Chapter 20
Lord Gigor
Mrs. Dupont’s smile widened as she approached. Her small black eyes sparkled meanly like she was about to play a cruel joke.
A flash of red caught Zoey’s eyes. A dozen Alphas in red uniforms pushed their way through the crowd and formed a protective barrier around their mistress, like soldiers making way for their queen. A tall, strong-looking man stayed close at her side, like a personal bodyguard. He surveyed the crowd intensely, almost fearful. His single white eye twitched nervously, as though he wasn’t excited to be here, like he didn’t want to be here. His hand rested on the gun holstered at his waist.
“What’s wrong? Nothing to say?” teased Mrs. Dupont as she stopped in front of Zoey.
“You usually have lots to say, my dearest Zoey. Are you feeling all right? Are you sick? Are you ill? You don’t look ill, but I can’t say the same for your mother. Oh, dear, she has seen better days. How are you, Elizabeth dear? Enjoying your new home with the Aneraks?”
“Leave her alone,” said Zoey angrily. The woman’s repulsive face made it even harder not to hate her. It was inevitable. Zoey’s hatred for her had grown like an infection, consuming her soul. She wanted Mrs. Dupont dead. Not just because of what she had done to her and to her mother, but because of what she had done to the relationship between them. She’d grown up alone and disconnected from her mother because of this vile woman.
Mrs. Dupont’s smile grew wider at the distress on Zoey’s face.
“What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong? Did I say something to upset you? Oh, dear, I do apologize.”
She laughed a hair-raising, sick laugh.
Zoey leaned forward slightly. She wanted to reach out and strangle her with her bare hands. She knew it was a barbaric reaction and she would probably get killed for it, but she couldn’t control herself. But just as she raised her hands, she saw something that made her stop.
Nazar was staring at Elizabeth with the strangest look on his face, like he had just suffered a great loss. A shadow in his face revealed that he was troubled by the state of her. But why? Why would Mrs. Dupont’s rightwing man feel anything at all for her mother? Didn’t he put her here as well?
Elizabeth only glared at Mrs. Dupont, her hands in trembling fists. Zoey squeezed her mother’s hand and flinched at the ice-cold feel of her skin.
“What do you want from us?” said Zoey angrily. “You already have your precious Great Junction. Why don’t you just leave us alone? Haven’t you done enough?”
“Me?” Mrs. Dupont waved a manicured hand like a pageant queen. “I want nothing to do with you, but our gracious host would like a word.”
Her sausage-like lips sneered, and she snapped her fingers. “Bring them!” she ordered.
The Keepers moved in, pointing their gleaming black swords at their necks. Instinctively, Zoey backed away until she, Tristan, Simon, and her mother all stood back to back.
“Wait just a minute!” Doctor One waddled forward and pointed a finger at Mrs. Dupont. “I’ve already paid handsomely for these humans! They belong to me!”
He scratched his arms nervously, and yellow liquid oozed from his deep gashes. “We still need to perform the Dream Purge! You cannot take them. They belong to me!”
Mrs. Dupont looked slightly annoyed. “They belong to your ruler, Gigor. He’s asked for them. You don’t want to disappoint him, do you?”
Doctor One’s mouth quivered.
“You know what happens when he’s disappointed,” said Mrs. Dupont. “Is that what you want? To disappoint him?”
“No-no,” stammered the doctor and then frowned. “But I’ve already paid for them.”
“What’s it to me? Take it up with him. I couldn’t care less.” Mrs. Dupont turned on her heel and marched away through the crowd.
Nazar hesitated for a second. His face looked drawn, and he still appeared to be preoccupied with Elizabeth. But then he disappeared after his mistress.
The Keepers motioned with their swords.
Zoey could see the entrance to the city. They were so close. Another fifteen minutes, and they would have been long gone. She looked at Tristan who appeared to be blaming himself for their predicament. But none of this was his fault.
There were a hundred things she needed to say to him, needed to tell him, needed him to know. There were a thousand words she needed to speak, needed to whisper, needed him to hear. She wanted to reach out and tell him that it wasn’t his fault, and that his plan had been a brilliant one, but the Keepers growled menacingly and prodded Zoey’s chest with the tips of their swords.
