by E. G. Foley
“Ah, he’s already back to his old self.”
“Because he truly cares for you,” Isabelle said wistfully.
Nixie had snorted. “No, it’s just this mystery about the orb has fascinated him more than she does, that’s all. Now, please, don’t go down that horrific girly gossip path again or I’ll turn you both into newts. Honestly, it makes me wonder what you say about me when I’m not in the room.”
“Nixie!” Dani had protested, though she’d marveled that now Nixie was even starting to sound like Archie, who was too gentlemanly to gossip.
“Oh come, we don’t talk about you,” Isabelle chided.
“Not anymore,” Nixie drawled. “You used to, I bet.”
Isabelle and Dani had exchanged a wry glance, unable to deny it.
This morning, however, they were united in their determination to scramble into their gowns for the day and join the boys on this jaunt to Malta to see the archeologist.
Neither girl dared leave Sapphira to go alone with the boys.
# # #
Jake consulted with Archie on exactly what he was to say before climbing the stairs to knock twice on the door to Aunt Ramona’s private suite.
“One moment!” the baroness called.
Jake waited restlessly, then stepped in when she summoned him a few seconds later.
Upon opening the door, he found the Elder witch at her writing table in the small, sunny sitting room attached to her bedchamber.
It was Her Ladyship’s habit first thing in the morning to go over her plans for the day and handle any correspondence. Her Inkbug, a caterpillarlike creature with long antennae, lounged atop the little wooden box on her desk that served as its home.
Jake eyed the magical insect hopefully as he approached.
Everyone had been waiting anxiously for the moment when the Inkbug’s delicate antennae would start twitching with an incoming message. But across from the inkpad where it would daub its many feet, the little notebook where it would run back and forth across the page, transmitting any incoming messages from the Order, remained blank.
Nothing yet. Jake frowned with a twinge of disappointment, trying to be patient. Wherever Tex and Derek’s mission had led them, seeking out the current location of the moveable Black Fortress of the Dark Druids—and Henry, too, rambling through the forests of the vampire prince, Janos—Jake just hoped they all were still safe.
He had to believe that. He did not know how he would go on, otherwise.
Aunt Ramona set her pen aside and peered at him from over her small spectacles. “Jacob. My, it’s early to be seeing you. What can I do for you this morning?”
“Ahem, yes, good morning, Aunt. Er, Archie was wondering if it’d be all right for us to go on a field trip today to Malta. The morning ferry from Catania could have us there by noon. We’d take a tour of some ancient sites—for educational purposes, of course…”
“Of course,” she echoed in amusement.
“Maybe tour a couple of ancient temples,” he continued, “and then return on the evening packet. It leaves Malta at five, and takes about three and a half hours, so we’d be steaming into the harbor at eight thirty, and then home again to the villa by nine thirty.”
“It’ll be getting dark by that hour,” she said.
“Only just starting to, ma’am. The sun sets late this time of year.”
“True.”
“You could pick us up in your carriage tonight at the port of Catania if it makes you feel better,” he suggested. “Honestly, though, I’m sure we’ll be safe. It’s been quiet around here. No sign of the Dark Druids.”
“And you’re all getting hideously bored,” she said, arching a brow.
“Yes, ma’am. Truth is, we’ve been here for ages. Italy’s fantastic, and the villa’s top notch. We all love the beach. But in all honesty, we’re all getting a bit sick of sitting around looking at each other all the time.”
“Is that so?” she asked. “What do you mean to see in Malta, exactly?”
Jake shrugged. “Archie wants to show us some ancient temples there. It’ll be fun, I think. Malta was once a stronghold of the Crusader knights, right? Plus, there are supposed to be some other really ancient sites that are so old that Archie says history doesn’t even know who built them. If there’s time, we might hire a fishing boat or something to take us around to see a few of the littler islands, too. All of us would like to go, with your permission,” he added, then held his breath.
“Will that local girl you met here be going with you?”
