by David Meyer
I hustled to the door. Peeking up, I saw the ceiling start to move. Then I glimpsed swirling colors, indicating the presence of a conveyance portal. The edges of a hoist appeared. Slowly, it descended into the archive. Boltstar was its sole occupant. He held a wand in one hand. Despite the late hour, his attire was immaculate.
“That’s not the way we came in,” Piper said.
Leandra inhaled a sharp breath. “He must have his own entrance.”
Sweat oozed out of my pores. What if he saw us? Would he skin us? Send us off to Gutlore, maybe?
I snuck another glimpse at the hoist. To my surprise, it was no longer going down. It was moving sideways.
“He’s coming this way.” Leandra grabbed my arm. “We need to hide.”
Softly, I closed the door. Turning my gaze inward, I studied the statues lining the walls. Then I looked at Womigia. Unfortunately, hiding spaces were few and far between.
“Back here.” Piper dragged us behind Womigia. “Hurry!”
One of the taller statues threw off a decent-sized shadow. We hunkered down within it and turned our attention to the doorway. Leandra took her wand out of her holster. Piper and I grabbed ours as well.
The sound of shifting metal faded away. Footsteps shifted across the shelf. Then the door popped open. Boltstar, wand drawn, stepped into the room. He took a moment to shut the door, then hiked forward.
“There’s no use hiding,” he announced. “The archive floor is enchanted. The moment you stepped out of the portal, a bell rang in my quarters.”
His revelation filled me with dread. But it also gave me the slightest bit of hope. He didn’t actually know someone was in the room. He was merely aware that someone had entered the archive. And for all he knew, the intruder had already vacated the area.
“Only five people, including me, know how to find this place,” he continued. “I’m guessing you’re not one of them.”
He checked the left wall, then the right one. Then he hiked toward Womigia.
Heart-pounding, I shrank into the statue’s shadow. An elbow jabbed me in the ribs. At first, I ignored it. But a second jab caused me to twist around.
“What?” I mouthed.
Piper didn’t say a word. Instead, she pointed up at the statue. I gave it a good look, recognizing it as a rather good likeness of Boris Hynor.
“So, what?” I mouthed.
“It’s him,” she whispered. “It’s actually him.”
Frowning, I glanced again at the statue. This time, I recoiled in horror. It wasn’t a statue at all.
It was Boris.
Boltstar must’ve moved the man’s drodiated body to this particular room. A quick check confirmed the other statues were also Chaotic witches and wizards from that fateful night. They’d stood here for decades, unable to move or talk or do anything. All they could do was observe. Observe and think and despair. Truly, it was a horrible fate.
But I didn’t have time to ponder it. In a matter of seconds, Boltstar had walked around Womigia. The shadow, while dark, wasn’t nearly dark enough. A few more steps and he’d see us for sure.
“Last chance,” he said. “Come out now or else.”
I had to do something. Lifting my wand, I tried to think. But fear consumed me and no spells came to mind.
Footsteps pressed against the carpet. They drew closer and closer. I decided right then and there to cast the Elertfa spell. If I could catch him by surprise, it might give us a chance to escape.
I focused my emotions and directed my wand through a series of movements. My lips pursed and I felt that sweet state of Instinctia. I felt its pull, its wondrous power. It was so addictive, so intoxicating, so easy. And that’s when I sensed it.
A slight urge. A spontaneous tug. It was an appeal to something different, something deep inside of me. Something primal that I’d never actually touched.
New emotions—my emotions—swirled within me. I felt fear for my friends and for myself. Plus, loads of anger toward Boltstar along with epic frustration that he was about to catch us.
My lips continued to move and my wand shifted course, encompassing the three of us. This was my doing. I didn’t fully understand why I was doing it. But for the first time ever, the Capsudra had no control over my magic.
The warmth of Instinctia faded away. A new feeling arose to take its place. It wasn’t as safe or as comforting, at least not on the surface. But it was oddly satisfying on a very deep level. If Instinctia was like waking up to a huge pile of presents on Christmas morning, this was like revisiting a beloved childhood home I hadn’t seen in years.
