Read Online Aetherial Annihilation by John Corwin - Free Book Online Page A

before my head hit the dingy pillow.
     
    Reese's buddy, Nathan, landed at the tiny airport the next day and flew us to Bangkok. I slept most of the ride, hoping to give my injuries a chance to heal. Once there, Reese handed us some cash to hire a taxi and gave us his number.
    "Call me anytime. If you ever feel the urge to tell me more about whatever secrets you're keeping, I'm all ears." He ran a hand down his face. "I think I'm gonna go back to the States, rest, and then pay that pretty doctor a visit."
    "Sounds like a smart plan," Elyssa said. "Maybe when we visit, we'll see the both of you." She hugged him. "Take care, Reese."
    "You too." He saw us to the taxi and waved as we pulled away.
    The Obsidian Arch was hidden deep beneath a parking deck about twenty minutes from the airport. Our footsteps echoed in the eerily empty way station. A sign on the ticket booth declared, Closed until magic crisis resolved.
    Like most way stations, this one had a stable, and behind it a hidden door to the control room. We went inside and found an arch operator sitting in a chair and reading a book titled, How to Be a Nom, for Dummies .
    He glanced up and frowned. "What the hell? Didn't you see the sign?" His head jerked back and recognition set in. "Wait a minute, are you Justin Slade? Elyssa Borathen?"
    "That'd be us," Elyssa said dryly. "We need to get back to Queens Gate."
    "But we were told not to use the arches." His forehead creased. "Do you know something I don't?"
    "From what I understand, the Obsidian Arches will work." I sighed. "Can you give it a try?"
    "Let me contact Queens Gate." He took out an arcphone and argued with someone for a few minutes. "Okay, they're willing to try it, but won't take the blame if you end up in the Gloom or blown all over creation."
    I didn't relish the thought of being trapped in that strange place, but I'd lost my passport, and taking a plane home would create a lot of unwanted complications.
    "We've got to take that chance," I said.
    He shrugged. "Are you working on solving this aether problem?" He held up the book. "If you don't get things working right again, I'll have to find a stupid nom job, probably working at a fast-food restaurant or something awful like that." His shoulders slumped. "It's about all I'm qualified for without magic."
    I felt his pain, though I at least had my demonic powers to fall back upon. He walked to the raised platform at the front of the room. A large world map with markings for each Obsidian Arch in the world stretched along the front wall. In the center of the platform stood a raised block of stone with a large gray orb atop it: the modulus. It allowed the operator to power on the arch and select which waystation to target.
    "We'll head to the arch," I told him.
    "Good luck." He managed a half smile, but it quickly faded.
    Elyssa snickered when we left the control room and walked toward the towering Obsidian Arch in the center of the cavern.
    "What's so funny?" I asked.
    "Just imagining robed Arcanes flipping burgers." She quirked her lips. "Life without magic would be pretty depressing. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this."
    A low hum filled the cavern, building in volume and rising in pitch as the arch powered up. The expansive silver band around it flashed as it closed, trapping magical energy within it. The process usually only took a moment or so, but this time it took a lot longer than usual. After a long wait, arcs of aether flashed across the arch columns and the middle flashed. An image of another way station appeared on the other side.
    "Looks clear," Elyssa said in a hopeful voice. "Let's pray we don't get zapped."
    We raced forward to the massive gateway, hesitated at the threshold and looked at each other, then dashed through.
    My skin flashed hot the instant we crossed over and I thought we might end up vaporized. Instead, we stepped into the Queens Gate way station deep below London and shared looks of relief.
    "That kinda hurt," I said,