The Dark Portal (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 3)

by E. G. Foley

  Everyone was there. The girls had agreed to walk up with them before leaving to go and watch over the unicorn herd. Red had come along, as had Derek and Miss Helena, since those two had not yet seen the chapel ruins with the tomb of Sir Reginald.

  The girls stood back while Derek and Archie used crowbars to loosen the seal around the heavy marble lid carved with the statue of the dead man inside.

  Then Jake lifted it off the ancient stone sarcophagus using his telekinesis. With keen concentration, he levitated it to the side, then floated it down gently to the ground.

  Letting out a low “whew” that he had not dropped it, he stepped closer and braced himself to have a look inside.

  The others did the same; Dani grimaced.

  Inside the coffin lay a headless skeleton draped in the tattered remnants of a simple ancient tunic, its bony arms wrapped around an illuminated manuscript.

  Everyone was silent as Jake took the poor, murdered friar’s skull out of his makeshift satchel.

  “This feels a little sacrilegious,” Archie remarked.

  “We’re only doing it to help him,” Jake said. Flicking a spot of dirt off the surface of the skull, he reached down into the sarcophagus and put it back reverently where it belonged.

  He had no sooner set the skull back in its rightful place when a dazzling beam of light suddenly blasted straight up from the coffin and filled the space.

  Everyone stepped back, gasping and shading their eyes. The brilliance grew until all of them were squinting and trying to shield their eyes with their hands.

  Suddenly, a disembodied voice came out of the air. “All of you, join hands. Join hands!” it repeated when they just stood there in astonishment.

  They looked around at each other in confusion, then obeyed. Even the Gryphon joined the circle, with Miss Helena and Archie on either side of him, each resting a hand on his tawny withers.

  “Now, look,” said the disembodied voice.

  The dazzling light beaming up out of the coffin expanded in a circular wave all around them; as it spread out, fading to a more tolerable level of brightness, it surrounded them with a breathtaking vision of the church and monastery as they had been in their heyday, when Brother Colwyn would have lived and worked here.

  They stared in wonder, craning their necks to look this way and that at the towering sanctuary in all its glory, with the sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows, plainchant hymns wafting out from the choir loft.

  “It’s beautiful!” Dani exclaimed.

  “How are we seeing this?” Archie cried.

  “He must be channeling the vision to the rest of us through Jake and Isabelle’s psychic abilities!” Miss Helena replied.

  “Who?” Dani asked.

  “Brother Colwyn,” Isabelle said, smiling at a spot behind Jake’s shoulder, where the glowing spirit of the now re-headed friar stood, beaming.

  “Welcome, friends,” said Brother Colwyn, a humble, rather chubby man in a long white tunic with the oddly shaved tonsure haircut particular to monks.

  They gazed at the smiling apparition in amazement.

  “It’s so good to be able to see you all—and oh, thank you, Lord Griffon! It’s been centuries since I could talk! I owe you more than you can possibly know. Thank you for restoring what was stolen from me.”

  “Well, thank you for getting me out of that horrible tomb,” Jake answered with a modest blush.

  The smiling friar-ghost nodded. “Likewise! Now then, I don’t know how long I will be able to sustain this vision before Celestus comes for me—”

  “Dr. Celestus?” Dani cried, glancing up at the last remaining stained-glass window depicting the angel.

  Nodding, Brother Colwyn hastily continued: “So, please, listen well. There’s something very important I have to show you. Take that book out of my coffin. Open it, please. And hurry.”

  Derek left the circle to fetch it; the others quickly joined hands again. The ghost hovered nearby as Derek pried the massive leather-bound tome out of the skeleton’s bony arms, then lifted it out of the coffin.

  Brother Colwyn floated over to it. “Ah, my dear old book! It was practically my life’s work.”

  When Derek opened the book, the spirit made the pages flutter rapidly, finally arriving at one particular passage near the back.

  There were still more blank pages after that, but this was as far as the friar had got during his lifetime.

