Long Isle Iced Tea

by Gina LaManna

  On zero, all six broomsticks nosedived toward the ground, releasing the antidote as we swerved toward the black cloud. Gus and I were first, since we were the closest, and as soon as we’d hit the black magic, we pulled back to the ground and set to work on creating the next round of antidotes.

  Hettie was the first of the others to return. “I got a peek inside—all seemed quiet.”

  X came back next. “Looked empty from where I was flying. Evacuated.”

  Harpin and Ainsley returned after, both confirming what X and Hettie had reported. “The streets were abandoned,” Ainsley said. “If anyone’s there still, they’ve retreated to the castle.”

  “Let’s get another round in,” I said, handing out another series of vials. “X, take this antidote and go—”

  I never did tell him where to go because at that moment, arrows sailed at us. One of them struck Harpin on the arm, a black mark tearing at his skin as he clawed at his robes with a death-defying shriek.

  “The arrows are enchanted,” X growled, pulling Harpin’s arm toward him as he examined the wound. “Fall back!”

  “The silver!” I cried, reaching for the bag of it. “I need…”

  Even as I spoke, another arrow sailed toward the bag of silver, this one with a flaming tip. It hit the bag, sending the material up in smoke.

  “No!” I lunged for it. “We need to destroy the black magic. We need the silver.”

  A pull on my arm held me back. I could only watch, mesmerized, as X’s hands glowed gold, and he rose from the ground on his broomstick. The rest of us followed suit, Hettie shouting orders as we formed a tight, protective circle around X.

  His eyes went all black, unseeing, and his face fell slack. Eventually, his fingers began to pluck at the air as if he played a silent instrument that nobody else could see or hear.

  “Uncap your vials!” I yelled, as I threw the cork from mine to the ground.

  Everyone followed along, understanding dawning as X’s powers began to reveal his plan. Bit by bit, he pulled at imaginary strings on an atomic level, purple puffs of antidote dancing through the air as if he were sewing, puncturing the dome and piercing the black magic from every angle.

  He was using his power, his Uniqueness—the telekinesis he had yet to master—to spread the antidote thin and cover every inch of the cloud. It just might work. If we could weaken the storm enough, we’d be able to reclaim Wishery once and for all.

  “Protect him!” I screamed above the wail of the tornado-like winds. With a jolt, I remembered X’s words, his fears. Using his power meant he was at his strongest…while also the most vulnerable. “Whatever you do, he can’t get hurt.”

  “Nobody gets hurt,” Ainsley snapped back. “Stay in a circle, keep your backs to one another. X in the middle.”

  X didn’t respond, his gaze focused, almost trance-like as he pushed and pulled the remaining antidote in spirals around the black magic. He weaved it through, creating fissures that hissed and smoked as if pierced by a knife.

  Meanwhile, enchanted arrows with glistening red tips sailed at us, cursed and intending to kill. Showers of sparks trailed behind, flames curling away in all directions.

  Harpin grunted with pain, using only his good arm as the attack raged on. He maneuvered pillars of black ink extending from his fingers, moving them like the arms of an octopus and slashing through any arrows coming in his direction.

  Ainsley hurtled MAGIC, Inc. spells, flinging them back toward the archers while Gus pulled the emergency vials he kept strapped to his chest, sending hexes in all directions.

  I couldn’t be sure what Hettie had planned, but she was screaming like a tribal warrior and sending flames from both fists towards the origins of the arrows. It seemed effective, so I let her be and focused, invoking a force-field like protective spell I’d learned from Zin.

  “How much longer?” I shouted toward X. “Can you sense it?”

  “The foundations are beginning to crack,” he said, his voice almost musical. “Just a little longer.”

  “Nice job on the antidote, Lily,” Hettie whooped. “That’s my granddaughter!”

  Harpin growled, ducking as a barrage of arrows leapt toward him. He swiped most of them away with the twitch of an inky arm, but it was Gus who sent a fire ball that singed the one closest to Harpin’s head and quite possibly saved his life.

