Rise of the Arcanist Series: Books 1 - 6

by Elizabeth Kirke

  To my frustration, my double and I were right back to where we started, circling each other, waiting for an opening. Except now I was probably weaker than I had been before and if what I saw fighting Danio was right, then my doppelganger wasn’t an even match for me, he was stronger.

  My only advantage may have been that he didn’t know he was the doppelganger. If that was true and he didn’t realize he had the upper hand, I could use it. I just had to be careful. Then, like a floodgate, an overpowering rush of emotions slammed into me.

  Tethys!

  I could sense him!

  Without thinking, I snapped my head in his direction with gasp. He was here. Not right here with me, but not far away either. The surge of emotions made it hard to think, but I could tell he sensed me too.

  The other Thomas crashed into me and yanked me to the ground, fangs snapping for my neck. I flung my arms up to defend myself and just barely managed to keep him from biting me again and we struggled for a moment, when he gasped suddenly and went rigid. I took advantage to throw him off me and staggered away, confused. My double struggled to his feet and I saw a throwing knife embedded in his back!

  “Tom, what the hell are you waiting for?!” one of the Danios yelled.

  The other one whirled on him. “What the fuck is wrong with you?! What if you hit the real one?!”

  I didn’t hear the response; I couldn’t waste this chance. I yanked the knife out of the other Thomas, then plunged it back in as hard as I could. It wasn’t as long as a stake, but I was confident I sank it into two hearts. He screamed in pain as I did. Leaving him with one working heart was a cruel, painful death, so I pulled the knife back out, flipped him onto his back and stabbed into the final one.

  He looked far too much like me and I was forced to turn away as he died, swallowing hard. Both Danios rushed up and stopped nearby, watching in a mix of horror and shock.

  With one last gasp, my double went still.

  I expected him to turn back into his original form or something, but nothing happened. It was just me… dead.

  With a twist of dread in my stomach, I wondered suddenly if I was wrong. What if I was the doppelganger?! No, that was impossible. Wasn’t it?

  “Holy shit,” the Danio with the knife wound breathed.

  The other one looked at me, then back at my double, eyes churning furiously. “You…” he said, looking back at me. “But…”

  Then, the Thomas on the ground literally exploded. He burst into a horrific smelling pile of dust that looked like ashes.

  “That’s some Buffy shit, right there,” said one Danio.

  “Whoa, somebody call Joss Whedon,” the other said at the same moment.

  I heaved a sigh of relief. It was unsettling, even for just a moment, to have worried I was the doppelganger.

  There was no time to relax though, there were still two Danios to contend with.

  “I don’t suppose one of you would just like to confess to being the doppelganger?” I asked.

  They both shook their heads. I sighed, struggling to think of something that would tell them apart.

  “Hey,” I said as one struck me. “Let me see your compass tattoo.”

  “Mm… you can see my hand,” one offered, as the other said, “It’s not exactly there…”

  They both held up blank palms with eerily identical grimaces and I sighed again. The only difference I could see or smell was that one had a stab wound and the other was obviously favoring one shoulder. At least I could tell them apart now. Thanks to my fight, I had my suspicions as well. But how to prove it?

  They warily glanced at each other and tensed.

  “Can we try talking it out?” I asked. “We know I’m the real Thomas now, right? Let me help you figure this out before the real Danio gets killed. I think we can all agree we want the doppelganger dead.”

  They both nodded.

  “Any ideas?” I asked.

  “No,” said one. “But is it weird I find him really attractive?”

  “Oh thank god,” the other said. “I was worried it was just me.”

  “Seriously?” I demanded.

  “Could we take mm…five minutes?”

  “Yeah, we just need five minutes.”

  “It’s not cheating if it’s with yourself, right?”

  “I think Charlie would understand.”

  “Are you two really having this conversation?” I cried. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Oh, did you want in?”

  “Sorry, Tom. You can join us, of course.”

  I gritted my teeth. “I honestly want to kill both of you.”

  Even their stupid sense of humor was the same. I sighed again. If only I could just ask some trick questions and trip up the doppelganger, but with Danio’s exact memories and the fact he believed he really was Danio, it would be impossible. Their answers wouldn’t be identical, but they’d be close enough I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

  There had to be something. I went over it once again; same physical abilities, same memories, same… wait a minute! Suddenly, I remembered a tip from a long-forgotten MES lecture about doppelgangers. They had our memories but not our experiences; I had to find a way to do something that would prompt a subconscious response, not a verbal one.

  Easier said than done. First, I had to quickly think of something that would work. I needed to be sure that the real Danio would subconsciously respond to something differently than someone who only remembered things, but hadn’t actually lived them. Of course, then I’d have to actually know what the real one would do and do it all without letting them know what I was up to. Tricking them into a subconscious response would probably only work once, otherwise they’d overthink it and mess things up.

  But what to do?

  I frantically tried to come up with something as the three of us stood there nervously. I couldn’t waste time either, for all I knew the real Danio would drop dead before I could identify him.

