by Lee Bacon
Me.
Fred can’t take his eyes off me. A faint smile hangs from his face. He clutches his hands over his heart. He bats his eyelashes a few times and breathes a long, heavy sigh.
“Uh…Fred?” I whisper. “Everything okay?”
“Everything is better than okay,” he replies. “Everything is wonderful, for I am with you!”
Still staring at me with that goofy grin, Fred scoots sideways until he’s right next to me. He leans forward, bringing his face way too close to mine. His eyes flutter closed. His lips pucker.
He’s coming in for a kiss.
I push him away. “What’re you doing?”
Fred grabs my hand. But it’s not like the way he grabbed my hand before. This time, it’s desperate, clinging.
“I’m merely following my heart,” he says. “When in the presence of such beauty and charm, I’m left with no choice. I must show my affection!”
Okay, so either Fred just picked the worst possible time to tell me about his crush, or the potion has kicked in. And I’m guessing Essence of Infatuary is some kind of love potion.
I’ve always been shy around boys. I guess I’m nervous they won’t like me back. Whenever Marcy talks about the guys she likes, I always go quiet. That seems easier than the awkwardness of mentioning I’ve never had a boyfriend.
The only reason I’m confessing all this is to let you know that I don’t have a ton of experience (okay, fine—zero experience) with boys telling me how much they like me.
And now—out of nowhere—I’ve got an actual fairy-tale prince saying how beautiful and charming I am? Part of me is like, I wish Marcy could be here to see this.
But none of the things Fred’s saying is genuine. It’s the potion talking. Besides, this is just about the worst time for romance. Ever since the bottle crashed, the clanging footsteps have stopped. The armored soldiers must’ve heard the disturbance. And now they’re on alert.
Meanwhile, Prince Fred is still gripping my hand and staring deeply into my eyes.
“Your hair.” He sighs. “It’s so smooth and silky. And your nose.” Another sigh. “How have I not yet noticed how adorable your nose is? And I mustn’t overlook your chin. Oh, what an attractive chin you have!”
“Listen, Fred.” I pull my hand out of his. “I appreciate the compliments, but now’s not really the best time.”
“But this cannot wait, Kara. I cannot bear to keep it in any longer—”
“Not now!” I hiss.
Fred stands up straight. At this point, he isn’t even trying to hide. Spreading his arms, he looks up at the ceiling and calls out in a way-too-loud voice, “I’m in love with Kara Estrada, and I want the entire world to—”
I clamp my hand over Fred’s mouth so that the rest of his announcement is muffled. For a second, everything’s totally silent. Then I hear it.
The sound of clanging metal boots. And they’re headed our way.
“We have to get out of here!” I say.
Fred nods. “Perhaps a candlelit restaurant? Someplace where we can snuggle up?”
“I’m not talking about a date!” I look out the doorway of the Potion Emporium. The clanking is getting louder and louder. “Hear that noise? That’s the sound of armored soldiers. They’re coming here to attack us.”
“How unromantic!”
“And if we don’t get out of here now, then we’ll…uh—never get to go on a date.”
“In that case, let us leave this place at once!”
We hurry out of the store. As soon as we pass through the doorway, my heart jumps into my throat. To the left, three soldiers are running toward us. Their silver visors are pulled down over their faces. Their swords are drawn. Their movements are perfectly in sync. Arms and legs rising and falling with an exactly timed rhythm, as if they choreographed their attack.
We race away from the soldiers. The sounds of their clattering armor seem to get louder and louder with each passing heartbeat.
“You look so attractive when you’re running,” Fred says between heaving breaths. “Your cheeks have a rosy flush and your brown eyes glitter with—”
“Not now!” I snap.
I scan the mall for a way out, but everything’s a blur. I’m sure that—any second—I’ll feel a heavy gauntlet come down on my shoulder. Then I see something. Up ahead, a passageway that leads to bathrooms and water fountains and…
The emergency exit.
For about half a second, I let myself feel just a tiny bit hopeful that we might make it out of the mall alive. Then I notice the sounds of armor aren’t just coming from behind us. I can also hear rhythmic clattering in front of us.
