The Shadow Queen

by Lee Bacon

  To make matters weirder, she now insists on touring the carnival, making extremely peculiar observations about her surroundings.

  She points to a man blowing flames from a torch. “Do you think that fire-breather is afraid of horses?”

  “Uh, I have no idea.” I scratch my head. “Why?”

  But by now, she’s already on to another attraction. “See that fairy habitat?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “How heavy do you think it is?”

  “I haven’t the faintest clue.”

  She scratches her head. “I bet it’s not too heavy.”

  “Too heavy for what?”

  “I’ll explain later.” She turns her attention to another attraction: a huge wooden sign that reads THE MARVELS OF ALCHEMY. Pointing at the sign, she says, “Alchemy—that means they turn stuff into gold, right?”

  “So they claim.”

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  Kara hurries toward the exit. I stumble after her, my thoughts crowded with questions. It isn’t until we find Groo and Xyler that she finally begins to explain.

  “Okay, listen up,” she says. “If everything goes right, these Thurphenwald punks won’t notice my dad’s missing until we’re long gone.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” I kick the ground with frustration. “But what in the seven moons is your plan?”

  Kara reveals another slight smile as she gazes back at the carnival. “We’re going to create the biggest distraction anyone here has ever seen.”

  Listen up, people! I’d like to present the Kara Estrada Guide to Creating a Massive Distraction and Rescuing the Elektro-Magician (aka, my dad):

  STEP ONE: CREATE AN UNRULY MOB

  See the alchemist over there? That’s where we begin. Prince Fred and I gather in front of the wooden hut. And in voices that everyone nearby will hear, we yell in amazement.

  “I can’t believe it! The alchemist just gave me free gold!”

  “Me too! This is incredible!”

  “Free gold for everyone!”

  The alchemist stumbles outside, bewildered. He attempts to claim that we’re lying. But people don’t hear him. They only have the attention span for two words:

  “Free gold.”

  There is running and pushing. There are shouts and demands. It doesn’t take long before an unruly mob forms.

  STEP TWO: RELEASE THE FAIRIES

  While a few dozen of those Thurphenwald jerks are busy dealing with the crazy scene outside the alchemist’s hut, Groo sneaks over the fence. Ordinarily, people would notice the fifteen-foot-tall troll. But not now. Not while there’s “free gold” to be had.

  Groo makes his way to the fairy habitat. A huge box made of thick glass. It contains hundreds of miserable, trapped fairies. There’s no way an ordinary human could push over the box. But Groo is neither “ordinary” nor “human.” He shoves the habitat with all his strength. When it tips over, the top of the box breaks loose.

  Fly away, fairies! You’re free!

  STEP THREE: FAIRIES + JOUSTING = EVEN MORE CHAOS

  Here’s the thing: the fairy habitat is located right next to a jousting tournament. Armored guys on horses who attack each other with long, pointy objects. A huge crowd is gathered to watch. After Groo liberates the fairies, many of them fly right into the middle of the jousting action. The horses completely freak out. They weren’t expecting to be surrounded by a few hundred glowing winged creatures. They disobey the commands of the armored dudes and run madly into the carnival. All their riders can do is try not to fall.

  STEP FOUR: WATCH OUT, FIRE-BREATHER!!!

  Not far away, the fire-breather lifts a flaming torch to his face. He’s about to do his thing when he notices a terrifying sight. A horse is barreling in his general direction. On top of the horse is an armored guy, his long, pointy lance swinging wildly from side to side. All around, people are running and screaming. The fire-breather screams, too. But remember the torch? Yep, it’s right there in front of his face. And when the terrified howl escapes his lungs, an enormous wave of flames ripples through the air.

  A nearby wooden stand catches fire. The inferno quickly spreads. Luckily, the people inside are already gone. Maybe they were drawn by the distant screams of “Free gold!” Or went to gawk at the escaped fairies. Or fled from the disarray of the jousting tournament. Either way, they are nowhere nearby as the flames rise high into the air.

