The Secret of Ashona (18 page)

Erec felt something pushing against his mind, his thoughts. The sensation was coming from Baskania, he was sure, but he couldn’t tell what it was. It was almost as if his enemy was trying to enter his space without even moving—probably trying to read his mind. Whatever he was doing, though, Erec could tell that it wasn’t working very well.

When he focused on Baskania’s thoughts, he had a harder time reading them compared to other humans. It was as if Baskania had a shield around him. But he was able to make out a few things. Baskania was confused as to why he could not read Erec’s mind. He was guessing that Erec had learned some magic to protect himself, or
was wearing an amulet or charm. He was also hoping that Erec had come to hand over his scepter. He wanted that badly. And he also planned to take Erec’s dragon eyes before Erec left.

Erec laughed, thinking how disappointed Baskania would be if he learned that Erec had no dragon eyes at all now.

Baskania looked surprised that Erec laughed. “I see that things are different with you now, my friend. Why don’t you sit and talk to me a while. I’m sure we have a lot to learn from each other.” His lips curved in a tight smile.

Erec nodded and sat down. “Just so you know, I’m not going to be giving you my scepter.” Erec could sense Baskania’s crushing frustration. It felt good to be able to upset his enemy with no fear of what might happen.

Baskania seemed to realize Erec’s lack of fear, which added to his anger. He tried to suppress it until he learned more. “We’ll worry about that scepter later. I’d like to hear what you’ve been up to. It’s obvious you have changed a bit since we saw each other last.”

“I suppose so.” Erec shrugged. He could feel the pushing again from Baskania trying to read his mind, and then sense more of his frustration when it didn’t work. “I’ve gone through some interesting things lately. You can say I’ve learned a lot. I just visited my friends, the Furies. They gave me a pretty powerful gift.” He paused, letting Baskania’s curiosity and excitement build. Erec enjoyed rubbing in that the Furies were not under Baskania’s control. More than that, they were helping Erec now—and it was driving Baskania wild with jealousy. Everything that Erec had said was true, but Baskania had no idea what he was referring to.

It was not a feeling that the Shadow Prince was used to. Erec could hear his voice crack. “What was the gift, Erec?”

“Their last gift?” He shrugged, watching all of Baskania’s eyes widen with envy and resentment. “That’s between me and them.”

“So . . . the Furies are beholden to you now? You gave your soul to release them from Tartarus, right? And now they owe you.” A look of realization hit him. “That should have been
me
they owed their freedom to. I had thought you would never make it out of there alive. I mean . . . I’m happy for you.” Baskania revolved between bitterness and real excitement—thinking of how he could use Erec for even more things now. Erec wished he could read Baskania’s mind easier so he could see everything that he was planning.

“Thanks.” Erec shrugged, trying to look bored. As interesting as this was, he needed to find out the answers to his own questions, so he’d have to be more direct. Even if Baskania didn’t answer, Erec could read his mind and find out what he needed to know. “So, where do you keep your ghosts and spirits?”

“Where do I
what
?” Baskania was truly confused. Erec could see an answer shape in his mind, along with the fact that he wasn’t going to tell Erec anything. “What ghosts and spirits are you talking about?”

Erec concentrated and could see that there was indeed a place where countless ghosts like him were kept by Baskania. They were being trained to fight, and turned into spirit warriors. Baskania was thinking about them silently, and his thoughts were clear enough. A number of the spirits had been humans who were sacrificed to the three Furies, and this group had no souls anymore: These unfortunates were in the process of turning into evil specters—Erec was right. That was exactly what he was bound to turn into if he did not get his soul back soon.

But where exactly were they kept? Erec had to try to keep Baskania’s mind focused on them. “You know the spirits I’m talking about. What are you doing with them? Where are you keeping them?”

He got a flash of an answer, but it wasn’t complete. Somewhere
in another realm. That’s what the golden ghost had been alluding to. It was someplace they could not escape from. Where was it?

Baskania squinted with all of his eyes. “Why are you asking me this? Did the Furies send you? Do they want the spirits for themselves?”

