The Seventh Door

  Still holding to the chains, Matt unlocked a manacle. When it popped open, Thomas’s arm flopped to his side. When he unlocked the other, Thomas fell. Darcy let him slide through her arms until his feet settled on the bridge.

  Now holding the weight of two people, the panels bent, and water sloshed onto the surface. A shark swam under the bridge and bumped it hard. The panels shot upward. Darcy leaped with Thomas, and they rolled safely across the floor.

  The bridge panels bobbed in the water, some bearing cracks. A dorsal fin sliced through them as if sending a warning.

  Darcy hustled to her feet while Thomas sat massaging his arms. “What now?” Darcy asked as she untied Thomas’s gag. “Build another platform?”

  “Just get ready to catch Mariel.” Matt climbed higher and jumped to the other set of chains. After twisting them around his legs, he dropped upside down and grabbed Mariel’s wrist. With his free hand, he unlocked her manacles. When they popped open, he began swinging her in a slowly increasing arc. “On three.”

  Darcy braced her feet and spread out her arms. “I’m ready.”

  “One . . .” Matt glanced at the aquarium. The dorsal fin sliced through the surface again.

  “Two . . .” His body slid down the chains, making Mariel’s toes clip the water at the bottom of the arc.

  “Three!” On the final upswing, he let Mariel go. Darcy caught her and let her spin slowly to ride out the momentum.

  Matt untwisted the chains around his legs, swung upright, and flung himself over the edge of the water. He landed on his feet and trotted between Thomas, who still sat on the floor, and Darcy, who stood with Mariel, rubbing the elderly woman’s arms. Mariel’s gag now lay in a puddle.

  Matt turned slowly, blinking. For the last few minutes, he had been in rescue mode, oblivious to the absurdity of the situation. And now? The objects in the room seemed like a series of stunt props for a really bad movie. Dangling chains? Sharks in a subfloor tank? Seriously? Tamiel’s spy-novel mimicry had gotten way out of hand.

  Darcy, shivering in her wet clothes, stepped back from Mariel. “What do we do now?”

  Matt peeled away his own moistened shirt. Since the windows here didn’t block the outside air, Darcy would soon freeze.

  He fished the car keys from his pocket. “Start up the Mustang and turn on the heater. I’ll wait here with Thomas and Mariel until they feel up to walking. But if you see any sign of my mother or the dragon, come and get me.”

  She took the car keys. “What about the third key, the one we’re supposed to find here?”

  “Right.” He lifted the ring that held the key to the manacles. One of them shone with a green hue. “That’s weird. It’s glowing. It wasn’t before, or I would’ve noticed it. I guess it flashed when I released Mariel.” He slid it off the ring and fastened it to the one at his belt. When the three clicked together, they sparked, but only slightly. “Done.”

  “Good.” Darcy gave him a weak smile. “You were amazing the way you rescued them. Just like a movie hero.” She trudged toward the door, leaving a trail of water in her path.

  “She was amazing, too,” Mariel whispered to Matt.

  Matt glanced from Mariel to Darcy. When Mariel’s comment sank in, his cheeks flashed hot. “Darcy. Wait.”

  Now at the interior door, she turned. “Yes?”

  “You were great. I mean, really great. I couldn’t have saved them without you.”

  She smiled broadly. “Thank you.” Then, with a livelier gait, she hurried toward the main door.

  Matt crouched and looked at Thomas and Mariel in turn. Mariel, large boned but not obese, looked back at him with bright red eyes in the midst of a sea of scaly skin that covered her forehead, nose, and cheeks. Her hands, however, appeared to be normal. Thomas stared at the floor, his bald head glistening with sweat, no dragon features apparent.

  “I’m Matt. Are you two feeling okay?”

  Thomas nodded. “Physically speaking, I am merely sore and feeling like I have been strapped to a medieval rack. My old bones are not accustomed to such stretching. Spiritually speaking? I am still evaluating my condition based on internal sensory perception.”

