Oracle's Luck: Unraveled World Book 3

by Alicia Fabel

  “Not to be disrespectful, but whose problem is it?” asked Pili.

  Kale frowned. He’d figured Mother would keep everyone in control.

  “There it is.” Seb pointed at the new gate.

  Kale studied the drawing in his hand and then the door before him. They were the same—right down to the gargoyles perched along the top arch. He was sure he’d seen something like it before. Maybe in a photograph. “Where does it go?”

  “That’s the thing. It doesn’t go anywhere.” Seb flung the door open and walked through. He appeared on the other side just as he should.

  “And it just showed up?” Kale asked.

  “Not on its own,” Seb said. “Jemma made it appear.”

  “She’d been working on that drawing forever,” added Pili. “Everything was normal and then she did that thing with her nose. She does it when she has a vision. When we asked her what she’d seen, she tore that picture out of her sketchbook, threw it to the ground, and that door popped out of it.”

  Seb finished, “She ran through the door, slammed it behind her, and was gone.”

  Kale ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve never heard of a being that can make drawings come to life.”

  “Neither have we.”

  Seb jumped back, claws lengthening. “What in the gods’ names is that?”

  Kale looked behind him and spotted a contingency of zombies and soul-eaters spilling into the field. “More of our army, it appears.”

  “What, in Diyu?” Pili took up the position beside his brother when a massive bald head with ebony skin popped through the gate. The giant’s body followed.

  “Is he wearing a blindfold?” asked Pili.

  “That’s so he doesn’t blind the rest of us,” Kale explained. “Their eyes are as bright as the sun. But that’s no blindfold. That’s a spider’s webbing.”

  The brothers began mumbling prayers under their breaths to their chosen gods.

  “She just ate a couple days ago,” Kale assured them, and then reconsidered. “But I wouldn’t make her angry.”

  Rhena made her way over. Her eighth leg stub no longer oozed.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” she told Kale.

  Kale flinched and shied away from talking about Vera. “I’m surprised your warden let you out.”

  “I convinced him that if he came with me, he would still be protecting the world from me and saving it for me too.”

  “The giant?” asked Seb. “But he cannot see.”

  “Trust me, his sight is the least of his skill set,” Rhena told them.

  “I heard the alchemists commandeered the top floor, even though they only need half the space,” Kale told Rhena. “If you’re looking for somewhere to set up a web, that might be a good place.”

  Rhena considered her giant warden. “I think I’ll stick to the trees tonight. Any chance I’ll catch something? Vera mentioned something called a cow.”

  “There won’t be any cows wandering around,” Kale said.

  Rhena seemed disappointed.

  Kale considered the growing chaos around them. “If you’ll contain all the leprechauns running around here, I’ll make sure a cow makes its way into the meadow tonight.”

  Rhena smiled slyly, “Consider it done.”

  She started to wander away when Kale added, “Don’t kill any.”

  “As long as no one bites, I won’t bite back.”

  That was good enough for him. The brothers looked aghast.

  “I thought they tutored you guys on all the beings in the world,” he said to them.

  “Seeing them in person is different from on a scroll,” Pili replied. “And they never told us that blind giants keep the spiders under control, or that they would catch leprechauns for you if you promised them a cow.”

  “A lot has changed since your records were written,” Kale said. “No one knows anyone anymore.”

  “But you’ve kept up with all the realms,” Pili observed.

  “It was my job.” Kale frowned. “Hey,” he called to the soul-eater nearest him. “Keep those zombies away from the dorm. I don’t want any getting lost inside then starting a massacre trying to find you again.” A zombie that realized it was too far from a tiger would freak out, like a child who realized his mom wasn’t where he thought she was. Only, they would leave a swath of destruction until reunited. The soul-eater nodded, and a couple of tigers materialized and went to round up the zombies.

