Good Curses Evil (10 page)

“There has to be some way out of this,” Jez said.

“Maybe I can help,” said a new voice. A candle suddenly flared to life to reveal the face of a beautiful young girl standing over us.

 

CHAPTER TEN

A Lock-Picking Princess

Are you the princess?” I asked the girl who was now fishing through my cloak trying to find my villain's tool kit. Her long blond braid brushed my cheek. She smelled like peaches.

“That's me,” she said, pulling out the kit. She quickly located the tool I used for picking locks.

“A girl's hairpin?” she asked, holding it up to examine it. Her gray-green eyes reflected the candle's flickering flames.

“Hey! That looks kind of like
my
hairpin,” Jez said, squinting in the candlelight.

“No, it's not. I … uh … got it from Chad,” I lied.

“Well, why doesn't that surprise me?” Jez said.

“Now, Princess, if you can put it in my hand and Jez backs up to me so I can reach her chains, I could probably …”

“No need,” the princess said.

With a speed and subtle skill that would've impressed even Master Dreadthorn, the princess picked the locks on our handcuffs, and we were free. Well, at least our
hands
were.

“That was amazing! How did you learn to do that?” I asked. I was very impressed by the princess … and her lock-picking skills weren't bad either.

“Ahem!” Jez said loudly.

“What?” I asked.

“If you're done drooling all over yourself, we should try to get out of here.”

“She's right,” the princess said. “My uncle Aurelio has taken my parents somewhere. I don't know if they're even alive, and—”

“Hold on!” I said. “Shouldn't we have introductions first? I'm Rune, and this is Jez.”

“
Countess
Jezebel Izolde Valeska Dracula,” Jez corrected.

“
Princess
Ileana Alexandra Veldina Nicolescu,” said the princess.

The two girls sized each other up with icy stares. I decided to intervene before the whole room frosted over.

“Rune Toma Emilian Drexler,” I said.

Yeah, I had some fancy names too. I held out my hand, but the princess didn't shake it. Instead, she gave me a funny look. Jez muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like
snob.

“So, maybe you can show me that lock-picking move?” I said. “You're really good.”

The princess smiled and replied, “It's not hard. You just have to—”

“Are you two done blabbering?” Jez interrupted. “Because if you are, I think I can get us out of here.”

“What's the plan, Jez?”

“I'll fly out the window and get help.”

“Fly out the window?” The princess looked confused.

“The flying part doesn't worry me,” I said. “It's the help part I'm a little fuzzy on. Who exactly are you going to get to help us?”

“Well, Cappy is just outside the city, and—”

“No!” I said. “No way, Jez. You can't bring Cappy here. I mean, what help will he be?”

“You got a better idea?” she asked.

“Who's Cappy? Is he helping you rescue me? Is he part of the Resistance?” asked Princess Ileana.

Jez and I guffawed at the same time. It was obvious we had a little explaining to do.

“Cappy is our …
friend
, and Jez and I are students from … uh … a special school south of here.” I was trying to explain things delicately. After all, this was a princess. Jez, however, decided to go with the direct approach.

“Look, honey, I'm a vampire. He's a warlock. Cappy is a capcaun. And we're not here to rescue you. We're here to kidnap you.”

The princess looked abashed but quickly masked her surprise.

“You don't scare me, little countess,” Princess Ileana said.

At that moment, the look on Jez's face was scaring
me
pretty thoroughly. I thought the princess must be brave (or really dense).

“Look here, Princess—”

“No, you look here,
Countess
. Although I've never seen a countess dressed like that before.”

The princess looked Jez up and down and raised her eyebrows in an appraising sort of way.

“It's a disguise!” Jez yelled, ripping off her bonnet and throwing it to the floor. “You brainless, spoiled—”

“Leave her alone, Jezebel,” I said.

Jez widened her eyes in disbelief—as if I'd somehow betrayed her—and bared her fangs. For a minute, I thought she was going to bite Ileana, which would've been very bad. Not only would it have wasted a fine lock picker, but it would also have meant finding another princess. It's not like I had time to try a glass slipper on every ugly stepsister in town.

But Jez didn't bite. Instead, she turned into a bat and flew out the window.

“She really
is
a vampire!” Princess Ileana said. She didn't sound afraid so much as impressed.

“Great. Now what?” I asked. Outside, I heard a bell toll the hour. It was midnight.

“Now
I'll
get us rescued,” said Ileana.

