Eyes of the Sun (15 page)

Jacob had wondered about this—Mr. Coolidge really did seem ready for any task. After he’d learned about Eklaron and got past his nervousness about the creatures, he’d taken everything else in stride. Dad had picked the perfect Earth teacher.

The Fat Lady nodded. “Things run much more smoothly with him around, that’s for sure.”

Dad ran his hand through his hair. “All right, let’s grab Myler.”

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck—this wasn’t going to be very fun.

He was right.

Myler fought them every moment of the way. He was so fast and nimble, they weren’t even able to get him out of his cell. No matter how many people were holding his arms and legs, one of his limbs always slipped away, injuring himself or one of the others.

Dad growled in frustration. “We’ll give it to him in here, then,” he said.

Myler let out a string of words that made even the Fat Lady blush. She glared at him. “That isn’t appropriate in front of a lady. Next time you do something like that, I’ll slap your mouth.”

Myler sneered at her, but didn’t repeat himself, and Jacob nearly chuckled. The idea of the Fat Lady’s slap was enough to scare anyone.

After another fight in the cell, Dad wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Can’t we just knock him out with something?”

Aldo shook his head. “Nope. He has to be conscious.”

Dad grumbled something unintelligible, then said, “Let’s strap him down.”

It took several minutes for Aldo and the Fat Lady to produce straps, and several more to get Myler tied to his cot. Dad knelt on the man’s hips, Jacob sat on one leg, and Aldo on the other. The Fat Lady held his head down and poured the medicine in his mouth. With a quick movement, she pinched his nose shut and slammed his jaws together with the other hand.

Myler choked and gagged for what seemed like an eternity. The man nearly went unconscious for lack of air and the Fat Lady released his nose just as he swallowed the medicine.

“See? Not so bad, huh?”

Myler gasped and slumped against the cot, eyes closed. He lay motionless for quite some time, and Aldo and the Fat Lady undid the straps.

As soon as Myler was free, he jumped off his cot, catching everyone off guard. He dashed through the doorway and ran up the stairs of the dungeon before anyone could stop him.

Jacob recovered from his shock first and chased after the man, but he didn’t have to go far. Myler was frozen in the door of the fortress, staring out.

“Where am I?” He rounded on Jacob, trying to punch and kick. “Where am I? I’m gone! I’m not here anymore!” He flopped to the floor and bit his palm, teeth sinking into the wounds already there. Jacob looked away. He couldn’t believe anyone could possibly do that to themselves.

Dad, Aldo, and the Fat Lady caught up and grabbed Myler’s arms. Jacob helped pull the man back downstairs—with Myler distracted by his distress, it was a much easier task. They locked him in his cell.

“I’m not sure he’s worth the effort,” Dad said, wiping his head with a handkerchief.

“He might be,” Aldo said. “We could use a strong personality around here.”

The Fat Lady snorted. “We’ve got plenty of those. Don’t need no more.”

“Well, perhaps he’ll calm down.”

The Fat Lady replaced the cups and bowls on the table and cleaned up some spilled powders and liquid. “The medicine might not have been strong enough for him.”

Aldo sank into a chair. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

Jacob Keyed the Fat Lady to her cabin and then he and Dad returned home, where Jacob grabbed his basketball and went outside to shoot hoops, grateful for a moment to himself. He was positive he never wanted to see Myler again.

During the next meeting, Early appeared next to Jacob. “People in Ridgewood are starting to get rid of their doors,” she whispered in his ear.

He relayed the message to the members of the group, and everyone looked at Dad.

“We need to recruit before we lose our chance,” Dad said. He turned to Hayla. “What are the people of Ridgewood like?”

For some reason, Aloren had chosen to sit next to Jacob, and when Dad turned to Hayla, she snorted, then mumbled under her breath, “I don’t know why
Hayla
is the informer. It’s not like she lived there her whole life.”

“What’s your deal?” Jacob whispered back, half paying attention to what Hayla was saying. Something about the Ridgewood laws.

