Twinchantment
Page 21
“My mage…friend?” Sara asked, totally confused. Did he mean Flissa? “And what’s fairy flame?”
“It’s a poison fairies have in their bodies. It’s blinding. Makes catching them tough, but clearly not impossible. The effects are only temporary, though, which means you have no time. Kravein, Raya…they’ll all be back to themselves very soon, so you need to concentrate and listen to me.”
Sara focused on Rouen’s craggy face. Was he trying to help her?
“Katya changed the plan. You’ll meet Dorinda after you get Gilward, and she’ll get you back to Kaloon. She’ll be right outside the marketplace, where you got out of Raya’s carriage, but she needs to leave by dawn. She’ll stall as long as she can if you’re late, but we can’t have the Keepers suspicious of her, so you need to hurry. Here.”
He pressed something into her palm. Sara tried to look at it, but Rouen shook his head. “Not now,” he said. “Just hold it. It’s an amulet, and it will point you to Gilward, but it must be in Galric’s hands to work. There’s no time to explain more than that. Now go!”
Rouen reeled back and started screaming and holding his eyes. Sara was confused; then she realized he was acting like everyone else so when the poison faded, they wouldn’t wonder why he hadn’t been affected.
Sara scrambled to her feet. Careful to keep her footing, she ran across the marble floor until she found Flissa, Galric, Primka, and Nitpick. Still unable to fly, Primka was tucked in Galric’s pocket and Nitpick was back inside his shirt, but they all stared into the chaos, and it looked like they were desperately searching for her. Flissa was pale as a ghost.
“I’m here,” she said.
Flissa jumped at her voice, then threw her arms around Sara for a desperately tight hug.
Then Flissa called, “Found her!” and Raya’s ponytailed guard ran over from another side of the tent, where she’d been looking in at the chaos. Sara shied away as the guard came closer.
“It’s okay,” Flissa said. “She’s with us. Her name is Loriah.”
Sara was ready to object, but then she remembered Rouen’s words. “Our mage friend,” Sara echoed.
“She doesn’t know Dorinda,” Flissa continued, “but maybe she can help us find—”
“The plan changed,” Sara said, cutting her off. “I’ll explain it later, but now we just need to get out of the marketplace and find Gilward. Once we have him, then we find Dorinda here, but we have to be back by dawn.”
“I can get you out of the marketplace,” Loriah said. “But we need to go now, before the fairy flame wears off. Follow me, and don’t slow down for anything. No mistakes. Right?”
They all nodded; then Sara turned to Flissa. “Me running is by definition a giant mistake. Take my hand?”
Flissa shook her head. “We’ll go faster if I don’t. And your last ‘mistake’ just saved our lives, remember? You can do this.”
“Yeah.” Sara smiled, taking in Flissa’s confidence. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go. Lead the way, Loriah.”
Loriah took off running, and together Flissa, Galric, and Sara ran full speed, weaving their way through the marketplace.
The mad crush of life in the marketplace had seemed awful before, but now Flissa was grateful for it. It gave them the perfect cover as Loriah dodged and darted around and between booths, always finding that one aisle with no one around to block their path. She never looked back to make sure they were following, and she didn’t have to. Flissa and Sara ran together, matching each other stride for stride, and kept Loriah in sight at all times. Galric followed them closely, Nitpick and Primka tucked in his clothing.
The walk to Kravein’s had taken forever; the run back felt like it took no time at all. Flissa was shocked how quickly they emerged at the other side of the marketplace, where Raya’s carriage and prison box sat waiting.
Loriah turned to face them, and they all huddled around her. “I have to get back before Raya knows I’m gone. Wherever you’re going, you need speed. If it were me, I’d take horses. But remember the Rule of Three—the second you’re out of the marketplace area, it holds. And a horse counts as one of the three.”
“So I’ll ride with Sara, and Galric can hold Primka,” Flissa said.
“What about Nitpick?” Galric asked. “You want him to, what, run after us? He’s a cat, he can’t keep up with a horse.”
The kitten meowed indignantly, hopped out of his arms, then looked up at him and meowed again.
