by Kaitlyn Hoyt
“Took her where?” This can’t be good. Last time I heard, Dravin was treating Ryanne decently…as decent as a prisoner could be kept, but I knew that wouldn’t stay that way for long.
“I don’t know for sure. Adam and I were trying to get Ryanne to eat something, because she hasn’t eaten in days, but she refused. She started feeling everyone’s emotions again, so she was trying to stay away from us, but she ended up passing out from the pain. Dravin came into the room and said that he needed Ryanne to come with him. He grabbed her and pulled her into the hallway. Adam left the cell at the same time.
“I could hear Dravin yelling at her. I couldn’t make out what he was saying specifically, but Adam hid behind the corner and listened. He wants Ryanne to fight for the Gadramicks—to be their secret weapon. Well, being Ryanne, she insulted him, which he didn’t like.
“He forcefully dragged her down the hallway. Adam followed them from a safe distance until Dravin disappeared behind an old wooden door. He tried to go further, but the door was locked,” Liam pauses and looks straight at me. “Colton, he took her to Zahtri.”
“Are you positive?”
“Where would you hide a powerful mage that no one has ever seen before? It’s not easy to hide someone in a compound full of Gadramicks. People would find out. There’s no other possible scenario. This is Dravin we’re talking about. They’re finally putting their plan into motion.”
“Shit,” I grab the back of my neck and look around. Ryanne has been in a cell like this for far too long. This needs to end. “I’ll talk with Tom and Colin. If she’s with Zahtri, she’s in danger.”
“Ryanne’s powerful, but she won’t use her magic to protect herself and you know that. She doesn’t think there’s a way out of this for her. She’s in a lot of danger. Way more than we know.”
I blink and I’m back in the woods behind the hotel. Everyone is huddled around me. “Colton, are you okay?” Tom asks as he puts a hand out. I grab it and stand up.
“No, we need to go now.”
“Where?”
“To Dravin’s compound. Ryanne’s in danger. Liam pulled me into a dream; that’s how serious it is. Dravin took her to Zahtri.”
Larkin and Kyril cuss and push through everyone. “He took her to Zahtri?”
I nod. “Apparently. Adam followed Dravin and Ryanne to an old wooden door. He couldn’t go any farther because the door was locked.”
“I’ve been back there before. I’ve never seen Zahtri, but I could feel a difference in the air down there. It felt electric. I couldn’t sense his magic specifically, but I knew that there was something there. Something powerful. Dravin never lets anyone down there. I’m probably one of two people who have ever been on the other side of that door. If he took Ryanne down there, he’s very serious,” Larkin says.
We can’t afford to wait until tomorrow. Who we have now will have to do. Ryanne and Liam’s life depend on it. It’s now or never. Tom’s eyes move from me as he looks at all the people around us. They’re all nodding; they understand the direness of this situation.
“Okay, tonight. Tonight, we’ll go and rescue them. I’ll go get everyone together. You all get ready. We’ll head out in an hour.”
“This is it,” Natalie says as she walks over to me. “We’re finally going to end this.”
“I just hope we’re not too late.”
*****
“I see my reputation precedes me,” Zahtri says as he steps forward.
I take a deep breath. My heart is pounding a mile a minute and my palms feel very clammy. I really want to turn around and bang on the old wooden door, screaming for help, but I know that no one will come. I’m all alone.
With Zahtri.
My body really wants to step back, but I remain still as Zahtri steps toward me. I know he can sense my fear, just like I can sense his amusement. He’s basically laughing at me right now, but I need to remain as calm as possible. Anything else could get me killed.
“You don’t talk much,” he says as he circles around me. I cringe when he trails his hand lightly across my shoulder. “That’s fine. It’s probably better that way.” Pretty face. Nice body. Lots of magic. She’ll definitely do.
“What do you want?” I hesitantly ask him.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, darling.” Why is everyone always calling me darling? “Because it suits you.”
