by James Riley
Calm was the last thing Fort was going to feel, though. Colonel Charles thought he’d almost gotten Gabriel and Michael killed? Fort had saved Gabriel, after his ex-roommate had tried to join his brother, Michael, at the Old One’s side! Without him, the colonel would really have lost both his sons. And all of that had been because of Gabriel to begin with. How could the colonel blame Fort for that?
When the colonel turned around, he did look less angry on the surface, and even forced a small, shaky smile. “Fortunately for you, Fitzgerald, I need your magic,” he said. “And that means you’ve got an opportunity here. Do as I say, exactly as I say, and I’ll send both you and your father back home.” His eyes narrowed. “But disobey me even once, and I’ll personally find reasons to keep your father here for as long as I want, just to be sure he didn’t bring back any magical diseases or anything from that other realm.”
Fort’s mouth dropped open. “What? He’s fine. Dr. Ambrose even said—”
“Well, don’t worry. You wouldn’t remember you’d found him,” the colonel said, giving Fort a long look. “Can’t have any memories of the school in that brain of yours, now, can we? The last thing you’d know about your father is that a monster took him.”
Fort’s whole body went as cold as ice, and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “No,” he whispered. “You wouldn’t. You couldn’t!”
“Maybe not,” the colonel said, shrugging his shoulders. “It would be very extreme. But if I were you, I wouldn’t take that chance, especially considering what you did to Gabriel. So best follow orders, do you understand?” And with that, he stood back up and yanked his uniform down to straighten it. “I said, do you understand me, Cadet?”
Fort could barely think, barely breathe. Out of nowhere, he could suddenly feel the miles of rock above the Briefing Room, as if they were pushing down on him, crushing him with their weight.
For the briefest of moments, Fort considered teleporting the colonel somewhere far away, like the Sahara Desert or the Arctic. Even the moon, maybe.
But wherever he sent him, it wouldn’t be far enough. The colonel would find his way back and just think of a worse punishment, if one even existed.
For all Fort’s magic, it was the colonel who had the real power. He was in control here at the school and had both the government and military to back him up. Even if Fort did teleport the colonel to the center of the earth, whoever was next in line would just step up and continue whatever the colonel had ordered. There was no way to fight them all.
Which meant he had no choice, as horrible as that was.
Fort stood up and saluted the colonel, his hand shaking as he did. “Sir, yes, sir.”
“Good,” the colonel said, then turned to Jia and Rachel. “Cadets Liang and Carter, you’ll be escorted back to your dorm in a moment. Fitzgerald, you’ll be brought down to the Deployment Room at that time. Until then, you’ll all be kept under watch.” He waved two nearby guards over and turned to them. “If any of these children show even the slightest hint of using magic, taser them and contact me immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” the guards said, then looked at each other uncomfortably as Colonel Charles strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard it reminded Fort of a jail cell door closing.
- FIVE -
THIS IS SO MESSED UP!” Rachel whispered as she paced in front of Jia and Fort. “Colonel Charles is making a huge mistake here. We can’t just go along with it.”
Fort didn’t say anything, his eyes on the guards standing at attention not too far away, their Tasers in their hands. With the room otherwise empty, it’d still be possible to teleport the three of them out—or send the guards for a quick vacation in Cancún, Mexico.
Why not? he imagined his father saying. Everyone loves a beach vacation. Just make sure to book them at a nice resort.
“You’re right, but what can we do?” Jia whispered back, throwing Fort a quick look. “If we disobey his orders, Colonel Charles might actually go through with his threat.”
“He won’t,” Rachel said, looking back at them. “He won’t, Fort. I don’t care how much has happened—he’s not that person. He just wants to keep us safe.”
“Is that what you call it?” Fort asked. “I’ll try to remember that when my mind’s wiped and I’m sent home.”
“Well, your aunt’s house is probably a lot safer than this school,” Jia said. “It’s not like she gets invaded by the Old Ones every few weeks.”
“I know what he said sounded terrible,” Rachel said, rubbing her temples. “But this is how the military works. They can’t have people disobeying orders, or bad things happen.”
“We’re not in the military, Ray,” Jia said quietly. “And weren’t you just attacking him a second ago?”
“Well I’m conflicted, okay?” she said. “There’s a lot to process here! But we can’t just sit back and let people get hurt when we could help!”
That’s right! Fort heard his father say. Help your friends, Fort. You know that’s what I’d want you to do, if I were there and, you know, awake!
Fort growled in frustration. Did even his own imagination have to argue with him? “What if he’s not bluffing, though?” he asked quietly. “What if the colonel really does make me forget about my father? After everything with Gabriel, he looks like he’s barely holding it together. You heard what he said about the book of Healing magic and China.”
Rachel looked away, sighing. “He’s definitely changed, even since you got here, Fort. I wish I could believe he knows what he’s doing, but I just don’t know anymore. Why would he even think bringing Gabriel to the school was a good idea? He’s yelling at us, when his own son turned me over to the Old Ones and tried to drop you into a volcano! Maybe check on your parenting skills before judging everyone else, Colonel.”
