The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens (12 page)

“I think she’s got the hots for you, Cadmus,” Mack grinned.

Cadmus chuckled, looking down at his hands. “What can I say?”

Lucy found herself relieved that Cadmus was so disinterested in Marla. She shook the feeling off, irritated that she even cared. She wanted to focus on the rainstorm and what it might mean.

“So this type of sudden storm isn’t a regular thing?”

“Not at all. Typical weather in Praxis is very moderate,” Cadmus replied. “I’m sure a lot of people will be speculating that it’s somehow connected to the volcano action yesterday.”

Marla returned with two overflowing glass steins of steaming mulled mead in each hand. The drinks were garnished with long, hook-tipped cinnamon sticks and curled orange peel shavings. Lucy’s eyes lit up.

“These look amazing!” Luke exclaimed.

“Just give me a holler if you need anything,” Marla said, tossing three more napkins onto the center of their table before strolling to the far corner to serve two dark-clothed figures whose faces were indiscernible in the shadows. They wore all black with hats pulled low over their brows and leaned over their table, whispering to one another. Lucy couldn’t help but notice they kept glancing over toward her group.

“Cadmus, who are they?” she asked, flicking her eyes over his shoulder in the direction of the mysterious strangers.

“I thought you might notice them,” he replied, his lips forming a grim line. “I’m not sure. I saw them when we came in. I know almost everyone in town, but I’ve never seen those two before.”

“They keep looking over here and whispering,” Luke added.

“Try not to stare,” Cadmus warned. “I can’t promise they’re not dangerous men. We need to be careful. Times are changing fast, and we have to keep our guard up.” He squeezed the handle of his stein. “I don’t want to scare you, but this could be very serious.” His knuckles were white with strain.

Lucy lifted her stein and took a big swallow of mead. The tangy-sweet liquid fizzed on her tongue and warmed her body from the inside out as it traveled down her throat to her stomach.

“The mead’s delicious,” she remarked, welcoming the distraction from the knot of nerves that had formed in her stomach.

“Yeah, it’s the best,” Cadmus agreed, taking a sip.

“Have you been able to make any progress with the map?” Luke asked.

Lucy dug it out of her pocket and spread it open on the table between them. It was still warm and pulsing with a subtle glow.

“Not really. I’ve kept it with me day and night, and it glows and gets warm like this every so often. I pull it out when I feel the warmth, but nothing else happens. I haven’t been able to make it colored again like I did back in Algid. Now I’m not even sure that I had anything to do with that… maybe it was just random.” She smoothed her palms across the map, wishing she had more control over it. The others leaned in, taking a closer look.

“I’ve done a lot of research on what each Mapkeeper did to make the map work for them. The complicated part is that no single method worked for more than one Mapkeeper. Each had to find his or her own unique way to manipulate the power of the map.”

“What are some examples?” Lucy asked.

“One Mapkeeper had to hold it between his palms and close his eyes, using deep breathing and meditation. There are some stranger methods, too. One Mapkeeper had a pet ferret that he loved so much that he wouldn’t allow it out of his sight. To unlock the map’s power he had to be holding his ferret in one hand and holding the map out in his other.” Lucy lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “Without the ferret, the map was a useless piece of parchment for the Mapkeeper!” Mack and Luke burst out laughing.

“I want a pet ferret!” Luke proclaimed.

“One thing I can say after my research is that the key to unlocking the map’s power seems to be found in emotion. Each Mapkeeper’s temperament had something to do with how they interacted with the map. For example, the seventeenth one was a fiery man prone to angry outbursts. He was the one who unleashed the map’s power by channeling his anger and crumpling it up! When he was angry, he was most effective.”

“So if she figures out what emotion she identifies with most, it’ll put her on track to figure out how to use the map,” Mack offered.

“I think so,” Cadmus agreed.

“Well then it’s got to be sassiness,” Luke joked. Mack and Luke cracked up. Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Can you guys please be serious for two minutes?” The map was still warm and glowing. “I’m not sure which emotion I feel the strongest connection to. I’ll have to think about it.” A long, deep rumble was followed by a blinding flash of lightning outside. “Cadmus, in your studies, did you ever come across anything about the map glowing and warming up?”

