Of course we did.
The cliff faces spanned the outside of the chasm. Every few hundred feet, another waterfall tumbled down onto the eaves, then continued flowing down into the darkness below. Bridges spanned the short rivers that fed the waterfalls ahead, giving us a path to the temple, some several miles distant.
The temple itself was a dark blue, three stories tall, like three boxes all stacked atop one another from biggest to smallest. There was ornate detail on the rooftops, almost as if it were a Japanese temple, trimmed in gold and silver, with a tall, pointed spire at the very top.
A massive set of stairs led up to the entrance. And there were no windows visible from where we were.
We followed Iona, none of us speaking. Words wouldn’t really do this place any justice. What could we say? Wow, cool, this place is awesome. Look, there are strange birds and waterfalls with green rainbows! How amazing.
Even in my head it didn’t feel like enough, like children trying to describe the Grand Canyon. It's so huge! It's hugenormous! Can I have some mac and cheese now?
My stomach rumbled. Actually, mac and cheese sounded pretty good about now.
I felt safer walking closer to the wall of the cliff, my hand trailing the rough rock wall on my left. Laura and Xandra were doing the same, Laura spared a look over the cliff into the chasm, then turned green. I made a mental note not to look down.
We came to one of the bridges spanning a pool before the churning waterfall's edge, which tumbled over the cliff to my right. It was made of smooth black wood, simple, and completely dry.
The roar was deafening this close to the waterfall, but it stole the breath out of my lungs as I stared down the cliff face at the falling cataract.
“Look!” Laura pointed at something yellow in the churn of the pool. I had seen it too. There were long, bright yellow fish swimming around up to the waterfall's edge as if it were as still as a pond. They wriggled their little tails and swam along, unaffected by the volume of water pulling off the cliff.
“Like some sort of super salmon,” Xandra said, staring over the ebon bridge rail.
Lockwood appeared beside Xandra, his face still hard. “Do not let this magic seduce you,” he said, his tone stern. “It will morph and adapt to what you want from it. The longer we are here, the more dangerous it is. Especially for you three.”
“Yeah, no stopping to gawk,” Iona said from the other side of the bridge, already back on the rough rock of the cliff’s path. “Or at least not you, Cassie. The other two I could do without, but I've invested a lot of time in our friendship and I don't want to start over with having to find a new person to hang out with. Especially now that Byron's dead, finding people with a common frame of reference would be so beyond time consuming.”
It was hard to pull us away from the fish. I shook off the magical effects as I stepped off the bridge. “Is this a part of Faerie?” I asked as we continued along the cliff path.
Lockwood shook his head. “No, it isn’t. And I must be honest… I can feel myself growing weaker the longer we are here.”
Cold rushed through my veins. “What? Why?”
“Because,” he said, “this is not Faerie magic. This is Earth magic.”
“But we definitely aren’t on Earth anymore,” I said, staring around.
“In fact, we are,” Lockwood said. “This is all just an illusion.”
“Wait, are we still at Ikea?” Xandra asked. “Because I never did get those meatballs.”
“Yes,” Lockwood said. “Our bodies are still there, standing there in that tiny pantry.”
“That's going to seem super rude if anyone comes over to talk to us,” Laura said. “Will we just ignore them?”
“Your consciousness is here,” Lockwood said. “All higher brain functions are on hold while we are in this place.”
“So yes, you'll probably still answer them,” Iona said, “since you don't use your higher brain function... Well, ever. Especially when speaking.”
I shook my head. “This is as confusing as Faerie…”
“But far more dangerous…” Lockwood said. “Come on.”
I hung back a second as he pressed on, assessing the respective moods of Laura and Xandra. I saw a lot of worry on their faces, though Laura looked less rattled for some reason. “You guys okay?” I asked.
“I just can’t even with what my eyes are seeing you know?” Xandra shook her head. “It’s more amazing than I could ever think up on my own.”
