by Janeal Falor
The nightmares continue to haunt me as Bethany, Cynthia, Tawny, and Serena help me get the newest members settled. Good places to rest and plenty of food and drink. More than we can afford to give them, really, but with their weakened state, I don't know how we can't give it to them.
As I hand one man a bowl of stew, tears fill his eyes. “Thank you for saving us.”
“It was the least we could do,” I reply, my own eyes tearing in response. “You shouldn't have been put in that situation anyway.”
“No, I shouldn't have. No one should be,” he says. “Do you know why I was put in there?”
“I don't.”
“Because I owed the Grand Chancellor a partly sum of money.”
“That's it?” I ask, not knowing what else to say when this burning rage fills me. “He's clearly a madman.”
“The worst there ever was.”
His words continue to haunt me as I dish out more food to men and women. What were they all taken for? Not paying their bills? No matter what you can or can't pay, your life force shouldn't be the consequence.
I scrape the last bit of stew from the pot, and my belly growls. At least there was enough for those we just found. They need it more than I do, but at this rate, there won't be enough for even them. Food has always been a concern, but never this bad.
After handing out the last bowl, I gather the others helping me and have them follow me out of the cave. Once we're away from everyone else, I say, “We have to get more food. We're not going to survive without it.”
“I didn't expect it to be this bad,” Bethany says.
I'm just grateful she didn't see them in the power plant. “Neither did I.”
“Where else can we get food, though?” Serena asks. “We're already getting as much as we can and it's getting more risky every time we try.”
“We could try hitting a farm instead of the markets,” Cynthia says.
“But would that get the farmers in trouble?” Bethany asks.
“No more than it's gotten the shop owners in trouble,” Serena says.
A cloud of darkness descends. Helping a nation find its way is not going very smoothly. “We're going to have to do something. As much as I don't want anyone else to get in trouble because of us, we have to feed these people, or we'll never survive and the Grand Chancellor will win.”
Cynthia says, “A farm it is.”
***
After a couple weeks of searching, we've found the perfect farm to hit. Lots of food nearby, vegetables and much needed fruit and only a farmer and one helper running it. We gather as many as we can to help us. We're not leaving anything to chance. The more help we have, the less likely we will be to lose, and land's knows we can't afford to lose.
The attack is not really an attack. We go in there, spells blazing—or ready to. Our hands are all up to cast a spell when we come across the first farmer.
“Whoa,” he says. “Don't go blasting me yet.”
I don't lower my arm. “Why not?”
“You're that group I've been hearing about, yes? The one trying to fight the Grand Chancellor?”
“So what if we are?”
“If so, I want to help you all out.”
Finally, I lower my hand. “Help us out how and why?”
“You need food, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”
“Yes, but that doesn't answer the why.” I take a few steps toward him, even if everyone else is still on guard behind me.
“Been sick of the Grand Chancellor's rule for a long time. Had to send my oldest boy into service at his house to pay off a debt. Don't fancy my children being taken from me like that, even if they are nearly grown. Especially not with all I do to try and provide food for the country. I reckon if I'm going to give food to someone, it might as well be someone who can help.”
I motion the others to lower their hands. This man is anything but a threat. “We are definitely trying to help.”
“Then how about this. I can give you half of my food stored up now, and I'll do what I can to help you out in the future.”
“That's more than generous,” I say.
It takes a little arranging, but we figure out how to pack up all the food he offers and carry it out of there. Before we go, I tell him, “Thank you for your help. This will help more than you know.”
“Does that mean you have a lot of mouths to feed?”
“It does.”
“Good then. I hope the Grand Chancellor gets what's coming to him.”
“And what will you do if the Grand Chancellor finds out you've been helping us?”
“You let me worry about that.”
I put my hand out to shake his. “Please stay safe.”
He shakes my hand. “You too.”
After making arrangements to collect more food in the future, we leave. I think we're doing exactly what we need to. More people come too. Even those we think we're going to fight with, instead want to help us like the farmer. The Grand Chancellor has overstepped, and even Chardonian warlocks know it.
Chapter Forty
A thrill hums through me, both anxious and excited, as we ready to attack the next power plant. I’m excited that we are going to be able to help more people, although anxious to see what's to come. The first time was difficult. At least this time I'm more prepared. We all are, plus we brought more help this time.
Though this place is much closer and has more forest around it for us to hide in, it has the same spells fortifying it as the last one. It's probably the setup for all of them, though you think they'd add at least a few more spells after our last attack. Maybe they added guards instead.
The building looks the same with its red brick, no windows, and wires coming out the top, but it's set in a forest this time. A lot more places to hide before running across open terrain.
“Let's see what they've got waiting for us,” Cynthia says.
She leads us through the spells, taking us through faster than last time. When we get to the building, it's the same drill as before. All of us line up against the wall, pulling out the red side of our material Katherine made so we blend in more.
