by Steven Fox
Darlene didn’t look up even when Jason sat down next to her. He’d found her here once before. Jason remembered the day. If he could’ve, he would’ve smiled.
“He’s still a dick,” said Jason.
Darlene didn’t say anything.
“I mean, couldn’t he see you were bigger, stronger, and better than most of the boys on his team? You would’ve been a huge asset.”
Darlene looked up. “You calling me fat?”
“If the helmet fits, Smokey.”
“Don’t call me that. Douche-rockets don’t get to call me that.”
“Growls like a bear, but looks so soft and cuddly. Just like a teddy bear.” Jason spread his arms. “Come on, we could both use a hug.”
“Fuck off, McKinney.”
Jason crossed his arms. “Y’know, I can’t apologize enough. I’ve done stupid things before. How long have you known me, Darlene? Do you think I meant what I said?”
“I don’t know. Do you?”
Tears stung the edge of his eyes. “You’re my bro, Darlene. Who you are doesn’t make a difference. Let me apologize. Please.”
“Fine. Say you’re sorry.”
“I am sorry. The sorriest cracker in the whole world.”
Darlene snorted. “You say it so straight-faced.”
“Right now, I can’t say it any other way.” Jason leaned back. “Look, my emotions aren’t right. They’re numb, and I can’t feel them even if I wanted to. Most of the time I’m mellow, like this. Recently, I’ve been jumping between anger and depression. Then coming back to Neutral HQ.”
Jason couldn’t see well at night, but he thought there might be red under Darlene’s eyes. How long had she been crying? Had leaving ever crossed her mind? Leaving for good?
Just like Tara Engel?
His tears pushed out, crawling down his cheeks. Darlene wiped her own eyes, then dabbed at Jason’s. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know your dreams are sealed. You haven’t been the same since. Especially not since…y’know…I thought maybe you were just grieving. But then I thought, ‘A year’s too long to grieve.’ But you and Tara…”
“Forth,” he said.
“Huh?”
“Forth. It’s a word of power. I have to say it, otherwise my body will shut down. Literally.”
Darlene’s mouth flopped open. “I…I didn’t know that.”
“I hadn’t told you. I didn’t want you to worry. Hell, it won’t matter in a couple of days.”
“Your birthday.”
He nodded.
The cool breeze gently caressed their hair and faces. Jason kicked a small pebble across the dugout, and the stone skittered, dinging against a metal support beam. Darlene stood, stretched out, and then turned to Jason with a smile.
“Apology accepted, Jiggy.”
“Really? That’s an old name.”
“Classic name.”
“Okay, Smokey.” And he stood. “Friends again?”
“We were never not friends.”
“Good. Cuz I have a wild story to tell you.”
As he recounted the past couple of days, Jason wished he could use real emotions. Of course, Darlene now knew about his issue, and she’d never had a problem believing Jason before. Darlene was a mage. She’d probably heard of the Dream Catcher and Caller at school.
“Dream what-er?”
“You’ve never heard of the Dream Catcher? Or the Dream Caller?”
“No, not really.”
This bothered Jason. The Dream Caller alone seemed like an important subject. A mage who turned bad, that could turn any dream into solid reality? It would be popular fodder for high school legend. But no matter how much Jason prodded her, Darlene couldn’t seem to recall hearing about these magi.
“But you believe me, right?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“It all sounds crazy. A giantess. A blood-red dog. Twins and a mysterious train. It’s a little hard to believe.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I believe you.” Darlene shifted, a sly grin spreading across her lips. “Besides, I’ll get to know that girl better. What’s her name…Lenmana?”
“She likes being called Len.” Jason leaned back, crossing his arms. “And take it easy. I think she wants to know you, too.” Then, he thought of something. “Have you been having any bad dreams lately?”
“Hm…No, not really. I’ve had quite a few good dreams, actually. Why?”
This made Jason smile on the inside. On the outside, he just nodded. “Curious is all.”
As they stood to leave, Jason heard the whistle of a train coming from the direction of his house. Darlene turned in the same direction.