“Uh, guys,” said Simon, looking grimly at the razor-sharp sword pointed at his neck. “If you don’t want to become living shish kebabs, I think we better move. Like now.”
Reluctantly, Zoey, Tristan, Simon, and Elizabeth followed the Keepers down the road. Zoey’s legs were like lead and her heart was heavy. She had failed in her quest. She had failed her friends, and worst of all, she had failed her mother.
The more they walked, the more a plan of escape seemed ridiculous. They weren’t going anywhere, except to meet Gigor. Who was this Gigor anyway? The fact that he made deals with Mrs. Dupont didn’t paint him in a very good light. For all she knew, Gigor was as evil and horrid as the psychotic woman, or maybe even worse.
Mrs. Dupont walked ahead of them, deep in conversation with Nazar. Were they discussing how they were going to kill everyone? The way Nazar had looked at her mother still bothered her, but she wondered if she hadn’t actually imagined the whole thing.
They had arrived at a colossal building without a roof, like a baseball stadium. Built of black stone, it stood out among the other buildings like a giant spaceship. She could hear mumbled voices inside.
They followed Mrs. Dupont and Nazar through an archway and into an open area the size of a baseball field. Like a sports stadium, rows of seats circled the field, and doorways led to upper levels. Keepers guarded every exit.
Thousands of mystics sat in the seats. They were drinking, chanting, and some were even dancing. It was like a big party before the show. And Zoey had a horrible suspicion that she was it.
They made their way along the right side of the stadium, towards a raised platform on the upper first level.
An enormous creature with two massive black horns sat on a large throne made of bones in the middle of the platform. Its skin was the color of fresh blood, and it had a series of black symbols tattooed all over its body and face. It looked humanoid from the chest up, but hooves peeked from the bottom of its leather black pants, and talons gleamed at the ends of the thing’s fingers. It looked like a cross between a man and a bull.
Two large troll-like bodyguards in metal breastplates and armor sat at his sides. Zoey suspected the creature didn’t need them and that they were more for show than for protection.
But then Zoey saw something that was more upsetting than the giant bull-man. A young woman wearing a metal collar stood in the shadows with a tray with food and bronze cups. Although her face was bruised and blood seeped from a cut on her lips, Zoey recognized her. Her name was Sonya, and she was an Agent. But how had she gotten here?
Mrs. Dupont stopped and raised her arms in the air. “Gigor, my lord. I bring gifts, as promised.”
The great red beast smiled. His eyes looked like black bottomless pits and his black forked tongue flicked out of his mouth as he spoke.
“So, these are the agent trouble makers? They are just children with an old man and a sick woman!” Gigor’s laugh resonated like an earthquake.
He flicked his hand, and Sonya shuffled forward, her feet shackled with chains. He took a goblet from her tray and drank from it. For a moment he sat silently.
When he stood up suddenly, his long black cape spilled behind him.
“Why are they such a threat to you, Mrs. Dupont? I see nothing extraordinary about them apart from the Mysterian. Is he why you wanted to bring them to me? Mysterians are of no value to me. But
still, he will play his part in the games.”
Zoey frowned and mouthed to Tristan, what games? He shook his head and shrugged.
Mrs. Dupont pushed Zoey and her mother forward roughly. “I’m not talking about the Mysterian. These two have the blood of the Originals.”
Gigor regarded Zoey and her mother lazily. He still didn’t seem interested.
“I never cared for the Originals. I never saw anything special about them. Humans with gifts, that is all. Mortals are weak. What good are they if they do not provide me with some entertainment? They will all join in the games. That is what I promised my people.”
Mrs. Dupont smiled. “Of course, my lord. It will be an enormous pleasure to watch them die.”
She turned to Elizabeth. Her face twitched in a failed attempt to look apologetic.
“This is what you get for lying to me about your daughter,” she spat. “If you had told the truth years ago, we could have avoided all this unpleasantness now.”