“You can read my mind,” I state. It’s not a question. I know he’s powerful, so it shouldn’t surprise me he has that ability too.
“Oh, I’m more powerful than even you can imagine.” He stops in front of me. “You have a lot of magic in you too. I can understand why the Gadramicks have been having a difficult time with you, but you don’t have enough. You don’t stand a chance against me.”
“The Gadramicks? It sounds like you’re not a part of them.”
He takes a step forward and grabs the end of my hair. I bite my lip to keep from saying anything, but now that I know that he can read my thoughts, the idea seems pointless. “I’m not, darling. They’re weak. All of them. Those of us with power aren’t meant to work amongst others. We’re meant to rule over them.”
“We’re not meant to rule over anyone, Zahtri.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong.” I grab my hair and pull it away from him. He easily lets it go. His amusement crashes into me. I don’t want to be amusing. I need to change my approach here.
“That won’t work.”
“Stop reading my mind!” I yell at him. Yelling at this man probably isn’t a good idea, but I can’t help it. All the anger in this compound is starting to affect me.
“You’re able to read my mind. If you wouldn’t suppress your magic as much, you’d be much stronger. I know that you recently started unleashing more and more magic, but it’s still not enough. I’ve seen your blood results. You’re magic is embedded in your blood. Only you can release it.”
“I’ve already done that.”
“You didn’t release it all. You have to dig deeper than that. Break down those barriers you’ve erected. You’re a vessel for magic, but you’re too afraid to use it—to harness it. That’s your weakness. If you embraced your magic, you’d be able to stand up to me instead of cowering in front of me.”
“Cowering in front of you? I’ve been stuck in this compound for days. I couldn’t leave my cell for fear of being attacked. I had to have a body guard walk me to the bathroom. I’ve been bombarded with everyone’s emotions. Do you know what that’s like? To have hundreds of people’s anger and hatred move through your body? How would you react to that?”
“I didn’t say you weren’t strong. I can see the strength in you. I’m just saying you’re not strong enough.”
I narrow my eyes and look up at him. A little on the short side though.
“Why are you judging me?” I place my hands on my hips and glare at him. “What are you planning?”
Ahh, Dravin mentioned that she was smart. Zahtri takes another step toward me. My eyes flicker around the room. The only thing that could be used as a weapon is a stinking candle. “You won’t find anything in here. I don’t believe in using weapons.”
Neither do I. It’s easier to use magic.
“See, we do have something in common,” Zahtri says. “I like you, Ryanne, so this can go one of two ways. Tonight, is going to be my big unveiling. It’s time to step into the spotlight.” He stops in front of me and smiles. “Now, the first scenario is that you come with me and stand by my side. We can work together and be unstoppable. No one would dare to go against us. You won’t like the second one as much.”
“I don’t like the first one.”
“Then, you’ll hate this one. The other one is that I bring you in front of all the Gadramicks and kill you. Once they see you dead, they’ll follow me. You’ve been a nuisance to them. You’re the only person standing in their way. Dravin’s been building up your ruthless reputation. If they were to watc
h your die on stage…they’d instantly pledge their allegiance to me. I took out their biggest threat.”
“Is there a third option?”
“No. Now you can pick or I’ll pick for you. You have potential, so I’d rather not kill you.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet of you.”
“But I will if it comes to it. You’re small. Like you said earlier, I could snap you like a twig.”
“I don’t get any other options? Stand next to you or die?”
“I think that’s pretty generous. I know which I’d pick if I were you.”
“Well, you’re not me. I’d rather die than work for you.” I take a step forward and glare at him. “The second option. I pick number two.”
“If that’s how it’s going to be,” Zahtri says. He brings his hand back and slaps me across the cheek. The force sends me flying backward into the wall. When my head connects with the dark surface, I slump to the ground and the room around me starts spinning. Zahtri’s laughter is all I hear as I slowly lose consciousness.
