Conrad Edison and the Anchored World (Overworld Arcanum Book 2) (31 page)

Percival looked excited to see us when we walked into the healing ward. "Are you injured again?" He picked up his experimental healing potion. "I've got a new batch all ready for testing."

Max pushed me in front of him. "No, we're great, sir, I promise."

The healer's face fell. "Oh. I haven't had a chance to use it on any other patients yet."

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities," Ambria said curtly. "How are Mirjana and Klave?"

"Mirjana is up and about, but her husband is still weak." Percival looked wistfully at Max's healed hand. "I suspect he'll be able to leave in another week or so."

Ambria stepped past him. "Well, we're here to visit."

"Of course." The healer motioned us in. "I'm sure Mirjana would love it."

A lovely smile spread across Mirjana's lips when she saw us. "Children, it is so good to see you again."

Klave looked pale and terribly thin, but he had the strength to nod at us. "Thank you for saving my love and my life," he said in a faint voice.

Mirjana patted his arm. "Rest now, love."

I looked at the necklace of green stones on his neck. "The anchor stone pieces give immortality, but not supernatural healing?"

The Lady of the Pond blinked as if surprised by the sudden change in subject. "Larger pieces provide enhanced physical attributes, but only after keeping them close to your body over a period of time." She ran a finger up Klave's arm. "The magic seeps into the body."

"The stones on Klave's necklace aren't large enough?" I asked.

"They were enough to preserve his life when poisoned, but not to heal him once he drifted to the clean water at the bottom of the pond." She touched her husband's necklace.  "I searched in vain for a piece large enough to simply keep in our abode, but finding even the smallest fragments was incredibly difficult."

Ambria's forehead pinched. "Keeping a really big piece in your house would give you immortality?"

"Yes, so long as you were near it several hours a day." Mirjana traced a finger up an arm. "The magic soaks into whoever is near."

"Naeve lives right underneath the moon," Max said. "I'll bet you couldn't kill her if you tried."

"How long does it take for the effects of the moon to wear off?" I asked.

"In the case of someone who has lived in the presence of the anchor stone, it could take months or even a year for the preserving magic to wear off." Mirjana shrugged. "Unfortunately, I have only anecdotal evidence."

"Soon it may be possible to find larger pieces more easily." I told the Siren about Serena's divining rod and my plan to steal it when completed. "For her to test the rod, she'll need a fragment of anchor stone. I can't give her mine because I need it to get in and out of the Glimmer."

Klave took a wheezing breath and pushed out an answer. "I say yes." He tried to move a hand to his necklace, but was too weak.

"A dangerous plan," Mirjana said. "But since you saved my love, I cannot say no."

"If we succeed, I'll find Klave a larger piece of the stone." I touched her hand, as if it might bind me even more to keep my word. "I promise."

"He speaks truth." Klave's voice was barely a hoarse whisper.

Without hesitation, Mirjana removed the necklace from her husband and unstrung the largest stone from it. Even so, the green fragment was smaller than the tip of my pinky finger. I hoped it was enough for Serena to test with her divining rod.

"I am feeling much better," the Siren said. "I will assist you so long as it does not involve fighting."

"Can you get us into the Glimmer without using the reflected world?" Max asked.

"Yes, but the song which grants passage past the rift guardians will alert the queen that a Siren approaches her kingdom." Mirjana spread her hands. "In this case, I believe stealth is in your favor. I suggest you use the echo world, but be quick about it."

Ambria stepped closer. "Does the stone work with anything that casts a reflection, like a mirror?"

"No, it is water magic," Mirjana replied. "It does not work on solid objects."

"Oh." Ambria puffed her cheeks. "I thought we could sneak through faster if we took a mirror with us."

"You need only a puddle of water large enough to fit through," the Siren replied.

Max snapped his fingers. "Yeah, we'll just bring a bucket of water and dig a hole."

"What if the puddle dries up before we come back?" Ambria asked.

Mirjana shrugged her shoulders. "Simply put, child, you will need to use another exit. Just know that wherever your echo being is in that world, it will know the instant you enter and come in a straight line for you. Do not let it catch you."

