The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens (16 page)

“I just don’t understand where he could have gone,” Lucy repeated for the third time, frustrated and desperate.

She sat next to Cadmus and across from Mack in the carriage, riding back to the castle. They’d searched for Luke until sunset, covering the whole town and even venturing into the fields outside town. No one had seen him. Their armed guards were a wreck, blaming themselves for letting him out of their sight.

“The Queen will fire us all,” one of them had predicted.

By sundown, they’d called off the search and decided to head back to the castle.

“Luke’s smart. He can take care of himself,” Mack said in an effort to comfort his sister. His grim expression told her he was thinking the same thing she was, though none of them dared speak their fear aloud—could anyone really defend themselves against the Wardens? What if he was kidnapped… or worse?

The carriage bumped its way uphill along the Royale Byway toward the castle. They did not speak again until they disembarked at the castle drawbridge. Pip was walking toward them from the stable, haggard from a long day’s work.

“Hey! I’m hungry, how about you lot? I wonder what Mom is cooking tonight.” His good-natured chatter died when he noticed the looks on their faces. “What’s wrong?”

“You haven’t seen Luke, have you? We lost him today in Central Square. We haven’t seen him in hours,” Mack replied.

Pip’s mouth fell open. “Oh, man. No, I haven’t, I’m sorry.”

Weary, Lucy took Cadmus’ arm and walked across the drawbridge into the atrium. The hundreds of candles in the golden chandelier high above them were already lit in anticipation of sunset. Yet instead of the usual cheerful glow, Lucy found the dancing shadows on the round stone walls to be disturbing. The thought of her little brother in the hands of those creatures was nauseating.

“We don’t know anything for sure yet, just remember that.” Cadmus placed a gentle arm around her shoulders as they passed through the massive golden doors and trudged up one of the two matching wide spiral stairways. Lucy leaned on the carved wooden hand rail.

“Let’s take ten minutes to wash up and then meet back in the Hearth Room,” Cadmus suggested. Lucy and Mack agreed, parting ways on the fourth floor, each flanked by three guards.

Lucy was relieved to find Olivia waiting for her outside her room. She wasn’t sure she had the courage to go back in there alone after the discovery she’d made in her bathroom. She found her room and bathroom spotless.

“Did you clean up in here?” she asked Olivia.

“Yes.” The girl nodded. “Is it to your liking?”

“Oh, of course. Thank you so much, Olivia. But—when you cleaned, did you find anything, umm… unusual?”

Olivia seemed puzzled. “No, should I have?”

“No, no, I’m just—I’m just on edge with all the weird things that have been happening, that’s all.” Lucy chose a soft wool sweater out of her armoire and pulled it on over her head.

“That’s understandable,” Olivia sympathized. “I can’t imagine how worried you must be about Luke. I overheard you talking about him being missing when you came in.”

Lucy forced a grim smile to show her appreciation for the young girl. “Thanks, Olivia.”

҉

Helda brought three steaming mugs of sweet peppermint tea to the Hearth Room where Lucy, Cadmus, and Mack sat on the floor atop piles of cushions and blankets. Lucy was still chilled despite her oversized wool sweater and fuzzy socks. She pulled a fleece blanket tighter around her shoulders, thanking Helda as she accepted the large mug of tea.

“We’ll have to reassume the search in the morning,” Cadmus began. “I stopped in and spoke with the Queen. She has granted me permission to enlist the help of half the castle guards. We’ll have them span the valley and even Doldrums Forest.” The fire crackled, its light dancing in his eyes. His expression was one of deep concern. His presence comforted Lucy.

“I’ll be up before dawn, ready to ride as soon as the sun rises,” Mack said.

