by Blair Drake
Pumba turned his head. “I can’t do anything for him, Your Highness. I can only do as the king asks.”
With that, he stepped into the cell and grabbed Dylan with his claws. Dylan didn’t dare step back this time. He didn’t want to risk getting scratched. Those claws looked fierce.
Pumba pushed him out of the cell, then closed it behind him. He shoved Dylan toward the door.
As the door opened, he heard Woli cry, “No!”
Then the door closed, and they were no longer underground. In fact, they stood in the foyer of a grand palace, and in front of him stood Portencia. He refused, from now on, to give them a title. They didn’t deserve this territory. It made him wonder about their other sister, and if she was as ruthless to the people of River Ruin.
Portencia reached out and took Dylan by the upper arm. “That’s all, Pumba. You know I don’t like cats in the palace.”
Pumba hissed and disappeared.
“What do you want with me?” Dylan spat.
“Respect, for one,” Portencia said.
“Respect is earned, and you and your brother haven’t earned crap.”
She yanked his arm so hard, he was sure she dislocated it from the socket. He reached up and rubbed it as she dragged him down the long hallway.
He concentrated so hard on not tripping he didn’t even look around to take in the elaborate decor. He’d never been in a palace, and he hoped to never be in one again.
As she dragged him along, he said, “What are you going to do about the darkness? It’s coming, you know. And it will take you and your brother with it.”
Portencia stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to look at him. “What darkness?”
“He didn’t tell you?” Dylan asked.
“Who didn’t tell me?” She looked genuinely perplexed.
“Riata. I told him about the darkness, and how it was encroaching on Gray Cliffs…”
She jerked his arm again and moved down the hall. “I couldn’t care less about Gray Cliffs. Why do you waste my time with such nonsense?”
Dylan tripped and went down. Portencia jerked him back to his feet. Pain like he’d never felt surged along his arm to his chest. He tried not to scream in pain or even wince.
“You should care. It’s coming for you, too. Riata saw it. He looked in the water in the basin, and he saw it. I saw it on his face. He knows there’s an evil coming—an evil larger than himself.”
Portencia stopped at an arched doorway and shoved Dylan into the room. “My brother isn’t evil. He’s just tired of being taken advantage of.”
“If I was you, I’d worry less about me. You need to go ask your brother about the darkness.”
Portencia pulled the door to the room shut and left without another word.
Dylan looked around, trying to get his bearings. Where was he?
He walked to the window and looked out. Maybe he could morph into a bird and fly back to where he started this journey. When he looked out the window, he realized he definitely needed to be a bird because he was at least twenty floors above the ground.
How was that possible? Pumba brought him into the grand entry, and Portencia only dragged him a few hundred yards. They hadn’t climbed a single set of stairs.
He turned back around and saw he was in a bedroom. To his left was a four-poster bed with a creamy velvet cover, and enough pillows he could lay them out on the floor and make a second bed. On either side of the bed were nightstands made of a dark wood that looked similar to walnut in his world.
He walked back to the door and tried to open it. Well crap, she locked him in. He was stuck here while Woli and Strix were stuck in the dungeon. How was he going to get back to them?
He stupidly rubbed his shoulder, making it hurt worse. What he wouldn’t give for an aspirin.
He was still mad at Strix for taking the grimoire, but he needed to save him, along with Woli. He couldn’t leave them behind. He was the reason they were here in the first place. His heart ached he’d gotten them in such a terrible position.
Dylan paced around the room, opening drawers, only to find them empty. Thank goodness there was a bathroom just off this bedroom. He really needed to go. He snooped through the bathroom. Nothing in the drawers and cabinets there, either—just soap and a hand towel. Even though there was a shower, there were no towels.
Speaking of showers, he lifted his arm to smell his pits...not too bad. At least no one fainted in front of him yet, but he needed to shower soon. He was a teenage boy, and he knew how bad some of the other kids smelled. He’d taken to showering twice most days. He knew it was bad if he could smell himself.
He wondered if time was passing in his world at the same rate it passed here because he didn’t feel like he was in this room very long, and he could see the sky getting dark without even looking out the window. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and even though it still had power, the time had not moved a single minute since his arrival in this realm.
Then he walked over to the window and realized, not only was the time passing fast, but there was an extra darkness to the skies. The darkness was coming, and he could stop it. He felt it to his core, even if he didn’t know exactly how. if only the king would work with him.
He pulled his school pin from his pocket because he felt it vibrate. The glow was stronger. He wondered if this was a warning. He was running out of time, and yet there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
He walked over to the bed and flopped down. It was the most comfortable bed he’d ever been on. He adjusted the pillow behind his head and stared toward the window, watching the shadows change then disappear. He’d forgotten about the queen’s mouse until it crawled out from his pocket and snuggled on top of one of the fluffy pillows.
The mouse was quick. He scurried on top of Dylan and was scratching at his neck right before the door to the bedroom opened.
When the door opened, Portencia walked in. This time, she wasn’t wearing her Victorian dress with the corset pulled tight enough to keep her from taking a deep breath. She actually wore men’s pajamas and a silk bathrobe.
