"And, unfortunately, where we probably have to go," Ander said. Soon they reached the temple's entrance, which stood open, as though waiting for them. Nadia had the feeling that something evil lurked just around the corner.
How had such evil come to be?
They stepped into the temple, and Nadia struggled to stay on her feet as the cold intensified. Markus leaned on Rik to keep his balance. She took note of that and used Kara for support. No use feigning confidence and strength right now.
"Are you doing all right, Nadia?" Ander asked.
"It's nothing you can help with. We need to keep going."
They rounded a corner, guided by magical torches, which had probably been alight for hundreds and hundreds of years.
At the other end of the corridor, something black stirred. Another wave of cold and fear washed over Nadia, and she leaned harder on Kara. The black thing came closer and closer, filling the air with its chilling presence.
Aric looked at Ander. "Well, this is the first test of your staff."
"I'll be ready. I've practiced."
The wraith hovered closer, a strange blackness surrounding it, as though its presence warped the air nearby. Nadia's heart pounded.
Ander's mouth became a thin line as a jet of fire burst from the tip of his staff. The fire struck the wraith, and it recoiled, letting out a high-pitched streak. When the fire dissipated, though, it continued toward them. The staff trembled in Ander's hands.
Another jet of fire shot at the creature. It recoiled again, its shriek even higher. This time, Ander didn't give it a break. He turned the fire to a surge of lightning that traveled in a horizontal path from the tip of the staff to the wraith's chest area.
The wraith's shriek sounded worse than ever, and it faded into dust.
"Well, at least we know we can fight them," Aric said.
After taking a few moments to collect themselves, they moved past the spot where the wraith had dissipated, to a place where their path turned to the left and ended in a massive stone door. Their shadows danced against it like black ghosts.
Ander examined the door. Nadia joined him, relieved that the cold had faded. The door offered no clues as to how it would open, none save for a large circular opening in its center. Was there some kind of round key, and where would they find one?
"Are we going to be stopped already?" Kara asked.
Ander ran his hands along the door. "Where is the key?"
"Are you sure there is a key?" Aric asked.
Rik stepped closer to the door. "I don't know. Sure looks like it, though."
"I have an idea," Markus said, his face pale in the dim magical light. Everyone turned to him, and he said, "When Rik and I came here before, we went into one of the houses. There was a way down underground that we didn't take because it really bothered me."
"Yeah, that could be it," Rik said.
"It's a better idea than anything else we have," Aric said.
Ander turned away from the door. "I agree."
They walked back out of the temple. The cold feeling lingered, but Nadia had learned to ignore it. Even Markus looked less pale, though he seemed in no mood to talk.
Kara glanced around. "Where is this house?"
"Don't worry," Rik said, pushing through some vines. "I remember the way."
They walked almost to the edge of the city, then stopped in front of one of the few homes they could enter. At the door, Markus turned deathly pale, and the cold hit them again, as though they were in the presence of another wraith.
Rik stepped into the house first, followed by Ander and Aric. Nadia, Kara, and Markus entered last, Nadia doing so reluctantly. Only her fierce desire to avenge her mother kept her going. The closer they came to a door at the back of the structure, the worse Nadia felt. If someone had told her she was taking a bath in icy water, she would have believed them. Rik stepped into the opening first before Ander pulled him back.
"I should go first," Ander said. "I have the staff."
"Yeah, probably a good idea," Rik said.
Ander led them down the steps, and Nadia leaned on Kara again to keep her knees from collapsing. It was strange that magic had such powerful drawbacks.
The chamber beneath the home, though dark at first, gradually brightened. The same magical torches lined the stone walls, casting flickering orange light upon everything.
Far at the other side of the large chamber, another wraith stirred.
"Did you see it, Ander?" Nadia asked.
"Yes, I did, but I have to wait until it gets within range."
The wait seemed to last forever. The closer the wraith came, the more Nadia shivered. How could she handle the whole city if it was all like this? This was worse than Crayden.
When the wraith came within range, Ander blasted it with lightning. It shrieked briefly, then collapsed into a black cloud that vanished, leaving no trace it had ever been there.
"A little draining," Ander said. "But those things aren't too bad."
Nadia followed the others as they pushed deeper into the underground chamber. The wraith's cold had vanished, but she remained alert, peering into the chamber's dim recesses.
They rounded countless twists and turns of the underground passage through a vast network of tunnels, a network perhaps larger than the temple itself. Eventually, they came to an open room full of large stone pillars. Nadia sensed movement.
In the center of the room, in a giant pit, creatures stirred. A grand staircase led down into this pit. Nadia moved ahead of the others, peering through the dim lighting. Maybe she would recognize what they were facing.
The creatures looked like skeletons—perfectly preserved skeletons, as though the people had just died. They moved with slow, rickety motions. Could they see without eyes, or would they only sense movement?
"How do we handle these things?" Markus whispered, crouching beside her.
She bit her lower lip. "I don't know. I need to think."
"Do you think we can sneak past them?" Ander asked, squinting.
"No, it couldn't be that simple. Maybe I could shoot them."
"They don't really look that dangerous," Rik said.
