“I don’t happen to believe in good and evil, personally, but I understand why Moldark’s actions were considered…rather wicked.”
“He killed a lot of paranormals,” I said. “He was consumed with dark magic and gaining power.”
“And his blood was a huge part of that power,” Anton said. “He could perform the type of magic most others only dream of.”
I thought of my own blood pumping through my veins. “What type of magic?”
Anton quirked an elegantly shaped eyebrow. “You should request a history primer at that academy of yours. Moldark’s blood magic was his ultimate trump card. He could make any creature his puppet if he managed to get his blood in them.” Anton sighed. “I do admire someone with control over blood. I fear I’m the exact opposite. As a vampire, we’re prone to bloodlust, as you can imagine.”
I suppressed a shiver.
“Why did Moldark put his blood in the stone?” I asked.
“It’s my understanding that he kept drops of his blood hidden in a variety of places, in case he needed it.”
“Seems to me his blood would be available to him wherever he went,” I said. “Can’t get very far without it.”
He inhaled deeply. “You are simply a delight, my sweet. Moldark liked the element of surprise. He was also rather fond of turning idioms on their heads.”
I laughed. “He wanted to prove that you can get blood from a stone.”
“I knew you’d understand his dark humor.”
“So the stone has more than just healing properties,” I said.
“Absolutely. So now you understand its true value.”
I swung my legs back and forth under my seat. Clearly, I needed to return the stone to Anton. Despite the threat of harm that loomed over me, though, I didn’t want to give it up. I wondered if I felt such an irrational attachment to the stone because of the blood. What if it was my father’s blood that called to me?
Yuck. I sure hoped not.
“How about this, Miss Morrow? As you seem reluctant to relinquish your ill-gotten gains, I’ll make you a deal.”
My radar pinged. “What kind of deal?”
“I have an errand that needs running by someone reliable and discreet. If you complete this small job for me, then I’ll permit you to keep the stone. I won’t even tell Mr. Mappleworth about our little issue.”
He’d obviously figured out that Gray didn’t know about my thievery.
“You said the stone has enormous value,” I said. “Why would you trade it for a small errand?”
Anton splayed his hands. “Perhaps I’m in a generous mood. It happens on occasion. Ask Edwards, he’ll tell you.”
I polished off the rest of my tea. “Okay, what’s the errand?”
“I need you to collect a book that I’ve acquired and deliver it here before my next auction,” Anton said.
“What kind of book?” I asked.
“It’s called the Book of Thoth. It hails from ancient Egypt, and it’s said to have been written by the god Thoth himself.”
“No ghostwriter, huh?”
Anton ignored me. “The book is said to contain spells that allows the user to understand the languages of animals and the gods.”
“It’s good to be bilingual,” I said. “I always wanted to be fluent in Spanish. I tried to teach myself online, but it was no bueno.”
Anton ignored me. “Knowledge of both languages would allow the speaker to enchant the world at large.”
“In other words, it’s more valuable than the healing stone.” I paused. “I stole the healing stone. What makes you think I won’t run off with a book that’s even more valuable?”
“The Book of Thoth is said to be cursed,” he replied. “A prince called Nefer-ka-ptah was the first one said to have discovered the book, and he had his wife and child killed. Afterward, he committed suicide.”
“That’s…horrific,” I said. “What happened to the book?”
“Nothing after that. The book was buried with the prince.”
“Then how am I supposed to retrieve it? I’m not particularly handy with a shovel.” I moved my narrow shoulders up and down. “No upper body strength.”
Anton waved a hand airily. “Not to worry. The book somehow became unburied in recent years. It recently arrived from Egypt and is in a town called Starry Hollow, awaiting my messenger.”
“Why not send Edwards?” I asked.
Anton laughed. “Edwards is at his best with a pot of tea.”
“Do you really think the book is cursed?” I asked.
“There are ways of circumventing curses,” Anton said. “In fact, there’s an entire cottage industry devoted to it.”
