The Iron Seal

by J. M. Briggs

  “Some mages… some beings...” Merlin said slowly. His expression was cautious and guarded. “In the past, beings with magic looked beyond our world. It stretched their magic to the limit, of course. Magic, our magic, is part of the world, and it… shifts if exposed to the outside.”

  “But it still works?” Bran asked.

  “Yes: magic is generated by different physical laws interacting after all, and beyond… well, there is… it is difficult to explain.” Merlin waved his hands in frustration, and Morgana sighed.

  “We know that not all the worlds in the Tree of Reality are part of the same universe because of the different physical laws,” Morgana said. “At least, we don’t think so. I suppose they could be different dimensions, shadows of our universe or something like that, but that isn’t the issue here. The issue is that the worlds in the tree share a connection. A strand of energy, of some greater magic, that transcends all of them. It acts like a river, flowing through our world and branching out.”

  “Which is why you can’t jump between branches usually,” Merlin said. There was something about the usually that tugged at Alex’s memory. For an instant she had a vague memory of strange holes in the sky and beings falling through them. “The Sídhe had to conquer several worlds and come through them to reach our world. They’d never gone to the homeworlds of the Old Ones or the dragons for instance. They can’t get there except by following the energy trail.”

  “But it is possible to look outside the energy trail,” Morgana said. “Cyrridven did it, long ago, and saw the branches spreading out from Earth.”

  “And she told me,” Merlin said. “And cautioned me not to try. The attempt was difficult. She didn’t talk about it, but I get the sense that the experience was part of what opened her so completely to the Iron Realm.”

  “I tried once,” Morgana confessed. “It was almost impossible to push through into the void between worlds with my magic. Looking back now, I know it was foolish. But that method is how we are aware of the other worlds. You can’t see them in detail. All we know has to come from visitors. Thus, the furthest worlds are complete mysteries to us.” Morgana then fixed her weighty gaze on Alex. “Do not attempt to force your sight beyond our world, Alex. And leave scrying for the Queen to me. We have far more experience in navigating the potential dangers.”

  Still frowning, Alex reluctantly nodded. In the corner of her eye, Alex saw Bran watching her intently. She took another sip of her tea and tried to pay attention as Avani proudly announced that Lance and Jenny had done their first bit of magic. The others gave congratulations, even Morgana, but she still never took her eyes off of Alex. It was already clear to Alex that Morgana didn’t expect her to listen to her command.

  29

  Desperate Measures

  The house wasn’t quiet, but it was calm. Music was drifting up from the living room, and she was aware of the locations of the others. Sitting on the floor in her room with Bran seated across from her, Alex had to admit that she felt safe. Her eyes scanned her room, landing on the closed door and then the photos of her family she’d put up on the shelf above her desk. Twisting around, she checked on Cathanáil and Mjǫllnir in their stands by her bed. Everything was where it was supposed to be.

  She righted herself, facing Bran again, and rolled her shoulders. Controlling her breathing, Alex tried to relax her muscles. It was difficult to let go of the tension. She’d just become used to it. Even her stretches this morning before her run hadn’t done much to help. Bran shifted a little closer to her, and their knees touched, reassuring her that she had help.

  “You sure about this?” Bran asked. “Morgana didn’t want you to try scrying for them.”

  “I know,” Alex said. “But Morgana and Merlin are being stubborn. Something is going on with Scáthbás. She’s scared about this Darkness. If it is the same issue the Demons had, we need to know what is going on.”

  “You don’t trust Morgana to be reasonable about it?”

  “No, I don’t.” Alex closed her eyes. “I… I sometimes remember what she was like, long ago. Scáthbás did a ringer on her. Scáthbás raised her and sometimes… I don’t know.” Alex shook her head and squeezed her eyelids tighter together. “I don’t know. I need to check for myself. Merlin and Morgana don’t know everything.”

  “Okay.” Bran’s voice was soft and understanding. “Okay, that’s fair. You know them best. Probably better than they give you credit for. Just promise me that you’ll have me nearby when you do this, or at least someone with magic. Just in case something happens, so that we can feed you some extra power.”

  “That’s fair.” Alex opened her eyes and gave Bran a grateful smile. “You’re right. That’s a good idea. No reason to be stupid about this.”

  They joined hands. There was a tingle against Alex’s skin. Like static electricity. A shudder rolled up her spine as the first traces of Bran’s magic started to flow into her. Closing her eyes, Alex focused on gently pulling the magic into her chest. There was another tingle, but in her mind’s eye she could see the yellow magic turning a dark gray color.

  Scrying was still a weird thing for Alex. She knew that it was about sending the magic out to find something, but the details were hazy. It made her wish that they had the Iron Chalice to fill with water and use, but it was currently with Merlin. That was a conversation that she didn’t want to have.

  “Okay,” she said softly. “I’m going to try and focus on Scáthbás.”

  “I’ve got a mirror if you want to try that,” Bran said.

  “No… last time I saw them was in a dream without a medium. I want to see if that works.”

