by Simone Pond
I headed back to my quarters, sadness and anger hanging over me. I definitely wasn’t in the mood to figure out a way to retrieve Isabella. Nor did I care to talk to anyone. I needed some alone time and a few moments of solitude.
When I turned down the corridor, CeeCee was standing outside my cabin door. I groaned.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Other than just watching Haggai get burned to death by Magnus, sure, I’m totally fine,” I said.
“Loss is painful,” she said.
“I just need to be alone.”
“Hiding away won’t do any good. Not for yourself or anyone else on these ships.”
I chuckled. “That’s too bad. I was planning to spend the rest of this crappy night under a pile of scratchy wool blankets.”
CeeCee shook her head and ushered me down the corridor toward Benjamin’s cabin. “We have work to do.”
“I’m the last person he wants to see.”
“You’re the one who’s going to get Isabella back. He’ll want to hear your plan,” she said with a twinkling smile.
“I don’t have a plan,” I said.
“Well, then, you better come up with one.”
Benjamin reluctantly opened his door and let us in. The air still smelled like Isabella’s intoxicating Midnight Opium perfume, spicy with hints of vanilla. Benjamin returned to the bed and lay back down, pulling one of the blankets up around him. He looked so cozy sulking in isolation that I wanted to join him. But CeeCee yanked away the blanket and sat down on the edge of his bed.
“You want to get her back, right?” she asked Benjamin.
“Of course.”
Then she looked at me. “We can’t get through the Rankin Canal without her, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it’s time to snap out of it and get into action before Magnus gets too far away,” she said.
The room was still, but my mind was spinning with possible scenarios on how to fix the situation. A few ideas emerged, but I wanted to hear Benjamin’s suggestions. Because that’s what leaders do—they give others the floor.
“I have an idea,” said Benjamin.
“Let’s hear it.” I sat on the adjacent bed.
“Glendora.”
That wasn’t the type of suggestion I wanted to hear. I’d had enough of the High Witch and her illusions and spells. She was the most untrustworthy of them all. Making a deal with her would be foolish and dangerous. But I didn’t say any of this; I motioned for Benjamin to continue.
“She’s the only one who can get onto Magnus’s cruiser. That Red Ruby ties them together. You tell her if she gets you to Magnus, you’ll kill him and return the Red Ruby. So basically, the same deal that was on the table originally. Hired assassin.”
I exhaled and leaned back against the pillows. “And you remember how swimmingly that went off …”
“Yeah, but now you know her powers. The ability of her illusions. You can figure out a way to use that to our advantage.” He paused, then added, “But if you have a better idea … let’s hear it.”
It might not have been the best idea. But the fact that Glendora was adamant about retrieving the Red Ruby could work to our advantage.
I stood up. “Okay. I’ll go to Lycaeon and take a gamble with the witch.”
“What about backup?” asked Benjamin.
I’d strived to keep my people out of harm’s way, but this time I didn’t want to go in alone. “Stay on my trail, but keep out of sight. I want Glendora to think I’m alone.”
Benjamin nodded. “If you do make a deal, how will I track you to Magnus’s cruiser? It’s heavily cloaked.”
“The same way you have been—the golden star. I’ve learned they’re like a homing device for you.”
CeeCee got up and put her arms around our shoulders, her energy imbuing us with encouragement. “I’ll explain everything to the elders. And Matthias. Be safe, you two. We’ll be waiting for your return.”
I took Benjamin’s hands and we teleported back to Lycaeon. I made sure we landed on the same balcony where we had left Glendora earlier. Of course she was no longer there bound in chains.
“You stay here, but go back into eagle form. I’ll find the witch. Anything goes wrong, you know what to do,” I said.
“I’m not flying away this time,” said Benjamin.
I nodded. “Okay, let’s hope nothing goes wrong, then.”
Chapter 24
I opened the French doors and entered the parlor.
“Helllllo,” I called out. “Glendora?”
A gust of wind swept through the main entrance and whirled across the enormous room, scattering papers into the air. A blurry cyclone zipped past me—my shield held firm—then a cloud swirled to a stop and Glendora appeared before me. She wore a corseted sapphire gown with a plunging neckline. The rich fabric was decorated in feathers and jewels. Her raven hair was pulled up into a tower of curls. The witch knew how to dazzle, that was for sure. At least in her illusions. Underneath the facade was a gruesome and hideous creature I hoped never to encounter again.
“Back for more fun, sweetness?” she purred, lighting up a cigarette in her extra-long holder.
“I have a proposition,” I said with confidence.
“We’re past the point of making deals. I’m quite content with my present circumstances. Things worked out quite well, wouldn’t you say? I didn’t even need the assistance of my dear cousin, thanks to you taking care of the Alpha for me.” She exhaled a stream of smoke and gestured to the ostentatious room full of excessive gold fixtures and extravagantly gaudy seating areas.
“Yeah, stunning. But you know as long as Magnus has the Red Ruby, he’ll always have the upper hand.”
She elegantly glided across the parlor and sat on one of the grand couches, tipping her ashes onto a nearby gold end table.
