by E. G. Foley
By the time the water nymphs had disappeared, so had the scarlet creature in the water. Well, there was no telling what manner of beasts might inhabit the woods around Merlin Hall.
He had gone back to the task of trying to salvage his clothes and was starting to wonder if he’d have to attend the rest of the Gathering naked, when the gnomes from his Assessment had brought him a fresh set of new clothes, nicer than the old.
He had been quite taken aback by this unexpected gift. He did not know where the gnomes had got the clothes from, perhaps they had sewn them for him themselves, but they fit. He had thanked the little fellows uncertainly for the gift, but they’d just stood there, staring up at him.
Gnomes, he had found out, really didn’t say much.
But then, neither did Guardians. So, Maddox had mumbled his thanks and put them on, relieved that he wouldn’t have to squander a chunk of his meager savings all because of Jake Everton’s prank. After all, he’d already sent most of the money he’d earned back home to his adoptive parents.
The notion, however, of spending a little bit of his money as he pleased had got him thinking…and so, he had come to the fairy market.
He didn’t really want anything for himself, but after his embarrassment today in front of Isabelle, he burned to get some of his pride back. He thought it might help him regain a measure of dignity in her eyes…those beautiful blue eyes…if he gave her some little gift.
Why he cared what the rich girl thought of him, he couldn’t say. He didn’t even know her. He couldn’t understand why he felt so drawn to her. He only knew that her father was a lord and would never approve of him.
And besides, of course, future Guardians were not supposed to get bogged down in silly, lovesick sentiments.
And yet he could not get her out of his mind.
Probably it was pointless, he thought as he strolled among the vendors’ carts and tents. What could you really buy for a girl whose wealthy father already gave her everything her heart desired? And if she already had unicorns, for heaven’s sake, what else could she want?
Probably nothing he could afford.
He only knew he didn’t want her to pity him, and he feared she did after his embarrassment today. By now, she probably saw him either as pathetic or a joke, but the right sort of gift might show her he was neither.
Still, Maddox was unsure if he should even be here. He knew about the dangers of buying objects from fae-folk.
On his guard, he wandered through the market, wary but fascinated by all the magical items on display. There were wands and potions; magic robes; magic pets in cages—homing pigeons, spying falcons, horned owls; magic mirrors; magic slippers; magic necklaces of all kinds; crystal balls; other glowing spheres whose purpose he could not guess; flying carpets; extraordinary clockwork gadgets; fully-trained Inkbugs; and a complete set of servitors for sale that changed from silverware into footmen and maids as needed. There were small pouches of fairy dust, exorbitantly priced, and tools of the trade for all the different varieties of talents in the Order.
As a Guardian, of course, Maddox homed in on the enchanted weapons and stopped to salivate over the highly prized Giant Silkworm body armor. Very rare, it was feather-light but impenetrable to bullets.
He tested an elven sword that could be made to glow in the dark when needed and serve as a torch; a crossbow that shot exploding arrows; a dart gun that never missed; and a shiny pistol with silver bullets expressly made for killing werewolves.
Amid the vendor stalls, fortune-tellers would read your palm for a shilling. There were many performers: strolling musicians, creepy clowns with trained animals, and grotesquely triple-jointed acrobats. Carnival games and contests drew in people everywhere; others stood around, laughing, as they watched.
Maddox waved off a barker who tried to coax him over to test his strength with a sledgehammer game. Instead, he wandered by a tanner’s stall, where he stopped and looked at the array of leather knife sheaths, gun belts and holsters, saddles, tack, and various types of bags.
The leatherworker’s fare looked pretty straightforward.
“So none of this is magical?” he asked.
“Most of it, no,” said the mysterious, pointy-eared merchant. “But you can always take it over to the witch across the way if you want a spell put on.”
Maddox nodded and continued perusing the goods, then whistled at the sky-high price on a tiny leather coin bag.
“Ah, you’ve an excellent eye, young master!” the merchant praised him, sidling closer. “You’ve found the most valuable piece in my whole collection.”
