Knox and I exchange a long and determined look. We don’t exchange a word, but I know we’re on the same page here. Rising, I address the room. “Here’s the thing. For thousands of years, people like us have searched for the fountain of magic. Now, the fountain is right here. Maybe we were herded to this spot, but I’m not going to sit around. It’s time to stop running from the Shadowvin. Once we find the fountain, we’ll have the power in this situation.” I scan Elle and Alec’s faces. “What do you guys think?”
Elle lifts her chin. “Bry is right. I say we go for the fountain.”
Alec mock-sighs. “I still wish cable were an option, but I’m in, too.”
I look to Knox. “You know this place best. What’s the fastest way to check everything out?”
Knox stands and wipes dust off his jeans. “There are four villas in this area.” He rubs his neck. “They’re all warded, but you never know how those spells have held up over time.”
“Meaning?” asks Alec.
“We shouldn’t split up. Let’s all start by looking around this villa. If memory serves, it’s got about a dozen rooms.” He turns to me. “Any place in particular where you want to start?”
I shift my weight from foot to foot. All of a sudden, there’s no question which place I want to check out. “The bathroom?”
“Sure.” He hitches his thumb over his shoulder. “Down the hall on the right.”
Elle and Alec tear open a half-collapsed wooden chest, and Alec lifts a sheet of paper. “Check this out,” calls Alec. “Knox, your parents disappeared in the Yukon, didn’t they?”
Knox pauses. “Yeah. Why?”
“There are some old plans in here from Jules. Yukon is all over them. What are the chances?”
“I’ll take a look.” Knox turns to me. “You good, yeah?”
“I’ve been going the bathroom for a long time, Knox. I’ll be fine.”
Knox rushes over to kneel beside Elle and Alec. Together, the three of them begin poring over piles of documents. I find the nastiest bathroom in the history of ever, but at least, the toilet has some greenish water in it. I do my business, glad there’s a little toilet paper left for some reason.
I’m heading down the hallway to the main room when I hear it.
A little girl’s laughter.
I stop by a rickety door that swings open on its single hinge. Outside, there stands a little girl covered in a pale gray cloak.
Child Me. And I’m awake.
“I found you!” she cries. “Now, follow me to the temple.”
With that, Child Me takes off for the tree line. The forest flexes, like it’s inhaling in time with my own breathing.
But is this a dream?
Or am I awake?
The girl disappears into the forest, and suddenly, I know one thing for certain. This time, I simply can’t let her get away.
I take off after her at a run.
Chapter 26
It’s a short run through the forest. Every time I get within a few yards of Child Me, she rushes ahead, always out of reach. Within seconds, she rushes from a cluster of trees and into a clearing. I follow and pause, my breath coming in rough gasps. I’ve got shifter strength and stamina, but after today, I’m wondering if I need to get back into Pilates.
Before me stands a small temple nestled in the clearing’s center. It’s a round structure, about twenty feet high and just as wide. All the columns are cracked. At one time, the temple’s roof must’ve been a white dome. It’s smashed in now, like an egg that got hit with a spoon. Low scrub grass surrounds the ruin. A few spindly olive trees stand around it, reminding me of lonely sentinels.
More laughter sounds. This time, it’s definitely coming from inside the temple.
Child Me. She’s here.
With slow steps, I march down the hill and into the temple itself. The moment I move inside, I notice the smooth stone walls appear to be breathing. It’s just like when I saw the forest. This typically happens before I have a night vision.
Am I dreaming while I’m awake now?
No matter. I’ve gotten this close, and Child Me is inside the temple. No matter what the question, I know one thing.
She has all the answers.
I step inside the ruined structure. Once inside, I find the place is almost bare. At one time, there were markings on the walls. Quite possibly, these were paintings, but they’re now all faded beyond recognition. Or rather, I might be able to figure them out if I really looked closely, but I can only focus on the center of the temple floor.
The girl is standing there.
