Jack Staples and the Poet's Storm

by Mark Batterson

  Elion lovingly stroked baby Alexia’s cheek. “Yet the Author is neither male nor female.” She began to laugh. “I can’t believe we didn’t see it before! Two children—it’s the only thing that makes sense! If the Child of Prophecy has any chance of destroying the Assassin, the child must fully represent the Author, male and female!”

  Alexia’s mind turned somersaults as she listened.

  “You must tell no one except James,” Elion said. “There are those who would betray this information to the Assassin. We must keep Alexia a secret for as long as we can.” Elion looked at the moon again. “My guess is her star will fade until your son is born. One child is simply not strong enough to stand against the coming darkness. But when Jack is born, his star will reflect hers, and together their light will grow.”

  Elion placed a hand on Megan’s shoulder. “I know what I am asking of you is impossible, but if you keep her, Alexia will be in grave danger. If we can hide her away, the world will never know the first Child of Prophecy has been born. Yes, they will still come, but they will think they misread the stars. Only when I’ve made the switch will she be safe.”

  Alexia blinked as the world shifted again.

  Alexia was back on the mountainside with Mr. Staples. For a long moment, she didn’t speak. She held tight to the stone and tried to understand. “But why wasn’t Jack sent away?”

  “When Jack was born, his star also burned brighter than the moon. And within hours it, too, faded. Then your star and Jack’s began to reflect each other, each star’s light feeding the other. And they will continue to grow brighter the closer you come to fulfilling your destiny.”

  Mr. Staples stood and scanned the valley below. “The Child of Prophecy had come,” he continued, “and there was no hiding it. But this time we were ready. We knew Jack’s star would point toward his birthplace. So we placed Blinding Stones around Ballylesson and took other precautions. Ballylesson was as safe a place as any to—”

  Mr. Staples stiffened, looking at the valley below. “There.” He pointed toward a large grouping of trees at the foot of the valley.

  At first Alexia didn’t see anything, but after a moment, she realized the trees were … moving! What? At least thirty large trees were gliding up the canyon. They were moving quickly and would top the rise within minutes.

  “We need to leave, now,” Mr. Staples said. “Wake Parker and gather your things.”

  Alexia didn’t waste time with questions. Parker’s eyes shot open the moment she knelt beside him. “We need to go,” she whispered. “The trees are”—she wasn’t sure how to say it—“coming.”

  Parker nodded and began gathering his things. Mr. Staples grabbed them from Parker, then placed a hand on his shoulder. “Be safe,” he said. “We’ll see you at the top of the rise.” He turned to Alexia. “Follow me.”

  “We’re leaving him here?”

  “Trust me,” Parker said. “You don’t want to be anywhere near what’s about to happen.”

  “There’s no time to explain,” Mr. Staples said. He turned and ran into the darkness. Alexia waited only a moment. Parker offered a roguish grin that reminded her of Wild. Boys, she thought irritably, then rolled her eyes and followed Mr. Staples.

  They sprinted up the icy slope, and by the time they reached the top, they were sweating despite the snow. He stopped and turned his attention back down the slope. Alexia found Parker quickly. He stood atop a large boulder, bathed in moonlight.

  “Why did we leave him?”

  “Just because there is a battle to fight doesn’t mean you are meant to fight it. Parker’s Soulprint is what is needed here.”

  The trees were close now. She squinted, wishing for more light. Besides the obvious, there was something different about these trees. The branches stretched farther than should have been possible, and long, spindly vines whipped ahead to strike into the ground and propel them forward.

  Alexia watched in horror as the enormous things surrounded Parker. Vines wrapped his body, lifting him into the air. He didn’t even try to fight back. He’s going to be torn to pieces. “We have to do something!”

  “Just wait.” Mr. Staples’s voice was tight. “All we can do now is wait.”

  The vines pulled Parker inward as the trees swallowed him up. Alexia balled her fists, itching to run down and help. She was at home in the trees. Surely she could do something. She glanced at Mr. Staples and saw both fear and pride in his eyes.

  The trees continued forward at a rapid pace. Alexia searched behind, looking for any sign of Parker, but he was gone. “No,” she whispered. Suddenly a piercing … something erupted from deep within the trees. It was a terrifying keening that made Alexia want to claw at her ears. The trees thrashed about as something rippled through the length and breadth of their trunks. They lurched to a stop as their limbs dried up, turning brittle. The vines and leaves withered and dropped to the ground.

  Alexia pressed her palms hard against her ears in an unsuccessful attempt to block out the sound. Thick trunks crumbled. The sounds faded into nothing, and the world became eerily silent. Standing in the center of the destruction was Parker. His clothes were torn and he was covered in dead vines, but other than that, he seemed perfectly fine.

  “What did he do?”

  “I’m not sure,” Mr. Staples said. “And neither is he. I’ve seen a single tree take down a hundred Awakened before it was finally destroyed. Parker’s Soulprint allows him to fight back.” Mr. Staples breathed a sigh of relief. “In truth, this is the first time Parker has fought more than three at once. His Soulprint has grown strong this past year.”

  “There were a least thirty of them! If he’s only ever fought three, how did you know he could win now?”

