“Ready?” I asked, sliding my hand along the wooden banister.
Logan nodded, and I began walking down the stairs, waving my wand to light the way.
“So is it just Maddie who lives here?” I asked.
“No. There really is a whole little city, of sorts, down here. Maybe more like a commune.”
“Huh.”
“You’ll see.”
There was a tiny door at the bottom of the staircase, and I started to panic. I stopped and turned around to face Logan.
“The room or wherever we’re going isn’t that small, is it? I’d have to hunch over and…”
“No. I think it’s just the opening that’s that tiny.”
“Phew.”
We got to the bottom of the staircase, and I looked around seeing only brick walls.
“Ready?” Logan asked.
I nodded, unsure if I was supposed to open the door or do a secret knock or something. Although, a secret knock probably wasn’t necessary since the place was hidden between a gum wall that only a spell would unveil — so yeah. I’m overthinking things, yet again. I placed my hand on the knob and twisted, pushing the door inward. I wasn’t prepared for what was on the other side of the door — nothing. Why was this turning into a pattern?
I turned around and looked at Logan who nodded, placing his hand on the small of my back as he gently pushed me through the door. Standing in the middle of the empty room, I spun around noticing crumbling brick walls, covered in timber near the ceiling, supporting the deteriorating structure. Not an area someone like me wants to be during an earthquake. The room was musty with the moisture of Puget Sound seeping through the crevices of the underground world. Holding up my illuminated wand, in the far corner there was a faint outline of a door etched into the bricks.
“After you.” I ushered Logan in front of me.
He reached the door in only a few steps as I quickly shuffled after him.
“Not a typical door, I’m assuming,” I muttered.
Logan pressed his palms onto the middle of the outline. A click sounded at the same moment the large brick door began scraping against the floor, moving into the next room.
“Huh.” I followed Logan into the room, which was much larger and brighter than where we were previously.
The room was oversized; the ceilings taller than I would’ve presumed, and the doors were massive in size, composed of wood and metal — masterpieces, actually. Beautiful scrollwork was engraved into the wood. Each door, with its own story to tell, provided a glimpse of what was waiting behind. The tiny brass plaque on each of the doors was too difficult to read. Not because the room was that big, but because the print was precisely that small, especially in comparison to the mammoth size of the doors.
“Why in the world would the first door be so tiny and everything else so enormous?” I asked.
Logan’s eyes danced with amusement as he shook his head. “Just wait. I have a feeling there’s a whole lot of eccentricity waiting for us on the other side of the door.”
“Doors,” I corrected, smiling.
“Well, we can’t go into all of them at once,” he countered, not missing a beat.
I walked to the nearest door that had the most intricately carved detail, letting my hand fall to trace the rounds and edges of the wood. The scene that was depicted on this door included a forest with tall trees reaching for the top of the door, with woodland creatures scattered in every direction below.
“This is beautiful,” I whispered, still feeling the dips and peaks of the wood, absorbing the story it told. “Woodland creatures and...” I stood on my toes, attempting to read the plaque. “Adflictas Regnum Protector Magna et Parva.”
“Kingdoms,” Logan said.
He was standing next to me looking at another beautiful door. He turned his head quickly, locking my gaze. “Protector of kingdoms destroyed… shattered, I think. Not sure. Might have it reversed.”
“Really.” A shudder went up my spine, remembering the page from the spell book.
He turned his attention back to his door, running his fingers along the carved wood. There was something different about him as he stared at the carvings. He was quiet, reserved as his eyes followed every turn and twist of the artistry. “Absolutely amazing.” He shook his head.
“What does your door say?” I glanced at the plaque in front of him.
“Dominium Defensors,” he whispered.
I took a step back to fully see the carvings that had him so mesmerized. My heart sank at the sight of what had Logan so engrossed. Large flames jetting from the bottom of the door were blazing with great detail, with beasts and demons clawing out of the fire. It was beautiful. Actually it was more than beautiful, it was terrorizing, haunting. Claws of the beasts wrapped around the flames; the gnarled fingers grabbing at each other. It was more of what nightmares were made of, and it would figure that was what Logan would be fixated on.
“This is really freaking me out,” I muttered, watching Logan’s reaction.
He slowly turned to face me. His blue eyes, shielding something—fighting something — I knew was only dormant, not extinguished, deep inside of him.
“What do you make of it?” My mouth went dry with the realization of Logan’s connection to a side of life I wanted to destroy, but that he didn’t seem to be able to shake. Like my father.
He grabbed my hands, ignoring my question. “You look frightened.” His eyes narrowed on me. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head.
“Triss?” his voice softened.
I looked into his eyes, and they held nothing of what I saw before. Maybe, it had been my imagination or my fears playing tricks on me.
“You seemed so in awe of the devils and beasts and stuff…” my voice trailed off as the foolishness crept over.
Logan’s laugh boomed into the air, his arms bringing me into him. His hand ran through my hair as his laughter quieted. “I’m in awe because I think this undercity has a bit more clout than I realized. I’m not sure who exactly is congregated here, but I have a feeling the witches under the streets of Seattle possess a little something extra.”
