by Jada Fisher
“Did you have a good nap there?” Mallory asked, sounding tense and like she was trying to pretend that she wasn’t.
“Yeah. I talked to Mickey.”
“Wait, you guys can talk to each other?” Mal asked. “Do you guys just generate powers at random, or is there a reason to y’all’s abilities?”
“Just like she visited your dreams, we can talk in ours. It’s a lot more coherent than what you experienced, from what it sounds like.”
“Yeah, I’d say so, if she’s doing anything other than standing there screaming instructions at you.”
“That sounds unpleasant,” Mallory remarked.
“It was. But I think I almost kinda miss it. My dreams yesterday were so quiet.”
“Speaking of unpleasant,” I said. “The prince is coming.”
Mal paled at that. “Oh. I was hoping he was bluffing at that.”
“What?” Mallory asked. “Is he not a nice guy?”
“I recognize that you’re joking, but it’s only because you don’t know him. Whatever you do, try not to react, try not to speak. Keep any sort of stimulus you could possibly give him to a minimum.” She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “He wants something from us, which makes it that much worse.”
“How so?”
“It means that he’ll keep us alive no matter what he does to us.”
“Oh…”
Before any of us could ask for her to expound on that idea, the door was opening, and people were walking in.
Oh, great.
8
First Impressions are the Worst
If I thought this dimension’s Baelfyre was snazzily dressed, the prince had him beat by a mile. From the moment he stepped in, I was nearly blinded by the gems and filigree all over his royal tunic. His pants were also a thick, embroidered leather with eyelets along the side that were strung up by gold strings, and his military boots were covered in armor that probably cost more than Mickey and I earned in a year.
He wore a simple, masculine sort of crown on his head, but his long, red hair flowed in a series of complicated braids and waves. Altogether it probably shouldn’t have looked masculine or intimidating, it was.
“These are them?” he asked, tilting his head almost idly. His voice wasn’t quiet gravelly, but it was far lower than I expected. Bordering on monotone, and quiet, with only the slightest uptick every now and then.
“Indeed they are,” Baelfyre said, coming in behind him. “Our good old friend Galvinod was the one who happened to find them.”
“Galvinod? Surprised he knows how to do anything outside of his theater and horse racing.”
“He’s full of surprises, apparently.”
“We will make sure that he’s appropriately compensated.”
“I’m sure I know what he’ll request, considering one of them is the slave that took his eye.”
“Oh, really?” The prince’s thin lips curled into a smirk. “Small world. Soon to be smaller.”
He approached us but stopped just outside of the cell. He nodded to the guards that then came in after Baelfyre, and I noticed they were the different than the ones I had interacted with earlier.
I supposed that made sense, but it made the situation that much worse that there were probably more guards than I could ever meet, even if I was introduced to two new ones every hour for a year.
They opened the cell door and the next thing I knew, they were gripping my shoulders and pulling me out into the main part of the room. I took a furtive glance at my sister, but she was still encased in that same blue crystal.
I was pushed into a kneeling position before the two dragons, and my heart skipped a beat. Geez, I liked to think of myself as a pretty stubborn person with a whole lot of bravado, but it was hard to keep my cool with the two of them staring me down.
“Huh. I thought she would be…more ethereal,” the prince remarked.
“There is a sorted of rounded mediocrity to her, isn’t there?” Baelfyre laughed.
Oh wow. That was a harsh one. It wasn’t often that someone could lay one on me that actually stung, but that one did.
“So, Seer, do you have any idea why we’re here?”
“You really want to know what your birthday presents are this year?” I shot back despite the fear in the pit of my stomach. “That’s being an awfully poor sport, you know.”
“Ah, I see.” He leaned over ever-so-slightly, bringing my face a hair closer to his. He was handsome, in a sort of animalistic way. “You’re one of those scared little mice who likes to chitter and chatter like they’re the predator. But in reality, you are acutely aware of just how much you are the prey.”
He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, he had slit pupils that were constricted to a thin line in his reptilian eyes. I felt a chill go down my spine, but somehow managed to mask it.
“Oh wow. You know I have contacts that do the same thing, but then they always rotate sideways to give me goat eyes. You ever have that problem?”
I didn’t even see him move, but the next thing I knew, I couldn’t breathe. Ice-cold, merciless fingers gripped my throat, squeezing so tightly I thought my head might pop off.
I vaguely heard cries from my friends, and someone slamming against the bars of the cells, and then laughter, but with each passing second, it grew fuzzier and fuzzier until it felt like everything was just a faint echo.
Then, just as suddenly, the pressure was gone, and I was coughing and hacking as I collapsed to the floor. The world came rushing back, slow at first, then faster, until I was able to look up and everything was mostly back to normal.
“I appreciate that you most likely think that this is your narrative, that you’re some noble hero from another world sent here to defend you pathetic humans from us dragons.” He crouched down again, one of his sharp-nailed fingers tracing along my cheekbones and then my chin. “But the reality is, I’m the prince. This is my story, and you are but a means to an end.
