Awen Storm Page 21

  Alexis/Nathair’s tongue flicked the air. Curious. It appeared Ham’s spirit was inside the boy. Had his body died? An immense sadness permeated the snake.

  “I could take another gander in the Otherworld. Ask around. See what I can find.” It was Hamilton’s voice again.

  The boy scooped up a stone and hurled it into the surf. A large fish broke the surface and made a loud splat when it landed on its side.

  “Too bad fish don’t talk,” the boy said, so low Alexis had to strain to hear.

  “Maybe they can,” Ham mused.

  The boy snorted. “Oh great. Now you speak fish?”

  Hamilton laughed, that rich, throaty melody that made Alexis’s heart melt. “Something like that. Shall I try?”

  The boy laughed. “Why the heck not? I have no better idea.” Rising to his knees, he leaned on his hands and peered into the water. “Now what?”

  “Now you’re just being silly. Sit down and we’ll try the Otherworld. If that doesn’t work, we can ask the fish.”

  “Ribbit, ribbit,” Losgann the frog croaked, hopping up to Nathair. “What is it you wish from me, Madame Druid?”

  **

  Brian sat cross-legged on the damp sand. The UnderEarth sun morphed from red to a creamy-white as it rose higher and knocked the chill from the air. Until recently, Brian had thought the Otherworld was a myth. Now, Hamilton was going to take him there.

  “Ready?” Ham asked.

  “Ready.” Brian closed his eyes.

  “Ribbit.”

  Exasperated, Brian opened them again. For an important man, Hamilton could be a goofball. But a large frog sat before him, larger than any Brian had ever seen.

  “Ribbit.” It blinked its bulging eyes.

  Brian snickered. “Well, ribbit to you, too.”

  The frog hopped closer, and Brian resisted the urge to reach out and touch it.

  “Losgann, is that you?” Hamilton cried. “You are a most welcome sight.”

  Brian stared at the frog. He had met a talking dog, cat, zoo animals, and now this frog. His friends in Utah would call him crazy. They wouldn’t believe his fantastical experiences in Atlanta, much less the ones he was having beneath the earth.

  “It is I, Master Druid,” the frog croaked. “I understand you require assistance.”

  “That we do. We were separated from my daughter, the Awen, and ended up here in UnderEarth. I know that she is with the dragons. But can you help me and my companions find a portal back to AboveEarth?”

  “The Awen is with the Dragon Keepers, yes,” the frog croaked. “They mean to take her to Beli to restore the dragon-keep.”

  A stark and utter terror seized Brian. His knees trembled for Emily.

  “So things are in motion as they should be,” Hamilton commented. “And Emily is safe, which is my primary concern. But we need to get back to AboveEarth without alerting the Reptiles.”

  “With that, I can help. Ribbit. Not far from here lies a cave system. Its entrance is hidden behind a stand of young yew and willows. Enter the cave and stay to the right. That will lead to a rivulet. Follow that until you reach the sinkhole, and be careful not to fall in.

  “Beyond the sinkhole, you will find a crude door. Beyond that, will be a forest leading to an abandoned chute. The reptiles have let it fall into disrepair, so you should be relatively safe. But take caution. Travel only during the day, when the reptiles are more likely to sleep.”

  “Uh-uh. No way,” Brian groaned. “I am not going anywhere near those monsters again.”

  “Courage, young raven,” the frog croaked. “And welcome to the fight. You are in the company of a master druid and will be well-protected. Just keep your eyes open, travel during the daytime, and find a robe or some other disguise.”

  “So the portal is inside the chute?” Hamilton asked.

  The yellow eyes blinked. “Oh no, ribbit. It is miles from there. The closest portal is in the mountains where the smoke rises. You will take the chute headed north and make for a formation known as Blowing Rock. The portal opens beneath the leaping platform. Good luck, Master Druid.”

  “Could you come with us? Show us the way?” Brian asked in a trembly voice. “I would be happy to carry you.”

  “No, young raven. I’m afraid not. My path lies in another direction. But I will see you again at your journey’s end.” The frog turned to leave.

  “Wait!” Hamilton cried. “I sense another presence. Can you tell me the whereabouts of the disembodied druid?”