  Mariel batted Thomas’s shoulder. “Don’t be so mysterious. Matt probably has no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “True. I apologize.” Thomas looked up at Matt. His eyes were completely white—no irises, no pupils—just white. “Since I am physically blind, my visual perception is limited to what I sense internally. Yet my dragon heritage has gifted me with prophetic vision that is often sharper than mere eyesight. I am told that the original Arramos—not the evil copy who now claims that name— had similar insight, and I believe I am the only anthrozil ever to inherit his gift.”

  Mariel swatted him again. “But you haven’t learned his humility.”

  Thomas grinned, revealing a gap in his upper teeth. “And you are always nearby to keep my head from swelling.”

  “In any case, we have both been rude.” Mariel extended her hand. “I am Mariel, and this is Thomas.”

  “Glad to meet you.” Matt shook their hands in turn.

  Mariel looked toward the window. “Did I hear you say a dragon took Bonnie? I saw her a few moments ago.”

  Matt nodded. “I wanted to chase them, but . . .” He swallowed his words. Making them feel bad wouldn’t help.

  “The dragon was Arramos,” Thomas said. “I thought I felt his presence. I could never mistake the presence of Satan himself. He is pure evil.”

  Mariel rolled her eyes. “A child could have guessed that. Arramos is the only remaining dragon who would capture Bonnie. Still, since you say you are able to feel his presence, maybe you’ll do something besides sit around on your duff and instead lead Matt to Bonnie.”

  “With all your browbeating, you’re going to make Matt think you’re a nagging, shrewish, ungrateful witch of a wife.” He winked. “But you’re not my wife at all.”

  “No woman in her right mind would marry you. After one hundred years with you, I ought to know.”

  “Wait a minute,” Matt said. “How old are you two?” He cringed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Mariel gathered her thick white hair and pushed it behind her back. “Old folks like us enjoy a bit of bragging about how many years we’ve managed to survive. After all the two of us have been through, I think we’re just too stubborn to die.” She pointed at Thomas with a thumb and whispered, “Especially him.”

  “I heard that.” Thomas felt for Mariel and patted her on the back. “My dear friend here is more than one hundred fifty years old, but she is a spring chicken compared to me. In fact, I have forgotten how old I am, so I just say I am three hundred and leave it at that.”

  “Your memory lapses always seem to benefit your ego. You’re not a day over two hundred.”

  “I should know how old I am. I was born—”

  “Oh, stop it. We’ve been over this a thousand times. I’m sure Matt has a lot more important things on his mind.” Mariel looked up at him. “Don’t you, Matt?”

  “I do. Like you said, I have to find my mother.” Matt glanced out the window. Darcy probably had the Mustang good and warm by now. They should hurry and join her, but this might be the only chance to get a look into her soul.

  He seated himself and touched Thomas’s shoulder. “Real quick, so you can leave this place and get warm in the car. Since you have spiritual perception, what kind of feeling did you get from Darcy?”

  Chapter 9

  PARALLEL CIRCLES

  “A feeling from Darcy?” Thomas stroked his chin. “Strong girl for her size. Her arms felt a bit thin, but she handled me well, and I’m no scarecrow.”

  “You’re half a scarecrow.” Mariel’s scaly brow bent. “If you’d listen to me, you’d be strong as an ox, but you just eat grass . . . grass and that curdled yak milk, when you can get it.”

  “Bean sprouts and yogurt.”
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  “Whatever. You’ll never get any muscle on those old bones if you don’t—”

  “I don’t mean to interrupt,” Matt said, “but I wasn’t asking about how Darcy felt physically. Did you get a feel for her . . . spirit, I guess?”

  “Her spirit?” Thomas stared at Matt with his blank eyes. “My dear Matthew, the young woman risked her life to save mine. Why should I probe into the secret chambers of such a sacrificial soul?”

  “Well . . .” Matt’s cheeks turned hot again. Thomas’s question made his own sound really stupid. “To see if she’s acting, I suppose. You know, pretending to be something she’s not.”

  “Acting?” Thomas continued his blank stare for a moment, then stroked his chin again. “Forgive me. At first I thought you daft for questioning the character of such an obvious heroine, but as I sense your anxious feelings, I now have a better understanding. You believe you might have an accomplished deceiver in your midst who is skilled enough to realize that a sacrificial act is the best way to achieve confidence in her pretended loyalty.”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.” Matt leaned closer and whispered, “Do you know about someone named Semiramis?”