“Now, you can choose to go along and maybe you’ll be allowed to sink back into obscurity where you belong. Or you can continue wasting my time and see exactly how expendable you are if you refuse to play your part.”
So much of my mind was telling me to play nice. To capitulate and make sure he thought I was a docile little girl. But I couldn’t. Too many years fighting to just be recognized as a person had given me a stubborn streak a mile wide. It was probably going to get me killed.
“See, you’re sending me mixed messages, dude. Either you need me to cross worlds or you don’t. Which one is it?”
The prince stood up and sighed. “I tire of the banter. Take one of her friends out and kill them.”
That got me to my knees in a minute. “If you touch a hair on their heads, I swear to God that I will encase this entire palace in crystal until we all look like clearance earrings in the mall!”
The prince turned back to me, a small smile on his face. “I see. And is that really within your scope of power, little girl?”
“I dunno,” I answered, rising as high as I could while on my knees and giving him the most manic smile I could muster. “Would you like to test it?”
I had been expecting a lot of things, especially for him to hit me again, but he laughed instead. “Well, well. This is surprising. A human with actual bite. Please, continue to tell me what you’ll do to me.”
The tension between us was thicker than anything I had ever experienced, but I didn’t waver. At the moment, I was so full of adrenaline and venom that I wasn’t even sure I was afraid anymore.
“The way I see it, we’re at a bit of an impasse. You want something from me, but if you threaten me, I won’t give it to you. If you threaten my friends, I won’t give it to you. But, as it turns out, I just so happen to want something from you. So, instead of this grandstanding, how about you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?”
“You press your luck—” Baelfyre started.
But the prince held up his hand to still him. �
��I’m intrigued. Tell me, what can a seer from another world possibly want from me?”
“I want to free my sister. That’s it. If you can help me do that or find some sort of ancient secret that can wake her up, I’ll help you with whatever you want.”
“Really? Even if that’s the destruction of your own reality?”
I shrugged. “My reality has never been too kind to me. If I don’t like what you do to the place, I’ll go and hop to a new one.”
The prince seemed to actually be considering what I was saying. Sure, I didn’t like how smug he looked about it, or entertained, but he wasn’t killing me or my friends yet, so I supposed I was doing good.
“Strange, you just threatened me with sudden crystallization and yet you say you need to learn ancient secrets for it?”
“We can call upon it at will, but apparently taking it away is a whole lot harder. Also, there’s a slightly trickier part. I don’t know how to get back to my reality. That’s another thing I need your records for. There’s not exactly a tutorial on how to be a seer, so I’m figuring it out as I go.”
“I see.” He turned to Baelfyre and seemed to consider something for several moments. Finally, he turned back to me with a jovial, borderline sweet expression. “I agree to your terms, little Seer. I’ll grant you guarded escort to our records chamber, provided you show noteworthy progression.”
There was the sound of air being displaced and then suddenly something struck my cheek so hard that I slammed back down to the ground. I gasped, but before I could even turn my head to look up, I felt fingers lace through my hair.
“But I warn you, Seer, do not be mistaken in thinking you are remotely my equal. I am granting this because it amuses me, not because of any impasse you think you may have carved. And the moment I find it not entertaining, I will lock you up and flay bit after bit of your skin until you beg to take me to your world. Understand?”
“I-I understand.”
And then he let go. “Fantastic! I’ll give you all time to get acquainted with your new home, then tomorrow, we’ll get started. I do so hope that some of us end up disappointed.”
With that, he stepped out and the guards picked me up then shoved me back into the cell. I crashed into the wall, but Bron was there to catch me. I could feel him rumbling against my side, rage and power building in him, but I patted his chest soothingly.
“Don’t,” I whispered. “Please.”
Having a dragon on our side was an ace in our pocket and I didn’t want to give that away. Plus, I shivered to think of what they might do to him. I had no idea how they couldn’t tell already, but I guessed maybe their scents were different across dimensions, or the thought of a traitor dragon wasn’t even comprehendible to them.
But whatever reason it was, he managed to keep his cool until the guards left, slamming the door on the way out.
“Are you alright?” Mallory said, rushing to my side.
“I’m fine,” I said, rubbing my still-sore throat.
“I’m going to kill him,” Bron remarked, voice low and more dangerous than I had ever heard it before. “Before this is over, I will kill that man.”
I sighed and let myself sink into Bron’s hold. Back on my old world, in my old life, I would be far too embarrassed to ever sustain body contact with someone so attractive for so long. Especially without my glove. However, lot had changed since then and now leaning against a hot prince seemed like the last of my worries.
“No, you won’t,” I murmured. “But for now, let’s all get some sleep, shall we? I think I’d like to talk to Mickey again.”
“I think rest would do us all well,” Mal said, the first time she had spoken in quite a while. She was looking at me with an expression that I wasn’t quite able to interpret, but she quickly settled down and rolled onto her side.
“Wow, never thought I’d miss your ratty old mattress,” Mallory remarked, sliding down against the wall next to us and leaning against Bron as well.
