Summer's Cauldron

by G. L. Breedon

  Alex blinked in surprise. Then a thought crossed his mind — the mountain of metal above him being raised and suddenly crashing down again. “You lift the beams, I’ll get myself out.”

  “It’s a plan,” the girl said as she moved once again from view.

  A chorus of rune-words reached Alex’s ears, each a little different, but similar enough that he knew what to expect. The thousands of pounds of metal that had fallen down around him suddenly floated upward several feet as though they were momentarily immune to the pull of gravity and might float away.

  Alex wasted no time, rolling on his belly and crawling swiftly from beneath the collapsed ride. As he jumped to his feet, he turned and saw the mound of twisted metal settle back to the ground with a bone-shaking thud.

  “Are you hurt?” the girl asked again as she stepped before him.

  Alex blinked and looked at her. She was half a head shorter than he was and the two furry goat legs she stood upon signaled she was not a girl, but a female faun. She looked concerned, but her eyes were alight with energy. Alex looked up from her and saw he was surrounded by carnie folk. Melvin the minotaur was there. As well as the soothsayer, Madam Fortuna. All of the same people he had met as Victoria showed him around the carnival. Twenty-some people stood around him with more arriving every second.

  “I’m fine,” Alex said. “Just a few scrapes and bruises.”

  “I heard the noise and rushed right over,” the girl said. “How did it happen?”

  “I don’t know,” Alex lied. “I was looking inside to see how it worked and then the next thing I knew, it was falling down around me.”

  “Shoddy craftsmanship,” Melvin said, stepping up beside them.

  “I’m lucky you were all here,” Alex said.

  “Lucky young Leanna here has a good head on her shoulders,” Melvin said with a low chuckle. “I was going to try and lift it. And me with my bad back.”

  “Thank you,” Alex said, extending his hand to Leanna. “I’m Alex.”

  “I know,” Leanna said with a slight smile.

  “Saved the hero of Runewood from a metal monster,” Melvin said, patting Leanna on the back. “That’s a story to tell around the campfire.” Leanna blushed and looked as though she were about to say something when another voice cut through the wall of chatter surrounding Alex.

  “Alex,” Victoria said, galloping to his side. “Are you okay? We were looking for you everywhere. We heard an awful metal crashing sound and feared the worst. We rushed right here.”

  “I’m fine,” Alex said, happy to see Victoria was so concerned.

  “Little Leanna here saved him,” Melvin said, giving Leanna a slight shove to place her between Alex and Victoria.

  “I helped out,” Leanna said, embarrassed by the attention. “Hi, Victoria.”

  “Thank you, Leanna,” Victoria said, looking between Alex and Leanna, her tail swishing nervously from side to side. “I don’t know what we’d have done if something had happened to Alex.” She stared deeply into Alex’s eyes, but for the life of him, he wasn’t sure what she was thinking.

  “Experienced fewer brushes with death ourselves?” Rafael suggested, stepping up beside Victoria.

  “Mmm, had weekends free to relax and sleep in,” Clark said, looking down at Alex with a mix of amusement and concern.

  “Stupid,” Ben said, examining the mess of metal behind Alex. “Tell him how stupid he is for going off on his own.”

  “Gorping stupid,” Daphne said and punched Alex in the arm.

  “How am I supposed to keep you out of trouble if you go looking for it?” Nina said, frowning at Alex.

  “I wasn’t looking for it,” Alex said, looking around and feeling uncomfortable having so many people staring at him. “It just happened.”

  “Trouble always seems to happen around you,” Rafael said.

  “I’m just glad you’re safe,” Victoria said, stepping closer and raising her hands to examine Alex’s bruises. “I can heal these if you want.”

  “No, thanks,” Alex said, remembering the last healing he had received from Victoria. As he said the words, and watched the crestfallen look spreading across Victoria’s face, he knew it had been a mistake. “It’s not that bad,” he said trying to think of a way to keep from hurting Victoria’s feeling and letting her know how glad he was she was concerned for him. A flash of black cloak disappearing into the shadows between the tents behind Victoria brought his mind to the reason he was standing there.

