Caged Fire

by L M Preston

  The app opened to a folder with other labeled folders within. One named TVT caught her attention.

  “That’s the initials, TVT, The Vigilant.” Kayson pointed to it.

  EmVee touched it, opened the one file within it.

  “A map—the hospital that is being torn down?” Kayson stood.

  “I’ve been there before. There is a lab there.”

  The door burst open. Megan was there with her hair disheveled, a bruise on her face, and her red nails broken.

  “I know where your father’s killer is.”

  EmVee jumped up. “How?” She put the cell phone behind her back.

  “Zagan is a tough one. You left him. Don’t you know you never leave bodily evidence behind? Not to worry. I got him, and was able to get what I needed from him.”

  EmVee stepped to her. “Where is he? What have you done to him? I’ve got my own questions.”

  Megan bit her lip. “Sorry, I think I broke him.” She opened her palm toward Kayson. “You may need this where we are going.”

  EmVee widened her eyes. The only way to get that off as far as she knew was by killing the wearer. This time, looking at Megan, she wondered, yet again, whose side she was on. It couldn’t be helped; she needed answers.

  “Let’s go.” EmVee grasped Kayson’s hand and followed Megan from the room.

  Megan was practically running to the front door. EmVee kept up with Kayson behind her and the others coming out of the room to follow.

  When they got to the door, it burst open.

  Rachel stood there, a scowl like EmVee’d never seen before on her face. Gold speckles from her faerie form seemed to peek through her human projected appearance.

  EmVee surmised Rachel was furious.

  “What have you done—are you seriously insane?” Rachel poked at Megan’s chest. With each poke, she sent Megan back several feet. “You have endangered us all by bringing a Soul Thief here. And one of the high court at that!”

  “I didn’t know. I wanted answers. For us all.” Megan seemed to plead, her face taking on a green nauseous glow.

  EmVee didn’t know if it was caused by Rachel’s poking or if Megan was feeling sick about what she’d done to Zagan.

  “I want to know where he is!” Rachel crossed her arms.

  Megan rubbed her arms.

  EmVee stepped next to her. “We don’t know. He was fighting Kayson and me, and we left him when he was knocked out.”

  Rachel’s lips went to the side. “Megan, I know you took him.” She bent low. “I saw you.”

  Megan sighed. “I had him, but he…uh, I got carried away.”

  “You what?” Rachel yelled.

  “It can’t be helped now. I have the location where the Overlord stays when he visits. Dean, the club owner, the ‘investor’ in all the real estate here in The Void, is the front for the Overlord. He has a Soul Trainer that manages the labs and the funds here. She holds the key to finding EmVee’s family and maybe even what happened to my father.”

  EmVee put her hand on her hip. “Is this home protected?”

  Megan snorted. “Yes, of course. No one knows where we live. I move the house every day. New neighborhood, new street, new yard.”

  “The Soul Warriors can be tracked by their Overlord.”

  Megan shrugged. “Not without their ring. Without that, they are human, maybe with a residue of magic from the fusion with the ring.”

  EmVee’s jaw dropped. “You really killed him, didn’t you?”

  Rachel’s eyes followed the ring Kayson was tossing with his hand. “She did.”

  Megan put her hand to the side of her head. “Didn’t you know…I always was a bit off. But why waste this opportunity for justice? The Vigilant will benefit from answers.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Yes, but not at the cost of those who will die because you were too selfish and bent on revenge to have a cooler head.”

  “I will clean this up, I can. I promise, but we must go, and now, before the lab disappears and is moved again.”

  “Does everyone here have the ability to move their entire house?” EmVee sighed.

  “Only those with powerful skills or friends who have them.” Rachel turned to open the door. “We may as well try to salvage the opportunity.”

  EmVee touched Rachel’s back. “Thank you for giving in. It’s the only solid lead we’ve got. As soon as we save my father, he’ll know what to do to save everyone else.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I hope so. Maybe he is still alive, but the consensus from the others is it’s…doubtful.”

