Darkling Green

by Kim Thompson

  At Bealtaine two minds must act as one.”

  Gwyneth looked at her excitedly. “Bealtaine, or Beltane — that’s tonight! And ‘two minds’ has got to mean us!”

  “Right. We have to exchange arms … give each other a weapon, I suppose. Before sunset. I’ll go home and get something for you,” said Willa. “We’ve got lots of weapons kicking around our place.”

  Suddenly Willa felt a disturbance rippling through her mind.

  Willa! Willa!

  She looked around, stilling her mind to listen.

  Gwyneth looked at her curiously. “What’s wrong?”

  Then it came again. Willa! Come home! We need you!

  “I have to go.” She turned toward the well just as a shining figure rose from it. A woman with long, silvery hair.

  Gwyneth gasped. Willa blinked.

  “Mom?”

  “Oh, please!” The figure rolled her eyes, and Willa realized with a start that it was Belle, but she looked so young that Willa could see her mother looking out of her eyes. It was truly weird. Belle beckoned urgently.

  “I’m glad I found you. You must come back immediately.”

  “Is it Miss Trang?”

  “Yes, but that’s not all. Come on!” Belle dropped out of sight with a splash. Willa climbed over the flower garlands into the well.

  “I’ll see what’s going on and come back as soon as I can,” said Willa, lowering herself into the water. “Keep an eye on the Green Man.”

  Gwyneth put her hand on her sword and nodded. “At Bealtaine two minds must act as one.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Treachery revealed

  As soon as her head broke the surface, Willa knew big things were afoot. Eldritch Manor was absolutely covered in vines. She could actually see them growing, writhing on the walls like snakes.

  “Omigosh!”

  Belle pulled herself out of the pool with a grunt. She had turned old again. “You’ve been gone for days.”

  “Days? I was away for an hour, at most!”

  “Time’s speeding up here. Days are rushing past like water down a drain,” grumbled Belle as Willa helped her into her robe and up into her chair. “The plants have gone nuts, and Miss Trang …”

  “Look!” Willa gasped. The sun was moving briskly through the sky toward the horizon, a time-lapse movie in real life.

  “That,” said Belle with a dismissive wave, “is the least of our problems! Come on!”

  Willa hastily pulled on her clothes and wheeled Belle into the house. She was shocked to see vines covering the inside walls as well, twisting and tangling around light fixtures, bannisters, and running up the stairs. Argus and Robert emerged from Miss Trang’s room, looking grim.

  “Argus, where’s Tabitha? We’ve got to slow things down!” exclaimed Willa.

  Argus shook his head. “You need to see Miss Trang first.”

  Her room was, like the hall, enveloped in leaves and vines. Baz leaned morosely against one leafy wall, Tengu sat on the floor hugging the basilisk, and Mab and some of the fairies perched on the bedposts. Horace sat in his usual chair by the bedside.

  Willa approached, her heart sinking. Miss Trang was barely recognizable. She was smaller and thinner, her face wizened and ancient, her skin transparent. She wheezed and struggled for every breath.

  “Horace, what’s wrong with her?” Willa whispered.

  “This is no simple illness.” He pulled back the blanket. Miss Trang’s arms were rigid at her sides. “She can’t move,” he explained. “She’s under a spell. A serious one.”

  Baz suddenly straightened and hurried out of the room.

  “Someone is doing this to her?” asked Willa.

  “I’m afraid so,” murmured Horace.

  “Is it coming from the dark side?”

  Horace frowned. “Normally, spells can’t be cast from one realm to another. The source of this magic has to be nearby.”

  Willa looked around the room at all the worried faces. Nearby? She turned to the window and stared out at utter darkness. The middle of the night — but the sun just set! The slippage of time was confusing, unbalancing. Her thoughts were interrupted by Baz shouting and pushing her way back into the room.

  “I told you someone was messing with my things! I told you!”

  “Baz, quit your caterwauling! This is a sickroom,” scolded Robert, but Baz would not be silenced. Willa had never seen her this animated.

