The Riddle (Keepers of the Key Book 1)

by L. M. Abbott

  Seamus climbed onto the brown pony. Cailean jumped onto the grey pony, almost like she’d been launched from a trampling. Josh tried to get his leg up over the pony. The soldiers marched faster. Cailean got off the pony and with gritted teeth, helped hoist him on. The animal unfurled its wings. “Josh, you alright?” she asked when he hadn’t uttered a word.

  “You know I’m afraid of heights.” He gripped Cailean’s waist until she lost her breath.

  Both ponies soared out through the window and flew to the front of the Orga.

  “The streets are teaming with faeries,” Seamus said. “They must’ve been hiding from us.”

  Cailean could see their faces. Men, women, children, the most beautiful creatures she’d ever seen. All sported pouches tied around their waists, some white, some silver. A female saluted her. “They’re happy we got out,” she said.

  The female faery took out a white glass ball the size of a marble from her white pouch and threw it into the air. The ball erupted into diamond-shaped flames producing a series of cracking noises. One cut close to Seamus. The brown pony twisted away. The flames pursued, licking at its wing. Another flame attached itself and a line of black smoke trailed out behind the pony. The animal dipped to the side shrieking in pain. The fairies cheered when Seamus lost his grip and slid down the pony’s side, dangling upside down. He tried to upright himself, flopped around like a rag doll as the pony swerved back and forth to outfly the flames. “My legs are cramped,” he said when the grey pony coasted alongside him.

  Cailean reached for him, missed and nearly went over the pony’s head.

  Josh kept a tight hold on her. “Keep trying. Seamus needs us.”

  The grey pony dipped lower. Cailean caught Seamus by the hand and pulled him up as her pony gained altitude.

  “Thought I was a goner for sure,” he said to boos from below.

  The brown pony rocked to the side, the flame burning a hole in its wing. Seamus hauled off his t-shirt and doused the flame. A child launched another white ball at him when he pulled the t-shirt back over his head. The pony steered away in time, its flight uneven, struggling.

  A male opened a silver pouch and threw a silver ball towards the grey pony, releasing a swarm of sliver winged butterflies. One pitched on Cailean’s ear. “Ow!” she cried, a burning sensation searing through the side of her head. She slapped the insect away and saw it turn black as it fell to the ground. A faery child snickered and launched a silver ball skyward.

  “Your ear is red and peeling,” Josh said.

  White and silver balls flew through the air like heavy snow, the white erupting like balloons popping. The ponies gained altitude, the balls unrelenting in the chase. The ponies dove, rose again, lurched one way then another to escape the weapons. The fairies applauded whenever one found a target or inflicted any sort of damage.

  The children clung on, arms and legs strained in the effort. Cailean noticed the butterflies targeted her, Seamus and Josh while the flames lashed out at the ponies.

  The grey pony dived and shot back up inches from the ground. Josh covered his mouth. “I’m going to throw up.”

  Cailean’s stomach tumbled to her shoes and stayed there.

  The brown pony’s wings flapped slower, more laboured. A second flame latched onto the underside of the damaged wing. “No you don’t,” Seamus said. He spat into his hand and smothered the flame with a sizzling sound. “Whoa! It didn’t burn or mark my skin.” A butterfly zeroed in on him, missed and struck the pony’s rump leaving the skin unharmed. The butterfly crumbled into black dust.

  “Did you see that?” Josh said. “The butterflies don’t hurt the ponies and the flames don’t hurt us.”

  The ponies swat the butterflies with their tails and the children doused the flames. Several butterflies survived long enough to blister Josh’s arms, yet he kept up the fight. Seamus’s face looked like he’d been sunburned. Cailean’s swollen earlobe flapped in the wind.

  A swarm of flames ganged up on the grey pony from all sides. Cailean and Josh swiped at them, their fingers closing around flame after flame with super speed. Two found their target, piercing each wing, collapsing them, the edges scorched black. The pony plunged downward. “Please don’t give up,” Cailean murmured. “We’re doomed without you.”

  The wings fluttered and the pony’s body shuddered, striving to gather all its strength. “We need you,” Cailean whispered into its ear. The pony bucked and whinnied, the wings unfurled.