“It’s like a painting,” Laura said. “So beautiful that you could just stop and stare.” As she said it, her pace slowed and she stared out into the distance.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand and dragging her along. “We really don’t want to linger here. Lockwood’s right. Magic is not something you want to mess with.”
“Yeah, you know all about magic now, don’t you?” Xandra asked.
“Hardly,” I said. Iona and Lockwood were crossing another bridge a short ways ahead, this one a little broader, as the pool they crossed was much wider. Lockwood’s words were haunting me, making me very uneasy.
But...I had to do this for Mill.
The temple was ahead, over one final bridge. Now that we were closer, I could see that it was surrounded by waterfalls on all sides. I had thought it was sitting on a cliff, but it was actually just floating over the chasm, linked to the nearest cliff's edge by another of the black wooden bridges. I followed after Iona as she crossed it without a second thought.
The temple was like smoke, shifting its shape but hiding anything that lay beyond. Iona hesitated for a second before plunging her hand into the substance. She winced, but when she pulled her hand out, it was unscathed. “It’s fine,” she said. “Probably just a cleansing spell of some sort.”
“Or she means to track us,” Lockwood said, his eyes narrowing.
Iona shrugged and stepped through the thick fog. Lockwood shook his head.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said.
“Yes, I do,” he said. “I have to protect you three. Because within...we may find much more than we bargained for.” And then he followed Iona through the thick, dense doors of fog.
I stared after him. There was no sound aside from the tumbling waterfalls.
“Great,” I muttered, Laura and Xandra bunching up behind me, neither eager to take the lead. “Stepping through more magic. How could this possibly go wrong?”
But step I did, right into the smoky partition.
It felt like a cold, misty day as the smoky black brushed my skin. The air was icy, like the middle of winter. I was sure my eyelashes had frozen. Another step, and warmth washed over me.
I opened my eyes and gasped.
I found myself in a large room with a black tile floor, black walls, and a (big surprise) black, vaulted ceiling far overhead. Golden bowls of fire burned in all four corners of the cavernous space, as well as beside the large, gilded throne at the far end of the room. It sat on a tall, ebony dais, with a set of golden stairs leading up to it.
Lockwood and Iona were already at the foot of the stairs, looking up into the face of the woman who was draped across the throne as if it were a loveseat. She slumped, utterly casual, as if she were home alone, bingeing on the latest season of her favorite show on Netflix.
“I wondered how long it would take you three,” the woman said in a voice I can only describe as sultry. She smiled puckishly as her eyes met mine across the wide temple space. “I’ve so been looking forward to meeting you.”
Chapter 26
Cold prickles ran across my skin, remnant of the smoky doors that had brought us into this strange black and gold temple. I stared at the woman lounging on the throne as if it were an armchair. She was tall, slender, her hair as blue as cotton candy, with pink highlights. It was tied up on top of her head in the most perfect messy bun, a style that any girl, even myself admittedly, would kill to be able to do.
“Oh. Em. Gee.” Xandra said, looking up at our host. “Move over, Cass
ie. I've found my new best friend.” I could see why Xandra was excited. She had a very similar look to this lady, whose eyebrows matched her hair, her long eyelashes violently pink. Her lilac eyes were so pale they were almost white, making her pupils stand out.
But then I realized that her pupils weren’t black. They were dark blue. Even in the flickering light of the fires, I could see the difference. She flashed us a smile from between her pink lips that matched her lashes, stretched her legs, and rose to her feet.
“Why the glum faces?” she asked, looking around at all of us. “Other than Xandra, you people look like you're ready for a funeral. You reached me, and in good time, too.” She smirked. “I was sure that some of my little tricks would snare you, too.”
Lockwood crossed his arms.
“Oh, lighten up, faerie boy,” the woman said, waving her hand in Lockwood’s direction. “It's just harmless, shiny magic. Why would I hurt those I call to come unto me?”
“'Call'?” Xandra asked. She looked at Iona. “She called us?”
