The Final Order: The Natural Order School of Magic, #4

By R.J. Vickers

The end is near…

After narrowly escaping Ilana's dangerous school, Tristan is reunited with his friends once again.

But though Ilana is gone, the deadly enchantment she left behind is powerful enough to bring the world to ruin.

Time is running short as Tristan and his friends fight to contain the destructive magic.

And this time, there's nowhere to hide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.J. Vickers
• Release date: May 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224369577

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Copyright © 2017 R.J. Vickers

All rights reserved.

Cover by Deranged Doctor Design

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Contents

Chapter 1 – Pursuit

Chapter 2 – Into the North

Chapter 3 – Ilana’s Enchantment

Chapter 4 – Helene

Chapter 5 – The Final Order

Chapter 6 – Escape

Chapter 7 – The Trap

Chapter 8 – Dynamite

Chapter 9 – The Last Campfire

Chapter 10 – The Power of the Globe

Chapter 11 – The Final Barrier

Chapter 12 – Mordechai

Chapter 13 – Guardians of the Globe

Chapter 1

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Pursuit

T

ristan stood as though frozen, turning the postcard from Mordechai over and over in his hands. He could not believe Ilana’s most dangerous follower was here, somewhere in Vancouver, watching them and biding his time. He had thought it would end with Ilana’s death—that the destruction of her globe would mean her followers no longer posed a threat.

Yet Ilana’s final act had been to enact an enchantment she believed powerful enough to spell the end of humanity. And now Mordechai was here to remove the last threat to Ilana’s enchantment: Tristan and the rest of his school.

Last night had been wonderful, seeing Leila and Rusty—his best friends at the Lair—once again. After spending a joyful evening catching up with the students and professors from his school, he felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.

Can I see? Mei Ling asked from where she was perched at the end of her bed. She and Rajesh had risked their lives to betray Ilana and help Tristan destroy her globe, and he hated knowing he had dragged them into danger once again.

Tristan walked mechanically over to Mei Ling and handed her the maple leaf-shaped postcard. He had already memorized the words scrawled on the back. We’ll be waiting for you. You’re not half as clever as you think you are.

How is that even possible? Mei Ling asked, her eyes wide and horrified.

Rajesh sat beside Mei Ling and stared at the writing again, as though it would reveal its secrets if he examined it carefully enough. There isn’t even a stamp. He must’ve delivered it in person.

But how did he find us? Mei Ling asked.

Rajesh shrugged. I guess we’ve been here too long. He probably figured out what flight we took out of Auckland.

Tristan sat on the end of his bed and put his head in his hands. I thought it was going to be over once we got away from Ilana. But now the Lair’s gone, and we have nowhere to hide. The Lair had been the first place that had truly felt like home since his parents had split up.

Standing beside the window, Amber hugged her arms across her chest as though she was cold. I can feel the enchantment, even now. It’s almost tugging at me. It feels so wrong. She lowered her voice to a whisper. I should have killed Mordechai when I had the chance.

Though the summer air was laden with heat, Tristan’s skin crawled with goosebumps. I wish you had, too. But it’s too late. He wanted to hug her, to reassure her that they would get through this somehow, but his feet were too heavy to move.

We need to warn your professors, Mei Ling said, dropping the postcard onto her bed at last. We can’t just sit here and wait for Mordechai to do whatever he’s planning. He’s completely unpredictable.

You’re right, Tristan said. We need to get out of here.

Moving felt like the right thing to do. He began stuffing all of his belongings into the backpack he was sharing with Rajesh, amazed to find the pack was only half-full when he was finished. It was incredible that his entire life had been reduced to such a basic list of needs. Of course, anything he might have called his own had been reduced to shreds when his own pack had exploded outside the Bulmer cave system in New Zealand.

The others quickly followed suit, and in silence they made for the door. Rajesh ducked into the bathroom just before they left and grabbed all of the shampoo, conditioner, and lotion containers left behind, along with three bars of paper-wrapped soap.

What? he said when Mei Ling shook her head at him. I can’t stand being filthy.

Tristan remembered seeing Professor Alldusk disappearing into the room at the end of the hall, so he led the others past the room where they had sat up drinking champagne and catching up on the past four months, trying his best not to make the floor creak. He couldn’t believe that just thirty minutes ago he had felt safe and happy for the first time since leaving the Lair.

It was a while before Alldusk stumbled to the door in rumpled pajamas, his eyes bloodshot and swollen. He probably hadn’t slept a wink, haunted by the death of the woman he had once loved.

What’s going on? he asked, looking from Tristan to the other three. You should be asleep! What are you doing with those backpacks? You’re not running away, are you?

No, of course not, Tristan said quickly. But— He dug in the pocket of his sweatshirt and handed Alldusk the postcard. We found this under our door. It’s from one of Ilana’s supporters.

Alldusk read it under his breath, his expression darkening with each word. You think he’s here, don’t you?

Tristan nodded solemnly. And he’s really dangerous. I think we should leave.

