A/n: A few seconds of the official season eight trailer has been released, and the fandom is panicking.
I thought Rainbow hit their all-time low at season 7, but I was proven wrong when I checked tumblr this morning. Sure enough, Rainbow has changed the overall art style of the show and it looks terrible. I thought Nickelodeon's animation was bad (it contrasted that of the original seasons. The art style for the original seasons one through three was mature. Then Nickelodeon came around with that girly animation and made everyone look more Barbie-ish and anime-ish), but this is just….no. No. This new art style is extremely, painfully childish and the girls look 14 instead of 24. If I was embarrassed to be seen watching Nickelodeon's Winx Club as a child, I don't know how much damage my pride is going to take when season eight comes out. Rainbow has lost their mind; seriously, the whole staff has just earned their Moronix. I can't believe they would actually have the audacity to disgrace Enchantix by reviving it in this shit-awful format (because in case you didn't know, this new over-the-top season is supposed to feature past transformations). Also, Stella's new Starlix (Starix?) transformation has been released and honestly, I'm not impressed. Once again, they failed to incorporate sun and moon accents (I think Rainbow doesn't acknowledge Stella being a moon princess because they're too afraid the fans will perceive her as a Sailor Moon rip-off), and since Stella's transformations have always been star-themed, this is nothing new. Another disappointment is that Rainbow is white-washing Flora again (and Musa from the looks of it), and Kiko looks like he just hopped straight out of a kawaii anime. I'm not even going to try to imagine what the Specialists look like now.
But enough about that. Let's talk about O Wondrous Wielder of the Winds for a minute. As many of you guys noticed, this is not the original chapter 29. The original was posted three months ago and was completely shitty in my opinion, so I trashed it along with the original chapter 30 back in July.
Get this: it took me two months to rewrite chapter 29. Two months. I was stomped and fruitlessly brainstorming for the longest. Once I finally came up with something decent, it actually only took me two weeks to jot it down on virtual paper (I am fully committed here). Thanks so much to everyone who sat tight; I know I kept you waiting for a long time. I expected to lose some story alerts—and I did—but I ended up gaining way more than I expected. As of now, this story has 109 follows and 114 favorites. Although I was inactive, I still gained over 10 alerts and that makes me so happy! Thanks so much for sticking with me! Enjoy the "official" chapter 29. I'll admit; it's slightly rushed because I was dying (in the literal sense) to finally be done with this chapter after all this time. I hope you like it anyway!
XXX
I shone the flashlight on the gathered shapes stirring on the bank of Lake Roccaluce, and was not surprised to find five faces staring back—four alarmed, one terrified. I'd heard their subdued devilish giggling long before I confronted them—that's how I was able to pinpoint their location in the first place.
Stupid. If they were going to sneak out so late at night, they should at least have the common sense to be more inconspicuous. Or at least have someone on lookout. It was way too easy to creep up on them, and they didn't notice my presence until it was too late.
They all whirled around, eyes panic-stricken, believing they'd been busted by a professor or guard on night patrol. A dark, unashamed part of me relished in their fear. Maybe I should've bought Griselda; it would've been so satisfying to watch the old hag unleash hell on them in her grandma nightgown. But alas, doing so would've only landed Flora in even more trouble, so I didn't dare.
"What the hell are you shanks doing out?" I growled, hating how their shoulders sagged with relief. My eyes lingered on Flora's favorite periwinkle nightgown, which lay discarded on a rock. I knew it….
"You're just in time for the show," drawled an all-too-familiar voice, a scrape to my ears. I didn't need the light to find Candi in the gloom; the wicked gleam in her eyes was as good as a beacon.
I started toward them, pent up anger fueling my every step. My anger flared, a grenade detonating in the core of my heart and setting the whole thing ablaze, as my eyes slid to Flora, whose exposed tan skin glowed in the moonlight. In nothing but her plain underclothes, the nature fairy shivered relentless—from cold, rage, fear, or all of the above— as she did her best to conceal her near nakedness. Her eyes were downcast, but I knew they were welling with tears.
Struggling to master my rage, I made to reach out for her but Candi's three cronies leapt in front her, forming a wall between us.
I pinned Candi with my wrathful stare, wondering if ramming my flashlight into her skull would result in an expulsion. "It's three in the morning," I growled, "what the hell are you doing out here?"
Candi grinned. "Skinny-dipping." Precisely the reason she was still cocooned in a blanket over her designer pajamas. Her friends were similarly dressed, so obviously none of them had plans to get in the water. But I already knew that.
A night wind kissed down my neck as I got in Candi's face. "You're crazy as hell if you think I'm letting Flora—"
"It was her idea," said Candi with an eye roll. Another lie. "And relax. She's not doing anything wrong or dangerous. She knows how to swim."
Yeah, but it was cold as hell tonight. The lake was sure to be icy. But Candi already knew that. That was the whole reason she'd dragged Flora out here in the first place.
I stared over Candi's shoulder. "Flora, come here."
The nature fairy didn't move.
I wanted to skin Candi alive. "If you make her do this I swear I'll—"
"You'll what? Run and tell Griselda? We both know that's not gonna happen. Not unless you want the worlds to know what's under her ugly bra-and-panty set."
I gritted my teeth. Though I knew she'd never feel guilt or remorseful, I ground out, "You're evil."
Nothing but cruel satisfaction in those eyes. "Oh, I know." She half-turned and ordered, "Do it."
Flora hesitated. "I—Can't I—"
"Do it." A warning was laced in those words.
Flora's eyes finally met mine and they axed my heart in half. I couldn't let this happen. I turned to Candi. "Don't make her do this. I'll—"
"Sign your soul over to me?" Candi's smile was wintery. When I didn't say anything, she giggled. "I thought so. Go on, Flora. I heard a pair of tritons hang out in this part of the lake. How about you give them a little show?"
I could only watch helpless as Flora's bra came off, followed by her panties. She took a tentative step toward the water, but didn't go any further. When Candi, who was drunk on her little power trip, finally threatened to push her in, Flora's whole body went rigid, but she braced herself obeyed.
I felt the splash in my blood, bones, and soul.
I couldn't help but imagine what the water must've felt like—like a thousand needles poking you in a thousand different places.
What felt like an eternity passed as Candi made Flora do humiliating things in the water, much to her and her friends' glee. They commanded her to do all kinds of outrageous things like doing inappropriate dances in her nakedness and in hopes of attracting the legendarily handsome tritons, they even went as far as to make Flora offer herself as "sensual, sexual offering." I was more than thankful when Nereus, Tritannius, or any triton failed to appear. But that didn't discourage Candi and the others.
