A New Reality Read online

  A New Reality

  Book Three of The Other Human Species Series

  By Clare Solomon

  Kindle E-book Edition

  Copyright 2019 Clare Solomon

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission in writing of the author, except for brief quotations used for promotion or in reviews.

  All names, places, characters and incidents in this book are fictional and any resemblance to any person, business, place or event is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Amai Designs

  Prologue

  THE TWO ghosts looked incongruous in the second floor office, person-shaped but translucent. They surrounded Farlden and Callie, making it impossible for them to escape and, although the creatures’ expressions were empty, Farlden knew all too well how destructive they could be. As he thought this, he glanced over at Barve, who was sitting on the floor beneath of window, saying something unintelligible, oblivious to what was happening around him. Farlden wanted to yell or cry out in anguish, bereft at the idea that he might have permanently lost his brother because of their attackers.

  There was a movement at the door and, for a horrible moment, he thought another ghost had materialised but then his heart lifted at the sight of Elliot, who had obviously come back to save them, despite the risk. Their eyes met through the bodies of the ghosts between them and that shared gaze convinced Farlden that Elliot would not leave without him. Farlden had no idea what Elliot could do against their enemies, though, since there seemed to be no way to harm the ghosts and dread rose up in him at the idea of Elliot ending up as another casualty.

  One of the ghosts glided closer to him and Callie, and Farlden looked desperately about but, with a wall behind them and ghosts ahead on either side, they couldn’t move without touching one of the creatures and Barve’s insanity was an example of what that would do to them. Callie pressed close to his side and it occurred to him that if he threw himself at one ghost she might have a chance to get away. It would as good as kill him but at least one of them might make it out of here.

  He looked across at Elliot again, who was still standing near the door, and saw him pick up a chair and throw it towards the second ghost. Farlden held his breath as he watched to see what would happen. The chair went right through the creature and crashed against the far wall, beneath the window, but, even as Fal’s heart fell and he was convinced it was all over for him, the ghost turned and began to drift away from them, towards Elliot, leaving the path to the door empty. “Come on – run!” Elliot shouted and Farlden pushed Callie towards him while he raced over to his brother’s side.

  “Barve, we have to get out of here. You’re not safe.” The wildness in his brother’s eyes tore at his heart and he knelt down, knowing they were running out of time. “You’ve got to listen to me. We’ll die if we don’t leave.”

  He heard Elliot shout his name and, seconds later, something touched his arm. He froze, thinking it was a ghost, but he turned to find Elliot pulling at him with a warm, strong grip. Farlden grabbed hold of Barve, who resisted him and one of the ghosts was now almost close enough to touch Elliot. Heart stuttering with panic, he pulled his brother’s hand again and Barve finally stood up.

  Farlden put a hand on Elliot’s back, getting him away from the ghost and the three of them sprinted towards the door, Barve lurching along, slowing them down, held by Fal but clearly not understanding what was going on or wanting to leave. The ghost that had been approaching Elliot glided round to get in front of them and blocked the way again. They were never getting out of here.

  Beside him, Elliot let go of his hand and tore off his green suit jacket, throwing it hard, and Farlden saw it pass through the ghost’s body. The creature reacted to the motion as it had before, moving slightly and looking away. Elliot caught Farlden’s hand again and, as Fal held his breath, Elliot led them past the ghost, which was still far too close for safety.

  They got to the doorway and the promise of freedom beyond when he heard Callie scream. He had thought her already away from here and he automatically paused, despite the threat of the ghost behind them. His head shot round and he saw she had tripped over one of the cushions left on the wooden floor and a ghost was inches away from her. He pulled free of Elliot to go to her.

  Elliot turned and put a hand on his chest, stopping him. “Get Barve out of here. I’ll help Callie.”

  Farlden hesitated but there was no time to delay and he trusted Elliot, so he nodded, leading his brother away just in time, the other ghost right behind them. He got them out of the room to the people waiting outside and let Mosrra put an arm round Barve and get him away while Farlden watched through the open door, ready to go back in, the attention of the ghosts on the remaining inhabitants of the room.

  He saw Elliot turn towards Callie, who had managed to crawl further away but was being pushed into a corner, the first ghost closing in on her. There was no way for either him or Elliot to get near Callie and he was terrified she would suffer the same fate as Barve. They couldn’t let that happen. Callie’s face was twisted in desperation as she dragged herself out of the ghost’s reach.

  Elliot clearly didn’t know what to do, glancing towards Farlden and then back to Callie, who was curled up tightly, unable to move without touching a ghost. Elliot took a step away from her, towards the door.

  It was too late for Farlden to do anything to help her, as she was too far away from him, and he realised, heart clenching tightly in his chest, that, despite his promise, Elliot was going to leave her to die. Did he really hate her that much?

