A concerned expression crossed Josie’s face, but Raven wisely kept her distance, pressing her back against the cage, getting as far away from her as possible, as if she were a bomb about to explode…which might well be correct.
Raven had to remind herself that this was what she wanted, but she had a hard time quieting the instincts that urged her to run. Her lips tingled as claustrophobia sank its claws deeper into her spine. Fighting her body’s panicked reactions, she closed her eyes and forced herself to slowly inhale and exhale. The erratic beat of her racing heart thundered in her ears, threatening to beat its way out of her chest with each painful thud. Using a trick she learned in the labs long ago, she tapped her finger against her leg. It took a few seconds of concentration before her heart began to slow and follow the soothing rhythm.
When she was sure she had herself under control, she pried open her eyes.
To find Josie watching her with wide blue eyes, her hand outstretched as if she could feel the current in the air. Raven cursed herself for such a foolish mistake, and yanked back on the raw energy that had seeped in the air when she allowed her fear to take hold.
She had to focus on the here and now, and mentally braced herself to witness the cruelty of the labs. What she hated most was that they deliberately built the labs underground. Not only did it help keep their secret, but what better way to imprison a shifter beneath thousands and thousands of pounds of dirt and rock, taking away their every freedom? If anyone tried to escape, the tunnels would bottleneck, where they could easily be killed…or they could just detonate a bomb to get rid of them all and begin anew with a fresh batch.
The jerky ride stopped so abruptly, they were nearly thrown to the ground. Josie peered up the dark shaft, then blew out a heavy breath, her shoulders relaxing. “We’re clear. We only have a few moments before we’ll be caught on camera again. Whatever game you’re playing, you must be careful. They monitor us at all times. If you don’t obey, they will force one of the witches to drain you. If you don’t die right away, you’ll end up as one of the living dead in his hall of horrors upstairs.”
Chapter Fourteen
As they exited the deathtrap they called an elevator, Josie nodded subtly to the cameras. “They can see us, but can’t hear us down here. We’re about two hundred feet down. They remodeled the natural cave setting to create their own workshops.”
The cave had been transformed. Thin sheets of metal, hastily hung, created an underground bunker of sorts, the ceiling and floors still mostly stone. Glass laboratories, little cubicles, lined the back of the cave, resembling a futuristic, dystopian setting. Metal steps clanked as they walked, and the tinny recycled air left a bad taste in her mouth.
Magic brushed against her skin like thick cobwebs, the sticky residue clinging to her until she felt cocooned, just waiting for a spider to return and consume her. She unconsciously rubbed her arms, shuddering at the gruesome image, unable to help search the room for any giant arachnids.
Surprisingly, the place, though cut off from above, was fully operational, complete with plenty of electricity. Raven drew a little bit of current toward her, absorbed it through the soles of her feet, then followed the cables back toward the source…at least a half a dozen antiquated generators were hooked up together.
The cavern was mainly empty, no guards or orderlies in sight. “How many prisoners are being held here?”
Josie just shrugged. “Everyone upstairs is human. We are stored in the upper level, the luxury suites.” Her face twisted bitterly. “There are currently seven witches in residence—those of us who are still sane, anyway. No one on that wing lasts more than a few weeks. When they burn themselves out, Dr. Percy consigns them to the lower floors, out of the way, but a reminder of what awaits us. The staff are located a floor below ours.”
Most people believed when a witch burned through their magic too fast, they aged rapidly, but in reality the reverse was true. It was magic that kept them young. With the magic spent, their body reverted to their true age with a vengeance, which, in most cases, was a death sentence. It was a sad and painful way to die, being trapped inside a rapidly deteriorating body, your mind completely sane while your body systematically rotted and decayed around you. What normally took place over a span of decades would be condensed into just weeks or even days.
Raven shivered at the grim thought and followed Josie, who was walking toward one of the glass labs.
“There is no telling how many shifters he’s captured. They are kept down in the dungeons. They’re not allowed on the upper levels, because they’re too difficult to control. Dr. Percy is in charge of us here, while the shifters have their own hellspawn to deal with down below. We are constantly watched by nine nurses and twenty or so orderlies. They all know what’s happening, and specifically requested to work here…anything to advance the cause of ridding the world of us evildoers.” She wiggled her brows up and down, twisting her invisible mustache for effect, and Raven found herself liking the girl.
Unable to resist, Raven concentrated on the lower levels of the tunnels, searching for any sign of Durant or Rylan. Unfortunately, the air was infused with so much magic, it was like trying to run underwater. Given enough time, she would eventually find them, but not without drawing attention to herself.
Curiosity got the better of her. “Has no one tried to escape?”
Josie blanched, then picked up her steps. “One or two, but everyone else knows better. Now.”
Raven cocked her head. “Explain.”
She smiled bitterly. “They don’t have locks on the front doors. They don’t need them. If someone is missing at the bed count, they release the animals they’re training below. In a matter of hours, those who escaped are hunted down.” Josie swallowed repeatedly, her skin turning a chalky white. “They never return with a body, because there is no body to return.”
