Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1) (27 page)

Idric rummaged through his things, searching for the key, wishing now he’d never taken it off. He’d worn it religiously, believing it to be a significant part of his heritage, until he became bored and others started to tease him about it.

“Why can’t I put things where they belong?” He opened more drawers and shuffled the contents around inside. He kept hoping it would suddenly appear, even though he’d searched that particular drawer twice already.

He went over to his roommate’s desk. Perhaps Dennis had taken it by accident. It wouldn’t be the first time he found something of his in his roommate’s drawers. He rummaged through the desk, sifting through pens and various other school tools. After the third drawer, the door to his room opened and Dennis walked in.

“Dude! Get your hands out of my drawers!” his roommate snapped.

“I’m not messing with your junk,” Idric argued. “I’m looking for something of mine. Something important.”

“And you think it would be in my drawers?” Dennis replied. “I’m not a thief!”

“I didn’t say you were! I just thought maybe you picked it up on accident or something.”

“What is it you’re looking for?”

Idric went over to Dennis. “It’s a stone. Clear and yellow. About this long.” He held his fingers about an inch apart. “It was attached to a leather strap. I used to wear it around my neck.”

“Oh!” Dennis dropped his gaze to the floor. “Oops!”

“Dennis?” Idric moaned. “What happened?”

“Well…”

“Dennis? What did you do?”

“I kinda let Hayden have it.”

Panic shot through Idric. “You what?”

This wasn’t happening. He should have been more careful! The only way to retrieve the book was with that crystal, and he’d been so careless it was now wandering the school right under the shape-shifter’s noses. How could he be so stupid? “Oh, my god! What did you do that for?”

“Dude! I’m sorry. It was lying on the floor, and you didn’t seem interested in it anymore. Hayden saw it and liked it.”

Idric crossed his arms. “And you just gave it to her? Without asking?”

Dennis didn’t seem to know how to respond.

Idric really couldn’t blame his roommate. It was his own fault, but that didn’t stop him from taking out his anger and embarrassment on the poor boy. “I can’t believe you did this! We’ve got to get it back.”

Dennis stared at the floor. “I’m sorry, Idric, I thought it was something you were going to get rid of.”

Idric threw him a look, but then eased up. “I shouldn’t have left it lying around, but that’s no excuse for you giving it to your girlfriend without at least asking me first.”

Dennis nodded.

Idric thought for a moment. “I’ll just have to get it back from her in math.”

The next day, Idric was still angry with Dennis, but became more focused on getting the key back. He knew Hayden well enough that he didn’t think he’d have a problem. He arrived in math early so he could try to talk to her. Of course she wasn’t as prompt and showed up just before class started.

He made sure the two were sitting close enough for him to sneak a few notes. As he jotted down his request, Mrs. Conley was scratching some math problems on the board. He folded the note, passed it to Hayden, and started to work. The note came back while he was in the middle of solving the second problem. He glanced up at Mrs. Conley to make sure she wasn’t looking before unfolding the paper.

“Dennis gave it to me,” was all it said.

“It wasn’t Dennis’ to give,” he wrote, then passed the note back.

“Sorry, he said you didn’t want it any more. Can’t you just find another one?”

Idric scratched out a response, angrily. “It’s mine and I want it back!” He didn’t bother folding the paper neatly this time and flicked it back to Hayden. The girl was midway through unfolding it when it was snatched from her grip.

“Passing notes?” Mrs. Conley stood over them. “Do you two know the rules about passing notes in class?” She pulled out her reading glasses and set them on her nose as she read what they had written.

This was bad. Not just bad as in “going to the principal’s office” bad. This was “the shape-shifter has access to information that could end the world” bad. He stood, ready to argue, but Conley was one step ahead of him.

“I would like to see this crystal.”

“Aww, Mrs. Conley! Come on!” Hayden whined.

“Now, Ms. Hart!”

Hayden pulled the leather strap from her neck and handed it to the woman. Idric watched as she examined it with a triumphant grin.

“Mr. Xanderberghen, I’m afraid I must confiscate this item.”

