by Lee Bacon
Prince Fred nods once seriously. “I will do as you ask. I promise.”
Hope stirs inside me. I watch as the old woman holds out the vial. Fred reaches for it. But before he can take the vial, a sudden change comes over the room. Inside the fireplace, flames erupt into a bright blaze. I stagger back, shielding my face. The entire workshop seems to glow with an eerie light.
Shadows leap out from behind table legs and stacks of books. They stretch from corners and pool across the floor. Even though I’m standing so close to a roaring fire, a chill grips my body.
The shadows are coming together. Forming a human shape. The dark figure rises against the stone wall. Staring at the dark form, terror howls in my mind.
The Sorceress has found us.
“Did you really think you could escape from me so easily?”
The Sorceress’s voice echoes through my mind. Her dark silhouette stands flat against the stone wall. Although she has no eyes, I can feel her watching me. Although she has no mouth, I can sense her triumphant smile.
Beside me, Mr. Estrada turns to Kara. “You know this…thing?”
Kara nods gravely. “We’ve met once or twice.”
“How…?” I stare up at the shadow woman. “How did you find us?”
“I knew you would seek the cure for Malinwrought,” the Sorceress replies. “Your final desperate attempt at saving the king and queen. And of course, if the antidote exists anywhere in the kingdom, it will be here, in the workshop of Heldstone’s most talented healer. I sent soldiers to destroy the cure, but it appears you managed to hide it from them, didn’t you, Desmelde?”
The healer’s white eyes narrow. “You have no right to be here, Sorceress.”
“Nobody knows me by that name anymore,” replies the dark figure on the wall. “You may call me the Shadow Queen.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Desmelde spits back. “And you will never be the true queen of Heldstone.”
The fireplace ignites with a furious blaze. The shadow grows, rising higher and higher, stretching across the entire wall and onto the ceiling. It’s as if she’s a dark giant, looming over us.
“You dare question my right to the throne? I am the most powerful wizardess who has ever lived! I have worked, studied, trained. I have sacrificed. I have done so much more than this spoiled little prince. And yet—for a thousand years, his family has claimed the crown as their birthright. No longer! I am undoing the injustice of their monarchy. I am taking what is rightfully mine.”
I clench my hands over my ears, but it does nothing against the voice bellowing in my head.
The huge shadow seethes in front of us, above us, all around us. “There is nothing you can do to stop the inevitable. The king and queen will soon be dead. Grand Duke Sturmenburg and I will take their place. Together we will rule Heldstone!”
“No!” Despite the fear inside me, my tone comes out defiant, angry. “We’re going to stop you!”
Behind the darkness of the Sorceress’s face, I can sense her lips curling into a mocking grin. “Big words from such a little boy.”
“At least he’s real!” Kara shouts. “At least he’s not some weird shadow freak!”
For a moment, the dark figure ripples with anger. Then the storm passes. The Sorceress strikes a confident pose. “You’re already too late and you don’t even know it.”
I take a defensive stance, awaiting her attack.
“Oh, you needn’t worry about me,” the Sorceress says. “I have no intentions of harming you. I’m too far away for that. I merely came to chat. And to distract you.”
“Distract us from what?”
The Sorceress turns her dark gaze to the healer. “Perhaps you should tell them, Desmelde. You’re the one who hears everything. What do you hear now?”
What in the seven moons is the Sorceress talking about? I whirl to face the healer, and my confusion instantly turns to dread. The healer’s blank eyes widen with fear.
“I hear hooves,” she whispers. “Men on horseback.”
“Soldiers on horseback,” the Sorceress corrects her. “My soldiers. I just needed to keep you occupied long enough for them to reach you. And now they have.”
The shadow hangs over us for another moment like a conquering general. Then the eerie illumination flickers away. The roaring fireplace returns to normal. The Sorceress vanishes.
And in the sudden silence, I hear exactly what Desmelde described.
Hooves.
The soldiers are getting closer.
“There isn’t much time.” Desmelde presses the vial into Prince Fred’s hands. The Malinwrought cure. “You must keep this safe. No matter what else happens.”
