8
When I woke again, I was alone. The candles had burned out hours ago and left hardened pools of wax across the hardwood. There was a groggy memory of having broken down in front of Nik nagging at the back of my mind. Of letting him hold me as I broke down. He shouldn’t be the one I turned to when I needed to put the pieces back together, but I had.
I pulled the window shade open and could see that the sun was up, but I had no idea what day it was. The narrow alleyway beneath the safe house was empty, and I could see the main street from here.
From the outside, this building appeared to have no windows or doors. It was a powerful and impressive glamour that hid the safe house from those outside the resistance.
My stomach gave a low growl, and I pushed the tangled bedsheets aside to go find Tess. Isaac and Liss had made sure we were provided with everything we had need of. There was plenty of food, soaps for bathing, and fresh clothes.
I shimmied into a pair of jeans that were fitting better and better each day. Tess and I were already starting to fill out. It wouldn’t be long now before I could begin training with my magic and a dagger in earnest.
When I glanced in the mirror, I could see the roundness of my face returning, the harsh lines of my cheekbones disappearing. My hair was taking on a more vibrant auburn glow, but I still hadn’t touched my magic. If we were to travel back to Siraleth successfully to access the portal to the mortal realm, I would need to keep my magical signature on lock down until we returned. It was all too easy for Donika’s guards to track me if I reeked of storm magic.
I grabbed a plain white t-shirt from the dresser and threw it on, finding the common room outside my door empty. Tess must be downstairs, inhaling more pancakes. I had delivered on my promise to get her a giant short stack as soon as we escaped Akra. Then another, and another. Tess had likely eaten more pancakes in the last week than I had in my entire life.
I took the narrow staircase down to the first floor, which was much less crowded than it had been the first day we arrived. Isaac was behind the kitchen island, a towel strung over his shoulder as he mixed up a huge bowl of batter. Tess and Liss were perched on the island stools. I joined them, pulling one out for myself and giving Tess a smile.
“Are you ready to go back today?” I asked, grabbing a fork and a flapjack from the stack before me, “to the mortal realm?”
“I sure am,” Tess said around a mouthful of pancakes and syrup. “I am one hundred percent dreading the inevitable confrontation with my parents, but also looking forward to having it over with.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I replied, digging in.
The buttery cinnamon pancakes melted on my tongue.
“Isaac, are your pancakes better than The Giddy Griddle?”
He turned, his face covered in streaks of flour, a smile so wide it crinkled the skin around his eyes. “I don’t think so, but now that you’re staying in Istmere, you can be the judge of that yourself.”
“That’s true,” I replied, nodding thoughtfully. “But not until we put an end to this war.”
“Then you might be waiting a long time,” Isaac replied, his expression turning somber. “We don’t yet have the power, or the numbers. You think we haven’t marched on Akra before? Donika’s power is unparalleled.”
“But Donika doesn’t have the Kotova grimoire,” I pointed out.
“True,” Isaac conceded, “but let’s hope you’ve got something in there that can take her down. Otherwise, we need to bide our time. Grow our numbers. Stay hidden. Train your storm magic so you can learn how to wield it.”
“I don’t want to live in fear.” I bit my lip as Tess met my eyes.
“We will find a spell. We have to. There’s a reason Donika was willing to maim and kill to get her hands on that grimoire,” Tess reminded me.
Liss was uncharacteristically silent beside her.
“Speaking of the grimoire, where are the boys? They said they would escort us back to the portal in Siraleth today,” I asked.
“Something about running to the charm shop in Dragon’s Hollow?” Isaac replied as he turned back to the stove with a spatula in hand.
“Alastir’s,” Tess and I replied in unison.
What would they need at the charm shop? Were they getting more glamours? The last time we had gone to that particular charm shop, Tyr had seen me in Istmere and gone straight back to Donika to tell her of our location.
“They should be back any minute,” Liss said, speaking for the first time. “Is Saanvi going with you? To get you across The Shadow?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied.
To be honest, I had completely forgotten we needed a guide to get us to the other side.