Why didn’t this news surprise me?
“Where do I need to go in Starry Hollow?” I asked.
“A place called the Whitethorn. It’s owned by a gentleman by the name of Captain Yellowjacket,” Anton said. “He serves as a go-between on occasion, when deliveries arrive via the Atlantic.”
“Yellowjacket? Like Captain Bumblebee?” Not very intimidating.
“He’s descended from one of the greatest vampire pirates in history, Captain Blackfang.”
Now, that name sounded more intimidating.
“I’ll make all the arrangements, including your transport,” Anton said.
“Why? How far is Starry Hollow?” I asked.
“He expects you next weekend after the book arrives,” Anton said. “You’ll fly in on Saturday and leave with the book on Sunday.”
“I need to stay the whole weekend?” I queried.
“I need my plane in between for another matter, but I can have it back there by early Sunday. Trust me, you won’t mind staying overnight,” he replied. “Starry Hollow is a lovely vacation spot. Right on the beach. The restaurants are superb. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I highly recommend them.”
“If it’s so great, then why don’t you go?”
“I have important matters to attend to next weekend,” he said vaguely. “So, what do you say, Miss Morrow? You retrieve the book, and I allow you to keep Moldark’s stone. Seems a fair trade. Do we have a deal?”
A beach weekend and I get to keep my father’s healing stone? How could I say no?
I offered my hand. “We have a deal.”
10
“Can I borrow a bicycle, please?”
Robin glanced up from his book on the library table. “Again? Where do you need to go?"
I slid into the seat across from him and lowered my voice. "Just a scenic ride for fresh air."
Robin wasn't buying it. "What are you up to, Bryn?"
A young man seated at the end of the table leaned toward us. “Excuse me. I don't want to be that guy, but would you two mind talking somewhere else? I'm trying to focus, and I already had to leave my room because my neighbors decided it was a good time to practice for the band recital."
"Sorry, Ivan," Robin said. “We won’t be but a moment.”
“It's not his fault," I said. "I'm the disruptive one."
Ivan smiled. “Yeah, I know Prefect Chambers well enough.”
“I’ve seen you here quite a bit lately,” Robin said. “Are you preparing for your final exam?"
Ivan nodded. "I wish I could say it was going better. I'm okay with the academic side of things, but I let myself down on the practical end.”
Robin gave him a sympathetic look. "That will be enough to keep you from achieving warden status, I'm afraid."
"Don't I know it," he replied glumly.
“How do you prepare for the practical side?" I asked. "Shouldn't you be out in the forest or something, using magic?"
"Forgive her ignorance," Robin said, and I bristled at his patronizing tone. "Bryn is new here. She comes to us from Terrene.”
Ivan gazed at me with new appreciation. “Wow. The human world. You’re a rare breed, huh?”
Although I didn’t love being referred to as a breed, I tried not to take it personally. “What does the practical side inv
olve? A test?”
“A series of tests,” Ivan replied.
“Headed by Theo Armitage,” Robin added, and I instinctively groaned.
Ivan chuckled. " I guess we have the same opinion on that one."
"He seems determined to make my life challenging,” I said.
“You should consider it a good sign that he pays any attention to you at all," Ivan said. "He ignored me for most of my tenure here. I’m pretty sure he only learned my name at the start of this year.”
"Armitage may be tough, but he is fair," Robin said.
Ivan and I both rolled our eyes at the same time.
“He's a jerk, plain and simple," I said, and leaned my elbows on the table. "So, how about that bicycle?"
Robin heaved a sigh. "Fine. I'm due for a break anyway. I'll unlock the shed for you."
“I’ll make sure no one takes your seat,” Ivan said.
“Thanks.” Robin stood and stretched. “Let’s go, Bryn. Wherever you’re headed, I’m sure you’d prefer to be back by sundown.”
We headed down the library steps and Robin picked up speed as we approached the gargoyle statues.
"Don't make eye contact," he muttered.