Jack waits until we're all in place, then knocks on the door. No answer. He knocks again. Still no one answers. He knocks a third time.
He looks to me, and I shrug. Does this mean they're waiting for us inside? Ready to jump on us the moment we enter? Or are there no guards?
I scoot across the wall so I'm closer to him but still won't be easily seen since the door opens next to me, and I'm leaning against the wall. I lift my hand, just in case he needs immediate reinforcement. But when he opens the door, nothing happens.
He points at Chadwick and himself, and then inside. Chadwick moves forward, but I shake my head. There's no way they're both going in there alone. I hold my hands out, wrists together like they're cuffed, and then point at myself going in. Chadwick has the gall to huff, but Cynthia jumps right in, spelling both of our wrists to look like they are tied together with a spell, but in reality, it's just a burst of light.
Jack leads us in, Chadwick bringing us in from behind. He may be the strongest warlock present, but there's no telling how he'd be mistaken for a Chardonian. He's over a head taller than I am, and compared to the Chardonians, I'm pretty tall. Still, it's nice to know his skills are with us.
It’s even nicer to know that Jack is leading us. There's something so safe and secure about him. The people he cares about, he cares for deeply. What's more, he's quick on his feet. I know with him guiding us, we're in the best possible hands.
We enter the glaringly bright hall. It's empty. Why aren't there any guards here? Are there no people here to rescue? I can't think why else, and my suspicion only increases as we turn the corner and find the same sickening setup as last time. Even though I saw the sight before, a gasp escapes me.
Several of those locked up look our way. One says, “Don't come in.” But it's too late. As soon as Jack’s foot crosses the line into the room, a mul
titude of spells spring into life. It's a trap.
Reds, blues, blacks, purples all surround us in a dizzying array.
“No one move,” Cynthia says.
Not like I was planning on it. Even an inch in any direction, and I'll hit a spell. Some spells separate us from each other, even.
“Do you know if anyone's here?” Jack calls out toward the woman who first spoke.
“Not now. They'll be coming now that you've sprung their spells, though.”
Chadwick curses.
Cynthia doesn't wait. She's already breaking through the spells between us while Chadwick is working on the ones behind us.
I help Cynthia smash the spells between us and then work towards the people.
“Just leave us,” a woman calls out. “Don't get captured because of us.”
“Speak for yourself,” a man replies. “I want out of here so I can pay the Grand Chancellor back for his treachery.”
That statement alone makes me work faster trying to get to them. That is exactly the sort of person we need on our side.
Behind us, Chadwick yells, “We have to go. Now!”
“We can't,” I yell back, trying not to think about how exhausted I am and how low my magic is running.
“There's too many warlocks coming, and they'll be here before you can break through.”
“But we can't leave them.”
“Just go,” one of them calls out.
“I can't.” I hack away at another spell, a frenzied urgency gripping me.
Jack puts his arms around me, dragging me backward. “We can't save anyone if we get caught ourselves.”
He's right. Oh, so right. But leaving them here like this… “I'll be back for you as soon as I can.”
“Save yourself now, then,” the man calls out. “And hurry back.”
The statement has me turning toward the exit, but not without a pricking in my chest. Jack hurries me toward the exit that Chadwick has already cleared and Cynthia waits at with the others, huddled just inside the door. Everyone is staring out the door. When I peek to see why, my breath leaves in a painful gasp.
Outside, a small army of warlocks waits for us.
Chapter Forty-One
“What do we do now?” I ask.
Theodore gives me a look.
“What? It's not like ignoring them will make them go away.”
“What about the spell you used to escape Stephen before?” Lukas asks Cynthia. “If we could all fly away on a spell, that would work.”
“I'm not strong enough to carry this many people. I barely did it when it was just you and me,” she replies.
“What if we all work together?”
She shakes her head. “I don't think we'll have enough power to get far enough away fast enough.”
“Any other ideas?” Jack asks.
“We need something as a distraction,” I say. “Something big. I think I know just the thing. Firework spells. Only aimed at them instead of at the sky.”
“It could work,” Cynthia says. “We'll have to throw as many as we can, and get out of here as fast as we can, covering our tracks as we go.”
“I can cover our tracks,” Jack says. “It's the one thing I'm good at.”
“Good. You take the rear. The rest of you, on the count of three, send as many firework spells at the army as you can. Put some on delay if possible.” Cynthia crouches as if readying to run, and I do the same. “One. Two. Three.”
I push out the spell as hard and fast as I can, exploding colors in front of them so hopefully they can't see us. And run. I stay toward the back of the group by Jack, ready to defend him if need be. While we run, I throw out more firework spells. The bigger the better, as many as I possibly can. I've never put so much into what I once thought was a frivolous spell before. We run and run, making it to the cover of the trees.
The flashing lights can be seen in glimpses as we go but fade with each footstep. I stay close to Jack as he slows to cover our tracks with a muddy brown spell. It fills them in with dirt from the surrounding areas.
