Moonlight War- Act II (The Realmers Book 3)

by William Collins

  “Tarensen left Veneseron a couple of days ago, father,” Taretta said. “The goblin king of Blagoth has died and the realm has multiple chiefs vying to take the crown. Tarensen and a force of Venators have gone to Blagoth to prevent mass civil war. He might not be back for some time. You could call him if it’s urgent.”

  “No, there’s always a risk when communicating across worlds using Holophones that others might listen in. You will have to relay my plans to Taren if he returns to Veneseron before I do.”

  “What plans?”

  Vanderain swiftly told his daughter about the appearance of Kalkavan. Taretta’s pale blue eyes widened and she shot panicked look at Evan.

  He looked away before he could meet her eyes. She probably thinks I’m a freak.

  “I’m going to Del-O-Reth, and the Realmer Republic,” Vanderain announced. “There, I may have some hope of learning more about demonic sorcery and demon spawn. The Republic’s records certainly could have something about demon sorcery in humans, or a way for me to teach you how to control it. But more importantly, I hope my oldest friend, Nallador, still has the items that may help you and Brooke. They are ancient things, maybe even lost. But I’m praying they are not. I shall return with them as soon as I can.”

  Evan merely nodded in reply, lost for words.

  “I’ll also need to inform the other High-Masters of Kalkavan’s involvement now.”

  Evan frowned. Gettelung had mentioned the Realmer Republic a few times in training. From what Evan gathered, every High-Master of a Realmer stronghold, like Vanderain, was on the Republic’s council. Del-O-Reth was the capital Realmer world where the high-council convened.

  “Don’t worry, Evan,” said Vanderain. “I shall only inform my three closest allies that the Demon Spawn exists. I’ve been friends will all three of them for centuries, and I can trust them with anything. Others in the Republic are not so trustworthy.”

  He nodded. “If it can help us find out anything about demon magic, or what I am. Then it can only be a good thing.”

  “I was reluctant to go before for two reasons,” said Vanderain. “Firstly, because I didn’t want to tell others about you and Brooke yet, just in case even a close ally breaks my trust. And secondly, because I did not wish to leave Veneseron for anything other than a temporary visit, not after what happened with Kurrlan.”

  “But surely you won’t be away at the council for as long as you were last time?” Taretta asked.

  “No, I’ll make sure I won’t, but the other High-Masters, and the Republic’s historians, will doubtless want to talk to me at length. I’ll send out the summons to the council members shortly. It will take a day for all of us to convene. We all have our own strongholds to run after all. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. You’ll be in charge of Veneseron, Taretta. In my absence, Evan is not to leave Veneseron world again. In case Kalkavan can track him as soon as he leaves. Make sure none of the Masters assign Evan to a mission, and inform Tarensen when he returns too.”

  “What about Brooke?” Taretta asked. “She’s still on Earth.”

  “I believe she is safe. She’s been off Veneseron for much longer than Evan, and the Shade has kept her demon magic at bay. Besides, I’ve never known the exact location of Kalkavan’s home world, but I know it is far from Earth. In the unlikely event Brooke’s demon sorcery is unleashed, Kalkavan would be too far away to sense it. Of course, if you sense any demon sorcery being used on Earth, you’ll pull Brooke and the other Venators back here, just in case.”

  “Of course,’ Taretta said.

  “Now,” Vanderain sighed heavily. “I grow tired from my day’s work with the Oghply. But I must brew another batch of Emerald Shade for you. I think a stronger dose will keep your magic at bay.”

  “Oh no, you shouldn’t if you’re already tired. It can wait.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Vanderain waved his comment away. “It must be done as soon as possible, better safe than sorry. It won’t be ready until the morning anyway. It’s a tricky concoction. You’re free to go, eat, rest, reunite with your friends, and try not to worry. I know it’s hard, but focus on the positives, you just completed your first mission.” Vanderain smiled warmly at him.

  He was only able to give a weak smile back, but he nodded anyway, and thanked Vanderain for everything.