Well, first things first. Let me get dressed—do you want to wake everyone else up? He listed off each of the rooms they had booked. We have to leave quietly, though. If this person is as dangerous as you think, he might be trying to draw us out.

Tristan glanced at Rajesh in concern. That idea hadn’t occurred to him.

Go on, Alldusk said. I’ll be out in a moment.

Tristan and his friends spread out and began knocking softly on doors until most of the school had assembled in the hallway, all wearing pajamas and blinking in the light. Eli took so long to answer the door at the room he shared with Trey that Tristan wondered if the two had simply fallen asleep on couches in the suite where he’d last seen them; at last Eli pushed open the door, his badly-dyed hair plastered to his forehead as though wet, his face white.

You okay? Tristan asked.

Eli wiped his mouth. Fine. What the hell are you doing waking us up so late? It’s almost two in the morning. Then he noticed the others milling in the hallway behind Tristan and frowned. I’m late to the party, I guess. Trey!

Poor Amber inadvertently knocked on the door of Damian and Ryan’s room, and she narrowly dodged a pillow when the door swung open. Get outta my room, Damian barked.

Shh! Amber whispered. Tristan will explain. This is not my fault.

Bastard, Damian muttered, though at least his vehemence was directed at Tristan this time. We haven’t slept properly in two weeks!

Feel free to stay, Tristan said shortly. And good riddance.

The whispers went silent when Professor Drakewell appeared from his room, fully clothed and wide awake. What is this nonsense? the headmaster hissed. We could be thrown out of this hotel if you don’t quiet down right this instant!

Tristan pushed past the other students to reach Drakewell before he yelled at anyone else. We talked to Alldusk, Professor, and he told us to wake everyone up. One of Ilana’s supporters is here.

Where? Drakewell snapped, scanning the students with his unnerving hollow-eyed stare as though expecting to find a stranger in their midst.

I don’t know, but he managed to get a postcard under our door, Tristan said. He’s a massive guy named Mordechai, and he’s even worse than Ilana.

After a pregnant pause, Drakewell said, We need to leave at once, in that case. Gather your things and return here promptly.

Tristan and his three roommates were the only ones left behind as the other students scrambled to collect their belongings. Leila was one of the first to reappear, carrying nothing more than a day pack with a sweatshirt draped over the top. Her black hair was in a braid once more—it had taken the full two years to grow back after Zeke had cut it off.

Is that all you managed to bring? Tristan asked, nodding at the backpack.

Yeah. I was down in the Subroom when the earthquake started, so I shoved a few things in here before I ran up. Most of the others didn’t even get to bring that. We bought a few more clothes in Millersville, but Drakewell didn’t want us carrying too much.

Tristan felt another pang as he tried to reconcile his memory of the cozy, safe Subroom with the wreckage it had likely been reduced to.

Well, at least you’re alive, he said bracingly.

Leila leaned her head against his shoulder for a brief instant. And at least you are too.

Before long everyone had returned to the hallway, and Drakewell led the students down the stairs—he eschewed the elevators, afraid of what might happen if they split up—and out a back door that led to a fenced-in patio with a swimming pool. It was such an ordinary sight that it didn’t quite seem right.

Damian was lagging behind, still on crutches. His two cronies, Ryan and Cassidy, walked on either side as though ready to catch him if he fell. Drakewell waited until he had hobbled outside before waving everyone over to the far side of the pool. With a gold fire marble from his pocket, he sliced away a chunk of the high iron fence and led the way through.

The city was surprisingly lively even this late at night—people milled through doorways where music hammered within, and lights cast a hazy glow on the streets. At first Tristan was nervous about the number of eyes following them as they made their way silently through town, but after a while he realized they would have been far more conspicuous if the city had been deserted.

You haven’t seen this guy anywhere, have you? Leila whispered from behind Tristan as they passed an especially raucous bar.

"No. He’s pretty easy to spot. Really strong, with tattoos all up his arms and neck. He looks scary, if you know what I mean."

Leila nodded. Kind of like the way Drakewell looks scary, right?

Tristan laughed under his breath. Drakewell is practically a saint compared to everyone at Ilana’s school. But most of them don’t look nasty. They seem perfectly ordinary, and then—

"What was it really like? Rusty whispered from Tristan’s other side. How come Ilana didn’t just kill you, huh?"

Tristan glanced over his shoulder at Amber, who was trailing behind the group as though lost in thought. I’m not sure if she believed us, but she knew Amber was valuable. I could never tell with her—she acted all friendly for a while, like she actually wanted us there, but then she was horrible to Amber when she needed air marbles.

Quiet back there, Professor Grindlethorn hissed without turning.

Tristan swallowed what he had been about to say and looked ruefully at Leila. Amber was the only magician alive who knew how to harvest air magic, and she had guarded that secret so carefully she had not even let her professors at the Lair know the truth.

By the time they reached the edge of the city, Tristan was sure they had shaken off Mordechai’s trail. He was falling asleep as he walked, and twice he nearly tripped as he walked off a curb without realizing it was there.

