by Kaitlyn Hoyt
“Do you remember that dagger that you stepped in front of?” he asks me. Of course I remember that stupid dagger. It almost killed me…for real that time. Wait…how does he know about the dagger? “I gave Enrique that dagger personally. He promised to work for me. His power was impressive. Not as much as mine or yours, but still impressive. I didn’t think he’d get himself killed so easily,” Zahtri says as he tightens the cuffs. I wince as the metal digs into my wrist.
“The big mage of yours has some anger issues,” he tells me. I’m not sure if he’s referring to Bragden or Colton. “You see I dabble a little in dark magic. I’ve found a way to infuse said magic with certain objects. It works best with strong metals. Go ahead. Try to get free.” I don’t give him the pleasure of seeing me struggle. I know it’ll hurt if I move my wrists, so I just stare up at him, trying to keep a blank face. “Also, I can read your mind. You’re kind of like an open book. You should try a little harder to censor your thoughts.”
Zahtri starts walking toward the door. When I don’t follow, he sighs loudly and walks back to me. “I like you Ryanne. It’s going to be a shame to waste so much magic,” he moves my hair off my shoulder. I cringe away from him, but can’t do much since I’m already pressed against the wall with my hands cuffed. He leans forward. I turn to the side and feel his lips brush against my ear, “And I don’t like to be wasteful, darling.”
I use my cuffed hands to try and push him away from me. He leans back a little bit but doesn’t step away. “Zahtri, let me make this clear.” I arch my head back and point up to him. “I’m not going to work with you. Not now. Not Ever. I’d rather die first than work for a bunch of murderous Gadramicks. I’ve heard and felt what you all really feel. I haven’t found anything here to make me sway my choice. So you can get that preconceived notion out of that big head of yours because it is never going to happen.”
“We’ll see about that,” he says as he pushes me toward the door. The movement makes my head start throbbing again. I stumble backward into his chest. “You should have avoided the wall.”
“You shouldn’t have pushed me into the wall,” I retort. He ushers me forward. My ears start buzzing—a low humming reverberates through the hall. I shake my head trying to clear the noise. I stop moving forward as the hall starts spinning—the candlelights swirling into the darkness. I close my eyes right as I feel my legs give out again.
Colton
Crouching down in the bushes, I look at the scene in front of me. Gadramicks are streaming out of the compound and gathering in the area behind it. A large wooden platform is being constructed as we speak, both with magic and physical labor. Through all the noise, it will be no problem getting all the mages here.
“Where do you think they are in there?” Natalie asks me as she crouches down beside me.
I look toward the compound door again. It’s propped open because so many people are coming in and out. “Probably in a cell somewhere. I don’t know. What I do know is that we’ll find out soon enough.”
I hear rustling behind me. I turn around and see about fifty mages crouching down behind the bushes. We need to remain as hidden as possible. Being spotted early would ruin everything. We need the element of surprise to be on our side if we have any chance of this working.
The air around me feels electric. I don’t know if it is due to the magic being used by the Gadramicks or the anticipation of what is to come, but it’s a little eerie. Natalie gasps as Dravin walks out of the compound; behind him are Liam and Adam—both handcuffed. There are four Gadramicks around them. Even if they attempted to fight, with their hands cuffed and Ryanne not around, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“I didn’t think Dravin would go against Adam,” David says. “Even if he was helping Ryanne, I thought he was listening to orders.”
I glare at Adam. He can’t see me, but it makes me feel better. Adam’s been with Ryanne these past few days keeping her safe while I couldn’t, but I still can’t get over everything he has done to her in the past—even before either of them were mages. There are some things you just can’t forgive and forget.
Dravin orders the Gadramicks surrounding Adam and Liam to stand at the end of the platform. Two men stand behind them and two stand on either side of them, making sure that neither attempt to run. Dravin walks to the other side of the platform and quietly talks to Natasha and Valdus. I glance down at Natalie. She watches her twin through narrowed eyes. With a tight jaw and clenched fists, her feelings toward her sister are obvious to everyone surrounding us. Conner walks up and pats his sister on the back.
