by Shea Berkley
“What are you thinking?” I ask.
“While you deal with Baun, I’ll find Signe.”
He can’t be serious. “Do you know what’s in there?”
“All I need is a little Rodarian-style change in my appearance and they won’t have a clue.”
Cahl smiles. “I’ve always wanted to be a redhead.”
“Wait, you want me to turn both of you into Signe?”
Reece scowls at me. “If those idiots can do it, it can’t be that hard of a makeover, right?”
I feel a spark of hope ignite. “I actually think I can do that.”
Reece turns to Cahl. “We’ll need some men to act as prisoners. While I find Signe, you and your men can release anyone he has locked up down there.”
“You are reading my mind. I’ll get volunteers.” Cahl starts calling men forward, and I pull Reece aside. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“It doesn’t matter. I have to save her.”
I can see the desperation in his eyes. He loves her. Risking it all for someone you love is something I know all about. I won’t insult him by trying to talk him out of it. If Cahl thinks Reece has got a chance, then he just might. “Good luck.”
“You too.” He looks at Halim, at the spark of defiance on the boy’s face. “So…ever been a prisoner before?”
A relieved sigh escapes him. “Dude, I can be a prisoner. I know how to look defeated.”
I shake my head. “He says dude now?”
Reece shrugs and ruffles Halim’s messy, wet hair. “He’s picked up a few new words and phrases here and there…”
“You’re determined to make him into a modern human, aren’t you?”
“He’s determined to become one.”
When the men are gathered, I call on my power and turn Reece and Cahl into identical images of Signe, like I did when I created her golem.
“What about the eyes?” Reece’s deep voice asks. It’s strange hearing it come from Signe’s mouth. “Did you make them red?”
“How will she know it’s you if I change those?”
Reece rolls Signe’s eyes. “The woman knows my voice, dude.”
Well, I feel stupid. I make their eyes red and the transformation is complete. They sneak away with a handful of fake prisoners, and it’s just Kera and me.
The two of us make our way to the head of the firsts, roughly three hundred who stand warily at the arena entrance. No one has gone in or come out, though we can still hear cheering going on inside. When we break through the soldiers, we’re confronted by a set of massive arched double-wide doors that are wide open.
Kera’s eyes are big and wary. “Do we just go in?”
“It looks like it.”
A band of tiny, brightly lit pux, hateful creatures that are more malicious than mischievous, flutter into view and surround me. A long line of dark-haired, identical-looking Rodarians thunder out of the arena, packing the space in front of the doors. The firsts visibly grow tense.
“Stay calm,” I whisper to myself. The road I’ve had to walk ends here. Somehow I’ve got to find the strength to deal with my dad, and if he wants me and me alone, then I’m all for it.
As several pux try to push Kera away, she latches onto my hand and won’t let go. One gets in Kera’s face and wags a tiny finger at her. Kera sneers. “We both go or neither of us goes.”
When the little beastie doesn’t back down, Kera flicks the pux on the stomach and it flies back. I know from experience there’s no talking her out of anything. She does what she wants and no one, not even the king of Teag, will be able to convince her differently.
The swarm of pux cuts us from the rest of the firsts like cattle being culled from the herd for slaughter. I motion for the soldiers to stay back. Baun has a show planned and I refuse to add to the drama.
Pushed forward, we enter the arena, and as we do, I dry our clothes and shiver at the instant feeling of warmth.
“Why have they left us our weapons?” Kera asks. I shrug, and we’re prodded left. The eerie light we noticed as we approached the arena is coming from hundreds of pux overhead, a natural light to the entertainment below where we spy a blindfolded griffin fighting a giant cyclops. It doesn’t seem like a fair match. The cyclops is huge and can see its enemy while the griffin is much smaller and operating blind, but even blindfolded, the griffin manages to pluck out the giant’s eye. When it does, a huge roar rockets through the crowd.
