The Dragon's Descent (19 page)

“So that's a blue sapphire?”

“Yep,” Vero said.

“You sure?” Tack asked.

“Yeah, let's go.”

Minutes later, Tack stepped out of the Leland's back door into the backyard. Vero stood under a tree.

“You ready?” Vero asked Tack.

“Did you hide them together or separately?” Tack asked.

“You tell me.” Vero grinned mischievously.

Tack narrowed his eyes at Vero. “Okay, I will.”

Tack spread his fingers and held both hands out over the ground. A serious, focused look came over his face. He walked toward the picnic table then stopped. He stood still for a moment, concentrating. Vero watched, with bated breath. He was hopeful Tack would find the sapphire. But then a look of disappointment came over Vero as Tack turned and headed toward the house next door.

Vero shook his head as Tack walked into the Atwood's yard. Tack made his way around Mrs. Atwood's vegetable garden and walked up their back porch. Panic flooded Vero's eyes. He raced over to Tack.

“Come back, I didn't hide it in their yard!” Vero called to Tack.

It seemed as if Tack was in some sort of trance. He stood staring into the Atwood's family room. Vero arrived just in time to see Mr. Atwood's eyes shoot wide as he lay on the sofa watching a basketball game on TV.

“What in the world?!” Mr. Atwood shouted through the French doors.

“It's not here. Let's go,” Vero grabbed Tack's arm.

Tack didn't budge.

“Wendy! We have unwanted visitors at the back door!” Mr. Atwood shouted. “Get rid of them!”

“Great, now look what you did!” Vero tugged on Tack's arm.

The door opened. Mrs. Atwood stood there, her hair done, wearing a long overcoat.

“Hi, boys,” she said. “Can I help you with something? Or are you looking for Angus? Because he's not home right now.”

“Um . . .” Vero faltered. “We were checking up on Mr. Atwood.”

“Oh, aren't you sweet,” Mrs. Atwood said. “He's doing much better.”

The loud, unmistakable sound of someone passing gas reached their ears. Mrs. Atwood cringed. Vero smirked. Tack remained serious.

“You'll have to excuse Albert,” Mrs. Atwood said. “The doctor has got him on all kinds of medications . . . including laxatives. I'd invite you in, but it's really awful in here right now. Mr. Atwood can't entertain guests for the time being.”

“Are they gone?” Mr. Atwood shouted.

“Quiet, Albert!” Mrs. Atwood yelled.

“We'll just be going,” Vero said as he stepped toward the stairs.

“You look nice,” Tack said to Mrs. Atwood.

Vero abruptly stopped and gave Tack a look.

“Thank you. I'm on my way to a dinner at my women's club.”

“Okay, we have to go now,” Tack said.

Vero arched his eyebrows.
What was Tack doing?

“Oh, Mrs. Atwood, before we go, do you happen to have the time?” Tack asked.

Mrs. Atwood pushed her right sleeve up, revealing her watch.

“Five forty-seven.”

“Thanks, and what a stunning watch,” Tack said, smiling the biggest smile.

Vero glanced over at the watch. A jolt of surprise shot through him.

“I know it's hard to believe,” Mrs. Atwood said. “But Albert got me this for my fortieth birthday. I was born in September. The sapphire is my birthstone.”

She pointed to the twelve tiny blue sapphires on the face of the watch. Vero smiled to Tack, who gave him a sly look.

“That was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself,” Tack said to Vero as they sat on the picnic table.

“Yeah, since I thought you had totally lost it,” Vero said. “But you still need to find my mom's.”

“Fine.”

Tack stood. He took a deep breath and tried to focus. He held his hands out over the yard, but after a few moments, he shook his head.

“I got nothing at all.”

“It doesn't make any sense,” Vero said. “How were you able to find Mrs. Atwood's? Especially since these were right under your nose.”

Vero pulled both earrings out from the bottom of the picnic table. He had used a piece of duct tape to tape them to the underside.

“Really? That is bad,” Tack said, sadly.

“It doesn't make any sense.”

“Hide them again. We've got to keep practicing,” Tack said.

“Okay.”

“Boys!” Nora called from the kitchen window.

Vero quickly stuffed the earrings into his back jean pocket.

“Mary called. She wants Tack home for dinner.”

“Right now?” Vero asked.

“Yes. He was supposed to be home a half hour ago.”

Nora shut the window.

“We'll practice tomorrow,” Vero told Tack.

Tack nodded.

As Vero lay on his bed in sweatpants, studying from his science textbook, Clover barged into the room.

“You want to explain why I found these in your pocket when I was doing the laundry?” Clover asked, opening her hand to reveal the sapphire earrings.

“Oh, I forgot to put them back,” Vero answered, sitting up.

“Answer the question. You going to pierce your ears?”

“No,” Vero answered, shocked by the question.

“Nose?”

“No.”

“Belly button?”

“NO!” Vero shook his head. “I was using them to train Tack.”

“Okay, now I'm even more confused,” Clover said.

