The Banon’s gaze landed on Colin. “What are your names? You first.”
“C-Colin Jacoby, Ma’am.”
Her eyes narrowed in on him, distrust weighting her gaze, which swept to Meghan.
“And you?”
“Meghan Jacoby, Colin’s twin sister.”
“Speak,” the Banon ordered Jae, though her eyes never left the twins.
“Thank you, Banon Blackwell. I just want you to know if it hadn’t been for their assistance, my father would be dead. Saving my father got them stuck here.”
Her eyes drilled into Jae, and she interrogated further.
“And just how is it they were with you in the first place? Did they offer, or did you seek their help?”
Jae was noticeably losing his nerve.
“They came to me, and being on my own, I accepted,” he explained.
Juliska Blackwell whisked herself around to Jae.
“We will need to speak further, but I will allow you to go home to your family tonight.”
Jae knew this was his cue to depart, but the doubt in his eyes sent the twins’ already weak strength plummeting.
Impending doom, they both felt it.
The twins realized that the crowded stone room they’d arrived in, had emptied, except for Banon Blackwell. She paced, speaking coolly.
“You must realize that this situation is most uncommon and will not be easily accepted amongst my people. I have taught them, perhaps too well, not to trust outsiders. We cannot survive if our safety is compromised. And no matter how good your intentions or Jae’s, your uncle, if not dead, is likely being tortured and questioned about us.”
Meghan’s legs faltered. Colin, in only slightly stronger shape, leaned to steady her.
Juliska Blackwell reached her first. “I am sorry. But the truth is all I can speak. Nothing else has kept us alive for this long,” her voice grew kinder.
The thought of their uncle being dead was horrible enough, but being tortured for something he did not know about was more than either of the twins could bear.
The Banon released her steadying grip on Meghan and whisked around, motioning for two women, who stood near the entrance, to enter.
“Bring them! Nothing will be decided tonight. Tomorrow, the Viancourt will decide their fate.” She dashed away, her deep red jacket flapping in the still night air behind her.
Two women grabbed the twins, not unkindly, pulling them from the stone room out into the darkness. A crowd of at least a hundred shot distrustful glares at the duo, followed by unwelcoming voices.
“She will not let them stay!”
“No. No way, it’s not right.”
“Where then will they go?” another one asked. “They can’t go home.”
“Spies!” someone shouted viciously.
Two things were certain. One: they could not go home. And two: they were not welcome here.
The twins came to an abrupt stop. They had no choice as their path was blocked.
“It’s him,” Colin’s thoughts stammered. Meghan stepped closer to her brother.
The man named Garner Sadorus, and his intense stare held no mercy. The twins had to tilt their heads to see his face. He still donned the spiked hair and boisterous overcoat. And up this close, his black tattoos almost appeared to move across his neck. Just a trick of the silvery shadows of the night. They hoped.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
The twins did not answer. They were not quite sure what he meant.
“Oh get out of the way, Garner,” spat the woman holding Colin’s arm. “You heard the Banon. This will be decided by the Viancourt, the entire Viancourt, not just you.” Her eyes flashed, reveling in the confrontation.
“And I, as a member of this esteemed Court, have the right-” he was cut off.
“Excuse me, Vian Sadorus, sir.” Jae came to their rescue again. “I will speak for them.”
Garner glared down at Jae with a penetrating scowl. “You? I hardly need to hear what a Mochrie has to say on these stranger’s behalves.”
The woman holding Colin looked like she might just strike Garner. He glowered and stalked away into the darkness.
Jae leaned in and whispered. “Wouldn’t be good to get on his bad side. Although, most believe that’s the only side he has.”
Neither twin could reply at that moment. Only nod in wide-eyed confusion.
The two escorts shook their heads at the confrontation and forged onward. Jae followed them a few steps before a forced goodbye left him in the shadows. With each step, they lost sight of each other. The murmurs of the crowd faded.
