The Dark Portal (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 3) (44 page)

The enemy must have been putting up quite a fight.

Jake and the others stood together with the river coursing past them until, a few minutes later, the shaking stopped.

Everyone held their breath, unsure what to expect.

They yelled out in surprise when a section of the mine suddenly cratered with a deep groan, burying the tomb and the skull-shaped portal under so much earth this time that no one was ever getting out.

What about the angels?
Jake wondered.

Just then, Miss Helena came running out of the woods (in her human form) to hug a very relieved Derek Stone.

Madam Sylvia followed a few steps behind, and everybody welcomed her into their midst.

“Look!” Isabelle cried
all of a sudden, pointing at the sky.

The angels
must have done their job. Four streaks of brilliant light shot up out of the hillside and went zooming up into the blue, vanishing behind the clouds.

They all stared for a long moment in speechless wonder, waiting for any further glimpse of them, but there was none.

At length, Jake shook his head and whispered, “Amazing.”

EPILOGUE

First Snow

Snowdrop Fingle outdid herself with the food for the celebration they had later that evening at the cottage.

To be sure, they had many reasons to rejoice.

Isabelle was back safe and feeling much better with the help of a gryphon feather’s magical healing properties. Jake was alive. Red and Archie were once again their proper sizes. Derek and Helena were free to move about at will, and Madam Sylvia was also unscathed after having freed the teachers at the Harris School from Garnock’s various torments.

Likewise, to help speed the students’ recovery after the evil sorcerer had preyed on their souls and drained half the life out of them, Jake had ordered party foo
ds sent to the school. Cakes and candy worked wonders for a kid’s general happiness, in his experience. Snowdrop, of course, had been overjoyed to have dozens more people to cook and bake for.

The real fun started, however, when the dwarves arrived. Earlier
, Miss Helena, looking very happy to return to her normal governess duties, had instructed Jake that it was proper to return the hospitality the dwarves had extended to them a few days ago. So they were all together again: Emrys and his family, Ufudd, and a few of the other leading citizens of Waterfall Village in attendance.

The little mayor presented Jake
with a fresh pouch of Illuminium to take with him after hearing about his victory.

But the surprise guest of the night was none other than everyone’s favorite fairy courier, Gladwin Lightwing.

“Her Ladyship was worried when she got your telegram, so she sent me personally to check on you all and see if everything was all right.”

“Pfft,
” said Jake.

Glad
win looked at him in confusion at this answer.

“
What took her so long to reply?” he retorted. “Didn’t she get my Inkbug messages?”

Gladwin frowned. “Oh,
er, we had a bit of a tragedy with the poor Inkbug while you were away, I’m afraid. It seems he got out of his box and one of the maids—well, I’m sorry to say, somebody stepped on him. Most unfortunate.”

They groaned.

“So she never even got my first two messages?”

“No, the first one she receive
d was the regular telegram. I know you said you needed her advice about some spells, but I hope it wasn’t too terribly inconvenient. I’ll be happy to take back any answer you like—”

“No,
please, don’t fly off so soon, Gladwin! Stay with us awhile,” Dani begged her, which pleased the little fairy greatly—although Gladwin did seem puzzled about why the boys were laughing.

“Oh, no, it wasn’t too
terribly
inconvenient,” Jake said wryly.

“Pardon?” the fairy asked.

“Never mind.”

“
It is too bad about the Inkbug,” Archie remarked.

Jake nodded at him.
“I don’t imagine they’re easy to come by.”

“Well, the important thing is, Her Ladyship did as you asked. Here are the
refresher spells you are to use, along with some instructions.”

Jake took the fairy’s tiny, scrolled message in relief, then n
odded. “I’ll go see to this.”

“You can’t leave your own party,
” Dani protested when he stood up to go.

He rumpled her red hair. “
It’s important. Besides, I’ll be back.” The truth was, he rather needed some time alone. He had a lot to think about, still digesting all that had happened between him and Garnock and Isabelle and the demon. It was not every day that a lad saw such things.

Jake
retreated quietly from the gathering, reviewed Aunt Ramona’s instructions, then put on his coat, got a wand from the Archive room, and stepped outside.

The autumn night was crisp and black, and the moon rode high over the mountains. He took a deep breath, glad to be alone, then
he set out to walk the boundary of his property, renewing the old magical protection spells, per his great-great aunt’s instructions.

Every twenty steps, he ha
d to flick the wand and say a couple of lines in Latin, some sort of white-magic blessing. He hesitated the first few times, unsure if he was doing it right.

A cheerful sparkle-trail in the darknes
s proved to be Gladwin, following him out. “Mind if I join you?”

Jake shrugged. “Sure, but I’m not much in a talking mood.”

“Is that why you left the party?”

He nodded. “I guess so.”

Fluttering near his face, the tiny fairy studied him in worry, but did not intrude on his thoughts, flying along beside him in silence.

The only sound was the crunching of the leaves beneath his feet and his awkward repetitions of the Latin words. She corrected his pronunciation, then chuckled in her high-pitched, tinkling voice.
“Not to nag, but who knows what’ll happen if you say it wrong.”

Jake smiled at her. “Good point.”

They moved on.

“This could take a while, you know,” he warned. “I’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

“I don’t mind.” She gasped, hovering in midair when they approached the field near the chapel ruins. She pointed. “Unicorns!”

