Flickering light refracts off the shattered glass across the room. From my periphery, the image comes into focus as if rising off the page. A gust of wind smelling of the arbor sweeps through the room, rustling the sketches.
The images shift but remain clear. Hands press on the tree, blackening the bark, sending adders through the grass. Then a strike of bright light explodes into white rain.
Striking is the answer. But strike what?
Foster sets the lantern on the table. “Do you, in fact, see something?”
“These three visions make one large image. The sketch with the goblet represents the Well. And this one”—I point to the vision with the tree—“I’m not quite sure what the black tree represents, but it sits on top of the Well. And here, the bridge that’s formed sits under the water as an explosion turns it”—I move the last vision into position—“into a ladder leading to something underneath. Or new. Or . . . I’m not exactly sure.” I step back so the others can see.
Foster gives a quick nod. “When the time comes, the answer will become clear. You’ll know which path to choose.”
Gray’s patience has run out. “If you’re going to fight, then let’s go. You’re ready.” He tosses a shield to Maddox, who catches it without looking. “But stay at my side at all times. The plan—”
“I heard the plan,” Maddox says. “This place echoes, remember?”
Gray slides Maddox a weapon from across the table. “Caretakers and lower-ranked Blades have the perimeter. You’ll fight midfield alongside Lance and me. Albrecht handles Sage. And Tripton?” He slides another weapon over to Cole. It’s Cole’s Steel, the stolen knife with the woven handle. “You take care of the Blight.”
He wants Cole to kill me? I search Gray’s face for mercy, but he avoids my gaze. Cole stands next to me, looking about as shocked as I am. This has to be Gray’s sick way of hazing Cole, making him prove his allegiance once and for all, or some type of punishment for helping me rescue my mother. Why else would Gray choose him? He has to know Cole won’t kill me. At least I don’t think Cole will.
The next thing I know, exploding thunder blasts the Garden with a violent jolt. The floor ripples. I’m knocked off my feet.
The ceiling groans. Then plummets, collapsing into the center of the room. I duck and cover my head. Commands shout though the cloudy air, but Maddox calling my name is the only one I hear. Flames from the broken lantern run free. Lightning flashes in the wintry air as an icy chill courses through me.
It’s done. Sage has broken through.
“Move it!” Cole finds me through the smoke and pulls me away from the fiery debris. Another support beam crashes down, devouring the books and the sketches. My copy of Milton evaporates into black ash as the fire licks everything in its path.
I’m coughing. Choking on the smoke. An arctic wind rushes down, clearing the haze enough for me to see Maddox fighting the rising flames, shouting my name with desperation. He can’t reach me, and he knows it.
Frantic motorcycles roar and then peel down the drive. “Do it now, Tripton!” Gray drags Maddox to safety with the help of Foster.
Cole ignores Gray’s command. He takes me by the elbow and hovers low, covering his face with the collar of his shirt. I do the same. Flames lap at our heels as we search for a way out, but we’re trapped.
The heat is searing. Sweat beads on my temples. I look up, hoping to catch a clean breath of air from the night sky. At that moment a throng of hissing Legions with black vellum wings fervently chase the sound of buzzing motorcycles. Two monstrous beasts with cavernous holes for eyes break from the pack and dive into the flames. They’re giddy, searching for life to devour. Cole and I stay down low, hopefully unseen. Smoke mixes with the stench of sulfur. I wrestle a tickle in my chest, suppressing the urge to cough, but that only makes it worse.
I squeeze Cole’s arm. I don’t have a weapon. No one entrusted me with one. And I can’t command the beasts away or else I’ll connect the realms. Cole lifts his Steel with a slight tremble, and I wonder if he’s ever killed a creature.
Luckily, these beasts hunt by sound alone. If we stay quiet, they might flee. But the persistent cough pounds inside my lungs, demanding release. My eyes water. I can’t choke it back any longer. I release it into my sleeve.