The two female escorts held lanterns to light their way; the twins had not even noticed where they had gotten them. There was no moon or stars, only black night. And yet silvery hues cast all around them.
They stopped at the entrance to a wagon. Similar to the one Jae had stayed in while at the campground. They stepped inside expecting it to be the same, but it wasn’t. It was still much larger on the inside than the outside, but a smaller version of the one parked in the campground. It didn’t have near as many rooms. Mainly one large room and a kitchen. Another door opposite the kitchen. A meeting room of sorts, perhaps.
Our new prison… both twins expected.
The twins waited near the entrance as the two women disappeared into the room opposite the kitchen. They were gone only a minute and came back with blankets.
“You will have to stay in the wagon for the night, but it’s safe here,” the first woman said. She was a small stout woman and went to the fireplace, waving her hand over it. “Fire will keep you warm. Food, you can find in the kitchen. If you can bring yourselves to eat.” She cast them a warm smile and exited the wagon.
The twins sank into a sofa next to the fire, overwhelmed. The other woman lagged behind, taking a seat across from the twins. She was a rugged looking woman with short, somewhat curled hair. Her voice was not what the twins expected. Colin’s thoughts said it best – a woman right out of an old black and white movie, over-dramatic and to the point, and he thought her face was pretty. She’d probably sounded the same when confronting the tall man, Garner, but they hadn’t really been listening too carefully. They were in shock.
“I’m positively ashamed for such harsh treatment, especially after you helped our Jae get home. I’m sure you’re picking up that the Svoda aren’t so trusting of strangers.”
“Jae warned us to be careful,” mustered out Meghan. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, and worse, if they said too much or the wrong thing, it was bound to cause trouble for themselves or Jae.
“Yes, he’s a good lad. Hope the court isn’t too hard on him. What do they expect from a young one?”
“Jae will have to go before a court?” questioned Colin. He felt oddly comfortable around the woman.
“'Fraid so. It’s the only way to get the whole picture, see. But don’t go frettin’ about that. Jae can handle himself fine. My name is Billie by the way, Billie Sadorus.”
“Sadorus? Are you related to the man named Garner?” asked Colin without thinking.
“He’s my brother, sure. Stink of a man!” she said, winking. “But my brother none the less.”
“Oh.” Colin swallowed hard. It didn’t seem possible they could be related. They didn’t even look much alike.
Billie stood to depart, letting out a sharp breath. “I realize it won’t be easy, but do try to get some rest, will you?” She proceeded to mutter to herself all the way out of the wagon. “What a way to treat two youngins. Shameful, that’s what it is. Downright shameful. Sometimes I don’t know what’s become of us all…”
The door shut and they heard a lock click into place.
They were alone.
Locked up and alone.
Neither twin spoke.
The desire eluded them.
Colin moved to the other couch. Sleep came in waves, and included nightmares of their uncle’s unknown fate. It was not until light began to filter into the
wagon that they got up with the petrifying realization that the previous night had not been a terrible dream.
Colin was the first to speak. “What do they need to decide exactly, anyway?”
“I think, whether we can stay with them or not.”
“Why can’t we stay?” he whispered as if someone may be listening.
“They’re obviously not fond of outsiders, Col.”
“But what would they do with us?”
“Like I’m supposed to have some idea?” she snapped back. “Sorry,” she added a second later.
“I wish we knew how long we’re going to have to wait here.”
Meghan let out an anguished huff. “I cannot accept that there is NO way to find out about Uncle Arnon. I think as soon as we get out of here, we need to find a way.”
“We don’t even know where here is. How are we going to find a way home?”
“I don’t know. But we have to! The Scratchers follow these guys, so there must be a way!” she said decidedly.
With nothing more to say, they attempted to eat. They found bread for toast in the kitchen; it was dry going down their throats no matter how much butter they spread on it.
After hours of waiting, and not knowing where they were, when anyone was coming for them, what happened to Jae, or what would be their fate, the lock clicked open on the wagon door. They sat down on a couch, trying not to appear too eager or worried, and did not look up until they heard the familiar voice of Jae Mochrie.
