“Go, go!” Pahmut shouted, waving Twist and Jonas through.
“You first,” Jonas said, grabbing the boy by the wrist.
Before Pahmut could voice a complaint, Jonas pulled him closer, took him by the shoulders, and shoved him through the mirror. At the sound of another inhuman howl, Twist glanced back to see that easily thirty of the creatures from the clearing were now racing after them along the straight path that Pahmut had cut through the forest.
“Go, Twist!” Jonas shouted, grabbing him by the shoulder and shoving him through the mirror as well.
Twist flew through the portal, nearly losing his footing on the other side. Myra met him instantly, catching him as his balance wavered. Everyone else stood around on the platform at the top of the tower in Atlantis, surrounded by Rooks on all sides. Apparently, Aden had managed to reach the mirror, but Niko and Kima hadn’t let him shut it down. Twist turned to the mirror just in time to see Jonas leap through behind him.
“Shut this thing off!” Jonas said the moment he was through.
“All right, all right!” Niko said from behind the mirror. “Damn it, where’s the switch?”
Twist moved immediately to join him.
“They can’t pass through,” Pahmut was saying, as if to calm himself. He stood beside Kima now, right before the mirror. “Only humans can cross through a gate.”
Twist reached for the switch that would shut off the power source mounted to the back of the mirror but froze when he heard a horrible sound, like the snap of a spring-loaded trap. Everyone in the crowd before the mirror let out a terrified sound at the same exact moment.
Twist and Niko looked around the side of the mirror to find a glowing white chain stretching out from the center of the mirror glass, connected to a thick silver collar wrapped around Pahmut’s throat. Before anyone could react with more than a gasp, the chain was pulled sharply, dragging the boy off of his feet and back toward the glass. Kima screamed, reaching out for him, but he was being pulled too quickly for her to catch him.
“No!” Jonas bellowed, still standing right beside the mirror.
He moved just fast enough to catch the child, but the force pulling the chain pulled him through as well, both of them vanishing through the glass. Twist moved as quickly as he could, racing around the front of the mirror to dive in after them. The Rooks stared at this in nothing but surprise, all of them entirely unhelpful.
Before Twist could reach the face of the mirror, Jonas reemerged, flying through it and crashing to the floor on his back, Pahmut clutched tightly in his arms. The collar was still around the boy’s neck. The chain immediately pulled them both back. Jonas managed to get a foot on the frame of the mirror, pushing back against it, as Kima grabbed on to him.
“Close it!” Jonas yelled.
Twist moved swiftly, recklessly grabbing a handful of wires and yanking them free. The humming in the mirror died instantly, and the chain and collar vanished into thin air with the faint sound of breaking glass. No longer being pulled, Jonas and the boy fell limp to the floor, panting. Kima dropped to her knees, breathing hard as well from her attempt to aid them.
Jonas pushed himself up to sit, taking Pahmut with him, and then turned to Kima. He took the boy’s arms and pushed him toward his mother. “Here. I brought him back. Promise kept.”
Her exhaustion suddenly forgotten, Kima let out a blissful sound, wrapping the boy in her arms once again. Clearly dazed by the entire experience, Pahmut hung limply in her grasp but made no complaint at all. Jonas rose to his feet with Twist’s offered aid, tossing waves of fatigue and relief into his Sight.
“Twist,” he said when he was finally on his feet, “don’t ever let me make a promise again.”
Twist laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
“Jonas,” Kima said, rising to her feet as well, her son clutched to her side with one hand.
Twist was astonished by the pure, sparkling, perfect joy he found on her face. Her entire being seemed to be glowing with it as well, making her look like an entirely different person. Jonas froze, his eyes wide, as he stared at her in alarm. Twist realized with a shiver that he wasn’t keeping his eyes from hers, his eyes flashing almost instantly from a brilliant violet to a bright, colorless silver. The buzzing at Twist’s neck erupted with fire for the merest instant before turning as smooth, calm, and cold as ice.
