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  Flashes of her history surged into his mind—all involving her loving family. The image of her little sister, in particular, served to spur him on, to complete the promise he had made to all of his friends—to get them home. If that slim doorway held what he thought it held, in a room behind it, Alex knew they might be able to meet the tight portal deadline after all.

  Alex sent good thoughts to the forefront of Natalie’s mind, smothering the false images the fog had created. Steadily, he worked his way through, dissipating what was left of the red haze, feeling that it had affected her more fiercely than the last time for some reason. Perhaps she had simply absorbed more of it; it was hard to say.

  Eventually, he removed the strands of his anti-magic from her mind. He held Natalie tightly, watching as she blinked awake, the milky sheen gone from her eyes, revealing the glimmering dark brown beneath. Unsteadily, her knees buckled, but Alex was there to catch her before setting her gently on the ground. Cautiously, he folded up the small rug around the bottle at its center and moved it to one side, wanting to keep it out of everyone’s way until he could get a better idea of what was so different, and potentially so harmful, about this essence.

  The others were watching him curiously, in the wake of what he had done to dispel the demons from Natalie’s mind, but he ignored them, turning back to her.

  “How did you find this place?” Alex asked Natalie, his voice gentle.

  She glanced up at him, her whole body shaking. “I think it was necromancy that brought me here,” she whispered. “The red fog… it made me hear the voices of people crying, people screaming. Not the prisoners… other people. They were ghosts. They wanted my help… I followed them down here. Everyone was dead…” Her voice caught in her throat as she trailed off.

  Alex looked at the bundled-up bottle of essence on the side and knew which ghosts she meant.

  “You’re safe now,” he said. “The ghosts are all gone.”

  Natalie drew her knees up to her chin, her face a pale picture of fear. There was regret in her eyes too, and Alex had never seen her look so vulnerable. As the others fussed around her, filling her in on what had happened, Alex could detect a wariness still in their demeanor. He didn’t blame them; she had been truly frightening. However, his attention was focused elsewhere.

  Leaving the others to Natalie, he went to the narrow entrance, pulling back the velvet curtain, and opened the door with a shiver of trepidation. The sight that emerged from the gloom was an unmistakable one. He had seen it twice before. To Alex’s delight, an antechamber stretched away into a darkened distance, the room much smaller than those he’d seen at Spellshadow and Stillwater, but still full to the brim with smoky black bottles of essence. The dim red light he knew so well, pulsing within the black glass, shone brighter here. It was a different kind of energy altogether—he could feel it, even from the mere threshold of the chamber. He still hoped that, somehow, they’d be able to use it to build the portal home.

  Touching them was a challenge, however. Even with his anti-magic in full force, he found the bottles hard to handle. Vivid pulses of light forced their way into his head as he picked each one up, the memories within going off like an explosion in his brain, searing his synapses with white-hot light that felt like scorching blades in his skull. He shoved the bottles back onto the shelves—the potent pulse of each one he had touched was starting to give him a headache.

  Still only marginally deterred, he picked up another bottle and plucked out the stopper. As soon as the substance within touched his palm, an explosion went off in Alex’s brain. It was unbearable, voices screaming at such a pitch he thought his ears might implode, people howling, a million memories all rushing at once, pin-balling around his head. He couldn’t think, worried his own mind would be lost in the fray. It was hard to extract himself from the onslaught of sound and vision, and worse than that, he could feel the burn of the essence itself against his flesh, searing it.

  Forcing his eyes open, he saw that his hand was glowing, and knew it couldn’t be a good thing. Thinking fast, he dove for the four-poster bed and frantically wiped his hand against the comforter. A lot of the essence came off, seeping down into the cloth with a scorching hiss, but the rest remained, as Alex battled the visions in his mind. It took all the concentration he had left to conjure strands of his anti-magic and feed them into the remaining essence, compressing it gradually until the visions began to ebb away. Over and over, he fed layers into the essence, like applying lotion to a sunburn, trying not to summon anything awful in the meantime. Slowly but surely, the last of it dissipated, though it left him feeling as if every cell in his body were on fire.

