by Sadie Moss
We turn the corner, and my jaw drops all over again.
This place is practically a palace.
Unlike all the rest of the white stone around here, the stone in this building is shot through with purple and gold. There are runes carved into it, colored by purple ink that shimmers in the strange glow from above.
“Protective spells,” Theo whispers. “I think this is where they retreat in case of an attack. These are extremely powerful.”
“Has anyone ever tried to attack the fae?” That sounds like the height of stupidity, if you ask me.
“Other fae have,” Kasian replies.
Wow. There truly is a whole other world down here, one full of politics and customs I don’t understand. Whole kingdoms war down here, and people up above probably have no idea.
It’s terrifying and fascinating all at once.
There are two humongous doors with a strange tree carved into them, and they part as we approach.
We enter into a long white hallway that seems to be made entirely out of marble. Columns rise up on either side of us, and carvings depicting great acts of magic and battle are carved into the walls. There are carvings of peace as well though, of children and of festivals.
As I watch, the carvings move.
Oh, holy shit. I stumble back, knocking into Cross, who steadies me with a hand on my waist.
“Wow,” Kasian whispers, his scholarly interest clearly piqued. “This is amazing.”
“This is our history,” the fae croons. “We must remember the quiet and the storm, the good and the bad, or else we are lost.”
Our footsteps echo in the chamber, which seems to stretch on forever, and I feel small and shabby and underdressed. Like I should’ve worn a nice dress or something for this. I’m not in ratty jeans or anything—God forbid Roxie wear anything other than designer clothes—but what passed for chic fashion up on the surface now seems… wrong. I feel like I should be wearing a Renaissance-style gown, not kitten heels and a little black dress.
We finally reach the end of the hallway, and stand in front of another pair of doors. These are silver, and so polished I can see my reflection in them.
The fae bows. “Our king has been awaiting you. He is on the other side.”
A hot flash, and then a chill, both shoot through me. Here we go. Moment of truth.
I seize the large silver door handles and yank with all of my might.
Silently, they swing open.
The inside of this room is completely different from the hall we were just in. Where that was pure white, this is nothing but color. The floors are made out of polished gems, and the walls are actually windows made of stained glass. It’s a kaleidoscope of color—every color I’ve seen before, and others I don’t even think exist in the Dull World. Some of them are, I think, colors I normally shouldn’t be able to perceive with human eyes.
For a second, all I can do is gape in shock. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I never want to stop staring.
A soft chuckle comes from inside the chamber. “Oh, yes, you are most definitely not your other. She was not so impressed.”
I focus my gaze, and I see that in the middle of the room are several raised platforms, each carved out of a different gemstone, getting smaller in size until at the top, there is just enough room for one person to sit. A throne rests on the top platform, made of obsidian and decorated with white and black pearls.
My eyes almost hurt from looking at it, and I have to blink a few times.
The person lounging on the throne is not at all what I expected. I’d assumed, with such a magnificent room, that the king would be equally magnificent in his style.
Instead, this man is wearing a simple purple robe. His skin is a dark, rich brown, and his eyes glow gold. Aside from the eyes though, he looks more human than any of the other fae we’ve encountered.
Well, he has the pointy ears too.
As we watch, King Anzac rises languidly from his throne and approaches me.
“Fascinating,” he murmurs. He lifts my chin with his fingers, and I have to work hard to keep my body relaxed. He smells like frankincense and cinnamon. “You are certainly not of this world. But yet, I do smell magic on you. Faint, but present.”
I know it’s a risk, but… it’s not like my generator charm would be much help in a fight anyway.
I step back so that I can lift the charm up over my head, taking it off.
“Gabbi!” Cross hisses.
Now that the charm is off, King Anzac’s nostrils flare, his eyes flashing. “Ah. Yes. You are from the Dull World. The twin of the thief.”
“I’m not a thief,” I reply automatically, bristling.
King Anzac chuckles. “There is fierceness in you, little one. I like it. And yet…” He taps his chin. “The right thing to do would be to turn you in to the human authorities. If it is learned that I welcomed one from the Dull World into my home, and knew what she was, and conversed with her—and did not report her?” He clucks his tongue. “Ah. The treaty between the fae and humans is tenuous. I do not think it would be wise to risk that.”
My heart plummets, but I try not to let that show on my face.
Cross isn’t quite as successful at hiding his reaction.
“Are you kidding me?” he snaps. “You’re fae. You love to screw over humans, especially our government, you thrive on sowing chaos, and you’re telling me you’re seriously considering turning her in? Was everything I read about you guys being these crazy warriors and magic wielders a lie?”
“Watch it, Cross,” Kasian murmurs, putting out a hand to try to hold him back.
“I think he’s got a point,” Theo drawls. “This does not at all match what I learned of the fae from my dear Irish cousins. Are you sure that you’re not an imposter yourself?”
King Anzac laughs. It’s a deep, throaty sound. “Ah, such aggressive tones. How fortunate, little one, that you have charmed these men into your service. They will protect you.”
