SACRIFICIUM (THE UNDERGROUND Book 1)

by Allie Doherty

  I smile and the disagreement of last night is completely forgotten.

  With new-found belief, and some butterflies, I pick up the pace, and the debris falls like rain, hitting my shield, and falling to the ground.

  Finally the opening is big enough, and the next part is up to Maeve.

  “We don’t have a lot of time,” I tell her. “Hurry up and get it done!”

  She raises her eyebrows at me, and there’s a note of something in her expression that resembles being annoyed, and impressed, by my command.

  She moves past me, as far back as she can get and we all gather around.

  “Are you sure you can do this?” I ask.

  “Pretty positive,” she responds with shaky breath. “It’s been a while, but I’m hoping it’s like riding a bike.”

  Putting ours hands together, up-turned, in the middle, we provide a launching pad for her and she stretches herself out. Taking a running jump, she lands feet first onto our hands, and we thrust her into the air, as she propels herself up and grabs onto the first viable piece of concrete she can.

  Lingering there for a moment she grunts, “It’s definitely… not like… riding… a… bike.”

  Once her grip is secure, she uses the leverage to pull her body up high enough that she can swing her legs back and forth, building the momentum. It takes five or six swings before she can lunge herself up through the opening. I hold my breath as she lands on her stomach with her legs still dangling. With a groan, she drags her body with her, pushing one of her legs through first and putting her weight on it long enough for the rest of her to follow.

  I give a small exclamation of success in the form of a hoot.

  Maeve is above ground, and it doesn’t take long for her to open the door on the other side, effectively breaking the spell.

  “Well… that was easy.” She snorts. “These guys are seriously lacking security.”

  “I know! It’s so careless of them…” Knox agrees with a smirk. “They could’ve at least made is difficult.”

  “Totally…” I laugh.

  “Are you guys crazy?” River shrieks. “That was like so hard, and the mortal chipped my nail with her foot!”

  Maeve’s eyes widen and mine roll.

  Tavis gives an awkward cough and walks past her, to the front of the line.

  “Okay, guys, you all have your orders and by now, they know we’re here which makes this harder than it already was. Be careful, be safe, and for the love of the gods, be as fast as you can. Getting out is not going to be easy, but it’d be easier if we could do it together. Twenty-five minutes or less is ideal, and anything over thirty, you’re presumed dead and we leave, got it?”

  We all nod, yes, and split off into our groups. Tavis and Zhavia take off in a run towards the left wing of the building, and River and Ben walk in the opposite direction; leaving Maeve, Knox, Penelope and I to find the sacrifices.

  We start running, and I almost slip on the freshly-waxed, tile topped flooring. Keeping my balance, I take the steps of the imperial staircase two-at-a-time.

  There’s a long, cherry blossom covered hall-way that should lead to the dining area, according to the blueprints. We don’t bother tip-toeing because at this point, it’d be useless. There’s already raised voices and sounds of heavy footsteps running in every direction to ‘find the intruders’.

  If anything, trying to be discreet would get us caught faster.

  We come up on double black doors and I stop running.

  “Maeve, stay here.”

  “Are you joking?”

  “No! If there’s a High Priest or Priestess in there, they’ll make easy work of a mortal. Stay by the door and protect those we get out, please!” It’s said as a request, but it’s an order, and she recognizes that. Nodding her head, she hangs back, standing with her feet apart and her arms at her side –she looks tough and fearless, like a trained officer of the armed forces.

  The rest of us approach the doors, and I take a breath, preparing myself for the mess that’s about to happen.

  I look to Knox as he swallows the lump in his throat, and puts his hands on the doors, ready to push them open. I want to scream, ‘hold on!’ or ‘wait!’ but there’s no time to hang around. His eyes meet mine, and I give a small nod.

