Okay, his calmness and clear, tactical head in a time of crisis is way too impressive.Necia nods and says, “I left the emergency pack in the rental car.”
“Go get it, I’ll pop this overinflated balloon,” I say with a glowing hand.
“You can wrangle him?”she asks.
We turn to see the monster floating up toward the one open stained-glass window.“I’ll have to,” I reply.
“Correction: we’ll do it.”Taz nods at Necia.“Get the jar, we’ll corner this bastard.”
“Got it.”Necia dashes off, and I want to berate Taz for calling any shots.But I’m more grateful for his logical plan.And I’m also trying not to be attracted to his capability.
When we were academic rivals, his competence made my blood boil.But now that we have each other’s backs, it’s kinda hot.“Go out the front door and head him off!”Taz nods, holds up his geo arcanum, and we split up.
I run out the back just in time to see the cloud beast float out of the church and become a sphere again.I summon a mystical whip of orange energy to reach up and lasso it down.It takes a bit of elbow grease, but I manage to wrestle it onto the empty street.
Before I can claim victory, the monster slips out of my energy rope and floats up.With a howl, it fixes its five eyes on me.When it launches forward, I summon another shield, and the being bounces off again.The knockback on my energy has me falling on my ass, but the monster rolls away.As it rounds the corner, I hope Necia or Taz are there to head it off.
I catch my breath and, in seconds, turn around the corner, where I expect to see a fight.Instead, the monster is…floating still.
And Taz is talking to it?He looks horrified, but he’s definitely talking to the being across the street.It whispers something, then shifts its five eyes around.When it opens its mouth, I can see…a person?The monster is showing the image of a man tied up to a tree of sorts?It’s like a live feed, but I don’t recognize the person or the place in the image.
“Vik!”Taz hollers.He reaches forward, but the monster closes the portal.
The being grins at Taz, fixing his five eyes on him.Taz isn’t fighting it, and I have no idea what to make of it.Enough of this.
I touch the ground and enchant the stones in the road.In moments, the rocks rise up around the monster and grasp it in a cage.
“No!”Taz turns to me, then summons his own energy whip.He launches forward, but instead of hitting the monster, he slices one of my rock pillars.What the hell?!
“Devries!What are you?” I don’t get to finish the sentence as the monster breaks free of my rock cage.It floats up and howls in laughter.
I stand up and summon another energy whip, but Taz stands in my way.“No, don’t!”
Putting my hand down, I say, “Devries!Get out of my way.”
“I need to…I need to…”
He doesn’t finish his words before a blast of energy draws our attention.The monster is felled by a magical burst, and moments later, the shadow cloud gets pulled to the side.Necia appears, and I’ve never been so grateful to see her wielding a binder’s jar.In moments, the monster is gone, tucked away, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
But the man next to me looks distraught.“What the hell, Devries,” I mutter.“I thought you had my back.”
“I…I…” he sputters, and I’ve never seen him this uncomfortable.“I froze up.”
He seems so shaken, so I pull out my earpiece.I step close to him, my heart still pounding from battle.“Cut the crap,” I hiss.“Why did you try to stop me?”
He seems so torn as he searches my face.His eyes, so distraught, glisten in the lamplight.“It’s none of your concern.”
“It actually is my concern,” I whisper.
“Just leave me be, Luther,” he replies in a hushed, urgent tone.
Him using my first name only fuels my anxiety.Before I can interrogate him more, Necia makes it to us.“You boys okay?”
“Yeah,” Taz says, his blue eyes not leaving mine.“Just shaken.Shall we check up on the priest?”
“Good idea,” Necia says.She guides Taz forward, and I hang back, trying to work out what just happened.
Sure, we managed to stop a surprise appearance of an Other Side monster.But Taz seems emotionally shaken.Why did he go against me?What was he saying to that creature?And why do I feel the need to fix this?Not just the mystery of the possession and the cult, but the mystery of what’s hurting Taz Devries.
