Items atop consoles began to float. They surrounded Era and illusory ones added themselves to the ranks. Era shuffled everything, mixing up the illusions with the real projectiles.

Pan stood and watched. All around, everyone jumped into the trenches. Some fled through the lower doors. Some stayed. It took Pan a few seconds to realize, Alban had ordered them to do those things. Pan stayed frozen.

“Get off the rim! Down,” Alban shouted. He grabbed Pan’s arm. “Off the dais, come on.”

Just as Era’s projectiles shot forward, Alban pulled Pan down. She fell into the trench and struggled. She found Alban on top of her, holding her still, especially her leg. He pointed a remote at her ankle. Then, the cuff fell free.

That’s right. Can’t fight with that thing.

“Kill her,” Alban instructed. “And, leave my ship in one piece.”

Pan nodded curtly. She drew herself a portal and stepped back onto the top of the dais. “You missed me.”

“But, I got a few of the others.” Era pointed below at some poor souls impaled with the random objects.

All of them still wriggled.

Pan felt her temper rise. “I’ve found my new favorite person to hate.”

Era smirked. She retrieved all of the projectiles, pulling them from people’s bodies or the floor. She aimed them at Pan. She hesitated only a moment and sent everything Pan’s way.

Pan couldn’t escape projectiles from every direction. She also didn’t plan to fight on the bridge.

Pan drew a portal below her feet and fell through. She landed behind Era, fell to her knees, and telekinetically pushed Era’s feet out from under her.

While Pan got up, Era toppled. Era fell into the pit, banging her hip on the walkway’s edge. That would leave a bruise.

Pan caught Alban’s eyes. She pointed to the doors, turned, and ran off the bridge. She saw the gaping hole above the corridor but not the ship that must have blown it. The hole showed a view of space, with nothing but a flickering forcefield between Pan and the stars.

She wanted to get as far away from other Scaldin as possible. That shouldn’t be hard. On Scaldin ships, it seemed officers commuted to their station in the morning, said ‘whelp, here I am,’ and remained till lunch. At least, Pan hadn’t seen anyone when the guards walked her to the bridge. Maybe, Alban had ordered people out of her path. He’d better do it again.

What would be the best way to deal with Era? Last time Pan fought a reaper, she had to use her time message. She fought Brynn over and over, until she buried a pipe in her old mentor. Pan had cut the woman deep. She remembered the awful sounds – the blood. Pan couldn’t do that again.

She felt a stitch in her side. She stopped and turned to get an idea of Era’s location.

Era stood not far behind, and suddenly, heat pulsed at Pan’s back. The fire urged Pan closer to Era. It drew in, sending sparks and wind through Pan’s hair.

So, she’s telekinetic, illusionist, and fire starter – common powers. But, I bet there’s more.

Pan whirled away and faced the wall of fire. She remembered the sight of the corridor beyond the flames. She drew a portal and stepped inside. She came out running, leaving Era and the fire behind.

I need a weapon, Pan pleaded to no one in particular.

She skidded around a corner and found a cart of abandoned armor. Pan almost ran past. Then, she scooped up the items. For a moment, she held them in the air, then Pan sent them back to Era.

Era rounded the corner, and Pan’s telekinetic cloud parted. Era defeated all of the projectiles and sent them askance. A few smaller pieces froze midair.

Ice Shaper too.

For a beat, Pan stared at Era’s display. Then, Pan sent the abandoned cart speeding to the other reaper. It swept Era off her feet, and Pan heard Era go ‘oof.’ She landed hard on the cart and bruised her other hip.

Pan sprinted away. She ducked down a turn. So far, she found every hall empty.

In the first big juncture, Pan skidded to a stop. Here she found some more abandoned things. It seemed Alban had indeed cleared the halls. Pan ignored the boxes and trolleys. She wouldn’t beat a fellow telekinetic with telekinesis.

Instead, Pan inspected the juncture for portal potential. Eight halls clustered around an open room. Pan portaled herself down one passage and peeked out. She had a clear view of the open juncture and three of the hallways across from her.

Ideal for portal making.

Era entered the juncture and spun in place. She spotted Pan and started down the hall. She sent a flame Pan’s way.

Pan just portaled to a new hall, quiet and slightly dim. Pan moved deeper and hid.

“I was wondering when you’d start using portals,” Era said. “In my opinion, it’s your best power. I wish I had it.”

Over my dead body.

