Outlast: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Warden of the West Book 3)

by Annabel Chase

  “What about her cloak?” Dani said, pulling it from the closet. “She wears it all the time.”

  Mia grabbed a wand from Cerys’s desk. “I think her wand makes more sense.”

  I stood in front of the windowsill, where her rune rocks gleamed in the sunlight.

  “No, these,” I said, pointing to the windowsill. “Definitely these.”

  Dani joined me in front of the window. “Yes, Bryn is right. The rocks are her prized possessions. Let’s get started.” Dani’s voice was a mixture of stress and determination.

  “You can’t use a simple locator spell for this,” Robin advised. “If Cerys is in an underworld, then you need to use more advanced magic.”

  Three sets of eyes stared at the prefect. “What kind of advanced magic?” I asked.

  “It isn’t something we learn at the academy,” Robin replied. “The AMF’s underworld team is specially trained.”

  “Spellslingers graduates don’t join the underworld ops teams?” I queried.

  “They do, but only after they’ve worked in the field as agents first,” Robin said. “Nobody goes straight from the academy to underworld ops, the same as no one goes from the academy to serve as a justice.”

  “Who can help us then?” I asked. I knew Chancellor Tilkin wanted to turn a blind eye to our unsanctioned efforts. “Professor Langley would never support an unofficial investigation.” Neither would the other professors, for that matter.

  “Warden Armitage?” Dani suggested.

  “He doesn’t have underworld training,” Robin said.

  Mia cast a shy glance at me. “What about your friend, Cato? He’s a fount of knowledge.”

  My eyes sparkled. “That’s a great idea, Mia.”

  “I want to come, too,” Dani said.

  “We’ll all go,” Mia said. “And bring the rocks. We’ll probably need them.”

  I tucked several stones into my cloak pocket. Haggis meowed at me insistently, and I gave her a pat on the head. “You stay here in case she comes back. She’ll want to know that you’re safe.”

  And we wanted to know that Cerys safe. Unfortunately, right now, there was every indication that she was far from it.

  “Cato?” I stood in front of the aquiline head and cleared my throat.

  His round eyes popped open. “Ack! I’m surrounded!”

  We were crowded around the mounted head in the library, so I gestured for the others to back up and give us breathing room.

  “Sorry,” I said. “We’re eager to see you.”

  Cato digested our concerned expressions. “One of you is missing. I take it that’s why you’re here.”

  “Cerys,” I said. “She’s been taken by a demon called Abraxas.”

  The gryphon whistled. “Abraxas, huh?”

  “You’ve heard of him?” I asked.

  “No, but his name makes him sound formidable.”

  “He’s underworld famous,” Dani explained.

  “Not as famous as your father then,” Cato said, looking at me.

  I shifted uncomfortably. “We’re not here to talk about my father.”

  “Volans Moldark,” Cato mused. “I still find it hard to believe you’re his daughter. Who knew darkness could produce so much light?”

  “Without darkness, there is no light,” Robin said.

  “Well said, Prefect Chambers,” Cato told him. “Now, how can I help your friend?”

  “We know Abraxas lives in the underworld, but he moves around a lot, so we don’t know which one.” I held up a rune rock. “We want to use Cerys’s treasured possessions to do a locator spell, but…”

  “Because it’s the underworld, you can’t do a basic spell,” Cato interjected.

  “Exactly,” Dani said. “We were hoping you knew a more advanced spell.”

  Cato’s gaze darted around the library, and I could tell he was worried about being overheard. After all, we were visiting him in the middle of the day, not at midnight like I tended to do when I couldn’t sleep.

  “I’m familiar with a couple of spells that might assist you,” Cato said, lowering his voice.

  “Really?” Mia seemed surprised. “How?”

  Cato snorted, no small feat for a guy with a beak. “I’ve been mounted on the wall in this library for a very long time, Miss Holmes. I soak up most of the knowledge that passes through these walls, whether in books or on the lips of renowned professors.” He paused. “Or AMF agents who may have passed through at one time or another. You’d be surprised how many agents have need of an academy library while working a mission.”