The beasts let out a piercing shriek, the one that haunts my dreams. Their hollow eyes fix in our direction, creeping closer as they sway in unison, searching. I stay still. Please don’t hear me. Please let the scrambler tucked in the pouch on my arm throw them off.
They twitch their elongated arms as they hang in midair over the flames that consume the broken table. Cole can’t strike them without getting burned. The crawling fire hems us in the corner. Our only way out is to climb up the wall and escape through a broken section where the roof collapsed. We can’t stay pinned here much longer. We have to make a move. And fast.
I look to Cole the same way I do with Maddox. But he stands frozen. The Steel is positioned out in front of him as he covers his face with his shirt collar. He stares at the beast with an expression accepting death. But I won’t let us die.
I reach through searing heat and quietly pick up an apple from the toppled cart nearby. I’m just about to chuck it across the room as a distraction, hopefully giving us time to make our way out when, without warning, both Legions spin into black tornados and launch up into the night sky, disappearing in the same direction as the others.
The scramblers must have worked. Thank goodness. If I had tossed the apple, they would have known we were here and searched until they found us. Maybe even alerted others. Now that they’re gone, I quickly work at stacking empty crates the best I can.
Cole coughs. “What are you doing?”
“Getting us out.” I heave the Martin painting on top, propping it up as a ramp. Then I climb. My boots stay steady beneath me as I reach up, my fingers grasping the ledge. I’m an inch shy of getting a good grip to pull myself up and over.
Cole scales my makeshift stairs, nimble and light. He holds my waist, lifting me up. “Go.”
With his help, I pull myself up and swing one leg over the wall, much like I did with the metal fence on my outing in East Ridge. I try not to breathe the billowing smoke as I search for a way down. It’s a twelve-foot jump. At least.
The crumbling wall teeters. Oh no. I swing my other leg around as fast as possible. I feel myself falling forward as Cole appears beside me.
“Jump!” He vaults over the wall. I follow.
The wall chases me to the ground, crashing at my heels. Cole drags me away with a fierce grip that solidifies his Bent as a Blade. He doesn’t let go until we’re well past the water fountain, hidden in the shadow of the woods.
Fire lights the sky, a raging dawn at night. Cole removes the Steel from the strap on his belt. His mouth is set in a determined line. “I’m taking you out of here. We’ll find a place to hide.”
“I’m not hiding anymore. If I run, then my vision comes true.” The word “confirmed,” scrawled in my mom’s handwriting, flashes across my mind. “Only two visions in my life have changed. And only because I—we—ran into the fight. If I had more time, I could’ve changed a third. I can’t let time steal more lives.”
“You think the Alliance will let you step foot anywhere near the Well? They’ll kill you at first sight. Maybe Gray was showing mercy when he assigned me to take you out, but that will change if you go out there and try to fight.”
“If I run away, somehow Sage will win. I may not have the special gifts or powers you have, but what I have is a chance. One chance to do what only I can do—strike the Inner Wall to make it spark enough to splinter Sage. Because you know as well as I do that otherwise, no one will make it out alive.”
Cole’s frown confirms that truth. “Don’t you think Sage wants you there so he can lure you to activate your power?”
“Of course he does. It’s written in the vision. But you don’t change anything by avoiding it. You stand in the face of
that terrifying reality and then find a way to overcome.”
“What if the temptation to join him is too great?” Cole persists. “You can’t be both a fox and a lion—not with Sage. He plays the game better than anyone else. He always gets what he wants.”
Cole’s collarbone is smudged with soot but not a Dissenter’s mark. “Not always.”
A Cormorant screeches in the distance. Cole makes the mistake of looking over his shoulder. In that moment, I do the one thing I do best.
I run.
The boots don’t make it easy, but I sprint up the drive toward the blistering flames and skid around the corner, ducking into the arbor. The growing fire gives me enough light to navigate the buckled floor. The scent of ash thickens the air. Cole’s footsteps aren’t far behind.
I hopscotch through the canopy. The ceiling caves in as I reach the other side. I’m unscathed, but Cole’s path is blocked. I look back at him. The shadows from the fire highlight his tense features.
