“It does matter,” said Bo, squaring his shoulders despite Selene’s groan of protest. “We’re going to get out of here. We have to.”
Bo stood and began pacing again, Nix chasing him back and forth.
The Nev’en didn’t have a Fuglebur. Instead, Bo, Selene, and Nix had been locked in a cell with four stone walls, a floor, and a ceiling—no candles anywhere. High up, there was a window open to the elements, the wind hissing angrily as it slid inside the cell and wrapped cold, sharp claws around Bo’s skin.
It was Light now but when the Dark came . . .
Perhaps they wouldn’t even last until Dark. Shadow Creatures moving through the Light! It should be impossible but . . .
“You’re making me dizzy,” said Selene. She slapped her hands against her cheeks and shook her head. “Sit down.”
But Bo was not listening. He didn’t have his rucksack or his cloak or Tam’s robe—what could he use to escape?
Nix rammed snout-first into Bo’s ankle as he came to a sudden halt. “If there was a tree right here,” said Bo, waving his hands at the center of the room, “I could climb it, and then we’d be through that window quicker than a piquee bird will steal your dinner.”
“But there’s no tree, Bo.”
“Then we could magic one! You’ve got magic. Go on, make a tree. Right here.” Bo waved his hands at the empty space.
Selene clenched her jaw. “I’m not going to use magic. It’s evil.” She folded her arms across her chest and pouted. “And I don’t even know how it works.”
“It’s easy,” said Bo. “You just . . .” He held up both hands, palms out toward the wall. “Like this,” he said, and pushed the air. “And then sparks shoot out and magic happens. Simple.”
Selene narrowed her eyes. “Until a few days ago there was no such thing as magic,” she said, standing up. “You think they teach us how to use it? I’m not even supposed to have it. No one is!”
Bo felt his frustration bubbling in his stomach, bubbling up and up until he couldn’t hold the words in. “Well, then it’s wasted on you if you can’t even use it properly. If you won’t even try.”
Selene’s eyes sparked as she stepped up to Bo. “I’m in this cell because of you. It’s your fault I’m going to die!”
Bo watched flashes of lightning in Selene’s pupils. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, his whole body tingling. Nix whimpered, hiding behind Bo’s legs. “Selene, I think you should—”
“You’re nothing but a short, ignorant pig-child!” she screeched, but her eyes grew wide as white sparks suddenly spat from her palms. “Oh no!” she cried. “I think—”
Bo ducked; his whole body thrummed with heat as magic shot from Selene’s hands above him.
A burnt, sickly smell filled Bo’s nostrils. He waited for the smoke to clear before he straightened slowly—the front wall of the cell had melted away!
Selene stared at her hands, dumbstruck. “I didn’t . . . I can’t . . . I—”
“I see I am not needed after all,” said a voice from outside the cell, a voice that tinkled like wind chimes.
Sister Vela stood in the smoldering ruins, a small V in the space between her brows.
“I’m—” started Selene, but Sister Vela shook her head.
“Oh, I know what you are, child,” she said. “And it is nothing for you to fear. Magic can be good if it is in the right hands.” Her lips curved into a wry smile as she surveyed the still-smoking ruins. “Despite appearances.”
Selene bit her lip and looked away.
“Now, come quickly,” said Sister Vela, gesturing them closer.
Bo, Nix, and Selene edged out of the cell, Bo’s stomach tense with uncertainty.
“The Sisters are in Evensong,” explained Sister Vela. “They are locked in the chapel for an hour of deep, silent prayer. They will assume that the Shadow Creatures will take you at Dark—I volunteered to be the one to confirm your deaths. Your Korahku friend should be well enough to travel, but you cannot escape tonight. I will hide you until dawn, then when the villagers are in the Great Hall for breakfast and the Sisters are in Morning Prayer, you can—”
Bo blinked furiously. “You’re letting us go?”
Sister Vela knelt before him, her features soft and understanding. “I made an oath to protect all Ulvians, Bo. Irin, Nev’en, Korahku—it doesn’t matter.”
Nix sat and raised a paw. Sister Vela held it, smiling. “And little Ulvian dogs, of course.”
Nix yapped.
