by Evie Wilde
“It’s with your physical body,” Kyler said. “The wands didn’t make it through.” He walked to one of the buildings and placed his hand on the side. “It’s real. Feels like concrete.”
A loud screech boomed from the center of the city, and the ground shook.
“What the fuck was that?” Dash asked.
“I don’t know,” Oliver said, “but I think it’s heading this way.”
“Take up defensive position,” Dash said.
“No,” Kyler replied. “We head for the city center. There’s something waiting for us.”
“That’s why we shouldn’t go,” Oliver said.
I stared at Kyler. “He’s right,” I said. “Let’s see what’s calling us out.”
We headed around the first group of buildings, skyscrapers with broken windows and missing bricks. Something watched us from one of the windows, but I wasn’t about to stop.
“Ouch,” Oliver said and raised his hand, showing us the red spot.
“The fuck,” Dash said and stabbed a finger at his face, coming away with blood.
“It’s raining.” Oliver pulled out his computer and held it toward the sky. From where I was standing, I could see the screen flutter. Oliver relied on that thing for everything, and it had finally failed him.
“Acid rain,” Kyler said. He locked his knees and raised his hands, casting a glass spell above us. “This world is going to throw things at us. We need to be ready. Come on.” He led us forward, the glass shield protecting us.
“We’re in the crystal around the man’s neck,” I said.
We walked for several minutes before anyone spoke a word, each of us choosing to gaze at the devastated city. Nothing moved and the silence was deadly, so quiet I could hear my own heart beating. As vast as the place seemed to be it was hard to believe we were trapped inside a crystal. That was when I decided the crystal was just a transport to where ever the wearer decided to send his victims. I also doubted we were in his mind. No, the reality we were in took years to build and then destroyed with thousands of souls lost.
The place hurt my heart, bringing back the sadness of losing my parents, of losing my guild, and Guildmaster Ren. Everything that I’d packed away in my mind to be forgotten because of the pain began to weigh on me. Then I realized that was the intent. Instill hopelessness. Maybe we would go away or give in or, worse—join Edius’ chaos.
“You okay?” Oliver asked. His face appeared old and troubled. The easygoing computer nerd no longer apparent.
“You’re feeling it too?” I asked.
“The weight of the world,” Oliver said. “Like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”
“You gotta push it away,” Kyler said. “Otherwise it’ll consume you. You’ll never be able to leave.”
Dash stopped, and we almost knocked him over. “The fuck is that?”
“We need to get to the city center, fast,” Kyler said.
But we stood and watched the ghastly forms coming toward us, the faces unrecognizable. They were human but dead. One of the things raised its arm, and the arm tore away. Another reappeared.
“Move!” Kyler said.
The rain stopped as we moved deeper into the city, each of us looking back over our shoulders, the creatures still coming but lagging further behind.
The gloom and anxiety and depression continued, growing stronger the deeper into the city we moved. It made me not want to continue. I wanted to stop. I wanted everything around me to end.
“Keep it out of you head,” Kyler said to us. “We’re almost there.”
I looked back again, and the things were closer. “We need a spell,” I said.
“Spells don’t work on ghosts,” Kyler said. “We keep moving.”
“Wait, how do you know all this shit?” I asked.
“It’s a real place,” Oliver said, his computer in his hand. He held it out, scanning the surroundings. The screen looked like it was finally working properly. “But none of the plants or even the soil come up on my computer. It’s like we’re stuck in two different worlds at the same time.”
“Kyler,” I said again. “Tell us what’s going on.” We stopped, and the ghosts behind us stopped. I looked at Kyler. “Well?”
