The Curse of Deadman's Forest

by Victoria Laurie

  Ian was so taken aback that he barely knew what to do. He settled for patting her head gently and telling her not to cry. He hadn’t even had a moment to process what the professor had said.

  The earl, however, appeared to have understood it perfectly. “But, professor,” he said, “the prophecy from the last box …” His voice trailed off just as Ian remembered six cryptic lines:

  Once the Healer has been named

  Loam of ground no longer tamed

  Unleashing wrath from ancient stone

  Hear the earth below you moan

  Fly away, back to your cave

  Those you leave cannot be saved

  And Ian suddenly wondered if perhaps he was the one who might get left behind on their next quest. Theo seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she mumbled, “I won’t let her take you, Ian. On our next quest, to find the Healer, I won’t let Lachestia take you!”

  Ian hugged Theo tightly, and tried to calm his own fears. “There, there,” he said gently. “No one’s going to do me in, Theo. We’ll just have to make sure we avoid the sorceress when we go in search of the Healer.”

  But Theo looked up at him with such haunted eyes that he knew her gift of sight was telling her that might prove itself impossible. “I sense a great danger, Ian,” she whispered. “I’ve seen that your path in particular comes so close to death that I cannot determine if you will come back through the portal alive.”

  Ian’s heart felt as if it had fallen straight down to his toes. “That settles it, then, doesn’t it?” the earl said, his voice firm.

  “Settles what, my lord?” the professor asked.

  “If Laodamia thinks that the children might not survive their next trip through the portal, then they shall not pass at all.”

  Theo snapped her head in the earl’s direction, and Ian could clearly see the conflict on her face. “But, my lord! We must go through the portal. We have no choice but to add the Healer to our group! The Healer is essential to the six Laodamia has tasked us with gathering!”

  But the earl’s mind was made up. “No,” he said firmly. “I shall not risk it. We will find another way.”

  “But the prophecy!” the professor cried, getting up from his chair to move closer to them. “My lord, if the children are not allowed to assemble what Laodamia calls the United, we are all most certainly doomed!”

  The earl’s brow lowered, and Ian saw a glint of anger in his eye, which was quite unusual for him. “I will not throw Ian’s life away so easily, Professor Nutley!” the earl snapped. “And I shall not risk an encounter with this sorceress! We will find a way to fulfill this prophecy without sending the children back through the portal.”

  “But how, my lord?” Ian asked. “How can we possibly find the Healer without following the prophecy?”

  The earl sighed heavily and sat back down on the bed. He turned slightly and pulled a folded letter from his jacket. After opening it to read a few lines to himself, he said, “I cannot be certain, Ian, but there may yet be a solution.”

  The professor’s mouth opened, and it looked as if he were going to continue to argue the point, but the earl held up his hand, ending their discussion. “Let us not talk any further about this until I’ve had an opportunity to investigate a few recent developments, all right?”

  Ian noticed that both Theo and the professor looked rather doubtful, but they nodded in agreement all the same.

  “Thank you,” the earl said with a relieved smile. “Is there any more to this prophecy from Sir Barnaby’s journal, Professor?”

  The professor blinked, as if he’d forgotten all about the diary. “Yes, my lord, there is one small section that remains, and I must admit that it is most extraordinary, given Ian’s encounter with the man who came to his rescue yesterday, and his conviction that he met none other than our Phoenician General Adrastus. Laodamia writes, ‘I am awaiting the general from Lixus. To him shall go my treasure boxes, to be placed in the most secret of locations all around the world. He shall be the Keeper. The Keeper of my secrets. The Keeper of all our destinies.’”

  “I was right!” Ian exclaimed. “Adrastus lives!”

  But the professor still held some doubt. “Ian,” he said soberly, “this does not clearly state that you were right and the general has somehow managed to live for two thousand years; this merely indicates that you were right in that Adrastus hid both the Star of Lixus and the second silver box for you. From the note you were handed by the stranger who saved you yesterday, it does appear that he also hid the first box in Dover for you to find, however, it does not prove that he is Adrastus.”