  “Oh and Bane Madagant and Sintian Stray are to be heavily punished,” Vanderain told Taretta, “for leaving a companion behind. Return here tomorrow, Evan. I’m afraid I’ll be gone, but the Shade will be waiting for you.”

  Evan nodded gratefully as he departed the chamber.

  Chapter 45- Escaping Insanity

  “Mr Sangel?” Joelle asked, still uncertain it was truly him.

  She stepped away from him as she said it. There was a feral look in his eyes, like a wild beast that had become ravenous.

  Moments after he entered the room he turned to lock the door after him.

  Ushk, any plans she had of trying to run past him and escape were out the window.

  “Oh, you’re awake.” Mr Sangel looked at her at last, his voice dripping with exhaustion.

  He looked exhausted too, with such heavy bags under his eyes they looked like sunken pits. Joelle was sure Mr Sangel was far skinnier than the man she remembered. The man she remembered had a layer of fat around his cheeks, accompanied by a short blond beard and a neat moustache. This man’s face was skeletal, his cheekbones jutting out, and his beard was long and unkempt.

  “You’re the one who’s been kidnapping the Venators,” she said, gesturing violently at the three girls trapped in the tubes. “You’re sick! Tell me they’re going to be okay.”

  Mr Sangel just frowned at her, as if she’d asked him something bizarre. Is he fully insane?

  “They’re not dead, if that’s what you mean,” Mr Sangel said slowly. “Not yet.”

  “Stefan, I remember that’s your first name. Please Stefan, why are you doing this?”

  “When you have a daughter of your own,” Mr Sangel whispered, “you may understand.”

  At first, she was baffled, but then it clicked. She knew the story of how Cera had borrowed magic from a Dread Lord, it had been constant gossip around the Fortress. She also knew from Archives class that there was no way to reverse the side effects of a human borrowing magic meant for a demon.

  “You…you.” Joelle looked from Stefan to the tanks at the end of the room. “You were experimenting on them, weren’t you? You thought you steal their sorcery somehow and implant it into Cera.”

  Mr Sangel smiled at her then, an act that made her physically recoil. She was more unsettled in his company than she would be locked in a room with a dozen demons.

  “Clever girl aren’t you? How quick you are to see my brilliant plan.”

  She shook her head violently. “Not brilliant, you’re mad. This is a foolish plan. It’s not possible.”

  “Throughout history, what people thought impossible has then been proven to be true. People refused to believe that Earth was round long ago, or that a thing such as gravity could exist. Just because it hasn’t been done yet, doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Scientists are always making breakthrough discoveries, as I will too. I’m close already. I can feel it. I believe I’ll be able to siphon the sorcery of those three Venators soon, and then inject into Cera. Now, I just need to find a way to make it permanent for my Cera. She… she hasn’t been right recently. Not for a long time actually. But once she has magic again I believe her mind will heal too. Before Kurrlan’s magic left her she was still my Cera. There was nothing wrong with her back then. After Kurrlan’s death, it all started to go wrong.”

  “How did you do it?” she asked. Joelle thought it was good plan to keep him talking and buy herself time. Well, it was the only plan she had.

  “I told Godan to snatch girls from Blue Robe Road, Cera said many go shopping there. When Godan took the first girl, it was from the Fortress itself, and that’s when he came the closest to getting caught. The
re were less Venators to choose from in the city, but there was less risk.”

  “Because you couldn’t kidnap these Venators yourself, you’d be recognised and rightfully imprisoned for how you betrayed Veneseron, but why is Godan Battlebeard helping you?”

  “He was the bodyguard for the Sangel family in his younger years. He served my parents when I was a young man. He was a loyal servant and we became friends, but more than that he owes me a life debt. Godan’s father was a gambler who got in too deep. He was slain by a faerie knight after he stole an ancient heirloom in hopes of raising money. The heirloom was lost, but the faerie knight refused to believe Godan wasn’t hiding it somewhere and would’ve killed him too, had I not murdered the knight myself. Had Godan even attempted killing the knight he would’ve brought down the unseelie court against him as the knight was seventh in line to the unseelie throne. I was able to use my connections to cover up my murder, however, and frame someone else. Hence, Godan owes me his life and more.”

