“Sorry to hear that. I can’t really help what he does, but I want you to know that I think you’re great. What you did today took a lot of courage. I’m just glad you’re still in one piece.”
Courage. That was it. In all the excitement, he had barely thought about it. He must have activated the part of the amulet that took an act of great courage. It seemed to him that the amulet didn’t make a distinction between great courage and great stupidity.
Rich stood up and looked into his teacher’s smiling face. “Thanks, Ms. Kingman. I don’t know what I was thinking, though. I never do stuff like that.”
“Well,” she said, “that’s the funny thing about life. Sometimes you realize there’s more to you than you even knew about.”
Rich thanked her and left the room, walking quickly. They locked the door of the detention classroom once it had started, and he’d have to make up double the time if he couldn’t do it today.
He slipped into the classroom just as the teacher stood up to close the door. He slid into a desk and flipped open his history book, resolved to study every letter as if his life depended on it.
To his relief, the person in charge today was not the severe old English teacher, but one of the young student teachers who had gotten roped into detention duty. He sat at the head of the class with his laptop computer and paid little attention to them other than an occasional “Keep it down.”
Rich dove into his history text and started taking notes. Then a familiar voice came from behind him.
“Hi, Rich.”
He glanced over his shoulder and confirmed his suspicions—Mallory, looking stunning in a dark-blue dress, styled hair, and just the right amount of makeup. Rich’s eyes grew wide, and his throat dried out faster than a puddle in the Sahara.
“Mallory, hi. You’re still here?” Rich wanted to slap himself for his stupidity. “Well, obviously you’re still here.”
She nodded. “It was a pretty bad fight. Oh, well. At least I’ve got company, and Ms. Hitler’s not in today.”
“You said it. I’m supposed to be learning about Nazis from this book, but I think I could learn a lot more just by watching her. Maybe she and Mr. Bickmann should get together.”
Mallory chuckled and wrinkled her nose. Rich felt his palms turn moist. “So, what do you do, Rich? I mean, when you’re not sitting in detention.”
Rich shrugged, wishing he could share the actually interesting part of his life with her. “Nothing too exciting. I build models and stuff. Video games, seeing how many times I can fall off my bike. I’m one of those people who should get a life.”
“That’s all right,” Mallory said. “After cheerleading, I really don’t have time for anything else. I tried some other sports, but I think I’ve realized I’m best at cheerleading.”
Rich nodded and felt himself relax a bit. Maybe they did actually have a few things in common, besides both being members of the human race. “And I have this place on the creek where I go and hang out sometimes. In the winter, it’s a great place to start a fire and roast marshmallows.”
Mallory’s eyes brightened. “That sounds like fun. Maybe you could take me there sometime.”
Rich nodded without thinking about it. It was almost as if his body was reacting without letting his brain know first. “Yeah, that would be cool. What about later after school?”
Mallory grinned, displaying teeth that could have been used in toothpaste ads. “Right after we ditch this place? I’m free all afternoon.”
Rich opened his mouth to agree, but was stopped at the last moment by a memory. “Oh, man, I’ve got to work on a history project after school.”
Mallory raised her eyebrows. “A project for the same teacher who sent you here?”
Rich nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been putting it off. I’d feel bad if I procrastinated again.”
Mallory pouted, just enough to drive Rich crazy—in a good way. “That’s too bad. It’s my last day in detention, and I’ve got cheer practice every other day this week. Today would have been perfect.” She sighed and leaned back in her seat, then gave a mock salute. “Oh, well. If the Führer wants his history project, you’d better not keep him waiting. Make him mad again, and you might disappear.”
Rich chuckled in spite of himself. He honestly wanted nothing more than to take her to his spot this afternoon. An idea slowly formed in his mind. “I could call my partner and let her know I’ll come later. I mean, I could probably put something together in half an hour if I had to. I’ve even got half a bag of marshmallows left in my locker we could bring with us.”
Mallory cocked her head to one side and grinned. “You’re so sweet, Rich. I mean, you really wouldn’t mind?” She reached out and brushed her hand along his shoulder, causing Rich to tingle inside.
He sat up straighter in his chair. “Oh, no prob. I’ll call her when I can.”
They talked the rest of the time, the history book completely forgotten. Finally, the teacher packed up his laptop, stood, and announced that everyone was dismissed. Rich and Mallory left together, and he fished in his pocket for his cell phone. Angela had given him her number the other day, and he had programmed it into his contacts. After several rings, the call went to voicemail.
He bit his lip and pondered what to say. It would have to be something convincing so she wouldn’t be mad. The beep sounded, and words spilled out of Rich’s mouth. “Uh, hi, Angela, it’s me, Rich. Listen, I had something come up, and I’m really sorry. I’ve got to talk to the police some more, and uh, well, I’ll call you later.”
He hung up quickly, his face flushed with shame. He hadn’t meant to lie to her—it had just come out. A dark feeling settled over him. He looked back and was about to tell Mallory he couldn’t take her after all when she fixed him with her bright blue eyes, and his resolve melted.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Sure,” he mumbled. “Follow me.”
