by Simone Pond
“Urban myth in the flesh. That’s me,” I said.
“Magnus did everything he could to stop this day from coming,” Isabella said.
“And he’s still trying …” I pressed back against the cold dirt wall. “Why weren’t you affected by whatever he did to Endor? I mean, you don’t look anything like those treacherous hags.”
Isabella laughed. I was grateful she could find humor in such a grim circumstance. Her hope inspired me not to give up entirely.
“Not everyone was infected with his black magic,” she said. “I was one of the lucky ones. Those who didn’t get his infection bonded together and made a pact to do good with our magic. Though Glendora forbids it and tosses anyone who gets caught into the despicable realm of what she calls the real Endor. But I learned how to pull them out. I was the city’s vigilante for a while. Until she finally caught up to me.”
In a sense, Isabella was similar to me. Except she still worshiped a false god. The one who started this whole mess. I thought about telling her the history of the original city, Shteim'esrei. But she was an enchantress from Endor; would she hear me? The quietness lingered. I could at least mention it and let her decide how to interpret the information.
“It wasn’t always like this, you know,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“Long ago there was a city called Shteim'esrei—we’re all descendants of the people who lived there. And everyone followed the Ancient One. Until the false deity that you know as Ashtar came into the picture and flooded the place with darkness. He was the one who created the warring factions, the hatred and loathing for each other, and worst of all: evil hearts.”
Isabella stayed silent for a few moments, then said, “I’d do anything for a cigarette.”
My words had fallen on deaf ears, but at least I had made the effort. “Maybe we should try to figure out how to get out of this hole,” I said.
“We’re about twenty feet below ground. Even if I stood on your shoulders and reached the hatch door, there’s a chain and a lock.”
I peered above and saw a sliver of light coming through the edge of the hatch. It was pretty far up, but perhaps not impossible. If I had my magic, I could blast that door right off.
“Do you have any idea how Glendora is binding our magic?” I asked.
“If I knew that do you think I’d be hanging out in this hole?” She chuckled softly, but it sounded pinched with worry.
“Fair enough. How about we brainstorm? Maybe we can figure out how to reverse the spell?”
Isabella must’ve stretched her head because her neck cracked loudly. It was getting tight in that dark hole in the ground. Soon the air would grow stale and we’d get light-headed. Our mental capacity would only go south from that point.
“We have to try,” I urged.
“Okay … Think back to when you first realized you couldn’t use your magic,” said Isabella.
A flashback of the alley hit me … the exquisite and stately raven-haired Glendora looming like a tower and blowing that puff of cigarette smoke directly into my face.
“It was in the alley. The cigarette smoke,” I said.
“Hmm.”
The two of us stood in stillness, waiting for the other to say something. I didn’t know enough about the High Witch to know what her spells involved, other than massive illusion and deception. Could she have put some sort of chemical element into the smoke that inhibited my ability to reach my magic? Or was it more like a binding spell that locked the powers into a dungeon of their own?
“What about you?” I asked.
“I’ve been in this nightmare for so long I can’t remember.”
Something about the word nightmare triggered a thought.
“What if this isn’t real?” I said.
Isabella’s shoulder bumped against mine as she turned to face me, though we couldn’t actually see each other. “What do you mean?”
“What if Glendora is using an illusion spell on us? What if we’re in some sort of deep trance or something, not even in the real Endor, but some other dimension? Think about it, she wouldn’t risk putting me inside that realm. It’s too dangerous. Not when she needs me so badly. And she knows you’d eventually figure a way out of the real Endor. That’s your specialty, isn’t it?”
More silence, except for the loud thumping of my heartbeat that started rapidly increasing. I was onto something. I felt it. When my inside churned like that, I knew the truth was sparking to life.
“I think you might’ve gone a bit too deep for me,” said Isabella.
“Yeah, it sounds weird. But trust me. I can feel it. This isn’t real. None of it. And whatever she has over me is getting weaker by the second. If I can get to my magic, I can break through her illusion and get us out of this … whatever this is.”
Isabella’s arms wrapped around my shoulders and she pulled me in for an unexpected embrace. “I may not know you, Jordan Temple, but I’m already a fan. Do whatever you need to do. You have my full cooperation.”
I glanced up to the hatch again. A soft and subtle voice inside told me that I had to get up to that light. It made little sense, but who was I to question the voice that had guided me up to that point?
“Bend down so I can climb on your shoulders,” I said.
“What?!” she gasped.
“You wanna get out of here, don’t you?” I asked.
“I thought you were going to meditate or something to break the spell. You’ll never be able to open that hatch.”
I pushed her shoulders down, forcing her to get lower so I could hoist myself up. I pressed my palms against the dirt walls for leverage and instructed her to stand up straight. Her efforts were shaky, but she held her ground as I stretched my arms up toward the hatch door. It was still about three feet out of reach. But I trusted all I needed was a glimmer of light to touch my fingertips for my magic to be restored. Maybe I was nuts to believe this theory, but I was trapped in an underground hole in some lunatic witch’s delusion, so faith was the only thing I had left.
“You almost there?” grunted Isabella.
