Rise of Allies (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 4) (39 page)

After several moments of hiking down the dirt furrow between the rows of flowers, Nixie spoke again in a thoughtful tone.

“Maybe you
are
meant to be a hero like they say.”

Jake shook his head. “No, Nixie, I’m a menace to society,” he mumbled.

“Can’t believe I finally met somebody who’s got worse problems than I do.”

Jake sent her a thanks-a-lot look over his shoulder and kept walking.

“Wait.” He stopped and turned around. “I mean…are you all right?” she asked cautiously, as though it was unfamiliar to her to let herself care.

“Of course I’m not all right!” he exclaimed. “I’ve gone and started a war! This is a lot worse than being accused of stealing the Queen’s flag.”

“There isn’t any war yet! Maybe it won’t happen.”

He snorted. “Do you really believe that?”

She frowned, uncertainty written all over her snow-white face. “At least the vampire came and warned the Order so we can prepare.”

He shook his head in disgust and resumed walking. “I don’t want to talk about it. Come on.”

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“To find the way out.”

“We should rest. I’m exhausted.”

“There was a grassy field beyond this one where you could lie down if you want. I’ll keep looking for the exit.”

“Can’t we just stay here for a while? The Bugganes can’t get us here. I need to rest before I’m ready to face them again.”

“You can do as you please, but I’ve got to get out there and try to fix this.”

“How are
you
supposed to fix this? You’re just a kid. Let the adults handle it.”

“You don’t understand. This is all my fault!”

“No, it’s not!” she insisted. “What were you supposed to do, let Garnock the Sorcerer bring himself back to life? You had to send him back to Hades with his beloved demons.”

He paused. “You know about the demons?”

“He was famous for consorting with them. Jake, that’s what black magic is.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe he even tried the Spell of a Hundred Souls. It’s a pretty infamous spell, you know, among us mages.”

He turned away. “Would you please stop talking about it now? I feel sick enough about it as it is. Either change the subject of just shut up for a while. Why do girls constantly have to be talking?”

“Pardon me, but you’re not the only one who’s ever got on the wrong side of the Dark Druids.”

Jake pivoted to face her. “What do you mean by that?”

She clammed up and looked away.

“Nixie?” he asked sternly.

“Fine!” She rolled her eyes, then nervously met his gaze. “Those Bugganes?”

“Yes?”

“I banished them from Castle MacGool in Scotland. The castle and surrounding area had been their haunting spot for centuries. Over time, they had appointed themselves the protecting spirits of all members of the Clan MacGool. But the Laird MacGool and his family, Jake, they were horrible. Aristocrats,” she said with a curl of her lip.

“Er, excuse me. Earl,” he said, pointing to his person.

Nixie shrugged off his protest. “The MacGools made everybody’s lives miserable in their county. Raised rents until the villagers were nearly bankrupt, held the people down with mad laws on every little thing. They owned the constable and the local judge, so they could have anyone arrested who tried to stand against them. No one could ever touch them because of the Bugganes acting as their supernatural helpers in everything. Any brave soul who went up to the castle to try to lay their complaint before the laird usually ended up running out screaming in terror—
if
they even got out alive.

“Well, when I used magic to banish the Bugganes from Castle MacGool and help the local villagers, I only meant to even the odds a bit.”

Jake nodded, fully sympathetic. He would have done the same thing. “So what happened?”

She winced. “Once the villagers realized the MacGools were defenseless, they rose up and stormed the castle.” She shook her head in dismay. “They got whipped up into a mob frenzy and decided to take revenge after all those years of being oppressed. They lynched the laird, tarred and feathered his heir, and ran the rest of his family out to sea. You don’t push a Scot around forever.” She paused. “I should have realized that a horrid, powerful clan like the MacGools would be in league with the Dark Druids. And you know the Dark Ones. They look after their own.” A sorrowful expression stole into Nixie’s eyes. “Three nights after the attack on the castle, on the full moon, a plague of fever and boils struck the town. Dozens of people died over the next few days. It was…an unnatural illness. They had been cursed.