Suddenly, three more armored soldiers come bursting out of the passageway. Their swords are drawn. Maybe they’ve been patrolling the bathrooms, because one guy has toilet paper trailing from the back of his boot.
We’re trapped. If we keep going, we’ll run right into the soldiers ahead of us. But turning around will just send us in the direction of the dudes who’re chasing us.
That leaves only one other option.
“In here!” I tug Fred sideways, into a sporting goods store. It’s the kind of place where you buy gym socks and basketballs. At least, that’s what it used to be. Ever since the Sorceress’s renovations, the shelves are now filled with medieval athletic supplies. Instead of football jerseys, there’s chain mail. And where the tennis rackets used to be, there’s a rack of battle-axes.
“Why did you lead us here, darling? This isn’t romantic at all.” Fred gazes at me with a mushy expression. “I noticed a flower store nearby. Let me take you there. I’ll buy you the loveliest bouquet of tulips you’ve ever seen.”
How am I ever supposed to fight off the Sorceress’s evil minions with Prince Lover-Boy hanging all over me? Unless…
“Uh…actually, honey-poo,” I begin. “Wanna know what I find really super-duper romantic?”
“What is that, my jewel?”
I grab a spiked club off the wall and push it into Fred’s hands. “Fighting soldiers.”
Fred gives me a perplexed look. “You must be joking.”
“Nope. Totally serious. And if you want to be my…uh, boyfriend, then you’ve got to show me how good you are at beating up those soldier guys.”
Fred strikes a heroic stance. “Of course, my dear! If that’s what you wish! I shall gladly protect you from these vile soldiers and win your heart through acts of valor!”
And before I can say anything else, Fred charges across the store. He reaches the open doorway at the exact moment the first group of soldiers arrives.
Fred swings the club like it’s a baseball bat, landing a massive hit right in the stomach of the middle soldier. The impact leaves a huge dent in the armor, but the soldier doesn’t seem hurt at all. He raises his sword. He’s about to bring the blade down on Prince Fred’s neck when I join the fight.
In my rush, I grab the first weapon I can find. A small hatchet. It isn’t nearly as big or deadly as the battle-axes, but it’s light enough for me to swing with full force at the soldier’s arm. SCHLINK! The hatchet slices through steel armor. And suddenly, the soldier’s hand…
Falls off.
I let out a surprised yelp and brace myself for the gruesome aftermath. Gushing blood, severed bones. But none of that happens. Because the suit of armor is hollow. There’s nobody inside.
My memory flashes back to all the empty suits of armor that lined the walls of Legendtopia. The Sorceress must’ve cast her spell on them, too.
The hollow gauntlet clanks to the floor, still gripping the sword. But the soldier doesn’t stop. It brings a metal boot down on my foot. Searing hot pain flashes up my leg. I stagger backward, arms flailing. With the hatchet in my hand, I’m lucky I don’t cut off any of my own limbs.
Prince Fred glares at the suit of armor. “How dare you assault my beloved Kara!” He raises the club over his shoulder. “I shall turn you into scrap metal for that!”
WHAM!
&nbs
p; With a single swing, Prince Fred knocks the soldier’s head all the way to the food court.
But even that isn’t enough to stop it. The headless, handless suit of armor lurches in Fred’s direction. A whirl of flashing steel, swinging and kicking. And it’s not the only attacker. Two more soldiers are closing in on us.
Doing my best to ignore the pain pulsing in my foot, I grip the hatchet with both hands and charge. A sword swipes at my shoulder, but I manage to block it with the hatchet blade. With my next swing, I detach the leg of another soldier. The armor clatters sideways with a hollow CLONK!
“Have I ever mentioned how lovely you look swinging a hatchet?” Prince Fred remarks.
“Thanks.” I slice an arm off the nearest soldier. “You’re not doing so bad yourself.”
The floor around us is littered with random pieces of armor. But the soldiers just keep coming. One of them is missing its legs. And still the top half of the armor won’t give up. It scoots forward, metal arms swinging wildly. From the other side, a single metal foot hops in our direction, ready to kick anything that crosses its path.