  STEP FIVE: DAD ISN’T THE ONLY ONE

  WHO NEEDS RESCUING

  With mayhem breaking loose everywhere, the Thurphenwald tribespeople have completely lost control of their carnival. They scramble to put out fires, to catch the jousting horses, to recapture the escaped fairies. They have no time to deal with two kids, an ogre, and a cat.

  As we hurry through the chaos, Fred points to a nearby hole in the ground. The mermaid, trapped in her dirty pool. The crowd is gone, but the mermaid is unable to climb out.

  Fred has to yell to be heard over the sounds of screaming all around.

  I hesitate. We still have more distance to cover before we reach my dad.

  “Come on, Kara!” Fred grabs my hand. “Your father’s not the only one being held captive!”

  Fred’s right. We have to help the others, too. We can’t leave them here to die.

  Together, Fred and I scramble into the pit. Grabbing hold of the mermaid’s hands, we drag her out of the pit. Her fin flaps with fear when she catches sight of the gigantic troll that greets her at the top.

  “It’s okay,” Prince Fred assures her. “He’s a friend.”

  The fear fades from the mermaid’s face. She speaks in a soft, melodious voice. “There’s a lake not far from here. If you help me to the exit, I can crawl from there.”

  Groo slings the mermaid over his shoulder and carries her to the edge of the carnival. By the time he returns, Xyler has appeared at our side. He has a silver key in his mouth.

  Xyler drops the key at Fred’s feet. “Look what I swiped off one of the guards. We can use it to rescue the other captives.”

  Through the crazy landscape of fire and mass chaos, we find others who have been enslaved by the Thurphenwald tribe. Fauns, unicorns, trolls. Unlocking their cages, one by one, sending them into freedom. Until, eventually, we reach the area behind the main stage.

  “Kara!” My dad calls to me from behind iron bars. “You made it!”

  STEP SIX: REUNION

  The key twists inside the lock. The door opens. Dad tumbles out of his cage and into my arms. For a long moment, all we can do is laugh and cry and hug each other tightly.

  Me and Dad.

  Dad and me.

  Us.

  I don’t ever want to let go. But we both know the pandemonium won’t last forever. If we want to escape, this is our best shot. I reluctantly take a step back from Dad. For the first time, he seems to notice my companions. A boy my own age. A cat. And a gigantic troll.

  “Uh…so these are my friends,” I say to him. “I’ll totally introduce them soon. But right now, we should probably run for our lives.”

  We trek until the Thurphenwald carnival is nothing more than a pillar of smoke in the distance. Groo carries Mr. Estrada’s box of tools and Urth technology on one huge, muscular shoulder. Xyler naps on the other. Beside them, Kara holds her father’s hand tightly. Her voice accompanies our footsteps as she tells the story of how we found him. The necklace and the walk-in refrigerator. My trip to Urth and our battle with the Sorceress. When she reaches the part about Grand Duke Sturmenburg’s betrayal, I stagger to a stop.

  At last, Kara has found her father.

  And I’ve lost my parents.

  When the others notice I’m no longer hiking, they glance back in my direction. I twist away from them. I don’t want anyone else to see the anguish in my face.

  A moment later, Kara is at my side. She brings a gentle hand down on my shoulder. “It’s not too late, Fred. We can still save your parents.”

  “How?” The word trembles as it le
aves my lips. “Even if we do somehow make it back inside the palace, we have no cure for the poison. It’s only a matter of time until my mother and father are dead.”

  “Maybe not.” Kara’s father has joined our conversation. “I know someone who may be able to help.”

  I peer up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “On their way to the ruins, the Thurphenwald chieftain insisted that the entire caravan go out of its way to visit a village. A very specific village called Yyerit. Apparently, one of the chieftain’s wives was ill, and Yyerit is home to an old blind woman named Desmelde.”

  Kara’s head tilts. “Why would they care about an old blind lady?”

  “Because Desmelde is the greatest healer in the entire kingdom.”

  Kara leaps forward, grabbing her father’s arm excitedly. “That’s great! Maybe the healer can make us an antidote!”

