by John Corwin
Despite the stink, I thought he might be preparing supper, but a quick look at the strange contents inside the kettle told me otherwise. "What is this?"
He chuckled. "An attempt at divination in the old ways." The headmaster took a large wooden spoon and stirred the concoction. "It's going rather poorly, I'm afraid."
Something shaped like a lizard bobbed to the top. I shuddered and backed away. "How is it supposed to work?"
Galfandor stared into the bubbling liquid. Water spattered over the edge and hissed angrily down the side of the kettle until it steamed away. "The ingredients that boil to the top are supposed to indicate something about the future, but I believe I misread them."
"What did they say?"
He picked up a piece of parchment from a nearby table and showed it to me. The neatly quilled ink said, From starlight, danger. "Unless the stars fall, I can't fathom what danger it means."
My stomach went tight with apprehension. "I think I know what it means."
Galfandor raised an eyebrow. "Another whisper from your parents' souls?"
"We went through the rift to the other world," I said quickly.
His eyes flashed surprise. With a flick of his wand, he snuffed the fire beneath the kettle and motioned me to follow him. We settled in the sitting room downstairs, a steaming pot of Earl Grey tea on the table between us. I took mine with a little milk and savored the strong flavor.
Galfandor dribbled milk into his tea. "I'm ready for your account, young Conrad."
I took a moment to rewind my memories back to the best starting place. Cora's face intruded when I closed my eyes, so I left them open and started with the green pebble. "Evadora wanted me to retrieve this pebble." I showed it to him.
The headmaster took it in his hand and rubbed it. "I sense great power and gravity in such a small package." He weighed the stone in his hand. "It's incredibly dense."
Letters and numbers from complex equations flashed through my mind. Denser even than osmium, my father said. I'd noticed the weight, but had been too preoccupied to analyze it. "Somehow, it enables me to travel through water into a place Evadora calls the reflected world."
At this, Galfandor nearly dropped his tea. With a trembling hand, he set his teacup back on the platter. "You have been there, I take it?"
I nodded. "Evadora told us to be careful so our reflections didn't catch us."
"There are places we were never meant to visit, Conrad." His voice was sterner than usual. "This stone bends the natural order. Using it in such a manner could completely break the foundation and invite chaos."
For a moment, fear tightened its grip on my heart when I considered he might not return Cora's legacy to me. Galfandor regarded it for a while longer, then set it in the center of the table.
I reached out and took it. "Does this mean you trust I won't break the world?"
He shrugged head. "I simply want you to be aware of the implications."
"What do you know about the reflected world?" I asked.
"Enough to know how dangerous it is." Galfandor flicked his hand to the side. "Continue your story, please."
I didn't want to continue. I wanted him to tell me what he knew about the world where my frightening reflection roamed free. For example, when I jumped into the water, why wasn't my reflection already there? How did it know I was there in the first place? But the firm resolve in Galfandor's eyes stopped me from peppering him with questions. I briefly considered trading him for information, but I was the one who'd come to him for advice and possibly comfort, not the other way around.
I shared the story with him. My chest constricted with pain when I told him the Glimmer Queen's relationship to Cora. Somehow, I managed to push through without crying. Half an hour later, I'd laid out everything for him, including how mine and Max's reflections had chased us. I felt it offered me some wiggle room to ask him about that strange place. "What would have happened if our reflections caught us?"
The headmaster picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup. He poured in a bit of milk, stirred, and took a sip. His blue eyes settled on me for what seemed like a long time, though it might have only been a second. I almost looked away, but it felt too much like the times I'd faced the old bull at the Goodleigh's farm. Sometimes, you had to stare down the beast or you'd get trampled.
I didn't want Galfandor trampling on my right to receive answers.
He set the cup on the platter. "The reflections have no souls, Conrad. They are, in a sense, not real at all."
"They seemed real when they were running at me," I said. "They looked evil."
"What you saw was their emptiness," the headmaster replied. "They lust after one thing, and that is to be real." He stood up abruptly and paced away from the table. "Unless you plan on giving up your soul, Conrad, do not let your reflection touch you."
I flinched at the suddenness of his departure. "Yes, sir."
Galfandor stopped in the doorway. "As for the Glimmer Queen and your parents, I believe you're right." He turned to face me. "If the Glimmer folk, in all these millennia, have been unable to cure their dispassion while retaining immortality, I doubt your parents will discover the solution."
His affirmation gave me more comfort than I wanted to admit. I was just a boy who barely knew magic. My parents were probably too powerful for even someone like Galfandor to fight. What hope would I have against them?
The old man smiled reassuringly. "Besides, I am quite confident your parents aren't truly looking for their help at all—at least not in the way they've led the queen to believe."
My face screwed up with confusion. "But I heard them talking to Serena about it."
"Yes, but what you overheard could be interpreted many ways." He leaned against the doorframe. "Turn it around in your head, Conrad."
"Turn what around?" I imagined an army of Glimmer people marching through the rift and invading Queens Gate. I reversed the process, picturing my parents leading an army to invade the Glimmer. It didn't make sense. Why would they want to conquer such a dreary world? "You think my parents want to rule the Glimmer?"
