by Amy C. Blake
Wait! Levi spread his hands. “But sir, if I could—”
“Goodbye, now.”
“Okay, yeah. Bye.” Levi moved a few steps along the corridor, tossing back a glance as the two men hurried to the stairwell and started down.
Deflated and disturbed, Levi started up the opposite steps. His thoughts whirled tighter than the spiral staircase. For a second, he thought he might puke. It was one thing to imagine—or even suspect—he was in another world populated by mysterious and magical creatures. It was altogether another to have that suspicion confirmed by an adult.
He should find Trevor and tell him what he had found out, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it just yet. Instead he climbed the tower steps and stumbled out onto the roof, glad for the breeze that soothed the whirlwind in his brain.
Levi strode across the tower and halted at the short stone wall that came only to his waist in the middle but extended above his head on either side. Hands braced against the rough stones, he leaned forward, fighting the dizziness he’d always felt in high places. When he climbed Marblehead Lighthouse last summer, he barely made it to the top. Then he’d dug in, refusing to move one step to enjoy the view. He had never even looked up from the floor at his feet.
Now Levi shoved aside the temptation to fear. He couldn’t be a coward over nothing when real danger lurked outside these castle walls—a danger threatening one of his friends. Because although the director hadn’t said as much, he knew Deceptor was after one person in particular—Ashley, Sara, Monica, or Lizzie. Levi just didn’t know which one.
Peering down into the courtyard, he glimpsed several campers outfitted in fencing gear, all but one paired off and sparring. A glance at his watch told him the group’s identity, even though they all wore protective helmets. He was supposed to meet his friends at four o’clock for practice. Now one of them was without a partner.
He squinted at the lone person on the side. Was it the girl threatened by Deceptor? His gut clenched at the thought. Ever since he was little and slapped his baby sister Abby for knocking down his block tower, his dad had taught him to protect girls. Dad always said boys who hurt girls were the worst sort of bullies because God intended men to protect women. Although Levi couldn’t claim never to have hit Abby after that, he’d always been uncomfortably aware that he shouldn’t. And he would never let anyone else hurt her.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins now as he thought of the threat to one of his female friends. He would do his best to keep her from harm—even though the mere thought of a real-live, shape-shifting demon scared him stiff.
At that moment, something silver shot into the air above his friends. One of them whipped off her helmet, golden hair bright in the sunlight as she grinned up at the buffered blade she’d just knocked from her opponent’s hands. Sara. Trevor plucked off his helmet, then reached over and shook Sara’s hand. Levi laughed. Okay, so maybe at least one of the girls was more fit to do the protecting than to need it.
But he’d stick close just in case.
“We need to tell the others about this,” Trevor whispered to Levi as they walked to Logic class later that week. Levi had told Trevor all he’d learned from the director, and ever since, they kept coming back to the same argument: Trevor wanted to tell the others, Levi didn’t.
“No.” Levi shook his head. “There’s no point in worrying them when the bad guy’s outside the castle.” How could the girl in danger enjoy her summer in the safety of the castle if she was worrying all the time about what was going on out there?
Trevor’s eyebrows drew together in a scowl. “If Mr. Dominic disappears for another week, something might happen. She should at least be on guard.”
Levi folded his arms across his chest. “So we keep a close eye out. We’re not telling.”
They kept up their glaring contest until the bell rang, at which point Trevor stormed into class and flopped down at his desk. Levi strolled inside and sat calmly in his own seat. Trevor could be so childish.
“Good morning, class.” The unexpected voice drew Levi’s eyes to the teacher’s desk. There stood Dr. Baldwin, who ran the infirmary and taught Levi’s least favorite class, Mathematics. “Mr. Dominic was called away from the castle today,” he announced, “so I’ll be filling in until he returns.”
Levi exchanged a worried glance with Trevor, who no longer looked like he wanted to throttle Levi. Who had time for anger when something might be seriously wrong with the director?
“Choose a partner and a chess set.” Dr. Baldwin swept a stubby hand toward a tableful of boxes.
