Good…Crystal had made the boys locate all evidence relating to where they were first, and then she would concentrate on where the missing people were next. Kaine wondered when she would get around to figuring out how to get back.

As for the missing persons, Kaine had a bit of a bad premonition.He could not sense Sam at all and hadn’t been able to for some time.Kaine surmised that it meant that he was dead, he had no powers, or he was in a place where evil was so thick that it drowned his power out.Amanda was still alive, though her energy had begun to change.She was still Amanda, but the beacon of light that marked her as being Amanda seemed to be fogged over by something else, something different.

Kaine also guessed that Lord Robert was waiting up there for her to come so that he could kill her and pry out the Crystal Sword, but how would he get it out of her? Theoretically, only the blood of Astrea would make the Sword respond to the wielder and the price was very great for anyone who tried to touch the Sword otherwise. Kaine assumed that Lord Robert would trick her with an optical illusion into removing the Sword herself; he probably had some scientific blasphemy that could…. Kaine cut the thought off. That particular argument was obsolete in this day and age.What mattered was that Lord Robert had a way with tricks and deception.But, were his tricks enough to get past Amanda?

Or would he go so far as to use live bait?

In the end, all they had come up with had done nothing to tell them where they were. There was no power in the building, none of the computers or clocks worked; even their watches had stopped working. This rendered Troy’s cell phone useless; ergo, Amanda’s was too. Sam’s laptop wouldn’t respond to anything, and the blood that Troy had said had been on the corner was gone from sight. Crystal’s uncommon sense told her not to open the main doors at all costs. Just as well, because a thick sheet of ice blocked it.

“It’s getting awfully cold in here,” Daniel said, plaintively.

Crystal agreed, the temperature was dropping, probably to maintain the ice. If they didn’t start moving soon and get out of here, they may well freeze to death. “Okay, guys,” Crystal said, her voice perfectly steady, “Let’s go to the stairs and start climbing. We have to find Amanda and Sam as soon as possible.”

“Easy, I’ll call Amanda on my cell phone,” Troy said.

“Uh, Mr. Up-to-date? The phones don’t work,” Crystal said.

But it was too late; Troy had already put the receiver to his ear and begun speaking. In doing so, he had gotten his tongue stuck to the icy surface.

“Idiot,” Austin said. Her gripped the phone forcefully and began to pull, but all that succeeded in doing was making Troy fall on top of him and make some sort of outraged gurgling noise.

“Let me do it,” Daniel said, jumping on Troy’s back, though Crystal didn’t see how that was going to help, either.

“Oy!” Crystal exclaimed, heading for the stairs. Maybe they would catch on when their genitalia shrank to the size of sewing needles. She pushed open the door and stepped into the stairwell, immediately slipping and falling on the layer of ice that coated the floor.

“OUCH!” But since no one was around to witness the injury, her pain quickly faded and she was left with another problem.

Crystal gaped at the wall of ice preventing her from ascending another step. The First floor landing was clear for the most part, but past the landing between the floors was an impenetrable block of solid ice. Crystal climbed the steps carefully and knocked on the surface to test if it was hollow, but the sound that came back to her ears told her there would be no yielding of the heavy glacier to human hands.

“Whoa, it’s going to take me hours to burn through that!” Austin said, pushing through the door.Crystal had the pleasure of watching him and Daniel slip and fall, but Troy was more careful.

Austin recovered himself and came to stand next to Crystal to survey the ice. With great ceremony her cracked his knuckles and, pinching his finger tips together, conjured tiny flames at the tips. It was as if he were going to melt Antarctica with a match.

Crystal gulped, wishing he would hurry. She had a very bad feeling that they were already too late to stop something that was about to happen…. Overhead.

“Welcome,” said the voice.

Amanda didn’t move from her place in the doorway. Not only could she not see into the room, she couldn’t sense anything with her abilities. It was as if there was a blank, yawning space where there should have been a solid. Out of the inky blackness, the voice drifted to her, “I have been waiting for you Vessel of Astrea.”

Again, Amanda felt the chill go down her spine at the mention of Astrea.

Suddenly, the darkness swirled into tangible arms that lashed out and wrapped around Amanda, dragging her into the darkness. Amanda twisted and tried to cry out, but there was no air in her lungs, and her arms did not respond. There was nothing solid beneath her feet and Amanda felt herself begin to panic for lack of air.

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“Come forth,” the voice called, but Amanda got the impression he was speaking to someone else. “Come forth, sister of Celeste, twin of darkness.” Amanda perceived herself twisting in mid air. Blood hammered in her skull and her throat constricted as if squeezed by an invisible hand. “Come forth! Claim your weapon!”

Amanda lost consciousness for nearly three seconds. When she began to come around, she realized she was now on solid, ground, covered with office carpet. She tried to make her muscles move, but nothing responded.

“Could it be,” said the voice, in a calmer tone. Amanda strained her eyes against the darkness, but she could barely make out the texture of the carpet. A dark shape formed in her line of vision. Amanda felt the cold blackness wrap around her again, lifting her to her feet. “Could you be the reincarnation of Astrea?” his voice sounded rich and smooth. The impression vanished as rough hands seized the collar of her polo and shredded the thick cotton. Amanda tried to gasp against the pressure in her throat, but she couldn’t even make a strangled noise. She felt his scrutiny rather than saw it as her head was pulled way back from her chest. Black spots danced in her vision and her brain threatened to pass out once more.

