by Neo Edmund
“I think I understand now.” Red wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I knew you would come to your senses, dear sister.”
Red stood up. “I understand that you are not my sister.”
Ice frowned. “Red, don’t say such things. You’ll hurt my feelings.”
Red pointed to the fallen knights near the door. “You would use the power to do terrible things.”
Ice clenched her teeth. “That is simply not true.”
“I killed tonight in self-defense. You killed those men in cold blood,” Red said.
“Don’t push me,” Ice warned, eyes narrowing.
“You’re a monster. That makes you my enemy,” Red said.
“I am so sorry to hear you say that, Red.”
“I’m not sorry that I said it, Ice.”
“I was going to let you live after I took the power from you.”
“I wouldn’t let you have it if my life depended on it.”
“The bad news for you is that your life does depend on it, Red Riding.”
Red took a fighting stance. “Then bring it on, Ice Seether.”
Chapter 14
“I’m waiting, Ice Seether. Show me what you’ve got.”
In the center of the ballroom floor, Red and Ice stood face-to-face in a chilling stare-down. An intense mystical force flowed through Red’s body that she both loved and feared, empowering her. There was nothing more she wanted than to knock the smug expression right off Ice’s face. She held no delusions that battling Ice would be easy, but something inside told her that she could win this fight.
“Do you take me for a fool, Red Riding?” Ice raised her scepter high. It began glowing with mystical energy. “I’m not going to lower myself to such primal tactics.”
“Oh, no.” Red looked down and saw that the choker Ice had given her was now illuminated with a pulsing purple glow. It was clear why Ice had made such a scene over her at the party. “It was all just a trick to get this thing around my neck.”
“Don’t be getting all egocentric now. The party was also to celebrate my rise as the new Alpha Huntress of Wayward,” Ice said.
“There’s no way that’s going to happen.” Red said.
“If you won’t give over the power willingly, I will rip it out of you.”
Red flopped to the floor, limp “Hey, how did you do that?” she protested as she struggled to stand.
“Dear Red, if you want to stand, all you have to do is ask.” Ice waved her scepter.
A mystical force pulled Red to her feet like a puppet on strings. With her body dangling, she strained with all her will but was unable to control her own movements. “Let me go, you freaking psycho witch.”
“That’s not a nice way to speak to your hostess.” Ice again waved her scepter. “Perhaps you would like to dance for my amusement.”
Red’s limbs flailed around in a creepy dance. She strained with all her might, but could not control her own body. “You’re starting to get on my last nerve, Ice Seether.”
“Now, Red, don’t go hurting yourself. We’re just getting started.” Ice lowered her scepter, causing Red to fall limp to the floor.
“Ice, when I get this thing off my neck, you are so going down.”
“Give it up. I always win.” Ice strutted toward the stairs and called, “Now bring me the dodo bird.”
“Oh, no. Dote.” Red said.
At the top of the stairs, Mia and her three sidekicks were dragging Dote in from another room. They had her arms bound behind her back with rope.
“Let go of me,” Dote demanded. “I’ll have you know, I’m an honored guest.”
Red growled. “You leave her out of this, Ice.”
“Believe me, there is nothing I would like better than to get this dodo bird out of my palace. For the record, it is your fault she’s here to begin with,” Ice said.
“Red, don’t worry about me,” Dote said. “I know what she wants. You can’t give it to her.”
“What are you trying to pull here, Ice?” Red asked.
“This is my way of giving you one last chance to make this easy on yourself. Play nice, so I won’t have to hurt your little dodo pet. And don’t think for a second I wouldn’t get great pleasure out of squeezing the life out of a member of the Shrine Clan,” Ice said.
“What would I have to do?” Red asked.
“Just a harmless little ritual. You probably won’t feel a thing,” Ice said.
“How about you let Dote go, and I’ll consider it.”
“How about I have my girls shove the little dodo bird headfirst down the stairs.”
Mia pushed Dote right to the edge of the stairs. Red could hear Dote whimper in fear.
