The Riddle (Keepers of the Key Book 1)

by L. M. Abbott

  She peered around the room. The window was wide open. Fergus lay on the floor, too far away from the wicker chair to have simply fallen over. Her eyes flew to the bedside table. The railway spike was missing. She threw off the covers and ran out the bedroom door. A vulture hopped down the hall, the spike in its beak.

  Cailean dived at the bird. “Give me that.”

  Grey smoke rose from the bird. The wings elongated and changed into arms with three-fingered hands. The smoke thickened and the beak became a mouth. The smoke darkened to black and evaporated. Wim stood before Cailean, a snarl on his face. “You’ll never lay eyes on the spike again.”

  Cailean chased him past her father’s room and snagged him by the arm at the top of the stairs. “I want the spike.”

  Wim pulled free. Cailean lost her balance and fell against the railing, grabbing it to keep from falling down the stairs. Wim raced down the steps and out the front door. It banged against the wall.

  “Sweetie,” her father called. “Who’s at the door this time of night?”

  “No one, Dad. It blew open.” Back in her room, she found her mother’s photo on the floor. Something in it awakened a memory, something she’d seen her entire life in her mother’s right eye. Yellow on the inside, green on the outside like her own with one difference. Four dots of blue formed a diamond shape on the green portion. She’d seen the same pattern before. Cailean thought and thought. If only she could recall where. She lay back against the pillows counting the stars in the sky. Why had Wim stolen the spike? Was Pella right about it being the deed?” She turned the alarm clock towards her. Eleven. It was going to be a long night.

  She was up, dressed and eaten breakfast by seven the next morning. Thick clouds smothered the sun’s light and a cold wind reddened her nose as she walked to Murphy’s Field. The no trespassing sign blared at her, a warning to stay away. The buzz of an electric saw and men shouting orders drilled into her ears. She opened the gate and hurried inside. The rusty hinges creaked as it shut behind her.

  “The field looks odd without the picket fence.” She heard Seamus say and saw him beyond the incline as she made her way up. He sounded like he’d spoken from a few feet away.

  Five maple trees had been sawed down, now lying discarded where they’d fallen. Their leaves already beginning to wither away. A burly man carrying a saw walked to one of the trees and gnawed at the trunk. stripping away the branches. A tractor scraped at the earth, gouging out a gaping hole.

  Cailean stopped next to Seamus. “The field looks odd without the fence like you said.”

  “How did you hear that?” Seamus turned back to the man chopping up the tree. “Never mind.”

  Josh hurried towards them, his open jacket flapping in the wind. “Dad is furious with the government for allowing so much nature to be obliterated.”

  Cailean stared at the tree, nothing more than firewood now. “All this for a golf course. We’ve got to go back to Casfor.” The man with the saw started on the second downed tree. Birds squawked. Squirrels scampered away. She followed him with her eyes as he strode to the third tree. “Wim got into my room last night and stole the spike.” The saw buzzed louder. Leaves and twigs blew into the air as if scrambling for a safe haven. Cailean plugged each ear with a finger. “Let’s get away from here.”

  Josh walked in between his friends. “Dad made an amazing discovery yesterday. For years he’s been interested in the reason why machinery failed to function in the woods around here. He wants the forest untouched like everyone else-”

  Seamus whacked him on the shoulder. “Will you please get to the point.”

  “Did you know the wolves vanished almost the same day as machinery started working again in the forest?”

  Cailean sat down on the tree stump outside the gate. “What does that have to do with the deed?”

  “It’s been documented that machinery didn’t work within the parameters of the Railway Rocks. Dad figures they gave off some sort of pulse.”

  “I know that,” Seamus said. “Why don’t the rocks give off the pulse or whatever it did anymore.”

  “I’ve given that a lot of consideration, and since the spike’s been stolen by Wim and considering what Pella said perhaps I’m on the right track.” Josh paused to catch his breath. “The spike is the deed.”

