“Please listen to the whole story before you get upset.”
I told them of my trip to the castle and about finding the boy. Mikel was initially furious, but he managed to contain his anger until I finished. “The boy is with Magdelin now, getting cleaned up and fed.”
“I want to be angry with you, Darian,” Mikel began. “But I can’t. This boy will hopefully provide us with a great deal of information.” He took a deep breath. “But don’t think that I’ve forgotten the irresponsible decision you made by returning there on your own.”
“I understand, and your anger is justified,” I replied humbly, hoping he would forget about my irresponsible decision. “Magdelin will be meeting us at Raphael’s, unless you want me to bring them here.”
“No, I’m done here,” Raphael said reluctantly. “It’s possible that we don’t have any texts about this book because of the nature of the book itself. We have very little regarding any dark magic.”
We left the library and met Magdelin just as she was about to knock on Raphael’s door. She smiled at our group and glanced down at Cyrus. He looked completely different now that he was clean. She had even trimmed his unruly hair.
“Let’s go inside and introduce everyone,” I suggested. “Cyrus only speaks Hungarian,” I said as I changed languages. We sat down in Raphael’s small living room, and I made the introductions. Cyrus’s face was full of wonder, and I was worried that he would revert to the question about all of us being angels again, but he didn’t. He sat there quietly, waiting for one of us to start the conversation.
“I’m very glad that Darian found you at the castle, Cyrus,” Mikel began, his normally stern expression softened. “Is it okay if I ask you questions about it?” I knew Mikel didn’t want to frighten the boy or make him feel like he was being interrogated.
“I don’t mind, sir.” Cyrus’s voice was quiet. I didn’t blame him for being nervous. “The master killed my whole family. I will tell you everything I know to see him defeated.”
Mikel smiled sadly. “I’d like to start with our friends, two men and a woman who were captured last night. They would look very different than anyone else there.”
“Oh yes, the angels! I mean, your friends. They were taken to the dungeon by the master,” Cyrus explained. “He doesn’t normally escort prisoners himself, so I figured they were important, but I…” He looked at me hesitantly, as if he didn’t want to continue. I nodded, urging him to go on. “I knew they were special because they glowed, just like you. But I only saw one man, not two. The Csökkent said one of the intruders was killed, but I never saw anyone else.”
Mikel looked over at me and raised his eyebrows. “I see. Did you notice anything else?”
Cyrus squirmed in his chair. “The master had the book with him. The one that killed my brother. At first, I thought the lady was dead because the man was carrying her, but then I saw her glowing and knew she would be okay.”
“You mean that the master killed your brother?” Raphael asked.
“No, the book actually killed my brother.” Tears started pooling in his eyes, and he bowed his head, trying to hide his emotions. “My parents were used as sacrifices to summon the demons.”
“It’s okay, son. We don’t have to talk about it,” Mikel said.
“Yes, we do. That book is evil. It’s killed dozens of the Csökkent and any slave that can sense its magic.” Cyrus sat up straight, forcing his emotions aside. “Your friend must be very powerful to be able to withstand the evil of the book.”
“She is very powerful,” Mikel said. “But I fear even her strength will not be able to withstand it for long. We need to rescue them soon, or we’ll lose them both.”
Raphael cleared his throat. “Do you know if the master keeps the book with him?”
“I think so.” Cyrus paused, lines forming between his eyebrows as he thought. “But I don’t think he had it when he left the dungeon.”
We looked at one another with the same worried expression.
“If he left the book near Juana, we don’t have much time to save her,” I said. “I remember very well the effect it had on me.” I shivered, remembering the uncontrollable power that had pulsed through me. I heard Cyrus gasp and looked over at him.
“You’re the one the master is looking for?” he asked, his eyes wide with fear.
“I’m not sure,” I replied, trying to soothe his anxiety. “Did he say who he sought?”
