Alexandru stood in front of the group. Ka’ya stood beside him. She had drawn a map of the village for him. They both agreed it would be better to open a portal a short distance from the village. Ka’ya and he would enter the village and release the children before he tried to neutralize the spell Jorge had placed on the village. Ka’ya would disable the boundary alarm.

Lifting his hand, he murmured a portal spell under his breath. Swirling colors of magic wove together and coalesced. The center converged in the spiral before turning transparent. On the other side, a long meadow appeared like a mirage.

Alexandru stepped forward, followed by Ka’ya and the others. He stood to the side, watching the riders cross through one at a time, their faces reflecting the awe they felt at being able to cover such an enormous distance in the blink of an eye. He knew when this battle was over he would need to talk to Legend about whether he should create a spell to wipe the use of magic from their minds. They would remember the battle, but the details would be incomplete. He was not sure how the knowledge that magical beings existed would change their world.

Legend drew up beside him as he closed the portal. Alexandru looked up at the elf. The other man’s face was tight with concern.

“Do you feel it?” he asked.

“Yes. Jorge has unlocked the power of the Amulet of the Heart. I can feel the dead he has risen to use as his army,” Alexandru replied.

“Can you still get us into the village and break the spell he has over it?” Ka’ya asked.

“Yes,” Alexandru replied with a terse nod. “I have to admit, this is one time when I wish I had a little magical help from back home.”

“Be careful, he might be able to sense your magic,” Legend warned, pulling a sword from the scabbard attached to his saddle. “The blade is elfin-made. It will strike swiftly, true and is protected against magic.”

“Thank you,” Alexandru said, taking the sword.

“We will wait for your signal,” Legend said, guiding his mount back.

Alexandru nodded. He glanced at Ka’ya. She pulled her bow free and retrieved an arrow from the quiver on her back. She fitted it into the notch.

“I’m ready,” she said.

Raising his hands again, Alexandru spelled a different portal. This one was smaller and would open directly inside the central gathering hall. Because he was unsure of how powerful Jorge was, Alexandru did not want to take a chance on alerting the other man to their presence by using a lot of magic too soon.

* * *

The moment the dark portal opened, Ka’ya stepped through. A moment later, Alexandru had sealed the portal behind them. Faint light streamed in through the roof of the gathering hall. They had entered into a long, walled off section used for preparing meals.

Ka’ya kept the arrow ready on her bow and stepped closer to the doorway leading into the main hall. She peeked around the corner. The soft sounds of whimpers and the soothing hush of a child’s voice told her that Elder Mayleaf had been right. From what she could see, almost fifty of the village children were inside the great hall.

She was about to step around the corner when a shadow moved out of the corner of her eye. Drawing back, she watched as a tall, gangly skeletal figure walked by – the empty sockets where its eyes should have been turning to gaze over the group of children before moving on.

Pulling back, she stared at Alexandru in disbelief. He nodded grimly at her and raised five fingers. She silently released a long breath. There were five of these creatures in the room with the children.

How do you kill the dead? she silently wondered.

She was about to try when the large double doors to the gathering hall opened. She peered around the edge of the door frame again. Her gaze narrowed when she saw the emaciated features of Jorge standing in the entrance. He was surrounded by at least six of the dead creatures he had created.

“Dru Stargazer, come here,” Jorge demanded.

Ka’ya watched in horror as her brother stood up. He stared back at Jorge for a moment before he stiffened his shoulders. Tears burned in Ka’ya’s eyes. He reminded her so much of herself at that age.

Rage built in Ka’ya as she watched her brother step over the other children who huddled together to get out of his way. Her lips tightened. She would not allow Jorge’s monstrous plan to use the children.

She glanced over her shoulder at Alexandru, regret poured through her, but she knew that if they were to have a chance of success, she needed to keep Jorge distracted. If he could free one of the villagers, they could disengage the boundary shields. Her gaze locked with Alexandru’s.

“I love you. Free them,” she whispered.

“No!” Alexandru hissed, reaching for her but she had already stepped through the doorway.

Ka’ya released four arrows in quick succession before Jorge even realized what was happening. Each arrow pierced the skull of one of the skeletons, driving them back into the wall before they dissolved to ash. Jorge’s rasping snarl was like fingernails against a piece of slate.

“You will not succeed, Jorge,” Ka’ya said, releasing another arrow at a skeletal guard.

“I have unlocked an army that not even you can defeat, Huntress,” Jorge retorted, waving a boney hand at her brother. “Come here to me, boy.”

“Dru, no!” Ka’ya ordered in a sharp voice.

Her brother moved in jerky, stiff steps as if he were being pulled by an invisible rope. He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes wild with fear before he turned back to face Jorge. Ka’ya could see her brother shrink from Jorge’s waving hands but he still continued moving toward him.

“You are too late, Huntress. Your brother is under my spell,” Jorge chuckled, waving his hand at Dru.

