TwoSpells

by Mark Morrison

  Several levels higher in the library, Sarah and Jon were forced to take a break. Below them, they could hear the bodyguards and Liam trying their best to stop the trolls. They saw flash after flash of light reflecting on the walls. Deep rumbling laughter from the trolls shook the floor beneath them.

  Sarah and Jon barely made their way to one of the library’s upper level perimeter walls when they collapsed in total exhaustion. They huddled in a balcony area overlooking the library, watching the movements of the Trolls squeezing through the labyrinth of bookshelves. Sarah and Jon held each other, trembling.

  “I can’t run anymore,” Sarah panted. “I can’t go on any further.”

  Jon pulled a small saber he’d scavenged from a samurai. He held it over his head. “I won’t leave you alone!”

  Suddenly, Liam clambered up and over the balcony ledge, startling the children.

  “There’s nothing I can do. They’re resistant to our weapons and magic. The virus has enabled them to evolve,” Liam said, watching the advancing trolls. “They’ve killed over a third of my guards already.”

  “Are they going to kill us?” Jon asked, clinging to Sarah’s arm and still wielding the tiny saber.

  “Maybe. But if we had some special power,” Liam said. He held his hands out. “If there were just something—”

  The earth began to shiver and tremble, causing the clumsy trolls to momentarily pause. They listened, smelled the air and then cautiously pressed on.

  The tremors began again—this time violently. Sarah and Jon stumbled backwards and Liam stooped in a warrior’s pose, readying himself. All at once, there was a horrific clamor from where one of the battle trolls crouched. A horrendous squeal pierced the air and the remaining three immediately froze.

  Another quake rippled across the floor, shaking loose thousands of books. There was a loud thump, followed by a crunch.

  In an explosive crash of wood and paper, there came another cry and this time a troll disappeared from sight. The troll beside it panicked and fled, knocking over another set of bookshelves as he climbed up to the next level.

  Liam stood bewildered, mumbling into his headset over and over. “Worm form.”

  CHAPTER 22

  “WHEN DID ALL THIS—YOU KNOW—crazy stuff start happening?” Sarah asked, climbing down from the balcony.

  Liam hesitated. “Well, when did you and your brother arrive here?”

  “At the beginning of summer,” Sarah replied. “Why?”

  “That explains it then,” Liam said, rubbing his chin. “That’s when all of this began.”

  Sarah looked out across the chaos. “I don’t—What do we have to do with this?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I think it has something to do with your gifts,” Liam said. He brushed dust from his clothing and frowned. “And I’m not entirely sure what your gifts even are yet.”

  Jon piped up finally. “Don’t look at me! I only wish I could do something cool!”

  Bodyguards One through Four joined them as Liam continued escorting them toward the rear of the library.

  Number One latched onto Liam’s arm. “Trolls gone.”

  “Outstanding,” Liam said as he looked at the bewildered faces of the children.

  “Where are we going?” Sarah asked.

  “To see my uncle,” Liam replied, quickening his pace. “He’s a seer. He speaks of Worm Talkers.”

  “Huh?” Sarah asked.

  The ground trembled as another tremor shook the library. Shelves swayed. Exhibits crashed. Thousands of books tumbled as patrons scrambled for cover.

  Liam waved his hand, forming a protective energy umbrella over them and shouted new orders into his headset.

  Sarah braced herself against Jon, struggling to keep her balance. Wizards all around them were casting protective bubbles over themselves. Families leapt beneath tables for cover. Large chunks of paneling from the domed ceiling broke loose, crashing to the ground. Cries for help could be heard echoing throughout the library with a warning siren blaring.

  “Worm-form,” Liam muttered into his headset. “Worm-form. I repeat, worm-form.”

  The floor directly below them swayed, splitting into massive pieces. A rift opened directly in front of them, widening and creeping toward them. Tables and chairs fell into the gaping crease. Patrons tumbled into the hole, helplessly turning over and over in the air and crying out. A band of witches on broomsticks attempted to soar over the crack, but suddenly stalled in mid-air before dropping.

