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Ella opened her eyes, reeling. She’d attempted to climb out of the chamber, only to fall from the wall soon after. She’d been desperate to get away from that strange doorway in case anything else came through it.
Okay, climbing walls isn’t a great idea.
She scrambled up, rubbing her injured shoulder. Her excitement about the incredible find had long vanished. Glancing around, she saw no sign of the glowing emerald-eyed monster she’d seen earlier. Fidget had stopped hissing, and his fur had returned to normal, which meant the monster had to have found a way out. “Fidge, that monster has gone, hasn’t it?”
“Gone,” Fidget said and scurried off.
Ella’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected him to understand what she meant. Dust bunnies only had limited vocabulary. It confirmed her suspicion Fidget was a lot cleverer than he let on.
She checked her link, but the device still refused to engage. Typical. She’d hoped to call Eric for help, or even one of the others. It might be embarrassing to admit she’d gone off without permission and gotten herself into trouble, but at least she would have helped to get her out.
She twisted the link again. “Eric, are you there? Anyone? Come in, please.”
She waited, but heard the hiss of static. She sighed, then twisted the link for a third time and gritted her teeth.
“Luc, are you there?” She didn’t want to talk to him, but she didn’t have any other choice. Even his help would be better than being stuck down here with that strange doorway and the monsters it housed. “Master Griffin? Sam?”
More static.
Glancing back at the now dormant doorway, she shuddered, not wanting to go near it again. It wouldn’t make a very good means of escape either, since she had no idea where it led. For all she knew, she could end up surrounded by more of those monsters.
She thought back to the drawings she’d seen earlier of green skinned people. Maybe that drawing had been put there to tell people to stay away?
Master Griffin’s warnings about never touching ancient devices flashed her through her mind now.
Guess I should have listened to him.
Yet the strange doorway had called to her. She doubted she could have ignored it, even if she tried.
Maybe Master Griffin had been right about her curiosity getting her into trouble. She always let her excitement over finding something potentially incredible get in the way of her better judgement.
“There must be another way out of here. The ancestors wouldn’t have created one chamber to have no means of getting out again.”
She ran a hand through her hair. This place looked intact, and she hoped there would be an exit she could access. Other than the strange doorway, she’d found nothing but walls with no other entry points. Going back through the doorway she’d fallen in front of didn’t seem like an option either.
“Home,” Fidget chirped.
She glanced over at him, standing in a golden circle on the floor. Whatever had come through the doorway must’ve used something to get out, unless it had somehow managed to jump fifty feet up a steep cliff face.
Ella paced, trying to come up with something else.
Eric and the others would realise she’d vanished sooner or later, and would come looking for her. But how long would that take? She was a long way from where she’d left her gear. It could take hours for them to locate her. She hated the idea of being stuck down here for days on end. She had no supplies and doubted even Fidget would be able to scurry back up the cliff face.
“Home,” Fidget repeated and stamped his foot.
Sighing, she walked over to him. Examining the circle earlier hadn’t revealed any indication of what it did. It could be decorative, for all she knew. Maybe it was a ceremonial tool used during the ancestors’ rituals to their mother goddess?
Kneeling, she ran her hand over the cool metal, which held no sign of any runes.
“Fidget, I don’t know what this is.”
“Home, home.” Fidget said again, jumping up and down on the platform.
Ella glanced back at the strange doorway and shivered as goosebumps crept over her arms. Weird, it almost felt like someone was watching her every move. Could there be someone else on the other side? She guessed it was possible, given that someone had come through earlier. How many more monsters were there, and where had they come from?
Ella brought her fire down from where it had been following above her head as she examined the wall next to them. On it sat two square crystals, one red, one green. Almost like buttons...
“Hmm.”
She frowned. Could this be a way of getting out?
“Worth a try. Fidget, come here.”
She patted her uninjured shoulder, and he scurried up her arm before settling, his tail wrapped around her neck like a scarf. She gripped her keyno and pressed the red crystal.
Nothing happened.
She tried the other crystal, but still nothing happened. Ella shook her head, wondering why she was doing this. Fidget might be good at sensing danger, but she doubted he could find them a way out of there.
Maybe they didn’t work anymore? Frowning, she tried pressing both crystals.
Nothing.
“Home, La.” Fidget tapped her cheek with his paw.
“I’m trying,” Ella grumbled.
She stepped into the circle, pressing the green crystal again.