“Really? This little thing?” He picked it up and looked at it. “Why? What’s so special about it?”
The merchant lowered his voice. “That’s a Thief’s Purse, my brave lad. It comes with ten enchanted gold coins. Likely all the money you’ll ever need for the rest of your days!”
Maddox furrowed his brow. “How’s that?”
“The coins magically return to the purse twenty-four hours after you use them. Whoever you bought from is none the wiser.”
“Isn’t that stealing?”
Poof!
The Thief’s Purse vanished, disappearing right out of his hand. Maddox stretched out his fingers in confusion. “Where did it…?”
The merchant pulled the purse out of his robe’s capacious pocket and gave Maddox a sly smile. “Never mind, then. I can see something like this isn’t for you.”
“But how did it—”
“Sorry,” the merchant interrupted. “It doesn’t like you.”
Maddox frowned, shook his head, and moved on. It wasn’t as though Isabelle would want the Thief’s Purse, anyway. Her cousin, the ex-thief, might have enjoyed it, but when a lad owned a goldmine, there was probably no point. Humph.
He sought out a more girly gift for her across the aisle, where an array of sparkly things on offer caught his eye.
Fairy jewelry.
He picked up an opal brooch on a short, choker-style ribbon, the sort the ladies liked to wear these days. The mottled pastel hues of the polished stone would have looked perfect on Isabelle: the white of her skin, the pink of her cheek, the sky-blue of her eyes.
“Something for a special lady, my brave young knight?” a wheedling female voice asked nearby.
He sent the witch selling the baubles a wary glance. “What does this one do?”
“The wearer can walk through walls or locked doors. Just press on the stone. An excellent choice for a young lady who’d like to have secret trysts with her beau and no chaperone, perhaps? Only twenty quid.”
“Twenty quid!” He put it back at once as if it had burned his fingers.
“Ohh, not to her taste, dearie?”
Maddox scoffed. “Honestly. Do I look like I have twenty quid to you?”
“Well, no,” the witch admitted. “But…you could barter with me for something else that you possess.”
“Like what?” he demanded.
“Oh, a favor…using your particular skills, perhaps? I can tell by your bearing you are a Guardian, though not perhaps of age yet.”
Maddox eyed her suspiciously. “What sort of favor?”
Slight fangs showed when she smiled. “Kill somebody for me.”
“What? Daft old woman! Don’t be insane.”
“Very well…perhaps a bit steep. But you could maim him in exchange for the necklace. No? Would you at least beat him to the point of unconsciousness—merely leave him at death’s door? Look at these muscles! It would be easy for you…”
Maddox scowled and pulled away when the creepy old thing tried to squeeze his biceps. “Good evening, madam.” Bristling, he walked on, shaking his head and leaving the necklace for Isabelle behind.
What am I doing here? This place and even Isabelle herself were temptations he could not afford. Especially not now.
No, now was a time when a lad in his position had to be more conscientious than ever. Purity was strength for his kind, going all the way back t
o the first Guardian, Sir Lancelot, charged with keeping King Arthur out of trouble.
And that hadn’t gone very well, on account of Guinevere.
Gazing at the flame of a nearby torch, Maddox could still feel the uneasiness churning deep inside him. All the Guardians had been feeling it of late.
Their deepest instincts whispered that something bad was coming. In fact, it was already here. But it wasn’t a person, no…
It was bigger than that. Darker than any one individual. A shadow slowly creeping over the whole world.
He stopped walking and closed his eyes to search within himself as he had been trained to do. All he saw in his mind’s eye was flames, and all he heard was the deep, ominous beating of drums. He lifted his hand to his forehead with a vague wince of pain.
When he opened his eyes again, he prayed he was wrong—he was only an apprentice, after all—but deep down, he knew he was right.
The fight was coming whether they liked it or not. It was only a matter of time, and somehow that impossible boy-earl, Jake, was going to be at the center of it all.
Derek must have felt it, too, which was why he had told Maddox to guard the Griffon heir with his life.