"The Glimmer Queen told you herself that her people were mortal before the Sirens anchored the realms." He folded his arms across his chest and waited.
I took his silence as another chance to solve this riddle. The Glimmer folk were mortal, then the Sirens gave them immortality as payment for shattering their world.
Gave them immortality.
I thought back to what Delectra had said. They will pave the way to our eternal rule.
Suddenly, I knew what my parents really wanted.
Chapter 16
I blurted the answer. "My parents don't want the Glimmer Queen's army. They want her immortality."
Galfandor's grin widened. "Precisely."
"But how?" I held up the stone. "Queen Naeve thought this piece of the anchor stone might be the answer, but Cora still died."
He held up a finger. "An excellent question." The old man stepped outside the sitting room. "I am curious how your parents found out about the Glimmer. Only one other person has ever written about it."
I followed him into the hallway. "Who?"
"Ezzek Moore, of course." Galfandor stroked his beard. "When Evadora said the old man put the crack in the world, I believe she referred to him." His eyes narrowed as if trying to see into the past.
"What did he write about the Glimmer?" I asked.
"In one of the letters Ezzek wrote to his close friend, Alexander Tiberius, Ezzek made a passing mention to the Glimmer—more of a clue, really." Galfandor walked away without another word, and I hurried to catch up. We entered a tall room that stretched several stories high. Bookshelves lined every square inch of wall. The scent of leather and paper mingled pleasantly with that of old wood.
He went directly to a free-standing shelf in the center of the room, hefted a thick black book from it, and laid it out on a sturdy oak table. The headmaster flipped open the book to reveal yellowed parchments covered in
quilled ink. Thick red thread bound them together. Galfandor screwed up his lips. "Now which letter was that?" he murmured to himself. A few moments and several pages later, he proclaimed, "Aha," and pointed to a page. He flipped it around to me.
I tell you there is no other explanation but that the realms were once one. I have found the glimmering anchor holding them together and realized its secret must never be revealed. Only a madman would tempt fate with that sort of power.
The letter changed subjects completely in the next paragraph. "Ezzek found the Glimmer and decided it was dangerous for anyone else to know about." I frowned. "If it was supposed to be a secret, how did you get his letter?"
"The ruins of the first mansion held many secrets," Galfandor said. "Before I decided to rebuild, I took the time to search the remains and found this book of letters stored in an underground vault. Alexander Tiberius and other members of the original Arcane Council stored records here before they moved into their own abodes."
I puzzled over Ezzek's words. "I guess he thought the power of immortality was dangerous."
"I'm certain there's far more to it than that," Galfandor said. "For now, Conrad, I believe you can rest easy. There will be no invasion by the Glimmer Queen. If anything, your parents will be far too busy discovering the path to immortality to bother with us."
"But if they gain immortality, won't they be unstoppable?"
"There are two types of immortality, Conrad." Galfandor closed the book of letters and filed it back on the shelf. "The most common kind that vampires, Daemos, lycans, and so forth possess simply gives them a long life and lasting youth unless they are killed." He headed for the door, still speaking. "The rarest of the rare, means the subject is unable to be killed by any means."
"Even chopping them into little bits?" I asked.
Galfandor nodded.
I thought about the lycan, Brickle, who Ambria, Max, and I had inadvertently fed to a demon. "What about if a demon eats their soul?"
Galfandor paused in the hallway and pursed his lips. "What an interesting question. I suppose if I find someone truly immortal, I will ask them."
"So, the Glimmer Queen and her people can die if someone kills them?" I asked.
"Unless proven otherwise, I would say yes." Galfandor led me to the foyer. "Your parents may discover a fountain of youth and long life in the Glimmer, but that does not make them indestructible."
Thinking of my traitorous, evil parents sent a quiver of anger through my shoulders. "What's the most certain way to kill them?"
Galfandor regarded me, lips and eyes flat. "I certainly hope you don't intend to hunt your parents, Conrad." He put an arm on my shoulder. "I believe you should concentrate on your studies and let the adults handle this matter."
I wanted so badly to trust him, but what if he really didn't mean to do anything about my parents? Whatever held him back from helping with the Goodleighs might prevent him from helping now. It seemed best to agree with him for now and see what happened next.
"Yes, sir." I hesitated to burden him with another problem, but didn't know when I would next see him. I tapped my temple with a finger. "My parents' soul shards have been talking a lot more and it worries me."
The headmaster took out his wand and pointed it toward my head. "May I?"
I nodded. "Will it hurt?"
Galfandor chuckled. "Not at all." He twirled the wand and tapped it to my head. I felt a slight tingle and saw a bright flash broken by two dark silhouettes. Galfandor grunted thoughtfully.
I waited a moment for an explanation. When he said nothing, I asked outright. "Will I be okay?"
"I can't rightly say, Conrad." Galfandor tucked away his wand. "The reason you hear them speaking more often is because the soul shards are slowly melding with your soul."
I flinched. "Melding?"
"Yes." He folded his arms. "The process could take months or years. I can measure you again in a month's time and perhaps determine how long you have."