“Yes, ma’am. She knows her way around. She’s been there before,” he added, determined to be helpful, and ridiculously thrilled to talk about Sapphira. “I hear her father practically owns the place.”
Which was not technically a lie. It was just that King Nereus owned the watery regions around the Ionian rather than the dry bits.
“Well, I suppose if you all promise to stay together and it’s just for the day… Nixie will go with you? Have her bring her wand. Just in case. And Maddox, of course. Tell him to be on his guard.”
“He always is, ma’am,” Jake said, nodding eagerly. “Plus, Isabelle can sense any trouble headed our way, and I’ve always got my telekinesis.” He wriggled his fingers with a grin.
“Still…” Aunt Ramona frowned in thought. “Perhaps I should send Helena with you.”
“That’s not necessary! Please. I mean—she’s very worried, waiting for any news of Derek or Henry. I’d hate for her to miss it if it finally comes today.” He nodded toward the Inkbug. “Nothing yet?”
A flicker of something passed behind her piercing gray eyes and was gone before he could wonder what it meant.
“No,” the Elder witch replied, then looked away. “Very well, you may go. I suppose young people need a little independence now and then. But let the others know that if you miss the ferry home, you are all going to be in the suds, understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jake hid his surprise that the formidable old dragon lady had agreed so easily. Having expected much more of a fight, he instantly felt guilty for his lies. After all she’s done for you…
He lowered his head. “Thank you, ma’am. We’ll see you this evening, then.”
“Enjoy. But Jake—see that you stay out of trouble.”
“Who, me?” he drawled, sauntering to the door.
The Elder witch sent him a guarded smile, then Jake bowed to her politely and withdrew.
# # #
The moment the door had closed, old Ramona, the Dowager Baroness Bradford, slowly exhaled.
Hearing her nephew racing off down the stairs, she glanced toward the wall behind the door. “You can come out now.”
Cautiously, Constanzio, King of the Tenors, floated out of the wall, where Ramona had bade him hide when they’d heard Jake knock.
Her ability to converse with the dead was not natural, like her nephew’s was, but required a little magic. The ghost, likewise, had to exert himself more to be able to talk to her.
But he had come with a very dire message.
As Constanzio emerged from the plaster, Ramona could see the worry written all over his plump, transparent face—and no wonder. The opera ghost had grown quite fond of the boy, and they both shuddered to think how Jake would be affected by this news.
Constanzio glanced worriedly at the door through which her nephew had just dashed. “My lady, do you wish me to go and tell the boy myself what’s happened?”
Ramona shook her head with a pained sigh. “No. Not yet. Let them be happy a while longer. He’ll be crushed by this news. They all will. I don’t even mean to tell poor Helena until we have specifics. Right now there’s nothing anyone can do but wait. Let us spare them until we have confirmation one way or the other.”
The portly ghost bowed. “I understand. Then I shall return to Merlin Hall.”
“It was generous of you to come in person.”
“Of course, my lady. Such tidings would have been too cruel to be told throu
gh a mere Inkbug.”
“The moment you know more—”
“I will return,” Constanzio promised. “Summon me if you need me in the meanwhile. After all…any excuse to return to my beloved Italy.”
She managed a smile. “Arrivederci, signore.”
“Addio, baronesa.” With that, Constanzio disappeared from the room with a whoosh and floated up into the morning sky.
Far below, he could see the children piling into the back of a wagon large enough to carry them all. They were all laughing and talking at once, and eating whatever tasty items they had grabbed for breakfast on their way out the door.
Constanzio watched them for a moment with a pensive smile. In life and in death, he had always had a heart as big as his famous voice. He wasn’t sure about Her Ladyship’s decision to keep the awful news a secret from them for now, but the children were her responsibility.
It was her right to decide how much to tell them, and when. For now, it was good to see them having fun. Constanzio shook his head sadly to himself.
