“It wouldn’t surprise me if you were keeping her in here.”
Copper joined him. I could just see the tops of their heads.
“Well, as you can see I’m not hiding her. Why would I? I’ve got half my finest officers out looking for her.”
“You are right. I’m pretty sure it’s her printing that garbage newsletter, and she wouldn’t be able to do it here without anyone noticing. Why is there a bed in here by the way?”
Their voices drifted off. I didn’t hear Copper’s answer to Luca’s question.
“The bed!” exclaimed Cynder as we dropped back down into the bathroom.
“Copper would have given him a good reason for it being in here. Don’t worry.”
I kissed him lightly to comfort him, but it was I that felt comforted. Something had changed between us, something good. I’d never felt so close to anyone before. We were still kissing when Copper came back ten minutes later.
“Luca has demanded I put all my staff on looking for the people who printed the newsletters,” he began. “This is both good and bad. It means we can send my officers out to all the wrong places enabling you to move around the city without fear of capture, however it also means your friends might get caught.”
Cynder interrupted him. “What do you mean move around the city?”
“That’s the other thing. Luca wants to put a couple of his own guards up here in the station. It seems I’m no longer to be trusted.”
Cynder placed his head in his hands. “I’m sorry. I knocked over a box.”
“What’s done is done. I’m just glad he didn’t catch you, but you can’t stay here now. I gave him a story about using this room as a napping room for my officers who were pulling overnight shifts, but I don’t think he really bought it.”
“I know some places we can hide out, if you can keep your officers away from us,” Cynder said quietly.
“I can, but how will I know where you are? Luca has all the phone lines tapped so he can keep on top of everything.”
“A talk stone!” I said, pulling out the stone that Seraphia had given me. I showed it to Cynder. “Can you make one of these?”
“No,” he replied, taking the stone from my hand. “I wish I could, but it’s a spell I’ve never mastered.”
“Can you try?”
He rubbed the smooth surface of the stone and closed his eyes. “I’ll give it a go,” he murmured.
Ten minutes later, Copper had brought a couple of stones up from outside, and Cynder was concentrating on them, his wand ready.
While he was doing that I sat and spoke with Copper.
“If Cynder can get this to work, we’ll have two-way communications with you. As I already have communication with Seraphia, I can let you know where the Magi are smuggling the newsletter in so you can send your officers to other parts of town.”
“Sounds good,” replied Copper , nodding his head. “I forgot to mention. My friend of a friend is ready to come and film you. He wants to do it today, but I don’t think that’s going to be possible now. Luca will recognize this room in a second. He’ll need to do it elsewhere.”
I nodded. He was right. This guy would have to come out to us wherever we ended up. We just needed Cynder to make a talk stone. Without it, we’d be stuck.
The stones began to glow as Cynder pointed his wand at it, mumbling some kind of spell.
Seconds later, he fell back on the bed, exhausted.
I picked up one of the stones. It was still warm. Taking a pen, I wrote my name on it. Seconds later it appeared in my handwriting on the other stone.
“You did it!” I cried, handing one of the stones to Copper.
Copper placed it firmly in his breast pocket. “If you can send me a message to tell me where you end up, I’ll send my friend of a friend out to you tomorrow. His name is Manny. Be ready for him.”
I nodded my head and thanked Copper for all his help. Without him, I’d surely be dead by now. I owed him so much.
Cynder slept the rest of the afternoon to recharge his magic while I organized everything we needed to do. Once all his staff had left for the day, Copper brought us enough food to keep us going, along with a couple of changes of clothes for us.
He let me know which areas to avoid and which were safe. I thanked him and woke Cynder.
With a final hug to Copper, we slipped out into the night.
The Television Interview
Cynder led me to a part of town I was unfamiliar with. With anyone else, I’d have been scared, but Cynder knew what he was doing. We walked down deserted streets, keeping to the shadows. Copper had already told us that there would be no police officers in this area on this particular night, but he had no control nor knowledge of where Luca’s private guards might be, so we had to keep vigilant. Just before we left, Cynder performed the transformation spell on the both of us, so if anyone saw us, all they’d see was a middle-aged couple taking a nighttime stroll. It was dangerous enough though. No one took strolls after dark in the capital anymore.
On a particularly dark street, he opened a door and pulled me into a house. It was basic and in desperate need of updating, but it had everything we needed to spend the night.
“Whose house is this?” I asked, taking in the musty old kitchen and threadbare sofas.
“It belongs to Matty and his family. As they are all down at the holiday cottages, I knew his house would be empty. They left here months ago, so I expect Luca’s men have already thoroughly searched it. I think we’ll be safe here for a couple of days.” He pulled out one of the talk stones and sent a message to Copper, telling him where we were. Almost instantly he got a reply saying that Manny would come to the house at ten am tomorrow.
I took the food Copper had given me and laid it on an old table. There were sandwiches, cookies, and bottles of water. It was hardly a feast, but it was enough.
“I’ve been thinking,” said Cynder, tucking into his sandwich. “When you are interviewed tomorrow, I think you should stay in disguise for now. The newsletter has been seen by everyone. People are already starting to rally against Luca. We need to build up the momentum before unmasking you.”
