The Dire King (Jackaby #4)(62)

“Well, we’ve got excellent timing,” Jackaby whispered. “They seem busy getting excited about the prospect of murdering humans with abandon. With a little luck, we can turn that distraction to our advantage.”

“The evil warlord appears to be much better at pep talks than you are, sir.”

“I have never subscribed to pep,” Jackaby admitted. “Do try not to die.”

We crept closer, peering around the corner of the wall. We were a stone’s throw from the keep and the edge of the crowd. My foot struck something hard and I glanced down. The black blade lay at my feet.

“Sir!” I had seen Morwen’s sword flipping away wildly when she fell, but I had not seen where it landed. “Look!”

“Who’s back there?” shouted a voice from the other side of the wall we were using as cover. I froze.

Muffled footsteps began to tromp around the building. I snatched up the black blade and held it in front of me.

“You need to hide!” Jackaby whispered.

More footsteps joined the first. “Over this way!” the voice snarled.

Jackaby’s eyes flashed. He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a little pill. It looked like the tablet that had made the ogre’s teeth grow back on the castle wall. That had worked so well the last time.

“They can’t kill me,” Jackaby whispered. “They’re not allowed. But you . . .” The footsteps had nearly reached us. “Dentimorphic Engorgement. Might tickle,” he said. And then he stuffed the pill in my mouth.

“Mmph! Sir, what on earth ar—ooomph!”

There was a sickening popping sound. I felt like someone had attached a weight to the bottom of my chin. My jaw immediately ached. Out of the bottom of my eyes I could see something pearly and realized I was looking at my own teeth.

“Whurph?” I managed. Jackaby ruffled my hair up just before a pair of trolls turned the corner.

“Fine!” Jackaby threw his hands up in the air, looking at me. “You caught me!”

“Good work,” the first troll said, then looked me in the eyes. He jabbed a spear at me and leaned in to his comrade. “What’s she?”

A strand of my ruffled hair drifted across my eyes. I blinked. “Uhm.”

“She is the abominable brigand who just captured me,” Jackaby declared dramatically.

“Er—yeff,” I said through my enormous teeth. “Yeff, thaffs whu happeghed.”

The trolls looked skeptical. “Yeah, but what are you?”

“I—uhm,” I said.

“That’s really quite offensive,” Jackaby interjected. “Be careful. You’ll make her mad. You really don’t want to see her in her wrathful demon form. I’ve only just calmed her down as it is.”

“I think she’s one of them oni,” the second troll whispered to the first. “You ever been to the Eastern Annwyn?”

The first shook his head, then turned back to us. “Your prisoner. What you think?” he said to me. “We bring him to the Dire King?”

My eyes widened. “Oh—I don’ fthing thath a good idea. He’f righ in the miggle of hith thpeech to the troopth, and—”

“Obviously she’s going to take me to the king,” Jackaby interrupted. He nodded to me slyly.

“Yeth,” I said. “You can go. I have thith trethpather under control.”

The first troll’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll just come with you,” he decided. “To be sure.”

“Thath great,” I said. “Good. Okay. Let’th go thee the Dire King. Right now. Together.”





Chapter Twenty-Six

We marched through the center of the phalanx. Over the hubbub all around me and the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears, I could catch snippets of the Dire King’s voice.

“What was that?” Jackaby asked, cocking his head to the side. “What did he just say?”

“Unleashing glorious chaos on earth,” grunted the troll on our right.

“No, before that.”

“Rivers of blood?” suggested left troll.

“The bit about the machine,” clarified Jackaby. “Something about the next stage?”

“Oh—don’t you worry about that, human. It’s almost fully realized,” said right troll.

“Not fully realized now, then?” said Jackaby. “Seems to be chiseling away at the old barrier pretty well, all things considered.”

“That’s not all it’s supposed to do,” said right troll.

“It’s not?” said left troll.

“No, stupid,” said right troll. “The Dire King isn’t even controlling the machine right now. Can’t be doing what it’s supposed to do without the Dire King, can it?”

“Can’t it?” Jackaby prompted.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” right troll snarled.

“Well, can it?” asked left troll.

“Of course it can’t!” Right troll shot his compatriot a sour glance. “Do you read any of the notices? The Dire King, Unseelie of Unseelies, Lord of all Chaos, Bringer of Destruction, will make ready the road and he will make ready his warriors to travel it. Only then will he reach into the heavens to pull away the veil—for he alone can usher in the glorious Kingdom of Blood.”