by c a king
During her revelation the two had passed, leaving the corridor empty once again. It was safe to make a move. She sneaked into the cafeteria, pinpointing on the map exactly where she planned to head first. There was no stopping a confrontation between herself and her brothers. It was a strategic move to tie them up, allowing her teammates a bit of extra freedom to roam right off the bat. She was the one everybody was gunning for, after all.
Slinking through the rest of the building to make her way outside without being noticed was easy. She licked a finger, holding it up. There was no breeze. Using one hand as a visor, she glanced up. There were no clouds overhead. Off to the distance was a different story. Somewhere out there people were fighting.
One hell of a game awaited her move. The first step to winning lay in the realization the match had already begun.
Chapter Twenty
Empty! Every last seat was vacant. There were no dirty dishes, or clean ones for that matter. It was as if breakfast had never happened.
“Here.” Cali tossed and apple through the air. “That should tide you over for a few minutes. We have work to do.
The crunch came first, followed by a wet slurp. “Makayla’s already gone. I guess she didn’t pair up. Frankie, too.” Thomas took another bite. “Don’t worry. I’ve already got the well treasure hidden. Everything is under control.”
“Show me,” Cali demanded. “I’m part of this team, too.
“How do I know you aren’t a body double, or possessed by another academy?” Thomas asked, turning to face her.
“Don’t make me hit you,” Cali barked. “Just go.”
“Fine,” Thomas huffed. “Just so you know, we have forty-eight hours to stand around watching the treasure. This could be the last bit of fun we have.”
Castle protection duty sounded like a good idea when it was first suggested, but it was, in fact, quite dull. Cali sighed, following her teammate down the hall and up a set of stairs.
“Here were are.” Thomas motioned around with flailing arms before settling into a pattern of pacing back and forth in the same corridor, over and over. As if that wasn’t obvious enough, he’d taped off the entire area he’d hid the treasure in with Do Not Enter tape. As much as she adored his antics, this strategy was bound to be a game killer.
“Maybe we should tape a few other areas off, too,” Cali suggested. “You know... to keep them guessing.”
“I know you are trying to help, but the master is in the castle,” Thomas said, adding a funky step to his pacing. “I am using psychology. No one is going to want to barge into a place that has signs telling them not to.”
Cali was the definition of cute as a button. Small things were always the most adorable, after all, and she was by far the tiniest girl on campus. “I was hoping we could make things a bit more exciting.” Her bottom lip jutted out, forming the perfect pout. “You did such an amazing job on this area. Couldn’t you decorate one or two other spots?”
“It’s a waste of energy,” Thomas complained. “We should wait until the beginning of the games is actually announced.”
Cali’s long brown curls were tied up in what would be a messy do for most—a few strands escaping to frame her face with perfection. “Pretty please.” Long lashes fluttered, her big brown eyes holding more curiosity in them than any cat. “It would make me feel so much better.”
“Fine,” Thomas huffed. “Lead the way.” He bowed at the waist. “Your wish is my command.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” a short blonde girl yelled.
“I know you,” Cali blurted out. “You were the one in town with that guy.” She snapped her fingers. “What’s his name?”
“It’s Nami,” he answered, slinking out of a shadow. “Where’s your pal? I’ve been looking forward to meeting her again.”
“This is cheating,” Thomas complained. “No one said we were starting.” He motioned with his hand. “Shoo... until it starts.”
“Um, Thomas,” Cali said, leaning into him. “I think the games have started.” She flashed a fake smile in the direction of her opponents. “Makayla’s already set off. She was heading to her brothers’ academy.”
Nami bowed his head sightly. “Much obliged.”
“Wait!” his partner ordered. “We don’t have their treasure yet. That’s the point to these games, remember?”
“Silly, Lila,” Nami chuckled. “I can’t win if I don’t beat Tye. There will be plenty of time after for treasure hunting. You’re free to go ahead and collect this one, if you like.” With a swoosh he was gone.
