Your dragon powers are gone?” Sapphira caressed Ashley’s hands. “Are you sure?”
Ashley nodded slowly. “I can’t even remember the quadratic formula, and I feel sick to my stomach. I can usually make nausea go away in a few seconds, but I can’t do it now.”
Sapphira covered her eyes with her hand. “I feel it again.”
“Feel what again?”
Blue light leaked between her fingers. “Remember when I looked inside you and saw a dragon?”
“Uh-huh. You scared me so bad, I was ready to slap you.”
“I’m so sorry!” Sapphira closed the gaps between her fingers. “I think it will stop soon.”
Ashley wrapped her fingers gently around Sapphira’s wrist. “It’s okay. I want to know what you see now.” She slid Sapphira’s hand away from her face.
Blue beams emanated from her eyes and spilled over Ashley, covering her in a blanket of azure light. Sapphira wheezed, breathing frantically. “I really don’t like doing this. I don’t like peeking at someone’s soul. I have no right to do that.”
“You have my permission.” Ashley slid into the center of the light. “Tell me what you see.”
After a few seconds, the beams dimmed and blinked out. Sapphira closed her eyes and wept.
Ashley took her hand. “What’s wrong? Did you see someone worse than a dragon inside me?”
“That’s not the problem.” Sapphira shook her head hard.
Ashley lifted Sapphira’s chin. “Can you tell me what you saw?”
Wiping a tear, Sapphira leaned close and whispered, “The dragon’s gone.”
Ashley firmed her lips and nodded. “That’s no surprise, I guess, since the traits are gone.”
“But there was nothing there.” Sapphira spread out her hands. “Nothing at all. No dragon and no angel.”
Ashley winced at Sapphira’s words but couldn’t raise her voice above a whisper. “I’m just an empty shell?”
Sapphira shook her head. “Don’t say that. It can’t be true.”
“But it is true. I feel the void, like my whole body is about to collapse.” Ashley wrapped her arms weakly around herself. “I’m nothing inside. Nothing at all.”
A loud clatter sounded from beyond the exit door. Ashley sat up straight. “What was that?”
“It came from where Walter and Karen went.” Sapphira pushed her shoulder under Ashley’s arm. “Lean on me, and we’ll find out together.”
Chapter 21
The Call of the Cross
A pulse! Thank God!” Karen took off her jacket and covered Gabriel’s head with the hood. With cold drizzle now pecking through her hair, she watched the battle, praying for Walter with all her might. What else could she do? She felt useless, too weak and small to make a difference.
With one hand covering his wounded eye, Chazaq stomped toward Walter, reaching for the young man’s head. Walter leaped out of the way and charged toward the giant’s blind side, raising Excalibur in attack position.
Spinning quickly, Chazaq dodged. Walter’s feet slipped out from under him, and Excalibur flew from his grip, clattering to the stone as he slid past Chazaq’s legs.
The giant leaped in the direction of the sword, but Walter caught the toe of Chazaq’s oversized boot, tripping him and sending him toppling to the floor. Scrambling to his feet, Walter dove for Excalibur, snatched it off the ground, rolled away from the giant, then sprawled on the wet concrete, groaning.
Karen pressed her hands together. “Walter!” she shouted. “You can do it! I know you can do it!”
Walter pushed against the ground and rose slowly, nodding at Karen. “Thanks,” he gasped. “I’m glad someone thinks so.”
Ashley shuffled into the turbine room, her arm over Sapphira’s shoulders.
“Ashley!” Walter raised his hand, still breathless. “Stand back! I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” He turned again and faced Chazaq, who had just climbed back to his feet.
Karen waved Ashley and Sapphira to the concrete pillar. When they huddled together on their knees, she whispered. “Gabriel’s unconscious.”
The three girls made a tent over Gabriel with Karen’s jacket. “Walter’s supposed to be distracting the giants while Roxil sneaks up on the one on the turbine,” Karen said, “but I thought she would have attacked him by now.” She pointed toward the covered portion of the turbine room. “Mardon’s watching from over there. He’s not so confident anymore.”
