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THE TOUR OF DUTY was over. Once again, Lucifer withheld the Corrupted from the battlefield. The warriors had no difficulty with the demons. As the battalion passed through the boundary of the Turning, High Commander Osmadiel was unusually silent. Her warriors were silent too. Barakiel could tell they wondered what troubled her.
The seething wall of silver and amethyst light swallowed their silence and its energy lessened Barakiel’s pain. He had allowed a demon to stab him in the gut, a wound bad enough for the battalion healers to perform field triage. He limped beside Osmadiel now. Once they had passed through the Turning and the gates, she spoke.
“Your wound is inconvenient, Barakiel,” she said. “We will have to postpone the commanders’ meeting until you are healed. You need to be there.”
“I am sorry, Osmadiel. It was a stupid mistake.”
She glanced at him. “Do not mind me, warrior. I should not scold you for being wounded.”
“Not to worry, high commander.” Barakiel looked down to hide his eyes.
I do not like deceiving her.
“I suppose you will go to the Sylvan Three after roll call.”
“Yes, high commander. When I am finished there I will contact Remiel.”
After Osmadiel had dismissed her warriors, Barakiel met Foderen, who took him to the Sylvan Three. They waited in the healers’ tranquil white chambers. Water fell in thin sheets down the marble walls to gurgle in channels at their base. A delicate mineral scent hung on the air that put Barakiel in mind of the Earthly Realm.
Rain on hot pavement.
The warrior inhaled deeply, then asked Foderen to fetch Pellus. “I have an urgent matter to discuss with him,” he said. “I’ll be in the healing sleep for half a turn, I would guess.”
“That is risky, warrior,” Foderen replied. “You should give me a message.”
“I appreciate your wisdom, adept, but I must speak with him.”
“If I am to convince him, I will need to offer a reason.”
“Please tell him that the one who saved me at the solstice needs his help.”
Foderen nodded and left. Barakiel hoped his message would make Pellus appear out of worry over what he might do, more than out of concern for Zan.
The Sylvan Three entered a moment later. “Back again, warrior?” they said in unison. One of the healers prodded his stomach, sizing up the wound through the hole in his armor. “Not that we ever tire of seeing you.” They peered up at him with impish grins. “Especially now that your shine has come back to you. This makes us happy.”
“I am happy to make you happy, Three.”
They led him to a back chamber. Once he’d undressed, they directed him to lie on a luminous green bed. All three put their hands on his torso. He felt sleepy.
“Your wound is in a bad spot, Barakiel, but it is not all that deep or wide. You will not sleep long.”
He drifted off.
When he woke, the Sylvan Three were smiling down on him.
I never tire of this. They are so lovely.
He stretched as they ran their hands along his frame. When they stepped away, he sat up.
“Do you feel good, Barakiel?”
“As usual, Three, you have made me stronger than I was before. Thank you.”
“Only doing our job, warrior.” They made one last pass over the spot of his former wound. “Our servant will bring you some robes. Pellus is waiting in our inner chamber. He said you sent for him.”
“Yes. I have an urgent matter to discuss with all of you.”
“Join us when you have dressed.”
The rolling vapor that clung to the walls of the Three’s inner chamber was dusty pink this turn. The healers sat on cushions at the side of the still pool in the center of the room, Pellus beside them. Barakiel sank next to the Three. He thanked Pellus for coming.
This room is peaceful. I hope it opens his mind to my request.
“You are welcome,” Pellus said. “But you know we should contact each other only when it is absolutely necessary. What is it that Zan needs?”
“To be healed.”
The Three’s eyes sparkled. Barakiel suspected they would jump at the chance to heal a human out of professional interest.
As well as curiosity about my mate.
Pellus also reacted as Barakiel expected. “You are out of your mind,” he said.
“Please, listen,” Barakiel said, a desperate burn in his voice. He told them Zan’s livelihood was in jeopardy because of her range of motion issues. He told them she may never be able to play the guitar the same way again. “You have seen her play. You have seen how she lights up. How can we allow her efforts on my behalf to take that away from her?”
The adept groaned. “I do not want to Barakiel, but what makes you think the Sylvan Three can heal a human?”
“Can you, Three?”
“We do not know. The ancient healers said the human system is similar to ours, except for the encroachment of Destruction. Much of the energy generated by human bodies goes to carry this weight. The connection they feel with Creation is fleeting. Mostly, their power is locked deep within their cells, where it undergoes an inevitable transformation.”
