“It worked, ya’ know.”
I laughed, remembering her fancy moves that would’ve kicked my ass had I not been as trained as I was. It was one of my favorite memories of her. “Sure did. So, Benjamin Gates. The treasure hunter… They do always find another way out—”
“Through the treasure room!” She smacked my arm playfully then pointed in front of us. “I’m thinking through there!”
“Through where— Oh.” I blinked. I was so caught up in the darkness and being trapped that I had completely missed a large steel door. It sat about twenty feet away from us, so I really didn’t know how I missed it. But I saw it now. “I think that’s exactly where we’ll find it.”
Bettina wrapped her hand around my bicep and squeezed. “Let’s go, but let’s stay together down here.”
“Agreed.”
With her holding on tight, I walked forward. A few steps in and the ground grew softer. I didn’t reach down and touch it, but my feet sank a little. It was almost a rubbery type of feeling, like walking on AstroTurf grass. Or maybe more like hardened mud in a forest. I lowered my left hand and shined my blue flames closer to our feet to get a better look. Curiosity had gotten me. It looked like leather, but it had an intricate pattern etched into it. Almost like snakeskin. It wasn’t level, and there were lumps all over.
I frowned and took another step. A black crack opened up under my feet, and bright neon yellow light shined up in my face. There was a black circle in the middle with an orange ring around it—
Oh no. The ground shook like an earthquake. I dragged Bettina into a sprint, but the ground shot up like a giant, solid wave. It curled back and threw us into the air. I pulled Bettina into my chest and wrapped both arms around her so we’d land together.
My back hit the surface with a sick crunch, but then we were soaring through the air again. We flipped and rolled over and over, then bounced along the ground every few feet until we slammed into a shimmering wall. I cursed in pain. My vision went blurry. But I jumped to my feet and pulled her up with me. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure she was okay, and my breath left me in a rush.
It wasn’t a wall… It was a shell.
Then it hit me—where we were and what was known to live here, underneath the ground.
OH NO.
NO, no, no.
Bettina gasped and her eyes widened. “What the hell is that?”
My stomach sank. I spun back around and found a nightmare from my childhood staring me back in the face. “Lou Carcolh.”
My pulse quickened. My magic surged through my veins, ready to be called on.
“In English, please!” Bettina hissed and raised her sword.
“French monster. Half snail, half serpent. Will eat you without hesitation.”
The Lou threw its head back and roared. Long, razor-sharp teeth glistened in the yellow glow from its eyes. They looked more like fangs than teeth, and there had to be a hundred of them. We had to move. I grabbed Bettina’s arm and hauled her forward. The door was just up a few feet and to our right. We just had to get there.
Three feet later, the Lou spun around and dove for us with its fangs. We dove to the right just as thick venom oozed onto its back. Smoke billowed and the acidic smell burned my sinuses. It started to roll onto its side, so I jumped up and grabbed onto one of its small tendrils. Bettina’s hand slid down my arm to my wrist as we dangled in the air. She was about to fall. I threw my legs out and wrapped them around her body. The Lou hissed and roared and tried to shake us off.
It flipped to its other side and threw us into the air…right toward its open mouth. I cursed and shot my magic at it then rolled. Blue flames slammed into its fangs, melting them in an instant. I swung my sword, and the long blade sliced through the side of its mouth. Blood gushed out and splattered across my chest, burning my skin each place it touched.
We crashed onto its long neck, but then it lifted its head and we slid down its spine in a free fall. Long narrow objects flew through the air around us. They had big glowing orbs on the ends. Four of them swung right for us from the left side, so we leapt out of the way. As they soared over our heads, I realized they were tentacles. I jumped back to my feet and swung my sword through two of the tentacles, chopping them in half.
I spun to look for the others just as another popped up from out of nowhere and hit Bettina right in the back. NO! I dove for her, but it felt like running in a dream. I just wasn’t moving fast enough.
