Shimmerdark

by Sarah Mensinga

  The old me would have been thrilled that she thinks that. Instead though, I reach for her hand and say, “Then make me your Predrae.”

  She smiles, and like her rumpled gown and snarled hair, smiles also look good on her.

  After Tah Roli Miri drifts off, Paislene appears. “Alright Xylia, get up. Found you some clothes.”

  I’d rather rest a little longer, but she hauls me up off the sofa, hardly bothering to keep me draped in what seems to be a Shieldbearer’s pallacoat. She then directs me into a nearby, spacious lavatory, lighting our way with a shimmerlight orb. She hands me folded clothes and is about to leave when I say, “Wait; could you help me change?” Now that I’m upright, I’m very dizzy.

  She rolls her eyes. “Fine, fine.” Not being very gentle, she drapes me in another one of Bermy’s stolas.

  Once clothed, I peer into the lavatory mirror. My reflection is unfamiliar again. Not only am I bald, my eyebrows and eyelashes are also gone.

  “I like this shimmerdark stuff,” Paislene says, replacing her shimmerlight orb with the inky-black energy. “It’s so interesting and mysterious.”

  I nod. I thought I understood it, but after today, I’m not sure.

  “Wish Auldora was here.” Paislene changes her shimmerdark shape from a circle to a cube to a pyramid. “I thought she winked out… but your boy says Drae Devorla downleveled her.”

  “I tried to stop Devorla,” I say. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” Paislene says grimly. “You did stop her, and now she can’t hurt anyone else.”

  I still don’t know how I feel about that. I’m glad Drae Devorla can’t keep downleveling people, but I wish she wasn’t dead. I guess big problems rarely have solutions that don’t require some sort of sacrifice.

  I’m able to walk back to the parlor on my own, but it saps my energy and I’m eager to sit back down.

  Kary checks on me next, joining me on the sofa. After a short silence, he says, “I think you reversed my downleveling.”

  I nod. I must have. I suppose if his body once generated cagic, that system simply needed to be restarted. After that, the Midnith of Nelbar attacked, triggering Kary’s Shimmercaster transformation.

  “Do you think you could… do it again?” Kary asks. “Give other people their power back? Undo more downlevelings?”

  I breathe in deeply, yet the air seems to get lost on its way to my lungs. “I suppose so.” What an overwhelming realization. The Shalvos said they only authenticated a small number of children and downleveled the rest. A huge number of people in Kaverlee and the Periph and probably throughout the Connected Lands might be potential Shimmercasters.

  Kary’s mouth twitches sideways. “You’d have to kiss a lot of people, though.”

  I flush. He remembers? I suddenly wish a nocturne was here to devour me whole. “I had to hide what I was doing from the Conduits, and besides… I know you don’t feel that way about me.” I say the last part quickly before I’m too embarrassed to speak.

  He laughs.

  I look at him in dismay. This isn’t a laughing matter. “I’m sure I’d simply need to summon cagic into a person. Putting my hands on their back would probably work just as—”

  He leans forward. “I do feel that way about you.”

  I draw back.

  Kary gives me a look as warm as red-edged shimmerdark. “I didn’t kiss you on the Grimshore because you were the Predrae and I’m a criminal’s son, but I wanted to. I’ve always loved you, Xylia, always.”

  I don’t know what to say, but it doesn’t seem to matter because Kary kisses me. It’s so unexpected and wonderful, pinpricks of shimmerlight dance across my skin. After such an unpredictable day, I’m amazed I can still be surprised.

  When we break apart, I say, “Are you angry with me for turning you into a Shimmercaster?” I didn’t exactly ask permission.

  “No, not at all,” he says without hesitation. “I’ve lost some important things over the years, and you just gave one back.”

  He reaches over and finds my hand, and I squeeze his in return.

  The house is quiet now. Everyone else must have found places to rest, so Kary and I try to do the same thing. We attempt to sleep on the sofa with our arms around each other, which is uncomfortable in a way that’s worth the trouble. Yet not much time passes before I hear voices and footsteps. Sitting up, I’m startled to see a crowd of people flowing through Clicks’s home like it was a subtrain station: fancy Landroot residents, servants, older people, children. Even more oddly, everyone seems to be leaving the house, not arriving.

