Evan

Damn it. Why hadn’t he thought to take those dog tags off. “Okay, fine...I’m not from here.”

“Oh my god!” Tozi’s voice rose in excitement. “You really are an American, aren’t you? But...but...you’re so thin? I thought all Americans were fat.”

“No, okay, a lot of us are. So, where the hell am I?”

“Technically still under America. But you are in the outskirts of the Cuāuhtli empire. So, wow, do you like, live like under the sky? I mean like, you go outside and there is just nothing above you? What is that like?”

“It’s the sky, it's just like anywhere else, I guess.”

She rose and moved close to Evan, now looking at him like he was a lab rat. “Habla Espanol?”

Evan sighed. “No, I don’t speak Spanish.”

Her finger started glow brightly. She held it up to his face as if she were taking in every detail. “Your skin is so...dark. You have a tan, huh? That isn’t your natural skin color, right? It’s been darkened by the sun, right?”

“Well yeah, I spend time outside, most people do.”

She grabbed the back inside collar of his shirt. She leaned so close to his face her soft breaths made his skin tingle. “Yep, official topsider brand.” She snapped her fingers right by his left ear. That was weird. Her eyes grew wide. “Wow, you really are from above...I... I don’t know what to say. I have so many questions.”

“What was with the finger snapping?”

“No echolocalizar, er, I mean, you don’t echo locate.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t see in the dark, can you?” She nodded her head. “Oh...so that explains the flashlight.”

“What? Y’all don’t use flashlights down here?”

Tozi grinned. “You just said ‘y’all’. You’re so from Texas. Wow, I... I’m still in shock. So how did you get down here?” Her words became hurried and excited. “Is it true no one above knows we even exist? Oh, and is it true you eat chicken at every meal? Or beef? Do you like hamburgers? Is pizza as amazing as it sounds? Are stars really as beautiful as they look? And what—”

Evan threw his hands up. “Hold on. One question at a time. But no, wait. Give me my pulse pistol back first.”

She cocked her head. “How do I know you won’t, like, you know, shoot me and take my mushrooms? Or you know...take advantage of me.”

"Well for one, I don’t know how to get through that door. And two if I was going to shoot you, I would have already.”

“What about taking advantage of me? What, am I not pretty enough for a topsider?”

Evan’s face burned with embarrassment suddenly. “I uh...yeah, I mean no. I... I just mean I need a way to protect myself down here.”

She frowned. “So, I’m not cute enough for you?”

Why was he losing this conversation? What conversation was this even? “I didn’t say that.”

“So, do you think I’m cute? That’s what they say topside, right? Cute? Not bonita or bella.”

“You’re cute, okay? I think you are very cute.”

Tozi shook her head. “See that’s why I can’t give you this back. You might use it to take advantage of me. You just told me you think I’m hot. And if there is one thing I’ve learned from all the news I’ve seen, it's that American men, okay boys like you, can’t be trusted.”

Evan raised his hands in frustration or to potentially strangle this girl. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He threw his hands down. “Okay. Fine. Whatever, just you know...give it back to me when you’re ready. Has anyone ever told you that you’re impossible?”

She grinned cheerfully. “Yes. My mom. All the time. Now come on. You can help me water the mushrooms and answer my questions about topside.”

“Wow, you’ll let me help you with your chores?”

She picked up a thick brown pipe from the corner of the room. “And answer questions.” She again brushed past him on her way down the center walkway between rows of mushrooms. She pointed the pipe forward. “Leave your purse, we’ll come back this way and, come on.”

Evan looked at Zarg who was still sitting down where she had administered her scratches and whispered, “Can you believe this chick?”

“One of the benefits of being able to echo locate is that us Spaders have excellent hearing. But you think I’m a chick? That’s a compliment, right?”

Zarg stared back, blankly.

Evan dropped the purse and shook his head. “Yep. Sure is.”

Tozi led the way down the path in the center of the long room as Evan and Zarg followed a few paces behind. The well-worn ground they walked on differed from the standard hardened earth Evan had grown accustomed to walking on in the larger tunnels. It crumbled and mushed under his feet like normal soil.

“Sooo, do you eat a lot of mushrooms in Texas?”

