by Raven Steele
Dr. Han gave me a reassuring smile while we all fell silent. Llona's eyes were moving back and forth between her closed eyelids. Her expression went from optimistic to frustrated until finally she opened her eyes.
"I can't sense them. I don't know what the problem is. They're just gone."
My legs grew weak and I almost fell, but Liam grabbed my elbow to keep me up. "Do you think they are—" I couldn't finish the sentence. There was no more air in my lungs. Lucien couldn’t be dead.
"I don't think so," Dr. Han said. "They were taken for a reason. It's remarkable that Erebus covered his tracks so quickly."
"Or maybe," Liam pondered, "Erebus didn't cast a spell at all. Maybe his darkness is so great, it just naturally masks Lucien and Henry, much the same way Auras masked the necklace's power."
"Then how do we find them?" I asked.
Dr. Han turned to me, his gaze steel. "There's another way. Opposite of what Llona does."
It took me a second to realize what he was saying. "Track Erebus's darkness?"
He nodded. "The necklace’s specifically. It can be done, but only by someone who already knows its power and who has already experienced it."
Liam and Llona's heads slowly turned my direction.
I lifted my chin a little. I would not be ashamed any longer. We needed the First magic to defeat Erebus, and the only way to get it was through the necklace and its darkness. "How do I do it?"
"Probably the same way I do," Llona said and stepped out of the way. "Just look for something familiar to you."
I took her place in front of the map and stared down at it.
Llona spoke softly. "Close your eyes and imagine what the necklace’s darkness feels like. Be as descriptive as possible. Does it have a scent? Does it make your body feel funny? Really concentrate."
I nodded and placed my hands on the map. Once my eyes were closed, it wasn't hard to remember the darkness. It had been a part of my life for a very long time. But I needed more than those scarred memories. I needed the eternal blackness that existed at the heart of the necklace. It was cold and unforgiving.
I recalled how it had made Alarica feel. Powerful. So much power that it had made my body, Alarica's body, feel full, like at any moment her flesh might explode to release the energy. That energy was cold and dark, feeling very much like the inside of a cave by the seaside. And the smell. I thought of Erebus's breath, that strong aroma of sagebrush. A wave of nausea washed over me, but I pushed it down.
After recalling all the vivid details of the darkness within the necklace, my consciousness left my body. I drifted outward, swirling to an unknown destination, but its pull was strong. I relaxed my hand and let my finger respond to the tugging sensation. It traced a path along the map as the darkness grew in strength. My head pounded the closer I came to the source.
My hand stopped moving, and my eyes snapped open. "There," I said and looked down. My finger rested on a spot near Ironwood, a city a few hours from Rouen.
"Are you sure?" Dr. Han asked.
"I have no doubts."
The door flew open. A girl of about fourteen said, "May's awake!"
Llona and Liam rushed from the room. I followed after but was much slower. My limbs were shaky from the contact with so much darkness.
May was sitting up in a bed, her head lowered. Long brown hair fell to the sides of her face. Llona was rubbing her back. Liam stood in the corner speaking in hushed tones with one of the older Auras who had been healing May.
"How is she?" Dr. Han asked.
From beneath May's curtain of hair, she moaned. "I think a bus of raving mad supernaturals ran over me."
The tall Aura talking to Liam walked over. "She will have a bad headache for a while, possibly some memory loss, but other than that she should be okay."
"Thank you, Desi," Dr. Han said.
She bowed her head and left the room.
"Sorry about Lucien and Henry," May mumbled. “Llona just told me.”
I squared my shoulders. "I'm going to get them back."
"Oh yeah? You and what army?"
"We will help her," Dr. Han said.
Liam turned to him, his eyebrows lifted. "We?"
"Henry is my oldest friend. I will not abandon him."
I looked at him gratefully, but that feeling quickly turned to dread. "I appreciate you guys wanting to help, but we almost died tonight. Please take care of your own. I'll think of something."
"I know we are newly friends," Llona said to me, "but there's something you should know about me. I hate being told what to do."
"It's true," Liam said.
Llona elbowed him without looking his way. "I'm sure we can come up with a plan that will keep us safe, but also be effective."
"How?" May gasped. "We just got done fighting, more like practically dying. I don't know about you guys, but I could sleep for a week!"
Liam began to pace. "While I was in the air attacking the DSRD, I studied their movements trying to find some sort of pattern that would work to our advantage. They were all about trying to overwhelm us with their numbers, which we put a serious dent in, I might add. I assume they will do the same if we attack again. What we need is a big distraction to attract and remove as many of them as possible. Then maybe we can keep them preoccupied while Eve sneaks in to save Henry and Lucien."
May groaned. "But that can only happen if she kills the most powerful devil to ever escape Hell. Who does that?"
"We'll work on that part," Dr. Han said. "But first we need to finish locating them. We have them tracked to Ironwood."
"It seems like a strange location," Llona said. "Why there?
Dr. Han ran his fingers through his long, white goatee. "Based on my research, Erebus needs a location with access to the other side. For example, an area where there are a lot of ghosts, poltergeists, and demons without human form. Erebus will be able to draw on their power because they exist in both planes."
