76
Pippa glowered at Quazier, but she wasn't screaming anymore. For one, her throat was hoarse from all the screaming she had already done, and for another, he had gagged her.
"Now, I'm surprised at you," the slave trader was saying as he swung her sword casually. "Going on tirades and saying foul things is not going to get you any closer to seeing your cousin, you know. I know we traders seem to be a rough bunch, but even we have standards where language is involved."
Pippa squirmed against her restraints, her gaze flicking between Quazier and the man standing next to him. She had no idea if Imgloss had gotten his filthy hands on Raiyn, but if Quazier was talking about seeing him, hopefully it meant her cousin was still somewhat safe.
"I'm telling you, this defiance is really doing you no good," Quazier continued, running a finger along the side of her blade. Pippa watched with narrow eyes, hoping he cut himself on it. She kept her weapons sharp, and if he kept handling it like an idiot, he was going to end up injuring himself more than she would be able to. Sadly, he didn't seem hurt as he continued. "Whatever life you've come from had plenty of rules, right? Boring expectations that people force on you. Boundaries keeping you from becoming what you want to be. Sound familiar?"
Pippa looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeming like she was listening. He continued regardless.
"You're powerful, from what I've seen, and a skilled fighter. You should be famous in these parts—a mere child taking on trained warriors. Ancients, I could see you holding your own in a pit fight. And yet I've never heard of you, I doubt anyone has. All those skills—all your fire and ambition—and for what? To be kept behind stone walls? To become a healer?" Quazier gestured to her tattoos with the blade he was still holding. "Yeah, I know what those mean. But girl, believe me when I tell you that you're in the wrong line of work. Why waste your life healing people when you can show them what you can really do? Work for me, and you'll have freedom, money...respect. Not things that people are generally willing to give a child like you, huh?"
Pippa didn't make any move to answer, and Quazier seemed to think that her silence meant that she was thinking about what he was saying. Which she wasn't. At least...not that much.
"Easier to hear reason when you're not trying to scream over the top of it, isn't it?" Quazier pointed out as he came closer. "Look, girl...you're old enough to make something of yourself. With me training you on tact, and Imgloss here teaching you things on the power side, you'll be unstoppable in just a few years. Doesn't that sound nicer than heading back to whatever boring existence you had before?"
Pippa closed her eyes, wishing she could drown him out. However, with her hands tied and her mouth gagged, she couldn't scream over the top of his words. She knew it was all a trap, and she knew she didn't want to have anything to do with criminals. And yet, at the mention of being treated like an adult, instead of being underestimated as a kid, her heart did ache a little bit.
Something touched her face, and Pippa's eyes opened as she reared back. Quazier laughed, tugging at the gag. "Hold still. You seem to have calmed down, so I was going to take this off of you and see if you're ready to be a little more civilized, hm?"
Pippa spat at him the second the gag came off, but Quazier seemed to be ready for it because he dodged. He drew back in disgust, looking her up and down.
"Well? What do you think about my proposal, girly?"
"You traders are all morons," Pippa growled. Quazier rolled his eyes, and Pippa fought against her restraints. "Telling me that you want to give me freedom, when you're the ones who chained me up? How is that supposed to make any sense?"
Quazier made a show of sighing loudly. "I guess I was wrong about you. Maybe you really are too much of a kid to understand."
"Or maybe you're just a big fat liar!" Pippa spat. "Where's Raiyn? Imgloss said he was going to hurt him..."
The Ancient blinked from where he was standing. "I never said—"
"If you don't show him to me right now, then I'll just keep screaming!" Pippa yelled hoarsely. "I'm not listening to another word you say until you show me that Raiyn's okay!"
Quazier's expression flickered, and Pippa immediately started screaming at the top of her lungs to prove her point. It caused her throat to hurt more than ever, but she didn't care. If screaming was the only thing she could do, she was going to do it until she drove them all mad and they finally let her go.
"Cut that out," Quazier snapped. His sappy smile was gone, replaced by an icy look. Pippa paused only long enough to inhale and then began screaming louder.
"I told you, she's feral," Imgloss growled as both men winced against the grating sound. "When I tried to train her, I had to magically silence her just to get any peace!"
"You don't need magic to silence somebody," Quazier hissed. He marched forward, and the blow hit before Pippa even realized he was moving to slap her. Her scream died for a moment as she processed the fact that he had struck her. The trader relaxed somewhat, but then Pippa's expression twisted hatefully as she renewed the scream with ear-splitting vigor. Quazier's lip curled, and the next blow left Pippa's ears ringing. She didn't stop screaming, however, until the trader grabbed her by the throat and cut off her air.
"You stop that, you little—"
"Careful!" Imgloss stepped forward and ripped Quazier away from Pippa. The girl coughed and hacked as the man's hand was pulled off of her windpipe, her heart pounding frantically.
"I have half a mind to cut her tongue out," the trader pointed out dangerously. "She doesn't need to talk to be a skilled fighter."
"Coward," Pippa croaked as she glared at him, tears dripping down her face. "Unchain me so we can fight fair, and we'll see how tough you are then!"
Quazier shook his head and went to step closer, but Imgloss kept hold of him.
"You're going to end up killing her, and putting us all at risk," the Ancient pointed out. "You can't train her if she's dead...and we can't use her as leverage against her family, either."
"I'm not going to kill her," Quazier muttered darkly. "Trust me...I know how far I can go without doing lasting damage."
Pippa's blood ran cold, but she continued to glower at him as she trembled. Her face was burning from the blows the trader had already done, and she fought against the chains once again. Surprisingly, Imgloss didn't release the trade leader.
"Leave it, Quazier. Give her a day or two with nothing to eat and she'll be more complacent."
"No." Quazier's eyes were trained on Pippa, and she forced herself to hold his gaze. "She needs to be taught a lesson in respect...an immediate one. If she's going to scream, I'll give her something to scream about."
Pippa took a shuddery breath, debating whether to start screaming now just to prove that she wasn't going to do what he said. Before she could make any sound, a roar louder than anything she could muster echoed all around them. Pippa and the two men jumped, and Quazier turned to the tent door with a frown.
"I don't remember sending anyone to gather dragons," he muttered to himself. Pippa's heart continued to pound, and she realized she could hear other things now too. Running...yelling. Her mouth was dry as she wondered if it was good things or bad things happening out there. It seemed that Quazier and Imgloss were thinking the same thing as they moved to the door of the tent. Quazier called out to someone. "Jod! What's going on?"
"Dragons!" Pippa couldn't see the trader speaking, but he sounded fearful. "An army...they didn't come alone, Quazier. The Prince didn't come alone..."
The trade leader's eyes widened, and Pippa smirked as she watched the blood drain from his face. After a moment, Quazier's eyes flashed with anger. "Rook..." he cursed.
"You fool!" Imgloss interrupted, clearly shaken himself. "I told you not to risk everything, trying to bag the Oni Heir—"
"Quiet! I'm trying to think."
"You've doomed us all!" Imgloss continued. "If they're coming in by dragons, there's nowhere to go."
"We'll never make it to the tunnels," Quazier agreed softly. "There's nowhere else to provide cover. No place to hide..."
"I hope Prince Theodynn stabs you right through your fat stomach," Pippa croaked as she sneered at the two men. They turned to her, as if just remembering she was there.
"The girl," Quazier muttered.
"Indeed," Imgloss added, and they both studied Pippa like they had an idea. In the next moment, Quazier was behind her, and Pippa stiffened as she realized that he was undoing her chains.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"If you really are related to someone important, then maybe you'll work as leverage after all," Quazier said.
"You're not thinking big enough, Quazier," Imgloss cut in, and Pippa stiffened as he grabbed her as well. "We can use her to get out of here completely."
"What are you going on about?"
"You can transport, can't you?" Imgloss demanded, addressing Pippa rather than Quazier. Pippa clamped her mouth shut, and the Ancient shook her by the shoulder. "Can't you?"
"Transport?" Quazier scowled.
"Using Aura to move instantly across the realm. You said she and her cousin appeared here out of nowhere—they had to have transported here to begin with."
It was Quazier's turn to shake Pippa now. "Is that true?"
"I'm not helping you sniffer-smelling low-lives," Pippa growled. "If Prince Theodynn comes in here and kills you, it's no skin off of my nose."