  Chapter One

  Six Weeks Earlier

  ELLIOT LOOKED around, taking in the details of his room and the changes in furniture and contents. The carpet was a different colour, his TV set was different and there was a painting on the wall he had never seen before that he was sure was a Nean design. His collection of books, on shelves and in high piles on his bedside table, looked the same, so at least some of it was familiar.

  He had a throbbing headache and, when he glanced in a mirror, he saw he had a nosebleed. He grabbed a tissue and pressed it beneath his nose, holding it there. It could have been worse: Dervyl and Tchaffi must have strengthened his abilities because he didn’t feel nearly as ill as he had when he and Farlden tried to do the magic alone. It had worked – they had changed the world – and that was wonderful, better than he could even take in right now, but he shouldn’t be here. He remembered every moment of the past reality and this was clearly the new him with a new life. It didn’t make sense, though, as even if he was at a different university, that ought to be where he was now. Unless he was a jobless layabout like his brother, Jasper, in this world. He grimaced at the thought.

  None of that mattered compared to Farlden, though. Did they still know each other in this timeline? Just because Elliot had kept his old memories didn’t necessarily mean that Farlden had. He took out the mobile in his jacket pocket, the glimpse downwards at what he was wearing leading him to stare at his image in the wardrobe mirror: he was dressed in a bluish-grey suit he’d never owned and a blue tie, which was also new, with a pale blue shirt. It seemed as if he had a job at least, although it was strange that his mother would have let him leave school and go directly into work; university was somewhere his mother and he had always agreed he should attend.

  He put his questions to one side and checked the numbers in his mobile. Farlden wasn’t there. He sat down heavily on his bed before remembering that Barve and Farlden had never owned mobiles. But their family’s home phone number wasn’t listed either and, if Elliot wasn’t at university, how could they have ever met?

  He refused to give in to the panic and grief building up inside him
and silently promised that he would find his boyfriend. Even if Farlden didn’t remember their time together, Elliot would somehow convince him that they should be together. They had achieved so much and he couldn’t let them lose what mattered the most.

  “Elliot, hurry up!” his mother shouted from downstairs. She never called from one room to another, considering it tasteless.

  Wondering what was wrong, he wiped the blood from his nose, ran downstairs and found her standing by the front door in a familiar navy dress and jacket, her blonde hair cut in a shorter style than it used to be. She looked at him with a frown as he came to a stop in front of her, clearly not remembering their previous meeting where she had rescued him from torture and Farlden from enslavement.

  “Well, at least the suit fits properly,” she said, reaching out to adjust his tie, “but you don’t have time for breakfast now so you’ll just have to get something in London. Come along.”

  “Good luck,” his dad called from the dining room.

  Elliot wasn’t sure which of them his father was talking to so he just responded with, “Bye, Dad.”

  It was so strange to be here with his family acting so differently, all the past conflict between them lost to a different life. It made him feel rootless, as if he didn’t quite belong in this world, with a lifetime of shared experiences with his family wiped out.

  He followed his mother outside to where the Bentley was parked, just like always, everything disconcertingly familiar. They were going to London and Farlden’s family lived there. If Farlden also wasn’t at university in this world, the city was where he’d be or, at the very least, it would be a way to find out his location from his parents.

  Mum’s driver opened the back car door for her and, deciding to play along for now with whatever was happening, Elliot walked round to the other side as she got in and joined her. The car started moving and Elliot tried to distract himself from the fear that his boyfriend might not know him by concentrating on his mother. He didn’t know what prejudices she might have in this world but he knew now that she loved him enough to be willing to risk her life and career for his sake, so he was determined to make their relationship work this time. He could re-learn how to identify with his parents and brother.

  “How has your job been going recently?” he asked.

  She looked pleasantly surprised at the question, her blue eyes – the same colour as his own – warming. “Very well.” She told him about a Government bill she was backing and it wasn’t anything anti-Nean, so that was a good start. She then said, “I’m so proud that you’ve been chosen for this interview in such an important government department, Elliot. This is the first step towards you becoming Prime Minister one day.”

  He faked a smile and internally winced at the thought that she still had this goal for him in the new timeline. His new self clearly hadn’t stood up to her about what he really wanted out of life. Unless his new self actually wanted to be P.M. Except that Elliot was his new self and he didn’t want it so... His brain began to ache more from trying to work out how the whole world-changing-thing worked, so he gave up on the subject for now. There would be plenty of time to figure out his life; Farlden was all he could think about right now. Nothing mattered as much as the two of them being together.

  Driving through London reminded him of being taken prisoner by the Government and convinced him that taking any job for them, even in a changed reality, was a bad idea. For a few minutes he wondered if they were actually driving to the Magic Control Department and after everything they had suffered there he could never have faked an interest in working in the place, but, thankfully, they turned in a different direction and Ben stopped the car in front of a large building Elliot didn’t recognise. Signs of the change in reality were all around, with buildings in ecological Izient designs, posters and clothes in bright Nean colours and far more trees and grassy areas than there had been in the old universe. A Nean woman glanced at him in a confused manner as she walked past and he realised he had been staring and looked away, trying not to feel so overwhelmed by it all.

