The Secret City

by C. J. Daugherty

  ‘I can’t do it,’ Taylor said, her lower lip trembling.

  ‘Find the power you were using to float the rocks and release it. And do it before it washes my sodding boathouse away.’

  Louisa’s voice was steady but Sacha suspected Taylor wouldn’t miss the undercurrent of ice floating just beneath her words.

  Turning back to the river, Taylor closed her eyes. She was breathing fast, gripping Sacha’s hand so tightly he could feel the bones beneath her skin. She whispered something to herself he couldn’t quite make out. Suddenly, he felt the connection between them snap and break. The power that had filled his veins with light, withdrew.

  He felt empty without it.

  With a sigh, the water slipped back to the river bed. The rocks that had floated so improbably on the surface, sank silently to the bottom.

  Taylor dropped Sacha’s hand.

  Louisa stomped across the dirt towards them. ‘Dammit, you two,’ she said. ‘What the hell are you doing out here? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’

  ‘Did you see the rocks?’ Taylor stuck to the positives. ‘We did it. Perfectly.’

  ‘And then you nearly flooded Oxford,’ Louisa snapped. ‘We’ve talked about this before. It’s too dangerous for you to be alone out here. You know that. You should be accompanied at all times.’

  ‘She is not alone,’ Sacha said evenly. ‘She’s with me.’

  Louisa swung her stern gaze towards him. ‘And that’s the other problem. Kid, you are a walking target with no ability to protect yourself. What the hell were you thinking?’

  Sacha didn’t flinch.

  ‘I was thinking that perhaps I could help Taylor with her training,’ he said coolly.

  Louisa began a tart reply, but then stopped herself. When she spoke again, her voice was not unsympathetic.

  ‘I get it, kid. I really do,’ she said. ‘But Taylor has to learn to do this on her own. She can’t rely on your combined power to keep her safe. What if you’re knocked unconscious and she has to fight this guy alone? What if you’re taken hostage and she needs to rescue you? If she relies on this power thing you two have…’ She swayed a hand back and forth between the two of them. ‘… she’s vulnerable every single time you walk away. Which I want you to do right now. So I can teach her to fight for herself.’

  Anger flared in Sacha’s chest. He hated the way Louisa talked down to both of them. He hated that Taylor’s training wasn’t going better. He hated St Wilfred’s and everyone in it. He hated that he needed them to save him.

  ‘Stop calling me kid, OK?’ he responded heatedly. ‘You want me to act like a responsible adult? Then start treating me like one, or I can be the kid you pretend to see. I really can.’ He took a step towards her. ‘Is that what you want? To deal with a kid right now? Be careful for what you wish, Louisa.’

  ‘Take a breath, kid.’ Louisa rolled her eyes. ‘Jesus.’

  ‘Louisa,’ Taylor snapped, stepping between them. ‘Will you shut up?’

  Sacha and Louisa glared at each other over her shoulder.

  In all honesty, Sacha would have loved to have it out with Louisa right now. She’d been on his back since he arrived at St Wilfred’s and he didn’t understand why. Nothing he did was good enough. It was unfair.

  The only problem was, this time, she had a point.

  Taylor was the key to this battle. And she had to get stronger to be safe. He wouldn’t always be there.

  That didn’t make any of this easy to take. He’d been through too much in his life to put up with being talked down to by a blue-haired, tattooed pixie.

  ‘Louisa, you should apologise,’ Taylor told her, still fuming.

  Sacha took a step back.

  ‘It’s fine, Taylor. I’ll go. I’ve had enough.’ He fired a warning look at Louisa. ‘But she needs to stop being such a bitch to me or I’m out of here. Je me casse.’

  Without waiting to hear what either of them had to say, he stormed back across the meadow with his head down, wishing for the hundredth time that he was back in Paris. He could go. They couldn’t stop him – he had a return ferry ticket in his bedroom right now. But he wouldn’t leave without Taylor, and he knew without even asking she’d never go.

  Besides, he didn’t even know where they were keeping his motorcycle. They’d taken the keys when he arrived, and told him it would be ‘safely stored’.

