by Dana Gricken
“What are you talking about?” I asked, angrier now.
“The General kept secrets from us, Riley,” Marissa said. “I don’t want to say it, but…you remind us of him right now.”
There it was again—the comparison I hated the most. Couldn’t they see I was trying my best to lead them? To keep them safe?
“You’re entitled to your opinion,” I replied, keeping myself calm, “but I lied so no one would panic. The General lied to hurt people and stay in control.”
“One and the same,” Patrick muttered. “Because you sure hurt us.”
The group dispersed, angrily stomping away to the barracks. Caleb stayed by my side as usual, but when I looked at him for comfort, he just shrugged. He didn’t seem to know what to say, and I wasn’t sure I deserved support right now.
After they were gone, I had the worst thoughts of all: Had I betrayed my people’s trust? And had I turned into General Grissom, despite my good intentions?
The snake hissed in my arms, and I feared it was right.
6
The Purity Crystal
When darkness overcame the sky, I decided to retire to the barracks. I didn’t think I’d get any sleep, but I had to try. A General had to be at their best. I trapped Ivy’s snake in a box with holes in it, placed it under my cot, and curled into bed.
No one talked to me that night. They were all too angry or hurt, and I thought it would be best if they had time to cool down. They’d come around and see I was right.
If they didn’t, I didn’t know what I was going to do.
When I awoke the next morning, the golden light of dawn was in the sky. As I rolled over in bed, I heard shouting coming from the lobby. I sighed, throwing on my clothes before I checked on the snake.
It was still in the box, but looked livid with me for imprisoning it. It slithered its tongue at me, trying to attack or free itself. It was my only bargaining chip, and I had to make sure it stayed alive.
When I entered the lobby, the screaming got louder. Patrick and our soldiers were on the right side of the room, yelling at the left side, which consisted of Princess Ivy, Sasha, Captain Mercer, and their Resistance members. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I knew it wasn’t good.
“Hey! That’s enough,” I said, getting between the two groups. “What’s going on?”
Patrick glared at the others. “We can’t trust them, kid—not like this. Without crystals, they’re no better than the damn Dark Queen.”
“Without crystals? What are you talking about?” I asked. “They agreed to wear them.”
“We don’t have enough Purity Crystals for everyone,” Caleb explained. “Dahlia told us her stash is empty.”
“It’s fine by us,” Ivy said, placing a hand on her hip. “We didn’t want to wear the stupid things, anyway.”
“No,” I replied. “You’re going to wear the crystals if I have to force them around your necks. We’ll get them one way or another.”
Princess Ivy and her people glared at me, but as long as I was holding the snake hostage, they really weren’t in a position to argue.
Jacob cleared his throat. “We’ll have to go to the Grove so I can find more. I’ve been meaning to head back there anyway, but I was waiting for a good time. I hope you don’t mind coming with me, Riley. It isn’t safe to go alone.”
I groaned. “Why didn’t anyone tell me about the shortage before? We were just in the Underworld. We could’ve looked for crystals then!”
“I mean no disrespect, but we had no idea you would be bringing back new soulless,” Dahlia replied. “We used our last crystal on you, and I thought it would be enough.”
“Fine. Let’s do it,” I said. “Although I was trying to keep us as far away from the Underworld as possible, we have no choice.”
“I’ll come with you,” Caleb said.
“No. You need to stay here and keep the peace. For whatever it’s worth, you’re Ivy’s brother. If a fight happens, you might be the only one who can break it up.”
“Don’t worry,” Jacob said, removing his makeshift Deathblade from his trench coat. “I’ll keep her safe, Caleb.”
I snorted. If anyone was going to keep us safe, it would be me.
“Wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t decided to add to our army,” Patrick said, glancing over at me. “I still think it’s a bad idea, kid.”
“I know. But between the Dark Queen, the General, and the Cardinal, don’t you think we have enough enemies?”
