The Sapphire Quest (6 page)

She crouched in shadows near the trapdoor, waiting till it was fully dark. While she waited she wondered what her friends would think when they saw her. She expected they'd be angry with her for putting them in even greater danger than before. Maybe they wouldn't want to help her any more?

The trapdoor opened and the three children climbed into the street. Tia walked out into the moonlight. ‘Don't be afraid,' she said softly. ‘It's me, Tia.'

The three children stood stock still and stared as if she were a ghost.

‘But you were taken,' Ingvar said.

Tia went closer. ‘I escaped. I've been walking for two days without any food. I'm so hungry.'

They still stood frozen to the spot.

‘I didn't mean to cause trouble,' Tia said. ‘I only spoke to Master Zeno because...'

‘You wanted to ask him about your father,' Bryndis
said. ‘I came back for you and heard everything. When he called for the guards I ran away.'

To Tia's astonishment, Bryndis hugged her. ‘I would do the same to find my mother.'

‘Me too,' Ingvar said gruffly. ‘Though I'd trust the rest of you enough to tell you what I was going to do.'

Sindri reached shyly for Tia's hand as though he was trying to decide if she was real or not.

‘We've got some food in the cellar,' Bryndis said. ‘Come and have that and then sleep while we work. You can tell us all about what happened when we come back in the morning.'

‘And we'll bring more food,' Ingvar promised.

Tia wearily climbed into the cellar. She ate the pastries the children gave her then lay down. Once she was settled, her friends left for the castle. Tia was so tired she only just managed to turn down the oil lamp before she fell fast asleep.

Tia was in a muddle. Ingvar had said they ought to trust each other, and she did trust him, and Bryndis. She even trusted little Sindri though he was too young to be told everything. Of course, she had trusted Zeno, and see where that had got her. But her friends had looked after her and shared their hiding place with her.

All the same, Tia knew she couldn't tell them about her life with the dragons or her mission to recover their jewels. And she certainly couldn't reveal the fact that she had witch powers. No, she had to accept that she couldn't share her secrets with anyone.

Once her mind was made up, Tia felt better and when the children returned from the castle with lots more food, she forgot her problems as she ate.
When she'd finished her friends listened eagerly as she told them about being ‘taken' by Skadi.

‘What did it feel like?' Sindri asked.

‘Horrible! It makes you go wobbly and sick.'

‘Do you think our mother might've been taken to the same place?' Bryndis wanted to know.

Tia shook her head. ‘There was no sign,' she said. She wasn't going to mention the bones.

‘Skadi does take people to faraway places like farms and mills,' Ingvar said. ‘She makes them work for her and locks them up at night. Maybe Mother will come back one day, like you have.'

Tia knew that when she'd stolen the sapphire her friends would be free to talk to their Aunt Tinna and she could help them look for their mother. ‘If Skadi didn't have the sapphire, the people in Iserborg could take the town back and keep her in the castle where she can't do any harm. They've done it to the High Witches in Drangur, Kulafoss and Stoplar.'

‘How do you know that?' Bryndis asked. ‘Is it because you really are the jewel thief?'

Tia held out her hands, palms up. ‘Have you seen me with any jewels?'

The three children shook their heads.

‘I'm sure if I had the topaz and the opal you'd see me using them.' She was glad Finn had persuaded
her to let him look after those gems. She had used them and found it difficult to stop. She didn't mention the emerald, which she was sitting on at that moment.

‘I suppose that's true,' Ingvar admitted.

‘I heard about what happened to the witches when I was travelling. The jewels always seemed to be stolen when I was there.' That was true.

Bryndis laughed. ‘As you're here now, do you think the sapphire will be stolen too?'

Tia grinned. ‘I expect so.'

‘Then you can move on to look for your father. Where will you try next?' Ingvar asked.

‘Askarlend – then Holmurholt.' Tia tried not to think about Holmurholt. It was where her mother Ondine, youngest of the six High Witches, lived.

Sindri flung his arms round Tia. ‘But you're going to stay with us a bit longer, aren't you?'

Tia hugged him back. ‘Oh, at least till tomorrow!'

There were no more questions then. The children seemed happy with Tia's answers, and they settled down to sleep.

Tia lay down too, but when the others were asleep she quietly lifted her blankets, prised up the loose stone, took out the emerald ring and threaded it back on her chain.

She'd slept so long already that she was wide awake, so she concentrated on thinking about how to steal the sapphire. She planned to do it that night. She was sure she could get through the trolls' magic beams without raising the alarm. Then, before Skadi was awake, she'd leave by the watergate with her friends, as usual. She'd wait for the guards to open the town gates at dawn, follow the quarrymen down the Avenue of Beasts and wait for Loki to find her. When he did she'd ask him to fly the jewel, and a message, to Finn.

She smiled at the thought of seeing her DragonBrother again. He might even disguise himself to fool the spell and come to pick her up in his scaly arms. That would save her a walk!