“I know the Dark Druids sent the plague. But I never meant for those villagers to go on a rampage like that! They should have let it go and just enjoyed their freedom. But they had to get revenge. They brought it on themselves,” she said bitterly.

Jake shrugged. “There’s no helping some people.”

“I’m not doing anything nice for anybody ever again,” Nixie said.

Jake did not deign to point out that she had just saved his life back there in Pompeii. “Do the Dark Druids know you’re the one who banished the Bugganes?”

“No. Thank goodness,” she whispered with a worried look. “I always keep my magic fairly secret when I’m out in the world.”

He could believe it. She was not the sort to want to draw attention to herself. He nodded in relief. “Good.”

They continued walking.

“So that’s why the Bugganes are haunting you,” he remarked as he waved off a honeybee that flew past.

“Of course. I drove them out of their home,” she replied. “But they also blame me for getting their nasty friends, the MacGools, killed. That’s why they’ve vowed to kill anybody who makes friends with me.”

“You might have mentioned that,” he said dryly.

“I did. Remember? But you insisted on getting involved anyway.”

“I’m only teasing. Besides, Archie would kill me if I had left you to your fate. We can help you, you know. The offer still stands. You can’t face this alone. You’re too outnumbered. We can take them on if we battle them together. Everyone needs allies.”

Especially if there is to be a war
.

Nixie was silent for a moment. “Maybe you
can
actually help me,” she conceded in a low tone. “If you were good enough to beat Garnock…”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, a question still tugging at his mind. “Something about your story… The local people up in Scotland actually believed in these Bugganes?”

“They’re the ones who invented them. At least, they invented Jenny Greenteeth.”

Jake furrowed his brow. “How’s that?”

“Jenny Greenteeth started out as a nursery bogey,” Nixie explained. “There are many ponds and lochs and streams in the Scottish Highlands, y’see. So, a great long time ago, the parents invented Jenny Greenteeth to warn their little ones away from the water. They didn’t want their toddlers falling in and drowning. So they told them, ‘
Don’t go near the water or Jenny Greenteeth will get you
.’ When enough children grew up believing in her and being terrified of her, she eventually became real.”

“Became real?” He pushed aside a bent sunflower stalk that leaned across their path.

“That’s how magic works. Things you believe in that intensely for a period of time have a funny way of coming into being.”

“Like your mud-rabbit?”

“Yes, that’s a form of it. A kind of golem. Unfortunately, I was too nervous to believe in him enough. Of course, I’ve always had trouble working with the earth element, too. The other three are a lot easier for me, don’t know why.”

“Hey, look! Here we are.” Jake stepped out of the furrow, leaving the sunflower forest. Ahead, a sunny green meadow stretched before them, just like in the painting.

Nixie stepped up beside him. “Beautiful.”

With the sunshine warming their faces and just enough of a breeze to stir the air, the cheerful tweeting of birds and the continuous song of cicadas to lull them to rest, it was the most supremely peaceful spot on which Jake had ever stood. Perhaps it wasn’t as pretty as the spun-sugar fantasy of the French Baroque, but its humble, earthy simplicity made it seem that much more welcoming and cozy.

Nixie suddenly yawned. “I’m taking a nap.” She walked a few steps ahead of him into the field and lay down, almost disappearing into the tall grass. A happy sigh came up from the spot. “Sleep! At last. How I’ve dreamed of this.”

Jake didn’t have the heart to tell her to get up. She had been a proper trooper all day, especially with a sprained ankle.

“And I don’t need
you
anymore,” she said, but Jake realized she was not talking to him, as her broken wand came flying up out of the tall grass where she had nested.

The wand fell to earth like any ordinary twig.

He smiled ruefully, but wondered how different their whole day might have turned out if her wand had not snapped in half right at the beginning of their adventure.

