52
To Zerek, the laboratory tucked away in the mountains of Estyeer was more than just another scientific institution. It was a fortress of research, and the physical evidence of everything he had been working on since he had left his previous existence behind. It was the only place where he was free to conduct research that others had either never thought of or never dared to attempt.
The director walked down the hallway in the containment wing, taking in the décor. Would prisoners find the warm lighting and tranquil paintings comforting, or would the details add insult to injury? He supposed only time would tell.
He nodded at the guards stationed in the hallway and finally reached the door he had been heading for. The scientist fished a key card from his pocket and slid it into the slit under the chrome doorknob. The red light next to it chimed green, and he turned the handle deftly.
The room was well lit, with a simple but comfortable bed bolted into the floor on one side and a toilet and sink set up on the other side of a thin screen. Zerek had commissioned the walls to be painted a calming blue color, but the woman seated on the bed looked anything but calm as she glowered at him.
"Hallo, Agatha," the scientist murmured kindly. He watched her stiffen, but he knew that she knew better than to try to take him on physically. After all, it hadn't gone down well for her when she had attempted to do so in his office the day before.
"Vie am I here?" Her words were cold as ice, and Zerek studied her calmly.
"You are here because killing you vould have been vasteful," he replied evenly. She blanched at his blunt words, but Zerek felt no remorse. "Besides...you alvays said you vanted to visit ze Laboratory of Estyeer."
"Zat is vat zis awful place is?" she asked softly. "All zis time, it vas no private research facility you had built in ze mountains...but a prison. Vat could you possibly be—"
"Zis is not a prison, Agatha," Zerek countered. "Zo, I can see how you would reach zat conclusion, as you have only seen ze inside of zis holding cell."
"Vie vould you need holding cells for robotics research?" she demanded.
Zerek smiled thinly. "Zis laboratory is not for robotics research."
Agatha stared at him. "Zen vat is it for?" she asked, her tone making her concern obvious.
"You vill find out in time," he promised. "I need your help, Agatha."
"You zink I vould help you? After you drugged me and dragged me out here...locking me in a cell?" She gestured to the soft grey jumpsuit she was wearing. "You even took my clozing and personal belongings...you have made me a prisoner, Zerek. I may not know vat you are up to, but I vill not help you do it."
"Hm." Zerek was unconcerned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. Agatha sat up as she realized it was hers, and the scientist unlocked the screen. "Julien has been trying to contact you. I zink he is starting to get vorried."
"Vat has Julien got to do vith zis?" she demanded.
"Julien has more to do vith zis zan you do," Zerek offered, scrolling through the conversation he was carrying with the intern on Agatha's behalf. "I zot you vould have realized zat by now. It is a pity you vere caught up in it all...but I had a suspicion you vould be, vonce I found out you and he had started courting."
"Ze vords you wrote on zeir pictures, on zat secret board you vere hiding... Julien told me about his family, and ze ozers. Ze vones who used to be heroes in Ninjago, vith strange talents."
"Ze elemental masters," Zerek affirmed.
"Are you targeting zeir children as a vay to get to zem? Vat is it you vant?"
"I couldn't care less about ze last generation of masters," Zerek countered. "It is zis new generation zat I am eager to study...vile ze powers are fresh."
"Vat do you mean, new generation?" she demanded.
Zerek sighed. "Julien has not disclosed everyzing about his heritage, it seems." He clicked on the intern's contact picture on Agatha's phone, studying the boy's serious expression. "He has been trying to reach you all morning. Vie don't you call him and assure him you're all right? Or better yet, invite him and Amber to ze research facility?"
"I vill not help you hurt Julien, or his friends." Agatha's expression was hateful. "He is not stupid, Zerek... by now, he knows somezing is up."
"You zink he knows zat you're currently imprisoned in a secret facility, and I plan on bringing him here next?" Zerek asked dryly. "I highly doubt zat, Agatha. Ze boy is concerned, yes...but I do not zink it vill be too difficult to get him and ze Xinta here. Of course, vith your help I could make sure zey arrived as painlessly as possible."
"I hope Amber knocks you into ze next century," Agatha sneered. "How you could possibly hope to overpower a Xinta..."
"It is true, she is powerful," Zerek agreed. "Vich is vie I vant her. And if you von't help me convince Amber and Julien to come, I have ozer vays to get zem to agree."
"Vat vays?"
"Zere is more powerful motivation zan strength, Agatha. Sentiment vill secure ze Xinta far better zan force could."
The woman looked confused, but then understanding dawned. "Her friend...ze von she cannot get ahold of, who's phone vas in your office..."
"Do not look so concerned," Zerek assured. "Ze boy is unharmed, and vill remain so as long as Amber complies. I imagine she vill, ven she realizes ze stakes."
"How could you hope to get avay vith all of zis?" Agatha asked softly. "Zerek, people vill notice ven zeir children disappear. Zey vill realize zat zey never came home, and zey vill connect ze dots. You cannot get out of zis."
Zerek smiled. "Are you comfortable, Agatha? You are going to be here avile. Is zere any vay I can make zis room more accommodating?"
"You vill be arrested, or vorse!" Agatha yelled. "Are you insane?"
Zerek twisted the door's handle, shaking his head sadly. "I vonder how your fazer vill react, ven he reads ze article."
It seemed to take Agatha by surprise. "Vat are you talking about?" she asked, her voice hushed vith horror.
"Ze news article...ze von zat vill surely come out in a few days about a group of teenagers from Ninjago who came to vacation in Metallonia during zeir school break. Vile here, zey vere involved in a terrible incident. Perhaps zey vent exploring in ze dangerous Metallonian Vilds and became lost...or perhaps von of my vell-meaning scientists took zem on a tour of von of ze mines, only for it to tragically collapse on top of zem. Eizer vay, ze loss of ze Ninjagoans vill be a travesty zat vill break many hearts, I am sure."
Agatha paled. "No von vill believe it!" she snapped as she stood. "Zere vill be inquiries, investigations...no von vill believe your lies!"