  His hand was bright red, a few livid burns crisscrossing the skin. Bending his fingers, he winced. The wound was tender, to say the least. Caius had been right; this essence was no good. If he couldn’t wield it, being what he was, he dreaded to think what such potent energy could do in the hands of his friends.

  “Dude, are you okay?” Jari asked, walking up to Alex, concern etched on his face.

  “Looks like Caius was right about the essence,” he admitted grimly, lifting his burned hand.

  “You shouldn’t have been so—here, let me help,” said Ellabell, coming forward. Twists of golden magic flowed through her hands, and she touched them to Alex’s damaged palm. Instantly, snow gathered around his hand, the cool flakes soothing the seared skin beneath.

  Two figures appeared in the doorway of the room, snatching Alex’s attention away from the pile of snow forming in his palm. It was Lintz and Demeter, returned from their hunt.

  “In all my years at Kingstone, I never knew this was here!” Demeter exclaimed, peering in. “I might’ve known there’d be a secret entrance or two hiding away in this place. He’s probably got tons—I imagine it’s how he manages to come and go as he pleases.”

  “How did you find us?” Alex asked, dumbfounded.

  Lintz smiled. “Fortunately, you left us something of a breadcrumb trail—hallways with the torches blown out, smashed stone, blood spots on the floor. When we came down to the lower levels and saw the door of the empty cell standing open, we thought you were in there, but that’s when we found the hidden stairwell. We were hoping we’d find you all in one piece.”

  “Any luck finding Caius?” Alex asked hopefully.

  They shook their heads. “Afraid not. Looks like he’s hiding again,” said Demeter.

  “I’m not sure what would keep the warden away, though,” mused Lintz.

  Alex had a feeling he might know of something important enough to keep Caius away, even with so much going on.

  Did the bird flap? he wondered. He felt as if it might have, and it was a horrifying notion.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, darting out the door and up the remainder of the hallway to the pit room at the end.

  Turning the handle, he found that the door was locked. No amount of pushing or shoving could get it to budge. He knocked insistently, the sound echoing behind him, but nobody came to answer it. He tried again, in case Caius hadn’t heard. Still, nobody came to the door. If Caius was in there, he wasn’t receiving visitors. Pressing his ear to the thick wood, Alex listened for any sound that might give him a clue as to what was going on in the room beyond, but all he could hear was the drip of water falling from the ceiling.

  If Caius was dealing with feeding time, Alex knew recruiting the warden would have to wait. He imagined the feeding of the Great Evil to be a time-consuming, energy-draining act that Caius could not simply walk away from in order to help them, and time was something they were out of; they could not risk waiting for him to finish, if that was what he was up to. Alypia was still at large, and now that he had everyone together, it was time for her takedown.

  Chapter 27

  “Where do you think she might be?” Aamir asked.

  Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. We just have to keep looking.”

  They had been searching the prison for what seemed like hours, seek
ing out the elusive Alypia. Vincent and Demeter had gone to deal with the entourage that had come through with her, and Demeter had returned a short while ago to say Vincent was staying in the courtyard to stand guard beside the portal from Stillwater, to make sure she couldn’t get back through, though Alex had a sinking feeling she might have already managed it.

  “Looking for someone?” a voice called from the end of the hallway ahead of them. The voice was too low to belong to the person Alex wanted it to be, but he was pleased to see the familiar face of the warden, regardless.

  Alex nodded. “Alypia is on the loose.”

  “Ah, I see,” Caius murmured. “Most unfortunate… My apologies for not being around when the fog was released. I would have come to check on things sooner, but I was seeing to some duties in the core of the keep. It’s hard to hear anything down there, and I was in the middle of something I simply couldn’t step away from,” he explained, flashing a conspiratorial look at Alex that confirmed his fears about the flapping bird and what Caius had been doing behind the locked door. “Now that I am here, I shall help you in your search. As we go, you can keep me abreast of your plans.”