“Right, well. I’ll try to find the exit.”

“Why don’t you go and see if there’s somebody up at the farmhouse?” she suggested without getting up. “If some of the fugitives are still alive in here, maybe they’ll tell us how to get out. Not that I’m in any hurry to go
now
. This feels wonderful.”

Jake gazed off into the distance at the lovely French farmhouse, then shook his head. “Nah, the luck we’re having, I’d just as soon keep my distance. If people are in there, they might not be too happy about having their sanctuary invaded by a couple of outsiders.”

“But they might have real food. You said you were hungry.”

“Not anymore.” He still felt sick to his stomach after the horrifying news that he may have inadvertently started a war with the Dark Druids.

Unnerving memories surfaced of his final confrontation with Garnock, deep below the Black Mountains, there on the edge of the underworld. But he brushed them off with an angry glance around and focused his attention on getting out of here.

Scanning the golden French landscape in all its sun-kissed tranquility, he let out a weary sigh and wondered where to start his search for the next, and hopefully last, paintbrush. Or maybe it was some different mechanism here, considering the importance of this particular painting to the collection as a whole?

Only one way to find out.
He turned once more to Nixie—or rather, to the grass where she was concealed. “Right, I’m off, then. But don’t worry, I’ll be back soon,” he said.

The only answer was a snore.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Landscape with Monsters

“E
ureka!” Archie whispered as twilight filtered in through the stained glass windows of the great library.

He had searched for hours, but when the stacks had yielded nothing, had finally taken a cue from Nixie, sneaking into the restricted section.

He knew he could get in serious trouble for this, but he had to help Jake and her find their way out of the Enchanted Gallery. Besides, he was twelve now, and someone who was twelve could not be realistically expected to follow the rules one hundred percent of the time. Even for Archie, it just wasn’t possible.

Until that moment, the long day of scouring old books and folios had yielded nothing but eyestrain. Presently, he lifted a folded map out from between the pages of a thick tome about Merlin Hall. His heart began to pound as he unfolded it with care.

Yes!
It was just what he had hoped to find—a clever diagram that showed how the paintings were connected. He quickly folded it up again and slid it into his waistcoat.
Jake, old boy, you must be a bad influence on me.

Archie Bradford—stealing! What was the world coming to?

Well, he’d put it back just as soon as his friends were safe. Silently closing the book, he put it back on the shelf and made a mental note of where he had found it. Now all he had to do was slip out of here without getting caught and somehow get the map to Jake. Archie dusted off his hands, fought back a sneeze from the dust on the ancient shelves, then crept to the edge of the aisle and glanced around. No sign of the librarian or anybody else.

But of course not
, he thought wryly. If it were raining, perhaps, but nobody in their right mind would want to spend a beautiful spring evening like this in a lonely old library.

Archie made no sound as he tiptoed down the narrow spiral of wrought-iron stairs. He climbed over the chain strung across the bottom step and headed for the exit.

All of a sudden, a thunderous “ha!” nearly made his heart stop. He gasped with shock as Ogden Trumbull leaped out from between the bookshelves and pointed an accusing finger at him. “You were up there!”

“Shh!”

“I saw you! You’re gonna get in so much trouble! Nobody’s allowed in the restricted section!”

“Would you be quiet? I had a good reason!” Archie hissed angrily.

“Don’t matter, I’m gonna tell! I’m gonna tell on you!” The troll hybrid bounded off in the direction of the librarian’s desk.

“Ogden! Ogden,” Archie repeated in a sharper tone. “I’m warning you.”

“What?” the creature flung back, pausing, to Archie’s relief. “What are you gonna do, get your Guardian friends after me again? They’re not here now. There’s nobody here to protect you, puny little runt! I could squash you right now and no one would even know.”

“No, you couldn’t. You’d better try being nicer to me, Ogden,” Archie said, sweat dampening his palms as he slipped his hand casually into his pocket.

