by J. Gertori
“What happened?” said Ms. Ward, coughing.
Crissa sprinted to her team. The fumes had scattered enough to allow the group to aid the fallen scrutors. Pike lay on his face, drooling onto the edible grass, while Evie crouched.
Boom. A collision rang in the distance and its vibrations rattled the Elder Garden. Boom. The horrifying clatter grew more frequent as if it approached.
Crissa helped Evie to her feet. “The giant mages that Ms. Ward requested,” said Evie, in a troubling stare.
“What do you mean?” said Dara.
Sam assisted Ms. Ward upright. “She’s saying the mage giants are coming. And I don’t think that’s the only flower in the cave.”
“Ellis, Rowen, get over here!” yelled Crissa. “It’s time to leave. Sam, do you remember how to get to the—”
A crashing explosion brought the group to the floor. The side of the entrance crumbled as a wild clump of giants stampeded into the garden, four of which wrestled against the bulbed cacti. Another stormed inside after smashing the Maddening Herb.
“Sam, get Pike!” screamed Dara, leading Evie toward the stream. Ms. Ward followed behind, but her movements had become erratic.
Two giants squared-off at the center, separating the group. Ellis narrowly evaded a rampaging mage, who cracked the black fountain of memory tonic, which poured onto the grass. He then launched its shards at the wall behind the scrutors.
Utter chaos had ensued inside the Elder Garden. Under the bewitchment of Maddening Herbs, the giant mages attacked anything in sight. Sam and the scrutors retreated to the corner. They each had their wands drawn, though Sam held a mere sliver that might’ve been sapped of its magic. At the opposite end, Dara, Rowen, and Ellis were surviving with flare. They weaved around the flailing mages and diverted the focus away from the scrutors.
“Over here!” cried Dara, waving at Sam. The giants caught wind of her scream. Though they pinned each other to the cave walls, their eyes seemed to track Dara. She stopped her evasive run to fiddle with a small object. A pin, Sam thought, on account of the reflective glare bouncing from her hand.
“Originate!” Dara blurted. Three silver bikes appeared at Dara’s front. “Let’s go!”
Sam sprinted forward, but a dominant force dragged him to the ground. Pike had tackled Sam, spun him around, and mounted him before screaming inches from his face.
Crissa yelled, “Trudo!” and Pike launched off the fleshling. Crissa turned to gather the others but found Ms. Ward also using the same spell to hurl Evie at the stone bridge.
“Oh, fer fuck’s sake,” blurted Rowen. He ushered Sam toward the bikes.
“Arma!” shouted Dara. The spell conjured a translucent shield as a mage leapt toward her like a torpedo. The shield absorbed the brunt of the force, but Dara and the bikes toppled over.
Two giants had shifted their focus on Sam, but before they could pile on him, Ellis appeared. He swung his wand like a tennis racket, corkscrewing the rabid men away.
“And that’s why you’ll be at the double-date with the Siamese fairies,” said Ellis. A shard of the fountain flew past his head, sending him crawling to the bikes.
Crissa aimed her wand at Ms. Ward, who snarled and sprinted toward her. “Corda Cupla!” A wavy material sprang from her wand and wrapped Ms. Ward, toppling her like a log.
Evie vaulted onto Dara’s back and spun her to the ground. The scrutor’s head trembled as she displayed her teeth. Dara retreated, but Evie stalked her into the corner, oblivious to the mage stampeding toward them. In a second, the mage would clobber the scrutor, but Dara took action.
“Deamplify,” she said, urging her wand at a fragment from the fountain. It shrank to the size of a volleyball, which she flung toward Evie. The scrutor ducked, and the debris smashed onto the giant’s chest.
Crissa hollered, “You’ve got a mage wand, Dara. Restrain her!”
“I do? I do!” Dara distanced herself as she slid past the grappling giants then jabbed her wand at a clawing Evie and uttered, “Corda Cupla!” A rope sprang from the stick and rendered the scrutor helpless. Dara turned her attention to Pike, who had brandished his wand. “Corda Cupla!” she said, but nothing came of her spell, save for an empty clicking noise. “Fuck.”
A gash had climbed Pike’s neck, and a ferocious disposition had taken him hostage. He shrieked, “Attono!”