"You'll do it," Quazier commanded, and suddenly, Pippa felt the sting of a sword being pressed into her side. "Get us out of here, you little heathen."
"I've never done it with other people before!" Pippa shouted, which was true. She turned to glower at the trade leader. "Especially not two big fat people!"
Outside, the sound of yelling and swords crashing into each other made it clear that there was some kind of battle that they were missing. Pippa's heart raced, wishing that she could be out in the midst of it.
"PRINCE THEODYNN! I'M IN HERE!" she screamed. She inhaled for another call for help, but Imgloss's hand clamped over her mouth. She wrenched in their grip, trying to free herself, but then Quazier was talking into her ear.
"Listen, girly. If you can get us out of here, then do it now, or I swear you'll never see your cousin again. If you transport us, or whatever it's called, then the prince's army will find your cousin and he'll be safe and sound. But if you won't, I'll make sure the little brat never sees another sunrise."
The threat made Pippa's insides twist, and she went still.
"So what's it going to be?" Quazier demanded, the pressure digging into Pippa's side. "If I'm going to get caught here like a lame hoofer, I might as well drag a few little brats to the departed realm with me."
Pippa's heart pounded in her throat. The sound of fighting continued outside, and she finally swallowed hard as she came to a decision. She tried to summon her aura, but since her hands were still bound, she didn't make much progress. She began to thrash, trying to get them off. For a moment the sword at her side pressed harder, but then Imgloss spoke up.
"She can't do a thing with that metal on her. Get it off, Quazier," he pointed out. Quazier cursed and pulled the chains off the rest of the way, and Pippa swallowed as she heard them hit the ground. Aural winds began whipping around them in the tent, and her mouth felt dry. She had never tried to transport with someone else before, and she wanted nothing more than to use her aura to fight her way free from the two men holding on to her. However, she couldn't stop thinking about Quazier's threat. All at once, her eyes filled with tears. She wanted to get these villains as far away from her cousin as possible, and more than anything, she wanted to go home.
All right, she thought bitterly, her eyes blazing with violet aura. You asked for it.
There was a flash as the three figures vanished from the tent.
There were tents, weapons, and multitudes of traders. However, as Theodynn tore down tent after tent, he realized that there was a glaring lack of slaves. His frustration reached a boiling point as he and a small group of guards invaded a large tent, only to find piles of empty chains lying around. The ground rumbled and shook, causing the guards to mutter and stumble as Theo yelled out in frustration. He stormed out of the tent, heading for the nearest apprehended trader. Any that they were managing to catch were being locked up with their own chains for a long march back to the Central Fortress, but as Theo approached the closest one, the guards stopped forcing the trader toward the tunnels.
"Where are the slaves?" he demanded. The trader looked up at him and swallowed.
"Please...zis is a peaceful village. Ve don't know vat—"
"Save it!" Theo snapped, and the ground under him rocked again as his arms flashed orange and his eyes blazed violet. "I know this is the center of the trade—I was just attacked by an entire group who mocked me with that fact. So tell me—where are the slaves?"
The man's expression clouded. "Zey are gone," he admitted at last.
Theo cursed. "Gone where? Who are you selling to? Ottan? Ymil?" He grabbed the collar of the man's shirt, nearly yanking him up off the ground. "Who?"
"I do not know!" the man offered desperately, his eyes wide with fear. "Please, Prince Zeodynn..."
"You have to know!" Theo pointed out. "How could you not?"
"I only know it is an outsider!" the man offered desperately. "From anozer realm. Quazier did all ze talking, all ze bartering...only he really knows who ze man is!"
Theo stared at the trembling trader, and he finally released the man's shirt. "Where's Quazier?" he asked softly.
"His tent is over zere—ze largest von, viz ze tassels," the man offered, gesturing with his chained hands. "If he is not zere, zen I swear, I do not know vere he is!"
Theo turned away, marching towards the large tent. Behind him, a guard rushed to catch up. "Prince Theodynn! Your parents..."
"I don't have time to talk with my parents right now," he cut in, throwing open the doorflap of the illustrious tent. He took in the wealth in disgust—the fancy sitting pillows, bags of money, and finely made furniture. It definitely looked like the home of the center of the trade, but it was empty. Theo cursed under his breath, his hands shaking from anger that he was having a hard time controlling.
"Gut this place, and take it back to the Central Fortress," he commanded to the guard behind him. "We'll be giving it back to the slaves, once we find them, since this is the blood money they were no doubt sold with." He turned and left the tent, scanning the area. The guards had made short work of the traders who hadn't fled, but he knew that there were probably some of them that got away. Let them hide, he thought vehemently. I'll track them all down...one at a time, if I have to.
"Prince Theodynn!" another voice called, and he turned to see if it was yet another guard demanding he talk with his parents. After guards had taken Rook custody, he had been able to avoid the confrontation with his parents as he stormed through the camp, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to avoid them forever. Luckily, it seemed the guard calling to him was not connected to the Ruler and her husband. Instead, the man gestured for Theo to come check out a nearby tent. Theo did so, and when he entered the room, he stopped dead.
"This doesn't make sense..." he muttered as he took in the piles of stuff in the room. Reams of supple, machine-woven cloth, boxes upon boxes of canned food...weapons that definitely did not originate in the Oni realm. It was like finding the stash of a grocery market thief...but it all looked so out of place in an Oni tent in the middle of a desert in the oni realm.
Dread filled Theo as he realized what it meant. The vengestone chains that had been found here...this tent full of Ninjagoan goods. The testament of the trader he had just interrogated, who insisted that it was an outsider from another realm who bought the slaves.
"The buyer is from Ninjago," Theo realized numbly. "How?"
"Theodynn!" The voice behind him was his mother's, but Theo barely registered it as he continued staring at the piles of goods. Someone grabbed him from behind, and he ripped himself out of his mother's hold as he turned.
"The buyer is from Ninjago!" he said louder, gesturing at the piles behind him. In the doorway, his parents stared at him as if he had grown another head.
"Theo, what have you done?" his father demanded.
"I found the center of the trade!" Theo pointed out, the ground rumbling as he stared down his parents. "I did what I've been trying to do for—"
"You risked your life, coming here on your own?" Keyda demanded. "Leaving a note? Do you have any idea—"
"You could have been killed!" Cole added, cutting off his wife. Even Keyda seemed shocked by her husband's uncharacteristic anger as she turned to him, but the ninja was staring down his son with a look that Theo had rarely ever seen. "This is the stupidest thing you could have done!"
"Stupid?" Theo scoffed, his chest tightening with anger. "Stupid? I won, Dad! I found the trade..."
"At what cost?"
"At the cost of the slave traders that you two have been turning a blind eye on for years!" Theo yelled back. "What do you want from me? An apology for doing what you haven't had the guts to—"
"Don't you dare make this about us!" Cole yelled back, taking a step forward. "When you haven't mentioned so much as a word to us about any of this and then dare throw your life on the line to prove some asinine..."
"I don't care!" The ground rocked violently, causing things on the tops of piles to clatter to the hard packed earth as Theo screamed at his parents. "I don't care what you think anymore!"
"Theodynn—"
Cole's yell was cut off by a flash of power, and Theo and Cole finally looked over to see Keyda holding a hand up with blazing eyes.
"That's enough!" she said. "Let's just finish cleaning all this up, and we'll talk about it later."
"Oh, I plan on finishing," Theo snapped, and he pushed past his parents to get to the door. Cole reached out to grab his arm, but with a flash of orange, Theo ripped it away from his father's grip. "You guys can either help me chain up these criminals and get them back to the fortress, or you can stay out of my way, because I'm done having you tell me what I can and can't do."
Pippa hit the ground hard, earning her a mouth full of dirt. For a moment, her stomach rolled with nausea, and she groaned. It had been a long time since a transport had left her feeling like this, and it took her a few seconds to orient herself. When she finally managed to get the world to stop spinning, she realized that the two villains weren't holding her anymore...and she also realized she had no idea where she was.
"What?" she muttered, pushing herself up groggily as she took in the dusty landscape. "Where the heck am I?"
"You weren't strong enough to make a full transport with all of us," a voice growled from behind her. She turned to see Imgloss dusting himself off, looking as sour-faced as ever. Pippa stiffened as she pushed her way away from the man.
