Spell of the Dark Castle (Chronicles of Zofia Trickenbod Book 2)

by Lorelei Bell

  She dodged another blast from Phineas' wand, going low. The stream of power hit somewhere high, she heard pieces of the ceiling break away and fall to the floor with a crash.

  “Are you nuts!” Zofia screamed at him. “You keep that up, you'll have the whole place down on all of us. We'll be killed!”

  A strange chuckle escaped Phineas. “I'm dead anyway, and what do I care of you?” And he aimed another blast before Zofia could turn and aim one back at him. Apep made a sudden, and unbelievable high leap from the ground (she thought that maybe he'd used his tail like a spring), and nearly caught her. She screamed and hit the creature with a power blast that merely glanced off him and made him angrier than ever.

  Laughing, Phineas ducked behind a pillar. “You'll tire soon. Apep doesn't give up easily. He'll have you and I'll escape, and be victorious!”

  “I beg to differ, Gardner.” The new voice pulled Zofia's gaze to the entryway. Two spears of power emitted from the second wizard's wand at the same exact time, hitting both smaller Helsingas. The creatures' high screams rent the cavernous room and they dropped quite dead from the jolt.

  Standing tall and golden, and as magnificent as ever, Stephen stepped out into the room. “Gardner, give it up, or I'll be forced to bring you in the hard way.”

  Phineas laughed. “It would please you to be able to bring me in alive, wouldn't it, Restormell?”

  “Actually, I could care less whether I take you alive or dead,” Stephen retorted.

  Continuing to stay out of Apep's reach by Transvecting around the room, Zofia spotted Phineas maneuvering around the many pillars and statues of Apep, trying to keep himself hidden, yet gain a better spot from which to aim a hex at Stephen.

  “Stephen! He's over here!” She pointed down at where Phineas stood. But her shout rang out just as Phineas sent a blazing bolt toward Stephen's head. A bolt of white, just as huge, met Phineas' burst, met half way across the room in mid-air. The burnt ozone smell and deafening sound of the two power surges made Apep take note. His roar went up and he charged Stephen. Stephen couldn't hold the power surge and not be attacked by the giant Helsinga. Disengaging the counter attack, he Transvected quickly away; Phineas' hex hit a pillar and it swayed dangerously, making a sliding sound above that rained more rock down from the now fragile ceiling.

  Zofia swerved to avoid renewed swipes by Apep. Stephen looped up and around his head, and settled back to back against Zofia. Red eyes gazed hungrily up at them both. Sizzling bolts of power raged on as Phineas and Stephen continued their wizard's duel. More rock fell from the ceiling and Zofia noticed one pillar had cracked so badly, it couldn't possibly take another hit and not come tumbling down—which would start a chain reaction. It would definitely cause a cave-in.

  “Mom? Mom, where are you?” someone called out in the din and dust and confusion.

  Below, Zofia spotted a dark haired teenage girl.

  “Blanche?”

  “Mom?” Blanche looked up.

  Two of the smaller Helsingas zeroed in on her and with explosive speed raced across the room toward her.

  “Blanche! Watch out!” Zofia cried.

  Blanche's screams echoed off the walls. She vanished just in the nick of time as two Helsingas pounced on the spot where she had been, then, in frustration began clawing and biting one another.

  Blanche reappeared right beside Zofia, hover-sitting above the mayhem.

  “Eeew, this place stinks!” Blanche observed shrilly. She wore a cream colored, button down, chenille sweater, which came to her knees. Feet and legs ensconced in black leather boots, which Zofia had never seen before, (they looked brand new). Bare thighs exposed past the opening of the sweater, Zofia imagined underneath, she wore a micro mini skirt—at least she hoped she had something else on underneath that. Her dark hair was pulled back into a long tail. In her hand was Zofia's scepter with the Stone of Irdisi winking above her head.

  “Blanche, what are you doing here?” Zofia gasped, but too happy to see that she'd brought the Stone with her she really could care less.

  “Stephen told me to bring this to you,” she said, handing the wand to her. “Hi, Stephen,” she said to him, just behind Zofia. Stephen didn't answer, but threw more power bursts down on Phineas.

