Twenty-three
I paced the room, somehow thinking I would be able to concentrate better. Bill Clinton disagreed. “The Mog family—they were in the tomb—the family you said was cursed. And the light tower, Mr. Green called it Mog’s Keep. You think they’re from the same family?”
“Yes. No other Wults would have taken that name.”
“Then why did they change their name?”
“For protection, perhaps.”
“Protection from whom?”
Kull pinched his lips shut. “No one.”
I eyed him. It wasn’t like Kull to keep information from me. He’d always been brutally honest. “You know something.”
“No.” He handed me the book, then leaned close enough to whisper. “Some things even I can’t speak of.”
“What do you know?”
He shook his head.
“Kull—”
“We should find my sister.” He turned to leave.
“If there’s something you know, you have to tell me. You know what’s at stake—my godson, our lives, possibly every life in Faythander. What do you know?”
I used my stern voice. I didn’t use it often, and I think it caught him off guard.
He exhaled. “I’ll tell you what little I know.”
Kull took his time before speaking. The wind gusted outside, blowing leaves against the windowpanes. He crossed his arms as he stood in front of the window. The sunlight cast dappled spots across his chest.
“Several years ago, I went on a hunting expedition with my father. We traveled to the northlands—as close to the goblin border as we could get. We’d heard that the grimwelts had grown fat and meant to hunt them.”
“And did you?”
“We never got a chance. We were attacked.”
“Who attacked you?”
He hesitated. “They appeared to be elves, though they wore beards and were built like Wults.”
“Geth’s people?”
“Perhaps. They were much the same as Geth and his men, though they were less organized, more savage. I managed to kill one. My father and our companions frightened off the rest. When I went through the dead man’s clothing, I found a vial that looked much the same as the vials in the healer’s tent. It was a potion of some sort.”
“A potion?”
He nodded. “I never discovered its purpose.”
“Do you have any idea who those fighters were? Or who Geth and his followers are?”
“I have my suspicions. Shortly after we were attacked, we learned of a group of resistance fighters called the Caxon. They feel the elves have unfair control over the four nations. It’s rumored that the followers of Mog support the Caxon.”
“Could Geth and his followers have been the Caxon?”
“It’s possible.”
“But who are they? They look like no elves I’ve ever encountered. As far as I know, elves can’t grow facial hair.” It seemed like an insignificant thing to point out, but it was a fact that made no sense.
“I’ve told you all I know.”
I watched the maywelters flutter over the lake. They looked so calm, exactly opposite of how I felt inside. I wanted to be down there, listening to their beating wings and drinking in the fresh air. Pressing my hand against the glass, I let the window’s warmth calm my churning stomach.
“Heidel may have more information for us. While in captivity, I suspect she learned something about her captors that may be of help.”
“Where is she?”
“She is in solitude to gain her strength back.” He pointed at the forest.
Something moved in the trees. A dark silhouette slammed something to the ground. Her knife glinted as she slit the thing’s throat. I looked closer and saw that she held a giant snake. Blood soaked her armor.
“She’s gaining her strength?”
“Of course,” Kull answered.
“Eugrid would disagree.”
“You’ve met my sister?”
“Yes.” I pressed my fingers to my side. “She’s an excellent healer.”
“Don’t let her deceive you. She’s got a tongue sharp enough to rival any warrior’s blade. But she is a good mother to my niece and nephews. Thank the gods for that.”
“You’re lucky to live in a castle surrounded by your family.” I thought of my apartment back home. If it weren’t for Han Solo, I was sure I would have gone crazy. There was a reason why our justice system locked the worst criminals in solitary isolation—humans were meant to be social creatures. Loneliness could drive a person mad. I should know.
A gentle breeze shook the tree limbs. A few leaves broke away and tumbled to the ground. I kept my hand on the glass, mesmerized by the Wultland’s beauty. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place more beautiful in all of Faythander. It would be amazing to wake up to that view every morning.”
I felt Kull’s eyes on me. My stomach gave that annoying flutter. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I focused on Heidel instead. She now had the snake slung over one shoulder. She walked with a noticeable limp.
“Would you like to live here?” he asked me.
I was sure I hadn’t meant it that way, but perhaps I’d said it wrong. I thought it best to clarify. “No. I was merely stating that I like the view.”
