Chapter 37

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Loren jerked awake, and in the same motion pushed up off the couch. She got herself tangled up in the blanket, then rushed to the bedroom door and inside in time to see the after image of her husband as he disappeared. The maw that opened to receive him, snapped closed, but not before he looked back and saw her. A monochrome light seeped out for a moment. She saw pillars of black rock and then nothing. The room was just a room.

Geneal snapped awake, scrambling to get untangled from her blanket as she stood. She stood perplexed a moment when Marc vanished, disappearing before their eyes.

“Loren?”

The realization that she had fallen asleep when it was her responsibility to keep Dynan away tore through her mind. She didn’t want to accept that she knew where he’d been taken, the fear of it almost pulling her off her feet. They were both gone.

When she tried to explain, she didn’t feel like she made sense, but Geneal understood. “Marc went after him.”

“I don’t know.”

“The same as he went after Dain, and brought him back, he’ll bring Dynan.”

Loren wanted to believe that too, but there was no evidence of it happening. And there was one difference. “Dain wasn’t taken like this. His body stayed. How is this...”

“I should tell Ralion, or someone.”

“Go check on Dain. He could have been taken too. Don’t tell anyone else until you find that out, Geneal. There’ll be a panic if people find out they are both gone, and even know what’s happened now. But if Dain is awake, do not tell him.”

“I’ll have to.”

“He’ll try to go after them. He won’t live through it if he does. Maybe none of us will.”

“I have to tell someone.”

“Shalis,” Loren said, trying to think through fear to what would be least harmful to the system and to them all. “Shalis and Ralion only.”

She nodded to that and Loren watched her go. She stared around the room, feeling its emptiness into her soul. She glanced at the space Marc had occupied and shivered, praying he had gone to get Dynan back.

“Dynan?” Ambrose gestured sharply to the dark undulating strands around him that were poised to strike, and they withdrew. He turned, looking up at a darkened sky. “Why is he here?” he asked, and Dynan heard desperation and anger in his voice. “Why have you brought him here? This was not to be allowed. That was the agreement.”

“But you failed,” a voice from the air told him.

“Father?”

“I didn’t fail. The one you wanted came here and you let him go. Bringing Dynan here was not part of the bargain.”

“We will keep them both.”

“No!”

“You’re using us to get to Marc? Using Dain? Why?”

Ambrose turned on him. “I had to make a choice.”

“He’s your son.”

“And you are the next King of Cobalt. I wasn’t given any other option.” Ambrose’s eyes widened suddenly and he reached for him, pulling him away from a black shape that formed just on the edge of sight.

A man came from the pillars, normal in his appearance, which bore a striking resemblance to Marc Talryn, only older. He looked like someone else too, someone out of history, and memory of him returned. His eyes might have been grey once, but they were completely black now. From him, an evil will emanated and surrounded them the closer he came.

Ambrose pulled Dynan behind him. “You will not take my son.”

“I will take whomever I wish. You have no power here. This is my realm, not yours.” He moved toward them, seeming to grow larger. “On your knees before me, minion.”

“Dynan,” his father whispered. “Call him. He’s your only way out of here. Call Marc.”

He shook his head. “I won’t.”

“You have to.”

Dynan stepped out from behind Ambrose, facing the man before them, even though doing so made him shake, and it was suddenly difficult to breath.

“And so we meet again, here at the edge of time, at the brink of doom.”

Dynan knew him. “Adiem.”

He was the First. Dynan wondered where all the others were. Maybe they didn’t exist any more as separated entities. Dynan couldn’t look at him for long. They were backed up to the ring of pillars and a whispering moan rose up. He knew everything they’d told his father was a lie. They weren’t really after Marc at all.

Adiem smiled. “What does it matter the name you use? Would it make you more comfortable to appear this way?” His face changed, features melting to become Maralt. “Or perhaps you prefer this one.”

Dynan blinked as Marc smiled back at him. He shook his head.

“He is your enemy. Yes, he is. You may believe otherwise, but his soul is black. He will destroy your world as surely as he destroyed his own. He is death. Didn’t you know? He’s one of us.”

Dynan backed another step away, and Marc abruptly appeared right in front of him.

“I think you have me confused with someone else,” he said. He turned in the next instant, and grabbed Dynan by the arm, but he stopped when he saw Ambrose.

“Please don’t leave him here,” Dynan whispered, hardly able to speak for the fear that pounded through him.

“I’m taking you back now, Dynan.”

“No! No, please don’t leave—”