The Shadow Dragons - James A. Owen [120]
“I’ll take responsibility for the Detective and the Magician,” said Burton. “They’re my apprentices, not the Shadow King’s. They’ll be penitent enough, I think.”
“You didn’t bring them with you,” said John. “Why?”
Burton grinned. “Self-preservation first. I am a barbarian, after all.”
Suddenly Defoe ripped a mirror from the wall and smashed it against Archimedes, who’d been perched atop the wardrobe. The owl screetched and flapped his wings, scattering silvered glass all over the Caretakers. John shouted to Bert, and together they calmed down the bird, who was ruffled but unharmed—but the distraction had served its purpose. Defoe had disappeared down one of the endless hallways.
“Never mind,” said Poe. “We’ve cut off his means of escape. We’ll find him later.”
“If Archimedes is here,” said Bert, “does that mean Stellan and the others are too?”
“Not Stellan,” said Poe, looking at his watch. “It’s been too long.”
“We must mourn later,” Bert said, grabbing John’s shoulders. “We have to find Rose!”
“I agree. I’ve had enough of debate,” said John. “We’re going out to join the battle.”
The Tin Man, staunch as he was, was being overrun.
The masses of children were finally proving too much, so others of the allies, still under the instruction to delay and not harm, tried to aid his efforts.
The Valkyries were the most effective of the allies’ forces, because they were more mobile and flexible than any of the other groups. But they were also the most vulnerable, because they couldn’t wear armor and still fly—and any blow that could knock them out meant a fall to the death, unless one of their companions caught them.
The warrior children started hurling stones with slings when they realized their closest enemies were airborne. Sadie Pepperpot had taken a terrible blow to her shoulder, and her left arm was hanging nearly useless at her side. Several others were also injured.
The Tin Man started to pull back, and the others realized that combat with the children might be inevitable.
Stephen cried out when the Shadow King had speared Artus, and he rushed forward, but Jack held him back.
“Look!” Jack cried out. “There! Down the hill!”
The companions, keeping one eye on the Shadow King, edged away from him and risked a glance to where Jack was pointing.
It was Ransom, Quixote, and Rose. And she was holding Caliburn. The sword was whole again.
On the opposite side of the beach, John and Bert had landed and were coming forward at the same time.
Across the bottom of the cliffs, Charles was leading Charys, Falladay Finn, and Eledir to where the fallen king lay in the grass. And Aven leaped down from her airship to stand next to her son.
“Now we’re going to finish this,” Aven said, drawing her sword. “You can’t take all of us, demon.”
“I don’t need to,” said the Shadow King, indicating the children in the pass. “They can.”
His words were confident, but the companions noticed that he had not taken his eyes off Rose—and the sword.
“We’re going to get him,” Stephen called up to Laura Glue, reaching for her. “Can you give us a little more time?”
“We’ll keep them off you as long as we can,” gasped Laura Glue, swooping down to take his hand.
“Thank you,” Stephen said. He gripped her hand tightly for a moment, as words unspoken passed between them in a long, lingering glance. Then she pulled free and rose into the air like a shot.
“Valkyries! To me!” she called out with a loud, trilling battle call. “Norah! Sadie! Abby Tornado!” The Valkyries, aided by the centaurs Charys had summoned, were holding the pass, if barely.
Rose and Quixote reached the top of the hill.
“I don’t believe it!” said Charles. “You did it!”
“It’s a fraud,” the Shadow King hissed. “This is your last chance to surrender.”
“No,” said John, as he and Bert topped the hill, “it’s yours”
Rose looked at Artus’s fallen body and winced. Then she looked up at Stephen and offered him the sword.
“You brought it back,” Stephen replied. “It’s yours to wield, just as the Prophecy said.”
“There is no Prophecy!