by Anthea Sharp
Jennet started down the road. Spark charged past her in a streak of silver, then pulled her mount to a stop several yards away.
“There’s no speed setting on this thing,” she said.
“Go ahead without me.” Jennet bit her lip. “At least one of us should get the quest done. Either I’ll catch up, or we’ll run out of time.”
Or die on the road, but she didn’t feel like mentioning that part.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. See you in the forest.” She waved, to show she meant it.
Spark lifted her hand, then turned and sped away. Far too soon, the road was empty.
Jennet had to admit, she liked Spark—and the gamer girl didn’t seem as if she was trying to snag Tam away. Not that Jennet was worried he’d go. The two of them were solid, despite the world trying to keep them apart.
If anything, Jennet suspected Spark might be interested in Roy. Underneath all that ego was a decent guy—but still. Maybe Spark liked to take on projects.
Jennet shook her head and trudged down the road, the drone of insects loud in the stillness.
Had half an hour passed yet? Was Tam in-game somewhere, inaccessible? She let out a sigh, defeat weighting her steps.
The dry grasses beside the road rustled, and Jennet whirled, staff at the ready. An instant later, she relaxed her guard as Puck tumbled out in a mad somersault.
“Greetings, Fair Jennet.” The sprite swept her a low bow. “How fares it on this fine day?”
“Better, now that you’re here. Transport me to the Realm, then go get Tam.”
“Alas, I cannot. He has just entered this between-place, and is too well watched to separate from his companions.”
She blinked at Puck, fear scratching her skin.
“But we have to get to the Twilight Kingdom today—this is our last chance! At least take me there.”
The sprite floated up, cross-legged in the air, until he was face to face with her. His expression was serious, the merry twinkle in his eyes extinguished.
“You cannot succeed without Tamlin,” Puck said. “Sending you alone into that place would spell your certain death. And the doom of the mortal world.”
“But…” She tried to breathe, panic tightening her ribcage. “I have to go, today. Tam and I are off the beta team after this. We won’t be able to get into Feyland again.”
Puck held her gaze. “Fair Jennet, this is not the only game-portal to the Realm. You have entered through many others. Find a way.”
“There isn’t a way.”
Her FullD prototype systems were totally off limits. Though she was willing to risk her dad’s wrath, HANA, their House-Activated-Network-Assistant, had been programmed to set off alarms if Tam ever set foot inside. She still hadn’t figured out the override codes, and even if she did, the entire staff knew he wasn’t allowed in.
But she didn’t have any other choice.
The sprite nodded, as if he could read her thoughts. “You and Tamlin are clever and brave. You will find a path back to us.”
He slowly drifted back down to the earth. A breeze riffled the grasses and, for a moment, Jennet felt the dry, dusty warmth against her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, pushing down the fear-flavored despair. They had to find a way through this.
“How’s the Bug doing?” she asked. Tam would want to know, and she was worried about the kid, too.
Puck grinned. “He and I are merry playmates.”
“Don’t let him eat or drink anything.”
“Fear not, Fair Jennet. Thomas guards him well. He will not be unduly snared into the Realm.”
“He already has! And we’re going to get him out as soon as possible.”
“Muster your allies,” Puck said. “The battle will not be easy. The Courts have joined forces—an unheard of thing—and their combined might is fearsome.”
“What?” She stared at the sprite, ice edging her bones. Each court was bad enough alone, but together? “Why didn’t you tell us before?”
She and Tam were in deep trouble. No way the two of them could face off against the combined rulers of the Realm, and win. Not when it had taken all their skill to defeat the king and queen individually.
“It was not necessary for you to know, until now,” Puck said.
“I can’t believe you and Thomas didn’t—”
:Jennet and Spark, finish your quest. Logoff in five minutes:
The sprite lifted his head. “I must away. Find your portal to the Realm again. Soon.”
He leaped into a handstand. A moment later there was nothing but glittering air where he had been, and the echo of chiming laughter that almost sounded like sobbing.
