Stealing the Dark Moon

The Midnight Thief

Kit trudged towards the far southern corner of the cavern, each footstep more reluctant than the last. Lil called it "Cabinet Row" because of the many shelves carved into the stone walls. Water had dripped over the shelves for ages, half-enveloping them in glistening stalactites. The average treasure hunter would probably overlook the grimy, glass-paned shelves for flashier plunder, but as a treasure indexer, Kit knew where the true riches lay. Each dusty shelf contained a wealth of bottles and vials filled with curses, charms, and all manner of wild magic too dangerous to lie in the main hoard.

Although several small dunes concealed Kit from Lady's view, he couldn't help throwing a nervous glance over his shoulder before opening a cabinet lined with bottles. Aerohim had forbidden the orphans from rummaging through the shelves ever since Lady's accidental release; they were only allowed to deposit any new bottles they found scattered in the main hoard. Reaching into the middle shelf, Kit closed his hand over a round glass bottle that was tinged lavender with age. At first glance, it appeared empty—which made the bottle doubly dangerous.

Kit held the bottle up to a shaft of light from one of the white ceiling crystals. The ray illuminated a tangled ball of darkness swirling at its center: a Shadowtrance. He shuddered at the queasy sight. Lady had told him that the charm allowed whoever swallowed the squirming vapor to shift their skin and bones into a shadow . . . for as many minutes as years they'd lived. His fourteen years suddenly seemed a pitifully meager amount. Worse, if he didn't spit the enchanted knot of darkness out before the end of his time limit, the charm would devour him and leave only his shadow behind like a torn, fluttering sheet.

Fourteen measly minutes to steal the Dark Moon—plenty of time! It had better be. Kit pulled the cork stopper out of the bottle and gulped down the vapor before he could change his mind. He fought not to gag as an ice-slimy coldness slithered down his throat and lodged in his chest. The bottle dropped from his hands as his fingertips faded clear as glass. But he kept a firm hand on the oakenstaff—if he dropped it, the crutch wouldn't be enveloped in the charm, too.

Kit startled at the tinkling shift of gold coins nearby, but a quick glance revealed nobody watching. He raised a hand to his eyes, but his arm was already gone. The freezing coldness spread through his veins with each inch of transparency. Within thirteen seconds he was completely invisible. Stranger still, his footsteps fell soft as cotton as he hurried across the dunes towards the sleeping figure of Aerohim. The Shadowtrance charm had made him both invisible and nearly weightless!

But nothing could cure his lame leg. The oakenstaff flushed with color again as he placed it carefully on the ground. Kit crawled up the tip of the dragon's tail and back spikes as gently as he could until he could see the Dark Moon glinting in Aerohim's talons only three feet away. Despite the frost spreading inside his chest, sweat poured down Kit's face as the dragon's hot breath shrouded him in multi-colored smoke rings.

The Dark Moon would never be closer. But Kit hesitated. Would the horrible agony lance through him again if he dared to touch the talon? Kit nearly lost his balance as Aerohim shifted, revealing the crystal shell covering the base of the bone. A crazy idea struck him then, and Kit jumped before common sense could warn him it was mostly stupid. As he fell, he grabbed the crystal base of the bone and gave a swift tug. The Dark Moon slid free from Aerohim's grip as smooth and silent as shade itself.

The Shadowtrance charm kept Kit from spraying coins everywhere as he hit the ground and his twisted leg buckled underneath him, but a jarring pain spread up through his bones . . . and nothing else! His suspicions were right: the thin crystal casing shielded him from the buzzing thrum of magic coming from the dragon bone. But nothing could shield him from Aerohim's wrath when the dragon awoke and discovered the Dark Moon's theft. Kit scooped up his oakentsaff and the Shadowtrance charm quickly veiled both it and the Dark Moon in invisibility. The boy made a bee-line for the cavern's gate as he desperately hoped no one would hear the mad dance of his crutch across the cavern floor.