The Dark Cage

by Dana Gricken

  “Riley? What…happened?” Ruby asked, trying to sit up.

  “What do you think happened?” Jade replied, groaning. “The damn Guardian beat us down. Our powers barely worked on it.”

  “You’re alive!” I said, bending down beside them. “How did you survive the attack?”

  “We pretended to be dead,” Jade replied, before she looked away. “We know it was cowardly.”

  “It wasn’t cowardly,” I interrupted. “You did the only thing you could to survive. The Samaritans need you, and I’m glad you did it.”

  “But the Darkhunters escaped. They told us they were going after the weapons. Did they get to them?”

  I nodded, sadly. “Yes, and…they killed Bane. I couldn’t save him.”

  The girls were quiet. They seemed just as shocked as me.

  “I know things look bad, but don’t worry. My dad is only pretending to work with the Darkhunters. He’s going to help us from the inside.”

  “Look around, Riley,” Jade spat. “Most of the building is gone. Are the Samaritans even still alive?”

  “I don’t know. I’m going to look next,” I said, helping them both to their feet. “Buildings can be rebuilt, Jade. We’ve done it before.”

  “Not if all our people are dead,” Jade muttered. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but the three of us aren’t strong enough for a rebellion by ourselves.”

  I pushed that thought out of my mind. Our people had to be alive. There was no other option.

  “Head to the back of the facility. I want to make sure the civilians are okay,” I replied, ignoring Jade’s comment. “I’ll check on our soldiers.”

  They nodded and staggered off down the corridor. I went back into the lobby, stepping over the piles of debris and dust. Everything was foggy and gray, and I struggled to see through the smoke.

  A small, black creature rose up from beneath a bulkhead. It was covered in soot, but when it saw me, it whined. I knew who it was immediately.

  “Angel, you made it!” I said, bending down to scratch his ears. “What about the others?”

  The Darkhound cooed, leading me closer to the entrance. A body was trapped underneath a giant piece of wall. I could only see their legs, but I knew who it was.

  “Caleb! Caleb, can you hear me?” I asked.

  He didn’t reply. Using my Sentinel strength, I picked up the piece of drywall and attempted to move it. It took me a few tries, but after a minute, I managed to pry it off his body.

  Caleb lay there with his eyes closed. Cuts and black blood covered his body, and it looked like he’d taken the brunt of one of the Guardian’s attacks. I looked closely at his chest and gasped.

  He wasn’t breathing.

  19

  Start Over

  I panicked. If Caleb was dead, it would destroy me. He had become my rock—my support system. There was a reason the Dark Queen had used him in my version of the Mindfield.

  I flung myself on him, performing CPR. I didn’t know if it would work on a soulless, but I had to try. Of course, it wouldn’t matter much if the Guardian had shot him in the chest.

  When I finished, I looked down. Caleb was still unresponsive. Hot tears welled in my eyes, a lump forming in my throat. It couldn’t be. I didn’t want to believe it.

  Coughing behind me pulled me out of my stupor. I had completely forgotten about the others, my mind clouded with the thought of Caleb dying. I glanced around, looking for the source of the sound, when I heard someone rising from the debris. When the bulkhead moved, I saw who the person was.

  It was Lara. She was alive.

  “Did…we make it?” she asked, coughing up dust.

  “The Guardian is gone, but so are the Darkhunters. They took their weapons back too—and the bomb.”

  “Well, that’s bad,” she replied. “Totally bad. Hey, is that Caleb?”

  I placed my hand over his arm wound to stop the bleeding, his black blood coating my skin. “Yes, but…I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

  A second ticked by. And then another, and then another. Caleb was still lying there, unconscious and heavily bleeding. I didn’t see a deep chest wound, but it was dark and cloudy in here. A million thoughts ran through my mind, all about Caleb.

  I lifted my hand, and it glowed with powerful energy. Maybe…maybe I could open the Quintessence and bring him back. I had never done it before, but maybe if I tried really hard…

  “Do it,” the Cardinal’s voice whispered in my mind. “Will you let the Darkhunters take everything from you?”

