Taken (The Blood Spell, The Fugitives, and The Firemancer's Son) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 6)

by Humphrey Quinn

  CHAPTER 18

  It was a set up.

  Somehow, Amelia had been ready for them. From seemingly out of thin air groups of Amelia’s followers appeared, palms facing the intruders, aimed and ready to strike.

  “So much for hoping things would go smoothly,” muttered Colin, making sure Catrina was behind him.

  And then she appeared.

  A line opened up, down the center of her people. Amelia marched down the middle, climbing atop a granite rock in their center, which protruded a good ten feet into the air. From her perch, she could easily look over everyone.

  No one spoke for what felt like a perilously long minute. It seemed that no one wanted to make the first move.

  Amelia’s gaze floated past the Jendayas, ignoring them as if they were dead to her. She paused briefly on Arnon, Kanda, and Nashua, but her gaze stopped completely when she saw Colin Jacoby amongst the intruders.

  “You’ve just made my job even easier,” she spoke, her tone elated. “It’s almost like this was fate.”

  Nashua stepped forward, wasting no time. “We do not wish to fight any of you. You have all been misled,” he aimed his latter words at the followers currently threatening to cast spells upon them.

  The only replies were grunts and gazes meant to rebuff what he had said. They were clearly very much on Amelia’s side.

  “Do you think you can just waltz in and talk people into giving up what they’ve worked so hard to accomplish?” Amelia shook her head in an annoyed fashion. “Have you ever stopped to consider that my idea is not such a bad one? Oh, I know you have your little slice of heaven and you don’t want to live in the real world. But why should that mean that we can’t? Give me one valid reason for not returning magic to the world?” she challenged Nashua.

  He remained even and calm as he replied.

  “Have you thought about the true consequences of your actions, Amelia? What this change will do to the world? The outside world has changed much since you or I were truly a part of it.”

  “And it will change again,” she said determinedly. “People are resilient; they have proven this time and time again. Magic is a part of them, they’ve just forgotten.”

  “I can see that we will be forced to stop you,” Nashua spoke as if the deed was already completed.

  “I was counting on you thinking that way,” Amelia retorted. “So I made some last minute changes. Moved up my timeline a little.”

  The Tunkapog army was getting restless. They didn’t like being in a position of defense, but their gazes were certain of their success should Nashua give the word for the battle to begin.

  Amelia nodded to one of her followers close by. Something behind Amelia started to creak and groan. Colin saw a cart being magicked down a dirt trail. There was something quite large covered and hidden inside the trailer.

  “Thank you, Colton,” she smiled. “And now, you will all,” she addressed her people as well as the Tunkapog, “see that my plan will succeed. That magic will be returned. And that you,” she aimed towards Nashua, “cannot stop me.”

  “She hasn’t even told her followers what she’s doing,” whispered Catrina to Colin. “Look, they have no idea what she’s about to do.”

  Amelia’s followers eagerly watched and waited for her to continue. Colin wondered if with their attention pinned to her, he could slip away and see if there was some possible chance of escape for the Tunkapog.

  Even as he thought it, he was too eager to find out what was hidden underneath the massive canvas. Something drew him to it. He wanted desperately to see it. To touch it. There was a dark power hidden under that canvas, of that he was certain.

  He inhaled, gasping.

  Arnon, Kanda, Catrina and those around him tossed him questioning looks. Arnon and Kanda were afraid he might be choosing the worst possible moment to lose control.

  This was not the time or place to be ousted as the Projector.

  Arnon felt guilty over letting Colin come.

  “I know what it is,” Colin whispered ominously, so that only Catrina could hear him. She waited breathlessly for him to explain.

  He leaned in closer.

  “She has the Immortality Stone,” he told her.

  “Are you sure? How do you know?”

  “I don’t know how I know. I just do. Maybe it’s because Projectors hid it, and I have some connection with it... it’s definitely the stone.”

