Author's Preface
The spider carried the three with surprising speed. They had to fend off a few poltergeists on their way to the surface, but once they were out of the tunnels and off castle grounds, it was an easy ride to Ernest’s house.
Well, easy was relative. Felix’s hoodie was not enough to shield him from the chill of racing through the night, and the ride was bouncy as hell, but at least monsters weren’t trying to kill them. Yet.
It felt like much longer than twenty minutes before the spider slowed. It stopped at the edge of the forest they’d traveled through and waited for them to climb off. Moments after Felix’s feet hit the ground, the spider scurried back the way they’d come.
“So much for a ride back,” Mason said.
“Let’s worry about that later.” Felix moved to the tree line and peered through to the other side.
A disgustingly extravagant mansion sat at the center of a sprawling green lawn. The long driveway leading up to the front was packed with cars. Felix could just make out figures moving in the warm glow spilling from the front windows.
“As far as I can tell, no one’s screaming or dying,” he said.
“Good. Let’s look for the wand.” Mason cautiously raised a hand to the air at the edge of the lawn. Nothing happened. “Maybe the wards are closer to the house. Let’s circle around and approach from the back. I’ll get the masking spell ready.”
Before they crossed the backyard, Mason dug the supplies from the witch shop out of his bag and laid them in a careful formation. The crystals formed a triangle, and Mason had each member of the group stand at one of the three points. He piled the bone fragments in the middle, sprinkled ash over them, and muttered a few words under his breath as he pointed the wand at the setup.
“I used the crystals as an anchor point,” Mason said once he was finished. “Hold onto yours, and it will keep your energy hidden.”
Felix picked up his crystal and slid it into his pocket. He and the others stepped out of the cover of the forest and started across the lawn.
They made it all the way to the house without running into any barriers.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Mason muttered. “There’s no way Ernest would leave his house open to monsters, even if he does have some obeying his orders. He’s not stupid enough to leave himself vulnerable, right?”
Arisa tried the handle to the back door they’d stopped in front of. “Can I animate the door to unlock it?” she asked.
“As long as you un-animate it when you’re done,” Mason told her. “Once we’re inside, avoid using magic as much as possible.”
The door clicked and swung open. Mason entered without hesitation. Arisa followed. Felix had to take a deep breath to steel himself before crossing over the threshold into Ernest’s house. Arisa waved her hand, and the door eased shut behind them.
“What do we do now?” Felix asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“We should look for Hana,” Arisa said. “Or Kendra.”
“We should try to find the wand.” Mason’s eyes scanned the quiet hall ahead of them. “Once we have it, we’ll have the upper hand if Ernest tries anything.”
“I guess,” Arisa muttered.
“Plus, once someone sees us, it’s over,” Felix said. “No more element of surprise.”
Mason nodded. “As long as we stay away from the rooms where the party guests are, we can sneak around and see what’s happening before we do anything stupid.”
“Investigate now, do something stupid later,” Arisa said. “Got it.”
Mason sighed. “Let’s go.”
The distant sound of party chatter drifted around them as they moved silently through the house. Felix was terrified of touching any of the expensive-looking decor. Expensive paintings, expensive tapestries, expensive glass statues. He wondered if the occasional plant they passed was expensive, too.
The thought brought Ezra into his mind long enough to confirm. Yes. Yes they are.
The sound of conversation grew louder, making Felix’s heart quicken. Mason pressed forward anyway, leading the group to a staircase. They moved up to a hall that led into a walkway hanging over the open first floor. The volume of the party increased dramatically as the three neared the start of the walkway.
“No one sounds upset,” Felix whispered.
Mason dropped to the ground at the edge of the shadows and peered down at the party through the gaps in the railing. Felix moved as close to him as he dared and watched the Guardians below. They all wore their formal suits, and most carried drinks or small plates of dessert in their hands. Felix found himself nervous for the white and gold rug directly below them.
“Any sign of the wand?” Arisa asked under her breath.
“No, but I can see Ernest,” Mason replied. “He’s talking to some other Guardians.”
“So, he’s busy,” Felix said.
Mason nodded. “Let’s keep looking.”
They backed up and moved into a different hallway that took them toward the back of the house.
“Where do we start?” Felix asked. “This place is huge.”
