As he flew backwards, Seb looked to where he’d come from. A swirling, twisting wormhole of light and colour. Panic rattled him, but not the sweaty, fast-pulsed panic he knew so well. More of a jangly, shaking panic that messed with the vibration of his corporeal form. He felt like a bubble that could burst at any moment.
Then he landed back on the ground. Although not in the barn. He’d landed in his house in Danu in the hallway by the front door. He heard sounds in the kitchen and ran towards them.
To see his mum, dad, and Davey at the table lifted his heart. But before he could express his joy, they all turned to him, their faces twisted with disgust as if his interruption had just soured their day. The bitter contortion of his mum’s features stung the most as she glared pure contempt at him.
“What have you been doing, you stupid boy?” she said.
“Mum?” Seb said. Then he looked down. He had a white gown on like the kind choirboys would wear. But his gown hadn’t remained white. Instead, it was red and heavy with damp. He was soaked in blood. It dripped and pooled on the wooden floor.
Davey spoke this time. “Look at the mess you’re making, you imbecile.” His best friend in the whole world, he talked like he hated him. “Look at you, boy.”
When his mum stood up, Seb turned his attention back to her. He’d always remembered her to be pretty, yet she looked hideous. A witch, twisted with the bitterness of years’ worth of poison in her soul. “I wish I’d never given birth to you.”
Accustomed to his dad being disappointed, Seb looked at him to see him laughing. Something the man rarely did.
Although Seb opened his mouth to reply, the same invisible hand that had dragged him there gripped the back of his collar and yanked him away again.
Seconds later, Seb crashed down in one of the stark white training rooms at the Shadow Order’s base. His fists clung to the ground, dragged down by a magnetic force. The door suddenly opened, and a line of mandulus charged in. At least thirty of them, they all glowered at him.
As hard as Seb pulled, he couldn’t get himself free from the floor. When he looked up at the observation window, he saw his dad where he’d expected to see Moses. He was still laughing.
As the mandulus ran forwards, Seb shouted at them, “Come and take me then, you cowards.”
But the first one charged straight past him. Then the others followed it.
It defied logic that Seb couldn’t turn around to face them, but for some reason, it simply didn’t work for him. Not that he needed to wait long to see what they ran at. He heard her scream before he saw her.
“SA,” Seb said as he watched one of the mandulus drag her in front of him. They clearly knew he couldn’t turn around and obviously wanted to make sure he didn’t miss it. She had ropes tied to her wrists and ankles. Five or six mandulus on each limb, they picked the ropes up and pulled, stretching her out in a star shape.
SA’s scream rang through the room and pierced Seb’s mind. So loud, he couldn’t put a single thought together. Instead, he watched her stretched to her limit. And then beyond …
A ripping sound, all four of her limbs were torn free at the same time. Blood sprayed everywhere, soaking Seb and standing in stark contrast to the white surroundings of the room they were in.
Then everything went black.
Seb couldn’t tell how long he’d been out for, but when he came to, his crying joined that of those around him and he found himself back in the barn on the hard concrete ground. He looked at the face of the slave next to him. It hissed and spat in his direction, lashing out at him as if making sure he kept his distance.
The voices of the incense carriers continued to speak in unison. They now made sense. “Everything is a threat. Everything is a threat. Everything is a threat. We will rise. We will rise. We will rise. Chaos is essential for change. Chaos is essential for change. Chaos is essential for change.”
Seb felt the warmth of his own urine against his thighs as he lost control of his bladder. He then sobbed for the deaths of those he loved in both the past and the future.
Chapter 48
Bright lights burst into existence along the dark ceiling above them. They pinned Seb to the ground, highlighting his urine-soaked shame and stinging his tired eyes. The place around him stank of sweat and flatulence. The others in the barn had clearly been through a similar experience.
While rubbing his eyes in an attempt to bring his sight back, SA came through to him. What just happened?
Although he knew what he’d experienced to be a twisted hallucination on account of whatever they’d made him drink, he’d still lived it. It was horrible. I had nightmarish visions. I saw you killed in them. Ripped apart by a gang of mandulus.
Are you okay?
Seb’s bottom lip buckled while he shook his head. Exhaustion ran all the way to his bone marrow, his muscles buzzing with fatigue. I’m not sure. I really don’t know.
Before he could say anything else, the guards roared through the barn. Again, they spoke as one, the collective swell of their voices amplified by the cavernous space. “Get up now!”
Not sure he could, Seb pushed off against the hard ground and forced himself up on shaking legs. A glance at the beast next to him, he noticed the brute avoid eye contact. Broken, like Seb, it looked like it wanted to be left alone. Not really an option in the crowded barn.
It didn’t matter that Seb had heard it before, because when the steam whistle went off this time, the shrill screech felt like it shook his skeleton. He trembled as he joined the shuffle towards the exit, staring at the floor like all of those around him.
When Seb stepped outside into the hot and humid cave, he could see better than when he’d exited the last barn. The lights in the ceiling had helped prepare him for the change. Like he’d done when he left the previous one, he looked into the darkness to see if he could locate his friends.
