Into the Gray

by Geanna Culbertson

  “Dancing with Blue,” Marie said. “And Daniel is dancing with Kai. This band is really great! Do you want something to eat?”

  “Of course she does,” Girtha said, slapping me on the back and handing me a plate that she’d apparently put together for me. “Beating bad guys burns a lot of carbs.”

  I grinned because it was true, and because despite everything that was happening, I was happy we still made time for the important things—friends, family, food, and fun. We had to. If we didn’t, what was the point of fighting? All these people gave me something to fight for every day.

  The evening proceeded with great merriment. I listened to the music, stuffed my face, and chatted with different segments of my crew. Chance and I danced a couple of times one-on-one, which was nice. I also enjoyed the times when we all rushed the dance floor together—our entire group hopping around in a big mosh to particularly energetic songs.

  “I am pooped,” Divya said at quarter past ten, collapsing into a chair beside me. “And I thought dancing at my sister’s wedding was exhausting.”

  “Better keep up the cardio, Divya,” I responded. “If my brother lets me invite friends to his wedding, your dancing days aren’t over.”

  “I wish my dancing days were over,” Chance said, suddenly sliding into the other chair next to me. “I can never go to one of these taverns without my whereabouts being gossiped to every girl in town. This place is full of teenage coeds and I haven’t stopped getting dance requests all night.”

  “Your suffering clearly knows no bounds.” I rolled my eyes with a smirk. “It’s a good thing Gordon didn’t hear you say that. He’s a prince and girls have been shooting him down all night. You may need to give him charming lessons some time.”

  “There he is!” A gaggle of excitable girls emerged from the dance floor and narrowed in on Chance.

  Chance stood. “Gotta go.” Then he scurried for cover in the crowd.

  “That doesn’t bother you?” Divya asked.

  I blinked. “Should it?”

  Daniel came off the dance floor, looking sweaty from the heat of the tavern, but undeniably happy. “Hey!” he said.

  “Hey,” I replied. “Where’s Kai?”

  “She’s got a few guys that she promised dances to. She’s throwing them a bone.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?” Divya asked.

  He looked at her. “Should it?”

  Divya huffed in exasperation. “You two deserve each other.” She stood from her chair. “If you’ll excuse me, pained feet or not, I’m going back in there. Girtha’s signature dance moves work better with a partner, and I know she wants to get a dance off going by the end of the night. Wish me and my toes luck.”

  Divya stretched then returned to the throng as the band began to play something new. It started with just the strum and upbeat fingering of one guitar and then more instruments joined in. Daniel and I were alone at the table. He tilted his head toward the crowd. “Do you wanna dance?”

  I gave him an inquisitive look. “With you? Here? Is that weird for us?”

  “At school we dance together all the time.”

  “Yeah, but that’s because we have to.”

  “So? Dance with me because you don’t.”

  I paused, still feeling strange, but then I quieted all second-guessing. Daniel extended his hand, I took it, and the world melted away. In that tight, jumping crowd to the tune of the lead singer’s melodic voice and his band’s folksy music, I felt more alive and comfortable in my own skin than I had in a long time.

  We got back to the castle just past midnight.

  I know, how Cinderella’s daughter of me.

  I was getting ready for bed when my Mark Two rang. It was Liza. She seemed tired—not in the sleepy kind of way, but in the frustrated kind of way.

  “Crisa, you blew off our magic training session again this afternoon. I’ve been worried. I called you several times tonight to find out if something happened.”

  “Calm down,” I said. “I’m fine. Tonight was Jason’s birthday and I left my compact on my bed by accident. I’m sorry I forgot to call to cancel our session earlier today, but your sister summoned me for more genie service. I didn’t get the chance to reach out to you.”

  “All the more reason for me to worry, Crisa,” Liza responded, exasperated. “I know you’re not being completely forthcoming with me about how you’ve been using your magic on your genie service exploits with Lena. But knowing my sister I can assume these missions are bad for you.”

  And the judgment begins.

