The DarkWorld SoulTracker Series Box Set Vol II

by T. G. Ayer

  “The question is, what kind of asshole would do such a thing?” asked Drake who’d also joined us walking in with Darcy.

  We shifted aside as a group to ensure we weren’t standing in the way, but I could tell that nobody wanted to leave with Kai still un-revived.

  I gave a soft sigh. “The kind of people who would readily perform the atrocities we’ve seen so far within Mithras.”

  Fathima’s face darkened. “I was given to understand that the two warriors at one the power stations were extracted by Division 7 seconds after the blast took the place down. I’m more inclined to believe they were extracted for questioning simply because of the delayed timing in your team’s explosives.”

  I raised my eyebrows and Fathima explained in further detail, describing a legitimate malfunction with the wiring of the explosive which set the explosion back by near a minute.

  “Division 7 arrived but only seconds after the detonation. After a skirmish, they retreated but took two of ours with them.”

  I sighed while Darcy looked drained, and Logan and Drake simply looked like they wanted to punch something.

  “Well, my question is, how were they one step ahead of us? At least where our tunnel access was concerned,” I asked softly, voicing the question we were all thinking.

  “Either they were tipped off or we have a mole,” Fathima crossed her arms and tapped her lips, her expression distant, “and if you ask a certain djinn queen she’d select the latter option.”

  “As much as it looks to me like the latter, we still have to consider the former,” I said, looking around at the team and then at Fathima. “Perhaps I need to try to contact Saleem. See if he knows anything?” What I was really saying was that I wanted to find a reason for the mission’s failure that pointed at someone other than Saleem’s mother.

  Fathima was nodding slowly. “I believe it worth the risk of tipping the mage off again in case she’s strengthened her magic.”

  Seems even Fathima was looking to exonerate her Shahbanu.

  “It won’t be hard to detect a ward or a spell,” I said.

  “I don’t think it’s wise, Mel.” Darcy looked like she was about to throw up and I knew there was more to her objection than she could voice here within the group.

  I sighed. “It’s the only option we have right now if we want to hit them again. And we need to move soon as they’ll be reinforcing and moving out to look for their human batteries.”

  Darcy shook her head. “But is it worth the risk, Mel?” she asked, tone sharp now as her eyes flashed.

  I shrugged. “It’s the only option. Give me an alternative if you can. I’m open to another way.”

  I glanced around the team as though one of them would suddenly come up with the winning solution. Then I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

  “Okay, how about we take it one quick step at a time? Darcy and I will check the tunnels to see if the mage has warded it with magic. If she hasn’t, I’ll attempt to contact Saleem. If she has, we can look at another option.”

  Logan folded his arms, muscles bunching as he glared at me. “It’s not as though we have so many options.”

  I gave a wry smile at that. But there was nothing at all funny about our situation because as far as I could see, everything was going to Hel in a handbasket.

  I should be used to it by now.

  Chapter 38

  As it turned out, there was no magical protection within the tunnels and Darcy and Fathima both believed the witch may not have had the knowledge or the strength left since removing Akbar’s heart would have taxed her strength.

  I wasn’t so sure since the woman had displayed enough raw destructive power so far. But, after agreeing to be both quick and careful, Darcy and the warrior retreated to a safe distance where they waited, faces filled with worry.

  For a moment I wondered if I could use the latest of my skills to protect them, perhaps erect a protective bubble over them just in case.

  Then I shook my head, amazed at my ability to simply accept the insanity of it all. Where did this new ability come from? Not that I was complaining, since I was still alive because of it.

  With the two women safely positioned, I focused on reaching Saleem with my mind, projecting into the astral plane. I had expected the process to be difficult so I was surprised when I slipped into the ether beside Saleem so quickly.

  I was about to speak to him when a throb of something dark nudged against me. Something or someone was within the ether and I wasn’t able to identify what felt to me like a threat to my safety. Though instinct bade me to retreat I couldn’t, not if Saleem was in danger.

  And not if his hidden power could be the death of us all.

  But, despite my intentions, I hadn’t counted on the mage behind the threatening dark energy bumping up against my mind. The darkness grew and slammed against me, and in the back of my head I could hear the cackling laughter of a man, his rich baritone so filled with glee that his voice cracked into a high-pitch giggle.

  While his laughter filled my mind, I sensed a different presence in the ether, a familiar life-thread, which I couldn’t yet identify, what with my mind currently filled with hoarse laughter.

  And then a force of a thousand winds slammed into me.

  The energy hit me hard, thrusting me out of the ether and back to my body within the tunnels.

  I passed out even before Darcy and Fathima could reach me.

  Chapter 39

  When I came to, Darcy’s furious face was the first thing I saw.

  Wincing, I put a hand to my head and pushed myself up from the pillow. I’d been relegated to a cot bed inside our allocated quarters, not in the infirmary with the rest of the rebel warriors.

  “Watch yourself,” Darcy snapped. “You’re not to be moving around yet.”

  “Yeah, I’m not about to go dancing or anything just yet,” I muttered as pain flashed through my brain.

  “Maybe you should lie down again,” said a familiar voice as Kai came into view.