  Bran didn’t argue. Maybe it wasn’t a good call, but he’d had visions without using other objects before too, so it was possible. The issue was control. But they were in the area. Probably, at least. If they were messing with the Iron Gates- Alex shook herself softly and concentrated on Scáthbás.

  Her eyelids were pressed tightly together, so tightly that the blackness began to shimmer with color at the edges. In her chest the magic hummed, and Alex commanded it to spread out slowly. At first, the outlines of her furniture and the yellow burst of color that was Bran appeared to her, burning their images on the backs of her eyelids.

  “Scáthbás,” she whispered. “Scáthbás.”

  Her hair shifted. A soft breeze swirled around Alex, cooling her skin and freshening the air. The outlines of the world vanished as the magic shifted wildly. It pulsed, forming long strands that stretched out into the distance. A jolt in Alex’s stomach was all the warning she got before the magic pulled her after it in one direction. She was falling.

  There was red all around her — gleaming red lines across the ground that ended suddenly as she fell. The outer edge of the Blood Spell, she realized as the landscape turned hazy and green. A thick line of blue marked the river. There were faint outlines of trees and hills, but it blurred as she moved. The magic didn’t let up. It kept pulling her, dragging her where she’d wanted it to go. Scáthbás, Alex chanted in her mind. Scáthbás.

  Then she stopped. Her feet were both against the ground and tucked under her. There was a faint wind and stillness at the same time. Splotches of color surrounded her, slowing gain more hue like an unfinished impressionistic painting. Everything came together gradually. The splashes of color formed distinct shapes, and Alex stayed still, waiting to see what magic would reveal. Energy was still rolling down her arms and creeping up the back of her neck.

  It was a forest. Thick evergreens filled the space around her on a steep rocky hillside. It tugged at Alex’s memory as she examined the nearest rock face. There was a pile of rubble from where part of the mountain had shifted and sent rocks falling. She was sure that wasn’t familiar, but she was certain that she’d been here before.

  Alex turned slowly, only to stop after moving a few degrees. Two figures were hiking towards her, the long shadows of the trees obscuring them until they came a few feet closer. Arthur and Scáthbás. Arthu
r was in the lead, wearing jeans, a Ravenslake University t-shirt and a knife on his belt. Scáthbás was dressed in functional clothing, jeans and hiking boots with her blonde hair up in a crown braid.

  They came up close, almost walking through Alex. The rocks had shrunk the flat area, but there was enough space that Arthur shrugged off the backpack he was carrying. Without a word he pulled out a bottle of water and shoved it at Scáthbás. She took it and drank down several gulps. Her dark red lips curled into a frown as she glared at the hillside. It was familiar, and Alex furrowed her brow, trying to figure out where they were. Birds were singing up in the trees and sunlight was streaming down over the rocky hillside.

  “It’s buried a bit,” Arthur said. He marched forward, pulling on a pair of leather gloves and began to pick up and push rocks out of the way.

  “The mages might have done that to avoid human meddling,” Scáthbás said. She was looking around carefully at the trees. “Arthur…”

  “What?”

  “Do you feel… never mind. The Gate must be interfering with my magic.”

  Alex’s head snapped towards the rocks, and she flinched as iron bars were uncovered by Arthur. He shifted back from the metal. Alex looked around again. She couldn’t remember which Iron Gate this was, but it was up in the hills. They were just far enough out of the town that the blood spell wouldn’t affect them.

  “Maybe,” Arthur said. He looked around carefully, glaring into the trees, but his gaze didn’t stop on her. Alex sighed in relief. She was here and yet not once again. Whatever excitement that she would have felt was overshadowed by worry. “Come on, let’s give this a try. We had to come far enough to get here.”

  “What a pity,” Scáthbás said. “This was one of the proper tunnels. Though they were never so poorly made in my day.”

  “That didn’t stop them from being barred by Arto,” Arthur said. He sounded smug, and Scáthbás glared at him. “It’s true, and you know it.”

  “Arthur, I don’t want to have this fight.” Scáthbás sounded tired, and the look she gave Arthur was almost pleading. There was no domination in her posture or tone. “You agreed to come and help me attempt to break the Gate.”

  “The Iron Chain is broken,” Arthur said. “And even when it was intact, you didn’t have enough of a connection to the Iron Soul to break their spell.”

  “Arthur,” Scáthbás growled. It was the sharp tone of a tired mother, and Alex stared. “Just come on. Stop whining. This isn’t the time.”

  “Fine.”

  Arthur lurched forward to the edge of the rocks. He kicked one and glared at the rubble. Frowning, Alex studied the pair, trying to sort out what was happening between them. Scáthbás stepped forward beside Arthur. He tugged off his right glove and shoved it into his back pocket. Joining hands, they both closed their eyes and lifted their free hands towards the Iron Gate. The remaining rubble quivered. Black sparks encircled Arthur’s hands, but there were also flickers of gold mixed with them.

  The iron bars that made up the crisscrossing gate shook. Stunned, Alex watched and braced herself. Arto’s voice started shouting. Thor growled in frustration, but she just stared. The bars shook and quivered, glowing the dark gray color of her magic. Her eyes jumped back to Arthur and Scáthbás. The air around them rippled. Scáthbás’ face twisted with pain. Her body shook, and Arthur snarled something before releasing her hand and catching her as she started to fall.

