Arcane Inc.: Books 1-4 (Arcane Inc. Box Set), page 48
“What’s your point?” Ashley asked impatiently.
“I can use the lights to take the power and then the doors won’t be able to move,” I said. Without waiting for her approval I thrust my hand into one of the lights and channeled the magic into me. Barbichu had not been expecting someone like me to visit his little corner of the world and therefore had not protected the power against my unique ability to siphon magic. I managed to get a hold on it easily and began sucking. Something was stopping me though. I could feel it like a set of teeth clinging onto the magic and stopping me from taking it. That was fine, I didn’t need to take it. I pulled as hard as I could and then all at once I withdrew my hand. The magic shot back into the building and there was a humungous cracking noise. The hallway was plunged into darkness.
“Eddie?” Ashley whispered in my ear.
“Wait,” I whispered back. I don’t know why we were whispering. A second later the orbs flicked back on. The hallway looked the same only with one small difference. When I’d withdrawn my hand and let go of the magic it had caused the moving-door spell to short circuit. They were no longer there. The magic had blown them right off the walls and now there was a large gap where they had previously stood.
Barbichu’s silence told me just how pissed off he was now. I climbed to my feet and walked side by side with Ashley through the entrance to the main hall.
29
The main hall was a vast stone room with pillars reaching up to the ceiling which towered hundreds of feet above us. The walls were decorated with thousands of things that looked like old and decayed bones. I was fairly certain they looked like bones because they were in fact bones. The only item of furniture was a large wooden throne at the head of the roman behind it a purple velvet curtain which I assumed concealed the doors to Barbichu’s private rooms. We did not need to use it though because Barbichu was standing in the middle of the room scowling at me with loathing. It made me happy to see him pissed off.
“That was an impressive trick, Eddie. Where did you learn it?” he growled.
“It’s a natural talent,” I replied and walked towards him. Ashley stayed firmly by my side, not wanting to miss any of the action. Barbichu looked at her and smiled.
“I can see that murderous glint now. It’s stronger than I thought. I wonder, if I did give you your cousin now would you leave without trying to kill me?” he said.
“Not a chance in hell,” said Ashley. She flung her hand forward and sent some sort of curse at the imp. He vanished before it reached him and reappeared at the back of the room.
“That’s what I thought,” he said and giggled. “Two more to add to my collection.” He waved his hand at the walls confirming my suspicions. Then he returned the attack. Ashley was unable to teleport but she did manage to get her shield up just in time. The imp’s magic sizzled out on her shield and then both Ashley and I ran forward hurling magical attacks back at him. He teleported out of the way and then threw attacks back which we either blocked or rebounded. This sequence went on for a while with us growing more and more tired and him getting more and more annoyed. Unless we could get him to stop teleporting we were unlikely to make any progress.
“He’s trying to tire us out,” Ashley said whilst panting. It was clearly working.
“Yep. I noticed,” I said.
Barbichu touched his fingers lightly to the floor and the stone liquefied. The effect rippled out across the whole room until it reached us. Our shields did nothing to prevent it.
“What did—” Ashley started but the effects spoke for themselves. Our feet suddenly slipped into the floor like it was quicksand. I tried to lift mine out but the more I moved the faster it dragged me down. It had me to my knees before I realised that.
“I could let you leave right now if you promised never to come after me again,” Barbichu offered. “But we all know you wouldn’t stick to it. I could even give you Leah. After all I am done with her now.”
“What?” Ashley gasped, all colour draining from her face.
“Relax Bashley. I only needed a drop of her blood. The curse shattered like a cheap mirror,” he said and laughed. “I’m no longer dying! Of course I can’t give her to you because I really want to punish her for the sins of her grandmother. Petty, I know, but I’m a petty guy.”
