“What’s that?”
“Thurl. It’s just a hole. But one where you can fall into the Otherworld or it can fall into ours.”
“Can you close it?”
“Not without knowing what opened it.”
I pull Flicker back as the drill continues. The spooks blast from the Thurl like a horror show hurricane. At the end of the mob comes Stein, looking as hangdog and confused as ever.
“There’s the birthday boy.”
She says, “Don’t forget. We’re in their territory now. To them, we’re the ghosts.”
Around us, the Stay Belows who don’t rush Abbot’s barrier get to work smashing the neighborhood into little bite-size pieces. There’s a crash at the head of the block as an entire Sphinx falls onto its side.
It catches me by surprise and I curse, which is dumb. The spooks, who were busy a moment before, now turn and come for me and Flicker.
“Say the word and I’ll take us out of here,” I tell her.
“We’re all right. I told you the King Below is looking out for me.”
She raises her arms and the street seems to soften to quicksand. It rises and hangs in the air like waves waiting to crash on a beach, blocking the approaching spook mob. Then it’s just me, Flicker, and Stein. He’s ten or so yards away, but I know he recognizes me because he runs right at me, all fury and death. I’ve tried being nice, but I’m not putting up with this shit again. I manifest my Gladius and wait for him.
Flicker pushes me out of the way and begins to sing. It’s a strange, old, high melody. Sad. Like a love song to a dead lover.
Stein slows his run.
She keeps singing.
He slows even more.
He barely shuffles the last few feet. Stein stops and sways back and forth to the melody.
When his eyes close Flicker says, “Why does he hate you like that?”
“It’s something I said to him. ‘Forever yours. Forever mine.’ I don’t know what it means.”
“Interesting.”
She takes a couple of steps toward Stein and says, “Forever yours. Forever mine.”
Stein stops his swaying and makes a low animal growl.
Flicker keeps going. I keep my Gladius out.
“Forever yours. Forever mine.”
Stein is shaking, but he doesn’t move.
“Forever yours. Forever mine.”
Stein snarls like a rabid dog.
Instead of running like a sensible person, Flicker opens her arms to him and says, “Forever yours. Forever mine.”
W
hen she’s right in front of him, Stein puts his arms around her. Flicker embraces him.