“What?” I said, gaping.
“I thought you said you had three friends trying out,” Veronica said.
“I do. There has to be some mistake.” With my worry growing by the second, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. To my dismay, it was turned off. I switched it on and stared at the screen, certain a text from Eli would appear, some explanation for why he hadn’t taken the field for the individual round.
There was no text. No voice mail. No nothing.
Once I accepted this truth, I sent Selene a text—where are the boys? I followed it up with a dual text to Eli and Lance—Where are you two?
Several minutes went by with no reply from anyone. I soon realized why Selene wasn’t answering when she came running out onto the game field with four teammates. The match started, and I watched it unfold, my worry for Eli taking a backseat to the more immediate worry for Selene. I wanted her to succeed, but the team they were up against was good—they’d already taken down two challenging teams. Mere minutes into the match, three of Selene’s teammates fell in rapid succession, including Nick Jacobi.
The four players on the opposing team—three seniors and one hopeful—started to surround her. They did it slowly, certain of their victory. I half-suspected they were giving her a chance to surrender, not wanting to hurt the only girl.
But once again, Selene proved that underestimating her was a bad idea. The entire audience gave a gasp of surprise as Selene leaped into the air, her two massive black wings expanding out around her. Somehow she’d managed to modify her uniform to allow for her wings to come through.
Culpepper, I suspected. It seemed maybe she’d borrowed more than a couple of helmets.
With Selene now airborne, the other team didn’t stand a chance. She swooped down on her enemies, terrifying them into making mistakes, spells and curses shooting wide as she dodged in between them. Her spells found their mark though, executed with perfect accuracy.
By the time she went for the flag—flying up to it rather than taking the long way over the structures—there were no enemies for her to worry about at all.
The audience erupted into applause when Selene once again held up the flag. She carried it down to the floor, landing gracefully in the middle of the field, her black wings fanned out behind her like billowing royal robes. Then she marched it triumphantly out of the game field, serenaded by the cheering, whooping crowd.
“Wow, she’s amazing,” said Veronica.
“Tell me about it,” I replied. Then standing up, I said a quick good-bye and hurried down the stairs to the gym floor. I pushed and elbowed my way through the crowd and dashed into the girl’s locker room.
“Selene!” I shouted.
She stopped and spun around. Her face lit up as she saw me.
“Where’s Eli and Lance?” I said, racing over to her.
Her triumphant look blurred into confusion. “What do you mean?”
“They didn’t compete for the individual round.”
“What?” Selene’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I resisted the urge to shake her in my panic. “Have you seen them?”
“No. Not once all day. I’ve been avoiding them on purpose.”
I exhaled, fighting back fear. “They’re not here at all, Selene.”
“Did you try their phones?”
“Both. No answer. Something’s wrong.”
She nodded and then started pulling off her gladiator gear, her black wings retreating into her body. “I’m finished with my tryouts. Let’s go check their dorm.”
Five minutes later, we were pounding on the door of their dorm room. Ten seconds after that we were busting our way inside. There was no sign of either of them in the living quarters, and Selene and I got in the way of each other as we both attempted to go through the door into the sleeping quarters at the same time. Selene won, heading in first. Her scream of alarm struck me like a knife to the chest. I gasped without knowing why, my terror multiplying.
Then I managed to peer around her. I didn’t scream and I didn’t faint at the sight before me, although I wanted to do both. Lance was lying in an awkward heap on his bed, as if he’d fallen backward into it. His head was tilted back, almost out of view, but I could see enough to spot the blood seeping slowly out of a gash on his temple.
With my heart fluttering in my chest, I turned my gaze to the other bed. It was empty. Eli wasn’t there.
Eli wasn’t anywhere.
24
Hidden Target
Lance’s injury was serious enough that they took him to Vejovis, the magickind hospital. Detective Valentine organized the search efforts for Eli—entire squadrons of police officers, Will Guards, faculty and staff, even students pitching in to comb every known inch of Arkwell.