  “So you’re basically telling us that the books are unnecessary because you have all the information we need,” Dani said, hand on skeptical hip.

  “He hasn’t steered me wrong yet,” I said.

  Cato raised his eagle chin a fraction. “The rune rocks are a good start. I take it your friend is an earth witch.”

  “That’s her specialty,” I said.

  “Good,” Cato replied. “That will help us. Her strong connection to the earth is a real plus in this situation.”

  “Even though we’re searching the underworlds?” Mia asked.

  “Still part of the earth,” Cato said airily. “Over, under. Doesn’t matter. If you’d told me she’d been kidnapped by a sky god, then we’d have more of an issue.”

  My brow lifted. “There are sky gods?”

  Cato clucked his tongue. “I thought the prefect here was tutoring you.” He shook his head at Robin. “Falling down on the job, Prefect Chambers.”

  “My apologies, Cato,” Robin said. “I shall strive to do better in the future.”

  “I recommend the following tarot cards as part of your spell,” Cato began. “The Six of Cups, the Magician, the Star, and the Hermit.”

  “I have those,” Mia said.

  “You know how to use tarot cards?” I queried.

  Mia nodded. “My aunt taught me years ago. She’s an amazing card reader.”

  “What do those cards do?” I asked.

  Mia held up a finger. “Could I explain, Cato? Tell me if I’m right.”

  “Go for it,” Cato said.

  “The Six of Cups will attempt to draw Cerys to us through our strong ties to her. The Magician tells the universe that we will use all measures available to us to find her. The Star injects love and hope into the process, and the Hermit…”

  “Acts as an illuminator,” Dani finished for her.

  “That’s right,” Cato said. “If you’re lucky, he’ll shine his lamp in the right place. Well done, witches.”

  Dani and Mia both straightened their shoulders, proud to have been complimented by Cato. Despite being no more than a necromantic head on a wall, the gryphon was an academy treasure.

  “Because it’s the underworlds you’re searching,” Cato continued, “you’ll need blood.”

  I pressed my lips together. I was the last person who should be spilling blood. “Would that be too dangerous for me?”

  “Only if Prefect Chambers here decides to lick it up,” Cato said.

  Robin’s cheeks burned crimson. “I have no such plans, I assure you.”

  “Where do I put the blood?” I asked. I wasn’t squeamish about blood, thanks to my mother’s medical career. I could stare at blood and puss all day and not get grossed out. I wouldn’t necessarily enjoy it, but it didn’t bother me.

  “It doesn’t have to be your blood,” Dani said. “I can do it.”

  No, any blood that was spilled in pursuit of Cerys had to be my blood. My atonement for creating this situation.

  “A few drops of blood on the rune rocks should do the trick,” Cato said.

  I groaned. Cerys would love that—my blood all over her precious stones.

  “And you’ll need a protective circle, of course,” Cato said. “And only one of you can be inside it. The vision won’t pass to more than one participant.” He hesitated. “Be aware. Sometimes the visions can be overpowering. I’ve heard of agents falling unconsci
ous as a result.”

  My throat tightened. “I’m doing it. I’m the one who got her into this mess.”

  “Bryn, stop blaming yourself,” Mia said gently. “This wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

  “Either way, I’m doing the spell,” I said firmly. “You can hang around outside the circle and make sure I wake up if I end up getting knocked out.”

  “And you need to perform the spell outdoors, preferably somewhere with a connection to your friend,” Cato advised.

  “She loves the orchard,” Mia said. “She often brings her books there to read.”

  “Perfect,” I said. “We’ll do the spell there.”

  “Before sundown,” Cato said. “Works better in daylight.”

  “I assumed nighttime was best,” I said. In movies, the characters were always surrounded by candles.

  “The moon is a strong agent for certain spells,” Cato said, “but this one works better with the sun. Use the sun’s energy and focus it. It’s where the real power comes from.”

