His his mouth agape, Theo dropped to the ground. Three enormous wolves with glaring red eyes flew in the air, pulling a carriage made of bones and human skulls, stitched together with what looked like tendons.
A woman’s husky voice yelled, “Loosen the reins before you kill us!”
“Youda Stana, tell her not to touch me!” another woman, more shrill, screamed.
“Stop fighting, you two,” a third woman hollered with a creepy hyena-like sound that ripped at Theo’s ears. “Watch out for that boulder!”
The carriage landed between Diva and Theo. Spewing out bloody foam, the snarling wolves snapped at each other and strained against the reins as they dug their claws into the sand. The women inside looked like older versions of Diva—beautiful, but with smug looks as if they controlled the world. They couldn’t be her sisters. Diva wouldn’t have told him and Pavel to run. Not that he could. He was too exhausted, and he had nowhere to escape.
A blonde descended the carriage. She straightened her orangey-gold gown, then held her hand out to an elderly woman sitting hunched on the carriage bench.
Before the older woman could take her hand, the other woman, a brunette in a red, flowing gown, slapped her away and jumped out. “I’m older than you. I’ll help Youda Stana. You stay here and guard the carriage.” She was the husky-voiced one.
The elderly woman’s deep purple gown caught on a skull as she emerged from her seat. While the brunette steadied her, the blonde untangled the garment, earning her a grin, then a slap on the side of the head.
“Next time, make sure it doesn’t get snagged in the first place,” Youda Stana snapped, then hobbled toward Theo, with the brunette behind her.
“Stop right there!” An arrow whizzed over the older woman’s hairline, embedding itself into the side of the carriage.
Youda Stana spun around. “I see a little sister Samodiva has survived Lamia’s wrath.”
“How did you get out of the vault?” Diva asked. “Bendis sentenced you to be locked there forever.”
“I guess someone made a mistake and left the door open.” The older woman cackled.
The blonde whispered into Youda Stana’s ear.
The old woman’s head bobbed in agreement. “You must be lonely, child. Why don’t you join us?”
“I’m not a child!” Diva tossed her head back, her wild curls raging like her temper. “A Samodiva will never live with Youdi.”
Youda Stana swept her scraggly gray hair from her forehead, revealing a dragon tattoo, then laughed, spraying the brunette with spittle.
“What’s so funny?” She grimaced and wiped the saliva off her face.
“The boy won’t like what Lamia’s done to his sister.”
Theo’s heart lurched. Nia? What had the dragon done?
The blonde rubbed her hands together, and her voice rose higher than before as if with excitement. “Did Lamia drain her blood and add it to her bath? Maybe she’ll give me the carcass so I can feed it to my pets.” She caressed the wolves.
“Fool.” Youda Stana slapped her. “Lamia has something even more sinister in mind.”
Theo gasped and covered his mouth to stifle a scream. What was Lamia going to do to Nia? “Leave my sister alone!”
A wolf howled. “Shh, shh.” The blonde soothed the beast.
Diva crept closer, another arrow nocked and pointed at Youda Stana’s forehead.
The brunette turned her way and sneered. “Be reasonable, child. We can help you rescue your sisters. Those do-gooder Samodivi. All we want is to collect the boy for Lamia before he does any more damage.”
“Never!” The freckles on Diva’s face turned dark gray as she pulled the string back.
The younger Youdi rushed to Stana’s side—a bit behind her, rather than in front to protect her from Diva’s arrow.
Youda Stana slapped them both, then said, “Have it your way.” With a growl, she shape-shifted into a large gray wolf and bounded forward, crushing Diva to the ground. The other two Youdi dashed toward Theo.
“Run!” Diva shouted as she bashed the wolf’s face. “Ruslana, save them!”
Ruslana snatched Theo and Pavel, and held them tight under her arms.
“No!” Pavel screamed.
Theo fought Ruslana’s grip. “We’re not leaving Diva.”
“No time to argue.” Ruslana swam to her island and put them on the shore. “They can’t set foot here.”
Theo paced, while Pavel screamed, “Let Diva go!”
Still in wolf form, Stana dragged a struggling Diva toward the carriage before shape-shifting back into an old woman. The Youdi bound Diva with ropes, then assisted Stana into the carriage.
