The Man in the Box (The Box book 1) Read online

  Chapter Six

  “You got here faster than I expected,” trench coat guy says with an uninterested glance at Stewart. “Thought you were conserving your magic.”

  Stewart gives me a look unlike any I’ve seen before. I feel uncomfortable around him at home, but this is something completely different. One look and I’m terrified. Wasn’t I relieved to see him only seconds ago? When he turns away to talk to our captor I notice Cindy hasn’t stopped swearing since he walked through the door.

  “...lying prick-face bastard,” she says.

  “Cindy? What’s going on?” I start to twist around to look at her, but remember at the last second not to pull the ropes too much.

  “You never were the sharpest, Lou,” Stewart says in a dry tone. “Like your idiot mother.”

  Did he really say that? I stare at him with my mouth hanging open and looking exactly like the idiot he called me.

  This can’t be happening. After all, it’s Stewart. Mom’s boyfriend. I must have misheard him.

  “Stewart, please,” I say.

  “Do not speak.”

  Suddenly he’s too close, though I have no idea how he could have moved so fast. His face is only inches from mine, his fingers wrapping around my neck, with his too long nails digging into my skin.

  “I should have known it was you since day one, the way you’re able to convince everyone around you how innocent and perfect you are.” He squeezes my face with one hand, forcing my lips to pucker. “Disgusting.”

  He releases me and I attempt to wipe the parts of my face he’d touched on my shirt, but I can’t get rid of the crawling feeling in my skin.

  “But...Mom loves you.”

  I know I sound pathetic and I’m sure I’m not helping anything since his reaction to my pleading is to look even more disgusted.

  “Tell me where it is, sorceress, and I may let your family live.” His voice crackles with an energy that reminds me of lightning.

  “I don’t know.” My eyes fill with water while my lips refuse to stop quivering. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The portal. Your grandmother was the guardian and she passed the title to you. Now, where is it?”

  His voice is too calm and his cruel smile never wavers. His fingers tighten on my throat as I shake my head and tell him I have no idea what he’s talking about.

  “Want me to break her legs?” trench coat guy offers.

  Stewart’s smile widens. “Is that what you want? To never walk or dance again?”

  “Please.” It’s all I can manage.

  “Let go of her right now,” Cindy says, clearly regaining a bit of courage.

  “I have a better idea.”

  Stewart releases me and steps away to pull something seemingly out of thin air. At first I have no idea what I’m looking at, especially since my eyes are blurred with unshed tears. Slowly the colors and shapes start to fit together until I recognize he holds a blue silk bag, smaller than his fist. It takes a couple more seconds for me to realize it’s not the first time I’ve seen the bag.

  “Where did you get that?” My voice cracks as I ask the question.

  “It’s amazing what your grandmother kept in her house.” He casually tosses the bag up and down a few times. “It wasn’t hard to find this or figure out exactly what it is.”

  With Cindy at my back, she’s unable to see what he’s holding “What is it?” she asks. “What’s he got?”

  “It’s nothing,” I say to both of them. “It’s a bag Gran used to keep some toenail clippings in. Weird, yeah, but I don’t see—“

  “I’m going to give you an option,” Stewart interrupts. “A very good deal, which I suggest you take. I’m going to give you this bag and allow you to open it. In exchange, you will tell me where the portal is.”

  “No,” Cindy says firmly before I can say anything. “Do not open the bag, Lou.”

  “I don’t plan to. I don’t know why I’d want to.”

  “You don’t know?” Stewart says, fake charming smile replacing the cruel one from earlier. Somehow, seeing him more like how I used to every day around Mom makes the whole situation so much worse. “Has no one ever explained to you what’s inside this bag?”

  “Leave her alone,” Cindy says.

  “It’s gross old toenails,” I say again, though this time I feel a lot less sure. Why is he dangling it in front of me like a prize to be won, and why is Cindy so afraid I’ll take it?

  “Those might be the physical contents,” Stewart says, “But not all it holds. You, much like your sweet old grandmother before you, were born a sorceress.”

  “Don’t,” Cindy warns, though this time she’s speaking to Stewart rather than me.

  “What?” I laugh since the very idea is ridiculous. “I don’t have magic. I didn’t know magic existed until tonight.”

  His smile widens and he moves half way around the post to get a better look at Cindy, and so both of us have a perfect view of him.

  “Of course you don’t,” he says. “Your family has done a particularly good job keeping it from you. They went so far as to strip the power from you before you were able to wield it. Ooh, not what loving family members are supposed to do, is it?”

  Nothing he’s saying makes sense. Born with magic? Me? “I don’t understand.”

  “They took your magic, child,” he says slowly, face revealing his frustration. “They took a part of you and they bound it inside this bag.”

  I stare at the object he dangles in front of me.

  Cindy starts in on another string of swear words and warnings I ignore, while focusing on the object in his hand. There is something about it I can’t quite figure out. It’s almost like being a kid again and seeing someone else with my favorite toy. The bag is mine, and I need it back, right now.

  “Why doesn’t he take the magic?”

  I almost jump out of my skin at the sound of Al’s hushed voice. He’s alive! I haven’t killed him. But I’m also not sure where he is. His words seem to be coming from inside my own head, not from my necklace. I can’t look for him without drawing attention, and worse, I can’t ask him any questions.

  I want to know where he’s been or if he has any ideas about how we can free ourselves. And while it’s the least of my concerns, I want to know what he means by taking the magic. Is it possible?

  While it might not be on the top of the list of things I want to know, it is the only one I can ask aloud.

  “I don’t understand,” I say again to Stewart while my voice quivers with nerves. “If it’s full of magic, why don’t you take it for yourself?”