  Brother Colwyn sighed, gazing sadly at the final page of his manuscript. “This was the last thing I was able to jot down before Garnock came for his revenge. I was lucky I managed to hide it from him in time.” He paused and glanced at Jake. “You do know by now you are dealing with Garnock the Sorcerer?”

  Jake nodded.

  “This is the spell the Lightriders used to bind him inside his workshop so long ago. Use it well. If he completes the Spell of a Hundred Souls and then takes his place as the head of the Dark Druids, he’ll free the demons under his command—and this time, there’ll be no stopping him.”

  Jake nodded in grim resolve. “We had better go after him as soon as possible. The way he’s been feeding on those children at the school, he must be close to meeting his quota of a hundred souls by now. At least now we know where to find him. But I’m going to need some reinforcements.”

  “You know you’ve got me,” Derek said at once.

  “And me,” Archie chimed in.

  “Becaw!” Red agreed.

  Miss Helena glanced at the girls. “We’ll watch over the unicorns. Last line of defense. If Garnock gets past you somehow and makes it to the final step of his dreadful spell, we won’t let him anywhere near the herd.”

  “It’s dangerous,” Archie protested.

  “Brother, this is bigger than all of us,” Isabelle said softly.

  Jake nodded, encouraged by all their offers of help, even though, deep down, he already suspected that it was going to come down to that hideous wraith and him. “Thanks, everybody. But there’s just one problem. He’s a spirit—at least for now—and none of you is a psychic. So, anyone fancy a trip into town? There’s somebody there I need to go and see.”

  “I knew you had the gift.” Madam Sylvia fixed Jake with a piercing stare as they stood in her charm-and-crystal shop. “Why did you try to hide it when you were here last?”

  “I had to make sure you weren’t a fraud,” he admitted.

  She humphed. “A skeptic. Well, I suppose that is understandable. But tell me.” Her dark eyes narrowed. “What happened that night? What was all the screaming?”

  Jake shuddered at the memory. “That’s actually what I’m here to see you about.” Then he told her everything about Garnock the Sorcerer.

  She clearly didn’t like what she heard. She pondered the information—and his perilous request—in silence for a long moment.

  “Let me see if I’ve got this right. You sat here and watched this wraith, this Garnock fellow, tearing through my spirit guests, and you never said a word?”

  “Madam Sylvia, please,” Derek said, “he’s only twelve.”

  “People like us have a responsibility!” She gestured at Jake in annoyance. “If we don’t help the spirits, who else can? Oh, I knew something had shaken you up, the way you ran right out of here that night with your tail between your legs. Apparently you were more worried about saving your own skin than trying to help those ghosts. So why should I trust you now?”

  “Because now I know what I’m dealing with!” Jake cried, red-cheeked with embarrassment at her blunt words. “It was extremely upsetting, ma’am. If you could have seen him! Besides, what point was there in telling you what had happened to those ghosts when there was nothing you could have done about it?

  “Honestly, be glad you couldn’t see it,” he continued. “It was horrible to watch. If you must know, I was terrified. But I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t know what the wraith could do to me if he realized I could see him. Bad enough he tried to feed on me! And right now, at
this very moment, he’s up there at the Harris Mine School, feeding on the poor children. Please, won’t you help?

  “We have to stop him before he completes the Spell of a Hundred Souls and comes back properly to life. I can’t do it alone. I’ve got my team assembled and they’re armed as best they can be for this, but Garnock is still in spirit form. I need another psychic on hand in case he tries anything.”

  Madam Sylvia frowned.

  “I realize what I’m asking of you must sound mad,” Jake said. “I wouldn’t bother you if I could get a hold of my aunt. She’s a very powerful witch, but she isn’t answering my messages—which worries me enough in itself, considering her age.”

  “Better not let Her Ladyship hear you say that,” Derek muttered under his breath.

  “She’ll turn you into a frog,” Archie jested, trying to ward off the tension. “Temporarily, of course.”

  “I just hope she’s all right,” Jake said.

  He had given up on the Inkbug and ordered Nimbus off to the telegraph office in town to send a regular sort of telegram to the baroness. Somebody had to be at home at Bradford Park, if only the butler.

