by Amy C. Blake
Levi ducked and weaved just in time to avoid the blunted blade.
“Or that Greg had killed you when he caught you.” Hunter sliced at his chest.
Levi dove aside, scooted to the far side of the ring. He was already sweating. A stitch seared his side. Hunter hadn’t even broken a sweat. How was Levi ever going to survive? Maybe he should try a little trash talk too—ask Hunter why he had a dead girl’s pretty purple diary under his mattress.
Before he could say anything, a burst of applause from the girls’ match distracted Hunter. Levi took advantage of the moment and attacked, his sword weaving and swiping. Hunter’s blade struck the ground, and Levi’s pulse surged. Maybe he had half a chance after all.
A second later, Levi realized Hunter had played him. When Hunter raised his sword from the ground, its bare blade flashed like its wielder’s malicious eyes. Hunter sliced at Levi’s head, and Levi knew: Hunter planned to kill him and blame a faulty blade buffer.
Fear fueled Levi’s weary muscles. He fought, too focused on survival to even cry out for help from the crowd that must’ve been preoccupied with the girls’ match. Swirling and dancing, thrusting and parrying, the two boys battled. Levi knew a mistake would mean his death.
See the whole board! See the whole board! Dr. Baldwin’s admonition ran like a mantra through Levi’s desperate mind. His world shrank into narrow focus: Hunter’s eyes, taut muscles, blade, rhythm. Levi’s actions, reactions, fervent prayers for deliverance from this sword-wielding Goliath. After several long moments, Levi began to see a pattern in Hunter’s movements. If he could just anticipate . . .
Finally his chance came. As Hunter began a downward slash, Levi shoved his padded sword upward, forcing Hunter’s sword high above his head. The bare blade caught and reflected the sunlight.
“Halt!” Mr. Dominic commanded.
Levi and Hunter froze, blades crossed in the air. Only the sound of their heavy breathing broke the sudden silence.
“Hunter Jacobson.” The fury in the director’s voice made the hair on Levi’s neck stand up. “What do you mean dueling bare-bladed? You might’ve killed him.”
“Sorry,” Hunter mumbled. He lowered his sword to the side, but his cold eyes remained fixed on Levi, reminding Levi of a cat waiting for the dog to leave so he could pounce on the mouse.
Levi lowered his sword as well, but his muscles stayed coiled as he watched Hunter’s every twitch. He didn’t want to be a skewered mouse.
Hunter tossed the director a hard look. “Levi must’ve knocked the buffer off my sword.”
Levi sputtered an incoherent protest, but Mr. Dominic simply glared at them both, motioned for Mr. Drake and Mr. Sylvester to join him, took the boys’ swords, and commanded them to stand still. Then he ordered the girls’ fight to resume.
Levi did as he was told but strained to see over the shoulders of the crowd around the girls’ match. When Trevor cast Levi a questioning glance, Levi nodded toward the girls, wordlessly telling Trevor to watch out for Sara.
After a few moments’ huddled discussion, the director, mouth tight and eyes bulging, strode to him and Hunter. “We’ve decided it isn’t worthwhile to continue this match.” He turned furious eyes on Hunter. “While I can’t prove that any wrongdoing has occurred, I am unwilling to chance anyone becoming injured.” At this, he turned to Levi. “Therefore, we have chosen to award two gold medals. You tie for first place.”
Levi blinked. Was he disappointed or relieved? On the one hand, he knew Hunter deserved punishment. On the other, he was glad not to have to fight anymore. Plus, there was the added—and truly bizarre—bonus of winning the gold, for fencing of all things.
He settled for offering Mr. Dominic a smile to show he knew the director had no way of proving Hunter meant to kill him. Hunter didn’t smile, though. With a kick at the grass, he yanked off his gear, slammed it to the ground, and stormed away. Greg, Jacqueline, and Martin surrounded him. Hunter shoved them away and stomped into the forest alone.
Chapter 38
Terracaelum
Levi ran over to watch the rest of Sara’s fight, squeezing through the crowd in time to see Suzanne strike Sara’s sword and knock it from her grasp. With a smirk, Suzanne struck Sara’s chest protector. Levi groaned. The outcome of his fight had probably cost Sara hers.
