Nile saw her out of the corner of his eye. He pushed through the pain and ran harder toward Bancroft. He held his sword to the side, the tip scrapping against the concrete, ringing in his ears. Shebris and Nile were now close to each other. Nile brought up his sword.
Nile turned toward this black queen of darkness. He pushed toward her, sword stretching outward. She threw her fists into Nile’s gut, shooting him back toward the Ancrya. He flew in the air, losing his sword, and crashing back on the ground. His knees shot over his head, touching the grass and Nile rolled to his stomach. Everything faded into blackness.
Ashera jumped from the Ancrya, her staff disappearing in the air. Leo and Locklin rushed after her, reaching for her hands as they swayed back and forth. Bancroft got to his feet and rushed forward, grabbing Ashera and holding her. She squirmed out of his grip, but Bancroft grabbed her again. She used all her might to break free of his grip. She continued toward Nile, sliding to a stop above him. She reached for his hand, checking his pulse.
She screamed, “He’s dying!”
Chapter 35
Defeat
Everything was silent.
The guns weren’t firing, the airships soaring; the screams were drowned out by darkened silence that filtered through the air. Nothing else seemed to matter at this point, at least to Ashera. Her hands trembled over Nile’s pale face. It was as if the life was being sucked from him. His body jerked every couple of seconds then it stopped moving.
Heavy wind pushed down on Ashera. She looked to the sky and sobbed. A big black object had blocked out the sun and as it landed it became clear. It was the Black Widow—Norcross’s personal aircraft. The doors slid open, clicking loudly, and Norcross stepped out followed by his chain of soldiers. Norcross walked to Srinath and spoke a few words, but no one could hear what he was saying.
Shebris glanced to Ashera, her black eyes piercing through her body. She extended her arms out, closed her eyes, and looked toward the sky. The clouds turned black. Thunder rolled. She flipped her hands toward the sky and sparks of lighting flicked from her fingertips until a flash of black light consumed Peoria. Everyone cringed and covered their face, and when the black light was gone, they opened their eyes. Shebris had disappeared.
Leo staggered to Nile; his knees wobbled as he did. He fell down across from Ashera. Leo scooped Nile up in his arms and cried, rocking him back and worth. Tears fell from Ashera’s face. Leo gripped Nile tighter.
“Ashera? Please use some of your magic,” Leo pleaded.
Ashera shook her head. “I can’t raise people from the dead.”
Locklin and Bancroft stood over them.
Norcross walked toward them.
Leo held Nile close to his chest. “Don’t go, Nile. Don’t go. I need you. I need you!” Leo gently slapped Nile’s face. “Wake up! I need you to wake up!”
Ashera placed a hand on Leo’s. “I’m so sorry.”
“Please!” Leo cried. “Wake up! I can’t do this alone. I need you.”
Norcross laughed menacingly.
Leo looked up at him. His long leather trench coat swayed in the wind as he grew nearer. Leo sat Nile back down and got to his feet. He pulled his sword from his sheath, staring at Norcross. He rushed toward him. He brought his blade to the side. Tears damaged his vision. He could only see a blurry figure through the tears, but he knew the distance between them. He pushed harder.
Norcross counted Leo’s steps.
Leo looked down to see a crack in the ground at Norcross’s feet. He was going to use that to measure his attack. He would swing when he got there. Just a few more steps and he’d be there. He would kill Norcross.
The soldiers behind Norcross aimed their rifles, but Norcross threw up his right hand. He almost wanted Leo to kill him, almost wanted to see if he still bled red. Leo was almost there, but even then, with his soldiers behind him, his heart was racing.
Leo got to the crack and brought the sword from his side as hard and fast as he could. With a scream, the sword swooshed through the air. The blade was now a few inches from Norcross’s right upper arm.
Norcross brought his left hand up and caught Leo’s wrist and twisted it. Leo dropped the sword and fell to his knees. He cried out in pain as he heard his wrist pop, imagining his bones grinding out of place. Norcross held Leo’s hand there and gazed into his eyes. Norcross quickly grabbed Leo by the neck with his spare hand.
