The Dark Shadow of Spring (15 page)

“What could go wrong?” Victoria asked.

“Who knows?” Rafael said with a frown. “But something always does.”

“That’s why it’s called an adventure,” Alex said.

“How many times did you say Mom dropped you on your head?” Nina asked.

“Let’s go, Rafa,” Alex said, ignoring his sister. “We’ll need that,” he said, pointing to the small glass vial of enchanted liquid in Victoria’s hand.

“There’s an enchantment that you need to say when you use it,” Victoria said, handing the vial to Alex.

“I know,” Alex said. “I recognized most of the words you used.”

“Most,” Rafael groaned.

“Just kidding,” Alex said with a smile in Rafael’s direction. “I can speak the enchantment. Give us a hand up, Clark.”

“I’ve got it,” Victoria said quickly, clasping Alex around the waist and picking him up as easily as she might have hefted a bag of groceries.

“Ooo,” Clark said watching in admiration as Victoria stuffed first Alex, and then Rafael, through the water-like substance of the enchanted library window.

“Hercules’ hairballs, you’re strong,” Daphne exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Victoria said as she waved at Alex and Rafael.

Inside the darkened library, Alex and Rafael slowly raised their hands to wave back at Victoria through the window. “Girls that strong make me nervous for some reason,” Rafael said.

“She’s not a girl,” Alex said. “She’s a centaur.”

“Now it makes me more nervous,” Rafael said.

“Me too,” Alex replied. “Let’s get the book and get out of here.”

They walked quietly through the dark shadows created by the dim light of the street lamps falling through the wide front windows of the library. Silently, they passed down the aisle between the bookshelves and stepped around the large front desk to stand before the door of the restricted room.

Alex glanced toward the front windows as he pulled the large wooden swivel chair from behind the desk and pushed it over to the door of the restricted room. Stepping up on the chair, he reached his arm out as far above his head as he could manage and held the small spray bottle toward the narrow glass window above the door. He sprayed the contents of the bottle four times across the frosted glass of the door-top window while he recited what he thought was the enchantment he had heard Victoria whispering outside.

“You’re sure that’s the right enchantment?” Rafael asked.

“Close enough,” Alex said, poking his finger through the glass of the small window quickly before dropping silently to the floor. He pushed the chair back to its place at the desk and looked to see Rafael glowing a pale red as he transformed into a large eagle, the wings of the bird shrugging out of the clothes that dropped to the floor. Alex glanced toward the front windows and back at Rafael.

“Get my clothes,” the bird squawked.

“Right,” Alex said as Rafael, in the form of an eagle, flapped his wings wide, launching himself into the air. He circled the room twice, setting the loose papers on the desk rustling in the breeze created by the passing of his wings. “Knock it off. We’re in a hurry,” Alex admonished.

Rafael made no response, but instead dove down from the high ceiling of the main room toward the small window above the door of the restricted room. At the last moment, the eagle collapsed its wings about itself and sailed through the enchanted windowpane with a faint
plop
like a stone hitting water. Alex heard the sound of wings furiously flapping and then saw a faint red glow from the slender window above the door.

“Nice job,” Alex said, stepping closer to the door.

“Thanks,” Rafael replied. “Where’s the book?”

“Third case on the left,” Alex said. “Top shelf on the right.”

Alex waited in silence for only a few moments before he heard Rafael say, “Got it. Here. Catch.” Alex had only a second to look up and see the book being flopped through the window and falling toward his head. He caught it just as it whacked him in the nose.

“Got it?” Rafael asked from behind the door.

“A little warning next time might be nice,” Alex groused.

“Think of it as an adventure,” Rafael said. The tone of his voice switched from sarcastic to concerned. “I hear something.”

Alex looked toward the front of the library to see the shadows of two pair of legs cast along the floor through the crack at the bottom of the main door by the street lamps outside.

“Hide!” Alex said, dropping his voice to a panicked whisper.

“Where?” Rafael whispered back as Alex dashed quickly toward the darkest shadows of the library shelves. He just managed to squeeze himself into a convenient nook between shelves where he could peek at the reception area when the main door opened and two shadow-clad people slipped quickly inside. One of the shadows looked uncomfortably familiar and Alex grimaced in hopes that he was wrong about who it belonged to.

