by Rain Oxford
We all looked at him. “How did you come up with that number?” I asked.
He frowned. “Sorry, I was lying to make you feel better. I really have no idea.”
“You couldn’t do better than sixty-three percent?”
He shrugged. “Many curses are broken by killing the inflictor. Since Vitalis is drawing from their souls continuously, it should wake them if we kill him, as long as we make it in time.”
“How do we kill him?” Remy asked.
“Well, my preferred method to kill someone is to shoot them in the face,” I said. “Can I shoot a ghost in the face?”
“Since the body is up and moving around now, Vitalis isn’t a ghost,” Darwin pointed out.
“Oh. A zombie?”
“Zombies are dead. He’s resurrected. Or at least, most of the way resurrected.”
“It doesn’t matter what he is,” Remy said. “If he has a physical body, we should be able to kill him as we would a wizard.”
We all looked to Dr. Martin, who shrugged. “I have the ability to see, hear, and somewhat control ghosts, but like your mind control powers, I have to practice and develop necromancy. I can raise zombies and command an army of the dead, but the hell if I know how.”
“That might be good to know later. I want to get my elemental sword.” I had already grabbed my gun before going to the infirmary. “Remy, bring your guns. Darwin, where is the amulet?”
“Henry has it, but it’s cracked, so I doubt it’ll be effective.”
“Did you remember anything else from the night you followed the kids?” Remy asked.
“No. Okay, here’s the plan. We need to get Jessica under watch. Darwin, you stay here and watch the kids. We’ll have Dani bring Jessica in here. Tell me if there is any change in them or if Jessica is compelled to leave. Dr. Martin and Remy, we’ll go to the tomb. Doctor, summon him, then do everything you can to control him, hold him still, keep him in a single spot. Remy, you kick ass. I’ll use my gun for far-range, my elemental sword for close-range, and mind-reading to predict his attack.”
“Magic swords are not for battle,” Remington argued. “You would have learned that in your last semester of Quintessence.”
“What are they for, then?”
“Rituals, mostly. They’re used for magic.”
“What about my staff. Can that be used as a weapon?”
She sighed and rubbed her temples. “I thought Meredith Aros taught you how to use your staff when you made it in Tools of Magic.”
“I know it’s supposed to enhance my magic, but she said how it does depends on how we use it. I figured it was one of those things we have to learn on our own.”
“You don’t go to a university to figure everything out on your own.”
“I went to uni because Dad wanted me to,” Darwin said.
“Did you learn anything at Quintessence?” Remy asked him.
“Yeah, sure.”
“I need to teach you how to use your staff, because it is a powerful tool,” Remy said to me.
“So it can be used as a weapon.”
“Yes. It could also kill you if you use it wrong.”
“Then in the meantime, I’ll use my gun, mind-reading, and magic. You use your guns, magic, and sharp tongue for far-range attacks.”
“I can do that. Use your lightning ability on him.”
“I haven’t been able to do that since I gave up the key.”
“I thought Keigan taught you to do it before you got the key.”
“Soon before, yes. I’m pretty sure it had to do with Dothra, Langril, or the key.”
“The walls between the worlds were weakening because the key wasn’t claimed,” Darwin said. “You’re probably spot on. Now that you have no connection to Dothra and the walls are strong, it wouldn’t make sense for you to have any such power.”
“Alright. We’ll make do with what we do have.”
“I have claws and sharp teeth. Why am I the childminder?” Darwin asked.
“Because your brain works from a distance and we really need the children to be guarded. Bring your gloves, though, because you might have to restrain them.”
He smirked. “Does that mean I have your full permission to restrain them by any means necessary?”
“They’re fifteen.”
He scoffed.
* * *
Eugene tried to stop us, but Dr. Martin easily brushed him off. As I led the doctor and Remy to the tomb, we discussed verbal cues we could give each other to modify our plan. When we reached the tomb, Remy and Dr. Martin marveled at it for a few minutes.
Then Dr. Martin got to work on the summoning circle. Although it only worked on the dead, he wasn’t convinced that Vitalis had fully resurrected yet, since the children were still alive. I watched closely for moving shadows or dog-monsters.
Once Dr. Martin was done creating the magic circle, he recited a long incantation in a foreign language. When he was finished, the circle started glowing. A moment later, Vitalis appeared. Well, something did.
He looked more like a mummy, because although he had skin, the skin was dried and stretched over his bones. He had the same dark blue eyes as he had when he was alive. I didn’t sense the same power as he had at the end of the vision, but I doubted he was at full strength. He was wearing a thin black wizard robe, so I couldn’t see exactly how bad his condition was.
My tattoo prickled for a moment, then stopped for a moment, and then started again. Even my foot didn’t know if the bastard was alive or not.
He looked at me. “You again? I killed you.” His voice sounded about what I would expect a mummy to sound like; it was dry and deep. At least he was speaking in English.
“You obviously failed.” I gently released my power to read his mind. I sensed Remy’s, which I recognized, and Dr. Martin’s, which my magic shuddered away from. Dr. Martin was a creepy, weird demon, but I considered him as a trustworthy friend. His mind, however, was like touching a cold, slimy slug.
