The sirens were ruthless, and they couldn’t resist the scent of blood as it filled the lake. They’d been denied fresh meat for so long, I had no doubt that they wouldn’t leave a single trace of the body behind.
Marcus gagged, and Ez had to distance himself from the scene.
“It’s done,” Ava finally said as the sounds of sirens quieted. They ducked back underwater, and the prison yard went quiet again.
The silence continued, even after we returned to the building. Nobody wanted to say anything, because we were all grieving.
Me, especially. Eddie and I were connected by a magical bond. It wasn’t the same as the bond I shared with Ava and Oberi, and not nearly as strong. But it was a bond nonetheless, like a connection between brothers. I hadn’t felt that connection in a long time, and it killed me to know that I hadn’t been there for him.
Worse than that… I’dfailedhim. Eddie had sworn to be my protector, but he and the other Elves were dead because I hadn’t been able to keep them safe.
I tossed and turned in bed that night. Every so often, I’d drift off, only to be jolted awake when I remembered that Eddie was gone.
He was just another friend that had died because of my actions. It wasn’t possible to hate myself more than I already did. When would the bodies stop piling up?
Ava and I moved slowly the following morning. It took us longer than usual to get out of bed. When we finally managed, we made our way to the secret training room. Kallie and Marcus were already there, chatting with Takahashi. We joined them around the table.
“I’m tired of staying here,” Marcus said in exhaustion. “We have to get out as soon as possible.”
I agreed. We’d all done bad things here, but what had happened with Mazur crossed a line. We couldn’t keep expecting to get away with murder, because at some point, the Warden would find out.
“The Demigod Guardians are prepared to help whenever you’re ready,” Takahashi said. “But we’ll need a solid plan to get you out. We may be able to break Ava free when she’s escorted to the mainland to testify in John Smith’s court case. If we can distract the Warden long enough, we could get the rest of you out. The Demigod Guardians have safe houses where the Warden won’t find you.”
“I know what we have to do,” Marcus stated. “It was Mazur’s idea, really. She said the only way out of here is in a body bag, so… why not do just that?”
“Oh, gee, why didn’t we think of that before?” Ava said sarcastically. “If we die before the Warden decides to kill us off, at least we get to do it ourselves. Absolutely genius idea!”
“I’m not talking aboutactuallydying,” Marcus shot back. “I’m talking about faking it. I’ve got death magic. We should be able to brew a potion thatmimicsdeath, along with an antidote that the Demigod Guardians can administer once we’re out.”
“An antidote?” Kallie asked. “So… that means the potion could kill us?”
“We’ll have twenty-four hours,” Marcus said. “The first potion will slow down our bodily systems, so that weappeardead. The antidote will kick-start them again.”
“How long will it take to make the brew?” Kallie asked eagerly.
“A week, at most,” Marcus said. “We’ll need a few ingredients we can’t get on campus, but Hemlock should be able to get them for us. Once we have everything, we can get started right away. After it takes effect, our parents can petition to have our bodies returned home. It’s within our religious protections. Professor Takahashi come up with a story to explain our deaths.”
“I say we frame Naya,” Kallie said with an evil laugh. “Let the Union think she poisoned us.”
I drummed my fingers on the tabletop. “This might actually work. The Warden won’t let our bodies go without a fight, because he’ll want to experiment on them, but if the Union steps in, the Warden won’t have a choice. It won’t matter what the Warden thinks happened, because it’ll be out of his jurisdiction. Seeing as the Union’s taking their time with their investigation, they’ll be hanging around until the next ship off the island leaves. We’ll have to be put on that ship out of here.”
“No,” Ava stated firmly. “I have to testify against John first. The trial is next week. If I take the death potion before the case is finished, I won’t be able to get on that stand. I need my voice to be heard. I’ll testify first, then, once I return, we can talk about taking the potion.”
We all understood… perhaps too deeply.
“Then we’ll leave after the trial,” I decided. “We’ll take the potion right before another shipment arrives, so we can get off the island the same day.”
“The Demigod Guardians can be on the ship to administer the antidote and smuggle you to safety,” Takahashi said.
“Which will put us in the perfect position to search the waters for the merfolk key,” Kallie added. “But we’ll have to be quick, before the Warden suspects anything.”
“What about our friends?” Ava asked. “We can’t leave them here.”
“The Demigod Guardians will execute a plan at a later time to rescue your loved ones, but you four are the priority. It’s imperative we get you out of here first. At the same time, it’ll be safer for your friends if you’re not around, for the Warden’s focus will be on finding you,” Takahashi replied.
“That brings me to my next point,” Marcus said. “The Warden has narrowed his search for the shipwreck further than we know. Mazur said those records are in Cellblock 9. Thaddeus has been searching those records for us, so I say we summon him to get our info, then help him cross over before we leave.”
“By the gods,” Takahashi breathed. “You haven’t helped your friend cross over yet?”