  “Let’s find Mother and see if she’ll know something more about Jemma,” Kale said. They weaved through the tents that the kargadan had set up. “Moron,” Kale called. He was almost amused when Hutran looked up. The kargadan stood like an FBI agent behind Prince Ashur. “There’s a bag of something toxic laying outside the front door of the building. Care to clean it up before we’re all transformed into leeches or worse?”

  Hutran balked, but Prince Ashur said something quietly to his guard. Part of his entourage broke off and headed around the building. Kale kept walking. The twin wonders kept quiet but followed. By the time Kale found Mother, she was trying to convince Braxas not to transform back into his dragon and cremate the entire building with everyone still inside it. The coven clustered nearby.

  “Trouble in paradise?” Kale asked.

  Braxas hissed.

  “We’ve run out of rooms to put everyone, because the alchemists won’t let my coven return to their rooms.”

  “They won’t even let us go up and collect our things,” called an angry crone.

  “You’re the High Mother of Summartir,” Kale reminded her. “Command them.”

  “My status doesn’t mean much in the meadow or among people other than my own.” She sighed. “At least I’ve managed to keep my witches from stitching all the alchemists to the walls.”

  “I nearly got brained by a bag of potions,” Kale said.

  Mother frowned at a young witch, whose face was red with anger. “He called me a—”

  “Enough, Luce,” warned Mother. To Kale she said, “It was a casualty before I could intervene. And now the alchemists are really being difficult. I’ve even offered to send the Tablilu clan up instead, but they won’t have it.”

  Why had Kale imagined that the army thing would be simple, and it would somehow magically be under control? “I’ll talk to them.”

  When he made it up the stairs, a centaur barred his way.

  “I promise you want to let me through or you’ll see why the world still fears unnaturals,” Kale warned.

  “I recognize you,” snarled the soldier.

  “But did you know his name is Kalesius?” Seamus asked from the landing below. “Maybe you know him by his title—Guardian.”

  The centaur looked shaken but still didn’t let Kale pass. Instead, he said, “I’ll tell him you are here.”

  Kale threw Seamus a look, and the leprechaun poofed away with a ridiculous grin. A few minutes later, Prince Cato appeared.

  “Guardian.”

  “Not the Guardian anymore,” Kale replied. “We’re out of rooms. Your people have to share this floor.”

  “As I’ve explained to the witches, that is not possible. Our people—”

  “You brought your sister, didn’t you?” Kale asked.

  The prince opened his mouth as if he meant to argue and stopped. “When she learned what happened to Vera, my sister demanded that we come. But how did you know?”

  “Vera said you were very protective of her.”

  “I’m not the only one.” The prince’s lips pinched. “Some of her adoptive family came too.”

  “So the reason you’re being difficult is that you don’t want anyone to know that you’re harboring humans and that your sister is a reformed siphon,” Kale concluded.

  The prince stepped back defensively. Probably preparing to defend the entire floor if needed.

  “Who cares?” called one of the Monroe men, who’d followed Seamus’s example. “Most of us are here to avenge Vera, who was a reformed siphon herself. And
to save her realm of humans.”

  “They…you all knew what Vera was?”

  “She gave up her secret to save our family,” said Mitch. “To save my son. Siphon, human, whatever, your family is safe from us.”

  The prince looked at Mother. “Your coven is rather open-minded.”

  “Many of my people are hoping to come to Earth and study among the humans.”

  “Study?” Cato said with interest.

  “It’s a program we’re developing,” she explained. “If you let my witches back into their rooms, I’ll tell you all about it and see how your people can get involved if you’d like.”

  And just like that, the witches had rooms. Kale was exhausted and wondered if anyone had taken over the carriage house. He’d be lucky if he could get down the blasted stairs without breaking a leg.

  Ferrox?

  The horse didn’t answer.

  Ferrox, come on. I’m tired, and you are much better at navigating stairs. Care to take over?

  You’ll manage, was all Ferrox answered.

