Chapter 20

A Chapter by Rose of Gondor

“No!” I screamed, sprinting toward the end. But I was too late. Already, the gray orb was being lifted by my father’s hands…

Suddenly there was a thundering sound. It rippled through the air, sending Chrysanthemum and I sprawling. Papa fell back, eyes as wide as gongs as the pearl of air levitated higher and higher into the air, doubling as it did. Soon, the cave was filled with countless diamond-like gray orbs.

I gasped.

All that glitters is not gold.

Only now was I truly beginning to understand the riddle.

This was Lady Air’s last test.

I scrambled up, staring at the silvery-gray circle floating midair. One of those orbs had to be the real pearl. I glanced at Papa. He was glancing up too, and I thought he must be thinking the same thing.

But which one?

I thought over the verses of the riddle, which had unknowingly been imprinted in my memory for the past few months.

What’s hidden hides from the light of day…

But what did that mean? Does it mean when exposed to light, the fake orbs would fade away, and only the real pearl would be left?

That might work, I decided.

I eyed the orbs and the walls of the cave. There was no way a single ray of light could come through those thick, dark black walls.

So what could the riddle mean? The light of day verse is the only one that even seemed to make sense. And then suddenly it came to me.

The land of the phoenix!

What had I read about phoenixes? They radiate the light of the sun! But where could I find a phoenix?

Papa had seemed to figure it out as well. He was now eyeing the walls. I wonder if he would try to break them?

“Mayflower?” Chrysanthemum asked, “We’ve got a problem.”

I whipped around, startled out of my thoughts, and saw Mr. Dai, along with several soldiers, advancing toward us. Chrysanthemum was standing beside me, her feet planted firmly on the ground, dagger drawn. In one of the soldier’s hands was a golden bell. It was flaming orange, seeming to glow in the dimly lit stone hall.

I immediately knew what it was.

A phoenix.

They had kidnapped a phoenix.

A whip lashed toward me and I leapt out of the way, cursing as I went crashing to the floor.

It was a silly thought at the moment, but all I could think of was the anger bubbling up inside me.

They had kidnapped a phoenix, a magnificent creature, and they had caged it in a bell. How could they?

And so, either I was strangely idiotic or extremely brave, I lunged at Mr. Dai.

It’s strange what senseless anger can do to you.

I let it drive me, clawing and throwing punches at the soldiers, shrieking like a madwoman.

By the time my anger faded enough for me to see clearly, the only one left standing was the soldier holding the phoenix. He was shaking in his boots. I grinned and snatched the bell away from him. He whimpered and leapt aside.

I grinned at Chrysanthemum. She grinned back.

I took the bell lid off and the phoenix floated into the air.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I hadn’t been thinking. The cave was suddenly filled with blinding white light. It seemed for an eternity, I stood frozen on the bridge, shielding my eyes…

And then suddenly, something gray, round and smooth came hurtling toward me.

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