I didn't want to witness their cruelty but I also didn't want to abandon Flora, so I was forced to watch the whole "show." Even if I refused to stay, Candi would've forced me to anyway, if for no other reason than to torture me and heighten her own sick pleasure.
After twenty painful minutes, Candi's crowd finally ran out of creative punishments and Flora was allowed to come back up and slip back into her clothes—they hadn't brought her a towel and expected her to make the journey back to school soaking wet.
As Flora, who must've been an iceberg at this point, scrambled back up the bank, her face was dripping—with lakewater and silent tear.
XXX
I did a double take to make sure my eyes hadn't deceived me.
Sure enough, the Venus Mantrap was side-leaning against a light pole on the other side of the street, staring straight at me with keen interest.
Watching. Assessing.
Just like that, my everything soured.
Upon first glance you wouldn't even know it was her; the waist-length obsidian-black hair she always showcased with pride was now pulled up and concealed by her hood. I only recognized her because even from a distance, her sickeningly beautiful face was unmistakable. Mainly because I'd spent majority of the past few weeks imagining myself bashing it in.
Suddenly, I was on very high alert.
Something was extremely off here.
Candi's random resurfacing didn't disturb me. It was Candi herself. It was the fact she was studying us so intensely, so intently. It didn't feel right. This whole situation didn't feel right. For starters, how was this even possible? Since Candi apparently was neither dead nor kidnapped, how come the Volreichs and the MCPD hadn't been able to find her with magic? (Unless she was a ghost...?) Secondly, it was strange how Candi just calmly lingered over there. Considering she was alive and unharmed unlike we assumed, the next and only logical explanation for her disappearance was that she'd been deliberately lying low this whole time; if that was truly the case, she should've been rattled by the fact someone had recognized her and was capable of exposing/squealing on her. But no, the shank just stood there, completely undaunted even as Flora nearly flew across the crosswalk to get to her. Almost like...she was expecting us? Though it sounded far-fetched, it was the only valid explanation as to why the "missing" girl just happened to resurface in Steass the exact same time we happened to be in town. Either her timing was deliberate, or Fate had thrown us yet another curveball.
Alice followed the line of my gaze. "Isn't that the senator's daughter?" she asked lowly as she and I started toward the pedestrian crossing with Karel in tow. "Yeah," I mused, mind reeling as I watched Flora smother Candi with undeserved concern. The nature fairy attempted to draw her tormentor into a hug, but the bitch swatted her away and scowled at her. That insensitive act alone got my blood boiling. There was no way in hell this harpy had been in danger these past few days; even the slightest bit of trauma would've toned down that bitchy attitude of hers.
I inhaled and exhaled deeply as we approached them. Calm down, Acadia. This was a good thing. Now that Candi was here, maybe now we could get a sense of what occurred that night and possibly a clue or two about what happened to Ahisa and the Red Fountain student. Given the incidents were even related. Which they had to be. Right? Why else would Candi choose to show herself the day we set out to investigate?
I managed to master my anger by the time we joined Candi and Flora. "Where have you been?" I asked, deliberately calm as I stepped forward to face the girl I hated most of all (apart from the Trix, of course). My eyes ran down the length of her, critiquing her appearance. Her face, which was usually coated with half a pound of cosmetics, was now naked (and still unnervingly attractive). Her eyes were ringed with hollows, an indication of stress, a few restless nights, or both. Instead of the usual sky-high mini and stripper stilettos, the girl donned a worn, size-too-big sweatshirt, leggings, and a pair of high-tops. A suspiciously plain outfit for an acclaimed fashionista.
Candi grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's nice to see you, too." Her eyes flickered to Karel and Alice and she dropped her smile. "Who're you?" she asked Alice thinly. Figures she wouldn't recognize a classmate.
Alice gave her a tight, polite smile. "I'm Alice." Karel didn't offer an introduction, didn't owe her one. Instead, he just stared at Candi with silent intensity.
In return, she gave him a flirtatious wink before turning back to me. "So tell me. What brings you to Steass?" she drawled, "wait, let me guess: you're on a double date." Her gaze raked mercilessly over Alice's slender figure. "You definitely have better taste in girls."
As I struggled to rein in my temper, Flora, whose face was flushed from the idea of being on a date with Karel, said, "Actually, we came to look for you," she said softly.
Candi was unfazed by the revelation. "Oh, I know," she said with a shrug.
Flora's face paled. "H-how?"
"A little birdie told me." Her face fell, hardening. "Actually, I'm glad you guys showed up. I need your help."
My eyes shot up as I stared at her distrustfully. Again, something was extremely off here. "What are you talking about?" I asked slowly. I had an idea, but didn't want to throw any accusations just yet.
Candi scanned the street to make sure no one was paying us close attention. "You can drop the shit," she murmured, taking a step closer to me. "I know you know what's going on. I know you want to know what happened to Ahisa."
So she was related to the other kidnappings. I entertained the thought of my hands closing around her throat. "What did you do to her, you bitch?" I snarled as Flora's face further drained of color. "Explain yourself."
Considering Candi had the high ground, I expected her to tease us with whatever information she was withholding but instead, she looked around and shook her head. "Not here," she said, ""we're drawing too much attention. Let's go somewhere else. You're going to want to sit down for this anyway."
OoO
"Well? I'm listening," I said impatiently, crossing my legs. "I don't have all day." It was about ten minutes later and the five of us had relocated to a nearby park, which was really just a strip of green space that doubled as a median between two congested avenues. The four of us had ultimately settled on it because it was an ideal location; noisy enough to prevent anyone from overhearing or eavesdropping on our conversation (although we were basically the only people here), public enough to deter Candi from trying anything...shady. Though it probably wasn't too wise to discuss this out in the open, we ultimately didn't want to take any chances with Candi. Besides, unlike her, we had nothing to hide.
She now paced back and forth along the stretch of sidewalk in front of us, as if she was contemplating where to start. Seated on the bench in front of her were me, Flora, and Alice, while Karel leaned against the towering oak behind us, monitoring Candi's every movement. I started to repeat myself, but Candi cut me off. "As you know by now, Ahisa is missing," she began, pausing and expelling a sigh.
I sat straighter and watched Candi attentively, alertly. "Yes," I said, my reply clipped as my heartbeat accelerated. "She was last seen somewhere around here."