She gasped and her body spasmed. Worm-like barbs shot out of the glowing tentacle and wrapped around her waist. The Lou roared and flipped its head around, and the tentacle shot into the air, dragging Bettina with it.
“NO!” I pushed off the ground and lunged for her with my arm stretched out. “Grab me!”
But she didn’t move. Her arms stayed locked at her side. Her eyes widened and filled with fear. “I CAN’T!”
I tackled her, wrapping my body around hers. The extra heavy weight dragged the tentacle down to the Lou’s back. I tossed my sword to my left hand then sliced it right through two other tentacles, but I couldn’t get to the one that had her. The Lou screamed, and its whole body trembled. I rolled out of the way of its acid blood splatter then pulled back. Bettina’s eyes were half closed, and she was gasping for air.
“Bettina?” I screamed. “BETTINA!”
Her mouth moved like she was trying to speak, but no sound came out. I dove for the tentacle gripping her back then at the last second pulled back. If I chopped it off while it had her, I might not be able to remove it without hurting her. I cursed. It needed to release her. I yelled and leapt over her, then planted my feet behind her and swung my sword just enough to slice through its skin without chopping it off.
It hissed and dropped her—then dove for me. I ducked and dodged under the orb, then flipped up and over it. I brought my blade straight down and severed the orb off in one clean slice.
“JACKSON!”
I looked up just as another tentacle swung right for her. She didn’t move a single muscle. I dove in front of her and threw my arm up just as the new orb lowered. It slammed into my right arm and I gasped. Electric pulses ripped through my arm, and everything went numb. It was spreading up to my shoulder. My pulse skyrocketed. I summoned all of the strength I had and swung my left arm up, bringing my sword through the center of the orb attached to my arm. Blood splattered over my face as I dropped.
I crashed to my knees right beside Bettina who lay motionless on the Lou’s back.
Her gaze bounced around. “I can’t move. Jackson, I can’t move!”
“It paralyzes you,” I said in a rush. “Then it eats you.”
Her eyes widened. “SWING!”
Without thinking, I sliced my left arm into the air. Another tentacle dropped. The Lou trembled and screamed. I jumped to my feet and stood over her. There were three more of those bastard tentacles left. But my right arm hung motionless by my side. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move it on my own.
“Jackson, the door!”
“I know, but I’ll have to carry you—”
“THROW ME!”
I spun around to meet her eyes. “WHAT?”
She nodded toward the steel door, still too far away. “It’s Holy Ground. Just throw me.”
“I can’t leave you! You can’t fight!”
“You can’t fight it while I’m lying here!” She nodded frantically. “It’s Holy Ground. Throw me!”
I shook my head. “How do you know it’s Holy Ground?”
“I can feel it!” she screamed. “Throw me or we both die! Just DO IT!”
I cursed and slid my sword into its holster, then dove for her. It was hard to pick her up with one arm, but I finally managed to get a good grip. The Lou kept writhing and hissing, trying to reach back and sink its teeth into us. I gripped the back of her jacket, just behind her head, then summoned all of my magic and physical strength. Please let this work.
With a groan and a lot of cursing, I threw h
er as hard as I could. She soared through the air then crashed to the ground. Her body flipped up and rolled several times until her back hit the steel door. She yelped, but she was alive. I needed to get over there.
I pulled my sword out then charged for her.
The Lou flipped onto its back, and I was suddenly airborne. I tucked my body and rolled, just like Timothy had taught me all those years ago. I leapt back to my feet and dove for the first tentacle. My blade sliced through it like butter. I glanced over to Bettina, and she was still lying flat as a board at the door. Except a bright, blinding gold light had erupted from the ground and was wrapping around her like a blanket. I gasped.
“I’m fine,” she yelled. “KILL IT!”
I nodded and spun on my toes. There was no way to not kill this thing. It’d still be able to reach us at the door. So I charged at its head at full speed. My sword felt weird and foreign in my left hand, but I’d done a fair amount of training like this—just in case. And as my right arm dangled by my side, I was glad I’d been paranoid.
