by Brenda Drake
Arkwright stood and straightened her robe. Her hair slicked back from her face emphasized her wrinkles. After giving her opening statement, she turned to the high wizards.
“Welcome, Your Majesties. I trust you all have had the opportunity to review the recordings from yesterday’s proceedings.”
Merl stood. “We have,” he said, and returned to his seat.
“The high wizards have the power to overturn any death ruling they deem unwarranted.” She slipped her glasses on to read the paper in front of her. “Toad of Darkdale, please rise.”
Toad shook so hard he could hardly stand erect. One of the guards grabbed his arm to steady him.
“Are you well enough to continue?” Arkwright asked.
“I am,” Toad said.
“Are you aware of the possibility of death?”
“I am.”
“Do you have any final words for the council?” she said.
Toad darted a look over at Nick and me. An ominous energy surrounded me. It was like invisible creatures slithered across my skin. “That I love Gian as brother, and I am sorrowful I can no prevent his death.”
“The council has exonerated you of all charges.” Arkwright removed her glasses. “You have suffered dearly for a crime you did not commit. The havens have agreed to compensate you for the time served. Asile has agreed to house you for the remainder of your years.”
Something long and thin soared across the arena, and I flinched. An arrow punctured Toad’s throat with a sickening, wet-sounding thud, and I inhaled a startled gasp. Blood sprayed out as the point pierced through the other side of his neck. Toad collapsed forward, falling over the stone barrier separating the seating from the stage. His lifeless body thumped onto the floor below.
I shot to my feet, my hands covering my mouth. No, no, no, no. Toad!
The arena exploded with screams. People scrambled for the exits.
Panicked breaths consumed me, and I practically choked on the air rushing into my lungs. Don’t freak out.
Another arrow flew, then buried into one of the guard’s chest.
Calm down. Breathe in. Breathe out. I concentrated until the fear and shock passed over me.
One by one, arrows staked the guards.
The next arrow found its way into one of the high wizard’s stomach. He fell back against his chair, and the other wizards ducked down.
I tried to form my globe, but nothing happened. The charm over the arena prevented magic. I kicked off my heels and hopped over the bench in front of me.
“Gia, get down!” Bastien yelled.
“Get Nick out of here,” I ordered, and swung myself over the banister onto the stage.
“Gia!” Bastien’s panicked voice didn’t stop me.
An arrow whizzed by, barely missing me as I jumped onto the stage floor. I dashed to the nearest fallen guard and picked up his sword and shield, then sprinted for the high wizards cowering behind the banister in front of their seats. They were sitting ducks. The barrier didn’t offer much protection, since the arrows were coming from the highest point of the arena. Another arrow sliced into a red-headed high wizard. From where the arrows originated and how they were spaced apart, I knew there were possibly two shooters. What I didn’t know was how many arrows the shooters had.
Spotting one of the archers at the top of the stairs, an arrow aimed at Merl. The archer released his bow and I scrambled over the barrier and jumped in front of the arrow soaring for Merl. I blocked it with the shield, and it ricocheted off.
“Move with me!” I yelled to Merl and the others. “We’re going for that door.” I nodded toward it.
I sidestepped toward the door, putting myself between the high wizards and the shooters. Another arrow whizzed for us and I sliced it off with the broad side of my sword. The arrow died on the ground. The next arrow missed us by a foot. We moved as quickly as we could. Just a few more feet and we’d reach the door.
I hissed as an arrow grazed my arm. Merl pushed the door open and the other wizards rushed through it. Before shutting the door behind me, I caught sight of the stage below. Arkwright was nailed to the table with an arrow and the man beside her lay back in his chair, an arrow sticking out of his chest.
Guards rushed in from all the doors, and I spotted the shooter trying to escape through a nearby exit.
Pia?
The guards overtook her and she struggled in their grasp. I followed where Pia’s eyes were staring. Reya swung an arrow at a guard as she tried to get away. The guard lunged at her with his sword extended, burying the blade into her stomach.