"Grab her, Imgloss," another voice cut in, though it was strained. Pippa turned to see Quazier doubled over. "Ancients, what has she done to me?"
"Transporation Sickness," Imgloss sighed. "It's always the worst on your first time."
"I think I'm dying...so help me, if she's poisoned me..."
"You'll be fine," Imgloss said dryly. He turned his attention back to Pippa, who pushed herself weakly through the sand. The transport was supposed to take her right to the Western Fortress, full of guards that could have handled these maniacs while she reunited with her family so they could return to rescue Raiyn. But now she was exhausted in the middle of nowhere. Winds swirled around her weakly as she tried to get enough energy for a transport.
"Grab her!" Quazier ordered again, looking up from his place in the sand. "Don't let her get away...if I've just lost everything, you better believe I'm holding on to that powered brat."
Pippa glowered at the Ancient, tears pricking her eyes as she dared him to come closer. He stared at her coldly, but as she scrabbled away, he made no move to follow her. She swallowed hard as her aural winds grew slightly stronger.
"You might not have enough in you, to do another transport now," Imgloss warned from his place sitting on the sandy ground.
"I'm not staying here with you," she hissed.
"Don't just sit there, you useless, Ancient waste..." Quazier called to Imgloss, pushing himself up.
"It's going to be hard enough to disappear without dragging a feral sniffer around with us," Imgloss pointed out, though his eyes were still trained on Pippa.
"She's not going anywhere, even if I have to—"
"Well?" Imgloss said, interrupting Quazier as he addressed Pippa. The Ancient raised one eyebrow as he held her gaze. "What are you waiting for?"
Pippa swallowed hard, not sure what he was doing, but not wanting to stay put to find out. With a groan of determination, the winds whipped around her and she vanished once again.
77
Rook had seen many areas in the Central Fortress, either by her own self-guided tours or what Theodynn had shown her. One area that hadn't ever been covered, however, was the dungeon.
The cell was cold, but there was a real bed mat, and no rats, from what she could tell. They had separated her from the other traders, but she could still hear their insults as they yelled at her from the other end of the dungeon. About how this was all her fault. About how she was going to go down for this.
The cold air made Rook shiver as it chilled the sweat on her back. It had been a long march from the Southern Ravine back to the Central Fortress. It seemed that dragon-riding was reserved for those not on death row. She and the rest of the captured traders were forced back through the tunnels, up the sides of the ravine, and through the desert. The journey had taken most of the day...and yet, it had all passed in a blur. Even now, time seemed to pass without her even knowing it. The other traders had gone quiet hours ago, leaving her to relive the last twenty-four hours in silent agony.
When the numbing denial first wore off, she beat herself up, tormented by every decision that had led her to this point. Then she raged for a little while about the injustice of it all. The dungeons had echoed with the sounds of her pounding the walls, or cursing every person she could think of that had doomed her to this fate. Now, with her back against the wall, the rage had moldered into a heavy, black despair. Whether or not slave traders in general were awarded a death sentence, there was little chance of her getting out of one. Everyone knew what she was now...what she had done. The real question was only how long they would wait before executing her.
In the darkness of her dungeon cell, it was easy for her bleak thoughts to twist themselves through her mind again and again. She wondered if Quazier had been captured—she hadn't seen him at all in the marching. Somehow, that seemed the biggest injustice of all. He was the one that had forced them into this plan of action...and yet he had somehow skipped free of the consequences of it's defeat. Tears stung Rook's eyes as she clenched her fists. Even if the Rulers didn't kill her, Quazier would, if he got the chance. And if he didn't...then it would be Ottan who ordered her death, or maybe the Ashakar buyer himself, who was now down and out on one much-desired Heir of the Oni.
Theodynn's face came unbidden to her mind, and she shrank in on herself as she pictured the cold way he had looked at her during their fight...the indifference he had shown when guards had reached them to chain her up and drag her away. The Theodynn she had known yesterday couldn't even say something bad about the woman who broke his heart and threw rocks at his head. The Theodynn who faced her today didn't even seem like the same person. She had underestimated him...something he had warned her against doing since the day they had met. Conversations leaked back into her mind—times when he had admitted to using his naïve reputation as a way to hide his true plans. The times he had insisted that he could take down the slave trade, if only he had a little more intel. Had she not believed he could actually do it? Did she turn him over to Quazier because she had wanted to...or simply because she didn't see a way for her to escape the trade without a royal relationship status to protect her?
What could she have done differently? What could she really have done? Admit the truth? How could admitting to him that she was actually a slave trader and assassin who had a change of heart actually have changed the outcome? Surely, he would have just thrown her in the dungeon the second he had realized who she was, given his obvious hatred towards traders.
Wouldn't he have?
"It's no use thinking about it now," she muttered to herself, miserably. "He won, Rookie...and you lost." No matter what Theodynn would have done before, he was going to have no sympathy for her now. Her eyes stung as she tried to erase his face out of her mind—the way he had looked at her with such disgust and loathing. In that moment, Rook wouldn't have been surprised if the Heir had just run her through himself. In fact, she didn't put it past him to execute her himself when the time came. Rook cradled her head in her hands, trying to think of something else. She had known he would hate her for betraying him...but she hadn't been prepared for how much of a blow his hatred would be. It was a hollowing feeling, realizing that she had forced someone generally inclined to see the best in people to loathe something so completely...and to know that something was her.
Rook buried her face into her knees, wishing she could shut off her mind and sleep until it was all over. More than anything, she wished she had never agreed to play such a destructive, horrible game.
"How long ago?" Hershel demanded. He made his way through the hallways, and the servant tried in vain to keep up.
"A little over an hour ago. We have sent someone to search for Leader Myrah and tell her the news, and we sent several riders out to find your sister and brother-in-law as well."
"And it's just Pippa?" Hershel asked, his throat tight with anxiety. "There wasn't...you haven't found..."
"Your niece was alone," the servant admitted softly. "We have still found no sign of your son."
Hershel swallowed hard, but he made it to the healing wing of the fortress at last. The servant leading him had managed to track him down on his own trek to the North, as he and Myrah had decided to begin searching the neighboring provinces. The news that Pippa had appeared at the Western Fortress had sent Hershel into a storm of mixed emotions, but the one that won out as he pushed the door open was relief. Pippa was lying on a bed, her chest rising and falling as she slept. He made his way over to her, but his relief soured as he a good look at her. Her face was marred by bruises, and he realized with a twist of horror that her neck was dotted with them as well.
His background kicked in, and he immediately began checking her vitals. Her heartbeat was strong, but he was unable to rouse her. "Has she been unconscious since she got here?" he demanded.
"Yes. We brought food and water in, in case she woke, but she hasn't yet." The man gestured to the bowl of cold stew sitting on a table nearby. Hershel pushed Pippa's hair from her face, taking in the dark circles under her eyes.
"She needs an aura transfer," he realized, and he cursed himself for being useless. If he still had his powers, he could have helped her...as it was, now he had to wait. Pippa vitals seemed strong—she should be able to resupply her own power, but Hershel needed answers now. Based on the state she had appeared in, a terrible fear was eating him from the inside out. Where was Raiyn?
Hershel began scanning the rest of his niece, and it wasn't long before he discovered the raw skin around her wrists and arms. He paused, realizing what that meant.
"I need fresh water and herbs for bruising and sterilizing...as well as clean bandages," he told the servant, and the man immediately moved to gather the items from around the room. Hershel swallowed hard, staring at his niece's lax expression. "What happened to you, Pippa?"
Anger was a great motivator, as long as there were things to get done. Theo had ridden on his fury the entirety of the day...through the search of the trader's center of operation, the transportation of criminals and confiscated goods, and the imprisonment of every captured trader into the dungeons of the central fortress. However, now that there was nothing else that he could immediately accomplish, Theo's anger clawed at him with no outlet.
He slammed the door to his family's quarters, knowing that there would be a discussion tonight, as soon as his parents finished assigning further guards on dungeon duty. The sitting room stared back at him, seeming to mock him with its comfort and familiarity. The ground rumbled again—something that it had been doing all day. Normally, he was able to keep his elemental powers in check, even if he wasn't really sure how to use them yet. Today, he had given up trying to keep them in line.
