Armageddon's Ward

by T J Kelly

  Now my faith was incinerated as my veins filled with acid, spilling into my chest and filling me with burning pain. I was raging, in agony, jealous and hurt. Then Clarissa slid her hand around the back of Chas’s neck and pulled him closer. Chas lifted her up and pressed her against him, kissing her deeply and wholly, the same way he had kissed me.

  The acid inside of me overflowed and came out as a shriek.

  Darkness clouded my vision. I couldn’t hear over the thundering of my heart. My eyes were pouring, and I was screaming, giving away my position. But I didn’t care. I would rather die than accept that Chas didn’t mean it when he said loved me.

  I thought it was the truth. I thought he had meant it. I fell to my knees in agony. Why? Why did he do it? Why did he betray me?

  Choking, I gasped and wiped the tears out of my eyes with a corner of my sleeve. I looked up at him again, but I had fallen sideways, and it wasn’t the Taine’s suite I saw. It was my own.

  Peony was by the windows again. Her hands were pounding against the glass, and she was yelling. It shocked me out of my stupor and my vision cleared. My aunt was always so gentle and vague. I had never seen her so frantic before. I looked around trying to see what scared her so badly.

  The Taines were running in my direction. The crowd was shouting, too.

  I scrambled to my feet. No time to grieve, no time to be jealous, no time to stay there and actually let myself die. Especially because of a boy. A boy I loved, and his betrayal. I needed to get a grip on myself. So I turned and ran.

  Booing and shouts filled the air. The crowd was angry and worried and wondering why I was such a coward and maybe wondering why I was such a crybaby.

  The massive television screens dangling above the field showed a replay of Clarissa and Chas kissing and me falling to my knees. Leave it to the media to figure that out so quickly.

  I checked my internal map spell for a good place to hide. Running a few dozen feet, I dove head-first into a pool of water, deep and black, yet pure. No plants or creatures lurked in its depths. It was freezing cold, though, with a thin film of ice across the top that broke as I jumped in. Another boulder stood between the Taines and me. They didn’t see me dive.

  I used a spell to create a bubble of air around my head, so I could breathe, then furiously swam deeper until I reached the bottom of the pool. There I sat motionless, gripping the rocky sand at the bottom to keep myself from floating to the surface. I tapped into the element of Fire inside of me to keep warm.

  Flares shot into the air around the pool, explosions of light in all directions, but none of my rivals thought to look for me in the water.

  My plan worked. They must have believed my elements were Light and Air. Since I was in the water and it was dark, I was safe from discovery. Neither would be possible if I were limited to only those two elements.

  I struggled to push my agony over Chas’s betrayal out of my head. Then I remembered the trick of it was to fill my mind with something else. I chose shame. That worked easily since I was already ashamed that I cried and humiliated myself in such a public way. I was embarrassed that I had been acting like a love-struck fool instead of portraying myself as a young woman capable of running a magical global company.

  And I hated myself for it.

  I had lost the goodwill of the audience by that point. I reminded myself that meant I didn’t have to care about them anymore. Still, it bothered me. Then I shook it off. I needed to gain control over myself and move on with the plan. Thinking about how many people I might have disappointed wasn’t helpful.

  It wasn’t until I normalized and felt safe enough to emerge from the water that I realized the bells had finished marking the entry schedule. All of my rivals were in the ring. I also realized that some of the flashes and explosions weren’t the Taines searching for me. Some were from the Taines destroying everyone else’s workstations.

  Oh, well. At least it hadn’t been me.

  I didn’t care that my workstation was gone. I had what I needed. If it weren’t for my concern for the Robus family, our longest-standing allies, I would have no issues with the rest of the competitors being denied access to tools and supplies. Still, it was a dirty trick and made my lip curl in disgust.