I chewed on my lip while I thought about it. It wouldn’t have the impact that unmasking myself would.
“If I show the world I’m alive, this will all be over,” I argued. “I can tell the world what Luca has been doing.”
Cynder looked at me thoughtfully. “I’m not so sure. He still has a lot of people on his side. The public is confused. At first, he was the kingdom’s hero for winning your heart. Then he was the brave widower who lost you just after your wedding to a murderous cult.” He grinned at the last words.
“The people loved him. It’s only been as the weeks have gone by that they’ve realized he’s not all he appears to be. He’s been killing the magi but doing it under cover. People in the city are confused. They loved him, but he’s taking away their liberties, their livelihoods. They don’t know what to think anymore. The Charm Chronicle has opened up a lot of people’s eyes, but I don’t think it’s enough. If you unmask yourself now, it could cause a manhunt for us. We need more people on our side before we do anything.”
I picked up a sandwich and took a bite, mulling over everything he was saying.
“We need an army behind us—an army of people who believe in you. I say we let the others print the Charm Chronicle for a few more weeks and when the whole kingdom has enough information not to trust Luca anymore, then we unmask you. Plus, how do we actually know anyone will see this broadcast? If only a few people see it, it’s almost pointless doing it.”
He had a point. We had no idea how much reach this Manny guy could get us. If only a few people saw us, Luca could play it off as a hoax. We needed the whole kingdom to be watching.
“I agree,” I replied, finishing off the sandwich. “Doing it now will only have Luca out looking for me.”
“Well, he’s already doing that, but we need to make sure everyone sees you at once
. If we unmask you now, it won’t have the same impact. If Seraphia can keep pumping out the newsletters with hints that you are alive, then, when the moment is right, we’ll unmask you to the world.”
“When’s that going to be?” I asked.
Cynder shrugged his shoulders making me sigh. It looked like we were going to be on the run for a little while yet.
The night was cold. I’d not noticed just how cold it was getting before now, but not even the four walls of the dilapidated house could keep the biting wind out. It would be winter soon, and then we’d have to find much better accommodations if we didn’t want to freeze to death.
We fell asleep, huddled together on one of the sofas, using our change of clothes as blankets.
At ten on the dot the next morning, someone knocked at the front door. I peered through a crack in the wooden door. Opening it, I saw a slight man in a long overcoat carrying a large black bag. He gave the street a cursory glance up and down before coming in and slamming the door behind him.
He immediately dropped into a bow.
“Your Majesty, I presume.”
I’d almost forgotten I didn’t look like me anymore. I held my hand out to him.
“It’s me,” I confirmed. “There’s no need to bow. You are the one doing me a favor. I appreciate what you are doing.”
“Manny,” he replied, shaking my hand. “I’m doing this for Silverwood, Ma’am. I’m not a mage, but I know plenty of them. You’ve been a wonder, you have.”
“Thank you,” I said, accepting the compliment.
Manny carried on, “I was over the moon when Jase told me you were still alive.”
“Jase?”
Manny placed his bag on the floor and began to open it. Inside was a huge camera.
“Jase. Jason Copper. The police chief.”
“Ah!” I nodded
“Right. Where do you want to set this up?”
I looked around the nondescript room. It was grimy and dull, but at least, no one would know where it was.
“How about here?” I ventured, pointing at the sofa where Cynder was still sitting.
“If you don’t mind me saying Ma’am, wouldn’t it be better if we did it somewhere nicer? I’m not sure the people will react well to seeing their queen living in somewhere like this.” He screwed up his face at the state of the room.
“The people aren’t going to see the queen. I’m staying in disguise.”
Manny put his camera back down. “I’m not sure I understand. Jase said you wanted to be filmed. I thought you were going to tell people the truth.”
“Oh, I do,” I agreed, “But I’m going to do it like this. Cynder and I have decided to leave me in disguise at the moment. We want to leave revealing me until we have more people fighting for us, for the Magi. We are going for maximum impact.”
“Huh,” replied Manny, picking his camera up again. “You’re the boss.”
Cynder and I sat next to each other on the sofa. A dim light bulb barely lit the room, but it was too dangerous to open any curtains lest we be seen.
Manny placed the camera on his shoulder and counted down on his fingers.
Three...Two...One
I cleared my throat and looked straight into the lens. After a year of ridiculous interviews, I was used to speaking to a camera. I imagined all the people watching me. Sitting in their living rooms or watching on a screen in a tavern. What I said now would have an impact on everyone in Silverwood. I fished around in my mind for the two fake names we’d come up with the night before, and when the red light flicked on, I began to talk.
“Hello, Silverwood. My name is Jess, and this is Mitch. We are reporting to you from a secret place in Silverwood. You may have seen the Charm Chronicle. It tells the truth. The man who calls himself king is a liar and a cheat. I know what you’ve seen on television. All last year, he claimed to be helping the Magi. He still is claiming this, but the truth is those guards of his aren’t just searching for Cynder and Daniel, they are searching for all Magi. Those that have been found have been captured or killed. Cynder and Daniel are not to blame for the explosions at the royal palace. Luca himself planted the bombs.”
