My eyes go wide. “Noah, that’s wonderful news!”
“And then when we reach the bespelled parents, he can touch them, hopefully remove that spell, and then I can bring them all back here to regroup,” Pearl says.
Cary brightens. “When we have the parents, we can march on Zinnia and force Lady Aisling to give up the people she stole. If that doesn’t work, you can take us into the Garden of Souls, and we can use Noah’s talent to set them free.” For the first time since we found her, Cary positively glows.
Relief spills over me. If we can get the adults on board, it would be a huge help. Miranda and Alfred only told us a little about the network; these other parents surely know more and perhaps can call in reinforcements of some kind. At least they may have a better idea of what to do and can help us refine our plan.
“I think this might actually work,” I say.
We gather round a makeshift table formed from fallen stone slabs, and I place the deeds of houses we visited on our journey here on the table.
“Start with my parents,” Cary says with a determined glint in her eyes. “Please.”
“Of course,” Pearl says. “And mine next.”
Another pang of loss shoots through me. If only we knew where Lucas’s parents were, we could rescue them right now. I can’t help wondering what my own parents are up to, and if they’ve all but forgotten me. Lady Aisling’s henchman Lord Tate didn’t need to resort to magic to convince them to give me up. But I can’t worry about that now. I still have my shadows, and I need to help my new family first.
Maybe then I can go back and try to fix what happened with Lord Tate.
“All right,” Pearl says, examining the deeds carefully until she has a clear idea of the location from the little map and what the place looks like from the drawing. “Are you ready, Noah?”
“As I’ll ever be,” he says. He holds out his hand and she takes it. Then she closes her eyes—snap—and they’re gone. As much as I love my shadows, Pearl’s talent has proved to be far more useful than my own.
Almost as soon as that thought circles my brain, I feel guilty for it, and wrap the nearest shadows close to me. They are loyal, and they are mine. I cannot regret them, not ever.
Cary paces the floor, anxious for her parents to return to normal, frantic energy leaking from her pores. Finally, she approaches me with a pained expression on her face.
“Could you…could you distract me?” she asks, wrinkling her nose. “I’d love to see more of your shadow weaving.”
“Of course. It would help pass the time.” I understand how she feels. I’ve gotten to know her better over these last few days. She struck me as tough and sullen before during our brief acquaintance in Parilla, but now I see it’s more that she’s fiercely loyal and protective. Just like an older sister ought to be.
I gather more shadows and begin to weave while we wait. First, I craft a puppy that rolls on the floor, chasing a shadow cat around Cary’s feet. A small smile cracks her lips.
If Lucas were here, he could craft light to brighten her up and blend with my shadows. I swallow hard, blinking back the tears that threaten. But he isn’t here, and all I can do is amuse her as best I can with my darkness.
By the time I’ve nearly run out of shadow shapes to craft, a snapping sound breaks the quiet and Pearl and Noah appear out of thin air—and with them are the Rodans. Cary leaps to her feet.
“Mother! Father!” She rushes forward and throws her arms around each of them. For their part, the Rodans are dazed, but glad to see their daughter. Relief fills me, too; Noah’s control over his talent is definitely improving.
Mr. Rodan frowns. “Where is Doyle?” he says. “These two said they would bring us to our family.”
Cary’s face twists, and she takes a step back. “You don’t remember?”
Pearl and Noah stare at the ground uncomfortably. “We thought it would be best if they heard it from you,” Pearl says.
The Rodans exchange a look. “Remember what?”
“The Lady.”
Both of the Rodans’ faces pale. “Oh no,” murmurs Mrs. Rodan. “Tell us what happened.”
“Doyle was taken, and the two of you were under some sort of spell. You’ve been acting strangely for the last few weeks. Emmeline and Lucas came looking for Doyle, and I snuck away with them in the middle of the night.”
“We suspect,” I say, “that the spell Lady Aisling put on you allowed her to connect with you somehow, communicate if you saw any talented children. And she may have used a memory stealer to make you forget she was there. I’m sorry we snuck away, but we were scared.”
Mrs. Rodan pulls Cary close to her. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m glad you escaped if we were tainted like that.”
“Where is Lucas?” Mr. Rodan asks, and now my face falls.
“He was captured. And so was Dar. We must save them both.”
“That’s awful,” Mr. Rodan says. “His parents must be beside themselves. They’ve worked so hard all these years to keep him hidden.”
“Who is Dar?” Mrs. Rodan says.
Cary raises her eyebrow at me.
I explain as best I can. The Rodans still frown, but to their credit they take my explanation in stride.
“Well, anyone who has fallen into her clutches needs saving. We’ll have to figure something out.”
“And we need to save Lucas’s parents. That’s how this all began. Miranda and Alfred were captured when she found our cottage by the sea.”
Mr. Rodan slumps into a chair, and his wife puts a trembling hand on his shoulder. “That is the worst possible news. They’re an integral part of the network. They’re the record keepers.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, my heart in my throat.
