The God Wheel Read online

  “Quiet,” I hissed through closed teeth.

  I shuffled through all that I knew, focusing on the last few hours the most. A plan was forming in my head, pieces sliding into place as I pushed conclusions to converge.

  I opened my eyes and took a step back, letting Dark Cloud’s hand slide free of my chest. The serene god looked at me with a hint of anticipation. That surprised me, considering how reserved and aloof he’d been.

  “First, tell me why you two are here together?”

  Mitch said, “I’m an exile, remember? I can be present when you summon any of the others.” He nodded at the wheel. “Little loophole I’m sure the powers that be will remedy once this Entropy Queen business is over.”

  I’d forgotten that. Lorna’s exiled god had been right with us, alongside Kni.

  I looked at Dark Cloud. “I need to send you away.”

  He stepped back. “I am never truly far, Felix.”

  Mitch snorted.

  I sent him a look, telegraphing that he needed to hold back his surely snide comment.

  The god impishly sucked in his lips.

  I spun.

  Dark Cloud faded into nothingness and in his place stood my best shot at bringing back Lorna and imprisoning the queen.

  The new arrival smiled.

  “Okay, Mnemon, here’s what we need to do.”

  Chapter 24

  The Elventh Hour

  Mnemon made a few suggestions to my plan, but I could tell he was pleased.

  “You are whip smart, Felix. Are you ready?”

  “I am,” I said. “And you’re sure you can make me solid and able to affect things in the past?”

  “Yes, with the Hawaiian trip, we were only ghost observers. This time will be different.”

  “Then let’s get started.” I slid Lorna’s bracelet on my wrist. It enlarged, configuring to my thicker arm. It was more versatile than my ring, which could only bring me to and from my god wheel.

  I spun the wheel and concentrated on the god I wanted. I wasn’t a fan of who I needed, but, then again, he really hadn’t stuck around the first time thanks to my spinning frenzy.

  Mnemon disappeared, and Xexxer appeared. He shuffled forward slowly, his robe heavy and cumbersome. He definitely was not a god to call on in the heat of battle or to be the other half of a three-legged race, but, given his skill set, he was perfect for the immediate mission. Xexxer’s involvement had been Mnemon’s suggestion, and I had to admit a smart move.

  His pointy chin and nose stuck out of his hood. He looked up and at me, and I got an eyeful of his face. Mnemon had warned me it was not a pretty sight, and he was right.

  His eyes were missing. The flesh rimming his wide-open sockets was charred and pitted. His nose and mouth were intact, but both were framed by deeply etched wrinkles as if someone had gouged irrigation trenches into his skin.

  “Have you had ample time to absorb my visage, young Felix?” he said, his voice raspy and ancient. He could easily audition for creepy host of a late night horror movie marathon. The Crypt Keeper had nothing on him in the ghastly gabbing department. I hadn’t noticed his frightening voice before, but it was likely that seeing his face had accentuated just how dreadfully he spoke.

  “You’re my god of contracts,” I said, hating how it sounded slightly questioning.

  “Contracts, legalese, and what you call mind-numbing paperwork. I call all of it blessed writings, though. I’m also by your side for moral support when you find yourself in a long line.” He dropped his head down, sparing me from soaking up more of his grim appearance. “You only haul me out at tax time and most recently when you applied for that shiny new credit card. Not challenging work in the least. Really would appreciate the chance to sink my teeth in a home loan application.”

  Mnemon had warned me his associate waxed poetic about his divine specialty and to be vigilant about keeping him on topic. “Were you listening in on my plan through your feed?”

  “Yes, and I love the thrilling adventure you’ve asked me to embark on with you. I can’t tell you how giddy it makes me feel. The opportunity to visit an elven records office, it’s the chance of a lifetime.” He drew a circle in the air with a bony finger. On the third time around, a trail of green magic leaked from his fingertip. He moved his arm in wider arcs. The magic trail formed an expanding spiral. When he poked its center, the magic filled in all the negative space, leaving a bright green portal whose edges rippled and spasmed with quivering abandon.

