The Angel of Elydria (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 1) (37 page)

“Erm, please. What exactly happened with those two? I mean, didn’t Phobos make a wraith before?” Penny questioned.

Noah looked up, surprised. “You don’t remember? It happened only a few years back; it was all over the Sophotri Stones.”

Penny shook her head, waiting for him to continue.

“According to Deimos’s testimony, Phobos had been studying all types of dark magic…he was heavily involved with crime syndicates in the Dewthorne district. Their father, who was baron at the time, had been hunting his son for years and finally got proof enough to lock him away. Regretfully, before he could complete this, Phobos turned his own father into a wraith.

“Deimos tried to come between them, was attacked and lost his eye, but there was nothing he could do to help either of them. Phobos completely lost his mind, and was taken to an institution for the criminally insane, while Deimos inherited his father’s position as Baron of Dewthorne. He’s been doing a fine job. I would have never suspected him of something like this…” Noah shook his head. “But it still makes no sense. How did he escape from the institution? Phobos shouldn’t be able to form so much as a coherent sentence.” The king looked troubled as he pulled a small coin-shaped object from his pocket. “Miss Deveaux, you seem to be privy to all of this…I wonder if I could have a few more words with you in private regarding some of these matters? I’d like to verify some of these claims and ask about the backgrounds of your associates, that sort of thing,” he requested and Annette rose without missing a beat.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” she agreed and they left the room together. Almost two hours later they returned, Annette looking ready to collapse with exhaustion.

“Well, now I’ve got the full story, I suppose that’s that. Thank you all for being so cooperative. I’ll have some trusted men sent to protect you, Miss Deveaux. I suppose the only thing we can do now is to send a goodwill messenger to Hulver and speak with the King Yulghrat. That way we can get some information about the Goblin Nation’s possible involvement,” Noah said, half-speaking to himself.

Annette sprang back to her feet, and Noah looked at her in confusion. She was speechless for a moment, and then beamed. “Send us? That’s a wonderful idea, Penny speaks Gobblish perfectly!” she cried.

Penny did a double-take, wondering if the exhaustion was starting to get to Annette’s head. Noah’s brow furrowed, his face showing complete befuddlement. Annette’s chest was rising and falling with exhilaration, but her gaze remained steady.

“E-excuse me?” Noah asked.

“You…you just said you’d like to send us all to Hulver as your messengers, seeing as how these three are brilliant at speaking foreign languages—and since I’ll need a clever place to hide anyway, it’s a great plan,” Annette said, her voice vibrating with her mystical power.

Noah’s eyes glazed over as her words worked their power over him. For what seemed like several very long minutes, the only sound in the room was Annette’s aggravated breathing. Penny caught Annette’s eye and Annette shook her head, as if to stop Penny from doing anything that might get in the way.

Noah touched the side of his head, still looking lost. “Why―I suppose I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes, of course you did! You said you trusted us and felt we would be able to do the job best. You were feeling very confident about it, don’t you remember? It only happened a moment ago,” Annette coaxed, still forcing her power upon the king. Simon’s eyes grew very wide and Gavin was trying to hide his look of horror. Noah seemed to be trying to dislodge the haziness in his head as he shook it from side to side, his golden hair fluttering like a lion’s mane.

“Yes, I remember, now. That
is
a good idea,” Noah said, now brimming with certainty. Penny exhaled in relief and Annette smiled, still stunning despite her harried look of fatigue. “Excellent, I’ll send word down to the airstation to prepare the Royal Dirigible for five passengers.”

“Oh, only four. Gavin will need to stay at home to take care of some important matters, after all,” Annette said, holding up a finger. Gavin’s jaw dropped, but Annette ignored him, still staring at Noah with her most charming smile.

Noah nodded. “I’ll send word at once. Will you be able to leave by the day after tomorrow?”

Annette nodded, looking pleased.

“Well, this has been most enlightening. I’ll see you again before you depart. Goodbye until then.” Noah bowed and exited the room. Once the door was closed and he was out of earshot, chaos broke loose.

“Nettie! How
could
you leave me out of this? I can’t be sitting at home, not knowing if you’re alive or dead or―”

“Miss Annette, that was astonishing! You truly have mastered the art of―”

“You can’t be serious, Annette! What if you—”

They all shouted at Annette simultaneously, but she simply ignored them and sat back down, looking as if she was about to follow Hector’s example and pass out. After a minute of everyone shouting at her she held up her hand, looking stern.

“Listen! I’m going with you whether you like it or not! I kept my promise, didn’t I? I got you all a way to travel to Hulver, but I never said that I wouldn’t come along with you. Valentine isn’t going to stop trying to get to me, and the first place she’ll look is my house. I’ll be putting you, Auntie, and Millie in danger if I stay. I won’t allow that. The last place they’re going to look for me is on Ciellios,” Annette said with confidence.

SAFE BEHIND THE doors of Annette’s manor that night, Penny dreamed of home. She felt her feet hitting each step as she bounded upstairs, calling out for her mother. She rushed down the hallway, checking her mother’s bedroom first, then the bathroom.

Opening the door to her own room, she was struck with deep fear. Her entire room was covered in filth and cobwebs with dark, black mud splattered on the floor. Gatherings of dead insects and dried leaves lay in piles all around her room, covering her desk and staining the sheets of her unmade bed. She wanted to scream, knowing what was coming―she could feel it. It hung in the grime that befouled her most comforting sanctum, singing to her in a chiding voice.