“It means that if Lady Aisling has them, she has everything. All the information she’ll need to find every talented person ever hidden by the network.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
By the end of the day, we have all the parents we’ve encountered on our journey free and ready to help, in addition to Cary’s. Noah’s parents were safe in their home when we found them, but they had had their memories altered just like the rest. It’s a relief to have them all here to plan the best way into the city. We have been too much on our own for too long.
The best part about the adults being back to normal is they know more about the network than we do. While they are devastated by the news that Miranda and Alfred have been captured, we already have a plan to get them back: we march on Zinnia at first light. My stomach is knotted with an odd mix of relief, guilt, and sheer terror at the prospect.
There is much commotion here in the ruins and questions to answer, but finally we manage to find time for some much-needed sleep.
It feels like I only blink, and it’s morning again.
When I wander out of my corner, the first people I meet are the Rodans. Cary is with them, eager anxiety written all over her face. She’s as keen to get her brother back as I am to free Lucas and Dar.
“Emmeline,” says Mrs. Rodan. “We were just coming to wake you. We’re almost ready.” Together we walk outside the great hall of the ancient village. Mrs. Rodan will remain here to await Pearl and any talented people we set free. That way someone will be here to tend to the flowers and help them adjust if necessary.
I can’t fathom what it would be like to be trapped as a flower for years and then suddenly be made human again. No one does, and we’re prepared to help in whatever way we can. We know that some of her flowers have begun to wilt, but not what that will mean for them when they return to human form.
The adults will go in the main gates to demand an audience with the Lady. The parents probably won’t be able to force her to free anyone, but they will keep her and the guards busy while we circle back and sneak in through secret entrance Dar showed us. Then we’ll f
ollow the flowers to Lady Aisling’s estate and her Garden of Souls. While none of us like the idea of leaving the adults at risk after we’ve just gotten them back, they insist it is our best chance.
With any luck, it will go as smoothly in reality as it does in my head.
After a quick breakfast, we set out. I keep Pearl, Noah, and Cary concealed within my shadows, a dark cloud trailing behind the group of adults headed for the town. The walk through the woods isn’t far, but it feels as though it takes ages for the wall surrounding the town to come into view. When it does, my heart takes a seat in my throat, but I keep my shadows held tightly around us, protecting those in my charge.
Mr. Rodan walks right up to the main gate, two other sets of parents right behind him. A green-cloaked hunter stops them as they approach.
“Who are you, and what is your business in Zinnia?” the guard demands.
“My name is Stefan Rodan, and I am here to speak with Lady Aisling. We all are.”
The guard glances at the guard next him. “And the Lady is expecting all of you?”
Mr. Rodan shakes his head. “No. But perhaps she should be.”
The guards laugh. “Sorry, mate. If you weren’t invited, you don’t get to wander around our town looking for trouble. The people here love the Lady. It would not be a wise thing to do.”
But Mr. Rodan holds his ground, as do the parents behind him. “We will not leave until we speak to her.”
“Then you will be waiting a long time,” says one guard. He holds out his sword in warning, and my heart begins to march double time. The argument between Mr. Rodan and the guards is beginning to attract attention. Townspeople stream out of the surrounding buildings and streets to see what the commotion is all about.
“We shall do no such thing,” Mr. Rodan says louder than before.
“What do you want with our Lady?” one scowling man shouts from the crowd.
Mr. Rodan stands up straighter, making an imposing figure. “She took my son. I’m here to get him back. She has stolen children from all of these people, and we will not stand for it.” He sweeps his arm over the adults we gathered.
There is a sudden, strange shift in the demeanor of the townsfolk. As one, the crowd moves closer, almost like an orchestrated act.
“We love and honor our Lady! Anyone who does not isn’t welcome in Zinnia!”
“We love the Lady! We love the Lady!” The chant rises like a tide through the crowd, chilling to hear.
There is no doubt in my mind these people are under some kind of spell. Noah touches my arm, fear on his face. I suspect he’s realized the same thing.
“If they’re spelled, I don’t think I can cancel it on that many people at once.” His hands quiver.
“Don’t worry,” I say. “It’s time for us to leave.”
The relief is visible on his face.
The crowd begins to shove forward as I lead the other children away. Our priority is getting to the garden and using Noah to release the talented folks trapped there; the adults will have to fend for themselves.
Once my shadows have slid out of sight of the main gates, we break into a run for the hidden door. Soon, we stand before it, breathless. I press the three places just as Dar showed us, and it swings open.
Then we step onto the path marked by the flowers that lead to the Garden where the Lady plants the flowers she prizes most.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lady Aisling’s imposing estate rises before us. Intricate wrought-iron gates surround it, bordered by thick hedges that make it impossible to see through to the inside. The only glimpse we have is through the front gate—the sole entrance as far as we can tell—which reveals a long stone pathway lined by more hedges. A hint of a portico with large white columns flits through the foliage at the end of the path. The shadows here are intricate and deep, and they whisper around us in the breeze, tempting me to go inside.
Lucas and Dar and Doyle and many other victims are somewhere inside those hedges.
