Harbinger (The Bleeding Worlds) (18 page)

Too slow.

The thing swept its massive hand forward and crashed it against Gwynn’s midsection. He huffed as something in his side gave. He slammed hard into the wall and crumpled on the floor.

The beast regained its footing. It moved with a speed that seemed impossible given its size. Gwynn caught sight of its clawed hand crashing toward him and rolled away. A searing pain erupted in his side. He scrambled to his feet. His coat hung in tatters and warm, slick blood ran down his side.

Fuyuko jumped on the creature’s shoulders, trying to stab it in the head with her spear. It swatted her aside like an annoying bug and returned its attention to Gwynn. It charged forward, a murderous bellow erupting from its mouth.

Take to the air.
Did he think it, or did someone say it to him?

As the beast bore down on him, Gwynn followed the suggestion and leaped into the air, spinning as he did so. The beast passed under him, just as his sword came crashing down on its skull. The black blade passed straight through without effort.

The monster’s momentum carried it forward and it crashed with a sickening thud against the wall.

Gwynn landed on his feet, but a wave of weakness swept through him and he fell to his knees. Fuyuko limped up to him.

“Are you all right?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” Something was broken and his side still oozed blood.

Gwynn closed his eyes and let the sword disperse back to the Veil. Then he tore into it and drew its power into him. The warmth rushed from his arm and coursed through his entire body. The flow of energy swept him along with it, feeling each of his organs. He followed the flow of his own blood, passing through his beating heart out to the extremities of his body. Gwynn sensed the broken rib and wounds. He moved with the energy of the Veil, surged them into the damaged areas of his body. He envisioned the energy as a thick substance that acted like a form of cement, sealing the breaks in his rib and plugging the holes in his flesh.

“Gwynn.” Fuyuko yelled and shook him.

Gwynn snapped his eyes open, the disconnect from his body sudden and jarring. His head swam like he’d stood up too fast.

“Stop the flow, Gwynn. You’re drawing too much.”

The meaning of her words got lost in a haze. The continued rush of warmth from the Veil made him aware he had yet to sever the connection. He composed himself, shook his head clear, which rewarded him with a stabbing pain, and closed the Veil. He hazarded a deep breath and felt content to find no sign of pain. Gwynn ran his hand along his side. There was still the blood that had spilled already, but no sign of any injury. He grinned.

“Idiot.” Fuyuko punched his shoulder. Hard. “You could’ve gotten Veil drunk and then what good would you be?”

Gwynn started to protest, but Fuyuko grabbed his shoulder.

“We need to go.” She said.

She looked over his shoulder. He turned in that direction as well, but Fuyuko stopped him.

“Just trust me. We need to go.” Her voice softened. “And you don’t need to see.”

Numbness made his limbs heavy, but he got to his feet and followed Fuyuko back through the ruined cafeteria doors. They wound their way through the debris of the monster’s onslaught until they reached another hall that branched off and would take them to the outside doors.

“I killed him, didn’t I?” Gwynn tasted bile.

“You protected yourself.”

Gwynn shook. What kind of monster had
he
become?

“I just don’t get it.” Fuyuko said. “I don’t feel a tear nearby. How would he have gotten enough of a dose to change like that?”

Terror swept through Gwynn as he recalled Pridament’s words; Horrors of Biblical proportions.

“It’s the vortex.” He said.

“The what?”

Gwynn told Fuyuko what he knew, which sounded like very little. It was enough to shake her.

“That should mean a full deployment.” Fuyuko cried. “There’s no way I should be here alone. And now Justinian’s screwed off somewhere? What the hell is going on?”

“Wait. You’re here alone? There aren’t more of you Suture people?” Gwynn asked.

“No, it’s just me.” She stopped and gripped his shoulder. Thankfully, not as hard as the monster had. “Wait, how do you know about Suture?”

They moved away from the school and took shelter in a walkway.

“I’ll explain later. Do you have a cell phone?”

Fuyuko handed him her phone. Gwynn rooted in his pockets and found Pridament’s crumpled card. Another of Life’s ironies—remember the card but not his own cell phone. He dialed the numbers and waited.

“Hello?” Pridament answered on the other side.

“It’s Gwynn. It’s happening. We can’t wait anymore. Can you pick me up?”