“I mean my mom cooks with them. She’ll order pizza with them on it and there’s cream of mushroom soup...”

“Oh wow. I’ve always wanted to try pizza and cheese!”

“Wait. You don’t have cheese? What do you eat?”

She increased her pace. “We have cheese, it’s just very expensive. Anything made from milk is expensive, so, we don’t buy it because it’s all imported. Cheese, meats like pepperoni are expensive. You can get it, but it’s gonna be mucho dinero. But we have something called mushroom curd that is supposed to taste a lot like Swiss cheese, and we actually grow some wheat down here, if you can believe that. But it’s also kind of pricey.” She stopped at a break in the mushroom troughs and turned left before stopping at the wall. She pointed to a hole in the ceiling. All the pipes above the mushroom troughs came from a box near the hole. “Can you put this pipe in there and push it up until it clicks? Once it does you have to hold it.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

She was really going to make him help her with her chores. “Sure.” He took the pipe from her and slid it into the hole. After pushing it halfway up it connected with something. With a strong push it finally clicked. A light mist of water rained out of the brown pipes in the ceiling onto the mushrooms below.

“Now just hold it there. You know, I had a hamburger once, a Big Mac. It was for my birthday. We had a really big crop, and we splurged.”

Evan adjusted his position to make it easier to keep the pressure on the pipe. “You have McDonald’s down here?”

Tozi started to giggle as she watched him strain under the continued weight. “I think it’s some kind of knock off version. Even if it wasn’t a real one it was still really good. But honestly, the French fries were the best part. So buenazo.”

Evan switched arms as the weight had started to strain him.

She started laughing. “Okay, just let it down.”

He did and the water kept coming. “Wait. Why is the water...” It hit him. She had made him hold the pipe up to mess with him.

She laughed harder. “I just wanted to see how strong you are. That’s all.”

Great. He had run into the class clown. “I’m glad you are having fun.” This whole situation was too weird. The reality of where he was and the world he was stranded in started to gnaw at him again. Where was Kae? Where was Nina? Were Mom and Dad, okay? What about Adelfried? He took a deep breath. “Can you help me get back topside? Or should I just keep going until I find someone who will?”

“Okay. Okay...what, did you leave your sense of humor topside too? I already helped you. What do you think those Aguilas would have done to you if they caught you?”

Evan leaned the pipe against the wall making sure not to stray from his path or get sprayed on. “Gee. Do you think I know what an aguilas is?”

Tozi pointed at the hole in the ceiling. “Can you click it shut now? The mushrooms are good. An aguila is an eagle warrior. They’re responsible for watching the boundaries of the empire from foreign invaders, such as yourself.”

“I hardly think having your house dragged down to this hell hole would count as an invasion.”

Tozi looked away, her friendly tone gone. “Come on. I have more mushrooms to water.”

Did he really just call her home a hell hole? “I... sorry, I don’t think this place is a hell hole. I just...you have to understand, I was dropped down here, against my will.” Should he tell her about Kae and Nina? No. Not until he could really trust her.

Tozi continued down the path. Her voice drained of all excitement. “No. It is kind of a hell hole. The cities are nice, that’s where you want to be, not out here in the empty tubes. No one wants to live in the afueras. Sorry, the outskirts of the empire. Nothing out here but farmers, miners, and the occasional rat trappers.”

Evan followed. “Should I head to a city?”

“If you want to be picked up by the first ocelotl that sees you. Those jaguar warriors patrol the cities.” She turned around. “But I could help you blend in... for the right price?”

“You can’t have Zarg.”

She glowered and turned around continuing her hike down the path. “Fine,” she grunted. “I’ll help you anyway.”

“I’ll pay you back. I promise. I’ll think of something.”

“Don’t worry about it. But first, we have to finish watering the mushrooms.”

This girl went from hot to cold and back to hot faster than his mom. “So, does that mean you trust me now?”

“Well duh. I gave your stupid pistol back, didn’t I?”

Evan put his hand to his side and sure enough, she had slipped it back into its holster. He was going to have to watch this one for sure. “What, you’re not worried I’m going to take advantage of you now?”

“Come on, we have more watering to do.”

