Niklosi's Nightmare (First Wave Book 10) (11 page)

“Is it real?” he asked as he turned
to a smiling BJ.

“Yes, they’re all real,” she said
with a nod.

“How is this possible?” Nik asked
as he moved to another large creature on the wall before realizing he was also
stepping on them as well.

The walls and floors were literally
covered with cephalopods, trilobites, brachiopods, whales, dolphin-like animals,
starfish, and even giant squids. Against the far wall was a huge waterfall
flanked by a colorful diorama of cave art. Nik was drawn across the large
cavern to the waterfall.

“It was a very, very long time ago
when this area was covered by the sea, and the only things remaining above the
water were the plateaus. It was there where an ancient race of beings survived
and flourished in these cave systems and above,” BJ explained as she followed
Nik over to the waterfall.

“What is this?” Nik whispered as
his hand inadvertently reached out to touch a figure on the diorama surrounding
the waterfall.

BJ stepped up beside him and smiled
as she looked at the wall.

“It’s the history of this place.
Those are the original inhabitants, the Elders. The Osage Native Americans
called them underground spirits, but they’re known by many names around the
world,” BJ explained as she put her hand on another figure on the wall.
“Watch.”

Nik heard BJ mumble something under
her breath that he didn’t understand moments before the figures on the diorama
jumped off of the wall. He took his hand off the now figureless mural and
turned as the figures now moved like spirits around the cavern.

“What the fuck?” he whispered as he
put his back to the wall.

“Watch,” BJ whispered back with a
smile. “They are acting out the scene on the wall so you can understand.”

Nik had no damn idea what he was
supposed to be looking at, and he suddenly felt way too exposed and too far
beneath the earth for his peace of mind.

“I’m sorry,” BJ said, suddenly
feeling his nervousness and confusion. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

With a wave of her hand the figures
disappeared from the middle of the cavern and were back on the wall. Nik moved
away from the wall and stared at it again.

“I’m not scared, but I admit I’m
more than a little nervous and confused as hell,” he admitted with a shrug of
his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed
it. It’s enough that you even see it,” BJ said with an embarrassed blush
staining her cheeks.

That got Nik’s attention.

“What do you mean?”

“Only those who are open to the
magic or meant to learn it can even see the mural and the story it speaks,” BJ
said and continued when she saw Nik’s confused look. “There are those, even
among our people, whose minds are closed to the gifts of the elders. Who cannot
see with more than their eyes and listen with more than their ears. There is
much more to this world than what you can touch with your hands. Magic existed
here long before any alien races came.”

Nik was trying hard to understand
what BJ was trying to tell him, but it sounded too much like what her mother
had been lecturing Traze about, and he didn’t think it applied to him. Instead
he studied the mural for a moment, trying to understand what it meant.

There were winged people, larger
than the humans they appeared to be assisting after a great flood inundated the
land above. They taught the people how to grow food, hunt and build homes. They
taught them how to live among nature with mutual respect and care.

The scene changed and showed the
winged people beginning to back away from the humans as they learned to take
care of themselves until they began to be considered myth and legend that was
passed down through generations.

Again the scene changed, showing
the winged people coming to the human children in times of need, whose minds
were still open enough to see them and speak with them. Others were there at
the moment of the human’s death.

Nik had to walk around to the other
side of the waterfall to see what happens next and was acutely aware of BJ at
his side. All thoughts of her fled his mind as he looked at the mural.

A UFO was clearly crashing into the
earth a great distance away, and a large man appeared to the winged people. The
man and a winged woman were then seen as mates, and surrounded by four
children.

The other murals showed more of the
tall men and women coming and taking a few of the winged people as mates.
Children and other generations followed until it appeared to show recent times
with a comingling of the hybrid winged people and the humans coexisting together
as a community.

As he stood staring at the mural he
gasped when he saw another UFO appear. One that looked exactly like the
transport craft he and Traze had been in. It was confirmed moments later when
two figures that looked exactly like he and Traze appeared to float from the
ship towards the ground.

“What the fuck?” he whispered in
awe.

“It’s our history. It records it
for us in the tradition of the elders. You and Traze are now part of that
history as well,” BJ said as she looked at the wall.

Nik’s mind reeled with the story
that it appeared to tell, but he had to make sure he understood it correctly.

“Does it mean that one of our
Valendran crash survivors came here and mated with one of the winged people
long ago? What you call an elder?” he asked.

“Yes. It was he who was the first
to discover the elders and understand what they really are. He then fell in
love with Lamoratri, the queen, and she bore him four children that were
hybrids. It was these hybrids that met and fell in love with your hybrids,
creating an even more unusual hybrid than the kind you are used to,” BJ
explained, wondering if he’d understand what she meant.

