Sorcerer's Secret (19 page)

It didn't help that Soka felt like she was running through mud, forcing herself to push forward. Rory passed her, his face in agony as he pushed himself to move faster. A group of shadow men reached out to grab him and he kicked them away, reaching down to grab an ax on the fly. The package still tucked under his arm, he flailed the ax around one-handed, trying to clear a path.

“He's like the Terminator!” Bridget gasped at Soka's side. But then a shadow man ducked, letting the ax swing wildly above his head, before reaching for Rory's throat. A thwack sounded through the air as an arrow appeared in the man's chest, driving him back. Soka lowered her bow.

“Even Terminators need help,” she said, and ran to catch up with Rory. Soon she was firing arrows left and right as she ran, even as Fritz continued to toss firecrackers. There were just too many of them. Bridget began throwing rocks at the scores of attackers, but she couldn't keep up—for each man struck, three took his place. They reached the shaft, and Soka gasped. The ladder was completely surrounded by shadow men. How were they going to get past them all?

“We're trapped!” Fritz exclaimed.

“No!” Bridget cried. She held her sword up high. “Ready, Buttkicker 2? Time to deal some justice!”

With that, she ran toward the ladder, blindly whacking at the group of shadow men before running into them headlong and toppling them like bowling pins. The shadow men recovered quickly, trying to stop the dynamo in their midst. But Bridget was like a girl possessed, and she beat back everyone in her way, opening up a passage to the ladder.

Soka ran up to Rory, grabbing his arm even as Fritz kept the shadow men around them at bay with his firecrackers.

“Come on!” she cried. “Your sister is clearing the way!” Together, they ran for the ladder. Bridget continued her battle, smacking any shadow man who came too close. One of her fingers was bent back unnaturally and some of her hair littered the floor. But Bridget smiled proudly.

“I'm a superhero!” she cried before smacking another shadow man in the face. She looked so happy that Soka feared she'd never be satisfied as a simple mortal again. She pushed Rory to the ladder, turning to send more arrows flying into the seemingly endless army of shadow men. Even close up, she couldn't make out their faces—they were only sweaty bodies in dirt-streaked clothes. But she knew what would happen if they got too close.

“Bridget,” she called out. “Time to go!” Bridget kicked at the large group of shadow men before climbing up the ladder. Soka turned to send another arrow into the mass of shadow men that now completely surrounded her.

“Come on!” Rory screamed from above her, and Soka spun, leaping halfway up the ladder and starting to climb. A hand reached out to grab her ankle and for a horrifying moment she was certain she was about to be pulled down into the mob. But Fritz sent one more firecracker down the ladder, knocking the hand clear off and freeing her to climb.

It seemed to take forever to make her way up the shaft in the dark. But finally she spied the yellow light of the trapdoor. With a relieved sigh, she pulled herself into the air lock. But her relief was short-lived as Fritz looked down through the trapdoor.

“They're coming!” he warned them, sending another firecracker down the hole. “That didn't even faze them. We've got to close this trapdoor!”

Bridget sprang forward, yanking down the trapdoor just as hands appeared in the opening. She slammed the door down a few times until the hands fell away and she could finally close it. Before they could relax, however, the trapdoor began to shudder, as if someone were beating on it. The hinges began to rattle with each blow.

“The door won't hold for the twenty minutes it takes to decompress,” Fritz said. Soka looked around at the brave battle roach, the loyal paper girl, and the determined Rory Hennessy. She reached out to touch his face.

“Good-bye, Rory,” she said quietly, the fear in her stomach gone. It was time for her to do the protecting. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Be well.”

With that, she turned to the trapdoor, pulled it open, and dropped into the hole.

She landed on top of a mass of shadow men hanging from the ladder like mindless animals. Looking up, she reached for the trapdoor she'd just opened and grabbed it.

“Whatever happens, don't open this door!” she shouted, and then pulled it shut, leaving her in the dark with the shadow men. She kicked down, hard, driving the men away from the trapdoor. She wasn't mortal, so she knew they weren't as keen to take her, but that wouldn't stop them in their killing frenzy. She wouldn't let them pass, however. She refused to let them get to Rory. He would survive, if it took everything she had.

She began to feel warm, and then suddenly she realized she could see a little. Something was lighting her way. The warmth intensified and she was able to make out the faces of the shadow men below her. They were black as soot, eyeless, with red slits for mouths. The light grew brighter and she suddenly knew where it was coming from. It was pouring out of her. All the magic she'd been missing for the past few days flowed through her again, only this time it was tenfold as strong. The light grew blinding as the power flowed through her and she suddenly felt the earth surrounding her. She was a part of the land that gave her strength. Her mouth opened to say the words and she dropped like a burning stone into the mass of attacking shadow men, exploding like a sun melting everything in its path . . .

R
ory stood frozen, staring helplessly at the trapdoor Soka had just dropped through. He felt like someone had kicked him in the gut. What was she thinking? She'd pulled the door shut before he could stop her. He fell to his knees by the door, reaching out to grab it.

“Don't touch that!” Fritz yelled. “Don't waste her sacrifice!” Fritz ordered Bridget to turn the wheel on the wall, which she did, and the air began to hiss. The gauge dipped lower and lower, but with painful slowness.

