A.I.R. Shattered Soul Read online

  License Notes

  Copyright © 2016 Amanda Booloodian

  Cover Art by Deranged Doctor Design

  Formatting by Deranged Doctor Design

  Published by: Walton INK

  ISBN-10:0-9973353-0-0

  ISBN-13:978-0-9973353-0-9

  All rights reserved

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, please contact Walton INK.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Walton INK

  booloodian.com

  Dedicated to silver.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Stalking a troll required quiet finesse. Logan, my mentor and partner, moved silently ahead. For all the noise he made, he could have been walking on carpet. Maybe elves learned that with age. Logan was over one hundred and fifty years old. You can learn a lot in that time. Then you have me. If there was a twig or leaf on the ground, you could bet I would break it.

  Logan pushed his sandy blond hair behind his ear. The ear looked misshapen, too thick on top. Then it twitched. Flesh rolled outward and upward. Within seconds, the expanded ear led up to a point, until it was more than twice the original length. The late morning sun showed that the newly exposed pale skin was thin, almost to the point of transparency.

  I loved my job. What other humans had the chance to work with elves, much less see them unfurl their ears?

  Our quarry was a small cave troll, one of the Lost, an Inter-dimensional creature that didn’t originate in our world. It was Logan’s and my job to find him and relocate him. Intel said he would be stocky and around four feet tall.

  Being a foot and a half taller than the troll should have made me feel as if I had the advantage. The tranquilizer gun in my hand should have given me some sense of security. However, neither did. My mouth was dry and my insides coiled like a spring.

  The Agency for Interdimensional Regulation, AIR, hired me less than a year ago. I had only been in the field for six months. Very few people knew that mythological creatures sometimes enter our world through portals connecting dimensions. We can create portals to familiar worlds, but most are naturally occurring. The Lost slip through to find themselves in our world. Three years out of college and I worked to keep that secret. It was overwhelming and amazing at the same time. For this relocation, I knew that cave trolls were simple-minded, non-verbal, and strong. That was the extent of my knowledge, and I had learned it from a case file.

  Logan put a finger to his lips. I stopped moving, anticipating a sound but hearing nothing. He gave the signal to take cover. My steps were noisy but quick. Reaching a tree, I flattened myself against the trunk, keeping a low profile. I scanned the forest floor while watching for more instructions from Logan. Logan crouched behind another tree and considered the terrain.

  Mentally walking through where my hands should be placed, I gripped my tranq gun. Finger above the trigger, never on the trigger. Safety off. Pointed at the ground.

  A twig broke to the right. I gripped my gun tighter. Turning, I brought it up, ready to shoot. Two squirrels froze for a moment and then zipped away. I pointed my gun back to the ground and let out a steadying breath.

  I rolled my eyes and looked at Logan. He was hunched over in a silent laugh. Rubbing my head, I frowned at him. He waved me over.

  “Thought you were going to tranq the squirrels.” The silent laughter continued and Logan braced himself against the tree.

  “That only happened once, and it was a deer.” I punched Logan in the arm. I couldn’t keep my smile in any longer. Frankly, I was just as surprised that I didn’t tranq the squirrels.

  My death tight grip on my gun loosened as the mood lightened. “How far away?”

  “He’s by the creek. The sound of the water makes things difficult to hear. Let’s use that talent of yours and see if we can narrow down the search.”

  My shoulders pulled back and I grinned. How does it happen that a human accountant with no investigative skills is hired to help keep the Lost safe and secret from the world? Obviously, that human must have special skills.

  I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. The smell of warm wood surrounded us. Concentrating on the fringes of my knowledge of our world took a short meditation. In moments, something in my mind stretched tight and popped back into place. I opened my eyes and tried to keep a smug smile from my face.

  The world around me had taken on a new look and feel. A shimmer, much like rippling water, pressed itself against everything. Almost everything in the world leaves traces. From the Path, I could read movements, emotions, and interactions of the past and present. Once or twice, I had even caught glimpses of things yet to come.

  I am a Reader. The shimmers and colors of the Path tell a story that few can see. There are parts of that story missing.

  Looking at Logan, I found the usual blank page. I had never seen an elf leave a Path in our world. Luckily, for my job and me, most other things left fragments that could be followed.

  Logan pointed in the general direction of the creek. Pale green shimmers near the ground showed animal trails. I ignored those, as they were too small and too light in color to indicate our target.

  The sound of rushing water grew stronger as we moved closer to the creek. The number of animal routes also increased.

  Light yellow and blue threaded themselves together with light green. “Got him. The color is darker to the north. We head in that direction.”

  “Nice work, Cassie.”

  The ground next to the creek rose up and flattened out. My pace quickened as I followed the animal trail. The Path was recent. I gripped my gun, holding it ready at a moment’s notice. Up ahead, the creek rushed out of a small cave.

