by Sarah Noffke
“I thought about that while you were off gallivanting on Earth” Monet slipped his hand into his robes and withdrew a bottle with dark green liquid sloshing inside it. “Although I had few resources and a Gnome who wouldn’t quit babbling, my extraordinary talents allowed me to mix a scrying potion.”
Azure’s mouth dropped open. If the potion worked, it would allow Azure to see Gran and talk to her if she was close to her own scrying bowl. Sometimes the potion was used for spying on others, to watch them and determine their circumstances, but if two people both had scrying potions then they could communicate.
“It’s impressive Monet, that you’re able to create such a complex potion under the present conditions. Maybe you will one day take Charmsgood’s role in Virgo as the Potions Master after all. But why did you make a scrying potion? Why?”
He dropped his eager smile, deflating. “Because you need to know how to find your father, and I’m guessing there’s a batty old woman back in Virgo who can tell you. I really did think of everything.”
There wasn’t much time for Gran to tell her how to find her father before she left. She told her where—the Land of Terran. Maybe she would know, or could tell her how to create a detection spell. She took the bottle from Monet. It didn’t look like the right color for a scrying potion, but at least she didn’t have to drink it. “Thank you, Monet. I really don’t know what I’d do without you,” she declared.
“Your life would be pathetically boring, I’m sure,” he assured her. “Now get the fuck out of here already. I’m going to get sloshed, and I can’t do that with you lingering about, all afraid to continue your death mission.”
Azure nodded, but didn’t much feel like saying goodbye. “Thanks, Ever. I really appreciate you helping me.”
“No problem. I’m always happy to help if the cause is righteous,” he said with a wink as he backed away. He turned and strolled for the trees, his figure slowly becoming indistinct.
“Gillian, I realize you’re meditating and really doing your best not to help at all, but I just want you to know that I appreciate your expertise and will never tell another living soul that you were at all helpful.” The Gnome was laid out with his hat covering his face.
He let out a loud, fake snore in reply.
“Okay, I’m off,” Azure said to Monet. His robes could use a wash, but she still hugged him. There was no one who understood her quite like Monet did, and leaving him felt wrong. It felt like leaving behind a part of herself. However, there were some things she needed to do alone, and she knew this was one of them. Being queen was a lonely job, and it started now.
“Dear Azure, please don’t make me have to risk my pretty face to save you,” Monet said, his chin still pressed into her shoulder. He pulled away and looked her straight in the eyes. “Go in there and do what you’ve got to do, but remember why you’re there. It’s because you’re meant to rule Virgo.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said, a tender smile on her mouth.
“Those brown eyes are tripping me out. When you return, I want you to get back your normal blue hair and bright eyes. No more of this drab human look,” he said.
“You got it,” Azure said and turned, leaving her best friend and the bag Gran packed for her behind. What she sought now resided in the Land of Terran.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Ever said that she had less than a mile to the gates of the Land of Terran. She exited the grove of trees where she’d left Gillian and Monet, and knew what Ever meant about the land bordering Terran. Her heart shattered when she spied the forest ahead. It looked as though a fire had ripped through this section, scorching the trunks of the trees and killing their roots. The leaves of all the trees were dead, hanging lifelessly from the branches.
As Azure neared the first trees, she reached out a hand to touch the trunk. The tree swayed slightly and turned to ash, scattering in the wind. Azure pulled her elbow to her face to protect it from the soot that whirled around her. The ground under her wedge heels was gray, and the dirt looked barren. Terrans did this. The energy was drained from this area of the forest.
In the Virgoan realm it was commonly understood that they used the resources of Oriceran, but also gave back to the planet. Land was used for crops, but not for more than a decade. It was given time to rest. For every tree cut down for building, two were planted. Often there were celebrations that fed the winds, rain, sun and moons. It was this type of lifestyle that kept the homes in Virgo small and the lifestyle simple. They didn’t live outside their means.
