by Ben Hale
The trolls she had met previously had brown eyes and sand-colored skin. This troll's skin had turned a shade of red, and his eyes had become the color of ash. It was as if a shadow had rested upon him and sunk into his body, contorting his features to hunger and rage.
"It's been months since they were trapped in the Dark," Tess said. She was afraid the rock troll would hear her. "It's gotten this bad?"
"Croson is still fighting it," Hawk said. "He's not as bad as the others. Willpower seems to be a factor."
Tess swung to face him. "This is better?"
"Our best healer, Leah, has been working with all five since the moment they became Twisted. Only Croson has regained some of his former wits. The four humans have demonstrated a continuing decline."
"If this is someone still fighting, how bad have the others become?"
"I will show you," Hawk said, and stepped from the room. Striding to the next door, he stepped into a matching chamber.
Tess came to a halt as she saw the creature prowling behind the energy wall. Its skin had darkened to the color of ink, while its body had become lean and muscular. A mane of acid green had grown across its shoulders. It shimmered as the beast sensed their presence.
The facial features had contorted to the point where they appeared more animal than human. Baring its teeth, it issued a rumbling growl of warning—and then leapt into the energy field. Tess flinched but the spell held. Rebounding off it, the former Harbinger ignored the shallow wound on its forehead and snarled.
Tess swallowed. "I can't believe it was once human . . ."
"It's a fiend, Tess."
It took her a minute to understand. Then she blanched. "You mean one of Draeken's army? The same army the came close to destroying the world twice?"
"Humans turn into what we call Twisted—but they bear a remarkable similarity to Draeken's fiends," Hawk said. "In that age no one ever understood where Draeken created his army, but this is proof. It seems evident that Draeken's army. . . were Twisted races from wherever the Dark came from."
"What do you mean . . . came from?"
He sighed. "I have researched everything I could find on Draeken, and found scant evidence of exactly what he did. It is fortunate that I had the chance to speak directly with the man that closed the portal. From him and other first-hand accounts I came to believe that the portal was in fact a complex portal charm, a Gate."
"I've never heard of such a spell," Tess said.
"It is old magic that was used mostly by the ancient Verinai," he replied. "It creates a doorway that has the power to cross great distances. In their day they allowed for instant travel throughout the known world. The spell has been lost for some time now, and only old artifacts still retain it."
"So where does Draeken's portal go?"
"The legends talk of Draeken opening a portal to another realm," Hawk said. "It is my belief that Draeken opened a portal to another world."
She started. "Like another planet?"
"It's the only answer that fits," he said, "but it remains just a theory. The fiends that served Draeken were unlike anything our world had seen, so perhaps they were the former inhabitants of the world the Dark is from."
Like a camera flash had gone off, she suddenly understood what he was getting at. The Dark would destroy everyone on Earth the way it had in its own world. One by one it would turn all living creatures into fiends.
"But the Dark never entered our world before. Why this time?" She hated that her worry had seeped into her tone.
He looked to the Twisted prowling its cell. "Ducalik mastered the Dark, and so had the power to bring it here. Alice too seems to have power over it."
"So our only choice is to close the portal?" Tess asked.
Hawk's gaze held her own, and what she saw there chilled her blood. "If we don't stop the Dark, this is what every person on Earth will become . . . and the human race will cease to exist. Unless you stop it."
She turned to him. "How can I do that? It feels like the only thing we do is lose."
"Who are you?"
Confused by the question, she said, "Tess."
He jerked his head and repeated, "Who are you?"
The Oracle. "You know who I am."
"But do you?"
She fell silent. She knew who she was supposed to be, but could not recall voicing it. This time she realized that her hesitation to say it reflected a deeper doubt.
He released a sympathetic grunt. "The oracle is meant to lead, and up until now you have done an admirable job of leading your friends at Tryton's. The time has come for you assume a greater responsibility."
"I'm sixteen," she said. "Why would anyone listen to me?”