  “I could have used it to help her, but someone snuck in and stole it!” Baz wailed.

  “Stole what? Speak some sense, will you?” snapped Belle.

  “Her skin! Miss Trang’s dragon skin!” explained Baz. “Remember, Willa? She shed the skin, and I saved it, but now it’s gone!”

  Horace jumped to his feet. “A dragon skin? Someone may be using it to cast this spell.”

  “Baz complained about someone being in her room ten days ago,” said Argus. “Miss Trang started showing symptoms three days later. It could be related.” He turned to Baz. “I didn’t see anyone go into your room, but of course I was having vision problems at the time.”

  “Your eyes were gummed up with tiny white strands. I still think they looked like spiderwebs, no matter what Tabitha says,” mused Willa. “I think I need to talk to her again.”

  Willa led everyone into the parlour. Early-morning light slanted in through the front window. The vines hadn’t yet invaded this room. Willa wondered if it was because the hibiscus still ruled the place, its runners stretching across the ceiling and along the mantle.

  Willa called up to the knitting bowl. “Tabitha!”

  “She’s not there,” announced Oberon from the mantle. Willa turned to face the rabbits standing guard in front of the dollhouse.

  “Excuse me, please?” she tried, but they stood firmly blocking the way. Robert stepped forward, glowering at them from a great height.

  “Out of the way, little bunnies,” he growled and stomped his hoof.

  The rabbits’ noses quivered. They dropped to all fours and slunk off to the corners of the room, deaf to Oberon’s barked commands.

  “Man your post! Protect at all cost! Do not betray your king!”

  Willa knelt in front of the dollhouse. “Tabitha! Can I speak to you, please?”

  “She’s not there either,” muttered Oberon darkly. Willa leaned to peek in the windows of the little house, but all she could see were masses of white cobweb. The house seemed to be filled with it. She felt around the structure with her fingers.

  “Is there a door somewhere? Or a hinge …?”

  Argus found her a screwdriver. Willa jammed it under the eaves and wrenched upward. With a loud snap, a crack appeared, and Willa lifted the roof right off the house.

  The interior was filled with a tightly wrapped bundle of fine white filaments, about the size of a large book. Willa lifted it out, her eyes wide.

  “These strands are exactly like the ones that were over your eyes, Argus!” Willa exclaimed. “I think Tabitha was the one who covered your eyes, and she did it so you wouldn’t see the dragon skin being stolen!”

  Argus sank into a chair with a moan. “Again I have failed in my duties!” Horace patted him on the back.

  “I’ll bet the skin is in there,” exclaimed Baz as Willa turned the bundle over. “Here, let me.” She took the bundle and pulled at the strands with her teeth.

  Meanwhile, up on the mantle Oberon was slipping quietly into his carriage. “Oberon!” Willa barked. “What do you know about this?”

  He turned to her with the wide eyes of a guilty preschooler. “About what?”

  In a flash Mab landed beside him and grabbed him by the collar.

  “Talk, you spineless creep!”

  “I … I don’t know anything….”

  “TALK!” Mab raised her fist. For
a second Willa thought she was really going to slug him. Apparently Oberon thought so too, because the words began to spill out.

  “Tabitha asked me for a favour. She wanted us to sneak into Baz’s room and um …” Oberon eyed Baz nervously.

  “And steal the dragon skin for her,” prompted Willa. “Why?”

  Oberon shrugged. “I don’t know. Something magicky.”

  Willa narrowed her eyes accusingly. “You weren’t very happy about Miss Trang waking up, were you?”

  Oberon didn’t answer, but his grimace told all. The rabbits, peeking out from under the sofa, all covered their faces with their paws.

  Mab let out a gasp. “You helped her cast the enchantment on Miss Trang!” She gave him a good shaking and then dropped him in disgust. “How could you?”

  “I didn’t know what she was going to do, exactly,” sputtered Oberon. “She just said she could make it so Miss Trang didn’t wake up, and, well, Miss Trang’s a dragon and … and dragons are always the bad guys! Good guys are supposed to fight dragons!”

