Created or Destroyed, It Only Changes Form

Paul explained as best he could as they rushed out of the building and jumped into the familiar black van. “Head for the nearest lock. We need to cut her off before she can follow the Thames to the ocean.”

Maya adjusted the careening path of the van, trying not to crane her head to see the wake of destruction and blood that Tal’shen had carved in her hunger. “I shouldn’t be surprised that she is heading for the ocean; the sea of our home planet is in our veins even still, just as the magic it gave us dwindles in our progeny.”

Paul glanced down at his oil-sheen skin. “Let’s give her more ocean than she can handle.”

“I was under the impression that we were avoiding that eventuality, love.” Maya said drily.

“Why did you first leave your ocean planet, Maya?”

“Because it was dying.” Realization flashed across her face. She grinned wolfishly. “We’ll give her an ocean, but it will be a dead one!” They pulled alongside the bank of the Thames near a foot entrance to the lock, and ran out to the middle via the man-way.

Tal’shen was almost there. Her path was marked by a swelling of water above her. An occasional tentacle leaped from the water as though to curse the sun’s light.

Swiftly, they linked hands and began to speak the spell of transport, sending their minds into the water below to form a link between the two planets. “ Alak. Numir. Swyx. Ta’nashad ho’el. Toda!”

The waters of the Thames rose from the riverbed to surround the rogue progeny in a glittering spherical prison, as her mind had once surrounded Paul’s.

The sphere shivered, then went still. It began to lower itself back into the river.

Paul stared aghast, newfound confidence shaken. “I don’t understand…it should have worked…”

Maya slapped her forehead. “Oh, bloody hell, I forgot about physics! We can’t just send her off this planet; there has to be something brought back at the same time. Conservation of matter and energy still holds! But what could we bring back? There’s nothing left there but dead water.”

“There’s no way this will work,” Paul spoke with disbelief at his own idea. “No freaking way.” He looked at Maya, very aware of her hands in his. “We’ll trade Tal’shen for the magic that’s still in your home waters.”

Maya’s eyes widened, but she nodded. There was nothing else to try.

With no time to wonder if this crazy idea would succeed, they began the spell once again. Tal’shen thrashed and screeched as they yelled the final words in unison. “Ta’nashad kala. Ta’nashad rimun. Ta’nashad Toda!”

The sphere rose once more, Tal’shen’s tentacles visible through the fluid as she fought to escape. There was a sudden POP! Quickly followed by a blast of wind that knocked Paul and Maya to the ground.

When they looked up, Tal’shen was gone.

And the magic was in the water, placidly heading downstream to the ocean.