Chapter 8
EIGHT
SLOAN
As soon as she entered the estate, Sloan found herself face to face with the largest gargoyle she had ever seen.
Wide, animal-like feet led to thick legs, curvy hips, and broad shoulders.
The gargoyle almost didn’t even have a neck.
Her hair was cut into a Mohawk. She wore brown leather shorts and a matching leather sports bra.
“Welcome, to my home, humans!” the gargoyle bellowed, opening both her muscular arms wide. “I’m glad you’ve come.”
Sloan looked over at Edison and Oliver with confusion on her face. This gargoyle was what, expecting them?
Oliver shrugged, but Edison had a few choice words for the self-proclaimed mayor of Term.
“Listen, you.” Edison stepped forward, both hands on his hips. “What have you done with Elwood?”
“And Ashley,” Oliver chimed in.
“Yes, and her, too.” Edison shook a fist at the giant in front of him. “I swear, if you’ve hurt a hair on Elwood’s tiny little head, I’m going to…”
Edison’s voice trailed off as Elwood rounded the corner to the large sitting room where the group was gathered. He had a massive bowl of cereal in one hand and a large spoon in the other. The shirt he was wearing read “I Heart Term” in thick, black lettering.
The gnome stopped for a moment, taking in his friends. He waved the tiny arm holding his spoon and spoke in the high-pitched gibberish only Edison could understand.
To Sloan and everyone else, it sounded like a boy going through puberty, who had just been kicked in the groin.
“No, I don’t want any of your cereal.” Edison shook his head in disbelief. “Elwood, I’ve been worried sick about you. What are you doing?”
Elwood carefully maneuvered himself onto one of the overstuffed chairs in the sitting area. He and Edison exchanged words.
Sloan took the opportunity to study her surroundings.
The front room was large with thick, red carpet underneath and dark wood walls.
Cabinets were lined against the them with trophies and medals ranging from wrestling to boxing.
Extra-cushioned chairs and sofas were staged in the room around an ancient-looking table.
A large staircase ran upward to the right of the room; the doorway Elwood had appeared from led to rooms deeper in the house.
Along with her inspection of the house, Sloan also studied the owner of the house.
The two guards who let them in were still standing behind them, guarding the door.
Kimberly herself seemed relaxed and confident.
A long tail Sloan hadn’t noticed at first swished behind her rhythmically.
A pair of grey wings were folded on her back.
“Well, okay, I forgive you.” Edison walked over to the couch where Elwood sat. “What kind of cereal do you have there? Now that I’m less angry with you, I am kind of hungry.”
“You don’t seem mad that we showed up at your doorstep.” Oliver looked over to Kimberly. “You had us thrown into a cell and sentenced to death the last time we were here.”
“Things that have happened were meant to be, human.” Kimberly shrugged her boulder-sized shoulders. “Besides, this provided me the perfect opportunity to test my steel against a worthy opponent.”
“We’re just here to get our people, and we’ll be going.” Sloan met the gargoyle’s grey eyes. “There’s no reason for anyone to get hurt in the process.”
Kimberly took a step forward. She was a full foot taller than Sloan, coming in close to seven feet tall. She scratched at the underside of her jaw with fingers that came to points like talons.
“I disagree, human.” Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest. “This is the deal. Your people, if you can best me in a fight.”
“Both of our people?” Sloan nodded over to Elwood. “I can see the gnome is all right, but what about Bren—Ashley?”
“Oh yes, your gnome is great fun. I was hoping to keep him as a mascot.” Kimberly’s eyes traveled over to Elwood, and a huge smile split her face.
Fangs showed from under her lips. When she returned her gaze to Sloan, anger rippled over her expression.
“But the other one, this Ashley, has caused me a great deal of trouble. She killed a few of my men.”
“Where is she?” Oliver pressed. “What have you done with her?”
“Don’t soil your pants, human.” Kimberly motioned with her hand toward the stairwell. “She’s fine. Unlike your friend Elwood, she wasn’t willing to behave herself, so she is being kept under guard.”
Sloan was listening to the conversation while simultaneously running through her options.
It seemed pretty straightforward: either fight her way to Ashley and try to escape, or accept Kimberly’s offer and fight her one-on-one.
It was a no-brainer, really. She had the option to fight a single opponent or to fight Kimberly and every guard in the house if she chose to rush upstairs and try to free Ashley.
The idea of whistling crossed her mind again, but just as soon as it did, Sloan knew it wasn’t the time. That was her safety net, and it was only good for a one-time use.
“Weapons?” Sloan looked up at the gargoyle. “And where are we fighting?”
“No weapons.” Kimberly smiled again. “I have a practice ring set up in the backyard. Winner either makes her opponent tap out or knocks the other unconscious. And I’m right to assume you’re the leader?”