“No!” Pia screamed.
Reya looked at her with sorrowful eyes. The guard pulled his sword out and Reya crumpled to the floor.
Pia collapsed in the guards’ hold. “Oh, Reya!” She hung her head and sobbed.
I charged up the steps to her. “Why?”
She looked up at me, tears dropping from her cheeks. “I-I warned you not to come. We didn’t want to hurt you or Nick.”
“You sent the note?”
She nodded and tears splashed onto her shirt. “He’s one of Conemar’s men. Many of our people are dead because of Conemar. Women, children—” A sob cut off her sentence. “Our haven was attacked because of him. Toad deserved to die. You’re a sheep, Gia. You trust too easily. You think there’s only one threat.”
“Why kill the high wizards?”
“Because the Council is corrupt. They stood by and let the Mystiks attack our haven. Our Sentinels sent out a call for help. No one came. No one came…” She lowered her head.
Bastien placed his hand on my shoulder. “Gia, come with me.”
I faced him. “Why didn’t anyone answer Santara’s call for help?”
“The distress call was blocked,” Bastien said. “The Monitors didn’t receive it in time.”
“That’s a lie,” Pia snapped. “The call was received. Someone chose to ignore it. There’s a secret group of humans who want to end the Mystik world. They’re connected to someone here. And because Santara has fought for Mystik rights, she was targeted by this group.”
“The rumor of this group has been around for ages,” Bastien said. “Do you have proof the call was received? Or proof that this group exists?”
“No.” Pia lowered her head, defeated. “We haven’t, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t so.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do. You murdered many here today. You will go to trial for your actions.” Bastien turned to the guards and nodded at Pia. “Take her away.”
Pia pulled against the guards’ hold. “Gia, The Red—”
The guards dragged her to an exit.
“Wait,” I said. “What is she saying?”
Pia twisted her neck, staring at me with pain-filled eyes. “The Red didn’t attack Santara. Someone else—”
The guards shoved Pia through an open exit and the door slammed behind them. She was gone.
“What did she mean?”
Bastien took my hand and led me down the stone steps. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She’s gone mad. The Red jumped to Santara mere minutes before the attack. The Monitors recorded it.”
He was probably right. No one in their right mind would kill so many people. Pia was delusional. But my heart ached for her and Reya. They’d become my friends. We trained together, shared meals, and hung out. But there were ways of protesting other than killing people, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around what they’d done. Besides, The Red attacked their haven.
With him jumping into Santara so soon before the attack, it had to be him. And the thought of The Red sent shivers across my body. I never wanted to face him again. But my sinking stomach told me I would have to one day.
Curers rushed into the arena, tending to the victims. Blood filled the cracks of the floor around Toad. His face looked peaceful, as though he was finally free. I covered my face with my hands and cried. Bastien wrapped his arms around me.
“You scared me.” His warm breath brushed
my hair. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you were taken.”
“I’m a warrior, remember?” My words sounded tough, but the quake in my voice said differently.
“Well, you certainly reminded me today.”
Merl crossed the room to us. “Gia, are you all right?”
I untangled myself from Bastien. “Yeah, I’m good. Are you okay?”
“Yes, thanks to you.” He smiled, but it couldn’t mask the hurt in his soft gray eyes. “You saved lives today. So many more would’ve fallen if you hadn’t been here.”
I should have saved more lives, or prevented it entirely. When that note from Pia came, telling me to stay away, I should have alerted the council. Because of my inaction, several people were murdered. I hung my head and sucked back the emotions threatening to tear out of me.
“You’re injured,” Bastien said, freeing me from my haunting thoughts. “We should have a curer look at that.”
“It’s only a scratch.” Blood trickled through a rip in my sleeve. “Where’s Nick?”
“I had some guards take him to safety.”
“I can’t believe Pia and Reya did this.” I picked a piece of my ripped shirt out of my wound. The pain finally registered in my arm and I winced.