Kima, not obviously noticing any of this without a Sight to aid her, took Jonas’s hand in hers, and her joy somehow deepened even further. She paused, as if searching for the right words, but eventually just said, “Thank you, Jonas.”
Once it was clear that everyone was safe and sound, Aden was forced to reassess his order that Twist, Jonas, Niko, and Kima all be taken captive. The Rooks that had been rescued along with Myra and Tasha couldn’t say enough about Tasha’s ingenuity, Myra’s persuasiveness, or Pahmut’s bravery. Apparently, the boy had been present at their capture—following his cruel master around dutifully—until Tasha had appeared and recognized him. Once Myra arrived, called out the boy’s name, and realized she could talk to him without the fae hearing, thanks to her ghostly nature and his spell-work, planning the escape had begun. Twist and the others opening the doorway precisely when they did had been the final needed piece.
Myra and Tasha both gracefully deflected the praise, but Twist didn’t miss the fact that seven supposedly capable and powerful Rooks had been utterly without hope until the two of them had arrived. There also seemed to have been a magical barrier strengthening the cage, meaning that without Pahmut’s help, all hope might well have been lost no matter who mounted a rescue.
Aden was also praised by the rescued Rooks for sending Twist, Jonas, and especially Kima, through the mirror to save them all. They all assumed that it must have been Aden’s swift actions that had ensured their freedom. Aden accepted their compliments as if he deserved them and then amiably asked that Twist and his friends be given some space and rest after their harrowing ordeal. Twist caught a glimpse of urgency in his eyes, promising that refusal would end badly for Twist and his friends.
While the enthusiasts of the legend of the split soul saw to the rescued—explaining the magic of the charms and ensuring that they would remain saved and not be snatched back again—and also instructed Aden on how to protect the rest of his people from further attack, Twist and his companions were left mostly alone at the bottom of the tower. Two Rook guards were stationed at the door outside, but they didn’t seem inclined to do much more than stand there for the moment.
Twist dropped to sit on the floor, suddenly feeling his fatigue. Even with his own charm, and knowing that all of his friends now also carried them, the protective symbol painted to cover the whole floor gave him a bit of added comfort. He could still remember the alien gaze of the queen as clearly as if she were still staring into his soul. She had known the spirit that was bound to his own. Twist could only marvel at how undeniable it had suddenly become, that the entirety of his life was overshadowed by the wrath of evil faries and the crime of a djinn.
Myra knelt close beside him, stirring him from his thoughts. She smiled at him gently, her clockwork copper face glinting softly in a shaft of light that fell through a window in the quiet tower. “Are you all right, darling?”
“I couldn’t be better,” Twist replied, placing one arm around her. “You’re right here.”
Myra’s joy spread through his Sight like warm honey, coloring his mind with blissful gold, and for the moment banishing his dark thoughts. Twist indulged in this simple pleasure after so much fear and confusion.
“Um, Twist?” Pahmut asked, his voice so soft that Twist barely heard him.
Twist found that the boy and his mother were also sitting nearby on the floor. Tasha and Niko stood to one side, chatting softly together in a language Twist had heard them use many times but had never understood. Jonas, however, had slipped away alone to the shadows at the base of the stairs against the wall, sitting quietly on the last step and staring thoughtfully a
t nothing.
Twist turned his attention back to Pahmut. “How can I help you, lad?”
Pahmut stared at him intently, his fear still glowing in his dark eyes. “The queen. She knew you, didn’t she?”
Twist, Myra, and Kima all froze in an anxious silence. Was it safe to tell him? Sure, the boy was safe and sound, back with his mother. But he had been working for evil fairies for his entire life. Was he really to be trusted so soon?
“You also have an enchanted charm,” the boy went on, still speaking very softly. Twist noticed his eyes flitting over the symbol on the floor as if checking to be sure it was still there to protect them. “And so does Jonas. And there’s two of you. And the queen knew you.”
