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Rayen was holding her breath, waiting on something to happen, but Gabby, Jaxxson and Callan still had their hands stacked on the computer. Nothing happened beyond the one multicolored circle appearing.
Children stood in a circle, almost shoulder to shoulder, around the common area, watching with a mix of wonder and fear.
Kenja had returned. “What’s wrong?”
V’ru admitted, “I don’t know.”
The computer had responded. That should mean they were close to making it work. Right? She asked Tony, “What do you think?”
“Heck if I know, Xena. V’ru and I built a piece of technology that should launch spaceships, but it’s not going to do squat unless it gets the power source it wants.”
Did they have the wrong power mix? She asked V’ru, “Who else could be the three?”
He studied on her question then excitedly answered, “Maybe it’s a Hy’bridt, a MystiK and C’raydonian?”
Callan’s gaze fixed on a distant point.
She followed the direction to find the horizon had swallowed two-thirds of the red moon. At this point, it would disappear in another two minutes, maybe three. “Let’s try it.”
Jaxxson stepped away, opening a spot in front of the computer that Rayen filled.
Gabby asked, “What about the bond of two requirement?”
Oh, boy. What could she say?
Callan didn’t hesitate. “Rayen and I are bonded.”
Gasping sounds and murmurs raced around the common area. She glanced at Kaz who smiled and winked at her.
“Whatever, people,” Tony said. “You know the drill. Put your hands together and let’s see if that does it.”
He was right. With time so short, they couldn’t waste another minute.
Gabby put her hand down, then Callan covered hers, then Rayen’s on top of his. The monitor blazed brightly. Her heart pounded out of control at that.
They’d done it.
Then the monitor screen’s brightness dimmed, and the circle now switched from silver to bronze to gold, rotating through the colors.
Gabby whispered, “V’ru looks close to a panic attack.”
Callan shot a quick look at V’ru then over at Tony, his face indicating that he weighed some decision. Then Callan told Tony, “V’ru is very important to all of us, but not just as a G’ortian or because of his extraordinary skills in the Records House. He is valued as a MystiK and someone I think of as a brother.”
V’ru’s face crumbled into a watery mess, but he stood there like a little soldier.
Speaking from his heart, Callan asked Tony, “Will you keep him safe until I can return to carry him home?”
Rayen’s heart was breaking for Callan, because either they all went home, if V’ru was right, or the wraiths would succeed in tearing him from this world.
Tony announced, “I give you my word as Anthony Asklepios Scolerio that I will protect him like my own brother. Now, try that power thing again because the moon is almost gone.”
V’ru’s eyes rounded, and he became animated, bouncing on his toes. “What did you say, Tony? What’s your name?”
Tony repeated it. “What’s wrong, V’ru Man?”
“I didn’t know. I didn’t know that was your name.”
“What’s the problem with my name?”
“The original ancestor of SEOH was documented as having come to power in your time.” V’ru lost all of his usual authoritarian sound and rattled on like a kid trying to get a story out faster than his mouth could work.
“That’s where the name ANASKO came from,” V’ru rattled on. “SEOH’s ancestor was an international business mogul who changed the face of technology in the early third millennium. He was eventually known only as SEOH ANASKO, but he started out as CEO Anthony Asklepios Scolerio and he shortened that to form the acronym for his empire.”
V’ru’s gaze stayed glued on Tony when his voice dropped off into a whisper. “SEOH is your descendant.”
All eyes turned to Tony.
As in all eyes turn to the outcast. Tony was the outcast.
Rayen’s skin pebbled with fear at the realization that if the MystiKs killed Tony then SEOH would cease to exist.
Just as SEOH was trying to wipe out the MystiKs.
Callan stepped down away from the computer and crossed the short distance to Tony.
If he raised a hand to harm Tony, she would have to ... she couldn’t consider that possibility.
She believed in who Callan was as a person.
Tony waited, calm in the face of being labeled as the origin of MystiK agony. “So, you think I’m the TecKnati devil incarnate now, huh?”
Callan shook his head. “No, you are not SEOH. You are our friend, but I ask one thing of you.”
Answering with a hint of confusion, Tony asked, “What’s that?”
“If you find a way home, and I hope you do, that you will show others how to bridge the differences between our people so that by the time my generation is born maybe we’ll have a real chance at peace.” Callan offered his hand.
