by Louisa Lo
“Who?” Gregory asked.
“The girl that I love,” Pedro replied, his voice took on a dreamy quality.
No, not the girl that Pedro loved, but the girl that his counterpart loved. Pedro was picking up not just visual images, but thoughts and feelings from him as well. That was important. It meant that with the help of Gregory, their connection was strong.
I tried not to think about the fact that this innocent crush would come to nothing, as his counterpart wasn’t destined to stay in Dualsing any more than I was. Even if we never interfered, all too soon this stranger would have the only life he knew ripped from him.
“Wait, all the stalls are overturned. There are apples and oranges rolling on the ground. Oh Hades, the ground itself is shaking. The market is deserted. I knew coming here it probably would be. But still I’m hoping to find her. Hoping she’s okay. I don’t know what to do if something happened to her.” Panic began to seep into Pedro’s voice.
These must be the strong earthquakes that Trust said Dualsing was experiencing.
“Pedro, can you give me some more descriptions? Something specific?” I would need that if I wanted to create a proper anchor to the plane.
“It’s early afternoon just like here on the vengeance plane. There’s a maypole in the center of the market. It’s lying on the ground now. Some of the ribbons are no longer attached to the maypole.”
“What color are the ribbons?”
“Purple and white.”
Maypole. Purple and white ribbons. That must be for the Malarinshu, a festival commonly celebrated in the Yogubo province. It was a far-fringe farming province southeast of the Mirage Palace. If Pedro’s counterpart was delivering produce to the market there, then his social standing in Dualsing was far lower than what Pedro enjoyed on the vengeance plane.
Fortunately, it would be a lot easier to enter Dualsing through a less guarded rural region than trying to barge right into the palace. I waved my hand over Gregory, Pedro, and I, clothing us in local attire that would help us blend in with the Dualsingians.
“Is there a storage area in the market? An enclosed structure of some kind?”
Pedro turned his head to the left and pointed. “There.”
“Describe it.” I pulled my magic around me. Gregory’s hand remained in contact with Pedro’s, while I shot out a hand and gripped Pedro’s shoulder. Through our connection, I felt Gregory lending Pedro not only the strength of his magic, but something else. Something he was trying to hide from us, but nevertheless palpable and powerful.
His compassion.
Megan was right in trusting Gregory. I had to remember to tell her that when I saw her again, even if I forgot the other things.
“It’s a small hut made of yellow brick and a red door,” Pedro continued with his description. “The door is half-closed. I can see buckets of cherries inside. Some buckets are on their sides. There is a thin layer of straw on the ground. That’s as much as I can see.”
That was enough. We were ready.
“Keep in your head the image of that hut. Imagine the fresh smell of the cherries as they rolled on the straw and bumped into each other,” I instructed Pedro. Then I closed my eyes, waving my free hand around to mentally “paint” the hut’s interior as Pedro had described it. “Gregory, close your eyes, too.”
When I was transported back to the vengeance world, I didn’t step through a portal to do so. I soldiered through the grand ball and fireworks that were supposedly being held in my honor. I was then escorted into a private chamber in the queen’s wing, which was fully decorated in anticipation for Deirdre’s return. At the stroke of midnight, with the Eye of Sebille around my neck, my surroundings simply dissolved and reshaped themselves from that of the Mirage Palace to the front of the Advocatus family estate.
My instinct told me that this would be the same manner in which I would go back to Dualsing now. The bond between the two switched children would be the anchor for transport, with Gregory and me tagging along for the ride.
When I got the details right, down to the color of the hut door and the slightly bruised surfaces of the cherries, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.
We were sitting on the floor of a small hut exactly as Pedro described, with straw underneath us but thankfully no crushed cherries. Gregory immediately waved a spell of invisibility around us. Not that we needed it, nor did we require Pedro’s ability to mask our energy signatures, after all. The hut, and the entire market, were practically deserted. There was only the ceaseless sound of wooden boxes and stalls as they rattled against each other while the never-ending quake continued. I could see several cracks on the wall—it was a miracle that the hut was still standing. Things were definitely worse here than on the vengeance plane.
“My counterpart is near. He’s searching the market for a sign of the girl he likes. He wants to make sure she’s alright. Should we go talk to him, Serafina?” Pedro lowered his eyes, sounding as if it was the last thing he wanted to do. He, too, knew what our arrival meant for his counterpart’s pursuit. If we intercepted him now, he might never find out what happened to his love.
“Let him go for now,” I said softly.
Gregory raised his eyebrow.
“There’s no use chasing after the kids one by one,” I added. “The spell I’m going to use to retrieve them encompasses all of them in one fell swoop. Our first step should be to get inside the palace.”
Here was to hoping that Pedro’s counterpart would be able to find his sweetheart and spend some time with her before they were pulled apart forever.
Gregory took a deep breath, testing the air. “The magic on this plane is older and very potent, but still follows the same pattern and style as any other magic I have encountered. I think we should be able to teleport on this plane like we normally could. At least to the boundary of the palace grounds.”
“I think I can do better.” I closed my eyes again, remembering what Eldon told me.
