It took two days for Parin to slide into my dreams, looking flustered and like he had been awake the entire time. I could see circles of red where I assumed his eyes would be and his hair was an absolute mess.
“Aw, what’s the matter, babe? Not sleeping well?”
“Guerra Cavallero is your grandmother.”
“Yeah, I believe that’s the exact note we left off on.”
“How can that be? Guerra is one of the most powerful and prolific Shepherds to ever walk the annals. Why would she ever allow her useless granddaughter access to the tools you would need to open an illegal gateway?”
“Probably because she’s dead.”
The words shocked the both of us for a moment. I couldn’t believe that I had just stated that so matter of factly. I mean, it was the truth, but I had never been able to say it out loud and unladen with emotion.
But Perin seemed even more shocked, half-collapsing into one of the wooden chairs in my side of reality. His voice was quiet when he spoke. “Guerra is dead?”
“Yeah.”
“How did she go? On the back of a winged behemoth? A fiery explosion? Taken out by the umpteenth assassin?”
“Um… blood clot. To the brain.” It was decidedly bizarre discussing the sudden death of one of my most influential figures with someone who had tried to violently murder me multiple times.
“Blood clot?” He let out another long string of curses. “Ridiculous.”
“Why does it matter to you?”
“It doesn’t. I haven’t seen her in…what, four, five hundred years?”
I cocked my head to the side. “I know my abuela was old, but there was no way she was around for five hundred years.”
“Ugh, I forget-”
“-how I know nothing. Yes. I know. I get it. This would all go a lot faster if you got over your utter surprise at how little I’m aware of and went right onto explaining what you’re saying.”
“Shepherds only age when they are in the reality they hail from. When you’re in one of these other worlds, you can essentially live eternally. When you return to your own world, very little time has passed. The most I’ve heard of is a month after a thousand years of monitoring.”
My mind tried to wrap itself around that idea. “So essentially you could defeat death forever?”
“And now you understand. If she had just remained in one of these worlds, she never would have had to worry about her health complications. It’s a get out of jail free card.”
“Is that what happened to you?” He stiffened at that and I smiled broadly. “That’s it, isn’t it?” I felt myself starting to pick up momentum in my excitement. “Poor Perin has some sort of terminal illness and you didn’t think that was fair, so you ran to another -- to a different dimension illegally so you wouldn’t have to face your fate like everyone else.
What happened? Did you piss off these Creators and Shepherds so much that they wouldn’t let you into their library thingy even to save your life? Obviously, they had the right idea considering I’ve physically watched you kill two of them.”
He was on his feet suddenly, practically snarling at me. “How easy it is for you to throw stones! You don’t understand what it’s like to stare into the cold, abrupt ending that is death when you have a solution just beyond your fingertips!”
But I wouldn’t let him get my goat. I sighed and leaned back from his heavy breaths. “Yeah, sure, whatever. So, tell me how this whole destroying the dragons and killing Shepherds and erasing this world from whatever annals or whatever is helping?”
“Because, you ignorant little twat, I can’t go back. What’s the use of all these skills, and the ability to last longer than time itself, only to be trapped here forever? Eventually this world will end. It will crumble into dust and I will be alone in the void.
“I resigned myself to that fate at first. That’s why I chose this world, after all. It was interesting enough and it had your grandmother’s name emblazoned on the case file, which made it seem like the perfect middle finger to her and the rest of those pompous assholes.
“But then I realized that I could have some fun while I was here. How was I to know that fun would end up in a full-scale war between the races? It wasn’t like I planned it. I was going to stop it, believe it or not. I was all ready to play the hero, shining armor and all. But as I played in this little sandbox, I noticed something.
The more the fey lost, the most magic blood was spilled, the more energy I felt release into the world. Like its host had been lost and it suddenly needed a home. Of course, I took advantage of that, and spent the next hundred years or so creating a reservoir to absorb all the errant magic that was running around, all unclaimed.”
“Why? What possible use could that have?”
“To opened a damned portal!”
“I thought you just said that it would kill you to go home.”
“Not a portal back to earth, but to another world! And then I’ll do whatever I have to in that world to open another portal. And then another! Until all of the universes, planets, or whatever the hell you want to call these realms, are connected by a web that even the Creators can’t break!”
“That’s it? That’s what all of this is about? Creating some sort of interdimensional illegal transit system?”
“That I rule, Mercedes! You have no idea the kind of wealth and power that would come with subverting the Shepherds. You think that they don’t have enemies? People who resent the power they horde?”
“I didn’t really think about it, to be honest.”
“Of course, you didn’t. Because you have a small little mind set inside a small little girl. You’re so concerned with how you can save those precious little dragons that you can’t be bothered to see the greater picture.”
“If the greater picture is you sitting on some gilded throne to rule over all the land, I’m glad to be a little myopic.”
“A pithy response fitting of you.” He slithered back into his seat, crossing his arms. “Who’s turn is it, anyway?”
“I don’t know, I kinda lost track with your whole villainous exposition.”
“You would see me as the big bad guy, wouldn’t you?”
“If the shoe fits.”
