by Ben Hale
Robar groaned at the same time the queen's expression changed to surprise. Her answer was not what Tess expected.
"Yourself."
Chapter 13: Foresight
Derek kept his head down in class. Professor Marko was one of the few professors to openly support Varson's takeover of the school. Each class inevitably ended in a tirade against the former school leaders, and any student that disagreed was promptly given detention with the Voidlings. Even Derek's friend, Brody, didn't make eye contact.
When Marko finally dismissed them, Derek's gaze met Brody’s, and the seething anger he saw there gave him hope. It matched the fire he saw in many of the Tryton's students. They may have been cowed to silence, but the fire burning in them had burst into an inferno. The statue of Tess and the murder of Grayson had shifted their fear to a rising defiance.
Derek caught Brody's arm as they left and pulled him aside. "You want to practice for a minute?"
Brody's expression shifted to curious. "Sure. I have a free hour before my next class."
Derek nodded and they descended to the practicum rooms below the mountain school. Hundreds of chambers lined the level, and all were watched over by Egg. The floor shifted, and the small white golem rose from the solid stone like he was ascending a staircase. Without breaking stride he fell into step beside Derek and Brody.
"Do you wish to practice this morning, students?" Egg's voice sounded like rust falling off an ancient car.
Derek smiled. "Which room is free?"
Egg motioned to one of the solid steel doors, and Derek walked to it. Just as he reached for the handle a voice called him from behind. His hand tightened into a fist, and he slowly turned to see Varson approaching from the end of the corridor. A single Voidling stood at his side.
"Why do you practice so much, Derek?"
"I have a lot of homework," Derek replied evenly. "My YETI's are coming up at the end of next quad."
Varson grunted. "Year End Testing of all Individuals. Even I didn't start practicing for them this early."
"I want to skip a few quads," Derek said. "Graduating seems to be the only way to get out of this school right now."
Brody sucked in his breath at Derek's brazen answer, but Varson appeared amused. "The Oracle is gone, and yet you still speak as if she stands at your back."
Derek kept his face rigid. He would not give away that Tess had survived. "What do you want, Varson?"
Varson's eyes narrowed. "Director Varson," he corrected.
Sensing the threat in his tone, Derek forced the words out. "Director Varson, to what do I owe this visit?"
"You missed the new training," he said.
Every hint of amusement had evaporated from Varson's voice. Now he spoke with a deadly calm.
"I missed it on my schedule," Derek replied and did his best to control his tone. "I will make sure to attend the next one."
Varson remained silent for several seconds. Then he issued a grunt of disbelief. "See that you do. The price of missing a second training will be your magic."
Unwilling to risk another word, Derek merely nodded. Varson turned and departed. Once he was gone Brody released a breath.
"What was that all about?" he asked.
He knows we are up to something.
"Do you really want the answer to that?" Derek asked quietly, and entered the practicum chamber at their side. After a moment Brody followed him. Derek turned to face him. "Do you want to fight back?"
"You know I do."
"If you join me, you are risking your life. Do you understand?"
"What exactly would I be joining?" Brody shot back.
"The Order of White."
Brody stared at him. Then he gave a slow nod. "Tess?"
Derek nodded. "She started it before she fell. I know you, and I know how good you are. I also know you won't tell anyone. You want in?"
A slow smile spread on Brody's features and he flexed his fingers. "What took you so long to ask?"
Derek laughed, and tapped his shoulder, copying the invisible mark that Tess had given him. Then he said, "Egg, please open the portal."
Always within earshot, the guardian of the stone practicum chambers pressed out of the wall. Egg bobbed his head and opened the portal to Siarra's refuge. The floor rippled in a wide oval, taking on a sheen of moisture. Offering a short bow, Egg withdrew.
Derek motioned to the portal and then fell face-first toward it. He passed through, and re-oriented his perspective when he exited standing up in Siarra's refuge. After a moment Brody came through and stumbled at the change in direction. The portal rippled behind him, sealing shut.