Lila nodded, licking her lips. “No problem. I got this. Stupid grave diggers, I can take on five or six of you at once.” She pulled out a lengthy stick. “Do you know what this is? Huh?”
“A wand,” Cali said, brow arched. “It’s very pretty.”
“Don’t mock me!” Lila yelled. “Face the facts; you can’t possibly beat me. I’m better than you two in every way. My magic is stronger. My talent is greater. Even my looks are cuter.” She tossed a few blonde curls behind her back. “Hand over the treasure.”
“I think that’s a matter of perspective,” Cali snapped, “right, Thomas?” She side-eyed her partner. “Thomas?”
“I put it in there.” Thomas pointed at the door covered in caution tape.
“Thomas!” Cali shrieked. “What are you doing? We are supposed to protect the treasure not offer it up on a silver platter.”
“If you have a better idea, let me know.” Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “The truth is in a magical battle we are at a loss. We haven’t learned duelling or power control. There’s nothing we can do but tell the truth.”
“Someone understands the pecking order,” Lila chuckled. “Open it. I’m not falling for any traps.” She waved her wand, ushering him along.
“Yeah,” Thomas sighed. “We haven’t learned any trap magic, either. I haven’t even mastered having a helper.”
“Want some advice?” Lila asked, not wanting an answer. “They are a waste of time. We don’t even bother with them. Spells are all we need.”
“Really?” The door creaked open. “Here you go. I didn’t even bother to hide it... just left it on the chair.”
“In,” Lila ordered both of them, following to the chair. “Is that a squirrel?”
Juliet sat on her throne, whiskers twitching. Beady eyes watched the trio cross the floor. The walnut held between tiny hands immediately disappeared into her mouth, puffing out one cheek.
“Ah!” Lila screamed as Juliet rushed between her legs, racing for the still open doorway. “You need pest control.” She regained her composure. “Where is it then?”
Thomas sat on the chair. “This is the part where you use a spell to make me tell the truth. Go on.”
“What?!” Cali shrieked.
“It’s okay,” Thomas said. “I got this.”
“All right.” Lila rolled up her sleeve. The wand pointed at his face. A blast of light appeared. “Truth or dare?”
“Huh?!” Cali exclaimed.
“It’s the only spell for telling the truth I know,” Lila sighed. “Even if it is a party game, it still forces the player to speak honestly.”
“What if he chooses dare?” Cali scowled.
“Then I’ll make him strip and run around saying my academy is the best or something.” Lila shrugged.
“Truth,” Thomas said. “I’m not in the mood to run, thanks.”
“That’s the part you are complaining about?” Cali slapped her forehead. “You’re mind is warped.”
“Enough!” Lila bellowed. “Where’s the treasure?”
“I don’t know,” Thomas answered.
“Why not?” Lila complained. “You said you left it in here without even hiding it. Was that a lie?”
“No,” Thomas answered. “I left it right here on this chair. It’s gone. I guess it was taken.”
“By who?” Lila asked. “Did someone get to it before me?”
“Nope.” Thomas grin
ned.
“Then...” Lila glanced back at the door. “It was the squirrel.”
“No way!” Cali snickered. “Juliet for the win! How did you get her to do that? I didn’t think she was trained that well.”
“Better question,” Lila blurted out, “why is his friend and partner more surprised than I am?”
“Juliet loves two things: nuts and games, provided the rules are simple,” Thomas explained. “I combined the two, offering her a prize of ten pounds of walnuts if she could keep the treasure in her possession for forty-eight hours, while remaining in this building. Not even I am allowed to touch it.”
“That’s pretty smart.” Cali shrugged.
“Again, why are you more surprised than me?” Lila’s brow wrinkled. “Regardless, now that I know who has it, I’ll simply search every room.”
Thomas handed her a pamphlet. “It’s all about this castle. There is a map and everything. There are two hundred and seventy-four rooms in all. Knock yourself out. Juliet could be in any of them and she won’t stay put for long. She’s not going to show herself again until it’s time to be declared winner. If I were you, I’d work on getting treasure from other castles instead of wasting your whole time here.”
