Everything clicked into place. The way the Pegasus had screamed about Albert’s blood, how it smelled like the one who came before. The spidery fingerprint on the Bell, too large for a child, larger than an average adult’s, but smaller than Professor Asante’s.
He thought of the scribbled note on the striker, the handwriting that reminded him a little too much of his dad’s. The black smudge they’d found on the door to Belltroll that had looked like oil. And then, of course . . .
“He was the only one not in the Pit when the door to Belltroll was cracked,” Albert whispered.
“A recording,” Lucinda whispered, finding her voice again. “He wanted to ensure that people thought he was present, while he entered the Realm.” She shook her head. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt. Please, forgive me.”
“What do you mean, forgive you?” Albert asked. He took a step back, knocking up against the bookshelf. “What did you do?”
Lucinda wiped her tears with the back of her ring-covered hand. “He was always so smart, so cunning. He discovered a way around the punishment. And I . . .”
“And you what?” Albert asked. “Lucinda, what did you do?”
She sobbed so hard her entire body shook.
“I loved him,” Lucinda said. “I always have, and he knew it, and he used me to help him, and I fell for it.”
Albert was tired of her sobs. He just wanted to get away from her.
“I helped him, all this time.” Her head snapped up, and her sobs stopped. “He wants you, Albert. He wants your Tile, and he’s waiting for you. He intends to take it himself.”
“Where is he waiting?” Albert asked. A flash of courage surged through him. “Tell me.”
“I never meant to hurt anyone,” Lucinda said.
“I trusted you,” Petra cut in. There were tears in his own eyes, and his voice cracked. “And last night, in the Library, you were keeping me there so I wouldn’t come here and find out his name! You lied to me. How long have you been lying to me?”
“Forgive me.” Lucinda cried and cried and cried. “If Festus doesn’t get Albert’s Tile, he will destroy the world. But you can’t go to him, Albert—he’s too strong and powerful. And he doesn’t care what he has to do to you to get that Tile. I won’t allow you to go.”
Albert saw the begging in Lucinda’s eyes before she buried her face in her hands and resumed her sobbing all over again. Her concern for him surprised him. He put out a hand to touch her shoulder, but suddenly, Lucinda stopped crying.
“You can’t go to him. But . . . if someone brought the Tile to him . . . if I . . .”
Her eyes widened. She stood up and lunged at Albert.
It happened so fast. There was a flash of black from the direction of the bookshelves. Albert and Petra both screamed and jumped back. Lucinda cried out and fell to the ground.
It was Kimber. He’d wrapped his body around Lucinda, holding her captive like he was a coil of thick black rope. She tried to fight, but Kimber held strong.
His dark eyes looked up at Albert’s and the snake nodded once, a message. Run.
“You can’t go!” Lucinda yelped.
“Tell me where he is!” Albert yelled. His face felt hot.
“No,” she whispered.
“We have to go,” Petra said. “We’ll find him, Albert. We’ll look together.”
They shuffled past her to the freedom of the door.
They were almost out when Lucinda called Albert’s name. He turned around.
“Just give him the Tile, and don’t fight him,” Lucinda whispered. She gave up fighting against Kimber, all the hope sucked from her voice. “He . . . he has your friends.”
“Where?” Albert asked. “Please.”
But Lucinda’s eyes shone with love. Not for Albert, but for Festus. She wouldn’t betray him, not even now.
“Albert,” Petra said. “Come on.”
Birdie. Leroy. Farnsworth. Not safe.
Albert gave Lucinda one final glare.
“He won’t win,” Albert said. “Because I’m going to stop him, tonight.”
Then he turned and sprinted from the room, the faces of his friends the only thing in his mind.
CHAPTER 29
Facing the Traitor
They made it to the Main Chamber in record time, using the system of hidden tunnels and back routes Hoyt had shown them. Albert and Petra burst out into the light.
Professor Asante had organized the Balance Keepers and they were fighting in their individual units.
Terra, fighting against the Hexabons.