The child is a mess of knobby knees and bony arms, all wrapped up in a Roman toga. She appears to be about six years old. But that’s not what’s most remarkable about her.
No, that would be her golden skin, silver wings, and long red hair that glistens like rubies.
Within my soul, my inner wolf pauses, tilting her head. She’s as curious as I am. “How can that be you?”
“I don’t know.” For some reason, I can only stare at the girl.
“Ask her,” urges my wolf. “Go on.”
I take a half-step closer. “Who are you?”
“A memory,” says the child. Her voice is like tiny bells ringing. “I’m a wish that never was.” She gestures to the box under my arm. “And it’s all because of that bad thing.”
I lift the Codex Mechanica. “Do you mean this?”
“That’s horrible.” Looking up, she starts clapping wildly. “Oh, look! He’s here, too!”
The interior of the temple darkens. For a moment, I worry that the Shadowvin have returned, but I dismiss the idea. Those creatures drip darkness down the walls in a way that reminds me of paint. Whatever is causing this shadow, it’s big enough to block out the sun. What could do that?
A moment later, I have my answer.
A black-scaled dragon dips its head through the break in the roof.
I run forward. Out of reflex, I want to protect the little girl from the dragon. However, the child’s reaction is the exact opposite. She bobs on her tiptoes and reaches for the dragon’s head as if the creature were a long-lost friend. Once the dragon is close enough, the girl wraps her arms around its muzzle. Since the dragon is so huge, the child can only grasp a small part of its chin.
“What did I tell you?” asks the dragon. “You can’t go running off from me like that.”
All the air seems to get sucked from my lungs. The walls of the temple bow out and in faster, like the very chamber is breathing more quickly. There’s no mistaking that dragon.
It’s Colonel Mallory.
The girl pats the massive dragon scales with her tiny hand. “I just wanted to go outside and play.”
“But you can’t, now, can you, honey? Do you remember why?”
The child shivers. “The man in the mask. He can’t find me.”
The room rattles on its foundation. Bits of stone tumble from the sides of the open ceiling. The girl and dragon disappear. A familiar voice echoes around me.
“Bry, wake up!”
That’s Knox.
It takes an effort, but somehow, I open my eyes. Knox kneels beside me. I’m inside the temple, curled up on the floor. The Codex Mechanica rests on the ground beside me.
“What happened?” I ask.
“You weren’t answering your cell,” says Knox. His skin looks extra pale. A thin sheen of sweat covers his features. “I got worried.”
“I ran in here.” Blinking hard, I check out the room. It looks just as it did a moment ago—all round walls and faded paint. My body feels different, though. Every muscle aches as if I ran a marathon.
Huh. Maybe I did.
“Yeah,” says Knox. “I found you here, passed out on the floor.”
“Did you see anyone else along the way?” Some small part of me hopes Knox saw the little girl—or at least Colonel Mallory in dragon form.
“There was just Alec and Elle behind me,” answers Knox. “What’s this all about, Bry?”<
br />
It takes some doing, but I force myself to sit up. “I walked in here and thought I saw … something. Someone, actually. But maybe it’s the stress of everything. It’s those strange dreams I get again.”
Knox eyes me carefully. “The ones you told me about? Those dreams with the little girl?”
“They always start off with the little girl, but they end with the Shadowvin and the Void. This time, it was a little different. When I walked into the temple, I saw—”
At that moment, Elle and Alec step inside the temple, panting for breath. Evidently, they ran here, too. All of a sudden, the pair starts cheering their heads off.
“You did it!” cries Elle. “I knew you would.”
I squint at her. “What do you mean?”
Alec points behind me. “The fountain,” he says. “You found it.”
My eyes stretch so wide, I’m surprised they don’t fall out of my head. “I did?”
Knox nods. “When I came in, I saw you passed out and rushed over to you. I didn’t really care about anything else.” He glances behind me. “But, yeah, Elle and Alec are right. That sure looks like part of a geyser.”
