Keystone

by Chloe Adler

  The congregation nods mutely.

  “Well, we’re not a democracy yet, and as one of the two remaining royalists, let me tell you how this is going to go.”

  Whoa. He so totally went there. I hope he knows what he’s doing, but it’s not hard to see that his people will resent him for this, even if things turn out as planned. Talk about starting democracy off on the wrong foot . . .

  The crowd murmurs but Vasily puts up both his hands. “Shush and listen to me. This human that you disdain so much,” he motions to me, “is your ticket back home.”

  He waits a beat but the crowd remains silent.

  “Amaya will get you back to Tara, and once we’re there, Azotar will leave.”

  “I’m not going back if that monster is still there,” a man in the back shouts.

  “That’s fine,” Verity says, jumping in. “Anyone who chooses not to come with us is welcome to stay here . . . forever.”

  “What? Forever? How is that a choice?” The same man’s voice turns shrill.

  “It’s a choice.” Verity raises her brows, placing both hands on her hips.

  “How do we know the fachan will leave?” asks a soft-spoken man up front.

  “Because Amaya,” Vasily motions to me again, “has spent most of her time working on this problem for us.”

  The crowd mumbles together.

  “I’ll give everyone fifteen minutes. Those who want to stay are welcome to do so but I’ll ask that you clear this area. Those wishing to return to Tara, stay.”

  He turns his back on the people and pats Verity on her shoulder. “Thank you for that. They trust you far more than me.”

  Verity makes a sound in the back of her throat. “Don’t thank me yet, let’s see what happens when you call time.”

  The three of us wait patiently, trying to block out the blooming arguments, discussions and tears. When fifteen minutes has passed, the twins step forward.

  “It’s time.” Verity looks around as eager faces turn toward her. “It looks like you’ve all decided to join us, is that correct?”

  The crowd nods, some yelling out, “yes.”

  “Good, we did not want to leave anyone behind. Amaya?” She turns to me.

  I lick my lips, gulp down some air and take a step forward. “Form a tight circle. Every one stand close enough to your neighbor to link hands.”

  They do as they’re told and it’s easier to see everyone after the circle has formed. There are at least three hundred of them. Families clutch their children and the air thrums with excitement. Faces turn toward Vasily, Verity and myself. Young and old, black, white and brown. Most everyone wears tattered clothing and no shoes.

  I nod to Tiernan and Wyclef, who make their way through the crowd, handing out lengths of torn cloth to the parents cradling infants.

  Vasily clears his throat. “If your children are too small to stand beside you and hold your hand, or even your leg, tie them to your body with the pieces of cloth the guards are giving you.”

  Mothers help fathers wrap infants around their bodies. Friends help pull the lengths of cloth tight, twisting cords around small children and tying them around each parent’s body.

  I peer up at Vasily. “It’s hard to believe that all these people have been suffering for so long under the malicious rule of a dictatorship.”

  “And you’re the one who set them free.” He clasps my hand, bringing it up his lips and kissing the top of it.

  “Royalists,” Verity says and the crowd hushes. “Amaya the synergist traveled all the way here to take us back home.”

  Half the crowd erupts, cheering. Some people cry out “thank you” and my face heats. The other half remains silent. Well, it’s better than being hated by all of them. Old prejudices die hard or not at all, but if I held that against these people, I’d be no better than their own myopic views. So I adjust the sheath containing Sanne on my back and look at Vasily. He clutches my hand tighter.

  “Grab your neighbor’s hand now. Make sure you’re all connected, or you’ll be left behind.” I use my loudest voice, the projection I save for singing. “Make sure your infants are tightly connected to your bodies and grasp the hands of your children.”

  We wait another few moments as everyone gets adjusted, but Vasily never let’s go of my hand.

  When everyone is finished, the crowd falls silent, as if they’re all holding their collective breath. I nod at Vasily and he grabs Verity’s hand. From my pocket, I take out the Taran rock Betty gave me and plop it in my mouth. Heh. Placebo indeed. I won’t actually swallow it, but it can’t hurt to keep a bit of Tara as close to my heart as possible. Then I reach my hand out and grasp the hand of the person next to me.