"As were a few others right before they went missing," added Alice evenly, "you included." Naturally, unlike me and a fidgety Flora, the ice fairy was unflustered by all this.
I crossed my legs. "Yes, Candi dear. Please explain that for us. Where, exactly, did you disappear to that night? Is that where the other victims are now?"
Candi paused and winced. "No—I don't know."
"Which one is it, dammit?" I snapped. Every second we spent—wasted, as I was close to believing—here was a second we neglected Ahisa. Sky, Brandon, Bloom, Stella, Musa, and Tecna were all doing their part investigating the other disappearances, meanwhile we here entertaining this fool. It didn't seem right. What if this was some kind of diversion? "You don't know, or you're too afraid to tell?"
Shadows danced in Candi's eyes. "You think you know everything, don't you? You have no idea what I've been through these past few days—"
"And I don't care," I harshly cut in, ignoring the reprimanding glare from Flora, who, judging by her face, was already beginning to pity Candi. It disgusted me, how willing she was to forget the past. Or ignore it. "Just tell us what we want to know, or else we'll leave your whoring ass." Flora nudged me—a warning. One I didn't acknowledge. I hated this harpy.
There was a flash of panic in those muddy eyes. "No! Y-you can't leave me. I-I need your help," she stammered.
I sat back and expelled a dry, humorless laugh. "I can't believe you'd have the audacity to ask us for help after what you did to Flora—after you basically made her your little servant."
Candi paled. "Look, I know I wasn't the nicest person—"
"That's an understatement. You were Alfea's biggest bitch," I retorted.
"—but you have to look past that. For Ahisa's sake." I opened my mouth to argue, but Candi cut me off. "Why do you think she went missing?" she asked lowly.
"Because she was kidnapped, obviously. And you know who took her," I hissed. Candi's flinch was confirmation enough. "Why don't you just make this easier for yourself and 'fess up? Tell us where she and the others are, and we won't say anything to the headmistress or the authorities."
"I told you: I don't have a clue where they put them, but I do know they're safe and alive. For now, at least."
My blood chilled. "For now?" repeated Alice.
"Are they being held for ransom?" The first thing Karel had said since we left South Steass Station.
There was no light, no mischievous gleam in Candi's eyes as she said, "No. For something much, much worse." She scanned our surroundings and when she saw the only other people were all the way on the other side of the park, her voice lowered and she took a step closer to us. "That night after the party, I was attacked on my way to a visit a friend—"Translation: her drug dealer. "—and I was attacked. They stole my phone and took me to a warehouse on the other side of town, where they kept drugging me into unconsciousness. I woke up earlier than they intended and feigned unconsciousness so I could overhear their plans." At this point, Candi's face was ghastly.
Also at this point, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. I was pretty sure Flora was holding her breath. Candi swallowed. "I almost pissed myself when I heard what they planned to do with us. From what I gathered, Ahisa and the others were taken to another location, and they were going to ship me there next. Eventually, they left—to go get more sacrifices, I think."
Sacrifices.
The word punched through me. So Tecna was right? This truly was the work of a cult?
Alice made to say something, but Candi plowed ahead, "Someone was supposed to watch me, but they left the warehouse for some reason. I took that as a chance to escape. It took me a good hour, but I managed to free myself and slip out of a window. And then I ran. That happened five days ago."
"Five days ago?" I repeated. "Why did you stay in Steass? Why not call your dad and report everything to the police as soon as possible?"
"They took my phone and my wallet. Someone was kind enough to let me call my dad for help, but—" She looked close to bursting into tears. "They don't care. He's using my kidnapping to increase his popularity, so more people will vote for him in the upcoming election. He didn't give a shit about me—in fact, he thought I was lying. That this was all another 'stunt.' He even threatened to do something shitty if I came back this early, or talked to the authorities. He said he would send for me once he got what he wanted." Yeesh. Candi's dad sounded like an asshole. Guess she had to get it from somewhere, right?
"So where have you been staying?" asked Flora gently. Karel was staring at Candi like he could see her black soul.
"At a trusted friend's place."
She could've slept in a cardboard for all I cared. That was not what I was concerned about. "How did you know we'd be in Steass today?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Candi's cheeks reddened. "I…" She sighed. "Okay, I'll admit: before I was kidnapped, I might've…chipped Flora's phone."
Why I was surprised, I didn't know. I clenched my fist and debated smashing my knuckles against her nose. "So you've been tracking her this whole time," I said blandly as Flora tensed.
"Yeah." Candi wouldn't look us in the eye. "A friend of mine showed me how to trace her location on any device. And…how to spy on her. It was through her phone I heard you guys' plan to come to Steass. I knew some of you were headed to the Candleroom, so I decided to meet you halfway. It was a risk leaving my friend's apartment while those bastards were probably out hunting for me, but I knew you and your group were the only ones who could help me—the only ones I could trust."
I chose not to linger on the fact the tyrant had completely taken over every aspect of my friend's life and had even gone the extra mile to monitor and track her every move, her every word. "Help you with what?" I asked, extremely pissed. "Spit it out already."
Candi took a deep, preparing breath. "I know it might sound crazy, but these people who're taking kids…they have an objective and it's horrific. But there's something else. They're after something, and if they get their hands on it, the whole universe will be at risk. But it doesn't have to come to that. I know where it is—you guys can help me get rid of it before they execute their plans. We can save the worlds."
What?
What?
My mind raced. Okay, none of this was making sense. "Care to be a little more specific?"
"No. I can't tell you the full details. That act alone could put you in danger."
Alice sat back. "So you're telling us is that the masterminds behind this mess have hatched a secret plan to take over the dimension, and the first step has something to do with the missing students. The second step requires an object, one you know the location of."
A nod.
"And you conveniently happened to overhear all of this while you were laying half-conscious in a closet somewhere?" I asked, my voice dripping suspicion. I smelled bullshit. The first part about the kidnapping could've happened—there was a chance she truly was abducted and her abductors cloaked her presence with a spell to prevent the authorities from tracking them down and putting an end to their operation—but the second part? Complete BS.
"Just bits and pieces. I was able to piece the story together. I'm not a dumbass." She had a point. Candi was one of the most cunning, intelligent people I'd ever met. Unfortunately.
"So let me get this straight: you expect us to blindly trust and follow you to a second location without a clue of who or what we're dealing with?" I said.
"I know you think I'm lying, but you need to believe me. I would never lie about something like this."