Gwynn told Pridament where to meet them and hung up the phone.

“Who was that?” Fuyuko asked.

“The man I told you about; the one that’s been helping me.”

“Who is he?”

“His name’s Pridament.” Gwynn said.

Fuyuko tore into the Veil and drew her spear.

Gwynn held up his hands. “What’s that for?”

Fuyuko grit her teeth. “Pridament is one of the Fallen.”

Gwynn
looked to the end of the walkway in response to the high–pitched screeching of tires.

“Gwynn, what the hell—” Pridament said as he exited his car.

From the corner of his eye, Gwynn detected movement. He didn’t think, just reacted. His hand shot out and grabbed Fuyuko’s leg. He swung her down against the ground. The wind escaped her in a huff and her spear fell from her hands. Gwynn tore into the Veil.

Xanthe.

The sword heeded his call and before she could react, he had the tip pointed at her throat.

Fuyuko’s eyes burned with hatred. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“No. I have no idea. Every time I turn around someone isn’t what they say they are. Every time I think I have a handle on this, something changes. Everyone just needs to stop and be straight with me.” Gwynn shot a brief glance at Pridament; he wanted the old man to know he meant him as well.

“Can I let you up, or are you going to try and kill Pridament again?”

Fuyuko just stared.

“Stand down, Gwynn.” Pridament said. “I can take care of myself if she chooses to attack me.”

Gwynn stepped back and let Xanthe flow back into the Veil. Fuyuko made no attempt to move.

“Do you know why she was trying to kill you?” Gwynn asked.

Pridament stood motionless. Gwynn couldn’t read anything in the man’s expression. A deep breath and sigh broke the statue–like stance.

“Because I used to be a member of the Fallen.”

“Was? No one leaves the Fallen.” Fuyuko got to her feet.

“It’s true, not many leave. The people who join them now believe in their cause to the point of fanaticism.” Pridament’s voice grew quieter, “It wasn’t like that in the beginning.”

“And you’re different?” Every word from Fuyuko’s mouth dripped venom.

The sound of sirens flying past drowned them.

Pridament glared at Fuyuko. “I joined the Fallen for my own reasons. When I realized what they were truly doing, I left.”

“Too convenient.”

Anxiety rose like acid from his gut. “Really, I don’t give a shit. He’s saved my life and so have you. Right now, you stand about even in my books. What’s more important is the fact my fucking principal just turned into a monster and tore my school up.”

“What?”

Gwynn gave Pridament a brief version of the events since they had last been together. “It’s happening, isn’t it?”

Pridament was grim. “It sounds like it.” He then said to Fuyuko. “You’re from Suture?”

“Yes.” She grumbled.

“So there’s a team in place to stop this?”

A tremble passed up her spine. She remained silent, refusing to meet Pridament’s eyes.

“I guess not.” Pridament said. “I don’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand? She’s alone. Suture is busy or doesn’t give a shit. So either we stop this, or we’re all dead.”

“Are you up to this?” Pridament asked Gwynn.

How did Gwynn answer? No, he wasn’t ready. He had powers he didn’t understand, let alone know how to use. But if Pridament had told him the truth, if Pridament could even be trusted, only Gwynn could close the vortex.

“There’s no other option.” Gwynn said.

Gwynn turned to Fuyuko. “We could use your help.”

Fuyuko looked beyond Gwynn to Pridament. She calculated and weighed her options. She turned her head and refused to meet Gwynn’s eyes any further.

“Fine.” Gwynn moved toward Pridament. “Let’s get moving.”

§

They sped down
Dixie. Through Pridament’s coaching, Gwynn studied the vortex above and spotted two tendrils extending down from it.

“Those will be the two tears feeding it. We close those, we close the vortex.” Pridament said.

They were heading toward the first one now.

“I need your phone.” Gwynn said.

“Who are you calling?”

“Jaimie.”

With each passing ring, the knots in Gwynn’s stomach tightened. If Jaimie had left work already, it meant she wouldn’t pick up again until she got home. One ring, then a second, then a third, Gwynn’s finger hovered above the disconnect button when Jaimie’s voice answered.

“Jaimie, it’s Gwynn. Where are you?”

“Just about to leave work. Sorry, I was running late.”