“You’re gonna have to get me closer.”
“Impossible!” she cried out.
That was a legitimate response. Our options were incredibly limited.
“Get creative,” I said, using her earlier sentiment.
“Not funny.”
I hadn’t intended it to be funny. Poor thing had a petite frame and whether or not we were in an illusion, we only had our mindsets and perspectives to depend on.
“If I’m right, then this is all in our minds and you can access your magic as much as I can. So seek it.”
Her body trembled and swayed from side to side as she contemplated. I kept reaching toward the light, sweat dribbling down the sides of my waist.
“Fine … I’m going to levitate,” she panted.
“There you go! Give it a whirl.”
“Let’s hope your theory is correct.”
“It’s not like we have much to lose.” I laughed. “And just think, if you can levitate and get me to the light, between the two of us, we’ll be unstoppable. Glendora was an idiot for putting us together in the same dungeon.”
That got Isabella giggling, and suddenly a tingling sprouted up my feet from where they were planted in the curves of her shoulders. She was activating the magic within her. Inch by inch, we began to rise.
“It’s working!” I shouted heroically.
I kept reaching my fingers as far as they could stretch, grasping for even the tiniest sliver of light. The prickling moved up my feet, into my calves and my leg muscles. Something didn’t feel right. Like ivy was twisting around my tendons and bones and pricking them with toxic thorns. Nausea rolled in my stomach and I broke out in an immediate cold sweat. Isabella’s magic was poisoning me.
“Hurry,” I shouted.
“I’m going as fast as I can. You’re heavy!”
The vines wrapped around the base of my spine and coiled
upward, squeezing each vertebra. I needed to get to that light before her magic reached my brain and did horrible things like invert my magic or kill me. With only an inch more to go, the poison soaked into my shoulder blades, ripping into my muscles. The pain scraped at me, making it tough to stretch, but I couldn’t stop now. I had to touch just one fleck of light.
My index finger was my saving grace. The determined trooper reached out and caught a mote of light. I called out to the Ancient One with everything I had left.
In a blast of incandescent luster, my magic shield erupted outward and pushed Isabella back down to the ground and shot me up through the hatch, ripping the door from its hinges.
I hit the low stone ceiling, then slammed to the floor. I had to lie still for a few moments as my magic surged through me, washing away whatever poison had worked its way into my system. I coughed and gasped for air, thanking the Ancient One once again for getting me out of a horrific bind.
“Jordan! Don’t leave me!”
Isabella’s terrified screams hit my ears. I rolled over onto my side, gathering up my strength, then crawled over to the opening of the hole and peered down into the darkness.
“I can’t leave you, silly girl. I need you,” I reminded her.
“Your magic knocked me down and I can’t seem to recharge mine to get back up.”
I looked around for something to throw down into the hole, but there was nothing but stone walls and dirt. I could search for something, but I wasn’t about to risk running into any of Glendora’s deranged minions. I didn’t have any more clothes to remove to make a rope. I had my undergarments … but then I’d be stark naked. Ugh. I really needed Isabella. I started removing my camisole.
“Find the chain they used on the hatch,” yelled Isabella.
Smart little enchantress.
Lodged in the stone wall about twenty feet away, I found the busted metal hatch and behind it the rusty chain. I ripped off the lock with the force of my magic, then pulled the chain away, dragging it over to the hole.
“Stand back,” I called down.
“Not much room for that.”
I dropped one end of the chain down.
“Can you reach it?” I asked.
“It’s about a foot away,” Isabella grumbled.
“Get creative!”
It took about five squat jumps before she was able to grasp the chain link, but once she grabbed hold, I was able to pull her up. It felt good having my magic flowing through me again. Like an old friend returning from a long journey.
Isabella brushed the dirt off of her rag of a dress and smiled. “Well, done, Jordan Temple.”
I stretched out my hand. “You too, Isabella.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “No offense, but I’m not touching you ever again.”
“Probably a good idea. Don’t think I’ll be touching you either. Your magic felt like poison in my veins,” I said.
“Yours felt like it shattered my insides.”
We glanced around the barren hallway. Sunlight was pouring through at the end of the tunnel.
“What do you say we get out of here? Wherever here is,” said Isabella.
“Yeah, I’m dying to know how you do that.”
Chapter 13
Dawn was creeping over Endor and the ugliness of the stark landscape was even more apparent in the daylight. I stood at the gate of the castle and watched Isabella scratching intricate patterns in the dirt and placing stones in specific points. She was attempting to do her thing—creating a portal of some sort—to get us out of Glendora’s illusion and back to Sawyer’s cottage. Although I had accomplished our mission and found the Overseer of the Rankin Canal, Matthias and Benjamin were still missing. My former operative mindset would’ve continued to our ships and proceeded north, but I’d decided my friends were not expendable.
“We should look for them,” she said, glancing up from the etching in the dirt.
“What did I tell you about reading my mind?”
“I know, it’s rude. But you hold your cards close to your chest. If you simply spoke more, I wouldn’t have to dig around in there.” She scratched some more lines in the dirt, then stood up and smiled.
