Chapter Thirty-five

Diffused purple light surrounded Morrisey on all sides, including overhead and down below. He lay on a firm surface; he couldn’t make out what. Not hard concrete. No sounds. The scent of herbs permeated the air, along with a shimmery glow.

A radiant figure stepped through the luminescence, with light fanning out on either side of their body.

Like wings.

Like Farren.

The light shifted, twisting into the shape of a lovely young woman wearing a purple toga, her hair mostly brown with purple highlights. Her eyes were most definitely lilac, with horizontal pupils. “I hope taking a more familiar form will put you at ease, as well as speaking in a fashion you’re used to. Crossing realms can be disorienting.”

Morrisey sat up and extended his hand, seeing only light.

“Focus,” the woman said, keeping her voice gentle. “Imagine the form you’re used to or any you’re comfortable with.”

Morrisey closed his eyes, recalling his own face in the mirror, his imperfect body, his favorite jeans and T-shirt, feet bare. “Where am I?” He wouldn’t be the crazy one by guessing wrong. For all he knew, he’d hit his head.

The woman answered him with musical laughter. “Why, you’ve come home.”

“Home?” Morrisey opened his eyes to find he now looked precisely as he’d imagined—or what he could see of himself. So good to be wearing clothes besides dirty boxers, even if he didn’t know where he was.

“Yes. You’re in Domus.”

Domus? Farren’s home? Wait! Morrisey’s home, too. He shook his head. What the hell? Everything he’d believed about himself was wrong.

The woman said, “You’ve been among humans for so long you probably don’t remember. How old were you when you were taken?”

“Taken?” Was it true? Was Morrisey really a traveler? If so, he’d been brought to Terra young and put into another’s body. No time to consider such details now. “I think I was still a baby.”

The woman gave him a warm smile. “That explains a lot. In the human world, we’d be called cousins.”

“How did you know I was here?” Better yet, how did he get here?

“The peacekeepers found you and recognized your lineage. They called me.”

“I don’t remember anyone finding me.”

“After some unexpected surprises, the peacekeepers now put anyone who arrives in stasis, though I’ll admit it seldom happens. Most want to leave, not come here.” She nearly snarled, “There is one who gets past our defenses.”

Morrisey could well imagine who. “I don’t know how I got here.”

“You were summoned by the council, although with proper training you could’ve managed on your own. There are things you need to know, and time grows short. Come with me.” She took Morrisey’s hand.

He tried not to overbalance her.

Once more, she laughed. “I’m stronger than I look.”

Rising to his feet didn’t take near the effort Morrisey feared.

“You aren’t used to our names here, and we don’t have genders as you know them, but for expediency’s sake I take this form. You can call me Krista.”

“Morrisey.”

Krista’s lips curled upward in a brief smile. “Not really, but it will do. Come with me.”

Given no other options, Morrisey trailed behind Krista. They strode through mist. If he stared hard enough, he could almost make out shapes. Kinda reminded him of a foggy morning. Low-level humming surrounded them; felt more than heard. “What’s that sound?”

“The ether that provides our life force. Open to it.”

Morrisey tried, but memories of the ill-fated man in the basement returned.

“Let go of your body.”

Let go? How was Morrisey supposed to let go? He recalled the moment he first came to, feeling weightless. Now, he saw the shapes for what they were. People. So unlike the streets of Atlanta. No cars or other vehicles. There were buildings after a fashion, darker shades of purple. No honking horns or loud music from passing cars.

Just the low hum.

Some people seemed like Krista and Farren, shining with wings. Others were darker, more shadow than light. Were they like Jessa?

“It might take a while for you to become acclimated. Your brain only knows the human world. You’re processing everything through an alien filter. Given time, your senses will reset.”

“I don’t have time. I need to get back to where I came from.” Find Farren. Stop Asher.

Krista’s form transitioned from human to light and back again. Morrisey trudged behind her, if the word “trudged” worked. He more accurately drifted.

More objects came into shape, different from before, and lights the size of his hand flickered among what might be trees. “Can you explain the tiers Farren told me about?”

“Tiers?”

“He said different beings here have different skills, motivations, based on heredity.” Morrisey shrugged. “Whatever.”

“The human world doesn’t? I’ve met so few who’ve been there and returned, and I’ve no desire to visit myself.”

The world gradually solidified. The entire city seemed encased in a forest. Instead of a string of businesses, storefronts peeked out from behind massive trees, their branches spreading up farther than the eye could follow. Signs weren’t obvious, and the ones he saw bore nonsensical markings.

Until Morrisey concentrated. Businesses. They seemed stacked one upon the other. Occasionally, a shadowy or light form would spread its wings and lift to another level.

Residences. A city. While there were people, they were few. “Where is everyone? Or is this it?”

Krista’s lips turned down. Somehow, Morrisey felt her sadness. “Few remain. Most who could fled to other realms.” She waved at the strangely beautiful surroundings. No trash. No cars. Fresh air. “Soon, this will all be gone.”