“Not for long,” Ka’ya said grimly, releasing three more arrows as she moved forward.

The three guards in front of Jorge stumbled backwards – the arrows piercing their eye sockets. Ka’ya stepped up onto one of the long benches before stepping onto the table. She could continue moving forward without being impeded by the children who were scrambling to get behind her.

“I am too powerful, Huntress,” Jorge exclaimed, raising his hands and releasing a powerful burst of red energy at her.

Ka’ya dove to the side, but the force curved toward her. The powerful burst hit her, flinging her backwards toward the wall. Seconds before she hit, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her close. She pulled in a deep breath.

“You are not too powerful for me, human,” Alexandru retorted in a grim voice. “Portal open!”

Ka’ya watched as Alexandru opened a portal in the center of the room near the children. The little ones, seeing the inviting green field of the meadow, scrambled to run through the opening. Ka’ya pulled away from Alexandru and fitted another arrow. Several more of the dead skeletal creatures rushed her and Alexandru. She released the arrows one after another. One of the creatures was chasing several children who were frantically climbing under the table in order to reach the portal.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Ka’ya hissed and released the string.

The arrow flew through the gap between several children before embedding into the side of the skull. The force of the strike was enough to rip the skull off the rest of the skeleton’s frame and send it into the door next to Jorge. Ka’ya turned in time to see Jorge’s bony fingers wrap around her brother’s arm and he dragged him out of the entrance.

“Ka’ya! Seal the doors before more of those creatures get in,” Alexandru yelled. “We have to get the children out of here.”

Ka’ya teetered on the edge of the table, her gaze fixed on the opened door where Jorge and her brother had disappeared. She was torn, but knew Alexandru was right. If they didn’t get the other children out of here, Jorge would use them as hostages also.

Jumping down off the table, she ran to the doors and closed them. She pulled the heavy wood plank down, sealing it from the inside. The windows were already sealed. She stepped back when she heard the thuds of something hitting the door. The creatures were trying to break through.

She turned back to where Alexandru was tersely ordering the older children to help the younger ones. She quickly picked up several of the younger children and handed them to an older one.

“Go to the end of the meadow. You will find help there,” she instructed.

Ka’ya hurriedly motioned for the children to go through the portal that Alexandru was keeping open. Self-doubt consumed her. What if their attack had hastened her brother’s demise? How would she ever forgive herself?

“This is the last of them,” she said before glancing at the door. “Except for Dru.”

Alexandru sealed the portal. Ka’ya glanced at him when he laid his hand on her shoulder. She reluctantly turned to look at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. He shook his head at her.

“It will be alright. We will get him back. I need you to disable the outer barrier so your father and the others can enter the village. I need to conserve my energy. Can you get out of here and to the building you need to find?” Alexandru asked.

“Yes. Please, stop him, Alexandru. Don’t let him hurt Dru,” she said urgently.

“I’ll stop him. I’ll show that son-of-a-bitch what happens when you mess with magic,” he promised.

“We need to get out of here first. Do you have any suggestions?” he asked.

Ka’ya bit her lip and nodded. She shouldered her bow and looked up at the ceiling. They would have to go through one of the hatches and scale down the back of the hall. She glanced over her shoulder at the door. Cracks were beginning to appear through the wood.

“Up to the roof, then down the back wall,” she suggested, pointing to an open ceiling vent. “Hopefully, those things will be focused on the front.”

“Up it is,” Alexandru concurred, cupping his hands. “Ladies, first.”

She raised an eyebrow at him before she placed her foot in his cupped hands. Gripping his shoulders, she steadied her body and glanced up. Alexandru counted softly to three before he lifted her up.

Ka’ya felt her body flying through the air. Her hands reached out and she gripped the large, round chandelier hanging down. She pulled herself up and used the thick chain holding it to climb to the ceiling. She climbed up onto the long section of beam that ran the center length of the gathering hall. From it, she could easily climb through the opening.

Peering out to make sure the roof was clear, she slipped through the opening and turned to check on Alexandru. She was shocked to find him already climbing through the opening.

“I thought it better to be quick, I don’t know why the dead are in such a hurry,” he teased.

Ka’ya heard the doors down below explode inward. Through the opening, dozens of the skeletal creatures poured into the gathering hall. Alexandru quietly leaned through the hatch. Ka’ya saw his hands glow for a moment before he shot out a half dozen energy bursts. Her lips parted when the row of large lights crashed down on their unsuspecting attackers, sending fragments of bones everywhere.

“That was good,” she replied with a surprised grin.

“I always aim to please,” Alexandru chuckled before his expression sobered. “You take care of the boundary fence. I’ll take care of Jorge.”

Together, they slipped down the back of the gathering hall and into the shadows between the huts. Ka’ya headed for the building near the river and the turning wheels that powered the boundary alarms. Alexandru focused on the dark gray hut with the black smoke rising from the chimney.