“How did the message come in?”
“It came through the moon rune door from the great dragon Azghar. How he came to be with the warriors, we do not know.” He sighed. “While it is of great relief that Azghar is there, it also means they are in trouble, or he would not have interfered too much. The message was simple: ‘Cannot use moonglow doorway, open new doorway at Emerald Pool’.”
Jozephus noticed how Galagedra’s blue eyes were shining bright with worry. “How much time do we have?” he asked.
Galagedra stared into the pulsating globe. “We have until twilight, which is the most magical time of the day. This is when the moon shines its first powerful beam. And that is our chance to open the doorway. That is our only chance.” Galagedra closed his eyes. “We will only be able to do this once.”
Jozephus nodded his head. “We will be ready in time.”
“That is not our only problem,” said Galagedra. He waved his hand in front of the globe. Jozephus gasped as the face of an old man fleeted across the globe before vanishing again.
“Who is that?”
“Look carefully. It’s Thirza. Thirza many years on.”
“But … but how?”
“I think we would like to know that too. We searched everywhere for him. If he ended up in Drakmere that explains why we could not see him or find him. The magic around Drakmere is so strong. It’s impregnable.”
Jozephus blinked.
“If we manage to get him out now, we need to prepare his family. He has been missing for many, many years. I will go and see the daughter, and explain about the children at the same time.”
Jozephus blinked once more. “What about Angie?”
“If I know Angie, she is in the thick of things. As strong and brave as our warriors are, they will need all the help they can get to get all three boys and Thirza out.”
* * *
Ella was standing outside the back door, glaring at the darkness of the forest. A mist was creeping through the trees circling each tree before moving to the next. She watched the mist for a moment then shivered. It was creepy, as if it was looking for something, or someone.
“Why do you think they aren’t in the forest? You seem quite sure.” Jeff’s father came to stand behind her, scanning the forest.
“The answer is there, in my head. But every time I search for it, I end up thinking about …” She sighed and felt her cheeks redden before she picked up, “fudge. I end up thinking about fudge. I just can’t help it.”
She looked at her husband, but he stared at her blankly. “They will come home through the forest but they are not in the forest, which does not make any sense to me either.”
“I’ll get you something warm to drink while we wait.” He turned and went back into the kitchen.
Ella leaned forward as if she could see through the mist. And then she saw a dark figure striding through the mist towards them.
“He seems familiar … like fudge,” Ella whispered to herself and slapped her hand against the railing. She took a deep breath and started down the steps onto the damp grass.
The figure stopped a little way from her, his face hidden inside a hood. Ella blinked as glittering silver dust rained down around her. Her mouth opened and her eyes became windows to her past as her memories were returned.
“Hello Ella,” the man spoke. “I am an elder of Sandustian and my name is Galagedra.” Ella shivered, but his voice was gentle. “You may or may not remember me, but I have come to talk to you about the children.”
“The boys? You know where they are? Are they alright?” Ella grit her teeth, fearing the answer.
“I know where they are, and we are working to get them home. They are in Drakmere, they are well and they are not alone.”
“Drakmere?” Ella gasped. “They have been taken to Drakmere, just like I was? Is …” Ella searched her memory. “Are Gwyndion and Marigold with them?”
“Gwyndion no, but Rig is with them.” Galagedra smiled softly. “Although we don’t call Rig by his full name, Marigold, unless we would like to feel his wrath.”
Ella smiled weakly. “When are they coming back? Are they coming back tonight?”
“We are working on that now. But Ella … I have also come to talk to you about your father.”
“My father? He disappeared in the forest many years ago. He went looking for me and never returned.”
“He is with the children. He is helping to bring them home.”
“My father is alive? He is with my children?” Ella swayed and dropped to the floor in a near faint.
With a wave of the hand, Galagedra’s dust caught her and lowered her gently to the floor. The dust covered her like a blanket, preventing the damp chill of the grass from seeping into her.
