Their leader yelled, "Stop! She is turning our magic against us!"
At this, quite a few of the Radia Guard fled through the curtain.
Council members rushed from their perches, then hovered uncertainly, wands poised. Magistria Lodestone held on to the ruby pendant around her neck as if it could tell her what to do. Zircon scowled wrathfully but came no closer to me. Wolframite's nose wiggled as if he'd inhaled a buzzing bee, but he, too, stayed back. Not a single councilor did anything but hover.
The crowd, like a great banner torn into scraps, began to
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rip apart. Half of it pushed toward the doors at the rear; the other half scrambled toward the dais. Wings became tangled with other wings, and genies collided with each other. A high-pitched whine rose to the ceiling as fairies cried out; the whine blended with thunderous roars from genies.
I spotted Andalonus weaving hurriedly toward the dais. Not far behind him was Boris Bloodstone. Far to the back, battered by fey folk hurtling through the doors, I saw Laz. For once, his eyes were wide open.
A stream of gnomes began flowing up the steps onto the dais. Andalonus flew faster now, with Bloodstone only a length behind him.
I flicked my wand at the turbulent crowd. "A wall holds you back," I said. No one could hear me speak the improvised spell; I couldn't even hear myself in the pandemonium. And then I turned to the blue curtain behind me. "No one leaves or enters through the curtain."
A wall of granite bricks slammed into place at the edge of the dais from floor to ceiling, cutting off all who had not yet reached it. The last one to make it through was Bloodstone.
My wall shut out the screeching roar of the mob, and I clearly heard Magistria Lodestone shriek, "She will kill us all!"
Ignoring her, I swooped to Meteor's cage. "Resvera den!" I screeched.
The cage shattered, the brass bars rolling and bouncing,
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and the manacles on Meteor rattled to the floor. Gnomes sprang at him, but Meteor shot up, too quick for them.
He smiled at me, a smile I'll keep next to my heart to brighten dark days.
"Your shoulder?" I asked.
He rotated it, and though it looked a bit stiff, he didn't lose his smile. Then he zoomed to the row of hovering councilors.
"I have a protection spell just as Zaria does," Meteor said. I expected he was bluffing, but who would dare call his bluff? The councilors obediently kept their magic to themselves.
The tip of Meteor's wand made contact with his father's head. "Extred rev dolehr," he said, the spell to expose layered magic.
Councilor Zircon's stern face crumpled. He doubled over, groaning as if he'd taken poison. "It can't be," he moaned.
"It can," Meteor said, and then spoke the spell to banish layered magic: "Banjan ex lomel."
I didn't wait to see its effects. I turned to Leona.
The gnomes below followed my glance, rushing Leona's cage to surround it on all sides, the one with the cleft chin climbing on top.
I couldn't understand it. Why were these gnomes still behaving as if Lily had given them orders? She wasn't here. She was under a gag spell of her own making, and she had left them to themselves. What had she ever done for them, to engender such loyalty?
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Leona stood silent and empty-eyed, as if she didn't see the strange tableau playing out in front of her. Her rope-bound wings hung straight and calm despite the burn on one of them, and her hands were humbly folded.
"She's enchanted," said a voice at my shoulder.
"Andalonus!"
He grinned beside me. "What now?"
"Now, look out."
Bloodstone, frowning contemptuously, was bearing down on us. He held up his wand, a copper rod with a bloodstone tip. "You will pay for your crimes, Zaria," he said.
The sound of his voice, so cold and gray, took me back to the classroom, and for a moment I was his student again, the timid small fairy who feared his authority and his dislike. I froze, completely forgetting that my protection would make any spell Bloodstone cast at me rebound on him.
Andalonus swooped in and snatched Bloodstone's wand, then darted back and forth, flourishing it. Bloodstone shouted and attacked but he couldn't catch the agile Andalonus, who threw the wand into Leonas cage.
Bloodstone hovered, sputtering, but only for a second, and then charged the gnomes below. "Leona, I will save you," he called, kicking at the nearest gnome.
