Festival of Shadows (27 page)

“No, stop, really—”

Gasket licked Theo.
 

“He likes you,” Bethany said. “And I’m eternally grateful. Feel free to use him whenever you want.”

“Perfect,” Theo said. He grabbed Lucinda and dragged her toward Gasket. “It’s your turn to help
me
, now.”

Lucinda shoved him away. “Yes, I’ll keep my end of the promise, Theo. But don’t touch me.”

“You’re not moving fast enough.”

They climbed on Gasket.
 

“Okay, boy,” Lucinda said, patting his neck. “We’re going to take a trip. Fly north!”

Gasket flapped his wings and they took off into the sky.

“Where are we going?” Theo asked.
 

“To see an old friend,” Lucinda said. “He and I have been through a lot together.”

“I don’t care about your history, as long as he can help me get into the castle—”

Lucinda steered Gasket and he rolled to the right, quieting Theo as he hung on tight.

“Can you stop talking about yourself for a few minutes?” Lucinda shouted over the wind. “I’m tired of listening to you.”

“And I’m tired of your inaction,” Theo said.
 

They didn’t talk for the rest of the flight.
 

CHAPTER COMPLETE!

The moon is bright.

Remember
or
Highlight
the above sentence. It may come in handy . . .

~ Continue.

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CHAPTER 5

The Fish on the Mountain

Gasket landed in a valley at the base of a small mountain. The mountain was gray with rocks and bushes all over, and there was a wooden lodge at the summit.

“That’s his home,” Lucinda said.
 

“Then let’s fly up there,” Theo said. “Walking will waste more time.”

Instead, Lucinda started up the winding path that led up the side of the mountain. “No. We walk. You’ll see why.”

Theo followed her reluctantly, with Gasket shuffling behind on foot.
 

“Why are we here?” Theo asked.

“Because my friend can help us get into the castle,” Lucinda said.
 

As they climbed, a patch of golden brambles sprouted up before them and stretched the whole length of the trail.
 

“Where did those come from?” Theo asked.

Lucinda snatched the Whatsamadoozle from him, turned it into a giant saw, and cut her way through.

They were almost to the top of the mountain when the bramble patch ended, and a purple tiger blocked their way. It breathed fire as it stalked toward them.
 

Lucinda returned the Whatsamadoozle to Theo, her hands glowing. Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a mallet, and Gasket roared and blew fire.
 

“Why do I get the feeling that this mysterious toy doesn’t want to be found?” Theo asked.
 

“If you had listened to me instead of talking about yourself, then I would have told you.”

The tiger leaped, but Theo knocked it away with the mallet. It rolled to its feet and charged. Theo swung again, but the tiger swiped the mallet out of his hand. It was about to slash when Lucinda’s paws glowed even brighter. She hit the tiger with a dream blast, knocking it away.
 

Gasket blew fire at the tiger, and it finally turned and retreated up the mountain.

Lucinda petted Gasket. “Great teamwork, boy.”

They started up the mountain again. The lodge had just come into sight when they heard more growling. The tiger had returned, and he’d been joined by three others. The four tigers stalked toward them, grinning and growling.
 

“Get out of our way,” Lucinda said.

“Looks like we’re in for a tough fight,” Theo said, swinging the mallet in a circle.

“Stop,” said a voice.
 

The tigers stopped and sat down obediently.

A blue catfish with big lips, large black eyes, and a deep frown on his face glowered from the doorway. He leaned on a cane, and he wore a brown, fish-scale sweater.
 

“That’s enough.”

The old fish squinted at Theo, Lucinda, and Gasket, and then he smiled. “Lucinda, my dear! I didn’t know it was you.”

He stuck his cane in the ground, and a magical wave rippled over the mountain. The tigers disappeared, and an invisible force field around the lodge blinked purple and then faded away.
 

“So that’s why we couldn’t fly up here,” Theo said. “He would have knocked us out of the sky.”

Lucinda shook the old fish’s hand. “It’s good to see you again, Jiskyl.”

“Pardon my paranoia,” Jiskyl said, eyeing Theo, “I didn’t recognize the other one.”

“He’s with me.”

“You can’t trust anyone in this place,” Jiskyl said. “Not too long ago, a baby doll wandered up here—said she was scared. I was foolish enough to invite her in for a meal. She was one of Stratus’s pawns, and she nearly killed me! I’ve been cautious ever since. Come inside. Are you two hungry?”

Jiskyl’s lodge was cozy, decorated with photographs of friends on the walls and magical trinkets on shelves. A fireplace glowed warmly, and a large circular window overlooked the starry valley.

They sat by the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate. Theo and Lucinda sat on beanbags while Gasket curled up by the fire.
 

Jiskyl rocked in a rocking chair. “So, why are you here?”
 

“We need to get into the castle,” Lucinda said.
 

Jiskyl nearly jumped out of his chair. “The castle! You don’t remember what happened last time?”

“Stratus has Theo’s owner.”

“So you’re racing to beat sunrise. The old desperate shuffle, eh? Why should I help you, Theo?”

“Because Grant’s life depends on it,” Theo said.

“And what about the festival, Lucinda?”

Lucinda put her hand on her heart. “Still scheduled.”

“Are you going to help me or what?” Theo asked. “The moon’s going to change again soon, and I need to know if I’ve wasted my time.”

