by Shea Berkley
“So he gives it to Jason,” I say, and look at Wyatt, “someone who has more balls than brains.”
Wyatt cusses. “I’m really beginning to not like that kid.”
I don’t want to admit it, but I have no idea how to stop the inevitable. Baun has more power, and more experience using it, than anyone here. But without his sight, he’s at a serious disadvantage. I don’t want to ask him, but I’d be a fool not to. “Do you have any suggestions on how to stop this?”
Baun, his eyes a sightless blue, stops rubbing the tip of his staff on the ground, and says in one word what I want to do, but have no chance at doing. “Win.”
Heartless
I’ve got to hand it to Jason. He wants me at the Hall of Whispers and he’s making sure I can get there without any trouble. The streets are behaving themselves and hold steady, but once we’re through they move in a chaotic jumble, effectively stopping us from going back. We’re at the doors to the great hall in no time.
Wyatt sent a few of his girlfriends with Reece to oversee the Unknown. Though each of those girls is better than ten men, they’re still not enough…but then nothing would be.
According to Baun, the only way to stop all this is for me to do a major beat-down on Jason, one I can’t do alone. I’m not at all happy, because that means I have to bring Baun and Kera along.
As we approach, Wyatt gives me a rundown of all the tricks that are embedded in the game. “The Hall of Whispers is the worst part of the game. Everyone bites it in there. He could use all the challenges, but then again, Jason seems to like surprises. He may have created his own traps.”
“How exciting,” I say, my sarcasm thick.
“We will be fine,” Baun insists. He isn’t listening to anything Wyatt is saying. Why would he? To him Wyatt is only a human.
Wyatt’s not dumb. He picks up on Baun’s attitude. “Oh yeah, I forgot,” he drawls, “this is all about magic and not about intellect.”
“Magic is the apex of intellect. That you don’t know it proves your ignorance.”
I cringe, but don’t say anything. Ignoring my dad is the only way I’ll stay sane at this point. If I delve too far into his character, I’m scared I’ll find something really nasty.
Wyatt leans close and whispers, “Man, your dad’s a sweetheart.”
“Sorry. He’s not used to interacting with people.” At least I hope that’s his problem.
“From what you’ve told me about him, I don’t think he ever did. But hey, don’t worry about it. We all have someone in the family we’re embarrassed about. I have Reece. You have him.”
“You wanna trade?” I ask.
“Hell no.” Wyatt stares up at the doors, and he’s suddenly all business. “I’m sending in two teams of three.” He points out the six men who volunteered to go in before us. “The entrance splits immediately in two. I’m sending one team right and the other left, so it doesn’t matter which way you choose. The teams will clear the way for you.”
I don’t like it. I’m not sure what Jason has planned, but if he’s as ticked off as he seems, it’s going to get rough in there.
“I’ll head up the last team,” Wyatt continues, “and make sure no one sneaks up on you.” He holds out his hand, and I take it. “Good luck. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of you.”
I wish I had that kind of optimism. A signal from Wyatt is given and the first two teams enter the building.
I go to Kera and Baun. He’s now wearing a stripped-down version of what he had on earlier. More on the heavy leather side than inflexible steel. It’s far more lightweight and practical for what we’re about to encounter. I wouldn’t mind something similar and I tell him. He smiles and touches both mine and Kera’s shoulders. The next moment we’re decked out in leather and breathable material. I run my hand over the protective steel armbands and pull on the crossing bands that hold my sword against my back. The dark brown pants and ivory shirt fit well, and the leather overshirt is snug without being too tight.
Kera inspects the embellished bronze cuffs on her wrists and shins and the thick belt that wraps around her waist as well as her upper left thigh, where her dagger is now stored along with a few throwing stars. She smiles and brushes her hands along the soft fabric. “It’s similar to one I own. Thank you, Baun.”
She already has an outfit like this? Definitely not a getup for a delicate noble’s daughter. Why did I ever think she couldn’t take care of herself?
I don’t see the point in delaying any longer. The teams have most likely cleared the first couple of rooms by now. “Ready?” I ask.
