by Rain Oxford
I heard the sound of electricity crackle and saw a bright flash as a beam of light burst out of the pillar into the dark. It suddenly lit another pillar on the other side of the massive cavern. An identical beam jumped from that pillar to a third one, and from that one to a fourth, which connected to a fifth, which connected to the original pillar. I wasn’t surprised to see that it created a burning white, hundred-foot-wide pentagram.
The receptacle was ready.
When I tried to use my power, nausea threatened my lunch, and I really didn’t want to throw up in front of Remington. It was fading quickly, however, since Rocky was still doing her best to absorb the damage.
I didn’t even know she could do that after my injury. Then again, she healed my cursed heart by taking the curse into herself.
Vitalis started reading the final incantation aloud, only to stop with a shout of surprise. The book shot off the altar and he was tossed away as if he was hit by a heavy object. The book flew to my side. Before Remington could take it, Henry appeared with the Claviculus in his mouth. He dropped it and shifted. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
“Later. Right now, we need you to distract Vitalis so we can reverse this.”
He nodded, shifted, and vanished. Remington helped me sit up against the wall and then started flipping through the book. “What am I looking for?”
“Can you read Latin?” I asked.
“Of course. My father demanded it.”
“Look for anything that can reverse this.” Unfortunately, Vitalis continued the incantation. He had it memorized.
“That is all I can do,” Rocky said in my mind. “Stop getting hurt. Defend yourself.”
“Move aside,” Darwin said. He had entered the room and was standing behind Remington. She moved out from between us and he held out a healing potion. Since he had gloves on, I took it without hesitation and drank it. “Now stop being a baby and help Henry distract the dead dude.” He took the book from Remy and flipped through it. “I’ll find the reversal spell.
I was strong enough by then to stand, and a moment later, I felt my power stabilize. That was the fastest working healing potion I had ever drunk. With urgency, focus, and determination, I pushed my power into Vitalis’s mind and forced the image of Rohesia into him. This caused him to stop talking.
Darwin said, “This is it.” He started speaking in Latin.
“I’m going to trap him in the syrus while you and Henry distract him,” I told Remy.
She nodded and kissed me. “Be careful,” she said when she broke the kiss. She then joined Henry, but she fought with magic while Henry tried to eat Vitalis.
I pulled the syrus out of the bag and my notebook out of my pocket. I couldn’t find the knife or the incantation, though. When I removed the bandage to use my blood, I discovered that the healing potion had already sealed the wound.
I ran to the circle, snatched the dagger up, and rolled barely in time to avoid a burst of Vitalis’s power. I ran back to the syrus, cut my finger, and used the dagger as a pen. I wrote Vitalis true and full name on a sheet of my notebook paper. Then I tossed aside the dagger and set the paper aflame over the open syrus. Finally, I spoke the incantation from memory.
I felt my power being drawn forcefully and quickly. Too quickly.
The inside of the chest suddenly lit up and Vitalis stopped chanting again. As my energy got dangerously low, I felt Rocky giving me what she had to spare. It was enough. Vitalis dissolved into ash and was sucked into the chest in a way that was both creepy and obscene. When he was entirely inside, the lid snapped closed and my magic was released. I fell back.
In the sudden stillness, it became obvious that Darwin was shouting the reversal incantation. When he yelled the last word, I felt tension in the air break. The pillars went dark, and all was quiet. We stopped Vitalis and didn’t lose a single student.
We had won.
Chapter 16
Henry had left his clothes in the library. First, we checked on the coma students and discovered that they were all awake. Next, we all got healing potions from Dr. Martin. Lastly, we decided to put off everything else until the next day, and we went to bed. Although Remington and I went to bed together, we were way too tired to fool around.
* * *
Sunday, September 4
I woke with Remington in my arms. She was still asleep and too beautiful to wake. She needed the sleep, anyway. I slowly worked my way out of bed. Other than reaching for me and then settling into my former spot, she didn’t stir. I went to take a shower, dressed, and headed downstairs for some breakfast and coffee. It was past breakfast time, so I made some French toast. It occurred to me that I didn’t know if Remy liked French toast. Or breakfast.
Before I could bring some to her, she joined me in the kitchen. I leaned against the counter and she leaned against me to kiss me. “I am usually up before the sun,” she said.
“I’m not surprised you needed the extra sleep.”
“We have a lot to do today.”
“I need to talk to Jamie,” I agreed.
“I need to find another librarian.”
“You should have Cy do it. I bet he knows the library better than Sommerfeld did. I need to find out what to do with the Claviculus and the Syrus. It’s not safe to leave them in the tomb, because I bet Sommerfeld wasn’t the only descendant of the cult.”
* * *
“Why did you betray Vitalis?” I asked Jamie. I had found Jamie and Jason asleep on the couch in my office. Rocky had taken my request to heart and wouldn’t let the boy leave until I arrived. Jason had found his brother through their bond and stayed with him. Jason had even brought Jamie a Darth Vader blanket. I didn’t think that was a person Jamie should look up to, but there were worse role models.