  Jake couldn’t imagine what was keeping the Elder witch from writing back, and he really didn’t need anything extra to worry about right now, like her health.

  Provided she was all right, he just hoped she wasn’t angry about his mentioning magical matters in the dispatch. He’d really had no choice.

  He turned his attention back to Madam Sylvia. “Obviously, what I’m asking of you is dangerous. I know that, and I’m sorry. I also realize you’ll be at a distinct disadvantage, since you can only hear the spirits, not see them.

  “If Garnock keeps quiet, you won’t be able to tell where he is; but I’ll warn you if he comes anywhere near you.” He glanced at Derek and Archie. “That goes for you two, as well. You’ve all got to trust me.” He turned back to the local medium. “I know we can do this. Brother Colwyn gave us the spell the Lightriders used before to bind Garnock’s power. It worked once. If we all say it together, we should be able to do it again.”

  “Hmm,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

  “So what do you think, ma’am? Are you willing to help us?”

  “I’ll have to check my schedule. When did you want to do it?”

  “Er, now?” Jake answered, startled.

  “The sooner the better, I’m afraid,” Derek said.

  “Like before we lose our nerve,” Archie mumbled.

  Jake cast the boy genius a rueful half-smile.

  Archie already had the Phantom Fetcher slung across his back like a hunting rifle, and a Spirit Box to go with it, though Jake doubted the container was strong enough to hold the likes of Garnock the Sorcerer.

  Derek was armed as usual—not that his Bowie knives and pistols were going to be much use against a wraith. No doubt, carrying them at least made him feel better about the battle ahead.

  The girls had stayed back at Plas-y-Fforest to keep watch over the unicorns with Miss Helena, but Jake did not intend to let Garnock get that far in the Spell of a Hundred Souls.

  Much better to stop him well before he got to number ninety-eight or ninety-nine; for once he had fed on the life-force of a unicorn, there was no telling what sort of effect that might have upon his abilities.

  Unicorns had many potent and mysterious magical properties. Garnock was evil, but if he could somehow assimilate some of their spirit into his being, it might make him all the stronger.

  But as for Jake, privately, even more than he wanted to keep Garnock away from the unicorns, he wanted him nowhere near the girls.

  “Humph.” Madam Sylvia let out a snort, still regarding him with a cynical stare. “Very well. Let me get my things. I have a few items here that should prove useful.”

  Jake and Archie exchanged a discreet look of relief while the plump little psychic bustled off and started sorting through the shelves of her shop. She tossed crystals and herb-laced candles of various sorts into a parti-colored cloth bag. “Out of sage,” she mumbled to herself, then glanced at them. “I have more in the back. Wait here. Sage is highly effective in helping to clear any building of evil spirits—”

  Her words broke off abruptly as a spectral scream echoed from somewhere outside.

  “HELLLLP! Help, please!”

  Jake looked out the window and glimpsed an orb speeding over the roofs of the shops across the streets, leaving a faint trail of ectoplasm streaming out behind it.

  Madam Sylvia rushed back and glanced around, able to hear the voice, but unable to see the screamer. “What—who—was that?”

  “I don’t know, an orb—”

  Suddenly—whoosh!—down it came through the ceiling.

  “Madam Sylvia! Oh, Lord Griffon! Thank goodness you are both here!”

  Jake’s eyes widened as the orb turned itself into Professor Sackville. The headmaster ghost materialized suddenly, right there in the shop’s middle aisle.

  “Please, you must come quickly!”

  “What’s the matter?” Jake asked in alarm.

  “Who’s there?” the medium called.

  “It’s Dr. Sackville,” Jake told her. “The old headmaster from the Harris Mine School.”

  “He’s here?” Archie asked in wonder. “Why?”

  “I think he needs help. Sir, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s not me, it’s the children! Hurry, please!” the old ghost said frantically. “You must come! It’s Garnock. He’s attacking all the children! It’s like a feeding frenzy!” Old Sack cried. “He’s draining the students to within inches of their lives! Please, you must hurry!”

