She made out a brown and purple figure just before she ran into them headfirst. As she made impact with the unfortunate person, she felt one of the girls run into her back and they all fell to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs. She landed on the knees of the person in front of her, making her stomach lurch. She gasped for breath as she tried to push down the rising nausea. Someone slid off her back, giving her enough room to push herself off of the person's legs with a groan.
She looked up at the same time as a familiar head of messy brown hair. Two pairs of green eyes locked, and Serena felt her soul leave her body as Caleb rubbed the back of his head, glaring at her before his eyes widened in recognition. She jumped back, knocking into Taranee who was attempting to sit up behind her. Ignoring her yelp, Serena scrambled to her feet, determinedly looking at anything other than Caleb.
Caleb picked himself up, narrowing his eyes as he took in the presence of all six girls. "What are you doing here?!"
Will winced as she got to her feet, opening her mouth to answer when Hay Lin beat her to it.
"Never mind that! Why aren't you wearing these clothes?" she growled, jabbing her finger down at Blunk.
Serena, relieved that Caleb's attention was off of her, noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw a green humanoid with stony protrusions on his face reach down and seize Cornelia's forearm. The guard must have called for backup!
"Get your hands off of her!" she demanded. Summoning shadows, she blasted him away from Cornelia, sending him flying to the other side of the alley. When she saw him start to get up, her hands erupted in flickering balls of darkness as she marched towards him. So, the brute could take a hit, who cared? They had come this far, and she was not about to let any more of these gargoyle looking jerks threaten her friends.
She raised her fist to send a blast of shadows at the monster's ugly face when- "Wait, stop!" Caleb suddenly appeared in front of her, arms wide and blocking her shot. "He's a friend!" When she looked between him and the creature skeptically, he huffed and leaned into her. "He's part of the rebellion," he hissed lowly, eyes darting around for a potential eavesdropper.
Lowering her fist, she peered over Caleb's shoulder. The creature's eyes were fearful as he held his hands up in surrender. The stones on his face were smooth and shiny and a lot less threatening than she had originally thought. She didn't know what species he was but, in her defense, all of the non-humans they had met so far had tried to capture or kill them.
"Oh," Serena said sheepishly, finally allowing her shadows to dissipate. "Oh!" She rushed to the green person's side to help him to his feet. "I am so sorry. I thought you were one of the bad guys," she confessed.
"Oh, uh... that's okay," he insisted, trying to put her mind at ease despite the fact that he was breathing hard. "I should have asked first, my name's Aldarn," he said, smiling kindly as he stuck his head out for her to shake.
"Serena, Guardian of Shadows," she replied, taking his hand. "Sorry again, we're still getting used to things on this side of the Veil."
"Which is exactly why I didn't want you guys here," Caleb snapped, scowling at Serena who averted her eyes guiltily.
"We were looking for you!" Will protested, jumping to Serena's defense. "We thought you'd been captured!"
"Yeah, would it have killed you to leave a sticky note on the fridge or something?" Irma asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Like 'gone to other dimension for rebel stuff, be back by dinner.' How hard was that?"
"I can take care of myself," Caleb dismissed them. "I wouldn't even be here if he," he pointed to Blunk, "hadn't stolen this key!" He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a metal key. It had a big ring on the end and looked like something you'd find in an antique shop.
"Wait," Irma helped up her hands. "You're telling me this is all the stink monkey's fault?" She shot Blunk a nasty look, causing him to scamper away in order to avoid her wrath as well as Hay Lin's.
"Well duh," Caleb rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.
Aldarn cocked his eyebrow at him. "Duh? Your speech has like, changed Caleb."
Caleb shook his head, brushing off the comment as another thought struck him. "And why were your running?"
"We were kind of running from..." Taranee turned around at the sound of thumping footsteps. "Him."
Serena winced; she had hoped they'd lost the guard when he didn't show up after they ducked into the alley. He pounded his way towards them, brandishing his sword above his head, ready to swing. "You!" he sneered. "Where are your papers?"
Papers? Like identification papers? She ignored the bizarre question and shifted to face him head on. She brought her hands inside the folds of her cloak to hide them as she powered up. The cool mist of the shadows enveloped her clenched fists as she made eye contact with Taranee next to her. Nodding to her subtly, the two turned back to the incoming guard, ready to go.
Aldarn on the other hand, was not so ready to throw down. Keeping his eyes on the guard he tried to push Caleb back to the other end of the alley. "Caleb run!" he whisper yelled.
Caleb remained unphased, shrugging off Aldarn's hands. He glanced between the six Guardians before him and the lone guard who clearly had no idea who he'd been chasing. "Um officer, what size shoe do you wear?" he asked, grinning smugly.
"Cause we're about to knock your socks off," Serena finished, throwing her cloak behind her shoulders, and letting the shadows curl up from her hands. The other girls followed suit, revealing their brightly colored Guardian clothes and the elements at their ready.
The guard skidded to a halt when he recognized the display of power. "Guardians," he breathed, his eyes growing wide with fear.
Right on cue, Serena and Taranee broke from the pack and charged. Serena pulled ahead, continuing straight for him as Taranee suddenly stopped and braced her arm. "Fire!" she called out, sending a large fireball careening towards the guard. It passed by Serena harmlessly and engulfed his sword, turning the metal a bright orange. He cried out and dropped the burning sword on the ground where it melted into liquid metal, running uselessly in the cracks of the street.
"Shadows!" The guard barely had enough time to look up and see Serena leap towards him with her fist cocked. As she punched downwards, she released a torrent of shadows, blasting the defenseless guard back into a stone wall. He grunted as the air was forced out of him and slumped to the muddy street. She thought that would the end of it but then the guard hauled himself to his feet with a groan.
Cornelia approached the staggering guard, stopping beside Serena as she pointed a delicate finger at a potted plant sitting on a second story windowsill. The plant trembled, its pot rocking back and forth until it fell off the ledge, shattering on the guard's head. He swayed dizzily, eyes rolling as he tried to pin them down. Will casually walked up to him and knocked him over and out with just a push of her finger.
"Hah! And that's how the Guardians do it," Irma cheered, straightening up from her defensive position in front of the guys.
"I'd say our practice is really starting to pay off," Serena commented, giving Taranee a high five for their teamwork.
"That was incredible!" Aldarn marveled. "I've read about the Guardian's abilities but to see them in person... just wow. Can you all shoot stuff out of your hands?" he asked excitedly.
"Well not exactly," Taranee answered. "Cornelia's powers..."
Caleb tuned the discussion out as he stepped around the girls, kneeling beside the guard, and looking him over thoughtfully. "This might just work," he murmured to himself, rubbing his jaw as a plan started to come together.
"What might?" asked Will, trying to figure out what he was talking about.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," Caleb responded shortly as he began strip the guard of his armor.
Serena's brows furrowed as he wrestled the oversized pieces over his own body, buckling the shoulder guard in place. The contrast in size was almost comical. He looked like he would tip over if he tried to stand up. He reached down and pulled off the guard' belt before clinching it around his own waist, making sure the shiny buckle was in plain view. He was obviously trying to impersonate the guard but for what?
When he turned and looked back at the castle towering above the city it hit her. "You're going to sneak into the castle?" Serena burst out.
"I said it's none of your concern," he stressed, setting the enormous helmet over his head. It fell forward a bit, slipping down his nose and covering his eyes. He huffed, pushing the helmet back up so he could see through the eyeholes. Although precariously balanced, it covered his forehead and went down past his cheekbones. It actually worked pretty well as a mask.
"Are you kidding me?" Irma exclaimed. "We have saved your butt twice now and you want to go back into the den of evil?"
"Yeah, talk about gratitude," Cornelia scoffed, tossing her hair back.
"If I don't return the key, Vathic will die," Caleb argued, clenching the key in his pocket. "He'll be thrown into the Abyss of Shadows!"