“What time is it?” Dylan asked.
“Why do you care?” she said.
“Just curious. I’m trying to gauge the difference in the time passing from my world to this one.” Dylan sat up on the bed and felt the mouse fall down his shirt. He tried not to squirm.
“It’s almost eleven in the evening,” she said. “Almost time for me to go to bed.”
“Did you talk to your brother? Did you ask him about the darkness?”
“He says you’re delusional.” She sat on the side of the bed. “But I want to hear more.”
Dylan moved away from her, not wanting her to touch him. This was his chance. It was almost time for the wards to weaken. He thought he’d try something.
“I’ll tell you more, but you have to tell me who put up the wards against the magic.”
Portencia didn’t hesitate. “I did.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Why what?”
“Why did you put up the wards against magic?” Was the woman dense?
“Who told you I did such a thing?” She jumped up from the bed and headed to the door.
“No, don’t leave,” Dylan said.
She stopped and turned to look at him.
He smiled. The wards must be very weak if he could command the princess, or at least he thought that’s what was happening.
“Take the wards down.”
She looked at him with a question in her eyes but said nothing.
“Reverse your spell that put up the wards against magic,” he said with conviction.
Portencia lifted her hands, flicked each finger one at a time, then said something Dylan didn’t understand.
“You’ll never put the wards against magic up again, no matter who tells you to do it. Not even me, understand?”
She nodded, even though she didn’t seem to understand what she was agreeing to.
“Where is my grimoire?” he asked.
Back to her prissy self, she said, “I don’t know.”
“But you do know. Portly stole it from Strix and gave it to you.” Dylan was pretty sure this was how it went down.
“Strix lied to you, you idiot. Portly never gave me the grimoire. What made you think I have it?” She relaxed and leaned against the wall.
“Don’t you? I can feel the magic from it.”
“Liar. There’s no magic here.”
“Tell me why there were wards against magic in the palace,” Dylan hoped he wasn’t pushing his luck.
The princess came back to the bed and sat on the edge again. “It’s the queen. She’s not who my brother thought she was. She manipulative and vindictive, and she tried to out magic the most powerful mage in the land.”
So, at least some of what Gaanne said was true.
“When my brother met her, she was a lovely young woman from the lesser regions of Craydusk. She’s beautiful and sweet, and he fell head over heels. But once they were married, she revealed her magic. She’s powerful beyond imagination, and she intends to rule Craydusk with my brother in her shadow.”
Again, sounded a lot like what Gaanne said. Only Gaanne said nothing about overruling her husband.
“She seems like she’s a good queen,” Dylan said.
“But she’s not all good. She’s greedy, and she wanted everything. If she had her way, my brother and I would be banished.”
“If she’s so powerful, why is she still in the dungeon after all these years?”
The thing that didn’t make sense to Dylan was why the queen was still here at all. She had that small window of time each night when she could escape, and yet she stayed.
“Where was she going to go? She’s the queen. She can’t exactly go back to living with the masses, and it’s not like she lives like a typical prisoner. Have you seen her cell?” Portencia picked at a thread on her robe.
“It was a cell like mine. Three solid walls and the bars.” Dylan jumped when the damn mouse bit him. “Ouch.”
“It’s the illusion. She lives quite well. Have you met her mice?” Portencia laughed. “They are her minions and do her bidding. She thinks we don’t know they scurry about in the shadows. But they are harmless, so why torture and kill them when she’s the one who pulls their strings?”
“All I know is your brother put me in that prison. I don’t know what his plans were, or what they are now, but I need to get my grimoire and go home.”
Portencia laughed hard. “Oh honey, you’re never going back. Riata closed that portal. He said he never wants to see another student from Gray Cliffs. You were the last straw.”
Dylan frowned at her. He didn’t do anything to make the king hate him, did he?
“Then why keep me here? And why am I the last straw?”
Chapter 14
Dylan held his breath as he waited for an answer from the princess. But she didn’t answer his questions. She just stared at the window, mesmerized by the darkness.
Dylan decided to test his performance as a lippy again. If she really removed the wards, he should be able to blend in. He was afraid to morph into some other creature for fear of being stuck that way. He liked being a human. He closed his eyes and concentrated on blending in with the bed. He could feel a tingling, but he didn’t dare open his eyes.
Portencia started yelling, “Dylan! Dylan, you little rat! Where the hell did you go?”
She moved around the room, but Dylan couldn’t open his eyes to observe her for fear of being seen. He heard her storm out, calling for her brother.
Minutes later, she returned to the room with Riata. “I was just sitting here talking to him, and he disappeared.”
Riata stomped his foot like a spoiled child. “Portencia, I told you to leave him under guard. Where is Felix? Dammit. Did you fall asleep or something? How could he just walk out of the room?” He walked around the room, and Dylan felt him lift the bed cover.
“The bathroom,” Portencia’s voice moved across the room. “No, not unless he’s in the cabinet.”
A minute later, Henry walked into the room. He was silent, but Dylan could smell him. Henry was the one who double crossed him. The man who was supposed to help him was standing right there in the room with the King. Dylan almost opened his eyes.
