She moved without thinking and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so glad you came,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to go in there by myself.”
Parker hugged her close. “I don’t blame you. I can barely look at it without shivering.”
Alexia wiped a tear from her eye. The City of Shadows was indeed a place of nightmares. Detached shadows slithered at the corners of her vision, and though the streets were empty, she still had the feeling of being watched.
“What’s your plan?” Parker scanned the streets. “And where is everyone?” His eyes drifted to the arena.
“We don’t have much time,” Alexia said. “Every dark servant in the city has gathered in the arena to watch me bow before the Assassin—I mean, the me from the past. In just a little while, I’m going to decide not to bow … and that’s when the slaughter begins.”
“Should we go to the palace now? If your mother is there, wouldn’t it be best—”
“No, my friends have been held prisoner here for years. And it was my fault they were captured. I will escape this city in a few hours, but my friends and many more Awakened will be recaptured. I’m not leaving here until we save every last prisoner.”
Parker let out a low whistle. “I don’t know if we can do it, but I’m with you.”
Alexia hadn’t expected him to agree. In truth, she’d hoped he’d try and talk her out of it. It was ridiculous. How could they possibly save everyone? She knew what was about to happen. A hundred thousand Shadow Souled were going to swarm over the Awakened, and only a handful would escape.
“We’ll need to break into the prison and free my gang first,” she said. “They can help us free Mother, and then we can decide how to get the rest of them out.”
“Don’t people usually break out of prisons?” Parker said with a tight smile.
“Not today,” Alexia said.
“They want you to come in now. And you’re not going to believe who’s waiting inside!” Arthur said.
Jack turned. “So did you accept?” he asked. “Have you become a member of the Council of Seven?”
Arthur nodded, though he suddenly looked as if he’d eaten a rotten apple. “I think they just made the biggest mistake in the world.”
Jack punched Arthur’s shoulder. “You are the most courageous person I know. You can do this!”
Arthur blushed. “We’d better get back in. You’ve got a surprise … but I’ll let you see for yourself.”
When they stepped inside, Jack gasped. “Father!” James Staples stood inside the tent, talking quietly with Honi, King Edward, and Sage.
“Jack!” As his father turned, a burst of light and wind exploded inside the tent, and something slammed into Jack’s chest, knocking him to the ground.
Jack looked up to see an Odius hulking above him. The beast was in the shape of a sleek jaguar and the ring of eyes that wrapped around its head were focused on him. The metallic creature shook its head as if dazed, and for a moment nobody moved. It’s the Odius from the circus!
The Odius roared as a wall of liquid electricity slammed into it, wrapping it like a glove, holding it in midair. Jack scrambled away as the creature contorted into the shape of a seven-headed snake, each head straining against its prison of light.
“I can’t hold it much longer!” Arthur screamed. He was standing on his toes, swaying, with both arms raised. The light exploded from the seven-headed snake and fastened itself around Arthur, imprisoning him with his own Soulprint. “An Odius can read a Soulprint and imitate it,” Mrs. Dumphry had told them.
Jack’s father unsheathed his sword and became transparent as he stepped through the Odius. All seven heads struck at him but couldn’t touch him. His father solidified again and struck, but his sword ricocheted off the monster’s rippling skin.
Honi sent a spinning whirlwind at the creature as Sage leaped over it like a cat and struck out with a clawed hand. King Edward darted, then slammed a fist into the monster, sending it flying back through the tent, tumbling across the ground.
When it rose again, the Odius was a mammoth spider. Silvery webs shot from the spinnerets on its abdomen and wrapped around Jack’s feet, dragging him screaming across the ground. A wall of liquid light wrapped around Jack’s father and the king. Sage leaped at it again, but the Odius became momentarily transparent. It was now using all of their Soulprints.
“I will consume your soul,” the spider wheezed as it pulled Jack inexorably closer. Jack clawed at the ground but couldn’t find anything to grab.
