by Alane Adams
And now she was gone by Sam’s own hand.
“A second later with the spear, and it would have been all of us dead,” Teren said gently. “Agathea was not going to stop.”
Sam faked a smile, giving Teren a weak thumbs-up. The soldier rode off to the front of the line, leaving Sam to his glum thoughts. The thrill of holding Odin’s spear had been replaced by this wrenching guilt. It was a lot easier to wipe out a legion of zombies by holding a game controller than to fight in a real war.
Homesickness swamped him with a vengeance. He tried to remember Pilot Rock and his carefree days riding his bike, wind in his face as he and Howie raced each other to school, but the memories were faded, like they had happened to someone else. He was changing. Inside. The side effect of using potent magic. A sense of wrongness settled over Sam like damp fog, and he spent the day gloomily wondering who was going to punish him first: Odin for destroying his ancient spear, or Endera for offing her daughter with it.
At long last, after a full day’s ride, the horses crested the ridge overlooking Skara Brae. Red flags snapped in the breeze. The stone fortress looked serene and impregnable, built on the cliffs overlooking the blue seas below. Sam had a sudden vision of smoke billowing up from the turrets. He reined his horse in. The vision felt real, more premonition than daydream.
Teren turned in his saddle to look at him. “Everything okay, my lord?”
“Yes,” Sam lied. He forced a smile. “Go on, I just need a moment.”
They were within a stone’s throw of Skara Brae. Teren nodded and urged the rest of the horses on.
Sam’s breath caught in his chest. Something felt wrong. He searched the skyline. The glittering blue coast. The outline of the city. Nothing seemed untoward. His mare stomped her foot as the other horses headed toward buckets of well-deserved oats.
“Hold on, girl.” He turned around in his saddle and spied a clump of trees.
Kicking his horse in the ribs, he urged her away from the gates. He circled the first trunk then entered the thicket. The sound of the ocean faded. Sunlight filtered through the trees, lighting up tiny dust motes. The crumbling remnants of a wall indicated a building had once stood there.
Sam reined the horse in as he saw a figure seated on the low wall. Her pale hair gave her away.
It was Vor. Goddess of Wisdom.
“Vor!” He dismounted and strode three paces to her, dropping down on his haunches to look into her sightless milky eyes. “It’s good to see you.”
“Samuel.” She smiled and laid her hand on his arm. “Look how you’ve grown.”
“What is this place?” he asked, looking around at the tumbled moss-covered stones.
“This used to be the Volgrim fortress, before it was torn down. Rubicus created the red sun curse here.”
Sam shuddered. Rubicus had been about the worst kind of he-witch imaginable, and he was Sam’s great-great-grandfather. “I killed Perrin Tarkana today,” he blurted out.
Vor’s smile faded, replaced by a worrisome frown. “Taking a life is a heavy burden. It will leave a black mark on your conscience, like a stain you can’t wash out.”
Sam wanted to shout at her that he had had no choice, but it wouldn’t change the guilt he felt. Vor was right; it left a stain on him. “Why did the Gungnir explode?”
“When the Gungnir struck the wrong target, the magic in it was destroyed.” She hesitated, then went on. “Samuel, I’m afraid you have set in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped.”
The blood ran out of Sam’s legs. He sank down onto the mossy ground. “What do you mean?”
“You have shown yourself to be a threat. You nearly killed Agathea. Catriona will be forced to take action.”
“I’m ready. I know who I fight for.”
“No, Sam. You are still a child, one born of two powerful bloodlines. With every spell you cast, you become more and more attracted to the power being a witch gives you. Without your mother to guide you, I worry where it will take you.”
It was like she knew his deepest fears. “So what can I do?”
But Vor turned her head sharply, as if she heard a distant noise. “I must leave.” Her image fluttered. “Odin would be angry at me for interfering.”
“Wait!” he cried. “Vor, what’s going to happen?”
For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Her body was transparent. She was dissolving into shards of light. And then she whispered, “You must face the darkness inside you.”
“What do you mean?”
Her voice came from a great distance. “If you fight it, you will lose. Surrender and you might win.” The next instant, she vaporized into iridescent points of light.
