The Familiars (21 page)

Before the words even left her mouth, Skylar took to the air, leaving Aldwyn little choice but to follow her. A dizzy and weakening Gilbert hobbled beside him.

“Gilbert’s looking better already,” Aldwyn called up to Skylar, hoping to change her mind.

But there was no question that the tree frog was becoming worse. He had turned from his healthy green to a pale yellow, and his eyes were starting to roll back in his head.

“Oooo, stars,” he babbled.

“Stay with me, Gilbert,” said Aldwyn.

“Over here, over here!” Skylar called out to some figures beyond the trees.

Aldwyn could see that she was beckoning two bicolored cats. They really did look remarkably like
him, so no wonder he had been mistaken by everybody for one of their kind. But somehow he knew that he wouldn’t be able to fool an actual cat from Maidenmere about his humble, magicless origins.

The two cats approached. When they spotted the leech-covered Gilbert, they immediately signaled to the familiars to follow them.

“Aldwyn,” said Gilbert woozily. “I see three of you.”

He collapsed, hitting the ground with a thud.

“Put him on my back,” said the bigger of the two Maidenmere cats.

Aldwyn and Skylar hoisted their light-headed friend onto the cat. Gilbert dangled limply as they all began a hurried walk toward a group of unusual rock formations too far in the distance to make out clearly.

“Aldwyn here is one of you,” said Skylar, hoping to win as much favor as she could, given their desperate situation.

“Yes, a fellow cat—we can see that,” said the one bearing Gilbert.

“No, he is from Maidenmere, as well,” she added.

“Is that so?” asked the other, the white-chinned one. “I’m a Stream Chaser. Kafar comes from the Whistling Rock. What family were you born to?”

“Desert cactus,” replied Aldwyn, eyeing a…desert cactus.

The two cats exchanged a look.

“Never heard of it,” said the one called Kafar. “But there are so many, it’s difficult to keep track.”

Aldwyn was readying himself for the next question, but none came. As the group hurried across the plateau, Aldwyn got a closer look at the unusual rock formations he had seen from a distance. They were actually floating above the ground! It was a breathtaking sight. Islands of rock were levitating a small tree’s height above the ground. Each had stairs that led up to them or, more accurately, a series of floating stones arranged like stairs and held telekinetically in the air.

On each floating island, black-and-white cats could be seen, looking down at the strangers below with a certain amount of curiosity and suspicion. Many more walked on the ground beneath.

“There should be garlic stored in the community cave,” said Kafar. “It’s just up ahead.”

Gilbert was still breathing, and the vampire leeches were still sucking, growing larger with every swallow of the tree frog’s blood.

“We’re almost there,” said Skylar, comforting him.

As they continued, Aldwyn saw a litter of kittens practicing beginner’s telekinesis under the guidance of an older cat. Each of the small felines held a leaf stationary in front of its eyes, using only concentration.

“Now move your leaf in circles,” instructed the teacher.

At once, all the leaves began to dance in unison, spinning around in the air.

Nearby, Aldwyn spied another cat sitting before a pile of kindling. Above the twigs, two rough stones were being smashed together, but not by the cat’s paws. They seemed to move on their own. A spark shot out from between them, lighting the wood.

Farther up ahead, two young cats stood apart motionless, fencing with sticks controlled only
by thought. Neither cat moved as the weapons clashed, splinters of wood breaking off from the force of the blows. Aldwyn found these feats of telekinesis extraordinary, but he couldn’t show it. If he revealed even the slightest bit of wonder, his cover would surely be blown.

The familiars and their two guides reached the cave and entered it. An older female cat was curled up on the ground inside. She stood upon seeing them.

“Please, help our friend,” said Skylar. “We need garlic.”

“Place him on the ground,” replied the den matron. Gilbert moaned as Kafar lowered him down.

