God of the Abyss (44 page)

“Good. Maybe the other Guardians
can stop freaking out. We have all the artifacts. Now what do we do?” he asked.
He moved the crystal ball and examined the map. “It changed again.” He frowned
at me as if I had the answers.

“If it changed again then there
must be somewhere else you have to go,” Sammy said.

“Ronez only said five items. What
else could there be?”

Edward held up a card. “I think I
should make you retake your apprenticeship,” he said. On the card was a
double-edged sword with a red handle. “The magical sword.”

“I cannot be married and be an
apprentice in magic,” Dylan said, absentmindedly. He looked at Edward and I
knew his mind was working. He handed Edward the lotus wand. “Do you feel
anything from the wand?”

“Nothing. It’s just wood and
metal,” he said. “Here.” He handed Dylan his book.

Dylan didn’t even glance at it;
he just slipped it into his bag. Then he tossed the fire wand to me, which
instantly shot fire. My fire. I dropped the wand, but Sammy caught it and took
Vretial’s bracelet off me. “How did that work?”

“The fire wand for you and the
lotus wand for me seem to supersede Vretial’s magic. Edward, did you touch any
of these?” he asked.

“Not particularly. I think I
touched the cup and I know I touched the wand.”

“What elemental strength are you
best at?”

Edward seemed unsure where this
was going, but we all knew to just go with it when Dylan had an idea like this.

“Land. I told you. Humans call it
earth.”

Dylan picked up the pantacle and
handed it to Edward like he was afraid it would bite him. He was right to fear;
the moment the plaque touched Edward’s hand, the ground quaked. Dylan reacted
by raising the lotus wand, from which green light filled the air. The house
stopped shaking, but I could still hear the world tremble. Dylan took the
pantacle and the sound faded.

“What did you do?” I asked as the
green sparkling fog faded. It was extremely creepy.

“I think I just created a new
kind of shield. One that protects everything, even from something inside of it.
Now, for you two.” He regarded the boys.

“We get to be a part of it?”
Sammy asked, thrilled.

“Of course. Water and air.” Dylan
handed the cup to Sammy, which immediately overflowed with water. Dylan handed
the dagger to Ron and a small wind tunnel formed around him.

“Look, Daddy, I can control it!”
he shouted, shrinking the wind tunnel.

“I can’t. How do I make it stop?”
Sammy asked, getting soaked. Ron started laughing as he put his hand on Sammy’s
forehead. Sammy paused as if in deep concentration as the cup stopped pouring
out water. They both set the artifacts back on the table.

“So now we know who controls
what. How can we go after the sword? The apple is broken.”

“Maybe you could ask for Emrys’s
help again,” Edward said.

“Let’s find out when and where it
is, and then we can ask him.”

I let my fire flow into the
crystal ball and Dylan’s energy joined it. The star map formed quickly. I was
looking at Dylan when she appeared, so I saw the recognition in his eyes when
he instantly detected the presence of his wife. Dylan turned to pull Divina
into his arms and kissed her until both boys gagged.

“Swapping spit,” Sammy said. Ron
winced. “Come on, children of dysfunctional families don’t have to see their
parents kiss,” he begged. The couple ignored their son. “Ron is gonna grow up
thinking marriage and life is all about love and happiness.” That broke them
up; neither could contain their laughter. Divina got a quick hug from the boys
before Dylan wrapped his arm around her and she leaned her head against his
shoulder.

“I only have a few minutes. My
brothers are all arguing, so I thought I could sneak home real quick.”

“Sensibility does pay off.” He
gave her another kiss before Sammy made a gagging sound. “I think I smell peas
for dinner.” He ducked to avoid the clay cup, which shattered against the wall.
Everyone turned to look at the child and Ron took sneaking steps away.
Obviously, Ron was not going to defend his brother.

“Did you see what the wind did?!”
Sammy cried. “It just blew in the window and picked up the cup!”

“The wind blew in the closed
window?” Divina asked. He looked to see that the window was indeed closed.

“The wind must have closed it on
the way out. Ron, get back here.”

