Jack Staples and the Ring of Time (8 page)

Chapter 12

THE STRANGER

Alexia lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Warm sunlight shone through her bedroom window, casting the shadow of a nearby oak on the wall. Mrs. Staples had told her this was Parker’s room. Parker was the woman’s oldest son who was away with his father. “But,” she’d said, “Parker can share a room with Jack when he gets home. The room is yours, if you want it.”

She still couldn’t believe it. She was in a real bed in her very own bedroom, and she was staying with a family! The thought was almost too much to bear. She hadn’t slept in a real bed since her fifth birthday. As often as not in those first few years, Alexia had awakened to find herself lying on the topmost branches of a nearby tree or on the peak of the tallest roof. The first few times this happened, it had taken her many hours to climb down. Yet after a few months of waking up in trees or on rooftops, she’d begun feeling quite comfortable. Her father had been right. She was Alexia Dreager, the Ally Goat, and she could climb anything.

One day Alexia had decided she wanted to be brave like her mother and father. It had been a good day. She’d stood on the bow of a large birch tree and stepped off, letting herself fall for a moment before grabbing a branch. It was so easy! Hanging by one arm, she’d laughed. If someone had seen her hanging high up in the tree, they’d have thought she’d lost her senses. If they’d seen what she did next, they would have been sure of it.

Alexia swung her body around so the top of her head faced the ground, then straightened her legs and let go. She closed her eyes and visualized the branches below. Even as she fell, she began to laugh. It was so much fun! At the last moment she reached out and grabbed a branch near the bottom and, using the momentum of the fall, swung her body all the way around it. Then with the momentum she had gained, she let go of the branch and flew, tucking her knees into her chest and doing a backward somersault. She landed on the ground with her hands held high. It had been a truly wonderful day.

However, since the first night Alexia had fallen asleep in Mrs. Staples’s house, she’d awoken in her bed every morning. She smiled again at the thought,
her bed
. Megan Staples had told her, “You will always have a home with us.”

“A home,” Alexia whispered. The word felt strange on her tongue. For years she’d dreamed of having a real home, of belonging to someone. But she never expected it to happen. And even better than a home, Megan Staples had given her the best gift she’d received since her fifth birthday.

As she lay in bed, a dark cloud began forming in the clear morning sky just outside her window. Yet Alexia was not paying attention to the cloud; instead she was remembering her first morning with Megan Staples. Had it only been six days ago? Alexia had woken up to find her cloak, sling, and brand-new clothes lying on top of the dresser. Megan had sewn her a deep purple blouse with six pearl buttons down the front. On the chest, golden thread formed an intricate pattern of a great bird with its wings outstretched across the shoulders. It really was quite beautiful.

It was on this first morning within the Staples house when Alexia made her decision to stay. She hadn’t been sure when she’d awoken, but it was the conversation with Megan in the kitchen that made up her mind. Alexia grinned at the memory.

SIX DAYS EARLIER

“Good morning, Alexia. I hope you slept well.” Megan Staples wore a bright yellow apron, and her sleeves were rolled up past the elbows. Her lip was split, and her left eye was black and blue. Besides that, her arms were covered in scratches. All of the wounds had come from Alexia, yet you never would know it by the way Megan behaved. Her smile was true and inviting. “I made some breakfast, if you are hungry,” she said. “I’m so glad the clothes fit! I wasn’t sure I’d gotten the measurements right.”

Alexia blushed. “I was just getting ready to leave,” she said stubbornly, “but I guess I’ll eat something before I go.”

Megan beamed as if Alexia had just given her the best gift in the world. “Oh, that’s such great news! Come and wash your hands and we’ll have breakfast together!” She turned and took her own advice, scrubbing her hands with a thick bar of soap.

Alexia tried to pull herself together. Why hadn’t she demanded the woman tell her everything? Why did she say she would stay for breakfast? She needed to get into the woods and find Killer before he did something stupid. Yet when she looked at the counter, she saw the food. There were eggs, bacon, freshly baked bread, porridge, fresh fruit, and hot tea.

Megan followed her look and smiled. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I decided to give you a few options.”

The food took Alexia’s breath away. Forgetting all about her questions, she walked to the table and sat down. She ignored the silverware, picked up three pieces of bacon, and stuffed them into her mouth. She’d barely chewed them before slurping a spoonful of porridge followed by a full glass of milk that dribbled down her chin. She didn’t look up from her food until she’d grabbed a fried egg with her fingers. As the yolk dripped to her elbow, she saw Megan watching her with wide eyes.

Alexia worried she had done something wrong. But Megan merely smiled, placed her knife and fork on the table, and picked up an egg with her fingers, taking a large bite. With yolk dripping from her chin, she began to laugh.

When Megan laughed, so did Alexia. She couldn’t help it; the sight of the woman eating with her hands was truly funny. “Ah, my girl, I’d forgotten how much fun it is to break a rule every now and again. Thank you for reminding me.”

