rang. I jumped up, quickly cleaned myself up, and rushed to open it. My intuition told me that Michael was there. After we'd kissed passionately more than once one night, I'd had to turn him down, and we hadn't seen each other in over six months. All that time I loved him and missed him immensely.
I opened the door and, on a sudden impulse, I wanted to hug him, but when I smelled the "scent of a woman" on him, I pulled back. My joy has been replaced by something oppressively heavy, but I'm still smiling:
— Hi, Michael!
— Hi, Lina! He pulls money out of his pocket and places it on the nightstand. Here's the usual… for your help. My fiancée Dina has been kidnapped.
I miss the punch for a second. Though it hurts, I try to keep my face as Michael continues, examining him and noting how mature and strong he's gotten in the meantime:
— Last night, when I wanted to propose to her, she didn't show up. After seeing the video for subscribers that she made when she walked out of the clinic from the plastic surgeon, I got the police involved. I still have contacts from the last case. Today they found her cell phone in the grass, not far from the road, and witnesses who saw her get into a car with a skinny, smiling guy.
— Dina," I try to react, but to change the subject, I add. — You've changed.
— Yeah, I'm taking a "young fighter's course." As they say, if you want peace, prepare for war. But more on that later. First, check out this post Deena made on her page last night:
"Hello, my good ones! I have news for you. I've decided to remove a couple ribs to make my waist thinner. Now I consulted with the doctor who did my breast augmentation. And I'm happy with the conversation. And my boyfriend's paying for the procedure. I'm meeting him in an hour. And maybe tonight I'll have a surprise to share with you. See you tonight, my favorites!" While the girl was writing this down, one man with lustful eyes and two women with faces twisted with envy accidentally got into the frame. But Dina didn't notice it, she was in anticipation and glowing with happiness.
I watch carefully, trying to distract myself from the irreparable situation that is slowly destroying me from the inside out. There's something else that makes me push all my feelings deeper. The first is that Dina is the girl from my dream tonight. So through the creature I saw the kidnapper and the place where they are, but only from the inside. And the second was her eyes. I realized from her eyes that she had been "done to death". The customer was a woman. Reason being jealous of Dina's demand for men.
— Is it another maniac? — Michael's anxious and confused.
— No. He's just a guy who thinks he can get away with anything.
— How do we find them?
— I know one way. If you sink to the bottom of the spring, the heart can stop. Then the soul can leave the body and find anything.
— Can you do that?
— Theoretically, yes. Do you know how to resuscitate?
— I took a course. Shall we go to "our" spring?
— Our spring has dried up. The drought's gotten to it. There's another one in the mountains, but it's three hours away.
— Then let's not waste time. Pack and bring your passport. I put a power of attorney on the car for you, just in case. The papers are in the glove compartment.
Realizing I might not come back, I pull out my backpack, first aid kit, towel, makeup, a change of clothes, a folder with documents and money, in which I add Michael's money.
— Did you bring a gun, too? — I try to distract him from my careful packing.
— No, I had to leave it in the armory safe. They're strict about that now. But I have a perfect hand-to-hand record. No one can beat me.
While I'm packing, Michael starts talking about the course, his plans, and Deena. Noting that he's channeled the effects of the magic in the form of irritability and anger into sports, I listen half-heartedly, trying to take in everything that's valuable and necessary. There's no telling how the dive into the spring will go, but I have a feeling I won't be coming back here again.
Chapter 7. The Path to Truth
When we reached the spring, I looked around, gathering my strength. The beauty of nature had always fascinated me, but not now. It was peaceful and warm all around, but not for me. I prayed, realizing that I was about to go through death.
Michael, having undressed, went into the spring and after dipping a few times, began to swim. When he came up to me, I realized that the spring had "taken the spin off of him."
— Why don't I love her anymore? How could I love a girl like Dina, she's not my person at all? — He started the conversation, perplexed. I watched his whole planned life go down the drain, but I kept silent.
— I remembered our relationship with you. What happened then that I forgot you? I forgot I loved you.
— I gave you a spell. I didn't want to get in trouble with my fiancé.
— Oh, I see. I didn't want to upset him. If you'd told me, I wouldn't have pursued you, so why go to such extreme measures? Do you realize I almost ended up with the wrong girl?
— I'm sorry. I didn't know it would turn out this way with Dina. Magic always has a side effect. I couldn't tell you. You wouldn't have backed off right away, and I wouldn't have been able to keep up my defenses for long. I loved you, too, and I still do, but I was afraid my fiancé would hurt you. He won't let any man near me.
— He and I could have made a deal. Why would he want a fiancée who loves another man?
— He doesn't care about my feelings. He's a powerful sorcerer and his power can be amplified through my energy. That's why he doesn't touch me, he waits for my energy to be at its maximum. But the energy can pass on to another man I'm close to. Do you understand now?
— What's not to understand? You already told me you were his Coast, and I was willing to fight for you.
— He tortured my friend to death on a whim. And then covered up the crime by using a very powerful spell called "burning with fire" to turn the body to ash. He wouldn't have spared you.
— You didn't believe in me at all, did you? Even after I dealt with the maniac? I can't be beaten in a fight. And you decided everything for us, for me. You say you love me, but you don't know what love is. Let's finish this and you'll never see me again.
— That's fine! — His self-confidence after my revelation pissed me off. He wouldn't defeat me in a fair fight, but I know Anton too well; decency and valor are not for him. But I did not continue the argument, and went to the source.
I walked down the steps into the icy water, plunged in, and clutched at the bottom of the steps and squeezed my hand tightly. The cold made me want to dive out and scream, but I sank deeper and deeper.
Chapter 8. Death in the Dark
When I left the body, I didn't waste a minute and went in search of Dina. Soon I was in the room with the girl and the kidnapper. But I was too late, Dina was dead. Three entities surrounded the skinny one and whispered:
— You killed her, you killed your precious, your sweet girl….
— How will you live without her?
One of the demons spoke in Dina's voice:
— Honey! You know what to do. I'm waiting for you! We'll be together forever. The kidnapper pulled the knife out of the girl's heart and made harakiri. Two of the entities took his soul under their arms and dragged him away.
A third came to me:
— This is your time to see your ancestors, Lina. Come with me.
I was sure my kin were burning in hell and cursing the day they contacted the dark ones:
— I must return to the living. Michael's waiting for me.
— Don't be. He'll be dead soon enough to join us.
— I suspect not without your help. I'll go with you, provided he lives. Long and happy.
— That's impossible. Michael may have a special child who will find ways to control the elements of nature. For example, he could make it rain or prevent it, make or break a hurricane, change the direction or flooding, change the temperature, put out forest fires. We're not going to let that happen. Climate change will lead to a deadly battle for resources. A great war is about to break out. We'll create hell on Earth and add to the hell in the underworld. There's no reason for you to go back, you'll be better off here," the creature came toward me and tried to grab my hand, but yanked it away as if it were on fire:
— Holy water," it howled and stepped away.
I ran and started to move to my body, in
