should just leave," said Li'l.
"They won't bother you anymore," said Eadric, scowling at the skulls as if daring them to defy him.
Grandfather floated across the room, his blue outline growing larger and darker until it looked quite menacing. "Perhaps they can help," he said with an edge. "I'm sure they know where we can find the medallion."
"Why should we help you?" asked a wavering voice.
"Because," said my grandfather, "if you don't help, I'll scatter your bones across the kingdom for the wolves and wild dogs to find." The pile of skulls shifted uneasily. "However, if you do help, I'll sort you and see that you get proper burials."
The skulls muttered among themselves until one of them spoke up. "Do you promise? Cross your rib cage and hope to rest in peace?"
"I promise," Grandfather said solemnly, "on my honor as a king and as a member of the Council of Ghosts."
"Then we'll give the girl the medallion," said the spokes-skull, "but she'll have to return it to its proper owner when she's through with it."
"I'm down here," said a muffled voice that I assumed came from Hubert's skull.
The pile of bones shuddered and heaved. Bones slipped off the top while others were pushed up from the bottom. Finally a bony hand gripping the medallion rose to the surface. Tarnished with age, it was the same medallion that Hubert's ghost had worn on a chain around his neck.
"Thank you," I said, taking the silver disk. "You've been a big help."
"Can we go now?" asked Li'l, flitting around my head.
"You can," I said, "but I won't be going with you." Reaching into my pouch, I took out the bottle of dragon's breath. I had everything I needed now, including a secluded spot from the right century. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't think I'd find anything better.
"What do you mean?" asked Li'l. "You said we could leave as soon as you had what we came for."
"I know I did, and I'm sorry, but I'm going to go learn what I can about the curse. I shouldn't be gone long—not if I do this right."
"Be careful, my dear," said Grandfather. "The past was a harsh and cruel time."
"I will, Grandfather. I'll be back before you know it."
Eadric came to stand beside me and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I'll keep her safe."
I frowned and shook my head. "I told you, Eadric; you can't go with me."
"And I told you that I am," he replied, looking as serious as I'd ever seen him. "You need me as much as I need you."
"I need you to stay here where it's safe. Who knows what I'll find in the past."
"exactly," said Eadric.
I didn't want to waste my time arguing, so I shook his hand from my shoulder and edged away, confident that I could move beyond his reach when the spell started to take effect.
Dyspepsia had said that I needed something to enhance my power, but she hadn't said how much I should use. Dragon's breath is very powerful as well as hard to get, so I decided to let out a tiny bit and hope that it was enough. Holding the medallion in one hand, I took the stopper out of the bottle for a moment to let some of the breath escape, then said the spell I'd already decided to use.
Take me to the day before
The fairy cast the curse
That changed my dear aunt's
temperament
From kindly to much worse.
I was saying the last line when I heard something scrape against the stones above my head. When I looked up, the glowing eyes of the shadow beast were peering down through the opening.
"Emma!" Grandfather shouted, drifting between the creature and me.
I could hear the shadow beast's nails on the stone floor as it launched itself down into the oubliette. I tried to move out of the way, but the only path open to me was the corner where the pile of bones rested.
"Look out!" screeched Li'l, fluttering around my head.
"Emma, over here!" shouted Eadric. He threw himself at me, pulling me out of the way as the shadow beast lunged, but we were both off balance and we started to fall.
"Careful!" screamed a skull as the whole pile
"They won't bother you anymore," said Eadric, scowling at the skulls as if daring them to defy him.
Grandfather floated across the room, his blue outline growing larger and darker until it looked quite menacing. "Perhaps they can help," he said with an edge. "I'm sure they know where we can find the medallion."
"Why should we help you?" asked a wavering voice.
"Because," said my grandfather, "if you don't help, I'll scatter your bones across the kingdom for the wolves and wild dogs to find." The pile of skulls shifted uneasily. "However, if you do help, I'll sort you and see that you get proper burials."
The skulls muttered among themselves until one of them spoke up. "Do you promise? Cross your rib cage and hope to rest in peace?"
"I promise," Grandfather said solemnly, "on my honor as a king and as a member of the Council of Ghosts."
"Then we'll give the girl the medallion," said the spokes-skull, "but she'll have to return it to its proper owner when she's through with it."
"I'm down here," said a muffled voice that I assumed came from Hubert's skull.
The pile of bones shuddered and heaved. Bones slipped off the top while others were pushed up from the bottom. Finally a bony hand gripping the medallion rose to the surface. Tarnished with age, it was the same medallion that Hubert's ghost had worn on a chain around his neck.
"Thank you," I said, taking the silver disk. "You've been a big help."
"Can we go now?" asked Li'l, flitting around my head.
"You can," I said, "but I won't be going with you." Reaching into my pouch, I took out the bottle of dragon's breath. I had everything I needed now, including a secluded spot from the right century. It wasn't ideal, but I didn't think I'd find anything better.
"What do you mean?" asked Li'l. "You said we could leave as soon as you had what we came for."
"I know I did, and I'm sorry, but I'm going to go learn what I can about the curse. I shouldn't be gone long—not if I do this right."
"Be careful, my dear," said Grandfather. "The past was a harsh and cruel time."
"I will, Grandfather. I'll be back before you know it."
Eadric came to stand beside me and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I'll keep her safe."
I frowned and shook my head. "I told you, Eadric; you can't go with me."
"And I told you that I am," he replied, looking as serious as I'd ever seen him. "You need me as much as I need you."
"I need you to stay here where it's safe. Who knows what I'll find in the past."
"exactly," said Eadric.
I didn't want to waste my time arguing, so I shook his hand from my shoulder and edged away, confident that I could move beyond his reach when the spell started to take effect.
Dyspepsia had said that I needed something to enhance my power, but she hadn't said how much I should use. Dragon's breath is very powerful as well as hard to get, so I decided to let out a tiny bit and hope that it was enough. Holding the medallion in one hand, I took the stopper out of the bottle for a moment to let some of the breath escape, then said the spell I'd already decided to use.
Take me to the day before
The fairy cast the curse
That changed my dear aunt's
temperament
From kindly to much worse.
I was saying the last line when I heard something scrape against the stones above my head. When I looked up, the glowing eyes of the shadow beast were peering down through the opening.
"Emma!" Grandfather shouted, drifting between the creature and me.
I could hear the shadow beast's nails on the stone floor as it launched itself down into the oubliette. I tried to move out of the way, but the only path open to me was the corner where the pile of bones rested.
"Look out!" screeched Li'l, fluttering around my head.
"Emma, over here!" shouted Eadric. He threw himself at me, pulling me out of the way as the shadow beast lunged, but we were both off balance and we started to fall.
"Careful!" screamed a skull as the whole pile
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