River of Magic (The Mysterium Chronicles Book 2)

by Simone Pond

“Feeling better?” asked Matthias.

  “Yes, but I’d feel even better if we were back on the ships. Let’s go get those two lovebirds,” I said.

  Since the guys were no longer around, I took Matthias’s hand and we strolled down the redbrick pathway to Sawyer’s cottage. I couldn’t wait to put on my trousers and shirt. I’m sure Matthias felt the same, since he was already removing his clothes.

  We stepped inside the cottage and the scent of gardenias and roses wafted through the air, along with a soft melody Sawyer was humming in one of the rooms.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  “Oh … Hehehe. Just a moment!” replied Sawyer.

  He dashed out into the living room, his lavender jacket removed and shirt sleeves rolled up, the blond swoop of hair a bit flat on his forehead.

  “We need our stuff. It’s time to head out,” I said.

  Sawyer pointed to a pile of folded clothes on the dining room table. “I washed your things. I’m in the middle of bathing my Isabella. Hehehe. I just need a little more time.”

  Matthias grabbed the stack of clothes from the table and stalked over to Sawyer. “We don’t have time.”

  “He’s right,” I said. “That mission ate up an entire day. We need to get back to our ships.”

  Sawyer’s face soured before he turned around to finish up with Isabella. “As you wish!”

  “A little gratitude would be nice,” Matthias called out.

  “Come on, let’s get dressed and if they’re not finished by the time we are, we’ll go in after them,” I said.

  Matthias chuffed, handing me my clothes. They smelled like fresh lemons. I didn’t bother leaving the room to get dressed; I tore off my filthy bloomers and climbed into my trousers without a second thought. Though I did face the opposite direction when I removed my camisole and pulled the clean shirt over my head. My boots felt heavy after being barefoot for so long, but it was nice to have some protection around my throbbing feet. I tied my hair back into a ponytail, and felt ready to fulfill the prophecy. I’d worked hard for it.

  “How long does it take to get someone dressed?” asked Matthias after another few minutes had passed.

  “Getting into those dresses could be considered a sport,” I joked, but Matthias wasn’t in the laughing mood.

  “Fancy Pants has snapped my last nerve,” he said.

  I walked over to the bedroom door and pounded. “Let’s go, you two!”

  Sawyer didn’t respond, nor did I detect any sounds coming from behind the bedroom door. Not a single giggle or nervous fit of laughter, which was very unlike the hyena. I knocked again and warned them I was coming in. When silence was the only response that came, the punch to my gut hit hard. My entire body heated up. I turned the knob to the bedroom, but the door was locked.

  “No,” I muttered.

  “You don’t think …” Matthias’s voice barely made it through the roaring in my ears.

  I kicked open the door and burst into the bedroom suite, running straight into the master bathroom. The clawfoot porcelain tub was still full of cascading iridescent bubbles and the air was ripe with a bouquet of delicate flowers. But Isabella wasn’t submerged in the water. And Sawyer wasn’t sitting on the wooden stool next to the tub. I picked up the stool and flung it into the standing mirror. Glass shattered all over the white tiled floors.

  “Damn that hyena!” I looked around for something to destroy, reaching down to flip over the tub, but Matthias grabbed my waist and pulled me back.

  “That’s not going to do anything except drain your magic,” he said.

  “I can’t believe he ditched us,” I said.

  Matthias escorted me out of the bathroom and sat me on the bed. “It was an act. Fancy Pants is a hyena shifter and like I said, they’re the shiftiest of them all. I’m not saying I told you so. But I’m not surprised this is how it turned out.”

  I fell back into the mounds of comforters and covered my eyes, trying to push back the river of regret flooding through me. What were we going to do now? We’d wasted an entire day chasing after the key to get through the canal, and now we were no better off than we were the day before.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

  Matthias sat on the bed next to me. “Not your fault, J. We’re dealing with evil—the master of lies.”