“Of course, it has the downside of making you look like a coward. All that hiding. It’s not good for an arcane image.” Era’s footsteps moved back and forth as Era checked the halls. A crackling sound moved around the room, not fire but ice.

A sheet of ice sped down Pan’s hall. It crackled and coated the floor. It crept up the walls and headed on for Pan.

Pan portaled to a new location. The ice now traveled down the wrong path. Pan laughed. Then, she portaled away to yet another hall.

Fire sped for Pan’s old location.

“I can see this little game might be entertaining for you. But, I’m just a bit disappointed. I came to fight you, and you won’t even show yourself.” Era went quiet. So did her steps.

She’s going to stop and pout. Pan imagined Era with her arms crossed, sulking in the middle of a hall, looking every which way because, of course, her sulking was an act – just as much for Pan as it was for Era. Well, if that’s the case, I’m leaving.

Pan left the juncture, she portaled far down a promising hall. She didn’t know where it led, but the quiet might buy her some time to reflect on Era’s origins and crimes. Era had destroyed Tingaran. She was arcane, and in fact, she seemed to be a reaper. Was Era what Brynn had meant?

As Pan hopped down her new path, she stepped into a place that was half-hall, half-ruin. The ruin crept over the floor and headed for Pan.

Oh, she wasn’t sulking after all, just using a big power.

Era had taken advantage of the quiet and woven an illusion. Pan was surprised to find this version of the power more like Brynn’s and less like the typical illusionists. Era could paper the walls in fantasy, just like Brynn.

Crawling bugs and writhing snakes moved over the walls. Pan backpedaled, not wanting to be caught in any illusion or to touch the make-believe snakes. The illusion’s edge spread too quickly. Pan couldn’t outrun it. She turned and planned to portal away. The illusion approached from that direction as well. Pan sighed. She wasn’t surprised, but she needed to defend herself in Era’s bug house. Pan glanced between the two fronts. She found a room. She wouldn’t enter. She could become trapped, unable to find the door. Across from the room, stood a cabinet. Pan ran to it.

Telekinetically, she yanked the locked door free and opened it to reveal weapons. Pan grabbed a big gun and a long baton. Then, the illusion overtook her from both sides.

She clutched the gun in her left hand, and in the right, she held the baton aloft.

The walls crawled with bugs and snakes. Pan saw little garter snakes among roaches, beetles and millipedes. Deeper in the illusion, the bodies of giant snakes rolled, moving like serpents beneath a sea. Once in a while, Pan saw one of the behemoth snakes’ heads. Pan was not the kind of person to enjoy the company of snakes and bugs, but she remained calm. Since the floor remained unaltered, Pan deduced that Era also was not the kind of person that kept company with reptiles and insects.

Pan crept forward. Though most of the structure looked the same, Pan knew some walls could be fake. She couldn’t risk a portal. She wandered through the place, winding down one hall only to find a dead end. As Pan backtracked, she found another dead end. Two dead ends, with no way out? Soon, Era would follow.

Pan let the gun fall to her side. It hung there. She didn’t know how to use it, but she’d find a way to make it useful. She clutched the baton tight and waited.

Era’s powers nearly matched Brynn’s. It bothered Pan. How could Era take Brynn’s abilities, or was it all coincidence? Era had common powers. So did Brynn. Pan needed to remind herself that the two were not related. It seemed Era had more to do with that Soffigen threat. Then again, Brynn and Era shared an illusion ability that was not so common.

One passage remained a dead end, so Pan turned and faced the other. Moments later, Era made her approach. At least, Pan thought it might be Era.

Ahead, a colorful feline stalked. Large paws looked out of place as they padded down the space age corridor. Intense yellow eyes watched Pan. Era had a touch of arrogance about her. She hid behind that feline illusion and didn’t attack.

What a fool.

Out of sight, Pan telekinetically wiggled the gun open. She didn’t look down, but in her peripheral vision, she saw exposed ammunition. Just what Pan sought. The bullets floated free, and Pan kept them behind her, out of feline Era’s sight.

The cat seemed to grin and watched Pan’s baton. Its eyes flicked to the gun but only for a moment. Pan’s hands shook – hardly, threatening. The cat’s tail waved, and it crouched.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Pan began to doubt whether she looked at Era at all. Maybe, the great cat was real. Pan had every bullet free. She didn’t wait for the pounce, and bullets arched into the cat.

The cat jumped anyway.

Pan ducked out of its path.

