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  "Oh, the hospital called after they found your IDs." Portia leaned over to kiss Terra on the forehead before she made her way to the door.

  Terra shut her eyes and wished for an easy explanation.

  “Excuse me,” a new voice said as the door opened and closed behind Portia. Portia did not respond to the visitor’s pleasant greeting.

  Terra carefully turned toward the door. Her body admonished her for the effort with a wave of pain that caught her off guard. She gasped.

  Korin rushed to Terra’s bedside. “I knew it! You ran off with this mortal body, and now you’ve broken it!” Korin’s voice held a teasing tone, but Terra knew there was a particle of truth behind her comment.

  “You do a much better job keeping the body in working order! I have no doubts,” Terra smiled at her disembodied friend. “How did you get here?”

  “It wasn’t easy. But, when my best friend takes off on a suicide mission and winds up in the hospital, I have to find a way!”

  “Oh Korin, I..."

  “You needed help, and you went alone; again." Korin’s voice became sharp. “What could have gone through your mind to make you think this was a good idea? We had a plan, Terra. We were training followers. Troy was building up a force to help you take this thing on. There was no reason for you to attempt this on your own,” Korin's arms crossed over her chest defiantly.

  “I couldn’t see a way out of the situation,” Terra remembered the unsettling message that had driven her reckless behavior. “I tried to tell you before; The Originator sent me a message through the thoughts of a Scourge I destroyed. He was going to destroy Liam’s body and keep him here on Earth as his whipping boy.”

  “How could you be sure?” Korin asked.

  “He was very specific.” The unpleasant memory made Terra's head throb. “Because I wouldn't join my power with his, he would take what I valued most.” She closed her eyes briefly and grew quiet. Her recollection of the Originator’s threat was pristine.

  I know what you really want here. I have been watching you. You left me so many clues! My son, Hidden has told me all about your weakness. I offered you a partnership and protection. You denied me. Now you think you can rise up against me? You can't hope to protect Liam. We will overtake him. And I will find a way to destroy him. Your bond with him keeps you from reaching your full potential. Let go of this weak human. Join me. Together our powers can dominate any who stand in our way. Or choose not to, you can be destroyed with him; that is what you really wanted anyway.

  Terra shifted with discomfort as she recalled the inhuman cadence of the voice that had reached out to her through the thoughts and memories of a Scourge creature she had destroyed. The Originator played his most valuable card when he bet on Terra’s attachment to Liam.

  You can only escape with him one way. Die with him; a human death. As long as you linger here you are in my domain, and I will have control over you, one way or another. Better hurry, we are already on our way!

  Terra suddenly remembered the knife she had carried with her to meet Liam. Could she have been that reckless? Would she have been willing to take both of their lives to keep him from the grips of the Scourge? Tears welled in her eyes. The guides had received Carol's message, and they were here at last. Now she would not need to test that notion.

  “Terra, Are you alright?” Korin asked.

  Terra forced herself to shut out the horrible memory. “I’m alright,” Terra's lies were piling up again. She attempted to wipe away her tears with the edge of her sheet. “Enough about me, tell me how in the world you managed to end up here?”

  “I do have some news to share,” Korin said. Her hand absentmindedly gripped her arm, covering the marking that signified the strange claim Azalea now held over her. “But getting here wasn’t as hard as I had thought. Portia is very skilled at finding you when she wants to.”

  “Portia found me?” Terra asked.

  “She can’t target you like you can, with your connection to your charges,” Korin said, “but she is pretty resourceful when it comes to looking out for her only daughter. You really should consider yourself lucky!”

  “I'm realizing that I need to show my appreciation for many people in my life," She reached out and covered Korin's hand with her own. "Can you forgive me for putting my wants ahead of the promise I made to you?”

  “I admit that I was hurt,” Korin looked down. "But then I realized that you were cornered, and you felt like there were no options.”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t excuse what I did when I ran out on you.”

  “Terra, when will you stop trying to take on the world by yourself?” Korin pulled her hand away from Terra's. “We both know that you have abilities and obligations that us ‘mere mortals' will never have to deal with. But the truth is, we all have a stake in this situation. At the rate the Scourge is spreading, humanity can’t last. We all need to work together to fix this."

  Terra nodded her agreement. She pulled the bedsheet more tightly around her.

  Korin's expression brightened. "And now I may have a way to help all of us do our part to set things right. What if there was another way, besides being a guide to destroy an entity?”

  “Korin, what are you talking about?" Terra shifted with discomfort as the pain in her middle grew worse. "Destroying an entity is a terrible thing. I question myself each time I have to do it. When I take away that existence, the purpose and their part in the tapestry of the One’s plan are also lost. The only way I can justify it to myself is that it won’t work if the being is not consumed with corruption to the point that recognizing their innate purpose causes them to collapse.”

  “Terra, we're running out of time to stop the Scourge, if I have a way to fight and destroy these things, and I can arm Troy’s group, then we can help make things right!”

  “I'm not sure I understand what you mean? How can you destroy another entity without connecting to its consciousness?”

  The familiar click of the door latched turning announced Portia’s return.

