The Black Opal

by Linda Jordan

  Mira watched as the Sorcerer slyly followed in the wake of the handler and dogs. Apparently waiting to see if something moved after the dogs left.

  She stayed still. Mira watched the Sorcerer slink into the center of the cavern, clenching his fists, punching the air, angrily. A pooka ran from the corridor the dogs had just entered and towards the Sorcerer. Mira quietly extricated the lump on her forehead from the column of bones.

  The pooka whispered quietly to the Sorcerer. He yelled at the pooka, threw up his hands in frustration, stalking back the way the pooka come from.

  The pooka turned to her and smiled.

  Mira felt filled with fear.

  Chapter 25 - Mira

  From the middle of the cavern, the pooka came to Mira and bowed. “We must wait here a little longer. The guard are attempting to rescue your companion. I will escort you into the castle safely. You will be on your own from there.”

  “Why are you helping me?” This dark, gray pooka reminded her of Edward, but how did she know she could trust him?

  “Because it is necessary. You must retrieve the soul from the Queen and overthrow her. No one else can do this. Dragons are circling the Tower, threatening to kill everyone, unless the boy is released.”

  “Why me?”

  Did Edward tell him about her? No, probably not. He must know from the Sorcerer. This must be a trap.

  “Chosen by the unicorns, Blessed by the Opal,” he bowed.

  She recognized the verse when he said it, but couldn’t grasp any context. The Opal had transferred an amazing amount of strength and knowledge and Mira knew she could now do things without really understanding how. Her mind and body were still trying to make sense of it all.

  Cupping her hands together, she imagined a stone that glowed. A golden gemstone the size of a plum appeared in her hands. Its glow lit the pooka’s face.

  “You will do it. We are sure of that,” he said.

  “What about the Sorcerer?”

  The pooka grinned. “He will be taken care of.” The expression sent chills through her. “Come, we must go now,” he said.

  She slipped the stone into her pocket, still feeling its warmth in her hands. Mira hadn’t realized how cold her body had become. She sent heat throughout it and soon needed to unbutton the top of her blouse and roll up her sleeves. Sweat began to drip down her face. Her hand caught on the lump on her forehead. If it wasn’t for the massive headache she could almost have forgotten it grew there.

  She followed the pooka. He would think she trusted him, but she would escape when the moment presented itself. Right now he watched her. Better to take him unawares. He led her to the fourth tunnel, on the far side of the two she already used.

  “Isn’t this the wrong hallway?” she asked.

  “We will cross over to the correct one at the end of the corridor. There are too many guards in the other one. All the tunnels connect, eventually.”

  “That’s not what the map said.”

  “Ah. Perhaps your informant has spent less time learning his way down here than we have,” said the pooka, smiling at her again.

  That smirk made her even more nervous. She wondered if perhaps he really meant to help her. This hallway looked just like the other two. Farther on, she noticed the skulls looked red. Not blood, the color was too vivid. They were decorated with red paint. It didn’t look gruesome, more like gaudy. Like the sugar skulls from a Day of the Dead Festival.

  They traveled down the tunnel, the pooka padding along slowly and Mira running faster just to keep up. Already tired, she became more and more exhausted, then decided to try shifting energy to her muscles. It worked. She felt them fill with energy and begin move more efficiently. She focused so much on her new found power that she ran into a wall, where the tunnel curved. Landing flat on her bum, she was amazed and startled at the rush of so much power.

  “Are you all right? I am so sorry. I should not run so quickly. You must be tired,” said the pooka, extending a hand to help her up.

  “I’m fine, just not paying attention.”

  She stood up, very embarrassed, and brushed herself off. The magic felt intoxicating. Like a fine dessert wine, sweet and full of fruit, masking all that alcohol, then wham. She could get drunk off all this power. It would be best to use it sparingly.

  They took a turn into a small, side passageway. This tunnel looked darker than the others. They had to pick their steps carefully as the ground lay littered with bones and fallen stones. The side corridors, clearly, weren’t kept up as well as the main ones. She could hear the faint barking of dogs all around them.