“Yes, we know,” Barakiel said softly. He placed his hand on a healer’s leg. “Are you willing to try, Three?”
“Of course, Barakiel. You are our friend.” The warrior grabbed the hand of the nearest sister and kissed it. They all frowned. “Our willingness may not be enough. We have no idea how our healing powers would be affected by the Earthly Realm. We have never been there.”
“We would bring her here. She knows much about our Realm already.”
The Three widened their eyes. “As exciting as a trip would be, we do have a better chance of success here.”
Pellus cleared his throat. “You are forgetting, Zan is going nowhere without me and I think this is a terrible idea. If we bring her here and something goes wrong, she will be killed. Why would you want to take that risk?”
Barakiel rose and stuck his hand into the vapor that covered the wall, letting wisps play among his fingers. He had explained the risks to Zan. She said she wanted to do it all the same, but Pellus’ disapproving gaze made him re-examine the decision.
He is right. Yet we did not hesitate.
“I do not know why we want this.” He sank to the floor. “I have explained the risks, but I am sure they do not seem real to Zan. The adventure is too tempting.” He hugged his own arms and leaned forward, staring into the still pool. “Every instinct I have tells me this is the right thing to do, but I can offer no rational reason. Perhaps I am being selfish. It tortures me to think I have taken Zan’s music away from her.”
A low hum came from the Sylvan Three. They had gathered in a circle with their eyes closed, a sign they were in deep telepathic communication. Barakiel and Pellus watched them. It was a magical sight. When the Three opened their eyes, they wore broad, sparkling smiles as if they had just come upon some secret of Creation.
“What is it, Three?” Barakiel asked, his voice reverent.
“We think we know why you have such a powerful instinct, Barakiel. When you linked your mind with ours to free Pellus from his trap of complexity you may have gained an intuitive understanding. If it is possible for us to heal your mate, the process could substantially extend her life.”
“What?” Barakiel and Pellus said at the same time.
The healers’ smiles grew brighter. “Yes. The scholars collected the knowledge of the ancient healers regarding humans. We have studied these works, as well as the most recent treatises. Intellectual curiosity, you see.” They rose, their hands fluttering. The other two Covalent stood as well.
“We learned that humans are often taken prematurely by disease. A great many of these diseases are connected to impurities. Human systems become polluted and blocked, leading to inflammation and other malfunctions. These impurities build as they age. If we were to heal your mate, Barakiel, her impurities would be wiped away. She would be as clean as a newborn.”
“Can you— ” Barakiel had to take a deep breath before he could speak. “Can you do this over and over? How long would she live?”
Oh, my love, to have more time with you. To spend my life with you.
The Three’s faces fell. They put their hands against Barakiel’s chest. “We are sorry, fine warrior. We cannot save her from death, and we do not know how long we could give her. Destruction will claim her. This is her nature. Eventually, her organs will shut down. Her brain.”
Barakiel closed his eyes. “It’s all right, Three. We know.” He vigorously shook his head. “My ultimate dream may be impossible, but that should not ruin the prospect of an extended life.”
He threw his long arm around them. They all faced the adept.
We will do this. My love will help her, not diminish her.
“You certainly were right, Pellus, to say her job and her music are not worth the risk,” Barakiel said. “But what about the chance for an extended life? A reprieve from illness? What are these worth?”
“I would say they make your plan a touch less insane.”
“Just a touch?” Barakiel laughed. “Are you willing? Will you help her?”
Pellus sighed, long and loudly. “I will need to ask Jeduthan if I am to put myself at risk again. If she agrees, I will help you.”
“Yes.” Barakiel removed his arm from the shoulders of the Three and the grin from his face. “All I do is make demands upon you. Jeduthan must curse my name.”
“Now that she has seen your love with her own eyes, she may surprise you.”
The commanders chatted amiably in the anteroom of the Nexus. Barakiel kept his head down, hoping no one would notice the lingering excitement of his visit with the Sylvan Three. When the call came from the Conduit, they entered the black stone chamber. The chatter continued, but when the High Command passed through the gold static of the barrier from their inner sanctum, the looks on their faces caused everyone to fall silent.
After peremptory greetings, they took their seats. The high commanders wasted no time. The meeting had been called to discuss the adepts’ investigation into the mysterious substance Lucifer had used to damage the city gates. Barakiel stiffened in his seat. Obviously, the news was not good.