He knew he was right when she whipped off her mask and searched the crowd. When her eyes met his, she smiled in apparent relief.
She jogged to his side. “Are you okay?” She looked him over. “Did he cut you?”
“I’m fine,” he told her. “Really,” he told his other friends as they rushed up tossing questions at him. He looked back at Sara. “Your dad stopped him in time.”
She smiled. “I’m glad.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
After the rest of the Olympic events, the eight friends returned to the castle, excited over Sara’s gold in archery. They went to the tower roof for an hour before dinner and final play preparations. As Levi followed his friends onto the roof, something like homesickness clogged his throat, though he couldn’t place the feeling. He understood missing his family, but this was new.
It wasn’t like missing grandparents or cousins between visits or being sad to leave a favorite vacation spot. The closest thing he’d experienced was when his family moved from the town where he was born. He’d felt torn, like he did now, as if his heart didn’t know which way to turn—toward home and family or toward castle and friends.
Shoulders low, he crossed to the wall and gazed out across Terracaelum. Trees swaying in a light breeze, sunlight shimmering over the green grass, hazy peaks just in view—while nothing shouted that this was a different world, there was an indefinable shimmer to its beauty. No wonder the thought of leaving here upset Sara. Then there was the fact that she’d be leaving her parents for the first time ever.
He turned his head and spotted her peering through another opening in the wall, her eyes sad. Levi glanced over to where the others sat laughing and joking. Trevor congratulated Monica on her silver in archery. Ashley congratulated Trevor on his bronze in fencing. Tommy teased Steve for the bullseye he’d shot into Hunter’s target.
“I couldn’t help it.” A sheepish grin crossed Steve’s face. “He was insulting me when I was trying to shoot. He got my aim off.”
“I’ll say.” Tommy jabbed Steve lightly in the ribs. “But, hey, it was your first bullseye of the summer.”
A smile touched Levi’s lips. Yeah, he’d miss these guys. With a sigh, he turned and walked to Sara. “Thinking about next week?”
She nodded, tears in her eyes. “I’m scared. I don’t know how to exist outside of Terracaelum—in your world.”
Levi touched her hand. “You’ll be fine. You fooled everybody here, didn’t you?”
She shrugged even as she allowed a tiny smile.
“You’ll be with Monica. That’s gotta make it easier.” His eyes drifted to Trevor. Would they see each other at all during the school year?
“You’ll miss it too, won’t you?”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “Come on.” He gestured toward the others. “Let’s enjoy it while we can.”
Chapter 39
The Trojan Horse
That evening the campers had an early supper, a feast of lake perch and cod.
As Levi and his friends finished their strawberry shortcake, a wide-eyed Miss Nydia ran into the room and grabbed Sara’s hand. “A couple of the Spartan soldiers were rough-housing in their costumes and ripped them. I need you to help me make repairs. It’s nearly call time, and I have so much to do.”
“Of course.” Sara jumped up.
“I’ll help, too,” Monica said, pushing back her chair.
“No.” Miss Nydia blushed. “I mean, no thank you, Monica.” She offered a tight smile. “Isn’t it nearly time for you to help Lizzie and the others with their makeup?” She turned toward Levi and Trevor. “And you two, Althea’s busy setting up for the musicians, so I’ll need you to he
lp me move the horse. Get the other props out to the archery range, and meet me in the courtyard in . . .” She consulted her pocket watch. “Twenty minutes.”
Levi nodded. Sara followed the elf from the room.
Monica glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. “Come on, Lizzie, we really do need to start your makeup.”
As the girls hurried out, Levi looked at the others. “Guess we’d best get moving.”
Tommy and Steve headed upstairs to put on their soldier costumes, while Ashley went to warm up on her clarinet. Levi and Trevor went to the storage area off the courtyard and filled their arms with wooden swords and spears.
It took two trips to move everything into the wings—really the woods behind the archery mound, their makeshift stage. The boys returned to the courtyard as Miss Nydia emerged from the shadows behind the wooden horse. Her eyes looked strange, sort of frantic and definitely teary. Levi started to ask what was wrong but doubted she’d appreciate his concern. With a mental note that elfish women didn’t handle stress well, he joined Trevor by the Trojan horse.
