by A. J. Macey
“Xanthius!” we heard bellowed, my head whipping to look behind us. Xan’s dad was running, his long legs eating the distance between us quickly. Instead of continuing on, Xan and his mom came to a stop. “What in Akasha are you doing!” he shouted. “First, you run from an official council inquiry, then sneak into the building? Why can’t you just do what you’re supposed to for once?” My blood boiled at the insinuation Xan wasn’t a good enough son. Thankfully, I was too physically spent for my powers to act up.
“I’ve done that my whole life,” Xan shouted, his calm and collected exterior finally cracking. Maybe now his dad will actually get a small taste of who his son really is. What he truly feels. “For the first time, I’m doing something I believe is right—not only for my family but for Akasha. The council doesn’t need this power at their beck and call. They’re corrupt and power-hungry, and I can’t stand by and let them use Aris for whatever they want.” Xan’s dad opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off.
“Oh, Aris!”
My blood ran cold as the voice that haunted my nightmares echoed through the hall.
“Oh god, Delilah,” I exclaimed, panicking. “We have to go now.”
“You can’t go,” Edmund tried to start.
“Still don’t believe the council is corrupt? That’s the witch who dabbled in blood magic and tried to sacrifice Aris,” Xan hissed. His dad’s eyes widened, his hard exterior cracking slightly as he registered what his son said. “Now, I don’t know whether to believe you truly didn’t know about any of this or if you’ve somehow deluded yourself into believing it’s okay to use a fellow witch, but now is not the time to figure it out.”
“Down the hall, two lefts, and then a right. They’ll be straight ahead,” Xan’s mom instructed. “You guys go, we’ll hold her off.”
“Josephina,” Edmund exclaimed, but we were already moving and unable to hear the rest of the statement.
“I love you,” Xan called out as we ran. My guys closed ranks, our shoulders brushing with each pump of our arms. Delilah’s taunting calls continued, but with the echoing around us, I couldn’t tell what direction it was coming from or which hall she was going to pop out of.
Two left turns later, we finally neared the right we needed to take, but dead ahead was Delilah’s bloodred eyes and crazed smile.
“Go!” Xan shouted over his shoulder, launching a ball of fire down the hall. As soon as we turned the corner, Torryn took up residence next to Xan, both flinging different spells and magic as they tried to keep Delilah away as we ran ahead. The distance from the corner to the portals was short. The swirling mirrors stood in a semi-circle in the small circular room. The frames were an antiqued metal, worn and tarnished over the years. A soft glow radiated from the silver that shifted and wavered in the center of the floor-length mirrors.
“Which one?” Caspian asked, glancing between the six mirrors.
“Why are there six?” Drayce questioned next, his brows drawing together.
“Who the hellsticks cares!” I shrieked, the panic finally becoming too much. “We need to pick one and get Xan and Torryn.”
“We’re right here,” Tor called, running in behind us. “Quickly!” Without much hesitation, Torryn ran toward the one in front of him, but before he slipped through, a scream filled the space. Whipping around, I found Delilah standing at the opening of the hall, a dripping bloody knife clutched in her hand.
At her feet, Josephina laid curled on her side. Xan started to shout, running toward his mom, but Torryn and Drayce grabbed him, hauling him back to the mirror. Oh god, it’s my fault she’s dead. Time slowed, the sick sensation of guilt, forming a lead weight in my stomach. I didn’t try to push it down, to not feel the fear, anger, and sadness swell. As my emotions built, so did my power.
The power was almost too much to hold on to, every nerve ending searing as I brought my arm back. Screaming at the sudden pain, I threw my hand out, releasing the power in a concussive burst. I wasn’t sure what to expect, my only focus on hitting Delilah. Much like what happened with the Curse Crew, all of my powers mixed together, entwining in a condensed stream of elements.
Delilah seemed to realize what was happening the moment my hands came up, and she hissed out a hasty incantation. Her voice reached my ears a second too late, her shield useless against my blast. When it collided with the smoky wall she erected in front of her, the force sent her flying back.