Kera glances from me to Baun, then stares straight at the Hall of Whispers. “There is no other way?” Doubt and fear seep into her voice.
Baun cocks his head as if he’s eavesdropping on our conversation, and not very subtly. I take her hand and pull her around a corner out of earshot. Her skin is cool, yet slightly damp. I take her face between my hands and tilt it up to mine. “There are three of us and one of him. No way can he win. It’s not possible.”
“Even if he gained his power like Baun said, I don’t understand what he’s doing. Nothing he does makes sense. He’s destroying everything, even himself, because you can’t create something this massive and not cause yourself harm,” she says and motions to the city around us.
He told me what he wanted. Me dead. He wants to go into the human world with a ruthless army he can control and rule them all. “It doesn’t matter why he’s doing this. It will all be over soon. I promise.”
She hugs me, and I hold her tight. We stand there, glued together for a moment before I pull away. “We’re going to be all right.”
“I believe you.” She rises on her tiptoes and kisses me. It’s soft and sweet and drives me crazy. She knows exactly how to move, exactly where to touch me to make me want more. I don’t want this to end, but I know it has to. I step back and hold her at arm’s length and smile. “Where did you learn to kiss like that?”
She smiles back. “You.”
I think I love her even more. I pull her close for one more kiss. Linger, then yank away. That addictive feeling I get when I’m near her is taking over and I can’t allow it. Not now. “We have to go.”
She places her forehead against my chest and sighs. “I know.”
I take her hand and we return to Baun.
The three of us climb the steps to the hall and the massive oak doors. Baun hesitates and says in Wyatt’s direction, “You do know there are men surrounding the area?”
Wyatt and the three men with him turn. An arrow takes out the guy on Wyatt’s left. Everyone takes cover and Wyatt pushes us forward.
We enter the hall and the doors slam shut. I tug, but they don’t budge. On the other side we can hear the muffled shouts of Wyatt and his men. So much for our backs being watched.
Baun puts his hand on my arm, stilling my efforts to open the door. “The best way to help everyone is to find your friend and end this.”
He’s right. Though I hate to admit it.
The foyer splits to the right and left. Kera starts to the right and I stop her. Call me crazy, but I suddenly don’t trust the obvious. “Wyatt says there’s a cheat. We can skip a whole series of traps if we can figure out how to open this wall.” I motion to the wall in front of us covered in little buttons carved like tiny flowers. “Each button has to be pushed in the right order or else there’s an explosion and we all die. Unfortunately, he’s never been able to figure out the code.”
Kera stands back and searches for a pattern the way I do. Baun steps forward, a little too close. He runs his fingers over the tiny flowers. I call him back at the same moment he pushes a button, then another and another. In all, he pushes twelve buttons and the wall slides apart. Only then does my heart start beating again.
“We could have died!” I snap.
“I may be blind,” he says, stepping through the new doorway, “but I can feel what you fail to see.”
I take a deep breath. I don’t know how he did it, bu
t I’m happy he did. It cuts down on a lot of time and energy.
When we enter the room, the wall closes behind us. Directly in front of us are wooden walls. “It’s a maze.” One massive, over-the-top maze. Wyatt didn’t mention this place. I turn to Kera and a piece of thick glass springs up between us. She pounds on it, but it’s solid. I turn to Baun and the same thing happens.
I don’t like it. Jason knows all three of us are here and has managed to separate us. For once, he’s thinking on his feet and adjusting his actions to fit the situation. My science teacher would call that evolution in action. I call it a sick and twisted mind.
The only way out now is to go forward. Alone.
In front of each of us is an entrance to the maze, and beside it is a map tacked to the wall. It shows where I am and the exit. The paper suddenly catches fire, rapidly disintegrating before I can fully study it. I pull it off the wall and try my best to put out the fire. Nothing I do works. I drop it and watch it burn to ash.
Kera’s map is in flames as well. The same is true for Baun’s, though it’s pretty funny, seeing as how he can’t see.
“What’s going on?” his muffled voice asks.
“We’re in a maze,” I yell.
