Secrets

Chapter 19

Gaggletacked

"I don't like it," Toby said in the Hero's Forge. "Jim and Tally had been in there way too long!"

Claire had to agree. Everytime she looked at the Soothscryer, its red gem eyes gave her the creeps. It felt like Jim had vanished into the relic hours ago. But when Claire checked her phone, she saw he'd only been gone for less than thirty minutes.

Marshall was standing alone reading the book of Troll law pouting irritated by Jim's cruel harsh behaviour and from keeping him from getting to know more about Talia. Claire noticed this and went up to check on him. "Hey," she said patting him on the back are you okay?"

Marshall looked at her and then away still upset, "No. Ever since we've escaped from the Darklands. It's like Jim and I are competing in a game of tug-of-war with Tally as the rope trying to pull towards from one and from the other. I mean did you guys see how he grabbed her and looked at me before they went into the void. I could've sworn I saw him glaring."

"Whoa, whoa, okay slow down there, Magus!" Toby raised his hands ushering him to calm down. "We get it, you and Jimbo are pratically fighting over Tally. We get it. He just wants to protect her and you want to get to know her."

"Marshall," Claire said trying to explain. "Jim and Tally have know each other since kindergarten. So I completely understand his reasons of being protective around her. If I ever learned that my brother's life was on the line, I'd do anything to make sure he's safe."

Marshall scoffs, shuts his book, and said, "You know something, that is exactly why Tally didn't want me to you all in the first place." He turned around to face him and calmly said. "I may not know Jim as well as you guys, but I know him well enough. Yeah, I would feel betrayed as much as you guys were, but I would wait and let someone explain their intentions. I mean we all make mistakes, but sometimes it's for a good cause. And let me ask you guys something, if any of you know that Tally was in danger and yet you didn't even have all of the Triumbric Stones, would you guys rush in and do whatever it takes without the only thing to kill Gunmar and pratically face certain doom?"

Claire and Toby stare at him and exchanged each others looks without a good answer.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Marshall continued. "And you know. When Jim chose to venture into the Darklands alone. That exactly proved me and Tally's fears were right. If Strickler didn't have the last Triumbric Stone, The Eye of Gunmar, he still would've went in there all by himself knowing one of his best friends was in danger, and he wouldn't have the weapon to even kill the guy."

Toby turned towards Claire and said, "You know. . .I can't believe I'm saying this, but he does have a point, Claire."

Claire stares down on the floor and said, "I guess I never really thought of it that way."

Toby turned back towards Marshall grinning weakly, "And honestly. I totally think it was cold of Jim saying that you're not part of the team. Don't let it get to you and beat yourself up about it. He's just being overprotective. You've always been a part of our teams ever since you first made contact with Tally. Once this Book of Ga-huel mystery is solved and save Blinky, you two can find a way to talk things out, and explained Jim to what you've explained to us."

"Thanks, Tobes," Marshalls smiled.

Standing behind Toby and Claire, Blinky and Arrrgh killed time by studying the page depicting Blinky's death. As before, inky drawings of Jim, Toby, Claire, Arrrgh, Marshall, Talia, and Draal all stood in sorrow around their friend's lifeless and crumbled stone body.

"There. . . certainely is a great attention to detail," Blinky said, trying to sound positive.

He force himself to scrutinize each brutal brushstroke in the hope of uncovering some new bit of information, some potential loophole out of his looming fate. The funeral scene did, indeed, take place in some unfamiliar location. But this time, Blinky noticed something new. Hix six eyes squinted and saw words written on the crime scene's barren, cinderblock walls.

"That's Trollspeak," Blinky said. "An antiquated Blocking Spell, if I'm not mistaken. But those cincerblocks would appear to indicate a human structure. How ver bizarre. . . ."

"Maybe it's better if yo don't keep looking at that page, Blinky," Toby suggested."

"Y-yes, Tobias, perhaps it is," admitted Blinky. "I know it sounds foolish, but I had hoped that The Book of Ga-Huel might show some different outcome for me this time. But such magical thinking is ludicrous! I . . . I fear I'm losing my mind, friends."

"No, no. That's what it wants to think," Marshall said. "There's a saying: 'Knowledge is a dangerous thing.' We don't know the whole story yet, and the book is questioning yourself. But you can't give in to doubt, Blink."

Stirred, Blinky got to his feet, punched two fists into his other two hands, and declared, "By Gorgus, you're right! Enough of this pointless second-guessing! As soon as Master Jim and Lady Talia emerges from theat Soothscryer, we shall all unite arm-in-arm, take up the flags of unyielding hope and optimism and-"

"Halt, by the order of the queen!" shouted one of the Krubera soldiers now rushing into the Hero's Forge.

"-and I'm deader than Disco," Blinky finished miserably.

"Go!" Arrrgh roared at Toby, Marshall, and Claire.

"What about you two?" ask Toby.

"We Trolls will be fine," said Blinky, urgently blocking the Krubera's view of Toby, Marshall, and Claire with his body. "But you will not. Now heed Arrrrgh's advice and go!"

