The Golden Symbol (24 page)

Jacob didn’t say anything. He shook his head, trying not to smile. These two people were insane, but they’d done it! He picked up the large jar, looking at the contents. Red liquid with swirls of silver. If he didn’t know what the stuff was, he’d actually think it was pretty.

“Oh, gotta cover it,” the Fat Lady said, pointing a large finger at a lid. She almost whacked Jacob in the process, and he stepped out of the way just in time.

“Okay, neither of you move. I’m taking this to my parents’ house first—I’ll leave the door open, then I’ll call back to you when I’ve set it down over there. Deal?”

They nodded, swaying and nearly falling. He put the lid on the jar, cradled it to his chest, and walked to the door and through the link to Mendon. The Fat Lady and Aldo watched in a sort of dazed stupor. Now that they weren’t dancing anymore, they looked like they were going to drop any second.

Jacob took the jar to his mom’s study, setting it on her desk. He shut the room up, returned to the front door, and called through the link. “Okay, I’m ready. You can come now.”

Dad entered the room, and Jacob heard lots of shuffling sounds, mumblings, and even some bickering as the Fat Lady and Aldo approached.

Dad looked around. “Where’s the antidote?”

“In the study. I thought we’d put it somewhere safe until everyone had eaten.”

“Good idea.”

The Fat Lady came first, with Aldo trailing. He looked like he was pouting, and it occurred to Jacob that they might have argued about who got to go through first. He rolled his eyes, then helped Aldo to the kitchen.

The Fat Lady was too big for the chairs around the table, so Mom had her sit on the couch in the living room. Aldo insisted on joining her, and Mom was fine with that.

The two looked starving. They both dug into their food before anyone else had even dished up, and everyone watched, mouths open.

When she’d barely eaten half of her food, the Fat Lady fell backward on the couch and started snoring. Mom took her plate away and then grinned when Aldo zonked out too. She took his as well, still grinning.

“They’re exhausted,” she said.

“Yes, they are.” Dad laughed. “Let’s go.”

The entire family went to the kitchen and sat at the table. Jacob was so tired, he could barely concentrate on his food. He was awake enough to recognize that it tasted super good, though.

They were nearly finished with their meal when the doorbell rang. Jacob shook himself and jumped up to get it. Kenji, Ebony, Sweet Pea, Gallus, and Akeno were on the other side.

“Sorry we’re late,” Kenji said. “We haven’t missed anything, have we?”

Jacob held the door wide. “Nope. Just eating breakfast.”

The others stepped inside.

“Oh, dear,” Ebony said when she saw Aldo and the Fat Lady. “What’s going on? Are they okay?” She bent over the Fat Lady, inspecting the woman’s face with concern.

Jacob laughed. “They’re fine. Just asleep—hadn’t slept in three days.”

Dad entered the room, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “We’ve got plenty of food for everyone, but unless you’re absolutely starving, I’d like to get to work.” No one said anything, so he motioned to Akeno. “Do you have the queen?”

Akeno held up a box. “Right here.”

“Good.” Dad glanced at the two sleeping on the couch. “Did either of them tell anyone how to administer the antidote?”

Gallus nodded. “Yes—Aldo did. He stopped by the store to see if I had syringes.” He snorted. “As if we make that sort of thing. But just like everything else with the Lorkon, it has to be put directly into the bloodstream.”

Ebony held up a bag. “I figured that would be the case and brought all our leftover syringes.”

Dad rubbed his head. “Now all we need to figure out is how to give it to Ara Liese. She’s sure to put up a fight.”

“That’s easy,” Matt said. “When Akeno makes her big again, you, me, and Gallus will hold her in place and then Ebony can stick her with the needle.”

“What about the bugs she sprays?” Jacob asked.

“You can cover her mouth.”

Jacob cringed. That didn’t sound very fun. But he was willing to do whatever, if it meant getting rid of the Lorkon.

“Why can’t we just put the antidote in her as a small person?” Gallus asked.

Ebony shook her head. “She’s too small for the needles. Can you imagine someone trying to force something into your arm that’s almost as
large
as your arm?”

Gallus frowned. “She’s a Lorkon. She’s done much worse to other people.”

“No,” Ebony said. “She’s still your queen. And we won’t be treating her that way. Besides, we don’t really know what she’s done and not done.”

Matt raised his hand. “Um . . . Should Azuriah be here? Seeing as how the female Lorkon is his niece and a Shiengol . . . wouldn’t it make him angry to have us doing all this without him here?”

