by Sarah Noffke
“Of course. I only meant—”
“You only meant to be quiet,” Ever told her, as he checked over his shoulder, probably for the real Ms. Lennox. “Change her hair to blonde and give her beach waves. Don’t listen to a word she says. She’s still on painkillers from the surgery.”
The lady nodded and led Azure to a chair that moved up and down. She remained completely silent as things were done to her.
“What the fuck have you done to me?” Azure asked, pulling a blonde strand in front of her face and eyeing it.
“It’s called blonde, and you look great,” Ever reassured her.
“My hair should be blue!” she insisted.
“And blue hair is only for witches and not humans. In the Land of Terran—”
“I am human, though,” she said, cutting him off.
“Yes, but the witch in you rules your features. You’ve got the strange light blue eyes of a witch, and the hair to match. That’s why we need to stop by an optometrist’s office. But first we’ll change your wardrobe. And if you’re good, I’ll buy you frozen yogurt at the end,” Ever promised.
“Frozen yogurt?” she asked, not sure she wanted the answer.
“Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later. I might even come up with a better surprise for you, but only if you stop gawking at all the people passing by,” he said.
“I can’t help it. Did you see what that woman… Wait, that was a woman, right?”
“It was.”
“That woman had some sort of enchantment done to her chest!”
“Boob job. Yes, those are common here. Not really enchantment as much as enhancement. Very painful too, I’m told,” Ever imparted.
“Why would anyone want to enhance their boobs?” Azure asked.
“I can think of a reason or two.” Ever gave her a sideways smile. “Okay, we’re here. I’ve set you up with a personal shopper. She’s going to get you out of the explorer-wear into something hip that will pass in the Land of Terran. Don’t come out of this store until you’re cool enough to be in Vogue.”
“I don’t understand most of what you just said,” Azure told him, staring at Ever who was checking out a girl who had dropped a bag the size of her head. These people must all be setting off on great expeditions.
“This. Is. Bloomingdales. And. You. Must. Enter. Now,” he said, his words clipped. “There’s a woman named Monica who will help you. Go.”
Azure made to move, but then didn’t. “Wait, why are you helping me? You just showed up, and now you’ve taken over. What’s the deal?”
Ever looked at Azure. Really looked at her, for once not distracted by the flashy lights around them. “I saw your face when you were in the forest. When you were talking to Monet,” he said, and dropped his chin before continuing, “Azure, this is about more than the crown, isn’t it?”
“What did you see?” she asked at once.
“I saw a willingness to face danger that only one who either wanted the crown for selfish gains would take, or someone who wanted to save another would dare. Your boots were mostly clean when you exited the Sinner’s Muck, so I’m guessing you aren’t doing all this for the crown, are you?”
“It’s my mum,” she said, staring at her hands. Ever had made her stash her wand in her shoe, which made walking uncomfortable. “She’s sick. Really sick.”
“That’s along the lines of what I suspected, and that’s exactly why you need to get in there and put on clothes that pinch and hurt. They will make you look human, and that’s how you’re going to get into the Land of Terran.”
“And what will you be doing while I’m undergoing torture treatments?” she asked.
“I’m having your documents forged. You have to have the correct identification and forms to enter the Land of Terran. We have to go to a special place to pick them up, and I suspect you’ll get a big laugh out of the whole thing,” he said.
“I seriously doubt it,” she assured him, stepping into the store with its strange artificial lighting and strange ladies wearing too much makeup who stared at her.
Chapter Nineteen
“How am I supposed to walk in these?” Azure asked, carefully stepping out of the store.
Ever had given the lady a strange green rectangle and she’d allowed them to walk away with the clothes and new shoes. Now Azure’s hiking clothes, which the saleswoman had said should be washed pronto, were in a plastic bag.
“Try walking heel-toe,” Ever suggested, pulling Azure onto a staircase that fucking moved.
“What the hell?” she exclaimed, trying to jump but realizing that the strange shoes with thick heels wouldn’t allow it.
“It’s called an escalator, and unfortunately I’m going to tarnish your simple Oriceran world a bit more. I need to take you to Universal Studios—which means nothing to you—where you’re going to see a whole lot of things that will challenge your visual cortex,” Ever said.
“Huh? What? Why?” Azure stuttered, her attention on the tight jeans that were making it tough to breathe. She was also wearing a see-through tank-top over a black bra, according to the saleswoman. Azure had tried to pay attention as best she could, but as soon as she was shoved into a closet and told to dress, she kind of went into a daze. Ever had told her that magic on Earth was a problem, and so for the first time since she was a child, Azure had pulled garments over her head. It wasn’t at all pleasant, especially since the clothes all fit tightly and the shoes were a joke. Apparently they weren’t, according to the saleswoman.
“Wedges are the newest trend,” the lady had said, sliding Azure’s foot into the shoe.
The young witch had grabbed her wand in time to slide it down the back of her pants. Hiding that she was a witch was becoming tougher and tougher.