Aldwyn noticed that boxes were already moving farther back in the cave, rearranging themselves as if to make way for something. Out from below, a small chest rose up and swung open its lid. A bulb of garlic was telekinetically pulled out and carried over to Gilbert. In midair it broke into six cloves. Each was guided to a cluster of leeches. The garlic wedges rubbed furiously against the slimy backs of the vampire bloodsuckers, causing
them to detach from Gilbert with a screech. They flapped their black leathery wings and darted for the mouth of the cave, leaving a trail of Gilbert’s blood dripping from their fangs as they flew off.

When Aldwyn looked up again, a clay pot was rising through the air. Once it reached Gilbert, it tipped gently, pouring a clear salve on the bite marks that were covering his body. As the ointment dissolved into the open wounds, it began to fizz and bubble, healing them quickly. Gilbert sat up with a start, gasping for air.

“Easy,” said the old cat. “It would be wise to rest for a while.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that,” said Aldwyn. “In fact, we really must be going.”

“You’ve been a great help,” said Skylar. “But he’s right. We have a most urgent matter to tend to before sunset. I hope one day we can return to properly repay you.”

The familiars were escorted outside by Kafar. They didn’t get very far, though, before they were approached by a cat with black and white stripes that made him look like a white tiger. Surrounded by a dozen cats, male and female, he had a metal
spike through the side of his ear and braids in his tail. A palm leaf floated above his head as he walked, shading him from the sun.

“What do we have here?” asked the charismatic cat, with a purr that couldn’t help but draw you closer. “I’d like to know who’s trespassing on my land.”

“Oh, no, we’re not trespassing,” said Skylar.

“Well, I didn’t invite you,” replied the cat, beginning to circle them.

“You misunderstand, Lord Malvern,” said Kafar timidly. “This cat is one of us.”

“My apologies,” said Malvern, but somehow it came out sounding more like a threat. He stared Aldwyn dead in the eyes. “So you are from Maidenmere?”

Aldwyn felt his heart begin to pound in his chest.

“Th-that’s right,” he stammered. “I was born to the Desert Cactus family.”

“Really,” said Malvern, with what seemed like the utmost sincerity. “It’s so good to have you back, brother. Show us your sand sign.”

All eyes were on Aldwyn.

“My sand sign?” asked Aldwyn. He swallowed hard.

“Yes. Do you need a demonstration?” replied Malvern.

From the ground, thousands of grains of sand lifted into the air, forming an elaborate picture of a paw reaching for the moon.

“The sign of the Mooncatchers,” said Malvern, his tone becoming a little more severe.

He let the sand drop back to earth.

“Well?” he said. “What are you waiting for?”

And that’s when Aldwyn knew that he wouldn’t be able to bluff his way out of this one. He had reached the end of his lie. Skylar and Gilbert looked at him expectantly, but Aldwyn didn’t even try to lift the sands. There was simply no point. He was not a cat from Maidenmere. He did not possess telekinetic powers. He had no business impersonating a familiar. He was just an orphaned street cat.

“I can’t,” said Aldwyn quietly.

“What was that?” asked Malvern. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I can’t do it.”

“Come on,” encouraged Gilbert. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

“He’s probably just nervous,” said Skylar, but there was a twinge of doubt in her voice now.

“No, I really can’t do it,” said Aldwyn. “I’m not who you think I am.”

“Indeed you’re not. You’re a liar,” said Malvern. “There’s no such family as the Desert Cactus. You’re not part of this pride. How dare you pretend to be?”

“What?” asked Gilbert, still sure this was a big misunderstanding. “You can do telekinesis. I’ve seen it, with my own eyes. Twice.”

“No, Gilbert,” said Aldwyn. “In Daku, it was chameleon crabs who lifted that branch, not me.”

“But Skylar’s satchel in the cave. You made it slide to her.”

“No, I didn’t. It was a magnetic rock. I used it to pull Scribius and the satchel to me.”

The tree frog looked devastated. “And your telepathy?” he asked.

Malvern laughed.

“Oh, you can read minds, too? What a talented cat you must be.”

Aldwyn felt the mocking eyes of the Maidenmere cats on him.

