Chace Ogden and the Quest for Raven Page 10

  “Sweet,” Taz said, about to say more when he was cut off by a loud crunching sound from the unicorn. We turned to find the creature happily munching on the onions they’d brought with a look of sheer pleasure on its sweet little face.

  Maps let out a guffaw, clutching her stomach. “I guess it wouldn’t have worked anyway if unicorns like onions so much. These things are so freaking strong, Me and Taz were crying half the trip back and it would have all been for nothing if you two hadn’t gotten a tear from that little unicorn.”

  “I appreciate the try, though,” I said with a grin.

  “All that’s left is to bring us back, Chace,” Raven said, looking at me expectantly. “Think you’re feeling strong enough.

  “Yup,” I said, pulling out the bottle of Thriple and uncorking it. “And if I’m not, this should do the trick. Thanks, buddy," I said to the unicorn, patting him on the head as he greedily scarfed down another onion. I lifted the bottle and then knocked back to contents in one swallow. I cringed briefly at the strange metallic taste, but the disgust faded as the magical energy of what felt like the whole Realm seemed to come into view all at once.

  I could recognize Gwynth, Fyfe, the Lamassu, and even Klugg himself as fuzzy balls of various colors made of magical light in the distance. I could sense dragons in the high mountains with more magical power than I had, even after taking the Thriple. I could detect tiny insects in the ground below me with just a flicker of light inside them.

  “Amazing,” I whispered, trying not to get sucked into the wonder of it all.

  Weirdest of all was the writhing mass of magical energy in the trees not ten feet away from us. It felt like a mix of all sorts of beings put into one, brown and thick and horrible. It made me sick to look at it for some reason I couldn’t explain. Worse yet, it felt like it was clawing at me and sucking me into it. I turned away from it, repulsed, and reached to grab my friends’ hands, eager to get away from whatever the heck that was.

  I pulled myself back to my senses, remembering that I didn't have much time with the Thriple. I put my hands out for my friends to grab, noticing briefly that Taz was invisible to me except for the earring in his ear. Even stranger was the fact that Maps was lit up with the same type of light that the other magical creatures were, though it was more faded and dim. I made a mental note to ask Twee Twyla about it later. I focused all of my magical energy on returning to the Human Realm.

  A second later, the Magical Realm blinked out of existence. The next thing I knew, I felt a bony hand clutching my wrist and heard a familiar, raspy voice in my ear.

  “Hurry, boy! Hurry!”

  Chapter 17

  I frowned, motioning for my friends to follow as Twee Twyla dragged me inside.

  “We’re more than a day early...” I murmured, her panicked response starting to make me panic.

  "You're not, child. We have—" she broke off as the grandfather clock in her living room began to gong, and she began to run. "No time to waste!"

  We barreled breathlessly into the living room as the twelfth chime sounded.

  “He’s here!” she shouted, pulling me to sit at the couch across from a smiling Seth.

  “Ah, yes. Unfortunately, a bit too late,” Seth said as he shook his head, pointing to the clock. “I was pulling for you, but alas, a deal is a deal. I am truly sorry about your heart, boyo." He reached into his pocket with a sigh and stood, pulled out a latex glove before tugging it onto his hand.

  “Wait, what?” I asked, terror rolling over me in nauseating waves as Raven rushed to my side and gripped my shoulder.

  Twee Twyla had told me that I’d be able to slow the passing of time while I was in the Magical Realm, but it clearly hadn’t worked. Raven leaped in front of me as I huddled against the couch cushions and put my hand to my chest, heart thumping rapidly. Taz pulled the bow off of his shoulder and padded over to stand beside Raven, a fierce expression on his face I’d never seen before.

  “D-Did I really miss it?” I whispered, turning to Twee Twyla.

  She wheeled around and glared at Seth, hands raised as if she was going to give him a wallop. “Back away from him, immediately.” Seth raised one eyebrow and blew out an exasperated breath as he stepped back, hands raised in surrender.

  Twee Twyla turned back to me with a gentle smile.

