by Simone Pond
I headed out into the bright city to find my friends—to find out if Nils was still alive—but I didn’t have a clue where to start. The only thing connecting me to any of them was the golden star that somehow Benjamin was able to home in on. But that was my last star and I wasn’t about to wing it into the sky. They’d go to the last place anyone would look for fugitives. The cages seemed like a smart place to start the scavenger hunt. Though it was warm, I pulled the hood of my robe up over my head to conceal my identity. Balthazar might’ve officially cleared my name, but that didn’t mean there weren’t plenty of bounty hunters and opportunists—even within the ranks of their government—who’d jump at the chance to hand me over to Magnus. It was safer to keep it on the down low.
By the time I made it to the center of the city where the Colosseum was located, I was drenched with sweat. I stepped into the dark corridors and took cautious steps as I scanned around. Guards stood positioned at some of the entrances and if my friends had come here for refuge, they must’ve used a lot of magic to get past security.
I must’ve let off a modicum of emotion or sighed a bit too dramatically for Alexandria’s uptight standards, because one of the guards started rushing toward me. I called on my shield and thank the Ancient One it came up around me. The guard reached out to grab me. I waited for the jolt to send him flying down the dimly lit corridor, but his hand moved right through my shield and landed on my shoulder.
“What the—?”
“Jordan,” he whispered. “Come with me.”
“Nils?”
“Shh! Don’t say a word and stay calm. And please release your shield before the monitors pick it up.”
I dropped my shield and started to reach out to hug him, but he held up his black baton, stopping me. I tried to keep my best poker face, but I couldn’t stop smiling. Nils hadn’t died in the blast. He was alive! I accidentally let out a sigh of relief and he shoved me with his elbow, reminding me to keep my emotions in check. That’s probably why the residents loved the Colosseum events so much: they were permitted to let loose every stored and bottled-up emotion. What a strange city. As much as I adored the flood of memories that had been seeping back in, I was glad Charity Bachar had the sense to get me out of there. Although … Mysterium wasn’t much better. But at least blood sacrifices weren’t a city-wide celebration.
Nils nudged me forward, doing an excellent job pretending to be a guard. He marched, keeping the device poking between my shoulder blades and giving me covert directions by adding pressure when it was time to turn. We made it through the dark corridors without any of the other guards giving us a second glance. Nils then had me turn down a narrow hallway that had a horrible odor. I gagged and covered my face with the robe.
“Carcasses and corpses,” whispered Nils.
He motioned for me to keep walking toward the stench. I hesitated a moment, then girded my robe and headed down the hallway where an elevator waited at the end. We stepped inside and dropped into the shaft of darkness. We were going down to the cages below the Colosseum. The lower we went, the thicker the smell got and I started choking by the time the elevator stopped at the cellar level. The cold, damp air rushed over me, along with another fetid odor—that of the living that hadn’t been washed or cleaned in who knows how long.
Nils got out of the lift and motioned for me to follow him. I was having trouble remembering the man before me was my friend, his disguise was so convincing. I stepped into the grim hallway that opened to a panopticon with hundreds of cages circling around an empty booth. I gagged at the smell.
“You’ll get used to it.”
I kept my face covered with the folds of fabric, now exceptionally grateful for the heavy robe I’d been forced to wear. It was the only barrier between me and the rancid rot and filth.
“This is awful, making them live like this,” I muttered.
I fought back the yearning to sob over the cruelty I witnessed as we passed by stacks of cages containing hundreds of men, women, and children. Their faces were smeared with dirt and muck. Teeth were missing or rotting in their mouths. Their hair was matted in dreadlocks or patchy where they’d scratched themselves raw from the lice.
“We can’t leave them like this,” I said.
Nils ignored me and continued walking. He turned down another hallway and tapped on an iron door with his baton. The door opened and the two of us stepped into a windowless room where the rest of my friends were gathered. Isabella and Lily were fine. CeeCee was sitting with Thatcher. Benjamin and William were chatting. All of them were alive and well!
“Jordan!” Benjamin ran over and folded me into his arms.
“I told you she’d be fine,” said CeeCee, giving me her familiar nod of approval.
Isabella and Lily hugged me, and William patted my shoulder politely.
“How did you guys survive that blast to the van?” I asked.
“Simple magic, my dear,” said William. “The van they blasted wasn’t the real van.”
“Pfft. Of course it wasn’t.” I laughed at my naiveté; how many more illusions would it take before I’d be a pro at detecting them on the spot? A lifetime of them, it seemed.
“We pulled away while you were fighting off the guards, gathered up Thatcher and the ladies and drove here,” explained Nils. “Benjamin followed overhead.”
“Smart,” I said.
William bowed modestly. “It was a joint effort.”
Benjamin handed me the rod. “This is yours.”
“Thanks for picking it up. I have a feeling we’re going to need this. I do have some pretty positive news, though.” I paused and looked at everyone, grateful they were all together and alive. “Claudius has agreed to join us. When everyone is gathered for today’s event in the Colosseum, he’s going to announce the Ancient One’s proposition. Giving them all a choice to join us or not.”