  Portia raised her eyebrows. “Were you talking to someone, Terra?”

  “I was praying,” Terra said.

  “That’s a good habit,” Portia said with a smile.

  “We'll talk about this later," Korin said. “I just know you'll like this plan when I have a chance to explain it to you!” Portia showed no sign that she heard Korin as she silently slipped into the hall.

  Chapter 12

  Orthos the Originator circled around the crumpled entity Bartus had left behind as an offering. His progress left no footsteps as he hovered a fraction of an inch above the industrial tile of the abandoned factory. Carol lay inert; her stillness provoked Orthos, who had been promised a prize and now gazed at an unconscious mass.

  “Get up off the floor and let me have a look at you!” Orthos demanded. When Carol failed to move, his foot shot out, connecting with the cloaked form. She groaned softly as she attempted to unravel herself from the fabric that covered her. She managed to rise to her knees where it became obvious that both her hands and feet were bound inside the cloak. A strange hood covered her entire head and was gathered at her neck.

  “I’m trying.” Carol's voice was quiet.

  “I suggest you do more than try. I'm not as patient as my brother!” Orthos wheezed through his laugh.

  “Your brother? Where am I? Why have you brought me here?”

  “I have taken you nowhere; I merely allowed you to be here,” Orthos said. “Now tell me what you know of Terra of the Tweens!”

  Carol sat up straighter despite her restraints. “What do I know? I know she can destroy the Scourge.”

  “That’s no secret. I want to know the whole story. I want to know how she sent you back to the Tweens and what you were supposed to tell the guides. I want to know how the guides have come to Earth!”

  “Guides on Earth? I don’t know what you mean.” Carol’s voice took on a tone of desperation. "Have the guides come to Earth?"

&nb
sp; The Originator aimed a second kick at Carol, striking her square in her chest. She crumpled back onto the ground. “I see you would rather play games then answer my questions. I have associates who enjoy ‘playtime’ much more than I. Let's see if you still feel evasive after a play-date with them!” Orthos glided to the doorway in one fluid motion. He gestured into the darkened hallway.

  Presently, two scourge entities entered the room. “Master, you needed us?” the larger of the two asked. His pitch-black eyes glanced at Carol.

  “This corporeal is a special guest. She needs to learn better manners before I can speak to her again. You see; she knows things about the Tweens, and about Terra that I need to know. I want you two to convince her to share with us. I should tell you, Bartus said not to remove the hood.”

