by John Corwin
Kanaan raised an eyebrow. "Victus is too well protected to assassinate. His roots of corruption spread far and wide. You are correct. One person is not enough."
Horace threw up his hands. "Wonderful, Gilbert. You've ruined my mood."
"I am, first and foremost, a realist." Gilbert scratched the tip of his long nose. "If even the great Kanaan seeks refuge with us, then the odds are direr than we thought."
"We're not refugees, exactly." I massaged the back of my neck, a bit nervous to talk to professors and ministers as if I was anything more than just a boy. "We're trying to defeat Victus."
Eleanor Beetle finally stirred, giggling like a school girl. "The Overlord was barely defeated the first time, and then we had help from Ivy Slade." She looked me up and down, remaining seated in her chair. "How's a mere boy supposed to defeat Victus?"
Ambria gripped my shoulder. "This boy defeated Victus in battle before. He rescued Ivy Slade and Nightliss, the Templar Clarion, from a secret prison. Now we have them on our side."
Trask gasped and flicked her gaze to Kanaan. "Is this true?"
Kanaan nodded. "Even now we seek the help of the Glimmer Queen."
"The what?" Beetle rose from her chair, clutching blankets around her as if they were the only thing preserving her life. "Do you mean the crazed woman who nearly destroyed campus a few years ago?"
"Eleanor, hush." Trask waved away the other woman like a minor annoyance. "Master Kanaan, I would like to hear everything from start to finish." She held up a finger and gave him a stern look. "Leave out nothing." My stomach growled and Trask's expression softened. "Over dinner."
While Shushiel and her spider companions feasted on giant cricket, the humans retreated to yet another chamber furnished with beds, a magic stove, and a food preservation chamber filled with dozens of covered dishes that looked as if they'd been taken straight from the university dining hall.
"I am the director of food services," Gilbert told us as we feasted on steaming roast. "Once a week, a golem delivers a shipment to a ruby spider so we can continue to eat like humans."
"Brilliant," I said between bites. "I was a bit concerned we'd have to eat insects or spider bats."
Trask looked at Kanaan. "Well, let's hear the story."
Ambria's eyes flashed. "How far back, Professor? We discovered the Anchored World our first year in school and saved campus from Naeve, the evil reflection of the real Glimmer Queen. Our second year, we stopped Victus from obtaining powerful relics and brought Conrad's foster mother back to life. Only recently, we destroyed Victus's foundry where he manufactured demon clones of people."
Trask's mouth dropped open slightly. "What nonsense is this?"
Kanaan pursed his lips. "The truth."
The table went silent. Trask and the other adults shared surprised glances.
I swallowed the last of my roast and put down my fork. "I'll start from the beginning—the orphanage."
Trask nodded respectfully. "Yes, Edison. Please do. You'll forgive me for being skeptical, even if Master Kanaan offers his endorsement."
Eleanor Beetle took out a quill and parchment and wrote something at the top of a sheet. "I'm ready."
I gave a brief but thorough account of my life. I started at Little Angel Orphanage and explained how the demon curse that bound my parents' souls to mine killed my foster parents in terrible ways. How Cora, the only foster parent I'd loved like a real mother died of cancer thanks to the curse. Fighting back tears, I led them through the resurrection of my biological parents and onward to my discovery of the shattered world of the Glimmer.
I told them of Cora's evil reflection, Naeve, who ruled the Glimmer after stealing part of Cora's soul. Victus allied with Naeve so he could discover the source of immortality hidden in her realm. We drove out Victus and banished Naeve back to the reflected world.
My recounting of Harris Ashmore's death sent a ripple of gasps through the audience of four.
"But he was prophesied to defeat a great evil!" Horace scowled. "That poor lad."
"If he wasn't the one in Foreseeance Five Thousand, then who is?" Beetle arched an eyebrow and dipped her quill in ink before writing on a new sheet of parchment. "How curious."
"Does it matter?" Ambria said. "It was the most important thing in Harris's life story. It was his destiny." She scowled. "The foreseeance isn't important. What's important is that we bring down Victus no matter what."