Little by little, I crane my neck to look at whatever is hidden behind my back. Sure enough, I find a large cone-shaped rock waiting in the center of the temple floor, right where the girl had just stood. I rise to stand on shaky legs. It looks just like the geyser from my trip to the past. The sides are streaked in red, gold, and silver.
Every cell in my body seems to freeze.
This is it.
At last.
The fountain.
“You’re right,” I say slowly. “It’s here.”
This is everything I’ve been looking for. I run my hand over the mottled stone. Layers of magic have colored its surface. This is definitely the fountain. I should be cheering for joy, same as Elle and Alec. In the end, I can only muster one sensation.
This feels wrong.
All of it.
And to top it off, Knox is looking sicker than ever. His muscle tone is fading by the second. Now, his shirt hangs loose on his newly bony frame. The ice-blue of his eyes has faded to an almost gray. No question about it.
This is killing him. My throat closes with held-in sobs. Inside my soul, my wolf whimpers in mourning. Back in New York, Knox said he only had a few days left. Am I playing with his life by being close to him?
It’s not just that he’s dying; it’s that I’m what’s killing him.
Chapter 27
Something is wrong. I’ve found the fountain of magic, but it’s off somehow. Perhaps Jules made a copy just to screw with people? It seems like something he would do. I pull the partly assembled Codex Mechanica out from under my arm and hold it before me.
“Is this truly the fountain of magic?” I ask.
The innards of the machine whir as the discs spin and spell out a reply. Knox leans in for a better look. Every time the discs pause, Knox reads the glyphs that appear on the box’s lid. “The fountain of magic … in Julius Caesar’s home … inside the ruined temple.” His ice-blue gaze locks with mine. “Why did you ask that, Bry?”
I shiver. “Something about this feels off. I thought this might be a decoy.”
Knox gives me one of his chin nods. “I get you. This whole thing is wrong.”
Alec throws up his hands in frustration. “I can’t believe this! The two of you faced down Ty, got here, faced down the Shadowvin, and found the fountain of magic … and not without a ton of expert help from me and Elle, I might add.” He focuses on Knox. “This is everything we’ve always wanted. You and I …” Alec motions between himself and Knox. “We can’t get married without this.”
Elle steps forward. Her blue eyes never looked wider with wonder. “I thought you didn’t want to settle down.”
Alec shoots her the quickest of glances. “Not today, but …” A blush colors his cheeks.
My inner wolf snaps to attention. “Alec would like to make Elle his mate,” she says in my head. “They should have a ceremony and cubs.”
I’d roll my eyes, but that would look pretty out of place to everyone else in the temple. My wolf and cubs. It’s her favorite topic lately.
“Most guys don’t want to settle down at eighteen,” explains Knox. “But Alec and me? Wardens like us live for hundreds of years. That’s a long time to be without a home and family. We want the choice to have a future with someone.” He gives Alec a sideways look. “Even so, that doesn’t mean we should jump into trouble.”
“Tell that to my parents,” says Alec. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they cast some kind of spell that alerted them if I got within two yards of the fountain of magic. They’ll freak if they know I found it and walked away. They want an heir yesterday.” He gives Elle another nanosecond-long glance. “Not that I have to get married today or anything. People might have complex issues that need to get worked out first.”
Knox and I share a look. We’ve talked about how obvious it is that Elle and Alec like each other. We’ve also discussed the total bummer about Elle’s stepfamily. Love is a kind of magic. The way Elle was magically hidden has certain limits. Elle can’t cast too many spells, or it will send out a magical signature to her stepfamily. Plus, there’s no greater magic than love. If Elle kisses someone she cares about—especially that first kiss—that’ll send out the mother of all magical signatures. Elle might as well show up at her stepfamily’s doorstep and say, I’m still alive! Imprison me now!
Long story short, it’s better for her to avoid a relationship with Alec at all costs, at least for now.
Even so, the whole train of thought barrels into a realization. Alec and Knox have spent years searching for the very thing in this room. The least I can do is make sure we explore it thoroughly. Any piece of information could be critical someday.
