by J. P. Rice
The Sphinx nodded and turned her attention back to the Rosendales.
Any and all help was welcome, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. The Rosendales had thousands of citizens under their control. I understood not wanting to send people to take on a king who had ruled for more than a thousand years. Most of my missions sounded suicidal when I reflected on them after the fact. So I couldn’t blame the Rosendales for not trusting some random guy named Darryl.
With that said, it still sucked. Brute force was now off the menu. We would have to be ten times craftier now. “We appreciate all the help.”
The Sphinx addressed our new crew, “First, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing this. Darryl and I will fly ahead and inspect the area around the castle.” She turned and winked at me, then focused back on her newly assembled force. “We will meet you on Mount Royal near the apple grove on the south face. Do you know what I’m referring to?”
The Sphinx had to have heard stories about the apple grove because she’d been locked up on the other side of the island. However, the faeries buzzed louder, seemingly in agreeance and the dwarves nodded with confidence. The dullahans used a quick motion with their wrists to nod with the decapitated heads.
The small folk took off up the northern path with the faeries flying overhead, following them from above. The dullahans left to prepare for the upcoming trip.
I wasn’t sure how much help this army would be, but it was better than nothing. “Thank you for this. I won’t forget about it.”
“Don’t go gettin’ my people killed now, young feller,” Fetterman said with a wink.
“We will do our best,” I promised, put my right hand on my belly and bowed to Mirera. I stood up and lifted my left arm. Miraculously, the pain was gone. It couldn’t have been the kiss. Right?
Mirera looked at me and then at the Sphinx. “I guess we’ll see you around the way, then.”
Another group of dwarves rushed in and slid the piece of flat wood over the steps so that the Rosendales could get into their castle. The horses turned, reared back and rushed up the incline, dashing through the raised portcullis and into the castle.
I turned to the Sphinx and smiled. “We need to make one stop before we go stake out the castle. Do you know the Rhyming Red Cap?”
“Of course. You already mentioned that. I mean, as far as the Red Cap goes, I’ve heard the stories. You need to guide the way again,” she said and leaned forward, dropping her shoulder close to mother earth. I gently hooked my leg over her body and slid into position. As I wrapped my arms around her neck, I could feel her musculature as she spread her wings and her body tensed up.
The Sphinx started beating her wings slowly and majestically, building up speed gradually. Within moments, we were lifting off the ground and rising above the Rosendales’ castle. Soon, we streaked through the early morning pumpkin sky of Sleepy Willow.
My thighs burned as I clung on for dear life. One hasty movement could send me hurtling to a bloody death. I still couldn’t believe that the Sphinx’s kiss had worked. Without full strength in that arm, I would have had a hell of a time staying atop the mythical animal.
Most of the scenery below was covered by the bushy green tops of the trees. It was like a Bob Ross painting. A happy little tree over here and a nice, friendly stream over there.
About every ten miles or so was a village or small town. Just close enough so the citizens could make it there and back on foot in one day. As I gazed ahead, a castle that lay in ruins appeared out of the swirling mosaic of browns and greens.
I tapped the Sphinx with my elbow. “That’s it right there.”
Chapter 26
The Sphinx descended gradually and circled the castle, coming to a gentle stop near the castle bridge. I got down and wondered if the Red Cap would be as receptive to visitors as our previous host. We crossed the bridge and came to a giant castle door.
“I’ll handle this,” said the Sphinx as she walked up to the wooden door. She did a quick about face and raised her right hind leg. She proceeded to pound against the door repeatedly, causing a booming, echoing sound that bounced off the moat water below. It was a cop knock if I’d ever heard one.
We waited for a few minutes and I started to get nervous. I’d always said anything could happen in this land, which I imagined held true even for those in a power position. Just as I was about to suggest we leave, the door creaked and began to slide toward us.
The black metal framework that edged the door scraped abrasively against the stone ground. Out of the shadowy opening emerged a giant man. It was the Red Cap’s butler. I waited for him to use his Lurch phrase again, but he just stood in silence, his freakishly white face and bright red lips making me uncomfortable. When he caught a glimpse of the Sphinx, he blushed and looked down at the moat, then tried to comb his messy hair with his sausage fingers.
I bowed and stated, “We’re here to see the Red Cap, my good man.”
“Have you an appointment?” the butler asked in a slow, bass-filled drawl.
“We do not. But I can guarantee he will want to talk to us.” I widened my eyes and let the words linger, trying to entice the servant.
He waggled his eyebrows, then looked down at the rushing waters below the bridge. “I hear those words often. No. Very often. Nearly every single day.”
Apparently, he didn’t recognize me from our last visit. How rude. “Is it every day that the Sphinx is standing on your doorstep?”
He raised his head and his creepy gaze landed on the Sphinx. He tried to hide his goofy smile by partially covering his mouth with his hand and turning away. “I cannot say that happens daily. What is it you want?”
The Sphinx answered, “We are looking for a little assistance. It will be well rewarded.”
