Chase Tinker and the HOUSE OF DESTINY Page 2

  Normally, Chase would be jumping for joy hearing that Persephone thought so highly of him, but it would have to wait until he was feeling loads better.

  "You may be a little on the dorky side," she added, "but you can't have everything. So let this be a lesson to you. Before worrying yourself sick, always come talk things over with me."

  He sent her a small half-smile. "Okay. Whatever you say. Now let's go."

  "I'm sure Andy will be okay," said Persephone as they walked down the road. "He's just in shock right now."

  Chase gave a listless shrug. He had a feeling it was going to be a long time before Andy forgave him for this one, and Chase didn't blame him. Why should he expect anyone else to forgive him when he was having such a hard time forgiving himself?

  Neither of them said anything else until they reached the end of the road and hurried across the lawn toward the turreted, glowing house. Chase felt a little better just looking at it, and knowing it was still safely in the hands of the Tinkers, right along with their Relic.

  "Sometimes I hate going in there," said Persephone, frowning at the house. "It's getting harder and harder to see my mom looking like—like a freaking zombie! I feel like she's never going to be herself again. And all because of that stupid Shard!"

  Chase got a painful stab in his gut as he thought about the broken piece of the Relic the Marlowes still had in their possession. The trip to Blackshire to rescue Janie had also included plans to steal back the Shard, but they hadn't succeeded at that, either. And, the way things were going, it looked as if they'd never get it back so they could rejoin it with the Relic, which would mean Persephone's mom, Miranda Periwinkle, would never have her free will returned to her.

  "I'm sorry, Persephone," Chase said. "You're—" He was going to tell her she was probably right, but he forced himself to hold his tongue. She certainly didn't need to hear more of his depressing comments.

  Right then, a funnel-shaped, whirling, dark-blue wind appeared in front of them, and swirled into a slender, solid form. It was Nori Tanaka, Grandfather's great-niece, and Chase's and Andy's cousin, one they hadn't known existed until last fall. Chase and Persephone goggled at her. She looked wild-eyed and frightened to death. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and her usually silky black hair looked as if wild birds had nested in it.

  "Nori!" cried Persephone. "What happened?"

  "You guys!" she screamed. "You have to come now!"

  Nori grabbed their hands. A split-second later, the three kids vanished in a swirl of blackness.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Magic Running Amok

  They appeared in the entryway in Nori's and her mom's apartment in Seattle.

  "Oh my gosh!" cried Nori. "It's gotten even worse since I left!"

  Chase yanked the girls into the corner as dazzling, colorful flashes and loud whistles and bangs came from the living room. It was like someone was celebrating the Fourth of July in there.

  "What in the world is going on, Nori?" asked Persephone.

  "Are you under some sort of attack?" exclaimed Chase as he got ready to fling his magic at any assailants.

  "No! No! It's my mom! Something dreadful is happening—"

  "What do you mean?" Persephone cut in quickly. "Is she in some sort of danger?"

  Nori raked her hands through her hair. "I don't know what's wrong! She's—she's—you have to see her, she's—"

  Without waiting for her to finish, Chase and Persephone dashed into the living room. It was difficult to see much of anything. The draperies had been pulled shut to keep out the afternoon sunlight, while grayish smoke drifted around the darkened room like thick fog.

  Chase coughed as he waved his hand in front of his face. "Mika?" he choked out.

  Several more bright flashes, along with pops and bangs, came from one of the corners. During the brief bursts of light, Chase caught a glimpse of Mika cowering next to the sofa.

  "Make it stop," she moaned. "Please, I need it to stop!"

  Nori hurried to click on a lamp. "I turned out the lights and closed the curtains because the light makes her headaches worse."

  Now able to see better, Chase and Persephone stared at Nori's mom. If Chase thought the green, orange, and purple stripes that had crisscrossed her face in the past had looked weird, what was happening now was even more so. Every bit of skin he could see was spotted with blue and orange plaid pustules. They looked like dime-sized pimples, but a whole lot crazier. Besides that, her ears had grown into what looked like ugly clumps of cauliflower.