Suddenly the ground beneath the Odius gave way. The spider shrieked and sank downward. A nearby oak tree flowed across the ground and slammed a thick branch into the beast even as vines shot from the earth to wrap tightly around it.
The silvery webbing dissipated, and Jack scrambled back. The Odius shrieked and broke free from the vines, but more trees surrounded it as a hundred Clear Eyes arrived. A wolf leaped at the Odius as an eagle swept down, tearing into the rippling skin with its razor talons. The Odius fought free only to fall into another sinkhole. It battled its way out again, but before it could do anything, a bear leaped onto its back and pinned it to the ground.
Vines sprang up, binding it to the ground as the trees moved in again. Every eye ringing the gurgling Odius’s head was wide in terror as the creature was pulled deep into the earth. The shields of light imprisoning the Awakened evaporated, and for a long moment, nobody moved.
The ground solidified as grass and flowers sprang up to erase any sign that the Odius had ever been there. One by one, the Clear Eyes turned into the forest.
Jack’s father pulled him to his feet and wrapped him in a hug. “I don’t know what just happened, but it’s good to see you, Son. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Jack hugged his father fiercely.
“It shouldn’t have been possible for a Shadow Souled to enter an Oasis, let alone appear in our midst without warning,” Honi said.
Jack released his father, then turned to Honi. “I think I brought it here. When it arrived, it was in the same form as when it tried to kill me at the circus. But just before it attacked the younger me, it disappeared in a burst of light …” He looked at his father. “I was thinking about you in that moment. I thought I’d never get to see you again. Maybe that’s why it arrived here, when we were both together.”
“That is a very powerful Soulprint indeed, young Jack,” King Edward said. “To be able to send your enemy through time and space. Powerful and dangerous. I’ve seen an Odius defeat hundreds of Awakened in a matter of minutes. It was the Author’s favor that you sent it to an Oasis.”
“Next time you decide to do such a thing,” Honi said with a half smile, “I’d think long and hard about where and when you send your enemy.” He turned to Jack’s father. “You and Jack need some time to catch up, but sit with us awhile. We’d love to hear about your journey, and I for one am itching to see the Poet’s Coffer.”
“I have bad news about the coffer. I’ve not had it for almost six weeks now. As far as I know, it is still safely hidden away. But we’ll need to leave immediately if we are to retrieve it.”
“Father, is Parker with you?” Jack asked.
“Parker left me almost a month ago. He went to help Alexia rescue her mother.”
“Alexia was with you?” Jack and Arthur asked in unison.
“She’s all right, then? How did you find her?” Jack grabbed his father’s arm excitedly.
“She dropped from the sky like a shooting star into a frozen lake. Parker arrived just in time to save her.” Jack’s father wrapped an arm around Arthur as he spoke. “It’s good to see you, Arthur. Alexia told me of your Soulprint, but it’s another thing entirely to see you work it. Not one in a thousand Awakened would have been strong enough to stop an Odius like you just did.”
Arthur grinned. “Do you know anything of my parents?” he a
sked. “Do you know where they are or if … or if they are …”
Jack knew what his friend was trying to say: Do you know if my parents are alive?
“I’m sorry, my boy, but the only news I’ve received this past year came from Alexia.” He met Jack’s eyes. “She told me about your mother,” he said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I know it was terrible.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Jack sighed. “It was the Assassin’s. I know that now. It wasn’t my fault either. But I’m going to finish him, Father.”
Chapter 9
Every Last One
“I still don’t understand why you can’t come with me,” Jack said. “We’ve only had a few hours together!”
“If there were any other way, I would,” his father said. “But your task cannot wait, and neither can mine. Besides, Mrs. Dumphry’s letter made it clear that only Honi was to go with you. And I am the only one who knows where to find the coffer. But the moment the coffer is back in the hands of the Awakened, I will find you no matter where you are. And if the Author wills it, I will fight by your side in the Last Battle.”