"You have much to learn." Zerek turned and offered one last smile. "I vill have Julien come to see you ven he arrives."
"You're a monster!" she hissed, tears swimming in her eyes.
"Goodbye, Ms. Axel."
"Should I call the police? What number do you even call to reach police in Metallonia?" Dani muttered to herself as the taxi drove. "What would I even tell them? That my boyfriend is in a meeting with a bad lady who's probably making him have a panic attack?" The girl bounced her leg and pressed Colby's contact photo on her phone again. "Pick up, Walker...before I overreact."
The taxi finally pulled up at the address that Dani had given the driver—she had saved the luncheon address into her phone since she was planning on meeting Colby here after his meeting. Dani shoved cash at the driver, practically leaping out of the car as she studied the large building. It was some kind of business building, and Dani went straight for the front doors to question the security guards stationed there. It was only thirty minutes after the start of Colby's appointment, but that was plenty of time for him to have called her in a panic once he found out that Matilda was his benefactor. There was no way that Walker would be okay with having the two-faced politician support him.
"I need to come in," she panted as she reached the doormen. They frowned, and she moved to open her own door. "My boyfriend's inside, and..."
"I'm afraid ve cannot let you in. Zis is a private building, and people are required to make appointments—"
"My boyfriend is having an anxiety attack in there, I know it!" she snapped. "Let me in right now, or I'm calling the police!"
The doormen looked uncomfortable then. "Who is your boyfriend?" one finally asked.
"Colby Walker."
The doorman pulled out a list with a frown and finally shook his head. "Ve have no one vith that name on our list."
Dani stared at him in shock, and the other doorman stepped forward, forcing her to move back.
"Like ve said...it is a private business. Ve are going to have to ask you to leave, or ve vill have to involve ze police."
Dani's heart pounded. She was conflicted about whether to insist on entry kicking and screaming or to back off to double check her address. This was the right building, wasn't it? By why would Colby be having a luncheon in some random building and not a restaurant?
"If I find out my boyfriend is in there, I will have you both arrested," she snapped at last, dialing Colby's number. The call once again went straight to voicemail, and Dani walked back down the steps. "Hey, Walker. Please call me back—I'm freaking out right now. I went to the address, but the jerks at the front..." The young woman trailed off as she reached the empty street. She had been staring down at the ground, and she realized suddenly that the gutter was full of water. Normally, it wouldn't have been that strange of a sight—there could be sprinklers on somewhere nearby, or something like that. But as Dani watched the water bubble and gush down the street, her stomach twisted.
She shoved the phone back into her pocket and followed the water to the corner of the plot before turning and following the gutter upstream toward the back of the building. As she reached the parking lot on the south end of whatever this business was, Dani found the culprit for the water—a fire hydrant had seemingly exploded, and now water was gushing out of it and flooding the small grassy area by the parking lot.
Dani's mouth went dry. "Colby..." she murmured, and she immediately began scouring the parking lot. It was relatively empty, but she realized there was a vehicle pulling out. Dani clenched her fists—who but Matilda would travel in a limo? "STOP!" she yelled as she bolted after the car. She had no idea if Colby was on board, or just Matilda...but she was consumed with foreboding. The limo pulled out onto the street and continued on its way, and Dani's heart pounded with panic. Her mind screamed at her to call the police, but she wasn't even sure how, or if they would even believe her. What if they treated her like the doormen—like she was crazy? But if she could just catch up with that limo...
A man with a motorcycle pulled up along the side of the road, and Dani made split-second decision. "I need to borrow your bike!" she yelled as she ran for him. The man looked surprised as she reached him and grabbed his handlebars, but then he shook his head.
"Look, girl..."
"It's an emergency!" she insisted, her voice cracking as she managed to pull out her wallet. June was always getting after her for carrying large amounts of cash on her person, telling her it was an irresponsible thing to do...but the habit came in handy as she stuffed the money into the man's hands. He blinked and stepped backward, and Dani nearly cried with relief as she shakily boarded the bike and shoved the man's helmet on her head.
"Do you even know how to ride?" he asked as she turned the handlebar to give the bike gas.
"Sort of," she managed, and she kicked off before he had a chance to change his mind. Up a few blocks, the limo was turning a corner, and Dani accelerated until well over the speed limit to try to catch up.
At this rate, I'm going to get the police after me, she thought. Actually, that would be ideal. Then I wouldn't have to try to figure out how to call them.
The bike wobbled dangerously as Dani turned the corner, and a scream escaped as she nearly rammed into oncoming traffic. She managed to pull back into her correct lane at the last moment, and she cursed narrow Metallonian streets and Matilda O'Keefe. The limo was still up ahead, but another car had frustratingly gotten in the way and seemed bent on only going the speed limit. Dani was forced to slow down, but from what she could see, the limo ahead seemed to be speeding up.
Colby's voice came to mind as she thought of the lesson he had given her the night of the formal dance. When riding a motorcycle, it's tempting to weave in and out of traffic...but we won't try to do any of that tonight. After all, that's really something you shouldn't try to do unless you have lots of practice.
Dani swallowed hard. The car in front of her moved over slightly, and she took her chance. Her heart leapt to her throat as she accelerated and forced her bike through the narrow middle ground between the two directions of traffic. Someone laid into their horn, and Dani managed a shuddery gasp as she finally got ahead enough to pull back into the safety of her own lane. Her whole body was shaking, and the helmet on her head bounced and jangled as she rode. Probably not a good sign, she realized. Please don't let me die on this stupid bike in this stupid country following this stupid, horrible woman...
The limo made another turn, and this time when Dani followed, her own turn was less shaky. She was glad to see that she seemed to be catching up, but now her mind was consumed with her next step. What was her plan, here? Follow them until they reach a destination? Crash the bike into the back of them to get them to stop? This is why June calls you impulsive, you know, she chided herself. She risked looking around, but still no sign of any cops. Did Metallonia even have a police force?