“I will.” He carefully slides the vial into his cloak.
“And you.” Desmelde turns her milky gaze in my direction. In her hands is another vial. This one contains a putrid greenish liquid. “Take this with you. In the future, you may need it.”
My eyes land on the label. Very Vomitous Expunging Elixir. Fast-Acting, Long-Lasting.
The soldiers are nearly here. Our lives are in danger. The fate of the entire kingdom hangs in the balance. And she just handed me…
Puking potion?
But there’s no time to ask any follow-up questions. We’re already on the move. Down the hallway, into the shop. When we reach the door, we’re met by Groo and Xyler. The two of them look frantic and out of breath.
“We ran here as quickly as we could,” the troll pants.
“Had to warn you,” wheezes the cat.
“Soldiers nearly here.”
“Lots of them.”
Groo points a massive green finger. By now, the sun has completely vanished behind the hills. But even in the darkness, I have no trouble spotting them. A dozen soldiers on horseback thundering in our direction. The light of seven moons gleams against their silver armor, reflecting off their swords and battle-axes.
Backing away from this sight, I nearly stumble into one of the grimleks we encountered on our way in. Fortunately, they’re too busy snarling at the approaching soldiers to pay any attention to me.
But still. I’d rather keep my distance.
My dad turns to the healer. “Do you have any weapons?”
“Weapons will not help you now,” she replies. “You must leave.”
“But the soldiers—”
“Soldiers are the least of our concerns.” Desmelde’s features sharpen. “The Royal Palace is a nest of treason, and you are the only ones who can stop it. Defeat the grand duke. Destroy the Sorceress. Save the king and queen. That is what you must do.”
“Come with us,” Prince Fred says.
The healer shakes her head. “I’ve lived my entire life in this valley. I won’t let a few soldiers force me to leave.”
My ears fill with the rumble of the approaching horses. “We can’t just abandon you.”
“By staying here, you would abandon all of Heldstone.” The healer’s eyes are blank, but her tone is clear. She’s not backing down. “You must go now. Before it’s too late. Take the grimleks. They’ll help you reach the palace.”
“Grimleks?” Fred casts a fearful glance at the duo of monstrous creatures. Their sharp claws scrape at the ground. Their lion faces snarl. “Uh…thanks, but no thanks.”
“I’m thinking we stand a better chance of fighting the soldiers than taking a ride on those things,” I say.
Ignoring our warnings, Desmelde strides toward the grimleks. Terror leaps inside me, but the monsters don’t attack. Instead, they greet her like tame pets. She holds out a thin, wrinkled hand. A whisper leaves her lips. Strange syllables that are lost among the roar of the soldiers.
She stops speaking. She withdraws her hand. And when my gaze falls on the grimleks again, their faces have changed. The predatory gleam has vanished from their eyes. They’re no longer growling. In the same instant, both their heads dip low, as if sending out a clear signal.
Climb aboard.
My dad takes a nervous step to
ward one of the beasts. When it remains in its submissive posture, he moves closer. Turning to me, he holds out his hand. “It’s safe, hija. You can ride behind me.”
I start toward him, then freeze. There’s still a problem with our escape plan. Groo is way too big to ride the grimleks. The creatures would be crushed under the weight of a troll.
As if he can sense my thoughts, Groo hunches down to my level. “It’s okay, Kara. I’m better off staying here.”
“But—”
“There’s no time for argument,” Groo interrupts. “If you want to get back into the palace, you’ll need to be sneaky. And let’s face it. I’m not very good at being sneaky. I have other talents. Like strength.”
To prove his point, the troll heaves me off the ground like I weigh nothing at all. He sets me on the grimlek’s back. Next he hands my dad his toolbox.
“Wanna know what else I’m good at?” Groo asks.
“What?”
“Beating up puny little soldiers.”
He shows off a toothy grin, casting a glance toward the men on horses. Hooves pound the earth. They’re nearly here.