“Unpleasantness?” hissed Elizabeth. “You’re crazy. You’ve always been crazy.”
The cat-faced woman laughed softly. “I will rejoice watching you die, Elizabeth. And your troublesome daughter will die alongside you. You’ve been meddling in my affairs for too long. But I won. You lost. Goodbye.”
Mrs. Dupont walked away. Her Alphas moved with her, but Nazar stood still. His face was drawn, and his eyes were fixed on Elizabeth.
“Nazar,” Elizabeth pleaded. “Don’t let her do this, please. Stop her—”
But Nazar had turned away. He made his way to the first level and joined Mrs. Dupont on the platform to the left of Gigor.
Behind Mrs. Dupont, Zoey could see a man with dark hair, pale skin, and a hollow face. It was Director Martin.
The beige carry-on bag rested on his lap—the UECs.
“Zoey, do you see what I see?” whispered Tristan.
“Director Martin,” she answered. She felt a flicker of hope deep inside her belly. There was still a chance to close the portals. All she needed was a miracle.
The Keepers made their way across the grounds and stood in line formation against the inner walls.
“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” bellowed Gigor.
The crowd in the stands cheered wildly. It sounded like the crackling of thunder. He waited for the crowd to settle down and raised his glass.
“As promised, I give you four new warriors for the Blood Games!” The crowd cheered loudly, as though they were at a baseball game.
“Is it me or does that sound really bad?” said Simon. His face fell.
“I’m awesome at video games. I can even play a wicked game of Monopoly when we lose power . . . but blood games? Not so much. What’s going to happen to us?”
“I don’t know,” said Zoey. “But we stick together. And we stay alive. Have faith Simon, we still might have a chance to get out of here.”
She glanced at Director Martin. He had to be here for some reason. She didn’t believe in faith, but this was pretty close. She had to do something before it was too late.
The crowd quieted down, and Gigor raised his voice. “Let the Blood Games begin!”
Zoey leaped forward and cried. “WAIT! STOP!”
Gigor frowned and lowered his eyes until they met Zoey. Clearly he wasn’t used to being interrupted, and for a second Zoey thought he was going to lunge off the platform and step on her. But he didn’t. He waited.
She cleared her throat nervously. “Mr. Gigor—uh—Lord Gigor,” she said clumsily. “We only came here for one reason—to shut the portals down. Both our worlds are collapsing,” she said as fast as she could. “Neither of us can survive a permanent doorway. They need to be shut down, or we’ll all die.”
Gigor measured Zoey and then said. “Close the portals? The worlds are collapsing?”
He laughed deeply. “This child amuses me. Child, why would I want to shut them down when I wanted to open them in the first place? Mrs. Dupont has promised me more slaves.” He turned and gestured over to Sonya who was cowering at the edge of the stage.
“We have an agreement. I helped her open the portal, and in return her world will become enslaved to me!” His voice reverberated throughout the stadium like an earthquake.
Zoey looked quickly at Mrs. Dupont. She doubted that the woman would have agreed to such a thing. Mrs. Dupont wanted to rule both worlds herself. Zoey was sure that Mrs. Dupont had tricked Gigor somehow. She must have had something else up her sleeve, Zoey was sure of it.
But right now, she didn’t have time to think about that. She needed to stay alive long enough to get her hands on the bag . . . .
Tristan moved in beside Zoey and raised his voice. “What are the rules?” he called. “There must be some rules. All games have rules.”
Gigor smiled, and for the first time Zoey noticed that his teeth were as red as his skin. “Yes, Mysterian, you are correct. The rules are the same for beasts and humans. If you survive the games, then you may leave in peace.”
Simon gave a little gasp.
Tristan looked at Zoey, his eyes filled with new vigor. “If we live, then we can go,” he called out again to the mystic lord. “Do we have your word?”
Gigor raised his glass at Tristan and said. “You have my word as lord of this world. In fact, if you survive, I will personally escort you back to your portal.”
