by D. C. Akers
“Mom, what … what is that?” Sarah whispered. Alisa could feel her daughter trembling as she touched her shoulder. Sarah was beginning to become unhinged. Travis reached over next to the fireplace with one hand and grabbed a shovel from the collection of fireplace tools that hung suspended on a pewter stand. With the other hand he gently pushed Sarah behind him. Sarah looked at Travis and hesitated, unsure what to do.
“I’m not going to let anything hurt you,” Travis said. His tone was absolute. She nodded, somewhat shocked, and stepped behind Travis who turned and stood resolute in front of her. Not knowing what to do, Sam did the same and grabbed the poker from the fireplace, holding it out in front of him.
The flashes of light from the cocoon began to dissipate; one by one each stream of light was silenced by the darkness, leaving only the tall ominous figure standing in front of them. The room fell silent except for a slow methodical hiss reverberating from the dark creature.
It was tall and extremely muscular. It had a flat black exoskeleton with overlapping scales that covered its entire body like a snake. Alisa stepped back as the menacing creature stepped forward. Its red reptilian eyes pierced the dark hood that hung like a veil, concealing its face in shadow.
Sarah was the first to react when she saw the creature in its full form. Her shaking hand grabbed Travis’s arm.
“That’s no spider,” she whispered. Her voice was quivering and her eyes were wide and fixed at the bottom of the creature’s traveling cloak. It was moving, writhing back and forth in a serpentine motion around its feet as if it were alive.
A hand, the size of a normal man’s, firmly gripped a staff. Part of the creature’s black glove was torn up to its forearm, revealing sallow skin that was cracked and weathered like rotted wood. Its fingernails were long and stained with blood.
The creature’s staff was a twisted, tangled array of human bone and dark wood. The pommel was a single protruding serpent with eyes made of crimson gemstones that flickered in the dim light.
Alisa stared in horror; her heart was racing, adrenaline pumped through her body, and her senses were as alive as they had ever been.
“No,” she said, “it … it can’t be.”
Sarah’s grip tightened around Travis’s arm. He was tense but if he was scared he didn’t show it in his face. He seemed intent on protecting her and that gave Sarah the courage to speak.
“Mom,” she asked softly, “what does it want with us?”
Alisa stared in disbelief at the creature she had helped to eradicate so long ago. Its menacing form was all too familiar from her days of battle in the Great War. But here it was in her home—a Viper, and it was alive.
“Sarah, don’t speak. None of you move,” Alisa commanded. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Suppression keeps you calm; calm places you in control, she thought to herself.
“You will not hurt my children!” she said sharply to the creature in front of her.
The Viper stood motionless, its eyes moving slowly back and forth between her and the children. Its bloodcurdling hiss was once again the only audible sound in the room.
Alisa was running out of time; that much she knew. The Viper was sizing her up and soon it would unleash its dark magic on both her and the children. She could not let that happen, she told herself. She would have to hold it off and buy time for Xavier to break the spell. He was out there and he was trying to save her, she had to believe that. Without that, there was no hope of survival.
Alisa eyed the Viper’s flowing black cloak gliding on the floor as if a gentle breeze were blowing it. But there was no breeze; the cloak was alive, and it was just one of the many weapons the Viper had at its disposal.
A low guttural growl resonated from deep within the Viper’s throat, then suddenly its blood red eyes locked on Alisa. The cloak quickly fanned out over the floor in two separate strands, one to each side of the Viper. Alisa braced herself as the strands grew in size, elongating themselves into something she most certainly recognized—snakes.
Black keeled scales glistened in the dim light as two serpents the size of pythons positioned themselves next to their master. Triangle-shaped heads with crimson eyes swayed back and forth, hissing, ready to attack.
Sarah moved closer to Travis, trying to shield herself from the snakes. With her free hand she gripped the back of his t-shirt so tightly she thought she might pull it off. It was all she could do to keep from screaming and making a run for it.