“I think he’s telling you he can,” Sara said.
“He shouldn’t follow too close anyway,” Loriah said. “If you’re within speaking distance, that’s close enough for the Rule of Three.”
“Got it,” Flissa said.
“And don’t think you’re safe even if you obey the rule. The Twists won’t go after you specifically, but they’re still treacherous. The temperature can change suddenly, and storms come out of nowhere. Fires, tornadoes…”
“Imploding mountains?” Galric asked.
“Exactly.” Loriah looked around as if she’d heard something, then turned back to them. “You got it from here?”
Flissa nodded. “Thanks for sticking your neck out.”
“I didn’t,” she said, giving Flissa a flinty glare. “I saved your butts without risking mine. That’s how I like it. That’s why I’ve gotta get back.”
“I understand,” Flissa said. “I just…I really hope we see you again.”
“Oh, you will,” Loriah said with a hard smile. “When you break open this prison like you promised. Or if you get home and forget all about me, and I find a way to break out and refresh your memory.”
She raised a knowing eyebrow, then turned back toward the marketplace.
“Wait!” Sara called before she’d gone more than a step. Flissa saw her flinch a little under Loriah’s irritated glare, but she went on anyway, “What are ‘the Shadows’? In Raya’s lair, you said something about ‘the Shadows’ being stronger than Grosselor.”
Loriah nodded, already edging back toward the marketplace throng. “That’s what people say. The Shadows are mages just as old as him—some even older. After they were banished to the Twists, they used powerful magic to go into hiding…in the Shadows. Now stop talking so I can get back before Raya knows I’m gone.”
Flissa watched Loriah until she disappeared in the crowd. She promised herself she would come back and help her. But first they had to move.
“Horses,” Flissa said. “That’s what Loriah said.” She pointed to the nearest hitching post, where five horses waited for their riders. “What do you think, Galric? You’re always at the stables. Which ones look fastest?”
Galric shook his head. “You tamed Blusters.”
“Balustrade!”
“Whatever. You’re way better with horses than me. You choose.”
Flissa felt sweaty and not just because she’d been running. She didn’t want to choose. She couldn’t choose. What if she picked the wrong horses and Kravein or Raya caught up to them?
“The coin,” she said, but Sara shook her head.
“You don’t need it,” she said. “Trust yourself. You know this.”
Flissa wasn’t sure she did, but time was short and a whole series of coin flips to choose between each possible combination of horses would take forever. She nodded and looked the horses up and down: their stance, their musculature, the way they tolerated being tied to the post.
“The gray and the black,” Flissa said. “Sara, you and I will take the black one; Galric, take the gray with Primka.”
The black horse blew through his lips.
“Good choice,” it said, in a clipped, upper-crust accent. “We are the fastest. But perhaps you’d consider releasing all of us.”
Flissa reared back in shock. She exchanged stunned looks with Galric and Sara, then walked up to look the black horse in the eye. “You’re magic.”
“Of course we are,” he said. “We’re in the Twists. Many animals here are. Not all, of course—”
“R-right,” Flissa stammered. “Of course. Galric, Sara, could you help me work the knots?”
As they untied the horses from the hitching post, Flissa kept an eye on the marketplace. She knew it was only a matter of time before their captors rushed out and grabbed them. She was also very aware that she was freeing horses that some magical people doubtless believed belonged to them, and they wouldn’t be happy if they came out and saw Flissa, Sara, and Galric in action.
The second they were free, all the horses except the black one shouted quick thank-yous and raced off.
Tried to race off. The black one lunged and grabbed the gray one’s reins in his mouth before he could bolt.
“Terrible manners!” the black horse scolded. “These people did us a favor. Now we need to do one for them.”
“I got a family!” the gray horse complained. “Do you know how long it’s been since—”
“After,” the black horse insisted.
Flissa, Galric, and Sara fidgeted nervously, staring between the horses and the marketplace.
“I’m so sorry,” Flissa said, “but we’re really in a rush and—”
“Hop on!” the black horse said, and Flissa obeyed. She swung easily onto his back, then reached out to help Sara up as well. Galric, with Primka still in his pocket, swung onto the gray horse.
