Deadly Truth

by Laney Powell

  “You can’t banish the form,” he was impatient. “Banish the idea.” He still had a grip on my shoulders, and I couldn’t see who it was.

  “What? Who are you?” I tried to turn around.

  “No, don’t take your eyes off it,” he commanded as he held me, making me face forward. “I’ll help you,” he added. “Apage is the word.”

  “Ah-pag-ay?” I repeated slowly.

  “Yes. You must know where you want it to go. See it, in your head, where you want this to go. Otherwise, it’s not going to work.”

  “Okay,” I took a breath. I would bet this would work on him, too, if he got weird with me. Like this wasn’t weird enough. The thought made me smile.

  My sense of humor really needed to stop popping up at all the wrong times.

  I wanted this thing, this whatever it was, to straight back to hell and punch Marbys right in his face. Hard. Hard enough to knock him on his ass. A grin spread across my face. “I’m ready,” I said.

  “Together,” the cool voice behind me said. “One, two, three!”

  “Apage!” I yelled. I heard him yell behind me, his voice strong.

  The reddish vapor slowed.

  “We need to do it again,” the guy behind me said. “Ready?”

  I nodded.

  “One, two, three!”

  “Apage!” we shouted together. I felt something in me burst, something like a dam. The power that I sent toward the vapor was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It was strong, and burning hot, and I thought I just might be able to take on the world. Take that, you shit, I thought.

  The vapor stopped and then jerked as the force of our command hit. For a moment, it felt like the entire world held its breath. I was holding my breath. I didn’t know what I was going to do next, if this didn’t work. Run like hell. Hope it couldn’t get through doors. Wake up the school, because this thing couldn’t be allowed to rampage around unchecked. I’d put myself in a bad place, but that was way better than letting one more person get hurt. I was done with that. If I got out of this, I was going to tell Madame Karathos that the girl Katherine needed to be brought back into school, my issues be damned.

  Then the vapor began to sink into the ground. At the top of it, a dark hole opened, almost like a mouth. It looked like it was screaming, and while I couldn’t hear a thing, the sight of it made me wince. Slowly, slowly, it sank down until finally, there was only a red glow on the garden gravel. After a few moments, that faded as well. I whirled around, to see Caspian Silverwood.

  “You!” I gasped. He was the last person I’d expected to see.

  “Why are you here, outside at night again?” he asked, sounding irritated. “Why do I find you in distress every time I see you at night?”

  “Why are you always the one who is around when I’m in distress?” I countered. “Is that because of something you’re doing?”

  “Me?” His eyebrows, darker than his hair, went up toward his hairline. “I don’t have anything to do with this, outside of being in the wrong place at the wrong time!” He spat the last words, but there was something more behind his anger.

  I could see it.

  “Well, thank you for your help, but I’m fine. I’ll be going now—” I turned to walk away from him.

  His arm shot out and he grabbed me. “Wait. What did you do differently, the second time we cast the spell?”

  “What do you mean?” I said, even as I felt the surge of power move through me again. Something different had happened. It made me nervous as could be that he could sense it. He knew too much. And he wasn’t an ally that I was aware of. I wanted him to be, but that might never happen. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now let go of me.” I yanked my arm away from him.

  “No, wait, Olivia—”

  “That is enough,” a quiet voice said from behind us. While she never changed her calm tone, it was as though thunder had rolled right over us.

  Madame Karathos stood at the entrance to the garden, her hands clasped in front of her. She wore a long, pale robe that stirred slightly around her wrists, and along the bottom hem. There was no wind, but her robe was moving.

  “Madame Ka—” Caspian started.

  “Mr. Silverwood, you will return to your room this moment. This very moment,” she held up a hand to forestall any questions. “Your role in this evening’s events will be something we discuss later. Now go.”

  Caspian looked at her, and then down at me. I could see that he was dying to argue with her, that he was angry, and it was the most emotion I’d ever seen on him, outside of when he kissed me senseless in the botany classroom.

