“Danilo,” she said in a whisper. Her voice was haunting, carrying across the distance with ease.
Akeno whimpered, and Jacob, distracted by the woman’s beauty, realized he was probably squishing his prisoner. Tearing his eyes away from her gaze, Jacob saw fear written all over the poor Makalo’s face. He looked at the woman again and saw that she was still watching him, though now she reached toward him, beckoning him to come.
Feeling an odd yearning to do so, Jacob got to his feet, hefting Akeno and brushing himself off with the hand that wasn’t holding the Makalo. What was a beautiful woman like that doing alone in the forest? There were dangerous things here, and . . . and she obviously needed him. He could take care of her. He’d clean and fix up the manor. Everyone was probably just being pessimistic about the Lorkon. He took a step in her direction, but Akeno struggled on his shoulder, seemingly aware of what Jacob was doing.
Jacob scowled, then glanced at the lady, and she again beckoned.
He smiled at her. The picture she created was one of serenity and elegance. He wanted to look into her eyes and say something intelligent to make her like him. He took a step forward, but jumped when Akeno bit him and tried to escape.
“Stupid Makalo!” Jacob said, scrambling to cover Akeno’s mouth and hold him in place.
The pain made him hesitate, however, and he frowned, struggling with himself internally. Something made him long to be near the woman. But then again . . . what had Seden and Aloren been talking about earlier? He couldn’t quite remember. A gross feeling started in the pit of his stomach and spread to his heart. He blinked, his mind clearing, somewhat confused by the feeling. Something so beautiful and perfect couldn’t be bad, could it? But there was that feeling again. Take a step back, it warned him. He grunted, frustrated with the persistence of the ridiculous thought that was ruining his peaceful moment.
Finally recognizing that he couldn’t ignore the warning, he closed his eyes, willing his intuition to tell him why he shouldn’t go to her.
Logic briefly touched his mind. Seden had warned them about a witch here. The trees wanted to be near her, and they had been attacking him earlier. He scowled and opened his eyes. She was still there, patiently waiting. He glanced down at his arms, mildly surprised to see that the skin was still scratched and scraped from being attacked by limbs.
Jacob looked at her again, noticing for the first time the hundreds of snakes swirling around her ankles. Yeah, snakes had taken him to a room full of dead people. This woman was evil.
He took a step back, trying to gauge how she’d handle rejection. A look of anger crossed the woman’s face. Again she beckoned, imploring him to come.
Shaking his head, unable to speak, he took another step back.
This time, an unmistakable expression of anger marred her exotic features. With a quick movement, she spread her arms, raised her face to the sky, and emitted a shrill, piercing scream.
A thick black cloud of air poured out of her mouth, made up of thousands of flying bugs and beetles that congregated around her. Dropping her head, she directed her scream toward Jacob, and the cloud came shooting across the distance between them.
Chapter Eight
No longer hesitating, Jacob took off in the opposite direction, running as fast as his legs would go.
“Faster!” Akeno yelled, still slung over Jacob’s shoulder.
Jacob couldn’t go faster—the trees were fighting again, snagging him and the Makalo. He jumped over logs, animal carcasses, and rocks, trying to get away from the woman and those black bugs.
The trees kept fighting him, but with less intensity. They were now bending toward something almost directly behind them.
Akeno yelled in fright, and Jacob, who thought he was already running as fast as he could, put on even more speed, nearly losing his balance in the process.
He heard shouting ahead, and when he rounded a large tree, he nearly slammed into Seden and Aloren. The man took one look behind Jacob and shrieked. He and Aloren turned and ran alongside Jacob. The smell of dead animals was overwhelming, and Jacob’s head spun from the stench.
He looked up and could see the end of the forest fast approaching. Relief coursed through him. Only that much farther to go. He could make it—he had to make it.
With one final push, he sailed through the last bit of forest at what felt like breakneck speed. A few strides past the forest edge, the buzzing sound dissipated, and he looked backward. The cloud of black had stopped exactly where the forest ended. There was no sign of the woman.
