by Simone Pond
I stood up, ignoring that remark. I didn’t have room in my brain to entertain such ideas. I belonged with my people. Not out in the Madlands with a bunch of magical misfits nobody in society deemed worthy.
“I’m going to get the Ancient One to send you, me, Nils and my father straight to Shteim'esrei. The prophecy has been fulfilled. My end of the bargain is done. I’m ready. And don’t you want to get back to Isabella? She’s in a strange city with a bunch of Ancients she doesn’t know.”
Benjamin stared up the side of the mountain to the pastel sky, then back to me. “I’m going to do whatever the Ancient One tells me to do.”
“Good on you.” I winked then went over to Nils, knocking his boot with mine. “Wake up, sleepy head. We’ve got a mountain peak to reach.”
We gathered up our belongings and shoved them into the backpack, tucking it—along with Nils’s iron rod—behind a rock for safekeeping, then we stepped out into the clearing. Benjamin shifted into his eagle form and took off into the sky, while Nils and I stood quietly, waiting for him to snatch us up. I was too nervous to speak and thought it’d be better if I focused on my breathing.
The talons gripped into the shoulders of our jackets and up we went, spiraling around the mountain and rising higher and higher. I’d never flown at such great heights and began to feel shaky. What if Benjamin’s wing gave out? Or what if he lost his grip? I didn’t think my magical shield could protect me from a fall like that one. Fortunately, neither of those things happened and Benjamin dropped Nils and me safely onto the summit where I had stood with my father not too long ago.
“Dad,” I called out as my feet hit the ground.
Nothing but the wind responded. I began calling his name and frantically searched behind rocks and bushes like a panicked child. Benjamin remained in his eagle form and perched on a jagged rock, watching me flit about. Nils finally grabbed my arm and pulled me against his side, wrapping his arm around my waist to keep me still.
“What’s up, Jordy? This is very un-you,” he said.
“Something is off. I can feel it in my bones.”
He laughed. “It’s you. You’re trying to exert your own will into this situation, and you don’t even know what’s up. Just relax. Take a few deep breaths.”
I took his advice and forced some air into my tight lungs. The altitude was making me dizzy. Calming down was mandatory, unless I wanted to faint. And I wasn’t about to do something so lame at such a crucial moment. Be strong, I told myself over and over.
“Jordan, my little latke.” My father’s voice filled the air as he came out from a crevice between two rocks. His orange tabby cat—Gabby—lilted behind.
I ran over and hugged him, blathering into his shoulder, “It’s done. The Ancients are safe. But why am I still here?”
“It is not done,” he said.
He stretched out his arms and held me in front of him, studying me carefully. A light flickered in his jade eyes. His long gray hair and beard fluttered softly in the cool breeze, as did his robe of pale linen. Gabby purred as he rubbed his whiskers along my pants. My father bent down and picked up the cat, stroking his head and smiling.
“I had a feeling it wasn’t done.” I reached over to pet Gabby’s soft fur.
“The Ancient One will let you know what’s to come,” said my father. He held the cat in one hand, then lifted the other to the heavens and began speaking in that ancient tongue I didn’t understand. And though it was daylight, the guiding star shot a beam of light down into the crown of my head. Like before, everything around me vanished except for the voice of the Ancient One, resonating inside my soul …
“You must now gather the scattered remnant. You and your partner will tread throughout the lands of the Confederated Six one city at a time, gathering the ones who belong to me and striking down the unrelenting rebels. You have twenty-one days to build an army for the Final Battle that will take place in the Madlands. You may use the rod against your enemies only seven times. And you must use the last golden star only at the anointed time. You begin in Alexandria.”
The pause that followed resonated like rushing water, so I took it as my opportunity to squeeze in a few nagging questions. “Before you go, can you tell me why most of my magic abilities are gone? And why can I only use the rod seven times? And also … why did all of those children have to …”
In a flare of light, I was standing on the mountain with Nils a few feet away and Benjamin still perched on the rock. My father and the cat were nowhere in sight.
