The Created

Chapter 35: Entering and Breaking

AMBER

At first, I can't believe my eyes when I see the towering castle appear before us. Its great walls and soaring spires made of stone stand in stark contrast to the clean-cut glass buildings that make up the city around it. It's so big that I can't even take it all in at once. Andy and I gape in wonder.

"Is that where the Book is?" I ask.

"Who could live in that thing?" Andy gasps.

"It can only be one person. We need to find the others."

At that moment, Kye, Cat, and Connor fling out from around a building a few feet away and skid to a stop. Cat inhales sharply and looks up, shielding her eyes from the light so she can see the whole thing.

"Holy crap," Connor mutters. "It's...a castle. Like a real castle...from stories and stuff."

"It's better than that," Kye shakes his head, looking from detail to detail, tower to tower, trying to take it all in. "It's gorgeous." Then he seems to snap back into it. Kye's been seeming a lot more like a leader recently, and I have to say that I like it. "The Book has to be here."

"In there?" Connor says.

"Where else?"

"I find it hard to believe that a magical Book sat unattended in the middle of a gargantuan castle in the center of Valstad and no one thought to go looking for it."

"Maybe it's hard to find?" Andy shrugs.

"No duh, genius," Paxton says as he appears out of the shadows one street over. "No weapon as powerful as that Book is going to present itself to just anyone."

"The Book isn't a weapon," Connor challenges.

Paxton ignores him.

"So, how do we get it?" I ask impatiently. I just want to get moving again. And I really want to see the inside of the castle.

"We go in and look," Kye says, already walking toward the gates.

We approach the entrance to the castle courtyard: a huge, wrought iron gate depicting many different animals ripping each other apart.

"So cool!" Andy blurts, gazing at the scenes.

Kye reaches out and touches the bars. An image of a dragon in the fence starts to move toward his hand, tongues of metal fire appear to be licking out of its mouth. Kye jumps back and the gate slowly swings open, allowing us passage. The dragon watches us walk through.

"It's so quiet here," I whisper to Andy. "It's giving me the creeps."

"Yeah, you'd think there'd be more people in Center City."

"Would you two keep it down?" Paxton hisses harshly. "If someone hears us because you two won't shut up, I swear I'll kill you before anything else has the chance."

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KYE

We reach the marble steps that lead up to the huge door, and slowly move up. As we ascend, Connor taps me on the shoulder and points to the buildings outside the walls. Countless people inside the tall glass structures stand against the windows, watching us intently. My guess is they're not used to seeing people enter this castle. It's creepy, nonetheless. Many people leave the windows after being seen. I furrow my brow and then return my attention to the door.

At the top, Connor and Paxton push on the two huge wooden doors and they swing open effortlessly.

"For a walled fortress that holds a magical artifact, this castle isn't very well guarded," Andy chuckles.