“
He’s talking about
Reverend Stark,” Alexander said. His eyes widened and color
returned to his face. He reached for the plastic case and wondered
if he should look for his Bible. He knew Reverend Stark was immune
to its power, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
“
Oh, Reverend Stark is the
one who’s following you? So you decided to come here and bring the
plague with you? I should slay all of you right now!” the elf
yelled.
“
That won’t be necessary!
Stand down!” a feminine voice yelled.
The elves, Dr. Stine,
Angelique, and Alexander focused their attention on a large,
glowing orb of white light. It throbbed in the air next to a pair
of coconut trees. As the orb inched closer to the river, Dr. Stine
and Angelique noticed the silhouette of a woman inside the orb.
Rubies, diamonds, and sapphires formed a kaleidoscope of color
around the brim of her gold crown. Electric energy throbbed from
the tip of her transparent, crystal wand, which she held in her
left hand. When the orb touched the wood planks of the bridge, it
dissipated and Queen Persephone stepped forward. Long strands of
black, silky hair spiraled from her scalp to the middle of her
back. Her purple, silk robe flowed from her shoulders, across her
upper torso, and down to her bare feet. When Queen Persephone heard
the rhythm of Angelique’s mechanical heart, her pointed ears
twitched. She stepped toward Dr. Stine and placed her left hand on
his head.
“
Leave us! I want to speak
to them alone!” Queen Persephone said. The elves paused, shook
their heads reluctantly, and backed away slowly. When Queen
Persephone turned around and glared at them, they quickened their
stride and vanished into the foliage.
Dr. Stine straightened his
legs and bowed before the queen. She removed her hand from his head
and smiled at him. Her hazel eyes flickered like strobe lights.
When she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, he felt
warm energy flow through his body.
“
I’m so happy to see you
again, your highness. It’s been a very long time,” he
said.
“
Yes, Dr. Stine, it’s been
years since our last…rendezvous. It’s a shame this isn’t a social
call. I sense you’re in trouble, perhaps danger. All I have to do
is
look
at you to know you’re being pursued by Reverend
Stark,” Persephone said.
“
Yes. We rescued the boy,
Alexander Blanton, from Reverend Stark. Everyone in his town died.
And his father, Timothy, bit him on the arm at our campground
earlier. I’m afraid that if we don’t find a cure for his illness,
he’ll become a…” Dr. Stine paused.
“
You think he’ll become a
werewolf? I can smell the stink of the wound. I can feel the warmth
of the fever. And I know it’s already too late. There’s only one
thing that can save him now,” Persephone said. She walked toward
Alexander and frowned.
“
What is it? What can save
him? We must hurry, because my battery pack is running out of
energy. If we don’t get to Xavier’s castle soon, I’ll go into
cardiac arrest.”
Queen Persephone detected
panic in Angelique’s voice. She strolled away from Alexander and
walked toward Angelique. Persephone’s right hand pulled the cloth
of Angelique’s dress away from her breast and mechanical heart.
Persephone leaned forward and examined the battery pack. Then she
took a few steps back and smiled.
“
Come to my palace. I’ll
order my servants to prepare a feast. You’ll need nourishment for
what is required of you. Please follow me,” Persephone said. She
floated across the bridge, glanced over her shoulder, and beckoned
for them with both of her hands.
***
Thirty minutes later, Dr.
Stine, Angelique, and Alexander stood in a rectangular dining hall.
A long, wood table spanned the length of the room. White candles,
which protruded from brass fixtures on the beige walls, offered dim
light while flames flickered at the end of long wicks. Framed
paintings, which depicted the ancestral leaders of the elves,
loomed on the walls. In the center of the table, a roasted pig
rested on a silver platter with a large apple in its mouth. Steamed
asparagus, sliced squash, and roasted potatoes filled deep dishes
nearby. A female elf entered the room with another platter, removed
a silver cover from the dish, and placed slices of veal chop next
to the roasted pig. Another elf entered the room with bottles of
wine and placed them on the table.