“Because I’m not stupid. If I helped him open the gates, the elder gods would enslave humans. No one is allowed to hurt my brother. Plus, if I helped him kill you, Jason would be really upset.”
“You care if I’m upset?” Jason asked.
“Shut up, stupid. Of course I care.”
“Jamie, if you let me, I can show you how to control your anger. If you do that, people will start trusting you. It’ll be better for you and your brother. I’m not going to force you, though. It’s your decision.”
Jason looked at him, hope clear as day on his face.
“I can stop if it’s stupid?” he asked.
“Of course.”
He wouldn’t look at Jason. “I’ll think about it.”
* * *
No sooner did they leave did Henry drop by. “I need to apologize,” he said.
“You were an asshole, but you showed up when we really needed you.”
“It wasn’t that I thought you were lying to me; I thought you needed help that I couldn’t provide. I came to realize that you have the soundest mind of anyone I know. I should have trusted you without question.”
“I don’t want that. Mindless following wouldn’t work. I need you to think. But we could have used your help and you bailed on us.”
“It won’t happen again. If you forgive me at all, that is.”
“I do, and Darwin sure as hell will. Just don’t let it happen again.” I caught him up on everything that had happened since I told him about the ghosts.
By the time I was done, Darwin had joined us. “We have to decide what to do about the books and the syrus.”
“Well, we can take the syrus to Hunt. Maybe he’ll be a little more serious about guarding Vitalis when he’s in a box. Why can’t we give him the Claviculus and Vitalis’s grimoire?”
“Because power corrupts,” Darwin said. “I know Hunt is kind of the good guy, but you’re talking about giving him a weapon that could destroy the entire world. I’m afraid he wouldn’t be able to help himself. He might try to use it for ‘good,’ but you know what they say about good intentions.”
“He’s right,” Henry agreed.
“What about Vincent?”
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Darwin said, “Even worse. The problem is that anyone who is powerful enough to protect it would be compelled to use it.”
“Then Hunt might know who we can give it to or have an idea on how we can keep it safe. Henry, feel like a trip through the shadow pass?”
“I thought you lost that ability,” Henry said.
“I have. You, however, shouldn’t have. Even if the link between Earth and Dothra is broken, you are still Langril’s familiar and he still has a key, so you should be able to access it.”
“Not necessarily,” Darwin argued. “If the tower was successfully destroyed, the key to Dothra might have vanished as well.”
“There’s only one way to be sure,” Henry said. “Darwin, you’ll have to stay here, since you haven’t killed anyone.”
“You don’t have to make it sound like a flaw.”
We ignored him.
“I’m going to concentrate on Hunt and hopefully, you’ll be able to open the way. One of us should be able to get there.”
“Or we die,” Henry said.
“Yeah, let’s try not to do that.”
We went back to my room to get the books and syrus. I was both glad that it wasn’t my responsibility to protect it and worried that we wouldn’t find someone we could trust to protect it. Henry focused on opening the shadow pass.
Darwin and I turned out all but one light, and we turned that one low. It was possible to open the shadow pass if there was light, but the more light there was, the more energy it required. “Picture the key in your mind. Only once we’re in the shadow pass do we need to think of Hunt.”
He nodded. “Something is coming to mind, but it doesn’t look like the mark I saw on Dothra’s door. Is it possible that Langril attained another key?”
“That would mean there are more worlds,” Darwin said.
“Well, we know the elder gods are from another world that wasn’t accessible through the tower.”
“Unless it’s the fifth world that Krechea tried to open.”
“If that’s the case, I really hope Langril and his key are gone for good.”
“We should build a big wall around Earth,” Darwin said.
“And make Dothra pay for it.”
“This is not conducive to my concentration,” Henry said.
We shut up. A few minutes later, shadows began creeping towards us from the northeast corner of the room. Henry grabbed my arm. Darwin got on the bed to stay near the light. The shadows engulfed us, blocking all color and light. The air grew cold and stale, while the ground beneath us became soft and uneven.
Henry tugged on my arm gently. It wasn’t actually required to walk in the shadow pass; we could appear anywhere without taking a step. However, our natural instincts encouraged us to, either because it helped us find who we were looking for or because it made it more difficult for the monstrous creatures that lived in the shadow pass to find us. They were just as blind as we were, so it was imperative that we didn’t speak.
Time was blurred as well in the dark void. It could have been a minute or an hour that we walked before light returned and the ground became stable. We were suddenly in Hunt’s dimly lit office.
The office was dark and cozy. Against the north wall, in front of a large window with heavy drapes, was a bulky wooden desk. On the west wall was a fireplace with two black leather chairs facing away from it, while the east wall consisted of two bookshelves that were split by a doorway. A black leather couch was placed in the middle of the room, facing the fireplace. A scratched, wooden coffee table was between the couch and the fireplace.
There was already a tea tray on the table, along with three cups of tea, a pot, and fixings. Hunt was sitting in the leather chair on the right with his hands folded in his lap. He gestured to the couch and we sat. “How did you know we were coming?”
