Half the Power

The Last Phase

The plan seemed brilliant. We wouldn't be tempted to stay in the house. Ortheon wouldn't have backup. The only problem: neither of us had any idea how to get him out of his house. We had traded ideas briefly, then decided that Ryan probably couldn't hold out much longer upstairs. He would soon give in to fatigue.

Ava and I headed up the stairs, listening carefully. I peeked my eyes above the ceiling and was tempted to simply attack Ortheon now. I knew that Ava was right, but it seemed like it would save so much trouble...

I stopped myself. This was just Ortheon trying to persuade me. It would be a suicide mission. Snap out of it, I told myself. Focus.

Focusing proved hard. Ortheon had his back turned to me. Nobody else in sight. My hand closed around my locket, and Ava slapped my arm. "Stop that," she hissed.

We walked boldly into the room, and Ortheon turned to face us. "Great news!" he announced. "Ryan agreed to some rest! You girls can use the couch downstairs, if you want."

Ava and I stared. Ryan really gave in? Lucky they got here when they did.

Ava came to her senses and beamed. "That's great! It's just that..." Her voice faded, and Ortheon looked concerned.

"What is it, dear? You can tell me anything." He gave her a comforting smile. 

"Amelia said that she wanted to set up a tent outside. Would that be okay?"

I did? I wondered.

Our host nodded. "Of course. I can help pitch it."

The four of us left through the doors we had come through, and Ava, Ryan and I put our bags down once we were a safe distance from the museum. "This seems like a great place," I said.

Ryan and Ortheon worked together to set up the tent while Ava and I hung back. "When?" I whispered to her. Her plan was clear now. The magic of the museum must have been jumbling my thoughts.

"When he turns to nail the spike in the ground," Ava responded in a whisper. "Surprise attack."

I nodded. "Attack at the same time?"

"Yep." She didn't sound very enthusiastic.

Ava and I each closed a hand around out lockets. Ortheon rummaged around the tent bag for a spike. He shuffled to the hole in the fabric, then knelt with a hammer.

"Now or never," Ava muttered. She charged, and I followed.

***

Time seemed to slow down. Ortheon whipped around in slow-motion, and unsheathed a hidden dagger Ryan tackled him from behind, and we all drew our weapons. 

Ava tried to attack with her spear, but Ortheon and Ryan seemed to be covered in a domed protective, invisible blanket, like a force field. Ava and I couldn't attack Ortheon, but now it was one-on-one, him and Ryan.

I felt completely useless. Judging from her expression, so did Ava. We could only watch as Ryan attempted to make a stand for his life.

They both had their knifes in hand, but Ortheon's was much bigger, and sharper. Ryan scrambled around, trying to find the end of the force field. Unfortunately for him, it was only a few feet from Ortheon. He stood no chance.

Ortheon did what I least expected. He sheathed his weapon, and smiled coldly at Ryan. (Well, that part was predictable.) "Looks like you should have accepted my offer, now, doesn't it?"

He advanced on Ryan, and Ryan locked eyes with Ava and me in turn. He had just mouthed the words Use your powers! You can win! when Ortheon thrust his hand in toward Ryan. He gasped, and crumpled to the floor. I stared, but his chest had gone completely still, his head slumped against his shoulder. He was gone.

Ava let out a sob, and I had the decency not to look over. She wouldn't want me to see her like that.  

Anger overtook me, more so than grief. I wanted to get to Ortheon, and maybe let Ava have the honors of killing him. If Ryan had been the only family she had left, she deserved it.

Ava seemed to be thinking along the same lines. She raised her spear and lunged for our former host. 

Apparently, he was distracted with his victory over Ryan. The force field flickered, and Ava broke through. She tried to attack Ortheon, but he rolled to the side and somehow came up standing. He pulled his knife out again.

Ava seemed especially enraged now. I was sure that her eyes flickered to golden for a moment, and she forced her weapon against the ground, compacting it back into a necklace. She pulled it over her head, and pushed with her hands, as if she was pushing Ortheon. 

The ground shook, and shot up in a column around Ortheon, encasing him. It reached to several feet above his head, so he couldn't possibly climb or jump out.

It was a long shot, but I held my hands out, palms down, and pushed. I imagined all of the air over him pushing down, forcing him to sink down into a crouch. 

The dirt seemed thin enough for me to push through, but Ava was surely controlling it where it needed fortification the most. I summoned my sword, and ran towards the earth cylinder. Ava seemed to understand, and I watched as the section in front of me shifted.

I thrust my sword through the section, and found nothing but air. I reached out to the wind and felt for anything blocking its path, but it flowed freely.

I turned to Ava. "Let it down a sec," I said.

Reluctantly, she lowered her hands. Nothing there.