The Orb of Kandra

by Morgan Rice

  He looked over to the banks. Suddenly, he saw that the two portals were different colors. The one on the left glowed yellow. The one on the right emitted a dark light.

  He looked around for Ralph.

  “Ralph! Come on! It’s the left portal! The left!”

  Ralph dunked Chris and pushed off after him. Together, the three of them swam as fast as they could toward the bank.

  CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

  Chris bobbed back up from the water and took a huge breath. The dirty water made him retch. He slammed his hands against the surface. Oliver had disappeared.

  But then he saw a shimmer of light, just like the footsteps he’d been following. Oliver was clearly the source of the glowing trail. Tendrils of light seemed to pool from him, seeping into the water like shiny ink. Chris smirked to himself. His stupid brother had lit a pathway right to him!

  He glanced across the river to the other side. With his special vision, he could just make out the faint outlines of what looked like portals. They reminded Chris of the time portal he’d come through to get here.

  Suddenly he realized what was happening. Oliver and his friends were attempting to flee through time! If they reached the other side, they’d jump through the portals and disappear! Chris could not let that happen.

  But he couldn’t stop them alone.

  He looked up to the bridge. The battle was in full swing. He could just make out Malcolm.

  “Malcolm!” he screamed.

  But his voice was too quiet to be heard over the noise of the fighting.

  Frustrated, Chris tapped into his powers. This time, his voice came out in a boom that echoed all around. “MALCOLM!”

  The boy appeared at the edge of the bridge. His eyes looked wide with surprise. And, to Chris’s delight, a little bit of fear.

  “There are time portals,” Chris yelled to him in his booming voice. “On the south of the bank. Stop Oliver from reaching them.”

  With a soaring sense of power, Chris saw Malcolm turn and direct the rest of the Obsidians to follow his orders. He really was the leader now. Truly.

  But there was still work to be done.

  He pumped harder with his legs and arms, trying to gain on Oliver. But Oliver was a faster swimmer than Chris and far out of reach.

  But Esther wasn’t. She seemed to be a slower swimmer than the boys and was struggling against the force of the water. The satchel with its precious glowing cargo floated alongside her.

  Suddenly, Chris was hit with a rare moment of inspiration. Everyone had been harping on about that Orb like it was the most important thing in the universe. It was clearly so important to Oliver, he would never escape through time without it. So if Chris could just get hold of their precious Orb, Oliver would have no choice but to stay behind and fight.

  And then I’ll melt his face off with my toxic acid! Chris thought, growing increasingly excited.

  He felt a surge of energy race through him as if the powers he’d been imbued with were responding to his thoughts. As if they were on board with his plan. But they felt strangely separate from him in that moment. Like something he contained rather than a part of him. But there was no time to think about that.

  Chris pushed through the water, gaining on Esther He had to act quickly before she got the chance to cast one of her shields. He’d have to sneak up on her covertly. Quietly.

  He swam forward, just beneath the water’s surface like a crocodile would. Swimming this way made no at all noise. He was able to come up behind the black-haired girl fast.

  Then, when she was an arm’s length away from him, he took his moment to strike. He reached forward, grasped hold of the satchel, and dove under the water.

  Esther plunged down with him. Her hands were clutching the strap of the satchel like her life depended on it. She wasn’t letting go.

  As he descended deeper into the water, Esther came with him.

  She thrashed, panic in her eyes. A scream ripped from her throat but the noise was swallowed by the water. Still, it must have been enough for Oliver to hear, because Chris heard his pathetically shrill voice scream out, “Esther!”

  Chris pulled the satchel, trying to wrench it away from Esther. They tussled with the satchel, yanking it back and forth between them. The flap worked its way loose. Now Chris could see the Orb inside the satchel, being jostled about.

  Just then, Chris noticed that Esther’s eyes were unfocusing. He knew that meant she was about to access her powers and send out one of her sonar shields.

  He yanked again, desperate this time, not wanting to get trapped behind one of her invisible walls and drown.

