Circles of Seven (30 page)
Hartanna heaved an enormous burst of flame. A purple ball of fire smashed against the portal, sending sparks of light shooting in all directions like a thousand flaming meteors. The professor, Marilyn, and Shiloh dropped to the ground as slivers of streaking light zipped over their bodies. Ashley crouched while trying to hold the computer in place. Hartanna collapsed, her head striking the slope with a thud.
A jagged rectangle hung in the air like a window to a world of light, pulsating, throbbing with energy.
Ashley sprinted to the front of the portal and lifted a clenched fist. “We did it! It’s open!”
“The corridor is complete, Ashley. We now have a connective tunnel to the other world. But you must hurry. It is already deteriorating.”
Ashley waved her arm frantically toward the opening. “Shiloh! Hartanna! Go!”
Shiloh jumped up and ran to the portal, pausing there for Hartanna to join her, but the great dragon didn’t budge.
Ashley leaped to her feet and rushed to Hartanna’s side. The dragon’s body heaved, breathing chaotically, her eyes flashing yellow. Ashley spun toward Shiloh. “I think she’s out cold, or maybe in shock!”
The professor shone his flashlight into Hartanna’s eyes. “See how her eyes absorb the light? She must have spent all her energy. I think it will take more than my flashlight to revive her.”
“Ashley, the corridor’s safety is quickly becoming compromised.”
Shiloh pulled on the straps of her backpack, her face solemn. She firmed her chin, her lips quivering. “If you find my parents, please tell them that I love them.” Without another word, she threw on her hood, jumped into the portal, and dashed out of sight. Seconds later, the window of light began shrinking, dimming to a ghostly aura, then finally disappearing in a tiny flash.
Chapter 21
Walter, still in a crouch, kept his head as low as possible. A shadow—tall, slender, and feminine—strode into the cave with long sweeps of her arms and legs. Walter clenched his fist.
Morgan’s back. Now how am I going to get out of here with Bonnie’s body?
Morgan halted at Bonnie’s feet. A wicked smile spread across her lips, then a laugh broke through, low at first, but it grew to a loud cackle and carried across the cave. The shining oval vibrated, creating a reply. “Morgan, hearing you laugh is the most delicious sound that has come to my ears in centuries.”
“Yes, my love. My hostiam has arrived, and the time of possession is upon us.”
“Let us not delay another second. The pain of this prison never ceases.”
Morgan lifted her arms, straightening her body into a vertical column. As her eyes turned glassy, she uttered a string of unintelligible sounds and vaporized into a stream of black smoke. It tightened into a thin line and zoomed toward Bonnie’s body. Splitting into two streams, it poured into her nostrils. Her head jerked around, and her chest heaved into spasms. Pushing on the floor with her hands, she sat up. Her eyes snapped open, wide and flaming. A smile slowly crept across her face. She stood, her head turning from one side to the other as she strutted toward the abyss.
Walter’s heart thumped in his chest, and nausea torqued his belly. Was that witch now inside Bonnie?! But something was different. Bonnie’s skin had suddenly changed. It was rough and scaly now, more like a lizard’s than a human’s.
Bonnie’s wings stretched out and flailed wildly. Morgan crowed in Bonnie’s voice. “I’ve done it! I’m alive again!” She patted her body with both hands. “Solid and shapely. Just what a woman needs.”
Walter squeezed his sword so tightly, he could feel his pulse tap dancing on the hilt. Should he jump out and challenge this . . . this creature? Yes, it sounded like Bonnie, but whatever it was, it wasn’t Bonnie anymore. Somehow this was really Morgan in a scaly Bonnie suit.
A new shadow appeared at the entrance, and a bright light pierced the darkness. Morgan whispered something at the abyss, and the aura vanished.
Billy ran in, holding Excalibur in both hands. As soon as he saw the winged form standing in the shadows, he slowed to a stop and let Excalibur droop at his side. Its light faded completely away, casting the cave in darkness except for a hint of sunlight peering in from the entrance. Billy squinted. “Bonnie? Is that you?”
Morgan rushed forward and threw her arms around his waist. She laid her head on his chest. “Yes! Oh, yes, Billy. Your father told me what you did. You made the right decision. You saved my life!”
She pulled back and took him by the hand. “Now let’s destroy this place. It will never be a prison again.” She led him to the edge of the abyss. “Strike this pit with Excalibur, and everyone will be set free.”
Billy suddenly crumpled to his knees, dropping Excalibur as he grabbed his midsection. “Ohhhh! I feel sick.”
She grabbed his elbow and pulled. “You’re sick because the pit is filled with candlestones. Only Excalibur can destroy them. Hurry!”
A bright light erupted at Walter’s side. He fell back, rapping his head against the wall. Reaching out through the blinding rays, he latched on to one of Apollo’s outer dowels. It blazed like a supernova, casting beams of light throughout the cave, illuminating both Billy and Morgan.
Billy pulled away from her grasp. “Bonnie. Your skin! What’s happening to you?” He clutched his belly more tightly and groaned.