I wanted to search for him, too, but I was sent to the principal’s office for my safety, four armed guards posted outside the door into the conference room. Selene went with Lance to the hospital. I was worried for her, knowing that Lance’s father would be there sooner or later. But that worry was nothing compared to what I felt for Eli.
Several hours later there was no sign of him. Deep down, I’d known there wouldn’t be. Even before Lady Elaine came to tell me her suspicions, I’d known he’d been taken by the same person who had my mother and Bethany Grey, the same person who had possession of the Death’s Heart—a phantom with the ability to come and go as he chose, leaving behind no trace, nothing but the absence of people I cared about.
The thought of Eli having his vital essence drained made me feel as if my body were being turned inside out. My heart ached; my stomach was a leaden ball in my center.
Lady Elaine looked nearly as distraught as I felt when she sat down across from me, the long, narrow conference room table between us. The sight of her distress only worsened my own.
“Don’t you have any suspects yet?” I said, my voice pleading rather than accusatory. Please say you suspect Corvus, I silently added. It took all my will to keep from telling her my suspicions. I didn’t owe Paul much, but I did this—he’d hacked those files for me. If he hadn’t, I never would’ve seen Corvus’s brand.
But Eli is more important than Paul, the thought flitted through my mind.
Sorrow filled Lady Elaine’s eyes. “No, I’m afraid we don’t. You can’t understand how clever this person is. There’s no trace. Nothing at all.”
I slowly nodded. I understood better than she knew. Marrow had made a habit of recruiting clever, powerful people to his cause. The magickind parliament in the UK had never been able to figure out who freed Marrow from his tomb, either, and my mom had spent months trying to, as well.
Something clicked inside my brain—a puzzle piece falling into place. “It must be the same person.”
“What?” Lady Elaine said, brow furrowing in confusion.
I leaned toward her. “The man who freed Marrow from his tomb. My mom was tracking him. She was convinced he was here at Arkwell. What if it’s the same person behind all of this?”
“It’s possible.” Lady Elaine grimaced. “But your mother had suspected he was here for weeks and could never pin him down.”
No, she couldn’t. I bit my lip, hating myself for letting that flash drive get ruined. If only … but there was no point dwelling on it now. I needed to stay focused on Mr. Corvus. Once again the urge to tell Lady Elaine what I knew came upon me. This time, I acted on it, seeing a way to shed light on him without implicating Paul.
Clearing my throat, I said, “You don’t think it was Mr. Corvus, do you?”
Lady Elaine cast me a suspicious look. “Why on earth would you say that?”
I wriggled in my seat, too aware of the thin ice I was sliding on. “Because he’s a … a Nightmare. And Valentine thought only a Nightmare could’ve done it. That’s why he suspected my mom. But with her and Bethany missing, that leaves only Corvus.”
Lady Elaine narrowed her eyes at me. “How do you know he’s a Nightmare?”
I began to fidget with my hair. “I saw him in the dark once. His one eye was glowing.” I could tell she wasn’t convinced, and growing desperate I plunged on, “And … and he has the Borromean rings branded on his chest just like the Nightmares who confronted Marrow. I’ve seen that, too.” I bit my lip and hoped for the best. I hated putting Paul at risk, but if it helped save Eli, it was worth it. I won’t tell even if they torture me, I thought. I was an investigator, of sorts, and no matter how cheesy it might make me feel to think it, I had a right to protect my sources.
For a moment Lady Elaine didn’t react at all, only stared at me like I was some new and strange creature she’d never seen before. “I don’t know how you learned these things about Mr. Corvus, but you must swear to me that you won’t breathe a word about this to anyone else.”
An icy breath seemed to blow against the back of my neck. “Why?”
“Mr. Corvus is working for me. Or with me, I suppose, to be more accurate, and I have vouched for him with Valentine.”
My stomach flipped over at this news. Suddenly my mom’s warning not to trust the people around Lady Elaine deepened. What if my mom had known about Corvus and Lady Elaine? What if she had suspected him?
