Unable to wait any longer with dawn coming soon, Cham ignored the guilt and caressed the soft skin of Annie’s cheek, rousing her from a deep sleep. She swatted his hand away, so he continued until she opened her eyes. Momentarily confused by her position on the floor but seeing him, she curled her lips into a small smile.
“It’s time to go,” he whispered.
“What time is it?” Her voice was soft and dreamy, her hair scrunched and knotted behind her head. She patted it down, giving herself a chance to wake up.
“Four-thirty.”
The realization of spending the last few hours asleep on the floor revived Annie quickly. Even in the low light, she squinted and rubbed her eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me? I’d have taken a turn.” Annie’s yawn was loud and deep as if she was sweeping the cobwebs from herself. She stretched deeply.
“You were too cute to wake.” Embarrassed, Cham reached for a breakfast bar and handed it to her. Cautiously she opened the bar and took a bite. “He’s been in the Illinois Caverns for an hour and a half,” Cham advised, pointing to the map beside her. He circled each location and noted the time beside it. Annie examined the map for clues to the location.
“Camping?” Annie swallowed a chunk of breakfast bar. It was dry and nearly got stuck in her throat.
“Yeah. I went there as a kid. Long car ride, four little boys, toys, pillows.”
“It’s a great location for the night. Based on these times, he’s been jumping around all night and has to be exhausted. I wonder, though, if he could survive in the caves.”
“From what I can tell, no. We better getting moving before he wakes up.”
*
The Illinois Caverns State Natural Area closed at sunset and opened at dawn, a perfect location to hide for the night. Annie and Cham teleported just inside the park entrance and followed the trail to Jordan’s location. With the sun still below the horizon, they headed through the thick trees.
In order to remain hidden in the forest, they chose to sideline their flashlights, which slowed down their hike through the dense trees. They relied on their outstretched hands and methodical kicks to low branches and buried roots to guide their way.
The trees were like tall soldiers in the moonlight with straight backs, standing at attention, waiting for their orders. The bushes and flowers were mounds, hiding spots for demons and creatures; Annie and Cham passed cautiously.
Stumbling over a half-buried root, Cham fell into a tree.
“Damn it.” Pushing himself off the rough bark, he gave up and turned on a flashlight.
“Stealthy,” Annie said.
“At least I can see.” Cham dimmed the light and pointed it to the forest floor, minimizing their presence. But a new soft, gray light blanketed the forest; the trees and rocks were now undistinguishable, eerie masses.
“We have to hurry. It’s getting lighter,” Annie said. Less than a mile from Jordan’s hiding spot, they gathered speed and jogged along the trail. Their feet pounded against the soft underbrush, startling five deer ahead of them on the path. The graceful creatures stood, transfixed by the humans, unable to move for the fear. Locked in a staring contest with the beautiful creatures, Annie squeezed Cham’s hand—neither wanted the deer to bolt.
Twigs snapped and grass rustled as the first of the deer ran into the trees, the rest following to make their escape.
“Cool,” Cham said. As they continued down the trail, they no longer heard the deer running through the trees.
The path wound to the left, but Annie and Cham knew the cave was to their right. Positioning themselves through the trees, they slid off the trail onto the sloped and slippery ground saturated with rain from storms that had blown through the area overnight. Reaching for each other, they took small steps down the incline. Annie’s boot slipped against a mud-covered rock, and she fell forward. Cham held her arm to steady her.
“This is fun.” Finding a branch, Annie poked the mud from her boot while observing the cave entrance. Although the entrance was only ten feet high and twenty feet wide, the rock climbed higher than that—not mountain high, but Midwest high. They’d have to climb a good twenty-five feet to make it to the top.
The entrance to the tunnel system was like a black hole in space where nothing could be seen coming in and out, a hole completely devoid of light.
Cham knelt beside the map spread on the damp ground and traced the two branches of the cave. The first snaked to the left; roughly one hundred feet long, it led to a dead end. The second passage joined the rest of the cave system, containing several channels that wound farther into a maze of places to hide.