“What if we have to hurt her?” Natalie says to him. “What if she tries to kill either one of us?”
“I don’t know, Nat. I don’t know,” Conner says as he pulls her in for a hug. “What I do know is that she’s not the same girl we grew up with. She’s not the same Natasha. I just have to hope that girl is in there somewhere.”
Natalie nods and lays her head down on Conner’s shoulder. I look behind me again. More mages are here. I’d say about half of our group is now crouching down in the field behind me, waiting for their cue to go. This could actually work. I have to keep a realistic outlook in mind. There’s always a chance this could turn out way different than what we are intending.
I turn to my left where Bragden, Incendia, Lily, and Logan are all crouching. Bragden and Incendia are quietly arguing amongst each other. Incendia wants to be on the frontlines fighting as many Gadramicks as she can, while Bragden wants her to stay by his side where he can keep her safe. Lily and Logan are talking to each other in hushed tones. I watch Lily for a couple of moments. I’ve never seen Lily this open before. I hung out with her and other jocks while in school, but I never saw this side of her. I never realized how much people change themselves to fit in with others. This Lily is much more likeable, and I’m glad Ryanne helped save her. I’m glad she found Logan…even if they won’t acknowledge it at the moment.
“Hey,” Tom says as he comes up behind me. “We only have two or three more groups to come before we’re all ready. I’ll come back over here when Vincent and Larkin have transported everyone. It’ll be a few more minutes. Do not do anything until then. No matter who or what comes out of those compound doors.” Tom looks to Conner and David. “Do not let him move from behind these bushes until we’re all ready, okay?” David and Conner agree.
A couple more Gadramicks come out of the compound and walk to the open area in front of the platform. “They’re going to reveal Zahtri’s identity tonight.”
“How do you know that?” Natalie asks me.
“What else could they be doing?”
“I think you’re right about that,” Kyril says as he stops behind me. “Dravin wouldn’t bring all the Gadramick’s out in the open like this if it wasn’t important. He wouldn’t risk it.”
“This could be the prophecy? This could be the moment that we’ve been told about?” Emma asks.
“I guess it depends on Ryanne. She hasn’t been training the past couple of days. She hasn’t been eating, so she won’t have her full strength. And if she’s hurt…” I trail off. I know that she has a few injuries. “We’ll see what happens,” I finally say.
On the platform, Dravin is saying something to Adam and Liam, but neither seems to the listening. They both have blank expressions on their faces as they stare down at the ground. Dravin’s getting angry. Liam turns to him and says something. Even from this distance, I can see the anger in his eyes. Dravin reaches back and punches him in the jaw. Natalie gasps beside me and covers her mouth to keep from being any louder. Liam’s head whips back, but he doesn’t react. With a grunt, Dravin storms to the opposite end of the platform and yells at Valdus before rushing back into the compound.
“What the heck is going on?” Incendia asks.
The Gadramicks all quiet down and turn toward the compound doors. “I think we’re about to find out.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Colton
Though on
ly gone for a few minutes, Dravin walks out of the compound again, much calmer this time, and addresses the crowd. “Settle down. Settle down,” Dravin states as he walks to the center of the platform. The already quiet Gadramicks turn and give Dravin their attention.
“I know many of you are wondering what is going on right now—why I brought all of you out here.” He claps his hands. “As all of you know, we’ve had a couple guests here this week.” He gives a pointed look to Liam.
“Where’s the girl?” the Gadramicks shout. “Where is she?”
“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk, all in good time. All will be revealed in good time. First, we have some other things discuss.”
I glance at Natalie. “She’s still alive, Colton. That much is obvious. Be patient.” I look behind me. Tom quietly moves toward me with Vincent directly behind him.
“We’re all here, but I think we should hear what he is going to say before we act.” I want to save Ryanne and Liam, but Dravin could say something we could use later. He could change everything with just a few words.
“Our goal was to bring Ryanne here and find out the extent of her magic. However, the girl is stubborn.” All the Gadramicks start mumbling at once. “Her blood samples were inconclusive. Since she refused to use magic when provoked, I had to take matter into my own hands.”