“Wait, don’t hurt her,” Red cried out.
“Then agree to do exactly as I tell you,” Ice said.
Red gave Ice a suspicious glare. “Why are you trying so hard to get me to agree to play along?”
“I already told you. I’m trying to make this easy on you.”
“I think you’re lying. If you could just take the power, you would have done it already. I think you need me to willingly give it over,” Red said.
Mia held Dote closer to the edge.
Ice giggled. “Are you prepared to gamble your little pet’s life?”
Dote shook her head, urging Red not to do it.
“I don’t have to,” Red said. “If you hurt her, I’ll never give you what you want.”
Ice grabbed Red and glared into her eyes. “This has gone on long enough. I want the Alpha Power. You are going to give it to me, or you’re both going to die.”
“Not gonna happen. If you could take it by killing me, I’m betting I’d be belly up already,” Red said.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Red Riding. I’m going to win this one way or another. I will have the Alpha Power, or nobody will.”
Ice waved her scepter. Red’s arms wrapped around her own body and began squeezing. The force was so strong she couldn’t get a single breath.
“NO!” Dote shouted.
Dote’s eyes began to glow bright white. Her hands radiated mystical energy that caused the ropes binding her to burn to dust. She held out her palm toward Mia and blasted her away with a vortex of energy.
Naoki lunged at Dote, but Dote blasted her away with another burst. Dote turned to Suki and Yuki and gave them a dangerous glare. The two girls didn’t hesitate to leap over the railing and drop onto the ballroom floor.
Dote stomped down the staircase. Her eyes were swirling with mystical energy. “Ice Seether, you will release my friend, or you will be destroyed.” Her voice had an eerie tone that echoed throughout the ballroom.
Grinning with amusement, Ice looked to Red. “The little dodo bird has got some of the Shrine family spunk in her. Just wait until the day she snaps and goes off like a cuckoo clock.”
Ice aimed her scepter at Dote and fired a blast of purple energy. Dote raised her hands and put up a protective mystical barrier, deflecting the shot. She countered by firing a vortex from her hands.
The force knocked Ice down and caused her to drop her scepter. As Ice reached for it, Dote fired another energy vortex, knocking it away. The scepter slid into the wall, hitting hard enough to shatter one of its glowing gems.
Red fell limp to the floor and gasped to get air into her lungs.
The energy vortex blocking the entry door faded away.
Dote stumbled to her knees, gasping in exhaustion.
“I will make you suffer for this insolence.” Ice raised her arms and transformed into a werewolf with bleached-white fur and glowing purple eyes.
Mia, Naoki, Suki, and Yuki, raced down the stairs and joined Ice. They too transformed into their werewolf forms.
“Now, let’s see where this goes,” Ice said.
Red stumbled to her feet and limped over to Dote. “We have to get out of here.”
Dote was still gasping from exhaustion. “I’m sorry I can’t help more. Using such powerful sp
ellcraft is exhausting.”
“You did great. We’ll figure something out,” Red said.
Ice and her four elite guards advanced on Red and Dote.
“It was a valiant effort,” Ice said. “But your path ends here, Red Riding.”
“Dote, stand behind me,” Red said as they backed away toward the entry door.
Dote took up position behind Red. She squeezed her hands together, trying to conjure more mystical power, but she didn’t have a bit of energy left.
“Last chance, Red,” said Ice. “Speak now, or forever rest in peace.”
“Red, don’t give in to her,” Dote said. “It will be much worse if she gets what she wants.”
Ice rolled her eyes in irritation and looked to Mia. “Let’s do away with the little dodo witch and let Red watch her beg for mercy.”
“So help me, Ice, if you hurt her.” Red dashed toward Ice, but Mia and her three counterparts tackled her all at once, each subduing one of her limbs, and then pinning her to the floor.
Ice stalked toward Dote with a malicious grin. “I do hope you enjoyed the party, little miss Shrine.”
“Stay away from me, Ice Seether.” Dote raised her hands to fire a vortex. Still nothing came.
