Max and Billy trotted up, whickering in greeting. Belle pulled a couple of apples out of her backpack, and threw one to Raff for Billy.
When the horses had finished munching on their apples, Raff boosted Belle up onto Max’s back. He turned towards Billy scratching his head. “So… I knew I’d need to be able to do that vault thing sooner rather than later!”
Leah chuckled. “If you help me down, I can ride Billy, and you can have your horse back. It’s not like I need a saddle.”
Raff grinned and slapped his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you were too busy whinging about not being able to vault onto a horse!” Raff lifted her down from the saddle, his eyes full of concern.
“You sure you’re up to this? We can stop for a while.”
“Are you kidding? We are mere hours away from getting out of this hole and back to Florisia. There’s no way I’m staying here any longer than I have to!”
Raff shook his head and kissed her on the forehead. “You are the most unbelievably stubborn…” Leah couldn’t help herself; she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again.
She pulled away and looked into his stunned eyes with a cheeky grin. “Sorry, you were saying?”
He groaned and boosted her onto Billy’s back. “I am going to get you back one day you know.” He turned and walked towards his horse.
“Bring it on!” she whispered to his back. She heard him chuckling as he mounted his horse.
* * *
The cleared area they’d recognised as Valleron’s version of The Circle came into view just before sunset. Belle and Lyricus had taken it in turns to maintain a shield all day, and they were all desperately in need of a rest. Leah had never been so happy to see a place in her entire life.
Raff slid off his horse, and lifted her down off Billy. But as soon as she tried to put any weight on her legs they collapsed under her. If Raff hadn’t been still holding her, she’d have ended up a crumpled heap on the ground.
Raff grinned. “Not as tough as you thought, eh?” He reached an arm down behind her knees and swung her up in front of him, holding her close against his chest.
Leah started to protest, and then grinned back at him. “Okay, you win. I don’t have the energy to argue.” She sighed, laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, relieved at not having to stay upright on her horse any more.
He carried her to the area in front of the veil where they’d woken up in Valleron only a couple of days ago. Belle and Lyricus were feeding the horses the last of their food, and thanking them for their help. Belle laughed as they galloped off.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Max and Billy end up going back to the Haven with them. Their ears pricked up when they heard about the lush green grass in the meadow inside the shield.” She looked at Leah and frowned. “Are you gonna be okay to do the crossover now, or would you rather wait ‘til morning?”
Leah laughed, surprised at the hint of hysteria in her voice. “Don’t even think about it! The sooner we get out of this place, the happier I’ll be. Although, we may need to be sitting down this time.”
Lyricus and Belle plopped down on the ground next to them. They shuffled into a circle, while Raff pulled out the amulet.
An angry voice from the road broke the silence. “Hey there, what are you kids doing out here at this hour? Get back to the school this instant. That’ll be extra duties for the lot of you!” It was Jonah, and he was hurrying down the road towards them.
“Not today, you slave-driving jerk!” Raff yelled, as he pointed the amulet towards the veil. Leah grabbed the handle with her good hand, and Belle held tight to Lyricus with one hand, and added her other one to the amulet. Leah felt the familiar pull, as if she were being sucked into a maelstrom. For once, she welcomed the enveloping darkness as she sunk into unconsciousness.
Chapter Seventeen
-Revelations-
Something was nudging Belle’s shoulder. She groaned and tried to ignore it, too tired to deal with whatever new problem had arisen.
It’s about time too. Where have you been? said a familiar voice said inside her head.
She opened her eyes to find Midnight’s head directly above her. A cool breeze had replaced the blazing heat of Valleron. They were home!
She sat up, ignoring the pain in her head, and grinned at her surroundings. She turned to find Lyricus awake, holding his head and watching her.
“Oh great, just what I needed… pain somewhere else!” he said with a grin.
She reached over and brushed the hair from his face, wishing she could take some of his pain away. She was surprised to see her hand glowing, and the relief in Lyricus’ eyes told her whatever she was doing was working.
“Wow, I didn’t know you could do that! The pain in my head’s completely gone.”
Belle was stunned. “I didn’t know I could do that either. I never even thought to try healing the pain after a crossover.” She groaned. “I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before! What an idiot…. I assumed I could only heal wounds.”
“When you’ve finished bashing yourself up, can I be next please? I’m a bit like Lyricus at the moment, totally over pain,” Leah croaked.
Belle smiled at Lyricus, and raised her hand to her own head. The glow from her hand was like the warmth of a summer’s day touching her face, and the pain receded immediately.
She moved over to touch Leah’s forehead. She loved that she could do this; knowing she could use her Gift to help always gave her a warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Leah sighed in relief, and she turned to Raff.
Raff’s eyes were still closed, but a grin spread across his face. “I knew you’d get to me eventually. All help gratefully accepted.” He chuckled, as she touched his face.
Surprise flashed in his eyes. “Now that’s just plain awesome!”
Belle grinned. “Glad I could help.”
Midnight’s voice popped into her head again. As I was saying, where have you been? We’ve been waiting here for days!
We’ve been in Valleron. Had a bit of a communication breakdown with the amulet, and instead of parting the veil, it carried us through. Long story. She chuckled, and the others looked at her as if they thought she’d lost her mind.
