Date Knight

by Bridget Essex

  “What is it? What's happening?” she asks in a hushed voice, biting at her lower lip. “My wife is still down in Arktos City, and I'm so worried about her—”

  “I'm sure that King Charix isn't going to harm any of the residents of Arktos City just yet,” says Alinor, using a voice I've never heard her use before. Right now, she sounds like a policewoman, calming down a frightened civilian with a warm, no-nonsense tone. “Don't worry,” she tells Isabella with a smile. And it's a genuine smile. Isabella nods a little, but it doesn't look like she's going to stop worrying anytime soon. And then she looks to me.

  “Why did you have Captain Magel call for me?” she asks, her eyes wide.

  “Isabella,” I tell her, licking my lips that are suddenly dry because I'm so nervous. “Do you… I mean, I know it's a long shot, but you're a witch, so… I mean...” I swallow and shake my head. “Do you think you can open a portal?” I ask her all in a rush.

  If I'd just asked Isabella if she had a pet purple rabbit, I don't think she would look any more surprised by my question.

  “A portal?” Isabella repeats, her voice hushed. She looks pale. “I'm so sorry, but I don't think I should do that,” she tells me then, saying it quickly, like the sentence is one long word.

  “What?” I ask, spreading my hands. “Isabella, we need to follow Charaxus. She took Queen Calla and my girlfriend, the knight Virago, with her, and I don't know where she's taken them, or for what purpose...” I'm starting to talk too quickly, and I'm in very real danger of bursting into tears, so I reel it back. I take a deep breath. “We need the queen back. We need your help,” I tell her then, quietly. “I know it's hard to open a portal,” I say, “and I'm sorry that it would take so much out of you to open it, but—”

  “Oh, Goddess, it's not that,” says Isabella, shaking her head adamantly, her red curls flying. “Um...it was me,” she says then, her voice so quiet, I can hardly hear it over the crowd.

  “What?” I ask, paling. “What was you?”

  “Um...when the goddess Cower went through the portal, taking Virago...when Virago came to your world for the first time,” says Isabella, swallowing, “I was the witch in the village who opened the portal for her. Um. The thing is...that's why I run a tea shop now. Because I was never a very good witch. It was almost impossible for me to open the portal that night,” she says, shaking her head, her eyes wide, “and when I did manage to open it, the portal went to the wrong place, anyway, and I jeopardized Virago's life, and...” Again, she's spoken all of this very quickly, and in one breath. She looks panicked. “I don't know if I could open the portal to wherever Charaxus went, and even if I could, there's no guarantee that you'd be safe going through it,” she finishes miserably.

  Alinor, standing next to me, her fingers hooked in the edges of her leather skirt, glances at me with brows raised. Magel has been wading through the crowd, and she finally reaches us at this moment.

  Isabella shifts her gaze to look at Magel nervously before looking back at me. “I'm really sorry,” she says then, straightening stiffly. “But I can't help you.”

  “Wait,” I tell her, swallowing. “I mean, you're the one who brought Virago and me together, Isabella,” I explain. “Without you, we never would have found each other. We were worlds apart, but you brought us together.”

  Isabella, about to walk away, her back stiff, her shoulders curled forward...stops. She turns back a little, her eyes wide. “But...I made a mistake,” she says, shaking her head, her eyes swimming with tears. “I could have cost Virago her life.”

  “But you didn't,” I tell her, fear making my words shake. Because of course I'm afraid.

  But I have to find Virago. No matter what it takes. And Calla, too. Charaxus has taken Virago and Calla, and I have no idea where she took them, or for what reason. Right now, we're trapped in the banquet hall while King Charix is doing God knows what outside those doors, and he might do God knows what in here at any moment. Calla has to be found.

  “Alinor,” says Magel quietly, “organize the knights for whatever may happen. Holly, what do you have in mind with Isabella?”

  “If we can figure out where the portal that Charaxus opened leads to, maybe Isabella can reopen that portal, and then...” I trail off. “Then I can get Virago back.”

