I watched a minute-long clip of Zack’s weather report. At the end, he gave a brief shout-out to me. “…I wanted to give a huge thanks to Dr. Olive Kennedy. Without her, I wouldn’t be here giving you this forecast today. Have a great weekend, everyone.”
The video ended.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“No offense, but really? I mean, it’s nice that he thanked me, but couldn’t you have just texted me the link or something?”
“Ah, yes, but you see, that was only the beginning. Here, watch this one.” He clicked a few more buttons before spinning the screen to face me. Zack Zimmerman appeared on the screen once again in an interview with a local news anchor, Tracy McKennick.
“I didn’t believe in Fairy World at first either,” Zack said, “but when I started having all those symptoms Dr. Kennedy talked about, I knew there had to be something to it. I mean, I was having real problems, things that affected my life. I didn’t want to live anymore.”
“What changed?” Tracy asked.
“Well, Dr. Kennedy helped me. She didn’t just give me pills and tell me to deal with it—she actually cured me. She showed me the truth of my past. I guess that’s what I want people to understand. Sure, her claims are hard to believe at first, but once you understand what she’s offering, she’ll make a difference in your life. She did in mine.”
The video clip ended. “Look at this,” Dr. Hill said. “This is what I really wanted to show you. Look how many views.” He scrolled down and pointed to a number on the screen. My mouth gaped.
“Half a million views? Are you serious?”
“Yes, and this was just posted a few weeks ago.”
My head spun. I’d being struggling to find clients for years. More importantly, I’d wanted people to take me seriously. It was finally happening. And the timing couldn’t have been worse.
“I haven’t even told you the best news yet,” Dr. Hill said. “This morning, I opened my email to find almost three hundred requests for your services. That’s phenomenal, Olive. Unheard of, really. It’s certainly never happened before.”
“Wow. I’m sort of speechless.”
“I thought you might be.” He closed his laptop with a click, then looked up at me. “When can I schedule the first session? You’re going to be very busy, so I thought we should start scheduling appointments now.”
“Oh.” My heart sank. “See, the thing is, I’m going out of the country again. I’m leaving tonight.”
“Tonight?”
I nodded.
“But you can’t leave now.”
“I know, but I have to. If I don’t leave now, really bad things will happen.”
“What sort of things?”
I cleared my throat. “Like world-ending things.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I’m really sorry, but I can’t do this. I have to go, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Possibly never.”
“Olive, you can’t be serious.”
“I wish I weren’t.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand. Getting clients and sorting out this business has been your only goal since I met you. You’re more determined and focused than anyone I’ve ever worked with before. You’ve worked too hard just to quit now.”
“I’m not quitting. You’re right. I’m determined to see my clients get the help they need, no matter what, but some things are more important.” Like stopping that asteroid.
Silence filled the room.
“Well,” Dr. Hill said. “This certainly comes as a surprise.” I heard the disappointment in his voice. “You know how important this is, and not just for your career, but for all those people out there who need help—the kind of help only you can give them.”
“I know.”
“Is there any way I can convince you to reconsider?”
“No, not right now. But I’ll do my best to be back soon. I promise.” I wasn’t sure why I’d said it. Maybe if I believed it enough, it would come true.
“Olive, is this really you? I thought you would have been elated. How can you leave now?”
“It’s not my first choice, believe me. You have no idea how much I want to help them all, but I must leave. I really don’t have a choice.”
“There’s nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?”
I shook my head.
He studied my face, as if he wanted to question me further. Instead, he stood. “Then I’ll wait for you to return. I can’t say that I’m not disappointed. Please do hurry back.”
“I’ll do my best.”
He gave me a curt nod, and then left the apartment without another word, shutting the door quietly behind him. I stared after him, feeling my stomach grow sour. What I’d wanted for my entire adult life had happened, and I’d just said no. The irony was enough to make me sick.
I stood and crossed into the kitchen, trying to distract myself with something else. It had the opposite effect. Trying to put our conversation out of my mind only made me think about it more. Curse my rotten timing. One day, I would get things right. Once I did, the only thing I would have left to complain about would be the hairballs Han left on the carpet.
Three-hundred potential clients. That was at least triple the previous clients I’d had. Ever.
So far today, I’d failed to find a solution for stopping a massive asteroid and doomed three-hundred people to continue living lives full of misery. I was tempted to ask what else could go wrong, but I knew better. Rotten luck seemed to be my fate, which brought me back to one conclusion about today’s events… Fate sucked.
Chapter Two
Night came too quickly. I watched the sunset through the window, feeling my anxiety make my stomach churn as the sun’s last rays disappeared from the sky. Tonight, I would attempt to return to Faythander. The prospect of creating a stable portal was daunting. If I succeeded, I got to see Kull once again. If I failed, I’d be dead before the journey to retrieve the legendary sword even started.
Turning away from the window, I grabbed my backpack and stuffed some clothes inside. I had no idea what to expect on this quest—if I even made it to Faythander in one piece—but I had a feeling this would be the hardest journey yet.
