by Alex C Vick
I looked at the table, where one set of glittering coordinates had yet to be circled. "What about the last one?"
"Trowen. This is the world I thought you might prefer. It has a lot of rivers and only one mainland surrounded by ocean water. The towns and cities are all next to the rivers because that's where the magic is."
"In the water itself?" I asked.
Galen nodded. "It's like a version of the living magic in trees. The mountains where the rivers originate are inaccessible," he added. "Portals won't open there. We could only guess at some kind of magical interference."
"Well, that's a mystery that's crying out to be solved," I murmured. How on Androva am I supposed to decide?
Galen held out his hand. The magic in his palm was deep blue, the colour of the telepathic Communication Spell he'd invented. "I can show you," he offered.
"Show me what?"
"A few of my memories. I went to all five worlds when I worked at the Foundation. They were only brief visits, but it will be better than nothing."
I didn't hesitate, giving him my hand. I had to swallow a gasp as I adjusted to the strength of his magic, but then it was as if his memories became mine. The Communication Spell transmitted emotions if the projecting magician allowed it, and Galen, generous as ever, shared his feelings too. It was reassuring to know he'd been nervous once.
When he broke the connection, I blinked. It was a few seconds before the table and the Illumination Spells came back into focus.
"Well?" said Galen. "What did you think?"
"The middle one was Xytovia, wasn't it?" I said. "You mixed them up."
"Yes. I thought it would help you to be impartial. And?"
I smiled, half excited and half scared. "And yes. Xytovia's the one."
1.1 Ammartus, One Week Ago
Every day brings another reminder of my unmatched status. I hate my life. Mother warned me about my amulet this morning. The Board of Mages says I can't wear it after my birthday. I threw it across the room to show her I don't care. Except I do. She made me pick it up and put it back on. She was pretty mad.
I'm trying not to care. I'm trying so hard. But all the anger I can summon isn't enough to block out the stupid caring. I have to go for another skills assessment next week. I was told I could still play a part in magical society. I know they expected me to fall at their feet with gratitude, but to work alongside magic while having none of my own feels like adding insult to injury.
Unfortunately, the alternative is worse, and on top of everything else, it turns out I'm a coward.
No. I don't know. I don't want to be a coward. I don't know what I am.
2 White Lies
I hadn't expected to fall asleep easily, but the whispering sound of the waves on the shore soon distracted me from my thoughts. The next thing I knew, dawn was lighting the sky. The air was soft and warm at this time of day, feeling almost like a Harmony Spell against my skin.
"Serena? Are you awake?" asked Claudia. Her voice came from the other side of the clearing, where she and Galen slept.
"Mmm. Just about," I replied.
"Do you want breakfast, or are you going for a swim first?" she said.
I stretched. "I don't know. I think I—"
Suddenly, I remembered. Xytovia. I rushed to get out of bed, and in my haste I got one foot caught in the thin sheet. I fell over the side, landing on the ground in an awkward tangle of arms and legs. We slept high up to give plenty of room for Protection Spells.
"Ow," I muttered, scrunching up my face. My left ankle hurt. When I tried to stand, the pain sharpened, and I gasped, discovering that I couldn't put any weight on my foot.
"Serena? You think you what?"
The sound of approaching footsteps was followed by an exclamation of concern. Claudia put her hand under my elbow and helped me to a standing position.
"Can you walk?" she asked.
I gritted my teeth. "I'll use my force field."
By the time we reached the bench in the clearing, a sheen of perspiration had broken out on my forehead. I had tears in my eyes. I was furious with myself.
"Pain Remedy?" suggested Claudia.
"I don't know. It'll make me groggy," I said, leaning down to take a closer look at my ankle. It was swollen. I attempted to rotate my foot, and it hurt so much I couldn't keep from making an undignified squeaking noise.
Claudia placed a cup of fruit juice on the table next to me. She extended her hand, narrowing her eyes in concentration as the glow in her palm intensified. Glittering droplets of magic fell from her fingertips into the cup, and her lips moved, silently counting from one to twenty.