“He came down the stairs screaming at all of us to find you.” He shivered at the memory. “He thought you were still in the castle, not knowing that you could leave the way we did. He told us that you were an intruder who tried to kill him. Then he described what you looked like and told us that you were very powerful. He warned us not to approach you, but to immediately report to him once we found you.” His voice became small and quiet. “Did you really go there to kill him?”
I looked over at Mikel, not knowing what to say or how much to reveal.
“Cyrus,” Mikel said, drawing his attention away from me. “Do you know who the master is? Not necessarily his name, but what he is?”
Cyrus sat in thought for a few minutes. “I know he is evil, and he makes the Csökkent summon those horrible monsters. The other slaves whisper that he is the devil.” He looked up at Mikel for confirmation.
“He is not the devil, but he is evil. His name is Zar’Asur, and we believe he’s trying to destroy humanity,” Mikel explained.
“And you’ll be able to stop him?” Cyrus asked, casting a look around the room at each of us.
“Yes, we hope to disrupt his plans,” Mikel replied.
“But you won’t be able to kill him, will you?” he asked, noticing Mikel’s omission.
We looked at one another again. This young boy’s intelligence likely came from a life full of difficult challenges. He shouldn’t have been able to come to that conclusion at such a young age, and no child should have to face the hardships that he had clearly endured.
“I’m not sure whether or not we’ll be able to destroy him,” Mikel replied. “That has not yet been revealed to me.”
“I understand,” Cyrus said sadly. “I just hoped that he would pay for all the lives he has taken.” He closed his eyes and shivered. Magdelin moved closer to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. I could feel her wave of calm passing over him.
She looked at Mikel and then Raphael. “I think he should stay with me until we can find better sleeping arrangements for him,” she said. “If that’s okay with you, Cyrus.”
“Yes ma’am,” he replied. “That’ll be fine. What will happen to me now?”
Raphael looked at him with compassion. “If you agree, we’ll train you to fight with us once you get old enough.”
Cyrus’s eyes lit up and he smiled. “I would like that very much!”
Magdelin headed towards the door. “Come, I’ll give you a tour of your new home.”
Cyrus jumped down from the chair to follow her, but stopped before he reached the door. “Thank you for finding me, Darian.” He smiled and left with Magdelin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The three of us let out a collective sigh and looked at one another. The circumstances surrounding Juana and Eli didn’t look very promising. Would we be able to infiltrate the castle, or would we have to fight our way in? Did we have anyone who would be able to take the book without being consumed by it? We assumed that Juana and Eli would be able to, but we had underestimated Zar’Asur’s ability. My thoughts finally settled on Charles. Cyrus had all but confirmed his death. Raphael interrupted my contemplation.
“That young man has an unusual aura about him,” Raphael said.
“How do you mean?” Mikel asked.
“Some of his aura reminds me of Darian, but he has something else as well.” Raphael paused in thought for a moment. “It’s interesting that he could see us ‘glow.’ I wonder if he also sees Zar’Asur’s shadow.”
“We have a glow?” I asked incredulously, think
ing that Cyrus was making it up.
“Yes, a few people can see it,” Mikel replied. “For instance, Aneera sees the intensity of each person’s glow, which we attribute to her ability as a Seer. Raphael can see the way we use our abilities, so it’s interesting that he already senses something from this boy. Is it possible that Cyrus is also a Seer?”
“It’s possible that it’s a latent ability that will only manifest after his healing,” Raphael replied. “His other ability looks much like Darian’s, though.” He looked over at me. “You might talk to him to see if he can blend into the shadow the way you do.”
“It certainly can’t hurt to ask,” I replied. “Any idea how old he is? How old does he need to be before he officially joins us?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s twelve or thirteen, but it’s best to wait until his body has finished its natural growth before subjecting him to Magdelin’s ability.”
I guess it made sense to ensure his body was strong and healthy prior to making it experience what I had. I made a mental note to talk to him about my ability to blend with my environment.
