The man’s eyes struck Max like a hammer, and he staggered backward. “That’s him.”
“Who?” Harley asked.
“The guy from my dream.”
“We need to show this to Logan,” Natalia advised. “He’ll know what to do.”
“Wait a minute. Did you guys see that?” Ernie asked. “His eyes just blinked.”
Max looked at the Clockwork King. He had the impression that the man on the card was examining him with great interest, and it was unnerving. Then, with a smile of horrifying malevolence, he winked. There was a flash and the card disintegrated into a shower of dust. The Griffins stared at the floor in stunned silence.
“Okay, that was C-R-double-E-P-Y,” Ernie announced.
At that moment there was a deep rumble. A massive fissure raced along the ceiling, sending dust raining down on their heads. It was followed by a series of timed explosions. All at once, the world began to fall.
“The portal!” Max shouted, pushing his friends toward the mirror.
“What about the blueprints?” Natalia cried. “It’s the only evidence we have…”
There was another explosion.
“No time!” Max ordered.
With a shove, Natalia followed Ernie and Harley through the portal mirror. Max took one last look at the mysterious control room and then dove after his friends.
04
A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAVE?
A rift opened up in midair, and the Griffins tumbled back into the tree house like apples dumped out of a basket. They had just enough time to look through the hovering portal to see the ceiling of the control room collapse. There was a flicker, and then it was gone.
Max staggered to his feet, helping the others to do the same. Their faces were white, their breath labored.
“I feel like I was turned inside out,” Ernie confessed, checking his body for missing parts. Max agreed. Only he would have described it as being disassembled and reconstructed without anesthesia.
“I wish I had brought a camera,” Harley said with regret. “The schematics for those machines were amazing.”
“At least we found these,” Max said, fanning the Round Table cards across the coffee table in the center of the room.
As the Griffins recounted their adventure, a small dragon floated through the window to perch lazily on the refrigerator. There was a flash of light, and suddenly the dragon was gone, leaving behind the form of a furry spriggan. It was a catlike faerie with large eyes, a coat of spiky fur, and a leathery tail. Spriggans were shape-shifters, but this particular faerie was more. It was a Bounder Faerie. After Max had freed the spriggan from her prison, she had sworn to protect him for the rest of his life. The only problem was that she wasn’t around much.
“You missed out on another adventure, Sprig!” Ernie exclaimed. “There was this cave with killer traps, and a pile of dead robots… oh and…”
Uninterested, the spriggan yawned before licking her paw absently.
“I just wish we knew how the scarab beetle got here,” Natalia said as she examined the note that had come in the package. She held the parchment up to the light before pulling out her Phantasmoscope to check for traces of magic. “Nothing!” Natalia complained. “Not even a fingerprint or a loose hair. I can’t solve a mystery if there aren’t any clues.”
“Maybe it was a ghost,” Ernie suggested.
“Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but what if Iver sent the package?” Max asked, nervous of the reaction.
Nobody said a word. After all, Iver was supposed to be dead.
Olaf Iverson, whom everyone affectionately referred to as Iver, had been the proprietor of the Shoppe of Antiquities. He also had been a surrogate grandfather to the Grey Griffins, not to mention a member of the Knights Templar. That was, until Max’s father reportedly had killed him.
“But this isn’t Iver’s handwriting,” Natalia pointed out, holding up the note.
Max shook his head. “Maybe someone else sent it for him. Think about it. If anyone wanted us to find a set of Round Table cards, it would have been Iver. It wouldn’t be the first time he used them as a clue.”
“What about the blueprints? Or that pile of metal body parts?” Natalia pointed out. “Iver never mentioned anything about robots before. Besides, if he really is alive, where has he been hiding?”
“I know it doesn’t make sense.” Max sighed. “But if there is a chance Iver is alive, don’t you want to find out?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Natalia exclaimed. “Of course I do, but there’s no way. He would have contacted us by now.”
“We need to talk to Logan,” Ernie said as he walked out of the bathroom, his face finally cleaned of the oil.
Max sighed as he shuffled through the cards. “You’re probably right, but I don’t want to tell him anything until we have more information. Natalia, do you still have that remote-viewing card for the Templar Library?”
“What do you think?”
“Good. We need you to do some research. Can you track down the cards that we found?”
“I’ve already made a list,” she replied, patting her Book of Clues. “I’ll do a search for the cards and for anyone called the Clockwork King. I’ll even look for the Brimstone Key.”
“What about me?” Ernie wondered.
Max set the cards back on the table. “I thought your grandparents were still in town.”
“Yeah, but they’re flying back to Phoenix in the morning, so I’m supposed to go home and play board games. I hate playing with them. My grandpa cheats.”
“Then I guess that leaves me and Harley to check out Iver’s shop.”
“I can’t tonight,” Harley said. “Someone gave my mom tickets for the Twins game. We’re supposed to leave in about an hour, and I don’t want to miss it, because it’s their last home stand before the playoffs. How about tomorrow night?”
