Vrin_ Ten Mortal Gods Part 31

I stood awkwardly and looked toward the hallway. "Where are we staying?"

Rebecca stood up. "I'll show you."

I followed her to a room at the end of the hall, where a single mattress was made up under a full skylight. I brushed past her into the room. She leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek. "We'll figure this out, Dad, I'm not worried."

"Well, that makes one of us." I gave her a weak smile.

"Goodnight," she said, then gently closed the door. Immediately it opened back up. "Oh, Mom and I picked up a few things for you, a robe and some other stuff. They're in the bag." She pointed.

I reached down and pulled out the robe. "Thanks, honey. Tell Mom thanks too."

"I will, g'night." She closed the door.

My eyes fell on the bed, and a heaviness pressed in on my heart. There was no peace here, only a fearful antic.i.p.ation. If it was true-- if Vrin was was a real place-- would I remember? Would I sense myself going past my dreams into that mysterious world beyond? My heart quickened at the thought. a real place-- would I remember? Would I sense myself going past my dreams into that mysterious world beyond? My heart quickened at the thought.

Slowly I began to undress. Maybe I'm just dreaming this whole nightmare, I thought. Maybe at any moment I'll wake up in the hotel in New York and be heading off on our vacation. Maybe there's no such thing as Vrin, or Doctor Solomon, or Nan, or Haz..." As I removed my pants, a b.u.t.ton fell from my pocket and rolled across the floor. It was the one Hazel had placed in my hand.

I let out a long sigh.

For a moment, I stood and thought about trying to stay awake, but quickly dismissed the idea, and climbed in under the sheet. My head pressed heavily into the pillow. My eyes burned in their sockets. I stared at the ceiling fan, dreading the thought of falling asleep, yet knowing there would be no stopping it. My body was beyond exhaustion, my head was already slipping into the warm dark. I rolled over onto my side.

Oh, well, I thought, here we go, back to the magical magical realm realm of of Vrin-- Vrin-- to save it from an evil mastermind. to save it from an evil mastermind.

CHAPTER 28.

THE MAGIC.

001001011001110.

"Wake up!"

The voice seemed distant.

"Wake UP!" UP!"

The pain in my head was excruciating. The rope on my wrists scratched and burned. I opened my eyes a slit.

"Is he awake?" came another voice.

"Arganis?" I asked dryly. "Is that you?"

The lumbering shadow before me moved aside, revealing Arganis in the flickering light of the lantern.

" I do not know you, yet you call me by name?"

"We have met before."

"We have not. I would remember such a meeting." His voice was not as friendly as I remembered it. "--The signet on your collar tells me you are from the ruling house. Are you a spy?"

"No. I have come to seek your help."

He laughed. "My "My help? What could Daru possibly want from me, a humble peasant?" help? What could Daru possibly want from me, a humble peasant?"

Though painful, I forced my eyes open. From my position on the floor, I counted five, maybe six figures.

"Arganis, I need to speak with you, alone."

He crouched down before me. "You may speak freely."

"I can't. It would put my life at risk."

"If you do not not speak, speak, that that will put your life at risk!" will put your life at risk!"

"Look, Arganis, I'm not a spy. I am a friend of Sajin's.

"Sajin made no mention of you."

"Listen. He and and Sam' Dejal sent me here with a private message." Sam' Dejal sent me here with a private message."

He gave me an examining stare. "How can I trust you?"

"Do you remember your conversation with Sam' Dejal?"

He squinted at me. "--Yes."

"Do you remember how he told you about the G.o.ds dreaming a dream, and how you pondered the meaning of this world."

"Yes, of course I remember." There was curiosity in his voice.

"Arganis. The dreamer dreamer has awakened." has awakened."

His brows knitted. "Leave us," he stated. The room quickly emptied, and soon we were alone. "What is it you wish to tell me?"

I rolled over and sat up with a grunt. My head reeled. "Did you-- hear the voice of Gaza in the sky?"

"Yes."

"I am the one he is looking for." am the one he is looking for."

"You are Charm?" are Charm?"

"Yes."

He looked me over closely. "Why are you here? And how do you know me?" me?"

"I'm here because I need to learn the magic of The Circle of Ghosts."

His eyebrows raised. "And you think I will teach you this?"