He laughed. "I once witnessed an overweight youth command the greatest army in ancient history. You bear similar qualities to him, but perhaps you don't understand how you are perceived. From the day we met there was an intensity about you that spoke of leadership."
"But before I had magic I didn't have any friends."
His expression grew somber. "That's because the aurens were afraid of you. Even without magic they could sense the strength in you and subconsciously moved to avoid it. It happens among animals when lesser forms react to a predator in their midst."
"I don't want people to be afraid of me."
"Then lead them. You command attention like a born general, and draw others to your voice with hardly a thought. The stronger your magic becomes the more you radiate that authority. Even the president of the United States treated you like an equal—and yet you still hesitate to lead. If we are to survive you must accept your birthright."
"What if I can't?" Tess whispered.
His piercing gaze did not waver. "Then the Dark will claim another world."
Chapter 6: Summoned
High waves churned beneath Tess as she flew east, reflecting the darkness in the overcast sky. After allowing her to see the Twisted for herself, Hawk had received a message. Expressing an urgency to depart, he'd left her outside his farm.
Tess breathed deep of the salty air as she flew, relishing the freedom and hope her magical flight evoked. It had been a while since she had been alone, and the solitude reminded her of the first time she had learned to fly. It lifted her spirits in spite of what she was facing. It also eased the steady throbbing in her arm from Rook's curse.
Curving into a dive, she dropped from the sky until she banked away at the ocean. Seawater speckled her cheeks as she raced above the waves, inches from the cresting water. A larger wave approached, so she put her arms down and ricocheted upward. With all her might she poured her magic into her wake, rocketing herself toward the overcast sky. Wind burned her cheeks but she refused to relent. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing became ragged. Still she flew. She didn't stop until she pierced the clouds and found the sun on the other side.
She squinted at the blinding display. Clouds rolled below her like grey cottony balls. She stood above the storm, beyond its power. She closed her eyes and turned a slow circle, basking in the light. Yet the weight that had settled onto her shoulders persisted.
Could she have stopped Alice? Could she have prevented the Dark from being released? No. The answer came with absolute certainty. She had done everything in her power. Revealing magic to the world may not have stopped Alice, but it had slowed her down. Doubting herself wouldn't change that. Hawk was right.
She rotated to the sun, and drew strength from its rays on her face. Like a shadow of herself had fallen away, she felt a shift inside. The frightened teenage girl could not protect her friends. She could not protect her family. The oracle could.
Her jaw tightened.
Confusion was a luxury she could not afford. She'd passed through Tryton's on her way to the White House, but had yet to witness the impact of her choice on the mages. The moment she returned to the school she would be bombarded with judgment. Others would blame her or support her. It didn't matter. What mattered is that she protected those she cared about
—her parents, Iris, Shorn, Rox . . .
Derek.
Her resolve hardened like concrete. Whether she'd chosen it or not, she was the oracle. She squared her shoulders and turned her flight toward the mage city. The only question was how to stop Alice. On impulse Tess reached to her neck. She'd retrieved the oracle's pendant a month ago. Did it contain the answers she sought?
Owned by her ancestor, Siarra Elseerian, the pendant was said to contain the secrets of the oracles. Despite Tess’s best efforts, the small amulet had refused to yield. She had tried every type of magic she knew—and she was supposed to be able to do them all. Her irritation growing, she wondered if she could use farsight to discover if she would eventually unlock it.
Unique to oracles, farsight was supposed to allow her to see into the future—but it was impossible to learn when no one on Earth could teach it. Her best attempt had given her a glimpse of a couple of minutes. She glided to a halt and tried to look into her farsight while clasping the pendant.