I have a bad feeling about this. I turn toward Natalie, who’s watching the scene in front of us with wide eyes. “Ryanne’s a threat to everything we stand for. She hasn’t found out about our human experiments, but she knows enough to completely oppose us.”
“They’re testing on humans?” Emma asks Larkin.
Larkin shrugs. “I honestly had no idea about that.” Kyril shakes his head, agreeing with Larkin. How did Dravin test on humans without anyone knowing about it?
“Could those be all the people reported missing recently?” Natalie asks.
“It’s possible,” Tom says as he listens to what Dravin is saying.
“Her magic is strong,” he continues. “I’ve seen firsthand what she can do, but she’s not strong enough to go against us. I feel a battle brewing. We’re getting close, but we need someone who can stand up against any future threats if necessary.”
The Gadramicks start talking amongst themselves again. They all thought Dravin was that person. “Yes, yes. I’m in charge,” Dravin yells over them. They quiet and give him his attention again. “However, there’s another mage stronger than me who is ready to lead. Ready to take his rightful place as the head of all Gadramicks.”
Dravin turns and points toward the door. The compound door slowly opens, and I can see the outline of a large man standing there. Physically, he looks to be the size of Bragden. As he steps out of the compound and the light finally hits him, I see nothing but the small form in his arms. David and Conner both jump over to me and keep me from jumping out from behind the bushes.
“Ezra?” I hear Bragden say as he sits up slightly. Incendia turns and looks him confused. Liam freezes as he looks at the man in front of him.
“That’s Ezra? The Ezra?” Incendia asks. Who the heck is Ezra?
Either Bragden doesn’t hear her or he chooses not to reply. He glares up at the stage, body tensed and waiting. Ne needs this fight just as much as the rest of us. We all want this to end.
Zahtri is holding an unconscious Ryanne in his arms. I clench my jaw to keep from yelling out, because every fiber in my body wants me to jump up and protect my soulmate. From this distance I can see a bruise on the side of Ryanne’s head. She’s slowly starting to stir in his arms.
“She’s as fragile as she looks,” Zahtri says as he drops Ryanne onto the platform and steps over her body. The loud thud of her limp body hitting the hard surface causes anger to surge through me. David and Conner put more pressure on me to keep me down while Natalie covers my mouth to keep me from yelling out.
Liam instantly starts fighting against the mages holding him back. “You son of a—”
“It’s nice to see you again, Liam. How’s Bragden doing?” he asks. Bragden starts to get up, but Travis and his father stop him.
With a laugh, Zahtri turns around and faces everyone. “I know none of you know me, but a couple of you have sensed me around. I commend those of you who could do that. I’m Zahtri and I’ve been the one calling all the shots. Dravin’s been listening to my orders and leading you. I haven’t been needed until now. Until that girl,” he points to Ryanne, who is still lying on her side. “came along. She’s stirred up trouble where there was none. That’s why I have to step in.”
Ryanne groans and blinks her eyes open. “You know dropping someone while they’re unconscious is a little rude. What kind of host are you?” she yells up at him. Ryanne pushes herself up into a seated position and looks at Zahtri with a sweet smile on her face. I hear Incendia and Emma snicker to my left. Ryanne stands up and walks over to Zahtri and points at him with her cuffed hands. She whispers something to him, too quietly for any of us to hear. He looks down at Ryanne amused, but pushes her behind him and steps forward.
A Gadramick walks up behind Ryanne and grabs her around the waist. She looks down at his arm around her stomach and then back up at Zahtri, eyebrow quirked. “Just as a precaution, darling. I know you could easily take him down.”
The Gadramick holding Ryanne looks shocked, but keeps his arm around her. Ryanne doesn’t struggle, but looks bored. I see her glance over at Liam and Adam and shake her head as she reads one of their thoughts.