Uncovering his bleeding eye, Chazaq raised a fist and roared. “I am going to grind you into dust!”
“Why don’t you add a ‘Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum’ to that?” Walter shouted. “Then I’ll really be scared!”
“What’s Walter doing?” Karen asked. “Is he crazy?”
“He’s taunting the giant,” Ashley explained. “Anger in battle is a handicap, so Walter’s trying to get him to do something stupid.”
Chazaq dove at Walter in a flying rage. Leaping out of the way, Walter hacked at the giant’s outstretched arm and sliced his wrist, drawing a new stream of blood. Chazaq grasped his wound and kicked at Walter, but he leaped away again, this time narrowly missing the giant’s ankle with another swipe of his sword.
“Chazaq!” Mardon shouted from the turbine room exit. “Don’t be such a fool! Remember what I taught you. A warrior has a will of iron. He cannot be seduced by a cunning opponent. Your pride in your brawn will be your downfall if you don’t change your tactics. Use your gifts, not your anger.”
Growling deeply, Chazaq lifted a hand toward the sky. As though he were a lightning rod, energy from the other giant’s beams streamed into Chazaq’s arm, making his hair stand on end. He extended a thick finger on his other hand. A jagged yellow bolt shot out and sizzled into Walter’s chest.
Walter flew backwards and slammed into a pillar, smacking his head against the concrete. Slumping to the side, he exhaled and his arms fell limply to the floor.
“Walter!” Karen screamed.
Ashley tried to get up, but Sapphira grabbed her arm. “No! Neither of you can do anything to help.”
“But I have to,” Ashley wheezed, trying to wiggle loose. “He’s my friend. He’s my … my best friend.”
“Get the sword,” Mardon ordered, walking into the open area. “Then kill him.”
Karen shook free and bolted from the pillar.
“Karen!” Ashley shouted. “No!”
Dashing into the battle zone with her head ducked low, Karen sprinted toward Walter. When Chazaq reached for Excalibur, she zipped past him and scooped it up as she ran. She straddled Walter, pointing the heavy blade at the huge, looming giant and screamed, “Get back, you creep!”
“She is mine!” the giant atop the generator shouted. “She is my prize!”
Covering his wounded eye again, Chazaq scowled at him. “Bagowd! Did you bargain for this puny wench?”
“There was no risk. I knew you would squash the runt.”
Ashley struggled to get up, but Sapphira pushed her down and sprinted to Karen, sliding to a stop between her and Chazaq. Using both hands, she shoved Chazaq’s thighs, but he barely moved an inch.
Chazaq laughed. “The little men are vanquished, and now the little women come to their rescue.”
Sapphira raised her hands. Fire leaped from her palms and formed into balls of flame. “You absorb light energy, Chazaq, but I wager that you’re still flammable. Want to test my theory?”
With a powerful swipe, Chazaq slapped her wrists, extinguishing her flames and knocking her to the side. Karen lunged and swung the sword at the giant’s arm, missing badly. The momentum of her follow-through spun her around, nearly pulling her to the floor.
Chazaq grabbed a fistful of Karen’s hair and dragged her toward the generator. Screaming, she kicked and tried to slash her captor with the sword, but to no avail. Suddenly, a stream of fire rocketed into Chazaq’s face. Roxil swooped down on his blind side and slammed into his body, knocking him fla
t. As she swept back up, she roared. “Run! We must hit the other giant while we can!”
Chazaq, his face and beard sizzling, lay motionless on the ground. Mardon was nowhere in sight.
Dropping Excalibur, Karen leaped to her feet and darted back to Walter. Sapphira was already lifting his ankles. “Grab his wrists!” she yelled. “Let’s get him under the roof.” Struggling side by side, they half carried, half dragged him to the covered section of the turbine room. After laying him down, Sapphira pressed her ear on his chest. “He’s alive, but he’s barely breathing.”
“Ashley will heal him.” Trying to smile, Karen swiped back her dampened bangs. “I know she will.”
“But Ashley lost” Sapphira cut her words short.