The world faded. Gray replaced blue, white, and every other color. Instead of seeing the present, she saw the parting of clouds and the streak of lightning before it flashed. Oddly, another object was forming in her view, and it was the first time she'd ever noticed color—
She flinched as the crack of thunder rolled around her. The scene snapped back to the present, and she tried to calm her racing heart. Berating herself for not considering the thunder, she launched herself forward. The image of color in her farsight lingered in her mind, but she dismissed it as an effect of the lightning. Twenty minutes later the city came into view.
Hidden behind the Cloudwall, Auroraq floated in the sky. The massive storm cloud cradled the city like a giant pillow, shrouding it in invisibility and protection spells. It wasn't the only mage city, but it was the grandest. Hidden within the cloud, a techno shield further guarded the city from detection. Tess cast the requisite spell to enter and flew through the Cloudwall. Twenty thousand feet above the Earth, the city of Auroraq burst across her vision.
The sky city resembled a giant flower. Each of the four petals extended from the center circle out to a point. From her position, she could see the rolling hills, waterways, and cultured gardens on all four Points. Shaped and polished, statues and glowing artwork dotted the city.
She blinked several times, trying again to come to terms with such a large object floating among the clouds. After spending so much time on it, she sometimes forgot just how impressive it was. Seeing it anew gave her hope that they would find a way to overcome the Dark.
Dominating Sentre, the enormous Spirus held the Magtherian, the core of the mage government. The tower represented a focal point to the city and the entire mage community. Its sweeping granite and white glass structure stood as a symbol of her hope. Turning her flight in the direction of Southpoint, she headed toward the school. A spontaneous smile split her face as Tryton's Academy of Magic rolled beneath her.
A week ago she'd departed with Drake and had been led to an icy prison. Shackled, she'd watched the portal open, and Ducalik emerge with the Dark. Now, back in the school environment, she found herself considering how much homework had piled up in her absence.
She almost laughed. All her effort to excel in class felt trivial in light of recent events. The Dark had been released, and people were already dying. From now on grades meant nothing, and every class would serve to train her to face the Harbingers again. A sense of urgency seeped into her muscles, and she began to accelerate.
Following the contours of the petal, Tryton's Academy filled the breadth of Southpoint. A gigantic ring of twelve buildings dominated the center. The schools for healing, body, and animal magics formed the west side of the arc.
The buildings for music, sound, and light shaped the northern side of the circle, while plant, earth and stone shaped the south. Across the circle sat her favorites. Wreathed in everflames, the fire school changed color every few minutes. It brought a smile to her lips as it phased to indigo blue. She'd learned to fly at the mind school next to it. Last in the circle, the water school boasted water flowing up its walls.
Outside the ring of schools, a trio of buildings faced Sentre. In the middle, a crystalline roof marked Star Hall, the amphitheatre and main hall of Tryton's. On either side of it two matching buildings housed the administrative offices, and the Auren Studies building. South of the school stood the Tempest stadium, the Unknowable Magic school, and the library. Gardens, hills, pathways, and waterways filled the space inside the ring of schools. At the very center of Tryton's stood the dorms.
Tess banked her way toward them. Diving into the branches of the two-hundred-foot trees, she dodged the cabin-like dorm rooms that were nestled into their branches. Over four thousand students lived in the massive trees around the center lake, but Tess only had eyes for one cabin. Feeling a sense of intense relief, she rose to cabin 313, ready to be home.
Alighting on the highest balcony, she slid the door open and stepped inside. Stel, her pet grend, noticed her immediately, and leapt from his perch. Issuing a croon of happiness, he coiled his liquid metal shape around her neck in a warm embrace. Iris blinked and looked up at the sound, and then leapt across the room to embrace Tess.
"You're back! And there's so much for me to tell you—quiet Julio, I'm talking to a friend—how did it go at the White House? I heard about Rook. Wait, didn't your parents figure out there was someone in the White House? You should tell them—Mom, where are you? I haven't heard from you in days. I'm getting worried . . . Julio, I said give me a minute. Fine, I'll link the coreless, but after that you need to lay off—and stop downing energy drinks, you're acting nuts."
