“Fall out, men!” Bobson said. Men was a huge stretch considering how young the boys were. And since most of them were wobbling more than walking thanks to their injuries, they were a sad group. Gabe and I helped the worst of the boys, keeping them steady on their feet and providing shoulders to lean on to keep pressure off of injured limbs.
Bobson led us out of the castle and across the fields. Gabe fell in step with me, but he didn’t say a word. The night was quiet. A little too quiet. No one talked in case the rogue constellations weren’t asleep. The grass was tall, and we were crouching as much as possible to stay at least partially hidden. I couldn’t get over how similar this world was to mine. Except the sky. Oh yeah, and the constellations that were trying to kill us.
Before long, we reached the peach boulders. Bobson motioned for us to hide behind one of the biggest boulders while he walked around to where the portal had been. The kids all obeyed him, no questions asked. But, well, that just wasn’t me. I crept around the other side of the boulder and followed Bobson. It wasn’t easy because he was on high alert being so close to where Draco and Serpens liked to hang out. I had to keep ducking behind the rocks. I bumped my shoulder and nearly screamed when one of my stitches popped open. Gabe reached for me, but I put my hand up to stop him. My curiosity was more intense than the pain.
Bobson bent down and ran his hand in a circular motion over the ground. He mumbled something, but I couldn’t hear what it was. He backed up, and there was a popping sound. The same sound the portal had made when it vanished. No way would I make it back to where the others were hiding without Bobson seeing me, so I didn’t even try to hide. I stepped out from behind him.
“Neat trick.”
He turned and scowled at me. “I knew I’d regret taking you along.”
“Oh, go gnaw on your pen some more.” I waved the kids out from behind the boulder.
Bobson smirked. “We’ll see how long that cocky attitude lasts.” He jumped through the portal before I could think of a comeback.
“My money’s on you,” Gabe said, walking past me to the portal. I smiled, but it faded quickly, making me realize just how sad I was to see him go.
The rest of us followed, getting swallowed in the semi-darkness below. My eyes had a hard time adjusting after the full-time sunshine in Stellaris. Bobson stopped in some sort of tunnel with doors everywhere.
“Leave your weapons here.” He motioned to the ground, and the boys started making a pile. “You three.” He pointed. “You’re coming with me. The rest will go with Ella.”
“We’re splitting up?” I was shocked Bobson would let me out of his sight when I could escape.
“These kids are running out of time. If we split up, we’ll get them back sooner.”
I looked around at the kids. It was difficult to see them in the darkness. They were blending in—almost complete shadows. I nodded at Bobson.
He leaned close to me, and the pen in his mouth grazed my ear. “And don’t even think about running home. If you try anything while you’re returning these kids, I’ll make sure Avery never leaves Stellaris.”
This guy really knew how to make my blood boil. I smacked the pen out of his mouth. “How exactly do I bring them home?”
Bobson managed to find his pen in the darkness. He blew on it and put it back in his mouth. Then he grabbed another pen from his pocket and handed it to me.
“No thanks. I don’t have a crazy obsession with chewing on pens.”
“Open the back and drip some ink on the doors. It will allow you to see beyond them. The kids will be looking into their own rooms.”
“Can’t we just open the doors?”
Bobson stepped aside so I could get a better look at the nearest door. There was no knob or latch or anything. I gave it a push, but nothing happened.
“So the pens have, like, magic ink in them?”
“You don’t have time for questions. That boy’s almost completely faded. Bet he has less than a minute.”
I turned to see the boy Bobson was talking about. He did look terrible.
“But how will I know which door is his?” Bobson didn’t answer. He was gone, and so were the kids he was taking home. He’d done that on purpose, left me to figure out how to save the almost-faded boy. “Jerk!” I yelled into the darkness. I wanted to yell something much worse, but some of these boys were still pretty young.
The tunnel went on forever—or so it seemed. There wasn’t time to try every door. “Think, Ella,” I muttered to myself. “Bobson took the kids in a hurry. That means the doors should be close together.”