A maroon spell whizzes just over our heads, slamming into a tree behind us, making it explode.
“Faster,” I say.
“I can only go so fast.”
“Let me help.” I cover our tracks just ahead of him with a tan spell that leaves things almost all hidden, but not perfectly. He comes after and wipes the rest away, hiding everything from view.
“Good. Now you move faster,” he says.
I grunt and hurry as quickly as I can, but my power is tired after all those firework spells, and I've always struggled with track-covering spells. My power aches within me, struggling to do the spell. At least it seems to be helping Jack to go faster, which was the point.
The lights are getting further away now. The noise of the army is dimming. We're going to make it out of this trap. We'll make it back home, and hopefully be back here to save these people another day. A day in the near future, I hope.
Suddenly, a bronze spell smacks into Jack’s leg. He lets out a hiss.
“What can I do?” I ask, wondering how bad it is.
“Keep going,” he replies through gritted teeth.
I continue on, but look for the target who hit Jack. Nothing is in sight but trees now, and the group ahead of us we're working to hide the tracks of. Only a few seconds later, another bronze spells spits out, this time coming straight for me. I dive away from it, but not in time. It sizzles against my hand, leaving it burning.
“You all right?” Jack asks, voice still strained.
“As much as you are,” I reply, pain lacing my words.
Cynthia is suddenly at our side, helping us with hiding everyone's tracks. If we could just move fast enough to lose this last hex we'll make it. Between the three of us, the work goes a lot faster. Until I spot another bronze spell coming our way.
“Down,” I call out, but not loud enough to carry.
All three of us dodge to the ground. I pop back up as soon as the spell flies overhead and aim a sleep spell at where the bronze spell came from. The power blue light flashes through the air, hitting the culprit, knocking him to the ground.
“Nice shot,” Cynthia says as she continues covering our tracks.
No one else follows, though the run out is scary. The three of us start the track-hiding spell back up. By the time we have been running for what seems like hours, it finally appears safe enough to stop.
“What happened inside?” Annabelle asks.
“That was a bad trap,” I respond. “We're going to need an entirely different approach. I don't know if we can hit another power plant for a while.”
My heart aches to think of all those we left behind. Those that were in such horrendous circumstances.
“How can we not go back?” Cynthia asks.
“Because we'll just end up right beside them,” I say. “We'll be no use to them there.”
“None of it's acceptable,” Chadwick says.
“Agreed,” Jack replies. “But we won't do anything but get caught if we stand around here talking instead of getting home safe. Let's move.”
And we all listen, getting a move on toward what's become home. But I have a feeling the nightmares I had about the power plants before will be nothing in comparison to what I'll have now. As well I should.
Chapter Forty-Two
I collapse onto my bed, completely worn and unwilling to move again for months. Fine, I'll have to move before then. One does need to use the necessity and eat, but that doesn't mean I have to move any more than that.
More than physically exhausted, I'm emotionally drained. How could we just leave all those people behind? I know it would have been our capture had we not, but it's the worst kind of struggle to get the image of them out of the forefront of my mind. How can one human treat another human so cruel?
“Knock, knock,” a male voice sounds just outside my shared room.
Inwardly, I groan. The last thing I want right now is someone else aro
und. “Come in.”
Jack rounds the corner and leans against the archway leading into my room but doesn't say anything. My heartbeat quickens. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I was just wondering if…”
I sit up. “Yes?”
“If you would like to talk. About what just happened.”
The ache deep within me grows heavier, like a rock pile that just keeps having more and more rocks added to it. It's something I want to ignore and never think on again. But something about his manner, his presence leaves me wanting to speak despite myself. “Why don't you come in? Have a seat. Cynthia won't mind if you borrow her bed. I'm sorry we don't have any chairs.”
“We don't have much of anything in here.” He moves to the very end of Cynthia's bed, the end closest to me, and sits on the edge. I expect him to say something more, but he doesn't. He just waits.
“I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for leaving them behind,” is what finally comes out of my mouth.
Even though he's already on the edge of the bed, he scoots closer. “We didn't have a choice.”
“I know that. I do. But they don't have a choice either. They're chained to a machine that sucks their magic from them even as they make it. It's horrifying, and we left them there. I just left them there.”
“Because I dragged you away.”
“You had to. Otherwise I wouldn't have left.”
“Which means if anyone is at fault, it's me.”
I scoot to the end of my bed, closer to him. “You saved my life.”
“So you can try to save theirs again someday. Hopefully soon.”
“You're right.” But still I feel deflated. “We just don't have enough people or magic behind us to defeat the Grand Chancellor and his men.”
“Don't you dare give up now.”
I flop back down on my bed. “But how can we not? This was a hopeless task before it even started.”
“You don't really mean that.”
“But I do. If I and the other Sanos hadn't interfered with Chardonia, things wouldn't be this bad.”