The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 94
"Let's get to May. Now," she said.
He nodded, an ominous feeling burrowing into his chest as he picked up the pace.
The three of them sprinted at high speed towards May. As they neared the cave, Larkin spotted two catchers closing in on it, their masks now discarded.
Larkin frowned and slowed to a halt before they spotted him. He held out an arm to stop Jak and Anna and the sound of their footsteps paused behind him.
Anna tugged his hand, drawing him down behind a low boulder. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Larkin nodded, his brows knitting together. "Do you think it's Rimori?"
Jak frowned, joining them. "Did you say Rimori?" His dark blue eyes widened a fraction.
Larkin peeked over the edge. There was a man and a woman, searching the area near to the cave.
The woman was older with a bob of silver hair and an athletic figure. The man was broad with a thick black moustache. He raised a hairy arm and a plume of smoke appeared in his hand.
Larkin swore between his teeth and ducked behind the boulder. "It's definitely Rimori."
Anna gripped his arm, digging in her fingernails. "May's in trouble. We need to draw them away from that cave."
Jak looked beyond confused. "I don't understand. Tell me what's going on."
Anna glanced at Larkin then back to Jak. "Rimori's after May. That's about all you need to know right now. She can fill you in when we get her out of there."
Jak looked like he was about to question her further than a shout went up from beyond the boulder. They peeked over the edge again. The woman was gesturing to the man as she searched around a fallen tree.
"We have to do something," Anna hissed, looking desperate.
Larkin grabbed hold of her wrist, his heart pounding. "We'll draw them away," he said, his mind whirling as he tried to form a better plan.
"Dude. We don't stand a chance against Rimori's people," Jak said, shaking his head. "We should go get help."
Larkin shoved him. "We don't have time to debate this. Either help or go."
Jak nodded several times as he considered it. "Alright, alright. What can I do?"
Larkin set his jaw. "Just follow my lead." He stood, keeping a tight hold of Anna's wrist.
He skirted around the area they were searching then slipped into the trees. Jak hopped from foot to foot as Larkin paused.
"Start running. Split up and just run," Larkin said.
"What? Why?" Anna asked, looking confused.
Jak looked happy with the idea, already backing away into the trees.
Larkin cupped two hands around his mouth and shouted as loud as he could. "Quick! Run! Run for it!"
Jak shot off into the trees but Anna waited, frown lines forming around her eyes. Larkin made sure the two catchers were heading towards them then fled into the woods. Anna kept pace at his side, their fingers clasping as she almost lost her footing.
They ran and ran, the trees a blur from the speed they were travelling at.
A swirling mass of smoke shot over their heads and Anna gasped. Larkin's heart rate kicked up a gear, his breath coming in rasping pants. All he could think was faster, faster, faster.
Anna screamed and her hand was torn from his grip.
He stumbled as he tried to stop, his feet moving too fast. Anna's piercing screams rang in his ears, making his blood sear with heat.
He pushed off of a tree and turned back, sprinting towards her.
He caught sight of her through the woods but the silver haired woman spotted him and launch an attack. He darted behind a wide trunk and smoke curled around the tree as it impacted. He shrank away from it and the tendrils dissolved, unable to reach him.
"Come out or I'll kill her," the woman's voice was harsh and cut into Larkin's ears.
"Don't hurt her!" he snapped.
"Then come out."
He stepped around the tree, holding his hands up innocently.
"Where's the girl?"
Larkin's heart soared. They had fallen for his trick. "You won't catch her. She'll be at the pier by now." His breathing was ragged from running and he swallowed to wet his dry mouth.
"Pity." The woman twisted her hand and smoke engulfed Anna's still form. She screamed so loud it made Larkin wince.
"Stop!" he demanded, stepping toward her.
The broad, moustached man burst through the trees, holding Jak by the back of his neck. He forced him to his knees with a wave of smoke.
"Nigel, the girl got away," the woman said, halting her attack on Anna so she was left trembling, curled up on the ground.