  He pushes on the door, and we’re in. My first thought is how beautifully decorated the place is. It’s vast and warm. There’s golden spirals decorating the walls and the lit candles as the centrepieces for the tables provide a somewhat cosy atmosphere, and my heart pangs for the place I had once called home. One look at Penelope’s face tells me that she’s feeling the same. For a moment, I want to sit at those tables and laugh, I want my old room back, I want to gossip with my friends about which of our teachers is the best or worst… I want to feel protected again.

  My eyes search around for an authority figure and my stomach sinks.

  The room is empty of people… except for the five we were sent to collect – bound, gagged and unconscious in the middle.

  “It’s a trap!” P states the obvious in a panicked voice. “What do we do?”

  “I –” Knox is panicking too. “I don’t know. Theo, what do we do?”

  Footsteps echo from the corridor, and I see them rounding the corner; five high-ranking coven members, two women and three men, donning expensive dresses and suits but none more so than the man in the middle. I would recognise him anywhere. He’s Paros Bandello, High Priest of the coven and leader of the Order of Aurelius. His reputation as a ruthless, pure-blood enthusiast with a mean streak for violence is well known and well founded. The snarl at his lips and the blood-lust in his eyes would be terrifying to me, if I could feel anything right now.

  Maeve moves quickly, slamming the door shut behind her. “Maybe a spell to block the doors would be a good idea right about now…” She says, pressing her back to the wood.

  Knox and P jump to the same routine of joining hands and forming a circle.

  “Theo, come on!” Knox yells at me when I don’t move.

  I’m frozen in place; numbed by the adrenaline. My head is screaming at me to move and help them, but I hear the quiet whispers in the back of my mind telling me that it’s time to stop playing nice, and just like the night at the academy, it’s urging me to kill… and boy, do I want to. I want to rip Paros apart with my bare hands.

  The control I have snaps like the string of a guitar and the buzz of my power comes at me in a violent wave; sweeping me under and drowning me in it.

  I laugh. My eyes are fixed on the door, and my stomach is doing angry backflips. I ball my fists up as the magic takes hold. I feel invincible.

  “Why should we bother trying to keep them out?” I snort. “It won’t work!”

  “Because we’ll die if we don’t…” Maeve yells.

  “We won’t die,” I assure her, a smile making its way across my face. “But they will…”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “You can’t be serious,” Penelope contends. “You want us to fight? Do you even know who that is? Hell no, I won’t fight!”

  “Then sit the hell down like the child that you are and wait for play-time to be over!” I bite. “They’re coming for us and if you’re not prepared to do whatever it takes to get out of here with everyone still intact, then I will do it myself.”

  “She’s right, Penelope! A protection spell will frustrate him for maybe five minutes before he breaks through it and slaughters us! I’ll fight!” Knox stands tall. “Even if I die, I will fight for us… but I can’t fight him, I don’t have the strength.”

  “You don’t have too!” I grin. “He’s mine.”

  The doors fly open and it’s time. It’s five against three and Maeve steps off to the side. All of them seem focused on me and they all come head on. Knox blocks me from two of the men and Penelope steps up to battle one of the women. Maeve grabs the other by the hair from behind and pulls her to the ground. She subdues her with a single punch to the face and then steps back to
the side, staying out of the way of the magic.

  Paros is in front of me with his teeth on show. They’re straight, white and look like he’s taken a lot of time and effort to get them that way. I’m going to make him swallow every last one.

  We’re dancing around each other and I’m waiting for my shot to take him down, but I can’t get too close. It’s rumoured that if Paros touches you, hand-to-skin then its game over. I don’t know the specifics but I know enough to keep on my toes and never stay in one place for too long.

  He lunges out with his hand aimed at my face. I duck his attack and keep moving. I dance around him and each time he swings for me, I dodge his hand like my life depends on it – because it does.

  He snarls at me and I can feel the frustration rolling off him. His attacks become more ambitious and it becomes harder to escape them.

  “Don’t be afraid to fight dirty!” I hear Maeve holler behind me.

  Paros turns on her and growls. Holding out his arms, he focuses his energy toward her and before I can do anything, she’s thrown back. I hear a loud crack as her skull smashes against the stone wall and her body crumbles to the ground; blood pooling from her head.

