Edge of Light (Armor of Magic Book 3) Read online

  “You don’t understand,” she said.

  “So freaking explain.”

  “Remove your sword, then I’ll tell you everything.”

  I laughed. “I don’t trust you as far as my magical boots can kick your turncoat ass. You just knocked out your own husband.”

  “It was for his own good. They were going to enter the dome.”

  “Yeah, that’s why we’re here,” I sneered.

  “But he doesn’t need them and he’ll kill them on the spot. He only needs you, Fiona. You!”

  So there it was … All the running around, dodging fireballs and sleazebags, and the whole time we were sleeping with the enemy.

  “Why didn’t you just deliver me to him right from the start? Might’ve saved some time and some lives.”

  “I tried. You’re extremely hard-headed.”

  “Let’s get this shit over with. Get up,” I ordered.

  The traitor pulled herself up carefully. I kept my sword pressed against her jugular and shoved her forward. We walked down the hallway until she stopped in front of a panel. She pressed her hand against the surface.

  “She’s here,” she spoke into the intercom.

  Seething would’ve been an understatement. My cells were smashing together like gold particles. I don’t know what Cagliostro promised Soraya, but it couldn’t possibly be worth what she was giving up.

  The wall opened, creating a passageway into an enormous laboratory. I pushed Soraya inside and stayed close behind. In the middle of the room sat an immense dome structure. Its surface undulated with a cosmos of electric flurries and swirling dark matter. A shadow glowed around the edges of the thing. It was unsettling.

  What was more disturbing were the seven cylindrical tubes stationed around the dome containing six of the Protectors and their Scrolls. They were floating in a milky liquid with cables attached to their bodies. Electricity coursed through the substance, shocking them on a continuous basis. They were supplying power to the frothing dome. There was one empty container, no doubt reserved for me.

  Looking at the Protectors trapped helplessly inside those glass tubes, I couldn’t imagine the levels of pain Cagliostro had inflicted to get them to surrender. White-hot rage shuddered through me. I felt like a lightning storm on the edge of cracking open.

  I glared at Soraya and shouted, “How could you?”

  She cowered, lowering her head. “It’s the only way he’d let Hayden live.”

  I slapped her cheek. “You fool! She won’t survive without the Light. I don’t care what the monster told you. Once the Monarchy goes down, it’s over for all the Protectors.”

  She rubbed her cheek, tears streaming. “No. There must be a way!”

  Then she ran over to the glass encasement containing a young woman with long brown hair and pale white skin. Soraya pressed her palms against the surface.

  “I’m doing this for you, my darling Hayden. It’s the only way.”

  Hayden closed her eyes.

  Soraya released a howl, pounding on the glass. But Hayden didn’t respond.

  “I should end you right now!” I yelled.

  The sound of shoes clapping against the floor approached, and a dark chill iced over my heart.

  “I absolutely agree with you, Miss Farrow.” Cagliostro’s baritone voice came from the other side of the massive dome as he made a slow approach toward me. “She had a simple task, which she managed to screw up at every turn. Time is money, as they used to say. Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Farrow?”

  Soraya screamed like a banshee and ran toward Cagliostro, crashing into his chest and pounding him with all of her strength. It was pathetic.

  “Just stop, Soraya. For your daughter. You’re embarrassing yourself,” I yelled.

  She turned and darted toward me with wrath whirling in her eyes. But before she made contact, a flash of electricity shot out from the dome and struck her down. Her body convulsed and writhed as she sizzled in astronomical pain.

  “Wasted space,” Cagliostro said with a soft chuckle.

  I looked around, trying to suss out the situation and figure out his game plan. We were alone, which I found very odd.

  “No minions? Didn’t feel I was a large enough threat?” I asked him.

  The demon mage snickered, waving his long, slender hands. “The hard part’s over. Now I just need the final piece of the puzzle. Thank you for being so accommodating, Miss Farrow.”

