Song by Jason Lethcoe

Author:Jason Lethcoe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2010-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

REUNION

The Jackal’s dungeon was a sprawling maze of corridors, each lined with what seemed like hundreds of barred doors. Without Charlie’s directions, Edward and Bridgette would have had no hope of finding Melchior.

Left, right, left,Edward thought, turning down the long corridors as Charlie had directed.

After several minutes of running, he came to the cell Charlie had mentioned. It was unlike the other cells, which had bars for doors. This one was covered completely by a big, iron door.

His heart trembling in his chest, Edward fumbled through the keys, searching for one to open the lock. On the third try, the key turned with a satisfying thunkand the door swung open. Edward’s elation at finding his father gave way to horror as he saw what he had become.

Mr. Spines hung limply from a set of rusted chains. His face was bruised and his breathing ragged. One of his shriveled, batlike wings was gone, and although he still had the other, there was no doubt that he was dying.

Edward rushed forward, shoving keys into the rusted manacles until he found one that fit. “What have they done to you?” he said, his voice choked with sobs. The manacles clicked free and Edward caught his father’s small form as he fell forward. Calling to Bridgette, he indicated the rough stone bench in the corner and said, “Help me lay him down.”

Bridgette grabbed Mr. Spines’s feet and they carried him to the dirty bench. He lay there unmoving, his jaw hanging open, gasping for air.

Edward looked around frantically, hoping to find some water. He spotted a small jug in the corner and hoped that whatever was inside was okay to drink.

To his relief, it was filled with water. It wasn’t very fresh, but it seemed okay. Edward took the water back to his father and, cradling his head in his lap, dribbled a little of it down his throat.

Mr. Spines choked down some of the water and seemed to revive a little. He turned to Edward and smiled weakly at him, revealing rows of crooked, yellow teeth.

Edward gazed down at his father, overcome with grief.

“I’ll go outside and watch the door,” Bridgette said quietly.

Edward didn’t even hear her go. All he could think was that he was with his father. Somehow he’d found him in this horrible place. As Mr. Spines gazed up at him, even the horsemen’s voices couldn’t push through. Edward’s eyes glassed over with unshed tears as he gazed down at his father’s tortured body.

“How did you get inside?” Mr. Spines croaked.

Edward showed his father the key that Cornelius had given him.

Mr. Spines’s eyes widened a little when he saw it. “The Finding Key,” he whispered.

“It opened a hole in the force field,” Edward said. “We f-found the keyhole in a tree.”

Mr. Spines smiled at his son. After coughing weakly, he said, “This key is a priceless treasure. It can create its own keyhole wherever a Guardian has need of one. I knew that Cornelius would help you . . .

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