The Key of Kilenya

by Andrea Pearson

  Chapter 17. Breakneck Speeds

  Just as soon as the relief of rest came, however, Jacob was awakened.

  “Jacob, you can’t sleep!”

  He moaned, not wanting to move.

  “Please, Jacob. Come on.”

  Jacob moaned again and tried to clear his mind. He didn’t open his eyes for fear the bright lights would flash again and make him want to throw up. “The Key . . . did you get it?”

  “Yes, it’s here.”

  Jacob took a deep breath. “And the box?”

  “Here as well.”

  “Put . . . put them in my bag. I just need . . . a minute.”

  “We’ve really got to go, Jacob—now. The Lorkon, wolves, and Dusts are stunned, but won’t be for much longer.”

  Reality entered Jacob’s mind, and his eyes snapped open. He jerked to a sitting position, immediately regretting it. “Whoa,” he said, holding his head in his hands. It took a second for everything to stop spinning.

  While waiting for the dizziness to pass, Jacob mentally examined himself. His body was sore all over, and his eyes ached a great deal. The ringing in his ears was gone, though. He glanced around the small, dark space. “Where are we?”

  “I had September find us a place to hide. We’re only a couple of rooms away from where we found the Key.” Akeno got to his feet. “There are Dusts everywhere. As soon as you fell to the floor, several of them came in. I think they all knew we’d entered the castle and were hiding from us.”

  “I saw hundreds of people going back and forth,” Jacob said. “Were they chasing us?”

  Akeno looked confused. “People? What people?”

  “Makalos, Lorkon, humans—tons of them. Even Shiengols and Dusts. Or Wurbies. I couldn’t tell which ones they were. And others . . . different creatures.”

  “I only saw Dusts and the four Lorkon. No one else.”

  Jacob scratched his head. “Are . . . are you sure?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then why did I see them?”

  Akeno gave him a worried look. “I don’t know.”

  Jacob groaned in frustration, switching gears in his head. “Okay, let’s just focus on finding a way out. I don’t think going through the door would be the best choice right now.” He stood. “September, you keep a lookout. Let us know if anyone comes toward the door.”

  September flew to the keyhole and positioned himself inside it while Jacob felt the walls, searching for warmth. He found several shelves on one side with rags, buckets, brooms, and mops, but no warmth.

  “This ability I have is great and all, but it sure isn’t the fastest,” he said.

  After checking the walls, he got to his hands and knees, feeling his way around the floor. “Here!” he said, finding a warm spot in a corner of the room. He held his hands over the stone, heating it up. Soon there was a hole about two feet across. The rest of the stone wouldn’t give way. “Hope that’s big enough,” he whispered, then peered over the edge. “I can’t see anything. Akeno, can you?”

  Akeno crawled to the hole, looking down. “Can I use my Rezend? It’s too dark.”

  Jacob went to the door, shoving rags underneath it. “Don’t use too much light. Oh, and we should have Early check, instead of us.”

  A blue glow emanated from Akeno’s finger, not bright enough to make Jacob squint, but giving enough light for him to see Early as she flew down. She came back a moment later, reporting that the room below was empty.

  Jacob ducked his head into the hole to survey the room. “Okay, there’s a bed kinda underneath us. If we swing a little, we’ll be able to land on it.” He turned to Akeno. “Ready?”

  “Yes, ready. September, you come, too.”

  Jacob lowered himself until his arms were straight, then swung his body and let go. He barely made it to the bed, surprised at how far beneath him it turned out to be. Reaching up, he caught the bags Akeno dropped to him, slinging them over his shoulders.

  Akeno then dropped down. Being smaller and more nimble than Jacob, he landed on the bed without difficulty. Jacob handed Akeno his bag, then looked around for Early. He sent her through the keyhole to inspect the place outside of the room.

  She returned. “It’s busy in the hall.”

  Jacob nodded. “Let’s wait a few minutes. Who was out there? Lorkon?”

  “Yes, and Dusts.”

  Jacob sat on the bed. “Were they standing around guarding the doors, or were they going somewhere?”

  “They were in a hurry, going somewhere.”

  “Which way were they going?”

  “Down the corridor to the left.”

