Before Sky could figure it out, Andrew put his arm around Crystal-the gesture awkward, but sincere. Crystal seemed to relax the tiniest bit and her tears fell more freely, in great drops.
Mom rushed back in carrying a small bag, her fingers deftly sorting through it. She reached the coffin and her face froze. "Cass ..."She glanced at Cassandra, then at Crystal. She put her hand on Crystal's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "She'll be okay." With her normal efficiency, Mom shook herself out of her stupor and set to work. "Herman, Chase-carry the coffin into the kitchen."
"Of course, Mrs. Weathers," said Chase sweetly, taking one last humongous bite of cake. Chase handed his plate to Sky. "Stay close," Chase whispered, "we need to talk." "Hannah, my bag." Mom shoved her bag into Hannah's hands. "Crystal, just ... hold on."
"Shouldn't we call an ambulance? Or the police?" asked Derek.
Everyone stared at Derek. He was the only one in the room who knew nothing about monsters and hunters.
“It'll be okay, Derek," Dad said reassuringly. "Helen's well trained, and Sheriff Beau should be along shortly. Can you grab that corner of the coffin?"
Derek hesitated and then, reluctantly, helped with the coffin.
Andrew detached himself from Crystal. He whispered something in her ear and she nodded. Then he crossed to join Sky, holding him back as the others left the room.
Sky stood watching as they carried the coffin out of the foyer, too tired to follow even if Andrew hadn't stopped him. He could hear Mom barking orders down the hall, and then her voice trailed off and disappeared as they headed for the distant kitchen in the east wing. If anyone could save Cass, Mom could.
Sky and Andrew shuffled their feet. Sky wasn't quite sure what to say and, apparently, neither was Andrew. The problem was, he had so much to say and didn't know how to say any of it. So instead, he gave Andrew a quick pat on the arm, and Andrew grinned.
"I thought you were dead," said Sky. "Nope," Andrew replied eloquently.
Sky grinned. "Where are T-Bone and Hands?"
''T-Bone went to find Malvidia," said Andrew. "Hands is tracking down Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid. Everyone was supposed to meet here to start our search for you. We saw the hunters come back all green and puffy, so we knew you were still alive."
"Tick's coming?" Sky asked, surprised despite all that had happened. Tick was, of course, the football team captain, who Hannah had dumped a few months ago. He-along with Hannah, Lazy Eye, and Squid-had also been instrumental in locking Solomon's prison last year.
"Yeah. According to T-Bone, he's still heartbroken over Hannah, but he hasn't given up," said Andrew. "Plus, after we made them honorary monster hunters last year . . . well, we didn't really know where else to turn if Malvidia refused to help."
"Tick's persistent, I'll give him that," said Sky. He paused.
"What happened down there?"
"You saw the explosions," said Andrew. "They knocked us back and out of the worst of it. Nackles led us to the surface after the cemetery collapsed. By then, you were gone. So we split up. Crystal, Nackles, and I waited until the hunters returned, to make sure you were still alive. Then Nackles took off-"
"Where?"
"The Sleeping Lands somewhere-she didn't say," said Andrew. "Either that or she did say and I couldn't understand her. My Gnomon isn't really all that great. But they've been there for a few days, by the sounds of it-her and Rauschtlot. They're working on something. She wanted to come here, to help search for you, but with so many hunters around, we thought it wouldn't be safe. She was only back in the cave to collect some kind of baking fungus from the walls when she heard us."
"Baking fungus?" Sky scoffed. "I wonder what they're up to?"
Andrew shrugged. "Beats me. Crystal and I came back here to wait. That's when we found Chase. He's the Hunter of Legend you mentioned-the one who fought Beau and led the hunters to the manor, right?"
"The same," Sky replied, wondering how Beau was faring. Whatever else happened, Sky felt certain that Malvidia would work out a deal to save Beau. Even though Beau wasn't technically a hunter anymore, Malvidia relied on him far too much to let these hunters have him.
"Well, Chase is pretending to be a friend from school-a hunter friend ," said Andrew. "We've played along because we weren't sure what he'd do if we didn't."
"So that's why you didn't say anything to my parents ... ," said Sky.
Andrew nodded. "We need to get you into hiding. T-Bone should've been back by now-not a promising sign. You handed these hunters over to Malvidia, but if she was on their side to begin with-"
"She'll keep her promise," Sky insisted, hoping it was true. "She's a heartless killer and a horrible person, but once she gives her word, she keeps it."
"Then maybe something else went wrong," said Andrew, sounding skeptical. "But whatever the case, if the hunters honestly believe Bedlam's controlling you, they're going to hunt you no matter what Malvidia does. We need to get you out of here."
''I'm not running anymore," said Sky, shaking his head. "Crystal needs me, and maybe T-Bone and Beau, too. Besides, I'm tired and it won't do any good. They know I'm here." Sky gestured at the hall where Chase had disappeared. "They're not going to just let me leave, and if I tried now, a lot of people could get hurt."
"And you think we're all just going to stand around and watch while they kill you?" Andrew asked. "People are going to get hurt one way or another."
