by Shea Berkley
Blaze drops his head and snuffles an especially fragrant huff.
Reece suddenly stops. “Dylan.”
His call is softer than what it should be, and it raises the hair on my arms. I position Kera by Blaze. “If anything bad happens, get on him and go.”
Her lips pinch together mutinously, and I point my finger at her. “I mean it.”
“But I’m just as able to—”
“Please do what I say for once without arguing.” I don’t wait to hear what else she wants to say. When I pass Signe, I tell her to join Kera.
Reece has worked his way forward to the edge of the trees and is low to the ground. The bridge isn’t that far off. More than a Hail Mary football throw away, but seeable. What I didn’t expect is the sound of logging and the building of shelters all along the edge of the Unknown. There are all manner of creatures roaming around, and a few appear innocently human.
Farther in, I see inky black ribbons, their shape smokelike. In the center of it all stands a man I know all too well.
Kera comes alongside me. I close my eyes and groan. “Why can’t you stay put?”
“Is that Granel? What’s he doing here?”
She doesn’t know he left without a word to anyone. “I don’t know, but something’s been bugging me since Ainsbury Cross. I think one of the dark souls is Navar.”
Kera gasps. “I saw a face that resembled him, but I didn’t think it was possible.”
We both saw Navar’s face? A creepy feeling settles in my gut. “Granel must have seen it, too. That’s why he left. He has issues that have warped his sense of loyalty.”
“He’s going into that building.” A thoughtful expression settles over Reece’s face.
Signe cranes her neck to see past us. “How are we going to get to the bridge? They’re everywhere.”
“We’re not,” I say.
“How are we to leave, then?”
“Blaze. I’ll send you and Kera back first. Then call him back for Reece, then me.”
“What about Baun?” Kera asks.
“I’ll stay as long as I can and wait for him.”
Reece is staring off into the distance. I don’t think he’s paying attention until he asks, “What does your dad look like again?”
“Light hair. Tall. A lot like me. Only older and scruffier.”
“Like him?” Reece asks and points.
A man with shaggy hair and wearing ragged clothes stumbles out of the woods across from us. Cuts along his arms and torso ooze blood. All around him, small lights zip in and out, harassing him forward.
Reece’s attention jumps from Baun to the enemy camp, where dozens and dozens of creatures roam the area. “He’s going to bring attention to himself and then us if he’s not careful.”
Baun is being oddly careless. Not at all what I expect from him. He suddenly trips and falls, splaying out his arms as if searching for something, but he only crawls along, grunting at each cut that appears on his body from the pux.
“He’s blind,” Kera says, close to tears. “He’s been underground for nearly two decades. Who knows what’s been done to him. Do something, Dylan. They will see him any minute.”
The more I look at him, the more damage I see. Dark circles ring his squinting eyes and there’s a sickly hue to his skin, like it’s never seen a speck of sun. He pushes awkwardly to his feet, his arms stretched out in front of him searching the air for any obstacles. He’s a mess. But worse, I actually feel pity for him.
Before I think better of it, I call on clouds to gather overhead. It’s not easy. The Unknown doesn’t want to obey me. Finally the clouds darken, and the rain I let loose sheets the air, swamping the ground in no time. The enemy does exactly what I expected. Half run for cover and the other half hunker down on the spot, burying their heads under whatever is available.
Baun does what I had hoped he’d do. He stops. And then he does something I don’t expect. He lifts his head up to the sky and laughs. His enjoyment seems to irritate the pux and they dart back in for another attack.
“Stay here,” I tell everyone, and then I take off, pushing around the underbrush, my eyes glued to my dad and those evil little monsters.
I settle behind a clump of foliage as near to Baun as I can get without drawing attention. Thunder shakes the Unknown and Baun curses at his torturers. “I am no longer your plaything. I have been set free. Leave me be.”