Three giant gold rings shot up out of the floor, flashing with blinding white light. Her head spun, and breath caught in her throat as she felt her body float upwards. All before she had time to consider what was happening. Her stomach flip-flopped as she reappeared above ground and the rings fell from around her, disappearing back into the earth. Ella sank to her knees, putting her hands out in front of her and touching the warm, hard ground. Bile rose in the back of her throat, but she gulped it back down again. Fidget jumped off her shoulder and rubbed against her arm as if to reassure her.
Laughing, she ruffled Fidget’s fur. “Good boy, I’m sorry I ever doubted you. I owe you a whole bag of treats when we get back to the castle.”
Touching her link, she said, “Eric, I need a lift back to the castle. How soon can you get here?”
“I’m already here,” Eric replied.
“Great, I’ll just get my gear—”
“Luc is here too; he’s looking for you. Are you okay?”
“I... Luc?”
What was he doing here? He was the last person she wanted to see.
“Something about doing something for Griffin,” Eric replied. “He said you were in trouble. I’ve got your location on my link, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Not bothering to reply, Ella raced off toward the site where she’d begun her excavation, her dust bunny scurrying alongside her as she ran. She’d grab her gear, then come up with some excuse. She knew she couldn’t tell anyone about the strange creature she’d seen, not until she got back to the city and had time to do some research, at least.
Griffin had bought a comp unit with him, so she would have access to the archives and databases back at the University in Celestus. She’d figure out what it was first, and then deal with the creature on her own. She’d be in enough trouble already for doing an unsanctioned excavation. She wasn’t about to let the others help and find out about her magic. If they did, she had no idea what they might do. Griffin was the head of the university and a member of the Senate—the very people who hunted and killed magic users.
Shaking her head to bring herself out of her thoughts, Ella watched the landscape for signs of the others. She didn’t want to see Luc under any circumstances, as things had been awkward between them since she’d ended the relationship. She’d been sick of the way he always seemed so distant and secretive with her, but she needed to get back to the city fast. If she had to travel with him, so be it.
She scrambled up the hill, heart pounding as she went.
Finally, her fallen gear came into view. Glancing around to make sure no one else could see her, she raised her hand. Her pack, scanner and other items all floated into the air at her command, hovering there. She could only move small objects, but it did come in handy sometimes. In, she thought. All the items shot inside her pack, then the bag flew into her arms.
At least magic is good for something.
It didn’t take her long to find the Pegasus. To her relief, she only saw Eric on board.
“What the hell happened to you?” Eric called as he opened the door for her. “You look awful. You’re bleeding.”
“I fell and rolled down a cliff, but I’m fine,” she insisted. “Where’s Luc?”
“Out looking for you. Guess he was right about you being in trouble.” Eric pulled out a med kit. “Here, let me—”
Ella spun around as a familiar chill went down her spine. The same chill she’d felt when that creature had appeared.
Luc!
The creature could attack him, and she had no idea what it was capable of.
“Fidget, stay here.” She turned and jumped from the ship without bothering to unfold the ramp, racing back toward the cliff where she’d fallen. He must have come here either for that strange doorway or the creature that had come through it. She engaged her link and tried calling him, but he didn’t reply.
She opened her mouth to call out for him, then stopped.
The thing was nearby. She could feel it. The same coldness she’d felt back in the underground room crept over her again.
Luc, where are you?
She closed her eyes, trying to feel his location. She’s always been able to sense him, whether it was magic or because they had once been emotionally involved. She didn’t know. She felt his presence close by, coming toward her.
“Ella?”
She froze at the sound of his voice, then opened her eyes. Seeing him again made her both relieved and annoyed. With his short dark hair, athletic body, and piercing grey eyes, he looked every inch the warrior. Her heart still skipped a beat whenever she saw him—something she hated. She didn’t want to feel anything for him anymore, didn’t want to think about what they could have been to each other.
“Ella, what did you do?” Luc glared at her.
Ella crossed her arms. “Hello to you too.”
She couldn’t believe it. Here she was worried about him, and he didn’t seem the least bit happy to see her!
“You’re bleeding.” He reached out to touch her cheek, but she backed away. Letting him touch her would make things more awkward between them.
“I’m fine. It’s just a few scratches. Why are you here?” she retorted, pretending she didn’t know the reason.
“What did you do?” he repeated.
“I came to look for ancient artefacts, but I didn’t find anything.” Her heart started pounding in her ears. What would he do when he found out what she’d done? Would he and the rest of the team turn her in if they found out she possessed magic?
“What about your injuries?” Luc ran his hand down her arm, examining the cuts and scrapes that crisscrossed it.
“I fell, that’s all,” she snapped, shoving him away with her good arm.
His expression darkened. “This is serious. You need to tell me what happened.”
“Why do you care? I’m not important to you, remember?”
