by Brandon Mull
“Yes,” Cole said. “And incredibly powerful.” Only two torivors had ever come to the Outskirts. Trillian was imprisoned in Elloweer within the Lost Palace. And Ramarro had been trapped in the echolands. “I had help diverting Ramarro into another prison, but it probably won’t hold him for long. We have to find another way to stop him. Owandell is convinced that when Ramarro arrives, the torivor will easily conquer the five kingdoms.”
Harmony sighed and covered her eyes with one manicured hand. “If torivors live up to their reputation, I expect he’s right. This keeps spiraling from bad to worse. First I was primarily protecting my girls from Stafford. Then Owandell loomed larger, and civil war became a serious possibility. And now . . . an unthinkable evil from the darkest annals of our history threatens not only my family but the lives of everyone we govern.”
“Ramarro was behind so much of the rest,” Cole said. “Ramarro trained Owandell, who then recruited your husband. Ramarro taught Owandell how to steal the shaping power. Without Owandell, your daughters would never have lost their abilities.”
“Stafford has Honor and Destiny?” Harmony asked.
“Yeah,” Cole said. “He refused to free them, but promised to keep them safe.”
Harmony rolled her eyes. “That provides little comfort. According to Stafford, everything he has done has been to protect the girls. Including taking their powers and driving them into exile. He has gotten much too comfortable with falsehoods and distortions. Even if he meant what he said, Stafford has a very crooked way of viewing his familial duties.”
“Have you seen him lately?” Cole asked.
“Not since before the last time I saw you,” Harmony said. “Stafford and I haven’t been close for decades, after I had to hide our daughters, but he has been growing even more reclusive lately, conducting all his business through spokespeople.”
“He looks older,” Cole said.
“How much older?” Harmony asked.
“Like your father at best,” Cole said. “Maybe even your grandfather. He looks like a feeble old man, and coughs like crazy, and can’t get out of bed.”
“I heard the rumors he had taken ill,” Harmony said, swaying a little. “I hadn’t guessed the full extent.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, pensive eyes staring away from Cole. “I have wished him dead so many times. So many times.” Eyes finding Cole again, she smiled unconvincingly, and her voice returned to conversational volume. “The brute brought it on himself. The gifts he robbed from his daughters prolonged his youth. As he loses those powers, he is paying the price.”
“He acts like he may not have much time,” Cole said.
“He may be right,” Harmony said, eyebrows knitting together, pain filling her eyes. “If he wished to live longer, there were places we could have gone, techniques we could have used. But Stafford desired power at any cost. And it has burned him up in so many ways. Why did he give you his seal? Even from his deathbed, that surprises me.”
“I met a younger version of him in the Cave of Memory,” Cole said. “I did his imprint a favor, and he told me a phrase that had a lot of meaning to his family.”
“I know the phrase you mean,” Harmony said.
“That convinced the king to listen to me,” Cole said. “He gave me the seal to help me as I try to stop Ramarro.”
“I see,” Harmony said. “He was willing to sponsor your suicide mission.”
“You think I don’t have a chance?” Cole asked.
“You’re noble to try, Cole,” Harmony said. “I’m not sure if success is very realistic.”
“But worth trying, right? I mean, how much success would I have running from Ramarro? Or hiding? Those aren’t very realistic options either. Might as well try to stop him. I’ve already won some other fights I probably should have lost. Dandalus encouraged me.”
“The Dandalus?” Harmony asked. “As in the chief architect of this world? When we spoke before, you mentioned a semblance of his consciousness associated with the Founding Stone.”
“Yeah,” Cole said. “I met his actual echo in the echolands. He was watching over Destiny. And he helped me learn to use my power. It worked better in the echolands.”
“Cole, I will help you however I can,” Harmony said. “I just want to be sure you understand the risks.”
“I understand enough,” Cole said. “Speaking of the Founding Stone, could you help me get to it? I could use more information.”