“Leo!” Ashera screamed.
Norcross tightened his grip, his teeth clenching together. Spit was forming at the crevasses of his parched lips. Norcross released Leo’s neck but he still had his hand. He brought up a fist and punched Leo in the face.
Leo flung back with the hit. He shook off the pain; he had been hit harder before. Leo brought up his free hand and punched Norcross in the stomach, which caused him to let go of Leo as he stumbled back. Leo climbed to his feet and punched Norcross in the face, hearing his jaw pop.
That was Norcross’s first mistake. He wouldn’t make another. Norcross had been trained to fight in hand-to-hand combat. He knew better; he had just forgotten. When Leo brought his next punch, Norcross caught it, tightening his fingers over Leo’s fist. Norcross punched Leo in the chin, then kicked the rat off him, causing him to stumble back with his arms waggling in the air. Leo caught his balance and swung again, but Norcross caught him by the wrist and guided him into two soldiers standing in the back.
The soldiers pushed Leo to the ground. His face hammered into the stone, but he turned to his cheek and looked at Norcross, standing in the mix of the dust that blew around his face. The soldiers were laughing. Leo could smell the blood oozing out of his body. His hands crawled under his chest and he pushed himself up, but fell back down as his elbows wobbled. He did it again, this time bringing a foot up under his knee. He kicked back and caught his balance, shaking as he did it and he started toward Norcross.
Norcross brought up his right fist.
But Leo had something else in mind. He marched to Norcross. Sweat poured off his face and with a pounce, he kicked Norcross in the face and fell to his knees. Norcross staggered back as he grabbed his nose. Leo crawled to Norcross and wrapped his arms around his knees. He lifted, then drove his shoulder into his stomach, taking him to the ground. He crawled over him and started to punch Norcross, getting at least three good licks before soldiers threw him off.
Leo crawled toward Norcross again, but the soldiers stepped in the way. Leo grabbed one by the shoulder and pushed him away, then punched the other in the rib. The soldiers hit Leo, pushing him away, and squaring themselves up to keep him from getting to Norcross, but he wasn’t about to give up. He leapt between them, punching in the air, hoping he would hit them, but they threw him off again.
“Stand down!” a soldier screamed.
“No!” Leo yelled, punching at them to get back to Norcross.
They aimed their rifles.
“Everything is gone from me!” Leo glared at Norcross. He was still holding his face. “You had a choice! You had a choice and you did this! You didn’t have to! People have lost their lives, their families, their friends. I don’t have anything anymore!”
“Sir?” asked a soldier.
Norcross, humiliated, glanced at his troops, and then to Ramiel and Srinath, who flooded into the ground like a pail of fallen water and shattered into the crows. They flew off into the air. Norcross glanced across the city to see it in ruins. Smoke rose above the trees. “Get them in the Ancrya. It belongs to me now.”
Ashera’s eyes saddened as she saw the soldiers coming for her. The soldiers cuffed them and forced Leo and Bancroft into the Ancrya. Charis ran from behind some barrels and joined them, willingly letting them cuff her. The soldiers pushed Locklin on then went to Ashera. Her staves disappeared as they grasped her under her pits and marched her toward the Ancrya. She stared at Norcross and for a moment she knew he was once human.
Norcross turned to the rest of the soldiers holding down the peoriallites at gunpoint. Airship
s were ascending into the clouds. He grazed among the women and children and he took a deep breath. “Bound them together and burn the village.”
The soldiers gathered them up.
Chapter 36
The Truth
Locklin had the Ancrya up in just a matter of seconds with two soldiers standing over each of his shoulders. The tension was high, but Locklin refused to believe he could do anything about it. It was just a matter of safety, and the best bet was flying them where they needed to be, especially since four airships were flying behind the Ancrya to enforce the law. There was a soldier standing in the lobby guarding the cabins and there were two more in the cabins with the Magical. Leo was sitting on the edge of the bed across from Nile.
“I knew it was trouble from the start,” Leo muttered.
“What?” Ashera asked, leaning closer to him.