"Yes you would," I said flatly.
"This sounds like a rather big task for five high-schoolers," said Alice stiffly, "why not just bring this information to people with the legitimate power to correct things?"
"We can. After we foil these people's plan. We need to make their scheme has no chance of succeeding before we involve the authorities. They will only make this more complicated—if they even believe us." Though I didn't want to, I'd admit: the police did a habit of over-complicating things and creating more issues.
Silence hung over us for a moment.
"Please excuse us for a moment," I said with faux politeness, grabbing Flora's arm and standing up. "We need to discuss this in private."
Alice rose from the bench as well and Karel pushed off the tree, both of them following close behind us.
"This is a trap," I asserted the second we were out of earshot.
Flora shook her head. Of course she'd buy Candi's sad story. "I don't think so. She's been through so much. You can tell she's in pain."
I furrowed my brows at her. "Don't feel sorry for her. Have you forgotten what she is, what she does? That was all just an act to get us to trust her." To my frustration, Flora still didn't look convinced. How the hell was that even possible at this point?
"What if what she claims is true?" said Alice, stealing a glance at the senator's daughter, who was pretending not to be watching. "There's a possibility she's telling the truth."
"And there's also a possibility she's luring us right into her snare," I countered, "we don't know what she's been up to these past few days, or what her true agenda is. She probably wasn't even kidnapped."
Alice shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But that doesn't change the fact the senator's daughter is the only lead we have right now."
She wasn't wrong. Out of everyone involved, Candi could possibly be the only person who had a clue of what the hell was going on.
"So you're saying we should put our complete faith in her?" I asked, disgusted. "She won't even give us all the details."
"I'm not saying we should trust her," said Alice levelheadedly, "I'm just suggesting we look into this. There's a slim chance she is telling the truth and honestly, this is not an opportunity we can't afford to pass up. We might never get another one like it." I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. "I know, I know. You're extremely distrustful of her, and you have every right to be. This could be a deception, but you forget: we came prepared for something like this. If we did choose to follow the senator's daughter, it isn't like we're completely vulnerable to whatever tricks she may have in store. After all, we have someone watching our backs."
Yes, Tecna.
Prior to departing from SSS, the technofairy had dispatched three drones to pursue each group. Considering all the crap that was going down over here, Tecna decided to play it safe and monitor our surroundings, our every movements, just in case things didn't necessarily go as planned. It was a genius idea to be honest. The drones— designed like ladybugs and just as inconspicuous—were programmed to track and follow our heat signatures and record everything in the area, audio included. Tecna could access the live feed on her phone, and every bit of footage automatically copied and backed up onto a hard drive back at Alfea. This was done not only for safety reasons, but also so we could use the recordings of our separate investigations for future reference and analysis. Basically, everything we saw, Tecna saw. Everything we heard, Tecna heard too (that was also the reason we hadn't bothered to call her, Stella, and Musa, who were coincidentally searching for Candi, about the latest news—they were no doubt already well-informed). Should anything happen to us, Tecna could act accordingly and utilize the footage as tangible proof if needed. And should anything happen to her, the app was downloaded on Brandon's (Sky's) phone as well. We were literally taking no chances.
I bit my bottom lip. "I guess that's true—what do you think, Karel?"
"If there's a chance doing so will benefit our cause, then it is a risk worth taking," he replied blankly. Of course he'd be up for it; he was Saladin's scout. If it was his mission to obtain information for his grandfather, then he would see to it that his duty was fulfilled. After all, one did not simply return to the great Saladin empty-handed. "But I don't believe it's wise to gamble the whole team's safety. I will investigate the girl's claims myself. The rest of you can proceed as planned."
"No." That was the stoniest I'd ever heard Flora's voice. "We stick together." Function as a united force at all times, act as one mind and volition every step of the way. That was a code honored by both fairies and Specialists alike. That was precisely the reason he didn't protest, completely indifferent.
Seeing I'd obviously lost, I sighed, relenting. "Fine. But if this goes wrong, just remember I told you so." I felt a stab of guilt about abandoning Ahisa for Candi. Hopefully, if the slut was telling the truth for once, we were on the first step to rescuing her and the others.
After affirming our final decision among each other, we returned to Candi to give her the verdict. "You're in luck," I drawled, "turns out we're willing to give your useless, whoring ass a second chance after all. Now lead the way."
OoO
Magix City's High Museums of History.
Not what I expected.
Here I was thinking we were going to take a field trip to the south-side slums or some similarly shady location, but no, the bus shot straight into the core of the district, the most upscale neighborhood in all of Steass. Since the Steass District was the cultural capital of the realm, the museum complex was located in the heart of the town among other icons like the Chaeremon Museum of Literature and the Apaolaza Art Gallery, and dominated majority of one of Magix City's oldest avenues.
My brows only arched higher when our bus screeched to a stop in front of the station that perched on the edge of the pedestrian plaza that served as the cultural center's front lawn. "What the hell are we doing here?" I softly growled in Candi's ear shortly after we disembarked the bus. I scanned our surroundings. The downtown area was a whirlwind of activity; throngs of tourists were milling around and chattering with excitement, some in Basic, others in foreign languages, snapping pictures of just about everything as their tour guides shepherded them toward their next attraction. Meanwhile, a wide variety of people lounged under a wide variety of multi-colored umbrellas outside the charming cafes across the street, their multitude of voices nearly drowning out the hustle and bustle of traffic. Further down the avenue, shoppers swarmed into boutiques with slogans stenciled to the glass fronts in fashionable off-white. This part of town was the most popular, thus teeming with people, and that was what confused me most. What significance did this place have in Candi's, Ahisa's, and the others' disappearances? It was too open and exposed; there were too many security cameras, too many witnesses for anything suspicious to have gone down without getting reported. It didn't make sense.
Tugging her hood further over her head, Candi shot me a scathing look. "Just shut up and try to keep a low profile."
I scowled at her and I as made to start toward the museums, she jumped in my way. "What's the problem now?" I asked as evenly as I could.
Candi was tight-faced. "Give me your phone," she ordered, holding out her hand expectantly. "All of you."
I froze. "Why?" I demanded lowly, my hand defensively lowering to my pocket.
"What I'm about to show you is extremely top secret. No one else is allowed to know about it—at least, not until we handle it. Until then, I don't want to risk any of you getting cold feet and pulling out your phones to do anything…compromising."
Correction: she didn't want to risk us calling for help if things went south.
