Andrew sighed. Donnovan still hadn’t shown up. He had been missing all day since the fight with his father, and evening had come and gone with no sign of the boy. Morning was spilling over the horizon, and Andrew didn’t know what to do or where to look.

He walked down the grey, empty halls, headed for Donnovan’s office. Perhaps Ansgar could shed some light on his brother’s whereabouts. As Andrew walked past people, they nodded in greeting, and he smiled at them despite his inner turmoil.

When he finally reached the office, he sat down at the desk and woke the holograph on the desk up. Tapping in a few commands, he sent a call to Ansgar.

The call was answered after the terminal made four or five rounds of beeping noises to indicate that the call hadn’t been received yet. Ansgar appeared in the monitor, yawning and rubbing his eyes. His hair was a wreck, and his clothes were rumpled as though he’d slept in them. When he saw Andrew, he snapped to attention. “Andrew? Any news on my brother?”

“Yes.” Andrew sighed.

Ansgar frowned. “What’s going on? Is he back?”

Andrew nodded. “Yes. He’s back with your father and Kane.”

“Then why do you sound so irritated and worried?” Ansgar demanded.

“Because I am. Kane was been wounded and poisoned during a fight in the other dimension. He’s dying, and Donnovan’s run off somewhere. I haven’t been able to find him since last afternoon when he blew up at your father and then stormed off.”

Ansgar shook his head, burying his head in his hands. “So what do you need me to do?”

“I need to know if you have any idea where Donnovan might have gone.” Andrew bit his lip. “Please say you do. I’m out of options over here.”

Ansgar nodded. “I have an idea. He has a tree house in the jungle where he goes to think and relax when things get to be too much. It’s on the other side of the river.”

“How do I get there?”

Ansgar glared down at the table top. “I guess I’ll have to send you the map we made when we were younger.”

“We? And why are you so upset about it?”

“Donnovan made me swear to keep it a secret. If you tell him that I told you, I’m dead.”

“You were kids when you agreed to that. Donnovan’s not going to kill you for giving me the map. We need him back here now to deal with Kane and your father.” Andrew grimaced. “Send me the map if you’ve got it.”

Ansgar nodded and keyed a few things into the terminal. A few moments later, a ping sounded on Andrew’s side, and he opened the file that Ansgar had sent him. When he saw the map, he laughed. Ansgar frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“How old were you when you drew this?”

“Uh… Donnovan drew it. He was probably thirteen. He built it right after we moved. He missed the trees and natural settings we were used to.” Ansgar explained.

“I’m just laughing because he’s the only thirteen year old I know who would make the map look just like one of the real ones.” Andrew smiled. “Count on you and your brother to go all out.” He looked up and met Ansgar’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Ansgar smiled back and nodded. “Just find him and get him back here. He doesn’t get to skip out on all the trouble the rest of us are enduring. And mention to him that I need him to come visit Ry. Did you ever figure out what the name Byrd meant?”

Andrew nodded. “I looked through all the records I have of my time as General. The only record of someone with the name Byrd was twenty years ago. I had a case with a husband and wife who were using dark magic to keep competitors out of their way. They killed several who crossed them. Their last name was Byrd, and they had a little boy named Alyx. My agents admitted in their briefing that they had given the boy my name and the agency’s name out of a feeling of guilt at leaving him orphaned. Felt they owed him something. We kept tabs on him for a while just to be sure he would be taken care of. They placed the boy in the foster system.” Andrew sighed. “I’m almost certain of what this Alyx wants now. He’s using my daughter to get at me.”

“It explains a lot about why Ry, and why he’s here.” Ansgar bit his lip. “Why is it that people never seem to understand how much harm revenge has? They never seem to see that it just makes them bitter and hurts them.” He snapped. “They just cause themselves and everyone around them grief.”

“People in general have a nasty habit of doing self-harmful things without realizing how much hurt they inflict.” Andrew remarked dryly. “Unfortunately for them and those around them…”

The two fell silent for a few moments before Andrew spoke again. “I have to go find Donnovan then. I’ll see you later, I hope, Ansgar. Try not to let any further disasters occur while I’m out.” He gave Ansgar a weak smile.

The boy returned an equally weak one. “Sure…”

Andrew nodded and terminated his end of the discussion. He loaded the map onto his phone and set out to find Donnovan.

***

Donnovan pulled the blanket closer to him and curled into a tighter ball around it. Warm shafts of sunlight streamed through the window beside his bed, settling on his cool skin. He smiled sleepily, feeling happy and content.