He nods that he understands and takes his staff and taps out the area in front of him.
Kera steps forward. She’s wringing the bottom of her shirt. I’m just as nervous, more for her than me. I put my hand to the glass and she places hers on mine. “It’ll be all right. I’ll see you at the other end.”
She nods and I watch her disappear into the maze. The wood scrolls closed behind her, shutting her off from me. My heart races for a second and all sorts of wild thoughts course through my head. None of them are realistic. The only way I’ll see her again is if I make it through to the other side.
I move closer to the entrance and peek in. The walls and floors are made from the same slatted wood panels. I step through and my panel slides shut.
It’s then I find out it’s a timed event. The paneled floor starts to drop away and I hear it clatter and bounce on its way down. I step quickly, trying to remember the basic direction I need to go. I take a wrong turn and end up in a dead end. Running back, the floor is partially gone on the path I need to take. I back up and run, leap, hit the opposite wall, and push off with my legs. I land and roll forward, bounce to my feet, and sprint ahead. When I get to a change in direction, I wait for the floor to pick the direction for me. It’s a cheat, but Jason isn’t playing fair.
I get to the end of the maze and there isn’t a door. I try and force my way through. I firebomb the hell out of it. Nothing works. I then wait for the floor to catch up, thinking it will open then, but it doesn’t. I jump up and spread my arms and legs, bracing them against the walls as the floor drops away into a gaping hole.
Taking little hops, I maneuver up the wall to the top. I straddle the wall and see Kera. She had the same idea, sort of. While I was spread-eagled, her hands are pressed against one wall and her feet are against the other. There’s no way she’ll be able to grab the top and swing out. I stand on the narrow wall and balance my way over to her.
“Need help?”
She cocks her head to the side and peers up at me. “Please.”
I straddle the wall, grab her arms, and pull her up beside me.
“Did you help Baun?” she asks.
“I didn’t see him.”
Because he’s blind and slow, the chances of him surviving aren’t good. Kera’s lips thin and her eyes shimmer like cut glass. “What do we do now?”
A metal staff strikes the wall beside our dangling legs and we look down. Baun is standing on the outside of the maze, perfectly safe and sound. I take Kera’s hands and lower her to the ground beside him and then jump down. “How’d you get out?”
“I used magic.”
“I tried and it didn’t work.”
“Me, too,” Kera admits.
“I’m better at it,” he says with a grin.
We hurry to a door on the far side of the back wall and enter a large room held up by columns and arches. The cavernous room is perfectly white and has the feel of a cathedral to it. At the far end of the room is a huge machine encased in a glass dome. Lights whiz around the outside of it. We can clearly see a multitude of gears clank together, faster and faster, until the machine hums loudly. Jason stands within the dome, his arms raised as crackles of energy fly from his fingertips. On seeing him, we duck behind a thick column. When I peek around, I get the impression there’s something different about Jason, though I can’t place what it is.
A flash of light coming from the dome shoots toward the middle of the room and a loud pop sounds. A small hole suddenly appears in midair, crackling with the same energy that’s in the machine, and it begins to grow.
Baun cocks his head and listens. “What is that?”
I describe what I’m seeing and Baun frowns. “This is bad news. He’s made a machine that generates magnetic energy he can use to create a portal into the Unknown.”
Jason leaves the dome and squats by something near one of the pillars. It’s Leo. He’s tied and gagged like a bad-tempered mule outside a glue factory. “You should’ve picked sides better,” he yells over the hum.
Leo sends Jason a withering glare.
“You may be okay with being his errand boy,” Jason taunts, “but I have better things to do than follow him around.”
Kera taps my arm and points to a spot low to the floor. It’s a familiar white ball of fluff. Lucinda blends in so well, if Kera hadn’t pointed her out, I wouldn’t have seen her.
Unfortunately, Jason notices her, too, and sends a nasty blast her way. In cat form, Lucinda is powerless. The blast sends her little body crashing into the wall, where she crumples to the floor.
Kera gasps and my jaw stiffens. “I think it’s time Jason knows we’re here,” I say.