You could get lost in there. Annie cringed.
“I’ll try to keep him down this tunnel.” Cham pointed to the dead end. “Good news, he can’t teleport through the thick walls,” Cham said.
“You worry about Jordan. I’ll take care of this larger passage to the caves.” Annie stared at the topological map of the cave system. She didn’t fancy the idea of spending the rest of the day chasing Jordan through dark, empty tunnels.
Annie didn’t have to remind Cham that Jordan, who had nothing to lose, was dangerous whether his magic worked or not. With that in mind, Annie prepared and clipped her hair in an ornamental barrette; one that didn’t reflect the job or coordinate with the clothing hanging from her petite frame. Zola had given it to her as a child; it contained a very powerful protection spell. Though not Annie’s first choice in head wear, it kept her safe, which was all that really mattered.
Annie checked the other item she always kept attached to her calf on the job: her father’s dagger. It contained no magical properties, curses, hexes, or jinxes, only comfort. The knife, forged from solid silver, had a seven-inch blade attached to a hilt molded into the shape of a dragon. A long tail cascaded and curved around the blade. The dragon represented Jason Pearce’s birth year on the Chinese zodiac, and the two emerald eyes marked the month of his birth. Though Annie was confident in her own magic, the cool metal against her skin gave her a sense of peace.
Cham absently fumbled with his amulet, placing it around his neck. The gold piece hung from a leather chain. Annie could see its etching of an ancient protection spell.
Dad’s amulet. He still wears it. Annie thought.
Annie held the comforting piece of her past between her fingers—Cham’s necklace, a gift she gave him when they started with the Wizard Guard. She dropped the necklace beneath his shirt.
“You okay?” His hand rested on her shoulder and squeezed before he took it away to transfer several potion vials to the many pockets of his cargo pants.
“Yeah.”
Birds squawked in the forest as the sun neared the horizon. Annie and Cham slunk to the mouth of the cave. Just outside the entrance, Annie cast a reveal spell and peered into her scrying crystal, verifying Jordan’s exact location in the center of the large cavern. Pointing to the entrance, they headed inside.
Instantly, it seemed they passed from the halo of dim light of the entrance into the near darkness of the cavern. The only light came from remainder of Jordan’s fire.
As Cham closed in on Jordan, Annie silently chanted a spell on the only exit to the outside, keeping Jordan from escaping. Vibrations caused by the spell ran up and down her arms as the magic hit the opening, leaving a filmy haze over the entrance.
Annie’s hands grazed the wall as she headed back to the hundreds of miles of tunnels. The farther into the cavern they ventured, the less light became available. Soon she waved her hands in front of her face, unable to see anything in the blinding darkness.
As they continued to follow the contour of the rock walls, Annie’s fingers caressed the bumps and curves and her steel toed boot kicked loose rocks that tinkled and pinged in the silence. She hesitated and glanced back to see only the remains of the fire; Cham was lost in the extreme darkness.
It’s bigger than I expected.
Wood popped in the fire pit, causing her to jump. The sound of rustling in a s
leeping bag, nylon against nylon made Annie shudder.
“Who’s there?” Jordan asked. Against the low light of the fire, Annie saw him clamoring from his sleeping bag, his hands up defensively. Cham still hid in the shadows.
She moved quickly and wound her way around the cavern to the mouth of the rest of the tunnel system.
There was a scuffle at the center of the cavern. “Damn it!”
Annie cast her spell blocking the entrance to the caves and ran back the way she came. She kicked a large rock and stumbled.
“Who… who’s here?”
Jordan, not waiting for an answer, ran at the cave entrance and crashed into an invisible wall. His body tumbled backwards, crashing into the loose dirt. In the daylight that streamed into the cavern, Annie saw his arms flaying, his body twisting, tightening into a ball.
“Jordan, we’re from the Wizard Guard. We need to talk to you about Amelie,” she said softly.