As he prattled on I realised that Panomie was right. We did have the power to beat him and he knew it. Why else would he try to keep us from reaching him? Why else would he offer to let us leave? If he could beat us as easily as he said then he would have done it already. I planted my hands into the floor and concentrated. I poured my magic into it until it clashed with his and the struggle began. He stopped moving and stared right at me, the shock of what was happening hitting him hard. He wasn’t realising that I was powerful enough to beat him, he was realising that I’d figured it out. Just as he was about to say something I won the struggle and he was knocked onto his arse. The floor spat me and Ashley out like we tasted vile and we landed face down. Barbichu rolled over onto his front and looked up at the same time as I did. Our eyes met and we both knew what the other was thinking. Attack. Both our hands rose at the same time. I didn’t even think of a spell but somehow I matched his. Dark purple lightning shot from his hand and green lightning came from mine. They collided in between us and sparks flew off all over the room. Ashley pulled herself up but didn’t attempt to join in. She knew she’d only complicate things and I doubted she knew the spell. Hell, I didn’t even know the spell I was casting. I rose to my feet at the same time as the imp did and we both held the spell strong. The spell was literally zapping the magic out of me, it wouldn’t take long before it depleted my power. I could tell that Barbichu was struggling to maintain it to. His eyes were narrowed in concentration and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. To think that I’d had all this power in my possession the whole time and never thought to use it. There was no way this was going back in the box. I was keeping it forever. The things I could do with this. Before I would never have been able to defeat an imp. But now. Well, now I wasn’t just going to defeat him. I was going to slaughter him. I was going to peel his skin off whilst he was still alive. He’d be unable to move but I’d make sure he still felt everything.
“That’s it, Eddie!” he yelled above the crackling of our spells. “Let that darkness consume you. I can see it controlling you. I can feel it pulsing inside you! If you kill me it will take control and you’ll never control it again!” He laughed maniacally. He was right and I knew it. I looked at Ashley and saw the conflict on her face. She wanted so badly for me to not give in to the darkness but she wanted me to finish off Barbichu just as much. I realised I was being distracted too late. My lightning burst apart and his shot straight at me. I brought up a shield but the purple lightning shattered it and I let out a high-pitched shriek as the spell hit me and sent me crashing into the throne that sat behind me. The throne didn’t break but it didn’t break my fall either. It really fucking hurt. I was pretty sure that something had broken. I couldn’t breath. I couldn’t move. I knew I was lucky to be alive, if I hadn’t managed to get that shield up then I’d have been hit with the full force of his spell. Luckily, I’d managed to weaken it.
Barbichu appeared directly in front of me, grinning maliciously. “Humans. So easy to distract eh? That’s your big problem: stupidity. That darkness really is something. It’ll be a shame to lose it but alas, I have to kill you.” I saw Ashley pull the iron dagger out of her boot but she was too far away to use it.
“Do you know your problem?” I asked, still recovering from the blast.
“Go on then, tell me. Last words and all that.” He leaned in close. “Is it my rugged good looks?” he whispered.
I laughed. “No it’s not you ugly little fuck. Pride. You’re so sure I can’t beat you that you’ve got dangerously close to me.” I did consider trying to steal his powers but the chance he’d teleport was too great so I decided to attack instead. I shoved my hand into his chest and blasted him with as much magic as I could muster. I was still a little depleted after the lightning struggle. I had enough though. He yelped higher than I had as my spell flung him across the room like a rag doll. He hit the floor and I heard several cracks literally echoing off the walls. Surprisingly he didn’t stay down. He didn’t get up either. He made it to his knees before Ashley pushed the tip of the blade into the back of his neck.
“I’d stay down if I was you,” she snarled.
I pulled myself up and limped over to them. I took my time. It wasn’t like I needed to hurry. As my magic replenished itself I began to heal and by the time I reached them my limp was gone. “You know this is it now. She’s going to kill you. Do you have any last words?” I said. He’d given me the opportunity so it was only fair to return the favour.
“I can get rid of that darkness, Eddie. If you let me live,” he offered.
