Anni’s physical pain started to recede with their help, but she didn’t care about that. Nor did she care that they had witnessed another fresh barrage of shame brought on by Leach. None of it mattered. All she could think about now was Lexi and that cracked Opus Stone. The question that loomed in her head most of all: was Lexi still alive?
OPUS STONES
It took Anni some time to gather her thoughts before she could share what she had learned in Krizia’s office. Once she did, Daphne stiffened and gasped while Squirt’s mouth fell open, and they didn’t speak for several minutes until Daphne finally broke the silence.
“There’s no mention about Lexi in our news. Zelda, yes, but nothing about Lexi,” said Daphne in a high-pitched voice. “The Elofficium always reports cracked Opus Stones. They have to. It’s their job.”
“It’s likely that whatever you saw wasn’t her Opus Stone,” said Brat.
This made Anni feel better, but it was hard to know if it was true. After all, Krizia left the meeting with Lexi’s necklace; she said she was heading to the Elofficium with a confirmed report of who the necklace belonged to. Other than that Anni didn’t know how Leach and Krizia got it in the first place, or who else knew about Lexi’s necklace.
Jay knocked on Fortensia’s door, but walked in anyway. “I had to see this for myself,” he said, scratching his chin. “You know what this means, right?”
“This is not a good time, Jay,” said Daphne, getting up and hiding Brat from his view. “Don’t you need to be doing stuff, getting stuff? You know, for the trip?”
“Listen, I’m good, but I’m no magician,” said Jay. “Look at her. She can barely get past the office door.” Jay turned to Anni. “Look, kid, call me when you get that thing off. I can’t help you until then.”
“I’m not giving up. We’re going,” said Anni defiantly. “We have to.”
Jay smirked. Squirt turned to him and said, “Give us another hour.”
Jay checked his wrist. “An hour?” he turned to Daphne. “And you’ll have the Opus Stones by then? I don’t want to keep making trips back and forth. I do have a life.”
“I’m just wondering,” Daphne said, her nostrils flared, “where exactly do you get your Stones from? Obviously, they aren’t easy to come by. Unless, of course, you have connections with, say, a certain underground trade? I hope they’re not warmed over or anything like that.”
Jay’s playful grin turned sour. “Look, there’s no need for that kind of talk. If you can’t get your hands on real Opus Stones, there’s no reason to get all needle-nosy with me. Listen, Floppy, all you need to do is say the magic words, and I’ll get you the Stones, but only if you play nice. Otherwise, I’m thinking that you’re gonna need to sit this one out.”
Daphne remained calm. “Oh, you mean these?” She pulled out three large Opus Stones from her hip pack. “We’ll just need the E-passes, and there’s no need to come back here in an hour. We’ll meet you at the end of Spadu Hills Lane at dusk.”
Jay’s face turned a slight shade of pink. He left them without another word. Anni pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure Daphne should have annoyed him like that. How would they get the anklet off in an hour? But she couldn’t say what she was thinking because Fortensia entered the room.
“You want something done and the Elofficium throws paperwork at you. Human or Elemental, it’s all the same,” said Fortensia, waving a fist full of forms. “You know, if you keep staring at that thing, you’ll all go blind.” She chuckled, but no one else did. “Squirt, seein’ that anklet reminds me of something…something that looks an awful lot like a rock, but not a rock exactly, more like petrified wood.” Anni watched Fortensia tilt her head from side to the side as she stared directly at Squirt. “That is, if you know how to grow something that’s not supposed to grow in these parts….Oh, well, what do I know? Guess I’ll go fill out this paperwork unless anyone wants to come help me with something outside.”
Fortensia left the room. Brat harrumphed, and Daphne looked confused, but Squirt jumped up and punched the air. “I’ve got it,” he said and ran after Fortensia.
“That’s Squirt for you. Here one minute, gone the next. Yugi tells him that he’s got grasshoppers in his brain,” said Daphne.
Anni saw through her attempt to lighten the mood. “What if I’m stuck like this? What if I never find—”
“You can’t think like that,” said Daphne.
“Exactly,” said Brat. “Better to spend your time preparing for LimBough.”