“I confess his sins, Daddy. He
was bad. I tried to stop him,” Ron said with his head hung, big, fake tears
forming.

“Thank you for your confession. I
knew I could trust you. You get fruit. Sammy gets peas,” Dylan said over
Sammy’s cries of outrage.

My family of goofballs
. Emiko
stood and came to my side to get further away from them. At least she wasn’t
crying anymore. “Forgive my family,” I said with just as much mock shame as Ron
had. “We are all uncontrollably insane. And a bit silly. It is contagious.”

She squeaked.

“Come on, you two, get back to
work,” Divina said. “That is Earth’s sky.”

“That’s easy enough to
concentrate on.” It had been years since I visited Dylan’s home-world, but it
was memorable. Visions, sounds, and smells assaulted me. Unfortunately, some of
them came from Dylan. I knew I never smelled some of the horrible things he
had. He never told me that cars got so hot that he had a memory of having to
open a door with a rag to avoid getting burned. I saw empty halls and nearly a
hundred boys in uniform in the most unimaginative, dreary school I have ever
seen. I felt tight leather shoes that hurt. I saw a dog barking and growling as
he walked home from school every single day.

I blocked out the images for a
moment, just long enough to fixate on my own. The hotel room and Vivian’s house
were the most clear. I sent those images to him before I got a couple back in
turn. One was of Dylan at a lake with Vivian. One of the schools that Dylan
went to had a massive clock tower that was beautiful covered in snow. I saw the
beach. I saw Dylan’s book, lying in the grass, waiting to change Dylan’s life
forever. And mine, if I were honest.

I opened my eyes to see that the
sphere displayed a new image, then tapped Dylan’s hand so that he would look.
It showed a magic altar with a sword placed upon it.

“I know where that is,” Edward
said. “You see that sigil on the altar? Ronez used it to protect his things.
Only someone who wished him no harm could see what they were looking for when
he charmed it, for he used a lot of illusion magic. That must be at his home;
although I have never seen that room, I know my brother had many secret
chambers.”

“But we were at his house, and it
didn’t look like it had any secret rooms,” Dylan said.

“Your father was rich. He had
houses all over the world, several of which were invisible to people without
magic.”

“Let’s just get the time and
we’ll figure it out later.”

“Why is the sword already in the
image?”

“Because the sword was not hidden
in time like the others,” Divina said, studying the sphere closely. “You can
take it any time, you just have to be able to get to it.”

“But I can see the room, so I can
flash to it.”

Divina laughed. “Ronez was very
tricky with his magic. Like you, he had a flair for the dramatics, but unlike
you, he set traps. He was never afraid to kill someone who threatened him, so
he set traps with magic and used illusion to conceal them. That was one of the
reasons I had him make the artifacts to begin with; he knew how to hide
something better than anyone.”

“He told me that you told him to
create the artifacts. You told me that you didn’t know how to close the gates,”
he said.

It was amazing to see my friend
confront a god, though he never had to fear her, for she showed her love for
him openly. Now she looked remorseful. “I didn’t lie to you. I just don’t
remember.” Dylan gaped at her. “I can see paths of the future easily, but in
exchange, I can’t see the past well. I forget things that were when they no
longer apply to the future. I forget things I see after they don’t happen. Even
gods must follow a path of time. If we didn’t, it would make things too
difficult to control. So if I remember everything that will, will not, had, and
had not occurred, I would lose my mind. It is too much to remember everything,
even for a god.”

“Vretial said he had memory,
instead of good seer abilities.”

“That’s right. He is the only one
with such a memory. Whereas my other brothers and I choose our paths by seeing
what they will lead to, Vretial has to make his decisions based on what they
led to in the past.”

“Was that by choice?”

“Yes.”

“Then he is brilliant,” Dylan
said.

I expected Divina to be appalled;
instead, she nodded. “I know. I have to get back now. Ronez never showed me
where he hid the sword, but I believe I know which house he preferred at the
time,” she said.