Nik’s eyes widened and he had to
ask.

“You’re a hybrid of the winged
people aren’t you?”

BJ looked over at him and nodded
her head.

“My mother is a direct descendent
of Lamoratri, and my father was one of your hybrids,” she admitted, wondering
if he’d be as afraid as Traze.

“Whoa,” Nik whispered as he looked
at the winged people on the wall, then at BJ again. “Holy hell. What are you?”

BJ tried not to flinch at the way
Nik asked, his tone bearing a hint of betrayal, even though she’d done nothing
to deserve it.

“I’m no different than any other
hybrid you’ve come across. I just have different abilities,” BJ answered,
easily disguising her disappointment in his reaction.

“We don’t have hybrids that have
wings sprouting out of them!” Nik growled, not understanding why he felt so
angry at her.

“The hell you don’t!” BJ shot back
as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood toe to toe with him. “Besides,
I can’t sprout wings or fly.”

“Who? And how the hell would you
know who I know, being in this place with its creepy caves and living houses?”
Nik fired back.

“I know because I felt his presence
in his father and mother! Your leader’s son is a light bringer, and he has
wings!” BJ growled out as she looked up at Nik’s accusing eyes.

“You felt his presence? I thought
you only tracked bad guys, hid your energy, and saw the future with your super
twin powers? Now you can sniff out winged people through their parents? What
other abilities do your crazy people have?” Nik angrily growled back at her.

“Seriously? This is how you’re
going to handle your fear? By lashing out at me? Why don’t you just tell me
that you’re scared to death to mate with me because you don’t understand and
fear what I am? You’re a coward, Niklosi, and I don’t want you either,” BJ
whispered before she ran out of the cavern and into the tunnel they’d come in.

Nik stomped around the cavern and
growled out his anger, a little disturbed by its ominous echo. He knew he’d
been a harsh ass to her, and the worst of it was that he knew she was right—he
didn’t know what the hell she actually was, and it scared him. He didn’t want
any mate, but he definitely didn’t want a mutant one either.

He also couldn’t stand the look of
pain on her face before she’d fled the cavern either, and knew he needed to at
least apologize to her before calling for Grai to come and get him and Traze.
He saw no reason to stay any longer.

Nik had every intention of making
sure BJ and the town were able to get rid of the soldiers, but he wouldn’t come
back down from the transport unless absolutely necessary. There was no need for
him to make an already bad situation worse.

With that thought in mind, Nik went
out of the cavern and back into the tunnels that led to the surface. In his
mind he rehearsed his apology and subsequent departure with Traze, determined
not to hurt BJ’s feelings any more than he already had.

He called out to Traze through the
shengari’ to ask him to meet him outside of the strange home and was surprised
when he didn’t get a response. Minutes passed and Nik tried to contact him
again and was again met with silence. Fear skittered up Nik’s spine, and he
started running through the tunnel to get to Traze.

Chapter Ten

Traze swallowed the huge lump in
his throat as he looked across the room at Bess. Keeping his chair between himself
and the crazy witch, he quickly assessed his chances of getting to one of the
doors before she could catch him. His eyes flew to hers when she laughed.

“I’d still catch you, child. No
matter which door you choose. But I will gladly walk with you outside,” she
offered with a smile.

I’ve got a better chance to escape
once I’m out of this killer tree house whether that crazy bitch escorts me or
not,
he reasoned.

He nodded his head and watched
cautiously as Bess headed towards what he considered to be the front door. He
waited until she was a few feet in front of him before he followed.

“You know,” Bess began as she led
him to the door and opened it, “if you open your mind just a little, amazing
knowledge could be yours.”

Traze snorted his disbelief.

“Yeah, I’m the rocket scientist
kind of guy looking to learn your delusional knowledge. No thanks,” Traze
retorted, then sighed in relief when they were finally outside.

Gibly ran past him and began
jumping around the small clearing as if playfully chasing something. Traze had
to admit he felt a little better knowing the loyal cat was there-even if Gibly
and the others cats had scared the hell out of him earlier. This time when he
saw the flashing eyes looking at him from the bushes, he didn’t panic.

“One of these days you must face
the challenges before you. You can’t hide behind your brothers forever,” Bess
said softly as she clasped her hands behind her back and looked up at the
starlit sky.

“I’ve been doing just fine,” Traze
countered, considering all talk about her teaching him anything a non-topic.

