Quest for the Secret Keeper

by Victoria Laurie

  Once they were all certain they had everything they needed—save Carl’s nibbles, of course—they made their way down the spiral staircase, pausing to collect Theo, and continued down the main stairs on tiptoe.

  Luck was with them, and they managed to leave the keep without waking a single injured soldier.

  Without speaking, the group hurried along the dark road to Castle Dover, and Ian could see the earl waiting for them on the front steps. “Good morning,” he said to them quietly.

  “Good morning, my lord,” they all answered.

  “Are we ready for our voyage?”

  As one they nodded, and the earl motioned for them to follow him. Winding their way through the earl’s residence in a somewhat circuitous path, they avoided the sections of the castle that either had been ruined by fire or were currently occupied by soldiers. Eventually, they found their way to the back of the castle and out into the earl’s garden.

  Ian winced when he realized that much of the earl’s beloved hedge maze had been burned to a crisp, but the earl hardly seemed to glance at it as they walked to the back garden gate.

  Ian felt a tinge of déjá vu; the last time he’d gone through the garden gate in the wee hours of the morning, he’d been running for his life from one of Magus the Black’s hellhounds. He’d barely escaped, and his arm still held the scar from the bite that awful creature had inflicted on him.

  He attempted to put the memory out of his mind and moved silently with the others down the winding path, past the small patch of woods where the portal was hidden, to the road leading to the harbor.

  They arrived at the earl’s boat shortly thereafter, and the earl lowered the ladder so that they could all climb aboard. Ian marveled at the beauty of the earl’s ship as he helped Theo up the rungs.

  Once they were aboard, there wasn’t much for Ian, Theo, and Carl to do, save concentrate very hard on not being sick and look out for any signs of trouble, of course.

  Luck was on their side that day, because they reached Boulogne in just a few hours, the earl’s vessel being a swift one. Theo walked on shaking legs over to the ladder, and Ian carefully lowered her to the deck. He and Carl waited with her while the earl spoke to Argos and Jaaved about their course to Le Havre. “If the Germans break through the French line, they will march the bulk of their forces straight for Paris. This means it will take them time to secure the coastline and all the major ports, but Boulogne is too close to the front line to leave the vessel unattended. This is why you must travel farther south and seek safe harbor in Le Havre. When you dock, leave the ship in the hands of my dear friend Monsieur LaBlanc, the harbormaster. If the Germans reach his harbor, he will know how to hide the boat’s origins.

  “From there you must make your way to Paris. Jaaved, do you have the map of France I gave to you?”

  “Yes, my lord,” Jaaved answered immediately, reaching into the fold of his coat and pulling out the map to show the earl.

  “Excellent. I have marked the map with the safest route, and as your French is perfect and Argos here wears the Star, you should be fine. But with your darker skin, Jaaved, you must be very careful about attracting unwanted attention. If you do encounter the enemy, do exactly as they say and speak only in French. Give them no reason to suspect you or where you come from, do you understand?”

  Jaaved pumped his head up and down and Argos said, “We will not call attention to ourselves, Hastings. We will find you at the Fontaines de la Concorde as soon as we can.”

  The earl nodded but his expression was troubled. He looked at Theo, whose color was finally returning, and asked, “Theo, are you quite positive that Jaaved and Argos need join us in Paris? I feel it will be much safer for them to remain with my yacht in Le Havre and await our arrival.”

  Theo said, “They must join us, my lord. It’s imperative, although I can’t quite explain why.”

  The earl sighed. “Very well. I trust your intuition, Theo.” Turning back to Jaaved and Argos, he asked them again if they felt comfortable with managing the boat’s rigging and such, and they both assured him they did. It was then time to say goodbye and wish them bon voyage.

  The earl’s yacht set off again, and the four of them watched as it sailed out of port, weaving between the many fishing and military vessels rushing out. When the yacht was a mere speck on the horizon, the earl motioned for them to come along, and off they went through the crowded streets, making their way to the train station.

