The Soulkeepers

Chapter 41: The Other Side

                   

Dr. Silva, Gideon, and Malini landed silently in the garden, the first two crouched ready to attack, the third in a heap in the sand gasping for breath. Dr. Silva pulled a bottle of something that looked like tea from her pack and brought it to Malini's lips.

"Drink," she whispered. "There's no time to rest."

Malini did as she was told. The tea burned through her veins like a shot of adrenaline. Her heart raced in her chest and she had a sudden urge to run. She leapt to her feet.

"Do I want to know what was in that?" Malini gasped.

"No."

"As long as we're clear." Malini blinked her eyes several times in the darkness. She could make out the outline of thorn bushes but there was no visible source of light. Even the night sky was empty of stars. There was a statue of an angel at the center of the garden that looked menacing in the darkness. Malini wondered if it was supposed to be a fountain because the figure stood in a concrete pool, but it was bone dry.

"There's no water in Nod," Dr. Silva said, as if in answer to her unasked question. "That's why it's so dangerous for Jacob here. He's powerless."

"Do you know where we're going?" Malini asked.

"Not exactly, but I know someone who will." Dr. Silva turned to the large red cat. "This is Gideon. You could say he has a nose for Nod. I could get us there, by magic, but I might accidentally hurt you in the process. Gideon, on the other hand, is much better at navigating in a way that's safe for you." She clipped a long black leash to his collar. "Sorry, Gid, I know this is humiliating, but without it she'll never keep track of you in the dark."

She placed the leash in Malini's hand.

"Gideon and I can see in the dark. He will be our guide and I will follow from behind. No matter what happens, stick with him. If you get lost on the way, you'll never find your way out."

"Wait! Aren't you going to light the candle so we can see where we are going?" Malini asked, desperately hoping for some break in the darkness. The blindness was terrifying.

"No. We can't risk it. Light is a powerful thing anywhere but especially here where its presence is so rare. Above all things, we need stealth if we are going to help Jacob. Just hold on to Gideon and follow along."

"You want me to trust your cat with my life?"

"Do as you wish, but he's more trustworthy than I am."

Malini couldn't argue with the logic. Gideon pulled gently on the leash and she followed him blindly. She tried not to dwell on the what if thoughts that teased her brain. What if the cat didn't know where he was going? What if they were somehow separated in the darkness? What ifone of them was injured and couldn't get back to the real world? She decided to leave the what ifs behind and instead concentrated on the prayer that she repeated under her breath as she walked.

At first, Malini thought the blue glow that arose in the distance was a trick her brain was playing on her, like when you turned out the lights at night but could still see spots on the inside of your eyelids. But as they continued down the path, the blue grew brighter and taller on the horizon until she could make out her hand in front of her face. Closer still and she could see the outline of Gideon in front of her and Dr. Silva behind her.

The glow was not a warm natural light but the color of a cheap fluorescent bulb. It bounced off the steel gate and the bland silver buildings stacked like boxes against the desert landscape. The style of the gated city was almost surgical, with no gables or etchings or decorative architecture of any kind. The gates were not scrolled or weathered and had no more character than a concrete slab. The city's massive size did give the illusion of grandeur but anyone who had experienced the magically historic skyline of Chicago or the twinkling majesty of New York City would find it ugly and repulsive. Malini, who was a veteran traveler of three continents, was sure she was looking at a glorified dog kennel.