Concealed Special Edition

by Christina Bauer

  “I’ve a better idea.” Jonas tilted his head and spoke a quick incantation. The incision along his neck glowed blue once more. His bone crawler armor shrank to its regular size and then wiggled back inside his neck. “I’ll keep my bone crawler of reach for now. Once we have you in our control, we’ll find out what you’re really up to.”

  “I’ve got different plans for the evening.” I released more of my hybrid power. Purple mist flew off my left hand and wrapped around Jonas’s body. The haze solidified into a winding sheet that tightened around him, secure as a mummy. He stared at me for a moment, dumbfounded, and then toppled backward.

  I stepped up to loom over him. This kind of angle worked the best during interrogations. “Where are the other Necromancers being held?”

  Jonas writhed beneath me. “What Necromancers?”

  “The ones you’ve been draining.” I snapped my fingers, and the winding sheet tightened around Jonas’ body. He wheezed.

  I leaned closer. “Not being able to breathe is unpleasant, isn’t it?”

  It took him a few gasps to reply. “Bitch.”

  “What kind of attitude is that?” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make me cast something more painful. I’ve already had a tiring day.”

  The purple light was fading from my hands. I didn’t have much longer to use my stolen hybrid power. I loosened the winding sheet ever so slightly, just enough to allow him to speak more easily. “Talk.”

  “You’ll see for yourself where they are, considering that you’ll soon be drained too. We haven’t had a mage of your quality in ages. The Vicomte will be so pleased.”

  The last wisps of purple light faded from my hands. My hybrid magick was gone. A chilly sense of awareness crawled up my skull.

  Someone is watching me.

  Bit by bit, I angled my head to look behind me. A pack of Fantomes stood at the other side of the small clearing, their hooded forms barely visible in the moonlight.

  Gods-damn it. I didn’t know if I had enough power to fight one mage, let alone eight. All my Necromancer magick was gone, and my hybrid power had been expended as well.

  I still have to try.

  Reaching out with my mage awareness, I pulled fresh magick into my limbs. Energy trickled into my body. I began the words to an incantation for attack.

  The clearing brightened as all the mages summoned power into themselves. Their blue smoke soon covered the grassy earth, congealing into the shape of a skeletal snake with long bright fangs. Although the creature was an empty hulk of bone, it was powered by magick. The snake slithered quickly toward me, jaws opened wide. My heart sank. I knew what was coming.

  A sleeper spell.

  I tried to release some of my power, but I’d barely gotten halfway through the incantation when sharp fangs bit into my shoulder. I hissed in pain as my consciousness drifted into darkness.

  26

  The next thing I knew, I was awake once more. Sleeper spells were like that. For the victim, the blackout came and went in a heartbeat. For everyone else, the spell could last for hours.

  How long have I been asleep exactly?

  Dull pain burned up my arms. I opened my eyelids the barest amount. Jonas and Hannah stood on either side of me. Each Fantome had draped one of my arms over their shoulders, making it easier to drag me along. That explained the pain. It didn’t answer how much time had passed, though.

  Still trying to look asleep, I stole a few more careful glances at my surroundings. It helped that my mask was gone and some of my hair had fallen over my face. The mages were lugging me down a darkened passageway. I exhaled. This was familiar territory. We were in the dungeons just underneath the Montagne mansion. Which meant there was no question where they were taking me.

  Straight to Ada and Veronique.

  And to a place that the Fantomes thought would mean my death.

  At last.

  Footsteps and muffled music echoed in from the ceiling. I let out another relieved sigh. The ball continued upstairs. At most, I’d been passed out for an hour.

  I carefully reached out with my mage senses. When it was clear that Hannah and Jonas didn’t notice what I was doing, I tested the magick around me. There was hardly any power in the air. Still, I pulled in what I could. Another force crept across my skin. It was some kind of ward. Not against Necromancer power, though.

  That’s right. The Vicomte blocked Caster magick down here after our battle yesterday with the Fantomes.

  A hollow sensation spread through my chest. Since they’d blocked Caster magick in the dungeons, I couldn’t call Tamu.

  I would have to fight alone this time. No help from Rowan.

  Fine. I could do that.