  “Thanks,” Harpin muttered.

  “Shut up,” Gus said. “Fight.”

  “I’m happy to see my boys working together,” Hettie said with a high-pitched yip. “If we hold out a little longer, we’ll wear them down.”

  “Stay tight,” Ainsley yelled. “X is getting tired, and not an arrow gets through us.”

  Her last words rang out over a silent attack. The world rolled to a slow freeze, and we all waited as the flood of arrows dripped to nothing. Complete silence, save for the crackling of Ranger X’s magic as he continued to thread the antidote through the strongest points of the dome holding Wishery captive.

  “I don’t like this,” Ainsley whispered, her hands poised in front of her face. “It’s too quiet.”

  I nodded in agreement, my breath coming in heaves. “This isn’t over.”

  Gus held a purple cloud in one palm while Harpin let the black extensions of his arms wave in the slight breeze. Hettie shot a few fireballs into the sky while Ainsley’s fingers sizzled with electricity.

  “Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are…” Ainsley murmured. “They’re preparing for the final att—”

  Her last word became a screech as arrows sailed from every direction, circling us, pummeling our tight circle of defense. A flaming arrow sliced through my sleeve, setting it ablaze as it sailed past.

  Ainsley slapped the flame out as Harpin covered us, wiping away a sheet of arrows sailing toward us. He nodded when I murmured a thank-you, and Ainsley grunted in agreement.

  “Almost…” X said. “Done.”

  The next cry came from Hettie, a guttural screech that sent shivers down my spine. I stopped mid-toss of an enchantment, turning to find an arrow sticking out of my grandmother’s shoulder. Its entrance was surrounded with black, the curse already spreading through her clothes and into her skin.

  “No!” I yelled, as she began to tip from her broom. “Hettie!”

  I launched into a nosedive as Hettie fell over and spiraled to the ground, her broomstick hovering in the sky. Arrows whistled past my ears. Harpin extended his inky arms on either side of me as I sailed toward Hettie, beating back the onslaught of an attack.

  I landed on the ground just seconds before Hettie, tumbling off my broomstick and catching her in a weak embrace. We both crumbled to the ground, my body a pillow for Hettie’s.

  I ripped off a swatch of my dress and used it to press against Hettie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to hold on through the pain. I can’t remove the arrow or the curse will spread faster.”

  Arrows whistled above us. “Get up there,” Hettie whispered. “Fight.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” I removed Aloe Ale from my belt, a simple pain reliever that traveled everywhere with me, and pressed it to the site of the wound. “This will hold you off for now. I’m not leaving your side.”

  “You need to protect…” Hettie rasped for breath. “X. I know how his magic works; he’s at great risk.”

  “But—”

  “Go,” Hettie said, her eyes blinking more slowly as the curse began to take hold of her veins. “I’ve got thirty minutes before the damage is irreparable. So, end things quickly.”

  “I’m not leaving you. We’ll get you back in no time. Just breathe, Hettie. Breathe.”

  “Your grandfather would’ve loved this. The Core, watching you up there…” Hettie forced a smile, her face going pale. “You’re just like him, you know.”

  My lips tightened to return her smile.

  “You’re prettier, though,” she said with a weak snort of laughter. “He had charm, but you’ve got th
e beauty.”

  “Hettie, stop. You’re going to be fine.”

  “I know,” she said, her voice a mere whisper in the swirling winds. “Look…”

  I followed her shaking finger to watch above as X, face streaked with sweat and blood, a ferocious look in his eyes, waved both arms and sent a spiraling drill of golden energy straight toward the center of the black dome.

  It flowed from him, into the black magic now rife with brilliantly clear air, and shattered it. The blackness dispersed with a piercingly high-pitched whine, puffing into clouds of purple, then white, and then finally…nothing.

  Nothing.

  No arrows, no blackness, no storming mass of evil, no curse.

  The Core looked at one another from above, then carefully guided their broomsticks to the ground. As they did so, a transformation began. One by one, we looked to the sky and watched.