  “So you can add his name to the all the lives you’ve ruined,” Joelle snapped. “Once you’re all imprisoned.”

  “What makes you think I’ll be stopped,” Stefan asked, sounding genuinely curious. “You and your friends discovering me was quite the surprise, I must admit. But it was a fluke. This place is well hidden, even Veneseron’s master wouldn’t be able to locate the missing Venators with any of their spells. And you and your friends won’t be leaving here to tell them about this hiding place.”

  “You painted this place too, all of it,” she said, meaning full well ignore his threat and continue to distract him. “You knew a place like this, not strictly in Veneseron, could hide you from detection.”

  “Yes, I’m an immensely accomplished magic-user. Very few can create enchanted paintings as large and complex as this. I knew, even if Battlebeard was found out and followed, that people shouldn’t be able to get past my painted monsters and the traps I’ve set. I tested the Drylilies myself, making sure they could kill when I sacrificed a Droge. Maybe I’ll dump you in with the lilies after I’m done with you.”

  Mr Sangel took a step toward her as he finished speaking.

  Joelle spoke again. Mostly because she needed answers, but partly because she couldn’t bear having silence between them.

  “Well, the Masters are already looking for you, and if we could find you,

  they will too.”

  “I don’t think so,” Stefan said confidently. “Godan hadn’t let me down yet, not until you. Besides, we’ll be leaving here soon. We’ll have to now, the sudden disappearance of three more Venators will definitely put the Masters on high alert.”

  “You won’t be able to escape,” Joelle said swiftly. “The Masters would’ve noticed our disappearances by now. We told all our friends we were going into the city before we left. We even mentioned Blue Robe Road. You’ll be captured or killed if you try to go through the city and use the portal gate. And that’s the only way you’ve got out of here. Just let the Venators you captured go. If you do it now, the Masters will go easy on your punishment, I’m sure.”

  Mr Sangel laughed at her, a hollow, horrible sound.

  “I thought you were an intelligent girl, Joelle, like my Cera. Obviously not.”

  “You will pay for what you’ve done,” she persisted. “I just hope your depraved experiments on those Venators hasn’t affected them long-term. You didn’t take their sorcery away did you?”

  “Of course not,” Mr Sangel said. “They’re perfectly fine in there. The Slasmis tubes keep them unconscious, but healthy. I only take them out when I need to experiment with their sorcery.

  They need to keep their magic until the day I transfer it all to Cera. I’m not quite ready to perform that experiment yet. But I will be. You’ll be a great help Joelle. From my calculation I gather that the transfer of magic will be easier between Venators who are similar to one another. Which is why I had Godan steal females around Cera’s rank. I’ve been thinking lately though, that I should use someone much stronger magically, perhaps my experiments will improve then. You are of a similar height and weight to Cera, and you’ll be stronger than the others. Yes, I think I will get much closer to restoring Cera with you.”

  He took another step toward her, only a few feet separated them now. Joelle knew he was going to lunge at her a second before he did it.

  She dived to her left as soon as he snatched for her hair. Stefan stumbled as he missed, leaving his jaw open for the well-placed punch she planted there.

  “You bliak,” Mr Sangel grunted, reeling.

  Instinct screamed at her to hit him with a spell next, but she had no magic. She’d have to knock him out and then steal any keys he had to get out of here.

  Joelle rushed forward to finish the job, her fists flying, but he repelled her back with a blast of air element. The powerful force of air smashed into her, driving her across the room.

  “C’mere,” Mr Sangel roared, hurling an orb of energy at her. Joelle threw herself to the ground as the spell crashed into the wall behind her, shattering several glass jars on their shelves.

  She scurried back toward him, realising that she’d fare better against Stefan at close range. As he drew back his arm to throw another spell at her, she grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

  Mr Sangel, however, used his free arm to backhand her across the cheek. Joelle staggered back, seeing stars momentarily. Before she could regain her composure, Stefan hit her with a Stunner spell.

