The Familiars #3: Circle of Heroes (17 page)

Escape seemed impossible—and not just because of the tight security and the thick bars on the cages. Aldwyn and his companions also had to contend with the golden toad, who sat on a satin pillow before a high tower-balcony window, sending bad luck their way.

That didn’t mean Aldwyn had quit trying. He spotted the key to his cage dangling from a brass post standing across the courtyard. He focused his telekinetic powers on the metal key and lifted it into the air, pulling it toward him. Just before it reached the lock on Aldwyn’s cage, a crow swooped in out of nowhere and snagged the key in its mouth. Then it flew off into the clouds. “It’s no use,” said Skylar. “Luck just isn’t on our side.”

“If I had a golden toad on my side, I’d bring luck back to my people,” said Navid. “Put an end to our years of struggle. Allow every cobra to live in peace. Perhaps good fortune would rid our homeland of our enemies.”

“Funny, I was going to say almost the same thing,” said Marati.

“Look at that,” said Navid. “For the first time a cobra and mongoose actually agree on something.”

“I would take the toad to Split River and let it sit on my old loyal Galleon’s shoulder,” said Banshee. “That’s someone who needs luck more than anyone else I know.”

“The only thing we should be using that golden toad for is luck on this mission,” said Aldwyn.

“We don’t need luck,” said Orion. “We have you, Skylar, and Gilbert. The Prophesized Three.”

Not for the first time, Aldwyn’s stomach sank at the phrase.

“Psst. Guys,” a voice croaked. “Over here.”

Aldwyn and the others turned to find Gilbert coming up over the edge of the estate’s stone wall. He used his suction pads to scurry down it.

“Guards!” Lothar shouted. “Guar—”

But he couldn’t get the rest of the word out. Marati’s astral claw had gripped his throat and squeezed, allowing nothing more than a muted groan to wheeze out.

“Gilbert,” said Aldwyn. “How have you not been caught yet?”

“I dunno,” said the tree frog. “Maybe it’s my stealth, ninja-like skills.”

He hopped closer to the cages, tripping and knocking over a wooden noose stick.

“I have a feeling it might be something else,” said Skylar.

“Remember how I told you that luck doesn’t affect golden toads?” said the pocket dragon. “I would venture to guess it doesn’t affect frogs, either.”

“It would certainly explain why you were the only one who wasn’t trapped by those tree limbs,” said Banshee.

“And how you made it all the way past the Baroness’s guards without being seen,” added Aldwyn.

“Gilbert, you have to go get the golden toad,” said Skylar. “Until she’s on our side, there’s no way any of us are escaping.”

“She’s up there.” Orion pointed his nose to the high balcony tower.

Gilbert glanced up to see the golden toad staring out the window.

“Okay. I can do this.”

Gilbert readied himself and set off for the tower. Aldwyn, Skylar, and the others watched. The hippo guards had clearly become too reliant on bad luck to keep the Baroness’s prisoners captive, because they paid no attention to the tree frog bounding across the courtyard. He made it to the bushes beneath the balcony and disappeared inside them.

Then after a moment, Gilbert popped up from the brush, making a speedy vertical ascent. He used the tangle of vines stretching toward the window as camouflage. Aldwyn smiled over at Skylar. Maybe their friend did have some stealth ninja skills, at least when it came to climbing.

Watching from his cage in the courtyard, Aldwyn could see Gilbert go up onto the balcony and begin talking to the golden toad. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he saw Gilbert grab a decorative jewel-encrusted dagger off the wall and swing it at the toad’s ankle. Without hesitation, the two were fleeing down from the tower window. By the time they hit the ground, a hippo guard had spotted them and cried out.

“The toad has escaped! Get her!”

All the hippopotamuses in the courtyard began running after Gilbert and the golden toad, aiming their blowguns. The first volley of darts whizzed past Gilbert and the golden toad, narrowly missing them. Before a second round was fired, the toad reached Aldwyn’s cage.

“Stroke my back,” she said.

Aldwyn stretched his paw through the metal bars and rubbed her shimmering skin. At that, their luck changed.

A sudden gale-force wind ripped through the still air. The strong breeze sent the newly fired poisonous darts flying back toward the hippos. Each one struck a different soldier, and one by one they dropped to the ground in a paralyzed state.

A single dart strayed upward, disappearing into a cloud above. After mere seconds, the crow fell from the sky with the dart in its neck. The bird landed at Aldwyn’s feet with the key ring still in its mouth.

“Wow!” Aldwyn nodded to the golden toad. “You really are good.”

He quickly used his telekinesis to unlock his own cage, then began unlocking the others’.

“Guys, this is Anura,” said Gilbert, introducing the golden toad.

Aldwyn could already see stars in Gilbert’s eyes. The tree frog had a crush!

“Follow me,” she said.

The animals exited their cages. Not just the familiars and descendants but the pocket dragon and other captives of the Baroness, too. Banshee and Marati made sure that Lothar’s neck shackles were put back on and attached to Orion’s hindquarters.

Anura’s gaze lingered on Aldwyn for a moment.

“You know, you look exactly like a cat that was imprisoned here. Except for that bite taken out of your ear.”

“Us Maidenmeres all look very similar,” said Aldwyn.

“No, the resemblance is uncanny. It’s like she was your twin.”

Suddenly, Aldwyn felt his heart beating in his chest.

“What was her name?” he asked.

“Yeardley.”