She pushed the cup toward me. "Drink it."
I scowled. "I don't want to."
"I know. But you might as well. You're not going anywhere in this state."
"It's not fair." I took a couple of sips and put down the cup. At a look from Claudia, I picked it up again and drank the contents in three gulps. Warmth spread throughout my body, soothing the pain in my ankle until I could barely feel it. I touched a finger to the place where my ankle bone should have been. It looked like the swelling was getting worse.
Galen appeared on the path from the beach. He was dripping wet, and his feet were covered in sand.
"The water's great this morning, you guys. Really calm. Serena, how about a farewell swim before we explore Xytovia?" He paused. "What's going on?"
"It's my turn to get breakfast," said Claudia, stepping away. "I'll let Serena explain."
I tipped my head back. The Pain Remedy made the leaves appear as if they were moving in slow motion. "We-ell," I said slowly, "I m-a-ay have fallen out of a tree again."
"You're kidding," he said. He opened his palms and disappeared behind a spinning silver cloud of magical energy, emerging dry and clean in a matter of seconds.
"Unfortunately not," I said. "I mean, technically, I fell out of bed, but my bed is in a tree, so…"
I sighed. "If I weren't remedied up to the eyeballs, I'd be pretty upset right now. I can't walk."
Galen looked at my ankle, sucking in a breath when he saw it. He bent down, wrapping his hand around the worst part, and the pale-blue glow of an Ice Spell appeared between his fingers.
"We'll have to bandage it," he said, "and I think a Contusion Remedy should help. You can make one of those, right?"
"I can. Thanks. I should have thought of that myself."
"Or I could make it," he offered.
"That's OK," I said hastily. Despite his superior magical ability, Galen was terrible at making remedies.
"I'm not that bad," he protested, lifting his hand. He looked at my ankle. "I think the swelling's gone down."
"Thanks." I wriggled my toes.
"Bad at what?" said Claudia, returning with our breakfast. She set down plates piled high with fruit and pancakes. All of our meals combined the island's natural resources with magical enhancements. Pancakes required a tricky sequence of spells, but they were so worth it.
"At remedies," I said.
Claudia stifled a laugh.
"Hey," said Galen. "You're supposed to be on my side."
"I am," she said. "Being modest is an attractive quality, Galen. I'm helping you to learn it."
As we ate breakfast together, I felt a little more optimistic. Perhaps my ankle wouldn't be a problem. I would surely still be able to visit Xytovia today and take a look around.
After a Cleaning Spell, a Contusion Remedy, and a carefully applied bandage, I felt ready for anything. Even my hair, its black curls all over the place, wasn't annoying me as much as usual.
Galen was going to project a weaker version of his Anonymity Spell so we'd seem unremarkable to anyone looking. We'd transformed our island clothes to be more consistent with the Xytovian daywear Galen remembered: slim-fitting trousers, ankle boots, and thin tops and shirts in contrasting colours layered one over the other.
He'd also concealed our Sygnus symbols. The Sygnus was Androvan in origin, though Galen's skil
l had allowed Claudia to adopt a Terran equivalent. Magically appearing at the shoulder of every outer garment we wore, the silver symbol represented our bloodline and also acted as a key to unlock more advanced spells.
"Come on, let's go." I was becoming impatient. "Can we visit the city you showed me yesterday? I want to see that tower close up. There was something shining on the top of it."
"Let's see how you get on," said Galen. "The coordinates are quite a walk from the city. We all agreed on that."
We had. Despite my principled declaration about not wanting to live a lie, I'd be hiding behind a pretend identity for a little while. It would be unwise to reveal the existence of other worlds to any Xytovians until we'd evaluated the risk. Both to them and to ourselves. For now, we'd pretend to be from one of the other territories.
"I'll be fine," I said. "I'll use a little Solo Transference to support my foot if I have to. No one will be able to see my force field under these boots."
