by Ioana Visan
“Can you feel her?” Vale asked.
Rafe placed his hand on Alise’s arm. “I sure do.” He nodded. “I just don’t know where she is.”
It was surprising because the amount of magic used to create the repelling force should have been like a beacon of light in the darkness, taking them straight to her or, at least, to the source that kept her imprisoned.
As they approached the buildings, the repelling force got stronger, like a shallow curtain wrapped around the stone walls.
“Which one?” Rafe asked, looking from one entrance to the other.
The library being closer, Vale started that way. Shrugging, Rafe walked towards the university, still holding onto Alise’s arm. His grasp on her tightened as they dodged between groups of students, but there was no danger of losing her. She easily kept up with him by squeezing through the space left by his large shoulders as he opened the way.
The consistency of the air became thicker and vibrated around them when they approached the main entrance. Why didn’t anybody else notice? It always puzzled Alise. But humans were insensitive when it came to magic. Rafe took another step forward and reached out with his hand to cross the threshold, but it bounced back as if it had hit a wall.
“It doesn’t let me pass,” he said.
She had a feeling it would have let her pass, so she quickly took a step back. She didn’t want to go inside. Part of her didn’t want to face Gorem again, not even for Cassie. Rafe turned to look down the street, and she followed his gaze. Vale was coming out of the library. She didn’t understand the signals they exchanged, but Vale walked down the front steps and came to them.
The library was a quiet place and, therefore, the obvious location where Cassie could have easily been hidden. Unfortunately, Gorem didn’t always go for the most obvious choice. He liked to complicate things. That was what made him such a strong opponent—there was always a catch. It was how he won all his battles. So what was it this time?
The pain hit her without warning, a deafening scream threatening to pierce her eardrums. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, Alise fell down on her knees. She clutched her temples while the world distanced itself from her.
“It’s all right. She just found out she failed her exam. She’s fine.” Rafe’s voice came from far away. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the pedestal of the statue where he set her down. “Alise, what is it?” He brushed the hair away from her face.
She stared at him as if he wasn’t there, the scream still echoing inside her head.
“What happened?” Vale panted, having finally caught up with them.
“I don’t know. She collapsed,” Rafe said, and he lowered his head to look into her eyes. “Alise?”
Chapter Fifteen
The pain ended as abruptly as it had started. Cassie gasped and pressed her hands to her throat, searching for blood or burns. There was none. The flames had vanished, along with the pain and her courage. She wanted to disappear. But she couldn’t, not while Fabian was there. They were still alone in the room, if she didn’t count the passing specters. One of them walked away from the main group and approached the window at the opposite end of the room.
“I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you,” Fabian said. The Wizard stood by one of the clouded windows, looking like he could actually see outside. Chances were, he probably could.
“What was that then?” Cassie gasped.
“Persuasion,” Fabian said without looking at her. “It’s more effective, and I don’t have to waste any energy to heal you in between.”
Cassie’s lower lip trembled when faced with the idea that there was going to be more of that. She whimpered, close to crying. “Why are you doing this?”
“You know why.”
“Gorem wants Alise dead.”
“Well…” Fabian looked over his shoulder at her and frowned. “She was meant to survive, but she wasn’t supposed to disappear. He wants her back.”
It sounded so simple. “And he won’t stop until he gets her,” Cassie murmured. Like all bad guys from fairytales. Who else would chop off the wings of a Fairy?
“Exactly.” Fabian turned around and gave her a somber smile. “So, it’d be better not to get in the way, don’t you think?”
But she was already in the way. She was trapped at their mercy, and she didn’t want Alise to suffer, either. She didn’t see a way out of this situation.
The specter moved to the next window, ignoring them both.
“Why me?” she whispered.
“Because she has a debt to you.”
Cassie gave him a puzzled look. “She doesn’t owe me anything.”
Fabian made an impatient gesture with his hand, but he took the time to explain, “You might think so, but when we cross over, if a human helps us, we are required to return the favor. It’s a matter of…” He glanced at the ceiling, trying to find the right word, “balance, if you will. Now that you’re in danger, Alise will do everything in her power to save you. As a healing Fairy, it goes against her nature to let you be tortured and have other awful things done to you.” He smirked a little. “She will get those two Guardians involved, too, which is most unfortunate, but we will deal with it. In fact, they’re already here.” His smirk widened. “Ready for round two?”
Cassie shuddered. “Here? Where are we?” she asked, hoping to buy some time.
“You don’t recognize this place?” Fabian gestured around, surprised. “I suppose it’s a bit dusty and old, but… Come on. You’ve been here before, even if not in this century.”
Not in this century? Startled by the words, Cassie looked around—really looked. Through narrowed eyes, she imagined the place the way it might have looked in another era, and then she saw it. “Oh, my God We’re in the university’s main hall. But where is everyone?” She had never seen the hall so deserted.
Fabian grinned. “Not here.” He turned back to the window, smiled, and murmured, “Be prepared. Any minute now…”
A few steps away from them, the specter finished inspecting the windows and headed to the door. As he passed by, Cassie could have sworn he had winked at her.
Chapter Sixteen
“Hey. Look at me!”
