by R. J. Wolf
“Zeroes know it all,” Shanna said as she rounded the corner and stopped at the bar.
“Look who decided to wake up,” Theo jested.
“It’s almost six in the morning. Am I the only one who sleeps around here?”
“Ale is all we’re serving,” Edgar said as Shanna sat down.
“Water?”
“I can do that,” he replied and poured her a glass.
Chandler stared across the bar at Shanna then nudged Theo on the arm. “Are you gonna introduce me?” he whispered.
Theo raised his eyebrows then shrugged. “Shanna, this is Chandler.”
Chandler smiled and slid closer, extending his hand. “Hello, beautiful,” he said in an uncharacteristically screechy tone.
Aleke slapped his hand down and snapped at him. “Foolish, child. There is no time for your unwanted advances.”
Chandler blushed and suddenly the doors swung open. Safron stormed inside with Richard beside him, and Marcel lingering in the back. “The pactiza has been destroyed!” Richard barked.
CHAPTER 5
AND SO THE JOURNEY BEGINS
“Dead, all of them?” Aleke repeated.
Marcel lowered his head in shame.
“We must rally those that will stand against Langston,” Richard said. “What’s done is done. Now, we deal with what is coming.”
“What is coming,” Shanna repeated. “He’s picking us off one at a time.”
“And what do you propose we do about it?” Aleke asked.
Shanna shrugged. “What can we do? We don’t have the numbers to take on Langston. Half of the underworld agrees with him and the other half is too scared to oppose.”
Zoey scoffed. “That isn’t true. Most despise Langston and the entire commission.” She paused and shot a look at Gary. “Certainly, we can conjure up enough dissidents to oppose him.”
“Some of those dissidents might be in the commission,” Gary replied. “It wasn’t always like this.”
“Where is Castillo?” Richard asked as he looked around the lobby.
“Headed off with Aranel and Ellania,” Eric replied. “Apparently it was important.”
Richard wrinkled his brow and nodded.
“Nothing has changed,” Aleke started again. “Eric must return home and unlock the secrets still buried in his mind.”
“And we need to stop Langston here,” Zoey added. “Unless you have a better idea, Shanna.”
Shanna looked up but her phone rung. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and walked a few steps away then answered.
“What’s going on with her?” Gary turned to Theo and asked. “She’s been off these last few days.”
“Don’t worry. Shanna will pull herself together, just give her a few.”
“We don’t have a few.”
Zoey chuckled. “Hunters,” she said with disdain. “Glorified zeroes.”
“I see why you live alone,” Theo replied. “You hate everyone. I wouldn’t be surprised if Noll killed himself to get away from you.”
Zoey jumped to her feet and charged at him, pointing her finger like lasers could fire from the end. “Say his name again and I will have your tongue!”
“Oh, yeah? Come take it!” Theo withdrew his sword and leveled it at Zoey’s head.
“Shall we do Rabelial’s bidding ourselves?” Aleke asked in frustration.
Zoey paused and glanced at him. Aleke’s eyes were fierce even though his tone was subtle. She could feel the disappointment like a hand on her shoulder and while she seldom cared what others thought, something about his look brought her back to her senses. “We all have had a tough time,” she said then took her seat back at the bar.
Theo sheathed his sword and mumbled, “Sorry.”
“I need to impress upon you all the severity of what is at stake,” Aleke said and stood up. “If the shade falls, Rabelial will not be the only thing crossing over. All manner of demon will have free reign. And they will all answer to him and him alone. For Eric to have any hope of entering the shade and returning, he must understand what and who he is. But that is not the only fight we must win.”
“Eric will fight the war in the shade. We must fight the war here,” Richard chimed in.
“Precisely. And we cannot afford to be odds within our own ranks. As we’ve all been made aware, Langston is recruiting.”
“He has a better story,” Zoey said. “What can we offer besides a grueling battle and an almost certain death?”
“We offer balance. We offer freedom. That, must sometimes be paid for through our sacrifice.”
Zoey chuckled. “Aleke, I will give my last breath to see Eric’s will done. I would gladly give my life for him to walk through the shade and return with Anna.”
“The love for your sister gives you purpose,” Aleke responded in a fatherly tone.
“I would also give my life if it meant the death of Langston. My hate for that man gives me power. We all have our reasons. Eric and I, we are one on this. What reasons do the rest have? Why should they care about the fate of zeroes or the fate of this world?”
“Rabelial will not stop here. Every realm, every world, every plane of existence is nothing more than a prize, a journey to be conquered. And Rabelial will not stop until all things kneel before him. It is in his nature.”
As Aleke’s speech went on, Eric faded into his own thoughts. He rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes. The bar melted away and he found himself lying in bed with Anna. “You and Gary need to be careful,” she said and stroked her fingers across his head.
“We’ll be fine. Gary’s one of the best warlock’s in the entire commission.”
“Gary used to be the best warlock in the entire commission,” Anna countered. “Now, Gary is a drunk.”
Eric sighed. “I’ve gotta get ready to head in.”
