The Brutal Time Special Edition

by Christina Bauer

  The crystal clock.

  Myla hugs her elbows. Even though she’s partially invisible, there’s no missing how all the color has drained from her face.

  Colossus stares at the draped clock. “What was that?”

  Half-dressed in armor, the King of the Archdemons marches across the lab floor, using his limbs to dart up and over any obstacle, spider style.

  With every step closer to the clock, my heart kicks harder against my ribs.

  The King of the Archdemons pauses before the covered clock. For a long moment, nothing happens.

  Colossus sniffs, shrugs, and turns away.

  I exhale. The archdemon king isn’t inspecting the clock. Colossus walk-crawls back to the rest of his armor pile. As he steps along, one loop of wrist armor clangs to the floor.

  And that sounds scares the crap out of Captain Fluffbottom.

  Damn.

  The snow imp flies right out from under the clock’s tarp, zooms across the room, and cowers against Myla’s shoulder. My breath catches. Throughout the scene, Fluff remained invisible, but his affect on the covering sheet wasn’t.

  Colossus pauses. Little by little, the King of the Archdemons swivels about to face the hidden clock once more. When he next speaks, he accents each syllable.

  “What. Hides. Under. That. Sheet?”

  “Shall I inspect it, your Majesty?” asks Ximena. She poses the question calmly enough, but from my view, I can see her hands shaking behind her back.

  Rage steps forward. “Or you may possess me,” offers the archdemon. “If anyone hides there, I can kill them.”

  “No,” counters Colossus. “I’ll explore with my own hands.”

  Step-crawling back to the center of the room, Colossus slips on the rest of the armor until only the helm remains. Colossus lifts that final piece above his head and grins.

  “Let’s see what you built for me, Luce.” Colossus pulls down the helm, which falls in place on his head with a soft click.

  And the magic goes to work.

  The room becomes washed in shades of red as Colossus’ armor glows with power. My heart sinks at the sight. Colossus was always the worst of the worst, his sole limitation that fact that he could only possess others.

  That’s done now.

  “Ah,” sighs Colossus. “The armor has already begun to function. I feel my solidity.” He turns toward the cyrstal clock and grins.

  Myla lets out another—longer—string of silent cuss words.

  Within moments, Colossus stands before the covered clock once more. My mind reels. There must be something we can do.

  I glance over to Myla. If anyone can some up with a stunning scheme on a moment’s notice, it’s my wife. She presses her palms against her eyes. That’s her emergency planning pose.

  Colossus reaches forward. Little by little, he pulls off the tarp. The clock is revealed in all its perfection. Thousands of apex crystals intertwine and gleam. It’s gorgeous, powerful and deadly.

  “Let’s see now.” Colossus runs his many long fingers over the magical clock. “How best to consume this power?”

  I scan Merlin and Nimue. If anything, there’s less blue mist around them, not more. Then I inspect the dragon queen. Ximena shivers. She isn’t running away, but she isn’t looking ready to fight, either.

  Myla and I lock gazes. My wife mouths a single word, and I couldn’t agree more.

  Damn.

  53

  Myla

  Colossus wants to take in the crystal clock’s power?

  Oh, Hell.

  Focusing on Lincoln, I pull out my baculum and flip it between my fingers. The question is there: Should we spark these up now?

  My guy inspects Merlin and Nimue, who still silently chant. I can almost see the thought bubble over his head saying, there’s still a chance these mages will channel the explosion’s power into the Opus Magica.

  Returning his attention to me, Lincoln mouths one word. Boom.

  I get the meaning here. We have one shot to take down Colossus, and that’s when the crystal clock does it’s thing … while Merlin and Nimue do theirs. Long story short, we simply must wait for the big bang. Which sucks. Standing around is not my favorite activity. I glare at the clock with all my held-in frustration.

  Explode already!

  Colossus grips the clock with such force, a handful of the gemstones snap. A low hum sounds from the device. An electric sense of power fills the air. My skin prickles over into gooseflesh. The clock gleams with golden light. Soon, every corner of the lab is awash with yellow beams.

