Crown of Visions

by R. A. Rock

  “I wasn’t in the Keeper’s quarters.”

  Finn didn’t seem surprised by this, his disappointment knowing no bounds. “I can’t believe this. Do you realize what you’ve done, Tessa?”

  She didn’t say anything. What could she say to defend herself?

  “You’ve ruined everyone’s chance at a united Ahlenerra.”

  “I know, I know.” The tears were running down her face now and dripping onto the fetid floor.

  “You’ve ruined your chance to truly be useful. The one thing you wanted.”

  She made a pained sound at that.

  “Everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been through. All for nothing.”

  “Finn, please, forgive me,” she whispered, finding his hand through the bars in the dimness.

  He gave a deep sigh, and when he spoke, it sounded as though he were trying not to weep.

  “I don’t know if I can, Tessa.”

  Chapter 34

  When she startled awake some time later, she was shocked at the vile odors of the Dark Queen’s dungeons—urine, rotting straw, and fear. She could smell the fear somehow. With nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no way to mark the hours passing, Tessa found time was going by incredibly slowly.

  And then it came back to her—what had happened and how soundly she had been defeated. All of Finn’s cruel-but-true words hit her again, making her want to vomit.

  “You awake, Tess?”

  It was Nat.

  She didn’t want to be awake. She didn’t want to talk to Nat. She didn’t want to hear her recriminations. Likely, they all had something to say to her. But she supposed in the end she deserved it because she had landed them here. So she responded.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you all right?”

  Of course, the first thing Nat would say was asking how she was. Tessa’s eyes filled with tears at the memory of how her friend had cheered her up and consoled her through all the bad times at the Direwood. Through everything she had been through as a spy in the Dark Court, Nat had stood by her.

  And even now. Now that her friendship with Tess had led her here to this horrible place, she still was concerned about her. It made Tess feel even worse.

  “Yes, Nat. I’m great. Except failing at absolutely everything and getting everyone I care about captured by my worst enemies, I’m fine. But thank you for asking. You’re very sweet.”

  “Don’t misunderstand me, Tessa,” Nat said, her voice desolate. “I’m not happy to be in this situation. But I understand what you were trying to do, and I respect you for that. I can’t fault you for trying to save your people and your land. If I had the opportunity to do that, I wouldn’t hesitate, even if it would end up with me and my friends in this dungeon.”

  “You’re too good to me, Nat,” Tess said, her voice breaking. “You’ve always been too good for me.”

  “Are you kidding?” Nat said, her voice changing and sounding hopeful. She crawled to where Tess sat against the bars. They both turned, and Nat put her hand over Tessa’s. “You’re the Fae who’s going to end the Severance. I’m practically hanging out with royalty.”

  Tess laughed softly without humor.

  “I’m not going to end the Severance, Nat. Not anymore. None of us is getting out of this place alive.”

  “She’s right,” Finn piped up.

  “Well,” Nat said, ignoring Finn, the hope never leaving her voice. “There is that prophecy. If you believe in that sort of thing.”

  Of course, every person in Esper believed in prophecy. It was magic pushed into the future. And they were always correct. However garbled the prophecy might be, every single one came true.

  “Which prophecy is that?” Isadore said, speaking for the first time.

  “The one that says Tessa is going to end the Severance,” Nat said.

  “That’s Tess? She’s the one the End of the Severance prophecy is referring to?”

  “One and the same,” Nat said. “The queen has been trying to keep tabs on Tess for years because of it. She’s so scared you’re going to do it.”

  They all sat in silence thinking about that. Then Tess spoke, trying to be reasonable.

  “Everyone knows prophecies are true, Nat. But—”

  “But nothing, Tess. If it’s true, then it doesn’t end here. It can’t.”

  “Of course it does,” Finn said, irritated. “There’s no possible way out of these dungeons. And we’ve lost the magical objects. I don’t suppose you have a Scroll of Severance in your pocket, Nat? Or a Crown of Visions to read it with?”

