Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

R eturning to awareness, grateful he managed that part, Solomon groaned at the immediate discomfort of tight, achy muscles. Something poked his skin in various places. It felt like sticky stuff in other places. And cool air flowed into his nose. Beeps filled his ears. A swishy noise distracted him.

Voices lifted all the other noise.

Then he heard one and focused in on it.

Mac.

It was Mac’s voice.

Mac came back?—

Wait…

He wasn’t in Nucira.

The portal… Security… Bad…

Dragging open his eyes, his vision fuzzy, Solomon did his best to take in his situation and position. He couldn’t lift his head or his limbs. Everything felt too heavy and achy.

Realizing he was in a hospital-like room, but on a comfortable bed, he glanced down. Needles were in his arms. Pads and sensors stuck around him. When he wiggled his nose, he felt the tube providing oxygen.

A curtain fluttered. Then Cormac stepped around it.

A very fuzzy Cormac.

What happened to his vision?

“Mac…” Solomon whispered.

“Yes, yes, I know there’s some kind of crazy timing issue. There’s always a timing issue. I’m checking on him now. I’ll—” Cormac lifted his gaze and a slow smile curled his lips. “Shut up, Em. You’re acting like a whiney matchmaker. He’s awake. I need to go.” He swiped his finger across his phone.

“Mac…” Solomon whispered. His voice was rough and scratchy.

“Good to see you awake. Hold on,” Cormac said while he moved into the room and carefully raised the bed underneath Solomon. “Are you comfortable?” He adjusted the pillows and blanket. Then he picked up a mug, fixed the straw, and held it close to Solomon’s mouth. “Take some slow sips of water. Easy ones.”

Solomon captured the straw and pulled up a few sips of refreshing water. He let it roll around his mouth a bit before swallowing.

“Take a few more if you can. Keep them small swallows,” Mac encouraged.

Solomon took a few more sips. Then he released the straw. He kept his gaze on Mac while he swallowed.

“Guess you want to know what happened,” Mac said.

“Yes,” Solomon said. His voice remained low and husky.

“We came real close to losing you,” Mac admitted while he set the mug within reach. “If you weren’t in a place like this that knows about poisons, you would have been gone. I stabilized you while Grayson figured out what they hit you with and whipped together an antidote. It was a couple of poisons blended together, which created something nasty in arcane mages.”

“Created for arcane. Specific.”

“Yes, it was very specific. If it hit me, I would have a mild reaction.”

“How…”

“We don’t know.”

“What next…”

“Next? Not much. It was a matter of time to let the antidote do its job.” He checked all the machines while he spoke. Then he explained the rest of what happened to Solomon.

None of it was good, but Grayson and Cormac saved him. Like they help saved Julian.

“Fuzzy. Can’t see.”

“That’s not part of the poison or antidote. I promise. Hang on. Let me get your glasses. We took out your contacts. They’re in the solution and holders.” Mac reached out and returned with the black-rimmed glasses. He carefully set them in place. “There we go. Looking more like yourself. How are you feeling now?”

“Achy.” Solomon swallowed to loosen his throat. In the same low tone, he said, “Limbs felt heavy when I woke up, but it’s slowly going away.”

“You were convulsing, almost like a seizure. So your muscles were rapidly tensing and relaxing like a seizure patient. The poison worked on a combination of things, one of which is your muscles and nerves. You’ll be achy for a little longer while things finish resetting. Magic healing helps speed things up, but we can’t make your body work faster.”

Solomon wiggled his eyebrows and nose when a few locks fell across his face.

Mac slid the few locks back in place behind Solomon’s ear. “How did you change the coloring?”

“Potion from Cathrène.”

“Smart idea. Can’t be washed away or removed by the spell detectors.”

“Didn’t work. Not fully. Something still happened. Bad.” Solomon lifted his gaze to study Mac. “Almost missed seeing you. Or worse…”

“Might not have made it. Yet, you somehow went through all that to come here.”

“Yes. You told me to find you.”

“Only when you wanted to discuss everything.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“You wouldn’t need a disguise or fake name to get through a border just to see me or explain why you lied to me,” Mac said while he straightened.

Licking his lower lip, Solomon exhaled. “Yes, I lied to you, but there were lives at stake. Lies protected many lives. Including mine.” Lowering his gaze, he felt tears in his eyes. “Will you please forgive me for the lies? I will explain everything, including why I’m here.”

“No more lies?”

