by Jasmine Walt
“I still don’t know that your theory makes sense,” I pointed out, not wanting them to get too attached to the possibility. “Only some mages are direct descendants of the First Mage anyway. Legend has it that she was able to transmit her mage power to the other disciples, which is how power was passed down through other family lines. Are the Tua able to do that?”
“Of course we can,” Nalan said, sounding a bit miffed. “It is no trouble at all to gift a small measure of power to someone else—our own magic regenerates quickly enough, so it is no loss to us.”
“Here,” Alara said, pressing her index finger to the palm of my hand. “See for yourself.”
I cried out as a sudden jolt of power hit me. My own magic reacted, and I felt power swell inside me like a river during springtime, until I was certain I was going to burst before it finally settled back down. Frowning, I examined it—my magic was at a much higher level, I realized with amazement. Could this be a permanent change?
“You say that’s just a tiny part of your magic?” I asked faintly. Now that I was looking closer, I could see that Alara had doubled my magic with a mere touch of the hand. It was uncomfortably similar to how Resinah herself had passed power down to her disciples, if the stories could be believed.
“Yes,” she said. “That was as much as you could safely absorb. I could try to give you more, but it would likely unmake your entire being.”
“No, no, that’s all right,” I said. I swallowed hard as I looked up at her. No wonder the Tua were considered legendary—they were practically divine beings, especially compared to those who possessed no magic of their own.
“Are you all right?” Nalan said, gazing down at me with concern. “It occurs to me that your mind may have trouble grasping so much in such a short time.”
“I’m fine,” I said, waving away his concern. “And really, thank you for the gift.” It was going to take me a while to get used to the new magic humming in my veins, and I wondered if I was nearly as strong as Iannis now. “Unfortunately, this gift isn’t going to do me much good unless I can get out of here. You both are so extraordinarily powerful—isn’t there a way you can send me back home, to Iannis?”
The Tua shook their heads sadly. “Unfortunately, our laws forbid us to interfere in the affairs of an older member of our race,” Alara said.
“However,” Nalan conceded, a thoughtful look on his face, “as we told you earlier, we can give you a bit of knowledge, to help even the playing field, as your race would say.”
“I’ll take anything I can get,” I said fervently.
“We wish you good fortune,” Alara said solemnly as she touched the nape of my neck again.
I felt that strange sensation of my mind parting again, but this time, instead of something being pulled out, there was immense pressure instead. I gasped as it drove me to my knees, and heard Broghan squawk in alarm as my vision went dark.
“Goodbye, young Sunaya,” Nalan said, his voice sounding very far away. And then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself kneeling in the same forest where I’d first entered the Tua realm. Disoriented, I got to my feet, then took stock of myself to make sure that everything was in order. I was still wearing the leathers Arala and Nalan had given me, and to my delight, they’d replenished the food and water stores in my magical sleeve. Strangely, there was a snakeskin belt with a pretty copper buckle wrapped around my waist that I was fairly certain I hadn’t been wearing before. It was cool to the touch, and as I skimmed my fingers across the black and bronze scales, I wondered if there was anything magical about it.
Putting that question aside for now, I set up a ward around the perimeter of the clearing, then sat down and warily began to sift through my mind for the knowledge that the Tua had promised me. Sure enough, I found it, appearing in my mind’s eye like a beautifully fashioned trunk that needed to be unpacked. Carefully, I mentally turned the copper key and unclasped the latch, then lifted the lid.
Unlike Fenris’s knowledge transfer, this trunk contained no personal memories, just a treasure trove of useful information, like a whole lifetime of textbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries in one heap. I gasped as it rushed into me all at once, struggling not to go under in the tide of strange ideas and knowledge, and quickly erected a mental barrier to channel this new influx safely. I imagined a library inside my mind, like Janta’s back in Solantha, and that is where I directed the new knowledge, ready to be consulted when needed.