He felt the color drain from his face. “But…”

“The only butt I want to see is yours, in your seat, and doing your work! You may inquire with the headmistress to have it returned

Idric remained standing, his brain too preoccupied to communicate with his feet. His head felt light, his vision hazy. He felt sick to his stomach. Had he really just lost the key?

“Mr. Xanderberghen, I said sit!”

He lowered himself into his desk, his mind racing through what had just taken place, his brain scrambling to find a way to fix this. How would he tell Sally after his little tirade with her the day before? But the shape-shifters had the key. He couldn’t imagine anything worse at that moment. With his phone hidden from view, he sent a panicked text to Sally.

[Screwed up. Conley has the key. Need help!]

IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING IDRIC’S TEXT,
Sally insisted they speak. Of course he couldn’t say much during class, and waiting for a chance to communicate was killing her.

“Do you have him yet?” Sally asked impatiently.

She and Stephanie were in the control room while Jake tried to make a connection to Idric’s laptop. Yasif helped by monitoring things on his screen.

Stephanie kept fiddling with the prosthetic arm she’d been fitted with. She kept adjusting it, scowling as though it should somehow just fit better.

Sally glanced at her.

“What? It itches,” Stephanie said.

Sally nodded, not knowing what else to say.

“Almost there,” Jake announced, turning to look at the large monitor mounted to the wall across the room. A window appeared, dark at first. Then Idric’s voice, “Sorry, let me turn on another light.” A moment later, and his face lit up on the screen.

“Okay, Idric, we’ve got a secure connection,” Jake said. “The school’s filters can’t trace us.”

“And they can’t listen in?” Idric asked, glancing at something off-screen.

Jake shook his head.

“Good.”

“Can he see me?” Sally asked.

Jake and Yasif both nodded.

She continued, “What’s going on?”

“I’ve screwed up.” Idric’s voice cracked, his gaze flicking nervously between them. “I’ve screwed up really bad.”

“Calm down, Idric,” Sally said. “Just tell us what happened.”

He spoke fast. “Well, I used to wear the crystal that acted as the key to the Book of Aashr, but I got bored with it a couple weeks ago. I guess I left it lying around, because my roommate decided to give it to his girlfriend. So I got all mad and was like ‘Why’d you do that?’ and he was like ‘I thought you didn’t want it.’ So then I tried to get it back from the girl he’d given it to, and it got taken up by Mrs. Conley.” He finally stopped for a breath.

“Okay.” Sally felt winded just listening to him. “Okay…let’s think before we panic.”

“Easy for you to say,” Idric replied. “You’re not supposed to be the one guarding this thing.”

“Can they use the key?” Sally asked.

“If they know anything about Aashr magic,” he replied. “I haven’t seen any reason to think they would, but who knows. And getting around at night is near impossible now, so I can’t just go and get it back.”

“How so?” Yasif asked.

“It’s like Fort Knox lately. They’ve even repaired the fence around the school so we can’t even use the passage in the back like we used to. We’ve all been given badges.” He held one up to the screen with his face on it. “They verify everyone is in class when they’re supposed to be, and if you’re not they come looking for you. I can’t even use the forged note anymore to leave the school with you guys. They have to have a ‘face-to-face meeting’ with a parent in order to grant permission to leave.”

“So how do we get in?” Lani asked.

Sally replied, “You could always go in as a reporter.”

“I’d need a better reason than to just show up at the school,” Lani said.

Stephanie raised her hand. “I know one!”

Lani eyed her.

She rolled her eyes. “Duh! Me!”

“I’m still not following you,” Lani said.

“What if you did a report on me? Like what it’s like for a girl to return to school after an injury like this.” She held up her arm.

Lani nodded. “That’s actually a really good idea, Steph. We could use the same story we told your mother. No one would turn you away. I’d have to get it cleared with my boss, of course; I’m on a tight leash right now, but it shouldn’t be too hard—he’s a sucker for stuff like this.”

“Sounds good to me,” Sally agreed.

“What about the rest of us? If you say security is so tight, how are we supposed to get in?”

Idric cleared his throat. “I might have a way. It’s kind of a long shot. In fact, I’ve never actually done it before.”

“Idric. Get to the point,” Sally said.

