Shattered Soul (36 page)

Ceri rubbed her sister’s arm. ::You don’t feel like a ghost.::

::Surprise.::

Ceri gave another broken little laugh.

::Now, dearest sister, hug me and say ‘until later’. You have a life to live and I...::Rani faltered.

::Have Heavenly things to attend?::

The wry twist to Rani’s lips was so achingly familiar. ::You could say that.::

Ceri looked deeply into her sister’s eyes. ::Is this just a dream? Will I wake up and you’ll still be alive out there somewhere? How do I know this just isn’t a dream?::

::When you awaken, dear sister, you will know. Deep in your heart, you will know this isn’t a dream.:: Rani touched her lips to Ceri’s brow and drew back to gaze intently into her eyes. “Farewell, sister, until we meet again. I love you, I always will.::

Ceri cried out as Rani faded before her eyes. The forest vanished, the flowers disappearing, their scent the last thing to go. She spun around quickly, but there was only the white fog.

::No!:: she cried out. ::No, I’m not ready to say goodbye! Rani! Rani!::

~*~

Outlaw Sector, outskirts

Planet Ylan

Witch’s Home

Ceri awoke with her sister’s name on her lips. Jerking upright, she looked around the bedroom. It had been a dream, all just a dream, all just a -

And then she felt it, the warmth on her brow, the presence of something slipping away and then gone, a deep sense of loss. Words and images crashed through her memory.

Ceri looked deeply into her sister’s eyes. ::Is this just a dream? Will I wake up and you’ll still be alive out there somewhere? How do I know this just isn’t a dream?::

::When you awaken, dear sister, you will know. Deep in your heart, you will know this isn’t a dream.:: Rani touched her lips to Ceri’s brow and drew back to gaze intently into her eyes. “Farewell, sister, until we meet again. I love you, I always will.::

And Ceri cried as she realized that her beloved sister was truly gone.

She didn’t hear the door open, but she felt a presence that was at once familiar yet not, but comforting nonetheless. A woman sat beside her, one arm coming around her shoulders. “It’s all right, child.”

She didn’t question her, didn’t think to even try to understand why she accepted the white-haired woman’s embrace. All she could do was cling to her and cry broken-heartedly for all she’d lost.

~ * ~

The Darknen

The Darknen frowned down at the crystal. The black fog that roiled inside had little red streaks running through it. He couldn’t contain the destroyer much longer. It was a little disturbing that such a small one could contain so much power, so much hate and fury, but it was all in his interests so he shrugged.

He could control it when he released it to slay his enemies.

Crossing to the window, he held out his hand and watched as lightening arced through the sky. It sizzled, snapping across open space to spear into his hand, dancing across his flesh in fiery sparks to flick out and snap around the crystal globe.

The crystal shuddered, cracks running through every aspect of it, and little tendrils of black fog trailed out. Red swirls pushed and swelled against the cracked crystal, and he could feel the power pushing at the crystal.

Chuckling, he ran his hands over and around the globe, sealing the cracks and forcing the power back. “Patience, my sweet. Your wrath warms my heart, your fury is a balm to my soul. When you are finally released upon my enemies, it will be awesome.” He wagged his finger at the roiling fog inside the crystal. “Until then, little one, patience is a virtue you have to learn.”

The globe bulged outwards, growing red-hot under his hand, but it subsided as fast as it had swelled.

“Yes,” The Darknen murmured, walking across to the window once more, “releasing you will shock many and delight me so.”

~*~

Inner Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

Overlord’s Fortress

The dank corridor leading down into the underground rooms that had once been Phemar’s had never been a journey that Fredrico enjoyed. This time, however, he did it with dre Sd ithe undad in his heart, for his friend now occupied these rooms.

Ignoring the little creatures that skittered and snared as they scurried past him, he went down the stone steps and further down, down and down the long, cold stone stairs until he found himself at the bottom. The long corridor in front of him was empty, the doors to each side closed. Nothing stirred.

“Veknor?” He listened but there was no answer, so he moved forward, placing each boot down carefully, his gaze scanning the seemingly empty corridor.