  “That’s how to do it,” Josh said as the animal soared ahead.

  Both ponies hovered over the river’s clear water. Josh glanced back at the city. “The fairies are still coming in droves.”

  Cailean saw Pella among the crowd, Wim and Razuk by her side. A silver ball flew past Cailean heading for Seamus. She yelled for him to dive into the water.

  Josh tensed. “The whiskered fish will sting us to death.”

  “It hasn’t happened so far.” Cailean lifted a leg over the side of the pony. “And it’s our only way home.” She let herself fall pulling Josh with her. The bridge swayed from the weight of the fairies when the children hit the water. The force knocked Josh from Cailean and he sank to the bottom. Bubbles flowed from his mouth. Seamus entered the river near the bridge and dropped to the bottom, a lifeless form, his eyes closed. Cailean plunged downward and couldn’t do anything to prevent it before everything went black.

  She opened her eyes and looked around the cavern. Someone coughed close by, a deep guttural hack, then a long gasp for breath. Her ear lobe throbbed like a herd of elephants had tread on it. Her clothes were dry, the bracelet returned to her wrist. Blue light beamed from the ceiling. Seamus and Josh were sprawled out by the pool. Water spurted from Seamus’s mouth, his face swollen, his lips twice their normal size. Josh moved his arms like they were fragile glass. “How can you hurt so much and still be alive?” he said.

  “Do you have the deed?” The voice sounded tired, hoarse.

  Cailean stared at the shadow walking towards her. “No. All I found was this stupid spike.” She pulled it out of her pocket.

  Pella sighed deeply, the sound softer than a baby’s laughter. “Thank the stars you didn’t lose it in the escape.”

  Josh scowled at her. “Thank the stars for what? It’s all your fault we were nearly killed. You sent us into the Orga for exactly that reason, didn’t you?”

  The faery’s skin deepened to a dark crimson. “Please forgive me, but it was the only way to recover the deed.”

  “Which we didn’t get,” Seamus said.

  Pella folded her hands flat against her chest. “Please believe me. I did my best to rescue you.”

  “What a joke,” Josh said. “Tell us how you accomplished that.”

  “I know how,” Cailean said. “The winged unicorn figurines on your desk are the two Newfoundland ponies.”

  “Yes. I’ve healed their wings and returned them to Loon Cove.”

  The blue light crackled with red sparks. Josh slowly got to his feet. “Pella, the figurines are yours. Everyone will suspect you helped us.”

  Pella smiled. “They belong to Razuk. I’ll enjoy watching him try to explain why they helped you escape.” She took out a vial from her pocket containing the healing orange liquid. She poured a small amount into Seamus’s hand.

  He applied the liquid to his lips and face, blowing his cheeks in and out as the pain subsided. “I thought my face would burst.”

  Cailean soothed her ear with the cool treatment. “What did you mean about the deed?” Orange mist floated around the cavern.

  Pella touched the spike Cailean held. “That is the deed.”

  “That’s impossible. A deed is a piece of paper which proves land belongs to someone.”

  Pella intertwined her long fingers together. “I’m confused. Why is it you don’t understand what I’m talking about?” The blue light dimmed casting a halo-like shadow around the faery. “All I know is that the spike you hold is the deed and will save the fo
rest land.” She put the vial of orange liquid into her pocket. “I’ve stayed too long. Neola is very angry. She’ll stop at nothing to discover who betrayed her.”

  “Why did you help us?” Cailean said.

  Pella dived into the pool and disappeared beneath the surface.

  Josh threw up his hands. “She’s done it again. Taken off without answering a very important question.”

  chapter 18

  The blue light went out and the cave was bathed in total blackness. Seamus switched on his penlight and checked his watch. “Six o’clock,” he said. “We’d better get home before our parents send out a search party for us.”

  Josh pulled out his bag of candy and threw the last one in his mouth. “I’ll require a good excuse for being well over a whole hour late for supper.”

  “Say that again,” Seamus said. Pen light in hand, he led the way outside where rushes of cool air swept over them. “It really bugs me that Stevie boy will gloat over our losing.”

