The Guardian Lineage (27 page)

Just then Mike saw a shadow creep past the windows. A chimaera-eye peeked inside. The chim roared with its other head, its voice shaking the building.

“I'll bleed you for this,” Amadeus said, one claw still covering his injured eye. He went over to the door and yanked it open, revealing a short ledge and a drop of five stories down. Then Amadeus drew his sword with his free arm.

Mike cowered in the corner behind Groundhog, hoping to get a moment to think. His telekinesis was worthless. The flame-thing would work, apparently, but it would only keep delaying the inevitable – especially if Amadeus was willing to crash through it again with his sword outstretched. Mike might find himself on the wrong end of a rapier…

“Come here you stupid Guardian, and I'll introduce you to the Chimaera!” Amadeus moved slowly towards the Gargoyles, as if he was afraid Mike would pop out and burn another part of his body. But he had to know Mike was hiding behind them… there just wasn't any other place for him to be… the wind howled in from the outside. Rain started to splatter on the floor. Chimmy roared again, as if waiting by the perch for her next meal.

As Amadeus got close to Yaris, Mike decided to go for broke.

He extended an arm towards the torch on the far end of the wall and made the flame explode. Sure enough, the gargoyle whipped around, allowing Mike to dash from behind Groundhog towards the door. Mike peeked behind him. Amadeus had turned and spotted him. He spread his wings, and roared.

Perfect
.

Mike whirled himself into a corner and shot telekinesis not at Amadeus's body, but at the wind that was blowing in from the outside. Together with the force of Amadeus's own forward motion, the gargoyle was gusted straight towards the open vault-door.

“Aaaaaaargh!” Amadeus beat his wings in the opposite direction, trying to keep himself inside the castle, but that only gave Mike more force to work with.

Then, with one hand, Mike telekinetically grabbed Amadeus's sword, which was being held loosely in his right hand. The sword came free. Mike guided the blade around, then plunged it into Amadeus's chest.

The gargoyle screamed in fury.

Without a drop of remorse, Mike shoved the rebellious gargoyle out the door and into the thunderstorm.

Amadeus's screams died on the wind as Mike slammed the door shut.

Through the windowpane in the door Mike could see the Chimaera's two heads fighting over scraps of Amadeus's flesh.

The three conscious Gargoyles whooped it up, congratulating Mike on his victory. But Mike would hear none of it.

“How do we free him?” Mike gestured to Jakkus's eyes. Then he grabbed the keys that had previously been hanging by Amadeus's stool and went to work on Groundhog's chains.

“Dementae controls him,” Nukes said as Groundhog's chains lifted. “He's used us as gladiators, for sport, when he was bored. Jakkus killed three Gargoyles with his bare hands.” Nukes nudged a head at the empty chains.

Groundhog's feet hit the floor. He whipped open his leathery wings, stretching them as if he hadn't moved them in days. Then he roared at the ceiling, his eyes blood red and angry…

Mike said, “But there are more than three sets of chains. What happened to the others?”

For a moment, nobody said anything. Nukes looked down, as if he didn't want to say it.

But Mike had already guessed, from the looks of the door and the ledge that led outside.

“You mean he fed Gargoyles to the Chim?”

Nukes nodded, still looking at the floor.

“Wow.” Mike shook his head as he pulled over the stool and attacked Yaris's chains.
Man, this guy Dementae has something coming to him…

Yaris snarled as his feet hit the floor. He drew his sword quickly, and also unleashed his wings. “Dementae will pay for his sins, I swear it.” Then he ran out the door, stepping over the dead Guardian, wings outstretched and sword ready to hew.

“Hey, wait up!” Groundhog ran after him, and Nukes followed soon after.

Mike was left alone with Jakkus. Mike stared into empty eyes, then back at the dead Guardian, whose feet were sticking into the room. A terrible sadness flushed him. So much death, so much destruction… and for what? For
what
?

“I'll be back to get you, big guy.” Mike patted Jakkus's arm, then ran out to join his brothers in battle.