Delilah collapsed into a heap at the base of the far wall, unmoving as my power dissipated. Footsteps sounded, and Edmund appeared, running past her and toward us.
“Josie,” he called, distraught, kneeling to where she was and immediately starting to work as much magic as he could on her wounds.
“We have to go,” Torryn ground out, holding tight to Xan. A collection of thudding footsteps filled the space, spurring us into action. Caspian and Kye went through the swirling silver surface first, Torryn and Drayce forcing Xan back to the portal as the councilmen and several enforcers filed into the hall.
“You took everything from me!” Xan’s dad shouted, and at first, I thought it was directed to us, but when he stood to face the council, I realized it was directed at the council. With one final wave of magic from Edmund, the four of us tumbled through the portal and into darkness.
November 27th
Wednesday Afternoon
Torryn
I didn’t know which way was up. With each tumble in the darkness, my stomach turned. Nausea built, dizziness growing the longer we fell. Clutching Ruby to my chest, I curled into myself for the inevitable landing at the end of this portal. It took only a moment, but it felt like ages. A grunt escaped me when I collided with a stone floor. The slick stone was ice cold as I laid there trying to catch my breath. As the nausea and dizziness finally passed, my body erupted into a wash of goosebumps. Groaning, I sat up, taking in my surroundings.
The others were glancing around. Xan, though, was staring at the ground, his chest heaving. Each breath was ragged, his fingers clawing at the stone. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, processing what happened. My attention was torn away from Xan when Aris whimpered as she attempted to move, the sound immediately making me worry. I rushed over to her.
“Are you okay, Gorgeous? Did you hurt yourself with the fall?” I scanned her thin frame for any injuries.
“Achy,” she murmured, “but I don’t think it was from the landing. That power I threw at Delilah felt like I was burning from the inside out or being electrocuted.” At her reassurance, I felt myself breathing easier, shifting to look around at the others.
“Everyone else okay?” I asked, hoping no one was injured.
“Other than some scrapes and bruises, I think we’re good,” Drayce explained. “Any of the familiars hurt?”
“Ruby and Mr. Stripes are okay,” I relayed, looking between the two animals. Kye, Caspian, and Drayce all did the same before echoing a similar statement. The only one who didn’t move was Xan, whose hedgehog nudged his hand with a small squeak.
“Xan…” Aris started, scooting closer to him hesitantly. “I’m so sorry.”
My heart squeezed with the pain blatant in her soft tone. None of this is her fault.
“It’s Delilah, Muse, not you who hurt my family. The council, too,” he muttered. A pair of red-ringed eyes glanced up, the pain etched in his face heart-wrenching. I opened my mouth to say something, to offer some comfort, but nothing came out. Out of nowhere, a large roar erupted, the sound shaking the ground and pulling my attention away from the group.
“Does anyone have any idea which world we’re in?” Cas questioned, glancing around cautiously.
“It doesn’t look like Aureus,” Aris stated. “I mean, from what I’ve learned and read about, it doesn’t fit. Humans have a lot of technology and busy cities like several of Divus scattered throughout the world.”
“Caspian, Xan, stay with Aris. Kye, Drayce, come with me,” I directed, wanting us to get our bearings sooner rather than later. After
placing a kiss on Aris’s forehead and giving Xan’s shoulder a squeeze, I stood, looking around, trying to determine the best direction to begin searching. “We’ll be right back.”
Aris’ eyes widened slightly, and her cheeks tinted pink, but she didn’t argue like I knew she wanted to, which I appreciated. Xan needed her more right now. I didn’t want to split the group, but we needed to figure out where we were before we could make a plan. Not to mention, it would be easier to do when it was just the three of us. Kye and Drayce fell in behind me as we started down what looked to be the main hall.
The stone that made up the floor, walls, and curved ceiling was a darkened gray, almost black in its ashy coloring. As we walked, the building seemed to become more worn and torn, leaks from the ceiling, and some actual holes showing the dreary weather outside. Whatever world we were in, the city seemed abandoned. The building we were in was a worn-down castle, its grounds overgrown and ragged.