“But of all the doors to stare at, you’re infatuated with the one that has demons and beasts on it,” I said. “What else am I to think?”
He held me tighter, and I felt the warmth of his breath cascade over my hair as he was trying to think of what next to say.
“I hope someday my past doesn’t haunt our future together,” he whispered, before letting me go.
I took a step back and realized he was right. I couldn’t let that happen. But knowing what took place between my mother and father, my worry— no matter how unfounded— was getting harder to shake. The implanted memories weren’t helping either.
“I’m sorry.” Were the only words that I uttered.
“The door is beautiful, just as all the doors are beautiful. But this one represents the fight against the underworld.”
“Dominium Defensors,” I whispered. I was mad at myself for jumping to conclusions when he read to me what the plaque had engraved on it. I shook my head, feeling lousy for how I was treating Logan recently, but there was very little I could say to change it. I had to show him that I believed he wouldn’t do what my father did by leaving us for black sorcery, but first I had to convince myself of that.
His lips began to part, but he closed them quickly as a door behind us opened, interrupting our conversation.
“Are you Triss?” A woman’s voice called. “I’m Maddie.”
I looked behind Logan to find an older woman, dressed in a long, red flowing dress. She had a leather belt wrapped around her waist several times. Her blond hair was almost to her waist. The sides of her hair were held back with silver pins, and her smile radiated only kindness. She held out her two hands, extending her fingers to invite me toward her. I grabbed Logan’s hand to bring him with me, and she shook her head.
“Sorry. What we have to discuss really needs to be betwe
en only us,” she said, eyeing Logan.
“He knows everything,” I said, not letting go of his hand. “I will tell him everything we discuss so you might as well let him come with me.”
Her lips pressed together in a disapproving manner, and she shook her head.
Now I was getting annoyed.
“Okay. Let me try it another way. I’m not going to speak with you alone. Either he’s coming with me or I’ll need to leave. And something tells me coming here to talk to you isn’t just for my benefit,” I said, looking into her brown eyes, surprise replacing discontent.
“Well then. Right this way.” She gestured toward her open door. I heard Logan chuckle next to me, and I squeezed his hand.
“Thank you.” My words were clipped, and I dropped my eyes to the floor as we moved past her. I hated being grumpy, but sometimes it had to be done.
The room we entered was dazzling. The walls were covered in floor to ceiling shelving that displayed everything from brightly colored bottles containing liquids, mists, and dried goods, to stacks upon stacks of books, notebooks, and papers. In the corner was an easel with a beautiful painting of rose petals and teardrops cascading down to a pool of darkness.
There were several large, timbered tables that had various projects spread out. I felt Maddie come in behind us as she closed the door, and a shiver ran through me. Something was off. I noticed another door in the back of the room, more understated than the one we came through. I wondered where it led. I kicked myself for not noticing the scene that was depicted on the entry door or the plaque that might have offered a clue as to what Maddie was up to inside these walls.
Before I had time to ask what she represented, the room became pitch dark, and Logan’s hand was ripped from mine.
“We all have our rules, my dear,” Maddie said, her laughter filling the room.
Chapter 6
My wand illuminated the room only slightly as I waved it in front of me. I scanned every part of this strange place; the sound of heavy breathing surfaced in the far corner, but I only saw shadows.
“Logan?” I called. My heart hammered as I took careful steps toward the noise.
“Stop now,” Maddie said. Her voice wasn’t in the least bit angry, concerned, or excited. It just was.
“Turn on the lights,” I demanded.
“Gladly,” she said.
The lights blazed on, spotlighting Logan restrained in the far corner. He was fighting three large men who held him against the wall. There was a knife teasing into his throat. Every movement he made, pressed the blade deeper into his flesh.
“Logan, quit fighting them,” I yelled. His eyes locked on mine, and I began to feel lightheaded. What had we gotten ourselves into? Who were these people?
“Triss be—” he started, but the man repositioned the blade, instantly quieting him. Someone quickly wrapped a hand around my neck, slamming me to the floor in a quick, fluid motion. The force had been so violent, it took me a few moments to catch my breath.
Maddie stood over me, wiggling her finger at me. “Tsk.Tsk. You should’ve followed my rules.”
“What are you trying to prove?” I yelled.
“Time will tell,” she said. “Haul her over there.” Maddie pointed to the only table that was cleared off, and my stomach plummeted. What were they going to do to Logan and me?
A male sorcerer dragged me across the floor, shoving my body onto the table. Another sorcerer came from the back door, rope in hand, and Maddie quickly secured my head the other direction so I couldn’t continue to watch what he was doing.
My arms were tugged above my head. The burn of the rope rubbed against my flesh. Maddie stopped holding my head in place, but the soreness remained from where her fingers pressed into my forehead.
“Let her go!” Logan shouted.
I lifted my head to see a crimson drop, roll down Logan’s neck as he struggled to free himself and speak on my behalf.
“Well, now we can see just how true your love is for Triss,” Maddie said, standing next to me. “I’d hate to think you have ulterior motives. Especially in light of your background.”
Logan’s eyes darkened as he absorbed Maddie’s words.
