Dark Solar Complete Trilogy: Oleander - Wolfsbane - Maikoa Read online

  “Eudaiz.”

  “Is that a country?”

  “Slightly larger than a country.”

  “Larger than Earth?”

  “It’s a universe. Much larger than Earth. But comparison on a physical scale is not accurate. Sciphil Three can explain to you much better than I can.”

  “What’s a sciphil? A guardian angel?”

  He laughed. “Yes, that description would work. But the Eudaizian council doesn’t approve of magical matters.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Eudaiz has little tolerance for creatures who call themselves magical—angels, witches, sorcerers. We’ve had negative experiences with them.”

  Charmine smiled and nodded, making a mental note not to reveal her true identity to her savior too soon.

  10

  Madeline kept her eyes closed but alerted her senses to gather information about the situation. Her mind tracking ability wasn’t working right now. She drew in the sense of the room Ciaran had brought her to.

  The scent of luxurious wallpaper and scented candle wax hovered in the air. The crackling sound of a fire in a fireplace was gentle, homey, and welcoming. She didn’t know who Robert was. Regardless of how enticing the place was and how warm Robert was to her—or rather to Lucy—she didn’t belong here. Neither did Ciaran.

  Hearing footsteps walking away, she opened one eye and then the other. Dinah was standing right next to her bed, and Arik was peeking outside the room.

  “All right, he’s away from the corridor,” Arik said.

  Madeline sat up. “What were the meds you asked Ciaran—”

  “Robert,” Dinah cut in.

  “Well, Ciaran, as Robert, to get for me?”

  “I have no idea. Dinah gave me the formula,” Arik said.

  “It’s Iilos’s special meat pie. The ingredients are exotic. I’m sure they cannot find them on Earth.”

  Madeline shook her head. “All right. Now they’re trying to make an impossible entree—we can buy some time with that. Can you tell what time period we’re in, Arik?”

  “I don’t know the precise time, but if I’m not mistaken, we’re in Abraham Lincoln’s time. Robert Lincoln is Abraham Lincoln’s eldest son. I recognized the name when he introduced himself.” Arik walked around, looking at pictures on the wall to gather as much information as possible.

  “The sixteenth president of United States! When you time travel, you land at the time of significant historical events. Is it the Civil War?” Madeline asked.

  “That was an important event. But under Lincoln’s government, there were many other important events. Any of those could change American history.”

  Dinah jabbed at her wrist unit. “I’m sorry for my ignorance, and I don’t mean to alienate you, but I am kind of an alien here. I don’t know American history at all. I’d search my databank, but there’s no network available.”

  “Don’t worry, Dinah, we humans should be able to figure out our own history,” Arik said.

  Madeline paced the room. “What was the most significant event during the Lincoln presidency, apart from the Civil War?”

  “Well, it could be we’re meant to stop the Civil War. That’s what happens every time I travel, right?” Arik raked his hands through his hair.

  “We’re not supposed to change history. We talked about this, Arik,” Madeline said.

  Dinah shook her head. “I know you’re both concerned about time-traveling rules and principles. But this is an exceptional case. Common time traveling doesn't involve travelers taking roles at the destination without knowing what’s going on—like Ciaran is now.”

  Arik nodded. “And worse, Madeline is supposed to take Lucy's role from Ciaran’s—or Robert’s—perspective. But she isn’t.”

  “Plus, we’re all aware of the situation. But Ciaran isn’t,” Madeline said. “I think this is another elaborate attempt to manipulate us for the multiversal hologame challenge.”

  Dinah nodded. “I agree. Do you know who Lucy is, Arik?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not a walking, talking history book. Whoever she was, she was involved with Robert in a significant way. The sort of relationship that might create a turn in history.”

  “How about a significant date? Would that help?” Madeline asked.

  Arik nodded.

  Dinah rolled her eyes, “Another time and date conversion. I really miss my databank.”