“The Founding Stone resides under Owandell’s tower,” Harmony said. “Stafford’s men have seized it. With my husband sponsoring you, a visit should be simple to arrange. For now, you deserve to rest. How can I make you comfortable?”
Cole shook his head. “I can’t rest. Not now. Not when I know who’s coming. And not without knowing how long it will take him to get here. I don’t have any idea how to stop him yet. I don’t even know where to find his prison.”
“You have no clue?” Harmony asked.
“Well, can you keep a secret?” Cole asked.
“Absolutely,” Harmony said.
“Good,” Cole replied. “Because Owandell really wants to know this one.” Cole took a step closer and lowered his voice. “Ramarro is inside a vault in Creon.”
Harmony arched an eyebrow. “Creon? I may be able to help you. What sort of assistance are you looking for?”
“The best you can offer,” Cole said. “Transportation for a start. Advice. Helpers. I’m also hoping you can help me find Mira. And Elegance. You stopped putting stars in the sky. Can you still sense where your daughters are?”
“With an effort I can always sense them,” Harmony said. “Except those who were in the echolands, while they were separated from their physical bodies. That was distressing. I stopped marking Elegance with a star years ago. No need. She hasn’t left her current position in more than thirty years.”
“Is she all right?” Cole wondered.
“She found a safe haven,” Harmony said. “I have my suspicions why. I can reveal exactly where Elegance is located. I don’t believe she has any intention of leaving.”
“Not even to find her power?” Cole wondered.
“Perhaps,” Harmony said. “She’s been responsible from a young age. But is Elegance relevant for you now? Won’t you be looking for Nazeem?”
“If Elegance’s power is loose in Creon, it will be stirring things up,” Cole said. “It might be trying to take over the place like Mira’s power in Sambria or Constance’s power in Zeropolis. It might be going rogue like Honor’s power in Elloweer. Or it might help us like Destiny’s power in Necronum. But it won’t be sitting still.”
Harmony folded her arms, hands cupping her elbows. Her gaze became remote. “I don’t suppose I can spare my girls from the coming trials.”
“There won’t be anywhere to hide them once Ramarro gets loose,” Cole said. “Owandell knows them. And Ramarro has met three of them. Your enemies are powerful, Harmony. They’ll find whoever they want to find. The time to fight is now. Before Ramarro gets free.”
Harmony gave a quick nod. “Elegance is at the Iron Fort—the most exclusive retirement community in the Outskirts. Time can be manipulated in Creon. Some who wish to prolong their lives take shelter in the Iron Fort. Protected by soaring walls, powerful Wayminders, and an elite mercenary army, it’s a place where those who can buy their way in spend their waning years in safety and comfort.”
“Retirement community?” Cole wondered. “Elegance didn’t age, did she?”
“Not any more than my other daughters,” Harmony said. “Elegance was the eldest when their powers were stolen—nearly a grown woman on the verge of her eighteenth birthday. She has not aged more than that. She simply sought shelter at the safest haven in Creon. Since she took refuge there, I have worried about her least of all my daughters.”
“What about Mira?” Cole asked. “Do you know where I can find her?”
“She returned from the echolands,” Harmony said. “I felt it and pinpointed her location
yesterday. The undertaking requires some time and effort. She was at the Locked Shrine.” Harmony closed her eyes. Her brow furrowed. “Strange . . . I no longer sense her.”
“Is that normal?” Cole asked.
“No,” Harmony said. “My attention shifted to Honor and Destiny when I felt them coming this way.”
“She’s not . . . ,” Cole said.
“I would have felt her death,” Harmony assured him. “It’s as if she returned to the echolands.”
Cole frowned. That didn’t sound good. Why would Mira go back? Their business in the echolands was done. “Are you sure?”
Harmony opened her eyes. “I’m not in Necronum. It takes time for me to muster sufficient power to really investigate.”
“Maybe I can help,” Cole said. “My power could give you a boost.”
Harmony raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Indeed?”
“Just take my hand,” Cole said, holding one hand out to her.