* * *
Rig’s wall was starting to lose its sparkle and began to shrink under Wiedzma’s force. He needed to stop his slide from gaining momentum, so he dropped the wall around Madgwick.
Madgwick saw the wall come down and instantly rolled away from Wiedzma. Before she knew what was happening he had somersaulted over her and slid neatly under Rig’s wall.
Madgwick threw his own power behind Rig’s wall, determined to push Wiedzma back. Even with both of them at work, they were still slipping backwards slowly. The witch was just too powerful. Their dust started shaking in the air and both of them knew it was just a matter of time before it crumbled under her attack.
Jeff was watching with huge eyes. The witch was overpowering the two warriors, and if he did not do something they were as good as finished. He did not know what he could do. He did not have magic or magic dust and he doubted that throwing things at Wiedzma would make any difference at all. Then he glanced at Grzegorz who was on the edge of his chair, his eyes bright as if he was enjoying the show.
In desperation, Jeff rubbed his temple with the tips of his fingers. He pictured a room dark as night, a single spotlight highlighting a filing cabinet. In his mind he was running to the cabinet and flipping through files, oblivious to what he was looking for and worse, not knowing how he was going to use the information in the file.
Just as Jeff despaired that he would never find the right file, he dropped to his knees. From behind his eyes came a blinding light. Flashes flew across his vision like a movie reel and raced across his mind. The images were moving so fast he could not distinguish between them.
Jeff reached out mentally, not knowing what he was reaching for, but at this stage he could not really control what was happening. Without warning, soap bubbles exploded into the air around him. Bubbles of all sizes floated towards Wiedzma. Jeff’s mouth dropped open.
“Where is this coming from?” he gasped to Madgwick. His shoulders were hunched up with uncertainty.
Wiedzma was swatting at the bubbles, her face screwed up as she grimaced at the bubbles popping into her face and hair. “Ugh, stop it!”
Rig turned to Jeff, and snarled, “Perhaps something a little more effective?”
Jeff could feel a vein in his forehead jutting out as he strained for the dark room and filing cabinet. It was now or never. By the looks of the warriors’ faces, they were reaching the end of their limits. He concentrated on a weapon and grabbed at the next image.
Splat! Splat! Wiedzma screeched in pain. Jeff opened his eyes and dared to look. His eyes stretched wide and he bit his knuckles to prevent himself laughing out loud.
Wiedzma was being torpedoed by a hovering paint-ball gun, shooting paint balls in different colours at her. She was at quite close range so it hurt. Her dress was splattered with orange and then she was hit on the neck and hair with an ugly mustard yellow paint. She was furious as she struggled to hold the warriors but already she had lost focus and Rig and Madgwick had stopped sliding.
Wiedzma, holding her one hand towards the warriors, turned toward Jeff. He gulped at the furious look on her face.
“What the heck is this? It hurts! You’re worse than your brat brother, and what did you shoot me with? Is it a
potion?” She staggered back a bright blue paint ball hit her in the stomach.
The gun pelted her again and she yelled in anger and pain.
43
Madgwick was racking his brains for an alternative way out of this mess. It was unbelievable how Jeff was using his dream catcher ability. He was a natural. But the fact was that they still had not found Matt or Gwyndion and that they were trapped here with Wiedzma. Their powers against her would not last forever.
Then Jeff heard a high-pitched whining sound. At first it just seemed like noise, but then it started to sound like a high-powered superbike. He turned to Madgwick and saw hope flash across his face.
The sound came closer and closer until it seemed to be right on top of them.
Angie flew in over their heads, tumbling through the door. Thanks to the quick hover spell she cast she landed nimbly on her feet. But she did not stop. She whirled back around, her face dark with anger as she stormed back to the open door.
Leaning out of the door she yelled, “I said get me in nice and close, not toss me like a bag of potatoes over the handlebars!” There was a pause before she shrieked again. “I don’t care if that was the quickest way in. I did not expect to be thrown in.”