  “We can use low-tech information, commonly known as a wall calendar, Dinah,” Arik said, strolling toward the paper calendar on the wall in the corner of the room.

  Madeline followed, frowning at the empty calendar on the wall. “You’re saying Robert is Abraham Lincoln’s son. So he would take an important role in politics. I’ve never seen a politician’s calendar so clean!”

  Arik chuckled. “Maybe it’s just a decorative item.” Then he continued, “And it’s not so clean.” He pointed to a needle hole on a date.

  “Someone threw a dart at it?” Madeline asked.

  Arik nodded. “It’s not the throwing but rather the pulling out that I’m more concerned about. There must be a debate, a negotiation, or a consideration of some sort . . . about an action on this particular date.”

  Dinah cleared her throat. When they turned to face her, they saw her curled comfortably on the reading chair with a soft cashmere throw wrapped around her shoulders.

  “May I distract you for just a nanosecond of a multiversal time slot,” she asked, “to ask what happened inside Mon Ciel? What caused the one-of-a-kind capsule to explode and shoot through the air? How did we end up transported here, Arik?”

  “All I can remember is that Lindsay was either threatened or paid to get the jar of potion I compounded based on Juliette’s formula. He called it the primer, I think.”

  “The primer! Ciaran never mentioned he was looking for the primer inside Mon Ciel!” Dinah exclaimed.

  “I don’t think he knew what he was after in Juliette’s lab,” Arik said.

  Madeline shook her head. “He knew. He knew it damn well. But he decided not to tell us.” She took a deep breath, a technique she often used to staunch unwanted tears.

  “Madeline, what’s up?” Dinah asked.

  “Juliette and Ciaran shared a passion for alchemy and modern chemistry. She developed a primer and was trying to feed it to him—even when she was half dead and universes away. I don’t know what the primer was, but even back then, Ciaran was reluctant to talk about it. I think he was afraid of something.”

  “If he was afraid, it must be freaking nasty. Do you know what the primer might be, Dinah?” Arik said.

  “Given the situation, I’m guessing the primer is used for multiversal transformation. In a nutshell, it’s extremely dangerous and very unpredictable.”

  “Is it going to explode? Because the last thing I remember is Ciaran holding it in his hand. He might have put it in his pocket,” Arik said.

  “No, that’s not why it’s dangerous. The transformative properties must be triggered. If the jar explodes, it won’t trigger transformative properties. It will be like an ordinary bomb, like a grenade. That’s nothing to Ciaran.”

  “But he’s not Ciaran now. He thinks he’s Robert. And God help me if he thinks the jar in his pocket is merely cologne,” Arik said.

  “Do you know how to trigger the primer, Dinah?” Madeline asked.

  “Yes, but I need a lab. And Ciaran’s help.”

  Madeline strode toward the door.

  “What are you doing, Madeline?” Arik asked.

  “I’m going to find Ciaran and take him back where he belongs.”

  She exited the room and stared down a long, desolate hallway. She had no clue where Ciaran had gone.

  11

  Jael collapsed his wings and glanced around to ensure no creatures had seen him arrive. Xiilok was a place for multiversal outlaws, not angels. His light hair and complexion and his angelic looks made him stick out like a sore thumb. He didn’t care to be attacked
by Xiilok creatures.

  He had been to many places on various missions and had opened his mind to a world of possibilities beyond the world God wanted him to protect. Once he had been out in the multiverse, it was hard to see his missions in the same way.

  There were many worlds and different types of creatures who served many Gods. Among those who worshiped no one were Xiilok citizens. They held no religious belief and hence held no moral standards of good or evil. They could kill without worrying that they might upset a superior force.

  He arrived at the entrance of a cave and looked up at a magnificent double door in the formation of two stone wings, spreading wide, pointing to the dark sky. He knew the door was an illusion—he saw only what his mind wanted to see. Xiilok citizens could see the real landscape, but all an outsider could do was to try his best not to drop into any oblivion traps.