I can feel his frustration as if it were my own. I actually hate the pux. They deserve to die… I get an idea, but I have to be careful. One misfire and I’ll hit Baun, and frankly, with all this rain, I could miss. I concentrate, and a lightning bolt zigs down and fries one of the pux. They all stop and hover. While they’re distracted, I send down two more bolts. A pair nearest Baun fall, leaving smoke trails all the way to the ground.
That sends the little beasts into a buzz, but they do something out of character, yet familiar. They settle all around him, on his shoulders, his head, along his outstretched arms. I remember them doing so in a dream. I thought Baun was controlling them, but maybe it was their way of controlling him. Baun turns his head left, then right. “What’s going on?”
“How fond are you of your little friends?” I ask.
“Not at all.”
No hesitation and no asking who I am. But then, I think he knows. He always seems to know.
“Stand real still.” I call down bolt after bolt, zapping the pux off him like a crack marksman. More than a dozen fall to his feet when the rest spring off and dart away.
The downpour I’ve created is causing a rush of water toward the bridge. It’s strong enough to knock Baun off his feet. He skids along the ground, floundering as the water pushes him closer and closer to the enemy camp. It’s crazy to see him so defenseless. He’s a different man than I expected, and one I can’t just leave. I run forward and pull him to his feet.
“If you keep going like you are, you’ll run right into a slew of ugly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s a southern term. I don’t have time for a full explanation.” I guide him to the trees and lead him toward the others. “Let’s just say a human friend of mine got a hold of some first power and is on a vendetta to kill me and everyone else who stands in his way of world domination. I’m pretty sure he’s planning on releasing everything you all locked up in the Unknown, and everything you locked up is waiting by the bridge for the go-ahead.”
Baun yanks me to a stop. “He’s mad.”
“Pissed and crazy. That’s Jason.” I urge my dad forward. “We all need to get out of here and make sure his plan doesn’t turn into reality.”
“How many are with you?”
“Three. You and I make five.”
“Our combined powers are our worst asset, yet our greatest.”
“Only three of us have power.”
Baun’s jaw flexes. “Two are human?”
“Yep. Like me and Kera.”
“Not exactly.”
I don’t like the look on his face. “Exactly like us.”
“They have power?”
Didn’t I tell him they didn’t? “No.”
“Then they are not exactly like you.”
He can be such a jerk. “They have other talents.”
“I guess if they’ve managed to survive more than a minute in the Unknown, they must.”
“And I guess while you were locked up, you didn’t embrace the concept of rehabilitation.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong. I am a new man. Far more understanding than I ever was. My point is, your friends have no power to help us, and that is a liability—even if you aren’t willing to see it as such, I am. We will have to come up with a plan that will compensate for their disability.”
There’s no talking to him.
We arrive at the place where I left everyone, and I ease the downpour into a light mist. The rain has cooled the ground and a thick fog forms. Kera rushes through the knee-high fog to Baun and clasps his hand b
etween hers. “It is good to see you.”
He touches her face with his other hand and smiles. “I am pleased you are safe.”
“Relatively,” I say, still irritated by his view of our friends and uncomfortable with the two of them being so chummy. This is the Lost King. The scourge of Teag. A man so horrible he was banished by his own father and best friend.
And I just saved him. I can’t think about the ramifications of what I’ve done. We have to get out of here. I turn to Signe. “Where’s Reece?”
“He said we needed to keep watch.” Signe nodded in the direction of the enemy camp, then slants a wary eye at Baun. She doesn’t appear happy he’s joined our little group. Why would she? He’s the one who started the extermination of humans and those tainted by human blood. People like Kera. Like me.
By the way Kera is fussing over him, I’m beginning to think she’s forgotten about that.
I stalk off, hunting for Reece. There are broken twigs and his discarded bag where he sat watching. And then footprints in the mud heading toward the enemy. The fog is thick, which is good cover, but not perfect because I can see him slinking between the structures toward the one Granel entered.
I retrace my steps, and when Kera sees I’m alone, she asks, “Where’s Reece?”
“He’s gone to kill Granel.”
Signe stands, her hands balling into her wet skirts. “I feared he might.”
