by E. G. Foley
Except for Brian, who sat patiently on the ornate wooden staircase, they hardly looked like the same bunch who’d thrashed Archeron Raige this afternoon. At the sight of their heartbroken faces, Jake felt his improved mood from Derek’s praise start sinking back down again.
About two dozen fairies hovered anxiously around the kids or perched on the banister to watch the proceedings.
Derek went over to Miss Helena, who was back in human form and smartly dressed once more in a chic little hat and an elegant bustle gown, the cord of her satin handbag draped over her wrist.
The fashionable French governess was leaning her shoulder against the wall and conversing in low tones with Mrs. Appleton.
“Pardon, ladies,” Jake heard the Guardian say. “Is everyone ready to go?”
The governess nodded, but her golden-green eyes flicked a worried glance over at the kids.
Derek followed her gaze, skimming the group protectively. Then he gave his fiancée a stoic look. “I’ll go make sure we’re all set to travel.”
“Mayweather should have the carriage ready by now,” Mrs. Appleton said as Derek started walking away.
“Good. I’ll go see if he needs anything.” Derek headed off down the hallway to the kitchens and exited by the same back door where the kids had entered Beacon House last night.
The coach-house was out that way, behind the manor. Wonder why he was acting so mysterious. Nothing special about a carriage ride. Jake would’ve rather taken the train. It was faster, anyway.
“Where did you go?” Dani asked as she shuffled over to Jake, holding Teddy in her arms.
The sight of her gave him a pang. Her eyes reminded him of Christmas decorations, all green and red.
“Outside.” Jake gave Teddy a scratch under his fuzzy chin. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s all right.” Dani’s lips trembled the way they always did when she was trying not to cry. “I’m sending him back to Buckingham Palace.”
“You are? Why?” Jake asked.
“Things are too chaotic at Merlin Hall for a little dog now. And the Queen’s house is sure to be the safest place in London. Besides, the Dark Druids are after the Order, not so much the human world.”
Jake gazed at her with compassion as Gladwin swooped over from atop the newel post to hover beside the two of them at shoulder height.
“Don’t worry, Dani,” the five-inch fairy courier said solemnly in her little, tinkling voice. “I give you my word: I will take care of Teddy personally.” She pressed her tiny hand to her chest. “It would be an honor after all you and Jake have done for me.”
“Thanks, Gladwin.” Dani sniffled, fresh tears glistening in her eyes.
Some of the other fairies flitted over and chimed in with promises that they’d help look after Teddy too, but Dani was sad to leave her dog behind anyway, even though it was safest for him.
Moved by her misery, Jake gathered his dear redhead and her dog both in a hug for a long moment. While he held them, his gaze wandered to the others. Isabelle just stared into space. Nixie and Archie stood side by side, but both seemed to be in their own worlds.
Not good, Jake thought. He had never seen them like this before.
All of a sudden, an announcement rose from behind him.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mayweather intoned, “your carriage awaits.”
Jake hadn’t even heard the old butler come in. He released Dani and the dog, turning to find Mayweather standing at the edge of the hallway down which Derek had vanished a couple of minutes ago.
The old man’s cheeks were pink with exertion, his thin white hair windblown around his balding head. Jake was just glad he wasn’t holding a shotgun.
“It’s time to go, everyone!” Miss Helena said primly.
“Then I guess this is goodbye.” Dani kissed her dog’s fuzzy head. “Be a good boy, Teddy. Listen to the fairies, and don’t embarrass us in front of the Queen.”
Gladwin gestured to her colleagues, and about half of the fairies zoomed around Dani and her dog, leaving sparkle trails behind in all directions. Jake got out of the way as Dani carefully handed Teddy over to the troop of fairies.
As they floated him in midair amongst themselves, Teddy looked quite safe and perfectly content.
The odd sight of the wee brown terrier borne aloft by a dozen always-confident royal garden fairies roused a faint smile from Dani, from Nixie, even from Isabelle.