“Well.” He scratched his head. “It’s a spell that can link two places.”

“I’m going to need a bit more to go on than that,” Sally said.

“My dad did this spell once,” Idric went on. “It’s how we left our village without notice and came here, but the problem is I’m not really sure how it works. I’d have to figure that part out on my own.”

“Okay,” Sally replied. “You get busy and see if you can get it to work. That gives me an idea for getting the book out as well.”

He nodded and then ended the connection.

She turned to the others. “Okay, so let’s make sure we’re ready for this.”

“THIS IS HIGHLY IRREGULAR.”
Mrs. Padilla stood in front of Lani and Stephanie in the commons area toward the front of the school. Her eyes kept glancing down at Stephanie’s prosthetic arm.

Jake hid behind a news camera on his shoulder. He didn’t want to chance the shape-shifter recognizing him from Mt. Holly.

Lani put on a good performance. “Mrs. Padilla, this girl was brutally attacked by a dog, her arm taken in the process. Her story deserves to be told!”

“Oh, it was horrible, Mrs. Padilla, the pain I was in! I can’t believe my cousin had such a ferocious dog. I mean look at me!” She held up her prosthetic for effect.

Lani glanced at her, hinting to tone it down a bit.

“I don’t like the idea of reporters hanging around the school,” Mrs. Padilla stated.

“I understand,” Lani replied. “The last time I was here, you gave me all the instructions. I’m well aware of the etiquette.”

“Last time?” The shape-shifter faltered, but quickly corrected itself. “Oh yes! Dear me. My memory is getting weaker as I age.”

“I just want to share this girl’s struggle with our viewers,” Lani said. “Besides it may bring some positive light on the school after the incident with the three runaways.”

“Well, I certainly am glad to see the media accept the truth. I was afraid it would turn that fiasco into a circus.” Mrs. Padilla brought her hands together in front of her.

“Most certainly not, Mrs. Padilla. I take great pride in the honesty of my work.” Lani wore a sincere smile.

“Okay, you can do your story. But if your cameras interfere with classes, I will have to insist that you leave.”

“Fair enough.” Lani bowed her head. “Maybe an interview afterward, so you can give your side of the story about the runaways?”

“We shall see,” was all she said.

Lani turned to Jake and smiled as they left her office, Stephanie in tow.

As soon as they were out, Lani picked up her phone and sent a text to Idric. “Okay. You’re turn.”

IDRIC SPENT THE EVENING RESEARCHING.
He knew his father had made a portal for them to come from their home village to the United States so there had to be a way for him to recreate it. The problem with Aashr magic wasn’t a simple cookbook of spells. It was all about understanding elementary principles of convergences, something he’d only picked up in his brief time in training. He’d have to research the magic he wanted to create and determine what mixture of properties and convergences he’d need to pull something like that off.

His parents had left him a few books, most he’d neglected because he wasn’t technically supposed to do magic. Every once in a while, he’d get curious and play around with a few spells. He found what he was looking for in an older text, a book on combining convergences with immutable objects and symbols to produce more powerful results. The magic would work on the principle of association. It was the intention of the spell that was important. If they wanted to travel from one place to another, they would need an analogy—a surrogate object—something that would represent the intention of what they hoped to accomplish.

So what would be a physical representation of traveling?

Idric thought long and hard. The obvious choice would be vehicles, but convergences around vehicles were usually unstable and erratic. Roller skates? Skateboards? He thought of anything that went places.

What had his father used?

He couldn’t remember; it had been so long ago. He sighed, rubbed his eyes, then his gaze fell on the poster of a dragon on his closet door.

“That’s it!” The memory of what his father had done came to him. He could have smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner. What better physical representation than—

Idric smiled. “A door.”

YASIF STUDIED THE SYMBOL
Idric had sent to Sally’s phone. He was supposed to draw it on a door in the switching station in order to make the spell work, but Yasif sucked at drawing. Idric had warned the symbol had to be drawn perfectly, saying if it wasn’t, the spell could send them to another dimension instead of to the school. This didn’t help Yasif’s apprehension. The idea of being trapped alone in some strange dimension sent a shudder through him, but Sally insisted he do it.