It is my deepest regret you have been given this letter. From the moment your mother was born, I prayed that she be saved from this terrible curse upon our family. Losing my daughter on the same day my granddaughter came into this world was the worst and best day of my life. I can at least be grateful your mother never lived long enough to have this curse touch her. But you are next in line, Fate. I have told your father to watch for signs that you’ve been affected by the curse. He will know them by your odd behavior and inexplicable occurrences. I have left proof to prepare him and I’ve provided everything he needs to deal with the change that has come upon you.
Fate’s heart hammered against her ribcage. Her skin was on fire. She felt trapped and wanted to run away, but there was no escaping this. She was stuck inside a body that had some horrible disease of the brain.
This family curse will defy all logic and you will feel you’ve lost touch with reality. Stay strong, dear heart. Trust in yourself and know that all is right with you.
I have always said that magic is real. I should’ve told you how I came to know magic is more than fiction, and for this, I am truly sorry. I know this because our family comes from a long line of guardians who have served the Keep for over five hundred years.
Fate sat straight. “Dad, did you just say the Keep?”
Jessie’s confused gaze darted between Fate and Eustace. “Does this mean Fate’s not crazy?”
Eustace lifted his gaze. “No, she’s not.”
Fate stared at her father in disbelief, still half expecting him to dismiss Gran’s letter as the ravings of an old lunatic. He was a science guy. In what world did her egghead dad believe in the stuff of fantasy?
“Really?” Fate whispered.
“Really,” Eustace answered, though there was a terrible sadness in his expression.
Fate fell back in her seat, her muscles relaxing and pulse steadying with relief. She wasn’t stark raving mad. “What else did Gran say?”
Eustace cleared his throat and continued reading.
By now you know that the Keep is a storehouse filled with magical objects and gateways that lead to many different worlds of magic. If your father has given you this letter, that means you have not yet entered the Keep. It is my hope that I can now convince you to not take the oath of the Keep Guardian.
Fate’s heart plunged to her stomach as Eustace folded the letter with a hopeful expression. Nervously running her hands over her thighs, she shook her head.
Eustace tilted his head, staring at the ceiling. “Oh Fate, tell me you didn’t.”
Fate bit her lip. How could she tell him she would even sell her soul to the devil if it meant saving Finn? If Eustace knew she took the oath because of a boy, he’d never forgive her. “I…I didn’t know–”
“How could you not know?” Eustace said, his tone sharp. “What part of sacrificing all your worldly ties and dedicating the rest of your life to protecting the Keep until the day you die, did you not understand?”
“You forgot about the part where I get to retire when I’m 90,” Fate added.
Eustace stood, towering over her, radiating anger like never before. “Fate, this is serious. This is your life we’re talking about.”
Fate rose to her feet and met his furious gaze. “You’re right. This is more serious than you’ll ever know, and it’s my life and my decision.” She took a deep shaky breath. “As much as I hate to say this, Dad, there’s nothing you can do to save me from what I have to do.”
6
The Priest Is Gone
FINN BREATHED A LITTLE easier once he reached the east wing of the castle. There wasn’t nearly as much foot traffic in the halls to navigate. Merely a few chambermaids, who scurried past him with fearful gazes cast downward, as if he might scold them or add to their duties. He looked like a nobleman to them. He still wore the kilt and jacket from when he’d been knighted by the king of Beldereth.
His first inclination had been to run straight to Beldereth to seek the comfort of the king’s company. Rudwor had become like a father to him, but his good friend did not hold the answers to crossing the fiery divide. O’Deldar was the only one who could help him solve that dilemma.
All the same, it was terrible being stuck in Oldwilde without Fate by his side. At least when the Green Man had trapped him inside the oak, he’d had no awareness of time. He’d been at peace and at one with all of nature. When the old god had first released him, his determination to find Fate had spurred him on and given him strength. But nothing could have prepared him for the loss of being separated from the Earthmind, and his longing for Fate only worsened his low spirits. Loneliness chipped away at his resolve with each passing hour. What if he never found his way to her?
