by S. M. Boyce
Audrey snapped her head up, eyes shifting back into focus as she followed Victoria’s line of sight. She pulled her hand out of her pocket and the glow faded. “You’re right, Victoria. We need to do something.”
Surprised, Victoria frowned. “Seriously? You agree? What about the whole ‘you don’t owe this city shit’ spiel you gave me last time?”
Audrey shrugged, arms crossed. “I was wrong. You already proved that to me.”
Deep in Victoria’s gut, a warning bell sounded. Something was off, and while Audrey wasn’t necessarily lying, she was hiding something.
Something big.
An unfamiliar feeling hit Victoria hard in the chest, and she ached at the sensation. It was almost a sense of loss or betrayal, but through it all she felt sadness. In her quest to kill Luak and train as hard as possible so she could beat him, she had all but ignored Audrey.
It clicked for her: she missed Audrey. Aside from the occasional Berserk practice or rare time at the dinner table together, they didn’t spend much time just hanging out anymore. In fact, the most time they had spent together lately was when they had killed the snarx.
Audrey had never kept anything from her before. They had told each other everything, but now it was clear that Audrey had a secret—something significant she felt she couldn’t share. And that was wholly Victoria’s fault. She had left Audrey pretty much alone.
The city might have needed Victoria’s help, but she owed her friend more.
CHAPTER 6
Audrey was careful to keep her eyes peeled on her way home. She had stayed behind to train with Bertha after Victoria headed back to the house to come up with a plan. While most of the city were scared of whatever darkness plagued them, Audrey and Victoria could handle themselves.
Grinning, Audrey fiddled with the magic stone in her pocket. She could definitely handle herself now that she had secret magic that could create sparks and feed her energy. Part of her ached to use it, even wished she would run into a creature so that she could discover the true capacity of these crystals’ magic.
But she knew better. She shouldn’t invite danger into her life just to play with power she didn't understand.
Aside from a few shifty glances from strangers she passed in the street, nothing notable happened on her way home. No attacks. No eerie sensations.
Bummer.
As she closed the front door behind her, the homey aroma of cooking pasta captured her attention. She smiled and followed her nose into the kitchen, to find Victoria ferociously stirring a pot while Styx sat on the edge of the counter kicking his tiny legs.
Oh.
“You’re stress-cooking,” Audrey said.
Victoria laughed. “What, I can't do something nice for my friend?”
Audrey crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow, giving her friend a once-over. “I've known you since middle school. You only cook when you're stressed out about something. Spill.”
Victoria’s shoulders drooped, and she put a bowl filled with some kind of creamy sauce on the counter. “Just eat my food.”
Audrey chuckled and sat at the table. “If you insist.”
Victoria set a banquet on the table, everything from spaghetti and meatballs to a tray of dumplings. Starchy, carb-filled goodness.
Audrey grabbed two plates from the cupboard. “Oh man, V. Are you trying to make me fat?”
Victoria chuckled. “Maybe.”
With no one to bother them and the evening to themselves, they tucked into the feast. Audrey lost count of how many dumplings she ate. Each one tasted better than the last. “How can you be so good at making food when you only stress-cook?”
“I’m going to let you figure that one out, genius.”
Audrey laughed. “Well, let’s not think about stressful things.”
Victoria chewed slowly on one of the dumplings and leaned back in her chair. “That rules out Fyrn.”
“Yeah, no kidding. If he ever smiled, I’d check to see if someone was wearing a Fyrn mask.”
Victoria laughed. “He’s better than Diesel. My God, that wizard is insufferable.”
“Because he’s arrogant, or because he thinks you’re soul mates?”
“Yes.”
Audrey laughed and batted her eyes, doing her best to imitate Diesel’s baritone. “Victoria, my truest amour, if I badger you enough perhaps I’ll wear down your defenses and you’ll fall madly in love with me!”
Victoria threw a piece of spaghetti at Audrey’s head. Audrey tried to catch it in her mouth, but the noodle splatted on her face. They chuckled.
Audrey reached for another dumpling, even though her stomach felt as though it would explode. “These things are addictive.”
“No kidding. Bertha taught me the recipe and I can’t stop making them.” Victoria popped another in her mouth.
“If we’re too fat to protect Fairhaven, it’s her fault.”
“Basically.”
The girls lounged in their seats, arms draped over the armrests and feet resting on the other chairs around the table.
Audrey resisted the impulse to grab another dumpling, mostly because it would require moving. “So, say we kill Luak. It’s done. We’re free from the need for revenge, and Fairhaven’s free from his control. What’s next?”
“For you? You should go home to your family and go to college. I’ll give you my fortune. You go start the next big company that sells for billions.”
Audrey laughed. “As fun as that sounds, we’ve been over this. I’m not leaving you, Victoria.”
