The Reckoning

by S. L. Morgan

  How did this girl snatch Harrison’s wit?

  Reece snatched the handkerchief back. “Medical school was easier than this.” She looked at her sloppy, illegible design and laughed. “You know, it works perfectly fine. He’s just going to blow his nose with it anyway.” They all laughed as Reece tossed the cloth on the table before her. She looked out the window, watching the snow blowing hard. “I’d give anything for this snow to stop so we could get out of this palace.”

  “I believe you are not the only one who feels as such.” Angeline politely smiled as she ran a needle through the piece she was working on. “I do not care what anyone thinks, but sitting around all day in lavish rooms is not my favorite past time.”

  “Ladies,” Lady Allestaine announced as she arrived at the sitting room.

  Reece glanced up to see something more behind Lady Allestaine’s affected smile. Lady Allestaine looked directly at Reece. “Reece, darling, if it is not too much trouble, the seamstress is here for your measurements for the dress you shall wear at the engagement ceremony.”

  Reece looked back out of the windows. “Really?” she questioned. “How did the seamstress get here in these harsh conditions?”

  Lady Allestaine took a sip of her freshly poured tea. “The weather is not as treacherous as it appears. The snow is letting up, and the roads have been easy to travel on for days now.”

  Reece’s eyebrows knit together in confusion.

  “She is waiting along with Jasmeen in your bedchambers,” Lady Allestaine insisted.

  Reece stood. “It seems my needlepoint is a futile endeavor anyway,” she said as she reached down and grabbed the handkerchief. “I’ll see you ladies later.”

  Reece walked into her bedchamber, and she was surprised when she saw Levi standing in front of her enormous windows. He turned at the sound of her entering the room, watching as Reece practically ran down to where he stood. She collided into Levi’s arms in a powerful embrace, placing her lips on the side of his warm neck.

  It was too soon when Levi released his hold on her and reached for her hands. His eyes left hers and studied the cloth in her hand.

  Great! Reece thought as a tiny smile drew up in the corner of Levi’s mouth.

  “It appears that you are engaging in new activities these days?” he said as he gently removed the cloth from her hand.

  “Don’t ask,” Reece advised him.

  Levi cocked his head to the side. “Ask?” He cleared his throat, and then, to Reece’s surprise, he grew extremely somber.

  “Levi?” Reece’s heart hammered against her chest. She knew this expression. Something had gone wrong on their mission. It wasn’t over, and they could possibly be in more danger than before. “Levi!” Reece said, prompting Levi to let out a breath.

  “I must discuss something critical with you.”

  “Okay,” Reece answered. “What went wrong?”

  “Nothing has gone wrong,” Levi said, leading her to the sofa. “Sit with me.”

  As she sat, she watched as Levi rested his elbows on his knees, studied the needlepoint, and traced along the sloppy stitching. Reece ran her hand along his back. “Levi, please tell me. Is it over? Is this why you’re home already?”

  Levi absently folded the cloth and glanced over at Reece. “It is far from over, my love.” His pained expression had Reece frightened. “It appears as though we need your help.”

  Reece gripped his hand. “You know that I’ll help in any way I can. Why are you behaving so strangely?”

  Levi twisted to face her. “Because of why you are needed. Mordegrin is involved. He has been the entire time.”

  “Mordegrin?” She gasped.

  Levi’s lips tightened as he looked helplessly into Reece’s eyes. “He was behind this from the beginning. He is to meet with Simone and Michael four days from now, and we must be prepared to destroy him when he does.”

  “Does this mean Marian has to time jump him again?” Reece asked. “I don’t want her in danger. I will help in any way I can. I—

  Levi exhaled. “Mordegrin is not in his physical form, so Marian will only waste her talent on him. She will destroy his created presence on Earth, but he will simply return in another form.”

  “I need the power from the stone,” Reece severely responded. “I can do this. The stone will destroy not only his presence but his physical form as well. I know it will.”