“Good point,” said Daphne. “When we debark from Tree-Transport, the TreePort won’t take us to the exact coordinates. We could be in the jungle for a couple days.”
“Really?” Anni said. “I thought it would be different, faster.”
“Moppins, it’s complicated,” said Brat. “There are millions of trees. It’s not that easy. The same tree can take you to China, or Italy, or Norway. You need to know your trees, know where you’re going, and what trees are where. An Arborist usually plans trips for Elkins who aren’t used to traveling outside the normal routes. Should we hire one?”
“That’ll draw too much attention.” Daphne frowned. “We’ll play it by ear.”
“If you’re worried and don’t want to risk it, you can just drop me off in LimBough,” said Anni. “I’m sure Jay can figure out the way.”
“Uh, no,” said Daphne. “First of all, I’m not leaving you alone with him. Second, forget about trying to convince Squirt otherwise; he won’t leave your side. Besides, do you actually think I’d pass up the opportunity to see how well my travel kits do? I’ve made kits for Mac and Oliver in the past, but I’ve never tried it out myself firsthand.”
“I almost forgot.” Anni handed the somasuit to Daphne. “It almost strangled me in the Manor. I think it’s broken. Hopefully you can repair it.”
Daphne bit her lip as she inspected the somasuit before laying it aside. “It’s a good thing your Funk has cleared up. I only hope it’s clear enough for LimBough.”
Anni pulled Lexi’s doll from her backpack next and showed it to Daphne. “I’m almost positive that the doll’s dress is a map. I saw one in Ms. OggleBoggle’s house this afternoon. Can you check on your Omninav to see if it matches the area with the coordinates? Maybe it will help narrow things down to the right tree.”
“I’ll try.” Daphne scanned the doll’s entire skirt until her Omninav beeped. “You should rest; it might take a while for it to calculate the information and find a match. I’m going to check on Squirt. I’ll be back in a few. Brat, will you stay with her?”
Brat nodded and settled on Anni’s shoulder. She rested her eyes.
Anni awoke to the sweet smoky scents of licorice, chicory, and star jasmine. Something was slithering across her leg. She almost jerked, but Squirt put a steady hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Don’t move, but you might want to keep your eyes closed.”
Anni didn’t follow his suggestion. Her eyes were focused on her leg, which was propped up over a small cast-iron smoker. The anklet was no longer solid, which not only made her skin crawl, but it was almost impossible to remain still, because its hard, stony surface had turned olive green and was slinking over her leg like a snake.
The smoker made the room warm, and her eyes watered. Repulsed as the vine slithered over her flesh, Anni gripped the chair and ground her teeth in an effort to keep from moving. The vine was dazed and drawn toward the aroma of the smoker, but when she jerked ever so slightly, it rushed toward her knee. It started circling like it was going to wrap around and harden right there, as it had done on her ankle. Her breath quickened and her body became stiff.
Daphne said, “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Think about seeing Lexi’s face when you find her and how happy you’ll be.”
Brat sniffed upon hearing Lexi’s name.
Anni shot Brat a look before closing her eyes. Thinking happy thoughts as the vine slithered over her skin took concentration. She felt it move down her leg again. Thi
s, she decided, was the time to have faith, and she managed to control her breath and relax her body.
Anni opened her eyes. Squirt’s Eaves-Dropus plant sat on a small hoverdisk about two feet off the floor. Brat nudged the hoverdisk under Anni’s leg. The vine lifted the part that most resembled its head, sniffing the air around the plant. Hesitant, the vine uncurled itself from Anni’s ankle, inch by inch, slowly reaching out for it. In a single bound, the vine sprang off Anni’s leg and onto the Eaves-Dropus. In a flash, the vine looped around Squirt’s Eaves-Dropus plant; instantly both plants solidified into petrified rock. Squirt raced the smoker outside and opened all of Fortensia’s windows. Brat pushed the hoverdisk out Fortensia’s door with the help of One-eyed Nimmy.
“Brat and One-eyed Nimmy are going to hide that hoverdisk up on Fortensia’s roof. If Leach is tracking you, he’ll just think you’re up in the attic,” said Daphne as she hustled Anni into a private room, and handed her some clean clothes along with her new backpack, which held Lexi’s doll and her new journal.