The people said nothing. They seemed to agree, even if they wouldn’t admit it—but they still looked furious when I mentioned the Cardinal’s name. I worried their anger wouldn’t fade in time.
“We’ll keep watch over the soulless,” Tyler said, pulling out his Deathblade. “But hurry back. If I see one wrong move, I won’t hesitate.”
I nodded, glancing at Jacob. “I’m ready to go. I want everyone to be on their best behavior while we’re gone. I mean it—no more arguing.”
“No promises,” Patrick mumbled, keeping a close eye on Princess Ivy. “Get going, kid. We’ll hold down the fort.”
When Jacob and I reached the truck, he stopped me. “Hang on. I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“Well, kind of,” Jacob began. “The others aren’t happy you lied to them about the Cardinal—soulless included. They feel betrayed. I haven’t heard anything about a rebellion yet, but never say never…”
A rebellion? That was just great. The last thing I needed was my own people to turn against me, especially after the last few weeks.
“Do you feel the same way?” I asked.
“Look, I didn’t like being left out of the loop,” he replied, “but I see why you did it. I’m in no position to judge you, Riley. I’m sure being the General is hard, and you’re only trying your best.”
You can say that again, I thought.
“I just want you to be careful,” Jacob continued. “We’ve seen what happens when two sides disagree. And now that you’ve brought more soulless here…well, it’s only going to make things worse.”
“Do you think they’d abandon me like they did with General Grissom?”
Jacob shrugged. “No idea. I guess anything is possible. I’m just saying that you need to be really careful with what you say and do, Riley. They won’t be happy if you lie to them again.”
“And Dahlia? Does she feel betrayed too?”
Jacob shook his head. “I don’t think so. Dahlia trusts you, Riley—and so do I. If you say you needed to lie to us, then I believe it.” As he got into the passenger side of the truck, he looked over his shoulder. “And for what it’s worth, I’ve been trying to convince the others of that. Aren’t you glad you have someone like me on your side?”
“I am,” I replied honestly. “At least I know who my true friends are.”
But if the others left me, would it be enough? I wondered that the entire time I drove us back to my house.
When we arrived, nothing had changed. The house was still a disaster, there was still red writing on the garage wall, and the hatch to the Underworld was still safely hidden.
Jacob noticed the red writing right away. “What is this?”
“It’s a long story,” I muttered, pulling on the hatch. “You can add my dad to our growing list of problems.”
“He’s still missing, huh?” Jacob asked, and I nodded. “Any idea where he’d go?”
“No, and that’s the worst part. This city isn’t livable. There’s no way he can keep surviving without help.”
I climbed down the ladder, making my way back into the cold, dark Underworld. As Jacob trailed behind me, his voice echoed off the stone walls. “Even if you do find him, how would you convince him to come back? You saw the message. He’s lost his mind.”
I didn’t know—and I was tired of talking about Dad, so I kept quiet. It was painful enough to think about him, let alone talk about his abandonment.
I wondered what Dad would say about the Cardinal, and if he would understand why I had lied. I wondered what he would say about the Resistance members, and if he would have agreed to let them stay with us at the headquarters.
Probably not. He was one less argument I needed to have.
When Jacob and I reached the main level, he whistled. “I haven’t been here in a long time. It’s just as creepy and dark as I remember.”
“Do you still know the way to the Grove? I’d hate to rush you, but I don’t like how we left things at the headquarters.”
Jacob chuckled. “Relax, Riley. Caleb will make sure nothing happens. And yeah, I know the way. What do you take me for?”
“Shouldn’t we have taken the other Scouts with us? Or maybe the Golems?” I asked. “Extra hands wouldn’t hurt.”
He shook his head. “And risk their safety? No way. My sister is still recovering. And as for the Golems, they have their hands full with rebuilding.”
I followed Jacob toward the Dark Palace, where he began searching for the small crevice in the wall. Once he found it, his mouth hung open. “No, no, no… This can’t be happening.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The Grove was left open,” Jacob replied. “And I’m pretty sure I closed it when I was here last. To get into the Grove, you have to know the location of the lever on the Dark Palace.”
