The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Alesha Escobar

  He gripped the weapon and spoke. “I’m not letting you through the exitway. You should die here, with all the other abominations.”

  “You idiot,” I said. “You spent all your magical energy and now you want to stand here fighting me instead of going through the exitway.”

  He sneered. “That man that I killed at the safe house...”

  Heat rose in my face and I shouted, “He wasn’t just some man. His name was Kenneth!” I swerved and avoided the slash of his knife, and reciprocated with a hard jab to his nose. I made a quick dip and swung my leg, knocking him off his feet and sending the knife falling to the ground.

  We both rushed for the weapon, but I reached it first. He threw himself forward with a savage shout and knocked me onto my back. Both of our arms shook as I held the blade upward, attempting to drive it into his chest, while he halted me and crushed my hands in his to try and make me drop the knife.

  “You’re weak and pathetic,” he said. “Just like that man. He said he wasn’t going to let me hurt you or your family--now we both know he was wrong.”

  I felt a surge of strength, fueled by rage, race through my limbs. I jerked the knife sideways, to the left, which caught him off guard. With a quick flick of my wrist, I sliced the skin on his hand, and he jumped back. He quickly stood and frowned when he realized that it was an alchemical symbol, an upside down five-point star--reverse Fixation. I erected a shield with Zaman’s Fire, and he looked ready to charge me again as his mouth frothed with saliva and blood. But it was too late. His skin grew ash gray and rippled like water. He opened his mouth to scream, but instead his entire body exploded.

  The last time I had done such a spell, I looked away. This time, I didn’t.

  My body still trembled with adrenaline as I lowered my magical shield, and I rose to my feet. With a startled breath, I saw Neal approach with a shimmering pistol in hand. He had discarded most of his Master’s uniform, but still wore a black long-sleeved shirt and pants. I could see blood streaming down from his left temple and bloodstains on the left side of his neck. He glanced at the mess that used to be Hotaru; with all the carnage around the entire grounds, he probably assumed it was the work of a Black Wolf. I froze in place, partly out of caution, and also because my limbs were burning with pain. I opened my mouth to speak, but he spoke first.

  “Ekwueme and the other Philosophers are sweeping the entire area. We’ve ordered all Order members to retreat and leave the Gray Tower. If we find any other survivors, we’ll take them with us.”

  “How many Black Wolves and Cruenti are still out there?” I asked.

  “Quite a few. They’ve killed many of us, and we’ve killed many of them.”

  “And Octavian?”

  “He’s still on Tower grounds. You must leave.”

  I wanted to vomit at the image of him trying to force me to drink his blood. “The last time I saw Octavian, Master Skye came as a black dragon and seized him. If he’s still alive after that, then maybe you and the other Philosophers need to get out of here.”

  “I’ll leave, when it’s time. I must stay with the Philosophers for now and clear the area. There may be more survivors.”

  When I saw the grief in his eyes, I almost wanted to cry. I had never seen Neal or any other Philosopher, not even my father, display such sorrow in a single expression. Watching the Gray Tower fall must’ve been like experiencing the end of the world for him. It hurt me too, to see this all laid waste, but it must’ve been much more painful for him to endure. I slowly approached and wrapped my arms around him.

  “I’m sorry, Neal. I wanted to prevent this...I wish I could’ve.”

  He paused for a few moments before speaking. “You received my note?”

  “Yes. Sorry about not listening to you earlier, but you deserved it.”

  He gave a smile that didn’t reach his sad eyes. “I’ll seal the exitway once you’re through.”

  I released him and shook my head. “I need to find Brande.”

  Another earthquake hit us and an explosion erupted on the west side. A frightful roar in the sky made us both look up into the air, but we saw nothing. He squeezed my hand in a parting gesture. “If Brande is here, he’ll go with us. Goodbye, Isabella.”

  “Don’t say it like that, and don’t get yourself killed. I’m staying too.”

