The Blackthorn Key

The wind blew the rest of their conversation away. They disappeared under the arch to the exit to Blackfriars Lane. It brightened with sunlight as the outer gate opened, then went dark again. I blinked.

Did they just leave the Hall?

I’d been trying so hard to hear what they were saying, it didn’t even occur to me where they’d been going. I waited a moment to see if they’d return. They didn’t.

The long-haired apprentice was supposed to tell Oswyn and the Grand Master I was here. Had he not found them? I moved to chase after them, and was stopped dead in my tracks.

Oswyn’s office door wouldn’t open.

I rattled it, but the knob was frozen, the latch trapped in the jamb. I peered into the keyhole to see if the key was stuck. I saw right through to the opposite wall instead. The key wasn’t stuck. It just wasn’t there.

The apprentice had locked me in.

I stared at the door for a moment, my heart beginning to pound. Then I ran back to the window. The Elephant was still sitting on the iron bench, tossing pebbles disinterestedly at a flock of swallows that had congregated by the well. I almost called down to him for help, but the way he threw the stones unburied a memory.

Dice.

That’s where I’d seen the Elephant before. I’d nearly tripped over him as I’d fled the shop yesterday, after Master Benedict had hit me. He’d been behind our house, in the alley, throwing dice. Another boy had been with him. I hadn’t seen his face, but he’d had long dark hair. I’d been so upset at the time, I’d barely even noticed. Now I remembered both of them.

They’d been in the alley behind our shop, right before my master was murdered. The Elephant and the long-haired apprentice, the one who’d brought me up here.

My guts began to twist. The apprentice hadn’t gone to tell Sir Edward and Oswyn I’d arrived. He’d gone to get them to leave the building. They’d left without even knowing I was here. And now I was trapped.

I finally understood why my master hadn’t run that day. He’d been trapped, too, the same enemies surrounding him. They’d wanted Master Benedict’s secret. If he’d fled with me, they’d have taken us, if not in the streets, then after following us to wherever we’d have run. The best Master Benedict could do was send me away. He’d sacrificed himself to save me. Now, locked in Oswyn’s office, I’d squandered that. I’d let them trap me, just like him.

Movement from the courtyard pulled me from swelling despair. It was Valentine Grey, the third Council member, the one who apparently thought I should be flogged for my insolence. His giant gold chain bounced off his stomach as he hurried down the steps. He skidded to a stop at the bottom and, out of breath, addressed the Elephant. “Where’s Sir Edward?”

The apprentice pointed toward the entrance. “He just left, Master.”

Valentine ran after them, holding on to his necklace. Like the rest of the Council before him, he disappeared under the arch and didn’t return.

The masters were gone. I prayed I was wrong, that this was a misunderstanding. When I saw the archway brighten again, I held my breath. They’ve come back, I thought. Then I saw who it was.

It was Wat.

He strode across the courtyard, untying his blue apron. He threw it on the bench beside the Elephant.

“Blackthorn’s apprentice is here,” the Elephant said.

Wat’s fingers played along the handle of his knife. “Where?”

“Martin took him upstairs.”

The long-haired apprentice—Martin—appeared at the top of the steps.

“Where is he?” Wat asked again.

“I locked him in Master Colthurst’s office,” Martin said.

The three of them looked up at the open window. I leaped to the side, hoping they hadn’t seen me—as if at this point that would somehow make a difference.

“Why would you put him there?” I heard Wat say, sounding angrier than usual.

“He said he was here to see Master Colthurst,” Martin said defensively. “What was I supposed to do?”

“Hide him somewhere. No one’s supposed to see him. What if the masters had gone up there?”