The Legend Thief (12 page)

Chase stepped up behind Mom, and Sky tensed. "Hey, Sky."

"Hey, Chase, old buddy," said Sky, trying to sound friendly even though they'd never spoken before.
"So good to see you."

"Got a minute, mate?" Chase asked.

Andrew and Hands stepped closer, but Sky shooed them away. "Sure,
mate .
Let's talk."

Mom looked back and forth between them, furrowing her brow. "All right, Sky. But afterward, you and I are going to have a long chat about your activities over the last year and
your ..
.
distance
."

Sky looked away. A year, and he still hadn't told his parents what he was or about Errand. How could he possibly tell them that he might not be their son? What if they didn't love him anymore?

"Your father and I have given you a lot of latitude when it comes to these things, but this ..." She glanced back at Cass.

"We trust you, Sky, but we're not blind; it's time you trusted us." Sky nodded without making eye contact, without letting her see the lie. He'd rather face the Darkhorn again than have that conversation.

Mom harrumphed and went back to help Dad with the cleanup.

"Shall we take a walk?" Chase asked.

"After you," said Sky.

Chase smirked and walked out of the kitchen.

“Why are you still here, Sky?” Chase asked.

They strolled down the hall toward the main body of the manor and the entry-or, as Sky liked to think of it, the
exit
for Chase.

"I live here. Why are
you
here?" Sky knew he should feel nervous- by his own admission, Chase was a Hunter of Legend, after all, here to kill him-but Sky was just too tired.

"I thought I made that dear when you were spying on me earlier," Chase replied. ''I'm trying to save your life."

"Save
my life?" Sky sputtered, not bothering to deny his spying. "I must've heard a different conversation. And how did you even know I was there?"

"The behavior of the bird," Chase replied.

"What?" Sky asked, perplexed.

"Birds don't stay in one place that long and neither do most monstrous birds like Piebalds, especially in the presence of loud noises and fighting," said Chase. ''I'd heard about your trick with the Arkhon last year-the Quadruple Quandary, I believe you called it?"

Sky nodded, realizing what Chase was getting at: Sky had used the Piebalds as part of his trap, a fact every hunter now knew.

"I was aware of your special relationship with the Piebalds," Chase continued, obviously enjoying
himself
.
"And while neither I nor any other known hunter has any idea how to edgewalk, I've read of the possibilities.
Putting two and two together-the unmoving Piebald and your relationship with the Piebalds-I realized you must know how to edgewalk, though I have no idea where you would've learned such a thing.”

"That's quite a leap," Sky pointed out, watching Chase with renewed interest. Sky knew Chase could fight-he had watched him take down Beau-but discovering that he was also clever was disturbing, to say the least.

''I'm good at leaping," Chase replied smugly. "Unfortunately, so is Morton. He already knows far more than you realize."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sky asked, coming to a stop as they reached the foyer.

"It means be cautious, Sky," said Chase. ''I'm aware of what happened tonight. You've outmaneuvered Morton and everyone knows it; he won't like that one bit. He'll agree to Malvidia's demands, as you guessed, but not for the reasons you suppose. You've outwitted him; he'll want to humiliate you in front of the other hunters before he kills you now."

"Even if he thinks Bedlam's going to take control of me and destroy the hunters?"
Sky asked.

"You spared his hunters, which means you're probably not Bedlam, and you have barrow weed sticking out of your nose," said Chase. "That alone will keep him away, not to mention any girls you might fancy."

Sky blushed, but mostly with anger. "Then why not just give me the barrow weed to begin with? Why try to kill me if barrow weed is all it takes to keep Bedlam out of my head?"

"This hunt was only partly about Bedlam," said Chase. "It was mostly about
you.
Morton and the others fear what you might become."

"And what's that?"

"A terror or a hero," Chase replied. "Do you have any idea what the Hunter's Mark is, Sky?"

"It lets me talk to monsters," Sky replied hesitantly, not wanting to admit how little he knew. "And it holds some sort of unifying force in it."