“There isn’t a train that far over by your house, is there?”
Jason didn’t reply. After a moment, the train whistle rent the air again, and he looked over to Darlene. “Mind coming with me?”
“Course not, Jiggy.”
***
They made good time getting back to the McKinney house. The house lights were on, and this sent up a red flag. His father, in all that Jason could remember, never came home this early on a Friday night. But Mr. McKinney’s Audi was parked in the driveway and the living room curtains were pulled shut. Jason and Darlene hadn’t heard the whistle since they left the baseball diamond, but Jason could almost feel the rumble of metal wheels cuh-clunking on railroad tracks. Anxiety crackled inside Jason’s chest as he twisted the doorknob and pushed inside.
Mr. McKinney was hunched over on the couch, arms barred across his thighs. He looked up at Jason, then glanced over across the room at his guests: four heavily-armored men. Paladins. Sirin was among them, scowling. Their leader had just sat down; he had platinum hair and brown skin. His torso was a V of muscle hidden beneath heavy steel and a red cloak. Rashan, the Fire Paladin, could steal the breath from just about anyone foolish enough to stare into the sharp angles of his face.
“Ah! Jason!” Rashan stood, his armor rustling. He closed the gap between them and clasped his hands upon Jason’s shoulders, which fit neatly into Rashan’s meaty palms. “Godson! For a moment, I thought we’d have to scour the town for you.”
Jason cocked an eyebrow—other than that, he looked as uninterested as usual. “What for? Did I do something?”
“Nothing,” said Mr. McKinney. “Just a grown-up thing. None of your concern, m’boy.”
Sirin stepped forward, smiling. He turned his hooked-nose up at Jason and sniffed deeply, his eyes fluttering shut with each breath. “I’m afraid,” he rasped, “you’re wrong, Arthur.” He sniffed again. “I can smell…a certain energy. Still can’t place what it is, but it’s the same scent from the playground. And Jason smells like he’s been rolling in it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” said Mr. McKinney. “My boy has nothing to do with what happened there or ten years ago!”
Rashan turned toward Mr. McKinney, his mouth forming that disarming smile. “Relax, Arthur. Didn’t Tanya always tell you to stop worrying? I’m sure Jason and his friend here didn’t have anything to do with the playground’s destruction. But we’re paladins. We have to explore every possible scenario. Okay?”
Mr. McKinney slumped back into the couch. The magic word had been Tanya—Jason’s mother. Jason recognized the blank stare on his father’s face. Jason had seen it a few times in the mirror, shortly after Tara Engel died.
The train whistle pierced the air, and everyone heard it, including the paladins. They looked up, their eyes darting about. Sirin’s nostrils flared. The other paladins murmured: “That sounds way too close.” “There are no train tracks within a mile.” “Where’s that coming from?” “Maybe someone’s making tea.”
A gunshot-like bang rent the air as the room trembled. Rashan wrapped an arm around Jason’s shoulder, supporting him. Darlene gripped the doorway while Mr. McKinney hit the floor. The other paladins merely stood still, for their armor had an enchantment that rendered them invulnerable to earthquakes. Slowly, the shaking ceased. Rashan turned
to everyone, checking for injuries. Sirin raised his nose high, his nostrils flaring.
“Outside,” said Sirin. “The scent from the playground!”
Another tremor rocked the house, but it was smaller, more distant than last time. Rashan directed everyone outside. Darlene and Jason spearheaded the group, jogging out side-by-side. Darlene threw a wide-eyed glance at Jason, and mouthed, “Talshe?”
Jason shrugged. But only because he wanted Darlene to stay calm.
The night air was heavy—heavier now with the humid scent Sirin had been blathering about. How could Jason have missed it? Rotten chicken salad and morning breath—long before anyone else, Jason searched the skies and found her in the alley, not even half a block away. In front of her, a jagged black hole the size of an airplane hovered just above the neighborhood. Darlene followed Jason’s line of sight and gasped. Everyone else looked.
“It’s her! The giant from ten years ago!” said Rashan.
Jason’s heart skipped a beat.