“Tempting,” I replied. “But I’d rather see you dead.” I already had a cure in mind.
“Answer me one question. Satiate my curiosity,” he said.
“Alright.” I could appreciate curiosity.
“How did you get here?” he asked in genuine wonder.
“Mr Panomie brought us.” I enjoy the shocked look on his face. No longer so self-assured. “After he explained that you used his son to get him to take all those children he was only too happy to help us stop you.”
“Where is he?” Barbichu asked. I did not like the look on his face. It’s the same a look a person might have when they realise they have the winning card in poker.
“Went to get the children.”
“Oh, Eddie. I killed his son the moment I released him from my service. Couldn’t risk a family vendetta and all. And when he finds out he’s going to kill the children left in the cages to get back at me. He doesn’t know that I don’t need them anymore.”
“He wouldn’t…” I muttered. We had a deal.
“Oh, he would. I only needed a drop of blood remember. What do you think happened to all those children after I’d finished sampling their blood? I gave them to Panomie. Children are a very delicious dish to gnomes.”
“No!” Ashley screamed. She didn’t think, she just turned and ran for the door. I saw that horrid little smile on Barbichu’s face just seconds before he vanished. Then I took off after Ashley.
30
The hallways seemed much shorter on the return journey. I chased Ashley back to the fork where we’d split from Panomie and then ran with her towards the cages. I only hoped there weren’t more forks up ahead.
“Do you really want to go charging in like this?” I panted. “We should probably prepare first.”
“My cousin’s in danger. We don’t have time,” she said. She was barely out of breath at all and it made me feel incredibly unfit.
We came to a metal door which despite me slamming my full body into it would not open.
“Panomie said humans can’t get in or out,” said Ashley running her hands through her hair.
“He did. But I think it’s predominantly designed to keep humans in and human children at that. Barbichu probably never thought fully-fledged sorcerers would end up here,” I said as I prepared a spell. I released my magic at the door and blasted it clean off its hinges. Inside was a long room lined either side with square cages, old and rusted. There were only three children inside. The Lilac girl, some other girl and Leah who was currently struggling to get out of Panomie’s grip. His big monstrous hands were gripping her shoulders and his mouth was wide open revealing those horribly weird teeth that twisted around in his mouth. It was amazing how far he could stretch his jaw. I had no doubt that he could bite off Leah’s head in one chomp. But I really didn’t want that to happen. Neither did Ashley.
“No!” she screamed as she charged into him. She slammed him into the wall and he let out a little oof noise. Leah ran straight to me. I knelt down and caught her as she dove into my arms, instinctively wrapping my arms around her.
“It’s okay, relax. You’re safe now,” I said as she sobbed.
Ashley came flying my way. I was unable to catch her but I did manage to put up a shield to stop her journey not that it spared her any pain. She hit the shield and fell to the floor.
“He killed my son,” Panomie said in a low guttural tone.
“Yes I know,” I replied. “But killing these children isn’t going to help is it?”
“Barbichu doesn’t even need them anymore you won’t be hurting him at all,” said Ashley.
“You morons didn’t finish the job did you?” he asked. Our silence was all the answer he needed. “You were supposed to kill him!” he screamed in anguish.
“He got away,” I explained.
“You were supposed to save Leah not eat her!” Ashley said accusingly. She had a point, not that Panomie even seemed to have heard her. I could tell he was going to attack again and put Leah down behind us. She didn’t want to let go of me but I managed to prise myself away.
“You didn’t kill the imp who killed my son and I know I can’t. I can kill you though,” said Panomie. He pointed with both hands at the cages either side of us. The doors creaked and cracked as the hinges broke and they came colliding with us hard. My door slammed me up against the bars of another cage and began burning into my flesh as the door fused itself with the bars behind me, pinning me in place. I screamed out from the pain and tried feebly to fight against it. The pain wasn’t stopping me from being able to concentrate enough to counter the spell. Ashley’s door pinned to the floor.