  “All right,” Jacob said. “Let’s wait for a few minutes and go to the right. Hopefully we won’t run into anyone.” He turned to Akeno. “Where’s the Key?”

  “I put it in your bag.”

  Jacob stood and paced for a while, then motioned to Early. “Okay, check again. Actually, just keep watch and let us know when the Lorkon and Dusts go away.”

  Early took a position halfway out the keyhole. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, she pulled back into the room. “It’s clear.”

  “It probably won’t stay that way for long,” Jacob said. “Let’s go.”

  He motioned at the Minyas to keep a lookout, one of them staying several feet ahead, the other several feet behind. He took a step down the hallway, but stopped, realizing he had no idea how to get out of the castle, or even where they were. Concentrating, he tried to orient himself to which way was east—where the castle entrance was located—and started running again.

  Early’s warning made him stop, and he whirled. A Dust charged down the corridor at them, its hands formed into hooves.

  “Let’s go!” Jacob yelled, and he and Akeno raced the other direction.

  The Dust had no trouble keeping up, though, and quickly overtook them, grabbing Jacob and pulling him to the ground—Jacob was surprised at how quickly the beast’s hands had changed.

  So was the Dust, however, and it yelled at itself. “Stop! No! Where hooves?”

  Jacob scrambled to his feet, but the Dust was too fast for him—it quickly recovered from its shock and pushed him down again.

  Another warning from Early, and more Dusts poured into the hall. One wouldn’t be too difficult, but all these at once? Jacob scuffled with the first, knocked it aside, and got to his feet.

  The creatures only paused briefly before they had him surrounded, ignoring Akeno and the Minyas who had rushed to Jacob’s assistance.

  For several seconds the group struggled—Jacob wasn’t able to see Akeno through the punches and kicks he was both receiving and blocking.

  “What do I do?” Akeno asked. “Knock them out?”

  Jacob shoved the nearest Dust into a couple of others, forcing them to the ground. “No loud noises.” The crack would alert the Lorkon to their presence—he was sure they’d recognize Akeno’s ability and come running. He whipped around, grabbing a Dust by the throat and throwing it against the wall. The hallway filled with even more Dusts, and Jacob found himself overwhelmed.

  One of the beast’s hands formed into a long rope, another’s hands became knives, and Jacob was knocked to the ground again, his head cracking against the stone. That would leave a bruise.

  A Dust’s hands formed a blindfold, and it extended its arms around Jacob’s neck from behind. Although he struggled, Jacob couldn’t prevent the other creatures from tying the cloth over his eyes. He felt a sharp knifepoint at his neck, and he became motionless while the Dusts tied his hands and feet.

  He heard a muffled yell of pain—Akeno’s—and realized they were both trapped. Jacob wracked his brain. He wouldn’t give in—especially not now that they had the Key!

  Then he remembered what Aloren had said about Dusts. He had to do something they wouldn’t expect—something to surprise them. A new obstacle—but what?

  He felt his body being lifted from the ground, and he’d been rushed several feet before an i
dea came to him. He moved his hand a fraction, the rope slipping to the edge of his palm, and begged it to heat up. It did.

  The Dust whose hands had tied him yelped, and Jacob’s arms were free again. He put his hands over the blindfold, warming it up as well. He blinked at the light when the cloth was whipped off his face. The Dust who’d tied his feet quickly backed away, and Jacob jumped out of the arms of the others.

  “It burnded me! It hotted its hands and burnded me!”

  The creatures swarmed around the Dust to see the evidence for themselves—Jacob momentarily forgotten, even though there were close to twenty Dusts in the corridor. He raced to Akeno’s side and freed him from the little beasts there as well, who raced to the other group.

  Jacob placed one hand against the wall, the other pulling off his bag and tossing it to Akeno. He knew the distraction of their hands being burned wouldn’t last long.

  “Our food, Akeno—throw it at them when I give the go-ahead.” He molded several rocks from the now-hot stone, filling his pockets with them.

  “Ready?” he asked as the Dusts turned, angry glares on their faces. “Now!”