  As a mixed blessing, I could sense Tethys getting closer. I couldn’t wait to see him, but more people would only add to the chaos. If Tethys was with Charlie, there was no way Charlie would want me to kill either Danio. I knew I’d likely have to risk going with my gut and that would not be good enough for him – it was barely good enough for me. Charlie probably didn’t need to actually see it either, even if it was a doppelganger and with my luck he’d probably erupt anyway and kill us all.

  I had to solve this. Fast.

  Frustrated and feeling a headache coming on, I raised my hands to my temples to rub them. My self-administered adrenaline boost was long gone and the movement sent a stab of pain up my arm from where I had been bitten and suddenly I had it. But how to get them to agree to it…

  “I have an idea,” I announced.

  They both looked at me curiously.

  “I think I heard once that doppelganger blood tastes different. I should be able to tell that way,” I lied.

  “Well…” one said, gingerly prodding at his shoulder wound.

  “It should be as fresh as possible,” I said, quickly improvising. “Just to be sure.”

  They both looked skeptical, but no sign yet.

  “Okay,” one finally said. “If that’s the best way to tell…”

  “Yeah, go for it, I guess.”

  I slowly walked toward them and directed them farther apart. I started with the one with the stab wound. The other one had just been too skilled at fighting, he had to be the doppelganger.

  “Face that way,” I instructed, “so I can see both of you.”

  They obediently faced away from me, so I was able to stand next to one, while keeping an eye on the other a few feet away. On the off chance he tried something while I was busy, I’d have plenty of warning.

  “Okay,” I said to the first Danio. “Ready?”

  “Sure,” he said with a shrug. “No big deal, just the first time you’ve ever bitten me. Other than, you know, that time I was dead.”

  “Let’s try not
to have a repeat of that,” I said.

  He nodded and I carefully put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his head and gently pushed. He willingly tilted his head and exposed his neck.

  “Hold still.”

  “I plan to.”

  He did. I carefully licked the numbing agent onto his neck – which tasted exactly like I would have expected a water elemental to taste – as he patiently stood there. I decided against telling him I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach him; there was something absurd about a short vampire. After he was numb enough, I hesitated. This was not at all the reaction I expected. Either I was wrong or…

  Hating to actually go through with it, I forced myself to take a quick bite, just in case the doppelganger blood really would taste different. It was cold and gross, but nothing out of the ordinary. Through it all, he stood silently. After a very quick taste, I withdrew my fangs and licked the punctures closed.

  “All done,” I said.

  “And?”

  “Tastes normal to me,” I said, forcing a smile.

  “That’s because I am normal,” he said with a familiar smirk. “Well, I use the term loosely.”

  I half-chuckled, then had him turn around and went to the next one. “Turn that way.”

  Like the first Danio, he obeyed.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  “Can’t fucking wait,” he said sarcastically.

  I reached up to put my hands on his shoulder and neck, the instant I touched him he flinched, then took a deep breath and tilted his head to the side. Even before I started licking, I sensed his pulse speeding up and could hear each breath coming faster.

  “Hold still,” I said, making sure I tried to do everything I had done with the first one.

  “’Kay,” he said tightly.

  One lick and his breath hitched. I could feel him trembling. This was enough. There was no question now and I wouldn’t push him, not like this.

  I released him and moved around to the front. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was biting his lower lip so hard I could see blood.

  “I’m done.”

  His eyes flew open, completely gray and still, and he looked at me in surprise. “That was… it?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Before he could ask and before the other could get suspicious, I gathered up my strength and lunged. I closed the distance in a split second and grabbed the doppelganger from behind with no warning. He started to struggle, but it was too late. With a silent prayer that I was right, I snapped his neck and let him drop.

  For several long, agonizing moments, I waited. Just before I could panic, he burst into ashes. I nearly fell to my knees in relief.

  “So, that’s what forty years of pent up aggravation looks like,” Danio quipped from behind me. “Remind me not to tease you for a really long time.”

  I laughed breathlessly and turned to face him. For a moment, I couldn’t say anything, I just grinned, hardly able to believe we had done it. Danio grinned back and we hugged; I could still sense his pulse racing and squeezed tighter for a moment, then released him.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

  He shrugged, almost too casually. “It worked.”

  “I’m still sorry.”

  “I’ll be alright.” He nodded down at the pile of ashes. “Better off than that one.” He narrowed his eyes and knelt down. “Damn, I was hoping his knives wouldn’t…” he said, adding a cringe-inducing mimic of the exact sound the doppelganger exploding into ashes made.

  I sensed Tethys getting closer and looked in his direction. “Let’s go.”

  “How far away is he?” Danio asked.

  “What?” I asked in surprise.

  “TS?”

  “How…?”

  Dani grinned. “I thought so. I saw you earlier. When you sensed him.”

  Right before… I realized I still had the knife that had been thrown at my doppelganger, which meant it belonged to the real Danio. I held it up. “I should thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he laughed, taking the knife back.

  “Is that how you knew it was me?”

  He nodded. “I know what you look like when you’re doing bond stuff. The other guy didn’t so much as glance that way, so I figured a doppelganger probably couldn’t duplicate a soul-pack bond. Or unresolved trauma, as it turns out. Sorry though, I did throw the other one at you.” He went over to where we fought and started looking for it.