  I spot a familiar face towering above the others. “Fedorie!” I cry.

  Seeing me, she shoves her way past several people and jogs into the parlor. “You’re here! And you’re alive! And… your hair’s gone?” She looks down. “And Kary’s alive too!”

  Kary sits up groggily. “Fedorie, where were you?”

  “Saving the city,” she says proudly, brushing dust off her clothes.

  Clicks soon appears too, looking disheveled yet energized. His gray hair sticks up enthusiastically, like it often did on the Grimshore. “Starless skies! You’re both here, thank the realms! And Xylia… what happened to your hair, my dear?”

  “I don’t know,” I say, half laughing, and realms, we have so much to tell them. “Is your family alright, Clicks?” I ask. “And your mother, Fedorie?”

  They both nod.

  “My boys are still down in the shelters,” Clicks says, with an exasperated shake of his head. “They refuse to come up until a Shieldbearer personally assures them the city’s safe.”

  “That’s probably for the best,” I say. “Shimmerlings are sleeping in their beds.”

  “Shimmerlings? Here?” Fedorie’s eyes widen. “Was Triumvirate Hall evacuated?”

  “No, no,” I say, “but…” Where do I begin?

  Kary gestures to the parlor chairs. “You should probably sit down.”

  So Clicks and Fedorie join us, settling wearily into curved chairs that are shaped like seashells. I’m pleasantly reminded of how the four of us often sat around Grimshore cookfires.

  “Our story might take a while,” I say. “Why don’t you tell us what happened to you first?”

  “If you wish.” Clicks clears his throat. “After we parted ways at the Foundry, Madame Straechos and I couldn’t simply sit by while you both were in danger. Therefore, we made our way to the Foundry.”

  “You didn’t,” I say, horrified.

  “Don’t make that face,” Fedorie says. “We’re sitting in front of you now, aren’t we? Anyway, those Shieldbearers wouldn’t let anyone get close. But maybe we should have thanked them because not long after we arrived, the big clock broke and the whole building burst apart!”

  “We tried to find you two, naturally.” Clicks’s voice quivers. “But there was so much smoke and fire. We feared the worst.”

  “And with the city’s power off,” Fedorie says. “We knew we’d be nocturne food if we stayed where we were,”

  Clicks leans forward. “Thus, we deployed emergency procedure number three.”

  “What’s that?” Kary asks.

  Clicks smiles. “The Antiquities Society doesn’t just protect historical documents and architecture; we also vow to save lives. All those shelters? If there are ever nocturnes in the city, our members are prepared to usher as many people below ground as possible. Madame Straechos and I gathered up a good-sized crowd and led them into the Upper Topdwell baths, which has an entrance to the shelters. After that, I made my way back through the tunnels—which were quite crowded by then—and evacuated my household.”

  “It was dark as shareck’s guts down there,” Fedorie adds. “But the society members had lanterns and knew their way around. I found my mother’s insulae, and we evacuated everyone there too.”

  So even though nocturnes did enter the city, a lot of people were already hiding. I love that even though we didn’t plan to, we Grimshore survivors still worked t
ogether.

  Kary and I then tell our story; I describe meeting the Cityland Conduits and all the devastation that happened afterward. I also try to explain how I became the barrier wall surrounding the Expansion District, yet it’s hard to describe something I don’t fully understand. Kary doesn’t say much, but he does explain where the Colossi came from. Apparently after the Foundry exploded, Tah Roli Miri and Paislene wanted to use the huge figures defend the city. Most of the Shimmerlings liked the idea, but the Maternals wouldn’t let anyone leave the palace. Yet then Glowy Pony mysteriously appeared, and the confused, frightened Maternals relented.

  “I suppose there are now far too many Shimmercasters,” I say, thinking of the brave Shimmerlings who transformed.

  “But there are also no Conduits left to downlevel us,” Kary points out.

  I nod. “Maybe Kaverlee can change now. We could end downleveling and stop Authenticators from taking children away from their families. I suppose we’ll have to convince the King and Queen it’s for the best, though.”