"It's a birthright that hasn't been seen in nearly four hundred years," said Chase. "It marks you as a descendant of the First Hunter-her chosen heir, destined to rule the hunters during dark times. The hunters are terrified."

Sky shook his head, refusing to believe it. “That's not possible."

Chase smiled. "You can deny it if you like, mate, but it won't make it go away. There are still a few hunters walking around-members of the original thirteen, like Morton-who saw the First
Hunter
give the Mark to her son and heard her speak the words. They remember. But the Hunters of Legend have ruled the other hunters for a long time; they won't give up power easily, and the Eye of Legend on your palm complicates an already complex situation."

"I don't want their power," Sky replied. "And you say 'they' as if you aren't one of them."

''I'm a newer member," Chase replied, "not so entrenched as some of the others. But if I'd lived for fifteen hundred years or more, I might have a problem taking orders from a twelve-year-old."

''I'm thirteen," Sky retorted.

"Right.
Sorry, mate. I'm sure that extra year will make all the difference," Chase quipped.

"How's it even possible for hunters to live that long?" Sky asked. The question had bothered him for some time, ever since he learned that Phineas had lived for centuries. Sky didn't know how many centuries, precisely, but he knew that it was too many for Phineas to be his real uncle. Still, Sky couldn't imagine Phineas as anything else.

"That's a hunter secret, I'm afraid," Chase replied.

"But you just said I'm the First Hunter's heir, destined to rule the hunters during dark times," Sky pointed out.
"Seems like you should tell me."

"Nice try," said Chase, "but a Mark doesn't make you a hunter and hunters don't obey a Mark, destiny or not. Alexander had a Hunter's Mark at the same time as Solomon- a miracle in its own right given the singular nature and rarity of the Mark's appearance, yet one the hunters rejoiced over because, sadly, Alexander was not a popular man. Solomon is the one hunters remember, he's the one hunters followed and called the First Hunter's heir. From what I understand, Alexander just wanted to be left alone."

'That's not a reason not to tell me," Sky pointed out. "Secrets are the currency of the hunters," Chase replied.

"No one just gives them away. But if you survive all this and come to the Academy of Legend to train as a hunter, you'll earn this secret and more besides."

"If no one gives away secrets, then why are you telling me all this?"
Sky asked.

"Because, mate, despite how it may look, I want to help you," said Chase, sounding sincere.

"Like you did in the Sleeping Lands?" Sky watched Chase closely, looking for a reaction. He was nearly positive he had seen Chase in the swamps earlier, right before he had reached the Bolger tree.

"Been here all night, mate," Chase replied, smiling. "And I believe Morton Thresher's at your door."

Glancing over his shoulder, Sky spotted a distinguished looking older gentleman peeking through the window. He wore a snappy gray suit, a cravat, and a round bowler hat that would've looked out of style fifty years ago.

Morton Thresher, Hunter of Legend, tapped on the door with his cane.

Chase grabbed Sky by the collar. "Please disregard any thing I might say or do in the coming hours. Honestly, I don't mean a word of it."

Chase dragged Sky to the door and threw it open.

"Here's the little bugger, as promised," said Chase, tossing Sky at Morton's feet. Sky scowled up at Chase, but Chase just gave him a wink.

Morton strode in, followed by Malvidia, a bruised and battered Beau, T-Bone, and two hunters Sky recognized from Rauschtlot's cave. In the woods and gardens surrounding the house, Sky saw hundreds of hunters silently watching. Given that none of them was green and hibernating, he had to assume negotiations had gone well-for Malvidia, at least. The fact that the house was surrounded by hunters might mean they hadn't gone well for him. Whatever the case, Morton clearly wasn't taking any chances with him this time. "Well done, Chase," said Morton. "I see now that I should've listened to you in the beginning and simply allowed the boy to come to us."

Sky started to open his mouth to say something profoundly witty, but Malvidia shook her head, her eyes flashing a warning. Chase grabbed Sky by the cloak and dragged him to his feet.

Morton circled the foyer, examining the paintings, the stairs, the chandelier, and the coffin tracks.