“Years ago, I saw something similar, the same type of devastation. It had been caused by Edius. One of the first places I lived. Same place I met Sonny.” He looked away, a memory obviously hurting him. Despite all we had been through, and our numerous talks, there were still things he kept locked inside. “I managed to get away as did most shape shifters. When you can become things to disguise yourself it’s much easier to survive.” He shook his head. “I went back to that city months later.” He motioned at the ghosts. “I saw people just like those following us. I saw their souls. Of the ones Edius had murdered.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Yeah, so I know all about Edius and what he can do. I know what he’s done to cities and guilds and academies, and no one seems to be able to stop him. It won’t be long until the entire world looks like this place.”
“What’s stopping him?” Dash asked. “Why not just wipe out the world one country at a time?”
“Because he’s scared,” Kyler said. He looked at each of us. “There’re people out there like Cassandra. Up and comers who were born to challenge him and his power.”
“I don’t have the power to defeat him,” I said and shrugged.
“Not yet,” Kyler said. “But you will. You’re close. Edius is also blinded by greed. He wants to understand why you have that power inside you. He wants it. Thinks it will carry over to whatever place, here or somewhere else in time and space, and he’ll be able to conquer those worlds as well.”
“Then we need to stop him,” Oliver said. He shoved his computer into his back pocket.
“But why bring us here?” Dash asked. He glanced at the ghosts that were watching us.
“I think there’s someone else here,” Kyler said. “And I think we’ll find him at the town center. When I returned to the town center after Edius attacked our city, I found survivors. I think we’ll find something there.”
“Who was there?” I asked. “In city center?”
“Who do you think?”
“Sonny,” Oliver said.
“Fucking right,” Kyler said and started moving again. We followed, but Dash and I fell back a bit. I explained to Dash all we had learned about Kyler and Sonny’s issues. But I wasn’t ready to place blame on Sonny for anything, though, I wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.
“Spiders,” I said when we started between two buildings, the large creatures separating us from the city center on the other side.
The spiders, a dozen of the assholes, crept forward, their bodies a variety of oranges, yellows, and purples. One of the smaller creatures spun a web in our direction, and Oliver blocked it with a protection spell. Kyler and Dash moved in front of me. Kyler laid his hands on the paved road and then raised a slab with his hands. He tossed the slab at the spiders, and it crushed three of the bloodsuckers. Two of the damned things ran up the buildings on either side of the street and went airborne, Dash turning each into a flaming fireball.
I glanced back to see if the ghosts were following. They were not.
“That was my fault,” Oliver said.
“What’re you talking about, brainiac?” Dash asked.
“Before we entered the alley I was thinking about weird species of spiders that might be here,” Oliver said.
I shook my head. “Please don’t think about snakes.”
We entered the city center and stopped as something approached from the opposite direction. The guys moved in front of me, but my eyesight was much better than theirs. I stepped between Oliver and Dash. “Braeden.”
“Wait,” Kyler said and grabbed my arm. “Remember the last time we thought it was Braeden.”
“I know it’s him,” I said and broke free. I ran to Braeden and threw my arms open to hug him.
I stumbled to the ground and looked back at Braeden, his face sad and hurt.
“I’m sorry, Cass,” Braeden said but made no effort to help me up.
“It’s you?” I asked and stood.
“Yes, it is,” Braeden said.
I tried to grab his arm, but my hand passed through as if he weren’t even there. “What’s going on?”
He shook his head. “I’m not really sure,” Braeden said. “I mean, I could hear you guys talking to me, and I tried to respond. But it’s like I’m just walking around in limbo not sure what to do next.”
“Where are we?” Dash asked, and Braeden shrugged.
“Do you know how can we help you?” I asked.
“He doesn’t.”
We turned to find the nurse from the infirmary standing with Edius. The two men wore evil grins, the sort I’d never seen before. Their eyes were dark and greedy.
“Now that we’re all here,” Edius began. “I wanted to personally thank you for walking into our trap. Sometimes you people make things much too easy.” He put his hand on the nurse’s shoulder. The man nodded. “My friend here will have to do my bidding as I'm late for another appointment.” He made the man turn and look him in the eyes. “You remember our agreement?”
“I do, master,” the man said.