  I sighed, gave her a relieved smile and obeyed. “You people are far too bossy,” I mumbled, though I was more than glad to see she’d pulled through just fine.

  “Bossy gets shit done,” said Darcy coldly as she glared at me so hard I was tempted to hide my face. “You were out cold, Mel. I had to enter your mind to check if all your parts were still intact or if your reckless behavior resulted in everything being fried to a crisp.”

  “Dramatic much,” I grumbled.

  Darcy ignored me. “Well, if you want to know, your brain is still intact. Mostly.”

  “Mostly?” I scowled at her but said nothing else. “Okay fine, I get it.”

  I couldn’t deny how weak I was. That blast of the MindMage’s power had taken all my strength. Which raised another question: how had Ward developed such ethereally based powers? He wasn’t a SoulTracker.

  “Just one question...if anyone is up to hazarding a guess. Ward’s supposed to be a MindMelder, a telepath, not a mage who travels the ether and harnesses its powers. How come he managed to do this to me?”

  “You sure it wasn’t the witch?”

  “Yes. Well, not unless she happens to laugh like a man. I can still hear him guffawing inside my head.”

  “So? What does that also tell you?” asked Darcy sharply, her eyes narrowing—this was meant to be a test.

  I sighed. “Ward knows what’s in my head? Well, he does to a certain extent.”

  Darcy nodded. “And if he does, then maybe the witch does too. Which means your little reckless mission has revealed some of your cards.”

  I made a face then looked around for Fathima, finding Aisha watching me from the foot of the bed, secrets swirling in her dark eyes. “Would she also know about the Kelan?” I shifted to prop myself up on my elbows. I wanted to ask her a dozen more questions but her face held zero emotion and I figured she was trying to keep them under control.

  The queen shook her head. “Only a djinn would recognize it. And just so you know,
depending on the nature of the attack, the Kelan will protect you enough that the effects of the attack would be significantly reduced.”

  “Which only means that all of Mel should have been fried to a crisp,” said Darcy.

  “Something like that,” the queen replied with a smile, then, with my weakness having dropped the protection around my mind, she said silently to me, “There is also the possibility that he’s managed to undo the block on Saleem’s power and is stealing them, or piggybacking on them.”

  What she wasn’t saying was the third option—That Ward could possibly be directing Saleem’s power via Saleem himself. What’s a little more mind-control while we’re delving into the subject.

  Just the thought made me want to pass out.

  “Maybe. I hope not. And it didn’t feel like that. But the asshole—I mean Ward—could be skilled enough by now to have broken Saleem.” I paused and swallowed, wanting to ask her how she was but afraid she’d retreat and refuse to talk about what had happened.

  “It is alright, Melisande. I am not blind to my responsibility to the failure of the mission.”

  I was distracted from replying by Kai’s voice. “Maybe you need to sleep a little, Mel. Regenerate?” she suggested, her voice soft though filled with worry.

  “A few hours, if you want my opinion,” added Darcy, her words dripping ice.

  “And while she’s resting, maybe I can try to contact my son?” said Aisha, her words making me lift my head off the pillow despite the pain it caused.

  “No!”

  The single word, spoken by six people, sounded like we’d all just yelled at the queen of Mithras. And, on looking at the faces around me, it was clear that nobody regretted the outburst.

  The sound of footsteps echoed from the hall as someone hurried to our room, probably to check on the commotion was. Two warriors entered with the commander following closely.

  But, just as he was about to speak, his gaze shifted and landed on the queen. The man, despite his age, certainly possessed some gymnastic skills since the moment he spotted Aisha he spun on heel and stalked out of the room.

  What a strange thing to do.

  I glanced over at the queen who hadn’t seen him, her view hindered by Logan and Darcy who stood between her and doorway.

  “Maybe it’s best you don’t go,” said Fathima, meeting the queen’s eyes. “It’s possible with Mel’s power depleted, we may need yours to boost us if things go to duzakh. You know where we stand if the worst comes to pass.”

  I suspected that Fathima may also be aware of Saleem’s bound powers and I had to wonder who else knew. Perhaps other djinn councilmen and senior officials too.

  Settling back onto the cot, I watched as the team—other than Darcy—scattered, all heading to rest or prepare for the next stage of this strange, thwarted mission. Logan stomped off, his face a thundercloud and I knew what he was thinking.

  “I get the feeling that given half a chance, Logan would ask me to jump him to Ward so that he can turn the bastard into chargrilled MindMage. And I probably would do it too,” I said, glancing up at the MindMelder.

  Darcy’s eye widened, her skin losing some color. She reached for my arm and gripped so tight that I suspected a bruise was in my future. “No. Please. Whatever you do, you must not come into contact with him. Not ever.”

  I took a slow breath, feeling the tension and fear emanating from her, her icy facade fading now that we were alone. “Darcy? What’s wrong?”

  She let out a choked laugh. “How ironic. I keep running from him and he keeps maneuvering his way back into my life. And he’s doing it through my friends.”

  “What are you talking about, Darcy,” I asked, my voice a whisper because I was afraid she’d race off without an explanation.