Suddenly, I understood the nature of the different dimensions. There was an infinity of them aside from Recca and the Tua realm, both dangerous and wondrous in their own ways. Despite their differences, some dimensions were contiguous, like squares of fabric stitched together into one giant quilt. It was possible to get from one to the other, though only a handful were easily accessible from any specific location, and some shifted erratically. Recca and the Tua realm were close neighbors, as dimensions went. The Tua had left the instructions for how to return from their dimension to Recca right in my head. The spell was based on some complicated mathematics, but since the dimensions were currently in close conjunction, simply speaking it would be enough for now.
The problem was, the transfer required a Tua-sized expenditure of magic. Would I be able to perform the spell on my own? With the extra boost in power they had given me, I might just be able to swing it, though from what I understood there was at least an even chance I wouldn’t make it.
Excitement and fear coursed through me all at once, and I wiped my suddenly damp palms on my hands. If I could make this work, I would make it back to Recca, and there would only be one more test to go. But if I failed…I would end up in the void, and die of asphyxiation.
Closing my eyes, I sent up a short but fervent prayer to Magorah to watch over me and make sure that my magic did not falter. Gathering my power, I clasped my hands together, then spoke the spell in the strange language of the Tua, which I now knew as well as Northian, thanks to Nalan and Alara.
As soon as I spoke the Words, the magic inside me was sucked away, leaving me weak and empty. I gasped as a sonic boom rendered me nearly deaf, and the next thing I knew, the world was spinning away from me. Pressure squeezed all around me until I was nearly certain that I’d been flattened into a pancake, and I clasped my hands to the sides of my head, trying to alleviate the pain and the ringing sound in my ears.
Everything around me went black, and there was no air, no sound, no light. I gasped soundlessly for air as horror froze my blood, realizing that I was in the void. I’d fucked up. I was going to die out here, and Iannis would never see me again. He wouldn’t even be able to recover my dead body…
But just as my limbs were starting to go numb, I felt a sudden push from behind, and I slammed into a giant glowing ball of light that appeared out of nowhere. I crashed into the ground on my hands and knees, panting hard, my fingers curling around fistfuls of dirt and grass. The meal I’d enjoyed with the Tua earlier came barreling straight up my throat, and I puked for what felt like endless minutes, heaving my guts up until there was absolutely nothing left.
Finally, when the puking had turned to dry heaving, I flopped onto my back as far from the mess as I could manage. My limbs had turned to water, and everything hurt. But my heart was still beating strong in my chest, and my senses still worked. I could smell the sweet grass and flowers of Ennartha’s garden, could feel the cool wind and tiny drops of moisture on my face. An echo of Ta’sradala’s scent made my stomach clench, but at least she wasn’t nearby just now to witness my abject humiliation.
Who had given me the push that saved my life? I’d probably never know, but whatever the cause, I had made it back to Recca. Perhaps not to Solantha, where I most wanted to go, but at least I had arrived back in my own world. And I was in one piece.
13
I rested in the garden for a good twenty minutes before I finally found the strength to move. Once the dizziness and nausea had subsided, I fished a pi
ece of stale bread from my magical sleeve and gnawed on it to settle my upset stomach. The bit of food helped, and I struggled to my feet so I could get my bearings.
As I’d surmised from the scents, I was in Ennartha’s garden again. The position of the sun told me it was mid-day, and it was still high summer judging by the fact that the same flowers were still growing and the weather hadn’t changed. But was it the same year that I’d left? How much time had I lost?
One thing at a time, Sunaya, I told myself. At least I had made it back. From what I could tell, there was nobody around—surely my arrival would have drawn attention if anybody was home. Even if I’d made no sound, any competent mage, let alone a Tua like Ta’sradala, would have sensed the powerful magic I’d used for the dimensional transfer. Most likely they hadn’t expected me to survive and come back at all, and had all gone off to do something else.
