"You should have told me yes. This would all be different," Roger bellowed.
"What would all be different?" Ophelia glided through the archway, staying close to the wall. The intense shine followed a straight path. Nothing beyond its radius was illuminated.
"Lia! Go back. He's crazy. He'll hurt you," Bethany pleaded.
Roger had Bethany's hands tied at the wrist with a gold binding rope. The only restraint that works on a celestial. His left arm folded around her neck and the other held a small book.
"Lia, please. He'll push you into the vortex."
Ophelia's gaze traveled to the fiery glow of prismatic colors. It was mesmerizing. Red, yellow, green, and blue. Distracted by Bethany when she first entered the hell hole, she hadn't noticed the wind growing in the corner of the den, more ferocious than any hurricane she'd seen as a breather.
"Ophelia! It's the gateway to The Nowhere. He opened it!" Bethany screamed.
Jolting back, Ophelia broke the link between her gaze and the consuming aberration. Her mind scrambled for a plan to pull Roger from his obsession.
"Why are you doing this, Roger? Bethany barely knows you." Ophelia scanned the room for something helpful to use against him.
"Well that's it, isn't it? I've tried over and over again to get some kind of reaction from this bitch. But she's got her hip attached to that loser, Kyle. Last night at the library, I decided to give her one more chance. One more go at it. Open her eyes to me, and to forget that piece of shit she's been wasting her time on." Roger leered.
"What did you do?"
Ophelia kept talking to him. She needed to distract him long enough for their plan to work.
"I said Roger, what in heavens did you do? " Ophelia snapped.
"'I dosed her. With the pages of the book," Roger said proudly.
Dosing is a potion made from the essence of the in-between world of Condemned Wizard Souls. It’s nearly impossible to come by. One has to actually travel to the realm and make it back. A difficult task because most of the souls there have gone mad. If you're trapped, they torture the celestial by performing dark magic on them, day after day.
"How did you get it?" Ophelia heard movement behind her but didn't react.
"I have friends. Well, Leon has friends. He helped me. I sprinkled some on the pages while Leon distracted her. Her soul went into a catatonic state. He helped me get her here. I've been professing my affections all night, but the bitch is deaf."
Bethany trembled as she struggled to break free from the madman's grip. Her face scrunched, her eyes the size of saucers. Ophelia knew what she was truly frightened of, and it wasn't Roger. One thrust and he could catapult her into the infinite abyss of, The Nowhere. She had to keep him talking. Ophelia could feel the change of the air as Kyle and Bethany skirted around the shadows of the walls, and away from the penetrating rays at the mouth of the cyclone.
"Since when do you care, Roger? It seems as long as I have been here at the Academy, you and Leon never worry about anyone else. It's always been just the two of you. Why is that Roger?"
Roger’s eyes twitched.
"Are you sure it's Bethany, and not Leon you really want?" Ophelia continued to needle him.
"I mean, if that's how you really feel, why not tell everyone? No one here would care, and you could let Bethany be with whoever she wants. You both win."
Ophelia shook when Roger slammed the book on the ground and tightened his grip on Bethany's throat.
"Forgive me. I'm sorry Roger. Please ease your grip, you're hurting her."
Bethany clawed at Roger's hands, trying to peel back one finger at a time. But he was too strong. His energy was much older than hers. The longer you're dead, the more powerful you become. Channeling his connection with the universe, Roger's circuits were fueled by anger. Sparks of blue light sizzled off the tips of his fingers, dissolving and soaking in Bethany's energy, slowly draining her.
"You're sorry? I don't give a crap. We should have tossed you into The Nowhere a long time ago. Stupid girl. The only reason you're still here is because Leon loved torturing you. Otherwise, you'd be banished to the darkness." Roger bent his knees to reach for the book.
"Psyche." Kyle emerged from the shadows with the discarded book in his hand.
"Give it to me or your bitch goes in now." Roger dangled Bethany's limp body toward the opening.
"Let her go you waste of space, or I'll toss your book in." Kyle held the book up.
