Chad gasped and rose. He raked his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth. “What do they want?
“I wish we knew. Something at the Library of Congress. That’s where Lioness narrowed down the anomalies to.”
“What makes her think these anomalies are people?”
She has actually seen hands and faces trying to push through.
Chad started hyperventilating and had to sit down. “Does Dr. Emerson know?”
“Yes, but Chad—he just got a diagnosis of lung cancer. His focus is divided right now.”
Chad shot to his feet. “Shit! So, he could actually die. And not only would I lose my mentor, a man who has been nothing but good to me, but it would also be up to me to stop these bastards?”
“I’m afraid so. But, Chad, you’ve been making tremendous progress. Yes, this is a little frightening, but you can do it.
“A little frightening? Try terrifying!”
Brianna rose and held onto his arms, as if to prop him up. “You won’t be alone, hon. We’ll all be with you.”
“Hon?” A small smile crept across his face. “Does that mean we’re an item?”
“Well, duh.” She draped her arms around his neck. “You know I love you, right?”
“I do now.” Chad captured her lips in a passionate kiss.
19
The following weeks were a whirlwind of intensive training for Chad. Under the guidance of Bas, Brianna, and the other members of the L.A.W., he honed his Word Warrior abilities with a newfound sense of urgency. The looming threat of the Aether Pirates and Professor Emerson's declining health cast a shadow over everything.
One crisp morning, Chad found himself in the L.A.W. mansion's library, surrounded by ancient tomes and magical artifacts. He was poring over a particularly dense text on interdimensional theory when Brianna burst into the room, her face pale with worry.
"Chad," she said breathlessly, "you need to come quickly. It's Professor Emerson."
Chad's heart sank as he followed Brianna through the mansion's winding corridors. They emerged into a small, dimly lit chamber where Professor Emerson lay on a narrow bed, his face gaunt and ashen. Bas stood nearby, her expression grim.
"Chad," Emerson said weakly, reaching out a trembling hand. "I'm glad you're here. There's not much time left."
Chad rushed to his mentor's side, clasping the outstretched hand. "Professor, you’ll recover. You have to.” He looked over at Bas, unable to hide his alarmed reaction.
“I know we thought I had about 3 years, but something must have changed.”
“What can I do?"
Emerson's eyes, though clouded with pain, still held a spark of their usual intensity. "Listen carefully, my boy. The Aether Pirates... they're closer than we thought. The barriers between worlds are weakening faster than anticipated. And I’m weakening too."
Chad felt a chill run down his spine. "No, I refuse to accept that.”
“Chad,” Bas said, gently, “We’ve done everything we can.”
“Well, I haven’t!” Chad almost shouted. “Professor Emerson,I demand you get well,immediately!” His growled words carried the resonance and conviction of his Word Warrior abilities, reverberating around the room.
Chad believed Bas when she had said he might be able to heal as well as harm with his words. Well, now was the time for healing, and he couldn’t have wanted anything more.
Emerson took in a deep, gasping breath. He sat up, unassisted, and swept his feet over the side of the bed. Once his feet were on the floor, he rose, somewhat shakily, but then his posture straightened, and he smiled. “Damn, my boy. You did it!”
Bas’s jaw dropped. “I’m amazed. We tried all of Magda’s remedies with only limited success.”
Emerson chuckled, his voice stronger than it had been moments ago. "It seems our young Word Warrior has surpassed even our wildest expectations."