  “We’ll be right there,” Jake assured him.

  “What’s happening?” Derek asked quickly, since neither he nor Archie had the psychic gift.

  “We need to go,” Jake answered.

  “Let me get my sage.” Madam Sylvia ran into the back, while Derek turned to him for an explanation.

  “Garnock must have heard about our foray into the mine. I think he figured out we killed his gargoyles. He must know we’re coming for him next. Sounds like he’s scrambling to reach his full strength before he has to face us.”

  “So he knows we’re coming,” Archie said with a grim, meaningful glance from Jake to Derek.

  The Guardian nodded. “Jake was right. We’d better strike fast before he’s back to his old self. We stopped the gargoyles, but lost the element of surprise.”

  Old Sack stood by fretting as Madam Sylvia returned with the sage.

  With her colorful cloth bag full of magical equipment over her shoulder, she shooed them out, then flipped the sign in her shop window to Closed.

  As soon as she locked the front door, they hurried to the carriage.

  But when Derek opened the door for the lady and started to hand her up, Madam Sylvia suddenly screamed and recoiled in shock. “What is that?”

  Jake rushed over to her side. “Oh, sorry! I forgot to tell you about my Gryphon. It’s all right, he’s friendly.”

  “A-a gryphon?” she cried.

  “His name’s Red. Really, he won’t bite you.”

  “B-b-but…”

  The Gryphon blinked innocently, as if to say, What’s wrong with her?

  Unfortunately, Jake had forgotten that he had left the beast hiding in the carriage while they had gone into the shop. “Trust me, he’s a really good ally to have when you’re going into battle.”

  Which it seemed they suddenly were.

  The old woman looked at Jake in astonishment, but gave no further protest. When they had all climbed into the carriage, however, Madam Sylvia stared at Red in trepidation the whole way out to the school.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Harsh Lessons

  Under dismal gray skies, the Harris Mine School loomed ahead as they turned in at the drive, passing through the tall wrought-iron gates. The spiky trees were bare and the whole place seemed bleaker than ever as a biting wind rasped across the bald face of the hi
ll.

  When they pulled up in front of the school’s entrance, Derek slowed the carriage to a halt. Everyone warily got out, except for Red; Jake ordered him to stay in the coach for now. The Gryphon growled unhappily at this command, but Jake would only call him in as a last resort.

  Having the creature seen by countless schoolchildren and their teachers would only complicate all their lives.

  Archie shrugged the Phantom Fetcher over his shoulder. Derek touched the scabbards of his knives on each hip in a habitual gesture, armed and ready. Madam Sylvia pulled her colorful cloth bag full of charms and crystals higher up onto her shoulder.

  Jake tucked another yew wood wand from the Archive into his back pocket, along with a folded-up copy of the Lightriders’ previous spell for vanquishing Garnock. Then he turned to his companions. “Everyone ready?”

  They nodded, then they all walked up bravely onto the school’s shadowy stone porch.

  Derek banged on the door with his fist.

  No one answered.

  His chest tight, pulse pounding, Jake glanced nervously over his shoulder and saw Red peeking out the carriage window, watching the proceedings.

  That was when he noticed an orb streaking toward them over the hill. In the next moment, Old Sack reappeared on the porch beside them.

  “Hurry,” he said anxiously, “you might as well go in. Nobody’s going to answer the door. They can’t. That’s what I was trying to tell you.”

  “The headmaster’s here. He says we should just go in.” Jake brushed Derek aside and seized hold of the doorknob himself, then frowned. “Locked.”

  The warrior shrugged, stepped back, then lunged forward, kicking it open.

  When it had blasted back with a bang, they walked into the gloomy foyer, everyone on guard, looking around in all directions. The four classroom doors that led off the foyer were closed. Since there were four rooms and four of them, they separated to look in through the classroom windows.

  Before Jake had even reached his door, Derek let out a curse and rushed into the room he was checking. The others followed—and gasped. The children were littered around the classroom, some half-conscious at their desks. Others had collapsed on the floor.