  I lifted my hand again, thinking hard about it. The energy flickered around the room, setting it aglow as I weighed the consequences of my next actions. Could I really manipulate death? Did I have the right to do so?

  And then Caleb gasped, sitting up. I didn’t need to use my power after all, and the Cardinal was just taking advantage of my grief. His voice faded from my mind.

  “Caleb, you’re alive!” I said, throwing myself on him. “How do you feel?”

  “Confused,” he replied. “I’m hurt, but I think I’ll live. How are the others?”

  I couldn’t tell him about Bane—not yet. We had people to find and a headquarters to rebuild. Nothing could distract him right now.

  “I don’t know,” I replied, honestly. “I came looking for you first. Look around, Caleb. How many do you think survived this?”

  Caleb pulled himself to his feet, walking with a wobble. He clutched his arm, and I could see the black blood oozing from it. The Guardian had gotten him good, but Caleb refused to let it stop him—as per usual. He ripped off a piece of his shirt to wrap around his wound.

  “We have to look for them,” Caleb replied. “Even if they’re dead, we need to know. Take the left side of the room and look for bodies, and I’ll check the right.”

  I nodded. “Lara, can you help us?”

  She stood up, groaning. “Yeah, I think so. I totally can’t believe I’m alive, by the way.”

  You and me both, I wanted to say.

  Lara helped me dig through the debris and bulkheads on the left side of the room. There were many dead bodies—soulful soldiers and soulless warriors—but it wasn’t a total lost cause. As soon as I saw their uniforms under a bulkhead, I knew I had found my old Phoenix Squad. All three of them—Tom, Tyler, and Marissa—were struggling, proving they were alive.

  Lara and I lifted the bulkhead off them, freeing them from its weight. They rose to their feet, wiping off the dirt and soot from their clothes.

  “We’re so glad to see you, Riley,” Marissa said, smiling. “I was so scared…”

  “We’ll help you find the others,” Tom said. “I think Patrick went this way.”

  He led me behind the front desk—or rather, where the front desk had used to be. A body lay trapped underneath a giant stack of folders, but it was moving.

  “Oh, kid, it’s just you,” Patrick said, groaning. “Thought the Guardian was coming back for round two.”

  “Patrick!” I cried, removing the folders from his chest. The other four helped me lift him. “Are you all right?”

  He nodded, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, think so. Hell of a thing, that Guardian.”

  “I found some of our people!” Caleb cried from the other side of the room.

  I rushed over, followed by the other five. When I reached Caleb, I saw that he had pulled Jacob, Jessica, and Wanda out from under the pile of rubble. They were the least injured of us all.

  Jacob shook his head, sighing. “I didn’t even have time to use my crystals. I messed up, Riley.”

  “It’s okay. We were all caught off-guard by how strong the Guardian is,” I replied. “As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

  I heard a hissing sound behind me. I turned around, fearing the worst, when I noticed it was Princess Ivy’s snake. It must’ve gotten out of its box during the attack, and now it was another problem waiting for me.

  “My sister’s pet snake,” Caleb said. “If his master di
ed, he won’t be happy with us, Riley.”

  It leaped forward, slithering its tongue at us. I was just about to reach for my Deathblade when it turned its body and started scurrying toward a pile of debris. I didn’t understand why until I saw the debris moving.

  Much like Angel, the snake was leading us—right to Princess Ivy, Captain Mercer, Sasha, Alexandria, and the rest of the Resistance.

  I pulled away whatever debris was covering them and helped them all to their feet. They looked injured, but they were alive—and for once, I felt relieved to see it.

  “The Darkhunters will die for this,” Princess Ivy hissed. “Purity Crystal or not, I won’t let anything interfere with killing them.” She reached down to pet her snake, and it nuzzled her hand in response. “Don’t worry, darling. Mommy is fine.”

  “Can we talk about revenge later?” Tyler asked. “Our people are still missing.”