Jacob and the others ran another ten seconds before they couldn’t go any farther. He released his hold on Akeno, who tumbled out of sight, and Jacob collapsed on his back in the tall grass alongside a trail.
After catching his breath, Jacob realized the scent of decay was fading. And he could see color again! He breathed deeply the warm fragrance of sunbaked grass and wildflowers. Rolling to his side, he reached over and grabbed a handful of the nearest flowers, pulling them out at the roots. He shoved them up against his nose, hoping the sweet aroma would remove the smell of rot that seemed to be forever imprinted on his brain.
A few minutes later, when his breathing had returned to normal, when his heart had slowed, and when he could no longer taste or smell death, he set the flowers aside and sprawled out on his back again. He gazed at the deep blue sky, unable to remember a time when he was more grateful to see color.
They’d only been resting for a couple of minutes when Seden ordered them onward. Jacob moaned inside, but Seden was right—they didn’t have much time to get to the Lorkon castle.
He got to his feet, ignoring his exhausted limbs. Good thing he played basketball and was used to physical exertion.
Jacob admired the view in front of them—a little orchard in the shadow of a large and beautiful mountain—as he wondered what was going on back at home. How was Mom? Was she okay? Was she healing? Had she explained everything to Matt yet? And how were Amberly and Dad? Jacob clenched his fists. Oh, if the Lorkon hurt his baby sister, he’d destroy them.
He’d destroy them anyway for what they’d already done.
“This should take us to Aldo’s cabin,” Seden said, stepping onto the trail.
“Should?” Aloren asked.
Seden nodded. “I’ve seen the cabin from on top of the mountain, but haven’t ever been there. And apparently, no one has been able to reach Aldo in years—since the Makalos sealed themselves off from the rest of Eklaron.”
Jacob frowned. “Okay, back up. You didn’t finish telling me everything yesterday. The Makalos sealed themselves off? To protect themselves from the Lorkon?”
“Yes, in part,” Seden said, “but mostly to guard the way to earth, where you would be raised.” He shaded his eyes, looking ahead, possibly trying to spot the cabin. “There it is—let’s pick up our speed.”
The others didn’t complain, and Jacob wasn’t about to be bested by a girl and a Makalo. “Go on,” he said. “Keep talking.”
“The Makalos haven’t had communication with anyone outside their village in years—since sealing themselves off. As a result, all their allies eventually faded away. Well, almost all of them. I only recently learned about Aldo, but I’ve known Gallus nearly my entire life.” He looked at Jacob. “I’m from Macaria, the city where Gallus keeps his store.”
Jacob nodded, acting like he knew who Gallus was. “Why did the Makalos open themselves up to the rest of Eklaron again?”
“They didn’t. The Lorkon attacked, demolishing their barrier. Everyone knew the Lorkon were still searching for you and King Dmitri. If we’d known where the Makalos had gone—and that they hadn’t been completely destroyed, as we’d assumed—you can bet we’d have done a better job acting as distractions.”
Jacob wasn’t sure how to respond. Half of him wished none of this had happened, that he could’ve gone on with his life without ever knowing about this other world. But the other half wished he’d known his whole life who he really wa
s. That he didn’t even come from earth. He still couldn’t believe it. It was so ridiculous that his parents hadn’t told him.
“I don’t get it,” he said, trying to control his frustration. “What were my parents trying to protect me from?”
Seden sighed as they approached the cabin. “I wish I had the answer to that. I suspect they worried about the intentions of the Lorkon. From what has happened recently, I think they may have been right. Though, if I’d been involved, you would have known about your heritage by now.” He turned to Jacob. “Hopefully, when we leave Aldo’s cabin, we’ll have more information. Either way, I’ll fill you in on the Lorkon—what to expect, how they act, all of that.”
Jacob thanked him, then noticed smoke coming from the cabin’s chimney. “Someone’s home,” he said. “What’s our goal here? Why are we stopping by?”