  “Maeve!” I shout, but she doesn’t move.

  The blood from her head has created a deep puddle around her and strikes of fear shoot through me, paving way for my power to triple within me.

  “You’re dead,” I let him know, holding my fists up.

  Don’t be afraid to fight dirty.

  Okay.

  I strike out at him and swing. My fist connects with the side of his head and it whips to one side, giving me enough time to grab two handfuls of his long, flowing hair. I pull him to the ground, like Maeve did with the woman, and pull my leg back. I intend on kicking him in the mouth and loosening his molars but I lose my footing and crash to the ground with him.

  He uses this to his advantage and he gains the upper hand, pinning me to the floor beneath him. He lifts his hand, ready to bring it down around my throat.

  I wrap my legs around his waist, tight, and grapple with him. Pulling him down closer to me, I lift my head from the marble floor and throw it with all of my might towards his face. It hurts me but it hurts him more.

  When I pull back, I see the crimson dripping from his nose and lips. He spits the blood from his mouth and three or four teeth come with it. I smile.

  He’s sufficiently shocked enough that he stills for a moment. I take my opportunity and pull my arm back and let it go, cracking him clean across the jaw. He falls to the side and I take the opportunity to pin him.

  I strike him, repeatedly, in the head area and he starts to laugh.

  “A witch as powerful as you are, fighting like a weak human… It’s pathetic!” When he smiles, his remaining teeth are covered in watery blood. “You’re going to die, Theodora and I’m going to laugh when you do!”

  My body runs cold and I freeze. It’s a split second mistake but it’s all he needed. His power hits me like a truck and I’m propelled through the air, landing on my upper back. I hear a harsh pop and cry out, grabbing my shoulder.

  Damn it!

  He descends on me, lifting his foot and pressing it down on my throat. I search around for any help but Maeve is still lying motionless on the ground, and Knox is fighting his own nemesis. My eyes land on Penelope and I gasp. She’s suspended in the air, screaming. The red-headed woman holding her there is creating small, deep cuts on her flesh, and blood is trickling down her body.

  I struggle against Paros but it’s useless. My airway is constricted and the black floating clouds invade my eyesight. I’m about to lose consciousness and if I do, then Paros moves onto Knox and everybody dies.

  Using the last bit of strength that I have, I focus my attention on the redhead holding P steady in the air.

  I twist my hand, hard, and watch her sink to the floor, her spine snapping backwards.

  Penelope drops and lands; unconscious and bleeding.

  Knox looks around and finds my eyes. His widen with panic. He’s trapped between two powerful witches and if he saves me, he’ll die… But that doesn’t stop him from trying. He swings out at one of them and knocks him to the floor. He takes off in a run toward Paros but one look from him has Knox flying through the air.

  “Keep him alive,” Paros demands. “I want to be the one to end him when I’m done with this stubborn bitch.”

  The two male-witches rush for Knox and restrain him with his hands behind his back. The witch Maeve knocked-out is now awake and standing. She moves onto Penelope and holds her down

  Panic burns a hole in my chest as I gasp for air. The only release comes as he shifts his weight, giving me just a moment to fill my lungs. I take it and give myself a few more seconds of consciousness.

  There has to be something I can do to get him off me.

  The stirring of chairs against the marble floor draw my attention and I see three of the five are awake and struggling to untie themselves; eager to join the fight.

  “Solve –” My voice squeaks and gives out. The pressure around my throat increases and he laughs at me. I push on as the black comes stronger and a ringing invades my ears. This is my only chance of survival. “Solve… fasciculos!”

  The ropes unravel and the five are set free. The who’re three awake charge for the unsuspecting witches. Paros’ eyes widen as he looks around and his foot slackens, giving me a chance. I take it and wrap my legs up around one of his and twist. He’s pulled to the ground and I can finally breathe.

  I roll up onto my shoulders and flip onto my feet, like Zhavia taught me.