I stopped at the base of the steps. "Hey, Fred. Hey, George. How's it going?"
The gargoyles opened their stony eyes.
“Oh, look," Fred said. "It's our favorite new trainee and her nerdy sidekick.”
Robin stiffened. “I’m not her sidekick.”
“I like how he doesn’t object to the nerdy part,” George said.
“I don’t consider it to be derogatory,” Robin said.
“But ‘sidekick’ is?” Fred queried. “You’re an interesting wizard, McTweed.”
Robin puffed out his tweed-covered chest. “I certainly am.” He took me by the elbow and steered me away from the taunting gargoyles. “Why do you entertain them?”
“They’re funny,” I said.
Robin bristled. “They’re mean.”
“It’s possible to be both,” I said.
We arrived at the bike shed and Robin unlocked the door. “You’re in luck. There’s a single bike available.”
Inwardly, I sighed with relief. The thought of riding a bicycle built for two again wasn’t high on my list of repeat activities.
“Once you master broomstick riding, you’ll be able to bypass the bicycles all together,” Robin said.
“One skill at a time,” I replied. “Besides, riding a bike is good exercise. Riding a broomstick is just defying gravity.”
“You use your core muscles to stay balanced on the broomstick,” Robin pointed out. “That’s excellent exercise.”
“That’s true,” I said. “I never really thought about it.”
"Dare I ask where you're going?" he asked.
"I need to talk to Hans and Fritz," I said. The Order of the Edge would have a record of paranormals that crossed the border the night Karl died. I wanted that list of names.
“Is this to do with the human at the bottom of the river?” Robin asked.
“Yes. Theo Armitage has challenged me," I said. "If I solve the case before he does, then he cleans out the hellhound enclosure for a week."
Robin studied me. “He challenged you? Really?”
“Yes, why? I mean, he was a complete ass about it, as usual.”
“It’s very unlike him to engage with someone at your level,” Robin said. “Like Ivan said, he tends to ignore us or look down on us until we’re near graduate status.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure he’s looking down on me,” I said. “That’s why he was willing to make the bet. There’s no way he thinks he’s cleaning up fiery piles of hellhound poop for a week.”
Robin stroked his chin. “I don’t know, Bryn. I think he might be trying to motivate you.”
“To solve a crime? I was already motivated to do that. He just didn’t know it.”
Robin shrugged. “Take it with a grain of salt, but it’s my experience that Armitage always has a reason for his actions.”
“Yes, and the reason is that he’s a jack…a wereass, as you all say.” I hopped on the bicycle.
“Icarus isn’t coming with you?” he queried.
“No, he’s trying to make friends with the other girls’ familiars. I told him he had to make an effort because we’re here for the long haul.”
“Wise counsel.”
I pushed forward and pumped the pedals. “Thanks for the loan, Boy Wonder. See you later.”
“Would you please stop…?” He gave up on his objection as I rode out of earshot.
I recognized the muscled silhouettes of Hans and Fritz as I approached the border. They were built more like bouncers or mob bodyguards than fairies. I could see why they were a good choice to patrol the border.
“Hey, fairies,” I called. Wait, was that a polite way to address them? I had no idea what the etiquette was.
The two border guards faced me.
“You look familiar,” Hans said.
“Yes, I came through here with Prefect Chambers recently,” I said. “You may recall the bicycle built for two.”
They snickered. “Yep, you’re the new trainee,” Fritz said.
“Do you have your ID yet?” Hans asked. “You didn’t have it last time, did you?”
“Not yet, but I’m not trying to cross the border,” I said.
“Well, you should be aware that we’re rolling out the new system soon, so you may as well hold off and get the new passport.”
Even though I already knew, my veins still chilled at the prospect. “The one that uses blood, right?”
Hans nodded. “It’s worked really well on the West Coast, so the Order is rolling it out to all entry points.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I said. I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. Right now, my priority was Karl Muldoon. “So, I guess Warden Armitage has already been here to get the list of names from the night the human was killed.”