“Which means…”
“That someone else has been in here, and recently,” Jacob replied, glancing back at me. “Someone knowledgeable. And I don’t think it was one of our people, either.”
I shrugged. “It could’ve been the Resistance. They ambushed Caleb and me when we were here yesterday. Maybe they were living in there?”
Jacob laughed. “The same Resistance that hates crystals and didn’t even want to wear the Purity ones? I don’t think so.”
“Who could it be, then?”
“I don’t know,” Jacob replied, “but they could still be in here. Keep your Deathblade handy, just in case.”
“I always do,” I muttered, following him.
Jacob and I pushed our way through the crevice, which was just as tight and narrow as I remembered. The last time we were here, the Sentinels had stood united, Elaina was alive, and our only enemy was Doctor Zero.
I would have given anything to go back to that time.
We passed by Doctor Zero’s old office, which had long since been abandoned. Jacob walked into the small alcove and dug through the desk drawers, but then walked out and frowned.
“Nothing helpful in there,” he said. “Too bad. I was hoping he’d have a few spare Purity Crystals lying around. It could’ve saved us the trouble of getting them ourselves.” He sighed. “Come on—let’s keep moving.”
We walked by many stalagmites on the floor, all dripping with moisture from the ceiling. When we approached the fork that divided into several paths, Jacob pointed northeast.
“I think I know the best spot for the Purity Crystals,” he said. “Follow me.”
“But…there are plenty of crystals here,” I said, pointing at the amber-colored jewels around me. “Won’t any do?”
Jacob shook his head. “They aren’t strong enough, Riley. Do you want the Resistance to be on our side, or not?”
“All right, I see your point. Better give them the strongest ones you have.”
I heard a rumble in the distance. As I looked ahead, I noticed a large, black creature running toward us. Both Jacob and I held up our weapons, but when it approached, I knew who it was.
Angel—the Darkhound that had shown us the way to Doctor Zero’s captives. I couldn’t believe I had found him again!
When the Darkhound bowed at my feet, Jacob lowered his dagger. “Is that…Angel?”
I nodded, stroking the creature’s head. “After the funeral, Angel disappeared. I wanted to look for him, but I couldn’t leave the headquarters—not when everything was so hectic.”
“Do you know why he left?”
I shook my head. “No. Maybe he wanted to go home? We did find him here, after all.”
“Strange,” Jacob muttered. “Well, it is a Darkhound. No one said they were normal.”
Angel looked up at me with beaming black eyes, before he began to tug on my hand. He was trying to lead me away, back the way I had come. He didn’t want me in the Grove for some reason.
“Stop it,” I said, pulling my hand away. “Jacob and I came here to find Purity Crystals. When we do, then we can leave.”
When Angel whined, Jacob looked back at me. “I think he’s trying to tell you something. Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea.”
“It’s too late to back out now. We need to keep moving,” I replied. “The Purity Crystals are down here, and Princess Ivy and her people need them so they can help us.”
“I’m not trying to doubt you, but…what do you think the Purity Crystals will accomplish? Do you really think wearing them will change them…long-term, I mean?”
I shrugged. “I’m hoping it will. I want peace, Jacob. Giving every soulless the Purity Crystal is a good place to start, don’t you think? It saved me. It made the demons inside my mind quiet so I could be a better person.”
Jacob nodded, walking ahead of me. I followed, and Angel stayed by my side, though he continued to whine in quiet protest. As we passed by stronger, more potent crystals, I realized their melody wasn’t as loud anymore. Maybe the soulless blood in my system had made me stronger.
I was seeing the world with new eyes. What else was I capable of?
The next few steps were quiet until I heard a low buzzing sound in the distance. Jacob looked down at his phone, scanning the area. His technical skills never failed to amaze me.
“What’s that noise?” I asked. “You’re hearing it too, right?”