“Where to?” the black horse asked.
“He’ll tell you,” Sara said. She leaned over and handed Galric the item Rouen had pressed into her palm. “It’s an amulet,” she told him. “You’re the only one who can use it, and it’ll tell you how to find Gilward.”
“How did you get that?” Flissa asked.
“I’ll tell you when we have time,” Sara said. “I promise. Just tell us where to go, Galric.”
Galric held up the large amulet on a chain. The center stone was green and in the shape of a snakelike dragon with its wings spread wide. “It’s just a snake,” he said. “It’s not telling me anything.”
Flissa swore she heard familiar voices yelling from the marketplace. “We should just go,” she said.
“No,” Sara insisted. “We don’t have time to go the wrong way. Galric, please, try to make it work.”
“I’m not not trying! It’s just a necklace! See?”
He placed it in his palm and held it out to show her…when the snake gem glowed bright green, except for its eyes, which burned red.
“Whoa!” Galric exclaimed. He dropped it, but Flissa leaned over and caught it.
“Sara was right!” she said. “It’s responding to you. Now do that again but don’t drop it.”
Galric nodded, and Flissa handed the amulet back to him. He returned it to his palm, and again the gem lit up bright green with glowing red eyes. But then the glow faded in every area except the snake-dragon’s right wing. Flissa’s heart thudded excitedly. She knew what this meant.
“It’s pointing!” she said. “It’s pointing you in the direction we need to go. The wings are left and right, the head is forward, and the tail is backward! It’s like a compass pointing to Gilward!”
“Go!’ Sara urged. “We’ll follow you, but we won’t stay close.”
Galric looked nervous, but he nodded. Then he called down to Nitpick. “You’d better follow us, you hear me? Keep your distance and be safe, but don’t lose us.”
Nitpick meowed, then ran away.
“I haven’t even started yet!” Galric called after him. “You don’t know where I’m going!”
“He knows what he’s doing,” Flissa insisted. “Hurry!”
“YA!” Galric hollered, kicking into the gray horse’s flank.
“Really with the kicking?” the horse replied. “All you had to do was say, ‘Yo, Gus, go fast to the right, and—’”
“Stop stalling!” said the black horse. “These people are in a rush!”
The gray horse—Gus—rolled his eyes. “Fine.” Then he cantered off fast as lightning.
Flissa forced herself to count to ten slowly. “Think you can follow him but stay far enough away?”
“Indeed. I’m very familiar with the Rule of Three,” he replied. “Let’s ride!”
He broke into a canter just as the door to the nearest building slammed open. Flissa heard shouts of “Hey! My horse!”
The black horse gently suggested they duck. They did, just as the smell of burned onions hit their noses and a giant tree branch swung sideways, sweeping right where their heads would have been.
“Was that your—” Flissa was about to say “owner,” but that seemed like the wrong term for a horse who was clearly his own person, so to speak. “Was that the mage who horse-napped you?”
“It was!”
“Do you think he’ll come after us?” Sara asked.
“Impossible! He hasn’t got a horse!”
The horse laughed, and Sara laughed right along with him. Flissa turned to check on her. “You okay? Hold on tight with your legs and keep your arms around my waist.”
Sara grinned. “I’m good. This is incredible!” Then she called to the horse. “You’re incredible!”
“Actually,” said the black horse, “I’m Klarney, and it’s my pleasure to help you. I’ll keep us a safe distance from Gus and your friends, but I won’t let their trail out of my sight.”
“Thank you so much,” Flissa said.
Klarney stayed at a full canter, and Flissa easily molded her body to his jolting rhythms. It should have been strange riding a magical horse, she thought, but it really was no different from riding Balustrade. She could feel Sara bouncing around a little behind her, but she was in no danger of getting thrown, Flissa could tell.
They rode for a long time over packed dirt paths among scattered bare trees that reminded Flissa of the outskirts of Kaloon, where they’d found Katya’s house. She saw wooden homes here and there, but very few people and animals. She leaned over Klarney’s neck so he could hear her speak. “Where is everyone? Where does everyone in the Twists live?”