I wonder why they want me here?
Seated at the head of the massive stone table, Camael flitted his eyes over the assembled warriors. “The adepts believe the attack on the gates was Lucifer’s attempt to create catastrophic vacuum decay,” he announced.
The commanders traded looks. “Could you explain please, high commander?” Kalaziel asked. “I, for one, have no idea what that is.”
Camael sighed. He frowned at Galizur. “I will try, but I still think we should have broken our rules and brought a traveler adept in here.” He walked to a glowing emerald screen in the wall. When he touched it, a three-dimensional representation appeared. Two overlapping spheres, one sapphire blue and one garnet red, shimmered against a sea of black. Smaller iridescent spheres crowded along their outer edges. In the center, an oval of brilliant silver and amethyst surrounding an amber jewel joined the two large spheres, the whole structure pulsing in the stillness of the black.
“This is the adepts’ rather lyrical representation of the Turning and the realms against the Void,” Camael said. He explained that the substance smeared onto the gates produced a magnetic field so powerful that it ripped open a passage to the Void right at the heart of the structure, the Covalent Realm nestled within the Turning.
“Lucifer’s goal, the adepts believe, is to create a rift large enough to impair the Realm’s Balance and tip us into catastrophic decay. They also believe this was merely a test. He knew he would not reach his goal, but he needed the experiment to improve his heinous substance.”
“You still have not explained catastrophic decay,” Kalaziel said.
“Are you sure you want me to?”
Osmadiel came to his rescue. “I will explain it, Camael.” She looked around the table. “As I am sure you know, our Realm is vulnerable.” She gestured to the screen. “We enjoy abundant energy generated by the tension of the Creative and Destructive Realms, but if anything were to threaten the Turning, the entire structure could topple into the Void.”
From the looks on their faces, several of the commanders had made a habit of ignoring this, but Barakiel understood. In his youth, he had pestered Pellus on numerous occasions to teach him the mysteries of Balance.
“Thanks to the power of the Guardians, the Realms remain bonded. It would take an enormous surge of energy to break those bonds,” Osmadiel continued. “Certainly, if we wished to end it all, we could do this ourselves. The Warriors of the Rising could fuse themselves into power great enough to destabilize the Turning.
“The adepts believe Lucifer is exploring another way. Hence the test. The substance pulled a piece of the Void into our Realm in an attempt to change its nature and weaken its bonds. To undermine Balance. If Lucifer manages to imbue that substance with enough magnetic power, it will create a true vacuum bubble, a piece of the Void, and cause catastrophic decay. This means nothing could stop the bubble’s expansion, not even the Warriors of the Rising. It would spread until everything is gone.
“Lucifer cannot create his bubble in the Turning,” Osmadiel added. “Its gravitational force is too strong for the bubble to expand. This is why he must target the gates or the walls of Covalent City. He could mark a spot in the Wasteland, but considering he would need to get past the city to reach it, the gates or the walls are more likely.”
The commanders sat there blinking. Barakiel could guess their thoughts. If one of Lucifer’s minions were to get past the Realm’s Watch with that substance, everything could be destroyed.
“I suggest we triple the warriors assigned to the Watch,” Hagith said. The high commanders nodded.
“We have already begun the process,” Galizur said. “We need to be vigilant, and to fight harder than we have ever fought. Our defensive line must hold. We cannot have another battalion collapse.” He sneered at Remiel, who sneered back. Barakiel clenched his fists.
Time to act up, per my assignment.
“Surely you do not plan to follow the same foolish defensive strategy now that we know Lucifer is working on the ultimate weapon of mass destruction? We must kill him before he perfects it!”
“Easier said than done, Barakiel,” Camael replied.
“I will tell you what is foolish,” Galizur said, glaring at Barakiel. “Urging our forces to march into your father’s kingdom, which would weaken our defenses and allow him to reach the Realm with his new weapon. Yes, very foolish. Or something else.” He leaned in, daring Barakiel to react.
How I look forward to killing you, Galizur.
“Considering the Realm’s Watch would not march, I fail to see your point.”
“He would mount another full-blown attack.”
“I suspect even Lucifer would find it difficult to slip whole battalions past the full might of the Council Forces as they marched to the Destructive Realm to exterminate him. At any rate, he is unlikely to try the same strategy,” Barakiel said, holding his tone on the edge of contempt.