“Yes. No more lies. From this moment. I swear that my needing to explain everything to you was one of the reasons why I crossed those borders.”

“Right, those other reasons.”

Tilting his head at the quiet statement, Solomon tilted his head. “Someone called you.”

“Yes. Emrys filled us in on a few things while you were out. Your phone kept ringing while you were out. Gray grabbed it and realized it was all missed calls from Emrys, Julian, Andre, and some other fella called Lennox. We called back Emrys. He was freaking out on his end. But we asked him first about what in the flames was going on and explained how you were knocked out at the border crossing which is why you weren’t returning any calls.”

“Did he tell you everything?”

“Just the basics to explain why you were on our doorstep. Gray knew you were coming. He created a transit approval for some professor. No one told me?—”

“That was me. I wanted to tell you.”

“Right. Left in the dark for a good reason. I hope.”

Moving his hands, Solomon grabbed Mac’s hands and squeeze. “The truth. That’s the reason. I had to look at you when I said everything.” He swallowed hard. “Can I ask for a hug? I just… After I walked out of the lab…” He sniffled. “I didn’t think…”

“Me too. Me too,” Mac said. “Hardest thing I had to do was order that portal and leave.” He gently released their hands. Shifting on the bed, he wrapped his arms around Solomon and carefully drew him into a long embrace.

Solomon buried his face between Mac’s shoulder and neck and held on tight. Tears ran down his face, but he didn’t move to wipe them away.

“We’re here. Together. And you’re going to survive this,” Mac whispered.

Pushing his body, Solomon wrapped his arms around Mac’s waist to return the embrace.

After an extended gentle moment, Mac brushed his lips against Solomon’s cheek and pulled back. He adjusted his position on the bed, then he smiled, snagged a tissue from the box and cleaned up Solomon’s face.

“Thank you,” Solomon said.

“Of course.” Mac balled the tissue in his hand. “As I mentioned, Emrys gave us the basics. What is going on? Why are you here? Of all places, you’re here. You left the East.”

“Crossed borders. Got into trouble. And stumbled into more,” Grayson called out as he appeared around the curtain. “What is going on?”

“You couldn’t give us more time alone?” Mac asked.

“No. According to our cousin, we’re on a time crunch. Talk, Solomon.” Grayson grabbed a chair, dropped into it, and braced his feet on the bedframe’s edge.

“I was going to call you in,” Mac said.

“Time crunch?—”

“Stop. Don’t argue because of me. It’s okay, Mac. This is part of the explanation,” Solomon said.

“You already explained a lot. It does help me understand what happened and why you couldn’t tell me the truth,” Mac said.

“There’s more that I had to keep safe.”

Mac lifted an eyebrow. “There’s more?”

“The other reason why I’m sitting here.” Letting out a long breath, Solomon motioned to the water mug. “I’m going to need that close.”

“Of course.” Mac picked it up and set it on Solomon’s lap.

After a few sips, Solomon studied them. “What do you know about the Society of the Carmine Knot?”

Their faces paled.

“Please tell me you’re not messed up in that group,” Gray said. “I’ll kick you out on your naked butt right now.”

Mac dropped his jaw and turned to his cousin. “Gray?—”

“No, Mac,” Gray interrupted and held up a finger to stop him. He shook his head. “Anyone with that group will never step foot in this realm. Not after the shit they tried to pull off with my brother.”

“Ronan?” Solomon asked.

“No. Ronan is strong in earth and stone. The youngest of us boys. Cian. He was born with pure arcane,” Gray said.

“Carmine tried to come after him.”

“Yes, almost got him during the testing phase. Another person approached my parents and mentioned there was another choice, but they would say goodbye to their son and never see him again. To protect him,” Gray said.

“The Guild of the Blind Eye,” Solomon said. “Did your parents say yes to their offer?”

Gray shook his head. “Nana appeared and said the family would protect Cian and any others in the family. Those Carmine goons backed off. Cian works directly with her in the protected Consortium realm.”

“My mother said yes,” Solomon said.

Cormac reached out and grabbed Solomon’s hand.

“Oh…” Gray cursed under his breath.

Not explaining the full procedure, Solomon explained about growing up at the academy and told never to leave the East. Then all about the academy’s role in the Guild to help protect and nurture those chosen few. Shortening the full explanation to the key points, he wound up why he was at their doorstep and poisoned after an obvious Carmine attack.

Finishing the bulk of his explanation, Solomon leaned back and drank.

Pale and quiet, Mac raised his hands and clasped them together. He leaned his chin against them.