  EmVee swallowed back her retort. Initially she’d thought her father was murdered, but Kayson gave her hope that it was a slim possibility.

  It didn’t take them long to get to the abandoned hospital. It was surrounded by a large parking lot and backed up to a wooded area. The building was collapsed on one side, from the explosion EmVee and her family were in, she was sure.

  The place seemed familiar but deserted.

  “Are you sure he told the truth? I mean, he was in distress and could’ve said anything.” EmVee smirked at Megan.

  Megan raised an eyebrow. “Positive. I’ve done research on possible places that could be used as both a holding area and a place for experimentation. This is one of the best options.”

  EmVee shook her head. “I was here before. If this was a place for that, it seems destroyed.”

  “Even if it is, there will be answers that can be uncovered.” Megan waited until Kayson stopped the van.

  “Megan, this place feels weird. Something is wrong here.” Kayson turned off the engine.

  “Don’t be put off by the scent of dark magic. You were made to survive the use of it; that’s why I needed you here. There are places none of my other contacts can go. You are able to without injury.”

  “Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘injury’?” EmVee got out of the van behind Megan and jerked her by the arm.

  Megan sighed while frowning. “Nothing is ever gained without some pain. We will get answers here. I have you and Kayson, and most of all, I have Zagan’s ring. That will get us entry to the lower level labs.”

  “Why did you give the ring to Kayson if you need it to open the lower level?”

  “It’s more likely that he will be able to get further than I will.”

  Demi and Sax got out of the van, and Sax leaned against it. “I’ll wait here as the getaway car driver.”

  Rachel’s small compact car pulled up next to theirs. She got out and slammed her door. “There is death magic here.”

  Megan waved at her. “It won’t harm us.”

  Rachel’s jaw dropped. “You have lost your mind. It’s one of the most dangerous kinds of magic. It can consume you, take over you, and turn you.”

  Demi stepped between them. “Do you need my help? I’m feeling much stronger now.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I don’t want you to risk it. The deeper underground you go, with this—” Rachel coughed, hitting her chest—“poison in the air, it could turn you full vampire. Please, stay up here. This is a harmless amount.”

  EmVee adjusted her belt that hung on her hips over her tight black pants and high boots. “What about Kayson and me?”

  Megan tapped her foot. “You will be fine. You come from death magic. Silas’ Fenrir beast blood lived in the world of death. It’s why I need you. I can only go so far. I don’t know what the poison will do to me. Rachel?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t go. You don’t want me turning dark; there is no known cure for it in this Province, and I could cause all kinds of mischief in that form.”

  Kayson turned to EmVee. “You sure you want to do this?”

  EmVee nodded. “Yes, we have to. I want answers about my family. This was the last place I saw any of them alive.”

  Kayson nodded then pulled her into a hug. Dipping low, he whispered, “I won’t let you fall by the same addiction as Silas. There are no Soul Thieves or Trainers here with the magic elixir t
hat addicted Silas to killing. If you need to change, do it.”

  “I will.” EmVee narrowed her gaze on Megan, realizing for once, even she seemed apprehensive.

  EmVee followed Kayson who led the way through the parking lot that was consumed by overgrown vines and broken pavement. They surveyed the building, making sure there weren’t any guards, and decided to attempt to open some of the doors to get in.

  After trying without any luck, they realized the doors were made of solid metal.

  “I don’t think these are actually the doors inside.” EmVee pointed. “We can see if we can get in through a window.”

  “Yeah, that’ll be easier.” Kayson waved them to the side of the building. “I saw one that’s low, right over here.” He led them around the side. The window seemed to be sunk into the building with half of it above ground and the other half that they could’ve pulled up being covered by the ground and overgrowth.

  Kayson kicked in the window while EmVee stood behind him and Megan paced.

  “We have to go deep inside the building. The basement goes several levels down to the lab. Zagan had been there and described it to me clearly. If I start to feel ill, I will retreat, but please, bring anything you can back up with you.”

  “I am only interested in getting my family out of here if this is where they are.”