He shrugged. “Then I’ll play the role and just take the next question.” He leaned forward. “So, which dragon is it you’re screwing?”
I flushed red before I could stop myself. “What makes you think I’m screwing any of them.”
“I’m not an idiot. That golden dragon is a prince, if I’m not mistaken. His father before him was a particularly nasty fellow that took quite a bit of spinning to bring him down. It was all very dramatic, I assure you.”
“But why all the planning? If you’re so goddamn powerful, why not just kill everyone yourself and be done with it?”
“It doesn’t work that way. I tried that at first, to -- you know -- accelerate the process. But it seemed that when an outside force such as myself directly changed this world, the reality would do its best to reset itself. Kill a dragon, a new clutch would be born almost instantaneously. After long enough I was able to surmise that the magic, and the grand changes needed to be enacted by inhabitants of this world under their own volition.
And although that was a fairly adept dodge around my question, I’ll ask it again. Which dragon are you screwing?”
“Why just one? Maybe I’m keeping my options open. Instilling loyalty and a healthy rivalry between targets.”
“It’s cute when you try to sound all mastermind, but we both know you’re far too soft for that.”
I shrugged, and he sat back with a sigh. “Well, you’ve given me a lot to unpack. I have so enjoyed these little chats, even if they are entirely pointless.” He gave my sparse arrangements another look over with his eye. “It seems like you’re in some sort of solitary confinement. Did you do something to piss off your little darlings? It seems strange they would treat a mother of their potential children this way.”
“I haven’t told them yet. And I don’t intend to.”
“So much for that garnering loyalty ruse. If you ever want to ensure a dragon will be loyal to you forever, give them a child. Their offspring are worth more than their weight in gold… To them at least.”
“Good people don’t discuss the monetary value of sentient life.”
“But smart people do. Good night, Mercedes. Enjoy the last of these quiet moments before it all goes to hell.”
He vanished, and I slid back into my own body in my bed much more smoothly than I would have been able to in the past. Looking up at the ceiling, I smirked to myself.
He had no idea the hell that was coming.
*
I looked up at my ceiling, focusing on my breathing as I sank deeper and deeper into the stupor that I had come to know so well. Gael held my hand on one side, and Carva on the other. Myrik stood in the corner of the room. Watching, always watching. His eyes were like onyx microscopes, constantly trained on me and never missing a single thing.
It was difficult not to succumb to the nerves and terror pricking at the back of my mind. I was about to make a power play and I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if I failed. Would this past week of visits and taunting and inhabiting the dream world be for nothing?
It wasn’t like my mind wasn’t overloaded with revelations that I needed to unpack and digest. Like the fact that I was basically immortal as long as someone didn’t come along and murder me. As long as I was in this world, which I was considering doing after the visions the great dragon spirits had shown me, I wouldn’t age.
That meant eventually, assuming my head wasn’t on a pike somewhere, I would live to see Myrik and Gael die. And then my children. And then their children. I would be a heck of a Queen, an ageless ruler who never fell ill or knew fatigue. But was that something I wanted? It seemed such a cold, and lonely road to walk.
So, what then? Would I stick around only to return to my own world once my beloveds dropped like flies? That didn’t seem so great for that whole dealing with grief thing either. It seemed like no matter which way I shook it, it was going to be a complicated, emotional matter.
Granted, none of that mattered if Perin had his way and destroyed all of us.
Which was why I needed to focus.
I took another long, deep breath. Calm. I needed to be calm.
Settling myself, I reached out for that familiar pull I could feel from my mortal enemy. Coiling my mind around it, I yanked myself to his side.
“What do you want?”
“Wow, is that how you greet me?” My vision cleared from the now-normal delay that came with perception hopping, and I saw we were in the same stable I had knocked the Duke out cold in. Perin was brushing a horse, a roan colored stallion with russet and gold to its mane. It certainly was a pretty beast, and it made me think of the strange disguise I had seen Perin in during my vision in the dragon’s holy place.
“Look, this little meet-cute thing we’ve been doing is fun, but we’re done. I’m not your grand master that will teach you the ropes of this world you happened to stumble into.”
“Aw, come on. I finally felt like we were getting somewhere! What about all my plans to paint each other’s nails and talk about boys tonight?”
“Sorry, but you’ll have to find someone else to bother. I’m sure you can just imagine yourself a friend.”
I opened my mouth to shoot off with what I was sure was a really good one liner, when suddenly what looked like a Squire came barreling through the door, red faced and breathless.
“The dragons are attacking, sir!”
Perin’s head whipped to the side so fast I thought it might fly off. “What?!”
“The dragons. They’ve been seen taking to the air in the east. There’s dozens of them, heading for the capitol.”
“You little bitch!” Perin spat, rounding on me. He had violence in his eyes and fire in his voice, so I took the initiative to move myself across the room in a single step. “This was all a distraction.”
“Now why would you say that?”
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Well not as clever as you think.” He turned back to address the clearly terrified boy. “Tell his Majesty to send for our provisions. We’re bumping up the plan a little early.”
The Squire nodded and bolted off, his preteen legs pumping a mile a minute.