The princess stepped to the window, and I followed behind, shedding my feathered hat and changing back into my cloak. She held up the candle and waved her hand in front of it a few times as she stared down at the castle courtyard below. I followed her gaze. At first, I couldn't see anything. Then, unmistakably, a light flashed from the darkness below.

“It's almost time,” she said. “Here, help me. Can you climb?”

Princess Ileana knelt down and pried one of the floor stones loose. From beneath it, she pulled out a length of rope. Every five feet or so, it was tied into a knot. She handed me the rope.

“Here, tie this to that beam up there.”

“Where did you get this?” I asked as I located a sturdy rafter and fastened the rope around it. It looked solid, but I gave it a good tug and hung on it for a moment just to be sure. If the princess was planning what I thought she was planning, then we'd definitely want to test the rope
now
rather than
later.

“My maid brought it to me last night,” Ileana said.

“Why didn't you escape then?” I asked.

“Because the plan was to escape
tonight
. You're really not part of the Resistance, are you?” she asked.

“Well, no,” I admitted.

“If Jezebel is really a vampire, then you must really be a warlock.” It wasn't a question, so I didn't answer.

Princess Ileana eyed me for a minute as if sizing me up, then crossed to the window with the rope in one arm and the candle in the other. She signaled to the courtyard again, waving her hand in front of the candle. When the coast was clear, she dropped the rope out the window.

“But how are we going to escape the castle grounds? Won't the guards catch us?” I asked.

Ileana had seated herself on the windowsill, taking the rope in both hands.

“Who do you think I was signaling just now?” she asked. “Not all the guards are on my uncle's side.”

Then she smiled impishly—reminding me of, well,
myself
—flung her legs over the sill, and began the dangerous descent, her pink gown fluttering in the breeze. I watched from above. The height was dizzying. One wrong move …

“Are you coming or not?” she asked.

“As long as we get something straight,” I said, climbing over the sill.

“Oh? What's that?” asked the princess. She was already a third of the way down before I'd managed to get out of the window.

“You are
not
rescuing me. I'm kidnapping
you.
”

“Whatever you say, Rune,” Ileana said. It was too dark to see, but it sounded like she was smiling.

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Oh Brother

When we reached the courtyard, a man with a sword appeared from the shadows. He was hooded and cloaked and wore a chain mail shirt beneath a leather tunic.
We're caught!
I thought, but Princess Ileana ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his bearded cheek.

“Highness, you're safe!” the man whispered as he smiled affectionately at the princess.

“Let's get out of here,” she said.

When he stepped into the light, I could see the man's face clearly. I recognized him as the same man who'd been watching me and Jezebel in the plaza.

“Hey! Who are you?” I asked.

“No time, we'll explain later,” he said. “Follow me.”

The man led us across the courtyard toward the high wall that surrounded the palace grounds. On top of the wall, a guard paced back and forth, looking away toward the plaza. We edged along just beneath him, keeping to the shadows, not daring to breathe until we reached one of the lesser side gates meant for servants' use.

Within the span of a few fluttering heartbeats, we'd slipped silently through the gate, out into the plaza, melting into the darkness. Just to be safe, nobody spoke until we were well away from the palace. We stopped to catch our breath in an alley behind a baker's shop. Then everyone spoke at once.

“Who are you?” I asked the man again.

“Who is this?” he asked the princess.

“Rune, this is Gunner Bowson, my father's oldest friend and most honored military commander. General Bowson, this is Rune. He's kidnapping me,” the princess said with a wink.

“Kidnapping?” the general said, raising one eyebrow. Princess Ileana only nodded. “Now, look here, I saw this boy outside looking up at the tower. He had a girl with him. Where'd she go?”

“Uh …,” I said. I wasn't sure how much I wanted this man to know about me and Jez and our Plot. Ileana seemed to read my mind.

“She managed to escape,” she answered.

General Bowson eyed both of us suspiciously, but we were still too exposed for a full inquiry. So, instead, he led us through the winding streets of the city of Dimineata. I thought it was a pretty clean getaway.

Finally, we reached a building. It looked no different from the surrounding buildings, which were all made of stone with thatched roofs. It might have been any peasant's house. There was one window, but the curtains had been pulled shut, so I couldn't see if anyone was inside. I briefly thought of calling the whole thing off right then and there. I didn't want to get trapped in a building with this tough-looking general, but I couldn't abandon my kidnapped princess now. I just didn't have time to find another one.