Rafe’s hands holding onto her shoulders, shaking her, made Alise snap out of her daze. “What? He’s torturing Cassie. What’s so hard to understand?” She glared at him.
“He’s doing it to get your attention,” Vale said.
“Well, he succeeded,” she muttered and slid off the pedestal. She didn’t stagger, but Rafe’s arm went around her waist to support her.
“There are too many people here,” he said. “Let’s go around back. There must be another entrance there.” He steered her gently as if she were so fragile, he could break her just by touching her.
Trying not to make the move too obvious, she slowly eased out of his hold. She couldn’t think with all that magic around her. However, once she pulled away, the lack of it made her cranky. “No one is toying with my human,” she grumbled as she followed his lead.
The square was too crowded. The small alley behind the building was more fitting for whatever they had to do next.
Alise kept her distance while Vale tried to open the two doors in the back, finding them locked. “The entire building is sealed,” he said. “We can’t get in, not when everyone can see us.” He gestured in the direction of the square.
“We could blow it up,” Rafe said.
“What about all these people?” Vale asked.
Alise scowled at him. “Are you insane?”
“It was just an idea.” Rafe shrugged. “Use their ways, but somehow…” He craned his neck and looked up at the building. “Somehow, I don’t think it would work. It’s too easy.” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Alise. “You know Gorem more … intimately.” Rafe grimaced while glancing at her back. “What would he do? What’s his angle on this whole thing?”
It was an easy question. “He wants me to get in.
” She stepped to the left to stand in his shadow so she could look at Rafe without being blinded by the bright, morning sun. “But you are right. It’s a trick. He’s not here… not in this timeline.”
“Are you sure?” Vale asked. “Can you feel him?” He glanced at Rafe, suspicion clear in his gray eyes. Since Alise and Gorem had a history together, it wouldn’t have been unheard of for some kind of a connection to be forged between them.
“No. In my head, I’ve seen Cassie being choked to death by a ring of fire,” she said, and the Guardians frowned at the painted image. “I caught a glimpse of her surroundings. I’ve been with Cassie inside the university before, and I recognized the hall. But the way I saw it just now… It looked rundown and deserted, not animated like it is today.”
“So, he’s time jumping,” Vale said. “That must be one powerful Wizard to take them all the way into the future...”
Alise shook her head. “I don’t think it’s the future. The building hasn’t always been a university. If I remember correctly, it was abandoned for some time during the war. They could have gone there.”
“Still, it’s a powerful Wizard…,” Rafe said.
“Who’s breaking the rules,” added Vale. “You’re not supposed to time jump and disrupt the natural order of things.”
“If only we could time jump,” Rafe said, giving Vale a significant glance. “We do know someone who can…” His voice trailed off.
“No, it’s too risky,” Vale said. “We’d have to cross back and break him out somehow. There’s no guarantee we’ll succeed and be able to return him without anyone noticing his absence. If we screw up, the deal is off. We can’t take that chance.”
Alise couldn’t believe they discussed it and passed on embarking on some crazy and utterly risky adventure. It didn’t sound like the Guardians she knew of but, to be fair, all she knew were rumors. She had never socialized with Guardians back in the day. It was way beneath her.
“Damn,” Rafe muttered. “Have you seen him?” he asked Alise.
“The Wizard? I’ve only seen Cassie, and she appeared to be alone. I think I was watching through his eyes, though.”
“So, no sign of Gorem?” Vale said.
“No.”
Rafe swore under his breath and kicked a piece of gravel on the sidewalk.
A car drove down the alley behind them and stopped in the small parking area reserved for the professors. The man stepped out of it and quickly passed by them, holding onto his briefcase, before he disappeared inside the building.
“So, he can pass while we can’t.” Rafe threw a peevish look at the closed door. “But you can.” He turned to Alise.
She took a step back. “I’m not going in there.” For a moment, she feared they might force her in. But if they lost her, there was no guarantee they would catch Gorem. He could disappear into another timeline. In a way, she was keeping him there. Whether he stayed for revenge or something else, she didn’t know.
“Oh, no, I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Rafe said, grabbing her arm. This time, she made no attempt to free herself. “How about a quick relocation spell?” he asked Vale.
“With the type of Wizard he must have by his side, he’ll probably see right through it,” Vale said. “I won’t be able to cast a spell strong enough for them not to see it’s not her.”
“Yes, but he likes to believe he’s smarter than us,” Rafe said, his eyes twinkling, “so he’ll play along. It can’t hurt to get one Guardian out of the way if he can get to her later on. He’ll let us believe we’ve fooled him and pull you in.”
“Why me? I came up with that spell. I can do it better than you,” Vale said.
“Because as long as Gorem is free, we can’t risk losing her, too. I’m staying right here with her,” Rafe said. “I’m the muscle, and you’re the brains of this operation, remember?”
Vale didn’t seem flattered by that statement, as he made a disgusted face. “Okay. As long as we get in…” He sighed and started for the door.
“Wait.” Rafe stopped him. “Leave your stone.”
“What? The stone, too?” he whined. “What if Cassie needs it?”
