Lord of Monsters by John Claude Bemis

Author:John Claude Bemis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2017-03-14T04:00:00+00:00

The interior of the prison was steeped in an unnatural cold.

Following the others down the steps, Pinocchio felt the racing of his heart. A thousand sleeping monsters lay somewhere below. And if they were awakening and attacked, how was he to use the Sands to put them back to sleep? Especially if he wasn’t supposed to draw on the Pearl’s powers.

At each turn of the stairs, the next flight got a little longer. Pinocchio realized this was due to the prison’s pyramid shape. Between Rion’s glowing sylph eyes and the aleya’s light, Pinocchio saw how the walls had begun to split with age. The stairs beneath their feet creaked ominously.

A sharp crack rang out, and they spun toward the sound. Goliath rubbed his head, where he’d butted it against the wall. “This place is crumbling to pieces.”

Mezmer scowled. “Where did you come from?”

“Me?” The mushroom pointed a stubby finger up. “Well, from the Upended Forest, General. Don’t you remember? I’m Goliath.”

“Yes, but I thought I asked you and your people to stay with Prester Lazuli!” she grumbled.

“Oh, they’re watching over her. You could use my help, you could. No need for a knight like me to have armor—with a head like this one!” He rapped on his mushroom cap.

“You’re not one of my knights.” Mezmer sighed.

Pinocchio grinned. For someone who’d always dreamed of leading a glorious band of knights, Mezmer seemed to be getting her wish little by little, even if they weren’t as glorious as she’d imagined.

“General!” Rion called.

The stairs ahead detached from the walls, jutting out like a rickety, downward bridge over empty darkness. Below, the hollow interior of the prison loomed.

“What’s holding those stairs up?” Sop asked, eyeing the precarious path.

“They’re connected to the other wall,” Rion said. “I’ll check to be sure it’s stable.”

He descended several steps and knelt to examine the structure.

Sop peered into the depths. “How far down do you think the floor is?”

“Far,” Mezmer said, “judging from what we saw outside.”

“Why don’t you go check it out for us?” Sop said to the aleya.

The little creature made a worried chime and flittered back.

“The monsters are sleeping, you cowardly bubble,” Sop snarled.

“Looks fine, General,” Rion called. He stood and motioned for them to continue after him down the staircase.

“Onward, darlings,” Mezmer urged her crew.

Pinocchio followed Rion, but he hadn’t taken more than a few steps when he felt the staircase shift ominously. “Wait!” he cried, throwing up a hand.

A loud pop sounded beneath his feet, followed by a low groan and the unmistakable sound of the wood beginning to break. Pinocchio only had an instant to react if he was to escape the collapsing staircase. He leaped forward toward Rion, boosted by his seven-league boots. He nearly collided with the sylph, which could have been disastrous if it had sent them over the edge. But Rion caught him, and they tumbled against the stairs.

Pinocchio glanced back in time to see a section of the groaning stairs come loose and plunge into the dark. His heart nearly stopped.

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