“Me too,” Lucy agreed. Her heart ached at the thought of her missing brother. Helda had offered them bowls of beef stew, but they’d turned it down, unable to stomach food in their anxious state. Lucy hugged her knees, letting the warmth of the mug seep into her body through her hands. It was just hot enough to hold without burning her hands. The almost-painful heat was a welcome distraction from her troubled thoughts.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” she began, meeting Mack’s and then Cadmus’ gaze. “Yesterday around this time, when I went back to my room after meeting with Queen Oleksandra, I found something awful in my bathroom.” They were rapt. “Sir Wigginsworth, the cat who lives in my room with me, was scratching at the bathroom door and making a fuss, so I let him in. Inside I found the jacket of one of our guards who was killed in the forest, and a message written on the mirror in dark red—it looked like blood.” Cadmus and Mack ogled her, as shocked as she’d been upon discovering the mess.

“
What
?” Mack cried, “What did it say?”

“It said ‘
Everything is not as it seems. The dungeon holds the answers you seek,’”
she replied, bracing for the reprimand she knew was imminent. They would both be upset she hadn’t told them sooner.

“Lucy, why did you wait so long to tell me?” Cadmus cried in disbelief, dropping the blanket he’d been clutching around his shoulders. “This is crucial! Was there anything else in the bathroom?”

“Yes,” she continued, “there was a bronze pocket watch dangling from one of the vanity lights over the mirror. And there was a lock of hair tied to it with a piece of twine.” She pursed her lips with guilt for not telling them sooner. In speaking it aloud, she realized how dangerous the situation sounded.

“What kind of hair?” Cadmus asked.

“Brown hair, slightly wavy,” she admitted, clutching the spot on the back of her head where a lock of her hair was snipped short.

“Oh, no. You’ve got to be kidding me…” Cadmus covered his mouth with one hand, and then crawled around her to see the back of her head for himself. “
Your hair
was tied to the pocket watch? But how did they…” he trailed off, speechless.

“And you
slept in your room
last night?” Mack asked, incredulous.

“I know, I know, it was stupid of me,” Lucy admitted. “Really stupid. In fact, saying this all out loud makes me realize just how crazy I was. But at the time, I just didn’t think it all through. And I had Olivia in there with me, plus my armed guards outside the door.”

“Yeah, but someone had to get
inside
your room to write that message on the mirror and leave that stuff there. Lucy, this is bad.”

“I know. But wait, there’s more. I slid down my laundry chute because I was afraid someone was in the room with me—and I wanted to check out the dungeon without being seen going down there. Turns out the laundry room is on the same level as the dungeon.” She grinned. Cadmus and Mack were not amused. “Anyway, I found the prison cells.”

“You met Fagen,” Cadmus anticipated.

“Yes, and there was one other prisoner. I think that was the one the message was referring to.”

“There are two prisoners in the dungeon? I only knew of Fagen…” he rubbed his chin.

“Brace yourselves for this one,” she warned. “It was a
clone
of Aodhan Orman, The thirty-fourth Mapkeeper!” No one spoke for a moment as her revelation sunk in. “I know. I couldn’t believe it at first either. But it’s true, I recognized him from the hall of portraits upstairs. He is a little thinner, but otherwise identical to Aodhan. He said he doesn’t know who cloned him or how, and that he doesn’t share Aodhan’s memories, just his intelligence. His only memories are of time spent in the cell in the dungeon next to Fagen. Fagen is crazy, by the way.”

“Unbelievable…” Cadmus breathed. “This changes everything, Lucy. I think we may have a traitor within the castle walls. We’ve got to stick together from here on out. We can’t trust anyone but the four of us. You, Mack, Luke, and me. Until we can figure out who is behind this.” The mention of Luke’s name was a painful reminder of their current predicament.

With a loud bang of the Hearth Room doors, Pip burst into the room and ran toward them, tumbling onto a pile of pillows in exhaustion.

“It’s Luke—he’s here!” he exclaimed, gasping for air.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Luke repeated. They were all seated around the fire now—Lucy, Cadmus, Mack, Luke, Pip, Olivia, Helda, Quinn, Milo, and the queen. She’d made an exception and left King Muttongale’s side to hear the story of what happened to Luke.

Relief had swept over Lucy like a tide of warmth when she’d embraced her younger brother ten minutes before. She had stifled a sob, unable to speak for several moments.

