Solomon's Journey

by James Maxstadt

  Moments later, she was past them and into the tree.

  The same signs of neglect that were outside were here as well. Dust collected on the tops of furniture and ornaments, scuff marks were evident on the polished wood floors, doors were left open and lamps left unlit. The gloomy atmosphere made it feel like an old house that had been abandoned for years.

  Again, the similarities to Dunfield were driven home to her.

  She made her way to her father’s library, finding nothing different. The room was still in decent shape, with only a few holes in the ranks of books to show that something had been taken. She made her way to the desk, her hand trailing over the volumes.

  Celia supposed that this would be her room now, her library. And while she didn’t have the same love of books and reading that he did, she could feel her father’s presence here. It was comforting, yet sad, all at the same time.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” she whispered. “I’ll try to make you proud of me.”

  There was the sound of more laughter from outside, suddenly cut off. Then a voice rang out in the entry hall.

  “Celia? Celia, are you here?”

  It was a male voice and didn’t have the same undertone of suspicion, greed, or menace that she’d become used to in Dunfield. At first, she thought it was Solomon, and her relief that he was here was quickly subsumed by anger that he dared to come.

  Did he think she couldn’t take care of herself? That she needed him to rescue her?

  She was halfway to the door before she realized that she didn’t actually know that voice. Whoever was calling her, it wasn’t Solomon.

  It turned out to be a man that she didn’t know, with a large bruise along the right side of his jaw.

  “Who are you?” she asked, exiting the library and shutting the door behind her. She wished she had the key to lock it securely.

  “Celia? Thank the gods, I found you. Come on, we need to get out of here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she replied. “Especially with someone I don’t know.”

  “My name is Darius. I’ve been sent to get you by Solomon, and Willow, and … well, a bunch of others.”

  “Tell Solomon that I’m busy here, putting my House back in order. If I need his assistance, I’ll let him know.”

  “My lady, please.” The man glanced over his shoulder at the door leading to the outside. “I’m not sure how long I can hold that many.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Those men on the steps. They attacked me, so I stopped them, but there are others around. If I have to do more, they may get free. Please, can we go?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Celia said. “Stopped them? How?”

  “Magic. Look, I’m from Subtle Hemlock. You probably don’t know us, but that’s what we do, magic. Only, now things have gone bad. Solomon and the others are discussing what to do right now. We need to get back, and more importantly, we can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

  “Then leave,” she said. “I don’t recall asking for you to come here.”

  Darius took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He seemed to be counting under his breath, until he reopened them.

  “I don’t know what’s going on with you. The dangerous people here are only one problem. If you’re here when it starts getting dark, there are other … things. I don’t know what they are. Solomon called them hunters.”

  “Hunters are here? In this House?”

  The rage that lately felt like it was always simmering just below the surface of her thoughts threatened to boil over. Hunters in Whispering Pines? That could not be allowed to stand!

  “Yes, my lady.” Darius sounded relieved that she knew what they were. “They are horrible. Can we go now—”

  “I know what they are. I’ve killed them. Return to Towering Oaks and Solomon if you want. Or wherever you wish. I don’t care. As long as you’re gone from here.”

  “Please, we really need to—”

  “I said, go!”

  Darius glared at her. Then, he lifted his hands, palms toward her.

  “If that’s what you want,” he began, his fingers bending in a weird pattern. “Then, I’m afraid I have no choice. I’m sorry.”

  A heavy feeling came over Celia. It wasn’t so much that she was going to sleep as it was that she felt drained. Her willpower was gone and with it the rage.

  “This way, please.” Darius was at her side, his hand gently on her arm, steering her toward the door.

  How dare he? For a second her anger rose, and she started to shake off his hand. He made a gesture and the anger faded. She walked docilely next to him.

  They walked down the steps, past the two men, frozen in the act of rising to their feet, hands moving toward weapons. Celia thought she could see their eyes move toward them, but it didn’t seem important.

  “A little faster, now,” Darius said.

  Somewhere inside, Celia was fuming. There was a part of her that knew she was no longer in control of herself.

  And there was more. There was something else. A voice that felt like it was coming from somewhere else. From inside her anger.

  “Let it go for now,” the voice seemed to be saying. “Go along. Find out the plans. Then, you’ll be free and you can have your revenge on this man.”

  She liked the sound of that. She wasn’t sure if her smile actually appeared on her face.

  “Doing great,” Darius said, sounding relieved.

  Chapter 76

  Thaddeus’s blood ran cold when he heard Solomon say that they needed to go get Celia. Yes, he knew she was back, but when she wasn’t at the meeting, he thought that maybe he had an opportunity to get in and out before she’d know he was there.

  His days as a member of House Whispering Pines were behind him, that much was now obvious. Even if over the last several days he did discover that he still cared about it. And even if Jocasta were to leave, Celia was back, and her claim to the House was stronger than his.

  Besides, Florian would have wanted her to take over, and Thaddeus had done enough to disappoint his cousin.

  Disappoint? That was one way to put it, he supposed. Better than admitting, even to himself, that what he’d really done was sold Florian out, delivered him over to be tortured and killed.

