Anna Grayson and The Order of Merlin
The Jungles of the World Speak

As Anna entered the ServerHall, she was praying nobody would notice her. She wasn’t in the mood for happyconversation right now. She walked quickly with her head down, avoiding eyecontact with everybody as she headed up the girl’s staircase. She had to get tothe Verosapt as quickly as possible. When she reached the fourth floor, sheturned and ran into Gwen.

“Whoa –– hey, there you are. Ijust came from knocking on your door. Sarah told me you were still at prac —Hey!” Anna walked straight passed her.

“Not now, Gwen — I’ve gotsomething important I need to do.”

“Wait a minute…” Gwen wasjogging behind to catch up. “Where’s the fire? What’s so important?”

Anna whipped out her wand andblasted the knob on her door from five paces. It flew open with a bang as sheentered and Gwen could hear Sarah’s panicked scream inside.

“What’s happened? What’s thematter?”

Gwen entered the room just intime to see Anna pushing her way passed her roommate and toward the bedroom tothe back.

“Anna… What’s –– going –– on?”Gwen bellowed, raising her voice and glaring at Sarah. Anna’s roommate lookedterrified. The two followed Anna into the bedroom and found her staring at thekaleidoscope sitting on her dresser.”

“I know she’s lying,” Annawhispered hesitantly.

“Who’s lying? What’s going on?Who’s been lying to you?”

Anna glared back at Gwen with alook of penetrating loathing. “Debbie Dunning.”

“Oh no… now what? What did shedo?”

Anna stared at the kaleidoscopeagain. “Unspeakable lies.”

Hesitating slightly, Annaraised her hand and placed it upon the ruby mounted on the scope’s barrel.

“The Keeper commands youto speak!”

At once, a beam of red lightshot from out of the gem and spread itself wide before them. Billowing graysmoke could be seen writhing inside the center of the light and the echoingsounds of a far off jungle began to fill the room.

“What’s happening? What isthis?” Sarah said in surprise, backing away fearfully as her eyes darted aroundthe room for the source of the howling birdcalls.

Gwen moved forward to standnext to Anna in front of the dresser. “Anna… what is this thing?”

“Shhh,” Anna snapped, steppingback as the enormous face of the gorilla came forward. Gwen gasped when she sawthe creature reveal his massive fangs, set like sharpened bolts as he spoke.His tone was thick with malice, exposing a nature completely absent ofpatience.

“So… hath the Keeper FINALLYdecided to pluck the strings of truth witnessed by the Verosapt?”

“I have,” Anna said,determinedly. And then, without a moment’s pause, she said, “I need to know…”

“Halt!” bellowed thegreat ape amidst the excited clatter of a world unseen behind him. He stared ather fixedly, and then Anna could see his eyes moving to the girls standing behindher. “Thus, it is, I am the representative of truth and knowledge, passed tome through the eyes of my brethren kind. Thou hast but to ask the question ofthy choice and the wisdom of the hoard will be given unto thee. However, I mustknow… who art these humans with thee, daughter of Victoria?Our knowledge is meant… for the Keeper alone!”

Anna looked back at Gwen andSarah. A small part of her wanted them to leave: Because the question she wasabout to ask was so private, so personal, it could very well influence the restof her life forever. But who else would understand what the next few secondswould mean to her? Who else could comprehend the magnitude of what she was nowabout to do? She wanted Eric by her side, but the absent facts about her mother’sdeath had been eating away at the fabric of Anna’s soul for as long as shecould remember. She couldn’t wait any longer.

Sarah made a move toward thedoor. “I’ll leave… if… you want me to,” she said, almost pleadingly.

Anna looked at Gwen.

“Yeah… I guess we’ll go, then,”Gwen said, with the transparent look of a toddler unwillingly leaving thecircus. Anna thought and then turned back to the scope.

“They are my friends. I wantthem to stay with me.”

The creature grumbledreproachfully. “Very well.” His magical voice seemed to reverberateunder the floor beneath them before his giant head suddenly loomed forward intothe room to face Anna, his yellowed fangs bared.

“But thus be warned: Dostnot let the wisdom thee seeketh be of vanity or arrogance, little one. TheVerosapt is not to be abused with such human treacheries. Thou art permittedone question now and no other until the day of thine entry passes through timeagain. Pray for wisdom in what thee seeketh as we claim thy caution: Truth isthe illumination within the darkness of one’s soul, and hath the power todisplace all thou art or ever hopeth to be. But truth can also weigheth heavyon the mortal mind, especially… for one so young.” He stared at her, hisnarrowed eyes suddenly relaxing. “Dost the Keeper understand us?” Annanodded resignedly. Finally the creature, still holding his gaze long enough toinsure his meaning secure, began to fall back.

