by Jamie Davis
“They’d almost have to be, wouldn’t they? Of the original ten, five were fired as unsuitable, and three more went insane and had to be disposed of. Only this guy and one other ended up completing their requisite two kills.”
“Apparently, the new updates to the system, along with tweaks to the mind-control spells cast during VR immersion, fixed the issues they had. Did you hear that one of them even managed to get two kills his first session?”
The woman nodded as they stood next to the table with the naked candidate on it. “I assume he’ll be the next one for the transference ritual?”
“That would be my guess. He’s going to go back in tonight, but then he’s scheduled to be rewarded for his efforts.” The man let out an evil little chuckle as he continued, “I’ll bet it sucks to be the one who missed their target and gave him the opportunity.”
“So, only one of the missions failed with this batch? That’s certainly an improvement. Did they fire the one who failed?”
“No, she apparently shows particular promise, and it was determined they’d give her another chance at success. I heard from Velma that there was some unexplained glitch in the system that must’ve screwed up her control and masking spell. She and Phillip have plans to strengthen the spell to exert more control on the next try.”
The woman shook her head, her brow furrowed in concern. “How many do they expect to bring down for the rites over the next few days, then?”
“I’d guess at least the guy with two kills. He’ll have three or more by the end of the night. Perhaps one or two others if they get kills during tonight’s missions. There aren’t as many targets available, so they’ll be competing for the privilege.”
“I don’t know how they expect us to keep up the pace,” the woman snarled. “The Ruby Heart needs to recharge between rituals, or the transfers won’t take, and the subjects will eventually expel the spirit of the netherworld overlord inhabiting them.”
The man shrugged. “What do I know? I’m just supposed to prep them. Make sure all the runes are in place and correctly spelled out so the transfer can occur. They successfully completed the transference on that Jared guy yesterday. Now that they know for sure it works with at least two kills on their souls, surely they can complete the others. Why don’t you know? You’re the one on track to become a high priestess.”
The woman mumbled something Quinn couldn’t make out, and the guy laughed.
The two turned to regard the comatose body on the table.
The woman pointed at the guy’s chest. “What’s that? Is that your idea of a joke?”
“Yeah.” The guy chuckled. “I got bored and decided to add that rune for fun. What do you think?”
“Isn’t that the rune for bloodlust?”
The man nodded. “This one’s going to be a butcher if he ever gets the chance to make a kill while possessed. It’ll let the worst of the demonic penchant for carnage leak through his persona. That should make for interesting times, don’t you think?”
An evil grin crossed the woman’s face. “I just hope the boss doesn’t see it. He doesn’t like it when you improvise.”
“He never pays attention to the runes,” the man said, waving his hand, dismissing the woman’s concern. “By the time this guy gets to Myles, the ritual will be in full swing, and everyone will be focused on their chanting and the Ruby Heart.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m not taking the fall if it comes down to finding out who did that.”
“You’d rat me out?”
“In a heartbeat. But that’s on you now. It’s too late to change the runes before the ritual of transference happens. Come on, let’s wheel him out of here and get him down to the caverns so he’s ready to go for the ceremony later.”
They each gripped one end of the table, unlocking the wheels and rolling him toward the door opposite the one Quinn had entered through.
A keypad and card access point on the wall by the door lit up as the woman pulled out her badge and swiped it. The door popped open, and they wheeled the table with the naked guy out of the room and down what looked like another passage.
Quinn climbed out of her hiding place as soon as they had left the room and ran over to try to reach the door before it closed. She’d caught a glimpse of the hall that lay on the far side as they opened the door and passed through, but she wanted to know more about what lay on the far side.
Just before her hands reached the door, it clicked closed, and the lock reengaged. She carefully checked the handle just to be sure, but the door didn’t budge.
Quinn considered everything she’d heard. It all but confirmed Clark’s suspicions about what might be going on with the candidates. If he was right, they intended to invite some sort of demonic creature or spirit to take over that guy’s body.
It also meant she, and especially Taylor, were in grave danger. If Taylor managed to make another kill in tonight’s test session, she could be up for a trip to this mysterious ritual too.
Quinn moved to the other door, checking the window to make sure the corridor was clear before pushing it open. She raced back down the basement hallway and entered the stairwell.
She checked the time. The other candidates would begin arriving soon. She needed to get back upstairs and try to catch Taylor in time to talk her into going home before the testing began.
She hoped her friend listened to reason for once.
Chapter Eleven
No sooner had Quinn arrived back on the main level than a voice called to her from farther up the hallway.
“You there. What were you doing in that stairwell? That area is supposed to be off-limits for candidates.”
Quinn froze for an instant, her mind racing for an answer. Plastering a smile on her face as she turned around, Quinn said, “I’m sorry. I needed to work out, and honestly, the stair climber in the gym is crap. I get a much better workout running actual steps, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I didn’t go anywhere else, honest.”
The woman who called to her approached. Quinn didn’t know her name, but she recognized her as one of Phillip’s and Velma’s colleagues. She was a test monitor for another of the candidates.
