Jack Staples and the City of Shadows (19 page)

Chapter 23

A MOUNTAIN OF DARKNESS

 

Jack ran toward the mammoth coliseum. He'd been following the roars of a screaming crowd ever since he'd entered the City of Shadows. The gates had been left unguarded, and every street was as still and quiet as the grave.

When he'd been with Time in the garden, he'd seen a vision of this place. He knew this is where he would find Alexia, Arthur, and the others. Even as he ran toward the sounds of bloodthirsty cries, there was peace inside him. Jack didn't know what he was meant to do, but he knew he was meant to be here, and that was enough. It wouldn't be possible to stop what was happening. He was just a boy. Yet this is where the poet had sent him.

He wasn't just the poet!
Jack thought.
He was the Author!
His heart still pounded at the memory. And as he ran toward a fight he knew he could not win, Jack smiled.

 

Arthur wanted to cry as he stared at his burned hand. He'd tried multiple times to grab the small box from its dark prison. His fingers were blistered, and the smell of seared flesh made bile rise in the back of his throat.

He circled the box that hovered above the enormous throne. He wanted to leave it. But he could not. He felt foolish as he reread the words on it. “ARTHUR GREAVES: LOYAL. COURAGEOUS. WARRIOR.” They seemed to mock him.

Arthur squeezed his eyes shut.
What am I doing here? I'm just a boy. I don't even know why I'm trying to get this stupid box!
He wiped a tear from his eye and remembered the last thing Elion had said to him.
“Arthur Greaves, you are powerful and courageous.”
Her eyes had blazed with a golden light. They had been standing in the chamber below Buckingham Palace as the World Portal spun behind her.
“And something tells me that if this mission has any chance of success, it will be because you were there.”

Arthur straightened his back and stepped toward the box once again. “I am not here by accident,” he whispered. “I am Arthur Greaves, and I am one of the Awakened.” After a moment he smiled and added, “And I am the Lightning Dancer.” Without thinking, Arthur began to move his feet in a way he had never moved them before, though it felt perfectly natural. Before long, a tornado of electricity had formed around him, and where he moved, liquid light moved with him.

The electricity called to him, wrapping him in its embrace. Again he reached for the box, and this time the darkness imprisoning it shrieked and exploded away. And just like that, the box dropped and tumbled down the golden stairs.

Arthur stopped his dancing and began to laugh as he ran down the stairs and picked up the wooden box.

 

As Alexia ran toward her friends, the Drogule roared and yanked the cord of electrified light. All nine Awakened groaned as the cable tightened around them. They watched her helplessly.

Alexia took the last steps and hurled her body into the light that bound her friends. The moment she touched it, electricity blasted through her body, causing her to stiffen and jerk uncontrollably. Yet as the cable wrapped itself around her, it ceased to bind the Awakened.

Andreal dove at the Drogule, wrestling it to the ground and ripping the sizzling cable from its hands, freeing Alexia. She lay flat on her back, trying to catch her breath.

Wild stood with his arm outstretched. “There's no time to nap.” He smiled. “Now is the time to fight.” He pulled Alexia to her feet just in time to turn and face the swarm of tens of thousands of Shadow Souled.

Alexia wanted to talk to her friends, to apologize for not standing with them sooner, but she didn't even have time to meet their eyes. The horde of dark servants was upon them. A moment before the flood crashed into the Awakened from every direction, a shield of blue light sprang up around them. The shield was the only thing between the Awakened and a crushing death.

The dark servants howled as they slammed into the shield. From every side the Shadow Souled pressed against the wall of thin blue light. The snarling faces of monster, beast, and human were everywhere. The sky was no longer visible as winged creatures pummeled the shield from above.

“I can't hold it any longer!” Mrs. Dumphry shouted. Her shield buckled inward, splintering into a thousand pieces, and the mountain of dark servants was on them.

It wasn't fighting—there was no room to fight or to move at all. The dark servants were consumed with bloodlust. Both Awakened and dark servants began to scream as the pressure built, those in the center being crushed to death in a melee of bodies pushing in from behind and above.

Alexia couldn't find the breath to scream. There was too little room to draw breath.
This is it
, she thought.
This is where we die.
It was a cold thought. The pressure became unbearable, squeezing from every direction. She looked at the crazed beasts, humans, and monsters, gritted her teeth, then closed her eyes, trying to stay conscious through the pain.

