“I don’t know where to go,” he admitted a minute later. “Where can we go that they can’t find us? I will mess up again.” It was inevitable, wasn’t it? And who was the cloaked figure who’d helped them? They might not get so lucky the next time.
He’d never in his life, felt more powerful, or more useless.
He was Colin Jacoby, Projector. Feared. Had magical abilities others only wished they had.
And he was still being hunted by bullies and needing to be saved by others.
CHAPTER 42
Juliska had been summoned from her room at Fazendiin’s estate.
He’d taken her to one of his secret hidden fields and was only partially stunned to see the Immortality Stone sitting there. And only a little more surprised to see the decaying carcasses of recently slaughtered Mazuruk.
“I find myself with a timing problem,” he told her after a minute.
“You?” she retorted, thinking that wasn’t actually possible.
“It’s rare, I admit. Nonetheless…” He strode over to the Stone. “I need just a little more magic in this Stone to accomplish my next task.”
“Even with all we’ve harvested from the Svoda, so far?”
“Yes. I thought once the other Grosvenor were dead and their immortality returned to the Stone, it would be enough. But I’m just a bit short.” His eyes landed on Juliska.
She did her best not to shrink under that telling gaze.
She got the point loud and clear.
“I just need to borrow it for a time.”
“How will giving you back my immortality make the Stone strong enough?” Juliska had to ask.
“It takes a lot of magic to make someone like you, immortal. Let’s put it this way. One of you, immortal, would equal fifty of the average person.”
She got a sinking feeling about just who he was planning on giving this immortality to.
As if summoned, himself, KarNavan strode in. She’d give almost anything to permanently wipe that pompous simper off his face.
“Are you ready?” Fazendiin questioned.
“Yes. Master.” He bowed in a sudden obedience.
The Grosvenor was creating a new army of immortals. The Stripers. Her guard, being repurposed. They were supposed to carry out her orders. And now, here they were again, Fazendiin going back on his promises.
A flutter of something she had not felt in… who could even track the time… but it was an emotion she’d long suppressed.
Shame.
Guilt.
Very human sorts of feelings.
She attempted to burn them up. She wasn’t giving in. Not to another betrayal. Or trick. By anyone. She caught a whiff of something. It lined the back of her throat with bitterness.
Lies… that’s what it was.
Like always, Fazendiin wasn’t telling her everything.
There was something else behind this removal of her immortality. It wasn’t just because he needed the magic. The seed of doubt Eddy planted in her mind started to dig a little deeper. Its first root, taking hold.
CHAPTER 43
Colby stepped into Juliska Blackwell’s fortress to find her assistant waiting.
“Hollee,” he greeted coldly.
“Hello. Can I be of some assistance?”
“No. I can manage on my own.”
Hollee wasn’t so sure about that and was stunned when Colby made his way around like he owned the place and knew exactly what he wanted. He was heading up the stairs to the topside pavilion, where he could get a view of the entire island.
“Juliska is not in,” Hollee pointed out.
“I am aware.” His short reply also stating, he did not care. “And your services are not required.” Meaning, stay put, do whatever you were doing, and stay out of my way. Elisha hissed out her agreement and followed him.
“These people do not treat you as they should, Master.”
He was starting to agree with her.
Colby reached the top of the fortress and made his way out to the mid-morning sky of doom and gloom. He stared out over the island which had once been a bustling village full of life. He’d spent the early part of the morning meandering, alone, around the island, looking over Juliska and the Striper’s handiwork. If he was being realistic, it was his father’s; they both answered to him.
What was he to do here?
What power did he truly have?
His father had told him to remind everyone who was in charge, and that was him.
But didn’t he still have to abide by his father’s wishes?
Did he dare pull a few strings of his own?
Hadn’t he already, when he’d shown Meghan everything in his head?
The conflict pinged back and forth, neither side taking a winning shot. Just bouncing around and around and around.
A shadow flew closer. Colby smirked pompously as it flew downward coming in for a landing.
“Good morning, Jae.”
Jae’s Scratcher body contorted until he was himself again. He didn’t return the greeting as there was little good about it. Other than Juliska still being out of the picture, his future was bleak.
“What are you doing, Colby?” Jae’s questioned was loaded with many meanings.
“What my father told me to.”
“Have you ever thought about telling him, no?”
Colby’s gaze darkened some.
“I did it once. My father was never so shocked in all his life,” Jae explained. “My mother didn’t even know what to do. I half-expected one of them to turn me over their knee or something.”
“People don’t tell my father, no. Not even me.”
“Who says?”
Fear… is the one answer that Colby’s mind rolled across.
Fear of losing his father. Fear of losing the life he’d been given. Fear of what was to come. Fear of everything he’d just say yes to, blindly. Fear of never seeing his mother, or grandmother again. And even the annoying, never shuts up, sister, that had somehow made him care about her. Fear of the consequences, of saying no to his father.
Jae leaned against the stone wall.