When Anni came out, Daphne applied the last bit of ointment to her ankle. “Thank you,” said Anni. “Squirt, how’d you—”
“He was extremely lucky. Solved two problems at once,” said Daphne. “You totally owe Fortensia for that save.”
“It’s true. I do owe her. That thing on your ankle was an Eaves-Cavea, a cousin to my Eaves-Dropus,” said Squirt. “I never would have figured it out until Fortensia showed me her dad’s old book on plant charming. We tricked it into thinking it was reattaching to its mother plant, but now that they are both petrified, the Eaves-Dropus will never change back—so I can’t get in trouble. Hee hee. Clever, huh?”
“Moppins, that was easy,” said Brat. “It’s getting late. Shouldn’t you guys get going?”
“Brat,” said Anni, standing up. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“Moppins, you know I can’t,” said a glossy-eyed Brat. “Suppose this is goodbye.”
“Thanks for helping.” Anni hugged him, wishing he would come with them. She had gotten so used to having him around, but the more she thought about it, she didn’t want to get him into any more trouble. She put on her best fake smile. “I’ll tell Lexi you said hi.”
“Okay then,” said Brat. “Get going.”
They had just gotten outside when Anni could have sworn she heard a little sniff. She looked back, but Brat was out of view. She turned and faced the road ahead, joining Daphne and Squirt walking down Spadu Road. Fortensia, too, was nowhere in sight, and Anni started to feel like a heel, leaving without saying goodbye. She had no idea leaving her new friends behind for her old one would hurt this much, but it did.
Squirt put his arm over Anni’s shoulder as if sensing her sadness. His gentle reassuring touch made her feel a little bit better, and reminded her of what was ahead.
“Wait,” Daphne said, stopping at the side of the road. She pulled items out of her pack and handed them to Anni and Squirt. “I almost forgot. Put these on. It’s our disguises. People won’t recognize us unless we look them straight in the eye. So whatever you do—”
“Don’t look anyone straight in the eye,” Squirt repeated. “Unless they’ve got some Swiss cheese, then you know—”
“Be serious,” said Daphne. She helped Anni by adjusting a black baseball cap on her head, which covered half her face.
“Whoa,” said Anni, as her hair grew five inches longer, and turned a deep amber color. She then buckled a thin belt around her waist and a green peasant skirt fell to her feet. “Do I look different?”
Daphne took a step back and smiled. “Yes, you do.”
“I like this!” said Squirt. His navy windbreaker lengthened his torso and made him a head taller than both of the girls, which for him was a lot.
Daphne put on a headband that turned her hair white and a belt that changed all her preferred purple-hued clothes into shades of red. “It should do,” she said. “But Squirt, remember to put on your hood when we reach the village and, whatever you do, don’t make eye contact with anyone except for each other.” She handed each of them a highly polished stone that looked like it was lit from within. “There are small pockets in your clothes where you can keep them safe. You only need to take it out at the bridge. I think.”
With wrinkled brows, Anni and Squirt cautiously took them.
“What?” said Daphne. “They’re not mine. They’re Diana’s. I’m not sure how she got so many, but my guess is that she inherited them. Plus, using other Elementals’ Opus Stones is a great way to travel incognito.”
“Daph, don’t you think that’s sort of like leaving a trail?” asked Squirt.
“No. She has another five carefully tucked away, and that’s only what I know about. Trust me, Diana won’t miss them.”
“If it’s traceable, maybe it would be better to use one of Jay’s,” said Anni.
Daphne sighed. “No. It’s too late.” She frowned. “That might seem like the logical solution, but we don’t even know where he gets his Opus Stones, or if they’re from a certain underground trade.” Her eyebrows lifted in a discerning manner. “There’s only one place to get warmed-over stones, and I assure you, it’s not a pretty story. The Fectus created the Vile Trade; it’s where cracked Opus Stones are bought and sold. We can’t support that. It means you are buying and trading something that cost an Elemental their life.”
“Cracked,” said Squirt. “But that’s just a story they tell kids to scare them.”
