Chapter 7 #2
But it wouldn’t matter. He couldn’t see or hear him. He did not have the Kaly gift. He didn’t feel like he had any gift right then. Not even his own. He felt very human. Fragile. Frail. Mortal.
Death is not the end, but if I die here, Caemorn won’t be able to grab my soul. I’ll be reborn again, unknowing who I am again, delaying my return! No. NO! Grayson shook those defeatist thoughts out of his head. He was not dying. He was not. I need to get out of here.
But there was nowhere to go. Nowhere that his weak legs could take him.
He needed help. And there was only one person he could reach.
He’d closed his mind to Eyros. He’d half expected Eyros to be in his head already.
But maybe Eyros had lost interest. Maybe he’d gone back to scanning the universe’s thoughts.
Maybe he’d just let the thought–and Grayson–go. But he needed Eyros’ help.
He cracked his mental shield open, Eyros–
There you are! Eyros laughed with a mixture of delight and almost cruelty as he pounced.
Grayson tried to keep just a chink of light between them, but Eyros was pouring into his head. He fell forward, nearly smashing his face into the mud, only catching himself at the last moment.. His mind was cracking open like an egg. It was being scrambled and then–
No, it cannot be, Eyros whispered. Ashyr. You truly are Ashyr. But mortal and… your mind offers such tantalizing and hideous thoughts… Could any of them be true?
They’re true. All of it. You know it is.
Grayson gasped again. Blood was running out of his nose.
He tasted copper on his lips, his tongue, it was running down his chin.
He spat and shuddered. Blood in the Ever Dark.
Blood on his chin. On him. The wind blew in the direction of the creature he’d half-glimpsed stalking through the long grass.
Damn you, Eyros! He snapped. What the Hell did you do that for?
There was silence and then, What would you do if a person you did not know–did not think you knew–entered your mind uninvited? Would you ask questions first or–
I would attack, Grayson admitted.
Exactly.
Grayson swiped at the blood and grimaced.
The smell of blood would definitely bring predators his way.
And the wind was coming. He thought he heard grass rustling and froze.
But the night insects were churr-churring again.
They would stop if a predator was near. Hopefully, whatever had been nearby him had moved on. He let out a breath.
I need you to contact Wyvern to come get me, Grayson said.
Contact Wyvern? Eyros said those two words very slowly.
Yes, I need you to…
His mind stilled as he saw something glinting beneath him. Just under his nose actually. With a shaking hand, he touched it. Metal. Glittering despite the mud. Magical. It was a magical item.
Contacting Wyvern will be a little bit of a problem, Eyros chuckled weakly.
Grayson cleaned more mud off the item. He grasped hold of it with both hands and pulled. The mud held it firmly.
You see, even if she were reachable, ah, she’s not my biggest fan at the moment and–
Grayson pulled harder. The object popped out with a sucking sound. He stared at it. It was a helm. A held with a bird-like beak. It was his helm. It was… He saw that something was hanging out of the bottom. A few vertebrae were still attached together. A spine. Part of a spine.
My spine.
Grayson dropped the helm and crawled backwards as if he could escape it, but then stopped. His breathing was strangled. His heart–gods, his heart–was in his throat and in his feet.
Wyvern, you see, Ashyr, is–
Dead, Grayson finished for Eyros. How many of our brothers and sisters are still alive?
Well, there’s me, Eyros laughed softly. Seeyr and maybe Mirryr. They took off at the beginning, almost as if they knew what was coming. Slinky bastard. I don’t think Weryn or Kaly found them. Ah, Weryn is–
I know. Trapped in a soul gem after he went crazy and killed… I know, Grayson said. He’s back to himself. So are you and Kaly and–
Seeyr showed me something. Kaly and I… Is that real? Eyros asked.
You’re a better person in the future, Eyros, Grayson said and meant it. Happier. All of it.
Well, I must be weaker if I let you be taken by some Kaly-slice. A slice of a slice of slice–
It was my fault. I was upset. Emotionally compromised, Grayson said with a shake of his head. He started moving back towards the helm–and his body–as he spoke. I have parents in the future. A mom and dad.
Good grief! How droll!
I didn’t get to spend much time with them. And, in the end, I had to choose duty over them, Grayson said.
Well, that’s you all over. Duty before everything!
Except with Weryn.
Yes, you missed Kaly’s growing insanity. We all did, Eyros said bitterly. Daemon most of all.
Yes, Grayson agreed.
And yet you claim there is this better future!
There is, Grayson pressed. You know I’m not lying.
He touched the helm. The magic sizzled against his fingertips, but he didn’t let go.
He lifted up the bird-beak visor and his stomach roiled.
His skull. A large worm was sinking into the eye socket.
He closed his eyes. What was he doing? Was he going to be like Elgar and hold his own skull in his arms?
But you’re here. So how’s that going to work? Eyros asked. I can’t teleport in and get you even if I could locate a Wyvern Vampire to charm, because I don’t know where you are.
I’m where I died, Grayson said. Do you know where that happened?
Oh, dear! Eyros chuckled dryly. You really are in a bit of a mess!
What are you talking about? Grayson frowned.
You don’t remember everything, I see! Eyros laughed some more, bitter, sourly. You’re in Lasting, dear Ashyr. Kaly’s home.
Grayson swallowed and closed his eyes. Of course, he was in Lasting.
Kaly had contacted him, asked to speak with him.
He had gone because he had sensed Kaly coming apart.
He should have told Weryn, but he’d already known what his lover would say: ignore Kaly!
Or better yet, imprison him! Don’t go to Lasting! But he had. And now he was back again.
There must be a way back, Grayson said.
Must there be? I can’t see why you’re so sure of that, Eyros grumped.
Because Seeyr wouldn’t have caused a future like this to be created if I didn’t.
Daemon needs and wants all of us with him in the future, Grayson said as he gently set his head and visor down on the ground.
He’d remember where this was and come get when he returned to the future.
He knew that would happen. So now I just have to figure out what my way back is.
Even if you can make it from that shitty field to Lasting–which I highly doubt in your rather feeble condition–you’ll just find a city full of your enemies, Eyros pointed out.
There will be a gate there, Grayson said. I think the gates are more than just conduits between our cities. I think they can pass back and forth through time.
Really? You’re going to somehow get through a whole city of Kaly Vampires to the gate and then magically make it transport you to the future? Eyros was laughing bitterly again.
Kaly sent me here. Or Roan did, Grayson explained. The structure they created that sent me here altered time so I’m betting they might know how to use the gate the same way.
Ah, again, that won’t work, Eyros protested. The only Kalys in charge right now are hateful and crazy as shithouse rats. The real Kaly is… Well, they aren’t in Lasting. None of them you meet in Lasting will help you. They’ll just kill you again, Ashyr. Slowly.
I’ll figure something out. There will be a way, Grayson said firmly and got slowly to his feet.
He lifted himself up so that his eyes were at the level of the tops of the grass.
He groaned internally as he saw that the grass was moving–or rather, being moved–as things foraged their way through it.
And they were coming in his direction. And, of course, the way to Lasting was right through them.
Of course, but I’m not giving up. I’m not dying here, Grayson thought. And at that moment, Ryder’s smiling face flashed before his mind’s eye. I’m going home and I’m going to ask Ryder to turn me. That’s the one thing I will allow myself. I will get back to him. I will.