  Leaning into my map spell, I searched out where my rivals were standing. They surrounded me on all sides. I couldn’t be positive, but a couple of teams seemed to have formed a temporary alliance to take me out first. The Robus teammates had been the only ones who saw the Taines destroy the workbenches. Oberon made sure to obliterate his workbench, too, so there was no reason why the Spiniger clan would think the Taines had betrayed them already.

  I took a peek at my family suite again, and there they watched, my friends and family, all the people in the world I cared about the most. Peter waved at me. He placed his hand on his heart and bowed. I looked to the left as Mort and Armageddon did the same. And Peony, by the windows still, back to looking sweet and kind and gentle again, smiling her encouragement.

  Throwing my arms out wide like I wanted to hug them, which of course I did, I started to spin, fast, faster, until I looked like a dark, shadowy blur. Then I slammed my hands into the ground.

  I froze in place, panting and trembling. I raised my eyes. By the looks on the faces of my rivals, and the screams, cheers, and boos from the crowd, I could tell it worked. Checking the massive television screens, I saw that sure enough, the cameras were moving, focusing in and out. Yet the screen remained empty.

  Nobody could see me.

  The cameras couldn’t find me. My rivals frantically searched the area, several team members running off in different directions, looking for me. But I was nowhere to be found. My shielded skin was magically undetectable. And the spell I just cast had rendered me essentially invisible to the naked eye. Every part of me was reflecting and projecting everything around me. It was as if I wasn’t kneeling on the ground any longer. As if I didn’t exist anymore at all.

  I stood slowly, making sure I didn’t make a sound, although I doubted anyone would be able to hear me over the crowd. I wiped my face, which was still wet with tears. I took one last look at the Taine family suite, and there was Chas, standing alone by the windows. Clarissa had left. Something about how he was standing made my heart thump painfully. Once. Twice.

  His face was blank, unreadable, but the set of his shoulders, the stillness of his body - I had seen that once before. He had looked the same way when he told me about the day he was banished, cut off from everyone and everything he loved. The look when he told me about how he felt right before Armageddon saved him.

  Chas was devastated.

  I still believed in him. And in spite of everything they tried, I was going to win. I would beat the family who had hurt him. Who had hurt me. Then I would walk up to him, and ask him why he told his father about us, and ask why he kissed Clarissa and hurt me like that. Then I would give him hell about it.

  Right before I forgave him.

  And then he’d come back to me.

  With that plan firmly set in my mind, I made myself a promise to never again believe anything Oberon said. Now was the time for me to get serious and prove I was the best person to run Rector Enterprises. People were counting on me.

  I walked over to the boulder where I had been hiding and climbed on top of it to watch my competitors fight each other instead of me. They might have planned to take me out first, but I had my own plans. I forced them to fight each other instead. Then once they were down to the last team, it would be my turn.

  TWENTY-NINE

  The Battle

  The Taines and the Spinigers attacked the Robus family. I wasn’t surprised. We knew alliances may be formed in the ring. This scenario was the one Mort thought was likeliest, but knowing that didn’t make me worry less. I wasn’t sure the Taines would leave the Robus family alive. There was no reason to kill them, but I didn’t trust dark magicians to control themselves.

  They were near the suites in the north. My position o
n the boulder gave me a great view of what was happening. The six Spinigers fanned out behind the Robus family who chose to face the Taines. I didn’t blame them. I wouldn’t want Oberon or his relatives at my back, either. Only three made up the Robus team in the trials. Their chances were almost as bad as mine. I trembled, my fear for them greater than for myself.

  “Search for the girl,” Oberon ordered. All four of his sons ran in a different direction, each following a line of the compass. I recognized the magical search pattern, a tactic Mort taught me called “quartering the compass.” They weren’t going to find me that way, though, since I was standing right there in front of them.

  That left the Robus family facing Oberon and his three brothers, with the Spinigers behind them. Ten versus three. It didn’t bode well for their safety.

