Dragonvein (Book Two) (29 page)

Markus finally released his hold, allowing Jake to stumble back against the bar. At the same time, the drunk was just managing to get to his knees. When he saw Markus moving toward him, he quickly held up a defensive hand and shook his head.

“I’ve had enough,” he sputtered through the considerable amount of blood still running from his mouth.

Markus backed off.

Jake’s eyes were fixed squarely on Kat, his mouth hanging slightly open. “I…I understand what you’re saying,” he stammered. “How can…?” The truth then dawned on him with a rush. Once again, his legs began to wobble.

Ethan chuckled, remembering his own confused reaction when Jonas had first touched him with a rajni stone. “Like I said. We’re here to take you and your sister home.”

After letting out a loud groan, Jake dropped to one knee and began rubbing his temple. Kat moved closer to place a hand on his shoulder.

“It will be all right,” she assured him. “You can trust us.”

The door near the stage opened and Val reappeared, wiping her eyes. When she saw her brother kneeling, she raced over.

“What did you do to him?” she demanded.

Her eyes then moved to the drunk, who by now had climbed back on his bar stool and was dabbing at his bloody mouth with a napkin. “I’m calling the cops.”

“Wait,” Jake told her, struggling to his feet. “They’re not lying. At least, I don’t think they are.”

Val stiffened. “Jake. You’re not speaking English. That’s…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Jake nodded, his expression grave. “I know. You were right all along.”

Her tears returned. “Don’t do this, Jake. It’s not funny.”

“He’s telling you the truth,” said Ethan.

When she heard him speaking the language of Lumnia as well, it all became too much and she burst into uncontrollable sobs. Jake wrapped his arms protectively around her.

He kissed his sister’s brow. “I’m so sorry that I never believed you. I really am.” His eyes shifted over to Ethan. “When we were little, the doctors said she was traumatized from being abandoned. They said she had made up a language as a defense mechanism so she didn’t have to communicate with the outside world. She didn’t speak anything else until she was eleven years old.”

“What about you?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t remember much of anything before we were adopted. Sometimes I thought I understood her. Maybe I was too young, or maybe I just blocked it out. I was only three or four at the time. Val was eight. We use the birthdays the state gave us, so I really don’t know exactly how old we are.”

“So, Val, do you still remember the language enough to speak it fluently?” Ethan asked.

She nodded. Her red and swollen eyes flicked from him to her brother, then back to him again. “You really are from…Lumnia?”

He smiled warmly. “We sure are. And we’re here to take you back.”

Val moved a little away from Jake. “Why now? Why after all these years?”

“That’s a long story. But it’s important that you come with us.”

She shook her head. “No. I can’t accept this. It isn’t real.”

Kat stepped forward. “It’s real,” she assured her. Her tone was gentle and sisterly. “And they can prove it.”

Val hesitated a moment. “Okay. Show me.”

“I’ll need something heavy,” said Ethan.

“Wait,” Markus warned. “Remember what Renald told us. Be sure we’re ready to return.”

Ethan groaned. “All right.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Jake.

Ethan forced a smile. “Nothing. But if there is anything you want to bring with you, you need to get it now.”

“Wait a minute,” said Val. “Are you telling us we can’t come back?”

“It may be some time,” he admitted.

She turned to her brother. “What do you think?”

He took a long look around the dingy bar. “It couldn’t be much worse than this.”

His remark brought a smile to her lips. “Okay. I just need to go home and grab a few things.”

Jake walked over to the drunk who was still sitting there with a perplexed expression. “I need you to watch the bar for a while, Larry.”

Larry gave him a slack-jawed nod.

“You’re leaving
him
in charge?” Kat giggled.

Jake grinned back at her. “Why not? He owns the place.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

J
ust as they
left the bar, a ragged pick-up truck towing a tarp covered trailer squeaked and sputtered its way into the parking lot. Jake ran over and spoke to the four, long-haired young men inside for a couple of minutes.

“Who was that?” asked Markus when he returned.