The blonde snapped the whip in the air. Growling, the wolves dug their claws into the ground and pounced forward. Bones on the carriage rattled. The wind whistled through the empty skulls.
“We’ll see you again,” Youda Stana spat toward Theo as they flew over the island. “Next time we meet, you won’t be so lucky.”
The carriage disappeared into the moonlit sky.
What were they going to do without Diva’s help?
***
Theo jolted upward as the sky lightened toward dawn. Something had woken him. He didn’t know how he’d managed to sleep. Ruslana sat on a rock, splashing her tail in the water. Pavel lay curled by the embers of a fire Ruslana had made on the island the night before.
Fish bones lay buried in the ashes. He hadn’t wanted to eat, but Ruslana insisted. He needed more energy than he’d get from the nuts and berries he’d been eating.
A week had gone by since Lamia had abducted Nia. Now Diva was gone, too. Was it too late to save either of them?
A terrible croaking noise filled the air. Was that what had woken him? He scanned the island, looking for the Youdi. The tight muscles in his shoulders relaxed. Neither they nor their beastly wolves had returned. Then what was that noise? He caught Ruslana’s eye.
She smiled. “It’s the noisy magpie.”
“Boo.” Theo got to his feet and dusted off his clothes. “I have to find him.”
Pavel stretched and yawned. “It won’t be hard with all that noise.”
“Shall we return to shore?” Ruslana asked.
“I know how to swim.” Pavel dove into the water, bobbing in and out of the waves.
Theo remained on the beach, uncertain if he could make it without the belt Ruslana had given him. He had already almost drowned. The water terrified him more now than it had before.
“It’s no shame to be afraid.” Ruslana held out her arms. “Come. It’ll be quicker if I assist you.”
Theo nodded and stepped into the water. Ruslana wrapped her arm around him and glided toward the mainland. When they arrived, he kissed her cheek. “Thank you for saving us.”
She pulled the black box from the net at her side. “Destroy the beast inside, then continue on your journey. Go to the orchard. The fruit will give you strength.”
With a flip of her tail, Ruslana swam away. Theo watched until the island disappeared under the waves.
“Waak, waak!” A bush rustled nearby.
“Sorry, Boo.” Theo coaxed the magpie from his hiding place and stroked his feathers. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“What are we going to do now?” Pavel kicked at stones. “How will we find Diva?”
“I don’t know.” Theo clenched his fists. How was he going to help Diva? Her life could be in danger ... or she could already be dead. Without her, he had no idea how to rescue Nia. “Let’s think about it while we eat.”
Clutching the mahogany box, Theo returned to where they had left their backpacks. His throat tightened. Diva’s pouch lay abandoned, although her bow and quiver were gone. They gathered their possessions and walked to the orchard. He plucked a few orange-colored fruits, handing one to Pavel. His heart heavy, Theo took a bite. The tangy juice dribbled down his chin.
“What’s the plan?” Pavel asked.
Theo finished the fruit. Energy surged t
hrough him—and hope. He couldn’t let setbacks defeat him. He’d find a way to rescue both Diva and Nia. They had to be okay. “Let’s destroy Lamia’s soul first. If we weaken her, we’ll have a better chance of defeating the dragon.”
He dug through his backpack for the key.
It wasn’t there.
He dumped the contents onto the ground. Still no key. He searched his pockets, turning them inside out. They contained only the golden scale, which he slid back inside. Once again, he dug through everything on the ground and shook the backpack, but nothing else fell out.
“Where is it?” Theo raked his hand through his hair. He whirled around to face the water. “What if I dropped the key in the bay? No. I’m positive I didn’t take it with me.”
“Maybe it’s in Diva’s pouch,” Pavel said. “Let me look there.” He sat on the ground sorting through Diva’s items, running his fingers along her leather book. “Nothing here.”
“I’ll check yours, too.” Theo shook Pavel’s backpack. Items flew in all directions.
“Aw, man. Now I’ll have sand in my pajamas.” Pavel flapped the bottoms in the air.
“It’s not here.” Theo dropped to the ground. “Sorry for messing up your stuff.”