It was Era after all. The cat illusion flickered and dropped off. The walls flickered too, but the illusion of bugs and snakes endured.

Pan felt a small tug on the bullets. She didn’t relinquish control. She pressed the tiny projectiles deeper.

Era emitted a cry of pain and annoyance. “You’re supposed to fire those out of the gun! What a colossal bitch, but I should have known that by now.”

“By now?”

“I’ve been studying you,” Era said.

The illusion faded. The overlaid bugs still crawled, but Pan could see through to the walls. She could find her way. But, she stayed and watched Era.

The Soffigen reaper doubled over in pain. Pan narrowed her eyes. Era held something. She threw it at Pan, and the thing exploded.

Pan tossed her hands up and caught the liquid on her arms. Some splashed her stomach and thighs. The caustic material began to eat through Pan’s clothes. She whipped off her dress and threw it at Era. Her slip remained, and Pan’s arms ached with light chemical burns.

Era stood up. Bullets popped out of her onto the floor.

Wonderful, she heals too.

Pan threw the empty gun at Era. She kept her baton and ran. She barreled through the wall that pretended to be a dead end, now only a ghost of the illusion it was. After a few more steps, Pan escaped the illusion and found herself aboard Alban’s ship once more.

I should have killed her right then. I shouldn’t have hesitated. No, wait. Alban will want answers from her. I should keep her alive, or maybe, Sotir can get answers off her body.

The second option sounded safer.

Pan ran through several corridors, searching for some way to get rid of Era. How could she kill someone who had all the common powers mastered? Pan recalled how she’d killed Brynn. She’d impaled the woman and practically turned Brynn’s heart into ground meat. Pan still thought about it, late at night. She would probably grow numb by the second murder, right?

Pan passed a junction. Something clattered into the space behind her. She startled and turned. Then, she stopped. A com slid from one of the neighboring halls.

With careful steps, Pan walked back into the junction. She peeked down one hall and saw a couple of Alban’s officers, a man and a woman. The woman motioned for Pan to take the com. Pan scooped it up. She ran away, not towards the officers but on the path that took her some distance from Era.

I can’t go too fast. I don’t want Era to get bored and start killing my comrades.

A few steps down the hall, Pan found another junction, filled with abandoned equipment. She ducked behind a cart and hit the com button.

“Hello?”

“I was about to call you.” Alban’s voice came over the device. “How are things?”

“Keep your voice down,” Pan said. “She’s chasing me, or she was. I don’t know if she’s after Aria, Sotir, or Irini now. Or some of your people.”

“We’re hiding. Don’t worry about us. She’ll find this ship a maze of locked doors.” Alban’s voice came softly.

“She has a lot of powers: Ice shaping, fire starting, healing, telekinesis...I don’t know if I forgot one.”

“Illusion,” Sotir said through the com.

“Thank you. That’s it.”

“A lot of similar abilities to Brynn,” Alban said. So, he noticed it too.

“Are they connected?” Pan’s heart beat fast.

Sotir answered, “I don’t know, Pan. But, I doubt it. She has all the high-profile abilities of Scaldin arcanes. There’s a reason for that. She’s some kind of experiment, drawn from Soffigen research on arcane bodies.”

Pan glanced back down the hall. She remained alone. “If she’s an experiment, she’s a very successful one. She’s a reaper.”

“She’s not,” Sotir said, with firmness.

Alban’s voice took over. “Her powers are similar to Brynn. That’s a good thing. You know how to fight her.”

Pan liked that point of view. She nodded along, though Alban couldn’t see. “So, what do I do?”

“What did you try in the fight against Brynn?” Alban asked.

Pan’s memory flashed the gruesome scene. Blood on her hands, seeing red in more ways than one, and the sound of Brynn’s death rattle as Pan stirred metal through the old reaper’s chest. “I destroyed her heart.”

Alban remained quiet a beat. “That’ll kill anyone. I meant a strategy. Think about the strategy you used on Brynn: portals, telekinesis, portals and telekinesis together?”

Pan felt her eyes widen. “Trickery. I used tricks.”

“I’m not surprised. Should I get you some power suppressant? That’ll take care of her. I can have it to you in minutes.”

Pan stiffened. She didn’t want to handle the stuff or have it aimed anywhere near her. “I don’t want to use that.”

“I’ll have an officer use it. You just have to keep her busy.”

