Warrior Genius

  Aaminah let out a squeal of excitement. “I can’t believe it!”

  Giacomo smiled proudly. “When Milena sees this, she’s going to owe me a huge apology.”

  But the odd thing—the thing Zanobius sensed but that the children couldn’t know—was that the hand was moving on its own. Zanobius focused and tried to assert control over it, but it defied his mental commands. He watched, powerless, as it balled into a fist.

  An icy chill shot through his arm, extinguishing all traces of warmth. The glowing lines of the dodecahedron spread out, filling his entire chest pattern with a deep purple glow. Zanobius tried to warn the children to get away from him, but his throat seized. Giacomo’s expression transformed from elation to confusion, then to fear.

  Without meaning to, Zanobius lunged at Giacomo.

  His vision blurred.

  Someone screamed.

  Then the world went black.

  11

  BROKEN APART

  Screeee!

  Mico darted into the sky, joining the other Geniuses, who were also squawking in alarm.

  “What happened?”

  “Watch out!”

  “Zanobius, what’s wrong with you?!”

  Giacomo was vaguely aware of all the noise and shouting, but his focus was on Zanobius, who was now lumbering toward him.

  “Zanobius! Stop!” Giacomo commanded, stumbling backward.

  But Zanobius wouldn’t obey. He yanked Giacomo up by his tunic and held him off the ground. It was hard to see in the darkness, but now that he was up close, Giacomo could swear that Zanobius’s blue eyes had turned strangely black. But before he could tell for sure, Zanobius had flung him into the tree trunk.

  Giacomo crumpled to the dirt, his head foggy. The world spun. Somewhere, Mico let out a pained squeak.

  “Zanobius…” Giacomo said weakly, scrambling back against the oak. “Please…”

  Zanobius lunged again but was hit from the side by sharp spikes of blue light that sent him reeling.

  “Stay back!” Savino shouted, pointing his chisel in Zanobius’s direction while Nero circled above him.

  “Don’t hurt him!” Giacomo called out.

  “You’d rather he kill you?” Savino snapped back. He jabbed his chisel again. Nero dove at Zanobius, his gem blazing.

  The Genius circled Zanobius and coiled a glimmering spiral around him, but before it was complete, Zanobius smashed through the blue light and resumed his advance.

  “This isn’t you!” Giacomo said. “Take back control!”

  Ignoring Giacomo’s plea, Zanobius brought down his four fists, hard and fast. Giacomo rolled left an instant before Zanobius pounded the earth, then clawed his way across the grass, coughing.

  Nero swooped by for another assault, hitting Zanobius with jagged squares of light. Zanobius staggered and roared, and the next time Savino’s Genius arced around, Zanobius leaped and batted him out of the air. Savino cried out and hit the dirt as Nero spiraled and crashed.

  “Savino!” Aaminah, who had been watching in shock as the nightmare unfolded, ran to him. Giacomo looked for Enzio, but he had disappeared.

  With Zanobius closing in again, Giacomo spotted his pencil in the grass and dove for it. He snatched it up and made a wild, arcing motion. Mico wobbled in front of him and beamed a wave of light that crashed into Zanobius, driving him back.

  If I can stop his tattoos from glowing, maybe I can put an end to this, Giacomo thought.

  Zanobius fought through the streaming light, then dropped to all eight limbs, galloping straight at Giacomo. Giacomo drew a square shield, and Zanobius ran into it headfirst, but he was stunned for only a moment. Giacomo brought up square after square, but Zanobius anticipated each one, jumping over or around them. Before Giacomo realized it, Zanobius was upon him and had him pinned to the ground.

  “Let me go!” Giacomo begged as Zanobius lifted him up by his collar once again. “I know you don’t want to do this!”

  Zanobius’s stone hand locked around Giacomo’s throat and squeezed.

  Giacomo’s windpipe felt like it was about to be crushed. His eyes grew heavy, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He wanted to tell Zanobius that he was sorry, that this was all his fault, but he had no breath to form the words. Giacomo’s head rolled back. The stars turned blurry …

  CRACK!

  Giacomo’s ears rang.

