“Why did you come here with Charlie?”
“Because I have a score to settle with the Academy. For years, they have been preventing the Deviants from achieving their aims and I decided to finish that. If I destroy this portal I can destroy the Academy, or at the very least, substantially weaken them and give them something to focus on and stop pestering the Deviants and the work that we do.”
“There’s no way you’re going to be welcomed back at the Deviants,” said Lauren. “Not after revealing what you’ve done. Your time is over there.”
Maggie regarded Lauren coolly. “I am well aware of that. This is, if you like, my final farewell. My final attempt to permanently weaken the Academy and give the Deviants the freedom that they deserve to pursue their own ambitions without the interference, bureaucracy and old-fashioned values that the Academy stands for getting in the way.”
“The Academy isn’t perfect but they don’t kill people in order to get new recruits to join them.”
“They do banish students, though, and in the past, they have harmed them if they do not follow the Academy’s way of doing things.” Maggie knelt down and ran a hand through Charlie’s dark hair. “This one was banished, as were you.”
“Stay away from Charlie.” Lauren spoke through gritted teeth as she watched Maggie continue to play with Charlie’s hair.
“How do you think he will fare inside this portal, all on his own?” asked Maggie.
“Leave him alone.” Lauren advanced towards Maggie. “He’s not staying in the portal.”
Maggie grabbed hold of Charlie and lifted him from the ground as if he weighed no more than a feather. “I would advise you not to come any closer.”
“Let him go.” Lauren’s fists were clenched so tightly that she began to lose the feeling in the ends of her fingers.
“And what if I don’t?” Maggie gripped Charlie tighter to her as if she were embracing a lover.
Anger clouded Lauren’s vision. “Then you aren’t leaving this portal.”
Maggie smirked and her eyes narrowed as she held Charlie in her embrace. “Do you really think you will be the one to stop me?”
“Yes,” said Lauren. “If you hurt Charlie I will be the one to stop you from ruining any more lives.”
Maggie’s laughter echoed around the portal. She kissed Charlie’s cheek gently, span round and let go of him.
Lauren watched in horror as Charlie disappeared inside the portal. The world around her seemed to freeze as she watched him vanish.
“What have you done?” The words choked out of Lauren.
“I sent him over. He has gone.” Maggie splayed out her fingers. “There is no more Charlie.”
Lauren raced towards Maggie and grabbed hold of her. “Bring him back.”
“It is too late, he’s gone. You will never find him inside this portal.”
Lauren stared past Maggie, desperate to catch a glimpse of Charlie returning back to her. But she saw no sign of him.
Lauren’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “He can’t be gone.”
“Well, where is he?” Maggie shrugged out of Lauren’s grip. “Looks like you are all on your own.”
Lauren grabbed hold of Maggie again and smashed her against the side of the portal. “You’re not getting away with this. You killed me and you’ve just destroyed Charlie.”
Maggie smirked. “Why don’t you show me what you’ve got? Show me why I decided you should be worthy of joining the Deviants?”
Lauren shoved Maggie against the wall again. "You have to be stopped."
“You aren’t going to win this fight.” Maggie raked her fingers across Lauren’s face.
Lauren pulled away and touched her cheek, her flesh stinging.
“We no longer bleed, but I can drain you of your energy if you don’t start behaving yourself,” said Maggie.
Lauren threw herself at Maggie. “If you can do that then so can I.” She yanked Maggie off her feet and dragged her closer to the portal door.
Maggie’s eyes widened. “I’m not going back, not now.” She fought against Lauren’s grip and pulled herself free.
“Like me, you have nowhere else to go,” said Lauren. “This certainly isn’t your home. You need to be punished.”
“We are so similar, Lauren. I just wish you could have seen that before it was too late.” Maggie smiled. “We could have been so strong if only we had worked together instead of you constantly fighting me.”