With some reluctance, the queen extended her hand, longish nails carefully polished. A delicate ring held a brilliant blue stone. When Cole took her hand, he immediately felt her power, misty and less easily defined than any power he had felt before. He pushed energy into her power, and the mist brightened.
“Oh!” Harmony exclaimed, sounding flustered. “I see! How extraordinary! One moment.” She closed her eyes again. “Yes, she must be in the echolands. In fact, I believe she embarked for the echolands from the Locked Shrine. Or very near there.”
Cole released Harmony’s hand and let the connection break. “I don’t know why she would have gone back,” he said.
“Perplexing,” Harmony said, rubbing her hands together. “You can augment any power like that?”
“I can help people use their power in any kingdom,” Cole said.
“Any kingdom?” Harmony asked. “Here in Junction all powers work a little.”
“I made weapons like my Jumping Sword work in the wrong kingdoms,” Cole said. “I guess I haven’t fully tested it with people yet. But I’m pretty sure.”
“Interesting,” Harmony said. “You explained a little about using your power to revive the powers of others in the echolands. I didn’t understand how fully you might be able to do that here among the physically living. How singular. Now I understand why Owandell wanted you brought along with my daughters. Your power would have fascinated him. So much potential.”
“I’m still getting used to it,” Cole said. “My power was blocked for so long. In the echolands I could change reality, kind of like a shaper in Sambria. I could affect whatever I wanted. It doesn’t seem to work like that in the physical world.”
“Activating abilities outside their corresponding kingdoms is plenty incredible,” Harmony said. “I wonder . . .”
“What?”
“If you were partnered with a Wayminder, you might be able to travel anywhere,” Harmony said.
“Can’t they already go pretty much anywhere?” Cole asked.
“Within Creon they can,” Harmony said. “And from Creon they can open a wayport to just about anywhere in the five kingdoms. Getting back is another matter. Some can manage a wayport from Junction to Creon. But not anywhere else. Ways can be opened to Earth from Junction or Creon, and some have managed it in Zeropolis. Unless the starting point is inside of Creon, Wayminders can’t just open ways from one kingdom to another. Or even from one place in a kingdom to another location in the same kingdom. But partnered with your ability . . . who knows?”
“Know any Wayminders?” Cole asked.
“The School of Minding in Junction City is the only serious school for Wayminders outside of Creon. When you mentioned Ramarro could be incarcerated in Creon, I had already begun to think of partnering you with a certain Wayminder. She’s young but highly talented, and new to Junction, so she isn’t embroiled in the politics yet. Meaning I befriended her first.”
“You think she would help me?” Cole asked.
“On my recommendation?” Harmony asked. “Absolutely. I am her sponsor. She pledged fealty to me. Let alone after she learns how you might be able to augment her abilities. Go downstairs. I’ll send for her. Greta will bring you a meal while you wait.”
* * *
Cole had not yet finished his roast duck in a sauce that tasted sweetly of apples when the air in the parlor began to shimmer. Alone in the room, Cole stood up just before a young woman stepped out of the rippling disturbance and the room returned to normal. She looked a few years older than Cole, maybe fourteen or fifteen. Her brown hair had a few small ribbons in it and looked fairly messy and perhaps unevenly cut, but it still kind of worked. Her crimson robe was a little too big and loose, and the striped scarf around her neck didn’t match. She blinked at Cole.
“The queen’s tower?” she asked.
“Right,” Cole said.
She wiped her brow. “Phew. I was a worried for a second. I’m supposed to meet an adventurer named Cole.”
“That’s me.”
She froze. “You’re a kid.”
“So are you.”
She made a displeased face. “I prefer prodigy. Especially from people way younger than me.”
“How old are you?” Cole complained.
“I’m practically fifteen.”
“Which means fourteen,” Cole said. “Older than me. I guess I look young if you were expecting an adventurer. I’m a prodigy too.”
“A prodigy at what?”
Cole shrugged. “Adventuring.”
She clenched her fists and stamped a foot. “This is what the queen thinks of me? I opened a wayport to get here quickly and impress you. I had no idea she just needed a nanny.”
