This was not one of those times. Even with power, control, and the remnants of the event in hand, I couldn't shove my way back. That Path remained in the present.
"I don't hear anyone," Logan said. If anything, this only appeared to make him warier.
His voice snapped me back to the present, which was probably a good thing, as I was already starting to feel run down.
"There may be nothing to hear," I said, watching the colors swirl together and disappear in a shimmering rush.
"Whoa now, partner, I'm not sure I follow," Logan said. His cowboy slang and tone were back. A sure sign that his tension was draining away.
"I don't understand it myself. With the power displayed there should be traces of the person that left it. I’d expect to see signs of it for days, or even weeks." I wandered out of the room, watching the flows. On the stairs, the marks remained.
"You're saying there's no Path?"
"There's a Path, but it's..." Slowly I started up the stairs. "It sits there, protected by something. As soon as that something is used up, everything flows away."
"Be careful," Logan said, his gun still drawn, "we don't know what we're facing here."
This time I studied the energy. "When I touched the thing in Gran's bedroom, it released its remaining power. When I made contact again, it used itself up and immediately started to wither away."
"What is it and where's it gone to?" Logan asked.
"I don't see anything that may have left it here. No one walked up here and dropped it off. It didn't arrive from anywhere that I can tell."
"You're saying whatever this is, it appeared out of nowhere?"
"It's starting to die away on its own now too," I said, ignoring the question. "Brace yourself." Before the red marks unraveled, I plunged my hand in. Redirecting the flow was easier this time. The same buzz ran through me. Almost like a small jolt of electricity.
When it was gone, I started to sway. I'd burned through too much power too fast.
"Time to come back," Logan said. There was a strain in his voice.
Biting my lip, I took one last look around. "Wait! There's something else here." In the living room, the Path was weaving around a spot.
"There's no waiting this morning," Logan said. "You're already spent."
"Okay, but remember this spot," I said and wobbled down the stairs towards the bend in the Path.
"Cassie, Rider's not around if you can't get yourself out of the Path." There was real worry in his voice.
"Right here," I said, pointing at the bundle. "Don't touch it, and remember where it is."
"Got it," Logan said.
I took a few steps and gripped the side of the couch. Closing my eyes, I began to drive the Path away. Again, I had expected a struggle, like at the construction site. I won't say it was easy, but I was able to shove back the roaring flow.
When I opened my eyes, I staggered. The world looked almost colorless. Even worse, I hurt like mad. The Path had kept the pain at bay, but it was now back with a vengeance.
"You're sure there's nothing else in the house?" Logan asked.
"There may be more of these," I said, motioning to empty air. "But I didn't see any traces of anything living moving around."
"And you're sure you would have seen something?"
"Even a bread knife that hasn't been used in years would leave a Path that would last a day or more. I don't see anything."
Logan relaxed a bit more. "I'm going to call in Rider to see if he can find anything. It wouldn't be bad to have Vincent here as well. Things appearing out of nowhere seems like something a Walker may have experience with."
"You think a Walker might be able to do something like this?" The thought was unsettling.
"I'm not sure, but Vincent should know. He might even know if we’ve woken up the wrong passenger." Logan must have seen the confusion on my face. "We may have ticked off the Walkers. They might want retaliation for what we did this past spring."
I cringed. A few months ago, we had trapped a Walker inside a stone statue, which was now hidden in my sock drawer. He was a terrible man, responsible for the deaths of many Lost and the shredded remains of their souls, which now resided in me.
"Let's get some coffee in you and see if we can't perk you up." Logan started heading to the kitchen.
"Wait! What if there are more of those things around?"
Logan froze.
"If this," I motioned to the air, "is one of those things, maybe I should check the Path for more."
"After yesterday, we shouldn’t risk it. I didn't think we were going to get you back."
It was a valid concern. Other Readers have followed the Path straight into death. They may not have even noticed it happening. "Do we have any other options?"
Logan studied me. "You were laying on the ground when I came in. On the phone, it sounded like it threw you back like it did me in the other room."
"Yeah, down the stairs," I said.
"When you touched it again, it should have thrown us both back again, but didn't."
"I bent the Path around us."
Logan nodded. "We can try another way. Call the others in." He hesitated, then walked into the kitchen and picked up the closest chair. He waved the chair through the air as though it weighed nothing, and started moving around the room.
Some of my anxiety faded as I watched the display. Logan swept his makeshift weapon under the table and triggered the remains of what had moved the chairs. It knocked his chair away, but he kept hold. Then he made his way over to the coffee maker and started it up. He was every bit a lion tamer without a lion.
While watching Logan clear the rest of the kitchen, I called Rider.
"Good morning," Rider said with far too much enthusiasm. Like Logan, he was a morning person.
"Hey, are you all headed to work yet?" I thought I managed kept my voice even, but Rider must have sensed something.
"What is wrong?" he asked.
"I had a little trouble at the house this morning. I was hoping that you and Vincent would stop by."
"We are already on the way. Vincent said we needed to be there."
