Evan

“Mom!” Kae yelled. “What are you doing?”

Evan instinctively ran to Nina whose head was still leaning against the wall in an unnatural angle. He leaned in and was relieved to hear she was still breathing.

“Oh sweetie, you’ll understand soon enough.” Ying said, in a saccharine voice. “And I’m not even at full strength yet. Don’t worry, it will all make sense once I bring you to the Warlock.” She turned to Kae and caressed her face. “Just remember, don’t resist, it’s much cleaner if you give in willingly, but until then…sorry.” Kae’s body jerked sharply before falling to the ground motionless.

“Mom!” Evan yelled, he was now standing between his mom and the Root.

“Oh Evan, what are you going to do? Stand aside.”

“Mom, stop!” Evan yelled. What the hell was going on?

Ying’s expression changed to one of minor annoyance before sending a blast of black ESH at Evan who stood unaffected. “That’s right.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Well…it seems like we are at a bit of a standoff.” She looked around in a vain attempt for a way past Evan. “I tell you what, you let me through, or I kill Kae and this piece of trash.” Ying motioned to Nina.

Fear squeezed Evan’s chest. He couldn’t breathe. “Mom, no, don’t do this!”

“Oh, my baby boy, are you really going to sit here and watch me slice them up piece by piece? I doubt it. I tell you what, I’m going to give you a little taste of what that could look like, and you tell me if you have the stomach to watch that.” Ying smiled condescendingly as she reached out causing Kae’s body to rise up in the air like a lifeless puppet on invisible strings. “Where shall we start? Hmm? You get to pick. Shall I pluck a finger or toe off first?”

Evan’s heart thumped in his chest. Was this really his mom? What was happening?

“How about a finger?” Ying smiled as Kae’s pinky finger started to extend out in an unnatural angle.

“Okay, okay!” Evan yelled. “Put her down and I’ll…I’ll let you pass.” He knew what he had to do. He stepped aside and fell to his knees. He covered his face and started feigning crying noises.

“Smart choice.” Ying said, setting Kae’s lax body down before walking towards the door to the lab.

Evan’s chest thumped hard. He took a deep breath and slid his hand to the side of his head feeling around right behind his right ear for the teensy scab. Finding his mark, he scraped his fingernail across it. It came free. “Adelfried sends his regards.” He slapped the scab against her leg.

“What?” There was a bright pulse of light and a loud pop. Ying flew across the room and slammed into the wall. Evan ran over to her and put his head close to hers. She was still breathing. He felt sick. Relieved, but sick.

He dragged his mother into Kae’s closet and after a few minutes Nina started to mumble unintelligibly. Evan ran to her side and helped her sit up. “You alright?”

She started rubbing the back of her head. “What happened? Where’s your mom?”

“Don’t worry, she’s not a threat right now, but I don’t know how long she’ll be out.”

“Hey, I don’t know how you did it, but good job.” She gave him a kiss on his cheek. “And, thank you.”

Evan felt himself blush as a smile he couldn’t stop crept across his face. “Anytime.”

They stowed Mom in Kae’s overflow closet and tied her up with a bunch of extra belts they found. Nina gave a belt one last tug to ensure its tightness. “Hopefully that’ll keep her disoriented long enough until we can figure out how to get out of here.”

The sight of his mom tied up magnified his uneasiness. What world did he live in now? The sounds of several sets of footsteps came down the stairs from the main room. Perhaps he was getting numb to danger or finding his courage, but either way he wasn’t afraid of whatever had made its way through the shield. He knew they stood a better chance if he took whatever attack was pointed at them. He would be the shield and Nina the sword. “Stay behind me. I’ll block and you shoot. Okay?”

Nina looked surprised but nodded. “Alright, let’s do it.”

They rushed into the room, but it wasn’t Sovs. “Dad!” Kneeling over Kae in tears his dad turned to him as Evan almost tackled him in a hug. With him was Adelfried and two strangers he had never seen before. “Don’t worry, Kae’s okay.” Evan said, squeezing him harder and harder.

“I was so worried about you,” Dad said, as his eyes started to water.

“Wait!” Evan pulled Dad’s head back. His eyes were bloodshot but more importantly not grey.

“Evan! You’re standing on my hand!” Kae said, apparently awake now and wrenching her hand from under his shoe.

Nina cracked a smile. “What, Red? You can’t follow orders either?”

Red looked at Nina astonished. “About as good as you, I see. I figured you were dead.”