  As they neared the other main passageway, the familiar sounds of pursuit became audible. Dogs and guards. The pooka stopped and waited. Soon the echoes diminished.

  The pooka turned to her. “We are almost at the entrance to the palace. You must go up three stairways, passing the first two doors. Then go through the third doorway and turn to the left. Enter the second door on your left. A pooka will be guarding it, but will take that moment to turn away and check a disturbance in another room. That will let you into the Queen’s Quarters. We do not know where your sister’s soul is. That is for you to find. The child will find you.”

  She paused for a moment, astonished. He hadn’t turned her in. The pooka really did mean to help her. She nodded in answer and followed the pooka as he sprinted for the door. He unlocked and opened it. She ran for the stairs saying, “Thank you.”

  “Our thanks will come when the Queen is deposed,” he said, smiling broadly.

  Air whooshed by as the door closed behind her. She started up the black, glossy stairs. They felt slippery, despite the inset red tiles, so she hung onto the railing. At the top of the first flight she passed by a heavy wooden door. The stairs turned and became brilliant red stone inset with black tiles. As she ascended more light came in. After so long in the dark it took awhile for her eyes to adjust.

  She passed a second door and started on the third stairway of black stone and tiles. What time was it? Had the feasting started? Better not think about food, she thought. At least she didn’t feel thirsty now.

  She reached the top of the third stairway. This wooden door was painted gold. She cautiously opened it and peered around. The hallway stood empty except for the pooka guarding the second door to the left.

  He caught her eye and gave a slight twitch of his ear that reminded her of a wink. The pooka walked to a door across the corridor and opened it, looking inside. She walked into the hallway, past one door on the left and went inside the second one.

  A sumptuous seating area sat in front of her. She felt humidity and the powerful fragrance of sweet flowers. Shining blue and silver tapestries hung on several walls. A large shallow pool, with a fountain splashing in it, lay in the center. The ceiling contained several skylights and luscious, tropical plants grew everywhere, some twining around the pillars and many fragrant flowers in pink, red and yellow bloomed. The room also contained a few small trees to fill the tall, vaulted ceiling. Three doors opened into the lobby. She saw no one.

  She chose the door on the left. Inside lay a slightly smaller room, decorated the same way but only occupied by several silky, green couches. The room stood open to the outside with large doors and a breeze blowing through gauzy teal curtains. Twilight had arrived, but of which day? What if she was too late? How long had she wandered in the catacombs? What if the Queen had already inhaled Amanda’s soul?

  She tried to breathe deep and remain calm, to listen to the Opal’s voice inside herself for directions, but it felt very difficult. Tension crept up her back. She stretched, trying to release the muscles.

  She went deep inside again and asked for guidance. Finding it, she slipped through a door into a second room, lined with scarlet, gauzy curtains. Inside lay a huge pool of steaming water filled with rose petals. The room felt warm, humid and fragrant.

  She heard voices from an adjoining chamber and found a cluster of huge potted plants to hide behind. She visualize
d putting a cloak over herself to hide her power. The door must have opened because the voices became clearer.

  “Hurry,” said a woman’s voice. “We must put the asania petals into her bath so they can steep.

  There was chattering, punctuated by a deep and strong, feminine voice that commanded, “Tonight must be perfect. All of you out, out.” Then there was a sound of rustling. The woman said, “Turn your back until I am in the bath. The feast must be flawless. Tonight, I will choose a consort.” Someone quietly splashed water.

  “Do you think that wise your majesty? Why not wait until the souls have truly become yours at dawn. That way your new souls can help you choose,” said a slippery, slimy voice.

  She recognized the Sorcerer. She heard deception in his voice. Did he not intend to give Amanda’s soul to the Queen? Or did he hope to add a little spell in addition, that would give him more power over her, perhaps so the Queen would choose him? She wondered if the Queen could hear the deception.