“Trudo!” screamed Crissa, drowning out Pike’s voice. Again, she sent Pike flying toward the wall, where he collided hard and fell motionless. Crissa ran to the aid of her sister, who lay groaning on the grass. Pike’s stun spell had connected at Dara’s shoulder, leaving a nasty bruise. Still, it would take much more than a dash of lightning to remove her from the equation. She stumbled to her bikes with Crissa’s guidance.
The chaos reduced the Elder Garden to a dark corner of rubble, wet dirt, and displaced cacti. The group converged at the bikes and after securing their enraged allies, they pedaled into the halls for dear life. The hate-filled mages paused their personal quarrel and chased the silver bikes with the basket-riding hudger. Their roars rushed through the corridor, but the group feared another threat.
“Light,” said Dara. A white glow shot from her wand to illuminate the way. As suspected, more Maddening Herbs booby-trapped the route.
“Hold on tight!” shouted Ellis. With a whip of his wand, he lassoed the bikes. The pedals locked and they rushed through the winding hall much quicker.
With the luxury of the autopilot charm, Sam reached back to ensure Ms. Ward hadn’t fallen off. Likewise, Crissa had a tight grasp on Evie. The two rode behind Dara, while Pike rode with Ellis, Mavis, and Cliff. Dara and her passengers had the bumpiest ride, flattening the Maddening Herbs along the way.
Sam was sure he and Simon hadn’t made any turns, but as Dara’s light intensified, they headed for a dead end. “Stop the bikes!” he said. Their pedals rattled, and they came to a halt. There were no inlets, doors, or exits besides heading toward the mages.
“Any ideas?” said Ellis. “Hate to remind you all, but we’re out of matches.”
“We’ll turn around. We missed a turn,” said Crissa.
Sam dismounted the bike and pressed his cheek against the wall in their way. Unlike the surrounding stone, the particular blockage was warm.
“It’s a false wall,” Sam blurted.
“Whatcha mean?” said Rowen.
“I mean it shouldn’t be here. Is there a spell to get to the other side?”
“I might have something,” said Dara, digging through her bag. “Give me a minute.”
“You’ve got thirty seconds, Dee,” said Crissa.
The booming raucous of the giants approached. A chill climbed Sam’s arm. Even Ellis, who hadn’t dropped his confident facade, spoke gibberish. Despite her wand’s light, Dara’s shaky hands made reading her vials difficult.
Rowen dropped from the basket. “Give it here. Hudgers can see far better in the dark.”
Dara mimicked the others and aimed her wand at the oncoming mages. “Look for a vial with green liquid. It’s labeled ‘trial batch.’”
The familiar crashing sounds returned as the giants tumbled along the walls, racing to reach the end; their silhouettes grew at an alarming rate.
“How’s it looking in there, bud,” said Sam, unable to control the tapping of his feet.
“Got it!” Rowen tossed the vial to Dara.
“Hover this in place,” she said.
“Conmoro,” said Crissa. The vial pressed against the wall.
“Move the bikes away, and stand back.” Dara distanced herself. “This tonic was meant to replace caffeine for two wee—”
“Dara!”
“Attono!” she screamed.
A bolt bridged her wand with the vial, and a canon-like explosion ravaged the rock’s center. They shared a confused gawk as the other end was bright as day. The burst had sent cracks streaming to the ceiling, but the hole itself wasn’t large enough. It might’ve fit one person at a time, but t
he furious giants were strides away.
Dara yanked Ellis. “Ice the floor!”
With not a second to spare, Ellis fired at the ground, coating the dirt in a blue sheet. The group clung to the walls as the heap of giants slid on the ice. With a massive crash, the mages crumbled the compromised wall.
TWENTY-TWO
The Curse
Sam, Rowen, Dara, Crissa, and Ellis entered the bright chamber, passing the boulders that submerged the unconscious giants.
“Ah, visitors,” said a mature woman standing before them. She had a relaxed poise about her, but Sam noticed her attire first. She wore a gray robe, with a long hood perched over her face. “Have you come to witness the rewriting of history?”
“Lady Abifa?” whispered Dara.
Crissa nudged her sister aside. “I’m sorry, Lady Abifa, but you’re not permitted to reenter Trida. I must escort you to Grand Station.” She brandished her wand. “Silence is your right. Anything you say or do can be used—”
With an easy sweep of her hand, Abifa heaved Crissa across the large chamber.
“Wrong answer,” Abifa said, a smirk stapled onto her pearly face.
“Cris!” Dara yelled, drawing her wand.
