“Better than fine,” Elysian barked. “I was laughing.”
“Why?” I asked. “There’s a demon nearby. And it’s a big one, from what my mark seems to think.”
Elysian snickered. “I know. She’s right there.” He flicked his tail to the woman in front of me.
It took me a moment, but I saw why Elysian was laughing. Asteropy was half-trapped in a woman’s body. She looked much like a ghost would, her aura hanging out of the body of a woman.
A woman who looked a bit familiar to me, actually.
“You!” Asteropy’s yellow-toned skin was gray with rage as she tried to get the human stuck in time to move.
“Asteropy,” I greeted, stepping forth with my sword. “Stuck, are you?”
“This is just great,” she muttered, trying to pull herself free from the woman. “First the dragon, and now you. I don’t need this.”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” I admitted. “I thought you would have been more clever with your disguise. Hiding in a regular human doesn’t seem like you at all.”
“I’ll agree she is a really unspectacular, regular human,” Asteropy said with a smirk. “But this one has a pretty sweet arrangement.”
I frowned at the woman’s face again. And then it clicked.
“That’s Patricia Rookwood,” I yelled. “You tried to use her to attack my friend in the hospital, didn’t you?!”
I nearly lashed out and hit her, but Elysian’s tail swept me off my feet before I could get close enough.
“Come on,” Elysian murmured to me. “Just because the woman in question is a bad person, doesn’t mean you should attack her, too.”
“I’m perfectly okay with it,” I grumbled back.
“Well, I don’t think you should be. We’ll have to wait for time to resume.”
“Ugh … you’re no fun, Elysian,” I growled.
“I haven’t attacked anyone, unless you count this lady,” Asteropy said, drawing my attention back to her. “I’ve been using her ego to feed. That largely means that people bring her stuff to say in front of a camera and she says it. There’s nothing like the rush of small fame and the constant desire for more to replenish my supply.”
“How long have you been using her?” I asked, suddenly cringing. It must feel terrible, I thought, for someone to use you as a puppet through your soul.
Although I had to wonder if Patricia even realized it. Surely some people could shrink their souls small enough that if it got infected by a powerful presence of evil, they wouldn’t feel it. Or notice it.
“Long enough,” Asteropy assured me. “I’d break out of her completely, right now, if I could.”
“I’ll stick around to watch,” I promised, waving my sword at her face. “Believe me, this is worth waiting for.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, but I only smirked. I knew that if I could catch her, Gwen would be able to wake up once more.
“It is strange,” I said to Elysian, “that even with the curse over them broken, Asteropy can’t break free from Patricia.”
“I told you once,” Elysian reminded me, “that humans have the greater power between us, and it is largely because of how Time affects this world.”
“So when Time stops, the Sinisters are at a loss?” I chuckled. “That’s perfect.”
“We’re not helpless,” Asteropy shouted bitterly. “I am, at the moment, because I decided to hide inside this infernal mortal! I never should have listened to that repulsive man about hiding from—”
“What?” My attention snapped back to her face. “What man?”
“There was a man,” Asteropy said, “who told me that I could operate under your radar, so to speak, but hiding inside a human, not merely overshadowing them with a minion.”
Elysian and I exchanged glances.
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“He wore a dark cloak,” Asteropy said, “and he hid his face from me. But he said he knew of the fallen Stars, and he knew I needed a new master since Orpheus was ‘unavailable’ at the time.”
“Where did you see him?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Asteropy muttered. “Just around here.”
“Near the hospital?” I asked. “The building, with all the sick people in it?”
“I know what a hospital is,” Asteropy asserted. “I’ve sent plenty of people there.”
I looked at Elysian. “What are your thoughts on coincidences?” I asked. “I was just visiting Mikey and he said that his dad had come to see him.”
“Dante?” Elysian’s pointy dragon nose shifted thoughtfully. “He would fit the profile.”
“I know he knows about fallen Stars,” I agreed. “He told me so.”
“And he does tend to favor darker colors.”
“Hmm.” He did wear a black suit, I thought. Maybe that was what someone like Asteropy would call a “cloak.”
“I say it’s worth checking out,” Elysian said. “You know, if you’re up for ambushing him at his house.”
A bright light suddenly dashed across the sky, sending vibrations and ripples of light through Apollo City.
“What was that?!” Elysian screeched.
“Aleia is calling St. Brendan,” I told him. “I was just talking with her. Her memory bubble is broken.”
“That explains why she can’t jumpstart time,” Elysian muttered.
“She said it was poisoned.”
“Alküzor’s forces.”
Elysian’s dark whisper sent chills down my spine. “You think so?” I asked. “That’s more or less what we thought, I guess.”
“He wants to be free of his prison,” Elysian agreed. “There’s no telling how many he has in working toward that goal.”
“I know we have to stop him.”
“Alküzor won’t be stopped, even if you manage to derail his plans this time,” Asteropy said.
“I guess you would know,” I said.
“I do,” she agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I want him to escape, either.”
“What do you mean?”
“All I want is to be free of him,” Asteropy admitted.