  Several more of the colossal bookshelves crumbled into their path. The crack widened, branching out in every direction. Spells whizzed in every direction, fizzling and popping before they could reach their destinations. The building quaked again as the crease slithered toward Sarah and Jon like a dark serpent.

  Liam stumbled forward as the floor between himself and the children tore open, leaving him stranded on the opposite side. He enveloped himself in a protective sphere, his magic barely functioning, and drifted across the widening gap. Sarah slipped and fell at the edge of the abyss but number One’s powerful arm shot out to catch her just before she tumbled down in.

  Jon staggered, plummeting down into the gap. He let out a yelp as a bodyguard dove for him, but missed. Liam, trapped in his own floating balloon, watched helplessly unable to react.

  A blue blur flashed past Sarah, lunging into the chasm. “Geronimo!”

  The trembling suddenly stopped. An eerie calm settled over the library. Moans and groans slowly echoed across the enormous building. Sirens and alarms wailed in the distance. Sarah sat at the edge of the chasm, sobbing. One and Three stood by, gazing down into the hole.

  Suddenly, a strange glow swirled up from the crack. The guards pulled Sarah back as a luminescent orb floated up into the air. Inside was a mysterious blue figure clutching Jon. It landed gracefully and dissipated.

  Sarah leapt toward Jon, hugging him without saying a word, keeping her eyes fixed on the stranger in blue.

  “What’s up, Sis?” Jon asked, trying to free himself from her grasp.

  Sarah felt her eyes burning as she teared up. “You scared the heck outta me! Don’t ever do that again!”

  “All right! Let go!” Jon protested, wriggling free. “I’ll do my best to avoid earthquakes!”

  Sarah approached the stranger. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, young lady,” he said with a bow. “As a Junior Guardian of TwoSpells, I’m pleased to be of service.”

  Sarah looked over to Liam, then back at the young stranger in blue. She noticed the resemblance immediately. He wore similar clothes, only in silver and blue. And his eyes were a deep emerald green instead of Liam’s rich ocean blue.

  “This is Seth,” Liam said, introducing him to Sarah. “And Seth, these are our guests, Sarah and Jon.”

  “A pleasure to meet you both,” Seth said, dropping to one knee and taking Sarah’s hand gently. He grinned at the two of them.

  Liam chuckled. “Nice entrance, show off.”

  “I missed you too, brother,” Seth said, rising to his feet. “So these are the special ones?”

  “Yes,” Liam replied.

  Seth stroked his chin. “Interesting. It isn’t every day that we get a visit from saviors.”

  “Excuse me?” Sarah asked. “What do you mean?”

  An aftershock shook TwoSpells once again and Sarah clutched Jon tightly. “What was that? I thought it was over!”

  “The most dangerous warning sign known to all universes,” Liam whispered. “Worm-form.”

  Sarah held her nose. “Is that what that smell is, the worm-form? Strange. I don’t hear their song anymore.”

  “What song?” Liam asked, suddenly very interested. “You heard something?”

  “Not really. It was more of a feeling—inside of me—if that makes sense,” Sarah explained. “I don’t know how else to describe it.”

  Liam looked to Jon. “You felt it too?”

  Jon nodded. Liam began to pace back and
forth with his hands behind his back. “Imagine the potential power. Incredible. You two may have something very special inside of you. Something far greater than we imagined. That wasn’t an earthquake you felt. It was a signal that a Woodworm is nearby.”

  Seth looked at Sarah and Jon. “Or leaving. It may already be here and we don’t even know it. We can only hope not.”

  “Are you saying an itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny Woodworm did this?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes. But not just any Woodworm,” Liam replied. “An enchanted Woodworm. Virtually immune to magic.”

  “What does that mean?” Sarah asked.

  “They can grow to any size,” Liam explained, holding out his hands to demonstrate. “And devour anything in their path. Including magic.”

  “And they can eat a lot,” Seth added. “It’s not unheard of for a Woodworm to consume an entire city in one sitting.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I don’t get it. How are you so sure this wasn’t just an earthquake?”

  “Smell that?” Liam asked, inhaling deeply.

  “Yeah,” Sarah said. She plugged her nose.

