Cracks in Reality (Seams in Reality Book 2) (6 page)

Tonya smiled at Andrew. "You already defeated me! All that training is really paying off."

He beamed with pride. He had overcome her illusions before but never that quickly.

"Charley?" she said. "What about you?"

Charley was clenching her jaw as she stared at the fake wall. Her face was flushed.

"Almost," she replied in a tight voice. "I... got... it." She abruptly relaxed.

"I'm so proud of both of you," Tonya said.

"What's going on?" Tungsten said.

"It's not important. Andrew, your defensive skills are fairly polished now. It's time for you to work on offense for the first time. Be gentle." She looked meaningfully at Tungsten.

"Hold on," Andrew said. "You want me to attack a BPI agent?"

"Not attack," she said. "Teach and learn. I'll make sure nobody gets injured."

He shook his head. "I don't know about this."

"You won't be able to defeat Blake without practicing on softer targets first. It's a necessary part of the training. There really isn't any other way." She faced Tungsten. "Do you still think your mind is as hard as rock?"

"Sure," he said.

"Then letting Andrew take a poke at you won't be a problem, right? We have your consent?"

He furrowed his brow. "I guess so, but how do I protect myself?"

"It's simple. Just remember what is real and ignore what is not. Andrew, proceed."

Andrew walked over to Tungsten. After weeks of getting punched and kicked by the big guy in martial arts class, Andrew was looking forward to a little payback, but he would never admit it out loud. That kind of sentiment could get him into a lot of trouble.

"Are you afraid of anything?" Andrew said.

"No," Tungsten replied confidently.

"Let's see if that's true."

Andrew knew the theory of offensive sorcery, but he had never put it into practice. The principle was straightforward. He merely had to push a terrifying belief into Tungsten's mind. Once the target was crippled by anxiety, he would be at Andrew's mercy.

The Theosophical Seam was a beast roaring silently in the room. There was so much power floating around, the air seemed thick and greasy to Andrew. He always felt like some kind of Superman in the chamber. His thoughts were as quick and intense as lightning.

He tried a basic fear.
You are blind. There is only darkness.
He blasted the belief straight into Tungsten's brain and encountered surprisingly little resistance.

The big man reacted instantly. His eyes rolled in his head, and he groped with his hands. "I can't see!" he said. "What's wrong with me? What did you do?!"

"Tungsten," Tonya said in a calming voice. "Relax. You're fine."

"But my eyes..."

"Are working perfectly. Andrew, well done. Now fix it."

You can see again.
Andrew sent the belief outwards.

Tungsten settled down, but he was still breathing hard. "That was extremely messed up."

His face showed an entirely new respect for Andrew. Andrew enjoyed the success, but in a way, it had come too easily. He had expected such a malicious spell to be more work. Causing terror wasn't supposed to be so effortless.

That's why I'm a war mage,
Andrew thought. His unique talent was the reason he had the task of killing Blake. Andrew had an innate ability to destroy the minds of others. Once he was properly trained, he would be able to defeat even powerful sorcerers like Blake in theory. Of course, he couldn't be sure until he actually did it.

"Dan, it's your turn," Tonya said.

"Me?" Dan said. "No way! I'm not letting Andrew mess with my brain."

"Nobody got hurt, and important lessons were learned. I would think a federal agent would appreciate the value of a training exercise."

"This isn't training. It's infernal sorcery. It's illegal!"

"How do you think Andrew is going to kill Blake?" she said. "With kindness?"

"Then let Andrew practice on you."

"I have to monitor the exercise, and Andrew would never willingly hurt Charley. That leaves you as the practice dummy."

Dan stared at Tonya. "Did you get any kind of approval for this?"

"You're bosses wouldn't understand," she said. "I was hoping for better from you. I promise you won't be harmed."

He narrowed his eyes and turned to Andrew. "What are you planning to do to me?"

"Just make you believe something that isn't true," Andrew said.

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"Depends on the belief."

"You're just an apprentice," Dan said. "How do you know you'll be able to pull it off safely?"