The knot in his chest lessened. “No, that’s a good thing. Jaimie, you can’t come home.”

After a long pause, she asked, “Why? What’s happening Gwynn?”

“I don’t know how much Pridament told you, but trust me; it’s safer if you stay away for a day or two.”

“But—”

“Please.” Gwynn’s voice verged on a sob. “If you’ve ever trusted me, if you love me even half as much as I love you, please, you need to stay away.”

“Gwynn, you’re scaring me.”

“It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.” Gwynn stung. He wanted to believe everything, including himself, would be all right. Saying it aloud felt like a lie. “There’s something Pridament and I have to do. It would just be a lot easier if I knew you weren’t in town.”

Another pause. He imagined her twirling a stray brown curl of her hair, her jaw set. “Okay Gwynn, I’ll stay out of town. But I expect to hear from you soon.”

“That’s fine. Thanks Jaimie, I’ll call you.”

Gwynn handed the phone back to Pridament.

“You think she’ll listen?” Pridament asked.

“I hope so. If people are going to start changing into monsters, I don’t want her anywhere near this place.” As the full impact of what he’d said hit him, his stomach sickened. “Oh God.”

“What?”

“Sophia.”
How the hell did I forget Sophia?
“She’s still here, in the hospital.”

“I know you care about the girl, but she’s in a locked down part of the hospital. I think she’s as safe as can be staying there.”

Gwynn chewed on his lip. “I hope you’re right.”

“Right now we need to focus on closing that vortex. No matter where people are, if that thing stays open, they’re all doomed.”

“You’re right.” He said it, he knew the truth of it, but Gwynn still hated it. Knowing Jaimie was out of town made him feel better, but now thoughts of Sophia preoccupied him. He tried to get his mind to switch gears and searched for a new topic to discuss with the stranger who had become his mentor. “Hey, why didn’t you tell me about the secret word to call a weapon from the Veil?”

“What do you mean?” Pridament’s expression said,
you’re talking crazy
.

“When I was fighting Mr…” No, he couldn’t think of it as Mr. Davis. “That monster at the school, I tried to call the sword I told you about from last night. No matter what I thought or concentrated on, it wouldn’t come. Then Fuyuko gave me a word to call it, and it worked.”

Pridament frowned. “Unless that’s some kind of Suture thing, I’ve never heard of it. Like I told you, an Anunnaki’s weapon is a part of their soul. Most do have names, but they’re personal and only known to the Anunnaki themselves. Are you sure you didn’t call it by name last night? It’s usually during the first summoning that such a thing presents itself.”

“I’m sure. I’d never heard the word Xanthe before Fuyuko said it to me. So you’re saying Fuyuko told me the sword’s name? How would she know that?”

“I have no idea.” Concern filled Pridament’s voice. “Where did you meet her?”

Gwynn told Pridament about his experiences with Fuyuko.

“What are you thinking?” Gwynn asked.

“What do you mean?”

“The look on your face. You’re thinking something, I can tell.”

Pridament shot a quick glance at Gwynn. “I think you were right. We should go see Sophia.”

“Why the sudden change?” The change of plans should’ve made him happy—it was what he wanted. But the suddenness of Pridament’s decision bothered him. “I mean, the end of the world versus visiting Sophia? I thought you said it was an easy choice.”

“I don’t think we’re quite at the apocalypse yet.” He didn’t sound convinced. “I need to see something for myself. Hang on.”

Pridament took a sharp turn and headed west toward the hospital.

“Can I ask the exact reason for your change of heart?”

Pridament’s jaw set and his eyes were angry. “I told you before, I thought Sophia had a plan. I think she had some foresight into events. Now, I have to wonder if someone else is using that information too. I think someone’s playing the game knowing everyone else’s hand. It’s time we got a peek at the deck too.”

A
dream held Sophia Murray captive. Or was it reality? She had a hard time telling the difference. But did it matter? How long had the dreams been real? How long had it been that she would wake knowing what would happen?

The answer came easily. She had been eight.

The first dream, the one etched into her memory, the one about the boy. The boy in the car. The crash. All that happened afterwards. She had wakened from the dream exhausted and chilled from sweat. She lay in bed wishing for her head to stop throbbing and her breathing not to be so hard.

Why did I dream that?
She said a little prayer that she would never dream it again.