Shadow Assassins (The Second Realm Trilogy) (23 page)

Moonriver army ended up staying in Kkyathi territory while the Kkyathi prepared some leather armor for those who had none. Evangeline and the other Shadow Assassins were fitted and told to wait as several Kkyathi worked overtime to produce armor faster than they normally did.

While waiting, Evangeline approached her friends, who were gathered around the social fire. “There may be a way for us to get home to the First Realm.”

It was a major announcement to make. Without Dirk or anyone else knowledgeable enough to open a portal, they were stranded in the Second Realm. She expected everyone to be excited. Instead, only Kaydee looked relieved. Marco and Kaleb looked troubled.

“I don't feel right about leaving yet,” Kaleb said, hesitantly. His gaze traveled over to the Kkyathi who were working on armor.

Kaydee's eyes widened. In protest, she cried, “But this isn't our war! I want to get out of this horrid place!”

“There are good people in this world.”

“Not where I was!” she continued, her eyes widening in panic. “I was sold like a slave and forced to fight in some god awful death tournament!”

Her outburst shocked Kaleb into silence. He and Marco stared at her in horror.

Evangeline finally broke the silence. “What happened to you?”

It was clearly the last thing Kaydee wanted to talk about. As she closed her eyes, she could still see the battlefield clearly, see people dying all around her for senseless entertainment. Without realizing what she was doing at first, she began talking, filling her friends in on how she had been captured by the Gypsa and sold like so much cattle to a slaughterhouse. She avoided her friends' disgusted stares, especially when she mentioned how she had to kill to survive in the tournament she had been forced into.

“What!” Evangeline cried.

“She did what she had to in order to survive,” a new voice said.

They turned and saw a man in a dark cloak staring down at them.

“Atrimalous,” Kaydee said. “You scared me. I didn’t realize you were there.”

He only continued to stare down at them. To Kaydee's friends, he said, “Be grateful that she was strong enough to survive.”

“
Who
are you, exactly?” Evangeline asked, eyes narrowing. She didn't like the arrogant stare the man was giving them.

A woman approached and met her angry gaze with a calm stare. “Atrimalous here saved your friend from the tournament. He and I both broke into the coliseum and stole her from the tournament before she could be killed.”

Kaleb stood up to face her, his hand outstretched. “You have our eternal gratitude for it.”

She looked confused at first as to why he was offering her his hand, but she shook it after a moment. Kaleb extended the same thanks to Atrimalous but the man only stared at him.

“You should take better care of your women,” was all he said.

“We women can take care of ourselves, thanks.” Evangeline couldn't help the dangerous tone her voice had taken on. She didn't know what it was about this man before her, but she didn't want to trust him, didn't want to interact with him or even attempt to be polite.

Sensing the anger seething beneath the surface, Atrimalous stared back at her with the same kind of dangerous warning. “I can see that.”

His female companion stepped in before any more words could be exchanged. “Okay, let's all play nice with each other.”

“That half-breed better watch how she speaks to me,” he growled, before he allowed her to steer him away.

“
Excuse
me?” Evangeline yelled after him. “What did you call me!”

Kaydee took on a similar role to Leta's and tried to settle her hybrid friend down before Evangeline transformed right then and there. It took some convincing for Evangeline to settle down. The
half-breed
remark hadn't settled well with her and she would have eagerly have ripped the man to shreds.

“I don't see how you can defend him,” she growled.

“He
saved
me,” Kaydee emphasized. “He's been looking out for me ever since.”

“Kind of like your prince friend,” Marco broke in. His joke wasn't as effective as it would normally be, but nerves had gotten the better of him, taking the edge out of his teasing joke.

The mention of Prince Erik got Evangeline's attention. “At least Erik is kind!
That
man, on the other hand...” she shook her head. “Promise me you won't be alone with him, Kay.”

“What–”

“I'm serious!” she said, cutting Kaydee off. “I don't trust him with you. There's something...creepy about him.”

Kaydee grumbled some sort of agreement under her breath, just to satisfy Evangeline. It worked well enough for the angel-demon hybrid to let the whole argument drop. She settled back in her spot near the social fire, looking angry, but satisfied for the moment.

After the tension bled out of the group, Evangeline spoke up once more on what to do about getting back to the First Realm.

“So what do you guys want to do? Stay here? Find a way back?”

Her two male companions hesitated again, before Kaleb spoke up. “We still have Dr. Fyrn in the First Realm...I mean, back home. We owe it to him to at least explain what we're doing. Remember, when Dirk first came to us, he said that we would only be over here for a day or so before he brought us back? It's been way longer than that. The poor Doc is probably going out of his mind with worry.”

