“These were the queen’s rooms,” Darkstalker said to Moon. “They’re mine now, of course. It looks like she took most of her treasure with her when she left.” He blew some dust off an enormous mirror and frowned at it. “It all used to be so clean and … perfect. There were grand parties every other night! And things you would actually like, too, Moon — salons and scientific lectures and readings …” His voice trailed off as he wandered into one of the side rooms of the suite, where he started overturning empty chests and opening all the cabinets. Moon disappeared after him.
“Darkstalker!” Anemone appeared in the doorway to the hall, her talons covered in white stone dust. “I couldn’t find the rooms you were talking about. All the doors look the same!” She spotted Turtle and her mouth dropped open. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. “I thought you were going back to school. Stop following me!”
“He’s not following you,” Kinkajou said haughtily. “He’s with me.”
“Oh.” Anemone’s snout crinkled into a wickedly sly grin. “Aw, that’s wonderful. That’s so, so cute. You guys are so cute together.” She lowered her voice, although not far enough, and whispered to Turtle, “You’re welcome.”
Moon heard this as she came back into the room. She gave him and Anemone a surprised look. Turtle hoped the floor was about to collapse and take him with it.
“Wait, you’re here, too?” Anemone said to Moon, lashing her tail. “Do you just keep changing your mind about who you’re loyal to? He doesn’t need you, you know. He has me.”
“We’re not staying long,” Moon said uncomfortably.
“What is it, Anemone?” Darkstalker asked, slithering back into the main room. Turtle wondered if he was imagining the hint of weary impatience in Darkstalker’s voice.
“You said there was a perfect suite for me, remember?” Anemone said, in her wheedling-whining princess voice. “But I couldn’t figure out your directions and I can’t find it.”
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry for straining your tiny SeaWing brain,” he said. Anemone didn’t even look offended; the insult seemed to sail right past her. “Come on, I’ll just show you.” She jumped out of his way as he thumped past and Turtle noticed that the doors in this palace were so big, Darkstalker didn’t even have to duck as he went through.
They all trailed after Darkstalker through the long black marble halls of the palace, many of which opened onto courtyards or balconies or grand halls far below them. Turtle had always thought the Deep Palace of the SeaWings was the most luxurious, imposing castle in all of Pyrrhia, but he guessed that at least five of them would fit inside this place.
Anemone might have been thinking the same thing, because she said jealously, “You know, our palace has a lot more artwork. And treasure. Lots of jewels everywhere.”
Darkstalker paused and ran one claw through the dust on one of the walls. “There used to be artwork and treasure here, too,” he said thoughtfully. “I’m surprised the queen was able to take so much of it with her.” He paused. “Unless she didn’t.” His eyebrows drew down menacingly. “Unless another tribe came in here later and looted the palace.”
He whirled toward Moon. “Which tribe would you say is the wealthiest?”
“The wealthiest?” Moon said. “I don’t know — I mean, how would anyone know that?”
“Which tribe has the most treasure?” he asked edgily. “What would you guess? I don’t need exact numbers. In all those scrolls of yours, which queens buy the most extravagant things? Which castles are the most full of jewels?” He shot Anemone a suspicious look.
“Um … all of them, except the RainWings,” Moon said awkwardly, “but maybe the SkyWings have a lot, because of Scarlet — and the SandWing treasury was supposed to be one of the greatest in the world, before the war and the whole lie about the scavengers stealing all of it.”
“SandWings,” Darkstalker hissed. “They barely had any treasure in my time. It must have been them.” He rapped the wall with one claw and turned away again. “All right, Anemone, come along.”
“Princess Anemone,” she said, tossing her head.
Darkstalker sped up, whisked around a corner, and threw open a huge set of black doors.
“Here you go,” he said with a strange gleam in his eyes. “The perfect suite for you. Decorated with a SeaWing in mind, two thousand years ago. In fact, your own ancestor stayed in these very rooms.”
“Fathom?” Turtle blurted.
Anemone looked curiously from him to Darkstalker, expecting an answer. Kinkajou jumped in quickly. “Was that Fathom?” she asked.