Fritz groaned. “Everyone is talking about it. You’d think no one ever died before.”
“No one brought a human through on our watch, I can promise you that,” Hans said. “We worked that night, and we gave the warden all the information we had.”
“No one suspicious came through?” I asked.
“I don’t know about suspicious, but he’s cranky as Fritz without his morning shot of exuberance in his coffee.”
“Hey!” Fritz objected.
“The last one across the border that night was the academy groundskeeper,” Hans said.
“William Fonthill?” I queried.
“That’s right,” Fritz said. “Came through in his pick-up truck.”
“And that horrible goblin wasn’t long before him,” Hans added. “We didn’t end the night on a high note, that’s for sure. I prefer when the drunken trainees stumble back, personally. They can be annoying, but mostly they’re fun.”
“Who’s the horrible goblin?” I asked.
“Donald Thumpkin,” Fritz said. “Everybody knows his name.”
Hans grimaced. “He’s a piece of work, that one. Thinks he owns the border, too.”
“Both men were alone?” I asked.
“Fonthill was,” Fritz said, “but Thumpkin had his assistant with him.”
“Margaret?” I asked.
Fritz’s brow lifted. “That’s right. You know her?”
“No, but she’s been spotted trespassing on academy grounds recently. Donald, too, for that matter. The chancellor is apparently looking into a new ward.”
“She really should,” Hans said. “I mean, we do our best here at the border, but we don’t have control over academy grounds.”
“If someone doesn’t cross the border here,” I began, “how else might they sneak a human into Spellslingers?”
Hans and Fritz fluttered in a circle, thinking.
“You didn’t hear this from me, but Chancellor Tilkin has a special cloak that allows her to teleport,” Hans said in a low voice.
I pretended to be shocked. “Are you serious?” There was no way I’d admit to them that was how I’d entered the paranormal world under their radar.
Hans put a finger to his lips. “She has a lot of secret meetings as chancellor. She has to keep certain things off the record.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I queried.
“The Order of the Edge isn’t concerned with the chancellor’s movements,” Fritz said. “We have enough to regulate.”
“Any other secret passages?” I asked.
Hans and Fritz exchanged glances.
“Not that we can share,” Fritz said. “If you don’t already know, it would be irresponsible to enlighten you.”
“Enlighten,” Hans said. “Now, that’s a big word, Fritz.”
Fritz gave a broad smile. “I was up late reading last night. That’s why I’m dragging today. The new book in the Fairy Guru series came out.”
Hans brightened. “Why didn’t you tell me? You know I love the Fairy Guru books.”
“I hate to interrupt fairy book club, but can I ask one more question? Do you remember if Fonthill brought anything back with him? A bag or a carrier of some kind?”
Fritz nodded. “The bed of the pick-up was empty, but he had a bag on the passenger seat. He’d needed to purchase something from the hardware store in Terrene. He showed it to us. Something to clear pipes.”
“There was a problem with the fountain on campus,” Hans said.
Fritz looked at his fairy partner. “I hear there’s still a problem. Professor White came by earlier and mentioned that it still wasn’t fixed. Hazel apparently gave Fonthill a stern talking to.”
“There’s a fountain?” How big was this campus that I had yet to come across a fountain?
“Poseidon’s Dance,” Hans replied. “It’s a beautiful work of art. You should check it out.”
“I will, thanks.” Right now, in fact.
Poseidon’s Dance was an enormous multi-tiered fountain located in the middle of the academy gardens, beyond the golden apple orchard. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen this part of the grounds. As my tour guide, Robin had some explaining to do.
The fountain resembled a wedding cake, with each tier highlighting creatures connected to the Greek god of the sea. The bottom tier alternated between statues of mermaids and fish. The middle tier included twelve statues of naiads, and the top tier was a huge statue of Poseidon, holding his trident aloft.
Outclassed: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Warden of the West Book 2) Page 8