“What are those?” Azure asked when they had exited the gigantic structure into another gigantic structure.
“Those are cars,” Ever explained. “They take you from place to place.”
“Like magic?” she asked.
“No, like science,” he corrected, holding up his hand as one of the large moving things slowed down beside him. He opened a compartment door for her. “Get in.”
Azure slid into the thing, really detesting the way it smelled. Everything on Earth smelled strange, artificial.
Ever muttered something to the guy in the front and sat back next to her. “So when you’re in Terran, don’t use witches’ magic. You’ll notice they have their own brand, but you’re not ready to use it yet.”
“Humans draw from Oriceran, don’t they?” she asked.
“Yes. Their magic is elemental, but that’s why it has restrictions.”
“Restrictions? Like what?”
“Well, your magic comes from within, right? You’re limited by what’s inside you and what spells you know.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Well, humans are limited by the plants and materials around them,” Ever continued.
“But those items are finite!” she said.
“Exactly, which means?”
“That they run out of magical sources,” she finished.
She was quiet for a moment. “You said you were half human. Your mother—tell me about her.”
“She’s just a human. Not from Terran. Not even from Oriceran. Just a crazy hipster wanna-be in Malibu,” he said.
“So that means that your father opened an illegal portal and came to Earth, right?”
“Yes, and after my birth, he went back. I’ve been living between the two planets, but I swear if you turn me into the Silver Griffins I’ll haunt you,” Ever threatened. The Silver Griffins were the council responsible for policing magic on Earth, ensuring that humans didn’t realize it existed.
“I think your secret is safe with me, since you currently have me at your mercy in this strange place,” Azure assured him, staring out the window as the moving thing they were in slowed in front of a strange orb rotating inside a fountain of cascading water.
When t
hey’d stopped, Ever exited and held out a hand to Azure. “My lady, please come with me so we can get your papers for the Land of Terran.”
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, stepping out of the compartment.
“To the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”
Azure’s chest buzzed with sudden excitement. Maybe she was about to meet one of the ancestors who had come over before the portals closed thousands years ago? Maybe this Harry guy could help her.
Chapter Twenty
“Where’s Harry?” Azure asked.
“He’s not really here,” Ever said, pulling her past a large castle.
“But…”
“This is a place devoted to a fictional wizard named Harry,” he explained.
“Fictional?” Azure asked, looking around at the village of Hogsmead. It appeared real. “So Earthlings build fake places for people who aren’t real to exist? I really don’t get it.”
“I know. It doesn’t make sense unless you live here. Harry isn’t real, but this is the place he’d live if he was.” Ever gestured to the castle at their back.
“But witches and wizards don’t live in castles, since we are nomads by nature. I mean, I live in a house, but most Virgoans live in small huts and cottages,” she said.
“I knew you wouldn’t get it. Anyway, we are just here to get your papers for the Land of Terran.”
“So let me get this straight: the papers I need—”
“Forged papers,” Ever corrected.
“The forged papers I need, you had to get from someone here in a fake wizarding community on Earth?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Make perfect sense, right?”
“It makes as much sense as these uncomfortable shoes you’ve made me wear.”
“Which make you look stunning, by the way,” Ever said.
“When do I get my blue hair back?” she asked angrily.
“As soon as you like. Just get into Terran and get back. What all are you looking for, by the way?”
“A man, and a witch’s soul stone,” she told him.
“Oh, well, we might want to pick up some hair dye for the road, then,” he said.
“Two rum and Cokes.” Ever directed the statement to a girl on the other side of a bar. The bartender was wearing a pointy hat and a flirtatious look. Ever seemed to make most human girls blush.
“Why is everyone in this place wearing those funny outfits and hats?” Azure asked. He’d taken her to a pub in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This wizard, according to the posters she’d seen, did use a wand like hers, but he also flew on a broomstick, which was a magic she wasn’t familiar with.
“They are dressed like house elves,” he explained a bit dryly, handing her a glass of dark liquid. She noticed that the light that trailed most of his movements was absent on Earth.
She burst out laughing. “Do you find it a bit offensive that on Earth they think elves wear funny hats?”
“If I was offended by all the things Earthlings do, I’d have no time for anything else.”
“What is this?” she asked, holding up the glass.
“Two of the best beverages ever invented, mixed together. Rum and Coke. Drink it,” he encouraged.
Azure brought the glass with its cold liquid to her lips and sipped. It was sweet and syrupy, but not like the liquor Gillian had shared with her. This one bubbled in her throat and went down much easier. “Wow that’s good!” she exclaimed and took another long drink, nearly emptying the glass.
“Slow down there, Princess. You need to have your head about you for the Land of Terran, especially after all the work I’ve done.” He patted his jeans pocket where the documents he’d bought were stashed. Strangely, he’d purchased the forged papers from a man who stood beside something Ever had called a train. Apparently it wasn’t a real train, but one this Harry guy rode in the fictional world. None of it made sense to Azure, but she was starting to get used to the feeling.