  Hannah and Jonas dragged me deeper into the dungeons. With every step, the ache in my arms grew worse. I wanted nothing more than to walk on my own power. It wasn’t something I could risk, though. As long as Jonas and Hannah thought I was passed out, I had the chance for a surprise attack.

  That was an opportunity I wouldn’t waste.

  Instead, I focused on drawing in a steady stream of magick. After the battle in the gardens, I was empty and tired. I needed to prepare for another fight and fast.

  Finally, Jonas and Hannah stopped before a heavy wooden door. My skin prickled with gooseflesh.

  This was it; I could feel it in my bones.

  All I needed to do was keep up the appearance of being passed out. As long as the Fantomes thought I was helpless, I could launch into a surprise attack, free my Sisters, and get us all to safety. In the journey here, I’d gathered enough magick for a decent spell or two. But escape alone wasn’t enough.

  I must get that vortex watch.

  A hazy plan began to take shape in my mind. The Fantomes would need the vortex watch in order to drain me. And the moment they brought out that device? There was my opportunity to strike. The witness watch still sat safely tucked away in my pocket. Even better, it looked identical to the vortex watch. Perhaps I could use the witness device as a decoy, cause a diversion, and then grab the vortex watch for my own. A spark of hope lit in my heart.

  The plan might work.

  Hannah knocked on the door in an odd rhythm. “We brought her.”

  The portal swung open, sending a beam of torchlight across my face. The Vicomte stood on the threshold, wearing a garish yellow longcoat. His gray features were tight with rage. “This better be worth my time. I left the ball for your nonsense.”

  I risked a quick look. The chamber was huge and made of gray rock. Apart from our small pool of torchlight, most of the place was cast in darkness. A dozen more Fantomes stood in a neat line behind the Vicomte. There was no mistaking the glimmer of totem rings on all their fingers.

  Gods-damn it. That man came prepared.

  Jonas jostled me, sending a shooting pain up my arm. “This one’s got magick, I tell you.”

  “Her? How much?” asked the Vicomte.

  “She cast a winding sheet spell on me,” said Jonas. “I escaped easily, of course.”

  The Vicomte’s gray eyes narrowed. “But that’s Mistress level.” His voice dripped with doubt. Like the mages back in the garden, he couldn’t imagine a real Necromancer would survive the Tsar’s purges.

  Wait until I unleash my power.

  “No, Your Eminence.” Hannah helped Jonas drag me inside. “She’s a Grand Mistress.”

  The Vicomte chuckled. “Did I hear you correctly? I sent you off to deal with a troublemaker. Now you say she’s a Grand Mistress Necromancer. Why I trust you Fantomes is beyond me.”

  “We are sorry to disappoint,” said Jonas earnestly.

  The Vicomte waved his arm. “We’ll see. Hopefully, there’s a little power in this wench. I’ve been killing myself trying to eke out magick from the sad specimens that are currently in my collection.”

  A jolt of anger rushed up my spine. Specimens? These were my people.

  “She will complete your vortex watch,” said Hannah. “You can rely on it.”

 
; “Perhaps. If this bitch has had any kind of training, then it’s a distinct possibility.” His gray eyes flared with hunger. “Genesis Rex has given me nothing but trouble tonight. How I’d love to have that vortex watch charged up and ready before I return to the ball.”

  So you can kill him, you mean.

  Worry churned inside me. The Vicomte was out to murder Genesis Rex. Down here in the dungeons, there were still wards against Caster magick. I couldn’t get a message to Rowan through Tamu. Even worse, I couldn’t afford to use the little magick I had for anything outside of grabbing vortex watch and escaping. Rowan would have a far worse problems if the Vicomte got his hands on a fully charged totem ring.

  Some rustling sounded in the distant corners of the darkened room. Were Ada and Veronique out there somewhere? With the size of this chamber, it could easily be a trick of the ears.

  The Vicomte eyed me carefully. “Don’t you think you need to restrain her more properly?”

  I worked hard to stay limp in Hannah and Jonas’s arms. A surprise move was my best chance here. I must save it for the perfect moment.

  Jonas sniffed. “No, she’s under a sleeper spell. Eight of us cast it. This one won’t awaken for hours yet.”

