“Viktor said they would be,” Ivy said. “Didn’t he? Let’s look inside!”
“I’m not sure—”
Ivy ignored Brianna’s hesitation and pushed her door all the way open. “Whoa!” The room was huge, much bigger than she expected. And it was filled with everything she had imagined: rows and rows of golden bows, sheaves of arrows, and bright, gleaming swords. There were shields too, huge shields taller than she was. And armor like she’d only seen in fairy tales—gorgeous, engraved breastplates of brilliant gold and silver. Giant chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting everything in a magical glow. “It’s amazing!”
Ivy took a step inside. Immediately the door behind her slammed shut. She turned, puzzled.
“Bri? Did you shut my door?” she called. No answer. She tried to open the door, but it was locked.
Suddenly the room darkened, the beautiful weapons and armor fading from her view. She reached out to grab one of the golden bows, but her fingers slid right through it, as if it wasn’t really there at all. Even the walls began to fade, replaced with rows and rows of glowing green bars.
“No!” Ivy yelled. She whirled for the door again, but the door had become bars as well, glowing a sickly green. Like the door of a prison cell. She grabbed hold of the bars and shook them, trying to peer through in hopes she could still see Brianna on the other side. But all she saw was utter darkness.
“Bri! Can you hear me? Bri!” She rattled the bars as hard as she could, yelling over and over. “Bri! Open the door! Let me out! Bri! Can you hear?”
But Brianna didn’t answer.
She can’t hear me, Ivy thought. Or I can’t hear her. She was cut off. Locked in a prison. Viktor had lured them both into a trap.
“Bri!” she yelled. “If you can hear me, don’t open your door! Don’t go in your room! It’s a trap! Viktor—he did this! Please, please—get me out of here!”
Ivy could feel the bars of the prison cell closing in on her. She closed her eyes, fighting panic. She whispered, hoping Ruwach could hear her: “Please, get me out of here.”
* * *
“Ivy?” Brianna pounded on the door and called to her friend. She could hear Ivy yelling, calling for her to open the door. She pulled and pulled but the door wouldn’t open. She cried out, “I can’t open the door! It’s locked!” But Ivy kept on yelling, as if she couldn’t hear Brianna at all. Ivy was warning her not to open her door. It was a trap.
Viktor.
Brianna felt panic rise in her throat. She glanced at her own door across the passageway—it was still ajar, a golden light emanating from within. It looked so inviting.
It was only then that she realized that she was not wearing her Warrior clothes or her armor. She thought back to when she and Ivy had come through the portal. There had been no Water either.
It was a trap. Viktor had led them into a trap. Now Ivy was locked up and might soon be turning to metal. And Brianna was . . . where was she? How would she ever find her way out, let alone rescue Ivy?
Before she had time to figure it out, the floor under her feet began to tremble.
Footsteps. Big, heavy footsteps. In the distance she saw a pair of round, red glowing eyes.
Forger.
“I’ll come back for you!” she whispered to Ivy’s door. And she ran down the tunnel, searching for a place to hide.
CHAPTER 21
Finding Viktor
Viktor carried the growling, squirming dog to the front door of the house and knocked. A moment later a teenage girl opened the door. She looked bored but then brightened when she saw Viktor’s face.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey,” said Viktor. “I just found this dog down the street. Is it yours?”
“My sister’s,” said the girl, her smile turning to a frown. “Wasn’t she there too?”
“Uh, no. The dog was all alone. I saw that it had a tag on with this address.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Where’d she go?”
“Well, I’m not sure. . . . I did see a big van driving in the other direction, so maybe she got a ride somewhere?”
“Who’s at the door, Crystal?” called a thin female voice from within.
“Oh, just a boy,” said the girl. “He brought Star home.”
“Star? But where’s Brianna?”
“Don’t know.”