"I'm a specialist at mental sorcery," Andrew said, "and if I make a mistake, Tonya will step in. You're in the hands of experts. Come on. Don't you want to experience sorcery for yourself?"

"I've seen what it can do. No thanks."

"But you don't really understand it. This is your chance to learn."

Dan glanced at the exit door, but Andrew knew Dan still saw a blank wall. Tonya's illusion would continue until she turned it off.

After a long pause, Dan said, "OK. I'll trust you, but don't do anything elaborate. Just a simple demonstration."

"Of course," Andrew said. "Your legs are broken." He backed up the statement with the power of sorcery.

Dan collapsed to the floor. He grabbed his legs with his hands and grimaced.

"You broke them!" he cried with shock and pain in his voice.

Tonya walked over. "Stay calm. Your legs are fine."

"No, they're not! The bones are shattered!"

"Now you understand. Belief can be more powerful than truth. I could show you a hundred X-rays, and you'd still think your legs are broken. Your perception of the world is what's really fractured."

Tungsten ran over and grabbed Dan's shoulders. "Get up. It's just a trick."

"No!" Dan pushed Tungsten away. "Call a doctor!"

"Listen to me," Tonya said. "If a sorcerer attacks your mind, you won't be able to resist, but you can control your own reactions. You don't have to panic. This is what I want you to learn today."

"I don't care. Just fix my damn legs!"

She walked over to one of the shelves. The supplies included a large collection of mechanical clocks ranging from watches to an antique grandfather clock. None of them had the right time. She grabbed a medium-size clock made of brass and wood which was at least a hundred years old. She wound the spring using a key in the back. She placed the clock on the floor in front of Dan.

"Focus on the clock," Tonya said. "Let the precise, predictable movements of the hands guide you to a place where you can think more clearly."

Dan stared at the clock. Andrew knew Dan would never be able to escape the illusion on his own. He lacked the talent, and no amount of training could make up the difference. The clock would help Dan deal with the situation better though. It was an image Andrew used often in his own training.

After a few minutes, Dan seemed to settle down. "I'm not afraid now. My legs are still broken, but you can fix them. It's temporary."

"Close enough," Tonya said. "Andrew, dispel the illusion."

Andrew removed the false belief from Dan's mind. It was as easy as erasing a chalk board.

Dan stared at his legs for a moment. Then he carefully stood up and straightened his karate uniform.

"That was absolutely insane," he said.

Tonya nodded. "Indeed. At the heart of sorcery, there is insanity."

"But I thought sorcery was more than just mental tricks."

"Physical sorcery is much harder, but Charley has particular talent in that regard. Would you like to demonstrate?"

Charley smiled slightly. "Sure. I'll do the spoon bending trick." She walked over to a shelf and grabbed an iron bar which was a half-inch thick. She handed it to Tungsten. "Can you confirm this is solid iron?"

He struggled to bend the bar. The muscles in his big arms bulged enough to stretch his uniform.

"It feels solid." He returned the bar to Charley.

She stared at the metal, and Andrew sensed her energy level flaring up. The invisible storm which always surrounded her doubled in size.

"What are you doing?" Tungsten said.

"Altering the molecular structure," Charley said. "Weakening the bonds."

She twisted her hands, and the bar bent like soft clay. With a grunt of effort, she tore the metal into two parts. She handed the pieces back to Tungsten.

He stared at them. "That's... unbelievable."

"It's not that hard when I'm so close to a giant seam."

Andrew knew that wasn't true. He certainly couldn't perform that spell. Physical sorcery was far beyond his capabilities, and he probably wouldn't even start practicing it for a year.

"Where is the seam exactly?" Tungsten looked around.

Charley pointed at a spot in the center of the chamber. "Right there. To me, it looks like a black electric arc. I can see it from a mile away."

He furrowed his brow.

"The demonstration is over," Tonya said. "You can finish your martial arts class now."

The sorcerers went to the door, but Dan and Tungsten stayed behind. They still saw just a blank wall.

"Oh, sorry." Tonya dispelled the illusion.

Once they were outside, Dan said, "I'll admit that was educational, but let's not do it again. Lesson learned."