  Josh opened his arms wide and whirled around, toppling against Seamus. “Wasn’t sure I’d ever see this stupendous world again.” He looked at Barlo who lay by the mouth of the cave, his eyes closed. His white fur rippled in the wind. “Hey, scaredy cat. Stop pretending you’re asleep.”

  “The sun’s gone down,” Cailean said. “We’d better hurry before it gets dark.” She walked behind the boys with Barlo, spinning her bracelet around her wrist.

  Josh crunched down on his Bullseye. “Mr. Murphy won’t do anything until tomorrow morning,” he said with another crunch.

  They came to the hill leading to Cailean’s house as the first few stars twinkled in a clear sky. Lights from the town glittered. The smell from barbecues wafted towards the children. Seamus tossed the pen light into the air, flipping it over twice. The small round beam of light formed a blue glaze in the moonlight.

  Cailean looked back at the trees. “Autumn leaves have the most beautiful colours. We’ll never see that again here.”

  Josh looked at her with a sad expression. “We can try and come up with another plan to stop Mr. Murphy.”

  “Hmm,” Seamus said. “That’ll be as useful as counting candy.”

  Cailean sighed. “It’s better than doing nothing. We can meet at my house after supper, say around seven.” She couldn’t dredge up a tiny spark of enthusiasm as her friends walked away. A slight smile arched one corner of her mouth when Josh elbowed Seamus in the ribs, his way of showing Seamus he’d been a jerk.

  Her father sat at the table, his face concealed by the evening paper when Cailean came in the back door. “About time,” he said. “I was about to send the town on the hunt for you.” He threw the paper down. Cailean noticed it was upside down. “Where were you?” he asked.

  “We lost track of time. You know how Josh likes to rest every few minutes.” She sniffed. “Smells like meat. I hope that means we’re having hamburgers.”

  “Cailean, I asked you a question.”

  “I can answer that.” Gramps wiped his feet on the door mat. “Your daughter and the two lads were helping me.” He went to the stove and poured himself a cup of tea. “Took hours before we found the right tree for the fiddle Mellie wants me to make.”

  Sam tweaked his daughter’s chin. “Next time, young lady, let me know where you’re going.” He opened the oven door and laid a plate overlain with hamburger meat on the table. “Seeing as you’ve been craving meat lately, I thought this would make a nice change from fish.” He looked at Gramps. “There’s plenty for everyone.”

  “Mellie’s expecting me for supper.” Gramps winked at his granddaughter. “Talk to you later, Love.”

  Cailean squirt mustard on both sides of the toasted bun, dabbed on a few onions and bit off a huge chunk. Another three bites and she thrust the last morsel of hamburger into her mouth. “Can I have another one. Rare?”

  “Not too rare.” Her father shook his head. “Never thought I’d see you gorge on meat like it was your last meal.” He shaped the raw meat into a round patty and placed it into the frying pan. Fat splattered on the stove with a crackle and he added more oil to the pan. The phone rang. “I’ll get that. Make sure the meat doesn’t burn.” The instant her father was out of sight, Cailean darted to the stove and crammed as much of the partially cooked meat into her mouth as she could. She dashed back to the table as his steps moved back towards the kitchen.

  “What’s this?” Her father hurried to the stove. “Half the meat’s gone. Cailean, tell me you didn’t eat it. Uncooked hamburger meat can give you E-coli.”

  “E-coli?”

  “It’s a bacteria that will make you sicker than you’ve ever been in your life. Promise me you’ll never do that again.”

  Cailean agreed and finished off the meal with a bowl of caramel ice cream and a double portion of left over birthday cake.

  “You only overeat when you’re extra worried about something,” her father said. “I take it Mr. Murphy’s on your mind?”

  “What else, Dad? Mom would be so disappointed in me.” Cailean excused herself and went to her room. “Fergus, Gramps saved me from telling Dad another lie.” She lay down on the bed and looked at the Scottish doll in the wicker chair. “I’m going to take a short nap until Seamus and Josh get here. Don’t forget to wake me when they do.” A gentle breeze lifted the curtains as Cailean snuggled into the pillow. The spike pinched her thigh. She took it out of her pocket and looked at the human/animal face. Pella had said this was the deed. “That’s ridiculous.” Cailean placed the spike on the night table.