  “Hold on, everyone!” Vasily shouts.

  I force my eyes closed and draw Tara there, in my mind. I recall the smell of the breeze as it wafts through the forest of Calixto. I imagine Zuri, Paxil and their fairy friends all buzzing about the trees. I taste the water invading my mouth and nose in the Water Meadow and the Lake of Tales. I even feel for the imposing cold metal of the monolith, floating on an evening sky. When I peek through my lashes, several people on the opposite side of the circle blink out. A few others flicker in and out, transparent, like ghosts. Wyclef and Tiernan clutch hands, wavering and holding eye contact with each other.

  My body begins to tremble and shake and my mouth fills with saliva, making me cough and sputter. Betty’s precious stone slides down my throat, momentarily choking me at the same moment everyone blinks out of existence.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The first thing that strikes me is the total darkness. I pry open my eyes to peer around, disoriented. My body is rigid with fear. Using my senses, I press my hands to the space around me and breathe in deeply. The acrid scent of metal bites my nostrils, clinging there for a second before the warm scent of Vasily replaces it. My entire body relaxes.

  “Vasily?” I whisper.

  “I’m here.” His voice sounds like it’s coming from a tin can.

  “Where?” I crawl toward it.

  “Don’t move,” hisses Betty and I freeze.

  “Where are we?” Verity’s regal voice pierces the blackness.

  “We’re in Azotar’s monolith,” says Betty. “Tread lightly, this is more people than its used to.”

  “Azotar,” I say, trying to add a lilt to my voice, still crawling toward Vasily’s voice.

  “What are all these people doing here?” it hisses.

  “We’re not here to hurt you,” Verity responds. “We’re here to help, if we can.”

  I bump into something warm. “Vasily?” I whisper. His long, capable arms wrap around me and pull me close. I bury my face in his chest, breathing in his comforting scent. He pets my head.

  “Can we turn some lights on?” Vasily says. “Azotar, you know that both Verity and I were against your banishment. As you well know, I fought long and hard against your execution. You agreed to leave Tara in order to survive.”

  Cold metal touches my shoulder. I jump back as dim lights illuminate the cabin to reveal Azotar winding its way around Vasily’s neck. I leap to his aid but he holds a hand up.

  I lean back on my heels. “Azotar, what are you doing?”

  The thick band unwinds from the king’s neck, then moves to Betty, who places it against her cheek, holding it there and caressing it. “It’s scared,” she whispers.

  “She’s right, I’m afraid,” its gravelly voice says. “I’ve been here for so long. Only once was I out for a short time in Tara.”

  “But you still want to be free from here, don’t you?” I ask.

  “Can I be on Earth in human form with my one true love?”

  “That’s the plan,” says Vasily. “It’ll be good for you and for Tara. The inhabitants want her restored to her natural splendor. No more crazy gravity or weather problems. No more controlling others to enact your will beyond the monolith’s walls. Yes?”

  “Yes,” Azotar agrees.

  “We�
��ll need you to move the monolith to the ground in front of the Lake of Tales so you can let the royal court go,” I say, assuming they’re all in here somewhere. Lord knows this stupid monolith has a lot of hidden nooks and crannies. “There, all the leaders will gather unbind you.”

  “But . . .” Verity wrings her hands, looking between Vasily and myself. “What if we unbind it and it escapes the monolith to mess things up here even more?”

  I hit my head with my hand. Time to come clean. But the words don’t come out just yet. No doubt Betty’s rock is choking them back.

  “But I wouldn’t go back on my word,” says Azotar.

  “Why would it? It wants to be with me,” says Betty. “On Earth.”

  Verity shrugs. “I’m just saying, that’s no guarantee, and after years of being besieged by you, I don’t think most people are going to take you at your word.”

  Betty holds her hand out. “Amaya, give me back my stone. I can use it to cast a binding spell.”

  I blink at her, grimacing.

  “What happened to my special stone?”

