by John Corwin
Percival ripped away the strip. "He's going into shock!" He rushed to a shelf, frantically searching potions and came back with clear liquid. "Hold his mouth open, boy!"
I fought Ansel's bucking, glad he was restrained, and managed to get my fingers in his mouth. His teeth clamped down. I shouted in pain and jerked them out.
"Careful, boy!" Percival gripped Ansel's jaw and squeezed with thumb and fingers, forcing open the patient's mouth. He poured the liquid down Ansel's throat then pressed up on his chin to hold his mouth closed.
Ansel swallowed. Relaxed. His eyes closed and his breathing went back to normal.
"What happened?" Ambria asked.
"In case you hadn't noticed, the man isn't well," Percival said. "Now, I hope you got the answers you needed because I refuse to wake him again until I'm convinced he's much better."
"We're done here for now," I said.
"Once you bring in all those other coffins, I'll barely have time for anything," Percival said. "I hope they're easier to care for than Ansel. If only I knew more about healing demon-inflicted soul damage."
Ambria snapped her fingers. "What about Emily Glass's demonomicon?"
Percival quirked an eyebrow. "I thought that only contained information on demons."
"Well, it has all sorts of demon-related information." Ambria shrugged. "Perhaps it has something about countering demonic effects." She in the direction of the omniarch. "Conrad, can you open a portal inside the vault?"
"I think so." Anything that might help Percival heal Ansel and anyone we rescued was worth an extra trip. We walked down the corridor to the omniarch room. I envisioned the table my friends and I spent hours studying at and opened a portal directly to it, bypassing the need to enter the vault via the secret entrance in Moore Keep. Ambria flew her broom through the portal and vanished from view.
"How interesting." Percival peered through the gateway. "Is that a warehouse?"
"Something like that," I said.
Ambria returned moments later with several tomes in hand and gave them to Percival. "I grabbed all the books from her section."
Percival looked them over, excitement flaring in his eyes. "Fascinating. I'll let you know if I find anything useful."
My phone dinged. I flicked on the screen and found a message from Harris. Waiting in front of your house for a portal.
Max looked at my screen. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring them along? What if Harris decides to stab you in the back?"
"I don't trust him with my life, but I also don't think he'll try to kill me." I deactivated the portal to the vault and imagined the front of the house so I could open a portal there.
"I'm not letting him out of my sight," Max said. "Not even for a second."
I couldn't blame him, but we needed all the help we could get. I just hoped it didn't cost me my life.
Chapter 26
A portal winked open. The house at the corner of Dowling and Bucket appeared through the gateway. Harris, Baxter, and Lily squirmed nervously next to a glaring Sonia. Two stone gorillas towered behind them—apparently the utility golems Harris brought with him.
The moment the portal appeared, the kids rushed through, eager to escape the vampire's chilly stare, the stone gorillas stomping after them. Desmond stepped through after his sister and nodded at me. "We're fueled up on blood and ready to go."
I closed the portal and led the group toward the gauntlet room.
The newcomers stopped to look at the mansion, eyes wide.
"This is the underground Slade mansion?" Harris said, awe in his voice. "It's huge."
"Whoa." Baxter took a tentative step forward. "I heard there was no way to get here through the Burrows anymore."
"Perhaps we should move here," Sonia told her brother. "We wouldn't have to sleep in the basement anymore."
I cleared my throat. "We can talk about this later. We don't have much time before we have to leave."
Desmond patted my back. "Yes, of course, Conrad. Lead on."
I took them into the gauntlet room where Kanaan waited with the holographic map of the plan on display. Asha, Stan, and Natalia were already there. Shushiel hung from a thread overhead, drawing a sharp gasp from Sonia.
"You didn't mention giant bloody spiders!" The vampire backed up a step. "Where did you find that thing?"
Shushiel's mandibles twitched. "You are rude."
Ambria scowled at Sonia. "She's our friend."
"She's a giant bug!" Sonia shot back.
"She's deathly afraid of spiders," Desmond said with a faint smile.