“Go find your family,” I urge him. “Now’s your chance. Do what you’ve always wanted.” I take one final look, etching his troubled face and those brilliant eyes in my mind. Then, knowing he’s safe, I leave him behind and sprint full force through the maze.
I race with one hand along the leaves to guide me through the inky dark. I don’t need light to know the leaves are turning yellow in my wake.
A raindrop pelts my head, and then another. The biting air turns to winter and tastes of nectar wrestling ash. A vicious hunger leaps inside me, leading me deeper into the maze.
I run faster. Getting closer. The Well is the last place I should be. But I know it’s the very place I need to be. Ash snuffs out the nectar scent. The Legions’ piercing shrieks override the agonizing cries of the Awakened army as battle sounds grow louder.
Then the maze ends.
I spill onto the edge of war. The ground smolders. The air smells of sulfur, ash, and burning pine. Milton’s verse of hell spins in my mind:
Clouds began
To darken and all the hill, and smoke to roll
In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign
Of wrath awaked.
Wrath is awakened for sure. The barren treetops surrounding the clearing are in flames, lighting the battle below. Pockets of small fires ignite the field.
Legions invade the sloping meadow with gleeful shrieks. Cormorants circle like vultures, claiming the marshy basin as their own. Lights and laser projections fill the space with the energy of an outdoor concert as a deep vibration invades the air with the thrumming soundtrack designed by the Ghost Army.
The front line of the Awakened army fight along the perimeter with shields too small to do them any good as Legions rocket down, luckily missing by a foot or two.
In the anarchy of chaos I can’t make out the distinct silhouettes of anyone I know. But somewhere in the sea of people, Devon, Kellan, Tanji, and all the others are fighting for their lives. I shove back the desire to command the beasts away. With the Ghost Army’s projections, the disabling beat pulsing through the Garden, plus the scramblers, the Awakened army is holding their own for now.
My job is to get my hands on the Paradise Steel and somehow slip through the battle unnoticed until I reach the cloaked Well. I’ll wait, hidden behind the projection until Sage is in position. Then I’ll strike—Steel to Wall—and blast him to dust, knowing the cost will be my life.
Bubbling black clouds shroud the sky. Thunder growls and the shrill cries of the Cormorants pierce my ears. The beasts swoop down through the middle of the field, attacking pockets of Blades fighting closer to the Well, but the creatures miss their targets by several feet. It looks as if the scramblers and scents Harper created are working. I touch the pouch on my shoulder, feeling the tiny square. The scrambler is still there. I might be protected from the Legions, but I don’t have the potion to throw off my scent from the Cormorants. Hopefully draping the cowl-neck over my head will be enough to cloak me from the beasts’ sight.
I pull the fabric over my head. As soon as I step onto the lawn, caramel threads illuminate the ground with the Alliance symbol and a flicker of hope warms me.
Lightning flashes. From what I can tell, a group of the Awakened army is fighting around the outer rings of the symbol near the woods. Another army that looks to be geared-up Blades fights halfway down the sloping field where several more glowing rings pulse under the grass. The Well, with its marshy reeds and warping protective Inner Wall, hides between the two trees, but right now it’s cloaked behind a reflective screen, mirroring pockets of fire and the fighting army. In each of the four quadrants of the field, additional projections have been set up as decoys, mimicking the Inner Wall. They’re so vivid the creatures can’t tell which location is real. And if I didn’t know better, neither could I.
I go further into the fight and search for a clear path. Roaring thunder drowns bloody cries. Bodies fall along the perimeter to the east. I can’t tell who is fighting and who has fallen.
The itch to command the creatures away grows stronger. I press my lips together, swallowing the taste of ash. I’m sure Sage is here, somewhere. I can feel the arctic coil winding inside me, but I can’t find him through the rising smoke.
A loud hiss sweeps in my direction as a Legion whips near me. Adrenaline jolts my reflexes. I duck and roll just in time. The Legion isn’t so lucky. It catches the tip of a towering Blade’s Steel and explodes into a shower of red embers. Tanji emerges from the ashes.