  “How?” Seamus and Cailean said at the same time.

  Josh recited the riddle. “‘Follow the wolf, the true blue line. The deed is amongst the forgotten, in the den of despair.’” He poked a candy in his mouth. “All four rocks had a spike hammered into them. One of the spikes went missing over seventy years ago. Like I said, the same time as the wolves vanished without a trace and the machinery worked again in the forest.”

  “You think the spike will trigger the pulse,” Cailean said.

  “There’s got to be a reason why the fairies stole it in the first place. Look at the facts. All the events I described took place right after the spike was removed from the rock.”

  Cailean looked towards the forest. “Because there were no longer four spikes.”

  “It all sounds a bit far-fetched to me,” Seamus said. “Then again, fairies and imprisoned wolves do too.”

  “Mom talked about a deed. An object can’t be a deed.”

  Josh forged on. “You’re right. However, the word deed has more than one meaning. It can be an act, something that’s done.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Seamus said.

  “What if the deed was the act of looking for the spike.” Josh fished out another candy from an over loaded supply. “Or perhaps hammering it into the rock.”

  “Sounds reasonable,” Cailean said. “That could explain why Pella called it the deed.”

  “And,” Josh added, “the dimensions of your land are outlined on your mother’s map with remarkable precision. Those rocks were more important than a mere playground to her.”

  A monarch butterfly alighted on Cailean’s shoulder. “Why did Mom say the land belonged to her family?”

  Josh frowned. “That part has me mystified. But the rest adds up don’t you think?” He opened his sketchpad and drew the butterfly.

  “That settles it,” Cailean said as the butterfly flew away. “Our only option is to go back to Casfor for the spike.”

  Cailean and Seamus sprinted up the tree lined hill to the community.

  Josh strutted after them, the distance between them growing. “Why didn’t I keep my big mouth shut?” he grumbled under his breath.

  Cailean smiled at him when he reached the top. “You opened your big mouth because you love the forest as much as me.”

  “Elephant ears strikes again,” Seamus said.

  Cailean laughed out loud.

  Chapter 19

  Josh hurried alongside Cailean, wheezing like he was congested, yet matching her speed. “We have to be sensible about this,” he said. One sneaker was undone and he tripped on the lace, stumbling forward. “Going to Casfor won’t do any good.”

  “You said it yourself,” she said without breaking stride. “The spike will protect the forest.”

  “But...But...”

  Seamus kicked a large branch out of his way. “Forget it, Josh. We have to help Cailean no matter what.”

  “Right, right. Forget I said anything. You know how I blabber on non-stop when I’m nervous. So, what’s the plan? We can’t barge into the castle and demand Neola to give us the spike.”

  At the bottom of the path to her house, Cailean saw her father on the porch swing lighting up a cigar. Brown smoke encircled his head with each puff. The smell carried in the air, an odd odour similar to burnt toast she’d grown to associate with her father. She’d miss that and so much more if her mission failed.

  “Cailean?”

  She started and looked at Seamus. “What?”

  “Did you change your mind about going to Casfor?”

  “No. Why are you asking?”

  “You stopped all of a sudden and looked like you were lost.”
/>   “Let’s go before Dad spots us. We’ll ask Pella for help.”

  “She was reluctant before,” Josh said. “What makes you think she’ll be anymore eager now?”

  Seamus shook his head. “Not true. She got us out of the gainntir and sent the ponies to rescue us.”

  They reached the cave and Cailean took off her bracelet even before they were in the cavern. “Ready?” she said, standing over the flat rock.

  “Can’t wait,” Seamus said.

  Josh limped over to the flat stone. “I’ll be happy when it’s over.” He dumped out pebbles from his sneaker. “I’ll be lame for the rest of my life because of you two.”

  Cailean inserted the bracelet into the rock. The water in the pool bubbled. The blue light radiated from the ceiling. The walls blurred into each other.

  Josh lifted off the ground, clutching his stomach. “I hate this part the most.