“Then I’ll leave you to it,” Edius said and disappeared.
I raised my hand to cast a hex, but he pulled a doll from beneath his robe, removing a pin from his other pocket.
“It’s Kyler,” Oliver said. He looked at Kyler. “What is it?”
“Voodoo doll,” Kyler said. “Of me. It’s a favorite trick of a witch doctor.”
“I gave you a chance,” the man said. “And I told you, you would regret rejecting me.”
“Wait,” I said. “It’s me you want.”
“No, Cass,” Kyler said.
“You poisoned all those people because of me,” I said. “It’s time to make this right.”
“That’s the thing,” Dash said. “No matter what we do, no matter who we give up, it’s never going to be right until Edius is dead.” He pointed at the man. “We take him out.”
“You have no idea what or who you’re dealing with, young man.” He shifted the voodoo doll to his other hand and whispered something we couldn’t hear.
The shapeshifting was purposely slow, and when it was finished every muscle in my body gave out, and I dropped to my knees.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Braeden said and charged Guildmaster Ren, passing right through him, forgetting he was nothing more than a ghost.
Kyler darted forward and Guildmaster Ren jammed the pin into the doll’s knee. Kyler went down hard and in pain, writhing on the ground.
The fireballs were fierce and meant to kill, Dash’s anger in each of the tightly wound spheres. Guildmaster Ren blocked them easily, sending them slamming into one of the buildings.
Oliver wasted no time in following up Dash’s attack, draining the clouds above of moisture, the tidal wave slamming against Guildmaster Ren. When the water cleared, Guildmaster Ren stood in the same spot, laughing.
“Child’s play,” Guildmaster Ren said. “None of you are ready for this.” He tossed the doll to the ground. “Now listen up. The five of you belong to us, you just haven’t realized it yet.”
Spiders. Big, ugly, and colorful. A dozen.
“What are you doing?” Oliver whispered. And as he did, the six spiders appeared behind Guildmaster.
Dash and Kyler moved next to Oliver and I.
“That’s better,” Guildmaster said.
The first web caused Guildmaster to turn toward the attackers who saw it as an aggression. The other spiders joined in the fun.
“There’s gotta be a rift. Is this reality?” Oliver said and grabbed my hand, quickly leading me away from the city center.
I looked back at Dash who was approaching Guildmaster. “No, help Kyler,” I said. Dash shook his head. “Do it!”
The five of us, including Braeden, left the city center, Oliver babbling about finding a tear in the reality we’d been brought to. He pulled his computer from his back pocket and scanned the area as we walked.
“Damn thing isn’t working right,” Oliver said. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“It’s the vibes from this shithole,” Kyler said. “It’s fucking with us.”
“There’s no way out,” Dash said. “We need to set things right with Guildmaster Ren. He’s a traitor, and he'll know how we find Edius.”
“Not yet,” I said. “We’re still missing something.”
Braeden moved next to me. “I think I know a way out,” he said. “Come on.”
We followed Braeden through the city and came to a halt.
“What the fuck?” Dash said.
“I found it yesterday. I think it leads to the outside.”
“Then why didn’t you leave?” I asked
“Because I’m a ghost,” he said. “But I think you guys can leave.”
“We’re not going anywhere without you,” I said.
Braeden moved in front of me and tried to put his hands on my shoulders. “I can’t leave. But the four of you can, and you can figure this out. It takes a team, remember?” He moved his lips to mine and although I felt nothing of his lips touching me, I did feel his energy.
“What’re we supposed to do without you?” I asked.
“Go see Sonny. He’ll know what to do. This witch doctor shit is part of who he is.” Braeden turned to the guys. “If he doesn’t want to help, you make him help.”
“Stop!”
“Shit,” Oliver said. “It’s that Guildmaster asshole.”
“You need to clean up your language,” Kyler said.
“Go!” Braeden turned away and started toward Guildmaster Ren.
