Chapter 29
Timothy
I expected to be thrown into a cell or dropped into a pit and forgotten about.
Even though I’d seen his phone, I expected something else, which only showed how little I knew about him and his world.
I was placed in a room and told to change into the clothes provided while my phone was checked.
Of course, the tracker in my pocket disappeared along with everything else.
With nothing to do, I peered out the window at the trees. They were further away than I thought, and after a few seconds, I noticed there were structures in the trees. Tree houses. Loads and loads of them. Was I in a treehouse?
The room I was in had cream walls that seemed to be made of metal, but it might have been wood. The room with the bridge in it had seemed modern, like a military base, and Farrow carried a phone, not dissimilar to mine. The monsters had tech…and treehouses.
I don’t know how long I stared out of the window, my arms resting on the windowsill because everything was made for taller people.
The door opened, and a monster stepped in. “Timothy?”
They spoke perfectly, despite the bright orange beak that took up most of their face.
“Yes.” Who else was I going to be? How many sorcerers had they arrested today? Cold swelled in my gut. Is this where my mother had died?
“Have a seat.” They indicated to the chairs.
I obeyed, as there was no point in pissing them off. My toes didn’t touch the floor. Another reminder that I didn’t belong there.
“The contacts on your phone had been duplicated.” They pulled a device out of their pocket. “Your life in the human world is being folded up; however, you expressed concern about the cats?”
“I was house sitting…um living there and feeding them.”
They nodded. “That is very kind when you should be worried about yourself.”
“They haven’t done anything.” I stopped short of saying wrong. I didn’t want to make myself sound guilty. “They don’t deserve to starve to death.”
They pushed the device toward me. “Your contacts. Select the appropriate person.”
“What do I say?” I couldn’t read the buttons on the phone. How was I going to type a message?
“There is a script to stick to, so I will type it. Select the contact.”
I scrolled the list and found my friend, then slid it back over the table. They tapped the screen, glancing occasionally at their tablet.
“By folded up, do you mean erased like I never existed?”
“No, packed up and excuses made.”
“My degree…” I was never going to finish it. All that work for nothing.
“You don’t need it.”
My teeth pressed into my lip, and a lump formed in my throat. I was never going back to the human world. “Am I going to die?”
They tilted their head and stared at me. “No, why would you think that?”
Why wouldn’t I think that? “I’m a sorcerer.”
They laughed. “We didn’t go to the effort of bringing you here to kill you.”
“But I’m dangerous?”
“Yes. In your world, your kind weaponizes children to use the magic they can tap into. And children in this world can create vast amounts of damage with just a…as you called it…wish. But you can use the magic in this world, something we can’t do. Sorcerers and children built this world.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “What do you mean?”
“This world is imagination given life. Magic was too dangerous to keep in your world, so this pocket was created thousands of years ago.”
My frown deepened, not understanding. The chair felt real beneath my ass, and the clothes I wore, plain light blue pants and a shirt with off-center buttons, also felt real, not imaginary. “But this place is real?”
They laughed again and snapped their beak. “Of course it is. We live and work and have families the same as you. But we were created to protect the magic from being stolen. Your kind created this world, and only your kind can repair any damage done.”
I blinked, feeling as though I’ve been handed the secrets to the universe in one giant horse tablet that I can’t quite swallow. “Wait, so sorcerers created this world, and the bridges, and the Bridge Guardians exist to protect this world or my world, or both?”
They nodded.
“Why would sorcerers damage something they created?”
“Greed, jealousy, anger. Your mother visited more than once.”
“She did?” I lean forward, desperate to learn more about her while hoping Farrow was wrong and that she was alive.
“There will be time to learn about her legacy later. We are hoping that you are like her.”
“In what way?” What did the monsters want from me? Not that I had much of a say since I was here and didn’t know how to go home.
“She willingly assisted in fixing damage. The Brotherhood of the Eastern Dragon sought to use magic for the betterment of your world and to protect this world. They have many enemies. I am surprised you made it this far without attracting their attention.”
“I never used magic until Farrow…” His name slid off my tongue.
Beak studied me, with what seemed to be a smile. “He has been notified that you are here. Your cooperation with him is one of the reasons you are here.”