“Bravery in the face of theunknown is indeed… admirable,” he said, warily. “Feareth not the fidelityof the knowledge thou seeketh, Keeper. We art of the same blood; thus, it is,the jungles of the world await thy examination.”

Anna thought. She could see shehad to be careful about the way she asked the question. It should beopen-ended, requiring more than just a simple yes or no reply. Anna cast hermind about for a moment and then said, quite assuredly, “I’d like to know… howVictoria Grayson died?”

Instantly, there was a madmixture of squawking and hooting in the background as thousands of animals andcreatures began to sound as one. Finally, the great ape roared to silence them.He looked down at Anna, the irritation she had seen earlier now replaced withconcern.

“Art thou certain this bethe knowledge thee seeketh, little one? Thus… I offer thee, for the last time,my caution of the pain such realities can bringeth unto thy heart. Be very sureof this.”

Anna was resolute. “I am sure.Tell me how my mother died.”

The gorilla leaned back topause. “Very well… the Verosapt wilt now searcheth the truth in what itseeks.”

He tilted his head back andbegan to listen to the increasing clatter of the masses behind him. Anna couldhear more creatures joining the exchange. From every corner of the globe, fromevery hovel and hole, they sang, screeched, and called: A cry of an eagle, theroar of a large cat, deep bellowing sounds emanating from an ocean’s depths. Onand on they added their voices, working to resolve Anna’s question.

“Oh… my God,” Gwen said,fearfully. She slowly sat on the bed next to Sarah, her grip of what was aboutto happen strengthening.

“What is it, Gwen? What’shappening?” Sarah asked, looking both scared and confused. Gwen looked at herand then to Anna standing before the kaleidoscope.

“I don’t think Anna has evertruly accepted the entire story of her mother’s death,” Gwen replied,worriedly. “Debbie Dunning must have said something terrible to force her intodoing this.” She shook her head. “I’m worried even if Anna replaces out shealready knows the truth… there’s going to be a reckoning with the captain’ssister. But if there’s more to the story, if Anna replaces out she doesn’t knowthe whole truth…” She looked at Sarah and could see comprehension growingacross the other girl’s face. Sarah looked back at Anna, who had buried herface in prayer while she waited. And then, all at once, the squawking clatterceased and the great ape lowered his head to look down.

“Thirteen years dead anddying,” he said in a tone filled with great sorrow. Anna frowned. His wordswere familiar to her and pushed her thoughts back to the day when she firstlearned about the scope’s true purpose, when the hoard was testing her rightfulplace as the scope’s new Keeper. The creature had said the same words then aswell.

“Thy mother was attacked… ina remote forest on the day of thine entry thirteen years ago… by a beast mostfoul.”

Anna was stunned, and she couldhear Gwen gasp behind her. “What?” Anna said, disbelievingly. “What beastattacked her?”

“We of the Verosapt doth notspeak of it! It, and its kind, wert banned from the sum to our knowledgethousands of years ago.”

“So… are you saying that mymother was killed by… this creature?”

The great ape narrowed his gazeupon her. “Yes…” he said, meaningfully.

Anna stumbled back, the sharppain of shock was slicing into her chest; her mind was reeling. She waskilled. It wasn’t an accident that took her from me; it was a creature.Why didn’t my father tell me?

“And… nay.”

Anna snapped up to stare at theape whose eyes were closed again.

“No? No… what?”

The gorilla opened his eyesonce more to look down at her. “The Keeper Victoriawas attacked by a creature possessed of evil… but it didst not completelydestroy her.” Gwen suddenly stood, shocked at what they had just heard.

Anna gaped. “I… don’t understand.Is she dead or not?”

“That is another question.Only one question is allowed.”

His words froze Anna’s heart toits core. She could feel a great lurch of pain in her stomach forcing its wayup. She didn’t understand why this would be considered a different question,but any reinforcing notion that her mother might still be alive gave her hope.

“I don’t understand. You said Victoria died, but now you’re saying the creature thatattacked her didn’t kill her. What does that…?” Anna stopped. She tilted herhead to frown up at the creature within the red mist. “What did you mean… whenyou said, ‘Thirteen years dead and dying’? Does that mean she died, but her memory lives on?” The squawking beganagain while the Verosapt contemplated an answer.

