by Lee Bacon
And then reality comes tumbling over me again. Prince Fred’s in danger. I’m the only one who can warn him.
I lean in close and whisper into his ear, “That drink the grand duke gave you? Did you swallow any of it?”
Fred gives me a confused look.
“This is serious!” My hand clasps his tighter. “I need to know.”
“No,” Fred replies. “I didn’t have any of the drink.”
“Not even a drop?”
“I never got the chance. You knocked the goblet out of my hand.”
I’m so relieved, I accidentally stomp on his foot.
“Ow!” Fred yelps.
“Sorry.”
“Kara, what’s going on?”
As we whirl around the dance floor, I cast a glance around us. Everywhere I look, I see people watching us. Prince Fred’s the center of attention. Which also makes me the center of attention.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I say. “But it’s too crowded here. Can we talk somewhere more private?”
Fred’s eyebrows knit together. “Now?”
I nod. “It’s important.”
“Very well.”
The prince spins me around and begins to lead us toward the edge of the dance floor. The entire time, he never misses a step. Forward. Forward. Back. Twirl. My palms are sweaty. My feet fumble to keep up. But eventually, we make it to a narrow alcove. A space apart from the crowd.
“All right.” Fred gives me a close look. “What’s going on?”
The story comes tumbling out. The conversation I witnessed. The grand duke and Hudd plotting to overthrow the Royal Family. The shadow that came to life before my eyes.
“The Sorceress.” A shiver grips my voice. “She’s still alive. Or at least—some part of her is. She’s helping the grand duke poison your parents—”
Fred inhales a sharp gasp.
“It’s okay. The talking cat—Xyler—warned them.”
I sort of expected Fred to take this news better. Instead of looking reassured, horror creeps across his features. When I follow his gaze, I realize why.
Xyler never reached the king and queen.
I spot the cat at the other end of the ballroom. Clasped in the arms of a guard. Xyler squirms and claws, but it’s no use. The guard has him by the scruff of his neck, carrying him away from Fred’s parents.
This view is blocked when a tall, hunched figure appears at the edge of the alcove.
“There you are,” says the grand duke. “I’ve been looking all over for you two.”
Fred rises to his full height. “My parents. What did you do to them?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sturmenburg says innocently. But there’s a sinister gleam in his eyes. “I care only for the safety of the king and queen. That’s why I assigned several of my personal guards to ensure that no unauthorized individuals—or animals—come near them. I even delivered their drinks personally ten minutes ago.”
The floor drops out beneath me. Peering around the grand duke, I catch a glimpse of Fred’s parents. They’re standing on a raised platform, happily gazing out at the Luminary Ball. All around them, I see revelers with silver goblets in their hands. But the king and queen have gold goblets.
Exactly like the one Sturmenburg gave to Prince Fred.
A chill slides down my spine as the Royal Couple clink their golden cups together and take a drink.
Every instinct inside me wants to scream, to warn them, to stop them. But it wouldn’t do any good. The Malinwrought is already in their systems.
And in three days, the king and queen will be dead.
“My—my parents.” Fred’s expression goes from horror to fury as he turns his gaze in the grand duke’s direction. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“I’m afraid you’re quite wrong about that, Your Highness.” The grand duke’s tone is equal parts calculating and triumphant, like a chess player who knows he’s already won the match. “Soon the throne will be mine. And with the Sorceress at my side, nobody will be able to stop me. At last, I will rule Heldstone.”
He takes a step toward us.
“But first, I need to deal with a couple of loose ends.” His pale eyes flicker in my direction. “I don’t know who you are, little girl, but you’ve caused enough trouble as it is.”
The grand duke blocks our only way out of the narrow alcove.
His cruel gaze lands on Prince Fred. “You should’ve swallowed the drink I gave you. That would’ve made all this so much easier.”
The grand duke’s fingers settle over the dagger’s sparkling handle.
“Although this way is quicker.”
Fred and I stagger backward. Beyond the alcove, the Luminary Ball is going full steam. A roar of music and voices. But from where we are, it might as well be a million miles away.