  We continued to sift through the bodies, searching for people who were still kicking or fidgeting. There weren’t many left to find, except for Jonah and Nadia Sloane, a handful of Hidden, Renegade, and Outcast members, and Hannah and the rest of the Golems.

  “We failed you,” Hannah said, lowering her head in shame. I couldn’t exactly read the facial expressions of Golems, but they looked devastated. “We could not neutralize the Guardian, and it destroyed us instead.”

  I shook my head. “You did nothing wrong—none of us did. The Guardian was strong—too strong for any of us to stand a chance against it.”

  “Riley? We have people you’ll want to see,” Ruby said, entering the room.

  I followed her into the corridor, where Jade was waiting for us. Behind them were all the civilians—and each in one piece. The next thing I knew, Mom had stepped forward and was enveloping me in a tight hug.

  “Are you hurt? Did the Darkhunters torture you?” she asked, inspecting me.

  I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. I was one of the lucky ones.”

  Lucky. That was the word I had used, but it felt wrong. If I really were lucky, no one would’ve died and the Darkhunters would’ve joined our side.

  Mom wasn’t the only one who stepped forward. Amelia Rayne, Violet, Dahlia, Amanda Brooks, and the Healer did too. Even Kara, the little soulless girl, had made it along with her parents. Relief washed over me.

  “The Guardian didn’t care about any of us,” Amelia said. “It seemed to be preoccupied with the Darkhunters and the weapons, which worked out for us.”

  “Where’s my father?” Caleb asked, walking toward me. “I looked everywhere, but I haven’t seen him.”

  I swallowed hard. How could I tell him his father was dead in the next room? That I had watched the Guardian murder him?

  “Caleb, he’s…”

  “I’m going to check the rest of the building,” Caleb interrupted. “Maybe…maybe my father made an escape.”

  “He didn’t,” I replied, and Caleb stopped in his tracks. I took a deep breath. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…he’s dead, Caleb.”

  Caleb said nothing. The other soulless in the room gasped. Everyone had liked King Bane. He had been kind, helpful, and reasonable—so unlike what the rest of the world made the soulless out to be.

  “What do you mean, he’s dead?” Caleb asked. “That’s impossible. My father is not some amateur. He’s strong. He could easily overpower the Darkhunters!”

  “Look in the artillery room if you don’t believe me. But Caleb…it isn’t pretty.”

  Caleb took off down the corridor, rushing into the artillery room. I followed him, hoping to console him, but he didn’t look like he was grieving. No, he was adamant his father was still alive.

  “Father? Father, can you hear me?” Caleb said, leaning beside his father’s dead body. “Riley, fetch the Healer. He’ll know what to do.”

  “He’s dead, Caleb. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. The Healer will tell you the same thing.”

  He looked up at me, eyes glistening. “How could this be? How did you know he was dead?”

  “I…saw it happen. The Darkhunters had the two of us cornered, and they were using Bane as leverage. They wanted the weapons.”

  “And if my father is dead, that means they didn’t get them, right?” Caleb asked. “Please tell me they didn’t escape with the weapons, Riley!”

  I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but the weapons and the bomb are gone.”

  Caleb’s eyes turned darker than they had ever been. “You should’ve left the Darkhunters in the Mindfield to suffer, Riley. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if you had!”

  “No. The Mindfield—especially what it’s turned into now—is too cruel. I wouldn’t wish it on any of our enemies.”

  “Look at the dead bodies of our soldiers and tell me you think the Darkhunters’ lives were worth saving,” Caleb spat. “Tell me!”

  I didn’t say anything. No answer would’ve calmed him down right now, so I gave him this chance to vent.

  He continued, “Spencer, Rachel, your father…they’re murderers, all of them. They’re pure evil—and I say that after knowing what my mother has done.”

  I shook my head. “Not my father. You can’t lump him in with them.”

  Caleb scoffed. “No? So he didn’t let my father die here?”

  Caleb’s shouting had drawn the others into the room now, eager to hear what we were saying.

  “Well, I guess he did,” I muttered, “but there’s something else you need to know about him.”