“I believe you said that you would like to wake up every morning to this view, which would imply that you would like to live here.”
“It was a metaphor.”
He raised an eyebrow. We both turned to the window. Heidel found a footpath leading to the castle walls.
“She will use the south gate. If we hurry, we may catch her before she guts the beast. Come.” He turned.
I followed him through the tunnel and out of the library. He didn’t speak as we crossed through the hallways. Our footsteps echoed over the stone tiles, the only sound to break up the silence.
I wondered if Kull had told me everything. He’d said the Caxon were resistance fighters—but where did they come from? Did their quest have anything to do with my godson? They had more knowledge about the Dreamthief than me. If the two were connected, I needed to know everything about the Dreamthief and the Caxon I could find out.
I suspected Mr. Green could tell me, and I couldn’t forget the dream I’d had about Jeremiah creating Sissy’s face in the tiles. Two people I needed to talk to. I had to get back to Earth, but until I got that goblin’s dream catcher back, I wouldn’t be going anywhere.
We stopped at a broad stone staircase near the end of a hallway. I followed him down, holding my breath with each step and praying my rib didn’t crack open.
We stepped into a large foyer. Massive granite pillars surrounded us. Animal skins covered some of the walls, making the place feel less barren. A hide with thick, rust-colored fur covered a portion of the floor. As we crossed, the eyes of dozens of stuffed animals looked down on us. Most I recognized as Faythander species—Grimwelts, burbonskis, cissikins—though I spotted a twenty-foot crocodile amongst the rest. It stood in the corner with its mouth gaped open.
“Is this your collection?” I asked Kull.
“A portion of it.”
I pointed to the crocodile. “That’s an interesting kill.”
“I suppose so. I have no memory of it, though it must have been glorious.”
“How so?”
He raised his shirtsleeve to reveal a raised scar than ran the length of his arm. “I had this when I returned.”
We stopped at a pair of tall, wooden doors. They creaked as Kull pushed them open. The sunlight blinded me as we walked outside. We crossed a narrow bridge spanning a stream, its water gurgling with a musical sound beneath us.
When we entered the forest, the green canopy blocked out the sunlight. The murmur of fairy voices came from the trees. Their bobbing lights flitted in and out of view. Our feet crunched over dead leaves and twigs as the footpath wound toward the lake.
Heidel walked toward us. She looked feral with the snake slung over her shoulde
r, its blood smearing her neck and hands. She wore a long braid, though it was also matted with blood. The crazed look in her eyes gave me pause; she’d always seemed distant, but now she looked dangerous.
“Brother.”
She passed us without another word as she crossed to the stream. We followed her. She knelt on a muddy bank. Kull stalked after her, hands in his pockets, exuding casualness.
Heidel uncoiled the snake from her neck. Even in death, its body still writhed.
“You’ve managed a decent kill,” Kull said.
“It’s the best I could manage in these woods. Brodnik killed all the better game.”
With a flick of her wrist, she unsheathed her knife. She slit the beast’s belly open and then laid her knife aside. The intestines spilled out, shiny and pink in the morning sunlight. Grabbing a handful, she began the tedious chore of gutting the animal. Kull crouched beside her.
“It’s odd that you found us in Geth’s camp when you did, sister. Your timing seemed almost uncanny.”
“Did it?”
“Yes. And it is a miracle that Geth let us go so easily, as if he knew you.”
She eyed him.
“Did he know you?”
She wiped a blood-smeared hand across her cheek. “I met him once before. Briefly.”
“Are you sure?” Kull asked her. “He seemed to acknowledge you as more than just a passing acquaintance.”
“Yet that is all he is.”
“When did you meet him?”
She jerked a loop of intestine out and tossed it in the water. It hit the surface with a loud splash. “That is none of your business.”
I heard the snarl in her voice.
Kull watched her gut the snake, his eyes guarded. “Geth does not hesitate to kill. He is dangerous. If you have dealings with this man, then you should tell me. I will protect you—”
“Protect me?” she laughed. “What do you know of protecting me? Where were you when the goblins captured me? When I was chained like an animal and given no food or water? Where were you then?”
Kull looked as if she’d slapped him, but the moment was brief. He gave her a gentle smile. “I am not as skilled in the art of rescuing as you are.”
