Darkest Designs (10 page)

It's possible,
said the Broken One.
Once safe, his soul will recuperate. Be as he was.

In theory that was good news. But…
Are you both happy with your decision to be in a stylus? Is this something to be enjoyed or feared? I guess I'm asking if we would be doing him a favor or punishing him?

It is an honor among us to assist in the continuation of our species.

And that's where she had trouble. They'd actually been continuing the existence of their enemies. Weren't they? Or did it not matter as they were in essence one species? Then she'd have to include the people from her own dimension as well. They were all essentially the same. She didn't doubt there were some differences, maybe even at the DNA level, but as far as she could see, Dillon, Eric and herself were all the same people.

Exactly.

She nodded thoughtfully. “And yet only Louers are soul bound to the styluses?”

Yes.

Interesting. She wondered on the perspective of each soul going into this arrangement. Still, for Dillon it might be the best answer. If not the only one.

“What do we need to do for Dillon to join a stylus? Can he join one of yours or do we need a completely different one? He is a new soul and you both need those, right?”

Yes.

From the look of understanding on Eric's face he was following the one sided conversation. “Eric, did you bring more styluses?”

He shook his head.

He need not have one with him. The process is in the porting home. He would be outfitted with a destination that is inside the target stylus.

“Cool.” She laughed at Eric's frown and explained. The look of astonishment that followed made her grin. “Yeah, simple, isn't it.

Eric gave a half snort, half laugh. “The concept is simple. But we're missing just a little bit of information. Like how do we get the coordinates of the destination stylus? If we give the coordinates for where a stylus is at any given point, the person will land beside not inside it.”

“They appear to want a coordinate from the inside of the stylus. With that information, would it work?”

He stared at her. “I have no idea. I have never heard sending people inside of something.”

“Of course, you haven't,” Storey said gently. “You didn't even know there were souls inside these instruments. This information has been lost to your people for a long time. Even Paxton isn't likely to know.”

The Broken One said,
He does now. I spoke to his stylus.

She titled her head. “Broken One, if you can speak to Paxton's stylus, why is it you couldn't speak to them from the Louers' dimension? And don't tell me you are damaged.”

I was in hibernation. When you rescued me, your Stylus, as you call him, contacted me to see if I was safe. That started the waking process.

“And now you are functioning, but damaged. Right?”

Silence.

Then a hesitant voice that she had yet to hear from her stylus said,
We said you would help him.

“Help him?” Storey frowned. What could she possibly do?

You can speak with us. Directly. With me,
the Broken One said.

“I'm not sure how, but yes, that is apparently what we are doing.”

I am using the connection between your stylus and myself, and by extension your stylus and you, to communicate with you.

“You can do that? Wow.”

It is you who has made this possible. I thank you.

There was a lot of thanking going on and somehow Storey suspected there was something they wanted from her.

You are correct.

Storey…the Broken One needs to be saved. He is important to us.

“So you've said.” A niggling suspicion had her stomach twisting tighter and tighter. Somehow she didn't think she was going to like what was coming. She held her breath.

We need you to save him.

She almost laughed. She'd saved him once already. What more could she do?

“Storey? What's going on? You look…ill.” Eric's voice intruded into her confusion.

She took a deep breath and tried to reassure him. “Not really. My stylus wants me to save the Broken One.”

In sync the two stared down at the stylus in Eric's hand. “How? It's damaged.”

There was that word again. She wanted to hit him. She groaned instead. “Don't you use that word, too. I know it's broken. Damaged. In need of souls or whatever. But in this case, they want something specific. I just not sure what. Or how.”

“Can't we just send a soul to this stylus?” He looked thunderstruck as he realized what he'd just said. “I didn't just say that, did I?”

“Absolutely, you did.” She laughed. “See, it's almost normal to think this way.”

“We don't have souls to give the Broken One, do we?” He winced. “I can't imagine forcing someone to this life. It would be essentially murder.”

She shook her head. “That's why they used slaves. And some were happy to do this. I imagine others…not so much. And no, we don't have any other souls. Just Dillon. But I don't think that's the answer. From what I'm understanding the stylus itself is damaged. And not only can we not add a new soul, the Broken One needs to be moved to a different stylus or be lost altogether.”

Eric reared back. “Is that even possible?”

As she thought back on the muddled conversations, she thought she just might understand. “I think…they want me to allow the Broken One to join with me, then through the bond I already have with my stylus, travel to my stylus. Using me as a middleman of some kind. A conduit, maybe.”

“What? No way.”

“It might be possible.” She shrugged. “I'm just not sure what's involved and how dangerous it might be.”

“Dangerous? That's it. You're not doing it.” He shook his head violently, his hair flying out every which way. She loved the way he hooked his hands on his hips and widened his stance. So manly. And so not going to stop her.

“I don't know that it is or isn't yet. I'm only guessing here.”

It is.
That was her stylus speaking.
And you are correct. That is what we ask of you.