  “It’s where he said he’d last seen them. I don’t think he’d been here since the explosion.”

  “We’re in!” Kayson called.

  EmVee had a feeling that the place wasn’t as wide open as perceived. There was only one way to find out though. She climbed through the window and followed the echo of Kayson’s voice. Megan was close behind. The girl moved faster than EmVee realized.

  There was dust, rubbish mixed with wood chips, and plywood on the stairs. The ceiling wasn’t intact; it had missing pieces, cracks, and chipped plaster. The place was falling apart, and with each step, they had to balance themselves. A few stairs were broken, and the darkness was oppressive and heavy. EmVee could see clearly in the darkness even though Megan had turned on a flashlight behind her.

  EmVee continued downward, following Kayson who’d raised his hand behind him as he walked sideways down the stairs. His back was toward the bulging wall that hugged the stairwell. Several cement bricks that held up the foundation protruded in various places. With each movement, the structure groaned and popped. A constant echo of noises seemed to build the more they descended.

  The next level down carried a film of haze.

  “That doesn’t look like the upper levels.” Kayson pointed to the landing below them.

  “It’s not; it is the entrance I’ve been looking for. It is a barrier for magicals where humans who aren’t in the know or who are veiled against the true nature of The Void can’t enter unless escorted. To them, it would appear to be a ground floor. They’d walk on it. To us, it’s much more.”

  EmVee swallowed against the drumming in her chest. This once, she wouldn’t mind being a veiled human again.

  “I’ll go,” Kayson stepped downward.

  They’d reached the final step and Kayson went first. His body seemed to be absorbed into the cloudy mass then appeared below, dimmed by the hazy obstruction to the surroundings.

  EmVee followed, and with each step, she felt a cool breeze from an unknown source of chilled air. Her stomach ached and seized with nausea. The smell in the air changed from dust and soot, caused by a fire, to an ancient stale odor. There was an eerie silence around them.

  Surprisingly, the floor was unblemished, clear of debris, and smooth. The surface was grey with flecks of gold within it. The ceiling was high, which seemed odd, considering the ceiling over the staircase was much lower.

  The floor wrapped around, and a wall with massive twelve-foot figures soared high into the cloudy ceiling. The statues bore strange human eyes and foreheads but with lower teeth and jaws similar to gargoyles. The upper halves of the faces, though humanoid in appearance, were wrinkled, angry, with masks of madness in the slightly protruding eyes.

  “Berserkers and Gargoyles, I can’t believe it was possible to mix them?” Megan whispered.

  “Has to be some magic involved with a dose of science.” Kayson ran his hand over the huge door between two of the statuesque beast-men. It was made of stone and carved in an intricate design of lines and grooves.

  “What’s a berserker?” EmVee pressed the retractable belt she put around her waist to keep her spandex shorts and bra on in case she changed. She hoped it wouldn’t break but be secure on her beast after a transformation.

  “Viking warrior gone mad. In their rage, they turn into a beast. Usually wolf, boar, or bear. These, though, are mixed with gargoyle. Totally brilliant and deadly.” Megan tapped her chin. “Dark magic makes use of experimentation to rebirth an evil manifestation.” She tilted her head and stood on her tiptoes for closer inspection.

  “I’m trying the door.” Kayson pushed. “It’s not working.”

  “Use the ring, press it against the door anywhere.”

  EmVee narrowed her eyes at Megan, who was retreating away from the door, moving back toward the staircase.

  “Where are you going?” EmVee turned to Megan who was on the bottom step.

  “It’s too dangerous for me.” Megan’s hand went to her throat. “I pushed myself much too far.”

  EmVee moved quickly to grasp her wrist. “But you will endanger us?”

  Megan shook her head. “You are not to fear but to be feared. Both of you have the power to destroy any magical if you are witty and smart enough.” Megan was sweating; her pale skin held a greenish hue as she swallowed.

  EmVee leaned close to Megan, nearly touching her nose. “Silas wasn’t able to kill you?”

