The breeze blew the ends of my purple and blue dress against my legs. My genie cuffs matched my gray boots and silvery belt, though the long sleeves of my gray jacket concealed them.
“I know you, Mom, and Dad aren’t thrilled with what we’re attempting,” I began. “Goodness knows it was hard enough to tell them that I’d be gone from the realm for almost a month. But I appreciate that you all accept that this is something I have to do.”
Pietro cracked the smallest smile. “We do, but only because you don’t give us much of a choice. You’re not exactly the type of daughter or sister that would shy away from something risky just to make her family feel better.”
A little guilt swelled inside me. What Pietro said was true. I didn’t want to worry my family, but I wasn’t going to avoid things because of my own fear so why should theirs hold me back either?
“I am sorry to add more stress to your lives,” I admitted. “I wish there was another solution, but me going and you, SJ, and the others handling the rebels is the best plan. If there was any way for all of us to do this together, I would take it, but there’s not.”
He nodded and gave me a tight hug. “Just come back in one piece, all right? Evette picked a wedding date in November and she would kill me if we had to reschedule due to unforeseen main character calamity.”
“I’ll do my best. Though I do like the term: ‘Main Character Calamity.’ Maybe I’ll get that sewn on a t-shirt when I get back.” I smirked and he rubbed my head with a light noogie.
My brother and I rejoined the crew. There would be two black holes opening in our realm tonight—one near Alderon, far to the south, and one in Eebi. I could see them on my SRTracker now. The Eebi black hole would form in this dimension at exactly 9:03 p.m. and would remain open for four minutes. SJ, who couldn’t fly Lucky but insisted on seeing us off, and Gordon were taking our Dreamland team to the Eebi wormhole. I tried to dissuade SJ—this would be a record number of passengers for Lucky—but didn’t push too hard when she insisted. Hey, she was one of our best friends and the only member of our original crew not going on this quest.
Once we’d been dropped off, SJ and Gordon would return with my dragon to Darling Castle. The only element of our Dreamland travel plans that remained unknown now was Arian.
I tried not to dwell on the unfortunate fact that the other black hole was opening so close to the antagonist kingdom, especially with the dream I’d had featuring Arian and company approaching a black hole during a full moon.
It’s true that this vision could’ve reflected any future full moon, but—come on—this was Arian. He was always moving neck and neck with us. We fully expected that tonight our enemies were on their way to Dreamland to recover Mauvrey’s sleeping consciousness like we were. And they’d have a head start since the black hole near Alderon would occur hours before ours.
We still didn’t quite understand why they were going though. I mean, we’d figured that they wanted Paige’s memories so Mauvrey had to wake up regardless. But presently if Mauvrey woke up, her mind and memories, Paige’s memories, would be inside her head—and she was safe at Chance’s. We obviously understood this meant the antagonists would attempt to capture her at some point—hence the security and team split we’d planned for. However, from where I stood, they could’ve just waited for us to wake her and then tried to kidnap her after that—save a step. Why risk going on a complex quest through a treacherous dimension if they didn’t have to? It made me feel like they knew something we didn’t.
“I know you’ll be busy with the Gallant Summit next week,” I said to the friends who were staying behind. “But while you’re gone, make sure Mauvrey is always properly guarded. If I were an antagonist, I’d consider the peace talks the perfect time to try and snatch her.”
“Crisa, don’t worry,” Javier said. “We’ve talked about this. SJ has called in Merlin, Ozma, and Peter to watch her while we’re away during the day. They’re happy to help us out”
I nodded and tried to relax. “I know, I know.”
“Be safe. All of you,” Daniel said.
“You too,” Divya replied.
Pietro hugged me briefly one last time. “We’ll take care of this. You take care of Mauvrey and Mark.”
The Dreamland team climbed aboard Lucky’s saddle. Girtha carried a backpack of emergency supplies, but since Sandman said a month would feel like a few hours, the rest of us only had the clothes on our backs, our normal weapons, and a Dream Catcher strapped to our dominant wrists. Daniel had tucked the bags of sand that would remove the Shadows from Mauvrey and Mark into his pocket.
