by John Corwin
Max held a hand to his heart. "Maybe a little warning next time?"
She smirked.
Ambria pointed to the chunk of door in Gwyneth's hand. "If you can't break relics, then how did the door break?"
"At the instant of the destruction I suppose," Gwyneth said.
I focused back on the other mysteries of the room. "Those doors must go to a place that no longer exists. That's why they go nowhere."
Gwyneth blinked. "Yes, Underborn thinks so too." She tapped something into her arcphone. "He loves unraveling mysteries."
"Don't we all?" Ambria said.
We left the room and Gwyneth closed the door by swiping down on the door fragment. She tapped on her arcphone for a few seconds and nodded. "I assume everything is set on your end?"
I removed one of the extra anchor stone necklaces from the pouch and handed it to her. "You'll need this."
Gwyneth held it up before her eyes. "This helps me enter the reflected world?"
"Yes. We could hold hands and jump in, but if anyone gets separated, it's important they're to escape on their own." I touched the pebble on my chain. "You say, as above, so below, and jump into water. When you're coming from the other side, it's reversed—so below, as above."
"Interesting." Her forehead wrinkled. "I wonder why it works this way."
Ambria pulled out several blink stones from her satchel. "We also brought these just in case."
Gwyneth's eyes widened appreciatively. "Where did you get blink stones?"
Ambria tapped her temple. "We have our resources."
"I'll bet!" the older girl held one in her hand and rubbed it. "It's been a long time since Underborn let me use one of these. They have the unfortunate side effect of making the user dizzy and nauseous with prolonged use."
"That's for sure," Max said. "Made me toss up my dinner once."
Gwyneth winced. "I can relate." She tapped a finger on the table. "What can you tell me about the environment in the Glimmer?"
"For starters, the world is broken into floating islands." I held my hands apart as if that might convey the shape of the broken land. "There's nothing but stars and void between the islands."
"Floating islands in a sea of stars." Gwyneth paled a bit. "I can definitely say I've never seen that before."
"Giants trees form bridges between the islands." I traced an arch with my hand. "They're relatively easy to cross, but you want to watch out for mewlies."
Her forehead furrowed. "And those are?"
"Flying bat cats," Ambria said. "Evadora says they'll eat anything."
"Like flying piranha," Max added, snapping his teeth for effect.
Gwyneth stared blankly as if trying to imagine the creatures and then took notes on her phone. "What else?"
"The last time I was there, I flew across the islands, but since Evadora is new to controlling the realm, she says flying could be dangerous." I told her briefly about how Galfandor and I had flown to the Glimmer Queen's palace at the top of the crooked mountain and narrowly escaped with our lives.
Gwyneth regarded me with open admiration. "You're a rather fearless boy, aren't you?"
"Hey, I helped fight the Glimmer Queen too," Max said.
"All of you," Gwyneth amended before Ambria could pitch in.
"Even if flying is dangerous, we're bringing our brooms just in case," I said.
"You can keep them in the room if you get tired of carrying them." Gwyneth used a stylus to jot notes on the phone screen. "Anything else?"
"Certainly," Ambria said. "Evadora said she could probably keep us safe from the Glimmer monsters, but that not all of them will obey."
Gwyneth pursed her lips. "What sort of monsters?"
We told her about the ones we'd encountered during our previous visit. "Evadora mentioned a couple we haven't seen."
"Scarfers and hydracorns," Max clarified.
Ambria scoffed. "Not that it matters. Everything there can kill you."
Gwyneth laughed. "Sounds like Australia."
"Even worse," Max said. "Imagine spider giraffes with serpent heads."
Gwyneth's lips twisted. "I'll be sure to bring a weapon."
"I wouldn't bother," Ambria said. "I think you'll find running shoes far more valuable."
Everyone laughed.
When the laughter died down, Gwyneth consulted her notes. "Are there other people in the Glimmer we need to worry about?"
"According to Evadora, they're all asleep," Ambria said. "Naeve did something to them."
"How reliable is Evadora?" Gwyneth asked.