The last phrase sent a cold chill into my stomach. "Will it kill me?"
Galfandor hesitated before answering. "I believe it depends." He squeezed my shoulder. "The demon that preserved your living curse also separated the three souls inside your body, keeping them from merging over time. If that had happened, the dominant soul might have overcome the others." He took back his hand and shrugged. "It is difficult to say. While I see no immediate threat to your well-being, it is possible that the soul shards could become dominant if not kept in check."
I felt sick to my stomach. "The shards could take over my soul?"
"Yes, Conrad." Galfandor sighed. "But the possibility is unlikely, so long as you nurture your soul with your own experiences and remain strong against the invaders."
"Can't you remove them?" I asked in a plaintive voice.
"Unfortunately, I know of only one way."
He didn't have to finish that thought. "Death."
Galfandor's eyes tightened. "Yes." He offered a smile. "Feed your soul with knowledge, with laughter, with friendship, Conrad, and I am confident you will emerge the victor."
I didn't share his confidence, but it gave me all the more reason to study hard and make my own life. I had to be the stronger soul. I swallowed the knot of fear in my throat and forced a smile. "Thank you, sir." It seemed there was nothing more to say, so I walked toward the door.
"Conrad," Galfandor called after me.
I turned around. "Yes?"
"I believe what Cora said about you." When I returned a puzzled look, he clarified. "She found your tortured soul for a reason."
Salt stung my eyes. I turned away, the door now a blur in my wet vision. "Goodnight, sir."
"Good night, Conrad," he replied.
I left the house. The pink rays of the late afternoon sun failed to warm me as I flew my broom for home. A deep cold anger hung heavy in my chest because my parents dominated my thoughts. Knowing they were alive and well hung over me like a black cloud filled with lightning that could strike at any time. They'd already tried to kill me twice and they would never stop until they got the rest of their souls back.
Why can't Galfandor do something about them?
It seemed so unfair they should be alive while the one person who'd loved and believed in me rotted in a grave. For now, I'd do what Galfandor suggested and concentrate on school. But I'd use my spare time to study what made the Glimmer people immortal and what could make them mortal again. A deep ache worked into my jaw, and I realized I was grinding my teeth.
I hate my parents so much.
I arrived home to find Blue in the yard next door playing rocket darts with Harris, Lily, and Baxter. She hit a bull’s-eye and burst into cheers.
"Conrad!" She dashed over and gave me a hug I found difficult to return with any enthusiasm. "This game is so much fun. Do you want to join us?"
My mood hung like a wet blanket around my shoulders. "Not now."
The others waved at me.
"Come on, Conrad," Harris said. "You look like you could use some fun."
"You should be celebrating that you passed the exam," Lily added, her face flushed with happiness.
I mustered a wave. "I'm tired," I mumbled, and went inside the house.
"Hang on," Blue said, and ran after me. Her forehead pinched with worry. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I didn't want to talk about it. Her annoyingly happy presence just made me angrier. I ran up the stairs and closed the door behind me.
"Conrad, why are you angry?" Her voice cracked with hurt. "Do you want to talk about it?"
I buried my face in the pillow and ignored her until she went away.
The next morning, I packed some food and flew back to the crack in the world to lay in wait for my parents. A second-story window in the ruined mansion provided me with a good view of the grove hiding the fissure. Only a battered leather chair remained in what might have been a bedroom during better days. It, the dusty marble floor, and rotting draperies were only sad reminders of the ma
nsion's past glory.
Rather than stare idly out the window, I brought several basic magic textbooks with me and spent the time reading and practicing spells. If I wanted to have a chance against my parents, I needed to accelerate my learning. I needed to know what they were doing in their search for immortality. I wouldn't beat them by brute force, but by stealth and cunning.
I hoped I was up to the task.
"Where have you been all day?" Ambria asked the moment I returned home that evening.
"Practicing magic." The half lie slid easily from my mouth.
She frowned. "Without Max and me?" Her eyes widened. "Did you go back to the Glimmer?"
"No." I tried to go upstairs, but she grabbed my arm.
"Conrad, we should tell Galfandor what happened to us."
"I already did." Once again, I tried to leave.
"When?"
I told her about my conversation with him. "My parents want immortality, not help from Naeve."
"Well, it's certainly better than what we thought," she replied.
My fists tightened. "Those murderers are the last people who deserve immortality, Ambria. The curse they put on me killed Cora!" I yelped her name, like a dog struck by a car.
Ambria's forehead creased and her eyes misted. "I agree it's awfully unfair, but if your parents hadn't done what they did, you never would have met Cora."
The cause and effect didn't matter to me. Anger and pain filled me and the effort of bottling it up made me feel like I was going to explode.
"We never would have met, Conrad." Ambria pressed my hand between hers. "You wouldn't have saved all those other kids, and I would have been sold into slavery."
I looked out the window and saw several adults in the Ashmore's backyard. A tall man who vaguely resembled Harris hovered over a smoking grill. Another man kicked a black-and-white checkered football with Baxter and Harris while Lily spoke with two older women.