“Many art the shapes ofdeath. It doth stir on levels too vast to count, but much more than a memory ofthy mother still exists… in the dungeons of Drogo.”

At this, Anna clasped her mouthin horror. “No…” she moaned, shaking her head in disbelief. “It can’t be… my motheris still alive?”

The great ape surveyed hercautiously. “Thy species is limited in its comprehension of life in all itsmany forms. But for the sake of thy limited understanding — yes, what remainethof Victoria Grayson still breathes in thus a form unfitting the Keeper ofVerosapt.”

Anna’s head was exploding withthe images of her mother, the pictures of her wedding day, the portrait overher father’s desk. She stumbled back and was caught by Gwen, who walked herback to the bed and sat her down.

“Nooo… it can’t be?” Annasuddenly burst into tears. “How can this be true? Why didn’t he tell me?” Gwenwas hugging her, trying desperately to calm her friend. “Why would my fatherlie to me?”

Gwen pulled back. “Anna – Idon’t believe any of this. That thing is speaking in riddles. First it saysyour mother is dead — and now it’s saying she’s alive.” She looked up at thecreature within the billowing mist and shook her head. “It doesn’t really knowwhat the truth is. How can he possibly know?”

At this, the great ape threwhis head back and roared before glowering down angrily at Gwen. “TheVerosapt is wisdom beyond the ages. We represent the truth in all its countlessforms.”

“Stop it!” Gwen hollered back,looking at Anna who was shaking uncontrollably. “You’re confusing her with yourlies. Victoria Grayson died years ago. Everyone knows that. Why are you hurtingher?”

The gorilla bristled andseethed. “Didst I not warn the Keeper? Didst I not foretell the truthcouldeth be as a mountain’s weight on a fragile mind?”

“What truth?” Gwen stood andangrily approached the scope. “Is Victoria Grayson alive? No more riddles — yesor no!”

“Thou art not of Jennings’ blood,” theape snarled back. “Thus — thy questions are as insults to the hoard; thouwilt be ignored.”

“Then answer Anna’s questionproperly. No more lies!”

The ape roared again,propelling Gwen backwards to the floor. “Away with thee — puny human!”

Anna grabbed Gwen and pulledher to her feet with a sudden strength that stunned her friend. She then turnedto face the beast.

“Please… tell me how she died?”

The beast glared angrily atAnna. “Dost the Keeper not, even now, recognize the shelter we offer it… innot answering? Have thee no insight into benevolence?”

Anna had reached the breakingpoint. “I’m not asking for your shelter. I want the truth — now!”

The jungle in the backgroundsuddenly fell silent. The beast glared down, piercing Anna’s soul with a fixedstare so intense it felt like her skin was being peeled away. Seconds passedlike days.

“Humans…” he finallyrumbled, reproachfully. “Very well. With the clarity of exactness thou mightcomprehend: Thus it is… the beast that attacketh Victoria Grayson, most foul,destroyed nearly all her family might summon of her memory, and what remains islocked within Drogo: Dead and dying, alive but not living, touched by death butbreathing still.”

“So… my mother isalive…” Anna said uncertainly, her voice beginning to weaken.

“The answer to thy questionis one of endless circled debate, lacking confidence and certainty even withinour hoarded wisdom,” the ape replied. “It is best left to thy next dayof entry.”

Anna sat down on her bed, theagony in her face evident as the truth pressed itself in. She fell onto herside and turned to face the wall, the weight of her entire world crumbling downupon her.

“How could you lie to me? Allthese years… you told me she was dead. Daddy… how could you…?” Her words wereslowly drowned away in her growing sobs. “How… could… you?”

Gwen and Sarah stood behindtheir friend completely lost for words. As they moved to comfort Anna, thegreat ape spoke once more.

“Sometimes the path fromtruth unto understanding is long and most difficult.” He looked down at Gwen and Sarah. “Carefor the Keeper: She wilt need thee now as never before.” And withthese words, the gray smoke withdrew into the light, which narrowed to asingle, red beam. The beam dropped into the ruby once more and closed with asoft click.

Gwen crawled in behind Anna onthe bed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. More than offering herloving support, Gwen knew she was holding on to Anna as one would a friendtrying to leap off the edge of a cliff. Anna sobbed desperately, and clutchedonto Gwen’s strength as her shattered mind drifted in and out of consciousnessthroughout the night.