“I know my fate is sealed and my life is doomed, but the way I see it you still have a choice. A way out, if you wanted it. Why did you really let me out of that cage? Was it just to show off to a pretty girl? Piss of Juliska? Prove you’re in charge? If you are truly your father’s son, you would have left me there.”
“Why do you care, Jae? You’re free. For whatever time, until Juliska comes back. Have a little fun.”
“Fun? Does this look like a fun time to you?” his arms aimed out across the island. “These people are all suffering because of your father. Because of some plan he has to take over the damn world. And let me guess, he promised he’d share it with you. This, is not fun. And if you think it is, then I feel sorry for you, and you are even more messed up than I am.”
Colby scowled.
Jae continued. “Of course, I can’t imagine with a father like yours you were probably allowed to have any fun. And really, neither was I. But I sneaked it in when I could.”
“I know what my father is,” Colby bit out. “You can spare me the boring, smug know-it-all lecture.”
“Fine. But from one prisoner, to another, living inside a much bigger cage, the prison will only get smaller and smaller. Until you’re suffocating from the weight of it pressing in on you.”
Colby’s teeth ground together but he said nothing.
Jae edged closer, he ignored the hiss slithering out of Elisha. He had nothing to lose at this point.
“If any part of your soul still belongs to you, Colby, I would beg you a single favor.”
He flipped his conflicted gaze directly at Jae.
“Hide my family. Somewhere I can never find them. At the least, my sister.” A tear fled down his cheek. “I can’t do it. Katana was right. I cannot look my sister in the face and end her life. I can’t kill my sister.”
Colby’s first thought, neither can
I. Which is effectively what he’d be doing if he continued with his father’s plans. The conflict raging through him was like a freight train of energy that needed to be released.
“If you need me to beg, I will.” Jae really had nothing left to lose. This might be his only chance for some small solace, or redemption. “Please make it so I don’t have to do this one terrible thing.”
Conflict simmered in Colby’s veins like water about to boil.
The Magicante hummed like electricity about to explode into a storm.
Jae realized something wasn’t right and stepped back.
Elisha was calling out to her Master but his mind cut off from hers. Swimming in a pool of emotion he had no way to contain or stay at the top of. His entire body screamed in some silent torment.
A door swung open to the pavilion and Colby spun to see Hollee entering, no doubt to try to get him out of Juliska’s fortress.
She was the first casualty.
Her neck snapped to the side, and she plunked to the hard stone.
Jae blew out a silent line of obscenities. When would he learn to keep his mouth shut? He was trying to save his sister, and instead, he’d set off a bomb named Colby. Jae was trying to do the right thing, and again, it backfired.
But Hollee was a Scratcher, like him, so she wasn’t truly dead. And like he cared.
But surely, wherever Juliska was, she had to feel the attempt at ending one of her creation’s lives. Which meant she might return.
Colby’s breaths were deep, and filled with a focused intensity. He stared down over the island and lifted his arms. Jae made to try to contain whatever he was about to do, when Colby shot him a severe stare.
“You want them all saved? Then leave me be.”
Jae stepped back. Colby closed his eyes. He felt the power rising inside himself. The simple request building in his mind. He pictured every Sovda, man, woman, child, and beast that belonged to them, no longer on this island. There was only one place he thought to put them all, and that was with the banished Sovda. They’d be their problem now. And they’d not be dead, which is how they’d all end up if they stayed here.
Colby’s arms came smashing together and a ricochet of electricity slammed out over the island. The magical shield protecting the island broke apart in a blast of light and smoke.
The magic surged through Colby like he’d just discovered some vein of gold. Something sought after. Something he’d fight to the death, to get more of.
In the distance, Jae heard shouts. He jumped up onto the side of the pavilion and jumped over the side, his body transforming mid-air. He flew out across the Isle to see Stripers emerging, shouting, and cursing.
Their prisoners were gone. Just vanished off the island.
Jae saw Katana and Ardon and came in for a landing. He transformed and they strode toward him.
“What’s happening?”
“I happened.” It was Colby. And he was standing just a few feet away having appeared out of nowhere. There was something rigid in his eyes. Some inner struggle trying to break free. Or perhaps it was magic, trying to break free. And Colby was attempting to contain it. Jae had learned a few things about Projectors while helping Colin.
Colby was not stable, which meant any insane thing the guy could imagine, was possible. He ignored the shouts from the Stripers, demanding to know what was going on.
Jae ordered Ardon to make them stand down. His entire being, a warning that Colby was about to go full blown crazy if they attempted anything stupid.
Ardon obeyed, until she understood what was happening.
One lone figure came walking down the street with a bewildered look on her face. Not everyone had left the island.
Jae almost fell over.
“Mireya.”
“You won’t hurt her,” he heard Colby tell him, his voice flat. “Tell her she’ll be with the rest soon. They are with the banished. Tell her, to tell the others, they need to move. My father knows where they are. They are not safe.”
Jae ran to his sister.
“Jae?” she ran to him. “What’s going on? Everyone just disappeared.”