Theo took several deep breaths, trying at last to calm himself. He was shaking, and he didn't know if it was from anger or exhaustion or both. As he stood in the doorway, however, he made the mistake of scanning the room. It didn't take long for his gaze to fall on the chessboard sitting in its usual place on the table by the fire.
Theo froze, and the feelings he had tried to keep buried by anger broke through the dam. He hadn't let himself think of Rook through the entirety of the day, trying to forget all about her as he focused on executing the rest of his carefully laid plan. But now, alone in a room with only his thoughts and a chessboard to mock him, he couldn't stop himself. Tears filled his eyes as humiliation washed over him—the worst, most violating shame he could ever remember feeling. Everything she had ever said was a lie meant to manipulate him...from the moment she had promised to help him, to the kiss the night before.
Seized by a rare fury, Theo crossed the room quickly. With arms that blazed with light, Theo sent the heavy chessboard flying, scattering pieces all along the way before it hit the stone wall with a reverberating crack. Theo didn't even bother taking in the damage as he fell to his knees. He was wracked with humiliation as he thought of every interaction—every vulnerable thing he had ever said to her. He grabbed his head, trying to block out the memory of that morning, when he had tried so hard to apologize. Rook had sat there so silently. He had thought she was mad, but the truth was, she had just been laughing at him. Secretly gloating over everything he said...no doubt internally mocking him for being stupid enough to bare his soul to the very villains he had sworn to take down.
"You stupid, stupid idiot!" he cursed himself as he shook. He had taken down the trade—he had beat Rook in the end. But it was only because she and the traders were foolish...not because he had been wise. This was supposed to be the triumph in which he convinced himself that he was capable of being Ruler, and that just because he had been blind in his relationship with Haiven didn't mean he was blind to everything. This was supposed to be the victory that solidified his claim that he wasn't just a foolish, naïve boy who couldn't even see what was right in front of his face. But if anything, it had proved the exact opposite. Sure, he had beaten the traders...but even beating Rook physically couldn't erase what her betrayal had exposed.
He really was everything that he had feared.
Theo didn't realize he was crying until he felt the hot tears on his hands, and he pulled them away from his face in disgust. What would Rook think, if she could see him now? No doubt she was holding on to that piece of triumph as she sat in some dank cell. He could see her now in his mind's eye, laughing along with her fellow traders as they sat in the dark and swapped stories. Oh yes, he might have had a few dragon friends I wasn't expecting...but you should hear what he said to me on the way there. Stammering about his feelings like some child...it was pathetic, really. It was all I could do to keep from laughing at him and ruining the whole charade early.
The ground rocked, and he could hear the stones walls around him creaking in warning. As Theo glowered at the ground, he caught sight of a few chess pieces littering the floor nearby. A dragon pawn, a knight...and the Oni King. Theo's breath caught as he reached out to pick up the ebony Ruler, it's face as passive as ever as it stared at him from underneath the circlet.
The door behind him opened, but Theo kept his back to it as he continued to stare at the frail piece in his hand. "Theo, we have to talk." It was his father. He didn't sound as angry as he had at the trader camp, but he did sound grim. Theo didn't answer, and he could hear Cole coming closer. "I know you found the slave trade, and I know it worked out all right this time, but what you did today was—"
"Completely irresponsible," Theodynn guessed, his voice full of bitterness. "What was I thinking? I could have gotten hurt...Ancients be cursed if anything happened to me while I tried to put a stop to people abusing others."
"This is serious, Theodynn," Cole warned. "You've been working behind our back for who knows how long. Researching one of the most dangerous—"
"But I won, didn't I?"
"But what if you hadn't? What would have happened to you if we hadn't shown up when we did? What if you hadn't been able to reach the Guardian telepathically, or if it had taken too long for him to get there..."
"So...me winning was just a fluke, then? Because I have such a long history of losing?" Theo pushed himself to his feet as he turned to face his father at last.
Cole's expression flickered as he caught sight of Theo's tear-streaked face. "All you would have had to do was tell us," Cole said, his voice almost pleading. "And not by leaving a note the morning of and then disappearing, making us spend hours wondering if you were all right and where in Ancient's name you were. You should have told us months ago, when you started all this..."
"And what? Left it all in your capable hands? Because you're the ones who can handle the hard things...you're the ones who stopped the villains in the past, and made all the changes to the realm. How dare I think I could make a difference without dooming everything to fall apart by trying to do it myself—"
"Can you not see how dangerous this was?" Cole demanded. "I don't even want to know how many reckless things you've been doing these last few months...but the worst part is that you did them all while lying to us...lying straight to our faces."
"Oh, like you didn't do the same thing at my age," Theo spat back. It seemed to hit home, and Theo watched his father stiffen.
"Those years are some that I regret most in my life, Theodynn..." Cole started softly, but Theo cut him off again.
"And Ancient's forbid I do something that might end badly...is that what you're saying? I guess I've messed up already so many times before now that I should already have more than enough regret to last me the rest of my life!"
"You aren't listening!" Cole shouted. "This isn't about what you can and can't do, it's about being smart enough not to—"
"It's always been about what I can and can't do! You guys treat me like I'm some stupid kid who can't be trusted with anything! You tell me all the time what a great Ruler I'll make while binding my hands to do anything that would actually let me prove that to anyone!"
"You want to be a good Ruler?" Cole asked, his voice rising further. "Then this was not the way to prove it. Good Rulers don't get tied up in secret plots...good Rulers don't lie to everyone supporting them and try to do everything by themselves. A good Ruler wouldn't have put himself on the line and risked everything just to prove that he could do something alone!"
"Then I guess it's settled!" Theo shouted back. "I should just embrace the fact that I'll never be good enough to be Ruler!"
Cole blinked. "Theo—"
"No, don't bother," Theo cut in, sagging as the anger was replaced by bitter resignation. "There's no point in revoking my title, Dad...because I quit." The chess piece in his hand shattered as his fist glowed orange. Cole went silent, his expression frozen in shock. Theo scoffed as he moved to leave. "From now on, I'm not the Heir of the Oni...I'm just Theo. The blind, naïve idiot who can't do anything right."
"Theodynn—"
"And then you won't have to worry about me anymore, huh?" Theo said, talking over the top of his father. "Because what's the point in targeting a Freak with no title? No one's going to send evil dragons after me now. No one's going to hire flirtatious criminals to lure me into elaborate traps..."
"Can we talk about this, Theo?" Cole demanded, reaching out to stop him. Aura winds whipped around Theo as he dodged his father's grasp.
"It's the outcome we all would have gotten to eventually, right?" Theo said, tears still trailing down his cheeks. "I've never had what it takes...and it's time I just embrace that. I've learned the hard way that there's no point in dragging it all out, hoping that something is going to change and that it's all going to work. Because it won't...and it will be better to accept that now than to be forced to realize it later." Theo ripped the silver armband off of his forearm. "It's time I start recognizing the realities staring me in the face." By the time the armband hit the ground, Theodynn had already flashed out of the room.
The Western Guards located Tolan and Syn before they found Myrah, and Hershel looked up as his sister and brother-in-law entered the room.
"Who did this?" Tolan spoke first, his voice hushed with fury as he studied the bruises on his daughter.
"I don't know," Hershel admitted, standing up. "Tolan, she needs an aura transfer. She transported here and I think it took too much energy to do it."
The guard's expression twisted, and he glanced at his wife. Syn was silent, one hand pressed to her mouth as she stared at Pippa who continued to breathe shallowly. Syn finally glanced at Hershel, her voice hushed. "And Raiyn?"
Hershel's expression twisted, and Syn's face fell. Tolan stepped forward, looking determined but hesitant.
"How do I do it? The aura transfer thing?" he asked. Hershel helped the guard position his calloused hands, one under Pippa's head and the other on her chest.
"Summon your aura, but imagine it going into Pippa...filling her with power like filling a cup with tea," Hershel offered. Tolan furrowed his brow at the analogy, but he did what he was told. The three adults waited with baited breath as Tolan's hands glowed, and suddenly, Pippa started coughing.
Tolan jerked back his hands, and Hershel moved forward to help Pippa. She was coming to, and Hershel swallowed hard, reminding himself that he didn't know what his niece had just come from. He couldn't demand answers from her now...he needed to make sure she was all right.