Trying to keep my voice steady, I said, “What is he doing for you exactly?”
Lady Elaine shook her head. “I’ve already told you more than you need to know. But you must swear to keep this to yourself. What Corvus is doing must be kept secret. Even the Magi Senate don’t know about him. There are too many people in high places who can’t be trusted, Dusty.”
You got that right. I nodded, wondering if she was one of those people, inadvertently or not.
“Promise me,” Lady Elaine insisted.
“I promise,” I said, and my voice sounded steady and sure, as believable as I could make it. “I won’t say a word about Corvus.”
Lady Elaine smiled, looking relieved. I was glad to see it. The last thing I wanted right now was for her to suspect my true feelings—I was more certain than ever that he was up to no good.
And first thing tomorrow, Paul and I would be on our way to finding out the real truth about Mr. Corvus.
* * *
That evening, Paul and I worked out the final details of our mission through a series of short, cryptic text messages. I spent the rest of the day wearing the shape-change necklace around my dorm room, trying to get comfortable in the taller, larger body.
Selene returned from the hospital a few hours after dinner with the news that Lance was still unconscious.
“The doctor’s said it was a physical attack and not a magical one.” Selene sounded perfectly normal as she spoke, but her eyes were red from crying. “He has swelling on the brain, so they’re keeping him asleep for now. They might try to revive him in the morning.”
“Do they think he’s going to be okay?” I said.
She nodded. Then her expression darkened. “Let’s just hope he saw who attacked him.”
“Yeah, that would be great,” I said, but I doubted it. This guy was too clever for that. I waited, expecting her to tell me more, but when she didn’t I quietly asked, “Was Lance’s father there?”
Fresh tears blurred Selene’s eyes. The wetness made them look more indigo than ever. “Yes, he was there.”
“What did he do?”
Selene exhaled, the sound close to a sob. “He demanded I leave.” She thrust out her chin, her tear-filled gaze fierce. “But I refused. Not until the doctor’s told us what was happening.”
“Good for you,” I said, trying to smile, but mostly failing.
She nodded. “And I’m going back first thing tomorrow. He can’t keep me away.”
Her bravery brought me unexpected comfort. Despite my eagerness to investigate Corvus, I was anxious about it, too. So much could go wrong. We might get stopped at the gate, the car could break down, or we might not be able to get into the house. And there was the worst possibility of all—that we might not find anything.
But no, I couldn’t dwell on that. We had to find something or Eli and my mom might be gone forever.
* * *
I woke early the next morning. Even though I wasn’t hungry, I went down to the cafeteria with Selene and forced myself to eat. I could tell she was forcing herself to eat, too. It was as if both of us were preparing to go to battle against enemies unseen and undefeatable.
Finally, an eternity later, it was time to go. Selene and I walked together to the main parking lot outside the front gates. I waited until she’d gotten into the car with her mom, then I headed for my rendezvous point with Paul, just around the corner of the nearest building. Five minutes later he still wasn’t there, and I started to pace and fret with worry.
“Hey,” someone said from behind me.
I jumped and spun around, startled by the strange voice. I recognized the man as one of the Menagerie workers, Paul’s other form. Or at least, I thought it was. “Paul? Is that you?”
He nodded. “Sorry I’m late. Had to get these.” He held up a pair of car keys. I was relieved to see them. Mr. Corvus’s house was a good fifteen-minute drive from campus.
“Okay,” I said, rubbing my sweating hands together. “Are we ready then?”
“As soon as you put on your costume.” Paul said, motioning to me.
“Right.” I took a deep breath and pulled out the shape-change necklace. The moment I slid it on, I felt that awful stretching feeling come over me, painful without pain. A few seconds later, I stood several inches higher than before—the difference putting me an inch or two shorter than the form Paul was wearing. I turned in a slow circle, adjusting to the new size.
“Looking good,” Paul said. He reached out and touched my arm. “I’m sorry about Eli.”
