Tara Duncan and the Forbidden Book by HRH Princess Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian Page A

blasted palace and only go back there to sleep. And you know what the worst is?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œShe snores!”
    Their burst of laughter attracted the attention of Master Chem, who was talking with Fabrice and Manitou. He turned to them and said, “Come over here. I’m just about— hic!— to hear something that Manitou and Fabrice found out.”
    When the dog related the conversation between the two Bloodgraves, Chem lost his hiccups completely.
    â€œBy my pile of gold!” he roared. “Not again!”
    The group cautiously backed away, but this time the dragon wizard controlled himself. Not a single fang or scale appeared.
    â€œYou didn’t really expect Magister to give up, did you?” said Tara calmly. “We know he’s crazy about getting power. And as long as he hasn’t found a way to defeat and replace you, he’ll continue searching for the demonic objects. Using The Forbidden Book is a good way to get to Limbo, isn’t it?”
    â€œHe doesn’t need the book to travel to the demon kingdom,” answered Chem soberly. “He can go there whenever he likes. But he needs certain spells that are forbidden even to demons to increase his power, and he can’t be allowed to acquire them!”
    â€œHe must have cast a spell or something on the boy’s parents to make them accuse Cal and to get you to come here,” observed Manitou. “To stop him, the simplest thing would be to go get the book and keep it with you.”
    â€œI can’t,” said Chem.
    â€œWhat do you mean, you can’t?”
    â€œYou have no idea how much power that book has. It’s not just an object, it’s a creation of the demons of Limbo, and it has a life of its own. When I study it, I touch it as little as possible. If I carried it around, it could overcome and corrupt me within a few hours. I have too much power to risk that!”
    â€œBut you’re not in Lancovit now to keep anyone from stealing it!” said Manitou, sounding very concerned. “What are we going to do?”
    â€œI’ll ask Safir Dragosh to go back immediately and watch over the book. Our vampyr friend is a powerful wizard. He’ll know how to protect it.”
    â€œIs that all?”
    Master Chem shrugged. “The hunter-elves have long known that I have valuable and dangerous objects in my keeping that must not be stolen. They watch the whole castle very carefully. Besides, nobody knows where the book is hidden or how to get to it. So I’m not really worried.”
    â€œOh, really?” asked the surprised dog. “Well, if you don’t mind I’m going to worry a little. Just in case.”
    Sparrow took a deep breath. The old dragon had forgotten one small detail. Because of the group’s earlier trip to Limbo, the secret hiding place wasn’t so secret anymore. She was about to speak up, but hesitated, deciding to say nothing.
    â€œWell, I think it’s totally cool!” said Cal with a grin.
    â€œWhat? You think it’s cool?” asked Fabrice.
    â€œWell, yeah. For once, Magister doesn’t need Tara to get hold of the book. So no one’s going to try to enchant me, petrify me, cook me, or drown me to get it. Life could actually get kind of boring!”
    There was only one proper response to Cal’s statement. Tara stuck her tongue out at him.
    After dinner, the friends gathered in their suite. Soothsuckers had been served with dessert, and after savoring an amazing cherry/ apricot/cinnamon/pepper one, Tara reached the message at the heart of the lollipop: “You can see the trap, but it’s not where you think”—which didn’t tell her anything all that helpful.
    Cal’s room was near the suite, but since he had to share it with Angelica, he was trying to stay away. The friends were deep in conversation when the mouth on the door opened and spoke: “An ifrit wishes to speak