by John Corwin
I looked up into the tear-stained eyes of Ambria. It appeared Evadora had taken a dose from her bottle as well because she wiped her wet cheeks.
"I will help you, Conrad." She walked over to the giant condor, removed a pouch hanging around its neck, and fastened the strap around her waist.
"How long will it take you to gather your creatures?" I asked. "We don't have a lot of time."
"I'm afraid getting them here is impossible," Cora said. "It would take me weeks to grow back something as massive as the tree bridge."
"What about mewlies and condors?" Ambria asked.
Cora nodded after a brief pause. "The mewlies, yes. The condors will not fit through the tunnel."
Evadora nodded. "I will come too."
Cora closed her eyes. Piercing shrieks echoed from far away. A black cloud rose on the distant horizon and swarmed our way. A single mewlie landed on Cora's shoulder and rubbed its feline head affectionately against her ear, fluttering its webbed wings for balance.
She opened her eyes. "The mewlies have agreed to help. They will follow us through."
I took Cora's and Evadora's hands. "Then let's go." I led them toward the tunnel.
Evadora ground to a halt. "Don't we need to go to the pond and jump into the reflected world?"
Cora arched her eyebrows. "I took your fragment of the anchor stone, so you couldn't have come that way, Conrad. How did you get here?"
"We went past the guardians." I tugged on their hands. "Come on and I'll show you."
Evadora released my hand and took another drink from her bottle. The frost around her emotions cracked and fell away. Her silver skin flushed pink. She clapped her hands and giggled. "Oh, it's been so long!" She spun in a circle, arms outstretched. "Running past the guardians is so exciting."
Cora's lips flattened. "It is strange seeing so much emotion after all this time."
Evadora held out her bottle. "Want some more?"
Her mother shook her head. "No. There will be time for emotions soon enough." Her hand tightened on mine. "Let's go, Conrad."
We entered the tunnel and walked through it to the cliff at the edge of the rift. The guardians hung a hundred feet away over the bridge.
"They're so close." Evadora's eyes flared. "Oh, this will make it much harder."
"Um, actually—" Ambria didn't have a chance to finish her sentence before Evadora raced for the guardians.
Let us all pass, I told them, just in case my earlier orders hadn't been clear enough.
Evadora blurred beneath them, dodging back and forth. She skidded to a stop and stared up at the unmoving orbs. "What's wrong with them?"
Come to me. I gestured at the guardians and they drifted over to me.
Cora's eyes widened. "What—how?"
I told her what had happened.
"Can they take me out into the rift?" Evadora dropped to her knees, hands clasped. "Please? Oh, please let me ride them into the rift!"
It was a relief to see her back to her unstable emotional self. Only moments ago, I'd feared her spirit lost to the emotion-draining aura of the anchor stone. "Maybe later. Right now, we have to get back into the Dark Forest and meet Kanaan."
"That's a weird name." Evadora skipped by my side. "Is he a monster or a man?"
"A man." Ambria clasped my free hand opposite from Cora. "Shushiel is there too."
"Oh, I love her!" Evadora pranced in circles around us as we crossed the long bridge, heedless of the invisible ledge.
The mewlies fluttered in a morphing cloud behind us, silent as ghosts.
Cora gazed at the charred corpses of the frogres killed by the guardians. "Will the guardians fight with us?"
"They can't leave the rift." I sent mental commands to the guardians to clear the bridge of the dead and they set about dragging the bodies into the void.
I stopped at the entrance to the tunnel leading back to the university. "We were chased in here. I don't know if anything is waiting out there."
Evadora dashed ahead. "I'll find out!"
"No, wait!" But she ignored me and vanished inside.
"Impetuous child." Cora shook her head. "I must admit it is good to see her acting carefree once again."
A question brewed at the back of my mind that worried me. "Cora, have you regained your full powers again?"