But they’re not alone in the fight. Another battalion is approaching, footsteps clanging like clockwork.
“We can’t hold them off forever,” I say. “We need to keep moving.”
“You’re absolutely correct.” Prince Fred steps toward me. “Although first, perhaps we have time for a quick kiss.”
He puckers up. I resist the urge to take a swing with the hatchet. How long till this stupid potion wears off?
I give Prince Lover-Boy a back off look. “Not now, Fred.”
“Ooh, playing hard-to-get.” The prince winks. “I like that.”
The crash of armor is getting dangerously close. “Just follow me!”
“I shall follow you anywhere, my dearest beloved!”
We take off running. There are probably some warnings against running with a hatchet in your hand, but I don’t dare let go. I have a feeling I’ll need the weapon again soon.
“The exit!” Without slowing down, I point to the glass doors at the end of a department store. “That way!”
We’re almost there when the doorway shatters. Glass rains down on the floor. An extra-large figure clomps forward. A blur of gray. Before I can change directions—before I can do anything—an enormous hand swings at me.
A voice—Prince Fred’s voice—calls out.
“Kara! No!”
Everything spins. My feet are no longer on the ground. I’m hurled through space.
Until I collide with a clothes rack.
Images flash past me. Tangles of fabric. Red, blue, brown. ALL MEN’S TUNICS 20% OFF!
Then the floor rises up like a wave and smacks me in the face.
A galaxy of stars swirls through my brain. Glancing around dimly, I see that I landed inside the rack of tunics. The view flickers. I feel myself fading. Sinking deeper and deeper into unconsciousness.
Then a thought pulls at my mind. Prince Fred. He’s in danger.
I need to help him. But where’s my hatchet? I must’ve lost it somewhere around the time I took a one-way flight across the department store. Not that it matters much. My entire body feels like it’s wrapped in a cocoon. Surrounded by a gauzy numbness. Unable to stand. Unable to move at all. Unable to do anything but listen to the nearby ogres.
“YOU TAKE THE PRINCE.” The ogre’s voice is grumbly and gruff. “I’LL EAT THE GIRL.”
Eat the girl? I don’t like the sound of that. Once again, I try to push myself off the floor, but it’s impossible. I’m too weak.
A second ogre joins the conversation.
“NO TIME FOR SNACK,” it says. “SORCERESS SAY WE SHOULD BRING THE PRINCE RIGHT AWAY.”
“C’MON, PLEAAAAZZZE!” begs the first ogre. “CAN’T I JUST HAVE A QUICK BITE?”
“NO!”
The first ogre lets out an angry grunt. “YER NO FUN,” it mutters.
It takes all my effort to open my eyes. Through the dim haze, I can just barely make out two enormous gray shapes. One of them reaches down and grabs something on the floor. A small human figure. Prince Fred. By the looks of it, he’s been knocked out. The ogre slings the prince over his shoulder. Then it lumbers through the shattered doorway. The other ogre casts a hungry glance back in my direction. It lets out a long sigh then follows its companion out the door.
The lights fade again, and everything turns to black.
I awake with a hammering headache and a strong feeling of regret. My memory of recent events is shrouded in fog. The last thing I remember clearly is the smashed bottle. Essence of Infatuary spilling all around me. Inhaling a pink cloud into my lungs. And then…
Oh no.
Oh, dear heavens, no!
The potion. Love in a bottle. I practically took a bath in the stuff! Perhaps that’s why my brain feels like a mashed potato. And it might also explain why scraps of embarrassing moments have begun to drift through my memory.
I wince at each new recollection. Grasping at Kara’s hands like a lovesick baboon. Oh, what an attractive chin you have! (Did I actually say such a ridiculous thing?) Attempting to kiss her—on multiple occasions! Declaring my love for her.
She probably thinks I’m an absolute idiot!
I need to apologize! But where’s Kara? And—come to think of it…
Where am I?
For the first time since waking up, I take a close look at my surroundings. I’m seated on the floor of a small stone room. To my right is a wooden door. Light gleams through a single narrow window. When I attempt to climb to my feet, I’m yanked backward with a metallic clatter. I glance down and my confusion turns to fear. Iron shackles are clasped around my wrists. I’m chained to the wall.