That seemed the perfect answer to give to Baskania. Maybe it would frighten him into letting those poor ghosts go. So he nodded. “Yes, the Furies want them all. You have to let them go, and give them all to me.”

Baskania just stared at him, probing. Erec knew that he was suspicious. If only Erec could tell exactly where the spirits were . . .

“Where are you holding them?” he asked. “How far away are they?”

That did the trick. The answer entered Baskania’s mind—the spirits were housed in a zone in the Earth’s atmosphere that was separated from the rest of our world. Baskania himself had created it to trap these beings—it was inescapable to them. It amazed Erec when he saw the place in the Shadow Prince’s mind. Baskania had a complete understanding of spirits—and so many other things as well. He would have been wise, were he not so twisted from greed and power.

The spirit zone was called the Hinternom, and it was accessible only through a trapdoor here at the fortress in Jakarta. Innocent spirits were led to the door and sucked through by its special magic. Once inside the Hinternom, the only way for the spirits to ever leave was to learn to fight, and to accept Baskania as their master.

Well, now Erec knew not to go to the room with the trapdoor. If he didn’t choose to go there on his own, there was no way that any human could force him. He wondered how the other spirits had been misled. Wouldn’t they have been able to read the mind of the human who was planning to trick them? Maybe Baskania was the one that did it. He could hide some of his thoughts.

Baskania tapped a sharp fingernail against his desk. “I don’t think the Furies want those spirits, Erec. I don’t think they have any need for them at all. In fact, I feel that you are lying to me. You have met with the Furies, and they are beholden to you. But you are lying about the ghosts.” Erec could feel the pushing from Baskania harder now. Some of his probes were actually entering Erec’s space, although nowhere close to working. Erec cleared his mind and Baskania’s efforts failed completely.

Since Baskania used his mind-reading skills to intimidate people, Erec decided to turn the tables. “I see that you keep the spirits in the Hinternom. You created that place yourself. Congratulations. It must have been hard work.”

Erec’s comments worked better than he had expected. Fear flooded his enemy. Baskania was convinced that Erec had developed powers and connections with the Substance that were far beyond his own abilities for the first few hundred years of his life. He thought he would be no match for Erec now, that it was too late to dispose of him, and that his plans were foiled.

It was satisfying to hear those thoughts, so Erec smiled, increasing Baskania’s fear even more. Then a slick smile took over the Shadow Prince’s face. “Erec, I’m impressed with you. Really. I admit—as you know, I once felt at odds with you. I wanted things that you had—your scepter, your dragon eyes. But you have gained so much power. You are a bright learner, obviously, and a worthy ally. As you can see, it would be best for us to be friends, rather than waste our time and efforts trying to destroy each other. I hope you agree.” He folded his hands peacefully before him.

Erec could tell that all traces of fear had left Baskania. He was doing a good job at hiding his thoughts now that he knew Erec was listening to them. “I don’t know.” Erec tapped his chin. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re planning and I’ll decide.”

“Of course.” Baskania nodded. “Well, my plans are changing as I’m getting a chance to know the new you. Up until now I had planned on using the triplets, Balor, Damon, and Dollick, to rule the Kingdoms of the Keepers. As you know, this is a natural progression as I myself created these worlds. Of course my three cloned sons should be the crown princes. But, of course, those boys are not me—not nearly. Two of the three are atrocious failures. The cloning job was awful, to say the least. Needless to say, the doctor that did the procedure has been disposed of. He used laser slices from me to create the boys—the slice for Damon obviously went through too much bone. Dollick was cut from my stomach—I had just eaten lamb for dinner.

“But why waste my time with those three when you and I could rule together? You will keep your own scepter, and wield it as you like. Together we will make sure that the world works the way that it should. It will be ours to command. Just think . . . you would have everything you ever wanted.”

As Baskania said that, images entered Erec’s mind that filled him with delight. The scepter would be his! Even as a ghost, Baskania’s words were able to lead his mind like a dog on a leash. He did want those things. And maybe Baskania would be a good friend to him after all.