  “We have to stop her!” Catrina said a little too loudly. Again those around them tossed them looks that shouted, either explain or shut up!

  Amelia nodded again at the man named Colton and at her command, he tore off the canvas; it flitted through the air and onto the ground, revealing what was inside.

  It took only a moment for the realization to kick in throughout the Tunkapog army.

  The realization took a little longer to spread throughout Amelia’s followers and some had to be told as they did not know what it was they were looking at.

  Inside the cart sat the Immortality Stone. It was even larger than Colin had pictured it in his mind. The fact that it had once been thousands of small stones was no longer clear, as it looked smooth, polished almost, to a clear glass-like finish.

  The Tunkapog now knew just how insane Amelia was, and to what lengths she was willing to go to actualize her plan to return magic. There would be no reasoning with her.

  They prepared for battle.

  Those who had retaken human form shook themselves back into their animal forms. Shrieks, growls, and snarls rose up in a great cry as they prepared to strike.

  Colin wasn’t sure what to make of it yet, but a few of Amelia’s followers had lowered their palms, no longer at the ready to attack. He wasn’t sure if it was shock, or pure disbelief that this was how she planned on returning magic to the world.

  “Are you completely without reason?” Nashua suddenly spat at her. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to bring such a weapon out into the open? With so little protection!”

  “Oh, come now,” replied Amelia, her voice unconcerned. “I have protections. But this,” she pointed down at the Immortality Stone from her perch atop the granite, “this is how we will return magic. This stone can steal magic, but it can also heal magic.”

  A few in her group cheered, ready for the plan to move forward, but some did not. Questions replaced their sureness.

  Colin thought that they must know how wrong this was. If it fell into the wrong hands? What was he thinking, it already had!

  “And now, there’s just one more little thing I need to do.” Her gaze again stopped on Colin. “There will be no need for war,” she spoke darkly. “As I have another weapon at my disposal. And once I activate it, no one will be able to stop me. Not today. Not ever.”

  “There is no other weapon more powerful than the one you so moronically have sitting next to you!” assaulted Nashua, his patience running short.

  “Oh, I beg to differ,” she said. “The children of an immortal at my side...”

  “What?” said Colin, loud enough for all to hear. “You actually think I would join this crazy scheme you’ve got going?”

  “You don’t have to join, willingly,” she added, a wicked grin spreading across her face.

  Now, more of her followers had dropped their palms, no longer ready for a battle. Amelia took no notice. They started to pass each other looks of confusion. This was clearly not what they had expected to happen. They had always been told that Meghan and Colin Jacoby were special and that they were needed, but what exactly was Amelia doing?

  Fear that maybe she was going too far started to spread. The reality that they’d been blind to her real plans, hitting hard.

  Though still at the ready, it was starting to look as though the Tunkapog might only have to battle Amelia herself. Her followers had fallen into an immediate crisis. Was this what they really wanted? Is putting the entire world at risk worth returning magic? Was taking over, controlling and stealing the lives of two young people
the right thing to do?

  Amelia reached into a pocket and put something in each of her hands. She started to chant, her hands rising in the air as she did.

  “Stop her!” shouted Nashua. He didn’t even know what she was doing but he didn’t want it to happen.

  When his forces attempted to move forward and climb the granite rock they found they could not. She had barricaded herself in some sort of protective shield.

  “Find a way to bring it down!” he ordered.

  A group of Tunkapog threw vials of potions at the shield, which rebounded off and into the crowds of people. Shouts cried out as something nearby blew up, throwing shards of wood and dirt into the air.

  Amelia continued chanting.

  “I’ll stop her,” Colin asserted angrily. He stepped forward raising his palm, ready to blast away her shield. The Jendayas started to move forward intending to help but Arnon caught them and held them back.

  Colin cried out and doubled over.

  Amelia continued chanting; now crushing the vials she held in each hand, the contents inside running down her arms. The substance was rust colored, and had the consistency of blood. It began to seep into her skin, leaving behind popping red veins.