TWO

Over the next several days,Anna was completely withdrawn. Gwen and Sarah did their best to comfort her,but they knew the person she truly needed more than anybody now was Eric. Butto their surprise, Anna refused to see her brother. In fact, it seemed Anna hadlost interest in nearly everything that mattered to her before the Verosapt hadbeen summoned for the truth, before she knew her mother was still alive andbeing held in Drogo prison.

When Gwen suggested she tell Ericwhat she had learned, Anna flatly refused. She was convinced her father and therest of her family already knew the truth, and had been keeping it a secretfrom her since the day she was born. To make matters worse, Anna had even cometo believe the teachers of Castlewood had known this terrible secret and shestopped going to most of her classes and vollucross practice altogether. Herdays and nights were spent walking alone and wrestling with the horrors lockedwithin her own thoughts.

Eric could see something wastroubling his sister, but he was so busy studying for his senior wizardingtests and working to replace the last Guardian that he found himself completelydependent on Gwen’s interpretation of Anna’s moodiness as nothing more than theexpected pressure of their final exams.

But Gabby could plainly seeAnna was in trouble. Although the Grayson house elf had been nearly invisiblefor most of her time while at Castlewood, Gwen was astounded at how quickly thecreature could sense something was wrong with her mistress.

For her part, Gabby had becomesomething of an unknown hero to most of the students at the school, because shehad taken to following Debbie Dunning throughout the castle and warning theGuardians of her movements. This was especially true in the second week of Junewhen Janet Wardrop was nearly caught after curfew with a Searcher boy she hadbeen dating all year. It was Gabby who saved them from the captain’s sisterwhen the elf tipped over a particularly fowl smelling bucket of goop onDebbie’s head as she chased the couple toward the tower room. When asked whatthe brewing and bubbling mess was in the bucket, the elf shyly explained it wassap excrement she picked up in the forest from something she called astrangling zombie vine. The hallway where Debbie was ambushed was roped off fortwo days due to the nauseating smell, and Debbie Dunning wasn’t seen in classfor nearly a week. Gabby’s relentless harassment of the captain’s sister wasjoyously hailed and cheered in every Union Hall, but the Guardians, fearfultheir champion might eventually be caught, would only refer to her in public as–– Debbie’s curse.

But now that Anna was introuble, it seemed Gabby was visible everywhere. She followed her mistress onher long walks through the castle’s courtyards, and brought her food from thekitchens when she didn’t show up for meals. The elf slept at the foot of Anna’sbed and sang lovingly to her when she cried, and although the tiny creature wasnever told what was wrong with her mistress, that didn’t seem to matter to heranyway. An elf’s life was to serve her family.

Finally, the week of the thirdTriwizard task was upon them and Gwen and Sarah noticed a sudden and remarkablechange in Anna’s behavior. She was flying again, and was reportedly seensoaring well above the five hundred foot ceiling on several occasions. Thisbrought a serious reprimand from Doctor Pearl who was overheard yelling at Annatwice about traveling out of bounds and too near the surrounding mountains.

“My mistress is fine, now,”Gabby reported happily to Gwen, who had come to check on Anna one eveningbefore dinner. “I is seeing her eating well in the Rotunda,” chirped the elf,sitting contentedly on the bed and folding Anna’s laundry.

Gwen flew down the staircase,through the tunnel connecting the Tower Room to the castle, and into theRotunda where she found Anna eating dinner with a number of other Guardians.

“Hey,” Gwen said, surprised ather friend’s newfound appetite. Anna’s plate was stacked to overflowing withchicken, mashed potatoes, salted corn, and half a ham still on its bone to theside. She drank deeply from her goblet of pumpkin juice, and crammed thickslices of buttered bread into her mouth as if somebody uninvited was about totake it from her.

“Hey yourself… how are you?”Anna replied, through a very full mouth.

“I’m okay,” Gwen replied,sitting down across the table from her. “How are you feeling?”

Anna gulped the rest of herjuice and then slammed the cup down loud enough to make her neighbors jump.

“Ahhhh…. I’m great.”

She ripped off another leg fromthe pattered bird next to her, and tore into it with all the enthusiasm of astarved bear. As she ate, Anna stared at Gwen intensely over her fisted meal,giving her friend the eerie feeling she might be next on the menu.

“Uhh… well… that’s good. Areyou sleeping all right?”