  “When has a soul or a heart helped anyone choose a consort wisely? No, I need a clear head to do that, then all the new souls will help me love him.”

  The Queen sounded strange, although Mira had never heard her voice before. She seemed manic, maybe slightly deranged. Very deranged.

  “As you wish.”

  Had Mira heard correctly? ‘All the new souls’? Had the Queen stolen more that one? Fear crept up the small hairs on the back of her neck. Did the Queen steal Dylan’s soul as well? No one could do that to a child, could they?

  “Now, why have you kept me waiting so long?” demanded the Queen.

  “Nothing terribly important, but something I wanted to take care of before it became a larger problem.”

  Mira realized she could catch glimpses of the Sorcerer. She watched as he sat on a stool, his back to her.

  “What?”

  “Just a couple of burglars in the catacombs.”

  “Burglars! Tonight of all nights there must be no problems. Could not my pooka take care of that without you?”

  The Sorcerer fidgeted as he spoke. “I happened to be down there when the burglars arrived, so I stayed to help catch them. The pooka seemed to be having some problem finding one of them.”

  “But you caught them?”

  “One. He is in the dungeons. The other man is still in the catacombs, but will be caught shortly, we brought the dogs down.”

  “Only one?” she said. “Well, he will have to do. Let us have a little sacrifice before dawn.”

  Mira shivered, trying hard to become one with the wall behind and mask her emotions and power.

  “I do not think that would be a good idea, your Highness. Blood sacrifices, midsummer and new souls , it is a clash of intentions. And I have not the time to question the prisoner properly.”

  “Nonsense, there is time before the feast. Time enough for a great many things.”

  Mira felt embarrassed. That sounded like a seduction if she ever heard one.

  “Ah, but I have other visitors. My mother and brother have come unexpectedly.”

  “The old witch. She’s not dead? You do not think she suspects you tried to kill her?”

  “No, I do not. She arrived this afternoon. I put her off, but I must speak with her and find out exactly what she wants and what she knows.”

  “Yes, do that.” The Queen gave a deep sigh. “I suppose the sacrifice will have to take place another time. Relatives are tiresome. My brother has requested an audience before the feast. I assume he will bring Ronan and Ewan and we will have another nice little chat about me giving up the throne. If he was not my brother, I would kill him.”

  Mira nearly fainted with relief to hear the sacrifice would wait. It would give the pooka time to help Edward escape. She desperately needed to get out of this room and find the soul and Dylan.

  The Queen dismissed the Sorcerer and finished her bath. Servants returned and the Queen complained to them about the temperature, that they pulled her hair, soap ran in her eyes, they didn’t hurry fast enough and on and on. The Queen and Amanda would have gotten on perfectly.

  Mira did not feel impressed. She could sense the Queen’s power, although oddly enough, she felt that Aste or Edward held more power. Did most of the Queen’s power came from other people , such as the Sorcerer, or from her bearing and appearance? Well, hopefully she’d never find out. She’d just find the soul, Amanda and Dylan, then get out of the palace and hopefully the City, all before dawn when the dragons attacked.

  The Queen left for another room to dress and Mira sighed. Now she needed only to wait a while for the Queen to depart and for the servants to clean up and get out.

  She poked her head out from behind the plants. The room looked empty, but this was still a good hiding place. There were several rooms left to search before she left this area. She wanted to wait a little longer. She wished for some food. That should be the least of her worries.

  Mira sat down. She could stay here awhile and rest while waiting. She would have liked a bath in that huge pool and to change out of her dusty clothes. She was almost surprised the servants couldn’t smell her.

  She scratched her face, a little less dusty now, after washing it somewhat in the stream. The lump on her forehead had grown even longer. It felt hard and round, very symmetrical. Again she worried what caused. What if it was from some horrible magical accident?

  It would take all her attention to find Dylan and Amanda’s soul and get out of here. She must focus on that and forget about baths and food and lumps on foreheads.

