Chase Tinker & The House of Magic (14 page)

"Isn't he gone yet?" Andy whispered. "How
long have we been in here anyway?"

"Feels like forever," grumbled Janie, rubbing
her legs, "but maybe about twenty minutes or so."

"I'll go see if it's safe," said Chase.
Although, if he had his choice, he'd rather be lounging in a comfy
chair in front of the fire in Grandfather's study.

"Good idea," said Janie.

"And be careful," said Persephone firmly.

He gave her a small, lopsided smile. "Hey,
what else would I be?"

Creeping to the door, he opened it just
enough for him to slip out. Pressed against the side of the
building, he strained to see anything the least bit suspicious in
the darkness. He swallowed, pushing down the panic that rushed
through him at the thought of running into whatever crazy person
was after them, but everything looked okay.

He snuck to the edge of the forest, while
trying to blend in with the shadows. He checked up and down the
road. No one was in sight. The wind riffled eerily through the
trees. It swirled around him as he stood for a moment listening to
the sounds of the night before he turned and hurried back to the
shed.

"Whoever it was seems to be gone now," he
said as he swung open the door. "So let's get the heck out of here
in case he comes back."

Stepping outside, Persephone brushed at her
hair and clothing. "Yuck! I feel like I'm crawling with bugs."

"Same here," said Janie.

"Come on. We need to go," said Chase, losing
patience as he watched Janie picking cobwebs off her jacket and
Andy hopping around. "We'll worry about spiders and whatever
later."

"Easy for him to say," Andy whispered to
Persephone. "He didn't have one crawling in his pants."

Keeping a lookout for any sign of their
pursuer, they flitted through the trees and down the road. Chase
stuck out an arm and stopped everyone when he heard rustling and
snapping twigs. With his heart thumping at least a hundred miles a
minute, he flashed his light toward the noise. Several pairs of
green, glowing eyeballs blinked in the brightness as a family of
raccoons sprang from the bushes. They loped across the road and
disappeared into the darkness.

"Whew!" said Persephone. "For a second
there..."

"Yeah," said Chase, mentally swiping his hand
across his forehead. "I know what you mean."

He heaved a deep sigh of relief when they
finally reached the end of the road and saw their friendly, glowing
house across the yard.

"Man! Was that scary or what?" said Andy.
"Who would want to chase us, anyway?"

"Good question, shrimp," said Chase, staring
back down the dark, sinister-looking road. He didn't mention
anything about the glimpse of blond hair he'd seen. It still seemed
too crazy that it might have been Doctor Dan.

"Maybe someone wanted to kidnap us and hold
us for ransom," said Janie, looking worried. "Grandfather is kind
of rich, you know."

"Wouldn't it be easier to take just one of us
and not the whole bunch at once?" said Chase.

"Yeah, I guess." Her hands shook as she
scraped sticky webs from between her fingers. "It was too scary for
words, though. I sure won't be walking down that road at night ever
again. And where was Grandfather? He said he'd be there. If he was
with us we could have teleported!"

"At least your power came in handy, Janie,"
said Persephone.

"I should've frozen him," said Andy, cramming
his hands into his pockets as he stomped along, "but I was so
scared, I forgot I had a magical power."

"That's okay, Andy," said Chase. "I would've
levitated the creep to the top of a tree, if I'd've thought of it,
that is."

Janie stepped between them and patted the
boys' shoulders. "I'm sure you guys will remember to use a little
magic in the next crisis we have."

"I sure hope so," Chase muttered to
himself.

The pouring rain started seconds after they
entered the kitchen. Thunder boomed overhead, making the doors and
windows rattle. It felt as if the storm had followed them home,
like a big, growling dog nipping at their heels.

"Cool! We got here just in time," said Chase,
quickly closing the back door. He glanced at the clock and saw it
was a few minutes until midnight. "We should probably let
Grandfather know we're home."

"Let's go see if he's with my mom," said
Janie, plopping her bag on the counter before heading for the
swinging kitchen door. "Oh my gosh! Maybe she had a relapse and
that's why he missed the show."

The door to Clair's room was open and rosy
light spilled into the hallway. The kids heard voices coming from
within. Chase jerked up his arms to stop the others. "Let's listen
to this," he whispered.