"Yes, because with that knowledge I can stop Gaza from destroying Vrin."

He a.s.sessed me with incredulous eyes. "How?" "How?"

"By entering the cognosphere."

"You cannot change the past by using an event cell. What Gaza has done, is done."

"No, I am not speaking of changing the past. I intend to enter enter the cognosphere itself." the cognosphere itself."

In the flickering light of the lantern, I wasn't sure if I saw horror, or surprise on his face. "Th- that's not possible!" possible!"

"It is only possible if you help me. Your magic holds the key. Once in the event cell, there will be no way for me to find my way back to my physical body, unless you help me."

"You would go mad in an empty event cell."

"You are incorrect. I would not."

"Everyone who has ever ever attempted this has gone mad, how are attempted this has gone mad, how are you you any different?" any different?"

I leaned forward, against the objection of my restraints. I looked him directly in the eye. "Because, Arganis-- I am, am, Sam' Dejal." Sam' Dejal."

His face went slack. "You are already mad!"

"Arganis, listen to me. I know know things that only things that only he he would know. I can tell you the conversation we had in this very cellar. We talked about the dream, and the world beyond Vrin. We drank together and chose to believe in Ethral. Then we traveled into Rath's castle. Ask me anything. I remember it all." would know. I can tell you the conversation we had in this very cellar. We talked about the dream, and the world beyond Vrin. We drank together and chose to believe in Ethral. Then we traveled into Rath's castle. Ask me anything. I remember it all."

He sat shaking his head slowly. "How is this possible?"

"The body of Sam' Dejal still lies deep in the heart of the Citadel, but who he was, is now in this this body." body."

"If you are him," He paused, "then why do you not have his power?"

"I am no longer connected to the source of the power. I have the memories of Sam' Dejal, but in every other way, I am just like you."

Again he examined me. His eyes narrowed. "How did we enter Rath's castle?"

I suppressed a smile. "First you showed me the map with the best place to enter, then I created a hole in the ground, and we went into the dungeon through the wall."

He put his hand on his chin. "If you are so interested in my magic, then why did you not ask me to use it in the dungeon?"

"Ah, but I did ask. You created smoke and a blinding flash to make my appearance to the guard more dramatic. And it worked quite nicely, if I remember correctly."

"So..." His eyebrows rose. "The G.o.d who would be man-- is now a man?"

"Yes."

"A man who needs my help."

"Most definitely."

His whole face smiled.

I returned the smile.

"This is wonderful!"

"Not so much for me."

"I'm sorry, no, of course not." He crouched down and cut the bonds from my wrists and ankles. "It must be very hard for you to be without your powers, but the implications of this are remarkable. It means the G.o.ds are human." His head c.o.c.ked and his eyes focused on a distant point. "You said you were sleeping. How could you be sleeping, in the dream."

That was a very good question. One I wished I knew the answer to. "I did not wake up where I expected, so I don't have an answer to that." was a very good question. One I wished I knew the answer to. "I did not wake up where I expected, so I don't have an answer to that."

"This person you are now was not the one who was sleeping?"

"No. In fact, I met the person I am now while I was still in Sam' Dejal." I started to rise.

Arganis helped me up and into a chair, his voice prattling the whole time. "Amazing! When you were Sam' Dejal, you actually met this person you are now? Did he know you, or was he someone else before you inhabited this body?"

"He was frozen."

"Frozen? Had Had he he always been frozen?" always been frozen?"

"No. I froze-- I mean-- this body froze while I was reading Davata Notrals at the capital. I had lived a whole life up to that point."

"And when you left Sam' Dejal, you woke as Charm?"

"Yes, but it was not what I was expecting. I expected to awake in the place I was sleeping."

"Are you still dreaming the dream?"

"I believe I am a part of the dream now."

His furry brows danced. "Amazing!" "Amazing!"

"I'm glad you you think so." think so."

He brushed me off. "I'm sorry for my enthusiasm. I must remind myself that you are in great danger in this body. Gaza himself is searching for you, and you are without your power. I should not be indulging my petty curiosities. Please, accept my apology."

"I am humbled by your wisdom and restraint, Arganis. It would not be so with me, if I were in your place."

"Your compliment brings me great honor."

I gripped the table and stood. "It is deserving, I a.s.sure you. Now, let's get down to business."