“Never better,” Anna repliedflippantly, sucking on the end of her chicken before tossing the boneuncaringly over her shoulder. Her gaze fell upon the platter again, and Gwencould hear her muttering to herself, “Never… better,” before ripping the secondleg out of its socket and spattering her own face with its juice. She didn’tbother wiping it off as she wolfed the meat down, staring unnervingly again atGwen across the table. Her gaze was only broken when Sarah sat down next tothem.

“Hey Sarah… thanks for givingme some space to myself these last couple of days. You can come back to yourown bed if you like,” Anna said, crunching the greasy end of the boneunflinchingly with her back molars.

“Oh, okay… it really wasn’t aproblem. Heather Thomas doesn’t have a roommate yet, so she let me borrow theextra bed.” Sarah said, tentatively, watching Anna toss another mangled boneover her shoulder before turning her attention to the mashed potatoes. Theywatched her scoop the fluffy whites off her plate with her fingers and stuffthem roughly into her mouth.

“I’ll move back tonight, then,”Sarah finished, glancing nervously over to Gwen again.

Gwen was surveying Annaclosely. In all the years she had known her friend, Gwen could tell two thingshad happened during her long walks alone on the castle grounds: First, nothingshe had learned about her mother had been resolved; and second, despite Anna’sefforts to parade a better face, the grief she carried was still clearly there.It had only transformed itself into something much worse… raging anger.

Gwen leaned forward. “Listen,Anna, how about the three of us go for a walk outside. It’s a clear night… andvery warm. We wouldn’t even need our robes.”

“Nope… I’m fine right here,”Anna replied, shoving more potatoes into her mouth. “Gotta bulk up. Gabby saysI haven’t been eating right.”

“Well… that’s true, and I’mglad you seem to be doing so much better, but you’re gonna’ need to walk thatoff. Come on — how about it? If you’re still hungry, we can go down to Mrs.Smile’s for a cone.”

Anna’s eyes brightened. Sheimmediately swept her plate and cup rudely aside with her forearm. “Youbuying?” she said, enthusiastically.

“Uhhh… sure: First round’s onme, how ‘bout it?”

Without another word, Anna wason her feet and heading for the door. They left the castle together, Gwen andSarah walking and whispering to each other side-by-side, and Anna leading theway four steps in front of them.

“Oh –– it’s nice to beoutside,” Anna said, stretching her arms out to the side and twirling in afunny little circle as they crossed over the drawbridge.

“Hello there — and where areyou lovely ladies off to?” It was Stephan Durkin, Gwen’s boyfriend.

“Oh — hi, Stephan. Umm… we’rejust on our way to get some ice cream,” Gwen explained, glancing over at Annawho had stopped dancing and was eyeing Stephen in a most peculiar way. She wassuddenly still, her head tilted down as she stared at the boy. Gwen could seeAnna’s eyes darting all over him in a way that made her feel uneasy andsurprisingly fearful for Stephan’s safety.

“Care for some company?” theboy offered, brightly.

“Well…” Gwen said, stillstaring at Anna, “it’s kind of ladies-night tonight, and… uh…” Suddenly, Gwencould hear something of a throaty hum emanating from Anna. Her eyes were nowfixed on the boy and Gwen could hear the low-droning buzz getting louder. Shewas purring.

“We’re going to catch up onsome girl talk… you understand…don’t you?” Gwen said quickly, stepping in frontof Anna to give Stephan a peck on the cheek.

“Oh… okay,” Stephan replied, aslight touch of disappointment resonating in his voice. He shrugged. “I… shouldbe hitting the books anyway: First big exam in two days. I’ll see you later,then.” He gave a quick wave and headed across the drawbridge toward the castle.Anna’s eyes followed his every step. When the boy was out of sight, she turnedto Gwen and offered an evicting smile.

“Very nice,” she said with aflash of thirsty amusement sparkling in her eyes.

“Yeah? For a second there, Ithought you were going to jump his bones,” Gwen shot back, folding her armsindignantly. Anna grinned and then stepped into Gwen’s face.

“Ice cream — a double, please.”

Gwen’s stern expression forceda smile. “Let’s go then.”

Twenty minutes later, Anna hadfinished her ice cream and was eating the rest of Sarah’s chocolate swirl. Gwenand Sarah were exchanging significant looks of concern.

“So what do you think ProfessorTitan will have on his final exam,” Sarah asked them, trying to turn theirdialogue into something resembling a normal conversation.

“Don’t know — don’t care,” Annasaid sharply, taking another huge swipe of ice cream off with her tongue.

