Curse of Soulmate--The Complete Series

by D. N. Leo

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know where we’re heading now. The radar is broken,” Sizx said.

  Ciaran pushed the capsule up and then let it dive deep. He hoped if he dodged enough, they’d avoid being a further target. “Do we have a fuel indicator, Sizx?” he asked.

  “No, we run on energy. The capsule was fully charged—it can last several days under normal conditions.”

  “Let me try to help. We are going to District Seven, right?” Madeline asked.

  “You have another map, Madeline?” Sizx asked.

  “I can track minds. Anyone in District Seven that we would know? I’m trying to get my bearings,” Madeline asked.

  Ciaran shook his head.

  “What’s the closest district to Seven that’s in the same direction?” Ciaran asked.

  “Nine. District Nine is the closest,” Sizx said.

  Madeline nodded. “That will work. I know Pete Chandler, Sciphil Nine.” She closed her eyes to gather her concentration.

  Sizx was baffled. She looked at Ciaran for an explanation.

  “She’s our walking-talking radar.” Ciaran smiled.

  Madeline said, “Turn right, Ciaran, and then go straight.” Ciaran turned the capsule right without question. They flew a bit longer, and then the capsule began to descend rapidly.

  “Out of energy,” Sizx said. “We have to land.”

  Ciaran manned the capsule, landed quickly, and opened the door. From inside, they could see a gigantic wall about fifty feet away.

  “That’s a district boundary, but I’m not sure which one. As long as we can enter the gate, we should be fine.”

  Sizx stuck her head outside and looked around. She nodded to Ciaran and Madeline, signaling that the surrounding areas were safe.

  “I’ll verify and open the gate. Can you run straight from here to the gate?”

  Ciaran glanced outside. The distance was about fifty feet. They should be fine running without breathing. It looked as if there was some gravity in effect. “Are you okay with that?” he asked Madeline. She nodded.

  Sizx approached the thick wall and verified her right palm print on the control panel mounted there. A heavy gate slid open. She held it and signaled for Ciaran and Madeline to run. They charged from the capsule and headed for the gate.

  From the corner of his eyes, Ciaran saw the shadows of three creatures. “Be careful,” he yelled at Sizx, but it was too late.

  The claw of a crab-like creature slashed at her. She fell but held fast to the panel to keep the gate open. Ciaran pushed Madeline through then pulled out his gun and shot at the creatures. They exploded and melted into a thick black substance that quickly vaporized.

  Ciaran gathered Sizx up into his arms and dove through the gate just before it closed.

  Chapter 11

  A blast of wind and dark energy blew Ayana several feet and sent her rolling on the concrete floor of the broken tunnel. She shot back up to her feet and drew her Sciphil sword. Around her, her guards were dead. Most of their heads had exploded as they couldn’t handle the frequency embedded in the dark energy.

  From the shadows, Kyle walked out. “You have to admit that was impressive.”

  “Kyle, you have no place in Eudaiz. I give you one last chance to leave. Go and stay with the Black Rock.”

  “Now, why would I do that?”

  “Your last opportunity has lapsed,” Ayana said as she swung her sword and charged at him. Kyle raised his black sword and blocked her blow. He staggered back.

  “You have to admit that was impressive,” Ayana said and smiled graciously. “I know you weren’t the one who took Ciaran and Madeline. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”

  Kyle ignored Ayana and frowned at his sword.

  “If you expect that piece of scrap metal to go head to head against a Sciphil sword, then you are mistaken.”

  Kyle shook his head as if disappointed at his weapon. Ayana knew that without it, he couldn’t fight against her. His energy had always been inferior to hers even when he was still acting as a Sciphil. But after Bran exiled him, he shouldn’t have a drop of Eudaizian energy left.

  Kyle looked at her now and said, “You’re right. This weapon is inferior. But my intelligence is not. Let me tell you something. I don’t know where Ciaran and Madeline are right now. But I can get the information easily. Because my mole is in your very council. How’s that for a tip of the day?”