  “I can understand Sawyer pulling a move like this, but Isabella seemed like she had such potential. She was using her magic for good …”

  But even as I said those words I questioned exactly how she was using her magic for good. By helping stranded ones escape from Glendora’s prison? I thought about how her magic had nearly taken me out—twice. Did she have any intention of helping us get through the canal? Or did she just need to be free of Glendora’s illusion and that was it? I wanted to believe everyone had an opportunity to do good, but the farther along I went on this crusade, the more doubtful I felt.

  “We should go,” said Matthias.

  “You’re right. Our people need us. We’ll figure out something.”

  I pulled myself off the bed with a new resolve charging through me. The shifter wannabe wizard might’ve gotten away with his little scheme, but his ploy had only made me more vigilant and determined to fulfill the prophecy the Ancient One had called me to do. I’d find another way to get through the canal.

  Chapter 16

  Matthias and I teleported back to the Jericho and went directly to the bridge to check in with the captain. The good news was our convoy had made amazing progress up the river. Lycaeon was to our west and Alexandria to the east.

  “How’s it going, Captain?” I asked, patting him on the shoulder.

  He stood at the helm and slurped back some piping hot coffee. “Only a few snags along the way. But nothin’ the elders couldn’t handle.”

  “Snags?” I asked.

  “A few bloodsuckers got on the Giza, tried to skirt off with a handful of the kids. But Azia took care of them.” He chuckled to himself.

  I remembered when Nils and I had tried to capture Azia the Conjurer in the Temple Chever and how quickly that mission had gone south. He was one powerful Ancient and not to be messed with.

  “Would’ve loved to have seen that,” said Matthias.

  “Anything else? No attack cruisers?” I asked.

  “Magnus has been quiet. Sure he’s savin’ up for a big shebang when we reach the north,” said the captain.

  “So Benjamin briefed you about the canal?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “Right now the Overseer isn’t with us, but I’m working on another plan to get us through. I need you to keep this to yourself, okay?”

  “Whatever you say, Chosen One. You’re the boss. I’m just the captain.” He chuckled again, then slurped back some more coffee.

  Matthias and I left the helm to find his father. I trusted Haggai would have some sage wisdom about how to handle the situation. I was so desperate, I was considering making another trek through the Madlands to visit my father just so I could communicate with the Ancient One. But that would mean making a pitstop in the most dangerous part of the River Elin and putting the convoy at risk again while I wandered off into the wilderness.

  Chloe came around the corner and stepped directly in front of Matthias and me. “Well, look who’s back.”

  “Hey, Chloe. Good to see you.” Matthias gave her a hug as I stepped to the side, trying to squeeze by.

  She grabbed my arm. “Not so fast, Chosen One.”

  “I’m kinda in the middle of something, Chloe,” I said.

  She snickered. “No shit. Nice work, losing the Overseer.”

  I was too tired to hold my tongue. “Are you sure you’re not from Endor?”

  That shut her up.

  “Come on, you two. We’re on the same team,” said Matthias. Ever the diplomat.

  Chloe huffed. “I just wanted to warn you about something.”

  “Another vision?” I asked.

  “Yep. If you go to the elders with your
terrible idea about making a pitstop in the Madlands, they’ll agree with you. And that’s not going to turn out so well.”

  “What do you mean?” Matthias asked.

  “I saw what happens if she goes …”

  “What did you see?” Matthias grabbed Chloe’s rail-thin arm, no longer feeling so agreeable.

  She jerked away and steadied her gaze. “If Jordan goes to the Madlands to seek out her father, she won’t return.”

  “Not return as in I die there? Or get stuck there?”

  Chloe scrunched up her face and pondered my question. “I’m not really sure. The vision didn’t specify exactly.”

  “Maybe we should dock in Alexandria and work out a deal?” I suggested.

  From around the corner, CeeCee emerged with her silky white hair blowing in the afternoon breeze. Rays of sunlight glistened in her clear blue eyes and for a moment she looked like an angel walking along the deck of the Jericho. I briefly thought of my mother, Charity, and how much I missed her. Part of me even missed Mysterium, but that life was over now and there was absolutely no turning back.