Nobody can see us. Nobody can hear us. Nobody knows we’re here.
We’re trapped. And the grand duke knows it.
His grip tightens on the dagger’s handle as he slides it from its sheath.
The grand duke raises his dagger. But before he can attack, a horrible hiss rips through the ballroom, followed by a bloodcurdling shriek. Sturmenburg spins around. Chaos has broken out behind him. All caused by a single source.
Xyler.
The cat doesn’t seem to have been pleased about being carried off the dance floor by one of Sturmenburg’s guards. Letting out an awful noise (that was the hiss), he chomped down on the guard’s hand (that was the shriek).
Mayhem. The cat whips out of the guard’s grip. The guard staggers backward, howling, “That bloody animal just took a bloody bite outta my bloody hand!” A furry shape zigzags between legs and under skirts. Partygoers squeal with shock. A jester on stilts topples into a crowd of very annoyed elves.
For a single stunned moment, all I can do is watch the insanity unfold. Then my attention snaps back to our current situation. The grand duke. The dagger. He whirls back toward us, swinging the blade. But by then, Kara and I are already on the move. We bolt past the grand duke and out of the alcove.
Everyone else is still watching Xyler’s mad dash across the dance floor. Or…almost everyone. A dozen of Sturmenburg’s personal guards are waiting for us. I might be the prince, but I have no doubt that these men are loyal to only the grand duke.
“They’re getting away!” he calls out. “Don’t let them escape!”
The guards raise their weapons. I cast a quick glance in my parents’ direction. They’re on a raised platform, watching the cat craziness with looks of amusement. They still have no idea of the danger they’re in. If I could only reach them, warn them of the treachery inside their own palace. But they’re too far away. And Sturmenburg’s guards are closing in.
I turn my gaze away from my parents. And instead, it falls on a nearby door.
“Over there!”
I pull Kara by the hand. We tumble through the doorway and into a dim corridor. The walls are lined with flickering torches. Flames snap and hiss. Our shadows tremble all around us.
My heart jumps when I see a guard at the end of the hall. Then I notice the man’s uniform. He’s not one of Sturmenburg’s cronies. He works for the palace. As Kara and I approach, his posture straightens.
“Your Highness?” His voice is thick with surprise. “What’s going on?”
I pause long enough to catch my breath. “The Grand Duke Sturmenburg…he’s trying to kill us.”
I peer back the way we came. Shadows leap and swirl against the walls.
The nearest torch suddenly goes out.
A new layer of darkness consumes the corridor.
As the sound of footsteps grows louder, I turn back to the guard. “Sturmenburg’s men. They’re coming.”
The palace guard tightens his grip on his spear. “I shall not allow them to harm you, Your Highness.”
But I hardly hear him. All my attention has landed on the wall. A shadow rises up behind the guard. Spreading, g
rowing. I watch, hypnotized with dread, as the shadow takes a human form. And not just any human.
The Sorceress.
It’s her. Even though her features are pure darkness, I can feel her eyes peering out at me.
Kara was right. The Sorceress is still alive. And she’s looming over the guard’s back. The dark silhouette emerges from the brick, her arm reaching for the guard.
I open my mouth to warn him, but it’s already too late. The shadow grabs the guard. But the Sorceress doesn’t stop there. Her fingers vanish inside the man’s helmet. A terrible realization hits me. She’s reaching into the guard’s head, grasping hold of his mind with her dark fingers.
All of a sudden, the guard’s expression goes blank. His jaw slackens. And then a new look takes hold of his features. It’s as though the Sorceress is gazing at me through the guard’s eyes.
The guard’s lip curls into an evil smirk. And when he speaks, a different voice comes out. The Sorceress’s voice.
“Run all you want.” Each syllable echoes against the walls of my skull. “But you will never escape me.”