“Vanista,” I whispered. I wasn’t sure why I said that. It just felt, well, right.
Auburn light—unusually radiant—left my wand. It swiftly engulfed the three of us, then disappeared just as swiftly. And then …
Nothing.
We were still there, still hunkered down in the shadow. Confused, I looked to either side. I’d denied Instinctia. And in the process, I’d cast a different spell. A Chaotic spell. But what had it accomplished?
Boltstar’s shoe pressed against the floor. His chin tipped down and he stared right at us. Try as I might, I couldn’t meet his gaze. Instead, I stared at the floor, my heart hammering at my chest. This was my fault. And now, we were all going to pay the price for my foolhardiness.
His chin jutted forward and I cowered back a few inches. I figured he wanted us to say something, to explain ourselves. With that in mind, I began to clear my throat. But just then, the craziest thing happened.
He walked away.
Gawking, I watched him stride all the way around Womigia. He halted for a moment. His eyes traced the walls, the ceiling, the carpet. He wore a puzzled look upon his face and I experienced a sudden realization.
He didn’t see us, I thought. He can’t see us.
Piper’s lip quivered even as the rest of her remained stiff with fear. Leandra, her face pensive, knelt in the shadow. Sweat dripped down her face and collected above her upper lip, but she didn’t dare wipe it away.
He reached the door, then paused in the doorframe. Twisting around, he studied the room yet again. His brow knitted in confusion. Then he walked outside.
As the door swung shut, I touched their arms. They jolted slightly, as if emerging from a daze. “Come on,” I mouthed. “We’re getting out of here.”
Leandra’s lips moved. “Are you crazy?”
“It’s okay. We’re invisible.”
She considered that for a moment. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Why now?” She nodded at the headmaster. “Why not wait until he leaves?”
“Because of the alarm,” Piper mouthed.
I nodded. “Remember, he said the archive floor was enchanted. If someone crosses it, a bell rings in his quarters. Well, we need to cross it again to reach the portal.”
“And since he’s not in his quarters, he won’t hear the bell.” She exhaled, then nodded. “Okay, follow me.”
She led us to the door. We cracked it open and peered outside. Boltstar and the hoist were nowhere to be seen. Moving swiftly, we slipped out to the waiting shelf.
A quick glance confirmed that Boltstar was busy riding his hoist down to ground level. Steeling our muscles, we began our descent. It was easier going down then coming up and we made good time.
We reached the halfway point just as he touched down on the archive floor. Exiting the hoist, he hiked to the pile of fallen ramballs. They just sat there, looking about as sheepish as a bunch of ramballs can get. He gave them a few stern words and the ramballs, their sides pink with embarrassment, scurried back to their former shelf.
We continued our silent descent, gaining speed as the shelves began to slope inward. Meanwhile, Boltstar scoped out the archive floor for a few minutes. Finally, he returned to the hoist.
Just as it lifted into the air, we stepped onto the archive floor. We raced to the portal and leapt into it. The last thing I
saw before leaving the room was a glimpse of swirling color as Boltstar’s hoist settled back into the ceiling.
I tossed and tumbled my way through the portal before it finally spat me back out into the rotating trap room. This time, however, the room was bare. Nothing but big blocks of stone and the hoist in the opposite corner.
“No trap,” Leandra said, clearly pleased but also more than a bit suspicious.
“No sense in wasting one on the return trip,” Piper reasoned.
While they discussed it, I reflected on the last couple of minutes. I’d done it. I’d actually done it. I’d denied Instinctia. I’d performed a Chaotic spell. In so doing, I’d fooled the greatest magician of all time. It was truly an eye-opening experience, one that made me question everything I thought I knew about magic.
Leandra touched my shoulder. “How’d you do that?”
“Yeah,” Piper added. “I didn’t even know the Capsudra had a vanishing spell.”
“It doesn’t.” There was no point in deceiving them any longer. “That was Chaotic magic.”