  “We are not in the middle of a stupid fairy tale! Miss Trang is our friend!” hissed Mab, raising her fist again.

  Oberon suddenly pointed. “It was her idea! She made me do it!”

  Tabitha was in the doorway. She took one look at their faces and bolted. Baz sprang after her, dropping the webbed bundle, which Argus scooped up.

  “Belle, keep an eye on Miss Trang!” hollered Willa over her shoulder as she ran out the door with the others.

  They sprinted after Tabitha and Baz, out into the yard, past the pool, into the trees. Tabitha disappeared into the leafy underbrush. Baz dropped to all fours and snuffled along, hot on her trail. Tengu and Willa trotted along behind. Willa could hear Robert and Argus crashing along behind them, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the slight motion in the leaves ahead. She already knew where they were headed.

  They burst from the trees, face-to-face with the large, leafy figure sitting against the wall. His head was upright now, but he had no face. Everyone skidded to a halt, uncertain. Even Baz froze at the sight of him. Tabitha scurried up the figure’s arm, which was studded with thorns, then continued up onto the head, coming to a stop on what should be the forehead of the faceless man. She looked out at them all, and her face creased into a wide grin.

  “Fools,” she hissed, her black eyes glittering.

  The man’s face began to fold and twist. All was silent save for the creaking and crackling of the branches. Willa stared in horror as very familiar features took shape.

  Familiar grey eyes stared into hers. The figure was alive and watching them, the spider still perched on his head. As if in a trance, Willa stepped forward, acting out a much-rehearsed role. She formed the thought and sent it out.

  Who … are … you?

  The silence around them was deep and empty. The eyes stared back without blinking, then the lips split apart, revealing utter blackness. Willa stared into the mouth and knew she was looking directly into the dark side. The dark grew into her eyes, and she felt its cold fingers stretch through her mind.

  “No!” Willa shook her head, pushing it out. She looked defiantly into the eyes again, and summoning all the force of her mind, she pushed against him.

  You are not welcome here, she shouted. A sudden gust of wind whipped up loose leaves all around her as she focused her thought and pushed again.

  You must leave this place! GO!

  She felt his presence falter, but just for a moment. Then a message shot back.

  You are too late.

  Quick as a flash, Tabitha scurried into the mouth, disappearing into the blackness. There was a moment of silence and then, as Willa knew it must, foliage erupted out of the mouth. Plant matter crashed all around them, vines and branches spilling and leaves flying everywhere, filling the forest like a flood.

  She stood frozen in place, staring at the Green Man.

  You are too late.

  Tengu grabbed her arm. She turned and ran.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The flame is lit

  Willa stumbled through the trees. Everyone was shouting and running. The entire forest was alive with branches and vines, leafy tentacles reaching out for them.

  A vine whipped around Willa’s ankle, and she fell. As soon as she hit the ground, she felt something wrap around her arms. She couldn’t move.

  “Help!” She twisted her head around, but she was under a layer of leaves and all was dark. She struggled as feet crashed around her. Then something grabbed her ankle and lifted her into the light. An axe blade swung through the air, and she screamed before realizing that Argus was cutting away the vines with it while Robert held her dangling by one foot.

  Finally she was free, and he set her on the ground.

  “To the house! Quickly now!” he barked. “We’ll round up the stragglers!”

  Willa ran, jumping and dodging the branches and vines until she was in the open part of the yard. Baz, Horace, and the fairies had gathered at the back door, where Belle sat staring out in astonishment.

  “Good grief! What did I miss?”

  “Plants going crazy,” gasped Willa. “Is everyone here? Where’s Tengu?”

  She heard a shout and turned to see Robert galloping toward them with Argus and Tengu running alongside.

  “The basilisk’s missing!” Tengu wailed. “I just found … this.” He held up the blindfold.

  “I wouldn’t worry about him,” said Horace. “I should think he can look after himself.”