Skylar was less surprised, but was still shaking her head.

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Why?”

There was nothing Aldwyn could say. He just lowered his head.

“Well then,” said Malvern. “I think we’re finished here. You’ll be escorted from Maidenmere at once.”

“Please,” said Skylar, turning to Malvern. “I know there’s an easy path off the plateau. If you’d just allow us to pass through your land, we’ll be gone quickly.”

“We welcomed you here, saved your friend. And in return, you lied to us.” Malvern’s eyes narrowed. “Imposters are not welcome in our home. You’ll have to cross over the Torentia Falls and make a trail down the other side.”

“We don’t have time for that,” pleaded Skylar. “Our loyals have been—”

“Enough,” said Malvern coldly, cutting her off. “Your problems are not mine.”

Malvern turned and walked to one of the large,
floating islands. He climbed the levitating stone stairway and disappeared among the rocks.

A group of bicolors surrounded the familiars and led them out of the village. Aldwyn couldn’t look Skylar and Gilbert in the eye. He wanted to apologize, make things right, tell them this wasn’t at all what he had intended. But saying the words in his head was different from actually speaking them, and every time he tried, his throat seemed to close up on him.

They were left at the stream where Gilbert had made the unfortunate acquaintance of the vampire leeches. Unfortunate in more ways than one, thought Aldwyn sadly.

“If you again set foot on our land, you will be punished,” said Kafar before turning away.

The three animals stood there.

“Give us the sleeping powder,” said Skylar coldly to Aldwyn. “Gilbert and I will continue to the Sunken Palace without you.”

Aldwyn shook his head, thinking of Jack in trouble. “No. I want to come.”

“Just hand it over,” said Skylar furiously. “This is no longer your quest. You never should have
been here in the first place.”

Aldwyn lowered his head and slid Jack’s pouch off. He pushed it over to Gilbert, who slung it across his back without saying a word.

“I’m still Jack’s familiar, though, aren’t I?” asked Aldwyn.

“I don’t know what you are anymore,” said Skylar. “Let’s go, Gilbert.”

“Wait,” Aldwyn called out. “Just because I lied to you about who I was doesn’t change how I feel. Jack is the only family I’ve ever known, and the two of you are my only friends.”

“I thought we were a team,” said Gilbert sadly.

“We are. Just because I’m not magical doesn’t mean I can’t help.”

“Well, if you’d just been honest from the beginning, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, now would we?” asked Skylar.

“You’re the one to talk,” said Aldwyn. “I’m not the only one with secrets around here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“
Wyvern and Skull’s Tome of the Occult
. You took it from Kalstaff’s library.”

“That’s ridiculous,” said Gilbert, quickly coming to Skylar’s defense.

“I saw her,” said Aldwyn. “She made a pile of bones come to life, using a spell straight out of that book.”

“That was different,” said Skylar. “And none of your business.”

“What?!” exclaimed Gilbert. “It was you! Who are you people? I feel like I don’t know you at all anymore.”

“And I know you’re hiding something about that anklet,” continued Aldwyn. “You’re not so perfect. Don’t stand there and judge me.”

“To be the best familiar, it’s important to understand all aspects of magic,” said Skylar, “including the darker ones.” She paused and thought for a moment. “But you’re right. I lied, too.”

“So we’re in agreement,” said Aldwyn.

“But one has nothing to do with the other,” she replied. “Unlike you, my lies don’t make me completely unqualified to be on this journey.”

Aldwyn shook his head. “I don’t know how many more ways I can say it. I’m sorry. I messed up.”

Skylar considered long and hard. Then she
gave in and said, “You can follow us across the falls and down whatever trail we find there. But when we reach the road to the Sunken Palace, we go our separate ways.”

She began to fly off, with Gilbert hopping alongside her, holding Jack’s pouch over his shoulder. Aldwyn followed a few paces behind them. He knew he wouldn’t be forgiven easily, but at least it was a start.

15

TORENTIA FALLS