Levi’s eyebrows shot up. Chess? In Logic class?
“You’ll find that playing chess helps you think strategically,” Dr. Baldwin said as the campers paired off. “You have to have sharp skills in logic to win against a chess master.” He stumped forward and lifted an old wooden chess board. “If you can learn to think, you can learn to fight any battle.”
Levi and Trevor placed chairs on either end of a desk and set out the pieces, as did the rest of the campers. With twenty-five kids in the class, Dr. Baldwin played against Ashley, the odd one out. Her freckles looked darker than ever against her ashen face. Levi offered her a reassuring smile, which she attempted to return.
Levi loved chess. He’d played his dad since he was five. He’d even gotten to the point earlier this year where he could put his dad in checkmate. It took him no time to beat Trevor, who’d only played a few times in his life.
After their game, he and Trevor watched Dr. Baldwin and Ashley, who was so nervous she kept dropping pieces. The teacher issued instructions every so often, things like “Watch out for my knight, girl!” or “Protect your queen!” or “Don’t move there!” Sweat shone on Ashley’s upper lip by the time he took mercy and finished her off.
“All right, Prince, you won your match. Now you play me.” Dr. Baldwin gestured for Trevor to play Ashley and instructed the rest of the class to pair off the same way as they finished their games.
Levi’s palms dampened as Dr. Baldwin set up his pieces. Somehow he suspected the doctor would be harder to beat than Trevor. A short time later, his suspicions were more than confirmed. He struggled to anticipate the doctor’s moves while planning his own strategy, barely keeping out of check. It didn’t help that his eyes continually drifted from his opponent’s hairy knuckles to his broad, swarthy face. What sort of creature was Dr. Baldwin? A dwarf probably, given his short stature and barrel chest. But then maybe he was just an unusually short, hairy human. Mr. Dominic hadn’t exactly been specific when Levi asked about mythical creatures in the castle.
Dr. Baldwin’s beady black eyes flicked to Levi’s, pulling his mind back to the game just in time to hear, “Checkmate.”
The bell rang.
Levi’s face burned as he put away his pieces. He’d played awful.
Dr. Baldwin slapped him on the back. “Well played, boy. You had me hopping a time or two.”
Levi checked the doctor’s face. He had to be joking.
“I’m serious. You have the makings of a great player.” Dr. Baldwin tutted. “Much better than your skills as a mathematician.”
Levi bit back a groan.
The doctor flashed a crooked smile almost hidden behind his thick salt-and-pepper mustache. “I tell you what, next time you decide to skulk around the infirmary, I’ll challenge you to a game. Give you something better to do with your free time.” His right eyebrow lifted in a knowing gesture that made Levi gulp. Had he and Trevor been that obvious?
Neck hot, Levi stammered his thanks, snagged his backpack, and hurried from the room. He’d be happy if he never had to play chess against the doctor again.
With the end of July coming fast, Levi and his friends spent most of their spare time practicing for the Olympic events. And with Deceptor lurking, Levi figured he’d better learn all he could. He might need the training for something more important than games.
Getting in practice on the canoe was the
most difficult since the campers weren’t allowed outside the castle walls without an adult. Albert accompanied them sometimes, but he didn’t have as much free time as before. “Got me a special job from the big boss hisself,” he told them in a snotty way that made Levi glad to be rid of him.
The girls convinced their shy hall chaperone, Miss Nydia, to go when Albert couldn’t. Levi hadn’t quite decided what he thought of the tall, willowy, blonde woman, but the girls clearly adored her. He and Trevor had classified her as an elf, secretly, of course. Levi held to his resolve not to tell the others about Terracaelum. So far, Trevor had kept quiet as well.
One day when Miss Nydia was canoe-sitting them, Steve toppled the boat he shared with Levi. Deciding to dry out before another attempt, Levi plopped onto the grass beside Miss Nydia.
“Good thing the sun’s out.” Grinning, he squeezed water from his t-shirt.
She didn’t look up from her embroidery.
“You’re good at that.” Levi pointed at the neat stitches. “What’s it for?”