“No lights,” the taller of the two shadows said quietly, the deep male voice echoing faintly against the stone walls of the library. Alex knew that voice all too well. “We don’t need to let everyone know we’re here. This will do for light.” A glow-wand suddenly came to life with a pale blue illumination, letting Alex see for certain with his eyes what his ears had already told him. His father stood at the library entrance with Mrs. Yaaba, their faces eerily lit by the light of the glow-wand.

“As you wish, Logan,” Mrs. Yabba said, her voice a shade above a whisper. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what this is all about? I assume it has something to do with the dead birds. ”

“Not yet,” Alex’s father said as he and Mrs. Yaaba walked toward the door of the restricted room. “Just hunches and suspicions at this point. But none I want to share with the town council and the mayor just now.”

“Well, your hunches and suspicions have a way of being right all too often,” Mrs. Yaaba said.

“Let’s hope I’m wrong this time,” Alex’s father said as Mrs. Yaaba reached out and turned the doorknob to the restricted room. The entire door briefly glowed a pale green before she swung it inward toward the room behind it. “I wouldn’t have involved you at all, but you’re the only one who can open the door to the book I need.”

“Let’s find that book so I can get back to my dinner,” Mrs. Yaaba said, stepping into the small book-lined room. Alex held his breath. He couldn’t imagine where poor Rafael could have hidden in the tiny chamber. Alex hadn’t seen a dim red glow that would have meant Rafael had changed into some animal form that could hide better, like a cat, and he could only imagine how terrifying it must be, trapped in the room with no clothes. He let his breath out slowly as he heard Mrs. Yaaba speak again, apparently unaware that she and his father shared the room with Rafael. “It’s not here,” the librarian said.

“Are your certain?” Alex’s father asked. “Could it be misplaced?”

Alex could see in his mind the look of scorn that must have accompanied the tone in Mrs. Yaaba’s voice. “I
never
misshelve a book. It’s not here.”

“When was the last time you saw it?” Alex’s father growled in annoyance.

“Years ago,” Mrs. Yaaba said. “Maybe longer. It isn’t a book that many have cause to seek out.”

“But it is the only book that might have the answers I need just now,” Alex’s father said. “Thank you, Kemma. If it turns up, let me know right away.”

“I’ll look through the shelves again tomorrow, just in case,” Mrs. Yaaba said as she and Alex’s father stepped out of the restricted room. Mrs. Yaaba closed the door, the pale green glow returning briefly as her fingers left the doorknob. She walked toward the front door and Alex’s father followed her, pausing briefly to extinguish the glow-wand. Alex could see the outline of his father’s shadow as it scanned the interior of the library. Alex didn’t have to hold his breath. His lungs seemed to have stopped working altogether. He could not see his father’s eyes, but he could feel their gaze passing around the room.

“Is something wrong?” Mrs. Yabba asked as she opened the front door.

“No,” Alex’s father said. “Just thought I sensed something. Must be my imagination.” His father followed Mrs. Yaaba out the door. Alex heard the deadbolt lock sliding into place and their footsteps receding down the front sidewalk. From his hiding spot, he saw the faint red glow of magical light emitting from the window above the door to the restricted room. As Alex stepped out from behind the bookshelves, Rafael, in the form of a large raven, flew through the magically enchanted window above the door and swooped through the air to land on the floor. A brief red glow and Rafael stood before in human form, snatching his clothes from Alex’s hands.

“Your father and Mrs. Yaaba!” Rafael muttered as he slid his pants on.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked. “Where’d you hide?”

“Your father and Mrs. Yaaba!” Rafael repeated as he pulled his shirt over his head. “Boy, when your plans go wrong, they go really wrong!”

“Technically, this was Victoria’s plan,” Alex said.

“Well, it was your father in the room,” Rafael grunted as he slipped on his shoes.

“How could I know he would show up?” Alex asked, feeling the fear instilled by his father’s arrival slowly replaced by defensive anger at Rafael’s accusations. “Where did you hide, anyway?” he asked again, hoping to change the topic.

“Behind the door,” Rafael said, fear and exasperation in his voice. “I just stood behind the door butt-naked and tried not to breathe.”