  He hated that, too. It was his bike.

  Fuming, he kicked a rock off the path so hard it flew into the long grass. But that wasn’t enough. He wanted to run. To punch someone.

  Days like today made him long for his crappy old life. Maybe he had just been sitting around waiting to die. But at least he was free.

  Now he felt like a prisoner.

  It wasn’t until he made it back to the door in the stone wall, that he realised his mistake. Only alchemists could open it. He couldn’t get back in on his own.

  Typical.

  ‘I hate this place.’ With a shout of futile rage, he slammed his fist against the wood.

  The door didn’t even shake.

  Swearing under his breath, he stalked away, following the wall around the college towards the front gate.

  He’d never been out here, so he didn’t really know where he was going. All he could do was follow the wall surrounding the college. St Wilfred’s grounds sprawled for some distance. It was fifteen minutes before he even reached the edge of the meadow. After that, the ground changed from soft grass to hard concrete. The sweet sounds of birds singing and insects buzzing were replaced by the rumble of cars and buses.

  After a while, Sacha found himself on a narrow lane. On his right was the tall forbidding wall of St Wilfred’s. Across the road, another wall faced the first – presumably the wall of another college, but he didn’t know which. It was like walking in a valley of stone.

  Up until now, he’d seen little of the town of Oxford. Now he found himself looking around curiously. Above the walls on both sides, he could see the spires of colleges and churches. He hated St Wilfred’s, but the town was undeniably extraordinary – his father had lived here long ago, and loved it. Maybe he’d walked down this very street.

  The thought was somehow steadying, and his anger began to ebb.

  St Wilfred’s wall curved to the right, and he turned with it. He began to pass more people – mostly students walking in pairs or clusters, talking and laughing. But also tourists, and locals.

  From behind the safe wall of his sunglasses, Sacha watched them with an interest he would never have acknowledged. They looked so relaxed. So normal. They’d never seen a Bringer sliding towards them with death in its eyes. They didn’t even know such things could exist.

  God, it would be nice to be that naive.

  It was hotter now he was out of the meadow, and he ran a hand across his brow. He’d been walking for ages. Where was that stupid front gate?

  He had to be getting close.

  He hurried his steps, pushing past a crowd of students talking and blocking the way.

  Only when they parted to allow him to pass, could he see the college’s tall gatehouse ahead, the red and gold banners at the top hanging limp in the heat.

  Relief flooded through him. He was nearly there.

  Just then, an ominous low growl rumbled through the air.

  Sacha froze in mid-step. The sound wasn’t loud but there was something strange about it. Something inhuman.

  It grew louder. A creaking, almost industrial groan. Like something horrible was shifting, deep below the ground.

  The fine hairs on the back of his neck rose. He turned around, seeking the source.

  He wasn’t the only one who’d heard it. Murmuring in confusion, the cluster of students looked around.

  Sacha turned to warn them – of what, he wasn’t certain. But he never got the chance to say a thing.

  The ground shook with such violence he had to grab a lamp post to keep from falling. Then with stunning suddenness, the world around him exploded.r />
  Five

  After Sacha stormed off towards the college, Louisa and Taylor stood by the river shouting at each other.

  Louisa knew she’d gone too far, but she’d been searching the college frantically for them – the dean had called her ‘irresponsible’ for losing them – and when she’d seen them together where they weren’t supposed to be, the tension and frustration of the last few weeks boiled over.

  She regretted it instantly – the wounded outrage in Sacha’s eyes and the puzzled disappointment on Taylor’s face were all too clear. But the stubborn part of her (the part she held responsible for most of her bad decisions) wouldn’t allow her to say she was sorry.

  ‘Do you not want to be safe?’ she heard herself snapping at Taylor. ‘Do you want to die?’

  ‘That’s a stupid question.’ Taylor folded her arms.

  ‘Answer it.’ Louisa doubled down.

  ‘I will not.’ Taylor’s voice was taut. ‘Besides. I’m the only person who can make myself safe.’

  Louisa opened her mouth to argue. That was when the ground beneath their feet trembled.