“Down here, there is only one exit or entrance.” She pointed to the dilapidated elevator. “No way to sneak about with that thing creaking and clattering and groaning every time you hit the button. The tunnels are about three levels, nothing more than a maze of crawl spaces and hidden passageways. The only escape is death.”
The cavern wasn’t big, the ceiling several feet above her head, but the place was so well-lit, not even a shadow would dare enter. “What happens here?”
“Munitions.” The one word carried a heavy weight. “We cast spells to create weapons humans can use without all the nasty side effects.”
Half the glass cages were occupied, but the four other witches barely glanced up when they walked past, defeat bowing their posture as they worked on something at their desks. One witch, a little older than the rest, glared at Raven with hate-filled eyes. The face was lined with wrinkles, the hands shook with age, the skin almost translucent.
They knew they were dying, and had given up hope.
But not Josie.
So either she was really strong, maybe a newcomer, or she was working with Frankenstein. “You’re in charge.”
Josie scowled, her tiny hands curling into fists, as if she wanted to deck her. “I’m trying to help.”
Beneath the defensiveness was a tinge of hurt, and Raven cursed herself for alienating her only ally. “Sorry.”
And she was.
The labs were a tough, vicious place. Patients who managed to survive the guards had to watch their backs around their fellow inmates.
Raven noted a second tunnel around the bend, almost hidden at the back of the room.
A tunnel that led below.
If she was caught sneaking around, she would be thrown to the wolves…literally.
She needed to find a way to get herself invited below without raising suspicions. Something told her they wouldn’t have much time.
“This will be your station.” Josie stopped before an empty room similar to the others. When she pulled open the door, a heavy, charred scent slammed into her, and Raven didn’t have to wonder what happened to the last occupant.
The metal and glass door wasn’t locked. Josie opened it and stepped inside. When Raven followed, she walked into magic so strong it was like being pelted by invisible insects. She stopped and shivered when the swarm of bugs swirled around her, both curious and deadly.
The door snicked shut, startling her back to the present.
“When the cuffs are removed, the door will seal shut. It will allow us to use magic again.” Josie held her wrists under the cupboard, then pressed a button. A machine scanned the cuffs. A series of symbols flashed in sequence, and the manacles clicked open. Raven followed suit, and in moments, her cuffs clunked to the counter.
Raven rubbed her wrists, glad to have the weight removed. “What is our job down here?”
“Like a first-level wizard, we make charms.” Josie gave a bitter smile, then walked toward the desk and opened the drawers. Snug inside lay a series of stones—diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and more—each set in different arrangements from rings to amulets, even a set of earrings.
“Each stone has to be perfect to hold magic. If there is too much imperfection, the spell will slowly leak out.” Josie reached into the drawer and pulled out an amber stone the size of her thumbnail. “Amber is the easiest to manipulate.”
Josie curled her hand around the stone, then began to chant softly.
Static immediately lifted the hair on Raven’s arms. Energy gathered in the room and began to swirl on an invisible wind. A slight tremor shook Josie’s hand, her complexion paling under the strain, her face tightening in concentration.
As she spoke the last word of the spell, the stone shimmered, sucking in every drop of current Josie had gathered. The process took twenty minutes, but the toll on Josie was obvious. Her hair lost its sheen, she appeared more gaunt, her eyes not as luminous.
“You’re killing yourself.”
Josie ignored the comment. “You have to create five charms a day…unless you can successfully manage to charge a diamond. The purity of the clear stone makes the task nearly impossible.”
“And if you don’t?”
“If you don’t meet your quota, they will take your magic by any means necessary.”
Raven studied the other occupied cubicles. All the women sat at their stations, exhaustion slumping their shoulders. “How?”
As far as Raven was aware, nothing could take magic from a witch—other than a stronger witch. It would explain why there were so many patients upstairs…they were weaker witches who had their magic torn out of them.
No wonder they were insane.
Magic was part of a witch’s essence, and removing it would be like ripping out their soul.
Josie didn’t answer her question, but stepped away from the desk. “Your turn.”
Raven shook her head and backed away. “I don’t do spells.”
“Then you’re going to learn.” Josie’s mouth tightened, her eyes grim. “Pick a stone and give it a try.”
Raven reluctantly walked over to the desk, biting her lip as she hesitated over the drawer of stones. The ruby sparked slightly when her hand hovered over it, so she snatched it up. Copying Josie, she clutched the stone in her hand and closed her eyes.
Calling up the raw current from the generators, she forced the energy down her palms and slammed it into the stone. Heat built in the ruby so swiftly, it seared her fingertips. Raven quickly pulled back the current, the static biting and snapping along her skin, then sinking into her bones in retaliation for being disrupted.
Raven opened her eyes, uncertain what she would find. She cracked open her fingers, then gasped when she saw the ruby appeared to be lit from within. Instead of pure red, tiny sparks flashed inside the gem, as if it was alive.
Raven carefully set the stone on the desktop, then clenched and unclenched her hands, trying to work circulation back into her sore fingers, brushing her thumb across the tiny calluses that deadened her fingertips.