Dad glanced at Gallus, and Gallus nodded when he saw the questioning expression on Dad’s face. “I sent a Minya. Haven’t heard from him yet.”

Mom and Dad looked at each other, unvoiced questions flowing back and forth between them. Then Mom spoke. “We’ll proceed without him. I don’t want to wait any longer. I want my mother back.”

“How are we doing it?” Jacob asked. “Having everyone hold her down while Ebony gets the stuff in her?”

Akeno cleared his throat. “I’ve already got a way around this. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, since I’m the one who’ll have to enlarge or shrink her.”

“What are your thoughts?” Dad asked.

“As soon as I make her big, I’ll target her hearing and knock her out.”

Gallus tapped his cheek. “Good idea . . . but why don’t you knock her out before?”

“Because she’s too small, and I might kill her if I try. I’ve never targeted really small creatures—not ones that aren’t that way naturally.”

“Let’s do it.” Dad rubbed his hands together. “Arien, get the antidote—it’s on your desk. Ebony, bring your bag of syringes.”

They waited until Mom came back, holding the jar to her chest.

Akeno stepped to the door. “We’ll need someone to stand where I’ll put her when she’s big—just in case she tries to run off.”

Matt’s eyes widened. “Guys . . . something just occurred to me. She can probably hear us right now. She knows all our plans!”

Akeno hesitated. “I hadn’t thought of that.” He looked at the metal box, then at his dad. “Is that going to cause problems?”

Kenji shook his head. “Not if we act quickly. Getting enlarged is a little disorienting, if you’re not used to it.” He held out his hand. “Give me the box. You stand next to a tree and I’ll be right by you. When you’re ready, I’ll open it, you enlarge her, then immediately knock her out.”

Akeno handed the box over and everyone walked outside. Jacob’s hands started sweating as he thought of all the things that could possibly go wrong. Like bugs spraying everywhere. Or her trying to seduce someone again. Or Akeno enlarging her to the wrong size or only enlarging half of her.

He took a deep breath, refusing to dwell on the negatives.

Akeno crossed the yard and stood next to a large pine tree. Kenji followed, hand on top of the lid.

Dad, Gallus, and Matt walked to a spot indicated by Akeno and stood ready.

Mom and Ebony watched near Jacob, and he suddenly felt weird being with the girls. He decided to join Matt and Dad, but walked backward through the grass, not wanting to miss anything.

“Ready?” Akeno asked.

Everyone indicated that they were.

Akeno nodded to Kenji. Kenji opened the lid, and Akeno reached in and grabbed the female Lorkon, who was almost too small for Jacob to see. Judging by Akeno’s expression and his wriggling hands, though, she was putting up quite the fight.

After he got her under control, Akeno set his left hand against the tree and held his right hand out. He dropped her. She disappeared from his hand and landed with a thud next to Jacob and Matt. Dad was fast—he dropped to his knees and grabbed Queen Ara Liese’s hands before she could do anything.

She was just opening her mouth to scream when a loud bang, like a rifle shot, echoed through the trees. Ara Liese fell unconscious.

“Quick, quick!” Dad shouted, motioning for people to come. Mom and Ebony jumped to comply. Jacob grabbed one of Ara Liese’s legs, Gallus the other. Matt and Dad held her upper body down.

“We only have a couple of seconds,” Akeno said.

Ebony pulled out a fistful of syringes. “Someone help me!”

Mom joined her. “Wish we’d done this first.”

They fumbled with the syringes, finally getting one filled with the antidote. Ebony held it while Mom and Matt rolled up Ara Liese’s sleeve.

The female Lorkon stirred, moaning.

Before the queen could do anything more, Ebony stabbed her with a needle, then pushed the plunger. The swirly red-and-silver liquid disappeared into the bend of her elbow.

Ara Liese’s eyes shot open. She looked around, panic in her eyes. Everyone watched, waiting.

It only took a couple of seconds. The Lorkon started thrashing, hands, hair, robes, everything flailing and going everywhere. Everyone jumped back—they couldn’t hold her anymore.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and she began convulsing.

Mom dropped to her knees. “No, no! Have we killed her?” She cradled her mother’s head. “Is she dead?”

No one said anything—no one breathed, it seemed.

Then Ara Liese’s eyes popped open. Mom gasped, almost dropping her mother, and turned her face away.