  The small city of Boulogne was teeming with people, and Ian was amazed that most of those who crowded the streets were soldiers from his own homeland. He knew that Prime Minister Churchill had ordered the vast army stationed in France to pull out and retreat to England, but Ian could hardly believe it was happening until he saw it up close.

  Everyone in the streets was gloomy; no one wanted to believe the Germans were capable of taking France. However, the evidence was all around them.

  If France did in fact fall, what would that mean for England? Ian wondered. He knew the earl’s thoughts were equally pensive, because he could see his patriarch’s eyes darting here and there as if he was calculating the number of departing soldiers.

  It proved quite difficult to obtain a rail pass, as most of the tickets for the day had already been purchased. It seemed that while the port was full of departing British soldiers, the train stations were filled with fleeing French citizens.

  From the snatches of conversation happening around Ian, he knew that all those leaving the area wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the invading Germans as possible.

  The sad expressions and tearful goodbyes of those around him were heartbreaking and Ian had to work at keeping himself detached.

  The earl was finally able to secure them passage to Paris later that afternoon, and while they waited, Ian stared mindlessly at the crowds and Carl and Theo played a game of cards.

  They asked if he wanted to join, but his heart wasn’t in it. Instead, he settled for surveying the people around him. While he was in this state of observance, he happened to catch sight of something familiar.

  Stepping onto an outgoing train across the platform was a very tall man with broad shoulders, thick curly hair, and a long cloak. As the man took hold of the rail to step up onto the train, Ian spotted a gleaming bronze cuff wrapped round the man’s wrist.

  At first, Ian’s mind was slow to make the connection, and he stood up from his seated position to get a better look at the stranger boarding the train. Focusing on the man, he took several paces forward and watched the stranger take the final step aboard. The conductor then blew the warning whistle and the train began its slow chug out of the station. Ian hurried forward just as recognition burst into his mind, and he shouted, “General Adrastus!”

  The man in the doorway of the departing train jerked, whirling around, and their eyes met. Ian knew he wasn’t wrong; Adrastus of Lixus stared at him in shock for three heartbeats and then the train had moved on and he was lost to Ian’s sight.

  “Ian?” he heard the earl say.

  Ian stared at the back end of the train, straining to see if Adrastus had perhaps gotten off and was coming back to meet him. But the longer he waited, the more the crowds closed in for the next train, and Ian could not see any sign of the general.

  “Ian?” he heard the earl repeat, and he finally tore his eyes away and looked to the earl.

  “Sorry,” he said when he noticed the earl, Carl, and Theo all looking up at him curiously.

  “You all right?” Theo asked.

  Ian nodded. “I saw him,” he said. “General Adrastus. He was boarding the train that just left here.”

  The earl turned to read the overhead sign displaying what trains were leaving which platforms. “He’s headed south,” he said. “Along with the rest of northern France.”

  “Perhaps he’s on his way to Paris too?” Theo said.

  Ian looked back at the platform, searching the crowd once again. He had met the general only once, a
year earlier, when he and Carl had nearly been killed by one of Magus’s servants. The general had saved their lives, but once he knew who Ian and Carl were, he’d made haste to leave their company.

  The mystery of Adrastus of Lixus was something that teased away at Ian’s brain, especially as he knew the prophecy had instructed him to find the general—for what specific reason he hadn’t yet determined, but to know he’d been so close to the man and yet so far frustrated Ian greatly.

  With a tired sigh he pulled his eyes away and went back to sit next to Carl and Theo. “We can only hope that we’ll meet him in Paris,” he said. “Laodamia has told us that we need to find him, so it’s obviously important that we do.”

  “We can use the sundial!” Carl said.

  Ian brightened. He reached into his trouser pocket to pull out the sundial, then he studied the dull surface and knew it was just the thing to help him locate the general. “Excellent idea, Carl. And we can also use it to help us locate Océanne and Madame Lafitte as well.”