“The assault on the gates allowed Lucifer to test his weapon and accomplished two other things,” he continued. “First, the Corrupted nearly made it to the Great Plaza. Think of the fun he could have had with that. Second, he may have hoped the battle would obscure his purpose. Luckily, the adepts are too clever.”
“Speaking of clever adepts, I say we stop willfully ignoring how they can help us,” Larethael said. Everyone turned to him in surprise. Tall and pale, Larethael had no trouble delivering orders to his battalion but rarely spoke in any other capacity. “We have never allowed the adepts to work with the Warriors of the Rising to create a barrier around the city for defensive purposes. We are too jealous of our precious martial purpose.”
Larethael was mated to an adept. Barakiel could imagine their discussions.
“We may be jealous of our purpose, commander,” Osmadiel said, “but it is not clear the adepts would be able to accomplish this. Apparently, the barrier that creates the city’s atmosphere interferes with their efforts. The barrier that protects the gates is difficult enough to maintain, and it proved to be no protection from Lucifer’s substance.
“True enough, but the Council has given the adepts neither the time nor the resources to address the difficulty. We should let them try. If they succeed, we could go on the hunt for Lucifer with less risk.”
Barakiel slammed his fists on the table, startling the commanders near him. “Yes! It can be done. We must consult with Pellus. I know for a fact he can layer barriers, at least on a small scale. And he is the only adept who has ever tamed the energy of the Turning.”
“Pellus? He is not an adept,” Galizur scoffed. “That irresponsible fool has been expelled from the Travelers Guild and is a hair’s breadth away from a cell in the Wasteland Dungeons. You will not utter his name in this chamber again. Is that clear?”
His fists flexing, Barakiel locked eyes with Galizur.
I will rip out your tongue before I kill you.
Remiel cleared her throat and squinted at Barakiel, who was seated at her right hand.
“The high commander asked you a question, Barakiel.”
“Yes, it is clear, high commander,” he said stiffly.
“All right,” Osmadiel said. “Let us return to business. Larethael, in this situation we can hardly rule out your suggestion. Like you, I have a good relationship with the adepts. We should meet to discuss it.”
Larethael nodded. Barakiel suppressed a smile.
Clever, Osmadiel.
“But let us get to the reason Barakiel is here uncloaked.” Osmadiel leaned forward, her hands steepled. “Why would Lucifer seek catastrophic vacuum decay? His own realm will be destroyed along with ours. We always thought his goal was to sit on a throne in our Keep. Do you have any insight as to what he is after, Barakiel? Destruction for its own sake?”
Barakiel leaned back in his chair. He focused on the mesmerizing image on the screen across the chamber. He would need to be careful.
If I reveal that my father comes to me in my dreams, they will execute me.
“For its own sake? In a way,” he said. “Destruction has become his compulsion, high commander. His bizarre obsession with me may be a vestige of his former identity, but I do not think he has any desire to rule the Covalent. At least not anymore.”
“What makes you say this?” Osmadiel asked. “How can you possibly know?”
All eyes were fixed on him.
“I know because I sense my father and he senses me. This can hardly be a shock to you. It is the purported reason for my exile. The reason I am normally cloaked at these meetings.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Osmadiel gestured with her hand for him to go on.
“Over the age of his rebellion, he has changed. He has become drawn to the Void. Perhaps he is a part of it, I do not know. Now that I have heard your explanation of catastrophic vacuum decay, it could be that my father strives to reach that point with the Destructive Realm, but he cannot because of the Guardians’ bond. Because of the Turning.”
“Why in the name of Balance would he want to destroy his own realm?” Camael asked.
“Because it is not a realm in the sense we have of that word,” Barakiel replied. “Yes, its edge has a location, but inside it is more movement than place. I cannot say I understand, but I suspect my father’s true home is the Void. To the extent the Void can be ruled, it would be ruled by Lucifer. He wants it to claim everyone and everything.”
Silence took the table. Some commanders stared at Barakiel. Others contemplated their hands or gazed off into space.
“You are such a cheerful fellow, Barakiel,” Hagith said, followed by an eruption of laughter. Camael had to tell them to stop before he addressed Barakiel.
“You can leave now, warrior. You have been here long enough uncloaked. The tactical discussion will have to proceed without you.”
“Yes, high commander.” He rose, bowed, then left the chamber.