Azure wanted to cry, staring at this dead forest, but she didn’t dare risk tears for fear her makeup would wash off. She kept walking, almost meditating, trying to find a way to heal the plants around her as she passed them. Her magic could definitely be employed to grow new plants. There were many things she could do, but she’d risk depleting her magic. No, I might need it in the Land of Terran.
Azure’s eyes squinted against the sun filtering through the burnt trees ahead. Soon it would be dawn and she’d need to be inside the borders of the Land of Terran. The terrain ahead was hard to make out because of the sunlight in her eyes. She didn’t notice the hunched figure until she was already in the small clearing.
Phillip’s head turned to the side as he heard Azure approach behind him. He stood and whipped around to face her, his trench coat whirling behind him.
“What are you doing here?” Phillip demanded, his eyes dragging over Azure from head to toe. He had a chiseled jaw that matched his slicked-back and molded hair. In his hand he had a potion bottle half-full of crimson liquid. At his feet were seedlings, the only green in this section of the forest.
A potion? What was this human doing with a potion? Terrans didn’t buy such things from witches and wizards. Unless… Charmsgood’s dead body, mangled from the harpy attack, flicked into her head.
“I was taking a walk,” Azure told him, frustration crushing down on her. That’s the best I can do? A lame walk.
Phillip cocked his head to the side, skepticism written on his face. “You’re from Terran, correct?”
It’s the clothes! They’re working! Well, that, and I’m just outside their borders.
“Yes,” she said, sliding her hand to her hip and around to her back, to where her wand was stashed behind the waistband of her jeans.
“Then you know better than to be outside our borders. The rogue dryads could be out here,” Phillip warned, corking the potion bottle in his hand and slipping it into his coat.
“I was looking for a power source,” she explained, backing up with her wand in her hand behind her back. Is this Charmgood’s murderer? She remembered Ever saying that someone gave the Potions Master to the harpy. That was how it worked. An offering.
“We’re harvesting right now. If you were from Terran, you’d know that a source will be delivered to city center tomorrow,” Phillip said, his eyes narrowing.
Azure was on the verge of being outed before she’d even entered the Land of Terran. If this is Charmsgood’s murderer, I’ll take care of this and kill him here and now. He’s just another Terran, and they’re all selfish. I’ve known that since I was small. Never trust a human from Terran. No, I’m half human, Ever too. There has to be some good here, somewhere.
Phillip stood up to go back to Terran
“Where did you get that potion, and what are you doing with it?” Azure asked, looking at where the man had been hunched a few moments before. It was a regrowth potion, something only one wizard she knew could create.
“How do you know this is a potion?” Phillip asked, stepping forward.
“I guessed as much. Where did you get it?”
“Look, you’re not to tell anyone in Terran what you’ve seen here. What is your name?”
Azure shook her head. “I won’t. And my name is Candace,” she said, remembering the name on her fake identification. Candace Smith. If she could just stall for a minute, she might be able to place a memory enchantment on this man, wiping t
he encounter from his mind.
“I am Phillip, Duke of Terran. Candace, why don’t you come with me? I’ll escort you back into the Land of Terran, personally.” There was something wrong in the way he said it.
I’m not going anywhere with Charmsgood’s murderer. He’s dangerous. She took two large steps backward, shaking her head.
“No. Stay away from me,” she said.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s no way to speak to the Duke of Terran. You will be punished for this.”
The man held up a hand, but Azure didn’t wait to see what he’d do next. She yanked the wand from her pocket, making his eyes widen with shock.
“Paralizovati!” Azure yelled, a streak of bright light streaming from her wand, hitting the Duke between the eyes. He instantly froze in place, petrified. The paralysis spell wouldn’t last long. She turned and ran as fast as the platform shoes allowed. She wasn’t sure what sort of magic the man was about to use on her, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good. Her heart raced inside her chest as she sprinted away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Azure didn’t stop running until she was too breathless to keep going. If the Duke of Terran was behind the ancient wizard’s death, that probably meant the entire government was corrupt. It could be the emperor himself who was responsible for her mother’s sickness. The paralysis would only last for up to another fifteen minutes.