He got down on his knees and hugged her like it was the last time he’d ever see her. Then, he pulled back and looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t have much time. You’ll be with mom and dad in a few minutes. Where you’re going, you’ll be with the others, and you’ll be okay. But you need to tell the ones in charge to move the camp. Because the enemy knows where they are. When you get there, you seek out Arnon Jacoby, or Kanda Macawi, or Billie, if you see her. You make sure to tell them I told you to move. Don’t take no, for an answer.”
Mireya nodded, shakily.
A Striper started to approach and suddenly fell to the ground. Jae was pretty sure, dead.
Mireya gasped.
Colby warned them to hurry.
Mireya stared down her brother. This was all happening so fast. She had so much she wanted to say to her brother. “Why can’t you come too?”
“You know why. I’m not going to dumb it down. You’re smarter than that. I did a stupid thing and now I have to pay for that. Tell mom and dad… tell them I love them, and how sorry I am. But I’m going to make it right, if I can.”
“I don’t want to leave you here.”
“And I don’t want to stay. Now, go. Before it’s too late. And do exactly what I said.”
She leaned in and hugged him one last time.
“I love you,” Jae told her. “Just remember that.”
Mireya opened her mouth to speak, and poof, she was gone. Flitted away to safety.
Jae took a moment to gather himself. If Colby had actually done what he said, his family and all the Svoda were safe and with the banished. Not safe, but not here. No longer prisoners. And hopefully they’d listen and move the camp.
It gave them time.
Something they didn’t have much of. Jae climbed to his feet and wasn’t surprised to see everyone staring at Colby, who almost appeared as though he was in some kind of trance.
What he was really doing was fighting, hard, to remain in control of his magic.
It was threatening to overpower him and take on a mind of its own.
He saw only one solution to this problem.
Only one way out of this mess.
He needed to get rid of this power. He didn’t want it. Didn’t ask for it.
And it was trying to consume him.
He reached into a pocket and removed something.
Jae approached him, wondering what was happening and if there was some way he could help. Colby didn’t look so good. He stopped when Colby dropped something. A dagger, and he was pretty sure what this dagger did. Jae crouched down and picked it up, looking upward at Colby. All he saw in that gaze was, please take it out of me.
“Please do as he asks,” pleaded Elisha. “He hurts. Too much, he hurts.”
All Jae remembered, was that the dagger stole Projector’s powers. But he didn’t want to kill Colby in the process. Although, he was immortal so he guessed it didn’t matter.
Jae got to his feet and gripped the dagger, ready to do it.
“What are you doing?” shouted Katana.
Jae motioned for her to stay put. He eyed Colby.
“Are you ready?”
“Do it. I can’t contain this much longer. It wants out.” And if he let it out there was no telling what would happen other than he’d have no control, and it would be catastrophic.
Jae sucked in and upon exhaling, plunged the dagger into Colby’s shoulder, where he hoped it would do the least amount of physical damage. He had to let go within a second. Colby fell to his knees as the dark unnatural power not born to him, was sucked back into the dagger. Jae fell to his knees right in front of him, hoping to be of some help. But how the heck did you help in this situation?
And when was it done?
How long did it take?
Jae smelled mothballs. Oh no… his head lifted up to see Tanzea Chase staring
him down. Her face, nothing but fury. In another blink, she was gone. They were running out of time.
Colby reached up and with a hefty pull, yanked the dagger out of himself. He let it fall to the ground and staggered to his feet.
Katana approached.
But he motioned for everyone to stay back.
His breathing was labored. He looked spent. Like the act had cost him something great.
And it had. But removing that power had given him his choice back.
And he’d just gone against his father’s wishes.
He was going to be livid.
And there was Colin’s old book lying on the ground. The Magicante. Jae picked it up, unsure what to do with it. He went to ask Colby, whose gaze was glued to the dagger. He picked it up and came so close to breaking it. He wanted it destroyed. So it could not be used on anyone else, or him, again. Something kept him from doing so, and instead, he slid it back into his cloak pocket.
“Colby, Tanzea was just here. We’re going to have company soon. You need to get out of here.”
“So do you.”
“I can’t. Juliska will find me and call me back.”
Katana shuffled forward. “Could she still do such a thing if you were no longer in this world?”
They both gaped at her.
“Katana, what are you doing?” Ardon strode over. The plan was over. Plan B. Plan C. Plan whatever. They were screwed now, she was certain of it. They needed to wait for KarNavan to return and hope his deal was made, and worth it.
Katana spun to her aunt. “I can’t follow my father. You know this. It’s why I helped you when you thought my father was leading us down the wrong direction. I’m not like him. Not really.”
“If you leave, he’ll never take you back.”
“Come with me,” Katana pleaded with her.
“No. I’m a Striper. I may have lost faith in our leader, but I will not abandon our way of life.”
“There’s nothing else to be said then.”
What Colby wanted, was to go to his sister. He needed to. And yet, she’d want him to join the war against his father. He could not do that. Giving up his powers and his place by his father’s side, was one thing. But joining the other side, that was too much.
The Ghost, The Dragon, and The Lost King (Fated Chronicles Book 4) Page 45