“Better keep my
distance in case the stallion tries to impale me,” Jake muttered. “Thankless brute.”

The fairy’s laughter in response sounded l
ike little silver wind chimes.

“Did you know we have pixies here, too?”

“Ugh, pixies.” She wrinkled her nose in slightly haughty distaste, then it was Jake’s turn to laugh at her.

“They said you fairies think you’re too good for everyone.”

“Well, we are,” she answered with a grin, and tugged on the white lock of his hair. “What is this new look you’re trying? It’s silly.”

“
It wasn’t on purpose! Stop that!” He waved her away like he would an insect, chuckling. “I wonder if this spell will get rid of the tree goblins. Though, to be honest, I’m with Emrys—I don’t mind them. I kind of feel sorry for them.”

“Tree goblins?” She was still scanning the branches overhead with a wary look as Jake stepped out of the woods into the field, keeping well clear of the unicorn herd.

“Keep up, eh?” he called as he marched toward the ruins.

“Where are you going? Isn’t the property line over there?”

“I have to check on someone first.”

Gladwin
followed.

H
e didn’t know if Brother Colwyn would still be haunting the ruins now that he had his head back. He just wanted to let the friar ghost know that Garnock wouldn’t be murdering anybody anymore.

Upon arriving at the edge of the lonely ruins, however,
he found that the place seemed deserted.

When Gladwin caught up, he nodded to her. “Come in here
a second. You’ve got to see this.”

She flew after him as he led her through what was left of the hollowed nave and into the side chapel, where he showed her Sir
Reginald’s tomb.

He gestured at it.
“The original Lord Griffon.”

She ooh’ed and ahh’ed, while Jake reflected on how he had changed
after all he’d been through in Wales. Right now, he felt confident that if he were to find a gryphon egg, he, too, would have given it back to the mother without hesitation.

Turning around, still lost in his thoughts, Jake was nearly startled out of his skin to find Brother
Colwyn standing—well, floating politely—in the archway behind them.

“Blimey, gu
v, you gave me a fright.” He clutched his chest. It wasn’t like him to be so jumpy, but he’d had enough surprises for one day.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt,” the ghost said.

“It’s all right.” Jake quickly did the introductions.

“Nice to meet you,” said Gladwin with a midair curtsy.

“Likewise, miss.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d still be here. How’s the head? It looks
good on you,” Jake jested as the monk ghost beamed.

“It fits perfectly,” Brother
Colwyn replied with a grin. “Actually, I am glad you’re here. You’re just in time.”

“For what?”

“Tonight,” he answered, eagerly floating closer. “It’s time. I finally get to go. You know, up there. Meet the Boss in person.” He pointed discreetly toward the sky.

“Really?”

“That must be particularly exciting for a man of the cloth,” Gladwin said with an earnest nod.

“Oh, yes! Celestus is in town picking up the others even now. He’ll be taking us
all up shortly.”

“How exciting.”

“Others?” Jake asked.

Before Brother
Colwyn could answer, the angel himself appeared with the noisy crowd of ghosts he would be escorting to Heaven. Jake was astonished, recognizing many faces from the séance. The miners, the soldier ghost—even the phantom dog was there—but there was one among them that made Jake’s jaw drop.

Old Sack!

“You’re alive!” he exclaimed.

“I
n a sense,” the headmaster ghost answered with a chuckle.

“But I saw Garnock
eat
you! How? All of you…” He looked around in confusion. “I thought he destroyed you.”

Dr. Celestus strode over to him with a laugh. “Don’t hurt your brain trying t
o make logic from it, Jake. Souls are eternal, and that’s that. Surely you, of all people, must have realized that by now after all you’ve seen. And by the way, congratulations on a battle won.”

“To you, as well,” Jake responded.
“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come.”

The angel waved off his concerns
. “Ah, he tries to get out every now and then. We just keep putting him back. Dreadful-looking these days, though. Shocking to see how much he’s let himself go since we used to work together. To think he was once considered the handsomest of us!”

Jake pondered this
. It was hard to imagine that that horrible demon used to be an angel.

“How’s your cousin?”
Celestus asked.

“She’s doing much better, thanks. I think it’ll be a while before she’s entirely herself again, though. You know how sensitive she is.”

“Perhaps I should pay her a visit later. I could help.”

“I’m sure she would
appreciate that if you’re free.”

“Well!” He clapped his hands together and rubbed them back and forth, turning to
his band of heaven-bound souls with an otherworldly smile. “Everyone ready?”

“
Wait. Have you really been hanging around my family since the time when this chapel was built?” Jake asked, pointing at the stained-glass window depicting the very angel who now stood before him.

“You look shocked,” Celestus replied, then he s
hrugged, stretching out his big white wings. “We all have our assignments. Greetings, Lord Crafanc!” he added as Red came flying down from the dark skies and landed with a pounce in their midst.

The ghosts murmured in shock at the arrival of the Gryphon. Red bowed to Celestus—a rare honor. Then the angel smiled at him.

“See you around, Jake.” He glanced at his following. “All right, everyone. Take hold of my sleeves here, or catch hold of the edge of my sash. The rest of you join hands. I’ll have you all home in a twinkling of…”