(Skeleton Key) Game Master

by Scarlett Dawn

  I dropped the frog inside.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t piss on my clothes in there.” I lifted one red brow. “And do not shit.”

  He lay down on his left side, crossing one red spindly leg over the other, and propped up his head with his left arm. He looked like he was ready for a lady-friend to meet him at dusk. He drawled, “Dear, I am the epitome of graciousness. I don’t shit on a humona’s clothing.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” I mumbled and then zipped my backpack. I pulled the other strap over my free shoulder and ran as quickly as my feet would take me across the road into the treeline.

  The woods would be a better cover than the open lane. Especially, when the thump-thump of horse hooves pounded the dirt and a horn rent the air.

  The Guard was almost here.

  “You. Are. Bouncing. Me.” Kingsley wasn’t a happy frog.

  Didn’t frogs kind of bounce, anyway?

  “I’m running to save my life,” I hissed, wondering if he could even hear me through the material of my backpack. “You said to run. So I’m running.”

  He groused, “I did not tell you to kidnap me.”

  Guess he could hear me.

  My lips twitched. “I can’t hear you. You’re all muffled in there.”

  “That’s because I’m shoved against a pair of socks.”

  I snickered silently. Those hadn’t been washed yet.

  “And, may I add, no humona wears this color here.” He paused. “What it is this? Pastel pink?”

  I didn’t fall for it. I didn’t own anything pastel pink.

  “Hmm. I guess you can’t hear me.”

  I jumped over a slight dip in the ground and grinned.

  My boots were ruining the pretty flowers. Even though the beat of horse hooves were no longer pounding behind me. The flowers would grow back. Maybe.

  I truly had no clue in a different realm.

  I stopped behind one of the many trees and placed my left hand on the rough bark. I leaned heavily, trying to catch my breath. I had run at least two miles already—all at a racing pace.

  “Is there an issue out there?” Kingsley questioned.

  I licked my lips. Decided to answer. “No.”

  “Mmm-hmm. You can hear me. Did they not teach you manners on Earth? Because, when you’re spoken to in Terlant, others will expect—”

  “Shh.” I cut him off mid-tirade. I swayed forward and turned my right ear straight ahead, listening closely. There was definitely a road up ahead—minimal traffic turning dirt. “Are we close to a town?”

  No response came.

  I rubbed at my forehead. “I’m sorry. All right?”

  “Thank you,” Kingsley returned curtly. “And, yes, there are a few towns near here.” He paused, and then his voice turned dry. “Let me guess. You’re planning to steal a horse, so I will definitely be sick all over your laundry?”

  My forehead crinkled. That had been the plan.

  “Maybe?” I mumbled.

  “Bad idea. Then you really will be a criminal running from the Guard.” He hummed quietly, deep in thought. “Perhaps you could get a job somewhere. That’s what most humonas do.”

  “I’d have to be paid under the table. Do they do that here?”

  “Occasionally. If you find the right individual.”

  I tapped the tree bark with my knuckles. “Can I really not get back through that door?”

  “You can only pass through with a skeleton key.” He grunted. “Yours disappeared faster than most.”

  I scowled. “It’s magic like you said before?”

  “Oh, yes. The skeleton key is very powerful.”

  I inhaled another lung full of crisp oxygen. The air was cleaner in this place, almost as if I couldn’t feel it when I inhaled. It was rejuvenating.

  “I need to find a place to stay first. If the Guard is searching, then I need a hiding spot.” I didn’t want to sleep under the trees on the hard ground.

  I trotted at a sedated pace this time and kept a careful ear out for any abnormal sounds. The woods were eerily quiet. There weren’t even any birds chirping. No insects on the ground. It was a dead forest, yet trees lived.

  The more I thought about it, the faster my feet moved.

  There may have been a good reason the prisoners hadn’t fled into the woods. This place could be haunted for all I knew. Or little green men could string me up from a tree.

  There was a talking frog.