Suddenly, a burst of wind exploded from somewhere nearby and ripped through the crush of bodies. And the immense pressure stopped growing. Alexia opened her eyes—at least five out of every seven dark servants looked as if they'd fallen unconscious. They hadn't dropped to the ground because there was no room for them to fall. Alexia still couldn't draw a breath, but at least the pressure wasn't growing.

“What just happened?” Josiah groaned.

“They're sleeping!” Juno gasped.

“It canna be possible!” Andreal rumbled from somewhere beneath the mountain of flesh. Alexia could hear him shoving against the bodies, yet even Andreal wasn't strong enough to shift the mammoth heap.

The dark servants who hadn't fallen unconscious still snarled and howled, but they, too, were trapped in the crush of bodies.

“What's that?” Wild said.

Alexia also heard it. A crackling and snapping sound, growing louder by the second. The air became electric; her skin pricked and her hair began to rise.

The mountain of dark servants was being shoved aside by a wall of liquid electricity, clearing a path to the small band of Awakened. Alexia dropped to her knees and gasped for breath. Spinning round in the clearing path was Arthur Greaves, electricity flowing from his outstretched hands.

He's dancing!
Alexia realized.

When Arthur met Alexia's eyes, he blushed. “It seems to work better when I dance,” he said sheepishly.

She stood and limped over to wrap him in a fierce hug. “I missed you!” Alexia said. “And your dancing is splendid. Truly it is!”

“I missed you too,” Arthur said.

“Well done, Arthur,” Mrs. Dumphry said as she strode toward them. “Well done, indeed! Before this war is over, you may be one of the most powerful Awakened to ever walk the earth!”

Arthur turned a deep shade of red. The look on his face was a mixture of pride and embarrassment.

“We have no time to waste,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “The enemy is already stirring. We must be out of the arena before they awaken.”

“It's only the animals that are unconscious,” Josiah said, looking around.

Alexia stared dizzily at the mountain of Shadow Souled. Josiah was right—anything that looked even remotely like an animal was unconscious. The humanlike dark servants were still conscious but trapped beneath bodies or behind the wall of liquid light. That wouldn't last long.

She had a memory of standing in the ruined central market of Belfast. “I think I did this,” she said. “Though I have no idea how.”

“Let's not worry about it now,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “We are running out of time. Arthur, you mustn't—”

Arthur dropped his hands, gasped, then fainted as the wall of fluid light evaporated, and the mountain of dark servants crumpled.

Mrs. Dumphry sighed. “You mustn't let go of your Soulprint too quickly,” she said. “I feared this might happen. Young Mr. Greaves has exhausted himself beyond what is safe. Andreal, would you mind?”

Andreal threw Arthur over his shoulder as Mrs. Dumphry turned and sent streams of fire into a few dark servants who'd wriggled free from the crush. As the Awakened ran toward the arena exit, Alexia donned her cloak and inserted a stone into her sling. It felt so good to have them back.

“They're waking up,” Aias warned.

“We need to free the others!” Juno called as they entered a darkened passageway. “There are at least five thousand Awakened in the dungeons below.”

All eyes turned to Mrs. Dumphry. The old woman glanced into the arena as she assessed the situation. Thousands of the Shadow Souled were now awake, though most still wore a dazed look.

“What do you say, Alexia Dreager? The prophecy says you and young Jack Staples will lead the armies of the Awakened into the Last Battle. If it has truly started, then it is time for you to begin taking this responsibility. Shall we mount a rescue and face impossible odds, or shall we flee and live to fight another day?”

Alexia didn't want this responsibility. Yet when she met Josiah's eyes, she knew what they had to do. “We can't leave them behind,” she said quickly. “We must try to free them at least!”

Mrs. Dumphry smiled. “You are showing the signs of a true leader, child. I told you once that the line between foolishness and courage is razor thin. In this case I do not know where it lies. Aias, Andreal, Wild, and I will hold this corridor for as long as we can. The rest of you go and free our people!”

Alexia turned to her old gang. “I let you down; I know that. And I was wrong. Will you forgive me? And will you follow me into the dungeons?”

“No,” Josiah said. “I will not follow you because you have no idea where you're going.” He broke into a wide grin as Juno chortled. “But I will forgive you. Now, follow us!”

Alexia turned and followed her gang into the dungeons.