"A vampire afraid of spiders?" Baxter burst into laughter. "That's so lame!"
Sonia's pale face turned pink. "I'm not afraid of anything." She folded trembling arms across her chest. "Not even your monster."
Shushiel dropped to the floor and sagged on her legs. "I'm not a monster."
Ambria hugged the spider. "I know. Sonia is just mean."
"Told you Sonia is trouble," Max whispered to me.
Sonia bared her fangs. "I heard that, little boy."
Max bared his plain teeth. "Yeah, well maybe you should be nicer!"
"If I didn't hate people so much, maybe I would be."
Kanaan held up a hand. "Quiet yourselves or leave. Our plan has no margin for error."
Desmond gripped Sonia's arm and whispered something in her ear. Her lips pressed into a tight line but she kept quiet. Desmond looked to Kanaan and nodded. The magitsu master zoomed in the map to an area marked with a portal icon. "This is how we shall proceed." He walked the additions to our group through the plan he'd detailed earlier, assigning everyone specific roles.
"Sonia and Desmond form loading group one. The utility golems will form group two." Kanaan turned to Harris. "Will you need to be present to issue commands to them?"
Harris nodded. "Yes, they won't accept commands from anyone else."
"We have twelve transport carpets." Kanaan pointed to rolled bundles on the floor. "As each one is loaded, group three will tow the carpets with flying brooms back through the portal to Shushiel who will unload them with webs and pulleys with the help of Stan." Max opened his mouth, presumably to ask who was in group three, but Kanaan spoke first. "Conrad, Ambria, Max, and you two"—he pointed at Lily and Baxter—"will form group three."
"What about me?" Asha said.
Stan jabbed a thumb against himself. "You're making me stay here? I think Shushiel can handle unloading coffins without me."
"Asha will join me to guard the others while they work." Kanaan zoomed in on the sandstone butte hiding the foundry and marked the two entrances on the north and south sides. The south entrance was the one we'd use to steal the coffins. "Natalia will guard the southern side. Asha and I will watch the back in case any battle mages approach."
Natalia frowned. "Why am I guarding the front? All the enemies will approach from the rear."
"Enemies could approach from any side." Kanaan circled the top of the buttes with a finger. "You can easily climb to the top of the rocks and watch from above."
"I would like to be there too," Shushiel said. "I cannot protect my friends if I'm here."
"With a group so small, every role is vital. The cargo must be unloaded quickly, which is why we need you here." Kanaan handed out dull gray pendants. "These are for communication. If I give the abort command, everyone at the foundry will immediately stop what they are doing and gather at the front door." He turned to Shushiel. "Should that happen, you must rush through the portal and be prepared to come to our aid."
Shushiel bounced up and down on her legs. "I will not let you down."
Sonia grimaced. "Grunt work. I can hardly wait."
Harris clenched his wand in a hand. "Can we destroy the compound? Kill all the enemy battle mages?"
"You're a little fool if you think we can fight over twenty battle mages," Sonia said.
"No," Kanaan said. "The odds are too great." He held up a red vial. "I created a blood potion that will scar the demon
pattern in the foundry and prevent it from working without extensive repair."
Harris reluctantly holstered his wand. "When do we leave?"
Kanaan checked a black armlet on his right wrist. "Victus, Zarin, and Garkin planned to leave thirty-nine minutes ago. I will scout ahead to make sure they have left."
"How long will that take?" Harris asked. "Can't we all go with you?"
"Patience, grasshopper." Kanaan looked around at the group. "I suggest you prepare while I am away." He left the room without another word.
Harris stared at the empty doorway for a moment before turning to the broom rack against the wall and choosing a broom for his part in our venture. Shushiel crawled over to us, her eight eyes large and full of concern. "I do not like you going without me."
Ambria touched her foreleg. "I don't either, but I think we'll be fine with Kanaan and Asha watching our backs."
"But I am much better at protecting you." Shushiel's mandibles trembled with agitation. "I can set webs and traps to warn of danger."
