The Obsidian Crown of the Lost Dominion

by Akira Knightley

  “I... actually don’t know, Monty? I suppose we can only wait and see,” Hailey said. “Look, I’m really sorry, I was so excited about my discovery that I couldn’t wait to share it with you. I didn’t think for a minute what my conclusions would mean to you,” she continued, deflated.

  I stood there with my head hung low pretending to stare at the book in my hands.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat that was threatening to burst into a full-blown emotional breakdown, “Hailey, I can’t just sit around while they are possibly killing my parents.”

  “I didn’t want to say this to you but we didn’t really see your parents in reality. That was like a dream. I grant you, it’s a strange dream, but we don’t even know if that was real? It could be the product of wishful thinking.”

  “I don’t buy it! I know my parents are still alive!” I shouted. I felt so bad doing that but I needed to say that. I needed to make her believe. I needed to believe.

  “Monty, don’t. It’s been almost a month and a half. The police say the likelihood of finding someone—”

  “I know what they say and they have already decided I murdered them!” I yelled. My arms wrapped so hard around my books that they hurt. I didn’t know what else to do. I just needed to get the rage out of my system. I stood and slapped the book from the table. I stepped away from her as the book rattled on the concrete floor.

  I was almost as surprised as Hailey with what I did. I felt so ashamed for doing it but I felt so trapped by my circumstances. But I couldn’t apologize to Hailey. Doing so could mean she was right, and it was a possibility I couldn’t, wouldn’t allow.

  Hailey stood there in shock with her empty hands in front of her. She looked at me, shook her head, and looked down at the book lying on the floor.

  “So they are not even looking, are they? It’s only up to you and me to find them and if you won’t help me, then I have to do it on my own,” I said.

  “I’m not saying I’m not going to help. I’m just saying...I just don’t want you to have high hopes that may never materialize,” she answered quietly.

  “I get it. But, Hailey, even with all this information, we can’t do anything until we find someone who is a Xana. We can’t go up against them without one,” I said, still somehow unable to bring myself to apologize.

  “Let’s just drop it. You’re right, there’s not much we can do right now,” she said in a voice that was cold and devoid of emotion.

  “Hailey, please understand...” I started to say but I couldn’t finish it.

  She looked at me, waiting for an apology that didn’t come. She shook her head again and got down on her knees to pick up the book. She checked it for any damages as she said, “Actually, I was wondering if you might be up to visiting Dr. McGrath. We haven’t seen her and Kieran since we left them with the paramedics. Maybe we can ask her where we could find other Xanas.”

  I was glad for the change of subject and said, “That’s a good idea. Maybe we can ask her about what this means too. I mean, she’s the only magic ... Xana, we know. I mean, aside from the Victorian ghost and he doesn’t qualify as a person,” I quickly followed up.

  “Why don’t you come over tonight and we can read the book together. I might have missed something,” Hailey said, pushing the book back into her backpack.

  “Yeah, let’s go after class.”

  “What about detention?” she asked.

  “Look, Hailey, my uncle has only five days left to prove my innocence or I get charged. My uncle is brilliant but he’s not a Xana. I can’t afford to sit in detention.”

  “Hospital it is then,” she said.

  CHAPTER 16

  The Sorceress

  I woke up in a dark cave. It was the same cave with the jagged crack running from the dome all the way through the floor. I saw Hailey right away. She had her back to the wall of the cave a few feet behind me. I motioned for her to follow me.

  “How did we get here?” I asked.

  “You tell me, Monty. All I remember is that we went to the hospital and found out that they don’t have a record of the doctor. So we went to your house to study the book while we were waiting for your uncle to take us to check if the doctor is at her house,” she answered.

  “We must have fallen asleep or passed out somewhere.”

  “Well, that’s comforting,” Hailey said sarcastically.

  Then we saw the same flickering of torchlight in the circle. We went towards it, careful not to make any sound.

  In the midst of the circle stood a woman so bent with age she was stooping over a cane. Her hands were so gnarled and her nails so overgrown that they looked like claws. She wore a threadbare robe of dark gray with a hood fully covering her face. Hanging from her belt made of rope was a dagger. In her left hand, we saw a hideous black crown.

  “That must be the Sorceress,” I said.

  Hailey nodded in understanding. “And that must be the Obsidian Crown.”

  I nodded.

  In front of the Sorceress was Dr. McGrath. She was kneeling. She looked like they had been beating her. Her right shoulder slumped down as if broken.

  Behind her were three hooded men, this time with swords in their hands.

  “I’m glad we figured out how the Kerberian Box works. As you can see we were able to open it and I hold the crown in my hand.” The old woman raised it with a shaking hand. Her voice quivered as she spoke. “But you will also see,” she paused. She turned to the Obsidian Crown The crown floated in the air momentarily and sailed across the room, stopping over Dr. McGrath’s head.

  “Please don’t do this.” The doctor’s voice was quivering in fear. She cowered away from the crown.

  I gasped and grabbed Hailey’s arm. “No! That crown will kill her!”

  “What? How do you know?” Hailey said in alarm.