Serena looked between Will and Caleb as they glared at each other in a battle of wills. She sympathized with Caleb; they had refused to leave Will at the mercy of Phobos so she couldn't fault him for doing the same for his friend. However, he also didn't have any powers which means he and his friend would be defenseless in a castle full of armed guards. "Maybe if we go with you, we can-"
"Not a chance," he cut her off. "You've already attracted one guard; I don't need you alerting the entire army."
Well maybe if he had bothered to let them in on his plans, they wouldn't have had to follow him, she thought, crossing her arms.
"I don't know Caleb," Aldarn hesitated. "What if..."
"You can't be serious?!" Caleb griped, throwing his hands up exasperated.
Aldarn simply shrugged. "The last time you went into that castle alone you almost didn't come out," he stated softly, giving Caleb a hard look
Caleb felt a twinge of guilt as he looked away. They had both lost people to Prince Phobos and it never got any easier. The loss of Aldarn's mother was what brought him and his farther to join the rebellion in the first place. And he'll never forget the day he lost his farther to Lord Cedric's forces. Aldarn was more than just his best friend, he was his right hand man. They were brothers in arms, a bond he shared with all of his commanders. Caleb knew exactly how he must have felt when he didn't return to the Infinite City. Had it been the other way around, he too would have blamed himself for what happened.
"Fine," he sighed, turning back to Will. "You can come, but only as back up and you follow my lead."
"Deal," Will agreed as the others cheered.
Caleb rolled his eyes. "Girls," he muttered under his breath. Aldarn chuckled and walked over to clap him on the back, nearly knocking him over. The Galhots were always stronger than their human neighbors no matter what they were mixed with.
"Um, do you have any more armor?" Taranee chimed in as the girls quieted down. "Because I don't think these cloaks are going to be enough."
Caleb's eyes raked over the six girls. Even with the cloaks and hoods, it would be obvious to anyone who looked hard enough that they were too young to work in the castle. Not to mention their garish pink and blue outfits would be easily spotted. There was no way they could simply accompany him through the front gate.
He mused quietly to himself before turning to Aldarn. "Does Balinor's father still have that cart we used on the Sumaria mission?"
While the girls looked at each other confused, Aldarn grinned. Trust Caleb to make his anyone who tried to help him regret their decision. He never was good at accepting help when he needed it.
—-
"No way, absolutely not." Cornelia shook her head, crossing her arms and turning away definitively.
"Come on Cornelia," Will pleaded. "It's our best chance to get into the castle."
"I don't care, I'm not getting in there." She gestured wildly to the wooden cart piled high with hay. "There could be bugs in there and the hay could get in my hair!"
Serena shuddered at the thought of bugs, looking closely at the hay for any signs of movement. With only one set of guard's armor to act as a disguise, they had to find another way to sneak the girls into the castle. She assumed they could simply sneak in through the drainpipe they had used last time, but Caleb said he had a different plan. He and Aldarn guided them across the city to a stable where an old cart sat against the wall, filled to the brim with hay. Aldarn left shortly after Caleb ordered them to climb inside.
Caleb rolled his eyes at Cornelia's behavior. He had hoped that when he revealed his plan they would refuse and give him a solid reason to ditch them. After having seen how they lived on earth, in luxurious homes with food always available for minimal labor, he was sure they would balk at getting their hands dirty and return to earth. Unfortunately, it seemed like the plan was only working on Cornelia.
"Cornelia if you don't get your butt in this wagon, we are leaving you behind and you'll have to find your way back to the portal yourself," Irma threatened as she, Taranee and Hay Lin worked their way under the hay.
"You're the Earth Guardian," Serena reminded her from her perch on the edge of the cart. "You can probably just magic the hay to float above your head."
"Just pull your hood up," Hay Lin suggested helpfully, "that should protect your hair."
Cornelia whined, looking between her friends and the cart. She grimaced as she pulled the hood of her cloak as tight to her head as possible. Holding the neck closed with one hand, she climbed into the back of the cart and stepped gingerly into the hay. She flinched as her foot sank, looking up at Serena who simply raised an eyebrow, amused. Cornelia sneered at her before carefully sitting down, curling up in her cloak to avoid the hay. "Can we get this over with?" she called down.
Will sighed as she leaned against the outside of the cart. "We can't leave yet," she reminded her. "We're still waiting on-"
A loud snort came from deeper in the barn and Serena let out a delighted gasp as Aldarn appeared around a corner, leading a stocky bay draft horse.
"Oh great, here we go," Irma muttered to Hay Lin who giggled in response.
Serena scurried back down the cart, skipping the last rung to jump to the ground. She tried to restrain herself, keeping her movements slow and calm but she couldn't help the bounce in her step as she made her way over to Aldarn and the horse.
"Oh, he's beautiful," she praised, holding her hand out politely for the horse to sniff. She beamed as it leaned down and nudged the back of her hand with its soft nose. Taking this as a sign of acceptance, she gently placed her hand on its snout, rubbing up its nose to scratch at its forelock. "What's its name?" she asked.
"Berook," Aldarn answered, smiling fondly as he rubbed the horse's neck. "Balinor uses him to deliver supplies. He's dropped off several loads of iron ore at the forge," he told her as Serena reached up to rub Berook's ears, making him lean into her hand. "He's as strong as an ox but as sweet tempered as a butterfly."
"Aww, who's a good boy?" Serena cooed softly, cupping his nose in her hands as her eyes sparkled.
"If you haven't noticed," Caleb frowned, crossing his arms. "We're kind of on a time limit here."
Serena looked back at him confused before registering his words. The girls were all smirking at her from the hay pile. "Oh right, sorry," she said, giving Berook one last scratch under the chin before hurrying back to the cart and climbing in. She plopped down in the hay beside Irma who grinned at her.
"What?" Serena asked.
"Nothing," Irma shook her head, looking off to the side. She laughed as Serena grabbed a handful of hay and tossed it at her for acting weird.
Caleb narrowed his eyes at their antics and went to help Aldarn harness Berook to the cart. This was an extremely risky and delicate operation and if they didn't stop messing around, they were going to get everyone caught before they even left the stable. This was why he preferred to work alone, regardless of what Aldarn said. The more people involved in a mission the more likely a mistake could be made that got everyone killed.
Berook shorted, shifting as Caleb tightened the last strap. He gave him a comforting pat on the flank to settle him before turning to face Will. "We're ready, I'll distract the guard while you guys stay hidden," he reiterated the plan. "And try not to make any noise, alright?"
Will narrowed her eyes at the dig. "I'm sure we'll be fine," she replied flatly before turning and climbing into the cart. "Everybody get down," she instructed as she started to pile hay on top of herself.
Serena did her best to wiggle underneath the hay. The cart wasn't very large, so they were all practically sitting on top of each other. Her cloak kept getting snagged as well which tangled her up a few times. Eventually her fingertips hit the bottom of the cart and she worked to widen the hole before settling inside. Pulling her knees to her chest, she reached up and grabbed handfuls of hay to bury herself. She was careful when covering her head so as not to accidentally poke her eyes, but it was hard when she couldn't exactly see what she was doing. Afterwards, she gave her general area a pat down to make sure there weren't any gaps before pulling her arm down and tucking it in between her folded legs. She heard the rustling caused by the other girls continue for another minute or two before it eventually got quiet.
"Can you guys see us?" Will called out from somewhere behind her.
"Hold on," Caleb requested. The cart jostled and Serena heard hay rustle as he shifted it around. The space around her grew darker as he piled more hay on top of her. She made sure to keep still and after a while the rustling stopped, and he jumped off the cart satisfied.
"Don't move," he told them before his footsteps drifted to the front of the cart. "If we're not back in two hours, go back to the base and start reconnaissance."
"Be careful," Aldarn replied.