“Yes,” Darkstalker said. He glanced at Moon and steeled his face, as though hiding his true feelings from her. He stepped through into the main bedroom, his black eyes studying every inch of the space. “This is where our queen put him when she brought him over from the Kingdom of the Sea. To ‘educate’ me about the perils of animus magic.”
“Oh.” Anemone stepped around him and sneezed. “Huh. This is it? It’s not what I pictured.” She peered into a dry, cracked pool in the floor. Her tail bumped one of the tattered, moth-eaten cushions, sending up a halo of dust, and she sneezed again.
“So use your magic to clean it up,” Darkstalker said impatiently. “Or better yet, learn how to use a mop and your own claws.”
“Where does Moon get to stay?” Anemone demanded.
“Wherever she likes,” Darkstalker answered. “If she decides to stay, that is.” He turned to Moon with a smile. “Let’s go see how the gardens have turned out!”
He bounded out the door again, but Moon lingered for a moment after he left. “I think the room’s really nice, Anemone,” she said. “It has a balcony and everything.”
“You would think it’s nice,” said Anemone. “You grew up in a gross muddy fern gully in a rainforest. I am a princess. I have always lived in a palace and I’ve never had to clean my own room! The idea!”
“I’ve never had to clean my room either!” Kinkajou volunteered. “I mean, I don’t have a room. But I have a hammock! Sometimes I shake it really hard to get all the leaves and bugs out. Does that count?”
“Moon!” Darkstalker called.
Anemone stamped her foot. “Why doesn’t he want to show me the gardens?” She scowled at Moon. “The minute you show up, suddenly you’re the only dragon he wants to talk to. I don’t see what’s so special about you.”
“Nothing at all,” Moon said. “I’m just the first dragon he met when he woke up. I’d better go.” She took a step backward.
“No!” Anemone barked. “If you’re so wonderful and amazing, why don’t you clean my room!” She grabbed a talonful of loose pebbles from the floor. “Turn into a bucket of water and a mop,” she ordered, and instantly a long mop and a pail of water appeared in her claws.
She held up the mop and pointed at Moon. “Now go hit that dragon really hard until she starts using you to clean this place — and don’t let her stop until I say it’s done.”
“What?!” Kinkajou yelped.
“Anemone!” Turtle cried.
The mop sailed across the room and rapped Moon sharply on the snout as she tried to back away.
“Ow!” Moon cried, fending it off. “Stop!” The mop evaded her talons and whapped her again. Tears of pain sprang into Moon’s eyes and she grabbed the handle, wrestling it down to the floor. “What are you doing?” she shouted at Anemone. “I’m not going to let you hurt me!”
“Neither am I!” Kinkajou yelled. She dashed over and threw herself on the mop, helping Moon pin it to the ground.
“Anemone,” Turtle said helplessly. “Stop this.”
But his sister was busy scooping up another talonful of pebbles. “Turn into opals and sapphires,” she ordered them. “And go distract Darkstalker so he doesn’t come looking for her.” She opened her claws and a glittering constellation of blue and iridescent gems shot out the door, tumbling over one another in the air.
“There,” Anemone said, satisfied. “Now he won’t come rescue you. And hey
, he did say I should use my magic to clean up. Just stop fighting and do it!” She made a sweeping gesture with one talon and the mop’s long handle shot upright, cracking Kinkajou in the jaw.
“Yowch!” Kinkajou roared.
Turtle jumped forward, but he didn’t know what to do. Should he cast a spell? Would it be hidden by Anemone’s other magic in here? What could he do? Enchant the mop — or enchant Anemone? But then she’d know he was an animus. This seemed like perhaps not the best time to reveal that.
Still, he had to do something to help Kinkajou and Moon. What would the hapless sidekick do in this situation?
A heartfelt speech! There was always a right thing to say, wasn’t there? Even the sidekick sometimes got a decent useful speech. He could talk her down. She was his sister, after all.
“Anemone, think about what you’re doing,” he started, his voice cracking.
“Blah blah blah,” Anemone said, flapping her claws at him. “Quit your jellyfishing, Turtle. I’ll let your girlfriend and her annoying friend go in a minute. I just don’t get what Darkstalker sees in Moon, do you? She’s nobody special. Not like me.” A slow smile spread across her face. “Maybe I just need to make him realize that.”
