He looked at Zoey and her friends and raised his goblet. “Well done! Well done!”
He paused and waited for the crowd’s cheers to quiet.
“I must admit, I hadn’t given you more than five minutes in the ring before my dead pets killed you all. I’m surprised that you are still standing. Quite spectacular, really. You humans never cease to amaze me.”
He looked over and showed his red teeth to Mrs. Dupont. “You’ve provided me and my guests with a very entertaining match, the best we’ve had in five hundred years! And I thank you for that.”
The crowd burst into applause again, but dread began to grow in the pit of Zoey’s stomach. What if the great Gigor had lied and wouldn’t keep his promise? Maybe a promise meant something completely different in the Nexus.
As if reading her mind, Tristan spoke up. “What about our deal? Your rules? We won, so we can leave right, or was that just a lie?”
Gigor’s tattooed face was expressionless.
“Tristan, what are you doing!” hissed Zoey. “If you make him mad, we’re not going anywhere.”
But then Gigor laughed a deep, throaty laugh. “Come, come, young Mysterian. I am a Lord of my word. You won the games in a fair fight. You are free to go—”
“WHAT? NO!” Mrs. Dupont jumped to her feet. “You can’t let them go. It wasn’t part of our deal. You told me they were going to die. They must die!”
Zoey narrowed her eyes. “I really, really hate her. Why does she always have to ruin everything?”
“What did you expect?” answered Simon dryly.
Gigor lowered his goblet and angled his great head in Mrs. Dupont’s direction. His black cape billowed behind him, and his glistening sharp horns and hooved feet caught in the light and made him look even more dangerous and impressive. Even Nazar cowered.
But Mrs. Dupont stood defiantly before the great creature. She was definitely mad.
“No creature or human has ever survived the Blood Games,” replied Gigor in a commanding and final tone. “I assumed that they would perish. But it seems these humans are skilled and worthy combatants. It was a fair fight, and I will not have them harmed—”
“You stupid, useless fool!” spat Mrs. Dupont. Her face was red and blotchy, and she scolded him like he was one of her Alpha pets.
“Ouch,” said Simon.
“She’s dead,” beamed Zoey.
“She’s stupid dead,” smiled Tristan.
Gigor’s crushed his goblet in his hand like it was made of dough.
“You dare insult me . . . human?” The clank of his hooves echoed around the stadium as he rose in front of her like a great brick wall.
Mrs. Dupont trembled in rage.
She pointed a red manicured finger down at Zoey and the others. “You promised me that they would die. If I had known that you wouldn’t keep your word, I would never have brought them to you. I would have killed them myself!”
A group of heavily armed Alphas made their way towards the platform and stood behind their mistress like a protective wall, ready to strike at her command.
Gigor sneered at her army like they were nothing but little red ants about to be squished.
“Be careful where you tread, human. I can destroy you and your puny army with a flick of my wrist.”
Two troll-like beasts with daggers, warhammers, and maces hanging from their leather belts rose from their seats and flexed their muscles like wrestlers before a match. Their hands were the size of hubcaps. Then a platoon of Keepers stepped from the shadows, drew their swords, and stood guard behind their master.
“This is going to be goooood,” said Simon gleefully. “I wish I had some popcorn. My money’s on the Keepers . . . you?”
Mrs. Dupont’s pinched features contorted into a hideous grimace.
“Is that a threat? Are you threatening me? Me? The one who gave you a doorway to my world? The one who promised you thousands of humans?”
She started to laugh. “You’re nothing but a thoughtless beast!”
The two trolls charged at Mrs. Dupont. She pulled out a gun and shot the first one in the head, but the second troll grabbed the gun and twisted it out of her grip. Then it wrapped its enormous hands around her neck.
Nazar shot pointblank into the beast’s skull, and it slumped to the ground.
The Keepers moved like a black wave towards Mrs. Dupont and Nazar, but her Alpha army stepped to her defense. Shouts and battle cries erupted like a thunderstorm as the two armies slashed, stabbed, and ripped away at each other. It was madness.