The Lou craned its long neck around and glared at me, venom oozing from its fangs.
“Come and get me,” I growled.
It roared and swung its last two tentacles at me. I hurdled over one like it was a jump rope and swung my sword straight down. Hot liquid scorched a trail down my spine. I hissed but didn’t slow down. Only one more tentacle stood between me and my quest, and I wasn’t going down like this. It flew through the air, aiming right for me. This time, I didn’t go for the orb. I sprinted straight for the base that was attached to the back of the Lou’s head. The orb whistled as it swung for me. I pulled my arm back and swung like this was the Home Run Derby.
The gold and silver of my blade severed through the base in one clean swoop. The Lou screamed and reared its head back. I dropped to my knees and rolled just as that venomous orb flew over my head and slammed into the Lou’s neck. It growled like a wild tiger. I jumped back to my feet and raced for its head. The ugly thing turned and snapped for me, but half of its face was drooping down.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like being paralyzed, you stupid prat?” I yelled through clenched teeth. “COME AND GET ME!”
It roared and flipped around, and the ground gave out under me. I lunged forward just as it dove for me. I dropped down and slid under its chin. Venom dripped onto my good shoulder and I winced. I used my momentum and threw myself up, then flipped backwards over its head. When I landed on the back of its head, I wasted no time. I jumped up and lifted my sword over my head, then slammed it straight down into the beast’s skull.
It gasped and spasmed like a volcano about to blow—then collapsed to the ground.
YES. I pulled my sword free then turned and raced to the door.
When I got there, the golden light had faded to a dull shine. I dropped to my knees by Bettina’s side and reached for her.
Her arms shot up and grabbed me first.
I gasped and froze. “You can move.”
She grinned and pulled herself up. “I can. That light… It healed me, I think. Can you move your arm?”
I looked down at it and tried, but nothing happened. I sighed and sank down on my heels. “Negative.”
She helped me to my feet. Then she bent down and picked up my sword, then held it out for me. “Luckily my hand became paralyzed around my sword, so I didn’t lose it.”
I took my weapon and shook my head. “The only time paralysis is a good thing.”
She grimaced. “I’m sure Katherine or Mona can fix you up. We just gotta get through this first. We have to be close. I mean, this is Holy Ground.”
I slid my sword into my holster then looked up at the steel door. “Why would Henry hide a stolen Archangel’s sword on Holy Ground? Wouldn’t Michael be able to get here?”
“Let’s get through this door and find out.” She brushed dirt off of herself. “Where’s the handle? I can’t see it.”
I frowned. There wasn’t one. The door was completely flat. There was no handle or lever, nothing to indicate a way to open it. But there had to be a way. I leaned forward to get a closer look when I spotted a small rose etched into the middle in tiny little lines. I pressed my palm to it—but nothing happened. I looked at my hand then back at the door. This had to be the way in. Henry had made sure most of this quest was only visible or doable by the Lancaster chosen. That was me. So I had to be the key.
I had no idea what made me do it, but I reached down and used the tip of my sword to slice into my skin. A small, half-inch long cut in my palm welled with blood. I took a deep breath then pressed it to the rose on the door… There was a pop, then it swung open.
Chapter Fifty-Four
JACKSON
We jumped through the open door without hesitation.
It slammed shut. Darkness wrapped around us.
“Damn it, again?” Bettina groaned—then gasped. “Hey, look!”
I looked toward the sound of her voice and jumped. The fire opal blade of her sword was glowing like the full moon. “Interesting.”
She lifted it up, and the light lit up her entire body. She snapped the fingers of her other hand, and pink mist poofed then fizzled out. I frowned and tried to summon my own, but it just flickered then faded.
“Our magic doesn’t work here,” I grumbled. “Can’t say I like that. Hold your blade up, and let’s see how to get out of here.”