A shout from down below roused him rudely, and he started out of his slumber, rolling off the bed in the process. He landed on the hard wood floor with a thump, smacking his nose. Hot, sticky liquid dripped down his face as he sat up, dazed. Pinching his nose, he glared up at the roof of his treehouse. Why did something bad always happen to him?

With a long-suffering sigh, he climbed to his feet and went to the door. Wrenching it open, he looked down at the ground. Andrew was standing there, staring up at him with concern. When he saw that Donnovan was holding his nose, he winced. “Sorry about that.” He shouted up.

Donnovan glared at his surrogate father. Calling the shadows, he transported next to Andrew. “What was all the caterwauling for? Couldn’t you have climbed up the ladder like a normal person and woken me civilly?”

Andrew cleared his throat. “Donnovan?”

“What?” Donnovan huffed, still pinching his nose and staring up at the sky in an attempt to stop the flow of blood.

“You don’t have a ladder.” Andrew pointed at the tree house.

“Of course I…” Donnovan looked at the tree again and then nodded. “Oh… Forgot about that.” He winced. “I never needed one, and me and Ans were the only two who ever came here.”

Andrew shrugged. “Sorry about your nose.”

“Yeah. Well…” Donnovan grinned sheepishly. Then his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Wait a second, how did you know to come here anyway? How did you even find this place?”

“Err… Well, you know…” Andrew shrugged.

“I do?” Donnovan raised an eyebrow.

“Um… I went through your stuff?” Andrew glanced at Donnovan.

He crossed his arms. “I don’t own a copy of the map anymore. Ans does, and he’s the only one. So my brother snitched on me?”

“Not exactly. We need you back on Base, and so I begged Ansgar to help.” Andrew admitted, looking down at the ground. “I’m not going to invade your privacy here, Donnovan. But you need to come back now. I’ve been worrying about you all night, and so has Allayra.”

Donnovan looked away, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to cause worry.”

“It’s all right. Just come on back now.” Andrew took Donnovan’s arm. “Ansgar asked if you could go see Ry. He wanted you to speak with her.”

Donnovan nodded. “I was planning to do so anyway and to take my father with me.” He made a face as he thought about his father.

Andrew noticed the look and sighed. “I know how you feel. That man is a distasteful fool. If it makes you feel better, I punched him after you left.”

Donnovan’s eyes widened. “You… What?”

“I punched him.” Andrew stated.

“Uh… You punched him?” Donnovan’s mouth opened and closed as he tried to find words for what he was thinking. “You? You’ve never lost your temper with anyone.”

“Eh…” Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I have. Just doesn’t happen often, and he deserved a worse beating than a punch to the face for the things he was saying about you, your brother, and your mother.”

“You did that for me?”

“You’re family, Donnovan.” Andrew stared at him, meeting the boy’s gaze. “A real family never deserts each other. They always fight for one another.”

Donnovan’s eyes filled with tears. “Thanks.”

Andrew patted him on the back. “You’d have done the same if someone was insulting me.”

Donnovan nodded, knowing that he would. He’d never known just how much he meant to his mentor until now. It was overwhelming, but in a good way. It was almost unbelievable to discover that Andrew loved him so much.  

Before he could think much about it, he wrapped his arms around Andrew’s torso, burying his face in his mentor’s shoulder. He let the quiet tears come as he stood still. Andrew wrapped his arms around Donnovan, and the two stood in the silence of the morning.

Donnovan’s body shook with sobs. “I should’ve protected her better.” He whispered. “This is all my fault.”

It was finally out in the open. The truth about how he felt about this whole mess. It was all his fault. Guilt washed over him as he clung to his mentor. “I’m sorry.”

Andrew’s own eyes filled with tears, and he tightened his grip on Donnovan. “You didn’t do this.”

“I sent her.” Donnovan heaved a deep breath, his tears dripping down his cheeks as he kept his face against Andrew’s neck.

“You didn’t know. You were doing what was necessary.” Andrew whispered, rubbing Donnovan’s back.

“Then why do I feel as though I did this to her? Why do I feel like I failed everyone I care about?” Donnovan wept.

“It’s a natural feeling in times of fear or uncertainty, Donnovan.” He held onto the boy, providing a steady life line. He could sense that Donnovan was on the verge of drowning in the swells of disasters washing over them.

“I should’ve been there for her.” He pulled away and wiped away his tears as he backed away from Andrew.

“Maybe. But you’re here for her now when she needs it most. That’s what counts.”