The crowd cheered as Mrs. Dupont and Nazar disappeared into the chaos of the battle.
“Hope she dies,” said Tristan. “She deserves what she gets.”
Zoey didn’t think the vile woman had a chance. The Keepers were better fighters, and her precious Alphas wouldn’t last much longer.
Gigor stood back and watched the ongoing battle lazily, as though he knew his Keepers would finish off the Alphas soon enough. He had a new goblet in his hand and drank while he watched the show.
At the other end of the platform, Director Martin cowered in the shadows. He had been a fool to trust Mrs. Dupont, and now he was probably going to die.
The UECs were still in his bag. If she could get to it, they’d still have a chance to blow up the portals. This was their only chance. She had to take it.
“Stay here!”
She ran across the field towards the stairs.
“Zoey! Where are you going?” shouted Tristan. “ZOEY!”
But Zoey’s mind was set on one thing only—to get the bag.
She sneaked up to the first level and flattened herself against the wall. The Keepers and the Alphas were preoccupied attacking each other. No one noticed her.
Director Martin cowered against the far wall. His eyes were on the battle, and his back was to Zoey.
She sneaked up behind Director Martin and tapped his shoulder. “Excuse me?” she said in her most innocent voice.
Director Martin whirled around, and Zoey punched him in the nose.
He stumbled back, blood trickling down his face. “My nose! You stupid girl! I’m going to kill you for this!”
He lunged for her, but Zoey jabbed him in the throat with her fist. He fell back, choking and gasping for breath.
“Thanks for keeping it safe for me. I’ll take that now.”
Zoey grabbed the bag and kicked him in the chin. He fell to his knees.
“How could you do this to your own—”
The rest of her words died in her throat. She stepped back.
Director Martin’s skin bubbled and blistered. His fingers transformed into gleaming black talons, and the rest of his skin peeled away and fell to the ground in a pool of black liquid. Blunt spikes jutted out from his back, and Zoey could smell the stench of sulfur and rotten meat. He turned and glared at Zoey with four large red eyes.
It was the same creature that had killed her foster mother.
“You’re a skin demon,” said Zoey.
She pointed the tip of her blade menacingly at it. “What happened to the real Director Martin?”
The demon smiled evilly and revealed rows of jagged glass-sharp teeth.
“I killed him,” it laughed. “I killed him, and I took his place. Like I’m going to kill—”
Zoey kicked the skin demon in the head, and it fell over backwards.
“Looks like you were wrong, demon.”
She stole a look inside the bag—two UEC bombs rested at the bottom. She cradled the bag close to her chest and turned to leave.
“And where do you think you’re going with that?”
Mrs. Dupont grabbed Zoey and held a knife to her throat.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance. But I won’t make the same mistake again.
Zoey felt the cool blade press harder against her jugular.
“Die you miserable, weak, little agent—”
“Let her go.” Elizabeth held the point of her sword against the
back of Mrs. Dupont’s head.
Mrs. Dupont sneered. “Elizabeth? How good of you to join us. Aren’t you glad I’ve brought your daughter back to you? It’s like an overdue family reunion.”
“I said, let her go, witch,” said Elizabeth with venom in her voice. “Or I will shove this blade from the nape of your neck to your forehead.”
With a strength Zoey didn’t know Mrs. Dupont possessed, the woman grabbed her by the throat and tossed her in the air.
Zoey dropped her sword so that she could protect the bag with her body and crashed into a row of chairs. She turned over and groaned. She waited a second, but she didn’t explode into a million pieces. The UECs were still intact.
“Have you seen what you look like, Elizabeth?” teased Mrs. Dupont. “You’re in no shape to fight me.”
She twirled her blade in her hand.
“You’re injured. You already look dead. You probably only have one or two good moves left in that frail, sick body of yours. You’re no match for me. You never were. I will kill you first—” she paused and turned towards Zoey. “And then I will kill your miserable, meddling precious daughter.”