“The wand will emit a powerful energy signature,” Mason said. “It may be hard to narrow down with all of the Guardians around, but that’s going to be the best way to track it.”
“What if Ernest masked it?” Arisa asked.
“A wand can’t cast a spell on itself, and no other wand would be powerful enough to hide it.” Mason stopped. They’d reached an intersection. The hallway split off in three directions. “This guy’s house sucks,” he said. “Let’s split up.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Felix said.
“We’ll find the wand faster,” Mason replied. “And one person has a better chance at avoiding getting caught than a group of three. Easier to hide if someone comes up.”
Felix sighed. “Makes sense.”
“First person to find the wand can send a text.”
Mason went right, and Arisa went left, leaving Felix to continue straight down the hall. As he checked the rooms he passed, he quickly realized that the upper levels of Ernest’s house were populated with taxidermy animals. Mounted deer heads, stuffed birds on shelves, even glass cases with predators standing at their full height.
What kind of guy kept all this around? Apparently, not only was Ernest a monster hunter, but a regular hunter as well. Though, Felix had a hard time believing it was legal to kill most of what he was seeing.
Felix paused in an office and sighed. Enough stalling. He doubted he’d be able to pick up the wand’s energy, but he had to try. He closed his eyes.
All at once, magic overwhelmed him. There was a steady pulse of magical energy all around, and it was particularly strong in the direction of the party. Felix stumbled into a desk, knocking off a book and two pairs of glasses as he tried to get his bearings.
In the opposite direction of the party, not much farther down the hall, was a single point of particularly powerful energy.
Felix tried to push the energy out of his senses so that he could think, but it didn’t work. “Someone help,” he gasped.
The energy faded. Felix blinked.
This is why your teachers said you’re supposed to take it slow, Mom said. Trying to turn on your senses with that much energy around was a bad idea.
At least I know which way to go now, Felix thought. He stepped back out of the office, trying to remember the exact place he’d sensed the power. It was somewhere up ahead, but it could have been on either side of the hallway.
Felix, get out of here while you can, Mom urged. It isn’t safe.
Felix tried doors near the end of the hall and found a bathroom, storage closets, another office, and a few bedrooms that must have been guest rooms, judging by how little they were furnished. After that, the hall split to the left and the right.
Felix ventured a few feet down the hall to the right and encountered a locked door. Secured with a keypad, not a keyhole. He rested a hand on the keypad. The memory of Ernest appeared, and Felix carefully watched him type in the code. Once he disappeared, Felix stepped forward and repeated the numbers.
The door unlocked. Felix pushed it open. There, in a glass case in the middle of the room, was the Ironwood Wand.
And a demon standing on either side.
Felix tossed his backpack aside and drew Helena’s sword. In a heartbeat, the two demons were attacking. The one on the left was tall and thin, with bright yellow skin, while the one on the right was shorter with skin a deep shade of orange. The yellow one flung up a hand and let out a blast of golden hellfire. The orange one charged at Felix with outstretched claws.
Felix dove to the left to dodge the fire. As he straightened up, he swung the sword blindly in the direction of the orange demon. The demon caught the blade in its hands. Dark blood welled on the metal, turning to steam as it slid across the sigils.
“Go get Ernest,” it hissed to the yellow one.
Uh oh. Felix shifted his weight, yanked the blade free from the demon’s grasp and swung at its legs. It jumped back.
The yellow demon darted behind Felix. He spun around and managed to slash open its arm, but it kept running. Felix tried to follow. The orange demon grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the ground. As the door clicked shut behind the yellow demon, the orange one moved to stand over him. Its hands burned with white hellfire.
Felix rolled out of the way as the demon lunged. He swung the moment he was back on his feet and landed a blow across its chest as it whirled around. The flesh burned around the gash, but it quickly began stitching itself together at the ends.
“You’re not strong enough to kill me,” the demon growled. “I’m healing faster than you can do damage.”
Felix lunged and aimed for its neck. A clawed hand flew up to meet the blade. He sliced right through it. The demon twisted and used Felix’s momentum to send him stumbling into the wall. Claws raked across his back, deep enough to draw blood.
Felix blindly jabbed the sword backwards. A hiss of pain came from the demon’s direction. He spun around and brought the blade down on its head. It reached up to pull the sword free, but its arm only made it halfway before going limp and dropping to its side. A moment later, the demon collapsed. Silvery white blood pooled on the wood floor.