"I am not as mighty as I was centuries ago, but I have relearned much that was lost." She released my hand and patted the pouch she'd removed from the condor. "The vegetation in Eden is not nearly fierce enough to fight monsters. I have in here the seeds of everything that grows in the Glimmer."
I hadn't returned with an army, but I'd gained a mother, a sister, and a swarm of flying cats.
I hoped it was enough.
Chapter 31
Evadora returned by the time we reached the halfway point in the tunnel to the university. "There were a whole bunch of monsters out there." She giggled. "I ran around the big green ones and they chased me all the way out of the Fairy Gardens and into the big stadium. I lost them in the maze of rocks and came back."
"Did you see any giant birds?" Ambria asked.
Evadora shook her head. "No, but I wish I had. Do they look neat?"
"I wonder if Mirjana would help us fight," Ambria said. "We should go to the pond and ask her."
"She left months ago," Evadora said. "When I came for my last visit, she told me that everything changed for the worst at the university and her time there was at an end."
"I had no idea she left." Ambria sighed. "She wasn't wrong. Everything has changed for the worst."
"I suppose you should tell us everything that has happened," Cora said. "First, let us get into the Dark Forest." She motioned forward and the mewlies streaked ahead toward our goal.
"Agreed." Ambria stepped out of the tunnel and looked up at the cloudy skies. "I'm worried about the crows and that invisible assassin we encountered earlier."
"I'd nearly forgotten about him." The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened as if I were being watched. The nap I'd taken in the Glimmer had been quite restful, but I still wasn't back to a hundred percent. I reached for aether and was greeted by a nausea. It was a terrible time for another recovery phase, but at least I had three strong friends who could protect me.
We made our way through the decrepit mansion and into the fairy forest.
"Oh, they look so much better now." Evadora stopped and whispered to several trees. "You're my favorite. And you're my other favorite. Oh, I'll sing to you very soon!"
It was just like old times.
When we reached the other side, Evadora stopped and narrowed her eyes. "I found the invisible man!" Her eyes followed something. "Don't be sneaky. I see you."
"As do I," Cora said. "You cannot hide from the grass you walk upon, trickster."
Evadora dodged to the left. Flipped backward through the air. She gripped something and a silver blade appeared in her hand. The grass twisted up, grasping invisible limbs. Cora tossed a seed on the ground and a purple vine sprouted, its length covered in thorns. It wrapped around what looked like thin air.
The goat-faced man faded into view, eyes wide with fear. "Who are you?"
Cora showed her teeth in a fierce grin. "I am the Glimmer Queen."
The vine jabbed a thorn into the assassin's neck and he went limp.
"He's just asleep, right?" Ambria asked.
Evadora held the assassin's blade. "I can cut his throat if you like."
Ambria's face blanched. "I've killed in self-defense, but I don't know if I could kill a defenseless man like that."
"There is no need for callous murder," Cora said. "He will remain in a deep slumber until released."
"What if someone cuts the vine?" I asked.
"He will awaken after a time once the thorn is removed from his neck." Cora shrugged. "If he confronts us again, then he will die."
"Agreed," said another voice.
Evadora and Cora gasped and spun at the sound of the new voice.
K
anaan offered them a curt bow. "The way to the Dark Forest is clear."
Evadora's eyes lit with excitement. "How did you sneak up on us?"
"Is it stealth magic?" Cora asked.
"Ancient Chinese secret." Kanaan didn't crack a smile as usual, leaving it a mystery whether this was a joke or truth.
"Conrad spoke of you." Cora looked him up and down. "Thank you for training him and keeping him alive."
"He did well enough on his own," Kanaan replied.
We left the Fairy Gardens through the broken gates. Several times I thought I saw dark wings overhead and braced for an attack by giant crows, but none appeared.
I observed the low-hanging clouds. "It wasn't this cloudy when I left."
Kanaan opened a hole in the shield surrounding the forest. The cloud of mewlies funneled inside and vanished into the trees. "During your absence, I scouted the university and rescued several prisoners. Professor Grace launched a weather potion into the sky to remove the advantage of a bird's-eye view."
