by Ciara Graves
He shook his head and moved his arm, so he could hold me to his side. “What am I going to do with you, huh?”
“Help me end a war? I could use a bear by my side. Oh, and did you know? Dad’s familiar is a polar bear. It’s crazy! And huge. Between his bear and you, those Cleansers will be running away in terror… Chas? What’s wrong?”
He’d paled and looked like he was having trouble breathing. “Something else that happened while you were gone—meant to tell you, but haven’t found the time yet.”
“And?” I asked, worry gnawing at me. “Just tell me, what’s wrong?”
“The oath is affecting my power,” he growled. “I can’t shift anymore.”
“We’re out of time,” I muttered.
He nodded.
“We’ll fix this, Chas, we’ll make it right.”
“We have to kill them,” he reminded me. “I have to kill them.”
His hold tightened, and I held him as much as he held me.
Whatever ritual Agnes had planned, I prayed it worked.
Dad and I had to get better, so we could end this war once and for all, and admit the truth to the rest of the world: non-users weren’t ready for magic to exist in their lives, no matter what they said. It was too much.
We were all going to have a hard truth to face soon enough.
A very hard truth.
Chapter 9
Chas
Agnes placed her hands over the surface of the water, and it glowed bright white, keeping a subtle glint to it when she pulled back. “The waters are ready.”
Rori stood beside me, clinging to my arm. Last night had been rough. She’d woken up a few times, screaming from nightmares, but I was able to soothe her back to sleep. Ice covered her this morning when she woke though, and the room was filled with shadows. I’d been weak from staying close to her so long, but refused to leave her side. If this didn’t work, I wasn’t sure what else we could do, but we needed her, the three of us.
I needed her.
“Ready?” I asked as we stepped closer to the small pool in what had been the meditation room here at the outpost.
“Not sure I can stand on my own yet.”
“I’ll go in with you,” I assured her. “You’ve got this.”
Brogan stepped forward and held her up as I slipped into the pool, clothes and all, not giving a damn.
I turned around once in the water, and together, we got her lowered to the edge, and she slipped in after me. She sighed at the warmth of the water and taking her hands, I pulled her toward the center, water sloshing around us both.
“Nothing’s happening,” she whispered, sounding on the verge of panicking.
“You have to go under. We’ll do it together. Just keep your eyes on me. Rori, everything’s going to be fine.”
She nodded, those light blue eyes finding mine.
I gave her an encouraging smile. “Ready? Take a breath.”
I sucked in a deep breath as she did the same, then together, we disappeared below the surface of the water. Agnes had explained what would happen to Rori if the cleansing ritual worked the way it was supposed to, seeing as it had never been done before. Majority of the corrupted ones did not have a team. A connection that would be able to pull them back to themselves, but Rori did. And seeing as how Brogan and I were related to the members on Trevor’s team, the hope was it would work for him in the same way.
I waited for the golden light of healing to surround Rori, but instead, the water suddenly darkened around us.
It was like we’d slipped into some strange void.
The surface of the water disappeared, and Rori’s hand squeezed mine hard enough to hurt. Her hair floated around her face. She jerked as if in pain.
Shadows lashed out from her body, then surrounded her. Her mouth opened in a scream, the water muffling the noise as she thrashed, but I held on. Just when I was worried the ritual failed, a bright burst of blue and violet light exploded from the darkness and joined with the gold. The three colors twisted around her, pressing against every inch of her body as she grew still.
Too still.
I gathered her up in my arms and pushed off the bottom of the pool, breaking the surface, shook out my hair and moved to the side of the pool. “She’s not breathing!” I laid her out then climbed out after, checking for a pulse. When there wasn’t one, I started compressions.
Brogan was at her head, checking her pulse every few seconds. “Come on, Rori! Come on!”
Brunie and Agnes were there, reaching out with healing touches.
Rori coughed and sputtered, shooting upright. She gasped, clinging to me and I held her, as did Brogan, keeping her safe between us.
“Did it work?” she asked roughly. “Well?”
“How do you feel?” Agnes asked her.
Rori blinked a few times, her eyes clear. She appeared back to her old self, and when she grinned, then burst out laughing, I sighed. It worked.
“Feel a hundred times better. What did you do?”
“Threw everything I had into that water,” Agnes explained. “And then some from Brunie, Brogan, and Moran. And even from a certain druid I know,” she added with a wink. “Now then, let’s get your father down here so we can have you both back in one piece.”
Brogan and I helped Rori to her feet.
She held out her hands in front of her, snapped her fingers, and her staff appeared. “I’m back.”
Next, we put Trevor into the water.
Agnes went in with him, as he was also too weak to stand on his own. When he emerged, it took a while longer for him to come out of it.
Rori clutched at mine and Brogan’s hands, whispering under her breath for it to work. Finally, he coughed and sputtered, shaking out his head and limbs. His eyes flared with familiar power. When he hugged Rori, a rush of power washed over all of us.
The Cleansers would never stand a chance.
“We found them,” Blade announced as soon as we were all seated in the war room.
“What, where?” Rori asked.