“Yes. It is said to react not only to the Mapkeeper’s emotion, but also to stirrings in the magical forces in Praxis. Because so many years have passed without much incident in Praxis, many Mapkeepers didn’t have the opportunity to utilize the map to its full extent. But those who did were said to know that something was stirring before it happened because the map gave them clues.”

“Like it’s doing now,” Mack said.

“Right,” Cadmus replied, his expression grave. His eyes darted toward the strangers in across the room again.

Suddenly, the door to the inn crashed open, the pummeling sound of the downpour filling the restaurant. A very short silhouette was illuminated against a flash of lightning behind him. The visitor moved inside and hopped up onto a stool at the bar. It had the torso and head of a man, with the legs and horns of a goat. The Barnes siblings’ mouths hung open.

“I take it you’ve never seen a satyr before,” Cadmus chuckled, taking a sip of mead.

“No, I have not.” Lucy was still staring at the creature as he ordered at the bar. The satyr whipped around and locked eyes with her. She averted her eyes, but it was too late. He’d seen her staring. He hopped down, hoofs clopping against the stone floor as he made his way over to their booth.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Cadmus takin’ the new Mapkeeper out for a bite on the town,” he sneered, crossing his hairy arms and leaning against the column next to their table. His horns grew out of his hairline above his forehead, ribbed with a slight curvature. He stood about chest-high to an average man, with coarse brown goat hair and a matching mop of hair on his head. His nose was long and hooked, and he had small, beady brown eyes. “Ms. Barnes, welcome to Praxis. I hope you like impossible challenges, because what you’ve got ahead of you is just that.”

“Rhys, that’s not true,” Cadmus objected.

The satyr threw his head back and belly laughed, letting out a boisterous cackle. The dark-clothed men in the corner had stopped talking and were watching.

“Let’s not fool ourselves, Cadmus! And not the new Mapkeeper. Our charming lady Mapkeeper!” He crossed his arms again and glanced toward the bar. The gruff-looking bartender was holding a small aluminum cup up, gesturing toward Rhys.

“Well gentlemen and madam,” he accentuated, curtseying toward Lucy with excessive emphasis, “I must go. I am needed at the bar. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Rhys. You’ll be seeing me around.” He twirled around on his hoofs and strutted back to the bar, his plump rear end and little tail bobbing with each step.

“He’s not always so crass,” Cadmus grinned, apologetic. “He’s cranky, and he’s never been one to make a good first impression, but he’s not all bad.”

The strangers across the restaurant resumed their whispered conversation as Marla poured dark ale into their glasses from a tin pitcher. Rhys hopped back up onto his barstool and took a swift swallow of whatever was in his tin cup, twisting sideways to glance across the room at the strangers.

Lucy drained her glass. Following suit, Cadmus tipped his back and tossed a few coins on the table, scooting off the bench.

“Shall we?” he asked. He waved at Marla, who was bumping a swinging door open with her hip across the room, arms full of dirty dishes. “I’ll have the guards send for the carriage.”

Mack wiped his upper lip with the back of his hand and scooted out of his seat. Luke was finishing his last gulp. Lucy glanced at the stranger as Cadmus made his way to the entrance. One of them whispered something to the other, who looked at Lucy. The lip of his hat cast a shadow across his face, but a shaft of light from a nearby lantern crossed his face as he turned. Goosebumps formed on her arms. Beneath the dark hat, a pair of yellow eyes watched her.

Juices from a tender leg of lamb dribbled down Luke’s chin. Lucy grinned and leaned across Mack to poke Luke on the shoulder, motioning for him to wipe his chin. He shrugged and complied.

“It’s good!” Luke explained with a sheepish grin.

Lucy laughed. Her younger brother could be so goofy sometimes!