“It’s not just Gabriel,” Jia said quietly. “Fort’s right about the Healing book. He’s acting like the whole world’s against him, and that’s scary. But what can we do? He’s got the books, soldiers, the school … plus enough memory wipes to make us all forget we were ever here. And we’re just kids. Adults are always the ones in charge, because they think they know better.”
“And they think they have the power,” Rachel said, staring down at her hands.
“They do,” Fort said. “I could get us all out of here right now, my dad included. But what happens next? The soldiers throw us in jail, or chase us down for the rest of our lives if we run. We can’t beat them all, not even with all the power you two have.”
Neither Jia nor Rachel said anything to that, and Fort dropped his head into his hands, not sure what else to do. Should he tell Dr. Ambrose what the colonel had said? But even if she did want to help, she still wouldn’t have the power to go against Colonel Charles. And Dr. Opps wouldn’t have been much help either, even if he hadn’t been stuck beneath the dome, since the colonel had threatened to kick the headmaster out of his own school already once before.
Lost in his thoughts, Fort almost missed a group of soldiers entering the Briefing Room. “Carter, Liang,” one of them said. “We’re here to take you back to your dorm.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Rachel said, saluting while glaring at the soldier, who winced, looking nervous. Fort recognized this guard, meaning he’d been working in the school and knew it wasn’t smart to annoy a Destruction student. “Fort,” she said, throwing a look at him over her shoulder. “Whatever happens, if you leave …”
“We’ll make sure your dad is okay,” Jia finished.
Rachel nodded. “And we won’t let you go without saying good-bye.”
Fort nodded, unable to think of anything much to say to that, since he knew neither of them would have any more control over that than he would.
But if this was going to be the last time he saw them both, he couldn’t handle a good-bye on top of everything else right now. So instead, he just stayed silent, hoping his two friends understood.
“Fitzgerald,” another soldier said,
and waved him over. “We’re taking you to the Deployment Room. You all set?”
“Sure,” Fort said quietly, and the soldier gently pushed him toward the door. As they left, Fort threw a look back at Jia and Rachel. Jia gave him a little wave, while Rachel gave him a confident smile. They both wanted to help, he knew, but there was nothing they could do.
His escorts led Fort to the elevator, where they were joined by several soldiers, all outfitted now with weapons created by the Oppenheimer School students over the last few months. A few had Healing staffs, just like the ones Sergeant Tower had trained Fort and other students on, but most carried Lightning rods instead, something that could easily stun a person, or do a whole lot worse.
And Fort was going to teleport soldiers wielding weapons that dangerous to where Cyrus and Sierra were because he had no choice in the matter. The thought of it made his skin itch all over.
They took the elevator down five floors, where they exited and followed a second group of soldiers into a large room that looked almost like an empty warehouse. The corners and ceiling were covered in cobwebs, and there were various items covered in tarps against the walls, but otherwise, the room was empty except for the assembling squads.
His escorts brought him to the front of the room, where a set of creaking wooden stairs led to a raised platform, most likely the spot where he was going to create his teleportation circles for the squads. As he climbed the stairs, the guards waited at the bottom just a short distance away, probably thinking they were close enough to stop him if he tried to escape.
They’d be too late, though, if he used his magic the way Gabriel had. His former roommate had figured out a way to move the teleportation circle instead of making it stationary, which made teleporting a lot quicker if you pulled it up and over yourself. And if Gabriel had made it work without much practice, it couldn’t be that hard.
For a moment, Fort let himself daydream. He could teleport up to the medical ward, grab his father, and take him somewhere safe, somewhere Colonel Charles couldn’t get to either of them. And without Fort, none of the soldiers could get inside the dome, which meant Sierra and Cyrus would at least be safe from Lightning rods.
But where could he take his father? What place was actually safe? His aunt’s house would be the first place the TDA looked. And if he did find somewhere to hide them, the government wouldn’t stop looking for them, not ever. Not to mention that his father wasn’t conscious, and would need medical attention, something that wasn’t exactly free, even if they weren’t fugitives.
Eh, I’m fine, his father said in his imagination. Just taking a long nap, really. Don’t worry about me!
Fort rolled his eyes at that, as more soldiers filed in with their weapons. What if he instead teleported to Jia and Rachel, then took them over to the dome to find Cyrus and Sierra? Then his friends would be protected, and with Sierra’s help, maybe he could get his father out safely, by making everyone at the Oppenheimer School forget he’d been found. She might even be able to convince a doctor to treat him with her Mind magic. It’d gotten her and Damian on a plane over to the UK, after all.
Only that would mean leaving his father at the colonel’s mercy while he, Jia, and Rachel were rescuing Cyrus and Sierra. And all Colonel Charles would have to do was move his father to a different facility, and Fort would never know how to find him again.
No. There was no choice in the matter. He was heading home either way, but at least if he did what the colonel said, there was a good chance his father would go with him.
“Everyone, to your squads,” Colonel Charles shouted as he entered the warehouse with someone at his side. Whoever it was, Fort couldn’t make out her face, as it was obscured by the line of soldiers, but she was dressed in civilian clothing.