He feared the next snippet of intelligence the Elders’ spies might bring back could be even worse than what the traumatized djinni had reported upon returning alone from her mission.
Anxious to find out if any more information had arrived in his absence, the late, great King of the Tenors sped off through the clouds, heading back toward England, and the Order’s hidden headquarters behind the magic hills surrounding Merlin Hall.
CHAPTER 16
The Antiquarian
Dani made a firm decision to ignore her jealous impulses, seeing Jake hover around Sapphira and hang on her every word.
Maddox wasn’t much better, but it was a new day, full of the promise of adventure, and she did not intend to let bad feelings ruin it.
Besides, though she felt a little tense toward the elder mermaid, the younger one was very cute, and Dani enjoyed being helpful to her, after all she’d been through.
After a good night’s sleep, Liliana was as excited about exploring on land as Dani had been about venturing into the underwater realm yesterday. All the way to the port town of Catania, riding in the wagon, Lil and she exchanged information, comparing what life was like between their two worlds.
When they reached the busy docks from which the ferry would leave, however, loud with the screeches of seagulls and the clanging of ships’ bells, Lil became frightened and clung to her big sister, whimpering at the sight of all the fishing boats in the harbor.
“Don’t worry, they can’t hurt us here,” Sapphira said.
“They’re going to catch us!”
“No, no. They don’t know what we really are.”
“But if they did—!” said Lil.
“Don’t worry, we’ll protect you,” Maddox assured her, giving Lil a pat on the shoulder. “Nobody messes with my friends.” He made a fierce face and raised a fist at the fishing boats, and Lil giggled.
He was good like that, Dani mused as the older boy fell into step beside the little mermaid, quick to steady her when she stumbled on the uneven cobblestones on her new feet.
Dani caught the grateful smile that Sapphira bestowed on Maddox for his kindness to her sister. Isabelle must’ve noticed it, too, for she dropped her gaze and paled.
Ahead, Archie bounded toward the ticket stand. “Hurry! We’re going to miss the boat!”
While Isabelle reminded their driver to be there at eight thirty that night to pick them up, Archie rushed to the ticket window and bought passage for them all aboard the morning steamer.
Jake waited nearby, glancing around suspiciously at the passersby. He was on his guard, considering he was carrying the Atlantean orb in the sturdy leather knapsack slung over his shoulder.
The orb was safely tucked away in there, along with a few books Archie had brought along—including the one about Atlantis written by the gentleman they were going to see.
As soon as Archie passed out their tickets, they raced up the gangplank onto the steamship. It was not so different from the luxurious ocean liner they had taken on their holiday to Norway. Impressive as the sleek vessel was, though, the mermaids balked at the base of the gangplank.
“What’s the matter?” Jake asked them.
“I-I’ve never been on a boat before,” Sapphira admitted nervously. “Our people are more or less…philosophically against them. And what if my sister and I get splashed by the sea spray? We could be exposed in front of all the passengers.”
“Then we’ll sit inside the cabin,” he said, as though not to be outdone by Maddox’s gallantry.
Ugh, thought Dani.
Sapphira bit her lip, gave him a reluctant nod, then nervously ascended the angled gangplank, holding her sister’s hand. Jake escorted the two mermaid princesses-in-disguise up to the top, where they all handed their tickets over to the uniformed fellow stationed there, and went to find seats inside the cabin.
They slid into a pair of benches facing each other, with a single porthole between them offering a view of the sea. The padded benches were surprisingly comfortable, and once the ship got underway, it wasn’t long before Archie’s all-night studies caught up with him and the espressos wore off.
His brainy head flopped onto his sister’s shoulder, and the next thing they knew, he was snoring softly, lulled by the slight motion of the ship and the drone of the engines.
A little over three hours later, they stepped off the ferry at the ancient harbor of Malta.
The sunbaked port town was busy as they arrived, a labyrinth of narrow cobbled lanes, whitewashed buildings, and occasional palm trees.
