The Dragon's Flame (The Chronicles of Terah # 2)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

“Something that would counteract the poison.”

  “Not for Sleeping Angel.” Brena examined the mushroom again. “Nothing helps. I can’t imagine why she would grow them.”

  “Maybe she grew them so that she could show the villagers what they looked like so they’d know not to eat them,” Theresa offered lamely. She knew that wasn’t the case because Dora had no idea what they were, but it was the only thing she could think of that might calm Brena down.

  “Maybe if Sleeping Angel grew anywhere near Glenco, but it doesn’t.”

  “Then where did it come from?”

  “Go get rid of that apron. Then wash your hands again and meet me in the office.”

  Brena stood up and walked down to her workroom. She took one of her empty jars out of the cabinet, put the mushroom in it, closed the lid, and marked a big “X” on the outside. She left the workroom and returned to the kitchen about the same time that Theresa got back. After they both thoroughly scrubbed their hands, Brena scrubbed the top of the kitchen table, took the rag that she had used to wash it out to the burn barrel, and then washed her hands again, all without answering Theresa.

  Then she went to her office, sat down at her desk, opened a large book, and began looking through it. Brena didn’t even notice when Theresa entered the office and sat down in one of the chairs across the desk from her. After she turned several more pages, she tapped her finger on an entry and said, “I was right.”

  Theresa waited patiently for Brena to explain.

  “Before Gerry went to Glenco, she worked in the mountains near the southern boundary of Nandelia. That’s one of the few places on Terah where Sleeping Angel grows naturally. She left there a little more than two and a half years ago and moved to Glenco.” Brena leaned back in her chair and tapped her lips lightly with her fingertip. “What was it? Why did we move her?” she asked, staring off into space, trying to recall the specifics of the transfer.

  “Oh yes, I remember now,” Brena said as she turned towards Theresa. “She asked if I could transfer her, preferably to some place along the west coast of Prosidian. She said that her reasons for requesting the transfer were personal. I always assumed it was a romance gone sour. The people of Glenco had built a Chapel of Light, but they didn’t have a sister in residence, so I sent her there. I don’t know where she went along the way, but it took her a little over eight months to get there. I was beginning to think she wasn’t going to show up.”

  Theresa didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything.

  Brena closed the book and started to get up. Then she stopped and stared off into space again. “Wait a minute, there was something else.” She got up from her desk, opened a closet and took out a box. She set the box on her desk and started flipping through papers. After a few minutes, she grabbed one of the sheets and started reading.

  “Yes, yes. This is what I was remembering.” Then Brena looked at Theresa and said, “When Gerry first started working in Glenco, there was a series of deaths. The town director was concerned enough that he wrote to me. In all, I think about ten or twelve people in the area died from a strange illness, one that involved a period of unconsciousness before death. I wrote to Gerry and asked her about it. I don’t know if I kept her answer or not, but she said that it was basically a tough strand of pneumonia that had run through the area a little before she got there, but that she had it under control and that she would see the director and set his mind at ease. I didn’t hear any more about it.”

  “Just out of curiosity, what was the town director’s name?”

  Brena looked back at the sheet of paper she had taken out of the box. “Crullen. Why?”

  “Because I met the town director. His name is Niklas, and he told me about that outbreak, but he said a couple dozen people died before it was over.”

  Brena frowned. “I don’t suppose you met Crullen while you were there.”

  Theresa shook her head. “No, and even though I didn’t meet everyone from the valley, I met all of the townspeople, and I read through Dora’s patient records. I don’t remember anyone named Crullen. Of course, he could have moved.”

  “Maybe. I think I’ll drop in on Niklas while I’m there to see if Gerry said anything to him about going away for a while.”

  “I asked him. He said he had no idea where she was. I wrote you about the search they held for her.”

  Brena nodded. “I know, but I’ll go ask him anyway, and while I’m there, I’ll mention that Crullen and I had corresponded regularly while I was trying to find a sister for them, and then I’ll ask where he’s living now. I’ll tell Niklas that I’d like to drop in to see him while I’m in the area.”