“Look,” Aloren said. “I grew up in Macaria and went to Ridgewood
all
the
time
. Even after they stopped being friendly to people.”

“Yeah, well, she’s at least twice your age and obviously spent more time there than you did.”

Aloren folded her arms and glared straight ahead. She didn’t respond.

“Aside from their laws,” Hayla said, “the people themselves seem friendly until you try to talk to them or learn anything or ask them for help. Then they’re always ‘busy, busy, busy.’”

Aloren stared at Hayla. “You must have gotten on their wrong side, ‘cause people there helped
me
whenever I needed it.”

Jacob nearly corrected her, but held back—Aloren conveniently left out the part about the people trying to kill her.

Hayla flushed slightly. “There have always been a few here and there who will assist, but it’s very uncommon.”

“Not that uncommon.”

Everyone shifted uncomfortably. No one had ever straight-out argued in one of these meetings, and Jacob was surprised it was Aloren. Why did she dislike Hayla so much? It was obvious she couldn’t tolerate the woman, but there wasn’t any reason for her to act that way.

Dad, who’d been standing, rested his hands on the back of his chair. He didn’t say anything for a moment—waiting for emotions to calm down, probably. “Aloren, let’s let Hayla continue. She did live there, after all.”

Aloren looked at her hands, her cheeks reddening. “Sorry,” she muttered.

Jacob relaxed. Aloren’s emotion colors showed she really did feel chastised. Arguing with an adult in front of many of your superiors? He’d never seen her so obstinate, and he was starting to worry about her. But maybe she really did hate Hayla. He shook his head. It was ridiculous, and there was no apparent reason. He’d have to ask her about it later.

Dad motioned for Hayla to continue.

“I’ll accompany whoever the group decides to send. I’d like to recommend Jacob, since he has the Key, but it shouldn’t be more than him and
maybe
one other person. It’ll be a lot harder to convince my aunt and sister to come with us, and anyone else, if they’re subjected to too many new people at once.”

“Who else would go?” Mom asked.

Everyone looked at Hayla. She appeared to be thinking over the question.

“Well, over the last couple of years, the people of Ridgewood have become very prejudiced against anyone from Macaria. Therefore, Gallus and Aloren won’t be able to go.” She glanced at Dad, then back at Mom. “And I’m sorry to say it, but His Majesty shouldn’t either. They’re more embittered against him than anyone else.”

Dad rubbed his face. “The usual reasons?”

“They’re upset about the king who hid and didn’t save them.”

Dad nodded curtly. “Yes, the usual. Not surprising.” He took a deep breath, then released it. “I couldn’t have prevented any of this, but they won’t believe that.”

Hayla leaned back in her seat. “No, they won’t. And they don’t like having visitors to their city.”

No one said anything again. Then finally, Ebony raised her hand.

“I suggest that Jacob and his little sister accompany Hayla.” She looked at Mom for her reaction. “Amberly is too young to be considered a threat,” she said, and then glanced at Hayla. “And would I be correct in assuming they’d hesitate to hurt kids?”

Hayla nodded, becoming excited. “Yes, yes! The two children would calm spirits, rather than excite them. It’ll be much easier to encourage the villagers to join us.”

Jacob snorted to himself. He wasn’t a child.

Dad approved the idea and even Mom was okay with it, which surprised Jacob. It seemed she trusted Hayla.

The meeting ended, and everyone started getting up to leave.

Aloren grabbed Jacob’s arm, stopping him. “Wait.”

He shrugged her hand off. “I need to get Amberly. We have to go to Ridgewood now.”

She glared at him. “Hayla only wants to be alone with you. Don’t you see that? She’s chasing you.”

Jacob laughed. “Are you serious? Look, she’s at least twenty years older than me. Would you just calm down?”

“No, I will not!” She jumped from her chair and stalked out of the room. Jacob stared after her. He couldn’t keep up with her mood swings.

It only took a couple of minutes for him to get Amberly and for Hayla to be ready. They met at the tree in Taga Village, Jacob holding his sister’s hand. Hayla tied her scarf around her head, then nodded at Jacob.

“Where do I Key us?”