Donnovan nodded. He was beginning to understand what Andrew meant. He still felt like it was his fault, but he also knew that he could fix that mistake by fixing the problem at hand. His body stiffened as her voice filled his mind.

He’d never heard her in his mind before, so he didn’t understand what was happening. A chill swept through him, and her frantic tears filled his mind’s eye. A strangled sob echoed in his mind as more cold filled his body. “She’s in trouble.” He whispered.

“Ryder?” Andrew asked.

Donnovan just nodded. Then he began to fade into shadows and smoke. Andrew watched as he disappeared, and he could only hope that Donnovan would get to his daughter in time to save her. And as for Kane, he’d been updated before leaving. If that boy survived, it would be a miracle.

He knew his daughter and Donnovan would blame themselves if their friend died saving her. He bit his lip. “Please survive…” He whispered into the quiet of the morning.

***

Tears fell down Ryder’s cheeks as her body came closer to the barrier. I can’t let you do this. She cried out as Alyx forced her hand against the barrier. Freezing sensations pulsed through her body. No. He forced her arm into the barrier too. Then a foot.

It had been a whole night and day since he first started trying to force her through. Every time, she had beaten him back, but it had become harder and harder to do. This time, her will to fight him was so weak, she didn’t know if it still existed.

Donnovan! She screamed at him mentally, praying that the link his barrier established with her would bring him to her. She needed him to put her back into the cell before it was too late. Please! She wailed silently as her face pressed into the barrier.

More tears glided down her face as she pressed her whole body against the shimmering shield of magic. I can’t fight him anymore. Donnovan, please.

She could feel his worry as their emotions mingled with each other’s across the mental bridge. He was questioning the presence of her voice in his mind, but then he realized she was in trouble and his presence was gone.

Alyx forced her through the rest of the barrier, and he managed to force her to walk a few steps before the magic caught her in its net and froze her. Pain wracked her body, and shooting pulses of cold went through her veins, turning them into ice.

Donnovan! She screamed again as the pain became unbearable.

He materialized in front of her with the usual shadows and smoke. “Ry?” His gaze took in the state of his barrier and her position. He sighed and used his magic to place her back into the cell. The barrier reformed and strengthened as he did so, and she was once again within her containment, making certain that Alyx couldn’t harm anyone.

“You will let me out.” Alyx spoke through her.

“Why would I do that? You’ll hurt other good people if I do, Alyx Byrd.”

Her face twisted in contempt. “So you figured that out, did you? Well, I’m sure you understand why I’m doing this then. You grew up without parents too, Donnovan. You know what that feels like. Losing those you loved and looked up to.”

“Yeah, but I also know that Andrew was that father I never had, and Allayra was my surrogate mother when my own left.” Donnovan whispered.

“As if they could truly love you.” Alyx sneered.

Donnovan stared at the floor. “They do.”

“They don’t.” Alyx countered.

“They forgave me for allowing you to hurt their daughter.” Donnovan mumbled, unable to meet Alyx’s hard, accusing gaze.

A harsh bark of laughter tore from Alyx’s lips. “Forgive you? For exposing their precious daughter to the violation I represent? I don’t think so.”

“They did!” Donnovan shouted. “And I don’t need to explain it to you, either!”

“Of course not.” Alyx sighed. “Enough of this chit chat. You will let me out now.”

“No.” Donnovan snapped, crossing his arms and clenching his jaw.

“You will or I will kill your lover.” Alyx whispered. “And you will watch it happening, knowing that you could save her with just a few movements and words.”

Donnovan looked away at the stone wall. “I won’t.”

“Very well.” Alyx smirked.

He withdrew and let Ryder fall to the floor. She clawed at her throat, struggling to bring any air at all into her collapsing lungs. Every part of her burned. It felt as though every organ in her body was becoming dysfunctional. Alyx! She yelled at him. This won’t bring them back. Nothing you can do to take your revenge will fill the hole in your heart. Nothing. Do you hear me?

I hear you. But I don’t care. All I have left is my revenge. Alyx whispered. Without it, I am nothing. There isn’t any purpose to life without my revenge for your father’s evil. Who is he to decide who dies and lives, anyway? He isn’t a god.

He acted according to the interdimensional laws. You know them as well as any magical being does. Your parents knew them too. Their deaths were their faults. And even if they were my father’s fault, forgiveness will always heal you better than revenge. Especially since revenge destroys. Ryder felt her mental processes shutting down and her train of thought stopped as her body focused only on its struggle for air.

Faintly, she heard Donnovan saying something to her. She didn’t understand his words though as she sank out of the realm of the living and into the in between place between life and death.