  Someone had been following him. Possibly one of the Shadow Wraith’s minions. And he had followed that person and had overheard part of a plan. A plan that seemed to have many parts, but one goal — the release of the Shadow Wraith. Alex could only say one thing with such a thought in his mind.

  “I’m fine,” Alex said. “I was chasing shadows and got lost and found this ride and wondered how it worked. Then I must have done something wrong and it fell apart.”

  Victoria and the other members of the Guild stared at him in silence.

  “Well, you’re a lucky young lad,” Mr. Apollo said, walking up to the crowd with Esmeralda at his side.

  “He certainly is,” Esmeralda said. “A lesser boy might have been crushed to death in that monstrosity of a machine. I’ve told you a thousand times we should rely on magic, not mechanics.”

  “You have, indeed, my dear,” Mr. Apollo said. “As always, you have my appreciation for your counsel. I only wish I had heeded it earlier. As for you, young man, you have my sincere apologies. This is not the sort of thing that happens in my carnival. I cannot possibly make it up to you, but please accept free full passes to the carnival and all its attractions for yourself and all of your friends as a token of my sincere regret.” Mr. Apollo pulled a handful of large gold tickets from the pocket of his velvet jacket and handed them to Alex.

  “Thank you,” Alex said, looking up at Mr. Apollo and seeing he looked to be on the verge of tears. He was far more upset than Alex. But then Alex had others things to be upset about.

  Esmeralda took the tickets from Mr. Apollo and handed them out to the Guild. Her eyes twinkled with pleasure as she gave each member of the Guild a golden ticket. They said thank you and smiled back.

  They seemed pleased, but Alex knew they were only acting. He knew they were not thinking of the tickets or the carnival. They were only thinking of one thing. They had heard Alex use the phrase “chasing shadows” and they knew what that meant. It was a code phrase they had agreed on months ago and hoped they would never have to speak or hear. It meant one of them had discovered evidence that the Shadow Wraith was back.

  Alex caught Victoria staring at him and smiled his most confident smile. She returned the smile and Alex was surprised to see it seemed even more confident than his own.

  “Alex!” he heard his mother say from behind him. He turned to see his mother and father running to his side. His mother did not wait to hear explanations. She knew her son too well to suspect anyone else had been in danger. She wrapped him in her arms and hugged him tight.

  “We heard a loud crash,” Alex’s mother said.

  “And we thought it couldn’t possibly be Alex, because Nina was keeping him out of trouble,” Alex’s father said, ruffling his son’s hair.

  “I only took my eyes off him for a minute,” Nina said. “I think I need a leash and collar if I’m going to be responsible for him. And a raise in my allowance.”

  The crowd around Alex laughed as his mother released him.

  “What happened?” his father asked.

  “Oh, the usual,” Alex said, looking up at his father and trying to convey with his eyes that while things might have been usual, they had not been good. “I’ll explain later.”

  “A mechanical failure of some kind,” Mr. Apollo said. “I take full responsibility. If you wish to inspect the other rides to ensure yourself, and the town, of their safety, I would be happy to escort you through the grounds.”

  “That might be a good idea,” Alex’s
father said, stepping over to discuss the incident with Mr. Apollo.

  “We’ll be heading home for dinner,” Alex’s mother said. “You’ve had more than enough excitement for one night.”

  “I’m sure a good night’s sleep will wash the whole incident from his mind,” Esmeralda said, smiling graciously.

  “I’m sure it will,” Alex’s mother said, her eyes narrowing as she smiled back.

  “I’ll head straight home, Mom,” Alex said. “We have to grab our bikes. We’ll meet you and Dad at the house.”

  “Alright,” his mother said, seeing she was not going to be able to escort him safely home herself. “Nina.”

  “I know,” Nina said. “Keep him out of trouble.”

  Alex walked over to where Leanna stood with Eleada and Kendra. They seemed to be friends. Considering they all lived and worked together, it wasn’t terribly surprising.

  “I wanted to thank you again,” Alex said.

  “I only did what anyone would do,” Leanna said.

  “But you did it first,” Alex said, offering his hand. “I appreciate it.”