“And now we wait,” Fritz said, pulling off his helmet. He looked devastated, and Bridget fell into the corner, sobbing her dry tears. Then, suddenly, the ground began to shake. Rory had to reach out to steady himself as dirt fell on them all from the ceiling. Finally, the rumbling ceased, leaving them all looking to one another in confusion.

“Was that an earthquake?” Fritz asked. He placed his hand on the trapdoor, pulling it back with a gasp. “That's hot!”

Rory held his hand above the trapdoor, which indeed radiated heat. “What did she do?” he muttered.

“I don't know,” Fritz said. “But whatever it was, it sounds like the shadow men have been beaten back.”

Bridget collapsed in a new wave of crying, and Rory reached out to give her a hug. She fell into him, clinging to him as she sobbed. Finally, her crying slowed, and Rory leaned back against the wall, exhausted and heartbroken.

Time passed, so slowly, and they didn't speak. They were in too much pain. Rory didn't even bother to pull out the package Soka had sacrificed herself for. It hurt too much. Finally, the gauge hit zero. Fritz crawled over to Rory and climbed into his shirt pocket. “Time's up,” he said gently. “Let's go.” Forcing down his tears, Rory pulled down the trapdoor and climbed up the ladder. Clarence was waiting for them, and Fritz hopped aboard his rat steed, leading the way back up the stairs. The climb up seemed much longer than the descent. Their steps were heavier with their loss. Rory kept visualizing Soka's face before she left. He could still feel her lips on his cheek. It had sent his heart racing. But then she was gone.

They reached the top of the stairs and stepped out onto the bridge. The sun had set, but the beautiful lights of New York City lit up the sky in every direction. And all Rory could think was that Soka would never see these lights again. She'd just begun to live her life outside of the Trap, and now it was over. He'd never see her again.

He walked over to the rail, where he had watched Soka gazing with wonder at the Manhattan skyline. He would remember that look on her face, so beautiful in her delight. He would remember it always.

A commotion drew his attention behind him, and to his shock a blackened figure stumbled out of the door cut into the bridge tower. At first Rory thought it was one of the shadow men, braving the world above to drag him back down to hell. But then he saw the braid, still smoldering. He took a hesitant step forward.

“Soka?” he said, wonder coloring his voice. “Is that you?”

“You're all right?” Soka croaked back. Her clothes were black, is if she'd been in a great fire. Bridget ran to her, but Soka only had eyes for Rory.

“We're fine,” Rory said. Tears rose to his eyes as the dam broke inside. “I thought you were dead! I thought—”

“Shut up!” Soka said, striding up to him, wiping her face clean with the back of her hand. She grabbed the back of his head, pulled him toward her, and kissed the life out of him. His heart pounded so hard he thought it would explode, then she finally let go, the tears sending streaks through her soot covered cheeks.

“That was awesome!” Bridget's voice cried from somewhere behind them, but Rory didn't look. He only had eyes for Soka as the pain melted away.

A
lexa crept down the alley, keeping to the wall. Her path was filled with moaning bodies, dead or dying. The worst part was that she knew them. These were her former friends and enemies. These were the children of the gods.

She'd heard there'd been a big fight among the children, caused by a large haul of lockets one crew had obtained. Nicholas advised her not to go, but she had to see the aftermath for herself. Now she wished she hadn't.

“Alexa?” a voice moaned near her feet. Glancing down, she spied Teddy Twiller lying against the wall. His face was pale and his shirt was covered in blood. Alexa could tell right away that he wasn't going to make it.

“Teddy,” she said, kneeling down by his side. “What happened?”

“We thought everything would be wonderful when we became gods,” Teddy breathed, barely able to talk. “But there weren't enough lockets for everyone. So Lola Greeley stabbed Martha in the back to take her locket, and then Freddie Clinton killed her, and then everyone was killing everyone else. Randolph is dead, too. I think Hedy Barnum got him, or maybe her sister. I didn't even know who stabbed me, but he got his before he could take this beauty. Look!” He pulled a bloodstained locket from under his shirt. “I'm a god, Alexa! The God of Broken Traffic Lights. I did it. I made something of myself. Finally, I'm somebody. I'm somebody . . .” And with that, Teddy Twiller died.

Alexa knelt there for a while, head bowed, until the locket crumbled away into nothing.

R
ory and Soka were still standing with their arms around each other atop the great bridge when a wagon came racing toward them from the Brooklyn side. Whitman was driving, and he stood up when he saw them.

“Quick! Get in the wagon! We've got to get you off the bridge!”

They ran over to him, leaping into the back. Rory reached down to lift up Fritz and Clarence before climbing in himself. Whitman turned and sprayed something all over them.

“What was that!” Rory said, spitting out the foul-tasting stuff.

“Bug spray,” Whitman replied. “We've gotten word from a spy in Kieft's camp that they're using flies to spy. And by the looks of those dead insects at your feet, we just took care of any that might be on you. Kieft already knows you're in Breuckelen, though. He's sent some of his local goons out to nab you. And I don't know what you did down there, but we all felt it, so they're probably on their way. Colonel Smallwood and Colonel Wood are guarding the entrance to the bridge, so hopefully the way is clear. Don't worry, I have a plan to get you out of Breuckelen and on your way.”