“I gave Ryanne two options tonight. One, she could stand by my side and rule with me. With our combined powers, we’d be unstoppable. I’d give her everything she could ever want, but she didn’t like that option. The second option was that I finally kill her in front of you all. This would solidify my position and get rid of our biggest threat. Ryanne, here,” Zahtri walks over to Ryanne and grabs her from the Gadramick. Keeping a tight grip around her waist, he pulls her against his chest. David and Conner tighten their grip on me. “Well, she chose the second option. Apparently, there’s another man in her life, and she’d never fight amongst the likes of me.”
Zahtri reaches forward pushes her hair off her shoulder. Ryanne flinches away from his touch. “It’s a shame though,” Zahtri says as he looks toward the Gadramicks. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” A chorus of shouts and hoots from the Gadramicks answer. Zahtri lightly trails his hand down Ryanne’s side before resting on her hip. The weight on me increases as everyone tries to hold me down. I notice Liam struggling to get away from the Gadramicks holding him.
Zahtri turns Ryanne around so he is facing him. Ryanne struggles in his arms, but Zahtri tightens his grip. Even from here, I can hear Ryanne’s gasp from the pain. She’s not strong enough physically to go up against someone like him. Why isn’t she using her magic?
Zahtri smiles up at the Gadramicks before he crushes Ryanne up against his chest and kisses her. She squeals against him, causing the Gadramicks to laugh. All the sudden, Zahtri pulls back and forcefully pushes Ryanne onto the ground. She slams into the platform, unable to catch herself because of the handcuffs.
“She bit me,” Zahtri tells Dravin.
“I warned you,” Dravin says as he walks onto the platform. Liam and Adam both start fight against the Gadramicks holding them as Zahtri slowly walks toward Ryanne.
Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. I almost jump up when Ryanne doesn’t move. I can see her breathing so I know that she’s alright. Zahtri crouches down beside her and smiles. Ryanne lifts her head, flipping her hair out of her face, and looks toward him. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you how to treat a girl? Your mother would be ashamed of you.” Laughter rises amongst all the Gadramicks in attendance at Ryanne’s boldness.
“What is she doing?” Natalie asks.
“I’m hoping she has a plan,” I mumble as I watch. I know that Ryanne is not known for having a plan. She usually doesn’t think before she acts. She just goes for it—no matter how dangerous. I look toward Tom. He shakes his head at me. When are we g
oing to make our appearance?
“Still sticking with option two?”
“First is the worst, second is the best,” she sings as she stands up. “Why don’t you tell everyone how you really got your magic, Zahtri? Hmm? Don’t you think that everyone should hear that?” Zahtri tries to walk toward Ryanne, but she apparently has a shield around her because he stumbles back a couple steps. “You’re a mage, yes, but not a very powerful one. Why don’t you tell them about how you acquired your magic?”
“What is she talking about?” David whispers.
“Yeah…didn’t think I caught that, did you?” she asks him. “Why don’t you tell everyone how the witches aren’t really in hiding, Zahtri.” Ryanne takes a step toward him. “You killed them off. You took the extraction process that Dr. Arden perfected and stole their magic. You decimated an entire magical race so you could pretend to be an all-powerful mage. You dabble in dark magic because that’s the only magic you have. You were born into a mage family, but you never came into your powers. Instead of telling anyone, you obtained it in other ways.”
Fuming, Zahtri moves forward until he’s standing a foot away from Ryanne, at the edge of her shield. “Why don’t you explain to everyone how you were in hiding because you don’t have any magic of your own and needed someone to formulate some for you, because you’re a fake. A phony. A poser.”
Zahtri is seething. Why is she instigating him? The Gadramicks around us start talking amongst themselves. I look toward the doorway of the compound and see a man standing there, watching the platform. Ryanne gives Zahtri her sweet smile as she drops the shield and swings her leg around to kick Zahtri in the face. He stumbles to the side. Ryanne jumps forward and grabs something around his neck. Taking a few steps backward, she leans forward and pushes her magic out. Zahtri flies back and lands in the grass beside the platform. Dravin runs forward and attempts to grab Ryanne, but she pushes magic toward him as well. Like Zahtri, he flies backward.