Without thinking, Sam threw the poker he had been holding at one of the snakes. With incredible speed, the snake struck at the poker, its mouth open and its fangs protruding. Its jaws closed on impact as its powerful muscles contracted and snapped the weapon in half like a brittle piece of wood.
The second snake reared its head, ready to attack. Sarah screamed out, no longer able to hold it in. She ducked behind Travis and squeezed her eyes shut. All at once a loud rumble shook the walls of the house. Hanging picture frames fell to the ground, shattering on impact. In the kitchen, cabinets swung open as dishes slid from their shelves, crashing to the floor. The sound of pipes bursting rang out as water gushed from the walls and kitchen sink in tight thin streams, spraying everything in the vicinity.
Alisa looked to Sarah knowing her daughter was responsible for the water. She herself had done the same thing as a teenager prior to training. Uncontrolled emotions and an affinity for the elements was like fire and ice. They were polar opposites and a recipe for disaster if left unchecked. Sarah had no way to temper herself in the power of the element she was unknowingly Calling. Startled, the Viper lowered itself in a defensive position, its staff positioned across its body. The two snakes quickly recoiled next to their master, poised for another strike.
This is my chance, Alisa thought. “Stay behind me!” she told the children. Quickly, she swung her hand forward as if she was reaching out for something in front of her.
“Nara!” she yelled, her voice clear and precise.
Behind the Viper, the door of the grandfather clock swung open, revealing a large staff. It flew from its slender crevice, soaring into the air, past the Viper, and toward Alisa.
The children ducked as the staff flew in their direction. Alisa caught it readily in one hand, spinning it around until it was pointed directly at the Viper.
Awestruck, Sarah fell to the ground, staring at the small sapphire sphere at the end of her mother’s staff. More pipes burst in the kitchen and the walls rumbled once more.
Chapter 9
Before the Viper could react, a large eruption of blue energy burst from Alisa’s staff. Streaking across the room in the blink of an eye, it struck the Viper dead center in its chest and exploded in a barrage of pale blue and blinding white light. The blast lifted the creature off its feet and sent it flailing backward into the hallway.
The Viper landed with a thud as it crashed into the staircase. Its body thrashed violently; something was spreading over its armor, moving rapidly like a parasite attacking its host. White vapors began to plume from its body. The Viper stiffened, his range of motion dwindling as blue and white ice covered his body. The ice was so cold it seemed to be burning through the bone-like armor of the Viper and into its flesh. It roared in agony before bursting into crimson flames and vanishing into thin air. Flurries of dark ash drifted to the ground where it had lain.
Travis stared at Alisa in disbelief and then turned to Sam. Their eyes met and at that very moment they knew. The box, the letter, the elemental symbols, it all made sense now. Alisa Dalcome knew magic and she could use it!
A roguish grin spread across Travis’s face.
“Dude, your mom’s a Jedi,” he whispered to Sam.
Sam didn’t reply. He could only stare wide-eyed at the weapon his mother was holding. Her staff was positioned beneath her right arm as if she were holding a large rifle. Blue and white wisps of vapor trailed from the end of sapphire stone like smoke from a gun.
The gemstone was held in place by three prongs
in the shape of a lion, a goat, and a snake.
The three animals resonated with Sam, but he didn’t know why, not at first. Then it came to him—his Greek mythology report from last year. It was a chimera, a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. But a chimera could be any variety of three animals, he remembered.
It was so strange to see his mother standing there holding something so otherworldly in her hands. It reminded Sam of how much he didn’t know about his mother and her past. It also reminded him that what he did know was probably a lie. Sam’s chest tightened at the thought; it pained him to think she didn’t trust him.
The sound of water spewing from the pipes brought Sam back to the here and now. He looked over at Travis who stood motionless, searching for anything out for the ordinary now that the Viper was gone.
“Mom …” Sarah whispered, still sitting on the floor next to the fireplace. “How, did you do that? How did you make that thing fly?” Sarah’s voice seemed calm but she was far from that, Sam noticed. Her pupils were dilated to the point where her eyes almost looked black.
