Tara Duncan and the Forbidden Book (2 page)

Alerted by some mysterious sixth sense, the shadow turned around, but it was too late. The great cat pounced, and the two crashed to the floor together.

Chem, Selena, Manitou, and Isabella were startled to hear a fierce roar followed by a scream and the tinkle of breaking glass.

“Ahhhhh!”

Selena yanked the office door open and gasped. A young boy with black hair lay on the ground among shards of glass, pinned down by a huge golden puma affectionately licking his face.

“Are you completely out of your mind?” the boy furiously yelled at the cat, as he dodged its rough tongue. “You're totally nuts! You can't go around jumping people like that!”

“Caliban?” asked Manitou. “What in the world are you doing here?”

“Let him up, Sembor!” Selena ordered her feline familiar.

The cat reluctantly backed off, freeing its victim. Selena helped Cal to his feet.

“I was just passing by—” the young spellbinder began.

“At two o'clock in the morning?” snapped Isabella.

“Is it really that late?” He sounded surprised, his gray eyes wide with innocence. “Oh boy, I really better get to bed! If you don't mind, I'll just—”

He was about to run off when Chem grabbed him by the collar.

“Just a second, young man! I'd like to know what you were doing up in the middle of the night.”

Glancing at the glass on the floor, Chem recited: “By Repairus, take these shattered bits and assemble them so each one fits.”

The fragments immediately flew together to form a drinking glass that floated obediently in front of the dragon wizard.

“As I was saying, in the middle of the night, with a glass. An empty glass.”

Cal considered concocting a plausible lie, but the look of fury on Isabella's face stopped him.

“As you know, we thieves live for information,” he said. “So, when I realized that you were having a secret meeting, I took a glass from the kitchen and set it against the wall so I could hear you.”

Selena looked baffled. “A glass?”

“Yeah, it's an old thief trick. The sound vibrations hit the wall and are transmitted by the glass. You can hear almost as well as if you were in the room yourself.”

“Just so you know, young man, we weren't talking secrets. In fact, Lady Duncan had me on the carpet again for not telling her that her granddaughter had been kidnapped,” said the old dragon with a forced chuckle. “But we've moved beyond that stage of our discussions, haven't we, Isabella?”

She glared at him. “Don't think for a moment that I've forgiven you, you old snake. We'll be talking about this again, believe me!”

“Saurian!” moaned Chem. “I'm a reptile, all right, but I belong to the class of higher saurians. I don't call you an old she-ape whenever I get angry with you, do I? So please, let's stop beating each other over the head with our family trees each time we have an argument!”

Isabella's eyes narrowed at the insult. Ignoring her daughter's quiet chuckle, she coldly retorted: “You're right Chem, you're a saur-ian. Just talking with you makes my head sore.”

That
was a declaration of war, and Cal decided to make himself scarce before he became collateral damage. Selena gave the relieved boy an embarrassed smile as he slipped out of the living room. As a nighttime expedition, this one still needed work, he had to admit. Cal entered the bedroom he was sharing with Robin and Fabrice. His two friends were awake and anxiously waiting for him, as was his familiar, Blondin the fox.

“Hey, weren't you supposed to be discreet?” said Fabrice sarcastically. “‘I can't take you with me,' you said, ‘you'd make too much noise!' Well, when it comes to noise, I thought the house was collapsing. A real my first is a feline, my second is a donkey, and my third a rhythmic system composed of two or more lines repeated as a unit.”

“A real
what?”
asked Robin the half-elf, who had trouble with the young Earthling's odd habit of dropping riddles into his conversation.

“A cat + ass + strophe = catastrophe,” Fabrice helpfully explained.

“That stupid puma!” snapped Cal. “Sembor was crouching in a corner of the room, and I didn't see him. Until he jumped me, that is.”

“Bummer!” said Robin sympathetically. “So much for your licensed thief training! Weren't you able to learn anything at all?”

“Not a thing. They were talking things over with Master Chem. Well, more like they were chewing him out. Isabella is still mad that he didn't tell her about the time Tara was kidnapped. In other words, same old, same old.”