  Tengu smiled hopefully, but Argus groaned. “Worry about him? What about us?”

  “He won’t turn us to stone,” Tengu answered with a smile. “I am ninety-five percent certain.”

  “Ninety-five percent with a ten percent margin of error,” added Horace. Argus grimaced.

  Willa pressed on. “Where are the dwarves? I didn’t see them inside earlier.”

  “I haven’t seen them for a couple of days,” admitted Argus, and the others nodded.

  Tengu let out a yelp as a vine shot forward and gripped his ankle. Baz grabbed the axe from Argus and brought it down on the vine with a thud. Tengu yanked his foot free.

  “Okay,” said Baz, hefting the axe over her shoulder. “What do we do now, Willa?”

  Willa took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. Just have to dive in here. “Robert and Tengu, look for the dwarves and round up all the weapons we’ve got.”

  “Right!” Robert’s eyes brightened at the thought. “I know where the swords are.”

  Willa turned to Belle. “Belle, you stay with Miss Trang. Let me know if she gets worse.” She nodded and disappeared inside.

  Willa turned to the rest — Baz, Argus, Horace, Mab, Oberon, fairies, and rabbits. “We could really use a dragon right now. Let’s free Miss Trang.”

  In the parlour, Argus and Baz worked at the bundle, trying to tear apart the strands while the hands on the clock spun around. It was making Willa jittery.

  “Mab! We need to slow time down. Can you knit extra stitches in between the big ones or something, please?” she begged.

  Mab flew up and inspected the scarf. Willa began to pace. “Why would Tabitha want time to move ahead like this? What’s the point?”

  Argus rubbed some of his eyes. “To speed up the plants?”

  “But why do it now? She’s been here for weeks,” countered Willa.

  Baz gnawed at the bundle with her teeth. “At least it’s bringing us closer to Walpurgis Night.”

  “What is Walpurgis Night?” shouted Willa.

  Baz stared at her. “Haven’t you been listening? I’ve been talking about it for weeks!”

  “Talking, but not explaining!” Willa wailed.

  Baz rolled her eyes. “How is it possible that you don’t know about the best night for charms and magic in the whole year?”
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  Horace took over. “Walpurgis Night, also known as Witch’s Night, is on the last night of April. Combined with May first, the fairy Beltane, it’s the strongest time for casting spells.”

  Willa stared. “Wait, Beltane? Did you say Beltane?”

  “Yes, yes,” Horace replied. “May first is Beltane.”

  “The village with the holy well! Where the vine comes from!” Willa sputtered excitedly. “At the other end of the vine, they’re getting ready for Beltane! Covering everything in yellow flowers, pouring milk on the ground…”

  Baz and Horace were paying attention now. “Could be a coincidence,” said Horace weakly.

  “Or not,” breathed Baz.

  “So Walpurgis Night is a good time for spells?” prompted Willa.

  “Yes, spells for both good and evil,” answered Horace.

  “So the Green Man might grow even stronger on Walpurgis Night?”

  Horace nodded. “The strength of dark forces waxes on that night. And all this activity does seem to be coming to a head.”

  Willa took a deep breath. “On the other side of the time hole, they have a Green Man too, growing from the same vine and exactly like ours.”

  There was silence as this information sank in. Even Mab was listening intently, her eyes wide.

  “Is it possible,” started Willa, “that Tabitha is speeding up time here so that we hit this Walpurgis thing at the same time it happens on the other side of the time hole?”

  “Culminating,” continued Horace, “in a burst of strength for the Green Man on both sides. That … is not good.”

  “That is a whole lotta not-good,” agreed Argus.

  “What day is it now?” yelped Willa. “I’ve lost track!”

  “What’s the last day you remember?” asked Horace, stepping to a calendar on the wall.

  “I came here on Saturday.”

  Horace placed his finger on the day as they gathered around. “That was April twenty-fourth.”

  “And I went into the pool.”

  “I remember the sun going down and rising four times while you were gone,” said Argus.