Anemone swept over to the dry fountain and fished something out of it — some kind of small device that looked like a telescope and an hourglass stuck together. “What in the moons is this?” Anemone turned it over in her claws for a moment, shrugged, and tossed it aside. She plucked a piece of broken tile out of the pool.
“Turn into an earring,” she commanded the tile. “Something really sparkly and cool that Darkstalker would like.” A twisty silver snake with ruby eyes appeared in her talon. “Perfect. Now — earring, as soon as Darkstalker puts you on, I want you to make him stop caring about Moon at all. She’ll be just another random dragon bothering him. And I’ll be the only dragon he finds interesting.”
“You can’t do that to him!” Turtle said. “Can you?” Would a spell like that even work on Darkstalker?
If it did, maybe it would be a good thing — maybe it would help Turtle get Moon away from Darkstalker’s influence. Maybe it would keep her safer from him than she would otherwise be.
I should enchant that earring, too! he realized suddenly. But with what spell? What’s the right spell to put on Darkstalker if I had the chance? Another sleeping spell? Or something to make other dragons see him the way he really was? A spell to make him reveal all his secret plans?
Or … a spell that could kill him?
Could I really do that? Is that what he deserves? His brain offered up a flash of lonely Darkstalker in the school gardens last night, missing his lost love.
And then another flash of blood staining his own claws.
Am I a dragon who could kill someone — anyone? Even him?
If I did, would that tip my soul into darkness? Is that the choice I make that leads to me attacking my sister on a beach?
“You — you jackdaw!” Kinkajou yelled at Anemone, coiling her tail around the mop and leaning on it with all her weight. “You overripe melon!” Next to her, Moon was struggling silently. “You’re being absolutely horrible!” Kinkajou yelled. “Oh! Turtle, is this her losing her soul? Is she turning evil?”
Is it? Turtle thought with horror. He’d stopped worrying about that after she put on the silver necklace. But if it didn’t work … or if the spell on it wasn’t quite what she thought it was …
“Ha!” Anemone cried. “I’m not evil! My soul is protected, remember? I’ve seen evil — this isn’t evil at all. This is just a princess dealing with one of her pesky problems.” She held up the earring and dangled it in Moon’s direction. “What else should I do with my magic, do you think? Ooooo, I could make him give me the queen’s rooms. Or I could make him build me my own palace, right next to this one!” She breathed out a contented sigh and touched her necklace. “Life is so much easier now that I can do anything I want.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Moon said, looking over Anemone’s shoulder.
“Anemone.” Darkstalker’s menacing voice rumbled like an earthquake rising through Turtle’s claws. “Explain yourself.” The enormous NightWing stepped through the door and made a gesture toward Moon. The mop clattered to the ground, harmless once more. Kinkajou put one wing around Moon.
Anemone swung around to Darkstalker with a sweet, practiced smile on her face. “There you are! Oh, this is nothing, don’t worry. I was trying to clean up and the mop went a bit haywire and these two decided to tackle it. So weird! But look, I found this really cool earring in one of the side tables. Isn’t it perfect for you?”
“Liar!” Kinkajou yelled, but Darkstalker ignored her.
He stepped forward to loom over Anemone and she backed into a wall, babbling. “I mean, the king of the NightWings should really wear the best jewelry, don’t you think?”
“I don’t accept gifts from animus dragons,” he growled. “Especially from deceitful, conniving SeaWings. What kind of an idiot do you think I am, that I would fall for a trick like that?”
“It’s not a trick,” Anemone protested. “It’s just a pretty earring. Squid guts, you don’t have to be so paranoid.” She laughed nervously.
“Spare me your lies,” Darkstalker spat. “I heard everything.” He uncurled his talon, scattering the dust of gemstones at her feet. “You thought these baubles would distract me so you could hurt Moon.” He snatched the earring out of her claws. “You planned to manipulate my emotions. To cast a spell on me.”
“J-just a little one,” Anemone stammered. “I just want you to be my mentor and only pay attention to me, that’s all.”