  Cailean tried to reassure him. “It’s not so bad if you breathe deeply.”

  Josh entered the water next to Seamus. “I was wrong. I hate this more.”

  In the pool, Cailean felt the blue light pass through her body and waited for everything to go dark. She remained alert while Seamus and Josh drifted away from her, arms and legs extended, eyes closed. She tried to swim to them, but like before couldn’t even twitch a finger. Panic erupted deep inside her. Had the fairies tampered with the rock’s power, drowning Seamus and Josh. Her vision became hazy before everything faded to black.

  Cailean woke up on her side. The sky, a scarlet red switched to blue almost instantly. Seamus and Josh were face down on the bridge. Neither showed any sign of life. She crawled to them, shaking both at the same time. “Wake up!”

  Josh’s eyes opened. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  Seamus woke and slowly got to his feet.

  Cailean took a deep breath. “I thought you both were...” They stared at her. “Never mind.”

  Seamus looked towards the city. “Its’s empty. Now’s a good chance to look for Pella.” They kept to the centre of the bridge in case a whiskered fish decided to sting them.

  Cailean took the lead and stayed close to the houses for cover. “Pella’s probably in the gainntir with Razuk.” She kept an eye on the doors while trying to dodge spray from the many fountains which seemed to have doubled in number since the last time. Their sneakers made little noise on the cobblestones as the they hurried down the street.

  Josh looked up and down the road. “I don’t understand why there’s not a single faery anywhere.” He turned ashen. “Do you think it might be a trap to give us a false sense of security like last time?”

  Six fountains blocked access to the gainntir. “What’s with this place?” Seamus said. “They weren’t there before,” Agitation strained his voice. “We have to find another way.”

  “Not enough time for that,” Cailean said and squeezed around each one. Water filled her mouth and nose.

  Josh spit and coughed all the way to the other side. “We’ll drown before the fairies capture us.”

  Cailean put a finger to her lips. “Shhh. Someone’s coming.”

  They reached the safety of an alleyway just as Razuk walked by. The ring of keys attached to his belt clinked in tune with his steps. When he was out of sight, the children left the alleyway and collided with Pella, sending her sprawling back onto the sidewalk.

  “Pella,” Josh said. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone.”

  Pella’s head moved around like an automated toy. “Who’s there?”

  “Us,” Seamus said. “You gone blind or something?”

  “Where are you?”

  “What a silly question,” Josh said. “We’re in front of you.”

  She looked directly ahead of her. “Why did you come back? Is Cailean with you?”

  “I’m here. Wim stole the Railway Spike from me.”

  “Are you sure?” Pella’s gaze turned slightly to the right. “Goodness. I can see strands of your hair. Quickly, come with me. The others will finish their meal soon and the streets will be full.” She took the children to a side room in the gainntir the size of an elevator. Sunlight poured in through a floor to ceiling window no wider than a skateboard. The four walls contained shelves of miniature winged animals. Rabbits, squirrels, foxes, lynx, caribou, moose.

  “Forest animals,” Cailean commented.

  Pella smiled. “They’re so beautiful and fascinating. Sculpturing is a hobby of mine.” She stared up at Josh with an odd expression. “Your left ear is missing.”

  “What!” Josh groped for it.

  Pella stroked his hand. “Forgive me. I meant I couldn’t see all of you yet. Did you walk through fountain water?”

  “Yes,” said a chorus of voices.

  “Interesting. The water makes animals invisible to us. I didn’t realize it had the same effect on humans.” Pella giggled. “Josh, your left ear is intact once again.”

  Cailean ran her fingers through her hair. “This was drying, so that’s why you were able to see it.” She looked out the window and saw Razuk and Wim below sitting on a bench. The red and black flowers grew in abundance to the side of the road. Razuk plucked a flower and blew on one of the black petal. It dissolved into black butterflies. He trapped one in his hand and crushed it. Razuk laughed and blew the dead insect away. The scar across his chin appeared to lengthen.