Felix grabbed the sword’s handle and yanked it free. He wasn’t positive that the demon was completely dead, but he just needed to grab the wand and get out.
A beep came from the door behind him. Someone else had typed the code into the keypad. He had seconds.
Felix backed into the corner to the right of the door, set the sword on the ground, and dropped into a puddle.
Ernest Abernathy entered the room. “What the hell happened?”
The yellow demon followed him in. “Some kid got in here.”
“Where is he now?”
“Not sure,” the demon replied. The wound on its arm was still spilling blood. Only the edges had closed up. “He might have left. Can you sense him?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean much these days. Hard to believe he’d leave without the wand, though.” Ernest crossed the room and nudged the orange demon with his foot. “This one’s dead.”
The yellow demon’s expression didn’t change. “He was a tough kid.”
“Well, no matter. If he’s still here somewhere, he’s not getting out.” Ernest lifted the lid of the wand’s case and took it out. “I can’t risk letting him and his friends live any longer.”
“Do you want me to stay in here?”
“No. Join your friends hiding on the first floor. I didn’t want to start a fight so soon, but we may not have a choice.”
Ernest walked out of the room. The demon followed. As soon as the door closed behind them, Felix shifted back to his regular body and stumbled to where his backpack lay on the floor. The gashes across his back screamed in pain as he bent over. He found the Guardian uniform jacket he’d shoved in the bag and swapped it for his hoodie.
Next, he grabbed his phone and typed out a message to the others. Found wand room. Ernest took it. Demons here too.
Felix moved to the door and inched it open, heart hammering. Distant footsteps indicated the direction Ernest was going. He followed to the closest intersection.
Felix peered around the corner at the same moment Arisa and Mason appeared at the other end of the hall. Ernest stopped halfway between them, the yellow demon still at his side.
Mason had his fists up in a heartbeat, blazing with hellfire. “That wand belongs to my family. Hand it over.”
“Take care of the knockoff demon and his friend,” Ernest ordered, sliding the wand into his suit jacket. He grabbed the handle of a door to his right. “I don’t have time for this.”
The yellow demon charged forward as Ernest stepped through the door. Felix sprinted after the demon, lifting the sword. In the same moment that Mason torched its face with hellfire, Felix left a deep slash across its back.
The demon rolled out of Felix’s and Mason’s reach and jumped at Arisa. With a sweep of her arm, Arisa sent an army of paper planes shooting toward it. The force of the sigils forced the demon backward. Clementine, who’d escaped Arisa’s backpack at some point, sliced at the demon’s ankle as she ran by. The demon howled in pain and dropped to the ground.
“Damn, those sigils you added are powerful,” Arisa said. She stepped forward and swiped at the demon’s face with her dagger.
Mason lifted his hand and unleashed another blast of hellfire, leaving the demon either dead or close to it. “Follow Ernest!”
There was another hallway on the other side the door Ernest had gone through, leading back in the direction of the party. As Felix, Mason, and Arisa ran, the sound of chatter and laughter and clinking glasses grew louder.
Felix eyed some of the taxidermy they were passing. “Arisa, you should animate these and send them after Ernest.”
“Yeah,” Mason added. “I saw a giant bear standing around somewhere. I’d like to see him fight that off.”
“I don’t know how well that would work,” Arisa said. “They’re bigger than what I usually animate, and it’s harder to manipulate things that were once living. The will of the former inhabitant is left behind. Necromancy requires a different kind of magical energy than—”
“There he is!” Mason hissed, cutting her off.
The three slowed. They’d returned to the walkway. Ernest stood with his hands on the railing, watching the party below. His head turned toward the group as they approached, a cold smile crossing his face. “You just walked into your own execution.”
Felix froze. “What?”
Ernest’s hand slid into his suit jacket. He drew the wand long enough to flick it toward them before hiding it again. Something pulled Felix, Mason, and Arisa forward. Felix tried to resist, but it was no use. He stumbled into the light.
“Guardians,” Ernest shouted, drawing the room’s attention. “I hate to interrupt the celebration, but I’m afraid we have a small problem.” Light reflected off his glasses as he swept his gaze over the crowd below. “These three broke into my home a little while ago, and they’ve caused quite a bit of damage already. I think something needs to be done here.”