  “Go,” Madame Karathos’ tone brooked no argument.

  With a last look at me, one that I couldn’t decipher, Caspian nodded, and strode off, anger and frustration in every step.

  Well, join the club, pal. There was a lot of that going around.

  When he’d left, Madame Karathos moved toward me. “Miss Washington,” she said, and I could hear the anger in her voice. “Why don’t we sit down and chat for a bit?” She stepped closer to a small bench and indicated with a wave of her hand that I should sit.

  I could tell it wasn’t a suggestion.

  Chapter Eleven

  Olivia

  I sat, and for once, I kept my mouth shut.

  “Why are you out this evening?” Madame Karathos asked, as though she weren’t simmering with anger.

  I wondered how much she’d seen. “I had a dream tonight, and I was so angry, and upset, I couldn’t sleep.”

  “So you decided that walking around at night was the best recourse?” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in her tone.

  Squaring my shoulders, I said, “Yes. I needed to get outside, out of my room.”

  “What did you dream?”

  Taking my time, I told her about it, and how things felt different. As well as his threat—until I gave myself up, he’d keep taking others. “I can’t let that happen. No more,” I said. “We have to let Katherine go, come what may.”

  She looked at me then, and unlike seconds before, there was no anger, only sadness. “You know what that means?”

  “I guess,” I shrugged. “But it’s not fair to let others get hurt because of me.”

  “I do not agree with your plan of action,” she said. “Before we do that, tell me why Caspian was asking about the spell?”

  “You heard that?”

  “I heard most of it, Miss Washington.”

  “And you just stood there, watching?” I was getting angry now.

  “I was ready to use a spell similar to what Mr. Silverwood suggested,” she said. “But I wanted to see what happened.”

  “Why are you willing to let me get eaten by a red cloud with a nasty attitude?” I demanded.

  “You thought it would eat you?”

  “Couldn’t you feel the anger, and the focus?” I asked.

  She shook her head, some of her curls escaping from the bun at the top of her head. “No. I could tell that it was coming toward the two of you, but I didn’t get any specific thoughts.”

  “Oh, it wanted me,” I said, remembering. The malevolence, the anger—it made me shudder.

  She was silent, and then said, “That must be due to some connection that you share.”

  I blinked. Holy shit. Holy shit. That feeling. When I cast the banishing spell. “We need to go see Katherine,” I said, getting up.

  “What?” Madame Karathos was on her feet. “Olivia, what are you talking about?”

  “Take me to wherever you have her,” I whispered, not willing to speak loudly, even out here. “I want to try something.”

  “What?”

  Shaking my head, I said, “I’m still working it out. I’ll finish by the time we get there. Please?” I looked up at her.

  She didn’t hesitate. “All right.” Her lips were pressed together tightly, but she didn’t ask any further questions.

  We moved through the grounds, and into the main building of the school
.

  “Madame Karathos!” A woman’s voice called out from a side corridor.

  Oh, hell and damnation. What was she doing here? She hadn’t been here before.

  Councilor Tennyson strode toward us, her face full of concern, and… something else. It was as though she wore a mask, which covered up a seething anger and ugliness I hadn’t seen when I’d first met her.

  Of course, she’d been after me for the sake of her daughter, so maybe I just missed it. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but stare. Holy cow, this was one pissed-off lady.

  “What are you doing out this evening?” Councilor Tennyson asked pleasantly, like she wasn’t an inferno of anger behind her phony smile?

  “Miss Washington and I were talking. We met in the gardens,” Madame Karathos said smoothly.

  “This late at night?” Councilor Tennyson’s eyebrow went up.

  “There are many students who work in the evening, Councilor,” Madame Karathos replied. “There are plants that are best gathered by moonlight. We have students who are shifters. And some, like Miss Washington, are what are politely termed night owls.” Madame Karathos shrugged then, the graceful lift of one shoulder. “Our students are all of age, Councilor. I see no need to lock them away like children.”