  Xexxer climbed through first. I helped heave the trailing end of his robe through, then looked at Mitch, expecting him to jump through the rift before I did.

  My god of progress hung back. He smiled. “I’ll sit this one out. Xexxer’s quite particular and traditional. He wouldn’t want to have two deities along. Besides, I’m not a fan of the guy at all.”

  I nodded and ducked into the rift.

  We arrived at the elven village outside their main hall. Unlike the pandemonium happening to the mortal world, this outpost of magicals located in a remote forest in Turkey, hidden thanks to a cloaking spell, was serene. Elves went about their business, with a few giving us a passing nod.

  “Why aren’t they freaking out?” I asked. “I thought they shunned contact with mortals.”

  “Because you’re with a celestial.” Xexxer waved at a young couple carrying a basket of melons toward an open market. They bowed their heads at him, keeping their gaze fixed on the god’s feet and not what was under his hood. Thankfully, Xexxer kept his face relatively out of sight.

  “Let’s get the contract and go.” I started up the steps.

  Mnemon kept pace. “Elven recordkeeping is spectacular in its efficiency, a feast of simplicity.”

  I flinched.

  Despite not looking my way, the god seemed to register my fear. “Something bothering you? And speak bluntly. I don’t like folks who mince words. I appreciate someone who trusts in the economy of language and gets to the point.”

  We entered the building.

  “Um, well, Mnemon didn’t tell me about your eyes, or lack thereof.”

  Xexxer faced a wall hanging with the map of the hall stitched in place. He studied it briefly and then shot off down a corridor. I kept a few steps behind him.

  “My eyes were taken from me. The who and how of the matter is irrelevant.” He turned right down a slightly tighter passage.

  We passed numerous closed doors.

  “So how do you see? I mean, you clearly read that map just now.” And are having no problem navigating these narrow corridors without feeling about or resorting to a cane.

  “Divine powers. A sort of magical radar.”

  Like Daredevil, I thought.

  Xexxer stopped at the end of the hall and pointed at a gold plaque mounted above the door that read Hall of Records. “And here we are, the Promised Land.” He pushed open the door and strode in.

  An elf wearing a light blue vest and brown shorts sat behind a desk, staring into a crystal ball. I recognized the scene playing within the orb. Somehow, this magical could watch Netflix through a crystal ball. Something told me that streaming it through the magical item was most likely illegal and could land the elf in hot water if he was found out. My guess was this village had some sort of council or tribunal that handed down stiff penalties. Mnemon had shared enough about elven culture for me to know they were real rule sticklers.

  There was nothing else in the room other than a very expansive table directly behind the elf. A large tome sat at its center. I’d expected a room packed to the gills with scrolls stored in all sorts of oddly constructed nooks and crannies.

  The elf waved a hand over the crystal ball, and the image disappeared, replaced by a swirling patch of darkness. “Uh, that wasn’t what it looked like. Just checking in on my youngest.” He flicked the crystal and a scene of a small elf sleeping in a hammock swam into view.

  Xexxer harrumphed.

  “We’d like to see the contract Herena signed, please,”
I said.

  The elf scratched at his patchy white beard and spun around on his stool. He waved a hand at the lone book, which was well out of his reach. The tome slid across the table surprisingly fast, kicking a faint cloud of dust into the air with its passage. It stopped inches from the table’s edge. The elf snatched up the large leather-bound book, its spine easily four inches thick. Despite its massive size, the slender elf easily relocated it to his desk. The book had a gold lock like it was some prized diary. The elf tapped once at the lock and said, “Please access any records pertaining to Herena . . .” He looked up at me. “Got a last name?”

  “No.”

  Xexxer said, “It would be a much older record. Look for any references at least a thousand years ago.”

  The elf stared up at the god. He didn’t look taken aback by Xexxer’s face in the least. He gave the deity a thumbs-up. “Check under ancient village affairs, please.”