Talshe turned from the portal, glancing at the whole group. Her eyes turned on Jason, and he immediately scolded himself for being such an idiot. He should’ve brought Len with him. She could get rid of Talshe. Now, Jason feared he had doomed them all to a lower link in the food chain. But Talshe didn’t move toward them. She didn’t scoop each of them up and pour them down her throat. Instead, she raised one of her hands, and pointed a single finger. Being a giantess, she could’ve easily been pointing at the group as a whole, but her eyes were dead-set upon a single person: Jason.
Talshe smiled. “I’m returning home, Master…my Caller.”
She disappeared into the dark hole, which collapsed upon itself only seconds later.
THIRTEEN
The interrogation room was no bigger than a small kitchen. A single table sat in the middle of the room, two chairs on each side. Jason and Darlene sat on the side farthest from the door. Darlene stared up into the ceiling while Jason scrounged the floor for something to look at. Neither of them had much luck.
“You could’ve denied it,” said Jason.
“Could’ve.”
“You should’ve left me here.”
“Should’ve? I don’t think so.” She looked down at Jason. “Stop beating yourself up, Jiggy. You’re going to leave permanent bruises everywhere.”
“Yeah, guess so.” He looked up, trying to find a clock or something, but couldn’t. Only a single blacked-out window to their right and a single metal door in front of them. “They took your phone, right?”
Darlene nodded. “God. Wish I knew how long we’ve been here.”
“Who knows? I think they’re trying to unnerve us or something. As if we have dark secrets to tell.”
“Didn’t you know, Jason? I have the darkest secret of them all.” She leaned in, her face solemn. What gave her mischief away was the glimmer in her eye. But Jason was much too late to block her as Darlene ran her tongue up the side of his face. She burst into laughter.
As Jason wiped his face off, the door swung open. Darlene tried to stifle her laughter, but giggles still bubbled up from behind her hand. Then she saw who had walked in, and her giggles died. Face flushed of all emotions, Darlene straightened in her chair.
Sirin strolled toward the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. He brought nothing with him except himself. Jason rubbed his arms. In the shows, police brought in files with pictures and phone records to help nail their suspects. But this wasn’t a show. This was real life. And paladins didn’t behave like cops in shows or real life. More like secret service—the waterboarding kind.
“So,” said Sirin, glancing at nothing in particular. “You weren’t home this afternoon. Weren’t at school, by the sounds of it.”
“My dad had told me I could stay home,” said Jason.
“Did he now?” Jason could see the cogs whirring behind Sirin’s eyes, storing information for later. “Okay. Tell me. What were you doing at about six o’clock this evening?”
“I was with a friend,” which wasn’t a lie.
“Around the elementary school playground?”
“We walked by there.”
“Did you see anything strange? Like a giant ripping up a slide?”
Jason didn’t know how to answer this question with anything other than the truth. But something told him Sirin was corralling him into a corner. Something told him to be as honestly dishonest as possible
“We saw that the slide was missing, but we kept walking. It was starting to get dark out, so we thought, maybe, the light was playing tricks with our eyes. Besides, there was this weird dog that kept following us. It might’ve been feral.”
Sirin narrowed his eyes. “Y’know, I’m a bit of an expert on dogs. What kind of dog was it? Maybe we can inform animal control. Get the dog off the streets. It’d be safer for us and the dog.”
Jason shifted. “I didn’t recognize the breed.”
“How about a description? Surely you saw how big the dog was. The color of its fur.”
“Oh yeah,” said Darlene. “The dog was pretty big. It had greasy black hair. Actually, it looked more like a wolf than a dog.” There was a mischievous glimmer in Darlene’s eyes.
Sirin nodded slowly, his bottom lip jutting out a bit. “Hm, well everything seems to check out.” He stood to leave, but halfway to the door, he turned back, a single finger up in the air. “Though, there is just one more thing.” He fished into his chainmail and pulled out something. He slid it across the table, and Jason caught it.
Jason looked down, and his stomach lurched as he stared at the rusty key Len had given him a few days ago, right before Bootelia shoved it down her pants.