“You know exactly why!” Mason exclaimed. “You killed my parents and stole their wand, and I’m here to get it back!”
Ernest put on an air of confusion. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Felix peered over the railing as the Guardians below erupted into conversation. He desperately searched for a familiar face, but there was no sign of Kendra, Hana, Sebastian, or Archer.
Ernest lifted a hand. The crowd quieted. “All of the council members are here, aren’t they?” he asked. “Perhaps we should have an emergency meeting to determine their fate.”
“You can’t do that without the king!” Arisa protested.
“I’m sure he would understand.”
“Ernest is lying, and I can prove it!” Mason pointed at Ernest and looked out at the crowd. “This house is full of demons who are following his orders.”
A woman in the crowd laughed. Eliza Abernathy. “That’s absurd!” she shouted.
Mason shot her a glare. “Of course, you’d defend him. You’re his cousin!”
“My blood doesn’t matter. If there were demons in this house, we’d be able to sense it.” Eliza glanced at the Guardians around her. “None of us here sense any demons, do we?”
“She’s right,” a man added. “The only magical energy here is coming from us Guardians.”
“I’d say it was a nice try, but that was a rather pathetic lie—” Ernest began.
Mason’s hand slid behind him, into his bag. “Hold on! Some of you have seen with your own eyes that monster energy can be hidden. Ernest cast a masking spell on the demons here. And he’s the one who’s been casting masking spells at monster sites, too.”
“You really expect us to believe a Guardian would do that?” The question came from Abraham Caldwell. “We don’t do spells.”
“Think!” Mason snapped at him. “You didn’t notice any protective wards around his property when you came in, did you? It’s because he let demons in!”
Uncertain glances flickered across the Guardians’ faces. Most of them must not have considered checking.
Mason carefully slid the bag from the witch’s shop out of his backpack. Felix inched forward to shield it from Ernest’s view.
Sadia Malik stepped forward. “We could check that, easily. We’ll send someone outside while we hold the kids here—”
Ernest cut her off. “Don’t bother. I don’t have wards up, but that’s because the sigils wore down and needed to be redrawn. I figured tonight would be the best night to do that, with so many Guardians here.” He looked to the three, his calm expression finally giving away to annoyance. “Besides, if I had only taken them down to let demons in, why wouldn’t I have put them back up after to prevent anything else from entering?”
Felix frowned. That was a good point—why not put them back up? Ernest must have known Mason would try coming for the wand eventually.
“Cover me if he tries anything,” Mason whispered. He straightened up and lifted his wand that he’d pulled from his bag. His other hand hung in a tight fist at his side. “Are you done defending yourself, Ernest?”
Ernest glared at him. “You’d better watch yourself if you want a chance at living, demon—”
“You already stated you wanted us dead. Several times,” Mason said. “Maybe Felix can show the council that at your trial. I’m sure the Ironwood Wand has lots of interesting memories.” He stepped aside, revealing the crystals and bones he’d arranged on the floor behind him. He opened his left hand, allowing ash to rain down on the floor.
“What are you doing?” Ernest stepped forward. Felix drew his sword and pointed it at Ernest’s face. Hopefully, whatever Mason had planned worked. Otherwise, he was definitely going to be in trouble for this.
Mason pointed his wand at the spell ingredients. “Unmask.” A wave of magical energy rippled through the air. Felix grimaced as it passed through him, turning his stomach.
Fury took over Ernest’s expression. “You—”
“Ernest, this place is infested with demons!” Down below, Michael Beck stepped onto a chair. His voice carried over the crowd. “I’d ask for an explanation, but it seems that Mason was right.”
“And the entire council is here to witness it.” Sadia moved to stand next to Michael. “The king will—”
Laughter cut her off. Abraham Caldwell shook his head. “We? There is no we, Sadia. The days of the King’s Council are over.”
Sadia whirled to face him. “What?”
“You’ve left me with no choice.” Ernest pulled the Ironwood Wand from his jacket. He pointed it toward Felix, Arisa, and Mason.
Felix tried to back up. The wand’s power latched onto him. With a flick of his wrist, Ernest sent Felix flying over the railing and into the party below.