The wait felt agonizing. Shaylie sat in silence while Darian stared out the window. Neither of them spoke. Shaylie wasn't sure if she preferred this. Part of her wanted to lash out at him. He was going to kill her either way. Finally, after what felt like ages, a man in a lab coat entered the room. He carried a syringe as if it were delicate. Darian turned and eyed it for a moment before holding out his hand. The lab tech handed it over wordlessly, and Darian turned toward Shaylie.

"Do you realize what I hold in my hand?" he asked her.

"A syringe," Shaylie replied.

"I hate you," Darian said, narrowing his eyes. "This is the key to my immortality."

"Good for you. Do you want a cookie or something?"

"You're begging me to kill you. Aren't you?"

"You're going to anyway."

"Before I do, I want to know why you wanted to assassinate me."

"I didn't!"

"You're lying. My oracle saw it in a vision."

"Well, he was wrong. I hate killing."

"Really? I've read the reports about what happened to your parents. You killed those Varidian invaders. Are you telling me you didn't enjoy it?" he whispered as he bent down and stared into her eyes.

"No, I didn't."

"I know how revenge feels. You say you didn't enjoy it. I think you only hated how much you enjoyed it."

"I was a kid who lost control."

"And now you hate me so much you want to lose control again. Admit it."

"No!"

Darian studied her for a second before standing again. "It doesn't matter. You wouldn't be able to get the job done. No one will," he said before rolling up his sleeve. He got halfway up his arm, but Renault reached out and grabbed him.

"Shouldn't we test that on someone else first?" Renault asked.

"We don't have time. The season ends at midnight, and her friends will be here soon. Time is up," Darian said, pulling away from Renault's grip.

"Test it on me," Renault replied, unbuttoning his sleeve.

"No, we need you too much. In fact, I want you to leave the tower tonight. I can't have you getting killed before the invasion begins."

"You don't want me to fight?"

"Your fight is in Varidia, not here."

"Fine, I'll go, but not before I know you've survived your little experiment," Renault said. He stood firm and crossed his arms.

Darian finished rolling up his sleeve and placed the syringe against his arm. Shaylie watched with her breath held. She could hear her heartbeat echoing in her ears. As he inserted the needle and pressed the plunger, Shaylie prayed he would fail. Darian didn't flinch. He retracted the syringe and handed it to Renault. For a moment, nothing happened. A brief look of disappointment flashed on Darian's face, but then he went rigid. His muscles tensed, and his eyes rolled. Shaylie could only see the whites of his eyes. He collapsed to the floor and arched his back. Shaylie swore she could hear his teeth clenching.

"Please die," she whispered. The thought made her feel sick, but it was her last hope.

"Darian!" Renault said and moved to grab him but thought better of it.

A muffled groan escaped Darian's tight lips. Shaylie felt power radiate off of him in waves. The room almost seemed to pulse with it. It grew in intensity until it made Shaylie's skin crawl. She thought he might explode, but the reverberations subsided. Darian relaxed slowly and opened his mouth. He panted and gasped.

"Darian? Are you okay?" Renault asked.

"I'm fine," Darian said softly.

"Did it work?"

Darian didn't answer. He pushed himself up on his elbows and rose to his feet. His first step faltered, and he placed a hand on Renault's shoulder to steady himself. "Bring me some water," Darian said, and the lab tech who brought the syringe obeyed. Once Darian drank, he calmed down and channeled magic tentatively. First, he used the familiar red magic while glancing at his hands and arms. He watched the muscles grow, and his skin harden. "So far, so good," he muttered. "Let's try something new." Darian held out his palm and produced a small flame. He laughed when he saw it. "I always wanted to do that," he said.

"You will have to learn how to use your new abilities," Renault said.

"I can make up what I lack in skill with brute force if necessary. Plus, I'll have the element of surprise. They won't expect me to be able to use all three types of magic."

"How do you feel?"

"I feel—alive," Darian said.

"But we still don't know if you're..." Renault started, but he hesitated to say the word. It appeared to make him uncomfortable.

"Immortal? Perhaps you should shoot me and see," Darian laughed.

"That's not funny."

Darian's laughter continued as he walked over to the bar. He opened a drawer and pulled out a knife. Renault tried to stop him, but Darian moved too quickly. He sliced his palm open and stared at it. The wound healed almost immediately, making Darian smile. He held up his unblemished hand to show Renault.