Like a trapped animal, Jordan pulled away from her touch and stumbled to his knees before finding his balance. Cham grabbed hold of his shirt. Since Jordan had nothing to lose, fight or flight took over; he squirmed and pulled away—running into the darkness.
“Damn, he’s quick.” Switching on a flashlight, Cham ran after the suspect. “We’re not here to hurt you, Jordan. You need to stop!” His voice bounced off the walls and trailed after him.
Annie followed through the darkness, the light from her flashlight bouncing wildly with each step. Stopping at the entrance to the dead end, she deposited two crystals, one at each side of the opening. Before heading in, she ran her flashlight across the cavern, ensuring that they were still alone.
Ahead of her, lights bounced up and down. Long streams of light swirled and twisted against the walls. Scuffling and bumping reverberated around the hard stone. A flashlight flew up and crashed to the ground, clinking against rock. In the shadows made by the errant light, Cham grabbed hold of Jordan, who flailed and thrashed. Panicked, Jordan kicked Cham in the shin.
“Damn it Jordan!” Cham released his hold on the suspect, rubbed his shin and kicked the scared wizard, knocking him down. “I just need to ask you what happened. We’re not here to hurt you!”
Annie focused her light on Jordan. His distress was palpable. Terrified, anxious, unsure of where to go, Jordan backed away from Cham. His eyes darted like ping-pong balls, attempting to find a way out of his predicament. He shot a spell at Annie, knocking the flashlight from her hands, stumbled to his feet, and ran past her. Annie tossed a vial on the ground, shattering the thin glass. The eternal sunshine potion erupted; bright light exploded around them. Every nook, cranny, bump, and rock became visible and vibrant. Unused to such bright light after the last few days, Jordan threw his arms up to shield his face. Cham lunged, tackling him to the dirt.
“I give up,” Jordan said, raising his hands up and over his head.
“Good choice.” Cham created a thin golden rope to tie his hands and feet. As a precaution, he added a sticking spell, ensuring it couldn’t come undone.
“All we wanted to do is talk to you. Now we have to bring you in, Jordan.”
“I didn’t do it,” Jordan sighed.
“Not now. We need to get you somewhere safe.”
Annie waved once in the air, removing all traces of the sunshine potion, and headed toward the entrance with Cham leading Jordan.
Up ahead, a flash of lightning struck in the air between both crystals, bright enough and long enough for them to perceive a man flying in the air. The stranger screamed from the electric shock which echoed and bounced off the walls. When the resonances subsided, Annie pointed the flashlight at the lump on the ground where Sturtagaard lay semiconscious on the cavern floor like a sleeping baby.
Chapter 12
Tartarus Prison giants dragged Sturtagaard’s limp body across uneven stone floors and dumped him into a dark cell housed in the vampire wing of the prison. The demon had moved little since being hit with a high dosage of electricity at the cave; he lay motionless even after they locked him in. The giants, unconcerned with whether or not the vampire faked his condition, left him there, slamming the holy-water-infused bars behind them.
The giants, although simply larger versions of human beings, were almost as wide as they were tall—standing at nine feet in height. Though they appeared menacing, in reality the gentle creatures only showed aggression when provoked.
After depositing Sturtagaard in his cell, the two guards lumbered down the corridor. Their heavy footsteps echoed off the stone walls and the cell doors jingled. When the door at the end of the hall screeched on its hinges and slammed shut, the vampire sat up.
The rising sun, still low in the sky hadn’t reached Sturtagaard’s cell. His pale skin glowed in the dark and gloomy room. But as the day wore on, the vampire would be subjected to sun as it slowly bathed the entire cell in light and left him vulnerable—which was exactly how the prison officials had designed the prison.
Unware of what waited for him, the demon familiarized himself with his new location, hanging his head low to stave off the dizziness his electrocution caused. When the room stopped spinning, he took a long sniff. As a vampire, he no longer needed oxygen in his lungs; technically he was dead. Sturtagaard grimaced at the musty, stale air.
Not as bad as the warehouse.