  He had everything he wanted: all seven Sacred Scrolls and their Protectors in one place.

  Or so he thought.

  thirty-eight

  Cagliostro’s taunting smile was humorous because he believed he had me cornered. The powerful display of confidence he exuded should’ve made me tremble—or at the very least twitch—but I just laughed and laughed.

  “Sorry to break it to you, asshole, but I don’t have the Scroll,” I said as calmly as possible.

  His black demon eyes glinted under the glow of the electrifying dome of dark matter. Still, he kept his composure.

  “You’re lying,” he said.

  “Am I?”

  “You wouldn’t have entered this room without its powers backing you up.” He grinned wickedly.

  I remained quiet and smiled, mocking him with the temerity of someone who had all the leverage. He tried to play it off, but I had seen that look in his eyes before. Utter fury.

  “Your team has lost, which makes you a failure.” He scowled, making a sweeping motion at the dome like I could miss the colossal structure frothing with all the malevolent energy ever created.

  “It’s not quite over, now is it? If I’m still standing that means the Monarchy is intact.”

  Maybe I should’ve been more concerned, but I had nothing to lose at that point. And I had all the leverage.

  “Come, now, my child. I will spare your friends, if you simply allow me to finish off this business and rid the universe of that useless, ancient relic that belongs in a museum. The Monarchy days are over. You’re the final piece to end this millennia-long feud. Simply unlock the Scroll for me, and there will be no more pain. There will only be peace. No more conflict. The Light and the Darkness will be one. No more suffering. So, let’s put an end to this quibbling. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds like a bunch of bullshit,” I jeered.

  Cagliostro unbuttoned his black suit jacket and tossed it to the side.

  “Are you challenging me to a tussle?” I laughed.

  “I’m giving you the opportunity to handle this in a civilized manner,” he said.

  “One, I’m not civilized. And two, you’re not getting the Scroll. You can rip me to shreds if you want, but that would defeat your purpose now wouldn’t it? You need my bloodline to complete this transaction. You can’t kill me. You need me.”

  With that, Cagliostro cackled maniacally. “I don’t need you, Miss Farrow. The Darkness doesn’t need the Light. We detest the Light.”

  I thought maybe he was trying to instill some of his fear magic, but then he snapped his fingers and two of those gargantuan red demons with the black swirling runes entered the room. Between them were my parents. They pulled them over to Cagliostro.

  In the past, the demon mage had tricked me into believing his illusions were real. Once with Charlotte, another time with my parents, and then with Asher. But I had learned how to discern the truth. I could see through lies, magic spells and fear. As I saw the two people standing with their limbs bound by magical chains, I knew Cagliostro wasn’t using any illusions.

  They were actually my parents.

  “I can use their blood or yours. Doesn’t matter to me, Miss Farrow.”

  Now I had to make a choice: sacrifice my parents or myself.

  “Well played,” I said.

  My parents couldn’t speak because of whatever spell was over them, but I could feel their love pouring over me. I pushed my feelings into the open space between us, hoping to convey the truth without a single word. I loved them. I had finally gotten
them back after all those years being on my own. We were a family again. I longed with every fiber of my soul to run over and wrap my arms around them in an everlasting embrace.

  But I was born to protect the Sacred Scroll and the Light. Like I’ve said, sometimes destiny sucks.

  I looked over at Cagliostro. “You can’t kill all three of us or you’ll never unlock the Scroll. And if you kill them, I’ll never give you the Scroll. So, I’ll give you a moment to consider your options.”

  His nostrils flared as orange flashes sparked from his body. I called on my sword and braced myself for what was coming next.

  The color of his skin shifted from ivory to ashen marble as he began to take on his grotesque dragon form. He looked like one of those gargoyles on gothic buildings, only much larger. His eyes turned from black to scorching red, and sharp teeth emerged from under his thin lips. Horns emerged from his forehead and he arched as his massive dragon wings spread out from behind him.