"You rescued Gideon Grace?" Ambria's voice rose in surprise. "I didn't even know he was a prisoner."
"He's always hated me," I said. "I guess that's mostly because he hates my father."
"He fought their propaganda," Kanaan said. "Gideon Grace is rigid in his beliefs, so they locked him and other protestors in the Burrows."
I hadn't even thought about all the other professors that might be held against their will in the school. Without the foundry, Victus couldn't clone anyone else—at least not very easily, so he probably imprisoned anyone he couldn't control.
Ambria frowned. "Hold on a moment. You rescued a group of professors and changed the weather all in just a few hours?"
Evadora giggled. "Hours? You were asleep for two days." She took Ambria's hand and twirled her until the other girl staggered free. "Mother and I talked for a long time about what to do with you."
"Two days?" It seemed like we'd been gone only a few hours. "What else have we missed?"
"I will explain when we reach the caves." Kanaan closed the forest shield when everyone was through. "We must move silently and quickly to avoid detection from the creatures hunting the forest for us."
Shushiel dropped from a tree. "Evadora, it is so good to see you again!"
"My pretty spidey!" Evadora gripped her in a hug. "I haven't seen you in so long."
"Yes, too long." Shushiel rotated toward Kanaan. "Ishlish killed three cobalt assassins not far from here. We must be vigilant."
"Agreed." Kanaan set off at a brisk pace and the rest of us followed.
We passed the corpses of spiders, frogres, and other beasts Ishlish had terminated to clear our path.
Cora stopped to examine a dead frogre. Her lips peeled back in disgust when she touched the slimy green skin. "There is nothing natural about this beast. I had hoped I could exert some control over them, but Victus has thoroughly perverted them."
"What about the trees in this forest?" Ambria asked.
Cora touched the trunk of a massive oak. Like the other trees in the forest, it stood hundreds of feet high—far taller than any of its kind anywhere else. "The trees listen and speak, but they are too large and inflexible to be of use in a fight."
Kanaan put a hand on the trunk. "Can they tell you the locations of enemies?"
Cora's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Only a vague sense. The trees are unhappy with the clouds blocking the sunlight. They pay little attention to the creatures on the ground." She pointed south. "The trees several miles in that direction are uneasy about the large concentration of creatures threatening their roots."
"That's where the army is," Shushiel said.
Kanaan put a finger to his lips. "Something is nearby."
A cobalt spider the size of a dog thudded to the ground a few feet away. Its legs twitched then curled in upon itself. Ishlish dropped down a silken thread a moment later and perched on Kanaan's shoulder. She said something, but I couldn't hear her whispery voice from this distance.
Kanaan nodded. "We need to remain quiet for the rest of the trip."
We continued in silence and reached the ruby spider hideout an hour later. The caves set aside for humans hummed with activity. Gideon Grace's voice echoed down the corridor as he issued orders to the other refugees.
"No one put you in charge, Grace," Horace Moon shouted as we entered the common chamber.
Grace's lips twisted into a scowl when he saw me. "Edison."
I usually avoided confrontations with the man. After all, he was my professor and an adult. But not here. Not now. "I suppose you're going to blame me for my father's actions?"
"You should have been banned from the university the moment we discovered your true identity." He drew his wand. "How do we know you're not in league with your father?"
"The boy is not your enemy." Kanaan stepped into the room and all conversation stopped. "He has brought allies."
In the silence that followed, I realized I was supposed to introduce said allies. "Oh, this is Cora, the Glimmer Queen, and her daughter, Evadora."
Eleanor Beetle gasped. "My goodness. I have so many questions to ask about the Sundering. We absolutely must document everything in case we're all killed in the next few days."
Horace and some of the other professors began speaking among themselves, filling the room with a dull roar.
"Nonsense." Trask's voice cut through the chatter. "Our allies have no time for idle banter, and we have little enough time to plan for war as it is."