  “Shall we duel?” Jonathon Robus offered. Dueling was purposeful and guided by rules. No dark magician would agree to a duel in round two. It made no sense that Jonathon suggested it, even if the flat, sandy field on which they stood was perfect for such an activity.

  Oberon let out an ugly, nasty laugh. His answer was to create a fireball and throw it at Jonathon’s face.

  Jonathon’s brothers threw handfuls of sand into the air, using magic to spin the particles into a thin layer of protection the fireball couldn’t penetrate. Then the two of them peeled off, one to the left and one to the right. They turned to face the Spinigers behind them, who were holding crystals in various colors.

  So many spells, but not enough time or manpower to counter them all. Why didn’t Jonathon take his brothers and run? There was nothing to be gained by standing their ground like that. They were honorable fighters, sure, but they weren’t stupid.

  In a rainbow clash of explosions, the Spinigers threw their spells, and the Robus brothers dropped to their knees to avoid the worst of it. A good tactic, although I wasn’t sure they were going to be able to regain their feet.

  “Tut, tut, Domitorem Lux,” Jonathon said, calling Oberon by his magician name. Vanquisher of Light. Oberon’s name took on added meaning now that I knew their secret power source.

  Jonathon’s lip was bleeding, and he and his two brothers were panting. They held their palms up, and I could see the shimmer of their shield trace. The Spinigers pelted them with spells, again and again, trying to break through their magic. Harold, Oberon’s brother, finally forced his way through their shield physically.

  Jonathon was the fighter while his two brothers concentrated on protection. He struggled to his feet and met Harold head on. They grappled, magic sparks flying, flames swirling around them as they used their power to enhance their blows.

  I cringed, my entire body leaning away from the fight. I wasn’t used to physical violence, even though I had been training with Mort. The grunts, the blood, the terrifying knowledge that somebody could drop at any moment and never get back up again horrified me.

  Harold Taine’s knees gave out. Jonathon had the upper hand until Oberon raised his arm and threw a large silver knife. It cut through the Robus team’s shield as if it wasn’t even there and landed with a hollow thunk in Jonathon’s shoulder. He collapsed forward onto Harold, maintaining his superior position in spite of the injury. Within moments, Harold was no longer conscious.

  Jonathon turned towards the Taines, still on his hands and knees, blood pouring from his knife wound. “Your strategy exposes you as a brute and a coward, Oberon. The world will never forget what you do here tonight.” He sneered in disgust.

  The three Robus brothers visibly tensed and poured every ounce of magic they had into their shield. I doubted even a silver knife would be able to pierce it, but the effort cost them.

  Jonathon’s shirt, the light blue of the Robus clan, had turned purple with his blood. Every fiber of my being screamed at him. Run, Jonathon. Please. Take your brothers and dodge the blows until you find a place of strength.

  But he didn’t. Instead, the three-man team stayed where they were and poured everything they had into their shields and continued to taunt their enemies.

  It took me a while, but I finally figured out their strategy. Jonathon’s team wasn’t fighting to win. They were fighting to give me time. Maybe even trying to take out one or two of our rivals for me so I would have fewer enemies to face when it was my turn. They knew my best chance was if I only had one team to face, especially if some of the teammates were already out for the count.

  My heart clenched. There were no promises, no outside alliances in the ring. There could only be one victor. But the Robus clan and the Rectors had been allies for centuries. Jonathon had attended my milestone birthdays and used to bring me cotton candy because he knew it was my favorite party treat and my parents didn’t allow it the rest of the year. Even though we hadn’t spoken before the trials, they were fighting for me.

  Tears flooded my eyes. I wiped them away furiously so I wouldn’t lose sight of their efforts. The least I could do was bear witness to their sacrifice even if I didn’t want them sacrificing themselves for me. I wanted them to be safe. I wanted them to survive.

  I had to win. I had to. So many people had all their hopes tied to me. Without even being asked, Jonathon and his brothers did everything they could to help me. No way could I let them down.