  Instantly, she forgot what they were arguing about.

  ‘What the hell was that?’ she muttered, turning to look back towards the college.

  In the sudden silence, she heard a whump. And, a heartbeat later, an almighty roar.

  Then faint, bone-chilling screams.

  In the distance, amid the stone spires, a thin column of smoke had begun to rise, black against the crystalline blue of the summer sky.

  ‘Lou…’ Taylor’s voice was low and terrified.

  Before she could finish what she was about to say, Louisa was running towards the college.

  ‘Stay with me,’ she called over her shoulder without slowing down. ‘Close.’

  The warning wasn’t necessary – Taylor was right on her heels. But she wanted to say it anyway.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Taylor shouted at her.

  ‘I don’t know.’ Louisa’s voice shook with each step. ‘But it’s not good.’

  They ran so fast the wildflowers around them became a green-and-white blur. Louisa couldn’t hear the insects anymore. The birds had fallen silent. There was only the harsh rasp of her breath and the shrill cries that grew louder as they neared the school wall.

  Another massive boom shook the earth just as they reached the gate, and Louisa felt it with her whole body. She could sense it now, in the distance. An oily sheen of Dark power.

  The sky went dark. Grit and rocks showered down on them like hard, stinging rain. They huddled together outside the gate, shielding their heads with their hands.

  When it stopped, Louisa reached for the door but Taylor grabbed her arm.

  ‘Sacha.’ Her eyes were wide. ‘We sent him back.’

  Louisa’s stomach lurched. In the panic, she’d forgotten all about him.

  Silently she cursed her temper. Why hadn’t she made them all walk back together? How could she have been so stupid?

  But she kept her expression steady.

  ‘We’ll find him,’ she promised, with confidence she didn’t feel. ‘Taylor – I think it’s him. Are you ready?’

  Taylor swallowed hard. Then she nodded. ‘I’m ready.’

  She wasn’t. They both knew that. But there wasn’t time left to plan.

  ‘Let’s go.’ Louisa pressed her hand against the door. It sprang open.

  On the other side, St Wilfred’s once orderly campus was in upheaval. Dust and smoke hung thick in the air, giving the scene a hazy, other-worldly feel.

  ‘Stay with me,’ Louisa shouted, and launched herself into the chaos.

  Students, professors and staff stumbled in all directions, clutching each other, coughing. Smoke alarms shrieked their warnings from the school buildings.

  The two girls stuck close together as they ran through the crowds, until Louisa skidded to a stop, momentarily uncertain of where to go.

  A porter, his black jacket powdered with dust, and his bowler hat askew, stood outside one of the side doors to the library shouting: ‘The safe rooms! All students to the safe rooms!’

  Terrified students flooded towards him, hurtling into the dim interior. Her jaw set, Louisa ran the other way, shoving against the tide, towards the tower of smoke. Her mind was whirling, trying to comprehend how everything could have gone so wrong in the few short minutes she’d been down by the river.

  The Dark practitioner must have figured out Taylor and Sacha were here and decided to catch them off guard.

  Smart move, she thought grudgingly, as the smoke swirled around her. Now how do we stop him?

  The closer they got to the main entrance to the college, the more Dark power filled the air. Its presence filled her veins with ice.

  It was happening too soon. They weren’t ready. They’d thought they had more time.

  She kept spinning around to check on Taylor. She was right there, face pale and drawn but matching her stride for stride.

  A spark of pride kindled in Louisa’s heart. She was tough, that one. Tougher than anyone knew.

  The students were disappearing to safety in the basement of the library. Now the sirens were the only sound, their shrieks splitting the air like blades.

  Louisa wasn’t sure what to do. She had to keep Taylor safe, fight whatever battle was happening and find Sacha. All at once.

  It was impossible.

  In an instant, she decided to keep Taylor with her and head to the fight. Something told her if there was trouble, Sacha would be there already.

  The smoke was thickest near the main entrance, just next to the red brick tower, topped with the school’s jaunty banners.

  Louisa pointed. ‘That way.’