  I tried to keep my voice level. “Okay, first off, it’s not like I have a choice in the matter, Liza. I’m literally enslaved to your sister. And second, I actually don’t think they’re bad for me. I think they’re good for me. When I was in Camelot a couple months ago, you pushed me to increase my power, but in the aftermath all your teachings about control and being wary of my magical potential had me cowering to it. I became ashamed to embrace my power, which Merlin pointed out. Your sister may not care about me, but working with her has helped me get over that and is helping me grow into a stronger, prouder version of myself.”

  Liza shook her head sadly. “Crisa, she is manipulating you. She no longer cares if your magic eventually turns you dark; she just wants you to do her bidding before it does. If and when using your magic corrupts you, she’ll just lock you in that genie bottle because it’s her prerogative and move on.”

  “See, it’s that kind of thing that bothers me,” I argued, my frustration growing. “Phrasing like if and when. Lena Lenore might be a manipulative woman, but at least she doesn’t make me doubt myself with quips like that. She just sets me loose and I only have to answer to myself when I’m on a mission. You’ve never made me feel that free of judgment.”

  “Because when someone has your kind of power, Crisa, they are never accountable only to themselves. Thinking otherwise can lead to arrogance and brashness that could be dangerous.”

  “It can also lead to confidence and independence, which frankly I could use from time to time what with the weight of the world on my shoulders constantly.”

  We stared at each other through the looking glass. Eventually, I sighed and made a bold, hard decision.

  “I think we should take a break from magic training together, Liza. I’m getting a lot out of working with your sister right now and frankly . . . I was hoping that our sessions would help me make strong dream contact with Natalie, and that hasn’t happened. I haven’t been able to connect with her other than that one night in Camelot over spring break. What we’re doing isn’t working, and I can’t afford to waste my time on a process that isn’t giving me what I need.”

  Liza’s eyes shone with disappointment. I hadn’t meant for my assertion to be harsh, and I hadn’t meant for my words to hurt her. Both had happened though, and while I regretted that, I stood by what I said and faced her solemn expression, and reply, as my consequence.

  “I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Crisa. And I hope you don’t regret what you’re doing. Good luck with Lena. Truly. And if you change your mind, know that I’m still here. Not because I’m worried about Crisanta the magic wielder, but because I care about Crisanta the person. I don’t want the girl you used to be to vanish completely. Changing, growing, taking on new perspectives can be good; it can make you stronger. But only if you don’t let your old self get buried along the way. That person is your beginning. And if you forget where you came from, the person you turn into will never be the best version.”

  m, hi, Lady Agnue!” I said, surprised.

  Chance, Gordon, Marie, and I had just finished breakfast in the village. As we turned up the street, we ran into the headmistress, in casual clothing. I’d never seen her bare arms before, let alone her knees. Yet here she was in a conservative summer dress with her hair half down. I almost didn’t recognize her. My friends were equally shocked.

  “Miss Knight, Miss Sinclaire. Hello boys.” Lady Agnue nodded to each
of us. “I trust you are all behaving yourselves.”

  We weren’t at school, so I shouldn’t have felt anxious about answering that question. But it was funny how the headmistress had a way of making me feel guilty about getting away with something. A therapist would have a field day trying to figure out why.

  “We sure are,” I replied. We stared at each other awkwardly as a beat passed. “Oh, and you’ll be happy to know that Lena Lenore is planning a siege of Gallant. I’m going to help her and hopefully we’ll be able to reclaim the kingdom so you and your family can go home.”

  What the heck was that? Lenore’s plans are supposed to be secret. Was the babbling really necessary to fill the silence?

  “But, uh, keep that on the down low,” I added. “It’s a surprise attack . . .”

  Lady Agnue blinked, stunned. “Of course. That is wonderful news, Miss Knight.”

  Another lull passed.

  “Well, nice to see you children,” Lady Agnue said. “Stay safe. I have a prior engagement to attend.” She gave us a small smile and kept walking. We all turned to watch her continue down the street.

  “I cannot believe that was our headmistress,” Marie said. “She looked like a . . . woman.”

