The Lost Heir

by Allison Whitmore

  Two people in a forest? He asked.

  Shh!

  “Do you truly believe empaths can coexist and live sky-side without any problems?” The man in their shared vision was looking at the young girl with sincerity. Then, a third man appeared behind them. It was the illusionist. He looked on as if neither could see him.

  “Yes, Father. I believe the entire world could be filled with empathy, if only we bred love rather than selfish ambitions.”

  That's the illusionist dude. But who is that other man? Or that girl? Seth's voice entered into her mind; he seemed to be overwhelmed with confusion so, without saying a word, Isabella spoke back to him telepathically.

  The girl is my great-grandmother, Renee. I’ve seen more than enough photographs of her as a child to know it. I have no idea who that man is. Isabella felt Seth’s apprehension fade; a fiery warmth swept over them both.

  “It is up to you to keep the fire safe for your children,” the girl’s father said to her.

  She nodded solemnly, and then they were gone. Soon, the scene melted back into the cool, bustling road, filled with the denizens of the Violet City.

  “I can’t believe this,” said Isabella, getting to her feet. “I just saw my great-grandmother and her father, and they were talking about the Violet Fire! We have to protect it, Seth. Save it!”

  He stood up beside her. “We will. Let’s go back inside and get that Cast dude to help us, okay?”

  She nodded. It was their best chance. She followed behind him, her mind still full of the images from their shared vision.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Key & Cast

  When they returned to the shop, a cool chill whipped over Isabella's body. Then, as suddenly as it came, it vanished. This place was so weird, but Isabella wanted nothing more than to learn all she could about it. She sensed that her Nano was safe, but she had no idea where she could be or what was happening to Theophilus.

  “You look troubled.” Isabella turned to the spotty, long-faced clerk, who was fanning himself with a set of yellowing papers. She kept her mouth closed, unsure of how to reply. “You can call me Key. Cast told me all about you and your friend's visit earlier.” Isabella nodded as Seth listened quietly.

  Digging deep down to find the right words, she finally uttered her question. “Could you show us how to get to Wish Valley?”

  Cast flew into the room from the back and shouted in excitement, “A Foxworthy is asking for our assistance! This is magnificent. Come, Key! Let us show these two the way.” Key nodded in agreement as Seth smiled at Isabella.

  He whispered softly, “People down here sure do love your family.” She smiled in response.

  “Come, children! You'll be able to witness much more of the celebration as we make our way to the Valley. What a wondrous time of year!”

  As the two men rushed them out of the store, Isabella looked up at Renee's poster one more time. The Queen of the Puzzlers, she thought. Then, out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed a small, circular object lying on the floor that looked just like the one in Renee's poster, only pocket-sized. It was a cypher, according to the display. She stuffed its golden body into her sweater pocket without anyone noticing and followed Seth from the shop with the two men followed closely behind. Cast locked the shop as Key started down the lane.

  “It's going to be a bit of a walk to the canals, but you two are young, so you should be fine,” Key remarked, turning around briefly.

  “Okay,” Isabella called out to him. Seth lengthened his strides to catch up, but Isabella held him back. “Seth, what was that illusionist guy doing in our vision? And who was that other guy with my great-grandmother, Renee?”

  “How would I know?”

  “I think he could have been that voice we heard in the tunnel,” she whispered.

  “Who?” asked Seth.

  “The illusionist.”

  “It could have been anybody. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

  “He mentioned that I look like my Great Aunt Beatrice. Wasn’t that guy who turned dark obsessed with her? The one that Theophilus and Robert were talking about.”

  “But, like you said, everyone was obsessed with her.”

  “They keep saying I look like her, but I don’t. Maybe down here I do, but that’s not real. Anyway, I know something’s not right.”

  Seth scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, we just trust each other and keep our eyes open, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.” She and Seth moved to catch up. As Cast wove through them to the head of the group, Isabella noticed for the first time that the freckle-faced clerk was wearing a black ring with a blue stone on it, while the heavyset man wore a similar ring but with a green stone. Geometric-looking symbols were woven into the collars of their suits.