Chapter Nineteen
Colton
Pacing through the ballroom, I wait for Tom to come back. Everyone is moving around anxiously. Natalie walks over to me and grabs my forearm. I halt and turn to look at her. She looks like she’s ready to kick some ass. Dressed in all black, she has a sword strapped to her back and a dagger wrapped around her thigh. Dark eyeliner lines her eyes brightening her already bright blue eyes. “Calm down, Colton. Everything is going to be okay.”
“How can you be so sure?” I ask her.
“I just am. If we’re going to be successful tonight, we have to be sure. Ryanne and Liam are counting on us. They need us to be sure.”
She’s right. “Thank you, Natalie. For all of this. I would have gone crazy if you didn’t help keep me calm this whole time.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Colton. I’m the only person who understands what you’re going through right now. We need to help each other. You’re like a brother to me,” she says with a small smile.
“Hey!” Conner yells from across the room.
“You’re like a second brother to me,” Natalie corrects herself without acknowledging her brother. I laugh and hug her. Without Liam here, I’ll watch out for Natalie tonight. I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to her after all this.
Tom walks back into the room and walks straight toward me. “I found him,” he says.
“Found who?” I don’t know who he’s talking about.
“Vincent, I found him.”
“No freaking way. He didn’t want to be found. How did you find him?” Vincent is just like Larkin. He can transport to different locations without having been there before. Unlike Larkin though, he can transport many people at once. He’s helped us once in the past few months. He brought Logan to the house when Emma and Ryanne were shot. His power will make transporting everyone to Dravin’s compound much easier.
“I called him.”
I stare at Tom. We’ve tried calling him countless times in the past few weeks with no success. He didn’t want to be contacted, so he never answered. He remained hidden, and we remained hopeful he’d come to his senses.
“He said Claire visited him and told him that he was needed. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“Who’s Vincent?” Natalie asks.
“Vincent is an old friend of mine. He went into hiding when a couple of Gadramicks tried attacking him for his power. They wanted him to work for them and didn’t like his refusal, so they tried to kill him. We’ve been trying to call him to see if he’d help us, but he wouldn’t answer. He wanted nothing to do with this fight…until Claire talked to him. Apparently, she was able to convince him it was time to get back into the fight. To use his magic again.”
“What’s his power?” she asks.
“He’s a traveler.”
“Like Larkin and Travis?”
“Yes, except he can move multiple people, or objects, at once. He’ll be able to help transport people to the compound, which means we’ll be able to get there much sooner than we originally intended.”
“That’s great!” Natalie says. Her excitement attracts the attention of everyone else in our group.
“What’s going on?” Emma asks as she skips over to us. She’s dressed similarly to Natalie: dark clothes and make-up, hair up in a high bun with a sword strapped on her back and a dagger on her thigh. In fact all the girls are dressed similarly. Incendia’s wearing her hair down. Her bright red hair contrasts strikingly against her black attire. Lily looks tough. It’s strange to see her in anything other than her red cheerleading uniform. I’m still getting used to her being a mage.
“Vincent is coming,” Tom announces. David and Logan both step forward, mouth hanging open, and stare at Tom.
“Really?” Colin asks.
“Who’s Vincent?” Incendia asks. Tom explains the whole story again, this time to the entire room. Everyone quiets and listens to Tom as he speaks. Natalie starts pacing. Like me, she wants to get this over with. We’re very antsy and need to get moving. The sooner the better. I don’t know how much more waiting I can take.
Tom stops talking as the door to the ballroom slams open. A man stands directly in the middle of both doors. “I hear I’m needed.”
“Ah, and there he is,” Tom says as he points to the door. Everyone redirects their attention to him as Vincent causally strolls through the room.
“Mother of mmmphhhhmmm—” David covers Emma’s mouth. Who knows what she’s going to say.
“Jumping jellybeans, if Gerald Butler and Joe Manganiello had a love child, it would look like him,” Incendia says. Lily and Natalie both nod their heads without looking away from Vincent.