Although Vitalis’s mind was blocked, it could be broken. I hoped that if I could distract him and keep him still, I could break through his mental wall. “That gargoyle must have saved you. She will not a second time.”
“No, we’ll stop you just fine on our own. We know you want to feed off the kids.”
“Only until I am back to my full power. Then they will no longer be needed.”
“And they’ll die.”
“Yes.”
“Just like you’ve killed hundreds of people.”
“Yes. Then I will be ready.”
“To open the gate.”
He scowled. “How did you find out?”
“I’ve got your book.”
His body posture changed and my instincts told me he was about to bolt. I still hadn’t broken through his mental defenses. Nevertheless, we were out of time. I made a gesture to Remington and we both simultaneously drew our weapons.
Vitalis didn’t look afraid in the least.
“Stop!” Darwin shouted in my mind. “The kids!” He forced the image into my mind and I saw Jessica staring blankly at him, pressing a dagger to her own throat.
I pulled my mind back to myself. “Stop!” I yelled, startling Remy.
“He hasn’t done anything quite yet,” Remy said.
“He’s controlling the children. Jessica has a dagger to her throat.”
Vitalis smirked again. “You are an interesting wizard. Release me, or they will all die.”
I holstered my gun and gestured for Remy to do the same. She did without arguing. “Doctor, let him go.”
“Are you sure?”
“It doesn’t help to kill him now if the kids die with him.”
Dr. Martin made a gesture with his hands and chanted in another language. The circle stopped glowing suddenly and Vitalis vanished.
“I hope you’re right about this,” Remy said.
“We’ll regroup and come up with another plan. We have to stop him and save the kids.”
&nbs
p; Chapter 15
“How was he killed the first time?” Remy asked. We were in the infirmary. Darwin locked all five of the comatose students and Jessica in another room, took the knife, and joined us.
“I don’t know. The book didn’t cover that part, which is probably why my vision didn’t. I could try again, though.”
“That hit you hard enough last time that using a vision again so soon could seriously damage your health, not to mention make you useless in facing Vitalis,” Darwin said. “Plus, there’s a fair chance it wouldn’t do any good anyway.”
“Who killed him?” Remy asked.
“A wizard named Alistair.” Her face showed no sign that she recognized the name. I wasn’t surprised; I highly doubted Hunt ever told her about him.
“Why don’t we ask him?”
“That was a hundred years ago, he’s probably dead.” Dr. Martin gave me a look. “Right. We can call his ghost.”
“We can, but there are risks for doing so,” Dr. Martin said. “It might be hard to banish him. I suggest we talk to Eugene instead.”
“That’s a good idea. He knows Vitalis better than anyone and helped Alistair defeat Vitalis.”
“Don’t tell me I have to keep babysitting,” Darwin said.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Why not just have Rocky do it?”
“There are six of them and one of her. The only way she could stop them from hurting themselves is to hurt them. She’s made of stone.”
“I wish Henry would man up.”
“That’s not helpful to us right now. You can’t force someone to change.”
“You changed.”
“Slowly, with trust and acceptance. We need a solid plan, and that means we have to be able to count on each other.”
“But up until a week ago, Henry was someone we could count on. You have trouble letting someone in once they’ve betrayed you. I have trouble pushing them out. Besides, we have proof ghosts exist.”
“Yes, and he saw Miranda’s ghost, so that proof obviously wouldn’t do much good. Now, we need as many tools and backup plans as possible.”
“I have my magic and guns. That’s about it,” Remy said.
“Can you make wards like your…? I mean, can you make wards?”
“Nice save, bro,” Darwin praised sarcastically. “You almost accidentally asked if she could do what her dad could.”
“I know what I almost accidentally did. Shut up.”
“Defense isn’t my best magic, no,” Remy said. “I pretty much run hot to explosive, so I don’t normally worry about protecting myself. Rosin was always the one who protected me. That’s another reason I have to keep my father out of this; I won’t be protected anymore.”
“Okay. I’ll have Rocky watch our backs while we fight. Our attack plan is exactly the same as last time, with three major exceptions. One; we’re going to better protect the kids. Two; we’re going to make him less of a threat. Three; I’m going to stop hindering my one major strength.”
“You mean the chain?” Remy asked.
“Yes. I don’t know if my mind control will work on him, but if it can’t, maybe it can interfere with his control over the kids.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“We’ll restrain the kids, lock them in a room with nothing harmful in the least, and guard them with magic circles and spells to keep the ghosts and dog creature out.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Remy said.
“Great. Then yank my chain.” She cleared her throat. “I know how that sounds, but I’m being serious.” I pulled up my shirt sleeve and ran my finger over the edge of the chain. “It hurts worse than being shot or stabbed and if I let go for an instant, I’ll have to start all over. Thus, I need you to pull it off me and don’t let go. We’ll need a box or something to lock it in.”
“I have a blood-lock chest,” Remy said. “Let Andrew take it off, though.”
“Why?”
“Because if you scream like a girl, I’ll never be able to sleep with you.”
“That’s a good point. I don’t plan on screaming, but why take the chance?”
She smirked. “I’ll get the chest and bring it here.” She left.