  In an explosion of light and sparks, the shield shattered. Jonathon held his arm over his eyes, trying to block the blinding flares of broken magic spells. He was trying to see what was coming, but he couldn’t. The burst of magic was too bright and blocked what was about to happen.

  Oberon raised his hand, and my stomach heaved. Cupped in his palm was a crystal that pulsated and twisted, blinding white that somehow managed to look black when I stared at it directly.

  The color of death.

  Panicked by what was about to happen, I dropped my invisibility spell and ran into the open, completely exposed and totally vulnerable. It worked. Oberon immediately stopped what he was doing so he could aim at me instead, but I was too far. Dropping the death spell, he and his brothers ran straight for me.

  I took off but dared to look back and saw that the Spinigers took their opportunity to render the Robus team unconscious. All three of them were left where they lay. I hated that they lost the competition, but to my relief, they would survive. Their bodies would be removed from the ring. The medics would heal Jonathon’s wound. They would be safe.

  Unfortunately, that left me to face two teams alone. But it was worth it. There was no way I was going to let anyone die for me.

  The Taines came after me fast. I kicked it into high gear as I ran to the outer edge of the arena, dodging around the boulder, racing towards the south side to dive behind the wreckage of a workstation. The crowd booed, and I had a passing thought that the entire planet was probably convinced I was a coward. All I was doing was running and hiding and disappearing on them.

  I didn’t care, though. It was better to run and hide until I had the advantage rather than stand there like a fool and die so I could look brave. And my only allies were gone. I didn’t have anyone to sacrifice myself for the way Jonathon had done for me.

  I stopped running when my back was against the wall near my waiting room. The Taines moved closer to my position. When they were almost within striking distance, I reactivated my spell.

  My lips turned up into a grin at the shocked looks on their faces, knowing that from their perspective, I had disappeared. They kept coming towards me, though, and I dove to the side to make sure they didn’t run me down by accident when they got to the wall. Then I circled around them until I reached the mound of rubble where the Spinigers stood, slipping behind them to throw a shield.

  Most magicians used shields as protective magic, but I formed an invisible brick wall in my mind and pushed it away from me violently. It became a huge invisible weapon, and to my delight, it knocked down Oberon’s brothers, George and Alastair Taine.

  Oberon turned with a roar. He saw the Spinigers standing there behind me and thought they were the source of the
attack. I jumped out of the way when I saw the mass of fireballs the Taines generated to throw in retaliation once they regained their feet.

  The battle became a free-for-all. Any temporary alliances were over. I ran, ducking behind walls and rubble and small trees to avoid the spells that hadn’t found their mark and instead flew wildly in all directions seeking another target. Flashes of red, green, and gold burst in the air. One streak of blue flew too close and sliced open my left arm.

  I grunted as I slapped my hand over the wound, using the healing magic Peony taught me to knit the edges of my flesh together. The bleeding stopped for the time being.

  It was a testament to the power of his magic that Oberon’s spell sliced through the shield I had made of my skin. It terrified me that I wasn’t as impervious as I hoped, but I maintained the protection anyway, knowing I was better off with it than without it.

  Hovering around the edges of the arena, I sorted through the rubble where my workstation used to be until I found a small aquamarine crystal. I murmured over it, using a well-known Rector family spell, enabling me to place the crystal against my mouth to drink fresh, clean water as if from a bottle. It was a miniature version of the crystal wells we produced for desert nations. The practical part of my mind noted that this portable version would be handy for soldiers, runners, and hikers.

  The glittering display of Taine magic had ceased, and the field fell silent against the backdrop of the murmuring audience. I emerged from the shelter of broken tables and shattered potion vials to discover all six of the Spinigers lying unconscious on the ground. The only team left to fight were the Taines.

  I tossed the water crystal back into the rubble. It was finally time for me to make my stand. The thought almost made me pass out, but there wasn’t time to think anymore. There was only time to act. Taking a deep, calming breath, I strode forward into the center of the ring.