“So which do you like better, Earth or Oriceran?” she asked, twirling her blonde hair around a finger. She didn’t like the color at all, but after watching many of the people around her she’d realized how well it made her fit in. Not many she’d seen on Earth had vibrant purple or emerald-green hair or bright blue eyes. She’d paused when she went to the restroom, staring at her brown eyes in the mirror for entirely too long. Ever had bought her contacts that took her half an hour to put in, but which in fact changed her eye color. Humans had all sorts of ways to change their appearance. It was almost as if they were thoroughly unhappy with how they were made.
“One can’t choose between Earth and Oriceran. That’s like saying you like day more than night. They each have a unique beauty and purpose. One isn’t better than the other.”
Azure nodded. “Will you teach me how to use human magic?”
“Not now. It will take more time than I’m guessing you have. If you chose to cut through the Dark Forest then you must be in a hurry, am I right?”
“You’re very observant. And yes, I need to return my mother’s soul stone to her as soon as possible,” she agreed.
“I will tell you how human magic works on Oriceran so you can recognize it.”
“They don’t have magic here on Earth, do they?” she asked.
“No, not unless they’ve been on Oriceran recently and it hasn’t run out yet. The two planets operate differently, as you’ve already witnessed,” Ever said.
Azure scanned the ceiling, examining the bright fixtures that held the humans’ sources of light. Electricity was a power that Azure didn’t trust. It was like cars, which didn’t operate using magic, but rather science. That seemed like an unstable set of laws to base one’s power on.
“Anyway, witches and wizards rely on the power within them for magic, and use spells and potions to manifest results. Humans pull from rocks, plants, water, et cetera. A strong human can use their intention to create a charm, like the enchanted metal bars on the pit where the Kilomea was,” Ever said.
“So you do think a human set that trap.”
“I know one did. I’ve found them all over the Dark Forest. The message is clear: they don’t want witches and wizards around their land.”
“Yes, the things they do to witches and wizards when no one is around to witness is pretty horrific. They hate us,” she spat, seething.
“I’d say, based on the look on your face, that the feeling is quite mutual.”
“Well, we wouldn’t fight them if they weren’t so disdainful to us,” Azure said.
“When does the bitterness end?”
“If you think we should turn a blind eye to their abuse, well, that ended when someone in Terran infected my mother with a virus that stole her magic and will possibly steal her life.”
Ever’s eyes dropped, the seriousness that wrote itself on his face making Azure feel validated. Now he knew how important this was. She wasn’t just a girl with a grudge against a species. She had reasons for her fury.
“Humans can also create things using their magic, but only if they have something to build from. For instance, see that?” Ever said, pointing at a strange object hanging on a wall. The small people that were on it doing various things, mostly activities Azure didn’t recognize.
“Yes. What is it?”
“It’s a television. If the rumors I hear are true, you’ll see those in the Land of Terran.”
“They smuggled them from Earth?” Azure asked.
“Maybe some of them, and I’m sure that much of what they have comes from the black market. However, if they have a remnant of something, then they can recreate it. Whereas a witch can manifest from nothing, humans need to have materials to build from.”
“Well, we can’t always manifest from nothing. It depends,” she explained.
“Of course, but the magic inside you offers different benefits than human magic. That’s all I’m saying.”
“So humans leech magic from the elements and then they create a television or something else
they want by using it?”
“Yes, but very much like in Cinderella, they need a pumpkin to create a carriage or mice to make drivers,” Ever said. Then, reading the expression on Azure’s face, he shook his head. “Oh, you haven’t heard of Cinderella, I forgot. You really have to get off Oriceran every now and again.”
“What do you call this?” Azure gestured at the bar, where humans were chanting at the television as a man on it ran across a green field with a ball in his hand. “Anyway, I think that despite your bizarre reference, I understand what you mean. I can create fire from nothing, but a human would need both the energy drawn from something elemental and a material to combust.”
“Bingo! Yes, they could use a stack of wood to create fire or a can of gasoline. The material has to make sense, though. They can’t just create a car from a tree. They’d need to start with something that had once moved. And to create a television, they’d need an electronic device. I actually make a killing selling broken appliances on the black market,” Ever said, indicating a bag he’d been carrying since they’d left Santa Monica.
“Human magic is complicated,” Azure groaned.
“As are humans. And yes, I’ll teach you how to use your human magic if and when you return from the Land of Terran.”
“Thanks for the confidence,” she said dryly.
“Well, I’ve given you what you need to get into the Land of Terran, but I don’t know what you’ll face once you enter. I’ve never been inside its borders, so I can only guess how strange it is,” he said.
“You live in the Dark Forest. Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”
“Danger is a relative term. The forest gets a bad rap. It’s wild, full of mystery and riddles, but it also makes complete sense to me. Yes, I almost die every day I’m there, but I kind of love the thrills. And actually, I only venture into the Dark Forest on occasion. I spend most of my time in safer areas. A man has to sleep, you know,” he said, draining his drink until only ice cubes remained.