“Where’s my dad?” I asked Nils.
“Gone to the original city, Shteim'esrei. To be with the others,” he said.
My heart dropped to my gut and I staggered backwards, feeling nauseous and bitter. “Why?”
“His work is done in this realm.”
I stalked to the side of the mountain. Warm tears blurred my vision as I gazed out into the dusty, dry valley below. Once again, I’d lost my father. Was that how my relationship with him was to always be? A brief cameo here and there? The tears rolled down my cheeks, and Nils was smart enough to give me my space for a few minutes. I let my tears flow freely, then pulled it together, recalling all that the Ancient One had spoken.
Alexandria … The city brought back dusty memories. Ones I had moved to the far corners of my heart because they involved my adopted mother, and thinking about Charity Bachar meant emotions and emotions meant distractions. Alexandria had been my first home of memory and they were happy ones, until my mother took me to Mysterium when I was ten years old. Images of the city and its leader, Claudius, still remained in my mind. The majestic beauty and pristine splendor of the place had left a deep impression on me, but I couldn’t remember the day-to-day details or the politics. And I certainly didn’t know anything about the harlots or what went on in the Colosseum—my mother did a good job of sheltering me from the darker side of that city. Though Alexandria was the first home I could remember, it was especially foreign to me now. How was I supposed to return and convince Claudius and his people to follow me?
I turned away from the ledge and walked over to Nils and Benjamin so we could start our journey.
“I got our assignment. But you already know what it is, don’t you? You gave me a preview with that witch redeeming herself.”
Nils rested his arm around my shoulder, grinning mischievously. “Yep.”
“Did you know the rod has only seven charges to strike down our enemies? I’m guessing we’re supposed to use it only one time per city. With an extra one—just in case … I guess?”
Nils frowned. “Did not know about that.”
“I’m supposed to use the last golden star at the anointed time. Whatever that means … And let’s not forget my magical powers are gone. Except for my shield, which craps out after extended use. We might be in over our heads, partner.”
A high-pitched chirp came from behind us. We turned around to see Benjamin perched on the rocks, flapping his resplendent golden wings. Prisms of sunlight beamed all around the top of the mountain.
“Okay, we have you too, my eagle friend. And right now you can get us off this mountain. We need to get started right away. Somehow we’re supposed to visit each city and get back to the Madlands in twenty-one days … on foot.”
Nils crumpled his brow with irritation. “You’re not serious?”
I nodded. “Per the Ancient One.”
Though he wasn’t a complainer, I knew he was worried about his bad leg withstanding such a journey.
“You’re absolutely sure?” asked Nils.
“Well, the Ancient One’s instructions are never explicit, but I’m pretty sure treading throughout the lands of the Confederated Six one city at a time means we need to walk. Also, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my ability to transport has suddenly vanished.”
Nils rubbed his thigh, resigned to the fact that there was no sense in arguing with the Ancient One. “Okay. Where to?”
“Alexandria.”
CH
APTER SIX
Benjamin flew us down the mountain and we grabbed the knapsack and the rod from the hidden spot behind the rocks. Nils pulled the knapsack over his shoulders, leaning against the rod for balance. Benjamin shifted back into his human form.
“Since we gotta do this in three weeks, I don’t wanna waste time hiking through that desert. Let me fly us back to the safe house.”
“I don’t know,” said Nils. “What do you think?”
“Why are you looking at me?” I asked.
“Because you’re the one who had the conversation with the Ancient One,” said Nils.
“It wasn’t really a conversation,” I said. “But if we’re on the clock, maybe we should fly back this once … I’d rather not walk back through the desert either.”
“You feel up to carrying two people?” Nils asked Benjamin.
Before the eagle shifter had a chance to answer, my magical shield went up around me. A blast of white lightning careened into Nils’s gut and knocked him down hard. Another blast was heading right toward Benjamin, so I yanked him into the shield’s protection.