  Magel's jaw tightens, and she's already shaking her head at me. “Out of the question,” she tells me then. “If Isabella can open the portal—no offense,” she says to Isabella, who's already blushing, “but I was there that night,” she says. “You are very good at making tea, but you are not good at magic. You almost got Virago killed,” she says firmly. “But if it's possible…” She trails off, taking a deep breath. “Then I and my fellow knights must go through it in order to bring the queen back.”

  “Just...just test it on me first,” I tell her. “It's true that this is dangerous, yes?”

  “Yes,” say Isabella, Magel and Alinor together. They then gaze uneasily at each other.

  “Then test it on me,” I say, drawing myself up to my full height and lifting my chin. “I'll go through the portal first and make sure it's safe. And then, if it's safe, you can follow me through with a few knights.”

  “It's true. I must leave the bulk of them here to protect the citizens of Arktos,” says Magel, raking her fingers back through her hair in frustration. “But it is too dangerous, Holly,” says Magel then, in a soft voice. “If Virago knew that I was even contemplating letting you—”

  “I am my own woman, Magel,” I tell her kindly, calmly and evenly—but firmly. “I do what I will. And you know it's better to test the portal on me. Virago would be asking you to do the very same thing right now if it were me Charaxus had taken. You know that to be true.”

  Magel sighs for a long moment, her eyes downcast as she thinks about it, her arms crossed firmly in front of her. Then she nods, flicking her gaze to me. “If it is what you wish to do, Holly...”

  “Yes,” I tell her, breathless; then I turn to Isabella. “Will you do it?” I ask her, my hands clasped in front of me, pleading. “Will you reopen the portal?”

  Isabella's eyes are still wide, and there's a great amount of fear in her expression right now, but she nods once, slowly. “Yes,” she says, biting at her lower lip. “If you really want me to. But...Holly,” she says, stepping forward and grasping my hands in hers so tightly, I can actually feel her fingernails poking into my palms as she squeezes. “This is dangerous, okay?”

  I squeeze back, nodding, my heart in my throat. “I...I love her,” I tell Isabella with a little shrug. “Anything could be happening to Virago right now. I don't know why Charaxus took her and Calla. But I have to find her. I have to save her. No matter what.”

  Isabella nods then, her cheeks bright red, her mouth in a thin line. “I know what you mean,” she tells me earnestly. “All right. Show me where you saw Charaxus create the portal.”

  I glance at Magel, who nods, and then we all turn, moving through the unsettled crowd until we reach the door to the small hallway.

  “Alinor,” says Magel, turning back and placing a hand on Alinor's shoulder. “Use your calm, my friend,” she says, offering up a small, tense smile. “Give the crowd some peace. Tell them nothing about Calla,” she says, her voice dropping to a whisper, “but give them some kindness.”

  “Yes,” says Alinor, bowing her head and turning quickly to make her way back through the crowd.

  Once through the doors leading into the hallway, Magel turns to shut them behind us, but before they click, I can hear Alinor's big, cheerful voice filling the room with a mighty, “People, all is well!”

  The doors close, and we're cast into shadow. There's not much light in this hallway, and all that's available comes from one small orb of light that hangs suspended in the air above us. It is a very low source of light, and I can hardly see as I make my way down the hallway to the far end, where I saw Charaxus last.

  The door at the bend in the hallway is, of course, locked. I try it because
I wanted to, but the knob doesn't even turn in my hands. I sigh in frustration and point to a spot in the thick, plush rug.

  “This is where Charaxus formed the portal,” I tell Isabella. “I...think.”

  “Just a general area is usually enough,” she tells me nervously. She's tugging down on the front of her dress, which she has done about a thousand times since agreeing to do this—but that's just her tell. When I'm really nervous, I bite my lip or chew on a fingernail. We all have those tells, but it's making me increasingly nervous that she's so worried about doing this.

  But I knew my plan wasn't going to be a walk in the park. I want to ask Isabella to tell me all the ways that this could go wrong, but my imagination is pretty active, and I've already come up with my own worst-case scenarios, including (but not limited to) being cast out into deep space. Actually, the first thing that my overactive imagination thought of was being erroneously dumped on a planet full of dinosaurs, which could possibly happen, for all I know. I am currently standing on a planet with magic and unicorns, after all.