"Indeed," Trask said. She looked to me. "Continue, Conrad."
"Yes, professor." So I continued. Recounting everything, digging through all the plots and subplots took longer than I wanted, but it reminded me how much we'd survived despite the long odds. I'd stopped Victus before. Surely, I could do it again. The man was brilliant, but not infallible.
Eleanor Beetle wrote furiously for a moment after I'd finished. "I'd like considerably more detail about the Sundering and these Apocryphan." She stopped writing. "I can't enter this into official record without more fact sources."
"Forget that." Horace Moon swiped the air with a hand. "The boy isn't here to fill the history books with old news. He's here to make history, and we need to help him."
"Make history, or fulfill the foreseeance?" Beetle tapped her quill on the tin of ink. "Or is the prophecy even valid?"
"I think it's preposterous any of you even believe these tall tales." Gilbert sniffed. "This boy and his little friends would have died ten times over if any of it was real."
"Frankly, I don't care if you believe a word of it." Ambria glared at the food director. "But I would like dessert if you have any."
Gilbert narrowed his eyes, but produced a slice of pie and passed it to her.
Trask locked a stern gaze on Kanaan. "Do you really think an alliance with a foreign power is our only chance? This Cora woman might once have been a good person, but it sounds like she forgot everything after her resurrection. What if she decides to ally with Victus or simply takes power as Naeve attempted?"
"Cora shut me out." I tried to hide the pain as I spoke, but my voice still cracked. "Her only concern seems to be the Glimmer. Our only problem will be convincing her to help us."
"Only problem?" Horace chuckled. "I don't know how you plan to reach her in the first place."
"Yes, the rift guardians." Professor Beetle scrawled on her parchment. "Tell me more about them."
The last thing I wanted to do was keep talking. I was tired and my throat hurt. "Maybe later." I put my dishes in a crate with the others and walked out of the room. Though he didn't make a sound, I sensed Kanaan behind me. I turned and faced him. "Are we going to the rift tomorrow?"
He shook his head. "You are not prepared to face the guardians. You must expand your well."
"If I overexert myself again, it'll take days to recover."
"If the guardians kill you, there will be no recovery, and no chance to gain help from Cora."
I tried to counter his argument, but he was right. We didn't have time to wait, but we had no choice. Every day we waited, the monster army grew larger, the foundry neared completion, and Victus's infernus seized more power.
But unless I took the time to prepare for an encounter with the rift guardians, we'd never gain the help of Cora. Somehow, I needed to put the chicken before the egg without killing myself in the process.
Kanaan broke the long silence. "We can try something, but it is dangerous."
I nodded. "I'll do it."
"Do not accept lightly." Kanaan paused as if to let it sink in. "I have seen students attempt this and lose their powers forever."
"Just tell me what it is."
He held up a small vial of purple fluid. "This is the refresher potion I gave you during your early training."
I remembered it. "The stuff you put in our tea for lunch."
"What I gave you was diluted. This is the concentrate. It fortifies the mind. Allows it to go beyond mental limits and up to your physical limit."
I thought back to one of Kanaan's many lessons during our
early training. "You told us going to our physical limits could kill us."
He nodded. "It is likely."
My chest tightened. "Why is this better than me simply overextending myself with Fireblade again?" I felt nauseous just thinking about it.
"It is not better. It is faster, but dangerous." Kanaan tucked the potion into his tweed jacket. "Your fingers have grazed the primal fount, but cannot grasp it. Expanding your well once again may allow you to dip your fingers. Twice again, your entire hand. Thrice may be enough to break the surface and allow you to survive the rift guardians."
"That much recovery would normally take a month." I'd thought that one more expansion might be enough, but three more? "Will the potion allow me to do that much overexertion all at once?"
"Perhaps."
"Absolutely not." Ambria stormed out of the shadows. "Conrad, there is no reason to risk your life like that. If it takes a month, then so be it!"
"But we have to get inside the Glimmer now." I balled my fists in frustration. "How are we supposed to do that if I can't get past the guardians?"
Ambria's eyes flared. "The blink stones! I completely forgot I had them."