  Jari sniggered, receiving a stern, disappointed glance from the old man. It quickly took the smile off Jari’s face, his gaze trailing toward his feet with mild embarrassment.

  “Do you know where she might be hiding?” Alex asked.

  Caius frowned thoughtfully. “I have a few ideas.”

  “And you think she might still be here?”

  Caius nodded. “If you’re still here, then undoubtedly.”

  With Caius taking the lead, the group followed him dutifully, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of their quarry. Alex couldn’t get used to the fact that, everywhere Caius went, the inmates fell suddenly silent. There was an air to him that frightened them, and Alex couldn’t blame them; they did not have the advantage of inside knowledge.

  After half an hour of walking, Alex noticed that Caius was beginning to tire. It began with a slowing of pace, and then there was a slight jerk in his gait, and finally it flowed into an even more noticeable limp as he leaned heavily onto his cane. Now and again, he would pause to catch his breath, resting against the wall of the prison, though always out of sight of the cells. It made sense that the warden didn’t want to show weakness in front of his prisoners. Still, Caius never complained as they moved from hallway to hallway, checking empty cells.

  Gradually, Caius began to fall behind.

  “You should seek out the eastern quarter—it’s where she is mostly likely to go,” he said breathlessly.

  The group halted.

  “Are you okay?” Alex asked, resting a hand on the old man’s back.

  “Fine, fine, just a little out of breath,” Caius admitted. “I’ll be better in a second. You go on ahead.”

  “We can stay with you,” Alex insisted.

  Caius smiled weakly. “Honestly, you go on ahead. I wouldn’t want you missing her on my account.”

  There was no way Alex was going to leave the old man alone in the halls of the prison, even though he knew it was Caius’s domain.

  Alex turned to the others. “I’ll stay with him and catch you up when he’s feeling better,” he said firmly. “If you find Alypia while I’m still here, shove her into the nearest cell and turn the key, okay?”

  “Will do.” Demeter grinned, jangling his keys in a self-important fashion as he beckoned for the others to follow.

  For a moment, Ellabell hung back as if she might stay too, but thought better of it at the last minute and raced off after the others. When it was just the two of them left, Alex sat on the floor beside Caius, letting him rest awhile. There was a rasp in the warden’s breath every time he inhaled, and it concerned Alex.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

  Caius nodded insistently. “Just old age, I’m afraid. You’ll find out one day,” he chuckled.

  Alex smiled, and the pair of them sat in companionable silence for a short while. At any moment, Alex expected Alypia to come rushing around the corner, but, as the minutes ticked on, the hallways remained empty and still. It was almost peaceful.

  “Shall we?” Caius suggested finally as he began to stir, the rasp of his throat lessened.

  Alex nodded, eager to be on their way. “After you,” he replied, helping the old man to his feet.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Caius said suddenly, a childish look of glee on his face. “Come on, there’s no time to lose!”

  With that, the old man took off down the corridor at remarkable speed, even with his cane. Alex hurried after him, wondering where the warden’s exhaustion had gone. Perhaps the rest truly had done him a world of good, Alex thought as he caught up, the pair of them walking along at a brisk pace, turning corner after corner. It seemed as if Caius knew precisely where he wanted to go, and all Alex could do was follow as the hallways become gradually more familiar.

  Eventually, they came to rest at a room Alex recognized as the old guard room where Agatha had attacked him. Caius drew a hefty ring of keys out of his pocket, though the door appeared to already be open, resting slightly ajar. Something else fell out of the old man’s pocket too, but Caius stooped quickly to snatch it up and put it back, giving Alex little chance to see what it was. As far as he could make out, it was a small silver box, though what its purpose was, he had no idea.

  Suddenly, Alex felt nervous. Something wasn’t quite right, and, as Caius pulled open the door and shoved Alex unceremoniously inside, he realized what it was. But it was too late.

  Sitting in the armchair by the fire was Alypia, daintily holding a cup of tea in her hands. She scowled as Alex staggered into the room, skidding to a halt before he got too near her.

  He whirled around to face Caius. “Why?”

