The Lightwielder Files

Chapter 18

A gentle smile graced Mona's lips.

“Most Lightwielders like me, we love the hunt. We love the thrill of battle.” She sighed and looked over her shoulder as if she was afraid that someone might hear them and infringe upon their company.

“Sometimes, during a fight, we can lose ourselves with the reward of glory or bloodshed and forget that we actually have a duty to achieve; to protect people.”

She reached out and clasped Max’s shoulder, squeezing it tightly, her expression kind beyond words.

“But I only found out about what I was and about that duty recently," Max replied.

“That makes what you did all the more special," Mona said. “You did it out of a need to protect. That is one of the most honorable things that a person can do.”

Max blushed all the way to his ear and down to his toes. “I was just doing what seemed right at the time.”

During all this, Mona had not let go of Max's shoulder and he had stepped closer to fill the space in between her tartan converse trainers. Her eyes went up to his and suddenly she felt very entranced and reckless.

She slipped a hand around his neck and, for some inexplicable reason, Max took the hint and went along with it, his hand snaked around her waist gently, ever so gently. Max surprisingly, was the one who moved first Mona swept into his warm embrace, both figuratively and literally. They both smiled until a huge scream broke out from outside that nearly shook the foundations of the room they were in.

They fell apart immediately.

“What was that?” Max asked, the light disappearing from his body in an instant, but then he managed to quickly conjure up a ball of light in case there was any immediate danger. Mona picked a dagger from her boot eyes on the alert.

“I think it came from outside," she replied, already at the door. She turned to Max with an anxious expression on her face.

“Max, make sure you stay behind me okay”, she said in a gentle whisper.

Max replied softly putting a hand on her shoulder which startled her for a moment, then it began to comfort her.

“How about beside you?” he retorted. She began to blush madly, gripping her dagger tighter. “I’m not as rubbish as I once was.”

“You’re right ”, she conceded, her hand on the doorknob, “but be careful. I don’t want you hurt when you reunite with your dad.”

Max’s heart warmed. She had said when. They shared a brief smile and walked out the door and were met with complete pandemonium. People were rushing towards the center of the Luce Order building. Mona and Max joined them side by side. As they approached, they noticed people giving Max very frightened looks. He wanted to shrink away form them and then thought bette of it. He was a Lightwelder, he belonged here and no no one would or could tell him otherwise. He set his face like a flint nad appraocjed the heart f the commotion. Before either of them could take another step there met with a flury of f black and purpel feathers. It was Adam looking livid but as soon as he saw Max his expression seemed to calm down not entirely but a little so that he didn't look so red anymore.

“Oh Max," he breathed heavily his chest rising and falling like a boat on a stormy ocean. “I’m glad you’re okay, he asked about you and thought that maybe he had done something to you somehow…”

Max blanched but tried not to show it on his face. He clenched his fists, then stepped closer to reassure Adam that he was in fact alright and to find out who was asking about him. As if answering a silent wish in his heart. A green glowing orb floated to the area that they were in.

Lightwielders all around them pointed weapons of man-made material and Light orbs of their own at the mysterious floating object. For some reason, the thing that frightened and repelled everyone else in the hallway seemed to call out to Max and that frightened him especially when he saw the orb taking shape like some science fiction hologram. It formed a face and a body then two of them. Wherever those people were, it was dark wind moving rapidly in the background, or was that the hologram flickering?

Though he couldn’t recognize the place he definitely recognized the people and he could see by the stares and murmurs around them that everyone else recognized them two.

Though he looked a little older than in his picture, Algar Fary was fearsome to behold. His face was twisted in a curl imitation of a smile, let’s call it what it really was, a sneer. His dark hair was matted, his eyes were ablaze with a mad air and his dark coat flew out behind him.

On the floor in front of him surrounded by about ten Hellhounds was Max’s dad Malcolm, gagged and tied up.