 

 

Mike found the Dining Hall quite different than before. The roar of battle was still deafening, but Mike could see two types of battles being waged, each sectioned off into their own half of the room. Towards Dementae's laboratory fought Brethren and Guardians, with Stockton and Dementae resuming their staggering display of fireworks. Slayers and Vampires fought on the opposite end, as if hesitant to get involved with magical warfare. Mike had no idea where the gargoyles were, but he assumed they were in some other area of the castle, hopefully freeing the remnants of their clan.

For the time being, Mike was alone, and he had a moment to think. How were they going to defeat Dementae? If he could only be killed by slicing through his freaking Kevlar vest, what in the world was strong enough to do that…

Suddenly, Mike's eyes lit up. He had a plan.

But first he had to make sure his mother would survive it.

Mike slid his gaze around the room. He needed a diversion… from someone he could trust completely… he prayed she was here, and still alive…

There.

Mike ran over to the northern corner before he could consider how insanely dangerous this was. Laura was engaged with a vampire, trading body blows, trying her hardest to stick a peg in the guy's chest. Mike ran over and, from behind, shoved the creature to the floor. Laura stabbed quickly downwards and drove a stake through the creature's heart.

“Mike?”

“Listen, I need your help.”

Laura brushed the sweat-soaked hair out of her face. “I didn't see you, and I thought, you know…” Her eyes were large with worry. A line of blood dripped from her cheek. She looked exhausted.

“Forget it.” Mike outlined his plan as quickly as he could. He could see Laura's disapproval on her face. But she didn't have to agree with it. She only had to do it.

“So you'll do it for me?”

Laura hesitated. “Yeah, I'll do it.”

“Great – trust me, you'll be fine. Follow my lead.” Mike raced towards the front of the room, blasting a black-robed woman out of the way. He ducked underneath a vampire but did not kill it. A different vampire grabbed Mike from behind, but Mike shrugged him off and telekinised him across the room.

“Come on, Morningster, I'm right here!” Electric orbs flew to Mike's hands, then in Dementae's direction. Dementae put up a hand and the orbs dissipated into thin air.

“A death wish, boy, is not something to get fond of!” Dementae hurled an Aneksham in Mike's direction. Mike threw up a shield and kept running, somersaulting on the ground, jumping over fallen chairs, anything to keep Dementae's attention. The Aneksham flew past him and deposited itself in the wall, eating away the stone in seconds.

Mike looked over his shoulder, wondering where Laura was…

There
. She had detached herself from the battle and picked her way carefully to the magical side, where she was creeping up on him.

Quick as anything, she unleashed two ninja-stars from a pouch on her hip. They caught Dementae square on the back. Dementae roared and turned to see who had dared attacked him with non-magical means. But before his eyes could pick out Laura speeding in the other direction, Mike threw out a hand and grabbed the Amp from around his neck. Distracted, Dementae failed to block the charm, and the opal came free.

“No!” Dementae reached for the necklace as it flew through the air. It landed in Mike's outstretched hand.

“Finders keepers,” Mike muttered, dashing into the laboratory.

Cassandra and Steph were still there, both unconscious. Sepulchra, on the other hand, was standing still, a robot, as if she was waiting for instructions.

“Mom!” Mike said, running over and waving the amulet in her face. “It's me, Mike, I have the Amp!”

But his mom's face did not register. She stood silently, like a manikin in a store window.

Just then Dementae crashed through one of the doors. Not looking for Mike, but tangled with Stockton, who had apparently charged the Brethren leader and tackled him through the doorway. The two rolled around on the floor, weaponry flying aimlessly off their hands, each trying to land a killing stroke.

Now Mike's plan got hazy. He had wrestled the Amp from Dementae, assuming that would free his mom. But it hadn't. She remained in a stupor, just as before…

Unless…

Mike slipped on the necklace and touched the stone.
Mom, I command you to help Stockton kill Dementae.

