by John Corwin
"A group of healers took custody, but they were ambushed. The kidnappers took him and the bodies of Victus and Delectra." Max pointed at another newspaper headline. Overlord and Delectra Dead! He began to read the article. "Victus and Delectra Edison were declared dead today—"
My heart solidified to ice in my chest. "Edison?"
Max nodded. "The boy had been missing for years." Max looked directly at me. "Until now." He jabbed a finger at the photo. "The boy's name was Conrad Edison."
If Max had hit me over the head with a pipe, he couldn't have gotten a stronger reaction. My knees went to jelly. I wobbled and felt my rear end hit the floor. I lost my breath and began to hyperventilate.
Ambria rushed to my side and hugged me. She looked at Max. "How can you be sure? Maybe Levi was wrong."
He shrugged. "Maybe. I guess we'd have to read all his notes to find out."
Their words sounded fuzzy and it was hard for me to concentrate. My parents were evil people. Maybe that makes me evil. Maybe that's why I killed Levi and why I want to hurt people. I thought of the phone and wondered if Levi had put his research on there. I took it out. "Phone." My voice sounded weak. "Do you have information about Conrad Edison?"
"There are twenty-two documents on this device about that subject," it replied.
"Please display them."
The screen flickered on and showed a picture of two dead bodies with a distressed boy standing between them. A man in robes stood next to the boy, a wand in his hand. I noticed an icon that said Play and touched it. The video projected into the air.
The boy cried as the man waved the wand over him. The man crouched and waved the wand over the bodies. He stood and nodded. "This is definitely their child," he said to someone off screen. "I believe he's four or five years old."
"Why isn't he talking?" asked a woman, presumably the one recording the video.
"He's traumatized." The man touched the boy's forehead. "He'll need immediate treatment to avoid any long-lasting damage to his psyche."
A familiar voice spoke. "I'm here to retrieve the bodies and the boy."
The man with the wand nodded. "Let me finish the preservation spell on the bodies first, Rufus."
Ambria and I exchanged shocked looks.
"Dr. Cumberbatch?" I said.
The video stopped and the projection vanished.
"What was he doing there?" Ambria asked.
Max turned to the wall and ran his finger down an article. "According to the story about the boy being stolen, Rufus Cumberbatch and two other Arcanes were knocked unconscious. When they came to, the bodies and the boy were gone. They never found out what happened to them."
"Why would they take the bodies?" Ambria said. "That doesn't make sense."
Max shrugged. "The victors wanted to display the bodies in the council hall here in Queens Gate so everyone could see the Overlord and Delectra were definitely dead." He peered again at the article. "They suspected sympathizers took the bodies to keep that from happening."
"Gruesome." Ambria shuddered. "They couldn't bring them back to life, could they?"
"Nah." Max's lips peeled back. "Necromancy doesn't work like that. They'd just be animated corpses."
I flicked the screen to the next document. It was another video. When I played it, it showed the boy's face changing over time with an age displayed below. When it reached eleven years, there was little question the boy looked like me. Try as hard as I might, I couldn't remember witnessing my parents committing suicide in front of me. I couldn't remember much of anything from that long ago. Closing my eyes, I tried to recall the day I arrived at the orphanage. It was like trying to catch a mosquito buzzing around my ear—definitely there, but out of reach.
Max looked from the projected image to me. "I'm beginning to think Levi has it right. You're the son of the Overlord."
I couldn't disagree.
The next several documents were pictures of me at the orphanage, some of them taken up close. I saw the Goodleighs next to me in one of the images. They seemed to be talking to someone. Judging from my age in the pictures, these images had been taken within the past few months. I thought hard, but couldn't remember meeting Levi. I remembered my last foster parents picking me up. Before that, I vaguely remembered another man who'd visited and spoken with me, though the Goodleighs had turned down his offer to take me. I remembered the man touching me. I remembered his face. It looked nothing like Levi's.
I scrolled past the picture and a text document appeared in the air. There were a bunch of numbers and symbols that didn't make sense, but at the bottom it read:
The hair sample is an exact match for the Edison boy.