  “Ugh, don’t say that, Marie. You’re making everybody uncomfortable,” Gordon said.

  Chance smacked me on the arm excitedly. “She’s going into the ice cream shop!”

  I perked up and watched Lady Agnue step into DZ’s.

  Whoa.

  “What is strange about that?” Marie asked. “Other than the idea of having dessert so early in the morning.”

  “I think Lady Agnue has a thing for the ice cream man,” I replied. “I can’t tell if I’m grossed out or excited by it.”

  “I can,” Gordon shivered. “Let’s never speak of this again.”

  “Calm down, Gordon. We weren’t going to start a focus group about it,” I replied. Though I did have a lot of questions.

  My friends and I continued our journey back to the mountain elevator and climbed inside.

  “I actually think it is sweet,” Marie said once the elevator took off.

  I looked down.

  Hm. It feels like the elevator is going faster than usual.

  “I mean, Lady Agnue is in her forties and has never been married,” Marie continued.

  I touched one of the walls of the lift.

  Seriously, how fast are we going?

  “Marie, I thought we weren’t going to talk about this,” Gordon said.

  “I know, I am just saying that I imagine she simply—” A large explosive sound echoed around us then the elevator jolted to a sudden stop, sending us careening into the ceiling and then sprawling around the compartment. The orange light in the corner flickered.

  “Is everyone okay?” Chance asked, helping Marie to her feet.

  “Fine, but what was that?” I asked, rubbing my head.

  There was no time for an answer. An ominous creaking sound was followed by another explosion. I gasped, clutching at the wall as I heard objects hammering the ceiling of our lift. Rocks were falling on us. Then my stomach lifted as our elevator abruptly fell into descent.

  Marie, Gordon, and I shouted for a second, but Chance pressed a button on the wall that brought the elevator to a screeching, shuddering halt—sending us to the floor again. Slowly, we got to our feet. We waited, looking at each other with wide eyes, but nothing else happened.

  “Gordon, can you reach the hatch?” Chance said, pointing to the roof of the elevator.

  Our tall friend pushed the panel in the ceiling. It cracked slightly, but wouldn’t open more than a couple inches. “Something’s blocking it—likely the rocks that fell on top of us after the second explosion,” Gordon said.

  “We may be close to ground level,” Chance said. “Help me get the doors open.”

  I transformed my wand into a sword to wedge it between the doors’ crack for leverage; with two of us on each door, we got it pried open. Chance had been right. We’d fallen enough that we were almost back where we started. Through the bottom foot and a half of our elevator we could see into the tunnel that led to the village. The guards had opened the elevator’s exit doors on their end after hearing the explosions and now we were looking right at them.

  “Come on, we’ll help you down!” one of the guards called to us.

  I stowed my wand, got on my stomach, and shimmied out head first. The guards held my arms and shoulders and then helped me down. On solid ground again, I released a deep breath. If Chance’s emergency brake hadn’t slowed us, or if the brake had stalled for even a second longer, we would have smashed into the ground.

  Marie exited the elevator next. Then Gordon and Chance followed.

  “What’s going on?” Chance asked the guards, straightening his clothes. His face was stern and commanding, but I heard fear in his voice.

  “We’re not sure, your highness,” a guard responded. “Are you and your friends—”

  Screams and another explosion poured into the tunnel, coming from the outside. Chance and I looked at each other then broke into a run toward the village with Marie, Gordon, and the guards. It seemed like every civilian in the streets was looking up at the castle. We followed their gazes to find the view of the palace obscured by black smoke. Someone was mounting an attack.

  Chance and I exchanged another glance. “Let’s get Lucky,” we said in unison.

  Chance ordered the guards to remain there to protect the people in case any attacks hit the village. My friends and I raced through the streets then the forest to find my pet sitting in the field, upright and alert. His caretakers were gazing in shock at the smoke in the sky. Another explosion went off and we watched in horror as one of the castle’s towers got completely severed. Its turret fell down the side of the mountain.

