The Familiars #4: Palace of Dreams by Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson Page A

left your criminal ways behind,” Gilbert said. “That would be stealing.”
    “I prefer to think of it as borrowing,” Aldwyn replied. “Besides, do we want to save the queen or not?”
    As the howler monkeys continued to carve away at the mountain moose, Aldwyn, Skylar, and Gilbert began a quiet approach toward the moth. The insect was even larger than Aldwyn remembered. An elephant could comfortably stand on its back. The closer the familiars got, the more agitated the moth became, beating its wings nervously.
    “We better do this quickly,” Aldwyn said.
    The creature snapped at them, but its leash was tied tightly to a rock, keeping it from snacking on cat, bird, and frog. The Three hurried atop the creature’s back, and Aldwyn telekinetically unfastened the rope, freeing the moth.
    “Gilbert, you’re the only one with hands, so you need to take the reins,” Aldwyn said.
    The tree frog took hold of the long coil attached to the enormous insect’s head.
    “What, no complaints?” Aldwyn asked.
    “I’ll save my croaking until after Loranella is okay,” Gilbert replied.

    He snapped the reins, giving a tug on the moth’s neck. It immediately started flapping. The commotion alerted the howler monkeys, who turned from the mountain moose and were soon running toward them.
    “What are you doing?” one yelled. “Get off our moth!”
    The insect was already airborne, leaving the monkeys jumping to catch its oversized legs.
    “Wait!” a second howler screeched.
    “We’ll send the moth back as soon as we can,” Aldwyn called down as the creature soared higher, taking to the clouds.
    The familiars were now at the mercy of an erratic insect not known for its grace in the sky. But a bumpy flight was better than an all-night walk, so they braced themselves for the ride and watched the mountains and forest pass below them.

9
OLD FRIENDS
    T he moth flapped over the Ebs and approached a series of high cliffs on the eastern portion of the river. Farther south the familiars could see the intermittent bright flash of the Split River lighthouse. Each time it shined, the giant insect seemed to be drawn toward it, forcing Gilbert to pull hard on the reins to get the creature back on track. Skylar pointed a wing to the tallest cliff overlooking the Turn.
    “There’s the monument,” she called out over the rush of wind. “Let’s land.”
    Gilbert did what he could to steer the moth to the grassy peak. It hit the ground with a thud and Aldwyn and Gilbert were quick to jump off the creature’s back. Skylar grabbed the reins in her talons and was trying to find somewhere to tie them down.
    “Aldwyn, help me fasten these to that tree,” she said.
    Aldwyn gave a mental tug, and together the two were able to wrap the rope around a small sapling. With one last pull of his teeth, Aldwyn made sure the knot was as tight as possible.
    Skylar flew toward the monument commemorating the Turn.
    “If Edan is right, this is the best place to contact the Mountain Alchemist and Kalstaff,” she said. “I’ll just need to prepare a few compon—”
    Just then she was interrupted by a ripping sound. They all spun around to see that the giant moth had torn the sapling right out from the ground and was now flapping off with the tree dangling from its neck. It was heading back for the Peaks of Kailasa in the distance.
    “Next time, we’ll have to find a bigger tree,” Skylar said.
    She dug into her satchel and removed a talonful of silver dust.
    Aldwyn’s attention had turned to the stone monument. Now that he was closer he could see that it was broken. The plaque once embedded in its surface had been ripped free and the gem that had been residing at its center was gone.
    “That’s strange,” he said. “Who would want to deface something so sacred?”
    “Probably the doing of Paksahara’s minions during the Uprising,” Skylar replied.
    “I’m not so sure,” Gilbert said. “Those cracks look fresh. If it had happened