They were seated around the long banquet table in the Great Hall. Lucy relaxed, at ease in the warm, pleasant atmosphere. Goblets brimmed with apple cider, mead, and effervescent spring water. They shared from platters of roast duck stuffed with apples and spices, slow-cooked lamb chops drizzled in mint sauce, hazelnut rice pilaf, pan-seared mushrooms and steamed greens, hot rye bread with spiced butter, pumpkin ginger brulee, and fresh fruits. The warm glow of flickering candlelight pooled on the thick, polished oak tabletop. Fiddles and tambourines provided jolly background music.

To Lucy’s right, at the head of the table, Queen Oleksandra sat beside King Muttongale. Across from Lucy was Cadmus, in the king’s right hand position. Beside him were Auriel and Odessa, the Bellaux representatives. Next was Zadok, who reclined atop a cushion designed for centaurs to dine at the table. Beside him sat Glump, the brooding goblin representative. Glump spoke little and ate voraciously. Adalia, the leader of the elves, sat at the far end of the table beside Prince Puck, who occupied the head table position opposite his parents. As usual, the prince’s expression reflected his disgust at being compelled to be present.

Enzo, the leader of the gnomes, sat to Prince Puck’s right. Next were Rhys, then Bade, then Luke, Mack, and Lucy. The Council of Clans was underway. Lucy tried to calm her nerves, letting the warm apple cider glide down her throat into her stomach, warming her from the inside out.

So far, conversation had been cordial enough, although several members of the council had made it clear that the superb fare was not the driving force behind their attendance. Glump and Bade spent most of the meal glaring at one another across the table, Glump gnashing aggressive portions of steaming lamb meat off the bone with his razor-sharp teeth. Bade ate with surgical precision, knifing diminutive morsels into his mouth and wiping his lips with his napkin after each bite. Rhys ensured that Prince Puck’s end of the table remained lively, bombarding disinterested Enzo and polite, amused Adalia with his emphatic stories.

“Pass that pitcher of mead this way, Lukey-boy!” Rhys roared from the other end of the table, thrusting his empty mug into the air.

Luke obeyed, laughing at the satyr’s overbearing demeanor. Bade leaned away from the sloshing pitcher with distaste, refusing to pass it. Luke reached over him, supporting the full pitcher with both hands.

“That’s my boy, a very good lad!” Rhys thundered, reaching across Bade to slap Luke on the back and accepting the pitcher. Bade rolled his eyes and sighed with supreme irritation. Zadok caught Lucy’s eye and smiled, and Odessa shook her head.

“He’ll never learn when enough is enough,” she observed.

“I think he’s funny,” Luke shrugged, spooning pumpkin brulee into his mouth.

“He adds a healthy dose of character to the bunch,” the queen agreed, chiming in. “And he’s the one member of the Council without a clan.”

“Is Rhys the only satyr in Praxis?” Lucy cocked her head to one side.

Cadmus nodded. “He is a dying breed, as I like to remind him from time to time,” Cadmus winked at Rhys across the table. Rhys shook his full mug in pretend anger.

The king and queen laughed and bantered with the clan leaders like old friends, and Cadmus caught Lucy’s eye and smiled on more than one occasion. She blushed and chastised herself for being caught staring, focusing with intensity on stabbing a piece of glazed sweet potato with her fork.

Zadok seemed to be the calm, unifying force among them. Seated at table’s center, he was congenial and warm, with kind eyes and an open mind for others’ opinions.

Lucy noticed a shift in Mack’s behavior as soon as Auriel took her seat across from him. He fumbled his silverware trying to unfold his napkin, sending all three pieces clattering to the floor.

So much for Mack being the smooth, coordinated one
, Lucy chuckled to herself. Auriel graced her older brother with a kind smile. Lucy watched him stutter through several minutes of forced conversation, fishing for the right thing to say.

“So Auriel—may I call you Auriel?” Mack’s eyebrows arched as he folded his hands in his lap.

Auriel laughed, a melodic tinkling of tiny bells. “Of course you may. You must.” She smiled.
Her smile that could melt all the snow in Algid
, Lucy thought. Like all the Bellaux, she was gorgeous. Her smooth, light brown hair framed eyes as clear and blue as Glacial Lake. Her cheekbones were high and her lips were two perfectly formed pink pillows beneath a button nose.