"I really would feel better with her around," Max said. "But since we need the vampires and the golems for loading, I guess there isn't anyone else strong enough to unload coffins by themselves."
"I know." I sighed and rubbed Shushiel's foreleg. "I think we'll be fine." I noticed the communications pendant affixed to her foreleg. "Just keep an ear out, okay?"
"I will be vigilant," she promised.
"Cute." Natalia strolled around Shushiel, her feline eyes narrow. "Your own guardian spider."
Shushiel rotated in place. "I am their friend."
Natalia nodded. "I think it's adorable how much you want to protect your friends." She looked at Stan. "Reminds me of him."
"Are there any other felycans back at his house who can help?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Two weeks ago, the answer would have been yes, but most of the older shifters found furever homes."
"Did you say 'fur'?" Ambria said.
"Yep." Natalia winked. "We call ourselves furkids."
"Interesting." Ambria quirked her lips with amusement. "I don't see how Stan keeps up with you all."
"He does his best." Natalia's lips stretched into a smile. "He's a good man with a big heart."
Max took a pouch from his backpack and emptied the contents on one of the healing beds. "I grabbed all my banana peel and brain fog potion bombs. I'm going to split them up so we each have a few, okay?"
"What a wonderful idea, Max." Ambria patted him on the back. "I'm glad to see you thought about something besides food."
Max narrowed his eyes. "I can't fight on an empty stomach."
"Hopefully we won't have to fight at all." I watched as Harris and crew prepared their brooms. I had no idea how they'd perform or if I could even trust them in a bad situation.
Natalia sidled up to me. "That boy carries around a lot of anger."
"Harris?" I said.
Max frowned. "How can you tell?"
"Body language." She nodded at him. "Whenever he looks at Conrad, his jaw clenches. His face turns pink. He has scars on his palms where his fingernails repeatedly cut into his skin." Natalia shrugged. "Small things like that."
Ambria's mouth dropped open. "Scars on his palms? Good lord, that's awful." She hooked her arm in mine. "Maybe he still wants to kill you."
Natalia looked back and forth between the two of us and smirked. "When you mentioned Victus, Harris nearly cut his hands again, but he forced himself to relax. I think Conrad is safe for now."
Lily walked over to us, Harris and Baxter trailing behind. "What are all these marbles, Max?"
"Potion bombs." He handed two yellow and two gray ones to her. "Throw the yellow ones on the floor if someone is chasing you. It'll make them slip." He held up a gray one. "This one will make them forget the last ten minutes."
"I'm glad to see you've turned lemons into lemonade, Max." Lily nudged him in the ribs. "Because you certainly aren't doing well in potions class."
Max rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha."
She rotated one of the marble-like potions bombs between thumb and forefinger. "Have you ever considered using these with a slingshot?"
Max's eyebrows rose. "Hey, that's a pretty good idea."
Harris held out a hand. "Have some for me?"
Max hesitated, then gave Harris and Baxter potion bombs. "Just be careful you don't throw them near allies."
"I'm not stupid, Max." Harris loaded the potions in the saddlebag on his hovering broom and looked toward the door impatiently. "How long 'til Kanaan is back?"
"I hope he takes as long as he needs," Ambria said. "This isn't a leisure trip, it's a mission. We can't afford for anything to go wrong."
"I've heard stories about you, Conrad." Harris sat on the edge of one of the empty patient beds in the makeshift healing ward. "About the strange silver girl you were seen with, and that you'd disappear for days at a time."
Ambria's arm tightened on mine. "We've been busy saving the world. If not for us, an evil queen would have taken over campus and destroyed us all."
"Talk about hyperbole," Natalia said. "What sort of nonsense are you going on about?"
"The truth." Shushiel's magically amplified voice rose in indignation. "The Glimmer Queen would have taken over this world."
"Exactly!" Max puffed out his chest. "We fought an evil queen and went to the ends of the world for an artifact that would restore the real ruler of the Glimmer. Now Cora is back in charge."
