Greysons of Grimoire

by Tpaul Homdrom

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry,” the voice said. In the center of the grove, a small girl appeared. She was dressed in a plain white dress and nothing else — even her feet were bare. Her apple-red hair was long and thick, tumbling down her back nearly to her ankles. “Here I am.” The girl smiled. “Hello. No one’s ever come here on their own before. Who are you?”

  “We’re the Dawn Riders,” Shana said. “We’ve come to save these kids, and everyone else who’s been disappearing from Grimoire.”

  The girl pursed her lips, bobbing her head back and forth in thought. “But… do you have to?” she asked.

  Her voice sounded so earnest and sad that Shias was taken aback. “We…” he said slowly, his mind racing and considering the current information and possibilities as he spoke. “These children have been stolen from their homes. We need to get them back to their parents. Is there a problem with that?”

  “But…” the girl continued, her expression growing pained. “I don’t… these are…”

  “What’s your name?” Shana asked. She knelt down in front of the red-haired girl so that their eyes met, and held out a hand. “I’m Shana.”

  “I’m… Annabelle,” the girl said, shaking Shana’s hand.

  “Pleased to meet you, Annabelle,” Shana said, smiling. “So, what were you saying about the kids tied up here?”

  Annabelle shifted on her feet, clearly thinking carefully. “Well, it’s just… these are my friends,” she said.

  “They’re all sleeping,” Kathryn said, looking up and around. “And they’re tied up.”

  “They’re tucked in,” Annabelle said. “It’s past their bedtime. You should be quieter.”

  “Sorry about that,” Shana said, lowering her voice. “So… do you know that your friends’ parents are really worried about them?”

  Annabelle shook her head. “I didn’t know that,” she said, her wide eyes staring at Shana with curiosity.

  Shias felt more and more uneasy as the conversation went on. Annabelle herself was already strange enough — dressed in a thin, sleeveless dress, and barefoot to boot, outdoors in this cold? Why weren’t her cheeks flushed from the chill?

  And why was she talking about the kids as if everything was fine? They were very clearly not “tucked in” — they were kidnapped, wrapped up and tied to trees.

  “Do they have to go home?” Annabelle asked. “I… I’m lonely here.”

  “I can come visit you,” Shana said. “Or help you get home, or to your family. But I need your help, first. I need to take these kids back home, but there should be more somewhere else. Do you know of any other children or adults who are tucked in like these?”

  Annabelle shifted on her feet, and that’s when Shias felt his uneasiness spike. Annabelle was lying. He was certain of it.

  But he was also certain that Annabelle wasn’t lying of her own will. That uneasy gaze, the way she thought so hard about her answers, the painful expression that flickered and then faded on her face…

  Annabelle wasn’t lying because she wanted to. And the longer this went on, the harder it would be for her to keep up the falsehoods.

  “I don’t know of any others,” the girl finally said. Her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her, and she wouldn’t look at Shana.

  “Annabelle,” Shias said, stepping forward and kneeling down next to Shana. He spoke softly, so softly that only Shana and Annabelle should be able to hear him. “Someone’s holding you hostage, aren’t they? They’re making you lie about the kids in order to trap us. But we can save you, too. Just tell us, as quietly as you can, what’s happening, and we can help you escape.”

  Annabelle and Shana both stared at Shias in shock. Shana opened her mouth to speak after a moment, but Annabelle beat her to it.

  “I can’t,” she said quietly. “The King, he said…” She sighed, shook her head. “I can let you leave. But I can’t let you take the children. And I can’t leave.”

  “What do we need to do to save you?” Shana asked.

  Annabelle shook her head. “There’s nothing,” she said sadly. “I… only my sisters can save me. But they’ve been gone a long time, and they think I left forever. They’ll never find me.”

  “Tell us about your sisters,” Shana said. “Anything you can. We’ll find them, and tell them what’s happened to you. I promise.”

  Annabelle looked at Shana with big, desperate eyes. Even Shias felt like his heart might break at just how scared and sad and hopeful this small girl was.

  “My oldest sister,” Annabelle said. “Her name is Maribelle. You can find her at the Last Home on the Westward Plains of the Final Frontier. Tell her Annabelle didn’t leave — the Radiant King took her.”

  “I… don’t know what any of that means,” Shana said.

  “Is that on Earth?” Shias asked, internally thinking that was the weirdest question he’d ever asked in his life. But Shana’s dream had clued him into something he’d theorized for a long time, and Annabelle’s strange directions seemed to lend further credence to his suspicions.

  The little girl shook her head. “The Enchanted Dominion,” she said. “There’s a doorway to the Dominion somewhere in Grimoire, but I don’t know where. But there’s a man called the Locksmith who can get you to the Westward Plains.”

  “The Locksmith,” Shias said, and Annabelle nodded. “Got it. We’ll look for him. We’ll find your sister, and we’ll tell her what’s happened.”

  “But what about —” Shana began, but Shias shook his head.

  “Something bigger than we imagined is happening here,” he said. “We need to help Annabelle before we can help the rest of them.”