Pan still balked. She didn’t like Era, but she couldn’t say Era deserved power suppressant. More concerning, whichever officer wielded the suppressant might turn it on Pan, mistakenly thinking they couldn’t get the cuff reaffixed.

“I don’t want suppressant.”

“So, kill her. But, if you don’t mind, I’ll have the power suppressant ready as a backup plan,” Alban said.

“I’ll try not to need it.”

Pan counted suppressant as worse than death. She could churn the heart of Era. She could chop Era’s head from her body. Those options would demonstrate more mercy, but it would be a gruesome mercy. Pan would rather trick Era into harming herself. Or, maybe, she could find a clean way to kill Era. Why not portal Era somewhere unpleasant?

A window. Pan’s eyes lit. “I want to get to the hull.”

“Continue in the direction you’ve been traveling,” Alban instructed. “You’ll run into another junction. Turn left. Then, take the earliest right turn. That will get you to the ship’s hull. I’ll give you more detailed directions once you get a little closer.”

Pan drew in a short but confident breath. “Okay. I’ll do that. What does Sotir have to say?”

“He’s working on moving some people. Era is getting a bit bored. If you don’t mind, I’m going to drop her a hint on your location.”

“That’s fine.” Pan stood.

Now, if I can remember the directions. What was it? Straight? Left. Then, right.

Pan left the pseudo safety of the cart and ran on. She entered an unusual space, a wider passage lined with cabinets.

Pan felt a stitch in her side. She put a hand to her flank and slowed. Now that she knew her destination, she might as well portal there. She saw no sign of the next junction. It might be a long run.

As Pan raised her hand and sighted the hall, Era’s voice hummed from ahead. Pan froze.

She’s ahead of me?

With wide eyes, Pan got into one of the cabinets. She found it stuffed with suits and other wearable equipment, but there was enough room for her. Slats allowed her to look out, and Pan wondered what these cabinets were for. Why did they need suits in the middle of the ship? Pan glanced sidelong at a blue, slippery sleeve and thought it might offer protection from chemicals. She probably hid in some scientist’s locker.

Pan tightened her grip around the com and held her breath. If she survived this confrontation with Era, she would ask Alban to show her around the ship. She wanted to know her own way.

Through the slats, Pan peered. If she angled herself just right, she could see into another of the cabinets. She could actually see into many of them. Pan could play her favorite game here. She could hide, get past Era, and find that window.

“Something a little bird said made me think you might be this way.” Era’s footfalls came closer. “I know your friends run away from me. That’s fine. I wanted you after all. Fighting you is the only way I can prove myself.”

That sounds familiar.

Era’s steps clicked closer to Pan’s cabinet.

Pan sighted through the slats. She looked into a new cabinet. She drew a portal and slipped inside. Now, she stood inside the other cabinet. She stayed quiet, but some fabric whispered as she entered the space.

Era sighed.

Pan portaled again. She kept going, working her way down the hall, trying to get past Era. If Pan had been earlier in her career as a portal maker, her head would have spun. But, she’d gotten used to the disorientation.

“Pan!” Era shrieked. “Just fight me.”

Pan smiled. Maybe, she would. Her angry friend seemed in just the right spot. Pan still held her baton. She hefted it.

I could take my time finding that window if I give her a reason to heal herself.

Pan portaled into the open, behind Era, and swung her baton. The baton stopped just shy of Era’s head. Pan didn’t mind. She pulled all the things out of the cabinets and plastered them to Era. Era became a kind of magnet, and Pan laughed.

With the aid of her distraction, Pan hoped to regain her hold on the baton, but the baton stayed firm in the air. Pan couldn’t pull it free.

Underneath the pile of junk, Era growled.

A small motion caught Pan’s eye – a giant millipede. It fell to the floor, then climbed up Pan’s bare leg, and headed for her short slip. Pan jumped back. She swiped at the bug and lost telekinetic control.

Era took advantage.

In seconds, Pan found herself under the pile of stuff. Blue fabric covered her eyes and nose. Goggles and even a few helmets created little pockets of space. Pan held the com but dropped the baton. She pushed the things away from her, both telekinetically and with her free hand. She gained a little room to breathe but couldn’t free herself. As she shifted within the pile, a piece of paper fluttered by her waist. Pan snatched it.

Outside the prison of stuff, Era laughed.

It was my idea. I have myself to blame.

Pan shook hair out of her eyes. A small hole allowed light into the pile. Who knew how long it would remain? Pan pulled the picture into the light’s influence. It looked like a handmade postcard. The image showed a room on a starship, with a large window and stars in the background. Pan wondered if the location belonged to this ship: Alban’s ship.