  I looked at Chance as he stared up at the castle. I’d seen my own home burn and crumble; I understood what he was feeling. It was the most powerful mix of hurt and resoluteness a person could experience. Inside him I knew sadness and pain intertwined with desires to halt the destruction, protect the ones he loved, and throttle whoever was responsible.

  I whistled and Lucky bounded over. I hopped aboard his neck as my friends clambered into his saddle, and then we were off flying toward the danger.

  “Park him on the runway!” Chance called over the wind shear. “We can try and evacuate people who are inside the castle.”

  I flew Lucky around the mountain in an arc to approach the runway. We were moments away from landing when a distinct whistle shot through the air. I heard it a second too late. Lucky jerked as a massive javelin went through the top of his left wing. The dragon roared angrily and swerved to the right. My heart stopped with horror.

  I looked down and spotted the threat. Obscenely large javelin launchers had risen from several of the castle’s turrets. I barely maneuvered Lucky out of the way as a second projectile came at us.

  “Those aren’t our guards!” Chance called.

  I figured that already. The men operating the machines weren’t wearing Darling Castle uniforms. Also, they were firing at us.

  A lot of guards must’ve been taken out in order for the bad guys to reach those pivotal weapons. I hoped Chance wasn’t squeamish; I knew from experience that seeing dead bodies in a place you called home was terrible, and there were probably plenty inside.

  Two javelins fired at once. We swooped low to avoid one, but the other made contact with some lower part of Lucky’s body. I didn’t see where, but he hollered and jerked in pain with such abruptness that I was almost bucked off. Thankfully, Lucky remained in the air. I steered him around the mountain, completely out of the launchers’ sights. I didn’t know how serious my dragon’s injuries were, but he kept flying with fervor. He was a fighter like the rest of us.

  “Use his fire!” Gordon shouted.

  “What?” I called back.

  “Lucky can breathe fire. He does it sometimes in our hero drills at school. Take out the
launchers with it!”

  Lucky could breathe fire? I suddenly remembered seeing him do it on the day he came to life in Century City. But I hadn’t seen him use fire since then, and I certainly didn’t know how to get him to produce it on command. I’d never tried.

  “How do you make him use it?” I shouted to Gordon.

  “He’s done it on his own in the past!” Gordon replied. “Maybe just ask him?”

  It wasn’t the best plan, but Lucky had always listened to me. The dragon had learned to respond to steering instructions based on the way I gripped his ridges and nudged his neck with my legs. There was no manual for that either; we just figured it out together. Maybe the same could apply here.

  I steered Lucky around the mountain in full attack mode. When we came into view of the launchers again, I egged him forward at high speed. The nearest javelin launcher took aim. My hand lit up with a little golden energy.

  “Okay, boy!” I shouted. “Fire!” I slapped him on the neck with my glowing hand and a small spark of magic absorbed into his scales like a gentle reminder.

  It worked! An orange glow arose from Lucky’s underside. His normally silver belly was lighting up like a mutant tangerine, as it had in Century City. Then he released a giant spurt of flames that obliterated the launcher and the guy operating it.

  We flew up to hastily evade another assault of javelins zooming through the air and then swooped back around.

  “Fire!” Again I slapped Lucky’s neck with my glowing hand. Another minor spark of life encouraged him to do as directed, and he blasted away the other three javelin launchers with one continuous burst of flames. It was awesome to behold.

  Safe from that danger, I landed Lucky on the runway and turned to Gordon. “Can you and Marie stay with him? We need a secure exit. But don’t wait for us if more threats come—get Lucky out of here. He’s already injured.”

  “Be careful,” Gordon said as he stood from the saddle.

  I slid off Lucky with Chance and we sprinted up the runway, into the castle, and through the corridor. No guards were in sight—a bad sign I didn’t have time to dwell on because footsteps were hurrying up the hall toward us. Chance pulled me around a corner and we waited, breathing heavily. I transformed my wand into a knife. Chance grabbed a lamp from the table next to us. He snapped his fingers and the lamp magically turned solid gold.