“Guys, it’s me. Sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” he apologized, slumping down on the couch opposite them. “They wouldn’t let me come until after I’d met with the Viancourt.”
“I hope it wasn’t too terrible, Jae.” Meghan frowned, concerned about their only friend in this unfamiliar world.
“It was like filing a report. They needed a list of anything I’d done that might have compromised our safety.”
The twins were horrified.
“Look, it’s not that bad. Really. If I were in serious trouble, I would not be allowed here.”
“What about us? Have they decided anything?” she asked cautiously.
“I’m not sure. I have to bring you to the court in thirty minutes though. They held a private meeting after I left.”
“How far do we have to go to get there?” asked Meghan.
“That’s hard to answer.”
“Where exactly are we?” asked Colin, hoping for a clearer picture.
“A place called Grimble.”
“Grimble? Where’s that?” Colin asked.
“It’s a bit hard to describe. Maybe I’ll get to show you around.” Jae attempted to sound positive, but he couldn’t hide all the uncertainty in his tone.
“How far away from home are we?” Meghan needed to know this.
Jae let out a sigh. “It’s difficult to explain. When you go through a doorway, you’re in another place entirely. It’s not really a matter of how many miles away you are?”
None of this made sense to Meghan, but Colin had read many books about portals to other worlds.
“So it’s not a matter of how far,” he clarified, “but finding the right doorway to the right place.”
“More or less,” said Jae, catching on to their thoughts. “Unfortunately, from Grimble, there is no way back to Cobbscott. Not for three years at least.”
“You’re absolutely sure?” questioned Meghan, losing hope. “Three years is such a long time.”
Jae shrugged, guilt ridden. “It is a long time. We’d better get going though. We don’t want to make the Viancourt wait.” The twins, though not eager to discover their fate, were desperate to get out of the wagon prison.
“It’s not far,” Jae told them as they followed a fog-covered path.
“Are we going into a town?” asked Meghan, struggling to see Jae.
“Yes and no,” he answered, confusing the twins. The fog cleared enough to see a group of gypsy wagons lined up in a circle. As they climbed up the stairs to one of them, the twins’ attention was taken away by a ghostly shadow two wagons over.
“C’mon, we gotta keep moving,” urged Jae, reclaiming their attention. “Once inside we have a ways to go.”
“A ways?” questioned Meghan.
“You’ll see,” said Jae, with a slight smirk. He opened the door and motioned for the twins to enter ahead of him. They expected to see the same thing they had in the other wagons, but this one was much different.
It was a small town. An actual town. It reminded the twins of the old fishing villages they often visited off the coast of Maine. A few gypsies hustled about, but mostly, it was deserted.
“What is this place?” asked Colin in a stunned voice.
Jae led them deeper into the town.
“This is Bedgewood Harbor,” he explained. “It’s a mini replica of our real home, in the Bedgewood Isles, which is actually off the coast of Northern Maine.”
“I’ve never heard of it,” said Colin.
“You wouldn’t. It’s hidden, by magic.”
“But your real home is in our world?” confirmed Colin.
“Yeah, it is,” answered Jae. He directed them down a cobblestone street.
What an odd thing, Colin’s thoughts wandered. Magic exists in our world. And I can do magic. I wonder why? He remembered how at the moment Uncle Arnon threw the Magicante at him, that his uncle hadn’t seemed surprised by his use of magic. It didn’t make any sense.
His sister didn’t hear his thoughts, she was too busy checking out the town. She nudged her brother when they passed by two older, proper looking ladies sitting outside of a small brick building. A sign dangled over them: The Jackal Lantern. They wore 1930’s style dresses and sipped from delicate looking teacups.
“Those are the Jackal sisters,” explained Jae. “They put out our local paper. And, whatever they’re drinking, it’s definitely not tea.” He chuckled, nodding to the sisters as the trio walked by. The sisters nodded back, politely.