Sam sat in the clearing long after she was gone, waiting for her to come back and tell him everything would be okay.
He spent the next few days mulling over Vor’s words, ducking out of training to lie on his bunk, staring at the ceiling. What did she mean by facing the darkness inside him? He was one of the good guys. Sure, there were moments he felt a raw power tugging at him, like when he watched a friend die in battle, or witnessed the destruction the witches unleashed on the land. In those moments, outrage flooded his veins, making his hands tremble with a need to lash out. But he kept it under control. Because he didn’t want to be like them. And he would never stop fighting for Orkney.
Finally, on the third day, Heppner dragged Sam out of his bunk, insisting the boy join them at supper. As Sam walked alongside, he stepped in a puddle, which was strange, because it hadn’t rained in days. His feet rooted in place as if turned to stone. Black liquid crawled up his legs, spreading around his calves like thick tar. Coldness seeped into his bones as the black goo climbed past his knees to his waist to his chest. He felt frozen, like he had swallowed ten gallons of ice cream all at once. His voice clogged in his throat. He tried to shout at Hep to help him, but he couldn’t move or even speak.
Hep turned and saw the danger Sam was in. He ran to the boy’s side, but before he could reach him, the blackness swallowed Sam up.
Chapter Three
Pilot Rock, Oregon
Keely Hatch sat in the back row of English class listening to Mr. Platz drone on. The teacher seemed to have recovered from his experience as a giant lizard, although from time to time, a nervous tick caused his tongue to slither from his mouth.
Howie leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You wanna come to Chuggies later? I’m working the counter. I can get you some free chili fries.”
Chuggies was a burger joint owned by Howie’s uncle. He let Howie work there after school. “You know I think that place is disgusting,” she whispered back.
Howie just grinned, his curly hair falling over his forehead. He pushed up his glasses on his nose. “Leo said he would stop by. He said he had something important to talk about.”
That got her interest up. But then, everything about Leo was interesting to her. After they returned from their adventures in Orkney, Leo’s father, Chief Pate-wa, had transferred Leo back to the Umatilla school. Now they only saw Leo when he came to town. Keely had expected her dad to be beside himself with worry after her weeks’ long disappearance, but Sam’s mom, Abigail, had bespelled him and Howie’s parents into believing they were away at a special camp for gifted students. The school had received a glowing report from the “program” Abigail had invented, and besides having to catch up on schoolwork, the matter was closed. Forgotten. As if it had never happened. As the bell rang, Keely trailed behind Howie into the hallway, thinking about Leo and Sam and witches, when a figure bumped into her.
It was Ronnie Polk, the bully who lived to torment Howie. His nose was slightly crooked from the time Sam had pounded him into the ground. His eyes were mean, small for his face, and he reminded Keely of a sneevil. Ronnie wore his pants three sizes too big. They hung so low on his hips, half his underwear showed. Two of his ugly friends slammed Howie against the lockers while Ronnie rummaged through his backpack, taking his lunch out and open
ing the sandwich.
“Lookee here. Grape jelly. This is gonna look nice smeared all over your face.”
Keely stepped forward, ready to give Ronnie a piece of her mind, but Howie stayed her with his hand. “I got this,” he said, before turning to face Ronnie, his eyes large behind his glasses. “I think you should stop picking on me.”
Ronnie sneered. “Or what? You gonna tell your mommy on me?” His pals laughed along with him.
“Naw. I’m going to tell everyone you sleep with the lights on because you’re scared of the dark.”
Ronnie’s sneer faded. “Shut up. I am not.” His buddies hooted at the idea, and he joined in, though his laugh sounded a bit strained.
“No?” Howie jerked his arms free and stepped closer to the bully. “Then how come when I ride my bike past your house at night, the light is always on?”
“That’s a lie.” Ronnie dropped Howie’s jelly sandwich and balled his hands into fists. “How about we take it outside?”
Howie raised his hands. “I’m not going to fight you. I’m going to prove it. We’ll go in the gymnasium and turn out all the lights. See who lasts longest. If I lose, you can take a free swing at me.”