  “He's a little busy right now, Blanche,” Zofia reprimanded as she looked up at the Stone. It glimmered like a large amethyst stone with a bit of silver running through it, looking a little like lightning. She eyed the broken prong and couldn't help but take in the fact that someone had mended it with duct tape. Ingenious. Why hadn't she thought of that? She hoped the tape wouldn't interfere with the magic of the Stone.

  “Is it charged up?” Zofia asked, feeling a surge of gratitude.

  “Oh, yeah! I put it out one night in a big storm.” Blanche said nodding deeply. “It rocks.”

  Sparks flew around them. It was like being in a rock concert on stage with pyrotechnics going off all around, with one really big difference: they could get killed.

  Below, Apep released a huge roar.

  “Oh, keep your shirt on, you ugly thing,” Zofia barked back.

  Shaking her head dismally, Blanche gazed down at the scene. “Mom, you really get into some weird situations, any more.”

  “I know,” she said watching Apep try to make a play for Abigale again. And Abigale, being very accommodating, again thrust her legs apart. What a slut. This really wasn't something her daughter should witness. “You'd better go. Is Tillie here too?”

  “Yep. We've just arrived, in the village. She's outside the inn. A goofy little guy with an accent told us where you were.”

  “Sort man with wavy hair. French accent?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That's Jacques.”

  Two of the Helsingas were crawling up the closest column, trying to reach them.

  “You'd better go. I have to do something about this before things get out of hand.”

  “Looks like they already are. Wow. Who is the naked lady in the bubble?”

  “Never mind. Go.”

  “Right. Kick ass, Mom,” she said, gazing down at the scene of Helsingas grappling for them. “These things—whatever they are—are gross.” She winked out of sight.

  “Zofia, do something, now. Please?” Stephen said, his voice slightly jarred by his exertion. She could feel his body quaking with his efforts to keep Phineas' power bursts at bay. But he was right. Things were going to go from bad to worse if she didn't do something now.

  Zofia Transvected into a better position to aim her wand at Apep, and now three more Helsingas appeared from the fissure, which had opened even wider, and more things than just Helsingas were grappling out of it.

  “Goddess Irdisi, send them back to the Dark Realm!” She pointed the Stone directly at two Helsingas climbing up the column. Lilac rays hit and engulfed them and they disappeared. She directed the ray toward the group of Helsingas on the floor, making them disappear, too. Apep stood, towering over Abigale, still in her protective cocoon. The ugly god was scratching at the globe around her, and suddenly it burst like a big bubble. Abigail was no longer protected. She was a naked lady on her back with a monster ready to rip into her. He went down on his knees over her.

  Quickly Zofia aimed the Stone directly at Apep. “Back to the Dark Realm!” A violet light burst over Apep, and suddenly he was gone. Heart thundering, Zofia released a sigh of relief. Her whole body was humming with the Power of Irdisi. This felt really good. It felt as though she could take on an army of Helsingas right then.

  Descending to the floor, Zofia still had the fissure to deal with, and for the moment ignored Abigale who was screaming obscenities at her as she struggled to her feet. It wasn't until Abigale stood, did she realize the woman was wearing those same black four-inch high heels. What on Euphoria? Trying to look sexy for a homely, twenty foot tall monster? Goddess, the woman was loony!

  As Abigale's heals clacked across the stone floor, Zofia peered through rubble and dust back toward the fiss
ure. Apep was gone, but the hell mouth was still open, and glowing from within like a hot furnace. She could hear horrible sounds from very far down inside. Other beings who were there were trying to gain freedom too, and some had already. She couldn't help that for now.

  Above, Stephan finally sent a huge arc of power at Phineas, blasting him against the wall. The nasty wizard hit the stone wall with a thud. Unconscious, he slipped down the rock. She presumed that Stephen was directing his gentle fall to the floor, his wand dropped with a small clatter that got lost in all the other noises of the room, hopefully falling into a fissure.

