“Sorry, can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“For the same reason I can’t give you food. Clothing is a comfort. It makes you feel warm and safe. Being cold and hungry will make the process of retrieving your soul’s energy go much quicker. Trust me, I would be doing you a disservice by returning your clothing.”
“I doubt it,” I said.
I huddled in my corner, trying to think past the drugs that still lingered in my system. I’d dreamed of Kull again but couldn’t remember where we’d been. Somewhere safe. And warm. My heart pounded in my chest, the cold making me shiver uncontrollably. Hunger pains pinched my stomach. Someone would save me. Kull was detained and wouldn’t be out anytime soon, but Brent would know I was missing. He would know something was wrong. I only had to endure this a little longer.
“I suppose you might believe someone will rescue you?” he asked, as if reading my thoughts. “Perhaps I need to inform you of the truth of your situation. Detective Sanchez has been informed that you were transferred to the downtown station, but there will be quite a bit of red tape and paperwork to be done before he can even see you. By the time he realizes you aren’t there, you will be a corpse resting on the bottom of the lake, and I will be gone from this place with the starstone.”
“It won’t happen,” I said. “You’re wrong.”
It was the only thing I could think to say. I didn’t want to let him see how completely terrified I felt.
I needed magic. If only I could find a way to remove the chains! My only option was to talk my way out, but how could I possibly get through to a creature of darkness?
“Please,” I said, “I’ll activate the portal for you. You don’t have to kill me. I’ll use my magic to open the portal, and then—”
He crossed the room and struck me across the face, hard. Stars danced in my vision as pain stung my cheek, then radiated through my skull.
Kneeling beside me, he took my face between his fingers, forcing me to look at him. His image blurred, and I was no longer looking into the face of a human. Slimy black magic surrounded him. His face was a horse’s skull, and his eyes—green points of light—seemed to peer straight into my soul.
My skin crawled.
“You,” he said, “will not tell me what to do.”
My mouth had grown so dry I couldn’t answer. Not soon enough, he backed away, appearing human once again.
I tried to steady my breathing. Being in the same room with that creature was more terrifying than I cared to let on. He knew it, too—he knew his presence would frighten me, and that’s why he was here. After several calming breaths, I focused on my options. I had to be overlooking something. He hadn’t killed me yet, so I still had time.
Officer Gardener sat at the table. He threaded his fingers together, staring pensively at the wall. Perhaps I couldn’t reason with the monster, but how much of Officer Gardener—the real person—still existed within him? Was there a way to get through to him?
“The man whose body you took,” I said, “where is he now? Is he dead?”
“His body remains alive for the time being, until I am finished with my work here.”
“So part of him is still alive?” I asked.
“Yes. I could not eradicate him completely or else his body would die, and then he would be of no use to me.”
“And you have all his memories?”
He nodded. “I have them all.”
“What will you do with his body once you are done here?”
“Kill it, of course. I cannot leave any loose ends.”
“Why? You’re never coming back to this world. Why does it matter if he’s dead or not?”
After a pause, he shrugged. “I suppose it does not matter one way or the other, except there are certain rules in place that must be abided by—rules about the truth of the undiscovered land and yours—things he would know that he should not.”
I followed his line of thought. “You’re not supposed to speak about the world you found?”
He nodded.
“Can you at least tell me its name?”
“No. To speak its name is forbidden. I can only tell you that I will return there soon.”
“Why is it forbidden?”
Not answering, he gave me a hard stare.
Forbidden name. Got it. Change the subject.
“Can’t you take away this man’s memories before you leave his body?”
“Why would I do that?”
“It seems like it would be the safer way to handle the situation. If you leave his corpse behind, there will be an inquiry as to how he was killed—especially since he’s a cop. There is a chance, however remote, that the authorities here could discover the undiscovered land as a result of his death.”
“Not likely. The humans here are too preoccupied with their own problems to understand anything that exists beyond their own world.”
“But there is still a chance the investigators would find out about the undiscovered land,” I said. “Wouldn’t it be better to leave the man behind with no memory of his encounter with you?”
He tapped his fingers on the table, a rapping sound that echoed through the cold, empty cabin. “No. You are only trying to make me spare this man’s life. It will not work.”
Frustrated, I sighed. There had to be some way to get through to him.
“Why is it of any concern to you if this man lives?” he asked.
“Because he does not deserve death. Murder is something we don’t take lightly here on Earth. It’s one of the worst criminal acts one can do to another. It is evil and abhorrent.”
“But why does it make any difference to you?”
“I suppose it doesn’t,” I answered. “But there are those who would never be the same if he died.”
Officer Gardener kept his eyes on the wall as he spoke. “Yes, he thinks of them often. A daughter—Julie. He likes to take her to the shooting