“Well — you’d better care. Thatexam is going to be half your final grade,” Gwen warned. Anna’s responsematched her attitude. She shrugged indifferently.

Sarah decided on a more directapproach. “Anna, when are you going to tell Eric what that oracle thing saidabout your mother?”

Anna glared angrily at herroommate, and for the first time that night her voice was as sharp as an icepick between the eyes. “And why the hell would I do that?” she blistered.

“Becausehe’s your brother, and… well… because your family and your father care aboutyou.”

Anna looked appalled. “Puaah!My father. If my father really did care, he would’ve told me the truth, don’tyou think? What kind of man lies to his own kid about her mother being dead? IfEric and my father didn’t care enough to tell me the truth after all theseyears… I’m on my own.”

“You don’t mean that,” Sarahsaid, sympathetically. “Anna, I’ll bet Eric doesn’t know anything about yourmother being in… at… that place, and since you don’t know anything about herpresent condition, we can’t possibly understand why your father didn’t tellyou.”

“That’s right. She could be ina coma, kept alive by extraordinary magical means,” Gwen added. “I’ve heard ofhealers having to do that sometimes in special cases.”

“For thirteen years?” Annaretorted. “And if she is in a comma, why is she locked in a dungeon? Answer methat!” Anna threw her ice cream down in frustration. She looked at them, hereyes blazing with anger. “Well I’m going to replace out for myself what the truthis,” she said furiously, jabbing her thumb into her chest.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”Gwen replied with a frown. “If you’re not talking to your family, how do youexpect to…?” she stopped. She stared at Anna who seemed completelyself-absorbed within her own thoughts. Gwen swallowed hard. “No way. You… youcan’t be serious,” she said, fearfully. “You’re not… actually thinking aboutgoing there? To Drogo, I mean?”

Anna leaned back without a hintof surprise showing on her face. She crossed her arms defiantly. “And… so? Whatif I am? Why not?”

“Anna!” Sarah gasped, cuppingher hands over her mouth in shock.

“Because it would be insane,that’s –– why not,” Gwen retorted.

“Well –– it’s a good thing I’mgoing to Drogo then, because I hear it’s supposed to be a really good place forincurable lost causes, right?” Anna snapped back.

“Anna… you can’t… you wouldn’t.Please say you’re not serious,” Sarah muttered, her eyes wide with fear for herfriend.

Anna was unyielding. “Yes, Iam. I’m very serious.”

The three sat staring at eachother, Sarah in a state of shock, Gwen shaking her head in disbelief, and Annaresolute.

“I have to know,” Anna said,looking angrily at Sarah. “I have to see for myself,” her voice was rising asshe turned to Gwen. “I want to see my mother.”

There was a pause filled withshocked disbelief. Finally, Gwen reached out and took Anna’s hand. “Anna, Ilove you like a sister, and I understand the way you feel. Your mother wassupposed to be…”

Anna snatched her hand away.“You don’t know how it feels! Nobody knows how it feels. They lied to me! Myfather — my family; how can you possibly understand that? My mother is supposedto be dead, and what do I replace? Not only is she alive, but she’s locked in adungeon in one of the foulest places on earth.” Anna was rising to her feet,her voice gaining volume as she stood.

“Why didn’t they tell me? WHY?”Several others sitting at nearby tables turned to stare at them. Unwanted tearsbegan to bloom in Anna’s eyes, reflecting the table’s candlelight as her ragecontinued to build. “Was it because they thought the family squib was toodelicate to handle the truth, was that it?”

Anna threw her chair back andangrily heaved their table aside. She grabbed Gwen by her collar and pulled herto her feet. “Well I’m going to see the truth for myself!” She shoved Gwen ontoSarah’s lap and stormed away.

Gwen and Sarah workedfrantically to untangle themselves. “Stop her… we have to stop her,” Sarah saiddesperately. Gwen scrambled back to her feet and kicked a chair out of her waybefore sprinting after Anna. A few seconds later, Gwen and Sarah were trottingon either side of her.

“Where are you going, Anna?”Gwen barked anxiously.

“I told you where I’m going.”

“And how do you intend to getthere? You gonna walk through the forest and over those maintains in the middleof the night?”

“If I have to.”

“But Drogo is protected by the Fidelius Charm.Nobody knows where it is.”

“I know exactly where it is,”Anna retorted, walking faster.

“Yes, I know. You said you sawit once before, but Anna… that was months ago. Captain Dunning probably changedthe concealment spells when he found out you knew about the place.”