Serena tracked his footsteps as he walked past the cart to the stable door. She heard it drag against the ground as he swung it open. It was quiet for a second before three knocks broke the silence. That was the signal that it was all clear outside. Caleb clicked his tongue at Berook, and the cart lurched forward. Berook's hooves clacked against the cobblestone as they pulled out of the stable and headed towards the castle. She wasn't sure how long they rattled down the street, all she had to rely on was her ears. She only knew they were out of the city when she heard the sound of crickets and watering trickling instead of the wheels. She figured they must be on the path through the massive swamp that surrounded the castle. After a few minutes she felt her center of gravity shift, indicating they were on an incline.
"We're here," Caleb hissed lowly before the cart rolled to a stop.
This was the make it or break it point, they had to be let through the castle gatehouse. According to Caleb, anything entering or exiting the castle had to be inspected and approved by the guards. Prince Phobos was confident that most peasants wouldn't dare try anything, but he knew the rebellion would take any opening they could get. A few years ago, a kitchen worker had tried to smuggle a vial of unsanctioned poison inside a bag of flour. He was searched at the gatehouse and when they found the poison, Phobos had two guards force it down his throat as he watched.
"Hay for Prince Phobos's horses," Caleb announced, deepening his voice to disguise it.
For a minute nothing happened. Serena hardly dared to breathe, taking weak, shallow breaths to keep her chest from moving. She was curled up so tight that she trembled with the effort of keeping completely still. Staring at the hay in front of her, she strained her ears for any indication as to what was happening. She heard big, heavy footsteps walk past her side of the cart and scrunched her eyes shut. Suddenly the cart started moving again, making her flinch as they're rumbled forward. When no one shouted and no spears came thrusting into the hay, she took a deep, stuttering breath in relief.
Despite those being the most nerve wracking minutes of her life, the hardest part was yet to come. They still had to get in and out of the castle without being seen. She was starting to see why Caleb had wanted to go alone. Even just sending one of them with him while the others waited behind the castle walls as backup would have been less risky than all seven of them going in together. Well, it was too late now.
Caleb led Berook into the castle stables, pulling around a corner on the far side of the door. He had assured Aldarn that once they returned the key, Vathic would be able to smuggle Berook back out. No grooms came to greet them which hopefully meant they were all already asleep. Just to be safe, he waited a few seconds, watching and listening for signs of movement. After being met with nothing but the sound of horses in their stalls, he rapped the side of the cart twice.
Serena uncurled and sat up, brushing hay off her shoulders as she and the other girls looked around. From what she could tell, the stables consisted of an inner and outer ring of stalls. They had backed into an empty equipment stall out of sight from the main door. Horses of a variety of sizes and colors turned their heads as they climbed out of the cart. She did a double take, her eyes widening when she spotted several horses with horns growing out of their snout and two sets of eyes. What was wrong with this place? Was there radioactive waste in the water or something?
"There's a passageway in the back that leads to the castle," Caleb whispered. "We sneak through there, return the key and get out."
"Easy enough," said Irma as she helped Taranee down.
"Normally it would be," Caleb grumbled under his breath. Without waiting to see if they were following, he marched off to the supply stall where the secret door was hidden behind a false wall. He was sorely tempted to just leave them here and carry on with the mission alone. They would only serve to distract him and slow him down since now he had to worry about six civilians as well as himself and Vathic. However, he knew their odds would be even worse without him and the Guardians in the hands of Phobos would not be good for the rebellion. If he wanted to keep some power players of his own, he would have to push through and play nice. He sighed and slowed down, looking over his shoulder to make sure they were following him.
Serena had thought once they made it past the gatehouse, she would be able to calm down but just being near the castle was enough to keep her on edge. Nothing like walking into the heart of your enemies. Straw cracked and crunched under her feet as they made their way down the hall, making her feel like she was about to tip off the guards any second. The last thing she wanted to do was get in a fight, especially when surrounded by flammable material and low ceilings. And she would hate to accidentally hurt the horses.
Caleb guided them down a row of stalls to one filled with feedbags, tools, and a wooden wheelbarrow. He crouched down in the back of the stall and ran his finger along the stone wall. He followed the lines of mortar that held the stones in place until he reached a particularly triangular stone. In the center was an X. To anyone else it would like a simple mason's mark, but he knew better. He pressed his shoulder against that stone and pushed. A portion of the wall several feet in diameter swung back, creating a jagged entrance. He beckoned the girls to follow as he crawled through on his hands and knees.
Serena crawled in after Hay Lin, accidentally kneeling on her cloak and causing her to jerk in front of her. "Sorry," she whispered. The tunnel itself was much taller than its entrance and she was able to stand up and look around. Taranee had summoned a small fireball, allowing it to hover over her palm which illuminated a small portion passageway. Beyond the reach of the fire's light, Serena could see the rough and irregular stones that made up the walls bathed in shades of blue and grey. The ceiling was supported by old beams that looked like they would collapse at any minute. Dusty cobwebs stretched between them and Serena hunched in on herself to avoid bumping into any of them.
Caleb led them wordlessly down the tunnel, their footsteps startling the occasionally rat, sending it screeching and scurrying into a dark crevice. They walked for several minutes before they reached a wooden door at the end of the tunnel. Caleb held up his fist as he stopped, waiting for the girls to do the same before reaching for the door. Instead of a doorknob, there was a thick black ring, covered in rust and looked like it hadn't been used in over a century. It ground against its hinge when Caleb tried to pull it, refusing to budge an inch. Motioning for them to stand back, he braced himself and yanked on the ring. The door dragged along the floor as it open only a few inches with a loud creak. They froze and waited but didn't hear any movement from outside. Caleb very gently set the ring down and gripping the edge of the door, began to inch it open at a snail's pace. As the door opened it revealed rows of stone plastered to its front, like the door in the stable it was designed to blend seamlessly into the wall. Beyond it, light filtered through a thick bolt of cloth, penetrating swirls or green, red, and blue.
Once the door was opened enough for them to slip through, Caleb reached back and grabbed ahold of the nearest girl's arm. Will looked at him like he had lost his mind. She went to yank her arm back when he motioned for her to calm down and keep quiet. He pulled her through the door and after a brief second, he reappeared and grabbed the next girl in line, repeating the process.
When he reached for Serena, she did her best to appear nonchalant about it in spite of the fact that her insides were currently buzzing. This was the first time he had touched her voluntarily. Being extremely careful not to accidentally brush up against the tapestry, he aligned her flat against the wall shoulder to shoulder with Hay Lin. He made a motion telling her to stay put and her eyes sparkled as she nodded dumbly. When he let go of her to press Irma in beside her, the heat of his hand lingered on her arm. Compared to the cold stone at her back it was like he had seared his handprint into her flesh.
Once he had finished positioning them all he gently pulled the door shut and shuffled to the end of the tapestry. Looking down the wall, he made sure the coast was clear before he dared poke his head out to check the other side. They were on an upper floor of the guest wing which luckily didn't see a lot of foot traffic thanks to Phobos's particular style of hospitality. Most guests to the castle didn't stay long before they were disposed of.
Serena hardly dared to breathe from her position behind the tapestry. Her chest brushed against the fabric every time she inhaled, and her nose was pressed against the gold threads of a monstrous dragon. She managed to turn her head to the side without disturbing the fabric just in time to see Caleb beckon to Will before stepping out from behind the tapestry. The correspondence traveled down the line, she grabbed Irma's hand just as Hay Lin nudged her. The tapestry warped and waved as they knocked into it several times in their rush to follow Caleb.
They travelled signal file, nearly tripping over each other in an effort to stay together. Caleb led them down the hall past a myriad of closed doors and gruesome paintings until he stopped at an intersection. He checked around the corner in both directions before racing around it, the girls right on his heels. They continued in this pattern several times as he led them deeper into the castle. At one point they all had to squeeze behind a statue of a gargoyle like creature as a servant carrying a basket of sheets passed by. All of this sneaking around was going to give Serena a heart attack. Every time she heard a noise, she barely kept herself from jumping ten feet in the air.