Henry told him to remain completely still when he was blending in the café, but he nearly jumped when he heard the old man’s voice in his head. “I can see you.”
This was the truth of Henry’s loyalty. He talked to Dylan. He knew he was in the room. Did he know he was on the bed? He wasn’t about to ask, not even telepathically, which he was sure wasn’t one of his magical talents anyway.
“Did you lose something?” Henry asked.
The king spat the words. “Your boy.”
“It’s all good, you know. He’s helpless without the grimoire, couldn’t even blend when we were in the cafe earlier. I had to hold his hand. He may be Augie’s son, but he’s not even close when it comes to talent.”
“Good. If we keep him long enough for them to worry, do you think Augie or Lisbeth will come looking for him?” King Riata said.
Dylan couldn’t hear the response from Henry. It could have be a shrug, a nod, or a shake of the head. Oh, how he wanted to open his eyes.
“They absolutely will not ever set foot back in this territory. You know that,” Henry said. “That’s why I need the grimoire. I need to get this boy out of your life.”
King Riata laughed. “Apparently, he’s already out of my life. My stupid sister lost him.”
“Just tell me where the grimoire is, Riata, and I’ll be on my way. That boy doesn’t deserve to graduate. I don’t care if you keep him here forever, but I need that book.” Henry sounded as if he was trying to rein in his temper.
And he hadn’t called Riata the king or Your Highness. He just called him by his first name. How tight were these two old chaps? Dylan wanted to let Henry know the wards were lifted, but he didn’t know how without revealing himself. And wouldn’t it be obvious anyway, since he blended?
Turns out, he didn’t need to. Dylan’s cover was as close to blown as possible when Woli, Strix, and Queen Gaanne walked into the room.
“What the hell?” Portencia said. “This day just keeps getting worse and worse.”
Gaanne grinned like the cat who’d caught the canary. “Hello, husband. Surprise.”
Why did she decide to leave the dungeon now? She was there forever and a day, as she put it. She could leave during the night, any time she wanted, and she hadn’t. So why now?
“What?” King Riata backed away from Queen Gaanne. “How did…? Where are…?”
“Do you really think your magic was strong enough to keep me there forever? Or that I wasn’t staying of my own accord? Riata, you’re so full of yourself, you don’t even know when you’ve been beat. Now where is the boy? He has no part of this, and you need to let him go. He has a mission. He’ll finish it and never come back here.”
Woli whimpered. Dylan knew that sound for sure. He wanted to smile. She liked him. She was the first girl who ever liked him, and she was a pixy. He wondered if she’d like his realm. Could she even go with him?
“He’s mine, and I’ll keep him until Lisbeth comes for him.” King Riata sounded scared.
“Still pining after a woman who didn’t want you?” Gaanne said. “She never even looked at you. Is that what makes you want her so badly? The fact she never gave you a second look? She didn’t even care you were a king.”
“Shut up,” Riata shouted. “Just shut up.”
Henry said, “No, you shut up.”
The king clammed up. Dylan wondered if he was even trying to talk. Was it safe to come forward? He thought so. His crew was all in the room.
He opened his eyes and sat up. “Hello.”
The combined whiplash must’ve hurt like hell as everyone’s head turned to look at him sitting on the bed. Everyone but Henry, who just
grinned.
Woli ran to the bed and hugged Dylan. “I thought the king killed you. You’ve been gone forever. And it seemed even longer, waiting for…” she looked at Gaanne “…the chance to come find you. I thought for sure you were dead.”
Dylan couldn’t help himself. He hugged Woli back. He felt the life back in her wings. Knowing he helped in some way felt good. He wanted to brag, but this wasn’t the time.
“Queen Gaanne, Jervis told me the truth. He told me all about what really happened on your wedding day so long ago. I truly think Jervis was the only creature in the land besides you and the king who knew the truth.” Henry took the queen’s hand and kissed the back of it.
Gaanne cocked her head. “How did he know? Riata would never fess up.”
“I guess they had a bit too many mushrooms one night, and the king became delusional. He spilled the entire story about your charms, your magic, and how much he feared you.”
Dylan said, “And what’s this about my mother?”
Gaanne said, “I’m sorry, but the king was in love with your mother. Still is. I was his second choice, and he let me know that on our wedding day. That’s what caused all of this in the first place.”
Dylan covered his ears. “I don’t want to know anymore. Yuck.”
He looked at Riata who stared helplessly, unable to speak.
“Riata, I’m going let you speak, but only if you show me where the grimoire is located,” Henry said.
Dylan could hardly believe his eyes when the king flipped Henry the bird.
“Oh dear, the trolls really taught you some manners,” Gaanne said. “Portencia, do you know where the grimoire is hidden?”
Standing with her arms crossed tight in front of her, Portencia said, “If I knew, I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you. You’ve been the bane of my existence for centuries.”
“You can go back to River Ruin, my dear sister-in-law. It’s all yours again.” She looked at Dylan. “Your wards are lifted, so I lifted mine, too. You no longer have to stay here.”
Portencia didn’t even hesitate, she ran. Pushing past Strix and Woli, she was gone before her body was through the doorway. Just dissipated.