“I would rather spend the rest of my life in the Greyness than another moment with you.” Lauren shoved Maggie against the wall of the portal and plunged her hand into the energy panel. She grabbed hold of three of the energy beams and then circled her fingers around Maggie’s throat. “This is for Charlie.”
The smile on Maggie’s face died as the overwhelming power from the portal flooded her body. She squirmed under Lauren’s touch but Lauren’s grip remained iron tight, refusing to let Maggie go, refusing to let her get away with what she had done to Charlie.
“You deserve this,” hissed Lauren. “You killed me, Charlie is gone and the portals are a mess. You have to stop and this is the only way.”
“Don’t destroy me.” Maggie’s whole image trembled in front of Lauren and she pulled against Lauren’s fingers. “The energy is too much for me to absorb.”
“You wanted power, now you’ve got it.” Lauren tightened her grip on the energy beams, feeling her own flesh heat up.
Maggie screamed as the energy from the portal overwhelmed her. She glowed with a dazzling intensity before exploding in a shower of sparks that flickered around the portal before blinking out of sight.
Lauren sagged against the wall, yanking her hand from the panel, her fingers blackened from connecting with the portal energy. She felt sick. Sick that she had lost Charlie, sick that she had just destroyed Maggie and sick that she now had nowhere to call home. She couldn’t go back to her mum and sister, the Academy didn’t want her and the Deviants weren't right for her.
The floor underneath Lauren’s feet vibrated and a high-pitched buzzing sound echoed through the portal, growing in volume, the pitch getting higher.
She looked over at the energy beams and saw them pulsing rapidly. The light around Lauren flickered in and out several times and she became aware of her name being shouted from the portal entrance. It was Jeremy.
“You need to get out of there, Lauren,” he shouted. “Whatever you’re doing, the portal is going berserk. We think it’s about to explode.”
Lauren spotted the end of Jeremy’s rope and after a second of hesitation grabbed hold of it. She looked back over her shoulder, but there was still no sign of Charlie. He really had gone.
Lauren pulled on the end of the rope and let Jeremy guide her back to the entrance of the portal. She dropped her hold on the rope and stepped through the door.
Jeremy grabbed hold of her arm and ducked as a bolt of energy shot over his head. “No time to waste, we need to go. The energy readings are spiking and the portal is becoming increasingly unstable.”
“But Charlie is still in there,” said Lauren. “Maggie and Charlie were both in there but she threw him into the portal and I wasn’t able to get him out. We can’t leave him in there.”
Jeremy shot Lauren a sympathetic look. “The chances are he’s gone, he crossed over. I am sorry but if he disappeared then we can’t get him back. No one who has crossed over has ever returned.”
“Maybe Charlie is different.” Lauren kept her hand pressed against the portal door refusing to let go of the last contact she might ever have with Charlie.
“It’s not possible, and we don’t have time to debate this.” Jeremy dragged Lauren from the portal, dodging two more energy bolts as he hurried away. “We are clearing the Academy and need to get a safe distance in case the portal does blow.”
Lauren reluctantly allowed Jeremy to lead her away from the portal back to Professor Altman, Esmee and Alex who still waited for her at the end of the corridor.
; “Whatever you did in there, the portal is not happy,” said Esmee. “Where’s Charlie?”
“I failed. I couldn’t get him out.” Lauren hung her head down, shame ricocheting through her.
“We need to go.” Jeremy urged the others along in front of him, out the main door and away from the Academy building. “We can monitor how the portal is reacting from a safe distance. If it stabilises we can return and look for Charlie.”
“We can’t just leave Charlie,” said Alex. “Lauren, are you sure he’s gone?”
She nodded. “Maggie hurled him into the portal and he vanished. He’s crossed over.”
Once outside, there were more students than Lauren had ever seen visible. At least forty other students stood outside the portal, eyes wide and expressions concerned as they watched the Academy building.
“What happens now?” asked Alex.
“Now we wait,” said Jeremy. “We need to see if the portal will stabilise.”