I nodded as if I understood. “You want me to continue um…cooperating?”
Was that the polite way of saying he recorded me…
oh shit, had Beak seen those videos? Heat rushed up my throat and exploded on my cheeks.
I wanted to slide off the chair so the floor could swallow me.
I glanced down, panicking that the floor was about to open, but the floor appeared to be nice and solid, the same as before.
I needed to be more careful with my thoughts.
“If you want to, you can. Though that will not be a condition of your release.”
“My release? What is going on? I thought I was arrested for magic use?”
“You were. And you are wearing cuffs that prevent you from using magic or making careless wishes—it can be hard for sorcerers to forget that their whims become reality here.”
Right, so the floor might have eaten me if not for the cuffs. Sweat formed in my armpits as the danger of using magic became very apparent. It was not something I should have been trusted with.
“You will be released on the condition that you assist with repairs.”
“I don’t know how to repair. What if I make it worse?” How could I fix a world when my own life was a mess?
“You will be taught. You aren’t the only one here, though some are not here willingly.”
“Is that like a threat, that I need to behave or I’ll be forced to help?” How did that work? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
Beak’s eyes narrowed as they studied me. “I don’t think you need threats to behave. You have a partner, and a career on Scream and Steam.”
Beak was overstating both of those things.
I had a monster hookup who posted videos of me.
Something must have shown on my face because Beak tapped the tablet a few times and showed me the screen.
I assumed it was Farrow’s channel, given that there was a pic of me naked and fake sleeping in bed. I remembered filming that.
Everything else on the screen was written in their language. “I can’t read it.”
“Oh, apologies, I’m used to dealing with sorcerers who have been formally taught magic.”
“And that includes the monster alphabet?”
“It does. The channel has seen a sudden surge in popularity over the last day.” That meant Farrow was making more money. Good for him…good for me? “When people learn that you’re also a repairer, it will probably see another surge.”
“What does that mean…how popular is Scream and Steam?
“It’s the only look into the human world, so it's one of the top three entertainment channels.”
“Top three… Porn is in your top three channels?”
“Porn?” Beak tilted their head.
“Watching people fuck?”
Beak shrugged. “Humans fuck, monsters fuck, everyone enjoys. Those who like scares watch the Scream side.” They tapped the screen. “This is your contract and the implications if you break it. Take your time to read through and ask any questions. I’m here to answer them.”
So far, all Beak had done was give me more questions.
I scrolled through the document, which didn’t take long as it was only three pages long.
Removal of the cuffs was bad—something I agreed with, given how easily wishes seemed to roll around my head.
Using magic for personal gain was bad.
Damaging the monster world in any way, attempting to flee into the human world…
All things I didn’t want to do, anyway.
I’d be subject to the laws, provided with necessary training, and given a stipend for my assistance in maintaining the integrity of the world.
“It all seems too good to be true. What’s the catch?” There had to be a catch. People like me didn’t get swept out of their ordinary life and into a magical world to become a monster porn celebrity.
I swallowed as I realized that loads of monsters had seen me naked on their version of the internet. They’d seen me stuffed full of dildo. I couldn’t go out there. What if they recognized me?
I almost thought about wanting the floor to swallow me, again.
I should not be trusted with any kind of magic. This all seemed like a very bad idea. But refusing was also a bad idea, as I’d be lumped with the unwilling, the ones who had done bad things and deserved to be stopped.
“So after I sign, what happens?”
“The cuffs will be changed to something a little more subtle, and you will be further assessed for several days. Then you have a choice. You can either be given housing, or Farrow can collect you. You’ll be given a schedule and will be expected to attend classes and such.
Clause twenty-three covers what happens if you don’t show up. ”
“But how will I get there? I don’t know how to exist in this world. I can’t even read anything.”
“That will be the first magic you learn, one you do on yourself.”
I stared at him as my heart gave a panicked jig that ended with it lodged in my throat. “That sounds unsafe.”
Beak smiled like I was amusing, but then they had seen me with my pants off. “It’s a good test of magic.”
Great, so if I made my head explode, they only had to clean up blood and brain matter, not fix their world. I stared at the screen. There wasn’t another option. I couldn’t go home as my life had been folded up. This was my new world.
My new life.
“How do I sign?”