by Matt Ryan
I didn’t like Mark doing it. Something was telling me to let me do it. I held my hand over my mouth as I watched his face grow red and shake. I wanted to know what he thought about when he made stones. What imagery did he use to summon the hate? Was it my mother?
A tremor ran over the ground and I steadied myself. Then the stone Mark had his hand on sunk into the ground; his hands following it all the way down. He got up, sweaty and red-faced, and backed away from the hole.
“Nice, Mark,” Leo said and raised a hand for a high five.
Mark seemed to study the hand for a second, then high-fived Leo.
I looked around to see if anyone noticed our group of people opening a hole in the earth next to one of the pyramids of Giza, but I didn’t see anyone paying attention to us. Even the guards who were once staring at us appeared to have moved onto something else. That’s when I saw a smoke trail in the distance, near the large pyramid.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Just a bit of a distraction,” Shari said. “Set a timed smoke stone when we passed by the first pyramid. Should have security occupied for a while, but we better hurry.”
I moved to the edge, close to Mark, and looked down the hole. Cool air moved up from the shaft, and a musty smell along with it. I couldn’t see far into the darkness, but I did see the first few stones that were making up the staircase.
“Who’s going down first?” Shari asked peering into the darkness below.
I hated putting trust into yet another person at this point.
“You go down first,” Leo said pointing at Rafi. “I’ll keep Shari up here . . . as a bit of an insurance policy.”
Rafi stumbled with his response. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I need another person down there who knows what they’re doing. I’m not a strong alchemist.”
“Leo’s right, I think Jin and him should stay up here with Shari, while you take us down there to make the stone,” Jackie said. “Sorry, we’ve been screwed over by too many people in the past.”
“If anyone is untrustworthy, isn’t it one of the fingers of the queen?” Rafi asked.
“Leave Leo out of this. He’s one of us now,” Mark said to my surprise. “That’s the deal, Rafi.
“You know, we’re just trying to help you.”
“Just stop it right there.” Mark scratched his brow in frustration. “You want her to make a stone for you, and I’m guessing it isn’t a simple one. Something to make you rich or powerful. Am I right?”
Rafi crossed his arms and glanced at Shari. She gave him the slightest nod of her head, and he answered. “Yes, we want a stone made. I think that’s a fair trade for the risk we are taking bringing you here. But it isn’t for us. It’s a stone that can tell us where our cousin is.”
“A tracker stone for a single person,” Jackie said. “Never heard of it.”
“It’s an Egyptian creation, but no one can make it.”
My heart lumped up in my throat and I wondered if our blocker stone would keep us from being tracked by such a stone.
“We’ll consider making this stone once we have ours made, and only you are going down there with us. She’s staying up here with Jin and Leo,” Mark said.
“Fine. But I do what I say I will do, because I am a man of honor. That I can promise you,” Rafi said and took a step down the first stone stair.
Mark went right behind him and took a few steps down before turning around and reaching for me.
“I got it,” I assured him as I took the first big step down. It must have been about a three foot drop for each step.
The cool air felt nice, but my heart pounded in my chest. The sounds of Rafi’s footsteps in the darkness bounced around the walls on either side of us. Jackie walked closely behind me as we descended.
A light appeared ahead, and I saw a cell phone in Rafi’s hand. He stood at the bottom, on a brown stone floor. Jackie had her cell phone out as well and shone the light on the last couple of steps.
We gathered in the bottom room, no larger than my bedroom. In front of us was a large door with two iron handles. More like a slab of tan stone than a door. Rafi moved closer and placed his hand on it. Then he placed his ear to it, as if he was trying to listen to what was on the other side.
“I think this door is stone locked as well,” Rafi said. “We should get Shari. She is good at unlocking.”
“I bet she is,” Jackie said and moved closer to the door. “Old lock or new lock?”
“New. My father has been down here, as well as my sister. I am sure they went through this door.”
“New locks I can handle. Old-timey stuff . . . well, that’s another story.” Jackie took her stone sack out and plucked a stone from it. She went to the door and placed the stone right above the handle.
The door split down the middle with a crack, then scraped across the floor with a high-pitched grating sound as it opened.
I winced at the noise, but peered into the room beyond, and into the darkness. The cell phone lights did little to illuminate the next room. We all walked to the door in silence and gazed at the wonders of what we could see around us. I’d never seen anything quite like it.
Chapter Twelve
I stepped into the room and stood next to Mark. Together, we gazed at the widespread lab of alchemy supplies; beakers, bottles, flasks, and containers all lined the walls. They weren’t anything that a modern alchemist would have. Everything looked ancient, with a thick layer of dust covering it, as if it hadn’t been used in a millennium. I walked closer to the table near me and rubbed my finger across the top, feeling the dirt and grit between my fingers.
“I thought you said they used this room?” I asked.
“Oh, this place? This is a decoy room. The real room’s much lower. We’re just beginning the journey,” Rafi said.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Jackie said.
“Okay, just follow me. I think I know the way,” Rafi said.