“You’ve been nothing but a pain in my teeth,” Panomie said as he glared at me. Ashley, who was on the floor, tried to stand up but the door on top of her forced her back down again. “I’m going to make you feel the pain I feel. It might not bring my son back but it will at least ease my suffering a minuscule amount.”
“Stop it. If you have a problem with me then take it out on me. Not her!” I yelled. The metal was no longer burning me but I was completely locked in place. I concentrated on freeing myself. It took a bit of time but I saw the metal starting to melt again. Once again it burned my flesh but because this time it was my own magic causing it, I was able to alleviate the pain.
“I am taking it out on you. Why couldn’t you just kill him?” Panomie asked. He took a fist full of Ashley’s hair and pulled her head up. She shrieked and I had to turn away.
“None of this is my fault, Panomie! Don’t blame me because you failed as a father!” The words that left my mouth were not the ones I should have said, nor were they the ones I wanted to say.
“Failed?” Panomie repeated the words quietly. Shocked. “I stole countless children in the name of my son.”
“Six-hundred and thirty-nine. They were counted. By the people you stole them from,” Ashley spat at him.
“And you didn’t do it in the name of your son. You did it because you were too much of a coward to save him,” I added.
Panomie sneered at me. “Let’s see if you can save her.” He pulled her hair even more and opened his mouth wide once more. I let the darkness come out. The door flew away from me and crashed into the cage opposite. I screamed a primal sound of rage and threw my hand out towards the gnome. A black sphere of pure darkness flew out of me and hit Panomie in the stomach where it disappeared inside him. He staggered backwards and his face wrinkled in confusion. We both stood totally still waiting to see what happened. Even Ashley was looking up from her entrapment in anticipation. When nothing came of the attack Panomie spoke.
“What was—” He suddenly exploded all over the room. Soggy flesh and bits of denim dungarees scattered around and rained down over us. Leah screamed in both surprise and revulsion. So did the other two girls. I wasted no time and got to work freeing Ashley.
“What was that spell?” she asked.
“I have no idea. I’ve never seen or done it before,” I replied as I helped her to her feet. “It was just instinct.” Dark instinct.
“That was pure magic filled with darkness,” Barbichu said. He was standing in the doorway looking on with admiration. “A very potent spell and one that few beings would be able to withstand.”
“In that case I’ll conjure up another one for you,” I said and raised my hand.
“Eddie-Neddie, we both know you don’t know how. It was a spur of the moment thing. You can’t replicate it.”
“I’m more than willing to try,” I said but made no attempt to do so. I didn’t want to fail and prove that my hand was empty.
“I don’t want to fight you two. Not again. We all know I’d win and I’m sure neither one of you wants to die.” He stepped forwards and Leah who was far closer to him than she was to us attempted to shrink into the bars behind her. Seeing the fear in her eyes made me want to turn that imp to dust. “Eddie, how about this, I rid you of that darkness, give you the kids back and we call it quits?”
“Tempting. But no,” I said.
“I say we just kill him,” said Ashley. Once more she returned to my side.
“Let’s say you try that. Even if you succeed it will be Eddie who manages it. Everyone else in this room will die before he does so. You. Her.” He pointed at Leah who was in arms reach. “And even if you did survive you’d be trapped down here. Without an escort you can’t use the portals and you just blew your escort to pieces.”
“I’m sure we’ll find a way,” she said.
“You don’t know the rules here, do you? Humans can’t wander without an escort and you certainly can’t murder the natives. You two wouldn’t make it out of this town let alone back to the capital. Which by the way you don’t know how to get to.” He smiled knowing he had us beat. “Here’s the deal. You swear not to kill me and not to come after me and I will take you two and all the children home and then we both go our separate ways. Take it or leave it.”
I looked at Ashley and told her with my eyes that it was her choice.
