Page 50 of Ever Dark Academy: Volume 6

I’m not really sure I can, Eyros admitted. As I said, they locked me out of Grayson’s mind, which means I can tell you where they took him, but little else. That I’m able to reach all of you at all is saying something of the power I’m using. The Kalys have this place locked down tight.

Yes, of course, they do, Ryder grimaced. So back to the plan we had.

That plan about pretending to be Kaly might have worked if we were just in the streets looking for a gate, but to go into the heart of their territory… Ryder, I don’t know if that’s going to work, Fiona cautioned.

Ryder closed his eyes. What other choice do we have, Fiona? We can’t wait until your powers fix themselves. I cannot bring the great predator animals into Lasting with that army of the dead and the soul gem strewn field. So, as far as I can tell, we have no real other choices than to go in there and take out as many as we can, as many as we have to.

Charlie half raised a hand and then lowered it. We might not be able to fight everyone, but I could cause some havoc. Maybe that’s all we’ll need.

How so, Charlie? Fiona asked, her brow furrowed.

Charlie rubbed his face with his hands. It took on an almost rubbery appearance for a moment more like it was a mask than a real face. Well, you see, when I take on the appearance of other Vampires–especially if I touch them when I do it–I have their powers for a time.

WHAT?!

That wasn’t just said by Fiona and Ryder, but Eyros too. Charlie winced and rocked back and forth on his heels.

You old devil! Eyros laughed sharply. So all that stuff we’ve all believed that you could only look like us, but not really be like us was bunk? Testing Vampires to see if they have the gift of their Bloodline wouldn’t rat a Mirryr out?

Well, it would some Mirryrs, of course! Charlie winced again.

What about smell, Charlie? Ryder asked.

Ah, oh, smell! Charlie chortled. That’s incredibly easy to fake. Seeing Ryder’s dismayed expression, he quickly added, So long as you know what the person should smell like. I’d have to take a really good whiff before I got it right. And your nose might see through that.

Fiona shook her head. Why don’t I believe that for a minute?

I did tell you that each Bloodline has special powers that they hide from the others, didn’t I? This is one of them! Charlie announced. Oh, and the smell thing. Definitely the smell thing.

You said other Immortals have additional powers, Charlie, but you… Fiona began, but Ryder held up a hand even as Charlie continued to rock more anxiously. Fiona dropped it. Eyros, surprisingly, said nothing.

It’s all right, Charlie. You’re a very skilled Mirryr. If you say you can do that then we believe you, Ryder said.

I can do it! I promise. You get me a Kaly that I can rub all over and no one–not even their Master–will know it's not them! Charlie assured them.

Back to that distraction thing you could do with the Kaly gift, what kind of distraction is going to get a whole cityful of Kalys to ignore us as we grab Grayson from their midst and find a gate to escape through? Fiona asked.

But Charlie shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. We’ll figure something out. Best to not overplan. We just need to be open minded when we get there and take advantage of what we find.

Fiona crossed her arms over her chest. I admit I’m more of a Plan A, B and C type of girl. But we don’t have the intel or time for that.

If you’re too wedded to any one idea, you won’t be able to change on a dime when you need to, Charlie pointed out. Trust me on this. I’ve been to a lot of places I shouldn’t be and no one’s noticed.

Okay, so we know where Grayson is being held. At least where Eyros last lost contact with him, Ryder said. And Charlie will figure out a potential distraction for when we’re getting him out of there. That leaves the gate.

Any gate we go through, the Kaly will just follow us. That’s assuming that we can get one working, Fiona pointed out. I sincerely doubt with all of this going on that I’ll be able to figure out how to time travel through it.

No, we’ll need more time for that. Ryder put his hands on his hips. We need a safe place with a gate that the Kaly can’t get to us at. I can’t think of anywhere–

Ah, well… I may regret this. I most certainly will, Eyros said with an audible grimace, but I can open the gate to Destiny from Lasting. The Kaly won’t be able to follow as I’ll shut it right quick after you make it through. But, of course, you must get to the gate and unlock it from that side.

Which will take a Kaly to trigger it. Charlie, will you be able to do that? Open the gate to Destiny in Lasting? Fiona asked.

Oh, yes, that’s easy peasy really. Seeing their shocked expressions, Charlie added, I realize that Mirryr is not a martial gift, but it is truly great for spy work and assassination! Getting places where one is not supposed to be. Finding out secrets that aren’t kept in people’s minds. Stabbing in the back… ah, yes, well, you get the idea. If Eyros opens the gate to Destiny at his end, I should be able to open the gate on this one.

The gate to Destiny in Lasting is around the back of the ziggurat where Grayson’s being held so that’s something in your favor. You won’t have to dash through the whole city with a ravening horde of Kaly and their undead after you, Eyros said drolly.

One plus. How long does your ability to use Kaly’s gift last? Ryder asked.