  The lock clasp popped open, and the book flung itself wide. Page after yellowed page flipped by until the book stilled a third of the way in.

  The page on the left lit up, glowing a bright white.

  “This what you want?”

  Xexxer scanned the page. “Yes.”

  I stole a glance but couldn’t read the tiny, elaborate cursive.

  The elf said, “How many copies?”

  Xexxer said, “Three will suffice.” The god leaned my way but did not expose his face to me. “Triplicate is a tradition I can’t seem to shake, Felix.”

  “Three if you please.” The elf snapped his fingers over the glowing page.

  Above the book, three scrolls appeared, each rolled up and already secured by a tied string.

  The elf said, “Any other business?”

  “That’s it,” I said.

  Xexxer snatched up the still levitating scrolls. “Many thanks, kind elf. Your records are quite beauteous and elegantly economical.”

  The elf blushed. “Thank you. Been so long since I had any visitors, much less ones that appreciate the rigors and responsibilities of recordkeeping.” He smiled. “I serve at the behest of the Great Knowing and Cataloging.”

  Xexxer replied, “As do I.”

  We departed. Before we could exit the building, Xexxer handed me two of the copies and already had the third open and was pouring over it.

  That didn’t stop the deity from easily weaving through the hallways.

  “Herena Vogor enters into said agreement . . .” He then muttered several sentences at lightning speed. “. . . both parties enter into this pact with the full understanding . . .” He read under his breath at an even faster pace. He stopped and held the contract close to his face. “Ah, here it is.”

  We walked out onto the steps. Xexxer read the rest of the document to himself. I watched various elves drift by, most heading to the open market. The smells from the food vendors made my stomach rumble. One particularly loud gastrointestinal outburst caused Xexxer to glance over at me.

  I did my best to not look away. His face was even more terrifying out in the bright light of day, but I refused to show him my unease. “Did you find it?”

  “Of course I did. Loopholes are my specialty. It was pretty buried and phrased quite deceptively, but I have it.”

  “Good.” I touched Lorna’s bracelet and summoned a portal. “Then it’s go time.”

  Chapter 25

  Contract Magic

  I delivered Xexxer back to the cave and spun the wheel for Mnemon. After filling him in, we were off. Mitch declined to head out with us.

  Mnemon and I stepped out of his portal. The god had been particularly fastidious about its generation, citing how crafting rifts that moved through space were a breeze, while ones that folded time and space required far more finesse.

  And, evidently, adding time into the mix created portals that were rainbow gaudy, something I couldn’t resist ribbing Mnemon about.

  “That’s a real groovy portal. Almost expected to have it drop us into Candy Land.”

  Mnemon shot me a vicious look. “Just be mindful of your time twin. I suspect he won’t believe who you are.”

  His portal had delivered us to the dinosaur hall just off the rotunda. I spotted the back end of the elephant on display. It was whole and still standing so we had clearly arrived before the showdown.

  We crept forward, passing by an impressive T-Rex skeleton and stopping next to a glass case holding a Triceratops skull. I resituated the knapsack containing the two copies of Herena’s contract. The other was with Xexxer for safekeeping. We would need it later.

  Mnemon nodded at my bag. “Wish I could’ve made more, but three timeslip discs is all I had time to create.”

  He’d reviewed their capabilities, and our plan hinged on me using the discs successfully and sparingly.

  “I’ll be quick.”

  We scurried over to the doorway to the rotunda. Lorna and my time twin were already there as expected, sneaking toward the Entropy Queen.

  “Go,” Mnemon said.

  I stepped out and waved at the unsuspecting pair.

  Both were so fixated on the queen that they didn’t spot me.

  I rushed out of hiding and bounded toward them.

  Lorna noticed me and pawed at my twin’s arm. My past self gaped at me.

  I risked a loud whisper. “Lorna, you have to come with me.”

  She fished a no-go sphere from her bag, staring at me with uncertainty.

  “No, it’s me, Felix. I’m here to help.”

