“Calm down. I had to see how I would feel. You think I wanted to live the rest of my life with someone holding my hand like a child. Don’t worry, we did it a little at a time.”
“You still should have waited for me.”
“But I didn’t. And I’m still alive.”
I sighed.
“You aren’t upset with me, are you, Pa?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“All right. I’ll go get the others.”
“So, how are you feeling?” I asked Ava.
“A little dizzy if I move too fast, but otherwise good.”
“That’s a relief.”
“There is some bad news though.”
“I wouldn’t expect there not to be at this point. What is it?”
“I can’t perform sorcery.”
“You mean because you’re tired? That’s not that big of a deal. Granted, your sorcery could come in handy while on the road, but we’ll be fine until you get your strength back.”
Ava shook her head. “That’s not it. I wish it was. It’s like I can’t feel the power properly. Like I said, it’s twisted. The artifact has done something to my connection.”
I frowned. “Do you think being in contact with me, Zadok, and Myra had anything to do with that? Like we dulled your senses?”
“At first I thought that might be the case, but I’ve changed my mind. It’s like the artifact is changing all the sorcery in the world to use for itself.” She paused. “Ao be damned, I just hate feeling so helpless. So. . normal.”
I put my arm around her and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. I could tell she was hiding just how much this bothered her. Like many mages, sorcery and the ability to perform it had meant the world to Ava. In fact, I often wondered but never had the guts to ask where I ranked in comparison.
“Give it time,” I said. “Unless Molak gets tired of his wife and kills Ao herself, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You’ll figure out a way to use sorcery again.”
She managed a nod.
“It’s strange that my resistance still works though. You’d think that would have changed to some degree as well. I wonder why it hasn’t.”
“I don’t know. I get a feeling it’s going to be hard to explain a lot of things in the coming weeks.”
In the silence I realized that Zadok had begun raising his voice at Ira in an attempt to bring him into the bedroom. Ira was telling him he needed to relieve himself first.
“With Ira, you know this will keep up until we go in there,” Ava said.
I sighed. “You’re right. Let’s just go to them.”
I took the first step when Ava’s hand shot out and latched around my arm. “I think it’s happening!”
I followed her gaze. The sky’s color sequence had ended. It shone white in the distance and did not change except to brighten and expand.
“What’s going on?” Ira asked as everyone finally clamored into the room, having heard Ava yell.
“The artifact,” said Ava, voice low in wonder.
Ira swore.
“What do we do, Pa?” Zadok asked, voice edged with fear.
Myra put an arm on him for comfort. Her hand trembled as she caught a glimpse of the pulsing sky. It flashed quicker with each breath.
“I think all we can do is pick up the pieces when it’s over. In the meantime, you and your sister stay near Ira and Dekar. They’ll likely need your resistance. I’ll stay near Ava.” I finally said.
Outside, the townspeople ran around pointing and screaming while snatching up loved ones and making their way indoors. They looked over their shoulders in horror at the blinking light.
As a father, I’ve always wanted to be able to tell my children that I had everything under control. That everything will be all right. However, as a father, I never wanted to lie to my children either. But I had no idea what to do. This wasn’t knocking out a communications outpost, or rushing the enemy from a poor position, or defending an undermanned ridge. This was prophecy of the worst kind coming to fruition and I didn’t have the tools, people, or know how to do anything about it.
Ira swore again.
Dekar craned his neck around and caught his first glimpse of the horizon. “Should we even be looking at that? I mean it’s getting brighter all the time.”
Ava blinked. “He’s right. Get away from the window.” She pulled the curtains together and turned away, frantic.
“Everyone. Up against the back wall,” I added, coming out of my stupor.
I couldn’t stop this thing from happening, but I could at least try to keep us safe.
I had everyone sit on the floor against the wall while Ira and Dekar quickly flipped the bed over and threw it against the window. Then they came over and we all huddled together like a bunch of newborn puppies fighting for a spot at their mother’s teat. I made sure everyone held hands. One of mine remained tightly around Ava’s. The last thing I wanted was for her to be out for several days again.
Or worse.
Even with the curtains pulled, the room continually brightened as light pushed its way in through the cracks in the walls nobody ever sees. It could have been my imagination, but it felt as though thunder rumbled beneath the inn. The floorboards shook. We would not be able to pretend none of this was happening.
The artifact would get its due.
The air grew thick and it became harder to breath, like working in the fields on a sweltering summer day. Sweat poured off my skin. Ava’s hand grew slick in mine.
The rising voices of panicked people sounded outside.
“I wish we could do something to help them,” said Zadok.
“We can’t even help ourselves,” said Myra. Her voice edging on the hysterical.
I tried to remain calm. “We’ll help when this is all over. Same as last time.” I paused. “Only we won’t wait as long as before.”
He nodded, reassured.
A faint hum I wasn’t sure if I was imagining tickled the inside of my ears.
“Xank be damned. All this waiting makes me feel like I’m back in the army,” swore Ira.
I knew exactly what he meant.
My stomach rolled in that familiar way before leaving on a mission. The anticipation before any battle was often worse than the battle itself simply because that was when there was time to think and dwell on what may or may not happen.
I felt it pretty safe to say that no one wanted to think about what would happen next.
The dull hum grew, just as a howling wind blew. The inn shuddered. Things fell from shelves and chairs tumbled over. The dresser gyrated across the room like an uneven wagon wheel.
Ava yelled something, but I couldn’t hear a thing because the blasted hum had grown so loud. The window of our room shattered, the force behind it knocking the mattress down. Glass showered inside like a spring rain, whipping the curtains away from the opening. The sound of other windows breaking followed. More light poured inside.
“We can’t stay here! Everyone to the cellar,” I yelled.
Dekar led the way out with me bringing up the rear half-blinded by light pouring inside. The wind gusted back and forth through our suite, following us into the hallway, howling like a banshee as it flung loose debris about.
We moved quickly. Our feet pounded the floorboards and stairs while thunder crashed and my children cried out in fear.
We ran into Boaz and his family on their way to the cellar. We followed them inside and then barricaded the door. I had him and his family huddle near us, grabbing onto either me or one of my kids.
Staring at each other with blank expressions, the whole inn rocked as the ground shifted and groaned. For a moment, I questioned whether I had made the right call in getting everyone to go below ground. The entire building could collapse on top of us.
Then thunder boomed, shaking my insides. The sound of a furious hailstorm followed, pelting the inn like a snare drum keeping time for the pace kept in hell. Outside, animals cried out in fear. I thought I heard a woman scream.
The end of the world had truly begun.