  Theresa smiled. “And find out what happened to him.”

  “Without anyone realizing I’m asking.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  The next morning, when Kevin and Alek came to pick up Theresa, Brena told Alek that she needed to speak with Kevin in private for a few minutes and that Colin had just taken some muffins out of the oven. After Alek walked off towards the kitchen, she led Kevin back to her workroom where Theresa was waiting for them.

  Brena closed the door and said, “I hate to ask, but it’s imperative that I go to Glenco today. Could you possibly take me?”

  “Sure, but why?”

  “There are some mushrooms down there that we need to destroy.”

  “Do you remember those mushrooms that I told you about?” Theresa asked. “The ones I brought Brena a sample of?”

  Kevin nodded.

  “That’s what she wants to destroy,” Theresa continued.

  “Fine. Just tell me where they are and Alek and I’ll take care of it,” Kevin said. “You don’t have to go. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to go through the energy field this soon after a concussion anyway.”

  “Fiddlesticks!” Brena said. “I’m fine! And I need to talk to a couple of people down there.”

  Kevin looked over at Theresa for help, but she nodded and said, “She really does need to go, Kevin.”

  “All right, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea. I’ll go get Alek.” Kevin started towards the door.

  Brena put her hand on Kevin’s arm. “I’d rather no one else from here know anything about this trip, so I’d like to leave Alek with Colin if you don’t mind.”

  After a moment, Kevin nodded, took out his key, and turned it.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When they emerged from the energy flow in the backyard of the chapel in Glenco, Kevin held Brena up for several minutes until she could stand on her own. Sweat was dripping from her face and she looked as pale as she had while she was unconscious.

  “You weren’t kidding about that trip,” Brena said in a shaky voice. “If I’d known how hard it would hit me, I might have reconsidered.”

  “Are you going to be okay?” Kevin asked quietly.

  “In a minute or two,” Brena said with a weak smile. She straightened her shoulders and wiped her face with her hands. “If it hadn’t been important, I wouldn’t have insisted that you bring me.”

  “I sort of gathered that. Now, where do you want to go next?”

  “Where I want to go is inside, where I can sit down. But where we need to go is to the workroom. I think Theresa said it was behind the barn.”

  “All right. Can you walk?”

  “I think so. Here, let me lean on your arm for a bit,” Brena said as she put her arm through Kevin’s.

  When they reached the workroom, the door was open and the woman Kevin had met as Rochelle was standing at the workbench sorting through some herbs.

  “Good morning, Sister Rochelle,” Brena said.

  Rochelle looked up and asked, “Can I help you?”

  “Yes, actually you can. My name is Brena, and I think you’ve met Myron.”

  Rochelle looked past Brena to Kevin, and then her eyes went back to Brena. “Of course. Welcome. It’s so nice to meet you, Sister. How can I be of assistance?” she asked as she nervously wiped her hands on her
apron.

  Brena pointed towards the trough at the back of the workroom. “We need to destroy those mushrooms.”

  “Theresa told me that she was going to take one of them to you. What are they?” Rochelle asked.

  “Have you ever heard of Sleeping Angel?”

  Rochelle looked at the mushrooms and slowly shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

  Kevin was standing behind Brena, so neither of the women noticed how the color drained out of his face when he heard what Brena said.

  “They’re a particularly nasty variety of mushroom. Anyone who eats any part of the meat or juice goes into a deep sleep and eventually dies. I’ve asked Myron to destroy them for us,” Brena said.

  “All right. What would you like for me to do?” Rochelle asked as she stepped towards the trough.

  “Nothing. Just let him handle it.” Brena reached out for Rochelle’s arm and stopped her from going any farther towards the trough. Then she turned to Kevin. She thought he looked a little pale, but she figured it was her eyes playing tricks on her after the trip through the energy field. “Myron, can you take them out of here without touching them? I don’t want anyone near them.”