Spotting Derek, Shorn hurried to his side. "You're late. The others were getting antsy." He grinned at the wide-eyed Brody. "Glad you brought a friend. We're going to need everyone we can get."
"Is everyone here?" Derek asked.
"The last of them got here five minutes ago."
Derek nodded in satisfaction and moved to leaders of the Order. He motioned the wide-eyed Brody to join the crowd. Shorn, Rox, and Iris had stepped off to the side, and Derek took his place among them. Raising his voice, Derek addressed the entire group.
"I'm glad you could all make it," Derek exclaimed. "I know we haven't been meeting regularly in some time."
"I thought we were done after what happened to Tess and Grayson," Melissa said. Some of the others nodded.
"Tess is alive," Derek said.
The announcement caused a collective intake of breath. Then Katsuo asked, "How do you know this?"
Derek gestured to Iris, who said, "I got a coded message from Tess's parents. Tess managed to get a call out to them before she went into the Deep."
"She's gone to Elsurund," Derek said. There was a babble of questions, but Derek raised his voice to cut through it. "Four people outside of this room know that she survived, and we are going to keep it that way."
He didn't add that Benny was in the back of the room casting forgellen hexes. If anyone tried to rat them out, their memory of Tess being alive would be erased.
"Why?" Mike asked. "Wouldn't news of her survival give the others hope?"
"It would," Shorn said, "but it would also alert the Harbingers. What do you think they will do after they find out Tess is alive?"
"Hunt her down," Quad said. He folded his arms. "So what's the plan?"
Derek flashed a sly smile. "To prepare for the fight she will bring when she returns."
"I don't understand," Laura said. "What's she planning?"
Rox laughed. "She gets into a fight wherever she goes. She's the Oracle. If she comes back here, it will be to kick Alice out."
"Exactly," Derek said. "Even if she doesn't know it yet, even if the aurens aren't planning anything, we are going to prepare for them. Auroraq is the key. The Harbingers are holding the school and preventing movement into and out of the city. That keeps much of the mage world frozen and unable to act. Without all the mages working together we don't stand a chance against the Harbingers."
"Let me get this straight," Mike said. "You want us to prepare for a battle that no one is planning?"
"Yes," Derek said.
"What exactly are you proposing?" Warren asked quietly. "I don't want to die for no reason."
"We have several things we need to do," Derek said, and counted them off on his fingers. "First we have to establish a way for us to move into and out of Sentre without being detected. Second, we need to create a place that the aurens could fly their helicopters into—undetected. Third, we need to get enough students to join us that when the time comes we can usher the entire student body out of the conflict."
Brody was shaking his head. "I think I understand the first. Connecting to the ousted battlemages just makes sense, but the second? And the third? Why make a place for helicopters?"
"Because Tess's parents are aurens—and they are close to the US president. When she comes back, I'm guessing she's going to bring help. They're going to need a place to land."
&nb
sp; "What about the third?" Rox asked. "The surface of the school is intended to be safe—and if we recruit any more we risk being discovered."
"I don't think so," Melissa said slowly. "Do you see the way the other kids are acting? Since they killed Grayson there's a . . ."
"Fire," Quad finished when she struggled to find the right word, and Melissa nodded.
"Most of them want to fight back," Derek said. "Especially the older kids. If we are going to pull this off we are going to need skilled students from every school. Like Rox said, we're going to be drawing attention to ourselves, which is risky. I don't think we have much time until Tess comes back. We don’t have to go undetected for long."
The others were nodding in agreement, so Derek pressed the point. "The youngest kid in this school is sixteen. In some auren countries that's old enough to be soldiers. Alice has brought a war to our home, and if we don't fight back, who will?"
There were murmurs of agreement. Then Shorn said, "The truth about Tess stays here. It cannot get out, or her coming back will mean nothing."