His forehead wrinkled and it appeared that the jagged point of his widow’s peak was trying to stab his nose. “How so? What will the reward be for my master?”
I decided to play to his desires. “More power. Which means more blood for his cap. Isn’t that what he really wants?”
The butler rubbed the dimple on his chin and peered off in the distance. “Promises made are much different than promises kept. To trust a man on a doorstep, one would have to be a fool.”
“I think it’s for a good cause. Would you do it for me?” the Sphinx asked, batting her eyelashes and turning away shyly.
Beads of sweat formed above the butler’s prominent brow and his pale face turned a dark shade of red, stopping just short of black cherry. He stammered, tripping over his own words, “I can. I suppose. For you. I’ll be right back.” He turned and hustled away, mumbling to himself.
I heard his feet shuffling across the stone floor until he disappeared into darkness. As soon as the butler was outside earshot, I said, “Using your looks to get what you want. You might have been locked up for a long time, but you sure know how the world works.”
The Sphinx smirked and her neck jerked to the right. She stared at the opening of the castle door as the sounds of footsteps returned.
I heard the Red Cap’s voice, “What do they want? Why are they here?
Is there something that I should fear?”
His butler explained, “The say they just want to ask you something and that it will be worth your time.”
The door opened more, skidding harshly across the stone and threatening to break my eardrums. The butler emerged and held his arm out. The Red Cap marched through the door with his tower of a red hat nearly scraping the top of the castle’s door frame.
He studied us skeptically, his head bouncing back and forth. His eyes ultimately focused on the Sphinx and he asked, “How’d you get out?”
It was the first time I hadn’t heard him rhyme.
The Sphinx took a step closer, and although the Red Cap’s hat was taller than she, the mythical creature towered over the smaller man. “I left my cage. Long overdue.”
The Red Cap stepped back. “I agree.
&nb
sp; But why on earth would you come see me?”
The Sphinx turned and gave me a nod. The Red Cap’s eyes moved to me. I said, “We are planning to rescue Queen Al.”
He fingered his beard, playing with it nervously with his pointer and middle fingers. “I ask again why come see me,
State your reason or up and flee.”
“We are looking for help in the rescue effort. You will be rewarded.” God, I was getting sick of saying that.
The Red Cap savored the words for a few moments and a wry smile came over his crusty, white lips. “A rescue mission is what I hear,
I liked Queen Al, she was a dear,
If help it is that you shall need,
Then for your cause, I shall bleed.”
I was stunned and almost couldn’t believe it. That had gone better than expected after the hassle at the Rosendales. Now we just needed to find out how many men the Red Cap was going to give us. “How many people do you think you can bring?”
His wry smile was still glued to his face, and he explained, “I’m afraid it’s only three,
It’s I, myself and then there’s me,
A great warrior, I once was,
On the field, my chest would buzz,
Those who live on the land I own,
Would be worthless, even the grown,
Fighters they aren’t, farmers they are,
You’d be dreaming upon a star,
For I’m the one you want to take,
I swear I’m genuine, not a fake.”
I scratched my itchy neck again. “So it’s just going to be you and your butler?”
He shook his head and his hat looked like a leaning tower about to go down until he stopped moving and the red stack of fabric ceased swaying. “No it won’t, it’s only me,
He is more worthless than a flea.”
The butler lowered his head and skulked away from the Red Cap, slinking into the darkness of the castle. My excitement was dying as it seemed that both attempts to build a substantial army had failed. I had some ideas in mind, but they would be much easier to accomplish with a decent fighting force.
We told the Red Cap about the meeting spot and got ready to leave. The old man was jacked up for the rescue mission. I didn’t know much about the Red Cap’s past but the old geezer had a thirst for adventure. However, the tiny man didn’t seem like a great addition to the team despite his raging enthusiasm.
I got onto the Sphinx and we took off again, darting across the Great Expanse on our way to the King’s Castle. The sprawling manor of the King’s Castle and its surroundings came into view about five hundred yards ahead. We circled the area a few times, being careful not to draw any undue attention, and flew over to the meeting spot.
The apple grove was situated on an overhang jutting out from the peak of Mount Royal. Strange place for ancient trees that’s branches stretched up toward the heavens. The apples were inedible because of the crop curse, but they sure did look delicious.
The location provided a perfect bird’s eye view of the castle. I’d never seen the outside of the castle even though I’d been inside. I had been knocked out when I had been taken inside the castle and I had used my return potion to escape.
The sprawling manor had a stone castle with several towers touching the sky. I noticed about a dozen fires to the south of the castle with a large group of sidhe in the area. Large catapult siege weapons were scattered around the castle, but due to the darkness of night, I couldn’t see much more.
“So it looks like the king has an army of men camped out on the south side of the castle. I can see the cook fires and wine barrels from here,” said the Sphinx.
I stood a few feet from the precipice and gazed down. Never a fan of heights, my stomach churned as my knees turned to jello and I took a step back toward safety. “There has to be close to five hundred men. And that’s not counting the guards inside the castle. This is not going to be easy. Although it never is.”