I stiffened, looking to the others. Alice gave a terse nod, and Flora a helpless shrug. Not wanting to cause a scene, I bared my teeth and yielded my phone to the girl. For Ahisa's sake, I would play her little game. The other two fairies followed suit and when Karel failed to, Candi stared at him almost demandingly.
He almost looked disinterested as he simply said, "I do not own one." The truth, technically. The phone he was carrying now was lent to him by Tecna. Candi narrowed her eyes as if trying to detect the whiff of a lie, but thankfully didn't push it.
She buried our devices in her deep pockets. "I'll give them back once we're done." She gestured toward the archway marking the entrance to museum grounds. "Now c'mon. I don't want to be here any longer than I should."
I glanced between my friends. Are we really going to do this? I received three nods. Yes.
Alright then. Let's do this.
I tried not to hold my breath as we closely trailed behind Candi onto the expansive grounds boasting Magix City's most popular history museums. There were six in total, Greeklike structural titans that were wholly made of a marble, clashing with the surrounding metropolitan of steel and glass, indicating just how ancient they really were. Sparkly, winding stretches of concrete tiles ran between them and Candi navigated them easily, guiding us to the eastern-most building.
It was crowded as hell but Candi didn't seem to notice. She appeared to be in some kind of daze as she mercilessly jostled through the crowds, her eyes burning with startling determination. It was enough to put me on edge. Candi was never this resolute unless she was up to no good.
The idea of her plotting something put a sinking sensation in my heart, but it immediately lifted in my chest when we turned into the gilded Chamber of Champions. It was full of marble, gold, and ornate trim, and was lined with statues on either side, twelve in total, each one sculpted with masterful precision and intricate detail and tucked in its own roped-off alcove.
The Twelve Champions of the Magic Dimension.
Though I only knew small bits and pieces of Magix history, there was only one story I could recite by heart, and that was the legend of the Twelve Champions. My thoughts veered off course as I recalled it.
They say that long ago, at the beginning of time and after the Great Dragon created the first planet—Linphea—it created the first people to inhabit it: the champions. Since Linphea was the mother realm of nature—it was there where the first plant-and-wildlife thrived, the four seasons were born, and all the environments and ecosystems established—the first denizens of the Magic Dimension, the Champions, were Made from each of its components. They were Made into the living embodiments of nature, the force on which all the realms was built upon.
There were twelve Champions in all, each one born from the energy of the Dragon Flame and a separate element of nature: terra firma (earth), space, thunder, air, ice, water, fire, plants, darkness, sunlight, moonlight, and starlight.
Being the elements incarnate, their bodies made wholly from its everlasting energies, the Champions were granted immortality and governance of the very elements they originated from—thus making them the first and strongest magicians of all time. They were charged with protecting their mother, nature, and spreading their powers. With such tremendous power at their disposal, the Champions had made countless accomplishments over the millennia, which were observed and glorified in folklore all over the MD; they were even considered gods and goddesses in some cultures.
In spite of the situation, my heart gave a little leap of excitement as we approached the exhibit belonging to my favorite Champion. In the lineup of statues, Farcelia Wind-Bear's was situated between the likeness of Ress Ash-Bringer and Siobhan (alternatively spelled as Shavan, Chavan, or Chevonne, depending on the translation) Stream-Strider. In nearly all visual representations of the Thirteen, these three were always depicted together, for they were sisters—the First Sisters. Out of the three, Ress, Champion of Fire and Mother of Fire Magic, was said to have been created first and being fire made flesh, she was a wild, uncontrollable thing whose sole intent was to reduce everything to ashes, to devour then-young Linphea with her ravenous flames to spite the Dragon, who'd bestowed such fearsome, lonesome power on her. Because, although her was wrathful, what really fueled her incentive to destroy was her insufferable solitude. Though three other Champions existed with her at the time, they all shunned Ress thanks to her explosive temper, contributing to her ire and isolation.
The Dragon, who dwelled alongside the Champions at that period, took pity on Ress and gave her something invaluable: the gift of sisterhood. He took a spark of her being and from it Made Farcelia and Chavan from the elements that were Ress's greatest strength and weakness, Air and Water. Their powers were equal and evened each other out and together, they were unstoppable. Not only were they the First Sisters, but alongside the other female (and even a male) Champions, they were the First Fairies. The beginning of many things.
Though it might've been selfish given the circumstances, I allowed myself to become distracted for a second admire and marvel at the model of my idol as we passed through the chamber dedicated to them. As we neared the end, my stomach summersaulted when I recognized two of the last statues.
Aurora and Diana, two of the five Major Fairies on Earth.
Their statues stood side-by-side, exact replicas of their canon designs. Like all the other Champions, they were barefoot with delicately pointed ears, emitting an immortal, warriorlike grace even as stone figures.
How was that possible? How could Diana and Aurora be Champions when they supposedly originated on Earth, not Linphea? Unless Earth fairies didn't exist in this version? I didn't know, nor did I care. I shoved them out of my mind as we exited the exhibit and refocused on the task at hand.
After more twists and turns and some stealthy maneuvering, it wasn't before we managed to sneak inside the kitchen thanks to Candi's craftiness. From there, we accessed the wine cellar, where Candi removed a jeroboam from its place on the large-format bottle rack on a middle shelf, and placed it in an empty berth on the shelf below. This triggered some kind of counter-weighted latch at the back to release. She then pushed the entire rack, which rested on sliders that slid in undetectable grooves on the floor, to the side, revealing a small, bare, stale-smelling room. What the hell…?
Candi ushered us inside and after she slid the rack into place, she bent down and used her nails to pry up a large tile that was flush with the rest of the floor. A trap door.
Underneath it was a vertical passageway down, lit with candles that aligned the stone walls. An underground tunnel. That wasn't a good sign.
"You want us to go down there?" I wrinkled my nose as warning bells pealed in my mind. Why was this even here?
"Yes," replied Candi, "the object we seek was buried under the museum long before the building itself was built."
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Tecna's drone crawling on the ceiling. Whatever was underground needed to be filmed as evidence, but the only way the drone would explore the tunnel was if we guided it down there.
A cold phantom wind slithered up the staircase and as it brushed against me, I swore it whispered a warning in my ear. A shudder trembled through me. Whatever waited down there definitely wasn't pleasant.
I turned to Candi. "Flora stays here," I said firmly.
Before Candi could protest, Flora shook her head and said, "No way. I'm coming with you guys."