A new memory crashes through my mind. Being chased through the mall by empty suits of armor. Approaching a glass doorway. Almost there. Almost. But then the glass shattered. And we were met by a gruesome duo of ogres. The first knocked Kara into a rack of tunics. I turned to help her, but the second ogre was already swinging its massive gray fist.
And the next thing I knew, I was here. In this room. Alone.
My unpleasant awakening is interrupted by a flutter of wings and the flicker of shadow. A crow has just landed on the windowsill. Its feathers are dark as midnight, and so are its eyes. Gleaming black pearls that peer in my direction. The bird opens its beak and lets out a shrill CAWWW! CAWWW! CAWWW! I could swear the thing is laughing at me.
The next time its beak parts, words come out.
“Did you enjoy your nap?” The crow casts a mocking glance around my prison cell. “How do you like your new room? Perhaps not the kind of thing you’re used to, Mr. Fancy Prince? No more snooty servants to fluff your pillows and cook your meals? Well, you better get used to it. There’s a new boss in town, and she’s making some changes.”
All of a sudden, I feel a strong urge to strangle the revolting bird. I pull at my shackles with all my might. The chains rattle and shake, but the effort does nothing to loosen my restraints.
The crow lets out another caw of laughter. Pointing its sharp black beak at my iron manacles, it says, “I like the new jewelry. Suitable for a prince such as yourself.”
It’s bad enough that I’m being held prisoner. But do I really need this horrid bird as my cell mate? Although…perhaps the company of the crow isn’t all bad. It could be a way to find out more information.
With a sigh, I drop back to the floor. Plopping my hands on my knees, I lock eyes with my feathery tormentor. “Well, then. Since you seem to know who I am, the least you can do is tell me your name.”
The bird seems amused by my request. “I’ll give you one guess.”
“Very well. But if I get it right, you must answer another question. That’s only fair.”
After a moment’s consideration, the crow nods. “Fine. What is your guess?”
I ponder the question. There are many possible names on Urth. But what about animals? My memory leaps back to our encounter with t
he frogs in Pevensie Park. Each had shared an identical name. A quite unoriginal name…
“Time’s running out!” says the crow. “All contestants must provide their answers or lose out on their chance to win the grand prize. You have three seconds. Three…two…”
“Your name is Crow!”
I can tell by the crow’s expression that I’m right. “How…?” Its voice trembles with surprise. “How did you know?”
I glance down so it won’t see my smirk. “Wild guess.”
Crow flutters its wings, clearly impressed. In the overloud voice of an announcer, it says, “Mr. Prince, you guessed correctly on the first try! You win the grand prize. An all-expenses-paid trip to an exclusive prison cell at the top of the tallest turret in Legendtopia!”
So I’m at the top of the tallest turret. That bit of information might be helpful later…if I ever manage to free myself from these accursed chains.
“That wasn’t the only prize,” I point out. “You also owe me the answer to one question.”
Crow’s black eyes gleam with annoyance. “Of course. Your question. Go ahead, then. Make it count.”
This time, I don’t need to think before speaking. The question comes at once. “Where is Kara?”
Is it my imagination, or did a smile form on Crow’s beak? “Aww! Mr. Prince wants to check on his girlfriend! How sweet!”
“She’s not my girlfriend!”
“That’s funny. Back at the mall, you weren’t too shy about your love for her.”
Suddenly, my cheeks are burning. “That was the potion!”
“And yet, you still seem quite concerned. I can see it in your face. This girl is more than a mere companion. I believe you have feelings for her.”
“Nonsense! Now will you please—?”
Crow interrupts me in a teasing singsong voice. “Mr. Prince and Kara, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N—”
“Answer the question!” I growl.
“Fine. I don’t know where your girlfriend is.”
Ignoring the “girlfriend” comment, I focus on the other thing Crow says. “What do you mean? What happened to her?”
Crow shrugs, a slight rise of black wings. “I already told you. I don’t know. Last I heard, she escaped the mall. Nobody knows what happened to her after that.”