“The band,” he replied.

Markus raised an eyebrow. “
Those
were musicians?”

Ethan laughed. “Things have really changed.”

“What do you mean?” asked Val.

He shook his head. “Nothing. Just a private joke.”

“How far away do you live?” asked Markus.

“About ten miles,” Val told him.

Kat’s shoulders sagged. “We have to walk ten more miles?”

Val crinkled her nose. “Walk? In these heels? Are you kidding?”

She led them to the rear of the building where a white, four door sedan was parked. The dents and rust on the body clearly showed it had seen much better days. Not that Kat seemed to notice the damage. She ran her hands over the hood and door as if it was a priceless sculpture.

“Get in,” said Val after unlocking the doors.

Kat jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “We get to ride in this?”

Val gave her a sideways glance. “How else would we get there?”

“She’s never ridden in a car before,” Ethan explained.

She eyed him suspiciously. “But
you
have?”

He nodded. “A long time ago.”

Jake huffed a laugh. “It can’t have been that long. How old are you anyway? Eighteen?”

“It’s hard to explain,” he replied.

“Try,” Jake insisted.

Ethan gave him a reassuring smile. “Look, don’t worry. You’ll have all the answers you want very soon. That’s a promise.”

He saw Markus frown, obviously not understanding his evasion.

“Can I ride in the front?” asked Kat, still bubbling with excitement.

Jake smiled and mussed her hair. “Sure you can.”

With everyone inside, Val started the car. The engine shuddered and clanked for a short time, then leveled off to a low growl.

Val gave an embarrassed grin. “She needs some work, but it gets me around.”

“Are you kidding?” said Markus. “I never even owned a car.”

“So you’ve been here before?” asked Jake. “Earth, I mean.”

“We’re
from
Earth originally,” he replied. “Well,
I
am anyway.”

Ethan shot him a warning glance. “It’s a long and boring story,” he said.

Markus gave him another questioning frown in response, but Ethan simply smiled and began asking Jake about his life in Mobile. Throughout all of this, Kat sat with her head poking out of the window, giggling and laughing one minute, and firing a stream of questions at Val about anything that happened to catch her eye the next.

They wound their way through a series of residential neighborhoods before eventually pulling into the shell driveway of a small, single story house. Its chipped and dingy paint, together with numerous patches of rotted wood, made the property a good match for the car they had arrived in. A narrow flight of five steps led up to a small covered porch with a swing dangling precariously from rusted chains.

“Be it ever so crumbled,” said Jake.

But Kat wasn’t interested in the condition of the house. “Can we go for another ride?” she begged. “Just a quick one before we leave?”

“That’s up to your father I suppose.” Val replied with a wink.

Kat burst into laughter. “Markus? He’s not my father.
My
father’s a king.”

This made Val smile. “So you’re a princess? That’s good to know.”

Kat sighed heavily. “Markus and Ethan don’t believe me either.”

They all went up the steps together. Val had just unlocked the front door when the throaty roar of a motorcycle thundering up the street reached them. Kat jumped to Ethan’s side, gripping his arm.

The rider turned in and pulled up behind Val’s car, revving his engine as loudly as possible several times before shutting it off and dismounting.

“What’s
he
doing here?” asked Jake, his mouth twisting into a grimace.

Val brushed past the others and went down to meet the newcomer. As she did so, he removed his helmet, revealing a mop of dark wavy hair crowning a square-featured, clean-shaven face. Of muscular build and standing several inches over six foot, he was wearing a black leather jacket over a white tee-shirt, together with a pair of blue jeans with rips and tears along both legs.

“Get the hell out of here, Mike,” Val said when a few yards away. “I told you. We’re through.”

He tossed his helmet carelessly over the rear view mirror. With long confident strides, he swaggered up close to her, a roguish grin on his face. “I heard you. Don’t worry. I’m not here for trouble.” He looked up at the porch. “Who are your friends?”

“None of your damn business,” she snapped.

