by Shuler, Tara
“It is,” Alexi said. “And I have located some useful information.”
“Already? I was only upstairs for five minutes.”
“I knew what to look for.”
“And what did you find?” I pressed him.
“It seems as though Dmitri’s only ability is a very thorough command of the art of dark magic,” Alexi said gravely. “He is adept at much more than simply controlling wraiths.”
“That’s good, though, right? He only has the one ability.”
“Alice, that ability will allow him to do nearly anything,” Alexi said. “Because he can control the dark forces, his powers are virtually limitless.”
I dropped my fork, and it clinked loudly against my ceramic plate. I swallowed a bite of spaghetti, and it stuck in my throat. I took a swig of Dr. Pepper to wash it down, and then I took a deep breath.
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
“There’s only one thing we can do,” Alexi acknowledged. “We must learn to harness the power of dark magic ourselves.”
“You can’t be serious!” Liam shouted. “You know how Father felt about that, and Grandfather explicitly forbade its use centuries ago!”
“I do not believe we have a choice,” Alexi admitted, shaking his head somberly.
“There has to be another way,” Liam argued. “You remember what Father said it can do to someone who uses it. Besides, only certain people have the ability to use it. What if we can’t?”
“We have to try, Liam,” Alexi said. “It is the only way. And we only have a day to learn.”
“Then let’s get started!” I chirped.
“No!” Alexi raged. “You will not be participating!”
“Alexi, I…”
“I said no! I will not allow you to risk yourself.”
“What’s to risk? I don’t understand. What does it do to people?”
Alexi sighed deeply. Clearly, he was troubled by the very thought, and he didn’t want to discuss it.
“Tell me,” I demanded.
“Those who use dark magic are prone to losing their minds,” Alexi finally stated. “The dark forces can take over one’s mind, and it can turn them into evil abominations.”
“Like Dmitri?” I asked.
“Yes, like Dmitri,” Alexi agreed. “You know, he was once our father’s closest friend. He got into dark magic, and it changed him. When Grandfather saw what it did to Dmitri, he forbade anyone from using it, and he insisted Father cut all ties with Dmitri immediately. Father complied, of course. He spoke to Dmitri only briefly a handful of times since then.”
“Do you know what Dmitri meant when he said your father had something of his?” I asked.
“I am not certain,” Alexi admitted. “But I have a pretty good idea. In the book, it spoke of a talisman Dmitri used in his dark magic rituals. The book says someone took it from him, and it weakened him significantly. I am guessing the talisman is what he was referring to. I would guess Father took it from him and hid it somewhere.”
“Do you know where your father might have hidden it?”
“Fortunately, no,” Alexi said.
“Fortunately?”
“If Father took it away from Dmitri and hid it, he probably had a very good reason for doing so. If we don’t know where it is, Dmitri cannot get his hands on it.”
“How could Dmitri get it just because you know where it is?” I asked.
“How do you think?” Liam interjected.
I thought for a moment, and then I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Oh,” I acknowledged. “You mean he could… torture you?”
“Or worse,” Alexi added.
“Oh, my God,” I groaned. “But what if you just gave it back to him? He said he would return me if Barnabas gave him what he wanted.”
“That was before he realized how powerful you are,” Alexi said. “He now wants you more than he wants the talisman, or at least as much.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you are more useful to him,” Alexi answered.
“I want to help,” I told Alexi. “Please, let me try.”
“Absolutely not!” Alexi’s voice boomed through the dining hall. “I will not risk such a thing.”
“What if you can’t do it?” I asked. “If none of you has the ability, will you let me try?”
“No,” Alexi said. “Not even then.”
“But…”
“This discussion is over,” Alexi said, standing up quickly. “Liam, Kai, let us go downstairs and get started.”
“I’m coming,” I said, jumping to my feet and rushing to Alexi’s side.
“No, you are not!” Alexi demanded.
“Now look here!” I shouted, stomping my foot angrily and shoving my wagging finger in his face. “You may be able to keep me from learning how to use this dark magic stuff, but I’m going to be there to watch you, and you can’t stop me!”
Alexi stared at me for a moment, and then relented.
“Fine, you may come to watch,” Alexi grumbled. “But you are not to attempt anything you see. Is that understood?”
“Yes, fine,” I lied.
I hated lying to Alexi. I hated lying to anyone I cared about, but it especially hurt me to do it to Alexi. He was always looking out for my best interests, but I needed to learn this stuff somehow.
I followed him downstairs, and we entered one of the classrooms. I’d never been in this one, before. In the center of the dark room, there was a huge stone altar surrounded by several candelabra. Alexi waved his hand, and all of them were instantly lit. I gasped.
“What?” Alexi asked, suddenly at high alert.
“I’ve never seen you do that,” I admitted.
“Oh, that,” Alexi sighed, clearly relieved. “It is nothing.”
“Well, I thought it was impressive,” I shrugged.
Alexi chuckled.
In the back of the room, a very old looking table stood, and an even older book sat atop it. The book was covered with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. It was clear this book had not been touched in a very long time.
