“It was me in that video,” he whispered.
Mike filled with rage.
“I’m going to kill you, Morningstar! I’m going to kill you!”
Dementae just laughed. “Yes, I’m sure you will. But first…”
He touched Mike’s forehead, and Mike screamed in pain. It felt like a dentist was drilling on his skull. White splotches appeared in his eyes. A terrible throbbing began in his brain, then moved down to his feet… the pain climaxed, and Mike screamed again…
Then Mike felt a ball of energy move upwards inside of him, from his chest into his mind. The world exploded in light and flame, and everything went black.
Chapter Forty One
When Mike came to, his head felt like it had been detached. His neck throbbed. Mike remembered why his head hurt, but what was that ache in his neck… he tried to move his arms, but there was a jingling sound, like the wind chime outside their house back in Queens…
Then he looked around, and cursed.
He was chained to a wall, spread-eagled apart, two or three feet off the ground. He seemed to be in some sort of underground level; the rocky wall jutting into his back told him that much. The floors were not paved or smoothed at all; they were more like the portal room in Blackrock Castle. Mike shook his head, trying to rid himself of the cobwebs, and gain some measure of awareness.
“He’s alive!”
Mike’s attention snapped to the far end of the room. Light was sparse, facilitated only by a few torches burning on the walls. But Mike could make out a steel grate marking off one side of the room. He squinted, trying to see who had spoken.
“Yeah, he’s alive,” came another voice. Mike’s eyes finally adjusted, and he could see Annabella and Julius Brutus peering through the metal bars, as well as the rest of the Guardians behind them.
“You guys are alive?” Mike retorted. Then he realized what that meant. “Wait, Dementae actually healed you?”
“Yes, to my utter shock.” Mike looked to his left, and saw Magus Stockton chained up in exactly the same fashion.
“What? Why?”
Stockton pursed his lips. “Undoubtedly to feed his own purposes.”
“What does that mean?” Mike looked around. “Wait, where’s Aaron?”
“We don’t know,” Annabella said from across the room. “What did you do up there? Ever since you showed up, Dementae sends a few Brethren goons down here every half hour to take one of us upstairs.”
“And we haven’t seen any of them since,” Julius Brutus added.
Mike wanted to answer them, but even he had no idea what he’d done. He had blacked out immediately after the pain had reached its pinnacle. As soon as the power within him had… what, exactly?
“How many of you guys are left?”
JB peeked behind and did a quick body count. “Like thirty.”
Thirty! Mike thought. There must’ve been at least a hundred kids at school, probably more…
“Why don’t you just fight back?” Mike said.
Julius Brutus tapped the bars. “No magic,” he said. “Some kind of charm on the metal.”
So that was why Stockton couldn’t break free. Mike had wondered why measly chains had held the Magus, and some of the teachers who Mike started to make out in the back of the cell. If they couldn’t fight back, then their fate was already sealed…
“Any sign of Caroline? Alexis?”
Stockton shook his head. “The only ones to join us are yourself and Miss Frost. Where are the others?”
“I… I don’t know,” Mike stammered.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
Just then, Mike heard footsteps coming from the stairs off to the right. The Guardian cell broke into frenzied pandemonium, with each of the teens trying to hide behind another. Only Annabella and the teachers stood firm, as if the threat did not faze them at all. Stockton, meanwhile, made as if he was unconscious, closing his eyes and drooping his neck back to an unnatural level.
Mike’s eyes narrowed as Steph appeared at the bottom of the stairwell. She was dressed in Brethren garb now, black robe and all. Mike felt another rage build up inside of him, but something was missing.
The ball of power in his chest.
He didn’t feel it at all.
Steph glanced at Annabella momentarily, then made a bee-line for Mike.
“Look who it is,” Mike snapped. “The arch-bitch herself.”
“Shut up, Mike,” Steph hissed. She placed a hand on one of his ankle braces and muttered a spell. The lock broke free.
“Did Dementae send for me?”
“I said shut up, Mike!” The other ankle lock snapped open. Mike gasped as his body dropped a few inches. He felt a sharp pain as the metal chains scraped against against his wrists. His feet dangled towards the ground.