“That’s okay.” Pavel put Diva’s things back. “You’re worried. We both are. We’ll find the key. Maybe Diva has it.”
“Why would she take it?”
Pavel shrugged.
Boo hopped over to the mahogany box and pecked at the keyhole. Something inside hissed.
Theo hit the cover in frustration. “How will I destroy Lamia’s soul if I can’t open this?”
“How about with a knife?” Pavel handed Theo one.
The knife twisted in the keyhole and bent when Theo tried to pry open the side. “Maybe it needs magic like the egg did.” He grabbed the silver arrow and stuck the tip into the hole, but it did nothing. He tried the pin Baba Yaga had given him. Still nothing. “Darn.” He put the box in his backpack.
“Where do you think Diva is?” Pavel’s voice cracked.
Theo shrugged. “The castle? The Youdi probably would put her in prison with her sisters.”
“How are we going to find our way there? Oh, wait.” Pavel dug back in Diva’s pouch. “Let’s see if we can figure out where the castle is from the map.”
The map? Jabalaka had said bad things would happen to anyone who touched Lamia’s Bible, hadn’t he? And Diva had torn the map from the book of secrets. Had she been captured because of its curse? And now Pavel ...
Theo shouted, “Don’t touch the map!”
Chapter 16
Giant, Furry Monsters
Theo tackled Pavel. The map flew from Pavel’s hand. Boo croaked and fled to a rock. Swinging his head from side to side, the magpie continued his obnoxious cawing. The “Waak, waak” sounded more like “What? What?” as if Boo was scolding Theo.
“Umph. Get off me.” Pavel squirmed from beneath Theo and brushed sand off his clothes. “What was that all about?”
“The map’s cursed.” Theo crawled toward the piece of paper, staring at it, expecting it to burn a hole in the ground.
“It’s not. Diva held it and didn’t turn into a frog.”
“Not that kind of curse.” Theo explained what Jabalaka had said about Lamia’s Bible. “I-I think that’s why Diva was captured.”
Pavel opened his mouth, but didn’t speak. He paced by the map before kneeling and smoothing it out. “Too late now. I already touched it, so we might as well look.”
Theo sat beside him. “Diva said this was Rusalki Bay.” He pointed to where the dragon tail twisted around a body of water. “We came through the Forest of Souls. These look like tree symbols right below it. So ...” He drew an invisible line along the top of the dragon’s back. “If we go back this way, it should bring us to Cherna Mountain.”
“Sounds good.” Pavel got up, collected his possessions, and put the map back into Diva’s pouch. “Let’s go save her.”
“And Nia.”
“Yah, her, too.”
Theo picked up his bow, quiver, and backpack and set off toward the mist-covered mountain. He followed a rocky path that might have once been a river bed. It snaked along the valley until it narrowed, winding around the base of a hill. Stone figures of griffins and other unnerving creatures lined both sides of the path. He walked past the creatures in silence while Boo flitted from bush to bush, eating berries.
Pavel stumbled and wiped sweat from his face. “I need to rest.”
“Okay.” Theo pulled out an arrow. “I’ll practice shooting.”
He targeted a dead tree. Concentrating, he let the arrow fly. It skidded along the ground feet from the tree. He scowled as he retrieved it. Why couldn’t he hit the target? He had killed the vulture with one shot.
The answer flooded his mind. Diva had been in danger.
Theo shuffled back toward Pavel. “I’m going to climb this hill to see if I can see Cherna Mountain—and Lamia’s castle.”
“Wait. I’m coming.” Pavel wiped his glasses, then pushed himself from the ground. “Don’t leave me here alone.”
Theo’s feet slipped on moss-covered steps as he hurried to the top. He slowed his pace, stepping carefully. The creepy statues along the path seemed to gawk at him.
Pavel stopped, holding his side and breathing rapidly. “We’ve already climbed at least a hundred steps, and I can’t see the top. We should go back. You don’t even know if you can get a clear view up there.”
“I think we’re close.”
Pavel groaned. “We’re going to reach the clouds soon.”
“We can rest at the top. If we stop now, it’ll be hard to keep going.”