If luck hadn’t been Anura’s natural talent, Aldwyn wouldn’t have believed it. But the fact that crazy coincidences happened around her all the time left little doubt in his mind. She was talking about his sister.

“What happened to her? Where is she?”

“She was sold to a justiciary from the Equitas Isles,” said Anura.

Aldwyn’s head was spinning. His sister was alive and out there. He would find her as soon as he could. But first there was saving Vastia. And before that, getting out of the Baroness’s estate alive.

The high courtyard walls were insurmountable for an animal as large as Orion. That meant the group had to leave the same way they were brought in: straight through the Baroness’s house.

The inside was even grander than the outside. Crystal chandeliers hung above the long hallway, while countless paintings of the Baroness and her daughter covered the walls. Gold statues of them filled the halls. As the group followed behind Anura, Aldwyn was able to see into the dining room. There the Baroness sat at the head of a long table made of pearls and oyster shells. Her daughter sat at the opposite end.

“I want my lobster in bite-sized pieces!” shrieked the Baroness to one of the dozen servants tending to them. “How dare you make me chew more than thrice?”

Then the Baroness spotted Aldwyn running past the dining hall. She jumped to her feet and was about to scream when something got caught in her throat. All that came out was a gasp as she began to choke. She pointed frantically at the escaping animals.

“What is it, Mother?” her daughter asked. “Do you want more lobster?”

Tears were streaming down the Baroness’s face and she shook her head.

“Oh, dear,” cried the girl. “She’s choking! She told you to cut those bites into smaller pieces.”

As her butlers and servants ran to her aid, the Baroness helplessly watched her precious good luck charm disappear down the hall, along with all of her prisoners.

Anura led them straight out the doors, into the estate’s front yard, and toward the gates. The Fjord Guard caught sight of them and began to swing his sword.

Luckily his blade missed its targets and instead beheaded one of the Baroness’s statues. The marble head went rolling as the animals continued their mad dash for the gate.

As the Fjord Guard chased after them, a sudden gust of wind tore a pennant from one of the turrets. The long strip of satin flew right into the giant’s eyes. The blinded guard’s heel landed on the rolling head and he fell like a freshly cut tree, crashing straight through the outer wall and slamming into the ground with a thud.

The animals sprinted over the fallen Fjord Guard’s legs and directly to freedom. They didn’t stop running—or in Skylar’s case, flying—until they could no longer see the Baroness’s estate behind them. Once clear of danger, they stopped to catch their breath.

After saying good-bye to their fellow prisoners, Skylar, Gilbert, and Aldwyn shared a moment of satisfaction. All seven descendants had been collected. If Paksahara and her Dead Army had not yet destroyed the third and final glyphstone, a chance at victory finally seemed within their grasp.

“I think I’m going to ask her out on a date,” said Gilbert to Aldwyn.

“Aren’t you moving a little fast?” asked Aldwyn. “I mean, you only met her an hour ago.”

“Beauties like Anura don’t come around every day.”

“Well, don’t let me stop you,” said Aldwyn.

Gilbert puffed up his chest and started for the opposite end of Orion’s back, where Anura sat talking with Skylar.

Night had fallen again. Despite their exhaustion, the group moved as fast as they could. Orion was carrying all but Simeon and Lothar, and the stalwart lightmare was beginning to slow down. The tireless pace of their march across Vastia over these last few days had taken a toll.

They had left the border jungles surrounding the Baroness’s estate and were heading north to the Ebs River, which would provide the safest and swiftest route to Bronzhaven. That is, assuming they could secure or build a vessel large enough to carry all of them.

Gilbert hopped past Navid, Banshee, and Marati, then stopped behind the golden toad and the blue jay. He cleared his throat. The two turned to him.

“Excuse me,” said Gilbert. “Anura, I wanted to ask you something.”

Before the tree frog could finish, Skylar jumped in.

“Poor Anura,” said Skylar. “She was just telling me how difficult it is being a golden toad. She barely knows someone for two minutes and they’re already trying to use her for her good luck. Everyone wants something from her.”

Gilbert turned pale.

“You wanted to ask me something,” said Anura.

“Yes, right,” said Gilbert nervously. “Would you like some leftover maggots?”

He reached into his flower bud backpack and held out a webbed handful.

“Oh, thanks,” said Anura.

She took the insects from him, and Gilbert quickly shuffled back over to Aldwyn.

“I think I will give it a little more time,” said Gilbert. “I don’t want to come on too strong.”

Just then one of Orion’s hoofs hit a large rock in the path, and the lightmare tripped, sending the animals on his back tumbling to the ground. As usual, Aldwyn landed on his feet. He immediately made sure that Lothar couldn’t run off. Then he checked up on his companions. Fortunately no one seemed hurt.

Orion had gotten up again and turned to the others with an apologetic but drowsy look on his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I must have dozed off while I was running. There’s no way I should have hit that boulder.”

“Let’s stop for a short rest,” said Skylar. “Even if it’s just for an hour. If Orion takes another tumble, we may not be so lucky next time.”

Gilbert looked to Anura.

“Or would we be?” asked the tree frog.

“We can’t count on luck alone,” said Anura. “Just look at the Baroness. She thought her good fortune would never end.”

Despite the urgency of their mission, even Orion agreed that it would be best to take a short rest before their final stand at the glyphstone. Marati volunteered to keep watch over Lothar, while everyone else closed their eyes, including Aldwyn, who knew that he would need his energy and wits about him when the time came to face the evil gray hare.

14

TWICE BETRAYED

“H
e’s gone.”