Finally he got to the end room, the one which Phemar had claimed for his private chambers. Reaching up, he knocked on the heavy wooden door. “Veknor?” He heard movement within, but when there was no greeting, he added, “It’s me. Fredrico.” Which was dumb, because his best friend knew his voice.

There was still no answer, and he bit his lip, wondering if he should just go, partly relieved that he wouldn’t have to face Veknor, but mentally lashing himself for even allowing himself to feel such a selfish emotion. Mentally girding himself, he reached out and turned the heavy, iron handle. The door swung open and he entered, stopping just in the doorway to look around in astonishment.

The room was filled with shadows, a fire snapping in the fireplace in the far wall, but what had once been a cold, harsh chamber filled with the bare essentials and gruesome trophies was transformed into something dark but hinting at comforts. A huge bed covered in a deep velvet red drape, a big armchair of brocaded gold, a heavy carpet, dark wood table, and a single chair with a blue velvet cushion on which to sit. Heavy bookcases filled with both paper and electronic books. Music played from the intercom in the corner, the sound haunting and lonely.

All of Veknor’s furniture was here, everything from his chamber upstairs brought down here, but whereas Veknor’s chamber had dark furniture, his room had always been open and light. This chamber was dark, hinting at hidden secrets, keeping everything only half in view.

“You shouldn’t look so surprised, my friend,” a rasping voice said from a dark corner.

Jerking his head around in the direction of the voice, Fredrico saw the tall, robed figure standing next to the edge of the bookcase. In the shadows, the new dark mystic was merely a shape blending into the darkness.

“Veknor.” Fredrico stepped forward. “Are you all right?”

A small, mirthless laugh sounded. “Depends on what you mean by that.”

“What you went through...” Fredrico came to a halt in the middle of the room and peered at the shadows. “Veknor, I am truly sorry.”

The robed head angled down towards the book that was barely discernable. “Too late for regrets, my friend. What is done, is done.”

“It should never have happened.” Wearily, unsure what to do, Fredrico rubbed his forehead. “If I hadn’t helped Rani... if you hadn’t sided with us... Goddamn it, Veknor!”

“We are damned, Fredrico, but then we always knew that, didn’t we?” Veknor lifted his hand and slotted the book back into the bookcase. “Loyalties will choose where they lay, and rightly or wrongly, decisions are made.”

Fredrico’s jaw clenched.

A dry sound rustled through the shadows as Veknor moved a little, and Fredrico inwardly shuddered at what that sound might mean for his friend.

“Forces work in strange ways.” Veknor s S.thawung his head to look in Fredrico’s direction and twin red glows came from the depths of the hood. “I was dying, now I live.”

“By taking Phemar’s place.”

“My decision.”

“And The Overlord’s.”

“Our decision, then.” Veknor’s voice became raspy again, and he coughed a little. “Demon stuck in my throat.”

The wry humour caught Fredrico off-guard and he blinked. His surprise was followed by hope and he stepped forward. “Veknor?”

“Don’t!” Veknor snapped the word out harshly. “It would be in your best interest not to think I am the same, Fredrico.”

“Are you really that different?” Fredrico retained a slim hope.

The robed head turned away. The fire flared bright for an instance and the crackle of wood was loud. A spark shot out, and Fredrico watched as it soared through the air to land on Veknor’s out-stretched palm. The fire glow picked out—dear God, was it dry skin? Withered? Fredrico swallowed. The glow died down as suddenly, the fire folding in on itself until only the dimmest glow lit the room.

The silence stretched out between them and it was Veknor who broke it, his voice becoming hollow as though forced through dry vocal cords, a faint whistling accompanying it. “Remember me as I was, but know I am now The Overlord’s dark mystic. It is easier that way.”

A muscle ticked in Fredrico’s jaw. “You’re my friend.”

“I was.”

“You are. Always, Veknor. We have ties that bind.”

The dry rustle accompanied the slight movement of Veknor as he moved further back into the shadows. “Ties bind, and ties hurt.”

“I’ll risk it,” Fredrico replied grimly. “You’re my friend, Veknor, my best friend, and nothing will ever change that.”

