The Ruby Circle
Page 67
“It is kind of dungeon-esque,” I murmured to her. “Who uses stone this dark for a wine cellar? I’d expect something more Tuscan.”
“I know, right?” she whispered back.
Thirteen witches linked hands and formed a circle of protection around Alicia, chanting spells that would supposedly keep all human magic locked inside. Maude, separate from the circle, then used the same herbs and incantations that had freed Eddie at Wolfe’s compound. Staring at Alicia, frozen in the awkward defensive position Sydney had trapped her in, I couldn’t help but suddenly share in the witches’ initial reluctance to free her. She’d tried to kill Sydney, steal Jackie’s power, and left Jackie’s sister in a coma. She’d also captured Jill and turned her over to the Warriors—simply as a way to get back at Sydney. Really, Alicia deserved to be left a statue forever.
But then we’d never get answers.
Maude’s spell completed, and as it did, she slipped outside the circle to stand by Neil and me. We watched as Alicia came to life again, her legs buckling as the muscles suddenly had to learn to function once more. Yet even as she crumpled to the floor, a snarl crossed her features, and she held up her hand, sending bolts of light out from her. They hit an invisible wall formed by the thirteen and dissipated harmlessly.
“You can’t hold me forever,” she cried. “And as soon as I’m free again, I’ll make all of you pay!”
I leaned toward Maude, pitching my voice low. “She has a point. What will happen to her?”
“Don’t worry,” she murmured back. “Just as you Moroi have your own prisons, we have ours.” Clearing her throat, she stepped forward so that she remained outside of the circle but was still in Alicia’s field of vision. “What happens to you now will depend on how cooperative you are, Alicia. We can make life comfortable as you’re brought to justice—or very unpleasant.”
Alicia expressed what she thought of that by sending a fireball in Maude’s direction. It too was absorbed, and I thought she should consider herself lucky their protective wall didn’t bounce things back to her.
Maude crossed her arms and regarded Alicia unflinchingly. “We understand you played a part in the disappearance of a young Moroi girl. Tell us where you took her.”
For a moment, Alicia looked surprised at the question until she noticed me standing off to the side of the circle. She chuckled. “Where is Sydney? Is she too afraid to face me again?”
Don’t let her talk to you like that! ordered Aunt Tatiana.
With a small amount of spirit telekinesis, I made Alicia’s arms suddenly snap against her sides, as though she were in a straightjacket. Her eyes widened in astonishment when she tried to lift them and couldn’t. “Sydney has more skill and integrity than you ever will,” I said. “You’re lucky you won’t have to face her again. Now tell us where you took Jill. We know she’s with the Warriors. Where?”
“Tell us, and we’ll send you off to your trial as a well-treated prisoner,” added Maude. “Otherwise, we’ll put you back in that inert state.”
“It’ll take more than threats or parlor tricks to get me to tell you where she’s at.” Alicia shot me a malicious grin. “You might have caught me, but that’s one battle Sydney won’t win. You’ll never see that Moroi brat again.”
If she hurts Jill . . . Aunt Tatiana didn’t finish her threat, and she didn’t need to. Anger—fueled by my raging aunt—welled up in me, and I forcibly pushed it down, needing a cool head. “Enough games,” I said. I released her arms and redirected my spirit into compulsion. “Tell us where Jill is.”
Alicia’s eyes started to glaze over, her jaw going slack . . . then, amazingly, she shook it off. Her features hardened again. “I’m not that easy to control,” she said.
“She may have bolstered herself with potions,” Maude told me. Jackie had hinted at this as well, that Alicia might very well have given herself all sorts of magical protection, including against compulsion. “It won’t last forever. A few more days, and it should all be gone.”
I gritted my teeth and upped my spirit use. “No. We’re getting answers today.” With renewed magic, I focused on Alicia again. “Tell us where Jill is.”
Again, Alicia looked defiant, but this time she had more difficulty standing against me. “With . . . with the Warriors.”
“We know that,” I said. “Where? Where are they holding her?”
Trying to compel her was like trying to open a door that someone was pushing back against on the other side. Both of us were throwing all we had into it. Her will and whatever potion she’d taken were strong, but I believed my powers were stronger. Again, I increased the amount of spirit channeling through me, knowing that an average-willed person would have been bent to my will by now. Sydney’s warnings echoed back to me, about not going crazy with spirit use, but I pushed on anyway. We needed answers.
“Where are the Warriors holding her?” I demanded.
Alicia was visibly sweating now, fighting hard against my power. “In . . . in Utah,” she blurted out at last. “St. George. A compound there. But you’ll never get to her! You’ll never get through to her!”
“Why?” I asked, pushing hard with the compulsion. “Why?”
“Too . . . many . . . obstacles,” she said, pale and trembling.
“Tell me everything,” I ordered.
She remained obstinate, and I was ready to compel her even more. One tidal wave of spirit, and I was certain I could have her on her hands and knees, begging to tell me all she knew.
Do it! ordered Aunt Tatiana. Make her pay! Make her your slave!
I was ready to . . . but then, unexpectedly, an image of last night’s dream meeting with Sonya came back to me. Or, more specifically, an image of Nina in her cell came back to me. I recalled Sonya’s words about the scars of spirit use and remembered my promise to Sydney to keep things in check.
Sydney couldn’t have foreseen this, Aunt Tatiana argued. You’re stronger than Nina. You won’t end up like her.
No, I told that phantom voice. I won’t risk it. I’ll keep my word to Sydney.
