Map of the Passages: 3 (Enchanted Emporium) by Baccalario Pierdomenico

Author:Baccalario, Pierdomenico [Baccalario, Pierdomenico]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: enchanted emporium, magic, fantasy, 978-1-62370-204-5, 978-1-4342-6521-0, stone arch books, 978-1-4342-6518-0, science fiction
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Published: 2015-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

It was completely silent inside the mill. The fragrance of herbs, lavender, foxglove, and aromatic spices wafted through the air. The electric lights vibrated softly and gave off heat from days of running constantly. I turned off all the lights by gently flipping the switches. With each light turned off, it felt more and more like I was taking care of the place.

We passed a small hallway with some stairs heading up to the second floor and found ourselves in a large kitchen. The mid-afternoon light flickered vibrantly through the closed shutters. Parsnips, zucchini, and potatoes were halfway sliced atop a cutting board. Copper pots hung along the white walls. An old refrigerator hummed faintly in a corner.

As I moved through the rooms, the house started to seem like it’d been left only a few hours prior. The kitchen’s second door was open, which led to an inner cloister very much like a courtyard. An array of columns and small archways surrounded the lawn, with a little vegetable garden highlighted by a skylight. In the center of the lawn was a large apple tree. Its branches filled much of the space. A few words were written on the white marble threshold in the Enchanted Language:

HINC NON POSSIS IRE

Aiby used the violet lenses in her glasses to examine it. “It’s a Glyph of Protection,” she said. “With a strong Voice of Magic.”

I nodded, pretending to completely understand what all that meant while wondering if Aiby would fall for it. She passed her fingers over the letters and said, “It’s a very ancient dialect. I can’t figure out what it says.”

Obviously, the letters were incomprehensible to me, as well. “Do you want me to ask Doug?” I said.

My brother had just picked up the lid from one of the pots that had been left on the stove. He immediately put it back down with a disgusted look. “Someone needs to come and clean this up as soon as possible.”

I showed him the marble doorstep Aiby was leaning over. “What do you make of this?” I asked.

Doug’s eyebrows pinched together. “Why do you two want to enter a closet?” he asked.

“Wait — what?” I asked.

“It’s a closet,” Doug said, pointing to the wide-open door of the cloister.

Aiby lightly touched my shoulder, which was just enough to make me realize that Doug couldn’t see it. He wasn’t a Borderpasser like we were.

“A closet, of course,” I said, and then nodded. “Perhaps while Aiby and I check what’s inside this closet, you could search the other rooms?”

“Okay,” he said. “But what should I be looking for?”

“Photos, diaries, appointments — anything that can help us figure out who Cumai’s brother is or where he might be,” Aiby said.

My brother nodded and headed off.

“And Doug?” I said as he was leaving the kitchen.

“What is it now, Viper?”

“Watch out for the, um, closets,” I said.

Doug rolled his eyes at me and left.

With Doug gone, Aiby crossed the magical threshold, then turned and held out her hand to me. As my fingers joined hers, I could feel her skin vibrate.

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