Morgan reached up and caressed her cheek. “What?!” She yelled at the abyss. “Samyaza! Give me a mirror! Now!” The aura reappeared, and she gazed into its reflective surface. She pressed her hands on her temples and screamed. “I’m hideous!”
A girl’s voice shouted at Walter’s side. “You got that right!”
Morgan spun around. Her scaly jaw dropped open.
The girl pulled the hem of her shirt down low, hitched up a backpack, and marched forward. Halting about ten feet from the pit, the girl hooked her thumbs under the backpack straps. “Hey, Morgan! Where did you dig up that dragon’s body? You must have been desperate to find a winged girl if you took that ugly carcass instead of me.”
Morgan’s face tightened into a scowl. “Who gave you power to perform such magic, Demon Witch?”
The girl ran toward the cave entrance. Morgan lunged after her. Billy extended his leg, tripping Morgan just before her fingers could grasp the girl’s hair. He scrambled for Excalibur, shouting, “Run Bonnie! I’ll take care of this . . . this thing!”
Rising to his knees, Billy pushed Morgan’s head against the floor and raised Excalibur high, reviving its glow.
Walter dashed out of hiding, screaming at the top of his lungs, “Billy! No! Don’t stab her!”
Billy squinted as he slowly lowered his sword. “Walter?”
Black smoke poured out beneath Billy’s hand. It rose in a column and solidified into Morgan’s body. She pushed Billy over with her foot. “Fool!” She ran toward the cave entrance. “I’ll take care of you later!”
Walter threw his arm around Billy and hoisted him up. “C’mon buddy. Let’s get you away from this pit. The one with wings is Bonnie’s real body. Don’t ask me to explain it.” Before they could take two steps toward the archway, Morgan’s laugh echoed against the walls. Walter helped Billy sit down, then raised Palin’s sword and planted himself in front of his friend and Bonnie’s body.
Morgan reentered the cave, leading the girl with the backpack, a fistful of hair in her grip. “Your father is so helpful, Billy. Look at the present he found for me!” She threw the girl down to the floor and instantly transformed to black smoke again. The smoke enveloped the girl’s head, but this time, it didn’t penetrate. The girl sprang back to her feet, and the smoke resolidified.
Morgan slapped the girl across the face, leaving a red imprint on her cheek. “You deceived me!” the sorceress screamed. “You are not my hostiam!”
Walter jumped up and tackled Morgan, pinning her to the floor. Billy, still clutching his stomach, stumbled toward Morgan, raising Excalibur. A laser beam burst from the sword’s tip. “Stand back, Walter, I’ll turn her into a million dots of light.”
Walter threw himself to the side. Just as Billy swung the beam, she vaporized again, her stream of smoke flowing toward Bonnie’s body.
Billy screamed. “No! You can’t have her!”
Morgan materialized at Bonnie’s side. She scooped the limp body into her arms and walked to the edge of the abyss. “I’ll give you one chance to change your mind, young Arthur. Either give her to me, or she’s lost forever. No one has ever escaped from the depths of Tartarus.”
Billy’s face turned lava red. His body wilted. The candlestones had sapped all his strength.
Walter grabbed his arm. “No, Billy! Don’t give Bonnie’s body to her. She’s dead. What good would it do if she could breathe and walk again? It would be Morgan, not Bonnie.”
Billy panted. “But . . . but Patrick said there might be a chance to revive her.”
“You’ll never revive her if Morgan’s inside her body.”
The girl threw off her backpack and cloak and stepped between Billy and Morgan. “You can take me as your hostiam. I give you my permission.”
“Take you?” Morgan sneered. “You’re not in the royal line.”
“Have you forgotten Shiloh Nathanson, daughter of Valcor, brother of Irene, adopted daughter of Arthur?” She lifted the hem of her tee shirt, revealing a frilly dress. “Does this old party dress look familiar? Or do you just toss your victims into prison and forget about them?”
Morgan took a step back from the pit. “Shiloh? But you’re not of age, and no guardian is present. You can’t give your own permission.”
“I’m fifty-five years old. That’s plenty old enough to consent.” She walked to the edge of the abyss and stood toe-to-toe with Morgan, looking up at her with steely eyes. “Now are you going to take me or not?”
A new, wicked smile spread across Morgan’s face. She vaporized, dropping Bonnie to the ground. Shiloh closed her eyes, and the black smoke blasted into her nostrils. Her chest heaved, and her arms flailed wildly. After a few seconds, she stood still. Her eyes glowed red—evil and filled with hate. She turned toward Billy and Walter and spread out her arms. “Now young Arthur, you will do what I say or your friend Walter will—”
Shiloh’s eyes suddenly flashed back to normal. Her face twisted with terror. She pushed her hand down her shirt and pulled out a pendant on a chain. A gem in the center pulsed red and white. She gripped the pendant in her fist, her arm trembling like an earthquake. She spun back around, pulling her hair and stamping her feet. With a sudden lunge, she jumped into the abyss.
Walter rushed to the edge of the pit, just catching a glimpse of Shiloh’s body as it plunged into the darkness. He turned toward the cave entrance and fell to his knees. Billy sat on the floor, his hands covering his face.