I step into full view. When Jason turns, he sees me, and it’s then I get a really good look at him, and what I see isn’t good. He’s aged ten years. With all the magic he’s using, it’s tearing up his body, and he doesn’t even know it.
“Only you?” He shakes his head in mock sorrow. “Your dad and your girlfriend gone in one day. That’s tragic.”
“What’s tragic is you thinking you’re smarter than you really are.” I quickly shoot a series of fireballs his way. He dives behind the nearest stone pillar as sparks burst in every direction.
Jason gets to his feet and actually laughs. “Good job, Dylan.”
Is he really that cocky that he’s not upset to see me?
Kera steps out and throws one of her stars. It zips past Jason, and with a bit of magic, she causes it to spin back and sink into his hand.
He grimaces, pulls it out, and glares at Kera. “I actually felt bad thinking you were gone. Now I’m sorry I gave you a second thought.” He holds up his hand and watches the last of his wound heal. “Awesome trick, huh Dylan? I bet you don’t have that one.” He whips the star at me. Kera darts over and catches it, then sends it back. He dodges it this time and snags it from the air, throwing it to the ground where it embeds in the rock. “Are we done playing with toys?”
When Baun steps out, I see a flash of fear enter Jason’s eyes. Baun bends and touches the floor. It ripples across the room and shakes the area where Jason is standing.
He sends a hot energy bolt toward Baun. I don’t know how Baun does it, but he blindly catches the bolt with his staff, swings it, and sends it back. It totally catches Jason off guard, and he’s thrown across the room behind a pillar.
“Touch the floor,” Baun yells. “It’s the fastest way to send all the power we have to collapse the gateway and stop the transference.”
It’s then I notice the little hole has grown bigger. We do as he says. The lights flutter. The room shakes. The noise of stone jostling stone is deafening. Part of the floor begins to liquefy. All we’re doing is weakening the hall, not the magic that connects to the Unknown. The power is sti
ll humming along, though at a slower pace.
Jason reappears, dragging a still-bound Leo beside him. He tosses Leo a few feet in front of the growing portal and ties a rope around Leo’s bound wrists. He then throws the other end through the growing hole. A sudden tug jerks Leo to the floor and drags him toward the portal. He rolls until he can splay his legs out and dig his heels against the floor. His rubber soles squeak as he’s slowly pulled closer to the Unknown and all the nasty things within it.
Fake sadness crosses Jason’s face. “I wouldn’t want to be him. Have you seen what those dark souls do to a guy? Nasty. But I’ll tell you what.” He draws his sword. “We can end this now. You and me, Dylan. Let’s see if you’re as good as you think you are. If you beat me, everyone walks away unharmed and I leave.”
He’s got to be kidding. His ego has gotten crazy big if he thinks he can beat me. I’m the real deal. He’s just putting on a show. I stand and draw my sword, ready and willing to give him the beat-down of his life.
The portal grows bigger. Leo is pulled closer to it. I can’t waste time playing games. I rush Jason. Our swords connect. Metal pounds metal. Though I’m taller, he has weight on his side. He’s like a bull, pushing me back.
Kera shouts a warning even as she pours the magic she has into weakening the floor. I’m suddenly in the eye of the portal and I nearly trip over Leo, but manage to spin away only to have Jason grab me from behind and knock my sword out of my hand. I grasp his sword hilt and we grapple. There’s a reason he’s a state wrestling champion. This is a fight I can’t win, and he knows it. Equally strong, it’s all about technique, which he has and I don’t.
I feel myself slipping and I use the arm-twist Grandpa used on Wyatt. Miraculously, Jason drops to his knees. His sword clatters to the ground. But he’s more limber than Wyatt. He twists and punches my knee. Pain rips through my leg. I push him away. We each grab our swords. As soon as I touch mine, it flares back to life. We face each other again, and as we circle around, my knee burns where Jason hit it. It’s going to give. I feel my bones click, my muscles stretch too far. I ignore the pain and lunge forward, bringing my sword down on his. The power from that blow cracks my blade and the fire goes out.