Whispers (Book 3 of Wielder series)

Chapter 25 - Midnight's Flight

Darrel threw up a shield of magic. Victoria's loosed arrow struck it so hard, the golden barrier cracked and shattered. It crumbled into dust at his feet, the arrow clattering to the ground alongside it.
   He wasted no time contemplating how close he'd been to death. With twin swords lifted high, he raced straight toward Victoria, roaring a battle cry.
   A whirlwind of magic stepped into his path. Willy, the Ultimate lifted at the ready, had surrounded himself with magic. It glowed all around him, a golden aura of light. He moved toward Victoria with lethal purpose.
   But just as he reached the boundary keeping them separated, the Ultimate disappeared from his hand.
   Willy stumbled to a halt, staring at his empty fingers in shock. "What...?"
   "Head's up!" Darrel shouted, throwing magic wildly in front of him as Victoria fired another arrow from her crossbow.
   Willy recovered quickly. The magic around him shifted, filling his hand with a glowing golden sword that seemed made of magic itself. The blade hummed as he moved it through the air, breaking out into a run straight toward Victoria.
   "I'll handle her," Willy determined, pushing through the shield that contained the Phantom. "You deal with him." Then he swept his blade of magic straight for Victoria's head.
   The woman moved with lightning speed. She dropped her crossbow and met Willy's magic blade with one of her own, something crafted from the shadows of her power. Together, they fought as opposing forces: one of light, and one of darkness. Their powers clashed with crackles and pops.
   Darrel growled in frustration. He wanted to go after Victoria. He wanted to have the satisfaction of driving her to her knees.
   After all she'd done to him, he deserved to be the one who brought her to her end.
   But Willy didn't need his help, even without the Ultimate. And even though Victoria was a formidable foe, his focus needed to remain on the Phantom.
   When Darrel rushed back to the Phantom's side, skidding on his knees as he reached him, he knew the man didn't have long to live. Still, he gripped the arrow with both hands, wrapping it in magic as best he could, and yanked it from the man's chest. He pressed magic into the wound, willing it to mend. But he was no healer. The Phantom's skin had already gone pale. His breathing was shallow, and his eyes had glazed over.
   The Phantom was too close to death. Darrel didn't have the kind of magic he needed to pull him back to life.
   A sob tore from his chest. He'd been so close! So close to getting answers. So close to finding Alie. He refused to believe it was all over.
   Gripping the Phantom's collar, he snarled into the man's pale face, "Tell me where she is, now!"
   The Phantom coughed up blood. Darrel shrank back to avoid being sprinkled with it. Blinking slowly, the Phantom stared at him with a distance that promised he could see the other side. "It's too late," he said weakly. "Too late... for me."
   "I know that! But it's not too late for Alie! It's not too late for Sole! It's not too late for the realm!" Darrel slammed his fist into the ground, his fury and sorrow overwhelming him. "Tell me where they are, or you doom us all!"
   The Phantom blinked at him. For a moment, Darrel feared it was already too late, that the Phantom had already taken his last breath and passed on. But then, with a voice so frail and soft he barely heard it, the Phantom whispered, "Fire... Mountain."
   Darrel's forehead scrunched in confusion. Fire Mountain? What the hell was Fire Mountain? Was it a place? A world? He couldn't remember hearing it anywhere.
   "The prison," the Phantom choked, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. "Find him... for me."
   Darrel knew the moment the Phantom's soul left his body. He felt a chill pass through him, an otherworldly tremor that made his entire being shudder. He dropped the Phantom's collar and launched to his feet, swaying on them as he fought for breath.
   Fire Mountain. He didn't know what it meant, but it was a lead he didn't have before. Whatever it was, he'd find out.
   He turned back to the battle between Willy and Victoria. The two threw everything they had at the other. Magic and dark power flew in mighty torrents. Every attack was met with a perfect deflection. Every sweep of a sword was met with a perfect parry.
   They were like mirror images, perfectly reflecting the other.
   Darrel moved to join the fray, hoping to give Willy the edge he needed to take Victoria down, when he heard the steady thud of footprints running toward him. Soldiers, dozens of them, filed in, surrounding them on all sides.
   Changing his tactic, Darrel sheathed his swords. "Willy!" he called, using magic to project his voice. "It's an ambush!"
   Willy snapped his head toward Darrel, his eyes wild with the heat of battle. He took in the soldiers closing in all around them.
   Then, with an explosion of magic, he disappeared from in front of Victoria and reappeared beside Darrel. He grabbed Darrel's arm tightly. Darrel didn't even have a moment to suck in a breath before Willy teleported them far away from the palace, leaving everything behind.
   When Willy's magic cleared, Darrel found himself in a dark alley. It smelled of old, rotting garbage and alcohol. He scrunched his nose and held a hand to his face to mask the smell. "Really? The docks?"
   "We're getting out of Hilltop Spires," Willy nodded, immediately heading toward a door at the back of the alley. He didn't bother knocking. Magic coated his hand as he reached for the handle, unlocking it. It swung open silently into a tiny, dark room.
   Someone within gasped. Then there was a soft, feminine, "William!"