  “We know that, too.” He ran his hand along Reece’s jawline before he looked dangerously into the flames in her fireplace.

  “I’ll do it,” Reece firmly replied.

  Levi looked back at her in that instant. “Reece, your body now does not possess the same talents that you did the first time we went to that location. Even with Galleta’s help, it took you weeks to learn after the abilities started to awaken within you.”

  Reece glanced at the handkerchief Levi was gripping tightly. “Open that thing.”

  He did and looked back at her in confusion. “Why?”

  “Can you tell me what I made?”

  Levi studied the lines that made no sense. “I am unsure, but it is quite lovely.”

  Reece rolled her eyes. “Spare me the lame compliment. The stitching is your initials.”

  Levi’s eyes widened. “Forgive me, I—”

  “I’m trying to make a point here.” Reece sighed. “It’s quite obvious that I am not the artist; however, there are many other things that I have accomplished, and I will do them again.”

  “Reece, this is not—”

  Reece stood. “We managed before, and we can do it again. I was depleted of all my powers when I went to the stone to save you from Mordegrin’s curse.”

  Levi shook his head. “You almost died from that, and even now, Harrison, Hamilton, and my father believed that Marian being in your womb helped you survive the journey.”

  Reece looked deeply into Levi’s eyes. “We have Marian now. We need to find out if she can help again. Levi, there is no question in my mind. We must stop Mordegrin. We can’t take any risks and mess anything up.”

  “And if you lose your life while traveling to the stone?”

  “I won’t.”

  Levi sighed. “Reece—”

  Reece stood. “I have dealt with your doubting me way too many times. I can do this. I will do this. You can’t possibly think I care more about my life than I do the lives of every single person that has been lost at Mordegrin’s hands and every single dimension that he has enslaved. Marian gave us another chance, and I refuse not to do everything I can to make it worth it. If I don’t, we end up right back where we were, and I won’t let that happen. Not when I have the ability to stop him.”

  Levi stood as well. He brought both hands around each side of her neck and rested his forehead against hers. “Why can nothing ever be easy for us?”

  Reece chuckled as she rested both hands against Levi’s firm sides. “Think of everything we have already gone through.” She tilted her head up, bringing Levi’s eyes to meet hers. “If we can manage to survive all of that, we can manage this, too. It may not be simple, but we will succeed this time.” She stopped herself and gripped Levi’s arms. “Wait! We may not need to worry about me traveling to the stone. Maybe Marian can transport us there like she did when she brought us to the Bermuda Triangle.”

  “That is an excellent idea; however, I do not want to put either of you in danger.”

  “She will be okay, and so will I. Let’s end all of this as soon as we can.”

  Levi scratched the back of his head. “Very well. Find a way to dismiss Marian from the ladies, and meet me in my father’s study. We will begin our planning there.”

  When Reece and Marian arrived in Navarre’s study, she found nothing but austere expressions on all of the men’s faces.

  “Reece, Marian,” Navarre said as all men stood to greet the ladies. “Please, sit.”

  Once they were seated, Navarre clasped his hands together and leaned against his desk. “Reece, Levi has informed
me that you are willing to journey to the stone without any of your abilities.”

  “I am.”

  “You do realize the last time your abilities had been exhausted and we attempted this, not only were you carrying Marian, but we also used that paste from Shallek’s village to enhance any abilities that you or the child possessed.”

  “We don’t need the paste,” she said as she reached for Marian’s hand. “Marian has the ability to transport us to any location she wishes. She did it on Earth and—”

  “Mother,” Marian interrupted. Tears filled her eyes as she glanced around seeing the desperate expressions on everyone’s faces. “I am afraid I am unable to exercise either the power of time travel or teleportation at this time.”