  Apples, carrots, jerky, and rocks flew through the air, pelting the Dusts. Several of the creatures formed shields to block the missiles, crying in frustration at the change in their hands, but others caught the food and acted surprised when their hands stuffed it into their mouths. Jacob chuckled—what else were you supposed to do with food?

  The Minyas finally joined in the fun, zooming at the monsters, disappearing and reappearing in random places along the hall. It wasn’t long before the entire group of Dusts swarmed to get away, frightened by the change of events.

  Jacob and Akeno laughed in relief, but realized they were still in danger. They turned and ran in the opposite direction, Jacob re-orienting himself to the entrance and which door would take them there. He thought hard, biting his lips and squinting in concentration, willing visions to enter his mind like earlier.

  A bright, happy glow coming from a small corridor caught his attention and he paused, backtracking to check it out. Looking into the hallway, he saw warm sunlight pouring in, a stark contrast to the darkness of the rest of the castle. A well-dressed man walked down the corridor, his back to the group. He wore light-colored clothes and a weird hat. There was something familiar about the man’s walk, but Jacob couldn’t put his finger on it. As he watched, the stranger pushed against the left wall with both hands and the wall shifted away from him, sliding to the side and revealing a set of stairs leading down. The man didn’t hesitate before descending out of view.

  Glancing back at Akeno, Jacob was startled to see that the hall behind him was dark. The Minyas flitted in the air above them, and Akeno watched Jacob with an impatient expression on his face. Jacob looked back to the spot where the man had disappeared. The wall was shut, the corridor was just as dark as the rest of the castle, and there was no longer even a window to let in light. It had completely disappeared.

  “What?” Akeno whispered.

  “This way.” Jacob hurried down the corridor, Akeno and the Minyas following.

  Suddenly, a Lorkon leaped from the shadows of the hall, knocking Akeno down as he lunged for Jacob. Jacob jumped out of the way just in time, and the Lorkon fell to the ground where Jacob had been standing.

  Looking around for a weapon, Jacob spotted a large metal candle holder on a table farther down the corridor. He ran and grabbed it, turning in time to see the Lorkon lurch forward again. He swung the candle holder and hit the Lorkon in the side with it, knocking the creature to the ground.

  “Hurry, Akeno! Over here!”

  As Akeno ran past the Lorkon, it reached out and grabbed him by the ankle, bringing him down with a crash. Akeno screamed, struggling to get out of the Lorkon’s grasp.

  “Use your Rezend!” Jacob yelled. Akeno complied, and Jacob didn’t have enough time to plug his ears before the crack echoed through the corridor. The Lorkon went limp, allowing Akeno to jerk his leg free.

  His ears ringing, Jacob helped Akeno to his feet and sprinted down the corridor to the spot where the opening in the wall had been. “Here! We have to go here!” he yelled.

  “It’s just a wall, Jacob! We gotta go back to the hall!”

  “No, there are stairs behind it. I think it leads to the tunnel Dmitri talked about in his journal.” Jacob pushed against the wall. It didn’t budge. “Help me open it!”

  Akeno made a frustrated sound, but jumped to Jacob’s side to help. After a moment of exertion, the wall shuddered beneath Jacob’s hands. Pushing a little harder, he felt it start to give. He heard a few clicks, and then the wall fell back and slid to the side.

  “Go down!” Jacob said, motioning to the Minyas, who flitted into the dark hole, Akeno following close behind.

  Jacob looked to see if the Lorkon was still unconscious, then went down a couple of steps, turning back to shut the door. It closed much easier than it had opened. He passed his hands over the edges of the door where it met the wall, searching for any warmth, sealing what he could. Satisfied that the door would now keep anyone from coming through for a while, Jacob turned in the pitch black. “Akeno, can you light up the stairs?”

  “Yeah . . . I can,” the Makalo said after a moment. The familiar blue light filled the stone stairway, revealing Akeno down several steps from Jacob, rubbing his leg and grimacing.

  “What’s wrong?” Jacob asked.

  Akeno moaned. “My leg . . .”

  “Where the Lorkon grabbed you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you need to rest?”

  “No,” Akeno said, then straightened. “We gotta go before they catch up.”

  “Let me know if the pain gets worse, okay?”

  Akeno didn’t respond.