The limo went through a traffic signal, and Dani didn't dare slow down as the signal turned yellow. She rocketed through right as it turned red, praying no one would crash into her. There was no way she was losing them—not until she was sure that Colby wasn't on board. But if he wasn't...then where was he?
In some restaurant, having lunch? A cynical part of her mind whispered. You could have gotten the address wrong, and now you're chasing after some random limo just because you saw a broken fire hydrant.
The thought made Dani's mouth taste sour, but she couldn't risk doing nothing in case her worst fears were correct. She followed the limo through another traffic light, but then it turned onto a road leading out of town. Where on earth was it going? The traffic grew lighter, and the limo sped up. Dani followed suit, finally able to get within fifty feet of the vehicle. She tried to see into the back window, but it was tinted, and there was nothing to see.
Dani wasn't sure how long she followed the limo until she realized suddenly that it was slowing down. They had left Turpen behind, now out in the country with hills and phone poles on either side of the bumpy road. The young woman pulled the bike to a jittery stop as the limo suddenly pulled over, and her hands shook as she tried to figure out why it would be stopping. She put one foot down to balance, her body stiff with anticipation.
The back door of the limo opened, and Dani swallowed as a massive man in a suit stepped out. Even though Dani was still yards away, she could see the displeased look on his face.
"Go around," he ordered. "Ve pulled over so you could go around."
"I'm not going anywhere!" she called back. She pulled out her phone and held it up threateningly. "Tell Matilda to tell me where my boyfriend is, or I'm calling the police right now!"
"You have no idea vat you are talking about," the bodyguard growled. "Move along, or ve vill call ze police."
"I dare you to," Dani snapped, her temper flaring. He didn't deny that Matilda was the one on the limo, and he didn't seem confused enough by her accusation. "In fact, I don't know what I'm waiting for. I'll call them now, and they can get the information out of Matilda."
She dialed into her phone as if she was calling the police and held it to her ear. The bodyguard's face went red, and Dani's eyes widened with shock as she watched him pull a pistol off his person.
The girl dropped behind the bike as the first shot rang out, her phone still uselessly pressed to her ear. She heard a bullet hit the bike with a crack, and another must have struck a tire because there was a horrible hissing sound. Dani trembled with adrenaline as she realized she had made herself a sitting duck, but then she heard someone yell out.
"NO!"
She whirled around, and she realized that she could see Colby. He had flung himself halfway out of the car after the bodyguard. Someone was grabbing him from inside the car, probably trying to drag him back inside while he desperately wrestled with the shooter for the gun. Dani watched in horror as the shooter managed to get away from the attacking teen before delivering an unforgiving blow to the back of Colby's head. He slumped, and Dani screamed.
"For heaven's sakes!" A female voice joined the ruckus as the other limo door was flung open and Matilda O'Keefe herself stepped onto the dusty road. Her expression was pinched with disapproval and she glowered at her armed bodyguard. "Olf, stop shooting like a madman, and go grab her. Do you have any idea how much harder it is to cover up murder?"
The bodyguard growled an apology. He stowed his weapon and helped whoever was still in the car to shove Colby back into it, and then he turned his attention to Dani.
What do I do? She asked herself in a panic. She had to help Colby, but his kidnappers had guns, and she was completely out of her element. Not even her two years of self-defense class could have helped her now. She knew she needed to call the police but she still didn't know how and now it was too late...
Dani jumped up on the bike and desperately tried to start it, but it seemed that the tire hadn't been the only thing punctured by bullet holes. It made a guttural sound but wouldn't start, and the bodyguard was jogging toward her. Dani leapt from the useless vehicle and began sprinting in the opposite direction, though deep down, she doubted she would be able to outrun him long enough to reach any kind of town. She prayed some car would drive by to witness what was happening, but the road was clear.
You idiot! You should have called the police to begin with. You should have asked someone how to contact them, or looked it up online...
She pulled out her phone as she ran, but she realized there was little signal out here and the internet wouldn't load. Hearing the guard lumbering behind her, Dani made a desperate call. She prayed Amber would pick up, but after ringing a few times, the phone went to voicemail.
"Amber, I don't know anyone in Metallonia and I don't know who to call and I would call my parents but they're too far away to do anything in time," Dani babbled desperately. "Did you get my texts from earlier today, about Matilda, and...and Matilda? She's got Colby and her guard is after me and I don't know why but she funded this whole trip...it was a trap, and I'm scared, and I don't know how to call the freaking police in this freaking country! I'm out in the country by Turpen and Matilda's got a limo and I need you to call the police..."
A hand clamped on her arm, and Dani immediately tried to free herself. However, with her body coursing with panic and adrenaline, her self-defense was sluggish at best. She screamed and cursed as the man took her phone and crushed it in one hand before stuffing it in his pocket, and then he was forcing her hands behind her back.
"I already contacted the police!" she screamed as he began dragging her back to the limo. "If you don't let us go, you'll be charged with kidnapping or worse!"
The guard didn't say anything, and Dani continued to fight until they reached the car at last. Matilda was back inside, rubbing her temple like she had a headache. "What a disaster," she muttered to herself. "Can't anything ever go smoothly anymore?"
"You horrid, filthy criminal!" Dani yelled as she was forced inside.
"Quiet," Matilda snapped. "Sit nicely, or we'll knock you out, like your friend."
Dani blanched as she looked over at where Colby was propped up on the fancy leather seat, leaning up against the bodyguard next to him. The man holding her forced Dani into the seat next to Colby, and she froze as she scanned her boyfriend. It was obvious from his face that Colby had been crying before the brute had knocked him unconscious, and she realized he was wearing a metal cuff around one of his wrists. Vengestone.
"Honestly, I wasn't going to involve you at all, you stupid girl," Matilda continued, eyeing Dani like a pest. "But now you've gone and forced my hand."
"What have you done to Colby?" Dani hissed venomously, lurching forward to try to tear into the neatly dressed woman across from her. The bodyguard restrained her and Dani grunted as her arm was twisted painfully.