“Well, I think I’ve seen enough here. I’m just going to head out now.”
“Don’t you want to stick around and see all the carnage you’re causing? All the innocent women and children who inhabit this castle who are going to burn from this noble attack of yours?”
“Are you really trying to play the guilt card on me when you’re trying to eradicate an entire species?”
“Of course I am. You’re an idiot with noble ideals that only work out in fantasies and on paper.”
“Better a noble idiot than a dead cynic.” As if to punctuate my statement, a raven flew in the window, perching on one of the stall walls with a neat little scroll wrapped around its foot.
“What the hell could it possibly be now?” Perin snapped, snatching the parchment from the animal. It bore what I recognized as the royal seal on it, and he quickly broke it open. “Are you kidding me?!” he spat, clearly furious as he read the note’s contents. “They’re all idiots! Well, go! I’m sure you have some momentous speech to deliver to rally the last of your scaled troops. I have matters far above your head to attend to.”
“Oh, I’m sure. See you later, Perin. You’re going to look so good in a nice set of shackles.”
“And you’ll look so much better with your head removed from your shoulders.”
“Touchy touchy, that wasn’t very nice.” I chided before fading away from the scene.
Except I didn’t leave, not entirely at least. I stayed behind like a wispy afterthought, watching as the man stormed out of the stable and into the castle.
Normally I would be pretty concerned with what that note had said to cause such a strong reaction in the mass-murder, but I wasn’t that curious considering that I already knew what it said. And I already knew what it said because I was the one who wrote it.
It had been a simple little thing, saying that Julian’s men had misplaced the map detailing where the sorcerers were being held. I honestly hadn’t quite expected it to work, and yet here Perin was, leading me right to the planning room that the dragon spirit had shown me.
* * *
“Your Majesty!” he said, slamming open the door. “Is the raven you sent me serious?”
“Do I seem like the type of fellow to send such a message out erroneously?”
“No, but… how?”
Julian made a sweeping gesture at the table in front of him. Although it was massive, it was overloaded with papers and scrolls. “It’s not easy planning a war against a subterranean opponent that just so happens to have suddenly launched a surprise assault against our kingdom!”
“Gods! This is ridiculous. They’re in the Hilation Mines off of the Earsweir fief. Now are you going to start dredging the moat and readying the catapults or am I going to have to do that for you too?”
“Careful of your words. You may be useful to me but do not mistake that as being irreplaceable.”
“Your threats don’t mean much when there’s a squadron of dragons barreling down our door!”
“You press your luck too much.” Julian nodded to a pair of guards, and they closed in on the man. Perin looked from side to side and let out an incredulous guffaw.
“Are you serious? You’re about to be razed to the ground by fire-spewing hell beasts and you’re going to take the time to arrest one of your best assets?”
“There is no excuse for insolence. Remember that.”
Perin hissed several curses. “Not this again.” Then he was running out the door, the guards on his tale. He got pretty far, I handed that to him, but we couldn’t have that. I narrowed my focus onto the floor, wishing it away. The next thing the murderous Shepherd knew, he was tumbling down into blackness.
His scream was particularly delicious and I probably enjoyed it way more than I should. I let it go on a bit more than it should of before allowing him to land back in his room, where I was waiting him with a particularly fruity cocktail in my hand. What can I say? I had a flare for the dramatic.
“You,” he panted, breathless as he looked at me with what I imagined were wild eyes. “You fabricated a vision?!”
“Did you like it?” I asked, batting my eyelashes at him. “Because I thought it was great. I wish you could have seen your face though, because that was honestly the best part of it.”
“You learned how to create a full vision in less than a week and used your best surprise tactic for a glorified prank?!” He snapped, clearly livid. “Are you an idiot?!”
I shifted uncomfortably from my perch. “I thought you would be a little more impressed a little longer than this.”
“I’m impressed at your sheer ineptitude!” He stalked towards me and before I could move, his hand wrapped around my throat and I was slammed backwards against a wall. My eyesight went fuzzy for a minute, and when it cleared I realized we were in my bare room. “You are a petulant, idiotic, waste of flesh!”
“And you’re the asshole who let me into your head. And you know what, Perin?” My eyes hardened and I gripped his wrist, prying his calloused fingers from my throat. “You’re not welcome in mine any longer. Get. Out.”
“You think you can possibly kick me-”
I lifted my leg, kicking him right in his crotch as hard as I could while shoving him away from me. He went hurtling back flying through the wall and disappearing from my sight.
“Yeah. I can.” I answered to the empty room.
I gave myself a moment to calm down before heaving a sigh in relief, then I fell back into my own body with my friends beside me.
“Mercedes!” Gael cried, crushing me to him.
“Wow, did I put on a show or something out here?”
“Just a lot of sweating and groaning.” Carva said matter of factly. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think ye were passing gas.”
“Well that’s… encouraging, I suppose.” I wiped my brow and found that it indeed was covered with a thin sheen of sweat.
“Did you find anything out?” Myrik asked, ever the on topic one. “Was the mission a success.”
“Oh, I dunno,” I said, looking up at him with wide, doe eyes. “Do the Hilation Mines ring a bell?”