  “It’s all right, boy. Seth knows very well that your heart would already have been magically transported into his care if the time for the contract was truly up. It was, indeed, a close call. A few moments later and..." she trailed off and sniffed indignantly. "Let's just say your efforts to slow time in the Magical Realm didn't work so well. Something I'm sure we can thank Seth for. Decided not to play fair again, Seth?" she demanded, cocking a hand on her hip.

  "There were no caveats about my interference in the contract, so I'd say I did play fair. What's not fair is that you're stopping me from completing the transaction when Chace clearly missed the midnight deadline," he said as he pointed at the clock.

  I turned back to Twee Twyla, fear still clawing at me.

  She let out a snort and shrugged. “Wrong. I always set my clocks five minutes fast so that I don't miss my Pilates class. Chace still has five minutes. Now take the unicorn tear he’s brought you and be done with it.”

  She turned and shot me a nervous glance. “You did bring the tear, yes, boy?”

  I nodded, the tightness in my chest finally loosening some. “Yes.” I lightly pushed Raven’s outstretched arm out of the way and stepped toward Seth reluctantly. Realizing what a close call it had been and how ready he’d been to take my heart made me want to get away from him as soon as possible. “Here you go,” I said, making an effort to meet his eyes as I handed him the vial.

  “Good, then,” he said, giving me a thin smile as he put it in his bag. He reached out to shake my hand, “And I hope you’ll keep me in mind if you’re looking for other magical items in the future.”

  Raven let out a low snarl. I ignored my instincts as I reached to shake his hand. The fact was, it didn’t pay to make enemies in my position. Especially with someone as useful as Seth. Despite the price I’d nearly paid for his help, I would go to him again if Raven or one of the other Myth Squad members were in trouble. I’d just be a lot more careful next time.

  But the moment his skin touched mine, my mind was filled with a familiar image of a writhing mass of magical energy of all colors mixing to a muddy brown. I could even feel the same sensation of being sucked in as I had in the Magical Realm.

  I drew back with a gasp as he shot me a knowing smile. Twee Twyla was right. He had been in the Magical Realm. Not only influencing the passage of time but also trying to suck me back in long enough to miss the deadline.

  That went beyond tricky and cunning straight into serial killer, psycho territory.

  Raven and Maps yanked me away after what must've been a very long handshake. I turned to see Taz with a drawn bow pointed at Seth.

  “Well, it seems as if I've overstayed my welcome. I supposed I should take my leave," Seth said, bowing in an exaggerated manner. "Feel free to give me a call directly if you need anything in the future." He held out a business card to me, but Raven reached for it instead.

  “Thanks for your help, but I'd rather eat maggoty cheese than ever see you again," she said sarcastically. The card instantly burned to ash in her hand. He smiled and stepped past her, heading out the door.

  “You were right about him, he’s the worst,” Maps grumbled.

  Taz finally took the arrow out of his bow and lowered it as I flopped onto the couch, suddenly drained of energy. The rush of Thriple had evaporated, and the near-death experience must’ve really taken a toll on me.

  “Wait a moment,” Twee Twyla said, her gaze catching on Maps, a horrified expression washing over her face. “Who is this? Did you bring this young Fae girl back from the Magical Realm with you? That’s totally against the code. This could end up being a serious cross-Realm incident if we don’t get her back there, AS
AP.”

  “What Fae girl? We didn’t take anyone extra back from the Magical Realm except Raven.” Maps said, looking around, confused.

  “Do you mean to tell me you don’t even know?” Twee Twyla asked, mouth gaping. “You...What’s your name, girl?” she demanded.

  “Magdalena, but you can call me Maps if you prefer,” she said, looking around the room hesitantly. “Why?”

  "Well, Magdalena, I'm sure this'll be a bit of a bombshell for you, but you're at least part Fae."

  Maps drew back, clearly shell-shocked. “I-I don’t know what that means, what even is a Fae?” Maps said, cutting off as Twee Twyla began talking again.