  “I’m sorry, Betty, I didn’t mean . . .”

  She jumps up, shaking, on the verge of tears. “Where is it?”

  I point to my stomach. “It was an accident.”

  “You swallowed my rock?”

  “You won’t need it to see me anymore, my love.” Azotar takes its human shape and wraps around her. “We’ll be together soon enough.”

  “Besides,” says Verity, “Betty has a vested interest. She shouldn’t be the one to cast a binding spell anyway.”

  Betty nods slowly. “She’s got a point.”

  I clear my throat. Hoo boy, this is going to suck. “I, uh, already promised my life for this contingency.”

  “What?” Vasily leaps to his feet. “What are you talking about?”

  I throw my hands up. “It was the only way I could get Oceane to agree to unbind Azotar. If the fachan doesn’t leave Tara once unbound, I agreed to use my power to force it out, even if it . . .” I shrug. “Kills me.” Now that I’ve said it out loud, to others, it sounds like a stupid bargain, and one that the fachan could take advantage of, if it so wished.

  “Amaya,” Betty throws her arms around me, “you did that for my love?”

  Vasily’s usually deep and calm voice rises to epic proportions. “No. There has to be another way.”

  “Just the fact that you offered your life, for it, for us . . .” Betty hugs me even tighter. “It means the world but yes.” She lets go of me and looks at Vasily. “There is another way. Your warlocks could bind it. Two of them, at the least.”

  “Anything,” says Vasily, “is better than using your life as leverage.” He crosses to me and holds my face in his hands. “Will you agree to this? Go back to Earth and bring the warlocks here?”

  I nod dully. “Yes, I’m willing to try that.”

  “One sec.” Betty gets up and walks to the far end of the room. Azotar disappears into smoke, reappearing a second later next to her. They whisper together.

  Vasily looks down at me, holding my gaze. “You were willing to sacrifice your life for the lives of my people? People who treat you like a second-class citizen?”

  Worse. I don’t shy away. “Yes, but it wasn’t just about them. It was about you and Verity, the children of the royalists and the people of Tara. Zuri, Fauna and Paxil, the dryads and sylphs and asrai and everyone I call my friend. They’ve lived in an upside-down world for far too long. And it was about Azotar too, who’s suffered needlessly and become the monster everyone feared it to be like a self-fulfilling prophecy. It was about second chances and lost love.”

  “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” He bends down to kiss me and I meet his lips with mine.

  “Okay people, you’re not alone here,” Verity says and we part, wearing deep smiles.

  I wish I could take Vasily back to Earth with me. My heart aches for him even while I’m in his arms, but his place is here. Our love story, my love stories, will end in tragedy for the five of us, but in sacrificing our happiness, we’ll be saving the lives of a whole kingdom. I was willing to sacrifice my physical life for them. Can sacrificing my loves be any worse?

  Gazing down at me, Vasily misreads my pained expression. “You’ll be fine, you’ve done this before.”

  “But what if I can’t get back? My powers are stronger, no doubt, but I haven’t been the greatest at controlling them.”

  “You swallowed Betty’s rock, right?” asks Verity.

  “Yeah but—”

  “That’s how.” She smiles at me and I marvel for a second at how much she looks like Vasily.

  Betty appears next to us with Azotar wrapped around her like a cloak. “If you can get my horn back, you could use that for sure. Regardless, this has to be done tonight. Do you think you can be back in fifteen minutes?”

  I exchange looks with the twins. “I don’t see how.”

  “You’ll do it,” Azotar growls. “You’ll do it or Betty and I will stay here together and live out the rest of our days. It’s good enough.”

  Why fifteen minutes? Why am I questioning two sociopaths? Why is this my life?

  “Don’t be so dramatic, my love.” Betty rolls her eyes, though the gesture brims with affection. “If this doesn’t work, we’ll just try again in a month. And besides, the planes are closer together than they’ve been in years. Like the quilt, right? This’ll be a walk in the park for you. Er, two parks, I guess.” Betty holds out her hand, expecting me to shake it. “In fifteen minutes the two moons rise. They only rise together once a month.”

