Chapter 6: A Lesson About Passwords

I lurked in the doorway of Addison’s office for twenty minutes, psyching myself up to cross over the threshold. It had a strangely forbidding atmosphere without his gentle presence around. His brown plaid armchair was sad and empty.

Hours earlier, I’d found him unconscious. I’d never shake the awful sensation of not being able to wake him, and seeing his cold, sweaty face.

What was wrong with me? Addison had given me permission to hide the pendant. An order, even! I had every right to be here. Why was I suddenly too timid to enter a space that I’d walked by a hundred times a day since I’d moved in?

All I had to do was go in, grab the pendant, and leave. He assured me that as long as I was wearing the gloves, I’d be safe.

There was a painting on the opposite wall of a group of black-robed sorcerers performing a ritual. They were standing in a circle with their arms raised and there was one guy in the middle who looked like he was getting tortured. Addison told me once the painting was called The Darkening.

The sorcerers’ leader had eyes that seemed to follow you everywhere. It never bothered me in the past. In fact, I found it bizarrely fascinating and creepy, and liked to make up stories about the people in the painting.

But now, the leader’s eyes bored right through me, as though daring me to set foot inside. I desperately wished that Addison could do a spell that would automatically make the pendant hide itself on its own, instead of me having to grab it.

Suddenly, Clyde streaked by my legs in a gray blur, causing me to stumble back into our old grandfather clock. The collision caused faint clanging from the clock’s mechanism.

“This is ridiculous,” I announced to the office. “I’m coming inside, once and for all.” I looked right at the creepy-eyed sorcerer. “And you can’t stop me!”

I’ll admit it was a very silly thing to do, raising my voice to a painting.

“Just go in, grab the pendant, get out,” I said, imagining myself as an adventurous Recoverer of Lost Artifacts.

Breath in, breath out. That was how Addison taught me how to calm down when I was scared or upset. It wasn’t helping. I had a severe case of the creeping willies about this, more than my normal creeping willies. But Addison was counting on me.

I took a step, then another, and another. His desk seemed so far away. The pendant lay coiled like a snake in the blackened box. The burnt smell had long since faded.

I flexed my fingers in the gloves. Slowly I reached in to take it, expecting to get zapped or killed. But none of that happened. Instead, the pendant dangled innocently from my outstretched fingers.

“Phew,” I said. “Addison is going to be so proud!”

A shrill HEEHAW broke the silence.

I almost hit the wall in a panic. HEEHAW brayed the Chimbrelis again. I froze, the pendant swinging in my clenched fist.

Crap. Of all the times for Rufus to call.

For the next minute, I stood there like that, waiting for the Chimbrelis to stop making noise and wondering what in the names of the gods I was supposed to do. First I was too scared to come in. Now I was too scared to leave. Just as I was about to make a break for it, the Chimbrelis rang again.

“Rufus. He knows,” I said. “I’ll bet anything he does.”

That was probably impossible, but I didn’t put it past magic-users to have secret knowledge on anything, even what I was doing by the soft glow of a coluire globe in Addison’s small office. Especially Rufus.

What if he kept calling all night? I’d be able to hear it all the way upstairs in my bedroom. I had to do something, even if it meant answering just to shut him up.

It probably wouldn’t work anyway. Everything in Addison’s place was practically Coralie-proofed. But what if it did? Plus, I did have the joke book in case I needed to crack it.

I tiptoed to the Chimbrelis. Every part of me shivered. Addison could never find out what I about to do, if I was successful.

“Yes, hi, hello,” I said. “Um, go ahead, Chimbrelis.”

“What kind of wizards can jump higher than a mountain?” the Chimbrelis asked in its melodic voice.

Shock crashed over me. Addison had not changed the riddle since I’d last heard it! It was unlike him, an oversight like that. He did use the same favorites often, but I was not expecting to be so lucky.

I supposed it was because he hadn’t meant to let me listen in on his conversations with Rufus since the day I’d been noticed.

“All kinds of them,” I answered, “because mountains don’t jump.”

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The Chimbrelis chimed. To my horror and excitement, Rufus appeared. He looked just as surprised to see me.

“Son of a hobgoblin, what are you doing here?” he said. “Your old man actually let you use this thing?”

I wanted to punch the smirk off his face. “Addison’s not here.”

Darkness flicked across his face. “Where is he?”

I swallowed my sudden nausea. “He’s—he’s not feeling well.”

“Oh?” Rufus said. “What’s wrong with him?”

He tried to sound concerned but I knew he was faking it. All he wanted was the pendant.

“None of your business,” I said.

Rufus frowned. “Don’t be rude to me. I’m asking to be nice.”

“He isn’t here and he can’t talk to you.” I attempted to nonchalantly hide the pendant behind my back.

“Wait a second,” Rufus said. “What’s that you’ve got in your hand?”

“What? Nothing. I have to go. Addison will talk to you later.” I tried to break the connection by waving my hand over it like I’d seen Addison do. The only problem was, he’s a magic-user and I’m not, so it didn’t work.

“C’mon, Chimbrelis.” I said. “Hang up.”

Rufus laughed, sharp and scornful. “That was pathetic. I’ve seen better tricks from a cut-rate stage magician, pulling coins out of kids’ ears.”

“Chimbrelis, can you make him go away, please?” I asked. “Please hang up!”

“Show me what you’re holding and I’ll break the connection,” Rufus said.

Fear pooled in my belly. “No.”

Rufus’s blue eyes turned icy. “It’s my pendant, isn’t it? Show me.”

“NO!” I shouted, shocked at myself for doing so.

“Fine,” he said with deadly calm. “Then I’ll just get it myself, like I’ve been intending to do anyway.”

I had no idea if he was capable of summoning the pendant or if he was just bluffing, but I couldn’t stick around to find out. Terrified, I started to edge away from the Chimbrelis. I didn’t dare turn my back on him. I’d slam the office door shut and he could scream all night if he wanted to. Addison would have to deal with him when he came home, recovering or no.

“Hey!” Rufus shouted. “Where are you going? Get back here!”

To my dismay, he began chanting in the magical tongue. I couldn’t understand any of the words, but they sounded aggressive and angry. Even his eyes looked like they were glowing with rage.

Clyde happened to be strolling back into the office at that exact moment. The furry idiot walked right between my feet and tripped me.

I stumbled backwards and landed hard on my butt. The pendant flew out of my hand. It clinked to the floor a few feet away.

A swirling, black vortex opened up in front of me. He’d done it. Of course he had. I was stupid to think otherwise.

Something rattled tinketytinketytinkety against the floorboards. I quickly glanced down. The pendant!

It shot forward toward the vortex. I slammed my foot down on the chain. Instantly, I was submerged in bitter cold darkness.

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