  “Well, to give you the short answer, the Fae are ancestors of humans from many eons ago, when the two Realms were one. One of the biggest differences is that we Fae have inherent magical power, while most humans lack abilities of any kind. With that said, partly because we have such a long lifespan and partly because our magic makes life simpler, we tend to lack the creativity and drive that humans have. I'm sure this is all a lot to process, but I can sense your latent Magical Talent. All it would take is for you to tap into it.”

  “I’m Magic?” Maps asked incredulously.

  “I sensed it too,” I interjected, my words slightly slurred as the exhaustion seemed to thicken. "When I took the Thriple, I could see magical power coming out of you where I saw none from Taz. Besides the earring." I looked at him apologetically, but he seemed too stunned by the revelation about Maps to care.

  Twee Twyla nodded before walking over to her desk and scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Here, take this and give me a call once you've given it some thought. I'll give you whatever information you need, free of charge. You can consider it a first-time customer special."

  Maps nodded in wonder, grabbing the paper, “It’s all starting to make sense. I guess it explains why I was able to see those amulet markings Raven left behind and Taz wasn’t.”

  "Now be on your way, I have a lot of work to do," Twee Twyla said, starting to sound like her usual, harsh self which actually made me feel a little better. If Twee Twyla felt better about all this, then I could finally let out a sigh of relief. We’d done it. We’d gotten to the Magical Realm, saved Raven, and returned in time to save my heart.

  Barely.

  “Have a good day, Twee Twyla,” Raven said, helping me to my feet and ushering us out, following close behind us. “But know this. If you ever allow Chace to put himself in danger like that again over me? Seth will be the least of your problems. ”

  She slammed the door before Twee Twyla could respond.

  That sealed it. Seth was scary, but Raven?

  Was terrifying.

  But she was home, and that was all that mattered.

  “I'm so dead. Like so, so, so dead. I'm thinking about going back and asking Seth for help. Because whatever he might do is going to pale in comparison to what my mom is gonna do,” Taz hissed as we neared his street a few minutes later. “What happened to slowing time down, bro?”

  "Yea, I'm really sorry," I said, "but when I took the Thriple, I noticed a mysterious presence that felt very similar to the one I felt from Seth when I shook his hand. He must've been using his powers to try to make us miss the deadline."

  Raven nodded, a sickened look on her face, “That’d be just like him.”

  “Well, all I know is that my mom is going to literally kill me,” Taz said, now shaking as we turned down his street. “We’ve been gone for more than two days.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’m dead meat too,” I said, frowning as I imagined how bad my mom was going to freak out when she saw me.

  “Don’t forget what we agreed on. We're telling our parents we got lost while we were in the woods. They can't be as mad if we didn't do it on purpose," Maps said.

  “Oh no, oh no, oh no, is that a police car?” Taz said as his house came into view. “I’m so screwed!”

  Chapter 18

  “Chace? Chace! Is that you?!"

  Mom's voice rang through the hall as she came running into the living room to find Raven and me standing there, shamefaced.

  “Chace!” She tightened the belt around her robe and rushed toward me, cupping my face in her hands. “Thank goodness! Where have you been?” Mom hissed, face tomato red as relief turned to anger. I could see how tired she was from the purple bags under her eyes. Guilt hit me like a blow to the stomach when I thought about how worried she must’ve been.

  “I’m so sorry, Mom. W-we all went out exploring in the woods,” I stammered, parroting Maps’ planned excuse that had worked so well on her parents just a few minutes earlier when we’d dropped her off. They hadn’t even noticed she was gone until this morning, and while they’d been afraid, they were just happy to have her back. On the other hand, I’d gotten one text from Taz since we’d dropped him off. It read:

  2007-2019

  Here lies Taz, and all of his privileges. This will be our last communication for the foreseeable future. No phone, no games, no computer, no going outside, and can you believe no snacks?? How long, you ask? According to my mom, “forever.”

  So, it’s been real. Also, my mom is now in possession of one magical earring.

  Still, I wouldn't trade the past couple of days for the world. Catch you on the flip side, bro.