Walter thrust his arms under Bonnie’s body and hoisted her up. Her skin had returned to normal, but it was still deathly pale. He stumbled toward the exit arch, blinking back his tears. He stopped and nudged Billy with his knee. “C’mon. Let’s . . .” He swallowed away a lump. “Let’s get out of here.”
Billy pushed himself up and wobbled on his weakened legs. He slid Excalibur into its scabbard and grasped Walter’s shoulder to keep from falling. They exited the cave side by side and stopped on the ledge that skirted the mountain. Billy slid his back against the face of the cliff and dropped heavily to his seat.
Walter laid Bonnie down and headed back inside. “I have to get Apollo.”
With Apollo still emanating a faint glow, he found it easily, snatched it and Palin’s sword, and dashed back through the cave. When he returned, Billy was standing near the rim of the ledge, his eyes fixed on something in the sky.
Walter set Apollo and the sword down while trying to follow Billy’s line of sight. “Got your radar locked on something?”
“It’s my father. I see him patrolling out there, but I think he’s coming this way.” Billy bent toward Bonnie. “There’s definitely something wrong with him, and I don’t think we should stick around to figure it out.” He rose to his feet and pointed toward a distant part of the valley. “Dad was guarding a bridge over there, and he didn’t want me to cross it with Bonnie. But now I know I have to.” He slid his arm under Bonnie’s knees. “We’d better get in the cave until he goes away.”
Walter pulled Billy’s arm back. “No way! The candlestones will sap you dry.”
“But we can’t leave Bonnie . . . I mean . . .” Billy searched his mind for the other girl’s name. “ . . . Shiloh trapped in that pit.”
“Well, yeah, but how’re you going to get her out?”
“Morgan wanted me to strike the pit with Excalibur to destroy it. She said something about setting everyone free.”
“Bad idea,” Walter said, shaking his head vigorously. “One of the things in that pit talked to me, and he sounded like the president of ‘Demons Are Us.’”
“You want Shiloh to stay in there with him? It’ll be pure torture, especially if Morgan’s still inside her. I can’t leave her like that.”
“Good point.” Walter cocked his head upward. “But we’d better decide soon. Your father’s almost here.”
Billy stood, leaving Bonnie on the ground. “Watch her. I’m going back in the cave. With the candlestones in there, he’s not likely to follow me.” He drew out Excalibur and rested the blade on his shoulder. “Tell him Morgan’s got a different hostiam and I’m in there getting ready to bust open the pit. That ought to keep him in a good mood. Just remember not to call him Mr. Bannister. He’s Clefspeare now.”
Walter closed one eye. “You want me to face a ticked-off, fire-breathing dragon alone and convince him that I just happened to be strolling through the pits of Hades?” A grin broke out on his face. “I love this plan!”
A few seconds after Billy disappeared into the cave, Clefspeare landed on the ledge with a flap of his huge wings. After he settled himself, he growled. “Why are you here with Bonnie’s body?”
Walter tried to act confident, but he felt like he was going to heave his guts. He clenched one fist behind his back and shoved his other hand into his pocket. He slowly withdrew the candlestone he had chipped from the wall of the abyss, allowing his fingers to spread out just enough to expose the dragon to the gem. “I’m so glad you asked that. You see, Billy and I were just talking about why we’re here. Billy said, ‘Hey, Walter, nice day for a stroll through the underworld, don’t you think?’ And I said—”
“Cut the nonsense!” the dragon roared. It suddenly paused, seeming confused, but its eyes burned like erupting volcanoes. “Or I will . . . I will use you as a torch!”
Walter opened his fingers just a hair further. “Be cool, Mr. Dragon. Morgan’s got herself a different hostiam now.” He pointed back to the cave with his thumb. “And Billy’s in there getting ready to blow that candlestone pit. Everything’s under control.”
The dragon blinked, and his head wobbled. “You know about . . . about the hostiam? What’s your part in this?”
“C’mon, Clefspeare. I know you. Don’t you remember me?”
The dragon stretched his neck downward and gazed into Walter’s eyes. “You look . . . familiar.”
Walter scratched his nose, then looked away with a shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I guess Morgan hasn’t kept you informed.”
“Impossible! Morgan tells me everything!”
Walter rolled his eyes. “If you say so.” He flicked his thumb toward the cave again. “Then go on in and see for yourself if you want.” He opened his fingers as widely as he dared. “I’ll wait.”
The dragon unfurled his wings. “There is no need. I will go back to the bridge and wait for her instructions.” Clefspeare lifted off the ground, faltering at first and losing altitude over the valley, but he quickly recovered and shot into the sky.
Walter collapsed to his seat at the cave entrance and wiped his brow.
Whew!
He tried to peer into the arched entryway, but it was too dark inside. He cracked his knuckles and bit his bottom lip.
C’mon Billy. You got one more minute before I come in after you.
Billy hurried toward the edge of the abyss, guided by Excalibur’s radiance. Shafts of light from the cave entrance collapsed into slithering, glowing snakes and swept by his feet as they swirled into the pit. It felt like his own energy was being slurped along with them, cramping his stomach and legs. As he slowed down and inched closer to the edge, he let out a low groan.
I have to do it! I have to!