“So, how do we rescue Juana before the book consumes her?” I asked.
Mikel scowled at me. “Thank you for the reminder. What was your original plan when you went to the castle?”
I swallowed hard and replied, “I planned to get to the book and take it, hoping that Zar’Asur wasn’t around when I arrived. I explored the castle with my mind prior to going in. When I realized the book was no longer in the same room, I decided to go in through the kitchen to find the dungeons. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I encountered Zar’Asur with the book.”
Mikel continued to glare at me. “Not a very well-thought-out plan, Darian. That’s how Juana and Eli ended up in his grasp. We need to be smarter than he is in order to be successful.”
I knew he was right; I just didn’t know how we could save our friends and retrieve the book at the same time.
“Do you think he killed Charles?” I asked. “Or is there hope that he’s still alive?”
Mikel sighed. “It looks like we’ve lost our warrior,” he replied sadly. “I’m sure the castle only has one dungeon, so Cyrus should’ve seen him with Eli and Juana. I can’t imagine one of the Csökkent spreading rumors about a dead intruder unless it were true.”
I looked at the floor and tried to rein in my emotions. I’d experienced the loss of my fellow soldiers in the Imperial Austrian Army, but this felt different. Adalina’s warriors were so strong; I naively thought they were indestructible. Reality had just delivered an unpleasant blow.
“I want everyone to stay here for the night. I need time to think without any more surprises.” Mikel’s voice was stern and laced with disappointment and worry. “Make sure that Adalina gets the message as well.” He left Raphael and me staring at one another.
“I’m going to see if any of the warriors want to spar. I need to clear my head. I’ll talk to Adalina while I’m there,” I said to Raphael. “Thank you for your help with the boy.”
Chapter 13
Eli sat next to Juana in the dungeon cell, holding her unconscious form close to his. He could feel the power of the book pulsing through her. He needed her to wake up so that they could try to sever the connection it had formed with her. Eli was certain Zar’Asur was still in the castle, but the farther away he moved, the less control he had on Eli. He needed to find a way to protect himself from becoming a puppet for that monster.
He softly whispered into Juana’s mind, trying to waken her. They had discovered their mental connection years ago, and it had saved their lives on numerous occasions. She started to stir, and he lightly brushed the hair from her face with his hand. Her eyes fluttered and then opened, but she quickly squeezed them closed as pain flooded her face.
“We need to sever this link, Juana,” Eli said to her. “I will give you what strength I can to help you break the connection.”
Sweat formed on her brow. “I can’t let you do that, Eli. This book will kill me regardless, I can’t let it destroy you as well.”
“Don’t be silly!” he said, a little too harshly. “You know I can’t live without you anyway, and I won’t stand by and let it kill you. I’m not giving up before the fight has even begun.”
She smiled weakly at him. “I’ve always loved your determination.”
“Is there anything special I need to do?” he asked.
“Darian said he was able to sever the bond by focusing the power in his tattoo. I believe I can do the same,” she replied. “When you transfer your strength, try to focus on my tattoo as well. Perhaps I’ll be able to direct your power into mine and it will be enough.”
“Okay, are you ready?”
Juana nodded, and Eli took two small stones from his pocket. One was a small red gem, and the other a tiny white rock. Holding one in each hand, he took Juana’s hands in his, then pushed his strength through the stones to her. Her face flushed and she clenched her teeth. He could feel her focusing everything into the patterned tattoo on her back. Just as Eli started to feel dizzy and faint, Juana let go of his hands, but he could still feel her fighting against the book. Suddenly, she shuddered violently, and her eyes rolled back into her head. He started to panic, thinking she would die, but after a few moments, she let out a deep breath and leaned against him. He could still feel the book pulsing, but it was no longer in sync with his partner.
“You did it,” he said softly.
“We did it,” she said with a smile. “I was able to create a barrier between myself and the book, but I’m not sure how long I can maintain it. It’s constantly fighting against me.”