Max, Ambria, and I looked at each other. I answered first. "She does her best." I felt certain Gwyneth would write Unreliable in her notes and underscore it twice.
We continued discussing everything we knew about the Glimmer until it seemed we were repeating ourselves. Gwyneth seemed to recognize this and tucked away her phone. "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be. Shall we meet at the Fairy Gardens first thing in the morning?"
Max looked at me and shrugged. Ambria gave me a nod. "We'll see you then," I said.
We gathered our things and headed outside. Gwyneth saw us out the door, presumably before she would use the Key of Jura to travel back to Underborn. Thinking about that key made me turn and ask her a question. "Can you link doors between realms with the Map of Jura?"
"An excellent question," Gwyneth said. "Unfortunately, we've never tested it. I stored some blanks in the lost room just in case."
I scratched my head. "Blanks?"
"Free-standing doors," she said. "We link to one of our safe-houses and use them if we need to escape."
"Neat!" Max opened the front door to the tavern and stepped outside. "If we could—" He went silent and tripped over his own feet.
The moment I stepped through the door, I saw why. Seer Plinth waited on us with two dozen of his minions.
Chapter 25
"Conrad, you must come with me," Plinth said. "If you do not, I will take you by force."
"What's the meaning of this?" Gwyneth said.
"If you embark on this quest without cleansing the boy's soul, you'll doom us all." Plinth held up the small statue of a woman with a dozen arms. Some of her hands were clasped in prayer, others raised above her head, and some splayed to her side. Her huge eyes were dark spirals around black pupils. "You cannot use the key to escape, assassin's disciple, so do not try to help him."
"You know, it took me a moment, but I recognize you," Gwyneth said. "You're the one who stole that statue from the Louvre right before I tried to snatch it."
"Indeed." Plinth stiffened. "Your master's penchant for collecting powerful artifacts put us on a path to destruction."
"I thought Seers weren't supposed to get involved!" Ambria said indignantly. "By your own admission, you get involved all the time."
"There are those of us who believe it is necessary at times." Plinth directed his gaze on me. "Conrad, we must attempt another cleansing. The soul shards must be removed and then you'll be free to continue your quest."
"I don't think so." Gwyneth stepped in front of me. "Do you really think Underborn will let this go unchallenged?"
"What has gone unchallenged is your integrity." Plinth glared at her. "Conrad, do not trust this girl. She is bound to him by contract."
"My integrity is solid," Gwyneth shot back. "Yes, I'm under contract with Underborn, and I have never broken a contract."
I stepped in front of Gwyneth and held up a hand to silence the argument. "How do you plan to cleanse me, Seer Plinth?"
"We will use the same magic that bound those souls to you in the first place." He motioned forward a figure in a black monk's cowl and robes. "Explain the process."
Terribly scarred hands reached up and pushed back the cowl to reveal a bald head tattooed with bizarre patterns. "The demon who possessed you must be recalled." He spoke as if his tongue were too thick in his mouth. His next words horrified me nearly as much as the revelation that his tongue was forked. "He will come in
to your body. Once he has subverted your soul, I will drive him out. The soul shards of your parents will come with him."
Do not allow it! Della shouted. Conrad, you must run. Allowing that demon back into your body will cause irreparable harm.
Listen to the demonologist, Vic said calmly. He will heal you. Go to him, son.
Quiet! Della screamed. Return to your pit, foul demon!
I winced at the volume. I have no intention of letting them touch me.
"Your parents again?" Ambria said quietly.
Gwyneth frowned. "Parents?"
"Yeah, their soul shards talk in his head," Max said.
"Come to me boy, and I'll make this quick," the demonologist said. "I already have the pattern drawn and ready to go."
I peered around at the other seers and noticed one other person with a hood drawn over their face. I pointed to him. "Who is that?"
The person seemed hesitant to reveal themselves, but Seer Plinth waved his hand. "Show yourself."
When the hood slid back, my lips peeled into a grimace. "Dr. Cumberbatch!" It was the man who'd helped my parents fashion the demon spell that bound their souls to me. "What is he doing here?"