The time had come to put his Bully Buzzer to the test. Good thing he’d got his hands on that blow-gun earlier today and secretly planted the brass nodes on Og’s back. With Jake and Nixie stuck in the paintings, he could hardly spare the time for such nonsense. Unfortunately, he was well aware that, with Ogden lurking around, his own safety and that of all the other kids’ at Merlin Hall was at stake. Somebody had to get the bully under control. And besides, this was personal.

“Ha, ha!” Og went on taunting him. “You gonna tell me what to do, gnat? I’m not afraid of you.”

“Keep your distance.”

“Or what?” His piggish eyes gleaming with belligerence, the towering brute took a step closer. “Why don’t you make me—
ack
!”

Og suddenly fell to the floor, his big, gray body going rigid, his face contorting slightly from the electrical charge, though, in truth, it was hard to notice much difference, ugly as he was.

Looks like it works.
Archie was altogether pleased.

“Something wrong, Ogden?” he asked in a casual tone, gazing down at his would-be tormentor.

“Help—me!”

“Help someone who was just threatening me? Why would I want to do that?” He did, however, let go of the button on the controller discreetly hidden in his pocket.

Ogden panted but made no effort to get up. He looked exceedingly confused.

Archie couldn’t help gloating. “Now, Ogden, I would advise that you remember this feeling next time you want to start a fight with someone for no reason. You never know,” he added, “the two might be related somehow—picking a fight and this seizure of yours. So much anger! It’s really not healthy.”

The troll hybrid stared at him in confusion.

“
Au revoir
,” Archie said pleasantly. Then he simply walked around the lout, brimming with pride in his new gadget.

He punched the air in victory as soon as he stepped outside and took off running for the Enchanted Gallery.

He was surprised upon passing the ballroom to find another grand gala underway. More music, all the adults in finery again. Who could think about having another party at a time like this?

Of course, none of the adults were supposed to know about the two kids stuck in the painting, and Archie meant to keep it that way. He nodded politely at some friends of his parents going by and then strode hurriedly into the gallery.

Glancing around, he hoped he didn’t cross paths with Boneless here again. Then he began running from painting to painting, checking them for any sign of Jake and Nixie.

He didn’t know if they would be able to hear him in there, but he called their names at each picture as loudly as he dared. He ignored the fact that anyone witnessing this probably would have thought he was insane, going around talking to the artwork.

At last, he found Jake inside of the French farm landscape at the end of the gallery. He could see his cousin marching across the hill, but when he realized Nixie wasn’t with him, Archie was terrified that something had happened to her.

“Jake! Jake!” He rapped on the surface of the painting and finally managed to get his cousin’s attention.

He came running down the hill as fast as he could.

Archie waited, relieved to see his cousin in one piece, but Nixie’s absence had put him in a state of dread. Jake arrived on the other side of picture frame, panting from his sprint.

“Are you all right?” Archie asked at once, even as he noticed that his cousin didn’t look so good. “What’s happened? Where’s Nixie?”

“Asleep.” Jake’s voice sounded muffled.

“Is she hurt?”

“Nah, she sprained her ankle, but she’s fine.”

Archie let out a sigh of relief. Then he reached into his vest and pulled out the map he had stolen and unfolded it. “I found you a way out. There’s good news and bad news.” For a second, Archie located the farmhouse painting in the diagram, then showed it to Jake, pressing the map up to the painting. “You are here.” He tapped the spot.

Jake leaned closer, studying the map. “What’s the good news? I could use some.”

“There’s an emergency exit in the silo next to that barn.” Archie pointed to the farm on the hill. “You’ve only got to go through one more painting to get out.”

“And what’s the bad news?”

“Uh, it’s the Hieronymus Bosch.”

Jake stared at him. “Of course it is. That’s just perfect.”