Max didn’t want to wait, but he wasn’t about to go to the Shoppe of Antiquities alone. He hadn’t been back there since Iver had disappeared. There were too many haunting memories, and he wasn’t sure he could handle it alone. The only problem was that if they wanted to find out who had sent the beetle, Iver’s shop was their best lead.
05
TRANSFERRING IS NEVER EASY
Rain fell on the morning of the first day of school. Pungent smells from the forest swept over the road as Logan drove the Griffins in the Sumner limousine. Max still hadn’t told Logan about the cards. Every time he tried, something had come up. Besides, Max was too nervous about the Griffins’ first day at Iron Bridge to concentrate on much of anything else.
His grandmother sat in the passenger seat. A woman of elegance, Grace Caliburn was telling the Griffins about the time she met Max’s grandfather. “I was fourteen, and he was a year older,” she said quietly. “Those were simpler times—wonderful times—before the war. And Scotland was a magical place for an American like me.”
“So you boarded at Stirling Academy?” asked Natalia. “I would hate to be away from my family for that long.”
“It was more common in those days, but it was still difficult. I suppose some of the students will board at Iron Bridge, but I’ve heard talk that a good many families are moving to the area.”
“You went to Stirling, too, didn’t you, Logan?” asked Ernie.
“For a time,” the Scotsman replied, bristling. Logan kept his life as private as a bank vault.
“And?”
“Stirling isn’t for everyone. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Which brings up a good point,” interrupted Natalia. “If the Knights Templar is a secret organization—and no one knows it exists—then why build a school in plain view? The secret is bound to get out. I mean, the whole town is snooping around, trying to get inside that gate.”
Logan nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Baron Lundgren has taken care of the details. Besides, this isn’t the school. It’s nothing more than a facade.”
“It means that it’s a trick,” Natalia interjected.
“True enough,” Logan agreed. “That building is actually a depot for an underground railway that will take you to Iron Bridge.”
“You mean the academy isn’t in Avalon?” Ernie pressed. The worried tone in his voice was mounting.
“It is and it isn’t,” Logan replied.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ernie asked.
“In a manner of speaking, Iron Bridge is on the island in the middle of Lake Avalon.”
“Wait a minute. We’ve been there, right?” Harley said. “The simulation chamber where we trained a few times is part of the school.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t get it,” Ernie said, more confused than ever. “If Iron Bridge is on the island, why don’t we just take a boat?”
“Too many questions,” Logan said. “If I were you, I’d be more concerned about getting to class on time.”
“The Templar have worked so hard to hide the academy, but what if one of the students blabs and the whole town finds out where it really is?” Natalia wanted to know.
“They won’t.”
“How can you be sure?” she pressed.
Logan’s silent response signified that the conversation was over. Natalia sat back, arms crossed in dissatisfaction. Logan was an enigma Natalia had never succeeded in understanding.
“You look a little tired, Ernie,” Grandma Caliburn said. “Did you stay up late last night?”
Ernie yawned. “I’m not really a morning person.” He was dressed in his Agent Thunderbolt costume in hopes that it would earn instant respect from his fellow students, though Harley had warned that Ernie was more likely to end up with an atomic wedgie.
“Here we are,” Logan called as he pulled up to a towering iron gate. Beyond lay an impenetrable wall of trees. Two men dressed similar to Logan manned the guardhouse, and when they saw the Scotsman, they opened the gate and let him through. Logan waved and pressed on.
Looking out the window, Max caught faint glimpses of a building through the thick foliage. With most of the school still under reconstruction, Iron Bridge was only offering grades six through eight this year. As new buildings were finished, the academy would be opened to more students. That meant that most of the kids would be about the same age as the Griffins.
As the building came into view, Max was disappointed. Even though it was part of a depot, nothing about it looked like an elite military academy. It was just… well… schoolish. There was a playground where everything was painted in red and yellow. Max couldn’t imagine why they would need slides or merry-go-rounds if they were supposed to learn how to protect the world from evil.
“Remember, not everything is as it seems,” Logan said, catching Max’s sigh of discontent. “Once you are inside, you’ll feel different.”
“Wait a minute,” Ernie said, fidgeting. “You’re coming with us, right?”
“First I have to park the car. I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” the Scotsman said. “Just stay out of trouble. I don’t want to hear stories about you getting yourself into fights, got it?” He looked over at Harley, who ignored the comment.
Ernie eyed the swarm of unfamiliar students milling around the entrance, and his stomach churned. “Can’t you just stand in line with us?”
“You’ve fought witches and werewolves. I think you can handle a few students.”
“Just relax and enjoy your time here,” Grandma Caliburn added softly. “And remember, you’re the Grey Griffins. You’re practically famous….”
Logan helped the Griffins unload before he drove off to find a parking spot, leaving Max, Harley, Ernie, and Natalia surrounded by a crowd of complete strangers.
06
STICKING OUT IN A CROWD
“Well,” Max sighed as he pulled on his backpack, “I guess we should get in line with everyone else.”
“I don’t feel so good,” Ernie announced. “Maybe I should call my mom.”