  Reece looked at Marian and placed her hand on her cheek. “Marian, I am so sorry. Why haven’t you said anything to us? Here we have been using your mental—”

  “I didn’t want to frighten or upset any of you. I had a slight feeling this would happen while trying to harness the power of the vast energy of that wormhole. My abilities haven’t left me entirely, but they are drained from me at the moment. They will eventually return, but it could take quite a while. I am so sorry I cannot help. I had no idea—”

  “Do not apologize.” Levi brought his arm around his daughter.

  “No,” Reece said soberly. “You have done more than should be expected of one person. You gave us this second chance, and now it’s time for me to do my job and destroy Mordegrin, just as I should have the first time. The only difference is, I’ll have the stone and he won’t.”

  Marian looked over at her mother. “I wish I could do more to help everyone besides being able to mentally connect with you.”

  “That’s it!” Reece smiled.

  Everyone in the room, including Marian, looked at Reece as if she had three heads.

  “Sharing is caring, Reece,” Harrison spoke out. “We’re on a tight schedule here.”

  Reece dismissed Harrison’s sarcasm. “Perhaps if I could share my memories of how I was when my abilities were awakened the first time, Marian could transfer the memories more powerfully into my mind by seeing them and feeling them. Maybe that will stimulate my abilities sooner.”

  “Have you completely lost your mind? How do you come up with this stuff?” Harrison responded.

  Marian smiled widely. “I believe that may work.”

  “And if it doesn’t?” Levi added.

  “Then we find a way to keep me alive as we travel to the stone. We have no other options.”

  “Reece makes an excellent point,” Samuel finally spoke up.

  “We have seen stranger things happen,” Levi announced.

  Samuel’s eyebrows shot up. “Indeed, we have.”

  “Mother?” Marian questioned softly as she turned to her. She held each of her hands. “Before you saw my memories, you felt as though you were standing there in person watching everything happen as if you were me, correct?”

  Reece nodded.

  “I must do the same with you. Allow me a few moments to completely clear my thoughts. During this time, I need you to focus intently on how it felt to have the stone’s powers within you, and also how it felt to exercise the abilities you had. Please do not dwell on any doubtful feelings you had, as I may absorb those as well.”

  Reece closed her eyes, remembering the strength and power she felt when she carried the power of the stone within her. Over and over again, she focused on her triumphs with her abilities. The ability to impress her thoughts into Levi’s minds, the incredible sensation she felt to swim under water without her body having the desire to breathe. She tuned in to how it felt when her body no longer reacted to harsh climates and the balance between warm and cold temperatures, and the sensations were completely serene.

  She had no idea how long she was in this meditative state before a surge of energy jolted through her veins, heightening every sense in her body. She could hear the draft of air slowly blowing into the room. She was so lost in the sweet sensations of her abilities returning to her again that she barely felt Marian release her hold on her hands.

  I think we did it! Reece thought triumphantly.

  “How is that?” Levi responded.

  Reece’s eyes snapped open to find everyone looking at Levi as though he’d lost his mind.

  “To whom are you talking?” Harrison asked.

  Levi’s head tilted to the side. “You did not speak those words aloud, Reece?”

  Reece beamed. If you respond verbally to every thought I have about you, you are going to get us both into a lot of awkward situations! she mentally impressed into Levi’s mind, bringing him to laugh aloud.

  “I believe Reece and Marian, together, have achieved the unimaginable,” Levi said as he stood and walked over to them.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I was hoping this bizarre idea would work.” He looked over at Navarre and Samuel with a bewildered expression. “I think if Levi and Reece can handle breeding a Pemdai army, we’d never have a use for the stone’s power again.”

  “So now you’re a breeder, Harrison? We aren’t a couple of baby-making thoroughbreds,” Reece retorted.

  “Everyone else was thinking it,” he said as he winked at Marian. “Look at the priceless gem you already have created, who has saved us in more ways than one.”

  “Let us stay on task,” Navarre interrupted with a subtle grin. “Reece, are you confident that you can do this?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  “We aren’t going to the stone to find out,” Levi interjected.