“Discretion might have been your specialty as a private investigator, but you are not unpredictable. At least, not to me.”
“Vitalis seemed to have no problem deflecting my attack.”
“Magic is easy to read. I can show you how to disguise it better. Even though you have defeated your most recent enemy, we will continue our lessons three nights a week.”
“Good. I can’t rely on the chain, so I need to learn to control it myself. In the meantime…” I set the syrus on the table. He reached for a cup of tea instead of the box. I grabbed one of the cups as well. I hadn’t been a tea-drinker before meeting Hunt, and I still preferred coffee, but tea always made our meetings calmer. It was when Hunt got out the liquor that shit was about to hit the fan.
“We need to know what to do with the Claviculus and Vitalis’s book,” Henry said.
“They cannot be destroyed,” Hunt said, “and I cannot be trusted with them, as I am sure Darwin told you.”
“He did,” I said.
He considered it for a few minutes before setting his cup down and saying, “I hate to suggest this, but take it to Ascelin.”
“He won’t be tempted to use it?”
“He hates magic more than anyone I know, yet he also respects it. He has the ability to protect it and the resolve not to use it. He does not believe magic can be used for good. He vehemently denies being a wizard at all.”
“He said his daughter was branded by a demon.”
“He does not tell me what goes on in his life. I have heard of his daughter, but never met her.”
“Then we’ll take the books to him. Can you protect the syrus?”
“That I can do, yes.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you soon for our next lesson.”
He nodded. Henry and I stood and I set my tea down. The shadows reached for us quickly and the world disappeared. This time, I had to help Henry get us there. I pictured Ascelin, recalled the sound of his voice, the smell of his shop, and the aura my instincts picked up. Opening the link to Henry’s mind, I sent him everything I had on Ascelin.
When the darkness slowly dissolved, we were in White Hills, standing in front of Ascelin’s shop. The sign on the door had been changed.
Go away,
We’re Closed
“Well, that’s useless,” I said.
“Maybe he will be back soon,” Henry suggested. “We can ask around for him.”
My instincts stopped me from walking away. Instead, I pulled the handle on the door. It opened. “Maybe he forgot to flip the sign.” We went inside and found Ascelin and another man standing behind the counter, discussing something. They stopped when a bell chimed over the door.
The man was tall with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. He wore a business suit and was carrying at least one gun. My instincts warned me that the stranger was powerful, but not threatening. Henry growled low and whispered, “Demon.”
“Which one?” I asked.
“I’m only half demon, shifter,” the stranger said. His tone was calm and polite. He didn’t see us as a threat. “I’m going to get the bar ready for sunset. Rory likes to be awoken with a kiss.”
“I do not want to know what my daughter allows you to do while she’s asleep.”
The man smirked as if he was teasing Ascelin, then walked out. Henry sniffed him as he passed, but the stranger ignored us. “You hate magic, yet your daughter is a vampire and your son-in-law is a demon?”
“You are observant, Devon Sanders, but incorrect. Yes, my daughter is a vampire and I despise magic, but Rory isn’t planning on marrying her demon boyfriend quite yet. You’ve come to give me a couple of books, right?”
“I really must be predictable.”
“I might have been forewarned of your plight.”
“By who?”
“I’d like to know that myself.”
“Huh?”
He held out his hands. I pulled the books out of my bag and gave them to him. “Can you keep the book out of the demon’s hands?”
“Logan wouldn’t want to use it any more than I do.”
“Logan?”
“Yes. I’m afraid I’m a litt
le standoffish with the young half-demon because he shares my brother’s name. Logan Wayne knows that there is a price for magic and takes precaution. Logan Hunt knows there is a price for magic and does whatever he wants anyway.”
“But they’re not related?”
“By blood? No. Logan Wayne’s father, Dante, was friends with my brother. Dante named his son after my brother.”
“Isn’t that the biggest coincidence in the world?”
“Of course not. All the major players in the magic world know each other. My daughter and her boyfriend were drawn together. You’ll never meet a paranormal by accident. Never. It’s all designed and destined by the laws of magic, and that’s why I hate magic. I couldn’t keep my daughter apart from her boyfriend if I tried, and eventually, she will meet my brother.”
“What about paranormals I meet in passing?”
“The less of an impact they make in the paranormal world, the less they are controlled by it, but they still affect you and vice versa. Someone you never spoke a word to could be your savior or your undoing.”
“I don’t believe in destiny.”
“You don’t believe me?” He pointed out the door as if the half-demon was still there. “Dante was killed by John Cross. Tell me you don’t know who that is.”
I gaped. “Um. He’s allegedly my father.”
“And that magic chain Vincent made for you? He also made one for Logan Wayne to control his demon magic. You are personally connected or will soon be connected to everyone on the current wizard council.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“I guarantee it, as is my brother and Vincent.”
“It still sounds farfetched.”
“Ignorance will be your downfall,” Ascelin said. Then he disappeared into the back room.
Henry and I returned to the school. As soon as we appeared in my room, Darwin lit all of the lamps. “Did everything go smoothly?” he asked.