“I know the way,” Liss replied around her last mouthful of pancakes. “Grab your bags and we will go find your troublemakers.”
“They’re not my troublemakers,” I replied, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.
Liss gave me an understanding half-smile before nodding and trailing off to grab her pack.
Tess packed us a light overnight bag, and we met up with Nik and Puck in Dragon’s Hollow. We found them huddled together, right down the street from Alastir’s. They appeared awfully suspicious, but I decided not to mention it. If I could get through this day with one less argument, I would be all the happier.
Liss led the way towards The Shadow, and we followed closely behind. I was half expecting her to turn into a little black cat as Saanvi had, but her entirely human form led us down the steep staircase into a narrow alleyway.
This was a different route than we had taken our first time through The Shadow, and I was hoping it was equally fast. I doubted any of Donika’s Nightshade soldiers would be searching for us down here, but in The Shadow, there were other dangers we needed to be worried about.
We wound through the dark, empty streets in the darkness provided by the tarps and sheet coverings hanging above. They obscured the sun from setting its rays upon The Shadow. A few people walked the streets among us, and we cast our eyes downward, avoiding their gazes. We passed one particularly unruly pub which was filled with shouts and the clinking of glasses, and curiosity almost got the better of me. I felt Tess close on my heels and I pushed onward, my eyes downcast.
Liss glanced over her shoulder to ensure we were still following close, then picked up the pace down another dark alleyway. I dreaded having to pass through The Shadow again tomorrow on our way back. The energy here was dark and palpable, raising the gooseflesh on my skin and the hair on the back of my neck. A loud pop sent us down the alley faster, not turning back to see what the commotion was about.
As we were about to turn the corner to the staircase that would lead us up, I saw a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, and as I did, the figure disappeared. I stopped in my tracks, a trickle of anxiety racing up my spine.
I could have sworn I had seen Tyr at the end of this short stretch of road, disappearing towards a pub at the end of the street.
“What are you doing?” Tess hissed, “keep moving!”
“I thought I saw Tyr, right there,” I told her, pointing towards the end of the road where the cobblestone met the cinderblock wall that encased The Shadow.
“Where?” she asked, “I don’t see anything.”
“He was right there,” I insisted.
The only way he could have disappeared is if he ducked into the pub entrance at the end of the alley.
“What is going on ladies?” Puck whispered, wrapping his arms around us both to shield us.
We had drawn the eyes of a few passersby, but I turned towards him, shirking his arm off my shoulder.
“I saw Tyr. I know I did,” I told him resolutely, indicating the spot down the alley where his form had disappeared.
“That’s all well and good, love, but we have to be on the move. Even if Tyr was in The Shadow, we aren’t exactly in the place for a confrontation right now, are we? Besides, we don’t want him reporting back to Donika…again. Look at the mess that got us in.”
I gave Puck a cross look, but realized he was right. Even if I had seen Tyr, what would we do with him? We couldn’t detain him, and I wasn’t about to kill him. He would simply go running back to Donika…again. I nodded at Puck, allowing him to push us onwards, towards the staircase that would lead us up. We needed to get back to the other realm and meet up at the safe house tomorrow without being seen. Confronting Tyr wasn’t exactly keeping a low profile.
We followed the staircase up and Liss and Nik were impatiently waiting at the top, arms crossed.
“Care to fill us in on what took you so long?” Nik asked, his gaze searing into Puck. “I trusted you to bring up the rear.”
“Relax, brother. Diana only thought she caught a glimpse of our boy Tyr, that’s all.”
“She what?” he asked through his teeth, his voice taught. “What did you see?”
He turned towards me, his eyes heated. The expression on his face told me he had half a mind to climb back down into The Shadow and set the pub on fire, innocents be damned.
“I thought I saw Tyr, but it was out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to see, he was gone.”
“I’ll deal with Tyr, you guys go on ahead,” Nik replied, moving towards the staircase again.
“No chance,” Puck said, placing his hand against Nik’s chest as he moved to pass. “We still have quite a way to go before Siraleth, remember? And what do you plan to do, kill everyone in that pub?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
A muscle feathered in Nik’s jaw as he glared at Puck’s hand against his chest.