  Reece stood. “Allow me to step outside in the cold for a few minutes. Perhaps I can test holding my breath in one of the palace pools.”

  “Superb idea,” Samuel said with a smile as all men stood. “Marian?”

  “Yes, Samuel.”

  “I am curious. Now that you have felt and learned mentally of your mother’s abilities, do you believe you possess them as well?”

  “I did when I absorbed them from her, but I don’t believe they were as strong as what she naturally possesses. However, once I impressed these emotions back into my mother’s mind, everything that I might have carried within me left.”

  Reece hugged her daughter. “You are such an amazing gift to us all, Marian.” She stepped back and smiled. “Now, shall we see if I can pull this off without killing myself?”

  Once Reece tested her abilities while Levi carefully watched her every move, she felt confident enough to go to the stone. That evening, Levi, Harrison, and Reece journeyed to the stone without Reece encountering any difficulties. Once at the stone, Reece was relieved when she gripped the glimmering rock and felt her body absorb all of its energy. She had become extremely exhausted as she forced her mind to ignore all of the stinging sensations of the bitter cold. Now fully rejuvenated and thinking more clearly than ever, she took the stone with both hands and turned back to Levi and Harrison, who remained silent while watching from behind.

  “I have to take it,” Reece insisted.

  Levi’s brow creased. “I am unsure if that is a wise idea. Earth will be vulnerable to anything without the stone here to protect it.”

  Reece tilted her head to the side while she studied the illuminating stone. “Earth is in danger either way.” She looked at Levi and Harrison’s concerned expressions. “I can’t defeat Mordegrin and locate the other females and destroy them without the full power of this stone. It’s the only chance we have to make sure we kill him entirely.”

  Harrison sighed. “I side with Reece on this. We need all the help we can get.”

  Levi nodded. “Very well. I understand that your intuition is heightened with that stone, so let us use its powers to destroy the dark creatures.”

  Reece closed her eyes, drawing more energy from the stone. So much power was surging through her veins that she felt as though her entire body could explode. She reopened her eyes and ignored Harrison and Levi’s response. She turned and pressed her hand agai
nst the surface of the rock behind her. She exhaled as she pushed the electrifying energy boiling in her veins and transferred it to the silky surface of the wall. At that moment, the entire cavern glimmered just as the stone did.

  Nothing has the power to alter or control this planet. This entire cavern now serves Earth and will protect it from any threat. No being can enter this location, as now I command this location to be cloaked and concealed from all beings.

  After impressing these powerful thoughts into the location and transferring the energy she harnessed from the stone into the cavern, Reece collapsed to the ground. Before her entire body crashed against the hard surface, Levi was there cradling her in his arms.

  “Reece!” he called out.

  Reece felt her energy slowly being restored as she continued to grip the stone. Her eyes flicked open to find Levi’s panicked eyes staring back into hers.

  “What did you do?” Harrison asked as he knelt in front of where Levi was holding her.

  Reece inhaled deeply, feeling more energy returning to her. “I locked the planet in place. It can never be altered. It no longer needs the stone to protect it.”

  “What?” Levi looked at her skeptically. “How are you so sure?”

  “More than that,” Harrison interrupted, “what made you think to do that?”

  Reece smiled as she sat up. “The idea entered my mind after we questioned removing the stone from Earth and leaving it vulnerable. Then, without thinking, I knew exactly what I had to do.”

  They all stood to their feet, and Harrison shook his head. “Great, now the stone mentally guides you? What’s next – you start flying around like some super human?”

  “One never can tell!” she teased. “Now, let’s get out of here and handle our mission.”

  Once the men brought the helicopter up into the air, Harrison spoke over the headset. “Reece?”

  “What?”

  “Why is there no longer an island where the stone was?”

  Reece inwardly laughed as she looked down and saw that her abilities managed to perfectly cloak the island. “Because I concealed its location.”