Eventually they came to a humongous gallery. Polished marble pillars drew Serena's eye up to the vaulted ceiling towering above them where jagged decorative spike pointed down at them. It was like the castle had modeled its interior off of the giant thorns that surrounded it. Everywhere she looked the walls boasted carvings of monsters with horns and colossal bodies attached to snake tails. Fireless torches cast the entire hall in an eerie green light. She flinched at the echo of their footsteps on the tiled floor as they crossed the hall, pinning themselves behind one of the pillars.
"This place gives me the creeps," whispered Will, her eyes roving the nightmarish decor. "Just hide the key and let's get out without being noticed."
Caleb rolled his eyes, so much for staying quiet. "Oh yeah, that's going to be real easy with six girls tagging along," he retorts, leaning against the column to see around its curve.
"Hey!" Will snapped. "We are not tagging along Mr. Brave Hero."
Caleb whipped around, shushing her. "Why didn't I just bring a sack full of screaming cats?" He hissed, making Serena flinch. Will glared at him but remained silent.
Serena glanced between the two of them worriedly. Maybe it was just a typical conflict between leaders, despite Will having not been one for very long. Even if he hadn't wanted them to accompany him, he should at least be able to understand it was just because they were worried about him. As much as it pained her to admit it, he didn't have to like them to work with them. They just needed to work together long enough to help Caleb's friend and get everyone back to Earth safely. Maybe if he spent more time instructing them instead of just snapping at them, this would be easier.
"Ugh, these things are itchy," Cornelia complained in a hushed tone, scratching at her shoulder over the cloak.
Now that she mentioned it, Serena was kind of feeling off. She absentmindedly itched at her exposed forearm, eyes widening when she felt bumps under her nails. Whipping her cloak behind her shoulders she lifted her arm into the torch light, revealing a slew of red bumps dotted along her forearm.
"Uh, is this small blood sucking insect what I think it is?" Irma whispered, a teeny tiny bug crawling around on her finger.
No. No, no, no. Serena just barely managed to restrain herself from flailing hysterically and ripping her cloak off. They were still incognito, and any sudden movement could draw the attention of unfriendly eyes. She had to settle for pulling her cloak back to rest as low on her back as possible without falling off. The Black Plague was caused by fleas, right? And they're essentially in the Middle Ages... Nope. She cut that train of thought off before it could leave the station. There was only so much she could handle at once.
Will snickered, leaning closer to them. "Don't say anything," she warned, cupping a hand beside her mouth. "Or they'll hear Taranee screaming back at school.
Serena attempted to school her features into something a little less like abject horror as she glanced back at Taranee. Thankfully, she didn't appear to have heard their conversation. She was too busy trembling fearfully as she scanned the room. Still, Will couldn't possibly expect them to keep the cloaks on, could she? Her skin was starting to prickle all over although she wasn't sure if that was due to the fleas or her own disgust. She'd never been bitten by fleas before, at least not to her knowledge. Now would be a really bad time for a reaction not to mention they didn't exactly have the wonders of modern medicine to help her if she did.
"Let's move," Caleb ordered, pointing across the room at another column. Shaking off her concerns, Serena followed the girls as they transversed the vast open floor of the gallery. Paranoia made her steps lighter, a chill running down her spine at the increase in exposure. When she let out a rush of air as they reached the other side, she realized the tightness in her chest was due to her not breathing as they crossed.
Slinking along the wall, they headed towards a marble column partially embedded into the wall. On the other side was an open doorway above which hung the gargantuan skull of a mysterious creature. Serena sincerely hoped that the monsters decorating the hall were from legends or old myths. Because if she ever came across the owner of that skull, she would probably have a full blown panic attack.
Caleb held out a clenched fist as they reached the column, the girls packing in like sardines behind him. Apparently, Cornelia didn't get the memo because she kept walking passed the column. Oblivious to Caleb whose face dropped as he frantically tried to reach and pull her back.
"Y'know, I just hope this is wool or linen," Cornelia said absentmindedly, readjusting the cloak over her shoulders. "I don't know what it is about synthetic fibers, but they give me such a..." she trailed off as she realized she had inadvertently walked in front of the open entranceway. Dozens of guards who had been raucously eating and drinking inside looked up at her arrival and immediately got to their feet. The sound of scraping iron rang out as they drew their weapons and advanced on her.
Caleb slapped a hand against his forehead, mentally kicking himself as the other girls didn't hesitate to break cover to stand beside Cornelia. Why him?
"Itchy cloaks off," said Irma as they all dropped their cloaks, freeing their wings for the fight.
A Lurden in the crowd roared, the rest of the guards joining in with their own battle cry as they rushed towards them. Serena leaped out of the way, wings a blue and green blur as she took up a position around the room with the others. After the install charge, the other girls opted to return to the ground to fight, each taking on their own group of guards. Serena remained in place, hovering by a large chandler in the center of the room. From there she could see the room as a whole and keep an eye on her friends and how they were faring. By flying above the fray, she could see all of the girls at once and interfere in case they were about to be hurt.
Taranee was keeping her guards at bay with consecutive rings of fire spiraling through their midst. Cornelia seemed to be having a grand old time, perched on top of an animated wooden table that swung one of its legs like a sword. Hay Lin dodged guards with ease, but it was Caleb and Will she was most concerned about. Neither had any real powers to speak of and therefore were the most vulnerable. However, they both seemed to be holding their own quiet well. Caleb had ditched his cumbersome armor and traded it for a sword and shield. He crossed weapons with a guard almost twice his size but with a few moves too quick for her to process, sent him flying over his shoulder. Will was nearby and utilized a bola with deadly efficiency despite her never having picked up the weapon before.
Having presented no counterattack of her own, the guards had pretty much forgotten Serena was there. Other than the occasional spear thrown her way, she was left to her own devices. However, with every second she spent up above the scene, her stomach twisted further. She wanted to be down there in the thick of it, taking on her fair share of bad guys alongside her friends. But another part of her worried that if she dropped from her vantage point, she may lose any chance to help until it was too late.
While she wrestled with herself, she noticed a group of Lurdens, and guards had congregated in the center of the room. Together they formed a tight ring around Taranee which also bridged the groups of soldiers fighting Irma and Hay Lin. At this rate, the girls would tire out before they could subdue them all. Not to mention every minute they spent fighting increased the chance of someone calling for back up and then they'd have the entire castle swarming them.
Serena was going to have to get in there for the best chance of them all coming out alive. Mind made up, she reared back her fist and sent a blast of shadows directly into the center of the amassing guards. Just like in practice, the impact carved through their ranks, sending several guards sprawling. It created just enough space for her to zoom down and land in the midst of them.
Before they had a chance to react, she rotated her hands and extending her arms, creating a ring of pulsing shadows around her. Channeling the cold feeling down her arms she pushed, and the ring expanded, shoving the guards even farther away. Realizing they were facing an attack from within their ranks, a good portion of the guards turned to face her which was exactly what she wanted. The more guards focused on her, the less there were available to fight her friends.
Several guards tried to rush her from different angles, but she swiped her hand, sending a wave of shadows to knock them away. Something snarled behind her and she turned around in time to blast a Lurden who had tried to attack her from behind. The force pushed it back into the ring of guards that surrounded her. They growled and shifted restlessly but refrained from making another charge. She didn't know what they were waiting for, but she was grateful for the reprieve, pushing some hair out of her face as she tried to catch her breath. She really needed to start bringing hair ties whenever they crossed dimensions because her two little braids weren't doing much to keep her hair out of her eyes.
Apparently one of the guards had gotten a clue because he reached down to a fallen guard and picked up his weapon. It was a studded ball attached to a wooden handle by a long, sturdy chain. He wrapped a portion of the chain around his fist and twirled the ball over his head before sending it flying at her. She dived out of the way, the ball turning the stones where she had been standing into rubble. The guard yanked it back to him and gave it another spin, sending it out again.