“So much the better,” said Robin, his crystalline eyes bright. “That means we'll be able to enjoy our vacation in peace. Personally, I like being on Earth. It's a nice change from OtherWorld.”

Delighted to get their apprentices back safe and sound, the high wizards of Lancovit had given the young heroes three weeks' vacation. The five friends had now been on Earth for a week. But Tara had already missed the start of school, unfortunately, and was due to start classes in just two days.

Upon their arrival from OtherWorld, Fabrice had invited them to stay at his father's castle, but the two boys wanted to stay nearby at Isabella's manor house with Tara and Sparrow. So that Fabrice wouldn't feel left out, Isabella invited him over as well. Add Selena and Master Chem, and the old pink stone house was full to bursting. Using magic, that wasn't a major problem. But if the manor house had turned into a huge castle overnight, the nonspells would certainly have noticed. So Isabella simply made each individual room bigger, to accommodate everyone comfortably.

Just then, a discreet knock on the door sent the three boys diving under their covers. False alarm. It wasn't Selena—or worse, Isabella—just Sparrow and Tara. Standing at the door, the girls looked in at their three friends affectionately. There was Fabrice, blond and athletic; Cal, small and graceful, with the face of an angel; and Robin with his glittering eyes, who was much taller than the other boys. The two girls were accompanied by their familiars, Tara's pegasus Gallant and Sparrow's panther Sheeba. Framed in the doorway, they were quite a sight.

The pretty picture wavered a bit when they burst out laughing at an apocalyptic description of Cal's failed expedition.

“Okay, you girls, that's enough,” grumbled the little thief. “Quit laughing like whaloons. I'm dead tired, so get out of here! Beat it!”

Tara was grateful for Cal's effort to help her and gave him a kiss, which made him blush. The display of affection was slightly undermined by the girls' amused comments once they were back in their room next door.

The next morning, the five young spellbinders decided to explore the country around the manor.

“The easiest way would be by bike,” suggested Tara.

“What's that?” asked Cal, Sparrow, and Robin in unison, none of whom had ever seen a bicycle before.

“One of these,” said Tara with a sly grin, and she climbed on her bicycle. “You just get on, like this. To make it go, you press the pedals. You'll see, it's easy.”

After crashing headfirst twice into the manor lawn, Cal decided that Tara and Fabrice had had enough fun laughing at his expense. Discreetly, the young spellbinder recited: “By Stabilus, steady this thing so it cruises, and spare me all the bumps and bruises.”

Magic on Earth was much less powerful than on OtherWorld, but Cal's stabilizing spell worked, and his bike began rolling perfectly straight.

“Cheater!” yelled Sparrow as she bailed out at speed to avoid crashing into a large chestnut tree.

“Yeah, well, there'll be two of us cheaters, 'cause I'm fed up with these bikes,” muttered Robin. “By Stabilus, steady this mechanical steed, so o'er hill and dale I'll lightly speed.”

Tara smiled, thinking that Robin's spells were usually more elegant than Cal's.

Suddenly, Sparrow screamed. Her bike was out of control again and was heading toward a big rosebush full of long, sharp thorns.

Instinctively, the slim girl shape-shifted.

The curse that had affected her ancestor, changing him into a beast five hundred years earlier, acted instantly. Instead of the young Princess Gloria Daavil, known as Sparrow, riding the bike, it was a monstrous ten-foot-tall beast, a terrifying mix of bear, bull, and wolf, and equipped with enough fangs and claws to scare a psychopath.

Her transformation was fatal for the bicycle, alas, as it was for the rosebush and her clothes.

“Hoo, boy! I'm so sorry,” said the hairy beast apologetically. “I think I busted your vike.”

“It's
bike,”
Tara corrected her automatically, while biting the inside of her cheeks so as not to laugh. “It's no big deal. But Sparrow . . .”

“Yeah?” said the beast, pulling rose branches out of her fur.

“People around here aren't exactly used to critters like you. Would you mind changing back, please?”

“Oh, sorry! I'll go inside and get some other clothes. I'm pretty sure I ripped my jeans. Hmm—my shirt, too. Won't take me a minute!”

With a quick magic pass, Robin made the crumpled bicycle good as new.

Finally, they were all ready. The familiars were tired from their recent adventures, so they elected to stay behind at the manor house.