Alisa didn’t answer; her face was stern and focused. Her eyes moved from side to side, scanning the room, searching for any trace of the Viper.
Travis reached down and held out his hand to Sarah. “Come on, let me help you up.” But Sarah didn’t move. She just continued to stare at her mother.
“Sarah,” Travis whispered, “take my hand. It’s okay.” Finally Travis’s voice broke her reverie. Shaking her head, Sarah slowly placed her hand in his. She was still trembling. Travis lifted her to her feet and then looked her in the eyes.
“We are going to be okay, you hear me?” It took a second, but finally Sarah nodded. Travis smiled reassuringly.
“Mom, are you okay?” Sam asked, but Alisa still did not answer. “Mom?” Sam asked again.
“Stay behind me. Do not move from my side,” she said sternly, still staring ahead.
“I think you killed it, Mom,” Sarah said, holding onto Travis's arm and peering over his shoulder.
“No, it’s still here, I can feel it,” Alisa whispered back.
There was a bright flash from the kitchen followed by a crack. The circuit popped and all the lights went out. Immediately the sapphire gem on Alisa’s staff illuminated, immersing the room in a blue tinge.
“Mom …” Sarah gasped.
Alisa’s stare intensified as if she saw something the others couldn’t. “Nara,” she whispered, “it’s here, close by. I can feel it moving against the air. Do you feel it?”
But no one answered, at least no one Sam could hear.
“Mom,” Sam whispered, “who are you talking to?”
“Shhhhh,” Alisa snapped.
Sam looked over at Travis and Sarah, but all he could see were the whites of their eyes, intensified by the blue glow of his mother’s staff.
Sam looked down and watched his mother reposition her grip on the staff. It was at that moment he saw the staff vibrate.
“I’m scared,” Sarah said softy, reaching down and taking Travis’s hand. Travis had been scanning the room closely but he stopped when he felt Sarah’s hand on his. He looked back at Sarah, who stared back at him.
“Sorry,” she whispered, her eyes pleading with his.
Travis squeezed her hand gently. “We’re going to be okay,” he said again.
Alisa had not spoken for the past few minutes; she and Nara were too busy scrutinizing the dark room, looking for the Viper. Her grip on Nara tightened as she braced herself for the inevitable.
Then out of nowhere came a hiss from the darkness just beyond the hallway. Alisa turned, Nara flashed, and a crack like a whip rang out around the room.
Sam felt a gust of wind erupt from his mother’s staff, followed by a loud explosion on the other side of the room. Shards of polished wood, vertical spindles, and pieces of the handrail from the staircase blew back into the living room where they stood.
Sarah yelped and squeezed Travis so tightly his hand started to turn blue. The sounds of wood creaking and pipes bending could be heard from the second floor and water began to drip from the ceiling.
“Sarah, listen to me,” Alisa finally said. Her voice was soft but stern. “You must suppress your fear. You need to remain calm. Calm places you in control.”
Those words, her mother had said something like that before. “What? Mom, I … I don’t understand,” Sarah stammered.
Alisa moved Nara from side to side in a sweeping motion, trying to feel the Viper on the air. “Yes you do. You know what I’m talking about. You can feel it—you can feel the water.”
Hearing this, Sam and Travis looked at one another; Travis raised one eyebrow and Sam shrugged his shoulders, baffled.
But Sarah wasn’t baffled. She was scared. But she knew her mother was right. She could definitely feel something. It was as if the water was an extension of her body that she could not control. Like an arm or leg that would jerk on its own and she was powerless stop it. She could feel the water but she could not move it. It was below her in the ground. She could feel it above her too. It was everywhere. She could feel the moisture in the air moving all around them. It was like a sixth sense that had finally awakened within her.
“Sarah?” her mother said. “Concentrate.”
Sarah’s mind was racing now and her heartbeat began to quicken. Her anxiety was taking over. She didn’t know if she could do this, not on her own. She didn’t know how.
But there was no mistaking the urge from within; it was pulling at her, wanting her to connect with it. Sarah swallowed hard and tried to relax by taking deep breaths through her nose but it wasn’t working. She was too scared.