“Don’t you touch her,” Logan growled, apparently able to see what I couldn’t. Clanking jars and paper tearing behind me were more clues that told me nothing. I felt the warmth begin to ignite in my palms, but it wasn’t that simple. I couldn’t just light things on fire and hope for the best. One wrong move and the blade would slice deeper through Logan’s flesh, or we could be trapped inside a burning room.
Maddie came to my side, holding a clear, glass container with dark blue liquid inside. There was a tiny brush sitting in the jar. She set the container on the table and took the brush out. She began painting the liquid on my face. It was cold, oily in texture. It didn’t roll off my skin; it stuck to it. The mixture smelled sickly sweet as she traced the brush down my jawline to my collarbone, stopping right above my collar. She then dabbed the brush in the liquid once more and began tracing the bristles around my wrist, and down to my fingertips. My hands were still secured above my head, and now they were burning with rage.
“What are you going to do to her?” Logan demanded.
Maddie turned around, holding the jar. “It’s not like I don’t know what her talents are. If she tries to ignite us, she’ll ignite herself first.”
“You’re painting accelerant on her body?” Logan’s eyes flashed to the silver that had finally vanished days before.
“Just like I thought. You do have it in you,” Maddie said, noticing his transformation.
“My aunt and mom trusted you. How could you do this?” I whispered, watching Maddie turn to face me.
“Who’s to say they didn’t ask me to do this?” Maddie’s left brow raised.
“They wouldn’t have done that,” I uttered under my breath. I moved my head away from her and stared at the old rafters in the ceiling, praying I could control my anger. I saw no exposed piping. The pipes must be tucked behind the brick walls, so opening the floodgates to create a waterworld in here would be pretty useless.
I snuck a look at Logan whose silver eyes were a furious mixture of rage and disgust. I was so worried he was going to do something that would endanger his own life. He had that look about him. His lips were pressed together so firmly, they were whitening. His entire body was shaking as if he was willing to push down the sorcerers surrounding him, even if that meant his neck busting through the blade that was holding him against the wall.
I closed my eyes and began focusing on my fingertips. If I could get out of the tethers, I could throw silver, incapacitating just about everyone. But my concern was the knife etching its way into Logan. If I threw too soon or didn’t time everything just right, Logan may not come out of it alive. Once I threw the silver to the sorcerer holding the knife against Logan, he might either slice Logan’s throat or the silver might quickly use the knife as a conduit, jumping to Logan. The knife might assist the flow of the silver directly into Logan, which would be deadly. My fingers began stiffening as the coolness filled the tips. I didn’t have much time to decide.
I opened my eyes to the sound of a match swooshing directly above me, revealing one of the male sorcerers smiling.
“Are you willing to kill for her?” Maddie asked Logan, her eyes now cold as steel.
“I’m willing to die for her,” Logan shouted, breaking free from the three captors. The last thing I saw was the knife digging into his flesh as he ignited a wall of flames. My heart pounded as I heard the scuffling beyond the flames. But I could see nothing. My stomach began twisting with fear. Flashes of light bounced off the walls, cracks sounded in the air, but I didn’t know who was throwing what spell and if Logan would come out alive. I began shivering as the anger grew inside of me to an uncontrollable level. The silver was beginning to take my body over. I had to release.
The sorcerer standing above me brought the lit match closer, which provided the dist
ance I needed to enact my ability. With my hands still tied I was able to flick my wrist quickly toward the sorcerer’s head, the silver forging a pathway to his body as it canvassed his flesh, freezing him in place.
He yelled for Maddie to help but it was too late. The silver began slowing his movements, but not before he let go of the match. My world turned to slow motion as the matchstick fell, landing on my cheek. I felt an initial sting, as I braced myself for an awfulness that I couldn’t even comprehend.
Logan’s voice roared across the room as he ran to my side, shoving the stiffened statue of the sorcerer to the floor. Blood was trickling down his neck, soaking into the sweater’s weave, but he was alive. I waited for my body to ignite, for the match and accelerator to do its job, but nothing happened.
“What are you doing?” Logan yelled at Maddie, picking up the spent match off my face. “Is this your idea of fun? There’s no accelerant on Triss at all. This was a setup and now innocent people are dead. Who would do something like this?”
I glanced toward the wall where Logan had been held captive and saw the three sorcerers on the ground, not to mention the one I took care of. Logan began untying my wrists. He bent over me, allowing me to see just how deep his wound was. It didn’t look good.
“You witches behind these walls are crazy,” I muttered.
“They were far from innocent,” Maddie said quietly, walking to the other side of the table. “But I had no choice.”
I felt the rope release from my left wrist and then the right and I slid right off the table, so I could face Maddie.
“The world is made of choices. We always have choices,” I said angrily.
“I needed to make sure Logan understood your importance, and that he’s with you for the right reasons. It had to be done.”
“Are you doing okay?” I asked Logan through the nectunt.
“It’s just a scratch,” he answered silently.
My hand shook as I grabbed Logan’s to haul us out of this miserable place. I needed to look at Logan’s injury and begin the healing process. Maddie held up her hand and began to speak softly.
Shattered Souls Page 5