  “Even now, with students disappearing?” Councilor Tennyson wasn’t as polite.

  “Even now. The world is always full of danger for us. We cannot hide away from it, or fear wins,” Madame Karathos sounded like a fortune cookie.

  It didn’t have the desired effect on the councilor. “I need to ask you both to cut short your nighttime stroll, if you will,” she said.

  “We were on our way back,” Madame Karathos said. “Thank you for the warning. Of course we will return to our rooms. Come, Miss Washington, I’ll walk you back to your dorm.” She nodded at the councilor and moved off.

  Walking next to her, I could feel the councilor’s eyes burning holes in our backs. “What—” I whispered.

  “Shh,” Madame Karathos said. Her pace was calm, unhurried. “Remind me of which dorm you are in?” she asked in a normal tone.

  I pointed. “The new dorm,” I said.

  “Very well. Let’s get you back,” she replied as we turned the corner to the left. Her arm went through mine, her fingers gripping my arm in warning.

  I didn’t say a word.

  “We cannot do it tonight,” she whispered. “Come to me early, at least an hour before you would normally go to breakfast. We’re going to need to move fast,” she finished, almost to herself.

  “Okay,” I said.

  At the entrance to my dorm, Madame Karathos stopped. “Thank you for your company, Miss Washington. However, given Councilor Tennyson’s warning, I suggest you cut short your evening walks.”

  “I will,” I said. “Thanks for walking with me.”

  She nodded, and waited as I walked into the door, and up the steps. Once I got back to my room, I fell onto my bed.

  What the hell was going on? Madame Karathos was actively going up against the Concilium? I had a bad feeling that this wasn’t going to end well.

  Looking at the clock, I saw that I only had about five hours before I needed to get up. I pulled off my clothes and crawled into bed. I was sure I wouldn’t sleep, because so much had happened. So much I needed to think about.

  And Caspian Silverwood. We had a conversation coming. I could feel it like I could feel that I wouldn’t get enough sleep tonight.

  Even with everything, when I laid down and closed my eyes, I couldn’t stay awake. I fell into a dreamless sleep.

  The beeping of my alarm made me nearly fall out of bed. Katherine. I had to get out of here so I could help Katherine. That thought sent me to the shower, and I was on my way to see Madame Karathos within thirty minutes. My hair would be wet all day, as I’d braided it and pulled it up around my head, but this was more important.

  When I knocked quietly at her door, she had it open and whisked me inside before I could even open my mouth.

  “We will need to hurry as we must take a longer way to where she is,” Madame Karathos said. She turned and went around her desk. Pressing something in the case behind her, under the pictures that were on the wall, she stood back, and the far-right bookcase swung inward.

  “How come—” I began.

  “Because you’re not supposed to know. Quickly,” she walked in, and I followed.

  “Stop,” Madame Karathos said. She closed the case and then did something that caused small gold sparks to leap from her hand to the case. “Now we’ve got a good thirty minutes. Will that be enough time?”

  “I guess,” I said. “I’m kind of winging it here.” My idea, which seemed nothing short of brilliant last night, felt a little overdramatic and egotistical today. My mother used to say, Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That was the principle I was working with.

  “Winging it?” Madame Karathos walked in front of me. “Just what are you planning, Olivia?”

  “I wanted to try the same spell I—we—used last night,” I said to her back.

  “The banishment spell?”

  “Yes,” I said, feeling like maybe my idea was worse than I thought.

  She walked on in silence, then said, “It’s not a bad idea, Olivia. That particular spell is not one I’ve used, so it’s worth a try.”

  “I hope so. I can’t let her stay down here,” I said.

  “That’s not your call,” Madame Karathos said. “Now we need to be quiet. These corridors echo.” I heard the warning in her voice.

  For the next ten minutes, we walked down small, narrow stone-line corridors, making abrupt twists and turns, and going down three and four steps at a time. We made a final turn to the left, and we were in a larger, stone hallway.