Of course, what they saw made the guys “oooh” and draw nearer. Ara Liese’s eyes were changing color. It was fascinating—blood pumped through small vessels in the whites. Then the brownish-red mixture began draining from her irises, back through the veins.

Ara Liese’s eyes became clearer and clearer until they were almost the pure Shiengol color.

“That was awesome!” Matt said. “I want to be around every time you guys give a Lorkon the stuff.”

“It won’t happen like that again,” Azuriah said, leaning against a tree.

Everyone looked back at him, then away. Guilt flooded the colors in the air. Only Mom wasn’t paying attention—her eyes were still on Queen Ara Liese.

“Why not?” Matt asked.

“Because she’s a Shiengol. The Lorkon influence contaminated her eyes.”

He stepped out of the forest, followed by Pambri. Azuriah folded his arms, looking around the group.

“Too bad the ones who made the antidote didn’t get to witness it working.”

Dad got to his feet. “We didn’t have time to wait. And you’re late.”

“I didn’t get the message this was happening.”

Gallus rolled his eyes. “I sent a Minya half an hour ago—don’t pretend you didn’t get it.”

Jacob couldn’t understand why they were all arguing. He stood, wanting to change the subject, and pointed to the symbols around his eyes. “How do they look?”

Pambri stepped forward. “Fantastic! Not faded a bit.” She smiled at him. “You’ve mastered the art very well.” She glanced at Azuriah. “We’re very proud of you.”

“Yes, well, that’s not why we’re here.” Azuriah put his hands on his hips and turned to Dad. “We’ve made a decision and are here to share it with you.”

“Oh?” Dad raised an eyebrow.

Pambri put her hand on Dad’s arm. “Don’t worry—it’ll help you a great deal. And Azuriah isn’t upset about missing the testing of the antidote. He just didn’t like the breakfast I made him this morning.”

Azuriah scowled, refusing to look at his wife, and Jacob almost laughed out loud. For someone so old, so experienced, and so knowledgeable, the Shiengol sure acted like a kid sometimes.

Just then, Ara Liese gasped and sat up, nearly knocking Mom in the chin.

Jacob’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t been paying attention! He wanted to curse himself for watching Azuriah instead of her—as it was, he only got to see the very end of the transformation. Her eyes were bright already, just like Azuriah’s and Pambri’s, and her skin was weathered and wrinkled. As Jacob watched, her hair finished thinning and changing to gray. A lot of dark tresses now lay in Mom’s lap, and she looked down at them in disgust.

“My . . . my head . . . hurts,” the queen said, holding a hand to her temple.

Mom moved around Ara Liese and sat in front of her. “Mother?”

Ara Liese looked at Mom and gasped again, reaching for her. But she lost her strength and fell backward. Matt caught her before she landed.

It took a moment for her to catch her breath. “I . . . what has happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Mom said, scooting to her mom’s side. “The king of Troosinal—Ramantus—kidnapped me and—”

“Oh, yes.” Queen Ara Liese put a hand on her daughter’s face. “Thank goodness you’re here. And where is Dmitri?”

Dad stepped forward. “Here, Your Majesty.” He bowed, a huge smile on his face.

“And the baby?”

Before anyone could say anything, she gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. “You named him Danilo, and I . . . I wanted to . . .” She started sobbing. “Please, take me to my manor. Please—now.”

Mom and Dad glanced at each other, concerned.

“We will, Mother,” Mom said. She looked at Jacob. “Open a link.”

Jacob rushed to the front door, then stepped back as Gallus and Dad took the queen through the link and up the stairs of the manor. Everyone followed, including Jacob.

The moment Ara Liese entered the room, her sobbing became wails. She insisted that Dad and Gallus lay her on the bed, where she curled on her side, her emotions completely out of control.

Jacob caught Matt’s eyes and knew he was just as uncomfortable. Jacob had hoped that by coming here, she’d be happier.

Azuriah stood in the doorway, arms folded, staring at his niece, the queen, as if he were ashamed of her. Finally, it seemed like he’d had enough. He strode to the bed and firmly, but gently, lifted the queen to a sitting position.

While watching, Jacob couldn’t help but wonder at the difference between the two. Ara Liese was a full-blood Shiengol, and Azuriah was her uncle. Why was
she
so frail and old-looking? Azuriah still looked like he was in his forties or something. It was as if the roles were reversed—her, the frail, elderly relative, him the young one.