Of course he did. I wonder how much he still feels through the piece of my soul inside him.
"Thank you," I said. "I'll see you all soon."
What I needed was coffee and lots of it. Typically, I drank it with sugar, but to get back my strength quickly, I kept it black, not wanting to spend the time doctoring it up.
Gran's cat came over and wrapped himself around my leg. Feeling shocked by the change in affections, I petted the cat carefully and made sure he had food and water.
Logan stood at the wide opening between the kitchen and the living room. His ears were still stretched to their points.
"Do you hear anything?" I asked.
"Nothing," Logan said.
Some of my tension had already died. I was fairly sure now that there was no one in the house.
"It's a good thing Margaret wasn't here," Logan said.
Picturing Gran flying through the air was awful. Fear and the remaining anxiety bled away leaving anger in its wake.
"That could have killed her." Knowing he had taken a hit, I added, "Are you alright?"
"Only a tumble. You?"
I shrugged. "That could have really hurt Gran."
Logan nodded. "I'm going to check the rest of the house."
"Leave the spot in the living room alone."
Chapter 8
Logan audibly made his way through the house. Twice I heard a crash. Each time, I jumped up to bolt out of the room, but Logan would announce he was fine before I made it far.
I worked steadily through several cups of coffee in my quest to feel human again. reading the Path when it was that energetic used way too much power.
When the doorbell rang, Logan called that he'd get it. Soon after, Rider and Vincent made their way to the kitchen, followed closely by Logan.
"I found two more. Left the one in the living room. They wer
e all on the ground level, except the one on the stairs," Logan said.
"What's going on?" Vincent asked.
I shook my head. "First, I want to see if Rider can tell if someone was in the house."
"Someone came in without permission?" Rider asked. He sounded confused and angry.
I hesitated and looked at Logan. "Um, we're not exactly sure yet. There's a spot in the living room to avoid, but maybe you or Vincent might sense something."
"Me?" Vincent asked. His eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "I'm not sure there is anything I would be able to sense."
His confusion was evident. Logan and Rider had both mentioned Vincent's expressionless face in the past. For me, his face usually gave him away.
"We have a few questions to that end," Logan said. "If a Walker went from the space between dimensions, could he, or she I guess, come out anywhere?"
Vincent's expression grew dark. "You think a Walker was here?" Even without the Path open, I could feel his anger start to build.
"Maybe not," I said quickly, "but, if they did, would you be able to sense it?"
Vincent's eyes turned black. I had never seen them change color so fast. The emotion hit me, and I sucked in a deep breath, attempting to maintain control and trying not to be thrown into the Path.
"Rider, we need to check the house now." Vincent stalked out of the room.
"Wait a minute," I called.
Rider paused, but Vincent continued.
"Dammit," I muttered, jumping up and running to the living room.
Vincent was half-way up the stairs.
"Logan, do you remember where the spot was?" I asked.
He showed me.
"Rider, do you mind looking around? Avoid this spot and don't step near it." I stood next to the invisible bundle of energy, ensuring my friends didn't walk into it.
He nodded and set to work, making his way around the first floor. When he started up the stairs, he stopped. From where he stood, I could tell it was about where I had run into whatever was on the stairs.
"What is it, Rider?" I asked.
"What is what?" he asked.
"You stopped. I wanted to know what you found," I said.
"Only an odd smell. It does not belong to anything and is very faint." Rider's nostrils flared. "Old...but also new." He shrugged his shoulders and continued upstairs.
"Why don't you let me keep an eye on these two? Maybe get yourself another cup of coffee," Logan said.
It was on the tip of my tongue to say I didn't mind, but when I looked at him, I could tell he was worried. "Sure," I said. I took a last look up the stairs before retreating to the kitchen.
After pouring myself the remaining liquid happiness, I started a new pot. Waiting patiently wasn't my strong suit.
Rider didn't take too much longer to go through the house. When I heard him and Logan talking in the living room, I joined them.
"Did you find anything?" I asked. I wasn't sure what I wanted to hear. Either way, it wouldn't be good news.
"I found nothing I would not expect to find. The one odd smell was in a few different areas. This world can be full of strange smells," Rider said.
Vincent joined us from Gran's bedroom. His eyes were no longer flat black, but he still radiated fury.
"I didn't find any traces," Vincent said.
That made me feel lighter. "That's a relief."
He shook his head. "I would not necessarily find traces. It's a matter of skill with the Walker."
The relief was short lived. If it was a Walker, it was a skilled one.
"Could a Walker send something through to this dimension without crossing over?" Logan asked.
Vincent appeared to think that over. "In theory, it should be possible, though I've never tried. Was something left behind?"
Logan and I gave him a quick rundown of what had happened.
"What made you call Logan in the first place?" Vincent asked.
"The chairs in the kitchen had all been moved," I said.
"The one here in the living room is still around?" Vincent asked.
"Let's find out," I said. Logan started to say something, but I cut him off. "I should only need to open a small part of the Path to see."
