by S. M. Boyce
“Victoria!" she shouted into the house.
“What?" Victoria shouted back, her voice distant. She was in the basement. Sure enough, the smack of a fist hitting the punching bag followed Victoria's voice, as well as the rattle of chains as the bag swung.
“Come here. Let's talk about dinner.” Audrey slammed a cabinet door to emphasize her point.
Audrey didn't care about dinner. It was an excuse to get her friend up here without her knowing why. To see if Victoria was drawn to the crystal too. More importantly, Audrey needed to know what happened when Victoria touched it.
The heavy thud of feet on the stairs set Audrey’s pulse racing with nerves and anticipation. To be innocuous, Audrey knelt to rifle through one of the cabinets without even remembering what was in this particular one. Pans, from the look of it, and a couple pots with lids.
The door to the basement swung open, and the kitchen floor creaked. A chair scraped along the floor and Victoria, breathing heavily, slumped into the seat. “I would kill for a potpie. Why don't we eat out tonight? Let's go see Bertha and ask her to cook us something delicious.”
Audrey forced a smile and stood. “Works for me.”
“Hey, what's this?" Victoria leaned over the table, reaching for the prism.
Every fiber of Audrey's being screamed for her to grab it from underneath Victoria's hand. Her very soul reached for it, but Audrey forced herself to remain still. She didn't like the effect the carvings had on her, but she couldn't deny their power or how they made her feel. Special. Part of her didn't want to lose that sense of uniqueness. She didn't want to discover that just any human had an impact on them. She wanted to believe that only she could make them come to life, but it wasn't enough to believe. She had to know.
Victoria lifted the prism into her hand, smiling as she studied it. Light refracted from its faceted edges, but it didn't glow.
As with the elves in the marketplace, the crystal did nothing when someone else touched it.
Audrey smiled. She couldn't help it. Gratitude and joy buzzed through her. “I found that in a new marketplace. Pretty, isn't it?”
“Yeah, it really is. Is this the new centerpiece for the table?”
Audrey shook her head. “I was playing with it when I thought about food. I'll go put it back in my room.”
“Huh. Cool.” Victoria set it back on the table without hesitation. The crystal didn’t call to Victoria the way it called to Audrey, and a realization burned within Audrey like fire. She had her own brand of magic.
After a lifetime of playing second fiddle to her best friend, Audrey was finally special. Whatever these crystals were, they held secrets that only she could unravel.
Victoria stood and walked toward her room at the back of the townhouse’s first floor. “I need to clean up, so let's head out in about ten or fifteen minutes. Sound good?”
“Works for me.” Once Victoria was out of sight, Audrey grabbed the crystal and trotted up the stairs to her room. The crystal hummed, glimmering at her touch. She shut the door behind her and fell with a happy sigh onto her bed, beaming as she studied it. It still glowed in her hands, ripples of light shimmering through it like waves in an ocean.
“What are you?" she asked the crystal.
It pulsed, the light within moving to a beat she couldn’t hear. The pulsing light sped up, and Audrey felt a burst of energy within her. It felt like a sugar rush, but it was far stronger. She wanted to dance, sing, holler—anything to expend this overwhelming energy rushing through her.
White light sparked where her fingertip met the crystal. There was a sizzling sound, and smoke rose from her fingers.
She gasped and dropped the crystal on the bed. The glow faded, as did the overwhelming energy. Chest heaving with surprise, Audrey set a hand on her heart in a half-assed attempt to calm herself. She stared at the crystal, bewildered.
Something deep in her core warned her to tell no one. Though she didn’t believe they were from Atlantis, she had a nagging feeling that those who did know what these stones really were would kill to take them from her. Whatever they were, they did more than just glow. They had real power. Real magic.
And they belonged to her.
Chapter 5
Showered and refreshed after her workout, Victoria led Audrey to Bertha's down a remarkably empty street. Styx hovered, aimlessly flying from side to side as he scanned the road ahead. Every now and then an ogre or an elf walked by, and every single one cast her a wary glance. With each step, Victoria became more nervous and aware that something was wrong.
