The Lost Knight (Volume III) The Lost World

Chapter 21: Lost Forever

Mapta is my guard, and she's here to keep an eye on me. She's not a tall woman, but she's quite round. If I had to fight her, I'd win; even in my damaged state. She must be carrying a weapon because she's a terrible choice for a guard.

I press the wooden box to my chest and follow her out to the hallway. She closes the door behind us, then stops and stares at me. It's a weird thing to do. I stare back at her and fight to keep my gaze from dropping to the floor. After an awkward wait, she shrugs and walks away.

I follow behind her, peering into the music room, another living room, and a less formal living room. I think this house was built to hold a large family with a large staff. It's beautiful and expensive and empty. But it is what a castle should be. I've only ever seen them in pictures, but it's much more of an Earth castle than an Ashra castle. The layout seems to make sense, and each room has a color theme and focal points that make them pleasing to look at.

I wish I knew accents better because the language the people in the study to my left are speaking sounds familiar, as if I've heard it on television or something. I take a quick peek and regret that decision. In the corner of the room, a solid-looking man is having a conversation with a ghost. I blink several times, but the ghost doesn't disappear. I'm not imagining it.

The ghost is middle-aged and completely translucent, but she's definitely in the room. I clearly see her long dark hair, jeans, and cream-colored sweater. Every ghost I've ever heard of is either in ripped gowns or old-timey clothes. This woman looks like she could be one of my neighbors.

The man notices me first. And both the man and the ghost smile uncomfortably. The ghost gives me an awkward wave.

I do a little wave back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll go," I say and bolt down the hallway and up the stairs.

Once Mapta and I turn down another corridor far away from the ghost, I say, "I want to go to my room."

She grins at me the way some people do when they have no idea what you've said.

I repeat louder. "My room! I want to go to my room!" That was stupid. I try a normal tone while I yawn and stretch, and put my hands under the side of my head as if I'm sleeping. "My room?"

"Da. Nomer," she says with an even bigger smile.

We must have been heading that way the entire time because we turn down two more hallways and we're there.

"Super v sem," she says, holding up seven fingers.

I nod. I have no clue what she's trying to tell me. But she's satisfied and leaves the room.

I examine my wounds in the mirror. My ribs barely ache, and my bruises are yellowish-green, which means they've been healing for a while. They've been drugging me for at least a month, maybe two.

Everyone must believe I'm dead because they definitely would've tried to rescue me by now. That thought makes my memorial service flash in my head. I have people who will be sad I'm gone. People will mourn me. That makes me feel good and miserable at the same time. I don't want them to worry. I'm fine...so far.

I flop on the bed, contemplating everything I've learned today. I was given much more information than I was prepared for. The ghost rattled me, but after thinking it over, it was probably another model of pareixer that makes the other person more transparent. So that wasn't a ghost at all, which would explain the clothing.

Ziras is a person. I knew he was once human, but I expected some old man that's been shriveled up by his evilness. Instead, he looks like a polished politician. He's also nice and rather charming; definitely disarming.

I stare up at the ceiling and imagine the Liisoole fairies hanging by their necks above me. "Stratagor Ziras did this to you," I whisper. I'm trying to convince myself that I'm speaking the truth, but it's hard to mesh this horror with the perpetrator. I can't see the man I met tonight doing anything like this.

I clear my mind of the dark thoughts and blink a few times until the cherubs flitting through the clouds on the wall are visible again. I roll to my side and open the wooden box. I examine the Orb. It's back to being nothing more than a stupid glass golf ball. I clutch it tightly and focus my thoughts on making the light appear. When nothing happens, I picture the Salt Mines and the other places I've seen.

Nothing.

"Come on," I plead. "I'm not asking for much. Just a little light. Something that lets me know you're mine and you still work."

I keep at it for a long time, but the Orb does nothing. "Why aren't you talking to me! Please, you have to work."

I give up, put the Orb back in its box, and put the box in a drawer near my bed. Then I sit on the bed and stare at the drawer.

Why isn't it working? Maybe Ziras replaced it, and it's not my Orb at all. It's strange that he's been hunting me like an animal and then gives me the thing he needs most. Or maybe I broke it. I don't want to consider that possibility. If he switched the Orb for a marble, I have hope of getting it back. If I broke it, all is lost.

Who am I without the Orb? Everyone, including my enemy, has treated me like royalty. I've made friends, and I have a home. Who is Agatha Stone without the Orb?

I know the answer, and it scares me. Without the Orb, I'm no one. I have no talents, no skills, and nothing special about me. I'm just plain old Agatha, the weird girl from Queens.

I pray Master Sarpedon can fix the Orb. And what happened to the plaque? Ziras didn't mention it. I threw it out of the cave. At least, I hope I did. I hurt my shoulder throwing it so hard. Maybe it's still lying in the dirt by the entrance. Would anyone notice a white bathroom tile? Probably not. Jonah saw what it looked like. Did he grab it? Or maybe whoever brought me to Ziras has it. Maybe that's why the Orb doesn't work now, because its job was to take me to the plaque, and its mission is accomplished so it self-destructed or something. Please let Jonah have the plaque.

That brings my thoughts back to my friends. Are they still worried about me, or are they in mourning? I run the list of mourners through my head, and I'm happy to note that it's rather long.

I've had enough of this torture. I march to the door. It's unlocked. Ziras told me I'm free to move about; I just didn't trust he would follow through.

Time to figure a way out of here. Jonah and the others have no idea where I am, so if I'm going to escape, it all depends on me. Ziras may have said I only have to stay a week, but I don't believe him. I'm a prisoner, and prisoners must escape.

The castle is big but considerably smaller than the one at Cromsmead. The layout also makes more sense. My room is on the second floor. There are two floors above me, filled with bedrooms, storage, and maintenance closets. Above the fourth floor is an attic stuffed with old crates, and the first floor holds the public rooms. There are two basements, but after exploring the dark depths of one, I merely do a quick check of the other.

Unfortunately, every window I peer out of has water far below. The house is built on a large rock or maybe a narrow mountain. It's literally on the edge of a cliff on all sides. I can look straight down out of any window and see waves hitting the rocks far below.

There are a few other small mountains in the water, but this house sits on the tallest by at least thirty stories. I'm at a loss when I step out onto the veranda. I wish circumstances were different because the view is breathtaking and the house stunning. I would've liked to enjoy it.

Ziras lets me walk about freely because there is no way to escape. I sit on a bench, lean my head back against the rail, and try to think of a way out.

I wish I was better than what I am because if someone doesn't save me, I'll be lost forever.