  Jacob pulled his knapsack off his back. “Minyas, in my bag,” he said. September and Early flew inside, then Jacob and Akeno started down the stairs.

  After at least three flights, the stairs ended, and a long passageway opened in front of them. Several sections of the ground and walls were wet, but the tunnel appeared to be in good condition.

  “Is this the Fat Lady’s tunnel?” Jacob asked. “What if it leads us somewhere else?”

  Akeno didn’t answer. He appeared to be in pain, but was keeping up.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? We can take a break.”

  “No,” Akeno said, his voice shaking. “Keep going, keep going.”

  Jacob glanced over his shoulder every now and then while running. Akeno moved slower every minute, his limp becoming more definite with each step. Jacob tried to figure out how to help his friend.

  He stopped running when Akeno stumbled. “Okay, this isn’t going to work.” He frowned, then took Akeno’s bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I have a better idea.” He picked Akeno up and started jogging again.

  Akeno gave a weak laugh. “Sack of potatoes,” he said.

  Jacob laughed as well. “But this time you’re not being thrown over my shoulder,” he said. “Your job is to keep the tunnel well lit so I don’t fall and drop you.”

  A few minutes later, Akeno began to shiver and mumble. He opened his eyes, staring straight above him, and gasped.

  Jacob looked up, ready to see something falling from the ceiling, but nothing was there. He watched Akeno’s facial expressions for a second, then turned his full attention back to the tunnel and getting in as much distance as possible while Akeno was still conscious.

  He paused a few times to catch his breath. The weight of Akeno’s body was starting to make his already-tired arms ache, and his head began pounding again. How was he ever going to make it to the end of the tunnel? He did his best to push the pain away, but was only successful when he heard Akeno start moaning. He paused to raise his friend’s pant leg. There were no breaks in the skin, but the spot was yellow, with angry pink edges.

  Akeno’s muscles clenched up and his pupils dilated, making his eyes look almost black with
only a sliver of blue. He looked as though he was about to slip into unconsciousness.

  “No, no, Akeno, stay with me!” Jacob yelled, running as fast as his legs would take him—the end had to be near! The blue light only reached forty feet into the distance, and it was getting dimmer—Akeno probably wouldn’t be able to keep it lit much longer.

  Finally, Jacob saw what looked like the end. Praying it wasn’t blocked, he sighed in relief at the sight of stairs leading up. Akeno’s breathing was shallow. His left hand was limp, barely elevated above his chest, and his light had dimmed to the point where Jacob could only see four or five feet ahead of him.

  “Hang on, Akeno, we’re almost there,” Jacob said, trying not to panic. His legs were burning from the exertion, and he was forced to slow to a walk. He took the stairs as quickly as he could. It was difficult to carry Akeno and the bags, and the stairs seemed endless. He reached the top just as the blue light went out. Akeno must have fallen unconscious.

  “Oh, no, Akeno, I’m hurrying as fast as I can!” Jacob put the Makalo down and started pushing frantically against the ceiling and the walls, trying to find the exit.

  A stream of sunlight hit him in the face, nearly blinding him as he pushed against one section of the wall. He released the stone, letting it fall shut, enveloping them in darkness again. He pulled his bag off his shoulders and opened it. “September?” he whispered.

  “Yes, Jacob?”

  “When I push the stone open, I need you to sneak around and tell me what’s out there.”

  “Don’t want to.”

  “Arggh. Early, will you?”

  “Of course!”

  Jacob pushed the door just far enough to let Early out. He held it open with his shoulders, waiting for the Minya to return. It took longer than usual for her to come back, but after what felt like forever, she zoomed in past him.

  “The tunnel opens in the middle of a forest very close to the mountains,” she said. “I wasn’t able to see much. I did find some honey, though.”

  Jacob moaned in frustration. Was that what had taken her so long? “Were there any Lorkon?”

  “Lorkon? Oh, yes, there were.” Early spun around a couple of times, doing some sort of dance.

  “How many of them?”

  She held up three little fingers.

  “And? Where were they?”

  She pointed. “Farther south.”

  “What were they doing?”