“Dude, one of your jobs now is being their censors. You gotta be quick,” David says to Bragden while he uncovers his hand from Emma’s mouth, “or they’ll say some crazy stuff.”
“I’m just keeping things interesting,” Incendia says without taking her eyes off of Vincent.
“That’s what I was trying to say,” Emma mumbles, “until this big bully stopped me.” She elbows David in the stomach lightly.
Tom starts cracking up while Vincent moves through the room. He doesn’t stop or look at anyone as he makes his way to us.
“I know I’ve let myself go, but I don’t think it’s that funny,” Vincent says with a smile as he stops in front of Tom.
“It’s good to see you,” Tom says as he gives Vincent a hug.
“If that’s what he looks like when he lets himself go, I can’t imagine what he looked like before,” Emma whispers to Incendia.
“It’s good to see you too. It’s been too long,” Vincent says as he looks behind Tom. He nods at me. “You’ve grown since I saw you last.”
“That’s usually what happens,” I tell him as I reach forward and shake his hand.
“I hear it’s your soulmate we’re going to find.”
“And hers.” I point to Natalie. She gives him a small smile.
“Well, congrats on finding them. We’ll get them back,” Vincent says.
“So when are we doing this?” I know he just got here, but I need to go soon.
Vincent turns to Tom. “Got any more snazzy outfits? I burned all mine.”
“Snazzy,” Emma turns to Incendia. “I like him.”
“Yeah, follow me,” Tom says to Vincent. Turning to the rest of the room, “Do any last minute preparations. We’re going to be leaving soon.”
“Okay, here’s how it’s going to go. Larkin is going to take Vincent out to the compound to show him where to bring everyone. He’ll come back and start bringing everyone there. Don’t attack until you hear my word. We don’t know how to get into the compound or what we’ll find when we get there. I apologize for the uncertainty, but we don’t have a lot to go on. We’ve been there before, but didn’t come across many Gadramicks. This time will be different. We will have to fight,” Tom turns to Larkin. He nods, places a hand on Vincent’
s shoulder, and transports out of the room.
“If anyone comes across Zahtri, leave him alone. None of us are strong enough to go against him. Going against him would be a death wish. When we get to the compound, remain low to the ground. With Larkin’s help, Vincent is going to bring us to a spot where we won’t set off the alarms. We should have surprise on our side. We’re going to need that.
“No one attacks without my say. We need to assess the surroundings before storming in. Wait for my word,” Tom repeats right as Larkin and Vincent transport back into the room.
“They’re gathering outside for something. I found an area where we can go without them sensing us, but we have to be quiet. If anyone says anything too loud, they’ll hear us.”
“Why would they be gathering outside?” Natalie asks.
“If my hunch is correct, it has something to do with Zahtri and I can guarantee Ryanne is probably involved somehow.”
Chapter Twenty
“Wake up, darling. It’s time to go,” Zahtri whispers to me. I can hear footsteps walking through the room. My arms and legs weigh a ton and despite my efforts, I can’t move.
I feel my body being lifted off the ground. My head rolls back which jolts me awake. Zahtri is holding me up slightly off the ground. I try to shake the fog out of my brain. When I look at Zahtri, he places me on the ground. Since I hit my head, my equilibrium is off; I sway on my feet a little. He keeps his arms on my shoulder and steadies me. “You know for someone so powerful, you’re pretty fragile.”
“Did you expect that I’d just magically get up after you threw me into a brick wall? I’m still a human, not some crazy superhero.”
“We should work on that,” he whispers in my ear. I cringe away from him.
“We’re not doing anything,” I retort as I step away from him. Zahtri laughs. Feisty. Hmmm, not sure how I feel about that. He grabs my wrists and slaps a pair of handcuffs on me. I look down at the metal cuffs and back up at him questioningly. I know he can read my mind, so I don’t ask him aloud.