"Are you sure Alice doesn't know already?" Quad asked.
Derek had a flash of insight, and looked to Mike and Laura. "Are the betting lines still active?" They grinned in unison, so Derek asked, "What are the odds that Tess is alive?"
"Not even the gambling Harbingers think she is," Mike said.
"So there are no odds," Laura said with a self-satisfied nod. "Which means no one believes it's possible."
Derek looked across the Order of White. "Let's make sure that when she does return we're ready for her."
Brody caught his eye. "You're asking us to put a lot of faith in her. For all we know she could be killed before she returns. The dark elf city is renowned for its dangers."
"I know I'm asking a lot," Derek said, "but you need to understand that the only choice we have is to fight . . . or submit to Alice. This is the best plan we've got. We are going to prepare to fight." He swept the crowd with his gaze but returned to Brody. "Are you with us?" His eyes gleamed with anticipation, and he nodded.
Quad twirled a knife of anti-magic in his hand. "Of course we are."
There was a buzz of excited agreement, and Brody flashed a smile. "It's about time."
Derek's tone became one of anticipation. "Then we'd better be ready for her. Brody and Jacque, I want you and the other earth mages to figure out how to build the hanger without anyone on Auroraq finding out. Everyone else, I want you searching the schools for the safest places to gather the younger students."
"What about opening a link to Sentre?" Warren asked.
Derek flashed a smile. "There's a Gate that connects directly with the Spirus. I've handpicked the ones that will help me go after it."
"A teleporting mirror?" Quad asked. "Just where is it?"
Derek's answer stunned them to silence.
"Varson's office."
Chapter 14: The Tryton's Gate
"I can't believe you talked us into this," Marcus hissed. "Do you have any idea what he's going to do if he catches us?"
"It's not like they're going to kill us," Derek whispered back. Hopefully.
"This is the director's office." Marcus finished in a harsh whisper. Then the door across from them swung open. Varson and Mallian stepped out, deep in conversation.
Derek and Marcus held their breath as the Harbingers strode past their hiding spot and leapt into the air. Derek released a sigh of relief when they had disappeared below.
They stood on the summit of Star Hall. From their vantage point they had an unprecedented view of the school, Sentre, and the Spirus. Like small cottages, the sloped roof of the amphitheatre contained a collection of sweeping crystalline structures. All were offices reserved for the administrators, the largest of which sat in the center. Derek's throat tightened. It had been Director Grayson's until he'd been killed.
Derek had been prepared to sneak past patrolling Voidlings, but none were in sight. Rather than reassure him, their absence left him with a sense of dread. Normally several of the school directors were in their office at any one time, but at this moment they all stood empty.
Varson just went into Star Hall, Iris spoke through the nexus charm.
A moment later, Kent added, The lesson is about to start. I can hear Varson walking on top of center stage.
How do you know it's him? Rox asked.
His boots sound the same as they did when he killed Grayson.
That was enough for Derek. Kent had consistently demonstrated his skill with his sound magic. If he said Varson was inside, he was.
What about Mallian? Derek asked.
I've got eyes on him, Shorn replied. His mental voice sounded hushed. He's punishing some students outside the World Room.
"It's now or never," Derek said, and darted out of the illusion spell that Marcus had cast.
The extra shadow on the wall wobbled as he passed into the light, and he strode toward their goal. Iris exited her own hiding place. She stepped out of one of the lesser offices and nonchalantly strolled to Varson's door. Marcus remained behind as lookout. His light magic bent around him, smoothing the shadow that kept him hidden.
Derek reached the door first, but had to wait as Iris paused to slap several walls. "Do you have to put up your monitoring motes now?" Derek hissed. "We only have thirty minutes before Varson finishes his lesson to the professors."
"Relax," Iris said. She touched both sides of Varson's office door and then gripped the warm crystal.
"Are you sure you can open it?"
"Shut-up," Iris said over her shoulder. "Do you have any idea how many charms they have on this office?"