“No. It’s real,” said Daphne. “I know you both think that Jay is being helpful, but we also need to be careful, too. I asked him where he got his stones because I don’t want him to think we’re stupid. If we used a cracked Opus Stone, we might not get past LimBough, and I don’t want to take any chances.”
Anni remembered what she read about the Fectus on Daphne’s Omninav, and that first news article about Teddy. It said his Opus Stone was cracked; the thought made her sick, and this wasn’t the time to think about it.
“Okay, back to the plan,” said Daphne. “Anni? Ready?”
“Yeah.” Anni nodded. “Let’s go.”
They walked through the low-filtered light of the forest to the edge of the town. The sun had just started to set on the village walk. Jay was waiting on a nearby bench.
“Impressive,” he said, walking over. “Right on time, but let’s make a quick detour back to the woods, if you don’t mind.”
Jay handed Anni two clear rubberized foot coverings. “You’ll need to put these on your feet, kid. That bridge holds the memory of everything that crosses it. You don’t want another dip in that Lake, and these should buffer that memory.”
Anni looked at Daphne. “Is that true?”
Daphne blinked in surprise. “I…I can’t believe I forgot that.” She turned to Jay. “Thank you. If you didn’t remind us, our trip would have ended right here.”
Jay’s lopsided grin returned. “Don’t mention it. I’ll walk over with Squirt. Then you two follow me. I’ll pause at the bridge. Squirt will go first, then Anni, then you, Daphne. I’ll take up the rear. Pass through the Orb, take an immediate right, and walk slowly. Once you’re inside, I’ll pass you and take the lead. Okay?”
All three of them nodded.
“Hold these in your left hand.” Jay gave each of them their open-ended E-passes. “Have your Stones ready in your right.”
Squirt and Jay took off, Anni followed behind. Elementals crowded the walk. The shops were busier than she’d ever seen them. Grateful for her disguise, her heart pounded nonetheless. She weaved through the crowd, avoided eye contact, which was a good thing because she briefly spotted Miranda talking to a woman two shops down from the bridge.
Jay bent down next to the bridge, pretending to adjust his left shoe as he mouthed instructions. Without a hitch, the bridge extended for Squirt. Anni was next. Her legs felt like jittery springs, twanging with each step. She placed the E-pass on the glass surface just as Squirt had done.
“Now the Stone,” said Jay under his breath.
“Oh,” she breathed, a little less confident. She hadn’t seen Squirt do this part.
She placed the stone on the glass, and a subtle blue light pulsed underneath. Daphne was behind her, but Anni just stood there. She didn’t know what the blue light meant. She turned to look at Jay. He rolled his eyes and mouthed, “Go,” but the nudge from Daphne was the thing that snapped her out of it.
As if on autopilot, her legs took over and Anni stepped onto the bridge. Squirt was more than halfway to the Orb. She didn’t dare look behind her to see where the others were but focused ahead, making sure that the bridge was still connected to the Orb, unlike last time. If it was going to disconnect, it might occur after Squirt passed through. Her stride widened as she got closer and closer.
The Orb opened before Squirt and swallowed him whole. In a few more paces, it would be her turn. The bridge was still connected; Anni watched it anxiously and pressed on. In a matter of seconds, she would be there, leaving the Zephyr at last.
When she got closer, she saw her reflection and realized the Orb was a giant mirror. She held her breath and counted down. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. As if she was a regular Elemental, the Orb opened for her and she passed through.
Before the Orb closed behind her, something whooshed past her face.
“Moppins, you’ll never find Lexi without me,” said Brat. He settled on her shoulder, hidden in her hair.
LIMBOUGH
Once inside the Orb, earthy scents of roots, leaves, and bark wafted up into Anni’s nose. She paused beneath a cathedral-sized arch that was only one of thousands lined up in circular rings above and below her like the interior of a giant beehive. To her left and right, Elementals of all shapes and sizes exited other arches, walking with purpose onto a massive bough-braided avenue ahead.
Anni Moon & The Elemental Artifact: An Elemental Fantasy Adventure Series: Book For Kids Ages 9-12 (Anni Moon Series) Page 24