She looked up at his strong features. “I’m sorry we’re here. I should have seen Zar’Asur in the room with the book.”
“This is not your fault, Juana,” Eli said vehemently. “Placing blame will not get us out of here.” His brow furrowed deeply. “I’m worried about his plans. He said he would use your power to summon his army. We can’t let that happen.”
“Have you tried to break through the bars?” Juana asked.
Eli’s guilty look provided the answer. “I wasn’t sure that you would wake, and I knew that I couldn’t exist without you.”
“You can’t seriously believe that?” she asked.
“I can and do!” he said passionately. “What do you think will happen to our bond if one of us is lost?” She didn’t reply, not wanting to think of that reality. “I believe that more than my heart would be broken if I lost you.”
“Then let’s find a way out,” she finally said.
They both stood and went to the metal bars of the door. Eli grabbed a bar in each hand and began to pull them apart, the muscles in his arms bulging at the strain. The bars gave way slowly, but not enough for either of them to squeeze through. He was weakened from giving part of his strength to Juana. He turned towards the hinges on the door, but they were designed so that a prisoner couldn’t just separate the hinge. He sighed and went back to pulling on the bars. He almost had them far enough apart when they heard someone coming down the stairs. Juana grabbed hold of one bar and he pulled the other, but they would not get them apart before Zar’Asur reached them.
“Tsk, tsk.” He clicked his tongue at them when he reached the door. “I honestly thought that Juana would be dead by now. Of course, I was also expecting a rescue party, which didn’t happen.” He glanced at the book then over at Juana. “You were able to sever the bond. Interesting.”
“You know we will not cooperate with you,” Juana spat.
“You won’t have a choice,” Zar’Asur roared. “You cannot deny my will!”
Eli felt Zar’Asur take control of his body again, his mind fighting against it. Zar’Asur reached over and picked up the book, opening its cover. Juana screamed and fell to the ground, her barrier against the book collapsing with her.
“Pick her up and come with me,” Zar’Asur demanded as he unlocked the door. Eli could do nothing but obey his command. He c
radled Juana in his arms and followed Zar’Asur further into the dungeon until they reached a freshly dug tunnel. The tunnel was easily tall enough for one of the demons to stand upright. They were likely the ones who dug it. The end of the tunnel opened into a huge cavern that was at least three stories tall and wide enough to fit half of the castle grounds. The cavern was open at the top, and in the center was a large ring of fire surrounded by the Csökkent. Fifty or more people were kneeling around the fire, their hands tied behind their backs and their feet bound. Eli sensed fear and resignation radiating from them; they knew they would be sacrificed to summon whatever evil Zar’Asur desired. And Eli realized that Juana would be the one to power the ritual. He fought even harder to free himself from Zar’Asur, but the demon just laughed at Eli.
“You can’t free yourself from my command. Ironic that your immense strength means nothing.” He chuckled and laid the open book on a platform in front of the fire. Then he commanded Eli to lay Juana next to the book. Zar’Asur started speaking in a strange language that was difficult to listen to, the words almost painful to hear. The Csökkent started chanting their spell, and the fire soared into the open space above. Each of the people around the fire were consumed by it, while Juana screamed and arched her back in pain. Eli tried to reach her, hoping that Zar’Asur would be distracted by the spell, but he was disappointed. As Juana’s scream died, a monstrous demon burst from the flames. It roared and leapt through the opening in the ceiling. As soon as it cleared the space, another one appeared in its place. They summoned four more of the awful creatures before Juana stopped moving. Tears streamed down Eli’s face, proof that Zar’Asur could control his body but not his emotions. Zar’Asur closed the book and commanded Eli to take her back to the dungeon. He led them to a different cell, one where the bars were not compromised, and locked the door.
“We’ll continue this tomorrow,” he said with an evil yet satisfied grin. “Hopefully she’ll make it through the night.” He laughed and left them alone, taking the book with him.
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