Elizabeth waved her sword from side to side. She looked like she had been waiting for this moment a long time.
“You won’t lay a hand on her. I’ll kill you first.”
Quietly and carefully, Zoey stepped over the chairs.
Mrs. Dupont picked up Zoey’s sword. “So be it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she laughed with an ugly sneer.
“Let’s finish this,” said Elizabeth. “Once and for all.”
“Let’s.”
Mrs. Dupont lunged.
Elizabeth feinted low, and then brought her sword high. Mrs. Dupont blocked Elizabeth’s first blow and replied with three strikes in quick succession. The monstrous woman ducked low and slashed her blade dangerously close to Elizabeth’s ribs.
Zoey held her breath as her mother darted away.
Elizabeth stumbled as she parried and blocked, trying to regain her footing and give herself some space. But then Mrs. Dupont swung savagely and knocked the sword from Elizabeth’s hands.
Instead of retreating, Elizabeth leaped for Mrs. Dupont’s neck.
But the cat-faced woman’s strength was no match for her mother’s weakened body.
Mrs. Dupont struck Elizabeth on the head with the pommel of her sword and then kicked her so that her mother went stumbling into a row of chairs. Zoey heard a gut-wrenching crack as Elizabeth hit her head and went down.
“Mom!” Zoey rushed forward—but something hard hit her in the back and knocked her down. Her chin hit the floor, and she tasted blood in her mouth.
“You should have stayed down, girl,” said Nazar. “Now I’m going to have to kill you, and you know how I hate killing children.”
His single white eye gleamed like a gem.
Zoey grimaced and looked over to her mother. She wasn’t moving.
“Get the bag,” ordered Mrs. Dupont. She paused to flatten the front of her blue outfit. “And then kill her.”
Nazar’s dark tailored suit and black leather gloves made him look like an assassin. He held out a gloved hand. “You heard the lady. Give me the bag.”
“No.” Zoey shook her head stubbornly and cradled the bag protectively in her arms.
Instantly Nazar got behind her and wrapped his arm around her throat. She reared back, but he held on. Zoey cried out in pain as he squeezed the air from her lungs. Her face burned. She couldn’t breathe.
“STOP!”
Elizabeth pulled herself to her knees and raised her hand.
“Don’t hurt her, please,” she wheezed.
“Why not? She’s been a real pest, and I’ve been longing to take care of her once and for all,” said Nazar. His cold white eye turned to Zoey
Elizabeth steadied herself, “Because she’s your daughter.”
Chapter 23
A Race against Time
Nazar paled.
He looked at Elizabeth curiously, trying to determine if she was lying.
He turned his attention back to Zoey. With a flash of recognition, he let her go and stepped away from her, as if she frightened him.
Zoey gasped for breath, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Had she heard her mother correctly? Did she say that this man, Nazar, this murderer, was her father?
Nazar looked at her like he was staring at a ghost.
Mrs. Dupont laughed nervously. “She’s lying, Nazar. Don’t believe her. She’s desperate. She’ll say anything to keep her brat alive. Kill the girl. I said kill her!”
But Nazar just stood there, looking at Zoey as though he had just laid eyes on her for the very first time.
“Look at her,” said Elizabeth. “You know I’m telling you the truth—”
“I said kill her!” roared Mrs. Dupont. “Kill her, you idiot! Can’t you tell the truth from lies? Don’t be blind, you foolish man. Kill her, or I’ll do it.”
Nazar didn’t move.
“You fool!” Mrs. Dupont’s face twisted in fury. She raised her sword and lunged at Zoey.
“NO!” cried Elizabeth.
Nazar stepped between Zoey and Mrs. Dupont. He raised his arms and gripped Mrs. Dupont by the throat.
“Na-Nazar!” coughed Mrs. Dupont, her face an ugly purple. “What—are—you—I—can’t—breathe—”
Nazar raised her in the air so that her feet didn’t touch the ground.
Mrs. Dupont dropped her sword and hit Nazar with her fists. “Let—me go! What’s—wrong—with you! Nazar!”