After a moment, Megan spoke in a serious tone. “Alexia, I know you want to leave, and I promise I would never try to keep you here against your will. But if you stay, I will be so very happy, even if you decide to stay for only a few days.”

Alexia didn’t know what to say. She was silent for a moment as she turned to stare out the window. When she finally met Megan’s eyes, she asked the only question that seemed to matter.

“How do you know my name?”

Megan stayed quiet a long time. When she spoke, tears leaked from her eyes once more. “I read the inscription sewn into your cloak. I wasn’t trying to pry; I saw it while I was cleaning it for you.”

Alexia was confused. What was the woman talking about? There was nothing sewn into her cloak. Before it had been transformed into a cloak, it had been a dress, and in one form or another, she’d been wearing it nearly every day since her fifth birthday. She would know if something was there. Alexia was about to say as much when Megan saw the confusion on her face, stood up, and walked over. She reached out her hand and waited. Feeling as if she were in a dream, Alexia took off her cloak and handed it to her.

She watched as Megan turned her inside pocket inside out. And there, in golden thread at the bottom of the pocket was an inscription that had been sewn in.

My darling Alexia. You bring light into my world. When you’ve lost your way and your heart grows cold, the memory of love will guide you home.

Alexia was dumbfounded. How had she never seen this before? She’d used the pocket often. This was where she carried the extra stones for her sling. It’s true she’d never been very clean and had rarely washed the cloak over the years, but still, how had she missed it?

Megan saw the shock in her eyes. “It’s easy to be blind to what we think is not there.” Her words were not chiding, but kind. Once again, Alexia found tears wetting her cheeks as she ran her fingers over the inscription again and again. Megan turned and began wiping one of the counters.

You bring light into my world.
Alexia silently read the words again. After so many years, to receive a message from her mother was almost unbelievable.

“If it’s okay,” Alexia said, “I would like to stay here. At least for a little while.”

Megan didn’t turn right away. She breathed in heavily and wiped fresh tears from her eyes. Then she turned and beamed at Alexia. “This is your house now, and you will never be asked to leave.”

She walked over and gave Alexia a big hug, then sat down and poured tea. As she was pouring, Alexia spoke in a sullen voice. “I’m sorry about hitting you. I didn’t … I don’t …,” she said, unsure of what to say.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Although, I must admit if I’d known how strong you are, I might have tried to block a few more of those punches!” She chuckled.

Alexia laughed as well. She didn’t know what to make of the woman, but she was sure she liked her very much.

A short while later, both women turned to look toward the sound of someone running down the stairs. A voice called out, “Mother, you won’t believe it. Last night, I dreamed—” A skinny boy sprinted into the room. The instant their eyes met, Alexia was enraged. The boy lived here?

SIX DAYS LATER

As she lay in bed, Alexia smiled at the memory. Her days with Megan Staples had been magical. Everything was as perfect as it could be. The only real rule Megan had given her was to be home before dark. And though Alexia pretended not to like the rule, if she was being honest, she liked it very much. For eight years she’d had no one to look after her. The fact that someone actually cared where she was and what she was doing made her feel warm inside.

There were, of course, a few problems every now and then, but they were relatively minor in Alexia’s mind. Megan didn’t want her to throw things or fight or hurt people in general. And screaming and yelling never impressed her. Besides these minor shortcomings, Megan Staples was quite definitely the nicest and wisest woman Alexia had ever met, besides her mother, of course.

Megan’s son Jack, on the other hand, was as skinny as a rail and seemed to be afraid of everything. Alexia wasn’t sure what to think of him just yet. For now, she’d decided it was best not to speak to him at all.

As she lay in bed, Alexia began to cry. Her tears weren’t because she was sad, but because she was so very happy. After so many years alone, she finally had a home. She had someone to belong to. Jumping out of bed, she decided today would be the day she would ask Megan if she could stay here permanently. She imagined Megan would probably be so excited she might even cook Alexia’s favorite meal.

As she finished getting dressed, Alexia saw the black clouds gathering just outside her bedroom window.

Boom!

She jumped. Although a bright light had flashed outside, she was sure it hadn’t been lightning, and the boom was not thunder. She’d spent many a night sleeping out in thunderstorms, and whatever that sound had been, it was not caused by weather. And whatever that slithering darkness was, it was no cloud.

With fear gripping her heart, Alexia walked slowly to the window. A wall of roiling darkness rose from the front yard high into the morning sky. From somewhere deep within, a flash of light exploded again, and when it did, she saw Megan Staples standing in the midst of it. Her arms were spread wide, and a pool of white light surrounded her. In front of Megan was a being with eyes of fire and a sickly white cloak. As the light faded, Megan once again disappeared inside the mass of slithering shadows.

Sprinting out of her room and down the stairs, Alexia barely noticed the eggs and strawberries lying on the floor, and she ran right over the crumpled apron by the front door. The moment she opened the door, there was another explosion.