“I haven’t charmed anyone, and they don’t serve me.” I fold my arms, willing away my blush. “Look, are you going to help me or not? I don’t mean to be rude, sir, I really don’t, but it’s been a long couple of months. I’m exhausted, and I’d really like to know if you’re going to help me or turn me in, because either way, I need a plan.”
King Anzac’s eyebrows shoot up. I think my little tirade caught him by surprise.
“You are not one for trifling.”
“No. I’m not.” I take a deep breath. “I’m also not Roxie—my twin. I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t steal from you. So I want to find some way to work this out. Some way that I can… I don’t know… make up for what she did so that you guys don’t enslave me or something. But if you turn me in, then you’ll lose your one chance to get the real thief back, and you won’t have me helping you.”
King Anzac gives me a slight bow. “You are right, little one. If I lose you, I lose your twin. You are connected.” He sighs. “I could not turn you in to your authorities. So boring, they are. So rigid. Your kind are so close-minded, so scared of what is new and different. No, no, I am more sympathetic than your ridiculous human brethren.” A slow smile spreads across his face. “In fact… I shall forgive you for the theft your twin made.”
Wait, what?
“Just like that?” I ask.
I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth here, but that seemed way too easy. And after everything I’ve learned, I don’t trust an easy bargain with the fae.
“It was not your fault, was it?” King Anzac looks at me with a gaze so piercing I feel like he’s seeing right down into my soul, and I know the question isn’t rhetorical.
“No,” I promise fervently. “I hadn’t even heard of the fae until your minion attacked me.”
King Anzac relaxes and gives me another smile. “Exactly. As you say. Besides, there is the other matter of what it was your twin stole. It lends credence to your claim.”
“What?” Cross asks. Kasian
still has a hand on his chest, as if the bronze-haired man might barge forward and start swinging any moment. “What the hell did Roxie steal?”
King Anzac holds up a hand, fluttering his fingers, and an image appears above his hand in the air—a silvery disc, with some kind of symbol or image carved onto it.
I lean closer, but the vision disappears before I can get a good enough look.
“A most fascinating device of ours,” King Anzac purrs. “We fae are quite sought after for our magical items. We craft as no other creature can. And unlike the humans, we do not fear the other world, the Dull World. Its technology is fascinating. We wished to find a way to investigate it.”
His gaze shifts to where the image of the disc hovered a moment before, and I can hear pride in his voice.
“And so we created an object. The Disc of Eile. Whoever possesses it can use it to travel back and forth between the two worlds, the Dull and the Hidden. We do not know how your other learned of this, but learn of it she did, for she took it from us.”
My stomach drops out and my knees wobble.
Holy shit.
“Bloody buggering fuck,” Theo snarls. “That—that sneaky, conniving little—she did this on purpose! She flipped you on purpose!”
“I would assume so, yes,” King Anzac says. “If she stole our disc, and then… she is gone and her other appears in her place…”
My stomach is in such knots I might throw up. All this time…
No. No, I don’t have time to think about that. Not right now. I have to deal with King Anzac and this fae issue first.
“Your majesty…” I croak, trying to get my brain to function properly. Too many thoughts are whirling around it all at once.
“Ah.” King Anzac holds up a finger. “As I said, I am willing to forgive you. I will not punish you as I would punish your other. But you still must do something for me to repay the debt.”
I suck in a deep breath, letting his words focus me.
Okay, this is more in line with what we were expecting. I’m prepared for this. You can’t say no to a fae bargain, not when your back’s to the wall like ours are. I have to give them something, or do something, and there’s no way out of that.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t turn it to my advantage and get something out of him in return.
“How about I make you a counter offer?” I say.
This is our plan. Like I said, it’s not much of one. But it’s something. And so far King Anzac seems to like me, at least a little, so, worth a shot?
“Go on…” He sounds intrigued, and amused.
“Well, you want me to make amends for something that really isn’t my fault. You’re asking me to pay off Roxie’s debt. But if you have me do this favor—whatever it is—I won’t really be making amends, will I? Because I didn’t do anything to offend you. Roxie did. So I’ll actually be doing you a favor. Which means that you’ll actually owe me, not the other way around.”
I stop talking, letting my mouth snap shut. Ugh. I hope I said all of that right. It’s such a weird, convoluted argument, but I’m hoping it’ll appeal to the king’s interest in striking bargains, and the fae sense of fairness.
King Anzac’s eyebrows rise once again.
“Well, well, well, little one. I had thought you were the lamb and your other the wolf, but there is some steel in you as well. You make a sound argument. What is it that you would ask of us? Fae must know the terms of the bargain before they strike it.”
That’s fair enough. And it’s not like I’m going to use this opportunity to screw him over. I don’t mind him knowing.
“So, I got this charm.” I hold out the generator I removed from around my neck.
King Anzac takes it, examining it. “Ah. You use this to generate magic for yourself. Since you have none.”
“Yeah, and it’s crap. If I’m going to survive up there, if I’m going to not get caught, I need to look like I can do magic. I want you to give me another charm—one that actually works. That makes it seem like I’m doing magic. I want to be able to do magic as powerful as Roxie did, or nearly as powerful, so that people will believe I’m her.”