  The possibilities were endless.

  I shoved brush aside and stopped.

  The road. I had made it to the road.

  I sighed in relief and stepped onto the powdered dirt. My footfalls caused little clouds of dust to fly up with each step. “Hey, Kingsley, you know those woods across from where you were sitting—”

  “Don’t go in there!” he cried. My backpack rustled against my shoulders. He was trying to get out. “My dear, can you hear me? I’m serious!”

  I halted from my stroll and blinked several times. “I won’t.” I lied. It calmed him down, my straps no longer tugging at my shoulders. “But what was wrong with it? Why weren’t the prisoners—”

  “The Charmed Ones live in there,” he whispered.

  I kept walking. “What are they?”

  “Those are creatures you don’t ever want to cross.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That explains nothing.”

  His voice trembled. “They eat baby humona.”

  My throat went dry. “What about adult humona?”

  “It’s said the Charmed Ones will allow one humona to enter their woods every ten years. If anyone steps inside the forest, and they aren’t the chosen one, then they steal their eyeballs—and then roast the body over a fire.”

  My face scrunched in disgust. “Why doesn’t the Guard take them down?”

  He hummed. “Only one has tried. It didn’t end well.”

  “Are they magic?”

  “In the moonlight, they are.”

  I shook my head. “Then someone should take them out in the daylight. Letting fear dictate your actions only lead to shame.”

  “The humonas might feel as such, but they’re still alive. And you saw that cottage. No one has lived near the woods for over forty years. The Charmed Ones no longer have a flock of sheep to pick from, yet they stay in the woods. That is a win for the humonas after centuries of death.”

  My brows puckered. “Maybe they moved too.”

  “Never. The Charmed Ones also eat the animals in the woods. There is no wildlife there. They are still there.”

  “Ick,” I mumbled. I had seen that firsthand.

  The dust was flying up ahead, a large rolling ball. The road was being traveled. I glanced at the woods, the only shelter nearby. “Hey, Kinsley, say that humona was chosen. Does that mean they can go back into the woods anytime they want?”

  He was quiet for too long. “You went in there, didn’t you?”

  I gurgled, trying not to comment.

  “My, my. You were lucky.” He cleared his throat. Loudly. “As was I, since they eat wildlife.”

  I stared at the traveling…carriage…headed directly toward me. “Just answer my question. Can I go back in?”

  “No.” Instant and hard.

  I didn’t believe him. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I saw the last one enter. He was too proud of being chosen by the Charmed Ones. He went back in, and he never came out.”

  Okay, perhaps I did believe him.

  Which left me with no options.

  I couldn’t outrun a carriage being pulled by four strong horses. I whined softly in my throat. It was now or never. My red brows furrowed over my green eyes.

  If the skeleton key wanted me here…

  I glanced down at the dirt beneath my boots.

  I couldn’t believe I was considering this magical stuff.

  But, if it wanted me here, then I was on the right path.

 
The rolling dust cloud was almost on me.

  I stepped to the side of the road and raised my arm, hailing the driver in the front. He controlled the horses so he would be the one to stop the contraption. I placed an innocent smile on my face, just in case.

  The right path…

  It worked.

  The carriage rolled to a stop a few feet before passing me. The driver tipped his black hat to me, his shrewd gaze taking in my appearance and clothes. My style was a little different from everyone else I had seen. I stuck out like a sore thumb.

  He asked, “How can I help you, miss?”

  I held up a hand to shade my eyes from the glaring sun. “I need a ride to the closest town. Can you give me a lift?” I was officially hitchhiking.

  My father wouldn’t like this one bit.

  The acid in my stomach turned over, but I focused on the now. My father was no longer living. I would do what I had to do.

  The driver tapped on the side of the carriage. He asked in a loud voice, “Sir, there’s a straggler on the road who needs a ride. Do you have room for one more?”

  A man shouted from inside, his tone frazzled. “Does this person know how to handle babies?”

