Smith said, turning to the girl. “I require you to open a PORTAL.”
She snorted angrily. “Why would I - crooooak! - ever help you?”
“Because if you do NOT, then your sacrifice will be in vain and Charlie Benjamin will not get the sword!”
“Ask Theodore to open one - he’s better at it than me.”
“Not any more,” the Smith replied with a sneer. “Now open a portal, girl - to the Nightmare Division!”
Gritting her teeth, she did. A purple portal snapped open into the heart of the High Council chamber, startling several employees working there.
“YOU!” the Smith yelled, pointing a warty finger at a man in an orange jumpsuit as he mopped the floor. “Get General Dagget here now. Tell him the SMITH is ready with - crooooak! - the SACRIFICE.”
The sacrifice. Charlie suddenly realised what the Smith intended to do and his heart sank. He wondered if Violet suspected as well and he could see from her grim expression that she did.
Within moments, General Dagget rushed through the portal, followed by two Banishers from the Nightmare Division. The tall man glanced around, quickly assessingthe situation. His gaze settling on Brooke’s horrible disfigurement. He struggled to conceal his revulsion.
“I see the girl has sacrificed.”
“Yes, ‘the girl’ has sacrificed,” Brooke said, moving towards him. “And thanks for calling me ‘the girl’ and not something more appropriate like ‘the frog’.”
William grunted dismissively. He turned to Theodore. “Are you OK, son?”
“Definitely. What’s up, Dad? Cool outfit! Nice medals.” His eyes widened in surprise. “Wow - when did you make General?”
William surveyed him with clinical detachment then turned to the Smith. “Has my son sacrificed as well?” The Smith nodded. “He has lost all memory of the boy who was once most - crooooak! - IMPORTANT to him.”
William seemed relieved. “Good. Time will show it’s for the best.” He flashed Charlie an angry glance. “The boy he once knew has brought him nothing but pain. He is better left forgotten.”
“Who are you talking about?” Theodore asked.
“No one, son.”
No one .
Maybe it is for the best , Charlie thought. Maybe William was right . Theodore would probably be happier now that Charlie was no longer a part of his life. He wouldcertainly be safer. Heck, they all would be.
“You may now take the GIRL, General,” the Smith said, gesturing to Violet. “She has agreed to SACRIFICE the thing most valuable to her…and that is her BANISHING ability. She must - crooooak! - be REDUCED.”
The word hung in the air with terrible finality. For months, Director Drake had screamed for their Reduction and yet they had always managed to escape the barbaric procedure - but now the war against the monsters of the Nether, as well as the safety of the entire planet, seemed to depend on Violet sacrificing herself to the very thing they had struggled so hard to avoid.
“ You might call it a sacrifice,” William said to the giant frog, “but, at the Nightmare Division, we simply call it justice. The girl chose exile, which banned her from getting involved in the Monster War under penalty of Reduction.” He gestured to the Sword of Sacrifice as it glittered in the amber crystal. “I’d call this getting pretty involved, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Violet said with a huff. “Trying to save the world. What a crime.”
“There’s a right way to do things, young lady, and a wrong way. You chose wrong .”
“I stood up for my friends. I protected them. Whenhave you ever protected anyone but yourself?”
William grimaced. “It’s all black and white to you, isn’t it? That’s youth talking. When you get older, you’ll realise the world is not so simple.”
“That’s only because of people like you and the Director.”
“ENOUGH of this babbling,” the Smith croaked. “It is TIME. Take her now.”
No , Charlie thought. Please…no…
“For what it’s worth,”
She snorted angrily. “Why would I - crooooak! - ever help you?”
“Because if you do NOT, then your sacrifice will be in vain and Charlie Benjamin will not get the sword!”
“Ask Theodore to open one - he’s better at it than me.”
“Not any more,” the Smith replied with a sneer. “Now open a portal, girl - to the Nightmare Division!”
Gritting her teeth, she did. A purple portal snapped open into the heart of the High Council chamber, startling several employees working there.
“YOU!” the Smith yelled, pointing a warty finger at a man in an orange jumpsuit as he mopped the floor. “Get General Dagget here now. Tell him the SMITH is ready with - crooooak! - the SACRIFICE.”
The sacrifice. Charlie suddenly realised what the Smith intended to do and his heart sank. He wondered if Violet suspected as well and he could see from her grim expression that she did.
Within moments, General Dagget rushed through the portal, followed by two Banishers from the Nightmare Division. The tall man glanced around, quickly assessingthe situation. His gaze settling on Brooke’s horrible disfigurement. He struggled to conceal his revulsion.
“I see the girl has sacrificed.”
“Yes, ‘the girl’ has sacrificed,” Brooke said, moving towards him. “And thanks for calling me ‘the girl’ and not something more appropriate like ‘the frog’.”
William grunted dismissively. He turned to Theodore. “Are you OK, son?”
“Definitely. What’s up, Dad? Cool outfit! Nice medals.” His eyes widened in surprise. “Wow - when did you make General?”
William surveyed him with clinical detachment then turned to the Smith. “Has my son sacrificed as well?” The Smith nodded. “He has lost all memory of the boy who was once most - crooooak! - IMPORTANT to him.”
William seemed relieved. “Good. Time will show it’s for the best.” He flashed Charlie an angry glance. “The boy he once knew has brought him nothing but pain. He is better left forgotten.”
“Who are you talking about?” Theodore asked.
“No one, son.”
No one .
Maybe it is for the best , Charlie thought. Maybe William was right . Theodore would probably be happier now that Charlie was no longer a part of his life. He wouldcertainly be safer. Heck, they all would be.
“You may now take the GIRL, General,” the Smith said, gesturing to Violet. “She has agreed to SACRIFICE the thing most valuable to her…and that is her BANISHING ability. She must - crooooak! - be REDUCED.”
The word hung in the air with terrible finality. For months, Director Drake had screamed for their Reduction and yet they had always managed to escape the barbaric procedure - but now the war against the monsters of the Nether, as well as the safety of the entire planet, seemed to depend on Violet sacrificing herself to the very thing they had struggled so hard to avoid.
“ You might call it a sacrifice,” William said to the giant frog, “but, at the Nightmare Division, we simply call it justice. The girl chose exile, which banned her from getting involved in the Monster War under penalty of Reduction.” He gestured to the Sword of Sacrifice as it glittered in the amber crystal. “I’d call this getting pretty involved, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Violet said with a huff. “Trying to save the world. What a crime.”
“There’s a right way to do things, young lady, and a wrong way. You chose wrong .”
“I stood up for my friends. I protected them. Whenhave you ever protected anyone but yourself?”
William grimaced. “It’s all black and white to you, isn’t it? That’s youth talking. When you get older, you’ll realise the world is not so simple.”
“That’s only because of people like you and the Director.”
“ENOUGH of this babbling,” the Smith croaked. “It is TIME. Take her now.”
No , Charlie thought. Please…no…
“For what it’s worth,”
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