“I had no idea I would get separated from you guys or that you’d be so worried. It was thoughtless of me to go off with my new friends,” he apologized. “I met them while you guys were talking to old Hamlin. They were two guys and a girl about my age, and we got to talking. Next thing I knew, you guys had moved on and I couldn’t find you anywhere. So I accepted an invitation to go back to Grace’s house for dinner. I am so, so sorry for all the worry I caused you all. I feel awful about it.”

Mack smiled. He had chastised Luke at first, but now a knowing smile crossed his face. “Grace? I bet she’s a pretty girl, huh, Luke?” he and Cadmus broke down in laughter. Luke blushed, defensive at first, but he soon broke down in laughter too.

Everyone else joined in, and the intense tension of the evening dissolved as they laughed together, warm and comfortable in the glow of the fire. In that moment, Lucy’s heart soared.

҉

Lucy was relieved when Mack insisted they all sleep in the same room from then on. Milo made accommodations for Mack and Luke’s beds to be moved into Lucy’s room since it was the largest. She slept in discontinuous fits, slipping from one bad dream into another. She was being hunted and chased through Doldrums Forest.

She rose before sunrise, unable to fall back asleep after a horrible dream in which the Wardens had brutally murdered her brothers. Mack and Luke’s beds were set up on either side of hers. They both lay in tangled messes of sheets and blankets.

She made her way to the window and plopped down on the window seat to watch the sun rise. The first rays illuminated a heavy haze that clung to the valley and atop Glacial Lake. The resulting effect was a gray-orange glow. Praxis was still and quiet. The morning birds did not sing, and the horses in the stable across the field below made no noise. The air was heavy and still. The usual morning breeze was absent today. Leaves on the trees surrounding the castle property hung motionless. The stillness troubled Lucy.

At last Mack stirred, then sat up, stretching. Luke woke with some prodding, and soon the Barnes siblings were showered, dressed, and on their way to the stable to practice riding and archery. This time, Lucy refused to miss out.

The morning’s stillness and the gray-orange haze persisted. Lucy wore a light jacket as she bounced up and down on her mare, practicing guiding the horse by its leather reins. Luke trotted behind her, while Mack urged his steed ahead at maximum speed. After two hours of riding, improving her form under Pip’s expert tutelage, Lucy at last felt comfortable in the saddle.

Next, the Barnes siblings practiced archery at the range behind the stable. All three siblings were quick learners with the bow and arrow, hitting their marks as often as not. Lucy was comfortable with the feel of the bow in her hand. She improved her speed, moving from draw, to load, to shoot in a single fluid motion. When the sun was straight overhead in the sky, her stomach began to growl. She backfilled Luke on her discovery in the bathroom and her trip to the dungeon as they walked back to the castle for lunch.

Helda prepared a broiled meatball soup and served it with fresh baked bread and honey-glazed roasted vegetables. The Barnes siblings scarfed their food. Though Cadmus joined them, the queen did not. Instead, she insisted upon taking her meals in the king’s chamber. Lucy was beginning to worry about her.

“How were your riding and archery lessons?” Cadmus asked, pulling a chunk of bread off the loaf and mopping out his soup bowl with it.

“Great!” Lucy glowed as she recounted the morning, describing their new skills.

“That’s awesome! I have no doubt you are all quick learners. I’ve been doing some digging this morning while you were out,” Cadmus revealed. He lowered his voice and leaned over the table so they could hear him. “I paid a visit to the dungeon, and Fagen’s was the only occupied cell.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t doubt that you met Aodhan Orman’s clone, Lucy, but he must have been relocated. The guards claimed Fagen has been the castle’s sole prisoner for over a year. Fagen went berserk when he saw me, shouting and screaming, so I was in and out of there as fast as I could.

“I also paid a visit to Queen Oleksandra this morning. The king’s condition hasn’t changed. I advised her to hold another Council of Clans as soon as possible. We can’t wait for the Wardens to make their next move before we unite. We must come up with a plan together, or they will succeed in dividing the clans.”