  “You’re mine,” she said, looking down at Colin again.

  Colin could not catch his breath and felt the connection with the Magicante stuttering, not because of any over abundance of thought, but because the connection was being broken.

  He looked up at Amelia. Was she causing this?

  He felt something tickling his ear and realized it was the book. It had separated from his body and was unfolding, slumping to the ground. Catrina figured out what was happening and raced forward.

  “Stop this!” she pleaded with Amelia. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”

  Catrina reached down and pulled Colin around. She lost her breath when she saw his eyes. They were stark white.

  Colin climbed to his feet looking right through her as if she were not standing there in front of him. As if he did not know her.

  “Amelia,” begged Arnon, rushing forward. “Please don’t do this. You really don’t know what you’ve just done.”

  Amelia saw the book, Colin’s own personalized Magicante, lying on the ground. She knew it wasn’t the book she’d had Jae steal for her in exchange for this blood spell. And she had not even thought for a moment that the book had come into Colin’s life because of what he was. She, of all people should have known that nothing is coincidence. Not when fate is on your side.

  “A well guarded secret,” she spoke evenly, sounding as though her battle was already won. She showed no fear over what Colin was; only deluded jubilance that he was now under her control. The mysterious Projector had been found, and he belonged to her now. She really would be unstoppable in her plan to return magic.

  She glanced over her people and their questioning gazes.

  “Do you see? We are fated to win this. We are fated to return magic. We now have the most powerful magic at our disposal. And within my control! We can make the world in our own image.”

  They gawked at her as if they did not know her. As if the leader they’d trusted and followed had been replaced by someone else. She was crazy enough to steal someone’s life away to serve her purpose, their purpose. But now, this thing she was trying to control was a Projector.

  Now everyone knew.

  Colin was the Projector.

  His secret was out, and out in a big, bad way!

  They stared at Colin as if he needed to be strung up and hung!

  A gush of wind swept through the hideout and with a snap and a whip, someone else arrived joining Colin.

  Meghan Jacoby.

  “At last,” said Amelia with a satisfied tone. “It’s amazing what a little blood can do.” She held up the empty vials.

  Meghan and Colin stood side by side, silent, and white-eyed, giving no indication that they knew or remembered who they were.

  “I took a little of their blood as children,” explained Amelia. “It was the only way to determine their true heritage, and once we found out they were children of an immortal, well, I started devising this little plan. Took many years to perfect my spell but as you can see...”

  A flame suddenly flickered nearby, out of nowhere.

  Nona, Ivan, and Sebastien arrived, falling to the ground. They stood up, speechless at the sight they beheld.

  Sebastien saw his parents alongside Kanda, Arnon and the Tunkapog and knew the battle to stop Amelia had started. He saw a relieved tear in his mother’s eyes but their reunion would have to wait.

  Ivan had to stop Nona from jumping to Meghan. They darted back, closer to the Tunkapog with Nona kicking and scratching the entire way.

  Catrina sidled over to them.

  “Catrina,” greeted Ivan, not surprised to see her. “What’s going on here?”

  “Super short version, Amelia- INSANE! Somehow found the Immortality Stone- YES!” she said frantically, after seeing the shock hit their features. “And now she’s used some kind of blood spell to take control over Meghan and Colin.”

  “Blood spell?” Sebastien repeated warily.

  Catrina nodded.

  He almost sank to his knees, the breath knocked out of him. He’d helped Amelia do this. He’d gotten the blood spell from Fazendiin in exchange for Colin’s book while the Sovda had been in Grimble. When he’d attacked Colin on Amelia’s orders.

  Ivan caught on and grasped his shoulder.

  “Can’t change what you did, Sebastien. None of us can go back and do that. Just help fix it.”

  Sebastien nodded, straightening himself.

  They had landed in the middle of a war. And the two most powerful players were at the beck and call of a crazy woman named Amelia Cobb. He’d not allow her to steal the life of his friends.