I rise with her help. “Thanks.”
The fire highlights her frown as she notices that I’m weaponless. “Take this.” She thrusts her Steel in my palm. The humming metal burns with icy heat, not unlike the way it did when I trained with Cole. “Keep your chin up. Listen for the wind.” She removes another weapon from her belt strap. “It’s time these cowards get their payback.” Her pouch is missing from her arm.
“Where’s your scrambler?” I ask.
“Lost it in a hit.”
“Take mine.” I quickly remove my strap and fasten it around her thick bicep.
As soon as I’m done, an angry buzz whips through the sulfur wind. I spin around and cut the air with the Steel. The beast explodes on impact, the hilt sizzling my palm.
“Good stuff.” Tanji nods as if pleased with my skill. But I’m shaking with fear, betrayal, satisfaction—a million clashing emotions. I can’t sort out which side of me has control. A wounded cry cuts through the night. “Go.” Tanji races toward the sound, disappearing into the smoke cloud.
I’m not a fighter, but something about having the weapon brings comfort as I navigate the field, aiming for the Well. Without a scrambler, I keep my steps light, listening as they blend with the clanking metal and groans of war. I head east around the top of the hill, staying out of the main battle. I sneak closer to the decoy projection, cloaking a thirty-foot area. The beasts stay a good distance away from the sparking image.
The further down I go, the softer the ground. This far down, it’s easier to see the rivers of golden Current racing through the grass, pooling under the Awakened army’s feet.
A Current no one can see but me.
Some threads shine brighter than others. I glance at my own feet. The hollow ground is black beneath me, but my fabric glows with the dust of a thousand stars.
As I make my way around the screen, a group of Blades fights Legions twice their size. Kellan is stabbing, slicing, ducking, and defending with fluid speed. The grass glows beneath them as they battle. My hand twitches as the weapon warms my palm, wanting to join their fight. But I’m not a Blade. My knife skills don’t come close to theirs, and I could end up doing more damage than good. I need to stick to my part, despite the temptation to play a different one.
I’m halfway down the hill. This deep inside the basin, wounded cries echo louder. The ground is muddier. The smoky air thickens as war smothers the field from all sides. But the Ghost Army’s strategy is working. And the holographic fabric is doing a fine job o
f masking me as I race down the lawn to the willow tree.
Thunder roars. Louder. Closer. I slide my sleeve over my palm so the Steel won’t burn my skin. I’m close to the Well. I can feel the tug, a deep pulse through my blood fueling me with the same hope, same quiet confidence, I felt before. I inch closer, knowing I can get into position without anyone seeing me. The closer I get, the more I tremble, knowing what I’m about to lose. And I’m not sure if I’ll be strong enough to go through with it when the time comes.
That’s when I realize there’s one other problem.
No one in the field knows what I’m about to do. If I strike the Inner Wall while Sage is near, he will splinter, but I may end up killing everyone in the blast. Someone needs to warn the Awakened army as I strike so they can protect themselves from the explosion.
I survey the field for someone I trust. A group of Blades fights on the northeast side of the hill, not far from another decoy projection. They’re battling a swarm of young Cormorants. The glowing light under their coordinated steps is way brighter than any Awakened lining the perimeter. They are probably more advanced Blades, or maybe Maddox and Gray. I start in their direction. But stop as soon as the smoke clears. Through the dancing flames, I make out Albrecht’s graceful silhouette as she executes each kill with precise choreography. Behind her, Silver Assassin and Suspenders shadow the rhythmic cadence of the fight.
If they’re attacking Cormorants, then where is Sage?
He’s here, somewhere. I can feel the coil deepening inside me, luring with the restless, gnawing ache of destruction. But I can’t find him. Then a flash of lightning illuminates the sky. That’s when I spot Maddox not far from the oak tree. But he’s way across the lawn.
Realms of Light (The Colliding Line Book 2) Page 25