DAMAGED - A Bad Boy Romance (36 page)

“Should we go back to Hobbs?” Lilly asked him. “Does he have anything else you could use?”

“He might, but I don’t want to get dependent on him. Hobbs has things in there he doesn’t like people to know about. Things, which we could use to reach the rest of the elemental grandmasters without any kind of interference. But if they found out I’d made use of them, they might not grant me the ability to fully work the element they rule. They would eventually find out and pull the authority if they discovered what I’d done to reach them. They are very precise on how my quest has to be carried out. I have to accomplish this as much as I can on my own without any significant help. Having you and the others along didn’t count as significant help. Summoning questionable forces from beyond with a bit of forbidden lore would not be looked upon favorably. Besides, the ultimate reason I’m here is to get my parents out. I can’t do that until I have full elemental abilities.”

“You told me your parents were kidnapped. How long ago did it happen?”

“A year ago. We were in California at the time. It’s why I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle.”

“Where you there when it happened?” Lilly glanced around the concourse where they sat. She had a strange sensation they were being watched, but she couldn’t see any security guards and no security cameras were on display.

“I was away at school. It was in the spring, almost a year to the day,” he began. “The bus let me off right at the end of our block and I went up to the house and felt something odd. I turned and saw this big black van pull away from the front of our house and head down the street. I didn’t see the license plate because I didn’t think anything was wrong. When I went up to our house, I found the front door unlocked and when inside. My mom never left the door unlocked, so I thought it was strange the door was open. I went inside and couldn’t find anyone.

Dad worked a lot from home, so I expected him to be in and out all day. Mom didn’t work after we moved to California and I could never understand why. My father was an engineer and mother would help him on the projects he did out of the house. From what I understand, she’d been an engineer too, but quit to help him manage the business he ran. Dad was often at some conference of one kind or another and mom would stay home and help him out by referencing whatever plans or documents he didn’t have with him. Same if he was at a client’s site. She would conference with him on the phone and they would work things out until both of them were satisfied. I never developed any interest in what they did, but it must have been important because they were busy most of the time.

Anyway, I walked in the house and they were gone. I went into dad’s study and looked for him, but it was ransacked. Papers tossed everywhere and plans thrown all over the place. I was very worried and went to call the police, but the phones were ripped out of the wall. I went next door and used the neighbor’s phone. The police came and took the house apart trying to find something, but they never did. I stayed with some neighbors until I was placed with my aunt and uncle.”

“And there was never a ransom note or anything?”

“Nothing, but I wouldn’t believe they were dead. I could feel something because dad was an elemental worker and I felt his trace after I came home. I believe whoever took them wanted me to be upset and give up with my training. I’ve learned to work with different elementals since I could walk.

Six months ago I received a note in the mail written in alchemical symbols. I recognized enough to them to understand it was a warning from whoever took my parents. The note confirmed they were alive, but warned me not to continue my training if I wanted to get them back.

And then the mall showed up quickly and I put it all together. After talking with some other element manipulators, I found out that all four elemental grandmasters had stores in this mall. This couldn’t be an accident, so I began to investigate the place. Sure enough, the mall was built over something to serve as a bridge to it. I had enough ability to work the elements and find out what I needed to know. I decided this would be the week to obtain all four of my powers. I just have the one now, but I’m determined to get the rest.”

“And I’m determined to help you,” Lilly said as she put her hand over his.

“I don’t want you to get harmed in my quest,” Dion said. “I’m the one who must ultimately confront the mall builders and get my parents free. Look at Sean and Emily; they’re back in the rear of that furniture store sleeping off their encounter with the elementals. I’m responsible for what happens from here on out.”

“Sean was doing it to impress Emily,” Lilly said. “He’s had a crush on her for years. I was afraid he’d do something stupid today. I know why Emily brought him along, but I think she thrives on the attention she receives from boys.”

“I picked it up too. Sean is head over heels in love with Emily, but she doesn’t give any back. Maybe today she’ll learn that she can’t continue to play these little games with someone like Sean.”

“Sean doesn’t have the best home life,” Lilly said. “It’s not that he lacks for anything, but his mother is obsessive about him. I’ve seen her in action and when she is done manipulating him, he’s ready to give up. The best thing about today is he might have some backbone after it’s over. You don’t go up against what he did and come out ready to go back to the way things were.”