  Then it happens.

  Golden cords of power erupt from the device to wrap about Colossus’s arms, mummy-style. The clock still shines bright, but now waves of golden power flow from the device into Colossus. With every passing second, the clock grows dimmer. Meanwhile, Colossus’s very body begins to glow. Thin beams of golden light peep out between the seams in his armor. No question about it.

  Colossus is soaking in power.

  I strain my hearing, trying to catch the telltale tick-tick-ding that means the crystal clock will explode.

  Nothing.

  Freaking clock.

  Instead of exploding like a good magical device, the clock just sends more and more power into Colossus. Now there’s definitely enough energy for the archdemon king to so something nasty. I step a little closer to Lincoln because in situations like this one, he’s my thrax binky.

  “Reveal to me all the magic in this room!” cries Colossus.

  Frowning, I process this turn of events. Okay, this isn’t so bad. Colossus wants to see what else in the laboratory could be useful for him. Logical. And it buys me some time to think of a next step here.

  Trouble is, I got nothing.

  Long tendrils of golden power rise up from Colossus’ arms. The bright cords twist around the room. The thin lines encase the many objects shelved in the lab. Soon a handful of stuff—vials, books, and boxes—now glow with golden light. It’s like a blinking yellow alarm that says, take me home Colossus!

  All of a sudden, the golden lines speed in my direction. Every nerve ending in my body freezes. I’m no mage. Still, maybe my invisibility spell could be attracting this junk?

  Golden cords wrap around my wrists. All thought empties from my mind. Damn. I was so focused on Colossus doing his inventory thing, I didn’t consider that his spell would detect me. And if it goes after yours truly, the magic will certainly find Merlin and Nimue.

  Shit burger.

  Sure enough, the golden magic soaks into my skin and vanishes. The spell is over. Did I dodge something here?

  One second passes.

  Two.

  And—POOF—I am now visible. Same thing happens with Merlin and Nimue. Not sure where Fluff got off too. Hopefully the little guy is safe.

  For his part, Colossus is not pleased. Ignoring the other mages, the archdemon king glares in my direction.

  “I thought you were dead!” he roars.

  I make jazz hands. “Fooled ya.”

  “Now I shall kill you myself.” Colossus clasps the crystal clock even more tightly. “Once these apex crystals give me all their power, I can devise new and more bloody ways to slowly end your life.”

  And I don’t doubt it.

  Lincoln and I share a look that can only be described as: oh no. It’s not a question any more of waiting for the big bang. Once Colossus sucks in all the power of the crystal clock, it’s game over.

  Igniting my baculum as a longsword, I leverage my demonic energy and run straight out. Beside me, Lincoln does the same. My guy’s eyes flare blue. Angelic energy. Even Ximena races along at our side.

  Across the room, the archdemons notice this turn of events and launch into action. Moving as a single unit, they race off in our direction. Lincoln and I are fast, but these creeps? Lightning velocity.

  My brain goes into battle mode. Fast calculations run through my mind. Based on our current speeds, there’s no way Lincoln and I will reach Colossus i
n time. And Ximena’s in the same situation, too. While this laboratory may be large, but it isn’t big enough that she can shift into dragon form.

  Strange how your thoughts focus when your world is about to be torn apart. My mind turns to Maxon, Cissy, Xavier and Camilla, picturing all of them smiling in slow motion. If we fail, my friends and family will be gone forever. No more fading angels. No more anything. It’s something I never seriously considered before. Despair presses in around me, tight as a vise. Still, I push myself to run faster.

  It’s no use, though. Colossus remains too far away. Only inches separate us and the other archdemons. Rage has his sword gripped high, pointed in a way that is definitely meant to separate my head from the rest of me.

  At some point, we all lose.

  This is my moment.

  I’m not the only one in trouble, either. Skyn and Bone have their skeletal hands on Lincoln, choking him to death. The remaining archdemons restrain Ximena. Shock, rage and fear battle it out in my nervous system.

