by David Meyer
My eyes widened. “My parents?”
He nodded.
“But MacPherson promised—”
“Professor MacPherson promised no harm would come to them. And it won’t. They’ll be perfectly safe at Gutlore.”
“They’re innocent,” Tad said. “They didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know. Unfortunately, it’s not what they’ve done that concerns me. It’s what they might do.” He sighed. “People will go to great lengths to help a loved one. Just like you, Mr. Crucible. You risked everything to get your people into Madkey.”
“Can you blame me?” He gave Boltstar a close look. “Do you even know what you did to us?”
The headmaster gave him a curious look.
“The changes you made to Womigia made everyone hate the Chaotics.” Tad exhaled. “And I do mean everyone.”
“You mean …?”
“Yeah. We hate ourselves. We can’t help it.”
“I see. Well, I sympathize with your plight, Mr. Crucible. I do. Unfortunately, I had no other choice. It wasn’t enough to defeat the Chaotic leaders. I needed to kill their philosophy. And to do that, I had to turn everyone against it.”
“And for all your trouble, it didn’t work,” I pointed out. “Chaotics is still alive.”
“Indeed. But not for long.”
“Don’t you get it?” Tad said. “You can’t kill an idea.”
“Oh, but I can, Mr. Crucible.” Boltstar wiped sweat off of the back of his neck. “Your people are the only true advocates left. Once they’re gone, the Chaotic philosophy will wither away once and for all.”
Tad shook his head. Meanwhile, I glanced at the open door. Galison and the others stood just outside it, wands drawn and ready for action.
“Professor Galison.” Boltstar glanced over his shoulder. “Please take Mr. Crucible to Torso. The Upper-Torso bridge, specifically. Prepare him to be fraptized.”
Galison hiked into the room. Gripping Tad by the shoulder, he directed him toward the doorway. “Don’t worry,” he said with a sneer. “You won’t feel a thing.”
Tad tried to shrug him off, but the man’s grip was strong as steel. “Why are you doing this?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” The headmaster turned to leave. “Remember this moment, gentlemen. For the next time you see each other, you’ll both be drodiated.”
Chapter 52
As soon as they were gone, I tried the door. Finding it locked, I pounded on it with all of my might. But no one came to my aide.
The reality of the situation sank in and I slumped to the ground. This was it. There would be no escape, no way out.
A couple of soft blasts rang out, followed by agonized grunts. Puzzled, I crawled to the door. Placing my ear against the cool metal, I listened hard.
Seconds later, the bolt clanked open. The knob started to turn. Balling up my fists, I hid behind the door.
It swung ajar and footsteps clattered into the semi-dark room. I waited three seconds, then leapt out. A silhouetted figure stood in front of me. Grabbing its shoulders, I shoved the figure up against a wall.
“Ease up there.” A hand touched my arm. “It’s just us.”
“Leandra?” Squinting, I peered at the figure in front of me. “Piper?”
She peeled my hands off her shoulders and gave me an appraising look. “Who else?”
Surprised, I spun toward the open doorway. Norch and Wadflow lay sprawled on the floor, unmoving.
I blinked. “You knocked them out?”
Leandra released my arm. She clutched Norch’s and Wadflow’s wands in her other hand. “Of course.”
“But how?”
“It was easy.” She shrugged. “I think they’re still recovering from Tad’s sleeping curses.”
They’d taken an enormous risk. Part of me wanted to scold them and part of me wanted to thank them profusely. But instead, I hurried to the door. Turning my head in either direction, I scanned the exterior hallway. It was empty. Turning my gaze toward the ramp, I checked the field and the bleachers. Again, I saw no one. “Boltstar’s got Tad. He’s going to fraptize him.”
“Why?” Leandra asked.
“He didn’t say.”
Piper furrowed her brow. “It must have something to do with the curfew.”
“Curfew?”
She nodded. “Boltstar ordered students and staffers back to their dorms over an hour ago.”
“What about the faculty?”
“They’re gathered in Torso with the alumni.” Leandra exhaled. “We think they’re preparing to go after the Chaotics.”