Pippa's eyes blinked awake as she stopped coughing, and they filled with tears as she caught sight of who was in the room with her. "Uncle Hershel? Dad?" she croaked
"You're safe," Hershel said, trying to offer her a smile. "You transported to the Western Fortress. You're all right."
"Fluff...who did this to you?" Tolan demanded, kneeling down next to her with a look of stony resolve. Hershel shot his brother-in-law a warning glance, but Pippa's expression had already widened as she tried to sit up.
"Did Prince Theo find Raiyn?" she demanded. The adults stared in surprise, and Syn moved to support Pippa as her daughter struggled to right herself.
"Just take it slow," Syn prompted, and Pippa looked over.
"Mom? You're here too?"
"Just take a deep breath..."
"Did Prince Theo find Raiyn?" she demanded again. "I transported them so they couldn't hurt him...and Prince Theo was supposed to find him..."
"We aren't sure what you're talking about," Hershel said, though his heart pounded at the mention of his son. "Transported who? Where's Raiyn?"
"The stupid fat Slave trader and stupid fat Imgloss!" Pippa's voice was rising, but it sounded rough and gravelly. She started coughing again, and Hershel and Syn shared a look.
"Imgloss? The Ancient who took you before?" Tolan's voice was almost emotionless, but Hershel didn't have to have aura perception to know his brother-in-law was burning with hatred.
"He was at the camp, and when Prince Theo showed up, they made me transport them so they wouldn't get caught," Pippa coughed. "They said if I didn't, they'd hurt Raiyn, so I did so Prince Theo could find him. So he found him, right?" She sounded like she was on the brink of tears, and Hershel leaned forward.
"What camp?"
"The slave trader's camp!" Pippa yelled. "Where's Raiyn?"
Hershel's blood had run cold, and Tolan spoke up. "Where is the camp, Pippa?"
"I don't know!" Pippa's expression contorted, and she buried her bruised face in her hands. "I...I just transported there, but I don't know how! I didn't mean to! Raiyn and I just showed up there, and it had to have been me who did it, cuz he doesn't have powers...and Raiyn kept talking about Teag but I told him a dozen times that Teag wasn't there but Raiyn wouldn't let me leave and then stupid Teag was there but he was an idiot and got caught with the rest of us..."
"Teag?" Hershel felt dazed, trying to keep up with everything his niece was saying.
"And the stupid slave traders made us fight each other cuz we both had powers but they only wanted to sell one of us and keep the other but we wouldn't fight so they made Teag's brother fight and Teag was stupid and wouldn't fight back so his brother was beating him up..."
"So Raiyn and Teag are at the camp?" Hershel asked, interrupting her. A sob escaped as Pippa shook her head.
"They sold Teag," she whimpered. "I don't know where they sold him. They wouldn't have if he had just fought back but he wouldn't fight...he said that you wanted to find me, not him, and that I had to be good so that you could find me and Raiyn."
Hershel felt sick, and he felt a hand clamp on his shoulder. He turned to see his sister staring at him in concern. "Hershel you're as white as a ghost," she whispered. Before he could answer, Pippa continued her torrent.
"I don't know what they did with Raiyn. They said if I was good they'd let me see him but even when I was good they wouldn't so I screamed and screamed and they hurt me but I kept screaming..."
Tolan stiffened. "I'll kill them all," he murmured. Pippa looked up at last to meet her father's eye, wiping at her nose miserably.
"Prince Theodynn already got there," she said. "With dragons...and a whole army. They were going to hurt me more, but when the trader king realized that Theo was there, he made me transport him and Imgloss and I tried but they were so heavy and I've never done it with more people..."
"So where are they?" Tolan demanded.
"The servants didn't mention anyone else," Hershel murmured. "They said you showed up alone."
"I tried to bring them here but I couldn't. We transported to someplace in the desert, but they weren't holding me anymore, so I transported again without them." Her expression crumpled. "Did Prince Theodynn find Raiyn? Cuz I know I should have stayed and fought back and found him but I was so scared they would hurt him..."
"You're sure Theo brought an army? He found the traders?" Tolan's voice sounded distant, and Pippa nodded.
"That's what the traders said. I couldn't see anything...but there was fighting and yelling and lots of dragons roaring."
"Tolan..." Syn started.
"They'll have taken everyone to the Central Fortress," he said, finishing his wife's thought as he pushed himself to his feet. He reached out to touch Pippa's head. "Are you all right, Fluff?"
Her expression darkened. "They're a bunch of cowards," she sniffed. "They hit me when I was tied up...wouldn't even let me fight fair. I could've taken all of them."
"Did they...did they do anything else to you?" Syn asked, and Hershel knew she was terrified of what Pippa's answer would be.
"They grabbed my neck to make me stop screaming," Pippa said. "But that's it." She glowered at the floor, but then her lip was trembling. In seconds, she had dissolved back into tears. "I'm sorry!" she said as she sobbed. "I didn't mean to transport there! I promise I didn't mean to...I was going to stay in the room with Raiyn, I swear!"
"It's not your fault," Hershel promised. He still felt shaken from all the information he had received...but as he put the pieces together, he couldn't get rid of the dread that had settled in his stomach.
"Fluff, I'm going to the central fortress to talk to Theo, okay? I'll go find out if they found Raiyn," Tolan promised.
"Hershel...you go too," Syn said, and he looked over as his sister squeezed his arm. "It's your son. I'll stay here with Pippa...and I'll tell Myrah what happened when she gets back."
Hershel nodded numbly, but he couldn't pull away from where Pippa was sobbing. "It wasn't your fault..." he repeated, and Syn moved forward to embrace her daughter. Tolan had already moved to the door of the room, and Hershel forced himself to follow as Pippa clung to her mother. His niece's words spun on repeat in his mind as he and Tolan quickly made their way to the stables.
It had to have been me who did it cuz Raiyn doesn't have powers...
Raiyn kept talking about Teag...
"Is it true?" Hershel murmured to himself. "Or is Iona right...and Raiyn did the transporting? Oh Raiynee...where are you?"
78
Keyda's heart sank as she entered the room and saw the state that it was in. "Cole?" she asked, catching sight of her husband standing nearby, picking up a metal object lying among what looked like broken pieces of Theo's chess set. Her throat felt tight as she moved toward him. "Where's Theo?" Rather than answer, Cole rubbed his face with one hand. Recognizing the gesture all too well, Keyda grabbed his arm. "What happened?
"Keyds...I did it wrong." Cole's voice was full of guilt as he finally stood, studying the scattered ebony and ivory rubble. "I just wanted him to know how dangerous it was, what he did..."
"Where is he, Cole?" Keyda demanded again.
"I don't know. But he left this." Cole handed her the object she had seen him pick up, and the Ruler realized with a start that it was Theo's armband.
"Why?" She took the armband numbly, and Cole shook his head miserably.
"I pushed too hard."
"What did you say?" she demanded. "Why would he have left this? Where on earth would he have even gone?"
"I told him that he was out of line, lying to us and doing this all behind our backs. Yes, he found the slave traders, which is great, but he risked his own life doing it. He was angry, and I was angry..." Cole dry-washed his face miserably. "I told him a good Ruler doesn't make those kinds of risky decisions."
Keyda stared at him. "So he took off his armband and left?" she demanded.
"He said he's giving up his title. He said he's not going to be the Oni Heir anymore." Cole moved over to the couch so he could sink down into it. "I didn't mean for him to give it up..."
"He couldn't have meant it, could he?" Keyda's grip was tight on the armband as she stared down at it in denial. "It's all he's ever wanted...it's all he talks about."
"I don't know. He seemed so shaken up. I didn't expect it—he just found the center of the trade, even if he did it in the most dangerous way possible. I thought the conversation was going to go in a totally different direction...with him talking about how this proves how independent he is and how he doesn't need us, and me telling him how reckless he had been and how he should have trusted us to help him with this from the beginning, and not just as backup. But then he fell apart." Cole cradled his head. "I just...I tried giving him the benefit of the doubt for the last few weeks. I tried to show that we trusted him by letting Rook spend the night...I tried giving him some leniency. But then, when I realized that he's been abusing that trust and lying to us and going behind our backs...and not just for a week or two, but for months..." He rubbed his face again. "Something snapped. I don't know...maybe it was a mistake for me to have ever loosened up. Maybe you were right, and we should have been keeping a closer watch, and then none of this—"
"No." Keyda stared down at the armband, as she interrupted him. "Cole...I was wrong." He looked up, and his wife sighed as she came over to take a seat next to him. "He did this because we were keeping too close of a watch...he did this because we didn't trust him."