“Doctor, I need you to pull this and not let go no matter what I say.”
He grinned. “That sounds like fun. Although I don’t have the bloodlust Keigan has, I do enjoy torture.”
He took the chain and started pulling as Hunt had demonstrated. The pain was instant and terrible, but I managed not to shout. The pain never got easier as he peeled it off. I was panting, sweat pouring off my face, when Remy returned with a box.
It was six inches wide, four inches deep, three inches tall, and made of wood with a flat top. There was no buckle or lock on the front, so I figured it was magic alone that kept it closed. She opened it and set it on the counter. Dr. Martin carefully put the chain the box. The chain was clearly trying to slip out of his hand and get back to me. With both of them working together, they got it inside and the box closed.
“Now it won’t open without my blood,” Remy said.
“Thank you. I’m going to call Vincent for the next part of the plan.” I sent out my mental powers across the distance and felt Vincent’s mental wall. I broke through that wall in an instant. “I need your assistance.”
A few seconds later, the shadows converged in the corner of the room and Vincent appeared. “Never do that again,” he demanded. He was visibly disturbed.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have time to waste. I need you to modify the chain.”
“That couldn’t wait?”
“No. We’re about to face a very powerful wizard who kicked my ass twice.”
He frowned and then spotted my arm. “What do you need?”
“Can you modify it to wrap around him and block all of his power?”
“If you have his blood, I can make it seek him out, but I can’t change the nature of the chain. I would have to make a new one, which would take at least a week.”
“Shit. We don’t have that kind of time. Okay. This one is designed to stop me from controlling other people. The wizard, Vitalis was resurrected using the blood and souls of six students, which he’s controlling. Can you modify the chain to break his control over the kids?”
“Wait, slow down. What are you talking about?”
I gave him a very quick summery of Vitalis and the kids, without giving him details that would point to Hunt or reveal my ghost-seeing powers. When I was done, he still looked confused.
“I suppose I can do it, but I would need his blood.”
“I don’t know that he has any of his own blood. We know he used blood from all six kids. Will that work?”
“Possibly.”
“That’s better than nothing. How long will it take?”
“Three hours. And you will have to call your mother and explain why I had to leave in the middle of our vacation.”
“I’ll do that, as long as you swear you never tell me what you two were doing on the vacation.”
Dr. Martin got samples of blood from each student and gave them to Vincent. Remington opened the box and carefully handed him the chain. He disappeared into the shadows again.
“Darwin and Remy, you two find another room, empty it of anything dangerous, set up protection for the students, and then move the students there. Doctor, you and I will talk to Eugene and see if we can’t get any helpful tips.”
“There is something else to consider,” Darwin said. “You may have to make a tough decision, and fast. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If he opens the gates, we can kiss Earth goodbye.”
“Are you suggesting that we let the kids die in order to stop Vitalis?”
“Only if it’s necessary. If it comes down to stopping Vitalis or saving the kids, Vitalis is going to kill a lot more than six people. It’s simple math.”
“People are not math.”
“I can’t make you do it, mate, but I’m moving t
o another world if he gets that gate open.”
* * *
Dr. Martin and I didn’t talk on the way to the library. It was a tense, but not awkward, silence. When we reached the library, I saw that Ms. Sommerfeld was still gone. “I hope the librarian is okay. I haven’t seen her in a few days.”
Dr. Martin shrugged, unconcerned. “Eugene Cecil Greenwood, if you willingly answer our questions, I will not have to entrap you again.”
After a few minutes, Eugene appeared in front of the gas lamp-trigger with his arms crossed. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”
“We haven’t done any damage,” I said. “You were the one who let the kids through.”
“I don’t have a body? How could I stop them? The best I can do is make them sick, and I can’t do that when that damned fox familiar is near.”
“Misaki and Cy were here on that first Sunday, before and after the kids snuck in.”
“The fox stayed when Cy left to tell him when it was safe for him to return.”
“She didn’t tell him the other six snuck in?”
“How should I know?”
“Never mind that for now. We all want to stop him, so we’re on the same side. How did you and Alistair defeat Vitalis?”
“Aside from the fact that I was meant to be the seventh sacrifice, I described the ritual to Alistair. He was able to defeat Vitalis because he knew what was coming. Oh, and because I stole the Claviculus for him.”
“Then tell us what you told Alistair.”
“What is it with you wizards always taking the easy way out?”
“Get on with it.”
“There is a magic circle, a magic ceremonial sword, the Claviculus, and the receptacle.”
“Receptacle?”
“A vessel,” Dr. Martin said.
“Not in this case,” Eugene said. “The term is versatile in magic. The receptacle means the spot where the portal opens. The elder gods are massive; the gate has to be large enough for them to come through. From there, they can break out of the cave to reach the surface.”
“Then the tomb is the receptacle?”
“The tomb is the ritual room that opens into the receptacle.”
“How does he do it?”
“The magic circle has to be there first. If you can destroy it before he starts the first incantation, you can stop him. Once he starts, don’t bother messing up the circle. After he’s done with the first incantation, the seventh sacrifice must be made. Then he will read another incantation. Once he’s done, it’s too late.”