Ron was focused on his mother
when Sammy gripped my arm. I nearly yelped; his strength could have rivaled
Nila’s.
“Be still. You were warned against returning to Mokii and you didn’t
listen. Because of that, I couldn’t have prevented what happened to the
dragoness. I’m sorry. You have to make sure that staff is destroyed.”
I
tried to look at him, but he squeezed my arm in warning. He truly did know his
strength.

The room filled with bright light
and when it cleared, Dylan and I were alone in the dark.

Dylan

I opened my eyes to find it was fairly dark. It was
light enough, though, to see a fireplace and that the room was large. I smacked
Mordon lightly in the arm and pointed to the fireplace. He raised his hand and
fire burst from the wood. The room was nice, if a little chilly. The thought
occurred to me a little late, but Mordon didn’t seem bothered by the cold, as
he was using his own fire to keep himself warm. Then I noticed he held the
crystal staff.

“When did you pick that up?”

He frowned at it like he had never seen it before. “I
think Sammy gave it to me. He spoke in my mind and said he couldn’t have
prevented what happened to Emiko.”

“He should have talked to me about it. We could have
come up with another way.”

“It looked like Ron wouldn’t let him. He said that I
ignored a warning not to return to Mokii.”

“What warning?”

He shook his head. “I had a friend at the castle,
Jedes. I told you about her before. She met me just before I went to rescue my
father from Emiko. She said I had begun a path that leads to pain and loss.
Sammy said we had to destroy the staff.”

I took it from him. “Ron is too much like his mother.
He spent his entire life without talking out loud and now he’s keeping
secrets.”

The room was sparsely furnished with two cushioned
chairs facing the fire, a cupboard, a table, and a bookshelf. Other than a rug
on the floor and a painting on the wall of a skull and mist coming out of an
old magic book, there was little character to the room. The walls were brick,
the floor was hardwood, there were no windows, and there were only two doors.
One of the doors revealed a small hallway with a staircase and another door.
The stairway led to a balcony over the living room, a master bedroom with an
attached bathroom, and a small study that was the only room that looked even
remotely used. A small desk, which contained notes and recipes, and a bookshelf
full of very dusty books were the only pieces of furniture in the study.
Everything was dusty.

“I don’t think anyone has been here since he died,” I
said, digging around in the desk again. I found a picture of me when I was
little. I looked about ten, but I didn’t remember anything about the picture.
In it, I was standing on a large boulder with the ocean in the background. I
looked happy. When was that?

“Hey,” Mordon said, finding something else. He held
out an envelope with my name on it, which I opened to find a letter and a deed
to the house… in my name. I opened the letter.

Dear, Dylan:

As I write this letter, I know for sure I will
never see you again. I wish that you could know me, and maybe you will after
I’m gone. I know that you had a miserable childhood, but I have also seen that
your future will be magnificent. You will be magnificent. I hope you don’t hate
me for what I was unable to give you. Since you were born, every small amount
of contact was risky.

If you ask anyone, they will tell you I have never
been serious a day in my life. Today is a new day. You are ready to become the
Guardian, a better one than I ever was. I have seen many paths that I could
have taken, but none ever allowed me to be there for you. This is a short
letter because I must hurry. A side effect of seeing what will come is that I
can hear the clock ticking out. What a lonely sound.

I know how I will die and I know when. It is okay.
This is your time now, and I’m glad. You can never reach your destiny until I
am out of the way. Be happy. You will have friends and family that you can
trust. I know you will live on Duran, and few things I own will be of use to
you, but everything is now yours. Maybe if you need a safe place to escape
everyday life, you will come here. This house holds many secrets, as well as
many treasures. One more thing my brother may tell you about me is that I have never
said goodbye, not a day in my life, and it will not be today. I know you will
see me again.

I have loved you since before you were born, and I
will love you when I am gone.

Love, Your Dad

Mordon took the letter from my hand and hugged me. It
was so hard to just breathe. He sat me down in the chair. “Call for Divina. You
need her with you right now,” he said.