"Remember the Pain Remedy," said Galen.
"Remember it how?" I asked.
"Remember that you've taken it," he said pointedly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just be careful. You know your judgment will be affected. We can't trust anyone until they've proven themselves trustworthy, and that's not going to happen on a first visit."
"Thanks so much," I said, not bothering to rein in my sarcasm. "If you hadn't warned me, I'd probably have run off into the sunset with the first Xytovian boy I saw."
Given the horrified look on Galen's face, that wasn't a possibility he'd even considered. I was tempted to add that I wasn't planning to marry for at least the first month, just to see his reaction.
"I was joking," I said. "I'm not interested in romance." I huffed a laugh. "Did you really think I was? Androva's sake, Galen."
Galen bit his lip. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget. Do you miss Matheus very much?"
I shook my head, feeling guilty. "No. That's not what I meant. I'm sad he's dead, but I know now I didn't love him. Our match-it was never like you and Claudia. My chances of finding anything like that are pretty remote, so I'm not going to waste my time looking."
Fortunately the sombre mood lifted once the portal was open and we'd taken our first steps onto Xytovia. The air was cool. Refreshing. We'd arrived in a forest that was shadowy and quiet. Despite the lack of noise, the living magic emanating from the trees was almost a tangible thing, infusing the air with energy. I reached out a hand to touch one of the purple leaves, and it came alive under my fingers, glowing silver and making my skin tingle.
"Wow," I said softly.
"I guess they don't use it," said Galen. "They might not even know it's here."
Living magic was what Androvans called the force field that existed inside every green living thing. Magicians could use it as a kind of energy boost, our larger force fields acting like magnets to draw it out.
As we walked in the direction of the city, the living magic reduced in intensity. "I think it's those purple trees in particular," I said. "The smaller green ones seem much less powerful."
"Yes," said Galen. "I get the same feeling."
I paused to look around again. "I've never seen purple leaves like that before. And the earth has a blue tinge to it." I scuffed the ground carefully with my heel.
"It makes sense," said Galen. "The mountain behind the city is made from a rock that looks blue in the sunshine."
We kept walking, and the spaces between the trees widened, allowing rays of sunlight to penetrate the canopy of leaves over our heads. Eventually a path appeared, well-trodden and wide enough to accommodate all three of us comfortably.
"How's your ankle, Serena?" asked Claudia after we'd been walking for a couple of hours.
"Fine," I lied. It was aching, but I was determined to carry on. Having come this far, I wasn't going to leave until I'd seen the city.
She grabbed my hand and projected the Communication Spell so that Galen wouldn't hear her. "Fine, for real? Or fine because you don't want to go back?" she asked.
"You know me too well," I replied.
Dropping my hand, Claudia turned to Galen. "We didn't bring Portal Remedies with us," she said.
"No. It never occurred to me we might need them."
"It's been weeks since we last travelled this way," said Claudia. "I brought some water. I can add the spell. It couldn't hurt."
Travelling by portal was exhausting. The only way to build up a resistance to the side effects was to use portals often. If we'd been at risk of experiencing any fatigue from today's trip it would have happened by now, but I wasn't going to turn down a pick-me-up.
As Claudia added the required twenty drops of her magic to my serving, she gave me a discreet wink. When I drank it, I understood why. She'd made mine into a Pain Remedy.
It was both helpful and dangerous. Two Pain Remedies so close together was a lot. The helpful part was that my ankle immediately felt better. But Pain Remedies don't differentiate between physical and emotional pain. With no emotional pain to offset, the Pain Remedy's impact would be exaggerated.
This was the dangerous bit. I felt brilliant. I had just enough presence of mind to keep my mouth shut, conscious that anything I said just then was unlikely to be sensible.
Soon the path expanded further, then became part of a road, curving away from us in a wide arc.
"It's very quiet," said Galen. "I would have thought we might have encountered some other people by now."