  It was an effort to keep from smiling. That’s what you think. That hybrid magick must have protected me from the full effects of the sleeper spell. Something to remember for the future.

  If I have one, that is.

  “So you say.” The Vicomte did not sound convinced. “I’ll have a look myself.”

  Sharp footsteps sounded across the stone floor. My heart beat so fast, I felt sure everyone could see the pulse in my throat. The Vicomte’s chilly hand gripped my chin and forced my head upright. It took every scrap of my Necromancer training to appear asleep when what I really wanted to do was cast an attack spell.

  Wait, Elea. You need that vortex watch first.

  Foul breath cascaded down my cheek as the Vicomte moved in closer. “Are you really asleep, I wonder?” The Vicomte then slammed his fist into the side of my head. Pain ricocheted down my skull. I didn’t show any reaction. After years of controlling the painful deluge of magick, that punch felt like nothing. The Vicomte leaned in once again. “She doesn’t look like much. Still, I’d rather have my vortex watch working sooner rather than later. Set her onto the machine.”

  Hannah and Jonas dragged me deeper into the chamber. We hadn’t gotten more than a few steps inside when I felt it.

  A total void of magick in the air.

  Every last wisp of Necromancer energy was gone. It made sense since this was the place where they drained Necromancer power. It didn’t help me any, though. If I was going to get the vortex watch and escape, I couldn’t rely on being able to quickly pull in fresh power.

  Oh well. The little magick I had gathered would have to do.

  “Elea! Elea!”

  That was Ada. She’s here, right now, in this very room.

  I pushed away Hannah and Jonas. Standing on my own, I scanned the darkened recesses of the chamber. I couldn’t see a thing.

  “She awakens,” said the Vicomte. There was a calculating note to this voice. My training told me to consider that before anything else, but my heart wouldn’t have it. Ada was somewhere nearby. All I wanted to do was find her.

  “I’m here, Elea. Here!”

  I took off into the darkness, following the direction of Ada’s voice. Rushed footsteps sounded behind me. I was pretty sure Hannah and Jonas were trailing me. Even so, I couldn’t be bothered with them right now. Ada needed me.

  “Jonas. Hannah. Cease your pursuit,” commanded the Vicomte. “I want to see what she’ll do.”

  “But she’s strong,” said Hannah.

  “And there are fourteen of you in this room. Call it an experiment.”

  I didn’t care what the Vicomte called it so long as I found Ada. I stumbled around as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Other than the mages, the place seemed empty.

  Did I imagine that voice?

  “Elea!”

  Finally, my vision cleared. I found Ada sitting in a far corner. Her bony limbs jutted out from her loose robes. A tangle of dark hair sat matted against her head, and her brown eyes seemed sunken into her skull. A large table stood beside her.

  I ran over to Ada, knelt at her side, and scooped her tiny frame into my arms. Heavy chains rattled with the movement. Someone had manacled her hands and feet. Rage coursed through me. How dare anyone touch her?

  “You came for me,” Ada said between sobs. Her tiny body felt so frail against mine.

  “I never forgot you.” I rocked her gently.

  “There aren’t many of us left.”

  My breath caught. If Ada was alive, then there was still hope for others, too. Amelia would be thrilled. “Is Veronique here?”

  “Yes, she’s—”

  “Now I understand.” The Vicomte’s voice boomed around the stone room. Ada immediately fell silent. I pulled her more closely to me. “You’re here to rescue this little thing. My fool of a daughter wants to save Veronique’s useless hide. How brainless of you both.” He paused before me and Ada, his boots gleaming in the low light. “You sent the Tsar into exile, didn’t you?”

  I glared up at him. “You’re next, only it won’t be exile.”

  The Vicomte smiled. “I should thank you for that. Saved me the trouble of killing him. Perhaps I could even offer you a place with me as a Fantome. However, I can’t. Your kind is worse than useless. Need to save everyone, don’t you?”

  “Not everyone.” I carefully reset Ada into her corner. The motion exposed new stretches of her skin to the torchlight. Tiny sores covered her everywhere. Many of them oozed blood. Rage burned through me. “Some people I’d rather kill.”