We walked as a group across the room to a cupboard that appeared less dusty than the rest. If we had more time, I would have looked through the different flasks and containers, to see what they held. Even if it was a decoy room, it looked fascinating. The smell to the room was like dried dirt with a hint of tar and sulfur. I had heard that the alchemists of old used tar and bitumen frequently in their recipes.
Rafi went to the hidden cabinet door and motioned for Jackie to use another stone. Once she was done, Rafi pulled on the shelf and the cabinet swung toward us. Behind the concealed door was another stone staircase leading down. This one wasn’t like the other one—no giant stone steps. This one was just normal steps going down at a decent angle.
They reminded me of the horrors we’d faced back in Quinn’s mansion. He too had a subterranean layer filled with all those people making him stones. Had it really been four years? All those people were probably still down there, slaving away. The thought had me wondering whatever happened to Lupe. The girl who’d deceived us, then captured us in the hall.
Jackie and Rafi continued to use their cell phones to light the way. The staircase was a straight shot down, and before too long, it was in complete darkness behind us and in front of us. The dim lights of the cell phones almost seemed to be swallowed by the sheer depth of the darkness.
“How far down does this go?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. This is the first time for me too,” Rafi said.
“Oh, great. Who knows what kind of traps they have down here?” Jackie said.
Traps. Her warning had me staring at the walls more and more. Even the floors became suspicious as I looked for a loose brick, or something that might trigger an arrow shooting out of the walls. Pretty much everything that had happened to Indiana Jones was now racing through my brain. The trip down seemed like a long time, but it was probably only ten minutes until we reached a steel door. The steel seemed out of place among all the stacked stone.
Rafi stood before it, rubbing his chin.
“You think
there’s a booby-trap?” Jackie asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember them talking about this door. Ever. Maybe we could just open it?” Rafi said.
“Well, you can open it first. We’ll just stand back here,” Jackie said, pushing us back up a few stairs and out of the way.
“My, aren’t you the brave one?” Rafi taunted.
“I prefer to go with smart,” Jackie retorted.
“Wait,” I said. Why don’t we throw a stone at it or something? See if we can trigger the trap first?”
Rafi took a few steps back, his hands noticeably shaking. “I don’t have a stone.”
“I’ll toss one,” I said. “Come back here with us.” After riffling through my satchel, I pulled out the water stone I was looking for and tossed it at the center of the door. An electrical charge shot through the door and snapped the bolt. The door flung open.
“Wow, I guess I owe you one,” Rafi said, as he glanced back at me with a smile.
We all walked toward the door. I stood at the threshold, looking into the next room. If the room upstairs was an ancient relic, then this was the exact opposite. Bright lights and warm air, flew around the room. The place was gleaming clean, almost sterile-looking, and the alchemist supplies lined the walls in organized boxes with corresponding labels and pictures above them. It seemed like a place where you’d have people working. An elaborate, top-secret alchemist bunker. But this place was empty, not a soul to be seen. I took a few more steps inside. My shoes squeaked on the shiny white floor.
“Quite a place you got here,” Jackie said.
“Yes. I’ll have to agree with you,” Rafi said, running his hand over a glossy, white work-station. He slowly turned in a circle, gazing upon the room in awe. How long had he dreamt of coming into this room?
Rafi pointed at the ceiling to a hole. “This is an ancient alchemist tunnel, connecting directly to the pyramid. You see, the thought is that all of its powers would be funneled right down through that shaft.”
“Yeah, this is great and everything,” Jackie said. “But we’re here to make part of the breaker stone, remember?”
“What’s behind that door?” Mark asked and walked toward another steel door.
“I don’t know. Like I said, I’ve never been here before.”
“Yes, so you’ve said.” Mark walked to the door.
“Don’t touch it,” I warned.
He tapped the handle with his hand and then opened the door. Even being twenty feet away, I saw the well-lit room and cages inside. The barred floors sent memories of me being in Quinn’s prison.
What I hadn’t noticed is Rafi had moved to the far side of the room, away from Mark and he kept looking at the ceiling.
“Plan on keeping someone in here?” Mark asked.
“No,” Rafi said. “Listen, I’m with you guys.” He touched a canister and then the steel door we came in through slammed shut.
The noise made me jump and Jackie rushed to it, stopping just short of touching the handle. “The trap’s activated again, I bet. You got another water stone, Allie?” Jackie asked.
Mark rushed toward Rafi. “What is this?” he asked, pointing to the alchemist prison cell.
Rafi didn’t answer but looked up at the hole in the ceiling. “They’re coming. They must have spotted us somehow.”
“What did you do?” Mark yelled, readying a stone to throw.
“Mark, quiet. You hear that?” I asked.
Above us, a clanking sound came from the hole in the ceiling, like marbles dancing around in a bowl. And the noise grew.
“Get back,” Jackie said and threw a stone at Rafi. It struck him in the neck. He went stiff and fell to the floor.
“What’d you do that for?” I yelled and stared at Rafi in shock. “He was going to help us.”
“Like hell he was,” Jackie said. “What do you think is coming down the shoot? It sure as hell isn’t Santa Claus. Those are freaking stones being dropped on us.” She screamed in frustration. “Mark, get over here with me and let’s set up a protection zone for Allie. I’m sure this is some kind of snatch and grab.”