  Madame Karathos waved a hand and torches on the wall burst into flame.

  “It’s really a dungeon,” I said. “I kind of thought you were kidding.”

  “The school is far older than it seems,” Madame Karathos said, striding ahead. She walked to a door, pulling a key from her pocket. “Come. We have to get inside quickly. She will try to run.”

  I hurried to her side.

  She unlocked the door, and I walked in. I heard it shut, and then Madame Karathos was behind me.

  On the bed lay Katherine Munro. She was sleeping. The room was nice, as nice as a dungeon cell could be. The bed looked comfortable. She had a chair, and a small table. There was a plate of food half-eaten on the table. A shelf on the far wall held about ten books.

  I stared at her, not sure how to proceed now that I was here. Okay. What had Caspian said? You have to visualize what you want to banish, see where you want it to go. I looked hard at Katherine. There was something within her, something that didn’t belong. It was like… it was like something sat on her, something ugly that went bump in the night.

  “What do you need?” Madame Karathos asked.

  “Give me a sec,” I said, getting closer to Katherine. She didn’t stir, but the ugly thing with her shuffled around. It knew I was here.

  I stepped back. “Let’s cast it together. And what I think,” I stopped, hesitating to tell someone like Madame Karathos what we ought to do.

  She smiled at me. “I am the first to admit I don’t know everything. If you feel you have a solution, and Katherine won’t be hurt if we try, tell me what you need.”

  “Are you a mind reader?” I asked.

  “No, but I could see the indecision on your face.”

  “Let’s cast it together,” I said again. “When you think about where you want to cast the thing—can you see it, by the way?”

  Madame Karathos shook her head. “No. Tell me what you see.”

  “It’s dark, and it’s sitting on her, like something ugly and mean that wanted a piggyback ride,” I said. “Once it hopped on, she couldn’t get rid of it.”

  “What does this thing you see look like?”

  “It’s a dark shadow. It’s more of a feeling than something we can drop ki
ck,” I said with a nervous grin. “But maybe this spell will be the right kind of drop kick?”

  “All right,” Madame Karathos nodded.

  I closed my eyes, seeing the shadow in my mind. I envisioned sending it far away, back to Hell, or whatever muck it crawled out of. “I’m ready,” I said, opening my eyes to look at Katherine again.

  “Together,” Madame Karathos moved next to me.

  “Agape!” we both shouted, the sound of our voices echoing in the stone room.

  Katherine sat straight up, her eyes wild. Whatever had woken her, it wasn’t her. It was the thing. Her eyes were dark and angry and ancient. She opened her mouth to scream, and I saw Madame Karathos step forward, one hand out.

  Katherine’s scream died in her throat even as her mouth remained open. Both her hand came up to clutch at her neck, and her eyes narrowed.

  “Witch,” she mouthed, glaring at Madame Karathos.

  “I think we need to try again,” Madame Karathos said quietly to me.

  “Agape!” we both said again.

  I closed my eyes, visualizing myself kicking the dark shadow. Kicking it hard enough that it sailed off into the horizon. “Agape, you little shit,” I muttered, seeing the most beautiful punt ever.

  Katherine made a choking sound.

  Opening my eyes, I saw that she fell onto her side.

  Katherine started to cry and pushed herself up with one arm. “What’s going on?” she asked, tears streaming down her face. “What happened? What’s going on? Madame Karathos?” She turned to look at the headmistress.

  “What do you remember, Katherine?” Madame Karathos strode forward, pushing me behind her.

  “I was in the library, and then I woke up,” Katherine replied. “What happened?”

  “We’ve been looking for you,” Madame Karathos said gently. “You disappeared after you went to the library. How did you get down here, Katherine?” She sat on the bed with the girl.

  “I don’t know,” Katherine said, closing her eyes.

  “Well, it’s all right now,” Madame Karathos said. “We’ve found you, and that’s the important thing.”

  “Is it?” Katherine asked, her eyes still closed, tears falling down her cheeks.