  She wanted to ask what the symbols stood for but decided against it. After about ten blocks, they arrived on what was called the West side of the Avenue. They'd been told that this was where one found the train depot, the canals, and some place called Celluloid Alley. “Those slimy directors are always showing off their little films over there.”

  “Glad Xander isn't around to hear that,” Isabella muttered to Seth.

  “Yes. We're just under Brightwood Studios now. A lot of our lot is on that lot,” Cast said and chuckled through a stiff smile at his play on words.

  “Jack...” Isabella whispered.

  “What did you say?” asked Key.

  “Yes. Jack Heel. I think he could be the man in my visions. Do you know him?”

  “Visions? I don't know about any of that, but Mr. Heel… Name is familiar... At least us Greens of the Valley think so. He's taken over things at Brightwood quite smoothly, has he not?”

  “Greens of the Valley?”

  “Our organization. We care for all manner of things—from the ailing and aging to the flora and fauna of our land.” As his voice trailed off, the group stopped directly before the canals. “Well, looks like our vessel has arrived.”

  Isabella also wanted to ask what he meant by Jack “taking over Brightwood.” Was Jack Heel in charge of the studio? That didn't seem right. That tour guide said he didn't even know who Jack was and mentioned that some Peck guy was running the show.

  There were three signs at the gondola pier. One pointed further west and read: Wish Valley. The others pointed south, reading: Druid Lake and The Forests. “Forests?” she asked.

  “Oh, the forests,” Isabella heard a faint voice say above her head. “I'm scared of the forests.”

  “Did you hear that, Seth?”

  “Hear what?” His brows bunched in confusion.

  She glanced around in a frantic manner, only to give up her search as conversation broke through her thoughts. “Eight testoons for four,” the gondolier said to Key, who paid him several of those black-and-silver coins.

  Cast motioned for Seth and Isabella to board as he sat down next to Key in the vessel. Before they could follow suit, a little bird flew between Isabella and Seth, and then landed on top of Key's hat.

  “Get off me, you stupid morphling!” he cried, rocking the boat.

  “Please do not rock the vessel!” the gondolier snapped.

  “Morphling?” Seth and Isabella asked in unison.

  It was Mimi, Isabella knew, but she did not say a word.

  The creature dramatically flapped her wings before taking flight briefly and landing on Isabella's shoulder. “Are you going to the forests? Wait. Don't answer me out loud. They'll know.”

  Isabella bit her tongue when she realized that the others did not seem to hear Mimi speaking.

  “Please shoo away that morphling. They are the peskiest creatures in the Underground,” said Key. Morphlings apparently did not count as the fauna that their little Valley Green Giant club claimed to adore.

  “Yes, dear, they are abhorrent little creatures,” said Cast.

  Seth eyed the bird a little too closely. “Is that—?”

  “You're right! Very pesky!” Isabella declar
ed, and then gave Seth a very sharp look that shut him up nicely. “Go away, bird!” She shook her shoulder, and Mimi flew a few feet above her head.

  “What are you waiting for? Get in,” Key said crabbily.

  Seth let Isabella board first and then joined her.

  “Be mindful not to rock too much,” grumbled the gondolier, who was thin and wore large, octagon-shaped purple glasses. He lifted a pole-like oar and stuck it into the small waves to his left, casting the boat down the waterway.

  “Do you think that guy should be steering this thing?” whispered Seth. “I'm not even sure he can see with those things on his face. His eyes are squinted behind them.”

  Isabella looked back and saw Mimi flying after them.

  “Isabella,” she said, her voice growing fainter, “don't trust them. I'm sorry. I wanted to look after you, but my mother sent a caw, and I had to go. I can't stay, but I just wanted to warn you that they are lying. Theophilus is my friend, not theirs. They took his shop from him last week when the Violet Fire started to weaken.”

  “What?”