The snake coiled around her hand. With a frustrated scream, she yanked it away. She grabbed the entire carcass and flung it into the river. It landed with a splash that sent waves to the shore. Droplets pelted my face and arms.
Heidel collapsed onto the muddy bank. Kull sat beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She looked as if she meant to push it away. Instead, she stared into the undulating water, her eyes red and swollen.
“I missed you,” she finally admitted. “I missed your brainless remarks and your fool’s wit. I missed your laughter. I feared they had killed you.”
“I am a hard man to kill. You know that.”
Rippling water broke the silence. When Heidel spoke, her voice sounded distant. “Goblins are dark creatures. They do not understand morality as we do. They kill and rape as though it is natural. They wish only to destroy. It is a wonder their species has survived for so long.”
“Where did they take you?” Kull asked quietly.
“They kept me blindfolded whenever we traveled. I know they took me underground. We must have been in some sort of catacombs. The goblins were everywhere. I can still smell their stench.” She wiped a muddied hand across her nose.
“They fought often and left the carcasses out for me to see. Whether they did this on purpose, I do not know, though it felt as though they did. They did not feed me. They knew what I would have to do—what they forced me to do.”
“I am sorry,” Kull said.
Heidel hugged her knees to her chest. “Escape was my only thought. Even when I slept, I dreamed of escape. Goblins are ruthless, but they have little contact with outsiders, which makes them lousy captors. I found my knife on one of the corpses and made quick work of cutting through my bindings.” She rubbed her wrists. “I made sure they suffered before they died.”
“And how did you find us?” I asked as I sat next to Kull.
“It wasn’t hard. They knew where you were, though it took some prodding on my part to learn the truth.” She found her knife and stroked it over the grass. Blood stained the green shoots.
“Most of the goblins I saw were little more than animals,” Heidel continued. “They are depraved, brainless, mutilating one another without a conscience. But others…” she paused, seeming lost in thought. “It seems some goblins have developed a sense of awareness.”
“What do you mean?” Kull asked.
“Some were magic practitioners, skilled in transformation.”
“And these other goblins acted differently than the rest?”
“Yes. I hardly recognized them as goblins. They were more cunning, more organized, less… bloodthirsty.”
“Goblins are goblins,” Kull said. “No matter what they look like. They’re all the same underneath.”
“True,” I answered. “But if they’re organizing, that can’t be good. They’re most likely preparing to summon Theht.”
“You don’t know for sure,” Kull replied.
“No, but I’d bet your dinosaur’s head on it.”
Kull crossed his arms. “Ah yes, I’m glad you reminded me. When will we be retrieving it?”
“Soon enough.” Between finding Mr. Green, interrogating Sissy, poring through Peerling’s book, and trying to find out where Mog’s Keep was located, I knew I’d never have time to help him steal a dinosaur’s remains. I wished I’d never made that bet.
“You travel to Earth Kingdom?” Heidel asked her brother.
“Yes.”
“You should fear doing such a thing. Your memories—”
“I’ll lose them, I know. But if I come back with that beast’s skeleton, it will be worth it.”
“Some of the goblins I met in the catacombs had more sense than you.”
Kull laughed. “I see they’ve brainwashed you. Even more reason you should come with us.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You’ll miss a great opportunity.”
She turned to me. “You are brave to take him with you. Don’t let him talk you into anything you’d regret.”
I cleared my throat. “I’m sure I won’t.”
Kull wrapped an arm around me, squeezing my shoulders tighter than I felt comfortable with. “Olive knows how to take care of herself.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about.”
I decided to change the subject. “Eugrid said you have my dream catcher?”
“The cursed loom—yes.” She pulled a package wrapped in sheepskin from her pocket.
I wasn’t sure if she was aware or not, but the skins of certain animals negated magical properties. Lambskins were used for this. When she handed it over, I wondered if she knew more about magic than I’d thought. Either that, or she had a natural inclination toward magical powers.
With careful hands, I opened the package. Although I knew how dark the magic was, I wasn’t prepared for its taint when I peeled back the wrapping. It hit me like a tsunami.
I flinched and replaced the covering.
“Something wrong?” Heidel asked.
“No, this is it.”
“What will you do with it?”
“Once I get back to my apartment, I’ll spellcast it and try to figure out who created the spell.”
“Is that a wise idea?”