Max heard Adam gasp on the other side of him while Mona quickly took his hand in her own, squeezing it tightly. He squeezed hers back. He need something to ground himself with the scene playing out horrifically in front o him, but at the same time, there was a warm flicker of hope there, always needed pervasive, always needed. He was alive. His dad was alive, Not well perhaps but alive that was all that mattered. A surge of hatred bled out of him towards Algar who was surveying them all with his very dark eyes. If Max didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Algar was looking for something or rather someone in the crowd of faces before him.

Max heard murmured speculations and frightened whispers roaming through the crowd around in him especially those in front of him.

“How is he doing this?”

“So he really is alive then.”

“I thought Malcolm was working with him.”

“I thought so too.”

“Then why is he tied up?”

“I don’t know.”

“This shouldn't be possible. Our wards are supposed to be protected from Darklighter magic.”

That piqued Max’s interest and stirred his horror. He felt a slight tug on his shirt sleeve and turned to see Adam gesture for him to lean closer which he did.

“That was he who was asking for you," he said in a low voice laced with anxiety.

Max felt a whole lot of shivers run up and down his spine and stretch out to other parts of his body. But at the same time, he felt a need to go forward. He remembered Mona’s words from earlier in the Lightroom. That he had a fight ign spirit that he didn't fight for glory or recognition or bloodlust but he fought for a pure need to protect the innocent and those that he cared about. It strengthened his resolve.

He let of Mona's hand and pushed past the crowd. It almost felt like slipping into the dark until he was last at the front of the group. Algar in the hologram was still casting his eyes over the throng then as if drawn by some magnetic field his eyes snapped down to Max’s.

“I believe you’re looking for me," Max said in a loud confident voice, though he was feeling anything but.

He tried to think away from the trembling in his fingers and steady his breathing as Algar stared down at him with unflinching piercing eyes. As Max looked closer he could see that Algar’s eyes were so dark they seemed to sawplolow up the pupils. Then after a brief moment that at the same time felt too freaking brief, Algar’s thin lips stretched into a smile, or what a curl imitation of one. His teeth were like that of a ravenous wolf which seemed to fit the environment that he appeared to be in.

Then he spoke in alow almost too kind voice.

“Max Vandhurst, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father has talked about you none stop.”

As if by some cruel irony, the focal point shifted directly to Malcolm and his gagged face. His clothes that he had worn the day before he went missing were covered in grass and mud, and dark stubble was cast over his chin and neck where he had not shaved. The sight incensed Max but he couldn't let it show, not now. He saves that for when faced Algar face to face.

“What do you want ?” he asked.

“I just want to talk," Algar said conversationally as if they were two old friends just discussing the weather. This seemed to irritate Max more than ever.

“We’re talking now”, he said fiercely through gritted teeth. “Tell me what you want!”

Algar’s eyebrow was raised in a curious gesture as if he didn't expect this much fire from, Max, honestly, he didn’t expect that much from himself either but this was different there were lives of people that he cared about at stake.

He stepped closer to the glowing green hologram until he was nose to nose with the ephemeral Algar Fray.

“I just told you what I wanted”, Algar replied in a too-casual way that made him sound like an innocent child. It was completely jarring to Max and everyone who had only heard terrifying stories of this gruesome man. “I want to talk but not over hollow cast this is much too informal, oh no.”

His mouth then quirked into that sinister smirk again that sent shivers running up and down Max’s back.

“Let’s meet somewhere private.”

Max felt someone push him aside. He turned to see that it was Mona’s dad Hamid Davenmeyer whose eyes were blaring. His fingers were near a saber strapped to his side as if he was going to stab through the projecting to reach Algar’s obsidian-clad chest.

“The boy will do no such thing," he said in a low frightening voice, like the growl of a lion after its prey. “We will meet you and we will fight you.”

Algar tossed a bored inconsequential look to Hamid Davenmeyer as if he was exhausting him which he probably was, Max thought.

“Well, I have no doubt that you and your lovely children of the light will put up a fight, but how long will they really last.”

Then the hologram paned out spreading to show the expanse of the land behind him.

And the dozens of portals with monsters storming out for them.

Gasps, shrieks, and cries broke out among the crowd and something cold sank to the bottom of Max’s stomach. So Algar hadn’t just found a way to open portals into the shadow realm, but he had found a way to control it including the monsters inside.