  “Look, Finn,” Tess said, feeling so very tired. The only thing she could think of that she had to offer him right then was freedom from her. “I know you hate me now, so I’ll let you out of our Joining vow. It’s the least I can do.”

  Finn didn’t answer, but Nat had more than enough words for the both of them. She had ignored Finn’s ranting before, but apparently, she had finally had enough. She jumped to her feet and got as close to Finn as she could.

  “You know what, Noble? I’ve had about enough of you. This is not all Tessa’s fault, and you know it. We all made our decisions, chose our sides, a long time ago. We knew that by helping Tess that we would automatically be making an enemy of the queen. And all of us chose it. So don’t try and blame Tess for all your problems just because you made a stupid vow that’s now probably going to end your life.”

  “End your life?” Tess said, but Nat was just getting going, and she kept speaking.

  “It’s called a commitment, Finn,” Nat said, at the end of her patience with him. “It’s called giving yourself to something you believe in. The only thing you believe in is you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be blaming Tess for landing you here. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you, and if you would stop feeling sorry for yourself for just one minute, you would realize that it’s true. I would rather my life end here and now with Tess than not have known her. That’s the depth of my commitment.”

  “What did she mean, end your life?” Tess said, unable to focus on anything else that Nat had said.

  “The vow, Tess,” Izzie said. “Remember, either he keeps it, or the magic destroys him? Well, the whole process is being accelerated due to Finn’s close proximity to the Dark Queen for an extended period, the length of time since he made the vow, and the extra energy charge that all Fae receive at the Hundred Years Ball. Oh, and he probably shouldn’t have consumed as much Elixir as he did because that’s making it worse, too.”

  “Be quiet, Izzie,” Finn said, and now that he wasn’t yelling at her, Tess realized how weak his voice sounded.

  She went to the corner where he was still sitting. He hadn’t moved.

  “Finn? Is it true?” She studied his face, which did look pale and drawn even in the terrible light.

  He lifted and dropped one shoulder slightly. “I don’t know. I know I don’t feel so great. That’s for sure. Izzie says…” He trailed off.

  “Based on the little information I have about not keeping a palm vow and with the symptoms he’s showing, Tess,” Izzie said quietly, “Finn doesn’t have much time left.”

  “How much time does he have?”

  “Hours?” Izzie said, his tone filled with sorrow. “Possibly days. I can’t say for sure.”

  “Shadows take me,” Tess cursed. “We have to do something. We have to get you some Elixir.”

  “Iz said that more Elixir will make the process speed up even more. Less magic is the key, not more.”

  “What? That makes no sense.”

  “The Elixir would give him more Starlight,” Izzie explained. “That’s true, but that would in turn make the spell stronger, which would leach more Starlight than he would gain from the original infusion of Elixir. Do you see?”

  “Shadows take me,” Tess said, standing and pacing again.

  “No,” Finn said, his eyes dropping to the stones. “They’re coming for me. Not you.”

  “No,” Tess said, shaking her
head vehemently. “No. There’s got to be a way. There has to be.”

  “I don’t see what we could possibly do, Tessa,” Finn said, his eyes drooping and finally closing, as if he couldn’t keep them open anymore.

  “Finn?” she called his name, afraid.

  “I’m not dead yet,” he said, and she drew in a shuddering breath.

  “We have to do something. Everyone, help me figure out a plan.” Tess strode back and forth in her cell. Five steps across, pivot on one foot, five steps back. She crossed and recrossed the moldy straw, her boots gritty on the disgusting, dirty stones.

  “So, let’s see,” she said, starting to think out loud. “We need to get out of here. We need to save Finn. We need to get the Scroll and the Crown of Visions back from the King and Dark Queen. Then we need to read the Scroll and enact the spell. And once that’s done, I will have fulfilled my destiny, Ahlenerra will be reunited, and everyone will be fine.”

  There was dead silence after this listing of impossible task after impossible task.

  “Now, first things first,” Tess said, holding up her index finger. “How are we going to get out of here?”