Even with both boys shoving from behind and Miss Nydia pulling from the front, it was hard work getting the horse out of the castle. When they paused for breath on the drawbridge, Levi looked at Trevor. “Wonder where Sara is.”
Trevor wiped sweat from his forehead. “Maybe finishing up the repairs. Wonder who was stupid enough to horse around in their costume.” He let out a guffaw. “Get it? Horse around!”
Levi groaned. “Enough with the bad jokes. Let’s get this thing moved.”
Moving the massive prop across the field was no easy task, even without the load of soldiers who would hide inside during the performance. Both boys were red-faced and panting by the time they reached the woods behind the archery mound.
Miss Nydia, on the other hand, seemed to cool down during the trip. Her eyes no longer looked wild and frantic. Her face didn’t look at all red, more pale than anything. But it was growing dusky under the trees as sunset neared, so Levi couldn’t see clearly. Once the horse felt stable on the uneven ground, he plopped onto the grass to rest. Trevor plunked down beside him.
“Get up.” Miss Nydia stood over them, hands on hips, eyes hidden by shadows.
“We just need a minute.” Levi nodded toward the horse. “That thing’s heavy.”
“There’s no time.” She pointed an imperious finger toward the castle. “Go make sure we didn’t leave any props behind.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Trevor pushed to his feet and raised both eyebrows at Levi as if to ask, What’s her problem?
With a shrug, Levi stood and trailed Trevor from the forest. After a few steps, Levi glanced back.
Miss Nydia still stood next to the Trojan horse. She waved him on. “It’s fine.” Her voice was gentler, more normal. “I’ll be there soon. I just want to be sure things are ready here.”
Levi nodded and turned away. As he and Trevor crossed the field, they passed Albert and a couple of his cousins feeding wood to the bonfire.
After they’d washed up, changed their shorts for jeans, and gulped down much-needed glasses of water, they trooped back out of the castle with the rest of the campers and staff, everybody talking and laughing as they walked. The evening’s activities, along with the events from the day, created a carnival atmosphere. Levi’s heartbeat was erratic, though, and his palms were sweating. At first he thought he might’ve had bad fish for supper, but his stomach didn’t hurt. He just had the jitters.
Levi flinched when Greg, dressed as a soldier, ran into him. The hulking boy said something about ramming the Trojan walls then cackled stupidly. Levi rolled his eyes and turned away to scan the field. What felt wrong? Was there something he’d forgotten to do? They’d checked for props like Miss Nydia said. Everything was in place. But something definitely had him on edge.
He spotted Monica near the stage and nudged Trevor. They shoved through the crowd toward her.
“Is everybody in costume?” Trevor asked her.
“Yeah, I left Lizzie with Tommy and Steve backstage.” She pointed toward the woods where they’d left the horse.
Levi heard the sound of warm-up scales and spotted Ashley playing her clarinet in the ensemble left of the mound. Levi did a mental count of his friends, barely registering Monica’s comment that she was glad Hunter and Martin didn’t have parts in the play because Greg and Suzanne had caused enough trouble as Spartan soldiers.
Sudden fear squeezed Levi’s heart as his count came up one short. “Where’s Sara?”
Monica stared blankly at him. “I don’t know.” She scanned the field where the audience was settling down on the grass.
Trevor’s eyes turned to the field as well. “Did you see her after supper?”
She shook her head. “Last time I saw her was when she left with Miss Nydia to repair those costumes.”
“Without you.” Trevor’s voice was flat.
Trying not to give in to his rising fear, Levi rose on tiptoe, eyes scouring the crowd for Sara’s golden-blonde hair. She had to be there. If she wasn’t . . . His mind flitted to Miss Nydia’s strange behavior that afternoon. He turned to Monica, his pulse skipping. “Did you ever hear who tore their costumes?”
Monica’s eyes widened in dawning realization. “No. Everyone was ready by the time I finished helping Lizzie. Nobody mentioned torn costumes.”