  “Thanks for the tip,” I said.

  The light was still strong by the time we reached the golden apple orchard. William Fonthill, the groundskeeper, passed by with a pair of hellhounds as we were setting up.

  “What’s all this?” he inquired, sauntering over to investigate. It was difficult to seem nonchalant when we were devising a large protective magic circle in the middle of the orchard in broad daylight.

  “Class project,” Dani said quickly. “Extra credit for Professor Mayweather.”

  He grunted. “Abelia always has some odd duck project happening, doesn’t she? At least she doesn’t insist on carting around a chicken, though.”

  I stifled a laugh. Miss Butters was Professor Langley’s ‘special’ chicken that he used for classroom demonstrations. His attachment to her appeared to be his lone good quality.

  “You’re not gonna accidentally summon a demon or anything, are you?” he asked. “Because those can get messy, and I don’t have time in my schedule today for a major cleanup.”

  “No demon,” I said. I hoped.

  He cast a suspicious glance at us. “You sure this is a class project? You look twitchy.”

  “We don’t want to get it wrong,” I said. “We’ll lose points. That’s why Prefect Chambers is here, to guide us.”

  One of the hellhounds growled.

  “Apollo doesn’t believe you,” Fonthill said. He inclined his head toward the rune rocks I was setting on the ground. “Since when does Mayweather use rune rocks?”

  “She doesn’t,” Dani interjected. “We’re hoping to impress her with more advanced magical thinking.”

  “I’m terrible at runes,” I said. “Robin thought it would be good practice to incorporate them.”

  Fonthill nodded. “Carry on then. Don’t knock any apples on the ground. The hellhounds gobble them up before I can stop them.” He rubbed Apollo behind the ear and smoke billowed from the hound’s nose. “They love golden apples.”

  “We’ll do our best, Mr. Fonthill,” Robin said, unfailingly polite.

  The moment the groundskeeper turned his back, everyone began scurrying around, setting up the protective circle. Mia handed the tarot cards to me.

  “The sun is fading,” Dani said worriedly.

  “We’ll make it,” I said reassuringly.

  Once the rune rocks were in place, I settled in the center of the circle. My friends watched me carefully from beneath one of the apple trees.

  “What should I use to slice my palm?” I asked. “Do I need something special?”

  Dani pulled out a pocketknife and tossed it to me. “It’s a family heirloom, so be careful.”

  The ivory handle was carved with a ‘D.’

  “You carry this around?” I asked, examining the knife.

  “Not usually, but I knew you needed blood,” Dani explained. “It’s my contribution.”

  My chest ached. Even though I blamed myself, I knew we were all desperate to find Cerys.

  I let the warmth of the sun wash over me, and felt the energy flow through me. My magic didn’t respond in quite the same way as if it were water, but I still felt a tingling sensation that signaled incoming power. And strength. Cato was right. The sun was a potent agent of magic. Instead of feeling drained like I did after using magic that wasn’t water-based, I felt revitalized. It was soothing, like a gentle hum thrumming through my body. I had to remember to ask my friends if the experience was similar to theirs.

  I placed the tarot cards as instructed and then sliced my palm with the knife. A shallow cut, only enough to draw a few drops of blood. I watched them drip onto the rocks, staining them like red rain.

  I closed my eyes and began to meditate. I wasn’t particularly adept at relaxation, another result of living in fight or flight mode for my entire life. I knew I had to master it, though. For Cerys. She deserved the full extent of my abilities.

  A gentle breeze tickled my nose, and then quickly calmed. I concentrated on the stillness of the air. On the heat that permeated my skin. A vision of my mother appeared. She sat on a picnic blanket in a meadow. A butterfly came and rested on the handle of the picnic basket. My mother couldn’t have been older than thirty. Seeing her now reminded me of what an unassuming beauty she’d been. No wonder my wicked father had fallen madly in love with her. She was smart, loving, compassionate, kind, fierce—all the best qualities in a human. If I managed to inherit half of her goodness, I was doing all right.