They stopped by his locker to get the marshmallows, and Rich paused when he saw a folded sheet of paper that had not been there the last time he checked. The edge of the paper was rough, as if someone had torn off a strip around the entire border. Rich’s dark feeling grew even darker as he unfolded the paper and began to read the jagged letters written in red ink. Something big is coming. I’ll get you, you little rat. You, and everyone like you. Watch your back.
The note was only signed with a violent red X, which nearly bled through to the other side of the paper. Rich refolded the note and stuffed it between history and math. Something tapped on him lightly on the shoulder.
Rich whirled around to face a grin so dazzling, he almost had to close his eyes against it. “Is something wrong, Rich? Do you only have the mini marshmallows? I mean, it’s okay if you do.”
Rich shook his head and displayed a half-full bag of normal-sized marshmallows. “No, I’m good—just remembered something I had to do for history. And we won’t have to roast these things on toothpicks.”
Rich gave his locker a shove, and it rebounded with an obnoxious clatter. He looked down and his face flushed as he saw that he’d forgotten to remove the combination lock before attempting to close it. With a sheepish grin, he fumbled with the lock and finally managed to secure the door.
“Sorry. I don’t know why I even bother. I mean, who’s going to steal my textbooks, anyway?”
Mallory chuckled and cocked her head to one side, allowing a few strands of hair to fall lightly across her face. “Not a problem. Lead on.”
They continued toward the spot where he’d been ambushed by snowballs. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be a repeat performance. Maybe he’d be safer with a cheerleader along because nobody would try a prank against someone that popular.
They sat down again around the fire, though Rich scooted a bit farther back so he didn’t end up with a flaming marshmallow again.
“So, Rich,” Mallory said once they were settled, “what do you want more than anything else? Like, if you found a magic lamp, what would you wish for?”
Rich paused, surprised by the question. “That’s a hard one. There are a few things on that list, but …”
He trailed off and bit his lip. He was tempted to saying something that included her, but he knew that would probably turn out disastrously, given his way with words. He got off that train of thought and onto another. “I’d like to see both of my parents—together.”
Mallory leaned in closer, and Rich caught a strong whiff of her fruity perfume. “Oh, what happened to them? Did they get a divorce?”
Rich shook his head bitterly. “No, nothing like that. My dad disappeared when I was little, and no one wants to give me the real story about what happened.”
He paused, trying to get a handle on the emotions that were spiraling out of control. The last thing he wanted to do was show them in front of Mallory. “And my mom got in a car accident, and they can’t find her. I don’t know whether or not she’s alive.” He furrowed his brow and fought harder against the tears that wanted to come.
Mallory inched closer and put a hand on his. “I’m sorry, Rich. I can’t imagine what that must be like. Who are you staying with now?”
“My aunt.” Rich sighed and was barely able to take another breath. He always thought he’d be engaged before a girl would hold his hand. “I—I think she wants me to come back and live with them on their farm, but, well …” He gestured down at himself with his chin. “Do I look like a farm boy?”
Mallory shook her head. “No, you sure don’t. More like…” She trailed off as if pondering a suitable end to her sentence. “Well, not a farm boy.” She pointed at his face. “You ever think about getting contacts?”
Rich reached up slowly and removed his glasses. The world instantly went blurry. “Yeah, I’d like that, but my mom says we don’t have enough money right now. I’ve already had these longer than I should have. They’re in bad shape.”
He replaced the glasses on his nose and smiled as Mallory’s pretty face came back into focus. “I hope you get to someday,” she said. “You have really nice eyes, and those glasses hide them.”
Rich blushed, not sure what to say. He wrinkled his nose at a sudden acrid smell and glanced over at the fire. While talking to Mallory, he had completely forgotten about his marshmallows again, and now his stick looked like a miniature torch. He jerked the stick back, and this time flung the entire thing into the creek.
“Keep this up,” Mallory said with an impish smile, “and we’ll have to start calling you ‘the marshmallow murderer.’”
Rich shrugged with one shoulder. “Sorry about that. Third time’s a charm?” He glanced around and quickly located another stick that would work. He stuck a couple of marshmallows on it and held them barely close enough to the fire. This time, he gave up conversation and watched the stick like a kid in front of a new video game. His patience was rewarded by two beautifully toasted marshmallows, which melted into a gooey mess in his mouth. He sighed and set down his stick next to him.
“Perfect,” he declared. “Somebody take a picture.”
Mallory brought out her best solo clap. “Bravo, Chef Rich. I’m sure the fish enjoyed your first two entrees.”
They talked and laughed around the campfire, talking like old friends. The sun dipped lower in the sky, and the two of them huddled closer around the campfire for warmth. They ate the entire bag of marshmallows. Rich’s eyelids fluttered, his head bobbed, and a bleary sense of euphoria settled over him. One moment, he was staring at the flickering campfire, and the next, he passed into unconsciousness.