Keeping Roger's attention at bay was working. He never noticed Amry. She had slipped past Kyle and creeping along the wall, the gray stone, and shadows, cloaked her. Hovering just behind Roger's vision, she was about to lunge when a sixth soul crashed the party.
"Why is she still here? And what's up with the crowd?" Leon hovered at the archway.
"I was getting ready to send little miss too good through, when I was very rudely interrupted." Roger glared at Ophelia and then Kyle.
"I don't give a rats ass, throw her in already. I need to get over to the library and return that book. We don't want any unwanted attention. Where is the book?" Leon moved toward the center of the room.
"Uh, uh, uh. Stay where you are, you piece of crap." Kyle waved the book in the air. "What is so important about this damn book anyway?"
"It opened the vortex." Bethany whispered.
Ophelia turned to Kyle; whose mouth was clenched tighter than the lock on Headmaster Abernathy's office door.
The iron latch was forged in the pit of Lucifer's fire, the name given to the in-between realm that was prone to unending volcanic eruptions. Headmaster rescued a wrongly accused soul that had been banished there. As a thank you, the man, who as a breather was a blacksmith, created the intricate lock as a gift.
"Put her down, Roger. And then I'll give you back your book." Kyle inched closer.
"Stop right there, Burkletter. Roger don't listen to him. Once you drop his slut, he'll throw the book in." Leon's words dripped with disdain.
"What did you call her?" Kyle roared.
"Kyle. Wait. Don't..." Ophelia reached out to grab him.
But she was too late. Kyle spiraled up and then dropped like a bomb on the top of Roger's shoulders, sending Bethany collapsing to the ground. Releasing his grip, Kyle dropped down beside Bethany and scooped her up in his arms.
Leon charged toward them, but Ophelia managed to grab the tail end of his shirt and yank. The two of them catapulted back, slamming into the wall.
With a maddening roar, Roger took flight and swooped around the ceiling of the tunnel, drawing speed. Aiming his desire for hate, he soared straight for Kyle and Bethany.
"Now, you'll both go," Roger's demonic tone echoed.
"I don't think so," Amry shouted.
Before Roger realized what was happening, Amry broke free from the protection of the darkness and rammed into his unsuspecting spirit. Losing control, he tumbled in flight and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Ophelia quickly rushed to help her friend. The two girls grabbed Roger from the back of his arms and levitated. Standing directly in front of the mouth to The Nowhere, they swung his dazed body into the mouth of the ferocious vortex, feeding its hunger and snapping it shut.
Kyle removed the bondage from Bethany's wrists and raised her up into his arms, holding her close to his chest. She murmured and then fainted.
"I got to get her out of here. Almost all her energy is drained. I'm taking her to Ms. Dunworthy."
"Wait. What's a shrink gonna do?" Amry asked.
"She's also a healer." Kyle shouted as they soared down the tunnel.
"Hmm. Didn't know that." Amry glanced over at Leon.
Ophelia picked up the small book from the ground. Blowing off the remnants of the tunnel floor, she opened it.
"Amry, there's a whole lot more here than just instructions on how to open the doorway to The Nowhere. There's also a map and guide to all the in-between realms. Listen, it says..."
Ophelia was interrupted by gurgling groans from Leon.
&n
bsp; "How about we talk more about that in our dorm. I think we should get out of here before he wakes up and realizes his better half has been obliterated."
"Sure. Good idea." Ophelia nuzzled the book close to her chest and took flight.
"Lia, no. We don't have time for that." Amry reached out and grabbed Ophelia's hand.
"But Headmaster..." Ophelia raised a brow.
"I'm pretty sure he'd rather us break the rules and stay our perky, celestial selves." Amry squeezed her grip.
In moments they were standing in the center of their dorm room.
"What do you think we should do with this book? I mean it is checked out to Roger." Ophelia lay on the bed flipping through the pages.
"I think we keep it. For now." Amry looked out of the window.
"What do you see?" Ophelia sat up.
"Nothing. I think we need to be careful, though. Leon will be coming for us. Let's go find Kyle and see how Bethany is doing."
A quick dart across the dusk laden sky, and they were at the office of Dominique Dunworthy.