“Mac?” Solomon asked.

“That was a lot to lay down on us,” Mac said.

“Yes. Yes, it was. The Guild completely transformed my life. The recent actions of the Carmine is changing it all over again. I got the courage to break free of my restrictions and take control.” Solomon leaned forward to touch Mac’s knee. “It’s what got me here.”

“Wish it was for something a little simpler,” Mac said. “Holy flames, Sol. Holy?—"

“Holy flames,” Grayson added when he could finally talk again. “If the Consortium is involved, then Cian will be too.”

“We welcome his support along with anyone else who wants to join us in taking down the Carmine,” Solomon said.

“What’s this deadline?”

“New moon in Abbethan, day before the solstice. We have to attack before the solstice. Otherwise the Carmine will attack the academies,” Solomon said.

“That’s not much time,” Grayson said.

“What do you need from us?” Mac asked.

“Your support. Like you were there for Emrys and Julian.”

“No need to ask for that. You’ll always have our support. No matter what,” Mac said.

“I second that. We’re in it. What else do you need?” Grayson asked.

“All of your skills as doctors and healers, not as fighters. If possible, we need you to gather as many as you can gather from Gledinium. The healers will be kept back, but you will be needed for whatever happens. If things… don’t go as we hope, then you can make your escape to the Consortium,” Solomon said.

“Don’t think like that. Worst case scenario. Could be the last thing to happen,” Mac said.

“But it’s on the list. All contingencies planned out.” Solomon took a few more sips. “Even with all the agents, security teams from RASI and Consortium, and any other mages, we could still be outnumbered and outgunned. Carmine isn’t afraid to use illegal incendiary weapons or poisons. They guard all the routes and paths into Central.”

“Guess you need to figure out how to get around them,” Gray said.

“What else do you need? You came here for something more than to explain things to me and bring us into the plans,” Mac said.

“Well… I… The main reason was about you. I wanted to make things right with you,” Solomon said.

“And we will work on our relationship. Opening up like that is a major step, Sol. But there’s something else that you’re holding back on,” Mac said. “You knew we would say yes. Gray will work his charms on the other labs.”

“Hey—”

“What? It’s true,” Mac said.

“Fine. Yes. I’ll get them on our side,” Gray said. “All the labs and companies hate the Carmine.”

“That’s a bonus for our side,” Solomon said.

“Yes, it is. What else are you hiding?” Mac asked. “I know you. I know when you’re holding back.”

“Not really holding back, but not sure how to explain.”

“Open your mouth and talk. Can’t get any stranger than what you already told us.”

Solomon snorted a soft breath. “Please. It’s me.”

Mac lightly slapped Solomon’s leg under the blankets. “Talk.”

“It’s something else the Gloriosa told us must happen. First, a gift from the Gloriosa.” Solomon pulled in a deep breath, released it, and concentrated on his magic.

“Careful with your magic. You came real close to death. Your magic could be slow to respond,” Mac warned him.

“No time. I need it to work.” Solomon moved his hand to control the flow of his magic and opened a magical pocket. A small bag fell out and dropped onto his lap. Then he closed the pocket and concentrated on breathing for a few moments.

“It’ll exhaust you.”

“Need to do more than open a pocket.” Solomon motioned to the bag. “A gift for you, Gray, from the Gloriosa.”

“What is it?” Gray reached for the bag, opened it, and pulled out one of the laumeldite crystal vials. He held it up to the lights to see what was inside.

“Know all those interesting elixirs the Gloriosa can create?—”

“No…”

“A gift for you. Each one is labeled with a specific mark. There is a list inside that tells you what each mark means. Created by the Gloriosa.”

“That’s…” Gray dug through the bag and pulled out the list. He scanned it and his jaw dropped. “Oh, my… flames…”

“The Gloriosa hope the vials will be useful to your research in sentient plants,” Solomon said.

“Yes. Yes. This is…” Gray placed everything back in the bag and sent it into his personal magical pocket. “Perfect. Thank you. Please thank the Gloriosa.”

“They know.” Solomon studied them. “There’s another reason I’m here. The Gloriosa ordered that we visit all the sentient vines and gemstones in every realm we can enter. This is one of those realms. After meeting the vines here, I need to go to the furthest realm and work my way down to the realm closest to Central.”

“How are you planning to get into Central?” Gray asked.

“The portals are compromised. At least for me.”

“They have your magical notes, of sorts, in their system,” Gray said.

“Which means I need another way in,” Solomon said.