His dreams led him to a beautiful place. He lay under a solitary tree in the middle of a peaceful meadow. Fields of golden grain and bright yellow wildflowers surrounded him on every side, touched by the falling rays of a splendid sunset. In his dream, he looked up and glimpsed a girl draped in a flowing silver robe coming toward him. She turned her head, and her long dark locks flew away from her face with the gentle breeze. Mallory.
She ran her hands through her hair and gave him such a vibrant smile, he almost felt himself melt. She strolled up to him and gave him an incredible smile.
She knelt by his side and ran a hand down his cheek. “Rich, dear, it was a wonderful day. Why don’t you come home? I made dinner.”
Rich smiled back and thought he detected a whiff of cooking food on the breeze. Biscuits, fried chicken, and apple pie... a meal a lot like Aunt Laura would make. He reached out and pulled her over next to him. “Sit with me. The view is amazing.”
She complied, and Rich felt her press against his shoulder. “The company isn’t bad either,” she said, gesturing to an open picnic basket that suddenly appeared next to her. They ate in silence and watched as the sun sank. Mallory lifted her head, and the two faced each other, still seated. Their eyes locked, and their faces moved closer and closer...
Rich awoke with a start and realized that he sat in complete darkness. He sniffed the air and smelled smoke, then felt around, touching slick, damp stones. He was still at the creek! How long had he been asleep?
He rose shakily to his feet and sensed at once that he was not alone. He squinted and called out into the darkness, “Mallory? Mallory, are you there?” No one answered. How could he have gone to sleep? Had he let something happen to her?
A sudden breeze swept past him, stirring up the embers of the dead fire and sending sparks and ash hurtling in his direction. He threw his hands up to shield his face, backed away from the fire, and slipped hard on the slick stones.
A stab of pain shot through his back and legs, and the wind gnawed at his skin. It swirled around the fire and whipped the flames back to life. They crackled and burned for several seconds before changing into a brilliant blue. Rich gasped and tried to rise. Either he was having another nightmare, or something had found him that he’d rather not meet.
A voice, harsh and commanding, spoke from the heart of the flames. “Heinrich, do not rise. You are not worthy to stand in my presence.”
Rich stayed seated, too tired and confused to put up any resistance. His hands shook slightly from more than the cold. “What do you want? Who are you?”
The flames burned brighter, and Rich had to clamp his eyes shut to shield himself from the intense light. “If you do not know that, you are even more foolish than I expected.”
The light dimmed some, and Rich opened his eyes. “I’ve come to you with two choices, Sir Heinrich. You must not oppose me. If you let me be, I shall be merciful and spare your life. If not, I shall finish the work of so many before me and burn the rest of your family line to ashes. At last, we shall stand unopposed, free to shape this world as we see fit.”
Rich knew it. This must be his nemesis in another of its terrible forms. In his mind, he saw a dark cloud spreading all over the world, blocking out the sun forever. The tremble in his hands turned into a full-body shiver.
He slowly rose to his knees and gazed into the fire. It was all he could do to keep his voice from shaking. “I can’t do that. You can’t just walk all over my family! I have powerful friends, and they’ll help me. We’re strong, and we’ll defeat you.” He hoped the words were true.
The fire danced as the voice cackled. “Your friends are meaningless. As are you.”
Rich’s anger flared. He tried to rise to his feet, but could feel his nemesis pressing back against him. Rich put a hand beneath his shirt and withdrew the pendant. “I’m not worthless! Look at this! I’ve already completed some of my tasks. I’ll be at my full power soon, and then I’ll take you down for good.” A fresh surge of courage accompanied the words, and Rich felt like he could take on anything.
Cruel laughter burst from the flames. “Foolish boy! You should never have opened the box I placed on your dresser, or accepted my challenge. You’ll never reach your full power—not without your father. You will be the weak link that shatters the chain. Your name will go down in history. I hope you enjoy being infamous.”
Rich winced, and heat rushed to his face. “What do you know about my father? Why does everyone know about him but me?”
The fire withdrew and burned white and intense. “I know that I am linked with my father,” said the nemesis, “and you are not. Through him, I am linked back and back throughout all time. I glow bright and hot, and I will consume you!”
Without warning, a fireball leaped from the heart of the flames directly at Rich’s chest. His hand shot up instinctively as he tried to call on his golden shield. Nothing happened. The fireball slammed into Rich and bowled him over. The fire didn’t burn his skin and clothes, but danced up and down his arms, flooding him with intense feelings of agony and despair. The memories of every time anyone had ever made fun of him came rushing back, and it was as if he could hear their taunting voices again, all speaking at once, getting louder and louder until he thought the sound might drive him insane.
“Stupid!”
“Worthless!”
“Hey, Heiney-Rich!”
Rich thrashed about in a vain attempt to extinguish the fire as the nemesis flung fireball after fireball at him. Rich rolled closer to the water’s edge.
His second power hadn’t worked, so he tried using the first. He looked directly into the flame and tried to see into its soul, just as he had with Axel and Angela. He felt resistance, and then his nemesis pushed back at his mind. Rich stumbled to his feet and closed his eyes, concentrating harder than he ever had on a math test.
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