  “We can’t go to Alexandria,” said CeeCee as she approached.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “The harlots and healers will not welcome the Ancients. They have strong ties to Prime Master Bachar. If anything, they’ll lure them into their city only to turn them into slaves once again.” She paused a moment, remembering something from her past that was obviously too painful to mention. “And it will be far worse than the life they had on the left bank, I can assure you.”

  Matthias ran his hand through his messy hair. “Well, we’re not docking in Lycaeon. At least not while I’m on the ship.”

  “Oh, no. We don’t want to go there either,” said Chloe. “Trust me.”

  The four of us stood quietly, thinking about how to get through the Rankin Canal without the Overseer, our options shrinking by the second.

  “I still have three golden stars,” I said. “Maybe I’m supposed to use them to open the channel.”

  “What if you accidentally destroy it?” asked Chloe.

  She had a valid point. I did take down the High Tower.

  “We need the Overseer,” said Matthias. “If we can track down that damn hyena, we can take back Isabella and force her to help us.”

  I had an idea. “Why don’t we send Benjamin to hunt them down. He has a stronger sense for shifters, being one himself.” I paused a second to let that sink in before I dropped the next bomb. “And in the meantime, I can teleport to my father and snag a quick chat with the Ancient One.”

  Matthias shook his head, laughing. “Didn’t you just hear what Chloe said? You won’t make it out.”

  I looked over at Chloe. “Do all of your visions come to fruition?”

  “Of course!” she snipped.

  “Exactly as you see them?” I asked.

  She was slow to answer. “Well, sometimes—and this is rare—some of the details are different.”

  “Good enough odds for me,” I said. “I have to speak to the Ancient One again to see if there’s another way through the channel. Just in case we don’t find Isabella.”

  Matthias didn’t say a word, which was far worse than him arguing with me. He nodded and stalked off, saying he’d find Benjamin to give him the assignment. A cold chill rushed through my body.

  “It’s your grave,” said Chloe as she went off in the same direction as Matthias, probably to make sure she was still on his good side.

  “I won’t let you go alone,” said CeeCee.

  “I didn’t think you would, mother bird,” I teased.

  She smiled, lighting up the entire deck with her brilliance. Healers were known for their magical touch, but this one came with a smile that could brighten up the darkest corners.

  “I’m ready when you are, boss.” She grinned.

  “Did you all get together and take a vote on what would be the most annoying thing to call me?”

  She laughed. “Something like that.”

  “I thought so. Here, give me your hands. Let’s go see my father …”

  But CeeCee and I didn’t get a chance to teleport to the Madlands. A sudden blast sounded and shook the entire ship. Smoke and flames spiraled into the sky from one of the other ships. We rushed to the back of the Jericho to see the gaping hole in the side of our middle ship, the Giza—the one holding all the children.

  Chapter 17

  “Come on! Let’s see if any kids were hurt.” I grabbed CeeCee’s hands.

  Seconds later we were on the deck of the Giza in the midst of mayhem. Adults and children were scattering about, screaming and rushing to the side of the ship that hadn’t been hit. I yanked one of the women over to me.

  “Is anyone hurt?” I asked.

  “Fortunately, no. They hit a storage area, but very close to the engine room.” She pulled away from me and scampered off to the other passengers.

  “We have to close up that hole,” CeeCee shouted over the noise.

  “I’m going back to get Azia and some other elders.”

  “I’ll go to the Sinai and help Levi and his men,” said CeeCee.

  “I’ll be there as soon as possible to help shield our ships from the operatives,” I told her.

  She pointed down the river. “This isn’t Magnus.”

  I peered down the winding river and recognized the black flags with red triangular symbols rippling in the breeze, and the main sail with an enormous depiction of the god Ashtar.

  River pirates.

  How did a bunch of river pirates hit one of our ships? They must’ve had help from one of the other cities. The Alpha of Lycaeon was my first guess—he was big on vendettas. He wasn’t going to let me slip past his city unscathed. Not when he’d been so close to handing me over to Magnus.