Viktor looked past Crystal to see a woman in a wheelchair come into view with a lined face and soft graying hair. Nana Lily, he thought. He knew she’d had a stroke recently and was still recovering. But her gaze was very sharp and bright despite the fact that she was still pretty far away. So he kept his own eyes averted, just as he’d been trying to do with all the older Warriors, in case she might recognize him.
Nana Lily was shaking her head. “Brianna would never leave Star somewhere by herself. That silly dog must have escaped on her own. Call Brianna on the phone.”
Crystal pulled out a phone and called, but there was no answer. “She’s not picking up.”
“Not picking up? Perhaps she went to Ivy’s house and the dog tried to follow. You’d better go and get her. Tell your sisters to help you.”
“Okay, okay.” The girl yelled the names of her sisters, who came tramping down the stairs looking annoyed.
When they were all gone, Viktor stepped inside, went up to Brianna’s grandmother, and set the dog in her lap.
“Here you go. She seems scared,” Viktor said. The dog was, indeed, shaking.
Nana Lily glanced up at him, squinting slightly. “Do I know you?”
“No, ma’am. Just passing by.” Viktor turned away quickly. “I’ll just be on my way.”
“Thank you for your help—what is your name?”
Viktor pretended he didn’t hear. “My pleasure, ma’am.” He headed toward the door, but instead of going out, he made sure the old lady wasn’t looking before he sprinted up the stairs.
There were only two bedrooms. A small neat one and a larger messy one. He went in the messy room and saw four single beds with piles of blankets and pillows scattered about. He quickly looked under all the beds until he found what he wanted: the Prince Warrior book. He shoved it into his backpack and went to the window. A large tree stood near the house. He stepped out onto the windowsill and jumped, grabbing a branch and monkey-swinging to the ground. He looked both ways, went to the front of the house, and retrieved the bicycle he’d stolen from another house earlier.
He knew Ivy lived a few streets over, so he rode quickly to her house. It was a much bigger home, with double entry doors and a neat front lawn. He saw one of the sisters knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell, but it was clear that no one was home. The other two sisters were in the driveway—they talked together for a bit, looking annoyed that they still hadn’t found Brianna.
As soon as they headed back to their own house, Viktor found an unlocked window by the garage and slipped inside. He found the book easily—it was sitting right on the desk in Ivy’s room. He shoved it into his backpack and slipped out of the house.
It was getting late. Xavier and Evan should be back from the rec center by now. He jumped on the bicycle and headed to their house.
* * *
Levi knocked several times on Manuel’s door before he answered.
“Hey! Did you get my message?” Levi said.
“What message? I haven’t checked my phone lately.”
“Is Viktor here?”
“No . . . well, he was, but he left.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“No. I’ve been sorting through the mess from the tornado—”
“What tornado?”
Manuel pushed up his glasses. “Didn’t you see it? A tornado. Or maybe a very sudden storm. My room is a disaster. And my Prince Warrior book is missing. My sword was in it!”
“T
here wasn’t any tornado. . . . Wait, was Viktor here when that happened?”
“No. He was gone already. I was looking at my father’s book when the windows blew open, and then my book was gone.”
Levi thought about this. It was too much to be a coincidence.
“Levi!” his dad called from the car. He had a phone to his ear. “Tony is on the phone. He says that Brianna and Ivy are missing.”
“Missing?”
“A boy came to the door with Star, said she was left alone in the street. No one can find the girls, and they aren’t answering their phones.
“Did they know who the boy was?”
“No, but both Crystal and Nana Lily said he was tall and dark-haired.”
Levi felt a knot forming in his stomach. Viktor. Had to be. But where had Brianna and Ivy gone? And what had caused Manuel’s book to disappear?
Levi couldn’t make sense of it all. He just knew he had to find Viktor before something else happened. He pulled out his phone and called Xavier.
“Hey,” he said when Xavier picked up. “It’s Levi. Have you seen Viktor?”
“Yeah, he’s here now,” said Xavier.
“At your house? Can I come over? I just need to talk to him.”
There was a pause on the line. “I don’t think so, Levi.”
“What?”
“I’m kinda busy. I’ll see you in school on Monday.”