Slink and Hoyt and Mo on Team Argon, battling the Hendeca. They slashed at its arms as a little man with a sword and shield shouted out commands.
“Professor Bigglesby!” Petra shouted. “He’s alive!”
The dwarf caught Petra’s eye and winked, then did a flip and roll beneath the Hendeca’s slashing arms. When he stood back up, he looked at Albert and nodded once.
A truce.
Albert nodded back, but quickly returned to scanning the room for his friends. They were nowhere to be found.
A cold sweat broke out on Albert’s brow. If Lucinda was right, and Festus had them, they wouldn’t be here. They’d be somewhere hidden. Away from all of this.
But where?
The Cave of Fire? The Cave of Souls? Maybe in Lake Hall, or one of the Professors’ classrooms? Could they be in the Path Hider’s domain, where Festus had been this entire time? There were too many possibilities and not enough time.
“LOOK OUT!” Petra screamed.
A King Firefly buzzed toward them from one of the tunnels. It shot a fireball and Albert and Petra dove. But there was a raging roar, and Jadar the Guildacker zoomed down from the rafters, swallowing the fireball in his giant, open jaws.
He took off, chasing the Fireflies, helping the Balance Keepers below round them up. Trey ran past, shouting as he tried to get some of the older Core workers to safety.
“Have you seen Leroy and Birdie?” Albert shouted.
“Not in a while!” Trey shouted back as he herded the workers away.
Albert kept looking, but every second that ticked by was another second Birdie and Leroy could be in danger.
His body was numb.
“I don’t see them!” Petra yelled.
Thoughts raced through Albert’s mind like a round of bullets.
They aren’t here. Festus is the traitor. The Path Hider is Festus. Festus is my crazy secret uncle. My crazy secret uncle has my friends.
“I have to go,” Albert said to Petra. “I have to find them.”
“What about your Tile?” Petra said. “There has to be a symbol you can use to find them.”
“I can’t think right now.” Albert pressed his fingers to his temples. “I can’t . . .”
“You can,” Petra said. “You have to.”
There was too much noise. Too much chaos all around.
Albert took a deep breath and forced himself to focus the way he used to do in the Pit when things got tough.
Please, he thought. Help me find my friends.
It must have worked, because an image appeared in his mind. It looked like a giant magnet with two squiggly lines on either side. He didn’t know what the symbol meant, but he didn’t have another plan.
Albert thought of the Master Tile and focused on the first day he’d met Leroy and Birdie, standing in the Path Hider’s domain. Birdie had her hands on her hips, and Leroy’s hat was on sideways. He remembered the yo-yo in Leroy’s hands, too.
Suddenly, an overwhelming need to go left filled Albert’s body.
He looked left, and there it was. The tunnel that led to the Pit.
It was as if there was a magnet in his very soul, tugging and pulling at him to go down that tunnel.
Albert turned to Petra. “Get somewhere safe,” he said.
But Petra shook his head. “I’ve waited on the sidelines for too long.” He reached out and shook Albert’s hand. “Go find them.” Then
he turned and sprinted into the fight.
Albert could only be in one place at one time. A part of him shattered as he turned away from the battle.
Be safe, he thought. Fight well.
Then he unsheathed his sword and sprinted into the tunnel that led to the Pit.
The Magnet symbol kept pulling and tugging, and Albert obeyed. His hands trembled as he held the CoreSword, and suddenly it felt way too small. Festus was so much bigger than him, a beast.
Though the fight raged on behind him, every step brought on a horrible, eerie silence. Soon the only sounds Albert could hear were his own breathing and his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The green torches flickered.
“I’m going to the Pit,” Albert whispered to himself. “I’m just going to the Pit, and I’m going to do a Competition, and I’m going to win.”
It got darker and darker as Albert moved down the tunnel; torches were flickering out. Albert wondered if the Path Hider might pop out of the shadows right now.
Would he still look the same? Or would he be in some sort of evil, magical armor that would make it impossible for Albert to cut the Master Tiles from their chain?