  Kevin nodded. “I’ll take them to a deserted island I found a while back and blast them there.”

  “Good. Just be sure that you’re far enough away that none of the plants or the juice flies back on you,” Brena warned.

  Kevin nodded, used his mental hand to pick up the trough, took out his key, and vanished.

  “Now that that’s handled, would you be kind enough to take me to Niklas, the town director? I need to talk to him for a few minutes before Myron returns.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  An hour later, Kevin and Brena were back in Brena’s workroom in Timera Valley. Brena collapsed on a stool at the workbench and waited for the nausea and weakness to pass. After she recovered from her second trip through the energy field, she said, “The Sleeping Angel mushrooms have been destroyed. Myron took care of that while I went to see Niklas.”

  Theresa sat down beside Brena. “Good. Now you can quit worrying about them. What did you find out from Niklas? Does he know where Crullen is now?”

  Brena nodded. “It seems that Crullen was the last victim of the pneumonia epidemic that hit Glenco two years ago. According to Niklas, he was fine one day, in a coma the next, and dead two weeks later.”

  Kevin frowned. “Do you know whether or not the people were already sick when Gerry got there?”

  “The letter I got from Crullen said that a lot of people had gotten sick shortly after Gerry arrived, but if they really did have pneumonia, they would have been sick for quite a while before it got bad enough for them to slip into comas,” Brena said thoughtfully. “You know, Niklas said that Crullen was fine one day and in a coma the next. No pneumonia I’ve ever heard of acts like that. It’s too quick.”

  Kevin had listened quietly to everything Brena had said. Finally, he asked, “Do you think it’s possible those mushrooms had something to do with those deaths?”

  Brena shrugged. “At this point, I really don’t know what to think. All of the symptoms match Sleeping Angel to a tee, but I didn’t even consider it at the time. The closest plant was supposed to be nearly twenty-five hundred miles away.”

  “Then where did the ones in the workroom come from?”

  Brena told him about Gerry’s previous assignment. “She must have brought them with her, although I can’t see why.”

  “Do you think Gerry was somehow responsible for poisoning all those people?” Kevin asked.

  Tears filled Brena’s eyes. “I’d hate to think that anyone could do that, much less a sister.”

  Kevin turned towards one of the windows and looked out at the woods for a few minutes. “Sister Agnes is pretty sure that Sleeping Angel is the poison that was used to kill my father,” Kevin said softly as he turned back towards the women.

  Brena and Theresa both stared at him. Then Brena spoke up. “There can’t be a connection, Myron. She was in Glenco! That’s thousands of miles away.”

  Kevin didn’t say anything. He just looked at Brena.

  Theresa said what they were both thinking. “That wouldn’t matter if she had access to a key.”

  “But who could she possibly know who would have a key?” Brena asked. “And what reason would she have for poisoning Badec?”

  “I don’t know,” Kevin answered.

  “Maybe it wasn’t her reason,” Theresa said quietly. “What if Gerry was just doing a favor for someone else? What if she didn’t know what they were going to do with the poison?”

  “No,” Brena said, shaking her head vigorously. “It’s just too farfetched. Surely we’re wrong.” Then she closed her eyes and whispered, “Oh, please. Let us be wrong.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Kevin left Theresa with Brena for a few minutes and went to find Colin. He and Alek were out on the front porch.

  “Colin, are you in a hurry to get back home?” Kevin asked hesitantly. Colin had already been in Timera Valley for five weeks.

  “No, not particularly. Why?”

  “I still don’t know what’s going on, but the more I learn, the more I’m afraid it’s not over yet. I’d like to have someone here just in case whoever broke in decides he wants more pendants,” Kevin answered. “I haven’t discussed it with Brena, but she seems comfortable having you here, so would you mind staying on for a while?”

  “No, I don’t mind. In fact, I’m enjoying it. The farmers are getting to know me and are starting to ask me to do little things for them. As long as I can find something to do, I’ll be fine.”