She couldn't risk flying and losing the attention of the guards she was distracting. So, she was forced to dodge the mace as well as any guards that tried to grab her. She couldn't see over the guard's heads so her only clue as to how the others were doing was the occasional blast of fire or guard flying through the air. As she moved, she was unknowingly being driven towards the wall.
The next swing had Serena backing into the wall, wincing at the sharp pain that radiated through her wings. She risked a glance back to see if they were still intact but when she turned around the mace ball was already in flight and coming straight for her head. Weapons racks blocked her on either side and the circle of guards had closed in, sensing blood was about to be spilled. There was no dodging this one.
Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her face in an attempt to block the blow. Her eyes scrunched tight as she braved herself for the inevitable pain. She felt the impact radiate up her arms... but it didn't hurt? Opening her eyes, she saw a dome of shadows surrounding her, hovering just a few inches above her crossed arms. Flickers of shadow lapped across its surface and through the ripples she could see the mace ball lying limply beside the wall of the dome.
She looked through the ripples up at the guard who looked about as surprised as she was. His eyes widened as she grinned cheekily and pushed against the shadow barrier. It flew forwards as a solid wall of shadows, ramming into him and sending him flying backwards. Serena got to her feet and flapped her wings, soaring into the air to scan the room for a status update.
Cornelia was still going strong, her table leaving a trail of battered guards behind it as it waltzed through the room. Serena's eyes narrowed when she saw a guard tiptoeing up behind Cornelia's table, keeping himself low to avoid the table's reach. Ducking under another swing, he jumped up and grabbed ahold of Cornelia's ankle. She screamed as he pulled her off the table, throwing her to the floor. "Looks like we're going to have to clip those wings!" He grinned menacingly as he advanced on her.
"Not on my watch!" said Serena, flying into him feet first and kicking him across the room. Turning to Cornelia, she reached down to help her up. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Cornelia breathed, taking her hand, and pulling herself up. "You take the left, I'll take the right?" she suggested, gesturing to the pack of drooling Lurdens encircling them.
"I thought you'd never ask," Serena smirked, cracking her knuckles. Standing back to back, they dove back into the fray.
Across the room, Will flew into the air, avoiding a battle axe that embedded itself into the wall where she had been just moments before. Looking out over the room, she took in the individual fights and the growing number of guards laid out on the floor. They were holding their own just fine, but this was taking a little too long for comfort. "Irma, Hay Lin!" she called down, getting their attention. "Let's wrap this up!"
At the sound of Will's call, Serena looked back at Cornelia who nodded and the two of them abandoned their fight and flew over to Will. Caleb and the other girls did the same and they rallied together in the center of the guards still remaining. Irma and Hay Lin took their places hovering above the group, while Serena and the other girls formed a protective circle around Will and Caleb. Together they watched and waited as the hoard of guards and Lurdens started to close in.
"Water!" Irma called out from above as she doused the bad guys. Keeping the stream of water steady, she turned, making sure to soak every guard and Lurden in the room.
"Air!" Hay Lin swung her arms and the air in the room began to spin, forming an indoor tornado. Keeping her friends in the eye of the tornado, she let directed it to spin faster and faster, lowering the temperature of the room. The cold combined with the water dripping off the guards covered them in a cocoon of ice and froze them in place. Hay Lin called for the winds to dissipate and the tornado faded away, revealing a ring of ice statues surrounding the girls.
"Wow guardsicles," Irma nodded approvingly as she rapped her knuckles on the frozen face of a petrified guard.
"Okay, we've bought ourselves about 10 minutes," said Will before pausing and
eyeballing at the open entrance way at the end of the dining hall. "Provided that nobody heard the fight and isn't currently running to come chop us into sushi."
"This way quick!" Caleb called from an open arch across the room. He didn't wait for them and disappeared around the corner forcing the girls to race after him. They ran down a long hallway, devoid of any paintings or decorations like the large hall from earlier. Serena picked up the smell of bread and meat coming from the opposite direction. The hallway must connect with the kitchen at some point. They caught up to Caleb just as he reached a spiral stairwell. It was tight, they had to go down in single file but that didn't stop them from skipping several steps at a time as they went.
At the bottom of the stairwell was a narrow corridor. The ceiling was low which prevented them from simply flying to their destination. However, running on foot would take more time, something Serena was keenly aware of. They had already wasted precious time as a result of their battle in the dining hall. With second they lost by running instead of flying they risked being too late to save Caleb's friend. She was sure Caleb would never forgive them if they let him die.
The blocks of black stone that made up the corridor transitioned into a tunnel of carved out red rock. She hoped that meant they were getting closer to the Abyss of Shadows. Ducking around a bend, they could finally see the blue light that harkened the end of the tunnel. Just outside was a rocky ledge and a large blue creature kneeled preciously at its rim. It looked like a guard was standing over him except he wore a blue cape along with his armor. "Say hello to the other conspirators for me," he sneered, his voice raspy.
"Actually, you can do that yourself."
Will, who had been at the front of the pack with Caleb, rushed forward just as the guard turned around and socked him right in the jaw. He teetered on his feet before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground unconscious.
Serena raised an eyebrow approvingly. To K.O. someone in one punch was impressive. She had been noticing little instances like this and wondered if they were actually stronger in Guardian form. No offense to Will but she was skinny as a twig and didn't exactly have the muscle mass required to knockout someone twice her size. Not to mention the fact that they could carry full grown men individually which is something she definitely couldn't do as a human. She had trouble doing a single pull-up let alone carrying anyone else.
The Lurden which has been standing off the side when they first came in, raised its hole ridden axe. Serena clenched her fists as it charged towards them. She was getting really sick and tired of these grotesque pests. Before she could blast the Lurden off the ledge, a tiny fireball appeared in front of its face. Serena straightened up, turning to Taranee who had a single finger directing the fireball. It followed her movements, drifting back and forth in front of the Lurden.
"You are sleepy," Taranee commanded in a soothing voice as she manipulated the fireball. "Not to mention ugly."
Serena watched in bewildered awe when the Lurden's eyes began to droop as they followed the light. It yawned, its open maw revealing a scattered array of broken and jagged teeth before falling over backwards asleep. Serena tentatively walked over to the snoring creature, nudging its shoulder with the toe of her boot. The Lurden's head lolled to the side but otherwise it didn't stir. "Out like a light," she reported to Taranee, shaking her head incredulously. She would have never guessed that fire could be used for hypnosis.
Movement drew her back to the blue creature which was getting to its feet. She tensed but restrained from attacking. She didn't want a repeat of the Aldarn incident. It was humanoid, though she was beginning to understand that that didn't mean much in these parts. He was easily ten feet tall and had rough looking blue skin. He had the same stone structures on his face that Aldarn had except this guy looked more like an ogre while Aldarn could almost pass as human.
His eyes darted warily between the Guardians before settling on Caleb. His face lit up as he rushed forward and enveloped him in a giant bear hug. "Caleb!" he exclaimed joyfully.
"Easy, easy," Caleb wheezed as he was swung around, but his smile gave him away. It suited him, taking some of the darkness out of his eyes and making him look like a normal, lighthearted teenage boy. Her face fell when she realized that this was first time she had ever seen him smile. Was he truly that unhappy on earth?
The blue creature reluctantly set Caleb back on his feet, clapping him on the back and nearly pitching him forward. Caleb laughed, the sound ringing in Serena's ears as he straightened up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My good friend Vathic, these are the Guardians of the Veil," he introduced.
"Hi," the girls chorused, waving politely.
Vathic startled at their title, taking in their wings as he recalled Taranee's power over fire. "Hello," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.
Hay Lin's head tilted as she looked Vathic up and down. "You sure don't look like a good guy," she blurted out.