  “Is that how you show a girl your appreciation?” Eleada said with a mischievous smile.

  “In some cultures, it’s customary to show gratitude with a kiss,” Kenda said, sounding as though she were quoting from an authoritative encyclopedia on the cultures of the world.

  “Ignore them,” Leanna said.

  “Ignore me at your own peril,” Elaeda said.

  “Um, I should go,” Alex said, looking past Leanna to see Nathan had joined the crowd of people and was moving closer to Victoria. “Thanks again,” Alex said, smiling at Leanna.

  As he walked away, he heard Elaeda and Kendra laughing.

  “Not a brave as I’d heard,” Elaeda said.

  Alex’s face flushed, but he didn’t turn around. He caught Victoria’s eye and nodded in the direction of the path leading out of the carnival. She nodded back and the rest of the Guild followed with her. Moments later, Alex was walking at Victoria’s side. He glanced back and saw Mr. Apollo leading his father and mother in the opposite direction. He saw no sign of Esmeralda.

  Minutes later, the Guild stood beneath the same sycamore tree they had watched the carnival from hours earlier and Alex told them what had really happened.

  Chapter 7: Hook and Bait

  “Positive?” Ben asked, looking up at Alex. “Are you absolutely positive?”

  “He’s always positive about things that can get us killed,” Rafael said with a sigh as he leaned against the sycamore tree.

  “Aphrodite’s acne,” Daphne said as she spat into the grass.

  “Mmm, maybe you misheard them,” Clark said, rubbing the sweat from the back of his neck.

  “I heard them clear enough,” Alex said, pushing his sweat-damp hair back from his face. The heat that had settled over the valley at the end of the day had not dissipated to be replaced by the usually cool night air. It was not only hot, but humid, the kind of weather that felt like being trapped in a wet, and not too particularly clean, sock. It made their conversation under the sycamore tree all the more unpleasant and unnerving.

  “Vulcan’s vomit,” Daphne said.

  “Cloak,” Ben said. “What about the person in black?”

  “Could it have been one of the Shadow Wraith’s followers?” Victoria asked, pulling her long, blonde hair back into a ponytail.

  “I don’t know,” Alex said. “I got the feeling the person in black was leading me through the shadows.”

  “And yet you followed this mysterious person into the shadows alone,” Rafael said, his tone slightly incredulous.

  “Gorping goon,” Daphne said, rolling her eyes.

  “He’ll be more careful next time,” Nina said, scowling up at her brother. “I won’t let him out of my sight.”

  “What were they whispering?” Victoria asked, looking intently down at Alex.

  “I couldn’t make out everything,” Alex said. “But I could hear the name they used. It’s a name only the followers of the Shadow Wraith use.”

  “Don’t say it aloud,” Rafael said.

  “I wasn’t going to,” Alex said.

  “But what about the bank?” Victoria asked. “What do they think will be in the bank? And what did they mean by the device? And how did they hear you? You’re usually so very good at sneaking about.”

  “Thanks,” Alex said. “I don’t know. One of them seemed to be able to sense I was there.”

  “Mind Magic?” Daphne suggested.

  “Spirit magic,” Ben said. “That’s more likely.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Alex said.

  “One of them will need to be a Spirit Mage to release the Shadow Wraith,” Raphael said.

  “Wasn’t there a soothsayer at the carnival?” Nina asked.

  “Madam Fortuna?” Victoria said. “I can’t imagine that. She’s such a nice woman. Like a grandmother to everyone. She even nursed me once when I was sick.”

  “I met her,” Alex said, “and while she doesn’t seem like someone who would be in league with the Shadow Wraith, we can’t assume anything. Whoever they are, they have been hiding in the carnival for a while, at least. They know how to pretend.”

  “You have to tell Dad this time,” Nina said. “This is way too dangerous with at least three followers of the Shadow Wraith running around and planning to rob the bank and who knows what after that and I don’t think that ride collapsed on your head by accident, I think whoever heard you tried to kill you.”