  She tapped the side of her head. “They looked like they were searching for something.”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “Of course they were searching for something.” He knew sarcasm would be lost on Early. “Were there Dusts or anything else?”

  “I couldn’t see anything, no.”

  “Which side of the wall are we on?”

  “I didn’t check.”

  Jacob grimaced—stupid Minya—and decided he’d have to see for himself. He pushed the door open slowly, letting his eyes adjust, then poked his head out. Roots grew over the side of the hill above the exit, and in front of him were several trees. It looked as though the tunnel opened in the side of a small canyon, facing the mountain, since there was a slope going up on the other side of the trees. To the right was the forest, thicker here than anywhere else he’d seen so far. Judging by the light, he figured the tunnel had led them under the wall and to the other side, though it was hard to tell. Something about this bothered him, and he wracked his brain, trying to figure out what.

  Then it occurred to him. Aloren. He backed up and let the door fall shut. She had no way to leave Maivoryl City without him.

  Jacob mentally kicked himself. He’d promised he’d help her get out of the city—that she would only have to be there for a couple of hours. Who knew what had happened to her after he and Akeno had run away? Who knew if Eachan had been successful in protecting her? Who knew if she was even still alive? He felt sick to his stomach when he thought he might never see her again. She’d trusted him! And he’d thought she could—that she’d be safe doing so.

  He took a deep breath, struggling to control his emotions. There was no way he’d be able to save both Aloren and Akeno. This he knew, and he hated it.

  He forced himself to put her smile and sparkly brown eyes out of his mind, knowing there was nothing he could do but pray she’d be okay. He had to focus on getting Akeno to someone who could help, and as soon as possible.

  Jacob made sure both September and Early were out of his knapsack and swung it over his shoulders, alongside Aloren’s and Akeno’s bags. Then he picked up Akeno and pushed open the heavy door.

  He let his eyes adjust to the sunlight and stepped outside, feeling very exposed, even with the thick forest closing in on him. He lowered the door, then squeezed past a couple of large trees into a small, enclosed area to the left that would keep him hidden for a few minutes while he checked on Akeno.

  The Makalo’s fuzzy skin was cold to the touch. He had huge, dark rings circling his eyes that made them look sunken, and he was breathing rapidly.

  Lifting Akeno’s pant leg again, Jacob drew back in horror at what he saw. The skin on his lower leg had broken and was blistered, oozing blood and pus.

  “Oh, gosh, that’s disgusting,” Jacob whispered, pulling the fabric down to hide the sore.

  He tried to pour a little water into Akeno’s mouth, as he’d seen in the movies. But he couldn’t get Akeno to part his lips, so drank the rest of it himself. Akeno was unresponsive to everything.

  Deciding it would be a good idea to find out where they were before moving Akeno again, Jacob got up and squeezed through the small opening between the trees. He moved past the tunnel entrance, looking through the roots that hung over the door. At first he didn’t see anything, but then he was able to pick out a shape he hadn’t noticed before. While he watched, the shape shifted, coming into better focus. It was a very tall figure, wearing a large black cloak. A Lorkon. Jacob watched as it bent over, digging through the brush. It was only thirty or so feet away from where they were. Why was it doing the dirty work, and where were the Dusts?

  Jacob crouched down and pushed through the underbrush to check the other side of the small canyon. He stayed still, trying to catch any movement through the thick trees, but didn’t see anything. He crept back to the little hiding place, deciding Akeno wouldn’t last long enough for the Lorkon to leave.

  September and Early had taken positions on Akeno’s chest and were having a heated discussion.

  “Shhh!” Jacob hissed, crouching down next to them. “I need both of you to do something that could be very dangerous. You both care about Akeno, right?”

  “Yes, of course,” September said.

  “I know you have no tie to me to keep you here right now, but Akeno needs you. Are you willing to help me get him back to Taga, where they’ll take care of him?”

  “We are!” Early said.

  Jacob looked at the other Minya. “September?”

  “Okay, fine.”

  “Good. First, Early, go find Kenji and ask if there’s anything I can do for Akeno.”

  With a flash, Early disappeared. Upon returning, she reported that the only thing Jacob could do was get Akeno to the village as quickly as possible.