Heaving ragged breaths, Azure held her wand up and tried to focus. She placed her hand palm-up and conjured a wooden bowl. Something simple like a wooden object was easy to produce, although it wouldn’t last long. That’s why she uncorked the scrying potion Monet had made for her immediately. She emptied it into the wooden bowl and stirred the liquid with her wand as she repeatedly muttered a spell under her breath.
The green of the liquid faded and was replaced a moment later with a swirling purple that soon took the shape of a woman’s hair. A face came into view and smiled at her.
“What in the hell is wrong with your face, Azure?” Gran asked from the liquid’s surface.
“It’s called makeup, and don’t even get me started on my hair.”
“It’s atrocious. You look so ordinary. Are your eyes brown? Why would you want poop-colored eyes?” Gran asked, shaking her head of purple hair, cut into a bob.
“I have no idea. You don’t even want to know what I’m wearing.”
“I’m certain you’re right. Imagine my surprise when my scrying bowl called me and I find your face in it, looking as boring as an empty cauldron,” Gran marveled.
“Yes, thanks for asking if I’m all right. I was just nearly killed by Charmsgood’s murderer. I’ve been on Earth, and I almost ended up spending forever glued to a patch of pretty flowers,” Azure said.
“Charmsgood. Did you say he’s been murdered? Are you sure?” Gran asked, her wrinkles deepening from the horror on her face. Charmsgood was as old as she was, and had served their family as Potions Master for hundreds of years.
“I saw his body. He was attacked by a harpy. And I just ran into the Duke of Terran who was holding a restoration potion,” Azure said.
Anger overwhelmed Gran’s features, replacing the grief previously written on it. “Oh, dear me. I never liked that man. He’s no good. Stay away from him.”
“I paralyzed him,” Azure admitted.
“I told you to stay away from him and don’t draw attention to yourself,” Gran said, her image swaying slightly as Azure’s trembling hands caused the bowl of liquid to move.
“I didn’t mean to. I walked up on him while he was using a regrowth potion on the forest. Charmsgood is the only wizard around who knows how to make one, correct?”
“As far as I’m aware. And curious, since restoring the forest sounds like a good thing to do. Why would the Duke be doing such a thing?”
“Well, for one, the Terrans have pretty much killed this part of the Dark Forest. Also, I think he’s trying to get the rogue dryads off Terran’s back,” Azure explained, checking behind her to ensure she was still alone.
“Oh dear, this is sounding worse and worse all the time. No wonder they closed their borders to outsiders.”
“Gran, that’s not why I scried you. I need your help.”
“Oh, and by the way, your mother is livid about your and Monet’s disappearance. She doesn’t know where you are, though, and I won’t tell her. Two can play the secret game.”
“What did you tell her? You must have said something.”
“I did,” Gran told her proudly. “I told her that you and Monet had run off together because you were pregnant with his baby. She’s angrier than I’ve ever seen her.”
Azure actually laughed at that. “Thanks. I just puked in my mouth.”
“You’re welcome. I figured that it was the best lie to throw her off your scent. And since I knew that idiotic clown would accompany you on your travels, it was a great story.” Gran craned her neck, trying to see what was around Azure. “Where is that worthless piece of shit, by the way? I hope he didn’t get himself killed.”
“I left him with a Gnome. They’re getting drunk in a grove of trees.”
Gran nodded as if that made perfect sense. “So why did you scry me? I hope it wasn’t to just catch up, dear. That’s a waste of a scrying potion, and by the way, this one is fairly horrible. Your face keeps blurring.”
“Monet made it from leaves and dirt or something.”
Gran lifted a chiseled eyebrow, looking impressed. “Maybe you should breed with that boy.”