  “But he said he was the Secret Keeper!” Ian insisted. “He said almost exactly what Laodamia says. That he was the keeper of secrets and my destiny, and that’s why he couldn’t tell me any more, because he was afraid it might alter my fate.”

  Still, the professor appeared skeptical. “It would have to be an extraordinary occurrence, lad,” he said.

  “Yes, well, the portal is a rather extraordinary thing, don’t you agree?” Ian argued.

  The professor broke into a grin. “Point taken,” he said with a chuckle.

  The earl got up from the edge of the bed and moved to his satchel. He opened it and took out several articles of clothing, then handed these to Ian. “My clothes!” Ian exclaimed, happy to see a proper shirt for a change.

  “In order to make a hasty retreat I’m afraid I had to leave all the extra satchels behind, Ian, but I did manage to get most of your clothes.” The earl then reached into his bag again and came up with another pile—this he handed to Theo, who took it gratefully—and a final set, which he also gave to Ian. “See that Carl receives these, would you?”

  Ian scowled. He was still a bit miffed with Carl this morning. The earl must have noticed Ian’s frown, because when Ian looked up at him, the earl had arched one eyebrow. “Is there a problem, lad?”

  Ian was quick to shake his head. “No, my lord,” he said, anxious not to involve the earl in his petty squabbles. The earl seemed satisfied but Theo regarded Ian in a way that told him she knew exactly what Ian was upset about.

  “Very well,” the earl said with a sigh. “If you will all go on and enjoy your morning, I will attempt to steal a quick nap before seeing to our continued travel arrangements.”

  Theo took Ian by the hand. “Come, let’s have some breakfast, shall we?”

  Theo waited outside Ian’s door while he changed into a fresh shirt and trousers. He was grateful that Carl wasn’t in their room, and he settled for tossing his friend’s clothes onto the bed. Carl would find them easily enough.

  After Ian had changed, he and Theo made their way down the stairs, and as they stepped onto the marble flooring of the front hall, they heard laughing coming from the dining hall.

  Curious, they went to investigate, and Ian stopped short when he saw that Océanne was giggling merrily at Carl, who was attempting to balance a spoon on the end of his nose.

  Beside Ian, Theo began to laugh as well, and that irritated Ian all the more. Océanne looked up as they entered, and clapped her hands. “There you are!” she said happily. “And you’re just in time. Breakfast is about to be served.” Turning back to Carl with a humorous grin, she added, “I’ve made sure there’s more than enough for seconds.”

  Carl’s spoon clanked onto his plate and he smiled happily. “Brilliant!” he exclaimed, rubbing his stomach. Then he added, “And might I say that is a very nice jumper you’re wearing, Océanne.”

  For a split second there was a strange quiet that enveloped the room as Theo and Océanne looked at each other in astonishment before both girls dissolved into a fit of giggles. “What?” Carl asked innocently, his cheeks turning red. He seemed to understand that the girls were laughing at him, but clearly had no idea why, so he turned to Ian and asked, “Mate, you’d agree, wouldn’t you? Doesn’t Océanne’s jumper look nice?”

  Océanne’s beautiful gray-blue eyes turned to Ian expectantly, and for a mo
ment he found himself unable to speak. And that was quite unfortunate, because both Theo and Océanne seemed to think that even more humorous.

  Ian felt his own cheeks heat up and he turned on his heel and began to walk away. “Ian!” Theo called after him, but he did not turn back. “Where are you going?”

  “I’ve lost my appetite,” he said angrily, and felt just a little bit better when the giggling from both girls ceased abruptly.

  “Aw, come on, mate!” Carl called to him as he walked out of the dining hall. “They were only having a laugh, after all.”

  But Ian was far too upset by his own jealousy and embarrassment to go back to the table. Behind him he could clearly hear Theo say, “I don’t know what on earth has got into him!”