  #MythSquad4Ever

  Now, as I looked at the fury sweeping across my mom’s face, I knew which way she was leaning.

  “Who do you think you are?” Mom demanded, sucking in a long breath before continuing to shout, “You leave the house and go off galavanting for days without even contacting me? Who even is this girl, and when did I say you were allowed to go camping?"

  "This is Raven, she's a friend from school. And we were planning on coming back, but we got lost," I said. The effects of the Thriple had done a number on me. I was shaking with exhaustion, which I hoped made it more believable to her.

  "Well, you're grounded, young man. No more video games or playing outside for a month. I can’t...I don’t understand. We all pay for these silly cell phones. Why didn’t you text me? And where did you even go to get lost in the woods around here?” she said, not entirely out of steam, but not screaming quite as loudly as before. I spotted Max coming out of his room and shooting me a sympathetic but relieved look as he wiggled his fingers in greeting.

  "We didn't have service, and we eventually ran out of battery," I said. It was a weak excuse, none of the forests around us were remote enough to actually be out of range of cell service, but it was all we could come up with. “And we were in the woods behind the cornfield near the school.” It was a large enough area for a person to lose their way, although the idea that Taz and I would get lost there was ludicrous. We’d practically grown up in those woods.

  “No more playing in that forest until you’re older. You and Taz need to get a better sense of direction. I swear the two of you don’t have the brains the celestial heavens gave you.” Triumph swelled in me as her angry frown was replaced by what could almost pass as a watery smile. If a month-long grounding and a short, if brutal, lecture was the worst I got for this, I considered it a win. "I know you didn't mean it, Chace, but everyone was anxious about you guys, I really need you to try to be safer."

  “I will,” I said, glancing behind her to see Pop following Max into the room.

  “Chace!” he said, moving as quickly as his old legs could carry him to pull me into a hug. “Are you hurt?”

  "No, I'm fine," I said. My head was pounding. I just wanted this to be over with, so I could go to sleep, but I knew I'd have to explain it all to Pop before doing so.

  “How about you, young lady?” Mom demanded sternly, turning to Raven. “Do your parents know yet? Shall I give you a ride home?”

  “My mom is on her way to pick me up,” she lied, “but she’ll be a while, she works pretty far away. I can wait outside if...”

  “No! No more outside,” Mom said, holding up a hand with a sigh, “Yo
u can stay as long as you need,” she said, turning back to me. “We’ll talk more soon, I have to call the police and the other people I had searching.” She shot me one last icy look before kissing me firmly on the forehead. “Now get some food for you and Raven, I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  “Chace?” Pop called softly as my mom exited the room. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Sure,” I said with a smile. It was finally hitting me that I'd almost died, never to see these faces again, and I wasn't handling it super well. I needed food and rest, in that order, but I could tell Pop needed to hear the tale, and likely wouldn't feel settled until he did. And, after all that I'd put them through, it seemed the least I could do.

  He turned to Raven then back to me, giving me a questioning look. I nodded. He beckoned us both to follow him into his side of the house.

  “Go back to your game, Max, I have to ask your brother a few questions.”

  He nodded, jumping forward and giving me a hug. “I was worried about you, dumb-dumb," he said, squeezing tight.

  “Sorry, bud,” I said as he pulled away. I mentally cursed Seth for putting my family through this nightmare and followed Pop into his section of the house.

  “I tried to keep your mother calm, but it was impossible," Pop said as he gestured to his weathered old couch and sat on a recliner across from us. "She was beside herself, and I knew anything I could tell her would likely only scare her more. I'm glad you're back. Both of you." His eyes looked a little glassy, and he blinked back tears before turning to Raven. "So, Raven, Chace tells me you're his Protector.” I cringed internally, hoping he’d stop there. I’d sworn to Raven I wouldn’t talk to anyone about my magic...

  “Oh yeah?” she said, shooting me a pointed glare.

  “No need to worry, I know all about it. I was a Hunter myself when I was younger.”

  Raven looked to me in shock, “Wait, what? W-Why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded, shaking her head slowly.