Page 46 of With the Potion in the Courtyard
"Jessie, watch out," I yelled as her foot caught on a protruding rock. She stumbled, sendingsmaller stones clattering across the parched ground in a cacophony that pierced the desert's silence.
"Shh," Robbie said, panic in his eyes, but it was too late. The cricket guard turned toward us, its spindly legs moving with an alarming speed.
"Run?" Jessie whispered, poised for flight.
"Wait," I said, my heart racing.
A shadow loomed overhead, vast and sudden. We looked up in time to see a bird, massive and crudely colored in pink and yellow strokes, dive from the sky. Its beak snapped shut around the guard, who let out a scream that was abruptly cut off. The bird ascended, leaving only a few stray feathers fluttering in its wake.
"Okay, new rule," Robbie said once we regained our composure. "Stay hidden from the birds too."
"Right," Jessie said, dusting herself off. "We blend in with the rocks and sand, remember?"
"Hard to forget," I glanced at the ice bag in my hands. It was a small comfort against the heat and danger.
"Let's move," Robbie said, and we resumed our trek across the shifting sands.
Each step felt heavier than the last, but the thought of Jaylyn somewhere under that monstrous rock spurred us on. I could only hope Zorand wasn't as terrifying as the stories made him out to be. With each dune we crossed, I sent up a silent prayer that we'd make it through this ordeal in one piece.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The three ofus stood outside the entrance of the lair. The door was a mishmash of colors. It didn't look intimidating, but we knew better.
"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking," I said, looking at Robbie and Jessie. "We split up. We can cover more ground that way."
Robbie shook his head, the stubborn set of his jaw making it clear he wasn't on board. "No, Cendi. Remember what we decided? We stick together. It's safer that way."
Jessie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's not make things harder for ourselves. Wefollow the plan."
"Right, the plan," I tried to hide my reluctance. I knew they were right. It's just that part of me wanted to rush in, find Jaylyn, and get out as fast as possible. But haste, especially here in Doodle, could mean sloppy mistakes, and in our case, potentially deadly ones.
"Alright, sticking together it is." I said.
"Good. Now, let's go rescue Jaylyn," Robbie said with a firm nod, and we stepped through the doorway into whatever awaited us inside.
The corridor ahead of us looked like a funhouse. Pendulums with blades swung from the ceiling, their arcs wide and menacing. We had to time this just right.
"Okay, on three," Robbie whispered. "One... two... three,"
We darted forward in a synchronized dash, ducking and weaving through the swinging obstacles. I could feel the rush of air as one blade swooshed by my ear, the sound making my heart race double-time.
"Watch out," Jessie yelped, tugging at my sleeve to avoid another close call.
We were almost through when Robbie let out a surprised grunt. I spun around to see him touching his face, eyebrows gone, leaving behind smooth, unmarked skin.
"Robbie, your eyebrows," Jessie gasped.
He blinked at us, then felt his bare forehead and chuckled. "Well, that's one way to avoid plucking. If that blade had been one centimeter lower, I'd be noseless right now."
"Thank goodness for small mercies, then," I tried to suppress a laugh. It was either that or scream, considering the ridiculousness of our situation.
"Let's keep moving," Robbie said, still rubbing his brow, or lack thereof, as we moved on.
Next up was a dark room the size of a small house with seemingly bare walls. Yet, something was off. We took a step in and froze. There was a terrible scent that hit us with an odor so foul, it was like walking into a solid wall of stench. The world's worst fart would have been a compliment to this smell. Breathing was impossible; I could taste the foulnesson my tongue.
This wasn’t just stinky. It was dangerous. Deadly even.
"Can't... breathe..." Jessie said, her face scrunched up in disgust and fear.