She turned and held her glowing weapon out in front of her. Everything around us was pitch-black—except for a gray-stoned wall about ten feet in front of us. In the middle, there was one narrow opening. I glanced left and right to see how far it ran, but after a few feet, the darkness swallowed it up.
“Do we go around?” she whispered.
“No, I think we go through there,” I whispered back and pointed.
“I knew you were gonna say that.” She shuddered. “But yeah, let’s cruise into a black hole.”
I felt her fear and tension rolling off of her, so I tried to lighten the mood. “What, no movie scenes to help us with this?”
She glared up at me. “You don’t want to know about the movies that start like this.”
I chuckled then sobered. She wasn’t wrong. I cleared my throat. “Cover my right side?”
“You got it,” she said as she moved into place.
There was no knowing what lay ahead of us, but something told me it wouldn’t be easy. I took a long, deep breath to brace myself then took a step forward.
Two massive gargoyles made of gray stone dropped down in front of the walkway.
I gasped and froze.
“You don’t think those are going to attack us…do you?”
I took another step, and the gargoyles pulled out two stone swords and hunched into fighting stance. My pulse quickened. “I think that’s exactly what’s about to happen.”
Bettina cursed. “Okay…game plan?”
“Don’t die. Preferably.” I adjusted my grip on my sword and moved forward. When her footsteps echoed behind me, I said over my shoulder, “I have no idea what’s ahead. Just stay on your toes, and try to do what I do.”
“That’s been my motto since I arrived in Eden,” Bettina grumbled as we walked.
I started to laugh, but when I took another step, the gargoyles turned to face each other then began swinging their swords in front of them. Bettina fisted the back of my shirt and pulled me toward her. The gargoyles swung their arms in smooth, straight lines back and forth in front of them. Every second there were two swords blocking the opening to the pathway. It wasn’t going to be easy to get by them. Unless An idea popped into my head.
“I’m going to jump over.”
Without a second thought, I backed up a few steps then rolled to the balls of my feet.
“Wait!”
I froze.
She jumped in front of me then reached down and unbuckled my belt. I cleared my throat and shifted my weight around. Her cheeks flushed as she yanked my belt off my hips. She didn’t look up, just wra
pped her arms around my body like she was hugging me and slid the thin leather around me. I frowned and looked down. She fastened the belt tight, with my right arm pinned to the side of my body. When she was done, she nodded and stepped aside.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t want you to lose it just ‘cause you can’t feel it.”
I opened my mouth then shut it. She made a great point. “Thanks.”
With my arm secured, I rolled back to the balls of my feet. I took a few deep breaths then sprinted forward. At the last second, I pushed off the ground and leapt up and over the swinging stone slabs. I flipped into darkness then dropped straight down. My tailbone hit something hard and I cursed. I slid down a sharp slope until my feet hit a flat surface, and I flipped head over feet. My back slammed into the ground and my breath was knocked out of me.
“Oh shit!” Bettina cried. She cursed and shouted in pain from within the darkness. There was a beat of silence, and then she crash-landed right on top of me. She groaned. “Ouch.”
“You okay?”
She nodded and her long blonde hair fell into my face. The glow from her sword gave off enough light to see her entire body. It made her skin glisten and her eyes twinkle. She pushed up on her palms that were planted next to my head. Our chests were pressed close together, and the heat brewing between us was almost too hot to bear. It took everything in me not to lean up and press my lips to hers.
She looked down and met my eyes from a few inches away. “I’m okay. You?”
“Yeah, but you’re lying on the only arm I can feel.”
She gasped and rolled off of me. I jumped to my feet then pulled my sword back out. Something told me I’d be needing it. I spun around, and my pulse skipped. Walls made of stone surrounded us on three sides, and behind us was a steep incline we’d never be able to climb. I tried to summon my magic again, but it was no use. It wasn’t answering.
I walked toward the wall—and it moved.
It slid backwards like someone had pulled it from the other side.
The Wild Witch (The Coven: Academy Magic Book 3) Page 27