The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 33 - ORION

Light hit my eyes, making me squint. We stepped into a white hallway. There were no orbs here, but every surface seemed to glow with its own Poeir. Or was that Magic?

"Probably Magic," Lexicon said.

Pharro brushed past me and took the lead, heading right. At the end of the hall was a towering white wall with two Kovei standing at attention on either side.

"You may escort us in," he said.

The Kovei nodded.

"The FengDohrn will be unable to see or hear you, so we can talk freely until you go into one of their cells," Pharro said into my ear.

I breathed out a shaky breath. "Alright."

"Are you certain you want to do this? They already forfeited their lives. What difference will it make?"

There was a hiss of huge hydraulics and a seam appeared as the wall separated down the middle. The Kovei beckoned us to follow them.

"It depends on what they have to say," I whispered, despite Pharro's assurance they couldn't see or hear us.

The holding cell was white like the hallway outside, but every surface seemed to have a much harsher glow. There were eight, white, spheres on both sides of the long, rectangular room. The floor space that separated the two rows was sunk about four feet down, like a deep trench, and ahead of us were steps down into it. I touched one of the spheres as we passed it and jerked my hand away at the powerful vibration it sent up my arm.

"I would avoid touching them," Pharro said. "Luckily, that one is empty. Your FengDohrn are down here at the end. Just a warning—the current is a lot stronger when the cell is occupied. I will show you where it is safe to touch."

An even brighter glow emanated from the occupied cells. The Kovei silently motioned that they were returning to their post and left us. Pharro walked up to the first sphere.

"The control pad is always right here," he said, pressing his thumbs and forefingers together against the cells surface and drawing them outward. A black, touchscreen, console appeared. "This is the only area you want to touch. Avoid the walls inside, especially. If the doors are closed at the time, you will be rendered unconscious immediately." He pointed out the buttons as he told me their functions. "Opens and closes. Increases power. Releases laza chains. Two-way com. Makes the entire cell transparent so you can see in and they can see out. Creates a one-way window so only you can see in."

"Laza chains?" I asked Lexicon.

"Chains Magicked with an Oria Laza spell, giving them the ability to move according to the will of whoever is controlling them."

I tapped the one-way window button and a rectangular section of white slid down in front of us. Small, curly, blond haired Vialla sat in the middle of the floor, legs crossed, back straight, wrists cuffed behind her and anchored to the floor by a black chain. Two long pins stuck out of the muscles between her shoulders and neck and there was something black around her hands, forcing them to stay in a fist. She looked frozen in place, but her eyes were closed and there were tears rolling down her cheeks.

My chest tightened painfully. "What are those pins for?"

"They keep the muscles from flexing, making it impossible for them to change."

I swallowed. "Change?"

"Their partial forms," he nearly spat the words.

I looked up at him. "You don't hide your contempt for them very well," I said, unable to push the anger from my voice.