"Apollo!" I shouted, chasing after him. I knew angels could be fast when they wanted to be, but it hadn't crossed my mind he'd care enough to want to get to her so quickly. "Where are you going?" He slowed and turned around, taking in a deep breath. "I know where she is."
"Where?" He paused, curling his lips. Shame crossed over his face and he glanced at the necklace in his hand. Audrey. "He took her to ineluctabilis." I had to fight the urge to drop the goblet in my hand, who would ever... he inhaled slowly, "look I don't want you to come with me. I need you to do something else."
I glanced at the cup in my head and back to her necklace. "Anything,"
"Hold on to the goblet, keep it safe. I'm going to the castle. Im going to speak to the queen." The sureness in his voice didn't convince me that this was a good idea at all. "And do what?" I scoffed. He sighed, "I'm gonna draw him out."
"What about Audrey?" I faltered. Apollo glanced back at the necklace, "Audrey will find her way out." He swore. I did not trust him, but Audrey was smart and I knew her power. It seemed he knew more about her, and he trusted her too. So I forced myself to believe she was fine. "What do you need from me?"
"I need you to find Mason, find out what Nurse Aiden knows and go after Nurse Hannah."
I fumed, "Are you insane?"
"I'm not asking you to trust me, Victoria. But I need you to do this." He pleaded with me. All of my instincts told me to run in the other direction, this was not my problem, and I had no business being in this situation to begin with. But I remembered Audrey's face the night the demons first attacked her and I hadn't let her go through it alone then. I won't now. I clenched the goblet in my hand and looked Apollo in the eyes, "tell me the plan."
It was chilly, too cold for the wilting season. The air pressed against my skin was threatening, telling me to turn around. It was Silas. At least, I knew it had something to do with him. I pressed forward on my horse, Audrey's locket around my neck. It was still dark outside, but I knew I was running out of time. Soon, the sun would come up and every day that passed in ineluctabilis was a chain that tied you there forever. I needed to do this tonight. I found a shortcut that took me around Lauravelle's Peak, and directly through the forest boarding the school and the Castle. I left my horse at the gate of the castle, there were more guards on standby now than there had been before. One of them stopped me, "You cannot enter at this time."
"It's important. I need to see the queen about the goblet." He stared at me then turned around to speak to one of his peers. They chattered for a moment too long, the sky was brightening now. I tapped my feet impatiently, the guard returned and gripped my arm, opening the gates. I shrugged him off, "I can walk myself." He led me to the Castle and ordered me to stay there until the queen returned. I looked around the room, it was darker in here. I remembered it being that way the day I lost my halo. The throne had bled that day too. The matter didn't seem so serious now, but it would. Lady Elizabeth rushed in first. She cupped my cheeks with worry and said, "What happened? Where's the goblet?"
"I don't have it." I said. She pulled away from me, "Then why are you here?"
"I know where it is and it's safe. But the tear-"
"We already know about it," Queen Maya said, entering the room, she waved a hand and the door closed. "If you have nothing valuable to offer us, then leave."
"I do." She narrowed her eyes at me. "Then speak." I cleared my throat, "My brother Silas opened it. He's trapped Audrey in it and-"
"That is not our problem. We can lock the boy up but we will not be venturing into ineluctabilis to save your girlfriend."
I glared at her, "I know you don't respect me and you doubt Audrey but this is not a rescue mission for her, she's fine. This is for you, your whole kingdom is at risk if you don't listen to me."
"Watch your tone, Apollo. Your mother may be a goddess but you are still just a fallen Angel," she sneered. "Maybe, but if you want to stay a queen you'll listen to what I have to say." She paced around the throne room, dragging her fingers along the thrones. It left a trail of blood in its wake. Then the thrones responded and they began to bleed. "He's looking to release the fallen few."
"Then we need to close it,"
"That won't stop him. It's one step, but he could just as easily open it again. I know how to stop him, but I need Audrey here first. And everyone else he's conspiring with."
The queen looked out the window and back to me, "how do you suppose we do that?"