  But to Chris’s great surprise, nothing happened. Esther’s powers didn’t work under water.

  He felt a surge of glee. Now was his chance to strike!

  The Orb was just beginning to float up to the edge of the satchel. He let go of the bag. Using his super-speed, he grabbed the Orb just as it tipped out from the top of the satchel. Then he tightened his arms around it and kicked off with his legs, heading back the way he’d come.

  Desperate to take a breath, Chris kicked up to the surface of the water. He popped out and found that he was now facing north. On the bridge, the battle between good and evil was in full force. On the south bank behind him, he could see Oliver’s male friend tinkering with the portal, trying to activate it. But Oliver was not there.

  Then Chris saw shimmering streaks on the water, the type left by Oliver. His brother was coming after him. He had to move. And fast.

  He swam harder and faster than ever before, heading toward the north bank.

  Suddenly, a blinding light filled the sky. It was coming from the south bank. Chris looked back and saw that the portal was opening. The lightning forks that crackled against its surface transformed into blindingly bright lights that flashed. It was like a strobe effect. The sight made Chris’s head spin.

  In one of the flashes, he suddenly saw Oliver speeding toward him.

  Chris kicked back into gear. He thrust out with his legs, attempting to propel himself up to the bank. But the Orb was weighing him down. It was almost like it had a mind of its own. It felt like it was trying to drag him back to the portal.

  Then suddenly, he felt a strange sensation in his arms. It felt like they were sizzling. He looked down and saw steam radiating from the part of his arms that touched the orb. The pain grew worse and worse. Was the Orb defending itself against him?

  Chris had only seconds to act. He dropped the Orb. It floated slowly down through the water and came to rest of the muddy river bed, its glow like little more than a weak candle.

  The pain in his arms receded.

  But his relief was short-lived. Because suddenly he felt the water around him begin to slosh violently, turning into a swirling whirlpool. He spun around and around, growing dizzier with each rotation.

  And every time he spun to face southward, he saw a figure growing closer and closer.

  Oliver.

  CHAPTER FORTY NINE

  Fury crackled through Oliver’s veins. He’d never been so angry. Even over the years of torment Chris had put him through, never had his rage been so intense.

  Because before, Chris had only hurt him. But when he’d seen Esther—the person he cared for more than anyone—in danger because of Chris, something in him had snapped. An anger he’d never felt before had been unleashed. Now that Esther was safe, all Oliver wanted to do was get revenge on his big bully of a brother.

  The whirlpool he’d conjured had come without thought. It was some kind of emotional instinct that had made his powers engage. The outcome had taken even Oliver by surprise. Never before had he commanded such a huge force of nature as a river. But revenge was fueling his mind, making the water spin violently like it was being sucked through some imaginary plughole.

  And there was Chris. Caught up in the middle of its force, spinning and spinning. He looked terrified but Oliver didn’t care. He wanted him to suffer.

  All through their live
s together, all he’d ever wanted was for Chris to leave him alone. To stop the bullying.

  Not now. Now he wanted to get his own back. Now he wanted revenge.

  Oliver used his powers to make the water churn more rapidly still. He used such force that the river bed suddenly appeared in the eye of the storm, in the middle of the whirlpool.

  Suddenly, Oliver saw the Orb of Kandra in the mud at the bottom, wedged there. She appeared to be sinking further into the sticky silt, her light growing dimmer and dimmer.

  All at once, something clicked in his mind. It almost felt like the Orb of Kandra was speaking to him, calling him, challenging him.

  What was he doing? Harming Chris was not the point! It never had been! If he acted out of vengefulness and spite, he was no better than his bully. His mission had only ever been to rescue the Orb, not to cause harm to another living being, even if that happened to be his brother who wanted him dead.

  He realized suddenly that this was what Professor Amethyst had been warning him of. The bromine within him was constantly tugging him toward evil. This was the first time he’d ever felt its magnetism. He must not give in to it. The lure of dark power was something he must fight.