"Hay Lin!" Serena hissed, her eyes darting nervously between Hay Lin and Vathic. Okay, she might have been expecting Vathic to be human as well, but you can't just say things like that.
Hay Lin flinched, smiling apologetically.
"Uh, thank you?" said Vathic, glancing at Caleb who just shrugged.
"Oh!" Caleb's eye's widened as he dug his hand into his coat pocket. "I brought the key," he announced, holding it up to Vathic.
Vathic went to reach for it but then his shoulders slumped, and he let his hand fall away. "It's too late," he sighed, shaking his head. "They've searched everywhere, Raythor knows it's not here." He gestured to the guard lying at their feet. "Its sudden reappearance can do me no good now."
"Or maybe it can," Will mused, smirking mischievously. "I have an idea. Call out an alarm."
"What?" Vathic asked, alarmed.
"Scream for help," she repeated, as if her plan were obvious. "Y'know, Guardians in the Castle."
Vathic looked to Caleb unsure but Will ignored him and walked up to Caleb sticking her hand out. "The key," she requested. Caleb hesitated, gazing at her hard but wordlessly handing it over.
Seeing that Caleb was in, Vathic cupped his mouth and called out, "Guardians! Guardians, help!" His voice echoed throughout the cavern.
As his voice faded away, a muffled horn sounded off from somewhere in the castle, making Serena flinch. She really, really did not want to get into another fight. She had barely managed to keep her head intact in the last one. Sure, they had come out unscathed, but you could only get lucky so many times. They didn't even have armor and she could say for a fact that playing dodgeball with sharp objects was not her favorite activity.
Will knelt down beside Raythor and lifted his chest strap, slipping Caleb's key underneath it. Turning to Vathic, she took his arm and lead him to an open spot on the ground. "Now lie down and don't move," she directed. He obliged her and lowered himself to the floor, closing his eyes.
Just in time too, because the alarm horn sounded again, this time from much closer. Serena tensed when it was followed by the sound of multiple running footsteps. Within seconds, a battalion of guards came pouring out of the tunnel, taking up position in front of it to block a potential escape route. They jeered, banging their swords against their shields as several pole axes were lowered, forcing the girls to retreat back to the rim of the ledge or risk being impaled.
Serena glared back in defiance as she and the other Guardians took to hovering above the platform to give Caleb more room. A Lurden in the crowd lunged forward, snapping its jaws closed around their air where Serena's foot had been a second ago. She jerked back, hurling a ball of shadows at its feet to force it away. She let the shadows engulf her fists and travel up her arms as further warning. The Lurden snarled in response but slunk back to rejoin the other guards.
Overall, there were less guards than they had faced in the dining hall but any hopes of making this quick and easy were dashed when Cedric emerged under the mouth of the tunnel. Towering to his full height before them, he grinned, fangs glinting in the torchlight. "Seize them!" he hissed. The guards at his tail let out a war cry, waving their weapons in the air before charging towards them.
Cornelia, however, didn't let them talk more than a few steps, reaching up to the stalactites that dangled above the platform. She curled her hands into a fist and yanked, dislodging them from the ceiling and allowing them to crash into the guard's formation.
Will grinned triumphantly at the chaotic scene before turning back to Serena. "Hey Serena, lights out!"
"You got it!" Serena called back, stretching her arms out in front of her. Summoning the cold, a ball of whisping shadows flickered to life in between her hands. Flinging her arms wide, the ball expanded, rapidly filling the air around the platform, and casting it in total darkness. The guards below cried out in alarm as their world went black.
The girls didn't waste any time, Taranee and Hay Lin reached down to grab Caleb and flew him off the platform as they shot up the cavern wall. Serena had assumed they would go straight to the top and out another tunnel when Will suddenly ducked into a side tunnel just above the ledge. They hesitated, confused but followed her in after she frantically ushered them behind her.
As they landed, Taranee searched the other girls faces for an idea as to what was going on before turning to Will. "Uh, shouldn't we be-"
"Shh!" Will hissed, pressing herself against the tunnel wall and leaning as close to the opening as she dared. Her eyes stared into nothing as she tilted her head to the side.
She was trying to listen for something, Serena realized. She immediately squished herself against the rock, pressing against Will's side as she tried to do the same. She wasn't sure what she was listening for, all she could hear were guards talking over themselves. After a minute they quieted down as she felt her shadow screen disappear. Then an unmistakable Cedric bellowed out "search the tunnels!" furiously when he found out they were gone.
The pounding of footsteps signaled the guard's dispersal before it got quiet again. She wondered if Cedric was still there and was tempted to stick her head out when somebody groaned. For a brief second, she was worried that Vathic might have been injured into the scuffle but then she recognized the voice as Raythor, the guard Will had knocked out. He must have regained consciousness from all the noise.
"We were taken by surprise," he reported. So, she was right. Cedric must still be down there.
She felt something brush up against her arm and turned to look only for her heat to stop at the sight of Caleb leaning over her, trying to listen in as well. She stared into his chest, trying to keep her breathing even before risking a glance up at his face. She was relieved to see that he wasn't paying any attention to her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he tried to make out the conversation below. She knew his eyes were olive green but from this close she could see flecks of blue scattered throughout them as well. A ring of gold encircled his pupils like a halo, making his eyes appear to shine from within.
He must have sensed her eyes on him because he suddenly looked down. She whipped her head back around to face Will, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Great, he probably thought she was creepy for staring at him like that. What was wrong with her? She talked to Luke and Austin all the time, why couldn't she act like she did with them? She didn't gaze wistfully into Austin's eyes despite the fact that they were a really nice shade of blue.
While she was busy mentally kicking herself in the butt, Will peeled herself off the wall in front of her. The loss of the support nearly sent her tumbling out of the tunnel. Catching herself on the wall, she straightened up and focused entirely on Will, pointedly keeping her eyes off of Caleb as he kicked off the wall.
"Did it work?" asked Irma, leaning forward.
Did what work? Serena tried to figure out what she was talking about when she remembered they were supposed to be eavesdropping to see if Will's plan had worked. Stupid, she chastised herself. She was supposed to be making sure Vathic was alright instead of gaping at Caleb like an idiot.
"We're good," Will reported, holding up a 'O.K.' sign with a grin.
"Great," Cornelia drawled. "Can we leave now? I think we missed dinner in our world and I'm starving."
Will let out a long suffering sigh but walked to the mouth of the tunnel anyways. She tentatively leaned out from behind the corner, checking to see if Cedric or any of the guards had returned. "All clear," she announced, flying out.
Cornelia was quick to follow as Taranee and Hay Lin walked up to Caleb, standing before him expectantly. Caleb looked between the two of them and groaned, holding his arms out in resignation. The girls giggled as he pouted and gripping him under the arms, pulling him out of the tunnel with them.
"That boy gets lugged around more than my mom's handbag," Irma quipped, coming to stand next to Serena.
"Except he's not nearly as quiet about it," she responded. They snickered as they approached the end of the tunnel. Serena flapped her wings, gently lifting herself into the air and flew after the others. She snuck a glance at Caleb as they made their way out of the cavern. She desperately hoped he didn't think too much about her weird behavior. Not that he thought about her anyways, but he was keenly observant. Deducing body language was probably a valuable skill for him as a rebel. Maybe if she just avoided him for a while, he would forget about it. Out of sight, out of mind as they said.
They travelled up the Abyss's wall, exiting through the same tunnel she and Hay Lin had used before. She and Irma guarded the back of the pack, keeping an eye out for anything trying to sneak up on them as they moved through the castle corridors. By the time they reached the above ground floors of the castle, they had completely abandoned any attempts at stealth. With the alarm already raised, every guard in the castle would be searching for them. Now was not the time for creeping around corners and ducking into alcoves. They had to get out of the castle as fast as possible.