"Oh, he's fine," Matilda tsked, waving Dani off. "Look at how calm and quiet he's being...we really should have knocked him out to begin with. The shaking and blubbering..."
"I called the police, you horrible witch!" Dani screamed. "They'll be looking for you!"
"Did you really?" Matilda asked, sounding bored rather than concerned. "I hope for your sake that you're bluffing. It's very hard to get service out in these parts."
"I'm not bluffing," Dani growled, though her face flushed. Matilda raised an eyebrow before turning to the man holding Dani back.
"Keep her quiet, Olf. Knock her out if you have to. That one, I have to deliver in one piece," she said, gesturing at Colby. "But this girl is expendable." Matilda met Dani's eye again, and the young woman's blood ran cold. "So I hope our little egg-thrower remembers her manners on this trip."
53
Teag wiped at the sweat on his face, staring down at the metal he had finished pounding. He began to wait for the metal to cool back to black, but then changed his mind and dunked it into the water while it was still orange. Steam erupted with a hiss, and Teag smiled a little. He pulled the hoofer shoe out of the water and tossed it carelessly onto the pile with a few others.
"I see you're done sulking," a voice said from behind. Teag stiffened, not turning or replying. The speaker continued casually. "Look at those hoofer shoes...pretty good work there."
"They're awful." Teag finally turned to glower at Quazier. "I didn't scrape the iron shavings off, so the sides are lumpy...and I quenched them all too fast. They're as brittle as ice." He tensed, waiting for the trader to yell at him for messing them up. Instead, Quazier laughed.
"If you know what you did wrong, then you can fix it."
"I can't!" Teag ripped the leather apron off. "They're the same mistakes I've made forever...I can't get better! I'm hopeless."
The leader of the Inner Ring whistled low. "Who told you that?"
"Everyone." Teag tossed the apron off to one side. "I told you, I'm no good."
"Geez, kid. Seems your last master was hard on you."
"I deserved it." Teag glowered at the floor, trying to keep his temper in check.
Quazier barked another laugh. "The guy sounds like a slave driver...I should know." He laughed at his own joke, and Teag clenched his fists. "Can you make anything else?"
"No."
"Try something else for me. Just for kicks. I won't even get mad if you mess it up."
"I don't want to. I already told you...I don't want to be a blacksmith."
Quazier's smile faded. "So you'd rather just be thrown in with everybody else, huh? Just another head for the market?"
"Yes," Teag agreed exasperatedly.
"I'm disappointed in you, kid." Quazier's expression hardened. "You've got no ambition. Where's your drive, huh? Your fend-for-yourself motive for life?"
"I'm not you."
It slipped out, and Teag knew the consequence wouldn't be good. He looked up in time to see that Quazier had approached him. The boy stiffened as the trader grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "I don't get you, kid," the trader finally hissed. "There's something off about you...something I'm not seeing."
Teag finally met his eye. "I'm not going to be your lackey. It's as simple as that."
Quazier's eye got a dangerous glint in them. "Bold words." Teag didn't block the blow in time, and he grunted as pain exploded across his face. He hoped he managed to close his eyes before Quazier could see them flash. He waited to see if the trader would mention powers, but Quazier just tsked as he released him at last.
"I'm tempted to give you what you want and throw you in with the others—the transport will be here any day to get everyone. But I can't help but wonder what will happen if I wait you out."
Teag stumbled back now that he was free, his hand on his flaming face. He continued to keep his eyes closed, and Quazier chuckled darkly.
"What? Never been hit before?"
"I've been hit," Teag answered softly. It wasn't a lie—Dee used to hit him all the time. But as he held his bruised cheek with his eyes still squeezed shut, it occurred to the boy that it had been a long time since anyone had struck him.
"You're going to be hit more, if you're determined to be a helpless, worthless slave. So think about it, kid. Is that really what you want to be?"
Teag didn't answer, and he could hear Quazier leaving the forge, apparently happy to leave Teag with his dark thoughts.
"Why do I have to?" Pippa whined. Her mother gave her a withering look as she packed her satchel.
"Myrah and Hershel are looking for Teag," Syn reminded in her no-nonsense mother tone. "I have to go teach a class—you can watch your cousin for a few hours."
"Hershel was supposed to teach me today," Pippa growled from her place on her parents' bed as she glowered at her mother.
"He has important things to do today, Pip. You'll be fine."
"Why is he even looking for Teag? It's not like..."
"Because he cares about him," Syn snapped, and Pippa could tell her mother was close to losing her temper. "Surprise, surprise, Pippa—you aren't the only person your uncle cares about." Pippa stiffened, and her mother sighed. "Just watch Raiyn today, all right? I'm sure Hershel will be back with Teag tonight and you can train with him tomorrow."
"But I don't want to babysit," Pippa muttered.
"I don't always want to do the things I have to do either. It's part of growing up. Aren't you the one who wants us to treat you like an adult?" Syn finished packing her satchel and slipped on her shoes. "Raiyn's sleeping—he had a rough night. He may nap through the whole time you're watching him, if you're quiet."
Pippa didn't say anything else, her arms still folded defiantly. Syn moved to the door of their quarters, giving her daughter one last firm look.
"If he does wake up, don't let him out of your sight. Don't just foist him onto one of the servants or guards. This is your responsibility."
"I don't ever foist him," Pippa muttered.
"I mean it. Your father will be coming home tomorrow, and he's going to hear about everything you've been up to these last few days." With the final threat in place, Syn moved out the door and closed it behind her. Pippa's eyes blazed with the injustice of it all, but then the aura faded and she flopped back on her parent's bed.
"Nobody gets it," she complained to the ceiling. "Mom doesn't treat me like an adult...she treats me like a baby. Making me do chores and babysit all the time. Hershel making me do all the boring trainings..."
A whimper came from the other side of the bed, and Pippa looked over at where Raiyn was curled up. The fluffy-haired girl immediately snapped her mouth shut, not wanting to wake him. Bad enough her mother had made her stay here with him—Ancients forbid Raiyn woke up and made her play with him.