  Shana looked like her heart was breaking, but she nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. She turned back to Annabelle, took the little girl’s hands in her own. “We’ll come back. I promise. We’ll save you.”

  Annabelle nodded. “You should go.” Her voice changed, conveying a maturity far beyond her age. “You’ve already been here too long. If Neith finds you, you won’t have a chance to leave. Hurry.”

  No more time for questions. Just remember the details: Maribelle, Last Home, Final Frontier, Westward Plains, Enchanted Dominion, Locksmith, Radiant King.

  “We’re leaving,” Shana said sadly to Kathryn, Rae, and Ben.

  Just as the Dawn Riders were entering the path and heading out of the grove, a woman’s voice pierced the air. It seemed to come from every direction at once, making Shias shudder as he turned around, looking everywhere for its source.

  “Oh, dearest Annabelle,” the woman’s voice said, its texture smooth and silky, enchantingly persuasive, “I’m disappointed in you. I thought you would have noticed.”

  “Noticed what?” Annabelle cried out.

  “That girl has the Dreamer’s Heart,” the voice said.

  Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Shias as he watched Annabelle’s expression change. Her fear turned to confusion, then curiosity, then understanding. Slowly, the girl’s eyes locked onto Shana.

  “I’m so sorry,” Annabelle said. “But things have changed. I’m afraid I can’t let you leave after all.”

  Chapter 29: A Welcome Reprieve

  — G —

  Delilah walked at the back of the group, as she had tended to do since arriving in the Enchanted Dominion. Her introverted tendencies had been exacerbated by what she viewed as a failure on her part in their most recent struggle.

  Anastasia had swooped in and stolen away Isabelle, and Delilah had been nearly useless.

  Even with three Summons and several years of intensive training, it wasn’t Delilah who made it to the fight first, but Chelsea. And in the midst of the vicious conflict, it was Chelsea and Lorelei who had shown the most skill and usefulness.

  Delilah had taken what seemed like ages just to reach Chelsea as she dueled Anastasia alone. She lacked the all-important Enhancement Magic skills of Hunters, so she’d been left in the dust as Chelsea and Lorele
i raced ahead like Olympic sprinters with endless stamina. And then, once she’d joined the fight, it had looked like a total disaster.

  Felix couldn’t come close to landing an attack on Anastasia. Nekoma, heavily armored and incredibly strong, had been kicked around like a flimsy ragdoll. Redmond, so impressively swift and accurate in the past, had missed with every single shot.

  Delilah had then watched in shock as Chelsea’s owl, a brand new Summon just born with no training, swooped in and saved the day.

  Delilah didn’t resent or even envy Chelsea for what had happened. She just took these experiences to heart, and that heart was in pain.

  When will I be truly useful to my family?

  It seemed like a distant dream having Caleb say “I’m proud of you” outside the library.

  What did he have to be proud of?

  Chelsea had tried dismissing her owl into magical space like Delilah did to give her Felines a rest when the fight was over, but the owl had refused. Delilah often found herself staring at the majestic bird perched on Chelsea’s arm. He was a beautiful creature, even if he had a bit of an ominous appearance. The chains he had carried in his talons into battle were now wrapped about his legs.

  She couldn’t help but notice that the glowing white chains looked a lot like the ones Caleb used in his Containment Magic.

  With doubts and wonders clouding her mind, Delilah nearly bumped into Chelsea as the group came to a stop.

  “Here’s our exit,” Gwen said. She stood at the lead of the group. Right in front of her were two trees that had grown up alongside each other, their highest branches twining together, making the space between the two trees look like an arching doorway. “I’m not sure where it goes — the fight with Anastasia means we lost our window to cross over to Eventide Archive. There’s no telling where we’ll end up now, so be on your guard.”

  “We’ve got that handled,” Chelsea said, confidence thick in her voice. She looked up at her owl, grinning.

  “We’re ready,” Lorelei said with a nod.

  How are they so confident? We barely got out of that last fight alive, and yet they’re so… calm.

  Gwen nodded, stepping into the space between the trees, vanishing instantly.

  “That is so weird,” Chelsea murmured, staring in awe.

  “I wanna go!” Isabelle said, raising her hand. She skipped forward, vanishing through the space. Lorelei followed, and then Chelsea, and Delilah was left staring at the opening all alone.

  “Guess I… should go, too,” she said softly, taking a tentative step forward. She shook her head vigorously.

  Snap out of it. Don’t be so down in the dumps. It’s gonna be fine. Try to be like Caleb.

  One more step and she passed between the trees… and was nearly blinded.

  It had been nighttime as they’d walked through the Wood of the Wisps, and yet with all of the Wisps bobbing around with their own light, Delilah hadn’t noticed how dark it had been. Now daylight hit her with such sudden force that she could barely see, squinting with her hand in front of her face.

  “Sorry,” came Gwen’s voice. “Day and night are different throughout the Dominion, so I had no idea what we’d be stepping into.”

  “I thought my eyes were gonna die,” Chelsea said with a groan.