Zoey watched as Nazar squeezed his mistress’s throat. He looked like he had gone mad.
“Take your mother and run,” said Nazar. His voice was gentle, like she had never heard it before. “Go quickly, and use the bombs. Go!”
Zoey pushed the questions and suspicions and misgivings out of her thoughts. She wanted to ask him to come with them, but somehow she knew he couldn’t come. She knew that she had to go.
Zoey gripped the bag tightly and ran to her mother. “Can you walk?”
“Yes,” said Elizabeth on shaking legs, but she moved swiftly and followed Zoey down the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, Zoey looked back. Mrs. Dupont dangled in Nazar’s grip like a puppet. She no longer spoke. She was flushed, and her eyes bulged out of her deformed face.
A cry came from the shadows. Zoey stopped and discovered Sonya hiding behind a chair. Her face was streaked with dirt and tears.
“Mom, wait!”
Zoey jumped over a row of seats, “It’s Sonya isn’t it?”
The girl blinked at Zoey. “Yes.”
“We’re getting out of here. Come on!”
“We are?” said Sonya in a dream-like state.
“Yes.” Zoey steered the young woman by the elbow, and together they ran across the grounds towards Tristan and Simon.
“How nice of you to join us,” said Simon at the sight of Sonya. “Simon Brown at your service.”
When he saw her collar and shackles, he pulled out Doctor One’s remote. “I knew it was a good idea to keep this.” He pressed the release button and Sonya’s restraints fell to the ground.
Tristan saw the bag in Zoey’s hands, but he also saw the pain and horror on her face. He moved quickly towards her. “Zoey, what happened?”
“I’ll explain later—no time,” she answered.
“Simon,” she urged, “how much time do we have?”
Simon pulled out his cell phone, “Man, you’re not going to like this. We’ve got thirty-three minutes left.”
Zoey’s heart sank. She looked towards the platform. The Keepers stood around the platform proudly, but there was no sign of the Alphas, or of Nazar and Mrs. Dupont.
“Keep Sonya hidden between you, I’ll be right back.”
Zoey ran back towards the platform. She stood below it and raised her voice. “Lord Gigor,” she said, “You said you would escort us back to the portal, right?”
Gigor looked s
urprised at Zoey’s sudden appearance, and a little annoyed that she had interrupted his conversation. The giant lord looked down and nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
“What’s your fastest ride?” She knew she was pushing it, but she had to try—for all their sakes, even though he had no idea she was also saving his life.
Gigor looked at the bag. She cursed herself for not giving it to Tristan.
“My mother needs medical help,” she blurted out. “I need to get her to our doctors right away—she’s dying.” She lied easily, “I don’t want to lose her again.”
Gigor said something to the nearest Keeper, and the creature made its way swiftly off the platform. A few seconds later, a great black coach driven by two plum-colored stags hurtled in the arena, circled around them once, and then drew to a stop. The driver climbed down and opened the door. He stood back and waited.
They all climbed in, and Zoey shut the door.
It smelled of mildew and cigar smoke, but she sat back in the red leather seats and held the bag of bombs securely.
Zoey jerked back as the carriage took off. The city vanished quickly as their ride soared over the red deserts. When Zoey was about to complain that they weren’t moving fast enough, the stag-creatures tripled their speed as though they had been waiting to let loose and show off how fast they really could go.
Black, jagged mountains and red hills flew past in a blur.
“Simon—time?” asked Zoey as she tried not to show the real panic she felt.
“Less than ten minutes left,” said Simon.
“Ten minutes left for what?” asked Elizabeth who had been silent the entire carriage trip.
Zoey opened her bag and inspected the UECs. “Ten minutes left before the end of the world—”
“Worlds,” corrected Tristan.
“What are you guys talking about?” inquired Sonya.
Zoey looked at her mother. “We’ve got nine minutes to reach the portal, detonate one of the UECs, and then cross over and detonate the other—”
Mystics 3-Book Collection Page 68