Piper’s eyes narrowed to slits. She looked at me as if she barely knew me. “But … how?”
“I had help.” I took a deep breath. “Come on. There’s someone you need to see.”
Chapter 34
“What is this place?” Piper wondered as she followed me up the ladder.
“A celestarium.” Climbing through the hatch, I gained my feet. “People used to study the stars and planets up here.”
“You mean celestial magic? That’s a bunch of hooey.”
I shrugged. “You’re probably right.”
She climbed out of the shaft. Her hair hung from her head in damp curls. Her jeans and dark red t-shirt were stained and sweaty. If not for her eyes, which looked like they were on fire, I would’ve pegged her as exhausted.
Leandra was next to arrive. Her eyes were hooded and deep lines creased her face. She, too, showed signs of severe fatigue. Yet, a single look at the celestarium changed that completely. Her eyes widened and the lines vanished. Face full of wonder, she turned in a slow circle.
“How’d you find this?” she wondered.
“Someone, uh, led me here.” Clearing my throat, I glanced toward the fireplace. “You can come out now.”
The fireplace remained still.
“We can trust them,” I added.
Rustling noises filled the area around the chimney. Then Tad dropped to the hearth. Ducking under the lip, he climbed outside. His hair was tousled. He’d showered recently, but a few dirt smudges remained behind his left ear.
Piper produced her wand.
“Hang on,” I said.
“He betrayed us,” she said angrily.
“He was fighting for his people.”
“Uh, guys?” Tad blinked. “Where are you exactly?”
I looked at him and saw the blank look upon his face. It’s the Vanista spell, I thought. He can’t see us.
“We’re still invisible,” I said, turning to Piper and Leandra.
“Well, reverse it,” Leandra replied.
“I don’t know how.”
“I might be able to help.” Tad furrowed his brow and waved his wand. Tawny light flooded into us. “Ahh, much better.”
“You can see us?” I asked.
“Sure can.” He glanced at Leandra, then Piper. “Hey guys. I know I’m probably the last person you want—”
“Don’t talk,” Piper nearly shouted. “Don’t you dare.”
“Piper,” Leandra said softly.
“Don’t Piper me.” She rose to her full height. “He attacked Madkey. He attacked us.”
I saw her anger, her fury. But I also saw pain and question marks in her eyes.
“He and his people attacked Boltstar,” I said gently. “And after what we’ve just seen, can you really blame them?”
Tad exhaled. “I take it you found Womigia?”
I nodded. “And we almost got nabbed in the process.”
He gave me a startled look.
Quickly, I told him about Boltstar’s appearance, the enchanted archive floor, and the alarm bell in the headmaster’s quarters.
“I had no idea,” he said when I was finished. “I must’ve gone in there while he was out and about.”
I shrugged. “Regardless, we know the truth now. We know what really happened on Victory Day.”
“That’s good.” He looked relieved, as if an enormous burden had been lifted from his chest. “That’s something, at least.”
“You shouldn’t have attacked us,” Piper said, her anger beginning to fade. “You should’ve found another way.”
He chuckled darkly. “Like what?”
She frowned.
“No offense, but you’re not one of us. You don’t know what it’s like.”
“So, tell us.” Leandra arched an eyebrow. “What’s it like being a Chaotic magician in this day and age?”
“Pretty awful, actually.” Holstering his wand, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Womigia touches everyone, including us. It influences the way we think about things. When Boltstar changed it, he turned everyone against us.”
I caught a weird hint of anguish in his tone. “Everyone?”
“Yeah, everyone.”
Piper’s eyes widened. Leandra emitted a light gasp.
“We hate ourselves,” he continued. “We know the truth. We know what Boltstar did to our people. But we still hate ourselves. We can’t help it.” He started to choke up and quickly turned away. “I grew up despising myself. Despising myself and my people for something we never did, all because of the stupid collective memory. Do you know what that’s like? Do you know what it’s like to wake up every morning, knowing you’re the worst of the worst?”