“How?” Mac asked.

“The Carnival of Mysteries will arrive in a northern realm close to Central. I need to speak with them and hope they can help me out,” Solomon said. “Hopefully, the vines here can confirm the Carnival’s arrival and location.”

Mac fell silent for a moment.

“You need to stay in bed and recuperate,” Gray said.

“We don’t have time. I need?—”

“At least the rest of today to recuperate. Give yourself that bit of time,” Gray said. “While you rest, what else can we do to help? Beyond talking to the other labs and companies.”

“Your support as healers, as always, and your knowledge. Plus the skills of science and technology,” Solomon said with a grin. “Do you have a light spectrum filter? A portable one.”

The scientists glanced at each other.

“Yes. Give me a moment to get it.” Dropping his feet, Grayson got up from the chair. He left the room for a few moments.

Solomon opened another magical pocket and pulled out a small bag. “Is there a square piece of cloth that you don’t mind if we use and toss?”

“Yes, we have some gauze. What size?” Mac went to a cabinet.

“One of the larger ones.”

Mac pulled out a pair of gauze squares and returned. He set them on Solomon’s lap.

“Here we go. One spectrum filter,” Grayson said while he returned with a metallic tube.

“Close the curtains and hit the lights.” Solomon used a piece of gauze to grab a small cluster of the chemical powder from the bag. He rubbed the cloth together and laid it on his lap.

“There’s nothing on the cloth,” Gray said.

Mac snapped his fingers to close the curtains and turn off the lights.

“Turn on the filter,” Solomon said.

“Very well,” Gray said while he hit a button.

The cloth appeared white under the normal filter.

“Switch the spectrums. If you see purple, you got it,” Solomon said.

Gray adjusted the tube until the one piece of gauze glowed bright purple underneath the filtered light. “What is that?”

“There are at least a dozen members of Carmine with this chemical powder on their hands, faces, and clothes. They will glow purple if they came into contact with this powder. It can be passed on to others,” Solomon said. “One of my concoctions aided by our brilliant Head of Chemistry & Alchemy, Pierre de Servian.”

“How did that happen?”

“Oh, I sent a tiny pouch of this special powder along with some special birds. Once they grabbed the birds, the powder will go poof . They’ll never know about it. Under normal light, it’s mistaken for table salt with no detectable odor. Harmless. Under that unique spectrum filter, they’ll glow purple.”

“We can use these tubes at the crossings, pubs, or gathering spots. It will narrow down suspects real fast.” Gray tilted the tube. “Nice trick. Let me talk with our technology teams and the other companies. I think we can create smaller spectrum tubes functional in time.”

Mac snapped his fingers to restore the lights. “Why are you doing this? You. Going into Central and attacking them? Other than saving the children and academies. That could be done another way, but taking on the Carmine? Why?”

“Because we need to save the arcane. If we can restore the gemstones and sentient vines, then we can save the realms. If the Carmine continues on their destructive path, the realms — all the realms — will collapse. Annihilation. Everywhere,” Solomon said.

“I’m sure the Carmine understands what they’re doing?—”

Solomon shook his head to interrupt Gray. “They don’t. Some want to increase the mining. The stones are almost depleted. Do you know about the collapsed or fallen realms?”

“Sure. Everyone knows there are collapsed realms in the West and South,” Gray said. “Several scientists are studying them.”

“Have they ever checked if those realms used to have veins of magical gemstones?”

Gray exchanged a glance with Mac. “I don’t know.”

“Each collapsed realm used to have a healthy sentient plant-magical gemstone connection. Then the gemstones were mined or depleted and there was no arcane magic to restore them.”

“And the realm collapsed. Each one starts down a certain line and grows out?—”

“Following the paths where the veins used to be filled with gemstones. You’ll find evidence of roots and debris from the vines,” Solomon finished Gray’s assumption. “If you remove all the gemstones and destroy anyone with arcane, then there is no hope for the realm to survive. Arcane is the foundation of everything vital and living in the realms. Without it…”

“Everything crumbles,” Mac finished.

“Is there proof of this? I need to explain in detail to the other companies to help them decide,” Gray said.

From another pocket, Solomon pulled out a large envelope and handed it over. “The paperwork in there will explain everything. The truth about the Carmine. Some information about the Guild. And everything that is happening. Along with the current plan of action to attack the Carmine in Abbethan.”

Gray took the envelope and spun it in his hands. “Who created this?”

“Our friendly RASI investigator.”