“Think for once, will you?” Puck gave Nik a slight push. “Donika’s spies are everywhere. We can’t risk her finding Diana’s location…again.”
Nik swallowed hard, his gaze darting from the staircase back to Puck. Finally, he nodded, his eyes landing on me.
“I’m sure we’ll see him again,” he said resolutely as he rejoined us. “And I won’t waste a second opportunity.”
“I’m sure,” Puck replied, rolling his eyes at Nik’s back.
Tess let out a soft giggle which made Puck’s smile grow even wider. It was my turn to roll my eyes at them as I turned to rejoin Liss.
The journey through this part of Prins to the portal was much shorter than the first leg of our journey. Before I knew it, we were passing through the two stone pillars that reached into the sky so high they disappeared into the clouds. We crossed over the glamour and onto the empty plains that would lead to Siraleth, and the portal back to the mortal realm.
By the time we reached the portal I was out of breath, resting my hands on my knees and trying my hardest to fill my lungs with air. Despite the skin spells I had gotten from Liss to accelerate the healing process, I still wasn’t back at my full strength.
I cringed internally as I had to grab Nik’s hand to travel through the portal. If we weren’t physically connected, there was a chance we would end up stuck in the in-between, not fully in Istmere or the mortal realm. I didn’t want to feel his skin against mine, or for him to get the wrong idea after I had let my guard down in front of him the other night. After I had broken down in his arms.
It felt strange to be back in the mortal realm after having spent so much time in Istmere. The sun was setting on a beautiful spring day, the meadow filled with purple and white flowers. I was surprised to find that the car was exactly where we had left it months ago, at the end of the long, curving dirt path that lead to the portal.
We all squeezed inside, it was a tighter fit with the addition of Liss. She asked that we drop her off downtown before heading back home, and I didn’t blame her for wanting to be as far from the conversation I was about to have with my mother as possible. Nik and Puck had a few things to gather before returning to Istmere. We dropped Tess off first, and I gave her an encouraging smile as she closed the door, a slight shake in her hands.
This wouldn’t be fun for either of us.
When Nik and Puck dropped me at the curb, a lump formed in my throat that I couldn’t swallow. The lights were off on the porch of the old stone house, but my mom’s red SUV was parked in the driveway. The only light turned on was in the kitchen, the sun having recently set.
“Whatever she has to say, just listen. Maybe she has a good reason for keeping you in the dark,” Nik suggested as I rest my hand on the door handle.
I didn’t need, nor want his words of encouragement. I hoped he didn’t think we were on better terms now. I knew I would regret it the moment he had left my room that day. I never should have let him see me like that. I met his eyes in the rearview mirror with a cold glare before getting out and slamming the door.
I steeled myself as I took the path to the front door.
I wasn’t sure what I was even going to say at this point. Where did she think I was these last few months? Did she report me missing and start a police investigation? One thing I knew for certain, I had to tell her about my magic, and I had to tell her that I was going back to Istmere. After finding out who I truly was…my place was no longer here, in this realm.
I tried the doorknob first, but it was locked. I swallowed hard and raised my first to knock, but the door swung open before my closed fist could make contact. My mother stood in the open doorway, her blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun. Her red eyes were rimmed with purple circles evident of many sleepless nights.
She paused, as if she couldn’t believe I was truly here, before sweeping me into her arms. She might not be my birth mother, but this was the woman that raised me. The woman who sacrificed everything so I could have the best life growing up. A hot tear trailed down my cheek as she held me, soft sobs escaping her. My arms came around her to pull her close, suddenly not wanting to ever let her go.
My questions about my lineage could wait.
For a moment it was as if I had never left. That my life still consisted of homework and college planning and annoying my little brother. Not escaping an evil queen, putting an end to a decades old war, and reclaiming my place as the rightful heir to the throne of another realm.
My entire life had turned upside down in merely a few months.
She held me at arm’s length to inspect me, shuffling her glasses back up onto her nose and wiping at her tears.
Her voice was small when she finally spoke. “Is it really you?”
“Hi, Mom.”