“Again? So little faith. I guess your survival instincts are rubbing off on me. Well, that and I got a little help.” Nina looked over at Evan and Kae. “But how did you get through the barrier?”

“It’s easy when you have a wizard, even one still learning.” Red nodded to Adelfried. “Now, I don’t mean to bring the mood down, but we need to go, it’s only a matter of time before Mistress Kreeg or more Sovs come to finish the job.”

“Evan, your mom is…” Dad’s voice broke up as he continued. “…I don’t know how to say this but she’s—"

“Yeah, I know Dad, we have her tied up in Kae’s closet.”

Jim looked at him dumbfounded “Wait, what? She’s alive?”

Red put his hand on Jim’s shoulder. “This is what I was afraid of, she’s a Sov now, she’s as good as gone.”

Jim looked back and forth between Red and Evan for answers. “What do you mean gone? She’s alive!”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Red went pale and his voice quieted. “The same thing happened to my wife, Lisa…we tried for years to free her from the Sov connection. We tried so many things, but there isn’t a way to sever the connection. All we succeeded in doing was torturing whatever was left of her only to fail in the end.”

Evan couldn’t piece together what was happening. “What are you talking about?”

Jim turned to Red defiantly. “No, there has to be a way!”

Red’s eyes softened with emotion. “Jim, I’m sorry, but she’s not your wife anymore. She’s a Sov.”

“What happened?” Ying said, stumbling out of the closet with belts still attached to her ankles and wrists. Her once grey sullen eyes were now charred pits of ashen skin. “Where am I? I hear voices, who’s there?”

Evan froze at the sight of this ghoul with black eyes. He could barely breathe as the word, “Mom?” trickled out of his mouth like a distant whisper. Had he done this? Did his little trick sear his mom’s eyes into this freakish form?

Ying’s voice faltered. “Who said that? Evan, is that you?”

“Get back!” Nina yelled, positioning herself between Ying and the group. “It’s a trick.”

Ying reached her arms out as if trying to get her bearing. “Where am I? How come I can’t see anything? Wait…the last thing I remember was at the acid pools and…oh god, what have I done, Kae, I’m so sorry.” Her voice trailed off to a whimper.

Nina raised her hand as if she were about to attack when Jim stepped in front of her. “Hold on. How do we know she’s a Sov?”

Red moved in next to Nina. “Mistress Kreeg, the most powerful wizard of all time, tried to break the Sov connection with Lisa, but even she failed. She’s a Sov now, I swear.”

“Jim! Don’t listen to them, it’s me. Whatever Evan did, it…it freed me.” Ying stumbled backwards tripping on a belt tied to her ankle. She smacked her head against a concrete wall leaving a smear of blood. She started to cry. “Help me, Jim. I’m scared, don’t let them kill me!”

Evan tried to breathe, but it felt like a sack of cement was crushing him. He hadn’t thought his little trick had done this, but now he wasn’t sure. Had he turned her eyes into these grotesque lumps of ash? He didn’t want to believe it, but there she was, standing in front of him.

Kae stepped in next her dad blocking access to Mom as the argument started to escalate into yells and threats when Evan heard Adelfried’s warm voice above the din. “You didn’t do this.”

Evan wasn’t sure what to say as the overwhelming sense of grief made it hard to focus. “I…I don’t know, how do you know? I used that thing you gave me, but…”

“What I gave you would never do that. She must have done that herself.”

Evan started to feel the fog of shame lift. Adelfried was right. The horrific sight of her eyes mixed with desperately wanting his mother back wouldn’t let him realize the obvious. It was all just a trick to win them over. But relief was quickly replaced with the pain that his real mother was gone .“Okay...you’re right, I can’t believe I was being so stupid…so, now what? She’s still whatever this is. Can you do something with the Root?”

Adelfried gave him a hearty pat on his back. “I believe it is even simpler than that. Remember the ballpark when we first met the Sovs?”

“Yeah...”

“Someone freed me from their enchantment.”

Evan’s heart leapt. How did he not see it? “You’re a genius!” He dodged past Red and Nina and between Kae and Jim who were all still arguing and tackled the ghastly version of his mother. He was going to crush the evil out of her with his bare hands.

“No!” She cried out as she fought and twisted while trying to spin away from Evan but there was no force, magical or otherwise, that was going to break his hold. He felt her start to convulse as if poison was being drawn from her. A sinister chorus of voices came from her lips “No! You can't do this. She’s mine! She's mine...” She let out a final shriek before her struggling gradually turned into a warm embrace. Her pained voice became a soft whimper. “My baby!” She cried. “My sweet baby!”