“Well, I don’t think he’s in this illusion,” I said. “He’s probably inside the real Endor. It’s getting very confusing.”
“Where were you when the witch banished him to the other realm?” she asked.
“Coventry Place. The alley between the old merchant and textile buildings. We were following the breadcrumbs to find you. Matthias was on the stairs and Glendora showed up and he just vanished.”
Isabella closed her eyes to concentrate. A strange feeling crept around my stomach and a chill shivered down my spine. I had an eerie feeling we were being watched.
“We should go. Is that dirt drawing gonna work?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” she said.
From inside the tunnel came a screech. A terrifying one that sounded like it was coming our way. I didn’t want to wait around to see if the portal worked or not, so I yanked Isabella and ran toward the dead forest of trees. More shrieks came from behind us, and I glanced over my shoulder. A winged creature with green scales and glowing emerald eyes flew toward us, shooting flames from its nostrils.
“Is that a freaking dragon?” I yelled.
“Looks like it!”
We ran into a thicket of brittle trees, hoping their branches would obscure us until we could get to a more secure location.
“Do you have any idea how to get out of this?” I asked.
“It’s not the same as the other realm. I’m trying to find the loophole, but the witch has it protected.”
The dragon swept overhead, shooting a stream of fire toward the branches. Good thing they were too dead to hold any flames. The creature flew in a long arc across the sky, giving us a moment to think before he came back around.
“My golden star. Let’s find it.”
Isabella’s brown eyes lit up. “It’s on the other side of the forest.”
The dragon started heading back around. I thought about blasting him with my magic, but that could’ve drained my resources and had a limited effect on the beast. After all, it was my first encounter with a fire-breathing dragon in some High Witch’s warped illusion world. We’d be better off using my shield to protect us through the forest. It was a risk either way—especially if we encountered Glendora again—but if we reached the golden star unharmed …
Flames shot down from above and singed my shoulder. The sound of my skin sizzling was enough to inspire me to make a decision.
“Come on,” I said, taking Isabella’s hand.
We darted down the ashen path deeper into the dead forest. I called on my magic shield and though Isabella winced as if being shocked by live wires, it was the only way to avoid getting torched by that damn dragon.
“You’re killing me!” she yelled.
“I’m sorry, but it’s only until we get to the clearing.”
I picked up the pace, pulling Isabella. She wasn’t nearly as fast as me, and her weight was dragging us down. The ground started rumbling and the sound of clomping thundered in the air.
“They’re coming!” shouted Isabella.
“Who’s coming?”
“The fiends of perdition.”
Since I had no clue what that meant, I quickly glanced over my shoulder. Four huge beasts with cloven hoofs and twisted horns charged at us. Blood dripped from their jagged teeth and fire blazed in their crazed eyes. Roars exuded from their ferocious mouths as they snapped and snarled at the air. They were as fast as the wind and closing in on us. I lifted Isabella and raced ahead toward the clearing, my muscles burning the whole way.
“Did you happen to see where the star landed?” I panted.
“Keep going straight ahead,” she instructed.
I kept running, but my pace slowed. I didn’t know how much farther I’d be able to carry her. My magic was starting to wear down and I
didn’t want it to be completely gone before we found the golden star. What if we couldn’t find it? We’d be defenseless against those fiends and the dragon. I knew Glendora wouldn’t allow them to kill me, but that didn’t mean she’d stop them from making my life miserable.
Blasts of fire rocketed against the outer surface of my shield, causing sparks to fly. I hoped the dragon wouldn’t short me out. One of those fiends was so close on our tail, I could feel its hot trench breath coming up over my shoulders. Disgusting beast!
“I need some help!” I finally cried out.
In the distance, a fleck of gold twinkled in the soot on the ground. The star! It was enough to give me the strength to charge onward. The magic shield dispelled and the fiend snapped its teeth at the back of my neck. I ducked out of the way and kept running without any magical protection. Isabella tore herself out of my grip and rolled to the ground.
“No!” I screamed.
“Get the star!”
She stretched out her arms in an attempt to levitate, but my magic had canceled out hers. She was helpless in the middle of the clearing with those cloven beasts rushing right at her. My heart lodged in my throat, but I couldn’t turn back and get her. They’d rip through both of us. My only option was to get to the star. I focused on the fleck of gold and kept pressing forward until my legs burned so much, I just dove at the thing, sliding into it. I clenched it in my hand and called to the Ancient One. I jumped up and ran back to Isabella as one of the beasts thrust its horns into her side and flung her high into the sky.
“Isabella!”
I ran faster and took a flying leap of faith, reaching for her as she tumbled across the clearing. My feet lifted from the ashy earth and my body collided with Isabella’s mid-air.
“Did you get it?” she asked, wincing.
“Sure did! Let’s pierce right through this hag’s illusion.”
We began a quick descent to the ground below, where the four fiends awaited our crash landing. Isabella clasped my hand that was holding the star, avoiding direct contact with the gold. She closed her eyes and rapidly spouted out a bunch of gibberish that made zero sense to me, and then I was blinded by an explosion of golden-white light …