  “Yes, Master,” both the lackeys said. They hoisted Carol from either side with no attempt at civility.

  ~~~~~~~~

  “Stop!” Carol shouted. She felt herself being dragged bodily down the echoing corridor. The creatures held on to each of her arms, suspending her so that her bound feet only reached the floor’s surface part of the time. She attempted to struggle against her captors. The thickness of the hallway’s atmosphere seemed strange after the liberation and free-flowing energy of the Tweens.

  “I know where I am. This hood has not hidden anything,” said Carol.

  Dull laughter preceded any response. “Knowing will do nothing to help you. The Master already has you. You belong to him.”

  “I belong to no one. How dare you bring me to Earth? I've already lived my mortal life. I don’t belong here without my body.”

  “She thinks she's back on Earth,” the thing's laughter grew into howls and screeches.

  Carol’s attempts to escape slowed.

  “Rethought your guess I see.” The captor on Carol’s left whispered into her ear. The sensation of his speech in close proximity to her exposed neck caused Carol to involuntarily recoil toward her right.

  “Aww, now you want to be my friend.” The other thing caressed her arm.

  “Leave me alone!” Carol shouted.

  “You'll have plenty of time alone later. Now you need to learn your place here!” With an exaggerated flourish, the smaller creature struck Carol with enough force that she was flung against the wall. Carol sank to the ground and lay still.

  “We're not done with you!” the larger entity growled as he pulled Carol to her feet once more.

  “I don’t know what you want from me,” said Carol. “There's nothing I can tell you that will lead you to Terra or the Tweens! I’m just an ordinary person!”

  “Yet you speak her name,” the smaller Scourge entity said. “How dare you mention that name here!”

  Carol held her arms before her defensively as she blindly faced her captors. As she turned towards the threatening voice, the smaller entity slashed at her exposed arm in retribution.

  “Please stop,” Carol wept. She tried to distance herself from the pair. With her ankles tied she couldn't take a normal step so the best she could manage was a useless shuffle.

  “Why would you choose the losing team? Humanity is at its end. All the mortal flesh and matter were never meant to last. Yet, here we are, strong, immortal, and impervious to the world. Why would you choose the guides who sent you to suffer?” The larger of the two henchmen was known for his skills in emotional warfare. He had aided in converting hundreds of newly disembodied entities to the Scourge.

  “You've given up your free will,” Carol said. “You're a prisoner like me, but you can’t even see it.”

  “I come and go as I please. I choose this existence. What choice have you made?”

  “I chose to love my child,” Carol said.

  “And where has that led you?” the Scourge henchman asked.

  Carol remained silent. How could she risk telling these things anything that could endanger Liam or Terra?

  “Well?” the larger Scourge demanded.

  Carol stood mute before him.

  “Looks like you struck a nerve,” the smaller of the two Scourge entities said with a laugh. “I’ll see if I can help her get past her hang-ups.” He grasped Carol’s arms, still bound at the wrist and pinned them to the wall. There he used his claws to carve words Carol could not see through the hood.

  Carol’s screams for mercy echoed down the hall alerting Orthos that his will was being carried out. He smirked in anticipation.

  Chapter13

  The springs in the convertible chair-cot protested as Portia shifted. Her attempts to find a comfortable position were useless.

  "Mom, you've been waiting here all day,” Terra said. “Why don’t you go stretch your legs? I promise I’ll be fine.” She shifted carefully in her hospital bed.

  “I'm learning to be cautious of your guarantees, Terra.” Portia glared at Terra over the top of the magazine she had been reading.

  Terra glanced at Korin who reclined at the foot of her bed.

  “She has a point, you know,” Korin said.

  “I’m fine, recovering and resting. There's no need to let your back go into a spasm trying to wait me out.” Terra attempted what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

  Portia sighed, and then put down her magazine. “Alright, I'm going out to pick up a few things for us. I’ll be back in about an hour. I expect you to be right here, resting when I return.”

  “No problem,” Terra said.

  Portia stood and stretched before collecting her purse. “I don’t want any craziness while I’m gone,” she warned.

  “No craziness,” Terra agreed. “Love you, Mom."

  “Love you too,” Portia said, closing the door behind her.

  “I didn’t think she would leave,” Terra whispered.

  “I understand her need to stay. You seem determined to destroy yourself,” Korin said.

  “Korin, I need to get out of here. The guides who came are here because of me. I belong alongside them. I can’t expect them to fix this problem while I just lie here!” Terra shifted her covers aside.

  “Not so fast Terra, that battle has already been resolved. I went to the park where the guides arrived. It's quiet there now. Your friends made short work of the Scourge entities that didn’t manage to escape. Many of them fled. I guess self-sacrifice for their cause is not their main objective.”

  “No, they’re corrupted. Most of them would not have enough humanity left to feel a true sense of devotion to any cause. They follow the Originator out of fear. I guess six guides that could actually destroy them rather than maiming and torturing them was a more convincing threat.”

  “Self-preservation is a powerful motivation,” Korin said.

  “For most…” Terra said.

  “But not for you,” Korin said.

  “I’m not sure anymore. I think I’m missing too much of the story. It feels like the more I find out, the more questions I have.”

  “The more you find out? Did I miss something?” asked Korin.

  “No, I think I did. I think you may have known all along.” Terra said.

  “Terra? You're worrying me. Spill it.”

  “When I came here for Liam, I knew it was a trap. Remember how I told you that the Originator had made a suggestion that sounded possible. If Liam and I died with each other, we would at least be together.”

  “Terra, it was a suicide mission, but you really meant it? I mean you wanted to die?” Korin's eyes widened.

  “Part of me did,” Terra said. “Clinging to this side of mortality has always been an awkward situation for me.”

  “Because you were never meant to be a mortal…” Korin mumbled.

  “I wonder if that is entirely true. Something changed when I met Liam," Terra paused while she opened her mind to his still silent thoughts. "I've felt drawn to him my entire mortal lifetime; to the point that it can be overwhelming. I've always wondered why. It made no sense to be connected with another entity to that extreme if his purpose in existence was only to be sacrificed
to evil.”

  Korin leaned towards Terra with a secretive smile. “You felt something else when you saw him while you both were mortal didn’t you?”

  Terra nodded. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. I knew it was more difficult, missing him while I was a mortal. Being there with him in such a physical way, in such a fleeting moment, it was like all of forever could not compare to that one moment, even if it was a terrible one.”

  “Terrible?” Korin's brow furrowed.

  “Yes, because I knew I would have to kill him to save him if I couldn’t keep the Scourge away from him.” Terra felt the confession leave her lips before she realized that she was going to share it.

  Korin’s mouth fell open. “Terra, you were going to kill him? How can you plan to murder the one person you came here to save?”

  “It was the only way to save him. They would have taken his body and tortured him for eternity just to get to me. The Originator wants me to join him. I have the power that he wants more than anything; I can destroy other entities.”

  “Terra, do you have any idea how crazy all of this sounds? Were you willing to murder your true love to save him from being kidnapped? Besides, I told you, there's another way to destroy an entity."

  “I don't think there's another way. The Originator couldn’t actually destroy him, but they could alter him and change him into an instrument of evil. The person I love would be consumed and blotted out in the process.”

  “Terra, you're not thinking clearly. You are letting this Originator get into your thoughts. Really, do you think Liam is going to expect you to kill him? You are not in some Shakespearian play. Get past yourself and let others help you. This is not only your problem. You nearly got both of you killed. And what would it have accomplished?”

  “I… I thought we would go back to the Tweens.” Terra stammered as she realized the flaws in her logic.

  “Do you still think that?” Korin crossed her arms revealing the strange intersecting circles.