“On the other hand, he might be damaged on the inside,” Dion said. “I’ll know when he wakes up. It will take hours of a sound sleep to get him out of the trap the elementals built for both of them. We’re dealing with some dangerous sylphs here and I worry about the harm they caused. Not too much any normal person can do against them. I did my best and it took a lot out of me.”

“I know. I’m grateful. I’m certain Sean and Emily will be too once they wake up.”

Dion sat there for another five minutes with Lilly. By now, it was the late afternoon and he decided to make another attempt at the hobby store.

“He has to be back by now,” Dion said. “No way could they shut that store down too long without letting the other stores know something was wrong in there.”

The stood up and walked down the hall in the direction of the store. Dion and Lilly walked across the concourse and looked at the other store windows as they continued on.

The mall was successful in luring several big national retailers into the facility. She saw the names of several name brand clothing outlets and at least one record store. The album covers lined the display window of a new band everyone thought would be very popular. Next to the display was an album cover for a band which was rumored to be another popular act recording under a different name. Lilly couldn’t keep up with all the band gossip.

They stopped to look at a display of glass-blown animals, all of which seemed to be a variation on an eagle. In the window, Lilly watched the glassworker manipulate the molten silica until he had the object he wanted to make. She was fascinated by the way they could create figurines from colored glass rods, but knew there was a special technique to doing what they did.

While they watched the glass blower at work, Dion turned to see a man in an expensive suit walk in his direction. His elemental sense tingled and he was certain this was someone he knew. The man appeared to be somewhat familiar and looked directly at him. Once again, the sound in the mall began to disappear, which let Dion know there was some kind of elemental work in the building. This wasn’t on the same level as what he’d experienced when the cheerleader elementals tried to corner him, but there was a level of power, which he felt for the first time from this man.

He was a young man, definitely in his twenties and with the look of someone who got what he wanted. But it was obvious he worked for someone else. This was the chatelaine of the castle, not the lord who ruled over it. He wore sunglasses inside the mall, but Dion could tell he was the subject of the man’s attention. Lilly was still captivated by the glass worker, so it was up to Dion to act as a defender if he needed to do so.

Chapter 11

“Nice job,” the man said as he slid up next to Dion. “I really have to admit I didn’t think you would be able to take out those sylphs. No one has been able to resist them before today. The cheerleader form is the one they like to use the most because no one suspects who they really are.”

“I had the impression they’d used it before,” Dion said as he extended a hand. “I’m Dion, but I suspect you already know my name.”

“Enchanted,” he said while shaking the hand. “Matthew is the name, but you can call me Matt.”

“So how do you figure into my quest?” I don’t get the sensation you mean me any harm, nor goodwill either.”

“I work for the mall. At least for the people who run and built it.”

By now, Lilly had noticed the conversation and turned to see the suited stranger who talked with Dion. She too could feel something was wrong, although not on the level of the cheerleaders or cleaners. This man was human, but had his own script.

“So what do you want?” Dion asked. “I know what
I
want, how do
you
fit into all this?”

“My boss wants to talk with you. I’m just a corporate messenger boy today. As I said, we were all impressed by how you took down the cheerleaders. He has your map too, so it might be a good idea to meet with him.”

“This sounds like a meeting where only one party returns. What if I don’t want to meet with your boss?”

“Then you won’t get your map back. I’d agree to the meeting, if I were you. He’s willing to guarantee your safety for the duration of it. He’ll also guarantee the young lady’s too if you want to take her along.”

“What about my friends who are sleeping away?”

“The same. He’ll leave them alone.”

Dion thought for a few minutes. “Tell you what… he guarantees my friends who are napping upstairs suffer no ill effects from the action this afternoon and we have a deal.”

“That’s a tall order,” Matt said. “I have to check on it. Give me a few minutes.”

Dion watched as Matt walked over to a payphone mounted to the wall, dialed a special number and waited. He had a brief discussion with someone on the other end and walked back.

“He’s good with your demands,” Matt informed him. “You must rate highly, because I’ve never seen him agree to something like this before.”

“Alright,” Dion said. “So when do we leave? Where do we go?”

“You’ll see in a few minutes. We’re not going to leave the spacial boundaries of the mall, but we’ll be outside its time circle.”

Dion decided not to ask any more questions. Something was about to happen that he barely understood and he decided it was best to wait and see what the man had in mind. He doubted he would go back on his word, but nothing made logical sense in this mall.