  The driver glanced at me and quirked an eyebrow.

  Babies? No clue.

  I nodded my head. “Of course, I do.”

  He looked skeptical, but called, “She says yes.”

  The door to the carriage swung open. “Get in. But if you make one wrong move, I’ll gut you so fast you’ll be holding your intestines before your next breath.”

  The man’s blond hair was tousled from running his fingers through it multiple times. His blue eyes were piercing and intelligent. He only appeared a few years older than I and was tall and physically fit. He sat forward on his carriage seat, staring across at me. The carriage wobbled as it hit a rough spot on the road and then returned to smooth riding.

  Blue eyes ran over my features in slow increments. “Who are you and what were you doing out here?”

  I glanced away from him to the two babies lying in a bassinet between us. The white lace bordering their bed was dirty and spoiled with milk. The tiny brown clothes they wore weren’t in any better condition.

  I cleared my throat and eyed the two infants staring up at me with wide, pretty eyes. “My name is Arizona Creed.” My lips pinched, not sure what else I should say. I finally peered back up to the handsome man across from me. “I only need a ride to the nearest town.”

  He placed his elbows on his knees. His hands gripped the bassinet, slowly rocking it in a comforting gesture for the babies inside it. Though his intelligent regard never left my face. “Are you one of the prisoners who escaped recently?”

  I blinked. “If I were, I probably wouldn’t tell you that.”

  His blond brows lifted, an increment of humor flittering past his eyes. “You’re right there. But you didn’t answer my question.” His gaze slid down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “I’d like to hear it from your mouth.”

  I shook my head slightly, stating honestly, “No, I’m not one of the prisoners. I’m just…” I sighed and glanced out the window. The trees were still thick in this area. “I’m just…lost.”

  He continued to rock the babies, their eyes beginning to shut. His voice was quiet but straightforward. “Do you want to be found, Arizona?”

  My green eyes flicked back to him. “There’s no one to find me.” I may have sounded as sad as I felt.

  His blond head nodded ever so slightly, his clever eyes holding mine. “That I can understand.” Suddenly, his lips lifted into a small smile. The man had dimples on both cheeks. “Is there a particular town you had in mind?”

  “No.” I resituated my backpack on my lap and fiddled with the zipper. “Wherever you think would be best for me to find easy work, maybe?”

  Blue tracked down my clothing, studying each article. “What profession are you used to? You don’t appear old enough to have much experience.”

  My situation hit me hard, and I swallowed on a dry throat. “Actually, I don’t think any of my skills could be used here.” Not for honest work, anyway. “But I’m willing to try anything.”

  His lips twitched, his gaze done with the perusal of my clothing. “Ms. Creed, beware of saying that to men you don’t know.”

  My eyes widened. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know. I was just warning you.”

  I relaxed, heaving a sigh of relief. “You can call me Arizona.”

  He tipped his head in appreciation. “And I’m Lucifer.”

  I stared. I was sitting with the devil.

  His head cocked. “Is there something wrong?”

  Gradually, I shook my head. “Do you have a last name, Lucifer?” He sure looked like a fallen angel.

  He hummed quietly. “Not one I like.”

  “Do you…um…know God?” I shivered.

  He bit his lip and sat back on his chair. Clear amusement played on his features. “I’m not that Lucifer.”

  So they did have religion in this realm.

  He asked candidly, “How old are you, Arizona?”

  “Eighteen.”

  He nodded as if he had guessed right.

  “And you?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  I nodded. I had guessed right, too.

  My eyes went from the currently sleeping children, their ratty attire, then to his fine apparel—even if odd. Very old-fashioned. His white shirt and black pants weren’t flashy but created with fine material and cared for with a loving touch. There was no dirt beneath his fingernails. No stains on his clothes. His jaw was freshly shaven, his skin smooth and tanned from the sun. He even smelled lovely, a light cologne lingering in the air.

  This man was wealthy and downplaying it.