Max and Ambria stared at me.
It suddenly seemed as though I couldn't get enough oxygen. My heart filled with dread. I went to the next document, another video.
Levi Baker's deranged face filled the air. "I've found him. Years of tracking down leads. Months investigating the Goodleighs and Rufus Cumberbatch. It's finally paid off. The boy is every bit as murderous as his parents. It seems all his foster parents die in horrific accidents, or meet some other terrible fate." He burst into maniacal laughter for several seconds. "When the boy returns to the orphanage, I will find him and slaughter him like he deserves. The Overlord's bloodline will die!" His eyes grew dark and fierce. His lips peeled back from his teeth. "My family will be avenged."
"Levi Rax was absolutely mental," Ambria whispered.
Max sat cross-legged on the floor across from me. "Did Levi come for you?"
I nodded numbly. "Yes, he tried to kill me by mind-controlling animals."
"Ooh, that's so illegal. Animal rights activists would tear him up on the spot." He stopped talking and stared at me. "So, what happened?"
"I ran away. Then I realized he would keep coming for me, so I snuck up behind him and tried to knock him out with a shovel." I felt Ambria's grip tighten on my shoulder. "I hit him too hard and now he's dead."
Max's eyes grew wide. A smiled curled his lips. "He tried to end the Overlord's bloodline, and instead, you ended his." He chuckled. "Wow, that's irony for you."
"Irony?" My voice trembled. "It's murder, Max! A man is dead and you're laughing about it."
He held up his hands in defense. "No, it's not funny that Levi is dead, it's just so bizarre how it ended for him. C'mon, you've got to see the black humor in that." He paused, raised an eyebrow. "Is it too soon?"
Ambria shoved him in the chest and sent him falling over backwards. "You're an awful person, Max!"
Max lay spread-eagled on the floor. "I suppose I am. My parents are awful people, so I guess that makes me just as bad."
Mirthless laughter burst from my mouth. "I think my parents have yours beat, Max."
"What makes your parents so terrible?" Ambria asked him.
Max sat up and dangled his arms over bent knees. "My father wanted to become Primus, but Ignatius Creed beat him in the election."
"Wanting to become a leader doesn't make you evil," Ambria said. "Leaders want to help people."
"Not my father," Max said in a scoffing tone. "He thinks it's his birthright since we're related to Alexander Tiberius, one of the original founders of the Arcane Council."
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my hands tightly over them. We are individuals. Our parents don't make us evil. We have a choice!
Cora and I enter a grocery store. This time, she purchases our food. Now that Bill is dead, we have money. She squeals with delight as we unpack the groceries at the apartment.
"Why are you happy, Mum?"
She laughs. "We don't have to steal anymore, son. We're free."
I'm not sure what she means. "Free?"
"Free to make better choices. We have money and don't have to be afraid anymore."
"Did Bill frighten you?" I ask.
Cora nods and wipes a tear from her eye. "From now on, we are what we make of ourselves."
I felt someone shaking me and opened my eyes.
&nb
sp; Ambria looked sad and concerned. "Are you okay, Conrad?"
I pushed to my feet, squared my shoulders, and took a deep breath. "We are what we make of ourselves." I pulled Ambria to her feet and then offered a hand to Max. He gripped my hand. I pulled him up and gave each of them my sternest gaze. "Our parents don't make us what we are." I jabbed a finger into my chest. "We do."
A wide grin spread across Max's face. "You're right. Our parents might be stupid, but we don't have to be."
"Speak for yourselves," Ambria said brightly. "Although I never knew my parents, I'm certain they were very nice and sweet people. That's why I'm so wonderful."
Everyone burst into laughter.
The more I thought about choice, the more I thought about the Goodleighs and Rufus Cumberbatch. What they were doing was about as wrong as it could be. We could prove that we were good by doing good, and I knew exactly where to start.
We would shut down Little Angels Orphanage and free the children.
Chapter 15
I announced my plan to the others.
"What a wonderful idea!" Ambria clapped her hands and did a little dance. "Those evil people must be stopped."
Max grimaced. "How are we supposed to take on criminals like that? Are they Arcanes? What if they kill us?"