“Nobody? You’re sure?”
Monica nodded, her lips trembling. “You don’t suppose . . .”
“She was acting really weird tonight,” Trevor said quietly.
“She wouldn’t betray Sara.” Tears surged into Monica’s eyes. “Would she?”
“It has to be her.” Levi rubbed both hands across his face. “Why didn’t I see it before? She has access to Sara all the time.” He smacked his fist into his palm. “Sara and her parents trust her completely.”
Trevor’s eyes blazed. “Sara said she was like a second mom to her.”
“But why would she do it?” Tears traced Monica’s cheeks.
“I don’t know, maybe we’re wrong and Sara’s fine, but we still have to find her. Come on.” Levi led the others backstage, waving off Mr. Austin’s irritated hisses that they shouldn’t be there.
They questioned Lizzie, Tommy, and Steve, none of whom had seen Sara since supper. They interrupted Ashley’s clarinet playing, but she hadn’t seen her either. Leaving their worried friends behind, they ran to search the castle. Monica checked the girls’ rooms while the boys did a quick search of the common areas.
As they met in the great hall with no clue to Sara’s whereabouts, the truth clicked in Levi’s mind. He knew exactly where she was—or, at least, where she had been not long before. Throat burning with bile, he grabbed each of his friends by the arm. “The Trojan horse! We helped Miss Nydia kidnap Sara!”
Chapter 40
Tricked
“What’re you talking about?” Trevor’s eyes narrowed then rounded with realization. “Oh, no! You’re right!”
Monica glared between them. “What? Explain.”
“We helped Miss Nydia push the Trojan horse to the woods for the play,” Levi said flatly. “And she sent us back to the castle without her.”
Monica’s mouth formed a perfect O. “You believe Sara was inside the horse?”
Levi started pacing. “She reversed it, the whole Trojan horse story. Mr. Austin warned us that day in class. He said not to let go of the truth ever, to be careful who you trust. But she didn’t use the horse to bring the enemy inside the castle.” He stopped pacing, yanked off his hat, pulled his hair. “The traitor tricked us! She used the horse to sneak Sara out for Deceptor.” With a low groan, he slapped the hat back on his head. “And like an absolute idiot, I helped her!”
Trevor yanked two fistfuls of his own hair. “Stupid, Trevor, stupid!”
Levi clamped his teeth tight. He had no time to beat himself up over the past. If he didn’t think logically about all of this now, Sara might not survive. What should the
y do next? Try to find Mr. Dominic? Stop the play? Every fiber of Levi’s being longed to run into the woods and tear every leaf from every tree until he found her, but he couldn’t seem to move his feet until—
“Maybe she’s still in there!” Levi yanked his two friends through the castle doorway and across the field, pitch dark because the stars and moon could no longer pierce the thick clouds. Despite Mrs. Sylvester’s scolding for them to sit down, he and the others slunk behind the audience now involved in the play and slipped into the forest. They moved quickly between the trees, bypassing the kids waiting their turn on stage. When they reached the horse, Levi shoved aside the canvas door and strained to see into the dark interior.
It was empty.
Hopeless, he whispered, “Sara?” and felt around on the dark floor. At first he found nothing but a splinter, which stuck in his pinky. Then he ran his hand over something cold and metallic in the back corner.
He grabbed it and turned to his friends. “She’s not here, but I found this on the floor.” He held the object closer to his eyes. It was a gold necklace.
Monica snatched it from him. “It’s Sara’s. I helped her put it on this afternoon. She told me it was a gift from her mother she only wears on special occasions.”
Levi swallowed the fear in his throat. “That’s it then, I’m going after her.” He pulled a flashlight from his pocket. Why hadn’t he thought to use it when searching the horse? Come on, brain, wake up.
With the light, he searched the forest floor for some sign of Sara’s passage. Too bad he hadn’t paid more attention in woodcraft classes.
Another flashlight beam crossed his. Trevor tossed him a grim smile then turned to scour the ground. “Did you think you were the only one who planned ahead?”
Levi returned his focus to the matted ground. With so many footprints, how could they find the right ones?
After several agonizing minutes, Trevor whispered, “Here.”