  I knew what they had to be thinking. I must be some sort of doppelganger created by the queen. They had every reason not to trust me.

  She held the sphere at the ready but didn’t toss it.

  “I’m from the future, actually just a few hours ahead of you guys.”

  “What the hell?” my past self said.

  The Entropy Queen entered the conversation. “Oh, how novel. Two of a kind.” The queen tensed, and five of the possessed crashed through the front doors.

  The same woman as before fell to the ground and didn’t get up, the shard in her forehead once again doing her in.

  Lorna froze a big fellow with a no-go sphere.

  Two of the possessed once again arrayed themselves along the queen’s flanks.

  My twin and Lorna ran behind a column. I followed, tracking the biggest possessed as the glow from his eyes intensified.

  I leapt behind the column. A pair of eye blasts slammed into the pillar, cutting deep into the stone.

  “I already fought her here and things went badly,” I said.

  Sections of the column fell. I ducked and pushed Lorna out of the way of a major chunk.

  My past self looked at me, clearly registering that I was alone. He also spotted that I had Lorna’s bracelet. He realized it was a duplicate of the one on his Lorna’s wrist.

  He’s putting two and two together like I would.

  I said, “Let me get Lorna out of here safe and sound, and you meet me back at our god wheel.”

  A possessed tackled me, driving me into the ground. I wiggled free and chucked a timeslip disc at him. It was the cop. The disc clipped his shoulder, and he moved in reverse, running through his actions backwards.

  Lorna and my time twin gawked at me.

  “Sends them backwards five minutes.” That meant the cop would reverse course and hop through the door, sending all the shattered glass back together. Part of me wanted to see that but knew it was foolish to linger.

  The next part of the plan was tricky. I needed to make sure the queen took the right bait.

  “Felix, you have to leave first. It’s critical the queen go after me and not you.”

  “What? No.” He tossed two spheres, succeeding in freezing the other big puppet.

  That left the duo cozying up to the Entropy Queen.

  “You have to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to Lorna.”

  Both our eyes darted to her.

  Lorna threw three spheres at the charging possessed, a woman i
n red workout clothes who looked about to unleash her eye beams. My past self must have shared some of his spheres.

  The woman got caught in two stasis bubbles that overlapped because they’d been triggered so close to each other.

  My past self scowled but summoned a portal. He slipped through after giving Lorna a look of profound worry.

  Lorna drew up next to me. “What can I do?”

  I spotted Mnemon hiding behind the elephant. He was in position.

  I stared at Lorna. “Stay here.” I retrieved a disc and placed it in her hand. “Throw this at her when I screw up.”

  “How will I know when that is?”

  “Oh, you’ll know. I’m pretty obvious with my screw ups.” I scrambled toward the elephant, leaving Lorna to hide behind the broken column.

  The Entropy Queen glared at me. Both her eyes and those of her still mobile puppet glowed.

  “You don’t have very good control of your army.” I nodded at the broken doors, now only numbering four. I guess the one I’d sent back in time had already leapt in reverse through his door.

  “Not yet, but as I acclimate to being back on this mortal plane, my control will strengthen. You shouldn’t worry about me. The two of you are tied to a doomed prophecy. You will not muster a victory.” She stalked toward me. Her puppet hung back, her eyes glowing brighter.

  I didn’t have much time.

  I flung a disc at the queen. She dodged it.

  The queen laughed.

  Lorna stepped out from behind the column and flung her disc.

  The queen spun around but couldn’t evade the surprise attack. The disc slammed into her thigh. She was immediately caught up in the pocket of time flow reversal.

  She stalked backward. The possessed still free dropped to the floor the second the queen began moving in reverse. Those in their stasis bubbles likely would’ve done the same if they hadn’t already been frozen.

  Mnemon stepped out of hiding and summoned another of his ridiculously garish time and space portals between the retreating queen and the line of broken doors.

  Lorna joined me. “So sneaky. She has no choice in the matter, right?”