"You have seen my experiment work. Now, it's time for you to leave. Before you go, head to the lab and tell them to start giving the blood to our soldiers," Darian said to Renault.

"Yes, Your Highness," Renault said and left with a bow.

Darian refocused on Shaylie with a smug look that turned her stomach. "Lana told me about your friends, but she only knows so much. Have you reconsidered my offer?" Darian asked. He continued when Shaylie didn't respond. "Fine, I'll kill them individually, starting with your boyfriend. What was his name? Jack?" Instead of speaking, Shaylie turned her head to the side. Darian grabbed her by the chin and made her look at him. "You had a chance to save their lives. Their blood will be on your hands since you forced mine." This statement made Shaylie's lips curl into a scowl, and Darian said, "Do you want to kill me now?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

***

A small portal opened off of Tower Drive. Jake, Shane, and Bret emerged and hurried over to a manhole cover. Jake brought a crowbar with them and used it to open the way down into the sewers. As they peered into the darkness, Jake regretted having to heighten his senses. The smell almost knocked him over.

"The entrance is down here," Shane said. "Do you hear anything?"

"Someone is walking around down there," Jake replied, tilting his head to listen. "But they're in the direction of the tower. We should be okay to go down."

Shane descended first, followed by Bret, and Jake went last. However, Jake led the pack because he could see in the darkness. They couldn't risk using a light. Jake followed the sounds of guards moving, but they reached a solid brick wall. The sight confused Jake.

"I can hear them on the other side, but how do we get through?" Jake asked.

"Maybe the entrance is hidden," Shane said.

"You called this an escape route. It might only open one way."

"Then we'll have to get them to come out," Bret said.

"How strong of an illusion can you create?" Jake asked Shane.

"I can make a pretty big one. What did you have in mind?"

Jake explained what he wanted, and it didn't seem to faze Shane. He nodded and hid around the corner while Jake channeled magic to harden his skin and pounded on the brick wall with his fist. As Jake joined Shane in his hiding spot, he heard the guards mumble and move toward him. They watched a section of the wall slide open. A guard poked his head out, looking puzzled. As the man glanced around, flames erupted. They climbed the walls and engulfed the floor. The guard stumbled backward and fell.

"There's a fire out here!" he yelled.

"How did that happen?" another voice asked.

"I don't know, but grab the extinguisher!"

Jake heard scrambling, followed by a second person appearing in the doorway. He held an extinguisher, but he stopped and stared. "There's no fire, you fool," he said.

"What? Don't you see this?" the fool asked, gesturing in front of him.

"Have you been drinking?"

While they argued, Jake fired a chi blast. Shane bent the beam, making it bounce off the two guards. They fell unconscious, but a third rushed to help. "What the?" he said. Jake took advantage of his momentary confusion and blasted him as well. "I think that's all of them," Jake said, listening for more. "Come on."

They slipped through the opening in the wall and entered the guard's shack. Jake found controls and monitors. The screens showed the tower's lobby. It appeared deserted, but that didn't surprise Jake, considering the hour. It took Jake a few seconds to get the lay of the land, but he discovered the switch for the door in the brick wall. Jake flicked it into the lock position to keep it open and turned to Bret. "Go back and tell Marcus we're ready." Bret nodded and left to inform the others. "Shane, create a mental link with me and meet the others. I'll tell you when to begin."

"Got it," Shane said and went to join Bret.

Meanwhile, Jake approached a door and found it locked. He didn't see a handle, but he noticed a control panel to the side. Jake tapped it and saw a number pad appear. "Shane, there's a panel to get in, but we need a password. I don't know how to hack these things," Jake said in his mind.

"I can handle it when I get back. Are you ready?"

"Yes, bring the rest."

Jake waited for them to return. He hated how long it took. It probably wasn't more than two minutes, but that was two minutes too long for his taste. Jake was so frustrated that he jumped when Shane stepped up beside him. Shane either didn't notice or decided not to comment. He took the crowbar they used earlier and opened the control panel to reveal wires. Jake watched Shane fiddle with them. Jake looked at him questioningly because he seemed to know what he was doing.

"Like I said, I fancied myself a revolutionary. I learned how to do a few things," Shane shrugged as he worked. Once Shane crossed a few wires, the door opened. Shane dusted his hands and gestured for Jake to go ahead of him.

Jake turned to see Maya, Marcus, and Bret arrive. "Maya, you and Shan—Shark handle the communications. Don't let the others act until I say so. Stay back and let the rest of us enter the lobby," Jake said. He noticed Shane glare at him when he almost said his name aloud.

