Wrath of Magic (The Mysterium Chronicles Book Book 3)

by Simone Pond

  Isabella kissed his cheek. “It’s the smart thing to do, Benji. The fewer of us, the better.”

  I patted his broad back. “It’ll be a quick reconnaissance mission. In and out. We’ll be at the border in three days.”

  “Mm hmm.” Benjamin stalked off to the lower deck with Isabella gamboling behind him like a bird.

  Throughout the evening, Lily, William, and I sat with Nils and CeeCee, using an old map the money-grubbing captain had scrounged up from the bowels of the helm. We plotted out two separate routes and locked in the next steps. Nils was to continue into Lycaeon if we didn’t show up at the meeting spot within three days. We parted ways and went to our cabins to sleep for the night. We were all in agreement about not arriving in Endor while it was dark.

  ***

  The four of us stood on the perimeter of the city’s hub in the crisp dawn. Nils and the others had already split off on their route north after we had docked. Now it was just the four of us heading into what resembled an expanding tar pit.

  “My goodness.” Disgust and shock laced William’s words.

  “This is atrocious,” gasped Lily.

  The two of them hadn’t seen the real Endor because they’d escaped long before Glendora and her grand illusion died. But Isabella and I were familiar with the nasty landscape of ash and rubble, trees that looked like charcoaled skeletons, and canals that bubbled and oozed with tar … although the stench had definitely intensified since my previous visit. And a filthy orangish-brown haze hung in the air as though a volcano had recently erupted. The humidity was so dense, breathing hurt. Bugs the size of birds buzzed around in the suffocating air, zooming right up in our faces.

  William stared in utter dismay and confusion, batting away the pests. “What’s happened to Endor? Our friends couldn’t possibly still be here. Unfathomable.”

  “William, dear, you’re witnessing the real Endor,” said Isabella. “You’ve only known the illusion created by Glendora. None of that was real, it was a facade to cover up this horrendous monstrosity. Although, the place does seem a bit more depressing since we were here last. Wouldn’t you say, Jordan?”

  I nodded, catching a whiff of something sour and rotting. “Seems like the beasts have really taken over.”

  William politely cleared his throat. “Beasts?”

  “Yeah, you can’t miss them,” I said. “Cloven hoofs and twisted horns. Jagged teeth and fire blazing in their eyes. But they’re not as bad as the fire-spewing dragons.”

  “You’re not serious?” asked Lily, her pale cheeks sinking in.

  “Let’s just focus on finding your friends and getting the hell out of here,” I said.

  Isabella started walking toward one of the footbridges.

  “What’s up?” I called out.

  “I can hear their call … They’re hiding in the tunnels underneath where the High Tower once stood. Come along. We must hurry.”

  We followed behind her, surveying the barren land and tar pit marshes where the canals had overflowed. I kept the iron rod ready for use, though I didn’t want to waste one of the three remaining charges on just one beast or dragon. I would prefer to disintegrate the entire place with them in it. But not until we had the other enchantresses with us. I stayed at the back of the line, keeping a careful watch on our six as we threaded our way through the intricate web of tar-bubbling canals toward the nucleus of Endor. So far, we hadn’t had any disturbances, which told me we were headed for trouble of the most horrific kind. And probably after we’d rescued the remaining survivors.

  “Too easy,” I said.

  Isabella glanced over her shoulder. “Or perhaps they don’t come out during daylight hours?”

  William had his silver wand clenched in his palm. “No, no. Miss Temple is correct. This is far too easy.”

  We continued meandering through the mucked-up streets, over broken cobblestones and piles of debris, weaving closer and closer to the enormous hill at the core of the city. The trek only took about an hour. Isabella had known some shortcuts and secret passageways, making it a much quicker journey.

  “So now what?” I asked.

  “We need to get below ground.” Isabella rummaged around until she found a sturdy stick which she used to etch a pattern into the dirt. She was creating a portal like she’d done in the past.