Dani held fast to Liliana’s hand. Archie was still groggy from his long nap; Nixie was shielding her milk-white complexion from the sun with a black lace parasol; Isabelle had barely said a word. Sapphira was looking more relaxed again now that they were off the boat, staring at all the people of the dry world, both locals and tourists.
Jake still carried the knapsack with the orb and the books in it, looking ready to fight anyone who came too close.
“Now all we have to do is find Dr. Giannopoulos’s antiques gallery.” Maddox handed Archie a map, and they managed to find the antiquities shop of Dr. Dmitri Giannopoulos within half an hour.
In fact, it was just past noon when they spotted the dapper little man in a white suit just stepping out of his establishment beneath a hanging wooden sign that read Antiques.
Taking a key from his pocket, he locked the door behind him as the kids came rushing down the quaint side street.
They yelped to realize he was leaving.
He looked over in surprise at the clamor, then Jake hollered, “Excuse me! Sir!”
“Wait, don’t go!” Dani yelled at the same time.
“Dr. Giannopoulos? Pardon, sir!” Archie called first in English then Greek. “Could we please have a moment of your time?”
“Please wait, we’ve come a long way to see you!” Isabelle exclaimed, pounding after her brother. “We just got off the ferry!”
The fellow looked perplexed as he turned to them, a man short of stature, with an olive-toned complexion, a bushy moustache, and wiry black hair. “I am sorry, children. You will have to come back tomorrow. I was just closing up for the afternoon.”
“But sir, it’s about your book!” Archie said. “I was up all night reading it! There’s something we really must discuss with you. Please, this won’t take long!”
Jake quickly reached into the knapsack and pulled out the copy of The Lost Secrets of Atlantis, which Archie had brought back from the library last night; he held it up to show the author they were in earnest.
This definitely piqued his interest. “I see.”
“It’s really important,” Dani informed him somberly.
“We found something we’d like you to take a look at,” Archie said, nodding.
“This really isn’t a good time, children. I have research—”
“Excuse me, I think you’ll want to talk to them,” Sapphira ordered in her queenly wa
y, giving him a stare—with perhaps a touch of sea magic in it.
The startled Greek professor held her gaze for a moment, then shrugged and relented. “Very well. I can always spare a few minutes for my readers.” He unlocked the door again and led them into his shop.
Inside were rows and rows of shelves piled with vases, white marble figurines and statues, stone busts, colorful tiled mosaics, tapestries, and other old-looking objects of all kinds.
Dr. Giannopoulos tossed his keys onto the polished mahogany counter and turned to them, barely able to mask his impatience. “How can I help you children?”
Archie nodded at his cousin. “Show him, Jake.”
Dani saw Jake hesitate. “You’re sure he can be trusted, Arch?”
“Don’t see we have much choice. He’s probably the only person on the whole Continent who can help us.”
Jake nodded, then reached into the knapsack and gave the professor a glimpse of the orb without taking it out. “Ever seen one of these before?”
The author gasped; utter amazement flashed across his face. “No! Wh-where did you… What is that?”
“We were hoping you could tell us,” Archie countered.
“May I see it? I need to have a proper look.”
Maddox frowned but Archie nodded his permission; Jake shrugged, then handed it to Dr. Giannopoulos.
“Incredible,” the man breathed, turning it this way and that. “And where exactly did you get this?”
“My friend here, the young lady, was, er, sea-bathing off the coast the other day.” Archie nodded at Sapphira. “She noticed something silver lying on the seabed and swam down to find out what it was. She pulled this out of the sand. I’m something of a history buff,” he admitted, obliquely, “and when she showed it to me, I thought this did not look at all like it came from Classical Antiquity. I have no idea what metal it’s made of, and these markings all around the sides…most unusual. Well, we couldn’t help wondering, what with Plato’s account putting a certain lost civilization in this region thousands of years ago…?”
Archie’s words trailed off to a meaningful silence, then he waited for the professor’s response, giving the man a penetrating stare.
