Curse of the Spider King (48 page)

“Here?” Autumn exclaimed. “And not fight?”

“Autumn,” said Johnny. “We don't know how to fight . . . not like this.”

“He's right,” said Nelly. “When you are trained, when your gifts are mature, you will be the greatest champions in our world. But that time has not yet come.”

“But look out there!” Autumn cried out. “We're losing. We're not going to get out of here. We need to do some—”

“What you need to do,” said Nelly, “is stay safe. Your survival is most important. If the battle goes ill . . . well, you see that beautiful castle over there? I want you to go inside, hide.”

“I won't,” argued Autumn.

“Autumn!” Johnny exclaimed. “You're not thinkin' straight. C'mon. Do what Nelly says.”

“But—”

“No more arguments.” Nelly embraced them both and then turned to leave.

“Nelly, please?” Autumn called.

Nelly turned, smiled sadly, and then walked away. Soon she picked up speed and raced toward the battle. They watched her stoop to pick up a weapon, and then she disappeared into the masses writhing in the conflict.

“How could you just let her go?” asked Autumn. “She's going to die!”

“No she's not,” said Johnny. “You saw what she did to those two Dreh, uh, Drep—”

“Drefids,” said Autumn. “Yeah, but this is different. Look at them out there, Johnny! The Elves—our people are surrounded by, by monsters! We've got to help them!”

“What, Autumn?” Johnny got right up in his sister's face. “What can you do that might help? Those are monsters out there, like bad dreams come to life. Do you honestly think you can go out there and kill one of those things?”

Her brows knotted, Autumn stared at the ground. “It didn't stop you. You fought those things with a bat!”

“And I woulda been killed, if Nelly hadn't come along.”

“Something. I've got to do something,” Autumn said. She turned abruptly and started walking.

“Autumn, no, don't!” Johnny ran after her.

When she saw Johnny, she, too, started to run. But something felt different . . .

Usually, her feet pounded the ground, the shock of each step hammering up her legs. But this time, she could feel her legs moving, moving fast . . . but there was no impact on the ground. It felt effortless, like blowing out a candle.

She glanced over her shoulder, and Johnny had fallen back . . .
way
back
. That's when Autumn looked down and saw how fast the turf was going by beneath her. Her gift had come full on.

“
YES!!
” Autumn screamed.

She blazed across the turf until she spied a dead Gwar who still held a sword. She stopped long enough to pry it out of his meaty hand. The weapon felt awkward in her grip, but when she swung it, she found that her hands were just as fast as her feet. The sword became a blur in front of her. “Cool.”

I will help them
, she thought. And then raced on.

“Autumn!” Johnny screamed. “Wait!” Autumn had always been faster, but just by a little. The way she had pulled away from him, it was . . . well—it was her gift. It had to be. Feeling like he was running through an ocean of molasses, Johnny tried to catch up to his sister, and wondered what on earth his gift might be.

When Johnny finally came within thirty yards of the actual fighting, he couldn't believe what he saw. Autumn—his little sister—wreaking havoc among the enemy.

With her newfound sword, Autumn whooshed back and forth throughout the enemy army. She darted in and out, slashing them from behind. A few of the Gwar turned to try to grab her, but they were too slow. Autumn gashed several of them across the chest and stomach, one even across the bridge of his nose.

“Go, Autumn!” he cheered. But then Johnny felt his entire world spin out of control. A Drefid emerged from the enemy ranks up ahead of his sister. Johnny saw what Autumn did not—a Drefid who had positioned himself with one arm lifted, the knifelike blades now pointed toward Autumn.

All this he saw in the time it took to yell, “Watch out, Autumn!”

But it was too late. Autumn's speed and momentum carried her right into the Drefid. His blades drove hard into Autumn's stomach.

Johnny heard her scream. He would never forget that sound. He leaped forward and raced recklessly toward Autumn. He covered the thirty yards in seconds, in time to see the Drefid pull his knife-fingers out of his sister. The foe stood up straight, looked at Johnny, and smiled. It was then Johnny felt something within him snap. Like releasing a cramp or cracking a bone, but it was everywhere all at once.

“
NOOOOOOO!!!
” The word burst from Johnny, and he charged at the Drefid.

The clawed warrior sought to impale Johnny, just as he'd done the other. He lifted both clawed fists and just waited. But something happened that neither the Drefid nor Johnny could have expected. Johnny lifted his hands to grab or maybe strangle the Drefid. But before he could reach the enemy, he felt a kind of burning along his lower eyelids and then a tingling on the palms of his hands.

All at once there was a flash of white light. Johnny felt the muscles in his forearms pulsing, and streams of white liquid fire blazed from his hands. The first pulse of flame knocked the Drefid off his feet. The enemy fell backward into a group of Gwar and struggled to quench the fire that burned on his chest. But this manner of fire, the Drefid had never experienced. It clung to him like sap and spread like water. The warrior soon was engulfed.