  “Unfortunately, it’s not so easy,” he says with his usual false smile. “This magic is connected directly to you. You’re the only one who can use it in its current state.”

  “And you’re offering it to me?” I’m starting to realize what’s made Cindy so mad. He’s too determined for me to open the bag. There must be some benefit to him. He’s just using me to get what he wants. “Why? What’s the catch?”

  Stewart looks all too pleased with the way our conversation is going, and I feel like he’s playing me with every word flowing from his lips. “No catch. You tell me the location of the portal you’re protecting and the bag is yours.”

  Even though I know better, part of me still believes he’ll actually help once I give him what he wants. It’s that part of me which blurts out, “I don’t know about any portal.”

  His amusement fades. “This is your one chance to regain your magic. Without it, you will have no way of stopping Borin here from killing your sister. Painfully. In front of your eyes. Do you understand?”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Cindy says. “He’s messing with you. Don’t let him.”

  “If I had any idea what you’re talking about, I’d tell you,” I say. “Please believe me.”

  Stewart takes a step back and rubs his eyes with two fingers. “We’ll do it your way. Borin, if you would.”

  “She’s
telling the truth,” Cindy says. “You think Gran would have taken away her magic, but then leave her with the responsibility of looking after something as important as a portal?”

  “I think that’s exactly what happened,” Stewart says and walks to the other side of the post to direct all of his attention to Cindy. “She probably thought she had more time. Thought she could find another sorceress to become the guardian so she wouldn’t have to place her poor, precious granddaughter in danger. But her time was up the moment I found your mother.”

  No. No he couldn’t have...

  But when had Gran started to get sick? Only weeks after Mom met Stewart. It came on so suddenly, and no doctor was able to figure out what was wrong.

  Knowing what Stewart did causes something in me to switch. My fear is shoved aside by an anger I’ve never felt before. My mind becomes unusually clear and calculating and I start to scan the room a little more closely. It’s still dark, but I can see through the cracks in the door the sun is starting to rise. Between it, the lanterns, and the constant low glow coming from the chimera’s noses and mouths, I can see pretty much everything in the room.

  My eyes pass over my purse sitting on the table for the third time. I’d thought nothing of it at first. And then I remember what’s in there. The whole reason why we’re here. The box. It brought Al here like a portal would, hadn’t it? Could it be what Stewart’s looking for?

  I don’t notice Borin watching me until it’s too late. He follows my gaze and strides over to grab the bag. After rummaging around for a moment, he pulls out the box and shows it to Stewart.

  “Look at the symbols.”

  He tosses it to Stewart who carefully examines it, running his grimy fingers over every inch of the wood.

  “Amazing,” he says. “The magic is so well disguised. It’s no wonder I didn’t sense it before. It’s almost as invisible as your sister’s silly little spells.”

  “Silly?” Cindy chokes out the word. “My spells are not ‘silly.’”

  “Tell me what you know of it,” he says. “How does it work?”

  “My silly spells are a lot more powerful than you’re giving them credit.”

  I can feel her tug at the ropes and I know she’s struggling to get her hand into her pocket full of magic dust. Stewart doesn’t appear to notice as he focuses on me, his face twisted into a snarl.

  “Tell me about the box and I’ll consider killing your sister quickly.”

  I should be frightened by his words. Be terrified by the way he stares at me as though my life is in the palm of his hand, but all I can think about is the loose ropes and Cindy’s movement, as if she’s ready to act.

  “You have no idea what I’m capable of!” Cindy shouts. Her anger is emphasized by whatever power she possesses.

  This time, since her back is to everyone in the room, the magic isn’t focused on anyone in particular. Instead it affects the very walls of the barn. Everything seems to be brought to life. Warped faces and limbs appear and pull themselves away from the walls and stall doors, creating shadow monsters that twist and bend forward and back at the same time. Every piece of wood, every strand of hay melds together in strange, horrifying ways to become creatures bent on attacking every living thing in the room.

  Stewart and Borin barely acknowledge the spell; their attention focuses entirely on the chimera. With rolling eyes and skittering feet, it tries to attack every vision Cindy’s created at once. Both heads snap and hiss while its snake tail whips out, knocking everything nearby to the floor.

  “Calm it down,” Stewart says.

  The creature snaps at Borin as he tries to walk toward it with his arms open. At first I’m too concerned about using the opportunity to squirm out of the slackened ropes to think about why they are so worried about the chimera.

  Then it starts to spit fire.

  Once the old dry hay catches, there’s no chance of getting the fire under control. Flames rise and lick at the old wood of the barn walls and smoke fills the air. I can’t pry my eyes away. It’s beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

  “Let’s go,” Cindy growls at me while pulling at my arm.

  She’s already gotten herself free, leaving the ropes to dangle off me. I push them aside and let her pull me to my feet.

  “Al?” I ask while desperately looking around. If he was on my shoulder, the movement of me standing up could have easily knocked him off.

  “Don’t stand around,” he warns while sliding down the chain to my necklace. “Go.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I notice the chimera has gone completely mad, charging at Cindy. Even Stewart and Borin seem desperate to get out of the thing’s way. I call out, but my voice is lost in the roar of the fire and the shouts and growls of the others. Somehow, Cindy sees Farah in time and spins to face it. I don’t notice her put her hand in her pocket, but I do see the dust as she blows it into one of the creature’s faces. The offended head hisses and yelps as the powder flutters around. Both heads now in agreement, it runs.

  Not just runs, but bolts out of there, tail between its legs. It doesn’t hesitate at the door as it smashes through the wood, splintering beams as though they are nothing more than cellophane.

  With her back turned to the rest of us, proudly watching the chimera flee, Cindy doesn’t see Borin and Stewart turn their attention back to us.