“Some superhero you are,” Natalia muttered, grabbing him by the sleeve. “You’re coming with us.”
Though Max smiled at a few of the passing students, no one seemed interested in the Griffins. Everyone else had transferred to Iron Bridge from Templar academies around the world. They were too busy catching up on the latest gossip about what had happened over the summer. That suited Max just fine. He despised being the center of attention.
Max was about to tell Ernie that there was something caught in his braces when he caught sight of a woman helping her son out of a car. Their skin was a warm sienna brown, and their accent had a Latino flair.
“You’re going to be fine, Robert,” his mother consoled as she handed him a backpack. “Besides, you aren’t alone—some of your old friends transferred here as well.”
“I just want to go back home, Mom,” Robert begged. His eyes were filled with terror.
“This is our home now,” she said, and kissed him on the forehead. With that, she climbed back into the car and drove off down the lane. Dejected, Robert turned and trudged up the sidewalk, where dozens of students watched him with great amusement.
“Now, that’s embarrassing,” commented Ernie.
Natalia rolled her eyes. “You were just complaining that you wanted your mommy to pick you up because you have a tummy ache.”
“Oh, please. I was just kidding.”
“Check it out!” Harley exclaimed as a black-and-cream roadster pulled up. “That’s a ’29 Mercedes Gazelle.” The passenger door opened, and a boy with mahogany skin jumped out. He wore a loose trench coat with the collar flipped up, and his watch had a yellow dial. Long dreadlocks were swept back from his face by a pair of flight goggles with amber lenses.
“Hey, Xander, over here!” a girl called out, waving him over.
With a smile, Xander walked to the front of the line and promptly cut in. A horde of students surrounded him, each positioning for a chance to get his attention.
“Who the heck was that?” asked Max, as he watched them all disappear into the depot.
“I don’t know, but did you see that car? His family must have some serious money,” Harley said.
There was money, and then there was money. Max’s family had the latter, complete with jets, multinational corporations, and even private islands that would one day be his. It wasn’t Xander’s wealth that had impressed Max. It was the way he seemed to be at ease with it. There was no doubting that this Xander had style—at least until he cut the line.
Ernie sighed as he walked through the double doors of the red brick building. “This place is lame. I thought Iron Bridge was going to be a castle or something. Where’s the moat?”
As they moved along the squeaky hallway, the line of students was directed toward an escalator that disappeared into a dark hole in the floor. Max couldn’t see through the darkness, but the echoes from the students ahead indicated that they were in for a long ride.
“Is that Brooke?” Ernie asked a few moments later, pointing to a girl with long brown hair who was about to disappear in the darkness.
“Where?” Max asked.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a changeling,” Natalia reminded Ernie. “Just because you can see for a hundred yards in the dark doesn’t mean the rest of us can.”
“Oh yeah, sorry,” Ernie said.
“Besides, if you must know, Brooke came to school with her father early this morning,” Natalia went on.
“How do you know?” Harley asked.
“Because I talked to her on the phone last night, that’s how,” she retorted.
“Seriously?” Ernie asked as reached into his backpack to pull out a bottle of Plumples. After a rash of cavities, the carbonated fruit juice was the closest thing to soda that his parents would let him drink.
“What’s wrong with that?” Natalia wanted to know.
Ernie shrugged. “Nothing, I guess. So are you two best friends now? Because
if you are, maybe we can finally make Brooke an official member of the Grey Griffins.”
“I’m not sure we’re ready for that yet,” Natalia replied. “Besides, we have more important things to discuss.”
“Like what?”
“For starters, I haven’t been able to find much on those Round Table cards,” Natalia said. “The Templar Library must have had at least a thousand books on the subject. It would take weeks to go through them all.”
“And the other stuff?”
“There was nothing on mechanical beetles, Clockwork Kings, or the Brimstone Key. But I’ll keep trying.”
The rumbling escalator finally emptied into an underground foyer, and a short man greeted them. He was smiling broadly under a shabby derby, and the tips of his pointed ears could just be seen beneath the brim.
“This way, ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, like the ringmaster at a circus. He led the students into what looked and smelled like an abandoned subway station. “Step lively, and mind the platform. Don’t get too close.”
“Did you notice how everyone is dressed?” Natalia asked, turning to the boys. “It looks like they’re auditioning for a Charles Dickens play.”
A girl carrying a black parasol with red roses pinned around its edge walked by. She wore a matching silk dress and pointy-toed boots. The boy next to her was dressed in leather pants, jackboots, and a gold waistcoat, with a pair of aviator goggles pushed up on his forehead. They weren’t as intricate as Xander’s, but they still looked expensive.
“Yeah,” agreed Max. “Is there some costume party we weren’t aware of?”
“You must be newbies,” a girl in a safari ensemble observed as she stopped to look disapprovingly at the Griffins. “And look,” she said, turning to her friends. “They’re all dressed in civilian clothes. Aren’t they precious?”
Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles #1: The Brimstone Key Page 3