"We tried! But how can we trust him, when he constantly pushes himself into danger, and lies to us?"
"But he wouldn't have done all that, if he felt like he could have come us in the first place." Keyda allowed the armband to drop into her lap. "He's like you, Cole...he doesn't want to be held back, or put in a cage. Remember when I tried locking you up? And you left..."
"We never locked him up!"
"We basically did," Keyda pointed out, looking over at him. "We sicced Ret on him, and didn't let him leave the fortress for days.
"That was a punishment, not a—"
"He's nearly twenty-three years old!" Keyda said, pushing the hair from her face. "He was right, Cole...we've been treating him like a child...and this is what he did to combat that." Cole went silent, and Keyda's eyes filled with tears as she studied the armband in her lap. "We can fix this Cole...can't we?"
She heard her husband sigh, and when she looked up to meet his eye, she realized he looked just as unsure as she did...which was not a comforting sign.
Mia had dealt with confrontation on more than one occasion in her life...being a socialite pretty much put one on a path with a variety of haters. However, as she listened to her brother's girlfriend's older sister yell at her over the phone, she was at a loss for what to say.
"Hold on...I have no idea what you're talking about," she said at last. She heard the other girl (was June her name?) huff angrily on the other end of the line.
"They were supposed to back yesterday!" the girl said angrily. "Danielle ran off with that delinquent brother of yours to Metallonia without permission, and she's been impossible to get ahold of. And now she's still out there with him...probably making the biggest mistakes of her life!"
"Look, June-bug," Mia said, interrupting the girl's tirade. "First of all, both Dani and Colby are big enough to make their own choices...and second of all, if you're insinuating what I think you're insinuating, then you do not know my brother at all."
"Oh, I know him well enough," June spat. "He's the one that got Danielle into all that legal trouble all those years ago. He's the one who brought my sister back from a formal dance soaking wet, with a torn-up dress...and now he's gone and whisked her off to who knows where. He's a bad influence and now we're realizing more than ever that we should have put a stop to all of this months ago!"
Mia's grip tightened on her phone. "You know what? Colby is a lot of things...but he is the furthest thing from a bad influence that you could—"
"If Danielle isn't back by six pm we are calling the police," June snapped. "So I suggest you get ahold of that brother of yours and make sure he realizes what's on the line."
"If your sister isn't answering her phone, then maybe she has more of a problem with you than with my brother!" Mia snapped. She hung up before June could say anything else, and for a few seconds, she fumed as she stared down at her cell-phone. After a moment she took a deep breath and dialed her brother's number. The phone went straight to voicemail, and Mia pushed her bangs out of her face.
"Hey, Colbes...I get if you're ignoring me cuz you're mad, or whatever...but Dani's family is on a freaking rampage right now. You didn't return my other call...just check in already. Just so we know where the heck you are, all right?"
She hung up, but there was an anxious feeling eating at the pit of her stomach. She called Lloyd next, but the call went to voicemail, letting her know that Lloyd was off on some mission or another and would be out of range of calls until he came back. It seemed that with Colby taking the week off to go to Metallonia, Lloyd had taken the opportunity to get back to Green-Ninja-ing. After a few more calls, Mia was able to get ahold of the caretaker at the floating temple who let her know that they hadn't seen Colby since he had left for Metallonia at the beginning of the week.
Mia hung up the phone, her finger tapping on the back of her phone in confusion. She knew her brother well enough to know that June's assumptions were incorrect—it took him years to even get the guts to call Dani his girlfriend, for crying out loud. The radio silence wasn't necessarily strange either—he hadn't kept in very close contact with his family ever since moving out. But not coming back? He wasn't going to risk the wrath of either his or Dani's family by skipping school.
Mia walked out of her room to pop her head into the one across the hall. "Hey...May?"
"Mmm?" May had a mouth full of pins as she worked to attach a sash to the dress she had draped over a seamstress dummy.
"Have you heard from Colby recently?"
May's expression immediately hardened, and she gave her twin a withering look as she removed the pins from her mouth. "Mia, not all this again..."
"No, I'm being serious," Mia cut in defensively. "Have you heard from him? He's blocked my number or something, but apparently, he didn't come home yesterday like he was supposed to."
May's irritated expression faded, and she pulled out her phone. "I haven't heard from him," she admitted. "But he is there about some big fancy scholarship, remember? Maybe he's spending a few extra days getting everything set up."
"Dani's sister just called—she's not back either, and her family is going insane. They basically think she and Colby went and eloped in Metallonia, or worse—"
May snorted. "Do they not know Colby at all?"
"Right? But don't you think it's weird they aren't back yet?"
May debated, and Mia watched as her twin sister also tried to call their younger brother. After a moment, May frowned. "Voicemail."
"The same thing happened to me!" Mia said. "You don't think..."
"There's a logical explanation for all of this," May cut in, though she couldn't quite keep the worry out of her expression. "Look, do you have Dani's number?"
"No. Why would I have Dani's number?"
"Can you get it from Amber or someone?" May asked. "I'm going to call Mom and Dad and see if they've heard from Colby...and then I'm calling the Rushford Institution of Art. We'll get to the bottom of this, okay?"
"All right," Mia said, irritated that her sister seemed to think Mia was being overdramatic. This time, something really wasn't right. The shorter-haired twin headed back to her own room, dropping onto her bed as she tried calling Amber. However, after a moment, Amber's phone also went straight to voicemail. "What the heck?" Mia muttered, looking down at her phone. She typed in another number, and a few seconds later, her twin answered.
"Really, Mia? I'm one room over."
"Amber's phone went right to voicemail," Mia said defensively. "I had to make sure it wasn't a problem with my phone."
"She's in school right now. She might just have it on do not disturb."
"Fine. Did you get ahold of Mom and Dad?"
"I was about to call them, and then you called."
"Right." Mia hung up, chewing her lip. After a minute, she logged into Vistacloud. Colby didn't have a social media, but maybe Dani did. It didn't take long to find her account— ReggieSoulmate25—and Mia tried to find a phone number attached to her profile. There was no number, but Mia hesitated as she came across a post. It was from a few days ago—Thursday, by the look of it. Dani and Colby were both dressed to the nines, squished into a selfie in front of a mural. They must have been at some party, because the people in the background were just as formally dressed.
So proud of this guy for getting a scholarship to the Rushford Institution of Fine Art! He's kind of a big deal...though he'd never admit it.
Dani was pulling a face, and Colby was laughing. It struck Mia that she hardly even recognized her brother...and it wasn't just because his hair was gelled and he was wearing a fancy suit.
"You know, you'd be a good-looking guy if you'd smile more," Mia muttered as she studied her brother's relaxed posture and happy expression with a sinking feeling. She finally moved off of the post, but then she realized there was a more recent one. There was no picture to accompany the post that had been given Saturday night, and Mia scanned it quickly.
Metallonia is officially one of the coolest places I've ever been. Excited for one last adventure with my special guy before heading home tomorrow!
Mia's mouth felt dry, and she moved quickly to May's room once again. Her twin looked up as she entered, and the fact that May's expression was drawn was not a comforting sign.
"Did you get ahold of them?"
"Mom said she'd try to call him, but Dad was in a meeting or something so I had to leave a message. I did call the Rushford Institution of Fine Art, though."
"What did they say?"
"They haven't seen Dani or Colby since Thursday night, but I guess they mentioned meeting up with some other friends to go camping or something."
Mia swallowed, coming closer so she could show her twin her own phone. May accepted it with a frown.
"What is this?"
"Dani's Vistacloud account."
"If they're camping out in the middle of nowhere, it would explain why their phones are going straight to voicemail. They probably don't have service," May murmured.
"But they shouldn't still be camping! Dani even said that in her post that they were supposed to go home Sunday night. May...what if something happened?"
May's right eyebrow twitched, the way that it did when she was nervous about something, and Mia quickly reclaimed her phone before her sister could short it out.