“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.” Edison popped up, trying to speak around a mouth full of cereal. “I’ve always fancied myself as kind of the leader to our ragtag bunch.”
Kimberly looked Edison up and down. “Because the leader should do the fighting.”
“On second thought…” Edison took a moment to study Kimberly’s intimidating stare and her thick arms. “Sloan’s more of the leader. She has experience with that kind of stuff. She should really be the one to fight.”
“Thanks.” Sloan let sarcasm drip from her words. To no one’s surprise, it was lost on Edison.
“No problem,” he said, retaking his seat next to Elwood. “I just want to be a team player.”
“You said you have a training ring outside?” Sloan looked over to Kimberly.
“This way.” The gargoyle motioned.
Jack
A soft knock reverberated into their room that night. Jack guessed it was night because of how tired he was. Time in the underground dungeon took on a strange sense when there was no timepiece or view of the sky.
Abigail’s head rested on his chest and fell with his every breath. She had had a difficult time falling asleep that night. Jack gently placed a pillow under her head instead of trying to wake her. He rose from the bed without a sound.
He walked to the door, wondering if he had imagined the knocking altogether. It came again, this time a little louder.
“Jack, is that the door?” Abigail mumbled as she rose to a sitting position on the bed.
“Yes.” Jack reached the door. “Who is it?”
A loud click echoed through the room. The next second, the door opened, allowing Elizabeth to walk inside. The door closed behind her.
“Elizabeth!” Abigail screamed as she bounded from the bed. She ran across the room and wrapped her sister in a hug. “Are you okay? Has she hurt you?”
Jack reached for the mage lights, flipping the switch and bringing brightness to the dark room.
He had a moment to take in what Abigail had failed to notice.
Elizabeth wore the same type of dark robe Leah Noble had when she visited earlier that day.
Along with this was a tempered smile that ran across Elizabeth’s lips, uncharacteristic to her usual nature.
“I’m fine.” Elizabeth removed herself from the embrace without returning the gesture. “I’ve come to check on you and Jack to make sure they’re keeping their end of the bargain.”
“What bargain?” Abigail took a step back, finally noticing Elizabeth’s appearance. “What are they doing to you?”
“I was promised that you would be kept safe as long as I trained under Leah,” Elizabeth recited. Dark bags hung under her tired eyes. “They haven’t hurt me. She’s teaching me what my power really is.”
“What does that even mean?” Abigail looked to Jack for help. “You can’t tell me you’re okay with this. Once the queen?—”
“The queen already knows about all of this!” Elizabeth laughed out loud. There was no joy in the act. “Leah Noble and Queen Eckert are sisters. There’s no help coming for us. And to be honest with you, I’ve learned a lot about who I am already.”
“Elizabeth.” Jack shook his head, trying to understand why the queen would approve of these actions. “Remember who you are. Magic can do strange things to your mind, especially the kind of magic that Leah is using. That power can be intoxicating.”
“For the first time in my life I know who I am.” Elizabeth’s voice took on a deeper tone.
Her red hair began to shine like fire in the illumination of the mage light.
“I’ve always been that strange girl. Once I was used as a lab rat by Doctor Livingston’s men, I was labeled as a lunatic.
And you know what? I’m okay with that. Maybe that’s just what I am. ”
“No.” Abigail went to her sister and took both of her hands in her own. “Elizabeth, you’re not a weirdo or a lunatic. You’re my sister. I know how much you have to give to the world, and it’s full of laughter and hope, not this dark magic.”
“She said you’d say that.” Elizabeth ripped her hands from Abigail’s grip. “She said you’d want me to be what I was before. But I’m not that person anymore, Abigail. I’m a witch now. I can control magic. I might even be stronger than Leah Noble herself.”
“Don’t forget who you are in the process.” Jack couldn’t stay quiet any longer. He wanted to give the sisters space, but he knew he had to say something more, soon. “My father taught me magic, but not to impose my power on others, to use my ability to help.”
“And that’s what I’m doing, Jack.” Elizabeth moved toward the door. “I’m saving you and my sister right now.”
“Wait.” Elizabeth ran to the door to try to block her sister. “Don’t go, not yet.”
“I have more training to do.,” Elizabeth pushed past Abigail and opened the door. “Don’t cause any trouble while you’re here. I’m working on a deal to get you out.”
The next moment, she was gone.
Abigail’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Jack could see the muscles bulge and relax like the beat of a heart.
“We have to get out of here.” Abigail stared at the door. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. “She needs us. They’re poisoning her mind.”
“I know.” Jack heaved a heavy sigh. “I think I have a way we can get out of here, but we’ll need a healthy dose of luck on our side for it to work.”