“Just keep walking,” Albert said to himself. He came to the end of the tunnel, where the door to the Pit Path stood slightly ajar.
Albert lifted a trembling hand. If he went inside, would he ever come back out?
“Birdie and Leroy,” he said to himself, and their names gave him just enough bravery to swing open the door.
It was dark inside, except for two blue flashes at the very tip-top of the path.
Farnsworth!
The little dog was barking his head off, standing on the orange platform right before the entrance to the Pit.
“Farnsworth!” Albert yelled. “I’m coming, buddy!”
Suddenly Albert was sprinting, all the fear in his body having given way to adrenaline that fueled him forth. Was Farnsworth okay? Was he hurt?
Nobody touched his dog and got away with it.
It was a strange sensation, sprinting up the Pit path alone. Albert had never done this without his friends, and suddenly his stomach became a pit, too. Dread was filling it faster and faster, so much that Albert was afraid it would overflow.
He reached the top.
“I’m here,” Albert said. “It’s okay now.”
Farnsworth whimpered and scratched at the door. His fur was standing up on the back of his neck, and he wouldn’t budge when Albert tried to coax him away from the door.
“Are they inside? Is it Birdie and Leroy?”
At the mention of their names, Farnsworth’s barking started anew. They had to be inside the Pit. This was it.
Albert dropped to one knee and allowed himself a second to pet his dog. “Good boy,” he said. Farnsworth’s eyes dimmed a little as Albert’s fingers ran through his fur. “I’m going to go and get them. Now you need to get away from here, buddy. Or go and get help. Find Trey or Professor Asante or Bigglesby and bring them here.”
Farnsworth whimpered, but licked Albert’s chin like he understood.
“Go,” Albert said.
The little dog didn’t budge.
Albert gave him a nudge, and Farnsworth howled just once. Then he turned and sprinted down the path, and Albert was alone.
He turned to the door, a sick feeling running through him.
He had to do this, now. Before it was too late.
For Birdie and Leroy, Albert thought to himself.
For my dad.
For Petra, and all the Professors.
For the Core, and the surface world.
He turned the handle. The door swung open, and before he could stop himself, Albert went inside.
Silence.
Pure, uncomfortable silence inside. Albert was afraid to take a step.
But something told him Festus already knew he was here.
You’re strong, Albert’s dad’s voice rang in his head. Just . . . remember who you are. Remember that the Flynns are the good guys.
But Festus was a Flynn, too. And he was anything but good.
Albert tightened his grip on his sword and walked a little farther inside. The room was dark, but not so much that Albert couldn’t see.
And then, suddenly, torches blazed all along the rocky walls of the giant room. This fire wasn’t cool blue or sickly green, but a deep, angry red-orange.
And it illuminated the figure sitting on the bleachers, calmly waiting.
He looked the same as always, save for the miner’s cap that was missing. But there he was, with that strange coppery hair. They must have been fraternal twins, because other than their height and build, Festus and Bob Flynn didn’t look very much alike.
The tall, slim figure sat with one leg crossed over the other casually, as if he were waiting for a friend. He wore a coat similar to Professor Flynn’s, but instead of emerald green, this one was jet black.
Albert glared at Festus from across the Pit. “You,” he said. “Where are my friends?”
Festus chuckled, a sound that carried across the gap to Albert’s ears. “Is that any way to greet your uncle?” He spread his arms out.
“You’re no uncle of mine,” Albert said, making sure to speak up so that Festus heard him loud and clear.
Festus burst into laughter and slapped his knee. Albert didn’t think he’d said anything funny.
“Always so clever, so quick. But of course, all the Flynns are. It’s in our blood.” Festus was staring at him now. “I’ll admit, I was beginning to wonder if you’d show.”
“I’m here now,” Albert said. He didn’t want to get any closer to Festus, but it felt stupid to be shouting across the Pit. He took a deep breath and moved forward, halving the distance between them. “Give me back my friends.”