Sepulchra's eyes flickered, as if someone had turned on the power. She ran towards the fray and fired spells at Dementae. A two-sided front was more than Dementae could handle, and Mom's spells hit their mark. Dementae recoiled as if someone had whipped him across the back.

All of a sudden, Mike felt drained. As if it was his power that was fighting Dementae.

I was right, that's how it works… get a shield up, Mom, you don't have to go all offense on him.

He stumbled as one of Dementae's attacks hit his Mom's newly-formed shield.

This can't go on forever…

But maybe it didn't have to.

Dementae was up now, somehow on his feet, with Stockton and Sepulchra fighting side by side to vanquish him. He released spells at a furious rate.

Mike charged and joined the fight. He fired telekinesis as hard as he could. Mike figured he probably couldn't hurt the Brethren leader, but by giving him one more attack to deflect, maybe Stockton could land a shot or two…

Apparently, Dementae went through the same calculation. He looked to both doors, one leading into the Dining Hall and one outside the castle, as if deciding which would offer him more protection. Then he turned and fled outside, into the pouring rain and the comfort of his own pet dragon.

Sepulchra and Stockton charged after him, and Mike could not resist the temptation to follow. As soon as he exited the castle, wind and rain crashed into him, a maelstrom slamming in the face. He could vaguely make out the bursts of green and blue light as the warriors continued their battle. The Chimaera was much more noticeable as she hovered above the battlefield.

Dementae screamed something that was lost on the howling wind. He looked at Chimmy and pointed to the Guardians. But she didn't move. She kept herself aloft, beating her wings intensely, taking in the scene from a good hundred feet in the air, flames coming out her nostrils at every breath. Dementae screamed again, pointing incessantly at the Guardians, who for some reason had ceased their attack and were merely watching the Chimaera, as if they had never seen anything like it in their lives. They probably hadn't, Mike thought.

Then a stroke of realization appeared on Dementae's face. He instinctively reached for where the Amp had been on his chest.

Mike looked down at the stolen necklace, and he understood.

The Amp controlled the chimaera.

Well, this is an unforeseen advantage.

Dementae stared at Mike with intense hatred, as if he knew what was coming next. He screamed something that was lost on the wailing wind. Mike placed his index finger on the opal and thought,
Bite Dementae's heart, Chimmy.

Immediately the chimaera sprung into action. Dementae fired desperate green flames at the two-headed dragon, which swooped in at incredible speed. The flames connected with one head, creating a brilliant explosion on the chimaera's skin, but the other head was free to act as it pleased. Chimmy lunged for Dementae, and as her jaws collapsed around his body, the leader of the Black Brethren burst into ash.

 

 

Mike turned immediately to his mom, expecting her to snap out of it. But she appeared to have returned to her catatonic state. He rushed over to the Magus.“How do we get her out of this?” he yelled over the roar of the storm.

Stockton pointed at Dementae's Amp. “Destroy it,” he said, and reached for the Amp.

“Wait.” Mike touched the stone and looked up at the chimaera.

Listen, uh, Chimmy – it's best if you get out of here. If you go towards Scotland, there's a lake called Loch Ness, you might find some company up there. No promises, though.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the chimaera roared with both heads, turned, and flapped its wings up into the air.

Mike watched the chimaera go. The rain was so thick that it obscured his vision, and before long the chimaera was gone.

“Do you know how to break this thing?” Mike removed the necklace and handed it to Stockton.

“Nothing magical about it.” Stockton took the amp by the strap and slammed it against a rock. The opal burst into a million pieces.

Immediately Sepulchra collapsed, as if she had been hit over the head with a club. Mike and Stockton ran to her side, each kneeling beside her. Mom lifted her head slowly. She wiped the dripping hair out of her eyes.

“Where am I?” She looked concussed, as if she didn't remember what had happened for the past month.

“Outside Chateau de Vincennes,” Stockton said. “It's a long story, we'll tell it inside.”

All of a sudden, Mike jumped up and grabbed the Magus by the shoulder. “Steph – you have to help her!”

Stockton's eyes went alert, as if he had also just remembered. “Take care of your mother,” he said, and ran back into the Greeting Hall.