Up in front, Will and Caleb went to turn down the left branch of the hallway in front of them when they skidded to a halt. "This way!" yelled Caleb and they took off in the opposite direction. As Serena turned the corner, she could hear guards shouting from the other side. Looking ahead, Serena recognized a rearing bear statue. This was it! The hallway with the open arch windows that she had flown out of last time. She could see moonlight spilling onto the stone floor at the end of the hallway. They were almost there!
She caught a glimpse of open sky just as two guards came racing around the corner of an intersecting corridor in front the windows. She felt the jerk travel up her knees as both groups slammed on the breaks, staring down the hall at each other. Serena took a step back, tenser than a coiled spring as her eyes darted around for an idea. The guards stood between them and their exit point. They would have to go through them no matter what.
Apparently, Cornelia had the same thought but in a more literal sense. She reached out and pulled the towering bear statue off its perch, flinging it at the guards. Serena saw the whites of their eyes (which were actually yellow) widen just before the statue hit them square in the chest. They flew down the hall, crashing into the wall at its dead end. The Guardians didn't wait to see if they got up, grabbing Caleb, they flew out the windows and into the courtyard.
They immediately worked to gain altitude as they made a beeline back to the portal. Serena heard another alarm call and turned in the air to see several guards running onto the battlements of the perimeter wall. They made a weird motion with their arms and her eyes widened as she realized they were trying to shoot arrows at them. She put a stop to that by slinging her arm and sending a wave of shadows down at them. The guards dropped their bows and scattered as the shadows crashed into the wall where they had been standing. She kept an eye on the guards until she was sure she and the others were out of range even for the gigantic bows they had been carrying.
As they flew over the swamp in the direction of the city, the dense cloud cover overhead broke, allowing a sliver of moon light to shine down on the swamp below. It bounced off the water, scattering into a thousands of tiny sparkles like twinkling stars. It would have been a mesmerizing sight if it weren't for the enormous thorny vines that broke up the visage. They sprawled across the landscape like an infection. It was as if everything good and beautiful in this world had been defiled by evil.
By the time they reached the mountains, the clouds had consolidated again, cutting off the moonlight and plunging the land into darkness once more. The change in lighting was weird. Everything was still crystal clear which Serena knew shouldn't be the case. She had walked down the street to Irma's house after a 10 o'clock movie and she could barely see anything outside the reach of the streetlights. But now, with virtually no natural light let alone artificial ones, she could still see for miles in any direction. The peak of the mountain was perfectly defined even though logically she shouldn't have been able to see it at all. Will must've seen it as well because she was leading the girls straight to it. Maybe it was just a Guardian thing, heightened vision as well as strength.
But that still didn't explain the colors. The world was cast in blues, grays and blacks which sounded right except when she looked back at the city, the orange tiled roofs appeared blue. She squinted to see if the colors would change but they didn't. Come to think of it, she had noticed something similar in the tunnel Caleb lead them through. Spiderwebs weren't blue, she knew that for a fact. Unless they belonged to some weird monster hybrid variety. This place seemed to be fond of mix and matching animals into terrifying results. At least some of the horses were normal.
"I see the portal!" Will called back, pointing off in the distance.
Serena blinked, abandoning her line of thought as she followed Will's finger. On the other side of the mountain peak, she had been contemplating was the electric blue glow of the portal. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any surprise monsters waiting for them like there was last time. That had not been fun.
As they approached the cliffside that hosted the portal, she realized that unlike the previous two portals which had been upright, this one was lying flat. Will reached the portal first, circling overheard to make sure everything was clear. Once she deemed it safe, she hovered over the portal, preparing to dive in when-
"Wait!"
Will jerked to a stop just a few feet over the portal's surface and looked back at Taranee. "What?"
"We can't go in that way," she explained, flying up to Will.
"What are you talking about?" Cornelia huffed. "It's a door, you go in one way and come out the other."
"But the direction you go in determines the direction you go out," Taranee countered. "The portal is aligned horizontally," she continued, bending down to see the underside of the portal. "When we went in through the top on Earth, we came out underneath the portal in Meridian. What if by going through the top in this world, we come out the bottom on Earth. We'd fly face first into the sewer!"
"Oh, that is disgusting," Serena grimaced, backing away from the portal.
"Yeah, take it from someone who knows," Irma affirmed. "It might be just me, but I would like to go home without smelling like Blunk on a good day."
Will shuddered. "Good point. Let's go in from the bottom."
The girls followed her lead as she and Taranee rose away from the portal. Once they had climbed high enough, they turned and dived, pulling up just before they hit the ground. They cruised at a few feet before ducking under the portal to enter it from below. Serena heard Caleb shout just as the electricity caused her vision to white out as she went through the portal. He must not have appreciated that little maneuver, she grinned to herself.
With a burst of lightning, the still night air of Meridian was replaced by the traffic sounds of downtown Heatherfield. She landed near the brick wall of a closed shop as one by one the remaining girls popped out of the portal. Hay Lin and Taranee emerged last, setting Caleb down beside the portal. He groaned as they released his arms, cradling them close to his chest.
"Ugh, no more carrying me around," he demanded, rubbing his shoulder as he tried to stretch it out.
"Well unless you want us to order a giant baby carrier, that's your only option," said Irma. "Or maybe you'd rather us start running from the bad guys from now."
Caleb glared at her but chose not to say anything, making her chuckle smugly.
"Phew, I'm glad that's over," Will breathed, summoning the Heart of Kandrakar, and returning them to human form with a flash. She knelt down by the manhole cover/portal entrance and extended the Heart. The portal flashed and lightning crackled as it spun away into nothingness.
—x—
It was almost a thirty minute walk back to the Silver Dragon to pick up their things. As they walked, Serena felt a sense of foreboding welling inside her. She had left her phone in her backpack, so she had no knowing what time it was. However, she knew that it was way passed 7pm. Hopefully, Bromwell wouldn't be too upset with her.
When they reached the corner hosting the Silver Dragon, she noticed that the downstairs lights were still on. Walking up the front door, she peeked through the glass and saw that all the chairs had been stacked on top of the tables for the night. She felt the girls crowd in behind her as she scanned the room. She found Yan Lin sitting at the bar and blowing the steam away from a cup of tea. Serena knocked on the glass making her head shoot up. When she saw them at the door, she jumped off her stool and rushed over to unlock it.
They were hardly three feet in the door when Yan Lin reached out and grabbed her granddaughter by the shoulders, pulling her in for a fierce hug. "Where have you been?" she asked, mumbling into Hay Lin's hair. "Your parents have been worried sick. Why were you gone so long?"
"Things got a little complicated," Hay Lin answered as her grandma ushered them over to the bar. They took turns explaining what had happened, how their search for Caleb had ended up becoming a rescue mission. Caleb butted in here and there, his previous aggravation rearing its head, but he smiled faintly when they told him about the shopkeeper who had helped them.
After they had finished recounting their story, Yan Lin stared into the swirls of her teacup for a moment before turning to Caleb. "I understand that in your world, you may come and go as you please. But as long as you are a guest of my family, I must ask that you abide by our rules."
"But-" Caleb protested.
"No buts," Yan Lin shook her head. "Whether you like it or not, these girls are part of the rebellion now. You must share your plans with them as you would the rebels on Meridian. You must all work together in harmony."
Caleb looked like he wanted to argue but Yan Lin leveled him with a heavy gaze. He endured for a few seconds, eyes flickering between Yan Lin's before he sighed and backed down. "Fine," he spat, crossing his arms, and looking away.
Serena smirked as he pouted but quickly wiped it away and straightened up when Yan Lin turned to them. "And as for you six," she wagged a disapproving finger, "I expect a phone call the next time you girls decide to cross dimensions. Those same rules apply to you as well," she said resolutely, folding her hands into her sleeves.
The girls shifted sheepishly, muttering assurances that they would comply from now on.
Yan Lin looked at them each individually before nodding, satisfied they were sincere. "I suggest you girls call you parents, I'm sure they are worried about you as well."