“Why am I here?” Would they allow him to return?

“So, you may know where you came from.” Krista rounded a tree easily as tall and thick as a centuries old redwood, approaching an ornate wooden door adorned with metal hinges, crosspieces, and carved curlicues. The architecture reminded Morrisey of paintings of Earth’s Middle Ages from one of his history classes. Or was that Terra’s Middle Ages?

Krista stepped through an arched doorway. Several people Morrisey somehow knew as the working class paused their cleaning to give him curious looks and quickly turned away again.

“Why haven’t they left?” If the place was collapsing, Morrisey would run.

“Some choose to stay. This is their home. They live and die here. Others gave up their opportunities so others might live.”

“What about you?”

Krista’s aura of bright light momentarily faltered. “Until the last moment, those with the necessary talents are working tirelessly to prolong the inevitable, helping others get away, and upholding the peace.” Krista strode down a hallway to a tall, open space. Terraces appeared overhead. Twelve stories? Maybe more.

“You’ll leave last?”

Krista shook her head, a bittersweet curve to her lips. “No, I won’t leave at all. My place is here. As long as there’s a single soul who wishes to leave, I’ll continue to build portals and hope they’ll thrive on the other side.”

Hope they’ll find a body,Morrisey thought.

Krista scrutinized Morrisey’s form. ”If someone had properly trained you, you might have saved us. I fear we’re too far gone now. Serves us right for our indiscriminate killing.”

Killing? “I thought travelers were summoned to other realms.”

“Some are. We send many more. Even then, it’s not guaranteed they’ll survive in their new home. Some balk in the human realm, unwilling to kill to take a host, though they’re instructed to only take the dead or dying. Others can’t find a host in time.”

“You said there were other realms. What about them?”

“They’re far more alien to us. Few go there. Now come.” Krista extended her hand again, wriggling her fingers. Morrisey didn’t remember having let go. “If I had more time, I’d teach you what I’m about to do.”

He clasped her slender fingers. They floated upward, past three terraces, then touched down on the fourth. Once more, Krista led him down a hallway. On either side, what might have been paintings added splashes of ever-changing color to the purple gloom.

Krista led him to an open door. “Welcome home, Tenebris, the last of your kind.”

Though Morrisey somehow knew the room adjoined others, the windows covering all four walls opened onto nature. Nothing to see but trees. Where were the buildings?

Seven people, or entities, rather, sat at the three-sided table, one side with two empty floating cushions. Several flinched upon seeing Morrisey. One hissed to a neighbor behind a shielding hand.

Krista led him to one of the empty seats. He waited for her to sit, watching how she simply grasped the cushion and placed it under her rear, like a child climbing onto a swing. It took Morrisey three tries, but no one laughed.

The glowing beings lost some of their shine, taking on more human forms.

“Why am I here?” Being hijacked to another universe hadn’t been on Morrisey’s bucket list.

One entity taking the form of a woman appeared far older than the others, her aura a dull bronze gleam. “Because there are things you should know about both this realm and the human realm.” Morrisey waited for the face-on-a-face illusion, but it didn’t come.

Another entity explained from there. “We only recently discovered your existence. Many of our citizens have crossed over into the human realm from our dying one without leadership or guidance.”

“I take it you’re leaders?” They had to be. Each one radiated power.

”We are the sole survivors of the Princeps,” the older woman said, ”driven by our very nature to conquer and rule, which will only pit us against human authorities. If they deem us the enemy, none of our people will survive, especially if they believe we are killing humans to inhabit their bodies or for food. We cannot allow for our culture, our history, to disappear forever. However, you were born a Tenebris. In the past, your kind has proven too dangerous to allow to live. We learned too late that by eliminating darkness, we also eliminated light, though I’m given to understand at least one Lux survives in the realm you’ve made your home.”

Fuck. “You brought me here to kill me?”

“No,” the woman said, inflection flat. “Although you were born into a Princeps family, being raised human, you better understand their values and how to exist in their world. However, your humanness, being raised without your own kind for guidance, only deepened the darkness in your soul. You must conquer darkness, or it will conquer you.”

Sounded like a motivational poster Leary needed to hang on the dull gray walls of his office. “How?” The answers weren’t found in a bottle. Morrisey’d looked there for years.

Krista picked up the telling. “You are Tenebris. Historically, we’ve feared the power of those born into darkness and didn’t allow them to live. As our council member said, we realized too late that in order to have light, you need darkness. Our world grew unbalanced until it failed. However, now you have help in the form of light. We hope you and the light can minimize the damage.”

“What the hell do you mean, light?” Hadn’t Farren mentioned light and darkness?

The gathered bit off fevered whispers at a stern glare from the woman Morrisey deemed the eldest. “He enforced our laws. Like you, he is the last of his kind. In fact, we didn’t know his true nature until he left. We’ve spent years poring over old records, trying to keep our world alive. That’s how we found reference to the light and dark balance. Together, you can keep what happened here from happening in your own world.”