“We found that on you. Mind explaining what it is?”
“A key, obviously.”
“Clever.” Sirin sauntered toward Jason. “Perhaps you can tell me why the key is so saturated in magical energy.”
“Because it wants to be?”
Sirin slammed his hands on the table. “Don’t fuck with me, McKinney. Tell me, you little prick…Where did you get that? And why is it giving off the same energy as that giantess? Why does it smell exactly like her?”
“I don’t know,” said Jason. “Maybe she ate it and then shit it back out.”
A knife appeared in Sirin’s hand. Jason saw his neck’s reflection in the polished steel of the blade. Darlene stood to say something, but Sirin pinned her with his glare.
“If you don’t want to be framed for the murder of Jason McKinney, then sit your fat ass back down.”
Darlene did sit, but Jason stood. “Call her fat again, and I’ll have your fucking job,” he said. “Silver Moon single-handedly donates most of the money you paladins use to—”
Sirin pressed the knife against Jason’s jugular. “Quit talking. I can’t think with so much racket. Now, sit.” Jason did, and Sirin started pacing around the table. Every time he passed Darlene, she eyed him with the hunger of a lioness. Sirin stopped beside Jason again, this time keeping the knife behind his back.
“Ten years ago, a giantess like the one we saw tonight appeared and tore through town. She even devoured a mansion. An entire mansion. But, somehow, she disappeared.” He turned Jason around toward him. “Now, let’s try this again. Why does the key smell like the giant?”
“Because a girl shoved the key down her pants. And that’s the fucking truth.”
“Okay. Let’s go with that then. Who is this girl? Do you know her?”
“Her name’s Bootelia. And I know her rather well. She has a thing about slitting people’s throats.” Jason looked Sirin up and down. “She’d make quick work of you.”
But Sirin didn’t flash the blade like Jason expected him to. Instead, he leaned forward, hands on the table. “Does this Bootelia have a twin brother?” This time, Jason had no comeback. Sirin stepped away from Jason, swinging the knife around as though it were a sword. Then he turned on his heel. “So, what is the giantess’s name?”
“What?”
“The
giantess. She has a name, doesn’t she?”
“Yes. Talshe.”
Darlene lowered her head, shaking it. It was only then did Jason realize that he’d played Sirin’s game note for note. The paladin flashed Jason an unpleasant smile.
“How do you know their names?”
Darlene shot Jason a warning glance. But he might as well come clean now. “They’re my dreams. They somehow escaped my head.”
“Somehow escaped? You mean you summoned them.”
Darlene’s eyes widened. Jason stood, shaking his head. “I’m not the Dream Caller.”
“And how would you know about Dream Callers? They don’t teach about them in school.” He pointed the knife at Jason. “Tell me: How do you know about Callers?”
“Because I know the Dream Catcher’s daughter.”
Sirin scowled. “The Dream Catcher? You mean she’s here, in Sheriffsburg?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know that?”
He smiled. “Now I do.”
“Fine. Is this interrogation over? You’re a freak, and we want out of here.”
Sirin kicked Jason in the gut, and Jason fell back into his chair, cradling his stomach. Sirin pressed the cool steel of his dagger against Jason’s jugular.
“You say you’re not the Dream Caller,” said Sirin. “But many before you have tried that trick. And I won’t fall for it. You are the Dream Caller, and your blood must be spilled to pay for the transgression of your ancestor.”
The door banged open. In the doorway stood the Guardian, his green eyes like two emerald flames in the shadows of his hood. Sirin removed the dagger from Jason’s neck. The Guardian stepped forward, his cloak slithering at his feet.
“Guardian,” said Sirin, bowing slightly. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Forget the formalities, Sirin. I am well aware of your malicious actions here. You may leave.” Sirin ducked his head, his mouth pressed into a hard line. Just before Sirin disappeared out the door, the Guardian said, “Learn to control your bloodlust. Especially in front of my granddaughter.”
Sirin nodded, then left. The Guardian turned back toward Jason and Darlene. “You two, follow me.”