  “Because he had to. Each one of us has been born with a very special and very specific purpose. The Author has given each of us abilities that only we can express. Not everyone has powers like you or Parker or myself. For some, the Soulprint is an extra helping of wisdom or kindness. But whatever it is, there will be a time in everyone’s life when only he or she can do what needs to be done. Tonight was at least one of the reasons Parker was born. This is one of his many gifts. You and I could have stayed and fought, but we’d most likely have died without ever slowing the trees.”

  Parker was still ripping dead vines from his body when he reached the top of the rise. When he saw Alexia, he grinned. “Impressed?”

  “Yes. Very,” she said.

  Mr. Staples patted Parker on the back. “You did well.” He scanned the canyon. “I’m afraid the Shadow Souled have discovered our trail once again. We need to go before something worse comes.”

  Arthur realized his mouth was hanging open. “You can’t be serious!” he gasped. “This must be some kind of bad joke.” He stood in the Council Tent alongside Honi, King Edward, and Sage. “I don’t even turn twelve till next month!” He wished Jack were there to back him up, but his best friend had been asked to wait outside.

  “It is not age that brings wisdom,” Honi replied, “but experience and humility. And though you are young, you are rich in both. This is no joke, Master Greaves; Mrs. Dumphry would not have passed her seat to you unless she was absolutely certain. She is wiser than anyone on earth, and it is her right to give away her seat.”

  “Arthur, I’m only thirteen,” Sage said. “Do you think I should not be a member of the Council?”

  “Of course not! But you’re wise and beautiful and obviously know a lot about a lot of things, and I bet you’re a proper hero. But I’m just a boy from Ballylesson. Surely there must be others you could ask!”

  “Of course there are,” King Edward said. “But we are asking you.”

  “There’s so much I don’t know!”

  “Although your scales fell off less than a year ago, you are no child,” Honi said. “Is it true you once tackled a Shadule just to save your friend? And was
it you who rescued Mrs. Dumphry and the others from the arena in the City of Shadows? Oh, and there was something else …” Honi tapped his temple with his finger. “Am I remembering incorrectly that it was you who stole the Poet’s Coffer?”

  “Well, yes,” Arthur said. “But I didn’t do any of that stuff because I was brave. I just did what had to be done, that’s all.”

  King Edward burst out laughing as Sage smiled.

  “Most of all, you deserve this position precisely because you don’t want it,” Honi said. “It is character that unearths greatness, not power. Everything pales in the light of character.”

  He was sure they were wrong. He knew he would make a terrible Council member. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t even know what a Council member did, other than sit around in Council meetings. But there was no point in arguing further.

  “Will you accept the offer? Will you join us on the Council of Seven?” King Edward asked.

  Arthur nodded. Honi smiled as King Edward clapped his hands and Sage grinned.

  “It will be good to have your wisdom as we prepare the Awakened for the Last Battle. Please,” Sage said, “take your seat. There are a great many things we must discuss. But first let us speak of battle strategies.”

  As he sat down, Arthur Greaves wanted to cry.

  Chapter 8

  A Bad Day Indeed

  Alexia, Parker, and Mr. Staples had barely slept since the night the trees attacked. They’d been unable to stay more than a few hours ahead of the pursuing Shadow Souled.

  “Do you think they know you have the Poet’s Coffer?” Alexia asked as they trudged across a wide valley. The deep snow made it slow going even with the snowshoes Mr. Staples had fashioned for them.

  Parker shared a look with his father. “The thing is,” Parker said quietly, “we don’t have it.”

  Alexia stopped. “What do you mean you don’t have it? Isn’t that what you’ve been doing out here, trying to keep it safe?”

  “Yes,” Mr. Staples agreed. “But you must understand, the Poet’s Coffer doesn’t just carry his most prized possessions, but it also carries his presence. To the eyes of the Shadow Souled, the coffer is like a bonfire on a hill in the dark of night.” He stopped and turned to Alexia. “Mrs. Dumphry’s plan was brilliant. The Shadow Souled don’t suspect we have it, or they would have sent legions after us. They have no idea we have it because the coffer is still safe in the Assassin’s throne room. We are in the past, and Arthur has yet to steal it from the City of Shadows.”

  “But that’s exactly the reason you were meant to keep it safe,” Alexia said. “Where is it now?”

  “We left it behind,” Parker said. “A few nights before I found you, we were trapped by a hundred Shadow Souled and didn’t think we’d live to see another day. So we buried it beneath fifty Blinding Stones and kept running. But because Father carried the coffer for so long, the poet’s presence still rests on him.”

  “We did what we had to do,” Mr. Staples said. “We’d hoped to lose them and circle back to collect it later, but each time we think we’re safely away, they find us again.”

  “And how do you know they don’t have it already?” Alexia asked. “Maybe they found it.”

  “I don’t think so.” Mr. Staples pulled his cloak tight as the wind picked up. “The stones agreed to blind the eyes of evil. They understood the importance of the coffer.”

  Alexia stopped. “What do you mean they ‘agreed’? They’re stones, aren’t they?”

  “And the trees that attacked were ‘just trees,’ weren’t they?” Parker swallowed his grin when he saw the dangerous look in Alexia’s eyes.

