“I was terrified. I panicked because I didn’t know how to explain his death or our presence in the cave. The truth would have meant ruination for me and a final black mark on his honor.
“I can still see him clutching my jacket, eyes blank, staring at nothing.”
Richard cradled his forehead in his hands, not bothering to hide the quaking in his voice. “I dressed him and carried him to the edge of the field near St. Michael’s. Then I went back to my house. McGregor found him the next day, and I pretended to be shocked just like everyone else.”
Richard wiped his eyes. “And that is all I know.”
“Were there any wounds or defensive marks on him?” Fritz asked delicately.
“None,” Richard replied. “Whoever killed him hadn’t left a mark or broken a single bone.”
Tears streamed freely down the noble’s cheeks. “I still think about him all the time. It’s why I still keep these letters and my jacket. They are all I have left of him.”
Fritz allowed Richard time to compose himself.
Richard straightened and cleared his voice. “I’ve told you my story. Would you give me the same satisfaction?”
“Perrin was a wizard. And so am I.” He berated himself for the inelegant delivery and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, trying to gain composure.
Richard stared, and after seeing that Fritz wasn’t joking, he smirked. “Surely, you think me a fool.”
Fritz considered a moment. He waved his arms and instantly, both he and Richard were sitting in the Anadorn Fountain Plaza.
The winter chill hit them and Richard jolted upright, spinning several times. “What is this? What have you done?”
“Something only a wizard can do,” Fritz responded calmly.
Richard sank back into the library chair, dazed.
Fritz waved his hand and a tea cart appeared in the snow. He lifted the cup without moving a muscle and poured tea from a hovering teapot. He floated the saucer to Richard.
“Do you believe me now, or do I need to prove myself further?”
Richard shook his head. “No. No, I believe you. I am fully convinced.”
Fritz waved his hand, and they were back in the library with only a dissolving cloud as proof they’d ever left.
“Revealing a wizard’s identity is one of the biggest signs of trust any wizard can give. I believe that was part of the secret Perrin was going to tell you that day.”
“Why didn’t he tell me before?” Richard was breathing heavily.
“We belong to a powerful alliance of wizards. There are dire consequences for sharing this information unnecessarily,” Fritz explained.
“Did this alliance find out that he was going to tell me? Did they have him killed?” Richard asked.
“I don’t know for sure,” Fritz said. “The note I gave you came from a book in my uncle’s library.”
“A large leather book about glyphs or some nonsense?”
Fritz cocked his head. “No, but I know the book you’re talking about.” He waved his hand and held out Ancient Magic for Richard to see. “This one?”
“Yes. I teased him about it that night. Told him he needed to read real books.”
“What did you do with the book?”
“I don’t know. It was probably left behind in the cave. He didn’t have it when I …” He swallowed and wiped away fresh tears.
“When you discovered he was dead?” Fritz finished.
Richard clenched his jaw.
“Was he acting strangely or any differently the night you were with him?”
“Not particularly. Why?”
“The book where I found his note—it deals with mind control.”
Richard recoiled, and Fritz continued. “It’s a very convoluted type of magic and frowned on by most wizards. I thought that, perhaps, Perrin was being controlled by someone or discovered someone else’s plot to use mind control.”
Richard shook his head. “He was as wonderful as he had always been. Naki was not given to extreme shifts in mood.”
“Naki?” Fritz asked.
“Oh, it was a nickname I occasionally called him. A shortened form of his surname, ‘Adrionakis.’ He was very embarrassed by the name and made me promise never to tell anyone. I only used it when we were alone.”
Fritz frowned. “I was unaware he had a surname. No matter—you would know if his personality was altered in any way.”
“It was not. That I can assure you with the highest confidence.”
Fritz stood. “That is all I have to share.” He hedged, then asked, “Would you tell me how to get to the cave? I’d like to see if there are any clues.”
“It’s been over a decade,” Richard said skeptically.
“There are certain clues that may not dull with time. Things to which your eyes are not privy,” Fritz reminded him.
Richard acquiesced with a nod and explained how to find the cave. They shook hands again and exited the room.
Edward leapt up from the floor in the hallway. “Finally!”
Richard shook Fritz’s hand, said goodbye, and excused himself.
Edward turned to Fritz. “Did you find anything out?”
Fritz walked quickly down the hallway in the opposite direction Richard had gone. “Maybe. I have to look into something.”
Edward brightened. “What? Can I help?”
“I need to leave, but I need to go through your garden without being seen by the other guests,” Fritz said.
Edward thought for a moment and pointed back toward the room they’d just exited. “There’s a window back there that opens to the side of the garden.”
“Thanks, Edward. You’re the best.”
Fritz shook his hand and dashed back to the room. He slipped out through the window and crouched behind the tall shrubs just outside the ledge. He stayed low until he was safely out of sight and in the woods.
Hiking through the brush was difficult in his formal clothing. He ripped off his jacket in frustration, stripped off the stiff clothing, and sent them back to his room. He traveled in appropriate attire for tromping through scrub brush and set off at a quicker pace through the woods.