Andalonus winked. "I'll get the gnome off the top of the cage while our good friend Bloodstone creates a diversion."
He dived toward the gnome with the cleft chin and seized both his arms, lifting him away from the cage. Below,
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Bloodstone was fending off three more gnomes.
Holding my stylus like a dagger, I zoomed close to Leona's cage and put my hand through the bars on the top, barely touching her head.
"Extred rev dolehr," I cried.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
TLRFEYNE IS A WORLD RICH IN INSECT LIFE AND birds. However, there are no beasts living upon
TLRFEYNE unless gremlins or trolls were to be
COUNTED AS BEASTS.
--Orville Gold, genie historian of Feyland
Leona screamed, a long shrill wail of pain. Even Lily's gnomes stopped waving their clubs to stare at her. Bloodstone took the opportunity to grab his wand--and shake it at me.
"Haven't you done enough?" he shouted.
I plunged toward the cage again and tapped Leona's head a second time. "Banjan ex lomel."
Her screams stopped. Three gnomes leaped on top of the cage, forcing me to retreat as they lunged for me.
"Resvera den!" I yelled, aiming at the rope binding Leona's wings. I dared not break the cage itself for fear the gnomes would mangle her.
"My wand, Zaree," Leona called. "They took my wand."
I looked down at the granite table. The padlocked iron box was gone.
Behind the table, Meteor was struggling to get his wand
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within striking distance of Magistria Lodestone. I knew what he was thinking: If the leader of the Council understands she's been under layered magic, she will make the rest of the Council reveal the presence of layered magic in themselves. But Wolframite and seven other councilors had ranged themselves in front of the magistria. Each time Meteor darted forward, they flew at him, forcing him back.
Meanwhile, Councilor Zircon, wand upraised, was holding two more councilors at bay. One was a pink-haired fairy with stalk-like arms that looked as if they could barely support the ruby on her wrist. The other was a portly genie with lilac curls.
Why didn't Zircon act to reveal the layers on his fellow councilors? Why didn't he show them that they, too, had been ensnared by Lily? Surely he could do a Level 40 spell? Or was he too stingy to part with any radia?
I had to help Meteor! I rushed toward the magistria, but a cry from Leona made me stop and spin around. Gnomes had opened her cage. They were wrestling her out, one of them twisting her injured wing.
I streaked toward her. Bloodstone lay on the floor, unmoving. Gnomes thrashed the air with their clubs, eyes on me as I hovered just out of their reach.
"Meteor!" a voice yelled.
It was Andalonus, still carrying the gnome leader, who kicked in fury.
Meteor looked up. Andalonus let go. The angry, clawing
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gnome plummeted, taking two councilors down with him. The rest rushed to get out of the way.
Meteor rammed into Magistria Lodestone and his wand made contact. "Extred rev dolehr," he shouted.
Her screams said that now she knew she had been duped by Lily Morganite.
Meteor turned his back on her to join Andalonus. The two genies hurtled toward Leona's captors. I'd never seen either one of them use force except during games. Now, working together, they seized helmets and threw them in the faces of the gnomes, then swiped two clubs. When they first grasped the iron, the
y flinched, but they thumped heads and whacked arms until the gnomes holding Leona let her go.
Flinging away his club, Andalonus put his shoulder under Leona's and helped her fly. And Leona, proud Leona, leaned on him gratefully as he rose up to meet me.
I looked to the Council, still hovering in a knot, wrangling with one another. I heard Zircon's rumbling voice and the magistria's measured tones. She must have spent enough radia to free herself from the layered spells, for she was no longer screaming. Her wings were far from calm, however.
Who among them had Leona's wand?
"Zaree," Leona said. "I'm sorry. You know I wouldn't---"
"Of course, Leona. I know. I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I tried--"
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"The portal," Leona whispered, her eyes flicking back and forth. "I--"
"Sealed," I said, and tapped my lips with my forefinger.
She brightened, her eyes -widening. I nodded.
"We'll find your wand," I said.