I stared at him, able to focus and remain coherent,
but it was a few minutes before I could speak over the pain in my throat. I
shook my head. “We need to get the sword and close the…” I trailed off, losing
track of my thoughts. Nestled between two huge books, nearly impossible to see,
was a small, black, unmarked book. I pulled it off the shelf and my fingers
tingled. When I opened it, I saw all the names just the same as in my book. It
was identical in every way. I pulled my book out of my bag just to be sure.

“What is that?” he asked. “Is time screwing up
again?”

“No. I think my dad may have broken a rule. It is
like an echo. It is an exact copy of my book, even with your name in it, but
the magic isn’t real. This book was made to be a decoy.”

“Then why didn’t he give Vretial’s servants that book
and get away?”

Because he thought my life as a Guardian could never
begin until his ended. He gave himself up. “I need to lie down. Maybe throw up
first.” I put both my book and the decoy in my bag.

Mordon didn’t question me, he just helped me to the
bathroom, but I had nothing in my stomach, so he helped me to bed. It was my
father’s bed, and even nearly ten years later, the dark blue blanket still
smelled like him.
How is that possible?
Maybe it was in my mind. Maybe I
was going insane, because insanity seemed to run in the family.

“Dylan, I can’t read English. What did your father
say to you in the letter that has you so upset?”

“I’m not upset, just tired.”

He sighed, not believing me. “Then go to sleep. I’ll
wake you when I find something.” He got up and left.

I couldn’t tell him I didn’t want to be alone. I
couldn’t tell him this house felt colder and emptier than anywhere I had ever
been. My father should have been there. I couldn’t say a word as Mordon left,
so when he came back to the door, I was startled.

“Did you say something?” he asked.

“No.”

“I thought I heard someone say to come back. Do you
need something?” he asked. I shook my head. He frowned, but came to lie next to
me. “Alright. You wouldn’t mind if I take a nap, too, then.”

He crossed his arms, staring at the ceiling and not
making even the slightest attempt to get confortable. I laughed. Yeah, he
wasn’t planning to take a nap. I fell asleep knowing that my father got at
least one thing right; I had family I could trust.

*          *          *

I woke to the sound of drawers being opened and shut.
Mordon was digging through the dresser across from the bed. “What are you
doing?” I asked. Mordon glanced at me and pointed to the bedside table, where
there was a glass of water. I obeyed his unspoken command to drink it as he
continued his search.

“You are very traditional when you’re trying to be
sneaky, kind of like a child,” he said.

“Okay. That explained nothing and insulted me
greatly. Maybe I should go back to sleep and try again.”

He continued, ignoring me. “It occurred to me that
your father might be the same way. I figured there was no place more
traditional to hide your things than among your undergarments,” he said.

“Please don’t riffle through my dad’s underwear. I
know what kind of life he lived and I’m afraid of what you might find.”

He looked back at me. “Like a key?” he smirked,
holding one up.

“Oh, my god, did you really find a key in my father’s
underwear?”

“Not quite. It was in the pocket of his pants. Want
to help me find out what this key opens, or are you going to sit around all day
doing your hair?”

I tried to pull a lock of my hair forward to see it,
knowing full well it was too short. “Why, what’s wrong with my hair? Quick, I
need a brush!” He picked up one of my boots and threw it at me, but I stopped
it with magic and put it on, then pulled the second one to me with magic before
Mordon could take it.

I got up and we both searched the house. On the
second floor, the master bedroom with its attached study and bathroom was
separated by the balcony walkway over the living room. On the other side, we
found three more bedrooms, a hallway bathroom, and a small library. There were
stairs on the far end of the hallway that led to the kitchen. It was a modest,
clean kitchen with off-white walls and wooden floors.

The only locked door in the house was the door next
to the stairway, and that is exactly what the key opened. Down the steps of the
basement were boxes and crates. The lower ground floor went on and on around
corners and down more steps; way too large to be a normal cellar. We came upon
an end. Using only flashlights, with which Mordon seemed fascinated, we nearly
missed it.

