“Watch it, big mouth,” Brent snapped.
They walked down the bumpy path awhile, and when they all started to think they couldn’t walk any longer, Gabriel heard singing up ahead. After a while, they all could hear it. “Hey, do you hear the harmonica?” Piper asked.
“Sounds like that campfire song, Kum Ba Yah.” Cedric rolled his eyes. “How lame.”
“You’d know all about lame, wouldn’t you?” Piper shot him a look and ran ahead.
As they reached the end of the stone path, the forest opened up to reveal a village. In the village center stood a crowd of people. Some towered tall like giants, and some were small like little people. Still others looked more like animals than people, with hooves for feet. Yet they all gathered together, singing in unison.
“This is strange,” Piper said. “Are you sure this is the right place, Gabe?”
Gabriel retrieved the map and pointed. “Yup—this is the exact spot.”
As they neared the singers, all the creatures turned to look at them, but didn’t stop singing. Instead, one of them quietly stepped out of the group and approached them. This creature had the head, arms, and upper torso of a man, but the lower body of a moose.
He fixed dark brown eyes on them and said in a scruffy voice, “You must be Gabriel and friends.” He bowed slightly, emphasizing the size of his large antlers. “Word has come of your arrival. My name is Jasra, and I welcome you to Parma.” He bowed again. His arm muscles flexed clearly through his dark skin. “Come with me. I will bring you to my home, where you can rest and eat.” He turned back toward the crowd. His thick, curly black hair was pulled into a ponytail which swayed across his muscular back.
As they followed Jasra, Brent looked around. “What is this place?”
“Parma is a haven for the lost and rejected,” Jasra explained. “Even in Valta, there are those who are not welcome anywhere else. The wounded and outcast need a place to call home, too.”
They entered a very tall house. Still, Jasra had to duck his head to fit through the doorway. Inside, the delicious smells from a table covered with cookies and fresh bread wafted in Gabriel’s nose. His stomach growled with hunger at the sight, and they all dug in.
“Why are you lost and rejected, Jasra, if you don’t mind me asking?” mumbled Brent around a mouthful of cookie.
“Breeent,” scolded Piper.
Brent jolted and reached down to rub his shin, scowling at Piper. “Ouch! Why’d you kick me? Chill.”
“It is not a bad question, little one,” Jasra replied in his scruffy voice. “I’m not lost and rejected anymore. I wasn’t welcome in my land. I was abandoned when my mother died, with no one to take care of me. I wandered the forest alone until I found my way here. Zeverons took me in and raised me like their own. When I grew up, I vowed no creature should be abandoned or rejected, and so I turned Parma into a safe place.”
“That’s so sad,” Piper said, “and so kind of the Zeverons to take you in.”
“It was frowned upon by many, other Zeverons included. I’m different, and many people would not like to accept me. There are good and bad in all species.” Jasra sighed.
“What happened to your father?” Gabriel asked.
Jasra shrugged. “When my mother died, he left to start a new family.”
Gabriel felt sorry for Jasra. At least I have a dad who loves me … even after my mom left.
Jasra changed the topic. “I received word of your arrival and of your quest. You’re very brave to embark on this adventure. Is it correct, then, that you are on a quest for the empress?”
“Yes. She asked for our help.”
Cedric leaned over and whispered in Gabriel’s ear. “Help, huh? From the empress?”
Gabriel poked Cedric with his elbow. “Zip it.”
Jasra cleared his throat. “So you already have the key, then?”
Gabriel jerked his head back. “Key? Nobody said anything about a key?”
“Yes, the key to the Tandem Wood, of course,” said Jasra.
They all looked at each other.
Brent slathered his bread with a thick layer of butter. “Why would we need a key to enter woods?”
“It’s not just any woods, young man. It is the Tandem Wood, ruled by the evil duke himself. Only those with the key may enter … if you dare. I see some details of your journey were left out. The evil in the Tandem Wood can bring even the strongest to their knees. That is why the empress created a fail-safe. You must have a key to enter the forest. If you’re brave enough—or stupid enough—to travel there, there’s no one to blame but yourself for what may happen to you because you can’t just stumble upon it”
They all stopped eating. Even Brent. Cedric sank deeper into his chair. Brent sighed, and Piper turned pale.