Gabe nodded. “Good theory, but these guys are from all over the U.S.”
My eyes went to the boy with the Irish accent.
“Exchange student,” he said, reading my mind.
I didn’t have a better plan, so I tried the nearest door first, dripping a drop of ink onto it. The door shimmered and became transparent. A room with powdered blue walls and tons of stuffed animals appeared. It had to belong to the youngest boy.
“Um, that’s my room,” one of the older boys said in a low voice.
“Nice teddy bears.” I stifled a laugh and motioned for him to go through the door.
He blushed and stepped forward. Instantly a shadowy staircase appeared, and he walked down it. In seconds the door shimmered again and became solid.
“Ella,” the almost-faded boy said. “Can we move a little faster?”
“Right.” I hurried from door to door, dripping ink on each.
The boys ran—or in many cases hobbled—through the moment they recognized their rooms. No good-byes or hugs or even waves. Now it was just Gabe and the almost-faded-boy left. I opened another door, and Gabe winked at me. This one was his.
“Tell Avery I said to hurry up and make a move. Because if I ever see you again…” He reached his hand up to touch my cheek. “I’m not going to step aside for him.”
I smiled and brought my hand to his. “And what if we never do see each other again?”
He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to mine. “Then remember that.” His hand slipped from my cheek, and he disappeared into his room. If I had more time to think about it, I might have been crushed, but the boy was tugging on my arm and looking terrified.
I’d opened about fifteen doors all in a line, and I still hadn’t found the almost-faded boy’s room. And I only had a little ink left in the pen. I tried another door and saw my own room. I leaned through the doorway, keeping my feet in the tunnel. I stood there for a moment, staring. My bed was made, and my laundry was put away. Mom had cleaned up for me. She had to be going out of her mind right now. I wanted to run through the door and tell her I was okay, but I didn’t know if I’d be able to come back. And I had to come back or Bobson would trap Avery in Stellaris until he faded away to nothing.
“Ella.” The boy’s voice was hollow, like an echo. He was really panicking now.
I leaned back into the tunnel and forced myself to look away from my room. “When were you taken? Were you one of the first ones?”
“I was the very first one.”
I ran to the portal, hoping lazy Bobson had started with the doors closest to it when he began abducting kids. I dripped the last of the ink onto the door. It shimmered, and the boy yelled, “That’s it!”
“Go!” I wanted to give him a push but was afraid my hands would go right through him.
I heard footsteps behind me in the darkness. Bobson had finished returning the others.
“Meet me back in Stellaris,” he yelled.
I didn’t take my eyes off the boy. He stepped onto the staircase and instantly started to become visible again. I sighed and smiled at him as the door became solid.
I was relieved to see how quickly the boy had recovered. It meant Avery would be okay as soon as I got him home. I ran back to the portal and pulled myself through it.
The bright light in Stellaris blinded me for a moment as I crawled onto the dirt. I looked up, ready to tell B
obson that all the kids had made it in time, but I couldn’t find the words. My mouth hung open.
Bobson was surrounded by a new batch of kids.
10
I sprang to my feet, screaming like a banshee, and landed a right hook on Bobson’s jaw. It felt good and excruciatingly painful at the same time. I never knew hitting someone could hurt so much. My knuckles were bright red, and several of them had popped when I made contact. Bobson stumbled backward onto a boulder. He held his jaw as if he was trying to keep it from falling off.
“How could you?” I yelled. “You saw what this place did to those kids. They almost died!” This guy was a monster, and considering what else I’d seen in this place, that was saying something.
“Want to keep your voice down?” Bobson rubbed his jaw. “Or are you trying to wake Draco?”
I searched the sky. There were plenty of constellations around, but they were all perched high in the heavens. Sagittarius winked at me and nodded toward Bobson. I guess he didn’t like him either.
“You knew exactly which doors led those kids home, didn’t you? But you made me try them all so that I’d take longer and you could kidnap more recruits.”