A thin smile crept onto Victoria’s face, and it warmed Audrey’s heart. It was thanks enough. Victoria didn’t have to say a thing.
“Well, if you stay here with me, at least we’ll live comfortably.” Victoria gestured to the grand house.
“Are you used to being rich yet?”
Victoria snorted. “Hell, yeah. I love it, but I won’t forget where I came from. It’s just a tool to make our lives easier.”
“Much easier.”
Victoria laughed and tossed a dumpling at Audrey this time, which she caught effortlessly in her mouth.
“What will you do?” Audrey prodded.
With a happy sigh, Victoria settled back in her chair. “Stay here. Take care of Fairhaven. Maybe usurp the throne.”
Audrey laughed. “The important thing is to set achievable goals.”
They chuckled, and in that moment everything was perfect. It was like when they had gotten together in Victoria’s empty house for sleepovers while her parents were on assignment. Just the two of them, and loads of food.
Those had been good times. Too bad Audrey had to ruin the mood. “Tell me why you’re stressed, Victoria.”
“I’m not—”
Audrey caught her friend’s eye and quirked her brow, daring Victoria to finish the lie.
“Ugh. Yes, fine. I’m stressed out.”
“That's understandable. But don't worry, we'll figure something out. We'll find whatever's attacking people—”
“It's not that,” Victoria interrupted.
Audrey hesitated, squinting a bit in confusion. “So what's going on?”
Victoria bit her lip, shaking her head as she stared out the kitchen window. “A lot is going on. Too much. It’s been two months since my parents died, and I’m no closer to killing Luak. I've been training hard, but my body can only take so much. I'm not strong enough to wield the Rhazdon Artifact as it should be used. Fyrn's looking for a spell that can make me stronger, but I'm not optimistic.”
“Victoria, we’ll figure it out.”
Victoria sighed. “That’s not even the worst part, Audrey.”
Audrey waited for Victoria to continue, heart skipping beats as she nervously wondered what was coming next.
“I’ve been ignoring you,” Victoria finally said.
“What?”
“Except for little moments here and there, I’ve completely ignored you lately, and I’m sorry. I’ve been so caught up in revenge an
d bloodlust that I haven’t spent time with you. I’m gone every day, and Bertha works most of the time. She can’t train you constantly. You must be bored to tears.”
Audrey was a bit confused. She didn't quite know how to take this. On one hand, Victoria was absolutely right. She had left Audrey to her own devices. On the other hand, the jealousy within Audrey burned brighter every day, and she wished with all her heart she could lock it away.
“I think you're being too hard on yourself,” Audrey said.
“I don't,” Victoria said softly.
Audrey laughed. “What on Earth has you feeling so guilty?”
Victoria studied Audrey for second, and the intensity made her squirm. It was like she knew something Audrey didn't—and Audrey didn't like that one bit.
“Do you still trust me?" Victoria eventually asked.
“Of course.”
“Then why are you hiding something from me?”
If Audrey had been drinking something she would've spit it out from sheer surprise. Victoria knew. Somehow, someway, Victoria knew.
“Victoria... ” Audrey didn’t know what to say. She rubbed her neck, searching for the words to make this right.
Someone banged on the front door, and Audrey couldn't help but be grateful for the interruption. At first Victoria didn't budge. She didn't even look at the door, keeping the full weight of her gaze focused on Audrey.
“I'll get it,” Audrey said. She hurried to the front door and swung it open, to find a small creature hovering in the doorway. It was no more than two inches tall, and looked like a very tiny human with long brown hair and rapidly humming wings that had faintly green coloration.
“I must speak with Victoria Brie at once,” the fairy said, her voice high-pitched.
The tap of boots in the hallway meant Victoria had heard. Seconds later, she appeared beside Audrey and shook her head. “I'm a little busy.”
“Fyrn needs to speak with you at once,” the little fairy said.
“He can wait.”
“Please, Miss Brie, I urge you to hurry. He said you will want to hear what he has to say.”
Victoria sighed, one hand on her hip as she stared into the distance, no doubt weighing the pros and cons of interrupting the conversation she had started with Audrey. “Fine. Tell him I'm coming.”
The fairy bowed and darted off. Victoria slammed the door and stared at Audrey.
To fill the silence, Audrey nodded toward the door. “Do you think he found the strength spell he was looking for?”
Victoria shrugged. “I doubt it. I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but my gut says it’s not possible.”
Audrey ran her hand through her hair, unsure what to say. “Look, I don’t... I’m not sure how to... ”
Victoria lifted a graceful hand to silence Audrey and shook her head. “You don't have to tell me anything. That's what being friends is all about—you never have to do anything. At least not with me. I’m just... Well, Audrey, I’m hurt, that's all. I'm hurt that you don't trust me enough to tell me what's going on, but maybe I deserve it for not being here for you lately. But here’s the thing: I will always be there for you: to help you, to listen, to give you whatever you need. I'm sorry if I’ve been a terrible friend.”
