Wrath of Magic (The Mysterium Chronicles Book Book 3)

by Simone Pond

  “Did you ever go to these events?” Benjamin asked Thatcher.

  He shook his head. “No. I was supposed to be in one of the fights. But I ran away.”

  CeeCee knelt beside Thatcher. “You were a slave?”

  He nodded.

  I’ve seen many variations of anger throughout the factions, but I’d never seen a healer show rage. Not the way CeeCee was in that moment. It was as though all the light from the sun had been siphoned and funneled directly into her heart. Fire flickered in her pale eyes. Her skin turned pinkish-red and steam rose from her snow-white curls. She was literally fuming.

  I jumped out of my seat and rushed over to her, resting my arm around her. “Easy, CeeCee. Breathe it out. Deep breaths. Come on,” I said.

  I pulled her away from the table and walked with her around the parlor until the temperature of her skin dropped in degrees.

  CeeCee stopped and stood facing me. “I shouldn’t want to kill anyone—I’m a healer in the truest sense—but I want to take Claudius and rip out his insides from his eye sockets.”

  “I hear you. Trust me. And when we get to Mysterium, I’ll probably be in the same boat—sorry—same shoes as you. I won’t want to give Prime Master Bachar a chance to repent. I won’t want to forgive him for the years of treating me like a second-class citizen in his own home. Always reminding me that I was adopted and not a real member of the Bachar family. But, CeeCee, forgiveness is the only way to freedom. And Magnus? I want to pierce his heart and watch him die a million fiery deaths. I’m asking you to do this now, so you can help me when I have to do the same thing later.”

  She stared at me, remaining quiet, probably recalling her years as a child locked up under the Colosseum with her family. I couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through, having to endure the suffering and torturing of the only people she’d ever known. And then to ask her to go to the very man who put her in that situation and give him the chance to redeem himself—it made no sense. But after a few minutes, the radiance returned to her eyes and she smiled, brightening up the space around us.

  “I guess we all deserve second chances. Maybe that’s all he’s ever known. Maybe he doesn’t know there’s a better way,” she said.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks. Forgiveness is a powerful gift. I hoped I’d have the openness to receive it when it was my turn. She laughed at my mushy display and turned me around to go back to the table to finish our business and get a plan together.

  “We’re all good,” I announced, sitting back down.

  “Didn’t doubt you for a second, boss,” said Benjamin.

  “This is how this is going to go down: you’re either in or you’re out. If you’re in, you’re going the whole way. What that means is, you’ll get off this boat and come with me as I go from city to city, gathering up those who want to return to the Ancient One. We won’t stop until we get to the Madlands. And I don’t know what will happen then. We are in this together, but I understand if you want to stay behind.”

  CeeCee was already standing and remained that way. Benjamin and Isabella immediately rose. Thatcher shot out of his chair and stood with his shoulders back. Lily and William stared at each other quietly, then held hands and stood up together. Nils was the only one sitting at the table, smiling like a sly fox.

  “Well?” I tilted my head and grinned.

  “I don’t know, Jordy …” he said, gazing down at his folded hands.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t know if I’m more proud to be your partner or amazed that you just convinced an entire boat of non-Ancients to join you on a pilgrimage for the Ancient One.” He stood up and rounded the table, giving me a big hug and of course a ponytail tug.

  We stepped off William’s boat and onto the dock. All of us wore long white robes that William had provided so we would “blend in” with the residents of Alexandria. I was thoroughly impressed with his wizard skills and ability to manifest things into being. I didn’t fully grasp his brand of magic, but it was proving to be useful. I clenched the rod in my left hand like a shepherd’s staff and led the team of seven down the dock toward a path with signs pointing to the Colosseum.