“Then why fraptize Tad?” I wondered. “Boltstar already has his anchor.”
“Maybe they’re going to use him as a distraction,” Piper suggested.
“Why bother? They’ve already got the element of surprise.”
We stood there for a few moments, puzzled. Finally, she shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is stopping that attack.”
“How are we going to do that?” I wondered.
“This should help.” Leandra tossed me Norch’s wand. As soon as it left her fingers, she winced. “Sorry. I forgot.”
I fumbled for the wand, then grabbed hold of it. Lifting it to my eyes, I gave it a long look.
“Give it a shot,” Piper urged. “Who knows? Maybe Boltstar didn’t get all of your magic.”
My eyes closed over. I searched my soul for magic, but came up empty. Grunting softly, I focused on my emotions. They remained quite dull, but with some effort I was able to churn them into a reasonable facsimile of the right combination. My wand didn’t move on instinct, so I maneuvered it myself.
“Herd Crash,” I said.
I waited for a few seconds, hoping against hope that I’d see auburn light. But nothing happened.
Piper’s jaw twisted with disappointment. Leandra emitted a soft sigh.
With a deep exhalation, I pocketed the wand. “Well, at least we know.”
“We should get going,” Piper said.
“First, we need a plan,” Leandra replied. “We can’t very well run into Torso, casting spells left and right. The faculty and alumni will crush us.”
“They can’t crush us if we don’t fight,” Piper replied, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
Leandra gave her a questioning look.
“Boltstar’s army will have to travel through the Floating Abyss, right? So, we’ll go with them. When we get to wherever we’re going, we’ll sneak ahead and warn the Chaotics. That’ll give them time to evacuate.”
She looked thoughtful. “You know, that just might work. But what if they see us?”
“They probably will.” She gave us a pointed look. “Once we do this, there’s a good chance we’ll spend the rest of our lives on the run.”
“Send bubblers to your parents,” I told them. “Tell them to go someplace safe.”
They looked at me.
“Trust me.”
They exchanged glances. “We’ll do it before we leave,” Piper said.
“Three dropouts on one side. The greatest magicians in the world on the other one.” Leandra chuckled darkly. “We must be crazy.”
“Indeed.” I gave them a meaningful look. “Now, let’s get to work.”
Chapter 53
Sweat dripped down my cheeks as we slipped into Lower Torso. It was late now and quite dark. In fact, it was far darker than normal. Looking around, I saw every single cool-light in the area had been extinguished.
Steering clear of moonlight, I eyed the cavernous space. Madkey Station Grille’s tables and chairs were unoccupied. The Lower-Torso bridge was completely vacant. The Upper-Torso bridge also appeared empty. But the Mid-Torso bridge was another story.
“They’re above us. Galison, MacPherson, Lellpoppy, Hunt …” I scanned the faces for Boltstar. Oddly enough, I didn’t see him. “What are they waiting for?”
“Don’t know.” Brow furrowed, Leandra scanned the rest of Torso. “Look,” she whispered. “U
p there.”
Following her gaze, I saw Tad. He stood at the very edge of the Upper-Torso bridge, near the entrance to Left Arm. His eyes were unfocused and he looked dazed. A few seconds passed. Then he lifted a wand.
“What’s he doing?” I wondered.
Piper bit her lip. “Whatever Boltstar wants him to do.”
My gaze shifted back a few feet and I caught a glimpse of Boltstar. His body was shifting this way and that, in perfect time with Tad’s movements.
“Tad’s been fraptized, alright,” Leandra said, clenching her fingers into fists.
A tawny hue appeared, seemingly from Tad’s wand. But in actuality, I could see it came from just behind him, from Boltstar’s wand. Apparently, the headmaster hadn’t just taken Tad’s magic. He’d taken his spell color as well.
The tawny glow sped out to the Grille and began to wrap itself around the ancient conveyance station. It wrapped once, then twice. It soared around for a third time, gradually covering every inch of the mystical energy.
“They’re making it look like Tad’s handiwork.” Piper frowned. “But why?”