“No,” Mike said. “You’re a filthy, slimy little worm who will rot when I get through with you.”
Steph climbed on a protruding rock to reach Mike’s wrists. Her body was stretched out, close to his. One wrist popped free. Mike had no idea why she was doing this, but he was going to kill her when she was done…
“Will you stop it already?” Steph said as she moved to get the other wrist. “Someone’s going to hear you.”
Mike paid her no attention. “That’s it, release me so I can fry you with one of those torches over there—”
Then, out of nowhere, Steph kissed him. Hard.
“Now will you shut up?”
Mike’s mind turned to mush. What the…? But before he could actually get his mind working again, he heard another voice from behind Steph. A voice that was both familiar and caustic at the same time.
“I knew we never should’ve trusted you.”
Steph jumped off her perch and whipped around. Mike dangled from one wrist, his wrist feeling like it was about to snap in half. Blood trickled down his arm.
No, come back, free me first!
But then he saw who had entered the room.
It was Aaron Caulderon.
His pupils were black, only black. He wore a Brethren robe, and his expression was not nearly the kind, amused face Mike was used to seeing.
“Every single day, I kept telling myself: maybe Steph really is on our side. Maybe the Headmage’s daughter really has been swayed by her stepmother’s influence.”
Aaron? He was a part of this, too? And now Steph wasn’t? Wait – Cassandra wasn’t Steph’s real mother?
Aaron stalked towards them, grinning like a cheetah who’d just caught a week’s worth of dinner. “But I was right. You are a traitor.”
“You’re such an idiot,” Steph said, stepping up to Aaron. “Dementae asked for Mike, to run the machine again.”
“Is that so?” Aaron said, rubbing his chin. “And I suppose that when he asked me to bring Mike to the machine, he really wanted both of us to bring him?”
Oh crap, Mike thought.
He slid his gaze over to Stockton, who appeared to be peeking at the action through closed eyes. But he was still chained, too, and there was nothing he could do but watch…
“I don’t understand,” Mike said, hoping to stall. “We were friends in Windham… we fought with each other, protected each other… Dementae hit you with an Aneksham, you would’ve died if I didn’t carry you in!”
Aaron snorted. “A calculated risk, I admit. But a little pain is nothing compared to the reward I will receive for serving my master.”
He is a total psycho, Mike realized. How did I never notice this? He never acted like this in Windham…
And that’s exactly the point, you fool.
“Let’s see here,” Aaron said, circling Steph so he was in between her and Mike. “You, Steph, switched from Pyro to Electrokinesis because you sucked at it, if I’m not mistaken.” Aaron’s eyes mirrored the room. “Big mistake. I don’t see any electricity down here.”
Mike felt totally helpless, dangling there from that one support. He wanted so badly to help Steph, but he was stil
l connected to the magical chain, and he probably couldn’t do magic… well, it couldn’t hurt to try, did it?
“But me, on the other hand…” Fire streaked towards Aaron’s open palm. He curved his hands back and forth around the tiny orange globe, as if he was raving at a club. “My weapon is right here.” Aaron’s eyes glimmered in the flame. “So what’s it going to be, sweetheart? A fiery death? Or should I subject you to the mercies of our great leader?”
Mike’s brain pounded. Fire? Aaron could control fire? He was an Electro major in Windham, Mike was sure of it…
Mike thrust his free arm forward towards Aaron, hoping the fire would jump from Aaron to him.
But nothing happened. Nothing, except, Aaron’s amused laughter. He pointed to the chain.
“Almost, Mike, almost. But I’m afraid those chains are still binding.”
Aaron lifted the fire to Mike’s chest, so close that he could feel the heat. Aaron stared into Mike’s eyes, black hatred emanating from them. It sent shivers down Mike’s spine, just like the first time he had met him. “Where’s the book, Steph?”
“Huh?” Mike said.
Aaron dissolved his weapon and got into Steph’s face. Steph backed up just a step. It was clear to Mike that she was afraid of him.
And if Steph was afraid of him, there was something about Aaron that Mike was definitely missing.