  “Okay,” Jacob said. “I’ll need one of you to keep an eye on the Lorkon. There’s one about thirty feet from here. Who wants to do that?”

  “I’ll do it,” September said.

  “Awesome. Early, would you act as a messenger between me and September? I’ll need to know everything those Lorkon are doing.”

  The Minyas disappeared, and a second later Early returned. “The Lorkon have split up. The one that was closest to us is now moving toward Sonda Lake. Another Lorkon is moving farther south, closer to the Dust mound. The last is heading up the mountain.”

  Jacob frowned. “Where is the lake compared to where we are now?”

  “That way,” Early said, pointing through the forest straight ahead of them. “The trail is there, too.�
�

  “Okay. We’ll go more to the left, then, away from the Lorkon.”

  Jacob grabbed the bags, swinging them over his shoulders, then picked up Akeno. He stood and squeezed between the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible. Looking around and seeing no one, he stepped to the left, keeping his eyes open for anything dangerous.

  Every few minutes, Early would fly to him, relaying a message from September. The Lorkon to the south kept moving in that direction, rummaging through the underbrush, probably looking for the tunnel entrance or maybe for them. The one that had moved up the mountain was now searching somewhere above them. Only the thick leaves and branches of the trees kept Jacob out of sight. The Lorkon moving toward the lake had raised his hands to the sky and yelled words into the wind. Jacob could think of only one reason for doing that.

  Lirone.

  Jacob stayed as close to the trees as possible, noticing with panic when they began to thin, taking away his cover.

  “Oh no,” he muttered, looking up constantly, checking if the Lorkon above could see him yet. A few yards later, the forest ended. Dang it—what now? Jacob struggled to stay in control and not give in to the fear.

  Jacob paused before stepping from behind the last tree, trying to figure out what to do and where to go. He wished Akeno or Aloren were able to help him decide.

  The sky darkened with clouds, and the Lorkon near the lake was now closing in, as was the one on the mountain. Only the Lorkon to the south had maintained a large enough distance not to worry Jacob.

  He glanced around the tree, hoping to figure out where they were. What he saw caused relief to spread over him. There was the paddock, the clothesline, and—Jacob moved to the left—the cabin!

  “Oh good, oh good, oh good,” Jacob breathed. Only one problem remained: the cabin was a good two hundred yards from where he stood, and between here and there was nothing but meadow, with no cover—except for a few small apple and pear trees.

  He looked at Akeno—the Makalo appeared nearly lifeless. Only a slight movement of his chest showed he was still breathing. And he looked so sick! A pasty-yellow color accentuated the rings around his eyes, and his hair was matted to his head.

  Early’s next report was that the Lorkon to the south had turned around to head back their way. Jacob stopped her before she left. “Go get September. I need both of you here with me now.”

  She flew off, and a split second later, both she and September returned.

  “The Fat Lady’s cabin is right over there,” Jacob said, pointing. “I’m going to make a run for it. But first, September, I need you to fly ahead and let her know we’re on our way. Early, help send him off, please.”

  Light flashed, and September was gone. He returned only moments later. “She said you need to have the Key out, ready to use, and she’ll tell you what to do.”

  Jacob shifted Akeno to one arm and pulled his bag off his shoulder, grabbing the beautiful box that contained the Key. He opened it, jumping when its sweet melody poured out. He removed the Key, then peeked around the tree to see if the music had caught the attention of the Lorkon. It hadn’t.

  The clouds rolled, warning of Lirone’s appearance. A dark spot moved by the shore, and without having to ask Early, Jacob knew it was a Lorkon.

  “Okay, let’s go,” he said, putting the box and his bag away. He took a deep breath. “September, you keep a lookout on the left, Early to the right. Fly back and forth between me and those Lorkon as fast as you can, keeping me aware of their every move. I need to know exactly where they are the entire time. Be careful they don’t see you.”

  Taking another deep breath, Jacob stepped around the tree, holding Akeno securely. Then, putting all his energy into his already tired legs, he took off as fast as he could toward the Fat Lady’s cabin.