But finding the garden may not be as easy as I’d hoped. None of us have seen it, so Pearl can’t hop there yet.
“Can you get us through the gates?” I ask Pearl. Any guards who were posted outside appear to have been called away to deal with the disturbance at the town entrance. Pearl gives a quick nod, and the four of us hold hands. I close my eyes as the strange tingling sensation washes over me, and when I open them again I’m looking through the other side of the gate onto the path where we stood only seconds earlier.
I use the shadows of the massive hedges to conceal us as we creep along the edge, hoping to find a way inside. The garden must be beyond the hedges, but it’s impossible to tell how thick the foliage is. Noah furrows his brow beside me, concentrating as hard as he can to hold his nullification magic inside. I wish it wasn’t such a struggle for him, though he is much better at it now than only a day or two ago.
Our plan is simple. Find the garden, use Noah to cancel the spell cast on each of the talented people planted there, and use Pearl to make a quick escape, all while my shadows keep us hidden. Hopefully once the flowers are free, it will be easier for us to find Miranda and Alfred and anyone else who may have fallen victim to her.
It all rests on our shoulders.
The weight of that responsibility bogs me down. I bear the blame in a way the others do not. I caught the attention of Lady Aisling’s minions. I let Dar put her henchman in a coma. I ran away from home and straight into Lucas, putting them all at risk. I’ve lost everything I loved—my first home, my new home, my adoptive family, even my own shadow—through my foolish decisions.
But there is one person at the heart of it all who bears more guilt than I: Lady Aisling. At every turn, she takes and takes, devouring everything good in her path. I may only have one talent at my disposal, but I will use it in whatever way I can to defeat her.
We are halfway down the stone walkway when we first hear it: the sound of boots scraping against the stone. We shrink back as one, and I deepen and darken the shadows that surround us. We hold our breath as two green-cloaked guards march by on patrol. They are silent and stone-faced.
Once the guards are safely out of earshot, we move forward again. It is slow going, but we check every inch of the hedge on both sides of the path for any hidden entrances. I keep my eye on the sun’s progress across the sky, the stubborn moon as unmoving as ever. It seems close enough to reach out and touch. It’s well past noon, and as the day marches on toward evening, a chill slinks down my spine. If we fail here, what else will be knocked out of alignment in the heavens? I will the sun to move faster; the sooner the shadows descend around us, the easier it will be for me to keep us all hidden.
Finally, we reach the end of the long walkway and stand in the shadows beside a giant white porch with columns as thick as tree trunks. Many of them are carved to resemble trees, with interwoven branches and leaves forming the roof. Cautiously, we sneak between the columns, heading for the entrance to the estate.
The hedge continues all the way up to the red brick wall of the house. Our only way forward is through the front door. That on its own is a terrifying prospect. I have snuck into many places I wasn’t supposed to be with only my shadows to hide me, but none as brazenly as this. My shadows hold fast, even though my hands quiver.
Being caught is unthinkable. For all of us.
Our little group hesitates, stooping beneath a wide stained-glass bay window next to the imposing double oak doors. Pearl peeks over the windowsill.
“The coast is clear,” she says.
Pearl pops us into a huge room with shining mahogany walls, intricate woven rugs, and paintings of gardens and flowers bursting with life. A sharp pang twists in my gut. It reminds me of the mansion I grew up in. Someday I’ll have to return there to set things right and find a remedy for the man Dar put into a coma. But that all depends on succeeding here.
While I don’t relish the idea, Cary is not wrong. The mansion appears enormous from where we stand. I don’t see any windows along the far wall, only doors, so who knows how far back it extends.
“Pearl, Noah, look for the garden,” I say. “If you find it, free as many as you can and get them out of here.” I glance at Cary’s determined face. “Cary and I will search for Lucas’s parents and any other adults who have been taken, as well as Lucas and Dar.”
Noah shifts from foot to foot nervously. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
Cary stands up straighter, almost out of my shadows, and I quickly extend them to cover her. “It’s the only idea if we want to find everyone.”
Pearl shrugs. “We’ll be safe, Noah. If anyone sees us, I’ll just pop us away. I’m not worried.”
Pearl and Cary’s confidence in the plan makes me feel a little bit better. “Then it’s settled. We’ll go our separate ways and meet back here in an hour if we don’t find anything.” Assuming Lucas’s parents are in fact here, and Lucas and Dar haven’t been changed into flowers yet. The Rodans seemed to think Lady Aisling would keep them close and under her spell to make it easier to extract information from them as necessary. I shudder.
If the Rodans are correct, Lady Aisling already knows everything she needs about me and every other talented person hidden by the network. Miranda and Alfred were responsible for preparing new safe houses all over the three territories. That’s why they had that list and all those deeds. It explains how Lady Aisling got to so many of them before us.
Cary and I take a left down one hall, hoping for a way into the lower levels of the house, while Pearl and Noah leave the safety of my shadows to go down the right-hand hallway. I hope Pearl has the presence of mind to pop away before anyone sees them should they encounter Lady Aisling or her minions.
Comet Rising Page 13