  But after finding a quiet corner to sulk in, Ian began to feel a sense of shame and, even worse, foolishness for having stormed off like a petulant child. Still, he was too embarrassed to return, so instead, he dashed back up the stairs, turned into his room, and threw himself across the covers. He lay there for a long while, trying to sort through his feelings, and he thought about Theo’s words and had to admit that he didn’t know what had got into him either. He’d never been jealous of anyone in his life, but suddenly, he couldn’t stand it that Carl seemed to be commanding everyone’s attention.

  After a long while, Ian rolled over and stared at the ceiling. With a heavy sigh he got up and moved to make his bed. It had been ingrained in him to do this every morning at the keep. Just as he was pulling the bedspread over the pillow, there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” he said over his shoulder.

  Ian suspected that it must be Theo coming to check on him, but when he turned to face the door, he was surprised to see Océanne standing there with a tray loaded with a plate of eggs and toast and a cup of steaming tea. “I’ve brought you some breakfast,” she said kindly.

  Ian’s knees felt wobbly and he could sense a blush hitting his cheeks again. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes quickly finding the floor.

  When Océanne did not reply, Ian looked up again and noticed that she seemed to be struggling to find a place to put the tray. “I’ll take that,” he said quickly, crossing the floor to relieve her of her burden. She gave it to him and added a smile and Ian felt his blush deepen. She was so pretty, and her eyes so beautiful, that he thought he couldn’t stand to look at her for very long, but neither did he want to look away.

  After yet another awkward silence, Océanne finally said, “Well, then, enjoy your breakfast.” And she turned to leave.

  “Océanne?” Ian called to her, and she turned back to him just as he realized he had no idea what to say next.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “Er …,” he said as sweat broke out along his brow. His eyes darted back to the floor while he searched for something smart to say to her. Some compliment to pay her. “Um … your jumper is very pretty.” His eyes lifted and he was rewarded with the girl’s brilliant smile. Ian smiled in return and he felt his heart soar, so he added without really looking down, “And your shoes are also quite nice.”

  But to his horror, this additional compliment only inspired Océanne to quickly look down at her stocking feet before covering her mouth with her hand, while attempting to stifle another laugh. She wasn’t quite able to, and it appeared that the harder she tried, the more difficult the task, until she finally broke down into a fit of giggles.

  Ian felt the humiliation right down to his toes. “Er …, I meant your stockings.”

  “Thank you, Ian,” she said when she’d recovered herself, and he was almost sure he heard mockery in her voice. “Just leave the dishes outside the room when you’ve finished and one of our staff will collect them.”

  Ian nodded, looking anywhere but at Océanne, and to his relief, she left him then and shut the door.

  He stood there for several moments longer, staring without seeing the tray of food in his hands. Finally, he moved to the bed, sat down, and pushed the eggs on his plate around with his fork. He attempted a small bite of the toast, but he found that this time, he really had lost his appetite.

  A bit later he set the tray outside his door and moved quietly out of the room. He was relieved to see no one about and made his way downstairs, where he heard cheerful voices coming from somewhere nearby.

  Peeking round a corner, he saw Carl and Océanne playing the card game that he and Theo had practiced on the train. Theo looked on and laughed as Océanne giggled infectiously and tried to guess the cards in Carl’s hands. For his part, Carl seemed to be trying to help her along, tapping one of the cards repeatedly and laughing back at her when she didn’t catch on right away.

  Océanne finally laid her palm across the cards in Carl’s hand and, turning to Theo, asked abruptly, “Theo, would you tell me my fortune?”

  Theo appeared a bit taken aback by the request, but she smiled kindly. “Who told you I could predict the future?”

  Carl coughed and got up quickly, as if the conversation was going in a direction that made him uncomfortable. “I think I’d like a glass of water. Would either of you care for one?”

  Theo narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “No, thank you.”

  “Oh, yes please,” said Océanne.

  Carl nodded and wasted no time leaving the room, allowing the girls some privacy. Ian nearly pulled himself away, mindful that he was now prying into personal matters, but part of him really wondered what Theo would say to Océanne.

  And in fact, Theo did oblige their hostess. “Very well, Océanne, now that Carl has given me away, I’ll tell you what I see for you.”