Jiskyl frowned at him. “Maybe you
are
wasting your time. You sound like one of Stratus’s toys. Pushy. Aggressive. Always wanting something in return for anything you do.”

“How dare you compare me to—”

“It’s okay,” Lucinda said, holding Theo back.
 
She turned back to Jiskyl with a sad look. “He’s really attached to his owner.”

“Weren’t we all?” Jiskyl asked. “But let me ask you, bear—what’s going to happen to you after your pal grows up, hmm? Ever thought about that? What’s next for you?”

Theo puffed. “That’s a ridiculous question. Grant will always need me.”

“Until the day he doesn’t. You toys from the other side are sad. You come in here thinking that you can save this world, that you can return home as if nothing has changed.” He stared out at the moon. “Toys like you never return home. They end up trapped here—not by Stratus, but by their own foolish dreams.”

Silence fell over the room, and Theo thought it best not to speak. Jiskyl turned around and spoke softly. “I don’t like you. I don’t trust you. You’re selfish, just like Stratus’s pawns. The only reason I’m helping you is because of Lucinda.”

Lucinda hung her head. “But—”

“Stop. I owe you, and you know it. If it hadn’t been for you, he—”

Lucinda stopped him and hovered away. “But I still couldn’t save him. I failed him.”

Theo was confused.
Who are they talking about?

“But you tried,” Jiskyl said. “And that’s more than I can say for all the other toys here. No one is courageous enough to challenge Stratus anymore.” He focused on Theo and stared at him intensely. “Maybe you will succeed, Theo; maybe you won’t. Maybe Stratus will find us and rip us all to shreds to set an example for the other toys, just for helping you. I don’t care anymore. I haven’t had an owner for decades. I have no attachments—just my love for living, which doesn’t mean much anymore in this horrible place. I’ve got nothing to lose. Do you?”

“I have everything to lose,” Theo said.
 

“Then you must make Lucinda’s festival successful. If you do that, I promise to help you.”

“Why do you care about this stupid festival?”

“What!” Jiskyl yelled. “I wouldn’t expect a fresh toy like you from the other side to understand. But I’ll answer your question, anyway: The festival is the only time we can gather to honor our lost friends. It’s what he would have wanted.”

“Who?” Theo asked.
Who is this mysterious friend?

Lucinda changed the topic. “How are we going to get inside the castle, Jiskyl?”
 

“Hmm, I’ve got some thinking to do. But first, I need to know what the sky looked like at the last two moon phases.”

“How could that possibly be important?” Theo said.
 

“It’s magic!” Jiskyl snapped. “I hope you were paying attention to the sky. Didn’t you
highlight it
in your mind somehow? Answer my questions.”

“Theo, when you obtained the Whatsamadoozle, what did the sky look like?”

~ “The moon was visible.”

~ “It was hidden behind clouds.”

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“Okay. Now what about when you rescued Gasket?”

~ “It was visible.”

~ “It was hidden behind clouds.”

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“Okay. Now what about when you rescued Gasket?”

~ “It was visible.”

~ “It was hidden behind clouds.”

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Jiskyl walked over to a desk and pulled out one of the drawers. It was full of glowing, magical items.
 

“Jiskyl!” Lucinda cried. “Please tell me you didn’t steal those from the castle.”

The old fish laughed impishly. “Why do you think my magic is so strong, my dear? Besides, if Stratus wanted to kill me, he would have done it by now. Now, what was I looking for? No, not a magic wand. Too typical. A crystal? No, too obscure. Aha!”

He pulled out a small coin bag. It jingled and jangled when he shook it. He opened it, and a white light lit up his face. “Take this. You can have the whole bag. You’ll need it later, but don’t go running off to the castle just yet. I still have to develop a plan. But I know that these coins will help somehow. I think.”

“You think?” Theo asked, rummaging through the bag. “There are a ton of coins in this purse, and they’re all marked differently.”

“A thank-you would be nice. You’re as ungrateful as a toddler.”

“But how am I going to get inside the castle?” Theo asked.

“Give me some time to investigate. I’ll meet you at the festival. And Theo—don’t forget your part of the deal. I’m putting a great amount of trust in you. Don’t screw it up!”

Theo tied the coin purse and harrumphed.
 

Jiskyl leaned on his cane and gazed over the valley pensively as Theo, Lucinda, and Gasket headed back down the trail.
 

CHAPTER COMPLETE!

~ Continue.

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Jiskyl walked over to a desk and pulled out one of the drawers. It was full of glowing, magical items.
 

“Jiskyl!” Lucinda cried. “Please tell me you didn’t steal those from the castle.”

The old fish laughed impishly. “Why do you think my magic is so strong, my dear? Besides, if Stratus wanted to kill me, he would have done it by now. Now, what was I looking for? No, not a magic wand. Too typical. A crystal? No, too obscure. Aha!”

He pulled out a small coin bag. It jingled and jangled when he shook it. He opened it, and a white light lit up his face. He removed a coin with a moon embossed on it. “Take this. You can have the whole bag. You’ll need it later, but don’t go running off to the castle just yet. I still have to develop a plan.
But I’m quite forgetful, Theo, so just remember that the
Moon Coin
is the one that you’re going to need. I think.”