"You're the baby," Pippa whispered to her cousin. "You're the one who can't do anything...not me. So why do they treat me like they treat you?"
Raiyn tossed in his sleep, whimpering again. Pippa's annoyance faded as she crawled over to where her cousin had started crying in his sleep. She waited for the nightmare to pass, but if anything, Raiyn just seemed to get more agitated. Pip chewed her lip, and she finally cursed and began shaking him awake.
"It's okay, Raiynee," she coaxed. "It's just a bad dream." The child woke with a start, and Pippa managed a smile. "You're fine, Raiyn. See?"
"Bad man hurt Teag." Raiyn's whimper carried a surprising grimness. Pippa furrowed her brow.
"You're dreaming about Teag? Raiyn, that's weird," she chided.
"Tent men gonna hurt Teag. Help Teag, Pip-pip. Hafta help Teag!"
"Hershel is looking for him, remember? Your Dad's already looking."
"Daddy not listen!" Raiyn insisted, his expression darkening as he smacked the mattress under him. "We help Teag... help now!"
"Stop talking like a baby," Pippa snapped. "You're big enough to talk normal now...even Dad thinks so. Teag is fine. He's just stupid and ran off somewhere, is all."
"NOT FINE!" Raiyn's voice grew louder, shocking his cousin to silence as he grabbed her shirt. "Tent men KILL TEAG!"
Pippa wasn't even sure what to say in answer. "Uh...it was a dream, you know."
"We help Teag," Raiyn said, as if coming to the decision. His expression cleared as he studied his cousin. "Raiyn and Pip help Teag. No Tent-men."
"We can't help him," Pippa pointed out. "We don't even know where he is."
Raiyn's expression became distant, the way it got sometimes. Pippa was beginning to wonder if he was starting to fall back asleep, but then Raiyn grabbed Pippa's arm in a firm grasp.
"Raiyn knows," he assured her. Pippa opened her mouth to argue, but in the next second, the pair of children vanished from the bedroom without so much as a flash of light.
Hershel slipped off his hoofer, and he heard Myrah dismount behind him. A few of his students ran up in surprise.
"Are you training us again today, Master Hershel?" Inna asked, and Hershel gave her a tight smile.
"Not today. I'm looking for Teag...have you seen him?"
The students looked surprised. "No," Jaim admitted, and his twin added. "Not for a long time."
Hershel's heart sank, and he felt a hand slip into his. The students' eyes widened.
"Hello, Leader Myrah," they chimed together, and the Western Leader offered a smile.
"Hello, children. You're sure none of you have seen Teag? He didn't come here and tell you to lie for him, did he?"
"Teag doesn't lie," Inna pointed out, as if surprised.
"And neither do we," Jasper said, his tone obviously offended that Myrah would think so.
"Summer lies sometimes," his twin pointed out.
"But we don't."
"Thank you for your help," Hershel cut in. "You all can run along. I'm going to check a few more places just in case, and then we'll be on our way."
"Why are you looking for Teag?" Luz asked.
"Did something happen to him?" Inna demanded, her eyes wide with concern.
"Teag is fine," Myrah assured. "He's been wanted to strike out on his own...we just need to make sure he's in a stable situation, wherever he ended up."
The leader's explanation didn't seem to calm their nerves, and Hershel offered a gentle smile. "When we find him, we'll come back and let you know. Run along—we don't have much time for talking."
The kids reluctantly headed off, and Hershel made his way to a home in the back corner of the village.
"There are more of them than I remember," Myrah murmured as they traveled.
"More of what?"
"Your students. I forget how many there are."
Hershel shrugged. "Not as many students as you have."
"But they've all cropped up in the past few years," Myrah pointed out. "Do you think that powers are going to become more and more prevalent, the more time passes?"
"I don't know," Hershel admitted honestly. "It's something I find myself thinking about a lot,but right now, we've got other things to focus on." They reached the home tucked away in the back of an alley with embroidered curtains over the doorway. Hershel took a deep breath, silently praying that he would find Teag inside like he did last time he came.
He pushed his way in, and Myrah followed suit. Haiven was sitting on a cushion on the floor, sewing, and she looked up in surprise as they entered. Hershel held up a hand in greeting. "I'm sorry to barge in, Haiven...but Teag disappeared from the fortress a few days ago, and we have no idea where he's gone. I was hoping he came here again."
The young woman's expression immediately pinched with concern, and Hershel watched a few of her gestures. He wasn't as good at reading them as Theodynn had always been, but he understood enough to know what she was saying.
"So, you haven't seen him either?"
Haiven shook her head, then asked a few choppy questions.
"He has been worried about his brother," Hershel admitted, his expression clouding. "He went to the East a little while ago to find him and wasn't able to, so he came to me and Myrah for help because he had thought his brother had been arrested. But when Myrah went to the East, Tala's dungeons were empty and she claimed that she didn't even keep common prisoners in the dungeons." Hershel sighed heavily. "I'm afraid that he's gone searching for Dee on his own."
"If he's not here, then he probably is in the East," Myrah pointed out softly. "We'll just have to go look for him there, Hershel."
"But anything could have happened to him by now..."
"He's a smart kid," his wife urged. "He'll be all right until we find him."
Hershel nodded slowly, but he couldn't shake the dread that had developed in his stomach. He turned to apologize to Haiven once again for barging in, but he realized that she had a strange expression. "Are you all right?" he asked, wondering why her expression would be so brooding.
Haiven looked up to meet his eye, and made a series of gestures. Hershel frowned as he worked to interpret them, letting the young woman speak in her own way for a few minutes.
"You've...met Teag's brother?" he finally asked. It was the only way he could think of to interpret her gestures, but it didn't make sense. Haiven nodded quickly, but then made a "so-so" hand gesture. After a little longer, Hershel guessed again.
"You saw Teag's brother in the East?"
Another nod. Haiven made further gestures, but Hershel was at a loss now. She must have picked up on his blank look because she huffed and stood, setting her sewing to one side. She crossed the room and picked up a small roll of parchment and a pen, and Hershel watched as she laboriously began writing onto the parchment. Nearby, Myrah was silent as she watched the entire conversation.
