CHAPTER 17 – ANGELINE

She bit back the trembling in her lip and steadied her hands. She needed to focus, needed to cast more illusions to help hide these kids. But she couldn’t.

Why had she said those awful things to him? None of it was true, but it was the only way she could get him to leave. Someone had to take Merlena. This was never his fight. So why did she feel so sunken? She’d gotten what she wanted, or at least she thought she had.

Kyle Kallen was gone.

“Yo, what was all that squabblin’ about? He hit you?” Lance appeared at her elbow, his skinny arms folded.

“That would be an unwise tactic,” Krystal squeaked popping up behind him. “All traits considered, the Captain would beat Mr. Kallen’s butt, 8-to-1.”

A wet ball of heartache bubbled up in the back of Angeline’s throat, for Kallen, and for the young Diviner and Mage. These kids, probably not even old enough to legally drink back Earth-side… they were going to die, and they were so naïve they didn’t even understand what was happening.

A tear beaded on her lower lashes. “Have either of you ever even seen an Elf?” God why was she getting so emotional? She’d marched hundreds of soldiers their age into battle. It was necessary; she just did what had to be done.

“Well, I seen an illusion of one,” Lance said, bobbing his head.

Angeline felt a clawing in her gut at his words. That’s what all this was, really. An illusion. These kids weren’t meant to fight, none of them were. They didn’t train them right, just threw them across The Veil with medieval weapons and crumbling infrastructure, handed them to leaders who couldn’t strategize or swing a blade. Leaders who just stomped around a Castle, never having sunk their massive high heels into the bloody mud of the battle field. This wasn’t a war that was ever meant to be won, it was just something to keep contained.

Kyle was right, he was the only one who’d spoken the truth. She couldn’t protect Earth, she couldn’t protect all these kids. Maybe they just needed to surrender…

That was it. The only option that made sense. They’d have to surrender. They couldn’t call reinforcements, they’d die. They couldn’t fight, they’d die. And hiding? That might put it off for another hour or so, but guess what? They’d die. Whatever wicked game of chess those monsters had crafted, they’d already won. They’d backed them into a corner.

“When you see one, don’t be scared,” Angeline said.

“I ain’t never scared,” Lance said.

“That is false, Bravery: 2,” Krystal said, jabbing him in the chest.

“Check it, your radar’s broke, Krystal, I—"

Angeline blinked and let a tear roll down her cheek with a sad, helpless smile. Whatever happened to these kids, it was out of her control. The bickering faded away behind her, as she turned and approached Master Pallas.

“I knew you’d agree,” Pallas said, before she could even open her mouth. “That is the only path I See. Surrender. I only needed you to realize it too.”

“How does it end?”

“That I do not know. All I know is all else ends in a sea of blood.”

Angeline cringed slightly and looked back to make sure they didn’t have an audience of any sort.

“Do the Elves get through to Earth?” Angeline said, sinking down on the chair next to the fragile Diviner.

“Yes. But I do not know when or how.”

“He was right you know,” Angeline said, dropping her gaze to her folded hands. “He told me we couldn’t change this.”

“I know,” Pallas smiled gently. “Why do you think I insisted he come to the Castle? I knew you needed him, I just wasn’t sure how.” Her lip ticked up mischievously. “Well, and the chemistry was stifling.”

Angeline flushed.

“Oh don’t be shy,” Pallas teased, “I was young once. Centuries ago.”

Angeline let out a little laugh. “Oh come on, you have what, five, ten years on me tops?”

Pallas gave a coy smile. “A bit more than that child, but that’s not important. We don’t have much time. The amulet, the green one you brought to us…”

“You said it was cursed?”

“So that the Elves can use it.”

“What? But Elves can’t use the amulets, the magic doesn’t work for them.”

“It’s been… reflected. Inverted. The force of the magic turned inside out. I know you tested it, you could feel it, the way it felt under your skin.”

Angeline shuddered at the memory. “Kallen said my eyes turned red.”

“I suspect that’s because humans shouldn’t try to use that type of magic, no more than the Elves can use ours.”

“How do you know that it was even one of our amulets to begin with?” Angeline said, grazing her fingers over the borrowed blue amulet around her neck.

“Because I felt a trace hint of the power there. It used to be a Salamander’s amulet. The magic of fire, turned into water.”

Angeline swallowed. That girl in the field, the one she and Kallen had found. The Elf took her amulet, maybe even used it against her somehow.

“Yes,” Pallas said, nodding along with Angeline’s thoughts. “I don’t know how they twist our powers, but we cannot allow them to get ahold of the children’s amulets…”

Angeline knew where Pallas was headed. “You want us to destroy our amulets before the Elves can take them.”

“Yes,” Pallas said, letting out a long sigh. “And you must be the one to do it. You’re the only Mage strong enough to break them by magic, apart from Merlena. Even then, I doubt she could hold so many threads of magic at once.”

Angeline felt her mouth go dry. “I don’t know if I can do that. Shouldn’t I just break the Elven amulets, leave our people their powers?”

“The cursed amulets cannot be broken by magic, only by force.” Pallas reached into her robe and flashed the green amulet, now cracked down the center.

“Dammit. So our only option is to break our own.”

“Yes. I did not wish to speak this truth in front of the others, we cannot cause a panic. Let them think they are safe in hiding for now. I need you to use your magic, to break their amulets the moment the Elves arrive. We have a matter of minutes.”

“Why didn’t you ask me to do this sooner?” Angeline said, voice trembling at the thought of what she must do. “What about the Mages? Diviners I get, they can’t use their powers to fight, but the Mages, I can’t break their illusions…”

“Leave the Mages for now. Break them once the Elves have agreed to our surrender… or once the Elves express intentions to rid the Mages of their amulets.”

Angeline felt the blood leaving her face. This did not feel right. “What if the Elves retaliate when they find out we’ve destroyed all our amulets? What if that’s the reason they are coming here?”

“We’ll say the destruction was in display of our laying down of arms.”

“Can’t you read their thoughts? I could wait until—”

“I cannot read Elvish minds,” Pallas said softly, “We cannot risk it. I know this feels like blasphemy, but it must be done.”

Angeline’s gut turned to lead. Pallas wouldn’t budge. She’d never been wrong before. But what if she was now? If she broke their amulets, the children would be defenseless. No, the Diviners couldn’t fight the Elves, but they could read the warnings, have life-saving premonitions if they were lucky enough.

Angeline swallowed a dry lump in her throat.

Pallas sat patiently, waiting.

Kyle would have just told Pallas ‘hell no’, straight up… maybe that was the best answer. Shit, no, she shouldn’t be having these thoughts. She respected Pallas. Pallas would never lead them astray. But, at the same time, wasn’t everything they’d done so far just another step toward the unavoidable end? Wasn’t every move they made for naught?

The Elves would get through The Veil. Pallas Saw it. Every move they made, it had been right for the situation, but wrong for the stretch. Right for the battle, wrong for the war.

Angeline’s throat swelled shut, her breath coming short. Suddenly she knew how Kyle Kallen must have felt in that ring, when he’d been ordered to take down the kid. He needed that win, but in the end he lost.

And they all would lose here too.

She raised her head to face the Master. “I can’t—”

A bone-rattling shriek sliced through her words. Then came the sound of shrapnel and splinters as the Elves shattered the door.