Karen pulled on Sapphira’s sleeve. “Come on! Let’s get Ashley over here.” Sapphira gave in to Karen’s frantic pull, and they hurried back to the column.
When they arrived, Ashley’s face was almost as white as Sapphira’s hair as she rested her hand on Gabriel’s chest. “He’s breathing steadily now. I tried to get up to help you, but I just couldn’t.”
Karen pulled on Ashley’s arm. “You have to come and heal Walter now.”
Ashley jerked back. “I can’t. I just”
“Look!” Sapphira said, pointing.
Karen and Ashley tipped their heads up. Roxil blew a torrent of flames at Bagowd. As the tongues of fire penetrated his surrounding energy field, they fizzled into plumes of smoke. Two other dragons joined her, and all three spewed a barrage of yellow and orange jets.
“It’s Arramos and my mother,” Ashley said. “They’re all working together!”
“Come on!” Karen pulled on her arm again. “Walter needs help!”
Ashley slid away. “I can’t,” she said, her voice cracking. “I want to … but I just can’t.”
“Why not? He’s hurt really badly. I’ll help you walk over there. I’ll carry you if I have to.”
“I can’t!” Ashley buried her face in her hands and sobbed. “Please stop asking me. Please!”
Sapphira touched Karen’s arm. “Ashley’s too weak. Besides, there’s no energy available. We need Excalibur’s beam, and Walter’s the only one who knows how to use it.”
Tears blurred Karen’s vision as she stroked Ashley’s hair. “How about Ashley’s mom? She has fire for energy. And she’s a healer, so she could do it herself.”
“She’s busy trying to save the world.” Sapphira wiped a tear from Karen’s cheek. “We couldn’t get her down here if we wanted to, and even if she could do it without Excalibur, we would need another dragon to heat her scales. We can’t leave only one dragon up there to battle the giant. It won’t be enough.”
As the trio of dragons joined their flames, they flew in a tight circle, and the fire streams shot deeper into the Naphil’s protective shield.
“They’re making a firestorm,” Sapphira said. “Do we want that to happen? What about the vortex?”
Ashley lowered her hands. Blood from her palms smeared the tear tracks on her cheeks. “I think that’s exactly what Mardon wants. Arramos probably kept my mother away until this moment, and he convinced her and Roxil that this is the only way to stop Mardon.”
Sapphira used her sleeve to wipe some of the blood from Ashley’s face. “It probably wasn’t hard to convince them, since that’s what they did to the first tower. But you said you figured out how we can stop him.”
“It’s only a maybe, but I can’t remember the probabilities.” Ashley hooked her finger around Sapphira’s collar and drew her close. “You have to do it yourself.”
Sapphira pulled back. “Me? But how?”
“I analyzed your light when you flamed up at Mardon. I remember thinking that the balance of frequencies was perfect.”
“Perfect for what?”
Ashley opened her hand, exposing her wound. “To pierce the electromagnetic field the giants are creating. All it takes is a big enough interruption in the field, and it will collapse. Mardon’s code, the one that was supposed to wake up the giants, was really a set of photometer readings, light intensities for seven different wavelengths. It looks like he matched the light waves that would shock the giants into wakefulness with the light that your fire creates. I guess he wanted to give you the ability to wake them if you needed to, but he never had the chance to tell you.”
Sapphira’s voice lowered to a whisper. “The other laborers and I were hiding from him. I didn’t want him to find us.”
“So he must have given up the idea and jotted it down so he could remember it himself if he needed it.” Closing her eyes, Ashley ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t remember how I came up with it, but I think your fire light will interfere with their ability to store and produce power.”
“Okay.” Exhaling loud and long, Sapphira glanced at Walter, Gabriel, and Karen in turn. “What do I do?”
Ashley leaned toward her. “It’s extremely dangerous, but you have to get close to the giant and make your light source penetrate his shield.”
“Okay. How close? How much fire?”
“I’m not sure. Just get as close as you can and see what happens.” Ashley touched Sapphira’s fingers. “How much flame can you produce from your hands?”
“I can set my whole body on fire and make a pretty big cyclone.”