Bobson got to his feet and used the back of his hand to wipe a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. “Come on, Ella. Don’t play dumb. You knew what was going on. You knew we needed replacements, and you volunteered to help me get them.”
I didn’t care how much my hand throbbed. This guy was begging to be hit again. I lunged forward, but Sagittarius reared and readied his bow and arrow. I stumbled into Bobson, my eyes following Sagittarius’s gaze. It had to be Draco. He hung out by the portal. But he was still too far away for me to see.
I scrambled to my feet. “Draco must be nearby. Sagittarius is trying to warn us.” I looked at the new recruits, completely untrained, confused, and helpless. They murmured to each other, trying to figure out where they were and what was happening. “We need to get out of here. Draco will pick these kids apart.”
“Too late.” Bobson pointed over my shoulder.
I didn’t need to turn around. I knew Draco had seen us and was heading our way. “Come on! Get behind the boulders and don’t come out unless I tell you to!” Not a single one of the boys questioned me.
Bobson gave me a who-put-you-in-charge look, but I kept giving orders. “Watch over them. If any of them die, it’s on your hands.” I didn’t wait for a response. I ran for the trees, staying in Draco’s line of sight. I wanted him to follow me.
I headed straight into the thickest group of trees, steering clear of the rock pile where I’d first met Serpens. One rogue constellation was all I could handle right now, and even that I wasn’t sure about.
Draco paused near the boulders and sniffed the air. I hadn’t counted on his keen sense of smell ruining my plan. I picked up a fallen tree branch and waved it in front of me.
“Hey! Puff the Magic Dragon! Over here!”
That got his attention. Draco licked his lips and charged at me. I ducked under the trees to keep him from flying. He’d have to stay on foot if he wanted to catch me. I zigzagged through the burnt trees, keeping as close to them as possible. I needed Draco to breathe fire and light the trees, but I didn’t want to get burned in the process. I hadn’t exactly figured out how I was going to pull that off.
“Not so scary when you can’t swoop down from the sky, are you?” I said.
Draco huffed, and a puff of smoke filled the air. I could barely see where I was running, and I slammed my bad shoulder into a tree. This time I knew I had reopened the wound. Warm blood trickled down my arm.
“Mmm,” Draco said. “Smells good.”
Great. I couldn’t see through the smoke, and Draco had honed in on the scent of my blood. Things weren’t going at all how I’d planned.
I heard something whiz through the air and land with a thud.
“Stupid human!” Draco yelled.
The smoke was clearing, and I could just barely see Bobson shooting arrows from the edge of the trees. I heard screams as the new recruits charged with the axes left for them by the former army. I couldn’t believe Bobson had sent these kids after Draco, even if it was to try to save my life.
Draco turned toward the kids and inhaled deeply.
“No! I’m the one you want.” I moved closer to him, holding my bleeding shoulder toward him, hoping the smell of my blood would bring his focus back to me. “Come on. I’m unarmed and bleeding. What more could you ask for?”
Draco was holding his breath, waiting to release the fire. Every impulse in my body screamed “Run!” But I had to stay there until Draco faced me.
His right wing twitched slightly before he swung his head around. I dove behind the tree next to me. Draco’s fire hit it and several others. Wood splintered and snapped. Bobson yanked me to my feet before I could get burned. He’d traded his bow and arrow for one of the axes and started hacking at the trees. Burning limbs fell everywhere. I grabbed one, careful to find a spot that wasn’t on fire. I held the branch out in front of me, keeping Draco from getting closer. Some of the kids followed my lead and grabbed flaming branches for themselves. I figured they were happy not to be holding the axes anymore. They looked downright scared of them.
“Get out of here, Draco,” I said. “Go back to the sky you fell out of.”
“I’m never going back!”
I moved toward him, waving the flaming branch. “Is that so?”
Draco eyed the branch and laughed. “You think I’m afraid of fire? I breathe fire. Would you like me to show you again?”