As the colonel and the woman made their way over, Fort’s gaze shifted to several of the troops, who were staring at him. Half looked suspicious, while the rest looked disgusted, like he was some kind of bug to step on.
And just when Fort thought things couldn’t get much worse, the colonel and his companion reached the front of the room, and Fort recognized the woman.
“Oh, hello, Fitzgerald,” Agent Cole said, smiling at him. “I never got the chance to thank you for your help in apprehending our two missing students at Heathrow Airport. Could never have done it without you.”
Fort gritted his teeth to keep from saying anything that’d get him in more trouble. Agent Cole was the federal agent assigned to track down Sierra and Damian and had manipulated Fort into helping her capture them at the London airport a few days ago. The two had only escaped after Damian had turned into a dragon against his will, due to Gabriel giving him up to the Old Ones.
Last Fort had heard, Sierra had implanted an idea in Agent Cole’s head that the woman wanted to quit her job and go back to art school. Apparently it had worn off.
“Just remember,” Agent Cole whispered, pausing next to Fort as the colonel moved past them. “Your friend Sierra was the one who wanted to ‘fix’ all of the Time students. So whose fault do you think this is? Try to remember that when our soldiers storm the school, just in case anyone gets hurt. You know, by accident.”
Fort’s fingernails dug into his palms so hard he left imprints, but he didn’t say a word.
Colonel Charles turned to stare out over the assembled squads, who all snapped to attention. “We’re ready here?” he asked, and got nods from the officers standing in front of the soldiers. “Good.”
The colonel turned to Fort and handed him a folder filled with photographs of what looked like the exterior of the school building Sierra had shown him from the inside. “These are the destinations for your teleportation circles. I want portals opened on the wall behind us every five feet in that sequence. Start on the left and work your way right. Do you understand me?”
Fort nodded, staring at the pictures, lost in thought as his mind still offered up ways to save everyone, even though he knew it was impossible.
Colonel Charles leaned in. “I said, do you understand me? Or do we need to go over the consequences for disobeying me again?”
“I understand you, sir !” Fort shouted, looking up at the man he hated almost as much as the Old Ones at the moment. “Everything is clear, sir.”
“Good,” the colonel said, and straightened up. To the assembled soldiers, he shouted, “We’re a go, ladies and gentlemen! Bring me back some UMUs!”
Fort heard an odd noise, and he looked down to find the photo in his hand almost completely crumpled in his fist, he’d been gripping it so hard.
But there was no choice here. For all his magic, the adults in charge would always have more power.
Staring at the photo, he concentrated, then opened a teleportation circle on the wall behind them, creating a portal between the Deployment Room and a spot just in front of the Carmarthen Academy.
Everyone tensed as the green circle opened, revealing a very dark scene, in spite of it being daytime in the UK. The dome must have been blocking out most of the sun’s light, leaving everything in shadow and difficult to make out from a distance. It didn’t help that a dark, cloudy fog began to seep in through the portal, adding to the creepy feel.
More than anything, it made Fort think of a horror movie, but he had to remind himself that it was just the dome’s effect, and horror movies weren’t real. It wasn’t like the fog and shadows were alive or something.
But then, before any of the soldiers could move, two of the shadows on the other side of the portal pulled out of the darkness and leaped through into the Oppenheimer School.
- SIX -
UMUS!” COLONEL CHARLES SHOUTED as Fort felt his blood go cold in horror. “Move to contain, now ! And get that portal closed!”
The TDA soldiers immediately leaped to intercept the shadows, even as Fort quickly closed the portal, his hands starting to shake. The first squad moved to surround the intruders, who seemed to fade in and out of view, almost as if they were turning invisible. But as the
soldiers encircled them, the shadows disappeared completely, reappearing in a flash just outside the squad, one on either side.
What were these things, and how were they moving so quickly? They couldn’t be Old Ones … could they?
“Got one!” shouted a soldier in the next squad over as he aimed his Lightning rod, but the nearest black shadow flashed next to him, knocking the rod off course just as he fired. Lightning exploded into the first squad, arcing between the soldiers and knocking most of them to the floor, unconscious.
“Hold your fire until you have a confirmed target!” Colonel Charles shouted, but the shadows disappeared again, and the room went silent as the soldiers all looked for them frantically, their Lightning rods held at the ready.
A moment passed, then another, and no one made a sound. Fort’s throat constricted so much he almost choked when he swallowed, he was so terrified of making even the slightest noise.
“There!” someone shouted, and they all turned to see a flash of black across the wall. A lightning bolt struck right behind it, a moment too late.
“Over here!” shouted another soldier from the opposite side of the room, and Fort whirled around just in time to see the shadow disappear, another lightning bolt hitting where it’d been.
Could these things even be human, disappearing and reappearing that fast? It was almost like they were teleporting, or moving too quickly to see… .
And then it hit him. The intruders were moving too fast to see: They had sped up their own personal time.
This was Time magic. Only it was nothing like the spells Cyrus had used.
And that meant it had to be the Carmarthen Academy students. They’d seen through Colonel Charles’s plan, just as they’d promised, and now they were here to punish them all.