  Rage’s sword comes down. I leap out of the way, but not before the blade nicks my throat. Blood trickles down my neck.

  One more swipe from Rage and I’m done.

  All of a sudden, a white blob of fur speeds through my peripheral vision.

  Unholy Hell. It’s Fluff and damn, that little dude is fast.

  Extending his tiny claws out, Fluff grabs the helm from Colossus’ head. In one whip-fast movement, Fluff tears off the helm and flies straight toward the ceiling. The moment his armor is incomplete, Colossus loses his grip on the clock.

  Golden cords die out.

  Apex crystals cease to glow.

  Ha. No more power for you, Kill Boy.

  Colossus points to Fluff. “My helm!” he cries.

  Instantly, the archdemons stop trying to destroy us. That’s the cup-half-full take on this situation.

  The we’re screwed side is how the archdemons now chase after poor Fluff. Skyn, Bone, Null, and Rage all scale up the shelves. Lester shimmies up the armor chain. Plain and Vain transform their silvery cloaks into bat-like wings.

  Yipes.

  There’s no time to worry about the snow imp, though. A new sound echoes through the laboratory.

  Tick-tick-ding!

  At last. Sheesh.

  The crystal clock shatters. Merlin and Nimue cast a sphere of blue power around the device, forcing it to stay in some semblance of its original shape. A containment orb. Thanks to the spell, all the matchstick-sized crystals now hover only a few inches apart from heir original positions. The explosive power of the clock is mostly held in check, but for how long?

  My neck and shoulders tighten in frustration. So far, the containment orb is only preventing an explosion, not channeling any power into the Opus Magica. Plus, some energy still leaks free, causing the entire lab to tremble. Shelves buckle. Walls snap. Chunks of ceiling wobble in place.

  “My helm!” cries Colossus again.

  The archdemons close in on Fluff. Even though the helm is twice his size, the snow imp holds onto it like a champ.

  This really isn’t going well.

  There must be a way to fix things.

  An image appears in my mind: the circle I drew on the forest floor. Back then, I called Merlin and Nimue my knights. Ever since we entered the lab, I’ve been waiting for the two mages to do their part.

  Maybe their part can’t be done alone.

  Pulling on my own demonic strength, I race toward Merlin and Nimue. Lincoln and Ximena speed along at my side. How did there end up being so many tables in here? My legs get banged up trying to rush over them all.

  At last, we reach Merlin and Nimue. The mages still stand with their fingers laced together. Now I hold Nimue’s free hand in my own.

  “We just used our inner magic to run here more quickly,” I call. “Now ask it to help contain and channel the crystal clock’s energy.”

  Merlin sets the new Opus Magica on the ground nearby. We all hold hands, create a circle, and focus our inner powers.

  Everything changes.

  A magical circuit forms. Lines of blue energy careen around us. The azure magic loops about the crystal clock, pulling it back together into its original shape. The golden energy is more firmly contained within. Will that mean it’s easier to take out?

  All the while, Fluff zooms through the lab, leading the archdemons on the chase of all chases. How long can the little guy hold out?

  Our magical circuit grows stronger. The blue lines create a funnel that stretches from the crystal clock to the Opus Magica. Waves of golden energy move from the apex crystals into the magical book. The two cover seals glow with power.

  It’s happening.

  And then, the flow of golden power slows.

  My eyes widen as I realize the truth. Colossus took too much energy from the crystal clock. There isn’t enough left to fully charge the Opus Magica.

  Rage heats my veins. How can this be the end? My jagged reflection stares back at me from the mosaic of golden stones.

  She winks. This isn’t something I’m doing.

  At this point, I’m ready to scream. What is it with this mystery chick? Giving girlfriend advice? Scaring the crap out of me in lakes? And now, at my worst moment, winking away like she’s got some super awesome secret to share? Meanwhile, the flow of golden power grows even weaker.

  My reflection rests her hands on her shoulders. Again, this isn’t anything I’m doing. Behind her back, a white haze appears. Then, there are wings. Lovely angel wings whose feathers are tipped in gold.

  I gasp.

  And at last, I understand.