A small bit of reason in the back of Erec’s head tried to push those thoughts away, but it was difficult. He tried to remember his reasons for not liking Baskania. He had lied to Erec before. But it was hard not to trust him now. Erec could see it perfectly: the Shadow Prince and himself, the Moon Prince, ruling the world. Wasn’t that what the Hermit had called Erec once—the Moon Prince? He had said Erec was “Reflecting the light of the Sun King, and held by the gravity of the Fates,” whatever that meant.

Thinking about the Hermit brought a little sense into his mind.
What would the Hermit say about this idea? Probably that Erec was crazy. He tried to fight off the temptations that Baskania had put into his head, but it was becoming harder. The Shadow Prince’s words were so appealing. . . .

“Erec,” Baskania said, softly. “I don’t want to harm you. I want to work with you. But I’d like you to help me with a few things first, if that’s okay with you.”

Erec nodded. “Of course, anything would be okay.” He could tell that Baskania was trying to control his thoughts, but even though he could see it clearly, it was still working.

Baskania smiled. “Let’s start with those dragon eyes. I need them to help get us where we want to go. More power for the two of us, you know.”

Erec did know. It was what he wanted too. Power to use his scepter, power to rule, power to make people see how great he really was. Giving Baskania his dragon eyes was a small thing, really. “I don’t have them here, though,” Erec said. They’re . . . somewhere else.”

“Not here?” Baskania looked confused. All at once, Erec’s good feelings screeched to a halt. “I don’t understand. They are not attached to your eyes anymore? Where are you keeping them?”

Groggy, coming out of a haze, it was hard for Erec to remember why he was here. Should he tell Baskania the truth? It seemed safer not to, but he wasn’t sure why. “I . . . don’t know.” He reached up to rub his eyes, then set his hands back down again when he realized that his eyes felt nothing. “I don’t need them right now.”

Erec could feel the pushing again of Baskania trying to read his mind, and he started to come back to his senses. Baskania had brainwashed him. A mere human had so much control over the Substance that he was able to overpower a ghost. Then again, Baskania had created the Hinternom, and even the entire Kingdoms of the Keepers, by using the Substance.

But there were still some things he could not do, and one of them was to read Erec’s mind right now. Which was good, because Erec was starting to worry. He had to figure out what to do about the Hinternom and get out of here before Baskania pulled any more tricks. No wonder the giggling Shadow Demon behind him was having so much fun watching them—Erec had learned a lesson.

At least his dragon eyes and scepter were far away, safe. His dragon eyes were protected in his dead body, and he had sent the scepter away with a spell designed to make sure that he could not call it back on his own.

The pushing got harder, and Erec could feel a ray pierce through his thoughts. “It’s hard to tell what you are thinking, Erec. But I can see that it has to do with your scepter. Where are you keeping it?”

Erec shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s gone.” He cleared his mind to stop Baskania’s probing.

“There are ways of making you talk.” Baskania stroked a silver eye sitting on his desk, its pupil a hole with black coal inside. It looked like it was staring at Erec. “But I’d rather you just told me on your own, friend.”

The good feelings about Baskania started to return. Erec tried to fight them, but it was hard. Maybe he
should
tell Baskania how to call Erec’s scepter back. It wasn’t hard to do. Erec just needed help from someone else, and Baskania would be glad to do it.

He remembered the command that he had given his scepter months ago. King Piter and he both had a hard time resisting its temptation, and it was starting to destroy them. He had to send it away and make sure that he could not bring it back on his own. So he had told it,
Scepter, I want you to get lost. Stay far away from human beings, and don’t come back to me until
someone else
tells me I am ready for you.
Baskania could do that for him, now, if Erec just told him what to say. . . .

“I can see that you’re thinking about the scepter, why you sent it away . . .” Baskania was concentrating.

Erec tried to make his mind blank, but he wasn’t sure why. Oh, yes. It was the scepter. He had to keep it away. But why? He wished that he had it now. It would feel so good to hold it again, feel its power again. Wielding it would make him stronger than the Shadow Prince. Maybe he would show Baskania a thing or two. Then they could rule together—but with Erec in charge. Yes. That was it.

Wait! His common sense fought back. He wasn’t ready for the scepter. It would destroy him. What was he thinking?