“Through a door to one of the streets and not into a building. You can do that, right?”

Jacob nodded. “Of course.”

He put the Key in the lock and opened a link to the street outside of Hayla’s old house. After following Amberly and Hayla through, he shut the link, then backed off, letting Hayla do her thing.

Hayla straightened her scarf, tucking some hair up into it, hands shaking. She took a few deep breaths, then knocked on the door.

After several moments, an elderly woman in a wheelchair answered. Jacob recognized her immediately. Not by her face, but because she didn’t have legs, and one arm was missing. It was Hayla’s aunt.

The woman raised an eyebrow, pushing her wheelchair forward. “Yes? May I help you?”

Jacob jumped when the woman started speaking. When he’d seen her with Hayla back in Troosinal, he’d assumed she couldn’t speak. But here she was, talking. Weird.

Hayla hesitated. “Don’t you remember me?”

The elderly woman peered at Hayla. “No, I don’t. What do you want?”

Jacob was surprised when Hayla started sniffling. “It’s me, Hayla. Your niece.”

“My niece is dead. Get off my doorstep.” The woman rolled backward and slammed the door.

Hayla took a shuddering breath. “That . . . didn’t go how I expected.” She wiped her eyes and gave Jacob a shaky smile. “But I’m not surprised. I
have
been gone for over a year.”

“What about your sister?”

Hayla chuckled. “She’s actually my adopted daughter, but things get hard to explain when I tell people I have a child. Even if she
isn’t
my own.”

“Whose is she?”

“My best friend’s, who was too young to be a mother. She foolishly joined Dmitri’s little renegade group and got herself killed.” Hayla suddenly put a hand over her mouth. “I mean . . . your father’s group was full of valiant, courageous people and it really wasn’t a foolish thing . . .” Her face reddened. “Please don’t take my words for disrespect. I am only bitter about my friend dying.”

Jacob shrugged. He really didn’t want to get into that conversation. “You’re fine.”

Amberly tugged on Jacob’s hand and he looked down, surprised he’d forgotten she was there. She motioned him closer and Jacob dropped to his knee, holding his ear near her mouth so she could whisper in it.

“There’s a girl staring at us from that window.” She pointed.

Jacob glanced up in time to see a flash of light brown hair before the girl left the window. He didn’t get a good look at her and turned to Hayla for confirmation. “Was that her?”

Hayla nodded. “Yes. Let’s see if we can get her to talk to us away from my aunt.”

They followed the street around the side of the house, taking care not to be seen by Hayla’s aunt, looking through the glass, tracking the girl’s position. Finally, the girl stopped near a window in what appeared to be her bedroom. She peeked out, then shut her door and opened the window all the way.

Jacob’s jaw dropped as he saw her for the first time. She was cute. Very cute. Dark blue eyes, long hair, and nice skin.

“Mother!” she whispered. “I knew you’d come back. I knew it!”

Hayla put her arms through the window and hugged her adopted daughter. “My dear, sweet Onaly. Of course I’ve returned!”

“Let me get my things—I’m coming with you.” Onaly backed away and started throwing clothes and books inside a burlap sack. She tossed the bag out the window and followed it feet first.

“What about—” Hayla started as Onaly straightened.

Onaly put a finger to her lips and grabbed her bag. “She most definitely won’t agree to coming. And she’ll alert the town that you’re here.”

Hayla hugged her daughter. “How does she not recognize me?”

“Oh, she does.”

Hayla’s arms froze. “But . . . I don’t understand.”

Onaly rolled her eyes. “Believe me, you don’t want to. She’s changed a lot since you left. Even before you left, she was changing.”

Hayla nodded. “Okay. Let’s go, then.”

Jacob cleared his throat. “We need to find out if anyone else wants to come.”

Onaly started, seeming to notice Jacob for the first time. The colors in the air around her showed her embarrassment. “Um . . .” She looked at Hayla.

“Oh, sorry. This is Jacob. He’s King Dmitri’s son.”

“And I’m Jacob’s sister!” Amberly said with a big smile.