  “Do you think you can get to them?” I asked.

  “One of them sent me the instructions,” she said. “But I need someone to stay back and guard the portal, otherwise we risk the beasts following after us.”

  I lifted the rod. “I’ll stay.”

  Not surprisingly, neither William nor Lily argued for the assignment.

  We stood back and waited for Isabella to create her magical portal, and when she was ready she called Lily and William over and held their hands. She chanted some strange words and in a burst of yellow light the ground spun open, revealing a secret hiding place below our feet. I peered inside the realm to find a beautiful enchanted forest with golden sunshine, vibrant flowers, and fields of soft green grass. The three gave me one last look, then stepped into the spiral of light and disappeared into the other dimension. I steadied myself, keeping the rod gripped in both hands and paced about, keeping my eyes peeled for trouble.

  Time passed.

  Then a lot more time passed. The orange haze of a sky turned a crimson red as the day moved on. I did not want to be standing outside—by myself—when the sun went down. It was time to start thinking of a backup plan. I decided my best option would be to enter the portal and begin looking for Isabella, Lily, and William. If any of the beasts followed behind, at least we’d be together. That is, if I could find them inside the hidden realm. I remembered how many times I’d taken things into my own hands and made an even bigger mess, so I changed my mind and decided to stay put. They’d return soon enough, and I had the iron rod and my magical shield to protect me in the meantime.

  By the time night dropped over Endor, I wasn’t feeling as optimistic. The idea of entering the portal came up again, and that time I made my way over to the spiral of yellow light fully prepared to cross over. I was about to step into the light when a ball of fire spun past my head and careened into the side of the hill behind me. I ducked and held up the iron rod, ready to bat away any more flaming balls that came my way. The hillside caught fire, lighting up the surrounding area and revealing a hoard of those cloven-hoofed creatures with jagged teeth and glowing eyes. I stood a foot away from the portal, but if I went into it now, they’d surely follow me and destroy the other realm.

  “You have returned, Chosen One.” A growl came up from the pack, and one of the half-man half-beasts made his way through the crowd up to the front line. His sharp teeth glinted in the firelight.

  “Hey,” I said. “Love what you’ve done with the place.”

  A chorus of snarls and more growls rolled through the pack. The head man-beast lifted his clawed hand and silenced them immediately. I kept the rod out in front of me, aiming directly at the grotesque creatures.

  “We know why you’re here,” said the man-beast. “I’ll save time by saying, we are not interested in the deal. We will go nowhere with you. As for the ones hiding in the other realm, they will not be leaving Endor either.”

  I chuffed. “You can’t speak for them. You don’t know what’s in their hearts.”

  He let out a bellow. “Child, it doesn’t matter. Once we’re through with you, we will enter that portal and destroy what’s left of them anyway.”

  I stared at the spiraling light, then back to the army of beasts. The rod had three charges left. I could use one to annihilate all of them, but we still had to get through the rest of Endor and there were a lot more creatures to deal with. We also had to get through Lycaeon. And I’d definitely need to save a charge for the Final Battle in the Madlands because that was a wildcard. There seemed to be one efficient option.

  “Did you hear me? We’re going to destroy whoever is left.” The beast stepped forward, glari
ng at me.

  “Yeah. I heard you the first time,” I said, inching closer to the portal. “And my response to that is: not on my dime.”

  The rod shot forth a surge of liquid nitrogen, spraying the beasts into a cryogenic state. Their frozen bodies stuck in time as I inched backward, walking into the portal while still spewing the liquid nitrogen forward. I slipped inside the other realm, my boots stepping onto the soft grass as I made sure the iron rod continued blasting the chemical compound until the portal was completely sealed off. I didn’t know how long it would last, or how long the beasts would stay frozen, but I was safe for the time being. Now all I had to do was find Isabella, Lily, and William.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The hidden realm turned out to be a labyrinth of twisting pathways made of ruby cobblestone roads. They sparkled in the radiant sunlight, each turn and twist more dazzling and mesmerizing than the next. The lavender-coated hills reached for endless miles, and a stream of clear blue water cut along the valley. Butterflies flitted about, along with hummingbirds who stopped to poke their tiny heads into the various bouquets of flowers.