I can’t blame Signe for not stopping him. Once Reece saw Granel, I knew he wouldn’t stay put. I’m more shocked he left the girls unprotected. What is it with this place that causes sane people to do irrational things? I take off my sword and hand it to Kera.
“What are you doing?” Her eyes are huge.
“Reece doesn’t stand a chance out there by himself.”
I point to Blaze, who’s made a nest out of a charred patch of ground and underbrush. He quickly rises, understanding me, and lumbers over. It’s like we have a link of some sort. I only have to think, and he reacts.
“No.” Kera grabs my arm as I’m about to vault onto Blaze. “There are too many.”
“If it were me out there, or your dad, what would you do?”
Although the rain is far less than it was, water drops slide down her long hair like she’s an elaborate Japanese rain chain. So beautiful even soaking wet. I want her to be brave. To know there’s more than just us. It’s taken me a while, but my human side has finally taken over. I’m in control now. Me.
“I’ll be okay. I’m a first and a human. They don’t stand a chance against me.”
I can feel her whole body shaking, but she lets go. “You’re right. Go get him.”
I bring her close and kiss her in the way that makes her knees weak and her heart melt. I love her so much, I’m nearly devastated by the longing in her kiss.
I pull away and mount Blaze. She touches my leg and I touch her hand. “Protect Baun and Signe. You’re smart and clever and stronger than you let on. If anything goes wrong…if I don’t come back, find a place to hide until your strength returns. Between you and Baun, you’ll figure out a way to get out of here.”
Leaving her isn’t what I want, but it’s the right thing to do.
I nudge Blaze and as he lifts off, I feel Kera’s fingers sweep down my leg. I push Blaze higher into the clouds and thank God humans can lie.
Kera’s right. There are too many.
I lean forward, hold low and tight to Blaze, and begin our dive.
Game On
There’s a shout. A clash of swords. Reece has made himself known, and it won’t be long before he ends up hurt or dead. Blaze swoops down and lets out a stream of fire. The camp comes to life. We buzz over the area time and again, avoiding their attempts at bringing us down.
When the dark souls appear, I spin Blaze away and he rumbles deep within his throat. In no time, four dragons, scarred from tip to tail, appear and slash at the dark souls, tearing them apart, yet just like at Ainsbury Cross, the black ribbons repair themselves and strike back.
Searching the area, I find Reece. Our landing shakes the ground, drawing Reece’s attention. I shout for him to get on Blaze. “You can’t fight them. You won’t win.”
“I can’t let him live.”
I know his hate for Granel is strong—I feel it, too—but this is a no-win situation for Reece.
“He’ll die. I promise you. But right now we need to get Signe and Kera out of here.”
A big hairy thing charges us. I don’t have time to do anything but launch myself at Reece, wrap my arms around him and tell him to trust me. The ground opens up under us and we fall through. Reece screams and I clamp my hand over his mouth before covering our heads with dirt. Confident Blaze has taken care of the problem, I pop us back out of the ground.
I immediately slam Reece against Blaze’s side. “This is my world. My problem. I’m not asking you to get on. I’m telling you.”
Reece nods and mounts Blaze. I take my place in front of him and tell him to hang on. Blaze leaps up and we lurch through the air, dodging all manner of missiles and magic they’re throwing at us.
“We’re going to need your friends,” I tell Blaze. A few moments later, the massive dragons flank us like a bombing squad. We sweep down and skid to a stop close to Kera and the others. We don’t have much time. Granel’s army is pulling together fast.
A dozen wolflike men charge out of Granel’s camp, and two of the dragons turn to face them. From deep in the ground, I bring up a line of sticky tar that traps a few, but others jump over and meet the dragons head-on. Several of them are charred by the dragon’s breath. Others are crushed by the heavy tails or ripped apart by the dragons’ jagged teeth.
Reece jumps off Blaze and pulls Signe to one of the other dragons, ignoring her questions about Granel. I go to Baun and help him mount the other, and then settle Kera in front of him. A cannonball flies over our heads and tears through the woods behind us. It hits the ground and explodes into a million pieces that shred the trees into mulch.