No one could pinpoint when it might begin, but Maddox knew deep in his bones…that there was going to be a war.
On a scale the Order hadn’t seen since the Old Yew was a sapling.
Evil was rising just beyond the horizon, and someday soon, together, like it or not, they all would have to stand.
PART III
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A Shocking Accusation
The next morning, as the four friends sat around the breakfast table, Archie showed them his finished Bully Buzzer and explained his plot to attach the nodes to Ogden’s back from a safe distance via blow-gun, if only he could get his hands on one.
If all else failed, he could always make one, he mused aloud, although he still had to work out the proper adhesive to make sure the nodes stuck to Og’s back. Then he described his plan to stalk the troll while he was at his chores in the zoo. The big lug was so thick-skinned that if he felt the sting of the blow-gun at all, he’d probably assume he had been bitten by a horsefly.
Then Jake described the vampire’s arrival, and though he was riveted by the capture of the possible “spy,” nobody else seemed to grasp the importance of this thrilling turn of events. Especially the girls. Dani wondered aloud what they were going to do for fun today while Isabelle sat silently with curlers in her hair.
In the midst of all this chatter, the door to the Bradford suite opened from the hallway beyond, and Henry stepped into the sitting room.
“Ah! Jake, good, you’re dressed,” he said. “I need you to come with me, chop-chop. The Old Yew wants to see you.”
“What? Why?”
“Don’t ask me. All I know is I’ve been told to bring you into the maze, post-haste.” Walking over to the table, Henry grabbed a pastry off the tiered silver platter. “Why the curlers, Izzy?”
“Royal audience today,” she said with a look of dread. “All the upcoming debs are to be presented to Queen Victoria this afternoon. Mother’s making me go.”
“Why does the Old Yew want to see me?” Jake repeated, barely knowing what to make of it.
“Only one way to find out. So let’s go.” He took a large bite.
Dani gasped. “Oh! I’ll bet I know what it is, Jake!” She leaped out of her seat and gripped his forearm in excitement. “I’ll bet they’ve decided they want you for the Lightrider training!” She started jumping up and down.
“Really?” He drew in his breath. “Do you think so?” His stomach flip-flopped. “Blimey. Do I look all right?” He dashed over to the mirror to make sure his neck cloth was straight and his hair wasn’t sticking up in all directions.
“Er, I’m not entirely sure that’s it,” Henry said as he finished chewing.
“But it could be, right?” Jake asked breathlessly.
“I suppose.”
“We’re coming with you!” Archie vowed, already shouldering his tool-bag.
“The summons was for him alone,” Henry said.
“But we can come as far as the entrance to the maze, can’t we? Please?” Dani begged.
“Oh, as long as you hurry! A summons to the Yew Court is not the time to dawdle. Spit-spot!” Henry said.
So they went. Only Isabelle stayed behind on account of her curlers. “Good luck, Jake!” she called as they hurried out.
“You, too, with the Queen.”
“Don’t remind me,” she mumbled.
Soon, they were striding out into the morning air. Heart pounding, Jake mentally rehearsed a very gracious acceptance speech, if indeed the Old Yew had called him down to inform him he had been chosen to follow in his parents’ footsteps. He was really rather shocked. Not even he had expected his dream to come to fruition so soon.
He walked with his fingers crossed with hope, his pulse pounding with nerve-wracked exhilaration. When they reached the opening of the maze, Archie and Dani saw him off with encouraging pats on the back.
“I’m so excited for you!” she said.
“When you come back, we’ll have a proper celebration,” Archie promised.
“Wouldn’t plan the party just yet,” Henry murmured.
Right, Jake thought. They might have a list of improvements I need to make before I’ll be considered…
No matter. He’d do anything to become a Lightrider, even have surgery to get one of those Flower of Life thingamabobs implanted in his arm.
“This way.” Henry led the way through the maze, which was fortunate. Dizzying hope and churning worry had so muddled Jake’s senses that he would never have found his way through the labyrinth alone.