A ray of hope filled the darkness trying to swallow me. "They're perfect!" I imagined the distance from the halfway point on the rift bridge to the crack on the other side. "It'll take us two blinks to make it through the danger zone."
"And we won't even have to face the guardians." Ambria glared at Kanaan. "Conrad can expand his well safely on his own time."
"I agree. There is no need for Conrad to risk the potion." Kanaan seemed relieved. "You will go and I will study the enemy."
"Ok…good." Ambria seemed surprised by his sudden agreement. "You really think that's the best way?"
"There is no magic bullet for this predicament," Kanaan said. "Our options are limited, and your solution is safer. Had I known about the blink stones earlier, I would have suggested using them."
"Great." A broad grin spread across Ambria's face. "I like coming up with good ideas."
I kissed her cheek. "Great job."
She blushed.
I was exhausted so I told Kanaan goodnight and took Ambria with me to find a place to sleep. Shushiel led us through the human den chamber and deeper into the tunnels where we found small rooms with mattresses and sheets Gilbert's golems had stolen from the university.
"Do not wander too far past this area," Shushiel said. "The tunnels go much further and deeper, and you could easily get lost."
"You could make a spider city down here," Ambria said. "It seems safe."
Shushiel rotated side-to-side. "We desire life aboveground in the trees. There is nothing so beautiful as sunlight reflecting off the webbed city."
"I'd like to see it someday," I told her.
She stroked my arm with a foreleg. "I would love having my friends see my city." Shushiel backed out of the room. "Good night."
"Good night." I flopped down on the bed. Ambria curled up next to me, and her warmth soon put me to sleep.
"Conrad." The voice is a whisper in the wind.
I open my eyes and see Moses inches from me, his dark eyebrows fierce. "You're almost there."
I jerked upright. Ambria breathed softly next to me. One of the soldier spiders crawled past in the corridor outside, shocking me back to the reality of where I was. I checked the time on my arcphone. It was nearly nine in the morning. I must have slept like a stone.
Moses's words echoed in my mind. I did, indeed, feel close to something momentous. I dared to hope that Cora would happily lend her aid and lead a Glimmer army to the university. After a fierce battle, our forces would rout Victus and the Overworld would once again return to normal. Being away from the anchor stone would restore Cora's memories and emotions, and she'd shower me with love as she had so long ago.
What a fairy tale that is.
I might come back empty-handed with little choice but to abandon these plans and hope the Fallen could offer us transport to Seraphina. I tried not to dwell on the stakes too much, or what might happen if we failed.
I called Max and updated him on everything. "How's Percival's potion coming?"
"His first batch spoiled." Max's holographic face grimaced. "I think he got in too big of a hurry to finish it. His next batch should be finished today."
I shook my head. "Even with Ivy and Nightliss back to normal, we don't stand a chance against the monster army and the battle mages."
"True, but if Cora helps, then you'll definitely need us." He quirked his lips. "I'll ask Gwyneth if she can help us reach you. Maybe we can take an omniarch portal to the ruby spider hideout."
"It would be good to have everyone on hand in case Cora does agree." I sent him Gwyneth's symbols along with a picture of the ruby spider cave. "See what you can do."
"Okay." Max's lips pressed together. "Be careful. I know Cora was special to you, but she's been in the Glimmer a while now—long enough to lose her emotions. I hope she's not like Naeve."
"Technically, she is Naeve and was Naeve long before her reflection stole her identity. She was the Glimmer Queen for thousands of years." I managed a wan smile despite the conflicting emotions twisting my insides. "I just have to remind her that she was also once Cora, an extraordinary woman who loved an orphan boy and saved his life."
"That's beautiful, Conrad." Max smiled sadly. "I hope it works."
We said our goodbyes and ended the call.
I went back into the room and nudged Ambria.
She stretched, yawned, and looked up at me. A smile spread across her face. "Goodness, I slept better than I have in ages."
"Me too." The usual nightmares stayed away for some reason, but I wasn't complaining about it. The grinding emotions melted away in the light of her smile. I gladly let them go.
