Tom Dowd - Burning Bright

He sat up slowly and felt Seeks-the-Moon's strong hands under him, helping him into a chair. "Thank you," Kyle said.

"What's happening?" Truman asked, unable to restrain himself any longer. "Your spirit here wouldn't tell me a thing."

"I'm afraid your son's been kidnapped."

"Oh my god…" said Truman.

Looking pale and shaky, Hanna had also joined them. "Why?" she said. "Why would they take him now?"

"All I know is that they did. Knight Errant couldn't stop them. It's a real mess over there."

"How did it happen?" she asked.

"Remember Ares was looking for information on 'aberrant spirits'?"

Hanna nodded.

"Well, they found some," Kyle told her.

"What do you mean?"

“I fought one. A powerful thing. I'm lucky there was only one. Fraggin' thing looked like a huge insect. You won't believe this-like a giant cockroach."

Seeks-the-Moon paled, and his existence seemed to flicker in the physical world for the briefest instant. Both Truman and Hanna also drew back in silent revulsion.

“That's all I know," Kyle said. "It was bigger than I am, and looked just like an enormous roach. The Knight Errant troopers seemed to know what they were and referred to them as 'bugs'."

Truman's eyes were fire-bright. "I don't really know what you're talking about, Mr. Teller, but it scares me cold. I'm going to call Damien Knight about this. Let's see just how good a pair of friends he and I really are."

Kyle held up his hand. "If I could suggest something…"

Truman stopped and turned back. "Yes?"

"Knight Errant now knows that I know at least something about these 'bugs'," Kyle said, "and that I've probably told you. Let's see what they do. Let's see what they decide to tell us."

Truman nodded. "All right. I see your logic. Their hand's shown. Let's see if they still insist on bluffing. Fair enough." His gaze turned back toward the interior of the plex. Beyond the dark plastiglass of the patio door Kyle could see a couple of vague shapes waiting impatiently.

"In the meantime, I'd better go tell my wife."

Kyle nodded and leaned back, closing his eyes, thinking Truman had walked away. He opened them quickly when he heard Daniel Truman's cold voice again. "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Teller-I want my son back, and I want him whole. And I don't give a damn if I piss on anybody doing it."

"I understand," Kyle said, and Truman walked over to the patio doors. Someone on the other side, one of Truman's own guards, opened them. Kyle could see Mrs. Truman and at least one of her daughters waiting on the other side.

Kyle turned to Hanna Uljaken. "Are there guest rooms here?"

She nodded, looking slightly disheveled. He wondered for a moment if she'd actually fainted when he'd begun spurting blood. "I want to move closer to the family."

"Of course," she said. "I can have a room ready immediately and a car sent over to the hotel for your things."

"Thanks," he said, "but I'd better go for them myself. There are a few items there I'd rather not have anyone else touching."

"Fine. A car and an escort will be waiting downstairs in five minutes."

"No, don't bother. There's something I've got to do first, and fast."

"The ritual circle is complete, as you requested," Seeks-the-Moon told him. "I'm afraid I have inconvenienced them somewhat."

"Oh?"

Hanna laughed. "You could say that."

Kyle sighed. "Let me see it." Then he followed Hanna and Moon into a section of the condoplex where Kyle hadn't been before.

"Seeks-the-Moon took over the dining room," Hanna explained. "It was the only room big enough for what he said he wanted to do." She threw open the dark wood double doors.

The room inside was long, with a wide view east to the lake. It was, however, barely wide enough to accommodate the intricate, multilayered circle now drawn in the center of the room. Kyle looked down at its three concentric rings and the dozens of signs and symbols that filled it, some astrological, some alchemical, but all of them occult. Thirteen unlit candles circled the outer ring, seven the middle, and three the smallest, inner ring. All of it had been drawn on the hardwood floor in paints of silver and gold.

Seeks-the-Moon looked proud.

"Very impressive," Kyle said, removing his coat and shoulder holster and setting them on the dining room table, which had been shoved to one end of the room and covered with sheets. "And how unlike you. I wasn't expecting this symbol-set."

"Thank you," said Seeks-the-Moon. "I knew it had to be both formidable and comfortable for you."

Kyle nodded. "Let's get started."

"You don't want to rest?" Seeks-the-Moon asked.

"Good point," Kyle said, the pains in his body flaring up as a reminder. He stilled himself and focused his magical energies inward. His injuries weren't serious, but if not dealt with, they might hinder him in the ritual he was about to attempt. He could sense the damage, feel the very physical tearing and ripping of his body that mimicked the damage his spirit had taken in astral space. But it was that very spirit that would allow him to heal himself. Deep within, at the very center of his being, was his True Self, the core of his existence. It was the essence of Kyle Teller's body and soul, a template of who he was and how he should be. By channeling his magical power through his Self, he could rebuild his body, heal his wounds, and restore himself to health. He did, taking minutes to coax the flesh into wholeness. It was a process that would not be rushed.

When he was done, and his weight back on his left leg without pain, he opened his eyes. Seeks-the-Moon was walking the edge of the ritual circle one last time, eyeing his handiwork. Hanna Uljaken was staring at Kyle, an odd, fascinated look on her face as the last visible traces of the magical energy he'd used drifted away from his body in wisps.

Kyle smiled at her, and she managed a tiny smile in return.

"Much better," he said.

Seeks-the-Moon looked up. "You're ready then?"

Kyle nodded.

"Will you need the shirt?" Hanna asked quietly. "I can have a car sent…"

Kyle shook his head. "No need." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small red and white sample container. "This time we can do it right."

He turned to Seeks-the-Moon. "Odds are something's going to come after me if I can't do this fast enough. I'm going to call Winston in for extra protection."

"If you must," Seeks-the-Moon said, shrugging.

"Winston?" asked Hanna.

Kyle held up his hand and shifted the frequencies of part of his spirit until they matched those of the elemental metaplane of fire. "Winston?" he called into astral space. In front of him, over the center of the circles, a spark leapt into life, and then quickly grew into a ball of flame half Kyle's own size.

"Good afternoon," the newly called fire elemental said. "You look well."

"Thank you," Kyle said. "You will remain here under Seeks-the-Moon's command, Winston, and work with Charlotte to guard this place and the people dwelling in it."

The spirit nodded, but seemed amused. "That one is not the smartest of your servants," it said.

"With great power comes great sarcasm," said Kyle. "Do as I say."

The spirit seemed to nod again. "Of course," it said, and vanished.

"Do you think it was referring to you or Charlotte?" Kyle asked Seeks-the-Moon, but his ally spirit didn't answer. He stood looking at the ritual circle, lost in thought. "Seeks-the-Moon, are you all right?"

"Yes, yes," Moon said, "I'm fine. I was only thinking." Kyle walked slowly into me center of me circle, careful not to disturb any of the markings. At its heart, he could clearly see its power. Seeks-me-Moon had inscribed a powerful circle, perhaps even better than Kyle could have done. It was a disturbing thought, considering Seeks-the-Moon's origins.