“Good. Make the biggest inferno ever, but don’t spin the flames. We don’t want to help the dragons break down the dimensional barrier.”
Karen tugged on Ashley’s sleeve. “What about Walter?”
Ashley laid her fingers on Karen’s cheeks. “The only way to save him is to get my mother down here. We can’t do that until Sapphira destroys the field.” She drew Karen close, almost nose to nose. “Do you understand?”
She sniffed and nodded. “I understand.”
Ashley pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered into her ear. “I love him, too, Karen. But you know he would want us to save the world before we save him, right?” Ashley pushed her back and gazed into her eyes. “So we have to stop the giant. That’s the most important thing to do right now.”
“You’re right.” Karen straightened and trudged over the rain-slicked floor. “I’ll get Excalibur.”
After picking up the sword, she passed by the unconscious Chazaq. Shuffling up to his body, she lifted the blade and poised it over his neck. Her heart raced. It would be so easy to slice the scoundrel’s throat. So easy. She let the edge scratch his skin. A trickle of blood ran down and dripped into a puddle. She gazed at his swollen face, blackened from Roxil’s fiery jets. Would Walter do it? she wondered. Would he get rid of this beast once and for all? She shook her head. He wouldn’t. He always said you have to meet an enemy face-to-face. Killing someone when he’s down is the coward’s way out.
She hiked the sword up to her shoulder and hustled back. Sapphira now stood at the ladder that led up the turbine’s exterior wall, while Ashley, looking pallid and limp, remained at the pillar with Gabriel.
The three dragons sprayed the giant’s electric shield with fire, enveloping him in a flaming cocoon. As they flew closer, still shooting yellow streams, they used their wings to whip the fire into a frenzy as they zoomed around and around.
“No!” Sapphira yelled. “Don’t create the vortex! That’s what Mardon wants!”
The dragons continued their barrage. Either they didn’t hear Sapphira’s call, or they didn’t believe her.
Sapphira climbed the ladder, speedily passing rung after rung. When she reached the fence, she scaled it quickly and hopped onto the roof of the generator. One more short ladder to go.
Karen followed, dragging Excalibur with her as she stepped up the rungs. She couldn’t let Sapphira battle that hideous monster by herself. He made her look like a little white mouse.
After reaching the top rung, Karen stared up at Sapphira. With her hands raised and already flaming, she closed in on the pulsing electric field, the giant’s surroundi
ng glow.
Karen heaved the sword up to her shoulder and looked down at Gabriel and Walter, both unconscious. Firming her jaw, she tightened her grip on the hilt. The guys gave it everything they had. Now it was up to the girls.
Enoch joined Acacia at the shield. “Create the tunnel and hold it in place. We will add the fire and move you into position when the king returns with the sacrifice.”
Acacia swirled her hands in front of her as if painting the air with her fiery palms. A shining orange oval emerged at the center of her swirl and grew to twice her height and width. As she slowed her hands, the oval stopped growing and hovered over the ground. Still visible through the semitransparent screen, Acacia looked at Enoch, her expression growing even gloomier. “The tunnel is ready, Father.”
While Elam, Naamah, and the ten wanderers gathered to watch the hypnotizing aura, Enoch bent over and peered through the light from Acacia’s side of the oval. “I’m not sure when the sacrifice will arrive. Can you hold it in place?”
As the swirling light pulsed, Acacia kept her hands moving in small circles. “For a while. It isn’t hard.”
“As you know, it will get harder.” Enoch began pacing in front of the audience. “The storm clouds gathering overhead are the fingers of Earth reaching into this realm. As they grow, they will dissolve the Bridgelands, the dimensional barrier between Heaven and Earth, and bring the eternal kingdom into mankind’s reach. Although such a result might sound appealing, you cannot imagine the catastrophe that would occur if the corrupt meets the holy.”
He raised his finger toward the sky, still pacing. “If the passage between the two realms opens, it will seem as though an entire world is closing in on us. Some kind of energy-based connection will be made between Earth and Heaven’s shield, a path between the two worlds that must be destroyed. Our weapon will be our own energy surge from Acacia’s portal that should break the connection.”