"Not if I can help it," said Sky. "Look, my plan either worked or it didn't. If it did, great. If not, I'll improvise. I told them where to find the antidote for Bolger venom-I let them live even after they tried to kill me. That has to count for some thing. Plus, I know things now, things they'll want to know about Bedlam and what he's after. I have leverage."
Andrew frowned. "All right, Sky. If this is what you want, we're with you. But if things go badly, don't think we're just going to stand by and watch."
Sky nodded to show that he had heard Andrew, not that he agreed with him.
Through the window, he saw Hands approaching with Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid . They were all dressed in full hunter gear: Pounders, Shockers, Jumpers . . . everything. "Looks like reinforcements have arrived."
As they watched, Lazy Eye accidentally set off his cross bowlike Cross-Shocker. Electrified prongs and trailing wires rocketed out and hit Squid, who fell to the ground writhing while Tick and Hands laughed.
Andrew scoffed at the sight. "We're dead, aren't we?"
After briefing them on the situation and making sure Squid hadn't suffered any permanent damage, Sky led the new arrivals to the kitchen where they found Crystal and the others. They'd removed Cass from Alexander's coffin and placed her on the table, lying on her side. Crystal stood by her mother, holding her. From where he stood, Sky could see the arrowhead sticking out of Cass's back.
Mom shuffled in and out of the pantry, bringing out her strange medicinal supplies.
Andrew crossed to the table, putting himself protectively between Chase, who was helping hold Cass in place, and Crystal. Hands positioned himself on Chase's other side, staying out of the way, but close enough to intervene if Chase got any ideas. Crystal looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy. Sky gave her a weak smile. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, she dropped her gaze.
There was no more space around the table, so Sky, Tick, Lazy Eye, and Squid moved to the bar to join Hannah and Derek.
Derek looked them over. He gave Tick a curt nod-captain to captain, rival to rival-before pitching his voice low, but not low enough that Sky couldn't hear him. "Why are they dressed like that? I didn't know ... I mean ... they're not ... they're not Goths, are they?"
Hannah shushed him.
Dad held the arrow steady and Chase grabbed it with some cutters. "One, two, three ..."
SNAP!
Chase cut off the fletching.
''This is nuts," said Derek. "She should be in a hospital." Hannah grabbed Derek's hand, holding it tight. Sky saw Tick cringe.
D
ad examined the cut. "It's more bone than branch- looks like you were right, Helen. It's either Dovetail or Gilead . .. possibly Harksplitter.... It's so hard to tell what it is without the bark. We can hope it's Harksplitter, though I don't know why anyone would use it on Cass. Sky, did you get a look at who did this?"
"No," said Sky, glancing at Chase suspiciously. He remembered seeing Chase in the swamps, but Chase hadn't gone to the Bolger tree. He wondered what time Andrew and Crystal had arrived. Could Chase have had enough time to shoot Cass in the Grove of the Fallen and get back before Andrew and Crystal showed up? It wasn't likely, but it was worth looking into. Chase had told Sky to run; he had known Sky was watching through the Piebald's eyes and he had warned him about the hunt. Chase had an end game, and Sky had no idea what it was.
He glanced at Derek, wondering how much he was taking in. Too much, probably.
“Worry about the shooter later," said Mom. "Use the Bardolph Blend for now, Herman."
Dad began throwing bits of plants, powders, and unidentifiable substances into the blender as it ran at high speed. Mom spooned a thick yellow paste out of the blender and smeared it around the remains of the tail end of the shaft. The paste, the spoon, and the shaft suddenly burst into flames.
Derek yelped.
Mom threw the spoon in the sink and Dad smothered it in baking soda until the flames went out.
The fire on the arrow faded to a dull yellow. "I think it's ready, Helen," said Dad.
Mom grabbed the tip of the arrow poking out of Cassandra's back. "You kids might want to look away for this part."
"You can't be serious!" Derek declared, jumping from his seat. "You're going to kill her! It's a miracle you haven't already! This woman needs a hospital!"
"A hospital couldn't help her right now, mate," said Chase calmly.
"Well, I say otherwise," Derek retorted, puffing out his chest. "''m not going to let you kill her. I'm calling an ambulance!"
"Give it a rest, Derek," said Squid. "Don't get your Speedo in a wad."
"Yeah," added Lazy Eye, "wadded Speedos are very uncomfortable."
Derek glared at Squid and Lazy Eye.
"Helen, the arrow," said Dad, drawing Mom's attention back to Cassandra.
Mom pulled on the arrow and Sky looked away. Even so, he could hear a hiss and crackle, and the room suddenly smelled like burnt hair. When he looked back, Mom held the arrow in her hands; the fire had gone out.
"This is the worst birthday party I 've ever been to," said Derek.
"Here, drink this," said Hannah, handing Derek a steaming mug.
"What is it?" asked Derek suspiciously.
"It's a love potion, Derek," said Hannah sarcastically. "Geez, what do you think it is? It's an herbal tea. Drink it."