  There were things Thaddeus had done that he’d never forgive himself for. Imagine how much less Celia would forgive him.

  He took a deep breath and went back to trying to concentrate on the conversation at hand. Solomon was telling his tale of a different world, and the evil that he and Celia found there. An evil that was identical to what was happening here.

  “That leaves us with two areas that we know have gates,” he was saying. “One here in the Greenweald, and one in Dunfield. Now we have to figure out how to shut them down. Here first, then there. Which also means we need a way to get back to Dunfield. I’m thinking the water spirit that took Celia could do it, but without Justice, I’m not sure how to get her to cooperate. Any ideas?”

  Thaddeus cleared his throat. So far, he’d sat quietly, trying to avoid the attentions of both Solomon and Willow.

  “You have something?” Solomon asked him.

  “Maybe. We actually think there is another set of gates. Given what Jocasta told us, we believe that those bigger gates that you both saw feed the others. But there didn’t seem to be a gate to Whispering Pines in either of those places. It stands to reason that there are others. Plus, we don’t think Malachi would want to be that far from them.”

  “Then you think others are…. where?”

  “Subtle Hemlock. Our House. Well, the House of three of us, anyway.”

  Solomon nodded. “That makes sense, I guess. But does it matter?”

  “I think so. We have no idea how to shut them down. None of our magic is going to do it, and I’m sorry, but swinging a sword at it isn’t going to work either.”

  “Then?”

  “We need to get to Malachi. Force h
im to tell us how to do it.”

  He was about to go on when the door to the room opened and Darius entered, followed by Celia.

  She was different from the last time Thaddeus had seen her. The soft, spoiled girl was gone and, in her place, walked a toughened, experienced woman, albeit one moving strangely, as if her limbs were stiff, or she was having a hard time seeing.

  Thaddeus watched her warily, waiting for her to notice him.

  She didn’t. Her eyes were unfocused. She looked around the room, her head turning slowly, showing no more reaction when her gaze swept over him than when it passed over an empty chair.

  “Celia,” Solomon said, “Thank the gods you’re safe.”

  There was no answer.

  “Celia?” he repeated.

  “Uh, Solomon?” Darius said, “We need to talk…”

  Thaddeus saw what the problem was, and beside him Melanie sat up a little straighter in her chair. Solomon was not going to be happy about this.

  “About what?” he said.

  “I had to… well, control her.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Thaddeus thought Solomon knew exactly what Darius meant. His tone of voice had taken on a dangerous undertone.

  “She refused to come. When I got there, there were four men gathered around the bottom of the stairs, one of them bent over and cursing. They were discussing the best way to go after her, and what they would do when they did. I stopped them, but it took almost all my strength. I tried to tell her that, but she wouldn’t listen. She said that she was staying there, and for me to leave. I couldn’t convince her, and if I left her…”

  There was silence in the room as everyone stared at Celia. She showed no reaction or discomfort at being the center of attention.

  “Let her go,” Solomon said.

  “Of course,” Darius replied.

  “Wait.” Melanie spoke up for the first time. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

  “I don’t care,” Solomon replied.

  “You should. What do you think she’s going to do when she’s free? Smile, sit down and join in the conversation? No. She’s going to have a screaming fit and go right back where Darius found her. Then what? We ignore what’s going on? Let it continue while we deal with her?”

  Solomon was frowning, an expression that was much more unnatural for him than his usual smile.

  “I don’t like—”

  “I know,” Melanie said, “and I don’t blame you. Honestly, I don’t blame her, either. I’d be furious if Darius did that to me. But for the moment, just for now, leave her in his control. They can both stay right here, where you can watch them.”

  Solomon considered for a moment, then, “Can she hear me?” he asked Darius.

  “I think so,” Darius replied.

  Solomon nodded. He rose to his feet and took Celia’s hands.

  “I’m sorry for this,” he told her. “I’m not sure what happened between us, but I’m not your enemy. We’re going to fix this, then we’ll figure out what to do.”

  There was still no reaction from Celia.

  Solomon sighed, then turned back to Thaddeus. “What were you saying?”

  “I was saying that our best course of action is to get to Malachi. We need to get the answers from him, and maybe put the whole thing to rest right there. He’s been behind everything, from supplying Jamshir with the Soul Gaunts to what’s going on now.”

  “Why are you doing this, Thaddeus?” Willow asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want the Greenweald destroyed any more than you do.”

  “Yes. I suppose I can believe that. There’s more, though, isn’t there? If this Malachi is removed, who will assume the position of Head of House Subtle Hemlock? You?”

  Thaddeus laughed. “At one time, I certainly had those ambitions. There are a couple of people in this room that might have said something about it, though. No, I have no interest in that anymore. I’m not even sure what I want going forward.”

  “It doesn’t really matter,” Solomon said. “Thaddeus’s ambitions, or lack of them, don’t play into this. Not right now, anyway. Instead, we go put a stop to this Malachi.”

  Chapter 77

  To Solomon’s surprise, Thaddeus laughed.