Then the redhead nodded to let the fairies know she was ready; Gladwin and Rosebud got the front door, then the group of fairies carrying the dog flew out, up, and away at a smooth, steady pace.
Dani waved goodbye through the open door until Jake caught her hand and gently pulled her away, determined to distract her before she started crying again.
He didn’t think he could take any more tears tonight from anyone, himself included. He shut the front door, gave her a reassuring smile, and then tugged her along by her hand after their friends. The others were already shuffling down the hallway toward the back door.
“Bye, Mrs. Appleton,” Jake and Dani said.
“Goodbye, dears.” The portly housekeeper waved. “Stay safe, now, you hear?”
“Let’s go, ladies!” Gladwin called, and the other half of the royal garden fairies who’d remained behind buzzed down the hallway after the kids.
Some zoomed ahead out the door, which Archie was holding open for everyone, ever the English gentleman, even in a daze of grief.
All of a sudden, Jake stopped. “Where’s Red? Blimey, I almost forgot him!” He turned around and strode back into the foyer while Dani continued outside.
“Red!” Jake shouted toward the top of the stairs. “Here, boy! We’re leaving!”
“Um, Jake, he’s already out here!” Isabelle called from outside.
“Oh,” Jake said to himself. Then he turned around and joined the others outside in the black, chilly night.
But he had no sooner stepped through the back door than he grinned at the unexpected sight awaiting him.
Hitched to the large black carriage waiting for them out back was…the Gryphon.
“What’s this?” Jake asked, laughing, as he closed the door behind him.
Even his friends had come out of their deep gloom enough to look amused.
“I thought we’d travel in style tonight.” Derek opened the coach door, which was emblazoned with the yew-tree insignia of the Order. He gestured to the roomy interior. “Well, don’t just stand there! Ladies first.”
Miss Helena led the way, letting her beau hand her up into the coach. Izzy shrugged and climbed up next, followed by Nixie, Archie, and Brian.
Dani hesitated, frowning at Red with concern.
Inside the luxurious vehicle, which apparently belonged to Beacon House, the others started fluffing out carriage blankets and draping them over their laps for the long, cold journey through the night.
“Becaw!” Despite his fierce battle today against the manticore, Red seemed eager to play carriage horse, flicking his wings and pawing the ground.
“Uh, Derek,” Jake drawled, “I’d never dream of questioning an Elder, but don’t you think we’re going to be just a bit conspicuous, riding down the road with a Gryphon pulling our coach?”
“And this is a lot of people for Red to have to pull!” Dani agreed.
Derek wagged a finger playfully at her. “Not if we’re flying, my dear. Gladwin?”
“Coming!”
“Flying?” Dani echoed as Gladwin zoomed over to the Guardian.
Derek sent Dani a wily smile. “I’d get in if I were you,”
To Jake’s relief, the redhead actually giggled and sprang up at once into the coach, nudging in beside Izzy.
“One second,” Jake said, passing Derek to go and check on Red at the front of the carriage.
He scratched the Gryphon on the side of his feathery head. “You’re sure you don’t mind, boy?” Jake asked softly. “You got pretty beat up today.”
Red snuffled, as
though happy to ignore his own aches and pains to put smiles back on the kids’ faces.
Jake gazed fondly at him. “You’re a kind creature, Red.”
The Gryphon nuzzled him, and Jake hugged the beast. He’d come awfully close today to never seeing him again, after all.
“Thank you for doing this, boy.”
Red nudged him away, as if to say, Go get in the coach! Then he reared up in the traces, eager to go. With a chuckle, Jake went.
“Mind you lock the carriage door behind you,” Derek said, strapping himself in on the driver’s box and gathering up the reins as Jake walked by. “It’ll be a long way down.”
Jake gave him a casual salute, then heaved himself up into the coach and locked the door safely. But he moved to the middle of the padded leather bench to let the others sit by the windows—Dani on one side of him, Izzy on the other, Miss Helena squeezed in on the end. Nixie sat directly across from Jake, with Archie and Brian on either side of her.
