on a stretcher. The gem on her forehead alternated between glowing violet and glowing red. He snarled and tried to block the door, but Mihasu only had to take his hand and he collapsed, grabbing his head.
“I am sorry, but I need you to stay calm, future husband,” the princess said.
The other two door guards hummed and muttered under their breath as Licia grabbed her head as well. She watched in horror as the frost began melting off her skin.
“She will wake up soon enough,” Eon said in a voice not quite his own. He cracked his knuckles and the chains ripped out of his skin. He cocked his head and stared quizzically at the frothing, raging cat-man. He crouched next to Jenn and traced his finger along her jaw and up onto her lips.
“Do not touch her!” Kei howled.
Eon raised a brow. “And why not?” he asked. “She doesn’t belong to you anymore, Kei of Beasts.”
“She does not belong to anyone,” Kei snarled. He tried to lunge at the smug Maya but could only whimper and collapse.
Mihasu lowered her head. “Forgive me, my lord,” she said. “I will keep him quiet.”
“Mihasu,” Eon said, now looking at her with his washed-out eyes. “I . . . remember you. This shell did think of you fondly.”
“And you are truly the wind serpent?” Mihasu dared to ask.
Eon nodded. “I am awake now. I am once more Kukulkan,” he said. “Just as she will soon be awake.”
“What have you done to her?” Kei asked. He managed to push slowly back to his feet, even as sweat rolled down his face and tears welled in his eyes.
“Exactly what you asked me to do, and what she will ask me to do soon enough. I’m opening the seal and allowing your go
d to return to this world,” Kukulkan said.
“But what happens to Ji-ann?” Kei asked. “Tell me!”
“Exactly what your precious scrolls say. The Serif-fan returns to the stars whence she came, and all that nonsense,” Kukulkan sighed. “It’s not my fault your priests forgot to mention what happens to her body. Speaking of which, please make sure she is prepared properly and brought to my chambers as soon as possible. It’s been so long since I last met my bride—”
“You bastard!” Kei howled as he broke free and slashed Kukulkan across the face. The god backhanded him against the wall with a flick of his wrist. He wiped his cheek and stared at the smear of red on his fingers while Kei collapsed in a heap once more.
Kukulkan leaned down and frowned at the dazed—but still bristling—cat-man. He shook his head. “You are really rather stubborn, aren’t you, Kei?” he asked. “Still, we never would have made it this far without you, Zhanfos. I do remember you too.”
“You are not Eon,” Kei growled.
“Correct. I thought I stated that quite clearly,” Kukulkan said. “Still, my host respected you, even regarded you as a friend. So I will make certain that you are quite well cared for, as will my sister. Well . . . his sister. Won’t you, Mihasu?”
“Yes, my lord,” she said, head bowed.
“No!” Kei snapped. “This is not right. I will—”
This time Kukulkan hit Kei with enough force to knock him out.
“This isn’t right,” Jenn said as she bolted out of bed. She rubbed her forehead and paused as she felt the smooth, unblemished skin. Her partner groaned in bed.
“What is it, baby?” Ian asked, rubbing his eyes. He yawned and rolled over so he could stroke her bare back. “Is it the same nightmare?”