Piper cringed. “It sounds awful.”
He sighed. “If Boltstar had just destroyed our ancestors, maybe we could’ve lived with it. Don’t get me wrong. What he did was lousy. He stole our property, our livelihoods, our good names. Still, we could’ve moved on. But having to live each day with the lie that we’re evil villains? That was something else altogether.”
Looking at Tad, I still felt a bit of revulsion toward him. Suspicion, as well. That, I now realized, was because of Womigia. Or rather, because of the changes Boltstar had made to it. I could scarcely imagine how that felt from Tad’s perspective. To labor under the false notion that one was a monster, beyond any hope of redemption. It sounded horrible.
The last trace of Piper’s anger disappeared. Racing forward, she embraced Tad in a big hug. Tears bubbled up and she began to cry.
Taking turns, Tad and I got her and Leandra up to speed. They didn’t ask any questions. In fact, they didn’t say anything at all during the entire story. Instead, their jaws just kept dropping lower and lower to the floor. By the time we were finished, they could barely speak.
“I hate to admit this.” Leandra stared at Tad as if seeing him for the first time. “But I never trusted you. I mean, I tried to. But something about you just …”
“No need to explain,” he replied. “I feel the same way every single day.”
Leandra, Piper, and I filled Tad in on our trip to the archive. We told him about the trap and the ramballs. We told him about my Chaotic spell and our escape. By the time we were done, it was his turn to be nearly speechless.
“So, you did it?” he asked excitedly. “You cast a Chaotic spell?”
I nodded.
“Then it worked.”
“What worked?”
“My plan. You see, you grew up under Structuralism. You believed in it, depended upon it. Even worse, you were taught to despise Chaotic magic. To hate it, to fear it. That’s why I sent you to find Womigia. I needed to open your eyes. I needed to challenge your faith.”
“And that’s why I was able to cast a Chaotic spell?” I frowned as something occurred to me. “But here’s the weird thing. I don’t feel different. I mean, I know the truth. I know what Boltstar did to your people. But it’s
like my brain doesn’t care. The thought of Chaotic magic still puts a bad taste in my mouth.”
He nodded sagely. “Believe me, I understand.”
“So, how do we fix that?” Leandra asked.
“Are you sure you want to help?” He paused. “If it doesn’t work—and there’s a good chance it won’t—you could end up in a whole heap of trouble.”
“Then we’d better make sure it works.”
“Easier said than done. As long as Boltstar is in charge, he’ll be able to counter any changes we make to Womigia.”
“Then we have to take him out of play.” Piper began to pace back and forth. “And he’s not the only one.”
“Oh?”
“While he was searching for us, Boltstar said five people, including him, knew about the archive. I assume he was referring to Galison, MacPherson, Wadflow, and Norch. We have to assume they know how to fix Womigia as well.”
He exhaled. “Terrific. I guess we’ll have to put them out of commission as well.”
“Can you contact your people? Can you bring them back here?”
“I’m still anchored to home. So, I can definitely contact them.” He shrugged. “But they’d need an access point. And I’d be willing to bet Boltstar’s keeping a close eye on the old Madkey Station portal these days.”
“He brought in loads of alumni to watch over it,” I confirmed. “We might have a chance at odd hours, though.”
“There’s another way we could grow our numbers.” Leandra began to pace opposite of Piper. “Remember those Chaotic magicians in the archive? The ones that got drodiated all those years ago? If we could free them somehow …”
“I tried,” he replied. “It didn’t work.”
We talked a little longer, brainstorming all sorts of ideas. Soon, my eyes began to droop. A yawn escaped my lips.
“Let’s sleep on it,” I suggested.
The others murmured their agreement. Leandra, Piper, and I snuck back to the staffer dorm. Splitting off, I climbed into bed. As I pulled the covers over me, I found myself afflicted with a sense of worry. Helping Tad seemed like the right thing to do. But at what cost? How far would I go to do the right thing? Would I risk capture and imprisonment? Would I throw my life away? Truthfully, I wasn’t sure.