"We'll talk with Mom and Dad when they get home, all right?" the older twin said at last. "We may have to talk with the police in Metallonia."
Teag looked around as they walked down the hall, trying not to look at the two men on either side of him. There was something strange about them, and he didn't want to do anything to draw their attention. Everything about this place was strange. The walls didn't seem to be made of wood or stone, and the floor was made of some perfectly polished white tile. He had never seen a stone that white, and what was more, they didn't light the way with torches or candles or anything. He had no idea where the light came from...it just sort of glowed down on him from long strips in the ceiling.
They reached a door, and Teag stopped when one of the strange men grabbed his arm. As he watched, another came over and touched the door with some little card of some kind. A chime sounded, and Teag swallowed as he watched a red glow around the door turn green. Where was that light coming from? Was it powered by aura, and that's why it could change color? The man with the card pulled the door open, and the one holding Teag pushed him to signal that it was time to keep moving. He still didn't know where they were going, or where the strange man who had spoken to him a few days previous was, but he figured if he did what he was told, they might not hurt him.
Another long hallway, but this one was different. Strange symbols were written by the sides of doors, but Teag couldn't make out what they said. He had learned to read, but the writing he had seen all over this place couldn't be read. Was it some sort of secret code? However, his thoughts about reading codes faded as he caught sight of the strange Ahkasar standing in the hallway up ahead. Teag swallowed hard, trying to keep calm. The man had bought him from the slave traders, but he hadn't ever hurt him. Why did he get such a horrible feeling of fear every time he saw him?
"Ah...Teag. I am sorry to have kept you vaiting," the man said as they approached. "Oh zat I could conduct several experiments at ze same time...but alas, all my projects seem to have caught up vith me. But vith ze evidence finally planted, and Julien vorking on my elemental dilemma, it seems I finally have time for you."
"Um...what?" Nothing the man had said made much sense, and Teag wasn't even sure if he was supposed to answer him or not. The man didn't seem angry about the question, merely smiling at him.
"Yes, none of zat is your concern, I suppose. Let us get started, shall ve?" The man pulled open a door, and the man guiding Teag pushed him onward. The dreadlocked boy was quiet as he headed into the room, looking around in confusion. The room was small, with walls lined with the strangest decorations that Teag had ever seen. They were long black boxes all around, but when the Ahkasar flicked a switch on the wall, light flooded the room and the black boxes came to life. Teag jumped backward as colors and beeping sounds filled the boxes, and the Ahkasar laughed.
"So much of ze technology zat I take for granted, you have never seen," he mused, and Teag swallowed as the tall man put a hand on his shoulder. "Ze screens vill not hurt you, Teag—zey are merely monitors connected to ze machine zat vill help me collect data."
Teag had no idea what any of that meant. He caught sight of a chair in the room, but there were bulky metal boxes all around it, with some kind of headgear suspended above it.
"Go take a seat, Teag."
Teag swallowed at the order, looking up at the tall Ahkasar. "What am I doing here?" he asked.
"I need to study some of ze intel I have recently received," the man said simply, using his grip on Teag's shoulder to push him toward the strange chair. Teag obeyed grudgingly, reaching the chair and tentatively sitting on it. It was cold, and he flinched as the large men with the covered eyes came over and began strapping him down into it. The teen's mouth was dry as belts snapped into place over his lap and chest, and he balked as they tried to restrain his hands and feet.
"Why are you tying me down?" he demanded, his voice shaking.
"Do not vorry, Teag...it is merely to keep your body from spasming in a vay zat vill interrupt ze monitoring systems."
"What?"
"Relax," the man urged, coming to get the strange headgear in place. "I have used ze Cerebral Analysis Mechanism on many Oni vith little to no negative results. Of course, I have never used it in exactly zis vay, but I theorize zat no lasting damage vill be done."
"You've done this to Oni before?" Teag asked, struggling to understand what the man was talking about. He shuddered at the cold metal band pressing on his forehead and temples. The tall Ahkasar didn't answer as he began pressing smaller tabs of metal to various points on Teag's head.
After a few minutes, the man finally backed away, and Teag trembled inside the strange contraption, with his hands and ankles restrained to the arms and legs of the chair. Sweat dripped down his neck despite the chill of metal pressed against his back and head.
"Now...I am told zat Oni power is fueled by emotion. Is zat true?"
"Um...yes," Teag admitted, looking over at one of the black boxes. It showed a line bouncing up and down sporadically as it emitted a high-pitched beeping noise.
"Do you know much about how Oni power vorks?"
"Just what Master Hershel taught me," Teag admitted. "Can I get out of the chair now?"
"I am afraid zat ve have not yet begun," the man said. "But ven ve are done, I vill have my staff escort you back to your room. Now...back to Oni power...vat can you tell me about it? Is it true zat Hatred and Destruction are ze most powerful zings an Oni can accomplish?"
"No? Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by powerful. Aura can destroy stuff...but it isn't just destruction. There's Aural manifestation and Aural perception, but most people aren't really good at both." Teag wracked his mind to think of everything he knew about Oni power, delving into every lesson Hershel had ever taught him about the subject. Maybe if he told the Ahkasar enough things, he would let him leave the awful chair. "Manifestation is when you blast stuff, or make aura appear. Perception is when you use it to feel what others are feeling."
"I see...how very interesting." The man pulled out a glowing tablet, tapping on it with one gloved hand over and over. Teag frowned, not sure what the man was doing, but the man didn't seem to notice his confusion as he continued. "Do you consider yourself apt at both?"
"Not really," Teag admitted. "I can blast stuff, I guess, and sometimes I can tell what people are feeling. I don't know—it's hard to get good at that part."
"Would you say somevon like a Xinta is able to do both vell?"
"A Xinta?" Teag's brow furrowed. "I don't know. Probably—Iona is the most powerful person I ever met, and she always knew what I was feeling. In fact, I swear she could read my mind."
The Ahkasar's eyes glittered. "And who is Iona?"
Teag swallowed. "Um...she's a Xinta. She helped teach me sometimes, but it was mainly Hershel. She didn't like me much."
"Vat about Amber? Do you zink zat she could read minds?"
Teag's expression clouded. "Amber?"
"Ze Xinta princess from your realm," the man said, seeming amused at Teag's confusion.
"Prince Theo's sister?" Teag realized. "Oh, yeah...I guess she is a Xinta. I've never actually met her though. She lives somewhere else."
The man smiled thinly. "Indeed she does. Do you have any idea how her power might differ from yours?"
"She's strong...I've heard that much. But no one really talks about her." Teag thought it was strange that the man wanted to know about Xintas, and he found himself wishing he knew more about them.
"Do not vorry, Teag. I have ozer means to learn about Xinta. I vas just curious to see vat you knew." More tapping on the metal square, and then the man looked up at last to meet Teag's eye. "So, vould you say zat Oni Power is actually a cause and response system vithin your makeup, in vhich ze cause is an emotional trigger in ze brain zat results in an aura power response?"
"I just know that emotions are what make the aura," Teag tried. As if the accent wasn't hard enough to understand, the man just spoke gibberish much of the time.
"Can it be any emotion?"
"Technically," Teag admitted. "But different emotions have different signatures."
"Signatures?"
"If I had an aura crystal, I could show you," Teag tried. His hands were slick with sweat, and it was impossible to get comfortable on the stiff chair. "Like, sadness makes the crystal blue, and fear makes it green, and Hershel says that Hatred is like this dark purple but I've never been able to do it. He said that was all right, because it's hard to control, anyway."
The man seemed to be thinking about what Teag said. "So, different emotions do provide different types of power."
"It all looks the same, but Iona told me once that you could do different things with different emotions. I didn't really care about all of that, but when I left, she had started teaching Inna and Luz how to make artifacts."
"And vat are artifacts?"
Teag swallowed at the hungry glint in the man's eye, but he continued softly. "I...don't know how to make them," he offered. "Just that you can make objects do things with certain kinds of signatures. I don't know more than that...Iona never taught me."
The man didn't seem angry that Teag didn't know more. He smiled, lowering the metal square at last. "How fortunate zat I acquired you, Teag. You have been very helpful in answering questions pertaining to my research."
"Then can I go now?" Teag begged.