“What’s the situation, Jeremy?” Professor Mackintosh approached the group. His eyes cut to Lauren but he made no comment about her presence.
“The portal is still destabilising. It looks like it’s going to shut down completely or explode,” said Jeremy.
“Is everyone clear from the building?” asked Professor Mackintosh.
“I believe so,” said Jeremy. “We got the new students out first, then the trainees and mentors. The professors were the last to leave. I came out with Alex, Esmee and Lauren and the building was empty.”
“When you have a handle on the portal situation, Professor Templeton would like a word with both you and Professor Altman.” Professor Mackintosh crossed his arms over his chest.
Professor Altman looked over at Jeremy and tipped her chin up. “Very well, we will find him.”
Professor Mackintosh nodded his head once before stalking away back to a group of students standing on the grass looking at the Academy building.
“Sounds like you’re in trouble,” said Alex.
“No more than usual.” Professor Altman smiled at Alex. “I actually think Professor Templeton might be softening to our ideas. I have spoken with him at length about the situation with Lauren and Charlie and he didn’t dismiss my comments. He is considering the options.”
“That’s decent of him,” spat Lauren.
“You think he might let them back in?” asked Esmee.
Professor Altman nodded. “He is a good man. I feel he may have just lost his way in terms of the true direction of the Academy.”
“Maybe it’s time for a change,” said Esmee.
Professor Altman nodded. “Those are my exact thoughts.”
“Lauren,” hissed a voice from behind her.
She turned around, her eyes widening as she saw Theo. “What are you doing here?” Lauren swiftly guided him away from the group by the sleeve of his black hoodie.
Theo smiled and adjusted the hood over his head to keep his face concealed. “I followed your energy signature and wanted to see how things were here, and what happened to Maggie. Did you find her?”
“Yes, she came here and tried to do even more damage to the portal. But she has...gone now.”
Theo paused. “Is she coming back?”
Lauren let out a breath. “No, but she took Charlie into our portal and he vanished.” She gestured towards the building. “We think it’s about to explode.”
Theo dipped his head. “Sorry to hear that. Not so much about Maggie, she deserved it. But I know how fond you were of Charlie.”
Lauren swallowed down her sadness. “How are things back at your base?”
“Not great, but the ghost hunters have left. And don’t worry, they were still breathing but they may think twice about invading our home any time soon. Although we will probably need to find a new base now, just to be on the safe side.”
Lauren nodded. “Well, I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”
Theo smiled. “And I’m glad you care. What exactly happened to Charlie?”
“Maggie took him into our portal and she threw him into it. We think he’s crossed over.”
“Could you still see him?” asked Theo. “Or had he disappeared?”
“No, there was no sign of him. I looked around but had to get out of there because the portal was becoming unstable.” Lauren raised her eyebrows as she noticed Theo’s furrowed brow. “What are you thinking?”
“He may not be gone,” said Theo. “If your portal is as unstable as you think it is, then there may not be an option to cross over any more.”
Lauren’s hand went to her mouth. “Do you think I left him in there, abandoned him?”
“Stay here,” said Theo. “I'll go and check it out.”
“No, it’s not safe for anyone to go in there,” said Lauren.
Theo winked at her. “You know me, I’m practically immortal these days.” He disappeared.
Lauren’s stomach rolled over uncomfortably. Had she left Charlie behind, alone in a malfunctioning portal? Slowly, she made her way back to the group, exhaustion and sadness making every footstep feel like she was climbing a mountain.
“Was that Theo?” asked Alex.
Lauren nodded. “He came to see what happened to Maggie.”
“Came to cause trouble more like,” said Esmee.
“No, he’s not like that, not anymore, not without Maggie. I think he really wants to help this time.”
“Bet he said the same thing when he decided dunking me in a river was a good idea,” replied Esmee. “Where’s he gone anyway?”
“Inside the portal,” said Lauren. “He’s going to try to get Charlie out.”
Alex and Esmee both stared at her, surprise written across their faces.
Alex recovered first. “He really thinks Charlie might be in there?”