  As the kids stared at Mika, thousands of rainbow-colored sparks exploded from the ends of her hair. They shot into the air, then rained down over the room. Mika and Nori both screamed as the kids threw their arms over their heads.

  "Chase, do something!" cried Nori.

  "But—but what?"

  "I don't know! That's why I brought you here!"

  Persephone rushed to Mika's side and dropped to her knees next to her. Right then, Mika hiccupped. Persephone jerked back as at least two dozen ladybugs flew from Mika's mouth.

  "Oh my!" said Persephone as she waved away the bugs. "Uh…this is interesting."

  "It's crazy!" said Nori. "That's what it is!" She moved closer to Chase. "We have to fix this," she hissed. "Mom told me she's tired of being sick all the time and having all these weird things happen to her. She said she wants to give up and die in peace." Nori grabbed Chase's arm and shook it. "We have to do something, Chase! I already lost my dad; I can't lose her, too!"

  "Obviously, we need to take her to Grandfather," said Chase. "He's the magic expert."

  Nori shook her head. "She'll never go for it."

  "Then we'll bring him here."

  "Do you think he's strong enough?" asked Nori as she crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "What if he has another heart attack? I'll never be able to live with myself again."

  "Doctor Dan is letting him use some magic every day," said Chase. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Persephone can stay with your mom while you and I go and get him."

  Nori nodded as Chase waved Persephone over. "We'll be as quick as possible," Chase said after telling Persephone the plan.

  She sent a worried glance over her shoulder. "You better. I don't know how much longer she can take this."

  Chase and Nori darted into the entryway. Flinging open the door to the coat closet, she pulled him inside. He barely had time to close the door and catch his breath before they teleported away.

  It had been Grandfather's idea to enchant a special place in the apartment by using the Tendicula charm. When done right, the charm created special pockets of magic, and depending on how the spell was performed, these pockets then became either booby traps or useful places to perform the power enchanted there. Chase had spent several hours working on it to get it exactly right so Nori would have the ability to teleport to the Tinker house whenever she wanted, and then teleport back home on the same magic.

  Three seconds later, Chase and Nori arrived at the bottom of an ivory-colored marble staircase. This led to a short hallway and a set of cherry-wood doors, which Chase knew opened up into Grandfather's bedroom suite.

  Chase looked around. "Wait, how'd we get here without saying the spell?"

  "I thought of Uncle Hiram and this is where we ended up."

  His eyebrows shot up. "You thought of him?" Even though he used his magic a lot, he hadn't yet reached that level of expertise. He still had to say nearly everything out loud—unless he sneezed, but that was something out of his control.

  "Sure, it's what I always do," she said with a shrug. "It's how I found you this afternoon. I pictured you in my mind, and poof, there I was. Isn't it what you do?"

  "Uh—" He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to look like he wasn't as skilled as his cousin. He also didn't want her to see the jealousy zipping through him. "Yeah, of course. I was just surprised you did the same thing, is all."

  "Okaaay, well, we have to hurr
y. Come on." She turned around and started up the stairs backward.

  Chase's mouth dropped open, but then snapped shut again. He shouldn't be surprised she knew the secret to walking up Grandfather's enchanted stairs. Surely Andy had told her about it. He was always sharing the house's magical secrets with her. What was most surprising was how quickly Nori was so comfortable with them all. Shaking his head, Chase rushed up the stairs after her.

  Nori ran to Grandfather's door and pounded her fist on it. "Uncle Hiram! Uncle Hiram! We need your help!" she yelled. "Uncle Hiram! We're running out of time!"

  Chase was beginning to think Nori had screwed up and Grandfather wasn't in his room after all when the door swung open. Grandfather stood there, looking rumpled, as if they'd interrupted his afternoon nap. "Nori, my dear! What's wrong?"

  "It's my mom," she gasped out. Nori grabbed his arm and the familiar teleporting magic swirled around them. A split second later, Grandfather and Nori vanished.