  “I don’t think we need to worry about that,” Kary says, looking out the window toward the palace’s dark silhouette. “Triumvirate Hall should worry. They need to convince a large group of Shimmercasters to keep protecting and powering their city.”

  I suppose he’s right. The emergency reservoirs beneath the palace won’t last long now that the Great Drae’s gone and half the Shimmerlings have left.

  “Perhaps it’s time to return to the old ways,” Clicks says.

  “Yes!” Fedorie curls her hands into fists. “With lingersleeping and teams of Shimmercasters protecting us.”

  Kary looks hopeful too. “Imagine if we restored cagic to everyone who ever lost it. There would be hundreds of Shimmercasters.”

  “Maybe more,” I say, and it’s an exhilarating thought. But trying to dramatically shift how Kaverlee operates won’t be easy. People don’t like change, and they hate giving up privileges. I know.

  “Then there are the dead Conduits.” I sink back into the sofa, suddenly tired again, suddenly aware that my body has experienced intense stress and trauma. “The other citylands… they’re going to be furious.”

  No one says anything for a moment.

  “They’ll think we assassinated their Conduits,” Kary says.

  “It was an accident, though,” I say. “We were defending ourselves.”

  “Will they believe that?” Kary asks.

  They won’t, I realize. And even if they did, I still caused the Conduits’ deaths by resisting my downleveling. It may be a cruel law, forcing Shimmercasters to give up their cagic, but it’s still a law. Have I just started a war? The thought makes me shiver even though the room has warmed up. The Connected Lands have coexisted peacefully for over two-hundred years.

  “It seems…” Clicks pauses to yawn. “It seems we have a lot to think about. But before we make any big decisions, I suppose I should attempt to retrieve my sons again.” His eyes twinkle. “I must say, it is tempting to leave them where they are.”

  Once Clicks has left, Fedorie heads to the kitchens, claiming she’s “hungry enough to eat a shareck.” Then it’s just Kary and me.

  I look over at his damaged arm. “You might be able to make yourself a cagic hand,” I say cautiously because I know Kary hates anyone mentioning his injury.

  Sure enough, I feel him tense up, so I don’t press the idea.

  Instead, we simply sit quietly, side by side. I imagine meeting with King Macreolar and Queen Naradara and attempting to explain that the Foundry explosion was an accident. I also imagine trying to prove to Kaverlee that I’m not a murderer. It all seems impossible. “You know…” I start, my words sounding louder than I expect.

  Kary looks over at me.

  “I think I need to…” How do I phrase this? I rearrange my thoughts and try again. “I think Kaverlee can become a fairer, better place—but only if I leave.”

  Kary gives me a questioning look.

  “I didn’t mean to kill the Conduits or destroy the Foundry, but it will always seem like I did.” I take a deep, shaking breath.

  “Technically, I killed them,” Kary says, and to my surprise, he attempts to create a shimmerdark hand. It looks like a child’s attempt to draw a mitten, but he makes it open and close.

  “You killed them with power I gave you,” I say. “Power you didn’t know you had.”

  “Power you didn’t know I’d get.” Kary tries to create fingers. He shapes three, but they’re odd lengths. He glances over at me. “I can’t let you take all the blame.”

  I love that he’s willing to share such a complicated burden, but I’m not sure he fully understands the consequences. “If we seem like leaders, if we ask people to make big changes, the Foundry explosion will seem like it was part of our plan. People will think we killed the Conduits on purpose. King Macreolar and Queen Naradara won’t want to work with us either. They’ll also think we’re murderers. And even if we get a few people to understand what really happened, can we convince all of Kaverlee? What about the other citylands? It won’t end well.”

  Kary sighs and nods. “It would almost be better if we had died in the Foundry.”

  I look at one of the framed prints on the wall; it’s a map of the Connected Lands. “If we leave, though… vanish, then maybe Kaverlee can have a fresh start.” After missing Kaverlee for seven years, I can hardly believe I’m suggesting this. “The other new Shimmercasters are innocent, and the King and Queen will know that. They weren’t at the Foundry. All they did was save Kaverlee afterward, and that makes them heroes. I’ll talk to Tah Roli Miri. She’s the new Great Drae. She’s the perfect person to make changes.”