  Kale had no idea what was up with the demon. Except he seemed to be taking on a super dose of the unnatural urges and bottling them up. Kale should probably cut him some slack since it was helping him keep a level head.

  Mimi’s brothers were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

  “I forgot to ask about Jemma,” he told them.

  “We’re not worried,” said Pili. “Jemma is alive and will come back when she can.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because that’s what she said before she vanished.”

  “So you’re telling me your third wheel just needed a break from you, and you knew that was the case all along? Then why are you bothering me with your problems?”

  “We hoped you’d know how she did what she did.”

  “Why would I know, if you haven’t read it in those textbooks your tutors have?”

  “You know things about all the different people that the books and scholars don’t.”

  “I don’t know that much,” Kale argued. “I spent most of my time in the meadow.”

  “You know enough to know how to put everything in order and get everyone working together.”

  “Yeah, well, I just need everyone to hold it together until we get to Heliopolis.”

  “And after you defeat the weaver, what happens to all of us then?” asked Pili.

  “How should I know?” Kale pushed past the brothers.

  “It’ll turn back into a mess,” Pili said. “They won’t be able to get along for long.”

  “Mother and Mimi will have a handle on it,” Kale replied.

  “They have enough struggle just trying to get a handle on their own people. And no one from any of the other realms is willing to listen to a morph Queen or a High Witch. No one trusts each other.”

  “Then it sounds like you will all be up a creek.”

  “The world needs you, Guardian,” Seb spoke up. “They trusted Vera because she was part of everyone, but she’s gone. Now they need you to be the Guardian.”

  “I’m not the Guardian.”

  “You may not be bound to the meadow, but your authority still rules. You could finish what Vera began.”

  Kale startled at that.

  “Doesn’t it bother you that the one thing she wanted—to make people get along and give each other a chance—is going to end?”

  “Actually, as nice as she was,” began Pili. “I don’t think she could’ve done what you do. She brought all these people together, but she needed you to keep everyone in line.”

  “She’s not here anymore,” Kale growled.

  “And that sucks,” said Seb. “But you are here. You think the world doesn’t need you, but you’re wrong.”

  “That’s what I told ye too, boss,” piped Seamus. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “My lads are trapped in a cocoon.”

  “And they’ll stay there until I say otherwise,” Kale said. “They’ve been making a mess all over the meadow.”

  “Oh, they don’t mind,” replied Seamus. “The spider is telling them stories. A couple have already asked to serve her.”

  “What did she say to that?” Kale asked.

  “That she’d rather suck them dry until their bodies are husks.”

  Kale wondered if he should’ve warned Rhena that she’d only made things worse for herself with threats.

  “Never thought I’d see the day when they’d follow a spider. You’re a sage leader, boss. Just came to let ye know that. Gotta go. Missing the best parts of the stories.”

  When the leprechaun was gone, Pili persisted, “We’re just saying that you should think about it.”

  Then they melted away to find the rest of their people. The morph packs were anxious to lead this band of circus sideshows into Heliopolis to get their queen back. Kale started for the carriage house, but based on the noise emanating from inside, he decided to go rustle up a cow instead.

  21

  Vera massaged her hands and wrists. “I’m dying here.”

  “Almost done,” Mimi said. “We only have maybe sixty more genies to rename.”

  “I cannot think of any more names.”

  “Yeah, I figured that out when you named someone Bun E. Fufu and someone else Mack Swizzle.”

  “Hey, like Rumply Stiltskin was any better.”

  “At least no one is likely to guess those. Which means they’re the best names a genie could get.”

  “Then you better keep writing, Dickens.”

  “I’m totally using that name too,” Mimi said with a laugh.

  “Any idea what you’re naming your little cub there?”

  “No. I’ll figure it out later.” Mimi blew a stray hair away from her face and drew a line through a name before scribbling in a new one.

  “We’re sure this will work?” Vera asked.