“Because they’re not invading the Chaotics.” Leandra’s tone turned breathless. “They’re luring them here.”
Her explanation sped through my brain and I knew it was true. Boltstar wasn’t planning to attack the Chaotics on their turf. Instead, he was going to draw them to Madkey. That was why he needed Tad. The remaining Chaotics would be wary after the last battle. They’d enter Torso with great caution, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. Seeing Tad would put them at ease. Heck, Boltstar could even force him to speak, to tell the Chaotics everything was fine. And everything would be fine. That is, until Boltstar decided to launch his ambush.
“They’ve got the high ground,” Leandra said slowly.
“The havoc crest, too,” Piper pointed out. “When the ambush starts, the Chaotics will be out in the open, totally exposed.”
“We have to warn them,” I said.
Leandra and Piper exchanged a glance. “I think we can manage that,” Leandra said with surprising confidence.
“But we’ll still need to get them out of harm’s way,” Piper added.
“So, we’ll tell them to return home,” I said. “Before Boltstar can close the station.”
She shook her head. “He’ll just use the anchor to follow them. No, they’ve got to fight.”
Leandra’s gaze drifted across the Lower-Torso bridge. “We could steer them to the library. Plenty of space, lots of places to hide.
“They could regroup in there, then launch a counter-attack.” Piper looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she frowned. “It’s a good idea. But that’s a long way to go, considering they’ll be under fire the entire time.”
“So, we’ll offer up a distraction.”
“That could work. But someone still needs to get them into the library.”
“I’ll do it,” I volunteered.
Piper turned my way. Her hair hung in damp, frazzled curls. Smudges of grease and dirt dotted her clothing. She looked totally helpless, yet completely unbeatable.
“Forget it,” she said.
“Somebody’s got to do it. And since I can’t do magic, it might as well be me.”
She shook her head. “You won’t be able to protect yourself. And—”
“And it’s our best chance,” I said softly.
She exhaled. “If you get hurt …”
“I won’t.”
“We need to get ready.” Leandra patted my shoulder. “Good luck.”
“You, too.”
She darted to the nearest hoist. Piper lingered for an extra moment. Suddenly, she lunged at me. Her head burrowed into my chest. Her arms folded around me and I felt a tight squeeze along with a surge of positivity.
As it washed over me, I felt stirrings of joy and gratitude. The emotions came from deep inside, from a place that I’d thought was empty. Surprised, I hugged her back.
She released me, then retreated a few feet. She didn’t cry or sob or anything like that. Instead, she fixed me with a tough glare.
“Take care of yourself,” she warned. “Or else.”
“I will. And do me a favor.” I grinned. “Make Boltstar regret he ever taught you havoc magic.”
With a nod, she darted to the hoist. She slipped inside of it and it sped silently up to Upper-Torso.
The tawny glow continued to surge until it had completely enveloped the ancient conveyance station. Then it began to pulse and throb, faster and faster.
A shadowy figure materialized within the Grille. It belonged to a woman, approximately twenty years of age. She wore a purple shirt and a long green skirt. Her shoes had little buckles on them and looked freshly polished.
A chair rose up from Lower-Torso and caught the woman. Panicked, she emitted a light gasp. Then she gave her legs a little kick. The chair shifted sideways a few inches. She kicked again and the chair slid in the opposite direction.
Hovering in mid-air, she set her jaw and clenched her wand in a steely grip. Then she trained her eyes on the bridges. Her gaze settled on Tad. Fraptized by Boltstar, he gave her a calming wave with his free hand. Then he lifted his finger to his mouth, shushing her. Her jaw relaxed and she lowered her wand.
More shadowy figures appeared. The early arrivals were a young bunch, ranging from the teens to the thirties. Older folks were next to arrive.
Chairs rose up to grab each and every one of them. Silently, the Chaotics conducted quick checks of the area. At first, they were tense and uneasy. But as they caught sight of Tad, they relaxed a bit.
The flow of new arrivals started to slow. I did a quick count of the Chaotics. There were roughly forty of them. How many more were coming? Another dozen or so? It couldn’t be much more than that.