She turned over and dozed off, dreaming she was back in the Drakelow Mountains, curled up against her beloved DragonMother in her warm familiar cavern.

‘Time to go!' Ingvar unlocked the trapdoor and they climbed into the street. He and Sindri walked ahead while Tia and Bryndis followed.

‘You've brought your bag with you tonight – are you leaving?' Bryndis asked softly.

‘Yes,' Tia said. ‘I didn't find my parents and it's time to move on. Besides, I don't want Skadi to know I escaped.' All those facts were true. ‘I'll help you with the tasks tonight and leave in the morning.'

‘Will we see you again?'

‘I hope so.'

‘We'll miss you.'

‘I'll miss you too.' Tia had grown to like her friends very much. Not as much as Finn but he was her DragonBrother and she loved him.

At the castle they did their jobs as usual, hid from Tinna, and played games after she'd gone. While her friends were absorbed in throwing dice Tia quietly left the kitchen and made her way to the High Witch's tower rooms. She went up the dark stairway, darted through the blue-lit hall and sneaked a look into the troll room. Nothing had changed.

Tia set her bag by the archway and concentrated on the rays streaming from the trolls' eyes. She could take her time but she had to be sure she didn't touch one of the beams of magic and set off an alarm.

She took a deep breath, made sure her jacket wasn't flapping loose and stepped over the first beam. The trolls didn't move. She was safe!

Bit by bit she worked her way over and under the rays of magic until she reached the marble block with the silver bracelet resting on the top. The sapphire was held in a setting running round the jewel's edge like a belt. That meant one side always lay on the wearer's skin while the other side was on show.

And what a show it was! The sapphire glowed like the purest blue sky on a summer's day. Tia wanted to stare into its depths for ever.

She reached out and carefully picked up the bracelet. The trolls didn't move. Tia slid the bracelet onto her wrist, feeling the sapphire against her skin, its power seeping into her. She lifted her arm and the jewel glowed at her.

Tia's mind swam, filled with the beauty and power of the blue stone. Why didn't she just transport herself straight to Askarlend? She could do it with no problem at all...

No! She'd promised Finn she'd never use the jewels. She shook her head, stumbled backwards as her mind cleared, and trod on one of the gossamer rays of magic.

The beams turned red, piercing the sapphire's heavenly blue light with a lurid crimson. It lit up the trolls' faces, staining their broken fangs as they ground their jaws. With a ghastly grating noise they raised their clubs and swivelled towards Tia, their red eyes pulsing.

Tia pelted for the archway. Two trolls reached it before her. They crammed into the space at the same time and trapped themselves. Before they could wrench their bodies free, or the other trolls could
reach her, Tia snatched up her bag and squeezed between their stone legs into the hall.

‘You!' Skadi stood in the doorway to her rooms, staring in furious shock.

‘Yes, me!' Tia sprang forward towards the stairs but a marble fist caught her bag. Her jacket sleeve slid up her arm, showing the bracelet.

‘My sapphire!' Skadi screamed.

In panic Tia pushed at the troll's hand gripping her bag. Why hadn't she just transported herself to Askarlend when she had the chance? An image of Hyldi's castle flashed through her mind –

And then she was there. The sprawling, ungainly building loomed above her, lights flashing and music ringing from every window and door. Tia had transported herself there without meaning to. And she'd brought the troll with her!

‘Ugh?' He let go of Tia and stared round in bewilderment before the last of Skadi's magic drained out of him and he turned to nothing more than a statue again.

Tia hurriedly pulled down her sleeve to hide the glowing sapphire and walked away with her head down. While people were excitedly gathering round the marble troll who'd suddenly appeared in their midst, they weren't bothering with her.

When she reached a quiet little square with a fountain splashing in the middle, she slid off the bracelet and put it in her pocket. She sat on the wall surrounding the fountain and thought about Skadi. The commotion she'd made would alert everyone in the castle and they'd soon realise she couldn't ‘take' people any more or switch from place to place in the blink of an eye. Surely they'd overpower her and spread the good news among the townsfolk? Then, when Loki patrolled Iserborg he'd see cheerful people, realize what had happened and report to Finn.

Tia brightened at the thought – then frowned. It might still take her friends some time to work out that she was already in Askarlend. Perhaps she ought to use the sapphire and return to them now? It was easy; she hadn't felt sick or dizzy when she'd transported herself.

Before she knew what she was doing the bracelet was in her hand and she was gazing into the sapphire's entrancing blue glow.

She closed her eyes. No – the jewels were too powerful for her to control; that was why she'd promised her DragonBrother never to use them. She shoved the bracelet back in her pocket. She had to wait till Finn and Loki came looking for her.
Until then she needed a safe place to stay and a way to earn her food.

She pulled her jacket tightly round herself, slung her bag on her back, and set off to explore this flashing, noisy town she'd arrived in by mistake.

Can Tia and her friends meet the challenge of the fifth adventure? Find out in

The Ruby Quest

published by Bloomsbury
March 2014