Mack let out a nervous chuckle. “I’ve been wondering: what is it like to live in the Tree of Virtue?”

“It is paradise for us,” Auriel began. “We live in harmony with all the creatures of the tree, and the tree provides us everything we need—the bark is crispy and rich in nutrients. It tastes like your sweet potato,” she gestured to the brimming bowl of candied sweet potatoes between them. “The leaves are abundant and succulent, full of vitamins and proteins. The tree also produces red berries, crunchy brown nuts, a sweet syrupy nectar, and thick golden honey that comes from the seasonal blooming of little white blossoms.”

“It sounds amazing!” Mack’s mouth hung open, entranced.

“Well, it is—but we do not allow any other clan creatures into the tree. Just the Bellaux and the woodland creatures who call it home. We share the tree with many such creatures—squirrels, song birds, and owls, to name a few.”

To Auriel’s right, her dark-haired sister Odessa nodded in an absent, distracted manner. Lucy noticed she kept shooting nervous glances toward the other end of the table. Something seemed to be bothering her.

When everyone had finished eating, servers cleared away the dishes and the pitchers were topped off. King Muttongale cleared his throat to silence the chatter.

“Leaders of Praxis, we have gathered tonight with the very important purpose of discussing the way ahead for Praxis in this time of great significance. As you all know, this is Praxis’ Mapkeeper, Ms. Lucy Barnes.” He gestured to Lucy. “We owe her our complete allegiance and support. Together, we must unite to defeat the dark forces that would destroy us!” He popped to his feet for emphasis, but only became shorter upon extracting himself from his plump, cushioned throne.

Bade rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his forehead. Low chatter broke out among the guests.

“Why is Bade here if Cadmus is the people’s clan leader?” Lucy whispered to Queen Oleksandra.

“He is permitted to attend because he claims to represent the interests Digby, the leader of the trolls. Of course, we would rather a human attend than Digby—he’s a massive brute,” the queen confessed, leaning in close. “Of course, there are those who question whether Bade represents the interests of the trolls, or has his own agenda…” she trailed off as the king clattered a spoon against his golden chalice, calling for attention.

“Let the Council begin! We will open with some words from Ms. Barnes.” He hopped back up onto his throne, his bejeweled crown tipping askew on his head.

Lucy gulped. Her palms were sweaty as she pushed back from the table to stand.

“Good evening,” she began, battling back the flurry of nerves that was whirring in her stomach. “As his highness said, I’m Lucy Barnes, the new Mapkeeper of Praxis.”

Everyone was watching her. She swallowed hard, and then continued with her premeditated speech. “I didn’t know I would be Mapkeeper, or even what that was, until just a few days ago.” Her brothers smiled, reassuring her. She clasped her hands in front of her, realizing that they were shaking. “But I am here, ready to do whatever it takes to bring peace to Praxis. I look forward to learning from each of you. I don’t know much about Praxis yet, but I am very willing to learn, and I am becoming more proficient with the map each day. Thank you for your attention,” she trailed off, sliding back into her chair with a huge sigh. Her hands were shaking more than ever. She stuffed them into the pockets of her pants.

Across the table, Cadmus gave her a soul-melting smile of reassurance. Tears of relief and appreciation sprang into her eyes. Cadmus stood and broke the silence.

“Thank you, Lucy. Know that we all look forward to working with you as well to find the best solution to our current situation here in Praxis.” He squared his shoulders, facing the rest of the table. “You elected me head of the Clan Council, and as such, I will direct the progress of the meeting from here on. The floor is open for dialogue regarding the recent disasters that have stricken our land.” He sat down, leaning forward with one arm on the table.

Adalia rose to speak first. She was petite, with cropped white-blonde hair that swept across her forehead in a smooth flat layer. Her green eyes were a brilliant contrast to her unblemished ivory skin, even from all the way across the room. Her ears were large and pointed, somehow lending her an aura of wisdom. She spoke with precision and clarity.