“What?” Iona blinked furiously. “I didn’t get any calls, other than from those damned telemarketers. No, I don't need a new roof, I don't even have a house at the moment—”
“Easy, don’t get your braid in a knot,” the woman said. “What made you think of coming to see me in the first place, hmm?”
Iona furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. I overheard Lockwood and Cassie talking about who to call and…”
“Yeah,” the woman said, clapping her hands together, the sound echoing around the room, causing us all to jump. “Inspiration strikes. It's kind of a signature of mine.” She grinned, planting her fists on her hips. “Now… For those of you who might not know...I am the Oracle.”
I looked at Xandra, then Laura. Blank faces all around.
“Of course you don’t know who I am…” she said, shaking her head. “Humans. You're so magilliterate. That's a word, by the way. I just made it up to describe how little you know about magic. It'll be in the dictionary by next year, just laying down a marker right here. When you see it, remember this moment and remember me. Boom. That's the power of the Oracle.”
“Oracle,” Iona said, “we've come—”
The Oracle waved dismissively. “Yes, yes, I know why you’re here. I'm not magilliterate, after all.”
“Wait, you already know?” I asked.
The Oracle’s gaze fell on me. “Of course. I know everything that’s going on here.”
“Oh yeah?” Xandra said, jutting her chin out. “Then who am I?”
“Alexandra, but you prefer 'Xandra' because 'Alex' is sooooo overused these days. Seventeen. Only child. Parents both living, you get along with them—rare for your age bracket—and you have decent taste in music, if we could just wean you off your experimental forays into Maroon 5. Don't do it, darling. Adam Levine will only make you feel cheap and then break your heart.”
Xandra flushed. “I do not listen to Maroon 5.” Her eyes flitted around, furtively. “Most of the time.”
“Make it 'all of the time' and you'll be a lot better off,” the Oracle said, turning her attention to Laura. “And here we have Laura. Captain of the cheerleading squad, secret book worm, and lover of all things pineapple. It's okay, my darling, pineapple is perfectly fine on a pizza, don't listen to those heretics saying otherwise.”
Laura’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “How…how did you know all that...?”
“That’s nothing,” the Oracle said. “What else, hmm? How about the fact you have a really big crush on—”
“No one,” Laura said, cheeks flame red. “I have a crush on absolutely no one.”
The Oracle chuckled. “Oof, you humans. So afraid of what other people think. By the way, he likes you too. So get on it, girl.”
Laura looked down at the floor, saying nothing to that.
Then the Oracle turned her eyes on me. “And then we have Cassandra. Or Cassie, as she prefers everyone but Lockwood to call her. She doesn't mind her Faerie friend using her full name, but she doesn’t let her boyfriend use it. Weird, isn't it?” She smiled. “It's because he's different, right? That Paladin formality, some sort of courtly air he brings to it? It'd sound strange if the word 'Cassie' passed his lips. Like Dame Judi Dench swearing up a storm, or a politician telling the honest truth, there's just something unnatural about it.”
My blood went cold, and my fingers went numb as I stared up at her. I could see now why Lockwood was so frightened of her. Her power was unlike anything else I had ever known. Her easy knowledge alone was unsettling.
“Your magic lets you see all of this about us?” I asked. “I mean, you could have found out some of this stuff on our social media, by spying on us.”
“Oh, I have been spying on you, yes,” the Oracle said, nodding her head. “Definitely been spying on you. Your little group has grabbed my attention.”
“What do you mean, ‘my little group?’” I asked.
“Oh, come on. I find you absolutely fascinating. The girl who keeps winning, who keeps overcoming all these paranormal oddities. Who doesn’t love an underdog story, rooting for the little engine that could? Especially since in our world, you’re a nobody. Nobody important's daughter, nobody important's cousin. That makes it all the more interesting.”
I stared up at her as she studied me, leaning forward, towering over me from her pedestal.
“So…” the Oracle said, starting to pace back and forth on the dais. “You killed the witches and enlisted the help of the werewolves. Who does that? No one, that's who. With Iona's help, sure, but she helps no one. So points for that. Very clever.”