Grief seized his heart.
“Buck up, boyo,” he muttered. “It’s too early to go losing it already.”
A door opened toward the end of the long corridor and the early morning sunlight splashed across the floor as a chambermaid stepped out with a basket overflowing with thick coverlets and dirty linens. Finn studied the doors lining the hall, trying to remember which one led to O’Deldar’s chamber. He knew it looked out over the ocean, which meant the priest’s rooms were on the right. But which one? He couldn’t risk entering the wrong chamber. His face was too recognizable.
Finn caught the attention of the chambermaid as she hurried toward him. “I’m looking for O’Deldar.”
She stopped, her face flushed as she shifted the weight of her heavy burden to the other hip. “Oh, you won’t find the king’s counselor here. Haven’t you heard? The priest is gone.”
“Where did he go?”
“No one knows. His chamber was found in ruins and there was blood everywhere. Many think him dead, poor soul.”
Reeling from the news, Finn grabbed the wall for support. He instantly knew what must’ve happened. Fate had killed O’Deldar. There was no forgetting the crazed state she’d gone into the first time she’d met the priest. If O’Deldar hadn’t interrupted Brune’s spell at that moment, there was no telling what would’ve happened. No wonder Fate had looked so guilty every time Finn had asked her how she’d gotten the Rod from O’Deldar.
“When?” Finn choked, his throat constricting.
“It was late winter when it happened.”
Finn scrambled to do the mental math on how long ago that had been. He’d been encased within the oak in the early spring, the day of Alban Eiler. It had only been two days since he’d been freed from the tree and the weather was now quite hot. The wheat fields were tall and would be ready for reaping in about a month. By all accounts, O’Deldar had gone missing about six months.
“Point me to his room,” Finn said, unable to keep the gruffness from his voice.
“Two doors down, m’lord.” She squinted to see his face within the shadows of his hood.
“Carry on.” Finn’s chest burned with frustration as he watched her hurry toward the stairs. He’d been counting on O’Deldar’s help. What the hell was he supposed to now? He stood rigid, clenching his fists. He wanted to punch a hole in the wall, but this was no time to lose his cool. He couldn’t afford to draw undo attention.
Taking a deep breath, he called upon everything he’d learned from the monks during his time at the Springs of Almsdeep. “Stay Whole,” he whispered. “Stay Whole.”
After a few moments of repeating the mantra, a thin veil of peace came over him and he entered O’Deldar’s chamber. The room was dusty and neglected. Someone must’ve instructed the chambermaids to leave his belongings alone. Good. That meant he wouldn’t have to worry about being discovered. He would have the freedom to comb through everything, read every book and parchment until he found what he needed to cross the fiery divide standing between him and Fate.
7
How Will We Explain The Reek?
“WHAT’S NEXT?” JESSIE ASKED in an obvious attempt to break the tension between father and daughter. “Where do we go from here?”
“We don’t go
anywhere,” Fate said. “This is something I have to take care of.”
Eustace thrust the letter into Fate’s hand. “No, that’s where you’re wrong. Your grandmother left an entire library behind of grimoires, scrolls and tablets, some of which outline warnings about the Book of Fables and the history behind the Keep. I’ve been studying these texts for the last seven years, and I can tell you right now, you’re going to need someone along who’s knowledgeable about–”
“What? You know about the Book of Fables?”
“I know enough to want to stay away from it. Why, what do you know about it?”
Fate dropped her gaze and stared at her boots. “I…I sort of got caught inside the book as a reader.”
Eustace’s face paled in shock. “What?” He looked her over again, studying the length of her hair, the defined muscles of her arms and the hand-crafted leather armor. Closing his eyes, he swallowed, his expression pained. “Oh god, what happened to you in there?”
His concern shattered the thin veneer surrounding her grief. Tears stood in her eyes as memories of Finn and everything they’d been through crashed in. Curling her fists, she pressed her knuckles against her eyes, forcing the sadness away. “I’m fine, Dad. I got out.”