“
Shall we eat? I don’t know
about you, but I’m starving,” Queen Persephone said. She dragged a
chair away from the table. She dropped into a wooden throne at the
head of the table and watched as a servant filled her plate with
slices of pork and veal.
“
I’m very hungry. Even
though I’m sick, I have a good appetite,” Alexander
said.
Queen Persephone raised her
eyebrows. She peered at Alexander from behind a glass of
chardonnay. “I’m not surprised. I knew you’d want to
eat.”
Alexander took a seat on
the left side of the table. Dr. Stine and Angelique sat in chairs
directly across from him. A servant filled tall, crystal glasses
with ice water. Another servant poured chardonnay into their wine
glasses. Moments later, plates filled with veal, pork, and
vegetables appeared on the table in front of them. Dr. Stine and
Angelique didn’t hesitate. They seized their utensils from a folded
napkin and started eating.
Dr. Stine hesitated long
enough to say, “You mentioned that there’s only one way to cure
Alexander’s illness. I’m curious as to what it might
be.”
“
Oh, yes. I apologize for
not explaining it in more detail. There is a rare, golden orchid
that grows in the wild section of a nearby garden. A beast guards
the area and none of my warriors have been able to defeat him. He’s
a giant, carnivorous plant named Jezil. Sometimes, Jezil’s thorny
vines invade the palace and steal my people. If we can somehow
defeat Jezil, my people will be free and Alexander will be cured.”
Persephone studied Dr. Stine’s facial expressions and body language
while she spoke.
“
Why is it so hard to
defeat Jezil? I’ve seen your warriors in action and I know how they
perform in battle,” Dr. Stine said. He slobbered while he devoured
a slice of veal.
“
There is a deep pond which
surrounds Jezil’s lair. Giant piranhas dwell in the pond’s murky
water. Jezil’s thorny vines emerge from the ground randomly and
capture their prey. If someone wants to destroy Jezil, there are
many obstacles to worry about. All of my warriors have died trying
to kill him,” Queen Persephone said. She sipped her
wine.
“
I’m willing to try. We
can’t allow Alexander to succumb to his illness,” Dr. Stine
said.
“
Have you forgotten that we
need to get to Xavier’s castle? My battery pack is running out of
energy and Zachary will probably be executed by guillotine. Maybe
we should leave him here and come back later. Surely he won’t die
under the care of the elves,” Angelique said. After she spoke, she
realized how selfish she seemed, but it was too late.
“
Why are you so selfish?”
Alexander said. He burst into tears and sobbed.
“
That was unnecessary,
Angelique. You should be more considerate of people’s feelings,”
Dr. Stine scolded.
“
I’m not the one who stole
components from Desiree. I’m not the one who made fun of Xavier
when he couldn’t walk on air and almost drowned. When you stop and
think about it, Dr. Stine, we’re in this predicament because of
your
bad decisions. I hope you think about that the next
time you decide to criticize me,” Angelique said.
“
It’ll only make things
worse if you fight and argue with each other. Stop bickering and
let’s figure out how to solve our problems. I think everything will
be fine if we can find a way to work together,” Persephone said.
She fixed her gaze on Angelique.
“
I’m willing to help in any
way I can,” Angelique said. She stared at her plate of
food.
“
So am I. I don’t want
tension among us. It’ll only make things worse,” Dr. Stine
said.
“
Now that you’ve resolved
your…temper tantrums…I’d like to propose a solution to our
problem,” Persephone said. She dropped her fork and knife onto her
empty plate.
“
Please tell us what you
have in mind,” Angelique said. She tried to smile but
couldn’t.
“
Yes, I’m eager to heal
Alexander and resume our journey,” Dr. Stine said.
“
I’ll send three warriors
with Dr. Stine, Razor, and Stanley to Jezil’s lair. Meanwhile, I’ll
stay here with Alexander and Angelique and try my best to cure
their ailments. There are a few things I can try. I think you’ll be
pleased with the results,” Persephone said.