We enter a dark passage. The smell of wet stone and whistle of a cold wind greet us. Within the shadows Nightmare Men loom, their teeth bared as if they’d like nothing better than to rip into us. I put my hand on my sword, and we follow the passageway as it snakes down and around until we’re led to a ramp with a large arched door at the end. With nowhere else to go, we stop and wait. The pux flitter around us. One pulls Kera’s hair. Another bites her on the arm. I heat up my hand and spit little pops of fire at the nasty beasts, burning a few of the more persistent ones. When I cool down, none of them are eager to get close anymore. I lace my fingers firmly between Kera’s and she moves even closer.
A huge roar rises from the arena, and the door flies open. The hissing and spitting griffin, no longer blindfolded, is ushered from the arena into the holding area, its beak a bloody mess. It pauses when it sees Kera and bows its head before it’s forced forward. The creature causes more than a handful of trouble for its handlers.
In the center of the arena a blind, and very dead, cyclops is cleared away.
“It’s like the Roman games.” Baun’s flair for dramatics rivals Nero’s. “He’s going to go all Roman emperor on me.” I shouldn’t be surprised; still, fighting in an arena as some sort of sick entertainment seems off, even for him.
We’re prodded forward and as we enter, the crowd boos. The arena is filled with Rodarians that look just like Signe.
“How will Reece find her?” Kera whispers.
I don’t say anything. I’m more worried about how I’m going to get Baun to give up his power and then get us out of here.
The doors on the other side of the arena open. Pux burst out like fireworks, and behind the bright lights, Baun steps forward. He’s decked out as usual. A Victorian gentleman by looks; a serial killer by nature. The booing turns to cheers, and Kera draws her incordium blade and hides it in the folds of her long, billowy jacket.
With each step Baun takes, the arena begins to change. A thick grove of trees appears at one end. At the other, he re-creates the ruins of a stone temple. All around the arena he makes what I’m beginning to understand are hazards, such as boiling geysers, quicksand, and an ice cave. When we meet in the center, the arena grows silent.
“What are you doing?” I ask. He can’t be serious about this crazy contest he’s created.
Pux swarm around my dad like little flies. “All this?” He motions to his setting. “Just a simple test to see who is worthy of the title king.”
He looks at Kera and smiles. “My greatest regret was your death. I am touched, though frankly surprised, you managed to survive.”
The sincerity in his voice is impressive. “How do you do that?” I ask.
“Do what?” The blank look on his face shows he honestly has no idea what I’m talking about.
“Lie.”
Disgust tugs at his face. “I never lie. It’s the truth. I never wanted her dead. It was an unfortunate necessity…much like your death will be if you insist on keeping what is rightfully mine.”
I look around. “You cut a deal with Navar…and the Rodarians, didn’t you?”
“I only do what I must. If they help me procure absolute rule, they get access to the human realm.”
“You can’t be serious?” I don’t care that my disgust for what he’s done shows on my face. “Allowing them into the human realm will wipe out the human race.”
“What have the humans ever done but bring us to the brink of disaster with their lies and deception? Is it not fitting they face extinction just like every oth
er species?” He sighs at my visible horror. “I have done what’s best for Teag. Purging it of what does not belong and expanding our reign to where it first began. Only one man can lead. To lead one must have unwavering loyalty and all the power at his disposal.” He says that with such certainty, I think he actually believes he’s doing the right thing. “I offer our people sanctuary from the evil that’s ripping through our land. All they have to do is give me their loyalty and magic. A fair trade in my eyes.”
“But you created the evil they’re running from.”
“No.” His eyes crinkle at the corners as if he’s laughing. “I just didn’t hold it back. There is a difference.”
He’s completely crazy. “I won’t give you your powers back, and I won’t let you drain me of mine. You know I can’t let you continue all…this,” I say, pointing to the extravagant arena and the monsters he’s let loose on his own people.
“Those who obey me have nothing to fear.”
“Kera obeyed you. She did everything you asked, and in the end you tried to kill her.”
“Being king requires one to make difficult choices. You cannot fill my shoes. Even if you have my powers, you haven’t the backbone or the vision to be king.”
“News flash. You’re no longer king. You’re done taking what isn’t yours.”
“Sadly, that is what I expected to hear. If you had agreed to my terms, I might have let you go free. But now…” His hand begins to glow. “I did warn you. I want what’s mine, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back.”
