The Dark Cage

by Dana Gricken

  “I’m fine. Really,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “I understand why Patrick did it, so I’m not upset.”

  Mom frowned. “Why are you dressed like that, Riley? Are you two going somewhere?”

  I looked at Caleb, unable to think of a lie. Caleb didn’t even flinch.

  “We’re going out on a supply run. We’re looking for food, materials—even civilians hiding. We won’t be too long.”

  “Is that wise?” Wanda asked. “Patrick made it clear that your power is uncontrollable. I too believe you should stay here and hone your abilities.”

  “I’ll be with her the entire time. If something happens, I’ll be able to talk her out of it,” Caleb replied. “It’s just a simple scouting mission. Nothing serious…right, Riley?”

  “Uh, yeah. Nothing that would trigger my power.”

  Mom nodded. “All right. Be careful, both of you.”

  As Caleb and I walked to the front door, grabbing the keys to one of the military trucks, I glanced over at him and lowered my voice. “You’re such a good liar. It’s almost scary.”

  Caleb chuckled. “I’ve had years of practice. How else do you think I was able to escape my mother to see you so often?”

  I knew the way to John F. Kennedy High School like the back of my hand. I had attended it for four years with Spencer, and I’d made so many great memories there. It was surreal to be returning to it after all this time.

  “Did you mean what you said before?” I asked Caleb, breaking the silence. “If I use my power—or if it uses me, more like—do you think you can stop me?”

  “Yes. I know you wouldn’t put me in danger, and that alone would help you close the portal.”

  “But…I’ve messed up in the past. I’ve opened portals and let souls out. It could happen again without my consent. You don’t know what it’s like, Caleb—to feel power you can’t stop.”

  He chuckled. “Riley, you underestimate yourself. I believe you can do it. You need to believe it too.”

  That was easier said than done.

  “If I can’t control it…you need to kill me, Caleb.”

  Caleb was quiet for a moment. “I can’t do that, Riley. Think of what you’re asking me.”

  I sighed. “I know. I wouldn’t be able to do it either, but you’d have to. This is bigger than me or our relationship. I could let out every soul that’s ever existed, turning this world into chaos. Don’t you understand? This is why the Dark Queen locked the Cardinal away!”

  “That situation was different. The Cardinal is ruthless, but you’re not. It won’t come to that. If it does, I’ll find a way to stop you—without violence.”

  “No, Caleb. I won’t put the entire world at risk. Then the soulful would be right about us—that we’re evil and too powerful. Promise me you’ll kill me.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry, Riley. I won’t make a promise I can’t keep—not to you. Let’s not talk about this anymore, okay? We have other things to focus on.”

  Caleb’s love for me clouded his judgment, and that wasn’t a good thing. I needed someone unbiased to stop me if my power got out of my hand. I didn’t know if it was just nerves or my Quintessence intuition, but I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  When we pulled into the parking lot of the school, it was empty. The school had really deteriorated since the last time I had seen it—more than six months ago, at least—probably from looters or Doctor Zero’s Exemplars. I got out of the truck, sighing.

  “What is it with the Darkhunters and schools? First it was NYU, and now this.”

  Caleb shrugged. “Who would think to look here? Better yet, most high schools and universities have science labs. The materials for whatever evil thing they’re making next would be here.”

  I saw a dark shadow moving on the other side of the building. As a reflex, I pulled Caleb to the ground, hiding behind a nearby bush. We remained there in silence, waiting for whatever it was to come into view. When I finally saw it, I gasped.

  “The Guardian,” I whispered. “The Darkhunters must have it on patrol. That means the Darkhunters are here, but…where are Patrick and the others? Why don’t we see anyone?”

  “Could be a number of things—maybe they’re preoccupied with something else,” Caleb said. “I say we attack the Guardian. It wouldn’t be expecting it.”

  “No. Its weapons would be too noisy. The Darkhunters would know we’re here, and I’m hoping to do this quietly. If Patrick and the others are in trouble, we have to help them.”