  “That’s one of the worm signs,” Liam replied, pointing down the gaping crack. “Another sign. It drained a great deal of my magic.”

  Sarah held her nose as she peered down into the hole.

  Number Three approached Liam. “Never hurt library before.”

  “Right,” Liam said. “But with these two here now, anything is possible. There must be an explanation. These worms have been a part of the TwoSpells enchantment from the very beginning, munching away at stories—as Woodworms do—but they have never before attacked TwoSpells. They know better than to disrupt their food source.”

  “And now because we’re here—” Sarah started.

  “Because you’re here…well, I’m not quite sure what that has to do with this yet. But it’s no coincidence,” Liam said. He stepped away to take a call on his headset. “Excuse me.”

  After a few minutes, he returned with a dire expression on his face. “We’ve located the missing trolls. They’re all dead. Regurgitated.”

  “Guess he didn’t like the taste of troll flesh,” Jon added with a smirk. “Let’s go take a look!”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Liam said. “For now, you’ll be joining your grandparents. They’ve been escorted to safety outside of TwoSpells. The best thing for the two of you right now is to return home. And let’s keep this talk of Woodworms to ourselves, shall we? Tomorrow we can discuss this further.”

  CHAPTER 23

  GRANDMA AND GRANDPA WERE OUTSIDE waiting with the peddlers at the base of the steps. “Blimey! What took so long?” Grandpa asked, giving them both a big hug and then mounting his tricycle.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Grandma scoffed, lowering herself into the rear basket. “He’s just upset ya’ didn’t bring him somethin’ ta’ eat.”

  The first thing Sarah noticed, was that the peddlers were back to normal. The hamsters were gone.

  “Hey! What gives!” Jon exclaimed as he checked the wheels.

  “It’s all downhill, laddie,” Grandpa replied. “No need for them. Now let’s get movin’.”

  Sarah and Jon hopped on their three-wheelers and the four of them set off for home. As they approached the gates of TwoSpells, the security Captain and her squad stopped them.

  Sarah leaned into Jon. “It’s the mindmelders again.”

  Jon snickered and made a twirling motion around his head.

  “So ya’ had ah’ wicked visit today?” the Captain asked sarcastically, stepping up to Grandpa. “Ya’ wouldn’t be nickin’ anythin’ would ya’?”

  Grandpa spat on the ground. “Not ah’ chance ya’ nasty ol—”

  “We had a wonderful visit, thank ya’ very much. No thievery here. No ma’am,” Grandma interrupted. “Now we need ta’ pass please. Important business to tend to.”

  Three security teams with leashed bicephalupuses surrounded them. The ghastly beasts sniffed them over, disgusting, sticky drool dripping on everyone.

  Grandpa winked at Sarah and slowly slid his wand free from his coat. He gave it a few slow twirls and mumbled an incantation under his breath. Within seconds, a green mist rose from Grandpa’s shoes. The security team and dogs immediately started to gag and choke as they tumbled backward. The dogs whined and yelped, dragging the security team away. The Captain covered her nose, bellowing orders and pointing angrily. Sarah fought back a laugh as security waved them through the gates.

  “Jolly good time, Ma’am!” Grandpa cried, tipping an invisible hat on his way past. “Good day, Lass!”

  Grandma held her nose as she giggled. “Ya ol’ fool, ya’ did it again.”

  “I still got it,” Grandpa exclaimed, roaring with laughter as he peddled on excitedly.

  “A smell spell,” Jon said. “Now that’s cool! You’ve gotta teach me that one, Grandpa!”

  They were nearly through the gates and the only thing standing between them and the exit was the giant x-ray machine. Captain Puffin was staggering about, still trying to catch her breath. Grandpa reached into his coat and pulled out his wand, pressing it to his lips. “Can ya’ please hide all me goods?”

  Suddenly, it was as if someone had leapt up on Sarah’s shoulders. Her legs slowed. Her arms felt heavy. The tires on the three-wheelers nearly flattened to the ground. Her clothes had turned a dull grey.