  The sun rose above the mountains in the east and poured over the city, creating a blinding glow as the light bounced off the geometric white marble buildings and slated walkways. But the most blinding of them all was the tremendous circular structure positioned at the heart of the city. The Colosseum: where human sacrifice was considered a sport. It sickened me to think of the poor slaves trapped below in cages, awaiting their brutal and violent deaths. It seemed every city in the Confederation had its own version of slavery merely painted in different hues. Who was to say which one was more vile than the other. Aren’t all forms of oppression? Various forms of oppression is what their false god, Ashtar, had taught. It had been indoctrinated in their blood and DNA. And now I—we—were supposed to convince them that the ways of their god were wrong. Way wrong.

  It was still early and the streets were scattered with a few robed residents here and there, making their way to the Colosseum. The place was pristine and grandiose. Each building, fountain, statue—even the receptacles—had an air of majestic excellence. The healers weren’t hard to detect with their radiant light beaming from the edges of their skin.

  “This is the clean side of town,” said CeeCee. “No harlots are permitted to wander the streets, there are special tunnels leading them to the Colosseum for events. They’ve been relegated to the green-light district.”

  “Sweet. Can we check it out?” asked Benjamin.

  Isabella shoved him. “Not if you want to live to see another sunrise, mister!”

  An alarm sounded in a series of high-pitched bleats. My skin jumped off my bones. I scanned the area, looking for any nearby action. A duo of serious guards in starchy black uniforms wielding baton-like devices marched directly toward us. My stomach iced over.

  “What’s going on?” I whispered to CeeCee.

  “Monitors might’ve picked up suspicious activity or maybe one of us,” she replied.

  “Do they have a way of tracking you or the kid?” I asked.

  “Not sure …” She stopped talking and held my hand as the guards approached.

  One of them held out his black baton and pointed it at Isabella. “What’s the disturbance about, miss?”

  She chuckled sweetly. “Disturbance?”

  “Yes. The hostility between you and this gentleman,” he barked.

  “Oh, dear. We were merely joking. No harm, no foul,” she said, smiling politely.

  The guard pushed back her hood with his baton to reveal her face, then waved the thing in front of her eyes. The other one went down the line doing the same thing, exposing our faces and waving the baton across our eyes to get a read. Then they stood staring at their devices, waiting for the results.

  “You should run,” whispered CeeCee. “Let me take the fall.”

  I shook my head. “We’re in this together.”

  “This is rather fascinating,” said the first guard.

  “Indeed it is,” said the other.

  Together they read the information streaming across their devices like a ticker feed. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to run, but I was curious about what was so fascinating. I wanted to stick around and find out more information to be better equipped for our mission.

  “Everyone turn around,” said the first guard.

  I stepped forward in front of everyone. “What’s going on?”

  “I said turn around. Hands behind your backs.”

  “Not until you tell us what’s going on,” said Nils.

  The other guard aimed the baton at Nils and sent forth a blast that wrapped around my partner like a gust of wind and locked his robed body into an invisible straightjacket. He stood frozen from the shoulders down.

  The guard shouted, “We can zip you all up, or wrist-cuff you. Your choice!”

  We should’ve run, dammit. I didn’t want the full bo
dy lockdown, so I slowly motioned to the group to cooperate. Each of us turned around and the guards used their batons to seal something around our wrists. When one of them got to me, he reached for my rod, but I refused to relinquish it.

  “If you don’t surrender your weapon, you will be removed,” he warned.

  “Removed, as in from the city or existence?” I asked, stalling for time. Could I fight my way out of this situation without putting the others in jeopardy? They were already bound.

  “Don’t be smart. Hand over the weapon,” he said, pushing the baton against the back of my neck.

  If I let the rod go, I might not get it back. If I held onto it, I might die with it and be of no use. I could run, but I’d have to leave behind my friends. We were in this together. I reluctantly loosened my grip. The guard yanked the rod out of my hand, then immediately dropped it.

  “What in the fiery pit is that?!” he yelled. “We have a problem!”

  I bent down and picked up the rod, forcing back a smile. “It’s an opportunity,” I said.