The Earth summer was acting like a real summer for once: clear and warm. The gang toured the area, admired some old castle ruins, and had a picnic. (At first, the three OtherWorld spellbinders were perplexed by the PowerBars Tara brought along as a snack. When they wanted power, they didn't unwrap it; they conjured it.)

Heading home, they were about to turn onto the main road leading to the manor when Tara, who was in the lead, suddenly slammed on the brakes. Twenty men dressed in black were standing in front of her house!

Without thinking, she laid her bike down in the grass and ran to hide in a small grove of trees. Greatly surprised, Cal, Sparrow, Robin, and Fabrice followed her.

“What's going on?” asked Fabrice worriedly.

“There's a bunch of suspicious guys near the manor house. They look like they're trying to surround it.”

“Oh no!” he moaned. “Not again!”

“If they're enemies and they're here to attack Grandma, they're going to get a big surprise,” said Tara, who was craning her neck to see through the bushes. “She and Chem and Mom will make hash out of them. Chopped nice and fine.”

“Spare us!” protested Sparrow, who had an overly vivid imagination.

“Actually, they don't look as if they're planning to attack,” announced Robin after taking a quick peek. “They're just standing around, as if they're waiting for something.”

“Something or someone,” said Sparrow, nodding at Tara. “Until I'm told otherwise, I'm assuming you're Magister's target.”

Fabrice's eyes widened.

“So you think they're from OtherWorld? More Bloodgraves here to kidnap Tara?”

“No idea,” answered Sparrow. “Bloodgraves are usually masked, and those guys aren't. That said, it could also be a trap. Let's stay hidden for the time being—especially you, Tara.”

Just then, Chem, Selena, Isabella, and Manitou all emerged from the manor. The young spellbinders tensed, ready to join the fight.

But nothing happened. The leader of the men in black said something, and then made a gesture. A kind of hologram instantly appeared in mid-air: a tiny figure who gravely recited a speech.

In case its hearers were deaf, its words also appeared in fiery letters above its head. A bit pale, but letters of fire just the same. Master Chem nodded, listening carefully.

From where the five friends were huddled, it was hard to make out his expression, but Tara sensed that the old wizard was very troubled.

“Listen, we can't stay behind these trees all evening,” said Sparrow, who had become much less timid since conquering her childhood stutter. “I suggest Cal, Fabrice, and I go see what's happening. Tara stays here with Robin to protect her. If everything is okay, I'll signal you to come. If it's dangerous, we'll barricade ourselves in the house, and it'll be up to you to somehow contact OtherWorld's High Council of Wizards and have them send reinforcements.”

“But I don't want to stay here!” protested Tara, who was now sick with worry.

“You don't have any choice,” Sparrow countered. “If you come with us and those guys attack and try to grab you, we'll have to defend ourselves. We'll be risking our lives to protect you.”

“As arguments go, that's completely bogus,” growled Tara. “Maybe,” Sparrow admitted, “but it can't be beat. See you later.”

Before Tara could try to change their minds, Sparrow, Fabrice, and Cal hopped back on their bikes and raced toward the manor house.

Tara was very anxious and watched her friends while savagely chewing on her white forelock. Robin, who had taken human shape to disguise his half-elf traits, was feeling just as worried.

The three kids rode through the line of black-clad men without causing a reaction. Their leader was asking Master Chem a question and he responded by pointing at Cal.

Two of the men immediately grabbed the young thief, lifting him off his bike.

Frozen, Tara understood. The men in black had seized her friend! They were taking a hostage to force her to give herself up.

Well, she wouldn't disappoint them.

To Robin's surprise, she jumped on her bicycle and started pedaling furiously toward the manor house.

Since she'd started using magic, however reluctantly, Tara understood that she had to visualize what she wanted. So she now imagined herself striking her adversaries like a thunderbolt, blasting them away from Cal and the manor house.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten a small detail: that the living stone, the repository of OtherWorld's magic, was in her pocket. The stone was an intelligent entity that Tara had freed from imprisonment on the Island of Black Roses, and it lent Tara its powerful magic. When their two powers combined, Tara became a disaster waiting to happen.