  “Blinding Stones are just stones that have awakened,” Mr. Staples said. “They’ve agreed to join the Author and fight the Assassin. Some become Blinding Stones; others, Healing Stones or Memory Stones or all sorts of things. We found as many awakened stones as we could and asked if they’d help.”

  “And they … talked to you?”

  “No.” Mr. Staples chuckled. “The stones can’t talk. We know they agreed because they did as we asked. Once the coffer was buried beneath them, they embraced their higher purpose and became Blinding Stones.”

  Alexia didn’t know why this surprised her. It seemed that every day she was learning another reason why the world was far more fantastical than she’d imagined.

  “My new plan is to lead these Shadow Souled to the Great Oasis you told us about,” Mr. Staples said. “Once we arrive, we can have the Awakened help us destroy them. If the Author wills it, we will return with an army to retrieve the coffer.”

  Alexia thought for a moment. “I need to leave you,” she said sadly.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mr. Staples said. “You are even more important than the coffer; we need to keep you safe.”

  “If the Assassin’s servants can feel the coffer on you, doesn’t it make sense that I should stay as far from you as possible?” Alexia shook her head. “Besides, I’m not asking your permission; I’m telling you my decision. I’ve learned my mother might still be alive. I don’t know where she is, but I plan to find her. And after I’ve found her, I have some friends who need my help. Once these things are done, I will find the Awakened and do whatever is needed.”

  Parker and Mr. Staples shared a look, but neither said a word.

  “What?” Alexia asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “She asked, Father. We have to tell her.”

  “I know.” Mr. Staples sighed, then gave Parker a sharp nod.

  Parker fished inside his jacket and pulled out a crumpled letter. “This is the letter I found in my pocket the morning after the circus fire. With the coffer.” Parker handed it to Alexia. “The front of it says to leave right away and to keep the coffer safe at all costs, but read what the back says.”

  Alexia took the letter, then turned it over and read aloud.

  In your travels, you may meet a girl who claims to be from both the past and the future. If so, you must keep her safe at all costs. And if she ever asks about her adopted mother, you must allow her to read this note.

  Alexia glanced at Parker. “How could she possibly have known I would be here?”

  Parker shook his head. Alexia continued reading.

  Child, forgive me for not telling you the news before now. But I have recently learned your mother is alive and has been the Assassin’s captive for many years. She is being held in the throne room in the City of Shadows. To try and rescue her will most likely lead to your death, but I understand you must try.

  Remember, you don’t utilize your Soulprint through control; you activate it by surrendering to it. It is not something you do but something you allow to be done through you.

  Sincerely,

  Mrs. Dumphry

  Alexia drew in a sharp breath. Could it be true? She crumpled the letter in her fist. I was in the throne room every night for weeks! How could Mother possibly have been there? “I’m leaving.” Alexia turned toward the south and took a step.

  “It will take weeks to reach the City of Shadows, and even if you do, you’ll be on your own.” Mr. Staples placed a hand on her shoulder. “Please, you must not do this. Come with us to the Great Oasis, and we’ll get help. Once the coffer is safely retrieved, I’ll go with you myself.”

  “Thank you.” Alexia wiped away tears. “I’m very glad to have met you both. You are a good man, Mr. Staples, and I do hope we’ll meet again. But I must go.”

  Mr. Staples wrapped Alexia in a hug. “If there were any other way, I’d go with you,” he whispered.

  “I know,” Alexia said as she hugged him back.

  The following weeks were dreadful for Alexia. She barely stopped to sleep or eat for fear she’d be too late to rescue her mother. Whenever she had managed sleep, it had been in the tops of the dead trees or high up in the cleft of a
large boulder. Each time she closed her eyes, her dreams were haunted with images of the Assassin torturing her mother. Alexia had seen blessedly few Shadow Souled on her journey, and none had seen her, not even the creature she’d knocked out so she could steal its cloak.

  Her feet crunched on charred ground as she approached the City of Shadows; only desolation remained. The enormous gilded gate stood open; not a soul could be seen.

  Standing bold against the yellow sky at the far corner of the city was the colossal arena. The cries of thousands of dark servants gathered there echoed through the empty streets, and the sky above the coliseum was filled with winged monsters.

  Alexia pulled back the hood of her stolen black-and-silver cloak. She thought she’d need it to sneak inside, but she’d arrived at the perfect time. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” The voice was directly behind her. She spun and slammed her fist into her attacker’s midriff. Just as she was about to follow with a knee to the face, she stopped.

  “Parker? What are you doing here?”

  “It’s good to see you, too,” he groaned. “You really need to stop hitting people for no reason.”

  “You really need to stop sneaking up on people!”

  “I’ve been trying to catch up to you ever since you left, but you’ve been moving at an impossible pace.”

  “But why? Why did you follow? And where is your father?”

  “After you left, we agreed that one of us should help you free your mother. And Father still carries the poet’s presence. So it had to be me.”

  Alexia felt as if she were going to cry. She balled her fists, trying to keep hold of her emotions.

  “You’re not going to try and hit me again, are you?” Parker raised his hands.