  He held out his device and shot forth a wave of energy. I was about to block it with the rod, but another guard—who had emerged from a white van that had just pulled up—nailed me with one of those invisible straightjackets first. The rod was stuck against my body, inside the transparent casing.

  The three guards ushered everyone into the back of the van; the one who had tried to grab my rod was intermittently examining his burnt palm. Nils and I had to be hoisted, since we were trapped in our swaddles. The men tossed us onto the floor of the van and slammed the doors shut, leaving us in the dark.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The van pulled away and sped off like lightning with all of us sitting in the dark. Well, Nils and I were rolling around on the floor like two bound-up rugs. Benjamin and CeeCee used their feet to keep us wedged in place.

  “Would someone in the name of all things magic tell me what is going on?” said William.

  “Seems like they tightened up the laws on public exposition,” said CeeCee. “But I haven’t been here in a long time. Do you know anything, T?”

  “I was in the cages the last couple years so I don’t know either.” Thatcher’s small voice sounded shaky and uncertain.

  “These people are hyper vigilant.” Nils’s face was extremely close to mine as we stayed snug in our cocoons, pressed up against each other.

  “Any clue what sort of magic they’re using to keep us restrained like this?” I asked CeeCee.

  “Not sure.”

  “Judging from the binding’s outer layers,” said William, “it feels like a combination of carbon and hydrogen. I also detect some synthetic elements … perhaps styrene-butadiene. I’m not entirely sure.”

  “Sounds about right,” said CeeCee.

  “Can you get us out of them?” I asked William.

  “Yes, of course.” He paused a moment.

  “And …”

  “But I would need the full use of my hands. It’s a bit of a conundrum, isn’t it? Lily or Isabella?”

  The ladies quietly tossed options back and forth, but each idea required the use of their hands. Every way out would need the assistance of our hands. That’s how our magic worked.

  “Anyone here telekinetic?” I asked.

  “What’s that mean?” asked Thatcher.

  I laughed lightly. “It means you can use your mind to do magical things. I was joking. Not too many people in the Confederated Six have those abilities,” I explained.

  “Very rare,” added Nils.

  My invisible sheath suddenly loosened from its suffocating grip around my ribs, giving me some wiggle room.

  “You mean like that?” asked Thatcher.

  “Did you just do that?” I asked, squirming my way upward out of the full-body straightjacket.

  “Do what?” asked Nils.

  Benjamin leaned forward to get a better look at me in the dark. “Hey, are you moving?”

  I grunted and pushed and squirmed. “Can you do what you did again?” I asked Thatcher.

  “What’s going on?” William blurted, his nerves getting the best of him.

  “I think the kid is undoing Jordan’s casing,” said CeeCee.

  More room opened up around my shoulders and hips, allowing me to slither from the body swaddle like a snake shedding its skin. I crawled forward, lifting the rod, and pulled myself to standing. The van took a sharp turn and my body slammed against the side of the vehicle, but I was laughing with relief to be free of the cocoon.

  Once I got back to my feet, I made my way over to Thatcher and squeezed in next to him and asked, “Do you think you could do that for the others?”

  “I can try,” he said in a whisper. “But it hurts.”

  “What do you mean it hurts?” I asked.

  “It hurts my head.”

  I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to me. “You did great, T. Maybe just undo William and he can figure out a way to release the others. Do you think you could do that?”

  “I can try,” he said.

  The back of the van remained silent. The only noise came from the wheels whisking over the smoothly paved roads. I rubbed Thatcher’s shoulders, hoping to give him encouragement while he concentrated on unlocking the binding around William’s wrists. The van started slowing down. We were arriving at our destination and soon the guards would open the back. I wanted all of us to be free by the time that happened, but it looked like it would just be me and my rod.

  “By golly! You did it, son!” William gasped.

  “Hurry and get to work on the others,” I ordered.