“You okay?” he yelled.
But I didn’t answer. I clutched his hand and darted over to where Nils was writhing around on the ground with his middle torn wide open. More lightning shot our way. I wrapped Nils in the magical protection. The blast ricocheted off the shield and hit one of the rocks, splitting it into pieces.
“Get something to apply pressure on that wound!” I yelled at Benjamin.
He pulled the knapsack off of Nils’s back and began digging around for something while I scanned the area.
“It’s gotta be operatives. These are manmade blasts. Not pure magic,” I said.
Benjamin pulled out a few measly medical supplies. It wasn’t looking good: some bandages and a bottle of antiseptic. He finally took off his t-shirt and used it to press down on Nils’s bleeding gut. I figured out the origin of the blasts and detected three operatives shimmering in and out of view about a hundred feet away near the foothills of the mountains. They were cloaked, but their devices were faulty.
“Three of them,” I said.
“Use the rod,” whispered Nils.
I looked at the iron rod, which had fallen to the ground just a few feet away. I didn’t want to waste one of its charges if I didn’t have to. Benjamin and I could fight the operatives.
“Only seven charges,” I told Nils.
“No,” he panted, “like a weapon … strike them … with it …”
He was right. I could use the rod to knock them on their asses. I’d trained with similar weapons.
“I don’t want to leave you unprotected.”
“I’ll be okay,” he said.
I thought for a moment as the operatives continued spewing lightning at us. Each blast hit my shield with severe intensity, but nothing was able to penetrate it. We were safe for now. Although, my shield wouldn’t last much longer. Not while it was using up my resources to protect all three of us against these relentless operatives. Maybe that was their goal … drain me of my resources. They knew about the chink in my armor and if they kept at it, they’d eventually wear me down. Nope. I wouldn’t stand for it. I’d take them down with my bare hands and the rod.
I looked down at Benjamin, who was still applying pressure to Nils’s wound. “You ready?”
“Whenever you are, boss.”
“The second I snag that rod, you shift as fast as you can and fly off to cause a diversion. I’ll go after them with the rod. Then you come back down for me.”
He nodded. “Then what?”
“Improvise.”
Another blast rocketed against my shield.
“What about him?” asked Benjamin.
I knelt down next to Nils and took one of his hands and pressed it over Benjamin’s blood-drenched shirt. “You have to keep pressure on this.” Then I took out one of the handguns from the knapsack and laid it next to his hand. Blood was already covering his fingers. “Aim for their knees; they’re not protected.”
Nils let out a gurgle-laugh. “Don’t worry … about me … Jordy.”
“Jordan!” shouted Benjamin as he quickly shifted into his eagle form and covered both Nils and me under his golden wings.
The explosion that hit my shield was so fierce it got through and struck Benjamin’s wing. He dropped to the ground, tucking his wing against his side, his little bird eyes shutting down. Fire raged inside me. I wasn’t going to let those operatives—or Magnus—win this one. I dived for the rod and ran toward the three operatives. My shield flickered in and out, but it was still intact. As another streak of lightning shot at me, I used the rod to deflect it back. The beam went toward the woods and hit a large tree; I heard it cracking as it started to fall. If I could aim the lightning back to them, it’d be a perfect weapon. I stopped running and stood about thirty feet away from the pack. They must’ve figured out what I was planning because they held off on firing at me.
“Let’s go!” I shouted. “Show me what you got!”
“It’s over, Jordan Temple. Surrender yourself and come with us. Counselor Magnus has promised if you make this easy he will let you live,” shouted one of the operatives.
I laughed. Hard. “I’d rather die the most painful and hideous death than surrender to that monster. Do you even know who you’re working for? Evil. Pure freaking evil!”
One of the men stepped forward, aiming his silver device at me. “You’re the one who is evil, Jordan Temple. You’ve killed innocent people. Children. All in the name of some ancient prophecy. The entire left bank is dead because of you.”