“Is it supposed to be getting brighter?”
Josie didn’t say a word, her mouth hanging open, her eyes riveted on the ruby.
The stone began to pulse, and Raven hastily backed away.
Instead of settling down like the amber, the ruby flared bright, then exploded, tiny shards peppering the room. Whirling, Raven covered her face, wincing when the shards of stone sliced her skin. When she worked up enough nerve to look at the workstation, only a pile of powder remained where the stone once sat. The red was charred black. The charge stored in the stone slammed into the room, rattling the glass with its force. Her ears popped under the pressure, and her skin tingled like she’d been in the sun too long.
Josie edged forward, a tiny cut on her face drawing a thin line of blood. She didn’t seem to notice as she touched the fine powder. All the other witches had stopped working to gawk.
Embarrassment heated Raven’s cheeks. “I told you I don’t know how to cast. I have the raw power, but not the finesse to manipulate it the way you do.”
Not to be deterred, Josie plucked another ruby from the drawer. “Again.”
Heaving a sigh, Raven reluctantly accepted the stone.
On the third try, the stone didn’t incinerate like the others, but neither did it fall dormant like the amber. “Did it work?”
Josie bit her lip and carefully nudged the stone.
Then sucked in a sharp breath, clutching her scorched fingertips.
The stone vibrated like a tuning fork, then cracked in half, the insides charred black. The current pulsed through the room like a wave, smashing into the walls once more, until the metal creaked under the strain.
A headache gathered at the back of her eyes, and Raven threw her hands up in frustration. “We’re going to run out of stones before I figure this out. I can’t refine the magic in order to bind it to the stones the way you can.”
“You’re not trying hard enough.” Josie’s initial excitement had faded.
“Your stones aren’t strong enough.” Raven snipped back. Current built under her skin like a fever. It didn’t want to be contained.
The phone on the counter warbled before it finally rang. Josie jumped, then froze as she stared at the device as if it were a snake waiting to strike. On the second ring, she lunged forward and picked up the headset, gazing at it in horror, before raising it to her ear. “Yes?”
After a full minute, Josie shook her head. “She’s an untried witch. She just needs training.”
“Take the magic from her and use it to create the stones. You should be able to produce double the charms.” Frankenstein’s voice carried through the phone.
“Sir, I don’t believe anyone would be able to handle her magic. It’s too raw. Any witch who tried would fry.”
There was a pause, then his melodious voice emerged from the phone. “Would she have better control with a familiar?”
Josie turned toward Raven, and widened her eyes in silent question.
Not willing to give up the chance to see Durant, Raven nodded, urging Josie to lie.
“Yes, sir.”
Instead of replying, Frankenstein hung up.
Josie lowered the headset to the cradle. “Do you know how to use a familiar?”
Raven snorted. “Of course not.”
She swallowed hard. “If you fail tomorrow, he will make you both pay.”
The other witches had watched her with awe…at first. Once they realized she had power, but no skill at casting, they saw her as inferior, little better than a wizard.
If Raven didn’t learn this new skill and make herself useful, Frankenstein would have no need to keep her.
These weren’t the kind of people who would simply release her. They would crack her open to discover how she could harness so much energy and still survive. They would do testing to see if it was somet
hing that they could duplicate or bottle, keeping her alive as long as possible. Last time, they hooked her up to car batteries, testing to see how much voltage she could endure before her skin charred, and her teeth cracked from clenching her jaw to hold back the screams. Smoke would rise from her body before she ultimately lost consciousness.
Then they would test how long it took her to heal.
The next day, the process would begin over again.
When they discovered she was getting stronger with every charge, they pushed her harder and harder, wanting to see how big a monster they could create, not caring that her blood was literally boiling in her veins, or the seizures that followed while her body struggled to adapt.
Josie headed back toward the counter, grimacing as she placed the cuffs back around her wrists. “The doors are spelled. If you don’t put your cuffs back on, they won’t open.”
For a security measure, it wasn’t bad. “What if you don’t leave?”
The pixie girl pointed to a small vent located at the base of the counter. “You get gassed. When you drop to the floor unconscious and convulsing, they will enter, wearing masks, and bind you. Only then, you’re on their shit list. Instead of coming to the labs, you will be handed over to the guards—they get to play with you until you’ve learned your lesson.”
Her green eyes dulled, as if haunted by memories.
Raven recalled the gleam in Igor and Quasimodo’s eyes, and knew she would receive far more than a beating if she disobeyed. She fisted her hands and imagined beating the men to a pulp, showing them that they were no longer the biggest predator, and that they shouldn’t pick on people weaker than them.
Heaving a sigh of frustration, she shook off her fantasies, promising herself she would make a point of visiting them before she destroyed this place, and obediently clamped the restraints back on her wrists.
They clicked into place. Magic flared, the bands tightening like a blood pressure cuff until she swore they were trying to cut off her circulation, before they gradually relaxed.
Electric Night (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 5) Page 15