"Is this what you're looking for?" asked Andalonus. He reached into a pocket of his robe, bringing out the iron box. "I'd love to get rid of it; it's wickedly cold."
"Allow me," I said, aiming my wand at the titanium lock. "Resvera den."
The lock broke, the rusty chain slid away, and the box fell open. There lay Leona Bloodstone's wand, a thing of beauty emitting a horrendous screech. Leona snatched it up, and it fell silent. Andalonus dropped the box, which jangled against the stone floor.
Leona gave Andalonus a brilliant smile. "You are the best of genies!"
His coppery eyes glowed and he looked complacently at Meteor. "Remember this moment!"
"I doubt any of us will forget," Meteor said, smiling, too.
"Look." Andalonus gestured at the floor.
Below, the gnome with the cleft chin was leading the entire group of gnomes past the mess of broken cages toward the blue curtain. Some of them were limping, but they marched with precision, as if they had never used clubs against fey folk, as if they were simply going out to patrol Oberon City as usual.
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I thought the councilors might call them back or at least ask where they were going, but the councilors were too busy arguing.
Surreptitiously, I infused my wand and waved it at the curtain, trying to look as if I wasn't doing anything purposeful. "Gnomes can leave," I said, "but they can't come back."
The gnomes marched out, the curtain closing quietly behind them.
Leona knelt by her uncle. Andalonus helped her roll him over. He was breathing, but though Leona snapped her fingers near his ear, he didn't respond. A bruise darkened the gray skin at his temple.
"I believe he'll wake up," Meteor said. "Later."
"I hope so," Leona said. "Poor Uncle Boris. He tried to help."
He's a trog, Leona. But seeing Bloodstone helpless and injured, my heart softened--just enough so that I no longer felt like putting a long-lasting gag spell on him.
Leona looked from one to another of us. "Thank you all for rescuing me. Especially you, Zaria."
"And especially me," Andalonus said. "Best of genies, remember?"
"Yes! Especially you." Leona's silver eyes shone. "And especially you, Meteor."
We all smiled.
"Now what?" asked Andalonus.
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"Now," she said, "we meet with the High Council of Feyland."
Magistria Lodestone, flanked by Zircon, was facing an agitated clump of her fellow councilors.
"Every one of you," she was saying, "perform the spell to reveal layered magic in yourselves. Now! Or feel my wrath."
"But Magistria," Wolframite complained, "you do not know for certain that the rest of us are enchanted."
"True," agreed another councilor, the genie with lilac curls. "If you are wrong, we will waste one hundred radia!"
The pink-haired fairy piped up. "Zaria Tourmaline may have enchanted you so you would think her accuser was in the wrong. But Lily Morganite has an excellent reputation, while Zaria is a known criminal."
A flapping blur went past me. Leona's wing might be damaged but apparently she could still fly very fast. Even so, she didn't quite beat Meteor to the councilors.
"Criminal?" Leona said. "Let me show you criminal." She leaned toward Meteor. "What's the spell?"
With the tip of his wand, Meteor batted Wolframite's nose. "Extred rev dolehr," he said.
Wolframite sank to the floor weeping.
Leona bopped the pink-haired fairy on the head. "Extred rev dolehr."
The fairy wilted completely. I thought for a moment she would shrivel. "Please," I heard her whimper. "Please, no."
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Leona and Meteor had moved on, leaving Wolframite and the pink-haired fairy to their misery.
I knew I should force these councilors to spend their own radia to free themselves from the painful knowledge that they had fallen under layered magic. After all, they had proclaimed me a criminal.
But they had been enchanted. They had not known what they were doing. And they were suffering.
"Banjan ex lomel," I said, brushing first the pink-haired fairy and then Wolframite with my wand.
Both of them sighed deeply and stopped crying.
Ahead of me, Leona and Meteor were pouncing on one councilor after another, as if competing about who could reveal more enchantments in the eight remaining.
I followed after. As the councilors began to weep and moan, I gave them the second spell. I felt I was setting things right, things Lily had put wrong.