The woman scowled. It was clear she didn’t believe what Quinn had said.
“Is it time to get ready for the next test session already?” Quinn asked, keeping up her story. Maybe she could bluff her way past this woman’s suspicions.
“That’s still a half-hour or so away. I want to know what you’re doing here so early.”
“I told you, I’m here to work out. I screwed up yesterday and didn’t get my kill. Phillip told me to work harder, and I figured a workout beforehand to loosen me up couldn’t hurt. I’m hoping it’ll help me be more focused the next time. I talked to him when I got here. You can ask him if you don’t believe me.”
The woman nodded but didn’t seem convinced. She appeared to consider something before she raised her right hand in front of Quinn’s face and made a strange gesture, as if drawing a symbol in the air. She murmured the word “truth” while staring into Quinn’s eyes.
The amulet on Quinn’s chest grew bitingly cold. She’d never felt it react this strongly before, but she had little doubt the woman had just tried to use some sort of magic on her. Realizing what the woman was trying to do to her from the word she uttered, Quinn let her eyes glaze over as she focused on the wall just past the woman’s head. She let her mouth fall open a little, too.
The woman nodded. “Tell me what you were really doing. Don’t lie to me.”
Quinn answered in a monotone, “I don’t want to fail again. I came in to work early so I could work out and show I was willing to get better. I hate being embarrassed.”
There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Quinn resisted the urge to shift her eyes to the left to try to read the woman’s expression. She knew that would give her away instantly.
Instead, Quinn focused on the plain white wall and tried to hold very still.
The woman let out a
n exasperated sigh. “Come with me. I know it’s early, but we might as well get you prepped for today’s session. I want to keep an eye on you.”
The woman grabbed Quinn’s upper arm and led her down the hall. Quinn tried to play up the act, shuffling her feet as she allowed herself to be steered back toward the entrance to the test wing.
Quinn knew she had taken a chance. She had no idea what someone under this kind of spell acted like.
She got the answer she’d feared soon enough. She found out she hadn’t gotten it quite right when they reached the locker room. Another of the monitors, a man this time, was coming down the hall as they got to the women’s locker room door.
The woman with Quinn waved the man over. “Jack, come here. Have you seen Phil Ruiz? I found this one in the stairwell by the weight room. She says she’s one of his.”
“No, but knowing what happened yesterday and the chewing out he got from the boss, he and Velma are probably double- and triple-checking the system and control spells in their room before tonight’s mission.”
He turned to consider Quinn, who tried to keep the vacant focus in her eyes without looking anywhere in particular. “You said she was in the stairwell? Had she been in the basement?”
“I have no idea. She claims to have been running up and down the steps instead of using the cardio equipment in the gym.”
“Well, she shouldn’t have been in there, no matter what she was trying to do. It looks like she’s compliant enough now. You charmed her?”
The woman nodded. “I used a truth charm. I can’t shake the feeling she’s resisting my spell somehow, though. She’s answering me and following instructions, but I don’t know. Something isn’t right.”
“Do you want to try a joint mind-control spell?”
The woman nodded. “I think that would be a good idea, just to be sure. I don’t know why, but I don’t trust her.”
“If she’s Phil’s, then she’s the one who screwed up yesterday. That makes her his problem. I don’t want to use up my energy to cast something he should do.”
“I don’t either, but I’ve got things of my own to attend to, and it shouldn’t take much power together to be sure. Then I can leave her here to get ready without worrying about her wandering around.”
“Oh, very well. Let’s get this over with. Phil’s going to owe me, though.” The man came closer to stand next to the woman, and the two of them turned to face Quinn. Both raised their right hands, making nearly identical gestures as they muttered words under their breath.
Quinn couldn’t quite make out the words this time, so she didn’t know how to react.
It didn’t matter.
All of a sudden, Quinn found herself having a sort of out-of-body experience. She could still see and hear everything that was going on, but she was unable to control her body or her voice anymore. She felt it the instant her control was wrested away by the joint spell. The amulet blazed ice-cold against her chest, but it didn’t remain that way.
This time, the silver charm was unable to completely defeat the power of the dual spell casters, and she found herself under the physical control of the two magic users. Quinn’s gut wrenched as doubt about the wisdom of coming back here crashed over her.
“That seems to of done it,” Jack said. “What do you think, Audrey?”
The woman nodded as well. “It seems like it took without much resistance that time. Did you feel anything?”
“I felt a slight pushback at the first stage of the spell, but it disappeared soon enough. She might just be naturally resistant.”
“What, like a hunter? That’s crazy. There aren’t any hunters left.”
“There could be a genetic component to the resistance, too. It doesn’t matter, though. The spell clearly worked this time. Do you need me to stay here, or do you have this?”
Audrey nodded. “I’ve got her now. I’ll take care of it.”
The woman took Quinn by the arm and gave her a shove toward the women’s locker room door. “Let’s get you inside and changed. Whatever you’ve got going on, we’re going to break you of it in the next testing session. Phillip and Velma won’t tolerate anybody trying to put one over on them.”