“Probably not. But I don’t have much of a choice. This is dark magic like I’ve never seen. Not even goblin magic compares with this. If I find out where this magic comes from, I may be able to find where Mog’s Keep is located and hopefully find my godson.”
“And find my dinosaur’s skeleton.”
“Yes, and that.”
Would he shut up about that?
Kull turned to Heidel. “I cannot convince you to come with us?”
She shook her head. “My place is here. Be certai
n not to get captured. I will not rescue you again.”
“You have my word.”
She eyed him, blood drying on her face and matting her hair. “I will miss you,” she said quietly.
“And I you.”
She gave him a brief hug before grabbing her knife and walking into the castle. Kull and I stayed by the stream. The snake’s carcass bobbed slowly as it got tangled in the weeds along the shore.
Kull sat without speaking, his jaw clenched. I knew whenever Kull wasn’t speaking, he was brooding. “What’s on your mind?” I asked.
“Hmm?” He turned to me a second later. “Just brooding, I suppose.”
Hey, didn’t I call it?
“Brooding over what?”
“Nothing important.”
“It must be important, or you wouldn’t be worrying about it. You can tell me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “In your world, you help people with troubled minds, is this true?”
“Yes.”
“You are a therapist?” He said the unfamiliar word slowly.
“Yes. What are you getting at?”
“You questioned why I am worried. Is this Olive the therapist speaking?”
“It’s Olive the friend speaking.”
He tightened the muscles in his jaw. “Friend?”
Maybe I’d gone too far. Maybe the greatest Wult warrior in history only chose friends he deemed worthy.
“Very well, if Olive Kennedy, the friend, is speaking, then I’d like to know how observant you are.”
“I can be observant when I need to be. What am I observing?”
“Did you see Heidel’s hands?”
Her hands?
“I saw them. Was something wrong?”
“Scars. She’s had them for years. I always assumed them to be battle wounds.”
“And now you think they aren’t?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
I’d seen Heidel’s scars before. I had assumed the same thing as him. But if those scars weren’t battle wounds, what else could they be?
“Heidel disguises her emotions well. But I know she feels pain. I fear that being in captivity has only deepened her pain.”
I didn’t know what to say. He was right. Sugarcoating the truth might make him feel better, but it wouldn’t help. “Heidel has to deal with her pain on her own terms. Only time can help with that.”
He turned to me. His eyes showed his desperation. “Will she recover?”
“I can’t say for sure.”
“But you have knowledge about the human brain and how it works. You have training in Earth Kingdom’s institutions. Have they taught you nothing? Will my sister recover from her injuries?”
“Kull, I can’t say—”
“You can guess, can’t you?”
He wanted an answer. He wouldn’t relent until he got one. “Oftentimes, people who’ve suffered traumatic events in their life such as abuse never recover. It’s a scar they carry for the rest of their lives. She can overcome it, but she’ll never be the same. Abuse is a horrible thing. It does things to the brain that we can’t yet comprehend. I don’t have a magic cure for this one. I’m sorry.”
My thoughts led me to Jeremiah. I didn’t want to imagine the horrors he was suffering.
“Thank you,” Kull finally answered.
A breeze gusted past, aiding the snake’s corpse to break free from the weeds. The current caught it, and the ropy loops of brown and black disappeared downstream.
“How will we travel to Earth Kingdom?” he asked.
“I’ll use my mirror. Bring only what you can carry. We’ll meet at the lake once we’ve packed up. I need somewhere quiet for the spell to work. And you might want to leave your broadsword here.”
He shot me a dark look.
“I’m serious. People on Earth don’t carry swords around. You could get arrested.”
“Then how do they defend themselves?”
“Umm, pepper spray?”
“A potion of some sort?”
“Yeah, it comes in a little plastic bottle, you spray it at your attacker. Burns for hours.”
Kull snorted. “My broadsword comes with me.”
“You’ll regret it.” I imagined him in the Harris County jail. I would have to bail him out for attacking some poor pedestrian with his sword.
He stood, brushed the mud from his backside, which I paid very little attention to, and walked to the castle. “You don’t know me as well as I thought,” he called over his shoulder. “The sword comes with me.”
I ground my teeth. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn.
I was sure one of us wouldn’t be returning. Bill agreed.
Dreamthief Page 30