  There was a flash of green, and Zanobius’s new arm shattered into fragments. As Giacomo dropped to the ground, cool air rushed back into his lungs and the world returned to focus.

  “Giacomo, are you all right?” Milena shouted.

  “I … I’m fine.” His throat felt raw.

  Behind Milena, Niccolo crested the hill with Enzio. Tito announced his arrival with a deafening hoot and swooped down with Pietro on his back.

  Zanobius groaned and staggered, holding his head. His chest and back patterns pulsated with light, then dimmed. When Zanobius opened his eyes, Giacomo was relieved to see they had become blue again. Zanobius stared in disbelief at the chunks of stone around him and stepped toward Giacomo.

  “What … what happened?”

  “Keep away from him!” Milena warned. She raised her brush, ready to strike again.

  “No, don’t!” Giacomo shouted, throwing himself in front of Zanobius. “He’s not dangerous anymore.”

  Giacomo glanced back at Zanobius. “You’re not, right?”

  Zanobius stared back, looking confused and scared, like he had no idea he had nearly ended Giacomo’s life.

  * * *

  Zanobius felt a lightness on his right side. His broken arm lay in pieces across the ground. His head was throbbing, and his chest burned. Hazy, horrific images of what he had done replayed in his mind: swatting Nero out of the sky, trying to crush Giacomo, nearly choking him to death.

  “Zanobius, did you hear me?” Giacomo said. “You’re not going to hurt anyone else, right?”

  To Zanobius’s great relief, the darkness that had overwhelmed him was draining away. He shook himself out of the trance. “No … I’m all right.”

  “Well, Nero and I aren’t!” Savino shouted, limping across the grass, cradling his wounded Genius in his arms. “What happened to you?”

  “I don’t know,” Zanobius said.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you would react like that. I thought—” Giacomo reached for him, but Zanobius pulled away.

  “I told you it wasn’t safe,” Milena snapped. She turned to Pietro. “I warned him!”

  With a grim expression, Pietro pointed his walking stick in Giacomo’s direction. “You were supposed to be studying sacred geometry, not experimenting on Zanobius.”

  Giacomo crossed his arms and turned away from his teacher. “It doesn’t matter. Zanobius is back to normal.”

  “Are you sure?” Savino glared at Zanobius. “How do we know you’re not going to attack one of us again?”

  “He won’t,” Giacomo insisted.

  “I’m not a threat,” Zanobius said, but even as the words came out, he knew they sounded hollow. Ugalino had planted the seed of brutality within him, and there didn’t seem to be any way to get rid of it.

  Ugalino was right, he told himself. I’ll never be at peace.

  “We can’t risk it,” Savino said. “Zanobius, I think you need to leave.”

  “What?” Giacomo said. “No way.”

  “I agree with Savino.” Milena went to his side and stroked Nero’s head. “This could have been any one of our Geniuses.”

  “And next time might be worse,” Pietro said.

  “No!” Enzio stepped next to Giacomo, facing off against Savino, Milena, and Pietro. “Don’t drive Zanobius away after all he’s done for us.”

  “Like what?” Savino said incredulously. “I know you think you owe him some life debt, but you don’t.”

  Aaminah joined Enzio and Giacomo. “Zanobius should stay,” she agreed. “He wasn’t in control. You can’t hold that against him.”

>   “That’s exactly the problem.” Milena threw up her arms in frustration. “We can’t predict when he’ll snap again.”

  As the children continued to argue, Zanobius found himself agreeing with both sides. If he stayed, there was a chance he might hurt someone again. Or worse. But when he imagined heading off into the world alone, it felt like stepping into a terrifying black void.

  I have no master. No home. I don’t belong anywhere.

  “You can’t make him leave!” Giacomo shouted.

  “Watch me,” Savino hollered back.

  “That’s enough!” Niccolo shouted, silencing the children. Zanobius waited for him to cast his lot in with those who wanted him gone. To his surprise, Niccolo stuck up for him. “The decision belongs to Zanobius.”

  “Why does he get to choose?” Milena asked.

  “Everyone should have a chance to determine their own fate,” Niccolo said.

  “I’m sorry I used the Creator’s Pattern like that,” Giacomo said, his eyes full of sorrow. “But don’t leave because of my mistake.”

