Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
While Scorpio raced off, Rebecca took longer to follow—because no way would she stay huddled in Scorpio’s room wondering what happened. She hit the bathroom for the clothes she’d stripped the night before, simple leggings and a long-sleeve shirt, to find them replaced with new undergarments, khakis, a T-shirt, and sturdy running shoes, all perfectly sized and totally her style.
“Thank you, Tower,” she murmured aloud because it seemed rude not to say anything. She dressed and exited, those few minutes she’d taken putting Scorpio long out of sight. She began trotting down the stairs, when suddenly she didn’t have to. The tread she stood on widened, and the handrail she held remained attached to it as it zoomed her to the bottom level. Not quite an elevator, but it worked. She stepped foot on the marbled floor in time to hear an explosion.
She raced out the pair of doors that swung open to reveal the dawning sky and immediately saw Scorpio sitting on the ground, holding his hand.
A hand dripping blood.
“What happened?” Rebecca yelled as she raced for him.
“Your company sent a drone to spy, and it didn’t like being captured,” his explanation, a calm statement that belied the seriousness of his injury. His hand had been shredded, the wound deep enough that bone peeked through the open and bleeding flesh.
“He needs a doctor,” she stated to Aries, who stood to the side with a phone to his ear.
“I’m fine,” Scorpio insisted.
“Your hand looks like hamburger,” Rebecca snapped, tugging at her sleeve.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting something to wrap around it and apply pressure. You need a hospital. Where’s the nearest one?”
“No hospital,” Aries stated as he put his phone away. “Just help him get inside. Scorpio can guide you from there to the Stardust room.”
“The what?” she blurted out.
“Stardust room,” Scorpio repeated as he stood with his dripping hand. “It’s next door to the portal room. Wanna come and see how a Zodiac Warrior gets patched up after a battle?”
“Are we talking about magic?” He might be injured, but she still had to move quickly to keep pace with his long stride.
“Of sorts. Given our affinity to the stars, chunks that fall to Earth can provide certain extras. The dust, for example, can be sprinkled on wounds to quicken the healing of it.”
“You’re going to dump some dirt on your mangled hand?” She tried to not sound skeptical and failed. She couldn’t help but be bothered by his casual disregard.
“Yup. Works like a charm,” he announced as they entered the tower. “It’s right beside the portal room, making it close for the missions that go sideways.”
“Portal room?” She felt like a child constantly asking questions.
“Where we arrived when I starbeamed us.” He inclined his head to a large arch carved with symbols.
She’d been unconscious for that, which meant she’d never seen this level with its grand foyer lined in arches and a staircase running up the middle. The floor gleamed, the white marble pristine but of a type she’d never seen, given its silvery flecks.
“What the heck happened?” she grumbled.
“I told you, your company sent a drone.”
“Was that what caused the explosion and injury?”
“Yup. I shot it down and retrieved it. Damned thing blew up in my hand. Guess they didn’t want us playing with it.”
“How do you know it was from Cetus?”
“Saw the logo before the kaboom,” he stated, entering through an arch with an exploding star above it. The room beyond looked more apothecary than medical clinic. It had a lounge-like chair that could recline and a wall of shelves filled with glass jars holding dirt.
Scorpio plopped onto the seat and lay his forearm on the armrest before he pointed with his good hand. “Grab one of the dust cannisters, would you?”
“Any particular one?”
“Nope.”
She went to the wall and pursed her lips. They looked mostly the same with slight variations, the contents lighter in some, two even sparkled. When she hesitated, one of the jars rattled slightly, the tower helping to make the choice.
She grabbed the vessel and brought it to Scorpio. “Now what?”
“Take off the cap and dump it on my hand.”
“Seriously? We’re not going to rinse it first or…”
“Nope. You’ll see.”
Guess she would. She stuffed her skepticism and did as he asked, sprinkling the dust onto his open wounds, trying to not cringe as it entered crevices and mixed with blood to form a muddy paste.
“More,” he grunted, his face twisted with pain.
She paused. “Why does it seem like you’re in more agony than before?”
“Did I forget to mention rapid healing hurts? Don’t worry. I’ll survive. It’s already starting to mend the flesh. Now, shake some dust, Doc.”
She drizzled until his hand was entirely caked and the blood stopped dripping. Then she hugged the empty container to her chest.
“How long does the healing take?”
“Depends on the size of the wound. Something like this, an hour or so.”
“Anything else I can do? Do you need water? A shirt?”
His mouth quirked. “Are you offering to do stairs and bring me breakfast?”
“Food would be a good idea, and coffee. Lots of coffee,” she muttered, exiting the Stardust room to see Aries standing with Sage in the entrance. The seer appeared upset.
“I don’t know how I didn’t see it. A direct threat to the tower. I should have known,” Sage insisted, wringing her hands.
“You can’t see everything,” Aries tried to soothe.
“What else haven’t I seen, though? Is my gift failing me, or is this other seer somehow blocking me?” Sage’s lips trembled with agitation.
Aries noticed Rebecca. “How’s Scorpio?”
“Dusted,” her dry reply. “He’s hungry, so I was going to get him something to eat.”
“Go with Rebecca,” Aries suggested. “Have breakfast.”
“Eating won’t help me,” Sage groused.
“Then do it for the baby.”
“Fine,” a reluctant agreement. “But then I’m meditating in the conservatory. Maybe I’ll see something useful.” Sage joined Rebecca, and they headed for the stairs, which, once more, turned into a lift, meaning they didn’t have to climb.
“Thank you. I needed this,” the seer stated, patting the rail.
“The tower really does adapt on the fly,” Rebecca remarked. “It’s pretty amazing.”
“Only for those it likes. The tower can also make living here uncomfortable for those it doesn’t approve of.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No, but that said, it has occurred a few times. Not everyone can live isolated from the world. Some become grumpy and unpleasant. In that case, the tower does what it can to convince them to leave.”
“And if they don’t?”
“A person can only stand so many bugs served for meals and other discomforts before they realize they’re better off elsewhere.”
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Aries. Surely you don’t blame yourself for Cetus spying.”
“I’m supposed to be the Zodiac’s prewarning to big events. Something like the tower having its first documented intruder should have triggered my power, but it didn’t. I woke to the alarm like everyone else.” Her lips turned down. “Maybe the pregnancy is affecting my gift.”
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. After all, you did predict Scorpio would find that artifact.”
“True, but I can’t help but wonder what I haven’t seen. There was a time in my youth where I wished I didn’t have this power, and now I’m whining because it might be failing.”
To change the topic, Rebecca revealed her nightmare. “This is a bit off topic, but I had a weird dream last night, which Scorpio said I should tell you about.” She related what happened, and Sage’s face became pensive.
“A voice in a nothing place,” Sage mused aloud. “That’s interesting because I’ve had visions of a prison, although prison might be a misnomer. There is a sense of something trapped, wanting to escape. I’ve also seen some futures where the world is aflame, but I never connected the two.”
“Could it be related to the orb we found?”
“Possibly.” Sage’s expression turned dreamy as their lift stopped at the dining level. “The alignment of the stars will be in one not seen for thousands of years. It will bring change. Some good. Some not. The warriors will be tested. To prevail, they must right a wrong.”
“What wrong?” Rebecca asked as Sage shook her head.
“I don’t know. But I’ve been getting variations of that prophecy for the last little while. It just doesn’t give me enough imagery to understand what it means. Although…” Sage looked right at Rebecca as she said, “Your face did appear, and I know for a fact you are involved in what will come.”
Ominous, but not as chilling as Sage’s next words: “If you fail your part, you won’t be the only one to burn alive.”