The look on CeeCee’s face was a mix of alarm and delight with a side of skepticism. “Hmm. That was too easy.”
I nodded. “Yeah, no kidding.”
“You think Claudius will really go through with it?” she asked.
“I trust him, but I have mixed feelings about how this is gonna go down. There’s a good possibility for a mutiny against him and a revolt. I don’t think for one second the residents and government will be unified. And I definitely don’t have a good feeling about his secretary, Balthazar. He folded way too fast.”
We gathered together and discussed potential problems and strategies, but none of us could agree on a plan. I was having trouble concentrating because nagging me underneath everything were the poor souls trapped in those cages just outside the door.
“What about the prisoners?” I finally said.
“I thought you said Claudius agreed to release them,” said Nils, still in his guard disguise.
“Yeah, he did. But his word won’t mean jack if there’s a coup. We should get the prisoners on our side before this goes down. That way they could be on standby if we need backup. They’d definitely fight with us.”
CeeCee and Thatcher looked concerned, which I found odd.
“What is it?” I asked.
“You’re gonna have a helluva time getting them to trust you. They’re pretty angry with the Ancient One. I know I was,” said CeeCee.
“There are some scary people in the cages,” said Thatcher. “They might not want to join us.”
“We won’t know until we try,” I said.
“Jordan’s right,” said Nils. “We have nothing to lose.”
Thatcher raised his small hand. “What about the way they look? Won’t everyone know who they are?”
Lily smiled. “Don’t you worry about that. The rod will handle the cleanup. Trust me.”
I let out a laugh, remembering Lily’s prior hag-like appearance.
Isabella added, “And anything that is missed, Lily, William, and I will do some magic to tidy up,” she said, winking.
“Thank the Ancient One,” said Benjamin.
&
nbsp; “We only have a couple hours before the Colosseum starts filling up, so let’s get started. I’ll need to find my mother and Claudius once we enter the main arena. I plan on being very close to Claudius during his big announcement.”
The eight of us stepped out into the hallway and made our way to the center of the panopticon. The plan was to start transforming the people in the cages, and then take the group above to sit in the audience. I’d find my mother and Claudius, wait for the announcement, and either the Colosseum would crumble or peace would reign.
I stepped into the center of the circle of stacked cages and pulled in a breath, releasing it slowly and trying not to gag on the stench. The prisoners remained quiet and docile. I thumped the rod against the hard dirt ground; the impact made a reverberant boom throughout the panopticon.
“May I have your attention,” I shouted.
The prisoners shuffled their way to the front of the cages, gripping the bars and eyeing me. The condition of their dirt-stained faces and filthiness was more appalling up close. Some of them remained in the back corners, not daring to come forward. Others began shouting profanities at me.
“Listen! All of you!” I increased the volume and tenor of my voice. “We don’t have much time. Some of you may have heard of me—the Chosen One—and others have not. I am here on behalf of the Ancient One to free you of your bondage. But first, I have an important question for each of you. Anyone who does not want to partake, please step back.”
Not a single person stepped away from the bars, and the ones who had remained in the corners scurried up to the front with the others.
“How do we know this isn’t a trick?” someone called out.
“It isn’t,” I said.
“This could be part of the governor’s plan to throw us off our game so we’re weak when we go to the floor for battle!” another person yelled from one of the upper cages.
“I assure you, I’m here to help you,” I said.
The ramblings grew louder and reached a fever pitch. I was losing control of the unruly crowd. I didn’t know what to say to get them to trust me. How could I blame them? But we were running out of time. I couldn’t do this on my own, so I looked behind me to CeeCee, silently begging her for help.
She came forward and stood next to me. Whispers rolled in waves as they took in CeeCee’s magnanimous presence. Murmurs of her legendary history echoed through the chambers. She spread open her arms and glistening light sparkled from her fingertips throughout the darkness. The radiance was ethereal and exquisite. A calm washed over the entire place.
“You may recall my days here at the Colosseum,” she said. “They called me the Infinite because I was forced to fight to my death, then heal myself to continue fighting. Until I escaped this wretched prison and found a group of people who had a better cause. The Ancients took me in and saved my life.” She paused a moment and lowered one of her hands to pull me under her arm, then continued. “The Chosen One, who stands before you as Jordan Temple, was sent by the Ancient One to save you from bondage. Not only from Alexandria, but also from the evil one named Ashtar. It’s simple. You can either return to the Ancient One and come with us, or you can stay here and rot. The choice is yours.”
Their filthy faces stared onward in astonishment, their eyes wide and mouths agape. I was also stunned by CeeCee’s speech. She did a far better job than I could’ve done. It was clear that these were her people and they belonged to one another. I was filled with a sense of joy and envy. Hands waved from between the bars, voices called out in jubilation over the news. The majority wanted to come with us.
“Those who are joining us, please stand by the bars and let my rod touch you,” I shouted. “The transformation will happen quickly. And then my friends will use their magic to disguise you. This way you’ll blend in with the audience. We’re hoping Claudius can convince the entire city to join us, but there is no guarantee.”