  Turning, Zofia aimed her Stone-loaded scepter at the fissure. “Destructus Portal!” A huge bolt of lightning sizzled down through the top of the monolith, and hit the Stone, nearly knocking Zofia down. It glanced off and flashed too bright for her eyes to watch its trajectory, but she presumed it hit the Portal. The whole place shook, the floor buckled and moved beneath her feet and she went to her knees. Opening her eyes she could just make out through the thick dust the rift in the floor was pulling together at a quick rate. Like a seam being mended, stone seemed to grow back into place. Because of the forces at work, the floor—the whole place—trembled. Columns, which held the ceiling up, swayed and began to topple. Time to get the hell out of here. Her work was done! She clamored to her feet again and saw Stephen moving quickly; his prisoner under his complete control, still unconscious, held aloft by Stephen's powers as he angled back through the room.

  “Get out!” he shouted at her as bits and pieces of ceiling rained down on them.

  Using an Umbrella spell over herself, Zofia Transvected away from the scene, toward the exit. Stephen was right behind her, his prisoner still floating above the floor. She undid her protection spell and sailed through the doorway, entering the outer chamber. Ahead, she saw Abigale had donned a black robe again—now she wanted to be clothed?—and ran toward the next doorway. She made one glance back at Zofia before darting into the narrow passageway beyond. Zofia dogged after her. After a minute, she came to a fork in the passage which she didn't recall.

  “Right! Take a right!” Stephen yelled to her.

  She didn't know where it led, but Zofia moved for it. Now, the passage was too narrow for Zofia to Transvect, so she had to use regular locomotion. The floor was mostly stone and dirt. She managed to stub her toe at least twice before the corridor opened up again. She realized Stephen had dropped far behind, having to struggle with bringing his prisoner through.

  Returning seemed to not take quite as long, as Zofia found herself in a cellar filled with wine, mead casks, brewery utensils, and containers. The strong smell of fermenting yeast filled the air and made her nose twitch. She was in Ravenwood Inn's cellar.

  Clacking heels pulled Zofia's gaze. Abigale flew up the stairs, and then disappeared from view. Slitting her eyes, Zofia realized she had a score to settle with the wench. No one gets away with what she did—or tried to do. If it hadn't been for Saint Germain coming to her rescue, and dispatching Myron as he had, she would be dead, or undead by now. She only now realized Abigale hadn't sent for Myron to capture her, but to kill her. She'd wanted to become Apep's offering all the while. She'd probably used the gold coin that Satin Germain had given her that one night to pay him. That was why she'd looked so surprised and disappointed when she had joined Phineas earlier. Zofia didn't know who was more twisted; Phineas or Abigale. Both were pretty warped individuals.

  Zofia Transvected up the stairwell, and sailed out through the still swinging curtain, emerging behind the bar and main room of the tavern. She halted on the other side, sighting Abigale dashing for the door across the dingy, unlit tavern.

  “Stop!” Zofia called out.

  Abigale faltered on the heels, as if she'd gotten one stuck in a gap in the wood floor, and nearly went down.

  Voices outside the door filtered through. The only available light came through the windows. There seemed to be an eerie golden wash of color from the outside. She presumed it was late afternoon, or possibly dusk. Not that it mattered. The voices came a little louder. Closer.

  Abigail had come to a halt just before the door and now looked back into the room as if trying to seek a new path to freedom.

  “It's locked!” an unseen woman said in a craggy voice on the other side of the door.

  “Well, Twizzle!” Blanche's voice screeched.

  There was a flash. The door burst open with a bang. In rushed Tillie, Blanche, and then Jacques. Each one of them stomped their feet of snow. Flakes fell from their shoulders and heads. Brilliant light spilled in like a spot light.

  “Zofia! Are you alright?” Tillie asked, gaze landing on her. The surprise on her face denoted that she hadn't expected to see her there. Zofia realized they probably all thought she was still down below.

  “Mom! Did you kill that gross thing down there?” Blanche asked with teenage enthusiasm.

  “I'll fill you in later,” Zofia said with a gush, drawing her attention back on Abigale who was stealthily moving toward the curtained-off stairway. “Destructus heels!” Aiming at the woman's stupid heels, a red bolt of power hit its mark. Down Abigale went in a fluttering of black robe. A shrill cry of anguish as she grasped the curtain and it all crashed down on top of her. She gave a little groan and fell back.

  Tillie rushed forward, angling toward Abigale crumpled on the floor. “Stay right there, strumpet, or I'll do something that will make you regret your getting out of bed this morning.” Tillie's threat held her, as Abigale remained on the floor, breathing hard, pulling the dusty curtain off herself, her hair down in her disgruntled face.