Adelfried

A bright light flashed. A loud clap of thunder rang out. Adelfried rubbed his eyes from the blinding flash. When he opened them, Harold stood alone on the lawn only a few paces away. His face was clean shaven, his hair short. He wore a blue business suit and a huge smile. He stretched his arms out as if ready for a hug. “Addy!”

Anger burned within Adelfried. But also, a longing to see his brother. Even after everything, he missed him. “How dare you? You killed Leyna! How could you?” Adelfried’s chest ached at the words. The weight of tears filled his eyes. “She loved you! I loved you. And...” Blue magic wrapped Adelfried in a brilliant glow that was hotter than it ever had been. His rage and anger fueled his magic.

Harold fell to his knees, hands outstretched. He grimaced. “I swear to you I would never, ever hurt Leyna. Ask Ying. She knows. She knows everything in my mind. I am not lying. Who would tell you such a thing?”

Had Minna been lying to him the whole time? Why would she lie about such a thing?

Harold got to his feet. “Of course. Of course. Minna, all to turn you against me. She has been set on destroying me for so long. Why not lie about the death of her own mother?”

It was all another twisted game, only this time it was his own daughter moving Adelfried around the board. But no, Harold had earned his contempt. Adelfried kept the anger in his voice. He wouldn’t let this revelation shake him and give in to Harold. “Do not claim innocence. I was at the planet club where Sovs killed so many people.”

Harold raised his arms defensively. “I have never claimed to be innocent, nor am I a saint. But you must understand. A new power appeared out of thin air. And while my family did fight...and kill many there, they were attacked by both club security and Wreckies who happened to be there already. Consider it from my perspective, Minna had a new power or some weapon that threatened to upset the balance. We had an agreement, you know, between the Sovereign Sect and the Wrecht Order. I will show you if you want, or simply ask Ying. We had a peace after an incident at the Panama Canal. And they immediately broke their word.” Harold threw his hands down. He started to pace. “Now look. I do not have much time. Minna will no doubt sense my presence and will be here before long to try to finish what she started. If she appears, I will be gone. I did not come to talk about the politics of this world. Ying can confirm everything I have said and will tell you now.” Harold paused his pacing. “Where is she? Is she not well from the disconnection?”

Jim screamed. “Fuck you!” He leveled his MEAR at Harold. “Don’t act like you suddenly care about her. I saw that Sov slice her throat open.” Jim fired the MEAR. The bolt slammed into a barrier around Harold making him stumble back. “To what? Try to steal the Root? To attack her own children!” Jim fired again, and again. The third blast knocked Harold to the ground. “Don’t take us for idiots. You just want the Root.”

“Please!” Harold held his hand up. “Let me finish.”

Jim fired again. “Finish what? Lying to us?”

Harold lay crumpled on the ground. “Talk to Ying. She will explain everything. I can help you find Evan and Kae. I have Sovs down there. Please. Let me help you.”

The MEAR in Jim’s hand shook. Adelfried knew that anger and rage brewing within him all too well. He wasn’t going to intervene. This was Jim’s decision whether to take his help or not. But he would perhaps share some advice. “Jim.” Adelfried kept his voice calm. “I think now the priority should be Evan and Kae. Don’t you?”

A war raged within Jim, Adelfried could see it being fought across his face until finally the present won out over the past and he lowered his MEAR. “Fine. What do you know?”

Harold rose to his feet. He bled from his left hip, his blue jacket shredded from a blast. He didn’t have his scepter. Was that because teleporting with large chunks of ESH diamonds was dangerous? He was alone and underpowered, brought down with several blasts of a MEAR. Even if the MEAR was at full power, it was all somewhat surprising.

Harold put a hand on his side and the blood disappeared. “Kae and that Wreckie agent Nina, have both been captured. The Cuāuhtli Empire does not take kindly to invaders. Especially Wreckies and those travelling with them. I doubt I could get Nina free, but I will try to intervene for Kae. I don’t know anything about Evan. But if I hear something, I will share.”

Harold checked his watch. His spoke quicky. “I must go.” He tossed a cell phone to Adelfried. “Call me. We can talk more.”

In flash and crack of thunder, he disappeared. And Minna stood inches from where he had been. “Where is he?”