  All the magic vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Checking the Iron Gate, Alex found it still standing. Magic radiated off of it, pouring out into the surrounding forest. Whatever they’d been trying to do hadn’t worked. Walking forward, Alex reached out and touched the Iron Gate, wrapping her fingers around one of the bars. It warmed in her grasp, and she gazed into the blackness beyond. The Sídhe tunnel was gone: the stones had collapsed inward, blocking the tunnel mere feet in.

  Turning, she looked back at Scáthbás. The woman’s face was pale, her wrinkles suddenly standing out. She stepped closer. There were faint dark lines on Scáthbás’ neck and she breathing hard. Arthur was staring at her with impatient eyes. There was none of the fondness she’d seen in the past, only frustration.

  “Alex!’ The voice cut through her magic. Around her, the world dimmed and faded in and out like a glitching image on a computer. “Alex!” It was Bran’s voice. “Alex? Can you hear me?”

  Exhaling, Alex allowed the magic to retreat. It swirled back into her chest, and she was falling again. Hands grabbed her arms as the forest collapsed into black. Someone was holding her still. Another voice was telling her to breathe.

  “Alex?” the voice called again, softer this time. She recognized it as Nicki’s. “Alex? Can you hear us? Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” Alex said. Her words slurred a little. Forcing her eyes open, Alex inhaled slowly. “I saw them.”

  Nicki groaned. “Morgana is going to be pissed at you-”

  “Tattle on me later,” Alex said. Shaking her head, she climbed to her feet. Nicki moved to stop her, but Alex avoided her grasp and slipped out the door. “It was in real time. I’m sure of it. They’re still near the Iron Gate! We could catch them!”

  “Alex!” Bran called. “Wait! What happened! What did you see?”

  She kept moving. The feeling was coming back into her legs, which she was grateful for as she hit the top of the stairs. Bran and Nicki were behind her. Frantic words filled her mouth, but Alex wasn’t sure how to start explaining. Patting her pockets, Alex realized that she’d left her wallet and keys upstairs.

  “Cathanáil,” she said. “Bran, I need Cathanáil!”

  “Alex,” Nicki called. She came down the stairs and caught Alex’s arm. “What is going on? Bran started shouting when you started convulsing!”

  That was unexpected to hear, but Alex dismissed it. There were more important things. “I saw Arthur and Scáthbás,” she said. “They’re nearby. We have a chance to get them. We need to move. Just trust me.”

  “What do you want to do?” Nicki asked. Her voice was softer now, almost resigned, but her eyes were clear and focused. Awaiting orders. Alex almost smiled.

  “I want to catch them,” Alex said. “It was just the two of them. No Red Caps or Fae guards.”

  “Can we drive?” Aiden asked. He was waiting near the bottom of the stairs and frowning.

  “I… I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “I’m not sure where they were exactly. They were at an Iron Gate, trying to break it down. Up in the hills-it was close to the river and near the edge of the Blood spell.”

  “Do you have enough magic to find it again?” Bran asked. He came back with Cathanáil and scabbard in his hand. Alex took them gratefully and slipped the sword into its proper place on her back. “You’re the guide right now.”

  “They were hiking,” Alex said. “At least some of the distance, but I don’t think we have a lot of time. A water tunnel. There was a river nearby, and I think a stream not too far.” She vaguely recalled the blur of color and hoped she was right. “We can get there if we use a water tunnel.”

  “Alex…” Aiden sighed. “Morgana is going to kill us.”

  “We can go to the lake,” Nicki suggested. “But it’s the middle of the day.”

  “Bathtub,” Bran suggested. Everyone looked at him, and he shrugged. “It isn’t impressive, and we can’t just leave water standing in it like the Desai pool, but it could work.”

  Eyes widening, Alex wondered why she hadn’t thought of it. That was so much better than driving or having to go to Merlin’s house. He’d ask questions, and there wasn’t time for that. Alex twisted around and rushed back up the stairs to the full bathroom. She tripped, but Bran caught her before she hit the floor.

  “Slow down, Alex!”

  “There isn’t time!” Alex protested. Glaring at Bran, she waited for him to release her arm.

  “Nicki, please start the tap,” Bran said. “Alex, you just used a lot of magic. You need to let us help.”


  Nicki leaned over and opened the water tap. The bathtub began to fill with water and Alex almost laughed. This was a far cry from dignified, but it just might work. Bran’s grip slowly eased when she didn’t try to do anything stupid.

  “We’re going to get wet,” Nicki complained. “No way around wet feet this time.”

  “We almost always get a little wet,” Aiden said. There was a long pause. “...I’m going to ask. Are we trying to capture them, or kill them?”

  “If you have a shot, take it.” Alex didn’t look at the others. “We’ve killed Fae and Red Caps. This isn’t any different.”

  Extending her hand, Alex glared at the rising water, mentally urging it to fill the tub faster. Her fingers tapped against the wall nervously as her breathing increased.

  “Alex?” Bran asked. He let his hand drop away. “You okay to try this?”