“To learn as much about the Key of Kilenya as possible,” Seden said. “Our mission is to get it.” He held up his hands. “We’ll rescue your father and sister too, but that has to happen after we find the key—we’ll use it to get them out.”
“Why is this key so important?” Jacob asked.
“Because it gives the user the power to open any door anywhere. Not only that, but it creates links between locations and worlds.”
“And the Lorkon have it now? That’s bad.”
Seden nodded. “Yes, it is. Several years ago, spells were placed on it. The hope is that the Lorkon won’t be able to use it. In order to understand how to strengthen those spells, we need to understand more about them, and since Aldo helped put the spells on the key, he should be able to tell us more.” He motioned to the cabin. “Let’s go see what he has to say.”
Chapter Nine
Akeno tapped Seden on the arm. “I’m here for a reason—let me check the surrounding area. We don’t want to get trapped in the cabin if something comes to attack.”
Seden raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You? Check the area?”
“I’m a Makalo,” Akeno said, as if that would explain everything. When he was met with blank stares, he said, “Makalos have a connection to living things. I can ask the trees if there are any dangerous creatures nearby.”
Seden blinked. “Oh, okay. Good idea. Go ahead.”
Akeno stepped to one of the little fruit trees that surrounded the cabin. He reached his left hand to the tree, touching the bark with his ring finger, then visibly relaxed. “No danger here.”
Seden thanked him and knocked on the door. After a moment, it opened. An old man with a large nose, a sparse, scraggly beard, and frizzy gray hair poked his head out. “Squirrels said the clock was today?”
Seden cleared his throat. “We’re looking for Aldo. Is that you?”
The man straightened and put his hand on his chest. “Aldo is me? Of course it is! The smile was pretty today.” He glanced at Jacob. “Why didn’t you take it?”
“Take what?” Jacob exchanged a glance with the others. “I don’t get it.”
“Sometimes, when purple raspberries come, they win plates. And you’re happy to be yesterday!” The old man’s lips lifted in a huge grin, revealing crooked, dirty teeth. “Children, children, children. Why even try? Squirrels are so much more effective.”
Everyone looked at each other again, and Jacob raised his eyebrow. This was weird.
Aldo beckoned them into the cabin, ushering them to chairs next to a table. The front room, which doubled as a dining room, was small and dingy.
Sitting down, the old man picked up a teapot and motioned toward some cups on the table. “Stop here with bottles? I wouldn’t have gone to the store for a pixie if I were you.”
“Uh, no thanks,” Jacob said, wondering how long ago the man had lost his senses. No wonder everyone had forgotten about him—he really was crazy.
“Oh, I forgot! Ladies! It means that they themselves once walked. Or maybe it was magic. Or perhaps it was that they couldn’t leave home if they wanted it.”
“Sure,” Aloren said.
Jacob looked around the room, noticing that the walls were covered with knickknacks, pots, and a few old photographs. Photographs? Jacob wished he was sitting closer so he could inspect them. Trying to remain focused on the here and now, he turned his attention back to their host, but caught himself staring at the man’s extremely large nose. He quickly looked away, realizing too late that he should have been more discreet.
Aldo nodded. “The same place I’d be without my dazzling smile.”
Jacob noticed that Aldo was staring at him as well, but with an almost knowing expression. He avoided the old man’s gaze and instead glanced at Akeno, who had a big grin on his face. Jacob bumped Akeno’s leg under the table, hoping to discourage him from saying or doing anything to tease the old man. The expression on the Makalo’s face looked like he was contemplating it.
Seden cleared his throat. “This is probably futile, but we were wondering what you can tell us about the Key of Kilenya.”
“The sunset is really cool. But if the dispenser’s broken—now, that’s irreplaceable.”
Jacob sighed. They were wasting their time.
The old man stood, knocking his chair over in the process, and left the room through a door in the back wall. Jacob heard him moving things around. Everyone jumped at the sound of a loud crash, followed by a yell and a stream of angry words.
Jacob snickered. “I understood that,” he whispered.