I kept the rod lifted parallel to the ground. I was ready to start flipping that thing around like a baton and taking off heads if anyone got close enough.
“Fools,” I said. “Magnus is a liar. Ashtar is the master of deceit. The Ancients have been freed from slavery. They were never meant to work for the Oligarchy or the high council. The prophecy was fulfilled to bring them back home to where they truly belong.”
“She’s lying!”
One of the other operatives fired off his device and when the blast of white light came my way, I leveled the rod and positioned it precisely. In order for my plan to work, I had to release my shield, leaving myself vulnerable and exposed. But I trusted it would work. When the lightning struck the rod, the shock reverberated through my bones and my body felt like it was smacking against a brick wall. I held my ground, not letting go of my grip, and watched as the blast boomeranged back to the three operatives. It struck the one standing in the middle. The lead operative yelled at the guy who had fired, and that’s when I took the opportunity to sprint forward and attack.
“Watch—” The warning was stifled by the slamming of the rod against the side of the operative’s head.
The remaining operative fired his device before my shield had a chance to activate and before I could position the rod to deflect the blast, the lightning struck my right shoulder and knocked me back against the jagged rocks along the base of the mountain. Pain like I’d never felt tore through my body. I dropped the iron rod and grabbed my shoulder. I just wanted to stop the blazing pain tearing through my skin and muscles.
“You have a choice. Surrender or die,” said the operative as he stalked toward me, aiming that deplorable weapon.
I’d never surrender, nor would I die without a fight. But my shoulder was a ragged mess—what was left of it. My right arm was attached to my body by a few ligaments. I cradled the wasted appendage and scanned the area for something to use. The rod was too far away. The rocks weren’t large enough to cause any damage. I still had my left arm, my legs, and the golden star. Was this the appropriate time? A dead Chosen One would be of no use to anyone. Problem was the star was in my right-side pocket and reaching it with my left hand would be a challenge.
“You have three seconds,” he said.
A shift in the breeze passed over me. And I smelled something familiar. Something lovely and intoxicating. I don’
t know how it was possible, but I knew it was true. I stood up, clutching my right arm so it wouldn’t detach, and walked directly toward the operative. I grinned the way Nils Fox might in the same situation, when you know the tables have suddenly turned in your favor and things might just work out better than you could’ve possibly imagined.
“Oh, I have a lot more than three seconds,” I said.
He laughed, cocking the trigger of the device. “Two …”
“Before you make the worst decision of your life, can I ask you something?”
He squinted his eyes and studied me. “What?”
“Do you really honestly believe in what you’re fighting for?”
The operative pushed the barrel of the device into my chest, but held his fire. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I recalled the words Nils had said to Lily right before he was about to annihilate her for trying to capture me and turn me over to Magnus for some lame bounty. I took a deep breath and gazed up to the mountaintop. This wasn’t about me winning. Not at all.
I smiled with a genuine tenderness. “You can continue down the path you’re on, working for a wicked High Warlock who worships a false god … or you can tell Magnus to go screw himself and come back to where you truly belong. To the Ancient One.”
The breeze picked up and once again the fragrant scent of jasmine and vanilla washed over me. My heartbeat quickened as I watched Isabella come from behind the trees. Her long brown hair cascaded all around her in an almost ethereal manner and her doe-like eyes shined as she took me in. Slowly, she crept toward us. I motioned with my chin to wait another moment. I didn’t want to pressure the operative. He needed to come to the decision on his own. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered the device from my chest to his side. But then he removed something from his holster … a mage-cage device. He shot a blast, sealing me inside a crystal cage. Well, that answered my question. He’d rather serve Ashtar.
“Sorry, Jordan Temple. But I pledged my allegiance to the Confederated Six. Counselor Magnus assigned me to hunt you down and either bring you in or kill you. I don’t have it in my heart to kill you. You’re far too pretty for that. Besides, I’m sure I’ll find many uses for you on our trip back to Mysterium.”