Ice giggled. “All out of bling, little witch? That’s too bad. I would have enjoyed a bit more struggle.” She grabbed Dote with one hand and raised her clawed hand to slash down.
“Unhand her, you foul beast.” a valiant male voice called out.
Red looked over to see Prince standing in the entryway with his rapier at the ready.
Ice sighed in irritation. “Prince De’Mere. What could you possibly be doing here?”
Dote gasped in awe. “He sure is pretty.”
Prince advanced toward Ice. “I am a bloodline member of the royal order known far and wide as the Knights of the Alpha. We stand as the proud protectors of the Alpha Huntress.”
“Prince, get out of here!” Red shouted. “It’s too dangerous!"
“Nonsense, my Huntress. I would never abandon you in your hour of need.” Prince pointed his rapier toward Ice. “Ice of the Seether Clan, prepare to feel the cold steel of my blade.”
“You have got to be kidding yourself,” Ice said. “I know full well that the Knights of the Alpha were hunted down and put to death as punishment for crimes against our lord and master, Ragnarok.”
Prince straightened, tall and proud. “You say that, yet here I stand, one of many who have carried on the loyal traditions of our sacred order.”
“That will be corrected shortly, starting with you.” Ice looked to her four elite guards. “Will one of you get rid of him already?”
“This has to be a dream.” Red tried to comprehend the circumstances that had led her from being a lonely orphan girl to this moment only days later. It felt silly to think of such a thing in an hour of great peril, but she couldn’t get the thought out of her mind.
Prince fearlessly stood his ground as Mia dashed toward him. He stood unmoving as she leaped high and slashed a claw at him. At the last second, he sidestepped and swung his sword in a flash, hacking Mia’s hand off at the wrist.
Mia screamed in rage and collapsed to her knees, clutching her wounded arm. Her three companions were so furious that they dropped Red and advanced on Prince.
“You are so going to die for that.” Ice shoved Dote aside.
Prince raised his weapon, showing no fear. “Which of you is next?”
“I am,” a masculine voice called out.
Without looking, Red knew who it belonged to. The mysterious rider strutted down the grand staircase. He was wearing ripped jeans and a leather jacket without a shirt underneath, surely with the intention of showing off his rippled abs.
“What the holy heck is he doing here?” Dote said.
“You mean you know who he is?” Red asked.
“Everybody in Wayward knows who he is,” Dote said.
Ice snarled in rage. “Wolfgang Helheim, I distinctly recall warning you of the grave consequences you would face if I was ever forced to lay eyes on you again.”
Wolfgang approached Ice with a smug grin. “Ice, now don’t go getting like that. I know you miss me. I see the manic desire flickering in those crazed purple eyes.”
“Your name is Wolfgang?” Red belted this out like it was the weirdest thing she had ever heard.
Wolfgang shrugged. “Now you see why I didn’t tell you before.”
“I see you two have met already,” Ice said.
Dote looked to Red. “You met him already? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s a long story, Dote.”
Prince held his sword up high. “Declare your allegiance, Wolfgang of the Helheim Clan. Friend or foe?”
“None of the above to you, pretty boy. I’m only here to bail the redhead out of her little jam,” Wolfgang said.
“Then for now that we are comrades-in-arms,” Prince said.
Wolfgang shrugged. “Whatever makes you feel better about it.”
Ice screeched out. “This is getting irritating. Anybody else want to crash my party?”
“Excuse me.” At the entryway, Ash peered into the room. “Hate to interrupt. Anyone looking for a way out of here had best follow me.”
Red looked to Ash. “Didn’t I tell you to go home?”
Prince called to Wolfgang. “Get the Alpha Huntress to safety. I will hold them off.”
“Sounds good to me,” Wolfgang said.
Red flailed her arms in irritation. “Don’t I have a say in this?”
Prince raised his rapier and charged at Naoki, Suki, and Yuki. He unleashed a rapid series of attacks that forced them to retreat in haste. “I will smite thee in the name of the Alpha Huntress.”