  Oliver switched his focus from Chris to the Orb. He let go of the whirlpool with his mind. But the centrifugal force acting on the water was too great now. It was powering itself. The motion he’d started was pushing it around and around of its own accord. It would take a long time to lose power and return to stillness.

  There was no other option. In order to save the Orb, Oliver would have to enter the whirlpool himself.

  He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, then dove down into the swirling water.

  Immediately, the churning whirlpool took hold of him, flinging him into its midst. He spun around and around, nausea swilling in his stomach. Water got into his nose and mouth, making him choke and splutter. It was the most terrifying experience. He felt a huge sense of shame knowing he’d subjected Chris to this.

  He noticed Chris then, pinned against the wall of water opposite Oliver. His brother glared at him, his eyes no longer blue but all-black. Oliver shuddered at the terrible transformation that had overcome Chris. The powers he’d been given were not seer powers, that much was clear. Something else pumped through Chris’s blood. Something dark and evil.

  Oliver saw then that Chris was still fighting. He was pushing out with his limbs, battling against the force of the water, heading downward.

  He was aiming for the Orb.

  Oliver knew Chris had no idea what the Orb was for or why it mattered. He only wanted it because it was something Oliver cared about. Just like when they were kids, with toys and food, Chris would wreck everything just for the pleasure of upsetting Oliver. But whereas back then it only hurt him, now the whole School for Seers was at stake.

  There was no way Oliver was going to let Chris get there first.

  He pushed on, his muscles aching from the effort. The Orb lay nestled on the riverbed floor, wedged in a pillow of silt and mud. Sinking. Her light barely glowing now and fading with every second.

  Oliver stretched out his fingertips. Reaching, reaching. But the Orb kept sinking. Then suddenly, the light burned out.

  Panic took hold of Oliver. He could hardly see through the gloom.

  He thrust his hands into the mud, scrabbling around, desperate to get purchase of the Orb. Then his fingers touched something slightly warm. As smooth as glass.

  He plunged his left hand into the mud and heaved. The Orb of Kandra catapulted upward out of the mud and slammed into Oliver’s chest with the force of a bowling ball, winding him. There’d be a bruise on his ribs tomorrow but Oliver didn’t care about the pain. He had the Orb. He was single-minded. All that mattered was returning her to her rightful home on the plinth in the sixth dimension.

  As he wrapped his arms around her, cradling her, his heart swelling with relief, he saw that her light had gone out completely. He wondered if it was too late to save her.

  Without wasting a second, Oliver turned toward the south bank and began to swim, cradling the Orb of Kandra in his arms protectively.

  That’s when he saw that the Obsidian kids were running down onto the banks. Heading for the portals. For Esther and Ralph.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  The whirlpool finally lost its momentum and the water smashed back into place, swallowing Chris with it. As water swamped over his head, a surge of terror overwhelmed him like none he’d ever felt before. The weight of the water plunged down on him, pushing him down all the way into the darkness at the bottom of the Thames.

  He hit the river bed, then felt himself sink like a stone into the mud. His feet became stuck. The silt was like quicksand.

  Is this how I die? he thought desperately, his chest aching from lack of oxygen.

  After everything he’d been through, he’d failed. And now he was going to drown in a dirty river in 1690.

  As black stars started to flash in his oxygen-deprived vision, a sudden image flashed in Chris’s mind: Oliver cradling the Orb.

  Immediately, anger flooded through him. Red-hot anger. It was so strong it drove out every semblance of fear he’d been feeling.

  He was Chris Blue! He would not be defeated by his pathetic little brother! He would not die here at the bottom of the river, sinking in the quicksand! He would not be beaten. Not by anyone. And especially not by Oliver.

  Reaching down, Chris grabbed his right leg. He heaved upward. It was stuck fast but he wasn’t giving up. He gritted his teeth and tugged again. He felt the silt shift. It was moving. He was doing it. Freeing himself.