“He has to have a mind to do that first,” Marco cracked. Then, more seriously, he added, “But if we go, are we going to stay? Or come back?”

Kaleb glanced at his friend. “Yes, I think we should come back. At least then, you can see your girlfriend.”

Marco made a face as his friend smirked. “Don't tell me you don't want to stay for that cute Kkyathi woman I always see you talking to!”

Evangeline couldn't help but laugh. “Calm, boys. So you both have interests here–”

“Like your prince!”

As the three took cheap shots at each other, Kaydee watched, smiling to herself. This was the first time in a while that she had felt relieved, or had any urge to laugh or even smile. She would be relieved to leave this place. She had no attachment to it, unlike the others.

That wasn't quite true. Her gaze slid from her friends to where Atrimalous and Leta sat, some distance away from the social fire. What would happen if she just left the two here while she went back home? Kaleb had a good point – there were a lot of good people here. It was a hell of a way to pay them back for saving her by just running away.

She got their attention and steered them back to the conversation at hand.

They all agreed that going back to the First Realm was a good idea. They agreed that it was just to inform Dr. Fyrn on what was happening before they returned here to support everyone that had helped them.

“Are you sure you want to come back with us?” Evangeline asked Kaydee after the agreement had been made.

Kaydee's gaze again strays to Atrimalous and Leta before she nodded. “I'm sure.”



“She keeps looking at you,” Leta said, catching Kaydee's eye once more. “Is there something going on?”

Atrimalous could only stare at the ice mage. “Nothing like what you're thinking.”

She shook her head. “Somehow, I have to disagree. I can't help but feel a little jealous, I'm afraid.”

“
Jealous
, Leta?”

With the announcement made, she could only stare at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. The smile she wore faded slightly, turning into something sadder.
“Yeah. I've never seen you so...
focused
on anything before she showed up.”

He didn't seem to understand what she was getting at. “Of course I'm focused with her!”

That didn't help any. She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. She turned away from him before he caught her expression. With the way he always kept himself at such an emotional distance, he wouldn't appreciate her reaction, she was sure. Better to turn away.

He caught sight of her as she turned. “What? What did I say?”

She didn't answer.

“Oh, God, Leta, I told you it's not like that with her. Are you
worried
that I might enjoy someone else's company more than your own?”

She laughed again. “You don't seem to enjoy my company at all!”

With that, he turned her to him, his dark gaze intense on her own. “That's where you're wrong, Leta.”

She couldn't pull herself away from his gaze. She tried to turn away and look stronger but he held her in place. While he held her there, he filled her in on who Kaydee was to him and why he was so intent on keeping her safe. The revelation cleared up Leta's worries but brought up more questions.

“Does she know?” she finally asked.

He shook his head. “I'd like to keep it that way, too.”

She glanced at Kaydee, who was laughing at something one of her male companions said, completely oblivious about the discussion being had about her. “You have my word.”

Armor for the Shadow Assassins was given with pride. The Kkyathi showed them how to wear the armor and how to move in it. The natives of Moonlight Hills definitely weren't used to the heavy bulk weighing them down. The most armor they had ever worn had consisted of a Kevlar vest, if that counted. That was in the First Realm, though, not the Second. A bullet proof vest would definitely come in handy here, but it wasn't as though they could just head to a store and pick one up. They made do with the armor that was given to them, fitting it over their clothes and adjusting to the weight.

Dante approached them, a strange woman at her side. The woman had long blonde hair and muddy brown eyes. Her outfit was strange, definitely out of place even in this strange land. She wore light clothing in bright colors. Gold and jewels adorned her body, in her ears and around her throat and wrists. She looked like a walking jewelry store, but she held herself with the grace of a dancer.

“This is Gemma,” Dante said, introducing her companion. “She has the power to open a portal back to the First Realm, given the right medium.”

Evangeline's twin hesitated for a moment, then grasped the amethyst around her neck. “In this case, this is the medium. It belonged to Dirk, and a mage before him. They're rare, called
portal stones.
They have enough magical energy in them to aid the process of opening a portal.”

Excited, the Shadow Assassins gathered around the two. Gemma smiled at them, saying, “Stones have extraordinary power. They can better channel my magic. With portal stones, that makes it even easier to travel between realms.”

Dante hesitated again, then slowly slid the golden chain up off of her and handed it to Gemma. “She will have to follow you to the First Realm, so she can open the portal once again, when you want to return to us.”

They nodded in agreement. As Gemma announced that she needed a large space to work with, they found a spot to accommodate her needs. She then turned to the Assassins and asked one of them to help her. Evangeline stepped forward and Gemma joined hands with her, the amethyst pendant in between their palms.