“There’s no telling what a person will do after seeing their home destroyed like they had,” Merl said, motioning a curer to join us. “I’ve sent word to Professor Attwood. He’s coming to see you and Nick home safely. Bastien, you are to escort Augustin back to Couve. He is a little shaken by the attack.”
Bastien glanced at the new High Wizard of his haven before saying, “Yes, certainly.” There was sadness in his eyes. Was it only because of what had happened in the arena, or also because he was thinking of his deceased father who had once ruled Couve?
I wanted to go to him, to ease his pain, but the curer, a small Italian woman with large hands and dark hair, was inspecting my cut.
There wasn’t anything for the curers to do for the ones hit by Reya and Pia’s arrows. They were gone. The weapons found their marks—the most damaging targets. The precision of the attack reminded me of the tree in the graveyard by the Sentinels’ gym. The cuts were close together, probably practice shots from Pia and Reya. I didn’t even know they had bows and arrows. I had never seen them.
The curer wiped my wound, slathered some gunk on it, and wrapped my arm with a bandage. A small girl handed me a tin cup filled with water.
I smiled down at her and she beamed up at me. “Thank you.”
“You have a fan,” Bastien said.
A guard rushed up to us. “Excuse me, Your Highness. The dead girl had a transmitter rod. We overheard orders given to someone over it. The person was instructed to intercept Professor Attwood. To use him to obtain the Chiavi in Asile’s possession.”
They were going after Uncle Philip.
I dropped the cup, my heart dropping with it.
Chapter Fourteen
I kicked off my shoes and ran through the cobbled streets. People darted out of my way. A girl carrying a sword and shield had to be scary for them. Heavy breaths burned my lungs as I sprinted down the hills and to the outbuilding. My bare feet, bruised and cracked from pounding against the stones, were on fire. Once in the tunnel, I created a light globe. The smacking of my feet against the puddle-covered, rocky ground resounded down the corridor. Clunking footsteps came from behind me.
“Gia!” Bastien called after me. “Wait for us.”
“What are you doing?” Nick added. “We don’t have any light— Ow. See? I just ran into a cave wall. Shit. And it’s really jagged.”
I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Uncle Philip was coming for us and he was in danger. I hit the latch to the bookcase and it swung open. The Riccardiana Library was eerily quiet. I eased out, holding the sword in front of me, ready to strike.
A buzzing sound came from my side.
I whirled around. “Atenae?”
She bounced frantically on the air beside me. “He’s this way. Hurry. Hurry, hurry, hurry…” her voice faded down the row of bookcases. Several faeries swarmed after her.
“Tell me the charm!” a man’s voice boomed from the other side of the room.
I strained my eyes to see through the darkness. Moonlight lit up a beefy man holding a large machete and hovering over someone on the floor. Light shone on something above his head. The man wore a crown—the stolen Chiave.
“I-I don’t know what charm you speak of,” Uncle Philip said, his voice shaky.
I took a deep breath and held it, sliding my feet across the floor, easing closer, barely making a sound.
“You know the one,” the man growled. “The one to unlock the gateways.”
Uncle Philip quickly crab-crawled away from the man, but a bookcase behind him stopped his retreat.
The man took two powerful steps forward. “This is a waste. You will never give it up.” The machete glinted as he pulled it back. Before he could swing it, I aimed my sword and threw it like a javelin. The blade flew through the air and punctured the upper left side of his back, making a sickening tearing sound as it broke through his flesh.
The man turned to me, a startled expression on his face, and took several unsteady steps toward me. He raised his machete and held it there for several seconds before dropping it. The machete clanked against the tiles. With a guttural moan, he collapsed to the floor.
Atenae flew up to me. “You look sick. Breathe.”
I nodded to her and took several breaths as I held my side. Uncle Philip, bleeding from a gash in his head, pushed unsteadily to his feet. The concern in his eyes made me shrink to the floor. I sat there without moving. All the images of arrows and swords piercing and slicing people down overtook me. I sobbed into my hands.