  "Hey! What about me…?" As Chase glared at the spot where the other two had just been standing, a whirling sliver of wind popped in front of him. He blinked as a small hand reached out from it, grasped his shirt front, and jerked him forward. "Whoa!" he squeaked, right before he was sucked into darkness.

  Chase had only a few seconds to wonder if this was what it felt like to be swept down a three-inch drain pipe before he flopped to the floor in Nori's living room. While Grandfather and Nori hurried to Mika's side, Chase lay there gasping. "Man! That was—weird," he choked out as he patted his legs to make sure he hadn't left his pants behind.

  "Mika, it's so lovely to see you again," Chase heard Grandfather say in a soothing voice. "Nori, can you please assist me in getting her to the sofa?"

  Chase knew he should be rushing to help with Mika, but he had a few things he needed to work out in his head first. Nori's ability to manipulate all the magic around her was—well, the best word to describe it was astounding. He'd never seen anything like it. From the beginning, when she'd first arrived at the Tinker house, Nori's power to create magic had been strong—really strong. Just her own special power of instantly absorbing written information was something to see.

  Chase sighed. His own abilities were pretty impressive these days, since he'd inherited some of the powers of the Keeper of the House, but he was realizing his control was nothing compared to Nori's. And now, after this, some disturbing thoughts were running rampant through his mind.

  Was he worthy of being the next Keeper? Should Nori be the next person to be in charge of the house and all the incredible power within it? Ever since finding out his dad didn't want the responsibility and Chase was next in line, he'd been mentally preparing himself. But when the time came for him to inherit the role, should he pass the Keeper responsibilities on to Nori and let her take charge, instead? Was she really more qualified?

  The sound of furniture scraping across the floor cut into his thoughts. Persephone was shoving the coffee table out of the way, making more room in front of the couch. He jumped up to lend a hand. Mika still looked terrible, and completely miserable, as she huddled in her overly-large sweater.

  Grandfather sat down next to her and clasped her trembling hand. Nori dropped to the floor next to her mom and patted her knee.

  "It's going to be okay," she said. "Uncle Hiram will fix everything, won't you, Uncle Hiram?'

  "I'll certainly try," he said. "But I've never encountered anything like this. I'm going to have to do a little experimentation."

  Chase moved closer. "What kind of experimentation?"

  Mika jerked her hand away and clutched it to her chest. "You are not experimenting on me!"

  "Mom! You have to do whatever Uncle Hiram says," said Nori, giving Mika a pleading look. "You have to get better."

  "Oh, it's nothing harmful, my dear," said Grandfather. "I simply need to perform a little magic on you."

  Mika jerked her head back and forth. "No. Hic!" More ladybugs popped from her mouth. "No magic!"

  "It's only a simple memory spell," said Grandfather, swishing away the bugs. "I need to delve deep into your mind to see for myself the exact reasons for your illness. If I'm to find a cure, I need to understand the events that caused you to turn away from your magic."

  "I don't want to do it," said Mika, sniffling and rubbing her nose with a tissue. "I'd prefer to just tell you what I remember."

  "Mom, did something happen you don't want Uncle Hiram to find out about?" asked Nori, frowning.

  "It doesn't matter," said Grandfather. "I need to see the memories and not rely on Mika's recollections that might be a bit hazy after all these years. I have to know every detail and to truly feel her emotions."

  "You're doing this, Mom, whether you like it or not," said Nori sternly. Her eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "Please? For me?"

  Mika's shoulders slumped. "All right. But let's hurry before I change my mind. What do I need to do?"

  "Close your eyes and I'll do the rest," said Grandfather.

  "Do you need us to do anything?" asked Chase.

  "You may come along if you wish," said Grandfather. "But Mika must agree."

  Mika nodded. "Just hurry and get it over with."

  "We'll be taken into Mika's memories," said Grandfather, "and she won't even know we're there."

  "Cool!" Chase paused and frowned. "Uh…can you do this to anyone? Anytime? And will any of us show ours at the same time?" Sharing a bunch of his thoughts and memories with anyone wasn't something he wanted to do, now or ever.