General Bowson knocked on the door in a strange sequence that I assumed must be a secret code. The general turned to look at the darkened alley behind us to make sure no one was watching. I followed his gaze. For a split second I thought I saw the flash of animal eyes, but there weren't any people—villains or otherwise—behind us.

The door to the little stone house opened, enveloping us in a flood of warm light. I followed the princess and the general inside, and the door closed behind.

A roaring fire welcomed us from the hearth, along with flickering candlelight all around. There must've been close to fifty men there, some talking, some eating or drinking at a long table. Upon seeing the princess (or maybe the general), several of the men stood at attention like soldiers.

“Her Highness Princess Ileana is safe at last!” the general announced. A crowd gathered around us. Apparently,
I
wasn't important enough to be introduced.

Cheers arose from the crowd of men but were quickly hushed. Obviously silence was the rule around here. General Bowson led the princess and me to a table, where we were offered warm apple cider and bread with butter. A few men broke away from the crowd to speak with General Bowson. They must have been the group leaders, because they all took turns reporting to the general. I seized the opportunity to talk with the princess.

“What exactly is this place?” I ventured to ask, but I whispered it so only Ileana would hear.

“It's the headquarters of the Resistance,” said the princess. “After my uncle Aurelio stole the crown from my father, General Bowson was forced into hiding along with the other nobles and knights who were still loyal to my family. Since then, they've been gathering secretly, preparing to restore the throne to us.”

A sneaking suspicion began to grow inside me—like maybe I was on the wrong side. I was a villain. Shouldn't I be part of
Chad's
Plot? Helping the evil uncle defeat this Resistance? I mean, so far, my henchman was a sissy, my baby had practically been handed into my arms, and my “kidnapped” princess had rescued
me.
Now I was in a house with a bunch of guys who wanted to restore the kingdom to its rightful rulers. Not only was this behavior un-villain-ish, it was starting to sound suspiciously
heroic
.

Then I decided I didn't care how it got done. I'd wear a cape, learn to fly, and get a secret identity while saving damsels in distress and rescuing runaway baby carriages if that's what it took to complete this Plot!

“We have an army camped in the hills twenty miles west of the city,” one of the men said. “We can be mobilized and ready to fight in two days.”

“Excellent,” said General Bowson. “Any word from Captain Chamberlain?”

“Not yet. He's due back any moment.”

The general nodded, then turned to Princess Ileana. “Highness, we'll need to keep you somewhere safe until the battle is over. If all goes well, we can defeat Aurelio's army and restore your family to the throne.”

“And if all doesn't go well?” asked Ileana.

“Then you must go into hiding,” said Bowson. Then he addressed his leaders. “And now it's time for all of you to join the others encamped outside the city, but first let us pledge our devotion to our sovereign leader.”

All of the men arose, each falling to one knee in front of Ileana. After swearing their loyalty to the princess, the men departed in groups of three and four so as not to attract attention. Slowly the house emptied until it was just me, Ileana, and the general.

“Now, young man, I think you and I are going to have a long chat,” said the general, stroking his black beard menacingly.

His dark eyebrows bent as he scowled at me. His face was worn and tanned like leather, and his eyes were shrewd. I had a feeling he already knew more about me than I wanted. At that moment, I realized I should've run while I had the chance.

The general motioned for me to sit down, but we were interrupted by a series of knocks at the door.

“Ah, finally,” said the general. “Captain Chamberlain must be back from his patrol.”

The general opened the door, and before anyone could stop them, four palace guards rushed in, followed by Chad. In a matter of moments the guards had their swords to General Bowson's throat and Princess Ileana and me backed to a wall, also at sword point.

“Well, well,” Chad said. “You've certainly disappointed me, Rune. I thought it would be much harder to capture a fellow warlock.”

“Warlock?” the general said, glaring at me with mingled hate and suspicion. You know the phrase “If looks could kill”? Yep, I would've been dead.

“How did you know where we were?” I asked Chad.

“I saw it in
our father's
crystal,” Chad said, holding up the crystal ball as proof. I didn't miss the way he emphasized
our father
. Apparently—like many amateur villains—Chad expected a big reaction from me, his captive. I decided to oblige.

“Oh! Gasp!” I said dramatically. “You're my
brother
?” I put the back of my hand to my forehead as if I were about to faint. “How could this possibly be true? Me? Brothers with a cookie-baking sissy?”

“You knew?” Chad asked. I could see the color rising in his cheeks. Villains like Chad always let insults get under their skin.