CHAPTER TWENTY - THE TWILIGHT KINGDOM
Tam shoved his hands into the pockets of his battered brown coat and tried to keep the cold brick wall of Crestview High between him and the winter wind. White mist curled from his lips to blend with the dawn shadows. Although Jennet hadn’t messaged him to meet her before school today, he was there, waiting.
Yesterday, at the end of beta testing, she’d given him a serious look—one that said they needed to talk. Which of course they did, although they’d gotten a temporary reprieve. Since neither of their systems had malfunctioned during the testing period, Jennet’s dad hadn’t made a big announcement about pulling them off the team.
Maybe he’d said something on the quiet to Mr. Chon, but nobody had told Tam not to show up for the next session in two days. Not that he and Jennet had two days, if the near-panic he’d seen in her eyes was any indication.
The lights of a grav-car swept the early-morning dimness from the air, and Tam unclenched his cold fingers. The black car slid up to the curb, and Jennet got out.
“Tam?” she called softly.
“Here.” He stepped away from the building.
Her face lightened when she saw him. She ducked back into the car, then re-emerged with her satchel and a sleek silver thermos. Tam couldn’t see George through the tinted windows, but he waved, knowing the driver was looking out. The grav-car’s lights flashed in acknowledgement.
“I hoped you’d be here,” Jennet said. “I brought hot chocolate.”
Tam took the thermos she held out to him and unscrewed the lid. Steam rose, curling around his face with delicious, chocolate-scented warmth.
“I saw Puck in-game yesterday,” she said. “He told me a couple important things.”
“What did Spark think of that?”
“She wasn’t there. We got separated during our quest. I’m not sure if that was Puck’s doing or a game flaw.”
“Did you ask about my brother? Is he ok?”
“Puck said they were ‘merry playmates’ and that Thomas is keeping an eye on him.”
From what Tam knew, there wasn’t much merriment in the Dark Court, but he trusted the bard to keep his brother safe until they could get him out. Which had to be soon. He tipped the thermos and took a mouthful of hot chocolate, trying to erase some of the chill chasing through him.
“Puck neglected to mention one small detail.” Jennet’s voice trembled on the words. “The Dark Queen and the Bright King have joined forces.”
“What?” The chocolate curdled on his tongue. “Can they even do that? I thought they were polar opposites. Fire and water, you know.”
“I guess when the fate of their Realm is at stake, they’ll do whatever it takes.”
He screwed the top on the thermos, twisting it down tight. “We won’t let them win.”
“How can we stop them?”
“You’re shivering. Come here.”
Tam set the thermos down and took Jennet into his arms. Her hair smelled like flowers and light, and every good thing in the world. Every good thing that could so easily be lost to the treacherous powers of the fey.
He was scared too, though he wasn’t about to show it. Although he and Jennet had won against the Bright King—barely—the Dark Queen had defeated them. Her magic was too strong. Together, the king and que
en would be unbeatable.
Jennet held tightly to him, and the places where their bodies touched warmed enough to push back the cold. Enough to push back the dark fear. The clouds on the eastern horizon brightened from grey to white as the sun tipped over the edge of the earth.
“Jennet, things are too chancy with the beta testing,” he said. “Even if we stay on the team, they’ll keep us split up. You know that.”
She drew back and stared into his eyes. “We’re going to have to sneak onto my systems. I’ve thought about it, and if we—”
“No.”
“Tam. We have to get into the Realm.”
“We will, but you’re not the only one with FullD prototypes sitting around.”
She tilted her head, and he saw the moment realization hit, her blue eyes widening.
“Roy’s systems,” she breathed. “Tam, you’d do that?”
“It’s safer for everyone. And if I have to make good with Lassiter, well…” He shrugged, though the words were bitter.
It was the only way forward he could see. Even if it meant patching things up with the walking ego that was Roy Lassiter.
“All right. He owes us, anyway.” Jennet leaned into him again, and he held her close.