  “It sure is beautiful here, though,” Lorelei said. “Do you know where we are, Gwen?”

  “Oh, yes,” Gwen said, her voice conveying a nostalgic joy. “Welcome to my home.”

  Delilah blinked, rubbing at her eyes, and then she could see. Shapes and color came into being, and soon she was looking at a picturesque cottage atop a grassy hill. Lilac bushes sprang up out of the ground everywhere in shocking number, swaying in a gentle breeze, lending a calming aroma to the air.

  “You live here?” Isabelle asked, racing a few steps up along the dirt path leading to the cottage, then turning around and staring in shock at Gwen. “Really?”

  Gwen laughed, nodding. “I do indeed, little one,” she said.

  “It’s so pretty!” Isabelle cried, giggling as she stuck her face into a bunch of lilacs, taking a deep whiff and then reeling back, stunned by the scent.

  “I found this hill a long time ago,” Gwen said, leading the way up the path. “Just floating out here all alone, with no one laying claim to it, and not even a name — the Cartographers had never bothered with it, since it was just a simple hill with nothing to it. So I decided to build my home here. I had some lilac sprouts and started planting, and they took to the soil quite well. I call this place Lilac Hill.”

  Gwen’s golden eyes sparkled with joyful brilliance as she spoke. Delilah could feel her love for the place. The hill really was all there was — at its edges on every side, the grass simply stopped, giving way to a white void. The sky overhead seemed more brilliant than the daytime sky over Hollow Island, with a golden tint to it. Blue lights popped and faded here and there, like silent fireworks on a sunny day.

  The cottage they walked up to was larger than it had seemed from the bottom of Lilac Hill. It was two stories tall, with an oddly sized balcony that was accessible from both the first and second floors. A cobbled stone chimney leaned slightly to the side.

  “When’s the last time you were home?” Isabelle asked.

  “Oh, it’s been quite a while,” Gwen said. “I travel a lot. But it’s always good to be back.”

  “So what’s the plan from here?” Chelsea asked. She lifted her arm, and her owl Summon went soaring into the sky, his feathers sparkling in the golden light.

  “I thought you might like a short rest,” Gwen said as she stepped up onto the porch and opened her front door. “You’re all dressed for cooler weather, and it’s likely we’ll be sticking to warmer climates, so a change of wardrobe might be in order. Also, I have plenty of food. Perhaps we could sit down for a meal together?”

  Delilah couldn’t argue with any of that. She felt like they lacked direction right now — yes, they were trying to help Isabelle get home, and also trying to find a way back to Earth while they were at it, but with Caleb gone and little to no clues of where to go next, a chance to relax was most welcome.

  She couldn’t complain about the change in clothes, either. Lugging around her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves for so long was wearing on her.

  “A break sounds like just what the doctor ordered,” Lorelei said.

  “And comfier clothes are always a plus,” Chelsea said, grinning.

  Into Gwen’s house the group went. “Let me show you around,” Gwen said, and she began their quick tour of the cottage. Right inside from the front door was a coatrack and a shelf for shoes, so the girls even got to take off their shoes — something that went a long way towards making their first impressions of the place feel homely and welcoming. There weren’t shoes allowed indoors at Greyson Manor either, and that made Delilah both homesick and more comfortable.

  To their left as they entered was a simple, rustic kitchen, while to the right was a lovely little dining room with big windows to let in the light and give a wonderful view of the lilacs all along the hill. Straight ahead, they came out into an open area with couches and armchairs, a fireplace with a stone hearth, and a grand piano. Stairs to the right led up to the open-air balcony, and another set of stairs continued from the balcony to the second floor.

  The balcony was spacious and open to the air, letting a warm breeze blow through. Climbing to the second floor, they found Gwen’s bedroom and a large work space. Gwen’s bedroom was small, with only a dresser and a circular bed that looked delightfully cozy — red sheets and blankets trimmed in gold and a near mountain of plush pillows made Delilah want to dive in, curl up, and sleep until tomorrow.

  Gwen’s work space took up the rest of the second floor. She had several tall, spacious tables designed to be worked at while standing. Next to the largest window was a smaller table lower to the ground for seated work. Fabric was everywhere, along with a number of other materials — thread, buttons, leather, lace, and dif
ferent types of patches for embroidery. An amazing variety of pincushions were here, there, and everywhere, in a wide assortment of colors and designs.

  “You like to sew,” Chelsea said, prompting Delilah to frantically attempt to suppress a sudden giggle fit.

  “I’m a tailor by trade,” Gwen said, stepping out into the space and picking up a red and gold pincushion, turning it over in her hands.

  “Do you use any magic?” Lorelei asked.

  “You could say it’s unavoidable,” Gwen said. “For Enchanted, using Magic is as natural as breathing. But more noticeable uses require intentionality. For crafting clothing, I like the feeling and the accomplishment of working with my hands. Though I will be using a lot of Magic for you four, since we can’t stay long enough for me to put in the proper time to make outfits for you.”