Chapter 24

A TIMELY BATTLE

 

Jack Staples sprinted down an empty street in the City of Shadows. He was desperate to get to the coliseum to help his friends. The bloodthirsty cries resounding through the streets sent a chill down his spine.

At last it was in sight, and as he ran down the street leading to the arena, two bodies soared across the sky and crashed to the ground just in front of him. Jack stopped—it was the Assassin lying flat on his back with Jack Staples lying atop him. The Assassin was choking the other Jack.

“Nice trick, boy, but your Soulprint will not save you this time!” the Assassin snarled.

You're not going mad
, Jack thought.
You have seen this before. It's just you from the future!

The future Jack was dressed the same and turning an ashen gray. The Assassin stood, holding the other Jack by the neck, lifting him a pace above the ground. The other Jack met Jack's eyes.

Jack jumped as he realized he should probably be helping himself. He darted forward, unsheathing Ashandar and swinging the black blade wildly. But the Assassin spotted him; he leaped away and dropped the other Jack.

“Thanks.” The other Jack fell to his knees, gasping for breath and rubbing his neck.

“No worries,” Jack replied.

“Shall we end this?” the future Jack said grimly.

Jack took a deep breath and tried to sound fierce. “I'm ready if you are,” he said. Ashandar warmed in his hands.

The Assassin sent black lightning at Jack, but he raised Ashandar high and the bolts dissipated as they struck the sword. The future Jack attacked from the opposite side, and Jack continued his own assault, moving only as he felt the sword prompting.

A blade of white fire appeared in the Assassin's hands. As he struck, Jack rolled away. When the Assassin's blade met the future Jack's sword, the air cracked and rippled as light and darkness exploded from them.

The Assassin began to rise from the burning street as the future Jack screamed and leaped onto his back, still holding Ashandar in his hands. Together, the Jack from the future and the Assassin soared away, disappearing into the clouds.

Jack sheathed Ashandar.
What just happened?
His chest tightened as the sound of one hundred thousand triumphant voices resounded through the streets and thousands of winged monsters fell from the sky toward the center of the mammoth coliseum.

Jack watched the falling monsters with a sense of dread. He ran toward the entrance once again, and skidded to a stop.

Striding out of the coliseum was the Assassin. His skin shimmered in the unearthly light, and his eyes were raging fire. He stopped when he saw Jack, a look of confusion sweeping his sweaty face.

Jack pulled back the hood of his cloak as he raised Ashandar high. “I am the Child of Prophecy,” he said, “and I will not run away any longer.” This was his destiny; this is what he was born to do.

“You!” The Assassin offered a grotesque smile. “You dare come here? To my city!” He threw his head back and howled with laughter. “You have arrived just in time. I've just killed the girl, and you are the last thing standing in my way.”

Jack's heart sank. He was too late. That had to be what he'd heard inside the arena.
Alexia must be dead. Why else would the Assassin leave unless he was sure she was gone?

“No!” Jack shouted. “I don't believe you. You are the deceiver. Alexia Dreager is still alive!” Another roar from the coliseum cut off to silence. The Assassin glanced back the way he'd come.

“You're worried,” Jack said, “because you know I'm right. You will not win. I have met the Author! I know that he still lives. And the army of the Awakened will defeat you soon enough, Assassin!”

“You are wrong, child. This world belongs to me. And I have no more use for you in my world.” Streams of liquid darkness exploded from the Assassin, while behind him, another Jack appeared, staring at Jack. In that moment Jack heard the ring of time and understood what he was meant to do. He embraced his note and flew backward through the air.

Jack landed behind the Assassin and met the eyes of the Jack from a few seconds earlier. As the black lightning passed through empty space, Jack saw himself fly backward and disappear. He didn't hesitate to strike with Ashandar, but the Assassin rose into the air, hovering just out of reach of Jack's blade.

The Assassin screamed as liquid darkness and molten lava shot from his hands to explode into the earth and buildings below. A split second before they struck, Jack sheathed Ashandar and embraced the bells. He looked up to see himself appear in the sky just above the Assassin.

Jack flew through time and appeared a split second earlier, high up in the air. The world below exploded as the Assassin sent liquid evil streaming down at the other Jack from a split second earlier. And though Jack couldn't fly like the Assassin, he could fall as well as anyone. The Assassin destroyed an entire block of the city in his attempt to kill Jack as Jack crashed into him from above.

The Assassin grunted when Jack clung to his neck.