After half an hour of searching in the dark, he found the cave. Even without the summer foliage as camouflage, the cave entrance was well hidden and difficult to find. He wound his way down the hill where the path spiraled like a conch into a small cave.
He snapped his fingers and the ball of light he used in the library appeared above him. He adjusted the spell, and the light brightened enough to illuminate the space around him.
The floor was rock, ground smooth by years of erosion. Sand covered most of the ground, with weeds growing beyond the entrance to the cavern. The walls were patinated in a greenish-brown moss.
He blinked on his magic sight. The air was clear. No spells or enchantments. The run through the woods had made him warm, so he took off his coat and walked through the cave.
“Come on, Perrin,” he mumbled. “Give me something.”
Fritz played through the evening in his mind. Perrin had been interrupted and was in a very vulnerable position. His first instinct was to grab Richard’s coat and cover up. If he figured he was about to die, that was his only chance to leave a clue.
He glanced down at his hand where his jacket hung loosely. The brass buttons glinted in the overhead light.
Fritz shivered from the damp air in the cave and walked out into the forest. He waved his hand over one of the buttons and repeated the warming spell he’d placed on the children’s toys.
He stopped mid-spell.
Richard’s jacket.
Perrin was holding Richard’s jacket.
Fritz whirled around. He had to get back to Edward’s, fast.
A twig snapped, and Fritz instinctively raised a blocking spell.
The bolt of magic hit him, and even with the magic shield in place, knocked him to the ground.
In a panic, he traveled to the top of a nearby tree to see who was at
tacking him.
The attacker followed through Fritz’s traveling portal and batted him from the tree with a powerful backhand.
Fritz crashed through several branches before he slowed his descent. The impact on the ground knocked the breath out of him, but he rolled to his back and shot a blast of magic at his assailant.
The Black Wizard dodged the blast and stared at Fritz, awaiting his next move. The dark eyes glinted with fiendish glee from underneath the black cloak.
Fritz didn’t move, so the Black Wizard hurled a spell at him.
Fritz dodged, spun, and instead of a spell, flashed a blazing white light.
The Black Wizard yelled and, with eyes shielded, traveled to Fritz and swung for his face.
Fritz ducked and punched the figure in rapid succession in the stomach.
The assailant doubled over and flew back into a tree. The Wizard sent a volley of magic spells, but Fritz dispatched each one and returned fire.
The Black Wizard leapt close and landed a punch.
Fritz grunted and blocked the next punch.
The Black Wizard kicked, and Fritz moved just enough to take a glancing blow—but not fast enough to escape the backhand.
Fritz fell back.
The Black Wizard rushed at him, a long dagger now poised to strike.
Fritz jumped at the shrouded attacker, closing the distance and making it difficult to put any power behind a stab.
Fritz felt the knife slice through the outside of his arm as he wrapped his arms around his assailant. He hurled his attacker at a nearby tree, aided by the pushing spell he had learned during his first weeks with Boroda.
Fritz spun off a different tree as the Black Wizard quickly regained balance, having hit the tree with a cushioning spell. Fritz then delivered a powerful chest kick.
The Black Wizard grunted, spun quickly, and caught Fritz in the side of the head with a heel.
Fritz crashed to the ground and rolled over quickly. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the shadowy assailant leaping into the air, feet raised for a fatal stomp.
Fritz rolled away, and the attacker smashed into the ground.
The Black Wizard attacked with a push of energy.
Fritz flew back but kicked his legs up, landing horizontally in a crouch on the side of a tree. He pushed off the tree with a rage-filled yell and, shortly before impact, traveled several feet behind the figure. Before the Black Wizard could turn around, Fritz had grabbed the hooded figure in a magical pull. He flung his enemy at a large oak.
The Black Wizard struggled to stand and shakily lifted a hand. Before Fritz could react, a rat was on his shoulder, sinking its teeth into his neck.
Fritz gritted his teeth and threw the rat against the tree with so much force that the rodent burst open.
Fritz faced his foe. His eyes turned silvery green, and his body buzzed with energy.
The Black Wizard attacked with deadly speed, but Fritz saw each strike as if it were happening in slow motion. He deflected two punches, twisted out of the way of a knee, and struck back with both palms.
The attack hit the Black Wizard in the face, and the satisfying pop of the nose echoed above the sound of crunching leaves.
Fritz jumped up, spun around, and kicked the Black Wizard in the chest, sending the figure sliding several feet in the damp earth.
Fritz landed, ready for another attack, but the figure waved its arms and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Fritz was tempted to follow, but he had more pressing issues. He traveled to the side of Edward’s house, opened the window he’d escaped from, and raced down the hallway toward the sound of laughter.
Edward saw him before he entered the drawing room. “Hey, you’re back!” His face contorted. “Why are you dressed like that? Why are you bleeding?”
Fritz glanced down at his arm. The blood was beginning to clot. He would take care of it later. He ignored it and pulled Edward away from the party.
“Edward. Show me the trunk where you found the letters.”
Edward looked askance at Fritz. “Why?”
Fritz stepped in close and whispered, “I don’t have time to explain. Show it to me.”
Edward waved in surrender and pointed toward the hallway. “Ok. Sorry. Follow me.”