The demon took another deep breath and considered all the scents and smells around him. His slender fingers ran across a large gash on the back of his head where he had crashed into a sharp rock. Without a beating heart, his blood no longer pumped. Instead, it pooled in the veins and now leaked from the injury, settling in his hair where it matted and stuck together in clumps. Smiling, the vampire sniffed his bloody hand and licked it like a lollipop.
“That’s really gross.”
The disembodied voice vibrated against the walls. Sturtagaard jumped and scrambled up. His eyes searched the darkness and became angry black pools.
“Who’s there?” He sniffed the air. The scent was vaguely familiar. His brain churned through the last few weeks, to the warehouse, to the machine facility, finally placing the strawberries and cream.
“Well, Annie Pearce. The Wizard Guard whiz kid. To what do I owe this pleasure?” he sneered.
“I guess it’s just your lucky day.”
Unbothered by the Wizard Guard’s presence, the vampire sat back down and continued to lick the blood from his hand.
Ugh. Gross. He knows this makes me nauseated. Annie pursed her lips together as Sturtagaard ensured his hand was thoroughly devoid of blood. When the vampire smirked, blood-coated fangs protruded from his mouth. “You caught me. The bosses happy with that?” Annie cringed, finding it hard to believe that Sturtagaard had ever been human. He took well to becoming an animal. “By the way, how did you catch me with that contraption?”
She stepped out of the shadows and into the first light of day. It cast a gray, hazy glow over the infamous Sturtagaard, who sat dizzy as the light fell across Annie’s face. Her eyes sparkled as a fine mist danced around her.
“Uh, I did my job. There’s no gold star for it,” she said sardonically. “Besides, any fourteen-year-old knows how to set that trap.”
After tracking him for weeks, this victory felt rather anticlimactic. Annie’s attempted laugh came halfheartedly. The vampire growled, a low rumble resonating from his throat, and she stopped laughing, realizing she was trapped in a cell with him.
“Down, vampire. I have permission to stake you if I need to.” Annie flipped the pointy stake in the air and caught it with a heavy smack to her palm.
“Oh, relax, little girl. I’m not going to bite you, though I’m sure you’re plenty tasty. I’d like to leave this dank, depressing place, and killing you would surely put a stop to that.” Sturtagaard peered out his cell door, sniffing the air. “And where’s the boy? I don’t smell his… ” pausing, “… scent.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Ah… you love me so much.”
Both gian
t guards on this floor lumbered past, glanced inside the cell, and offered the vampire a glowering look. He shrank back, now aware they never really left the corridor.
“Yeah. Sure,” Annie said. “What were you doing with Jordan Wellington?”
“So that’s the boy who killed his girl. Tsk, tsk, tsk on him. He’s in a lot of trouble.”
Annie glared at him. “You were in the company of a person of interest. Puts you in that same position.”
Always, in his past dealings with the Wizard Guard or the Wizard Council, Sturtagaard had retained their protection as long as the he gave them what they required. But the girl had permission to kill him, putting the demon in a decidedly bad position. In order to think, the demon took to pacing the length of his cell.
The vampire’s strides, quick and confident, revealed nothing of his intentions to Annie. He walked with his hands resting comfortably on the small of his back, the wheels in his brain churning. Either way, Annie knew he’d be staked. He’d gone too far with the zombie army.
But then what?
“And what will the Wizard Guard do with me? Slap me on the wrist again?”
“Mmmm. Huh. What will they do with you?” She tapped her forefinger on her lip, pretending to think, and then returned a sinister smile. “That depends on what you were doing with Jordan. And when you finish that, you can tell me all about the zombie army you’re building.”
“I’m not responsible for that girl’s death. And zombie army? Really girl, where did you get that idea?”
“And that’s the problem. You’re not giving us what we ask for.” Annie flipped the stake in her hand. The vampire jumped when it hit her palm.
“I have time.” Sturtagaard called her bluff.
Annie shrugged and ran her hand across the cell lock, waiting for the click. Once the door slid open, she exited and faced him as the door slipped back and locked again.
The Day of First Sun (Annie Loves Cham Book 1) Page 13