by Sarah Noffke
“I need to heal the Dark Forest from every single abuse it’s suffered,” she said.
Seraphina shook her head. “She’s a Good Samaritan, too. I just can’t compete with this one.”
“Yeah, that’s true, but her family is freaking crazy, she blindly trusts to a fault, and her best friend is an idiot,” Ever said with a roguish smile.
“Will you do it?” Azure asked, ignoring Ever. He was trying, really trying to earn back her favor, but she wasn’t sure that would be possible.
“I can, but it will take some time. I have a class starting in a few minutes.” Seraphina eyed the fancy watch on her wrist. “I doubt I’ll have it done today.”
“What? No, I need it right away. Can’t you squeeze it in? Please, it’s important,” Azure begged.
Seraphina studied Azure for a long moment. She pulled her mouth to the side, thinking. “Okay, I’ll have someone cover my class. Come back after sunset, and I should have it ready.”
“Thank you!” Azure exclaimed, surprised to find herself jumping up and down on her toes.
The loud bass of the music next door cranked up and someone yelled, “Hit it, people! Get those butts in the air!”
Azure settled down and pointed to the vibrating wall. “What exactly is going on over there?”
“Spin class,” Seraphina chirped.
Chapter Fourteen
“Okay, let me get this straight. In this ‘spin class,’ there are people on bicycles that don’t go anywhere—”
“Stationary bikes,” Ever cut in, supplying the right term.
“Okay, and humans pedal these bikes as fast as they can, knowing that they aren’t going anywhere?” Azure continued as they walked into the bar on the other side of the parking lot from the Pilates studio.
“Correct!”
“And they are okay with not going anywhere because they are doing it for exercise, is that right?”
“Yep, you totally understand this.”
“No, I totally don’t.” Azure pulled herself up onto a bar stool. “I know this is probably a dumb question, but why don’t they just ride bikes wherever they go? It seems like a win-win.”
“Well, firstly, that’s not as much fun as attending a spin class. Some do ride bikes, but it’s hard to do that in heels, and helmets mess up one’s hair. So instead, many people simulate activities in order to be healthy,” Ever said, waving to get the bartender’s attention. “Two margaritas on the rocks.”
“Earth really confuses me.” Azure stared around the bar, which was full of business men and women in suits laughing or talking on their phones. “But also, there’s something innately compelling about this planet that I can’t put my finger on. I get a strange feeling every time I’m here, like there’s something I’m looking for here, or something I know without knowing it.”
“It sounds like you might have business here on Earth. Makes sense to me. Our human side does tend to draw us to the planet,” Ever stated, taking the first drink from the bartender and sliding it over to Azure.
“Is that why the humans of Terran are obsessed with Earth?”
“That’s definitely one reason. They’ve maybe taken it to extremes, but I do believe that most of them are well-intentioned.” Ever took a sip of the margarita, his face puckering from the sourness.
“Why do you think that Oriceran and Earth are connected?” Azure asked, taking a sip of the drink and then sputtering out a cough. “What the hell is this?”
“Specifically, it’s a margarita. But you should know that it has tequila, which has assorted effects on drinkers.”
“No, thanks,” Azure stated, sliding the drink away.
“Oh, come on. Tequila can be a lot of fun, although there were nights when I would have disagreed with that statement.” A fond smile grew on Ever’s mouth. “You asked why Oriceran and Earth are connected. There are a few theories, but I have my own. I think that the two planets complement each other. One is full of magic, and one isn’t. One is unpredictable, and the other has unbreakable laws. Each on its own is incredible, but mix the two and you have something truly extraordinary.”
“I don’t know. Lately I have wished I was only witch, minus the human part. I feel it would simplify my life,” Azure said.
“It might simplify it, but I daresay you wouldn’t be as powerful.”
“I’m not any more powerful than Gran or my mum, or most witches from Virgo.”