  “That easy, huh?” Thaddeus said. “I know you’re you, and all. And I have no doubt that you’d find some way of taking him out, but I don’t think you know what you’re dealing with.”

  “Okay, then,” Solomon replied. “Tell me.”

  “Malachi is the Head of House Subtle Hemlock because he is the most powerful magic user there. Or anywhere, as far as I know. And don’t forget, there are other members of the House still loyal to him. Most of them, as a matter of fact.”

  “So, we bring in the might of Towering Oaks,” Solomon said.

  “Horrible idea,” Darius said. “The only way in is going to be through a portal that one of us will open. It would be horrifically difficult to leave it open long enough to let a whole army through. Plus, even if it was possible, Malachi has failsafe’s in place. He’d take off before we were ever close to him.”

  “Really?” Thaddeus was nonplussed. “I didn’t know that. I had intended on getting Jocasta and a host of Whispering Pines soldiers.”

  “Wouldn’t have worked,” Darius said.

  “Then a few of us. Who goes?” Solomon asked.

  “No,” Thaddeus said. “You really don’t get how strong he is. He’ll kill any of us and do it easily. The only way we beat him before was because Melanie was able to get into his mind and shut him down…”

  He faltered, glancing over at Celia, who was now seated in a chair by Solomon’s side, still no more responsive than when she first came into the room.

  Solomon didn’t say anything. He still felt horribly guilty about letting Celia stay in that condition, but Melanie was right. With the way she’d been acting even before they left Dunfield she wouldn’t have listened to him, or anyone else.

  This was something that she was never going to forgive him for. A part of him that thought maybe he should tell Darius to let her go. If she went back to Whispering Pines, so be it.

  And then he’d never be able to live with himself if something happened to her.

  He looked around as Thaddeus continued to speak about the power of Malachi and how cautious they needed to be around him. Solomon understood. Still, he was only a man, and any man could be broken.

  Case in point was Orlando. His normally upbeat friend was a shell of himself. He sat at the table, contributing nothing. His downcast gaze stayed fixed on the polished wood in front of him and he offered no suggestions, asked no questions. Solomon wondered if this was because of Shireen, or if Orlando was starting to feel the effects of what was happening.

  That, more than anything he’d seen so far, spoke to the urgency of their situation.

  “Enough,” he finally said. “Thaddeus, I understand what you’re saying. Malachi is bad news. You’ve convinced us. We still need to confront him, though; you’ve said as much yourself. On to a plan.”

  “Good,” Thaddeus replied. “I’m glad I got through.”

  “Plan,” Solomon repeated.

  “Our original thought was to get Jocasta near him. He’ll try to control her, but he won’t be able to.”

  “Why not?” Jocasta asked.

  “There’s something about you,” Melanie answered. “Neither I nor Darius can get into your mind. And in that one area, I’m as strong as Malachi. If I can’t do it, neither can he.”

  “Again, why not?” Jocasta said.

  “No idea.”

  The answer didn’t seem to satisfy Jocasta, but for now, that wasn’t important either.

  “So, we go in and get Jocasta near Malachi. Then what?”

  “Then she forces him to tell us what we need to know,” Thaddeus answered.

  “Just like that?” Solomon didn’t believe it would be that easy.

  “No, not just like that. Mind contr
ol is only one of Malachi’s strengths.”

  “He’s as capable of hurting people as I am of healing them,” Willow said quietly.

  Well, that was something to consider. Solomon had great respect for the healer and her abilities, having been on the receiving end of her ministrations many times in his life.

  “But,” Thaddeus said. “If we can keep him distracted, keep him on the defensive, then maybe we can get to him.”

  “What stops him from controlling the rest of us?” Darius asked.

  Melanie shrugged. “Us. You and me. We’ll have to counter it if he tries.”

  “Me?” Darius laughed. “You’re out of your mind. I’m not strong enough to hold off Malachi.”

  “Yes,” Willow said. Her hand covered his. “You are. And you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you.”

  “And it’s Willow that we’ll need to protect most of all,” Solomon said. “We might need her skills before this is through. Anything else?”

  No one replied.

  “I think we’re settled then. And there’s no sense in waiting. How soon can we be ready to go?”

  “I need a bit,” Thaddeus said. “I have to find a healer and rest for a few hours, or I’ll be no good to anyone.”

  Solomon waited for Willow to speak up, but to his surprise, she stayed silent.

  “Fair enough,” he finally said. “We’ll meet back here in three hours. It will be starting to get dark then. Orlando, I want to talk to you about that.”

  Orlando nodded, not seeming to care one way or another.

  “One more thing,” Solomon said. “Darius, stay also.”

  When the rest had left the room, Willow remained by Darius’s side. Solomon smiled to see it.

  “Celia,” he said, keeping his voice low as he took a seat on the other side of Darius. “How long will she stay… like this? If you’re not here, I mean.”

  Darius drew a breath and glanced at her.

  “Not long. She’ll pretty much snap out of it as soon as I stop actively keeping her sedated.”

  “And then she’ll go home,” Solomon said.

  “If not come after me,” Darius replied.