The Hound of Kemamonit

  Chapter fourteen

  Sing, Widdle and I were all standing in front of Semiramis's desk in her office at her headquarters. We had just flashed into existence. I made sure Ammit was safe behind us.

  Semiramis looked up from her laptop, a green glow appeared around her. Her special shield, I thought to myself.

  "So Walter was right... a first for him," she said glowering at Sing.

  "Right about what?" I asked curiously.

  Semiramis pointed at Sing.

  "That abomination... I was just going to threaten the world with it... you've gone ahead and created it."

  "Better watch it chick," Sing said. She had a strange look in her eye that I had never seen before.

  "Whatever your opinion of her, we have the upper hand now, she is the most powerful sorcerer that has ever existed," Widdle said.

  He sounded like he was narrating one of his science shows, even measured tones, all the vowels accented perfectly.

  "Maybe... maybe not."

  Semiramis's right hand made a weird jerking movement. I saw a black gun barrel glinting in the light, it was pointed right at me.

  I heard a load click followed immediately by an ear shattering bang.

  "I'm gonna die," I thought.

  "You stupid idiot... you have a baby now," a voice screamed in my head.

  I looked down, I didn't see anything, I felt no pain. There was a man crumpled on the floor directly in front of me, he was groaning.

  I looked up, Semiramis was hovering three feet above the floor, both her hands were at her neck.

  I looked at Sing. Her eyes were black pools of ink, her face expressionless, one arm stretched out in front of her, her hand looked like it was grasping a large glass.

  "Impressive. Most impressive... someone has taught you well," Sing said, her a voice deep and menacing baritone, "Be gone... my little pretty!"

  Sing shook her outstretched arm and Semiramis disappeared, green glow and all."

  "What did you do to her?" I asked in shock.

  "I sent her back where she came from, oh my god Brian."

  I looked back down at the floor and remembered the crumpled man at my feet.

  "He took the bullet... meant for me." I gasped.

  I helped Sing turn him over, there was a huge red stain on his shirt. The stain was centered right over his heart.

  "Thank you," I whispered grabbing his hand.

  "Didn't even think... why did I do that?" He lapsed into unconsciousness.

  "We have to save him."

  Sing stared at his wound.

  "It's bad... hearts shredded, I doubt even a topnotch emergency room could save him."

  "We have to do something!" I felt tears in my eyes.

  "Kem... I can save him... but there will be um... consequences... I have a spell... it's not finished, but it will work."

  "Do it," I said.

  "Are you sure? You may never see him again?"

  "Just do it!!"

  I couldn't see for all the tears in my eyes. I heard Sing start reciting strange sounds, they were like words but not words, there was music in them, and mystery. I felt a warm glow in the hand that was holding Widdle's.

  I wiped the tears from my eye's with the back of my other hand and focused on Widdle's face. I saw a faint yellow halo around his head. His eyes flickered open.

  "What... what is happening..." his voiced rasped.

  "I'm sorry." I said.

  "Brian... it's the only way... remember whatever happens... you will always be you... remember what you did... you saved Kem and her daughter... you are a good person."

  The glow around Widdle became brighter and brighter until it was painful to look at. I turned my head.

  "But... wait... no..." I heard Widdel yell.

  The room filled with a flash of yellow light, I looked down again, Widdle was gone.

  I stood up, staring at the floor, then I looked at Sing.

  "I'm going to have a daughter... how can you tell?"

  "Ya... about that... you might want to get another pediatrician, the one you have is not very good at arithmetic."

  "Arithmetic... what's that supposed to mean?"

  I felt a gush of water between my legs, at the exact same time Ammit made a strange yelping sound. I looked at her, she had a crazy scared look in her eyes, she was lying on her side, there was pool of water by her tail.

  For the first time in my life I knew exactly what an animal was thinking.

  Two weeks later.

  I was pecking at a meal in the students pub at the City of magic, my two week old baby was suckling at my breast.

  Roger and Chinda were sitting across the table from me drinking coffee.

  "So I talked to Janet and Shelley, and told them you will be leaving on your selection tour tomorrow."

  "And they agreed?" Chinda asked.

  "Of course not, but no matter, you will be going tomorrow."

  I looked at the floor next to me, Ammit was on her side on a comfortable looking mat, there were five pups suckling at her teats. She looked at my baby then looked at me, she gave me a smug look.

  "Only one?" she seemed to say.

  "Ya... well, wait till yours are all robbing liquor stores," I thought back.

  God's I was tired, I had slept only a few hours each night. The little one needed constant food and attention. Strangely it didn't bother me, motherhood had given me a strength that I had never known before.

  "But... we still don't know how to select sorcerer's," Roger said.

  "Well you're just going to have to pick people you believe in and be aware you're gonna make mistakes."