  Chapter 26 - Mira

  Mira must have waited an hour while gossiping servants had come in, lazily cleaned the entire room and left.

  She crept out from behind the pots, walked past the now empty bath and into the third room. It stood empty of people, but full of clothes. The huge room was a walk-in closet that looked like an upscale clothing store with only one size and style, dramatic. Nothing casual existed in this room. She toyed with the idea of borrowing some of the Queen’s clothes to blend in with people at the feast, it might make her escape easier. However, Queen Nakia was clearly much taller and thinner. She’d have to wear her own filthy, funky clothes.

  Looking at the far mirrored wall, her mouth gaped open. A horn six inches long and pearlescent protruded from her forehead. Somehow the unicorn’s horn was growing out of her head. She touched its smoothness in fascinated horror. No longer could she pretend it might be a lump or some strange magical accident that could be removed by Aste. There would be no removing this. Was she actually becoming a unicorn with this being the first step? How would that fit into her old life? She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but forced herself to keep moving and find Amanda’s soul. It took several minutes of deep breathing before she could focus again.

  Within the mirrored wall stood another door, also covered with mirror and outlined in gold with a golden doorknob. Which way to go? She sent tendrils of her energy through the surrounding rooms, trying to be subtle, drawing them back whenever they touched someone else’s aura. She didn’t want to awaken anyone to her presence.

  Mira sensed Amanda’s soul. It was close. What would be guarding the soul, she worried? She walked to the mirrored door, but could perceive no living being.

  Opening the door and peering inside, she snuck in. The room stood open to the outside with a long wall of open windows. A huge, oval bed with dark green silk sheets lay in the center. Candles were placed everywhere, ready to be lit. Masses of fragrant, red and orange flowers sat in vases on most of the flat surfaces. A smaller bath lay beside the windows , just right for two people, not ten. It was obviously the Queen’s bedchamber.

  She sought again for Amanda’s soul and followed her intuition to the next room. It contained two doors. Out the open windows the river meandered through the palace gardens and lighted boats floated on it. She could see that the palace stood just on the edge of the sea, an amazing view of the City lay in the opposite direction. The Queen’s Quarters must cover much o
f the entire floor of the building. She could feel the Opal’s presence behind her. If she went out on the balcony and turned around, its Tower would loom above her.

  The view below captivated her, making it harder to concentrate on the search for Amanda’s soul. She felt so tired. The sky was growing dim. Unlike the previous night, the whole City was lit up, glittering like starlight on water. People with bright, flickering torches walked the grounds below, it looked very festive. She saw fanciful carriages pulling up and people getting out. Some wore truly amazing head gear which reminded her of peacock’s plumage, combined with massively antlered, elk heads that hung in mountain lodges. Each one was different, but equally stunning.

  Mira forced her attention back inside the room. She could feel Amanda’s soul nearby, but couldn’t see it. The soul’s tortured pulse made her chest tighten and ache.

  The room itself was plainly furnished, consisting of an easy chair, a couch, a coffee table, a desk and chair. The walls stood lined with books. A ladder waited so someone could reach the taller shelves. She noticed that most were about magic. Some were written in English, some French, German, Spanish, others contained languages she didn’t recognize. A few held symbols she’d never encountered. This room seemed to be the Queen’s private office.

  How did the Queen come by books from the U.S. and Europe? Then she realized if the Queen could steal a soul through a portal, knocking off a bookstore would be no problem. One of the titles sitting on the coffee table read Codependent No More. Somehow she couldn’t picture the Queen of the Black Opal as codependent. Although she’d never actually seen her. So who knew?

  Mira was startled by the sound of the other door opening. She dove under the desk. Sandals with glittery gems topped with silky turquoise pants which flowed like a skirt passed by.

  She held her breath and realized the soul felt like it was behind her. Not in this room, probably in the next one.

  She could feel it pulsing. The other person in the room was mumbling.

  “Where did that horrible woman hide it?” grumbled the husky, female voice.