Zan’s step was lively as she walked down the hallway to Nguyen’s office. When he called her in, she talked a mile a minute about how much she liked the psychologist. How grateful she was to Nguyen for suggesting it. He told her to slow down. He shook his head, faintly smiling.
Then she brought up the special holistic treatment she wanted to get for her shoulder. It involved intense heat and cold, deep tissue massage and body realignment. Her boyfriend had received the treatment after an injury and said it worked wonders. The catch was, the spa was in Germany. She needed Friday off.
“You’re flying to Germany over the weekend to visit a spa?” he asked. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
“Yes. Rainer, my boyfriend, said it’s worth it. It will help my pain. I can get off the strong meds sooner. He’s paying for it. It’s his damn fault I’m injured, so I’m letting him.”
Nguyen gave her a look that said, “Don’t start talking about that weird stuff again.” Then to her surprise, he agreed.
“If there’s a chance it will help, go for it,” he said. “Nothing pressing on desk duty these days.”
Of course, the treatment wasn’t in Germany. She would go to the Covalent Realm. After she thanked Nguyen with enough enthusiasm to annoy him, she bolted back to her office and plopped into her chair. This was really going to happen. Why wasn’t she scared?
The greatest adventure of my life. No. The greatest adventure of my life is loving Rainer. This is just a part of it.
Her phone rang. The lilting accent of Inspecteur Général Marie Joselet of the French Police Nationale came from the receiver.
“Marie! Great to hear from you. What can I do for you today?”
“Tell me how you are. When I called before they said you were on medical leave.”
“I’m fine. I was in a car accident, but it’s nothing too serious. Thank you for asking. How have you been?”
“A little déçu, ah, frustrated. We still have not found the men from the Camargue. I am beginning to think they are dead. Their associates in custody in Eastern Europe believe this, though they insist they did not kill them.”
“I agree. Either they’re dead or they’ve scattered to escape detection. Either way, we put an end to their crimes.”
“We will still look for them. The search has led to big news here in Provence.”
“What news?”
“The technical people were able to retrieve information from the computers we took from the ranch house. They discovered the address of an office in Arles. This led to the arrests of several people who were helping these evil men.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“Yes, but the rest? Not so much. We also discovered they were blackmailing a famous local scientist. A physicist.”
“Really? What did they have on him?” Zan thought of Pellus, the things he did.
A physicist? This can’t be good.
“The men from the Camargue had procured young girls for him on his travels. It turns my stomach, Zan, to hear of this man, such a brilliant man, and this is what he hides behind a respectable face. The people of Arles are heartbroken. This man worked at CERN in Geneva, where they have the Large Hadron Collider. Arles is a small city. He is famous there.”
“Famous, maybe, but probably not rich,” Zan said. “What were they getting from him?”
“We don’t know. We have the video they used against him, and evidence of contact between the two, but he is not saying a word. We’ve charged him with human trafficking.”
Joselet told Zan she would keep her informed and the two drifted off into personal talk. For the rest of the day, Zan obsessed about the information.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
That night, Rainer came to her apartment. They were slowly moving all of Zan’s things to his place. Their place. Tonight it was the art, big framed pictures of rugged Idaho mountains taken by a childhood friend. As they wrapped prints in towels, Zan shared what Marie Joselet had told her.
“A physicist. This can’t be good,” Rainer said.
“That’s exactly what I thought.”
Rainer sighed. He stared at the picture in his hand for a minute. “I should speak to Pellus, but all I ever do is make his life difficult. When I received the message that he was willing to take you to the Sylvan Three, I vowed it would be the last trouble I cause him for a good, long time.” He finished wrapping the print and placed it in a large plastic tub with the others. “Soon enough, we’ll have to investigate the Destructive Realm, and he’ll be at risk again.”
“What about the other one? The one that’s been bringing you back and forth?”
“Foderen? He doesn’t know much about the Earthly Realm. All the same, he is an adept. He may have an insight as to what Lucifer would want with a physicist.” He rubbed his chin. “Once I’ve explained what a physicist is.”
“You know, it could be nothing. Coincidence.”
“It could.” Rainer put a hand on the strap of the arm sling that had replaced Zan’s shoulder brace. “At least the man is in prison. Whatever it was, it can wait. I will say nothing to either adept until you are healed and home safe in our bed.”
“Mmmmm, safe in our bed. I like the sound of that.”