With great reluctance, I released the compulsion and spirit directed against Alicia. She slumped, this time simply from mental exhaustion.
“I know, right?” she whispered back.
Thirteen witches linked hands and formed a circle of protection around Alicia, chanting spells that would supposedly keep all human magic locked inside. Maude, separate from the circle, then used the same herbs and incantations that had freed Eddie at Wolfe’s compound. Staring at Alicia, frozen in the awkward defensive position Sydney had trapped her in, I couldn’t help but suddenly share in the witches’ initial reluctance to free her. She’d tried to kill Sydney, steal Jackie’s power, and left Jackie’s sister in a coma. She’d also captured Jill and turned her over to the Warriors—simply as a way to get back at Sydney. Really, Alicia deserved to be left a statue forever.
But then we’d never get answers.
Maude’s spell completed, and as it did, she slipped outside the circle to stand by Neil and me. We watched as Alicia came to life again, her legs buckling as the muscles suddenly had to learn to function once more. Yet even as she crumpled to the floor, a snarl crossed her features, and she held up her hand, sending bolts of light out from her. They hit an invisible wall formed by the thirteen and dissipated harmlessly.
“You can’t hold me forever,” she cried. “And as soon as I’m free again, I’ll make all of you pay!”
I leaned toward Maude, pitching my voice low. “She has a point. What will happen to her?”
“Don’t worry,” she murmured back. “Just as you Moroi have your own prisons, we have ours.” Clearing her throat, she stepped forward so that she remained outside of the circle but was still in Alicia’s field of vision. “What happens to you now will depend on how cooperative you are, Alicia. We can make life comfortable as you’re brought to justice—or very unpleasant.”
Alicia expressed what she thought of that by sending a fireball in Maude’s direction. It too was absorbed, and I thought she should consider herself lucky their protective wall didn’t bounce things back to her.
Maude crossed her arms and regarded Alicia unflinchingly. “We understand you played a part in the disappearance of a young Moroi girl. Tell us where you took her.”
For a moment, Alicia looked surprised at the question until she noticed me standing off to the side of the circle. She chuckled. “Where is Sydney? Is she too afraid to face me again?”
Don’t let her talk to you like that! ordered Aunt Tatiana.
With a small amount of spirit telekinesis, I made Alicia’s arms suddenly snap against her sides, as though she were in a straightjacket. Her eyes widened in astonishment when she tried to lift them and couldn’t. “Sydney has more skill and integrity than you ever will,” I said. “You’re lucky you won’t have to face her again. Now tell us where you took Jill. We know she’s with the Warriors. Where?”
“Tell us, and we’ll send you off to your trial as a well-treated prisoner,” added Maude. “Otherwise, we’ll put you back in that inert state.”
“It’ll take more than threats or parlor tricks to get me to tell you where she’s at.” Alicia shot me a malicious grin. “You might have caught me, but that’s one battle Sydney won’t win. You’ll never see that Moroi brat again.”
If she hurts Jill . . . Aunt Tatiana didn’t finish her threat, and she didn’t need to. Anger—fueled by my raging aunt—welled up in me, and I forcibly pushed it down, needing a cool head. “Enough games,” I said. I released her arms and redirected my spirit into compulsion. “Tell us where Jill is.”
Alicia’s eyes started to glaze over, her jaw going slack . . . then, amazingly, she shook it off. Her features hardened again. “I’m not that easy to control,” she said.
“She may have bolstered herself with potions,” Maude told me. Jackie had hinted at this as well, that Alicia might very well have given herself all sorts of magical protection, including against compulsion. “It won’t last forever. A few more days, and it should all be gone.”
I gritted my teeth and upped my spirit use. “No. We’re getting answers today.” With renewed magic, I focused on Alicia again. “Tell us where Jill is.”
Again, Alicia looked defiant, but this time she had more difficulty standing against me. “With . . . with the Warriors.”
“We know that,” I said. “Where? Where are they holding her?”
Trying to compel her was like trying to open a door that someone was pushing back against on the other side. Both of us were throwing all we had into it. Her will and whatever potion she’d taken were strong, but I believed my powers were stronger. Again, I increased the amount of spirit channeling through me, knowing that an average-willed person would have been bent to my will by now. Sydney’s warnings echoed back to me, about not going crazy with spirit use, but I pushed on anyway. We needed answers.
“Where are the Warriors holding her?” I demanded.
Alicia was visibly sweating now, fighting hard against my power. “In . . . in Utah,” she blurted out at last. “St. George. A compound there. But you’ll never get to her! You’ll never get through to her!”
“Why?” I asked, pushing hard with the compulsion. “Why?”
“Too . . . many . . . obstacles,” she said, pale and trembling.
“Tell me everything,” I ordered.
She remained obstinate, and I was ready to compel her even more. One tidal wave of spirit, and I was certain I could have her on her hands and knees, begging to tell me all she knew.
Do it! ordered Aunt Tatiana. Make her pay! Make her your slave!
I was ready to . . . but then, unexpectedly, an image of last night’s dream meeting with Sonya came back to me. Or, more specifically, an image of Nina in her cell came back to me. I recalled Sonya’s words about the scars of spirit use and remembered my promise to Sydney to keep things in check.
Sydney couldn’t have foreseen this, Aunt Tatiana argued. You’re stronger than Nina. You won’t end up like her.
No, I told that phantom voice. I won’t risk it. I’ll keep my word to Sydney.
With great reluctance, I released the compulsion and spirit directed against Alicia. She slumped, this time simply from mental exhaustion.