Moments later, a drizzle started to fall, a damp coolness seeping into their skin, etching its way into their bones. Meghan and Colin shivered simultaneously. The weather matched their mood. Ominously cold and gloomy.
Jae shivered. “Our weather here is the same as on the real Bedgewood Isles. I’m not sure how it all works exactly. But it’s a small connection to home, I guess.”
They stopped in front of a sinister looking brick building. It was tall. Very tall. But not wide at all. And yet held a sturdiness about it. One that threatened, once you enter these walls, you might not come out again.
“I can’t go inside with you,” said Jae, holding open the door.
The twins stepped inside the building, gulping hard.
Before they shut the door, Jae explained where they needed to go.
“Take the winding stair up two levels,” he instructed. “Then take the staircase to your right and go down three levels.” His voice cracked at the end. “Good luck.” The look on his face said, I hope I see you again.
Colin wrinkled his brow. Up two levels and down three? Why not just go down one level to begin with? Meghan heard his thought but ignored it, dragging him inside.
One lone picture hung on an otherwise bare brick wall.
“Nethaniel Bedgewood, founder of the Svoda Gypsies,” read Meghan.
“I guess that explains why it’s called Bedgewood,” said Colin nervously.
They found the spiral stair with ease, and once up the two flights, they reached a hallway leading to the right. A few steps away another staircase headed downward. Upon arrival at the bottom, they came to an archway, with a hanging sign.
Viancourt in session, do not enter!
“Great! It says not to enter. Maybe we arrived too late,” Colin said. They decided to take a seat in what appeared to be a small waiting room. The fireplace was unlit and the twins shivered as they waited. The cold dampness had followed them inside.
They hoped to catch a glimpse of someone who could tell them whether they
should enter or wait, but no one showed up. They waited silently, their minds still trying to comprehend all that had happened, when a crisp, but pleasant voice, came over a loudspeaker.
“New incoming message. Please listen carefully. In the case of Meghan and Colin Jacoby, a decision has been reached. Please enter through the archway within the next thirty seconds.” The pleasant woman’s voice came over the distant speaker again, counting down from thirty.
Meghan grabbed Colin and dashed for the archway. As they passed through, an iron barrier slammed down behind them. They stopped for a moment, holding their breath. There was no going back the way they came. Maybe they wouldn’t see Jae again after all.
They turned forward, looking down the corridor in front of them. Had they entered a different building? There was no more brick. The walls were built out of wooden planks, reminiscent of the hull of a ship.
They stepped cautiously.
There was light ahead, sneaking through a few cracks in a wooden door. The door creaked open as they arrived in front of it. They entered a dimly lit room, standing in front of a semi-circle made up of nine wooden desks. There was a podium in front of the desks, which swiveled to face the front of the room, or the desks. Three of which were occupied. The twins assumed this was the Viancourt, as Garner Sadorus sat behind one desk, staring them down with a glower. To his right was an older looking woman, and to his left a middle-aged man. Neither paid them any attention.
Behind the row of desks was an elevated chair, currently empty.
The room was lit by hanging candle lanterns. There was a smaller desk off to the right-hand side of the room with a man hunched over it, scribbling notes. The twins wondered how he could see to write as dim as the candlelight was in the room.
After finally seeing the twins’ arrival, he jumped up and guided them to stand in front of the podium, in clear view of the desks. Once in this position, the two court members who’d been ignoring them looked up with sudden great interest. However, not one of the three gave any indication as to what kind of decision they had made.
The note taker stood at their side. “Please stand for Banon Juliska Nandalia Blackwell.” He made the announcement just as a door opened at the back of the room. The Svoda leader strode elegantly into the room, taking a seat in the elevated chair. She smoothed out her form fitting emerald green long-jacket and got comfortable in her seat.
The Book, The Witches, and the Doorway (Fated Chronicles Book 1) Page 19