"On that point, we agree," she replied.

Chapter Three

Blake had a feeling of satisfaction as he watched the construction crew work. Over a hundred men were slaving away in the desolate Arizona desert. Dump trucks, cement trucks, generator trucks, mobile cranes, and other construction vehicles were parked around the Titan II missile complex wherever space could be found. The sounds of cutting and drilling filled the air.

Having a crime boss like Mr. Panetta as a partner had many advantages. Unions and inspectors never caused trouble. Cash to pay for expenses was always available on short notice. Workers showed up on time every time. Everybody was very
respectful
. A project that could've taken six months would be done in just a few frantic weeks.

Blake walked over to a temporary elevator built in the silo where the Titan II missile had actually been stored. The elevator was just a cage mounted on a vertical railing. It went from ground level to the bottom of the silo over a hundred feet below. He rode the elevator all the way down.

The noise grew much louder when he reached the bottom. Men were using giant saws to cut steel. Overly bright work lights and clouds of dust created a surreal environment. Blake clamped his hands over his ears and squinted his eyes. He wished he had remembered to bring ear protection.

The construction workers were building a magic trick. Many years as a stage magician had taught Blake exactly how to create the effect he wanted. He wouldn't even need to rely on sorcery. Simple, mechanical props would fool both the US Army and the Bureau of Physical Investigation. His enemies would deliver the prize to him without even knowing they had done so. By the time they figured out the trick, it would be too late.

Blake was satisfied everything was going according to plan. He rode the elevator back to the surface. Fresh air and relative quiet came as a great relief after the hellish environment below. He checked his watch and hurried off towards his car. He had a plane to catch.

* * *

Andrew yawned as he walked down the stairs in Tonya's house. He was tired and would've gladly slept until noon, but his harsh training schedule wouldn't wait. His first class was sorcery practice in the Fine Arts Building. If he ate a real breakfast, he would get nauseous during class, but he had to put something in his empty stomach. He usually settled for a glass of milk and a piece of buttered toast.

Tonya and Charley were already in the kitchen. The women greeted him with a muted "hello."

The décor in the kitchen reflected Tonya's slightly insane tastes. The legs of the chairs and table looked like white bones, but they were actually bleached, carved wood. A hundred tiny lights formed a perfect ten by ten grid on the ceiling. Big, yellow smiley faces were painted on the red doors of all the cabinets. A dense pattern of black and white tiles created a maze on the floor, and Andrew had solved it once. The maze wasn't easy.

He opened the door of the refrigerator. All the items inside were precisely arranged in order of descending size. A one-gallon bottle of grape juice was at the upper left, and a lonely sprig of garlic was at the bottom right. Tonya became upset if anybody put food back in the wrong order.

Andrew pulled out a jug of milk and placed it on the neon green kitchen counter. He found the bread in a cabinet. He took out a slice and dropped it into the toaster, but he was so tired he missed on the first try.

Somebody grabbed his shoulder. "Hello, Andrew," a man said.

Andrew jumped in surprise. He turned and found Keene standing there.

"You shouldn't let an old man like me sneak up on you," he added. "It shows a troubling lack of focus."

Keene was a master sorcerer who lived in Atlanta. Andrew had met Keene last year a few times because of a crisis involving his apprentice, Serkan. A banshee had killed Serkan in the end, and Blake had been responsible.

Keene had thinning gray hair. His face was full of creases and wrinkles, but he was still vigorous and healthy. A prominent nose gave him a hawkish appearance, and brown eyes stared intently at Andrew. Keene was wearing a blue dress shirt with pinstripes.

Andrew hadn't detected him in the room. Master sorcerers had the ability to squelch their energy signature temporarily, making them stealthy. Keene hadn't been invisible or inaudible though. Andrew should've heard him at least.
I'm just not awake,
he thought.

"It's nice to see you again," Andrew said, "but what are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"I told you I would come back," Keene said. "I have a special lesson planned for you and Charley."

Andrew tensed. He had learned "special lesson" was code for "traumatic learning experience."

"I appreciate the thought," he said desperately, "but I think Tonya's lessons are special enough."