Our team also possessed a total of four Dream Compasses to help us find our way through the dimension. Sandman said those were the hardest inventions for him to craft, so four was all he could spare. Their default function was to guide dream travelers where they wanted to go in Dreamland. Additionally, the devices possessed a setting to track the amount of time until the next full moon in whatever realm you left from, and how much time remained when that realm’s full moon was underway. This was a super important feature given that we needed to ensure we completed our mission before the end of the next full moon, otherwise we’d be trapped in Dreamland until the full moon after that, which would be in September.
Regrettably, Sandman had said that non-Dreamland specific magic tech like Hole Trackers wouldn’t work in the dimension, so I left my SRTracker with SJ. It dangled from her neck as she settled on Lucky’s saddle. We also weren’t packing any Mark Two magic compact mirrors for the same reason.
Gordon was the last to mount; then we took off into the evening sky. I watched the clouds go by and didn’t talk for the flight, drifting into that meditative space you sometimes dwelled in when you were tired but full of thoughts.
It was pure night when we touched down in a canyon in Eebi. The time was 8:55 p.m. We’d barely made it, and I scolded myself for that. We’d been on plenty of adventures and should’ve been more punctual for fate-altering dates with destiny.
The area was lit well enough—the full moon shone brightly and the stars were so big they looked bloated. The boulders and cliff outcroppings of the canyon cast shadows over us. Lucky’s head drooped—poor guy was worn out from the flight. He was like a puppy that needed a lot of sleep and being up late was not his thing. Maybe he, SJ, and Gordon could rest here for a little while before returning to Clevaunt.
Blue pulled SJ and I aside as the rest of the group exchanged goodbyes. We’d been roommates for years; our connection was different and I think the others respected that.
“This feels wrong somehow,” she said. “I love our whole crew of friends—and I’m glad our group has expanded—but the original gang was the three of us plus Jason and Daniel. I feel like you should be coming with us.” She looked to SJ.
“A part of me feels the same way,” SJ replied, putting a hand on Blue’s shoulder. “Leaving you both to study with Merlin and Julian was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make, and staying behind while you go on this mission is even harder. But I think our destinies started to diverge a while ago. Not in a bad way—in a necessary one that I believe has been leading to this moment. You can save Mauvrey and Mark. I can help broker peace within our realm.”
“You’ll need to be the leader in that fight,” I said to SJ. “You’re the only person who can be. You’re able to see things from the perspective of a royal, a protagonist, and a common without a book. Add to that, you’ve always been someone who understood the tradition of the old ways, which means you can understand the point of view of the higher-ups too. I think you’re completely right; it’s like the road needed us to get here.”
“Fate is funny that way,” SJ replied. “While we firmly believe we can take it in our own hands, I think it exists nonetheless. And sometimes it nudges you where you need to go, even if you did not know that is what you wanted. Fate is like a tour guide on a foreign journey: you may not have to listen, but sometimes there is something worth hearing. Every o
bstacle I have experienced—not having a book, my breakdown and identity redemption, finding Merlin and Julian—every unforeseen twist in our path led us to this place. I, for one, am grateful for that. And I will make you both proud.”
“SJ,” I said plainly. “I think I speak for both of us when I say Blue and I could not be more proud of you.”
I sighed, knowing I had one more thing to say. Last night I’d gotten defensive and been impudent toward SJ when expressing my opinions. She mattered to me tremendously and I needed to remember that. I may not have wanted to change my opinions for her sake or approval, but I didn’t want them to drive a wedge between us. Our friendship was vastly more important to me than being right.