Angie pointed her finger at whatever she was yelling at before turning around to face them with a serene smile on her face.
Wiedzma’s mouth was hanging open and Grzegorz was peering around the back of the chair where he was hiding from the paint balls flying across the room.
Jeff’s heart started to pound with joy when he noticed Madgwick’s wide smile.
Angie glanced around the room, taking in every detail before commenting rather drily, “What nonsense is this? Is this the very best you can do, Wiedzma?” Angie put her finger on her mouth as if she were deep in thought and spoke in a high-pitched girly voice nothing like Wiedzma’s. “Oh wait: I am the powerful witch Wiedzma. I know I will just push them around the room and then they will surrender.”
She clapped her hands and the incredible force released the two warriors. They stopped sliding. Immediately they dropped their dust, which flowed back into their hands. Madgwick felt the warmth of his power rebuilding.
Jeff’s paintball gun popped into thin air and Jeff dropped to his knees in exhaustion. He stared up at this strange woman that had just walked in. Was she on their side or were they in for another fight?
Wiedzma howled. “What are you doing here? How did you get in? Aaaaahgggh.”
She made a wild movement with her arm as if she was throwing something at Angie, trying to catch her unawares.
Angie was looking around the room, hardly interested in Wiedzma. Casually she turned to Rig and said, “Toss some dust.”
Not sure what Angie was doing, he obliged and tossed a handful of dust in the air. As the glittering dust rained down, it revealed an invisible dagger pointing at Angie’s heart.
The dagger had stopped halfway across the room. It hovered, not moving forward and not dropping to the ground. It was quivering in its attempt to break free of the invisible force that was stopping it from reaching its target.
Wiedzma gasped. No more than two paces from where she was standing were twenty invisible daggers, all pointing at her. They were not quivering, not held back by some force, they were dead calm, just waiting for the attack word.
Jeff really liked this strange woman. She was calm and radiated power.
“Really, Wiedzma? You need to stop wasting your time with feeble creatures such as … him.” Angie nodded at Grzegorz who was sitting in the chair again as if he thought that this was the safest place to watch the fight. “And spend more time with witches. They could teach you a few things. Obviously you still have a lot to learn.”
Angie turned to face Wiedzma and yelled, “Like how not to kidnap children! Not to mess with warriors, witches and dragons, and how to stop making shimmers.”
Glaring at Grzegorz again, she nodded at him and, whoop, an emerald green frog was sitting on the chair that the king had occupied moments before.
Wiedzma was beyond angry. “You come here, uninvited and you insult me. Then you try to kill me with daggers. These warriors are mine. The dream catcher is mine. They are not leaving here, and for that matter nor are you. The castle enchantment has repaired itself and is complete and flawless! Oh how I am going to enjoy making you suffer.”
She clicked her fingers at the frog and whoop, he was back to Grzegorz again. The king looked left and right rapidly, his tongue hanging out.
“Wiedzma, you are so funny. At least you still have a huge sense of humour!” giggled Angie. Then she turned to Grzegorz who was still sitting in his chair with his mouth hanging open, looking from one witch to the other. Angie nodded and whoop he was a frog again. “Ribbit,” he croaked.
“Time to go, boys.” Angie snapped her fingers at them.
Madgwick reached back and hauled Jeff to his feet in a single fluid movement. They stepped closer to Angie, keeping Jeff between them. Madgwick was not sure what the plan was but he could tell it was going to happen fast.
Rig muttered to Angie, “Matt is at her castle and she forced Gwyndion to go there too.”
Angie frowned at this news. “Shooting Stars! We will find her. I promise, Rig. I will help you find Gwyndion, but right now we have to get Jeff out of here.”
“Ha!” yelled Wiedzma. “You will never find her, unless you stay. You will never see her again!”
Rig did not say anything. A promise from Angie was worth all the dust in Sandustian. He trusted her completely on her promise.
