Even and Odd

by Sarah Beth Durst

  “The floating surfboards?” Even asked.

  “Transportation devices,” Lady Vell corrected. “Yes. Those have been my most popular offering, but there’s more to come! And you, my dears, will be part of it all! At least in your own small way.”

  “Sorry?” Odd said.

  “Come, relax in my solarium. We’ll get to know one another.” Glancing at the boards that had been restacked (badly) twice, she said with a hint of distaste, “Bring your unicorn friend, if you wish.” She swept them across the vast workroom and through the doorway that the centaur had used. It led to a small room next to the laboratory.

  Inside, the solarium glowed with a warm amber light. Potted trees swayed side to side as if to unheard music. Butterflies made of paper flitted from flower to flower, and more of the sparkling birds flew overhead. Flowering vines hung from the ceiling, and a few of the flowers were singing a wordless tune. Everything, Even noticed, glinted with a bit of sparkling blue.

  “Lady Vell, we were told you’re an expert in border magic,” Even said. “And we’re hoping you can help all the people and creatures in the borderlands, including a lake full of mermaids, a hill full of unicorns, and others.”

  “And us!” Odd said. “We need to get home. We’re not supposed to be here.”

  “On the contrary, this is your birth land,” Lady Vell said. “You are very welcome here.”

  “Our home is in a town in Connecticut,” Even said. “Our parents run a shop there, across the border.” And that border was supposed to be open.

  “Ah!” Lady Vell looked as pleased as a cat with milk, which Even thought was a strange reaction. Why did she care about their store? “I had heard your lovely parents’ shop was thriving. I am so happy that their life change was a success.”

  “You know our parents?” Odd said. “Do you know where our mom is?”

  “She needs to be able to go home too,” Even said. “But according to the unicorns, the gateways are closed everywhere.”

  “You were so young when you moved,” Lady Vell said. “But you’ll find that this world will welcome you. You belong here, and I know you’ll be happy.” She smiled at them, spread her silk robe, and sat in one of the chairs. “And I am in a position to ensure that your lives here are comfortable.” Clapping her hands to summon the centaur, Lady Vell smiled at both sisters.

  The centaur bustled forward with a tray of glasses and tiny sandwiches. For Jeremy, he brought a bucket of fresh clover. The unicorn immediately stuck his face in the bucket and began chomping. Belatedly, he said, “Thanks. Long journey.”

  “Sit. Eat,” Lady Vell said to the girls. “Relax.”

  “I’m sorry, but we can’t stay,” Even said. “Please, do you know how to fix the gateways? There are people who need to get across the border.” She told Lady Vell about the elf priestess and Mr. Fratelli’s daughter, as well as the centaurs with their research. “It’s not just us. Lots of people need your help.”

  Lady Vell nibbled on a sandwich. “Mmm, delicious.”

  Even and Odd exchanged glances. Both of them sat in the plush chairs opposite the tray. Trying to be polite, Even helped herself to a sandwich layered with pasta and some kind of meatballs. She bit into it, and she tasted a burst of blueberries, honey, and cheese. “Delicious,” she said. “Thank you.”

  Smiling graciously at her, Lady Vell said, “I am, as you may have guessed from my home, a wealthy woman. I can ensure that you and your mother have everything you need for a life of comfort anywhere in the magic world you want. You like the bustle of the capital? I can buy you a home in the heart of the markets so there is always a festival outside your door. You want natural beauty and serenity? How about your own island, full of birds that sing you to sleep and a sea full of wonders? Or do you prefer the mountains—”

  “We don’t want to stay,” Odd said.

  Lady Vell frowned, puckering her lips. A tiny jewel popped off her cheek. “I don’t think you understand. I am offering you luxury. All I need is one teensy-tiny favor in return.”

  “What kind of favor?” Even asked. Odd shot her a look, but Even ignored it. I’m not going to say yes, she wished she could say out loud to Odd. She wasn’t going to agree to anything that stood in the way of them getting home. Odd should know her well enough to realize that. I just want to know what she wants.

  “An easy one that won’t cost you anything but a minute of your time,” Lady Vell said, beaming at them both. “All I want is a statement. One itsy-bitsy public statement in front of a magic mirror so that the voting members of the Academy of Magic will see. All I want is for you to simply introduce yourselves and state that you have suffered no ill effects from the accident that occurred in your youth.”

  “We don’t remember that,” Even said.

  “Ah, but you have lived with the results.” Lady Vell squeezed her sandwich so hard in her excitement that the innards squirted through her fingers. A dollop of jam landed on her foot, sliding between the jewels on her sandals. She appeared not to notice. “You share your magic on alternating days. There have been no side effects other than that, have there?”

  “No other side effects,” Even said, and Odd nodded too.

  “And those days you have magic, does it feel like it’s yours?”

  “Yes, of course,” Even said. It is mine, she thought. It should have been all mine. But she pushed that thought aside to deal with later.

  Beaming at them, Lady Vell clapped her hands. “Wonderful!”

  “I don’t understand,” Even said. “Why would anyone care about whether we’ve had side effects from something that happened so long ago we don’t remember it?”