  Serafino rounded the corner with Cliff and Sadik, and Brande came behind them, cradling a half-conscious Mehara in his arms. She still wore the gold evening gown from the ceremony last night, and I wondered if she had woken up late from her drunken slumber to see hell loosed all around her.

  Serafino shouted to us. “Get through the exitway, I have to seal it now! The Black Wolves have brought in reinforcements. I’m staying with the Philosophers.”

  I motioned for Brande to go through first with Mehara, and he passed into the luminous exitway. Sadik went next, and Cliff was behind him, but paused right before going through and said, “Isabella...I saw Professor Luka. He took Bianca.”

  My heart sank. “Go and follow the others.” He did as I said and slipped into the light in the wall.

  “Go, Isabella.” Serafino had an urgent look in his eyes.

  “I’m coming with you,” I said. “I need to save Bianca.”

  Professor Kiaran Luka was a sycophant. I thought his praise and affection for wizards came from the experience of being among them and appreciating them--apparently he wanted to become one, and Octavian must’ve offered it to the English professor. I was willing to wager that he had agreed to hold on to that silver ring and help enact the Anomos enchantment breaker in exchange for initiation to the coven of Cruenti warlocks. If I didn’t find Bianca...he would sacrifice her to a demon.

  “I’m sorry, Isabella, but there’s no time.” Serafino formed a gesture with his right hand and I went flying back toward the light in the wall.

  Neal gazed at me, then turned to join Serafino. Ten Cruenti warlocks turned the corner and rushed toward them. I called out to them, but I kept falling back, as if through a tunnel, and a burst of light blinded me. I hit the ground and turned my head to wipe the grass and dirt from my mouth. I stood and saw that I was in Stromovka forest.

  It felt like I had woken up from a nightmare. The branches of the tall trees swayed in the breeze and shielded me from the noonday sun. The grass stood firm, yet plush beneath my feet, and the only sounds I heard were birds chirping. Whoever else made it through this exitway before us were now long gone, though I did see a few lifeless bodies near the pathway which led to the gardens. Making it out of the Gray Tower didn’t guarantee our safety, especially since the city of Prague was currently under Nazi occupation. We were still in enemy territory.

  “Isabella,” Brande said, approaching from behind.

  I turned to face him and ran into his arms. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

  He let out a low sigh. “Father Gabriel and Cathana Erin escaped, but I don’t know if Dr. Lan made it. They captured Master Ovidio, Edom, and a few others. Everyone else is either scattered or dead.”

  I frowned. “Neal said all the Philosophers were still there. They’ll bring out anyone else they find.”

  “Then they need to do it quickly,” he said. “There are Nazis patrolling the forest.”

  “Where are the others?”

  “Over here.” He led me away from the pathway, to a small copse where Sadik and Cliff sat on the grass in silence. Mehara lay sprawled on a bench behind them, weeping.

  “We need to leave this area,” I told Brande. “Hell, we need to leave the country.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Our first step is to get into neutral territory. We can try for Sweden up north, or go west to Switzerland.”

  “We might have to do that, unless you think it’ll be easier to just head east, into Russian territory and then make our way up north.”

  Mehara let out a mocking laugh that almost ended in a cry. “Why don’t we just go through Poland while we’re at it, or head straight into Germany. I
’m sure our enemies will love that. And, if that weren’t enough, we’re stuck with the Drifter?”

  “Thanks for joining the conversation,” I said.

  She sat up. “The Germans have cut us off from the rest of the world. We can’t go anywhere unless we’re willing to cross their territory or their allies’ territories. Everyone who escaped into Prague, where are they? Where did they go? They’ll have to sneak past the borders or risk capture here in Czechoslovakia.”

  “If we stick together, we can do this,” I said.

  Brande spoke. “We can go south, into Hungary. I have some contacts there who can help get us across the north of Italy and into Switzerland.”