  A cold draft chilled the room. Moonlight sent long shadows along the wall. The curtains hung to the floor, tall like the stone soldiers. Fergus’s porcelain skin gave off a ghostly sheen against the white chair. Cailean stirred. “What?” she mumbled. The voice spoke again. Persistent. Urgent. She propped up on an elbow, her eyes clued together with sleep. “What is it?” The digital clock on the bedside table read nine o’clock. She fluffed up the pillows to the soft tone of flute music drifting up from the workshop.

  Where were Seamus and Josh? Cailean bounded from the bed. Had her father discovered the truth about where she’d been? She ran down the stairs.

  “It’s about time we had a serious talk.” Luperca’s voice came from the kitchen. Cailean stopped dead at the bottom of the stairs.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” her father said.

  “I get the impression you don’t like Cailean spending time with me. She’s growing up and will go through many changes. Unfortunately, Larentia isn’t here to guide her.”

  “My daughter doesn’t need you. She has me and her grandfather.”

  “Be reasonable, Sam. A young girl needs a woman in her life. I think the world of Cailean and have her best interests at heart.” There was a brief silence and Luperca spoke again. “I think you’re already aware how .... how special your daughter is.” A chair scraped the floor. “Think over what I’ve said.”

  Cailean scooted to the hall closet and hid just as the front door opened. “Luperca,” Gramps said. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “I drove in specially to clear the air with Sam.”

  Gramps didn’t sound shocked by the reason for the visit. “You’re not going back to Brook City tonight?”

  “Indeed I am. The drive will calm my nerves. Good night, Dermot.”

  Cailean waited until her grandfather was in the kitchen before leaving the closet. As she started down the hall her father told Gramps the purpose of Luperca’s visit in a quiet voice.

  “Sam, it’s going to be difficult, but you have to allow Cailean to find her own way. Maybe Luperca can help. There’s no point in trying to control them.”

  Her father came out of the kitchen. “Finally awake? I imagine all that heavy food made you sleepy.” Cailean followed him into the workshop and sat with him while he painted the peak of a bird house white.

  “I heard Aunt Luperca talking to Gramps. What did she want?”

  “A little chat. Nothi
ng too important.”

  Cailean sighed inwardly. She didn’t like her aunt, but she saw no reason why her father didn’t. “Seamus and Josh were supposed to come over at seven.”

  “You were dead to the world so I sent them home. Josh was none too happy he couldn’t talk to you. Kept saying you were expecting them.”

  “Anything else?”

  Sam put down the paintbrush and turned to his daughter. “Like what?”

  “He’s upset about my...the land,” Cailean said, a little more sharply than she intended. “And can’t stand to think how Mr. Murphy’s going to ruin it.”

  “I’m really sorry. Everyone in town did their best to oppose the project. Maybe the equipment will fail like it did in my grandfather’s day.”

  Cailean laid her head on her father’s shoulder. “You don’t mean that.” She felt him flinch.

  “I’m sorry, Sweetie. I understand you’re disappointed, but it’s all for the best.”

  For who? Cailean left the question unspoken. “Dad, did you call out to me a little while ago?”

  “No.”

  “I probably dreamed it. Good night.” Half way up the stairs, she heard a scratch on the front door. “Is that you, Barlo?” The dog raised his head from in front of the living room fireplace. Cailean went back down and looked outside. The leaves on the maple tree drooped, the edges curled inward. All was quiet. Not a single bird chirped. She went out onto the porch and scanned the trees. No sound. No movement.

  Barlo snoozed on the mat when she came inside. “You fell asleep pretty fast.” She climbed the stairs, her gaze constantly going to the front door, and reaching her room, closed the window. Her mother’s picture seemed to call to her from the bedside table. “Mom, I did everything possible to find the deed. I really did.”

  Sleepiness overcoming Cailean, she got into bed. She woke, groggy, cold, and pulled the blankets to her chin. Her hair blew into her eyes, tickling her forehead, and she tucked it behind her ear. A black feather landed on her thumb. She started wide awake. There shouldn’t be any wind in the room. Flute music drifted up from the workshop. Her father’s favourite tune ‘A mother’s love is a blessing.’