Keely waited for Ronnie to take Howie up on his offer, but the bully backed away, shaking his head.
“It’s just a trick to get me into trouble. I’m outta here.” Ronnie swaggered off, trailed by his two loser friends.
Keely raised her eyebrows at her friend’s sudden bravado. “Way to go, Howie. But he ruined your lunch.”
Howie whipped a candy bar out of his pocket and waggled it at her. “No problem. I always carry a supply of Nut Buddy’s.” He tore the blue wrapper open and took a bite. “You know I’ve faced off against bigger than Ronnie,” he said around a mouthful of nougat. “I mean, Sam and I did defeat a whole band of witches single-handedly.”
Keely smiled at his boast. “What do you think Sam is doing right now?”
“If I know my man Sam, he’s probably mowing down some witches.”
Keely replayed her memories of Orkney. Most of them were harsh, like being locked in Endera’s dungeon with filthy rathos. But there were good ones. Being pulled on a raft by dolphins. The witch-girl Mavery. The day they had played in the ocean. “Do you ever wish you’d stayed? Back in Orkney?”
Howie didn’t hesitate. “Every day. I even dream about it at night.”
“Me, too.” The dreams had started a week ago. The same one every night. “What do you see?” she asked.
“A big bird flying across the sky, like an eagle, only it’s not.”
Keely’s breath quickened. “You’re dreaming about a iolar. Rego had one as a pet. But you never saw a iolar when you were in Orkney, so how could you be dreaming about one?”
Howie shrugged. “What do you dream about?”
“I keep seeing this beautiful lake surrounded by trees, but I’m sure I’ve never been there.” She sighed. “Sometimes I want to scream out loud that witches and magic really exist, but who would believe me?”
“Just me. And our wolf-brother Leo. So maybe I’ll see you after school?”
She hesitated. “I need to get in some practice at the archery field, then I should get home. Get dinner for my dad. But I’ll try.”
They parted ways, and Keely went on to her next class. Her life after school consisted of two things: continuing her practice with a bow and taking care of her dad. Leo had taught her the basics back in Orkney, but she had been unskilled, and largely helpless. Next time, if there was a next time, she planned to be able to hold her own. Besides, it took her mind off the empty house she went home to.
Ever since her mom had died, it had just been her and her dad. She kept things normal as possible around the house. Doing the shopping. Fixing his favorite meals. Ironing his shirts. But they both missed her mom like crazy. And a gnawing guilt made it hard to talk about. A secret Keely kept and never shared out loud. She just tucked in her chin and carried on like everything was great. She could win an Oscar for her long-running performance of Life Is Just Fine, Thank You Very Much.
After school, Keely decided to pay a visit to Sam’s mom. Keely kept a notebook on everything she knew about Orkney, peppering Abigail weekly with questions about the realm. Abigail had tried and tried to get back to Orkney, but even with her magical powers, she had not found a portal after the stonefire had been destroyed. Keely trudged up the steps to Sam’s house. The lawn looked overgrown. Maybe Abigail was waiting for Sam to come home and mow it. She pressed the doorbell.
No answer.
Keely peered through the window. A pile of mail spilled over on the floor. By the looks of it, several days’ worth. Had Abigail left town? Or had she found a way back to Orkney? Disappointed and more than a little frustrated, Keely decided to skip archery practice and head to Chuggies. At least Leo would be there.
As she pushed open the door to the restaurant, the smell of fried foods made her wrinkle her nose. Howie was at the register helping a couple of kids order. His curly hair poked out from under a white cap, and the red bowtie of his uniform made his Adam’s apple stick out.
Keely waited till it was her turn, then stepped up to the counter. Howie’s eyes lit up behind his wire-frame glasses.
“Ready for those chili fries?”
She snorted. “As if. Just a salad and drink. Where’s Leo?”
“Not here yet. But he’ll show. He promised.”
Howie rang up her order, then handed her a cup. Another group of kids jostled her aside. She filled her cup at the soda fountain. No sooner had she sat down in a booth than a shadow fell over her. She looked up and then jumped to her feet.