We need to stop, Professor Gracewright said, pointing to a lighted Vacancy sign. Surely we’ve walked far enough. Her flyaway grey hair looked odd without one of the hats she always wore—she must have left them all behind when she fled the Lair.

I don’t think he followed us, Tristan said.

Good, Drakewell said, sounding as weary as Tristan felt. I hope this hasn’t all been for nothing.

There were only six rooms available to fit their group of twenty-four at the rather bleak motel, but everyone was so tired they were happy to make do. Tristan curled up on one of the sleeping rolls Rajesh had brought when they fled New Zealand while Rusty sprawled on the nearby couch with his curly brown hair flopped across his eyes, and snores filled the room within minutes.

Tristan was almost asleep when he heard sirens in the distance, a muffled wail that grew gradually louder. His eyes flew open in the dark. Surely it was just some bar fight the sirens were chasing, surely it had nothing to do with them...

Chapter 2

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Into the North

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L

ook at that! My god, that’s where we were!"

Shh, Tristan’s still asleep.

How’d he know? Where d’you think he’s at now?

Tristan rubbed his eyes blearily and sat up. He was amazed no one had stepped on him—six of his friends huddled at the end of one of the beds, watching something that had been muted on the ancient TV.

What is it? Tristan asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

Rusty whirled. I told them to shut up! We didn’t want to wake you up.

No, I want to know what’s happened. Sitting up, Tristan scooted his sleeping mat backwards until he was leaning against the nearest bed. Is this about those sirens I heard last night?

Leila raised her eyebrows at him.

Go on, tell him what it was, Eli said impatiently.

Leila grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. —fatalities have now been confirmed as the result of a gas leak at the Vancouver Bay Hotel early this morning, an announcer said, before cutting to footage of a very familiar building now ringed with police tape. The hotel has been evacuated, and police are investigating the source of the leak.

Tristan drew in a sharp breath. Does it say which room the ‘gas leak’ was in?

As though he had read Tristan’s mind, the announcer continued. Sources confirmed early this morning that the leak began on the tenth floor, though it has also affected rooms on the eleventh floor. The hotel will undergo a health and safety inspection before any guests or staff are allowed to re-enter.

Tristan’s chest tightened. They had to leave Vancouver, and soon. It seemed wherever he went, he left a trail of death in his wake. First Merridy, then Delair, then Ori and Pavlina, and now these innocent tourists. A part of him still clung to the possibility that Ori and Pavlina had made it out of the cave in New Zealand alive, but he knew it was a fool’s hope.

But why did he warn us? Rajesh asked, staring at the chaotic scene outside the hotel. It doesn’t make sense. He could’ve killed us, but instead he let us know he was there.

Maybe he was just being arrogant, Tristan said.

Or maybe he wants to show that he doesn’t care how many people die, Mei Ling said unexpectedly. It seems like something he would do—threaten us with his carelessness.

But I thought he’d want to kill us as quickly as possible, Rajesh said, still frowning at the screen. Aren’t we too much of a risk to whatever Ilana had planned?

Unless he knows we can’t stop whatever it is she’s done, Tristan said, hugging his knees to his chest.

Who is this Mordechai, anyway? Eli asked, sounding disgruntled. I thought you guys were on his side. He gestured dismissively at Rajesh and Mei Ling. What makes him so awful?

Rajesh’s face was stony. Ilana ended up with difficult kids sometimes, and Mordechai was responsible for them. He broke them. I don’t know what he did to them, but they’ve always turned into her most loyal followers.

We should ask if the professors have seen this, Leila said, turning off the TV and getting to her feet. The others scattered like rats off a carcass. I think we need to get out of here.

No one disagreed.

Silence filled the room in Leila’s absence, and Tristan pretended he did not see how many of his friends were giving Rajesh and Mei Ling accusatory looks, as though they had led Mordechai right to them. He knew he would have the same fears if he had been the one to stay behind, but he trusted Rajesh and Mei Ling with his life.

It was a relief when Leila returned only minutes later, Amber trailing in her wake along with Evvie and her friends. 

Gerry was just coming to find us, Leila said. He says we need to fly out of here as soon as we can. Before Mordechai figures out where we’ve gone.

It hardly seems real, Amber said under her breath. New Zealand seems like a completely different world from this, but somehow he’s still here...

At least you’ll be glad to get out of the city, right? Tristan said bracingly.

Amber gave him a forced smile. I still feel so guilty.

Don’t. It’s not your fault at all.

Come on, Triss! Leila said. We don’t have all day!

Tristan scrambled to repack his backpack; he was the last to join Leila at the door, and he gave the room a cursory glance as he left to be sure they hadn’t left anything behind. The place was a mess, most of the blankets thrown in haphazard piles on the floor and the mirror hanging askew.

Then he was herded into a group with Damian’s gang, the professors shepherding them with matching grim expressions. Quinsley stood by the road, arm held out for a taxi, and one stopped before long.

One professor and three students to a cab, Natasha said brusquely, waving Damian, Ryan, and Cassidy forward to join Quinsley. "If anything happens, each of your professors has an emergency cell phone with all of our numbers saved in