As I absently plucked some blackberries from a bush and popped them into my mouth, I had to admit I was feeling more confident despite the uncertainty of my circumstances. I had a much better sense of appreciation for Ta’sradala’s power now that I’d had a glimpse of the Tua realm, but I was also armed with knowledge of my own that might help me. I sure as hell wouldn’t be telling Ta’sradala or her daughter about what I’d learned—I had a feeling that would have dire consequences, both for me and the Tua who’d helped me get back here.
I briefly considered leaving Ennartha’s place altogether and trying to make my way to Iannis alone, but I worried that he might arrive while I was gone. The serapha charm was still not working, so there was no way to tell. Besides, Ta’sradala could snatch me up at any time, from any place, and even with my increased power, there was nothing I could do about that. Her magic seemed to operate on a different frequency than my own—I would need to learn to use Tua spells in order to combat her, but with the huge disparity in power, it wouldn’t make much difference.
Thinking about it, it seemed strange that Ta’sradala’s magic would be different from my own, if the theory about Resinah being a Tua was true. Shouldn’t our spells be the same? But perhaps our magic had evolved into something different over the millennia, something inferior to the original.
Half-heartedly, I pulled the gulaya from my sleeve and attempted to recharge it with my new powers. Unfortunately, the extra magic was of no use— I still needed to perform that tiresome recharging ritual, and I didn’t have the right ingredients necessary for the spell.
Wandering the gardens, I found Drawe sitting on a secluded bench, reading a book. He was still dressed in simple, drab clothing, but his hair was washed and he was clean, with no signs that he’d recently performed any labor.
Definitely not a servant.
“Hey,” I said softly, moving a little closer. I angled my head to try and see the title of the book he was reading—a compendium of Manucan folk tales. “How’s it going?”
The boy jumped, his blue eyes widening at the sight of me. “You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered, looking around. “You should flee before she comes back!”
I had no doubt by the tone of his voice which “she” he was referring to, and part of me wanted to do just that. But I had questions that needed answering. “You look similar to Iannis, my husband-to-be,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Are you related?”
“I guess so,” Drawe said. “Nana Deryna is my great-grandmother, and Iannis’s aunt.”
I nodded—it made much more sense than that old woman being his mother. “Why don’t you live with your parents?”
“They died when I was a baby,” Drawe said sadly. “Nana says they got mixed up with an angry Tua. I’d never met one before…before recently…” he added, his eyes darting around again. “She frightens me.”
“The Tua frighten me too,” I said solemnly, feeling sorry for the boy. No wonder he was so quiet—he was forced to be around a living nightmare! “But they are not all bad. I just came back from the Tua realm, and the two I came across were quite nice. They helped me get back here.”
Drawe looked at me like I was nuts. “There is no way you went to the Tua realm,” he protested. “No human who has ever gone there has come back on their own, at least not for hundreds of years. Nana said it is deadly for humans.”
I shrugged. “I’m not human. Maybe that helps.”
Drawe still looked skeptical, and I decided to drop the subject. “If you’re unhappy here, you can always come back to Canalo with me,” I said. “There are a few other children around your age who live in the palace, and I think you’d get along with them quite well.”
Drawe scowled. “That’s never going to happen. She is never going to let that happen. Don’t you get it? That old Tua lady is doing everything she can to make sure your wedding won’t happen and that you won’t ever go home. I didn’t expect you to survive this long, but it’s only a question of time. She’s playing a game of cat and mouse, and you’re the mouse.”
I opened my mouth to respond indignantly to that—I was a panther, not some damned mouse!—when I felt a sizzle of magic in the air, coming from the side of the house. Drawe gasped, then scurried off to hide just as Ta’sradala came storming toward us. She was furious, her eyes blazing with cold anger, her lips pressed in a thin line. The air around her shimmered with waves of power.
But I wasn’t afraid. Not this time.
“I could be wrong,” I said casually, turning to face her, “but it seems like you’re unhappy to see me.”