Nick and Bastien stomped to a halt beside me.
Bastien dropped to his knees and pulled me into his arms. “It’s over. You’re fine.”
Nick went to Uncle Philip’s aid.
I shook my head hard. “I killed him. I killed him.”
“If you hadn’t, he would have killed the Professor.” He pressed his lips to my temple. “It’s his fault. He was a bad man. Can you walk?”
I nodded, and he guided me to my feet. My knees almost buckled, and he held me there until I was steady.
“I want to go home,” I said, swaying.
Uncle Philip removed the crown from the man’s head. “Are you all right?” he asked. “How did you know where to find me?”
“It was heard over Reya’s transmitter rod,” I said.
Uncle Philip gave us all a questioning look.
Bastien held on to my arm. “Pia and Reya attacked the hearing today. They killed many. I will fill you in on all the details later. I think we should get this cleaned up first.”
“Yes,” Uncle Philip said, taking in the aftermath of his ambush.
“Well, at least we have the crown back,” Nick said, struggling with both his backpack and my messenger bag.
I looked around for Atenae and her faeries. They had vanished.
We waited with Uncle Philip until the Cleaners and a few guards came to take the body away. The Monitors had reported that the man was from Santara.
After the guards had secured the library, Bastien turned to me, taking my hands in his. “I must go. I have to escort Augustin back to Couve. You’ll be okay with the guards here.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “Listen to me. You were fearless today. Saved lives. You can take care of yourself, can’t you? Arik is daft if he doesn’t see what I see in you. You did well today, Gianna. Stay safe.” He kissed my cheek.
It was as if a rock plunked into my stomach as Bastien walked away. Something had shifted inside me. I wasn’t sure what it was, but the moment he disappeared around the corner, I wanted him to come back. Even though I’d been the one to jump in front of the arrows today, I felt safe with Bastien around. Cared for in a way I hadn’t been before, even with Arik. I might not want to admit it, but I’d felt that way since th
e day I’d met him.
Carrig met Nick and me in the library in Branford. When I finally reached home, Nana slathered me in all her healing concoctions before tucking me into bed.
She held a shot glass in front of my face. “Here, drink this.” It contained her pain elixir. She then glared at Carrig. “You have to stop putting her in danger. She needs to be a normal girl for a while.”
“I won’t be arguing with you, woman.” He shifted his feet. “I agree. Gia will be taking a rest for the time being.”
I wasn’t going to argue, either. I looked forward to being normal for a while.
I downed the shot. “Where’s Pop?”
“He’s at work. It’s nearly eight in the morning. Now rest.” She kissed my forehead, then closed the drapes before leaving, nodding for Carrig to follow her. “I’ll be in later to check on you.”
“Okay.”
Everything hurt, but the worst pain wasn’t physical. I wanted to cry. I killed a man. I’d killed before, but only beasts. Witnessing Toad, Arkwright, and the wizards die shook me. After several minutes, Nana’s elixir soothed me and I fell fast asleep. No Athela dreams. No haunting images of arrows and swords piercing bodies.
Just darkness.
...
When I awoke, I felt a presence in the room and rolled over, thinking it would be Deidre. Instead, Nick sat in my desk chair, engrossed in a game on his phone.
I stretched my arms over my head, pain flaring up in my left shoulder. I winced and returned my arm to my side. “What are you doing here?”
“Babysitting.” He tapped the screen.
“Very funny. Who asked you to watch me?”
“No one.” He spun around in the chair. “You’re the only one who likes me, so I was kind of hoping you’d recover.”
“Who says I like you?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “You’ve been sleeping for ten hours, twenty-two minutes, and precisely ten seconds. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen—”
“I get it,” I cut him off, and pushed myself up on the pillows. “I think I could sleep for a week.”
“Maybe you should take a shower. You kind of stink.”
I smirked. “And you wonder why no one likes you.”
