The Castle: Prequel to the Guardian Angel Series Read online

  ***

  For the next week, Heather went back and forth from the Castle to Dragon’s Keep while the Council worked on the spell. She witnessed the progress and surprised herself on more than one occasion by adding her own input regarding the magic involved.

  “I think you understand the spell as well as I do,” Henry said once.

  His compliment flattered her, but she knew her talents were modest. “Understanding is one thing, but you know the saying,” she’d said with a smile, “those who can, do, those who can’t, teach.”

  On one occasion she caught sight of Halley lingering in the doorway. She went to her, understanding the Guardian needed word of her daughter.

  “Halley!” Heather greeted her with a hug. “Your Alison is a marvel. She charms everyone she comes in contact with!”

  Heather chatted for a long time relating and embellishing every anecdote she could think of. Most of them came from Marigold, who spent a surprising amount of time with Alison.

  All of her visits were much too short, but she didn’t dare stay away from the Castle for long. Thaddeus searched her out often, and she had probably overused all her excuses by now, especially her morning sickness, which carried the disadvantage of ringing a little too true.

  Now, late one afternoon, she worked in the Tower Lab, finding it empty even though it now served a dual purpose as both a classroom and a working lab. Just as Thaddeus had planned, she reflected grimly. She no longer had the illusion of the bustling activity on the other side. Instead, a depressing vision of cobwebs covering the useless equipment at Dragon’s Keep filled her mind. But not for long, she vowed. Soon it would end. It must.

  She looked up as Marigold came into the Lab and plopped down at a work station. Heather worried about her. Marigold didn’t talk about the demonstration or what had happened during her temporary banishment, but she’d changed. She seemed to want to stay close to home, at the Castle. She also didn’t press for details about what happened with the strategy at Dragon’s Keep, saying only it was best if she didn’t know.

  Marigold reclined the chair back and flung the back of her hand over her eyes. “I am exhausted.”

  “Why?”

  “I just spent the past half hour breaking up a squabble between the children. Our Alison was distraught because Roddy told her he knew a secret. The little termite kept taunting her.” Marigold imitated the boy, singing, ‘I know something you don’t know.’”

  Heather’s head had snapped up at the word ‘secret.’ “What secret?”

  Marigold kept her eyes closed and waved her free hand. “Apparently Roddy told her how his daddy always put a secret room in his buildings. The only way to appease them was to go look.”

  Heather felt like the rug just got pulled out beneath her feet.

  “Did you find it?”

  Marigold dropped her hand and sat up straight. “You knew about it too, didn’t you? So much for the secret part in secret room! How did you find it?”

  “Yes, Heather, how did you find the secret room?”

  Thaddeus stood in the doorway.