Alek’s heart fluttered with excitement as his mothers filled the talisman with enough energy for a round trip journey to the Mortal Realm and, hopefully, enough time while there to fulfill his mission. He took a deep, calming inhale and readied himself for transportation. If only landing his body was as simple as locating the nearest runway. During his training, he hadn’t quite figured out how to make any of his arrivals exact, something his pride wouldn’t allow him to reveal to his mothers. They repeatedly told him the key was concentration, and that he must allow his entire being to fill with thoughts of his destination. Unfortunately, fantasies of battle and locking up the evil he had trained to destroy always seeped through, clouding his focus at the last moment.
“I cannot allow anything to shift my focus.” His jaw clenched with determination. “Eva, Eva. My thoughts are with Eva.” He let his voice fade to a whisper, repeating his mantra on an internal loop. The air crackled around him as the heaviness of his mothers’ hands and the firmness of the ground below his feet began to fade.
His extremities tingled with anticipation. This is where your true journey begins. You will succeed, and your home will be restored.
His heartbeat quickened as warm air encircled his body and pinpricks of electricity popped off his skin. All of Tartarus’s escaped evil will learn to fear you as one by one they are destroyed and sent back to their cells to rot. He clenched and unclenched his fists.
The force of him tearing through to the Mortal Realm electrified the air of his new surroundings. Like a comet, he burned through the cushion protecting one realm from the next. The space around him illuminated and forced its way through his closed eyelids.
His hand flew to his talisman. “Eva!” he shouted, trying to force his destination back on track.
Metal slammed into his back. The impact forced the air out of his lungs and made his vision spin.
“Fuck me,” he croaked. Chunks of glass snuck into his pants as he hefted his butt out of a destroyed sunroof. He rolled out of the large crater and over the mangled metal. “I fucking hate cars,” he mumbled, flopping to the pavement. Glass and pieces of plastic dug into his back.
He caught his breath and hefted himself off of the ground. He brushed beads of glass from his hair and studied the perimeter for bystanders. The night remained still, and he walked briskly away from the totaled sedan.
“David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center?” The white stone sign loomed at the edge of the parking lot. “Criminal Justice Center? Why would Eva be here?” He wrinkled his brow and brushed more debris from his shoulders. “I did this. Thinking of my coming victory instead of focusing on the task at hand.” Anger swelled in his chest. “Think, Alek. You have been given the tools to find her, now do it.”
He clasped the talisman and mindlessly rubbed his thumb over its smooth silver thread. “Tartarus and the Mortal Realm are depending on you.”
Trust yourself. Mother’s words snaked into his thoughts. Let the new power inside you be your guide. It will search for the new Oracle. He calmed and relaxed into her guidance. You must only trust yourself.
“Thank you, Mother,” he whispered before tucking the amulet into his shirt.
He focused on the new power tickling his lungs. “Eva, find Eva. Find the Oracle. She is your true master.” Pain bit at his chest as the magic swirling in his body roared to life. “Lead me to her.”
The power surged with an aching ferocity, pulling him down empty streets until he reached a set of large glass doors. An awning stretched overhead with the words Ambassador Hotel written in thin swooping letters.
“This looks more promising than David L. Moss,” Alek muttered to himself. He stepped through the open doors and followed signs pointing him to the guest services desk. His time in the Mortal Realm thus far had taught him that people who stood behind desks usually had some answers, and ideally were the ones he sought.
“Hi, welcome to the Ambassador Hotel. Are you checking in?” The petite woman standing behind the counter asked with a pleasant smile.
“No, I am here to find a woman.”
The attendant’s smile faded. “Sir, I don’t think I can help you. We’re not that kind of establishment.”
“Oh. Wait, no. That’s not what I meant.” Alek blushed. “I know the woman I’m looking for. Her name is Eva. I am almost certain she is here.”
The clerk put up her pale hand, signaling for him to stop. “I’m sorry, but I still can’t help you. I’m not allowed to give out guests’ room numbers. If you know the full name her reservation is under, I can call the room for you. But it is after two thirty in the morning. Unless she’s with the party that moved up to the fourth floor, I don’t think she’ll be awake to answer.”