“We’ll see.” Veknor turned away. “Go, Fredrico. I find that I crave solitude this night.”

Fredrico took another step into the room. “Veknor, please - ”

“Go!” The words snapped out like dry twigs breaking. Veknor glanced briefly over his shoulder, the red glows of his eyes almost fiery. “I have much to learn, Fredrico, and right now I am dangerous.”

“Let me help you.”

Invisible hands, clammy and clawed, grabbed him and shoved him back through the open doorway. The wooden door slammed shut before he could even think what had happened, and Fredrico found himself facing the wood.

Immediately he rattled the handle, finding the door locked against him, and he pounded on it. “Veknor! Veknor, you can treat me like shit, you can treat me like an imbecile, but know this, you are my friend, and I won’t give up on you!”

Silence met his hammering and finally he subsided. Hands fisted, he glared at the door, his throat tight and his heart pounding with both hopeless anger and grief. Finally he swung away and returned to his room.

Thoughts churning, he showered before eating at the small table in his room, then he sat for several hours at the viscomm, trying to track down The Darknen’s movements, trying to make order out of the spaceship and fighter activity in the Outlaw Sector, endeavouring to discover a pattern that might alert him to the movements of The Overlord’s enemy. His mind whirled as he tried to block out all e SockVmotion, forcing himself to work, to concentrate on studying the denseness of populations that should remain small unless something was happening.

He tried to forget his friend and every troubling thought he had on the wild, rainy night, but eventually he gave up. Unable to focus on business he went to bed instead, leaving only a small lamp burning on the far wall, enough to cast deep shadows in the room while leaving enough light to see by if needed.

Sleep eluded him, everything that had happened needling at him. Sadness almost overwhelmed him, a loneliness he’d not felt in a very long time laying heavy upon him. Seeking to quell the emotions churning inside him, he rolled onto his side and gazed at the closed door that joined his and Rani’s rooms.

Glad to have something else to think about, he frowned. There was a definite tie between them. He did care for her, an emotion he’d thought long lost, then again, her arrival had changed a lot of things and had brought to the fore feelings he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Lust. Concern. Sympathy.

Hell, he was pathetic. He hadn’t felt any of that in so long he couldn’t even really remember the last time he’d cared about anyone except for Veknor, his brother in all but blood.

Veknor, now The Overlord’s dark mystic. Did he even consider Fredrico his friend anymore? Fredrico sighed. This loneliness, was this what Rani felt? It wasn’t as though she’d had a good friend to steer her through all the obstacles that had faced her.

Loneliness.

Sitting up, Fredrico scrubbed one hand through his hair and closed his eyes. He so didn’t want to be alone.

Rani was alone.

They were both alone.

He felt a slight tug deep inside him, something luring him, and without thought he found himself on his feet and crossing the room, coming to a halt before the door. Reaching out he laid one hand on the doorknob, only to stop and draw in a deep breath.

What was he thinking? What was he doing? Was he honestly considering approaching her and... what? Look for a cuddle? Ask her to sit and talk with him because he was so bloody lonely he could hardly think straight? Ask her to provide the comfort he hadn’t given her?

He dropped his hand but couldn’t bring himself to back away from the door. Thoughts troubled, as he looked unseeingly at it. He didn’t want to back away, didn’t want to return to his lonely bed and solitude. Reaching up, he laid his palm against the door and closed his eyes.

He swore he could almost feel her. Something warm, a little thread of caring that wove straight through the door and connected them both. That connection went both ways and her emotions soared back through the thread and slammed into him, swamping him and almost bringing him to his knees with the intensity.

Loneliness.

Sadness. Such overwhelming sadness
.

Fredrico straightened, breathing hard, trying to sort out his loneliness and sadness from hers, but finding them both so tightly intertwined that he couldn’t even begin to find where his ended and hers began. It was as though they were tightly connected even as they stood on opposites sides of an abyss of emotional pain.

He yearned to comfort her. To comfort himself. To hold her and whisper reassurances, to shield her from that pain, to shield himself.

To S siimself. forget.