   Willy took a step back as Justine ran into his arms. He enveloped her tightly, planting a kiss to the top of her head. But he didn't let the moment linger. He quickly pulled away, moving her into the alley. "We have to go," he told her, his gaze lifting to the sky as if he expected a legion of troops to suddenly drop from it.
   A second girl emerged from the room, her sleepy eyes wide. She looked almost identical to Justine. Her face was a little thinner, and her nose a little sharper.
   Justine reached for her. "Hurry, Corrine," she told her sister.
   Darrel reached nervously for his swords. "Where are we going?"
   "I have a boat that will take us to the portal," Willy said, closing the door to the little room. He poured magic over the door's surface until the wood glowed so brightly, it illuminated the dingy space as efficiently as a torch. "I don't want to teleport us directly there because I don't want them tracking my magic and following us. This should keep them distracted for a while."
   Justine's eyes widened. "Who's following us? Lord Erlling's men?"
   "No, Darling. Lord Erlling has been paid off. And even if he tried to find you, he'd have to go through me before I ever let him so much as look at you."
   Corrine clung to her sister's arm, her face pale with fear. "Then, who's following us?"
   "The empress's guards," Darrel grumbled miserably. He raised an eyebrow at Willy. "I thought you didn't have enough money to pay off that Erlling guy."
   "Why else did you think I took the job to get back Lady Binlar's necklace?"
  If Darrel didn't fear the sound would alert someone to their presence, Darrel would have whistled. "If I had known nobles would pay so handsomely for my thieving skills, I might never have left the palace last summer."
   His statement went ignored. Clenching his jaw, Willy moved to the opposite end of the alley, where it opened up onto the street. He peeked in each direction, determining whether it was clear, then waved them forward. "Hurry," he urged the girls. He didn't run, but the girls had to jog to keep up with him.
   Darrel's gaze swept back and forth, looking for signs of danger. Willy had put them far enough away from the water that anyone searching for them might think they had decided to try hiding somewhere in the city. The docks would all be checked, of course, as would the portals, but at least it would spread the search party a little thinner. "How long have you been planning this?" he asked in a whisper.
   Willy glanced back at him. "Weeks," he said, a flicker of fear in his eyes. "Months."
   That made sense. Willy traversed the streets as if he'd memorized every turn. He knew exactly when to pause to look for anyone around the corner. He knew what windows to duck beneath and what doorways to pass quickly by. In just a matter of minutes, the wide river that separated the world's city from its portals spanned between them.
   There were several bridges that connected the opposite shores, but they were heavily patrolled to keep tabs on who entered and left the city. Anyone wishing to pass undetected in either direction paid fishing vessels or merchant boats to smuggle them across the waters.
   But Willy didn't take them to one of those vessels. Instead he led them down to one of the docks themselves, where tiny, private boats used for recreational fishing or paddling bobbed in the water.
   Darrel frowned. "You're kidding."
   "I couldn't afford anyone recognizing us," Willy explained, ushering Justine and Corrine into a boat just large enough for the four of them.
   "There's no cover! Anyone with a pair of binoculars could see us from the shore."
   "You think I haven't thought of that?" From the bottom of the boat, he pulled a large tarp, the same dark color as the water. It even reflected a bit like the water did, as if it were made of water itself. "Get in before an alarm is sounded and the portals are shut down."
   Darrel didn't argue. He held onto the dock, steadying the boat as Willy jumped in after him. He helped spread the tarp over their heads, until it draped over every inch of the boat. Then he frowned. "How are we supposed to row?"
   Willy just sighed. He shifted closer to the front of the boat, then began moving his weight up and down. Underneath them, the waters churned, lapping at the sides of the boat.
   Slowly, the boat began to move.
   Willy had found a paddleboat. He really had thought of everything.
   It took them less than ten minutes to reach the other side, but it felt like hours. Darrel tried not to let his nervousness show as they progressed slowly onward, so the girls wouldn't have reason to be more scared than they already looked. He couldn't imagine how many questions they had, or how much they were risking by putting their trust in Willy's ability to get them out undetected. Sure, they were in a bad spot with their debt problem, but running from the empress would be considered treason.
   Debts were inconsequential problems compared to torture and imprisonment.
   Finally, the boat thumped against shore. Willy lifted the edge of the tarp hesitantly, checking for any signs of trouble. When he found none, he helped everyone climb the shore's steep incline. Then he risked a small amount of magic to crack a large hole in the bottom of the boat, sinking it.
   There wasn't much on the portal side of the river, except roads and a few large docs for ships to load traded goods to and from. Willy guided them through the shadows, keeping them out of sight of the bridge patrols.
   In the heart of the city they'd left behind, the toll of bells began to ring.
   Darrel cursed. "Run!" he told the group, knowing that there would be only moments for them to reach the portal before the patrols recognized the signal to lock down the world and move to close access to them.
   Willy broke into a run. He raced ahead of the group, his cloak billowing wide behind him.
   There were only two soldiers posted at the portal he ran toward. Before either of them could reach for weapons, Willy smashed his fist into the face of one, breaking his nose with a crack. He grabbed the other around the throat, squeezing so tight, the man's face turned red, then blue. He passed out a moment later, going limp in Willy's arms.