  He snatched up my parents and held them high above the dome, forcing my hand. But instead of begging him to stop, I edged toward the entrance and opened the door.

  “You can’t run from me!” he bellowed.

  He flapped his wings violently, causing heat to blaze over my body. I called on my shield, creating a force field to ward off the scalding temperature. This enraged the beast even more. He released a shriek that seared my eardrums, then flung my parents into the dark matter bubbling along the surface of the dome.

  They disappeared into the glowing sea of blackness.

  thirty-nine

  Time stood still. My parents were gone. Their existence was categorically no more. The finality blew through my chest like a hurricane, and I dropped to the ground, keeping my shield up, while the reality penetrated my heart. I had made the right decision letting them die, but that didn’t ease the gut-wrenching anguish flooding through me.

  Now he had to keep me alive, but I’m sure it would be just barely. I had to vanquish him before he captured me. I garnered all my strength and ran toward Cagliostro with my sword aimed. The two demons shot out from around him and came at me. But the anger of losing my parents fueled me, and I swung my sword with every bit of force I had, cutting off both their heads in one fell swoop. Red and black demon guts splattered across my face.

  The demon mage towered before me. He had more power than I could possibly conjure, but I would never surrender to that evil bastard, and deep down he knew it because his eyes flinched. And that was all the encouragement I needed.

  I opened my mouth to release my roar, but nothing came. I had used up my resources. Cagliostro unleashed a screech that tore through me. I turned away from the behemoth and ran around the perimeter of the dome, shouting to the Protectors, “The Logos! Use the Logos!”

  I struck the glass tubes with my sword, sending shocks of white Light inside to wake them up from their zombie states. Though I couldn’t physically break through the glass, I was able to break through to their minds. Their helmets began to glow again, powering up their magical suits of Armor.

  Cagliostro swooped down from above, beating his mammoth wings and clawing at me. I ducked out of the way, then raced around the dome in fast circles, speeding faster than light. Not any light, but the Monarchy’s Light.

  The sound of the demon mage’s screeching raked across my brain. Flames brushed against my shoulders. I picked up the pace, still calling out the Logos with the other Protectors.

  “Your Darkness has no authority. We stand with the power of the Light. The Light binds the dark. The Light binds the dark.”

  The chanting resonated throughout the laboratory. Infuriated, Cagliostro beat his wings with more velocity. The temperature climbed to volcanic heights. The black matter bubbled and splashed around the surface of the dome, then it began to spark with more intensity—bolts of electricity shot forth, straight into Cagliostro. He was tapping into the power of the dome.

  He swept down again and this time his talons dug into my back, sending scorching pain down my spine. My skin felt like it was melting away from my bones. I could no longer run, or move. I crumpled to the floor, writhing in agony as bolts of electricity shot out of the dome and ripped into my Armor with jarring blasts. Soon I’d be nothing more than a puddle.

  And finally, my Armor shut down.

  He couldn’t kill me because he needed me to unlock the Scroll. The final piece of his morbid puzzle. I couldn’t allow it.

  Digging down into my essence, I searched for my voice. Using what little energy remained, I caught my breath and called out, “Kaila! Now!”

  The Protector swooshed into the room in a blaze of triumph, her frizzy red hair whipping behind her. She made a beeline toward me and from under her robe she pulled out the Sacred Scroll. The seventh one Cagliostro needed to complete his mission and take down the Monarchy.

  But he couldn’t have it.

  Not ever.

  The Scroll lit up in my hands and ignited my magical Armor. A surge of unbelievable energy tore through me, lifting my spirits and powering up my entire body. I rose from the ground and leapt into the air, using the Light to guide me.

  Cagliostro’s burning red eyes widened.

  I landed on top of the dome, shouting out the Logos along with the other Protectors. The dark matter began to slow down and shift into a state of stasis. I held up my Scroll to the heavens. The chanting grew louder than an ocean roar as each of the Scrolls illuminated brighter and brighter. From inside the glass tubes, the Light stretched outward toward me, and the rays from all seven Scrolls joined together.