“Leo!”
The tall lanky boy gave her a hug. Leo’s jet-black hair was tied in a ponytail. His cheekbones were high, his chin square. His eyes were like dark chocolate. He wore his usual flannel shirt over a tee and jeans. He sat down next to her as Howie slid in on the other side of the booth, sliding a basket of chili fries in front of Leo and pushing a plate of salad toward Keely. The boys began scarfing the gooey pile down. Suddenly hungry, Keely ditched the salad and grabbed a cheese-covered fry.
“What’s up, my wolf-brother?” Howie asked between bites. “We haven’t seen you in a millennia.”
Leo gave a tense shrug. “My father thinks I should spend all my time learning how to be a great chief. That fun is for people who don’t have responsibilities. Sometimes I want to run away as far as possible.”
Howie waved a fry at him. “What you need is another adventure, my man. A one-way ticket to Orkney to wrestle some sneevils, or take down a witch or two.”
Leo leaned in, lowering his voice. “That’s why I’m here. I’ve been having dreams. About Orkney.”
Keely and Howie traded looks. Things were getting weird. Orkney weird.
“We’ve been having dreams, too,” Keely said. “I keep seeing this lake surrounded by trees.”
“I see one of those iolar birds,” Howie added.
“What do you see?” Keely asked.
Leo hesitated. “I don’t know why, but . . . I see us drowning under water.” The color went out of his friends’ faces. “Look, these might not be just dreams.”
“What else could they be?” Keely asked, almost scared to know.
Before Leo could answer, the table began to shake, vibrating under her hands, making the fries skip across the surface. The overhead lights swayed wildly. Under her feet, Keely felt a rumble, then a loud crack echoed like a rifle shot. A jagged opening appeared in the tile floor, zigzagging across the length of the restaurant. Water shot out of the crack as if a water main had broken. Screaming patrons fled the restaurant as gushing water sprayed everywhere, dousing Keely and the others.
“What’s happening?” Keely cried.
“I think it’s an earthquake,” Leo shouted over the ruckus, taking her hand and pulling her out of the booth.
The soda machine went crazy, spraying fizzy liquid from every nozzle. Behind the counter, t
he shake machine turned on and began to spin, spewing thick gooey liquid in the air.
“Where’s Howie?” Keely asked. They looked around the deserted restaurant. There. Howie was lugging a bucket. He scooped up water and slogged it over to the sink.
“Howie, we have to go!” Keely shouted. They splashed to Howie’s side, but he refused to budge.
“My uncle went to the bank and left me in charge. I can’t let Chuggies go down the drain.” He looked like a drowned rat, his drenched curls plastered to his face, but his chin was determined.
Keely took a good look around. Something was odd. The restaurant was filling up too fast. Already the water was to their knees. Another minute and it would be at their waists. She tugged on Howie’s arm. “Come on, we have to get out before we’re trapped in here.”
Howie resisted, but as the water surged higher, he dropped the bucket, looking dejected. He followed her and Leo toward the door, but the waist-high water dragged on them, pulling them back. The harder they pressed forward, the more the water tugged them in reverse, like an invisible current was sucking them in. Keely lost her grip on Leo’s arm.
“Leo!” she cried in a panic, clutching at his hand. He grabbed for her but missed. The water swirled faster and faster around the restaurant, churning her like she was stuck in the spin cycle of a washing machine. The water rose higher, impossibly fast, until, moments later, she was floating, pressed up against the ceiling.
Leo bobbed next to her. Behind her, Howie flailed his arms, shouting for help. Keely had to think fast, or they were all going to drown.
“Take a deep breath and swim for the door,” Keely shouted. Leo nodded, puffing his cheeks out. Howie looked panicked, but he plugged his nose as the water reached the ceiling and sealed them off.
The strange current tumbled and spun her, but Keely was determined to find a way out. The door was just over there. She could see daylight coming through the murky water. She just had to reach it and hope Leo and Howie found their way. She kicked herself forward, fighting the current, and headed for the light. A flickering image came toward her. It had a speckled body and swam close enough for her to see its gills. It looked like a trout of some kind.