“However, I will have to redecorate. That mutt had a fondness for gold. Too tawdry for my taste.”
I stared at the striking witch, patiently counting the passing seconds, knowing each one bore more significance. Glendora might have been comfortable, but she was still at the mercy of her fiendish cousin. I didn’t want to show my desperation by rushing her. Signs of weakness would give her more bargaining power.
“You can reframe it however you like, but the truth remains—your cousin has you by the …”
“You’re the one who rejected my original offer,” she interrupted.
I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “I changed my mind.”
She cackled, tossing back her head. “He has your witch, then?”
I nodded.
“What are you suggesting, sweetness? That we pair up and take him down?” She took a long drag from the cigarette holder, the embers glowing orange. If her smoke was charged with black magic, I was safely protected by my shield. She could try to pollute me all she wanted.
“Something like that,” I said, cringing over the phrase pairing up, but I remained polite. “I was thinking you could set up a meeting with him, and take me to his cruiser. Then we’ll use your power of illusion to trick him—same way you fooled me.”
She chortled softly. “Twice, I’ll have you know.”
“Yeah. And shame on me. If we distract him with an illusion, I’ll be able to launch a surprise attack.”
“And destroy him,” she said.
“Yes. Destroy the High Warlock.”
Glendora gazed off into the silvery dawn starting to break over the mountains of Alexandria in the far east. I shared a few more of the details of my plan; of course I didn’t share all the nitty gritty specifics because I wasn’t a complete fool. I knew the witch would try something and I needed to take precautions to safeguard myself.
“Can you set up a meeting with him?” I asked.
She shook her head. “It’ll be too obvious. It must be a clandestine approach. His cruiser is heavily cloaked, but I can track him because our powers are connected through the Red Ruby.”
“So, you can take us there?” I asked.
“He’ll sense me coming from a city away if I use the ruby’s powers to transport to his location. It’ll be better if I teleport with you,” said Glendora.
The thought of teleporting with the witch sickened me. But if it meant getting back Isabella and making it through that canal, I’d do it. I prayed I wouldn’t live to regret it.
Glendora went into a meditative trance for a moment, then her shiny black eyes fluttered open. “His cruiser is at the northernmost port of Alexandria. The Osiris.”
“Are you ready?” I asked.
She nodded, stubbing out her cigarette as she rose to join me. I kept up my shield until she was only inches away.
“It’s not going to be a pleasant journey—for either of us,” I warned her.
The French doors opened, and Benjamin entered the parlor. “For any of us,” he said, walking over.
“Absolutely not!” spat Glendora. “You can’t bring your feathery friend. I won’t allow it!”
“Dammit, Benjamin. I told you to hang back and track us,” I said.
“If you think I’m letting you teleport onto a warlock’s vessel with a witch and no backup, you’re insane,” he said.
I didn’t have time to argue so I reached out my hand.
“I’ll tar you both in a cocoon and throw you into the river if you pull any shenanigans,” Glendora hissed.
“Whatever.” I reached for Glendora’s hand and braced myself for the jarring pain about to come.
Glendora slipped one slender hand into mine and the other into Benjamin’s. The shock surged through our circle like a blast of nitroglycerin.
“What in the name Endor!” shrieked Glendora.
“Just hold on … I’ll try to make it quick,” I said through the stabbing pain.
Glendora winced. Benjamin held a straight face, but I could see the beads of sweat along his temple. With my eyes closed, I called on the guiding star and the Ancient One, visualizing the Osiris and Magnus gloating to himself in his cabin. Streaks of icy fire ratcheted through my limbs and lit up my bones like radiation. My magic bucked back Glendora’s like an angry bull.
“We need you, Ancient One,” I shouted.
The wind screamed as it lashed around us, pulling and tugging at our bodies. Through the dawn, a beam of white light shot down from the silver sky—splitting apart the veil of gray clouds over Lycaeon—and funneled into my body. With an eruption that felt like a million shards of glass exploding inside my body, we finally departed from the parlor.
We blasted harshly back together in a dark room. Our arrival lit up the cramped quarters like fireworks. The four sleeping operatives bolted awake, but I used a forceful wave of energy to knock them out again. I quickly pulled up my magical shield around Benjamin and me to protect us from Glendora, but she was depleted as she backed away to the farthest corner of the room.
“That … was … brutal …” she murmured, rubbing her arms, trembling.
“I warned you,” I said.
“You’ll have to give me a moment to gather my strength.”
While Glendora quietly regained her composure, I instructed Benjamin to get to the upper deck, shift into his eagle form, and be ready to fly Isabella back to the Jericho if something went wrong. He gave me a hug and snuck out of the room.
“You ready to finish this?” I asked the witch.
“As ready as you are,” she said.
Chapter 25
Glendora stood, studying me a moment, then nodded. “I’ve got your details, sweetness. Let’s get a move on before the entire crew wakes up.”
We creaked open the door to the hallway and crept out into the darkness. A sliver of morning light was coming in at the end of the corridor where the steps led to the upper deck. I followed behind Glendora, since she knew the cruiser better than me. Also, I didn’t trust her trailing my rear.