  My mother beamed at something in the distance, her blue eyes twinkling. As the smell of fried chicken wafted through the air, I felt a momentary pang of guilt over Miss Butters. Fried chicken had been a staple of our picnics. I would always have fond memories of chowing down on a drumstick, while I investigated whatever body of water we’d decided to picnic near.

  Joy filled my heart as my mother threw her head back and laughed. How I missed it! And then the unthinkable happened.

  The ground opened up and swallowed her whole, blanket and all.

  There was no time to scream as darkness enveloped me.

  My vision adjusted and I realized I was in some sort of cavern. This wasn’t a memory. My mother wasn’t here, nor did I recognize the place. I glanced up to see stalactites above my head. They shimmered with a bluish hue. A chill ran through me, and I wrapped my arms around myself. I walked through the cavern, hunting for clues as to my whereabouts. A reflecting pool appeared to my right, and then stables, although I couldn’t see what was inside. Up ahead, I glimpsed a set of nine statues. As I drew nearer, I noticed that the statues were of various females, each wearing toga-like attire. Their hair was also styled in a similar fashion—a tangle of long curls piled on their heads. The ancient Greek version of the messy bun. I stopped and examined each one as I walked. It was only when I arrived at the ninth that my heart stuttered.

  The statue was the spitting image of Cerys.

  I peered intently at the carved face. Her expression reflected such agony, that I almost retched in the rocks beside it.

  “What does this mean?” I whispered.

  The lips of the statue moved, and my pulse began to race.

  “Cerys? Can you hear me?”

  A tear slid down the smoothly carved cheek of the statue. “Help me,” she said.

  Help me.

  Help me.

  A scream started in the pit of my stomach, gathering strength until it reached my throat. My lips parted, and I let it go.

  The earth quaked, stalactites fell from the sky, and statues toppled over, cracking into fragments. The ground softened beneath my feet, and I slipped straight down, like Alice through a rabbit hole. My stomach lurched and my head pounded. Then everything went black.

  I awoke in my room, but in the bottom bunk instead of my own bed.

  Welcome back, Icarus said. I saw him perched on the windowsill. Moonlight streaked through the large window behind him.

  “How long was I out for?” I asked, sitting up and stretching. I narrowly avoi
ded hitting my head on the top bunk.

  “Bryn!” Mia rushed over, with Dani following behind.

  “Robin, she’s awake,” Dani said. It was then that I spotted the Boy Wonder seated at my desk. He closed the book he’d been reading and came to check on me.

  “How do you feel?” Robin asked gently.

  “Like someone slammed my head into a stone wall,” I said.

  “Did you find her?” Dani asked eagerly.

  I chose my words carefully. I didn’t want them to know the sheer terror I felt in the vision. I focused on the facts, describing everything I saw from the stalactites to the pools of water to the statues.

  “Blue stalactites?” Robin queried. “That’s significant. It sounds like you glimpsed an area in the nether.”

  The nether didn’t sound particularly intimidating as far as names went. At least it wasn’t the Fiery Pits of Damnation or the Path to Perilous Perdition.

  “How difficult is that one in terms of challenging underworlds?” Dani asked.

  Robin blew a heavy breath. “The odds are not good.”

  Oh. Bummer.

  “How did Cerys look?” Mia asked. Naturally, her first question was concerned with the well-being of her friend. Mia was all heart.

  “I didn’t really see her,” I admitted. Although I was tempted to lie, I decided the truth was necessary under the circumstances.

  Mia’s brow wrinkled. “Does that mean he’s turned her into a statue, like Gorgons do?”

  Robin contemplated the question. “Not necessarily. I believe the vision is more symbolic. The statue means that Cerys is trapped.”

  “It’s not like we ever thought she went on vacation,” Dani said wryly.

  No, there was no chance that Cerys was enjoying her time away from Spellslingers. Clearly, she was being held against her will in some capacity. We had to find her. Quickly.

  “Do you know how we can get there?” I asked.