“Yes… he did,” Anna spat andGwen froze to the spot.

“What?”

She ran to catch up with Annaagain, this time stepping in front to stop her. “Anna, how do you know hechanged the spells?” Anna’s pursed lips curled themselves into a satisfiedsmile; comprehension hit Gwen immediately.

“You’ve seen it again… haven’tyou?” She grabbed Anna by the shoulders and yanked her straight so she couldlook directly into her eyes. “Haven’t you?” Anna shoved passed her again, andGwen looked at Sarah in disbelief. “She’s lost her mind.”

“Gwen, we have to stop her.She’s heading for the plateau.”

Soon Anna was passing throughthe city gates and then turned toward Vollucross Stadium. Gwen was walkingquickly by her side again.

“What did you do, Anna, takeSwooper up there to have another look? Is that what you were doing when Pearl was yelling at youfor flying out of bounds? Taking another peek at Drogo again, were you? Andwhat did you see? What did you see, Anna?”

“I saw it’s exactly where Ileft it,” Anna bristled, suddenly stopping to cut around Sarah. “The hazesurrounding it was a bit darker this time, a little thicker than I remember…but it’s still there. The good captain thinks he can hide it from me… asif!”

“So –– you’ve got it allfigured out, have you? So what are you going to do… jump on Swooper and fly in,just land on the ramparts like some kind of tourist?

“Something like that… yeah.”

Gwen swept in front of Anna tostop her again. “Anna, you can’t do that! Look at what they did to Hobbs just for trying totake a message there.” Anna tried to step around her but Gwen grabbed her bythe arm. “Anna… those guards will kill you if you go anywhere near that place.Think about it: The guards at Drogo are trained to make sure nobody attempts todo exactly what it is you’re doing. You can’t break in without being caught.And even if you got inside, how would you hope to replace your mother? What areyou going to do — attack a guard, steal his keys, and go searchingroom-to-room, opening the locked doors of murdering lunatics to look forsomebody you haven’t seen since the day you were born? Think — Anna! Thinkabout what you’re doing. It won’t work — it can’t work!”

“Listen to her, Anna. Gwen isright. The guards will hurt you. They’ll catch you and arrest you. They’llcontact your father and tell him what you did. You’ll be expelled for breakingthe law.”

“That’s right,” Gwen added.“Dunning will have you out of here in a flash, and Debbie’ll be standing on thedock laughing her fool head off as she throws your trunk and bridle into theharbor after you.”

Anna’s face was a study oftortured agony. She was visibly trembling as she fell to her knees and then saton the wet grass. She dropped her forehead heavily onto her knees and began tosob. Gwen and Sarah sat next her, relieved to see some part of reason finallybreaking through Anna’s stubborn resolve. They watched sympathetically as sherocked back and forth, howling miserably.

After a time, Anna raised herhead to rest her reddened face on her arms. “You can’t possibly understand whatit was like growing up without a mother. Living in that house among theportraits, without a single image of her anywhere, feeling like I didn’t belongthere, Damon and my sisters constantly reminding me that I was powerless toprotect myself, my father and Eric doing everything they could to care for thepoor little squib, going to Muggle schools when everybody else was leaving tostudy magic at Castlewood. My mother should have been there for me! She couldhave explained why I’m so different. Maybe she would have loved me for who Iam, and not for what I was expected to be. That’s what mothers are supposed todo, right?” Anna looked up at Gwen, a lifetime of pain and misery pouring downher crying face. Gwen reached in and wiped Anna’s tears with the sleeve of hershirt.

“Yeah… I guess so. That’s whatmothers are supposed to do. They always make it better.”

“So what happened? Why isn’tshe with me now? Why was she running around in some stupid forest, carrying herunborn child into a dangerous place like that? Okay… so she was attacked bysomething that nearly killed her. Fine! But why was she there? What was shedoing?”

“I don’t know, Anna,” Gwensaid, supportively. “All I know is — you can’t replace the answers by flying offinto those mountains. There are guards and spells on every door at Drogo.” Shedabbed at Anna’s tears again and let out a sorrow-filled heave.

“Look… we only have another tendays before we go home. In that time, we have our final exams, the TriwizardTournament, and your last vollucross race. Then there’s Eric’s graduation, notto mention replaceing the last Guardian. There’s a lot of do before we get on thatship home again. Let us help you get through these last few days, and thenyou’ll have the whole summer to figure out how to talk to your father aboutthis.”