They nodded and tip-toed closer.

"Are you sure?" asked Grandfather. His voice
was filled with worry.

"It was them," Clair said, sounding hoarse
and weak. "From what I can tell, they're still collecting magic…"
Thunder boomed, drowning out half her words. "…lost Shard."

Grandfather said something they weren't able
to hear because of the sound of the loud, pounding rain coming
through the bedroom window. Then, "…a long time…dangerous."

"We have to…safe…was
followed...Mar…angry…escaped," murmured Clair, her voice fading in
and out. "I don't want them to…" BOOM! The lightning and thunder
flashed and roared. "…didn't mean…I planned…toward the…my
journey…but I…Ben or…so confused. The kids can't know…" BOOM!
Thunder shook the windows.

"Don't worry. I've taken care of that with a
powerful enchantment," said Grandfather. His voice was louder now,
moving back and forth as if he was pacing the floor. He heaved a
deep sigh. "It looks like our Dark Enemy will never stop
until—"

The kids looked at each other. "Dark enemy?"
mouthed Chase.

Clair's croaky voice took up where
Grandfather had left off. "—until either we or they are de—" She
stopped, as if afraid to finish the sentence. "Anyway, I'll do what
I can to keep…" More rumbling thunder drowned out her quiet
words.

"It's late," said Grandfather. "The children
will be here soon and it's best if they know nothing of what we've
been discussing. Why don't you get more sleep and we'll speak again
when you're feeling better."

The kids dashed back to the kitchen. When
Grandfather arrived, they were huddled around the cookie jar,
munching and chatting.

"Ah, children, I'm happy to see you weren't
caught in the storm," said Grandfather, strolling through the
doorway. "How was the show? I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend."

"It was magnificent, Grandfather!" exclaimed
Janie. "We didn't want it to end."

"Awesome!" said Andy, a little too loudly.
"The jumping dogs were the best."

"Everything was great!" added Chase, hoping
their enthusiasm didn't sound too forced as he glanced at
Persephone, who was nodding vigorously.

"Isn't it wonderful what a little magic can
do?" said Grandfather, with a tired, yet sad-looking smile. "I'm
off to bed. I'll see you in the morning. Don't stay up too
late."

After he was gone, Janie continued to stare
at the closed kitchen door. "I don't believe it," she said. "He
didn't say a word about my mom. She's wide awake and he didn't tell
us!" She crushed the cookie in her hand.

The other kids glanced at each other. From
the looks on their faces, Chase had a feeling they were all
thinking the same thing. No one knew why Grandfather had kept quiet
about Clair. It didn't make any sense.

"Yeah," said Andy, scowling, "we need to hear
about our dad too!"

"He must have his reasons," murmured
Persephone.

"But what the heck can they be?" said
Janie.

They all slouched at the counter and nibbled
on their cookies.

"Um...Janie?" said Chase, remembering
something he wanted to do while he had the chance. "Can you take me
back to the locked room? I can't remember how to get there."

"You want to break in," accused Janie.

"Maybe…" he said, staring at the ceiling.

Janie snorted. "Yeah, right." She hopped off
the stool. "Okay, let's go."

Surprised at how easily she caved in, Chase
followed her from the room. Persephone and Andy looked at each
other, shrugged, and traipsed out behind them.

"How do you remember where to go?" asked
Chase as they climbed staircases and sped down hallways. "I spend
half my time lost."

"I guess I have a better sense of direction
than you. It comes in handy around here." Janie stopped in front of
a dark-brown door with a brass handle. "This is it. Have at it. Get
yourself turned to stone or something equally as bad. See if I
care." She flicked her hand and stepped back.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," said Chase. He
pulled something from his pocket and knelt down.

"What's that?" asked Persephone, looking over
his shoulder.

"A lock-pick." He squinted into the key hole.
"A friend of mine gave it to me."

"Nice friend," said Janie, crossing her arms
and leaning against the wall. "Who do you hang out with, thieves
and hoods?"

"Sometimes," he answered, sliding the pick
into the lock.

She raised her eyebrows. "You do? I was only
kidding."