“Yes, Pahmut,” Twist said. He already knew. There was no point in trying to deny anything. “I’m afraid I’m exactly who you think I am.”
The boy’s form shivered, and his eyes went wide in shock. “But…you seem like you’re good. People love you,” he added, glancing to Myra. “And Jonas seems good too. He saved me. How can you be my true master?”
“I’m not your master,” Twist replied quickly.
“You don’t have one anymore,” Kima offered gently to the boy.
Pahmut gave a sigh and nodded, looking down, as if surrendering to her more than actually listening. Kima rubbed gently at his back, her expression dull but not defeated. Twist could see that saving the boy might well have been the easy part. Now, she would have to help him unlearn all he knew and teach him how to be human. Pahmut didn’t complain at her touch but didn’t seem to understand why she did it either. Twist wondered silently if he’d had any experience of comfort before now.
“Darling,” Myra whispered to Twist. He turned to find her looking worriedly at Jonas, silent in the shadows on the stairs. “Is he all right?”
Twist looked back to him as well, noticing now that the illusion his Sight put on Jonas’s eyes appeared to be such a light blue color that it was very nearly pure white. Twist dipped his attention into the buzzing at his neck and found it still silent, smooth, and freezing cold.
“I’m not sure,” Twist said, growing concerned now.
“Maybe you should go speak to him,” Myra suggested.
“Maybe I should,” Twist said, reluctantly retrieving his arm from around her.
“I’ll wait here,” Myra offered. “He says things to you that he would never say to me.”
Twist was grateful for her understanding and acceptance of this truth without showing even the slightest hint of disappointment. It felt somehow ludicrous to Twist to leave her—even for a moment—after the events of the day, but he also knew she was right. He got to his feet and walked over to his friend.
Jonas was sitting against the wall, taking up just half of the width of the stair, his knees bent up against his chest and his arms crossed on top of them. Twist sat down on the step beside him, saying nothing. For a moment, he only observed this new quiet energy he felt in his friend. It took a moment for Jonas to seem to notice that Twist was there, before he turned to look back at him.
“What?”
“Are you all right?”
Jonas smirked and looked away. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You caught up with your favorite vision,” Twist guessed. “You made Kima happy, just like you always knew you would.”
Jonas didn’t respond, but Twist saw the blue color in his eyes turn a little richer.
“So, are you all right? You looked right into her eyes.”
Jonas gave a halfhearted laugh. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Did you see something else?”
Jonas shrugged.
Twist waited for a moment for him to go on. When he didn’t, Twist repeated, “Are you all right?”
This time Jonas laughed and looked back at him with rich, sapphire eyes. “I’m fine.”
“Fine?” Twist asked suspiciously. He took a noisy breath, crossed his arms, and gave Jonas a knowing look.
“Shut up,” Jonas said, laughing softly and looking away again. “Yes, I’m all right. Why don’t you go back to your bride? She’s missed you all day.”
“She was the one who sent me over here to tend to you.”
“I don’t need tending to.”
“You’re not all right.”
Jonas gave a sigh, closing his eyes and dropping his forehead to rest on his crossed arms. Twist remained just as he was, watching Jonas not move or respond at all for a long moment. He knew, of course, that just looking at him laid a gentle weight on Jonas’s Sight. He was fairly sure that it bore the same grounding comfort as the weight of Jonas’s Sight did on his own. Confused as he was by his friend’s current mood, Twist found himself at a loss of what else to do. Jonas suddenly lifted his head again and looked to the empty air before him.
“I did see something in her eyes.”
Surprised by this, Twist unconsciously leaned a little closer. “What did you see?”
Jonas looked back at him with a thin smile, his eyes still a deep, rich blue. “I’m not ready to talk about it.”
“Oh,” Twist muttered, frowning. “But it wasn’t her death, was it? The color of your eyes is telling me that you should be happy right now.”
“No, it wasn’t her death,” Jonas said, looking away again. “It wasn’t even really about her at all. Maybe I was too astonished by what I did see to catch a glimpse of anything else. I don’t know. Very little of it made much sense, really.”