"Right. Sorry," said Derek. He took a sip. ''I'm just a little jumpy. It's not every day you see a dead wo-"
Hannah snatched the cup from Derek as he collapsed to the floor.
"You knocked out your boyfriend," said Squid , sounding astonished and slightly impressed.
Dad glanced up, nodding in approval.
"He's not my boyfriend," said Hannah waspishly, adding, sadly, "not anymore."
"What'd you give him?" Sky asked, sniffing the mug. "Dovetail and Gossymer thread," said Hannah.
"Gossymer thread? Like, from the huge burrowing spider thingies that burst into flame?" asked Sky.
"I don't know!" Hannah exclaimed, clearly flustered. "I got it from the pantry! Mom told me that mixing the right amounts can help people forget things, only ... I think I over did the Dovetail. And the Gossymer thread. And maybe the water was a touch warm."
Tick, Squid, and Lazy Eye hovered over Derek, gawping.
Derek's head rested at an odd angle and his arms and legs splayed out as if he were swimming the backstroke. A small stream of drool, or possibly tea, dribbled from his mouth.
"He looks so peaceful," said Lazy Eye softly. "Like a little angel."
Squid smacked Lazy Eye on the back of the head.
"Would you three stop staring and help him up?" Hannah reproved.
"What do you want us to do with him?" asked Squid.
"Put him in a chair or something!" Hannah exclaimed. "Linemen- ugh!"
Lazy Eye grabbed Derek's legs while Squid lifted under the shoulders. Tick, seemingly lost in thought, grabbed an arm, which hung limply in his hands and-through some strange physics-kept slapping Derek in the face. They dumped Derek in a chair. Tick walked back to Sky and Hannah, leaving Derek to slide out of the chair.
"Tick!" Hannah shouted.
Tick glanced back at Derek, and looked surprised to find him on the floor.
Squid grabbed Derek under the arms again and hoisted him back onto the chair. "Got it covered, bra-make your move."
Squid winked and Tick gave him a thumbs-up, crossing back to stand by Hannah. Hannah rolled her eyes.
"Hand me that apron, Lazy Eye," said Squid, his face squashed against the back of the chair.
"This one with the flowers?" asked Lazy Eye.
"Yes, that one with the flowers! Do you see another apron?" said Squid.
Lazy Eye looked around. "Well, there's that one over there on the door."
"Just hand me the apron!" Squid exclaimed.
Lazy Eye hesitated.
"The one with the flowers, you idiot!" said Squid.
Lazy Eye tossed the apron to Squid. "I like the one with the flowers," said Lazy Eye. "They remind me of lemon drops." "We need to get you a stronger helmet, bra," said Squid.
He finished tying the apron to Derek, looping it under one arm, around the rungs of the chair, and across Derek's neck.
"There, see?" said Squid, looking over Derek, who sat slumped in the chair, tongue lolling out, right arm raised in a salute. "Linemen aren't so dumb."
Mom, Dad, and Chase worked on Cassandra, occasionally calling on Hands or Andrew for help. Sky watched quietly, feeling like he should do something, but not quite sure what. He could barely stand as it was.
"Hey. You okay?" Tick asked.
Sky thought Tick was talking to him, but then he saw him leaning against the counter making goo-goo eyes at Hannah.
Sky longed to move out of earshot, but there was nowhere else to go.
Hannah rolled her eyes. ''I'm fine, Tick. It's not like this kind of thing doesn't happen all the time." She glared at Sky.
"Not involved. I'm not involved," Sky muttered, sliding farther away and looking everywhere but at Hannah and Tick. "Oh. That's good," said Tick, his eyes never leaving Hannah.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You know . .. in case you weren't. Okay, that is."
Hannah watched him for a moment, opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. "I need to check on Derek."
"Yeah. Sure. I understand," said Tick.
Hannah looked at Tick a minute more and then crossed to Derek, yelling at Squid and Lazy Eye to get out of the way.
Tick glanced at Sky. "I should probably help her, shouldn't I? She probably needs my help. Swimmers, you know." Without waiting for an answer, Tick set off after Hannah.
Sky sighed, wishing he had his Rubik's Cube, or any puzzle really, just something to keep his hands occupied. He circled the counter, opening drawers. He found some thread spools, twine, some paper clips. He started playing with them, throwing in some knives and forks. He tossed in some spatulas, paper towels, and rubber bands.
As his hands worked, his eyes drifted to the coffin.
Someone had left a message on the inside of the lid: "With Hunter's Mark the buried dead shall shimmering blade hold in my stead." Clearly Cass had dug up the grave looking for Alexander's shimmering blade, hoping, Sky supposed, to find it before Bedlam did. But someone had beaten her to it and, based on the clumps of grass Sky had seen mixed in with the dirt piles, he suspected that the robbery had happened a long time ago. The grave robber, whoever it was, had taken the blade and Alexander's body as well. But who would take it, and why? And was the riddle re
ally saying what he thought it was saying: namely, that to get the blade, someone with a Hunter's Mark had to bury himself in the coffin? He hoped not.
The Legend Thief Page 9