  “The Council will get to grill her, so take care of her, Tillie,” Zofia advised.

  “I've got her covered,” Tillie said, a smile spreading across her face. “I used to do a little bit of this back in my day, too.”

  “Dad!” Blanche exclaimed. Everyone looked toward the bar, where her attention was riveted. Suddenly the crash of glass filled the tavern as anything which had been on the bar was swept to the floor by some invisible hand. Dorian, still unconscious, hung in mid-air. Then, he seemed to rise and was settled on the cleared-off area of the bar.

  “What's going on with Dorian?” Tillie gaped.

  “Franz?” Zofia called out.

  “Yes, I became lost,” came the voice of Saint Germain, even though he could not be seen.

  Someone then burst through the door crying in Arpiesian, “Je l'ai! Voidi votre sac!” It was Jacques, carrying a black bag. Wearing a red cap, a dark green cloak, and a red and white scarf that fluttered behind him, he looked like a strange apparition as he jogged toward the bar.

  “Merci, Jacques,” Saint Germain said.

  Zofia pulled up on the other side of the bar, next to Dorian. He was pale, nearly as pale as he had been while a vampire. Dried blood covered him, the slash wounds over his chest and abdomen still oozed blood. The sight of him made her nearly swoon as she grasped the edge of the bar to steady herself.

  Jacques handed the bag toward a spot by the bar, as if able to see Saint Germain. Zofia looked up and found two disengaged hands scrubbing a face. Saint Germain seemed to be rubbing off whatever it was that had made him invisible.

  “How is he?” Zofia asked.

  “Lost some blood, but he should be alright, once I've tended his wounds,” Saint Germain said softly, now opening up his bag with his two visible hands. It was odd watching a head—mostly just the face—and two hands moving about without being attached to a body. “I need more light.”

  “Luminos!” Lanterns along the back of the bar, and sconces suddenly were ablaze, imbuing the room with more light with Zofia's incantation.

  “Water, please, Jacques, and some cloth—clean if you can manage.” Saint Germain's voice came and went as Zofia struggled with ebbing consciousness.

  A snippet of more Arpiesian between the two as Saint Germain seemed to be examining the wounds.

  “Blood!” Blanche's voice sounded startled. Zofia peered ba
ck over her shoulder, made an attempt at easing into a chair as she did. Why was she having a problem holding up? She'd seen much worse before. Unless it was her pregnancy rearing its ugly head making her swoon.

  “Blood?” Zofia said weakly as she slid down against the back of the chair, confused. How could Blood be here? He was dead.

  “Who's bleeding?” Tillie asked.

  “Dorian—”

  Tillie gasped, pointing at the floor. “It's all over here, and here, and—” Finger following the trail, it now pointed toward Zofia as her eyes took her in.

  White dots splashed across Zofia's vision as she strove to settle into the chair, but knew she hadn't quite made a solid landing. Everything was moving slowly and strangely. A suffocating wave of vertigo swept over her. She was cognizant only that she'd missed the chair, and hit her head.

  Then, everything went black.

  Chapter 43

  “Welcome back,” a gentle male voice said.

  Zofia opened her eyes. Her vision at first was blurry, but soon filled with a thin, elderly man with a long white beard that pretty much covered him from chin to toe.

  “Paradeep?” Zofia croaked, looking around. She was in bed, that much she already knew. The room was familiar, too. She was in the very room she had come to stay in at Dark Castle. As far as she could tell, they were alone. Unless, of course, Biddle was there.

  “What happened?” she asked, noticing that her ears seemed to be stuffed with cotton.

  “What do you remember?” he quizzed gently, in his usual grandfatherly way.

  She moved a little to sit up. Paradeep magically moved three pillows behind her with a swish of his hand.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Did you capture Phineas and his pals?”

  He nodded. “They are now awaiting their sentences. The counsel was very tough on them, and along with Dorian's, and Saint Germain's testimonies, and other inhabitants of Ravenwood, they will be in Hamparzum's for a very long time.”

  “Good.” She sat trying to think what else she wanted to ask. “What about all the Helsingas that escaped?”