When Aldo returned, he was carrying a bucket of nuts. He grabbed one of them, showed it to Jacob, and laughed, saying, “Squirrels don’t come here. I’ll show you why.” Then he threw the nut at Jacob.
Jacob jumped out of his chair. “Hey! That hurt!”
“You too?” Aldo turned to Akeno, but Akeno was too fast for him and jumped out of the way.
Jacob couldn’t help but laugh at the devastated look on the old man’s face when he realized he hadn’t hit his target.
Aldo’s expression turned to one of anger. He put the bucket down, grabbed a handful of nuts, and chucked them at top speed, hitting everyone. Then he laughed gleefully and jumped up and down, clapping his hands.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jacob said. “He’s insane.”
Chapter Ten
Jacob and the others ran outside, doing their best to dodge the nuts that were being flung at them. It only took a couple of seconds to reach the main trail. Looking over his shoulder, Jacob saw that the old man continued throwing nuts, even though the group had already gone a fair distance.
“I think it’s safe to say the rumors about him are accurate,” Jacob said as they headed toward switchbacks that led up the side of the mountain.
“Sadly, it would seem so,” Seden said. “We should let Kenji and the other Makalos know.” He glanced at Akeno.
Akeno nodded. While walking, he removed a metal container from his knapsack, opening it. Early, the miniature person Jacob had seen the day before, stepped out and smiled at Akeno.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Would you take a message back to my father, letting him know that we found Aldo but couldn’t talk to him? He acted crazy. He’s definitely not the same person my parents knew.”
Early frowned. “Poor man. I’ll be back.”
With a bright flash of light, she disappeared.
“What is she?” Jacob asked Akeno, stepping over a large branch that had fallen across the path. “And why are you keeping her locked up in that thing?”
“She’s a Minya,” Aloren said, not waiting for Akeno to get over his bashfulness. “They’re picky little creatures here who act as messengers. Not terribly reliable. Very ditsy. Not all are like that, but the vast majority are.”
Akeno frowned. “Early has been helping my family for a very long time. She’s a wonderful Minya.” He glanced at Jacob, his face red. “I keep her in the container so I don’t have to search for her all the time. Minyas get very distracted when they smell honey and berries, etc. Calling them back takes time, so it’s easier to keep her in h
er container. Don’t worry, she’s basically a pet—not intelligent like a human or Makalo—so it doesn’t make her feel imprisoned.”
That made sense. Jacob was thinking of her like a real person, just smaller. “How does she fly without wings?”
“They use their magic as a way to maneuver,” Aloren said, walking alongside Jacob and Akeno, “and choose what does and doesn’t affect them. Gravity, resistance, laws of physics—things like that.”
Seden glanced back at them. “They don’t choose. Rather, the laws of physics don’t apply to them. Their magic makes them invincible to anything that might cause a resistance. There are drawbacks to using their magic, though. In order to travel quickly, a Minya must have been to, or seen, the place where he or she is headed. The magic draws on their memories and propels them forward, taking them to their destination. If they don’t know where the place is located, it can be very dangerous, since the magic will then take the shortest route, which is sometimes through solid objects.”
Early returned with another flash of light. “They’re saddened and upset to hear about Aldo. And they want an update on what has happened since you left.”
Akeno gave her one, including the manor he and Jacob had encountered, the woman, and the snakes. Early thanked him and disappeared.
Jacob frowned. “Okay, so, her magic helps her come and go, and if she hasn’t been somewhere, she can’t go to it? How does that work? It sounds like Minyas wouldn’t ever go anywhere, if that was the case.”
“Only when traveling by magic. If she’s flying without the aid of her powers, she can go wherever she wants. It just takes more time.”
Early returned and looked at Jacob expectantly. “Ebony wants to know what the woman said to you.”
“I . . .” Jacob thought back, almost stopping as the trail continued going upward. He could picture that woman—could see her mouthing the word, but nothing came to mind. Everything had happened so quickly. He frowned. “I can’t remember.”
Forsaken Prince (Kilenya Chronicles Book 1) Page 4