  “You were the one who said there’s no way out of these dungeons,” Finn pointed out, sounding sleepy.

  He was right.

  But Nat was also right. It couldn’t end this way.

  The prophecy said that Tess would end the Severance.

  That meant it had to happen.

  Somehow.

  But how?

  Tessa sat down and tried to run her hands through her hair, which was hanging around her shoulders knotted and a mess. Her fingers got tangled, and she clutched her curls, thinking, thinking, thinking.

  “We can’t get out of here,” she said at last. “There’s no way for us to get out.”

  “So that’s it, then,” Finn said, irked. “So much for this burst of rah rah, let’s solve this problem somehow, even though it’s unsolvable. Why did you even bother getting everyone all riled up just to give up at the first opportunity?”

  Tess didn’t answer. She knew that Finn was angry with her. She only hoped that one day, he would be able to forgive her. Because if he didn’t, she knew her heart would ache forever.

  “We’ll figure it out. Soon.”

  An hour had passed, and no one had come up with a reasonable idea, though some pretty ridiculous concepts had been batted around.

  “We are never getting out of here,” Finn said, the most hopeless that Tess had ever seen him. “And my family is going to die.”

  He buried his face in his hands, the picture of despair.

  “Now, now, now,” a voice from the corner of Tessa’s cell spoke, making them all startle. “Never say never, Big Boy.”

  “Perdira?” Tessa said, peering into the gloom. “What are you doing here?”

  “Yes,” Finn said, resentful. “Have you come to laugh at us all? Because if you did, you’re really not welcome.”

  “Laugh at you?” Perdira said innocently. “Finn, Finn, Finn. Your troubles have made you bitter. It’s not a good look on you, Starshine.”

  Perdira stepped forward, and suddenly, Tess could see everything clearly. The ancient Fae was giving off a light from her form. Tessa wasn’t sure if this had always happened and she simply hadn’t noticed, or this was some new trick Perdira was showing them. She was looking like her early-twenties self, but she was wearing a more practical outfit than usual—pants and a baggy shirt, belted at the waist. Her black hair was braided down her back. She seemed ready for action.

  “We don’t need any more of your help, Perdira,” Finn said, angry. “You’ve caused quite enough trouble for now.”

  Tessa held her breath, hoping the Fae wouldn’t take offense at his words. But Perdira only smiled, disappearing suddenly and reappearing in Finn’s cell. She bent and dropped a kiss on his forehead.

  “Don’t worry, Finnley. You’re going to be all right. And so is your family. They’re fine. Have been the whole time. Setta has that pretend prison that she uses to coerce Fae that are being difficult. Your sister and her children were never in danger. Tessa was right to not make that deal.”

  Finn stared at Perdira in shock and dismay, but she ignored him, suddenly popping back in front of Tess.

  “Now then,” Perdira said, with a decidedly calculating smile on her face. “What say you and I settle our debt, Tess?”

  Chapter 35

  “Excuse me? Settle our debt?” Tess frowned, and Finn could tell she was more scared than upset.

  “We made an agreement, Tess. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already.”

  Finn knew that Tess hadn’t forgotten. She was stalling. She must be worried about Perdira taking over her body. And she was right to be. Not that Finn cared. Tessa was his least favorite person right now.

  “This is not exactly the time for your little physical realm joyride, Perdira,” he told her.

  “Actually,” Perdira said, bopping Tessa on the nose and make her frown, “it’s the perfect time. Trust me.”

  “Perdira—”

  Perdira went on without letting Tess speak. “And you don’t have a choice. You made a deal, and I got to decide when I would take over. I want to take over now.”

  “But Perdira,” Tess said, sounding rather desperate. “I—”

  “Tessa,” Perdira interrupted her. “Did we or did we not make a deal?”

  “We did.”

  “You must keep your word.”

  Tess nodded, hanging her head.

  “It’ll give you a break from your misery, anyway,” Perdira offered, but Finn knew she wasn’t really concerned about Tessa’s misery.

  “Fine,” Tess said.