Jacob nodded. “Of course. It sounds like…a machine. Low frequency, but it’s still there.”
“Any idea what it could be?”
Jacob scoffed, looking down at his phone again. “These readings don’t make any sense. In fact, the signal matches…the Guardian. I’m sure you remember it.”
I gulped. The Guardian of the Grove was a giant robot, created by soulless Builders to protect the crystals. It was fearsome and angry, and we’d had a difficult time deactivating it.
When Angel tried to pull me away again, I wondered: Was this what he was trying to warn us about?
“But…we deactivated that thing!” I replied. “And even if we didn’t, you put a safeguard in its computer. You told me it wouldn’t attack us again.”
“I was wrong,” Jacob replied. “But this confirms my theory, Riley. There have to be people in here. They probably rebuilt this robot to kill any intruders again.”
“So, what do we do? You know this thing better than me.”
“It’s just like you said before,” Jacob replied, reaching for his Deathblade. “We keep moving…carefully.”
When we turned around the corner, that was when we saw it: the Guardian, in all its tall, angry glory. It looked down at us, red eyes flashing. It didn’t want us here at all.
It lifted its arm, and a projectile shot out from it. Jacob, Angel, and I lunged out of the way, hiding behind a piece of rubble as the bomb went off. It shook the entire Grove, breaking some of the crystals in the process.
“I didn’t know it could do that,” Jacob whispered. “Whoever fixed this robot gave it some serious firepower. Hang on, I’m getting something…”
“Something like what?” I asked. When he didn’t reply, I huffed. “I hate when you don’t finish your sentences, you know.”
“Now that we’re closer to the robot, I’m getting some new readings. There’s an I.D. signature on the Guardian,” Jacob replied. “Whoever reprogrammed it left the initials…D.H.”
The letters swirled around in my mind. I didn’t know anyone with those initials.
I gasped when it hit me. D.H. wasn’t a person—it stood for the Darkhunters. It had to. Spencer and his new frien
ds had been busy, and that meant they had visited the Underworld at some point.
When the Guardian began to whirl again, powering up for another attack, I frowned. “I didn’t think it would attack soulless.”
Jacob nodded. “You’re right. Whoever programmed it changed its setting. It seems ready to attack the soulless now—and whoever stands in its way. Like us.”
I sighed. There was only one thing I could do.
“Go,” I said, retrieving my Deathblade. “Collect the crystals. I’ll hold this thing off!”
“Get real, Riley,” Jacob replied. “One person—soulless or not—can’t go up against that robot. It’s suicide! We’d need an army to power it down.”
“We don’t have an army,” I shot back. “But what we do have are Resistance members who need crystals. Go, Jacob. I’ll handle this.”
“But Riley—”
“I won’t ask you twice,” I replied, rising to my feet. “Get the crystals. I’ll meet up with you near the Dark Palace.”
Jacob sighed, but eventually stood up and sprinted away. As soon as the Guardian saw him, it lifted its arm, clearly intending to fire at him again. I came out of hiding, trying to grab its attention.
“Hey, Guardian!” I said, approaching it. “Remember me? Long time no see, robot.”
I dodged as the Guardian sent off another projectile toward me, shaking the Grove. Angel was trying to help me—running in circles around the Guardian’s legs—but the machine only wanted me.
I took a deep breath. I just needed to distract it a little longer.
“Jacob, how are you doing?” I yelled, hoping he could hear me.
“Good!” he replied. “I think I’m almost done. Keep it up, Riley!”
As I focused on talking to him, I didn’t notice the Guardian preparing another projectile. He sent it toward me, and I jumped out of the way, hiding behind a cluster of stalagmites. But when I looked down, I noticed I was bleeding.
My blood was black, and the injury was deep. The projectile had pierced my armor, leaving a sizable hole in my side. I groaned in pain, wondering what was taking Jacob so long. There was something different about this injury—it was the worst thing I had ever felt.