Abifa cocked her head in the same direction. “Join your friend.” Dara vaulted into the air and smashed beside Crissa, while Sam, Rowen, and Ellis froze.
The Artifec removed her hood, releasing a flop of whitish-blonde hair. “The courage of men,” she said, laughing.
Her effortless magic brought trembles to Sam. He tried not to lock eyes with Abifa. Instead, he looked beyond her and saw them—Gaspare and Simon. They lay on flat rocks, held by vines. A third older gentleman accompanied the two, but Sam didn’t recognize him.
“Luv, tell me how much time you need,” Abifa said, calling over her shoulder.
Along the wall rested an elaborate setup, fitted with vials, pots, and various canisters. There were two people behind the equipment: Willem, Alice’s assistant, and his brother, Luvoy, who had berated Sam at Trixie’s. But the brothers must’ve been aware of Abifa’s capabilities because neither gave the break-in a glance.
“We’re almost finished. You should do away with them,” said Luvoy, finally eyeing the men left standing. “Wait—I don’t believe this.” Luvoy left the lifted platform and approached Sam. “This one’s a scrudge! You look different without that ridiculous helmet, but who could forget that moronic expression?”
“I despise wizards that stand in the way of free magic,” Abifa said, walking to Sam, “but I detest scrudges. The joint committees stripped me of my brew and exiled me to live among your kind. Let’s do away with you first.”
“Not just yet. I’ve got an idea for the scrudge.” Luvoy said, shoving Sam toward Gaspare and Simon. “Since you want to be a part of Trida, you can be our stand-in. In case we need an extra shell to transfer into.” He and Willem shared a laugh.
“I’ve finished the counter curse,” blurted Willem. He limped away from a smoky cauldron. “It needs a few minutes to settle before we can move forward.”
Abifa eyeballed Ellis. “You all gave it your best shot. What a waste. If you arrived sooner, maybe you could’ve halted our progress. Maybe.”
Willem sneered at Ellis and Rowen as he hobbled past them. He just about slipped as he navigated around Dara’s bikes. “We’ve got a problem!”
“What is it?” shouted Luvoy.
Willem reentered the chamber looking flushed. He pointed at the snarling captives tied and propped against the bikes. “I know this woman. Shes the head scrutor. Reinforcements could be on their way.”
Abifa peered into the dark hall. “So it is. Let’s move this along, Luv.”
“Arghh!” Ellis dropped to his knees, shrieking through gurgles as Abifa’s tense hand hovered above him.
“Attono!” shouted Crissa.
Abifa shifted her hand in the scrutor’s direction. The conjured bolt changed course, hitting the ceiling, where it left a scorch mark.
The Artifec laughed. “Dumb child. By the time you mouth an incantation, I know how to protect myself.”
“Gahhh!” Crissa fell onto her palms in pain. Along with Ellis, they filled the chamber with horrific screams.
Abifa shouted, “You wizards adhere to your flimsy rules. The likes of you sent me away. You will not write me out of Lekly’s lore. I have more power flowing through my finger than the whole of your wands.” She watched Dara rise with her hands at her sides. “Try me, wizard.”
With a swoop of her hair, Dara unclipped her metallic-gold beetles. She launched them at Abifa as she shouted, “Originate!” Wings shattered through their golden crusts, and they parted ways. The first flew a wild route toward Abifa, while the other burrowed into the ground.
The Artifec released her hold on Ellis and aimed at the erratic beetle.
“Capto,” said Dara, jerking Abifa’s sleeve downward and causing her to misfire.
Crissa’s screams subsided as the Artifec launched Dara further backward. The scrutor gripped her wand and said, “Request—mail delivery.” A tornado of letters spat toward the Artifec, who lost sight of the bug.
By the time she had tracked it, the second insect had reemerged. It climbed her robe and chomped her leg. Abifa yelped, but a rush of heat flew from her palm, crisping the insect and the lower half of her robe. She crumbled the first beetle in the air and flung it at Crissa like a baseball. “You are weak wizards!” Abifa screamed, her face had gone cherry red.
A bright flash burst at her midsection, and the Artifec rag-dolled toward Sam. “We’re not all wizards,” said Ellis, shaking his feathered wand.
Luvoy pushed Sam aside and swung toward the reporter. A ray of yellow zoomed past Ellis’ ear, colliding in the hall where Willem fumbled.
“Attono!” said Dara, firing a bolt from her shortened wand. The crackle climbed Luvoy’s arm, and he fell to his side, groaning.