  “Okay . . .” I shrug.

  “It’s a time when Tara buzzes with power, like a battery,” says Vasily.

  “We can use that power to stabilize the spells,” adds Betty. “Just trust us.”

  Azotar cuts in, “Do it or Tara stays upside down, no one reigns as king or queen, and the royalists will be forced back to Juna.”

  No pressure there.

  Verity narrows her eyes, flashing white teeth and growling.

  Vasily shoots her a look. “Amaya can do it.”

  “That’s a quarter of an Earth day, six hours, no problem.” I reach out to shake Betty’s hand but I don’t feel as confident as I sound.

  “Give us a minute.” Vasily takes my hand and leads me away. “Do what you’ve always done before to get back to Earth. Sit here.” He pats the metal grate floor. “Focus on the mansion. Remember, Amaya, you’ve had a lot of practice. You’re not green anymore.”

  I reach out to him with both arms and he folds me into a warm embrace, cupping my head, and we kiss. His lips are warm and safe, his body hard against mine. The sound of his breathing calms me. His taste calms me. His mouth calms me. I lose myself in him, not wanting to let go, but after a long moment he steps back, turns and joins the others.

  I sigh, sit down on the floor with my back to the wall and close my eyes. I imagine my other lovers. Bodhi’s soft blue eyes and gentle kisses. Arch’s gruff hands searching my body. Forrest’s poetry and soft caresses. Cedar’s practicality his eyes searching my soul.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  I fall down hard in the grass, right outside the mansion. It’s daylight and for that I’m grateful. I have no idea how long we’ve been gone. I count the hours on my fingers. At least five days, maybe longer. I jump up and brush myself off, bursting through the front door at high speed.

  “Arch, Bodhi, Cedar, Forrest?” I yell, storming through the house before I remember the intercom system and shout their names through it. There’s no response; the place is completely empty. I search my room and the spell room for my cell phone but it’s gone too. I rush outside, looking for my car. Nope, there are no cars in the drive. Why didn’t I notice that to begin with? I jog up the path to the stables. Maybe the guys are there or out for a ride.

  “Forrest, are you here?” I call out, checking each stall but no one’s here either.

  I throw a blanket, saddle and br
idle on Dart and search the grounds. I check my watch, my heart clenching. It’s already been an hour and I’ve made no headway. Only five more left. I should not have agreed to this.

  I’m heading back to the stable along the main driveway when the dragon gate opens and a car drives through. They’re home. Jules’s car comes to a stop next to me and Dart on the road and I’m about to launch into a litany of questions when the passenger and back doors fly open and . . . my parents jump out?

  “Amaya, darling.” Mom runs faster than Dad but stops short when she nears. I know she’s worried about spooking Dart. I slide off and hold his reins loosely in one hand.

  “Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?”

  Mom ignores the question and slides her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. “Sweetheart,” she whispers into my hair. “We missed you so much.” She pulls back and looks at me, not letting go of my arms. “When you didn’t answer our calls for days, we had to come home.”

  “Are you okay?” asks Dad, stepping closer.

  “I’m sorry, I—”

  “I explained that you lost your phone.” Jules leaps out of the driver’s seat and rushes over, taking Dart’s reins from me.

  I want to hug her for taking care of my parents and then interrogate her about stealing Betty’s horn. But now is not the time; maybe in a bit. Gritting my teeth while plastering a smile on my face, I focus on the former.

  “When we couldn’t reach you after three days, we called Jules.” Dad places a kiss on the top of my head.

  “If you talked to Jules, why did you come back?”

  “Your mother got one of her feelings.” Dad leans in. “And you know there’s no arguing with her when her mind is set on something.”

  Ain’t that the truth.

  “Jules has been an absolute doll,” gushes Mom. “She picked us up from the airport and drove us straight here.”

  I throw my BFF a genuine smile. “Thanks, Jules.”

  She smiles back, obviously relieved.

  “Can we see the house? Will you show us around and introduce us to your friends?” asks Mom.