Larkin's gut wrenched. He ran forward and Nigel's hands thrusted toward him. A whip of smoke took out Larkin's legs and he hit the ground so hard that the air was knocked from his lungs. He coughed, pain cutting through his chest.
"We have to find her, Sulene," Nigel said.
"Let's finish this lot off," Sulene said, hungrily narrowing her eyes on Anna.
Larkin lunged toward her, scrambling across the dry ground to Anna's side. He hunkered over her as Sulene gathered smoke in her palms. "Get away from her you old crow!"
Sulene tilted her head to one side, her eyes narrowing.
Jak gasped in horror and Larkin snapped around to see Nigel's meaty hands twisting his neck, smoke pluming beneath them.
"Don't!" Larkin didn't know how to act. All he could do was hold onto Anna and pray they would leave them alone, they were helpless.
"No- stop!" Jak shouted desperately, gripping the man's arms, his biceps flexing with the effort.
Nigel hushed him, twisting further. Larkin gazed at him in shock, fear blossoming in Jak's eyes.
"She's in the cave!" Jak roared.
Nigel paused, releasing Jak. His neck was red with fingerprints and he clutched a shaky hand to his throat.
Larkin's heart sunk. A look passed between Sulene and Nigel then the woman spoke. "Show us."
Jak scrabbled to his feet, using a tree trunk to pull himself up. He didn't look at Larkin or Anna as he stepped around them.
Sulene and Nigel followed, leaving Larkin and Anna on the ground as if they'd already forgotten them.
Anna's hands slid around Larkin and he leant down into her embrace.
"It's okay," he said.
"No, we have to get to May," she breathed.
Her hands trembled where they clutched his collar. He gently detached her fingers and tugged her to her feet.
She wiped away the tears streaks on her face, pulling herself together.
He swallowed as he watched her, his heart hammering in his chest. "What do we do?"
Anna took a shaky breath. "I don't know. We just have to do something."
"Maybe we can beat them to the cave? We'd have to circle through the trees," Larkin said, a plan forming in his mind.
She answered by charging off into the woodland, skirting to the left to avoid heading out into the open.
Larkin hurried after her and they were soon moving at a tremendous speed. Larkin kept glancing at Anna on his right. The thought of her curled up on the floor in agony flashed into his mind. He clenched his jaw and forced himself to move faster than he ever had in his life, leaving Anna falling behind. If there was one thing he was good at it, it was running. He had been one of the best raceball players at his university.
Larkin soon reached the huge boulders that formed the cave May was hidden in. He darted around them and slipped behind the vines. He didn't know whether they had arrived or not. It was too dark to tell.
"May?" he hissed.
"Larkin?"
"Move!" he snapped.
She ran forward, colliding with him. He ensnared her in his arms, not giving her a second to think as he dragged her out of the cave.
He backed into the trees behind the towering rocks, voices sounding just ahead. He pinned May against the stone, pressing a firm hand to her mouth. They slid down, hunkering against it.
She pushed him off but remained silent, both of them listening intently.
Anna appeared and he pressed a finger to his lips as she stumbled to a halt.
She joined them, ducking down beside May.
"In there," Jak said, his voice achingly close.
They drew tighter together.
"Wait here with the boy, I'll get her," Sulene said.
Larkin held his breath as he waited for them to discover the truth.
"She's not there!" Sulene shouted.
"She was! She can't be far. I swear," Jak said, sounding panicked.
Larkin's heart thundered in his ears as he suspected what would happen next. May's head was pressed against his chest and he knew his fear was no doubt evident to her.
"I'll check the woods," Sulene said. "Get rid of him."
May's green eyes found Larkin's and he swallowed. Part of him didn't want her to hear what was going on.
"No! I told you where she was! I was telling the tru-" A loud snap cut Jak off and Larkin flinched.
Anna clapped both hands to her mouth and May's eyes went wide. She pushed against Larkin but he held her firm, his eyes boring into hers.
Tears spilled over her cheeks and she bit down on her knuckles.