I give Groo’s massive shoulder a hug. “I hope we’ll see each other again.”
“Me too. Now hold tight to your dad. The flight may get bumpy.”
I follow Groo’s suggestion just in time. As I wrap my arms around Dad’s waist, the grimlek lurches into the air. Wings flap on either side of us. Next thing I know, we’re soaring upward. The other grimlek appears beside us. Fred grips the lion’s mane; Xyler huddles between his arms.
Looking down, fear twists inside me. One of the soldiers is aiming a bow and arrow up at us. He pulls the bowstring and is about to fire when a massive green fist smacks him in the chest. The soldier flips backward off his horse. By the time he hits the ground, the guy’s out cold.
Groo wasn’t kidding about his talent for kicking soldier butt. I just hope it’s enough. The troll may be big, but he’s also badly outnumbered. Six other soldiers have surrounded him, their swords raised. A few are preparing to take a swing when Desmelde reaches into her cloak and reveals a glass bottle. Removing the top, she tosses its contents at the soldiers’ feet. Liquid splashes into the soil. An instant later, the ground opens up. Vines rise from the dirt, climbing up the soldiers’ legs, snaking into their armor, yanking them backward.
Groo and Desmelde are still locked in battle when the grimleks veer around a hillside. I twist backward, hoping for one last glimpse of the troll and the healer, but the view’s completely blocked. Looking into the night sky, the seven moons hanging above us, I make a wish for their safety.
Then I grip my dad tighter. We still have a long way to go until we arrive at the palace.
For such a horrifying monster, the grimlek is surprisingly comfortable. I rest my head in its soft mane, listening to the steady flapping of feathered wings. Watching the landscape drift far beneath us, I feel suddenly overwhelmed by the monumental task that lies ahead of us. Our next steps are:
1) Sneak into the most heavily guarded building in Heldstone.
2) Find my parents without getting captured or killed.
3) Expose the grand duke as the treasonous weasel that he is.
4) Defeat the all-powerful shadow sorceress who’s taken over my home.
It’s going to be a very long night.
Whatever it is that Desmelde whispered to the grimleks, it must’ve included directions to the Royal Palace. Because after a few hours of flight, familiar tall turrets rise above the horizon. We’re nearly home, but we still have a long way to go.
We land in a grove near the palace walls. In front of me, Xyler yawns and climbs out of the grimlek’s mane. Close by, Kara hops to the ground. Her father hands down his box of tools.
“Wait here,” Xyler says. “I have some friends inside who may be able to help.”
And without any further explanation, he scurries into the darkness.
Ten minutes go by. Then twenty. Still no sign of Xyler.
Kara shoots me a nervous look. “You don’t think he’s been…” Her voice fades. In the silence, I hear the word she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Captured.
I shake my head. “Xyler knows that palace better than anyone in the kingdom. He’s skilled when it comes to avoiding attention.”
“Then where is he?” Kara asks.
“And who are these friends he mentioned?” adds Mr. Estrada.
I can only shrug. And as more time ticks away, my thoughts sink into a pool of worry and fear. Removing the glass vial from my cloak, I trace my thumb over its smooth surface. Clear liquid swirls inside. The cure. It won’t do any good if my parents die before I reach them. I’m about to suggest we find another way into the palace when a sound disturbs the silence. A rustling in the underbrush. An instant later, Xyler appears.
“Thank the stars!” I rush forward to pet the cat’s head. “Is everything all right?”
Rather than answering, Xyler motions toward the palace with his paw. “Follow me. We must hurry.”
And just like that, he vanishes into the brush again. We scramble to follow him. Emerging from the trees, I’m grateful for the cover of night. Guards stand at attention atop the walls. I just hope it’s too dark for any of them to see us.
Xyler leads us to the back of the palace. As we approach the wall, a head leans out the window. I flinch, certain we’ve been caught. Then I take a second glance at the figure above us.
It’s a dog.
“Ooh, goody!” The dog speaks in the voice of a teenage boy. A not-particularly-bright teenage boy. “Mr. Prince is back! And he brought buddies! Do any of you like to play fetch?”