Wiedzma threw her arms round her head. With her tornado suddenly roaring to life, the room went very dark. They heard the evil witch shrieking at the top of her voice in some strange language that Madgwick could not understand. Furniture lifted off the floor, curtains ripped, loose floor slabs lifted and swept into the current of wind. The wind was pulling everything into its force.
Angie pulled them backward until they were close to the entrance. Rig tried to step past but it was blocked with an invisible wall. Wiedzma was right, they were trapped.
Then, to no one in particular, Angie said, “Now”.
“Noooooow.” Nothing happened. “Alright already, I’m sorry, you were right! I did say ‘the fastest way in’. I am not mad at being thrown over the handlebars, not really! Okay … can we go now?”
Something rustled in the background. “Yes,” she screeched, “You are the best! Now?”
Jeff was giving Madgwick a look that said “really?”
There was a loud revving noise that became louder until something shattered behind them. Angie’s broom had grown into a Harley with a side car attached and it raced into the room. The broom-bike skidded to a stop.
Madgwick could hardly believe this was the same broom as before. It had evolved from a wooden handle ending in straw bristles into a sleek wooden motorbike with a seat, foot rests and wooden handlebars. The body had a green leaf motif. It was revving, itching to go.
Angie jumped on her bike and pushed Jeff into the side car. “Stay down,” she said.
She turned to Madgwick and looked him straight in the eye. Her face was a few inches away from his. “You have to stay! Trust me, Madgwick. Don’t doubt me.”
Stunned, Madgwick nodded numbly. He understood. It was his turn to sacrifice himself for Sandustian.
She hopped onto her broom and ordered, “Rig, get on the bike.”
“But Madg–” started Rig.
“Don’t but but me, Madgwick will be fine, I have seen to it. Get on the bike. We have to get out of here now.”
“I don’t like this one bit,” Rig muttered but he climbed on behind her.
The broom-bike lurched forward, so fast that Jeff almost lost his grip. It raced away from Madgwick going in the same direction as the wind. They went around the room gaining momentum from the force of the wind. With a burst of speed they raced for the window. Another shattering noise was to be heard and they were out, flying into the blue.<
br />
As they broke out the window, Wiedzma screamed. Her plans to keep her dream catcher had just flown out of the window. She stamped her foot. “Drat that Angie!”
She ran to the window and pounded on the invisible barrier; her enchantment was still in place. Next she grabbed a piece of wood lying on the floor and threw it out of the window. It flew out with a shattering noise. There was the loophole she had not thought about. Objects could go through the barrier. People on their own could not, but objects carrying people could pass through.
Then she noticed Grzegorz was still in frog form. She stilled her breathing, turned around, waved her hand and muttered a few words to change him back to normal. She turned to face Madgwick who was crouched in fighting stance, his dust bouncing in his hands in anticipation of an attack.
“So, they left you behind. So nice of them.” She turned casually and then whirled around without warning, throwing her power at Madgwick to knock him out cold.
Madgwick lifted his wall of magic but not quickly enough. Wiedzma’s power pushed through his dust and knocked him clean off his feet.
He felt it hit like a concrete block. His vision went dark and he fell to the floor.
Wiedzma punched her fist into the air, thrilled she had overpowered the warrior. She screamed as Madgwick started to fade and ran over to him to try to stop the fade but in a blink he was gone. Wiedzma grabbed her hair, oblivious to the paint on her hands as she screamed.
Grzegorz sat staring ahead, his tongue darting in and out.
She dropped her head and raised her hands.
And that was when she started enchanting shimmers into the room. They swarmed around her, fuelled by her anger and desire for revenge. Soon the room could not take any more and they spilled out into the corridor, flowing until every room in the castle was filled with snapping, evil, squirming shimmers, wanting to rip flesh and cause pain.
They pushed against the windows and doors, trying to force their way through the castle enchantment that was holding them in place. Shimmers flooded the castle and the dungeons until there was no more space and the place was ready to burst.
Jeff Madison and the Shimmers of Drakmere (Book 1) Page 19