“Have you, child?” Bess asked,
still looking at the sky. “Have you found your ability yet? The one that speaks
to you? Have you achieved the true potential of your power? I would say the
answers are ‘no,’ or you would have never been caught by my Bessemiah. When you
decide to face your fears, come back, and I will help you find that which
you’ve lost.”

Traze shivered at her softly spoken
words, refusing to admit even to himself that she may be right. He turned to
Bess in anger that she’d hit so close to home.

“What the hell do you think you can
teach me? You’re just some backwoods witch who hasn’t had to deal with the real
world and the horrors it entails!” Traze erupted as he rounded on the woman,
preferring to look in her eyes when he continued.

“You don’t have to see what the
humans are capable of doing to one another, how easily they are led to my
father’s cult of fucking unevolved trash . . . you have no idea what I’ve seen
or how hard I fight every day to not get jaded or give up on the human race! I
should be teaching you how to not be so fucking naive!” he spat.

“Oh, child,” Bess said as she put a
comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’ve seen it all.”

Suddenly Traze felt like he was
falling, but he couldn’t move his body. His mind became flooded with images he
couldn’t quite see as they rushed by. As the barrage began to slow, he felt the
heat of fire and heard the frightened and agonized screams as dozens of people
shouted, “Burn the witch!”

The next scene flashed, and he
could feel the intense panic and hear the heavy breathing as people ran in
fear. He could hear angry voices screaming out, “Find the witches and their
evil consorts!”.

He could feel the glee of the crowd
when they found supposed witches, the noose tightening around their necks as
they were dragged to the nearest tree, hung, and then burned.

Traze began to gasp and struggle to
bring air into his lungs as the intensity of the fire in the vision increased.
Suddenly he was standing back in the clearing, and Bess was helping to hold him
upright.

When he was able to catch his
breath again and shake off the emotions brought on by the visions, he glared at
Bess.

“What the fuck was that?” he
demanded.

“That was only a few of my
memories. I’ve seen much of humanity evolve and become less inclined towards
the violence they were so proud of in the past,” Bess said as her voice
betrayed the emotion she still felt about her past.

Traze snorted and shook his head.

“It may be that way here and in a
lot of other places, but there are many more places where they still haven’t
evolved—where they categorically refuse to evolve because they enjoy wallowing
in their violence and hatred. It’s these people who join my father’s cult and
flourish in their beliefs, which are wholly incompatible with life. Keep your
magic trees and your truths. I will return to the real world where someone has
to fight the animals my father helped create before they destroy everything
beautiful,” Traze said with a sneer as he moved away from Bess.

“I don’t ask you to stop fighting
for what you believe in. Nor do I expect anyone to turn their back on someone
in need,” Bess said softly as she moved to stand beside him again. “I wish to
help you find your true power so you can better protect the innocent and
destroy the evil overtaking this world.”

Traze snickered at that.

“What the hell do you think you can
teach me? You don’t look like you’d be too hard to take down with or without a
weapon,” he countered before looking back up at the sky, searching for the
transport he hoped was nearby.

Traze never knew what she’d used or
even how it happened, but he was suddenly on his back on the ground, looking up
at Bess’s smiling face.

“There is more than one way to take
down an opponent who is bigger, stronger, and better armed. I will see you
soon, Traze T’Alq,” Bess said before she calmly walked away from him.

Traze sat up, saw Nik coming
towards him, took Nik’s outstretched hand, and pulled himself to his feet. He
shot an angry glare at Bess, who waved to them before disappearing into her
living treehouse.

Nik shot a glance towards the house
and wasn’t surprised to see that BJ was nowhere to be found. He felt a little
bad for the things he’d said.

But damn
! he
thought.
A mate that’s part ancient winged creature is a bit much for anyone
to take!

“Yeah, nice of you to come save me
now, asshole! I hope boinking hobo-cop was worth it,” Traze accused as he
dusted off his pants.

“I didn’t touch her. Now where the
hell is Grai?” Nik asked as he scanned the skies.

The transport appeared above them
seconds before they were ported inside the craft and met by Grai.

“What the hell happened?” Grai
demanded, his hands on his hips.

“What did you hear?” Traze asked
curiously, trying to figure out what his brother may know of the disastrous
visit with the witch.

*****

Major Kyle Morris watched his men
whispering quietly among themselves instead of the normally boisterous antics
he was used to seeing. He only hoped the ridiculous locals hadn’t filled their
heads with talk of mythical creatures and outrageous phenomena.

“Soldiers!” Kyle shouted, tired of
the quiet. “The mayor specifically stated that you could be as loud as you want
since you wouldn’t be bothering anyone in town.”

He was met with only a few mumbled
responses before everyone resumed their whispered conversations. It irritated
the hell out of Kyle. He turned to Greg.