“You see these beautiful beasts”, Algsr cooed menacingly. "They are under my control. I will release them onto Chicago from the east to the west from the north to the south and once they’re out on the streets there’ll be no stopping them well unless I do which I won’t unless Max comes to speak to me in a location I will tell him.”

He cast a slow thoughtful eye over the Lightwielders.

“I’ll give you one hour to decide what it’ll be, but rest assured, if there is no answer, the hounds will go out.”

Then his eyes fell back down upon Max’s head and he had an almost fond smile on his face.

“I hope you make the right decision Max.”

Then the hologram was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

“Secure the wards!” Hamid Davenmeyer yelled and some Lightwielders to his left stepped into action.

“How’s someone supposed to be rest assured after that?”

Max turned to see Mona beside him. She must have followed him down through the crowd while Algar was giving them all his ultimatum.

Her hand was tightly coiled around her dagger. The crowd was disappearing around them though the ones who were leaving and some who remained were throwing various different looks in Max’s direction. There was a complete spectrum ranging from piteous to hateful. Max ignored them all, only focussing on Algar’s words ringing around in his head like some church bell from hell.

He was only broken out from his reverie when he felt Mona’s hand wrap around his wrist.

Her eyes were soft and comforting without losing their determined steel.

“Did you see your dad ?” she asked quietly as the hallway began to trickle out. “He’s alive.”

“I saw that”, he replied and he was about to tell her that that was almost the only thing he was focused on when he saw Hamid coming towards them.

“Have you decided what’s going to happen yet?” Max asked trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

Hamid huffed as if everything that had happened so far was all the worst-case scenarios combined. To be honest, in his eyes it probably was.

“You can imagine the council thought that we should give into Algar’s demands and have you speak with him.”

Max nearly scoffed but kept it inside. What else was he expecting really?

“Then I will," he replied steadfastly.

Mona’s eyes widened in shock. She walked around to face Max her hands on both of his shoulders.

“Max are you crazy?” she asked anxiously. “This is Algar Fray, we’re talking about. He’s a powerful Lightwielder, he’s a half-monster in both senses of the term and he has an army of monsters behind him…”

“And he’s got my dad," Max finished his tone even. “And he’s threatening Chicago.”

“Max is right, Mona," Hamid replied getting in between the two of them. Mona let go of Max, her shoulders starting to slump under the pressure of the possibility of losing her friend.

“He won’t go alone though”, Mona said resolutely. “He didn’t say anything about him coming alone.”

“But they'll be expecting it though won’t he”, Max pointed out grimly, “It’s what he wants, I know it is.”

Mona sheathed her dagger. “Fine, then we’ll go as far as we can.”

Max blinked rapidly in confusion. “We?”

Mona smiled tightly and stepped aside to let him see Adam and Delilah standing there in full battle gear.

Adam opened his hands wide in a theatrical gesture.

“Do you think we’re going to let you face a supposedly dead Darklighter with an army of hellhounds on your own?” he asked.

Max looked down at his feet sheepishly then smiled at his friend.

“Yes”, he replied with a slight quirk of his lips which Adam promptly returned before saying “Nope, not happening. We're a team, we go with you.”

“As far as we can," Mona clarified. Then, with a twinge of sadness in her eyes as she looked over at Max. “We can’t go with him all the way.”

Then he did something brazen, or as brazen as he could ever think of being in that moment. He brushed his hand against Mona’s and squeezed it gently. She returned the gesture without even meeting his eyes but he knew what she was thinking.

“Just go with me as far as you can," Max said, earnest expectation coating his voice as he looked at the group of friends around him

Delilah interrupted the moment clearing her throat gently.

“I just wanted to say that before the hour is up, you should get geared up”, she said. “Come.”

Max and the Davenmeyer siblings followed Delilah down a long hallway which Mona explained led to an armory full of gear for Lightwielders.

Max was astounded by the amount of weapons and armor that were in the room. As soon as she stopped to inspect a line of broadswords, he was met with a white jumpsuit and a short sword held up in front of him, courtesy of Adam who had a huge smile on his face despite the circumstances.