  Darcy’s eyes shimmered with tears. “His signature…it’s in your mind. He’s messed with your memories, Mel. I don’t know how because what he did looks different, it feels different. Which could mean he worked with someone else to perform the magic. But he’s definitely done something to you. Have you lost any memories?”

  I stared at Darcy, not entirely sure how to respond to the question. I was not ready to discuss my lack of memories of my family with another person. I had already divulged that reality to Drake and to Kai, but having the MindMelder stare me down, awaiting an answer, had me at a loss.

  The truth was, she probably already knew what was in my head.

  I squinted at her. Or maybe she didn’t, because whatever block that Ward had put up would likely have stopped her from seeing those memories. I figured I’d leave my horror at having had the man mess with my memories for a later time so I can lose my shit in private.

  Taking a slow breath, I asked her, “What did you see?”

  She looked a little conflicted at my question, as though what she saw was hardly the issue at this point in time. I could understand—she was so terrified of her mentor/torturer that her fear was stopping her from studying the issue with a more logical focus.

  She shook her head slowly her eyes glistening with tears. “I went in doing the normal thing. Honestly, the last thing I expected to see was a block on your memories, let alone to recognize Ward’s signature. I have to admit his block was strong and I didn’t see much beyond that. But it looks a lot like his protection had been put in place a long time ago. And it’s unlike the ones I did with Logan where I left crumbs for him to follow, confusing things that would in the end return those memories to him.”

  I listened, trying to pretend she was talking about someone else. “Can you tell when this was done? Maybe we could pinpoint a time and a place?”

  Darcy took a breath. “The block does have a degradation factor.”

  “You mean it fades with time?”

  “Something like that. Time and repeated attempts to access those memories would eventually shatter the block.”

  “That makes sense.” And it did. More than I was admitting right now to Darcy. Was I being unfair to her, being privy to her innermost fears and refusing to share mine with her?

  Darcy touched my hand. “Mel, I also saw something else. I’m not sure that it makes much sense to me because I don’t know your history but perhaps it would to you.” I nodded, because that was the only movement I was capable of right now. She continued, “I have to ask you something else. There was a moment of trauma in your life about a decade ago. Do you still retain all your memories of that incident?”

  Darcy studied my face and I could see confusion and fear in her eyes, both emotions linked directly to my own safety. I sighed and I shifted position to sit up on the cot. Seemed it was pointless trying to avoid telling Darcy the truth.

  “You must be referring to the night my parents were murdered and my sister was abducted. To be honest, I didn’t remember much...other than the fact that my sister was taken and that I felt as though the whole thing was my fault. There are many references to my parents being in the room, like the blood and the gore, and I know I have the memory of their last few seconds before they were killed. But, if I had to think back to my childhood, I find I can’t really picture my parents. I can’t remember family time. I don’t remember what they sounded like, and the worst thing of all...I never think of them. You know the way people get nostalgic and think about the past? I don’t, not when it comes to my parents. I mean...I never used to think of them.”

  “Why? Did something happened recently to change that?” Darcy’s eyes were clouded with worry. Which in turn made me worry.

  At last, I nodded. “It was the strangest thought. I was annoyed with my wound and having to change the one on my back, and I glared at it and caught my reflection in the mirror. And then a voice was in my mind. It was something my mother used to say. And it hit me then that I never think about her, and that I didn’t—up until that point—even remember what she sounded like.”

  Darcy nodded, her face sober now. “Okay. I think I can see what’s going on here. The block he put in place is degrading with time. Seem
s, either he did it before he knew what he was doing, or whoever helped him messed something up.”

  “Deliberately?”

  “It’s hard to tell unless I go back in and have a look around.”

  I nodded and then took a breath. “Do you think this will keep until we get back home?”

  Darcy nodded. “Likely it will, just as long as you stay far away from him. This magic in your head is something he will have power over. If he knows how to, he can easily use that to hurt you...even to control you. And worse, if he recognizes his work and also finds a trace of my presence then he’ll be infinitely more dangerous to both of us.”

  I nodded and took another deep breath, fear building inside me as neither of us said what we were thinking—that he probably already knew. “So? How do we end this bastard?’

  Darcy hesitated. “I’d love to say we can but even if we get our hands on him, we can’t kill him. Not until we are sure Saleem is safe.” She hesitated then looked up at me.

  “Yeah, he’s been messing with Saleem’s mind so we’d be smart to make sure he cancels what he’s done.” I nodded, aware too that we’d need the bastard to reverse more than what he’d been doing to Saleem recently. Then I forced a smile onto my face. “And then you can kill him. Or else I will.”

  “Nope. We still can’t. Not until…look, there is someone else that Ward has worked on who needs that block removed. And it’s important because what he did to her was more powerful because he had to compensate for her own power.”

  “So the block he put in place is slowly killing her?”

  “Yes. And we need him to remove it. Because, one, she needs her mind back, and two, she absolutely cannot die. Millions of lives are on the line.”

  I nodded, aware that Darcy hadn’t mentioned who this person was that needed help.

  But I figured that could be a question for another time.

  Chapter 40