I swallowed and managed a nod. I didn’t want to talk about it. I was certain that tears would arouse suspicion in the guards at the gate. With an effort, I schooled my stranger’s expression into something that I hoped looked calm and innocent.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Paul headed around the corner and into the parking lot. He held up the keys and double-pressed the lock button. A car alarm squawked once in the distance. A few moments later, I pulled open the passenger door of a blue Ford Focus. The car was small, a fact I was hyper aware of in my bigger, taller body.
As Paul sat down and started the engine, I glanced behind me. “Couldn’t I have just ridden in the trunk?” I said, turning back. It seemed like that would’ve been a whole lot easier than all the business with the ID and hacking Arkwell’s computer system.
“Nope,” Paul said, backing out of the spot. “There are sensors on the gate that check for that sort of thing. They’re magical sensors. They check for any kind of concealment.”
I raised a hand, touching the necklace around my neck with the tip of my finger. “Won’t it detect this then?”
“No,” Paul said, his attitude confident. “These are the best shape-change necklaces around. Nearly impossible to detect. I mean, they’re based on shape-changer magic after all.”
“I hope you’re right,” I muttered, but Paul didn’t reply. We’d already reached the gate, and he was bringing the car to a stop.
A guard stepped out of the gatehouse and approached the driver’s side window. Wordlessly, Paul handed him two IDs, each showing our borrowed faces.
The guard scanned both IDs with some electronic device he held in his other hand. The light on it flashed red to green, red to green. Then he handed both IDs back to Paul. “Have a nice day.”
“You, too,” Paul said. He wasted no time in driving us through the gates and out onto the street. I inhaled, just now aware of how shallow my breathing had become the last few minutes. My heart felt like a herd of stampeding horses inside my chest.
Paul, oblivious to my distress, gazed sidelong at me and grinned. “Too easy.”
“Yep,” I managed, and then I sank back against the seat, trying to savor the relief that we’d made it through the first big
hurdle.
As we drove along, Paul pulled his cell out of his pocket and brought up the map app. It took us down several main drags and finally onto the side streets of an unremarkable neighborhood, one so ordinary, I found it hard to believe that imperial, eccentric, history-obsessed Mr. Corvus would ever choose to live there.
When I spotted his actual house ahead of us, I was certain there had to be some kind of mistake. It was a perfectly ordinary ranch-style home on a sleepy cul-de-sac. I stared at it, strangely disappointed. It was the least likely house to hold something as sinister as the Death’s Heart and its victims inside.
“Where are we going to park the car?” I asked.
“Right in the driveway,” Paul said, already slowing us down.
“In the driveway? Are you crazy?”
He laughed. “A little, maybe. But the best way not to get noticed in a place like this is to be obvious. Nothing draws suspicion like suspicious behavior.”
I supposed he had a point. I mean, who would believe a couple of prowlers would just park their car outside in broad daylight and knock on the door? They would assume we were relatives, stopping in for a visit. Or maybe we were here to house-sit. I was willing to bet that Mr. Corvus wasn’t friendly enough with the neighbors for them to be that concerned about his comings and goings. I’d spent plenty of time in neighborhoods like this, and people generally stayed out of other people’s business.
That was American suburbia for you—leave my business alone and I’ll ignore yours, too.
Paul pulled the car all the way up to the garage door, and killed the engine. I climbed out, smoothing my hair back and adjusting my pants, which felt strange on my stranger’s body.
My anxiety spiked when I spotted the next-door neighbor sitting on his back porch. The guy had a cup of coffee and a book, but to my relief he didn’t look our way once.
Tapping my pockets for the contents I’d hid inside them before leaving the dorm, I headed for the front door. Paul followed after me.
“Should we try the moonwort key first?” I asked, reaching into my pocket for it. Eli had given me both it and the lockpick kit late Friday. The moonwort key would be easiest, but there was no guarantee it would work. Mr. Corvus kept his office on campus barred against any kind of magical means for breaking in. I was hoping he wouldn’t be so paranoid about his off-campus home.
The Nightmare Charade Page 25