Sister Vela returned her gaze to Bo. Her smile faded, replaced with a look of grim determination. “I will not let baseless fear-mongering destroy that oath,” she said. “You seek the key, yes?”
Bo jerked back. “How did—”
Sister Vela chuckled. “The Scribe and I are old friends. I am quite fond of her owls.”
“Do you know where it is?” asked Selene.
Sister Vela nodded once, firmly. “Rumored to be in the Golden Hall.”
Selene elbowed Bo’s side. “That’s a museum where we keep Ulv’s greatest treasures,” she said in her haughty voice. “It’s shaped like a teardrop to honor the widow whose tears formed the sea at the foot of this mountain and—”
“A teardrop? That explains the shape of the key—it was a clue too!” Bo reached down to give Nix a head scratch. Bo could hardly contain himself; his body hummed with hope.
“Come,” said Sister Vela, eyes once again sweeping the damaged cell. She smiled wryly. “Let us find you more suitable sleeping quarters.”
* * *
Early next morning, Sister Vela roused them from sleep after a long night hiding in the servants’ quarters. She handed Bo his belongings with a smile.
“I put a little extra food in there,” she said. “And your friend’s robe, of course.”
Bo was speechless with gratitude. The Sister had let them sleep in a snug, firelit room with a bed that felt as though it had been sewn together from clouds. She surely knew what Bo had done—she was good friends with the Scribe and her owls, after all—but Sister Vela was still going to let them go.
Selene flung her arms around the Sister’s waist. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“You had better be going,” said Sister Vela. “You don’t have much time.”
Selene let the Sister go, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands.
Bo nodded. “First we need to find Tam, then we go to the Golden Hall for the key, and then we leave,” he said.
Sister Vela stood back. “Selene can lead you to the hospital wing. I will make sure the Sisters stay in Morning Prayer, and remember to avoid the Great Hall. The Irin villagers will be there. Go. Quickly.” She cupped Selene’s cheeks, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head. When she pulled back, Sister Vela gave Bo a smile and winked at Nix. “And good luck.”
Bo watched her walk away, his emotions a complicated swirl. In many ways her kindness hurt him—how could a near-stranger treat him better than his own flesh and blood, his own guardian?
Selene dragged them down corridor after corridor until they reached a long, narrow hall. The hall was a spine with small alcoves poking out on either side like ribs, each recess separated by whisper-thin curtains.
The three of them crept down the hall, barely making a sound, until they came to an alcove where a large feathered body slumbered.
“Tam!”
Bo rushed to Tam’s side and tugged at her hand, but the Korahku didn’t stir. “What’s wrong with her?”
Selene frowned at the vials of crushed herbs and colorful liquids on the bedside table. “She should be better. Sister Vela said so and Sister Magrid is the best and she’s been . . . ha!” Selene pointed to a bowl of yellow powder. “They’re keeping her in deep sleep with drewsberry powder. It helps with recovery.”
“Do something,” Bo urged.
Selene swallowed. “I . . . I guess we could . . .” She lifted each vial, inspecting them while her tongue poked out the side
of her mouth. “I think this one . . . no, this one . . . yes. Definitely this . . . oh, no, this one! We’ll give her a dose of opperhullim. That will wake her.” She waved a vial of blue liquid triumphantly.
“Are you sure—”
Selene jutted out her chin. “Who’s the apprentice healer? You or me?”
“Who’s the apprentice healer who once mistook sneezewort for freezewort?” said Bo.
Selene gave him a stern look. “I know what I’m doing.” She leaned over Tam, opening her beak and pouring the blue liquid down her throat.
Bo held his breath. Not a movement. And then . . . Tam bolted upright, spitting blue liquid down the front of her orange hospital tunic.
“You’ve killed her!” cried Bo.
Tam pounded a fist against her chest until her coughing subsided. Finally, she looked down at Bo, ruffling her feathers. “Little Irin?”
Forgetting himself, Bo threw his arms around the Korahku’s waist and squeezed.
Nix joined in too, trying to push his snout between them.
“Ah well,” said Tam, patting Bo lightly between his shoulder blades.
“I thought you were dead,” said Bo, voice muffled in Tam’s robe. He pulled back to wipe the traitorous tears pooling in his eyes. “I ran away but you . . . and then you . . . Ranik could have killed you and that would have been my fault too!”