“And about our last conversation, SJ,” I continued. “I know you and I have converse views on some big things, but I want you to know that I respect your opinions even if they’re different from mine. I heard you in the dungeon at Darling Castle. I adjusted course and changed my mind about how I wanted to handle the rebels because of that, because of you. So while I don’t believe I’m wrong about taking the lives of people who deserve it, I promise to try and be more careful with my choices. And if I practice magic in the gray moral area, I’ll do so with complete control. That may not be everything you want from me, however I hope in time you can accept that this is the person I have changed into. And that even if I don’t do what you would, you can still be proud of me too.”
SJ gave me a small, slightly sad smile. “I have been proud of you for months, Crisa. I am not proud of some of your recent actions. And I worry about you and the way your power is growing. But I think you and I learned a long time ago that what makes this friendship work is trusting one another. So I trust you. That you will be okay. And that you know what you are doing.”
The three of us hugged. It was somber and serious but full of affection. We regrouped with the others with only a minute to spare before the wormhole opened.
“Move quickly,” Gordon said. “We don’t want you missing the next full moon. Being gone twenty-six days is bad enough. One mistake and you could miss the whole summer.”
“Gordon, we know,” Jason said. “It’ll be fine. We’ve literally got compasses to show us the way.” Our friend patted the pants pocket that held his Dream Compass. Daniel, Chance, and I had the others.
I gave Lucky a caring pet on the snout. He huffed. My heart twanged with a touch of regret. He probably didn’t understand why I was always leaving him behind—at Lord Channing’s, in Midveil, at random drop-off sites. Looking into his eyes, I didn’t know if pets could feel taken for granted, but I was sure they could be sad. I gave Lucky a final hug before stepping away.
The clock struck 9:03 p.m but weirdly I didn’t see the wormhole.
“Maybe it’s late?” Blue suggested.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” I replied. “Maybe spread out and look around. It could be camouflaged in one of the shadows.” We dispersed and checked the area. Finally, Blue signaled us. “It’s down here,” she said. She was a ways over and pointing into a crevice in the canyon floor. My friends and I gathered around. The fissure in the rock was only a few feet wide, but it went deep. Maybe ten feet in, a black wormhole had appeared; we could see it swirling and sparkling despite the darkness.
We’d need to jump into the crevice and fall through the hole. My body shivered. The tear in space and time was unnerving. While orange, silver, and red portals were beautiful and drew you in, this type made you want to back away; something about them seemed unnatural. But I supposed that crossing dimensions wasn’t supposed to feel natural.
With a final deep breath I moved to position myself for the leap. I was about to step off the edge when Lucky’s frightened, pained roar shook the canyon. I spun around. A spear had pierced Lucky’s wing, and it hung there as he bucked and flapped angrily! Gordon and SJ had to throw themselves clear to avoid getting crushed as he reared and came back down.
Another spear jettisoned out of the darkness, shooting through the same wing. “Lucky!” I yelled and ran toward him.
My dragon instinctively flapped to take off, but roared as his injured wing didn’t give him the lift he needed. Another javelin struck the wall above us, sending down a mini avalanche of stones. I ducked under a low outcropping, evading the shower, but Lucky couldn’t move as freely, and several boulders landed on his bad wing. He hollered and my soul shook with as much force as the ground did from his wail.
What the heck was happening?!
I pulled out my wandpin and changed it to wand form, but didn’t know what weapon to morph it into next. I couldn’t see who was shooting at us.
All my friends had drawn their weapons by then and raced to Lucky’s side. My free hand protectively flared with magic. We were all ready to take on the threat, but no one charged in. My eyes darted around, squinting through the night. Then I found them.
“There!” I pointed at javelin launchers hidden high in the canyon. Their slight movement had called my attention. “Blue, fog!”
Blue’s eyes flashed Questor Beast green. She clenched her fists and fog spread to conceal us from the attackers as a javelin shot forward. Kai and I lunged to dodge it. The projectile only missed Lucky’s neck by a couple of feet. Blue’s fog fully consumed the area now. It was so thick I could only make out Lucky’s silhouette, and my nearby friends were hazy.