With that Victoria opened the door and took off into the street, leaving the door ajar so as not to slam it in Audrey's face. Styx flew after her, moving so fast he was nothing but a white and brown blur. As Audrey watched her friend head toward Fyrn's house, she wondered if she was doing the right thing by keeping her new magic a secret. Victoria probably wouldn't be jealous. She would probably celebrate with Audrey, do everything she could to help Audrey learn to control this magic she channeled through the white stones.
But that deep, dark voice in Audrey’s soul warned her to be silent. This was deadly magic, coveted magic, and all who knew of it were at risk.
CHAPTER 7
About twenty minutes after the fairy left Victoria's door, Victoria sat in Fyrn’s living room with a cup of tea in her hands. Apparently as confused as she, Styx sat on her shoulder and mimed drinking his own imaginary cup of tea each time she took an awkward sip.
Sitting in Fyrn’s living room was freaking weird. He usually beat her with sticks and spells, so having him hand her a cup of tea told her that something was wrong.
Either he had been possessed by very a polite demon, or he was about to give her very bad news.
Time to get on with it. “What's going on, Fyrn?”
With a deep sigh, he sank into his armchair. “Luak has been murdering Rhazdon hosts. I know of eight confirmed kills, three of whom were Rhazdon hosts, and that's just in the last two months. I don't know what he was doing before he came after your parents, but I suspect he's been at this for a while. He's taking their Rhazdon Artifacts, and I don't know what he's doing with them.”
Victoria gritted her teeth so hard pain shot up her jaw and down the back of her neck. The teacup trembled, but not from fear—she was seconds away from shattering it with her tightening grip.
Fyrn grabbed the cup, tea sloshing over the lip as he set it on the table. “Luak is not in Fairhaven. I suspect he's after yet another host. He’s collecting Rhazdon Artifacts, Victoria, and that is very bad for you.”
“Bad for me?! It's bad for the entire city. He wants Fairhaven, and if he has a lot of artifacts on his side I don't know how we’re going to stop him!”
The barest hint of a smile played on Fyrn's lips, but Victoria didn't know what was funny. “This is serious, Fyrn! Are you laughing?”
He shook his head. “Not laughing. I'm merely impressed.”
Victoria leaned back in her chair, shock overcoming her anger. “I don’t think you've ever said those words to me before.”
“Sure I have.”
“Nope.” She crossed her arms defiantly.
He shook his head. “Face it, Victoria. I just told you that your sworn enemy is amassing enough power to kill you, and the first thing you think of is protecting the city. That's not what most Rhazdon hosts would think.”
“We've established that I'm not like most Rhazdon hosts.”
“That you are not, Victoria.”
She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and leaned her elbows on her knees. “So what's his plan? Amass enough power through the Rhazdon Artifacts to take over the city by force? Do you think the attacks and murders on the streets are his doing?”
Fyrn nodded. “He wants Fairhaven, there's no doubt about that. I absolutely believe the attacks in the streets are at least in part his responsibility, but I don't think he's acting alone. I think he's doing this on someone's orders.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Before you faced the snarx, I received word that one of the Rhazdon Artifacts he took was a dragon amulet. This particular object is very obvious when it's attached to a body, but I did not see him wearing it when he tried to goad you into attacking him on the balcony after you killed the monster. This particular artifact is very powerful, and it would be very tempting for any Rhazdon host to wear.”
“What does it do?”
Fyrn gave her a stern look over the bridge of his nose, and Victoria rolled her eyes. The look answered her question…she would never know.
“Therefore, it’s safe to assume he's collecting Rhazdon Artifacts,” Fyrn continued, taking control of the conversation once more.
She bit her lip. “Even worse, if you are right, he's collecting them for someone else. Someone strong enough to control him.”
Fyrn nodded. “For the moment we need only worry about him. But in the future, I think we will face much stronger foes.”
“Wonderful,” Victoria said, slumping in her chair. With no room to sit on her shoulder anymore, Styx fluttered into the air and blew a raspberry at her.
Fyrn stroked his long white beard. “What I'm not entirely sure I understand, though, is why he's going after Fairhaven only now.”
“Why is he going after it at all?”
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“Fairhaven is powerful, Victoria. The crystals surrounding the city have been thriving for tens of thousands of years without any influence from Oriceran at all. There is as much magic here as it is possible for a kemana to hold. It has massive reserves of energy, and it's only going to get stronger with time. I'm quite certain that whoever controls Fairhaven will become not just powerful, but immensely wealthy when Oriceran and Earth reconnect.”