  CeeCee shot a rope across to the Sinai and used her superhuman strength to pull herself over to the ship. Levi’s men had started firing back at the large fleet of pirate ships, and one was already in flames. I wanted to put up my protective shield around all of the ships to stave off additional blasts, but the Giza needed attention. I teleported to the main ship and sounded the trumpet, calling the elders onto the deck.

  Matthias ran over with Haggai. His brother Daniel followed close behind.

  “How bad is it?” Haggai asked.

  “We’re gonna need our most powerful elders to seal up that hole in the side of the Giza. And it’s pirates, not Magnus. But don’t worry, I can stop them.”

  Haggai took my hand. “You must use great discernment with the golden stars, Jordan. You have only three remaining.”

  I didn’t bother asking how he knew that information. Or why none of the elders—or Chloe for that matter—had foreseen this attack. Weren’t they supposed to have the Ancient gifts of prophecy and visions? What good were they if they couldn’t protect their own children?

  “I can use my magic and the guiding star to hold up my shield while the elders seal up the hole,” I said.

  “The hole can’t be sealed. The ship is going to sink,” said Haggai.

  I had a choice: help Levi and his men keep the pirates at bay to avoid further damage, or teleport the children onto the Jericho. Obviously, I chose the kids.

  “I’ll start teleporting as many children as I can,” I said.

  “I’ll round up dinghies and rafts so we can start bringing back the adults,” said Matthias.

  “What about me? What can I do?” Daniel stood next to his big brother, Matthias, with a longing that begged to be useful.

  “Get to the kitchen and start cooking up some of your latkes,” I told him. “They’re going to need some comfort food. I don’t know anyone who does that better than you!”

  In his usual fashion, Daniel tipped his newsboy cap and darted off toward the mess hall. Matthias went with his father to instruct the others to start lowering the dinghies and rafts into the water. Blasts continued erupting from our third ship as Levi’s team fired across the river at the p
irates. Before I teleported back to the Giza, I found Chloe.

  “I need you,” I said.

  Her eyes widened. “For what?”

  “You’re an expert at organizing the masses. And it’s pandemonium over on the Giza. So I could use your help getting people into groups like you did for the mass exodus from Mysterium.”

  She smiled and batted her long eyelashes flirtatiously. “So, the Chosen One needs help? Oh, don’t worry, sweetie, I won’t tell anyone …”

  Without responding, I grabbed her hands and teleported the two of us over to the Giza. Chloe immediately began settling and rounding up the screaming and panicking hordes of Ancients. She was able to divide them into calm and orderly groups. I don’t know how she did it, but it was incredibly magical. She separated the men and women from the children so I could focus on the kids first.

  I started with the babies and toddlers, which required assistance from some of the older children. Once we were gathered into a circle, I called on my magic and teleported the group of twenty to the Jericho, where other Ancients were waiting to take them to the mess hall.

  By the seventh or eighth trip, I noticed a lag in my delivery time. My lungs were tight and aching, as though I’d been sprinting. My magic resources were draining out. Matthias was already off the ship assisting with the dinghies, so I couldn’t ask him for a quick jumpstart. And though the sun was out and night wasn’t close to falling, I looked up to sky and called on the guiding star to help me finish the job. Not seeing it didn’t mean it wasn’t there. That was the whole basis for faith, right?

  I spread out my arms and called again and again, until I felt a burst of energy zip through my body. Within seconds my magic resources were replenished. Enough to get me back and forth from the Giza to the Jericho another twelve times.

  Most of the children and adults were safely on board the Jericho, and I was about to go back for more when another explosion hit the Giza. The impact was so intense it rocked our ship to and fro. I held onto the railing and looked out to the Giza: two thirds of the ship was in flames. They’d hit the engine room that time. The damage was devastating. The cries poured over the roaring inferno. I wanted to go back to save them, but the fire was moving too quickly. I stood weeping, the helplessness ripping me apart. The smoldering pieces of the Giza slipped into the River Elin, taking the remaining Ancients I couldn’t save. I felt sick enough to vomit.