“The book, Stephanie!”
“I… I don’t have it,” Steph stammered.
What is going on? Mike wondered.
Aaron rolled his cue-ball eyes. “Are you really going to make me do this?” He walked over to the jail cell and raised a hand. The door swung open. The Guardians inside started murmuring. A few stepped backwards, away from the opening. Aaron reached inside and telekinesed a kid out. It was Minor, the guy Aaron had dueled on the first day of Sparring.
“Hey, Aaron, listen,” Minor protested as Aaron grabbed a handful of Minor’s curly black hair, then shoved him. Minor stumbled, and he fell to his knees.
Out of nowhere, Aaron produced a club from inside his sleeve. He whacked Minor on the back of the head. Minor crumpled to the ground.
Steph screamed. “Aaron you son of a bitch!”
“Let’s try this again,” Aaron said. He lifted up Minor’s head like he was a chicken about to be slaughtered. A blade slid out of the base of Aaron’s club. He held it at Minor’s neck.
“Aaron, hold on,” Steph whispered. “What are you doing…”
Mike closed his eyes for a second, his brain piercing, his arm feeling like it was being amputated. There was something off about this whole thing… this made no sense… how could Aaron have been the spy, he was one of his closest friends…
“Where is the book, Steph?” Aaron thundered. “The Book of Lineage, which you stole three days ago! There are other forces at work here which you do not understand, what did you do with the book?”
“Aaron,” Mike said, “Put that thing down, don’t you dare…”
Steph said, “I swear, Aaron, I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
Aaron’s blade flashed, and Mike saw red liquid spurt upwards.
“No!” Mike yelled as Minor’s head fell to the floor. He screamed curse words, cursing Aaron out as loudly as possible. Screams came from the jail cell, they seemed muted, as if they were behind a wall. Mike could not keep eyes off Jason Minor, lying on the floor, motionless, a river of red flowing across the stone…
That is, until Aaron jumped up and held the bloodstained blade at his neck.
“Round two, Steph, let’s try again. Maybe someone you care about a little more. Where is the book?”
Mike’s mind screamed, Steph, do something! But she was frozen stiff, almost too terrified to act. It occurred to Mike that she had no idea where the book was, or who had taken it… but maybe, just maybe… Mike checked the proximity between him and Aaron and thought, could this really work?
Aaron, meanwhile, started on a victory speech. “By the way, Prior, if you’re wondering, it was me who sent the vampire to your hospital room. Almost got you there. The Calebra in the girls’ dorms – me again. I’m sure the girls I put into a coma are dead by now, huh?”
Mike knew that without any Guardians to care for them, they probably were.
“And now I have you, mister top of the class,” Aaron sneered.
But before Aaron could do anything else, Mike rocked his leg backwards.
And punted him straight in the groin.
Aaron toppled over, a hand on his crotch, his mouth open in plain surprise. Then, as if a spell on her had been broken, Steph drew a twin-sided dagger from beneath her robe. She lunged to stab at Aaron’s side.
But he was too quick. Aaron threw up his club and knocked Steph’s dagger away. He grabbed her by the wrist and flung her into the wall. She hit hard, and her hand flew to the back of her head.
Suddenly, a ball of flame hit Aaron in the back, and he fell forward. He turned around just to get another one in the chest.
Mike turned and saw several Guardians from the jail cell flooding into the room, fire flowing to their hands, including Professor Punn. For a moment, he was confused, but then he realized how they’d escaped.
Aaron had left the door open.
“No,” Aaron moaned. He muttered something under his breath. The Guardians reared back to finish him off…
Just then, a small blue oval appeared out of nowhere. Aaron launched himself into the liquid. A volley of flames flew in his direction. The fire hit the mini-portal, which shuddered, then closed as quickly as it had appeared.
A few of the Guardians ran over to Minor. Others just stood there, shocked by the whole turn of events. Steph had her head in her hands, sobbing.
