They shifted in their chairs to stare at Birdie as she dug under her skirts and pulled the aventurine from the pocket of her jeans. She balanced it on her palm.
“A dragon.”
Although she hadn’t seen it happen, the image on the glass had changed during the pageant. The dragon reminded her of a child’s drawing, blocky and edgy with a single flame shooting from its mouth.
“Like the one that protected the treasures of the river.” Sam leaned in for a closer inspection.
“Exactly. Only I think this one may protect the dowry. Or at least the chest that was part of it. The legend says the dragon guards a treasure in a cave.” She hesitated. “You all saw Marielle and Peter in the courtyard during the pageant, right?”
“I didn’t see anything except Frau Hamel in the stupid ticket booth.” Kayla smiled at Friedrich. “Oh, and I met the boy Louisa marries. Very cute.”
“We saw them,” Sam said.
“When they appeared, the aventurine activated, but I couldn’t pull it out without disrupting the pageant. When I finally looked at it, this was what it showed. I think its magic is tied to lost things. Important objects that end up in the wrong place or time or need to be returned to their rightful owners.”
Sam straightened. “You told us earlier you didn’t have the glass with you today.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then how did it—”
“It was me. I made her get it.” Friedrich was once again brooding by the tunnel. “This afternoon. I thought we might need it.” He continued before anyone could question him. “Get ready. Take a flashlight but don’t turn it on. We’re going through the tunnel. There’s a watchman on patrol so we can’t use the lights until we get to the woods. Stay close and do not get lost. Does everyone understand?”
“But the tunnel is collapsed,” Sophia said.
“There is another way.”
Birdie slipped through the opening in the storeroom wall – calmly this time and not in a rush to escape. The clandestine sliver was concealed from the casual visitor, but a lifeline to the rest of the fortress. Electric sconces revealed a maze of passages, three of which they’d explored already – one from the courtyard the day before, one down to the trail that morning, and one – which was now caved in – to the forest. There were two more to explore, and Friedrich turned down one of them.
“Where does that one go?” Sam glanced at the passage they hadn’t ventured down.
“To the kitchens,” Louisa said. “Sometimes they hold fancy dinners in the storeroom and that’s how the servers move back and forth to deliver the food.”
“Cool.”
The tunnel emptied a few yards away in an underground workroom in the museum office. Friedrich placed his finger to his lips, then punched a code into a numbered panel on the wall. He motioned for them to follow him through the darkened museum, which looked no more interesting in the emergency lighting than it had during the day. The pile of cannonballs and chunks of stone were just as boring, the large model of the original fortress just as lifeless, the ancient toy blocks bringing joy to no one.
They crouched out of sight as he checked the path for signs of the night watchman. A few moments later, he returned. “Follow me, single file, stay low.”
Outside, the sun had set, leaving faint streaks of pink and yellow across the deepening blue night. A lone star shone in the sky.
Birdie’s sneaker slid on the loose sandstone path and caught in the hem of her dress. She regained her footing, then knotted the fabric to keep it off the ground. She imagined they were quite a sight, wrapped in layers of costumes from the pageant.
They passed the apothecary, then hid in the brewery ruins for several nerve-racking minutes as the night watchman used his flashlight to check each of the remaining stalls. The workers had broken down many props, including the stage, but there was more to do when they returned in the morning.
They waited until the night watchman retreated toward the restrooms and then sprinted for the front gate.
“Be quick!” Louisa glanced up and down the main road. “Someone could come at any moment!”
They tucked close to the fortification wall and ran uphill to the trailhead. When they neared it, Friedrich took Birdie by the elbow and pulled her close.
“Hey!” She tried to peel his fingers away but he held on tight.
When they reached the two rocks, he clasped his other hand on Birdie’s shoulder and pushed her through in front of him. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Friedrich released her.
She rubbed her elbow. “Jerk.”
Smug satisfaction glinted in his eyes.
Kayla wove through the group to stand beside her. “What’s going on with you and Fred?”
“That jerk? He’s been acting weird all day.” She began to unravel the scarf that covered her high bun.
“Oh, Birdie, don’t.” Rich waved his hand to stop her. “If we get caught in the past, you’ll want your head covered.”
“It’s hot. And to be honest, I’m hoping we don’t end up in the past again.”
“I know. But we’re better off in our costumes.”
Birdie sighed and lowered her hands. He was right, but he also didn’t have to walk around with all that fabric weighing him down.
“We must go,” Friedrich said. “We don’t have all night.”
“Well, technically—” Kayla began, but he shot her a look that cut her off. “Fine, Fred. The mosquitos are biting anyway.”
The woods were darker and cooler than the fortress grounds had been, and after the run up the sidewalk to the trailhead, the air felt refreshing on Birdie’s cheeks.
Friedrich moved at a fast clip, and when he reached the halfway point, he sped up.
“Friedrich!” Louisa called as the others slowed. “We must rest.”
“Nein,” he called back over his shoulder.
She glared at his back as she bent over, hands on her knees. “We need a rest. What’s the big hurry?”
He loomed above them on a higher part of the trail, the breeze catching his dark cloak. He’d swapped the armor he’d worn under the cloak at the pageant for a leather guard uniform, and in the flashlight’s glow, he had the aura of an evil prince.
“There’s no rush,” Louisa said softly. “Take a minute and catch your breath.”
The greens of the pines and oaks blended into the falling darkness. It smelled fresh from the recent rain, and the ground was soft and giving beneath their feet. The only sounds, now that they’d stopped rustling their own costumes, were the soft whistle of their breath and the dance of the leaves above them.
“Why is he acting so weird?” Sophia kept her voice low so Friedrich couldn’t hear.
“What are you talking about down there?”
“I am checking to make sure everyone has caught their breath. Yes?” Louisa straightened. “Okay, we must continue.”
Friedrich waited until they reached him, then swept off toward the cave.
“You first, Birdie,” he said when they reached the entrance.
She faced the others before she stepped inside. “Remember, we need to find a dragon. That’s what comes next. If we don’t find a dragon, we’ll never find the chest.”
“Dragons don’t exist,” Raina said.
She met her gaze. “I know. Neither do mermaids.”
“Or Loreleys,” Ryan said.
“Or goblins,” Sam added.
“Go.” Friedrich clicked on his light and ushered them all inside.