“It’s over,” Crissa said. She approached Willem, who had since dropped his wand. Rowen raced to grab the tool, but as Willem touched the spiny stick, a wave heaved everyone backward. The loose vials smashed onto the ground, and Luvoy’s rogue wand rolled to Sam’s feet.
Sam knelt for the tool and lifted it toward Willem. The bony stick jolted in his hand. It would be great if the spell works but not surprising if I fuck this up, he thought. He painted a vivid image in his mind: Willem’s robe wrapping him like a cast.
“Restrain!” Sam shouted. The wand sizzled, and Willem cried out as the fabric around his legs went taut. Sam tried his best to keep the teen under his aim, but Luvoy pelted him with colorful vials.
The spilled potions spawned a bright flame after mixing in the dirt. Ellis jumped into action. He circled his wand above his head and spiraled the fire into a fox. Luvoy scurried away as the fiery fox showcased its agility by dodging Willem’s magic. It leapt toward Luvoy, who flopped behind a boulder. The bright fox splatted on the rock, hurling fireballs past the Octavius student’s shoulder and singing his hair.
He called for his brother’s help; however, Willem had already cast another spell. A spark seized the rigid stick in Sam’s grasp and deteriorated it until ashes seeped from his palm.
“No!” screamed Luvoy. He dug into a bag on the platform.
“Capto Allevo,” said Crissa. She grabbed a huge boulder at the far end of the chamber, which narrowly missed Willem as it planted before the sisters, acting as a shield.
Sam ran to Gaspare, who gurgled like an obstruction blocked his throat. Prying open Gaspare’s jaw, he found an unusual creature clamped to his landlord’s tongue.
Ellis crawled to Sam, releasing his allies from his pocket. “Mavis, relay a message to every paper from here to the manor. We need backup!” The pen rushed through Cliff’s page, which folded into a paper airplane and flew past Willem. Ellis jabbed his feathered stick at Luvoy, causing some bottles to erupt.
From his bag, Luvoy brandished a wand that looked similar to Dara’s. He snapped it straight
and took aim. “Amplify!”
The spell blasted Ellis around; his glasses had quadrupled in size. “Not cool, man,” said the reporter. The two exchanged fire while Sam focused on Gaspare.
Rowen failed to avoid the crossfire between Willem and the Avabelle sisters. Despite his evasive maneuvers, he became encapsulated in a gust of sand. Willem’s wand trembled until the mounds of dirt formed spikes, which impaled Rowen’s leg and dragging him across the ground.
Prompted by the hudger’s cries, Dara cast a spell over her lion pendant. Her swell of black hair grew orange tips. She punched the air with her wand and screamed, “Trudo!” A chunk of the cave ripped from the wall and careened toward Willem, who sliced the rock into halves.
“Obligo,” said Crissa, making bandages appear on Rowen’s leg. He tumbled to Sam and the grass covered rocks.
“You gonna be okay?” Sam said, helping Rowen to Gaspare’s side.
“Don’t worry ’bout me,” Rowen said, through clenched teeth. He doused the last trickles of his Pain Reaper on the bandaged wound. The hudger climbed the stone until he could peek into Gaspare’s mouth. “Tongue leech—it’s sedatin’ him. If ya pull the leech off, his tongue will come off, too. Still got yer wand?”
Sam pulled the fragment from his pocket. Rowen slid away from Gaspare as Sam targeting the pulsating, dark-purple slug. He pictured its spiral teeth unclench. “Let go,” he uttered. For a second, it appeared the magic had failed. Then the slug’s mouth widened, and it tumbled off Gaspare. Sam went on to remove three tongue leeches from Simon and traveled to the third man but didn’t find a single parasite.
Using the dark hall as cover, Willem targeted the boulder that shielded the Avabelle sisters. The plant on the rock tripled in size, lengthening to wrap Dara in its vines. The orangish tips of her hair shined as she snapped the first wave. But soon, the overwhelming amount of plants bound her to the rock.
Crissa jumped away, exposing herself to Willem’s magic. She dropped to her knee and collected a handful of jagged rocks. Like a tennis player serving a ball, she tossed them into the air. “Trudo!” Crissa screamed, spiking her wand downward. The rocks traveled with impressive speed, forcing Willem to hide deeper in the hall. But before Crissa could help Dara, her body became rigid, and her face scrunched.