  The frog wavered, eyes flicking away, and back again. Away and back. Away and back. Then with a nod toward a nearby boulder and a quick bow, Losgann hopped to the grass and disappeared.

  “Welp,” Brian said. “I’ll go tell Ethnui.”

  “Wait. Not yet,” Hamilton whispered in his head.

  At his inner prompting, Brian stood and circled the boulder, unsure of what he was looking for.

  “Alexis Mayhall, show yourself,” Ham shouted, startling Brian.

  The wind hissed and ruffled Brian’s hair. An eerie feeling passed through him. Alexis Mayhall was Emily’s dead mother. Why did Ham think she’d be here?

  Bus Station

  The taxi driver drove Shalane slowly up and down the streets near the Ryman Auditorium. Patty was nowhere to be seen. When Shalane’s call went straight to voicemail for the umpteenth time, she remembered the tracking app on her phone. Accessing it, she was surprised to see Cecil holed up in a nearby bar. Patty was in motion, moving slowly toward the bus station. She instructed the driver to take her there.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He looked at Shalane in the rearview mirror. “Be glad to.”

  He eased into the next lane and threaded the taxi through the late-morning traffic. A few blocks later, they pulled in front of the depot. Several buses were parked at the curb and one was leaving the station.

  “Can you wait for me here?” Shalane climbed out.

  “Yes’m,” the driver nodded, but she was already shoving the glass door open, searching for Patrika Tolbert and praying she hadn’t been on the bus that just left.

  “She couldn’t be,” she told herself. “She was walking a few minutes ago. She’s barely had time to buy a ticket, much less leave.” She glanced at the app and confirmed that Patty was still in the vicinity.

  The terminal was packed. Shalane juked to miss a man who stopped to answer his cell phone and bounced off another who wandered into her path. She’d had no idea this many people rode buses.

  Making her way to the ticket counter, she searched the faces. None were Patty’s. Damn, damn, DAMN. Her heart pounded, and her ears rang. Shalane scanned the crowd for the petite blond. Where was she, dammit?

  The toilet, maybe? She located the directional sign and headed that way. But Patty wasn’t there, either. Was there another one? She stopped and asked an attendant, who shook her head and pointed toward the bathroom Shalane had just left.

  Frantic now, Shalane stood in the middle of the bus terminal and turned a slow three-sixty. She slid her phone from her pocket and checked the app. Patty was here. But where?

  Shalane roamed the gates looking for the red top Patty was wearing. In a corner of the station, she spied big letters announcing “RESTAURANT”. Shalane hurried toward it, heart in her throat.

  There, at a table in the middle of the room, Patty sat eating a hamburger. Relief flooded Shalane, then the anger returned. The ungrateful bitch could’ve at least let her know she was okay. She strode to the table and stood over Patty with her hands on her hips.

  The girl kept eating. When she look did up, pure fright darkened her eyes. It was quickly replaced by the new, cool, calm Patty. Having found her, Shalane wanted to slap the smug from her face. She reeled in her anger, and slid into the opposite seat.

  “Hello, Patty. Going somewhere?”

  The girl’s eyes widened, and her nostrils flared. “Why? Did you come here to stop me? I’m going home, Shalane. I’m tired of you treating me like shit.”

  “
You belligerent twit. This is the thanks I get for all I’ve done for you?”

  Patty’s face reddened. She started to say something, then bit her lip. “I’m sorry Shalane. I should’ve said thank you before I left. Thank you. But you treat me like I’m your play-toy. You don’t mind spending money on me, but how about showing me some respect? Or kindness? Would that kill you?” A tear rolled down Patty’s cheek and landed on her new décolletage.

  Shalane was unmoved. She had seen the crocodile tears before. Patty used them freely to get her way.

  “So that’s what you want? Respect? Kindness? I tell you what. You give me back that iBlast and those boobs, and I’ll give you all the kindness and respect you can handle. Deal?”

  Patty snorted and swiped at the tears. “Fuck you, Shalane.”

  “Now THAT’S a proposition I can get behind.”

  The girl lashed out, and Shalane grabbed her arm. “Truce?” she said, and let go.

  Patty rubbed her wrist and looked away.

  “What time’s your bus to L.A.?”