“Farren.”

The older woman answered. “His name was Aluxi here in Domus.”

Aluxi. Yes, Farren. Morrisey’s heart jolted. “If few who go there can come back, how do you know all this?”

“Some Princeps can return. How do you think you arrived here? But we of the ruling council cannot remain there.”

Half-Princeps, too, if Asher spoke the truth about his abilities. “Why not?”

The woman shook her graying head. “Sadly, we must die if others are to stand even a chance of being accepted into the human world. Our very nature will pit us against humans. But not you, who grew up as a human. Your task is making sure our race survives.”

Morrisey turned to Krista, whose sad smile barely turned up her lips. “Here, we’re gifted with specific talents to perform intended tasks. At our age, we can’t change, so we’ll do what we can to get as many of our people to safety. But we can’t save them all. Even now, we lose more territory with each passing moment. There are unscrupulous types who are promising our citizens a new life in the human world at significant cost. We can’t allow such treachery to continue.”

“Why not send everyone at once?” As he spoke, the truth came to him. “You can’t.”

Krista shook her head. “No, we cannot. It takes all of our combined energy for one at a time, and once they reach the other side, they must find a human host. Can you imagine what would happen if we sent thousands at once?”

Morrisey shuddered to think.

Krista continued, “Not all those sent make it across the divide. Some who do don’t keep the full memories of who they are or their purpose.”

A being in the guise of a human man who’d remained silent spoke. “Once we’ve accomplished our purpose, we’ll close the realm and resign ourselves to our fates. You’ll remember what we teach you. You’ve met the light, for you have his essence in your aura. Have you not started to remember your heritage?”

The disjointed shit in Morrisey’s brain? “Maybe.”

“The one who stole you as an infant needs you to legitimize his claim. He had no power here and now craves it more than anything despite the cost to others. Those like him must not be allowed to succeed. He’s corrupted what humans call his soul beyond redemption.”

“What do I have to do?” Morrisey probably shouldn’t have asked. Maybe he was still in the basement, dreaming.

“Lead,” the man said, a touch of amusement in his rich baritone. “Quietly and capably, you will lead. You’ll face opposition from both humans and some of our kind. You must prevail.”

What the ever-loving fuck? “Me? I’m no leader.” Who in their right mind would follow Morrisey to the corner store, let alone in life?

“But you are. You come from a long line of rulers. It’s what you were born for. Your destiny.”

“Who were my parents?”

“Agnetis and Petrus.” The man inclined his head. ”My friends.”

Agnetis. Fuck. Agnes. All this time, Morrisey had been naming his weapons after a parent. How’d he know, having left Domus as an infant? Must be a traveler thing.

“Petrus’s youthful dalliance and, later, an ill-advised decision led to the birth of your mortal enemy. You must correct the mistake.”

“How?”

“Banish the one who claims to be your brother. Conquer his followers.”

Banish Asher? How? Morrisey threw back his head and laughed. “Me? You actually believe that I can save the world?”

“No. Not this world. It’s lost already. Just care for our people. Your people. Give them a chance to survive.”

The room shuddered. Morrisey grabbed the table, as did the others. Krista cried out beside him.

And vanished.

Finally, the shaking stopped. Only three others remained at the table with Morrisey. None of them had spoken before.

“What the fuck?” Morrisey bellowed.

A man slowly shook his head. “More of our world dying. As you can see, we’ve lost additional members, for we once numbered in the hundreds. We must act quickly.”

“And do what?”

The elder launched himself, clasping Morrisey’s head between his hands. Agony shot through his mind, similar to the night in the alley. Oh, gods. Was this asshole trying to possess him?

“Don’t fight,” the man said, tones far more soothing than the situation warranted. “You must trust me, cousin.”

Cousin. Like Krista. Morrisey let go.

Thoughts and images raced through his mind too fast for him to lock on to an individual occurrence. People, places, faces his mind said were his parents. Above all, he felt an overwhelming desire to lead, to protect, to continue his species.

Farren’s face appeared in his thoughts. The images he saw resembled faces superimposed over human faces. Here, though, they didn’t seem evil; they were just people going about their daily lives.

The chaos calmed with the image of Farren, then stopped. Morrisey panted for breath. What a hell of a thing.

“There.” The elder slowly released Morrisey. “I’ve done all I can do.” He took the seat vacated by Krista.

No others remained.

“You must go. while I’m still here to seal the rift behind you. Remember, you carry the hopes of our entire civilization with you.” He gave a bittersweet smile. “I’m glad I met you before the end, cousin. You remind me of Agnetis. You’ll be good for Aluxi.”

Pressure surrounded Morrisey, squeezing the air from his lungs. The entire world shook, then went dark.

Morrisey came to himself lying on the basement floor. Pain shot through his head, excruciating. He clutched his skull. Still, the pain spiked. Screams came from upstairs.

Farren! He must find Farren.