“Ha!” Cali chuckled. “That’s actually brilliant.”
“And she’s surprised again,” Lila mused. “I could turn you both into toads, you know.”
“You could,” Thomas agreed. “But it wouldn’t help any. Besides if any one was watching...” he glanced around the room, “...and I’m sure they are, it wouldn’t look good using your strong gifts out of spite against two lowly grave diggers.”
Lila held out her hand. “You’re not bad.”
Thomas stood, accepting her offer to shake. “I try. It’s been a lot of fun. Let’s do it again one day.”
“You’re on,” Lila replied. “Lose the dead weight next time.” She fired off a wink. “We can make it a date.” In a swoosh she was gone.
“Dead Weight?!” Cali complained.
Thomas’ face flushed red, heat seeping through every pore. “Ha-ha.” He rubbed the back of his head.
“Don’t tell me you fell for that,” Cali complained, her arm thrusting to the side. “She’s the enemy.”
“Ow!” Thomas keeled over, holding his midsection. “What was that for?”
“Being oblivious.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Frankie swatted a mosquito. She’d doused herself in repellent before leaving her room, but apparently this variety required a jungle strength formula. They might even have been enhanced magically. At least she finally understood the name of the most prestigious academy. Marsh Academy for the Gifted was entirely surrounded by smelly swampland.
A little itching wasn’t going to stop her, though. She peeked over the bush at a clear path to the front doors. A bubble popped, gum churning in her mouth. It was easy, too easy. There was bound to be some sort of a trap. A school didn’t earn the title of finest without having awe-inspiring students.
Frankie shook her head, thinking back to her own academy. Why hadn’t she thought of traps when they were discussing their own strategy? It only came to mind when considering what another school would do. That was her own downfall—thinking everyone was better because of society’s standards. Her own parents had been fighting that stigma for as long as she remembered, unable to pull themselves from under the thumbs of haters. She’d swore to herself that wasn’t going to happen anymore. She was going to bust the system.
“Now or never,” Frankie muttered under her breath. She dashed across the own well-kept part of the campus, a small lawn leading up to the main building.
“Ah-ha! I got ya.” Tye sprayed a water gun directly in her face. “What do you say now little... oh. You aren’t my sis.”
“No,” Frankie huffed, wiping drips from her face. “Is that really your defence? Aren’t you taking this seriously?”
“To be fair,” Caz said, leaning against a pillar behind them, “we were expecting someone else. No one usually comes after this academy first. We won’t get busy until afternoon.”
“So that means Makayla hasn’t made it here, yet,” Frankie chuckled. “I guess I beat her to the punch.”
“Hmm. You know Makayla?” Tye said, tossing aside the water gun. “You must be one of her grave digger pals.”
“Coming to her aid, were you?” Caz mused.
“You have it all wrong.” Frankie blew a pink bubble. “I checked which location she was headed toward before setting out. I’ve come to take that treasure of yours before she does.”
“Ha-ha.” Tye rubbed his hands together. “Who knew this would happen? I mean Makayla is one thing. She wasn’t going to let an outright challenge from her older brothers slip. Her personality isn’t that forgiving. But to think her reaction actually spurred on a fellow classmate...”
“Stop talking and hand it over!” Frankie demanded. “I’m sure she’s hot on my heels, so I need to make short work of this.”
Caz stepped forward to join his brother. “You don’t honestly think we are going to give you our treasure just like that, do you?”
“I’m pretty sure you are,” Frankie snickered.
“You don’t seem to realize you are the one at the disadvantage,” Caz said, cracking his knuckles. “There are two of us and the magic we are taught trumps anything you learn at Grave Digger Academy.”
“When you put it like that, it’s hard to argue,” Frankie admitted. “Really the difference between our class plan is philosophy, though. Your magic is taught by the book... handed on a silver platter in just about every form there is. Our instructors prefer a hands-off approach. They believe the magic we use needs to be discovered by the user.”