Amry knocked on the closed door and they waited for a reply.
"Who is it?"
"It's us, Miss Dunworthy. Ophelia and Amry."
"Oh girls, come in." She sang out.
Bethany lay on a plush, red sofa, covered from neck to toe in an opalescent, tissue thin blanket. Kyle knelt beside her, holding her hand, and whispering in her ear.
"Will she be all right?" Ophelia floated, hovering above them.
"She will. Kyle got her here just in time. Her energy was nearly drained beyond repair. But my vitality blanket will restore her essence. Bethany will be re-energized in a few hours. Now, how about telling me what happened to cause this? Mr. Burkletter seems less than forthcoming when I asked for an explanation." Ms. Dunworthy furrowed her brow.
Ophelia caught Kyle's stare and they both turned to Amry. The group chose silence.
"Okay. I see we're not going to get anywhere with this. But remember kids, you can talk to me about anything. I'm only here to help. Whatever, or whoever did this, it was very dangerous, and nearly cost Bethany her existence. Please, don't try to handle this on your own." Ms. Dunworthy smiled gently.
Ophelia nodded. Floating beside Amry, the two girls collapsed on the carpet next to their friends.
7
The Human Side of Ophelia
The sunset projected a kaleidoscope of orange, gold, and a hint of pink across the western hemisphere. Ophelia gasped at the beauty. She never grew tired of it.
The events of the day before had worn her out completely. She laid her head down on the pillow at 11 p.m. and didn't open her eyes until 10 o'clock that morning. Curling the blanket around her folded body, the open window held her gaze.
A few hours of silence and exhaustion wore them down last night. Ophelia and Amry finally explained to Miss Dunworthy what had happened, holding back the part about the book. She sent the girls back to their room to rejuvenate and alerted the security team.
Bethany had been doing much better when she and Amry left. Kyle was going to stay with her through the night; he was worried Leon might attempt to enact revenge. Miss Dunworthy assured him that Mr. Coal and Mr. Rain had been alerted—they sent out a team to search for him.
Ophelia lifted her head, Amry wasn't in the room. Rolling over, she peeled back the blanket, and slid onto the floor. Gliding to the window, she spotted her friend walking toward the dorm.
"Hey. Where did you go?" Ophelia called out.
Amry waved. "I'll be up in a second."
Floating to the bathroom, Ophelia turned on the shower and stood under a stream of cool water. She needed the chill to snap her out of the grogginess. I can't believe I slept for eleven hours. She mumbled to herself.
Amry knocked on the door. "Lia? You in the shower?"
"Yes. I'm almost done."
By the time she stepped from the stall to the mirror, her hair was dry. The perk of being a celestial, and just another question to add to the long list she already had. Gazing at her reflection, her chest sawed an uneven heave. This was it. Who she'd be for eternity. No aging, no family of her own. Her life had barely begun. Most of the time Ophelia tried not to contemplate the what ifs. It's painful and pointless. But last night, when Roger came so close to banishing Bethany's soul to The Nowhere, the mortality of life and death became one. She had been taught in Sunday school that after you die, no worries of the living world followed you. But now she knew the truth. There's an end of sorts to everything—even death. Whether it's taking your last breath, or an eternity wandering in darkness, your state of being is stolen away.
Haven pushed through the self-pity in her head. It had been so long since she'd heard anything new about her little sister. Then, out of the blue pops a breather. Who is this Alex McKenna? How can he help her little sister?
"Lia, what the heck are you doing in there?"
"I'm coming."
Ophelia opened the door.
"I was beginning to think you fell into a vortex. After last night, I'm not second guessing anything." Amry tapped her fingers on the bed.
"Is everything all right? You seem agitated." Ophelia hovered by the bed.
"Not agitated. Well, maybe a little. But mostly pissed. They haven't found Leon yet. The khaki twins have been searching all night. Dictator Dick canceled all Saturday morning activities. We're supposed to stay in our rooms, but that's a bust. Half the school is in the courtyard. You ready to go?"
"Sure. Where are we going?"