  Caleb pointed to the left. “There’s a path that way. It’s just outside the Guardian’s line of sight. We might be able to sneak by.”

  “Good thinking. Let’s be careful.”

  When the Guardian looked the other way, patrolling down the far street, Caleb and I tiptoed around the shrubs. We reached the courtyard without getting caught, approaching the school’s front doors.

  “Too risky to go through here. I know a way that leads into the gym. Follow me,” I whispered.

  On the left side of the building, the door to the gymnasium was still there. As we approached it, we found it locked.

  “Allow me,” Caleb said, summoning fire between his fingers.

  His fire burned through the tough lock, and it fell to the ground. I pushed the door open with a deep breath, afraid of what we might find.

  The gym was dark and empty. We took careful steps, trying not to be too loud. Because I knew the layout of the school, I was able to locate the door that led to the corridor.

  I opened it, wincing when it squeaked. The corridor was also shrouded in darkness. As my eyes darted around, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  “Is anyone here?” Caleb asked. “We’ve seen nothing so far, except the Guardian.”

  I saw a faint light coming from the end of the hallway, one that led to one of my old classrooms. English, I thought it was—which both Spencer and I had enjoyed. I found the door locked, which was unusual. School policy had always dictated every door must stay unlocked. Could the Darkhunters be in there, or was it just a simple coincidence?

  “This way,” I whispered. “Let’s check it out.”

  As we walked toward the classroom, I heard muffled voices. I didn’t know exactly who was speaking, but the sound was enough to prove we weren’t alone. I pointed at Caleb, gesturing for him to take cover on the left side of the door. I took the right and nodded at him.

  Kicking down the door, Caleb and I stormed into the room. When we were fully inside, I looked around and saw what I had feared the most.

  Patrick sat tied up, his hands and feet bound, tape over his mouth. They had treated the rest of the soulful the same way—like Lara, Jacob, and my old squad. The soulless stood corralled in the middle of the classroom. Several Darkhunters aimed their weapons at them, threatening to shoot if they moved any closer.

  How had they gotten in this vulnerable position? How stupid had they been?

  Rachel, Spencer, Dad, and the rest of the Darkhunters stood near the blackboard, all looking smug except for my father. The bomb sat nestled between them, and a few of the Darkhunters were still working on it.

  Rachel gasped once she saw me. “Riley, you’re supposed to be dead. Why isn’t she dead, Jeffrey?”

  Dad said nothing. He couldn’t tell them the truth.

  “My power saved me, Rachel. I have the power of life and death,” I lied. “What did you do to my people?”

  “What does it look like?” Spencer demanded. “They showed up here, trying to take us back into custody. The Guardian helped us catch them. Speaking of which, how did you get past it? How did you even know we were here?”

  “We have our ways. Soulless are smarter than you think,” Caleb replied. “Let the others go.”

  Rachel looked down, spotting our guns. “Using our weapons? I didn’t think you had it in you, Riley.”

  “I’ll do whatever I have to in order to stop you. You heard Caleb—let our people go.”

  “No
. Now that you’re here, this will be a lot easier,” Rachel replied, gesturing to her Darkhunters. “Proceed as planned, before we were interrupted. Take the bomb to the roof and set it to detonate.”

  “Not this again, Rachel. I stopped you once before. What makes you think you’ll be successful this time?”

  “You stopped the bomb before the Guardian came to our rescue. This time, things will be a lot different.”

  When Rachel whistled, the ground trembled beneath my feet. A second later, the entire back wall of the classroom crumbled, opening to reveal the Guardian. He waited patiently, like a dog on a leash.

  “Guardian, attack! Darkhunters, to the roof!” Rachel cried.

  Rachel, Spencer, and the Darkhunters grabbed the bomb, rushing off down the hallway. Dad looked back at me for a second, uncertain, before following them.

  When the Guardian started to whirl, preparing its weapons, I knew there was only one thing we could do.

  Fight as hard as we could.

  “Everyone, get down!” I cried.