“Don’t be angry at her, Darkstalker,” Moon said, her sides heaving as she caught her breath. “She’s young. It was just a mistake. And I’m fine.”
“I will not have dragons stolen from me,” Darkstalker snarled. “Not ever again.” He reached one talon toward Moon and Kinkajou and made an odd circling motion with his claws. Instantly Moon stopped moving as though she’d been frozen, staring forward blankly with unblinking eyes.
Kinkajou let out a small gasp and reached toward her friend.
Oh no, Turtle thought frantically. That spell is supposed to be on Kinkajou, too! Darkstalker’s going to notice that his magic doesn’t work on her!
Darkstalker frowned at Kinkajou, then down at his talon. Turtle hissed, catching Kinkajou’s attention, and pretended to freeze in place.
Light dawned in her eyes. When Darkstalker reached toward her again, she immediately froze where she was, mimicking Moon’s blank stare.
Good, Turtle thought, although his heart was still pounding. Now hold that. Don’t give yourself away.
Luckily, Darkstalker turned his back on Kinkajou almost immediately, focusing his attention on Anemone. “It’s time for you to go, Princess,” he growled.
“What do you mean, go?” Anemone cried. “Go where?”
She glanced anxiously at Moon and Kinkajou. “What did you do to them?”
“They don’t need to hear this part,” Darkstalker said softly. “It’s time for you to go back to the Kingdom of the Sea.”
What is he doing? Turtle thought in a panic. Is he putting a spell on my sister?
“But I don’t want to!” Anemone stamped her foot. “I hate it there! I want to stay with you and learn about being an animus!”
“You know all you need to know,” Darkstalker said. His voice seemed to be getting colder and darker, like water from the deepest ocean depths curling slowly into Turtle’s ears. “You know what Albatross did. You know how easily you could be queen. You know that nobody can stand in your way if you decide to go take the SeaWing throne right now.”
“Is … is that what you want me to do?” Anemone asked.
“I don’t care what you do,” said Darkstalker. “I was beginning to think you could be a worthy student. That perhaps I should keep you around, after all. I thought you might be someone who could work alongside me.” He glanced a
t Moon, then fixed his cold black eyes on Anemone. “But I was an idiot to let any affection for you creep in. You are truly Fathom’s descendant. You’re just as bad as he is. And I don’t want you anywhere near me.”
“I can’t help being Fathom’s descendant!” Anemone cried. “I’m sorry, all right? I won’t try to cast any more spells on you, I promise!”
“It wouldn’t have worked anyway,” Darkstalker said, flicking the earring at her. It bounced off her forehead and skidded across the floor. “None of your spells will ever work on me. I’ve protected myself from your magic. Now get out. Go kill your mother, if you want. Feel free to kill any other dragons who stand in your way.”
He made the circling motion with his claws again. Moon took a breath in, glancing around as though mildly puzzled, and Kinkajou imitated her a moment later.
“You won’t be able to hurt Moon anymore,” Darkstalker said, sweeping one wing toward the doorway. “So don’t even try.”
“This isn’t fair!” Anemone yelled. “It’s not fair!” She bolted toward the balcony instead, then turned back, framed by the gray light outside. “I’ll show you how special and important I am! You’ll see!” She flung herself into the air.
Anemone. Turtle’s chest ached, as though all his guilt had become boulders piled on his heart. This is my fault. This is my fault.
“I can’t believe she did that!” Kinkajou said. “Moon, are you all right?”
“Did she cast any spells on you?” Darkstalker asked gently.
“Not on me, no,” Moon said in a shaky voice. “I don’t think so. Just on the mop and the earring. Three moons. I didn’t realize how upset she was with me. Did you see that in her mind?” she asked Darkstalker.
“A little, but I didn’t think it would escalate so quickly either,” he said.
“Are you having a vision?” Moon touched her temples. “I have a vision headache, but nothing clear is coming through.”
“Or maybe you have a headache because you just got whacked in the head with a mop handle,” Kinkajou suggested sensibly.
“No, it’s — I think it’s some danger in the Kingdom of the Sea,” Moon said. Her worried eyes met Turtle’s.
Talons of Power Page 18