“About thirty seconds,” Matt said as he looked at his expensive Swiss wristwatch. Its housing was in glass and you could see the gears in the watch turn.

The air froze around them and the landscape went black.

Dion held tight onto Lilly as they were sent somewhere else once again. It seemed the entire mall opened up to some place other than where it stood. How strange that the entire mall was a gateway over the abyss at the same time. He didn’t worry because the man who ran the mall could easily have launched a total assault on him if he really wanted to take Dion out. The only reason he hadn’t’ tried to do it was because of the negative publicity the mall would receive.

The surroundings changed and they found themselves back in the desert. But this was not the desert that Mr. Jehuti and his wife took them, but somewhere else. No human activity could be seen in the distance and it was pitch black outside with a full moon in the sky. The stars shone bright in the heavens and Dion could feel the sand under his feet.

This time he wore the same clothes as when he left. It was also very cold outside. Fortunate for them, there was a campfire burning next to them. The fire gave enough heat to let them feel the warmth from them all.

“Sorry about the weather,” Matt told them, “We can’t fix everything. He should be here in a few minutes.”

Lilly held tight to Dion and looked at the surroundings. They were made of rock with sand scattered everywhere. It was deadly quiet and then she heard some animal making a yipping sound in the distance. From the volume, whatever made it had to be a good mile away. The fire cast eerie shadows on the rock wall next to it.

A new figure emerged out of the darkness. He wore a burnoose around him and a turban on his head. This was the form of a tribal leader, a sheik with plenty of influence and someone not to cross unless you had plenty of your own back up. He was an older man with a grey beard, which highlighted the eagle eyes on his face. The man had eyes of blackness and a powerful gaze that took everything in as he surveyed them. Lilly felt a sharp knife of fear pierce her heart and Dion knew this was the man behind everything. Here was the person responsible for the abduction of his parents and the building of the shopping mall. He walked slowly and came up to them, as his robes made a swishing sound in the dust.

“I brought them right to the place you asked,” Matt said to the man. “Any reason for me to stick around?”

“No,” the man said in a deep bass voice, “you may leave. I will call you later about some other matters we need to discuss.”

“All I needed to hear.” And he disappeared into the night.

The man turned and listened to the noise in the distance. “Hyenas,” he said as he turned back to face them. “Disgusting creatures, they are carrion eaters, much like the vultures in the daytime. I suppose they have a reason in the great ocean of life, but it escapes me. Don’t worry, the fire scares them and they won’t approach our encampment.”

“Who are you?” Dion asked. “You seem familiar. I know you are the man behind the mall and my parent’s disappearance, but I don’t know your name.”

“You may call me Mr. Seth. It will do for the time being. As for who I am, I am your uncle. Please don’t call me Uncle Seth.”

“And how do I know this is true?” Inside he could feel the family attachment. He told the truth, no matter how much Dion wanted to believe it a lie.

“You know it,” Mr. Seth said to him. “You feel it in your bones, don’t you? Elemental workers can sense each other. Isn’t that true?’

Dion turned his head and looked at the man. He could see the resemblance to his father and other uncle. His father had not talked much about family, only the nature of their abilities. His father seemed to think that it was best not to be too close to the other elemental workers. He knew there were other members in his dad’s family, but his father never spoke very much about them. The only relative he’d ever spent time with was the uncle who he came to live with after his parents disappeared.

“So why have you kidnapped my parents?” Dion demanded from him.

“You were supposed to be my son, did you know that?” Mr. Seth said, ignoring him. “Your mother was promised to me, but she decided on your father instead. My own brother. He couldn’t even hold to the pact we made when we were much younger. I was enraged. Do you know what I did?”

Dion said nothing.

“I planned a party. I was so angry I wanted to kill him. I had a special car I knew he would want to drive. No one else knew what I had in mind. I rigged a bomb inside the car. I knew he would try it out and it would explode on the highway, eliminating my brother who was also my rival. It was the perfect plan. I managed to get him drunk at the engagement party I threw for him. When he was good and soaked, I showed him the car. It was a Maserati, who could resist such a thing? No one else could see us, because we were in the back of the place I rented for the party. My plan was to give him the keys and he would have to take it out for a spin. If he didn’t drive it off the road, the bomb would see to his demise. I was so clever. I was certain no one would link the death to me. Why would I kill my own brother?