There was a reason no one had heard of the third world. It was because no one had ever returned from it and lived to tell about it.
My phone rang while I was in the middle of putting out a few extra scoops for Han. It was Brent’s ringtone, White and Nerdy. I’d planned to change the tune after we’d broken up, but had never gotten around to it. Now that Brent and I were sort-of friends, it stayed because the song still made me laugh.
“Hey,” I said as I answered the phone, propping it against my shoulder as I poured dry kitty kibbles into the bowl.
“Hi, Olive.”
“Why are you calling?” I asked.
“Because I figured you needed something,” he said, “so I decided to call in advance before you could start bugging me.”
“That’s totally untrue. I don’t need anything.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Why are you calling?” I repeated. “For real, this time.”
“All right, fine. I wanted to tell you something.”
“Tell me what?” I asked.
“I’ve got a surprise.”
“Okay, what’s the surprise?”
“Well, you remember last fall when that fiasco with the murders happened at the Ren Fest?”
“Yeah, I remember. Kinda hard to forget being tied up in a cabin with a homicidal monster as your captor.”
“See, that’s the thing. After all that supernatural stuff happened, Detective Rapier wanted answers, but no one could give him any. Except me. So, with a little prodding, he set up a paranormal investigations unit led by yours truly.”
“Paranormal investigations? What could you possibly be investigating? Rogue fairies trapped on Earth?”
“Exactly.”
“And how many fairies have you caught?”
“Don’t knock it, Olive. You know what kind of damage that creature did at the Ren Fest. Who’s to say it wouldn’t happen again?”
“Fine, maybe it could happen again. But creatures from Fairy World rarely cross over and cause the kind of damage the bloodthorn did. I just hope this is worth your time.”
“It will be. At least, I hope so. Aren’t you going to congratulate me on my new position?”
“Sure. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“Before you hang up, could you do me a favor?” I asked.
He laughed. “I knew it! What do you need this time?”
“Watch my cat for me? I’m leaving again.”
“For how long?”
“Good question. Possibly indefinitely.”
“Indefinitely? If you’ll be gone that long, maybe I should just adopt the thing.”
“He’s not a thing; he’s a cat. And thank you in advance. Han and I appreciate your charity. The key is under the doormat.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll come check on him in the morning.”
After exchanging good-byes, we hung up.
I stared at my phone. Brent and I got along so much better now that we weren’t dating, which made me realize I should have just been friends with him a long time ago. He still made me mad sometimes, but at least he got me. Plus, there weren’t a lot of people around clamoring to be my friends.
Han nudged my hand as I replaced his cat food under the counter. I scratched his ears, feeling nerves flutter in my stomach.
“I’ll see you again, Han, old buddy. I promise I’ll come back.” But it felt like a lie. This time, I wasn’t sure I would make it back alive.
I stood and crossed to my bedroom, then grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. After grabbing my temporary mirror case out of a drawer, I placed it on top of my dresser.
I wasn’t sure if I should cringe or laugh as I scanned my new mirror. I’d found it at the dollar store after a frustrating day of trying to create a new mirror box with no success. I’d bought it because it was absurd and to remind myself that it was temporary.
The plastic box was pink with the name BARBIE scrolled on the top. Inside was a foam liner that had once held five nail polish bottles. I’d cut the foam to make larger slots. Now, it held my five figurines that represented the races of Faythander: Dragon, elf, Wult, pixie, and goblin.
After unlocking the latch, I opened the lid. “You’re fabulous! Inside and out!” sang to me in a bubble-gum voice as I propped the lid open.
As I said, temporary solution. Extremely temporary. It had a mirror under the lid and was the perfect size for my figurines, so it worked. For now.
Scanning my figurines, I found the Wult and removed it from the foam, then propped it upright against the mirror. I needed to get to the Wultlands, and this would be the easiest way to do so.
I ignored the glittery scrolling along the edges of the mirror and focused on the glass. Taking a deep breath, I paused before touching my fingers to the mirror.
Months ago, the portals had started acting erratically. I’d thought the problem had been solved after we’d restored the fairies’ stone, but when I’d returned to Earth four months ago, the portal had almost torn me apart. I’d gotten several stitches in my abdomen because the crossing had been so violent. Since then, I hadn’t once been able to open a portal, but tonight, I had no choice. I needed to return to Faythander before the equinox, and I had one thing in my favor—I hadn’t tried opening a portal with my new Barbie box yet.
Here’s to hoping my luck improved, I thought. Then again, this was my luck we were talking about. Yeah, probably not.
Carefully, I placed my fingertips to the screen, inhaled a deep breath, and then conjured the word to open the portal.
Magic flowed from my heart, through my arms and hands, and into the mirror. Gold and amber swirls licked like fire over my skin as the magic interacted with the mirror, mingling with the blue glow coming from the plastic case.
The power grew inside me as the portal opened. Wind swirled around me until the room disappeared and I floated in a void. Voices came from somewhere. Soft whispers. Among them was a familiar one. The cold, detached voice of Theht.
I am here. I am waiting.
I’d gotten better at tuning her out, but being in a place like this, between worlds, made it almost impossible to keep her away.