“It’s Lizzie’s costume.”
Levi nodded. Lizzie had won the lead part as Helen of Troy in the camp play. She milked the prima donna role every chance she got. “How long’s it take to make something like that?”
“Awhile.” She angled her body away from him.
Levi shrugged. Guess she doesn’t want to chat. He turned his attention to the others. Lizzie scolded Trevor for dribbling river water on her favorite shorts. Monica and Ashley paddled in circles while Tommy stood on the bank laughing at them. Levi shook his head. They had this event in the bag, no question.
His eyes drifted to Steve, now paired with Sara, who patiently instructed him on how to position his paddles and how to relax into the water’s rocking so he wouldn’t tip the canoe.
“I always like being Sara’s partner,” Levi said, forgetting Miss Nydia didn’t want to talk. “She’s so smooth. It’s almost like we’re flying on the water.”
“Of course, my Sara’s good at everything.”
Levi looked at her. My Sara? Before he could ask what she’d meant or even get a glimpse of her face, Miss Nydia rose and walked away.
Man, she was an odd one.
But she was right. Sara did seem to be good at everything. She was the best archer, along with Tommy. She’d even managed to teach Levi how to shoot an occasional bullseye. But she still hadn’t gotten him that comfortable with fencing. He could hang on to the sword and generally keep from getting stabbed, but unless he was paired with the weakest of the others, he always lost.
He’d fight hard against the boys, but not the girls. His dad’s teaching about protecting girls wouldn’t let him. Trevor got to where he could beat Sara some of the time, but not Levi. He just couldn’t do it, and Sara would shake her head as time after time his sword flew from his grasp.
“You have to get over it, Levi,” she’d say. “Girls can be just as good as boys at fencing, and girls can be evil. Believe it or not, a girl’s sword can kill you as easily as a boy’s.”
Chapter 22
The Library
One hot day at the end of July, Levi and his art class pounded nails into the wooden horse they were building for the summer play. Before long, his head pounded in time with his hammer. After an hour of torture, he told Miss Althea he didn’t feel good and asked if he could go in for a drink. She peered into his flushed face, felt his hot forehead, and sent him to Dr. Baldwin.
Levi dragged himself to the second floor infirmary and tapped weakly at the door. When the doctor yanked it open, Levi nearly fell into the cool, dim room.
“Ah, my chess player.” Dr. Baldwin led Levi to a white-sheeted bed in the corner. “Not feeling so great today, I see.” He gave Levi’s shoulders a gentle push, and Levi sat. “Guess you won’t be up to a game of chess this afternoon. Too bad.”
After taking Levi’s temperature and giving him a dose of Tylenol, Dr. Baldwin tucked him into bed. Levi dropped instantly to sleep, and when he awoke later it was dark. Peering around at the empty cots, he remembered his pounding head from earlier. He eased to a sitting position. His headache was gone, but his nose felt puffy and his throat burned.
Levi looked around for a sink to get water. He decided the closed door at the far end of the room must lead to Dr. Baldwin’s room, but on this end a door stood ajar, a faint light within. He pushed to his feet and shuffled over. Bingo. A bathroom. He found a glass and guzzled some water.
Satisfied, Levi returned to bed, sat down, and realized he wasn’t sleepy. According to his watch, it was only three in the morning. He had come to the infirmary a couple of hours after lunch, meaning he’d slept more than twelve hours. Despite his sore throat, he grinned. He was, quite possibly, the only one awake in the entire castle.
“Well, what should I do then?” he whispered to himself.
He was on a different floor than usual. If he’d been in his room, he’d have climbed to the tower roof. But he was on the second floor. The staff floor. The Dominics’ floor.
The library floor.
He popped up and headed for the corridor. Mr. Dominic had given him permission to visit the library anytime, and he hadn’t gotten there yet. Maybe the director hadn’t meant the middle of the night, but still . . . What else did Levi have to do?
He snatched up a flashlight but didn’t click it on as he crept from the infirmary. Through the hall windows, he saw a full moon pushing through the shredded clouds. Images of howling werewolves crept into his mind. Were there werewolves in Terracaelum?