“Sorry, I was talking to Midnight. They’ve been here waiting for us the whole time.”
Leah sighed. “Which is the best news I’ve had all day! I was dreading the thought of having to walk back to the palace.”
Raff got to his feet, helping Leah up and moving towards the horses. “Well, I vote we fly back. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving!”
* * *
Belle snuggled down on the lounge beside Lyricus, fighting to keep her eyes open. The Oracle had spent the last hour shaking his head and rubbing his chin. They sat in the girls’ sitting room at the palace, and had just finished telling him everything that had happened since they vanished four days ago. He hadn’t said a word since they started talking, although Belle was sure his eyes had expressed most of what he was thinking.
“You children never cease to amaze me. You’ve had more brushes with death in the last four days than most people experience in a lifetime. Yet you sit here relating the events as if they were all normal, everyday happenings.”
Raff grinned. “I guess it all comes down to what you consider normal. I’m not even sure what normal is anymore!” He frowned, scratching his head. “The one thing I still don’t get, is how they’re communicating, and bringing these monsters over from Dragardia?”
Belle had been trying to fit all the pieces to this puzzle together since they’d first been attacked. And suddenly they all fell into place. “I think I might have finally worked it out! Who was responsible for setting up the portals? The first Elder Guardian right? Who we now know was a kitsune. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to figure it out! They created, and still control, all the portals. That’s how they know when a mixed-blood child comes through. So what if they’re
able to create more portals, anywhere and anytime they like?”
A stunned silence followed her words, and then everyone started talking at once.
Lyricus pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “So you’re not only beautiful and Gifted, you’re also brilliant!” he whispered into her ear.
Belle chuckled. “If I was brilliant I’d have thought of it ages ago. Maybe just… really smart.”
Raff was frowning again. “Ok, but that still doesn’t explain what they use to control the portals or communicate. They seem to know exactly what’s going on in each of the worlds all the time. So, it has to be something they can all access, any time they want.”
He looked at the Oracle, a grin replacing the frown. “What if…? Remember when you told us what you’d read about kitsunes? Wasn’t there something about a thing all kitsunes have? A star ball or something, that holds their life-force? If they all have one, maybe they’re linked. Did anyone ever find Tyranius’ star ball?”
The Oracle’s face had gone so red, Belle thought he might be choking. “Of course! The star balls! From memory, the book didn’t go into much detail. Just that getting hold of a kitsune's star ball gives you the power to control the kitsune and make it do your bidding. But it’s quite possible they could also be used to communicate. Which would be another reason why they wouldn’t want them to fall into someone else’s hands.”
“So we don’t actually know whether Tyranius had his star ball on him when he died?” Raff scratched his head. “And we still don’t know how the kitsunes knew where we’d be when they sent the flying creatures to attack us. After Tyranius was dead! Man, I’m so over all the questions without answers. My head feels like it’s going to explode!”
The Oracle was shaking his head again. “I think we should continue this discussion when everyone is a little more rested. Personally, I’d like some time to process what we do know at this stage. There is a Council meeting scheduled for first thing in the morning. I think for now, we should keep our suspicions about the portals and kitsune balls to ourselves, at least until I’ve had time to do a little more digging.”
Then he smiled. “I must say, I’m glad to see you all back safe and sound in Ellissidil. I wasn’t looking forward to explaining to Madame Persimmons how I’d ‘misplaced’ you.” He chuckled as he stood, bowed his head, and left the room.
“Wow…. portals on demand and communicating star balls. What next?” Leah chuckled as she snuggled up next to Raff. “How do you guys even think of these things?”
Chapter Eighteen
-Friends and Allies-
Raff picked up one of the small rocks laying at his feet and hurled it as hard and as far as he could. It had been a week since they’d returned from Valleron, and the Council still hadn’t made a decision about what action to take. There’d been plenty of meetings, and discussions that went round and round in circles, but in the end… nothing was happening!
He felt sick every time he thought about what might have happened in Valleron since they left. Had Serbus attacked the Haven? Were his grandparents okay? He picked up another rock and threw it… the waiting was driving him nuts!
Belle and Lyricus had gone into the markets in Ellissidil, and he was starting to regret not joining them. At least it would have provided a distraction from the negative thoughts swirling around in his head. The Council members were a pack of idiots. Why couldn’t they just agree to send in help and get on with it?
Leah walked up beside him as he picked up his third rock. “Does that help? ‘Cos if it does, I might give it a go too. Seriously, I just wanna kick some of those Councillors!” She sighed. “Maybe we should have gone into town with Belle and Lyricus after all.”
Raff shrugged. “I was just thinking exactly the same thing. But I know they only invited us to be polite. I’m pretty sure they wanted some time on their own. As for the Council, don’t get me started!”
Leah squeezed his hand. “Well, at least now the Oracle is sure Tyranius’ star ball is nowhere in the palace, we can finally tell the Council our thoughts about the portals and the star balls. Maybe that’ll finally convince them we need to do something now.”