“Andre. Of course.”

“He’s got a new partner from the RASI Consortium helping him. That’s the Lennox on my phone. There’s a third agent, but he’s deep undercover in Carmine,” Solomon said. “Did Emrys give you an update on everyone else?”

“They’re continuing to move through the realms as planned,” Gray said.

“Do you have a faster way to move through the North? I need to get to these realms.” Solomon pulled a copy of the realm list and handed it to Mac.

“We do. A discussion for later on. First, you need to get some sleep. I’ll bring you something to eat after. Let the antidote finish working,” Mac said.

“There’s one more thing that caught my attention,” Gray said.

“What is it?” Solomon asked.

“You said it was your mother who said yes to the Guild. Not your parents.”

Solomon closed his eyes and exhaled.

“Tell us, Solomon.” Mac took Solomon’s hand again in encouragement. He tucked the page with the list in a regular pocket of his scrubs.

“You’ll hate me if I tell you.”

“Never, my dear.”

“Neither of you can tell anyone. At least, not yet. It could change things.” Solomon studied both of them. Then he prepared himself. “My mother is Victoria Emmeline Spencer, the daughter of an old bloodline in Abbethan. She was gifted with strong arcane, but also with earth and plants. Keeping her arcane hidden, she used her other gifts to become known for her exotic flowers and magnificent gardens. She willingly entered a society marriage. It wasn’t about love, but to bring the power of certain families together. In the end, she only gave birth to me. Then she sheltered me from my father. He…” He trailed off. This was the sticky and troubling part.

“Not a good man?” Gray asked.

“He was brutal to both of us. Only using his voice and words, he abused us emotionally, mentally, and physically. Nothing was ever up to his standards or those of his family. She also failed by not delivering more heirs. Male heirs. Just me.” He licked his lower lip. “I don’t know if my mother is still alive.”

“And your father?” Mac asked.

Falling silent again, Solomon moved his fingers over the blankets. This was the painful part of the secret. One that could affect everything. Until they were at the last stage of the plan, with the potential to save everything, only then, would he open wide.

“Solomon?” Mac touched Solomon’s cheek and gently guided him. “Whoever he is, it does not affect how we see you.”

“His name is Josiah Rackley, a lightning mage in a dominant family of mages. His great-grandfather was a member of the Society of the Carmine Knot. A club for gentleman mages with… dark paths or inclinations toward deviant behaviors that are not approved in high society. Over time, the Carmine became a group of powerful mages from multiple bloodlines but not arcane gifts. They found that gift deplorable and ranted over it about how the arcane gifted got all the publicity, recognition, and remembrance. There are rumors that their magical gifts are fading within each generation.”

“Which would make them more desperate to do something,” Gray said.

“Exactly. Wanting to rewrite the history of the ancients, they turned arcane from the beautiful life-giving foundation magic into something that can be destructive. They used the collapsed realms to force their point, though…”

“It’s the lack of arcane that caused them to collapse,” Gray said.

“My father’s family was part of that society. After my testing revealed I was an arcane mage with the potential to be strong, my mother knew I couldn’t stay with her. Someone from the Society would have kidnapped me. My mother risked her life by accepting the Guild’s offer,” Solomon said.

“Will they recognize you?”

“The Guild surgically and magically altered my face and coloring. It happened multiple times. Not something I recommend. I don’t know if I’ll be recognized. One of those things I’ll have to figure out.”

“No matter who you used to be, I prefer this version of Solomon Windham much better than a stuffed-up Rackley.” Mac framed Solomon’s face between his hands.

“I like him better too,” Solomon said.

“How about allowing me to run a search for your mother? Out of anyone from your past, I believe she deserves to know her son is alive and fighting back,” Mac said. “May I have permission to search?”

Faking a long yawn, Solomon said, “Please. Perhaps to see her. To know she survived him.”

Mac adjusted the bed and tucked in the blankets. “Then I will try to find her for you. Time to get some rest.”

Solomon snatched hold of Mac’s fingers. “You’ll be here.”

“When you wake up again, yes.”

“We didn’t really talk about us.”

“No, but we discussed something far more prevalent that affected our relationship. You’re opening up to me. You’re here. That’s all I wanted. To be equals in our relationship. I’m listening. I’m not running away.”

“Me neither.”

“That’s all I ask.” Mac leaned over and kissed Solomon’s temple. “Sleep and heal.”

“There’s still time to go to battle later,” Gray said.

Grumbling, Solomon slid into an easier sleep.