by Alex Siegel
"What's your gift?" Ipo said. "I never heard."
"You want to see?"
"Sure."
The whites of Boreas' eyes had a slight blue tint. They darkened to the color of the sky, and Ipo felt painful cold sweep through his body. The heat was sucked out as if by an invisible vacuum cleaner. His muscles immediately became flaccid, and he collapsed to the floor. He was reduced to a shivering, helpless heap.
Boreas stood over Ipo. "It's effective, isn't it?"
Ipo couldn't answer at first. Finally, he chattered, "Yes...s...s."
"Can you pick out specific targets?" Atalanta said.
Boreas faced her. "Yes, and I can hit several at once, but my range is twenty feet."
"A great gift."
"Thank you."
"What's your background?" Atalanta said.
"I was an arctic wildlife scientist before I joined the Society. I've always had a thing for cold. These days, my normal body temperature is 85 degrees."
"Wow."
Ipo felt like his body temperature was that low at the moment, but after a few minutes, he warmed up enough that he could move. Boreas helped Ipo to his feet. Ipo stood unsteadily on legs that refused to stop shaking.
Boreas patted Ipo on the shoulder, almost knocking him down. "Are you OK?"
"I'll live," Ipo mumbled. It would probably be hours before he felt normal again.
He staggered over to the couch in the living room and sat heavily. The warm, soft cushions were a relief.
Hanley entered headquarters and came straight over.
"Why are you sitting?" he said to Ipo. "Get up! We have an exhibit to prepare."
Ipo gave Hanley a dark look.
* * *
Early morning sunlight woke Marina. Cracks in the walls of the hut and a gap around the door allowed plenty of light and chilly air to leak in. It was almost like sleeping outdoors.
Olivia was still asleep. Marina looked at the girl's beautiful little face and felt a nurturing instinct she had thought was long dead. Marina would miss Olivia dearly once she returned to 1936, but there wasn't much choice. 2014 was a nightmare. If Marina stayed much longer, she would go completely insane.
Marina tried not to wake Olivia as she got out of bed. Marina went outside, looked around, and spotted an outhouse. She used it despite the foul odor emanating from the toilet. She had to wash her hands in a bucket of chilly water.
When she came out, Olivia was awake and wandering around. The girl also used the outhouse but complained about the stink the entire time. Marina smiled.
They went in search of Rachiel and found the witch in a nearby clearing. She was brewing her potion in a small copper pot on a bed of coals. The tools of her art covered a wooden table. There were candles, herbs, crystals, bowls, pestles, amulets, and other esoteric items. Two other witches were assisting Rachiel, and the three women were chanting in unison. They looked utterly exhausted. Clearly, they had been up all night.
"Almost done?" Marina said excitedly.
Rachiel gave her a weary smile. "Yes. One final spell should do it."
She poured a brown liquid from the pot into a wooden cup. Marina caught a whiff, and it smelled like turpentine.
"May the Mother Goddess and the Horned God imbue this potion with power," Rachiel intoned. "May the ingredients be pure and potent. May what must be done, be done." She gave the cup to Marina.
Marina stared at the sticky muck and wrinkled her nose.
"What's in this stuff?" She looked up at Rachiel.
"Just herbs and magic," the witch replied. "It's safe."
Marina had spent a lifetime studying the subtleties of body language and voice. She was a living lie detector, and tension around the eyes told her Rachiel was lying.
"Are you sure?" Marina said. "It smells like paint."
"It takes a powerful concoction to separate a spirit from a body."
The other two witches were also anxious. Something stank, and it wasn't just the potion.
"Will you take good care of Olivia when I'm gone?" Marina said.
"Of course," Rachiel said. "That was my plan all along. The girl must be kept safe and far from evil."
Marina narrowed her eyes. "I have to be sure. Olivia, darling, Rachiel looks tense. Could you help her relax? I'd like her to be completely open and honest with me."