She backed away from the edge and sat down. “We get to use our ingenuity. Don’t worry, I have lots of ideas.”
My brain was still a little scattered from the pain meds, so I said, “Me too. But you go first.”
The Sphinx rubbed her nose with the back of her paw, flared her nostrils and smiled gently. “I will send some spies in to find out where Queen Al is located in the castle.”
I paced in front of her. “How are you going to do that? We just agreed that there are armed men swarming the inside and outside of the castle.”
“That’s where we have to use our brains, big man. What if we could send something in there that no one could see?” she asked, lifting her eyebrows.
Of course. “Faeries.”
The Sphinx’s thin lips curled up and cracked open, exposing her pearly teeth. “Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. I got to know a lot of faeries during my incarceration because they were the only creatures that could slip through the cracks in my cage. I just have to call on them.”
The Sphinx pursed her lips and formed a tiny circular opening. She exhaled, and a lovely tune sprang from her mouth. Glittery bits of gold and silver enchantment appeared in the air, carrying her magical whistling up into the cerulean sky.
She said, “We have to wait for them to arrive, but they will be here shortly. We can send them to scout around the castle too. What else should they be on the lookout for?”
“The Dragon Horn,” I told her.
“Of course. We talked about that back at the Rosendales. Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked with concern settling in her green irises.
“I’m fine,” I responded casually.
The truth was, I had been forgetting things since the trip to Philly. I assumed it was from the medication. “The Dragon Horn should be somewhere within the castle but I have no idea where it would be. If they can find that, I can blow in it and bring the good dragons to our cause. We also want to know exactly how many men are camped out on the south end. And then obviously anything relevant they come across.”
Before the Sphinx could respond, I remembered something else. “I do have a return potion too. If we can get inside and find Queen Al, I could send her back to the earth’s surface with just a little bit of this liquid. And then we can do the same. That way, we avoid the sidhe army outside the castle.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I wouldn’t feel right leaving the people who pledged to help us for dead. I have an idea for the sidhe too.”
I stopped pacing and plopped down next to her. “Would you like to let me in on the little secret?”
“I suppose since you helped me escape, I will. What is the one thing that the sidhe are extremely susceptible to?” she questioned with her eyes opened wide.
I patted her on the back of the mane. “Iron.”
She trembled under my touch, probably because of centuries of minimal contact. “Exactly. Most people underestimate the power of a group of faeries. I do not. We can have them insert some iron into the wine barrels and thus eliminate that problem.”
I had to admit that was a brilliant plan. “That could work well. If we could eliminate that threat, we could rush Queen Al out of the castle and only have the dragons to worry about.”
She bit her bottom lip. “We need to find some iron, though.”
I dug into my hip pack and pulled out an iron flask. I wore the hip pack to sneak in some iron and a few other things. The really important stuff like the return potion was in the inside pocket of my protection suit.
I held the silver object out for the Sphinx. “Will this work?”
Her chin moved up and down. “That will work perfectly.”
“Then it’s just the dragons we have to worry about.”
“Only the dragons,” she said with a laugh, peering down at the castle. “They will be a bigger problem. I don’t have any remedy for that if we can’t find the Dragon Horn.”
“I’ve killed a dragon before.” I wasn’t bragging. It was the gal darn truth. “It wasn’t easy and took
a lot out of me, but it can be done. I’m not sure about taking out a lot of them though.”
“We’ll put that issue on hold for now.” She faced me and asked bluntly, “Are you sure the queen is still alive?”
“As far as I know. The Celtic Gods said that she was. But anything can happen down here, so that’s impossible to say. I do know this; I’m going in anyway. If that means I have to find her first, so be it. I’m the reason she’s in this mess and I’m not leaving without her.”
The Sphinx got back up and craned her neck to check out the area around us, seemingly restless as a fugitive. “That’s noble. Why do you say that she is here because of you?”
I lowered my head and turned away. I mumbled, “I really don’t want to go into it right now, but it was my fault.”
The Sphinx seemed to notice the hurt in my eyes when I looked up at her and didn’t pry anymore. I didn’t want to regurgitate the story, which would just make me feel bad. I’d done the right thing with Reg and now it was time to correct this situation with Alayna.
Redemption awaited.
But the path to it was laden with pitfalls and gambits. I’d already abetted in starting a war between the shifters and vampires. As if that wasn’t enough, I’d gone with Jonathan on the fateful trip to Philly. And I couldn’t forget about the trip to hell where I had made some enemies. With all that behind me now, I hoped to rescue my mentor from certain death.
A faint buzzing sound from above grew in volume as I looked up. A bunch of faeries hovered above the Sphinx. I watched as one of the faeries flew into the Sphinx’s ear and a smile developed on her face.
The Sphinx said, “Thank you. It’s nice to be outside once and for all. I need some help. I need a few of you to run reconnaissance missions in and around the castle.”
The faeries buzzed with glee as the Sphinx continued, “There are a few specific items we want you to be on the lookout for. But if you see anything out of order, be sure to report it back to me.”