Tony’s voice came out thick and earnest. “You have my word on it.”
They shook, then Callan returned to the computer.
Only a sliver of red moon remained. It would disappear in another minute.
Callan said to Rayen, “Let’s try it again.”
“Wait!” V’ru shouted.
They all turned to him.
V’ru said, “We need Tony instead of Gabby.”
Gabby said, “Hey, I’m good with that, but Tony has no power.”
Here came the voice of authority again from V’ru. “I told you once before that he does. Every human is born with powers, but it’s recessive in TeKs because by our time they didn’t believe in their powers so they stopped developing.”
“Sorry,” Gabby said. “You did tell me that.”
But no one looked as though they believed V’ru. His eyes danced from person to person until V’ru rushed over to Callan.
Callan bent down to keep V’ru’s words secret, but Rayen could hear them.
“I’m not supposed to admit this, because I’m the only G’ortian born to the Records House. That means I’m the only one who can read blood by touching it between my fingers. I figured out when I was four that our House is not the same as the other MystiK Houses, because we carry MystiK and ... TecKnati blood. I am a descendant of Antonis and Lysandra.”
Poor kid sounded like he’d just admitted to killing a pupple.
Callan pulled V’ru to him and hugged him. “Thank you for telling me. No one will ever know.” When Callan stood, he waved Tony forward as V’ru ran back over to stand with Kaz.
Tony faced Rayen with an I’ll-try-but-don’t-expect-woo-woo-from-me look.
She shouted, “Hurry up, Tony, we’re out of time.”
“Keep your shorts on.”
That was the irritable Tony Rayen knew, cared for, and owed a debt to for all he’d done. “Thank you, Tony. I’m so glad I met you and Gabby. If we never see each other again, I’ll miss you. I hope you live through this, find your brother, and get everything you want in life.”
Tony’s eyes were shiny. “It’s been a trip with you and Psycho Babe, Xena. No regrets. Just take care of you.”
“I will.”
A rogue wind came out of nowhere, swirling.
The last slip of that blood red moon barely showed and would be gone in seconds. Her heart dropped to her stomach.
Tony stepped up on Rayen’s left. Callan returned to her right.
Howling came from a distance.
Gabby yelled, “Hurry up, Rayen! He said they’re coming!”
That would be Mathias talking to Gabby. What was it going to take to make this work?
Find the answers inside you, Rayen.
Had that been her thought or the voice of an ancestor? She didn’t know, but when she lifted a hand toward the computer, her palm was yanked flat against the monitor.
She froze, waiting to be sucked in again.
Didn’t happen.
Three circles appeared, identical to the silver, gold, and bronze ones on their time travel computer.
“Why didn’t you do that the first time, Xena?”
A high screeching joined the howling that was approaching.
“Shut up, Tony, and do what I tell you.”
“Whatever, just get on with it.”
The wind batted her hair everywhere. She told Callan, “Put your hand on the keyboard.”
He did it without hesitation and his eyes remained steady on her. He said, “I will find you.”
Her heart was trying to climb out of her chest and cling to him. She nodded then told Tony, “Your hand on Callan’s.”
He did as she asked and muttered, “Can’t believe I’m gonna die without getting laid.”
She could see the black wraiths coming from far off toward Callan’s back. They were flying fast as a laser beam toward their target.
This was it. She looked at Callan. “I will find you somehow.”
Black wraiths flew in a mad dash for him.
As the first wraith extended black claws toward him, she slapped her left hand down on top of his.
Her world exploded, warping with twisted shapes and colors. She was pulled in three directions and whipped about like a tangled, broken kite. Where was everyone? What had she done?
The sound of air rushing past her blocked all other noise.
Faces of ancestors she’d met flew around her head, going in and out of focus. She could hear the wraiths screeching and calling for blood. Gabby and Tony flickered into view then stretched and disappeared. MystiK faces surrounded her, their gazes locked in shock then they were snatched away as if a giant hand had grabbed their feet and yanked.
Callan spun toward her. He reached out.
She lunged for him.
At the last second, he was pulled away, yelling her name the whole time.
She tumbled and flipped until she just gave up and let go of her struggle.
The swirling colors and shapes whipped into a spinning tunnel.
Then it all sucked into a vacuum, dragging her along with it.