Leo lowered his head into his hands, sulking.
“What?” Ashera nudged him. “Tell me what you mean?’
Leo sucked on his lower lip. “You promise not to be mad?”
Ashera nodded.
“That Enaya gem. That thing brought this here, these soldiers and these flying ships. It’s from the future.”
“Leo, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to,” Leo said. “It took us to another time and brought this all back here.”
Ashera gasped. “Enaya, you said?”
“Enaya,” Leo replied.
Ashera looked down to her feet, unsure of how to respond to such foolishness.
“Nile was afraid to tell you. He was afraid of what you might think, but it isn’t his fault. It isn’t anybody’s fault. We found it, and then all of a sudden, it took us to the future.”
“I sure hope you’re joking, my friend,” Bancroft said.
Leo slowly shook his head. “I wish I were.”
“I don’t know what to think.”
“It’s my fault as well.”
“I don’t understand,” Bancroft said.
“Those soldiers are here because of Enaya, element of time,” Leo replied.
“My family is dead, Leo, and this is your excuse?”
Leo jumped at the sound of Bancroft’s raised voice. He looked over at Charis, who was holding her knees close to her chest and rocking back and forth in the corner. Leo glanced up at Bancroft. “I’m so sorry.”
The Ancrya stopped. Two ships pulled in front of it. Locklin flicked a couple of switches and a loud buzzing noise went off. The Ancrya was now set to autopilot and he applied the park break. He leaned over the computers and glanced out of the window. The Black Widow descended from clouds.
“Great,” he mumbled.
There was a loud voice coming from an intercom from the Black Widow. “The Ancrya must open all entrances immediately.”
“Open the airship,” said the soldier, poking Locklin in the side with his rifle.
Locklin looked toward the soldier with sadness in his eyes. Fear ate him alive. He fumbled with more controls, and all the entrances into the Ancrya opened. A soldier grabbed him under the armpit and pulled him to his feet, then threw him toward the door, his rifle poking down Locklin’s spine. They came to the lobby and Locklin peered through the large glass window as the Black Widow became parallel to the Ancrya. Norcross was standing on the balcony with several of his soldiers.
Norcross tapped the deck with his foot, and a long metallic bridge extended from the base of his balcony and stretched to the Ancrya door. Norcross then walked across it and stepped through, looking at Locklin. They held their glances for few seconds in silence.
“You must be proud of yourself,” Norcross said.
Locklin said nothing.
“You’ve taken good care of the Ancrya, I see,” Norcross added. “The Ancrya is back in my custody.” Norcross signaled for his soldiers, and they quickly rushed in. Norcross stepped in front of Locklin, breathing on him. “You will fly this ship back to Silvago.”
“I heard ya the first time, eh.”
Norcross threw his arm around Locklin’s head and got him in a headlock, then pulled out a pistol and placed it at his temple. Through clenched teeth, he said, “The next time you disobey me and steal my ship, I’ll make sure that your daughter gets a nice welcome home card from Daddy. I’ll kill you and your friends publicly, and the world will be set by your example not to disobey orders.” Norcross then slid the gun to the center of Locklin’s forehead.
Locklin looked up to the barrel of the gun. “I agree.”
Norcross pushed Locklin away. He walked into the cabins where the rest of the Magical were. He stared at Leo for a few seconds, reminding his own self that he would pay Leo back. “Where is it?”
“What?” Leo asked.
“The jewel.”
“Enaya?” Leo asked.
“Exactly.”
“The woman with the two elves took it.”
Norcross looked back at Leo awkwardly. “Are you joking?”
“No, I think they said her name was Shebris.”
Norcross closed his eyes in disappointment. “Are you sure that is who took it?”
“Yes, I saw them with my own eyes,” Leo said.
Norcross glanced across the room; he winked at Ashera. He stepped over to Nile, aimed his pistol at his chest, and fired. Ashera screamed and covered her mouth. Then she lunged out of the bed toward Norcross but fell to the floor. She pounded against the wood as she sobbed.