Tam threw her legs over the side of the bed and almost fell off. The Korahku waved away Bo’s offers of help as she pushed herself to standing, wobbling like a norfir in the strong winds of the Howling Season. Once steady, she fixed Bo with a wary gaze and seemed about to speak before she snapped her beak and tilted her head at Selene. “And who is this?”
“The one who saved you,” said Selene with a proud smirk. “Twice.”
Bo huffed. “Her name is Selene. And she’s got magic.”
“Hush!” said Selene. “I do not.”
Nix barked.
Tam gathered her things, swapping her hospital tunic for the pile of mended clothes on the table beside her. Bo handed over the blue robe with a shaking hand. “Whatever the case,” said Tam, “I am in your debt, Selene.” She bowed as well as she could.
Selene poked her tongue out at Bo. “As much as I’d love to talk more about how brilliant I am, we are sort of in a rush,” she said, turning on her heel and marching away. “Keep up, you three!”
Before Tam could answer, Bo steered her after Selene, rushing to explain everything that had happened while the Korahku had been sleeping, making sure to leave no room for her to interject with the tongue-lashing Bo knew he deserved. Perhaps if I keep talking forever she’ll have no choice but to forgive me and help me find the Stars, thought Bo ruefully.
“And now we’re headed to the Golden Hall for the second key,” he said as Selene guided them through the maze of deserted hallways, Nix trotting beside Bo. “Then we’ll escape and find the third key and then the Stars . . .”
Bo was still babbling as they slipped into the large, teardrop-shaped room covered from floor to ceiling in gold-edged mirrors. Sprinkled throughout the room were stone plinths on which sat glass cases filled with treasures. He stumbled to a halt just inside the door as Tam grabbed hold of his arm. “Wait,” said the Korahku.
Bo turned reluctantly, curling in on himself. He had stalled for as long as possible but her anger was inevitable now. He could picture it perfectly: You ran away and I risked my life to save you and now you expect me to play along with this superstitious cluckity muck? Nonsense!
But the Korahku simply cocked her head to one side and appraised him wearily. “You will not give up this fool’s errand, will you?” she said.
Bo met her gaze, feeling the determination in him sing. He rolled back his shoulders and shook his head. “No. I . . . I have to do it.”
The Korahku sighed with her whole body as she looked away. “I do not pretend to understand why you persist, little Irin, but I made a blood bind and I will keep it. Even if it means . . .” The Korahku trailed off, frowning. “But that is Redfist!” she cried, pushing past Bo, marching toward a fearsome-looking weapon that hung from one of the mirrored walls. It was a long shaft of deep-red wood with a blade shaped like a feather at one end and a spiked ball at the other. Where the shaft met the blade was a ring of black feathers woven together with vines. “This is a Korahku weapon!” She ripped it free from the wires. “It is the weapon of our ruler, passed down from generation to generation. It should not be here!”
Tam weighed the weapon in her hand, looking it up and down with awe, before she hooked it on a loop in her leather belt. “It comes with me,” she said, setting a stern eye on Selene.
“They tried to kill me,” said Selene. “Take what you want.”
Bo did not understand Tam’s lack of anger at him—if it had been Mads, well, Bo shuddered to think of his reaction—but he wasn’t about to question it. He didn’t have time to dwell. “Look for a key,” he said instead.
Bo, Selene, and Nix searched every glass case while Tam continued to look for stolen Korahku treasures. “This is Firewand! And Ironclaw! Have the Nev’en stolen all of our precious objects?”
“What’s this?” asked Bo. He had searched all the glass cases and spied nothing at all like a key. Now he was pointing at a tiny silver teardrop stuck to the base of a plinth tucked away in the corner of the room—the teardrop symbol was shaped just like the end of the first key. Bo knelt before the plinth. “I wonder . . .” he said, and pressed the teardrop with his finger. It sank into the plinth—it was a button! Out popped a hidden drawer and in it sat a small wooden box carved with yet more teardrops. Bo pulled it out of the drawer and stood, shaking the box—it rattled! Something was inside. “Open it,” said Bo, nodding at Selene.