“I don’t think we have much choice,” Gabriel mumbled, his enthusiasm fading. His near-impossible quest had just taken a turn for the super-impossible. “Where do we find this key?”
“The man who makes the key resides in the Valley of Shadows. He doesn’t like to be disturbed, and he is generally granted that wish. Not many request a key to the Tandem Wood, as you can well imagine.”
“Um, hello? Does this sound strange to anyone but me?” Piper asked, tugging her hair behind her ears. “I mean, if it brings even the strongest to their knees, how can we hope to survive it? Seriously, we’re only twelve.”
“I can’t answer that, Piper,” Jasra interrupted. “The empress, in her wisdom, must have a plan. Only you can decide if you will follow through with it.” Jasra paused and leaned forward. He looked straight at Gabriel. “Anyone would understand if you decided not to go.”
“We do want to—to try to save your land,” Piper said, speaking for Brent and a speechless Gabriel. “I’m just a little worried about the logistics.”
“You’re such a wimp, Piper,” taunted Cedric. “You’re gonna let some myth spook you?”
Brent glared at him. “Knock it off, Cedric, or I swear I’ll burn you to a crisp right now.”
“Piper’s got a point. We can’t let the empress down. We gave our word,” Gabriel said. Piper and Brent nodded in agreement. That seemed to settle it.
After dinner, they prepared to sleep on piles of blankets in front of a low fire.
“Sorry I don’t have beds for you,” Jasra said on his way out. “I don’t have much use for one.”
Gabriel lifted his head and waved. “That’s okay. Thanks for everything, Jasra.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Piper said, smiling.
Brent tapped Cedric on the back of the head. “Say thanks.”
“Thanks,” Cedric mumbled, his back turned away from the moose man.
“Jerk,” Piper spat through gritted teeth.
“You’re welcome. Now get some sleep.” Jasra went out into the chilly air.
During the night, Empress Malina again came to Gabriel in his dreams. Her face glowed within the flames of the fire.
“Beware of the shadows. Do not look upon them. Stay strong. Do not lose hope. For in your heart there is love and all things good. Draw upon it in times of despair, and always know I am there.”
Gabriel opened his eyes and sat up. There was no sign of Empress Malina; just a few flickering embers in the dying fire. He stayed awake for a while, listening to the others sleep, and pondering all the things the empress had said to him in his dream. But soon his yawns took over, and he fell fast asleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Gabriel slept without any more dreams, until strange sounds of wild animals jolted him awake. The growling and snapping of teeth echoed throughout the house. Gabriel shook the others. “Guys, wake up!”
Brent, Piper, and Cedric stumbled into furniture as they hurried to look out the windows. The fizzled-out fire obviously left the room eerily dark. But for Gabriel, the room lit up under his powerful vision. They all peered through different windows. Fluorescent green eyes glared back at them. Piper screamed and Cedric jumped back.
“Gruocks!
” yelled Cedric.
Piper slapped her hand against her mouth. “Not again,” she moaned through the slats of her fingers.
Gabriel peered out the window, searching the moonlit canopy of trees dripping rain over the forest floor. A thick, foggy mist shrouded the land. “I see three of them.”
A gruock leapt from under Gabriel’s windowsill, smashing itself against the window with a loud crack! A fracture shot through the glass, as quick and devastating as a lightning bolt.
Gabriel shrieked and jumped back. The gruocks disappeared from the window, but their threatening howls and violent roars rang in his ears as they circled the house. “What’re we gonna do now?” Cedric shouted, his hands covering his ears.
Piper paced in circles. “It must be nearly sunrise. Make it stop, make it stop.”
Gabriel stayed back from the window, but he could still see the gruocks outside. One leapt toward the damaged window.
As Gabriel braced himself for the impact of shattering glass, Jasra charged the beasts. With a thrust of his huge antlers, he hurled one into the air. The other gruocks surrounded him. Jasra scowled and kicked backward with his huge hooves, knocking the remaining monsters through the air.