  Kyle smirked, turned on his heel, and jumped across dimensions, vanishing in front of Ayana. She charged toward the dimensional gate, but she traveled too fast, not anticipating Kyle’s return swing.

  Another blast of dark energy hurled her smashing into the wall of the tunnel. She tumbled out of the hole on the wall. When she climbed back in, Kyle had gone.

  Inside the gate, they stood at the edge of what looked like a forest. Sizx lay down on the soft grass, gasping for air.

  “Sizx, please tell me what to do. I’m not going to let you die,” Ciaran said.

  She couldn’t speak. Her hands clutched at the wound in her abdomen. Dark red blood poured out, soaking her blue vest.

  Ciaran picked her up. “Where can I find help? Tell me, Sizx.”

  In front of them was a wide meadow, and they could see houses far off in the distance. Sizx signaled Ciaran to put her down, and she leaned against a tree.

  “Give me the energy patch. I’ll go and get help. You don’t speak Eudaizian,” Sizx said.

  “It doesn’t look like you can walk very far by yourself,” Madeline said.

  “I’m losing energy . . .”

  “If I’m out of it when I remove the energy patch, is it safe for Madeline to be here by herself?” Ciaran asked.

  “I can protect you, Ciaran,” Madeline protested.

  “Let’s be realistic . . .” Ciaran growled.

  “This is District Seven . . . The citizens are harmless, but I don’t know what else is here. Black Rock creatures can disguise themselves in many forms. I need to go to seek help . . .” Sizx was fading. Her voice was barely audible.

  Ciaran shook his head. “I can’t use your reserved energy. Here it is.” Ciaran pulled the patch from his left wrist. He swayed immediately. Sizx stuck her right wrist out, and he slapped the patch on.

  Then he collapsed to the ground.

  Madeline hurried to Ciaran’s side. “Oh my God!” She remembered what Pete had said about Ciaran having no natural energy and having to rely on his eudqi, but she had no idea he could totally stop functioning like this.

  Sizx recovered instantly with the patch. Her wound was still bleeding, but she could move quickly. She turned Ciaran around, sat him up, and rested him against the tree.

  “He’s fine. He needs this resting period, especially after borrowing heavily from my reserved energy.”

  “You call this resting? He looks half dead.”

  Sizx smiled briefly but then erased it from her face. “He’ll be fine after some rest. I’ve never seen anyone rely so much on artificial energy. He looks as if there’s nothing left in him. I’ll go find help. You make sure Ciaran rests fully.”

  This woman didn’t seem to understand that Ciaran was her husband, and she would do whatever it took to protect him. “Of course, I will,” Madeline replied.

  “One more thing,” Sizx said. “I’d trust no one in the council if I were you. Don’t try to call or contact anyone before I get back with some help. The fact that you and Ciaran are out here—vulnerable—rather than within the protective area suggests that someone at the top level of the council doesn’t approve of the two of you. My prediction is that they want to take Ciaran down before the coronation has a chance to occur.”

  “Who will gain most if Ciaran doesn’t come into power?”

  Sizx shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t play those head games. I’ll accept Ciaran as king. And as long as I’m on duty, I’ll do my best to protect him. Remember—no communication, no verification, and trust no one while I’m gone. The Black Rock creatures can take al
l forms.”

  Then, in front of astonished Madeline, Sizx bent down and kissed Ciaran on the lips before she strode away.

  Madeline was positive her jaw dropped. That blue-haired woman just kissed her husband! On the lips. She was sure that wasn’t Eudaiz’s everyday etiquette. It was totally unacceptable.

  She sat down next to Ciaran and pulled him so that his head lolled on her shoulder. “See, I’m protecting you,” Madeline cooed.

  Long moments passed. Madeline checked her weapon several times, although she knew it was still there. She shifted, feeling the weight of Ciaran’s body leaning against her. He was so out of it—so totally dependent on her. But if someone or something attacked them now, there wasn’t much she could do.

  She prayed to God again and cursed. God did not exist in Eudaiz. Madeline remembered when they had fought at Ciaran’s house at Henley-on-Thames in England, when things had gone really bad and Ciaran was in serious trouble, she had promised God she would name her son after him if he helped them.