"I realized the error of my ways, Conrad." He held out his hands in a silent plea. "Let me make amends and cleanse you of the darkness your parents left behind."
My skin felt clammy and cold sweat broke out on my forehead. "I'll never let you touch me again, you lying bastard."
"I told you I shouldn't have come," Cumberbatch said to Plinth. "Now the boy's frightened."
"Frightened?" I shouted. "I'm furious!"
That curse of his has put you and your friends in mortal peril time and time again, Vic whispered. His demon magic killed your Cora.
Cora. I saw her greeting me on her giant ship. Saw her smiling as she handed me an ice-cream cone. Saw her withered body dying in a bed. The clammy cold melted in a furious blast of heat. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Della saying something. Heard her scream, but the words were muffled behind a wall of rage.
My wand came free. I raced forward. Plinth's eyes went wide with alarm at this unexpected move. Cumberbatch held out his arms and smirked. "Now, now, child, what do you expect to do? Singe me with an elementary spell?" He pulled out his wand and whirled it.
My wrist flicked in a pattern and a beam of brilliant orange poured from the end. Cumberbatch's eyes went wide as dinner plates as my spell consumed his shield in an instant. He screamed when the sizzling heat met his hand and burned it to a crisp.
"Conrad!" Someone gripped my arm and jerked it down.
"I will kill you!" I screamed as more hands jerked me back. "You murdered my Cora, you son of a bitch!"
Cumberbatch's screams of pain echoed my own and vanished behind the door to the tavern.
"We've got one chance," Gwyneth said.
"Conrad!" Ambria smacked me hard in the face. I wobbled on shaky legs and dropped my wand. My vision went blurry and hot tears filled my eyes.
"Are you okay?" Max's unfocused form filled my vision.
I wiped my eyes and nodded. The anger faded, replaced by a horrible realization that I might have murdered Cumberbatch. The guilt lessened slightly when I thought of what the man had done to me, but even so, I'd completely lost control of my mind.
Gwyneth opened the door to the lost room and sighed with relief. "Thank god the statue doesn't block this relic."
Jack Lamont ran out of the office door. "What in the hell is going on out there?"
"Seers," Gwyneth said. "We're getting out of here."
"Why not use the door?" he asked.
"They have a portal blocker." She ushered the rest of us inside.
"Son of a—" Lamont blew out a breath. "Get going. I'll hold them off if need be." He ran behind the bar and tugged on a tall bottle on the top shelf. Metal shutters slid down over windows and doors. "I can wait them out forever in here."
Something slammed into the door and a monstrous roar filled the air outside. The roof trembled and a massive fist crashed through. Fingers the size of my body unfolded and ripped the roof completely off. Glowing red eyes stared down at me. The massive demon looked like something right out of a fairy tale—spiraling black horns, a humanoid face, and a mouth full of wicked teeth.
Ambria screamed and Max joined in.
The demon roared, blasting us with hot air that reeked of spoiled eggs. It went silent and looked away, as if something distracted it.
Plinth's shouts echoed from outside. "What are you doing?"
"The boy is mine," Cumberbatch shouted back.
"On second thought," Jack said, "I think we should all leave together."
"Get in!" Gwyneth shouted.
We rushed inside the lost room. The demon roared and its huge fist slammed down outside the door. Burning hot fingers gripped the frame and reached inside. Gwyneth leapt back, narrowly avoiding a razor-sharp claw as it extended from a finger. She frantically swiped down on the door fragment and the doorway vanished. With a meaty thud, severed fingertips hit the floor.
Ambria gagged. "I'm going to be sick."
Max pressed his back against the far wall. "That was the biggest demon I've ever seen."
"These people aren't playing around," Jack said in a matter-of-fact tone. He chuckled. "Man, you sure know how to pick 'em, Gwyn."
Gwyneth wiped her forehead with a shaking hand. "Conrad, you have some major-league enemies."
My body trembled as the adrenalin rush wore off, leaving me weak. "Cumberbatch is the one who made the demon spell to keep my parents alive. His spell attached their souls to me."