  Grandfather shook his head. "The charm will only work on someone who gives their consent. Remember, we are all entitled to our own privacy and thoughts."

  Whew! thought Chase as he mentally swiped his hand across his forehead. "Okay, tell us what to do."

  "We need to hold onto each other," said Grandfather. "And don't let go, or you will slip back to the present before I'm finished."

  Chase plopped down next to Mika and grabbed her arm. His heart skipped several beats when Persephone crowded onto the couch next to him and grasped his hand. He clenched her hand tighter than he planned.

  "Ow!" she gasped.

  He loosened his grip. "Oops. Sorry."

  "Shh!" hissed Nori.

  Grandfather moved closer and placed his hand on top of Mika's head. "Memoria," he murmured as she closed her eyes.

  Chase switched his attention to Grandfather and Mika. He wasn't about to close his eyes, not even for a second. He didn't want to miss any of this new, intriguing magic. This was his last thought as his head slumped to the side and he instantly dozed off.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Digging up Memories

  Chase was standing in a dark place. Thick, rolling clouds pressed around him and made it difficult to breathe. The clouds swirled and shifted, as if they were searching for something. They finally parted, revealing a patio and garden. Red-leafed maple trees hung over a fish pond dotted with lily pads, and grass-lined pathways led to different parts of an elaborate yard. It was a peaceful sight, but the image had blank parts and fuzzy edges. It was like looking at a half-finished painting.

  In the center of the picture was a low, wooden table with several square pillows around it. Two young girls, their long jet-black hair pulled into untidy ponytails, sat side-by-side, cross-legged at the table. They were dressed in colorful, overly-large kimonos. They both whispered and giggled as they sipped tea from ornate teacups and nibbled on small cakes. The whole scene looked so nice and innocent; it was hard to believe anything here would cause Mika to hate magic so passionately. Young Mika's glowing, merry face was a far cry from the unhappy, nervous woman she was now.

  "It appears we have arrived at the first pivotal memory," said Grandfather.

  For the first time, Chase noticed the others. Persephone was on one side of him and Nori on the other, while the older Mika stood trembling between Grandfather and her daughter. It's sort of like we're all watching a movie together, Chase
thought. But way weirder.

  "What day is this?" asked Persephone.

  "I believe it is young Mika's Dimidiatus Anniversarium," said Grandfather.

  "My best friend Midori and I were having a tea party," whispered Mika. "It was the first time my mother let us dress up in her kimonos. I was very excited."

  "Can they see or hear us?" asked Chase.

  "I don't see how that's possible," said Nori. "After all, it's only a memory in my mom's mind, isn't it?"

  "You are quite right, Nori," said Grandfather. "It's actually a form of time-traveling, except we have no way of changing the outcome."

  Not sure what to expect, Chase held his breath as he waited for something to happen. He jumped when an exceptionally loud hiccup burst out of the child Mika.

  Uh-oh, thought Chase, that can't be good.

  Right then, an amazing and terrifying thing happened. Mika's dainty hands turned into ugly, red lobster claws. They were the size of snow shovels, but on a kid, they looked twice as large.

  Midori's eyes bugged out as the thrashing claws smashed into the teapot and cakes and sent them crashing into her lap. Both girls leaped from their pillows. Mika staggered sideways, trying desperately to control the dangerous pincers, which Chase thought looked like snapping Tyrannosaurus Rex mouths. One of the claws swished through the air toward Midori. As she dodged to the side, the claw clipped off her ponytail.

  The hysterical girls' piercing screams and shouts echoed through the courtyard. Chase didn't know what they were saying, since it was in Japanese, but he had a pretty good idea it wasn't anything good. Tears pouring down her face, Midori backed away. She yelled something that made Mika look as though she'd been stabbed through the heart. Midori turned and darted down one of the walkways, her arms thrown over her shorn hair.

  The claws disappeared. Dazed, young Mika stared at her now normal-looking hands.