A door opened and Harmony entered. “Excellent. Hello, Violet. I see you’ve met Cole.”
Violet whirled to face Harmony and dropped to one knee, head bowed. “Yes, Your Highness. He’s . . . less mature than I imagined.”
“I told you he was young in my missive,” the queen said.
“You did, Your Highness,” Violet said, head still bowed. “My mistake. When you called him a young adventurer, I was picturing under thirty. Maybe with muscles and some stubble.”
“Rise, Violet,” Harmony said. “This is an informal meeting.”
Violet stood.
“Was I supposed to kneel?” Cole asked.
“He wasn’t kneeling?” Violet cried, looking over her shoulder at Cole. “He doesn’t even know to kneel when royalty enters?”
“I thought I was supposed to bow!” Cole maintained.
“Did you even bow?” Violet asked.
“It’s a lot to remember,” Cole said.
“Cole is relatively new to our customs,” Harmony said. “And he has perhaps grown overly familiar in the company of royalty. He has been aiding my daughters.”
“Your daughters?” Violet exclaimed in astonishment. “Then the rumors . . . ?”
“They live,” Harmony said. “In fact, they have hardly aged since their supposed deaths. They have survived in exile all these years. I have watched over them from afar. But dire threats have arisen. I need a Wayminder to help Cole on his mission.”
“Will it involve the princesses?” Violet asked.
“Yes,” Harmony said. “But first you must swear secrecy.”
“Nobody can keep a secret like me,” Violet assured her. “I can’t prove it, though. Nobody knows what secrets I know. Only the people who told me.”
“Do you swear?” Harmony asked. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
“I promise,” Violet said.
“Your mission is of the utmost importance,” Harmony said. “I do not exaggerate by saying the fate of the entire Outskirts hangs in the balance.”
Violet glanced over her shoulder. “And you’re sending . . . him?”
“I thought you would be the last person who would judge another based on their age,” Harmony chided. “Aren’t you the youngest candidate to be admitted to the School of Minding in a hundred years?”
>
Violet scrunched her brow. “What are the chances of lightning striking twice? He’s a lot younger than me. And he’s shorter than me. And he must be really good at . . . something.”
“The mission will be incredibly perilous,” Harmony said. “There is a high risk of fatality. Of course, should the mission fail, we will all face our demise.”
“What can he do?” Violet asked. “Does he have radically weaponized shaping powers? Maybe he wields fire effortlessly? Or summons weather?” She gasped. “Can he kill with his mind?”
“None of those things,” Harmony said. “He does have extraordinary powers, though. You heard me express that the mission will be dangerous?”
Violet gave a little bow. “I’m yours to command. And pleased you thought of me! I have sometimes wondered whether you take me seriously. I’ll keep the secrets! And I’ll assume the risks! When do we leave?”
“Now,” Cole said.
“Wait, now?” Violet asked. “I just opened a wayport! Your Highness, your missive told me to come here through a way. You know a lot about wayminding. I’m talented, but I’ll need a fair amount of rest before opening another.”
“I told you to come here through a wayport precisely so your power would be depleted,” Harmony said. “I want to demonstrate what Cole can do. And to test a theory.”
“He opens wayports too?” Violet exclaimed. “Then why do you need me?”
“I can replenish your power,” Cole said.
“Nobody can do that,” Violet said.
“Cole is extraordinary,” Harmony explained.
“Ah,” Violet said, finally looking at Cole with real interest. “I see why people might ignore your age. Where are we going?”
“Necronum, first,” Cole said.
Violet turned to Harmony and held up a finger. “You know that nobody can—”
“No Wayminder has ever opened a wayport to Necronum from Junction City,” Harmony said. “Only from Creon. We’re testing another theory.”
“I can help your power work anywhere,” Cole said. “We should be able to go from anywhere to anywhere.”
Violet looked from Cole to Harmony and back. “If we weren’t with the queen, I might suspect you were teasing.”