Olivia walked over to the witch and said, "Let me touch your head."
Rachiel looked down at her. "Why? What are you going to do?"
"What's the problem?" Marina said. "You wanted the girl to demonstrate her power. It won't do you any harm, I promise."
Gnawing her lip, Rachiel knelt down. Olivia touched her forehead.
Rachiel wobbled back and forth. "Oh my..."
"Let's start again," Marina said. "What's in this potion?"
"Poison," Rachiel said softly. "My deadliest brew."
The other two witches looked at her with expressions of horror.
Marina carefully put the potion on the ground. "Why do you want to kill me?"
Rachiel's voice became distant. "You're the Lady of the Night. The Lady of Desolation. The Lady of Sorrow. You walk among the stars and bring terror to whoever you meet."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"And that's the Bride of Light." Rachiel looked at Olivia. "One day the whole world will love her. I had to save her from you."
"By poisoning me?" Marina said.
"It was the only way."
Marina rubbed her temples. She suddenly had a pounding headache. "What happened to sending me back to 1936?"
"You're a very sick woman," Rachiel said. "You didn't travel in time. Your scorched soul and beastly spirit belong in that body."
Marina drew a long knife from under her shirt. She intended to gut Rachiel like a fish.
Rachiel straightened. "I did what I felt was right, and I regret nothing. If I die here, so be it. At least I saw the Pathokinetic with my own eyes before I moved on."
Marina approached her menacingly.
"No!" Olivia stood in front of Rachiel. "Leave her alone!"
"Out of my way," Marina said. "She tried to kill me."
"To protect me. It's the same reason you killed all those men."
Marina looked at the girl for a long moment. Olivia had endured so much in the last couple of days. She didn't deserve to witness more death.
"Let's just go," she said. "Please. Rachiel is a very good person. I felt it in her mind."
Marina closed her eyes. It was difficult to let go of the bloodlust, but she would do it for Olivia.
"OK," Marina said finally. "We'll go."
Rachiel let out a deep sigh of relief.
Marina walked off, and Olivia ran to catch up with her.
Chapter Nineteen
Vulture looked across the table at Sheila. She had given her hair a fresh perm, and the blonde curls were tight and even. Lipstick made her lips cherry red. She was wearing a blue, satin nightgown which fit her slender body nicely.
They were eating breakfast in the master cabin onboard the Fearless Star. The wood paneling was beautiful, and the historic navigational instruments on the walls were elegant, but he was growing tired of the room. He wanted to go home. This operation was taking far too long, and every additional hour brought him closer to disaster.
Vulture knew the Gray Spear Society was up to something. They certainly weren't just sitting on their hands. Their first priority was finding and protecting Olivia, but after that goal was achieved, they would come after him.
"When will I see your castle?" Sheila said.
Vulture smiled condescendingly. "Soon."
"It must be amazing."
"Yes."
She sighed. "Oh, Edward, I wish I could tell the world about our love."
"In time, darling. Now finish your breakfast while I read my newspaper."
They were eating a light breakfast of poached eggs on English muffins. Fresh-baked chocolate croissants served as a side dish and a desse
rt. A fruit salad was the most exotic part of the meal, and it included jackfruit, fresh lychee, and dragon fruit.
Vulture was browsing a newspaper while he ate. He held it at an angle that would make it hard for Sheila to see the words. They would just upset her. As long as nothing conflicted with the lie stuck in her head, she would remain happy and sane.
He stopped when he reached a small advertisement for a new museum exhibit. The subject was King Edward the Eighth, and according to the ad, rarely seen artifacts would be on display. The exhibit would open tonight.
Vulture furrowed his brow at the remarkable coincidence. King Edward was a relatively minor historical figure whose most notable achievement was having a scandalous relationship with an American divorcée. His reign had lasted less than a year. Dedicating an entire exhibit to him was an odd choice to put it mildly.