“I’m serious, Eric. I’ve been having visions again.”
“Visions of what?”
“You, Gary, the black forest.”
“You’ve gotta forget about that. It was years ago.”
“It still doesn’t sit right with me. He’s dead, Eric.”
“Anna!” Eric snapped and sat up. “We agreed to never speak about that. I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Told me? I’m your wife and if it hadn’t been for my sister, you’d both be dead.”
Eric swallowed and chewed the inside of his cheek. “I, appreciate what you did and what Zoey did. But you act like we had an alternative. I don’t trust the commission with that kind of power, especially Langston and the council of five.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of, Eric. This thing you have against the commission, it’s dangerous going it alone. If any of them find out, you’ll never see it coming.”
“I’m a psychic, Anna, I see everything coming.” Eric tapped the side of his head and smiled.
Anna frowned at him. “Everything isn’t a joke, Eric.”
He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. Leaning forward, he kissed her on the forehead then stared into her eyes. “I don’t think it’s a joke, Anna. I’ll be safe. I promise.”
“Eric did you hear me?” Aleke asked again and nudged him on the arm.
Eric blinked and his memory faded into smoke. “Um.” He looked up and slowly took in his surroundings. “What did you say?”
“This isn’t a joke, Eric,” Aleke warned.
“What?”
Aleke narrowed his gaze. “What did you see?” he asked curiously.
“I was just daydreaming. Sorry.”
“We need to leave. We have a great journey ahead and I fear you may be tapping into a power already that is beyond any of us.”
“What does that mean?”
“The past, Eric. Perhaps it bends to your will.”
Gary finished his ale and coughed. “What are you talking about, Aleke.”
Aleke stood up and straightened his cloak. He grabbed a small duffle bag from the bar and slung it over his shou
lder. “Eric’s proximity to the shade has awakened something within him. I’ve noticed it growing over these past few days.”
Eric furrowed his brow.
“Have you noticed that your memories are more vivid?”
“More vivid?” Eric shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Just now, you were here but you weren’t. You think that was day dreaming but you have the ability to relive your past.”
“And what does that mean?”
“There’s an old text.” Chandler stood up. “I don’t know how reliable it is but it talks about inferni dream walking.”
“Dream walking?”
“The boy is right,” Aleke said.
Eric frowned and shook his head. “What is dream walking?”
“It’s the closest translation we can make out,” Chandler replied. “It’s thought to mean time travel.”
His words hung in the air like the sound of a bell long after it’d been rung. Time travel was a taboo subject in the magic community. It’d only been tried by the most powerful wizards and witches. And there was no official record of it being successful. Most that attempted simply lost their minds.
Eric looked around the room and suddenly felt like a television. Ignoring the sea of stares, he turned to Aleke and pressed him for more information. “So, are you telling me you think I can change the past?”
“No.” Aleke waved his hand. “It’s not that simple. Time is,” Aleke took a breath and looked away. “Time isn’t how we see it. Furthermore, it shouldn’t be trifled with but changes to realities that already exist.” He paused again then stared directly at Eric. “Blasphemy.”
Eric fumed in frustration. “So, what then?”
“We must go, Eric. We don’t have time to venture down this rabbit hole. Just be careful. What you think are simple memories may have grave consequences should you dabble too far.”
“But what–”
“That is enough, Eric.” Aleke cut him off. “I do not pretend to completely understand what you are. There is only one place that can offer you that.” Aleke started toward the door. “It’s time we go there.”
CHAPTER 6
WHEN YOUR MASTER CALLS
A soft howl filled the room as Langston stepped inside. Olivia shuffled behind him with her head low but her eyes glaring upward in defiance. “What do you know about raising lycan pups anyway?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Langston replied. He grabbed one of the pups by the scruff of their neck and coddled it in his arms. The wolf pup was covered in a thick, white fluff. His almond-shaped eyes hadn’t taken color yet and his ears flopped across the front of his head.
Langston sat down in an armchair and set the pup on his lap. He stroked the top of its head and smiled. Beside him was a large cardboard box with a dozen more puppies inside. They all howled and whined, vying for his attention. “Loyal creatures they are. If you get them at the right time. Did you know that, Olivia?”
Olivia remained silent but Langston pressed on.
“You see, you must get them young. Before they’ve had the chance to imprint. Before they’ve bonded and formed their pack. Then and only then can you truly call them yours. They will kill for you, die for you.” Langston paused and chuckled. “Although their loyalty runs much deeper than the likes of elves, it’s not just that.”
“I thought you didn’t know much about them,” Olive cut him off.
“I’ve never raised one but I know enough. I know these creatures will never betray me. Their allegiance will never waver. Do you know why that is? Do you know why they will be so much more loyal than you could ever be?”
Olivia cut her eyes.
“You see,” Langston continued. “It’s a magical bond. It can’t be broken. They will accept me as their leader and follow my every command.”
“They’re merely puppies. What good can they be now?”