The problem was, she didn't know what was wrong. It was setting her nerves on fire.
“You feel that?" Audrey reached for the sword at her side, lifting the hilt an inch or two as she surveyed the empty street.
“I feel like we're walking into a trap,” Victoria said. She summoned her shield, and the heavy weight in her palm made her feel safer. She scanned every single window and her eyes hesitated on every shadow, but she saw no one. Not even a curtain moved in the silent Fairhaven evening.
They waited for several minutes. Victoria was certain that something or someone would jump out and attack them at any moment. Her grip tightened on the shield’s handle and her shoulders tensed as she waited for a fight.
It never came.
***
Victoria slammed her fist against Bertha's front door, Audrey keeping watch over the fairly empty street behind her. Styx mimicked Victoria, banging his tiny fist on the storefront. Save for the occasional ogre stomping toward one of the shops, they seemed to be alone on what was supposed to be the busiest street in town.
The door creaked open a crack to reveal two giant eyes. Bertha grumbled, “No need to be banging on my door. A simple knock would have done.”
Victoria crossed her arms. “You’re closed, Bertha. You're never closed during the day.”
Bertha sighed deeply, her eyes roaming over the street, and gestured for them to come in. “Quietly, now.”
They hurried inside and Bertha closed the door as quickly as she could, then pressed her back against it and looked at them both. “I didn't want to interrupt your training, Victoria, and I wasn't expecting Audrey until I train with her tomorrow, but something has happened. Something bad.”
With Styx on her shoulder, Victoria peeked out the front window as an elf in a long red cloak hurried by. The woman lifted the hood over her head, peeking around the side of it as though she were checking to see if she was being followed. A strand of long blonde hair escaped the hood as she picked up the pace, disappearing beyond the scope of the window.
“What's happening?" Audrey set her hands on her hips.
Bertha lumbered toward the back of her house, floor creaking under her every step. “Come.”
“Tell us what’s going on, Bertha.” Victoria followed closely, and the subtle tap of Audrey’s boots against the hardwood planks meant she was behind them as they neared the back of the house.
Bertha peeked out the glass panes in the back door. “There's been more crime lately. Disappearances. Even a few murders, I've been told. They seem to have been hushed up, but the king won't leave his castle. He only makes appearances on his balcony. That means danger, girls. There's something dark in Fairhaven, and if the king is afraid then we all should be, because he will not protect us.”
Victoria squared her shoulders and cast a wary look at Audrey. Arms crossed, Audrey stared at the floor, the slight indent in her cheek an indicator that she was lost in thought.
Victoria paced the kitchen. “What could it be?”
“And who was murdered?” Audrey slumped into the chair at the head of the table.
“There are those who believe the snarx was only the beginning,” Bertha said, grabbing a random bowl off the counter and stirring. She didn’t even look into it, so Victoria wondered if the ogre was stress-cooking.
Victoria paused her pacing. “What do you mean?”
“We know that Luak riled the snarx into a frenzy,
forcing it to attack us, but some believe there are more monsters where the snarx came from. Maybe he let all sorts of creatures loose in the bowels of Fairhaven, creatures which are getting hungry now that he has left the city. Without him to keep them in check, they’re getting braver. They’re in our streets.”
“Has anyone seen them?”
Bertha shook her head. “Just the corpses. And they’ve heard the screams. Whatever is hunting here is quick, silent, and deadly. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Styx squeaked with horror, and Victoria nearly did the same. This sounded bad.
“You know, a grate on all the tunnels would solve these monster problems,” Audrey muttered under her breath.
Bertha opened her mouth to speak, but shut it almost as quickly. She rubbed her chin with her hand. “That’s actually a marvelous idea.”
Audrey massaged her temples. Anyone else would simply see a tired girl. Victoria knew the gesture meant, “You fucking morons.”