Evan burrowed his face deeper into her neck. “Mom, I thought we’d lost you.”

Evan felt his dad join the hug. “Ying, is it really you?”

Kae eyed them suspiciously. “I’m not sure.”

Mom snapped, “if you don’t get over here right now and hug me, you’ll be grounded for a month! And Evan you better have done your homework because saving me from the Sovs doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”

“And she’s back,” Kae said, joining the hug.

Mom felt around for Kae’s head and kissed her on her forehead. “I’m sorry I shocked you, I…I tried to resist, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t me. I didn’t want to do it. But that was me when I said I was proud of you for melting that jackass’ arm and for taking care of Evan.”

“Are we sure she isn’t a Sov?” Kae said, fighting off tears and laughter. “Well, we took care of each other.”

Red starting walking up the stairs and said, “We have to leave now! Mistress Kreeg is coming, and we have got to get out of here before—” A loud explosion rang out as if the protective field that surrounded the basement fizzled away.

“Shit.” Red said, stepping back down the stairs.

“What a cute little shield.” A woman’s musical voice projected forcefully through the room. “I haven’t seen that spell in years.” Upon hearing this all-powerful voice Adelfried darted back into his lab. The air was suddenly still as a willowy lady with waist length chestnut-brown hair appeared at the top of the stairs. She wore a robe woven from multiple threads of green and silver which flowed gracefully as she descended. Her slender neck was covered in a tight-fitting silver choker studded with colorful stones. She had a friendly face with brown freckles except for her severe eyes which felt like they could see through you.

Red stepped in front of the family to face her. “Mistress Kreeg, please just hear me out—” Red’s mouth stopped moving as she waved her hand at him covering him in a mint green field of energy.

She reached up and patted Red on the cheek. “That’s enough, Red, I will deal with you later.” His frozen body floated to the side.

Now only Nina stood between the family and Mistress Kreeg. She balled her hands into fists causing a bright orange barrier to form between them. “You can’t do this. You have no right.”

“You lecture me? I’ve been protecting this world for far longer than you can imagine. Don’t you dare think you know what I can or can’t do.” Her severe stare softened. “Because of your mom’s loyal service, I am going to give you one chance to step away before I do what is necessary.”

Nina’s chest started to heave, but she stood her ground and scowled. “You are not touching this family, you heartless bitch.”

“Your mother’s daughter to the end.” Mistress Kreeg put her hand on the barrier causing it to disappear. She raised her hand as if to deal a fatal blow and paused. “You should all know that your deaths are not in vain, but to save the world.”

Adelfried

Adelfried ran his fingers quickly through the portal potions in his workshop, before finding the least potent one. Better to escape with the Root, even if it meant jumping into an unknown future. He didn’t like his chances, even with the power of the Root in hand, against the skill of a modern wizard. With a portal potion in one hand, he snatched the Root out of its protective orb with his other. All he had to do was smash the potion to the Root and he would be flung into a future without a wizard trying to kill him. There were no guarantees of where it would take him, but it would most certainly not include this crazed wizard. But more importantly, it would keep the Root safe. Then, he could figure out how to find his way back to Minna and Leyna.

He held the delicate glass vial in his hand, ready to smash it against the Root. But his hand wouldn’t move. What about the Harpers? He couldn’t leave them to this fate. Perhaps when he found a way back to his family, he could also return to save the Harpers. Yes. He could time travel and fix all these ills. Would that work? Would they still be there to help? The idea of leaving the Harpers hollowed him. How could he abandon them? Ying had said travelling back in time was impossible. This might be his only chance to save the Harpers, no, to save his new family.

But facing this wizard meant he might very likely never see Minna and Leyna again. He had to accept that risk. But they were in the past, and Evan, Kae, Jim, and Ying were here, now, and he had to do what he could to save them. He would stand and face whatever devilry was upon them. He had the Root and his will and would not run anymore. He would make his stand, here and now.

He stormed out of his workshop. “You will do nothing!” He stepped in front of Mistress Kreeg. “If you touch this family, I will destroy you.” His grip on the Root intensified. He felt the familiar prickle of its strength warm him as Root started to glow radiantly. “How dare you claim to protect this world and threaten this family. Saving people doesn’t start with innocent death. Has no one learned this in a thousand years?”

Mistress Kreeg gasped, her voice was no longer eternal but plain, almost wounded. “No…how?” She stumbled as if she had lost her strength and fell to her knees. “Papa?”