When Jonas fell silent again, Twist offered the only response he could. “Ah,” he muttered uselessly. He watched Jonas again, still feeling nothing but ice in the buzzing at his own neck. “So…what do you need right now?”
Jonas paused to consider his answer. “I guess I just need some time to work it through. To get used to the idea. Figure out how I actually feel about it.”
“Should I not ask again?” Twist asked hesitantly. He knew his curiosity was going to drive him mad, but he had already asked just as much of Jonas himself. Jonas had promised not to ask about the clockwork people again.
“I’ll tell you when I figure it out,” Jonas said, this time with a grateful light in his eyes. “How’s that?”
“I can handle that.”
“Thanks,” Jonas said, resting his chin on his crossed arms again. “Seriously, though, you should go back to Myra. And tell her I’m fine.”
When Twist returned to Myra, Kima, and Pahmut, he discovered that the boy was working to enchant their silver charms. He held the one Jonas had given him in his open palm, tracing the lines of the engraving with a fingertip as he muttered to himself. Twist retook his seat on the floor beside Myra, watching the boy curiously.
“How is he?” Myra asked Twist softly, glancing to Jonas. “He’s very rarely so quiet. He didn’t have another vision, did he?”
“He did, but it seems to be a happy one,” Twist said. “Nothing bad is going to happen, but he was surprised. Don’t worry, dear. I think it would be best to pretend nothing’s amiss for now. Let him come round on his own.”
Myra nodded thoughtfully. “All right. If you say so, darling.”
“There,” Pahmut said, shaking the hand that had been tracing the lines on the charm as if it felt stiff. The little silver coin sat inert in his other hand, apparently unaffected. “Now I need the blood,” Pahmut said, looking hesitantly to his mother.
Kima nodded and pulled a small knife from the leg of her boot. She then pressed the point to her own fingertip, producing a tiny drop of blood. Pahmut muttered a bit more as he held the charm up for her. Kima pressed her wounded fingertip against the charm, spreading her blood into the fine engraving. She then pulled her finger away and looked to him expectantly.
“Well,” Pahmut said, sounding skeptical. “Here goes.”
He closed both hands over the charm and muttered on. He stopped suddenly, opening his hands to look down at the charm, and his eyes went wide in wonder. He plucked the charm up between finger and thumb, holding it up to examine.
<
br /> “It worked!” he exclaimed in disbelief.
“You didn’t think it would?” Kima asked.
“Well…” Pahmut said, his amazement shifting to her now. “It only works if there is enough love in the blood. I didn’t think…well, I wasn’t sure…”
Kima looked back to him with clearly wearying patience. “You’re my son. How could I not love you?”
Pahmut shrugged, his gaze on the charm in his hands. “We only just met.”
“I was there when you were born,” Kima said gently, a warm smile on her face. “I carried you inside me. I was there the first time you opened your eyes. I loved you then. I love you now. That will never change.”
While Pahmut appeared to consider this, Twist struggled to contain his own reaction to Kima’s words. He’d lost his memories of his first few days of life, the same as anyone might. But like Pahmut, those had been his only memories of his parents. He’d grown up without any evidence that they had cared for him at all. He’d come to accept it. That knowledge had solidified and become a cornerstone of his reality.
He hadn’t known that the one trinket they had left him, his pocket watch, carried a charm that was meant to protect him. He’d never known that the charm was enchanted with a spell that required their love for him. His hand brushed the familiar lump in his waistcoat pocket, suddenly realizing that he had carried their love with him for his entire life. Was his father going to feel the same way that Kima did, when Twist finally met him?
“Oh, yes, thank you,” Myra was saying to Pahmut, handing him the charm that Jonas had given her.
Twist’s attention returned to the others with a snap, realizing that they had been talking for a moment longer while his thoughts had flown away. Pahmut took the charm from her, examining it. Like the others, it looked like nothing more than a coin on a string, with the invisibility charm engraved on one side.
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