"What do you say about a ball?"
I banged on Mason's door and he opened it seconds later with annoyance in his eyes and messy hair. "What?" He asked, I forced the door open and entered his room against his protest. My sister stumbled over, tangled in his sheets and i gawked at her, "What the fuck?"
"It's not what it looks like!" She swore, I shook my head grabbing Mason's arm, "Get dressed and come out here I need your help."
His face became serious, "What happened?"
"I'll explain when you're dressed. And you," I said turning to my sister. "Get back to your dorm room." She nodded shamefully, snapping her fingers, her clothes appeared on her neatly again and she brushed by me mumbling her apologies as she left the room. I gagged at the thought of what they could've been doing and steadied my mind to the task I'd been given. Mason re-emerged a few minutes later, fully dressed. He glanced down at the goblet in my hand and his face fell. "Audrey stole this, she's also in ineluctabilis, Apollo's going to the palace and I need you to help me break into Nurse Hannah's office."
He stared at me in shock and yelled, "why would I help you with any of that?"
I shushed him, "Please, Mason. Audrey needs us."
"Audrey committed high treason I will not be an accessory to that." He sneered. "Mason, she had her reasons. It's bigger than just this cup now our whole country is on the line. You have to help me." He frowned at me, the mumbled something to himself. He looked back at me in disappointment, "Let's go." I cheered, leading him out the room. We snuck out the mage common rooms, the whole courtyard was filled with royal guards. They paced around, waiting for students to come, anyone to question. I spotted the guard who'd seen me earlier. "Fucking Luna," Mason breathed. "They're everywhere."
"We can't just walk through them, we have to-" I turned around, Mason was emptying a small bag into his hands. "Cover your nose." He instructed. I did as he said, he summoned a gust of wind that sent it into the fray of guards. One by one, they each fell down, inhaling the dust. I froze, "are they sleep?"
"No, their paralyzed but it only last thirty minutes. Let's go." He said, ushering me to the main building. I ran by the bodies, to the main office doing my best to not trip or step on anyone. They looked over our faces as we ran and they'd know us when they were awake. The main office was the first door and first hallway. It was relatively easy to find, but expectedly very locked. I peered into the lock, pulling a pin out of my hair and adjusted it to fit the lock. I inserted it into the key hole and twisted it around until I heard a click and pulled the door open. The main office was empty, but I heard movement around nurse Hannah's office. "Maybe we can come back later?" Mason asked. I shook my head, "Apollo said we don't have time. We need to do this now." He sighed, "I'll cover you. I nodded, I crept around the main office, opening the door to Nurse Aiden's office. Mason eyed me questioningly. If I couldn't get what I was looking for out her office, I'd get it out his. I shut the door behind me and rolled a light orb into my hand. I pulled open various draws find basic supplies and then in his last drawer which didn't budge. I held the light orb to the drawer and let it burn through the lock and then pulled it open. Out slid a bag of coins and a stack of files. I pulled it out and opened them. There were photos in them, students. A specific group of them, and a stick note which read keep watch. Thank you! The names read, JAMESON, SILAS; JAMESON, NIA; JAMESON, M. APOLLO; BLACK, STELLA; WILLOW, AUDREY. I closed the files. A screeching noise startled me into dropping the orb. I quickly picked it back up and placed the files on the desk. I walked cautiously over to the fax machine and pulled out the paper. It was addressed from Michelson, Hannah. I placed that paper into the files and continued searching around the room. My hand brushed upon an envelope. I reached for it, tearing it open. A black note card fell out with gold embroidery. I recognized it as Silas's from Audrey's description.
Thank you for your service, your payment will arrive shortly.
I turned back towards his desk and pulled out the bag. I found an satchel and grabbed it, shoving everything I could fit into it and carrying what I couldn't. There was a shout outside the room and I rushed out. Mason was standing horrified over Nurse Hannah's body. She was limp on the ground but no blood came from her. "What the fuck happened?" I asked. He stammered, "I- she just- she- I think I killed her."