  The earl reached out and squeezed Ian’s shoulder. “Best to tuck that instrument away for now,” he whispered while looking pointedly at the crowds and the nearby strangers subtly eyeing the trinket in Ian’s hand. “We’ll make use of it later when we have some privacy, all right, Ian?”

  Ian hurried to tuck the ancient magical relic away. “Right,” he said. “Apologies, my lord.”

  They waited several more hours for their own train to arrive, and when it finally did, Ian felt weary to the bone. Dusk had fallen, and although they’d eaten a bit of bread and cheese midafternoon, they were all still quite hungry.

  When they were seated in their berth, Carl—who was in a foul mood—grumbled, “I told you to make sure to bring some nibbles along.”

  The earl chuckled. “We’ll see about your stomach in Paris, Master Lawson. In the meantime, attempt to get some rest. We’ll be in the capital soon.”

  Tired as he was, Ian didn’t feel he could sleep. He was far too restless and worried about finding Océanne and Madame Lafitte. Still, he reasoned that the sundial would make their search go much faster, as all they had to do was ask the dial to point the way, then follow the shadow until it led them straight to the mother and daughter.

  Once they had discovered Madame and Océanne, they could use the dial to help them locate the general, then scurry back across the channel to England.

  Ian should have felt at ease once he’d determined to use the sundial; however, he knew that Laodamia’s quests were never easy, and something was likely to come along and disrupt even the most well-thought-out plan.

  This troubled him greatly, because try as he might, he could not find the flaw. Surely the sundial would work for them when he asked it to find the Lafittes, wouldn’t it?

  Ian took out the dial and decided to test it. “Where is Theo’s set of jacks?”

  The tarnished face of the sundial changed immediately to burnished bronze and a shadow appeared, pointing across the aisle to Theo’s satchel, which was tucked into the overhead bin. Ian smiled. The dial was working perfectly. There was no need to worry.

  With another sigh he leaned back against the gently rocking cushion of the train seat and settled in for a good long nap.

  A PLAN GONE AWRY

  They arrived in Paris midevening, and the earl was quite motivated to find them a place to take their supper, as Carl’s stomach gurgled loudly from the moment they stepped off the train.

  They found a quaint little eatery near the River Seine and enjoyed the rich food and the hum of the city about them.

  Their meal would have been perfect, in fact, if not for the constant snatches of conversation they overheard about the approach of the German army while the British quickly abandoned the French shores.

  Many a Parisian felt betrayed by their allies, and after a bit, Ian found his appetite had all but left him. When the earl asked if he was all right, he leaned in and whispered, “How can we leave them to fend for themselves, my lord?”

  The earl sat back in his chair and surveyed the surrounding tables as more of the talk reached their ears. The earl’s shoulders drooped a bit; then he too leaned in and answered Ian. “It is certainly not without tremendous regret, Ian, that we must leave our friends in their hour of greatest need, but the German forces are far mightier than anyone imagined. We must retreat for now to ensure that we do not also fall to the Nazis.”

  Ian looked down at his plate, his morale dropping to a new low. “I feel terrible for them,” he said. “They’re about to be overrun by the enemy, and there’s nothing we can do to help them.”

  “Not now, perhaps,” the earl agreed. “But England shall never back down, lad. We shall fight to the end, of that I’m sure.”

  Ian was not consoled by the earl’s words. He said nothing more, just pushed his food about his plate moodily and didn’t participate in the dinner conversation. After a bit, he noticed that Theo too had fallen silent, and when at last he looked up, he saw that she was holding tightly to her crystal, her eyes holding that faraway cast.

  “Theo?” he asked.

  Between Theo’s fingers Ian caught sight of a bright pink glow, which was turning quickly to red. “Something is terribly wrong,” she whispered.

  All eyes were immediately on her. “What is it?” the earl asked.

  Theo shook her head, her eyes still unfocused. “We’re in danger, my lord,” she said. “We must leave at once and find somewhere to hide.”