  “No! Be quiet!” Mimi begged.

  “Is everything all right, dear?” asked Cast. Seth looked at her as if to tell her to keep quiet.

  “Yes, yes. I'm just surprised at everything going on.”

  “Oh, well. The Underground is always a special surprise for a debut. Many wonderful things to see and do.”

  “So, is that all?” she asked Mimi out loud, unable to stop herself. She hoped the others would think she was talking to one of them.

  Luck won out: Cast babbled on about the Avenue shops that debuts like she and Seth and other sky-side folks usually found interesting.

  “Something strange happened,” Mimi said, catching on to Isabella's trick. “They made Theophilus give them his keys. Then, Theophilus went away. After a while, I got worried and finally figured out how to get sky-side, but it was too late. Theophilus was being arrested by those freaky regulars with the shiny stars on their chests. That's when he ordered me to go back to my mother, but I figured he'd really want me to look after you.”

  “Go back then.”

  “Sorry, dear?” asked Cast.

  “Nothing.”

  Seth stared at her.

  “I do have to go back. It's the solstice, and my mother will worry. I figure you're wondering why you can hear me, but they can't. It's because you helped me out of a jam, so we bonded. I'm bonded with three empaths now. It's so cool. Anyway, I will try to get away from my family as soon as I can and come find you. Just think closed thoughts and don't throw anything into any fires.”

  With that, she was gone. Isabella sighed. She did not like this. Not one bit. From light to dark, the canals took them into a deep cavern for several minutes.

  With fear rising, Isabella inched closer to Seth. She tried to keep her mind on what she was seeing, rather than what she was feeling. The murky tunnel had mossy walls and narrow footpaths on either side of the black water. The hairs on her neck rose as they floated down the channel. Even though the water moved calmly, there was an eeriness washing through it.

  Isabella's eyes moved to Key and Cast, one Laurel to the other's Hardy, just nowhere near as funny. Was Mimi telling the truth about them? She had to be. Why would she risk coming here if she wasn't? And after she’d helped them out of those tunnels, she had to be on their side. Maybe morphlings just liked to get in trouble and get worked up about things, but Isabella didn't really believe that. The speed at which Mimi spoke reminded her of young girls gossiping throughout the hotel, but she trusted Mimi for some reason. She sensed more deception in her two new comrades than she ever had in that little bird.

  Perhaps Jack wasn't the savior she initially thought he could be. If Mimi was telling the truth and these two guys were dangerous, did they even know Jack?

  A pitter-patter interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see Seth drumming his fingers on his knee. He was so impatient. He wanted this whole thing over and done with—families intact, everyone back to drinking eggnog in front of the Christmas tree. Ever since they’d connected, they could feel each other's emotions. She didn't blame him for wanting to be back home, safe and with his brother and parents. He and the rest of the kids would soon go back to their regular lives of peace, but for her, it would not be over. Not until everything was right in the world.

  “You're not alone anymore, Iz.” Seth gripped her hand with his, and once again, the warmth that washed over her from his touch erased all the fear that was welling up inside her.

  The gondolier's eyes were focused straight ahead. Isabella looked to Seth and smiled; when she’d first met him, she could barely stand him, but now, she almost felt as if he helped her just by being there.

  All of a sudden, something caught her eye, forcing her to poke Seth in order to get his attention. Dark figures were moving along the sides of the canal in their direction. First, they followed at a steady pace, and then, as if triggered by a bolt of lightning, sped toward them without hesitation. Before she could cry out, four of the figures crashed into the water and surrounded their gondola.

  “Stop the boat, old man,” one of the figures growled. It was too dark for Isabella to see his face.

  Seth held her hand tightly. “Don't say a word,” he whispered.

  On either side of the canal, on the footpaths above them, ten more figures stood, their voices echoing throughout the cavern and creeping into her heart.

  “Tide, bind. Light, strike. We live and hail upon the night. Retribution brings on strife. Those opposing the one true light. We, united, standing true. Time will come, our rights will be due...”

