Read The Familiars #4: Palace of Dreams for Free Online

he had. And he wasn’t going to compromise it now.
    “I’m innocent,” Aldwyn said simply. “We all are.”
    The tarsier turned to his loyal and the two shared a look.
    “Back in your cage, cat,” the Truth Seeker said.
    Aldwyn returned to the metal carrier. The tarsier climbed inside his loyal’s robe, and she locked the cage and lifted it from the table.
    She retraced her steps back to the door of the dungeon, where the bolka-dur was waiting. The creature gleefully ran his stubby fingers along the chain of keys around his neck until he found the right one and slid it into the lock. Once through to the other side, they returned to Aldwyn’s cell, where again the bolka-dur did what he did best. He unlocked the otherwise impenetrable cell. Gilbert was already inside.
    Aldwyn’s cage door was opened and he was allowed to join his companion. The Truth Seeker departed. Gilbert sat in the corner, a mix of shock and fear on his face.
    “They said they have evidence, Aldwyn,” Gilbert croaked. “Components, hexes, diaries filled with our plans.”
    “Someone obviously wants us to take the fall for this,” Aldwyn replied. “The question is who.”
    “The palace chef has had it out for me ever since I criticized his beetle soup.”
    “I think this might be a little more complicated than that,” Aldwyn said.
    Aldwyn’s mind was racing through the possibilities. There were the strangers he had met at the celebration. Then there were the animals who remained loyal to Paksahara but still were unaccounted for. And the humans who never liked the decision made by Loranella to share her throne with Galatea. That hardly narrowed it down.
    Just then, something on the ground caught Aldwyn’s eye. A line was being drawn in the dust and grime clinging to the stone floor, as if an invisible finger was moving just below the surface. At first Aldwyn figured it was nothing more than a phantom slug. But after a moment he realized that letters were being written, from right to left. Already woyt had been spelled, and the letters were coming faster now. Just to the left of the w came a d , then s , o , and u . The finished word spelled uosdwoyt .
    “Gilbert, come look at this,” Aldwyn said.
    The tree frog hopped over to Aldwyn’s side and looked down at the floor. A second word had already formed to the left of the first: udpjbm .
    “Udpjbm uosdwoyt?” Gilbert asked. “What does it mean? I don’t get it.”
    “Neither do I,” Aldwyn replied.
    “You mean you’re not using your telekinesis to do that?”
    “No.”
    More words were forming in the dirt. Aldwyn and Gilbert just stood there watching until whatever was writing them was done. Then Aldwyn read the words aloud:
    “Spuowbip wjots sby udpjbm uosdwoyt. I think it’s some kind of message for us.”
    “But who from?” Gilbert asked.

    “I don’t know. Another prisoner or a spirit from the Tomorrowlife? The castle itself. It could be anyone.”
    “Well, whoever sent it must think we speak gobbledygook,” Gilbert said. “Because that doesn’t make any sense.”
    Down the hall they saw another Truth Seeker carrying Skylar to the cell. The bolka-dur unlocked the door and the blue jay fluttered out from the cage to perch again on the protruding brick. The dungeon keeper slammed the cell door shut once more, relocking it. The bolka-dur then followed the Truth Seeker toward the dungeon exit, where she placed the open cage back on its hook before being led outside.
    “You okay?” Aldwyn asked Skylar.
    She didn’t respond.
    “Well, you got back just in time,” he continued. “I think somebody’s trying to tell us something.”
    Again, she just sat there quietly.
    “Come on, Skylar, I need you to look at this,” Aldwyn said, growing impatient. “It’s written in some other language.”
    “What’s wrong with her?” Gilbert asked.
    Then, before their eyes, the blue jay vanished.
    By the time Aldwyn and Gilbert realized what had happened, Skylar had flown out