“Slow down, nephew. Let’s enjoy this family reunion.” Festus rested his chin on his hand, his strange eyes bright as if he were truly delighted to see Albert. But there was a darkness beyond it all. Albert could see it even from here. “You didn’t need anyone to tell you where I was, did you? No, you figured that out all on your own. Of course, that insufferable dog wouldn’t stop barking.”
It was good Farnsworth wasn’t here now—he would have ripped Festus’s throat out for that comment.
“I trusted you,” Albert said. “You were the first person I met in the Core. I thought you were my friend.”
His uncle sat a little taller, his back straight. Even though the Pit loomed between them, Albert felt like Festus was staring into his soul.
“You and I aren’t friends, Albert. We’re so much more than that. We’re so much more than everyone else.” He raised his hands, and twin flames flickered to life in his outstretched palms. Albert’s eyes widened as the flames turned from fire to floating orbs of water.
He’d never seen magic like that in the Core.
Festus raised a brow and stood. The orbs of water twirled above his palms. “You see what makes us different, nephew? We can do things that no one else can. We’re strong. We’re powerful.” His strange eyes flitted toward Albert’s Master Tile. “If you join me, I can teach you things beyond your wildest dreams. We can share the power. Imagine the world bowing at our feet. I know you feel it. I know you hunger for more.”
Albert shook his head, and inside, his body felt like it was crawling with ants. “You’re wrong.”
“Wrong?” Festus raised a brow. He clenched his fists, and the orbs of water exploded.
“I’m nothing like you,” Albert said. “I will never join you.”
Festus glared back. He didn’t move his mouth to speak, but suddenly his voice was inside of Albert’s head, tickling his brain. I was afraid you’d say that, Festus said. Which is why I’ve set up a challenge.
“What challenge?” Albert said. He gripped the sword harder; his uncle inside his head made him feel incredibly vulnerable. His whole body burned with anger. “My friends. Lucinda said you had them, and I want them back. Now.”
Festus curle
d his lip in disgust. “Lucinda,” he hissed. “What a useless Apprentice.” Then he laughed and looked back into Albert’s eyes. “Your friends are in this very room.” He waved a long, spidery hand toward the Pit. “See for yourself.”
Albert’s whole body turned to ice. He edged forward, afraid to look into the Pit, but knowing that he had to. What would he see at the bottom?
Horrible images flickered through his mind. Birdie and Leroy injured and broken. Birdie and Leroy just barely holding on to life. He shoved the images away and focused on the truth.
The Pit was nothing like it used to be. It was as if Festus had plucked the blueprints for it right out of Albert’s nightmares and brought them to life.
In the center of the Pit, a giant, razor-sharp pillar emerged, spiraling up from the ground. Albert had no idea what the pillar would do when the Pit actually sprang to life . . . but he knew it wouldn’t be good.
It wasn’t the pillar, though, that gave Albert a fresh layer of dread in his chest.
It was the creatures that stalked back and forth across the Pit’s floor, waiting for their prey.
The first was a massive lizard-like beast covered in serrated spikes, with a cluster of them on the tip of its tail. As if it sensed Albert’s eyes on its back, it looked up and hissed, revealing two rows of jagged teeth, and a black, forked tongue that probably held a lethal amount of poison.
“What have you done?” Albert asked.
Festus took a few steps down, off the bleachers. “Hybrids,” he said. “Aren’t they beautiful, nephew?”
The second creature had a giant wolf’s body, large enough to fit its bear head, and claws so long they click-clacked across the floor as the creature paced. If the animal’s claws made that sound, then the floor of the Pit probably wasn’t the usual soft, squishy floor that it was in Competitions.
The third creature was a colossal black bird with talons like a hawk, its black beak long and ragged like the edge of a steak knife. It soared from the Pit and landed on Festus’s outstretched arm.
“My friends,” Albert said, forcing himself to look at Festus. “Where are they?”
Festus laughed. “Not as observant as I hoped you’d be.” He lifted his arm, and the bird soared from it, flying down to the Pit to land on the wolf-creature’s back.