It was by chance that I waved the light over the wall
and saw the sigil. Mordon put his hand on it. “There are no cracks or creases.”

“It has to be a door. I may not know my father well,
but I know a hidden entrance when I see one. Back up a minute,” I said. He
backed away and I sent my energy into it with the will for it to open.
Honestly, I didn’t expect it to work. I didn’t expect the wall to separate into
bricks that rearranged themselves into a doorway.

The doorway revealed a final room; the magic room
that was shown in the sphere, complete with an altar as well as a shelf of
magic books and a display cabinet full of staffs, daggers, and swords. There
was also a desk with a collection of unusual potion ingredients, a chest full
of carefully labeled potions, and a hand-written journal full of clear
instructions for preparing and using the potions.

On the altar was the sword, which I took carefully. I
was not a sword person, and I never would be, but I could feel the magic
streaming through it. Each of the artifacts belonged to one of my family. I
knew instantly that the sword was for Divina. It suited her somehow.

“Alright. We got what we came for and I think it’s
time to get back,” I said.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to look
into while we’re here?” Mordon asked.

I shook my head. “If I think the house could somehow
bring me more closure than seeing my father’s ghost… twice, then I know where
to find it,” I said. A sad expression clouded his face and I could have smacked
myself. “I’m sorry Divina can’t bring your mother back the way she did Ronez.”
Even though it was only for a short time, at least I knew my father a little.

“I understand. Ronez was immortal and never meant to
die in the first place. Besides, I did get to meet her in the spirit world.
That was more than I ever expected.”

I looked around the room. “This is really the only
room that makes me think of my father. I think the apartment we saw before was
closer to the man I know. Game systems and comfy chairs. But creepy and magical
seems to fit, too.”

“Maybe there are many sides to him.”

“That would make it a lot harder to get to know him.”

“Now that you can control your power, you could have
Emrys take you back to see him.”

“No. That would be a selfish misuse of magic… and it
would be too dangerous.”

“Because you couldn’t stop yourself from trying to
save him?” he asked.

Mordon understood me more than anyone else. “Wouldn’t
you? You could ask Emrys to take you back to see your mother. You would have a
lot better chance at saving her than I would my father. Both of them died for
their child and both deaths could have been avoided. I’m a healer; I could save
her.”

He swallowed hard. “You could. I wouldn’t have Rojan,
but he would have his family. Shut up, Rojan; we could have stopped them.”

“It’s a never ending cycle. I want to save that poor
boy that the demon killed. I want to save your mother, and my father… but what
would I destroy by trying to save someone? How many worlds could a paradox
destroy?”

“How do you know? How do you ever know if it’s right
or not?” he asked.

“That’s why I’m not a time traveler; I don’t know.
That’s what I have friends for. When I have to make a decision like that, I
have someone to turn to. Someone wiser, like Edward, or more powerful, like my
wife, or who knows me better than anyone else in this world, like you. So you
tell me, should I start playing god? Should I have the right to decide who
lives and who doesn’t?”

He stared at me for a moment. “Where is the staff?”
he asked.

I had forgotten about it. “In the study next to the
bedroom. We left it there last night.”

“Sammy said we needed to destroy it.” Mordon left the
magic room to retrieve the staff. It gave me a moment to think.

He returned after a few minutes. “I don’t think we
should destroy it,” I said, taking the staff from him. I could feel the power
in it. “I think we need to find out what Sammy saw. They both sounded pretty
adamant that this was dangerous, so either they saw it in his vision, or they
know something like it.”

“That sounds like a good reason to destroy it, to
me,” he said.

I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” I ran my fingers over
the hand-carved wood, over the magic symbols, and across the crystal.

“But you’re not going to destroy it,” he surmised.

I looked at him. “They’re hiding something from us.
Whatever it is, this may be the only thing we find answers in.” I set it on the
altar before pulling Mordon out of the room. Then I pushed my energy into the
stones with the intention to lock it. As quickly as it had become a doorway, it
returned to being a wall. “There. Now it can’t fall into any wrong hands and
it’s there if we need it.”