  The Guardian shot at me and Caleb as we dove behind a desk, trying to shield ourselves. The soulless in the room protected Patrick and everyone else who was tied up, pulling them to the ground.

  Firing like a lunatic, I shot my gun at the Guardian’s chest. That was where its power was coming from—its main energy source. The Guardian sizzled and jolted, affected by the bullets the Darkhunters had made.

  “Riley, I think it’s working!” Caleb said. “I think we’ve found a way to stop it!”

  The Guardian staggered, trying to lift its arm to fire a missile at us. Caleb and I both shot at its arms, disconnecting them from its body. Without weapons, what harm could the Guardian do?

  Both of our guns made a clicking sound, signaling we were out of bullets. I sighed, putting my gun down, thinking the fight was over. But the Guardian had other plans.

  Instead of backing down, its eyes turned red. It did the only logical thing it could do—its last hope of killing us. It ran at us, hoping to crush Caleb and I with its strength. Knowing that our soulless powers and Deathblades were ineffective, I froze in place, uncertain of what to do.

  Several shots rang out, hitting the Guardian in various places. The robot sparked, then collapsed to the ground, unmoving. The light in its eyes dimmed. It had been permanently deactivated at long last.

  I looked down the hallway to see Dad standing there, holding his gun in his hands. He nodded at me, and I was about to thank him, but he took off, chasing after the other Darkhunters. I still didn’t understand Dad’s plan, or how he was intending to help us, but I was grateful.

  “You were right. Your father isn’t a traitor, after all,” Caleb muttered. “How did you know the Darkhunters’ weapons would cripple the Guardian?”

  “I didn’t. It was our last resort.”

  The group of soulless and soulful stared at me, uncertain of what to say. Were they angry at me? I couldn’t tell. We didn’t have time for it, either way.

  “Jade, Ruby, untie everyone. Caleb, we’re heading to the roof.”

  “How are we going to stop this bomb, Riley?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, but we’ll have to find a way—without using my power this time.”

  I remembered the way to the roof, which was through the janitor’s office. We rushed up the stairs, and I held my breath, hoping we would make it in time. When we arrived, Rachel, Spencer, and the rest of the Darkhunters were kneeling in front of the bomb. Dad was standing nearby, out of breath, but at least they didn’t seem to suspect him.

  “Don’t come any closer,” Rachel said, aiming her gun at me. “If the Guardian couldn’t kill you, this bomb will.”

  “Rachel, listen to me,” I said, taking a step closer. “I know you think you’re protecting this world, but we aren’t your enemies. The Cardinal and the Dark Queen are!”

  “And what are the Cardinal and the Dark Queen, Riley? That’s right—soulless,” Rachel replied. “By killing you all, we’re stopping them. I see no difference between you and the others.”

  Caleb sighed. “You can’t reason with them, Riley. They’re too foolish for that.”

  “Spencer, activate the bomb,” Rachel said. “And be quick about it.”

  “No, wait!” I cried.

  A three-second countdown appeared on the bomb’s screen, ticking down immediately. It went by so quickly, I didn’t have time to react. But when the three seconds had passed and the bomb’s screen turned green, nothing happened.

  The roof was silent. Rachel looked around, confused and angry.

  “What’s going on? It counted down, but nothing came out!”

  Spencer shrugged, rattling the bomb. “I can’t explain it, Rachel. It’s like the bomb was reprogrammed!”

  A second later, confetti from the school’s art room shot out of the bomb instead of deadly gas. When I saw Dad’s mouth curve into a smirk, I understood what was going on.

  He had saved us.

  “How? How could this have happened?” Rachel asked, glaring at the Darkhunters. “Someone here is a traitor. I demand to know who it is!”

  Dad lifted his gun, aiming it at Rachel’s head. “There’s no need to wonder. I confess it was me who reprogrammed the bomb. I was only pretending to be friendly with you all this time. It’s why Riley’s still alive, and how the others found us.”

  “Dad, what are you doing?” I asked. “Why would you admit that?”

  “It’s time I took a stand. I do believe the soulless are a threat, but this isn’t how we win the war. We can do better than this, Darkhunters.”