  She tried to calm her nerves by thinking of names for her children now.

  Sizx had been gone for a while, and Ciaran had not awakened. Madeline ran through the names for her son again.

  She turned and kissed Ciaran on the cheek. He didn’t stir.

  Then she heard a noise that seemed to come from a nearby bush.

  “Oh, no.” If they were attacked right then, she didn’t know what she would do. She wasn’t sure if she could protect Ciaran.

  Her body tensed, alarms going off in her head. “No, no. Come on.” She looked at the rustling grass. “Let it be a rabbit,” she muttered. “Dear God, I’m working on the name for my son right now. Please let it be a rabbit!”

  The grass moved more violently. Someone or something was clearly running through it. And it couldn’t possibly be a rabbit.

  Chapter 12

  Ralph Durant, Sciphil Seven, a formidable looking Caucasian in his mid-fifties, snarled at the blank screen in front of him. “I can’t talk to a blank screen. We will resume the conversation when you fix the bloody technology.”

  The control room at Tower Seven was filled with computer monitors. A voice came out from the speaker through a great deal of static.

  “This is a call from central, and it’s urgent, sir. We haven’t been able to locate king Sciphil, Ciaran LeBlanc, and Sciphil One, Madeline LeBlanc.”

  “Yes, I know. I’ve heard. What’s new?”

  “Could you please confirm if they have entered your district?”

  “No. I told you. They’re not at my residence.”

  “They might have gone out wider, sir. We need to know if they have entered your civilian areas.”

  “Do you know how many million citizens there are in District Seven?” Ralph snarled.

  “We’re talking about the safety of the king and Sciphil One, sir. Please cooperate with central.”

  Ralph mumbled some profanity and switched on his computer system. He glanced through a sea of data flowing through his screen. Then he frowned and hit the pause button. “What have we here?” he muttered.

  He straightened up and talked to the blank screen.

  “It looks like they’ve entered Gate 1. I’ll go and pick them up.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  The communicator went off-line. Ralph tucked his Sciphil sword into his belt and left the room.

  At the other end of the line, Kyle wiped his bloody sword on the jacket of a dead technician. He glanced around and then opened a cabinet on the wall and shoved the dead body inside.

  On the outskirts of District Seven, Madeline leaned Ciaran against the tree trunk and sprang to her feet. She stared apprehensively at the tall, moving grass.

  From the grass, a few wild animals that look like rabbits stormed out, chased by a girl. Seeing Madeline, the girl ceased her chase. She stood still and observed Madeline with curiosity. The girl was about seven or eight and as beautiful as a little angel. She held a bunch of wildflowers in her hand.

  Madeline smiled. The girl looked harmless—but Sizx had said that Black Rock spies could take any form.

  The girl approached and smiled back at Madeline.

  “Hello there.” Madeline tried to be as friendly as possible.

  A stream of melodious Eudaizian that sounded like a song poured out of the small child’s mouth. Then she looked at Ciaran.

  “He’s just sleeping. He’s very tired.” Madeline smiled again, unsure how to handle the situation.

  The girl pushed the flowers into Madeline’s hand. Before Madeline could protest, she gave Madeline a peck on the cheek, and then she ran away.

  Madeline released her held breath. At least the encounter had been quick and uneventful—but maybe it was too soon to draw conclusions. The girl returned with three adults. Madeline leaned Ciaran back onto the tree trunk and checked that her weapon was at ready.

  The three adults approached.

  Seriously . . . I don’t speak Eudaizian, Madeline thought to herself.

  The adults greeted Madeline politely. What beautiful people, Madeline thought. The Eudaizians looked at Ciaran, showing concern.

  “No, no, don’t worry about him. He’s fine. He’s just resting.” Madeline spoke loudly and clearly but then realized that if they didn’t understand her, there was no point in raising her voice—they weren’t deaf.

  Two more adults came with a stretcher.

  “Oh, no, no. That’s not necessary. We came from there.” Madeline waved her arms frantically, pointing toward the gate they had recently entered. “We’re waiting for a friend.”