  “The Path leads to the cave.” I kept my voice low, but increased my pace.

  A yowl came from the left. Looking up, I saw a blur of color and skin, as it crashed into me. My heart skipped a panicked beat as I dropped straight into the rocky shallows of the creek. I scrambled up, blood pumping hard. My concentration broke, the world dulled around me, and the troll was gone.

  “Where did he go?” I slid on a rock, but managed to keep upright.

  Logan held out a hand and I leveraged myself out of the water. “Spirited little guy. You okay?”

  “He ambushed me. Where’d he go?”

  “He’s feeling cornered so he’s lashing out.
We’ll follow him into the cave.” Logan looked me over before heading toward the small entrance. “Watch for crevices and stay in the light. Don’t rush at him unless it’s necessary. Any questions?”

  I shook my head.

  Logan rushed forward with fluid movements. I darted after him, my feet squishing water out of my boots with each footstep. I flipped the safety on my rifle and slung it over my shoulder. My gun had smashed into a rock when I fell, but I didn’t have time to check on the tranquilizer dart, so I wasn’t sure if it was intact. My nerves rattled at the idea of going in virtually unarmed. As we entered the cave, I grabbed a flare out of my cargo pants. Logan had one of his flares lit.

  I could throw the flare at the troll, but that wouldn’t do much good. There were rocks, but I didn’t want to hurt him. Logan would have to take the troll out with his tranquilizer gun.

  A threatening cry reverberated out of the darkness. I wheeled around, trying to find the source as the sound bounced around the cave.

  Logan took aim and fired.

  There was a guttural wail. The troll tried to make a run for it, darting through the water.

  “Cassie, out of the way!” Logan yelled.

  Adrenaline pulsed through my veins. The troll barreled toward me, his head down, ready to ram me.

  I dove to the left, once again landing in the water. The troll was nearing the entrance of the cave when he slowed. Logan’s tranquilizer took hold. He fell forward with a splash. Then only my rushed breathing and trickling water could be heard for a few heartbeats.

  Breaking the silence, Logan dashed through the water-filled cave toward our quarry. I mirrored his actions. The troll landed face down in shallow water. Logan flipped him over. My hands shook as we checked his breathing and pulse. Both steady, relief flooded through me. It seemed like a small job on paper, but being out in the field was still new for me. It sucked not knowing immediately what I should be doing, but my partner was a good mentor.

  Logan checked him over for injuries. He pronounced the troll in good health and we moved him onto the damp cave floor.

  Logan lit more flares around the cave while I looked over the troll. Many of the Lost had human appearances. Logan and his kids passed for human every day. This guy had two arms and two legs, but his torso was blockier than humans had, with too much skin hanging in folds. His squarish head had a face that looked smashed in.

  “Morgan is from the same dimension as this guy, isn’t he?” My friend Morgan was also a troll. He was the second Lost I met on the job. “They look completely different.”

  “Comparing Morgan to this guy is like comparing humans to monkeys. Two different lines of evolution. I’ll make him safe for transport.”

  “I’ll check out the cave. Make sure we aren’t leaving anything behind.” Moving deeper into the cave, I lit another flare and crept forward.

  Closing my eyes and concentrating brought me to the Path again. After some probing, I found the strongest Paths the troll had taken. He visited these areas frequently. I started down one dark crevice. A horrid stench brought me up short, no need to go digging into that area. Why he visited was no mystery. The next spot was where he tossed his garbage. Small bones and tufts of fur littered the floor.

  Dark repeated layers of color told me that he sat next to the water, or possibly slept next to the water most of the time. Close to the entrance, far from the water, was a small niche in the cave wall. That is where I found his stash.

  “I found his treasures.” With a blink, I closed the Path. Small crystals sparkled when I held up a small rock from the pile. Each of the rocks held a shiny aspect.

  This type of troll couldn’t talk, and was more animal than their more evolved counterparts, but they tended to keep small ornamental rocks or crystals. According to others from their world, each piece held an emotional memory for the creature.

  Logan came over to examine the contents. “He’ll appreciate those in his new home. You grab the rocks, I’ll grab the troll.”

  Pulling a plastic evidence bag out of my pocket, I gathered the rocks.

  “Was he placed here, or did he come through a natural portal nearby?” Logan tossed the heavy troll over his shoulder with ease.

  “The file said his parents were placed here by the office about ten years ago. The dimensional portal opened up somewhere in central Kansas.” I took one last look around the cave, making sure I missed nothing. “They crossed into this dimension and when the rumors started, AIR swooped in.”

  “We have a tendency to do that,” Logan said. We splashed out of the cave into the late summer sun. “We should get a signal now. Call it in.”

