The Trials (The Elite Series) (13 page)

A bolt of lightning blazed past him and landed between the eyes of a particularly heavy set Elite wearing pirate clothing.

“Oh, sorry
.” Connor lifted his axe again and set to work. Head after head, body after body fell to the floor. Bodies dressed like knights, cooks, cowboys, sailors, soldiers, and barbarians all met the same fate. Connor had formed a half circle around Katie and Zuna, and very soon the dead began to pile, forming a kind of meat wall around the three of them.

“Zuna!” Connor shouted as
he cleaved yet another head. “How are we doing?”

“Almost—there
we are.”

Connor looked back to see a smiling Zuna next to a
n opening in the rock about four feet high and two feet across. “Not my best work, but on short notice this will have to do.” She disappeared into the darkness a moment later.

“Hurry,” Katie urged as she followed Zuna into the prison.

Connor dove through the opening behind them, the undead horde close at his heels.

With a tap of her staff on
the inside of the prison wall, the opening shut as if it were never there.

The inside of the prison was lined with row
s of large cell doors. It was like a dream, a long hall of doors met them on either side. Multiple levels of this hall spanned as far upward as they could see. The same green glow that came from nowhere and everywhere illuminated the interior. The entire prison was made from one kind of black rock and there was a smell of must and decay in the air.

“Let us n
ot linger here,” Zuna warned. “First your father, then the keys, and we are on our way.”

“But which—
” Katie’s eyes dilated from black to blue as she stared first down then up the long row of cell doors. “Which one is he in?”

Each door was exactly the same except for a
date stamped into the area where a peephole would normally be. The door immediately to their right read 129 A.D.

“Connor
, when is your birthday?” Zuna asked.

“January 7
th
, 1995.”

“So let
’s search for a door nine months before then.”

The three moved deeper and deeper into the
tomb-like prison. The only sound to be heard was their footsteps and the light tap of wood on stone from Zuna’s staff. Lucky for them, whoever had constructed the prison had been sensible enough to mark the doors in chronological order.

Weaving through the maze reminded Connor of trying to find a specific book in a
large library. They made turn after turn, Connor in the lead gripping his axe, with Zuna and Katie once again following behind talking quietly.

After a few more twists
, they were in front of a door that read,
March 1994
.

“This has to be it,” Connor said. “The next door is two years after and the one before it is dated August
1969.”

“Very well,” Zuna said
, moving forward and grabbing the stone handle in her small, ebony palm. She murmured a few words and the door swung open.

“Hurry
, Connor. The warden will be notified of a door being open, we have but moments.”

Connor nodded and swallowed hard.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Katie asked.

“Yeah
. Yeah, I do.”

The two stepped into the small cell that was void of any bed, sink
, or furniture. A shadow hung on the far wall. The man was almost a skeleton. He was chained, arms high on the wall, body slumped forward, head down. Long, dark grey hair hung down from his head, covering his face. He was shirtless and barefoot, only an aged pair of pants hung from his narrow hips.

“Ca—C
aderyn Moore?” Connor asked.

The figure didn’t move.
Connor stepped closer, only a few feet away now. “Dad?”

The man’s head slowly rose
, revealing a heavy silver-grey beard, dirt-stained face and sad brown eyes. “What?” the man’s voice cracked, barely audible. “What did you call me?”

Connor fought
back the emotion from his voice. “I’m Connor. I’m your son. I’m here to rescue you.”

Tears formed in the man’s brown
eyes. “Connor, no. You have to leave, the warden will be here and—”

“Shhhhh… it
’s okay. We’ll get you out safe and deal with the warden.”

“No,
no—you don’t understand!”

Zuna poked her head into the cell
. “We are out of time, Connor. Quickly, now.”

Connor nodded
. “Katie, do you think you can hold him up?”

“Sure
.” Katie gently grabbed Caderyn around the torso as Connor hefted the axe and sparks flew as steel met steel. The chains fell to the floor. Katie supported Caderyn under his left arm and Connor on his right.

Cad
eryn had fallen into some kind of daze, mumbling as they exited the cell and joined Zuna. “My son… no… you have to go… Connor… my son, Connor…”

“Ok
ay, we’re ready. Let’s get the keys and get out of here,” Connor said.

“No need
,” Zuna answered. “The keys are coming to us.”

Both Katie and Connor gave her a questioning look as the green light that had illuminated them their entire trip changed
color and bright blue flames shot through the heavy air. A sound like a dozen people whispering met their ears as a shadow fell on the group.

“The warden?”
an unfamiliar female voice asked, laughing from somewhere deep down the row of cells. “There’s no need to worry about the warden. I don’t think he’ll be in any shape to see anyone ever again.”

A tall
, robed figure emerged from down the row and walked towards them quickly. A large set of keys dangled noisily from her left hand.