“Everyone all right back there?” Derek called, releasing the brake.
“All set!” Miss Helena replied in a tone of amusement while Jake and his friends smiled at each other in the darkness.
“Red?” Derek said.
“Becaw!”
“Good! Ready when you are, ladies!” the warrior said to Gladwin and her fairy troop.
Jake leaned forward to watch out the window as Gladwin and her friends all took out their tiny pouches of sparkling fairy dust and started sprinkling it all over the carriage.
Sparkly plumes of gold, blue, pink, orange, green, and silver dust trailed past the coach windows like a meteor shower.
Everyone let out eager exclamations as the coach began lifting off the ground. Red flapped his wings, ascending with it.
Higher and higher they rose.
The second floor of Beacon House floated by, then the coach-house roof. Mrs. Appleton and Mr. Mayweather waved up at them from the ground, getting smaller and smaller.
“Don’t drive too fast now, Guardian Stone!” the housekeeper called up to Derek.
Jake laughed. The next thing he knew, they were floating higher even than the ornate roofs of Beacon House, past the shining cupola.
“Ugh, I think I’m gonna be queasy,” Brian said, pressing his back flat against his seat.
The fairies flew up with them, surrounding the vehicle; the tiny winged creatures steadied the coach whenever it tilted too much in any direction. (They were very strong for their size.)
The coach gave them some trouble when it passed through a windy stretch of the lower skies, not far above the treetops.
“Let’s fly a little higher!” Gladwin yelled as the vehicle pitched and tossed a bit from side to side.
“That’s all right,” Brian mumbled.
Isabelle smiled ruefully at him, but the fairies doled out more of their shimmering dust and the carriage continued floating upward like a hot air balloon.
Soon, they’d cleared the windy layer and the coach leveled out, reaching a comfortable elevation somewhere between the low-hanging clouds beneath the spoked carriage wheels and the bright gibbous moon out the window.
“This looks like a fine cruising altitude, Red!” Gladwin called, her wings whirring just outside the coach window. She cupped her hand around her mouth. “To Merlin Hall, girls!”
The fairies cheered. “Let’s go!”
Then Red flapped his wings and the airborne coach zoomed forward. The carriage shot through the dark sky while the lights of London glittered below. Jake caught a parting glimpse of Big Ben, but its glowing face did not make him as happy as it normally did.
It reminded him of all that had happened today—and Aunt Ramona. Their wondrous jaunt through the night sky helped soothe their heartache, but Jake knew that this day had left scars on all of them.
The kids looked around at one other in silence.
Then Jake took Dani’s hand in one of his, Isabelle’s in the other. Across from him, a soulful-eyed Nixie linked arms with Archie and Brian.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody had to.
This had been the worst day of their entire lives, but at least they were together.
Jake couldn’t help thinking the ol’ girl would have approved.
EPILOGUE
Angels
“Fine work today, Celestus.”
“Why, thank you, Azrael. Your help was instrumental and very much appreciated. Cheers.”
“Not a problem. Cheers.”
The two angels clinked their icy-cold celebratory drinks together as they sat on the sweltering edge of the Ninth Pit, dangling their feet over the side of the canyon and enjoying the great fool that Shemrazul was making of himself with his temper tantrum over losing Zolond.
Meanwhile, a condemned soul continued inching toward them on hands and knees across the desert landscape of the plateau. He reached his hand out toward them, just a few feet away now. “Water!” he croaked. “Just one sip, I beg you!”
“Shove off!” Frowning with annoyance, Azrael aimed his Brightwield at the dead man and hurled him back into the flames with a white-hot zap of divine power, then took another carefree sip of the heavenly beverage.
Celestus eyed his friend in mild disapproval. “I think you enjoy doing that a little too much.”
“Who, me?” The Angel of Death snickered.
Sentimental, he was not.
But the water of heaven was admittedly worth coveting, especially down here—clear, frosty bottles of health, life, rejuvenation. After all, this was no ordinary water. The exquisite libation full of fizzy bubbles flowed from the crystalline springs of the tranquil realm the two called home.