  Only a few seconds passed before Lirone spotted him, making his presence known by taking away all sound. A sudden explosion to the right nearly knocked Jacob over, and he stumbled along, trying to stay on his feet. An explosion behind him was followed by one in front. Jacob lurched to the side, avoiding the huge hole that was created, nearly dropping Akeno in the process. The remaining distance grew shorter. Early flitted to his side, yelling in his ear. Jacob was surprised she could still speak, then realized she was too small for Lirone to see.

  “The Lorkon by the lake just spotted you. He’s on his way.”

  September appeared on Jacob’s other side, yelling that the Lorkon from the mountain was also in pursuit.

  The ground all around Jacob was pelted by several smaller explosions, many of which missed him by a few feet.

  “Hurry, Jacob!” Early yelled. “Hurry!”

  Jacob watched as a large blast of fire bounced off the Fat Lady’s cabin and fell into the brush out of sight. Her house wasn’t harmed in any way. Another huge blast went off in front of him, and he veered to avoid the hole. The explosions were much bigger now and coming more rapidly, but something was odd. If Lirone wanted, he could easily hit Jacob, so why didn’t he? There were no trees providing cover this time, just the wide-open meadow through which Jacob ran. What was going on?

  “You must run faster!” Early yelled. She paused. “I have an idea. Can I use it?”

  Jacob nodded, nearly dropping Akeno when an explosion went off right behind him.

  Early disappeared, and seconds later Jacob felt warmth spread through his body, originating from a spot on his back. He felt as though his calves had been given an immense supply of energy. He put on a burst of speed, feeling he was about to lift off the ground. There were fewer than a hundred yards to go when Lirone’s bombardment suddenly stopped.

  The Fat Lady stood on the step of her cabin, waving her arms and yelling. He could only pick out one word—diamonds. He looked at the Key still clenched in one of his fists, then back up at her, confused.

  “Diamonds!” she screamed.

  “She said to slide the two diamonds!” September said.

  Jacob shook his head, not understanding.

  “The diamonds move!” September yelled.

  Jacob slung Akeno over his left shoulder, using both hands to hold the Key up to his face as he ran. He located the two different diamonds and fiddled around with his thumbs. The diamonds slid until they were aligned with each other.

  Jacob looked up at the Fat Lady, ready for her next instructions, running free without the shock waves ramming his body.

  The Fat Lady yelled again. “Put the Key in my door and turn it to the left! Go to Taga Village!”

  Jacob still had about forty yards to go. The ground in front of him was level and hard, and he risked a quick glance over his shoulder. He wished almost immediately he hadn’t done so.

  The nearest Lorkon was only a foot outside of grabbing distance. Nearly stumbling in fright, Jacob yelled, noticing he could hear his voice again. He willed his body to move even faster.

  “September . . . do something . . . Lorkon.” he gasped, readjusting Akeno so he was easier to carry. The muscles in Jacob’s arms and shoulders were burning.

  “Okay.” September disappeared.

  “Arrgh!”

  Jacob looked back just in time to see the Lorkon face-plant into the dirt. He saw a second Lorkon only ten or so feet behind the first, with the third nearly having caught up as well. Akeno started to convulse in Jacob’s arms, nearly causing Jacob to drop him.

  “Are you ready?” the Fat Lady yelled.

  “Yes!” Jacob gasped. His lungs were burning so badly, he was afraid he’d pass out from lack of air. They were down to fifteen yards.

  “Do you know what to do?”

  “To the left, Taga Village.”

  “Close the door behind you or they’ll follow you.” The Fat Lady went into her cottage and shut the door.

  The third Lorkon caught up to him. “September, Early! Stop the Lorkon!” Jacob shouted just as he took the last few leaps toward the door.

  Reaching out, he put the Key in the hole.

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nbsp; “Taga Village!” he yelled, turning the Key to the left. He swung the door open. Running through, he spun around and tried to shut the door in the face of the Lorkon, but the door bounced open again. Jacob took an instinctive step back. The Lorkon had stopped the door from shutting with his foot. An evil, disgusting smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

  “Now you are ours,” the Lorkon said.

  Something small flitted through the air, and the Lorkon flew across the open space, blasted away from the cabin.

  Before the other Lorkon got the chance to rush through the door, Jacob slammed it shut, making sure it clicked this time.