Part 15 (1/2)

I sighed...

Something told me this wasn't going to be simple, retrieving my cloak; especially with a faerie and a sleeping curse in my way.

Just one day, one day, I would like things to be simple and easy.

But they never are. Because nothing is ever simple when magic is involved.

Fifteen.

Locke and Key The thicket around where the airs.h.i.+p had crashed couldn't really be called a forest. It was more like an oasis of trees and p.r.i.c.kly bushes set in the direct path of where we needed to travel to get to Bluebeard's Tower. It was almost as if it were intentionally done.

Maybe it had been. That wouldn't have been the first time shrubberies had magically grown in my path to keep me away. But these ones were more of an annoyance than something that prevented us from getting to the tower.

”You really didn't need to come with us.” I groaned while breaking off a small branch poking into my side.

”Thanks to you, it will be a while before my poor Siren's Song is functioning again anyway, so I have seemed to come into an incredible amount of free time. And why would I pa.s.s up the chance to see you storm a castle for a raggedy old cloak?” Captain Bonny explained, while chopping through a couple branches in front of her with a scimitar. She glanced back at me with a grin.

”Thanks to me?! I saved your stupid s.h.i.+p and everyone on it from being devoured by brimstone. And you think you can just blame me for your terrible airs.h.i.+p landing?” I roared back to her. Her grin soured pretty quickly as I whispered under my breath, ”And it's not a raggedy old cloak.”

”Will you two quit it already?” Ettie sighed.

Goldie leaned in next to Ashe and added, ”Is she like this with every woman she meets?”

”Definitely.” Both Ettie and Ashe spoke in unison while nodding in agreement.

I turned to look back, glaring over both of them. Everyone fell silent and Ettie gave me a big shoulder shrug. It stayed that way while I glanced around; at least until a tree branch smacked the side of my face.

I s.n.a.t.c.hed the branch up and snapped it off, while most everyone around me held back a laugh or two. All except for Bonny. She was roaring with laughter.

I stomped down on the p.r.i.c.kly branch while gritting my teeth. ”We better get there soon.”

”We are already here.” Han said from far ahead. I kicked and pushed my way along until I was standing next to him just outside the brush, looking up at a ma.s.sive stone cobbled tower.

It always had to be a stone tower, didn't it?

The bland stone was hardly ominous or dangerous looking though, considering how many people feared Bluebeard's tower. There were all kinds of rumors about seeing the chamber of blood that rested in there. And that your blood would be added to the collection. But from out here, the place honestly just looked rather...

”...dreary...” Came Goldie's voice followed by an oomph as she crashed into my back then sidled to the side.

”I do admit. I was kind of expecting something more menacing.” Ashe included.

I shook my head while stepping forward. ”Yeah, real scary. I'm shaking.” I mused, before Ettie stepped up and elbowed me in the side.

”Don't judge a book by the cover, Riri.” She added while I rubbed my ribs and rolled my eyes.

”That is one big book cover.” I grinned and started to cross the dead gra.s.s to the dilapidated building.

As we all grew closer, the only thing the tower became was tall. Even the cracked wooden door in front of us was beating Ettie by a good four feet at least. It was almost as if the place was built for incredibly large people.

”Should we knock?” Ettie asked as her face screwed up when I looked to her. I replied with a shrug and decided to push on the door.

It wouldn't budge. I glanced back to everyone behind me and gave them a raised eyebrow. ”Help?”

”I'm sorry; did I just hear Gnidori ask for help?” Han mused and I started to grind my teeth as a few of my former friends chuckled.

”I ask for help all the time, now get up here and help me push it.” I demanded, before Han, Ettie, Goldie, and Roberts started to lean against the door with me. It made more creaking sounds but it still didn't seem to budge.

Everyone else pulled away from the door while I kept pus.h.i.+ng. I grunted a few more times while I heard them chatting about how else they could get into the tower. I was just about to give up when the door popped open and I tumbled inside with a roll.

”Gnidori?!” I heard everyone yell as I righted myself in the darkness of the tower. The doors were still creaking as the others slipped inside. My eyes scanned the room that smelled so dreadful I could taste it.

The stream of light from the door I came through lit up just how much dust was streaming through the air. I almost choked at the thought of it. Other than darkness and Filth, the entrance room for the tower was completely drab.

It was almost disappointing.

Ettie and Ashe appeared next to me and each offered a hand to help me up. I took both and hoisted myself to stand.

”Are you okay?” Ettie asked.

”Yes, are you okay, Miss Red?” A deep voice interrupted before I could respond. My eyes traced through the faint light cast from the open door. In the far corner of the dusty and dilapidated tower, walking down spiral stairs was a large man with a lot of facial hair. Nothing else could be discerned from him due to the distance.

”Who are you?” I growled while pus.h.i.+ng Ettie and Ashe behind me. I knew I didn't need to protect them, but for some reason it was just instinctive. Both Reynards were rumbling with a nasty sound somewhere between a hiss and a growl.

”You don't know? You come busting into my home and have the nerve to ask who I am, when I have been such a gracious host to know who you are, even without your ridiculous cloak?” The man glared as he stopped at the bottom of the spiral steps, the brilliant blue cape on his back fluttered one last time before settling.

”You're Bluebeard?” Han wheezed as he took a few steps ahead of me.

The strange man stepped closer, just far enough for a shard of light from the open door to pour over his features. The most obvious thing that made everyone in the room gasp was the literal blue beard, long and matted on his face.

”The name is Fioravante Locke.”

I turned to look at Goldie, who was near the door. There was no way this was possible. But I glanced back at Fioravante and the brilliant golden hair that sat upon his head reminded me of only one person.

”You are related to Bluebeard, Gertrude?” Ettie asked completely bewildered as she turned to look at the black-attire thief. Everyone else followed suit, except for Bonny who just looked amused standing near Goldie.

Goldie tossed her hands up and let them drop as she let out a large grunt. ”Okay, fine. I'm related. I didn't even know until a year ago. When Kurt told me he found my uncle. What does it matter?”

I stepped toward her. ”Kurt? As in Charming? He knew Bluebeard and that you were related, even though you didn't? What? Did he do research on you?”

”No, no. I asked him to look for some of my family because well I only knew Grandma before she pa.s.sed away. He found Fioravante but I never met him until now.” Goldie continued, seeming a little fl.u.s.tered. I backed up to give her some s.p.a.ce since I was feeling bad about pus.h.i.+ng questions on her.

”And that brings us to now. I must say, the Prince was quite right that you were the best one for the job. Although I wasn't quite expecting this many people.” Fioravante continued, as my eyes fell back to him. He was smiling as he stepped closer.

Han grabbed at his nose and Reynard started to resort to barking at the man. I was missing something.

”Gnidori...” Han started to say through his fingers as he curled away from the man with the blue beard. ”He's the magic.”