“No?” Ever challenged. “I’d venture to say that you have a strange magic, one that doesn’t come from your wand or an incantation, but rather lives in your intuition. You act differently than the other witches. I know of no one who has the diplomatic skills you possess, and I’d say that’s because you’re a mix of two incredible species.”
“My power comes from my two sides, not because of one,” Azure said, repeating words that Gran had said to her many times lately.
“You don’t want to believe it because you don’t see the specialness of being human yet, but you will.” Ever drained his drink, blinking his eyes from the rush of the alcohol. “Remember the werewolves we met in Lancothy?”
“Of course,” Azure said.
“Remember that Laurel said they were cursed when they lost their humanity, which turned them into monsters.”
She nodded, taking a small sip of her drink. The sweet-and-sour flavor of the margarita was starting to grow on her.
“Some believe that Earth came before Oriceran, and that the humans on our planet came from humans on Earth.” Ever held up his hand, ordering two more drinks from the bartender.
“You think that the part of us that makes us thoughtful, cooperative and civilized originated with humans?” Azure asked.
“That’s one theory. I’m full of theories, if you get me going.” Ever leaned his forearms on the bar. “Humans are brilliant in their capacity to hate and their foolish willingness to love. They are beautiful and flawed. Cursed, but also gifted in so many different ways. But honestly, it’s when you stop looking for the difference between you and humans, or humans and elves, or whatever, that you see we’re all really the same.”
Azure leaned forward, closing the few inches separating her and Ever. “I need to know something.”
“What?” he breathed, his eyes on her chin.
“Are you drunk?”
A loud laugh exploded from his mouth, and he sat backward. “No, not yet, but tequila does have a way with me unlike any other alcohol. There was this one time that I went to the bathroom at a club… I’d been out all night, but I thought it was still pretty early. When I came out of the bathroom the club had shut down, because it was two in the morning. I thought the owner had just run everyone off with bad music. I launched into a long lecture about better business practices with the bartender, who called me a cab and told me tequila was both my friend and my worst enemy. The next morning, I knew what he had meant.”
Azure laughed, shaking her drink, making the ice cubes clink together. “Sounds like you’ve enjoyed your time on Earth.”
“I have, but I’m most at home on Oriceran. I’d rather not have to choose, but living between the two worlds is getting increasingly more dangerous.”
“Will you stay on one planet if we rescue your father?” Azure asked.
“You mean when we rescue him,” Ever corrected. “And I think that I should spend most of my time on Oriceran. I know I messed up big-time, but I’m hoping that a spot on your cabinet still belongs to me.”
He was being bold. Maybe a bit stupid, Azure thought. “I’m not sure it would be wise for me to give you a second chance.”
“I get it. Kick me once, shame on you. Kick me twice…”
“I don’t know about this kicking business, but I can’t put my kingdom in danger by allowing a traitor inside its borders,” Azure said, Ever’s reference once again soaring over her head as so many others had before it.
“As a queen committed to her people and loyal only to their welfare, I can completely appreciate tha
t. But please remember that I brought you here.” Ever waved his arm at the bar.
“Yes, if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have ever been to a hipster bar or tried fondue,” Azure joked.
“I meant that I brought you to Earth to receive help from people like Seraphina. I’m well connected, and could prove to be a valuable resource.”
Azure gave him a measured glare. “You’re useful, I’ll admit. However, I’m not sure your usefulness outweighs how much I loathe you.”
“Oh, don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment, Queen Azure. This is about what’s good for your people, not about you.” Ever pressed the glass to his mouth and drank to cover his sly expression.
Chapter Fifteen
Sufficiently buzzed and cheeks red from laughing, Azure and Ever trotted across the darkening parking lot. “So how do you know Seraphina? Is there a network of magical people who have relocated to Earth who keep in contact?”
“Seraphina is an old friend of the family, and she works so close to my mom that I suspect I’ll always be in touch with her,” Ever said, and then hesitated. The smile on his face dropped. “We were engaged to be married at one point.”