  A flame of hope ignites inside me. “Do you know how to find the village of Yyerit?” I ask.

  Mr. Estrada nods. “If we hurry, we’ll get there by nightfall.”

  After hours of hiking along a winding tree-covered path, we reach the edge of a hill. Peering down, I’m met by a view of paradise. A green valley, glittering streams, meadows overlooked by ancient trees. And at the center of it all: a village.

  “There it is.” Mr. Estrada points. “Yyerit.”

  I approach the village with Kara and her father, while Groo and Xyler stay behind. Mr. Estrada leads us to a stone building at the edge of Yyerit. A sign above the door reads POTIONS, ELIXIRS & CURES. Near the entrance, two creatures are chained to a metal post. At over twice my height, they possess the wings of a bird, the scales of a lizard, and the head of a lion. Sharp teeth, huge claws, a spiked tail—they look deadly no matter what end you happen to be standing at.

  When Kara sees them, she stops in her tracks. “Uh…what are those things?”

  “Grimleks,” I say. “I’ve read about them in books, but these are the first I’ve ever seen in real life.”

  “They look like something from my worst nightmare.”

  “Don’t be silly.” I take a step in their direction, holding out my hand for them to sniff. “Grimleks are noble and rare creatures. I’m sure they’re perfectly— WAHHH!”

  I stagger backward when the nearest grimlek lunges toward me. Letting out a savage roar, it snaps its lethal jaws. If it weren’t chained to a post, the monster would’ve had my arm for dinner.

  I clutch a hand to my throbbing chest. “Okay, you were right. Grimleks are the worst.”

  With the grimleks growling at us, we hurry inside.

  The walls are lined with shelves containing glass bottles of many different shapes and sizes. Leaning closer, I inspect their labels. There are cures for seasickness, balms for burns, potions for insomnia. One small vial contains a faint green liquid. A sticker on the outside reads Very Vomitous Expunging Elixir. Fast-Acting, Long-Lasting.

  “Welcome, guests. What do you seek?”

  The creaky voice comes from the other end of the shop. I spin around to see an old woman. Small and hunched, white hair hanging down to her frail shoulders. A thousand wrinkles are etched into her pale face. She stares straight ahead with unseeing eyes the color of milk.

  Mr. Estrada is the first to respond. “Are you Desmelde?”

  “Over the years, many have called me by that name,” she says mysteriously.

  “We’re looking for an antidote to a very rare poison. Malinwrought.”

  At the mention of the dark word, a change comes over the woman. Her blank eyes widen. She clasps her bony hands together to keep them from shaking.

  “I’m very sorry, but it grows late. You should be going.”

  “Please!” I take a step toward the healer. “We need your help!”

  Desmelde shakes her head. “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. Now, I really must close the shop.”

  I exchange an uncertain glance with Kara and her father. What now?

  Turning back to the healer, desperation clings to my voice. “We traveled a great distance through many dangers to be here. You’re our last hope.”

  “You should think better than to place your hope in an old blind woman,” she replies. “And if you don’t depart this second, I’ll send my grimleks after you.”

  I shudder at the memory of the winged, scale-covered, lion-headed monster. And yet—I cannot allow this woman to scare me off so easily. Out of desperation, I blurt out the only other thing I can think to say:

  “My parents are the king and queen of Heldstone,” I say. “Without your help, they’ll die.”

  A curtain of silence falls over the room. Kara cuts me a worried look. The entire kingdom is searching for the Royal Prince. I’m supposed to be hiding my identity, not announcing it. We both know what’ll happen if this woman shares what I just said.

  We’ll be dead before the day is done.

  At least the healer is no longer insisting that we leave. Instead, she begins tottering toward me. A severe expression hangs on her wrinkled face. When she reaches me, she comes to a stop. Her eyes are pure white, and yet…

  It’s as though she can see me.

  As though she can peer deep into my innermost self.

  The healer stares at Prince Fred. Which doesn’t make much sense considering she’s blind. After a long moment of silence, her expression changes. Her white eyes widen. She nods once, as if making up her mind.