“Picture where you want to go,” Gemma instructed. “Not just the location on a map, but every detail you can think of. Sights, sounds, smells. The people who live there. The more detail you can give me, the more accurately the portal's end location will be placed.”

Evangeline closed her eyes and did just that; she imagined Fyrn Manor in her mind, taking herself on a tour of its hallways and many rooms. She could almost smell the small indoor garden Kaydee had in one room, and hear the humming of electronic equipment from Marco and Kaleb's entertainment room. Most of all, she saw Dr. Fyrn and heard his voice in her mind, speaking of past missions and expectations. Her heart longed to see him.

While she was thinking of this, Gemma's eyes were also closed in concentration. The necklace they held warmed not only from their touch but the magical energy gathering between them. Evangeline began fidgeting as the stone and the metal it sat in grew hotter and hotter, until she couldn't hold it properly. Gemma told her to let the stone go. With her eyes closed, Evangeline didn't see the gem hold itself up in the air, instead of falling. As they rejoined hands again, the gem hung in the air between them, the chain floating.

Around them, there was a small murmur as the portal began to grow from the ground up. Like the last time the Shadow Assassins had seen it, it grew as a doorway of branches and leaves, lighting itself up as the portal formed.

“Go on, step through the portal,” Gemma said, opening her eyes and glancing at the other Assassins. “I'll be right behind you!”

The other Assassins approached, nervously. Their last encounter with the portal was still fresh in their minds, but they approached anyway. Kaleb went through the portal first, then Kaydee and Marco. Evangeline glanced at Gemma, who nodded at her. That was when she approached and stepped through the glowing doorway of light.



The trip through the portal wasn't as nearly as chaotic as the last one had been. Instead of tumbling head over heel through a blank white void, this one had a calmer feeling. They were still falling through a white void, but there was no sense of panic this time. It was as though they were...drifting, calmly, through the expanse.

That was, until they emerged from the other side.

The Shadow Assassins tumbled into Fyrn Manor in the same room where they had first spoken to Dirk in. As they spilled out, there was a shout of alarm from an unfamiliar woman who dropped the delicate cup she was holding. It shattered on the marble ground and hot tea spilled everywhere. The woman paid the mess no mind, instead, staring at the Shadow Assassins as if they were a demon about to attack.

“Who are you?” she yelled as she reached into the pocket of her blazer. She pulled a gun out with shaking hands. She struggled with releasing the safety and pointing the weapon at them, clearly not used to holding such a weapon on her. Despite that, she still held it up, as if she were ready to fire at them.

“Where's Dr. Fyrn?” Kaleb asked her calmly, as to not alarm her further.

“What do you want with Dr. Fyrn?” the armed, curly-haired woman asked. Brown curls of hair got in her face from the speed of her movements and she angrily batted the tight curls away. “Who
are
you?”

“That will do, May,”
came Dr. Fyrn's voice from the doorway. He entered the room quickly, staring at his team as though he didn't believe they were standing there.

“Doc!”
Marco called out, beyond relieved to see him.

The doctor held his hands out to his team in a gesture of welcome. “Are you all okay? Where have you
been?
”

“We're fine,” Kaleb said calmly. He gestured to the curly-haired woman who still had a weapon trained on them. “Who is this?”

Dr. Fyrn introduced May as his temporary assistant. He apologized for her gun, explaining that there had been threat of robberies in the area and he wanted all of his employees armed at all times, even temporary ones like her.

“Why do you need an assistant so soon?” Kaleb asked. “We've only been gone for a few days.”

His statement caused Dr. Fyrn and May to stare at him, alarmed.

“You've been gone for two weeks,” Dr. Fyrn said, slowly.

“Two
weeks?
” Evangeline asked, incredulously. “Are you sure? We've only counted a few days and nights' worth of time passing. How could it be two weeks?”

“Time must move differently in the Second Realm,” Gemma spoke up, startling Dr. Fyrn. He stared at her, but before he could ask her who she was, she continued, “I have heard stories of differing time passages from travelers who frequently pass through the First and Second Realms, but have never experienced it for myself.”

Dr. Fyrn nodded. “I've kept track of every day you had been gone, my precious team. You were supposed to return quickly, right? You didn't come back as expected. I've been worried.”

“When we were attacked, whatever it was separated us,” Kaleb explained to him. “None of us landed with Dirk, but we all eventually found him...and each other.”

“Speaking of Dirk, where is he?” the doctor asked.

It was the wrong thing to ask. At the question, the four glanced at each other uncomfortably. It was Kaydee who finally spoke up.