  For the first time since its invasion, rays of sun hit the light-deprived city, spreading from street to street with a warming glow. The city shimmered with fresh air, and the castle beamed and glistened with a light so bright I had to look away.

  When I finally turned my gaze back on the city, shimmering gold sunshine battled back the last of the black clouds, revealing a stunning, beautiful city in its wake.

  Wishery.

  I leaned against X as Harpin collapsed onto Gus. The old man, looking surprised, lent Harpin his walking cane as Ainsley crouched next to Hettie.

  Harpin examined his arm, gave a shake of his head. “Lucky,” he muttered, pulling back his clothing. “Just grazed the surface. Curse didn’t get into the bloodstream.”

  “You’re going to be fine,” Ainsley said to him, and then turned to Hettie. “You are, too. Don’t give up on me now, old woman.”

  “Who you calling old?” Hettie gasped. “I’m not…old.”

  Ainsley smiled. “We’ve got Curse Control on standby at MAGIC, Inc. Let’s get you back.”

  X wrapped his arms around me, holding my weight against him even as he shook, drained from the effort of sustaining his magic for so long.

  “I’m proud of you,” X whispered against my hair. “That antidote was something else.”

  “It wouldn’t have worked without all of us.” I looked around at the group. Bruised, battered, exhausted. My limbs trembled with relief, with exhaustion. “Thank you all for not giving up on us.”

  “Amen,” Hettie mumbled. “I like The Core.”

  “Can we get this woman some help?” Gus croaked. “I want to learn how she pulled that fireball trick.”

  “I’ll carry her on my broomstick,” I volunteered. “Hettie—”

  “No.” Hettie gave a barely perceptible shake of her head. “You and X stay behind.”

  “But—”

  “There’s something you need to do.”

  I looked up at X, who gave no signal either way. Reaching for Hettie’s hand, I squeezed. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

  “Are you kidding? They’re gonna have to work harder than this to kill me.” Hettie plucked at her shirt. “If this is their best shot, I’m feeling pretty confident about our odds.”

  The group lifted Hettie into the air and carried her away, balanced on Ainsley’s broomstick. Gus rode on one side, and Harpin on the other.

  I took a deep breath and leaned against X. “My grandmother is a nut.”

  “Tough nut to crack.” X put his hand on my shoulder. “So, what is it Hettie wants us to do?”

  I slid my arm around his waist. “I have unfinished business in the castle. I don’t want to go alone.”

  X leaned against me, his lips held against my forehead. “You won’t be alone ever again,” he said against my ear. “Not so long as I’m alive.”

  Chapter 35

  I’D SPENT MORE THAN enough time inside Wishery, but as X and I returned, I didn’t recognize a piece of it.

  Where black clouds had contained the city, now blue skies expanded its reach to the ends of the earth. The buildings, though still abandoned, now shone with glimmers of life, of personality, of quirky decorations and broad windows. Wildlife rustled and chirped in the hedges, and store signs glittered against the sunlight. The castle itself gleamed as the opaque centerpiece of the city.

  “What are we looking for?” X asked. “Or, should I ask, who?”

  “Anyone. Survivors, prisoners…anyone left behind.”

  We perused the city as quickly as possible, poking our noses into shops and houses with unlocked doors. It quickly became clear, even as we worked our way to the castle, that Wishery remained empty of all inhabitants.

  “Why don’t we send in the Rangers to clean up? With more manpower, they’ll be able to search this place faster. We’re only two, Lily. You’ll want to be next to your grandmother over the next few hours. It won’t be pleasant for her.”

  “Two of us is enough. We’re going into the castle; we didn’t fight for nothing.”

  Into the castle we went, entering the crumbled ballroom still in disarray. We pressed on through the back room where I’d first glimpsed Liam’s traitorous self, then moved down the halls and into the main branches of the castle.

  Only silence greeted us. Absolute stillness.

  “Where…”—X cleared his throat—“did they keep you?”

  I gestured for him to follow me and, somehow, wound my way to the bedroom where I’d met Belinda and Bartholomew. We walked into the room, past the four poster bed, and up to the French doors that overlooked the city.