  “That’s what he said. Genies cannot rename themselves but someone else can if they have this book.” Mimi waved the pocket-sized reference. Each page was dedicated to a Genie, with a unique geometric drawing to identify them. When they’d found their genie friend’s page, they’d renamed him, Bubba Joe.

  “You’re sure you don’t want to keep this when we’re done?” Vera asked. “In case a genie gets out of line. All you have to do is look them up and boom, you’re in charge.”

  “I don’t want to force anyone to support my claim to rule. I want them to do it because I’ve proven I am a good ruler.”

  “Until they give their names out to random people again and become puppets.”

  Mimi turned the page. “It’s their name to give.”

  “Can you imagine being a genie out there, cleaning latrines or something, and all of a sudden, a new name pops in your head?”

  Mimi laughed. “And then your like, what the fudge pops does Twinkle Toes mean?”

  Vera cracked up and then said seriously, “Bet they won’t care once they realize they’re free.”

  Mimi wrote another name. “I’ve got the next ten, and then you get the ten after that.”

  Vera groaned and fell back against the bed, trying to think up a name she hadn’t already used.

  “Some pages just disappeared.” Mimi flipped through the remaining pages.

  “Genie boy said they appear and disappear when a genie is born or dies, right?” Vera sat up abruptly. “What happens when the army realizes the genies are being freed?”

  “There’s no way they wouldn’t notice this many genies vanishing.”

  “What do you think they’ll do to the ones who are still there when they figure it out?” Vera’s stomach fell.

  Mimi wrote faster. They only switched off writing new names once, when Mimi couldn’t feel her fingers anymore. In less than twenty minutes, they had all the genies renamed. Before they’d finished, at least a dozen more pages had dissolved. Vera covered her face with her hands, trying to process what had just happened. She hadn’t thought about the repercussions of what they were d
oing. And she’d cost the lives of those people because she hadn’t been thinking.

  “It’s not your fault,” Mimi said. “Neither of us knew they would do that.”

  “I never would’ve imagined that someone would start eliminating them just so they couldn’t be free.”

  “Because you see the good in people.” Mimi curved an arm around her. “And that’s not a bad thing. Don’t change, okay?”

  Vera blinked rapidly.

  “What do you think they would’ve done with all those genies once they were done with them anyway? Hon, you didn’t lose seventeen genies. They were already lost. You saved hundreds.”

  Seventeen. That’s how many they’d lost. And for all Mimi’s comforting, she’d numbered every one because those were her people. Vera was sure their queen would not let them be forgotten after it was all over.

  Vera clenched her teeth. They hadn’t realized the cost of what they were doing, but Marianna had. And she hadn’t said a word—hadn’t told them to write quickly. No, she’d manipulated it so everything would happen just like it had. The weaver had decided that the cost of lives was acceptable.

  It was time to take that woman down.

  Except the door was locked, and the windows were sealed too. When did Marianna do that? They were trapped inside the room until the weaver let them out. Mimi tried yelling for Addamas but eventually gave up.

  “How much of the sedative did you give him?”

  “I didn’t drug him,” Mimi said. “Marianna did.”

  “That’s just swell. Let’s hope he wakes up before we starve. Or before Marianna kills off an entire race to achieve her super world.”

  Kale looked over his motley army. Other than a few raised hackles during breakfast—he’d stepped in and told them to act their ages before he threw them into a volcano—the morning had gone well. Rhena looked twitchy. A cluster of leprechauns huddled near each of her legs. Prince Cato and Mother stood together, and although their people weren’t exactly intermingling, they weren’t swinging at each other either. Vera would be pleased. The thought made his heart heavier and the knot of indecision in his mind tighten.

  He hadn’t slept much the night before. The twins’ words had played on repeat through his head. This was Vera’s legacy. Looking over the beings around him, he started to believe the world could be healed again. For now, all those faces looked to him for direction. Who would they look to when this was over?