Mike held up his hands. “Okay, okay. No need to get your panties in a wad. I just came by to tell you that Roscoe wants to see you. You and little Jake there.”

Val stiffened. “What for?”

“I think you know ‘what for’. He’s not too happy about you stealing his shit.”

“It was your goddamn idea,” she shot back.

“My idea?” he scoffed. “That’s not the way I see it. Not the way Roscoe sees it either. And he’s plenty pissed. Of course, I could talk to him…if we could work something out.” He moved even closer to place a hand on her hip and give it a firm squeeze.

With a roar of anger, Jake came charging down from the porch. “Get your hands off her!” he shouted, shoving Mike hard in the shoulder.

Mike’s smile vanished. “Better watch yourself, junior.” The heel of his hand thudded into the center of Jake’s chest, the sheer force sending him stumbling back several paces.

Val was instantly beside her brother. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, though the pained look on his face clearly showed how much the blow had hurt him.

Ethan started to move, but Markus pulled him back. “I’ll deal with this,” he said.

He stepped down from the porch, eyes firmly fixed on Mike. His face was like stone as he placed himself in front of Val and Jake.

“Time to go, fella,” he said.

After looking him up and down, Mike let out a scornful laugh. “And what the hell are you supposed to be?”

A vicious grin formed. “I’m the man who is telling you to leave…while you still can.”

Mike tilted his head to one side and spat on the ground. “Is that right? Well, asshole, here’s a newsflash. You’ve just bitten off more than you can chew.”

Baring his teeth, he threw a wild right at Markus’ head.

For a fighter of Markus’ experience and ability, the punch was laughably easy to avoid. So was the straight left that followed. He then countered with a bone crushing right hand of his own to Mike’s jaw. His opponent staggered back a step, throwing up both arms to prevent another strike to the head. But Markus simply switched the attack, landing a rapid series of punches to the body, forcing him to double over.

He snorted with contempt. “I thought you were tough. You
act
like you are. But you fight like a girl.”

Mike was still crouched over, groaning and gasping for air, when Markus jerked up a knee, smashing it into his nose. He landed hard on his back, a horizontal fountain of blood erupting from both nostrils. Yet even now, Markus was not finished. Reaching down, he grabbed Mike by the collar, pulling him up into a half-sitting position. Again and again he pummeled punches into the man’s face, not stopping until he was totally unconscious.

“That’s how to handle guys like that,” he told Val and Jake, disdainfully allowing the blood-soaked mess that was Mike to slump back down. The couple were staring at him, wide-eyed and terrified. Ethan and Kat, however, were smiling broadly.

“Val, take Kat and Jake inside,” Markus continued. “Ethan, stay out here with me.”

Val blinked several times before pulling herself together sufficiently to do as Markus told her. Kat objected at first, but Ethan had a quick word with her.

“You should take care of them,” he said. “They need to get ready.”

With the others inside, he joined Markus beside the still unconscious Mike.

“There something I need to tell you,” Markus began. “I’m not sure you’ll like it.”

Ethan had already sensed what he was about to say. He’d been watching Markus carefully since they’d arrived, and he recalled his friend’s evasive reaction during their talk by the dock when he’d asked if Markus might want to stay on Earth. When he spoke, it was with an air of inevitability.

“You’re not coming back with me, are you?”

Markus blew out his cheeks, obviously relieved that his decision was being accepted so calmly. “No, I’m not,” he confirmed. “Ever since we’ve been back, it’s just kind of hit me. I want to try and make a new start here. Maybe I can leave Specter behind in Lumnia where he belongs.” He reached down and jingled his pouch. “And this is going to help a lot.”

“I wish I could change your mind,” Ethan told him. “And I sure will miss you. But I do understand.” He removed his own pouch and handed it over to Markus. “Take this one too. I don’t have any use for it.”

His friend smiled and shoved it into his pocket. “Thanks, Ethan. And at least I know you don’t need me anymore. Whatever those bloody dragons did to you made sure of that. One thing though. Be careful. There are some dark places you can take yourself that are hard to come back from. Trust me on that.”