Hm. That didn’t help as much as I’d hoped. The attackers couldn’t see us anymore, but that didn’t deter them from taking shots. Another javelin whistled through the air. A moment later, Lucky roared. It had been a blind shot, and yet by misfortune still hit its mark.
“It struck his leg!” SJ cried.
The sound of shattering stone above indicated that more projectiles had been launched at higher parts of the canyon, causing rock to crumble down.
“We have to go!” Daniel shouted. “This was an ambush. The antagonists must be trying to keep us from taking the wormhole so we can’t wake Mauvrey.”
He was probably right—the wormhole would be closing in the next couple minutes. If we didn’t make it, there was no accessing Dreamland from Book again until August.
Another javelin whistled by, and I held my breath. No Lucky roar—it hadn’t struck him. But that fortune wouldn’t last. Even with this fog, he was too big a target. My heart lurched as I settled on a course of action.
“SJ, do you have any Realm Tearers?” I called.
“Yes!”
“You and Gordon get out of here!”
“But what about Lucky?”
My pet couldn’t fly. He was trapped here with his injuries, and whether we took the wormhole or not, any second a blind shot through the fog could impale him beyond recovery. And then what? I resurrect him? Saving him wouldn’t matter if we were surrounded by who knew how many antagonists who’d been expecting us to take this wormhole; our foes would just keep killing my pet again and again.
I rushed through the fog toward my injured dragon before I could change my mind. He came into view more clearly. Although his form was hazy, his big golden eyes were sharp and bright. I met his gaze. His glittering irises showed trust, but fear. “I’m sorry,” I said to him.
“Go for the wormhole!” I ordered my friends.
My body lit up with energy; it was gold, but then it swirled with the same gray as the fog. The magic consumed Lucky, wrapping his limbs in a tornado-like embrace. Then my dragon’s shiny, silvery scales darkened and hardened. His golden eyes turned gray and every part of him became stone as he returned to the statue he’d been before I’d given him life.
I shouted—not so much from the action but from heartache. Taking back the life I’d given Lucky was arguably the most painful thing I’d ever done.
“Realm Tearer,” I beckoned, hand outstretched. I recalled the potion needed Pure Magic to ignite. SJ darted over—taking the black orb from her magic sack and putting it in my hand. I conjured a small burst of power and set the potion ablaze. SJ took it back and rapidly fire
d it via slingshot at the ground.
The Portalscape Portal swirled open—its glow lit our faces in silvery shades. SJ and Gordon glanced at Lucky, then gave me the most sympathetic look. I couldn’t take it, and there was no time to anyway. SJ said these Realm Tearer potions only lasted fifteen seconds.
“Go!” I shouted. Though clearly filled with remorse about it, my friends hopped through and were gone in a flash. Seconds later, the portal snapped closed too.
Javelins continued to sail through the fog as I made my way blindly in the direction of where the black hole had been. I spotted my friends just as Chance bounded through the fissure and disappeared from view. The only ones left were Daniel and Blue.
Daniel spotted me. “Everyone else made it through. Come on!”
I shoved my wand into my boot, sprinted past my friends, and leapt off the edge to fall through the black hole. Normally I preferred to make sure all my people got out first, but this was different. I didn’t want them to see the tears streaming off my cheeks.
fter the blinding light that had filled my vision faded, I saw . . . purple. Everything was purple. It was like being in one of my dream voids only instead of an endless plane of white, the world was mauve.
Also unlike my dream voids, this place was filled with innumerable floating doors and clock faces—each as unique as a snowflake. I found myself standing on a clock face, just like all of my friends. My clock was at 8:32 while Kai, nearest me, stood on a clock set to 12:17.
It didn’t take long for us to refocus, despite the bizarre surroundings. Blue turned toward me with great sorrow in her voice. “Lucky . . . You took the life from him to save him.”
I nodded.
“Crisa, I’m so sorry,” Chance said.
I shied away from the looks of pity my friends gave me. The tears on my face were gone. Now that we’d changed worlds and there was nothing I could do, I had to rein in the sadness.
Into the Gray Page 47