"Check on Bethany and Kyle, then maybe a little research. Do you have the book?"
Ophelia slid it out from under her pillow.
“I have it. But I think we should leave it here." Ophelia clutched the book. "What if someone sees it, like Ms. Dunworthy? Or the khaki twins?"
"You're right. We'll go get Kyle and Bethany and come back here. We're supposed to be in our rooms anyway. Damn." Amry peered out the window.
"What is it?"
"Zachary." Amry sighed, "We haven't been watching him."
"You go to Bethany and Kyle. I will go look for our project and see what he is up to. We can meet back here."
Ophelia checked the courtyard first, then the library, and finally, the North Tower. It was a popular place for kids to go when they needed time to themselves. The largest of all the towers on campus, it was constructed with a look out point that circled the entire structure. Zachary wasn't there.
Trying to avoid the only place she hadn't checked, Ophelia gave in and found herself standing in front of Zachary's dorm room. Pressing her ear up to the door, she heard movement. Fist to oak, she knocked twice.
"What is it?" Zachary snapped.
"It's Ophelia."
"Oh. Abomination... What do you want?"
Ophelia was startled by the abrupt opening of the door.
"I said, What. Do. You. Want?"
"Uh..."
Ophelia panicked. She hadn't thought this through. Idiot. She whispered under her breath.
"What did you say? Did you just call me an idiot?"
Zachary hovered so close; Ophelia shuddered.
"By God’s bones, what is that?" Zachary scowled.
"What is what?"
"Look at your arm."
Ophelia glanced down at her arms; the hairs were standing up.
"Never mind. What are you doing?"
"I am settling in for afternoon tea, is it not obvious?"
"Must you always be so obnoxious?"
"Must you always be so strange?"
Ophelia sized him up. He never met her eyes. Cocking her head, she directed her gaze to the room. The sheets on the bed were mussed and his pillow was squished between the wall and the mattress.
"You know for someone accusing me of being strange, you seem very familiar with your bed."
Zachary looked over his shoulder at the roughed-up sheets.
"Which means?"
"Everyone knows celestials don't sleep, except for me of course. Why is
your bed unkept?"
"Because there's nothing to do in this god forsaken place, and I was laying down recharging. Is that a crime?"
"Nope. But why lay down? Why not float? Or hover? Why choose the breather thing to do?"
If a celestial could change color, Ophelia swore Zachary would be fire engine red right about now. His nostrils flared, eyebrows scrunched, and his eyes widen twice their size. And yet, something gnawed at her. He was a contradiction. Laying in the comfort of one’s bed, covering up in the covers and nestling to a pillow. Those were actions connected with human emotions. Usually, loneliness.
"Breather?" Zachary asked.
"A name Amry came up with for the living. I kind of like it."
"The whole lot of you are lunatics."
"Yes, well judging by your room, so are you," Ophelia snapped.
"Take that back. I swear if you say anything..."
"You will what? Kill me? Amry was right, we should just tell your uncle you are hopeless."
Zachary inched backward. Lowering his head, he turned away from her.
"Tell my uncle whatever you wish, it will not make a difference. The end is inevitable. If you are finished here, shut the door."
Ophelia waved her hand inward and the door shut. Something felt off, he was different. Yes, he insulted her. Yes, he was a complete jerk. And yet, there was an air of vulnerability she hadn't seen in him before. Her instinct told her to not invade his space.
Whatever it was, she found him. Now she could join her friends.
By the time Ophelia reached Ms. Dunworthy's office, the gang was waiting for her outside on a grassy patch below the office window.
"Did you find Zachary?" Amry stood up.
"I did. He's tucked safely in his room.”
"Thank the universe." Amry smiled. "Let's go back to our room and check out the book."
The group clasped hands and teleported to the dorm. Breaking the rules was becoming a habit.
They all plopped on top of Ophelia's bed. She had the book opened to the page marked by Leon and Roger.
"What I can't figure out is, how did they open the portal?" Amry questioned.
"What do you mean?" Bethany blinked.
Alex McKenna & the Academy of Souls Page 8