I glared steel at her. "Absolutely not."
Emotion flashed across the nature fairy's face. "Why not?"
Because you're easily frightened, fragile, and I don't want you to get hurt anymore than you already have, I wanted to say. But instead, I said, "I have a bad feeling about this—it smells like a setup. For all we know, she could be planning to deliver us straight to the cultist freaks that're behind all this." And if she was, Tecna would get it all on film and notify the police ASAP. Considering the authorities were stomped and lead-less and Saladin and Faragonda—who were no doubt collaborating with each other behind closed doors to solve the mystery of their disappearing students—probably hadn't made any progress, either, that was the only way to get legitimate answers and end this ordeal. But we'd have to gamble our safety (and possibly our lives) in the process, and that was a sacrifice I didn't want Flora to make.
Candi lifted a hand like she was about to take a pledge. "I swear this isn't a setup," she promised, that helpless desperation creeping into the edges of her tone again. I took a second to personally stomp out the spark of pity that had flickered to life deep inside of me. Though I would admit she sounded sincere, I refused to feel sorry for her. If she truly was throat-deep in shit like I'd inferred, she deserved to suffer. No sympathy for the wicked.
Karel pegged Candi with a stare. "You swear on your life?"
Candi flinched at his deep voice but nodded, throat bobbing. "I swear on my life this isn't a trap," she said, voice wobbling.
Karel studied her for a moment before coolly nodding. "Good. Bad things come to those who break their promises." Candi, who'd heard the threat loud and clear, bristled and nodded again.
"C'mon," she said, gesturing toward the stairs. "We don't have much time left."
"Before what?" asked Alice and I simultaneously, though neither of us particularly wanted the answer.
There was no light, no mischievous gleam in Candi's eyes as she said, "Before they resurrect her." Not waiting to see our reactions, she turned and stalked down the stairs.
My mouth went Sahara dry as ice coated my blood. A resurrection? What had we gotten ourselves into? Now that Tecna's theory had been proven correct a second time, I was starting to get second thoughts. I wasn't the only one; Flora's face was alarmingly pale. "Maybe we shouldn't go through with this," I said, only half-hating myself for suggesting something so cowardly. You didn't fuck with this kind of shit. "We should just call the police and let them handle it instead."
Alice shook her head. "I disagree. Doing so would only jeopardize us and the victims." Though I didn't want to admit it, she was right. We'd already heard and seen too much. If we tried to bail now, who knows what she'd do. Or who she'd send after us. All to save her own ass, to keep us from talking.
"Maybe she really is trying to do the right thing," said Flora quietly, but not softly. I honestly hoped so. Otherwise, we were screwed.
I shrugged, and there was nothing casual about it. "Only one way to find out." I half-turned and stared right at the drone, straight into the camera. "Don't fail us, Tecna."
And then we set out after Candi.
Karel took the head of the group with me not close behind, followed by Flora and then Alice. We descended the stairs in single file, the light from the burning torches casting our exaggerated shadows on the stone.
The stairs widened toward the bottom, revealing a short hallway with a single iron door. It was gouged with what looked like claw marks, another sign of potential danger. A shudder trembled through me.
Candi held her breath, studying our faces. "Are you ready for this?"
No.
"Yes," I breathed, answering on behalf of everyone else.
Candi nodded mutely, turned, and slowly eased the door open.
It groaned on squeaky, rusty hinges, slowly to a cavernous chamber.
Candi was the only one who dared to go in; the rest of us hovered at the doorway, inspecting the space beyond.
For starters, the whole thing was composed of mud brick. And etched into them from the floor to the low ceilings were symbols and ancient drawings of things like eyes, ankhs, and winged disks—hieroglyphics, I recognized. Trying not to linger on the ones that kind of resembled the Prince of Darkness, my eyes drank up the rest of the scene, heart thundering. Apart from a few clay pots, the only other items in the room were two bronze statues of spear-clutching men with dog heads that flanked a stone slab. And atop it was a long, golden box that kind of looked like—a sarcophagus.
My breath caught as the truth dawned on me.
"This is a tomb," whispered Alice. Though the culture might've been foreign, the presence of the sarcophagus said enough.
Candi circled around the box in the winking torchlight—why the hell were they burning in the first place? Who set them ablaze? "Who would've thought," she mused, drawing a line through the dust that coated the lid of the sarcophagus as she traced a finger down its length, "that the ancient architects who designed this place built it right on top of an ancient tomb. They sure didn't."
"Explain this," ordered Karel, his voice quiet steel. He had the right to be alarmed. Taking us to the museum was one thing, bringing us to forgotten crypt was a whole other. We were trespassing on the grounds of someone's final resting place. Disturbing the dead was not only disrespectful, but in this world of magic, witches, warlocks, curses, and spirits, it could dangerous.
My voice was just above a whisper as I flicked a finger toward the sarcophagus and asked, "Whose—whose remains are those, Candi?"
She paused and stared at us. There was nothing but cold dread in those eyes. "Lamya the Asp."
Never heard of her. Judging how confusion contorted the others' faces, they hadn't either. Thankfully, Candi was willing to elaborate. "They say that many millennia ago, back when the Prince of Darkness still walked the realms—" Ice skittered across my bones at the mention of Darkar. "—he had many infamous underlings, one of them being Lamya. While Darkar created most of his servants from his own black magic, he recruited a dark princess who belonged to an ancient civilization on a foreign planet." An Egyptian princess from Planet Earth.
Candi grimly continued, "According to legend, Lamya became his high priestess and most loyal servant. Some historians even believe they were lovers at one point. Out of all of Darkar's minions, Lamya was the worse. She commanded his armies and hunted and obliterated all of his enemies with a snake's cunning. Darkar was her god, and she devoted her whole heart, mind, and soul to him. They say she even built a temple in his honor with the bones of the people she devoured." In the figurative sense, I hoped.
"What does this have to do with the abducted students?" asked Alice quietly. Nausea gripped me. Sacrifices, Candi had said.
Candi wouldn't look at the ice fairy. "Eventually, the Twelve Champions interfered with Darkar's plans to plunge the dimension into darkness," she went on, "right before the Princess of Darkness vanished out of existence, Farcelia Wind-Bearer and her sister Ress Ash-Bringer met Lamya and her forces on the killing field. The battle was catastrophic and there were countless causalities, but the Champions emerged victorious in the end. The textbooks say they succeeded in killing Lamya, leaving her to bleed out on that legendary battlefield. Later, Darkar found her body and as a token of gratitude for all she'd done for him, he followed the burial practices of whatever culture Lamya had come from and mummified her remains. As a parting gift, he built her tomb—" She gestured around the chamber. "—and laid her to rest there. Here. Though they searched, the ancient historians and scholars were never able to pin-point her final resting place. In fact, no one could, not even the Champions. Until now."