Quinn’s body stiffened at the commands from the woman, and her legs moved to comply without any control from her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop or even slow herself. She walked into the locker room and over to the locker she’d used the day before.
“Get changed, then sit and wait here on the bench until I return.” Audrey delivered her order and headed back to the toilet stalls by the showers.
Quinn worked harder to force her will through the spell’s control over her.
It was no use.
Without hesitating, Quinn undressed, folding her shorts and t-shirt and placing them on the locker’s top shelf. Once she’d stripped down to her panties and sports bra, she removed the freshly laundered jumpsuit.
As she slipped into the skintight outfit, Quinn realized she still had her amulet around her neck. She could feel the slightly chilled metal against her chest as the jumpsuit pressed it to her skin. Quinn breathed a mental sigh of relief that Audrey had left the room while she dressed. The woman didn’t see the hunter amulet or ask her to remove it.
Quinn continued to fight for control as she shut the locker, setting the lock with her thumbprint. She walked over to the bench, where she sat facing the far wall, waiting obediently for the woman’s return.
Audrey sported a satisfied grin as she returned to the dressing area to find Quinn sitting and awaiting further instructions. “Well, that’s better. You are to sit here until the other candidates arrive and begin dressing. Once one of them leaves the locker room for the next VR session, you may leave as well. You are to go directly to your test chamber and check in with Phillip and Velma. I will advise them of my suspicions. I’m sure they will have more to say to you after I’ve talked to them.”
Quinn remained on the wooden bench in front of the lockers, her back rigid, her eyes locked on the far wall. The woman gave a brief chuckle, then left Quinn alone in the locker room.
As soon as she departed, Quinn redoubled her efforts to free herself. She tried everything she could think of.
Nothing worked.
She failed to move even a finger as she sat there. The magic the two spell-casters had used on her remained in complete control. It could have been worse. She was pretty sure they had meant to control her thoughts and memory as well, which meant she’d resisted the spell in part. Still, she was forced for now to comply with Audrey’s orders until the spell wore off or something changed.
Quinn continued to try with desperate futility to regain control of herself. By the time she’d waited the half-hour it took for the other candidates to begin to arrive, she was mentally exhausted.
Taylor came in with a group of other candidates to get changed. She spotted Quinn sitting on the bench and came over right away.
When Quinn didn’t even glance in her direction, Taylor said, “Hey, judging from the look on your face and the silent treatment, I guess you’re a little pissed off with me for blowing you off when you texted me earlier. I’m sorry. Claire and Gary are really fun to hang with, and we were in the middle of a super-hard quest. You know what that’s like.”
Quinn struggled to force words from her mouth, but she couldn’t say anything. She could only stare up at Taylor from where she sat.
After a few seconds, Taylor let out an exasperated grunt. “Fine, I was trying to apologize for bailing on you. If you’re not going to talk to me, I guess we’ll just have to leave it there. Maybe you’ll change your tune after the VR session.”
Taylor spun, flipping her hair with a dramatic twist of her head, and went over to her locker, where she dressed in her jumpsuit for the next session.
A few minutes later, the first group of girls headed out of the locker room. The woman’s commands took over again, and she followed them out.
When she reached
her testing room, Quinn pulled open the door and entered the outer control room, where Phillip and Velma waited.
Phillip smiled when she walked in. “Ah, look who’s here. Audrey told us she had to cast a reinforcement spell on you after you resisted her attempts to question you.”
Velma chuckled from where she sat at the desk behind the computer equipment. “Audrey’s a paranoid bitch, Phil. You know that.”
Phillip shook his head. “Maybe, but after the issues we had with last night’s session, it’s best to leave the compulsion spell in place for now.”
He turned to Quinn and pointed to the door leading into the main testing room with the VR gear. “Go ahead and get yourself ready for the session. You’d better not screw up this time, Quinn. I expect a kill from you, or we’re going to have some major questions for you when you come out of the mission.”
Quinn headed into the test room, following Phillip’s instructions to the letter. She sat down on the VR exam couch, picked up the headset, and lowered it over the crown of her head. Once it was in place, she lay back, staring at the ceiling and waiting for Phillip’s order to lower her visor.
Something different happened in the sequence this time, though. Phillip came in and stood next to her. He lowered her visor for her, then began waving his hands as she’d seen the other two monitors do when they took control earlier.
He sketched shapes and figures in the air over her with two fingers outstretched on each hand. He muttered a chant under his breath at the same time.
Darkness started folding inward from the edges of her vision. Quinn struggled to keep listening and focus on retaining control, but a sudden, sharp pain stabbed through her mind as a mental yank at her consciousness pulled her away.
Phillip’s chanting faded, and everything went black.
Chapter Twelve
Quinn’s eyes popped open.
She stood in a crowd of people. They moved around her, and a few even bumped into her as she stood at the curb near the corner of a busy city street.