May’s expression turned thoughtful. "You know, there is a place in Ironwood that is famous for paranormal activity. It's been on all the ghost reality shows."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Ever heard of Eastern State Penitentiary?"
I shook my head. May glanced hopefully at the others.
"Not a clue," Liam said, and Dr. Han just shrugged.
"Ugh. Fine. Eastern State was a prison for over a hundred and fifty years. Lots of people died in there and were tortured. The place was known for its strange ideas of making criminals conform. Oh and an interesting fact, Al Capone was held there."
"How do you know all of this?" I asked.
"I like ghost shows. They're my guilty pleasure."
"Let's say May's right," Liam said. "How can we get Eve alone with Erebus? They're in a prison for hell's sake."
"What we need is an epic prison yard fight to draw out the supernaturals." Dr. Han looked at everyone in the room, his eyes settling on me. "And we need you to start it."
Chapter 9
It took much longer to leave for Ironwood than I would’ve liked, but I understood the reason for the delay. Dr. Han had to put affairs in order for the school should anything happen to him. It made me sick to think about all he may be giving up. I told him repeatedly that he didn't have to come, that none of them did. They had already sacrificed so much for me, but they wouldn't hear of it.
I used this extra time to practice reaching the First magic. I lay alone in a dark room, concentrating hard on that bright shaft of light. I remembered everything I could about it. The thick fog surrounding it, the way the air felt electric, the faint smell of sagebrush, and finally how the well's magic had felt inside me—warm and pulsing with power.
When nothing happened, my mind began to wander. I thought of Lucien and how my consciousness could visit him in my dreams. I didn't want to do this after he had been taken, frightened I’d see his condition and make a mistake. I couldn’t let Erebus know we were on to him just yet. But I felt much calmer now.
Closing my eyes, I inhaled slowly. It was easy to think about Lucien. His square jaw, piercing blue eyes, full lips. I thought specifically of all of our ice cream runs. That was a time when he believed he wasn't worthy of love. He had been so stubborn then. I smiled, almost chuckled, as warmth spread throughout me followed by a gentle tingling sensation.
My consciousness left my body, and I found myself in a cool, dark room. The door stood ajar, letting in some light, but not much. The floor was concrete, much of it chipped, as were the walls and ceiling. A thin, worn mattress was stuffed in the corner.
I left the depressing room. As soon as I stepped outside of it, I gasped. May was right. I was in a prison, and one that hadn't been used in decades, by the looks of it. Plaster had crumbled to the floor in many parts, and graffiti littered the walls. There were two stories stretching down a long, wide hall. I was standing on the second floor balcony. Across from me was another balcony and beyond the railing were more prison cells.
Hearing voices in the distance, I walked down a set of narrow metal steps and peered around a corner. My heart dropped into my stomach at the scene before me, and I clutched a broken doorframe for support.
The area where prison guards once patrolled had been converted into a magical space. A giant pentagram was burned into the floor in angry black marks. Other ancient symbols had been painted on the walls in what looked like blood. I recognized a lot of them from different spells my parents had cast and even some Alarica had used. None of them were symbols that invoked light or purity. They invoked only dark magic.
I glanced around the room trying to ascertain how many supernaturals we might have to fight, but surprisingly didn't see many. What I did see, however, was even worse. Perched on the balcony, staring down eagerly with beady red eyes, were dozens of the small black demons, no bigger than a large dog. Many of them grinned wildly, exposing sharp white teeth. They were holding unnaturally still, waiting and watching, but there were a few who swung from the railing, snapping their jaws at the others.
They weren't the only ones in this place. Strolling across the balcony were several ghosts from another time. They wore old prison garb, some in black and white striped uniforms, while others wore navy blue suits with matching hats. They must have been the guards. None of them seemed to be interested by what was happening below, but every once in awhile one of them would glance down and frown. One man in a bloodied prison uniform, stopped and leaned over the rail, grinning just as crazily as the little black demons.
Even though I wasn't physically there, I still kept close to the wall as I walked toward a tall wooden structure that looked like it had been recently built. It was at least twenty feet high and painted black. There was something about it that drew me to it.
As I came closer, my view beyond the wooden wall expanded. The two witches who had been at the lake earlier stood staring at the partition with all-white eyes. They weren't moving, not even breathing from what I could tell. I crept closer, anxious to see what held their focus.
I passed by the wall and finally turned to get a full view. My heart stopped beating. Lucien and Henry had been pierced high to the wood by four thick spikes each. Two held their shoulders and two pierced their thighs. They were bare-chested, and a sigil had been carved deeply into their exposed skin. Blood poured down their stomach, soaking their pants.
A funnel with a long tube at its end had been placed near their feet to catch the blood. From there, it traveled down a long clear hose and emptied into a pool of water in the concrete floor. The puddle, maybe eight feet in diameter, looked more black then red. A powerful and dark energy pulsed from the water, making my head spin.
With my insides trembling, I walked beneath Lucien and Henry, wishing I could physically touch them. Their heads were slumped over and eyelids closed. I stared at them for a few seconds, then glanced back at the witches, finally understanding. A spell had been cast, fueled by the witches’ constant concentration, in order to keep them asleep while they bled out.