"Soon," the man promised. "I need to get to analyze ze cerebral processes associated vith ze creation of Oni power, now zat I know zat zey are triggered by emotion." He stood, and Teag watched him go over to a table covered with various buttons and switches. "I know now zat Oni culture and infrastructure is more fleshed out zan I previously thought, but I assume your people still do not know much about anatomy."
"Anatomy?"
"For instance...have you ever heard of ze limbic system of ze brain?" the man began flicking several of the switches and buttons, and Teag jumped as the chair beneath him rumbled, with lights flashing on the metal boxes nearby.
"I don't—"
"You have no idea vat I'm talking about," the man finished with a smile. "I zot as much. Ze limbic system controls emotion in ze body...and apparently, ze release of emotion zen triggers an Oni's aura system to respond. From my study of ozer Oni, your anatomy is similar to zat of humans. Zere are a few differences, such as your eye structure, and obviously ve do not contain an aura system. But ze brain should react similarly."
The headband on Teag's head seemed to be tightening, and he could hear it making sounds and twitching as if it were alive. "What is it doing?" Teag demanded.
"Ze Cerebral Analysis Mechanism is generally used to chart brain activity vile I provide external stimuli. Today, however, ve shall use ze C.A.M to provide internal stimulus vile I track vat your external response is."
Teag flinched as one of the silent men grabbed the metal ring around his wrist. He turned to see the man removing it, and Teag blinked as it fell away. The strange numb emptiness inside finally vanished, but that just meant that his fear was stronger than ever.
"If you could summon aura during ze exercise, zat vould be most helpful," the man continued as he studied him. "My processors are not as elaborate as zose built into my Chamber, but I should be able to pick up on zese signatures you mentioned, if zey prove to be exponentially different from each ozer."
"You want me to what?" Teag asked, his breath coming out in spurts as the boxes all around buzzed and beeped like a war between bees and birds.
"Summon your aura. I do believe it manifests around your hands, does it not?"
Teag blinked, and with shaking hands, he managed to do so. Purple light soon engulfed his fingers up to his wrists, though sadly, the power didn't appear to affect the metal cuffs binding him.
"Fascinating." The man gazed at Teag's hands, his stare looking almost distant. After a minute, he nodded to himself. "So if vat you say is true, and if ze C.A.M is reading your emotions correctly, I vould have to assume zis power contains a fear signature. Vould you agree?"
Teag merely closed his eyes. "Are you done now?"
"I really should have gotten a good read on a normal aura manifestation vith no added emotional triggers," the man mused. "To act as control...but I suppose I can get a controlled reading later. In a perfect experiment, you vould not be reacting so emotionally until after I used ze machine, but it is clear you cannot control your fear in zis new and alarming environment. No matter. Ve vill just have to trigger ozer emotions and see how ze power changes. From zere, I should be able to compare ze data to discover vat exactly zese signatures look like on paper."
Teag kept his eyes closed as the self-proclaimed-scholar rambled. He let his aura wink out, but then the man's tone became sharp.
"Keep it going. It is hard for me to pick up on aural power vithout ze outvard manifestation."
Teag lit his hands back up, but considering how long his powers had been cut off, he was realizing that he was already tired. "For how much longer?"
"Yes...it seems your energy is depleting. Very vell, ve shall begin ze ozer readings immediately. Do you have a preference for ze next emotional response?"
"What?"
"Mmm...perhaps ve should start vith anger. I vould zink of all emotions, it vould have a more obvious signature."
Teag furrowed his brow. Was the scientist asking him to get angry? Or...
Pain registered on Teag's head, and he gasped. It felt like needles were pricking his head, everywhere that the horrible band was squeezing. "Stop!" he gasped, but his fear was suddenly overtaken by a wave of anger. Teag's body shook with fury as his mind seemed to go red, and he cursed and fought at the unwelcome surge of emotion.
"Ah...ze power of ze Limbic System. It took time to figure out how to reach it, as it is deeply buried in ze—"
"Stop it!" Teag screamed. The aura around his hands flared larger, crawling up his arms as he thrashed. "Whatever you're doing, stop!"
"Yes...I do believe zat reading vill suffice. And now, on to ze next trial."
Teag's cursing and wrenching faded as the anger suddenly left, leaving him feeling shaken and violated. Before he could process what had happened, the needles were back, and suddenly he was overcome with despair. He gulped for breath, feeling like his chest was being pressed by an invisible weight. Tears formed in his eyes and rolled down his face.
"What are you doing to me?" he sobbed, his hands shaking.
"You vill be all right at ze end of ze exercise. Ze machine does no physical harm, Teag."
Teag wept in response. The wave of emotion brought to mind memories, as if they were buried together in the recesses of his mind. His heart ached as his parents' faces came to mind, back when they had their stall, before everything had gone wrong. Dee's face came next...and then Hershel's. Teag's shoulders shook as he longed to curl up in a ball and cease to exist. It was all his fault...
"Yes, already I can see zat ze power does differentiate slightly. How intriguing." The hopeless despair faded, but Teag couldn't stop crying. Would Hershel even care that he was here, in this strange place with this horrible person who was forcing emotions onto him? Did anybody care?
"I see zere are some lingering results...but no matter. Zis next trial should eliminate ze traces..."
Teag ignored the man as he cried. Maybe they would come here, but it wouldn't be for Teag. It would be for Raiyn, wherever he was. No doubt they had already forgotten him. Teag inhaled shakily as he cried, but then, everything went numb. His face went lax mid-sob, and he stared down at his cuffed hands as the aura winked out around them.
"Continue ze aura, Teag," the man said. Teag blinked, wanting to be afraid of the lack of emotion inside, but not even able to muster much concern.
"I can't." He stared at his hands, willing something to happen, but nothing did.
"Mmm...I vondered." The man was tapping on his metal slab again. "I suppose it makes sense, if emotion triggers a reaction, zat apathy vould cause a natural block in your aural system."
"Why can't I feel anything?" Teag asked softly. In some ways, it was relaxing...but mainly, it just felt wrong. The beeping from the nearby boxes had slowed and he stared at his hands as he waited.
"I am using the C.A.M. to access your Limbic system to trigger an apathetic reaction," the man offered simply. Teag stared at him as he tapped on the slab in his hands, and in his emotionless state, it occurred to Teag that this was what felt so wrong about the Ahkasar. What he was feeling right now...it must be what the man in the long white coat always felt, considering how perfectly calm he always was. Why was he like this? Just thoughts going in and out of a numb, emotionless shell...
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" It was something Teag had wondered ever since he had woken in the strange room after being sold, and the words slipped out without the fear of the answer there to stop them.
The man paused in his tapping to glance up at the boy strapped to the chair. "It is not my intention to end your life," he said at last. "But I vill not lie to you and say zat my experimentation has not ended ze lives of ozers."
"Are you going to kill Raiyn?"
"Ze child vill not be experimented on until I can understand vat to expect from a normal Oni Power structure. He is a mutation of ze norm, so I cannot risk experimentation at zis time."
"Will you care, if I die?"
The man frowned, and he was quiet for a few seconds. "I do not enjoy losing test subjects," he offered at last as he turned his attention back to his screen. "It is frustrating to have to start a process over." After more incessant tapping, the scholar turned and twisted a few dials on the large table next to him. Teag gasped as the thing on his head stopped it's needling and buzzing, loosening its grip on him. His emotions trickled back into him, and tears formed in his eyes again.
"I vonder if Julien vill help me differentiate zese readings...but I suppose he is only human, and cannot focus on so many projects at once. Probably better to leave him at his current task, so zat ve may move forward on all fronts."
"Let me down," Teag begged, closing his eyes against the exhaustion inside. Though there was no lasting physical pain, his insides felt like they had been wrung out like an old rag.
"Ve vill stick viz zree emotions for now," the man replied. "Fear, anger, and sorrow. However, data is stronger ven it can be pulled from multiple trails."
"What?" Teag asked, looking up at him wearily.
The man frowned as he studied the dreadlocked boy. "Based on my readings on your current energy state, I vould assume ve can go zrough two more cycles before you are rendered unconscious."
Teag felt a spike of fear as the man reached for the table once again. The headpiece once again tightened, and the teen shook.
"Wait!" he begged, but in the next moment, anger flooded his system and all he could see was red.