A few of the people shouted and cursed Claudius’s name. They didn’t want to be a part of anything the governor was involved in.
“I can’t force you to come with me,” I told them. “I can only open your hearts and show you the truth. The rest is up to you. But this is the winning team.”
Some roared, some laughed. Others were in some form of shock.
CeeCee nodded at me. “Let’s do this, CO.”
I moved to the first cages and held up the rod to the cages. The prisoners stretched out their hands and touched the rod as I passed by. The energy vibrated from the iron outwardly with such intensity that the marrow in my bones quivered, my teeth chattered, and every cell in my body turned into a miniature cyclone whirling around. I couldn’t see what was happening as I passed by the throngs of prisoners. I could only see the light gleaming from the rod.
At the end of the panopticon, I dropped to my knees, completely spent. All the energy it took holding the rod had drained me. But when I turned around and saw the prisoners transformed and washed clean, it was worth the pain. Their faces beamed and radiated with a new hope. The despair that had been hanging in the air and the putrid stench of the place had vanished, leaving behind a sweet perfume as though fresh rain had fallen. They held each other and embraced, jumping up and down in jubilation. They were renewed and restored. I was filled with gratitude. Even if Claudius and the entire city turned against the Ancient One, at least we accomplished something.
“Get to work,” I called out to William, Isabella, and Lily.
The three of them worked their magic to shift the garments the prisoners wore from rags to white robes until every last one of them resembled a typical resident of Alexandria. The cage doors were unlocked and everyone filed behind Nils and me as we exited the panopticon and made our way above ground to the main arena of the Colosseum. It was show time.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The inside of the Colosseum roared to life with cheers and laughter. Much different than the stoic and stately streets just outside the giant structure. The residents drank red wine from golden goblets, spilling it on their white robes and laughing it off, then splattering more to make a statement. Here, they were free to let their emotions run wild, they were allowed to express themselves, and they took it full tilt. In a way, they were prisoners too. Not remotely close to what the slaves had been enduring in the cages, but on some level these people were in their own prison, constantly being monitored and selling their personal brand. I hoped this would be a selling point to a good majority of the people. If they decided to leave the shackles of their city and follow us, they could laugh or cry or sigh whenever they wanted without fear of punishment.
I parted ways with Nils and the others and headed to the VIP box where Claudius and my mother, along with a slew of other high officials were seated. Balthazar greeted me at the door with smiles and escorted me to a throne-like chair next to my mother. Claudius stared straight ahead, avoiding all sorts of eye contact. He was nervous.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, sitting down.
“You took long enough,” she whispered, sounding a bit nervous herself.
“It was complicated.”
She studied me carefully.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “But what about Claudius? He didn’t change his mind, did he?”
She shook her head.
“What is it then?”
Her pale blue eyes scanned the VIP box. She didn’t need to say another word. It was no surprise the members of Claudius’s government weren’t so easily swayed. Just as I had expected. But as long as we had Claudius—their leader—there was still a chance. I gripped the rod close to my thigh, keeping it upright and ready for anything.
A horn trumpeted throughout the Colosseum, signaling everyone to take their seats and quiet down. Though they were drunk as hell, they obeyed their leader to perfection.
Claudius rose from his throne and stood before the arena of thousands. How many were gathered? At least fifty thousand. The entire place grew silent as he stood before his people like a monoli
thic statue. My mother reached for my free hand and squeezed it into her damp palm. Her nerves were getting the best of her demeanor. I gave her an assuring squeeze back.
“It’s with the Ancient One,” I whispered.
She nodded, then turned to watch Claudius.
He cleared his throat and began his address. “Residents of Alexandria. Welcome. Today’s event will be an historical one. And one which will mark the end of an era. This is something I’ve struggled with for many decades. But the time is nigh, and I can no longer deny myself, nor my people, the truth.”
The place was so quiet I could hear the rats skittering under the bleachers, sifting through food that had been dropped.
“Years ago, there was an ancient prophecy said to be fulfilled by a Chosen One. Most of the Confederated Six believed it to be a myth or fairytale, but as you know from recent events, with the Ancients having left, this prophecy is real. The Ancient One has called back his people.”
Claudius glanced over his shoulder and motioned for me to join his side. My stomach hitched. I was supposed to address this enormous crowd? My mother helped me stand and I used the rod to keep me steady. I prayed to the Ancient One and to the guiding star to put the words in my mouth.
“Jordan Temple is the Chosen One. She has survived all attempts on her life, beginning from her infancy until this very day. Many obstacles were sent to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled, yet it has thus far come to fruition. At least the first phase … But there is a second phase that Jordan Temple has come to share that may involve all of us.” Claudius moved me in front of him and inched back a bit. “Tell my people what you told me.”
I stood at the edge of the balcony and scanned the place for Nils. If I could just see his eyes for one second, I’d be okay. A sea of blurry faces and white robes spread out before me. I cleared my throat and exhaled a giant breath.