They were far from there now, of course. But even Celestus (who was known as a high stickler) could not stop his lips from twitching with amusement at how the lesser devils and lost souls wept and gnashed their teeth, watching the smallest droplets of condensation roll slowly down the sides of the sparkling bottles.
Azrael chuckled and took another swig. “Eh, I see no harm in tormenting them a little. I figure they brought it on themselves.”
“True, true.”
“Ugh.” Azrael shook his head, staring down into the canyon. “Look at him down there. So dramatic!” They had a good laugh at their former colleague’s ill temper.
The grotesque fallen angel, the would-be god, was throwing quite a tantrum, punching the sides of his pit and stomping his cloven feet, thrashing his tail and roaring, as if anybody cared.
“Zolond! I’ll get you, you traitor!”
“You’re not going to get anybody down there!” Celestus yelled.
“Hey, Shem! Want a drink?” Azrael heckled the Horned One. “Just kidding.”
“Honestly,” said Celestus, frowning at the beast’s lack of self-control, “I don’t know how he keeps his minions with these churlish displays. You’d think they’d have run away by now, considering how he’s always blowing them up.”
“There goes another one.” Azrael pointed as an imp exploded with a cry, then Shem kicked a weird little eyeball monster into the lava. “They probably figure none of the other major devils would be any easier to serve.”
“Probably right about that.” In a philosophical mood, Celestus took another icy sip.
One of the nicest features of the heavenly beverage was that the bottle never ran out. You could drink all you liked and it always replenished itself. Which was good, as the hot breeze never stopped blowing through Hades.
“So.” Azrael paused, held the cold bottle against his face, and swung his feet idly. “What do you think he’ll do now?”
“Who, Shem?” Celestus snorted. “Go after the boy again, probably.”
Azrael scowled. “Don’t tell me you set any store by that mad Drow prophet’s fevered hallucinations?”
“I don’t know! I just do as I’m told.”
“Wait—I thought your charge was Dani O’Dell,” Azrael said, looking confused.
“Technically, yes, but nothing i
s more important to Dani than Jake.”
“Ah, how cute,” Azrael drawled.
Celestus ignored his friend’s cynicism. “Still,” he continued, “Jake is important in his own right.”
“Even I know that,” the death angel grumbled.
Celestus nodded grimly, then they both sat thinking while Shemrazul splatted the unfortunate Blobby against the canyon wall again.
After a moment, Azrael cocked a shrewd glance his way. “I should think the boy now sees the shape of the battle.”
“Yes. He’s not enthused.”
“I wonder why!” Azrael laughed, then paused. “Think you can talk him into it?”
Celestus shrugged. “Jake has to choose for himself. They all do.”
“Bloody free will.” Shaking his head, Azrael leaned back and propped his hands behind him, then set his drink aside to flick some ash off his wing. The air was thick with it down here. “You have my sympathies, Celestus. Dealing with the living. I don’t know how you put up with them all. The dead are hard enough to tolerate, always whining, ‘Oh, I’m dead, I’m dead!’ Why are they always so surprised? I mean, they know it’s going to happen eventually, but then they’re always so shocked when it does.”
“They don’t like thinking about it.”
“They don’t like a lot of things that are good for them. Like broccoli. Have you ever tried it, by the way?”
Both angels grimaced.
They sat for another thoughtful moment while the howls from below echoed up the canyon wall and the heated updraft blew their shining hair.
“So,” Azrael finally said, “what are you going to do about Jake?”
He shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do.”
Azrael sent him a piercing stare. “Are you sure about that?”
Celestus furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“The kid doesn’t even have a weapon,” he said.
Celestus gave his friend a searching look, then peered back down into the canyon. “Hmm… Perhaps there is something I could contribute. Even the odds a bit?”
Azrael flashed a knowing smile. “That’s the spirit. Cheers.” His silver eyes glowed as the Angel of Death clinked bottles again with Celestus. “To Jake.”