“How did you get back?” she demanded, stopping a few feet away from me. “You should not have been able to. Mortals cannot travel between planes.”
I shrugged. “I have my resources.”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down. “You look healthy,” she accused. “Like you’ve slept and eaten. You’re even wearing new clothes.”
My lips tugged into a smirk. “Like I said. Resources.” I wasn’t about to give up the names of the Tua who had helped me—for all I knew that could get them into trouble, and that was the last thing I wanted. “Are we done here yet? I’ve already proved I’m more than capable of passing your tests. I hope I haven’t missed my own wedding yet, or there will be hell to pay when Iannis finds me.”
“You still have one more test,” Ta’sradala said, her lips curving into a cruel smirk of her own. “Let’s see if your ‘resources’ can help you with this, mortal.”
She waved her hand, and I braced myself as the world began to spin around me once more. I squeezed my eyes shut to keep the nausea at bay, thankful that I’d already vomited everything in my stomach. Whatever she threw at me, I vowed to myself, I would not give up. I had to get back to Iannis one way or the other, and the hope of seeing him again would have to give me the endurance I needed to survive.
14
When I next opened my eyes, I found myself standing in what looked to be an underground cave. Glowing mushrooms covered the walls, illuminating the interior just enough to make out the silhouettes of bats hanging overhead and the glimmer of a deathly still lake below. A shiver crawled down my spine as I craned my neck, trying to see how far the tunnel up ahead went, but the glow from the mushrooms was too dim to be of much help at that distance. Just how far underground was I? And in what world?
Parched, I made my way over to the lake, and after checking it for harmful substances, sipped the water to wash out the last taste of vomit from my dry mouth. It was ice cold, but tasted divine, and I quickly gulped down several handfuls. My canteen was still full of water, so I didn’t refill it, but with any luck there would be more water sources down here should I run out.
Thirst quenched, I sat down a few feet away from the lake, then treated myself to a little picnic. I was still a bit dizzy, so I ate slowly, replenishing my strength with the food the Tua had given me. I was getting used to the strange tastes and was so hungry that it wouldn’t have mattered if they’d given me week-old gruel.
As I polished off a leg of blue roast bird, something shifted around my waist. Looking down, I
shrieked—the belt I’d been wearing earlier had turned into a living snake! I jumped up, conjuring a fireball in my hands, but before I could incinerate the beast, it morphed into a wolf cub.
“Broghan!” I gasped, extinguishing the flame. I hadn’t realized that Nalan and Alara’s pet could change into inanimate objects. Would I ever cease to be surprised by Tua magic? And why was he here?
“Can I have some food?” he asked me in mindspeak, and I stared. His voice was that of a young boy. “I haven’t eaten anything since we left the Tua realm.”
“Sure,” I said warily, sitting back down. I offered him some of the meat and bread, which he wolfed down eagerly—pardon the pun. “You’ve been able to speak this whole time?”
“Yes, but there was no need to,” he said. “Nalan and Alara were doing fine answering your questions.”
I snorted at that. “Do they know you’re here?”
Broghan said nothing, curling up at my feet and rubbing his cold nose against my leg. I scratched the back of his ears, still feeling a bit disconcerted.
“Broghan,” I said again, a little more firmly. “Does anyone know you’re here?”
“I wanted to see the human world for myself.” He sounded a little petulant now. “Without waiting forever for the others to make up their minds. Nalan and Alara would never have let me go if I’d told them, so I hitched a ride with you. And it’s a good thing I did, since you got stuck.”
I gasped. “Was it you who pushed me the last bit of the way?”
“Duh.”
Well, that was one mystery solved. A talking Tua pet possessed more power than me, even with my original strength doubled. And had saved my hide. It was more than a little humbling.
“Thank you,” I said, a bit stiffly. “But the last thing I need is for the Tua to think I stole you away.”