They climbed up to the attic, and Edward led him through piles of crates to the trunk. “This is all my brother’s stuff,” he explained.
Fritz threw open the chest and blinked on his magic vision. He dug through the contents frantically until his fingers closed on a sturdy piece of material. He yanked it into the open.
“It’s my brother’s jacket,” Edward said, unimpressed.
Fritz studied the buttons.
At first he saw nothing, then a sparkling halo faded into view. Fritz fed it energy, willing the message to strengthen.
“Are you ok?” Edward asked. “You’re staring at the jacket pretty hard.”
Fritz ignored him.
The magic strengthened, and Fritz dropped the coat when he saw the shape Perrin had drawn.
Perrin’s last message was “O.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Fritz muttered.
“What doesn’t make sense?” Edward pried and examined the coat as well.
Fritz collapsed on an old armchair, ignoring the plumes of dust. “It’s a useless shape, isn’t it?”
Edward held the coat aloft, straining his eyes in the dim light. “What are you talking about, Drossie? Are you ok? You’re still bleeding.”
Fritz stood on wobbly legs, his energy running dangerously low. “I need to go, Edward. Please don’t tell anyone about this.”
“I won’t,” the boy assured him and offered his arm.
They both left the attic and exited the house through the front door. Fritz stumbled out the gate and as soon as he rounded the tall hedges, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Chapter 20
“Time to go.” Boroda’s voice boomed from the mirror.
Fritz took a deep breath and checked the clock on the wall. It was evening. He looked around in a confused stupor. He had slept all day.
“We leave for The Order meeting in ten minutes,” Boroda said, and Fritz’s clock clicked louder.
Fritz ran to the mirror. “Boroda! We need to talk!”
Boroda’s face appeared, floating in a green haze. “About what?”
“I was attacked last night,” he said.
“Attacked by what? By rats?” This time Boroda spoke from behind him in his room, and Fritz spun around with a yell. Boroda handed Fritz his apprentice uniform shirt.
“By the Black Wizard,” Fritz said. “But the Black Wizard did use a rat to attack me.”
“Hmm,” said Boroda. “Interesting. What were you doing when you got attacked?”
Fritz caught his breath. “I was walking in the woods.” It was half true. He jumped into his pants and tucked the shirt in. “We fought with both magic and hand-to-hand combat, and I beat him.”
“Do you suspect the Black Wizard is the one who sent the rats here?” Boroda said, ignoring the brag.
“And at Minerva’s,” Fritz said, his excitement building. “I think everything is connected. The attacks on me and your plan to overthrow The Order …”
Fritz froze, his tie halfway finished.
Boroda’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know of my plans?”
Fritz began to stutter.
Boroda stood up, and the lights dimmed.
“Tell me what you know!” he demanded.
“I overheard you talking to the General,” Fritz confessed. “I know you’re planning on taking them down along with the Czar.”
He backed away from Boroda, flinching.
Boroda appeared calm, but his eyes were icy. “I will meet you at the glen of trees where The Order meets.”
He disappeared, and Fritz slumped to the floor. He yelled in frustration and slammed his elbows into the dresser. When the clock registered two minutes until the meeting, he stood u
p, grabbed his hat and cape, still dirty from his forest excursion, and traveled to the glen.
Other wizards popped into view.
Borya called the meeting to order and then dismissed the apprentices.
Fritz stepped from his traveling mist and blinked at the bright, cloudless blue sky. He walked past the meticulously trimmed hedges to the pavilion. Once underneath the awning, he took off his cape and hat and flopped onto the couch.
The others sat in their places, all amusing themselves. Marzi read a book, focusing her attention on its pages.
“Is Glacinda going to tell them about the attack?” Vivienne asked. She made a seed sprout and pulled tendrils from the stem in rapid succession.
“No,” Gelé said, then added, “I don’t think we should talk about it.”
“Who’s going to know?” Vivienne asked. “Does The Order listen to us here?”
“The garden is a safe space.” Faruk flicked a tiny fireball at Vivienne’s flower.
“In that case, I doubt she will tell them,” said Gelé. She sat upright in her chair, no magic on display.
“Why?” Vivienne demanded.
“The Order is already on edge,” Gelé asserted, and everyone looked her way. “Think about it. No other group of wizards would dare attack The Order. They would be obliterated.”
“What are you saying?” Faruk eyed her suspiciously.
“I’m saying …” she started to say, then paused, sweeping the pavilion with her eyes. “I’m saying that we should entertain the possibility …” She hesitated.
“That it’s someone in The Order,” Fritz finished for her.
Silence.
Andor signed an expletive.
“That’s a very bold statement,” Faruk said in a low tone.
“It’s the only explanation that makes sense,” Gelé said.
“It’s not like any of us are in on it,” Vivienne quipped. “Sylvia is away all the time. She could be planning this, and I’d have no idea.”
“You and Faruk are the only ones who haven’t been attacked yet, now that you mention it,” Marzi said, eyes still on her book.
“I think we should probably change the subject,” Faruk said in a serious tone. “If we start accusing each other’s masters of treason, things could go south very quickly.”
Drosselmeyer: Curse of the Rat King Page 20