“That voice.” Katie released Cad
eryn, leaving him in Connor’s care and took a few steps forward, standing next to Zuna. She looked as though she were hypnotized.

“Hello, my sweet Katie. I’m here to get you now.”

“Mom?”

The robed figure was just a few yards from the group as she threw back her
dark hood and revealed her fair skin and long blonde hair. “Yes, Katie, it’s me.” Katie’s mother opened her arms and gave her daughter an enticing smile. “Come, give me hug.”

Katie took a step forward
, then hesitated, her brow furrowed, mind torn between running to her mother and yelling at her. “What happened to you? After they killed Dad and I woke up in the hospital, you were gone. I was so scared for you, and now—now you’re here?”

“I
’ll explain everything soon, Katie, but what’s important now is that you take your place by my side—away from them.” She motioned a slender arm towards Zuna, Connor, and Caderyn.

Katie hesitated, shaking her head.

“Why don’t you tell her what you are? What you have done? That way she can make an informed decision,” Zuna asked. “Why don’t you tell her you married her father as cover, hid your whereabouts with magic, and then freed Vercin? Tell her the only reason you’re back now is because somehow you passed down your ability for magic to her and now you want to use her. Tell her—”

“Enough!” Julie screamed. “Don’t poison her mind further
, Zuna.”

“Is
—is that true? You married Dad and hid from the Elite race? You freed Vercin?”

“I
t’s complicated, sweetie. You’re just going to have to trust me for now.”

“Where were you after
Dad died and I was in the hospital? Where have you been?”

Julie narrowed her blue eyes
. “I don’t have time for this, Katharine Huber. You come here now and obey your mother!”

“No.”

“Katharine!”

“I’m not joining you and whatever you
’re involved with until you explain what happened!”

“Tell her
, Julie,” Zuna said once again.

“Fine
. I married your father and hid my presence from the Council with magic until the time was right. I did free Vercin from his prison and now I stand with him. Don’t be stupid, Katie. Ours is the winning side. Don’t throw in your lot with this group. They have no hope of victory. Come with me and I’ll show you the true power that is attainable through magic. I won’t hold you back from reaching your true potential like I was held back for so many years.”

Katie shook her head and took a step back, tears filling her eyes
. “No. I don’t know what kind of monster you are, but I won’t join you.”

Julie’s eyes turned black as she droppe
d the ring of keys in her hand. “Then you are a fool, Katie. You still have much to learn. Perhaps when all your friends are destroyed, you will rethink my offer.”

“Enough, Juli
e,” Zuna said, taking a step forward. “The girl has made up her mind.”

“Zuna, I should have known it would be you leading the
would-be Judge. Since I once called you teacher, I will give you one chance to step aside. I’m not here for you.”

“The
n what are you here for?”

A wicked smile pla
yed across Julie’s glossed lips. “Every day more and more Elites flock to Vercin’s banner, but for our ranks to truly swell, for us to have an army, we need hundreds, thousands of recruits.” She opened her arms, taking in the rows of cells around her. “What better a place to find Elites who hate the Council and everything the Elite Law says than those who have been imprisoned by them? What better recruits to our cause than the inmates of Karnag?”

“Julie
, you know this is madness. I will not allow you to do this.”

“You allow me?” Julie tilted her head backwards and gave a long laugh. “Zuna
, my powers have far surpassed yours. The power you held from me is now mine to control.”

“Dark m
agic is no one’s to control, Julie. You cannot control it. In time it will consume you.”

“Perhaps in time
, Zuna. But that time is not now. Step aside. I was only here for the inmates, but now that the almighty Judge is present, I’m sure Vercin would love me to bring back his head.”

The row of cells in which they stood
seemed to close in around them. Magical energy sparked and crackled around Julie in varying shades of blue.

“It’s time for you to go,
” Zuna said, turning to Connor and Katie.

“What
? Go?” Connor repeated. “No, we can help.”

“Julie’s power is
beyond anything you possess. In time, you will rival her, but not now.”

“But Zuna—
” Katie began.

“Enough
, child, go now. Do you remember the spells I taught you to open the wall to exit Karnag as well as the incantation to get back to the surface?”

A tear rolled down Katie’s cheek. “Yes, but come with us.”

Zuna smiled at her. “Grab the keys as you go. I will hold her as long as I can.” She turned to Connor. “Listen to your father, no matter what questions you may have about him. He loves you very much. And you’re going to make a great Judge. Morrigan was right about you.”

Connor stood speechless
. He tightened his left arm around his father’s waist, shifted his grip on the axe, and nodded.

Zuna turned back to face Julie
, her eyes now orange orbs. “Let us see exactly how powerful you have become.”

Julie smiled. Black and blue energy gathered around her hands in spheres that grew larger and larger with each passing second. “As you wish.”

There was a sound like a tidal waving crashing into a rock mass as Julie unleashed the energy and it collided wi
th a wall of purple and orange magic Zuna had put in front of the group as a shield.