“But Brianna is—” It was too late. Xavier had already hung up.
Levi put the phone down. He looked shell-shocked.
“You okay, Levi?” said Manuel.
“Yeah. I gotta go. See you later.”
“Okay.” Manuel shut the door.
Levi got into the car, sagging in the passenger seat. Mr. J. Ar looked him over.
“You want to talk to me about this, son?” he said after a moment. “Why all this concern about Viktor? Everyone seems to like him except for you.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just going nuts. But something is not right about that dude. He’s way too slick. And weird things are happening.”
“Do you want to go to Brianna’s house? See if we can find her?”
“Yeah, but—we need to go to Xavier’s first.”
“Why?”
“’Cause he said Viktor was there.”
CHAPTER 22
Viktory
Levi rang the bell at the Blakes’ house. Mrs. Blake came to the door. When she saw Levi and his dad she smiled warmly.
“Levi! James! What are you two doing here?”
“I need to speak to Xavier,” said Levi. “I need to—apologize—for something I said earlier.”
“I see.” She gave Mr. J. Ar a knowing glance. “Xavier and Evan are out by the pond with some friend of theirs named Viktor. You can go around the house if you want.”
Levi stiffened, glancing at his dad. “Okay, thanks.”
Levi and his dad walked around to the backyard. They saw Evan and Xavier sitting on the dock. Viktor was standing, talking and moving his hands around, as if he was telling them some fantastic story. The two brothers seemed mesmerized.
Levi stopped in his tracks, looking at Viktor. It was the first time he’d seen him since coming back from Ahoratos, since receiving his gift. His eyes widened, responding to the sight of something strange. In the bright sunlight, Levi could see the shadows of Evan and Xavier clearly outlined on the ground. Normal. But Viktor’s shadow wasn’t on the ground—it was still attached to him, outlining his body, shifting with his every move. On the ground where his shadow should have been, there was nothing. No indication at all that a person was standing in the light. Levi knew for sure then that something was terribly wrong. Maybe even Viktor himself was wrong. Levi retreated a few steps, out of their line of sight.
“Son?” Mr. J. Ar said, following him.
“Dad, I don’t think we should meet him without the armor.”
“What’s—”
“Trust me, Dad.”
Mr. J. Ar nodded. They walked back to the SUV. Mr. J. Ar lifted up the tailgate. The trunk was in there.
“How did that get here?” Levi asked.
“The armor is wherever we need it to be,” said Mr. J. Ar. “Especially in a crisis. So you just might be right about Viktor.” He opened the trunk, and they quickly dressed in their armor and took the Krÿsen from the book, stowing the diminutive blades easily in their belts. Levi checked to make sure he had his seed in his pocket.
When they went back to the Blakes’ backyard, Viktor was standing with his hands over his head, spread in a gesture of victory. Evan and Xavier were watching him intently, as he closed his hands together in front of him. From out of his fingers came a bolt of lightning, splitting the air open. The bolt became a widening gap, a doorway. Levi felt suddenly dizzy, everything spinning in circles around him, blurring together. His eyes stung so that he had to close them. Tears welled up in the corners.
“Levi? You okay?”
Levi heard his father’s voice like it came through a long tunnel, far away. He raised his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. It took a moment for the stinging to subside and the dizziness to ease so he could see clearly again. He saw Viktor with the weird shadow hovering near him. He saw Evan and Xavier. He saw the doorway that Viktor had created. But he could see something else, something more—something beyond the veil that separated this world from the other.
He could see into Ahoratos.
He blinked, desperately trying to make sense of his vision. On the other side of Viktor’s portal was a rounded, wooden door, like the door to the rooms the kids had opened in the Cave. But then it changed, the solid part of it melting away to reveal green metal bars. And someone—a girl—inside the bars. She was crying, though Levi heard no sound. He saw a flash of red hair. It looked like . . . Ivy!