“Is this yours?” Reggie asks. We all turn to see him standing a few feet away, his shotgun barrel resting on his shoulder as he holds up the ring that controls the Nightmare Men. “I thought there was a reason you were so hot for us to leave. You dropped it in all the muck. Good thing your men found it. It took some convincing, but they finally agreed I should bring it to you.”
Baun’s jaw stiffens. “You have no idea what you hold.”
Reggie’s eyebrows rise. He then drops the ring on the ground. “There, I’m not holding it anymore.” The next thing I know, the heel of his work boot smashes the ring. A ripple of power bursts along the ground and Baun yells, his gaze horrified by what Reggie has destroyed.
Suddenly the arena fills with Nightmare Men no longer bound to the shadows. Orntho waves his sword in the air and points it dramatically at Baun, signaling his intent to come after him. Baun is furious. “Do you know what you have done? You’ve given them their freedom. Not even their leader can keep them in check. None of us are safe.”
“Sounds like an even playing field to me.” Reggie flips his shotgun into his hands and takes a shot at Baun.
The pellets never reach him. Baun stops them in midair and sends them back toward Reggie. I soften the earth beneath his feet. The ground partially swallows him to his chest, and the pellets zip harmlessly over his head. I pop him back up and yell at him to go. Reggie won’t last ten seconds in a confrontation with Baun.
Baun is so angry he turns and faces me, his hand glowing superbright.
I ready myself to confront him with my own magic when unbelievably, Kera jumps in front of me. Her incordium blade absorbs the magic Baun throws and she tosses it back at him. He quickly jumps out of the way, hitting the ground and quickly rolling to his feet.
I fire a surge of energy toward him and he blocks it by summoning a section of the underground labyrinth up. A cage that holds the griffin rises out of the ground. My strike rocks the cage and the animal screeches. I dart around it while Kera goes to free the animal.
As I dodge quicksand, hardening it as I pass, firsts appear in the arena from all directions. They’re pouring out of the underground, a clear sign Cahl has done his job. In the stands, the Rodarians transform back into their original forms and leap into the arena.
I search for Baun, and see him dart into the ice cave. A few bright flashes later, he rushes out with a huge smile on his face. He’s having fun. We’re all fighting for our lives and he’s acting like it’s a game.
The griffin lands beside me and Kera vaults off its back and points. “There. Signe and my father.”
Within the nearly empty stands, Hadrain is arguing with Granel. It doesn’t look good. Navar’s loyal soldier looks ready to attack. Kera’s father pushes Signe behind him, offering her the little bit of protection he has. Not far away, someone who looks just like Signe races toward Granel. I know that determined look. I break my cloning spell over Reece just as he reaches his target.
The griffin screeches as the ground erupts next to us, forcing me to look away from Reece. Kera grabs my arm and yanks me away from the growing mound. The next second, the dirt splits open and millispits pour into the arena. I send a fiery blast, roasting them into toasty oblivion. When next I look into the stands, Granel is clutching his chest as blood seeps through his fingers. Reece finishes him off, yet Nightmare Men spring up all around them, blocking their escape.
Kera unwinds her hold on the griffin’s leather rein and points the animal toward our friends. “Please,” she begs the creature. “Help them.”
The large eagle eyes blink, and the griffin takes off, heading straight for the stands. The creature swoops down and rips its talons into one of the Nightmare Men as it snaps the head off another before landing. Reece doesn’t ask permission, but slams Signe on the beast’s back and commands it to take her to safety. Surprisingly, it does just that.
From the corner of my eye, I see a hell hound rush forward. A volley of quills rains down on us, and I’m able to incinerate most, but a few land too close to Kera. She grabs her bow and demolishes the hell hounds before I even decide what to do.
I can’t find Halim. When I say as much, Kera searches with me, and then points across the arena. “Halim.”
The boy, Cahl, and a handful of other soldiers have gathered the youngest of the firsts in the ruined temple. As I watch, one child is grabbed by a statue. The stone arms squeeze, and the child cries out. Cahl forces the arms apart and the child latches onto Cahl’s leg. The Dark Souls swoop in, marking the marble stone to black as they pass. I try to create a force field around the structure, but it won’t hold. My stomach knots up as I helplessly watch the inevitable.