When we reached the top of the staircase, I stopped and whispered, “I’m going to find Isabella first.”
“That wasn’t a part of the plan,” she hissed.
“I know, but now that we’re here, I’m feeling like I need to make sure she’s safe before I do anything. You’re welcome to come with me if you don’t trust me.”
She narrowed her baleful eyes and smirked. “Of course I’m coming with you. I’m no fool. If you get the girl, what’s to stop you from leaving …”
I nodded. So far my plan was working.
Outside in the brisk morning air, the sun was barely coming over the mountains and a cold chill blew off the river. I scoped the area for Benjamin and found him—in eagle form—perched on a railing above another staircase. He’d located Isabella’s room.
I pointed to him. “We need to go there.”
We stealthily made our way along the corridor, ducking between alcoves at the slightest noise, until we reached the staircase. Benjamin motioned his head for us to halt. I listened and overheard two men bantering in low tones below. They must’ve been guarding Isabella’s door.
I whispered to Glendora, “Can you shut down the operatives?”
She glared at me with suspicion, but finally nodded, tiptoeing ahead of me and standing midway on the staircase to light up a cigarette. She continued downward and when the voices ceased, she peered up the stairs.
“Come along,” she said.
I went down and stopped at the door. The operatives were sprawled out on the floor. I turned the knob to Isabella’s room, but the door was locked.
“I have to teleport inside to check on Isabella,” I whispered.
“Absolutely not! You’ll just leave right after you have her,” she said in a hushed voice.
I pointed up the stairs to Benjamin. “You can hang onto him for collateral.”
“I’m not bird watching while you sneak off with the girl,” she said under her breath.
“I’m not sneaking off, Glendora. I want to get rid of Magnus as much as you do. I’ll be right back,” I said.
“Fine. Just be quick so we can get into position.” She stubbed out her cigarette and ascended the stairs, then snatched the eagle by its talons and held him in her tight grip.
I teleported into the room, quickly nudging Isabella out of a deep sleep. She rubbed her doe-like eyes and sat up, confused.
“I didn’t think you’d get here so soon,” she said, yawning.
“We don’t have much time. I need you to listen closely. I’m with Benjamin and Glendora. We’re going to trick Magnus. But I need your help. Okay?”
She stood up and tore off the elegant black silk robe and grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. We teleported back outside to Glendora and she released the eagle. Benjamin flashed a look at Isabella, then flew away to keep out of sight.
“Foolish girl,” said Glendora to Isabella. “Turning to the Ancient One.”
“Let’s just focus. We need to get into position on the upper deck. I already explained everything to Isabella. Are you both ready?”
They nodded and the three of us threaded our way to the upper deck. Glendora hid inside a maintenance closet while Isabella ducked underneath a nearby staircase. I ran out to the open deck and stood there in the morning stillness, waiting to be noticed by any of the few operatives on duty. The sun had made its way above the mountains in the east and its bright rays were shining down on the River Elin. The crests of water flickered and sparkled.
“Hey!” shouted one of the men.
I turned around so he could get a full view of my face, then waved with a smile.
“Come here,” said one of the other operatives.
“You idiot, that’s Jordan Temple!”
I watched as the recognition and realization crept over their faces, then I spun on my heel and ran off. I was faster than any of them—thanks to my magic—and was able to duck underneath the stairs with Isabella before they got close.
Alarms sounded and operatives began to emerge from everywhere and scatter across the deck. Isabella clasped my hand; we c
ould’ve left right then and there, as Glendora had suspected we’d do—but I had another plan. It was time to stop Glendora and Magnus from advancing another inch in the kingdom of the Confederated Six. If I didn’t stop them here and now, they’d chase after us and make everything exponentially more difficult. If my plan worked, we’d be free of the duo. Or at least one of them.
I knew the moment Magnus entered the scene because the air shifted in density and temperature. Also, the operatives immediately quieted down and stood to face the counselor. That’s when Glendora sent forth the illusion of me—Jordan Temple—to distract Magnus. It was bizarre watching a version of myself stalking toward Magnus, holding the cane with the Red Ruby. Glendora had done an incredible job with her illusion.
“Hello, Magnus,” said the other Jordan.
He stood back, silently studying the illusion, then looked at his own cane.
“Looks like you’re down a Red Ruby.” My voice sounded so strange coming from the mirage.
“That’s not my cane. I have mine here.” He held it up. “And I’ll be happy to show you that it’s in excellent working condition.”
“Go for it,” said the other Jordan.
Magnus didn’t hold back with the onslaught of red lightning he shot out of his cane. But when absolutely nothing happened to the illusion of me, he stopped and inspected the ruby embedded in the handle.
“I know this is the Red Ruby,” said Magnus with amusement. “And not only that, but I smell the putrid scent of a High Witch on my vessel. Come out, Glendora. I know this is just one of your illusions.”
“Now,” I whispered to Isabella.
She worked her magic over both of us so that a halo of light went from the top of our heads to our feet and when it was finished, the two of us looked like exact replicas of Glendora. We came out from under the steps and flanked the illusion of me.