“All so you could jump back into the lion’s den?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m stronger now… and more grown up. I was gone for over six months. Technically I’ve had a birthday, I’m eighteen now.”
Eustace looked horrified. “Well, you’re still seventeen as far as I’m concerned, and you have no idea what’s ahead. Finish reading the letter. Your grandmother warns against going into the Keep without at least knowing what you might be facing.”
Fate skimmed through the last paragraph. “I already know about Brune. Not exactly on my list of favorite great-aunts, by the way.”
“She’s dangerous,” Eustace insisted.
“And she’s here.”
Eustace frowned. “What? Here in the bookstore?”
Fate nodded.
Eustace paced the landing as he glanced down at the crowd. “We’ve got to get all these people out of the building.”
“Good luck convincing Lana to shut the party down without a good reason,” Fate said. “I say we sneak Brune out of here.”
Eustace gripped the railing so hard his hand shook from the pressure. “Why would she cooperate?”
Fate waved an antique key at her father. “Because I have the Key to Brune’s precious Keep and she’s desperate to get back there.”
Jessie’s eyes grew round with fear as she glanced over her shoulder. “Where is she?”
“Hiding.” Fate walked over to the apartment and knocked on the door.
Gerdie cracked the door open and peeked out.
“Is she in there?”
Gerdie wrinkled her nose. “You can’t tell by the smell?”
“Who’s this?” Eustace asked as he stepped in next to Fate.
“This is Gran’s twin sister, Gerdie.” Fate smiled. “She, however, is on my list of favorite great-aunts.”
Giving Eustace a lopsided grin, Gerdie reached to shake his hand. “Glad to meet ya. Feels like we already met though. Fate talked about you a whole lot.”
Eustace stooped to shake her small hand. “Hi Gerdie. I recognize you from Berdie’s box of family photos.” He straightened. “But how is it you’re still…?”
“A kid?” Gerdie finished for him. “Time passes differently in Oldwilde than it does here.”
“But you’ve been gone for,” Eustace paused to do work the numbers in his head, “about seventy-five years. That would mean you experienced upwards to hundreds of years passing by.”
Gerdie’s little shoulders sank, along with the spark in her eye. “You don’t have to tell me. I lived it.”
Fate hurried to change the subject so Gerdie wouldn’t have to explain the tragedy she’d experienced. “How come I never saw those pictures you mentioned?”
Eustace looked relieved to be moving beyond the uncomfortable moment. “Your grandmother kept the photos of her missing sisters locked away. She didn’t want to give you or anyone else a reason to investigate the family history in case curiosity led to accidentally coming across the secret she’d been protecting her entire life.” He sniffed and cleared his throat. “Sorry, but something smells terrible in there. I think we’ve got a dead animal situation.”
“Nah, that’s just Brune,” Gerdie said.
“Excuse me?”
Gerdie opened the door all the way and stepped aside so they could see Brune sitting at the kitchen table.
Eustace took one step forward, then stopped. “Oh my, there’s something horribly wrong with her.”
Jessie peered around Eustace. “Ew gross, she looks like…”
“A zombie?” Fate asked.
“Yeah. But she’s not, right?”
“No, she’s for sure a zombie.”
Jessie squealed and ran out of the room.
Eustace drew out his handkerchief and held it over his nose. “You actually expect us to get her past that crowd downstairs?”
Fate waved him off. “Everybody’s dressed up. She’ll fit right in.”
“And then she’ll promptly clear the room. How will we explain the reek?”
“We’ll tell them she’s going for realism,” Fate offered.
“You expect everyone to buy that?”
“Hmm…a roomful of hardcore cosplaying fantasy geeks? Yeah, pretty much.”
Folding his arms, Eustace frowned at Brune with open distaste, then turned to Fate. “Lana’s bound to come looking for you any minute now. I think it’s best you go downstairs and start that Q&A she was going on about. While you’re keeping everyone distracted, Gerdie and I will sneak Brune down to the janitor closet.”