"Who knows what they might do?" Nadia said. "Better to get rid of them."
"I agree," Ander said. "Maybe I'll try my magic, too."
"It's worth a try," Nadia said. She readied an arrow and aimed at the closest skeleton as it lurched toward them. A deep breath, then she let the arrow fly. When it hit, the skeleton fell to pieces.
She almost laughed. "Well, that was easier than I expected."
"I wouldn't pass judgment so quickly," Aric said, pointing at the skeletons. "Look!"
The remaining five skeletons started moving faster, heading toward the steps as though they could sense the intruders. Nadia nocked another arrow and released, shattering a second skeleton.
Beside her, Ander sent blasts of fire at the other skeletons. The skeletons faltered but kept coming. He tried lightning next, achieving the same result.
"Do something!" Markus shouted. "They're getting closer!"
Nadia continued releasing arrows, but the skeletons' jerky movements had become so quick and irregular that her shots missed, or only struck glancing blows. Ander was now backing away, launching more magic at the skeletons but achieving nothing more than slowing them down.
Kara, Markus, Rik, and Aric stood their ground, their weapons at the ready. Markus hacked at one of the skeletons with his sword, and it fell apart. Kara did the same with her sword, and Rik with his axe.
One last skeleton broke through and darted toward Markus, ignoring everyone else. Its bony hand closed around Markus's arm, and he let out an anguished scream as he tried to pull free. From a few feet away, Rik charged and decapitated the skeleton. It fell to pieces on the stone floor.
Heart pounding, Nadia rushed to Markus's side. "Are you all right?"
He was panting. "My arm's burning where it grabbed me."
"Let me look at it," Aric said, squat
ting beside Markus. "I'm a doctor."
Rik narrowed his eyes. "Can't you heal it yourself, Markus?"
"I guess I could try." Markus pressed a hand to the red spot on his arm, holding it there for maybe half a minute, but nothing happened. Then, with obvious frustration, he said, "I guess my healing abilities only work on other people. Too bad."
"How much does it hurt?" Aric asked, touching the arm tenderly.
Markus winced. "It's not too bad. I think I'll be fine."
"That's not what I'm concerned about," Aric said. "This is an evil creature. There's no telling what effect its touch might have on you. You need to keep an eye on it."
Markus got to his feet. "Don't worry about it. It's just a little burn."
Nadia agreed with Aric, though she didn't know enough to speculate on what effects the injury might have.
"If that's all settled," Ander said, "we need to get going."
Once again, Nadia appreciated Ander. He was a lot like her, the kind of person who set his sights on a goal and didn't let little things distract him. In a situation like this, you needed someone with a cool head and determined attitude. Some had told her that Ander had a tendency to lose his temper, but she had never seen it.
They crossed the pit of bones, careful not to touch any of them. Markus shook his arm the whole time, wincing. Nadia thought to ask him if he was okay, but she knew he'd try to look tough. In fact, she knew him quite well considering that she'd met him a few days ago.
A few days that seemed like a lifetime.
At the other side of the pit was the entrance to a narrower corridor lit by magical torchlight. Nadia's skin prickled with fear, and she remained alert.
Soon they entered a larger chamber in the center of which stood an elevated platform. Small steps led up this platform, and on top of that platform, there was a pedestal containing a round blue stone. The key they needed.
"I knew it!" Markus said. "Guess it's that old intuition at work."
Rik bounded forward. "I'll go get it."
"Be careful!" Nadia said. "There could be something up there."
But Rik continued forward. As he reached the stone and grabbed it, a silvery, wispy orb appeared behind him. He turned to them, holding the stone up in triumph, unaware of the threat.
"Rik, behind you!" Kara shouted. A moment later, she rushed after him. Nadia reached out to restrain her, but Kara moved too quickly, racing up the steps toward Rik and the silver orb.
That orb developed some kind of appendage, which slowly reached out toward Rik, who had turned just then to see it. Kara rushed to Rik's side and pushed him away from the wispy tentacle, but she couldn't get away from it herself.
The silvery substance made contact with her skin, then vanished.
And Kara vanished with it.
Chapter 30
Nadia ran to the spot where Kara had disappeared, knelt beside Rik, and ran her hands along the ground, praying that Kara would somehow return. The others shouted from behind, but she didn't hear a word they said.
She felt sick with panic. "Where did she go? She was right here."
"I-I'm sorry," Rik said. "It's my fault."
The others joined her near the pedestal. When she felt a warm hand on her back, she turned to see Ander frowning with concern.
"That being could come back," he said. "We need to get out of here."
"I'm not leaving without Kara," she said, pulling away from him. Now was not the time for him to focus so resolutely on the task. What did it matter if they found the scroll now, without Kara?
"I don't think she's coming back," Ander said. His tone was firm, but a hint of sympathy lurked beneath the surface.
"How can you know that?" she demanded. "How can you say that?"
Ander knelt down beside her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Whether she's coming back or not, is sitting around here going to accomplish anything? She knew the risks when she came here. You knew the risks too. You were willing to sacrifice anything to kill Warrick."
She fought against tears. "I know that! But I can't lose anyone else now. I never should have let her come."