  When they reached the front gate, the dust and smoke made it hard to see. It was like walking into a toxic fog.

  Coughing, they both pulled their t-shirts up over their mouths.

  Only when they drew close could they see the extent of the damage.

  One entire three-storey building was gone. Bricks and rubble lay strewn around an empty hole where the porters’ offices used to be.

  ‘What the hell?’ Louisa muttered.

  The destruction was stunning. Her mind kept putting the missing structure back where it belonged – steep roof, brick walls, leaded windows. But then she’d look again, and see… nothing.

  It was as if a bulldozer had rampaged straight through.

  A group of St Wilfred’s faculty stood clustered in the broken space, facing out towards the street. Some wore the black gowns of professors. Others wore tweed jackets or blue jeans. A lightning storm of alchemical energy crackled around them as they formed a tight line. A fire crackled where the building had once stood, just to the left of them, and smoke swirled and eddied, darkening the sun.

  ‘I don’t see Sacha,’ Taylor cried, scanning the crowd.

  Louisa frowned. ‘Me neither. Let’s get closer.’

  The two took off across the grass. Nobody seemed to notice as they skidded to a standstill behind the line of alchemists.

  Only then did they see him.

  Across the ancient narrow lane, the man stood, all alone. His grey hair, neat moustache, and erect carriage gave him the look of a retired general. He wore a natty tweed jacket and carried a black cane.

  To any ordinary person, he would have looked completely unthreatening. But Louisa and Taylor could see what most could not – Dark power surrounded him in a way Louisa had never encountered before. It fairly poured from him.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Taylor whispered. ‘That’s him, isn’t it?’

  Louisa didn’t answer. Her heart was hammering against her ribs.

  She’d seen that narrow, icy face once before. In Taylor’s hometown. He’d scared her to death then, and he frightened her even more now – because now, he was much, much stronger.

  Stronger than the Bringers. Stronger than anything she’d ever encountered.

  Was this what Dark energy really looked like? It looked…
unbeatable. In that instant, she realised the alchemists were not standing in line – they were forming a barrier. They were trying to save the college.

  They were trying to save everyone.

  She grabbed Taylor’s shoulders, holding her tightly. ‘Stay back here,’ she said. ‘Don’t let him see you. Keep an eye out for Sacha.’

  When Taylor nodded, Louisa was relieved. She knew how much she wanted to help. Someday, Taylor would be a force to be reckoned with. But she wasn’t ready yet. Not for this.

  Leaving her safely behind the line, Louisa joined the other alchemists facing the grey-haired man. Each had a hand raised, focussing alchemical power at him to counter the waves of Dark energy he projected at them in a constant, overwhelming oily torrent.

  It wasn’t hard to find Alastair. He was ludicrously tall, and his perpetually dishevelled golden hair gleamed even through the smoke. Squeezing in next to him, she raised her hand, calmed her mind and focussed on pulling molecules of energy from wherever she could find them.

  ‘Nice of you to join us.’ Alastair spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes never leaving the man across the street.

  Louisa steadied herself.

  ‘I can’t find the French kid,’ she said, and directed all her strength at the Dark practitioner.

  Alastair shot her a sideways glance, disbelief on his face. ‘You can’t be serious.’

  A wave of Dark power hit Louisa like a punch and she grunted, absorbing it. It was a while before she responded.

  ‘I didn’t realise the apocalypse was today, Alastair. I didn’t get the memo.’

  Swearing, he turned back to face their target and redoubled his efforts.

  ‘Here’s the plan.’ He spoke quietly. ‘If we live, we’ll find Sacha and be heroes. If we die, he’s on his own.’

  Grinning, Louisa sent a burst of alchemical power straight at the Dark practitioner. He turned sharply in her direction, his small, dark eyes travelling down the line of alchemists until he found her.

  When their gaze met, he smiled a sharp, vicious smile. Then he lifted his cane slowly.

  It writhed in his hand like a snake.

  All thoughts of Sacha left Louisa’s mind. She’d never felt numb with fear before, but right now she couldn’t feel her hands.