I considered that for a long moment. “But you can’t be?” I asked.
“No, and if you weren’t forgiven, you would know what that feels like,” Asteropy said. “The Prince has accepted you back into his fold. You work for him.”
“Yes, but you could, too, if you wanted,” I insisted. “After all, I purified Orpheus, didn’t I? I made him useless to you.”
“As a vessel, sure,” Asteropy agreed. “But he still didn’t accept the Prince as his master, did he?”
No. He didn’t.
“I don’t know about that,” I admitted.
“He still serves Alküzor, then,” Asteropy said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he betrayed you. Once I learned how to hide from Time’s scrutiny, I knew he’d likely known how to do that, too. Especially with Memory acting as his cheerleader.”
Before I could retaliate against her for her derision toward Aleia, I felt Elysian go completely still beside me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
His dragon eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “There’s only a couple of beings who know how to hide from Time’s power,” he said. “And only a couple that are connected to us.”
“What is it?” I asked. “We know that already. That’s why it’s got to be Dante who told her.”
“It could be someone else,” Elysian said.
I didn’t think so. “What are you talking about? It’s got to be Dante. Who else would have the audacity to cozy on up to power, no matter who it was?”
His voice, deep and gruff, whittled down to the barest of sound. “Draco.”
“Draco?” I repeated. “Draco who?”
“My brother, idiot,” Elysian snarled. “He’s been dodging Time for years. I never even thought about him. But he works for Alküzor, too, even as he might wish, as Asteropy does, to be his own master.”
I thought ab
out what Elysian told me before. His brother, consumed by Alküzor’s promise for power, had driven Elysian to steal sacred water from Aleia’s home star, damning both of them at the same time. When he drank it, he became immortal and powerful, and he slipped down to Earth, shedding his dragon skin and leaving it around Alora, protecting her and warning others at the same time.
“You’re the only changeling dragon I’ve seen,” I assured him. “I doubt it’s him.”
Elysian growled. “Draco was much more powerful than me,” he admitted. “He might have found a way to live here.”
“Come on,” I argued. “Asteropy said that a man told her how to avoid our detection. Besides, why would your brother come crawling out of nowhere now? He seems to have had plenty of time to hide away—”
“I don’t know—”
“And Dante’s doing something with Raiya’s blood. I just know it. He’s signed off for Mikey to have ‘special medicine,’ and it’s made of Star blood—”
“What? What are you talking—”
“He’s got Mikey in the hospital!” I shouted over Elysian’s questions. “I saw his name on the records. Mikey’s getting treated with—”
The world shook, and the streets rumbled; I felt the spirit of the world groan angrily as it was shaken from its still and silent slumber.
“Look out!” I cried, nearly falling over as the ground wobbled and Time resumed her power over the earth.
“Ouch,” Elysian muttered, his long body flipping over itself as he was flung forward.
Asteropy’s laugh echoed ominously as she collapsed back into Patricia’s body and then took off.
“Get her!” Elysian roared.
We took off after her, and others began to move as though nothing had happened. I glanced around briefly to see no one was curious why their legs were stiff or their heads seemed to ache from Time’s power. Several close by swiveled at the sight of Elysian and me, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere, halfway through battle.
“She ducked over there!” I called, pointing toward a corner.
Elysian snorted in reply, and sped past me. I followed his lead and jumped, taking flight.
But it was too late.
As we swung around the corner, we only came face-to-face with Patricia Rookwood’s body, once more stiff and unmoving; this time, rather than having her body trapped by time, Asteropy had stolen her Soulfire away.
☼9☼
Odd Stories
My sigh was loud against the empty air as I walked out of school the next day, holding the dreaded piece of pink paper in my fist. I nearly hung my head in shame, but I was still close enough to the school some of my friends might’ve seen me.
“Detention?” I wailed to myself. “Again?”
This is the thanks I get for saving the world.
It was so unfair!
“Maybe you can protest it,” Mary said, as she came up from behind me.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I’ll just take it. Maybe that will help me feel better about missing so much class. I’m still acing them all, so that doesn’t seem to be enough to make me feel like I’m making ‘bad choices.’ I told them I’d schedule it later this week.”
“I’m still sure you can think of a good excuse for getting out of class this morning, if you change your mind.”
“It’s unlikely,” I admitted. “I’ve used a lot of excuses already this year, thanks to Orpheus and his stupid charges.”
“You still suspect him?” Mary asked.
“I told you what Asteropy said,” I reminded her. “She said he was still able to betray the Prince, even though his power had been purified.”
When Mary said nothing, I added, “And I don’t think it’s likely that Raiya would be the one to harm Lady Time. She was the one who wanted a new wish from Alora.”
“What did Orpheus want?”
I frowned. “I guess he wanted the same thing,” I said slowly. “He wanted to be given another chance, according to what Aleia said.”
“And she wanted that for him?”
“Yeah, so she could marry him or be with him or whatever,” I mumbled, not wanting to think about that. I was still mad at myself for making Raiya unease about that particular topic.