  The filthy babies didn’t make sense.

  I cocked my head, my red curls falling over my right shoulder. “Are these your children?”

  A heavy sigh flew past his lips, and he ran his fingers through his hair. “They weren’t before, but they are now.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t kidnap them, did you?” This realm was scary as hell if this was an acceptable practice.

  First, the Charmed Ones eating humona babies.

  Now this.

  His eyes instantly narrowed. I had offended him. He shook his head, his voice turning hard. “I am not that type of man.”

  Thank God.

  “Then, did you adopt them?” I fiddled with the zipper again.

  “I will make it official, yes.” He rolled his head on his shoulders, and his tense shoulders began to relax. “Their mother was a dear friend of mine. She just passed away, and she left her two daughters to me.”

  My mouth bobbed. “You have your hands full.”

  “I know.” His blue eyes cast down on the sleeping infants, and his features instantly softened. “But Kate and Ashelle deserve the life I can give them. They will be well cared for and loved.”

  I didn’t doubt that. This was a good man before me.

  A throat cleared inside the carriage.

  It wasn’t me. And it wasn’t Lucifer.

  Though he did peer directly at my backpack. “Did your bag just make a noise?”

  I tried to appear innocent. “No.” He may be a good person, but I hadn’t been. It was for survival, though.

  “Actually, her bag did not make a noise,” Kingsley stated loudly through the material. “I did.”

  Blue eyes blinked and then peered up into my gaze. His brows rose ever so slowly. “Would you care to explain?”

  I huffed and unzipped my backpack.

  The frog glared up at me. “Are you going to release me now, Arizona?” His black, beady eyes swiveled across the carriage. “This woman has kidnapped me.”

  Lucifer examined the frog closely. “She did, did she?”

  A curt nod of his red head. “And jostled me horribly inside this wretched bag.” His forehead crinkled. “It smells terrible in here.”<
br />
  Before the scent of my dirty laundry expanded inside the carriage, I lifted the frog up from my backpack and zipped it closed. I held the tiny frog on my right palm and raised him so he was staring straight into my eyes. “I’ll free you.”

  He sniffed. “And what if I don’t want to go?”

  I gawked. “You just complained that you wanted to be free!”

  The frog sat back on his legs. “I wouldn’t mind staying, dear. As long as it’s not trapped in your bag.” His forehead wrinkled again. “I don’t have anything better to do right now. I could use the company.”

  My lips pinched. I could use a friend, too.

  “Okay,” I answered casually just as if I wasn’t extremely happy to have him stay with me. “I don’t mind if you stay with me.”

  “Wonderful.” His mouth curved in a smile. It looked very odd on the frog. He turned his red, small body on my palm, and faced Lucifer. With a grand dip of his head, he introduced himself. “I am Kingsley. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Lucifer.”

  Lucifer placed his hands behind his head and rested back on his bench seat. His blue gaze flicked back and forth between the frog and me. When he spoke, it was a slow drawl, “And it is a pleasure to meet you.” His eyes flicked up, staring into mine. “And you, Arizona.”

  Three years later…

  “Time to get up, up, up!”

  “Wake, wake, sleepy head!”

  “Pull blanket!”

  “Wake, wake!”

  “Help me, sissy! Pull blanket!”

  “No! Rise ‘n shine! Wake up!”

  “SISSY! HELP ME!”

  “Okay.”

  The blanket over me was tugged from the bottom of my bed. Little fingers pinched my feet in the effort to get a grip on the blanket.

  “Toes! Tickle!”

  “Pull blanket first!”

  “Okay.”

  I yawned and rubbed my eyes against the beginnings of sun rays streaming through my window. My blanket was slowly pulled down my body. I stretched, arching my back as the blanket left my bed entirely. I grinned even though I was completely exhausted.

  Quiet whispers floated. No one visible.

  I waited to see what they would do now.

  Battle cries sounded—well, as much as they could.

  Kate jumped on my stomach.