Larkin stiffened as Sulene walked right past them, disappearing into the trees. He remained perfectly still as Nigel followed, heading after her. He walked slowly, glancing up into the trees as if he might find May hiding in the canopy.
All he had to do was turn and he'd see them.
Anna's hand wound into Larkin's shirt. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the man away.
A crunching of twigs sounded off into the forest and the tension ran out of Larkin's body in a flood.
His shoulders drooped as he stood, pulling May to her feet after him. Her legs were bruised where they had pressed into the stone but she didn't seem to notice. Anna moved closer to her as they headed around the boulder.
Larkin saw Jak's body first. He was face down in the dirt, his head twisted violently to one side. He glanced back at May whose eyes were wide with shock.
"He gave you up," Larkin said with a grimace.
"Larkin," Anna hissed.
May let out a pained noise, pressing both hands to her mouth in horror. Anna pulled her into a tight hug.
May's head snapped up suddenly. "Where are Oliver and Rogan?"
"We don't know," Anna said. "I'm sure they're fine. Let's just get back to the pier."
May shook her head, tears sliding silently over her cheeks. "We can't leave Jak."
Larkin ran a hand down his neck, glancing anxiously at the woodland. "We have to. We'll send someone for him. You need to get off this island, May."
Anna released her but May remained in place. Larkin let out a noise of frustration and grabbed hold of her shoulders, gazing directly into her green irises. "If you don't move, you're going to die. Do you hear me?"
She nodding, her eyes hardening as she snapped out of her reverie. "Okay."
Larkin kept a hold of her arm as he turned and started running. They sprinted through the grass, looping around the volcano back towards the pier where the game had commenced. As they closed in on the beach, other contestants emerged from hiding places, muttering in low voices as they moved.
"I bet it's Rimori," a girl said loudly to her teammate.
Larkin noticed May stiffen and placed a hand on her shoulder. She glanced back at him with an anxious expression. "What if he's got them?" she breathed.
He shook his head, unable to offer any words of comfort.
They emerged on the black beach where contestants were panicking and trying to rush onto the ferry.
"Please remain calm. You are not in danger. Make an orderly queue towards the ferry," Ray Falls called out to them. "You'll get more information back in Cerulea."
Anna gazed intently around at the contestants. "Come on, come on, where are you two?"
"Maybe they're already on the boat?" May suggested, chewing her lip.
"Neither of those two would get on without you guys," Larkin said, shaking his head as he gazed back toward the volcano.
"Well maybe we shouldn't get on without them!" Anna said in a panic.
Larkin gripped her wrist then caught May's as she tried to back out of the queue. "I'm gonna make sure you both get on this boat because, if I don't, they'll kill me."
46
Swift Wings
Oliver ran to Rogan, skidding in the grass as he landed beside his body.
"Rogan," he whispered, touching his wrist with a shaking hand. He gasped, feeling the steady beat of a pulse beneath his fingers. "He's alive!" He spun around to look at Hadus. "Help him!"
Hadus hurried over with heavy footfalls. He knelt beside Rogan's head and rested a palm on his forehead. Green light emitted beneath it, absorbing into the skin.
Rogan's eyes moved beneath their lids then flickered open.
Oliver made a noise of relief and fell forward to embrace him, pulling him up into his arms. "I could kiss you."
"Not in front of people, you know I don't like PDAs," Rogan said in a croaky voice.
Oliver laughed and released him.
Hadus knelt down and broke the cuffs on Rogan's mage gauntlets with two flashes of light. Rogan whipped them off. "My leg-" he groaned, reaching toward it.
"I'll do it. You'll exhaust yourself," Hadus said, moving around to the stab wound that was leaking blood.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Oliver," Rogan began. "But your dad is a complete arse."
Oliver sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow and sitting back in the grass. "Trust me. I know."
Hadus ran his palm over Rogan's leg, his brow hanging low over his eyes in concentration.
"Thank you Hadus," Oliver said, shaking his head as he struggled to find words that could encompass his gratitude any better.