We can see you, Sparks said.
No matter how hard Seb squinted, he couldn’t see them.
SA spoke to him next. Do you need us to break you out now? You don’t look too good.
Despite his urge to say yes, and despite the fact he would be entering the third barn shortly, Seb shook his head. No. If I come out now, I won’t have learned enough to take anything back to Moses. Just … He paused, his words catching because he felt too shy to say them; he hated feeling so vulnerable. Just look after me, please?
Silence for a few seconds. SA finally said, I’m doing my best.
It hardly filled Seb with confidence, and before he had much time to dwell on it, he’d been led into the next large barn.
The space had lights overhead. Similar to the last one but dimmer. They allowed Seb to see the rows and rows of cages. Each one a prison for an individual, he shook to look at them. The screams of the tortured slaves came flooding back to him. Why hadn’t he asked SA and Sparks to bust him out? They couldn’t do anything for him now. The same smell of sweat hung in the muggy air. A musty tang of fear, it lifted gooseflesh all over his body.
While he walked, Seb heard the slamming of cell door after cell door. When he peered up ahead, he saw those at the front being locked away. The line then stopped, all of the prisoners in front of him arriving at their allocated cages. He peered into his small cell.
Although the guards walked up the line to make sure the prisoners entered their pens, Seb couldn’t see any that needed reminding. He stepped into his like the others had.
What’s going on? SA said.
After a moment to compose himself, Seb looked around. I’m in a cage. We’re all in cages.
What?
I don’t know what they’re planning to do—Seb jumped at the loud crash of his slamming cell door—but they have us all in our own personal cages. The bars look too strong to break and the locks too resilient to pick. I don’t know what they’re going to do to me, SA. I’ve changed my mind. You need to get me out of here.
Sparks came through this time. We can’t, Seb. Not now you’re in there. Esp
ecially if you’re locked in a cell.
It took all Seb had to hold onto his panic. He focused on his breaths and tried to bring his rising and frantic energy down a little. The crashing of the slamming doors had run away from him all the way up the barn to where he’d entered. And then they stopped.
Not sure he would feel any calmer than he did at that moment, Seb gave SA and Sparks the response they needed to hear, even if he didn’t believe his own words. You’re right. I’ve come this far, I need to see it through. I’m okay now. Just be ready for me at the end, yeah?
If SA or Sparks replied to him at that moment, he didn’t hear it, his attention turning to the suffering around him. The screams started at the far end of the space where those at the front of the group had been caged. Fury, rage, fear, and cuss words filled the air. The banging of creatures crashing against the bars of their cells. The cage doors rattled as if they were trying to shake them off their hinges. As if they could bust their way out. It had something to do with the guards. They were triggering the prisoners in some way as they made their way up the barn.
The sound of suffering grew louder as it closed in on Seb. Every cage the guards passed sent its occupant insane with fury. The closer they got, the more clearly Seb saw what the prisoners were going through. Every one of them went off after an interaction with a guard. Bad enough to look at, but what if he didn’t react like that? What would they do to him then?
The prisoner in the neighbouring cell was the same one Seb had lain next to in the previous barn. In its huddled form and how it wrung its hands while watching what came their way, Seb saw his own growing anxiety. It crawled up the inside of him, his throat tightening as if he might stop breathing.
Then the guard stopped by Seb’s neighbour, leaned close to the cell, and whispered something Seb couldn’t hear.
What had been a meek and scared creature suddenly changed. It turned into a hissing, fitting mess. Wild eyes, gnashing teeth, it ran at Seb, accelerating into the bars separating them. A loud tonk from where it cracked its head, the creature stumbled backwards before charging at him again. It had a will to get to him that might even overpower the thick steel keeping it caged.
Seb!
From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she’d been trying to talk to him again and he hadn’t heard her. SA, I don’t know what’s happening here.
Just hang on, yeah?
Tears dampened his cheeks as he watched the guard move on to him. Please save me.
The guard stood both taller and wider than Seb. It wore the crimson robe of its brethren, its face hidden in shadow. It whispered just loud enough for Seb to hear it. “It’s time to wake, my army. It’s time to rise up.”
The rush of rage started somewhere years behind Seb, hurtling towards him at the speed of light. When it crashed into him a millisecond later, it thrust him towards the guard. He smashed—head first—into the bars in front of him.
Aware of falling backwards, his furious world twisted out of control.
Seb blacked out before he hit the ground.
Chapter 49
Seb came to with a deep gasp, his desperate bark drowned out by another loud splash as more frigid water soaked him. Before he’d had time to get his thoughts straight, what he lay on shifted and he fell. Only a few metres to the ground, he still hit the hard surface with an oomph. When he looked up, he saw he’d been at the top of a stack of unconscious beings. They were all piled on a wheeled trolley.
The crimson guards continued to throw buckets of water over the remaining creatures while Seb crawled away, shivering from the icy assault.
When he got about ten metres from the trolley, Seb stopped to catch his breath. Wet and sore, his head pounded. Because he had nothing left to give, he fell limp on the hard ground, the rush of water from the soaking several metres away spreading out and forming a puddle beneath him. Even with the cold, he’d stay there if they could just give him some time to rest.