  My memory was flooded with the vision of the hollowed skull of the petrified king.

  “I’ve seen it before.”

  “When? Nevermind, this is not the time. We need to help them,” Hailey said.

  I nodded and braced myself for the attack.

  We were about to rush in when the Sorceress pushed the crown down onto the doctor’s head. “Take it off of me! Please!” the doctor screamed in terror.

  Hailey pulled me back. “It’s too late!”

  Shivers ran down my spine. Cold sweat tricked from my temples. I stood still waiting for the doctor to turn to ash. Instead, the croaky voice of the Sorceress rang out “It does not work!” she said, emphasizing each word. “Now, all you have to do is tell me how it works and all this pain will end.”

  “I don’t know how it works,” Doctor McGrath groaned, her voice hoarse. “Please, stop hurting me. I don’t know.”

  In a blur, the Sorceress was in front of her face and slapped her. Dr. McGrath fell over. The crown toppled to the ground. The Sorceress pointed one crooked finger at her and made it sail back to the table.

  “What about you?” she asked, addressing someone else.

  “I... I ...don’t know anything. Please! Let me go!” came an almost inaudible answer.

  I noticed a bundle of clothes on the right-hand side of Dr. McGrath.

  One of the hooded guys pulled him up and took off the sack over his head. When his face was revealed, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Kieran’s face was bloodied beyond recognition.

  Dr. McGrath started to sit back up. “Leave him alone. He doesn’t know anything. If you release me, I can ask Abigail. I can put her back under hypnosis. But you have to promise me that you will let them go. I will not be party to murders.”

  Hailey and I looked at each other in shock. Quickly, I looked at the cave and anything that could lead me back to it.

  Then, there it was again. I knew someone else was here. I could feel their presence.

  I looked at Hailey. The
frightened look in her eyes could only mean she felt the presence as well.

  “Hailey, let’s go, there’s someone else here with us,” I whispered.

  She nodded at me and moved closer to follow me.

  I saw a glimmer of light at the end of another tunnel. “This way.”

  Barely breathing in fear, we briskly walked towards the light. It felt like we were never going to get through the tunnel. A few minutes later, we arrived at the tunnel’s opening.

  As we emerged out into the light of the moon, I looked back in the direction of where I thought we came from and there, on top of the hill, was a dilapidated mansion. It was at the end of the street, cracked from the top to the very foundation. I looked around but I didn’t recognize anything else.

  I closed my eyes to see if I could hear or feel anything from the presence. It was unmistakable. The presence was right behind us. I opened my eyes and grabbed Hailey with both hands.

  “Hailey, we are being followed. Whoever it is, he or she is very close. We need to get out of this dream. We have to wake up. We need to wake up!”

  Hailey took my shoulders and shook me violently. “Ouch!” I said feeling my neck protest against the force.

  “Well that didn’t work. Sorry,” she said, shrugging.

  Then I heard a chime and somebody calling my name. “Abi, I’m here. Abigail? Hello.” The male voice was reaching me in near-undiscernable echoes. It was coming in louder but not nearer.

  “Hey, can you hear that?” I said.

  “No, what is it?”

  “Little bells ringing like a wind chime and someone calling my name.”

  “Riiight, did you eat today, because you’re sounding a little cray-cray,” she said.

  “Abi, are you home?” said the male voice again. I realized it was not coming from the cave. “I think it’s my uncle, at the door! He’s going to find us unconscious,” I said. Panicking, I slapped Hailey hard and all of a sudden we found ourselves sprawled in my living room where we had fallen unconsious.

  “We better find a less violent way to wake up next time,” Hailey said, holding her cheek.

  “Sorry, I really am.”

  I heard my uncle’s voice again. This time it was very loud and impatient. He was outside at the front door.

  “Yes, Uncle Jake, We’re coming!” I yelled back.

  We rushed out to see him at the door about to ring the doorbell again.

  “Where have you been? And what’s so important?” he said in a huff.

  “Could you please drive us to Dr. McGrath’s house? I think I’m getting some memory back and I must see her right away. I just don’t want to lose them again,” I said in a pleading voice, before he could ask anymore questions as to why I hadn’t answered the door.

  That mollified him he walked back to the car, while pointing at me and Hailey to the passenger side. “Get in! She will be happy with this news.”

  When we got there, my uncle went up to ring the doorbell. After a few tries he asked us to come with him to the house in case she was with a client. While he was waiting at the front, we slipped around the back to check.

  “Looks like she’s not here either. With her office ransacked by the Trifama, I wouldn’t be surprised if she left town,” my uncle said.

  “Why do you think the mob is responsible for the attack?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve been hearing rumors about her mob connection but nothing concrete. Look, you might as well hear this from me, but somehow the press learned about her and the mob and are now saying that the doctor is training you to take over your father’s business, whatever that means,” he said wearily.

  “Wow, the rumor mill just doesn’t stop, does it? I said sarcastically.

  “No, it doesn’t. Just hang in there, kiddo. They can’t prove anything. Let me take both of you home.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Jake. Hailey is staying the night. We have a lot of homework to do.”

  Hailey and I got in the car and none of us spoke until we got home.