  “None of your business.”

  Shalane leaned back in the cheap resin chair. “Well if you’ll deign to make it my business, I might be able to help you get there faster.”

  A light sprang on in the gray eyes. “You would do that for me?”

  “I would do it for me.” At Patty’s quizzical look, Shalane added, “So I don’t have to worry. I’m not the monster you seem to think I am.” The pretty face pinked. “How much did you pay for your bus ticket?”

  “A hundred and ninety-five dollars.”

  “When does it leave?”

  “Not for a couple of hours.”

  “Then go on up and get a refund. I’ll take you to the airport and put you on a flight to L.A.. After that, you’re on your own.”

  Eyes shining, Patty hurried to the ticket counter.

  **

  The chute lurched, waking Azi with a start.

  On the floor beside him, his assistant groaned. “What the Hades?”

  “What the Hades is right,” Azi sputtered and dragged himself up onto the bench. “How’d we get back to the chute?” The rocking of the car made his skull throb.

  The light flickered on, sending an ice pick through his temple. Azi squeezed his eyes shut and ran his tongue over his lips. They felt blistered and tasted of metal, reminding Azi of the abandoned entrance.

  He straightened gingerly and looked around, blinking. The car vibrated as it gathered speed. According to the chute’s overhead display, they were en route to Xibalba IX. Every part of Azi’s body ached, and his face felt raw.

  “How did we get back to the chute?” he wondered aloud.

  His assistant wagged his head back and forth. The scales of his face were melted and charred, his eyes vague and short of focus.

  What was this madness?

  The Mind Veil

  “Where are the other Keepers?” Emily asked, no longer able to contain her curiosity. “Aren’t there four?”

  “Four?” An air of vagueness settled on Draig Talav. “There are four, yes.”

  “So, where are the others? I met Draig a-Ur in Atlanta. Well, I didn’t meet her. She appeared out of nowhere in the middle of Oakland Cemetery and scared the bejesus out of me. I later found out she is one of the Dragon Keepers.”

  The dragons blinked and eyed one another. Draig Ooschu spoke.

  “a-Ur is an Air Keeper, yes. But she is a he. Who told you he is a Keeper?” Suspicion sharpened Ooschu’s tone.

  “The Druid Elder, Hope.” The dragons stared blankly. “Hope the Scottish Wildcat? She is one of my teachers. But I saw Draig Tienu, too.”

  Ooschu made a choking noise. “You what? When?”

  “A few days ago. The day of the earthquake. I’m pretty sure he had something to do with it.”

  Talav hung her head and stared at the gems on her chest. Her voice was a low, embarrassed rumble. “Tienu is the other Keeper. And you’re right. It is because of his instructions that I disrupted the pocket of magma.”

  “I knew it,” Emily said, spiking the air. But she felt no satisfaction in being right. “Where are they? Will I get to meet them?”

  The two dragons blinked in unison, stared at Emily, blinked at one another, then back at Emily. Together they chorused, “We don’t know.”

  That surprised Emily. “I thought dragons knew everything.”

  Repeating their earlier behavior, the dragons stared, blinked, stared at one another and Emily, then burst into laughter.

  “Bwahahahaha. Hohohoho, heeheehee hahaha…” The laughter reverberated through the clearing—great, thunderous mirth—so long and so loud that Khenko ran out the back door to see what was happening. From Big Ben honks to the tinkling of bells, the dragon’s merriment ricocheted around them.

  Ooschu rolled in the sand; Talav in the shallow waves. On and on, the hilarity continued until Emily could no longer contain her annoyance at being the butt of some joke.

  Springing to her feet, she stomped the sand. “Stop laughing! You stop right now!”

  Talav hiccupped and sat up in the surf, ochre eyes wide and blinking.

  Ooschu slithered to an upright stance, her lovely green scales and face-horns caked in white sand. She did stop laughing, but a lurid grin remained plastered to her snout, revealing long, sharp fangs and rubbery lips covered in gritty sand.

  “Are you laughing at me?” Emily demanded.

  Attrition turned Ooschu’s fins gray, and tears pooled in her liquid eyes. Talav left the surf to collapse in a heap on the beach, still trying to contain her mirth. Khenko Blitherstone watched in amazement.