After each kick, the gruocks jumped back up and charged again. They encircled Jasra, just as the sun began to rise over the top of the mountain.
The creatures’ roars faded to tortured whimpers as they backed away, into the shadows of the trees. The luminous green faded from their eyes. Tears streamed down the face of one creature as it transformed back into a teenage girl. A flash of pity washed over Gabriel. Knowing they were such evil creatures at night, but then didn’t even know who they were come daylight made his stomach twist. They crept away into the morning mist. Jasra entered the room and Piper ran to him, clasping her arms around his long, hairy, moose leg. “You saved us!” Piper hugged him tighter. “But are you all right?”
“Yeah, you weren’t bitten, were you?” Gabriel asked, worried.
“No.” Jasra sank to the floor. “But I am tired. The sun came up before they could overtake me.”
“I saw one crying as it transformed. It was a girl.” Gabriel shook his head, feeling overwhelmed and confused.
“Don’t let your kindness be your weakness, Gabriel. They will not hesitate to kill you. I struggled with that for a while, too. There is no cure for the infected. They’ll spread their disease to us all, if Malgor has his wish.”
“It’s just so sad … ” Gabriel’s voice trailed off.
“Can we make you something to eat, Jasra?” Piper asked, changing the topic.
“Yes, please, Piper,” he answered. “I’d like to rest a few moments. There is some bread and ham in the cold box there, if you like.”
Piper did her best to make breakfast for everyone. They ate in silence as the heaviness of the whole crazy situation hung in the air.
After breakfast, Jasra wished them well as they left for the Valley of Shadows to find the key-maker. Following the map, it took them about two hours to get there. They maneuvered down a long, steep, and winding road. The farther they walked, the more the hills loomed over them. Soon, a deep valley surrounded by tall hills encircled them. It was morgue-still, and only the caws of distant crows echoed around them.
“It’s so creepy here,” Piper said as they hurried along the path. “Where’s the key-maker’s house?”
“It can’t be too much farther,” Gabriel answered.
“Dude!” Brent’s eyed bugged out. He pointed to the right. “Look over there.”
A huge, black shadow, a mass of nothing in particular, moved along the distant hillside. They stopped to watch in amazement, and the shadow stopped moving, as well. When they started moving again, so did the shadow.
“Is it me, or is that shadow following us?” Piper asked.
Cedric rolled his eyes. “How could a shadow be following us, genius?”
“Sure looks that way.” They stopped and watched as the shadows danced in circles and moved in front of them. Then the shadows changed shape.
“Hey, look,” Piper said. “Princess Evangeline! She’s having a birthday party.”
“What are you talking about?” Brent arched a brow. “That’s Flossie. She’s brought us something to eat.”
Strange, thought Gabriel. But then he saw his mother skipping in circles, motioning for him to play “ring around the rosie” like she had when he was a little kid. They walked toward the shadows, smiling. As they got closer, Gabriel noticed his mother looked different, somehow.
Beware of the shadows, Gabriel.
He stopped and pinched his eyes shut. When he reopened them, the dark clouds spun around as they really were; not his mother, just growing shadows.
“Wait!” he yelled. “Don’t look!”
But the others continued toward the shadows, hypnotized by what they saw. Gabriel rushed in front of them to block their path. He grabbed Piper by the shoulders and shook her.
“Piper, it’s not real. Snap out of it!” When she didn’t respond, he slapped her cheek.
The sting pulled Piper out of the shadow’s wicked trance. She blinked past his shoulder, and frowned. “Wow, it’s just some stupid shadows.” She rubbed her eyes, and shook her head. “Thanks, Gabe.”
Cedric was the closest to them, so Gabriel held him while Piper put her hands over his eyes, freeing Cedric from his trance. But Brent had walked on ahead, delirious with laughter.
“Hey there, Eric. Hi, Flossie. That bread looks delicious.”
The nearest shadow crept up Brent’s leg, emitting loud, horrifying groans. It yanked Brent’s ankle, dragging him up until he dangled upside down, suspended in mid-air.