Find Trust and Alina when you get there. The Molten Amber will help, too, because they could sense my will in you…
I had no idea how to find Trust, all I knew was that he’d broken out of his prison. And there was no way for me to be sure if Alina was even in the palace when the quake started, given the new queen’s brutal rule. She could’ve been exiled along with her kind for all I knew. But the Molten Amber would most likely still be in the Mirage Palace, since it would be a monumental task to remove them from the very walls they were embedded in, and things that stayed out of sight and didn’t talk back had a way of flying under the radar.
Since arriving at Dualsing, I could hear the Molten Amber’s humming in my mind. It was faint at first, but growing stronger now. It was a sad song speaking of forced servitude and homesickness, amplified by the vibrations shaking the ground.
Eldon was right. They could feel his will through me, and they wanted to help.
An image of an alcove appeared in my mind. I recognized it as part of the Mirage Palace right away, as its floor and walls had a design using quartz and smooth white marble that was quite distinctive.
The alcove was screened off from the main hallway, offering a measure of privacy. I was grateful the Molten Amber had chosen it as I watched the tunnel open up in the palace.
I heard gasps from both Gregory and Pedro and opened my eyes.
There was now a tunnel opening in the hut. I knew that it would lead to the alcove I’d pictured in my mind. By invitation of the Molten Amber.
“Come on.” I grabbed Pedro by the hand and gestured for Gregory to follow us.
We took a single step in through the tunnel opening and walked out of the other end into the alcove. I was amazed the Molten Amber was able to get us past the palace’s heavy protection entirely. The Dualsingian, a race of thieves, were always so proud of their complex security system.
The Molten Amber, impregnated with countless palace secrets and political intrigues, were more powerful than anyone had anticipated, far beyond
their intended purpose of being nothing but pretty lights illuminating the halls. The powerful magic reminded me of Eldon’s original ambition in his befriending of these beings.
And what it took for him to give all that up.
“Thank you, Molten Amber.” I touched the wall lightly, respectfully.
I peeled back the screen covering the alcove and looked down the palace hall. The long corridor was deserted. Just as I remembered, instead of having natural light coming through windows, the walls gave off a soft dim glow as hundreds of thousands of Molten Amber lighted the way in the royal residence.
The very magic of the place seemed diminished somehow, and the tremors were stronger here than at the marketplace. There was a silent scream in the air, as if the palace itself was a sentient being in pain.
There was debris in the hall and damage to sections of the wall, those areas darkened, their glow snuffed out. I looked down the corridor and saw that were a good number of dark patches along the way.
It felt strange being back in the palace, a place I never thought I’d see again in my lifetime. It felt even stranger because it wasn’t at all how I’d remembered it.
“Should we even be here, Serafina?” As we moved out of the alcove, Pedro’s eyes kept darting around as if he expected a monster to lurk behind every column and drape. I couldn’t blame him. This was the first time he’d ever been on the soil of his own people, and he wasn’t exactly seeing the best of what it had to offer. Not to mention, if he was discovered on this trip he might be stuck here for the rest of his life. I admired his courage for wanting to be part of this despite his fear.
“We have to,” I stated. “But we should keep a low profile. I don’t think there are a lot of people around, but you never know.”
Make a deal with Deirdre if you have to. She can’t be trusted, but she’ll want to survive this so she’ll cooperate…
The operative words here being “if I had to.” It would be wise to avoid Eldon’s sister if we could. She was the foretold ruler of Dualsing. She was prophesied to rise to the challenge and make her people thrive. But it was never said how she was going to do it, or how many deaths she would cause.
Or who she would betray.
My eyes were drawn to a marble column that had fallen to the floor and cracked into several sections, exposing pieces of Molten Amber to the air. The Molten Amber had hardened, losing their natural fluidity. Their edges were turning a grayish, non-transparent color. My instinct told me they were dying, though I didn’t understand how. Maybe they couldn’t be in direct contact with air.
I needed to do something to help.
I picked up a smaller piece of the marble column and put the Molten Amber next to the still intact wall. The dying fragments immediately liquefied and joined their healthy brethren. I did the same with the other debris, with help from Pedro and Gregory for the heavier ones, until all the damaged Molten Amber on the column had rejoined the protective fold of their family. The wall grew bright with hundreds of Molten Amber as they lit up as one for a few seconds, then dimmed back, as if to express their collective gratitude.
“You’re welcome. I wish I could do more, but I’m in a hurry,” I murmured. “Eldon sent me here to do something very important. Do you know where Alina the Pixie might be?”
The Molten Amber lit up again and rearranged themselves into a straight line with an arrow, pointing toward one end of the corridor.
“Thank you again.”
We followed the light. At the end of the passage, the Molten Amber in that wall did the same and pointed us to the right direction again. They were acting like runway lighting, until we were practically sprinting just to keep up. But they winked out whenever we were near the presence of a passing Dualsingian, allowing us to conceal ourselves in time. It happened twice. We crossed paths with a young servant I had never seen before and a disenfranchised minor noble who handled security when I was living here. Both looked disheveled and hurried, and they didn’t notice us. From our hiding place, Pedro stared after them in a mix of fear, longing, and curiosity; they were the first of his kind he’d ever seen in his life.