  “I need verbal permission, please,” Perdira said, tapping her foot and then scraping her shoe on the floor in distaste, trying to get off whatever she had stepped in.

  “I give you, Perdira, permission to take over my body for three hours, while following the terms of our agreement, beginning now.”

  Suddenly, there was an intensely bright burst of light from Tessa’s body that blinded Finn, as used to the darkness as he had become. A loud hum of magic hung in the air for a long moment, and then the light and sound died down, though Tess was still glowing a little.

  “Tess?” Finn said, getting stiffly to his feet.

  “Uh uh, Big Boy,” Perdira said from Tessa’s mouth. “Tess is out right now. But I am very much in.”

  It was so strange. It looked like Tess, but it was also clear that it was Perdira in charge in there. She stood differently from Tess. She smiled differently. She spoke differently. And there was the fact that she was glowing. That was also new.

  The ancient Fae held out her hand, and a pocket watch appeared there. It was made of gold and had been polished until it shone.

  “Three hours and counting,” she said. Then she suddenly wrinkled her nose in disgust. “This place is awful.”

  With a flick of her hand, all the gross moldy old straw and dead bugs and animals and excrement and other disgusting things that were on the floor disappeared. The floor was perfectly clean. Finn blinked in surprise, noticing in his peripheral vision that the others were getting to their feet.

  Finn sniffed. Even the air was clean again.

  “Let’s get out of here, people.”

  Finn didn’t know what he thought would happen when she said that, but he was honestly taken aback at what happened next. Perdira/Tess flung her hands from fists to wide open hands, and the doors of all the cells opened.

  “Stars alive,” Izzie exclaimed.

  Finn climbed to his feet with difficulty, using the bars of the cell. They all exchanged glances and then ran out the door, following Perdira in Tessa’s body. She was striding down the hallway.

  “Can you believe this?” hissed Nat. “I thought we would be there for the next thousand years or until we died.”

  “Don’t tempt the Stars,” Finn muttered back, and the elf stopped talking. “We’re not out of here
yet.”

  He was moving as fast as he could to keep up with everyone, but his legs felt weak and wobbly. He could hardly breathe, and he’d probably pass out any second. But at least he was out of that cell.

  “Here come the guards,” Izzie said quietly.

  But Perdira/Tess was heading straight for the pack of guards that were running toward them, alerted of the escape by the wards. She showed no sign of slowing, and Finn assumed she had a plan for the guards and their swords.

  Perdira/Tess crossed her arms and then threw them out straight. The guards crashed against the walls and then dropped to the floor asleep.

  “Stars above, but I’ve missed having a body,” Perdira/Tess said, glowing a little brighter. “Keep up, people. We have things to do and I’ve got limited time.”

  “Where are we going?” Nat asked.

  “Where do you think, sister?” Perdira/Tess said.

  “I don’t know. That’s why I asked.” Nat sounded as if she were toning down her sass so that she wouldn’t upset Perdira.

  “It’s Friday night,” Perdira/Tess said, as if it were obvious.

  “And?” Nat prompted.

  “It’s the last day.”

  “So?” Nat glowered at Perdira/Tess.

  Finn grinned when he saw how Nat was clearly suppressing her temper.

  “We’re going to the Hundred Years Ball, of course,” Perdira/Tess finally said and then bounded up the stairs, her hard-soled boots clicking on the stone.

  Perdira/Tess seemed to tire of walking, a fact for which Finn was supremely grateful, as he was about to collapse. She stopped and closed her eyes.

  “Hang on,” she said, spreading her arms wide.

  “Hang on to what?” Isadore said, and he and Finn exchanged a nervous glance.

  With a gut-wrenching blast of magic, they were suddenly standing in Perdira’s lair in the wyrm tunnels. It was sumptuously appointed. Finn leaned heavily on the back of a red velvet settee, using it to make his way to a chair.

  Perdira flopped onto the couch and grinned at them.

  “Stars and Shadows, but this having a body is more amazing than I remember,” she said, glancing around at them all. “You should appreciate yours more.”