At last, Haiven brought the parchment over, and Hershel read through it. His brow furrowed with concern, and Myrah stepped closer. "What did she say?" she prompted.
"Haiven was in the East when Dee was arrested," Hershel realized. He looked up to meet Haiven's eye to make sure he was reading it correctly. "You saw Tala's own guards arresting him?"
She nodded emphatically, and Hershel looked back down at the scroll.
"And the guards said that all criminals—even thieves—were to be taken directly to Tala?"
More nodding. Myrah frowned as she addressed the silent woman. "You're sure it was Teag's brother? Do you know his brother personally?"
Rather than answer, Haiven pointed at the first line she had written. Hershel read it for his wife. "Haiven said that a few weeks back, she saw a thief arrested in the markets, and he looked just like Teag. Just older."
"Even if it wasn't his brother, Tala lied to me," Myrah mused. "She told me that thieves aren't taken to the fortress—they're taken directly to labor camps."
Haiven made a few more grim gestures, and Hershel wiped at his face.
"If Dee really was arrested, Teag's not going to find him just wandering around in the East. Not that I want him to find him, but I'm afraid of what he'll be desperate enough to do if he can't locate Dee."
Myrah looked over in surprise. "You don't want him to find his brother?"
"Teag confided a lot in me during his two years of training here in this village," Hershel admitted, his expression hardening. "Dee is not the type of person I would trust Teag with...or anyone with. If Teag ends up with his older brother again, he's going to be abused or worse."
"But you promised Teag you'd help him find his brother. If he's abusive..."
"I told him we would help to get his brother out of prison," Hershel corrected. "I never said I was going to let him go off with Dee again."
Myrah's expression clouded. "Hershel...that may not be your decision to make."
"I came from a situation like that once, you know," Hershel said, giving his wife a firm look. "The closer you are to someone who hurts you, the deeper the wounds. If Teag wants to check on his brother, then fine...but I won't let Dee hurt him any more than he already has."
Myrah and Haiven both looked surprised by the vehement speech, and Hershel sagged a little as he pushed his hair out of his eyes.
"We better head out if we're going to reach the East by nightfall," he pointed out. "I think Tala has some explaining to do."
54
It was hot. That was the first thing that registered to Pippa—the cool of the fortress room vanished as sunlight pierced her vision. She stumbled backward, feeling lightheaded. Her mind whirled and she blinked in the sunlight as she looked around.
She was in the middle of nowhere, dust swirling around her feet and a few scraggly weeds. Her heart began to pound...had she somehow transported? But that didn't make any sense. For one, it didn't feel like a normal transport. For another, she should be exhausted.
"Pip-pip." The voice was weak, and she turned and realized that Raiyn was sitting in the dirt nearby. He seemed paler than normal, and when he looked up, she realized how exhausted he looked. For a minute, the girl just stared, and then an impossible thought wormed its way into her mind.
"You didn't do this," she accused. "You can't transport! You're just a baby, with no powers!" Raiyn whimpered, curling in on himself. Pippa's anger faded as she dropped to her knees. "Are you okay?"
Rather than answer, Raiyn pressed his fists against his eyes and started to cry. Pippa swallowed hard, looking around them again. Raiyn didn't generally cry...at least, not if someone else wasn't crying first. Chewing her lip, Pippa lifted her cousin, and he wrapped his arms around her neck. She still had no idea where they were, but she was sure that she must have accidentally transported them both here. That's why Raiyn didn't feel good—it was no doubt the first time he had ever been transported anywhere.
"But where did I transport us to?" Pippa murmured. There were dunes all around her, and she began hiking up the shifting sands of the closest one. She could see mountains nearby as well, but she didn't recognize them at all. How had she transported to someplace she had never been before?
"Pip-Pip scared?" Raiyn mumbled into her neck. Pippa huffed, marching faster up the dune.
"I'm not scared," she snapped. "I'm confused. There's a difference." She reached the top of the tall dune at last, and her confusion grew as she looked down at what looked like a village at the bottom of dip. The strange tents went up against the mountains in the distance, but she didn't recognize the colors or symbols. They weren't in the west, or the north. She was fairly certain they weren't in the central province, either. Was this the east, or the south? She hadn't spent a whole lot of time in either place, and the fact that she had stranded her and Raiyn somewhere completely unfamiliar gave her a stomachache. She should be excited—this was the first time she had managed to transport with someone else in tow. However, with Raiyn still crying quietly into her neck, she found she just wanted to be home.
"If I did it once, I can do it again," she told herself firmly, and she pictured the western fortress. Aural winds began to whip around her and Raiyn, but suddenly her cousin screamed, his grip on her tightening.
"NO, PIP-PIP!" The fierceness of the cry took Pippa back, and she nearly stumbled off the back of the dune. Raiyn pulled back to fix her with a pinched look. "NO POOF!"
"Don't be scared, Raiyn!" she snapped, pulling him close. "I'm just getting us back home!"
"No go home. Help Teag."
"We're in the middle of nowhere..."
"Help Teag," Raiyn repeated firmly, turning to point down at the tents in the distance. "Bad men...Teag scared."
Pippa looked back up at the tents. "Teag isn't down there."
"Yes."
"You can't know that," Pippa snapped. "I transported us to a random place. It has nothing to do with—"
"Pip-pip not poof," Raiyn argued, fixing her with a somber look. "Raiyn poofed."
Pippa blinked. "Did not. You're just a baby."
"Raiyn poofed," he repeated. He seemed to be gaining strength, and he looked down at the sand. "Down, Pip-pip. Put Raiyn down."
"No. I'm transporting us home." Pippa's eyes flashed as she began the process again. Minutes passed, and she grew increasingly frustrated as she the transport stubbornly eluded her. She grunted at last, dropping Raiyn down into the sand as exhaustion began creeping in. "Why isn't it working?"