  The winged stone doors opened as he approached. He entered the dark cave, flanked by illuminating bluestone, and arrived at a corner where he found a small residential setting with humble stone furniture.

  A man sat on a chair next to a table, focused on a boiling teapot. He greeted Jael without looking up.

  “I told you about this day, didn’t I, Jael?”

  “You summoned me here, Asana.”

  Asana laughed and turned around. “Your God would summon you. I just called an old friend.”

  “I am in a difficult situation.”

  “Yes, I know. But you came when I asked for your help. It’s been hundreds of years, and you have never changed.”

  “What do you need? It sounded urgent.”

  “I’m sorry about Charmine.”

  He stared at Asana—his childhood friend was now in the form of a hundred-year-old Xiilok shaman. His appearance had changed greatly, and he had aged a lot. But his sharp eyes were still the same—focused and intense.

  “How did you know?”

  “A little bird told me a beautiful angel had been captured and was being held in the dungeon of a nearby county.”

  Jael whirled around. “That’s my wife. Where is she?”

  Asana shook his head. “I was too late when I came to rescue her. She was captured again by someone else. By the time I called you, they had taken her out of Xiilok.”

  “She’s alive. I can tell.”

  “Yes, you’re right. She’s alive because she’s carrying a precious piece of property that every creature wants.”

  “Our child isn’t property! I don’t have time for this, Asana. What do you want from me?”

  “I want to help. I don’t know who took her from here, but I know who took her from Earth.”

  “It’s Roallix. I know. So what’s the news?”

  “He defeated you.”

  “Roallix beat me once, but only because my guard was down. It won’t happen again. Tell me why you want me, or I’m out of here . . . now.”

  “You let your guard down because you were in love with Charmine. How can you be so sure it won’t happen again?”

  “It had nothing to do with Charmine. I thought I shouldn’t have to protect myself around friends.”

  “Friends?” Asana laughed. “See what that got you?”

  “You’re saying I shouldn’t trust you as my friend now. I am here for you while my wife is missing. What else do you want from me regarding friendship, Asana?”

  Asana stood so tall his head almost hit the ceiling. “You’re here because you think you owe me a life. Not because we’re friends.”

  Jael turned around and punched the wall, shaking loose an illuminated candlelit stone and causing it to drop to the ground and shatter.

  “We should haven’t played that stupid zodiac game. Among the twelve of us, only you made it. Now Roallix has turned dark, and Arete is a lost cause.”

  Jael raised a hand, stopping Asana from speaking. “What’s your point?”

  Asana glanced at the teapot to be sure it wasn’t boiling over. “You owe me nothing, Jael. I pushed you through the rainbow of light because I believed you could make it. I—and others—weren’t going to make it. I hoped when you became an angel, you’d help us. And you did. You gave me another life—a second chance here. So I’ll return the favor now.”

  Asana removed the teapot from the fire and poured it into a jar of potion. The liquid bubbled up a bit and then simmered down into a liquid of a light golden color. He gave it to Jael.

  Jael raised an eyebrow. “A healing compound?” he asked.

  “You could say so. It’s a compound that helps creatures move between worlds and transform without harm. Especially for those with . . . a traveler’s spirit.” Asana lowered his voice as he said it.

  Jael’s eyes darkened.

  Asana stepped back and continued. “I know about Charmine’s origins. I know you smuggled her into the world of the Gods without jumping through the light the way you did. And because of that, she never properly transformed. She wasn't made for being an angel.” Before Jael could react, Asana raised a hand to stop him. “I told you, I am your friend—perhaps the one and only in this multiverse. The fact that I knew and did nothing proves my friendship and my loyalty to you. Your secret is safe with me.”

  Jael calmed down and nodded. “So I do owe you.” Jael raised the jar of potion to the level of his eyes and looked at the still-warm liquid. “But how does this potion help Charmine?”

  “I thought about this when I heard she had been taken out of Xiilok via the Daimon Gate. Only privileged member universes have access to the Daimon Gate. I'm sure you know this. So that means she has been transported out of the magical world of the Gods.”