Levi cast anxious glances around the empty corridor. He knew Mr. Dominic had said nobody could enter the castle without his or his wife’s permissions, but what if they’d admitted a werewolf without realizing? Or what if they’d hired a werewolf intentionally, like that professor in Harry Potter. Dr. Baldwin was pretty hairy.
He rolled his eyes. Don’t be stupid, Levi. This isn’t a book.
Still, he hurried past the dark staircase, not liking the way his whispery footfalls echoed off the stone steps. By the time he reached the south corridor entryway, sweat dampened his t-shirt. He wrenched open the door and listened. All was silent. He sneaked to a door midway along the hall, opened it, and slipped inside, closing it quietly behind him.
Moonlit floor-to-ceiling windows revealed tall bookcases on every wall. Hanging ladders allowed access to the upper shelves. A huge double-sided fireplace cube sat in the middle of the room, like in the Dominics’ office, with a group of plump reading chairs arranged on this side. Beyond the fireplace sat several study tables and more rows of bookshelves.
Levi turned to the shelf beside the door and ran his hand along the smooth leather spines, inhaling the musty aroma of old books. Despite the dust, his breathing calmed, and his throat felt less sore.
“This is one awesome library,” he said softly.
As his finger shifted to switch on the flashlight, a snuffling sound came from among the far rows of bookcases. His finger stilled.
“W-who’s there?” A werewolf sniffing him out?
The snuffling ceased. It’s probably a mouse, Levi. Chill. Find a book. His finger again sought the switch.
Faint footsteps trickled from among the stacks. Levi held his breath, ankles quivering. He raised the flashlight in both hands, his mighty weapon for fighting off werewolves in dark libraries.
Yeah, right. I’m toast.
A slight, pale form emerged from the shadows, one with no fangs, no claws, not even any fur. Levi lowered his flashlight, feeling foolish. It was Miss Nydia, a skinny elf lady without so much as a book in hand. Maybe she hadn’t noticed his overreaction.
Miss Nydia cleared her throat. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
He could ask her the same question. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d look for a book.” Hang on, were those tears on her face?
“You shouldn’t linger out of bed for long.” She stepped past him, reached for the doorknob. “You can’t tell who you might meet.
Could be dangerous.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Wow, she was paranoid. Okay, so he’d nearly brained her with a flashlight.
With one of her sad smiles, she slipped from the room. When the door swung shut, Levi’s gaze pulled to the dark stack from which she’d emerged. He had to check it out. Tiptoeing among the stacks, he shone his flashlight up and down each perfectly ordered row. What was the woman doing back here in the pitch dark? Creepy.
Finally, on the bottom shelf of the back row, he spotted a book jutting from the orderly shelf as if it had been stuffed there by someone in a big hurry. Stooping low, he ran his light over the title, Creatures of the Darkness.
Was that Miss Nydia’s idea of a good bedtime read?
Levi awoke from a heavy sleep with his neck aching and his throat raw. Bright sunlight streamed in the windows. He was curled up in the overstuffed chair he’d chosen the night before, a heavy volume of classical myths at his feet and the flashlight in his lap, the batteries long spent.
“Leviticus Prince!” The sound of his name being called, the sound that must have woken him, propelled Levi from the chair.
As he reached the library door, it burst open. Mr. Dominic and Dr. Baldwin jumped back at the sight of him, then rushed forward and grabbed for him. Levi nearly fell over in his instinctive attempt to fight off their grasping hands, but the agitation in their faces made him go still.
“Where have you been, boy?” Dr. Baldwin’s face was the color of some beets Levi’s mom had once tried to make him eat.
Levi struggled for a response. “Uh . . . here.”
“Levi.” Mr. Dominic’s face was colorless, in sharp contrast to his lime-green Hawaiian shirt. “We’ve been scouring the castle for an hour now.” He raised both brows as if waiting for Levi to explain his bad behavior.
Levi stared at him, completely clueless.