He shook his head. “But no mystic or human has ever survived the Blood Games, so I wouldn’t get too excited. Your death is inevitable. Still, you will be given as many weapons as you want. Good luck.”
“As a senior citizen, don’t I get a free pass, or a discount, or something?” bellowed Simon, but the mystic lord ignored him.
Zoey turned to Tristan and lowered her voice. “What’s your plan?”
“Stay alive,” he answered. “Whatever we’ll be fighting, at least we’ll be able to fight back with weapons.”
“I can fight, too,” said Elizabeth with determination. “I know I don’t look it right now, but I can.”
“I’m sure you can,” said Zoey. “But if you get tired, stay behind us.”
Just when Zoey started to wonder when they were going to get their weapons, objects flew from the crowd and landed on the ground. Daggers, swords, rocks, and even a variety of fruits were tossed at them from the onlookers. Even some of the Keepers pitched them their swords.
“Nothing like getting the crowd to contribute,” said Simon grimly as he struggled with both hands to pick up a heavy sword. “I’m too old for this.”
Tristan grabbed two black Keeper swords. He twisted them skillfully, as though he were a Keeper himself. His determination reassured Zoey that they might survive.
Elizabeth picked up what looked like a silver sword, and Zoey found a short bronze one. It felt light and balanced in her hand. The edges were sharp. She could do some real damage with it. For a second she thought about grabbing two weapons like Tristan, but she was not as ambidextrous as he was. She wished she had her boomerang, but it was gone forever. Her short sword would have to do.
“Open the gates!” bellowed Gigor. He tossed his goblet into the arena to signal the start of the games.
The sound of metal chains rattled over the cheers of the anxious crowds. Zoey turned towards the noise. Four iron gates lifted at the western end of the stadium. With her heart in her throat, she waited to get a look at whatever would come out from behind them. She felt like a gladiator.
“Stay together,” said Tristan. They all stood back to back. “Don’t break the formation. We’re stronger together.”
At first she could see only shadows behind the gates. But then they came out.
A hoard of the most horrid, vile, and dangerous creatures from her worst nightmares came hurtling towards them with one purpose—
To kill them all.
Chapter 21
Blood Games
For a moment, Zoey forgot to breathe.
The ground shook. It was like watching a scene from the
movie Gladiator, but instead of great half-naked warriors lunging across the grounds, beasts from the gates of Hell had been unleashed upon them.
She could see two giant wolf creatures with glowing red eyes and fur that looked more like spikes than hair, enormous spiders the size of lions, winged beasts with the heads of women and the bodies of bats, and a legion of humanoid skeletons.
It was a savage, brutal army. Zoey understood why Gigor had said that no one had ever survived the games. How could two kids, an old man, and a sick and fragile woman defeat such foes?
“This reminds me of a dream I had once,” noted Simon. His sword shook in his hand as he shifted his weight from side to side as though he was about to hit a tennis ball with it.
Zoey kept her eyes on the advancing threat. “What happened in the dream?”
“I died.”
Zoey glared at Simon. “Nice.”
Simon shrugged. “What? I’m just saying . . . forget it. It was a stupid thing to say, sorry.”
“Just—”
Zoey suddenly was really worried about Simon. The spell still hadn’t worn off. His face seemed to have more wrinkles than before, and he was losing more hair. Was he still aging? He caught her staring at him, and she looked away. “Just try to stay alive, okay?”
“What? More alive than in this body,” Simon pointed to himself. “I’m already running on used fuel. But don’t worry, I might be an old fogey, but I still have a few good moves left in me—hopefully.”
“Get ready and stay together!” Tristan’s voice sounded over the savage cries and shrieks from the avalanche of beasts tumbling towards them.
They had nowhere to go. There was no escaping. Their DSMs didn’t work. They would have to fight. How could they defeat such a brutal force? They were going to die . . . .
“Zoey,” said Elizabeth suddenly, and Zoey turned towards her mother. “I—” she paused as though she wasn’t sure whether or not to say what was on her mind. “Be careful.”
Zoey reached out and squeezed her mother’s hand. “I will. We’re getting out of here, mom, I promise.”
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