“Could you see what book they were looking for?” Alex asked.

“No,” Rafael said. “I had my eyes closed.”

Alex was about to chastise his friend for failing to glean the most basic and useful piece of information from the event, but decided it might not be a fair criticism considering the circumstances. “Let’s get out of here,” he said instead.

“The only good idea you’ve had this month,” Rafael said. He started to head for the window, but stopped and placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder, looking him in the eyes. “Thanks for not leaving me behind.”

“I’d never do that, Rafa,” Alex said as he placed his own hand on Rafael’s shoulder.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Rafael said as he swallowed back what might have been tears.

“Your parents might have been afraid of you,” Alex said, feeling something catch in his throat, “but I’ll never be afraid of you and I’ll never leave you behind.”

“Me too,” Rafael said, leaving unspoken all the things that Alex suspected his friend really wanted to say. Rafa never talked about being abandoned by his parents. He rarely even talked about his life with the Aunt he had been left with. This was the most that he had ever said on the subject. And Alex didn’t see any reason to say more.

“Let’s go, then,” Alex said.

“Right,” Rafael said with a rare smile.

Outside, the others were waiting in silence.

“We thought we heard someone enter the library,” Victoria said when Alex and Rafael were safely through the enchanted windowpane.

“His dad and Mrs. Yaaba showed up,” Rafael said, glaring a little at Alex.

“Dad!” Nina nearly squeaked. “What was he doing there?”

“Looking for a book,” Alex said, holding up the one he carried. “Let’s just hope it wasn’t this one. I’ll explain everything back at the Guild House.” The book’s title, embossed in silver, was just visible in the dim light behind the library.
A History of the War of the Dark Age
. Alex prayed it had the answers he was looking for. He also prayed he wouldn’t regret looking for those answers.

Ten minutes later, gathered with the others around the table in the backyard stable that was the Young Sorcerers Guild Hall, Alex was regretting more than just looking for answers. He was regretting waking Gall’Adon and chasing through the woods after the Mad Mages and even regretting the day he had first snuck into the restricted room at the library and peeked at the book about dragons. Had he not looked at that book, he would never have ended up in that cave and he would never have heard the voice and he would never have ended up where he was now. He wished he could go back and change things, but he knew he couldn’t. Thanks to the dragon Gall’Adon, he knew it was his destiny.

“Listen to this,” Alex said, clearing his throat so that his voice wouldn’t crack. He glanced around at the faces of his friends, holding Victoria’s eyes for just a moment longer than the others. Then he looked down at the page before him in
A History of the War of the Dark Age
.

“
Shan’Kal, the Shadow Wraith, the Dark Whisperer, the Vile Spirit, was finally destroyed only by destroying the very thing that gave it life and allowed its conquest to begin. Only by burning the magic from the land, by rending Shan’Kal powerless, could the beast be tamed and subdued. Its very nature, contained as much in the spirit realm as in the realm of forms, meant that it could not be destroyed completely. Not with the little magic that was left in the world after it had been defeated. A council of mages assembled in one of the few places in the world where magic still clung to the land and set about creating a prison to hold Shan’Kal until the end of time. The Shadow Wraith would be trapped in a special realm, unable to enter ours, until the Earth was no more. But the prison had need of a physical side as well, so it was created where magic still flowed. And when the beast was bound, the war finished, the council of mages swore a magically binding oath never to reveal the location of Shan’Kal’s prison, for fear that some future mage might be tempted to seek it out for ill purposes.
”

Alex looked up from the pages of the book and into the stricken faces of his friends.

“Bloody basilisk boogers,” Daphne exclaimed. “It’s true.”

“The Shadow Wraith is imprisoned in the Black Bone Mountains,” Nina said.

“And now Shan’Kal is trying to get free,” Victoria said.

“Do,” Ben said. “What do we do?”

“I imagine we’ll do what we always do,” Rafael said. “Something extraordinarily dangerous and reckless that nearly gets us all killed.”

“Hmmm, we’re going to need a really amazing plan this time,” Clark said, grabbing a licorice stick from the jar on the table and looking at Alex.

Alex noticed that they were all looking at him. “I don’t have a plan,” he said. “Yet.”