When all twelve councilors were freed, we stepped back, ready to receive our thanks. We had just donated hundreds of radia, enough to repair several durable spells. We had restored the High Councilors of Feyland to their senses.
But not a smile did they give.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
TOO MUCH POWER OVER OTHERS HAS A CORRUPTING INFLUENCE.
--Orville Gold, genie historian of Feyland
The councilors lined up behind the granite table.
"Zaria Tourmaline," said the magistria in a grave tone, "reverse the spells on the members of the Radia Guard at once."
In the commotion, I had forgotten the Radia Guard. Most were still sprawled on the floor asleep--the spells they had thrown at me must have been strong. The few who weren't sleeping were huddled like rumpled golden patches in the folds of the blue curtain, watching warily, clutching their wands.
When their gold-skinned leader heard his squad mentioned, he floated forward. "The penalties for attacking any member of the Radia Guard are severe," he said, giving me a cold stare.
"As they should be," put in Magistria Lodestone. "Anyone who presumes to interfere with the Radia Guard undermines the entire order of Feyland." She nodded at
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the leader. "Thank you, Renclair." Then she frowned at me. "Because you are young, Zaria, we will assess fines instead of imprisoning you. Now, reverse the spells on--"
"Fines?" interrupted Meteor. "Why would you fine Zaria? She just spent eight hundred radia helping you!"
"She will be fined for performing unlawful spells," the magistria snapped. "Fines payable in radia should be no hardship to a Violet fairy. As for the eight hundred radia--it certainly is not enough to cover what she will owe." She lifted the chain at her neck, spinning the ruby pendant between a finger and thumb.
Meteor' s frown could have frightened a troll. "And what about you?" he demanded. "You failed to uphold your position as leader of the Council. What is the penalty for that?"
"Yes," Leona chimed in. "How many radia do you owe, Magistria?"
And alonus's blue head bobbed in indignation. "The whole Council should pay Zaria!"
Wolframite's blotches stood out like a bad rash. "How dare you? You upstart youngsters have less than fifty years among you! You have nothing to say!"
"Yes, we do," Leona answered, her silver eyes shining like blades. "If not for us, you would still be under Lily Morganite's spells."
"Silence!" Magistria Lodestone twirled her pendant faster. "Zaria, you must release the Guard at once." She waved a hand at the wall that shut off the dais from the great chamber
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beyond. "And I assume this granite monstrosity is also your doing? I command you to restore the hall to its former proportions. Now!"
The entire Council nodded, glaring at me.
"I don't understand," I said.
"It is quite simple," the magistria answered. "You have committed many crimes, Zaria, and you are not demonstrating proper remorse. By rights, you should be named an outcast. But we will allow you to regain your good name by undoing your brazen spells and then paying whatever fines we assign you."
"I don't understand," I said again. "You're not enchanted anymore. Why are you treating me like a terrible criminal? All I've done is make a few unlawful visits to Earth. I haven't been a smuggler. I haven't hurt anyone. I tried to help you!"
The magistria leaned forward on her perch, scowling. "You should become an outcast for your impertinence alone. I order you to release the Guard immediately and to restore the hall!"
Anger poured through me. "You're not being fair."
"And who are you to decide what is fair and what is not?" she asked scornfully. "I will give you one last chance. Reverse the spells on the Guard. Take down the wall."
I wished my wings wouldn't tremble. I wanted to be strong and steady. I was grateful when Meteor moved closer to me. So did Leona on my other side, while Andalonus stood behind me.
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Surrounded by my friends, I looked from one councilor to another. "No," I told them. "I won't." My voice quavered, but I kept going. "I did not attack the Radia Guard. Their spells were cast against me, not by me. And if I take down that wall, we could be mobbed by thousands of fey folk. Thanks to you, they believe I've committed dire crimes against Feyland."
The magistria looked like a furious trog. "You have admitted you went to Earth unlawfully. Do you expect us to absolve you?"
She rose from her perch, her black wings unfurling. "All four of you have committed crimes, and yet you show no remorse. Therefore, remove yourselves to the other end of this dais while we councilors decide your punishment."
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