Red and Dote held one another up as they limped toward the entryway.
“We need to get out of this nuthouse,” Red said.
“I had a feeling coming here was going to lead to something like this,” Dote said.
“Nice, Dote. Glad you decided to wait until now to tell me that.” Red glanced back to see Wolfgang and Ice were circling each other in a stone cold stare down.
Ice snarled. “I warned you to never come here again, Wolfgang Helheim.”
“Get over it, princess. You’re too high and mighty to be playing the jaded ex routine. I think a rematch is in order.”
“Quite overdue.”
Wolfgang raised his fists and transformed into a werewolf. He howled and gestured for Ice to attack. Ice roared and lunged at him. The two exchanged a mêlée of powerful grappling blows.
Red could hardly believe her eyes. “Is there anybody in this town who isn’t a werewolf?”
“I’m not,” Dote said. “Ash sure as heck isn’t, either.”
Ash grumbled. “Dote, you don’t have to keep rubbing that in all the time.”
“Sorry.”
Red looked back and saw that Prince had Naoki, Suki, and Yuki well under control.
“Red, you could have grabbed my jacket,” Ash whined.
“We’ll buy you a new one,” Dote said.
“Sure. It’s just a family heirloom,” Ash muttered.
“One last thing before we go.” Dote grabbed the amulet around Red’s neck and closed her eyes. “Release.” A flash of mystical energy sparked out as she pulled it off Red. She dropped the amulet and slumped in exhaustion.
Red took a deep breath. “Thanks, Dote, I needed that.”
“Just promise not to put on any more strange amulets until I check them out first,” Dote said.
“Will do. Alpha’s honor.”
“We need to get out of here,” Ash said. “It’s now or never.”
“What about Wolfgang?” Red looked back and saw Ice and Wolfgang exchanging a mêlée of punches and kicks with a trio guards. He effortlessly blocked and countered their every strike with impressive skill.
Ash bitterly clenched his teeth. “Trust me. That guy can hold his own in a fight.”
With one arm around As
h and the other around Dote, the three friends fled from the grand ballroom. As much as Red wanted to make sure Wolfgang was going to be okay, she had to get Ash and Dote to safety. She knew there wasn’t much chance of protecting them if anybody else showed up to pick a fight.
Chapter 15
“We’ve gotta get out of here sooner than later, or we’re totally doomed,” Ash said.
Red, Ash, and Dote dashed down the long corridor leading away from Ice’s grand ballroom. The wounds Red had taken during the battle were starting to throb and ache. Her ribs were going to be sore for some time after the crushing they took at the hands of Ice’s vile spellcraft.
At the moment, her only concern was getting Ash and Dote safely out of the palace. She just could not endure the thought of something bad happening to them.
“Ash, didn’t I tell you to go home?” Red said.
“Consider yourself darn fortunate that I never listen to a thing you tell me, or you would never have gotten out of this mess.”
“So what happens now?” Dote asked.
“We make a break for the sewers and hope they don’t catch us before we get there,” Ash said.
“The sewers?” Red and Dote said in unison.
“Yes, the sewers. Unless you know a better way,” Ash said.
For the next few minutes, Ash led Red and Dote through a series of hallways and doorways that only one totally familiar with the layout of the house could follow. Along the way, they snuck by several guard posts and even maneuvered around a couple of hidden ones.
“I can’t believe anybody could have such a massive house,” Red said.
“It’s over a half-mile from end to end and has hundreds of rooms,” Ash said.
“And from the look of it, enough priceless junk to fill a museum,” Dote said.
Ash led Red and Dote down a hidden staircase that the servants used to get in and out of the house. He explained, “The Seethers designed the palace so their servants can come and go without ever being seen. Not that many of them ever leave. In the basement there’s a huge living area. The estate even has a greenhouse and cattle stable to assure that outside food is never needed.”
“Ash, you sound like a tour guide,” Red said.
“You did say I should show you around sometime.”