I glanced up. “Here’s what I think. I think he lied to her, to get the Sinister crystals,” I said. “Elysian brought them to the marina when St. Brendan came. He gave them to Starry Knight. He could’ve stolen them and then used his power to release them on Alora. She’s powerful, but the Sinisters we captured could collectively have done something to damage her, possibly.”
“Cutting Aleia off from communication does seem intentional,” Mary agreed. “And with the power it used, it especially seems unprecedented and malevolent.”
I thought about the darkened ooze and the shattered crystal, and the clouds that had formed from its expelled power. “I’ll agree with that.”
I saw similar clouds when the meteorite hit the town, I remembered, and I’d seen them again, when I was submerged in Alora’s time pool. Was it possible Alküzor was responsible?
Something inside of me broke. I have to stop asking questions that I know the answers to.
“I’m off to help Rachel,” Mary said, diverting my attention from my own tangled thoughts.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ve got work tonight; Aleia’s getting Adam tonight. You might see her at Rachel’s.”
“Will you come, too?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really want to hang around Grandpa Odd for a while.”
“For what it’s worth, he was very good to Raiya,” Mary said. “He was always protective of her, like a father. While I’m sure he’s happy that you make her happy, I can’t imagine he looks forward to the day when she will no longer be content with just his love.”
“I can forgive her for keeping his secret,” I told her. “But I want to talk to her about so much.”
“I know you miss her,” Mary said. “But she’s in your heart.”
Yeah, in my heart, not actually here.
“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.” She smiled and waved, and then headed off and left me all alone.
I nearly picked up my phone, tempted to listen to music or to text or call someone. Bravely, I dismissed the urge.
I always hated being alone before this whole superhero thing started. I wanted the constant assurance of other people’s care and concern and admiration, so I couldn’t hear just how lonely my own self actually was, inside of me.
Now I knew what it was to be truly alone. And I was okay. I was not afraid. I had a whole universe of people around me, and tethered to me, so deeply and intimately I was okay with moments like these.
Besides, Raiya wasn’t going to answer her phone; Mary would.
I glanced up at the sky. “So, how long will it be, Adonaias?” I asked. “How long will it be until Raiya comes back?”
I didn’t really get much of an answer from him, either.
I dismissed it a moment later, but as I gazed out, I saw a glinting light out on the horizon.
Squinting, I saw the light was flickering off the rounded top of Lakeview Observatory.
I hadn’t been there since Raiya left, I realized. I wonder if Logan misses us.
She’d charged me to keep watch over the city, and that included Rachel’s brother-in-law and the meteorite he kept in the observatory’s lab.
I glanced at the time. “I can head over and check in after work,” I said. It wasn’t like I had a plan for the rest of the day anyway, after my obligatory four hours of shuffling papers around at City Hall. Aleia was getting Adam, Elysian was off “investigating” or something (probably just at my house watching TV), and Mary was helping out at Rachel’s. I had to work, and then I thought about going home and studying for my upcoming SATs.
Glancing back at the observatory, I reasoned that I’d get to studying eventually.
I’ll wait for Raiya to get back, I thought with an idiotic grin, so we can spend the time
studying together.
I would have to work it so Grandpa Odd doesn’t decide to “help” us, too, I added silently to myself, recalling the last time he interrupted us.
*☼*
“Come on, Humdinger,” Raiya hissed at me some weeks before as she pushed a mug of fresh coffee into my hands. “Grandpa Odd means well, in his own way.”
“He didn’t have to start quoting Romeo and Juliet right as we entered,” I said through gritted teeth.
Her eyes shined with devious laughter. “That wasn’t Romeo and Juliet. It was The Tempest.”
“All of Shakespeare’s work sounds like Romeo and Juliet,” I argued.
“He was quoting the scene of The Tempest when Ferdinand, having seen and fallen in love with Miranda, tells her he doesn’t mind her deceitful father’s insistence that he work to prove himself worthy of her.”
“I still don’t see why he did it in front of everyone here.”
“The Tempest is partially about suffering temporarily in order to gain a reward that lasts.” Raiya smiled. “I would think, likely, he thought it was an ironic way of teasing you.”
“In a way that would please you, no doubt,” I accused.
“Probably,” Raiya admitted with a small laugh. “We have a lot of running jokes between us. He’s the one who came and brought me here, you know.”
“Brought you here? From where?” I asked.
“I told you before, my parents died in a car crash when I was seven,” she reminded me. “They were on a trip to Norway when it happened.”
I didn’t say anything at first; I didn’t remember that part. “I’m sorry,” I finally said.
“It’s okay.” She patted my hand. “It’s an old pain.”
Despite her insistence, I had a feeling it stayed with her more than she would admit to. “Why were your parents in Norway?” I asked.
“Grandpa said it was for a second honeymoon,” she said. “I thought that was incredibly romantic.”
“Seems a bit odd.”
“Not really. The country is beautiful, from what I remember of it.”
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the topic of death. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“Their car tumbled into one of the bay areas on a moonlit night. I was the only one who survived. I had no siblings, and no parents, and no identification, since it likely went down with my parents.”