A sliver of hope crept through Lauren. “It might be true.”
Their conversation was cut short by the sound of an explosion from within the Academy. Everyone leapt back several steps as a huge beam of white light shot through the roof of the Academy building and then smashed through the wall closest to the portal.
Out of the beam of light span numerous white threads that swirled around in the air over everybody’s heads.
“It’s the ghosts from the portal.” Professor Altman pointed up above them. “They are coming out.”
Lauren hurried towards the building to see if she could spot either Theo or Charlie, but only got a few steps before Professor Altman grabbed hold of her arm and held her back.
“It’s not safe, the portal energy will destroy anybody that it touches. You must stay back. Let it burn itself out,” said Professor Altman.
“But what about Charlie?” Lauren tried to pull away, but Professor Altman held her tightly.
“There is nothing you can do for him now,” said Professor Altman.
Helplessness coursed through Lauren. She sagged down to the ground her head in her hands. She had lost them both; Theo and Charlie were gone and the Academy was destroyed.
Chapter 11
Professor Templeton strode over to Jeremy who had joined Lauren and Professor Altman. “Suggestions as to how to capture so many escaped ghosts?” His brow wrinkled when he spotted Lauren on the ground.
Jeremy played with his bow tie as he studied the ghosts that danced haphazardly along the roof of the Academy, their pale tendrils lighting the air like large, white glow worms.
“Come on, Jeremy. I know we've had our differences lately, but we need ideas and quickly,” said Professor Templeton. “Is there anything we can do for the ghosts that have been repelled from the portal?”
“I have my containment boxes,” said Jeremy. “I removed as much equipment as possible from the laboratory before we had to leave the building. I could use some of those to capture the ghosts.”
Professor Granville hurried over, her white hair flying out behind her. “There are hundreds of ghosts, Jeremy. Is there any way we can help them all?” She also noticed Lauren and a look of concern
passed over her face before she gave her shoulder a brief pat.
Jeremy placed his glasses on his nose and stared up into the sky.
“How about we use our own energy?” suggested Professor Altman. “We all have good amounts of energy, we could use some of that to restore the ghosts and help them on to a nearby portal.”
Jeremy nodded rapidly. “Yes, that’s a possibility. We can only use individuals from the Academy who are at full strength. If we form a line to the nearest portal, capture as many ghosts as we can and direct them to the portal, giving them tiny boosts of energy as and when they need them. It might just work.”
Professor Templeton clapped his hands together. “We need to do this now. I will gather everyone together and you can explain what we need to do to stop these ghosts from disappearing.”
“Oh, well, I’m not sure it will work.” Jeremy rubbed his forehead. “It’s all just theory you understand.”
Professor Templeton smiled at him. “You have been theorising correctly ever since you started work here. I have every faith in you, this will work.” He turned and faced the students. “Everybody, your attention, please. We have a solution to help the ghosts and you all need to be involved.”
All the students turned their attention to Professor Templeton and he stepped out of the way before gently pushing Jeremy in front of the group of expectant looking faces.
Esmee hurried to Lauren’s side and tapped her on the head. “No time to feel sorry for yourself, we’ve got some ghosts to catch.”
Lauren slowly stood up, feeling as if her feet were made of clay as she joined the rest of the group.
Jeremy cleared his throat as he looked around at the students in front of him. “The swirls of energy coming off the portal are ghosts that have been inside ever since it began to malfunction. It would appear they have not fully crossed over and have now been repelled from the portal and need some assistance in order to get to a portal and safely cross over.”
Lauren’s head shot up and she turned to Professor Altman. “One of them might be Charlie.”
“Lauren, look above you. There are hundreds of ghosts,” said Professor Altman. “One of them may be Charlie but we do not know which one and we cannot spend time trying to find him. There are so many lost individuals that need our help. We have to focus on helping as many as we possibly can.”
Exile: Ghost Academy (YA paranormal adventure, book 4) Page 14