“What happened?” Azure asked, the tequila having taken away her usual manners in a sensitive conversation such as this.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ever stopped and regarded Azure for a long moment.
“I don’t think it is, but it’s cute that you think tequila lets me read minds.”
“I want a life between the two worlds. If anything, I’m married to Oriceran and want a fling with Earth, like we discussed. Seraphina didn’t want to go back and forth. And then the thing happened with my father, and she put her foot down. Told me not to travel back and forth, afraid the same thing would happen to me.”
“Oh, so she also doesn’t know the truth,” Azure guessed.
The Light Elf nodded. “I know the risks. I realize I’m putting myself in danger by going back and forth, but I won’t give up the world of Oriceran, not even for a person I love.”
“So you called it off?”
“Yes, and we were both heartbroken for a while. It’s hard when two people both want something, but they can’t agree on a deal-breaker. Actually it would have been better for her if I’d cheated, and I would have preferred it if she had been an unreasonable bitch. However, that wasn’t the case. Instead, we just couldn’t agree on a single matter and that's what tore us apart.” Ever stared at the front of the Pilates studio, from which the inside lights were spilling onto the outside sidewalk.
“Yeah. I can’t relate, but that’s tough.” Azure chewed on her bottom lip, ideas churning in her head. “Strange, I never considered you as the marrying type.”
“That’s because you know me as the Light Elf who spies on you from the treetops and creates trouble with Monet,” Ever said, his face full of amusement.
“And Seraphina never saw you on Oriceran like that?” Azure asked.
“Seraphina, like my mom, has never been to Oriceran. It’s not a trip that some want to risk.” Ever started for the studio.
“Whoa, whoa, what’s that supposed to mean? You never told me there were dangers besides being caught.” Confused outrage spilled across Azure’s face.
“Well, you know that my first portal blew up a chunk of the Dark Forest, so you should have deduced that there are dangers. However, yes—portals go wrong in other ways all the time. Travelers get stuck and become ghosts in the in-between.”
“Dude, on the list of things you could have told me before…” Flabbergasted, Azure shook her head at Ever.
“Ok, now it will just make you tense when you travel back and forth. Try and forget about it.” Ever grabbed Azure’s arm and pulled her forward.
“Who said I was traveling back and forth ever again?” Azure asked incredulously.
“Well, you have to get home, so I’m guessing you’ll be traveling at least once more. And I have a feeling that this won’t be your last time on Earth. You said, in so many words, that you feel you have business here.”
Seraphina pushed sweat from her brow as she opened the door to the back. “I had it locked so none of the other instructors could walk in. Try explaining that I’m forging a staff for a witch queen on another planet. Rumors would fly.”
“Did you finish?” Ever asked.
“Hey, tequila! Looks like you found a way to kill a couple hours. Did you tell the bartender how to do his job or offer unsolicited advice to unsuspecting strangers?” Seraphina teased.
“I was able to keep to myself, mostly. You would have been real proud,” Ever said, his eyes resting on the table where a blanket covered something. He hoped it was the staff.
“’Here’s what I’d do’ are famous words that Ever loves to use when he’s had too much to drink,” Seraphina informed Azure, her eyes on the Light Elf. “Then he follows up that statement with his strategies for living the best life or running a better business.”
“Haw-haw. How’s the staff? Is it done?” Ever snapped his fingers at the witch.
“Hey now, I cleared my afternoon for you. The least you can do is show a bit of respect,” Seraphina said.
“It’s not about respect. It’s about saving the Dark Forest and those on Oriceran. You know I appreciate what you’ve done,” Ever said, his tone growing softer.
Seraphina regarded him for a long moment and then pulled her long blonde hair up and twisted it into a bun at the back of her head, in no hurry to show them the staff.