Feet pounded down one of the tunnels and Max burst into the room. "Conrad, you're alive!" He buried me in a hug before I could respond. "I thought for sure something awful happened to you."
Ambria huffed. "I suppose you don't care that I survived too?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course I care." Max hugged her so tightly, her eyes bugged.
Galfandor strode up behind Max. He looked almost ashamed. "Conrad, I am so sorry about Paris."
I held up a hand to stop him. "It wasn't your fault. When did you rejoin the others?"
"I laid low in Paris for several days," Galfandor said. "When I felt certain no one followed me, I took a train back to rejoin the others in Italy."
Max nodded. "Yeah, he got there right when we were getting ready to leave with Gwyneth."
"Is she here?" I asked.
"No." Max spread his fingers and hands apart in a poof gesture. "She got us to the omniarches in Thunder Rock and vanished. I think she was sneaking around behind Underborn's back to help us out."
Another argument broke out among the professors as Gideon Grace tried to bend them to his will. Galfandor huffed and broke up the fight. "People, we must cooperate if we're to survive."
Max watched them for a moment then blew out a sigh and turned back to us. "I thought for sure you guys were dead when they told me you'd been gone two days."
Ambria put her hands on her hips. "Maxwell Tiberius, did you really think Cora would hurt us?"
"I thought the guardians zapped you," Max looked back and forth between me and Ambria. "What happened?"
I hardly knew where to start. "Before we get into that, did Percival finish the potion?"
Max flashed a grin. "Yeah. Percival has it ready but he didn't want to give it to Ivy and Nightliss until we had a place to stay for a while."
My nerves tightened. "Have they taken it?"
"Right after we got here a few hours ago." His grin faded. "Nightliss went into convulsions like Purah. She's asleep now."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "And Ivy?"
Max shrugged. "She just went to sleep. Percival figures since she's so young it won't take her long to recover." His eyes filled with misery. "And she probably won't like me anymore."
Ambria patted his arm. "It's okay, Max. At least you got to be friends with one of your heroes." She smiled. "How many people can say that?"
"I know." He looked down. "I just wish it could be more."
"Speaking of which." I cleared my throat uneasily. "Ambria
and I are—"
Max's eyes brightened. "Are you two finally together?"
Ambria's forehead pinched. "How did you know?"
"Duh." Max grinned. "I mean, you share a bond going all the way back to the orphanage. And the way Ambria always looked at Conrad, I just knew it would happen."
Ambria's lips peeled back in horror. "Was it so obvious even you could see it?"
Max snorted. "I'm not that blind, Ambria Rax."
"It's Max!" Evadora skipped over from wherever she'd been, grabbed his hands, and danced in a circle until they were both dizzy.
Max pulled away. "Please, I'm about to fall over!"
Evadora ruffled his platinum locks. "You're so cute, Max." She kissed him on the lips and giggled. "I just want to eat you up."
He cringed backward. "Not literally, I hope."
Evadora burst into laughter. "No, I don't eat humans." She took another drink from her emotions bottle and hummed to herself. "I'm so happy I could just scream!"
Cora stood by impassively watching her daughter dance around the room. "Dangerous times," she said. "But this place fills me with warmth."
Max snorted. "A cave full of giant spiders and refugees?"
"Yes." A tiny smile lit her face. "I remember why I left the Glimmer in the first place, all those years ago. If only I could recall more about my past."
"Do you remember much about us?" I was so frightened of the answer I could hardly ask the question.
"Bits and pieces," Cora said. Her eyes saddened. "What little I remember is very dear to me."
I cleared my throat to get rid of the lump. "Let's go check on Nightliss and Ivy."
"Those names sound familiar," Cora said. "I recall images of a young man and a flying ship for some reason."
"I've seen the very same thing before!" I strained my memory, but couldn't connect the images to anything. "I think the man is Justin Slade. I met him when I was little, but my memory is cloudy thanks to whatever Victus did to me as a child."