James Staples wrapped his son in a hug, and Jack melted into his arms. “I don’t know if I can lead,” Jack whispered.
“You’ll do well. You have always been a leader, Jack. I believe in you. Just listen to your heart. You must learn to recognize the Author’s voice. It is the whisper of a whisper, and he is always speaking.” His father leaned back and looked him in the eye. “I love you, Son.”
“I love you, too, Father.”
Without another word, Jack’s father stepped into the spinning World Portal.
Jack stood and watched with a heavy heart. It wasn’t fair.
“He’s right, you know,” Arthur said. “You have always been a leader. You saved me from Jonty Dobson in the schoolyard before you even knew who I was.”
Jack smiled. “And we both know how well that turned out.” Jonty Dobson had thrown the boys into a mud puddle. “I wish we could stay together.”
“I’d give anything to go back to Ballylesson,” Arthur replied, “even if it has changed. But, Jack, if my parents are still there, you have to promise me you won’t leave them behind.”
“Of course,” Jack said, “I promise.”
Arthur smiled. “I’ll see you soon,” he whispered.
“You be careful,” Jack said. “Just because you’re on the Council doesn’t make you invincible. And don’t go getting a big head about it.”
Arthur laughed as he turned and stepped into the spinning rings of the World Portal with Jack’s father and the others. Jack met his father’s eyes as the rings filled with thick, green liquid. When it reached the top of the rings, the small band of Awakened disappeared in a flash of light.
For a long moment, Jack didn’t move. He knew Honi was waiting. He knew he should turn around and say something. But he wanted one final moment to be a kid. Until now he’d relied on Mrs. Dumphry to tell him where to go and what to do. It had been hard, but it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He took a deep breath.
“All right, then, I guess it’s time we leave as well.”
Honi smiled encouragingly. “I will follow your lead.”
Jack placed his hands on the steel rings. They felt silky beneath his fingers. “Ballylesson,” he said. The rings began to spin, and Jack Staples stepped inside.
Alexia and Parker sprinted into the darkened corridors of the arena as the sky began to fall. Alexia’s heart sank. The Alexia from the past was sprinting away from Korah and the Assassin. Alexia watched herself run straight at the hulking Drogule that held her friends captive with a cable of electrified light.
She and Parker stood behind a pillar as dark servants rushed past them into the arena. The Alexia from the past reached the Drogule and dove into the cable of light, freeing Mrs. Dumphry and the others. Andreal roared and took three running steps, crashing into the monster as Wild pulled Alexia to her feet. The small band of Awakened quickly formed a circle, standing back to back. A split second before the Shadow Souled collided with them, a shield of blue light formed around them.
Monsters from the sky and the arena crashed into the shield. Alexia watched as the dark servants continued pushing in, crawling over each other in an attempt to kill the Awakened, but they were far too bloodthirsty to see what was happening. The sky emptied, and the mountain of dark flesh grew wider and higher.
“I can’t believe anyone survived that.” Parker stood with his mouth agape. On either side of the pillar, the last stragglers of the Shadow Souled rushed in.
Before Alexia could answer, a burst of dusty wind exploded from the mountain of flesh. Suddenly most of the dark servants stopped moving. Alexia still didn’t know how she’d done it, but she was certain the Alexia from the past had knocked the beasts unconscious.
“We should go,” she said. Looking at it now, she agreed with Parker. She’d lived through it and still had no idea how any of them had survived. She turned to walk back into the corridor, but Parker placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Is that … Arthur?”
Alexia turned to see Arthur Greaves entering the arena. He moved gracefully, spinning round and kicking his feet in an odd-looking dance. Where he moved, a towering wedge of liquid light moved with him. The wedge slid into the mountain of flesh to shove it aside.
“Yes,” Alexia said, “we need to get below before things get worse.”
“It gets worse?” Parker squeaked. “Where are we going?”