King Anzac looks at me for a moment, his gold eyes gleaming. He seems… amused?
But not just that. Almost respectful too. Contemplative. I think maybe I’ve passed at least a little bit of muster in his eyes. I may be from a world without magic, but that doesn’t mean I’m dumb, or that I don’t know how to make a good deal.
“You know that you could ask any number of things of me,” he points out. “A charm such as you’ve requested is useful, yes, undoubtedly. And more effective than what any witch or warlock could come up with, to be certain. But there are even greater things that the fae could gift to you. Treasures. Wealth.”
“No thanks. I don’t need any of that stuff,” I reply.
I don’t know if he’s genuinely confused about my motivations, or if he’s trying to trick me, or what, but I know what I want. This is what we agreed on, the guys and I, what we decided I need most from the fae.
“I need to not get dragged to some remote government facility,” I add.
King Anzac chuckles, his eyes narrowing for a moment in either suspicion or mirth, but then he relaxes, and his smile appears pleased. “Very well then. I will agree to this.”
“And what is it that you want us to do for you?”
Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that, Mr. Fancypants.
“Ah.” The fae king’s smile widens. “It is a very simple, little thing…”
Chapter 25
We’re escorted out of the fae realm by our guide from before, accompanied by four fae with skin that seems to have the texture of bark but is the color of silver, with sharp wood-like shards protruding from their joints.
I could spend eternity down here and never see everything there is to take in, I realize.
My next thought is that that’s probably how people get trapped in here. There’s always one more thing to see, one more thing to discover, and you tell yourself it won’t take too long, and then… next thing you know… ten years have gone by.
We reach the portal, or at least the area where we appeared, and our guide claps his hands. I don’t actually see any doorway or anything, and I have a moment of panic, wondering if there really is a doorway back or if this has all been some elaborate fae prank and we’re stuck here—
But as our guide finishes clapping, I feel a familiar disorienting whoosh in my stomach, and then I’m back on the street in front of the Spire. It’s dark. Night must’ve fallen while we were visiting the fae king.
Hoo boy.
I rest my hands on my knees, just barely avoiding throwing up. I really, really do not like traveling through portals, and I hope that we can find another way into the fae realm for when we have to go back.
Maybe the scenic route? A nice long stairway? A boat? A ride on a magical pony?
Speaking of portals, actually…
I turn around and see the guys appearing around me. Cross winces, like he doesn’t think much of portal-jumping either, but Kasian and Theo look unfazed. In fact, Theo looks like it was a walk in the park, damn him.
There’s a moment of silence as we all stare at each other.
“So…”
I draw out the word.
“We should head back,” Kasian says, and I realize he’s misunderstood what I was hinting at.
Of course we should head back, yeah, so I fall into step beside him. Cross takes my other side, and Theo’s behind us, almost like a rear guard. It feels… nice, to have all three of them around me like this. I don’t feel suffocated or trapped. I feel warm and protected. Safe.
I wish it could always be like this, I think.
Over the past several days, in between dealing with falling grades and fae threats, I’ve thought about this a lot, even though I tried not to. I’ve thought about the three of them, and how I can’t choose.
But as I see them fall into step around me, all t
hree of them in harmony—or, well, almost in harmony—as they try to protect me, it hits me like a ton of bricks.
This is what I want. All of them, with me.
If only I could have that. But given the way they’ve been snarling at each other all day, and the day before that, and the day before that, I doubt it. And what am I supposed to do with that?
I force myself to focus on other things again as we ride the train back toward campus. There are more pressing matters at hand, after all, than my love life. Typical, you know, you spend years waiting for the right guy to come along, and then three of them show up at once. But I can deal with that later… or not at all.
The more important thing right now is Roxie.
“So,” I say again, shivering in the chilly air as we emerge from the subway station. “We… we know now. How it happened. How she got up there. How I got down here.”
“Yeah.” Cross shakes his head.
Radcliffe Academy looms in front of us as we walk, and my throat tightens. Soon, I’ll be safe. I just have to do what King Anzac needs, and then I’ll have a workable charm, and everything will be okay. I can figure out how to get back home.
Except now it might be even more difficult.
This whole time, I kind of assumed that the swap was caused by an accident of some kind. Or maybe a result of someone trying to get at Roxie—an enemy or something. I mean, I wasn’t thinking of some mustache-twirling bad guy, but Roxie’s the type of person I can easily see pissing off a classmate. Just look at Cross. Maybe she pissed off the wrong person, and they decided hey, why doesn’t the princess cool her heels in a world without magic for a while, that’ll show her!
I could definitely see that happening.
Or maybe it was a magical experiment gone wrong. Or something. Anything.
But what never occurred to me was that Roxie would do this on purpose.
Why would she, after all? Why would she leave a world where she was at the top of her class, the top of the popularity chain, where she had money and her family name and could get any guy she wanted? And why especially would she want to leave a world full of magic to enter a world that they’ve literally named Dull?