  Océanne clapped her hands and inched closer to Theo, who had closed her eyes and appeared to be concentrating. “I see a romance,” she said. Océanne gasped, but Theo ignored her and continued. “With a boy who lives in a foreign land. He is brave and handsome and charming, Océanne. And he would be most devoted to you if you would have him.”

  “Is it Carl?” Océanne asked excitedly, and Ian felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach.

  He waited anxiously for Theo’s reply, but to his chagrin, she opened her eyes and laughed before telling the girl, “Perhaps. I know he has blond hair, and that he’s quite charming—which of course fits Carl.”

  Océanne laughed merrily and took hold of Theo’s hands. “I like him very much, Theo,” she admitted, and Ian felt that familiar knot of anger and jealousy wrap itself around his insides.

  Theo glanced over her shoulder as if she expected Carl to come back into the room. “Yes,” she agreed. “And I suspect he likes you too.”

  The girls then joined each other in a fit of giggles and Ian turned away, feeling such a pang of hurt and betrayal that he couldn’t stand to listen to another word.

  He spent all the rest of the day sulking outside, exploring the grounds and keeping well away from the house.

  Theo found him in the late afternoon as he was sitting on a log overlooking a gentle brook. “Hello,” she said cordially, taking a seat next to him.

  “Hello,” Ian replied, with no real warmth. “How’d you find me?” he asked. Theo held up the sundial and he frowned. “Ah,” he said. “Yes, I’d forgotten about that.”

  Theo took Ian’s hand and placed the dial in his palm. “This is yours,” she said to him. “Laodamia meant it for you.”

  “The Guardian,” he said with a sigh, and watched Theo frown.

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Ian,” she said earnestly. He was about to reassure her when she added, “But I also know we must go through the portal to find the Healer when the time is right.”

  “That’s likely to be a bit tricky, Theo, what with the earl forbidding us from going anywhere near the portal and that lock on the gate at the entrance.”

  Theo sighed. “I know. But Carl has a plan—”

  She got no further than that, because Ian cut her off. “Carl!” he snapped, and spat into the dirt. He’d had all day to work up a good deal of resentment toward his friend and he was
in no mood to hear about a new idea the younger boy had come up with. “I’m sure he’s got a jolly brilliant idea to get us through the portal so that I can meet my end and he can have both you and Océanne all to himself!”

  Ian hadn’t meant for all that to come out, and was ashamed when Theo stared at him in stunned disbelief. “Me and Océanne? Have you gone completely daft?” she demanded, and Ian felt his cheeks flush when he realized she was asking seriously. “Ian Wigby,” she continued when he said nothing to explain his outburst, but then her voice grew stern. “Carl Lawson is the best friend you’ll ever have. And I know that because I’ve seen a glimpse of both of your futures and I know that his loyalty to you will never waver. Never.

  “I’ve also seen a glimpse of Océanne’s future, and I know that while her affections for Carl are quite real at the moment, they will shift dramatically in time. And her admirations will eventually point in a completely different direction, toward someone like … you. And once her affections have turned to you, Ian, they will not turn away again. Ever.”

  Ian, who had been looking shamefacedly at the ground, turned his eyes up to Theo, feeling hope bloom strong in his chest, but he was surprised when she returned his gaze with one of anger, glaring down at him with her hands on her hips. “But,” she snapped, “might I add that what I see for you and Océanne is, at this very moment, in grave jeopardy of not turning out that way, because you are being so ridiculous and if you continue to make a fool of yourself, you’ll not only lose any hope of winning Océanne’s heart, but you’ll lose your friendship with Carl too.”

  And then Theo stomped off without a backward glance.

  Ian sat on the log for a very long time, thinking about what Theo had said. Several times he heard his name being called, but he did not answer. He knew that the others were gathering for dinner and he was being unforgivably rude by not making an appearance, but he couldn’t bring himself to face them just yet. He felt unsettled by what Theo had told him—that she saw a point at which Océanne’s attentions would turn to him—but for the moment, at least, Océanne was more taken with Carl, and he didn’t know how to let go of the anger and jealousy he was feeling so as not to ruin his friendship with Carl.