Selene’s lips puckered with disapproval. “With what?” she asked. “And how? There’s no keyhole.”
“Magic,” said Bo.
Selene stomped her foot. “I told you. I don’t know how to control it. I could easily melt this entire room trying.”
“I think it helps if you get angry,” muttered Bo. “That’s what happened last time.”
Selene folded her arms across her chest. “Well, keep talking, Irin, and I’m sure I’ll get angry.”
A feathered hand reached between them, grabbed hold of the box, and threw it to the floor—crack! It splintered against the stone, breaking into three parts.
Nix yelped as the box’s contents spilled free—a silver key with a spiral on one end.
“Or you could just do that,” said Selene, biting back her smile.
“The key!” cried Bo, bending to retrieve it. The spiral turned out to be a snake, coiled around and around itself. Selene peered over Bo’s shoulder to inspect it.
“It’s got a message carved on it too,” she said. “‘I run but do not walk. I have a mouth but do not talk. I have a head but never weep. I have a bed but never sleep.’ What on Ulv does that mean?”
“We can work it out later,” Bo said. “All that matters is we have two keys. So let’s—”
“Thank you ever so kindly for finding the second key for me,” said a voice behind them.
They all spun around and saw Galvin blocking the doorway, a vial of smoking green liquid in his hand. “Give both those keys to me now,” he said. “If you don’t I’ll have to use this charm.” He gestured to the vial. “I’ll throw it at your feet and the four of you will become statues, locked in stone for all eternity. Just like Elena—ha!”
“Ha yourself,” said Bo. “I know your charms don’t work.”
Galvin sneered. “Perhaps. But this isn’t one of mine, is it? I stole—eh, borrowed it from Sister Magrid’s personal stock. She’s got quite the collection of nasty things, doesn’t she?”
Selene’s startled gasp was answer enough. Bo’s eyes flicked between Tam and Selene. Could they run? Fight?
“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Don’t try anything tricky,” said Galvin. “Do you think you could reach me before I throw the vial? Do you t
hink I am lying? Will you take that chance?” His gold teeth glistened. “Not even your magic girl would be quick enough!”
“Give him the keys, Bo,” said Tam with an angry sigh. “We cannot take the chance.”
Bo turned a pleading stare toward Selene. Use your magic! his eyes begged, but she shook her head: I don’t know how.
“You’re a worm, Galvin,” said Bo, but the Irin simply laughed.
“Oh dear, no! Not at all! I am simply a man with expensive tastes. When I sell the Stars on the Dark Market, I will live in such luxury. Ha!” He nodded at the floor. “Set the keys just there between us.”
Bo stepped forward and placed the two keys on the floor as Nix barked wildly.
“I don’t have a choice,” said Bo, and backed away again. “You want to be a statue forever?”
Galvin snapped up the keys and waved them above his head in triumph. “You have made a wise decision, young Irin. It has been a pleasure. Now, if you will excuse me, I am off to find the third key. And to be sure you don’t follow me, I’m afraid I’ll have to use this charm on you anyway. Thank you kindly once again!”
Before they could react, Galvin had flung the vial at their feet. A cloud of noxious green smoke erupted, making them wheeze and bend double. It took forever for the smoke to clear but when it did, Bo was surprised to find that he could still move and was not, as far as he could tell, a statue. There were a few lingering wisps of green smoke and a foul, rotting stench, but no statues.
“It was a trick!” cried Bo. “That no-good, lying slangrot!”
Nix barked, turning in circles.
“Come,” said Tam, already running to the door. “We can catch him if we hurry.”
They raced through the temple, chasing Galvin’s wild, gleeful cackle echoing through the stone hallways. They were too busy in their pursuit to notice where they were being led until they rounded a corner and found themselves face-to-face with a wall of angry villagers.
Galvin had lured them to the Great Hall.
Bo caught sight of Galvin’s grinning face as he disappeared into the teeming mass of angry people before a familiar man pushed to the front of the crowd, wearing a nasty, tar-stained smile. “I should have known a Devil like you would escape yet another night with the Shadow Creatures,” said the Innkeeper, gripping a sharpened club in his hand. “Looks like it’s time we took matters into our own hands.”
The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars Page 15