  William got up from his spot on the bench and started with Lily.

  “CeeCee first,” I said.

  “But …” he protested.

  “We need our healer,” I said.

  “Fine!”

  I stood up and positioned myself by the back doors, awaiting the guards. I’d hold them off as long as I could on my own, but I had no idea what was waiting for us at the final destination. I’d definitely need some backup.

  The dark space lit up in a nova of orange light that sparked with a puff of smoke and then a loud fizzle. Everyone’s eyes were wide with a mix of curiosity and excitement. CeeCee’s muscular arms shot forward and she swung them to get the blood properly circulating again.

  “You did it!” said Thatcher in amazement.

  William looked over at me, thrilled but also nervous, knowing we’d be coming to a stop momentarily. “One down, five to go. Who’s next?”

  “Benjamin,” I said.

  He pursed his lips, but nodded professionally and continued with Benjamin. The van came to a complete stop before he had finished the task.

  “Keep going. Go to Isabella and Lily next,” I instructed.

  “What about me?” asked Thatcher, worry lacing his words.

  “Can you work on your own?” I asked.

  Another loud snap, followed by a bright orange glow, filled the back of the van. Thatcher showed me his free hands, but there was a thick stream of blood pouring from his nose.

  “Tilt your head back!” I told him. “And rest for now.”

  The front doors of the van could be heard opening and closing. Footsteps clapped on the cement. Nils had scooted across the floor and somehow managed to get himself to standing. He balanced up against the wall of the van. I didn’t like seeing him trapped in the back, defenseless. But I needed to stay by the door.

  “You’ve got this, Jordy,” he said.

  I nodded. “Whatever happens, I’ll come back for you.”

  CeeCee and Benjamin flanked me. I held the rod in a horizontal position.

  There were a series of beeps from the keypad, then the van doors opened. We were in a garage. The two guards shuffled back a few inches when they saw me rocketing forward with the rod stretched out in front of me like a plow. I knocked them backwards, their heads slamming onto the cement. Ouch! I tucked myself into a ball and rolled forward, bringing the rod with me,
then sprung up to my feet.

  Guards began swarming into the garage and running toward the van. CeeCee stayed nearby, protecting those inside. Benjamin shifted into his eagle form and took off. I darted toward the multiple guards, using the rod in a rowing motion, wiping them out along the way, sending them soaring across the garage and onto the ground. Lily and Isabella jumped down from the van with Thatcher wedged in between them. More guards entered the garage and began firing blasts of energy. It was difficult to deflect the bolts since they weren’t visible, but I slowed down and got a sense of the vibrations as they came my way. I batted the blasts back at the guards. I glanced at the van. The others were climbing out of the back. But where were Nils and William?

  “Run!” I shouted to Lily and Isabella.

  “Where?” yelled Isabella.

  “CeeCee, show them!”

  The ladies ran off with the kid toward an opening where the van had entered. Benjamin was making his return, swooping low across the garage to pick me up. I didn’t want to leave until I knew William and Nils were out of the van and in the clear.

  Another blast came my way; my rod missed it by an inch and the force continued on its trajectory, careening right into the van. The van. Nils! The vehicle rose up high in slow motion, then flipped over and over until it slammed against the wall. The thing was demolished. Nobody could’ve survived that landing.

  “No!”

  My heart shattered into a billion atoms. Nils was still in the van. I ran straight toward the remaining guards, rage ripping apart my chest. I held up the rod, ready to use one of the seven charges to destroy each and every one of the bastards. I’d fry them all to smithereens. I aimed the firing end and screamed a war cry.

  But someone called my name.

  “Jordan!”

  The delicate cadence resonated in my ears and tingled down my neck. Warmth spread over my body. My knees buckled, sending me to the ground in a messy whirlwind. The rod clanged to the cement and echoed endlessly.

  “Leave her be! Stand down!” her voice called out as footsteps pattered across the ground, coming closer to me.