At last, they came to the Yew Court. It looked much smaller today than when it had been transformed into the Field of Challenge. The Old Yew’s eldest offspring, great towering trees themselves, each several centuries old, had crowded round the central courtyard, throwing long shadows across the grassy inner square.
Unlike during the Assessments, this time, they had come close enough that Jake could see the wizened faces in their trunks, too.
It was really rather disconcerting, in truth, having a ring of huge trees looming around, staring at him with their weird, gnarled, woody faces.
Jake gulped discreetly. He imagined this was how the Yew Court must have looked when Uncle Waldrick had been put on trial here, with the Elders for a jury and the Old Yew for his judge. A few Elders were on hand now, too: the affable Sir Peter Quince, the unpleasant Lord Badgerton, and the mysterious Dame Oriel.
Their aloof stares and the absence of any Lightriders present suddenly made Jake wonder if Dani’s theory was all wrong. Not even Sir Peter was smiling, and nobody else looked inclined to congratulate Jake on a great accomplishment.
Quite the opposite. The realization sunk in slowly. Aw, cheese it. What have I done now?
Henry halted at a respectful distance. Jake followed suit, his heart pounding. His tutor bowed. “Greetings, Your Serene Leafiness. I’ve brought the boy, as requested.”
“Thank you, Mr. DuVal.”
Jake offered a formal bow, in turn. “You, er, wished to see me, sire?”
“Come closer, Lord Griffon,” the Old Yew ordered in his wheezy, raspy, old-man voice.
Jake obeyed, careful once again not to step on the gnarled roots. His palms sweated as he waited to find out if he was in trouble for something or what.
“Now, then, boy,” the ancient tree said. “If there’s anything you’d like to tell us, now would be the time to speak up.”
Jake stood in baffled silence for a moment. “You mean about my trip through the Grid yesterday, sir?”
“No, no, nothing to do with that,” Dame Oriel interrupted sharply.
Jake glanced at her, startled and alarmed. “Sorry, I’m confused.”
“Indeed.” Whiskers twitching with disapproval, Lord Badgerton rose from his chair. “Let me he
lp get you started then, Lord Griffon. Aside from being a former thief, you are known as something of a prankster, are you not?”
Jake glanced at Henry in bewilderment. There was no possible way of answering such a question without making himself look bad.
Was this about his throwing the dragon poop on Maddox yesterday? Had the big, bad Guardian kid told on him like a little crybaby? But he had apologized for that.
“Your Honors, perhaps if you could give us some idea of why we’re here…?” Henry asked on his behalf, seeing Jake was genuinely baffled.
“Do you know where your charge was last night, DuVal?” Sir Peter asked, loosely interlocking his fingers.
“Yes, of course. Jake was confined to his chamber all evening on account of, er, a disagreement he had yesterday with Guardian Stone.”
“And are you quite sure he remained in his chamber, as ordered, hmm?” Badgerton asked in his annoying, supercilious way.
“I believe so. Why?” Henry looked at Jake in confusion.
Jake’s shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh.
Henry stared at him in astonishment. “You sneaked out?”
“Only to visit Red!” he admitted, glancing at the Elders. “My Gryphon. He’s molting, you know. It’s very unpleasant for him. I had to make sure he was all right.”
“So you ignored the punishment Guardian Stone gave you,” said Sir Peter.
“Oh, Jake,” Henry whispered in exasperation.
“I didn’t think anyone would really care!” Jake floundered, cheeks flushing. “It was my birthday! It didn’t seem fair to get sent off to my room by myself!”
Dame Oriel spoke up again. “We understand you came back from your Grid adventure very angry with one of your companions on the trip. A young man you treated most unjustly.”
“Unjustly?” Jake echoed with a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. This was bad. All he could think was that Maddox, the hero everybody loved, must have indeed told on him.
Of course, there had been a cluster of girls with Isabelle, and any one of them might have blabbed about the story to the rest of the Gathering, he supposed. Still…