After a moment of thought, Vulture realized the truth. The mysterious woman also believed she was King Edward's consort. She would see the ads and be drawn irresistibly to the exhibit, and Olivia would come with her. The Gray Spear Society had arranged the whole thing.
Vulture stood up. "I have to get back to work, dear. I'll see you later."
Sheila pouted. "But you haven't finished eating, and we don't spend enough time together. I never see you during the day at all."
"A king's duty comes first." He blew her a kiss.
He hurried out the door.
He jogged to the command and control room, entered, and looked around. All six control consoles had operators in red uniforms. Televisions on the walls showed news feeds, social media channels, and other sources of information about the Bay Area.
Vulture went to the operator responsible for combat unit deployment and tactics. He was directly in charge of the Guardians of the Pit. He was a tall, lanky man, and the arms of his uniform were a bit short. Thick, straight hair made him seem even taller.
Vulture put down the newspaper and pointed to the advertisement. "We're going to have a battle there. I need an immediate tactical analysis."
The operator called up a satellite photo of the area where the exhibit would take place. It was near one of the salt marshes at the south end of the San Francisco Bay. The marshes were actually a wildlife refuge which served millions of migratory birds, but Vulture didn't care about them despite his name.
The operator pointed to one building in particular. It was square, white, and just one story tall. Baseball fields surrounded the building on all four sides.
"It's a community center in a public park, sir," he said. "Surrounded by open space. Guarded on the north by marsh. It will be very difficult to approach without being seen."
Vulture frowned at the photo. The area was just grass, dirt, and parking lots. A few, scattered trees were strictly decorative and would offer little useful cover. A swimming pool was some distance away, and there were bushes along the perimeter. To reach the building, his men would have to cross a wide open killing field.
An avenue traversed the southern edge of the park, and there were office buildings on the other side. Empty fields were to the east and west.
"The target is going there tonight."
"I suggest we intercept the girl before she reaches the building," the operator said.
"A roadblock would be too visible," Vulture said. "The enemy would destroy it, or it would scare off the girl. We'll have to let her in before we close the trap."
"We could just blow up the whole area with a big bomb. I'm sure you could arrange such a thing, sir."
"Somebody would have to confirm the girl is there first. We need spies in the building."
The operator stared at the photo with a perplexed expression. "The spies will be killed."
"Of course," Vulture said.
* * *
Marina was profoundly depressed. She was driving along Interstate 280 with no particular destination in mind. Traffic was moving briskly, she had a lovely view of green mountains, and the weather couldn't have been better, but none of these facts improved her mood.
"Where are we going?" Olivia said from the back seat of the black Escalade.
"Nowhere," Marina muttered.
"We have to go somewhere."
"You pick."
"Last night, you said Marina is the commander of a secret team of fighters," Olivia said. "Maybe we can visit them. I bet they'll help us. We need help."
"No." Marina shook her head violently. "Absolutely not."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm Sheila, not Marina. If I let Marina see her friends, she might take control. Sheila would disappear forever. I have to keep Marina squashed down all the time, and it's getting harder. She fights like a demon."
"Stop the car," Olivia said. "Stop it now."
"Huh?" Marina glanced back. "Why?"
Olivia jumped forward and put her little hand on Marina's temple. Suddenly, Marina felt an overwhelming wave of contentment, and she would do anything that was asked of her. She just wanted to be friends with everybody.
"Because I need to talk to you," Olivia said. "Stop the car."
Marina pulled over and parked on the shoulder. A steep hill prevented her from getting completely out of the traffic lane, but she had no choice. Her ability to argue was gone. She settled back and allowed a profound feeling of peacefulness to wash over her.
"Tell me about Marina's team."
"The Gray Spear Society," Marina said softly. "They fight on behalf of God. We were ordered to protect you."
"Me?" Olivia squeaked in a tone of surprise.
"Yes."
"By who? God?"
"No," Marina replied sluggishly. "A boy named Wesley."
"Why?"