"Okay," Maya replied.

"Be careful in the lobby. They say there are hidden security measures, but I don't know what they are," Shane said.

"That might explain the lack of guards," Jake said. "Let's stick to the walls."

Jake, Shane, Bret, and Marcus inched along the outer wall of the lobby. They rounded a corner, giving Jake his first full view of the room. A large statue of King Darian the First stood in the middle with his hand lifted in the air. Stairways spiraled upward on either side of the monument. High above them, a golden chandelier hung from the domed ceiling. And the elevators operated behind the statue. Jake peered up at the marble face of old King Darian. Something about it made him feel uneasy. It felt like the eyes followed him. Jake wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into Bret.

"Are you okay?" Bret asked.

"Is it just me, or is that statue's head moving?" Jake asked.

Bret looked up and prepared to tell Jake he was crazy, but he wasn't. The statue's face turned toward them and fired a laser. Everybody dodged, and the blast scorched the wall as an alarm sounded. Doors opened, and soldiers emerged with their guns drawn.

"Surrender! We have you surrounded," the leader said.

"Start the attack, Shane," Jake said to Shane in his mind.

After a few seconds, the soldiers hesitated because they heard a roaring sound. A sense of confusion spread around the room. The soldier turned in time to see water rushing out of the doorway leading to the escape tunnel. Enough flooded the room to knock the soldiers off balance, but Jake and Marcus leaped out of the way while Bret redirected the flow around himself. At the same time, the people from Ash swarmed into the room and fired off spells at the disoriented soldiers. The surprise of so many people and the lack of balance meant the soldiers had no time to react. Two or three fired shots, but they deflected their guns away. The bullets blasted holes in the upper walls instead. Jake, Bret, and Marcus incapacitated the soldiers easily.

***

Upstairs, Darian observed the chaos on a monitor. He watched in disbelief before turning to Shaylie and asking, "How many friends do you have?" Shaylie didn't answer with anything other than a smirk.

***

In the lobby, Jake, Shane, and Bret collected the soldiers' guns while Marcus and some of the men from Ash dragged the unconscious men into a room and locked it.

"That went well," Jake said.

"Don't get comfortable yet," Marcus warned.

"I wasn't, but we must appreciate the small victories."

Before Jake could say more, an amplified voice filled the lobby. "Welcome. I've been expecting you," King Darian said. "You have arrived just in time for the execution. As a benevolent king, I will allow you to say your goodbyes."

"Jake?" Shaylie's voice said.

"Shaylie!" Jake yelled. "Don't touch her, Darian!"

"Relax. I will wait until you join us. You should witness this firsthand," Darian replied. As he said this, the elevator behind the statue opened. "Come on up, but only you. If I see anyone else enter that elevator, I will kill her immediately."

Jake turned and looked at Marcus. He looked unsure, but he nodded solemnly. "Shane, can you create illusions for me from down here?" Jake asked in his mind.

"Sure, but I won't be able to see."

"That's fine. I'll tell you what I need. And tell Marcus to go with Bret and Maya to get Isaac."

"I will. Good luck."

"Thanks," Jake thought and stepped toward the elevator.

"As for the rest of you, surrender now, or I will kill Shaylie," Darian said to those who stayed in the lobby. The doors opened, and a few of Darian's remaining mages appeared. Their eyes glowed as they gestured toward Marcus and the others. Marcus held up his hands peacefully, and the rest followed suit.

Inside the elevator, Jake used the ride to meditate. He took long, deep breaths while drawing more energy into himself for the fight. The flow of magic made him feel more powerful, but it did nothing to soothe his stomach. Jake had never felt more nervous in his life. Was he going to his death?

The elevator dinged once he reached the top, and the doors parted. He stepped into the lavish hallway and turned toward the double doors near the end. The room opened on its own as he approached. He turned and saw Darian waiting for him.

"Welcome, Jake. I will give you one opportunity. Surrender now, and I will spare your life," Darian said.

"What about Shaylie's life?"

"I'm afraid I can't spare her life. She must die."

"Then I don't surrender."

"I hoped you would say that. It's been a while since I had a good fight," Darian said, pulling off his coat and shirt. He placed them on a nearby chair and turned to face Jake. "Don't disappoint me."

"I never disappoint."

Darian smirked and said, "Enough talk. Let's dance."