Johnny willed the fire from his hands to stop, and he stooped down to his sister. She was still. Her eyes were closed. Blood spread out from her wounded stomach. He touched her arm. She was cold. He brushed a lock of hair out of his sister's face. The sound that Johnny released next could not be described as intelligible language. It was a keening, primal scream that echoed off the side of the castle. Then he stood up and looked at the teeming brood of enemies waiting just ahead.

Rage consumed him. He lifted his arms and released such a pulse of fire that all the Gwar closest to him were flash-incinerated, leaving only smoking husks behind.

Johnny turned one arm in a different direction and began torching every enemy in sight. Cragon trees burst into flames at the root, and the fire spread rapidly until the dark trees were engulfed entirely. Warspiders fled the flames, but the fire was inescapable. As it caught up to them, their agonizing
scree
rang out. It was then the unthinkable happened: the enemy began to flee.

“This could be our chance!” Mrs. Galdarro yelled. “Follow me, and beware the flames; Johnny is not yet in control of his gift.”

The Sentinel led Tommy and the others through the widening gap in the enemy ranks. The other Sentinels and Dreadnaughts raked their scattering enemies with their blades as they ran between them. The fiery orange glow disappeared ahead, and at last they came to Johnny. They found Nelly Brookeheart there, kneeling beside a stricken Elf. The moon had emerged at last from the clinging shreds of clouds, and in its light, Autumn looked very pale.

Mrs. Galdarro went to their side. “How is she?”

Nelly nodded. “Autumn lives . . . but . . . these wounds.” She shook her head.

“There are herbs and salves in Allyra that would help,” said Mrs. Galdarro. She stood and went to Johnny. “Johnny, your, uh—sister—is in great need of aid, aid that can only be gained in Allyra, our real homeland. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” he said absently.

Mrs. Galdarro pointed toward the ruins. “Through there is a portal. We must get through. But the enemy holds that ground. You must drive them out. Can you do that?”

“I'm tired,” Johnny said.

“I know,” said Mrs. Galdarro, her heart on the verge of breaking. “I know you're tired. There will be rest soon . . . for us all. But, Johnny, you must do this, and you must do this now—to save your sister's life.”

Johnny's expression changed. He looked down at Autumn. He turned toward the wood, and the ruins beyond, and then he started to run.

Mrs. Galdarro stooped and started to pick up Autumn, but Jett came to her aid. “Let me,” he said. He lifted Autumn as easily as one might lift a pillow. He cradled her and began to follow Johnny. “Mrs. Galdarro, lead us!” Jett yelled.

Mrs. Galdarro gestured to the others, and they followed the charred path Johnny left behind.

“Who are you?” came a weak voice.

Jett looked down. Autumn's eyes were open. “A friend,” he said. “Now rest.”

Johnny threw fire at Cragon, Drefid, and Gwar.

But it was all the remaining Sentinels and Dreadnaughts could do to protect the young lords from the enemy's greater numbers. At the base of a deep hollow, they met Edward, Kiri Lee, Regis, Miss Finney, and Jimmy Gresham, who had been pinned down by a pack of Warspiders; but the pungent burning aroma in the air made it very clear what Johnny had done to those spiders.

The Elves burned, slashed, and hacked their way along the path through the woods. Cragons, hidden among the earthly trees, grabbed and crushed several Elves. But each time the dark trees from Allyra revealed themselves, they were cut to pieces by Dreadnaughts' blades or scorched to cinders by Johnny's unearthly flames.

And the bloody march went on until at last they came to the ruins. Kiri Lee thought they looked ghostly in the moonlight. And with all the Warspiders, Drefids, and Gwar roaming the ancient stones, it looked horrific indeed. Edward raced ahead and joined Johnny. “There, son,” he said. “Clear off that bridge area, would you?”

Johnny did as he was asked. White fire leaped forth from his palms, sending the enemy running for cover. Burning Gwar dropped off the edges of the bridge like globs of molten glass. Fires burned everywhere. Even the woods around the ruins kindled. The night air became warm, and it was getting warmer by the minute.

Edward led the Sentinels and company across the bridge, everyone shielding their faces against the smoke and the heat. Including the young lords, twenty-one Elves survived the battle at Dalhousie and the passage through the forest to the ruins. Jett looked down at Autumn and silently prayed that she would not succumb to the cruel-looking wounds before they could get help.

“If you want,” said Mr. Charlie, “I can take a turn carrying her.”

“It's okay, she's not heav—”Jett saw the bright purple in Charlie's eyes and smiled curiously. “Are . . . are we family?”

“Matter of fact, we are. Your father, Vex Nightwing, was my older brother. Now, you sure you got her?”

“I won't let her fall,” Jett replied.

“Then come on, nephew . . . there's a whole world waiting.”

They came to the end of the bridge and raced down the stairs to the mouth of the tunnel.

“Is this it?” Mrs. Galdarro asked.

Edward nodded. “At the end of the tunnel, on the far wall, is our way home . . . at long last.”

“You'd better go first,” Mrs. Galdarro said to Johnny. “Anything gets in your way, burn it.”