  “Poor Uncle Jake. He doesn’t even know what he’s really up against,” I said as I waved goodbye at him and closed the front door.

  “What are we going to do now? It’s one step forward, two steps back,” Hailey asked.

  “We are out of cards, we don’t have the box, and it’s been opened, and they have the crown.”

  “Worse, if the dream is true, then you’re right. It does sound like they might still have your parents and the doctor and Kieran! We have no one left.” I could hear the desperation in Hailey’s voice.

  This time, I was the one on the cautious side. “The doctor said “them”, we don’t really know who else in that cage.” But even when I said those words, my heart skipped but dared not let myself hope that my parents were still alive.

  Hailey had the book out and we were both pouring over it inch by inch. We kept talking about the different translations of words but after a while we got so tired, we decided to call it quits and get some sleep.

  It had been hours since the flashing red letters “T minus 4” projected itself on my bedroom ceiling, yet I laid on my bed staring at it, very much wide awake. It was a futile attempt for rest and I knew that. It was just we’d been working so hard on this and it seemed we were always one step behind the Sorceress. I decided to make use of what time I still had by going through the book. I was not as fast at reading but as Hailey had been teaching me what she knew, I could piece a few things together. I grabbed the book and went to the kitchen. I pulled the rest of the birthday cake from the refrigerator and started to pick on one of mocha flavored flower icing using my finger.

  “I’m down to four days to prove my innocence and I have nothing. All my friends are either abducted or cannot be trusted, except for Hailey. What am I going to do?” I said out loud.

  “Do you want me to answer that or is this a private convo?” Hailey said.

  I smiled and pointed at a chair with my cake-covered finger.

  “Can’t sleep either, huh?” Hailey appeared in the kitchen.

  “Nope, T minus 4 days and counting before they slap on my new bracelets. Detective Dewitt is not going to give my uncle any leniency. He’s convinced he’s got his murderer already.”

  “Fork?” Hailey asked as she handed me plastic fork from the sink.

  “Sure. I wasn’t really planning on being civilized.”

  “I wasn’t worried about civility. I’m just worried you will eat the whole cake and nothing for me,” she retorted.

  “Thanks, Hailey. I’m really glad you’re here.”

  “No worries. Kidding aside, I’m sure your uncle is working up a good defense but yes, I understand that he doesn’t know what he’s really dealing with. Magic.” She made her fingers flutter in the air as she said the word. “Yup, it’s you and me and the book of lines.” She pulled the book towards her and tried to look at it with a handheld magnifier.

  “I know we went to Dr. McGrath’s and she’s not there. But that doesn’t mean the dream is true,” she said.

  “Well, we haven’t found Kieran,” I answered.

  She looked up at me, fork hanging from her mouth. “Yes, but we also haven’t looked for him really.”

  “Ok, so let’s just say that both of them are captured. Who else is there? We only told Taylor about the crown and the dream with the Sorceress in it. No one else knows.”

  “I’m sure she told Blaise. Why wouldn’t she?” Hailey said while cutting another piece of the cake with her fork.

  “True,” I said.

  “Do you think Blaise and Taylor are with the Sorceress?” she said, still dangling the piece of cake on her fork.

  “I don’t know anymore. All I know is if I don’t get that crown or find out how to make it work, I have nothing to bargain with and we stand to lose everyone.”

  �
�First thing tomorrow, we find Kieran,” Hailey said.

  “Agreed.” I nodded.

  “But before we go, this might be a good time for you to tell me how you know about the crown,” she said.

  I was caught by surprise with the question. I know her irreverence and flippant attitude can be off-putting but she has a right to know. After all, I ask her to risk her scholarship, her relationship with her mother, not to mention her life to help me with my own dilemma.

  So, I told her what the Kerberian Box and the crown showed me that day in the Sanctuary.

  “Good to know,” she said and she finally put the fork into her mouth and ate the last piece of cake.

  CHAPTER 17

  Taylor’s Dilemma

  “So where is Kieran? Did you beat him up again?” Hailey said.

  “What are you talking about? I have not seen him. I don’t know why you two buy everything that guy tells you. You’re so gullible,” Blaise said.

  “And you are a mean bully! Now, where’s Kieran?” I said.

  “Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time, I don’t know!” Blaise said as he saw Taylor walking towards us. He got up and started to meet her halfway.

  “Where were you last night then? Around midnight?” I asked.

  “None of your business!” Blaise said as he reached out and put his arm around Taylor.

  “And Taylor? Where were you?” Hailey asked.

  “Well, why should I tell you? Are you about to accuse me of being one of the hooded figures too?” she barked at her.

  “Well that’s interesting because Taylor knew about the crown, and you and her were both missing last night,” Hailey said, pointing at the two of them.

  “So, maybe we were on a date, something you two wouldn’t know anything about!” Blaise spat on the ground.

  “C’mon, Blaise, lets go. This is not worth it,” Taylor said, pulling Blaise away.

  “Really?” Hailey asked as she folded her arms over her chest. “And what time did this date end? After you kidnapped the doctor and Kieran? Or after you beat them up?”