  Together we were stronger.

  Cagliostro began to shimmer and flicker between his human form and the demonic dragon. Yet he continued to beat his wings, refusing to be vanquished. The temperature rose higher and higher, and the liquid inside the glass tubes began to bubble and boil like molten lava.

  He was killing the Protectors.

  A bolt of clarity struck me, and I knew what I needed to do.

  I pressed my Scroll into the dark matter. A blistering shock erupted through my body, jolting me into spasms. I jerked around, unable to control my movements. The dark matter pulled at my limbs and tugged at my soul. But I wouldn’t relent. I kept pressing the Scroll deeper down into the mass of blackness below me, shouting the Logos in chorus with the other Protectors.

  A thunderous crash echoed all around, and then an astonishing light split through every single nerve and muscle, shocking me into a state of paralysis. Radiance burst up from my body, blasting outwardly and filling the room with gleaming, glittering flares of Light.

  Cagliostro dropped to the floor and cried out in agony, damning me, the Protectors, and the Monarchy. He had no remorse or intention of repenting. So I didn’t feel bad as I shot beams of Light from my eyes, igniting the demon mage into red embers until he exploded into a billion fragments.

  It was over for Cagliostro.

  The entire tower began to tremble and shake, and the glass tubes containing all the Protectors cracked open, releasing them from their prisons. Kaila ran over and embraced Julian. Saul had entered the lab and ran over to his daughter, Hayden. The others joined together, and started running to the exit to get out of the quaking tower.

  Rocco looked up to where I stood on the surface of the dome and reached out to help me. Julian and Kaila ran to his side. All three of them called for me to come down, but they needed to get out of there before the entire tower crashed to the ground.

  “Go!” I shouted as currents of electricity and lightning shot through me. “The humans need you. Just go!”

  I smiled to my friends, the brave and bold Protectors of Light, and waved them onward. My body flooded with the most pleasant warmth and peace. Comfort washed over me.

  The fight was over.

  A serene silence encased me like a blanket, and I entered into the most peaceful bliss.

  My soul was set free.

  forty

  I stood on a shore of sparkling diamond sand. Somethi
ng was really different about me. I was me, but different. It’s hard to explain. The best way to describe it would be to say I felt the power of the Armor and the Light flowing through me, instead of over me. It’s like Ezra said: The Light is in you, and you are in it. But to the millionth degree. It was the only truth I knew at the moment, and everything else I had experienced in the past seemed to be a distant memory, like the fragments of a dream I couldn’t quite catch.

  My body was no longer weighed down by the burden of gravity. No more glowing suit of magical Armor. Instead, I wore a robe of scintillating white. The celestial landscape before me was beyond exquisite, awe-inspiring or spectacular. Human words couldn’t describe the panoramic glory of Light that sparkled from every surface, mountain, and pool of water. The entire place was dazzling, glimmering radiance. And I belonged to it, not as a spectator or resident.

  I was the Light.

  I got all that just standing on the glittering shore as a refreshing breeze lilted over me. I could breathe without trying, see without looking, and know without thinking. It was a huge relief after just having destroyed the most evil and powerful demon mage in the universe. I was in some serious need of rest and relaxation.

  A melodious cadence of musical notes wafted across the air and filled my heart. The resounding harmonies swirled around, lifting me up and carrying me down an enchanting path that led to a garden as though floating on clouds.

  In the garden, flowers of every colorful hue grew from bushes and trees, their sweet and delightful fragrances pervading the air. At one end of the yard, there was a crystal archway from which a man wearing a robe similar to mine approached. He wore a golden belt and crown. The light emanating from his presence reached me before he did, as did the familiar essence. It wrapped all around me, embracing me delicately.

  “Asher,” I said.

  His smile resonated through my soul. “Welcome home, Fiona.”

  “Home?”

  “Your real home. You’re with the Monarchy now.”