“What did she say?” Luke asked.

“She agreed. She sent messengers to deliver the word to the clan leaders just an hour ago. They will be invited to arrive at the castle at six o’clock tonight. I’m hoping this council proves more productive than the last one,” he finished, taking a swig of sparkling pear cider.

“This time, I’ll be ready,” Lucy assured him.

҉

Rhys was the last one to show up for the Council of Clans that evening. He burst through the Great Hall doors, distracted and frazzled—one eyebrow was singed and he couldn’t seem to focus. He took his seat at the table between Bade and Enzo and across from Glump. They had all selected the same seats they had occupied at the last council. The tensions among the clan leaders were tangible. Lucy took a deep breath, steeling herself to be firm and resolute. From across the table, Cadmus smiled at her, making her feel strong.

Queen Oleksandra sat alone at the head of the table. King Muttongale’s chair remained unoccupied as a symbolic tribute. Her face was thin and drawn, with dark bags drooping beneath each of her eyes. Her silver tiara combed her dark hair back so that it fell long and straight down her back. She wore a fitted deep purple silk gown.

“Rhys, we’re glad you made it. The castle cooks have prepared a beautiful feast for us to enjoy, but first, we have urgent business to discuss. As we all know, Praxis is in grave peril. We can now say with near certainty that the Wardens have returned.” A hush fell over the group. Lucy knew this, but hearing it spoken aloud underscored the urgency of the situation. “The Wardens are powerful and cruel. They will stop at nothing to gain control of the map and destroy us. The time has come for us to unite for the protection of our land and of all creatures of Praxis.”

“Well, then, let’s go around the table and see who’s in,” Bade interjected. “Let’s see who’s onboard and who isn’t.” He grinned at Cadmus, who was seated to the queen’s right.

“I’m in.” Cadmus’ reply was firm.

Odessa and Auriel looked at one another then said in unison, “The Bellaux are in.” Lucy found herself glancing at Enzo to gauge his reaction. He was smiling at Odessa. Lucy caught Odessa’s eyes for a moment, but the Bellaux averted her eyes.

In his strong, deep voice Zadok stated, “The centaurs are in.”

To Zadok’s right, Glump rolled his eyes. “The goblins will protect Praxis. But we’re not going to do any sort of team-building, happy-go-lucky type nonsense, so don’t even try—”

“Are you with us, or against us, Glump?” Bade challenged.

Glump sighed, propping his hairless green head up with a claw-like hand. Scratching the inside of one of his long, pointed ears, he muttered, “We’re in.” His permanent sneer widened.

Adalia was quick to confirm, “The elves will join the alliance of Praxis.” Her sharp green eyes flashed.

From the head of the table opposite the queen, Pip rolled his eyes, chewing on a bread roll with disinterest as the eyes of everyone around the table skimmed from Adalia, past him, and came to rest on Enzo.

“The gnomes will fight,” Enzo declared, thumping the thick wooden dining table with a fist.

Rhys shrugged as the collective eyes of the clan leaders fell upon him. “Of course I’ll do what I can to support, not that a single satyr will be of great use to the kingdom,” he growled. Lucy leaned to peer past Mack and Luke, curious about Rhys’ singed eyebrow. He took a large swig of hot mulled mead, clattering his metal goblet back on the table.

Bade was next, seated to the right of Rhys. “The trolls won’t be easy to convince, but I’ll do my best,” Bade stated, pressing his long, thin hands together in front of him. “They will prove very useful to us in battle. They may not be the most intelligent creatures, but we all know trolls are ferocious in a fight.”

“We will fight alongside you too,” Mack stated.

“We’ve been learning riding, archery, and swordsmanship,” Luke added.

Lucy felt the eyes of the group fall on her. She was the only one who hadn’t yet sworn loyalty to the alliance. Forcing back a sudden surge of nerves, she stood to address the group.

“I too, have been practicing riding and archery, but I have also been practicing controlling the power of the map. I believe I have discovered the key to make it work for me, though I still have some tweaking to do.” She pulled out the map and laid it out on the table before her, then clasped her hands in front of her.

