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Flames burst out around Yoru, and I can feel their heat. My little fox charges, growing bigger as he runs, his claws growing longer. He opens his mouth and spits out several fireballs at Alfredo and his spirit, neither of whom have any trouble dodging them. That’s to be expected. I command Yoru to launch another attack, slowly driving our opponents around to the spot where I want them.
Naturally, Alfredo doesn’t waste time either, and it’s not long before several earthen barriers spring up out of the floor in front of me. He seems to be trying to drive me to a particular spot too. As I sprint to the right, I see two towers of dust move together and collide with a crash. Large chunks of rock and dirt rain down on me.
“Yoru!” I cry, and he’s instantly at my side. I put my arms around him and throw myself on the floor beside him, while my spirit tries to destroy the debris with his fire. Red-hot pieces of rock fall on me, but neither of us is injured.
I jump to my feet, panting, and take shelter behind one of the walls of dirt. I command Yoru to attack again – not our enemies but the mounds of dirt. They explode, and dust swirls through the air. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I sprint to one of the dark corners. Yoru forces Alfredo and his spirit Casio into a defensive position so they don’t notice my disappearance. In the protection of the shadows I can catch my breath and gather my thoughts, and in particular my odeon. I need to calm down and get my breathing under control. I search for odeon inside me and gradually amass it. Then I direct it in a stream to Yoru. A second heartbeat grows louder in my ears; I can hear the rush of blood and know the sounds are coming from my fox spirit. All these sounds align until they become one. The heat surrounding me is powerful, soothing, and so satiating that I just want to sink into it. And I allow myself to do that. I let it buoy me up and engulf me, encircle me, and I welcome its warmth.
The heat makes my skin tingle, and a glance at my hands tells me that they’re already in flames. I’m burning; I’ve become a fire being. And Yoru is an impressive sight too. He’s huge and completely engulfed in flames. His nine tails blaze fiercely. He looks like some kind of celestial being, and the sight of him fills me with pride. I silently send him the next command, and as he charges at Casio, I run at Alfredo, who has his back to me, transfixed by Yoru.
I raise my hand and summon a fireball, preparing to hurl it at Alfredo. Just as I’m about to throw it, I falter. Something’s not right. At first, I can’t put my finger on it, but then I see it: Alfredo … he’s rigid. He’s not moving a muscle.
And then I realize. “A statue made of dust,” I whisper, and at that moment, I feel a rush of air behind me. Cold, strong arms wrap around me like iron girders. I try to turn but I can’t. I just feel his cold breath on me and see his arms encased in dark clay clamped around me. That’s the only way Alfredo can hold me down without being burned by my flames.
“Nice try! Honestly, I was surprised to see you merge successfully with your spirit. Not bad. But you still have so much to learn.” His voice drones in my ear, and the odor of cold damp dust wafting off him makes my stomach churn.
I call to Yoru, who hurls several fireballs. But Casio is too fast, and they don’t even slow him down. Suddenly, the caiman is upon me, sinking its sharp teeth into my calf. I cry out as I feel his searing jet of poison eat into my veins. I feel dizzy, and my muscles can no longer hold me up. As if paralyzed, I fall to the ground, and unimaginable agony rips through my body. I try to open my mouth and scream, but I can’t even do that. My flames recede, and I’m gripped by an icy chill. I feel as if I’m lying in a damp grave. An earthy smell stings my nostrils and burns its way into my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Yoru, who’s transformed back and lets out an anguished yowl. He tries to come to me, to help me, but it’s too late. Alfredo bends over me. I see his sinister eyes, his narrow lips and their smug expression. Behind him, I see a thin golden thread of light dancing in the air. But I only register it peripherally.
“So, you failed to defeat me again, let alone use your gift. Such a shame. Like I keep telling you – you still have so much to learn.”
Chapter 3
That stare, those dark eyes boring into me, seeing everything. It hurts so much – a stabbing, ripping sensation. They’re so ice-cold and merciless. Did they look at the key spirits in that way, as they died in slow agony?
I hate this place. I despise it from the bottom of my soul. I never wanted to come back here. I feel the chill of the cellar on my skin, and the smell of rotting flesh fills my nose. I retch and close my eyes in order to get a grip on myself. I have to get out of here. But my legs won’t obey me. It’s as if they’ve developed a life of their own. They slowly walk forward, bringing me closer and closer to the small hidden room. The stench intensifies, burning my airways. My heart hammers in my throat, and my blood pumps through my veins in a panic, spreading the fear through my body. I feel it in every muscle and sinew.
My hand reaches out and pushes open the door that was hidden moments ago. I don’t want to see the spirits, don’t want to be reminded of their excruciating suffering. But I can’t stop it, and now I find myself staring at their mutilated bodies.
At that moment, I hear a noise behind me. Even before I turn around, I know who’s there.
“Well, who do we have here?” Alessandro shakes his head. “You’re always sticking your nose into everything.” His voice is full of contempt, hate, and I see something else flash in his dark eyes. He’s going to attack me and make sure I take his secret to the grave with me. He’s already raising his arm. Behind me, I hear a deep growl that shakes the room. His key spirit appears – the large, sleek, deadly cat digging its claws into the floor and tensing its muscles, ready to pounce. I call to Yoru and want to send him odeon, but he’s not here. I scream out his name as this beast spits out sharp ice crystals to impale me. In that moment, I realize I’ve lost. I leap aside and … land hard on the floor.
I breathe rapidly and don’t dare move. I glance around for Alessandro and his spirit. Then I let my head sink back to the floor.
“It was just a nightmare,” I murmur.
A cold nose nudges me, and I instinctively reach out for Yoru, burying my fingers in his soft, warm fur. It’s a comforting sensation that helps ground me. I cautiously stand up, stretch my aching back, and feel the burn in my body.
“That monster poisoned me again,” I groan, flopping down on the bed, exhausted.
They’ve injected me with the antidote, but I know from experience that the pain will persist for a while.
“We should sleep,” I say to my little fox, who looks up at me anxiously. I glance at my phone – it’s ten to four. “Not a whole lot of time left for that,” I observe, hugging my pillow and waiting for the creepy memories to fade so I can sink back into sleep.
The next morning, I don’t feel that much better. After taking a pain killer, the burning sensation in my leg has faded a little, but I’m still a long way from feeling good.
I’m standing outside one of the common rooms with Kate, waiting for Ayden. I keep checking the time and hoping he’ll show up soon.
Our next class is history. There’s been no announcement that Mr. Brian won’t be there. So I’m really not looking forward to class. And when I look at Kate, I can tell she feels the same.
“Did Ayden say whether he’s been to the Odyss?” she asks.
“He just sent me a short message saying he’s taken care of everything.”
He didn’t go into detail, and I’m grateful. I still can’t process the fact that one of our teachers tried to kill us and then was killed by my great aunt, who it turns out is one of the fallen.
“I’m not so sure we can keep this a secret forever,” says Kate. “And if not …” She turns her pale face toward me. “ …we’re in big trouble.”
I bite my lip and nod. There’s nothing I can say because she’s right. We have to hope the Council never finds out what really happened.