  “We’re going to die,” she said, looking straight at Cliff and Sadik. “I’m the only one brave enough to tell you the truth.”

  Brande glared at her. “I didn’t save your life so you can throw it away, or endanger ours. None of us would survive long on our own with the Nazis and Black Wolves prowling the forest.”

  Mehara’s jaw tightened. “Then...Switzerland it is.”

  We all froze when we heard voices and the rumble of an engine nearby. Brande motioned for us all to stay in place while he scouted ahead. He left for a few moments and returned to report back: two armed trekkers had pulled up along the pathway carrying two SS officers each.

  Mehara stood. “Get out of my way.”

  We all eyed each other and followed her out of the copse, making sure to take cover behind some trees. We heard a buzzing in our ears and much of the surrounding sound had been blocked out as if we’d put on earplugs. Mehara had lain the groundwork for mind control, and shielded us from it, while directing it toward the officers. When the SS officers spotted Mehara across from them, two of them jumped out of their trekker, while the other two remained in theirs with the machine gun trained on her. The officer closest to her approached with caution and asked if she had any weapons on her.

  In answer to his question, Mehara gazed at him and his partner, who stood just feet from her with weapons drawn, and, in a low voice, commanded them to turn around and shoot the other two officers sitting in the trekker. They spun around and shot the two men in the vehicle with deadly accuracy. With a glazed look in his eyes, the officer on the right then stepped forward and handed her his gun, he then began shedding his uniform and leaving the garments on the ground in front of her.

  When he had stripped down to his underwear, she told him, “Get back into your trekker and go kill as many SS officers as you can.”

  He immediately obeyed and went over to the vehicle, jumped inside, and took off.

  “And what about me?” the officer to her left asked.

  She held up her left hand and a grenade from the remaining trekker flew toward her. She caught it and presented it to him. “Your checkpoint is near, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then go blow it to Hell, and you can go along with it.”

  “Of course.” He grabbed the grenade, turned on his heel, and went into the parked trekker. He shoved the two dead bodies from the vehicle, the engine rumbled and he drove in the direction he had come from.

  The buzzing ceased and our ears opened fully. We finally came forward, and Mehara handed Cliff the SS officer’s gun. “You’ve never killed anyone,” she said. “Get used to doing it.”

  “Okay...” Cliff gave me an anxious look. I quickly showed him how to handle the weapon. I didn’t think Drago had gotten to this part yet with the Boetheos.

  Brande faced Sadik. “Do you know how to do a sight deflection?”

  Sadik’s eyebrows shot up and he faced me. I don’t know what that is! What should I tell him?

  Brande gestured toward Mehara. “Show him.” He took off toward the pathway that we’d have to travel down in order to leave the forest and the city.

  Mehara faced the mute young man. “It’s like creating a mirage so that when people look at your friend Cliff, they will see something else. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re going to be traveling through German-friendly Hungary, and he’ll be very conspicuous.”

  Cliff crossed his arms. “Just say it, it’s because I’m black.”

  Mehara grabbed the trousers from the SS officer’s discarded pile of clothes. “Sadik, stay with your friend. If you’re more than ten feet apart, the deflection won’t work. Read my mind and see how to do it.”

  Sadik gazed at her as if reading a book. She slipped into the black trousers, put on the officer’s boots, and pulled the gold dress over her head. She threw the white shirt on, over her strapless black brassiere, and glared at Cliff and Sadik when they pretended to stare at the ground.

  “Oh please,” she said. “I’ve had to endure your thoughts ever since I’ve been on that bench back there.”

  They looked embarrassed and then ran to join Brande. I could feel his magic subtly working as he laid hidden traps for SS officers who may try to follow us or come down the pathway from the north. I cleared my voice. “Do you know if...Master Priya survived?”

  Her eyes watered and her voice grew hoarse. “Octavian drained him.”

  “No...” I gasped and almost doubled over.