I hold up the Codex Mechanica again and speak directly to it. “How do we activate the fountain?” I ask.
The discs whir once more. Again, Knox reads the glyphs as they appear on the box’s top. “Find the last disc. Inside the fountain. Fully reassemble the device.”
Alec leans over the geyser’s top and peers inside. “The machine is right. The red disc is right inside here.”
I carefully set down the Codex Mechanica. Although my legs suddenly feel boneless, I can still somehow stand and peer inside the geyser’s top as well. Sure enough, there’s the red disc, resting on one of the small natural ledges on the inner channel. The realization appears in my mind.
Someone set this thing here.
Why?
I glance over to Knox. “This is more of a setup.”
“Yeah,” he says. “We’ve been herded along for a while now.” He rubs his neck in a worried rhythm. “Honestly? I don’t know if we should take off or see it through.”
The red disc pulses with the faintest crimson light. “I don’t know, either.”
A voice echoes from across the temple. “Plop, slop, boil, and chop! I’m just in time to make you stop.”
A shiver of awareness moves up my limbs. I’d know that particular kind of singsong crazy anywhere. Turning, I find exactly who I expected.
“Reggie?” I ask.
“Reggie!” Alec snarls.
Knox sighs. “Great, Reggie.”
For his part, our zombie-mummy visitor skip-walks toward us. Reggie looks exactly as he did in the airport: three-piece suit, fedora, and that manic gleam in his eyes that says, Hello, I’m magically unhinged.
Reggie pauses beside the fountain and waves in turn to me, Knox, Alec, and Elle. “Mend, bend, toil, and wend. I’m here today as your best friend!”
Elle takes a half-step backward. “What?” The last time my bestie saw any Denarii, she was shooting them with a magical seed gun. Long story. All in all, my best friend is clearly not pleased that Reggie decided to show up.
“Don’t worry,” I explain. “Colonel Mallory asked Reggie to keep an eye on me. So it’s okay that he dropped by. Maybe.”
Ell
e raises her hand. “I’m still worried.”
“Whisk, frisk, death, and risk. Whatever you do, don’t touch that disc.” Reggie smiles broadly.
Ugh. He really thinks he’s helping here.
“You know,” says Alec. “When the Shadowvin were herding us to this very point, I might have thought twice about grabbing that disc. But if Reggie is saying we shouldn’t touch it? We definitely need to grab this thing.” Alec leans over the edge of the geyser’s mouth and scoops up the disc.
Reggie frowns. “Show, go, halt, and flow. Listen now when I say no!”
Alec turns to me and offers the disc. “I want to go back to my life,” he says. “So do all of us. What do you say, Bry? Assemble that thing and find out what we have to do to protect the fountain? I’m not even saying activate it. Just keep it away from the Void.”
For a long moment, I stare at the disc in Alec’s hand. “You make a good point.” Turning, I focus on Reggie. “Sorry, bud. No matter what the Colonel says, I don’t really trust you.” My gaze shifts between Knox and Elle. “What do you guys think?”
“Pop the thing into the thing,” says Elle.
Knox gives me a chin nod. “I’m with them.”
After flipping the latches on the sides, I open the box. Knox swipes the red disc from Alec and fits it into the device’s inner workings. I snap the lid closed.
“Now you’ve done it!” cries Reggie. He must be really upset, because he’s stopped speaking in rhymes. “You leave me no choice!” Turning on his heel, Reggie pointedly stomps his way out of the temple. For a long moment, I try to brainstorm what Reggie is really up to. He can’t be giving up on magic. The undead dude’s life depends on it.
Then again, this is Reggie here. Who know why he does anything?
Alec gives him a sarcastic wave. “Goodbye, buddy! Thanks for escaping from prison and giving us all a heart attack for a month.”
I rub my shin. “What do you think he meant by You leave me no choice?”
“Who knows?” Alec rolls his eyes a full three hundred and sixty. “Reggie is certifiable. Any time spent trying to interpret his singsong nonsense is a waste.”
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