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Etheral
“Free me,” she breathes.
“Aira waited a long time to meet her rescuer,” the male being says.
Zoé blinks. “Her rescuer? I don’t understand, deliver her from what? Or, where? Who are you people?”
“We’ve been called many things. Some accurate, some less so. Your mother would likely know us as the sorcerers. Human souls cast into shadow by the guilt of a terrible crime. All waiting for the one who will free us. They only come once a generation, and only for one of us. Aira’s chance has passed. Now mine has arrived. I am Astor.”
He smiles then, though it’s more a baring of sharp teeth. She can’t help recoiling slightly. “I’m Zoé. Why should I free you, if I even could?”
The smile wilts into a glare. “You’ll free me because it’s what you came here to do,” he growls.
“Says who?” Zoé shoots back, “I don’t know who you are or what you did. Why should you be free?”
“It doesn’t matter what I did!” he snaps, “This is my time! You are my rescuer!”
“Well, what do I get out of it? How am I supposed to be okay with freeing some metaphysical convict?”
His anger drains and a new smile spreads across his face, this one gleaming with dark promise. “Of course you’ll be compensated for your effort. It’s only fair. Your kind always benefits from this particular duty. Opening doorways between worlds opens doorways in your mind. Unlocks avenues of power you can’t even imagine. You could achieve wonders, after you’ve freed me.”
His voice has gone low, almost hypnotic. Zoé must blink and shake it from her head, saying with a frown, “I don’t want to ‘achieve wonders.’ It’s been ten years since I had anything to do with... my mother’s work, and I’ve not missed it.”
“Is that so? Are you certain? That would make you rather unique in your family.”
“You don’t know my family,” Zoé counters, “You don’t know my mother, or me. You’ve got nothing I want, and no reason why I should help you. I’m leaving.”
“Wait!” he shouts, but Zoé is already on her feet and running out of the grotto. She doesn’t stop running until her torch is the only light she can see.
Back inside the grotto, Aira snorts. “Well done, Astor. Now you’re in the same boat as me. How nice to have company.”
“Be silent,” Astor hisses, “She’ll come back. She’s not dead, just... confused.”
“Aira waited a long time to meet her rescuer,” the male being says.
Zoé blinks. “Her rescuer? I don’t understand, deliver her from what? Or, where? Who are you people?”
“We’ve been called many things. Some accurate, some less so. Your mother would likely know us as the sorcerers. Human souls cast into shadow by the guilt of a terrible crime. All waiting for the one who will free us. They only come once a generation, and only for one of us. Aira’s chance has passed. Now mine has arrived. I am Astor.”
He smiles then, though it’s more a baring of sharp teeth. She can’t help recoiling slightly. “I’m Zoé. Why should I free you, if I even could?”
The smile wilts into a glare. “You’ll free me because it’s what you came here to do,” he growls.
“Says who?” Zoé shoots back, “I don’t know who you are or what you did. Why should you be free?”
“It doesn’t matter what I did!” he snaps, “This is my time! You are my rescuer!”
“Well, what do I get out of it? How am I supposed to be okay with freeing some metaphysical convict?”
His anger drains and a new smile spreads across his face, this one gleaming with dark promise. “Of course you’ll be compensated for your effort. It’s only fair. Your kind always benefits from this particular duty. Opening doorways between worlds opens doorways in your mind. Unlocks avenues of power you can’t even imagine. You could achieve wonders, after you’ve freed me.”
His voice has gone low, almost hypnotic. Zoé must blink and shake it from her head, saying with a frown, “I don’t want to ‘achieve wonders.’ It’s been ten years since I had anything to do with... my mother’s work, and I’ve not missed it.”
“Is that so? Are you certain? That would make you rather unique in your family.”
“You don’t know my family,” Zoé counters, “You don’t know my mother, or me. You’ve got nothing I want, and no reason why I should help you. I’m leaving.”
“Wait!” he shouts, but Zoé is already on her feet and running out of the grotto. She doesn’t stop running until her torch is the only light she can see.
Back inside the grotto, Aira snorts. “Well done, Astor. Now you’re in the same boat as me. How nice to have company.”
“Be silent,” Astor hisses, “She’ll come back. She’s not dead, just... confused.”
36 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2021
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2 people want to read
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