“We’re going to face our fears,” Alexia said grimly.
Arthur exited the emerald Sea of Worlds and tumbled across the muddy ground. Just behind him came Sage, Aliyah, King Edward, and Mr. Staples. All he could think about was Jack. What if he needs me and I’m not there?
“He’s going to be all right,” Mr. Staples said as he stood and wiped his muddy hands on his coat. “I’m worried about him too, but Jack’s going to be fine. Now let’s find the coffer and get it back to the … Oh no.”
Arthur turned and wanted to scream. They stood at the edge of … “What is it?”
“It’s a Quagmire,” Mr. Staples said. “It must have formed around the coffer.”
Arthur felt sick to his stomach. The only thing he knew about Quagmires was that they were the opposite of the Oases. They were the gathering places for every form of evil; Mrs. Dumphry said that to enter one would be a quick and brutal death.
“Does that mean the Assassin has the coffer?” Sage asked.
“No.” Mr. Staples shook his head. “I doubt he knows it’s there. There were fifty Blinding Stones guarding it. But his servants must still be able to feel it even if they don’t know what it is. I’d bet the Quagmire began forming within hours of our hiding it away.”
“So what now?” Arthur asked. “We can’t go in there.”
All five Awakened stood side by side staring at the wall of corruption. The border was a tangle of thorny vines and sickly looking bushes, and it was expanding even as they watched.
“I’m afraid there’s no other choice,” Mr. Staples said. “To enter this Quagmire will most likely be the death of us all. But to lose the Poet’s Coffer will be the death of the world.” He placed his hands on Arthur’s and Sage’s shoulders. “I know it’s much to ask, but I’ll ask it anyway. Will you join me in retrieving the Poet’s Coffer? There is no shame in staying back.”
“I’m with you,” Arthur said quickly. He wanted to get the words out before he had a chance to think them through.
“I will be honored to join you in such a worthy task,” King Edward said.
“I will go,” Sage said.
“As will I,” Aliyah added.
“Good! When we enter, we must do so at an all-out run. No matter what happens, we cannot slow. If we stop moving forward, we’ll become trapped.” Mr. Staples pointed toward a moun
tain of black stone that rose in the center of the Quagmire. “The Poet’s Coffer is there, at the base of the mountain. When we arrive, you will have to guard my back as I unbury it.”
Arthur felt his stomach sink a little farther. The base of the mountain was at least an hour’s run from the ever-expanding border. Dense and corrupted jungle filled the space between. He’d been thinking they’d have to run a few minutes at most.
Mr. Staples unsheathed his sword as King Edward’s skin transformed to thickened leather. Arthur reached out for his Soulprint and sighed in relief as he felt the electricity on his skin. Aliyah bowed her head, and thin, white wings extended from her back.
“What?” she said as she raised her bow and nocked an arrow. “You’ve never seen a girl with wings before?”
“I just didn’t know … I didn’t know it was possible, that’s all.”
“You should know by now that nothing is impossible for the Awakened,” Aliyah said.
Sage offered Arthur a regal look before dropping to all fours. “My sister’s not the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve.”
“Run hard,” Mr. Staples said. “Every single thing within the Quagmire will be trying to kill us. The air itself could turn poisonous if we stay in the same place too long. Try to stay away from the trees, and keep together.”
Arthur scanned the Quagmire. The whole thing is trees!
Mr. Staples raised his sword. “For the Author and the hope of all living things!” he shouted.
The others echoed his call. “For the Author and the hope of all living things!”
Arthur embraced his Soulprint as he lurched into a run and raced into the Quagmire.
Chapter 10
The Wrong Thing for the Right Reason
Jack lay flat on a rock gazing down at his hometown. Ballylesson was nestled in a valley between two rolling hills and had once been surrounded by farms. But King Edward had been right; Jack’s home had been transformed. It reminded him of the City of Shadows, except it lacked the gold and gemstones to cover the rot and decay.
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