 

Alexia followed Josiah and the others down a never-ending flight of stairs. “What's this I hear about you being the Child of Prophecy?” Juno asked as they ran.

“What about it?”

“I don't want you thinking we'll be doing any bowing or scraping.”

Alexia laughed.

They rounded a corner and ran through a door into a mammoth underground chamber. Thousands of narrow mounds littered the ground. Alexia stumbled. “Are those … graves?” The mounds definitely looked like graves, though each had a small, rounded metal grate at one end.

Juno shook her head as she darted to a nearby lever. An ear-splitting boom echoed through the chamber as the metal grates popped open. One by one, prisoners began crawling out of the narrow mounds.

“They're both prison and grave,” Josiah said angrily. “If you die or get sick inside, they seal it up and leave you there.”

Thousands of prisoners groaned as they crawled out and stretched cramped muscles. Alexia looked at the mounds again and saw that many had been sealed. “Where are the guards?” She felt ill. How many had died down here while she had been dining on her favorite foods and sleeping in a plush bed?

“I overheard a Shadule say that every dark servant in the city was expected to be in the arena to see you bow before the Assassin,” Juno said. “So why did you bow anyway? If you knew you were going to stand with us, why did you give him the satisfaction?”

“Because I didn't know I was going to stand with you until I did it.”

“How could you not know?”

“Because I—”

“We don't have time for this.” Josiah placed a hand on Alexia's shoulder, and she nodded. “I'll get this lot out,” he said. “Juno, you take Alexia to the Clear Eyes. We'll meet you up top.”

“What are Clear Eyes?” Alexia asked.

“It's what the Awakened call the animals,” Josiah said, “the ones that have chosen to follow the Author. There are at least twenty thousand in the dungeons below.”

“Benaiah and Adeline, come with us,” Juno said. “Summer, you stay with Josiah. These prisoners are going to need your skills.”

Summer nodded and began walking between the prisoners. As she walked, she spread out her arms. Nothing happened that Alexia could see, but she did notice the nearest prisoners began looking somehow … stronger.

“Are you coming or not?” Juno turned to Alexia.

“I'm coming! I was just … I'm sorry, Juno. I'm coming.” Alexia darted after Juno.

 

Jack clung to the Assassin as they soared high above the City of Shadows. The Assassin spun and flipped, rocketing forward, but Jack held on. Then the Assassin reached back and wrapped his fingers around Jack's neck. Jack gasped as he tried in vain to tear the sweaty hands away.

No!
Darkness formed at the edges of his vision. Then he remembered—and he listened for his note, for the ring of time. Suddenly, Jack and the Assassin rocketed through time, appearing three minutes earlier. They hit the ground, but the Assassin barely noticed the crash landing. He stood and lifted Jack by the neck.

“Nice trick, boy, but your Soulprint will not save you this time!” he snarled.

Jack's vision blurred as he frantically searched for himself.
There!
He met the other Jack's eyes and the other Jack started, then unsheathed Ashandar and dove at the Assassin. At the last second the Assassin dropped Jack and leaped away.

Jack landed on his knees and gasped for breath. As the Assassin rounded on the other Jack, Jack looked himself in the eye and nodded.

“Thank you,” he said.

“No worries.”

“Shall we end this?”

“I'm ready if you are,” the past Jack said fiercely.

Both Jacks felt their blades begin to warm. The Assassin roared. The battle began again.

The Assassin hurled black lightning and torrents of liquid darkness that exploded around them, yet the twin Ashandars deflected the attacks. The Assassin screamed, and as he began to rise, Jack leaped onto his back. Together they flew high into the air—leaving the Jack from the past standing on the ground below.

 

Arthur could barely find the strength to open his eyes. When he did, he saw a world gone mad. He was lying on cold marble in the center of a narrow passage. A few paces on either side of him, fierce battle raged. Andreal roared as he slammed ax and fist into a wall of dark servants. There were so many of the Shadow Souled and the passageway was so narrow that the bodies were piling up. On Arthur's other side, Mrs. Dumphry sent streams of fire into rank after rank of shrieking attackers.

Wild was lying next to him, leaning heavily against the wall. His eyes were closed and he was covered in dried blood. Arthur touched Wild's knee fearfully, hoping he was still alive. Wild's eyes shot open, and in less than a heartbeat, he was kneeling over Arthur with a blade pressed against his throat.