Frowning and squinting, Chase jiggled and
fiddled with the keyhole. "Almost got it," he murmured.

The door began to glow faintly. It shimmered
and glistened, growing brighter and brighter until it was an
eye-popping, fire-engine red. Right after that, two long, spindly
arms and two long, fat legs sprouted from the wood.

"Uh-oh," said Andy.

"Oh, geez!" Chase stumbled back, but before
he had a chance to even think about scrambling away, he was grabbed
by the scrawny arms, thrown face down across one of the legs, and
thoroughly spanked. "Ow! Ow! OW! Hey, stop it!" he yelled, flailing
his arms and legs. "Let me go you crazy door! Owow! Stop!"

The long limbs zipped back into the door.
Chase tumbled to the floor and lay there panting and staring at the
ceiling as the bright-red faded away. Was it possible for him to
be
any more humiliated?

The other kids hurried to help him, but he
waved them back. "Don't come any closer. I want to stay right here
and forget this ever happened."

Great,
he thought,
if I ever had
any chance of Persephone liking me, that spanking just ruined
it.

"You gotta say this for Grandfather," said
Janie, with a huge grin, "he has a sense of humor."

"Oh yeah, he's real funny," Chase said as he
climbed to his feet and rubbed his sore butt. It looked like he'd
be doing a lot of standing for the next few days.

"That was a bust," said Andy, staring at the
locked door. "If I were you, I would think of those as early
birthday spankings." He glanced at Persephone, who had her hand
covering her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter. When her eyes
met Andy's, she completely lost it.

Chase crossed his arms and glared as the
other three cracked up. "I'm happy you guys are having a good
laugh," he said, watching Andy cling to the wall to keep from
falling.

"Sorry," said Janie between giggles, "but you
looked so funny. And Grandfather
did
tell us to stay away
from here."

He certainly didn't have to take this. He
stomped off.

"Wait!" she cried, starting after him.
"You're going the wrong way. And didn't you want to talk about the
dark enemy?"

This made Chase pause. "Yeah," he said,
turning. "Do you know anything about it?"

Janie shook her head. "No, I've never heard
of it, but maybe we can figure something out."

Walking back, Chase glowered at Andy and
Persephone as they continued to giggle. "Dorks," he muttered.

The four kids huddled on the floor and tried
to remember what they had overheard.

"Your mom said it's them and something else
about collecting magic," said Chase. "Magic from where?"

"You know, we aren't the only magical
beings," answered Janie. "I mean, the world is filled with elves,
leprechauns, vampires, witches, wizards."

"
All
that's real?" exclaimed Chase.
"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. Why would we be the only ones
with magic? And maybe this dark enemy, or whatever, is stealing
their good magic and using it for evil. It's possible they want
ours now."

"She mentioned something about a lost shard
too," said Persephone, while Chase looked like he was still having
a hard time believing vampires and elves truly did exist.

Janie nodded. "It must be the missing piece
that broke off after Jedadiah found the Relic."

"And these enemy guys have it?" said
Andy.

"Looks like…" Janie's voice trailed off.

"I think Mr. Hiram sounded really worried,"
said Persephone. "And Clair said she didn't want us to know
something." She crossed her arms. "Curiouser and curiouser," she
quoted as she reached up to fiddle with her tiny diamond
nose-ring.

"Yeah," said Andy. "And they're not going to
stop until—uh...I don't know."

Janie pounded her fist on the floor. "I just
don't get it! Maybe if we'd heard the whole thing, it would make
more sense."

Chase propped his elbow on his bent knee. "We
have to do something!" he burst out. "We can't let some dark enemy,
or whatever, come and take our magic from us." He remembered Doctor
Dan and his rotten behavior. "And I'm pretty sure Doctor Dan might
be one of them."

"That's crazy!" scoffed Janie.

He shook his head. "Think about it. He was a
huge jerk about the ice cream. You didn't see him, but he was
staring daggers at us on the beach, and I know I saw a glint of
blond hair when the shed door opened. Seems awfully suspicious to
me. Wait! Here's something else. A couple days ago, I found him in
the spiral staircase room staring straight up the stairs. He said
he was lost."