“What the hell is the problem?” he
demanded.

Greg scratched his head and winced
a little.

“Well, sir. Some of the men said
when they went in the woods to piss they heard some strange growling sounds. Not
like a dog or a cat, but something else,” Greg admitted, then quickly added, “I
haven’t heard anything.”

Kyle rounded on the captain, his
anger about the whole situation breaking free.

“You’re telling me that a bunch of
highly trained soldiers are afraid of a few growly sounds?” he asked, his voice
loud enough for all of the men to hear.

“Sir, it’s not just that,” a brave
soldier spoke up. “It’s this place and these weird people. There’s flashes of
light in woods, voices where no people are—”

He never got to finish before Kyle
stormed over to him.

“You’re afraid of some fucking
lightning bugs, echoes, and forest animals? Is that what you’re telling me,
soldier?” Kyle roared in anger.

Kyle watched the soldier’s face
flame with embarrassment before he looked away and shook his head.

“No, sir.”

Kyle stood and looked at the rest
of his men.

“Who the hell else is afraid of
small animals, bugs, and things that go bump in the night?” Kyle demanded,
noting how many men refused to meet his gaze.

When no one else would say anything
or look at him, Kyle snickered in disgust.

“Show me where you guys were
pissing. I need to go,” he ordered.

He shook his head in disgust when
several men, including Greg, just pointed to a heavily wooded area on the other
side of the road from the police station. Without another word, he took long
strides past the police station and across the barren street.

Kyle admitted to himself that he
was grateful for the half-moon in the sky and the two lights outside of the
station because once he stepped into the woods, the darkness felt as if it
surrounded him.

He shook off his feelings of unease
and headed a little deeper into the woods for privacy before he unzipped his
pants. He was just getting ready to start peeing when he heard light footsteps
coming from further into the woods.

“Hey, you’re not fucking funny,” he
called out, assuming it was one of his men or a crazy townsperson.

He turned slightly away from the
sound and began to do his business when he heard what sounded like heavy growls
and more footsteps much closer to him. Kyle hurriedly zipped his pants and drew
his sidearm as he turned back towards where he thought the noises were coming
from.

He saw shining, dark eyes staring
at him before he heard another set of growls, and he stumbled back a few steps
towards the road. The eyes disappeared, and his breath caught in his throat as
he scanned the area for whatever had been there.

Another set of growls towards his
right caused him to spin around in that direction. When he heard more growls to
his left he gave up all pretense of finding out what it was and took off
running towards the road. The moment he hit the well-lit street in front of the
station, he turned back towards the woods and gulped in air as he saw several
sets of golden eyes peering back at him.

He walked backwards, keeping his
eyes on the woods until he reached the station. Kyle dusted off his fatigues,
ran a hand through his hair and turned around to see the entire camp of his men
staring at him.

Fuck,
he
thought.
Now what do I say?

“OK, men, whatever mountain cats or
wolves they have in this area, they are damn prolific and hungry. Use the
bathroom in the station tonight. In the morning, if you go in the woods, do it
in pairs only,” he ordered.

“Did you see the eyes?” one soldier
asked.

“What did the voices say?” another
shouted out.

Kyle went from sympathetic to angry.

“There were no fucking voices, and
it was just some local predatory animals! Try and pretend like you have some
balls!” Kyle screamed at the men and watched as they scattered around the camp,
huddling together in groups.

Kyle turned on Greg, who flinched
at becoming the object of the major’s anger.

“What the fuck is wrong with
everyone?” he demanded.

Greg shrugged and looked away from the
major’s penetrating stare.

“Sir, they’ve been listening to the
locals and the stories they were telling about the creatures roaming around
here,” Greg admitted. “Some of the guys were looking it up online like some of
the folks suggested, and there’s real witnesses to the howler, and a lot of
people in Joplin did see flying people who saved them from a tornado.”

Kyle was so pissed off and his
stomach acid was churning so violently, he was beginning to think he could
really breathe fire. He struggled to calm his rising anger and looked at Greg.

“You’re telling me that a team of
trained men were listening to some hillbilly fairy tales and are now scared of
some mythical flying creatures and something called a howler?” he asked between
gritted teeth.

“Uh,” Greg muttered, trying to
think of something to say that wouldn’t anger the major any more than he
already was.

“Don’t answer that, or I’ll lose
what little respect I have for any of you. Get the men set up on watch and get
the rest of them to bed,” Kyle ordered.

He watched Greg set off to do what
he was told before he stormed off to his own tent, pitched a short distance
from the larger tents that his men would share.