“Stop!” Levi yelled, running toward the boys. Xavier and Evan turned to see who had shouted. Viktor immediately dropped his hands, although the portal remained, shimmering beside him. He smiled and waved at Levi.
“Hi Levi! Nice armor. I was just showing these guys—” Viktor stopped talking, paling a little when he saw Mr. J. Ar moving toward him, looking like the mightiest of Warriors in his stately armor. Levi glanced at him and smiled to himself. That’s my dad, he thought.
“Levi, I told you we were busy,” Xavier said. “Why did you come here? And why are you wearing your armor?”
“Brianna and Ivy are missing,” Levi said.
“What?”
Levi glanced at Viktor, who was looking away as if something in the distance occupied his attention. Levi had the sense that he was deliberately avoiding his gaze—or was it Mr. J. Ar he was avoiding?
“Were you over at Brianna’s house earlier?” Levi asked Viktor, walking toward him.
“Me?” Viktor glanced at Levi with a befuddled expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really? That’s strange,” said Levi. “What were you doing just now?”
“We were just talking,” said Xavier.
“About what?”
“About Ahoratos,” said Evan. “Viktor was just going to show us how to get there without being called.”
“Really?” asked Mr. J. Ar. He also approached Viktor, trying to get a better look at him. “I’d like to see that.”
“Me too,” said Levi.
“I was just joking around,” said Viktor, laughing a little.
“That is nothing to joke about, son,” said Mr. J. Ar in his sternest voice.
Viktor bowed his head, as if suddenly ashamed. “You’re right. My bad. Sorry. Won’t happen again, sir. Honest.”
Viktor sounded so sincere that Mr. J. Ar relaxed a bit. He put out his hand to shake. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Mr. J. Ar, Levi’s dad.”
Vi
ktor glanced at the outstretched hand, a smile creeping across his face. “So nice to meet you, sir.”
Levi wasn’t sure what exactly happened next—it all happened so fast. Viktor reached out to shake his dad’s hand, but in his hand there was a sword. Levi had no time to wonder where the sword had come from. Viktor swung the sword at Mr. J. Ar, who managed to leap away in time, grabbing his Krÿs from his belt. Levi took several steps backward and pulled out his Krÿs as well, slamming it against his breastplate. He felt the hilt ignite, the blade extending to its full length. Both he and his dad aimed their swords at Viktor, who began to circle them slowly, still smiling in a cruel way, his eyes gleaming yellow. Just like that wolf, Levi thought.
“Go get your armor—in my car!” Mr. J. Ar shouted to Xavier and Evan, who jumped up from the dock and ran to the front of the house where Mr. J. Ar’s SUV was parked. Viktor let them go, as if he didn’t care at all. His whole attention was focused on Levi and Mr. J. Ar.
“So, you really want to do this?” Viktor said, his voice almost a whisper, yet filled with venom. “You know how good I am at basketball? Well, I’m twice as good at this.”
“There’s two of us,” Levi said.
“It wouldn’t matter if there were ten of you.”
Levi felt his heart race; he struggled to keep his breathing even, to remember his training. Viktor was bad, all right. But if he wasn’t a Prince Warrior, what was he?
“Who would have thought the little skateboarder would be the one doing the fighting,” Viktor taunted. “I saw that mark on your finger. The mark of Skot’os. No matter how hard you try, you will never get rid of that.”
“Your words aren’t going to bother me,” said Levi. “I wear the helmet, remember?”
“Oh, right, the helmet. Do you really think that is going to protect you? How often do you think about that scar? Hmmm?”
“Who are you?” Levi asked, the blood racing to his face so he could feel the pulse of it in his temples. Stay cool.
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. Oh, what the heck, maybe I’ll just kill you anyway.” Viktor lunged forward quick as a cat, thrusting into Levi’s middle. Levi parried the move and knocked Viktor’s sword away, at the same time swinging upward for a jab at Viktor’s arm. Viktor leapt backward to avoid the blow and reset his stance, circling and smiling as before.
The Prince Warriors and the Swords of Rhema Page 13