“Of course I knew,” I said.

“How?” Chad asked.

I figured if I played this right, I could get Chad to reveal his plans to me in one long monologue. Amateur villains always reveal their plans prematurely. I crossed my arms and kept my lips shut. Chad got the message.

“It doesn't matter,” he said. “Now that I know where the army of the Resistance is camped, I'll send out King Aurelio's soldiers tomorrow to pulverize them! Then I'll successfully establish him on the throne, completing my Plot.”

Bingo.

“But how do Muma Padurii and Morgana fit into this?” I asked.
Might as well keep the ball rolling
.

Chad threw back his curly blond head and laughed. It was kind of twittery and girly—not evil at all. Poor Chad. He couldn't even laugh like a villain.

“They both have their reasons for hating our father. Morgana organized a Plot to put Aurelio on the throne. That part, Master Dreadthorn knew about. However, Morgana also convinced Mother to help. In turn, Aurelio promised that as soon as the Resistance is no more, he'll attack Master Dreadthorn's precious school and destroy it once and for all.”

I suddenly understood.

“Morgana wants Master Dreadthorn's school destroyed. Of course! She's always been jealous of him!” I said.

It seemed strange that Morgana would be jealous of Master Dreadthorn's pathetic underground dungeon when she had a castle on the sea. However, I've noticed that spoiled, snotty people always want what they can't have.

“What about Muma Padurii, though? What does she have against Dreadthorn?”

Chad didn't get a chance to answer because at that moment the door flew open, and two figures tumbled inside.

“Jez! Cappy!” I said.

At the same time, Chad was hit by the door and fell sprawling to the floor. The crystal ball flew from his hands and rolled right up to where I was standing. I scooped up the crystal. In front of me, General Bowson reached for his sword. In one swift, fluid movement he managed to disarm the guard closest to him.

“Get the princess, Cappy,” shouted Jez.

“Pretty girly!” Cappy said. I heard Ileana scream, but in all the commotion, I hardly had time to care.

Jezebel practically ripped my arm off as she hauled me out the door. The other guards had been disarmed by the general. Now he covered our backs with his sword as we made our escape.

In a matter of seconds, we were fleeing through the streets. Jez
popped
into a bat; she flew ahead, ready to warn us if she saw any guards approaching. Cappy had actually scooped up Ileana and was carrying her as if she were a small child. In turn, the princess pounded at his head with her fists and demanded to be put down. Cappy didn't seem to notice.

Beside us, General Bowson still held his sword at the ready in case of attack. I could see the questions in his eyes. I had a few myself, actually, but everyone seemed to sense that now was not the time.

I thought we were making our way to the main gate, but at the last minute, Jezebel veered and led us down a dark street.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“We can't just use the main gate. It's guarded,” Jezebel said.

She stopped as we reached the wall that surrounded the city. I couldn't see any way out.

“Now what?” I asked.

“Now you climb,” Jez answered.

She gestured with her wing to an enormous pine tree growing next to the wall. We ducked under the outer branches, and I could see the inside was clear of needles. It was like crawling inside a giant green umbrella. Cappy hoisted Princess Ileana above his head and into the tree. She'd stopped hitting him a few blocks back, finally realizing that he was rescuing her. Cappy followed up after her, then General Bowson.

I was still holding the crystal ball. Quickly I put it in my pack and began to climb up after the others. I could hear commotion and shouting in the city behind us. Chad must've sounded the alarm.

We reached the highest branches and made our way to the top of the wall, where Jez was already waiting for us. She was hanging upside down in true bat fashion.
Show-off.

“Well, we made it up the wall; now how do we get down?” I asked.

“Jump,” Jez answered, dropping from her branch and fluttering above the wall.

“It's got to be twenty feet high! There's no way …” But then I saw what she meant.

On the other side of the wall was a wagon filled with hay. It was still about a fifteen-foot drop, but the hay would break our fall. Cappy jumped first. He held out his arms and flailed them wildly as if trying to fly, landing in the hay with a
poof!
In a few moments, we had all jumped safely down and were following Jez once more toward the barn where I'd left Cappy earlier. Suddenly, I realized something was missing.

“Cappy, where's the baby?” I asked in alarm.

“She's safe,” Jez answered for him. I didn't know much about babies, but I couldn't imagine it was safe to leave one alone in a barn with only a goat for company.

“You have a baby?” Ileana asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

“I'll explain later,” I said.