"You know that wouldn't have stopped her," Ander said.
Nadia couldn't meet his eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, Kara would follow her through anything as long as it made at least a little sense. Nadia didn't deserve friends like that. Being close to her killed people. She was some kind of curse.
Maybe she shouldn't care about anyone. How else could she kill Warrick?
"I know," she said, wiping away tears. Why did she have to cry so much?
"I know it sounds horrible," Ander said. "But Kara's gone. We're dealing with things we simply can't understand. If that thing killed her, there's nothing we can do. And even if it didn't, if it took her somewhere else, we have no idea where. We just have to hope she can manage her situation, whatever it is."
Nadia continued looking at the ground. "I know that what you say seems logical, but it doesn't make me feel any better."
"I wouldn't expect it to. But we've all lost people. There will be a time to mourn, but now is not that time. We have a task to accomplish."
She got to her feet on wavering legs. "You're right."
Kara was gone. That much was clear. If this entity was the Silver Wisp she'd read about, then there was likely no hope of finding Kara. Nadia took a few deep breaths, trying to keep her mind from going down dark paths.
When she turned, she caught sight of Aric slumped against the stone pedestal, his eyes closed, his face pale in the magical torchlight. Feeling warm with guilt, she realized she was being selfish. Kara was also his cousin.
"Aric, are you all right?" Nadia asked hesitantly.
"I-I'll be fine. Just give me a little time."
But he wouldn't be fine, just as she wouldn't. People could only endure so much loss before they cracked under the pressure. How long could they numb the pain by focusing on the scroll?
"We really shouldn't hang around here," Ander said. "There's no telling when that thing might come back. Would Kara want us to fail because of her?"
Aric got to his feet. "No, she wouldn't."
"It's still my fault," Rik said quietly.
Nadia met his watery eyes. "You couldn't have known."
"We're all to blame," Ander said. "I could have tried using my staff, but I froze. We all did. Kara was the only one who reacted."
Nadia could see the reason in Ander's statements, but that didn't make her feel better. She continued kneeling there, staring at the spot where Kara had vanished.
The Silver Wisp. She'd thought it was a myth.
She wiped tear tracks from her face. "Ander's right. Let's keep going."
They made their way out of the chamber. No one spoke. No one looked at one another. After Crayden, they all deserved a chance to rest, a day free from loss.
The chamber was empty of threats as they returned to the house from which they'd entered the underground tunnels. When they stepped out of the house, into the veiled afternoon sunlight, that evil chill returned to the air, refocusing Nadia's attention.
Kara wouldn't want her to give up. Deep down, Nadia couldn't believe Kara was gone forever. It was the kind of intuition Nadia trusted.
With the blue stone in hand, they retraced their steps, reaching the temple. The pyramid stood over them, tall and mysterious. The whole way there, Nadia had thought she'd seen motion out of the corners of her eyes, but it ceased when she turned her head.
As they entered the pyramid, her legs felt weak. Soon they reached the large stone door with the circular indentation. Rik placed the stone in the slot, and it fit perfectly. The door rumbled open.
On the other side was a vast chamber lit by the same magical torchlight. Years of dust and disuse had darkened the once magnificent chamber. Enormous stone statues lined the perimeter of the room, their large eyes unnerving.
At the center of the chamber's back wall, an elevated platform jutted out from the stone walls. A large serie
s of steps led up to this platform, and on it stood the only statue not in line with the others. It carried a giant stone sword and measured at least twenty feet tall, another eight or so wide.
"I don't like that statue," Markus said.
Nadia slowed her pace as they approached. "I don't like it either."
"I know what you mean," Aric said. "Feels like it's watching us."
They reached the bottom of the steps, but the statue made no movements. Was it some kind of protector for the temple? Maybe it was no longer active. It looked ancient enough to have been part of the city before its destruction.
When they reached the platform, the statue remained motionless. Heart pounding, Nadia inched closer and placed a hand on its stone surface. Nothing happened.
She turned to the others. "Whatever it is, I don't think it's active anymore."
"Let's hope it stays that way," Ander said, walking past the statue. The rest of the group followed, approaching the set of doors in front of which the statue stood. The doors came open with a firm push, leading to another magically lit corridor.
The group filed through the open door and into the dusty halls beyond, but Nadia remained behind, watching the statue uneasily.
A sudden blast of cold hit her, and she tapped Ander on the shoulder. "I think there's another wraith coming."
The wraith did appear, and Ander blasted it away. He looked weak afterward, but it could have been her imagination. They walked farther along the twisting corridor. Maybe a minute later, they spotted three sets of chainmail lying on the ground. Nadia bent low to examine them.
Markus squatted beside her. "Has someone else been here?"
"No, I think this is the Imperial Guard expedition I read about. The account mentioned some deaths, though it was a bit vague."
"What do you think killed them?" Ander asked. He had a remarkable ability to keep fear out of his voice. If she hadn't known him better, she'd have thought he was fearless.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Nadia said.
The farther they walked, the more sets of chainmail they found. The account had described a party of ten, and by the time they reached the end of the corridor, they found eight. With the passage of time, everything else had degraded, though there were hints of fabric.
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 24