  With every ounce of strength he possessed, he heaved his leg out of the mud. Then he grabbed the other and heaved that one out too. Finally, he was freed.

  As he fought his way upward, he felt the final bits of oxygen in his lungs dwindle away. Weakness overcame him.

  A flash from the sky above the water showed him he was just inches from the surface. He could do it. Just one more push.

  Christopher burst out of the water and took a huge gasp of breath. His lungs filled quickly. He spluttered, coughing, gasping, flailing around his arms to stay afloat. Then his breathing began to slow. He’d done it. He’d saved himself from drowning.

  Chris looked about and saw his Obsidians had made their way to the banks and were now battling with Esther and the tall boy, who were both shivering, looking like drowned rats. The flashing of opposing light and flame were blinding, disorienting.

  Beside them, the two portals were activated.

  But Oliver himself was still in the water, the Orb tucked under one arm, forcing him to swim with only one. It was slowing him down.

  Chris still had a chance. One last chance. If Oliver went through the time portal he would never get this opportunity again.

  He went for it. He had to throw everything at this.

  He tapped into his powers, summoning a jet of bubbles to push him from behind. They surged him across the water, pushing him closer and closer to Oliver. He gained on him at a frightening speed.

  In the next flash of light, Chris saw Oliver reach the banks. Esther and the boy tried to help him up but Oliver was shouting at them.

  “Take the Orb!”

  Esther grabbed it. Then she turned and leapt through one of the portals. The tall boy jumped after her.

  Chris used his booming voice, now frantic. “Go through the portal!” he screamed at the Obsidians.

  But his dumb gang hadn’t seen which portal they’d entered. None of them knew which to jump through. They looked perplexed.

  “Idiots!” Chris screamed.

  Oliver was floundering onto the banks, trying to heave himself from the water. He seemed significantly weakened from the swim.

  But Chris was not. Despite almost drowning, the powers racing through his veins made him feel stronger than ever. He pushed even harder. He was so close.

  The banks came up to him just as Oliver leapt to his feet and hurried for the p
ortal.

  Chris rose out of the water and stretched his clawed hand out, attempting to grab hold of Oliver’s ankle. His fingers just caught the fabric of Oliver’s overalls.

  Oliver fell, his stomach slamming against the bank.

  Chris tried to get a better purchase, to pull Oliver back into the water. His brother kicked him, but the blows barely registered. Chris didn’t even feel the pain.

  He reached out with his other hand, trying to get hold of Oliver’s next ankle. But he lost his grip.

  Suddenly, there was nothing in Chris’s hands. Oliver had wiggled free like a slippery eel.

  Chris’s gaze darted upward in time to see Oliver fling himself through the left portal. Lightning crackled across its surface.

  “Follow him!” he screamed at the Obsidians.

  Madeleine ran for it. But it was too late. With a zap, the portal closed. She fell back on the ground with a thud.

  Oliver was gone.

  A scream of rage ripped from Chris’s chest.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  All around Oliver, the portal’s walls were shaking violently. Lights flashed by so quickly they were a blur.

  He had no idea whether Chris or any of the Obsidians had made it through the portal after him. Esther and Ralph had gone through first but Chris was right behind him. What if he’d come through too? There’d be no way of knowing until he reached the exit. If he reached the exit, that was.

  The portal seemed to take forever. It twisted and turned like a rollercoaster. Oliver felt the contents of his stomach sloshing.

  Then just as quickly as it had started, everything around Oliver changed. He felt his knees bump into something hard. A marble floor. He went skidding across it and hit his head into a wall.

  Oof.

  Before he regained his senses, he heard the screams of Esther and Ralph. Both came careening toward him. They slammed into him and all three ended up in a heap.

  “Where are we?” Ralph cried, untangling his limbs from Oliver.

  Oliver managed to pull himself to sitting just in time to see the wormhole close up. No one else had come through. They’d lost Chris! They’d left him on the other side in 1690!