  Instead of answering, Lady Vell asked, “Did you not recognize the power stone, the one you were examining just now?”

  “You mean the stone with the lightning?” Even asked. She had felt as if there was something familiar about the stone, but she had no idea why. “Should we have?”

  “Power stones are rare—your parents used this very same one in their experiments. It was that stone that caused your powers to be split and shared. Your parents tried everything they could think of to reverse the effects of what they’d done, but eventually they despaired. With the goal of giving you a fresh start, they decided to leave the magic world and open a border store in the mundane world, abandoning all their research and all they could have accomplished. I bought the power stone from them. They intended to use the profit to set up new lives for all of you.”

  “We have those lives,” Odd said. “We like those lives.”

  Mostly, Even amended silently.

  As if Odd hadn’t spoken, Lady Vell continued. “Unfortunately, after the accident, the Academy forbade anyone from ever repeating their work. It was thought the cost was too high—that’s nonsense, of course. But the narrow-minded fools at the Academy have always been risk-averse to the point of stifling progress. It was only with tremendous and tireless effort that I was able to obtain a temporary license for experimentation. So if you could simply speak publicly about your experience, that would prove to the Academy of Magic that my experiments on the power stone are perfectly safe. My temporary license would be upgraded to permanent, and I would be able to proceed with my research with the full support of the Academy.”

  “What exactly does a power stone do?” Even asked.

  “It redistributes magic,” Lady Vell said. “Used correctly, a power stone will siphon magic from one source and make it available for use in another way. I have been employing it to extract power from a previously untapped resource, collect it here”—she waved her hand toward her laboratory—“and fuel a myriad of wonderful, new inventions that will revolutionize the world!”

  That all sounded good, but . . . what untapped resource? Lady Vell, the unicorns had said, was an expert on border magic. An uncomfortable idea was taking shape in Even’s mind. “Did you . . . Is it your fault the border is closed?” Even winced as the words came out of her mouth. She didn’t know how to ma
ke her guess sound less accusatory.

  Jeremy’s head shot up from the bucket of clover. “What?”

  Lady Vell sipped from her tea. “Indirectly, yes,” she said, calmly.

  “You caused this!” Odd jumped up, knocking several sandwiches from the tray.

  “The closing of the border is an unfortunate side effect, which I acknowledge has caused some inconveniences,” Lady Vell said.

  “My home moved!” Jeremy said. He pranced in place, agitated, clover forgotten. “Unicorn Hill switched places with a lake. That’s more than an inconvenience! Many of our caves collapsed, and others are about to!”

  “And the mermaids in the lake can’t get to fresh food,” Even added. “A dragon popped up out of nowhere—and it was angry! The road from the border is filled with refugees who lost their homes or are fleeing danger.”

  Putting her teacup down, Lady Vell waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Everyone will get used to their new homes and adjust to the changes.”

  “But . . . you’re destroying homes! And separating families!” Odd said. “On purpose!”

  “You children are not understanding the importance of what I’m doing here. Come with me. I feel the need to point dramatically at the source of my success.” Lady Vell led the way back to the sparking stone. She halted outside the glimmering bubble that surrounded it. “For the past eight years, I have been studying the power stone, dreaming of the possibilities if one could harness its power to transfer magic. After rigorous experimentation, I have adapted it in a new way: I am mining the border magic.” She pointed to the tube that led to the vat of bubbling blue. “By immersing items in border magic, I can imbue them with their own power. It’s an untapped resource that has the capacity to change the lives of the magicless and to improve the lives of everyone!”

  “You’re stealing border magic,” Even said, “and that’s why the gateways closed. You’re siphoning the magic away. You caused the chaos! It’s all your fault!”

  Lady Vell frowned, and wrinkles sprouted between her eyebrows. “I thought you’d be pleased that the stone that failed you in your youth is now being used for good.”

  “This is not good!” Odd said. “It’s keeping us prisoner here!”

  Lady Vell laughed. “Children are so melodramatic. You are hardly prisoners. You’re in a world of magic and wonder. So much to explore and enjoy! You should be thanking me.”

  “You’re hurting people,” Even said.

  “And unicorns,” Jeremy put in.

  “Pish-posh, nonsense,” Lady Vell said. “I thought you would want to help further the research into the magic that helped shape your lives. But all I hear are complaints.”

  “We can’t go home—” Odd began.

  “Contact your mother, enjoy your life here, and try to be more grateful.” Lady Vell signaled to the centaur. “I will win the Academy’s approval without your assistance. It would have made things easier to have your testimony, but you aren’t essential. The people love my creations, and that should suffice. Popular opinion has power, you know, and thanks to my daily giveaways, my boards have many fans.”

  “Lady Vell, please,” Even begged, “you can’t take magic from the border! The gateways need to be open! The unicorns said the problems caused by the lack of border magic will spread, and you know they can’t lie.”

  “Conjecture based on no evidence,” Lady Vell said dismissively. “Yes, mining the border magic has caused side effects, but we are only talking about a small number of inconsequential beings. There’s no proof the instability will widen.”

  Jeremy reared onto his hind legs and then landed with a thump. “My family is not inconsequential!”