“I’m really grateful for your help. You must have incredible skills to be able to forge a staff,” Azure told her, trying to curtail the tension growing in the room.
Seraphina drew in a long breath. “You’re making it extremely difficult to not like you, Queen Azure. Are you always so nice?”
“Always,” Ever stated, answering the question for her. “It’s kind of gross.”
“I’m not always nice,” Azure argued.
“You have a pet unicorn, and a standing alliance with Orcs,” Ever spat back.
“That doesn’t make me nice,” she retorted.
“So you do have a unicorn. Well, damn. I daresay the kingdom of Virgo is in good hands,” Seraphina stated.
“Your sources told you about Blisters?” Azure asked.
“Yes. They like to keep an eye on things on Oriceran and have a way of doing that, from time to time.” Seraphina pinched the white fabric that covered the table and lifted it.
An invisible hook sank into Azure’s chest and tugged her forward. She reached for the staff, her hands operating on their own. The space around her grayed; all she could see was the amethyst crystal ball neatly perched on the top of the carved Howling Willow branch. A clawed hand held the ball in place on the top of the staff. In Azure’s hand, the staff warmed. The crystal ball glowed brightly, making the overhead lights spark and then burn out.
Ever and Seraphina covered their heads from the sparks raining down, but Azure didn’t notice. Instead she stared in awe at the orb which swirled with a grayish smoke, the light casting a purple glow on her face. She loosened and flexed her fingers around the staff, feeling as though it had always been hers. It didn’t fit her like her wand, but in some ways it felt more comfortable. In other ways it seemed like they needed to learn each other—Azure the staff, the staff her.
A clicking sound by the door stole Azure’s attention. She spun around, the staff in her hands casting light on Ever and Seraphina.
“Well, now I’ll have to explain why the lights in here have all burnt out,” Seraphina said.
“Oh, can’t you tell them that a witch queen from another planet was testing a staff filled with enough magic to heal or burn down a forest?” Ever teased.
“Unfortunately only fantasy writers and crazies can get away with spouting such things. Pilates instructors have to lie and say it was a bad breaker.” Seraphina tapped the switch again, to no effect.
Seraphina’s eyes squinted when Azure lit her wand and handed it
to Ever to hold. The look on her face stated that she wasn’t okay with the casual manner between the two. Usually a witch only trusted her wand to a few to hold.
“The staff is incredible. It’s amazing that you were able to forge it in such a short period of time,” Azure stated, admiring it.
“Well, I must admit that it reminded me how much I miss my own witchcraft, but I really have no purpose for it here and can’t risk using it often,” Seraphina stated, still watching Azure.
“That makes sense,” she said, twirling the staff to one side and then the other, examining how it moved in her hands.
“I will admit that working with Howling Willow made it easier, although this wasn’t a freshly harvested piece,” Seraphina said.
“No, I found it on the ground under the tree. But it will work still, right?” Ever asked.
“Yes, it will be fine, and I don’t think that Mage Lenore would have allowed such a large piece to be harvested anyway,” Seraphina said.
“Don’t legitimize his thieving,” Azure said, her eyes on the staff. It was still glowing brightly.
“You met Mage Lenore?” Seraphina asked Ever.
“Yes, if you can believe it,” he replied.
“I’m not sure I can believe half of what I’ve learned. You’ve met the oldest witch in existence, and are intergalactically globetrotting with the queen of an ancient kingdom. I thought you just liked sleeping in the woods and selling broken devices on the Dark Market,” Seraphina said.
“Yes, who would have thought it would turn out to be anything?” Ever laughed, the tequila starting to wear off.
“Actually, has this spy service who has been dispersing rumors about me said anything about the virus plaguing Virgo?” Azure asked.
The light expression on Seraphina’s face dropped. “I have heard of it. And I’m sorry. The Silver Griffins want to help, but I don’t think it’s something within their power or jurisdiction.”
“Do you know of a solution?” Azure asked, hope in her voice.