Alexi blew the dust away from the cover and opened it carefully. The binding creaked slightly as it opened, and the pages rustled as Alexi flipped through them.
“We will start with something simple,” Alexi said. “Kai, Liam, approach the altar. We are going to try to summon a flame onto the altar.”
“Like what you just did?” I asked.
“No, it is not the same thing,” Alexi answered. “My ability is my own. It does not come from dark magic.”
Kai and Liam both stepped over to the altar. Kai stood across from Liam, and the two of them looked to Alexi for guidance.
“Place your hands on the altar, and repeat after me,” Alexi instructed.
Both Kai and Liam placed their hands on the altar.
“In the name of the Dark Father, I invoke the spirit of the flame,” Alexi said.
Kai and Liam both repeated the phrase as instructed. Alexi watched carefully for something, and when it did not occur, his mouth twisted into a frustrated frown.
“Let me try,” Alexi said, and Liam stepped aside.
Alexi placed his hands on the altar, and repeated the phrase he’d asked Liam and Kai to say. Nothing happened. He tried three more times, but still, nothing happened. He slammed his fists onto the altar with rage.
“Again!” Alexi commanded, his voice echoing through the small room.
He stepped aside, and Kai and Liam both tried once more to summon a flame onto the altar. Nothing happened.
I stepped closer.
“Forget it,” Alexi snarled, clearly sensing what was on my mind.
“Alexi, please,” I begged. “Just let me try.”
“No!” Alexi shouted. “I will not relent!”
“Please,” I said again.
I stood beside him and placed my hand gently on his arm, and I looked at him with pleading eyes. His arm was tense, but in a mom
ent, my touch relaxed him. He sighed.
“You do not understand what you are asking me to allow,” he said gently.
“I do understand,” I told him. “I understand that all of you were risking the same thing for me. It’s only fair that I be allowed to try, as well.”
Again, Alexi sighed.
“Fine,” he relented. “But if I see any signs that anything is wrong, it stops.”
“Agreed,” I said.
Liam and Kai both took a step back, and I approached the altar. Part of me wanted nothing to happen, but another part of me was terrified something would. I didn’t want to lose my mind to some sort of dark, evil insanity. But my desire to protect those I cared about more than anything was much stronger.
I placed my hands on the altar, and I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath to calm my trembling, and I kept my eyes closed.
“In the name of the Dark Father, I invoke the spirit of the flame,” I said, my voice surprisingly even, though I was terrified inside.
I heard Kai gasp, and my eyes popped open. In the center of the altar, a bright, glittering flame danced. I gasped in spite of myself.
“Well, that was predictable,” Liam muttered.
“What?” I asked him.
“That you’d be able to do this,” he said.
Now, I was annoyed.
“Why do you say that?” I challenged him.
“Haven’t you noticed how different you are, yet?” he asked. “You have abilities very few have, and you’re discovering new ones all the time.”
“I should have known this would happen,” Alexi said darkly. “I should have known, and I never should have allowed this.”
“What? Why?” I said, turning toward him.
“Your father could control dark magic,” Alexi admitted. “I only hoped you had not inherited his ability.”
“What?” I gasped. “How do you know?”
“Because my father saw it,” he told me. “He started experimenting with it not long after you were born. My father was so angry, he refused to speak to him, anymore. He tried to stop him, but by then, the darkness had already consumed him. So he cut all ties.”
“Is that…” I started to say. “Is that why my father was gone so much when I was younger?”
“Your father changed drastically after he started using dark magic,” Alexi said gently. “He was not the same person, anymore. Fortunately, the part of him that loved you and your brother was still inside him, and he knew he needed to keep the darkness away from you both. So he started spending a lot of time away from home to protect you both, and to protect your mother.”
“But he was seeing Kai’s mother,” I argued.
“Yes, that was an unfortunate circumstance,” Alexi agreed. “But that was not why he started spending time away. He met her while he was away from you all.”
“So, are you saying the ability to use dark magic runs in my family?” I asked bluntly.
“I am afraid so,” Alexi said. “I was hoping it was not true, but it seems your father has passed this curse to you.”
“Curse? This could save us, Alexi!” I argued vehemently.
“It could also be your undoing,” he snarled ferociously. “I cannot allow you to destroy yourself!”
“I’m going to do this, with or without you,” I growled fiercely. “Though I’d much rather do it with you.”
“Alice, I implore you to reconsider,” he pleaded, his voice suddenly gentle, even sad.
“Not this time, Alexi. There is too much at stake.”
“That is exactly what I am trying to tell you. There is too much at stake, and I do not believe you fully understand that.”
“I believe I understand enough, Alexi. Now, are you going to help me, or not?”
Alexi was quiet. For a long, excruciating moment, he was utterly speechless – completely motionless. The flame I’d summoned still danced merrily on the table, and it cast a golden glow across the visible portion of Alexi’s face. His lip twitched, and I tried to decipher its meaning. However, his face was stoic.
“Alexi?” I prodded.
He sighed in exasperation.
“Though I oppose this course of action immensely, I will agree to help you only because I want to be there to monitor things,” he relented. “But I promise you, if I sense that anything is amiss, anything at all, I will call an immediate halt, and I expect you to comply.”