  “What is it, Riley?” Mom asked. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  I told them everything. How Dad had pretended to stab me, that he had just been playing the Darkhunters, and that he had promised he’d come back soon with information on how to stop them. The others didn’t look like they believed me, but after this, their hatred for the Darkhunters had clouded their judgment.

  “And Mom, he told me to tell you he still loves you. We can be a family again one day.”

  Mom exhaled, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, I’m so relieved. For a while, I thought Jeffrey was a monster!”

  “He is,” Caleb spat. “Even if he’s pretending to be on their side, he still let them get away with murder. He’s an accomplice.”

  “Yeah, I’ll believe he’s innocent when I see it, Riley,” Jade mumbled. “Maybe he just told you that to throw us off? To bring our guard down? The Darkhunters are full of tricks.”

  I shook my head. “No, Dad is trying to help us. Give him some time, and we’ll have a new lead soon. I promise you all—the Darkhunters will pay for this, but it won’t be in blood.”

  Caleb didn’t say another word. He pushed past me, walking toward a chasm in the wall. I had never seen him so angry before—so careless and vindictive.

  “Caleb, where are you going?” When he didn’t reply, I followed him. “Don’t shut me out. Answer me!”

  “I need to clear my head. Don’t try to stop me,” he replied. “I let you go when you needed space. Please, offer me the same courtesy.”

  He fled the headquarters, disappearing into the distance. I heard a motorcycle roar a few blocks away, and that was how I knew for sure he was gone.

  “What are your orders now?” Hannah asked, and the other Golems swarmed around me to hear my answer.

  I sighed. “What we’ve done in the past. We’ll start over.”

  For the next two days, everyone was hard at work repairing the headquarters…again. The Guardian hadn’t attacked the barracks, so we only needed to work on the front of the building.

  Despite the losses we had suffered, I was hopeful for the first time in a while. With Dad’s help, I was confident we could stop the Darkhunters. We had to. They were just as formidable as the Cardinal and the Dark Queen.

  Caleb returned on the second day. I was glad—today was the day we were burying the ones we had lost in the disaster.

  “Caleb, there you are. Where did you go?” I asked, rushing over as soon as I’d spotted him.

  “The Underwo
rld. I sat by the castle, just meditating,” Caleb replied, sighing. “I’m sorry I walked out on you, Riley. It wasn’t fair, but I needed some time to cope.”

  “You don’t have to explain yourself, Caleb. Just remember I’m here for you, no matter what.”

  At that, he smiled.

  Half an hour later, we stood in the courtyard, burning the bodies one by one and saying our goodbyes. As I prepared to set Bane’s body ablaze, Caleb grabbed my arm. I looked at him curiously. He had this look of determination in his eyes—one that said he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  “While I was gone, I was thinking,” he said. “Your power is the Quintessence. That means you can control life and death, right?”

  I nodded. I didn’t like where this was going.

  “Bring my father back,” Caleb whispered. “I’m begging you.”

  I looked back at Bane’s body, lying on a pile of wood so peacefully. Would he approve of coming back to life?

  “I’ve never done that before, Caleb. Who knows if I can?”

  “You weren’t sure you could stop that bomb, but you lifted your hand and tried anyway. Why not do the same for my father?”

  I sighed. “Even if I could—and it’s a big if—why should I? Don’t you think it’s wrong to mess with the balance of life and death?”

  “But, Riley—”

  “Listen to me, Caleb. There are still things about my power I don’t understand. Every time I use it, I risk opening a portal I might not be able to control. Do you really want us to be responsible for starting an apocalypse?”

  “We’re already in an apocalypse, in case you haven’t noticed. It could be risky, but try to see it from my point of view. If it works, this could help us!”

  I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight. I expected him to pull away, but he didn’t. I could feel his anger fading. “I’m sorry about Bane. I loved him too, but this isn’t the way he’d want you to deal with his loss. What you’re asking is too dangerous.”

  He sighed. “Maybe you’re right. It was wrong of me to ambush you like that.”