  My cell phone had fared even worse than my gun from the fall into the water. I punched a few buttons, but nothing happened. Maybe this will get me an upgrade, I thought wistfully as I stowed the dead phone. Using Logan’s phone, I hit speed dial.

  “Hank speaking.”

  “Hey, Hank, we have our Lost. We’ll be heading to the Sanctuary to get him settled into his new cave.”

  “He give you any trouble?” Hank asked.

  “No, it went pretty smoothly.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure.”

  “Then why are you calling from Logan’s phone?”

  I gritted my teeth. “I, uh, dropped mine… in the water.” Which was true. I didn’t add that I dropped into the water with it. “Is the doctor enroute?”

  On his end, Hank clicked a few buttons. “He’s already waiting for you back at the truck.”

  “All right, got us logged?” I asked.

  “You’re logged.”

  “We’ll check back in after he’s settled.” I looked at the time on the cell phone. “In about an hour.”

  “Talk to you in about an hour.” Hank signed off.

  Dr. Yelton was waiting for us. His sleek town car looked out of place next to our SWAT style truck.

  “Mr. Seale, Miss Heidrich, good to see you two in the field. Any trouble?”

  We described what happened, including the troll’s collision with me, while we stowed the rocks. Then I helped Logan maneuver the troll into the back of the truck. We cuffed the troll down and the doctor examined the patient, taking temperature, blood pressure, and checking the injection site.

  “Everything looks good. Now for you.” He turned to me.

  “I’m fine,” I said automatically. “I only fell into the water.”

  The doctor frowned. “It’s a warm enough day, but get dry as soon as possible. Let me clean up your arm so you can get on your way.”

  I looked down at my arm. I hadn’t noticed the scratch. It would only slow things down if I protested, and I would look like an idiot for doing so. Doctor Yelton cleaned the scrape, slapped on a few bandages, and then was on his way.

  Logan had the vehicle started. When I slipped into the seat next to him, I rolled down the window and soaked in the sun’s heat. I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled off my wet shoes and socks.

  Logan put the truck in gear and headed toward the Sanctuary.

  “So this guy’s tagged for relocation to the Sanctuary,” Logan said. “Lots of fairies there. They been notified?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got the papers here.” I pulled a folder out of my messenger bag. Most AIR offices were paperless. We needed an equipment upgrade badly. “Relocation to the Sanctuary west of town. Headquarters warned the fairies two days ago. Travis will keep an eye on our friend here until he gets settled.”

  “Travis will like having another Lost in the area,” Logan said.

  “Probably, the park seems a little empty lately.” Travis worked for AIR as a park ranger. The Sanctuary is set up to house Lost that need to be relocated. Sometimes it’s a temporary stop, and sometimes the Lost get a permanent residence. “There’s a werewolf living not too far away from the Sanctuary. Our next assignment is to stop in to check up on him. Should we warn him about the troll?”

  “The werewolf will probably be ticked off about the warning. No doubt a werew
olf would like to get into a troll tussle.” Logan laughed again. Elven laughter had such a musical tone that it was hard not to join him.

  “Well, if he wants to tussle, he can join the agency. Or apply, anyway.” I paged through the paperwork, making sure I wasn’t missing anything.

  “That would mean fewer adventures for us. I’d rather he find his own fun.”

  I could have done with a little less of Logan’s idea of fun, but I would never tell him that. This job was a way for me to use my gift without doing palm readings or working the Psychic Network hotlines. Readers are rare and useful in this line of work, but I’m sure I wouldn’t want to face down a Lost, or any person, armed only with my gifts. If used for too long, my power sapped the energy out of me.

  Logan started singing under his breath, something about tumbling tumbleweeds. Elves grab onto things and stick with them for ages. He had been stuck on Westerns for over a month.

  His solo didn’t last long. “Our troll is up early.” Logan’s hearing was well beyond my range, even with his ears mostly tucked away.

  “I’ll take your word for it.” I rummaged around in my bag for my med kit.

  After we exited the interstate, our drive didn’t take long. We reached the Sanctuary’s drive and wound around a copse of large trees before ending in an empty parking area near a cabin. Logan pulled to a stop in front of the building. Travis came out and greeted us by the truck. His long brown hair was not so neatly pulled back.

  “Cassie, you look as lovely as ever. Logan, it’s a pleasure to see you again. You’ve brought a new friend to join us?”

  “Didn’t put up much of a fight,” Logan said as he walked up to Travis and shook his hand. “But we’ll have to put him out before taking him back to your cave. ATVs ready for us, or are we taking the horses?”

  “I didn’t know how the horses would react, so the ATVs are ready to take our new friend to his home.”

  “Are we all clear?” I asked. Sometimes, regular people entered the area despite the warning signs at the entrance.