  It took me about four trials to figure out that regardless of which turn I took, I landed back at the same spot: the top of a hill overlooking the valley. I couldn’t get past the entry point because they had their security on a feedback loop to keep intruders from getting deeper into the realm. Now it made sense why the three had been inside the realm for such an extended period of time—they’d probably spent hours trying to figure out how to break through the loop. I had no idea how long the portal would remain sealed off in its cryogenic state, but I guessed not very. I needed to hurry and break down whatever security measures were in place. But where to start? I definitely wasn’t going to waste the remaining two charges or the last gold star …

  “Isabella,” I said to myself.

  She could read my mind. Maybe if I found a way to amplify my call to her, she’d hear me the same way she’d heard the others. I stood on the hilltop and focused on my inner magic, feeling the spark inside me warm up and slowly spread through my body. I closed my eyes and repeated Isabella in my thoughts over and over.

  I’m inside the realm. At the beginning of the path. I can’t break through the loop. I need your help …

  I thought these phrases nonstop until they became a part of my molecular being. The air I was breathing. The entirety of my existence. A sudden shaking brought me out of my meditative state, and I shot open my eyes to see Isabella standing before me.

  “Please, I implore you to stop, Jordan Temple! I heard you the first time!”

  I laughed and gave her a quick hug. “Sorry for the overkill. I just wasn’t sure what was going on. Night came and you hadn’t returned. I had no other choice but to come in after you.”

  “Did the beasts show up?” she asked.

  “Yep. They’re in a holding pattern for now, but we need to get out of here … and soon.” I pointed to the frozen-over portal.

  Isabella took my hand and started heading down the ruby cobblestone road. At the intersection where there were many options, she didn’t turn down any of the paths as I had previously done. She remained still and stomped her right foot three times. The ground opened up and we went down a glass elevator and ended up at the bottom of a clearing surrounded by hills. Tucked along the hillsides were hidden dwellings.

  “Clever,” I said.

  “Took us a while to figure out where the entrance was located. But once we made it through, we gathered up everyone and explained the situation …” Isabella stared down at her boots, which were way too big for her dainty feet.

  “And?” I asked.

  “Well, there aren’t many who want to join us,” she said.

  “That’s too bad. But we can’t force them.”

  Isabella’s lips turned down a bit and she nodded slightly. She’d seen enough people scoff at the idea of joining us to know I wasn’t being callous or cruel. But I couldn’t stand seeing the sweet girl so bummed about losing her people.

  “Maybe I can talk to them,” I suggested.

  Her brown eyes lit up with hope and she smiled, taking my hand. “That might be just what they need. A bit of encouragement from the Chosen One. Come along.” She pulled me toward one of the hills and knocked three times on a large wooden door.

  The door creaked open and standing at the entrance was the same woman we had met in that strange shop back in Endor. What was it called? Something ridiculous …

  “Charmed, I’m sure.” She held out her hand to greet me.

  “That’s it!” I blurted.

  “Pardon me?”

  “The name of the shop,” I said.

  “Oh, yes. Of course.” She chuckled.

  “And you’re Adele,” I said.

  “Yes, indeed I am.” She took my hand, bringing me across the threshold.

  The place opened up to a charming cottage with a fire crackling in the living room and an elegant dining room that could host a party of twenty. Adele continued walking toward the back, her full-length emerald green dress rustling across the wood floors. We passed through a kitchen and out to an enormous garden room with a high atrium and about two hundred people sitting at round tables draped in white linen.