  Without questioning her further, the earl motioned for the waiter to bring him the bill, and after he laid down a few francs, they were off again. “Our hotel is just across the river,” he said, walking quickly and with purpose across a cobblestone bridge.

  Ian carried his satchel and Theo’s, as he wanted her free to focus on what danger was approaching them. But she said nothing as they walked; she merely pressed them with her quick steps to move faster to the hotel.

  Once they had entered the building, Ian expected her fearful look to ebb, but she continued to hold her crystal nervously and start at any nearby noise. “Theo,” Ian said, setting their satchels down while the earl approached the front desk to secure their rooms. “What is it?”

  There were tears in Theo’s eyes, and Ian knew that whatever it was had Theo scared half to death. “I’m not sure, Ian,” she whispered. “But something is out there and I feel as if it’s hunting us.”

  Goose pimples lined Ian’s arms and he looked to the door, expecting at any moment for a hellhound to burst through and attack them. He couldn’t imagine the beasts would enter the middle of Paris, but he knew that frightened look on Theo’s face all too well, and almost always the hellhounds were to blame for it.

  Ian turned to Carl and said, “Wait with her here.”

  “Where’re you going?” Carl asked, but Ian didn’t answer him. Instead, he turned and hurried to the door of the hotel.

  Peering out the glass window, he surveyed the crowd for any signs of panic or cries of help. He knew the beasts would cause a disturbance if they were close, and he hoped he’d have enough time to get Theo to safety if he could simply determine from which direction they were likely to come.

  The crowd outside, however, remained fairly calm, and the only anxiety he read on their faces likely had to do with the impending German invasion. Cautiously, Ian pushed through the door and walked out onto the street. A gust of wind brought a sudden and dramatic chill to him. He wiped his face and felt something odd on it. Looking at his fingers, he realized there was frost on them.

  Another chill took hold of him, but this one ran straight up his spine. Quick as a flash, he darted back into the hotel and ran directly to Carl and Theo. The earl was just leaving the clerk at the desk, and Ian wasted no time explaining; he merely took hold of their bags and hurried over to the earl. “The sorceresses!” he hissed, fear taking hold of his insides.

  The earl did not ask him to explain; instead, he reached out for Theo’s hand and motioned for Carl and Ian to follow h
im. They all but ran to the lift and darted inside just as the doors were closing. “Second floor,” the earl said to the lift attendant.

  They rode the short way in silence, and with a bing, the doors opened, and they dashed out. “We shall hide in our rooms,” the earl told them, eyeing a key and the sign posted on a nearby wall indicating which rooms were where. “This way!” he said, hurrying down the corridor.

  Ian glanced at Theo’s pendant as it bounced against her throat while she trotted next to the earl. The crystal had gone from bright red to radiant pink, and he hoped that meant the sorceresses were moving away from them.

  When they got to their appointed rooms, the earl opened a door and ushered them inside. “In here for now,” he said.

  Ian saw that he was entering a suite, in harmonious tones of green and pink. He dropped the satchels and took charge of Theo, leading her to a nearby settee and sitting her down. “Is it better?” he asked, noticing that the crystal about her neck was still bright.

  Her eyes focused on him. “A bit,” she said, “but I can feel them, Ian, and I fear they’re quite close.”

  Behind him, Ian heard the sound of a window being opened. He also heard Carl whisper, “Gaw, blimey!”

  Ian turned his head to see that his friend was at the window, peering down at the streets below. Carl then took several steps back from the window, his expression terrified.

  The window faced another building, lending them a terrible view, but from what must have been an alley down below, they clearly heard voices echoing up the brick and mortar to them.

  “I tell you, mistresses,” said the first voice, “I can sense that a magical instrument of great power is right now being employed!”

  “Describe it, witch!” said a second voice, which Ian would recognize anywhere.

  “Caphiera,” he said so softly he doubted anyone else had heard it.

  There was a pause, and then the first voice—a woman’s—said, “It is small and made of metal, but its size and composition belie its magical powers.”