  She saw the yellow blinding light crash into her chest and that’s the last thing she remembered. Joelle suddenly found herself looking up at the ceiling, which was spinning around slowly. Her whole body was numb, and she didn’t realise at first that Mr Sangel had scooped her up and was carrying her across the room.

  He dropped her on top of a stone table and began fiddling with something beside her.

  With each second, the effects of the Stunner spell drained away. By the time Joelle realised Stefan was strapping her to his operating table, it was too late.

  She writhed against the cold stone, but the leather straps merely constricted tighter when she did. There was even a strap across her forehead, pinning her head in place. She managed to turn her neck a few inches and saw Stefan sitting on a chair, pulling out a tray of tools from underneath the stone table. He picked out a sharp, silver implement.

  “Wait- what are doing? Just let me go. Please. You can’t cure your daughter, Stefan. You’ve lost it. Just-”

  “It’s a good thing there’s one empty tube left, just for you,” he interrupted her with a grin.

  Joelle was about to answer him, but screamed instead as something incredibly sharp jabbed into her bicep.

  “Sorry,” Stefan muttered. “I’ve run out of anaesthetic.”

  She couldn’t see what kind of instrument he’d stabbed into her arm, but it felt like he was sucking blood out of her.

  “Okay Joelle, I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news.” Stefan spoke in a disturbing imitation of a doctor’s bedside manner.

  “The good news, I’m going to take off your Uqari cuffs, so you can reconnect with your body’s magical supply. The bad news, however, is that I’m first going to inject you with Uqari serum. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s brand new potion that I myself engineered. You see, the serum works upon a magic-user just like Uqari cuffs do, except it only tricks the Venator. You won’t be able to perform sorcery, because the serum blocks your mind, but I will still be able to extract the sorcery from you. Do you see? You all think it’s impossible for me to cure my Cera, but I’ve already invented something incredible, it won’t be long until I do it again.”

  He chuckled softly, the titters of a mad man, and bent down to retrieve a second tool from his tray.

  Seconds later, another metal tray came into view, this one connecting with Mr Sangel’s head. He toppled off his chair and to the ground. The wielder of the tray, Elijah, stood over her, shocked. She’d completely forgotten that Elijah had been lying, u
nconscious in the shadows of the room, but she’d never been happier to see him.

  “He’s… he’s out cold.” Elijah looked down at the ground.

  “Quick, untie me,”

  “Already on it,” he muttered, fiddling at the sides of the table. One by one, she felt the leather straps

  “He said something about taking my Uqari cuffs off,” said Joelle. “Can you see the Shackle Shears anywhere?”

  She’d never worn the cuffs as punishment before, but she knew the Masters used the enchanted shears to undo the cuffs when a Venator had served his punishment.

  After a moment of rifling through the shelf beneath the operating table, Elijah resurfaced. “Yes, here they are.”

  “Thank Rueda, we’ll have to break each others, you can’t do it yourself.”

  “I see what you mean,” Elijah held the shears up, it was impossible to angle them cut off your own cuffs.

  “Quick, before the madman wakes up.”

  She held out her wrists and relished the tingle as she felt her magic once again flowing through her body, the moment he snipped the cuffs down the middle. They clattered to the floor with a clink, broken. Uqari cuffs broke after only one use, it was the only way to get them off. Elijah passed her the shears and she did the same for him.

  “C’mon,” she hopped off the table, stuffing the shears in her pocket for Jed. “We need to get Jed and alert the Masters at once.”

  “What should we do with him?” Elijah looked uneasily at Mr Sangel.

  She looked down too. Stefan merely looked like he was sleeping.

  “Part of me wants to kill him,” Joelle said, as she bent down to go through his pockets. “But he deserves prison for his actions, and I don’t think I could kill him in cold blood. Aha,” she said as she fished out a ring of keys.

  “We’ll lock him in this room once we’ve left and let the Masters arrest him.”

  “What about them,” Elijah nodded toward the three girl’s submerged in the strange tubes.