For a minute he could forget the aching emptiness where his mom should have been, his fear for the Bug trapped in the Dark Court, the impossible quest hanging over them. There was only the feel of Jennet in his arms, fitting perfectly against him as the sky brightened.
After school, Tam and Jennet waited outside the building for Roy Lassiter.
“He didn’t leave already?” Jennet said.
“His car’s still in the lot.” Tam folded his arms. Lassiter’s fancy red grav-car was impossible to miss.
Students poured out the battered double-doors of Crestview High. Used to be, Lassiter was easy to find in a crowd—surrounded by admiring fans, the golden boy of the school. Now he was just another student in a sea of them, and he’d made it clear he blamed Tam and Jennet for that change.
“There he is.” Jennet touched his arm. “Want me to come along?”
“Not yet.”
If Jennet was there, Lassiter would use it, and Tam wasn’t sure he could hold his temper if the guy started making digs at her.
Tam strode forward. “Hey, Lassiter.”
“What?” The other boy narrowed his eyes. “I’m not giving you a ride to The View, if that’s what you’re after. Besides, there’s no beta testing today.”
“I know. Let’s talk.” Tam jerked his head, indicating they should move out of the stream of students.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“It’s about Feyland.”
Lassiter frowned. “Make it fast.”
The guy might dislike him, but they’d shared an experience no one else had. They’d both come face to face with the Bright King of the Seelie Faeries and stared into the heart of that dazzling power.
But where Lassiter had craved it for his own, Tam had just wanted to keep Jennet safe. Only one of them had been the winner.
“All right, Exie,” Lassiter said, crossing his arms when they got to the rusty parking-lot fence. “You have one minute. Make it count.”
“I need your help.”
Lassiter’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you? And why should I help you?”
“Because you’re one of the only people who understands what’s going on. That Feyland is way beyond ordinary.”
“Ordinary. Like I am now.”
“No.” Tam dropped his voice. “Anyone who’s been touched by fey magic is special. You know that. You’ve felt it. But if the faeries break through into our world, everything will change—and not for the better.”
Lassiter was quiet a minute. The calls of students echoed against Crestview’s brick walls, underscored by the roar of the buses pulling away. Jennet waited, expression tense, near the front doors, and Tam gave her an imperceptible shake of his head.
“You still think that’s their plan?” Lassiter finally asked. Some of the arrogance had drained from his voice.
“I know it is.”
“How?”
“In beta testing, when Jennet and I ‘shorted out’ the FullD systems, it wasn’t an equipment glitch. We went into the Realm.”
And beyond, but he didn’t want to tell Lassiter too much. Yet.
“You say.”
Tam shifted his backpack higher on his shoulder. He had to convince Lassiter to help them.
“Also—my little brother has been replaced by a changeling.”
“A what? The faeries stole your brother?” The other boy tipped his head and laughed, though it sounded forced. “Right. Tell me another one.”
From the corner of his eye, Tam saw Jennet marching over. She must have caught the last part of their conversation.
“It’s true, Roy,” she said.
All humor was gone from Lassiter’s face. “Prove it.”
“After everything with Feyland, you don’t believe us?” Tam wanted to take Lassiter by the shoulders and shake him. Hard.
“It’s not my problem,” Lassiter said. “And your minute is up.”
Jennet turned to Tam, her blue eyes worried. “You’ll have to take Roy to your house and show him the changeling.”
“No.” Tam took a step back.
No way did he want to expose his admittedly rundown house to Lassiter’s arrogant gaze. The Viewer boy judged him plenty, without Tam adding more fuel to that fire.
“Admit it,” Lassiter said. “It’s all lies. Some story you two cooked up. Otherwise, why not let me see the so-called evidence, Exie?”
Tam unclenched his fists. Jennet was right—the only way to convince Lassiter was to let him see the changeling. And since the creature couldn’t leave the house without Tam, this was the easiest solution.
Much as he hated the idea.