  Rachel smirked. “So it was you after all. My father tried to tell me you were too weak—that you could never kill your daughter. I tried to convince him that as a Sentinel, your duty to protect the innocent would come first. I was so stupid.”

  “You can tell him he was right, then,” Dad replied. “Because where you’re going next, you’ll see him down there.”

  And then a shot rang out, and someone collapsed to the ground.

  24

  Breaking Point

  It was Dad who hit the ground, bleeding from a bad chest wound, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. I felt like I had just gotten him back, and now I was going to lose him again.

  I rushed to his side, kneeling down. “Dad? Dad, please, talk to me!”

  “I’m sorry, Riley…” he said, clutching his wound. Blood coated his hands. “I tried to help you. I tried to make up for everything I’ve done…”

  I stood up, ready to unleash my anger on Rachel, but she didn’t have her gun out. When Spencer stepped forward, I realized his weapon was smoking. I gasped.

  Spencer had shot my dad. He was the one who had betrayed me, not Rachel.

  “Spencer, how could you? After your parents died in that car accident, Dad helped Elaina raise you! Why would you shoot him?”

  “I didn’t want to do it,” Spencer muttered. “But he’s cost us everything. Because of him, the bomb is ruined. How will we stop the soulless now?”

  Caleb sneered. “Do you still think the soulless are evil? You just shot a soulful—one of your own kind! Look in the mirror, Spencer. You’ve become what you despise.”

  Spencer didn’t say anything to that. I hoped he realized how far he had fallen—and how much harm the Darkhunters had caused.

  Dad was wheezing, trying to gasp for air. He grabbed me by the arm, holding me tight. “Listen to me, Riley. I don’t have much time left.”

  “Dad, don’t talk like that. Maybe…maybe Wanda or the Healer can save you. Just hold on, please!”

  He groaned. “It’s too late for that. I know my time is near, kiddo. Can you…promise me something?”

  I nodded.

  “I know about the Cardinal. The Darkhunters told me about him. Do whatever you can to save this world from him, Riley. It’s up to you now… You’re the only one who can. I’m sorry I never believed in you before.”

  “I won’t let you down. I promise. If
you have to die, it won’t be for nothing.”

  “I…am so proud of you,” he whispered. “And remember…soulless or not, I’ll always love you. Tell your mother…I wish we had more time.”

  With tears running down my face, I saw Dad take his last breath. I sobbed over his body, wishing I could’ve done more to save him. Caleb placed a hand on my shoulder, trying his best to comfort me. He of all people knew what it was like to lose a father, even one you weren’t particularly close with.

  Behind me, I heard footsteps. I turned around and noticed Patrick and the others had followed us up here, their weapons held high in their hands. When they saw Dad’s dead body and Spencer holding the gun, they realized what had happened.

  Lara came closer, bending down beside Dad. She reached for his hand. “I didn’t know him very well, but…I can’t believe he’s gone. I wish we could’ve spent time together…”

  He had been Lara’s father too—and now they’d never have a chance at a relationship. Despite everything, I was lucky to have had what little time I had gotten.

  “I’m sorry, kid,” Patrick said, patting my shoulder. “It wasn’t fair your dad had to die like this—especially for them.”

  There had been so many deaths lately—Iris and Damon, Mira and General Grissom, King Bane, and now Dad. How could this have happened? And why had I felt so powerless through it all?

  Rachel reached for her gun, aiming it at Patrick. “The Guardian and the bomb might be destroyed, but this isn’t over. I’m not letting you stop us or drag us back to jail—no matter what I have to do!”

  That was the last straw. The aura of death around me was triggering my power again. When combined with my anger and grief, I could feel it taking my control. But this time, I didn’t care.

  I wanted revenge. I wanted death. I wanted them all to suffer, just like I had.

  My hand lifted by itself, aiming toward the sky. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I’d wanted to. A giant portal opened in front of me, swirling with dark energy. I could see spirits deep inside, desperate to be free.