"Um, what's the plan, Gwyn?" Jack peered out the window as blue skies turned crimson. "You realize that you've just trapped us in a paradox, right?"
"A paradox?" Max's eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"
Jack pointed to the relic in Gwyn's hand. "That box opens the door to this room, right?"
Max nodded. "Yeah, so we can escape whenever we want, right?"
Not precisely, Vic said dryly.
The answer hit me in the gut. "You'll only be opening the door to back inside the room."
"Oh, god, you're right, Conrad!" Ambria covered her open mouth. "If she opens the door in here, it'll only open the door back into this room. It's an endless loop!"
"I probably shouldn't have closed the door," Gwyneth said. "At least not until I tested my theory."
"Always jumping without thinking." Jack sighed and looked at the back wall. "Better hope these blanks work wherever the hell this place is located."
"Everything is connected to Jura," Gwyneth said. "The map, the key, this room." She waved her hand toward the gathering apocalypse outside the window. The sky filled with birds. People screamed and ran. A massive dark shadow appeared from within the palace at the end of the golden street. Its shape was familiar, like the void in the stars Evadora had shown me in the Rift.
The crowd ran out of sight and only a lone figure remained. Four more dark voids appeared in the sky, growing larger as they descended upon the city.
The unfolding drama drew Max's gaze to the window. "What's happening?"
"The destruction of Jura," Jack said. "I've seen it a dozen times, but it never fails to scare the hell outta me."
Gwyneth ignored us and pulled one of the door frames from against the wall. Legs unfolded from the frame and held it in place.
I turned back to the window as the woman in the streets grew to immense size until she rivaled even the shadow figures. She threw up her hands and a translucent shield rippled across the city.
She shouted something in an alien language. A voice filled with many voices spoke back in the same tongue. A shadow flickered beneath the woman's massive feet. Blinding white light filled the window, searing my retinas. I turned away. Ambria shrieked.
"My eyes!" Max shouted.
"Yeah, should've warned you," Jack said with a chuckle.
The glare vanished. I blinked open tearing eyes and saw nothing but a
void of black.
"Thank god!" Gwyneth cried out in relief as she cracked open the door. What looked like the inside of a warehouse waited on the other side. She leaned heavily on the doorframe. "We're going to make it."
Jack slapped her on the back. "Good work, kiddo." He looked back at the rest of us. "When you're finished looking at the darkness, I'd suggest you get out of here."
I wasted no time exiting the room just in case the doorway back to our world vanished. Gwyneth closed the door once we were all through. She leaned against it and took a deep breath. "Perhaps you should stay somewhere besides the university tonight. It might not be safe."
"You're probably right," I agreed. The sounds of heavy traffic rattled through the metal walls of the warehouse. I cleaned off a dirty window with my sleeve and peered outside. The lights of a large city painted the skyline. "Where are we?"
"Atlanta," Gwyneth said.
Max ran to the window and cleaned off a section for himself. "We're near the birthplace of Justin Slade?"
Jack flashed a grin. "Not far."
"Wow." Max put his hands up to the window as if that might help him see even further. "I'd like to see it one day."
Gwyneth walked toward a heavy canvas with the shape of a car underneath and tugged it off to reveal a mint-green sedan. "Might as well stay in town for the night. One of the doors here is linked to London. We can take it in the morning."
"My bar is probably in ruins." Jack shrugged. "Maybe next time I'll put it in a better part of town to discourage summoning big-ass demons."
Gwyneth drove us to a small hotel. Jack got a room and snuck us in the back door so we wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"We could have posed as your children," Gwyneth told Jack after we got inside.
"No way." He popped the lid on a can of beer and took a drink. "Having kids is too weird. I'm a bartender, not a father figure."
Ambria sat next to me on the bed. "What happened to you back there, Conrad?"
"Back where?" I asked, fully aware of what she wanted to know.
Max dropped onto my other side. "You nearly killed Cumberbatch."
"Never would've guessed power like that coming from a kid," Jack said. "You must take vitamins."