Blade pointed to a place on the map. Northeast Oregon. “There’s a compound here owned by a company that traces back to the Bogards. As does the land it stand on. Had to go through a ton of shit to figure it out, but with what you told us, there’s only one building that matches your description. Stuck in the middle of a fenced-in compound. A distance from where we found you. They’re here.”
“We have to go to them,” I said.
“We need a plan,” Agnes argued. “And planning takes time.”
“Chas is right,” Moran said, and Agnes frowned. “He is. We are unfortunately running out of time. I received word from our dear prime minister this morning. The government is tired of cleaning up after us. They say if we can’t find a resolution within seventy-two hours, they’ll move in and deal with it their way. Meaning we’ll all wind up in a cell somewhere most likely and the Cleansers might possibly get away. We have to move quickly.”
“They’re going to know we’re coming,” Rori said. “What if they’re not there?”
“Then we get there as quickly as we can and find out if we have to go on a hunt or not,” Moran said. “We have no other choice at this point.”
I had to agree. My head gave another intense throb, and I rubbed at my brow furiously, willing it to go away.
Brogan shot me a worried look from across the table, but I shook my head subtly. He didn’t look happy about it, but he kept his mouth shut. Moran and Agnes had enough on their plates now that we were finally making what would hopefully be our final move. I was not going to add any more worries.
“Blade, I want you to gather the men, prepare them for—”
An explosion shook the building.
Sirens wailed outside.
All of us were on our feet and at the windows just in time to see the barricade that surrounded the area shimmering. It was being attacked from the outside.
“Damn it!” Moran snapped then shouted for us to get to ou
r stations.
The Cleansers had come to us. This was it.
Rori, Brogan, Brunie, and I all looked at each other long and hard, knowing what we had to do. If we were going to end the war, there was no turning back. We had to kill the Bogards and anyone else who got in our way. Briefly, we talked about a way to shock any magic-users, destroy the chips in their necks so they would be back on our side. We had no way to test it, but it was the only plan we had.
There was nothing left to say.
Rori’s dad was staring at her, seeming to be torn between worry and pride. He hugged her close, then rushed after Blade, ready to help lead our men into the battle.
The four of us had to break the line. We had to save everyone.
The building shook again.
I rolled my shoulders, readying myself for the fight. The second that barricade fell, it would be chaos. And magic wouldn’t work on Tabitha or Simon.
Rori and Brunie summoned their staves, but Brogan and I had to return to our rooms to grab my sword and his daggers. Once we got to the Bogards, it would be hand-to-hand. Everyone else would be busy fighting off the main assault, giving us the chance we needed to take out the leaders.
The outpost was filled with the Vanguard, all sprinting to get either outside or up to the roof. Others were leading the injured to the safest place we had in this place, the armory.
We passed Macy. She studied us, concern on her face.
I gave her a firm nod, hoping she’d stay strong.
Hoping I’d stay strong and survive this fight.
Rori and Brunie waited for us just outside, staring at the barricade. With each attack, I waited for it to crack and the Cleansers to flood inside.
Moran was calling out orders as our units took positions, working in groups of shamans and druids. All the priests remained near the back, making ready to keep as many of our people alive as they could. Sadly, we relied so much on our powers, we were limited on what firepower we had, so only a few held rifles and pistols. This fight was going to be bloody, there was no way around it. It was too late to leave, too late to do anything, but wait.
Rori stood to my left, Merlin ready and waiting beside her. I
Trevor was alongside Blade and the other commanders, a polar bear growling and pawing at the ground. The bear turned, and I caught the undead side of his face, just like Merlin.
I grabbed Rori’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
The barricade shuddered violently with another massive explosion. A crack made us all jump, and we watched in silence as the power protecting the outpost shattered.
The connection between the four of us flared to life.
Across the courtyard, black-clad soldiers rushed in.
Time seemed to slow as the first few grenades were thrown. They tumbled through the air, ready to land and take out our people, but then time suddenly sped up, and we were all charging forward.
Within seconds, the battle was chaos.
It was all I could do to keep my eyes on Rori this time, while Brunie and Brogan were to my right. My sword stayed sheathed at my back. I wouldn’t need it, not just yet.
Rori swept up an icy wind that Brogan charged with lightning as it shot across, taking down a line of soldiers.
Brunie stayed behind us, keeping up defensive attacks and giving us her healing light to bolster our attacks.
I might not have been able to shift into bear form, but had some other tricks up my sleeve. I slammed my hands to the cold ground. Moss and vines erupted.
Brogan held one hand to the sky, dragging more lightning from the heavens, supercharging the moss and vines, causing them to wrap around enemy limbs. They jerked and yelled at the electricity flooding their bodies. But there was no time to gloat.
More and more grenades were thrown. Magic-user after magic-user hit the ground in a heap, unable to use their powers. They were pulled off the ground in droves, taken back to the safety of the outpost. It wouldn’t stay safe for long if we couldn’t find a way to stem the tide of the enemy rushing in.