  Thomas nodded. “We have heard stories about her. We came out of hiding for a short time, and Bonnie sent us a copy of her journal to let us know what has been happening over the years.”

  “Then you know how deceptive Semiramis can be,” Matt said.

  “True. Semiramis is one of a kind. If, however, you are wondering if I can determine if Darcy is such a wolf in sheep’s clothing, then it depends on how accomplished she is as a deceiver.”

  “I’m wondering if Darcy is Semiramis . . . in disguise, I mean.”

  Mariel’s red eyes pulsed. “That would be an extraordinary disguise. Semiramis is several years older, at least she presents herself that way.”

  “I know it’s far-fetched, but . . .” Matt waved a hand. “Never mind. It’s stupid. Forget I said anything.”

  “Don’t worry, Matt.” Mariel patted his hand. “I’m sure Thomas will do what he can.”

  “Of course I will,” Thomas said. “When I am with her again, I will conduct a test or two to see what I can learn.”

  “Great. Thank you.” Matt climbed to his feet and helped Thomas and Mariel to theirs, then guided them toward the Mustang. Mariel held Thomas’s hand every step of the way, warning him of roots and divots on the path, though Thomas seemed capable of avoiding every obstacle Mariel didn’t mention.

  When they reached the car, Darcy was sitting in the front passenger side with the engine running. Once Thomas and Mariel had settled in the backseat, Matt jumped in and looked at the phone’s next address—pretty far away.

  Darcy passed around snack bars and bottles of water she had retrieved from their supply box. While Matt drove back to the main road, he related the details of the seven-door journey—everything that had happened so far, including a blow-by-blow account of his mother’s recent capture.

  When he tried to explain Darcy’s role, he drew a blank for a moment and chewed on his snack, a sticky blend of granola, peanuts, and chocolate. During the pause Darcy described Tamiel’s interrogation, how he had grilled her for information about Matt, silly things like what movies and books he enjoyed. She also added Mom’s observations that the doors paralleled the circles-of-seven adventure.

  After finishing his last snack bar, Matt tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel and glanced at the mirror every few seconds to see his backseat passengers. “So now we’re like a kite that’s been cut loose. Supposedly Tamiel wanted us to go to each place so Mom’s song would get hurt, but now she’s gone, so maybe we need to do something else. Of course we still have to find my mother, but where?”

  “Maybe she’ll be at one of the addresses,” Darcy said, “so she’s like bait to keep us going.”

  Thomas raised a finger. “My advice is to proceed to the fourth door. Since Tamiel is likely behind your mother’s kidnapping, and since he also provided you with instructions to follow, you should continue following them until he tells you not to. Doing otherwise could well lead to your mother’s harm.”

  “Unless we gain new information,” Mariel added. “Like if Thomas senses Arramos nearby.”

  “Of course. Of course. But I have to be fairly close to Arramos to detect him, and he isn’t likely to show himself.” Thomas touched Mariel’s shoulder. “Perhaps we should tell them our story. They might benefit.”

  “There isn’t much to tell.” Mariel settled back in her seat. “I’ll start at the point when Thomas went into hiding to run from Devin, who had already killed his mother. Thomas escaped to an industrial part of Zurich and began working for a garment manufacturer. Although he was blind, he was able to feel the quality of the raw materials and recognize if vendors had delivered the right fabrics.”

  “And I was good at it.” Thomas wiggled his fingers. “They said I had magic hands.”

  Mariel sighed. “Thomas, dear. Who’s telling this story?”

  “You are.” Thomas slid away from her. “Go ahead.”

  Mariel lifted his hand and kissed it. “Anyway, I went into hiding when Devin killed my mother. Since I have scales on my face, I have a hard time protecting my identity. I would always wear heavy makeup, a scarf, or even a burqa whenever I could, but I raised a lot of suspicion.”

  Thomas nodded. “A burqa in a Swiss park will do that.”