  “To you, perhaps,” Lady Vell said. “But to society as a whole? For there to be progress, the few must make sacrifices for the convenience of the many. You will understand when you’re older. Choices must be made.”

  “You’re making the wrong one,” Odd said.

  “Yeah,” Even said. “You don’t know that the damage won’t spread. You’re just hoping! You have no idea how bad the effects could be. You’re just doing what you want without caring about anyone else. The border magic isn’t yours to take!”

  Lady Vell clucked her tongue. “The border magic belongs to no one; therefore, there is no law saying I cannot claim it. I do not like the tone you are taking. I invited you as my guests, and now I must ask you to leave.” She signaled to the centaur.

  He trotted toward them. “This way, please.”

  Odd’s hands were in fists at her sides, and her cheeks were streaked with angry tears. “I want to go home. Please let me go home!”

  “Can’t you see what you’re doing is wrong?” Even cried. “You’re stealing the border magic, and it’s doing terrible things to people’s families and homes. Our family and home! And Jeremy’s! And countless others! You have to stop! You can’t just turn your back on all of us!”

  But Lady Vell did exactly that. Her back to them, she walked away with her silk robe billowing behind her, while the centaur herded the sisters toward the entrance.

  We have to stop this! What she’s doing is wrong! Concentrating, Even focused on the power stone. If she could transform it into something else . . . She pictured a ketchup bottle.

  Stopping, Lady Vell snapped, “Quit your foolish efforts. Not even the strongest magic can touch the stone. It’s behind my own protective shield. I don’t take chances with something that will revolutionize the world.” She flicked her wrist, and the three of them were whooshed backwards out of the workroom and down the hall. The door opened, and they flew outside.

  The door slammed shut.

  Even, Odd, and Jeremy stared up at the silver tower.

  “She caused it,” Jeremy said, shock in his voice.

  “And she has no intention of fixing it,” Even said, feeling sick. She reached over and took Odd’s hand. Odd squeezed her hand back. But it didn’t make Even feel better.

  14

  “She doesn’t care about who she’s hurting,” Even said, as they stared up at the tower. How could you just . . . not care? “We have to tell people what she’s doing. If they know she’s responsible for the border closing, they’ll stop her.”

  Odd shouted, “Hey, everyone!”

  A few of the creatures around the tower turned their heads. Most didn’t pay any attention. They were treating Lady Vell’s estate like a public park, picnicking and partying while they waited for more boards to be distributed. Bribes, Even realized. The boards are bribes. Lady Vell had talked about popular opinion. She’s giving them away so people will ignore the harm she’s doing.

  “Lady Vell is stealing border magic!” Odd shouted.

  “She caused the gateways to close!” Even joined in. “She’s the reason people can’t get home to their families. And she’s the reason the borderlands are becoming unstable!”

  She saw a few bystanders whisper to one another, but most simply went back to whatever they had been doing: chatting, snacking, playing, waiting. “They don’t realize we’re serious.”

  “They’re telling the truth!” Jeremy shouted, but no one was paying attention anymore.

  “This isn’t going to work,” Odd said. “We need lots of people to listen and to know we’re serious. Everyone can see how fun the boards are, but they don’t know the cost. Jeremy, you’re from here. How can we get people to listen?”

  “Uh, I don’t know.”

  Chewing on her lower lip, Even considered it. “Lady Vell wanted us to give a statement on her behalf in front of a magic mirror saying that what she’s doing is safe, so that the Academy of Magic would see and approve of her actions. So what if we do the opposite and find a magic mirror and tell the Academy that she’s misusing magic?”

  Surely, the Academy of Magic would listen. Even had heard and read so many stories about their wizards: taming out-of-control hydras, stopping a gorgon who kept turning beings into stone, relocating entire elven villages in danger of magic-caused floo
ding. In every story, the Academy always sent wizards who swooped in to save the day. If we can tell them what’s happening here, they’ll appoint a hero to stop Lady Vell from draining the border.

  “Love it,” Odd said. “So where do we find a mirror?”

  “Back home,” Jeremy said. “At Unicorn Hill.”

  “I mean here. Now.”

  Even scanned the gardens. Hadn’t she seen . . . ? “There. He has a mirror.”

  She pointed at the six-foot-tall rabbit in his tie. He was still aiming his mirror at kids doing tricks on their floating boards. Two of the kids looked human. One had tentacles instead of arms, and a fourth kid was half goat. The goat-boy rode his board vertically up a lamppost, posed at the top, and dismounted with a somersault. The others whistled and clapped, and a girl zipped her board up the trunk of a tree as if she were in a snowboard halfpipe.

  “Ooh, even better, he’s a reporter,” Jeremy said. “See his badge?”

  “That’s perfect,” Even said. A reporter could tell everyone at once, including the Academy. “Come on!” She motioned for the others to follow her. She marched across the grass. “Excuse me!” She waved, trying to catch the rabbit’s attention. “Hi! Mr. Reporter? We have news.”

  “Yeah, yeah, kid, so does everybody,” the rabbit said, eyes on the boarders. “Get out of my shot.” He shouldered past them and repositioned his mirror. The boy with tentacles was riding his board upside down. He clung to it with his tentacles.