  His mum came inside with him rather than driving off to her own job, which was just as well since he didn’t have a clue where he was going or who to ask for. The building had some strange furniture, symbols carving along the sides of the wood, that, for some reason, looked familiar but he paid it little attention, nervous about what was ahead and wondering how soon he would get a chance to visit Farlden’s parents.

  He and his mother took the lift to the third floor and walked up a corridor that had warm fawn coloured walls and containers of plants. They spoke to a receptionist with the familiar Nean brow ridges and were told to have seats and wait for the M.P.

  “Elliot, promise me you’ll work hard and be careful to make the best impression possible on the M.P. – this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. Don’t get lost if you go exploring London after the interview and remember that you’re to meet me at five o’clock downstairs.”

  He nodded, not having time to answer before a door opened and a small, familiar woman stepped out to greet them.

  “Dervyl,” Elliot breathed, happy beyond words to see her. Hopefully she would know everything that had occurred and be able to explain the changes in this world to him.

  “That’s M.P. Dervyl,” Mum corrected him sharply.

  “There is no need for such formality,” Dervyl said, smiling. Apart from the fact that she was wearing smarter clothes than he’d seen her in before, she looked the same as she had been before Time changed. Her dark eyes beneath the double brow ridge were still kind and full of the mysteries of the world.

  “I’ll leave you to your interview,” Mum said, taking a step backwards, “and thank you again for choosing to interview Elliot, M.P. Dervyl. I know he would be a great asset to your department if you give him a chance to prove it to you.”

  Elliot said goodbye to her and followed Dervyl into her office. As soon as the door shut behind them Elliot said, “What are we doing here? I mean, do you remember what happened before the universe changed?”

  “Changed how? Have we met?” Dervyl sat down at a table reminiscent of the one in her living room from that other reality, with the same chains for pulling it up towards the ceiling when it wasn’t in use. She gestured for him to join her by taking a nearby seat, which he did.

  She didn’t remember, which was a blow. If he had known he was going to see her he would have assumed she, of all people, would know what had happened. After all, she had been involved in doing the magic too. “We changed reality: you, me, Farlden and Tchaffi. You don’t remember any of it?”

  “No, but it might explain the problems we are having now. Tell me everything that happened.”

  He explained about the Nean species being treated like slaves and the escalating mistreatment of anyone possessing magic that he and Fal had experienced far too personally. He also went into every detail of the joint magic they had done, so that she would understand what had been done to the world. It took about half an hour, the words rushing out of him in the need to share his memories and he probably told her more than she needed to know, but she listened intently to it all. “So now I’m here,” he concluded, “and I have no memory of this world. I’ve just been going along with things, not knowing how to function in this new version of reality.”

  “Then you’ll have a lot ahead of you to learn,” Dervyl said, having apparently heard enough to accept the truth of what he said. “In this timeline all three human races work together and, while we didn’t manage to eradicate violence completely, there are currently no wars in the world and the nuclear weapons you mentioned were never invented.”

  “We?” Elliot said. “Then your people don’t live in the other dimension anymore?”

  “Some do but many are here. The three races – Sapiens, Neans and Izients – are all a far more integrated society than it seems they were in this past reality. Elliot, when did this change in the timeline occur?”

  “Just t
oday.” He glanced at his watch. “Maybe three or four hours ago.”

  “That would tie in perfectly. We’ve had some encounters with creatures from another dimension that I believe must have been caused by the drastic change in the universe you described, but explaining that can wait until you know more about our work here. Did your mother talk to you about what the interview with me was for?”

  “No. I didn’t even realise it was you until I got here.”

  “I’m assembling a team of people – many of whom are magic users – to explore the different dimensions and learn more about the universe.”

  “Magic users?” He straightened in his chair, his pulse beginning to race. “Is Fal here?”

  “Farlden Trilema?” At his hasty nod, she said, “Yes, he has been working for me for five months now. I will call him here but I have no idea if he remembers what you do about the past timeline and the relationship you had with him. You should prepare yourself for the fact that his life is very different from the one you described.”

  He nodded again, willing her to hurry. The realisation that Farlden was close by gave him a surge of longing and he couldn’t bear to wait any longer to see his boyfriend. Everything would be all right as long as they were together again.

  Dervyl got up and walked to her telephone, asking someone – presumably the receptionist outside – to request Farlden to come to this office at once. She then returned to her seat opposite him and said, “Do not hope for too much.”

  How could he not? Adrenaline raced through him and he stopped himself with difficulty from pacing the room or rushing out to find Farlden himself. All his hopes were on the man he loved.

  There was a knock on the door.

  Elliot jumped up and watched, holding his breath, as Farlden walked in. Like Elliot, he wore a suit – which looked wonderful on him, fitting his broad shoulders and toned body perfectly – but otherwise he was just the same. His long blond hair even had the same streak of green in it and Elliot had never loved it more.