I'd already thought about that. "Let's talk to Ivy Slade. I'm sure she'd be willing to help us shut them down."
He shook his head. "I forgot to mention that Ivy went looking for a way to bring her brother and the others back from Seraphina. She vanished and hasn't been seen for years."
I felt my smile fall. "Are there any authorities who might help us?"
"Not really." Max looked up in thought. "The Templars in Eden are spread really thin since most of their legions went with the army. The Custodians took over some of the Templar duties, but there aren't enough of them to police the Overworld and clean up any supernatural scandals." He sighed and clapped me on the back. "It was a noble idea, Conrad, really it was. We just don't have any practical way to pull it off."
Ambria deflated. "Surely there's some way to do it."
I looked at the phone. "I copied all of the information about the Goodleighs onto this device. Maybe there's something on there we could use."
"Information is great," Max said, "but it won't help us fight grownups."
Ambria put her hands on her hips. "I'm sick of your negativity, Max. Why don't you propose something positive for a change?"
He hemmed and hawed for a few seconds. "Well, we have flying brooms, and I know a couple of spells that might help."
"What about a cloak of invisibility?" Ambria asked.
"No, but I've heard of Templar armor that can camouflage you."
The last thing we need is to wear heavy metal armor. I was about to comment when Ambria spoke.
"Excellent." Her frown vanished. "Let's get some."
He looked down. "I don't know where to get any, and even if I did, we'd have to steal it from people who are probably a lot more dangerous than the Goodleighs."
I sighed. "We don't have to rush into this. Let's take time to formulate a plan and gather supplies."
Ambria nodded. "I agree."
"Me too," Max said.
"Well, since we're not rushing off to rescue orphans, I have another plan." Ambria looked toward the hallway. "Let's clean this pigsty."
"I need to go study," Max said. "Why don't you—"
Ambria grabbed his arm. "A good person would help his friends."
He gave her a look of surprise. "Friends?"
She smiled. "Of course. You might just be a foolish boy, but if I can be friends with Conrad, I suppose I can be friends with you."
I snorted. "You make me feel so special."
Max abruptly gave her a hug. "I'll gladly be your friend." He turned to hug me, seemed to think better of it, and held out his hand.
I shook it. "To friends."
He beamed a smile. "Friends."
Ambria gave us a cross look. "Well, now that that's settled, let's figure out how to clean up this mess."
A few hours later, we'd only managed to move the junk from the foyer to the street curb.
Ambria stared doubtfully at the sidewalk where we'd put everything. "Are you certain someone will collect it?"
Max threw up his hands. "Yes. The gnomes love trash. Rumor is, they can spin it into gold, but someone else told me they actually turn garbage into water."
"Gold sounds much better," Ambria said.
"I suppose. Gold isn't worth much in the Overworld."
My stomach rumbled loudly. "Where do you recommend we eat?"
Max pointed down the road. "The Copper Goose is a good spot and they have a great selection of Nutter Beer."
Ambria stuck her nose in the air. "I'm too young to drink and so are you, Max."
He chuckled. "It's not real beer, silly. It's made by Mr. Nutter."
The name brought back a memory of the normal world. "I had a Mr. Nutter's angel biscuit a few days ago."
"Oh?" Max looked surprised. "I didn't realize he was selling to noms now too."
"Let's go," Ambria said. She went inside and got her broom.
The rest of us followed suit. We flew down the street and parked at the goose-shaped building I'd seen earlier. The interior smelled delicious. I ordered lycan stew, which the server assured me contained no lycan whatsoever. Ambria ordered fish, and Max had a chicken pot pie.
When the server brought us our Nutter Beers, I gave mine a dubious look. It looked dark and thick. Max took a long sip. "Ah, tastes like almond pie."
"Mine tastes sweet." Ambria smacked her lips. "It reminds me of some walnuts and honey I once had."
I sampled it. A warm, soothing sweetness filled my mouth. It tasted pleasantly earthy with a nutty undertone, though I really had no basis for comparison. "Very good," I admitted.