“I don’t get it,” Tye blurted out.
“You can lead a horse to water...” Frankie started.
“But that doesn’t mean it will drink,” Caz huffed. “Yeah, we get it.” He glanced at his brother to agree. “But we aren’t horses.”
“Close enough.” Frankie spat her gum on the grass.
“Yuck!” Tye’s face soured. “That’s really gross. There are garbage bins, you know.” He pointed to a pail behind him.
“It’s not the real world,” Frankie said, stepping closer. One arm raised in the air. Clouds swirled overhead, grumbling. Fork lightning struck the tips of her fingers, illuminating every bone in her body. Even after the bolt disappeared, electricity sparked in various places on her body. “By learning to find our strengths, the magic we do possess is far greater than yours. I’ll ask again: please hand over the treasure.”
“Not a chance...” Tye flew through the air, landing four feet away on his back, clothes smoking. “Ow!” His hair spiked with residual electricity.
“Hey!” Caz complained.
“His heart won’t take another blast,” Frankie said, wiggling her fingers. “I’m not even using full power.” She opened one palm, extending her arm. “Of course, if you don’t believe me...”
Caz waved his hands. “I’ll give it to you,” he replied. A green gem appeared, floating through the air to within her reach.
“Thank you,” Frankie said, pulling out a stick of gum wrapped in silver paper. “Sorry about... well... that.”
“I get it.” Caz lifted his barely conscious brother’s head. “You attract electrical currents. That gum must stop the process.”
Frankie chuckled. “You’re the first one to ever figure that out. Say hi to the sis. She should be arriving anytime soon.” She disappeared into the bush.
“Aha!” Nami jumped out in front of them. “Don’t tell me I’m too late.” He stood over Tye’s body. “That sister of yours packs quite the punch.”
“It wasn’t Makayla,” Caz scoffed.
“Someone else managed to dethrone the deadly duo?” Nami chuckled. “Which way did he go? I want a piece of him.”
“She just left,” Caz answered, “presumably to head back to Grave Digger Academy with our treasure.”
“That’s a buzz kill, dude,” Nami sighed. “Losing your treasure this early and to that academy. I’d be ashamed to show my face.”
“I think I’m in love,” Tye mumbled, passing out with a smile plastered to his face.
“This girl must be something,” Nami said. “Maybe I should check her out. What’s her name?”
“Frankie,” Caz replied, “And she’s electrifying. Better be careful you don’t get zapped.”
“Speaking of being punched. I wonder what happened to your sister,” Nami blurted out. “I was planning on showing her my manly side. Wouldn’t it bother Tye if I ended up his brother-in-law? Ha-ha!”
“We weren’t speaking of punches before,” Caz stood up, his fist connecting directly in Nami’s midsection. “Stay away from my sister.” He glanced up at the sky. “I do wonder where she got to, though.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Makayla amended her previous thoughts: Falling while experiencing vertigo was the worst possible feeling a person could have. The ground came fast, her body battered by its hardness. She rolled a few times, tucking in her knees to stop in an on all fours position. It was just in time. A mouthful of bile landed on what little grass existed. One sleeve became a napkin, wiping the remnants from her face. She glanced around. It was a cemetery, but not the right one.
“Damn.” Makayla did a three-sixty, disappointment weighting down her lips. All her efforts memorizing had been for naught. She’d pictured the exact cemetery she wanted to visit and this wasn’t it. The thought of messing up hadn’t once crossed her mind. Maybe it should have.
It was rather late to realize it, but there were rather large holes in her plans. First, she was in the same cemetery closest to her own academy. Second, the plot of land she’d arrived at was the farthest possible spot away from the marshland she was aiming for. Third, there were no other academies nearby other than the abandoned Necromancer Academy. Her head turned slightly. A light was flickering in a tower window—candles or maybe a fire—either way, someone was inside.