The guard’s attack arrives like lightning. Before I even realize what’s happening, his spear lunges at my chest. I would’ve been impaled if it weren’t for Kara. She tugs my hand, pulling me away from the blade. Steel crashes against the wall. A heartbeat later, Kara and I are on the move again. Racing around a corner and down a narrow hall.
Footsteps and shouts clatter behind us. But it’s the shadows that scare me the most. They’re everywhere. Climbing the walls. Spilled across the floor. Hanging from the ceiling. In my panic, they all seem alive. As though the Sorceress is everywhere at once.
Turning another corner, we’re met by a servant. In front of her is a cart of simmering food. As she bows, her own shadow seems to reach up from the floor. Dark fingers grasping into her forehead. And when the servant rises, her face has gone completely blank.
With astounding quickness, her hand darts into the food cart. And out comes a boiled goose. Kara and I stagger sideways, but we’re not quick enough. An instant later, the servant smacks me in the face.
“Oof!” I tumble against the wall. All around me, shadows emerge like a thousand hands. Reaching, grasping, pulling. And inside my head, I hear the Sorceress.
“Come to me, Prince Frederick,” she whispers. “Abandon this hopeless fight. It will be so much easier that way. Soon it will all be over. Soon, soon, soon…”
Her words are like waves lapping against the beach. There’s something peaceful about them. I can feel myself giving up the struggle. My arms fall to my sides. My eyelids droop.
Yes, I’ll come with you. This thought flows so naturally through my brain. Take me away from all this trouble. Soon, soon, s—
“Fred! Snap out of it!”
A new voice slices through my mind. Kara’s voice. And I don’t like it. Not one bit. It’s like a rude servant waking me from a pleasant dream.
Just five more minutes, I think. Please.
But Kara’s insistent. “You can’t let her brainwash you, Fred!” she yells. “Come on! Stay with me!”
It takes a huge amount of effort to open my eyes. When I do, I see Kara. I strain to reach for her, but the shadows are stronger. They yank at me, pulling me backward. And even though Kara’s still calling out to me, her words are drowned out by the Sorceress. She’s no longer whispering. She’s screaming.
“You’ll never escape me!” The voice thunders through my brain. “Your kingdom will be mine!”
The Sorceress is digging around in Prince Fred’s brain like it’s a candy jar, and there’s nothing I can do about it. She’s too strong. The shadow has him gripped in an evil bear hug. I can see the light fading from Fred’s eyes.
As if that weren’t bad enough, a shriek pierces my eardrums. I whirl around just in time to see the servant lady. She’s wielding her cooked goose like nunchucks.
With a tight grip on a drumstick, she swings the boiled bird. I barely manage to avoid the blow with a last-second dodge. But before the goose even hits the wall, the servant’s already gearing up for her next attack. Her face might be as blank as a statue, but the rest of her is a blur of movement.
She’s half servant, half ninja.
I stagger backward. THWACK! The goose slams the floor in the exact spot where I’d just been an instant earlier. The servant’s too quick. Not to mention the shadows that reach for me whenever I’m too close to the wall. If the Sorceress doesn’t brainwash me, I’ll end up bludgeoned to death by poultry.
Speaking of…here comes the goose again.
WHAM!
The bird slams me in the shoulder. I tumble back into the food cart. Grabbing the handle, I swing it with all my strength. Just as the servant is preparing her next attack, the cart barrels into her. By the time she hits the floor, she’s out cold.
I spin back to Prince Fred. He’s in even worse shape. The shadows are all around him. Grasping at his neck, wrapped around his legs, reaching into his skull.
I already know what’ll happen next. The Sorceress won’t bother with brainwashing. Not this time. Not when she’s dealing with Prince Fred. She’ll do exactly what she did to Hudd earlier. Snatch the life out of his body and leave him dead.
I grab Fred by the shoulders and pull. But the shadow’s stronger. It yanks back with stunning force. It’s like trying to play tug-of-war with a pickup truck. The prince slips out of my grip. I try again. This time, he doesn’t even budge.
“Fred!” I yell. “Listen to me! I can’t save you on my own. You have to fight her! Fight the Sorceress!”