  I wasn’t particularly fond of Master Priya, but he had that final page that vindicated the Drifter and spoke about closing the rifts. If Octavian destroyed him, then I didn’t know how I’d be able to recover the information I so desperately needed. This also meant that Octavian now possessed the powers of a Master Mentalist in addition to all the other ones he already had. I could only imagine what the Cruenti Master had planned for the wizards who were taken prisoner--and then, there was Bianca. I didn’t even want to think of what she’d have to endure if we couldn’t reach her in time. We needed to find the Den, not only to save the others, but also to pay them back for what they’ve done to us and to the entire world.

  Mehara wiped her teary eyes with the back of her hand. “I...wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about Kenneth Aspen. I’ve never agreed with what Hotaru did at that safe house. I can also see in your mind the truth about that missing page, and who you truly are.”

  I gave her a nod of acknowledgement. “Thank you.”

  She sniffed. “What do you want to do when we make it to Switzerland?”

  “Contact the British government. They have a talisman that can lead to the Den. We’ll regroup and gather everyone willing to join us, and then we go and take back the people they’ve kidnapped, before we destroy Octavian and the Black Wolves once and for all.”

  A large explosion boomed west of us, and smoke rose into the sky. The burst of gunfire drowned out the birds chirping, and faint shouts could be heard in the distance. Brande motioned for us to join him, Cliff and Sadik. We ran over to them, and Brande took my hand in his.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “I don’t really have a choice. I have to be.”

  We took off parallel to the cobblestone pathway. The forest’s beauty had been marred by the smoke, fire, and blood. We stopped only once, near the gardens, for a quick rest, to drink water, and collect edible plants and wild berries. Then it was time to run again. I caught a glimpse of the old Tower which stood just above the tree line. Most of it was gone, and only a burned shell remained. The image of the Broken Tower impressed itself on my mind, and I pondered if this would’ve happened no matter what.

  My thoughts turned to Neal, and I offered up a quick prayer for his safety. I felt an odd sense of calm, knowing that both he and Mehara had once sought to hunt me down, but were now willing to help. They gave me a chance. I was also glad to have Brande at my side, and the knowledge that I could close the rifts. Now, all I had to do was learn how. Despite what had happened today, I believed there was hope for me...and there was still hope for the entire world.

  Circadian Circle

  Book Three

  45

  Budapest, Hungary

  The librarian’s wide eyes bulged, and he slumped his shoulders forward in defeat. He probably thought my companions and I were going t
o kill him. Little did he know that we were rescuing him. I opened the door and walked out of the police station with Izsak at my side. Sweat trickled down the side of his face, and he licked his dry lips. I saw that he was ready to launch into another plea.

  “Agent Vahr, I can translate the Mehmed VI page, but it’s not at my house. Jakab stole it.”

  “That’s fine, Izsak. Just come with me.” Posing as a Gestapo agent named Vahr from the downtown office was the only way I could spring the librarian from jail. Whether he liked it or not, he was caught up in a deadly match between wizards and warlocks.

  “Agent Vahr.” He groaned as we headed down the front steps.

  “Be quiet,” Cliff said to him from behind.

  Sadik shook his head in annoyance at the librarian. Although Sadik’s frown made his middle-aged face look severe, it was all the work of his sight deflection spell. Sadik had cast the spell on me to give me the appearance of a blonde woman--Vahr, himself as agent Dierk, and Cliff as agent Klaus. The three of us certainly couldn’t walk into the police station with our true appearances, so this was the next best thing.

  I placed my hand on Izsak’s shoulder and guided him as we made it to the bottom of the steps. Before my heels could hit the sidewalk, trouble pulled up alongside the curb in front of us. The real Gestapo agents, Klaus and Dierk, parked their trekker and jumped out. The warlocks spotted us and froze in amazement. We hesitated as well. The two men were supposed to be preoccupied downtown, not here at the police station, gawking at their own doubles.

  “Halt!” Dierk shouted as we bolted down the street.