“‘Everyone’ lives separately,” Klarney said. “Rule of Three and all. But even the groups of three never live in one place very long, because you never know when—Are you the kind of mages that can magic up an umbrella?”
“An umbrella?” Flissa asked. “No. Why?”
That’s when thunder roared, and Klarney reared back to avoid a bolt of lightning right in front of them.
“Sara!” Flissa shouted, but Sara had miraculously stayed on the horse’s back.
“I’m okay,” she said.
“Sorry about that!” Klarney yelled over the sudden storm. “You’ll want to hold on. These things happen.”
The sky opened up, pelting Flissa and Sara with hailstones that bit into their skin like wasps.
“How can it possibly be hailing?” Sara cried. “It’s hot out!”
“Maybe we should find shelter,” Flissa suggested, just as a massive tree in front of them was struck by lightning and fell in their path.
“Shelter’s a bad idea,” Klarney said. “Just have to get through it.”
He vaulted over the giant tree and kept cantering, while Flissa and Sara yelped and winced as the hail came harder and faster.
Then they turned a corner and the hail was gone. So were the trees. They were in a flat meadow, and the green moonlight lit up only low grass and flowers as far as the eye could see.
“It’s beautiful,” Sara said.
“Mm-hm,” Klarney agreed. “But smell.”
Flissa did. She expected to smell freshly mown grass and flowers. Instead the air reeked of something sharp and vinegary. “What is it?” she asked.
“Tar pits,” Klarney responded. “I’ll have to slow down if I don’t want to dip in a hoof and get stuck for the rest of eternity. Do you mind terribly?”
Flissa exchanged glances with Sara. Wh
at could they possibly say to that? “Nope,” Sara said. “All good.”
Klarney meandered circuitously through the meadow, carefully testing the ground with his hooves before putting his full weight down. Flissa knew he had to do it, so she didn’t want to ask if Klarney could still see Gus’s trail up ahead, but she worried. She sucked on the end of her braid and kept wiping her sweaty palms on her pants until the landscape changed again.
Now they were in a lush orchard filled with blue-leaved fruit trees. There was no path, so Klarney simply picked his way around the trees until he stopped short.
“What’s wrong?” Flissa asked. “Did we lose Gus?”
Klarney blew through his lips. “Not at all. Gus stopped too. He’s having a snack, no doubt.” Klarney nodded at a glowing, bulbous purple fruit. “Blarnages are truly delicious. Mind if I indulge?”
“Of course not,” Sara said. “Eat up.”
“Thank you,” he said. He reached up for one of the fruits, chomping it down in a few bites. Before reaching for another, he turned to Flissa. “You’re very good on a horse, you know. Very easy to carry.”
Flissa beamed. “Thank you. One of my best friends is a horse.”
“Indeed? Excellent.” Klarney nodded approvingly, then went back to his snack.
“I wish I could give him a sugar cube,” Flissa told Sara, “but someone stole my pouch in the marketplace.”
“Mine too,” Sara said.
“But you also got the amulet,” Flissa said. “How? Did you find Dorinda?”
Sara shook her head. “Rouen gave it to me.”
“Rouen?!” Flissa exclaimed. “Sara, what are you thinking? This whole thing could be a trap!”
“It’s not,” Sara said. “It can’t be. It doesn’t make sense. If Rouen wanted to hurt us, all he had to do was arrest us. He’s a Keeper. He saw us. He saw we’re twins. Whatever he wanted to do with us, no one would’ve stopped him.”
Flissa had to admit that made sense, but still, it was strange. “I just don’t understand. Does this mean the Keepers want us to find Gilward? Are they trying to stop the bad Keepers? The ones behind a new Dark Magic Uprising?” Flissa sucked on her braid, trying to put the pieces together, then shook her head. “No, that doesn’t make sense. They’re Keepers. If they wanted Gilward, why not just find him themselves? Or join us, if they needed Galric to hold the amulet?”