Mike threw his mom's arm over his shoulder. They moved slowly, gradually, until they worked their way inside, out of the rain. When they got inside, Stockton was kneeling next to Steph, eyes closed, his mouth muttering spells.

“I have to go help the others,” Mike said as he rested his mom on one of the staircases. She nodded at him, a tired smile spread across her mouth.

Mike tore into the Dining Hall, ready for a fight. Instead, he found Slayers and Guardians standing around, helping the wounded, tending to the injured. Shocked at the utter reversal of events, Mike found the nearest Guardian and asked, “What happened?”

“Everybody split,” the boy answered, who was at least half a foot shorter than Mike. “Out of nowhere, the Brethren all stopped fighting, holding their heads, like they'd all been hit with lightning or something. Then everybody turned and ran.”

Mike said, “You didn't follow them?”

The boy raised an eyebrow. “I think most of us were kind of happy just to be alive.”

And the kid was right. Wasn't that the bottom line in any war? Surveying the landscape, Mike had to think it was. There were tons of bodies lying on the floor. Some were dressed in black robes, some in Guardian leather. But most of the dead appeared to be Slayers, or at least incapacitated Vampires. Mike noticed some of the Slayers walking amongst the bodies, staking a few of them in the heart even though their heads had been decapitated. And of course the ashes; they were everywhere, littering the room as if a dump truck had emptied its contents in front of a snow blower.

Mike breathed a huge sigh of relief as he spotted Laura tending to one of the injured Slayers. He stood there, his gaze fixed on her, until she looked up. Their eyes met, and Mike found himself running over to her. He wrapped her in an emotional embrace. Then she grabbed his face in her hands, pulled him close, and kissed him.

Hard.

“Um…” Mike stuttered after she pulled away. “What about the no-kissing-in-public thing?”

Laura smiled, her cheeks flushed a little. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

Mike felt the heat rising in his ears. He stared into her eyes. Blue, weary. And gorgeous.

“I owe you for your help back there,” Mike said, dropping his arms so that he could hold her hand in his. “I know what you were thinking.”

“That Dementae would kill me on the spot? I'll admit, it crossed my mind.”

Mike tugged at his sopping clothes. “How did you guys end up here, anyway?”

“We pegged Cassandra as the Brethren spy. When she left abruptly, her tail followed her to the airport. We assembled the team and headed out.” Laura rubbed her eyes. “Haven't slept in forever.”

“You guys are going to need a new leader. You up for the job?”

“I dunno.” Laura turned away, a sudden look about her. “Listen. I'm going to go check on the others, to see if I can help. Can we… talk later?”

“I'd like that.”

Laura left her hand in Mike's for an extra moment. She tickled his palm with her thumb, then smiled as she left.

Only after Stockton called “Prior!” did Mike realize he was staring straight ahead, an enormous grin on his face.

“Coming, Magus!” Mike hurried over to his professor, who was resting against one of the wooden doors. It looked like he'd aged a week.

“She'll survive.”

At first Mike didn't know who he was talking about. Then he realized.
Steph
. A warmth washed over him. He ran into the makeshift laboratory, where Steph was sitting up, holding her left arm, being treated by one of the Guardian healers. As they made eye contact, Steph smiled weakly at him.

“I guess we made it,” Mike said as he crouched down.

“I guess we did,” She was alarmingly pale, but at least she was alive.

“Stockton took out the Aneksham?”

Steph only nodded.

“You know, when Dementae hit you with that green energy…”

Steph grimaced as the healer did something to her stomach, near where the Ankesham had taken root. “I know. I think Stockton blocked it somewhat. I don't know how, but I think he redirected the attack before it hit me.”

Mike smiled. “The guy fights pretty good, huh.”

“So do you.”

Mike blushed.

Then Steph reached out with her uninjured arm and softly grabbed the back of his neck. She pulled him close to him, and kissed him.

“Thank you. For putting up with me.”

Mike, again, had a crazy sense of déjà vu. In a good way.