Toby looked down, seeing a shadow portal open beneath his and his friends feet. The three teens fell into it and disappeared, just as Queen Usurna stormed into the Forge.

;)

Claire, Toby, and Marshall, shadow-jumped back into Strickler's office. Late afternoon sunlight slanted through the windows, and the halls outside had long since cleared of students.

"This place again?" Toby whined. "What's the matter, Claire? One near-death experienc at school today isn't enough for you?"

"Hilarious. You and NotEnrique should go on tour together," quipped Claire.

She went back to Strickler's desk and started checking under tidy stacks of paper and inside the drawers. As Claire searched, she said, "This's where we found The Book of Ga-Huel in the first place. Maybe there's another clue here to help us save Blinky."

"Good thinking. Don't forget Strickler's secret room behind the bookcase," said Toby.

"Wait, what?" Marshall asked curiously confused.

Claire rifled through school supplies and said, "It's behind the bookcase. But we need a special key to unlock it. . .That only a Changeling can do."

"Ugh. On second thought, never mind," Toby said sourly.

He pulled out what looked like a metal horseshoe from his backpack and added, "I've had enough of Changelings after that close call at the Janus Order. If any of those shape-shifters tries to get the drop on us again, I'll zap 'em with this Gaggletack and expose their true form!"

Marshall crossed his arms in deep thought thinking back during their infiltration at their secret base. He could not help but wonder what that strange eerie voice that rang into this head that made him pass out and let himself get captured. The thought of that mysterious woman's voice gave him the creeps. 'Sleep sweet boy. . .'

"Yo! Marshall!" Toby's voice snapped him out in alarm. "What do you think?"

"Huh?" Marshall looked confused.

"What do you think about zapping those fakers with this Gaggletack?" Toby said showing him the horseshoe.

"Arent you being a little paranoid?" Claire asked, shutting the last drawer.

Toby opened his mout to answer, but jumped in place when a different, much louder voice echoed through the school. Claire said, "Was that Senor Uhl?"

Marshall slapped his face in annoyance, "Of course. . .who else besides that school dictator."

"Toby cocked his ear toward the hallway and heard what he guessed was a long string of German expletives.

They cracked open Strickler's door and peered down the hall. Uhl's shadow paced in front of his frosted glass windowpane. Toby, Claire, and Marshall traded each others a nervous look, then tiptoed over.

". . .they will pay," Uhl's invisible guest said. "Tomorrow, the return shall be complete."

The gang looked at each other again, then at the Gaggletack still clutched like a talisman in Toby's hand.

"By 'they', do they mean us? And by 'return', do they mean Gunmar?" Toby whispered.

"Are you saying Uhl's a Changeling?" Claire whispered back.

"Uhl maybe a pain in the butt. But we can't say for certain," Marshall stated. "If he is working for that tyrant we need to get close and use that thing on him."

"You're right," Claire agreed. "We should probably tell Jim and the others."

Toby nodded in emphatic agreement, and they started edging away from Uhl's classroom - only back into someone standing right behind them. Shrieking in surprise, Claire cocked her fists, Marshall got into a fighting stance, while Toby dropped the Gaggletack onto his toe.

"I'm new here!" said Ellie Stemhower in a rush, holding a clipboard in front of her face. Marshall and Claire both sighed in relief seeing that it was just her. Beside them, Toby hopped on one foot. He gave Ellie the same goofy, love-struck smile despite the throbbing pain in his toe.

"Ellie! What're you doing here?" asked Claire.

"Processing a serious back log of student late fees," Ellie said, consulting her clipboard. "Do either of you know an Elijah Leslie Pepperjack? That kid's checked out every single book on Mythology, Cryptozoology, and the Solar system! Plus one on coping with bullies and - ooh, what's that?"

Ellie knelt and picked up the Gaggletack. The horseshoe felt heavy, smooth, and cool against the flesh of her right hand as she gave it back to Toby.

"Um, would you believe it's a very big good luck charm?" asked Toby.

"Try telling that to your toe," Ellie snorted.

Toby burst into laughter-like, way too much laughter-prompting Claire to shake her head and Marshall rolling up his eyes. Ellie said,"Well, bacck to the card catalogues. If you don't see me in a few days, call the National Guard!"

"Heh, 'National Guard,'" Toby repeated, admiring Ellis as she walked away. "What a fun sense of humor. And stylish, too! Did you see that red nail polish!"

"No," said a thickly accented voice.

Toby, Marshall, and Claire turned slowly and discovered Senor Uhl seething in the open doorway to his empty classroom. He reached behind his back and said, "What I see are three students in violation of our school's 'no after-hours tresspassing' policy. And the price for that. . ."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know. . ." Marshall waved his hand all calme trying to act just so he would not suspect anything. While Claire and Toby hugged each other frightened thinking if Marshall was crazy or something. "Detention."

Uhl pointed his finger and was just about to say something, but then turned all silent. Raising his eyebrow confused thinking 'That's just what he was about to say.'