Although Seb had some memory of what had happened in the cage, it resided within him more as an anxious gnawing than a clear recollection of the details. What had they done to them? Why were so many of the slaves unconscious? The throbbing headache seemed to emanate from a sore spot in the centre of his forehead.
When Seb got to his feet, he saw many of the other creatures in the space had done the same. The few who hadn’t were already stirring. Only a couple of guards in there with them, they all put down their buckets and herded the slaves into a tight pack like they’d done all along.
They must have been in the fourth barn, because when they opened the doors, Seb saw the cage they’d landed in when they came down the chimney.
All of the slaves moved in time with one another. Slow and lethargic steps, they’d been chewed up and spat out again, passive compliance the only thing left in them.
When they exited the barn, Seb felt the humid press of the dark space. Much warmer than his drenched body, but he kept his attention on the ground to save looking at anything else around him. Keep his head down and hopefully this would all be over soon.
Then someone grabbed Seb’s arm. He spun around and raised his fist to strike them down. His own defiance scared him and he quickly cowered, awaiting an inevitable beating.
The being who’d grabbed Seb kept a hold of him and dragged him away from the path into the shadows. Some of those around him looked for a second before they returned their attention to their feet.
“Please don’t hurt me,” Seb said. “I didn’t mean to raise my fist at you.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Seb squinted in the darkness. “Sparks?”
“Who else? Now stop talking out loud before you get us killed.”
The reason for him being there came back to Seb. Although foggy, the memory of his mission returned.
Before Seb could say anything else, SA moved in front of him and helped him put his thick winter coat on. She stared at him as they stood in the shadows, her bioluminescence cut intermittently by her repeated blinking. I’m so sorry. I should have protected you better.
It took for SA to reach forward and wipe his tears away for Seb to realise they’d been there in the first place. Now he’d started, he couldn’t stop. He fell forwards into her arms and sobbed on her shoulder. Don’t be sorry. I’m so glad to see you. He reached out for Sparks and pulled her in too. To see both of you.
A few seconds later, Sparks pulled away. Can you remember what happened in there so we can tell Moses?
Seb searched his mind. It was almost as if his memories were electrified, a slight shock jolting through him every time he touched on one from the process he’d just been put through. Painful, but he could do it. Yes, he finally said. I don’t like to, but yes.
Although SA stepped away from Seb, she continued to hold onto his hands as she stared at him. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you right again.
I think you must have done something already. The fact I can access my memories seems much more than any slave has been able to do so far.
Sparks then said, SA and I checked this place out while you were in the barns. The guards are so relaxed about their control over the slaves that we can walk out of here without any problems. I just need to make sure you can keep the noise down. No sudden outbursts, right?
What about all of the other slaves? What’s going to happen to them?
It took for SA to squeeze his hand for Seb to realise she still had a hold of it. Remember, we need to get this information to Moses. Hopefully, it will lead us closer to Enigma.
How will it do that? Seb said.
I’m not sure. SA shrugged. But our mission was to find the Countess’ slave ring and find out what she does to the slaves. Maybe what we tell him will give him a clue that can help us put an end to all of this, not just this one section of it. We kick off now and we’ll blow that chance. Come on, I hate to leave them too, but it’s the right play.
Confused and exhausted, Seb let SA lead him away. They followe
d Sparks, who walked a metre or two ahead of them.
Chapter 50
Because Sparks had already called ahead, when they stepped from the cave, Seb saw Owsk waiting for them. He hovered nearby with the ship’s cargo bay door wide open. It took a nudge from SA, but with Seb’s rapidly dropping body temperature, he didn’t need much encouragement to get on the ship first.
While changing out of his soaked clothes, Seb watched the other two throw the guard they’d captured onto the ship after him. The pathetic creature yelped as it skidded along the metal floor and crashed into the far wall.
As much as Seb wanted to kick the wretched being in the face, his extremities had already turned numb. Bad enough that he’d had to be rescued by his friends, if he took too long, he’d be so cold he’d need them to dress him too.
Not that it stopped Seb staring down at the thing while he changed. They’d taken the crimson robe from it, exposing the whimpering creature beneath. Not much taller than Sparks, it was the same porcupine species as the beings he’d dealt with in Aloo’s sewers.
Owsk remained in the cockpit, but Buster had come down to open the doors for them. He also stared at their hostage, appraising it with his pallid glare before looking at SA and Sparks as they climbed in. “I’ve drowned creatures just for looking like this one.”
The being shuffled away from Buster.
“How come you have him with you?”
“He caught us leaving,” Sparks said. “We had to either kill him or abduct him. Either way, he had to go missing. I’m hoping he might be some use to us.”
Although he kept his focus on the porcupine, Buster said, “How long do you think it will be before they notice he’s gone?”
Sparks stared at him until he looked up at her. “We had no other choice.”
The Shadow Order - Books 1 - 8 + 120 Seconds (The complete series): A Space Opera Page 113