  Danger swirled around them as her eyes locked onto Seth's; his fearless expression filled her with strength.

  “Fallen stars, fire rise. Fallen stars, full of pride.”

  The chanting ceased, and the figure nearest the gondola demanded, “Give us every testoon you've got.”

  “And for that matter, every dollar,” another said, snorting a disgusting laugh before rocking the boat.

  “Leave us be, thugs!” Key shouted.

  “We are the Jackboots of the Night. Never giving in to peril or fright.”

  Jackboots? Like the clunky, spiky boots that thugs wore in movies?

  “Nice little rhyme,” said Cast. “Now please—”

  The boat flipped over with a harsh velocity. Furious, Isabella rose from the water to find that it barely reached her thighs. Seth ran toward her, throwing his hand up to grab her.

  “Come on,” Seth said, but one of the Jackboots knocked him off his feet with what looked like the same kind of pole the gondolier had been using to row the boat. The same thug then jumped into the water. As the man passed in front of her, Isabella noticed he had pockmarks all over his face and straw-colored hair on the outer regions of his head.

  “Got any money, little lady? A guy can get kinda hungry without some coin,” he snarled. He then snorted a disgusting laugh as he reached into the pocket of her sweater and pulled out the cypher she'd taken from Theophilus' shop. “Oooh. Very nice.”

  All sounds seemed to quiet suddenly, and a rush of energy overtook Isabella. She kneed the creep as hard as she could, and then darted to Seth's side. She unceremoniously pulled him to his feet. “Run!”

  Seth found his wherewithal to follow her closely.

  “We must stop them before they escape!” the one who was probably the leader shouted in anger as Isabella sped up. Her footing gave way, however, and she looked to see Seth sink right alongside her. The canal had just gotten deeper. Water sloshed around her neck and Seth's chest. She kicked her legs and ripped off her sweater to give herself more traction as they moved.

  “Good idea,” she heard Seth say.

  Soon, she felt Seth's right hand underneath her arm as he paddled with his left one. Several of the Jackboots ran along the sides of the tunnel, elevated above the canal as they moved their long sticks through the cold water. “Dip below!” Seth shouted before submerging b
eneath the water. Not knowing what else to do, Isabella followed suit.

  The sticks pierced the water's surface, and one came within inches of her. At that moment, fear began to eat at her core once more, and the need to breathe started to wrack her chest. She clamped her eyes shut. A violet flame burst into her mind, and a feeling of empowerment engulfed her. Then, the water parted slightly and, without warning, it felt as if she was thrust several feet ahead of the thugs through some force inside of her.

  When they stopped, the water had become shallow again, and the Jackboots were nowhere to be seen. They looked back and saw a light fill the cavern. Green. Then blue. Then it was gone as quickly as it had all begun. Several moments later, Key and Cast appeared, sailing the gondola toward them.

  “Climb in,” Key commanded. Seth grabbed onto the boat while Isabella climbed up. Once both were aboard, they sailed off. Isabella looked behind them into the blackness. Everything was back to normal, and the dastardly figures were gone. ”Our collective power saved us from those thugs.”

  “You two must be powerful,” said Cast. “That was a large pack.”

  Seth looked as confused as Isabella felt. “What did any of that have to do with us? And what happened to the gondolier?”

  “One has to watch out for one's self down here.”

  “We'll report it,” Key said as they continued, presumably toward Wish Valley.

  To whom? Isabella wondered. Maybe Mimi was right about these two and she shouldn’t trust them. But what choice did she have? They had to try to find the others.

  “I still don't understand how you got rid of them,” Seth continued.

  “The Jackboots play pettily in darkness and do not use their minds wisely. It is the risk they take,” Key mumbled in a hushed tone.

  “Don't think on it anymore, children. Just be happy the canals are so shallow,” Cast joked.

  “Yeah, but I lost my sweater,” said Isabella.

  “I threw mine off back there, too,” said Seth.