With those chilling words still ringing in my ears, we left the Siren and her husband in the healing ward.

The next day, we met Evadora in Colossus Stadium and gave her the stone from Mirjana.

"Is Serena any closer to finishing?" I asked.

Evadora shook her head. "And I have still found no stones."

"Well, don't leave any stone unturned," Max said with a grin.

"But not all stones are from the anchor stone," Evadora said, her eyes widening with concern. She turned to me. "Conrad, turning every stone would take forever! Is Max dumb?"

Ambria giggled. "He can be quite dense."

"It was a joke." Max threw up his hands. "If anything, it was a clever joke."

I managed a weak smile. "He has his moments."

Evadora rubbed the tiny piece of green stone between her thumb and forefinger. "I will give this to Serena when the time is right. Hopefully she will finish her rod soon." She twirled and looked straight up at the sky. "Then we will tell the queen the secret and all will be well."

I certainly hope so.

"Have my parents been back to the Glimmer?" I asked.

Evadora skipped away a few feet, then stopped and turned around. "Not yet, but I will say if I see." Then she skipped on her merry way.

Chapter 27

"Edison, are you asleep?" Professor Grace snapped his fingers and jerked me from the troubled thoughts swirling in my head.

"No, sir." I tried to recall what he'd been talking about.

"
Levator
," Max whispered behind me.

I repeated the word. "
Levator
."

Grace narrowed his eyes at me, but finally turned away. "Yes,
levator
is the spell we've been working on this week, and yet, none of you has been able to cast it."

Lily Crown raised her hand. "I did it last night, Professor."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Then by all means demonstrate." He laid a sheet of parchment on his desk.

Lily confidently approached and took out her wand. With precise flicks, she guided the wand through the proper pattern and said, "
Levator
."

The parchment shuddered, but didn't rise. She tried it again and again, but failed to move it.

Max snickered then whispered to me, "She's such a know-it-all."

Grace's eyes locked onto the source of soft laughter and jabbed a finger at Max. "If you find it so funny, Tiberius, I suggest you come show the class how it's done."

Delighted grins split Harris and Baxter's faces. Lily gave Max a hurt look.

Looking down like a scolded dog, Max stood and trudged to the front of the class. He took out his wand and uneasily cleared his throat. "Um, it's a rather difficult spell."

"I don't care," Grace replied in clipped tones. "Do it now, or you're cleaning the common room tonight."

That straightened Max like a jolt of electricity. "But—"

Grace snapped his fingers. "Do it."

"Oh dear," Ambria said in a hushed voice. "I hope he remembers to flick left first this time."

Max flicked his wand to the right instead and failed to cast the spell. "Why didn't it work?" He looked at his wand and shook it as if it might be defective.

Ambria groaned.

Grace looked pleased. "Well, Tiberius, looks like you'll be cleaning tonight."

"Oh, wait, it's left," Max said. He flicked the wand through the pattern and pointed it at the paper. "
Levator
."

A paperweight next to the parchment rose instead. Max was so startled, he jerked his wand back and the glass weight flew through the air and smacked him in the forehead. Max fell over backwards and thudded to the floor.

Lily cried out and dropped next to him. "He's bleeding!"

Others in the class burst into laughter. Gideon Grace rolled his eyes with disgust.

Ambria and I ran to the front of the room and helped Max stagger to his feet. He looked blearily at Professor Grace. "I did it!"

The professor looked disappointed. "Yes, I suppose you did." The bell gonged. "Luckily for you, boy." He motioned us toward the door. "Well, get him to the healing ward."

Lily picked up Max's wand and handed it to me. "Well done, Max," she said in a quiet voice.

Struggling to hold up his head, he managed a grin. "You're smart."

She giggled.

Ambria and I grabbed our book bags and carried Max's while I helped our dizzy friend down the hall.

Percival clapped his hands together when he saw the trickle of blood on Max's forehead. "What do we have today, children?" He wiped away the blood with a cloth. "Oh, a concussion, how wonderful."

"It's not wonderful," Ambria said.