Before they resurrect her, Candi had said.
She finally faced us, and there was no trace of the haughty, self-absorbed girl who held herself like a queen, and treated everyone else like her peasants. The girl standing before us now was frightened, powerless. Her voice hitched as she said, "Somehow, a group of Lamya's followers discovered the location of her remains—that's how I knew where to find this place. There's a dark, forbidden spell that can revive Lamya and—and—"
"They've found it and they're kidnapping teenagers to use as scarifies to restore their master to life," I choked out, staving off panic. The words tasted foul in my mouth.
"The spell requires the harvested energy of several souls. That's—that's where the victims come in," clarified Candi quietly.
Suddenly, Flora looked very faint. Alice paled, and I swore colorfully. I was sure that Tecna, who was still watching us through the lens of her drone, was repulsed, too.
"Why the Steass District?" asked Karel, still stone-faced as Flora leaned into me for support. "Lamya's worshippers could've easily stolen people from anywhere, but they drew attention to themselves by only targeting this area. It does not make sense."
Candi gave a tense shrug. "I don't know all the details, and I personally don't care about them. All I'm concerned about is ensuring they don't have all the necessary components for their spell."
But how? From what I gathered, the zealots already had everything but—
It was then I fully understood.
I felt the color drain from my cheeks. "You're crazy," I squeaked, suddenly somewhat lightheaded. "Candi, we can't help you destroy a corpse!" This was not what I signed up for.
Her eyes were pleading. "Please. We have to do this. Lamya cannot be allowed to reawaken or else everything will go to hell. I took a big risk sneaking down here earlier to do it myself, but the coffin is encrypted with some kind of protection spell. I think one of my captors warded it until they can take it to their hideout. I couldn't break it by myself, so I figured it would take all of our magic to—"
"Are you crazy?" I hissed at her. "What happens when the bastards figure who ruined things for them?What happens to victims then? What happens to us?"
"I don't know—"
"We're leaving," I announced firmly, seizing Flora's arm. No way in hell were we going to endanger ourselves any more than we already had. We had enough recorded evidence; all we'd have to do was turn it in to Faragonda and company and they'd handle it instead. There was no point in entangling ourselves in this bullshit.
Candi went white. "But—"
Thankfully, Karel backed me up. "What you're asking of us is too extreme of request," he said, regarding her coldly. "It is beyond what we are capable of. We do not even know if you speak the truth. Frankly, your story has too many loose ends—" He paused in midsentence, his whole body going rigid in alarm. He acted so fast, his hand was almost a blur as he reached for the hilt clipped to his belt and expanded the phantoblade to its full length. He slid his piercing slid behind Candi, at the corner on the far right. "Show yourself," he growled at the mass of shadows that had gathered there.
I went still as a lamppost, my skin prickling with horror as an unsettling curtain of cold pressed down on the room so thick I felt it deep in my bones. A feathery, honeyed laugh flitted through the room, and my heart leapt into my throat.
Someone was in here with us.
To my horror, the shadows on the wall lengthened to the full height and form of a person—and peeled itself off the stone. A dark aura rippled around it for a second and then lifted, revealing a man.
My breath lodged in my throat as my eyes beheld him.
The man was pale, tall—even taller than Karel—and strikingly handsome with high cheekbones, a sharp nose, and a curtain of hair that cascaded down his back like a stream of midnight. His ebony, layered tunic was brocaded with whorls of grey and silver and accented with the same feathers that patterned the strong, folded pair of ravenlike wings that sprouted from his backside. His eyes—crimson irises with cat-slit pupils—fell on Candi and glittered with wicked amusement.
Candi's face sheeted white. "A-Alvaz—"
Alvaz stepped out of the shadows and into the torchlight with languid grace, displaying his pearly whites in a lazy grin. "I thought I'd find you here, Cadence," he said. His voice was like cream; light and rich. At the sound of it, ice skittered across my bones and Flora whimpered from behind me.
This man was dangerous.
Though he may not look it with that beautifully calm face, there was an unholy aura pulsing around him so strong I could nearly see it. His presence suffocated the whole chamber, and I almost choked on it.
Karel stalked closer to the stranger, the tip of his nondescript blade aimed straight at the stranger's heart. "Who are you?" he demanded, every part of him on high alert.
I know we needed to run, but I could not get my legs to budge. Beside me, Flora had withered like a dead houseplant. Alice inched closer to us, her glacial eyes never leaving Alvaz.
His eyes swept over us. "And you bought friends," he purred at Candi, completely disregarding the Specialist. "How delightful."
I pried my gaze away from Alvaz to pin Candi, who'd frozen in place, with a stare. "You know this bastard?" I snarled, head swimming in confusion. Candi opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, her panicked eyes darted between us and Alvaz, us and Alvaz.
"It's you," said Flora weakly, her barely audible voice surprising me as she stared over my shoulder at Alvaz, "you're the one who kidnapped her."
Candi looked ready to puke as Alvaz turned his attention to us, again looking straight past Karel as if he wasn't standing a few feet away, poised to drive his sword deep into the warlock's chest. Alvaz's brows lifted with genuine surprise. "Is that what she told you?" Noting our confusion, he tipped his head back and gave an effortless, amused laugh. "You really have them fooled, don't you darling?" he silkily said to Candi.
I felt a stab of suspicion. "What is he talking about, Cadence? " I asked lowly, eyes boring a hole into the shank. I noticed how she'd put some distance between us, how she refused to meet my eyes. Guilt creased her face as she squirmed under the weight of my stare, mouth drawn in a tight line.
Oh god.
"Start talking. Now," ordered Alice, her voice taking on a hard edge I'd never heard before.
"Yes, dear. Why don't you explain to your friends how you've been taking them fools?" drawled Alvaz, who hadn't moved an inch. Candi made to say something, but the warlock cut her off. "Wait, hold that thought." Before anyone could react, he flung out a hand and a wave of dark energy sliced through the air far over our heads. Flora cried out, but I didn't duck—he'd thrown the energy too high; its range was too long.