“Not now, Robbie!” Xyler replies sternly. “Do you have the rope?”
The dog—Robbie—nods eagerly. “It’s a lot longer than my leash!”
“And did you tie it around the foot of the bed like I showed you?”
Robbie nods again. Slobber splashes against my shoulder.
“Excellent,” Xyler says. “Toss it down.”
Robbie disappears from the window, then returns a moment later with a rope in his mouth. When his jaws open, the rope tumbles down to us.
Mr. Estrada approaches the rope, then hesitates. “Are you sure we can trust this dog? What if there are guards waiting for us at the top?”
“Robbie may not be the smartest animal in the kingdom,” Xyler says quietly. “And like others of his kind, he lacks the charm and grace that we felines possess. But I can assure you, he’s trustworthy.”
This explanation is enough for Mr. Estrada. He hunches down and loops the end of the rope under the handle of his toolbox.
“What’re you doing?” I ask.
He ties the rope into a tight knot around the handle. “This way, we can heave the box up to the window once we’re all inside.”
I feel a tingle of annoyance. “My parents could die tonight. Do we really need to worry about your tools?”
“It’s not just tools,” he replies patiently. “I’ve been in captivity for three years. This box was my only possession. My only way to fill the time. I would tinker, I would build, I would invent. If we want to stop the Shadow Queen, we may need these items.”
I cast a skeptical glance at the rusted metal box. What can it possibly do against the Sorceress? But arguing this point would only slow us down, so I drop the subject. Once the box is securely tied, Mr. Estrada stands.
“I’ll go first. Xyler, you can come with me. Once we’re sure it’s safe, you two follow.” His eyes land on me. He brings a large hand to rest on my shoulder. “If anything happens to me inside, please make sure my daughter gets back to her home.”
I straighten my posture, holding his gaze. “I will do everything I can. That’s a promise.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Estrada lifts Xyler onto his shoulder, then takes hold of the rope and begins to climb. When they reach the window, the two of them hop inside.
A second later, Mr. Est
rada’s head pokes out from above the sill. “All clear. Come on up.”
Kara climbs to the window, and I follow her. Mr. Estrada tugs the rope, lifting the toolbox from below.
I glance at our surroundings. We appear to be inside one of the palace’s many guest chambers.
“The king and queen are two floors up,” Xyler states.
“Are they still alive?” I ask at once.
Xyler hesitates. As the silence stretches on, worry snakes inside me.
“Xyler…?” I begin.
The cat sighs. “I don’t know whether they’re alive or not. I wasn’t able to get into their room.”
“I see.” My gaze falls to the ground. “We have to get to that room. As soon as possible.”
“It won’t be easy,” Xyler warns. “Sturmenburg’s guards are positioned in every hall, every stairway. Not to mention the four stationed outside the king and queen’s chambers. For their protection, according to the grand duke.”
Kara lets out a sarcastic snort. “Yeah right.”
“With so much security, how are we going to move around the palace without getting caught?” asks Mr. Estrada.
“That’s where me and my buddies come in!” Robbie wags his tail excitedly. “We’re gonna create a promotion!”
“Commotion,” Xyler corrects. “You and a few other animals will create a commotion.”
“Will that be enough?” I ask.
“Only one way to find out.” Xyler turns to Robbie. “Are you ready?”
Robbie’s ears perk up. He nods several times.
“You sure you’re ready?”
Robbie jumps up and spins around in an eager circle. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“Excellent,” the cat says. “Then go get ’em!”
“Ooh, goodie! It’s promotion time!”
The dog races across the room as if someone just threw a bone. He paws the door open, bolts into the hall, then begins barking loudly. A few seconds later, we hear more barking from elsewhere in the palace. A harsh “Meeeooow!” comes from a floor below. Through the partly open door, I watch a flock of parakeets flap past.
It doesn’t take long before the animal noises are joined by human shouts and clomping footsteps. The sounds of guards rushing away from their posts to deal with the chaos.
