The Secret of Ashona (67 page)

For a moment, he held the two objects, wondering if they might be enough for him to break open the seal around Ashona. It couldn’t hurt to try. . . .

“You might as well,” a voice said in his ear. “But I wouldn’t hold my breath. Even when I used them both I didn’t make a crack in Tartarus.”

Erec was happy to see Spartacus again. It was nice that he could read Erec’s mind, so he was spared from repeating the whole painful story. But Spartacus was right. The mousetrap device, even with Tarvos’s power source, had not touched Tartarus. Would it work here now? There was nothing else to do but try.

The Amulet of Virtues swung around his neck, its eighth segment still not lit, even though he had ridden the Horse of the Elements. He failed this quest for sure. Then again, was he
really
supposed to kill Bethany? Wouldn’t the Fates know that was impossible?

Next to the Amulet, the Twrch Trwyth swung over his chest. Three Awen balls were left on it: the Awen of Beauty, the Awen of Knowledge, and the Awen of Creation. Maybe he should use the Awen of Knowledge so that he would know exactly what to do.

Or maybe—

Erec fingered the Awen of Creation, dumbstruck. There it was, dangling around his neck this whole time. Inside of it was an unmatched power of destruction, and creation as well. It alone might be able to break through anything that existed—even Tartarus itself. But magnified with the powers of the mousetrap device and Tarvos’s power source . . .

But why did his quest tell him to ride that sea horse, then, if he wasn’t supposed to stab through Ashona? Looking down at the control room underneath him, it sunk in. Maybe he was supposed to do exactly what he did. That would have put him right up here, where he was now, where he had flipped when the lance hit the stone. Maybe this was exactly where he needed to detonate the Awen of Creation—right above the control room.

Spartacus stared at him in amazement. “There is one problem, you know.”

“What? This has to work!”

“It might. But unless you can take that thing off of your neck and give it to me, you’ll probably blow up in the process.”

Erec stared at him, comprehension sinking in. He never had thought of taking the Twrch Trwyth off of his neck ever since he had gotten it. He wasn’t supposed to. When he started to lift it off, a terrible feeling came over him. No. He dropped it back onto his chest. It was his to use. Nobody else’s.

But then he remembered something else. When he had used the first Awen ball, the Awen of sight, the entire city around him became blinded, obscured by clouds. At the same time, though, he alone was able to see clearly through the mists. Maybe wearing the Twrch Trwyth would protect him from the effects of the explosion.

Then again, the second Awen ball he had used, the Awen of Harmony, gave both him and the Furies complete harmony. It affected him the same as everyone else.

He had no idea what this one would do. All he knew was that he had no other choice.

He looked at Spartacus. “Nell’s still down there. Can you get her out of the way? I’m going to try this right here, on top of the control room.”

Spartacus nodded. It took forever for him to inch through the tight, thick barrier around Ashona. When he was halfway, he winced. “It’s awful in there, even for me. The pressure is horrible. Get ready now—and give me ten seconds after I’m through. That’s more than enough time for me to get Nell and everyone in this part of Ashona out of the way. But don’t wait any more than that. People won’t survive this much longer.”

Erec watched Spartacus wedge his way through the force field. Then he gripped Tarvos’s power source and pulled back the bar on the mousetrap device. Below him, Spartacus grabbed Nell by the waist and fled from the room—a look of terror filling the poor girl’s face.

It was safe now. He had to act fast, but he made himself count to ten. Then Erec twisted the tiny black glass dodecahedron attached to the foot of the boar-shaped Twrch Trwyth vial. Its little stem cracked. A small black trail slithered into the water as he lowered it onto the mousetrap. The Awen ball positioned itself neatly in the crease where the lever was aimed.

Erec pressed Tarvos’s power source onto the mousetrap, and hoped for the best. He released the bar. It snapped.

White sparks. Black glitter. Fragments. Pieces of things. Whirling. Banging.

Blackness.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Good-bye to a Ghost

G
LIMMERS OF LIGHT
and dark spun before Erec’s eyes. Where was he? The shadows around him were confusing. His brain felt like it had gone through a blender. Was he still spinning through the ocean? Buried under chunks of rock? Were the glimmers little rays of sunlight?

No . . . as Erec’s mind cleared, he could tell that the glimmers were light rays through his own opening eyelids. He was in something soft. A bed. White sheets.

Erec moved a finger, and then a hand. Everything was sore, but seemed to be in working order. He was alive—at least he had survived the blast, somehow. But had anyone else?

With trepidation, Erec turned to look around the room. Someone was in a bed nearby, and other people walked around.

“Erec!” Bethany rushed toward him. “You’re awake! I was so worried about you. We’ve all been sitting here waiting with you. You could have died! How in the world were you able to break through the barrier? I thought we’d never make it.”

It hurt to speak, but Erec didn’t care. “Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone.” Bethany wiped Erec’s forehead with a cloth. “You’ve been sweating the whole time you were passed out.”

Erec let the relief inside fill him completely. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about what had almost happened. “I couldn’t do it, you know. There was no way.”

Bethany broke into a sob. She wiped her face a few times. “I wondered about that. I so much wanted to do that . . . you know. To save everyone. Like you do.”

“Bethany, don’t ever think you have to—”

“I wanted to! But then, at the last minute, I didn’t want to. I hoped you would change your mind—I was terrified. It seemed impossible, though. Why would you ever choose to kill everyone there, including me . . . ?”