“Um, anytime?”

Steph laughed, and for the first time, Mike realized how conflicted he felt about her. He realized he had tried to lock Laura out of his mind since the mission to Central Park – it was too painful for him to think about her, after all – and as such, he had slowly, over the past week, opened himself up to new possibilities. Not that he was running after Steph, but Mike realized for the first time that he really liked her. More than just a little.

Except now, Laura was back in the picture.

Sort of, maybe, possibly.

Hopefully
?

If the whole animosity between Guardians and Slayers lessened, and if he could go see her, and if he could get her an Amp, or maybe they would start allowing cellphone service at Windham… maybe Mike could borrow a car once in a while…

But then, on the other hand, there was Steph, who was at Windham full time, who he could see literally every day, and she could relate to everything he'd been going through…

Ugh,
Mike thought
. This is going to drive me nuts.
He'd have to think about what he really wanted, but for now, all he knew was that he didn't want the headache of a two-faced relationship, especially after the past few days of insanity.

He stayed with Steph for another minute, then headed back into the Dining Hall, looking for Julius Brutus, and to a lesser extent, Annabella. He spied the two of them talking in a corner, along with several other Guardians, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Then Mike saw several creatures swoop into the Dining Room. It was a total of seven Gargoyles, led by Jakkus, Groundhog, Yaris, and Nukes. They had signs of battle about them – open wounds, slashed clothing, broken swords. But they looked proud, upright, weary. Jakkus landed near Stockton.

“Magus! It is good to stretch my wings again, and it is even better to see you. Where is the Headmage?”

Mike clapped a hand on his forehead. He had totally forgot about Garzan!

“Does anyone have an Amp?” he called out, looking around.

After a minute, Professor Punn came running up, her thin hands clutching a bunch of opal necklaces. “I found them in one of the rooms upstairs,” she explained, taking one for herself, giving one to Stockton and one to Mike.

Fumbling with his Amp, Mike corralled it between his fingers and searched out in his mind for Alexis. Professor Punn distributed the Amps to the other teachers, while the remaining Guardians watched him with eager looks on their faces.

Alexis? Come on, if you're alive, answer me…

But Mike heard nothing.

Alexis? You there? How's Garzan?

Silence.

“I can't get Alexis on any frequency.”

Stockton said, “Alexis? Alexis Jackson? Why are you contacting her, is she hurt?”

Annabella came up to the Magus, a grim look on her face. “Garzan had an Aneksham. We left him with Alexis, but we couldn't contact her after the vampire raid on Windham.”

Stockton was slow to respond, as if he couldn't process the information. “Garzan… an Aneksham? But that's impossible…”

Mike blocked out the conversation, trying to focus on Alexis. Maybe he had forgotten what she looked like… or maybe because he didn't know where she was, he couldn't reach her… the obvious possibility occurred to him, but he didn't want to think about that... not just yet…

Annabella shook her head. “We found him after we got back from Blackrock Castle. He was in his office. Mike's mom diagnosed him.”

Stockton shivered, his face visibly pale. “But he knew the counterspell… he would've blocked it before it entered his body…”

Mike?

Mike said, “Quiet, all of you!”
Alexis?

Oh, Mike, thank heavens! Where is everybody, is everyone okay?

Yeah, we're fine, long story – where are you? Are you hurt?

There was a pause on Alexis's side.
I hid in the basement, in the portal room. Is there anyone still in the Manor?

I don't know, I'm not there right now. How's Garzan doing?

Alexis didn't respond.

Alexis?

There was still no answer. Mike felt his skin prickle as the seconds ticked by…

Alexis, are you okay? How's Garzan doing?

Then Mike heard the faintest of sounds. Almost a soft, sniffling noise…

Mike, it was so strong… I couldn't…

The color drained from Mike's face. Stockton must've noticed it, too, because his eyes went wide.

Alexis, I need you to tell me – how is the Headmage?

A pause, then a sniffle. And a long blow into a Kleenex.

The Headmage… he's
dead, Mike.