  Zanobius put his hand on Giacomo’s shoulder and felt him flinch. Even my fellow Tulpa fears me now, he thought sadly.

  “It’s not your fault,” Zanobius assured him. “I let you take that risk. And Milena is right. Next time, something else might make me lose control—something none of us can predict.” Zanobius looked around at the group. “I already have enough blood on my hands. I don’t want them stained with any of yours.”

  Giacomo gripped his wrist tightly, desperately. “Don’t go. Please…”

  Zanobius knelt down to hug Giacomo. “I’m sorry, but I have to.” When he pulled away, Giacomo’s eyes were wet.

  He looked over everyone’s faces one last time. Those who had insisted he leave cast firm stares, while Enzio and Aaminah looked hurt. “Thank you all for letting me be a part of your group,” Zanobius said. He turned to Niccolo and gave him a nod of appreciation. “And thank you. For reminding me who’s in control.”

  The sun rose over the distant mountains, turning the sky pink. Zanobius headed toward the dawn and didn’t look back.

  12

  SEED OF REBELLION

  After Zanobius left, Giacomo couldn’t bear to be around anyone. He spent the day outside, alone with only his Genius. Mico flitted from tree to tree as Giacomo channeled his sadness and anger into his drawings, sketching the jagged mountain peaks.

  Though they had known each other only a few weeks, Giacomo had felt a deep bond with Zanobius. He was the only one in the world who could truly understand what it was like being a Tulpa. Now that he was gone, what did that mean for Giacomo’s future? The scar on Milena’s arm stood as proof that Giacomo was also a potential danger to his friends. If he made another mistake, would Savino, Milena, and Pietro cast him out too?

  That night, when he couldn’t sleep, Giacomo flipped through his sketchbook. He stopped on the images he’d drawn earlier that day of the mountains to the east. Zanobius had headed in that direction when he left. He’s only a day out, Giacomo thought. Maybe I can catch up to him.

  Before he had a chance to talk himself out of it, Giacomo got out of bed. He cupped Mico in his hands and snuck into the kitchen, cramming his satchel with food. Then he packed his art supplies and headed for the door.

  On his way through the dining room, he stopped at the cabinet containing the Compass and used the key Niccolo had given him to unlock it. He grabbed the Compass, then thought twice about taking it since the others would need it to complete the mission. While Giacomo deliberated, a voice interrupted him.

  “Going somewhere?”

  With a startled gasp, Giacomo wheeled around to find Niccolo in the shadows, sitting in an elaborately carved chair that looked like a small throne.

  Giacomo put the Compass back down. “No … I just … I couldn’t sleep.”

  Niccolo leaned forward into the candlelight, fixing a skeptical glare on Giacomo. “So you thought you’d take a nighttime walk with a satchel full of food and the Creator’s Compass?”

  “Is this what you do with your nights? Lurk in the shadows to make sure none of us leave?”

  “Believe me, I’d love to be snuggled in bed right now.” Niccolo’s hand went to his gem. “But I don’t sleep much anymore.”

  “Oh,” Giacomo said. “Sorry.”

  “I assume you were off to find Zanobius?” Niccolo asked bluntly.

  “It’s my fault he’s gone,” Giacomo said. “He shouldn’t be out there on his own.”

  “Zanobius is capable of taking care of himself,” Niccolo said. “But you still have an important mission to finish. Your friends need your help to find the other Sacred Tools.”

  “How come Zanobius gets to choose his fate, but I don’t?” Giacomo challenged.

  “That’s a fair question,” Niccolo said. “Ultimately, what you do is completely up to you. But there are some things you need to know, things I should have told you when you arrived.” He gestured to a chair next to him. “Please. Sit.”

  Curious to hear the man out, Giacomo dropped his satchel on the table and took a seat. Mico started awake and let out an annoyed chirp, ruffling his feathers. Giacomo shushed him back to sleep.

  “Do you know where evil begins, Giacomo?”

  It was not what Giacomo had expected Niccolo to say. He thought about the most evil person he knew—Nerezza. “I guess some people are just born that way?”