  Cailean looked at Pella. “We’ll use invisibility to get the spike.”

  “It’s no longer in the Orga. Neola ordered Wim to hide it.” Pella took a rabbit figurine from the shelf and stroked the ears. “I’m troubled why he didn’t confide in me.”

  “They’ve started to cut down the trees in Loon Cove,” Cailean said. “Will you find out from Wim where the spike is?”

  “It’s not a good idea to question him.” Pella returned the figurine to the shelf. “Besides, that’s not necessary. There’s only one place in Casfor Wim would trust to guard the spike.”

  Cailean crossed over to the door. “Great. Take us there.”

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Are you serious?” Seamus said. “What’s worse than the gainntir or the capalls?”

  Pella fastened her eyes on him. “The Currka.”

  Josh favoured one foot, the other sore from sharp pebbles. “I might be sorry for asking. What’s a Currka?”

  Pella clasped her hands together under her chin, deep in thought. “It’s a place where... where...ah, yes. It’s where truth and lies meld into uncertainty.”

  “Whoa,” Seamus said. “Battling dragons and monsters seems easier.”

  Pella ran her eyes over the figurines. “It’s a shame none of these creatures exit in my world.” She sighed and opened the door. “Once you’ve all doused in the fountain, I’ll take you to the Currka.” She paused. “I’ve always found it sad the gainntir’s soft cream colour with its round windows is a stark opposition to the brutality within.”

  “Like the fairies,” Josh said. “You’re all beautiful on the outside and evil on the inside.”

  “Except for you,” Seamus said.

  Pella walked down the street like she didn’t have a care in the world with three invisible human children beside her. Fairies milled about in groups, some congregated on benches, talking, others reading or writing. Children played with a diamond shaped ball on the grassy areas. Pella greeted friends and made excuses why she didn’t have time to chat.

  “It better not be much farther,” Josh said when they came to a break in the crowds. “I’m beginning to dry off.”

  “Almost there,” Pella said and zoomed down a laneway. “This is a shortcut.” She came out of the alley and met Razuk.

  Josh bit the back of his hand to prevent the gasp forming on his lips.

  “Look where you’re going, stupid girl. You’re always in my way.”

  Pella gave a slight bow. “Forgive me.” Her voice betrayed no sign of fear. She moved aside for Razuk to pass.

  “Why aren’t
you at the gainntir?”

  “You know how much I enjoy a stroll in the fresh air.”

  Dry strands of Cailean’s hair blew in the air. She saw the look of terror on Pella’s face as the faery looked away and fell against Razuk. Cailean stuck the dried strands behind her ear and hoped Pella’s ploy had worked.

  Razuk shoved the smaller faery away. “Been drinking nejack at this time of day.” He grinned. “What would Wim think of that?”

  “I apologize once again,” Pella said in a gracious tone. “The wind is very strong today.”

  The oversized faery rattled his keys, a victory smile thickening his scar. “Get to work this minute.”

  Pella inclined her head towards a triangular-shaped building. “You were in the Currka?”

  “That is none of your concern,” Razuk said and strutted off, brooding like he’d been insulted.

  “Go,” Pella said to the children and scurried away in the direction they’d come from.

  The children ran to the building, Josh stalling as long as possible before going in. “What if it’s full of fairies?”

  “Too late to change our minds now,” Cailean said. The inside consisted of one room, the walls made entirely of mirrors. The floor and ceiling glistened like aluminum foil. Golden and silver butterflies, all with silver wings, swarmed around them. With each flap, the golden wings shed silver oval-shaped liquid which gave off a sparkling light.

  A drop of the liquid landed on Seamus’s elbow and exploded into showers of firework emitting the musical notes of a harp. “Whoa,” he said. “That was awesome.” A series of fireworks broke out as the ovals rained down on the children. “There’s nothing dangerous about this place.”

  Cailean looked around. “Pella said it was, so it must be. After all she could’ve given us up to Razuk.”