After eating, I paid for 'Ambrias meal and mine and noted I only had about forty tinsel left. While we probably had enough money to survive on even if we spent fifty a day on food, it didn't seem like the most frugal use of our resources.
As we flew back toward the house, I asked Max if there was a grocery store nearby.
"Sure, there's several." He pointed behind us. "I'd recommend Bartelby Brothers."
"We'd have to cook." Ambria didn't look excited by the prospect. "We haven't even cleaned out the kitchen yet."
Max harrumphed. "Cleaning that dump is going to take forever."
"Not with our new friend helping," Ambria said sweetly.
"Oh, I'll help." Max arched an eyebrow. "I'll use a fire spell on all that paper."
A bell chimed in the distance. Max flew his broom up above the rooftops and looked toward the clock tower in the center of town, a large blue moon highlighting his silhouette. Ambria and I followed him.
"Almost curfew," he said. "I suppose it's time for me to go home."
I tensed at the thought of being forced indoors just like at the orphanage. "What happens if you don't go inside?"
"Nobody makes you go inside, but it's definitely safer." Max looked at the streets below. "Without the Templars around, the vampires have gotten bolder, and they come out at night to feed on blood and party."
My stomach went tight at the thought of such supernatural horrors walking the streets.
Ambria squeaked. "Vampires?"
He nodded. "Just stay inside and you should be okay."
"Enough talk. I'm going inside now." Ambria flew her broom to the door, hopped off, and went inside.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Max said.
I waved goodbye and watched him fly swiftly away into the darkness. For a time, I hovered in the night air, observing the moon and trying to spot other oddities. The knowledgeable voice in my head told me this place wasn't on Earth, but even it didn't know where this pocket dimension existed. The city center glowed in the distance like a hearth. Further from the core, the city darkened. Our particular street had only a few working street lamps. Most nearby houses
remained unlit despite the pitch black pressing in from all sides.
I wondered if they were abandoned, or if perhaps vampires lived there. Requiring no light, they might be watching me right this very moment. A shudder took me by surprise.
"Conrad, why are you still out?" Ambria called from the front door. "Come inside this instant."
I did as instructed and carried the broom up the stairs where Ambria waited. At the top, I tripped on a bundle of newspapers. They tumbled down the stairs, causing the other stacks to topple like dominoes, leaving a nearly impassible mess.
Ambria groaned. "Ugh! As if this place wasn't already a disaster." She regarded it for a moment and sighed. "We'll just have to clean it tomorrow."
"I'm sorry." I leaned down to pick up some of the loose papers, but Ambria stopped me.
"Tomorrow, Conrad." Her voice was stern.
I nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow."
"I'm going to bathe and sleep." She hugged me and kissed my cheek. "Thank you again, Conrad. Sweet dreams." She entered her room and closed the door.
A yawn made my jaw crack. I decided to skip a bath and, after putting the broom in a corner of my room, fell into bed. Sleep met me a moment later.
I woke up, the hairs on my arms standing on end. Pale moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains. A pair of glowing green eyes met mine. Fear gripped me and I froze in place. A dark form rose and stood outlined by the window. Triangular ears twitched atop its head. Despite the dim light, I realized this creature looked like a walking cat. A tail twitched as it came toward me, eyes narrowing to slits.
"Go to the doctor," it said with a purr.
"The doctor?" My voice emerged in a squeak. I felt like a mouse waiting for the pounce that would end my life.
The cat glanced toward the door. "They're coming. You must go." It turned toward me and padded to the edge of the bed. It leaned forward, eyes blazing like emerald embers. "Free yourself. Release the curse!"
I flailed. My eyes flicked open and saw only a dark room. I quickly turned on the lamp next to the bed and looked around. I was alone. "Was I dreaming?" It was the only explanation that made sense.
Muffled conversation rose from downstairs. I quickly doused the light and crawled out of bed, careful to keep the frame from squeaking. I tiptoed across the floor, praying the hardwoods didn't creak. A light shone through the crack at the bottom of the door. It looked faint enough to emanate from downstairs, or so I hoped. Slowly twisting the doorknob, I eased open the door and crouched.