  Adele clapped her hands and got the attention of the guests. Now all eyes were on me. The majority of the people at the tables were women—beguiling enchantresses—and there were a handful of men, no doubt wizards, scattered throughout the crowd. William and Lily were sitting at a table chatting with who I assumed were close friends.

  “Let me introduce the Chosen One,” said Adele in a bold voice that carried over the whispers. She gently pushed me forward to address the crowd.

  I stood before the audience of beautiful enchantresses, wondering what I could possibly say to convince this uninterested lot … I mean, besides the beasts having taken over Endor and the portal being breached. But I didn’t want to persuade them with fear. That’s not the type of people we wanted fighting with us. Their choice had to be from their purest desire.

  “I’m not sure what to tell those of you who don’t want to join us. Other than it’s your choice.” I stepped back.

  Isabella grabbed my hand. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say to them?”

  “Look, I can’t make them have a change of heart. This is between them and the Ancient One. I had to let you come to your decision, and you will have to let them come to theirs.” I paused a second, then waved Lily and William over. “But they’ll need to make it soon because we need to get out of here before the portal unfreezes and the beasts come barging through. Start gathering up the ones who do want to come. Will you be able to open another portal so we can leave this realm?”

  She wiped a tear from her cheek and nodded. I understood her pain; these were her friends and she didn’t want to leave them behind. Not when she knew what was waiting for them. Nothing but misery and death.

  Lily and William helped organize the people who were coming with us into a single-file line that snaked around the perimeter of the garden room. The array of elegant dresses and fine clothing was perfectly suitable for this setting, but out in the wilderness it would be a different story. And trudging through Lycaeon in those heavy dresses would be challenging. Isabella stood with me at the front of the line, squeezing my hand as she watched the ladies and gentlemen of Endor make their way to the line.

  When everyone was ready, I called across the room, “Stay close together. It’s time to go!”

  Before I turned to lead the group outside, I caught a glimpse of some of the women pushing away from their tables. They stood and gingerly gathered up the layers of elaborate material of their Victorian gowns and began to traipse toward the back of the line. A few more people rose up. Isabella’s fingers tightened around mine. Then more rose from the tables and ushered themselves to the line. Soon the entire garden room of enchantresses and wizards stood in the long line that threaded between the white-linen-covered tables.


  “We’re so pleased you’ve decided to join us!” Isabella’s sweet voice filled the room. “It will be a grueling journey, but one well worth the trek. But we will need to do something about your attire. Not the most appropriate for hiking through the forest.”

  Laughter erupted along with a sparkling burst of silver light that came from William’s wand, and when the smoke cleared everyone was clothed in more suitable gear for the outdoors: trousers and jackets, boots and hats. This caused another wave of laughter to spread throughout the garden room. The residents of Endor in durable outdoor wear was a foreign concept. But they adapted quickly as we marched through the cottage and outside into the clearing. Isabella worked with Lily and William to create another portal that would take us to the border of Endor and Lycaeon, where we’d meet up with Nils and our party. The plan was for me to go through first and secure the area. But when I passed through to the other side, the area had already been secured. Just not to our benefit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Of all places to end up, I hadn’t expected it to be the Lodge. I recognized the grove surrounded by the dense forest of pines from the last time I’d been in Lycaeon. But what I couldn’t figure out was how the portal led us to this particular location … until I heard a familiar nervous giggling that still haunted my memories. My magic shield went up around me in an instant.

  “Hehehe … Welcome to my humble abode.” A proud voice came from behind me.

  I jerked around to see Sawyer—the coyote shifter wannabe wizard—standing about twenty yards away. He wore dark purple breeches and a waistcoat, and still had the same sandy blond hair that arced in a flamboyant swoop across his forehead. I stood by the mouth of the portal, waiting for Isabella so I could grab her and keep her inside my protective shield. I wasn’t letting this shady shifter get her a second time. But as the throngs of enchantresses and wizards began stepping through the portal and gathering in the grove, I got lost in the stream of people and pushed out of the way.