  “You missed,” I chuckled as I joined him. “Mostly. Sorry about your shoulder.”

  He smirked and rolled it a little. “It’s healing. Don’t expect me to teach you any more throws though. Asshole.”

  I laughed a little, then studied him as he poked around in the grass, feeling just a little uneasy. I really hadn’t expected him to be the real one. “Have you been practicing?” I asked.

  “Hm?”

  “Fighting,” I clarified. “You were uh… I mean, you’re pretty good and all, but I’ve never seen you fight like that. You seemed a little too good, if you know what I mean. I thought you were…”

  “Yikes, glad I didn’t let you knock me out then. Ah!” He recovered his other throwing knife and came over to me. “First of all, when we spar I’m usually not worried you’re actually going to kill me.”

  “Good point.”

  “Second, well…” He shrugged his good shoulder and looked a little embarrassed. “It’s amazing how much a little pain can slow you down.”

  I reflexively looked at his stomach. “You’re kidding! Your injury held you back that much?”

  “It might have been a little more debilitating than I liked to admit,” he said with a too-casual shrug. He leaned forward and kept going until he was able to wrap his arms around the backs of his legs. “I haven’t been able to do this in fifty years.” He put his hands on the ground behind his legs and turned it into a handstand, then slowly rolled his legs back until he was bent back the opposite way, bridge style.

  “That looks so painful,” I said.

  “It’s not!” he said happily, flipping back up. “It’s amazing!”

  “Charlie must be thrilled,” I said dryly.

  He slung an arm over my shoulder and winked at me. “There’s only one of me now, but that invitation is still–”

  “Nope.” I ducked away and started walking. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Your loss,” he chuckled as he followed.

  A strong wind whipped up and we both looked around the trees in concern as leaves and even small branches ripped down.

  “Don’t like that,” he said.

  I shook my head. “No.”

  I felt a surge of excitement and joy and turned my attention closer to the ground. A moment later I heard the sound of running paws and a surge of joy so powerful I felt a wide grin spread across my face.

  Chapter Ten

  TS

  “Gross,” Danio commented in amusement as I relentlessly licked Thomas’ cheeks.

  “Shut your gob,” I told him between licks. “Going to lick you next.”

  “Wait your turn,” Charlie said, hugging Danio like he was never going to let go.

  Mariana giggled happily and put her arms around both of them.

  Thomas laughed and thumped me roughly on the side. He didn’t say anything but was positively radiating relief and happiness. I gave him one last good lick, then sat back and let him up, knowing he was going to want to actually greet Jen as well. My tongue lolled out happily; not being able to sense any of my soul-packmates had been torture. It was comforting to know that it was just interference from the labyrinth, but that knowledge made it no less difficult. Werewolves were pack animals and being cut off from my soul-packmates, especially when I had been bonded to one since I was seven, was almost physically painful.

  Words couldn’t describe my relief when we entered another layer of the labyrinth and I felt Thomas. Of course, being able to sense he was injured
, fighting, and scared had been stressful in its own right.

  Even so, I knew the sick feeling in my stomach – better now at least, because I was with Tom – wouldn’t go away until I was out of the labyrinth with my bonds firmly back in place. Well, my bond with Shannon anyway. Delilah crossed my mind for just a moment and I felt the usual gut-wrenching twist of agony. Ever since I bonded to her I had done my best to not think about her. I usually succeeded but now…

  Jen dropped to her knees next to Thomas and threw her arms around him. Grateful for the distraction, I smiled at the feeling of his contentment. The morbid thought that I hoped he’d survive me, that he could build a happy life with Jen struck me, not for the first time, and I quickly pushed it away, fighting off the brief stab of nausea it caused.

  “If you thought I wasn’t going to come find you and stay home where it was safe instead…” Jen said.

  “Not for a minute,” Tom chuckled, kissing her.

  “But don’t ever freak me out like that again,” Jen added.

  “Shit,” Danio said suddenly.

  We all looked over at him in concern. He stepped away from Charlie and Mariana, one hand lingered on Charlie’s cheek for a moment and a strange expression crossed Danio’s face. “Have any of you been bitten by something?” he asked.

  Thomas cursed too and I sensed a stab of alarm.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Tom and I just had some fun with doppelgangers,” Danio said. “Not that kind of fun though, C, if you were concerned. You have been holding out on me though, I had no idea my ass looked that good.”

  Charlie rolled his eyes. “Of course you’d check out your own doppelganger.”

  “And flirt with him,” Thomas added. “You might be surprised to know Danio is twice as obnoxious when there are two of him.”

  “No,” Charlie said. “I would not be surprised at all.”

  “Hey…” said Danio.

  Thomas sighed. “We do need to check for bites though.” He nodded toward me. “I can sense TS, so he’s clear.”

  Mariana and Jen quickly checked each other over, while Tom described what sort of bite they were looking for. I could sense he wasn’t satisfied and he checked Jen himself when they were done. Then again, Danio must have checked Charlie at least three times; he was probably as unsettled about it as Thomas was. Based on the confusion and fear I sensed as Thomas fought the doppelganger, I couldn’t blame them for being thorough.