  “Hush.” Mariel pushed his arm. “So when Devin began closing in on me, Thomas and I met at a restaurant in Zurich. I agreed to be his nurse and guide in exchange for protection. Since he is able to detect the approach of evil, ours turned out to be a successful arrangement for many years.”

  “Quite successful. And I must admit that she is an excellent cook, though she often complains about my dietary choices.”

  “That’s because you’re a vegetarian one week and a carnivore the next. I never know what to buy at the market.”

  Thomas waved a hand. “Go on with the story. You’re off topic again.”

  Mariel rolled her eyes. “Anyway, we came out from hiding fifteen years ago after the victory in the great battle in Second Eden, but only to contact our birth mothers so they would know we’re alive.”

  “Kaylee and Dallas are their human names,” Thomas said. “Their dragon names were Alithia and Firedda.”

  “Right,” Mariel continued, “but we didn’t reunite physically with them. Thomas’s gifted perception warned that all was not well, and he was right. Relations between Earth and Second Eden deteriorated, so we went into hiding again. Only this time, we were unable to avoid Tamiel, who turned out to be much cleverer at pursuing us than Devin was. Apparently he doesn’t transmit the same kind of evil signals other villains do. Since Thomas relied on his usual skills, Tamiel was able to capture us last week.”

  “So what did you do during all those years of hiding?” Matt asked. “Did you help Thomas at the garment factory?”

  “For a little while. Later we worked with Sir Patrick and his spies. We coordinated getting messages to surviving anthrozils and put out false information to mislead Devin. We also made arrangements for Bonnie’s transfers after Devin killed her mother.”

  “So you hid my mother from Devin.” Matt nodded. “That’s cool.”

  “And from her own father. Devin attacked Irene on December thirtieth, and we whisked Bonnie out of the state very soon afterward, but we left clues that she was still in Montana, including registering her in the Montana foster system in March of the next year. That kept Bonnie’s father and Devin searching in that state for quite some time while Bonnie was getting settled in West Virginia.”

  “So why did she keep her first name? Wouldn’t that be an easy way to find her?”

  Thomas cleared his throat. “Well, that objection sounds familiar. You see, she was registered in West Virginia under another name. She just went by ‘Bonnie Silver’ at school, an idea that I warned against. The pr
evailing thought was that she would be safe because the chances of word getting back to Devin were practically nil. As it happened, Devin, in his search for Jared Bannister, became the principal at Billy’s school. Since Bonnie and Devin were both looking for the Bannister family, it stood to reason that they might cross paths. People thought I was just being paranoid.” He shrugged. “But being the kind and humble person I am, I refused to say ‘I told you so.’”

  “You are kind,” Mariel said, “but when humility rained from the sky, you put up an umbrella.”

  Thomas laughed. “And you were struck by the lightning bolt of nagging.”

  “Then the bolt charged me with keeping you humble, which requires more energy than even Excalibur can deliver.”

  “Okay, okay.” Matt smiled, though their banter sounded like fussing children. “Can we get back to the story?”

  “Certainly,” Mariel said. “Besides taking care of Bonnie, sometimes we didn’t have much of that kind of business to do, so we also helped with Patrick’s orphanage network—picked up lost and forsaken children, found homes for them, that sort of thing. We stayed quite busy.”

  “I’m sure.” Matt turned onto the main road. The destination lay a couple of hours to the north in Nebraska. They still had plenty of time to talk. “Do you two know much about my mother’s adventures in the circles of seven? My father told me he carried my mother through the seventh circle of Hades, but if you know the other parts of the story, maybe we can figure out how the fourth door might be similar to the fourth circle.”

  “We know quite a lot,” Thomas said. “As I mentioned before, we had a copy of Bonnie’s journal. Mariel read it to me, and, of course, I memorized it after a single reading. The parallels are striking. In the first circle, Arramos tempted your mother with forbidden fruit, and, as you might expect, she refused. Now she witnessed an entire church that gobbled the fruit gladly, which was designed to cause her great grief.”

  “And hurt her song,” Mariel added.

  “Of course. I don’t plan to explain the obvious. Matt and Darcy are smart enough to—”