No sooner had he spoken than a boy appeared around the bend in the road. He was walking fast, looking straight ahead, with a furious expression on his face. His dirty-blond hair was pushed back off his forehead, and as he came closer, his face turned in our direction.
The sun shone straight at him, and he lifted a hand to shade his eyes. I stared. His eyes were purple.
"Wow," I said far too loudly. "He's hot."
2.1 Ammartus, One Hour Ago
I'm writing in my journal now because I'm scared I might forget everything by tonight. The assessment was… I don't have the right words. The more I try to make sense of it, the more it slips away from me. Like a dream. A nightmare. Except I'm not dreaming. And it can't be a spell. I'm still too young for that.
I wish there was someone I could talk to, but I'm a cotidian in a family of magicians. I have no allies anymore. I'm even more of a risk than I used to be. And not every unmatched magician survives the transition to cotidian. I don't know what to do. Was it a test? And how do I pass?
I answered a lot of questions about myself, though I can't recall the words I used. But the only thing I can think about—and the reason I'm panicking—is that I held a Gallium Dagger. They want me to learn how to use it. And that's terrifying.
3 Meeting And Retreating
In the seconds that followed, the boy stopped walking to try to figure out where my voice had come from, and Galen ramped up his Anonymity Spell in a shimmer of magical energy so forceful my head spun with disorientation. It would serve Galen right if I threw up all over his boots. The happiness from the Pain Remedy dissolved completely.
"Don't do that," I said, my voice a fierce whisper. "I nearly fell on top of you."
"I suppose you'd rather fall at his feet?" Galen whispered back, equally fiercely. "Why did you speak so loudly?"
After looking left and right a couple of times, the boy held himself still. The furious expression had been replaced with something harder to read.
"I heard something—someone," he said. "Is this a test? Or a trick?"
He raised one hand to his neck before scowling and flattening his palm against his collarbone. What is he reaching for?
"As you can see," he added, "I'm just a cotidian. I suggest you look elsewhere for your entertainment."
He lifted his chin. Although I knew he couldn't see us, I took a step back. Those purple eyes were very distracting. My breathing sped up. I wanted to find out his name. I wanted him to like me.
The longer we wat
ched him the more guilty I felt. Although he was doing his best to appear defiant, the way he swallowed a couple of times made me think he might be scared too.
"I want to talk to him," I said.
"No," said Galen. "We agreed this trip was looking and listening only."
"What did he call himself?" I said.
"A cotidian. It's the Xytovian word for non-magicians. I can't see an amulet, so I guess it's true."
"What's an amulet? And since when do you know so much about Xytovia?"
"An amulet is a kind of necklace thing," he said. "I don't know what it's for. I only know magicians wear them."
"OK, I'm definitely going to speak to him."
"No," said Galen. Predictably.
"I wasn't asking you," I said.
Before Galen could argue, Claudia spoke.
"The boy is obviously alone, Galen. And meeting a non-magician is as safe an introduction to this world as we're going to get." She turned to me. "Go on, Serena. Galen and I will continue along the road far enough so we're not eavesdropping."
Galen sighed. "I suppose that would be OK."
I pressed my lips together, conscious that this was a chance for me to demonstrate emotional maturity by rising above his overprotectiveness.
"You're like eighteen going on eighty," I muttered.
"And you're like sixteen going on six," he retorted.
As they walked away, the intensity of the spell surrounding me began to reduce until finally I was far enough from the source that it lifted altogether. I shuffled my feet to let the boy know I was there.
He turned in my direction and blinked, looking me up and down. His gaze hesitated on my neck for a few seconds, then his shoulders relaxed, and he took a step closer.
"Was that you before?" he asked.
I figured there was no point in denying it, even though it was hugely embarrassing. I nodded, blushing so hard that my face heated up all the way to my hairline. There goes my chance at playing it cool.
I sneaked a look at him, but he was staring over my shoulder. "Are you alone?"