  “You will speak when you are spoken to!” Caius snapped, all trace of the kind old man gone.

  Alypia sniggered. “And if you could refrain from conjuring another of your golden beasts, I’d appreciate it.”

  Sharply, Caius grasped Alex by the scruff of his shirt and shoved him a step closer to Alypia. “I believe this is what you’re after, dear Niece?” said Caius in a low, menacing voice. “I trust you will leave us in peace now, without running to your father?”

  “It is, dear Uncle,” she replied, the glee evident in her words. “And I’m almost certain this is enough to keep me from saying a word about your ineptitude, though it will make me awfully sad not to see the expression on his face—I do so love it when you disappoint him.” She flashed her coldest smile in Caius’s direction.

  With that, Caius yanked Alex backward slightly. “Then it seems there are negotiations to be made,” he stated, moving Alex farther back still. “I know the value of the boy in my hands. I want to ensure I get a good deal, seeing as your daddy behaves as if I am undeserving of reparations. I will not simply hand him over and let you have all the glory, dear Niece—so if that is what you were after, I suggest you hop on back to your false utopia and leave me to my own devices. If your pride will permit negotiation, however, then we can talk,” he said, as he turned to leave the room with Alex in tow.

  “Why are you doing this? I trusted you!” Alex spat, trying to wriggle free of the old man’s grasp. He was shockingly strong, and held on tightly.

  “SILENCE!” Caius roared, shoving Alex roughly onto a chair.

  “Here, these might help,” purred Alypia, throwing a set of cuffs at Caius. They were the same grim manacles Alex had seen before, the twist of gray ivy painfully familiar.

  “Excellent foresight, I’ll admit,” Caius remarked, catching them deftly.

  As Caius bent to lock Alex’s wrists between the cuffs, Alex tried to head-butt him, but the old warden was too quick, ducking cleanly out of the way. When Alex writhed and struggled, Caius simply held him still with vise-like strength, before sitting in the armchair opposite Alypia.

  “What will you offer me in return for Alex and the stolen bottles?” Caius asked
. “I could do with something to bolster the king’s opinion of me. I’m fairly certain that handing over the key to his survival would do just that, improving my standing at court immensely, but I’m open to options, if you can come up with something better to offer?” Caius remarked, a smirk upon his thin lips. “You seem to want it more.”

  Alypia glared. “You could certainly use a bit of collective good opinion, but I’m not sure even Alex’s particular charms could clear your name, not after what you did,” she sneered. “Unnatural acts aren’t often forgiven, as you well know, and there is nothing more unnatural or abhorrent than that relationship you had with that thing. You’re just lucky you never got yours with child,” she spat, her face a twisted vision of abject repulsion.

  Though Alypia missed the stern, icy expression on Caius’s face, it had not gone unnoticed by Alex. He could feel the old man bristling beside him, color rushing into his pale cheeks.

  “You think your mother was any different to me?” Caius hissed.

  A look of shock lit up Alypia’s face. “My mother is nothing like you!”

  “Isn’t she?” Caius taunted. “Didn’t she fall in love with one of them too? Isn’t she exactly like me? Isn’t that why your brother is the way he is—an impossible child, forged by an impossible love?”

  This seemed to rile the crown princess. “Don’t you dare put my mother in the same category as you, you perverted old man. My mother was forced—my mother never asked for any of it, and it’s because of his kind and you disgusting Spellbreaker sympathizers that it happened to her. It wasn’t love, it was a foul, unwarranted attack on a pure-hearted woman. How dare you besmirch her name! How dare you try to defend what that awful creature did to her.”

  “If you believe that, dear Alypia, you’re not nearly as smart as I gave you credit for—and I didn’t think you were smart to begin with,” he retorted, his own anger flaring. “Your mother loved a Spellbreaker, and you can’t deal with it. Everyone knew, and they would have continued to know the truth of it if I hadn’t covered it all up for her, saving her life in the process. What thanks have I ever had?” Caius snarled. “You must face the truth of the matter!”