We passed through a breezeway. Today, there were no unicorns grazing there, all of them having likely fled the palace. No wonder. The very magic of the palace felt vanquished. Unicorns were infamous for being avid chasers of good tidings. They went wherever fortune favored and had no loyalty toward any specific race or kingdom. They could bring additional prosperity to an already blessed place, but could also further weaken it upon their abandonment of it when times were bad.
We approached the east wing, an area that was not embedded with the Molten Amber at all. By then I already knew where Alina was. I had intended to go there after finding her anyway.
I gently touched the last wall that was still glowing. “We’ll go on from here. You have my gratitude.”
The Molten Amber grew bright and then winked out.
“Where are we going?” Gregory asked.
“The Observatory.” It felt like I’d worked there a millennium ago. Had it really been only a little more than a year? The dread of visiting it mixed with the anticipation of seeing my sweet pixie friend again.
“Is this where you used to track the changeling children?” Pedro asked.
I nodded, adding, “Yes. Though I didn’t understand at the time what I was looking at.”
The Observatory had a massive library with records on every changeling ever switched. Hopefully, it would shed some light on their counterparts who were currently still at Dualsing.
We passed a long row of unmarked wooden doors until we reached the last one. It would lead us up to a tower I knew only too well. At the top of the stairs was the door that opened to the Observatory. The thick walls and heavy drapes had been designed to block out as much light and sound as possible, so once we stepped into the Observatory an eerie quietness enveloped us. Slipping into my old habits, I walked as lightly and quietly as possible. I could hear Gregory and Pedro doing the same, their footfalls becoming almost imperceptible.
The dome-shaped ceiling, usually bright with mesmerizing lights outlining the maps where changelings had been placed, was dark and dormant, leaving us fumbling in the dark.
Here in the hushed silence, the chaos of the earthquake was but a distant memory, the floors here were still. Ironically, after finally getting used to the constant vibration, my body felt off balance.
The Observatory must have been built to withstand a lot of stress and damage. This made sense since it hosted the means of tracking one of Dualsing’s most valuable assets—the children that it sent out to the world to steal for them.
“Alina,” I whispered, desperately hoping that the Molten Amber was right, and my longtime friend and companion was close by.
It didn’t take long for that wish to be granted. A streak of light made a beeline toward me like a cannonball on fire; its speed was only surpassed by the mad string of chatter that accompanied it.
“OhSerafinaisitreallyyouImissedyousomuchhowhaveyoubeenIthoughtIwouldneverseeyouagain!”
“Slow down.” I laughed, having said those exact same two words to her as I’d done every time I came in here in the past. Tears ran down my face as the little pixie dropped the lantern in her hands on the closest surface and smacked face-first onto my upper arm, recovered, did a somersault and went back for another hug. With my wet cheek this time. Then she did a happy dance with a series of gravity-defying pirouettes, then dive bombed me with a kiss on the other cheek.
“Serafina. I’m. So. Glad. To. See. You.” Alina struggled to slow down her words despite her excited emotions. “I’ve been hiding here for a long time waiting for you.”
“I missed you, too, my friend.” I sniffled. Then her words sank in. “Did you say you’ve been hiding here?”
She nodded. “From the queen. Things haven’t been well for my kind since her return. Then the earthquakes hit and the queen tried to capture all the minor magical creatures and suck out their pow
er to fight the shakes. My ma and her sisters left while they still could. Even Mr. Lichen left. I stayed behind because Trust told me I’d be of use to you. He said to wait for you here.”
“Alina.” I was touched by the little pixie’s loyalty. She could have escaped, but she risked staying for my sake.
I didn’t know what to say, but she seemed to understand and said, “Don’t worry about it. Trust said I could help, and I want to help.”
“Speaking of Trust, do you know where he is now?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No idea. The dragon was being all secretive.”
Alina’s eyes widened when she took in Gregory and Pedro behind me. She sniffed at the air, flew close to my left ear and whispered, her voice fearful, “What are they? One smells like a Dualsingian, but different. The other one has such a stern note to his magic, and yet so…so…”
“Familiar in a way?” I guessed. “Did he remind you of me?”
She tugged at my earlobe twice. I took that as a double yes.
“Alina”—I pointed at Gregory—“this is Gregory. He’s a vengeance demon, just like me. Our race is the guardian of the Cosmic Balance.”
I bit my lip, preparing myself for Alina’s reaction. What would she think of my true identity?
Alina merely nodded. “You and I had always suspected that there was something different about you, didn’t we? After you left I learned that you’re not a Dualsingian, but frankly I don’t care what you really are. You’ll always be my friend.”
I beamed at her. Deep down that was always my fear—that my long-time companion would turn away from me in horror or disgust if she ever found out who I really was. I couldn’t tell her how much her acceptance meant to me.
Alina greeted Gregory. “Nice to meet you, Gregory.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Gregory replied in kind.
“And do you remember the book of Eglantina-Six?” I asked Alina.
“How could I not? It was our last assignment together.” As small as her eyes were compared to mine, I swear I could see tears sparkle in hers. “And Trust explained to me the true function of the Observatory.”