The Familiars #4: Palace of Dreams by Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson Read Free Book Online

foyer.
    “We won’t survive for long out there without supplies,” Skylar said. “I need my satchel.”
    “Once the bolka-dur comes to, he’s going to realize we’re gone, and every last person in this palace will be hunting us down,” Aldwyn said. “You really want to take that risk?”
    “I don’t think he’ll be waking up anytime soon,” Skylar said. “And by the time he does, we’ll be long gone.”
    Aldwyn turned for the palace staircase and climbed to the top, where his paws touched the soft velvet carpeting that covered every floor on the second level. The familiars’ rooms were at the far side of the hall, by the northern tower. To get there, they would have to walk directly past Queen Loranella’s chambers.
    The temptation to run was great, but Aldwyn knew that a sprinting bulldog was sure to draw attention. So he kept a steady pace, fighting every instinct he had for urgency.
    As they walked, an old man pushing a cart filled with vials and potions passed them. He had a solemn look on his tattooed face. Aldwyn recognized the markings as those of the driftfolk. The glass beakers and goblets churned and gurgled, as if the multicolored brews within might bubble out at any moment. Aldwyn looked ahead and realized the man had come from Loranella’s room. Outside her door, a group of ravens and healers were gathered, all talking in hushed tones as they watched the old man depart.
    “That didn’t do any good,” one of the healers said.
    “What did you expect?” a raven asked. “He was a driftfolk charlatan. Half those potions were probably colored with beet juice.”
    “Then what was he doing here?” another raven asked.
    “We’re desperate,” the healer said. “The parasitic poison is spreading faster than we can contain it.”
    “Well, if we don’t figure out something, I won’t be able to keep her in the Wander for more than two, maybe three days,” the first raven replied.
    “An aardvark is on the way,” a second healer interjected. “Hopes to reverse the curse using mud from the bottom of the Time Stream.”
    “We really are desperate,” the second raven said.
    Aldwyn slowed as he passed the queen’s chambers. The door had been left open a sliver. Beneath the canopy of the large bed he could see Loranella. It looked like she was sleeping, but Aldwyn knew this was a sleep few ever awoke from.
    A pair of Sun Temple worshippers knelt on mats placed by the window. They dropped flower petals into a bronze offering bowl sitting between them. Dawn was still a few hours away, but they wanted to be ready for the day’s first rays of sun. Aldwyn only hoped that their prayers would be answered.
    Anura sat on the pillow beside Loranella. The golden toad stroked the queen’s white hair tenderly. Anura’s good luck hadn’t brought Loranella back to life, but maybe it was all that was keeping her from already being dead.
    Aldwyn heard Gilbert sniffle.
    “I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying not to cry. “I just hate to see her like this.”
    “So do we,” Skylar assured him. “But we need to keep moving.”
    Aldwyn knew she was right and continued to Skylar’s room. A soldier stood at the door, presumably to make certain that no evidence inside was tampered with. Aldwyn kept walking.
    “In here,” Skylar said, giving Aldwyn’s ear a little tug to the left.
    He followed her none-too-subtle instruction, darting into a parlor two doors down from her room. Skylar lowered her wings and let the illusion disappear.
    “We won’t be able to get past the guard,” she said. “I’ll have to go in through the window.”
    Aldwyn saw that there was a window on the opposite side of the parlor, and Skylar was already flapping toward it.
    “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
    With that, she flew out of the parlor. Aldwyn and Gilbert stayed behind, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Tomes were piled up atop a reading desk with titles on the spines reading Remedies for Every