“Fellow clan leaders, I think we all recognize the signs of what is happening in Praxis. Our clans have existed in this land for thousands of years. We’ve all been passed down the legends of old detailing the disasters which came close to overcoming our ancestors. It is clear that we are in the middle of the same progression of events. The fifteenth Mapkeeper was able to defeat the three legendary beasts before they destroyed the castle—this time, we must not wait until the bitter end to find a way to squelch this dark magic.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Enzo cut in as he stood. Standing, he was a hair taller than Rhys, who remained seated beside him. His pale blue eyes flashed with passion beneath thick black eyebrows. All of his features were small and squashed with the exception of his ears, which were large and positioned low on his head. His trimmed, straight black beard was peppered with flecks of silver and white that traveled up his mutton chops, becoming more frequent and outnumbering the dark hairs in his sideburns. He had a helmet of straight black hair that seemed to grow at a vertical angle from his scalp, forming a rectangular covering atop his head.

He slammed his little hands on the table. “We’ve got a brand new Mapkeeper who has no experience with handling the map!” he cried, gesturing at Lucy in frustration.

Lucy’s face burned. The council erupted in arguments. Everyone had an opinion, and they all wanted to share it at once. Only Zadok was silent, arms crossed in thought as he listened to Odessa and Rhys try to shout over one another across the table. Bade and Adalia were engaged in a similar cross-table debate, while Enzo and Glump leaned so far over the table toward one another, only the short distance between them seemed to hold them back from a physical confrontation. Across from Lucy, Cadmus was engaged in a debate with Auriel.

“Enough!” the king cried, smashing his chalice onto the table, sending mead sloshing all over the table and into Cadmus’ lap. King Muttongale didn’t notice. “We’ll never get anywhere arguing like a bunch of children!” Rhys was pulling Enzo back into his chair. Zadok placed a calming hand on Glump’s shoulder, but the goblin threw it off in irritation.

“Don’t touch me, horse man!” Glump growled.

“If we can’t hold a civilized discussion, we will send you all away!” the king shouted. His meek voice was not intimidating, but the group quieted nonetheless.

Bade, silent up until now, stood and lifted his chin with an air of superiority.

“I think what we all need to focus on is how Ms. Barnes intends to help us. After all, isn’t she supposed to be the one who can defeat these so-called dark forces?” His stubble-encrusted upper lip curled in a sneer as he glared in Lucy’s direction. A warm rush of blood saturated her face. Cadmus stood, rescuing her from the daunting chore of defending herself.

“Lucy will continue to work with the map to figure out how to make it work for her. In the meantime, we need to discuss ways our clans can best prepare for future disasters. The people in the village have already begun reinforcing their roofs with hard wood, and are storing up extra days of food and supplies just in case. Should any clan’s home be destroyed, they will find refuge in the Town Hall.”

Auriel and Odessa let out sighs of relief. The Tree of Virtue was massive and thick-trunked, but it was only one tree.

“I speak on behalf of Digby and the trolls,” Bade announced. “They will not run from natural disasters. Should their caves be destroyed, they will come down from the mountains and take whichever dwelling suits them. They are not concerned with the wellbeing of the other clans. But perhaps if that child—” he gestured toward Lucy, “learned how to use her map, we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place,” he spat.

Lucy felt the heat rise to her face again. Furious, she shoved her chair back and spread the map on the table.

“I have already begun to develop a bond with the map and am well on my way to learning how to make it work for me,” she declared, believing most of her claim to be true. She jabbed the map with a finger for emphasis.

Without warning, the Great Hall began to shake with force, rattling utensils and clattering plates. Lucy grabbed onto the heavy table for support. A moment later, the shaking faded away as dust drifted down from the ceiling, coating the hushed group in a thin layer of powder. Lucy slowly lifted her gaze to discover the eyes of everyone in the room fixed on her. She swallowed hard, unsure if she had caused the quake, or if it was a matter of chance that it coincided with her forceful poke of the map.