Anna glared at her, but Gwenwas ready. “Anna, it’s the only way. You have to tell your father what youknow. Don’t you see? Once you do that, everything else will fall into place.Once you tell him you know the truth, he’ll have to explain what happened andwhy your mother is… was… sent to that place.”

Gwen looked at Anna hopefully,surprised by the logic of her own words. But deep down, Gwen knew she was onlystalling for time. Keeping Anna from flying away on Swooper was only thebeginning. She had to keep Anna on the ground until she saw her getting on thatboat back home. She knew if she could keep Anna out of trouble long enough toget her back to California,the rest would take care of itself. Anna would finally confront her father withthe truth, and although that wasn’t going to be easy, it was the only safe wayto resolve the pain she was carrying. Gwen stood and reached down for Anna’shand.

“Come on, stinky-feet;let’s get you back to the castle.”

Anna smiled as she looked up.Once again, she marveled at the value of Gwen’s friendship. She looked at Sarahstanding behind her and reached out to both of them. With a great heave, theypulled her to her feet and Gwen began to brush the damp grass off of Anna’spants.

“Ohh… your butt’s all wet. Iguess it wasn’t a good idea to go out without our robes after all.”

They headed back across theplateau, through the city gate, and onto the cobbled streets of the city. Whenthey reached the drawbridge, they stopped to watch the moat beneath them. Thewater was swift and muddy from the spring thaw.

Finally, Anna looked up. “Doyou really think Debbie Dunning would throw my bridle into the harbor if theykicked me out of here?”

Gwen huffed. “Yeah… she would,the nasty little worm… and then I’d be forced to hex her big, fat butt in afterit. Then you’d have to break into Drogo to visit me.” Anna didn’t laugh as muchas Gwen would have hoped.

They headed into the castlewith Sarah whispering in Gwen’s ear.

“Stinky-feet?”

“Never mind.”

THREE

That evening, Gwen lay awake inher bed, her troubled mind racing. MyGod… Victoria Grayson… a prisoner in Drogo prison. Thethought of it madeher tremble. She was surprised and disappointed in herself for notunderstanding how this news about her mother would affect Anna. She had lefther best friend alone, knowing she was in trouble, and that decision had nearlycome to Anna’s ruin. Gwen angrily resolved never to let that happen again. Shewas going to spend every waking moment she could with Anna, making sure shestayed away from Swooper until that final race following the third task. Gwenmoaned as she relived Anna crying on the plateau, but she felt her friend hadseen the folly in what she was doing in going to Drogo and she went to sleepthat night believing she had changed her mind.

Anna sat on her bed staring outthe window and at the fog-filled alleyways of Spellsburg below her. Gwen andSarah were right, of course. Drogo was sure to be well guarded by a number offully qualified wizards from the Crimson ranks. Captain Dunning might be therehimself on any given night. The entryway, doors, and windows would be locked andenchanted to keep the prisoners in and everybody else out. Even if she didmanage to break in, how would shereplace her mother? Anna realized how thankful she was to her friends for helpingher see how difficult her task might be. In stopping her from rushing off, Gwenhad forced Anna to go about the job of replaceing her mother in a much morecalculating way. It would take everything she knew of herself and her abilitiesto get inside the prison and replace the one person inside that was her mother.

And what would she replace thereif she was successful? Would her mother recognize her? No… she wouldn’t, ofcourse. I was only a newborn infant when my mother was taken away. WasVictoria even aware of her surroundings? Orwas she, as Sarah had suggested, in a coma, dead and dying, gone but breathingstill. Was she being kept in a well-lit hospital room, with white walls andwindows overlooking the surrounding lake on sunny days? Anna frowned. Somehow,she didn’t think so. She thought instead of a dark and molding room, with onlya shell of the person that once was her mother sitting alone in a gloomy,rat-infested corner. Perhaps, if God was sympathetic, Victoria’smind would be vacant, an empty void of the realities around her, except for thedistant memory of the light outside stabbing at her consciousness.

Anna closed her eyes and wept.It was the only way she could get to sleep since the Verosapt had told herabout her mother. Although the great ape had warned her of the terribleconsequences the truth might bring, she couldn’t have imagined this kind ofpain. Anna laid her head down and then turned to face the wall. The only thinghelping to push the agony aside was her knowing she had to try; she had to knowthe truth about her mother’s condition. No matter what the consequences, nomatter what the danger, Anna was going to Drogo.