“It wasn’t a choice, like that. There was no choice, really. I just couldn’t do it.” He was quiet a moment. “But it all worked just right. I guess I had to charge toward you with that lance so I would be shot up to the right spot on top of Ashona to blast through it.

Bethany heaved a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Erec.” She lifted the Amulet of Virtues off of his chest. “Another one is lit up.”

It was true. An eighth segment was now glowing a brilliant green color. The black symbol inscribed in it was unintelligible, so
Erec shut his eyes and brought his dragon eyes forward to read it.

It said
Instinct
.

“Why instinct?” Erec let his regular eyes out again.

Bethany smiled. “You made the right choice in a split-second decision, didn’t you?” She gave him a hug. “Prince Charming saved the day again.”

Erec could feel a blush creep over his face. “Who is that?” He pointed to the next bed over, changing the subject.

“It’s Nell. We’re in the Castle Infirmary in Ashona. A lot of people have been in and out of here in the last few days, treated for heatstroke and injuries. Nell got a little more hurt—I guess she was closer to where the explosion was. But she’s going to be fine.”

Another voice nearby said, “The people inside were shielded from the blow. The force field absorbed most of the blast.” Erec turned to see Spartacus on the other side of the bed. “You looked like you had it pretty bad, though. I thought you’d never survive. The explosion created a massive hole in the ocean floor around Ashona. The old coral reefs are gone, but new ones formed in all kinds of crazy patterns. It looks like a meteor hit there. And I won’t talk about the tidal waves crashing into countries around Upper Earth.” He shook his head. “It was hard to see clearly, but there was something growing around you during the blast. It was like a green bubble made of leaves . . . I really couldn’t tell. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“What are you staring at?” Bethany asked.

“Spartacus. He’s here.”

“Oh!” Bethany looked into the air in that direction.

“I’ve come to say good-bye, you know.” Spartacus put a hand on Erec’s head. “You’ll be okay now, I think.”

“I will.” Tears came to Erec’s eyes again. He was happy for his friend. The ghost was ready to go on to where he was meant to be. But he would miss him, just the same.

“I’ll miss you too, kid.” Spartacus winked and then he vanished.

“He’s gone,” Erec said to Bethany. He choked up, unable to speak, as tears streamed down his face.

Bethany held him until he could catch his breath.

“I don’t understand!” Erec sat in the throne room with Queen Posey and his father, King Piter. “I want to find my birth mother and my triplet sister. Where are they?”

“I don’t know where your birth mother is,” Queen Posey explained. “I’ve had my people search high and low. She was here—the Secret of Ashona told us. But where?—I don’t know.”

“What about my sister?”

The king and queen exchanged a look. “She’s been taken care of,” Posey said. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Where is she?”

“Safe. We don’t want to risk her exposure. We fixed her problems with the scepter. So nobody has to worry anymore. We’re all good.”

“
I’m
not good! I want to know who she is! We are supposed to be working together, she and I. And whoever my brother is . . . him, too.”

King Piter frowned. “There are reasons, Erec. She isn’t ready. Just let it go.”

Erec could see he was getting nowhere fast—as usual. He shouldn’t have expected anything different. But it was hard being this close and not meeting her. Where were they hiding her? If he found her himself, and they could go on adventures together . . .

But the idea exhausted him. An adventure was the last thing that he wanted. In fact, the more he thought about it, the less he even cared who his triplet sister was. What really mattered was that his real family, the ones he knew growing up, and Bethany were safe. Everything
was fine, the way it should be. Upper Earth still was in existence, and Otherness, too. Something new was the last thing he needed.

The only thing for now was to relax and do absolutely nothing.

“You ready?” Erec popped his head into the castle library in Ashona. “You don’t need to pack books, you know.”

Bethany sighed. “You’re right. It’s just hard to travel without them.” She hesitantly lowered an immense subprime geometrical derivatives book to the table. “So, will you tell me now where we’re going? Is it somewhere exciting, like the Underworld? Are we going to visit the Furies—or see the Fates in person? I can’t wait to have an adventure, after sitting around for so long worrying about you!”

“I’m so sorry about that, Bethany. I’m not going to do that to you anymore. I know how awful it is being unable to help when your best friend is risking their life.”

She looked happier than Erec could ever remember. “So, where’s it going to be, then? A dragon’s lair? Some hidden place in Otherness?”

Erec laughed. “No way. I’ve had it with risking my life—and yours. I want to go somewhere I’ve never been. And it wasn’t easy getting Mom to agree to this trip either, even though I’ve been through death and back without her. I don’t think I could have talked her into letting me take you to the Underworld just for fun.”

Bethany bounced up and down. “Well, where is it, then? Where are we going?”

“Mississippi. And then Alabama. I’ve never been down south. I’ve heard it’s really pretty there.”

“Mississippi? Alabama?” Bethany looked confused. “You’re talking about Upper Earth?”

“Yeah. Since it hasn’t been destroyed by a Golem army, I figured we might as well enjoy it. It’s going to be fall soon, and we’re both going to get started with tutors again, I guess. So this is a nice place
for us to visit for a few days. You know, we could see the sights, go to the Mississippi Delta . . .”

“And your mom is letting us go alone?”