Another deafening roar cut off our scan of outside the building, the ground-shaking noise seeming much closer this time. The three of us straightened, hugging close to the wall as we inched toward the corner. Magic crackled in the air as we readied ourselves for what we might face. Peeking around the door frame, I felt my heart skip a beat.
Dragons.
Two extremely large, very scary looking dragons circled each other, a ring of people surrounding them and watching with intense expressions. Drayce and Kye peered around my shoulder, freezing in place when they saw what I had. Before I could say anything, one of the dragons lunged at the other, a flurry of long teeth and a flash of scales.
One was a deep green, almost black until the light from the torches illuminated the scales just right. The other was bloodred, and when the light hit, there was a glimmer of gold on the ends of the crimson scales. A blast of heat brushed against my face as the dragons fought, my heart starting to race when I realized there wasn’t much we could do against two giant creatures if they decided to turn their attack on us. When the group started to cheer as the fight wore on, I finally shook myself out of my stupor, grabbing Kye and Drayce and jogging back toward the portals and the others to relay what we had found.
“We’re in Althaia,” I stated breathlessly when we got back. Aris’s eyes started to sparkle as they did whenever she was excited, but Xan and Caspian both looked at me with startled expressions.
“We can’t very well hide out here with dragons roaming around. They’ll roast us alive,” Caspian exclaimed, getting up and adjusting his pack.
“Technically, they can’t unless they want to risk violating the worlds’ peace treaty,” I bulleted.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure a fighting ring in an abandoned castle would be looked at with open arms either,” Drayce countered. “So, not exactly sure they care.”
“Try for another world?” Aris questioned, her tone unsure as she looked around. All of us nodded, gathering our things and making sure we had hold of our animals before glancing between the portals.
“You pick, Cupcake. See where we land,” Caspian offered, his cheerful tone, no doubt easing her worry. He always had that effect on her. As much as I hated to admit it, there were things the other guys could offer her I couldn’t. We each brought something to our group, and despite my and Caspian’s differences, he was good for her.
“Uh, that one,” she answered.
“Alright, that one it is,” Kye agreed before stepping forward into the wavering smoky stone that made up the portals of the Althaia, followed by the others. Going last, I glanced back one last time.
“Here goes nothing.”
Aris
The portal spat us out unceremoniously this time, all of us falling onto a cold stone floor, tangled together in a heap. Thankfully, they didn’t let me go in first, which meant I ended up near the top of the witch pile. Scrambling off them, I squinted around at the torch-lit room, though room was putting it nicely—dungeon was a better description.
Torches adorned the walls on either side of the giant portal we had just exited. The portal itself was a large slab of onyx buffed into a reflective surface. It was beautiful but quite the contrast against the weathered, rough stone of the walls. There were four runes inscribed around the edges, one of them glowing in the dim light.
The sounds of footsteps echoed around us, and we all froze, the guys scrambling to get to their feet and holding defensive stances around me. Rolling my eyes, I stepped around them, pulling open the large wooden door carefully. The guys were too cautious to yell out protests, so I took advantage of that and peeked out into the long hallway.
Doors lined the corridor, over half of them with bars like a jail cell instead of thick wood. I frowned at the quiet, pained moaning nearby. Before I could step out, I was pulled back by strong hands, Torryn’s angry face in full force. I shrugged, not in the least bit sorry. I wasn’t a damsel in distress, and I’d be damned if I was always stuck behind a wall of men.
Not wanting to fight, I let Torryn lead us, everyone taking quiet, careful steps as we walked further into the dungeon. Though, in hindsight, maybe we should have stepped right back through the portal.
The pained sounds were coming from a cell two doors down. A thin, frail body was draped over the bed, his skin pale and eyes hollow as he struggled to focus on us. The bleeding heart in me wanted to help him, but we could barely help ourselves. A hand landed on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze. I looked behind me to see Drayce giving me a soft smile, likely picking up on my worries.