Baxter's face wrinkled with confusion. "What's the Glimmer?"
I held up a hand to stop Max from answering. "Maybe we should start from the beginning."
Harris's left eyelid twitched. "I'd like to hear everything." He worked his jaw back and forth, as if trying to loosen tight muscles.
"I would too." Lily perched on the bed next to Harris. "I heard about that woman who attacked people with vines, but everyone just assumed she was a powerful Arcane."
Max cleared away his potion bombs so I could sit on the bed. Ambria sat next to me and Natalia hopped on the other side before Max could, leaving my friend to stand. Asha and Stan approached, curious looks on their faces.
"What's this?" Stan asked. "It looks like someone is about to tell a story."
"How could you tell?" Ambria asked.
The old man winked. "Because I've seen that look on the faces of a hundred youngsters right before I tell them a story."
"Oh, it's story time for the children?" Sonia pulled Desmond behind her. "Who wants to hear about the little boy who lost all his blood?" She graced us with a wicked smile. "It's a wonderful tale with a happy ending."
Ambria snorted. "Oh, our stories are much more gruesome, Sonia."
Max dragged one of the other beds closer to ours despite Percival's protestations from the other side of the room.
"Put that back when you're finished!" the healer yelled.
Asha took a seat on the bed Max brought over. Stan and Sonia took seats, leaving my friend once again with no place to sit.
"What story are you telling, Conrad?" Asha asked.
I offered her a small smile. "Mine."
Her eyes flared. "I would very much like to hear it." She saw the sad look on Max's face and slid over to make room for him.
"It all started in a place called Little Angel Orphanage." I told them how my first few foster parents died in terrible accidents and how mean many were until I met the person who would shape me as a person: Cora. I told them how we'd lived with a man who abused her and how she'd killed him by pushing him down the stairs.
Lily grimaced. "What an awful childhood, Conrad."
I smiled wryly. "That was only the start." I continued with the story of how a man tried to kill me with a herd of animals, only to die by my hand when I hit him with a shovel. How that unintentional murder led me down a rabbit hole of adventure at Arcane University. My audience gasped when I told them how my parents came back to life and tried to kill me, but Ambria and Max rescued me.
Baxter
looked at Max, impressed. "Didn't think you had it in you, Tiberius."
"He has his moments," Ambria said.
Sonia pshawed. "I'm surprised any of them survived at all."
I finished telling that chapter of my life and was about to tell them how I met Evadora and learned Cora's true origins, but Kanaan seemingly appeared from nowhere.
Kanaan started without preamble. "The principal enemies have left and the other combatants in the compound are far from the foundry. It is time to start our operation."
I gulped and shared nervous looks with the others. Even Asha looked uncertain. This feeling was nothing new to me, but it never seemed to get any easier.
Lily laughed nervously. "I'm shaking like a leaf."
Ambria patted her arm. "I always get nervous before we do something dangerous even though I should be used to it by now."
Natalia stretched and put on a show of unconcern. "Just do your job and we'll all be fine."
"I wish it was that easy." Max ran a hand through his white-blond hair and sighed. "Once more into the breach."
I got my broom, checked my equipment and the group moved into the omniarch room where an open portal hovered between the columns, the derelict cottage visible on the other side. We filtered through in clusters until everyone stood in Montana.
Max gripped his wand and gave Lily a grim look. "Welcome to the danger zone."
Ambria face-palmed. "Oh, god."
Sonia stalked toward the cottage. "My, what a charming house."
Shushiel's mandibles twitched. "I will come with you and return with the first load of coffins."
Kanaan didn't object.
Stan hugged Asha. "Be careful, Ashes." He ruffled my hair. "Watch your back, Conrad."
"I will," my sister and I replied at the same time.
My sister. It was still so strange thinking of her that way. I hoped we survived this mission so I could get to know her better.
Chapter 27
We moved forward at the fastest walking pace the stone gorillas could muster while Kanaan and Asha scouted ahead. Shushiel took to the trees and shimmered into camouflage.