  Megan smiled and jerked her wrist away with strength that belied her size. “He was distracted—by his hunger for you.” Her eyes widened as she climbed another step and gazed over EmVee’s shoulder. “I must go!”

  EmVee frowned at Megan’s retreat.

  Then she heard the growl of Kayson’s beast.

  The wall lifted into the ceiling, leaving the giant frozen beasts in place. EmVee’s hand went to her mouth.

  Kayson stumbled to the ground. His wolf, although not transformed, beckoned hers. It sensed danger and as alpha, called a warning to her. EmVee fought the compulsion to give over to the change. Her hands fisted, nails grew, and blood dripped from her fingertips.

  One then another of the giant berserker gargoyles moved, cracking away a stone encasement that was once their cocoon.

  An echo of music teased the air, and EmVee searched around for the source, wondering if it was controlling the demented creatures stalking toward Kayson. He’d completed his change, but EmVee blinked; his wolf, black with golden eyes, was growing thicker, taller, to stand almost eight feet while on all fours. He was beautiful and more menacing than she’d imagined.

  EmVee ran into the fray of attackers, ducking a club wielded by one and then kicking the flat blade of another’s axe.

  Growling, she yanked the base of a battle-axe from a warrior before he was able to raise it at Kayson’s beast. She chopped into its ankle causing it to stumble. The giant creature swung its huge hand to pound down at her. EmVee leaned back then swung the axe to hack off his hand.

  Kayson’s beast jumped and bit into the neck of one of the berserkers then tossed it to the floor.

  EmVee jumped on the fallen Berserker-Gargoyle then onto Kayson’s beast’s back to stand. She swung the ax and clashed with another berserker who swung on Kayson’s beast. Kayson reared on his back legs, giving EmVee the advantage, and she swiped her axe downward to slash the berserker’s neck. The head hung at an odd angle to the side as the creature collapsed.

  Another attacked Kayson from behind, jarring EmVee from his back. She fell from the air to slide on the floor. Her hand hit the ground with such force she dropped the axe.

  A berserker jumped in front of her and reached to grab her.

&nbs
p; “Yah!” EmVee kicked her feet up and flipped out of its way. A piercing pain went up her arm as her fingers elongated and nails grew to points.

  One grabbed her around the neck, lifting her into the air. She sliced down with her claws. It swung her body up. She jerked from its grasp to land over its head, securing her legs around its neck to rest on its shoulder. EmVee stabbed her hands into the creature’s eyes then cut its neck with her other claw.

  Kayson’s beast charged and jumped on the back of one berserker while kicking another that attacked him from behind into the wall.

  EmVee jumped off the falling berserker to chase down the one that landed its axe into Kayson’s beast’s back. Kayson’s beast roared; its eyes turned toward the berserker that was facing off with EmVee.

  EmVee side-stepped then turned slightly as she realized she was surrounded by them.

  Turn! Kayson’s beast demanded of EmVee.

  She didn’t want to turn; she wanted to do this the old way, the way she’d learned, been born to do.

  EmVee charged one berserker, jumped on its bent leg, hopped up to hit it square in the face with her elbow. Bracing on its shoulder, she did a back-kick at another then dropped to the floor, taking its axe with her.

  She rammed the double-edged blade into the berserker’s face, splitting it right between the eyes. Doing a full arm sweep and swing, she lopped off another’s arm.

  The melody that teased the air picked up speed, and more of the berserkers broke from their cemented cocoons to charge toward them.

  “Too many!” EmVee warned as Kayson’s beast was being circled and attacked with axes and clubs that pierced his sides and back.

  EmVee dodged one club then an axe to be hit square in her shoulder with one. She fell to her knees, and her vision blurred.

  Her Fenrir curse could be contained no more. The pain pulsed through her, but her beast was sharp and sure, slicing and yanking weapons from the berserkers that charged her while changing. Her wolf moved to the wall and used its sharp claws to climb while kicking back at the berserkers during the final stages of its change. She roared and jumped down, crushing her claws into an attacking berserker.