"No poof." Raiyn stumbled for a few steps in the sand, but then he began walking to the strange tents. "Help Teag."
Pippa glowered at her cousin. If she remembered right, Hershel had told her that you couldn't transport with someone who didn't want to be transported. The dumb nearly-four-year old seemed to be blocking her attempts, which made her all the angrier.
"We are going home!" she snapped, grabbing his arm. He looked up at her, and Pippa was a little unnerved at how distant his gaze was.
"Tent men coming," he told her. "Help Teag."
Pippa scowled, glancing around them once again. She couldn't just leave Raiyn here, but if he wouldn't let her transport him home, she wasn't sure what to do. Her gaze finally settled on the tents in the distance, and she sighed.
"Fine, we'll go over to the tents," she agreed bitterly. "But only because it's hot and we need water...and we need to figure out where we are. I don't believe for a second that we are anywhere near stupid mop-head."
Raiyn seemed relieved, and he took her hand as they began their trek across the desert sands.
Amber bounced her leg as the communicator vibrated again and again. When it stopped, she sighed in annoyance as she glared at it. "I told you I would be in touch, Tay," she muttered. "So why aren't you answering?"
Nearby, Julien glanced up from his endless project. He had gotten new samples that morning, but the scientist had hardly seemed excited about them. Amber knew he was worried about Agatha, who he hadn't heard from in a while. Amber still hadn't heard back from M either—the lack of connection to the outside world was starting to unnerve her.
"Are you trying to call Theodynn?" he asked, seeming surprised.
"I told him that I would keep him in the loop," she explained with a sigh. "I mean, until Agatha gets back with her results, I won't really have much to report on, but I haven't been able to get in contact to even explain that to him."
"Fascinating," Julien murmured as he came over. "I have limited experience with inter-realm communicators. May I?" He held out his hand, and Amber handed it over. The scientist adjusted his glasses as he studied the mechanism. "I cannot tell exactly how it works without taking it apart completely, but it seems like it uses a combination of metals and alloys...some of which are definitely ferromagnetic."
"Um...is that important?"
Julien glanced up. "This was built by Borg in Ninjago City, right?"
"Yeah, as far as I know."
"It may not work here in Metallonia," he explained as he handed it back to her. "Due to the combination of metals in the earth and even soil here, there are some strange magnetic fields. I believe it may be messing with your signal."
Amber stared down at the device in surprise. "So it doesn't work, and that's why Theo isn't answering? Not because he's ignoring me?"
"It could be," Julien offered, turning back to his project. He pulled out his phone, and Amber watched his expression crumble. "I wish I had something like magnetic fields to blame for Agatha's silence. This is really unlike her."
"I'm sure she'll write soon," Amber offered, but she couldn't help but have a weird feeling about everything going on. She pulled out her own phone to check for messages from M, but the only notification was just letting her know that Dani had left a voicemail. Amber frowned—it was strange her phone hadn't rung to let her know that Dani had even called.
"Vie ze long faces?" a voice asked from the doorway, and Amber looked up to see Dr. Zerek looking in at them. Julien straightened and adjusted his glasses.
"Dr. Zerek," he said respectfully. "Do not mind us—we have just been having a hard time getting in touch with Agatha. Have you happened to hear from her at all?"
"Agatha?" the scientist looked surprised. "Did she not tell you? She is in my private research laboratory in ze Mountains of Estyeer."
"She is?" Amber asked, sliding her phone into her pocket. "Why?"
"She did not mention any plans to visit your private laboratory," Julien added.
"She only just arrived zere zis morning," Dr. Zerek confided. "To be honest, I vas confused ven she asked for permission to visit, but she insisted she needed my lab's high-quality machinery to run tests on vengestone of all zings." He shrugged. "She vouldn't give me many details, but assured me zat it vas urgent she get results right avay. I assumed she vas doing research for your project...zo I'm not sure zat vengestone vill be ze best option for your particular project, Julien."
"It's not for Julien's project," Amber blurted, the realization dawning on her. "It's for mine." Dr. Zerek raised an eyebrow, and the Oni continued carefully. "I needed to know the origin of a particular sample of vengestone, and Agatha was kind enough to offer to run tests on it. I didn't know she had been so diligent about finding me answers."
"Vell, if it is your project, zen perhaps you vould like to visit my lab yourselves," Dr. Zerek offered simply. "I vas actually coming to suggest as much. Julien...I have certain things zere zat I zink vould be very useful in your current research project."
"You are inviting me to your private lab to finish my research project?" Julien seemed surprised, but Amber could also pick up on his caution. She wasn't sure why Julien was feeling so guarded, and she watched Dr. Zerek carefully. The head scientist offered a smile.
"I know it seems unprecedented. If I am being honest, it vas anozer request of Agatha's." He reached out to fiddle with few tools sitting on a nearby counter. "Her fazer and I ver close collegues back ven he vas still in ze field of science. I find I have a hard time turning down ze illustrious Ms. Axel...and she is very determined to see you succeed, Julien." Here, the scientist turned to fix the blonde young man with a long look. "Zo I must admit zat your project does intrigue me. I find myself eager to see it succeed as vell."
Julien seemed surprised, and he looked back down at his phone. "Why didn't Agatha tell me she was going to your laboratory?"
"She probably did," Zerek admitted with a sigh. "Ze reception in ze Estyeerian Mountain Range is very poor. It is somezing zat I haven't gotten around to fixing. You see, ze privacy of ze area vas my main reason for building zere...but it does make it razer cut off from ze rest of ze world." Zerek shrugged. "You do not have to come visit if you do not vish to. I just came from zere, and Agatha asked me to invite you. Zat is vie I assumed she had let you know she vas travelling zere before she ever arrived. It seems zat vonce again, Ms. Axel has gotten wrapped up in her vork."
Amber studied Julien, waiting to see what he would say. The young scientist adjusted his glasses and finally sighed. "Well...I suppose if you think there is something at your laboratory that could help my project, and that I would not be a burden..."