  “Are you?” Emily pressed, seeing red. “Are you laughing at me?”

  “No honey,” Ooschu sighed. “We are laughing at us.”

  “Which is ridiculous,” Talav moaned, sides still heaving. “Because it’s not funny at all.”

  Emily’s anger drained away. “What’s not funny? I don’t get the joke.”

  “There is no joke, child.” A mournful pall settled on Ooschu. “And it is no laughing matter.” She sat on her haunches, hilarity gone. “It’s a common misconception that dragons know everything. We do not. But we used to know a lot more.” The water dragon paused to glance at Talav who was busy drying and shining her gemmed scales.

  “So what happened?” Khenko asked, dropping to the sand.

  “Marduk exploded.”

  “Huh?” Emily stared at the water dragon, not comprehending.

  “You know, the planet Marduk? It exploded. That’s when the druids and Marduk’s other species came to Earth, along with the reptilians. Until then, Gaia was a peaceful planet inhabited by the Ancient Ones and us dragons. Only, we lived inside the earth, not on top of it.”

  Stunned, Emily gaped at Ooschu, then at Khenko, who dug his toes in the sand to lean closer.

  “What are you saying?” The healer’s voice trembled with excitement. “There was a Marduk? And it really did blow up? I’ve read that explosion is what altered Earth’s trajectory. And made her atmosphere more hospitable to life. Are you saying all those conspiracy theories are true?”

  The dragons nodded in unison. Water beaded off Talav’s snout, and sand flew from Ooschu.

  “Yes!” Talav crowed, obviously impressed with Khenko’s knowledge. “When Marduk shattered all those thousands of years ago, the Galactic Federation separated Earth’s outer frontier from her inner territories—”

  “The Galactic Federation?” Emily sputtered. “You lost me again. Isn’t that something out of a Star Trek movie?”

  The dragon shushed her. “Let me finish.”

  Emily squashed the urge to stick out her tongue. Instead, she mimed zipping her lips.

  “After a century of trying to live together within Earth, the Human-refugees were awarded Gaia’s face because it closely resembled Marduk’s atmosphere. The Reptiles were granted access to the inner regions, which had long been home to the Master Race. The Federation believed the Ancient Ones
would keep an eye on the Reptiles and prevent them from fouling Gaia and harming the Humans.”

  “The Ancient Ones?” Khenko interrupted. “Now that’s heavy. Are Jehovah and his angels down there? I read that book The Smoky God and have wondered ever since.”

  Ooschu wagged her head, and sand went flying. “Yes, but that’s a whole ‘nuther story, young stork.”

  Emily spit the sand from her lips. “If this is all true, why haven’t I heard about it?”

  “Because you’re mainstream,” Khenko said. He stood abruptly and dusted the sand from his shorts and legs, then plopped in the other director’s chair.

  Emily gave him a withering glare.

  “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy, Emmy. Spend any time on the internet researching Earth’s forgotten history, and you’ll come across all kinds of so-called conspiracy theories.”

  At her continued stare, Khenko snorted. “Hells bells, woman. What’s not to understand? Marduk was the planet in our solar system originally inhabited by humans. According to Talav, the interior of Earth was populated by the Master Race. The exterior, where we live now, was a barren wasteland. When Marduk exploded, the resultant force caused Earth to tilt on its axis just enough to create the perfect conditions for life.

  “At the same time, the spaceship-planet of an intergalactic species of reptiles was migrating to Earth. It was irreparably damaged in Marduk’s blast. The survivors from both Marduk and the planetoid were left homeless. With that many dispossessed, the Federation had no choice but to act.” With a self-satisfied smirk, Khenko leaned back in his chair and looked up at the sky.

  “Well done, medicine man,” Ooschu said. “The one thing you left out is that dragons inhabited Earth alongside the Master Race. They recruited us to keep the new immigrants apart, and in exchange, promised we would be left alone by both. The veil was created, or so we thought, to facilitate the separation. And it has mostly worked.”

  “Yeah. Except for the Yeti sightings. And Big Foot. And Godzilla,” Khenko said. Then his eyebrows arched. “Ahhh, so that’s where Hollywood gets their alien concepts.”