  “So if she survives being transported out of the magical world, taking your potion would help me to bring her back properly?”

  Asana smiled. “Yes, and then she can be properly transformed into an angel.”

  “What's in this for you, Asana?”

  Asana sat down on an illuminated stone bench. “My time is almost up. After I die, I'd like you to take me back to Earth, burn my body, and let my ashes scatter in the wind in the place where we played the zodiac game.”

  “I can take you back right now so that you can live on Earth.”

  “What year is it now on Earth?”

  “1864.” Jael shook his head. “I’m sorry for my ignorance. You are long past the normal human lifespan.”

  Asana shrugged. “I like it here. I'm useful as a shaman. You should go now. There are many thousands of member universes of the Daimon Gate. It will take time to find out which one Charmine has been taken to.”

  He stood and saw Jael to the door.

  Asana came back inside. He sat down and stared for a long time at a large stone vase in the corner. Then he opened the lid of the vase. When a colorful snake rose up from it, he grabbed its neck and took it to the fireplace where he had made the potion before and placed it in the pot.

  A short moment later, the snake slithered away, vanishing through a gap at the base of the stone wall.

  12

  Arik felt them coming—the incredible and uncontrollable heat waves that burned his body and mind. There was nothing he could do about it. He knew he would lose consciousness soon. He braced his hands on the wall next to the calendar he was examining, and he saw a blurry date going in and out of focus—1864.

  The calendar and the date glared at him, zooming in and out as if in an extremely fast sequence of camera snaps. He could hear his heart rate intensifying, beating in tune with the clock ticking on the wall, and feel the sweat trickling down his forehead.

  “Arik, are you okay?”

  He wanted to respond, but no words came out of his mouth. It felt as if thousands of needles were jabbing at his brain. He was breathless with the sensation. Arik shook his head.

  “Look at me, Arik, please.”

  He grabbed his head and felt a strong pull to fly—he knew it was the urge to travel back to 2017. The same sensation had occurred every time he was pulled to travel to the past, but never on the return trip.
The returns were always instant, smooth, and fast.

  Still, whichever way it went, he had no control over this process. He had the daunting feeling that if he resisted this pull, his head was going to explode. He felt to the floor.

  “You’re heating up. Tell me what’s happening, Arik.”

  He felt Dinah’s hands grabbing his.

  “I’m returning . . . leaving . . .”

  “No, you can’t. You’ll leave Madeline and Ciaran here. You’re the vessel. You transported them here, and you have to bring them back.”

  “I . . . I can’t control it . . .”

  “You can. Just open your eyes and look at me.”

  He tried and saw a blast of bright light that shocked his system. “I can’t see a thing . . . My head is going to explode . . .”

  “It will if you let it, Arik. You have to take control of your mind. You have to tell it how you want it to work. It’s your mind, for pity’s sake.”

  “I can’t . . .”

  He felt her hands pinning his to the floor.

  “It’s your mind. You control it. No creature in the multiverse has the right to manipulate anyone’s mind without consent. And you didn’t consent to any of this.”

  “I don’t know what I did or didn’t do anymore.” The pain was unbearable. It felt as if his brain was squeezing itself out of this skull.

  “You’re a very strong human, Arik. Don’t let anything from the multiverse control you.”

  “I can’t help it.”

  “Now Arik, I want you to open your eyes and see my face. You have to want to see me to do it. Your vision is your first sense, and you are in control of it. Don’t just accept whatever comes at you. You have to want to see me, and only me.”

  Her voice was soothing but determined. It was as strong as the force that was pulling at him. The pain subsided slightly. He opened his eyes, willing his mind’s eye to see Dinah.

  There she was. Big, beautiful eyes, dark and full of secrets. Pouting lips that always made him want to taste them. He was sure they would be as sweet as the lilting voice that made her sounded like an Irish lullaby whenever she spoke.