“
I don’t know if we can
destroy Jezil alone. We might need Angelique and Alexander to help
us,” Dr. Stine said. He pushed his chair away from the table and
rose to his feet. Angelique rolled her eyes and sighed. Alexander
trembled when chills seized him.
Queen Persephone rose from
her chair and walked toward Dr. Stine. She placed the fingers of
her left hand on his forehead. Her lips brushed against his left
temple and she kissed him. She whispered in his ear: “Please trust
me, Laurent. I know what’s best for all of us. You need to see
things from my perspective. Can you do that now?”
Dr. Stine felt his tense
muscles relax. Persephone’s touch, breath, and voice drained stress
from his body. He smiled leaned toward her. “Yes, my love. I’ll do
whatever you want me to do.” Then they smiled and hugged each
other.
***
Fifteen minutes later,
Queen Persephone watched three of her warriors escort Dr. Stine,
Razor, and Stanley deep into the cursed garden. After they vanished
behind a cluster of sago palms, Persephone walked toward a beige,
stucco building. Angelique and Alexander stood next to an open door
and smiled at her.
“
This is the infirmary of
the village. Let’s go inside and get comfortable. I think I can
heal both of you…to a certain extent. I doubt I can perform
miracles, though,” she said.
“
I just want the fever to
go away. I’m tired of sweating and having chills. I can’t sleep and
I’m so exhausted,” Alexander said. His hands trembled and his lips
quivered.
“
I don’t know what you
could possibly do to help me. But I’m intrigued by the
possibility,” Angelique said. She followed Persephone and Alexander
into the infirmary.
Persephone strolled through
a waiting room, where a middle-aged, female elf comforted her son,
who clutched his knee and wailed in pain. A nurse kneeled next to
the chair where the boy sat. She placed gauze and bandages on the
exposed flesh of a wide scrape.
“
Come this way,” Persephone
said. She opened a door and guided them down a corridor lined with
four doors on each side of the hallway. Angelique and Alexander
understood immediately that examination rooms were on the other
side of the doors.
When they reached the end
of the corridor, Persephone opened a door and motioned for
Alexander and Angelique to step inside. After they entered the
room, Persephone closed the door and stood between two beds, which
were covered by sterile, white paper. Persephone pointed at the
beds and said: “Please choose a bed and get
comfortable.”
Angelique crawled onto the
farthest bed, which extended from the western wall on the left side
of the room. Alexander sat on the edge of the other bed, scooted
toward the middle, and trembled when he stretched his arms and
legs. Persephone placed the palm of her left hand on Alexander’s
forehead and recoiled immediately. She realized that if they didn’t
find a way to control the fever soon, the boy might suffer brain
damage.
“
I’ll be right back. I need
to find a nurse who can assist me,” Persephone said.
Angelique closed her eyes
and relaxed. Alexander shivered and stared at the ceiling. When
Persephone felt confident that they wouldn’t try to get up and
leave, she stepped out of the examination room and closed the door
gently. When she turned around, she noticed a lady standing at the
other end of the corridor. Persephone wanted to scream.
A green-skinned woman, who
wore a black robe and a crown made of interconnected bones, floated
in the air. Insects swarmed in the brown mess of her tangled hair.
The long, curled fingernails of her left hand gripped the end of a
diamond-encrusted, gold wand. Lysette, the loyal lover of Xavier
Thames, exhaled a surge of writhing maggots when she pointed at
Persephone and laughed. The smell of decay throbbed in the
air.
“
How did you get in here?
How did you get by the guards?” Persephone asked.
“
It doesn’t matter, my
queen. The only thing that matters right now is how
sleepy
you are. Oh yes, you’re
exhausted
and you want to take a
nice, long
nap
,” Lysette said.
“
No…I won’t let you do this
to me.” Persephone yawned and felt her eyelids grow heavy. She
leaned against the wall lethargically and struggled to stay
awake.
“
Don’t worry, Persephone.
All I want to do is kill Angelique and the boy. I won’t harm you
while you’re asleep,” Lysette said. She floated toward Persephone
and grinned.