I helped Max sit down on a bench. "Do you plan to give him more of that painful healing potion?"

"Hmm." Percival cleaned the small cut. "No, I suppose this is too minor for that." He unscrewed a jar and smeared a tiny bit of smelly salve on the wound. "Just keep an eye on him and don't let him go to sleep for a few hours."

Max groaned and pressed fingers to his temples. "Oh, my aching head."

Percival handed him a small white pill. "Take this and let me know if it doesn't help."

Max looked at it suspiciously, then winced in pain. "What is this thing?"

"Something magical called ibuprofen." Percival taped a small bandage over the cut on Max's forehead.

"Never heard of it." Max swallowed it with some water anyway.

"Ibuprofen?" Ambria said with disbelief. "That's not magic."

"Sure it is," Percival said. "No matter where the ache is, it somehow knows what part of your body to relieve. That's magic in my book."

The bell gonged. "We're late," I said. "Can he go to class?"

Percival nodded. "Of course."

Esma Emoora didn't seem to even care that we were late as we slid into desks on our side of the circular formation. Though Max looked a bit silly with the bandage on his forehead, he seemed recovered from the blow he'd taken.

As usual, the professor kept everyone in the class on edge. She didn't hesitate to cast a shock of electricity to make sure some unlucky student remembered how to use the shield spell and other protective castings she taught us. I fended off two attacks, but she zapped me later on the third try because I flubbed the proper wand pattern.

The static shock hurt, but didn't injure anything except my confidence.
If my parents attack me, they'll do a lot more than shock me.
I had to be better prepared for that threat. When class ended, I told Ambria and Max to go ahead to history without me, and waited for the other students to leave before approaching the professor.

Esma regarded me with a warm smile. "Well, if it isn't my best student."

My face warmed at the compliment. "Thank you, Professor." I took a breath to settle my nerves. "I was wondering if you're available for tutoring after classes."

She raised an eyebrow. "If anyone needs tutoring, it certainly isn't you."

"I actually need it rather badly," I said. "I need to advance my skills much faster."

Esma's smile faded. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, it's a private matter—"

"Must be Harris Ashmore and Baxter Troy," she said with certainty. "Are they bullying you?"

"No, no, nothing like that." The last thing I wanted to do was get them in trouble and draw even more hatred on me. "It's just that, well—"

"Spit it out, child." She crossed her arms. "Tell me the truth and perhaps I'll help you."

How do I tell her about my parents?
As far as I knew, Galfandor hadn't told anyone else my parents were still alive. But how could I explain the danger to the professor without telling her about them? I also didn't want to get other students in trouble. Finally, I decided to tell her a little of the truth.

"Will you promise not to tell anyone else?" I said. "This has to remain a secret for now."

She pursed her lips. "If your secret doesn't endanger anyone else, I will keep it."

My parents were a danger to everyone, but I desperately needed to get better faster. "My parents are still alive and want to kill me."

Esma's frown vanished and she stared at me for a moment. "Is that the secret?"

Somehow, I thought she'd have a stronger reaction, and then realized she probably didn't believe me. "It's the truth."

The professor nodded. "You want to strengthen your defenses considerably."

"Yes, please." I felt like a fool for not having come up with a convincing lie instead of the ridiculous truth.

Esma put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Conrad, I believe you. I don't think many of us ever believed your parents were ever truly dead, especially when their bodies disappeared. They are powerful Arcanes and not to be trifled with."

My relief flushed away the humiliation. "Really?"

"Yes, really." She put a hand to her chin. "I can fit you in right after supper twice a week. When would you like to start?"

"Today?" I said hopefully.

She smiled. "Today it is. Meet me in my office after supper."

I felt so relieved, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. "Thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me yet, young man." Esma's lips curled into a smirk. "If you think I'm tough during class, you'll probably fear me even more during private lessons."

I probably should have been afraid. Instead, I suppressed a cheer. "I'll see you tonight." The class bell would gong at any moment, so I rushed down the hall and downstairs to the lower wing for history class. Just as I passed the restrooms, something caught my backpack and yanked me off my feet.