Bade growled, brow furrowed over his dark, angry eyes. “Some tweaking to do? What does that mean, Ms. Barnes? Can you use the map, or not?”

In the pause that followed, she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Cadmus opened his mouth to speak—likely about to defend her—but Lucy wanted to fight her own battle this time. “Yes, Bade, I still have some tweaking to do. But I know that I can unlock the map’s power, and that’s what matters.”

“
That’s it?
You don’t have anything substantial to report? No quantitative progress?” Bade spread his arms in a gesture of disgust. Blood rose in Lucy’s face. She focused, redirecting her embarrassment and anger to the map on the table before her. She would show them what she could do.

Tearing her focus away from her surroundings, Lucy began to trace her finger along the castle moat, a slow circle at first, then faster. The clan leaders were silent as they watched her. Faster and faster, she traced the moat in circles around the base of castle. The map infused with color and began to grow warm, swirling with animation and color, more alive than ever before.

The distant sound of rushing water from outside the castle walls permeated the Great Hall. Adalia and Zadok jumped up and rushed to a window, peering down at the moat below.

Wide-eyed, Adalia reported, “It’s moving! The water is churning and flowing!”

Lucy did not allow the clan leaders’ gasps to distract her. Channeling her emotion, she pressed hard as her finger reached the front side of the castle and traced a line straight up to one of the windows of the Great Hall, jabbing at the window.

With an earsplitting crash, a wall of water exploded through the stained glass window above Adalia and Zadok, surging into the Great Hall. Chaos ensued as the clan leaders jumped onto the table, toppling goblets and clawing at one another to avoid being swept off their feet by the violent, churning current of knee-deep water.

Her intense focus broken at last, Lucy jumped onto the table just in time to avoid being engulfed by the torrent of water. Mack and Luke were perched on the table beside her, mouths hanging open as they ogled their sister.

“Did you know you could do that?” Luke asked, eyes agog.

“I, uh, uh, whoa. I mean… um, I guess I thought, uh… no!” Lucy’s heart was racing. The queen was standing on her chair, encircled by a tight throng of armed guards. The guards were knee-deep in water, clinging to her chair and one another to avoid being knocked down by the unbridled current.

A trio of guards clung to the table’s edge just behind Lucy as well, ordered to protect the Mapkeeper at all costs. After the last council of clans, the queen wasn’t taking any chances.

Zadok’s reaction was swift when he saw the mass of water outside the window. He’d snatched Adalia up as though she weighed nothing and moved the side of the window, pressing up against the stone wall as the deluge of water broke through the glass. He shielded Adalia from the shower of glass when the window exploded.

Now the leader of the elves was thanking Zadok, helping him pluck out small shards embedded in his bare back. Everyone else ogled Lucy, shock written on their faces. She turned to gauge Cadmus’ reaction. Crouched in a squat atop his chair, Cadmus’ eyebrows were arched in genuine astonishment. When their eyes met, he broke into a wide smile and began to chuckle.

“You did it, Lucy! That was incredible!” Lucy smiled, his excitement rubbing off on her. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, raising it high in the air. “Clan leaders, I believe now there will be no doubt as to whether Ms. Barnes is able to control the map!”

“
Unbelievable!
” Milo exclaimed from across the room, ankle-deep in the dirty pool of water. “This will be no small task to clean up.” With a snap of his fingers, a team of castle employees appeared and began to mop up the water, wringing their mops into steel pails. “But it’s nothing we can’t handle, your majesty,” he assured the queen.

Queen Oleksandra was helped down from her chair by one of the guards. She refused their offers to carry her so she wouldn’t spoil her shoes. “Nonsense, it’s footwear. It’s meant to become dirty.” She laughed. Her eyes sparkled with life and Lucy realized it was the first time she’d seen the queen smile since King Muttongale’s attack. “Lucy, that was… shocking! But brilliant! You have exceeded our expectations, and in such a short amount of time. I have no doubt you will prove a legendary Mapkeeper.”