Ducking down, I hurried across the Lower-Torso bridge. Time, I knew, was short. If I didn’t get them to safety in the next few minutes, they’d be finished.
Chapter 54
As I hustled across the stone bridge, Norch’s wand rode up in my pocket. Annoyed, I pushed it back down.
The air sizzled just as I reached the library. Looking over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of aureolin light. A grunt rang out. Slowly, the tawny glow began to unravel from the ancient conveyance station.
Going after Boltstar himself, huh? I couldn’t help but grin. Gutsy move, Leandra.
Almost immediately, the Chaotics knew something was wrong. Gathering in a tight group, they scanned the bridges.
“They must be on to us,” Galison shouted. “Attack!”
Stewart turned her attention to the Upper-Torso bridge. Spotting Leandra, she fired off a quick spell. Stone crunched and metal squealed. Leandra yelped. Then part of the bridge broke away, the debris crashing near Stewart’s feet.
I raced to the railing and peered up. Through the smoke and dust, I saw Leandra hanging from the broken bridge. Her legs kicked for purchase and she was starting to make some headway. But Stewart was ready for her. Shifting her wand, the professor readied another spell.
A raspberry-colored jet came screaming down from another section of the Upper-Torso bridge. It hit Stewart’s hand and she dropped her wand. Caught by surprise, she took a stumbling step backward, then crashed onto her rear.
Leaping onto a chair, I rode it out into the Grille. “Follow me,” I shouted. “And hurry.”
The Chaotics got the message and raced after me. Waves of magic, all the colors of the rainbow, assailed them. A young girl, no more than fourteen, slumped in her chair. A quick peek revealed she’d been hit by the Gratlan. Evidently, Boltstar and his allies were playing for keeps.
Stopping my chair just short of the bridge, I pointed at the library. “In there.”
A bunch of Chaotics leapt to the bridge. Wands aimed high, they fired spells at the faculty and alumni. Farther up, I heard Leandra and Piper calling to each other. I strained my ears, but couldn’t make out their words.
Other Chaotics reached the bridge and ran
for the library. Throwing the doors open, they disappeared inside. Meanwhile, the faculty and alumni mounted chairs and zoomed out into the open. They began hurling spells at the library.
Keeping a low profile, I rode my chair into the middle of the Grille. Sticking close to the curving glass windows, I turned my attention to the Upper-Torso bridge.
Boltstar stood on one side of it. Looking serene, he aimed a spell at a fleeing Piper and Leandra. He missed and his magic hit the stonework in front of them. An explosion rang out as another section of the bridge collapsed.
My friends skidded to a halt. With the bridge broken on either side, their options were limited. So, they scrambled toward the railing, ready to leap into the Grille.
Looking determined now, the headmaster shifted his wand and I knew he wouldn’t miss again. Maneuvering my knees, I directed my chair toward the ceiling. “Hey, Boltstar,” I bellowed. “Up here.”
His wand paused as he caught sight of me. Then he leapt off the bridge. A chair flew up and he landed neatly on its seat. He directed it out into the open, stopping just a few feet from me.
I shot a quick glimpse at Piper and Leandra. They were still on the bridge, looking dazed, but okay. My gaze twisted to Tad. He sat on the ground, holding his head in his hands. Clearly, he was no longer under Boltstar’s control.
“Hello again, Mr. Wolf.” Boltstar gave me a long look. “I see that I underestimated you.”
My mind went blank. I had no idea what to do, what to say. All I could think about was how I was facing the greatest magician of all time without a lick of magic to call my own. Had I lost my mind?
I felt Norch’s wand in my pocket. Even though it was useless, I held it up anyway.
He arched an amused eyebrow. “Tell me something, Mr. Wolf. Just what do you hope to accomplish here?”
“Peace.” I inhaled a slow breath. “Let’s lower our wands, see if we can’t figure this out, wizard to wizard.”
“And just how would that work?”
“We could start by telling the truth and restoring Womigia, warts and all.”
“I’m afraid that’s a non-starter, Mr. Wolf.”