Ethan slapped him fondly on the shoulder. “I’ll watch myself. And you do the same.”

Just then, Mike began to moan and roll from side to side. When he opened his eyes, the mere sight of Markus had him crawling hastily backwards down the driveway.

“Well, I did tell you to leave while you had the chance,” Markus said with a smile. “Maybe you’d like to go now?”

Mike did not need telling again. Scrambling to his feet, he made for his bike as quickly as he was able to. Blood had stained the front of his white tee-shirt almost completely red, and his still dripping broken nose was laid over to one side below a half-closed left eye. A moment later the motorcycle rumbled to life. After throwing on his helmet, he pushed himself back into the street.

“This ain’t finished,” he shouted over the engine noise. “Tell that bitch Val that Roscoe will be seeing her real soon.”

With these final words, he roared off into the distance.

The two friends started toward the house. When they reached the door, Markus paused.

“One more thing. Why are you avoiding talking about Lumnia to Val and Jake?”

“Because I need them,” Ethan replied. “You think they would come if I told them about Shinzan, or what it is I need them for?”

Markus shook his head. “You
have
changed.”

He shrugged. “I had to, didn’t I?”

Ethan opened the door. Directly inside was a small living room, its main feature being a green couch with torn and heavily stained cushions. To the right of this, a matching love seat was in similarly poor condition. Aside from these, the only other objects in the room that could even vaguely claim the title of ‘furniture’ were two stacked milk crates, upon which stood a portable television with a bent coat hanger protruding from the antennae socket. Two doors, one to the left of the couch and another in the opposite corner, led to the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen.

Kat was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room on a ratty beige carpet. Val and Jake were huddled together on the love seat, still looking nervous and afraid.

“So which one of you is going to tell me what that was all about?” Markus asked them.

Brother and sister looked at one another. Finally, Val spoke.

“Mike used to be my boyfriend,” she began. “Last week he told me and Jake about a stash of weed hidden in an abandoned house a few miles from here.”

Markus cocked his head. “Weed?”

“You know,” Jake cut in. “Pot. Marijuana.”

Markus nodded. “
That
I’ve heard of.”

“Anyway,” Val continued. “It belonged to a biker in the Devil’s Priests named Roscoe. The plan was for me and Jake to take the weed and sell it, then the three of us would split the money. Mike was supposed to tell Roscoe that someone in another bike club had taken it.”

“Looks like Roscoe figured your plan out,” said Markus.

Val lowered her head. “It was stupid. But I was just so damn broke. I should have never trusted that asshole.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Ethan said. “You and Jake will be far away from here very soon. You’ll never need to worry about him again.”

Jake pushed himself up from the seat. “Then let’s get a move on. How much stuff can we take with us?”

“Just what you can carry,” Ethan replied. “The portal is not very big.”

Val knitted her brow. “Portal?”

“You’ll see,” said Ethan. “But you should hurry.”

The pair disappeared through the door next to the couch.

“And if you have a hammer it would be nice,” Ethan called out after them. “Or even a big rock,” he added much more quietly. “I have to break the pendant with something.”

He then noticed Kat staring at the television. He turned it on, as much to satisfy his own curiosity as to please her. For most people in New York City when he’d left, TV was still a new and amazing thing; only a small number of the very affluent were actually able to own a set. And even if you could afford one, all you got for your money was a few hours of transmissions every week in poor quality black and white. The televisions back then were big too. Great bulky things that would need two men to carry them. Their screens though, were small. Much smaller than the one he was looking at now. And this TV was so compact, it even had a handle on the top which meant he could pick it up with one hand if he wanted to.

With a sharp pop and crackle of electricity, the set came to life. Ethan stared in wonder as the images of a football game appeared.

“Markus,” he whispered. “You see that? It’s in color.”

A wide grin split his friend’s face. “Yeah! A lot has changed all right.”

Kat was mesmerized. “It’s like magic,” she sighed.