   Darrel gaped at him. "Jeez, Willy."
   "Move," Willy ordered, reaching for Justine. She and Corrine swept by the fallen soldiers without giving them more than a passing glance. They stepped onto the portal as a unit, vanishing in its magic a moment later.
   Darrel heard a shout behind him. Without looking back, he jumped onto the portal, too.
   A sleeping city greeted them on the other side. Willy moved with purpose down the street, rushing the girls toward a carriage that stood nearby. A driver sat in its seat, sleeping soundly with his feet propped up and a hat tipped down over his eyes. Willy woke him with a rough pat on the boot.
   The driver snorted as he woke, reaching up just in time to catch his hat. "Huh? Oh. Are you the Samson fellow I've been waiting for?"
   "Samson Rike," Willy nodded, reaching for the carriage door and yanking it open. He ushered the girls inside. "You're ready to go?"
   "I am, Sir." The driver popped his neck and righted himself in the seat, taking hold of the reins to the horse that stood already hitched up and ready to go. "If the weather stays good, we should make it there by sundown tomorrow."
   "Good." He leaned into the carriage, his magic creating a blanket, which he draped lovingly over Justine's and her sister's laps. "I want you to ride straight on through until morning without stopping."
   "Yes, Sir." The driver clicked, getting the horse's attention.
   Willy turned to Justine. "This is Lady Binlar's personal driver," he said softly. "I've arranged for you to work at her private estate. Her daughter, Rosie, is expecting you. She knows about Lord Errling and to keep you hidden from anyone who might know him. You'll be safe there."
   As Willy pulled away his hand, Justine reached out and caught it. "You're not coming with us?"
   "I'm sorry," he said with a shake of his head. "I swore to help Darrel find Alison. Now I have to make good on that promise."
   Justine reluctantly let him go. Willy reached for the carriage door, meaning to close it. Then he sighed, and stepped one foot into the carriage.
   For a moment, Darrel thought he was going to say he'd decided to go with Justine after all. But he only reached for Justine's heartbroken face and leaned in to kiss her.
   As Justine's face flushed pink, Darrel turned away. He cast his gaze nervously to the streets behind them where the portal lay, dreading the moment someone might step through looking for them. Typically it took some time to authorize soldiers to travel once a portal was locked down, but if Victoria knew which one they'd taken, all bets were off. He placed a hand on his sword, ready to draw it, just in case.
   Willy stepped down from the carriage. "I love you," he told Justine. "I'll come for you as soon as I can."
   Justine sniffled. "I know you will. And I love you, too."
   A moment later, Darrel heard the carriage door close. His throat tightened in sympathy. Leaving Justine couldn't be easy for Willy. He knew it wouldn't have been easy for him, if he'd had to leave Alie behind.
   Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. "We have to go," he told the Wielder.
   Willy dug into his pocket and tossed an exceptionally large bag of coins up to the driver. "If anyone asks, you're headed to Blossomshire."
   The driver nodded solemnly. "Yes, Sir." He pocketed the coins and tipped his hat. "Safe travels."
   "You as well."
   Nodding, the driver flicked the reins, and the carriage set off down the road.
   Willy watched it go. A ragged breath made him tremble as it finally turned a corner out of sight. "Where are we going?" he asked, his voice cold and hard and purpose driven.
   Darrel straightened. "Fire Mountain."
   Willy frowned at him. "Fire Mountain?"
   "That's what the Phantom said."
   "Did he say anything else?"
   "Not really. He was too close to dying." He really wished he'd had more time to get information. "The only other thing he said was 'a prison.'"
   "A prison..." Willy looked down, deep in thought. Then a dark, haunted look passed over his face. "Of course. Of course! I'm such a fool."
   "What? What is it? What's Fire Mountain?"
   "It's a volcanic world. Nothing lives there. The only structure that's ever been built there is a prison, deep in the heart of the volcano itself."
   Horror swept chills down his spine. "A prison inside a volcano?"
   "It's not registered on any official records," Willy nodded gravely. "It's where the realm's most wanted are sent to die."
   Dread and despair hollowed out his stomach. "Then... Is it too late?"
   Willy clenched his jaw. "No. Alie's alive. No one else can summon the Ultimate. She's alive, and she's fighting."
   He'd forgotten about the Ultimate's disappearance. Hope soared once again, making him lightheaded. "She's alive?"
   "For now," Willy nodded.
   Darrel could barely see him through the relieved tears that filled his eyes. Alie was alive! They had proof! She was alive, and she had the Ultimate, and they finally knew where to find her.
   Now they just had to get there.
   "Can you teleport us there?"
   Willy shook his head. "That world is warded in so many ways, the closest I could get is at least the next world over. But first, we have to find out what that world is."
   "You don't know?"
   "I remember the prison from when Commander Sole visited while I was still locked in crystal. But I wasn't conscious for the journey there or back."
   Darrel struggled to hide his disappointment. At least they knew where Alie was and were on their way to finding her. It wouldn't be long before they could reach her.
   Hang on, he urged her as he and Willy set off into the night. Hang on just a little longer. I'll be there to save you, soon.