Victoria cleared her throat and leaned against a chair for support. “We have to do something.”
To her credit, Audrey didn’t make a peep. She stared at the table, one hand in her pocket. A gentle glow radiated through the fabric.
“What—” Victoria squinted at Audrey’s pants, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Audrey snapped her head up, eyes shifting back into focus as she followed Victoria’s line of sight. She pulled her hand out of her pocket and the glow faded. “You’re right, Victoria. We need to do something.”
Surprised, Victoria frowned. “Seriously? You agree? What about the whole ‘you don’t owe this city shit’ spiel you gave me last time?”
Audrey shrugged, arms crossed. “I was wrong. You already proved that to me.”
Deep in Victoria’s gut, a warning bell sounded. Something was off, and while Audrey wasn’t necessarily lying, she was hiding something.
Something big.
An unfamiliar feeling hit Victoria hard in the chest, and she ached at the sensation. It was almost a sense of loss or betrayal, but through it all she felt sadness. In her quest to kill Luak and train as hard as possible so she could beat him, she had all but ignored Audrey.
It clicked for her: she missed Audrey. Aside from the occasional Berserk practice or rare time at the dinner table together, they didn’t spend much time just hanging out anymore. In fact, the most time they had spent together lately was when they had killed the snarx.
Audrey had never kept anything from her before. They had told each other everything, but now it was clear that Audrey had a secret—something significant she felt she couldn’t share. And that was wholly Victoria’s fault. She had left Audrey pretty much alone.
The city might have needed Victoria’s help, but she owed her friend more.
Chapter 6
Audrey was careful to keep her eyes peeled on her way home. She had stayed behind to train with Bertha after Victoria headed back to the house to come up with a plan. While most of the city were scared of whatever darkness plagued them, Audrey and Victoria could handle themselves.
Grinning, Audrey fiddled with the magic stone in her pocket. She could definitely handle herself now that she had secret magic that could create sparks and feed her energy. Part of her ached to use it, even wished she would run into a creature so that she could discover the true capacity of these crystals’ magic.
But she knew better. She shouldn’t invite danger into her life just to play with power she didn't understand.
Aside from a few shifty glances from strangers she passed in the street, nothing notable happened on her way home. No attacks. No eerie sensations.
Bummer.
As she closed the front door behind her, the homey aroma of cooking pasta captured her attention. She smiled and followed her nose into the kitchen, to find Victoria ferociously stirring a pot while Styx sat on the edge of the counter kicking his tiny legs.
Oh.
“You’re stress-cooking,” Audrey said.
Victoria laughed. “What, I can't do something nice for my friend?”
Audrey crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow, giving her friend a once-over. “I've known you since middle school. You only cook when you're stressed out about something. Spill.”
Victoria’s shoulders drooped, and she put a bowl filled with some kind of creamy sauce on the counter. “Just eat my food.”
Audrey chuckled and sat at the table. “If you insist.”
Victoria set a banquet on the table, everything from spaghetti and meatballs to a tray of dumplings. Starchy, carb-filled goodness.
Audrey grabbed two plates from the cupboard. “Oh man, V. Are you trying to make me fat?”
Victoria chuckled. “Maybe.”
With no one to bother them and the evening to themselves, they tucked into the feast. Audrey lost count of how many dumplings she ate. Each one tasted better than the last. “How can you be so good at making food when you only stress-cook?”
“I’m going to let you figure that one out, genius.”
Audrey laughed. “Well, let’s not think about stressful things.”
Victoria chewed slowly on one of the dumplings and leaned back in her chair. “That rules out Fyrn.”
“Yeah, no kidding. If he ever smiled, I’d check to see if someone was wearing a Fyrn mask.”
Victoria laughed. “He’s better than Diesel. My God, that wizard is insufferable.”
“Because he’s arrogant, or because he thinks you’re soul mates?”
“Yes.”