Serena's eyes widened and she looked at the other girls before they all raced for the Lin's foyer. She had completely forgotten that she was late for dinner. They burst through the kitchen doors, snatching up their backpacks from where'd they had discarded them when they first arrived. Serena ripped open her pocket and pulled out her phone. She flipped it open to reveal that the time was 11:13 and she had five missed calls from Bromwell scattered throughout the hours they had been gone. She swallowed hard when she saw that she also had a missed call from her mom and dad, respectively. She was doomed.
Toggling down, she took a shaky breath and pressed to redial Bromwell. The phone ringed only twice before he picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Bromwell," she said softly into the receiver.
"Serena where have you been? I've been trying to call you for hours! Why haven't you been answering your phone?"
Serena winced, walking over to the corner of the room to lean against the wall. She knew he would be upset but she didn't think he would be this angry. "I- um, I'm at Hay Lin's," she answered lowly, turning further into the corner. "I stopped by after the skate park and we ended up watching a movie. We accidentally fell asleep, I'm really sorry."
"How did you not hear your phone ringing?" he demanded.
"Uh..." she turned and glanced around the room, but all of her friends were similarly engaged on their phones. "My battery died."
"And the Lin's didn't have a phone charger? I've already called your parents and I was this close to calling the police!"
Her eyes started to get watery, she had never heard him so angry with her before. "I'm sorry Bromwell, it was an accident." There was nothing else she could say to appease him. She couldn't tell him the truth, that she had been off galivanting in another dimension. She was stuck.
"Are you still at the Lin's?" he asked. "Stay there I'm coming to get you. Young lady you are in so much trouble when we get home."
"Okay." She replied monotonously, fighting to keeper her voice from wavering. She hung up the phone. Sniffing quietly, she turned around to face the others. Most of them were sitting dejectedly around the room, staring at the ground or something in front of them. Will was still on the phone, most likely with her mom. From the look on her face, Serena would say she was in the same boat as the rest of them. Will snapped her phone closed and let herself fall against the wall with a thump. Sliding to the floor, she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her head against them.
The six of them didn't say a word as they waited for their respective parents to pick them up. Serena fiddled with a cuff button on her denim jacket and periodically pulled out her phone to check for a text from Bromwell. She had made sure her phone was on vibrate but she still didn't want to risk missing another message.
She jumped when the kitchen doors suddenly swung open, but it was only Caleb. He stopped short when he saw their dismal expressions and slumped shoulder. "What's wrong with you?" he asked insensitively.
Irma scoffed at his question. "We've all been grounded for saving your sorry butt," she bit out.
"Hey!" He snapped, scowling at her. "I never wanted you to come in the first place so this one's on you, not me."
"Oh yeah?" Irma jumped up; fists clenched at her sides. "Well, your big blue friend would have been toast if we hadn't been there. Didn't your parents ever teach you to be grateful?"
Caleb stiffened, his face hardening as his eyes grew cold. "Both of my parents are dead, so no," he replied flatly before storming over to the basement stairs and slamming the door shut on his way down.
Serena flinched at the loud bang. She and the others stared at Irma, who averted her eyes, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I- I didn't know he...," she swallowed hard." I didn't mean to-" she was cut off as her phone let out a beep. She flipped it open, reading the text before leaning down and scooping up her backpack. "My mom's here," she announced solemnly. "I'll see you guys at school." A few of the girls mumbled goodbye as she disappeared through the kitchen doors.
Serena nodded absentmindedly in farewell as she stared vacantly at a crack in the tile floor. She felt bad for Irma, there was no way they could have known Caleb was an orphan. He wasn't exactly the most forthcoming with rebellion or personal information. She couldn't help but feel guilty though. She may have been upset with her parents for choosing to work away from home but at least she still had them. They texted her every few days, asking how school was going and what she'd been up to. They also had a joint Skype call every Wednesday night, so it wasn't as if they'd completely left her behind. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if they were suddenly gone forever. She didn't want to. No wonder Caleb didn't like them, they lives must have seemed perfect compared to what he'd been through.
Her phone buzzed, startling her out of her thought. She whipped it out, flipping it open so hard that the hinge went convex for a second.
From Bromwell: "I'm out front"
Sent: 11:57pm
"See you tomorrow," she mumbled to the remaining girls as she shouldered her backpack and grabbed her skateboard. Not waiting for a response, she headed for the front door. As she walked through the dim restaurant, she caught a glimpse of Yan Lin folding and stacking tablecloths in a pile. The old woman nodded at her sympathetically. Serena gave her a weak smile in response before walking out and sliding into the car waiting by the curb. She caught Bromwell looking at her from the rear view mirror from the corner of her eye but kept her head down.
Bromwell pulled away and the car was filled with a tense silent as Serena waited for him to speak. Additional scolding, a reassurance, she didn't know what she wanted. She just wanted him to say something.
"You should call your parents," he finally suggested, his voice stern.
The tears she had been holding back began to run down her face as she nodded and flipped open her phone. Finding her parents contacts, she pressed the button for a joint call. She told them the same thing she had told Bromwell, that she had accidentally fallen asleep at Hay Lin's, but they were just as upset as he had been. They berated her on responsibility and family expectations. 'She couldn't just run around the city silly nilly,' were her mother's words. She wiped away tears as soon as they fell, making sure to keep quiet as the they deliberated on her punishment. One week's grounding was what they decided on. No phone and no leaving home to go anywhere except for school. Bromwell would be picking her up from school as well so no walking or skateboarding home with her friends.
After they hung up, Serena leaned her head against the window and worked to keep her breathing steady as she willed herself to stop crying. She rubbed her nose on her shirt sleeve, trying to ignore the lump that was building in her throat. It was all so unfair, but what could she do? She couldn't tell them the truth as to why she'd been MIA for so long. They wouldn't believe her anyways. They'd probably be even more angry, thinking she was lying to them. Not that she wasn't lying already. She really was sorry that she had worried Bromwell and her parents so much. She didn't want them to be upset with her, but the situation was out of her control. And yet there she was, still suffering the consequence despite the fact that she had done a good deed, saving Vathic.
When they pulled into the Silver Plaza's underground garage Serena jumped out of the car as soon as Bromwell killed the engine. Making a beeline for the elevator, she sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes to make sure it didn't look like she'd been crying. Keeping her gaze fixed on the marble interior of the elevator, she watched him out of the corner of her eye as they rode to the lobby. Every sense was tuned in to try and get a clue as to how he felt. Unfortunately, it seemed like he was just as determined to hide his emotional state as she was.
When they stepped out of the other elevator at the apartment, he cleared his throat and requested her phone. The ache in her throat came back tenfold at his impassive voice and blinking rapidly, she dug out her phone and handed it to him. She turned to run away to her room when he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. The dam broke and the tears she had tried so hard to repress came back in full force. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, rocking her gently as she sobbed into his crisp button up.
"I'm sorry," she cried.
"I know," he replied softly, rubbing her head comfortingly.
Eventually her crying dissolved into hiccupping breaths. Bromwell patted her back and kissed the top of her head before releasing her. "Alright now, off to bed with you."
Serena sniffed, pulling away to see the tear stains she had left on his shirt and nodded. Admittedly she did feel a little better as she walked back to her room and put on her white silk sleep tank and shorts. Of course, being grounded still sucked but at least Bromwell wasn't angry with her anymore.
Crawling under her duvet, she forced herself to close her eyes. She still had to get up for school tomorrow and she didn't want her inevitable exhaustion to be any worse. But something was buzzing at the back of her brain, making her feel like she was forgetting something important. When nothing came to mind, she elected to ignore it, focusing on the black of her eyelids and the hum of traffic outside. She was just starting to feel the heaviness that came with falling asleep when it hit her, her eyes bursting open. Aww man, she thought as she rolled over. Luke and Austin were going to kill her.