She stepped to the wall and struck it with her palm. Purple lines swirled at her touch, and connected with several lines of unusual writing. The configuration of symbols made no sense to Tess, but it seemed to satisfy Iris, who nodded and turned back to Tess with a bright smile.
Tess grinned as she stroked Stel. He was a metal grend, an energy intelligence that bonded with one person at a time. The creatures were known to absorb the abilities of their chosen owner, and Stel had already demonstrated fire and gravity. He'd also saved her life.
She waited for Iris to stop talking. After several months together she was used to Iris's distracted personality. Being a techno mage allowed Iris to see every live signal in the air, and gave her the power to manipulate all of them. She was also exceptionally powerful with her magic, and Tess had more than enough reason to trust her, starting with how she'd saved her and Hawk on Mt. Elbrus.
Iris frowned at her. "You have no idea what's been going on. You should have stayed longer before you ran off to the White House."
"Sorry about that," Tess said. "With all the rush for Hawk and me to get there I didn't get the chance to catch up with you. We're trying to avert an auren–mage war, you know."
Iris dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "The US isn't going to attack us now. That much is clear." Then she cocked her head to the side. "You seem . . . different. Aren't you worried?"
Yes. Tess thought of her conversation with Hawk. "More like . . . determined."
Iris looked at her shrewdly. "When you stopped here on your way to the White House you were pretty unsure of what you did. What changed?"
Tess felt the urge to look away, but didn't. "It was the right thing to do."
Iris began fiddling with a swirl of purple objects. "I always thought the mage world needed to be public. Now that it is, I can use any signal I want."
Tess couldn't stop the smile at her roommate's response. Dressed in dark clothing, Iris's shirt, leather jacket, and black hair was streaked with purple. On anyone else Tess would have expected tattoos or piercings, yet Iris had none. In spite of her stature, she conveyed a sense of fierce determination.
"Oh, and just in case I didn't say it before, thanks for sending the steel entity," Tess said. "Without him I would still be encased in ice." Or dead.
Iris shuddered. "I hate the cold. Freez
ing to death would be the worst way to go."
"Then don't fight the Iseonix," Tess said fervently.
"I think I'll leave the giant frostbird to Hawk."
Tess didn't voice the spark of doubt. The Iseonix had killed Hawk's nest—including his mate—the first time they had fought several thousand years ago. As powerful as Hawk was, she wasn't certain he could defeat the unholy creature.
A sudden throbbing in her arm caused her to rub it. She cast another healing charm, but it did little more than ease the ache. Stel slid down her arm and molded around the spot that was hurting. Like a warm bandage, the pressure helped.
"Thanks," she murmured to him.
"What?" Iris asked. She'd gotten distracted again.
"Nothing," Tess said, and lay down.
"So what now?" Iris asked. Her attention was elsewhere, but her gaze flicked to Tess, indicating that she was talking to her. "I mean, Alice has released the Dark, her forces are growing stronger, you are five days behind in classes, and—"
Tess couldn't stop the laugh. "Passing class is the least of my concerns. The only thing that matters now is stopping Alice—and the Dark."
Her arm throbbed, and she sat up. "Iris, I would love to stay up late and talk, but I think tomorrow is going to be a rough day."
Iris furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Fine, but tomorrow we need to talk."
Suddenly tired, Tess agreed. Then she rose to get ready for bed. Before she could, there was a thrumming knock at the door. Already on her feet, Tess stepped to it and swung it open. Instead of a person, a small golden cat sat on the ground. Its blue eyes were disturbingly intelligent as it met Tess's gaze.
"Uh oh," Iris said as the cat spoke in a female voice like liquid silk.
"Tess Oliver, student at Tryton's Academy of Magic, you are hereby summoned to a formal Inquiry at the Magistration Office regarding your involvement at the Mt. Elbrus incident. Please arrive promptly at the date and time specified or judgment will be passed without your defense."