“I understand,” I told him.
“Fine. We must proceed at once. We have little time.”
For the next several hours, we trained nearly relentlessly. We stopped only for occasional breaks for food and water, which Alexi insisted on. He was almost parental in his insistence on keeping me well-fed and hydrated.
I learned a lot in the following hours, but it never seemed like enough. Alexi insisted I wasn’t ready for anything intense, but I insisted we needed to press on. I wasn’t practicing to impress children at birthday parties. I was preparing to fight against another dark magic practitioner – one who controlled wraiths and had centuries of practice.
Because he was so concerned for my safety, Alexi slowly began to relent. He taught me harder spells, increasing both in difficulty and in danger. Though he wanted desperately to shield me from this practice entirely, I could tell he knew it might be the only hope he had of keeping me safe. It was a double-edged sword for him.
Kai and Liam both appeared helpless and lost. I could see in their eyes how much they wanted to help, but there was little either of them could do. Kai fetched food and water from the kitchen, and poor Liam had no job at all.
From time to time, I could sense a sort of tension in Alexi. I felt as though he was hiding something from me, but I couldn’t tell what it was. I wished I had his ability to read minds, but alas, I did not.
It was around three in the morning when Alexi’s phone sprang to life. He reached under his cloak and fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the phone and flipping it open.
“Hello?” he answered it.
In a moment, his upper lip curled into a slight snarl.
“Dmitri,” he growled. “What do you want?”
I strained to listen, trying to pick up some of Dmitri’s end of the conversation, but it was hopeless. Alexi had the phone pressed so tightly against his ear, no sound escaped. I heard his teeth gritting together as he tried to contain his obviously increasing rage.
“I told you already,” Alexi snarled through his teeth. “We will never just turn her over to you.”
He listened intently, his lower lip quivering with unreleased anger. I could see his hands trembling, and his teeth continued to grind together mercilessly.
“So be it, Dmitri,” Alexi hissed. “But remember, you asked for this.”
He slapped the phone shut and threw it across the room with such force it was shocking that it didn’t explode into a thousand shards of technological wreckage. It startled me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. My face must have betrayed my attempt to conceal my surprise, and Alexi immediately began to calm himself.
“I apologize for that,” Alexi said quietly. “I did not mean to frighten you.”
“I’m not frightened,” I told him gently. “I’m just surprised.”
“What surprised you so?” he asked me.
“It’s just… you’re usually so controlled,” I admitted. “It was surprising to see you lose it like that.”
“It is difficult to contain my emotions when it comes to you, Alice,” he said. “I am sure you have seen that.”
“Not really. Alexi, you’re usually so in control.”
“I may appear that way, but I assure you it is not so when it comes to matters relating to you.”
I sensed something far deeper in meaning in those words than his concern for my safety. I wondered if he were also referring to his feelings for me. He didn’t do a very good job of concealing those. Perhaps he meant something else. I wanted to ask him, but with Kai and Liam in the room, and with my current ban on rela
tionships, I didn’t feel the timing was entirely appropriate for such a conversation.
“So what did Dmitri say?” Liam asked.
“Exactly what you would expect,” Alexi lamented. “He demanded we turn her over, and when I would not agree, he resorted to threats.”
“What kind of threats?” Liam pressed Alexi.
“He said if we did not turn her over, he would kill her,” Alexi said through clenched teeth.
“Is that what you said ‘so be it’ to?” Liam asked, clearly shocked.
“It is,” Alexi admitted. “Obviously, I did not mean we would stand aside and allow that to happen.”
“Is he coming here now?” I asked.
“I would imagine he will be here at some point in the near future,” Alexi said.
I shook my head in disbelief. This wasn’t at all what I expected. When we’d made our dramatic escape from the wraiths in the helicopter, I’d said I wanted to take the fight to Dmitri. I’d planned to train hard, and to gain the element of surprise by attacking him on his own turf – a move I didn’t think he would anticipate.
However, with Dmitri now coming to us, we would not have that critical advantage. If anything, Dmitri would have the advantage, because our emotions were raw. Dmitri had exposed a nerve when he threatened to kill me. It had weakened Alexi’s resolve considerably, and he was visibly shaken. I was worried this might affect his concentration if we had to go to battle with Dmitri and his wraiths.
“I will call Father Jacobs and ask him to come over immediately,” Alexi added. “Let us hope the exorcism works on the wraiths, so we don’t have to rely on plan B.”
“And if plan B fails, we’ll have to resort to trying dark magic,” I said.
“I pray it does not come to that,” Alexi said sadly, shaking his head somberly.
I walked across the room to the table where the book of dark magic lay, and I touched it gently. Somewhere within that book was the secret to defeating Dmitri. I had to find it. I picked up the book and clutched it to my chest.
“Where are you going with that?” Alexi asked, clearly alarmed.
“I’m going to the library to study it,” I told him.
“You most certainly are not!” Alexi boomed.
“Stop talking to me like I’m a little girl, Alexi!” I shouted. “I’m not a child, and you are not my father! Sometimes I wish I’d never even met you!”