Soon, we shall destroy the world together. Deathbringer.
The wind grew stronger and faster, wrapping around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. It compressed me until I couldn’t breathe. Pain coursed through my nerve endings as the pressure weighed me down. I felt as if I’d been buried under millions of tons of sand.
I cried out, but couldn’t hear my voice over the wind. Tears leaked from my eyes. I felt their warmth on my cheeks. In a desperate attempt to survive, I focused on the magic within me, unleashing every ounce, pouring it into the portal to keep it steady.
I thought for sure I was dead when I hit the ground. I landed awkwardly, my shoulder and hips taking the brunt of the impact. My mirror, on the other hand, made a graceful landing in a pile of leaves beside me.
I lay on the ground, panting for air, staring at the faded blue sky through the patchwork of branches with budding green shoots.
“Never again,” I muttered between gasps. Next time, I would find a Viking ship and cross through an underground ocean filled with man-eating sea-snakes before using a portal. “Never. Again.”
On the bright side, at least I’d finally made it back to Faythander. The ninety-nine-cent investment into the Barbie mirror wasn’t such a bad buy after all. Gritting my teeth, I sat up, trying to ignore my aching shoulder and hip. After replacing the mirror in my bag, I stood and walked down a narrow trail. Leaves and twigs snapped under my feet as I stared around the forest. Flower buds sprouted from the tree branches, bringing a splash of color to the world. When I crested a hill, the trees thinned.
Below me, and far in the distance, the towers of the Wult keep rose above the forest. The gray stones reflected the sunlight. My heart leapt with excitement and nervousness.
Kull was most likely down there. I hadn’t seen him in four months, though I’d dreamed of him plenty. Sometimes I would wake up and think I was back in Faythander, only to remember I was on Earth without him. I thought of him constantly. Although we were engaged, we were still distant. But that was about to change. I was here now, and I would find him soon.
I descended the hill and kept my eyes on the towers. Occasionally, it was impossible to see them through the trees’ canopy, but when a clearing appeared, I spotted them once again and made my way toward the castle.
As I neared yet another clearing, I heard voices.
“—thrust forward, toward me. No, not like that. Toward me!”
I found a gap in the tree branches and looked out over the clearing. Kull and Rolf practiced swordplay in the grassy field. My heart leapt at the sight of the Wult king. He’d removed his shirt and wore only a pair of black pants. His muscles flexed as his sword clashed with Rolf’s. I stood, fixed to the spot where I stood, unable to take another step. Sunlight gleamed on his skin, highlighting the bumps and ridges of his well-defined arms, torso, and back.
It couldn’t be possible that I was engaged to him. Could it? I’d never had great luck with relationships. In fact, I’d always had really rotten luck. I had to physically pinch my arm to make sure I was actually standing here looking at the man who’d pledged his heart to me.
I waited a moment more, enjoying the view. He must have been spending a lot of time outdoors, as the sun had tanned his skin a deeper shade of bronze. His hair, which he’d pulled back into a low ponytail, had also been bleached by the sun and had grown longer. Heat welled inside me as I stood watching him. I wanted him so badly, but we’d never been intimate. Having a piece of Theht invading my consciousness had made me push him away. But was
I ready now?
Theht still bothered me, and even if she wasn’t part of the picture, I knew I had other deep-rooted issues that I needed to sort out, but right now, none of it seemed to matter. Four months of solitude had done something to my head. I’d always wanted him, but the feeling had grown stronger. Resisting him now would be almost impossible.
But I would have to, because he’d informed me that he was hearkening back to the teachings of the old ways, and he wanted to do things properly—like wait to have sex until we were married.
If that was the case, then he’d better be ready to marry me soon, because I was certain I couldn’t last much longer.
I tromped out of the woods and entered the clearing. As I did, Kull and Rolf looked up.
Kull dropped the sword, his mouth slacking open.
“Olive?” he breathed. He stood, staring at me without moving.
I stopped several paces away from him. His eyes, that same glacier blue I’d seen in my dreams for the past four months, locked with mine. He crossed the distance between us and grabbed me in his arms, lifting my feet off the ground.
“It’s you?” he asked.
“Yes, of course it’s me. Who else would it be?”
His skin smelled of the sun and the calming scent of sandalwood. I cupped his cheeks in my hands, staring into his eyes, my fingertips brushing over a hint of stubble. He held me gently, not like in the past, but with more reverence, as though he couldn’t believe it was really me.
He breathed heavily, his chest pressed against mine, his body warm and alive, soothing my fears. Theht’s presence shied back, and I imagined I couldn’t even feel her there. He’d always had that effect on the goddess.
“I thought you might’ve been lost or worse. Why didn’t you return sooner?”
“I tried, but something is wrong with the portals. I suspect the asteroid is interfering with their magic. Plus, since I lost my mirror box, I wasn’t able to create a replacement that actually worked until now. I’m sorry I didn’t come back sooner.”
He nodded, still staring at me as if he couldn’t believe I was here.
“It’s been too long,” he said.
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