She winced inside, careful to keep her reaction hidden from Eric. What he didn't know and all that.
How dangerous?
She kept the communication internal this time.

Silence.

Of course they didn't know.
How long will it take?

Minutes,
said her stylus.

That is for the first part of the process,
added the Broken One.
The second stage will take slightly longer. This is new. We have information that it is possible. But I haven't done this process. I must learn too.

Oh boy.
Does that mean you will be inside me? Cause that's very freaky.

Yes. That is the only way.

She barely held back a shudder. She didn't know why it bothered her. Normally, she'd bend over to help someone in need, but this seemed more…private…more personal Almost invasive, and yet she was speaking to them mentally anyway. How much different would it be?

Not much different. Your discomfort would be small…
The Broken One hesitated, before admitting softly,
And my need is great.

We would honor your sacrifice.

That word gave her the willies. Made her afraid there was more to this process that she wasn't seeing.

Eric interrupted her private concerns. “Paxton is worried about losing his brother again.”

“Which way? In a stylus or by him returning to the dimension?”

“Both. Dillon will die if we take him home. But as the concept of souls bound inside a stylus is foreign to him, he's afraid his brother would be upset at waking up inside a stylus.”

“Why don't we ask him?” She shrugged, “What can it hurt?”

She turned to Dillon and shook his shoulder. Dillon swayed in place, his hands hanging slightly forward. “Dillon, we need to talk.”

Dillon looked at her, that same blank stillness on his features. Then his gaze cleared suddenly. “What?”

“We spoke with your brother, Paxton,” she tried not to let her impatience show, but she really wanted to leave this place. And in order to do that they needed some answers. “We would like to take you back to him, but there is a problem.” She tried to peer into his eyes. Make sure he was understanding, following her words so far. His big doe eyes gave her no clue, but there was something going on in there.

“I can't go back,” he whispered. “It's been too long.”

She winced. “I'm afraid that might be true. We can't know for sure.”

“I thought it many times. His big eyes pleaded with her. “For so long. I don't want to be held a prisoner here…lost forever.”

Oh boy. “That's why I wondered about another solution. You can't go back and you don't want to stay here, do you remember styluses from when you lived with Paxton? These instruments.” She pulled hers loose from her shirt so he could see it.

His gaze locked on it, brightened. A look of recognition came over him. “You are one of the blessed. My brother too, the head of his field, was gifted with one such as this.”

“Yes, I am blessed because of my stylus. But that's not what I meant. Inside these styluses are souls. Like you and me.” At Eric's stifled snort, she shot him dark look. “They were willing to spend eternity alive, inside such an instrument to help their people, your people, develop into the future. Whatever that may be.”

Dillon shook his head, she could almost hear the bones protesting the movement. “No. Not possible. It is an instrument. Only.”

“Yes it is, but it is made powerful by the souls inside.

“Uh, Storey?” Eric called, “I don't think this is working.”

She frowned. “Damn it. I just thought that maybe he would like to make a choice here. Death, stay here for the rest of eternity, or bond to a stylus and spend eternity being of use. He lost his entire life here. Wouldn't he prefer to salvage something from this?”

“But if he doesn't understand, he can't make that decision. And I'm afraid that understanding is beyond him at this point.”

“For so long, I was angry, then sad that I should be forgotten and lost.” Dillon said, his voice faltering and thin, but the adamant thread was clear. “I would like to have my life back.”

“And that we can't give you.” Storey said earnestly, “but we can give you a meaningful existence. Just not one you might expect.”

Dillon blinked, his gaze slowly going from her to Eric to the stylus and back to her again. “You are serious.”

“She is very serious.” Eric stepped forward. “You would find a life of value, of contribution and bonding with other people and souls. Except you would only exist in soul form and be contained in a stylus.”

“In other words you would physically be dead. Your soul would live on and interact on a daily basis with the people around you and technically, with your brother.”

Dillon straightened. “Paxton. I could communicate with him?”

Storey looked at Eric. “There's no reason why he couldn't, is there? Paxton speaks with his stylus now on a regular basis and his stylus communicates with other styluses?”

Eric nodded. “True, but maybe confirm that with your stylus.”

Right. “Am I right, stylus? Can Dillon speak with his brother once in the stylus?”

Yes. It will take a little time for him to adapt. But he will be able to communicate with us all.

“Dillon the stylus says you will be able to communicate with the whole community of them. You will be one of them.”

Dillon smiled, a slow birthing of hope, and said. “I would like that.”

***

Eric's head spun as communication surged around him and over him. Stuck In-between, so thick in fog, he dared not step back. But he wanted to. To take a moment and regroup. But Storey was speaking with both styluses and they were speaking with Paxton's stylus who was in turn keeping Paxton and then Eric on top of what was happening.

Paxton had the suggested recipient stylus in his hands. He had coded in the destination coordinates to the database, given by the Broken One and with the Broken One's help had downloaded the coordinates of the other styluses to the archives. Now the transfer was ready from Paxton's end.