“He's dead, doctor.”

The doctor glanced at his team, feeling the stress and sadness come off of their bodies as if they had physical form. “What happened to all of you in the Second Realm? I don't think you've ever been so quiet before.”

“Take a seat, Doc,” Marco said with a heavy sigh. “It's a
long
story.”



Dr. Fyrn let loose a heavy sigh after his team had filled him in on their adventures in the Second Realm. Exhausted, as if he had just experienced all of that himself, he asked them, “What are you going to do now?”

“We have to go back,” Kaleb said. “They're waiting on us.”

“We're so sorry, Doctor.” Kaydee added.

Dr. Fyrn glanced around at each of his team, taking in their foreign, antiquated armor and battle worn faces. To the Assassins, only mere days had passed, when in this realm, they had been separated for two weeks. Whatever the real time frame was, his team looked as though they had aged years, not in appearance, but in how they carried themselves. They might have been young, around the age of the typical college student now, but no typical college student did their line of work, especially not now, with what they had been through.

After a moment's silence, he shook his head. “The whole concept of the Shadow Assassins was built around the four of you. Policing Midnight Manor and all of that. But this...this is above you. It's above all of us. You've already done so much good for the people over in the Second Realm. To try and stop you now wouldn't be right. Go, and change the history of the Second Realm. I'll be fine here. The Assassins will continue here if I can find more gifted souls like you, but I want the
original
Shadow Assassins to change the world.”

After those hefty words had been spoken, each of the Assassins thanked him. Kaydee and Evangeline gladly hugged the doctor, but the two men gave him handshakes instead. The doctor had just given them permission to leave everything they were familiar with and go back to the land of supernatural ability and creatures. His eyes were sad, but he still smiled with his team, especially as Marco cracked a joke about replacing them. The unsaid farewell between the doctor and his team weighed heavy on all of them, but they still tried to smile through it.

In fear of losing his team once and for all, Dr. Fyrn insisted on taking pictures of them before they left. He showed Gemma how to use the digital camera he held. The mage from the Second Realm seemed utterly baffled at how the
magic picture box
worked, as she called it, but she still managed to take several decent photos of the doctor and his team.

Amused by her fascination, the team asked the doctor for permission to raid the weapon room. Dr. Fyrn naturally agreed. The Shadow Assassins led the way to the room that held their weapons. It was a relief coming back to something so familiar, something they had been in dozens of times, but the edge of sadness kept them moving. They passed over the guns and automated weapons that they knew would never work in the Second Realm, but took a few more knives and daggers. The weapons went into backpacks that hung from hooks along the walls. After debating for a moment on what would happen if they brought more weapons, they decided to take a chance and lifted a few compound hunting bows and crossbows from their resting places as
well. The Oraldine's bows were the most advanced long-range weapons available, but they wanted something that would give them a better advantage in the battlefield.

“Bringing technology like that is dangerous,” Gemma said as she watched them. “In Moonriver's territory, it would be considered contraband.”

“
If
there was a Moonriver, still,” Marco said, not too gently. “No offense, but I think most rules are off in times of war.”

The mage backed off after that and let them finish packing, uninterrupted. Not wanting to empty the doctor's complete weapon's supply, they only took two backpacks, one full of sharp steel, the other full of arrows to match the bows and crossbows. The bows and crossbows were carried by the two male Assassins.

They made their way back to the room they had been in. Dr. Fyrn saw their arms full of weapons and advised them, as he always did when they left for a mission, to be careful.

“Come back as soon as possible,” he added, hesitating slightly.
“Unless...you would be interested in doing a small research project for me?”

“You're thinking of a research project now, of all times?” Evangeline asked him.

He couldn't help but chuckle. “Always thinking of a project, Evangeline. I can't cross over to the Second Realm like you can, thus, I can't do it myself.”

“What do you want us to do?” Kaydee asked, curious.

“Record everything you can about the Second Realm. People you meet, places you go. Maybe even maps, if you can draw them. Almost nothing is known about the Second Realm, unless you live there. I'd like to pass the work of the Shadow Assassins on to a new leader one day and I want him to be up to speed on what's happened with you. Plus, we can learn a lot from these tribes you speak of. They don't rely on technology like we do. It would be interesting to observe from an outside perspective.”

“
If
they wouldn't mind being studied like lab rats,” Marco tacked on.

“Yes, of course,” the doctor said, although it was clear that he was more into the research more than the permission of whom he was researching. He got up and left the room for a moment. When he came back, he held a tiny leather-bound journal and a pen out to Kaydee.

“Just in case you want to record anything,” he said, winking at her.

She smiled and added it to one of the backpacks.