I don’t want to know what damage one of those will do to flesh and bone. They may have overestimated the distance, but knowing Granel, he won’t make that mistake again. “Go straight over the gorge.”
“Are you sure we can make it?” Kera asks. “If dragons can fly out, why haven’t they before?”
“Arrows!” Reece yells. We all turn to see a hailstorm of arrows fly our way. Reece nudges the dragon he and Signe are on and they leap into the air and head toward the gorge.
Before I can think, Baun raises his hand and the arrows turn into butterflies. Hundreds of black and gold wings fill the sky. Without missing a beat, he digs his fingers into Kera’s shoulders for balance. “Why would they leave? The Unknown is more of a sanctuary for them than a prison.”
“He would know,” I tell Kera, then grab my dad’s arm, forcing his attention onto me. “Whatever you do, don’t turn back.”
“What are you doing?” Kera tries to hold me there, but I yank free and slap the dragon on its side, sending it after Reece and Signe.
Even as Kera’s cry lingers in my ears, I jump onto Blaze and we spring into the air. The other two dragons follow, leaving behind the crushed and burned bodies of the wolf-men. I fly low, and we scour the camp with fire, diverting their attention so the others can escape. Arrows zing past. A net shoots out and entangles one of the dragons. With its wings and feet caught, it spirals down to the ground, where a swarm of beasts converge on it until there’s little left.
The largest, most scarred dragon lets out an earsplitting wail. From out of the trees rises a massive flock of hybrid lizard-birds. They descend on the camp like a wave of locusts.
I seize the opportunity and wheel Blaze around and head for the gorge. The big dragon follows, but stops short, landing near the bridge. As Blaze and I pass over the gorge, I glance back and see the heavily scarred dragon spit an arc of fire toward a line of men, and then leap into the air and fly off toward the volcano.
We enter the silent air
of the gorge, and that feeling of being sucked down hits. Blaze, the smallest of the dragons, fights to make it over the dead space. When we hit the cloaking magic, it feels as if we’re flying through syrup, and with each wing beat we drop a little more. Then, we break across the gap that separates the Unknown from Teag, and in the distance, I see a huge fiery ball fly high, then descend with a thud that shakes the air.
Blaze spins out of a patch of thick smoke and ash. Everywhere I look, villages, trees, and field are burned or burning. The devastating sight makes the Roman invasion of Gaul look like a half-hearted effort. The whole landscape has been transformed. We collide with another smoke plume, and when we punch through to the other side, Kera’s dragon comes alongside us. She points in the fireball’s direction. “Someone made a fortress and is driving all the people toward it.”
Reece and Signe are heading that way. I have my doubts as to the wisdom of that, but there doesn’t seem any other choice.
One moment we’re flying, slipping in and out of smoke and ash, the next we’re dodging artillery. Blaze gains speed and zips close to the ground before he pulls up, skimming a huge stone wall as we climb toward the top. We veer to the left, and I urge Blaze to land on the roof of a tower where I have a perfect view of the place. An elaborate stone city stretches out in front of us.
I can’t imagine Hadrain creating this. Why would he? Why here?
Each building is perfectly carved and precisely placed for dramatic exposure. I get the feeling I’ve seen this place before. But how could I? And then I see it. The Hall of Whispers.
My heart nearly stops. This isn’t just any place. This city is in the video game Knights of Feldoria. Weren’t all of Jason’s favorite movies based on games, or turned into games? He had to have built it. About now I’m wishing I’d spent more time with those guys who had permanent nerve damage in their thumbs because they lived and breathed the video game scene after school.
So far, Jason has replicated only part of the Ruined City—five of the Nine Towers of Strength, one of which Blaze and I are sitting on, the Victory Gate situated along the west side of the city walls, the Weeping Gate to the north, the massive Hall of Whispers where the lord of the city lives, and the labyrinth of main streets, which can change direction without warning. That Jason was able to create what he has so far is amazing and terrifying at the same time.