  I rose, faced the Vicomte, and tapped into the little bit of magick inside my soul. No, I didn’t yet have the vortex watch, but I couldn’t get myself to care any longer.

  The Vicomte was going to die, right now.

  27

  Hannah and Jonas tackled me before the incantation had left my lips. Cold metal pressed onto my wrists. Damn, they’d gotten another pair of enchanted manacles. I couldn’t cast a thing while these were on.

  “Well done,” said the Vicomte.

  “Thank you, Your Eminence,” said Jonas. He and Hannah stood behind me, holding me in place.

  The Vicomte rubbed his papery hands together. “You’ve been nothing but trouble to me, girl. I know exactly how to repay you.”

  “You want to drain me.”

  “Eventually.” The Vicomte motioned to one of his other Fantomes. “Bring me a torch.” I didn’t like the smug look on his wrinkled face. “Set it right by the wall over there.”

  The mage stalked closer, illuminating the back wall. That was when I saw her. Veronique. Her broken body was strapped to the high table that stood beside Ada. I blinked hard, hoping that what I saw was a trick of the firelight.

  It wasn’t.

  Veronique lay with her arms stretched far above her. Her ankles were braced apart. She’s on the rack. The Vicomte moved to stand at the foot of the table, his hand resting on the crank that would pull the structure apart. The rack was known to snap a person’s spine. It was a horrible way to die.

  An angry gleam shone in the Vicomte’s charcoal-gray eyes. There was no doubt in my mind. He intended to kill her while I watched.

  Options and ideas flew through my head.

  Lunge for the Vicomte.

  Run for my life.

  Scream for help.

  None of them seemed a viable choice. Amelia’s witness watch weighed heavily in my pocket. When I’d last checked, the time was a few minutes before midnight. My insides trembled with worry. By tapping into my power, the Vicomte would quickly load up this vortex watch.

  There had to be some way to stop him.

  I still had my small cache of Necromancer energy. The enchanted manacles blocked me from using my magick, but not for long. Hannah and Jonas would have
to take them off in order to strap me down to the table. When that happened, I’d need to cast and quickly.

  It was my only chance.

  The Vicomte gave the wheel of the rack a spin. Veronique moaned and shook. The Vicomte grinned. “Good evening, Veronique. I brought you a visitor.”

  Veronique slowly angled her head in my direction. Pity and anger tightened my throat. Veronique’s Necromancer robes were little more than bloody rags now. Her face was white as death. Small red welts dotted her skin. Blood and puss oozed from the holes. The sight made me ill and enraged all at once.

  “Elea, you’re here.” Veronique’s large blue eyes, once so full of fight, stared blankly at me. “Kill me. Please.”

  A moan caught in my throat. What horrors had they exposed her to? I pulled against the enchanted manacles that held me. The metal chaffed my skin, and I welcomed the pain. From behind, Jonas and Hannah tightened their hold on me.

  I glared at the Vicomte. “Set her free. I’ll put magick into your damned watch.”

  The Vicomte shook his head. “Hurting Veronique bothers you, eh? Now, you just made sure that your friend would spend even more time on the rack.” He bared his yellow teeth. “You made a fool of me, Elea. Don’t think you’re getting an easy death. She certainly won’t.”

  I opened my mouth and then closed it again. There was nothing I could say that would speed things along. My best chance was to wait my turn.

  And watch him kill Veronique. The thought made me queasy.

  The Vicomte gripped the wooden crank. “Since that we’re all set and paying attention, I’ll begin my demonstration.”

  Veronique’s chest barely rose and fell. Her lips and fingertips took on a blue tinge. “You don’t need to do this, Gaspard.”

  “Ah, but I do. It’s all your friend’s fault.” He gestured toward me, blaming me for Veronique’s pain. I hated him even more for that. “Elea cares for you, my sweet, and so she needs to watch you perish.”

  A tear rolled down Veronique’s dirty cheek. Rage blazed through my soul. This isn’t how anyone deserves to die.

  The Vicomte turned to me. “Now, be a good girl and watch silently, or I’ll be forced to bring on another subject for my demonstration.” He stared pointedly at Ada, who cowered more deeply into the corner. “Do we understand each other?”