  “The others had it worse,” I explained, as the elegant room surrounded us.

  “They kidnapped you.”

  “They gave me a bed,” I said. “The others…”

  X followed as I left the room, thankfully refraining from comment. A sense of relief had set in at the sight of the city below, the gorgeous greens and vibrant yellows returning the city to its former brightness.

  “To the cells,” I directed him. “Peter and Jonathon might still be here.”

  And Liam, I thought. But I didn’t say that aloud.

  I managed to find my way to the rocky caves where they’d kept Poppy, Manuel, and the others, but they were empty. All empty.

  “It’s time to go home,” X said, his voice cracking with thirst. “We need to go home.”

  My throat was dry, too. We’d been searching for hours and found absolutely nothing. Except for the crumbled ballroom, everything looked to be in place.

  “But—”

  “Lily.” X put his arms around me and held on so tight I couldn’t breathe. “You have to let it go. We’ll find them, bring them home, but they are no longer here. We need to regroup and expand our search.”

  I fastened my arms around his back, tears of frustration staining his shirt. “I can’t believe it. He took them all away—again.”

  “How many more were there?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “A handful.” A new voice spoke from the depths of the caves. “Ranger X is right—they’re gone.”

  I looked up, pulled my face away from X’s chest. It was dark, but not so dark I couldn’t make out the features of the man who’d sacrificed himself to get me away from Wishery.

  “Jonathon!” I cried. “You’re okay!”

  “I’m fine,” he agreed with a smile. “But Ranger X is correct. It’s no use searching any further; they’re all gone.”

  “To where?” I asked, still registering. “And how did you…”

  “Get out?” he grinned. “Walk with me. This place is empty. I’ve already checked.”

  X took my hand as we followed Jonathon out into the gardens where I’d first gathered with the group of escapees. He sat on a bench, and I sat next to X across from him.

  “After you left, The Faction moved quickly to break everything down. They gathered all their things, their supplies, their prisoners. Then, they took off.”

  “And how did you manage to stay behind?”

  “I was in line with the rest of the prisoners, the last in
line, when someone grabbed my arm,” Jonathon said, a look of confusion knitting his eyebrows together. “I didn’t recognize him.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He didn’t give us a name.” Jonathon squinted at us. “I’d put him at older than you, slightly graying hair, but still handsome. Well dressed.”

  My voice caught in the back of my throat. “Liam.”

  “Like I said, he didn’t give a name, but he did cut Peter and I free.”

  “Peter’s here?!” I looked over Jonathon’s shoulder, as if expecting to find the reporter hovering in the bushes. “Where?”

  “He chose to stay with the group.”

  “Why would he do that?” X growled. “He chose to remain a prisoner?”

  “He’s going for the big story,” Jonathon said. “Peter Knope—he will do anything to get a front-page headline.”

  “Including staying inside enemy lines?” X shot back. “I don’t think so.”

  “You’d do anything for your job,” Jonathon said. “Why shouldn’t he?”

  “Because he writes articles out of left field for the newspaper. Nobody believes him.”

  “We’ll believe him this time,” Jonathon said, eyeing X. “He’s the only one who’ll have these insights. I wouldn’t put it past the man to risk his life for his job. The best ones do.”

  X glanced over at me and slowly nodded before turning back to Jonathon. “Fine. And you? What’s your story?”

  “This guy—Liam, I suppose—told me to find you,” Jonathon said, fixing his gaze on me. “He asked me to relay a message.”

  “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “He asked me to tell you to give him a chance. To hear him out.”

  I tightened my lips. “I’m not sure I can do that. He was standing right next to my father, conversing as if they were friends.”

  “Maybe there’s more to the story,” Jonathon said. “He didn’t have to free me. Peter said he let him go earlier, too. Apparently, Peter had been captured in the tunnels, and Liam orchestrated his release.”

  “The distraction…” I glanced at the destroyed ballroom behind us. “Peter caused the distraction.”