Mark grabbed my hand and helped me move to the far side of the room. Jackie flipped tables over into a makeshift shield, then grabbed a few items off the shelf. Throwing the ingredients on the ground, she then grabbed a mixing bowl and spoon.
“Think you can mix a few of these? It’s about to get nasty in here.”
“Oh shit.” Mark ran out from behind the tables and grabbed Rafi. He pulled him by his feet and dragged him behind the table.
I wanted to slap Rafi’s face. He’d lied to us and I was stupid enough to believe him. I bet he just wanted to get on his dad’s good side for once, and jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself. Had the whole world gone to shit? If every person was an asshole, then why was I even trying to save them? Let my mother wipe them all off the face of the Earth, and turn them into stones.
Anger filled me, so I dropped down to my knees and planned to use it to make some kickass stones. That’s when I heard Jackie and Mark screaming as they began chucking stones. I glanced over the table to see half a dozen stones dropping from the hole in the ceiling and hitting the floor. They bounced up a foot, then six people popped into existence.
The stones thrown by Mark and Jackie struck the group as they appeared. A burst of a white cloud and an oily, black goo spread over them. They all jumped back as Jackie threw another stone that landed at their feet and exploded.
The new arrivals fell to the ground and those who were still moving, scrambled behind tables and desks at the far side of the room.
Mark threw another stone, as Jackie grabbed my attention.
I looked at the ingredients she placed around me and started putting them into the bowl. After the first stone was made, I snatched it up and screamed as I threw it across the room.
I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was heavy and didn’t make it across the room; it struck the ground midway, and broke open. A foam came out that started growing. I’d seen a stone like it before, when Mark’s mother used it to seal a door at a café. That stone had covered a door. This one was now filling a good portion of the floor, and moving toward the few alchemists hiding behind the desk.
“Damn, how much did you mix in that thing?” Jackie said, seeming impressed.
“All of it,” I said looking at the empty canister.
“All of it?” Jackie said, a look of shock frozen on her face. “That’s enough to fill this whole room. It might freaking raise the pyramid for all I know. No one’s ever made a stone like that.”
“Sorry,” I said.
The thick foam grew and reached the feet of one of the men that hadn’t moved since the explosion.
“We yield,” a woman called from behind the desk.
“Go to hell!” Jackie yelled back.
“We aren’t here to hurt you,” she said.
“Oh! So, you just drop in from the ceiling normally, right?” Jackie said. She gripped tight a neon blue stone and leaned down to me. “See if you can make something to get us out of here.”
I stared at the wall of ingredients in front of me and crawled to it; fear consuming me. How were we going to get out of this one? My hands shook as I sorted through the few ingredients left at floor level.
“We’re all going to die, if you don’t talk with us,” the woman said. “The man’s leg I see sticking out from the table. That’s my brother, Rafi, isn’t it?”
“That’s his sister?” I whispered as I pulled a jar of what looked like coarse ash.
“He’s just frozen,” Mark answered. “He’s not harmed otherwise. Why don’t you show your bare hands and step out from the desk?”
Two petite hands came up from the desk and a woman with long, straight black hair emerged.
Mark and Jackie stayed low, stones cocked back and at the ready.
“I’m going to get my dad away from the foam, okay?”
“Just don’t make any sudden
movements,” Jackie said.
The woman grabbed the man by the hands and pulled on him. The foam was touching his feet and didn’t want to let go of its grip. The woman groaned as she put all her weight into it. Finally, her dad’s body broke free, leaving behind both shoes in the foam. The creamy-looking foam expanded, enveloping the shoes completely.
“How did you make such a potent stone? I’ve seen that foam stone many times, but nothing like this. It’s still growing, who the hell are you people?” the woman called out.
“I’m a special,” Mark said. “And if you don’t leave, I have much worse prepared.”
“I’d say we have ten minutes before the room is taken over, so we better figure this out quick.” She was hidden behind the desk, with just the top of her head poking up.
“There’s nothing to figure out. You just need to leave,” Mark said.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” she said.
I made a quick stone, then got up and looked at the woman.
“Holy shit, you’re Allie Norton.” She looked genuinely shocked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Hey, Lara Croft, why don’t you stop looking at her and focus on me,” Jackie said. “Now that you know who you’re dealing with, you need to reconsider your position.”
“We didn’t come here to fight. We spotted you and my brother on the security cams. And my name is Alya, guardian of this tome. You are the ones trespassing here.”
“We just want to make a stone and leave,” I said.
“The daughter of the queen knows how to make serious stones. You even made the stone for the queen. Tell me, why did she send you here?”
“She didn’t, I’m trying to stop her,” I said.
Alya stepped out from the desk, her bare hands held high. Her black slacks and purple tucked-in shirt went well with her dark complexion and the gold jewelry on her wrist and neck. She had a few large, dangly earrings, as well as a small nose piercing. She couldn’t have been much older than me.
“If you’re really trying to stop her, then it’s foolish for us to squabble. We are after the same thing.”
Jackie shook her head. “Your brother said—”