His head snaps upward. “K-Kara?” Fred’s voice is weak, but it’s him. He’s still in there.
“Yeah, it’s me!” I pull him by the arms. He slumps forward a few inches. “You can do this! Keep fighting! Think about your parents! Only you can save them!”
This seems to make all the difference. Fred’s jaw clenches. Sweat pours down his forehead. I can feel his muscles struggling against the Sorceress’s magic. And with one last surge of strength, he tumbles out of the shadow’s grip.
The two of us immediately break into a sprint. Through a winding corridor, past a mounted boar’s head, into a dim room. We stumble to a halt when a guard rounds the corner. His blank expression leaves no doubt—he’s already been possessed by the Sorceress.
The man stalks toward us, his gloved hand clasped to the hilt of his sword.
“How many times must I tell you?” The guard speaks, but it’s the Sorceress’s voice I hear. “Escape is impossible.”
A dark shape lands on a cabinet behind him. At first I’m sure it’s just another living shadow. But as the shape gets closer, I realize it’s something else entirely.
Not that the guard notices either way. He’s too busy spouting out the Sorceress’s monologue.
“In three days, the king and queen will be dead,” says the brainwashed guard. “But I won’t have to wait so long to watch you die.”
SHINK! The guard draws his sword. Evil peers out from within his blank features. As he readies his sword, the dark shape slinks along the top of the cabinet. Closer and closer. The guard raises his blade, but before he can attack, the shape launches into the air. A hissing tornado of fur and claws that lands on the man’s head.
Screaming and clutching at his face, the guard collapses to the ground. Xyler lands softly beside him.
“You may wish to come with me.” He speaks in a calm, formal tone. As if he’s inviting us to tea, not helping us escape. “Cats always know a shortcut.”
“Xyler! Man, I’m glad to see you!”
Kara picks the cat up off the ground and gives him a tight squeeze. He squirms under her grip.
“Pleasure’s all mine,” he grumbles. “Now would you please put me down?”
“Sure. Of course.” She sets Xyler back on the floor. “You said something about a shortcut?”
The cat nods. “Right this way.”
We follow him through a series of hallw
ays. Our mad dash seems to have led us into the servants’ quarters. A part of the palace I’ve never visited before. The accommodations are tighter, dingier. No trace of the opulence I’m accustomed to seeing in the palace.
“Uh…Xyler?” I look around. “Where’re we going?”
Rather than respond, the cat leaps onto a table. From there, he makes his way to a shelf of neatly organized books. Proper Polishing of Boots & Slippers. Cooking for the Higher Classes. Greeting Grumpy Guests. When he reaches the section labeled REMAINING UNSEEN & UNHEARD, he raises a paw and tilts one of the books outward.
CLICK.
All of a sudden, the entire shelf opens like a door. Xyler hops onto the floor and pads softly through the opening. Halfway through, he looks back at me.
“Grab a torch and come with me,” he says.
I lift the nearest torch out of its mount and follow Kara through the hidden doorway. She gently slides the shelf closed behind us. The flaming torch illuminates a narrow passageway. Windowless stone walls stretching into darkness.
“What is this place?” I whisper.
Xyler speaks as he guides us forward. “Servants who work in the Royal Palace are expected to accommodate every need and desire of the nobility. And that means being able to move from point A to point B as swiftly as possible—without disturbing any of the distinguished residents.”
The cat takes a turn. Kara and I hurry to keep up.
“These passageways were constructed so that servants can move throughout the palace quickly and quietly.”
I peer in awe at the tunnels all around us. “I had no idea.”
“That was the point. Servants remain invisible and yet ever present.”
Xyler leads us down a twisting stairway. Inside the dark space, with nothing but the torch to guide our way, shadows lurk everywhere. All around us. Leaping and surging across the walls, the floor, the ceiling. I swing the torch and the shadows scatter like birds. But shifting the light to one side only increases the darkness on the other. And inside every shadow dwells the potential for evil.