The
two energy forces collided, crackling and sizzling. Connor stood rooted to the ground, mesmerized by the light battle.

“Connor
—Connor, we have to get out of here.” His father was struggling to stand and support himself. Caderyn’s eyes were wild, taking in the scene.

“Right
. Katie—the keys. Can you get them?”

Katie nodded
. She shot out her hand and within a second, the keys literally flew to her.

“Go! Now! Cad
eryn, get them out of here!” Zuna yelled at the group, bowing under the pressure of Julie’s magic.

“Let’s go
.” Caderyn wobbled on his legs, regained his balance, turned, and headed down a row of cells to their right.

Connor grabbed Katie’s reluctant hand and headed after his father. Half running, half stumbling
, they wove their way down the cellblock. The lights trembled and flickered with the magical discharge. The noise of the battle behind them filled the air.

Shouts and roars joined the crackling energy in the air. There was no doubt an epic battle was taking place between student and teacher.

“Which way did you come from?” Caderyn asked.

“It doesn’t matter
. Zuna gave me a spell to get through the outer wall. We just have to find it,” Katie answered.

“There!” Connor shouted above the noise. He pointed to
wards the end of the row of cells.

The three reached the wall and Katie placed her palm on the hard rock surface
, repeating a spell under her breath. The wall quivered at first, then shimmered and gave way, creating a small opening. The three stepped out and the sea of undead greeted them, licking their lips in anticipation of human flesh.

“Light
, Katie. Help my father and stay close. I’ll clear a path,” Connor said, lifting his axe in a high swing and taking the head from the first corpse that approached.

Katie shot her hand in the air and a flame lit the area above their heads. The fire hovered there and followed them as they waded into the sea of open arms and
gnashing teeth.

Connor grunted as his axe stuck in the corpse of a
n undead creature dressed as a knight. Ripping it free, he swung again, this time cleaving his opponent in two. Looking for the power inside, his vision reddened and lent him strength. It seemed as though they waded through the sea for an eternity, Connor in the lead with his axe, Caderyn stumbling along, doing his best to keep up, and Katie in the rear, holding the fire spell in place with one hand and sending bolts of magical energy into whatever target got too close for comfort.

Reaching the mouth of the tunnel to the surface
, the noise of the battle finally stopped. The light streaming from the prison pulsed a steady blue. The fight was over. Although no one said it, they knew that if Zuna had won, she would be with them now.

Their
thoughts were only confirmed as a whisper met their ears, Julie’s voice that came from nowhere and everywhere at once. “Zuna is dead, and soon, when I free the inmates of Karnag and Vercin marches on your position, you will be, too. Think about where your allegiance lies, Katharine.”

Katie
visibly shivered. Still followed by the army of undead, the three escapees couldn’t afford a break. They turned their backs on the God-forsaken place and headed to the surface. 

Most of the journey was spent in silence
. Caderyn soon collapsed, too weak and tired to go on. Connor lifted his father’s limp form over his shoulder and they continued forward, ever upward.

“Why would she bring me
, Connor?” Katie asked, finally breaking the silence. “Why wouldn’t she or Morrigan just tell me about my mother?”

Connor looked at the path in front of them and set his jaw. “Maybe they needed you to see it so you could believe it
was the truth. Would you have really believed who your mother was if you hadn’t seen her for yourself?”

“No, that—that
thing is so far away from the mother I grew up loving. You knew her, Connor. What happened to her?”

“Dark magic?
Greed? I don’t know.”

“My father is dead
and my mom might as well be. I don’t have anyone left.”

“Yes
, you do. I’d hold your hand right now but I’m carrying the father I never knew in one arm and some kind of ancient war axe in the other.”

“Connor
,” Katie said, shaking her head and laughing, “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

“I’m not joking
. I really am doing both of those things. It’s going to be okay, Katie. You still have Morrigan and me.”

Katie wiped away the tears
. “Do I really, Connor? Do I have you?”

“
What? Of course you do.”

“You know what I mean
. I know you and Laren have something. I’m just not sure if that ‘something’ is going to end with us being together or apart.”

Connor hesitated now
. What was he supposed to say? All he could do was be as honest as he could. Katie deserved that much, and after their long history together, she needed to know. “If I said I don’t feel anything for Laren, I would be lying. When you broke up with me, I went through a really rough time, then Laren came along. I still have feelings for you, Kat, but I have to figure out if there’s still a chance for us or if it’s too late.”

“That’s fair, but for the record
, I never should have broken up with you and I can see that now.”

The time for talking was over as the two approached the area of the path that slopped upwards into a wall of dirt. Katie let the flame above them go out and spoke into the ground above them
, making the air swirl and shake as a portal was opened. The two walked through the window of space, not prepared for the scene that met their eyes.