“Okay, that’s fine. I didn’t need to keep the contents of my stomach down anyway,” Azure said, shaking her head. Gran loved saying things that made her granddaughter sick. “Anyway, I need to ask you something. How can I find my father? The Land of Terran is fairly large, so I need a detection spell.”
There was a buzzing sound in the distance. It was faint, but growing louder.
“Yes, you ran out of here before I could help you with that. I’ve got a better solution than a detection spell. Azure, you’re half human, so tapping into that part of yourself will be the best way to find your father. Your soul stone is the key. You have to use human magic to have the soul stone lead you to him.”
“But I don’t know how to use my human magic,” Azure said. “I mean, I know I have to draw from the elements and use intention, but I—”
“It sounds like you do know how to use it,” Gran interrupted, cutting her off.
“Why can’t I use witches’ magic to have my soul stone lead me to my father?”
“Because you’re trying to find someone who is a part of you, and the best way to do that is to use his brand of magic. Using witches’ magic might just lead you back here.”
“Damn! That makes sense,” Azure said.
“Naturally. Now, if my ears aren’t deceiving me, I hear a horde of trevor beetles approaching. They’ve been getting closer since we started talking.”
“What are trevor beetles?” Azure asked.
“Nothing to worry about, unless they get any nearer. They usually travel in large swarms and can devour flesh in a relatively short time. However, if you get to a body of water, you can throw them off your scent,” Gran told her calmly.
“Are you kidding me?” Azure asked, wheeling around to see what was behind her. Nothing, but the buzzing was even louder.
“I never kid, and you should get out of there now. Time is running out.”
“Okay, thanks. This conversation was mildly helpful,” Azure said.
“You’re absolutely welcome, my dear child. Come back soon. I need your help picking out a gown for my birthday celebration,” Gran said.
“Yes, that’s my top priority. Love you, Gran.” Azure tossed the bowl and its contents to the ground and raced in the direction opposite the buzzing at her back.
She held up her wand as she ran, turning it into a dowsing rod to lead her to water. It twitched to the left, as Azure made a hard turn and sprinted in that direction. The air felt cooler
as she ran, a good sign that there was water close by—the one thing that could save her from the flesh-eating beetles.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Azure chanced looking over her shoulder and instantly regretted it. In that moment of distraction, the heels she was wearing caught on a root and she tumbled forward, meeting the dirt face-first.
“Think, think, think,” Azure sputtered as she negotiated her feet back under her. The buzz now rang in her ears—those trevor beetles were close. If she dared to turn around again, they’d be in view. Her mind raced over spells she could use to defend herself from the flesh-eating beetles. However, if Gran told her to run toward water, it was because that was the best solution.
Azure set off again, keeping her eyes on her feet as they moved over branches and roots. The only saving grace about this section of this barren forest was that the vegetation had dried up, making it easier to traverse. The wand in her hand twitched to the left again, and Azure followed it, sprinting around a boulder that looked more like a mound of ash. The humans had stripped everything from this part of the forest.
Once around the boulder, Azure’s heart leapt at the sight before her. There was a lake. It wasn’t like the ones that bordered Virgo. Full and nestled between rolling green hills. This lake was drying up, but the water still rolled up on ashen banks. Azure pulled off the wedge heels, wishing she’d thought of that earlier. She left them at the tree line and raced for the grayish green lake. The water lapped onto her feet as she reached the shore, but she didn’t stop there. She dove forward, swimming out until she couldn’t touch bottom.
The buzzing was almost deafening, but when she turned, the swarm of black beetles hovered by the tree line. They bounced in the air, looking like one beast rather than several hundred hungry insects. The swarm darted to the left several feet and then back again. The buzzing intensified, becoming practically deafening. Azure waded in the water, not fully breathing as she watched the swarm. She considered swimming farther into the lake, but the murky water wasn’t inviting like the clear waters in Virgo. Azure couldn’t see more than a few inches into the water. What lurks just under this water?