“What happened to you?” Torryn asked, his tone gentle but firm. The guy glanced over, then laughed.
“Don’t piss off a vampire,” he said bitterly, a harsh cough escaping him until he was panting for breath. “If you care so much, offer me a drink. I won’t drain you like they did to me.”
“Yeah, backing away now,” Caspian said, giving Torryn a gentle shove to walk away. Clearly, the man was down here for a punishment, and I wasn’t about to stand in the way.
The hallway ended in a large spiral staircase leading upward. We didn’t hesitate this time to go upstairs, keeping single file with me right behind Torryn. The sound of voices and silverware hitting plates echoed toward us the further up we walked until we found ourselves looking in on a dinner party.
At first glance, it seemed like a nice event, classy settings and dress. The black and red decor in the room stood out starkly against the dark stone walls. A large table stretched through the room, big enough to fit at least half of our cafeteria back at school. Vampires were talking back and forth while what I assumed were humans sat between them, staring silently and dreamily up at their captors. It was like they were spelled to stay put and love being used. Some vampires had their teeth sunk into their pets, drinking casually while the humans writhed next to them.
“Enough!” the man at the head of the table shouted, shoving his human away, so she crashed into the edge of the table with a sickening thud. “Dispose of this one. Clearly, she’s overstayed her welcome.” He dabbed his mouth angrily like he could wipe the taste of her off with his napkin. “More blood wine!” His voice echoed out, and several waiters hurried forward to fill his nearly full cup. I held back the eye roll at the pretentiousness of his entire outburst.
The room had quieted as he spoke but soon picked back up to the previous level of chatter. None of us dared move, and thanks to the partition in the wall, we hadn’t been noticed yet.
“Ah, this evening's entertainment!” the same regal guy announced, his voice echoing off of the high ceilings as a group of men and one woman were led in, chains wrapped around their ankles, connecting them together.
“You’re scum!” one of the men shouted, spit flying from his mouth. That earned him an elbow to the gut from the closest guard, but not before the leader let out a boisterous laugh.
“You’re our fun, and that’s ruined when you open your mouth. Please refrain from it unless it’s a scream,” the man retorted, leaving his throne at the end of the table and walk
ing forward. “Now, which of my guests shall partake? There are five bodies up for grabs.”
The guest talked excitedly as the group fought against their bindings. My hands clenched by my side at the sight, but one glare from Torryn kept me in place and my magic in check. We didn’t know how strong we were, and it wasn’t safe for us to attack.
“Check your place settings, my dears. If you have found the Ace of Hearts, come forward.” The excited yells from around the table as cards were revealed, filled the space. The shouts and cheers only grew as they congratulated each other on winning a spot in the sinister game. My skin crawled as everything unfolded, disgust making my stomach turn. One after the other, they rushed forward, drinking from the shrieking victims. The vampire didn’t care that they tried to scurry away, continuing to drink until their prey was frail, thin, and had collapsed to the ground.
“We have to go,” Kye hissed, his pale face displaying a look of pure disgust I knew must have mirrored mine.
“Hey!” A voice rang out, all of us jumping and looking up to find the leader staring directly at us. “Looks like we have surprise guests! Guards!”
He didn’t even get his words finished before we were sprinting back the way we’d come, Torryn throwing up a wall of dirt out of the stone floors to stop them. We made it to the wooden door hiding the portal before the barricade came tumbling down. Torryn threw up another wall as we slammed the door behind us. My body buzzed with adrenaline, panic pushed me to run faster. The guys were sprinting alongside me as we reached the portal. Hitting a different rune, we all dove through.
Thank the Gods, it was still activated, or we would have been next on the menu!
November 27th
Wednesday Afternoon
Aris
This time, when the portal spit us out, we landed on a moss-covered floor. Still a bit dazed, I looked around the huge stone cavern. The sound of water running nearby echoed in the cavern, the sound soothing, almost startling after our abrupt departure from Altair.