The blast clearly hadn't been meant for us, but I pretended to know otherwise, pretended not to notice that the attack had hit its mark anyway.
I also pretended that I didn't hear Tecna's ladybug drone sizzle and fry in the current of dark magic.
"Now you can talk," said Alvaz, his hand retreating back inside his sleeve as quickly as he'd pulled it out. He flashed a smirk at me, and my heart accelerated.
He'd known.
He'd known Tecna was spying on us. But how, when Candi never even suspected…?
I nudged Flora with my elbow. Run, run. But the fairy had locked up on me.
My hand instinctively went to my pocket and when I discovered it empty, I instantly remembered: Candi had all of our phones. We could not call for help.
Dammit.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" crooned Alvaz when Candi remained unresponsive. "Or would you rather I tell of your wicked little deeds?"
That was when the truth punched me in the gut.
This guy—Alvaz—was a part of that cult working to revive Lamya the Asp.
And Candi was his subordinate.
"You lied," I managed to choke out. I took a tentative step back, forcing Flora to do the same. "You were never kidnapped, were you? That whole sob story you told us was bullshit."
Karel, whose backside still faced us as he sized-up Alvaz like a jungle cat waiting to pounce, did not flinch if he was surprised.
Candi's face only affirmed what I feared.
"So this really was a trap," whispered Flora.
"Actually, that is false, "said Alvaz matter-of-factly. Though his smile did not wane, there was a dangerous light in his eyes as he darted a stare at Candi. "The little traitor really did intend to destroy Lady Lamya's body, but not for the reasons you think. She didn't want to save the worlds from darkness—no, she only wanted to save herself. From the bargain she struck with me."
"Of course I wanted to protect myself," blurted Candi, now shaking with rage or fear."I didn't want to be leashed to some undead whore for the rest of my life!"
Alvaz clicked his tongue. "Now now, you have no one to blame for that but yourself." He made to take a step in her direction, but Karel growled warningly. The warlock just casted a playful look at him before refocusing on Candi. "I don't understand why you won't come to terms with your fate. It's too late for you, dear—especially after what you did to those poor high school students."
Alice flinched, and it was a miracle Flora's legs hadn't buckled yet.
It felt like someone struck me with a rod.
Especially after what you did to those poor high school students.
I planted my feet to keep myself steady, yet another truth echoing in my head. I lifted my bugged eyes met Candi's. Guilt pooled in them, and I knew.
Alvaz and his pals didn't take Ahisa.
Candi did.
She hadn't been abducted; she'd been the one doing the abducting. I'd already assumed the first part, but to know Flora and Musa had only suffered because—
Rage overwhelmed me.
"What did you do?" I bellowed, my voice grating on the walsl. I would've charged at her if Flora hadn't managed to hold me back. "What did you do?" Shame and agony flooded Candi's face, and my blood roared in my ears.
"Oh, you mean she didn't tell you?" Alvaz cocked an eyebrow, once again feigning surprise. "Candi was recruited to find sacrifice's for Lady Lamya's resurrection."
I could not speak, could not make words. I'd forgotten all about fleeing. My heart was spitting flame.
"H-how?" stammered Alice, posing the question I couldn't wrap my head around. There was no way Candi's dainty ass could've taken Ahisa, even by force. And how did she manage to overpower Bishop Bornebolt, a freaking Specialist? It didn't make sense.
"How? That's a good question," purred Alvaz, relishing in our bewilderment and conflicted feelings. She had help, but not from us. " I felt a story coming on and sure enough, the warlock launched into a tale. "Here's another history lesson: long ago, back when the Princess of Darkness was at war with the Twelve Champions, Lady Lamya had control of a beast called the Bloodhound, a horrific creature born from the void itself. It was so ferocious, so fearsome, no one, not even the Champions, could defeat it. So instead, during the Final Battle between good and evil on Linphea, they managed to lure it into their snare and seal it away for good. They forced it into eternal slumber and to ensure that no one ever found it, they brought it to a secret location and buried the Bloodhound deep underground, bounding it to the then-uninhabited land so it could never wreak havoc again. As time move on, the Guardians the Champions entrusted their secret with forgot about the Bloodhound's existence and allowed their people to build a city on the very grounds the monster dwelled under: Steass."
My mind reeled. Was it a coincidence the Bloodhound and its mistress were laid to rest in such close proximity to each other?
Alvaz continued, "The Bloodhound remained dormant for millennia—until a certain fairy and her comrades found its whereabouts and restored it to its former glory."
None of us breathed.
"They've been unleashing it at night to hunt down candidates for our little project. Though they were able to set it loose, they could not break the spell leashing the beast to this land, thus the reason all the disappearances occurred here and only here."
The revelation ran through my head over and over as I trembled furiously. Slowly, I turned to face her. The coward had shrunk back into a corner all the way on the other side of the chamber, looking pathetically small and helpless.
Liar.
Manipulator.
Bitch.
Monster.
The final shreds of self-control slipped away of me, and I lunged at her with blind hatred.
I was going to make her regret ever approaching us on that street.
I heard Flora scream over the roaring in my head and before I knew what was happening, dark power was slamming into my side, setting half of my body on fire.
The impact threw me off course, sending me flying across the room. I reacted on instinct, shifting into my fairy form and using my wings to catch myself before I could collide with the wall. I straightened in midair, geared up for a fight.
By the time I whirled around, Karel was already peeling himself off the ground, reaching for his fallen weapon as Candi cowered in the corner and Alvaz descended on Alice and Flora like a black storm.
The ice fairy leapt in front of Flora, flinging out a hand to throw a barrage of ice arrows at the bastard. The ice was intercepted by a wall of darkness and suddenly, Alvaz was upon her, blasting her with black power.
Luckily, Flora managed to scamper out of the way just in time. "Run," I yelled at her, throwing a Wondrous Wind spell at the dark sorcerer.
A nanosecond later, she was making a beeline for the door and when I knew she reached the stairs, I spun around to find gloom clouding my vision.
Before I got a chance to blink, it ended up sailing squarely into my chest and knocking the wind straight out of my lungs. I sailed uncontrollably, my body screaming at me as I crashed into a wall head-first.
I fell limp to the floor, my head throbbing with pain. As black dots stamped out my vision, I saw a storm of lightning bolts streak through the air. Alice, who I'd assumed unconscious, was throwing an ice javelin.
She was shouting something—my name, I think—but everything sounded like static as my own consciousness slipped away from me.
And then everything went black.