  “Come this way,” she says. Then she turns and slowly charts a path in the direction she came from. Toward a door at the back of the shop. Without looking back, she steps through the dark doorway.

  And vanishes from view.

  Prince Fred casts a baffled look my way. All I can do is shrug back at him. I have no idea whether we can trust this old lady—especially now that Fred has blabbed his true identity. But right now, we don’t have any other choice.

  Our group stumbles after Desmelde. Down a narrow hallway and into a dim stone room that looks to be the healer’s workshop. On a table, there are a dozen clay bowls, each containing colorful combinations of herbs and crushed leaves. The shelves are stocked with ancient books. A cauldron burbles on the stove.

  Desmelde points to a wooden bench. “Please, sit.”

  We do as she asks. In front of us, flames crackle inside a fireplace. For a long moment, Desmelde doesn’t say a word. Simply peers into the flickering fire with her milky-white eyes. I’m beginning to wonder whether she expects one of us to break the silence when she finally begins to speak.

  “In all my years as a healer, not once have I received an inquiry about Malinwrought. Until today. And would you like to hear the most peculiar thing?” The healer doesn’t wait for our response. “You are the second visitors who have asked about Malinwrought in the past twelve hours.”

  Prince Fred leans forward on the bench. “Who were the first?”

  “A regiment of soldiers,” she says. “Working for Grand Duke Sturmenburg. Odd, wouldn’t you say?”

  The light of the fireplace glimmers across her features.

  “I told them that Malinwrought went extinct centuries ago. So why would I need a cure? But the soldiers wouldn’t accept my explanation. They insisted on searching my shop. I stepped aside. I told them to do as they wished.”

  “Did they find anything?” I ask.

  The old woman shakes her head. “No. But I did.”

  “What do you mean? What did you find?”

  “Answers.” A slight smile forms on the healer’s face. “While the soldiers inspected my shop, I listened. I heard heavy boots stomping the floor and large hands reaching into dark places. When I concentrated, I heard other things. Glimmers of their thoughts.”

  My grip on the bench tightens. Desmelde’s voice mingles with the crackling of logs inside the fireplace.

  “And inside the soldiers’ thoughts,” she continues, “I found lies. Betrayal. And fear. They were working for a power of unspeakable evil. A creature of pure darkness that sent terror through
the soldiers.”

  I didn’t need to read anyone’s mind to know who the healer was referring to:

  The Sorceress.

  The Shadow Queen.

  “This dark power ordered the soldiers to search for anything that can undo the effects of Malinwrought,” says Desmelde. “And to destroy it.”

  “Wait, so…” Fred’s voice trembles. “You said they didn’t find anything. Does that mean…you don’t have a cure?”

  The healer’s blank eyes reveal nothing. “That is what I told the soldiers. And it is what I was prepared to tell you. Then I listened to your thoughts. And I heard truth. You are Prince Frederick the Fourteenth.”

  The woman slowly navigates the crowded room with ease.

  “I was saddened by the news of the king and queen’s sudden illness,” she says. “They’re worthy rulers. Honorable and just. They do not deserve to play in the treacherous games of the grand duke and his Shadow Queen.”

  When she arrives at a bookshelf, she runs her fingers across the worn leather spines of books. Her hand stops suddenly. She traces a fingertip across the grooves of binding, the gold letters. She removes a book and opens it. From where I sit, I can see a hollow space has been carved into the pages.

  Nestled inside is a glass vial.

  Desmelde plucks the vial out of its hiding place and begins her slow, steady path back in our direction.

  “Malinwrought is a cruel poison. I had hoped it truly was extinct. But I kept this anyway.” She lifts the vial. Clear liquid swirls inside. “An antidote to the poison.”

  Beside me, Fred jumps up from the bench eagerly. “I owe you a great debt! How can I possibly repay you for this act of kindness?”

  “Be a good prince,” replies the healer. “And someday, a good king. Rule Heldstone with honor and virtue. That is all that I ask in return.”