Audrey laughed and batted her eyes, doing her best to imitate Diesel’s baritone. “Victoria, my truest amour, if I badger you enough perhaps I’ll wear down your defenses and you’ll fall madly in love with me!”
Victoria threw a piece of spaghetti at Audrey’s head. Audrey tried to catch it in her mouth, but the noodle splatted on her face. They chuckled.
Audrey reached for another dumpling, even though her stomach felt as though it would explode. “These things are addictive.”
“No kidding. Bertha taught me the recipe and I can’t stop making them.” Victoria popped another in her mouth.
“If we’re too fat to protect Fairhaven, it’s her fault.”
“Basically.”
The girls lounged in their seats, arms draped over the armrests and feet resting on the other chairs around the table.
Audrey resisted the impulse to grab another dumpling, mostly because it would require moving. “So, say we kill Luak. It’s done. We’re free from the need for revenge, and Fairhaven’s free from his control. What’s next?”
“For you? You should go home to your family and go to college. I’ll give you my fortune. You go start the next big company that sells for billions.”
Audrey laughed. “As fun as that sounds, we’ve been over this. I’m not leaving you, Victoria.”
A thin smile crept onto Victoria’s face, and it warmed Audrey’s heart. It was thanks enough. Victoria didn’t have to say a thing.
“Well, if you stay here with me, at least we’ll live comfortably.” Victoria gestured to the grand house.
“Are you used to being rich yet?”
Victoria snorted. “Hell, yeah. I love it, but I won’t forget where I came from. It’s just a tool to make our lives easier.”
“Much easier.”
Victoria laughed and tossed a dumpling at Audrey this time, which she caught effortlessly in her mouth.
“What will you do?” Audrey prodded.
With a happy sigh, Victoria settled back in her chair. “Stay here. Take care of Fairhaven. Maybe usurp the throne.”
Audrey laughed. “The important thing is to set achievable goals.”
They chuckled, and in that moment everything was perfect. It was like when they had gotten together in Victoria’s empty house for sleepovers while her parents were on assignment. Just the two of them, and loads of food.
Those had been good times. Too bad Audrey had to ruin the mood. “Tell me
why you’re stressed, Victoria.”
“I’m not—”
Audrey caught her friend’s eye and quirked her brow, daring Victoria to finish the lie.
“Ugh. Yes, fine. I’m stressed out.”
“That's understandable. But don't worry, we'll figure something out. We'll find whatever's attacking people—”
“It's not that,” Victoria interrupted.
Audrey hesitated, squinting a bit in confusion. “So what's going on?”
Victoria bit her lip, shaking her head as she stared out the kitchen window. “A lot is going on. Too much. It’s been two months since my parents died, and I’m no closer to killing Luak. I've been training hard, but my body can only take so much. I'm not strong enough to wield the Rhazdon Artifact as it should be used. Fyrn's looking for a spell that can make me stronger, but I'm not optimistic.”
“Victoria, we’ll figure it out.”
Victoria sighed. “That’s not even the worst part, Audrey.”
Audrey waited for Victoria to continue, heart skipping beats as she nervously wondered what was coming next.
“I’ve been ignoring you,” Victoria finally said.
“What?”
“Except for little moments here and there, I’ve completely ignored you lately, and I’m sorry. I’ve been so caught up in revenge and bloodlust that I haven’t spent time with you. I’m gone every day, and Bertha works most of the time. She can’t train you constantly. You must be bored to tears.”
Audrey was a bit confused. She didn't quite know how to take this. On one hand, Victoria was absolutely right. She had left Audrey to her own devices. On the other hand, the jealousy within Audrey burned brighter every day, and she wished with all her heart she could lock it away.
“I think you're being too hard on yourself,” Audrey said.
“I don't,” Victoria said softly.
Audrey laughed. “What on Earth has you feeling so guilty?”
Victoria studied Audrey for second, and the intensity made her squirm. It was like she knew something Audrey didn't—and Audrey didn't like that one bit.