A roar caught my attention, and I turned in time to see the polar bear barreling into a line of soldiers, his jaws clamping down on any limb that got in his way. Trevor was behind him, wielding his staff, eyes violet with dark power. Frost and ice swarmed around him while shadows leeched from wherever he stepped, seeking out targets.
Watching Rori’s power had been impressive, but her dad’s power was insane. I’d wondered why he’d been considered the best on my parents’ team. Now I knew why.
“Chas!” Brogan yelled. “They’re here!”
I spotted the group moving inside the crack now. It was the former Elite Guards, now converted into enemies by the devices in their necks. Behind them were the Bogards. Those bastards. They were using our Elite Guard fighters as their personal bodyguards.
“We have to try to turn them!” I yelled. “You ready for this?”
“Don’t have a choice.”
As we stood there, several druids charged the now-turned-enemy Elite Guards, but were immediately thrown back as the enemy Elites moved as one, using their amped-up power, against their own kind.
It was sickening to witness.
The enemy Elites marched in closer, the Bogards directly behind them.
There was no other choice, if this plan failed, we would have to resort to harsher means.
I looked at Rori. She looked back at me, her gaze determined. She frowned, but nodded firmly. The final attack would fall on her, taking their lives, ending them, to end the war.
Knowing my power was weakening the longer this fight lasted, we moved fast. But we’d never have a chance if the enemy Elites saw us coming. Rori had told us about the trick she’d used when she had to cover her talking to Trevor. It was the best we could hope for in way of distraction.
The four of us rushed forward until we were about twenty yards away from the Elites, then fell in line behind Rori. Holding her staff over her head, she bellowed, then slammed it into the cold ground. Ice shot out in a storm, surrounding, hiding us from view, as shadows weaved in and out, concealing our actions.
Tabitha was screaming at someone to get through the wall of ice, but the storm was too strong now that Rori had the three of us backing her up.
Rori spread her arms wide, and the storm shifted, spreading out further and further in each direction. “Do it now!” she yelled, her eyes glowing fiercely.
Brogan and I faced each other. He rolled his hands over each other. A totem appeared between us, one of healing and strength. Then he raised one hand over his head as lightning crackled along his fingertips and up his arm, then down into the totem.
When it was charged with his energy, I closed my eyes and focused on the seven targets surrounding the Bogards. Seven Elites we needed to free of the chip in their neck. Life-giving nature slipped from my fingers into the totem.
We only had one shot at this. One shot only.
I opened my eyes and looked at Brogan. He gave me a nod. Together we aimed the pure force of nature toward Rori’s ice wall. She dropped it just in time to let our magic through.
It shot through the air, crackling and glowing a brilliant green light as it struck each of the Elites.
“What is that? Stop them,” Tabitha screamed.
The Elites moved as one to attack, but the power struck the mage dead center, and she froze, hands hanging in mid-air as the lightning-filled moss and vines wrapped around her limbs and climbed.
More tendrils exploded to the right and left of her, catching every single Elite up in a net of lightning and vines. They screamed, grabbing for the greenery.
Brunie stepped forward and raised her staff over the totem. A warm, golden light illuminated the vines and moss, joining the rest of our power as it encompassed the Elites.
“Stop them! Target them, you idiots!” Tabitha yelled.
Rori had us covered. She twisted her hand, and the ice storm intensified, throwing the soldiers back in a heap. When a few managed to stay upright
and raised their guns, she twisted her staff, and the storm turned from icy to shadowy as tendrils thrust outward, draining each soldier.
Bullets hit the ground near our feet.
I staggered backward, fearing I was going to lose control of the power we’d created, but then Trevor was there, riding atop his polar bear like a damned wild man, his staff raised over his head as he charged down the line of soldiers.
The Elites all fell to their knees and just when I believed it hadn’t worked, the magic ricocheted, throwing us all off our feet.
The totem disappeared into dust.
All seven enemy Elites were standing slowly back up, tearing the moss from around their necks. They glanced around looking lost and angry.
I held my breath, waiting for them to turn on us and attack.
The mage lifted her hand and whirled around. Fire burst to life in her palms.
A pop rang out, and she staggered backward, blood pooling.
Two more shots were fired. Tabitha and Simon had drawn their guns and opened fire. One by one they fell.
“Rori!”
She swung her staff, and a wall of ice rose up, separating the Bogards from the former enemy Elites.
Some lay on the ground hurt, some dead.
Brunie and another priest rushed in to drag them out of harm’s way as more soldiers rushed in through the crack in the barricade.
I hurried to join Brunie, but using so much power had weakened me, and I sensed my connection to nature would be cut off almost completely shortly. Soon, I’d be down to hand-to-hand.
“Chas! They’re running!” Brogan shouted.
Tabitha and Simon were rushing away from the outpost.
“We can’t let them escape!” I had to kill them, or I’d lose my power for good.
I glanced at Rori who was shielding Brunie and the injured Elites, and waved my arm over my head at her. She caught sight of me and made to join us, but gunfire erupted, and bullets sprayed the ground around them. Her and Brunie jumped to action to shield those around them.
“Go!” Rori bellowed. “We’ll find you, just don’t let them escape!”