“Time to armor up”, he said. Then he handed him the set and directed him to a set of changing curtains.

He changed into his jumpsuit and sheathed his sword in his holster.

He came out and saw that Mona had changed into a jumpsuit as well. They were a matching set.

“So where do we go from here now?” he asked. “Where am I supposed to meet Algar?”

Max almost winced about how casual that sounded, as if he was going out for a coffee meeting with an old friend instead of trying to rescue his father from an insane former Lightwielder.

The group looked at each other in turn as if one of them had the answer to Max’s very practical question.

“I guess he’ll just tell you in an hour," Adam offered, adding another whip to the small growing collection at his hips.

“I guess you’re right”, Max said touching the hilt of the blade at his hip. He knew why Mona twisted a dagger between her fingers now, the techniques and the gesture was comforting and grounding, both things that he needed a lot of right now.

Once sure that they were all stocked up on weapons, they made their way back to the hallway, and as soon as Max stepped over the threshold, the green orb from before came into view like an omen of death.

“I don’t know how that’s happening”, Delilah whispered, pressing her glasses back onto her nose, curiously staring at the floating light.

“I know," Mona sighed glaring at it as if under the force of her impudent gaze it would vanquish from existence and all that it brought with it. “How is he able to do that, shouldn’t the wards be up against Darklighter magic?”

Max thought hard and deeply about what the girls were saying and a cold question leading to an ominous conclusion clawed at the back of his mind.

“Hey guys, what if the orb is being powered from the inside?” he asked.

From the looks on their faces, this wasn’t something that they had considered but little by little the dread that he felt began to manifest on their faces.

“That is…”Delilah began to muse, “...not impossible.”

“There had to be a reason why no one knew what Algar was up to for so long and if he was doing it in the Order building…” Mona said.

“It wouldn’t be registered as a threat," Adam finished her train of thought for her, “Because it’s coming from the inside.”

Before either of them could form another thought or say another word, the orb glowed brighter, forming the hologram from before. This time however Algar Fray stood alone, his dark cape billowing behind like some dark lord at the top of his darkly gilded tower.

Panic built up in Max’s stomach at the sight of the solitary figure. Where was his dad? He probably should have asked after him more beforehand but it didn’t cross his mind.

“Well”, Algar said in a clipped tone, peering down at Max like an eagle looking down at a snake that it was going to have for its dinner. “What have you decided?”

Max met him squarely in the eye, his body trembling with Light and with terror.

“We’ll meet.”

Algar's lips curled into a wicked smile.

“Excellent”, he said and he looked like he was about to go on but Max put up his hand.

“Wherever I meet you, my dad had better be there too. You have your ultimatum and I have mine.”

Again Algar looked surprised at his ferocity, but then he returned to his smiling self.

“Of course," he replied suavely. “I am nothing if not magnanimous, your father will be here.”

Max heard Mona scoff behind him calling Algar a magnanimous fool. He couldn’t help the smile on his face.

“Where do we meet?” he asked and in an odd way, he felt a hand reach into his brain and suddenly he could see the words “Grant Park” in bold letters. Algar raised an eyebrow as if to let Max know that he was the one who put the thought there.

“I’ll be expecting you Max Vandhurst.” And with that, he and the orb of light were gone.

“What was that where are we going?” Adam exclaimed, looking around as if he might catch the orb in mid-air and demand that it tell them where to go.

“He’s at Grant Park”, Max said looking off into the distance. “That’s where he’s meeting us.”

They all looked at each other all their fears and determination reflected in their eyes.

“So what are we waiting for?” Mona asked, pulling out a spyglass and powder from her satchel. “These go meet this Darklighter.”

For all her bravado Max could see the temple in her fingers and the way she tried to hold it all together.

They stood in a tight circle as the light began to glow around them. Max looked at each of them in turn. He was a protector like Mona said and he would protect them from whatever Algar would bring and somehow he would save his dad. He held onto these thoughts like a precious treasure locked within his heart as the light spun white and bright around them whisking them to Grant Park.