“I tried to find another way out for you. There isn’t one. It’s this or nothing. My guess is that they put it last to stop enemies from trying to sneak into the farmhouse scene through the back way. Nobody would willingly cross a Bosch landscape unless they had no other choice. The fellow was a thorough, raving loon-bat.”

“So what should I expect?”

“Oh, monsters, demons, scenes of eternal damnation. More or less.”

“Got it,” Jake said grimly, hands on hips.

Archie shook his head. “Be careful. Keep Nixie safe.”

Jake nodded, visibly bracing himself for the final leg of their journey. “Thanks, Archie. I knew I could count on you.”

“Of course. Good luck. I’ll be waiting for you in the gallery at my end of the Bosch when you come out.”

If you make it out alive.

A moment later, Archie watched his cousin trudge off to fetch Nixie for the end of their trek. His throat felt tight with anxiety as he folded the map up again, hid it in his vest, then allowed himself to wander off nervously, hands in pockets, only as far as the edge of the gallery.

Jake and Nixie would need a little time before they’d be in range, but Archie didn’t intend to go far, just in case they needed him upon making their reentry.

Wandering restlessly back out to the entrance hall, he was startled to see his sister heading into the ballroom once more, wearing yet another fancy gown—and a morose look on her face.

He hurried over to tell her about the latest developments. “Isabelle, this is no time for you to be flitting off to another ball.”

“Flitting? Do you think I want to do this? Mother’s making me. She says it’s imperative I make up for botching tea with the Queen today. Apparently running out of the room in the middle of a royal audience is rather frowned upon.”

“Ah, I suppose it would be. Listen, I found a map of the paintings…” He quickly explained.

Isabelle was thrilled to hear they were safe so far. “Maybe I can get out of here early if I make a good impression this time,” she said, nodding toward the ballroom.

“Well, if you can, I’ll be waiting for them out here. So come as soon as you can.”

“If I can’t get away, will you let me know once they’re out?”

“Will do. Hang in there, sis.”

Just then, Gladwin buzzed over to them. “Hey-ho!” the wee fairy said cheerfully. “Has anyone seen Dani O’Dell? I have a wonderful surprise for her!”

“Haven’t seen her in hours,” Archie said.

“What sort of surprise?” Isabelle asked.

“I was able to get permission for her to come to the ball tonight as a special treat!” Gladwin clapped her hands in excitement and twirled in a spiral, trailing golden sparkles.

“Oh, good!” Isabelle exclaimed. “That’ll make this thing more tolerable for me, too.”

“So where is the lucky girl?” Gladwin asked, beaming, as she hovered in midair, hands on hips.

“She went out to the zoo to visit Red,” Archie answered.

“Well, I’d better go find her, then! She needs to hurry and put on her best party frock! I didn’t think you boys would be interested,” Gladwin added, “so I didn’t bother getting permission for you.”

“No, no, that’s quite all right,” Archie assured her. “Jake won’t mind, I’m sure.”

“Where is that rascal, anyway? With Dani and Red?”

“Oh…he’s around here somewhere,” Archie said vaguely, brushing off a twinge of guilt for lying to Gladwin. What choice did he have? As a royal garden fairy, she’d be duty-bound to tell on Jake and Nixie for going in the paintings. He was not going to get his friends in trouble on top of everything else they had already been through. “I daresay he’ll be along at any moment.”

“Very well. See you in the ballroom, Izzy! I’m off to find Dani.”

“See you soon!” Isabelle waved, but when Gladwin had gone, she turned to Archie and whispered, “Is Dani really visiting Red?”

He shrugged. “That’s what she told me. Why do you ask?”

“You know I don’t like eavesdropping on the emotions of friends and family, but I couldn’t help but notice she was
really
angry all day about what happened with those shapeshifter brats.”

Archie snorted. “So was I.”

“You and I don’t get angry in the same way Dani does.” Isabelle shrugged. “Maybe it’s the redhead temper or something, but I have this sneaking suspicion that she’s planning something.”