I thought about breaking their spell right then. I felt fairly confident I could do it, but then what? There was only so much I could do remotely. Would Lucien and Henry be strong enough to fight their way out of here without help? I had no idea how many people were outside the prison, and I had no clue where Erebus was. He could be in the dark puddle for all I knew, doing something hellish. Wherever he was, I'm sure it had something to do with the necklace and recreating Lucifer's mirror.
The only way I could truly help them was to get here as quickly as possible.
"I'm coming, boys," I whispered. "Just hold on."
My consciousness returned to my body lying in the small room at Lucent Academy. It was time to go.
Chapter 10
After mentally leaving Lucien and Henry, I had returned with new determination. I had felt the power emanating from that dark water and knew that only the First magic would give me the strength I needed to rescue Lucien and Henry.
I practiced as much as I could before we left Lucent Academy. I could reach the well, but for some reason couldn't quite touch it. It was as if there was some sort of protective barrier around it that required more magic than I had. But at least the time it took me to get to the well through the dark fog had decreased.
Dr. Han, Liam, Llona, May and I boarded a private plane, agreeing it was best to avoid any confrontation with the DSRD. We had packed all sorts of weapons, and also brought Auran blood for Henry and Lucien to help them recover quickly. Before we landed, I told the others about what I saw at the prison. Dr. Han seemed particularly upset when I mentioned the water, but he didn't voice his concerns.
"Should we go over the plan again?" Llona asked.
May moaned but spoke quickly. "We cause a big distraction using fake Auras, drawing anyone inside the prison out, while Eve sneaks inside to kill Erebus and rescue the boys."
"It's a little more complicated then that, May," Llona said, 'but basically, yeah. How's your head?"
"Much better since you gave me some of your Light." She reclined back in the chair and closed her eyes.
"Speaking of your abilities," I said to Llona, "I was wondering if I could ask a favor."
"Name it."
"I know Lucien used the ancient language to break the memory spell on me, but he also needed your Light."
She nodded.
"I was wondering if you could do the same thing to me. I'm having a difficult time trying to access the First magic, which I’ll need to fight Erebus. Maybe your Light can help me?"
"It could." She glanced at Liam who had moved up front to sit next to the pilot. "Hey Liam! How much time until we land?"
"About twenty minutes," he called back.
"That's enough," she said. "Give me your hands."
I did as she asked, feeling a little self-conscious in front of the others, but they acted like they saw this all the time. Llona's hands were warm to the touch.
"Close your eyes," she ordered.
A few seconds later, my hands within hers grew hot, but not unbearably so. My skin began to buzz, as if I were touching a low voltage electrical wire. I was surprised a little because I had expected more, but then a white flash filled my mind and shot through the rest of me. I sucked in air and breathed rapidly.
"Keep holding on," Llona said. "I want to give you as much as you can handle."
I mumbled something unintelligible. My muscles burned as if I'd just worked them to exhaustion, but at the same time I felt incredibly strong, both physically and mentally. It was as if I'd been infused with an ancient relic, and its power coursed through my blood.
"How do you feel?" Llona asked.
"Amazing!"
"I hope it helps you." Llona rubbed her hands together and grimaced as if they were bothering her. I hoped whatever she had done hadn't hurt her more than she let on.
The airplane bounced on the runway and came to a stop. It was a warm autumn day, the kind that made me wish we were doing anything besides what we were actually about
to do. Trees in the distant hills splashed bright reds and oranges with the occasional yellows. It was a sight I wished would last forever, but winter would destroy it.
Dr. Han had a car waiting for us at the airfield. We were all quiet on the drive over to a motel within a few blocks of the prison. Before we walked inside the sketchy-looking motel, Liam, who had been watching the skies since we landed, said, "I'm going to scout things out. I’ll be back soon."
He burst into the air before any of us could stop him. I'm sure he was anxious to check out the danger before the rest of us knew what we were getting into. It wouldn't surprise me if he pulled the plug on the whole operation if he felt we couldn't handle it.
While we waited for Liam to return, I mentally traveled to the First magic again, hoping it would give me more strength.
Once I had withdrawn into my sub consciousness, I managed to find my way through the dark maze in less than thirty seconds, much faster than all of the other times. As I approached the pillar of light, lightning and thunder cracked overhead. The storm was more tumultuous than before, making me wonder if the energy in the sky was somehow tied to Erebus.
I stopped when I reached the light. I sensed right away that the barrier surrounding it wasn't as strong as usual, or maybe I had become more powerful, thanks to Llona’s Light. I attempted to push my hand through the protective wall, but jerked it back when my fingers burned cold. I held my breath and tried again, focusing harder on my goal—saving Lucien and Henry. This time when I touched the light and my skin began to cool, I ignored the pain until I finally broke through. My palm submerged into thick and heavy warmness, instantly filling me with so much power, my head spun.
All sorts of information flooded my mind at once. I saw the creation of the world, every atom and molecule moving together to create even the smallest plant or animal. It happened so fast I didn't think I would be able to make sense of it, but the knowledge was just there, as was understanding.