“Keep trying,” Kera says as she pats down her coat. Her hand dives into one of the pockets and she pulls out the whistle used to call Blaze. She doesn’t waste time, and clamps her lips on the metal and blows. No sound that I can hear comes from it, but I know it’s working. I can hear the whines of hell hounds rustling within the trees. Sure enough, dragons suddenly fill the sky of the open-air arena. They dive for the Dark Souls, ripping into them. The attack gives Halim and the firsts the time they need to help the children escape.
I swivel around, taking stock of who is where when something moves in the trees behind Kera. I push her to the side and take a hit from Baun’s magic. A sledgehammer to the chest would have been softer. I stagger backward, but I don’t go down. He strides out of his hiding place and nods. “Impressive. You’ve learned a lot in a short time, but…”
He sends another shot at me, followed by another, and I drop to my knees. “Did you know taking successive hits will weaken any defense? It’s like using a battering ram against a castle gate.”
“Dylan,” Kera calls and she motions to the ring.
I’m not sure how many chances I’ll have to use it. I won’t waste one on protecting myself. I try to light up, but the energy I’ve used to defend myself against his attack makes that impossible. Kera steps in front of me, her incordium blade ready to absorb the power Baun threatens to throw my way.
He narrows his eyes. “How exactly did you survive?”
“With this.” She grabs my hand and shows him the ring. “I guess it didn’t like you.”
Baun flashes a grim smile. “I should be more careful where I toss my rubbish. In fact”—he widens his stance and his hand glows—“I’ll take that.”
Though Baun calls the ring, it stays on my hand. Surprise re
gisters on his face. It must be quite a shock when his commands are ignored. I slowly stand. The look I give him is filled with disappointment. “Teag deserves better than you.”
He reacts, like the tyrant he is. His chest puffs out and his face turns red. “There is none better than me. My way promises a better life.”
“How?” I demand. “By terrorizing the people with monsters you can’t control? By allowing others to destroy a world we’re honor-bound to protect? By ordering innocent people to give you every speck of power they own? When will it be enough?”
“Enough? Power is infinite. How can anyone have enough of that?”
It’s exactly as Kera said. I don’t want to ask the magic to do what needs to be done, but Baun’s reign of terror will never end if he’s not stopped.
“I’m sorry.” I pull the ring from my finger and toss it at Baun’s feet. “You and your friends are no longer welcome here. I banish you to a place so dark, your soul will never escape.”
As soon as the ring touches the ground, it flickers to life. A dark vortex appears overhead. I grab Kera’s hand and we stagger back. High-pitched shrieks echo as the pux abandon the area and the arena is plunged into darkness. Lightning flashes. The dragons roar and spin away to safety. The wind that the intense storm generates pulls every evil thing toward it. One by one, the Rodarians self-combust into clouds of dust that join the growing whirlwind. Though the Dark Souls try to get away, they’re slowly sucked into the rotating mass, coloring the vortex an inky black. Navar’s poisonous, oily form struggles against the pull, but it’s a losing battle. Bit by bit he slips away, no longer a threat, but a victim of his own evil. Screams from the recently freed Nightmare Men mingle with the storm’s roar as they’re violently torn apart and pulled into the surging energy.
The rest of us huddle low to the ground. Though the wind violently whips our clothes and hair, none of us feel the draw of the vortex.
The last to leave is Baun. He struggles against the pull, using every scrap of his power, but even he isn’t strong enough to fight it. He growls like a bear on the attack as his soul is ripped away. It enters the twisting mass, and immediately begins to fight off the attack of the others. The vortex mushrooms, expanding with the evil it collects until it covers the whole coliseum. My ears feel like they have cotton stuffed in them. The ground rumbles and splits open. Hot, sulfur-laced air pours out. The massive, swirling expanse of tumbling bodies and souls suddenly implodes, and in the blink of an eye, it’s sucked into the earth and the ground slams shut.