  Standing over him, I finally stop fighting like a mortal. I focus on his hand and exercise my control. I watch in joy as it clasps onto his own throat, and deep burns sear into him and I can see what would happen if he touched my skin.

  “You… can’t… kill… me,” he chokes out.

  I want to laugh and tell him he’s wrong, but I can already feel my power weaning and it’ll give out before he’s dead. I’m too oxygen deprived to fight anymore.

  Raising my foot, I slam it down on his head as hard as I can. He’ll be out for a while.

  Turning, I find Knox fighting his way out of the restraint and I lift my hand. I can’t kill but I can subdue. They fall away from him into a deep sleep. The one keeping Penelope to the floor steps back and stands very still. She’s not stupid enough to take us all on.

  “Get the wounded, we’re leaving,” I order, making my way over to Maeve. She’s still not moving and my heart beats faster. “Does anyone know anything about healing spells?”

  “Theo, I think she’s beyond saving…” Knox tells me. “It’s been at least twenty-five minutes since we stormed in here. We need to leave with the people who aren’t bleeding to death and—”

  My eyes cut to him and he shuts his mouth.

  “Nobody is being left!” Tavis’ voice echoes across the hall.

  “Sometimes being a leader requires hard decisions, man,” Knox argues. “It’s not all morality and good intentions! Carrying her out makes us vulnerable. Sometimes we have to sacrifice one for the good of the many.”

  “Then pick another sacrifice, because I’m not leaving her!” I tell him.

  One of the five sinks to her knees and places a hand over Maeve’s wound. I watch in awe as the gaping split fuses back together, leaving only a slight opening along her hair line.

  “She’s lost a lot of blood…” Tavis tells me and his message is clear; she might not make it.

  I stand, taking a deep breath. “Get her out of here with the rest of them…”

  Then, I walk out of the hall. I hear the repeated shouts of my name, and questions of where I’m going, but I ignore them.

  I don’t have time to explain.

  I have a mission to do and a friend to save.

  It’s easier to get out than it is in. I’m past the point of caring about being subtle and all of the dangerous people are knocked out. Gasps are audible from the student
s I pass in the halls and whispers of my name circulate around me; as does the word, ‘murderer.’

  Oh, goodie, I’m famous!

  There are fully-grown witches – teachers – watching me as I walk, but not one of them steps forward to take me on. I’m grateful because with the way that I’m feeling, I don’t think I could last long in another fight.

  I walk straight out of the front door and past the bus meant to take us back to the underground.

  “Theo!” Cleo sticks her head out of the window. “I’m over here!”

  I ignore her and keep going.

  We always passed it in the bus on the way to the mixers. It’s not too far from here, I think…

  Bouncing on the pads of my feet, I take off in a run, knowing that I don’t have much time. The harsh cold invades my lungs and stings my throat but I can’t stop. It’s refreshing to breathe such clean air.

  Rain falls from the sky and soaks me through to the bone. I keep running until I’m wheezing. I’m miles away from Huxtable when I can’t take it anymore. I stop, putting my hands on my knees, and pant; trying to regain my breath as my lungs burn a hole through my chest.

  If you stop, Maeve dies.

  It’s not my voice in my head, but it’s enough to have me running again.

  Rounding a corner at the end of a long street, my sights fall upon a big white building. A red cross across the top and the vast number of people in scrubs taking a smoke break outside tell me that I’m in the right place.

  I enter through a revolving door and put the hood of Maeve’s bomber jacket up. I keep to the side of the hallways and for the most part, nobody pays any attention to me. They’re too busy saving lives…

  The store rooms have to be around here somewhere. I check random closets as I go, but they’re just that… closets.

  “Can I help you?”

  I turn to find a nurse, standing with her arms crossed. The bags under her eyes scream sleep deprived and I feel pity for her.

  “I’m sorry…” I tell her.

  Calling my power to me, I invade her mind. It’s easy because she’s so very tired and overworked. There’s no mental fight put up and it takes minimal effort to put her under my control. “Tell me where you keep the heavy-duty supplies!”