Definitely not! We’d all be scorched to death. “Just because you breathe fire, doesn’t mean you can’t be burned.” I lunged forward, letting the flames lick Draco’s leg. He pulled back instantly, retreating toward the mound of rocks. I really didn’t want to be near Serpens’s resting place, but I had an idea.
“Hot, isn’t it?” I stepped closer. Draco continued to back up into the opening in the rock pile. I heard the rocks shift and knew Serpens must be waking up. I waved the kids closer with their fiery branches.
“You wouldn’t dare follow me into Serpens’s home,” Draco said.
I nodded. “You’re right.” I threw my branch at the opening, blocking Draco’s only exit. The rest of the guys did the same. “Tell him ‘hi’ for me!” It wouldn’t hold them for long, but it would at least allow us to get away.
The guys cheered and stared at me like I was their queen or something. One of them even winked at me, and I couldn’t help thinking of Gabe. He was safe in his room now, exactly where I’d like to be—well, my room, not his. Or maybe his. I wasn’t sure anymore. Gabe was cute and definitely resourceful, but something about us being together felt off.
“Well done, everyone,” Bobson said.
The guys patted each other on the backs, not understanding how serious this all was. I mean, if I hadn’t come up with a plan to trap Draco, they’d be dragon kibble right about now. Yet they were acting like this was a game. I wondered how happy they’d be if the branches started shifting and Draco poked his head out of the rock pile. I shook my head, disgusted with everything that was happening.
“You’ve got some ash on your nose,” one of the new boys said, stepping closer to me and reaching out his hand. “Here, let me get that for you.”
I sidestepped him. “I can handle it myself thanks.” I brushed my hand across my nose and glared at Bobson. “You better believe I will find a way to get back at you for this.” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I stormed off in the direction of the castle.
“Hey, wait up! I’m Derek. What’s your name?” He walked alongside me.
“Not interested.” I picked up the pace. Derek definitely wasn’t my type. I could tell he thought a lot of himself. And since my first impression of him was when he’d looked completely terrified of an axe, I figured the full of himself thing was just an act. Besides, who had time to think about flirting with all that was going on?
W
e made it back to the castle without running into Scorpius. He’d apparently slept through all the fun. Melanie was waiting up for us in the sitting room, and Avery was with her. They were talking and smiling. A plate of fresh fruit sat on the end table. They’d even shared a late night snack. Every muscle in my body tensed. I didn’t like seeing Avery with her. Especially when she looked so cozy sitting next to him. But it didn’t last long because as soon as Avery spotted the new recruits, he jumped to his feet.
“What’s going on?” He looked accusingly at Bobson. “You were supposed to return the guys.”
“I did.” Bobson pushed past him and walked over to Melanie. “We met up with Draco and had to fight him off. These kids are pretty tough. They fought him with no training at all. They should be great after a few hours of weapons work with me.”
“Who are they? They can’t be here.” Avery whipped his head around toward Melanie. It didn’t take him long to put the pieces together. The look on Melanie’s face said it all. “You lied to me.” The hurt expression washing over his face made my stomach lurch. He’d actually thought he’d bonded with Melanie. That she trusted him with information. But she was using him, just like she was using the rest of us.
Melanie stood up, her face losing all emotion. “This is a war. What did you expect me to do?” She walked out of the room, leaving Avery with his mouth hanging open.
“We need to start training immediately,” Bobson said. “Draco and Serpens aren’t going to be happy once they break out of that rock pile. We need to be ready when they attack.” He picked up a medical kit and handed it to Avery. “You should stitch her back up before you head downstairs, but be quick about it. I need your help with these guys.”
Avery nodded. “I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
I thought maybe inhaling all that smoke had gone to my head. No way I was hearing Avery right. He couldn’t possibly help Bobson and Melanie after what they’d done.
“So, are you going down to training to wish the new recruits luck before we get out of this place? Or are you planning to round up the guys and bring them with us?” My eyes burned into his, challenging him.
Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances Page 44