  Since I was a kid, I knew about my inner wrath demon. It took meeting Lincoln for me to discover my lust power. But my inner angel? I’d never searched for her. If anything, I’ve been actively avoiding any thought of her at all.

  Yet she exits.

  And the way Colossus’ spell highlighted yours truly as one of the magical things in the room? My inner angel must be jam packed with spell casting energy.

  Instantly, I see the reason for her wink. I can pump extra magic into this entire scene.

  So that’s what I do.

  I’ve never cast a spell before, but I know how my inner demons work. I imagine something and they make it happen. Right now, the five of us stand in a circle. Power loops around us in great cords. I ask my inner angel to pump more energy into the circuit. It flares bright blue. Fresh waves of power flow into the Opus Magica.

  Each page takes on a golden hue. The white and red seals atop shine so brightly, my eyes water at the sight.

  That’s when the archdemons fall.

  It begins with Null. Tendrils of gold power reach out from the white seal, grasp the rusted knight and drag him down. The cords yank Null toward the magical portal that is the pale disc. Light flares out from the white seal, and then Null is gone.

  I could cheer with joy. One archdemon is back in prison, seven more to go.

  The process repeats as one by one, more archdemons are pulled back into the white seal. Rage, Plain, Vain, Lester, Skyn, and Bone … all get dragged away.

  Only one remains.

  Far above us, the archdemon king clings to the rock wall, his claw-like hands digging in to hold him in place … and out of the red seal. All the while, more gold cords wind around his torso and legs. The tendrils grow thicker as they pull Colossus toward the Opus Magica.

  Boom!

  The stone wall that Colossus holds crumbles into rubble. The archdemon king loses his grasp. The colored cords pull taught. Colossus tumbles toward the red seal. Light flares when the archdemon king reaches the Opus Magica. After that, darkness.

  What was once a laboratory is now a hollowed out cavern filled with broken glass, rubble and shadows.

  Every inch of my body goes on alert. Did it work?

  On the Opus Magica, the red seal flares to life. The disc shines with the symbol of a ram’s head. I do a happy dance.

  “We did it!” I cry. “We got Co
lossus!”

  Merlin and Nimue hug. Ximena cheers. Lincoln stares at a small pile of rubble nearby. I know my guy and what it means when his eyes narrow in this particular way. He’s in hunter mode.

  Sure enough, the very spot Lincoln examines does something unexpected. It moves. Everyone stops cheering as out from the rubble comes none other than Captain Fluffbottom, the snow imp who saved the universe. Fluff immediately takes to the air and zooms in my direction. Soon, he’s sitting on my shoulder while my tail pats his little head.

  “Win, win,” says Fluff.

  Lincoln beams. “That we did, thanks to you.”

  Fluff taps his chest. “Knight, knight.”

  “Absolutely,” I chuckle. “You’re one of the knights of my roundtable.”

  My eyes widen as I remember. “The armies! They’re still outside!”

  With all the excitement of fighting Colossus, I’d forgotten that an evil human mega-army awaited us around the mountain. We all race through the exit hallway, stopping when we reach the outdoors.

  Lincoln sighs. “It’s all good. They’re gone.”

  Sure enough, everything is back to being mountain peaks, snow, and heavy clouds. No armies in sight. Xinema’s dragon horde has already packed up and flown home.

  Odd. I thought Ximena would have asked her dragons to stay. Yet she already sent them off. As a result, her people could think she died in the lab blast. Something to ask her about later.

  Merlin grips the new Opus Magica tightly against his chest. “Now we have other things to worry about, such as how to hide this book.”

  Nimue rolls her eyes. “Can you celebrate for two seconds?”

  Merlin frowns. “No.”

  “Not one huzzah?” asks Nimue.

  “Huzz. Zah.” Merlin looks to me with a gaze that clearly says, help?

  I raise my hand, palm forward. “Merlin raises a good point. And I happen to know someone who’s an ace at putting Lucifer’s crap in storage where it won’t bug anyone.”

  Lincoln gives me the side eye. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asks.