“Fine,” Tam said. “But then you have to help us get into Feyland—on your sim equip.”
“Yeah, if your fake faerie magically changes my mind. Which I doubt.” Lassiter narrowed his eyes, his thumb rubbing his wrist-chip implant. “Wait a sec. Is this some kind of trap? Lure me into the Exe and then you and your ghetto posse jump me, steal my car? Cut out my chip?”
Jennet let out an exasperated breath. “Roy, make up your mind. I’ll come too, to keep you safe and hold your hand in the scary Exe.”
“Jennet, you’re not supposed to visit me,” Tam said.
Planning to meet at Lassiter’s was already stretching the rules way thin. It was too soon to risk everything. Once they’d woken the Elder Fey, he’d give everything he had to get his brother back from the Dark Court—but not until then, although his skin itched with impatience every time he thought about it.
“I can take care of myself,” Lassiter said.
“Great.” Jennet said. “Let me run inside and get Marny. She’s going with you.”
“What?”
“Why?”
“Guys, somebody’s got to changeling-sit while we’re at Roy’s.” Without waiting for a response, Jennet headed back into Crestview High.
“You think you can pull something on me?” Lassiter curled his mouth.
“Either you’ll believe the truth staring you in the face, or you won’t.” Tam was done arguing about it.
When Marny and Jennet came through the doors, the big girl made a face. She wasn’t fond of Lassiter, and he returned the dislike. Back when he’d had a touch of fey magic he’d bewitched her—and pretty much the entire school— into falling in love with him. When Marny got free of his enchantment, she’d told him the hard truth about himself. A truth he wasn’t going to accept any time soon. Being average was hard.
“Message me when you get up to the View, and I’ll meet you at Roy’s,” Jennet said. “Good luck.”
She smiled at Tam, then headed for the curb where George waited in the Carter’s black grav-car.
“Come on.” Lassiter led the way to where his shiny red car waited in the pa
rking lot.
“I’m sitting in back,” Marny said. “Tam can enjoy the pleasure of your company.”
“Don’t mess anything up,” Lassiter said.
Marny rolled her eyes, but waited for him to wave the doors open.
“I don’t suppose you have a real address I can put into the navbot,” Lassiter said as he slid behind the wheel.
“Not so much,” Tam said. “I’ll tell you how to get there.”
Once, Tam’s street had been on the map—literally—but for the last ten years the Exe had been a grayed-out area, a bruise on one side of Crestview. Now The View perched on the other side, squashing the city uncomfortably in between.
Lassiter drove too fast, but Tam didn’t say anything. All was quiet in the back seat, though as the car heeled around a corner he glanced over to see Marny bracing herself.
At the outskirts of the Exe, Lassiter slowed.
“You sure it’s safe?” he asked.
“Of course it’s not,” Marny said. “Just do what Tam says, and we should be all right.”
Tam guided Lassiter down the pitted streets, worry gnawing at him. Marny was right—it totally wasn’t safe. Bad enough that George had brought the Carter’s grav-car into the Exe. Now here was Lassiter’s tricked-out red car, screaming money at the top of its lungs. And it was going to be parked right outside his house.
On the other hand, coming in on foot would have been equally dangerous. In his car or out, Lassiter made an obvious target. Tam directed him to drive around the back way, so at least they wouldn’t have to pass the drifter’s squat.
“We have to make it fast,” Tam said as the old auto shop came into view. “Pull up over there. And put the alarm on.”
“Of course,” Lassiter said. “It’s triple-alarmed.”
Like that would make any difference if someone wanted to damage or steal the thing.
“You seriously live here?” Lassiter’s tone held disbelief laced with amusement.
“Shut it,” Marny said. “Welcome to the real world, rich boy.”
Tam ignored the argument and pulled out his keys. As soon as the car stopped he slipped out and hurried up the stairs. Nothing he could do about Lassiter’s opinion, though his stomach clenched at the thought of the ammunition he was giving the Viewer. But there was no going back now.