  “Thank you,” Kevin said. “Alek, I’m going to go get Theresa and then we’re going to head back home.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  By the time Kevin and Alek dropped Theresa off in Milhaven and returned to the castle, it was nearly time for lunch. Kevin told Alek that he hoped to stay put for the rest of the day and dismissed him. Then he asked Chris to step into his office.

  “What’s up?” Chris asked as he shut the door.

  Kevin told him about the Sleeping Angel mushrooms that Gerry had been growing in Glenco.

  “Are you thinking she had something to do with Badec’s death?” Chris asked with a frown.

  “I honestly don’t know, but if she didn’t, it’s quite a coincidence,” Kevin said. Then he told Chris about all of the people who died shortly after Gerry got to Glenco. “According to Brena, their symptoms fit Sleeping Angel poisoning, but she didn’t consider that at the time because the mushrooms don’t grow in that area.”

  “Then how did the mushrooms get in the workroom?”

  “Her previous station was one of the few places on Terah where those mushrooms grow wild. She must have taken them with her.”

  “You’re thinking she poisoned the people in Glenco, aren’t you?”

  Kevin nodded. “I could be way off base here, but what if she needed to try the mushroom in different forms to see which ones were the most effective? What if she was trying to perfect her poison before bringing it here?”

  “How would she have gotten it here?”

  “With a key.”

  “What key?”

  “Her partner’s key.”

  “You’re thinking she must have had a partner because someone had to have access to a key.”

  Kevin nodded.

  “It works, but it’s circular logic. The use of a key means she had a partner. If she had a partner with a key, she could be the one responsible for Badec’s death. But if you eliminate the partner, or the key, she’s just some nutty sister growing poisonous mushrooms in her workroom.”

  “I know,” Kevin said. “Brena said it’s too farfetched, and part of me agrees with her, but another part thinks I’m on the right track.”

  “Exactly when did she more or less disappear?”

  “The same night that Brena was attacked. Another big coincidence.”

  “Did Theresa find out anything about wher
e she might have gone?”

  Kevin shook his head. “And she talked to everyone around there. As soon as the locals found out that Gerry was missing, they searched the valley, but they didn’t find anything.”

  “Maybe someone was still angry with her about all those deaths,” Chris said. “People have been killed for less.”

  “True, but remember, she has a pendant. Killing her wouldn’t have been very easy.”

  “Did anyone think to check out the locals for burn marks?”

  Kevin nodded. “Gerry’s aide. And besides, from what I gathered, no one suspected her of causing those deaths. They think she got things under control and basically saved the rest of the people in the valley from dying, too.”

  “Then that sort of rules out murder, doesn’t it?”

  Kevin nodded again.

  “So, where is she?”

  Kevin shrugged. “If she has a partner with a key, she could be anywhere. If not, she just vanished into thin air.”

  Chris was quiet for a few minutes, thinking. Then he asked, “What are you going to do?”

  “I can’t see that there’s anything I can do at this point. I can’t exactly go up to everyone who has a key and ask if they’re in cahoots with her.”

  Chris laughed. “No, that wouldn’t go over too well. So, what do we do? Wait for something else to happen?”

  “I guess. I asked Colin if he would mind staying in Timera Valley for a little while longer, and he said it was fine with him. I think I’m going to ask Marcus to stick around here, too.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  “Not really, but it’s nice having a sorcerer available when I need one,” Kevin said. “Now, let’s go get some lunch. Maybe Marcus will be in the dining room and I can talk to him for a minute.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Theresa went to bed that night, she couldn’t sleep. She felt like she had more pieces to the puzzle than anyone else, so it was up to her to try to figure it out.

  Maybe Gerry’s insistence that no one enter her workroom was protective rather than furtive. Maybe she was trying to make sure no one ate one of the mushrooms by mistake. But then again, what possible reason could she have had for growing those things?