  The conversation fell quiet as Nina and the rest of the Guild all stared at Alex. He had been thinking the same thing ever since the metal legs and arms of the carnival ride had come crashing down around him. It wasn’t poor craftsmanship. Alex hadn’t unwittingly bumped something that caused the machine to collapse. It was no accident. The Shadow Wraiths followers had known he was there. They had tried to kill him. But there was something else that occurred to him, as well.

  “They know who you are,” Victoria said. “That’s why they tried to kill you. They know you are a Spirit Mage. They know you sealed the Shadow Wraith back in its prison. They would want to kill you for that.”

  “Exactly,” Alex said, unable to resist smiling at Victoria, her face drawn tight with worry. He should have known she’d be the first to see the implications of everything that had happened.

  “That also means they probably suspect that you are the Revenant,” Victoria said. “No one else seems to have recognized that fact, but if you are the one returned to fight the Shadow Wraith, then you are their prime adversary. That means they’ll keep trying to kill you. That might even be one of the very reasons they are here.”

  “I thought of that, too,” Alex said. Even he couldn’t keep smiling when confronted with such chilling logic.

  “Gorping gobstoppers,” Daphne said.

  “On the bright side,” Rafael began to say. “Oh, wait. There is no bright side.”

  “Yes, there is,” Alex said. “We know the Shadow Wraith’s followers are here, we know they’re up to something involving the bank, and we know where to find them.”

  “We’re in real trouble if that’s the bright side,” Rafael said.

  “Plan,” Ben said. “We need a plan.”

  “The plan is simple,” Alex said. “We find out which carnies are working for the Shadow Wraith, we find out what their plan is, and we stop them.”

  “Hmmm, that plan could use a few more details,” Clark said.

  “We’ll fill in the details as we go along,” Alex said.

  “Good idea,” Rafael said. “That’s always worked so well for us in the past.”

  “We’ll go to the carnival tomorrow and keep our eyes out for anything suspicious,” Alex said. “Victoria, is there anyone from the carnival you trust completely? That you know can’t be working for the Shadow Wraith?”

  “Elaeda,” Victoria said. “If she’s a follower of the Shadow Wraith, I’m a tea cup. And Kendra and Le
anna. They’re like sisters. There’s no way one could hide something like that from the other. And, oh…” Victoria frowned slightly. “And Nathan. He’s far too upright to ever even consider something so vile.”

  Alex found he was also frowning at the mention of Victoria’s ex-boyfriend. “Well, don’t tell them what we know, but tell them to be on the lookout for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.”

  “Will you be safe tonight?” Victoria asked. “There are agents of the Shadow Wraith trying to kill you.”

  “My dad’s the town warlock,” Alex said. “And you should see the magic my mom can do.”

  “And he has me,” Nina said, standing up a little straighter.

  “Right,” Alex said, rustling his sister’s hair, much to her annoyance. “My own personal lapdog.”

  “Guard dog,” Nina said, knocking Alex’s hand away.

  “I’ll be safe,” Alex said, “but all of you should take extra precautions. If the evil carnies know who I am, they’ll know who each of you are, as well.”

  “What a pleasant thought to rock me to sleep with,” Rafael said.

  “We’ll meet here tomorrow morning,” Alex said. “Then the hunt begins.”

  They all insisted on walking Alex home. He thought it was completely unnecessary, but he was touched by his friends’ concern for his wellbeing. He had hoped he would have a moment alone with Victoria, but as she and Ben lived close to each other, they departed together. Daphne offered to walk Clark home and Rafael changed into a large eagle, snatched his clothes from the grass, and flew off to his aunt’s house.

  A short while later, Alex told his father and mother everything over a Spartan meal of cold sandwiches and potato salad. It was still too unseasonably hot to think about eating a warm meal, even if it hadn’t been nearly ten o’clock at night. He finished his story and stuffed a large forkful of potato salad into his mouth.

  “I don’t want you going anywhere near that carnival,” Alex’s mother said.

  “Mom!” Alex mumbled as he chewed.

  “Manners,” his mother said, frowning at Alex for speaking with his mouth full.

  Alex swallowed a chunk of potato that really should have spent more time between his teeth and repeated his exclamation. “Mom!”