  “Ah,” said Amelia upon seeing Sebastien. “All my little traitors have come home to roost.” She looked over her followers, many of whom could no longer look her in the eye. “Is there no one left with me? We have everything we need at our grasps. The Immortality Stone to heal the world, and return magic. The two most powerful beings born to this world to help us in our battle, and to forge this new reality.”

  “Amelia, I implore you to release this hold,” tried Arnon again. “You know what Colin is and what he is capable of doing. You will not be able to control his powers once he reaches maturity.”

  “There’s obviously still time before that happens,” she said without compassion or concern.

  She sighed in an impatient manner, Annoyed by the rumblings winding their way through her followers.

  “Now is the time to pledge your allegiance to me! There is no middle ground. Bow now, before me, or prepare to die. The choice is simple. Magic is returning, this is the new world.” To further prove her stance, she shouted, “Meghan, burn this place to the ground. We have no more need of it!”

  Without hesitation, a fire burst out of Meghan’s hands and shot toward the nearest building. It would not take long for everything to catch and burn, as everything was made of wood. Smoke mixed in with screams as home after home burst into flames. Meghan stepped past the Tunkapog, ignoring any face she might have recognized if not under this spell.

  “Kneel before me and you live,” Amelia demanded harshly. “Or shall we see what Colin can do?” At this threat, many of her followers fell to their knees. They did not agree with her methods, but they were not prepared to die today.

  Nashua once again ordered his army to attack. But just Amelia. They were not able to get any closer but threw potion after potion hoping to break the defense protecting her.

  “I can’t believe you allowed that boy to come with us!” Nashua pinned on Kanda. She tried to explain but he held up his hand. “It has endangered us all.”

  “It would have happened whether he had come with us or not!” argued Arnon. “Frankly, I’d rather be here to see what exactly she’s doing.”

  Nashua had no argument for
this. He joined in the fight, throwing potions in attempts to break her shield. Nothing worked. All they were doing was causing even more damage to their surroundings. And the air was growing thicker with smoke, flames, and fumes.

  Everyone froze. A new movement beneath the ground startled them. The ground started to shake. Amelia held out her arms to balance herself from falling.

  Catrina gasped and pointed, watching the ground begin to crack, directly underneath Colin’s feet. She stepped backwards, a pleased smirk spreading across her face.

  “I think you all should move back,” she warned.

  They obeyed at once.

  Amelia reached out her arm to Colin. “Destroy anyone not on their knees!” she ordered.

  Colin turned and looked at her, raising his arm toward her.

  The white in his eyes dissolved and he let out an enraged cry.

  A blast of magical energy shot out of him, knocking out Amelia’s protective shield and simultaneously cracking her granite perch in two. Amelia was blown off the back of the rock and slammed into the ground.

  Colin’s gaze was deadly. With the flick of a hand, he doused the flames and blew away the plumes of toxic smoke. He took a few steps closer to where Amelia had fallen.

  She stirred, not dead.

  He wanted to kill her, snuff out her life, end all she had tried to do.

  “He’s out of control,” someone shouted out. “He’ll kill us all!”

  “Because of what Amelia did,” Catrina defended.

  Shouts raged through the banished Svoda. What she said might be true, however, they saw Colin as a threat to be eliminated just the same. If he didn’t lose control today, he would, soon enough.

  “Are you so quick to turn on someone that’s just saved you all?” said Catrina.

  “He’s a Projector!” someone replied. “He must be killed before it’s too late.”

  Colin turned and glanced toward his uncle and the Tunkapog.

  They gave no reaction other than shock at the magic they had just witnessed.

  Catrina grabbed the Magicante off the ground and thrust it into Colin’s hands.

  “Reform the bond,” she urged him.

  He did so, the book reshaping and taking its form, entangling itself back onto Colin’s ear. “We have to leave here,” he whispered.