Together, the three of us faded off into slumber, no doubt nightmares waiting behind each of our eyelids.
9
Actually, Research Papers are the Worst
I was ready when they came the next day, bright and early and with clanging steps. Unfortunately, I hadn’t dreamt at all in my little escape from consciousness, which really threw me for a loop. I was so close to Mickey, why weren’t we communicating nearly as much as we had been before? It didn’t make sense.
However, it wasn’t the guards that I expected. Instead, it was Galvinod, complete with a full breakfast tray and several waterskins hanging from his belt.
On a side note, I had hung out with the fancy pants dragons in my world for too long if I could recognize a handcrafted, leather waterskin on sight.
“Hello there, my songbird. I imagine you’re hungry.”
Mal sat up and scooted all the way back against the wall, her lips pressed into a thin line. I could tell she was hovering somewhere between horrified and hungry, but that food really did smell good.
“What do you want?” she growled.
“To thank you, actually. Because of the little friends you have in tow, I seem to have reclaimed all my previous status, and a good bit of wealth as a reward. I figure the least I could do is feed you.”
But even I could tell there was an ulterior motive, and I decided to help the other-dimensional version of my friend.
“What’s in it for you?” I asked.
“Why does something have to be in it for me? Can’t I just be grateful?”
I affixed him with my most patient look. “I suppose it’s a possibility, but it’s not very probable.”
“Fair enough,” he laughed lightly and put a little bit of what looked like bacon onto a biscuit with an over easy egg. He handed it through the bars, and I stared at it for several moments before carefully taking it.
When nothing terrible happened, like Galvinod trying to pull me through the bars or smacking the food out of my hands, I passed it over to Mal. I figured she needed it more than any of us. She too hesitated for a moment, then quickly devoured it in one large bite.
“After all of this is said and done, and the prince is marching his forces into your world, I might have been promised to have you back.” He said it so casually, but it still made my stomach lurch. How could he talk about possessing another living, breathing person like it didn’t matter? “It would be nice to hear you sing again.”
Mal’s chewing stopped and I could sense that she wanted to spit it back out, but I laid my hand on her arm. I willed her to realize that I would get her out of here and make sure that she never had to see this man ever again once she was free.
She seemed to get it, because she settled back against the wall and shrugged.
“Right. I realize we have a lot to put behind us, but I think, with some clearer lines of communication, I can make it better for you. I got you a bigger perch, some more comfy clothes for when you don’t want to be all dressed up how I prefer. Maybe even a pet!” He buttered another biscuit then placed some cheese and sausage on it before handing that to me too. “See? I’m willing to make this work. It would make everything so much easier if you would too.”
She still didn’t say anything, but she didn’t swear at him either, so I called that a clear win.
“Yes, I do realize I did just try to kill you. I apologize for that. I understand that it will take you a while to accept that, but I’m imagining it will take Miss Seer here a while as well to find out whatever ancient information she needs to so she can do whatever it is she needs to do.”
Next was the waterskin and then he set the tray on the ground and shoved it toward us with his foot.
“Eat up. Although I’ve got some clout, I certainly would lose it if I left this all with you, so I have to sit here until I decide you’re done. I don’t know how long that will be, so take advantage of that while you can.”
It was a special kind of humiliating, almost like we were his pets dining at his d
iscretion, but I didn’t care. I was hungry and thirsty, and I had a long day ahead of me. I needed to make sure I had enough fuel for my brain so that I could make sure to come up with an escape plan and free my sister, all before the prince got too impatient and started cooking my friends like the worst summer barbeque that ever happened.
Thankfully, he didn’t wait too long. Maybe fifteen minutes, in which time the four of us tried to eat as much as we could, then he picked everything up and walked out. Well, almost everything. Despite what he said, he left a waterskin for us, which was certainly going to help me later. I didn’t think the prince was going to care if I was hydrated or not.
The four of us huddled together after that, not quite sure what to do. Our only measurement of time was the sunlight from the window, and it was quite hard to tell how much time was passing. We had no idea when the guards would come to take me away or if they would take all of us away or anything.
When I had first stepped into this world, this was not how I imagined everything going, and I couldn’t help but wonder why my visions weren’t exactly overflowing. Had I really strained some sort of magical muscle with all of my shielding, dimension jumping, and the like?
Ugh. I hoped not.
Eventually, footsteps sounded up our stairs and the door was opening, revealing six soldiers. That was an upgrade I didn’t really want or need in my life.
“Come,” was all they said after opening the cell door. Mallory tried to step out, but one of them hit her in the stomach with the butt of his staff, causing her to double over.
“Hey, watch it!” I hissed, stepping forward and baring my teeth. “I’d hate to have to tell the prince that you’re already violating our agreement.”
To their credit, they didn’t flinch, but they did take a single step back, allowing me to walk out. I did, giving my companions one last meaningful look, before letting them lead me away.
As soon as I was out the door, I paid attention to my surroundings. I had tried to on the way to our little prison, but I had been so tired and overwhelmed with my brain scrambling for how to survive that I had missed a whole lot.