  “Onward!” Grandpa cheered, struggling to peddle through the x-ray machine. Sarah and Jon groaned, straining to follow him. As they exited the opposite side of the machine, their clothes immediately softened and returned to their original state. The Captain was livid. She chased after them, arms flailing and ranting, her massive body swaying.

  Back at the farm, the first thing Sarah noticed was that everything looked perfectly normal. Which was pretty unusual, considering just how much damage had been done to the house and farm. They parked their three-wheelers, letting Grandma out first so that she could put the kettle on and prepare dinner. A half hour later, the incredible smell of fried chicken filled the farmhouse.

  “Grandma weren’t you going to tell us the rest of the story?” Sarah asked around a mouthful of food.

  “Aye I was,” she replied. “But I’m afraid there isn’t much left but gossip and rumors.”

  Sarah leaned forward. “I don’t mind. Let’s hear it!”

  Grandma paused as she poured herself tea. “There be one particularly nasty rumor growin’.”

  “Tell us, Grandma,” Jon pleaded. “Please.”

  Grandma sat down. “There’s word out there that your Mum is on the run. There’s a price out for her. Cato wants her brought in for questionin’.”

  “What?” Sarah nearly choked as she swallowed hard. “Why?”

  “No one knows for sure. Least of all me. She’s always kept me on me toes, that one. But she’s a good girl. Never hurt a fly,” Grandma replied. “I suspect we’ll hear from her soon enough. Until then, I trust she’s safe in a book somewhere.”

  “In a story!” Jon said. “Cool! I wonder which one.”

  Grandpa entered the kitchen, pulled up a seat, sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. He reached inside his coat and pulled out several large bags of trinkets, dumping them on the table.

  Grandma set her hands to her hips. “Did ya’ nick ah’ few baubles?”

  “A simple trade is all,” Grandpa muttered. He reached across the table and pulled a small bag of hidden trinkets from each of Sarah and Jon’s pockets.

  Sarah gasped. “How’d that get there?”

  Jon smiled. “Magic. Right, Grandpa?”

  “The best kind, for sure,” he replied, pouring the bags out on the table.

  “Is that why you made all our clothes lead?” Sarah asked.

  His eyes were glazed over He didn’t answer.

  “You know, Grandma,” Sarah began. “I’d like to be a doctor like Mom.”

  “Ah’ noble callin’, that is,” Grandma said, reaching
out and touching her face.

  Jon butted in. “Me too, Grandma. But I want to be a warlock doctor.”

  “And ah’ fine one at that,” she said with a chuckle, ruffling his hair.

  Grandpa winked at Jon while admiring his newly liberated goods. “Might be best if we stay away for ah’ we bit. What with all the damage and nonsense goin’ on there. TwoSpells just isn’t the same as it used to be.”

  “Liam says it was a Woodworm,” Sarah said.

  “And it ate four Trolls,” Jon added. “Then barfed their guts up in a heaping pile of mush.”

  Grandma scowled at Jon as she set down a forkful of food.

  “And the worm sang to us,” Sarah said.

  Grandma looked to Grandpa. “Sang to ya’, huh?”

  “I suppose it could be a gift of sorts,” Grandpa said. “The worms are ah’ mysterious lot, ya’ know.”

  “Liam said they’ve never done what they did today,” Jon said, reaching for more chicken and dodging Grandma’s swatting hand. “Liam thinks we are the reason it entered TwoSpells.”

  “Why do ya’ think it was there in the first place?” Grandpa asked.

  There was a loud knock on the door and the four of them fell silent.

  “Collectors,” Sarah said under her breath. “I just know it’s them again. Back for more.”

  Jon snatched up all of grandpa’s pilfered things and hid them under the table.

  The banging continued. Grandpa grabbed his new staff, gave it few fancy twirls, knocking a lamp over and a picture off of the wall before shuffling toward the door. “Hold your bloody horses ya’ miserable oaf!”

  Grandpa opened the door a crack and waved the staff through the gap.

  “Whoa there, Grandpa,” came Clyde’s gravelly voice. “Just came ta’ ask for the rest of the day off, mate.”

  Grandpa lowered the staff. “And why would ya’ be needin’ that?”

  “Some personal business, that’s all,” Clyde replied, trying to press his way in.