“You do not have the scar,” said the man. The hold on Amanda relaxed and she could draw breath again.

Amanda’s head lolled around on her shoulders, but the she tilted her head upright to meet the eyes of her interrogator.Despite her fear, rage, and confusion, Amanda felt herself staring in wonder.The man was nearly seven feet tall.His skin glowed lightly, similar to Kaine’s whenever Kaine used his powers to morph.The man seemed to reflect light from inside his very body.Even his light blonde hair seemed to shine.But his gaze was dark and hollow.A jagged scar ran down the left side of his face, and he was missing the eye.His blonde mustache had a white tuft in it where the scar ran over his lips.Aside from the scar, he had the look of a perfect aristocrat, with light wrinkles in his skin and a receding hairline.

Abruptly, the tentacles dropped her back onto the carpeted floor. Amanda landed ungracefully and made no move once she hit the ground. The man stepped back form her and for the first time, Amanda saw that he wore a billowing blue robe over a gray suit that seemed to be made out of the same stuff that Kaine’s robes were. The Armani loafers were the only modern caprice visible.

I wonder if he wears boxers…Amanda thought dimly. Tingling began in her legs and torso, telling her she was almost ready to spring into action.

“Do you know who I am?”

Amanda stared up at him from the floor, trying to appear as helpless as a deer in a trap.

The man squared his shoulders and the robe swept back from his body. “I am Lord Robert of Exendor, Alchemist, scientist, and scholar.”

Amanda blinked, not caring, but trying to look impressed.

“And you…” said Lord Robert, leaning his upper body lower to look at Amanda, “Are a mortal.” He said the last as though he had just figured it. “You have no power.”

“Let me up and I’ll show you how powerless I am,” Amanda snapped before she could think not to.

Lord Robert laughed, “Ha, you are like the first mortal I have encountered today. Arrogant.” The vague luminescence that had allowed Amanda to see Lord Robert spread behind him to another crumpled figure on the floor. Dimly, Amanda made out the features of Sam’s face. “He’s not dead,” said Lord Robert. “Not yet. I had wanted to make a mind slave of him to see if I could infiltrate the priest’s brood of children, but sadly his mind is too rigid. Control would drive him mad.

“You don’t have to pretend you can’t move. Please, sit up and make yourself comfortable.”

Well, shit, Amanda thought, but she got to her feet, shaking a little in the legs.

Lord Robert mistook it for fear; “Poor little puppet. Kaine used you, you know, and your pretty man friend over there.” The light was growing as the man’s apparent hostility faded; Amanda could see the outline of the walls and the shadowy blankness where the windows would have been in an office floor. “He only wanted Astrea’s sword,” Lord Robert continued. “He was never really interested in your power or your friends power. All he thinks he needs is the princess and the sword to defeat the Chaos. To defeat me.” He swept away from her towards the blank windows. He clasped his hands behind his back and continued speaking; “You are the vessel for the Crystal Sword, Astrea’s weapon. Only by your death can the sword be removed. And then Astrea will no doubt come to claim her weapon. Who knows if she is aware of the cycle of chaos? When the cycle first began she was nowhere to be found.” Now Lord Robert turned to face her. “But as the facts are, I will have the Crystal Sword so that I may destroy it and Astrea. Chaos will end here.”

His hand lashed out and light jumped from his fingers. Amanda didn’t wait to see what the light would do to her. Instead she ducked, jumped to one side and ran towards Lord Robert. He changed his aim, but Amanda zigzagged until she was close enough to lunge for his throat. Lord Robert brought up a hand to ward her off, but Kaine had already taught her to overcome that trick and her fingers closed on his glowing skin. At first it was cold to the touch, but as Amanda squeezed, the skin became hotter, burning beneath her fingers. Lord Robert gave a strangled cry. Amanda felt his hands close on her head but where he touched her; his hands began to hiss as the skin burned.

Lord Robert screamed and tried to fling Amanda away, but she would not let go. Amanda felt the cold darkness wrap around her and pry her off of Lord Robert. She tore ragged slashed with her fingernails as she was yanked away. The room became dark once more. The darkness stifled her, and Amanda couldn’t even yell her rage, so she just glared at Lord Robert from where she hung suspended in the air.

Lord Robert gasped, wiping at the bloodied claw marks on his throat. His hollow eye betrayed nothing, but his scarred face twisted in rage.

“Well, a bitch for a bitch,” he snarled. “Rot away in this prison and I will come back for the sword. I have all the time in the world. Or better yet…”

Amanda watched as Lord Robert’s body suddenly shuddered and folded over at the waist. She squinted as she thought she saw a shadow seep out of his body and fade away. Lord Robert’s voice came at her form all over; “My body will kill you for the sword. Then when I trap Astrea here, I will have nothing to stand in my way.” The darkness released Amanda and she fell into a crouch on the floor. The body of Lord Robert straightened. It looked the same, only the one eye was now glassy and unfocused. Amanda stood, drawing in all the air she could get as she prepared to fight this new monster that had called her a bitch.