“We need you to know the truth,” took over Cynder. “Keep reading the Chronicle, keep watching out for reports from us. We need you to take a stand against Luca Tremaine. We need you to fight. You may not think that this has anything to do with you. Maybe you don’t even like the Magi, but the truth of the matter is, this affects all of us. The farmers can’t get into the towns to deliver their wares; the shops in the capital are empty. People are going hungry. Why? Because Luca Tremaine is sending out propaganda telling you it’s the fault of the Magi. It isn’t. How can it be when they are all in hiding? Silverwood, we need you!”
The small light went off at the top of the camera which Manny lowered.
“Nice job,” he said, giving us a thumbs up. “I can get this played on every TV station in the whole of Silverwood tomorrow night. If I don’t get caught and if my friends don’t get caught helping me, we’ll do the same next week.”
I thanked Manny and told him we’d contact him through Copper for the next week.
“No problem, Ma’am.”
He left just as Cynder called me back.
“What is it?” I asked heading back into the living room.
It’s a message from Chief Inspector Copper. He says get to a TV.”
I stared at him quizzically. Where were we going to find a TV? There certainly wasn’t one in this grungy old house.
“Follow me.” He took hold of my hand and pulled me outside into the street. It was as bleak in the daytime as it had been at night.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. “People will see us.”
“We don’t look like us, remember?”
As I looked into his newly-green eyes and up to his thinning grey hair, I conceded he had a point. We were free to roam around the city as we pleased.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we headed to the end of the street. It felt so good to be outside despite the chill in the air.
“You’ll see.”
He pulled me around the corner to a tavern. The painted sign that swung above the door read The Queen’s Arms.
Inside, the tavern was as dark as the house had been. A barman wiped glasses with a grimy cloth behind the bar.
“Two beers,” ordered Cynder as I took a seat at one of the small tables. Only three other tables were occupied and all by old men. All of them had their eyes glued to the TV in the corner. On it was some kind of sports match which seemed to involve dogs chasing a ball around a stadium.
Cynder appeared with two beers. Under the table, I saw him bring out his wand and point it at the TV. Seconds later the channel changed.
All the men in the tavern began to jeer. The bartender shrugged his shoulders.
Luca appeared on the screen with a woman next to him. He was dressed in his royal regalia and cut quite the dashing figure sitting on a magnificent throne. On a throne beside him, the woman was also decked out in her finery although her choice of a ball gown with feathers conjured up images of a large chicken.
The reporter was none other than Pittser, who else? The room became silent as the jeering stopped and the men listened to what he had to say.
“Today is a momentous day in the history of Silverwood,” He spoke in his nauseating drawl. “We not only have a date confirmed for the royal coronation, but his majesty, Prince Luca has also announced his engagement to the lovely Lady Drusilla Bloom. Both the wedding and the coronation are to take place in three months’ time with the wedding coming one day before the coronation on December 3rd.”
It’s sure to be a week of celebration, and here at Silverwood News, we wish our soon-to-be king every luck in the world with his new queen.”
No one said a word as the TV was finally turned off.
“What do you make of that?” I asked, sipping on the beer. The cold fluid tickled my throat as it went down. I wasn’t u
sed to drinking beer, but I liked it.
Cynder nursed his drink. Keeping his voice low, he responded, “I think this is in retaliation to the Charm Chronicle. He’s running scared. He needs to keep the people on his side. The tide’s turning, and he knows it.”
“Just wait until he sees our interview,” I grinned.
“That reminds me. Tomorrow, everyone will know these faces. We are going to have to change them again. When we get interviewed again next week, we’ll have to go back to these faces.”
I downed my drink. “Doesn’t that take a lot of energy?” I knew it was a complicated spell and took up a whole lot of magic.
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t be drinking this,” he said, standing up, leaving his beer untouched. I took his hand and left the tavern with him. As we rounded the corner to get back to the street with the house on it, I saw something that made my blood run cold. It was one of Luca’s guards.
Out
We ran in the opposite direction as fast as we could.
“Where to now?” I asked, trying to keep up with Cynder after we emerged out onto a busy street full of shops.
Most had closed signs over the doors, but the few that were still open had lines of people out the door.
Cynder stopped, out of breath, and checked behind us. There was no one there. The guard hadn’t seen us.
“I guess The chief inspector’s safe zones are only safe for one day at a time.” He glanced around to make sure no one was looking and pulled out the talk stone. He wrote a quick message to Copper.
Need safe zone for tonight. Nearly caught by Luca’s guard.
Seconds later Copper replied.
No safe zones anymore. Luca’s put one of his men in charge. I’m no longer the chief.
It was a blow, not only for him and us, but also for our cause.
Having an ally in the chief of police was better than we could have hoped for, and now we didn’t.
“I can’t believe we lost him,” I cried.
Cynder took my hand and began to walk, peering in the shop windows as though he was shopping. “We haven’t lost him. He didn’t say he wasn’t working at the police station anymore. He only said that he wasn’t in charge. Unfortunately, it means that we are on our own for now.”
Charmed Page 11