One of the Guardians Mike didn’t know jumped up on a rock to reach Mike’s lone chain. As soon as he released it, Mike fell to the floor, tasting dirt on his lips. He tried to get up, but he couldn’t move. He had no strength whatsoever, even to keep his eyes open…
“Swallow this,” Mike heard Stockton’s voice say. Something was pressed into his mouth – a pill, maybe – and he swallowed it without thinking. Out of nowhere, Mike felt rejuvenated, as if the energy that was stolen from him had been restored.
Mike bent over, hands on knees, hoping even more strength would return. He spit out dirt and saliva, then wiped his mouth.
“Let’s get out of here,” he heard someone say.
“Not yet,” Mike said, standing up straight. “I’ve got to kill Caulderon first.”
“He is probably long gone by now,” Stockton said, brushing off his uniform. “I’m sure he will not want to face Dementae, not after allowing all of us to escape.” Then he turned to Steph. “Where are the Gargoyles?”
“They’re being held in separate chambers.” Steph limped over to them, holding the back of her head. Her eyes were puffy. Mike went to support her, but she waved him off. “At least what’s left of them.”
Stockton looked like he might faint. “What do you mean, what’s left of them?”
Steph looked terribly uncomfortable. “Dementae’s been using…” Her voice trailed off. She choked up, bringing a hand to her mouth. It looked like she was going to cry again.
“Let’s just find them, okay?” Mike said, putting a hand on Steph’s shoulder. “Come on.”
This seemed to compose Steph a little. She nodded at the floor and wiped her eyes clean. Then she ripped off her Brethren robe and kicked it to the side, revealing the bottom of her Guardian uniform and a white tank top.
“I swear, I had no idea he would actually…” She looked at Minor for a minute, then bit her lip. Her face scrunched up.
“It’s not your fault.” He held her by her shoulders and said it again. “It’s not your fault.”
Steph nodded, her eyes wet.
One of the students started to pick up Minor’s body, but Stockton said, “Leave him.” Somebody protested, but Stockton said, “There is nothing we can do for him now.”
Everyone was silent.
“In the meantime, Dementae will be wondering why Mike and Aaron have not come upstairs yet.”
With that, Stockton charged up the stairs.
“He’ll probably need my help,” Julius Brutus said aloud, and ran after him.
Mike chuckled.
“We’d better get after him,” Mike said, taking Steph’s hand in his.
Steph wiped hear eyes. “Yeah, let’s go.”
The smell of decaying body parts hit Mike square in the nose as he entered Chateau de Vincennes’ old Dining Hall. The pile of bodies was still here, and Mike dropped Steph’s hand to hold his nose. Then, out of nowhere, Mike heard a sound echo throughout the castle, much like a prison siren.
Several vampires appeared from the far end of the room, pointing and screaming. Without hesitating, they charged the Guardians.
Mike looked behind him, just to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. There were still about thirty Guardians, and only four vampires—
Who were joined by about four hundred others. Mike’s body trembled as the room shook with a vampiric mass. The noise of their bloodlust was terrifying, and Mike took one or two involuntary steps backwards.
“Go for the heart!” Steph ran forward and engaged the first group. She slipped the double-sided blade out from around her hip and took out two creatures in an instant, kicked a third to the side and slashed the fourth in the throat. Quickly she jumped on the vampire and plunged the knife into his heart.
Mike was so impressed he almost didn’t take after her. Only after a vampire was almost on top of him did he remember he was in the middle of a warzone. He thrust his hand forward. The vampire flew backwards as if shot by a cannon. Grabbing electricity from the chandeliers overhead, Mike blew his way towards Steph, who was isolated with four or five vampires near the door to Dementae’s makeshift laboratory. Mike kept his eyes peeled for a stake or something. If he couldn’t kill the vampires, it was going to be a long fight…
Mike flung one vampire backwards with telekinesis, then fried another with a jolt of electricity. He had almost reached Steph when a vampire grabbed him from behind. Mike used the vampire’s forward motion and flipped the creature over, slamming him to the ground. Steph ducked to the floor, somersaulted over to the prone vampire, and plunged a stake into his heart. Then she pulled a metal stake out from her pocket and tossed it up to Mike.
The Guardian Lineage Page 25