Iona remained passive, but if she'd been human, I bet she would have been blushing.
“That was a battle worthy of tabletop RPG. High defense, top tier weapons, good location. Not to mention the stats of your team involved. Outnumbered, sure—but you still had the advantage. I hate to use the cliché, since everyone says this now, but truly: Well played.”
I was waiting for her point. If she really knew as much as she claimed—
“But that isn’t why you are here,” she said. “You want to deal with the vampires, yes…but your first concern is for Mill. Which is touching.” She put a hand between her collarbones. “See? I'm touching myself.”
“Yes,” I said. “You're right. We need help.” I swallowed heavily. “I need help.”
“Damned right you do,” she said. “But what makes you think that I can help you?” She tipped her head to the side, resting a thoughtful finger on her chin. “I mean, they say knowledge is power, but that's dumb. You can know everything, but if you don't do anything with it, it's about as powerful as an encyclopedia sitting on the shelf. You need to pick that bad boy up and plant it upside someone's head for it to be any good in your current fight. Meow.” She a made a clawing motion with her fingers. “That seems like something you'd do, am I right?”
“Iona said you understand the magic poisoning Mill?” I asked. My heart was starting to race again, but I was hopeful. The Oracle knew things. Maybe here was the help I'd been so desperate for.
The Oracle nodded. “I know that magic well. Those sorts of spells have gone out of style. I mean, who has the energy for a spite-curse like that anymore? So tiring. You really got under Draven’s skin.”
“I noticed,” I said. “Please. I need help. Lockwood says that Mill only has two days.”
“Less,” the Oracle said. “That was a potent spell. The only good news was that it hit his arm and not his chest or head. If that had happened, game over, K.O., death number two for the man with the legendary forehead.”
It was like my nerves were alive and on fire.
“You have to understand, little Seelie,” the Oracle said with a wink, “the spell Draven ordered is a very personal thing. Less a 'To Whom It May Concern' and more of a 'To Hell With You and All Your Kin and the Horse You Rode in On and the Dog That Followed Behind You', signed in one's own blood. That sort of magic, emotional mag
ic, is deep stuff. Personal. Powerful.”
“So the spell was meant for me?” I asked.
“No,” the Oracle shook her head, “definitely meant for Mill. Because hurting him hurts you more. Draven knows that you put yourself in danger to help out those you care about,” she gestured to Laura, “example A.”
“This is all my fault, then,” I said.
“Bingo,” the Oracle said. “And you get that—but not in the teenage girl, martyr-complex-y way. You feel it, but it doesn't drive into a deep and forever hole. You understand that if Byron had only passed you over…” Her eyes flashed.
The old, familiar anger bubbled up within me. It burned in my belly like acid.
“But that isn’t the hand you’ve been dealt, and like our dear friend Link, you have to overcome this trial all on your own. It’s dangerous to go alone, and all that. You’re the chosen one. You and Harry Potter could form a club where your whole life goes to crap and you then have to struggle through somehow with nothing but grit and a plucky attitude and maybe a few close friends. Just be careful. Because sometimes those friends end up dead because of your choices.” She gasped, putting both hands up on her cheeks. “Spoilers!”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Can you not help me?”
The Oracle started down the stairs toward us, her tall, pencil thin heels clacking against the golden stairs as she descended. “Oh, I could definitely help you.”
Relief, like an injection to my system, washed over me. “Thank you. I don’t know what—”
“Upupup—” she said, holding up a thin finger, silencing me. “I said I could. Not that I was going to.”
“What?” I said, feeling like the floor had been dropped from beneath me, plunging me back into the icy pond of grief.
“But…” she said, arching an eyebrow as she looked at me. “I will tell you how you can help him.” The Oracle stepped over to me. This close, she wasn’t all that much taller than me, even in her heels. A strong earthy scent wafted off of her clothes, like pine in the winter, or freshly cut grass. “The only way that you can save Mill is to subject yourself to your greatest fear.”
Her Lying Days Are Done Page 16