She stared hard at the picture and memorized its details. Then, the light went.

This place had better be real. It better be here.

Pan drew a deep breath, pulled the com to her mouth, and hoped Era wouldn’t hear.

“Alban? There’s a picture with tables and chairs and a big window with stars. Is that on this ship?” Pan asked.

“What? Why are you looking at pictures? You haven’t moved. Is Era with you?”

“Is it on the ship?”

Alban paused only a moment. “It sounds like the gathering room. We use it for a lot of things.”

Pan felt hot. She heard a crackle.

Era’s muffled voice said, “I think I might cook you, and then, when you’re all done, I’ll eat your heart. I heard a legend once that says I could gain your abilities doing just that.”

Just reap me. Pan took one last deep breath and, below her feet, drew her portal.

Pan fluttered to the floor of the gathering room. As she drifted through the air, she levitated herself and stared at the picture.

Photographs and drawings could serve as sights for portals. Pan suspected they could. From this moment on, they would serve her well. If she could, she would travel by picture all the time.

Her feet touched down, and she looked around. She found the room in the same configuration as the postcard. Tables and chairs waited everywhere.

“You’ve jumped to the gathering room,” Alban said from the com. “Impressive, but she’s going to reach you faster than you realize. Get ready.”

Pan didn’t answer Alban. She dropped the postcard and took his advice.

At the base of the door, she drew a discrete portal. It led far into space. Pan paused. Would Era be fooled by this? Maybe not. What if Pan made more of them?

Telekinetically, Pan stacked furniture. She turned things on edge. She made a little maze. Then, on the surface of the upturned tables, Pan drew portals: portals to other parts of the room. In minutes, Pan had a house of portals. She could run into a table and come out a wall or in the middle of the air. She admired her handiwork. More than an illusion, Pan had made her own funhouse, and she would use it to trick Era into space.

No matter how clever and powerful Era might be, she’d chose wrong eventually, and Pan could hide in the room and try to portal Era out, again and again.

The door hissed open. The roar of fire led, and a nearby portal radiated heat.

Good thing I didn’t wait there.

“Wow,” Era said. “This is what I came for. You’re hiding, but it’s still the kind of thing I wanted to see. Where are you in all of this? Certainly not in this one.” The sound of a careful step followed. “Shall I take one of these portals and find out? You haven’t left much room to walk.”

Era appeared a ways ahead, and Pan ducked behind another portal.

“I can hear you breathe.”

If she could help it, Pan wouldn’t breathe, but it couldn’t be helped.

Era must have taken another portal. She sighed. “It’s cool. Maybe too cool.”

Pan smiled. Era could hear her, but didn’t know where the portals led. Era could track Pan, but it wouldn’t do much good in a space that folded in on itself. Pan needed to remember this tactic.

Across the room, several portals spewed fire and a few more spewed ice.

“Alright, Pan!” Era called. “I’ve changed my mind. This sucks. I’ve had enough. Maybe, I should go find your friends? How long do you think they can outrun me?”

Pan knew Era wouldn’t leave. She came for Pan. Just the same, Pan blocked off the door with another portal. She looked around and spotted movement up above. Era levitated over the bulk of Pan’s portals. She smiled to see Pan.

This would work best if I drew more in the air...next time.

Era sent a shot of ice and levitated to the ground. “Hold still. I want to enjoy killing you.”

Pan dodged the ice. “You want a challenge or you want it easy. Make up your mind.”

The ice traveled through the portal behind Pan, creating a slick space somewhere on the gathering room floor. Pan also went through the portal, slipped on the ice, and fell to her knees.

Era laughed.

Pan watched the Soffigen arcane stalk closer. Era wielded fire in one hand and ice in another. Era stepped into the portal, and Pan switched the destination. The portal took Era out to space.

Pan rolled off the ice and dispelled every portal. Out the window, far off, she saw Era, floating among stars.

Pan raised the com to her mouth. “Go, just leave.”

“You won?” Alban asked.

“She’s off the ship. Just go!” Pan shouted.

She heard no more from Alban. She presumed he ordered them forward because the ship began to pick up speed.

Far away, Era swam through space. Era’s surroundings changed into an illusory tropical landscape.

Pan looked on with disgust. The farther they got, the stranger Era’s little fantasy world looked.

How do I kill her?