I looked on the other side of the door that stood by itself. “Open it.”
Dash pushed the door open, but from my side I still saw a closed door.
“This ought to be fun,” I said, and the four of us passed through the doorway.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Braeden
I followed Guildmaster Ren back to the city center, glancing back occasionally to make sure the others really had escaped, hoping they wouldn’t do something stupid before I figured a way out. The door was not there by accident which made me question Guildmaster’s allegiance to Edius. Maybe the ties weren’t as strong as Edius thought they were. He couldn’t possibly manage to keep tabs on everyone.
I wasn’t quite sure why I couldn’t pass through the door, possibly because my soul had been sucked from my body, or it could have been a special hex he’d put on me and not the others. Like Cassandra, Guildmaster’s betrayal had eaten away at my core. We’d trusted the man with our lives. He'd helped hone our powers and, finally, he’d become a father figure to me. But we couldn’t let him walk away from all he’d done.
“When we thought you’d been killed with all the others, we were in pain,” I said. “We wanted to hunt down Edius and end his life.” I chuckled. “And yet here you are. And a witch doctor no less. What’s he got on you?”
“Don’t be so naïve, Braeden. The world doesn’t run on trust or loyalty or anything else commendable.” He put his hand on my shoulder as if again trying to be my father. “Believe me, I didn’t want to betray you, Cass or the guild. But shortly after I sent the two of you off to the academy, Edius appeared at the guild. I let him in. All he wanted to do was talk. Then things changed.”
“You’re unbelievable, Ren,” I said. Calling him a Guildmaster would have been a disgrace to the Guildmaster profession. He deserved no respect. If I had the power, I would have taken out the alternate reality.
“Hear the rest of it,” he said. “They offered me money, a lot of money, but I refused. I’m loyal to my friends.” He stopped walking. “Edius left that day, and I thought it was over, though I could tell by his demeanor he was angered. A week later, he and some of his henchmen showed up at the guild late one night. They
blocked the doors from the outside.” He rubbed his eyes and looked at me. “The screams. I can still hear them. He set fire to the place.”
“The reason you should have killed him instead of joining him,” I said. “You had a choice, and you made the wrong one. Now we have to clean up your mistake. Not really how the teacher-student relationship should go.”
“A few escaped, including myself.” He looked at me with an expectation in his eyes like I was supposed to know any of what he was saying.
“We were told nobody made it out alive.”
Ren continued back to the city center, and I stayed next to him, my choices few as far as I knew. I was as fucking powerless as I'd ever been. I wanted to take a swing at him just to make myself feel better. But Cassandra had told us not to be like them.
“Who survived besides you?” I asked. Ren rubbed his chin, and I smiled. “You’re kidding me?”
Ren shook his head. “The troublemakers you guys hung out with.”
“Finally, some good news,” I said.
“Braeden, I never wanted to work for Edius, but I saw no other way around it. I really do want to help all of you. I just have to figure out how to do that. If Edius even finds out I’m talking to you like this he’ll finish me off. I don’t want that. ”
We took a seat on the demolished fountain in the center of the city. “There’s no way Cass is ever going to trust you again, Ren. She believes in second chances if they’re deserved.” I shook my head. “And remember, you kind of have me captured at the moment. And since you know how close Cassandra and I are, you’re kinda on her shit list at the moment.”
Ren nodded. “The problem is putting your soul back into your body. Taking it out is much easier than putting it back in.”
“That’s great,” I said. “If I can’t go back, how am I supposed to help Cass and the others?” I stood and paced around the fountain. “Damn it, you really screwed us over.” I stopped, my hands on my hips, studying the city. “There’s got to be a way out of here.”
“Astral projection,” Ren said, mindlessly reaching for a solution.
I shook my head. “Yeah, if I were currently inside my body. I’ve been gone too long.” I picked up a rock and threw it through a window across the street. “I can throw a rock, but I can’t knock you on your ass?”