brow. “This is an unknown tribe to us.”
Jake raised his voice a little to make it stronger. “We don’t know how or why we were brought here. But we know nothing of this Skull King, and we certainly are not spies for anyone. I swear.” Jake held up his right hand like a Boy Scout—though he’d never been in the Scouts.
Elder Tiberius stared down at Jake for a long breath. Jake kept his hand up and matched the intense gaze. Finally the Roman waved to the centurion guard. “Take these two somewhere private while we talk about all we’ve learned here.”
Gaius tapped his chest with a fist and motioned Jake and Kady to come.
Tiberius called out once more. “And have the boy leave his pack and the girl her strange musical tool. They will be examined by the Magisters for any sign of the Skull King’s alchemies.”
Their makeshift cell had no windows and was hardly larger than a walk-in closet. The floor was covered in dry hay. Shelves climbed the back wall and were stacked with green glass jars, sealed in thick wax, which hid murky contents. Wooden barrels and waist-high clay pots lined another wall. The place smelled musky and peppery.
Some sort of pantry, Jake thought, earning a growl of protest from his stomach. How long has it been since I’ve eaten? London seemed a million miles and a million years away. And maybe it was.
Kady paced back and forth in the small space, her arms folded over her chest.
Jake crossed to one wall and studied the single light in their cell. An iron torch was bolted in the stone and held aloft one of those brilliant-glowing crystals. It was too high up the wall to reach, but he searched for any wires or cords, some connection to power. He saw none, but he wanted a closer look.
Maybe if I dragged one of those barrels over here…
Kady kicked one of the clay pots and faced Jake. “How did we land in this insane place?”
Her eyes had grown a little wild. Jake shrugged, sensing she needed some answer, any answer. “Maybe we triggered some sort of…I don’t know, maybe a quantum wormhole.”
“A quantum what ?”
“Some rift in time and space. A spatial anomaly.”
Kady rolled her eyes. “In other words…you don’t have a clue.”
Jake frowned at her—but in fact, she was right. He pictured the glowing artifact. “Well, I do know that it must have something to do with the broken coin Mom and Dad gave us.”
Kady lifted a hand to her throat. “Then why did they send us these stupid things to begin with?”
Jake retreated and sat on one of the barrels. “I think…just to keep them safe and hidden. But I don’t know….”
His voice cracked at the end. All he knew for sure was that he was growing more worried with every second. What if the Council banished him and his sister back into the jungle? They’d never survive.
Kady crossed and sat on a neighboring barrel. “Maybe you’re right, Jake,” she said softly. “Mom and Dad couldn’t have known we’d end up sticking our coins in that pyramid thing.”
She hugged her arms around her chest and looked worried.
Jake pictured the glowing artifact in the British Museum. He also remembered Morgan Drummond running toward them, warning them away. Had the man known something? Or was he merely worried about them messing with an ancient treasure under his charge? Jake shook his head and tried to settle the questions bouncingaround his skull.
“What we know for sure is that we are not the only ones who landed here,” Jake finally said, centering on what he knew to be true. “Someone or something has been collecting bits of Earth civilizations—from different times and different places—and stranding them in this world.”
“Lucky those tribes didn’t just kill each other off when they got here,” Kady said.
“They must have banded together for survival. In this dangerous place, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.” Jake touched his throat. “Plus that universal translator effect. Being able to
Jake raised his voice a little to make it stronger. “We don’t know how or why we were brought here. But we know nothing of this Skull King, and we certainly are not spies for anyone. I swear.” Jake held up his right hand like a Boy Scout—though he’d never been in the Scouts.
Elder Tiberius stared down at Jake for a long breath. Jake kept his hand up and matched the intense gaze. Finally the Roman waved to the centurion guard. “Take these two somewhere private while we talk about all we’ve learned here.”
Gaius tapped his chest with a fist and motioned Jake and Kady to come.
Tiberius called out once more. “And have the boy leave his pack and the girl her strange musical tool. They will be examined by the Magisters for any sign of the Skull King’s alchemies.”
Their makeshift cell had no windows and was hardly larger than a walk-in closet. The floor was covered in dry hay. Shelves climbed the back wall and were stacked with green glass jars, sealed in thick wax, which hid murky contents. Wooden barrels and waist-high clay pots lined another wall. The place smelled musky and peppery.
Some sort of pantry, Jake thought, earning a growl of protest from his stomach. How long has it been since I’ve eaten? London seemed a million miles and a million years away. And maybe it was.
Kady paced back and forth in the small space, her arms folded over her chest.
Jake crossed to one wall and studied the single light in their cell. An iron torch was bolted in the stone and held aloft one of those brilliant-glowing crystals. It was too high up the wall to reach, but he searched for any wires or cords, some connection to power. He saw none, but he wanted a closer look.
Maybe if I dragged one of those barrels over here…
Kady kicked one of the clay pots and faced Jake. “How did we land in this insane place?”
Her eyes had grown a little wild. Jake shrugged, sensing she needed some answer, any answer. “Maybe we triggered some sort of…I don’t know, maybe a quantum wormhole.”
“A quantum what ?”
“Some rift in time and space. A spatial anomaly.”
Kady rolled her eyes. “In other words…you don’t have a clue.”
Jake frowned at her—but in fact, she was right. He pictured the glowing artifact. “Well, I do know that it must have something to do with the broken coin Mom and Dad gave us.”
Kady lifted a hand to her throat. “Then why did they send us these stupid things to begin with?”
Jake retreated and sat on one of the barrels. “I think…just to keep them safe and hidden. But I don’t know….”
His voice cracked at the end. All he knew for sure was that he was growing more worried with every second. What if the Council banished him and his sister back into the jungle? They’d never survive.
Kady crossed and sat on a neighboring barrel. “Maybe you’re right, Jake,” she said softly. “Mom and Dad couldn’t have known we’d end up sticking our coins in that pyramid thing.”
She hugged her arms around her chest and looked worried.
Jake pictured the glowing artifact in the British Museum. He also remembered Morgan Drummond running toward them, warning them away. Had the man known something? Or was he merely worried about them messing with an ancient treasure under his charge? Jake shook his head and tried to settle the questions bouncingaround his skull.
“What we know for sure is that we are not the only ones who landed here,” Jake finally said, centering on what he knew to be true. “Someone or something has been collecting bits of Earth civilizations—from different times and different places—and stranding them in this world.”
“Lucky those tribes didn’t just kill each other off when they got here,” Kady said.
“They must have banded together for survival. In this dangerous place, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.” Jake touched his throat. “Plus that universal translator effect. Being able to
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