  Niccolo shook his head. “People don’t come into this world knowing evil. They learn it. They take all their shame, self-loathing, and fear and hide it away in the darkest recesses of their souls. We all do this to some degree, but for a few, those negative emotions can begin to fester until they consume a person’s entire being.”

  That describes Nerezza perfectly, Giacomo thought.

  Niccolo tented his hands at his chin. “This evil begins to spread from the host, infecting anyone it encounters. Some people are strong enough to resist, but many are not, and soon the wickedness has spread across an entire empire, too powerful to overcome.”

  “Are you saying Nerezza’s reign is like a plague?” Giacomo asked.

  Niccolo nodded, then continued. “Nerezza’s villainy began long before she started killing Geniuses. When she first became Empress, she felt vulnerable. She used the power of her throne to spread lies and put down anyone who spoke against her. If enough people had acted early on, her tyranny might have been stopped, but like so many, I stood by and did nothing—said nothing—while Nerezza’s cruelty coursed through the empire.”

  “Why didn’t you try to stop her back then?”

  “Because I was selfish and scared. I didn’t want to sacrifice my own artistic goals or my family’s noble reputation. I believed that others more talented and brave than I would bring down Nerezza.”

  Niccolo explained that what finally pushed him to act was learning that Nerezza had hunted down and killed Pietro—or so he believed at the time. Seeking revenge, Niccolo decided he would attack Nerezza while she was giving a speech in the piazza.

  Giacomo’s heartbeat quickened. “Were you afraid?”

  “Terrified,” Niccolo said. “Before I could even get close enough to do anything, my nerve gave out. I tried to sneak away, but Furio and I were captured by a group of soldiers and dragged before Nerezza. In front of the citizens of Virenzia, she decided to make an example of me.”

  “And your Genius.”

  Niccolo nodded. “Nerezza’s wretched bird struck Furio down. My insides felt like they were being ripped out of me. Everything went dark, and I waited for the Creator to take me. But instead of waking up in the heavens, I came to in a comfortable bed. Furio’s gem lay next to me on the pillow.”

  “Who rescued you?”

  “A small group of rebels had also been in the piazza that day, and they risked their lives to save me. Two of them took me into their home while I healed.” Niccolo paused and looked into Giacomo’s eyes. “Their names were Orsino and Amera.”

 
Giacomo went cold. “My parents? You knew them?”

  Niccolo nodded. “That’s why I let you all stay. When you told me who your parents were, I knew I couldn’t turn you away. I owed them that much.”

  A riot of emotions exploded inside Giacomo. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew them?”

  “Because I’m not proud that I sat back like a coward while people like your parents were on the front lines, fighting Nerezza.”

  A lump formed in Giacomo’s throat as he thought of his parents’ courage and selflessness. “Did you meet me when I was a baby?” he asked.

  “No. Your parents hadn’t created you yet, but they told me of their intentions. Though they viewed Ugalino as an extremist, they were inspired by what he had accomplished. They understood that a Tulpa is a seed from which an entire universe may be created. Ugalino had planted a seed of fear and violence, but your parents aspired to create a different kind of Tulpa—one who could inspire courage and hope, and who would help humanity, not harm it.”

  “Then they should have told me what I really was!” Giacomo said, brimming with resentment.

  “I’m sure they were just waiting until you were older, Giacomo. Your mother and father showed me great kindness, far more than I deserved. They never would have done anything to hurt you.”

  Niccolo’s words soothed Giacomo, quelling the fire inside him. “How long did you stay with them?” Giacomo asked.

  “Only a few weeks,” Niccolo said. “My body healed, but with my Genius gone, I knew my soul would never be the same. Any fight I had left died along with Furio.

  “So one night, I packed a few belongings and wrote your parents a note saying goodbye. I couldn’t look them in the face and tell them I was abandoning the rebellion. I snuck out of Virenzia through the sewers and made my way back here, to my family’s villa.” Niccolo stared blankly out at the room, and a quiet sadness hung in the air. In the hearth, the last flames flickered and died.

  “Maybe you can choose a new fate,” Giacomo suggested. “Once we figure out where the Straightedge is, you can help us go get it. Come with us. Help us take down Nerezza.”