After breakfast, we changed into comfortable clothes for hiking—jeans and T-shirts—but kept the stolen gray robes bundled in our satchels in case we needed disguises. Kanaan wore dark robes that blended with the wooded environment.
Shushiel followed behind us. "I will see you safely to the edge of the forest."
"You're a wonderful friend." Ambria stroked the spider's red fur. "I feel like I'm always being watched by some awful monster when I'm outside."
"You probably are," Shushiel said. "There are many predators who would love to eat you."
Ambria shuddered. "That doesn't make me feel any better."
The tiny spider, Ishlish, perched on Shushiel's back and bobbed up and down. "I will keep you safe." Her voice was a tiny whisper without an amplifying gem.
"Thank you so much." Ambria reached a tentative hand for her.
Ishlish reached out with a foreleg and stroked her skin. "Shushiel has told me much about your grand adventures. I am jealous."
Ambria laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't be jealous about what we've been through."
"You are great heroes." Ishlish looked at me and blinked. "I am happy to be a part of your journey."
Ambria blushed. "Aw, thanks."
I looked away, ashamed. I wasn't anything like Justin Slade or Ivy. If I were a true hero, I would've stopped my father long ago. Instead, I had to rely on everyone else to carry the load. I managed a fake smile and started walking.
It was time to face the rift guardians.
Chapter 28
The moment we entered the forest, Ishlish vanished into the trees and Shushiel left us to scout ahead. She appeared every ten minutes or so to tell us the way ahead was clear. We passed the bodies of several dead creatures, mostly viper wolves that Ishlish had killed to protect us.
After two hours of steady hiking, we reached the edge of the forest closest to the Fairy Gardens.
Ishlish dropped from a tree and perched on Shushiel's back. "This was fun. I would like to do it again soon."
"Even if Cora helps us, we'll need all the ruby spiders to fight." I looked imploringly at her and Shushiel. "Please convince your people to help us."
Both spiders bobbed—a strange
sight since the smaller one stood on the larger one's back.
"We will send word," Shushiel said. She stroked mine and Ambria's arms. "Take care, my friends."
Ambria hugged her. "You too. Please be careful."
"I like these humans." Ishlish leapt atop Kanaan's head and stroked his hair with her forelegs.
The magitsu master managed to look comical with his new spider hat, despite the stony look on his face.
"Kanaan is not as huggable," Shushiel said, mandibles twitching in amusement.
Ishlish leapt to my head and stroked it. The hairs on the back of my neck rose, whether from pleasure or primal fear, I couldn't say. I managed to smile. "Thank you, Ishlish."
"Of course." She gave Ambria a head hug as well, then leapt to Shushiel's back.
We left our friends and the Dark Forest through a hole Kanaan made in the shield. Across a hundred yards of open field, we reached the cobblestone path leading to the black iron gate and stone walls guarding the perimeter of the Fairy Gardens.
Kanaan tapped a wand against the lock and the gates swung open. We stepped inside and looked around cautiously. A pond sparkled in the early afternoon sun. Saplings stood tall and bright green in the forest, sprouting straight from stumps. Victus had poisoned the pond and cut down the entire forest, but Evadora had nurtured it back to health again.
Max, Ambria, and I had rescued the Lady of the Pond, Mirjana, and her husband from the poison, and Percival had nursed her back to health. It had been a long time since I'd been back to see her.
"Do you think Mirjana would help us?" I asked.
Kanaan walked toward the forest. "I will ask her after—" He spun and drew wands. A cloud of green smoke puffed and blinded us. Kanaan's voice rose. "Run!"
I took out my wand and tried to cast a wind spell, but the magic slipped from my grasp no matter how hard I tried. Ambria grabbed my arm and jerked me forward. A blade flashed and narrowly missed my ankle. We coughed and stumbled forward, finally free of the smoke.
Kanaan whirled his wands. A breeze lifted the smoke. He threw a packet of sparkling powder into the air, and a hunched form became visible. It had black fur, sharp teeth, and the face and horns of a goat, but its feet and hands were humanlike. One hand clenched a silver blade. Its forked tail twitched back and forth. "I'd heard you were good, mage, but you are even more prepared than I imagined."