"You're special, and he's a prophet. He knew you would need us."
Marina was struggling to regain control. She didn't like being made to answer questions, especially these questions.
"He knew my parents would be killed?" Olivia said.
"Possibly. His power is scary."
"He's another monster like me?"
"Yes. The Society is made of monsters, but we take care of each other."
Marina summoned strength from deep down inside. Rising anger added fuel to a fire that burned away the fog in her mind. She put the car into gear and drove away.
"Hey!" Olivia said. "I didn't tell you to drive."
"I didn't ask permission," Marina growled, "and if you touch me like that again, I'll break your arms. That's not a threat. It's a promise."
"But I was just..."
"I don't care! I'm starting to understand why your parents never let you out."
Olivia became silent. Marina glanced at the rearview mirror and saw tears on the girl's cheeks. Marina was too furious to care.
Eventually, hunger forced her to pull off the highway. Neither of them had eaten breakfast, and the morning was already half-over.
Marina found a nice coffee shop in Los Altos which served pastries and sandwiches. She avoided eye contact with Olivia as they went inside.
The interior used dark wood finishes, and the place smelled like fresh coffee. Marina ordered a raspberry-flavored cappuccino, a spinach croissant, a strawberry tart, and baklava. It was a bizarre combination, but she wasn't in a rational mood. Olivia ordered hot chocolate and a scrambled egg sandwich.
They received their food and settled into big, leather chairs. Other people in the shop were using phones, tablets, or laptops. They were interacting with their devices instead of each other.
A television on the wall was showing the news. The sound was off, but Marina could read the closed captioning. She wasn't surprised to see ongoing coverage of the recent mass murders in the Bay Area. The "experts" were proposing ridiculous and totally inaccurate explanations. Of course, the truth was even stranger.
A brief advertisement appeared describing a special exhibit which was opening that night. It was about King Edward the Eighth and included artifacts from his life. Marina's eyes widened. The ad showed images of English nobility, and on
e of the men looked exactly like Aaron, but it had to be a coincidence. The fifteen second ad left her gaping.
"What?" Olivia said. "Did you see something on TV?"
"There is an exhibit about King Edward. We're going tonight."
"A museum exhibit?"
"I think so," Marina said. "I have to see it."
She suddenly had a pounding headache. She had something critically important to say, but she refused to say it. The inner conflict made her grit her teeth.
"You're in pain," Olivia said.
Marina tried to control her facial expressions. "No. I'm fine."
"Please, talk to me."
Seeing Aaron's face had shaken Marina to the core.
"It's a trap," she blurted.
"Why?" Olivia said.
"An exhibit about King Edward? Here and now? Obviously, it's targeted at me."
"Maybe your friends made the exhibit."
"Or it could be our enemies," Marina said, "but I have to go."
"But you know it's a trap."
"I have to go! I have to learn more about Edward."
Olivia cocked her head. "Don't you already know about him?"
"Well, uh, we just met once. Actually, I saw him, but he never saw me."
Olivia stared.
"It doesn't change the fact that we're in love," Marina said.
"I don't understand. You're definitely crazy."
Marina stiffened. "I'm going, and that's final. You don't have to come if you think it's too dangerous. Stay here."
"You're leaving me?"
"Well..."
"My parents are dead," Olivia said. "The rest of my family is scared of me. Dangerous men want to kidnap me, and I can't even go to the police. You're all I have."
The expression on her beautiful, little face was too much for Marina to bear. The guilt was overwhelming.
"What about the Gray Spear Society?" Olivia murmured. "You said they would protect me."
Marina looked at the people around them. "Hush! Let's talk outside."
They left the coffee shop. A bright sun in a clear sky was warming the air, but it wasn't hot. The still air in Santa Clara Valley was getting hazy, and she wished for a fresh breeze.
When they were alone in the parking lot, Marina said, "Never use that name in public. The Society really doesn't like any kind of publicity."