Raff frowned, and threw the rock he’d been holding. “That’s another thing I can’t work out, and it’s doing my head in. How did the kitsunes know we were flying to Ellissidil? Someone with a star ball must have told them. And the only people who knew where we’d be were the Council, and the staff at the Fey Academy. Which means there’s a kitsune in one of those places. The Oracle reckons he’s ruled out all the Councillors, so that only leaves…”
He slapped his forehead, and groaned. “Unbelievable! He’s been right under our noses all along!”
Leah looked at him confused. “Who? What are you talking about?”
"Who did Tyranius put in charge at Fey Academy when he arrested Madame Persimmons for hiding us?”
“Mr Kafoops. But… oh, of course! Kafoops is the kitsune!”
Raff couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid! Kafoops was always hovering in the background whenever anything was going on. Nobody ever took any notice of the ridiculous little man; he was just the boring history teacher at Fey Academy.
Raff was almost jumping out of his skin with excitement. If the Council knew there were other kitsunes here in Florisia, it might finally convince them that Florisia wasn’t as safe as they thought.
“We need to talk to the Oracle, like now. Someone needs to get word to Madame Persimmons, so she doesn’t let Kafoops know what’s going on any more. Woohoo, this might be just what we’ve needed to finally put the wind up these idiotic Councillors. Wait ‘til Belle and Lyricus hear this!”
Leah grinned as he dragged her towards the Oracle’s rooms. “So, maybe the rock-throwing therapy session helped after all!”
* * *
They were still in the Oracle’s rooms, discussing Kafoops’ possible involvement in the attacks, when Belle and Lyricus came looking for them. Raff told them about his suspicions, and they both agreed it made sense.
Belle was livid. “Now that I think about it, that snivelling little toad was always hanging around like a bad smell. I can’t believe I used to feel sorry for him ‘cos all the students said how boring he was! So, he was the one who told Tyranius we were going to the village the first time we were attacked, and set the fire that could have killed every single one of the first year students!”
Raff nodded. “He’s also the one who must have sent word to Dragardia that we’d be flying to Ellissidil that day! And it also explains how Serbus knew we’d gone through the veil to Valleron.”
“It’s moments like these I wish I had your Gift Raff. I would so enjoy skewering that little snitch with one of your lightning spears!”
They were all stunned by Belle’s unexpected outburst. Even Belle seemed surprised by her unusually heated reaction.
Raff grinned. “Wow, I’d love to be around if this new Belle ever crosses paths with that monster of a Guardian you used to have!” His eyes flew to Lyricus as he realised what he’d said. “Ummm… sorry Belle. Have you told Lyricus about…?”
Lyricus smiled and pulled Belle close. “It’s okay Raff. Belle told me all about Griz, and her past in Naissance, today. Actually, by the time she’d told me everything, I was wishing I had your powers too.”
The Oracle rubbed his chin, his unfocused eyes staring into the distance. Suddenly he snapped to attention, his eyes sparkling. “This new information could be exactly what we’ve needed to finally get the upper hand. The kitsunes have always been so well informed about where you’d be and what you were doing. Kafoops has no idea we suspect anything, so any news he comes across will still be relayed to the kitsunes. So what if we were to feed him false information? I’m sure Madame Persimmons would be more than happy to ensure he ‘overhears’ any discussions about your whereabouts!”
Belle chuckled. “That is brilliant! If he feeds them enough wrong information, maybe the kitsunes will dispose of him for us!”
Lyricus smiled at Belle, and cleared his throat. “Remind me never to cross you!”
* * *
The Council meeting had gone much better than Raff had dared to hope. Finally convinced that Florisia may be under threat, the Councillors had authorised their return to Valleron, with a force of fifty to accompany them. The Oracle had done an excellent job of impressing upon them that if Kafoops was a kitsune hiding in plain sight, there were probably others scattered throughout Florisia.
Raff couldn’t believe it was finally going to happen. They were sitting in the meeting room, with the Oracle and their new friend Vulk, the wolf, vetting the volunteers for the journey to Valleron. The stories about the treatment of the kids in Valleron, and the four friends’ mission to save them, had spread like wildfire.
Raff’s jaw dropped as the last two volunteers entered the room. Dominic and Dub, their friends from Fey Academy, were the last people he’d expected to see come through the door.
“What kinda greetin’ d’ya call tha’ then, eh? I be thinkin’ we’ll j’st turn ar’und ‘n head back t’ th’ Fey Academy!” Dominic's eyes twinkled as he spoke, making a lie of the gruff expression on his face.
The children jumped from their chairs, and rushed to greet their old friends. The frown disappeared from Dominic’s face, and was quickly replaced by a watery smile.
Dub’s ugly face was split by a huge grin as Leah hugged him. “We heard you were looking for volunteers to take back to Valleron, and thought we’d offer our services. We’d be honoured to help, if you’ll have us.”
Raff slapped him on the back, amazed by the usually succinct coblynau’s long-winded greeting. “Of course we’d love to have you guys with us. Friends always make the best allies.”
The Oracle smiled at the happy reunion. “Dominic and Dub asked me to keep the news of their arrival a secret, so they could surprise you. I assume they succeeded?” They all laughed and nodded.
Valleron (Book 2) Page 9