Probably to keep students like us out, Derek thought.
The seconds ticked away as sweat beaded on Derek's neck. He resisted the urge to question Iris as she muttered under her breath. Her conversation had nothing to do with what she was doing, and included the phrase 'drone strike' several times. Even though he trusted her, he couldn't stop his worry from mounting. If anyone came into view before they got inside . . .
"Got it," she said, and the door of light shimmered and faded. Derek slipped inside with her and she closed it behind them. "You don't have to be so nervous. I thought you trusted me more than that."
"I do," Derek said as he scanned the room. But our lives are on the line.
A curving desk was the sole object that Derek was familiar with. He'd been summoned to Grayson's office on several occasions back when he'd pulled pranks. Then the room had been bright and inviting. Enchanted artifacts and memory orbs had ringed the space. As stern as Grayson had been, he'd loved the students. Varson's version couldn't have been more different.
The muted green of the crystal walls had been stripped of adornments, leaving room for a current of fire to weave its way around the room. It pulsed to life at their entry, illuminating the bare space.
"Not a fan of decorations," Iris said dryly, "unless you count that." She motioned to a large memory orb on the table that displayed an image of Alice.
"But where's the mirror?" He moved around the room. It was as empty as it had first appeared. "It has to be here."
Iris slapped the wall and shrugged. "We could find a different route to Sentre."
Derek whirled to face her. "No. Taking this sends a message to Varson that the students are standing up to him."
"How would they know it's not the professors . . ." Iris grinned. "That's why you wanted to do it now, when all the professors are being lectured on Harbinger law."
"Stealing the mirror does more than just give us a route to Sentre," Derek said. "It proves the Professors aren't to blame." And won't get anyone else killed.
Iris suddenly winced. "We have a problem." The next instant Marcus opened the door and darted inside.
"Mallian is on his way here," he said. "Shorn's going to try and slow him down."
Iris ground her teeth together. "Blast this crystal. I can hardly see the threads through the roof."
"We need to get o
ut of here," Marcus hissed.
"Not yet," Derek said. "Give me a second."
"We don't have a—"
"Just hang on," Derek snapped.
Varson wouldn't have discarded an artifact as powerful as a Gate. The spell to create them had been lost for millennia, making the remaining Gates beyond priceless. The principal director of Tryton's had always had one in his office, making it possible for him to travel quickly between his office and the Spirus.
Derek was certain. It would be here. Then he had an idea and blinked into his magesight. Sending his magic out, he scanned the wall. Imbued with anti-magic, the hardened crystal would be nearly impossible to alter, and yet there was a distinct recess against the back wall. He darted to it, and ran his hands around the exterior. By magic and touch he felt the outline of a secret door.
"He's hidden it," Derek said in a rush. "Iris?"
She took his place, and cast her own magic into the wall. "It's sealed by an echo charm," she said. "A powerful one. I can't bypass it without the right voice."
Derek spun to Marcus, but he was already in motion.
"On it," he said. He stepped outside the room and tapped the nexus charm on his shoulder. "Kent, we need Varson's voice up here."
Iris leapt to join him. Free of the techno shroud that blanketed the office, she cocked her head to the side and lifted her hands in front of her. Orange light swirled into the bubble of purple she created. Then she hurried back to the secret door.
"Shorn tried to distract Mallian, but he's been Darkened. Two minutes until Mallian gets here."
Derek cringed at Shorn's punishment, but hoped it gave them the time they needed. "Open it."
Iris cracked the bubble like an egg and the orange magic disintegrated. As it evaporated Varson's cold voice filled the room.
" . . . your will is now the will of the Master. She controls the Dark, the Twisted within, and now you. Your lives . . ."
The sound of scraping stone replaced his voice as the wall slid to the side. A tall gilded mirror sat in the recess. Derek reached forward to grab it, but hesitated.
"Any curses?" he asked Iris.