Closing my eyes, I imagined a dam holding back the torrential Path. When I mentally stretched into the Path, the world shimmered once again, but the flowing overlay moved gently. The smoothness was similar to how the Path looked last year before my soul had been broken and my power went out of control.
Rider shivered as the Path opened around him. Somehow as a werewolf, he could sense the Path when I opened myself to it.
Logan's Path was hidden now, but Rider's was visible. My soul sometimes acted strangely when I looked at Vincent's present Path, so I avoided it. Instead, I focused on the burning form hanging in mid-air.
"It's still here," I pointed, moving my finger as close to it as I could without touching it, "but it's starting to bulge."
"What do you mean?" Logan asked.
"It's like the red twined energy is holding the other back, but it's losing its grip."
"Perhaps you should move away from it," Vincent said.
"If you two don't sense anything, maybe we should set it off?" I suggested.
"No," Vincent said.
"Hold your horses," Logan said. "Cassie has a good point. Maybe you could find something if it’s in motion."
Logan was generally our lead when we work together. Vincent and Rider must have come to some sort of silent agreement while I watched our target.
"Do you think you can spread the effect like last time, Cassie?" Logan asked.
"Sure, let me know when you all are ready," I said. There was really nothing they had to do, but I needed the few seconds to open the Path entirely.
A gradual change would have been nice. Imagining the mental dam opening up and letting the Path through sounded great in theory. In practice, the moment I put a chink in that wall, it came crashing down. The torrent rolled over me.
"Go for it when you're ready," Logan said.
I sensed Logan and Rider tense. Vincent shifted closer. Focusing my strength as a Reader firmly on the present, I touched the red-striped energy.
Raw power exploded out. It took more effort to make the Path curve around multiple people, while still assuring they received some effect. Once the power had extended itself, I was tempted to try to follow its Path back to when it was created. It may have been my last chance, but I knew I was pushing my limits already. I did a quick scan of the room before forcing the crushing tide away.
When the world turned listless, I went straight for the coffee, grateful that I had another pot already waiting.
"Did either of you sense anything?" Logan asked as they followed me into the kitchen.
"Nothing," Vincent said, "but if it was a Walker, once again, I may not notice."
"Think there's someone upset about this spring?" Logan asked.
Vincent shrugged. "If they had some knowledge about the events, it's possible."
"Have you heard anything from other Walkers? Has anyone mentioned it?" Logan asked.
"I've been out of touch," Vincent said. He looked ill at ease with the way the conversation was going.
"Are there—"
"What about Rider?" I said, interrupting Logan. "Did you sense anything?" I thought I saw Vincent give me a small look of gratitude, but he looked away too quickly for me to tell for sure.
Rider was concentrating hard on his own coffee and had been quiet since we entered the kitchen.
"Rider?" I asked.
He looked like he was about to say something, then stopped. After a few moments, he tried again. "There is a similarity to something that I am familiar with."
"From your world?" I asked.
"It did not originate in my world. I am not sure where it originated."
We gave him space to continue, but when he didn't seem interested in going further, Logan asked, "What is this similar to?"
"Magic," Rider said.
I frowned, not quite following.
"Similar, but not the same?" Logan asked.
"I have not experienced it in this dimension. I am not sure if it would be the same," Rider said.
"You're saying this might be magic?" I asked. "As in witchcraft or Harry Houdini?"
Rider shook his head. "I do not know Houdini, and to my knowledge, I have never met a witch. This was similar to a warlock."
"Warlock?" Vincent said. I think even Logan and Rider heard his skepticism.
"I haven't seen any in this world," Logan said. "AIR doesn't have any mention of them."
"You've checked the AIR records?" I asked. "For a warlock?"
"They're nasty pieces of work," Logan said. "One warlock could do a hell of a lot of damage."
Logan and Rider fell silent. I looked at Vincent. My eyebrow raised mirroring his own disbelief.
"You two are saying that warlocks exist. That magic exists," I said.
"Lots of dimensions use magic," Logan said dismissively. "It's the warlock part that concerns me."
"How could I have been in this job for this long and not know that magic exists?" I asked.
"It's not something a Lost is going to stand up and announce," Logan said.
"What do we do?" Vincent asked.
"Do? I'm not sure there's anything we can do," Logan said.
"Move?" Rider suggested.
He didn't look like he was joking. "What? I'm not moving!"
"I don't think there's reason to get out Dodge," Logan said.
That helped me relax a bit.
"A warlock would find her anyway," Logan said.
Great, I shouldn't move because it would do no good.
"Still, if this is a warlock, what happened this morning was little stuff." Logan looked apprehensive as he continued. "More of a hello, than an attack."
Rider looked mournfully at the table.
"But it might not be a warlock?" I asked. The way they were acting was unnerving.
"If not, it is something similar," Rider said.
"What do warlocks do?" Vincent asked. "What can we do to prevent them from becoming more aggressive?"
"They do whatever they want,” Logan said. “The ones that I've had the displeasure of meeting have been sadistic bastards. What I want to know is how you managed to get on the wrong side of one?"
AIR Series Box Set Page 68