"Innovation is never a burden," Zerek assured. "If you are set on going, I will meet you downstairs in my company car. I only came back to ze MIRI to collect a few zings and invite you along for my return journey."
Amber glanced between the scientists, trying to figure out what she should do. She wasn't sure she wanted to make some long trek off to another laboratory, especially when it didn't seem to have service. She wouldn't be able to get any messages from M if she was out in the middle of nowhere. However, if Julien was going, then she would be stranded here without anyone she knew. Maybe going to the lab for the day and figuring out what Agatha had discovered about the vengestone would be an improvement to spending the rest of the day alone in her hotel room.
"You are invited as vell," Zerek offered as if reading her mind. "Agatha vas excited about somzing zat she discovered about ze vengestone. She kept talking about how she finally cracked some mystery...I'm sure she is eager to share her findings vith you, if it is truly your project zat she is researching."
"In that case, I'll come," she offered. Maybe the mountains will have better signal for the interrealm communicator?
Zerek smiled. "Good. I must go collect a few zings from my office, and I vill meet you downstairs." The lead scientist disappeared, and Amber turned to see Julien packing up his project pieces into a box. There were still some heavy feeling drifting over the young man, and Amber came over to help pack.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"Agatha does often get wrapped up in projects, but not to this extent," the young scientist confided. "Something about all of this is not sitting well with me. For her to be this enveloped by the project..." He sighed. "I do not know what to think. Just that it really is not like Agatha to be this opaque. Bad communication is what she is always getting after me for."
"I guess we'll just have to go and see why she's been so hit and miss?" Amber offered. She took her phone out of her pocket out of habit, and she remembered that she had a missed call from Dani. She put her phone to her ear to listen to the message, wondering if her friend and Colby had finished up with his luncheon and were headed their way. She felt a stab of anxiety. If she went off to a laboratory and Dani and Colby were heading here, they would miss each other. Maybe...
Her train of thought vanished as a crackly message began. It cut in and out, but enough of the message made it through for Amber to feel her stomach clench.
Amber, I don't know anyone in Metallonia and I don't know who to call ...too far away to do anything in time. Did you get...about Matilda? She's got Colby and her guard is after me and I don't know...funded this whole trip...it was a trap, and I'm scared, and...how to call the freaking police in this freaking country! I'm out ...Turpen ...Matilda's got a limo and...to call the police...
The message suddenly ended with the sound of a muffled cry, and then the phone went silent. Amber stared wide-eyed at the countertop as she tried to process the broken message she had just listened to, and a cheerful automated voice asked her if she would like to listen to the message again.
"Are you all right?" Julien asked, clearly picking up on her distress.
"Listen to this," she begged, numbly pushing the button to repeat the message. She and Julien listened silently, and his brow furrowed as Dani's panicked voice came through. When the message ended, Julien played it one last time.
"I don't get it," Amber admitted. She got into her messages and realized that Dani had also sent her a few texts that she hadn't read yet. As she read through them, her stomach twisted with dread. "Julien...why would Matilda O'Keefe be Colby's benefactor?"
"Your friend would not be pranking you with this, would she?"
"No!" Amber looked up to meet his eye. "Dani loves a good laugh, but she would know that this would be way too far. Plus, I've never heard her talk like that—she sounded scared. I...I don't even know what to do." Amber shook her head. "Matilda's in Metallonia...and she has my friends."
"Our friends." Julien's expression had hardened, and Amber watched as he walked to the exit of the lab. She quickly followed suit.
"Where are we going?"
"To contact the police," Julien assured. "We'll use a landline here in the building—there's an emergency contact button that will connect us to them directly. It will be the fastest way to contact law enforcement since our cell numbers would register as out of the country."
"What do we even tell them?" Amber asked, panic racing through her blood.
"The truth—we received a distress call that a couple of our friends were being abducted by Matilda O'Keefe."
"Vat is zis about Matilda O'Keefe?"
Amber jumped, and she and Julien turned to see Dr. Zerek standing in the hallway behind them. Amber was shocked that the man had once again managed to sneak up on them. It was usually hard for people to sneak up on her, since she generally could feel their emotions wafting off of them at least a little bit. However, the strange Metallonian never had any emotions to sense, and Amber was beginning to feel alarmed at the man's ability to mask what he was feeling.
"She has our friends," Julien explained. "Amber received a distress call just now, and we have to move fast."
"You vish to contact ze authorities?" Zerek asked. Julien nodded, and the scientist pulled out his own phone. "As ze leader of a business, I have a direct link. You are free to use my phone...zo you should do ze talking, as I know nozing about zis." He held out the phone, and Julien moved quickly to claim it. He typed into the device quickly, locating the emergency contact.
"I just do not understand why Matilda would do this to Colby," he mused as he pushed the phone to his ear, no doubt waiting for someone to answer. "Revenge for his part in taking her down?"
"No. It's far simpler zan zat." Dr. Zerek offered thoughtfully from his place directly behind Julien. "Ms. O'Keefe is merely following my orders."
It only took a few seconds to truly process what the scientist had said...but those few seconds proved too long. Julien turned with wide eyes, but he didn't manage to say anything before Zerek had stabbed something into his side. Julien gasped, and Amber felt frozen with shock and denial.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, her eyes and hands blazing with power as she watched Julien crumple to the ground. Zerek didn't answer, and he didn't seem concerned as she powered up an attack. He had taken his cell phone from Julien's hand before the younger scientist had fallen, and he calmly clicked it off before sliding it into his pocket. Amber had started moving forward when Zerek pulled something else out of a pocket. He held it out, and as the Oni got a look at what it was, she froze.
"I zot you vould recognize it," Zerek murmured. "Ze vay ze boy vent on about it, it seemed important." The clear crystal swung back and forth from his hand like a pendulum, dangling from a hopelessly tarnished chain. Bile rose in Amber's throat as the pieces struggled to click together in her mind, and the cold-eyed scientist smiled as he met her eye. "I have your friend," he affirmed. "And if you cooperate, he vill not be harmed."