But your mother showed up and stopped me. She took your father out of the car and brought him up to me in anger. She wanted to know why I would do this to my own brother. I told her it was her I wanted and if I had to do him in, so be it. She was angry with me and threatened to see to it I would be banned from the family. I told her to go ahead and try.

I spent my time learning how to amass money and build a profitable business. There are many ways to earn money if you can manipulate the elements.”

Now I have more money than any of them combined. I built the mall without floating a single loan. And from within the mall, I rule. Nothing happens inside this mall that I don’t have some control over. I built a security force from the people who would have unquestionable loyalty to me and the mall. There are no mall builders, in spite of what people believe. There is only me. The mall sits over the abyss between worlds, and do you know why, Dion?”

Dion shook his head. He felt the fear inside Lilly, who had enough fright for the both of them.

“Because I know how to work the fifth element. I alone have learned the ability. I did it without training from any other elemental master. None of them knows the secret and thinks you have to learn the power of all four elements before you can work the fifth. But I have mastered the fifth element without any need to learn the basics of the other four. They said it was impossible to do it and I proved all the other elemental workers wrong. They hate me because of what I represent. But I am more powerful than they will ever be.”

“And you kidnapped my parents because you wanted access to my mother? I think it would have the opposite effect.”

“She loves you deeply, Dion,” his uncle told him. “As only a mother can love her son. She’s begged me to leave you alone and she will be mine. I only have to leave you alone, let you have your powers and free your father. I think she’s willing to tell me anything if it gets her son back. I want you to convince her to be with me and I will allow your father to leave my captivity. So, will you do this for me, Dion?”

Dion looked at his uncle for a long time and didn’t say a word. So this was the hidden master of the clock tower who had imprisoned his parents. No wonder Edward hadn’t said anything about who had done it. He wanted to spare Dion the shame of knowing his own family was responsible for abducting his parents. But if his uncle was foolish enough to think Dion would cast aside the quest, he was beyond hope. The blind hatred and rage had consumed his uncle to the point he would do this to his own family.

There was nothing he could do now in this place. He was in his uncle’s territory and needed to get back to the mall to find Jupiter Hitch the Air Grandmaster before it closed. Since he was in a different time circle, he could be sent back to the exact moment he traveled to this realm. But it was time to go.

“Can I have my map back, please?” Dion finally said to him. “I was told you would return it to me if I agreed to this meeting.”

His uncle handed it to him. Dion rolled the map out and looked at it. This one was authentic, although he didn’t expect his uncle to pull a cheap substitution trick as the ghoul cleaners tried to do. Dion rolled it up and slid it under his arm.

“Well?” his uncle said. “Have you given any thought to my proposal?”

“Uncle, this has gone far enough. Send us back and I will continue my quest. I will free my parents personally if you don’t want to. I don’t know who you think you are, but you have brought down the wrath of the universe with your actions. Send me back now.”

“You little fool!” his uncle snapped out at him. “I will send you back and let us see what happens. You had the option to take the easy path and resolve it all. But you think it’s possible to stand up to me. Go ahead and continue this pointless quest of yours and we will see who triumphs in the end!”

The desert night faded around them, unit they were in the black of the interzone. It was only a brief moment and they found themselves standing back in front of the glass blower. He finished the bright bird figurine he’d started the moment Matt made his appearance.

Dion looked to his left and saw Lilly standing with him. He gave her had a slight squeeze and turned back to the concourse.

“How long were we gone?” she asked him.

“Two minutes according to the watch. He could have sent us back at any time. The laws of physics which apply to our world doesn’t hold true in his.”

“Your parents never mentioned this uncle?” she asked.

“Maybe a few times. There was plenty of family I never met when I lived in California. The only family outside my immediate one I knew about was Uncle Rich and his wife. I’ll have to ask him about the new revelation. I’m sure he’ll have something to say.”

They continued walking in the direction of the hobby shop. So far they’d not run into any of Karanzen’s men, but Dion was certain it couldn’t last much longer. Since he’d turned down his uncle’s offer, he expected the opposition to become much worse. Dion continued walking to the hobby shop expecting at any minute an appearance by Karanzen. But it didn’t happen and they continued to plod forward through the shoppers on their way to the holiday spring specials.

They didn’t see them until Dion and Lilly were almost in front of the hobby shop. Dion had turned out of a hallway to enter the concourse section where the hobby shop was located when he spotted the first guard. He saw him milling around near the store but not too far from it. He grabbed Lilly and stopped.