Langston laughed again. “Your ignorance of magical creatures is astounding. These are pure lycan. They will not take human form until they mature as wolves. Three months is all that it should take and these beautiful little things will have no problem dispatching an entire coven of witches. And best of all, in human form they will appear all of eight years old.”
“Seems you have it all figured out then,” Olivia said with a wicked smile. “Except one thing.”
Langston turned to her and cocked his head to the side. “And what is that?”
“Three months, Langston. What good is an army of toddler lycans in three months?”
Langston’s face spread into a broad smile. “You wouldn’t understand, would you? You think it’s all over the moment the shade opens? Go fetch milk for the pups. Your ignorance annoys me.”
Olivia wanted to object, she wanted to show Langston exactly what she thought about his supposed authority. But the memory of his last outburst was fresh in her mind. So, instead she lowered her headed and made her way to the kitchen.
He watched her leave then leaned back into the chair and yawned. The lycan pup snuggled into the wedge between his arm and whimpered. The sound echoed in Langston’s ears and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the room disintegrated around him.
“Get up!” a man shouted.
A teenage Langston stumbled to his feet and wiped his face. “Sir,” he said in a low voice. He was dressed in filthy rags with old blood and bruises covering his torso.
“You will fight again tonight. The pits seem to favor you.”
Langston wanted to object but he knew the repercussions for back talk. Instead, he nodded and sat back down.
He’d been fighting in the pits ever since his mother was killed and he was sold into slavery. His life had been nothing but struggle and violence. And as he squatted on the ground with the others fighters inside of his cramped pen, he lost all fear of death and all hope for the future.
The night came and went. Langston faced several foes and slayed them all. But for him there was no reprieve. Leaving the pits meant back to a life of servitude and abuse until he was forced to fight again. He existed simply for the barbaric desires of his betters.
But Langston began to yearn for the pit, it was the only place he felt safe. In the pits he could fight back, in the pits he was equal. He’d learned savagery from the best and in the pits he could unleash all of his anger and rage.
Olivia made an exaggerated cough and Langston blinked then stared up into her eyes. He was back in the present and the hundreds of years that separated him from his chaotic past was a thin wall of smoke.
“Is this enough?” Oliva asked as she poured the milk into a bowl and set it on the ground.
“For now,” Langston replied. “Drink my young ones. Drink and grow strong.” He sat the white pup onto the floor then grabbed the others and let them out of the box. They stumbled to the bowl and greedily lapped up the milk.
“Is this how you plan to win the war?” Olivia asked and cut her eyes.
“So nearsighted.” Langston glanced at her and frowned.
“Langston, our efforts have resulted in nothing. Perhaps we are using the wrong strategy.”
“Careful now,” he warned.
Olivia narrowed her eyes and continued. “We eviscerated the vampire royalty. How will we convince any of them to join us now?”
Langston jumped to his feet. “They were weak!” he boomed. “Vampires like all other creatures will come to realize that our way is the only way. Their delusions that royalty exists within their own ranks are nothing more than childish wishes. The pactiza, what a pathetic excuse for kings. They did not deserve to serve me.”
“Serve you?” a voice rattled the walls as the flames in the fireplace roared to life. Langston shrank as he turned around and stared into the crackling pyre.
“Rabelial,” he said with a tremble in his voice.
With a whoosh, the fire died down sending black smoke crawling through the room. It moved like a giant constrictor, swirling around furniture and coming to a stop in the center. There it
took a bizarre humanoid form and Rabelial’s voice seeped from the specter. “You’ve been busy, Langston.”
Olivia quickly backed away and bowed her head. Langston straightened up and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon.”
“Yet here I am. What news do you have to share?”
“All is going according to plan. We are building a force that will not be rivaled.”
“Are we?”
“Yes, my lord. When the shade opens, we will be ready.”
“Perhaps you forget your charge, Langston. Are you building my army, or your own?”
Langston swallowed his words. He looked away from the smoky figure and tightened his jaw.
“Something that we will discuss at a later time no doubt,” Rabelial continued. “There are more pressing concerns. After your pathetic failure at the hotel, I expected you to do more.”
“Which is precisely what I have done. We will not miss Eric again.”
“Then tell me why he is attempting to leave this world as we speak. Tell me why he has partnered with a druid. Tell me you know where he’s going, Langston.”
“I—I will find out,” Langston replied.
“I suggest you do or the next time I return your little pack will graduate from milk onto solid foods.”
CHAPTER 7
DOWN RIVER
Eric nestled into the back of the boat and sat down. He stared into the obsidian waters and sighed. The memory of his last venture down the Aeternum Strait was fresh in his mind and as he looked into the depths he shivered.
Aleke stood near the front. His eyes were set somewhere far off in the distance but his mind was focused on every challenge that lay before them. He knew better than most the dangers one faced when journeying far from home.
They had hours left on the water. Hilyrah was not a place that could be accessed easily. A magic much more powerful than anything that existed on earth or down that crawling, black river, kept Hilyrah hidden.
“How did you end up in the water?” Aleke asked catching Eric off guard.