He took a step closer. “You know that’s not true. Please tell me.”
Ella hesitated. Part of her wanted to tell him everything, about what had happened, the strange doorway, and the green-skinned monster. Another part of her just wanted to get back to the citadel, find a way to stop it, then pretend this nightmare had never happened.
A shiver came over her again, and Luc spun around, frowning. “Ella, get back to the ship and stay there.”
“But—”
“Go!” Luc barked. “Now! You need to get out of here before the Esrac sees you.”
Ella didn’t budge. She’d let that thing through, so she’d deal with it.
Esrac? Is that what the creature is called? If so, how does Luc know? Probably another one of his secrets.
A man—or what almost resembled a man—broke through the treeline. He had green skin, long white hair, and teeth that glistened like silver. His dark eyes flashed emerald.
Ella realised this must be the creature that had come through the doorway earlier. It looked almost humanoid, yet not. She hadn’t caught more than a glimpse earlier, and it looked even more terrifying now in broad daylight than it had back in the underground room. Her breath caught in her throat as it drew closer.
What is that thing? How does Luc know its name? Wait, how did he even know it was here?
“Go!” Luc shoved her. “Get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
She couldn’t understand how he expected her to just run away. He couldn’t fight the thing by himself, no one could. Luc might be handy with weapons, but she doubted even he could take down one of these strange beasts.
Or could he?
“Avatar,” the creature hissed and flew at them.
Luc pushed Ella out of the way, pulling something out from underneath his vest. He gripped a metallic device in his hand, and a beam of light flared to life. It looked like a sword of glowing energy. Ella had never seen anything like it. Weren’t swords supposed to be made from metal? That much she’d seen in the ancient scrolls.
The creature hissed the word again, and she froze. Avatar, she’d heard that somewhere before.
Luc swung his sword, standing between her and the oncoming attacker. “Back, Esrac,” he snarled.
“Valan.” The creature grinned. “More blood for me.”
Ella stood motionless as she watched Luc and the creature exchanging blows. Bright sparks flared off Luc’s glowing sword, and the creature tried to grab him with its barbed hand. In one swift move, the creature knocked Luc’s sword from his hand, sending it flying. All of this felt somehow familiar to her, as if she’d seen it before. Purple fire flared between her fingers, and without thinking, she flung it at the creature, sending it crashing to the ground. The Esrac hissed and its eyes flashed emerald again.
What have I done?
She stared at her hand, horrified. She had just revealed her darkest secret. No one was supposed to possess magic, let alone use it. Luc stared at her wide-eyed, as if he couldn’t believe what she’d just done, either.
The creature shot back up, lunging at her now, not Luc. Even when he was fighting it, Luc seemed nothing more than an inconvenience to it, despite being the one wielding a weapon.
Ella threw another fireball, hitting it in the chest. Damn, why wouldn’t the creature just die? Although she had never used her fire on anything living before, she had always thought it would be powerful enough to blow something up.
The Esrac laughed.
“Foolish girl, your power isn’t strong enough to kill me.”
The scene before her faded, and she stood surrounded by darkness. Fire flashed in the night sky as screams rang out around her.
A horde of Esrac raced toward her, some carrying strange weapons that appeared to be blasters on one end and jagged swords on the other. Ella knew if they didn’t stab their victims and bleed them dry, they could carry them off to consume later.
Around her, people lay dead or dying as the Esrac stood over them.
Tears streamed down Ella’s face.
They’re gone, they’re all gone. We are all going to die here...
Ella screamed, suddenly brought back to reality as the creature grabbed her by the throat. Sharp barbs bit into her neck, cutting off her air supply.
“More will come,” the Esrac promised. “Soon my queen will walk this world once again and the avatars will—”
Light flashed as Luc’s glowing sword swiped the creature’s head clean off. The Esrac’s eyes widened in surprise as it fell to the ground.
Ella gasped, the creature’s barbs still digging into her throat.
“Luc!” She tried to scream, but it came out as a hoarse whisper.
Luc yanked the body away. Both it and the head turned into a messy pile of sludge before their eyes.
“What the bloody hell was that?” Eric demanded as he walked over to them.
Both Ella and Luc looked at each other for a moment. Ella didn’t know Luc at all, not really. Everything about their brief relationship had been a lie. She’d had no idea he could fight like that, let alone kill a strange creature that came through a mystical doorway. Neither of them were supposed to even exist.
Ella looked away, unsure of what to say or do as she rubbed her aching throat. She stared at Eric instead, speechless. She had no idea what would happen next, but she did know none of their lives would ever be the same.