  “She doesn’t seem, uh… forceful,” Kary says.

  “She has other Shimmercasters to support her,” I say. “Help her.”

  “But vanish.” Kary leans heavily back on the sofa. “How do we do that?”

  I smile sadly. “We’ve done it before.”

  28

  The Grimshore

  Ihide when I see the boat because it could be anyone. But Glowy Pony doesn’t join me. He stands on a tall, sharp rock and watches the cagic-powered vessel putter closer.

  Yet as I shade my eyes, I realize I recognize that blue-hulled ship. It’s the same boat that whisked Kary and me away from Kaverlee last year, and it belongs to a member of the Antiquities Society.

  “They’re here!” I call, running across the uneven ground, then leaping onto a shimmerdark disc and riding it up to a small group of newly constructed buildings.

  Kary’s just where I left him, shimmerdark sparing with a couple of other young people.

  “They’re here,” I repeat, breathing hard.

  “Good,” Kary says, clapping his hands together—one flesh and bone, and the other dark and glimmering. “I was beginning to worry.”

  “Me too,” I say.

  “Shall I call everyone down to the beach to welcome them?” asks a young Finneth potter who’s now a Shimmercaster like us.

  “Our friends don’t know about the rest of you yet,” I say. “If they see strangers on the beach, they might think something’s wrong.”

  So it’s just me and Kary and his cagic guide, a glittering hare, who hurry back to the water.

  Glowy Pony’s still there, and the boat’s even closer. I can now see people on deck waving to us.

  Kary waves back. “Fedorie’s hard to miss, and there’s Clicks and Tah Roli Miri, but who are the others?”

  I squint. We weren’t expecting anyone else. Yet then I recognize the passengers. “It’s my sister! And Mother and Osren!”

  Now it’s even harder to wait for the ship to drop anchor and for our visitors to climb into a rowboat and join us. I’d bring them ashore using transference, but I’m not sure how much the crew knows.

  Tah Roli Miri sails over on a shimmerdark disc, though.

  “Xylia,” she says in her absentminded, dreamy way, stepping down onto the rocky beach. “It’s good to see y
ou.”

  “You too,” I say, curtsying, for she is the Great Drae now. “How’s everything back home?” And what a big question; it contains so many smaller ones, for Kaverlee was in turmoil when we left.

  “The cityland is well,” Tah Roli Miri says, yet exhaustion laces her words. “Everyone lingersleeps during the Dark Month now and teams of Shimmercasters guard the city and the Periph.”

  I want to know more, but the rowboat’s reached us and Mother’s helping Fifsa out of it. I rush over to help. My sister’s belly is big and round, just like Theandra Shalvo’s was the last time I saw her.

  “You’re expecting!” I cry as Fifsa gives me an enthusiastic-yet-awkward sideways hug.

  “You’re going to be an aunt!” she gushes. “And I like your hair! What a daring, short style!”

  “Thank you,” I say. I suppose she wouldn’t know I lost it. My hair finally started growing again two months ago and now it sticks out in unpredictable, startling ways.

  Mother hugs me too, and surprisingly, I don’t mind. “Look!” She holds out her hand. Cagic sparks swirl up off her palm and coalesce into a bright diamond of light.

  “Your powers… they’re back,” I say.

  “She’s very talented too,” Fifsa tells me.

  Mother blushes. “I’m still learning.”

  “Don’t let her fool you. She leads the Outer’s Cove Nocturne Guard.” Fifsa puts her arm around Mother.

  “There’s only five of us,” Mother says dismissively.

  “Which means there’s only five of you defending the whole town,” I say, impressed. “I’m proud of you.” And how strange, to be proud of a parent.

  Mother gives me a bright, hopeful look, and although it’s the same look that once made me cringe, now it just makes me feel grateful.

  Fedorie and Clicks hug me too, and Osren gives me a brief, approving nod. Then Kary and I lead everyone up from the beach. As we walk, Fedorie wants to know where we’ve traveled over the past year and if we’ve seen any unique nocturnes. I tell her we’ve journeyed through Matreornan and Highland Tilber, and that we fought a venomous geckog and something with a furry stomach and webbed wings.