Brent gasped, his face turning pale. “It’s not Flossie—help!”
He shook his foot and stretched his arms, fingers dusting the ground. He tried to break free of its biting grasp, but it crept stealthily up his leg, spreading and yanking him higher into the air.
Gabriel reached up and grabbed Brent’s arm. Instantly, a tongue leapt out of the shadow, slashing Gabriel’s arm like a whip coated in burning acid.
“Ahh!” Gabriel screamed in pain as he fell back onto the ground, gaping at the blisters on his arm and gasping for air.
Piper ran to help Brent, but the sinister shadow turned into an enormous mouth. In one swift move, it swallowed Brent whole. Then the shadow vanished, taking Brent with it.
Chapter Seventeen
“Brent!” Piper stared at where he’d been a second ago. “Oh, no. No, no, no.” Tears streamed down her face.
“I almost had him, did you see?” Gabriel asked, running around in a panic, looking for any sign of him. “And my arm.” Gabriel covered it with his uninjured one, and winced.
“Here.” Piper helped him rip off a piece of his shirt, left hanging from the attack. Gabriel used it to wrap the wound. “This’ll have to do.”
“You shouldn’t have gone near it,” snapped Cedric. “What were you thinking, Gabe?”
“News flash—I was thinking that maybe I could help a friend. But I guess you wouldn’t understand such a foreign concept.”
“You think I wanted Brent to get dragged off by that shadow thing with a mouth?” When Piper and Gabriel just stared back, Cedric huffed. “Well I didn’t.”
“Then stop acting like such a jerk for one minute, will you?” Piper said, pacing and pressing her fisted hand to her mouth. “We have to get Brent back.” Piper twisted around, turning her glare on Cedric. “Those shadows showed each of us what we wanted to see. What did you see, Cedric?”
“Whhh—aat?” Cedric’s face turned deep red.
“You heard her. What did you see?” Gabriel glowered at Cedric.
“You wanna know what I saw? I saw Mr. Roswell giving me an A on my project ‘cause I’d found more of that stupid crystal you carry around on your neck!”
“I knew you were after my crystal, you little freak.” Gabriel bolted straight for Cedric. “You’re toast. I’m going to kill you,
and I’m not even lying!”
“Gabe, stop! That’s how we got here, remember?” Piper yelled after him.
Gabriel inhaled slowly, and managed to stop himself from punching Cedric square in the jaw. He stared up at the sky, his hands shaking. He had to keep it together. Dealing with Cedric would be nothing compared to dealing with the key-maker.
But he was still happy when Piper walked up to Cedric and slapped him across the face.
“Owwwww! Whatchu do that for?” Cedric rubbed his cheek.
“That’s for being such a royal jerk,” Piper responded.
Gabriel looked from Piper to Cedric. “I’m sorry, I should’ve realized. Empress Malina warned me … about the shadows.”
“Let’s just focus on getting Brent back and finding the key-maker.” Piper patted Gabriel’s back and gently pushed him forward along the path. Piper and Cedric fell into step behind him. From time to time, they caught glimpses of the black beckoning shadows, but they refused to look at them, and stared straight ahead.
Soon, Gabriel pointed to a dark opening in the hill ahead. On either side stood two gigantic boulders, colorful words painted on one.
As they walked toward its opening, Gabriel could see into the empty, pitch black cave. They read the words written on the second boulder:
Be warned:
I do not wish to be disturbed.
If you enter, I will be perturbed.
Only the bravest dare take up my time.
To others, I warn, your death will be divine.
Gabriel swallowed hard. “Just great,” he said, stepping closer to the mouth of the cave. Even though he could see inside, he decided to hang back and call out first. After reading the bold warning painted on the rock, he wasn’t sure what or who to expect. “Hello?” The sound of his voice echoed back to him, mixed in with the thumping of his heart. “Is anybody there?”
Cedric slumped to the ground and dropped his head in his hands. “Don’t tell me we came all this way for nothing.”
Gabriel ignored him, and walked deeper into the cave. “We’re looking for the key-maker?”
Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta Page 10