Pavel counted each step out loud as they went. At forty, they stepped onto an open area with a circular platform made of a mosaic of flat stones. Boulders and more sinister statues surrounded the site.
Theo gazed in awe. An obrok, a sacred place their ancestors celebrated rituals. It was like the one at the Stone Forest, where they had entered the gate.
“Awesome. Megaliths.” Pavel slung his backpack off his shoulder and set it and Diva’s pouch by a pile of rocks formed into a nest. “I wonder if they generate their own energy field.”
“How can you tell?”
“With this.” Pavel walked around the circle of stones, holding his compass, and stopped at an opening. “I think the magnetic force comes in through this gap. From there, it’ll flow around the edge and spiral toward the center.”
Theo removed his backpack and put it with Pavel’s, but kept his bow and quiver. He walked to the center of the platform.
Carved channels extended out from a fire pit to form eight uniform wedges. A trough around the outer edge encircled the wedges creating an image resembling the rays of the sun. The scent of burned wood—and something more—lingered. He scooched down and ran warm ashes from the pit through his fingers. Charred bits of bone filtered through. That was the other scent: cooked flesh.
“Someone’s been here recently.” Maybe the Harpies. He glanced along the edge of the forest.
“They might still be around.” Pavel backed away. “Who knows what they were celebrating ... or what kind of rituals they performed. We came here to see if we could find the way to Lamia’s castle. Let’s look and then leave.”
“I agree. It feels creepy.” Theo hastened toward the ridge, but stopped when he came upon an animal’s skinned pelt and bones.
He covered his mouth and gagged. As he sped back to Pavel, the ground shook. A thump, thump, thump and grunting came from the path they had climbed. Boo stopped eating berries and darted onto a high tree branch.
“Pavel, we have to hide!”
“There’s a trapdoor on the ground on the other side of the boulders,” Pavel said, “but I don’t think—”
“Come on!” Theo whispered as the thumping grew louder. He ran around the outer edge of the boulders. A huge trapdoor lay askew. He peeked inside.
Pavel grasped
his shirt. “Don’t go in. Giants could live down there.”
“We don’t have a choice. Whatever’s out there is coming.” He zipped through the opening into a cavern, with Pavel so close he could feel his hot breath on the back of his neck.
Musty air clung to Theo’s clothes, and cool moisture dampened his cheeks. Torches lining the walls flickered as he and Pavel rushed by, casting eerie shadows along the corridor and up walls that climbed higher than Theo could see.
“Maybe you’re right, Pavel. Giants.” His words came out louder than he intended, the sound echoing down the passageway.
The farther they ventured, the wider the corridor became. Several dark tunnels veered off each side. Scurrying, scratching, and screeching came from their depths. Within one passageway, torchlight revealed a pictograph of furry creatures with snarling faces dancing around a fire. Theo stepped closer.
Pavel grabbed his arm. “I’m not going down there.”
A racket ahead of them started up and grew louder, bouncing off the walls until Theo’s eardrums pulsed with each beat.
“Hide!” He shoved Pavel into the tunnel with the drawings, following right behind him.
Two enormous figures carrying torches passed close to their hiding place. Huge silver bells, supported by belts around their midriffs, clanged with a deafening noise. Theo covered his mouth and nose to avoid breathing the strong scent of feral animals. The creatures covered in black fur walked erect on two legs like people, but had blood-red eyes, long fangs, and curved horns—like the figures from the drawing on the wall.
When the tunnel quieted, Theo smacked the side of head trying to stop his ears from ringing. Pavel did the same. They emerged into the lit passageway. Theo kept his gaze glued to where the giants had disappeared.
“I hope those ... whatever they are, didn’t see or hear us,” Pavel said.
“Me, too. Let’s get out of here. You were right. This was a bad idea.” Theo crept closer to the exit. “If it’s dark out, we can sneak past them. I hope Boo’s okay.”
“I wish Diva was here,” Pavel said.
“Shh.” Theo peeked out the cavern opening.
The two furry creatures jumped and shuffled around the now-roaring fire as if in a trance. Flames reflected off the bells, making the dancers look like spirits preparing to descend to the underworld.
The Unborn Hero of Dragon Village Page 16