“They're blue sapphires. The Book of Raziel is a blue sapphire. I hid them in the backyard to see if Tack could find them. We're practicing for when the time comes.”

“It can't be going well.”

“Not with those,” Vero said. “But how did you know?”

“Because these are fakes.” Clover sighed. “Mom bought these because she needed them to match a dress.”

“That would explain it!” Vero excitedly said. “So it wasn't Tack!”

“Use this.”

Clover lifted a necklace out from under her shirt and unclasped it. She put it in Vero's hand. It was a small blue stone.

“This is the real deal.”

“Where did you get it?”

“When I graduated eighth grade, Mom and Dad gave it to me. It's my birthstone. So don't lose it!” Clover said. “Give me the chain back.”

Vero took the stone off the chain.

“Thanks, I won't lose it.”

“Not to change the subject, but what's this I hear about you losing it with Danny Konrad the other day?” Clover asked.

“It's true,” Vero said as he placed the sapphire on his nightstand. “He's moving to Colorado. His dad's not gonna drive a truck anymore.”

“So? Now he won't be able to pick on you,” Clover said as she sat down on his bed. “You should be happy.”

“I'm Danny's guardian angel.”

Clover looked straight at Vero.

“Serious?”

Vero nodded.

Clover laughed.

“What?”

“Well, it's kind of funny,” Clover said. “You can't stand him, but you're stuck with him.”

“He's not so bad anymore.” Vero shrugged.

“So why are you upset if he moves?” Clover asked.

“Because he'll be in Colorado, far from you guys . . .”

“And your point is?” Clover asked.

“I'll have to go with him. I thought I could at least be around you guys, you know, when the time comes.”

Sadness came into Clover's eyes.

“Vero, you're Danny's guardian, which means you have to support what's best for him. Going to Colorado and being settled with his dad will be good for Danny.”

Vero looked down. “I know.”

“I've only ever thought about how hard it will be for us to live without you, but I never really thought how hard it will be for you to live without us,” Clover apologized, her eyes swelling.

Vero wrapped his arm around his sister's neck. Clover rested her head on his shoulder.

14

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD

M
rs. Luckett squinted through her cat-eye-style glasses at Tack and Vero, who stood before her. She was about seventy, and while her eyesight wasn't what it once was, her hearing was still fantastic. And right now, she probably wished it wasn't—for Tack was singing in music class. While Vero stood next to him, the rest of the class was sitting on plastic blue chairs that had tennis balls attached to the base of their metal legs.

“Thaddeus, try that note again,” Mrs. Luckett said, pointing her conductor's stick at him. “ ‘Hallelujah' in B flat.”

“Okay.”

“Now I've heard there was a . . .”
As Tack sang, a look of pain came over Mrs. Luckett. She looked as if an elephant just stomped on her toes . . . all ten . . . twice.

“That is enough!” Mrs. Luckett shouted to Tack, then turned to Vero. “You try.”

Vero started.
“Now I've heard there was a secret . . .”
Once again, Mrs. Luckett's face squished up in pain—this time as if someone had slammed the car door on all ten of her fingers, then opened the door and slammed it shut again. She repeatedly tapped her wand on her music stand. “Thank you! Stop! Enough!” Vero closed his mouth.

“It's all art,” Mrs. Luckett told the entire class. “Whether you sing, dance, act, write, or draw, all art should be respected and held in high regard. And another wonderful form of artistic expression is pantomime . . .” She turned to Tack and Vero. “So from now on in my music class, you two will be performing pantomime whenever we sing. You will mouth the words while the rest of the class uses their full voices.”

Davina giggled along with Nate and Missy. Vero and Tack looked confused.

“You may sit down,” Mrs. Luckett told the boys.

Vero and Tack took their seats. Davina leaned over to Vero.

“I thought you sounded okay,” she whispered to Vero.

“Thanks,” Vero half-heartedly said, knowing she was only being nice.

“Danny Konrad, could you please stand and sing the few bars of the song?”

Danny stood. Tack elbowed Nate.

“This ought to be good,” Tack said in a low voice to Nate, who snickered.

Vero thought Danny looked uncomfortable as he put his hands into his pockets and fidgeted. He hesitated. Mrs. Luckett raised her conductor's stick.

“On the count of three . . .”

She tapped her stick in the air three times, signaling Danny. He looked down at his feet, and began to sing, faintly,
“Now I've heard there was a secret chord that David played . . .”

All murmurs in the class instantly dissipated as Danny sang Leonard Cohen's lyrics. His voice was stellar. Vero exchanged surprised looks with Tack. Nate's eyes practically popped out of his head. Davina gazed wistfully upon Danny.

“. . .
And it pleased the Lord
. . .”

As Danny sang, Mrs. Luckett placed the tip of her wand under his chin and raised his head. She smiled encouragingly to him. The bright-red coloring of his cheeks gradually disappeared the louder his voice grew. The class didn't dare make any moves, afraid they would ruin the moment.