"Quite a home you have here," said Morton, his voice deep and commanding as he turned to face Sky. Morton's eyes bored into him, seeing all, and Sky felt small and insignificant before him.

"
Er
... thanks," said Sky, at a loss for words. Morton petrified him. Morton was the kind of hunter Sky had always imagined: ancient, dangerous, and powerful. What made it even worse was that Sky had read books about Morton all his life:
The Barrow Hags of
Hagerby
,
Dark Night Black Day, Demon Wraiths of Windsor, The Errant Alchemy of
Ebanezar
Alton Thorne,
and a dozen more.

But most intimidating of all, Sky suddenly remembered as he thought of those books, Morton Thresher had personally trained Solomon Rose, and that made him troubling, to say the least.

"Your parents must throw a fantastic party," said Morton, gesturing with his cane at the mud tracks the coffin had left behind. ''I'm sorry I missed the surprise."

"It was something," said Sky.

''I'm sure it was," said Morton. "Excuse
me,
I'm being r u de-Morton Thresher." He offered his hand.

"Uh ... Sky Weathers," said Sky, reaching out to take it Morton's eyes darted down, staring at the Hunter's Mark and the Eye of Legend on Sky's dirt-caked palm. & they touched, a cold, painful jolt shot through Sky.

"You've got a strong handshake, Sky," said Morton. "A little sweaty-are you nervous?"

Sky pulled away and wiped his hand on his dirty pants, wondering what'd just happened. "Running for your life is a wet business, I guess."

"Ah. That must be it, then," said Morton, seemingly unfazed by Sky's casual reference to the hunt. "I wouldn't have expected nerves from a boy who just bested my entire coterie of hunters-some of the Academy of Legend's best, mind you."

Sky smiled awkwardly, not sure how to take that.

"I assume you all know each other?" said Morton, sweeping his hand around the room to take everyone in. Sky's eyes settled on Beau and T-Bone and two of the hunters from Rauschtlot's cave standing behind them pressing knives into their backs. Bea u grinned reassuringly, but his muscles bulged as if he was getting ready to pounce. T-Bone, if possible, looked even less restrained.

"Ah, yes," said Morton, glancing at the hunters.
''Two of my associates from the Hunters of Legend: Hagos Adera and Solange Avaray.
I understand you met briefly?"

Hagos scowled at Morton. "Get on with it, Morton. Make your peace. Clearly the boy is not Bedlam- he has barrow weed in his nostrils."

Solange nodded in agreement, her lips pouty. "Yes, make your peas! Make your broccoli-I do not care! Finish
zis
so I can sleep!"

"Yes, quite," said Morton, chewing on the words with apparent distaste. "& you are aware, Sky, we've run into a bit of a snag: We wish to kill you and you, by all accounts, do not wish to be killed."

Sky laughed uncomfortably.

"My old friend Malvidia has suggested another possibility that might work, if you're agreeable?" Morton
said .

Sky knew Morton was only humoring him; he was surrounded and out of options-Morton could easily kill him. It was time to see if Malvidia had kept her promise.

"What do you have in mind?" Sky asked.

"Oh, nothing too terrible, I expect," Morton replied. "First of all, you must keep the barrow weed with you at all times until this situation with Bedlam is resolved."

"Easy enough," said Sky hesitantly, remembering Chase's warning. Morton still wanted to kill him, but Morton would humiliate him first. Sky thought that having brown stuff sticking out of his nose was a good first step.

"Good," said Morton. "Next, we believe Bedlam is searching for a certain blade that may lie in Exile."

It was all Sky could do not to choke. Knowledge of the blade was his one leverage point, but it appeared that Morton, somehow, already knew about it.

"The blade belonged to Alexander Drake," Morton continued. "I trust you are familiar with him?" Sky nodded hesitantly.

"Excellent!" Morton declared. "It has recently come to my attention that this specific blade may hold the secret to freeing Bedlam from his Chrysalis. I have dispatched hunters to the Grove of the Fallen to determine if the blade was buried with Alexander's body, as was rumored after his death, though I suspect they will not find it. The few remaining blades are priceless-one does not simply bury them, no matter how sentimental the reasons."