Come die, Penny. It’s so much easier than you think. Come die, right here. After all―

Penny jerked awake, sweat clinging to her forehead. Bright light blinded her eyes as Millie opened the curtains.

Life is but a dream,
Penny thought, falling back onto her pillow with a relieved sigh.

Penny was shooed into the kitchen where a worried Wendy waited with a breakfast so large it could have fed three people. She did her best to eat at least half of it, and learned from Wendy that Gavin had announced he was no longer speaking to Annette.

Penny observed Gavin as he made several calls regarding Annette’s upcoming absence using a miniature type of Sophotri Stone. It was interesting to watch the faces and voices of strange and unfamiliar people speaking through the clouded prism.

A palace official arrived with their royal messenger badges, directions, and dirigible tickets. Their new marks of identification reflected the fabricated backgrounds Annette had told Noah the prior evening. Penny had to applaud her quick thinking.

When both Annette and Hector’s condition hadn’t improved by evening, Millie put in a call via the small Sophotri Stone to the Grand Cathedral for a priestess to come visit, requesting Armonie on Penny’s behalf.

An hour later a knock came at the door and Penny rushed to answer it before Millie could get there. Opening the door, Penny was tackled by a storm of fluffy hair and robes as the jingling of bells filled the air.

“Ack, Armonie! I can’t breathe!” Penny choked out, smiling.

Armonie let go, tears swimming in her sea-green eyes. She grasped Penny’s hands and smiled back at her. “Oh, big sister. I missed you
so
much, I truly did. The Cardinal was there last night and she told Madam Priestess about what happened―when I heard what danger you were in I nearly fainted on the spot. I was overjoyed when I heard that you had called upon me―and to be able to treat Miss Deveaux! You have honored me greatly,” Armonie beamed, and Penny led her inside to where Annette was resting in the drawing room.

Armonie lugged her portable alchemy case into the drawing room and set it on the table before introducing herself to Annette. The young priestess seemed rather star-struck at first, but after being exposed to Annette’s lighthearted nature, she grew more comfortable and examined Annette for any injuries. Seeing nothing, she rummaged around in her alchemy kit and pulled out a vial of ruby red liquid.

“You’re probably just exhausted after all of that stress. Get a good night’s rest and drink this in the morning, you should feel completely refreshed!”

Penny took Armonie to see Hector next. They crept into his room, turned up the magical lantern to a dim glow, and found him still sleeping. Armonie woke him and Hector smiled at the sight of her.

“Armonie…what a surprise…” he croaked, shutting his eyes again.

Armonie asked him a few questions and conducted another quick examination. Many of the flying glass shards he had used to seal the wraith had given him an assortment of small cuts and gashes, and she administered a strong-smelling gel to the wounds. Before she put the gel away, Armonie applied a daub to the horizontal slash on Penny’s throat. The medicine stung, but Penny felt immediate relief. Armonie left them with two more vials of the ruby liquid, with instructions to take it in the morning.

“You all were very fortunate to get out with only scrapes and bruises. So, I suppose you’ll be taking it easy from now on?” Armonie asked Penny as they walked downstairs.

“Actually,” Penny faltered, “We’re flying to Hulver tomorrow.”

Armonie stopped, shaking her head. “May Lord Nestor protect you. My sister, you seem to be a magnet for trouble. I’ll be praying for your safety.” They reached the foyer, and she pulled out a little purse, calculating something. “The medicine costs one emerald Yuebell.”

Penny’s pockets were empty, so she called for Gavin. He arrived in a fluster, thin-lipped and huffing, but came to a quick halt when he saw them. He looked alarmed as Armonie spoke to him, so much so he dropped a few Yuebells from his wallet while trying to hand her the correct amount. Armonie seemed curious about his clothing, but she kept quiet as she accepted the payment.

“Goodbye, my sister,” she said to Penny, smiling and grasping her hands once more. “Please let me know when you’ve returned, it will ease my mind to know you’re safe.” The priestess gave a timid nod to Gavin. “G-goodbye, sir.”

Gavin lifted his hand, trying to smile.

As she went to sleep that night, Penny’s thoughts drifted to whether she would return to Annette’s house, or even to Iverton. Della was supposed to have all the answers for them and would know how to send Penny and Simon home.

Penny came to the glum realization that she was going to miss Elydria when it came time to leave. She was going to miss all the exotic foods, the beauty of the world’s antique aesthetic, Humphrey, and most of all the friends she had made while staying here. Her thoughts drifted back to the smoky campfire in the woods almost three months ago when she had asked Hector about his plans after returning. He had said that he would not go home to Nelvirna, even if he could, and Penny doubted he would want to return to Earth. She could not imagine him trying to make a new life somewhere else with a new name, trying to pass the days in another old, drafty house, rattling around in it alone like a coin inside a tin cup.

The idea made Penny feel sick and she crawled under the covers, forcing herself to think of other things. She fell asleep without much effort, but dark dreams came to her nonetheless. Her dream was an uncanny repeat of the one from the previous night, though this time there was no feeling of joy at returning home. She wheeled up the stairs and found her room in a state of horrific disarray again. This time, however, there were bones, blanched and dry, lying in the corner. She took several steps forward, leaning toward her bed and feeling painfully tired. To lie down would be so nice. The sheets were stained and soiled with mud, sand, and tar. The last thing she remembered seeing was her ruined sheets before the humming started, and the song echoed inside her skull long after dawn broke.