Hadus nodded. "I'm sorry this happened. William must've destroyed the cameras in this area. A speedboat gave me the slip out to sea but I circled back to where I'd first seen it. We weren't aware what was happening but I followed a hunch and moored my boat on the beach back there to check it out for myself. I heard someone screaming as I climbed up this way."
"That might've been me," Rogan said with a frown.
"Or me," Oliver said. "Or- Quinn!"
"What?" Rogan asked in shock, his eyes going wide.
"She was here. With Hector. They went through the portal with William and Truvian," Oliver explained. "Hector checked your pulse. He told her you were dead. I believed it too." His lower lip trembled.
"That bastard," Rogan snarled.
"I saw you give my brother a well-deserved punch to the face...or several," Hadus said with a slanted grin.
Oliver smiled at the thought. "He'll have healed by now."
Hadus shrugged. "He still felt it."
Oliver flexed his sore and swollen knuckles, relishing the memory. Hadus reached out a palm and green light spilled over his skin. It felt like a heated balm soothing the wounds. The marks were gone when Hadus removed his hand.
"The game's over, the island's being evacuated. I'll take you back to Cerulea in my boat," Hadus said, helping Rogan to his feet.
"What about the others?" Oliver asked in alarm.
"They're probably already back in the city by now. I've sent a message to Horatious to inform him of what's happened. The city will be on high alert. Your friends will be safe there." Hadus turned towards the trees.
Rogan ran a glowing palm over his body. His face looked pale but colour returned to his cheeks as he removed his hands.
"Stop staring at me. I know I'm beautiful and all but it's starting to creep me out," Rogan said with a grin that Oliver had thought he'd never see again.
He shook his head, looking away. "You have no idea, man."
Rogan placed a hand on his shoulder briefly then they walked after Hadus into the trees.
***
They pulled into Cerulea's harbour where chaos was ensuing. There was a sense of panic amongst the crowd as people queued into the city in hoards. Civilians glanced warily over their shoulders as if the person behind them might be Isaac Rimori.
A woman's voice was echoing over the harbour through a megaphone. "Please remain calm. The situation is under control. Please make your way to the cable cars in an orderly manner." The message repeated over and over but seemed to be having no effect on calming the crowd.
Contestants were rushing to meet loved ones at the security gate. Oliver gazed intently, searching amongst the crowd for any sign of his friends.
They descended from the small catamaran and Hadus led the way, barging through the crowd and pointing to his uniform if anyone argued. Oliver and Rogan stuck close behind, weaving through the throng of people towards the security gate.
Hadus nodded to the officer blocking their way and he quickly stepped aside to let them pass. Veering away from the overflowing cable car station, Hadus led them down a series of stone steps that circled back to a beach below the harbour.
"Where are we going?" Oliver asked as he hurried along, ducking into the shade of the piers overhead. The clatter of footsteps and frantic chatter sounded above.
"There's a tunnel that leads into the city for restricted personnel," Hadus answered, leading them along the sandy shore to an enormous steel door. It was embedded in the sandstone wall that ran the length of the beach.
Hadus pressed his palm to a Flash Screen and it blazed green. A metallic clunk sounded from within. Several shifting cogs and grinding gears made the door swing inwards to allow them access.
They moved into a dark tunnel that looked as though it had been made with a giant, spherical drill. The door swung closed behind them with a thunk that echoed along the tunnel.
Lights flickered to life on the walls either side of them, setting off a chain reaction as they lit up, running away into the distance.
Their footsteps clapped along the floor as they jogged towards the city.
"What's gonna happen now?" Oliver asked Hadus anxiously.
"I'll have to discuss the plan with the High Mage but I imagine we'll move our remaining forces to the base in Theald as quickly as possibly. It has been our intention for quite some time but I suspect this will be the deciding factor."
"William said Rimori's going to start a war soon," Oliver informed him.
"Yes, we've been waiting to hear such news. But we had no idea how little time we had," Hadus said solemnly. "I suspect that Theald's government may wish to close their Gateway presently. So we must act with haste."