“While they’re here, they won’t let you use it. It’s better for you to appear weak.”
“Do you want my blades, too?” With a roll of his eyes, Vale tossed him the healing stone.
Rafe caught it with one hand and slipped it in his pocket. As Vale pulled the door open, he disappeared in a cloud of scintillations. Alise hadn’t felt the spell being cast, she had only seen the Guardian’s lips moving silently, but the breeze brought a whiff of ozone from where Vale had stood—a sign that he hadn’t disintegrated but relocated to somewhere else.
“Yes,” Rafe murmured under his breath and relaxed beside her. “He’s in.”
“Did you send your friend into the enemy camp without backup?” The question sounded more like an accusation as Alise frowned at him.
“Look. We don’t particularly enjoy pain, but it happens often so we’re used to it,” Rafe said. “If he knows he can’t rely on the stone to help him, it will keep him on his toes. It’s better for him. You’ll see.”
Alise watched him with doubtful eyes, but didn’t comment. He knew best. She hoped he knew best. No matter how much he wanted to catch Gorem, he wouldn’t risk losing another member of the Triad. It was everything he had. She could at least trust that.
She stared at the door for several more seconds, and when nothing happened, she asked, “Now what?”
Chapter Seventeen
Cassie tried her best not to look at the bloodied body across the room from her. Vale was pinned to the wall with heavy chains and appeared to be unconscious. Blood from a gash on his forehead had dried on his face, but there was more blood pooling on the floor around him. Oddly enough, she didn’t recall the fight. She only remembered seeing him appear in a place that had been empty a moment earlier. How badly was he injured, and how long could he last? He looked bad. Her stomach knotted with worry. She was going to be sick.
“Now, now. Don’t start throwing up on me. We’re not done here,” Fabian said.
Cassie winced and curled up in her armchair. Fabian had made it appear after the last torture episode and let her rest on it. She doubted he had done it out of kindness, though. He probably didn’t want to get his tunic dirty by bending over to pick her up from the floor. She didn’t have much experience with Wizards, but he hadn’t made too much of a good impression on her.
For the time being, Fabian was busy staring out the window, much to her relief. As it was getting close to noon by her estimation, the ghosts had decreased some. With Fabian not showing any sign of noticing their presence, Cassie still had moments of doubt, wondering whether she was imagining things.
The one specter who didn’t follow the general pattern returned. The man—the image was blurred, but Cassie thought it was a man—kept fussing around Vale. While he didn’t actually touch the Guardian, and she couldn’t clearly see his features, she could swear there was an expression of concern mixed with fury written on his face. It felt good to know someone cared for their fate, even if he didn’t seem able to help much. However, that didn’t explain who he was.
Gathering her courage, Cassie managed to ask in a shaky voice, “What are you going to do with him?”
Fabian glanced at the fallen Guardian. “Nothing.” He shrugged. “He’s no use to me, and Gorem wants him out of the way. If he’s smart, he’ll stay out.”
Cassie had a feeling that Guardians weren’t smart when it came to staying out of the way. She stifled a sigh and struggled to look less scared. They would come for her, wouldn’t they? Vale had. Maybe the others would be more successful. She could only hope so. Until then, she had to do something to keep the Wizard’s attention diverted from Vale. Gaining some information on their behalf would be good, too. But how?
“How long are you going to keep me here?” Cassie asked.
At first, she thought he wasn’t going to b
other with an answer, but then he turned and narrowed his eyes. The look he gave her made Cassie regret her words.
“For as long as you’re useful,” Fabian said. He kept his reaction in check, but his demeanor hinted he wasn’t any happier than she was with the current situation.
“So, the world separates into useful and not useful to you?”
“Of course. How else could it be?” he sneered and, once again, Cassie had difficulty telling if he was being serious or simply mocking her.
“But why?”
“Because everything isn’t either black or white like they seem to believe.” He gestured vaguely in Vale’s direction. “There are many shades of gray out there, and in order to get to those grays, you need to make compromises,” he explained with the patience of a teacher confronted with a slow student.
“Is that what you’re doing here? Compromising?”
Fabian’s face tightened. “Don’t assume you know me because I have been kind to you and haven’t killed you yet.”
“S–sorry.” Cassie lowered her eyes. “It’s just that…” Her voice cracked as she whispered, “I don’t want to die. And I don’t want to be in that kind of pain ever again,” she blurted out. “So I was thinking…” She hesitated. “If I cooperate, will you spare me the pain?” She held Fabian’s light blue-gray eyes with hers.
“You want to cooperate? Betray your friends?” He smiled disbelievingly.
“They’re not my friends,” Cassie muttered. “They destroyed my home. I don’t want to have anything to do with them.”
“You ungrateful humans…” Fabian laughed quietly, shaking his head. “What would you be willing to do?”
“Anything. I mean… Don’t make me kill anyone because I don’t think I could, and you’re probably much better at it anyway.”
“As a matter fact, I am,” Fabian said with what could have passed for a proud grin. “So, what could you do for me?”
“I could call Alise,” Cassie offered with a hopeful smile. “I mean, without the fire and the…” She couldn’t say the word torture, “rest.”