The Undead Pool

“Hold on, Rachel,” someone whispered, and I felt the last of the electrodes being plucked from me as the spicy scent of Were sparked a memory of David. I. Am. Real.

I breathed. Groaning, I tried to move, my hands unresponsive since they were still bound to the chair. David was at the machine flipping levers with a reckless abandon. I felt the thrum of the air shift, and the ache of wild magic began to pull from me, lifting like a fog, most of the mystics drawn away by a brighter light than my own. The insane splinter was flowing past my awareness with the coldness of a January moon. Slowly my confusion abated.

Kneeling, Ayer put his weapon on the floor.

“All the way,” Annie demanded, and he lay down, gaze never breaking from mine.

“I think that’s it,” David said, thumbing off the power and turning to me. He looked anxious as he dropped to kneel before me. “Rachel. Are you okay?”

I was tied to a chair, but yes, I thought I was okay.

“Rachel?”

He touched me, and I twitched. Mistrust flooded me, born from the mystics. It’s David! I hammered at the ones who had ignored the pull of the machine, demanding that they heed my single thought. But he’d seen my fear, and pain had filled his eyes. “I’m okay,” I said, not moving as he undid the straps. Still in the chair, I rubbed at my wrists. It was hard to focus. Remnants of the wild magic lingered in me, spinning like purple eyes. I was afraid to touch the line—the air already crackled with a lingering cloud of mystics.

Within me were more mystics than before, most tainted with the quick bite of insanity, but the ones I’d saved were circling, trying to absorb them like a white blood cell absorbs a virus. The confusion I felt wasn’t mine, but it was still real, and I sat and breathed as it slowly eased and abated. “I’m okay,” I said again, wanting to believe it.

“Can you move?

Looking at David, I was shocked with how angry he was. His hands had been so gentle. Somehow I managed a smile. “Yes.” Edden was standing over Ayer. The man was facedown, his gun kicked away and his hands on the back of his head as Edden recited the Miranda. “How many people did you bring with you?” I asked, hearing noise in the background that couldn’t be good. “It will take many singularities to end his dream.”

Aghast, I put a hand to my mouth.

David straightened, exchanging a nervous glance with Annie standing guard over the Ayer. “Thanks for your help. I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to cuff you.”

“Use mine,” Edden said, reaching behind himself for his cuffs.

“Look out!” I shouted, falling back into the chair as Ayer lurched from the floor, grabbing Annie and yanking her to his chest.

“Resignation accepted,” he snarled, and my heart sank at the sudden twist and snap of her neck.

“No!” David shouted as he dove for Annie, now falling as Ayer ran for his weapon. She was dead dead, the second death. I couldn’t tell you how I knew, but the energy from her mind was suddenly not there. I hadn’t even realized I could sense it until it was gone.

She shouldn’t have trusted the singular, the mystics thought, most of them siding against me. Many outweigh the one, they scolded me. You will become and do as the majority say.

I’d had enough. Give me that! I shouted in my mind, taking control of the wild magic still spinning through me. “Rhombus!” I screamed as Ayer’s stretching finger touched his gun and pulled it to him as he spun to aim it at me.

My bubble rose up, dismaying the mystics until they realized they could go through it with impunity. Their delight quickly turned to thoughts of outrage as Ayer sprayed us with a hail of bullets, all of them harmlessly bouncing off.

“No, wait!” I cried, reaching out as they turned their thoughts to gleefully dealing out death. Not so much! I protested as they spun control of the wild magic away from me and a blast of white-hot wild magic exploded from my fingertips.

“Stop!” I cried out, knowing it was his death, but Ayer had leaped out of the way. Magic hit the wall and passed through, effortlessly dissolving the matter. Glowing, the leftover energy fell in on itself and vanished with a hiss. Crap on toast, I’d made a hole in the wall.

Edden stared at the new four-foot hole before turning to me. David looked up from Annie to Ayer, more anger in him. “You killed her!” he exclaimed, furious. “Twice!”

Weapon in hand, Ayer reassessed the situation, hole in wall included. I couldn’t help my smile as the wild magic brushed over my skin with the feel of feathers. Maybe I should kill him. Then I wouldn’t have to decide if it was right or not. End him, the mystics demanded, the urge strengthening as myriad voices became one, louder than my own. End them all!

“Right,” Ayer said, then dove through the hole in the wall, fleeing.