Wrath consumed Leo like wildfire, and he wanted to grab Norcross and fire a shot into his head. His fingers locked as he arched them and his chest bloomed out. The only thing holding Leo back were the other soldiers and the fear that Ashera and Bancroft and Charis and Locklin might be harmed. A soldier aimed his rifle at Leo, reassuring him what would happen if he stepped out of his bounds.
“Pain,” Norcross muttered. Norcross glared at Leo. “Oh yes, I almost forgot, the next time you humiliate me like that in front of my soldiers, I’ll rip your skin off your body and throw your spoiled rotten meat to the dogs.”
“Is this how ya feel, eh?” Locklin asked. “Does this power make ya feel more alive than ever before, bringin’ pain to the people around ya.”
“Shut it,” Norcross said, placing his pistol in his holster. “He caused us enough trouble. Your orders are simple. Get the Ancrya back to Silvago.”
Ashera crawled over to the bed Nile was on. She scooped Nile up in her arms and rocked him back and forth. Blood poured from Nile’s chest. She felt his throat and could feel a pulse. Nile was still alive, and there was a painful grin that stretched across her face as she cried.
“It is a Nublon shot,” Norcross said. “He will live; it just causes tremendous pain to the body. He’ll wake in a few hours.” Then he left the airship.
“He used to be a decent guy, ya know?” Locklin said, looking to Leo. Locklin turned and went into the cockpit, staring at each soldier he passed. He took a deep breath, pulled out a cigarette and began to fly.
Chapter 37
The Angel of Solace
I had never run so hard before in my life, never so quick. My legs burned, my hair flapped against the sides of my face, and I could feel it thump . . . was it my heart? No, just my hair. I was so nervous, so scared, hoping that I wouldn’t have to fight. I had to. It was my job. I promised my father I would protect them.
We made it to the angel statue. There was something historic about it, something about being under the stone wings that protected us. My mother grabbed Isaiah and held him in her arms. He was scared too, but he was sixteen, he had a reason to be scared. My father fought when he was fifteen. He was my brother though. We had been closer than most siblings. There was no way I was letting him fight.
My mother signaled for me to come to her. I did. She placed an arm around me and held me close. I remember her smell, like a vanilla candle. It was something that my father brought her back from the Crystal Kingdom. She always had this aroma about her that made me feel at home even if we we
ren’t.
Then the leaves crumbled. Was it me? Was it my mother or Isaiah? No, they were perfectly still. I broke loose from my mother and looked around. There was nothing, but I could see the leaves crumble. I knew with all my heart something was there, just protected by the magic of the moon. Then the crows landed. They came together and Srinath was staring at me. I felt like I had snuck up on a rattlesnake.
Srinath undid his belt, pulling it through the loops forming a chain. He wrapped it around his dead hands, then pulled out his sword. I reached down and grabbed a stick. A stick. That’s all I could find. I was in a lot of trouble by now. Srinath swung the chain hard, smashing it into the statue. Pieces fell off.
I charged Srinath, but he was too fast and too strong. He swung his chain and hit me. I fell. He then swung his chain at me again and the steel scraped across my spine. I screamed out and I remember rolling to my side to see my mother reach for me, but Srinath separated us. He grabbed her.
I got to my feet but I was limping. He wasn’t going to wait. He stabbed her. The sword went through her cleanly and he pulled it out. She fell to her knees then to her face and I was left screaming. Isaiah crawled toward me and I reached for him with open arms.
“Nile!” he screamed.
“It’s all right,” I said.
Srinath brought the chain over his head and slung it into Isaiah, knocking him on his back. I ran toward him, but Srinath swung the chain into me. I felt it break my skin. It hurt so badly. I stumbled and Srinath kicked me away. He then walked to Isaiah, bringing his sword up above him. I screamed for him to stop but I was too slow. The sword came down and pierced Isaiah’s chest.
All was lost.
I rolled to my back in pain, crying as I did. A figure blocked out the sun and as I looked to the heavens, Srinath was over me. The sword was above his head, and as he brought it down he was knocked off his feet. My father had jumped to my rescue . . .
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