“I can’t do it, Mom! I can’t! I’m sorry!”
“Sarah, calm down, it’s okay,” her mother said. Then suddenly Alisa’s head snapped to the left.
“Quickly,” she said, “Everyone take my hand, it’s coming!” Alisa held out her hand. Sam, Sarah, and Travis looked at one another, frightened. “Quickly,” Alisa said again, “take my hand!” Together they placed their hands on hers, just as a blaze of green fire burst from the darkness and sped toward them.
Instantly, everything went dark as their surroundings were swallowed up into a single flash of blue light from Alisa’s staff. Sam felt like he was falling off a cliff. His stomach dropped, followed by a wave of pressure so vast he thought his bones would split from his skin. He gritted his teeth; he could barely breathe. He saw nothing but darkness, then all at once a small sliver of blue light reappeared in the distance. Suddenly Sam was racing toward it. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact and then … and then nothing.
Sam opened his eyes and was astonished at what he saw. He was standing with Sarah, Travis, and his mother upstairs in Sarah’s bedroom. How in the world … he thought. How did we … Sam looked over at his mother and sucked in a quick breath. She had done this; his mother had made them disappear into another room.
Alisa stood defiant, eyes locked in front of her, one hand on her staff and the other holding on to Travis, Sarah, and Sam. At that moment Sam forgot that his life was in danger, he forgot about the thing that was hunting them, and he forgot to be scared. He was consumed with the notion that his mother, this petite woman standing next to him whom he had known all his life could use magic, powerful magic! Travis was right, she was a Jedi!
A loud thud rang out followed by a scuffling noise on the ground that snapped Sam back to reality.
“Sam, help him up,” Alisa said without looking down, as if she knew what had happened. Sam looked down to see Travis lying face down on ground.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Travis repeated, panting and trying to get to his feet.
“Oh my God, Mom, did that just happen? Did we just … disappear?” Sarah cried out, still holding her mother’s hand.
Sam grabbed Travis by the arm and helped him to his feet. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming. I must have blacked out,” Travis s
aid, bracing himself against the wall.
“Ya think?” Sam replied.
Sarah turned her attention to Travis. “Are you okay?” she asked, looking into his eyes to make sure he could see her.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. It happens all the time when I vanish into thin air. It’s like a mild transporter accident except I rematerialized all in one piece.” Travis grinned at his Star Trek reference. Frowning, Sarah turned, grabbed Sam by the shoulder and began with a barrage of questions.
“What is he talking about? Have you done this before? Sam, what’s going on?” But before Sam could answer she turned to her mother. “Mom, how did you do that? How did you—” she looked over at Travis, fumbling for the right word, “transport us?” Sam almost smiled, but he held it back. “Someone say something!” Sarah pleaded. Travis opened his mouth to speak but Alisa interjected.
“Be quiet, all of you, and get down!” she ordered.
They all moved to the side of the bed and crouched down next to it, catty-corner from the doorway. The blue glow from Nara was the only light in the room.
“Nara, be silent,” Alisa whispered, and the blue light of the gemstone went out. Sam looked at his mother and then at Sarah. He had so many questions and he knew Sarah did too, but he didn’t know where to begin. There was only one question that mattered now.
“Mom, why can’t you make us disappear out of the house?”
Alisa looked over at Sam and met his gaze. His eyes moved rapidly, searching her face for answers. Alisa could see her son was confused, but he was holding it together. Just like his father, she thought, always calm under pressure. For a brief moment her heart sank. This was not the way she intended for them to find out about their past. Sam and Sarah deserved better than this.
“I can’t. The Viper has placed a Binding spell on the house. No one can get in or out.”
Sarah frowned and shook her head in frustration, “A what? What’s a Binding spell? Mom, what does that even mean? You’re not making any sense. None of this is making any sense!” she said.
Alisa looked over at Sarah, who had just about reached her limit. She needed to keep her calm before she brought the whole house down around them.