“Wow, you really do know all about the Keep.” Fate stared at him in wonder. She was grateful to have her father helping to tidy this awful mess. But more than anything else, she liked not having to lie to him anymore.
Lines of sadness formed near the edge of her father’s eyes. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I’ve been praying this day would never come, but I’ve been preparing for it all the same.” Turning away, he covered his nose and ducked into the apartment.
Fate strode over to Jessie. She was standing at the opposite end of the landing, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the zombie. “Come on, Jess.” Fate hooked her hand in the crook of her friend’s arm and turned toward the stairs.
When they reached the bottom, Jessie looked at her with eyes wide. “This is nuts.”
Fate nodded. “And it’s only going to get nuttier, which is why I want you to go home, where it’s safe.”
“No way! I can’t go home after what I know!”
“Who’s going to take care of Oz? You are my cat sitter, after all.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Mom’s been babying him like you wouldn’t believe. He likes Indian food now. A lot. He won’t touch his cat food anymore.”
“Great. You spoiled my cat.”
“Don’t blame me. Mom’s the one who–”
“There you are!” Lana called out as she trotted over. “Come, come, everyone’s waiting.”
Fate followed Lana over to where Darcy was standing next to some tech guy at a table with his laptop, speakers and mic. He handed Fate the mic as Darcy smiled coldly. “Nice of you to finally show up.” Her tone was upbeat but laced with tension. Before Fate could say a word, Darcy turned to the loud crowd milling about the main area of the bookstore. “Everyone, can I please have your attention.”
Faces turned to them as conversations died down and silence filled the room.
“Our guest of honor is here to answer all your burning questions. But first, let’s give her a big hand.”
Everyone clapped and hollered.
Fate waved. “Thanks guys,” she said into the mic.
“We’re recording this for our site, so raise your han
d and I’ll bring the mic over to you,” Darcy instructed as everyone quieted down and raised their hands eagerly.
Fate’s smile felt wooden as she stole a glance at the stairs. When would Eustace and Gerdie get Brune on the move? Her impatience was building to an excruciating level. Her need to go to the Keep had become as physical as hunger. An urgent sense of duty was pressing on her, becoming intense with each passing moment. It was all she could do to not throw the mic on the floor and race out of there.
Someone nudged Fate. Darcy’s boyfriend, Mason, was staring at her. “You gonna answer the question?”
“Oh, uh…” Fate glanced out over the audience. Darcy gave her a glare that could curdle milk as she held the mic for a blue-haired girl dressed as a pixie. “Can you repeat that?” Fate asked.
The blue pixie jumped with excitement, making her sparkly dragonfly wings bounce. “If you haven’t guessed, I love the pixies in your book. Where’d you come up with the idea to make their saliva an aphrodisiac?”
It seemed like a decade had passed since Fate had written her book, or even thought about it, for that matter. There was a time when she would’ve loved discussing her characters with interested readers, but she’d been through too much. She’d been changed irrevocably. Sadly, none of this seemed very important anymore. “Hmm,” Fate mused aloud, “I don’t exactly remember how I thought of that one. It just sort of dropped in my head, and it seemed to work for the story.”
The girl’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. Darcy held her lips in a tight angry line as she moved to a guy wearing a red leather jacket.
“I really dug the main character, Edge. He’s chill,” the guy said into the mic. “You really got into his head. How is it you were able to sound like a dude? You know, being a chick and all.”
“Oh.” Fate grasped for a more interesting answer than the last. “I suppose I’d have to blame that on being raised by my dad. I ended up playing with action heroes instead of dolls.”
Grinning, he nodded his head as a light chuckle ran through the crowd.
Darcy’s tense expression relaxed as she brought the mic to a girl dressed as a ghoulish harlequin. “I thought the Ghost Market was wicked. Did it bother you to make unicorn heads and mermaid fillets available for sale in the market?”
Fate's Keep (Fate's Journey Book 2) Page 5