  The man in his late sixties looked toward the gate and then spoke in English, “You must have come from Sciphil Central?”

  Madeline remembered what Sizx had said. No verification.

  “We were on our way to visit a friend. Our capsule broke down outside the gate. Our friend went to get help. So thank you for your concern, but we’re fine.”

  Years in journalism had taught Madeline how to get information out of people—including those expert in avoiding questions. She was now applying her techniques, answering questions without giving out information.

  The old man spoke calmly, “The air here is very thin. It will take him a long time to recover. You should come to our house. It’s nearby, and we have credited air.”

  Madeline had no idea what credited air was. Her sixth sense told her that this family’s concern for Ciaran’s well-being was genuine. She knew she shouldn’t trust anyone, but she couldn’t bring herself to draw her weapon against these people. She started to wave the man with the stretcher off when she felt the dagger at her side move. The little girl had pulled it out to look at it.

  “Oh no, sweetie. It’s not a toy.” Madeline grabbed the dagger, but not before the girl ran her fingertip across the blade.

  A drop of blood welled in front of the girl’s shocked eyes. She held up her finger, looked at the old man, and started to cry. The old man embraced the girl, saying something soothing in Eudaizian. Tears rolled down the girl’s face.

  A searing pain shot through Madeline’s body. She grabbed her stomach. Not now, not again, she thought. She pressed her palm against the tree and breathed deeply.

  Seeing Madeline in distress, the young girl left the man to approach her and pull at her hand. She wiped her tears and put on a grin. She said something that Madeline didn’t need to know the language to understand—she wanted Madeline to feel better.

  Madeline still leaned against the tree, trying to calm her twins down. Her tummy wasn’t yet swollen. In fact, there was no sign of the pregnancy at all. If she didn’t share her secret, nobody would know. For God’s sake, the twins were only three days old. They shouldn’t be causing her this much pain.

  But the pain was unbearable. Madeline didn’t know what to do, so she hugged the tree tightly, wishing the agony away.

  The little girl pulled Madeline against her body and hugged her. Madeline embraced the girl, combing her fingers through her lo
ng, soft hair. A wave of comfort washed over her, and she felt an accompanying tingling sensation throughout her body.

  Her pain was alleviated immediately.

  She turned around and saw the other two men loading Ciaran onto the stretcher. She didn’t know how to handle these nice people. She wished Ciaran would wake—he was always much better than she was in situations like this.

  She didn’t react quickly enough when the old man pulled out a portable device of some kind and pressed Ciaran’s right palm against it.

  He was verifying Ciaran’s palm. He would find out who he was.

  Sizx had told her—no conversation, no verification, and trust no one.

  “No!!!” Madeline squealed for them to stop, but it was too late.

  Chapter 13

  The sight of Sizx returning to the meadow was like seeing a guardian angel. Madeline darted to Sizx, frantically pointing toward the men with the stretcher. Sizx seemed confused, and Madeline said between her teeth, “They verified him.”

  The old man looked at the monitor and looked at Madeline, confused.

  Then Madeline realized with relief that they had tried to verify Ciaran’s right palm, and they’d gotten no reading. He was the king—his verification came from his left palm. She strode toward them at once, attempting to stop them before they tried the verification again.

  “We’d like to check his energy level, but our device is broken. I’m sorry. We should take him inside,” the old man said.

  Madeline pointed at Sizx. “Here’s my friend.” Then she said to Sizx, “Please tell them we can’t go with them, Sizx.”

  “They’re citizens here,” said Sizx. “They’re harmless. Plus, Ciaran will benefit from their credited air.”

  Madeline still didn’t get the whole credited air thing, but she let it go, drawing in some uncredited air to calm herself down.

  Sizx took the portable device from the man and pressed her right palm onto it. It verified her, and the group of Eudaizians respectfully stepped back. She instructed them to take Ciaran away. The old man pointed to his device, said something in Eudaizian, and pointed to Ciaran. Sizx made a dismissive gesture and returned to Madeline.