  Isabella is walking around the spot on the rug in a slow circle, staring down at it. She tries to roll up her sleeves, but they keep falling down.

  In the tea shop, she was funny and confident; I suppose she was in her element. Now she looks uncertain as she walks that circle.

  “I wish I had my cat with me. She's very helpful for spells,” Isabella says, pausing on the rug and shaking out her hands. “But she's with my wife. Okay. I can do this.” She looks up, raising her hands toward the ceiling. “Can you please stand together, Magel and Holly?” she asks, not looking back down at us. “Just hold hands and put your other hands out flat in the air, palms down.”

  Magel and I clasp hands quickly, and then we put out our free hands.

  “Okay!” says Isabella, taking a deep breath. “Here goes nothing!”

  She stands with her arms up, Magel and I hold hands...

  And absolutely nothing happens.

  “That's about right,” Magel mutters, shaking her head, but I shake my head, too, as Isabella looks down in dejection, lowering her arms.

  “No, no, Isabella, try again. Do you want us to imagine something, or try to draw up energy, or...” I trail off, because she looks despondent.

  “It's not going to be any use. Don't you see? I can't do this,” she tells us, shaking her head again, her voice plaintive. “Please—there are probably a few other witches out there in that crowd. We could try to find them, get together, create the portal that way—”

  “We're running out of time,” I tell her, breathless, my heart beating so quickly that I can feel all the blood rushing through my veins and racing under my skin. My hands are cold and shaking as I let go of Magel, take a step forward. “Please, Isabella, anything could be happening to them. They could be anywhere...” I try not to think about the distinct possibility that Charaxus could have done exactly what she told her brother she'd do. She could have already brought Calla and Virago to King Charix and given them up. And then what's going to happen to them? I shudder to think. I take a deep breath. “I'm sorry,” I tell her slowly, trying to keep my voice steady, “but...but put yourself in my shoes.” I gesture down at my feet. “If it were your wife through that portal...wouldn't you be doing anything in your power to get through it, too?”

  For a long moment, Isabella just looks at me, her eyes wide, her breathing coming fast, her nostrils flaring. And then she closes her eyes, clenches her hands into fists and nods once, sharply. “You're right, Holly. I'm sorry. Okay. I'm going to try again,” she says, and holds her hands out in front of her, arms straight, palms down. “Just...just imagine a portal of white light in front of us,” she says, voice quavering and unsure. But at least she's trying. I close my eyes while Isabella says, “I'm trying to figure out where the portal opened up, but tracing it feels kind of...fuzzy...”

  My eyes are closed, and I reach across the space toward Magel, to take her hand, and she does take my hand, but she leans forward. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Magel whispers into my ear. “I know Virago. Wherever Charaxus took her, and for whatever reason, Virago is going to be all right. But if something happens to you under my watch, Virago will never forgive me,” she tells me softly.

  “I'll be okay. I've got to be okay. I've got to find her,” I tell Magel firmly, eyes still shut as I try to imagine a portal of white light rotating in front of me.

  For a long moment, all is silent. It's too silent, really. I can hear Alinor speaking to people out in the banquet hall, but here in the hallway, all is still.

  I actually peek at that moment, opening up my right eye, my left eye still shut tight.

  And there, in front of us, is the now-familiar tall, white portal. It's a little more see-through than usual, but as Isabella's hands shake, held out over the ground, the portal wavers, flickering...and then remains steady.

  “Is this it?” I ask Isabella in a hushed voice. Her hands are shaking even harder now, and her brow is furrowed; a thin sheen of sweat is breaking out over her skin.

  “Yes,” she says. “Go through—hurry. I can't hold it for very long. It's too unstable.”

  I swallow, glancing at Magel, and Magel nods, unsheathing her sword over her shoulder.

  “Ladies first,” she tells me, indicating the portal.

  “Okay,” I whisper, and though my heart is in my throat, though I feel like I'm about to be sick (I could literally end up anywhere in existence, anywhere in the universe...), I take a deep breath. I gather my skirts in my hands.

  And I step through the portal.

  Chapter 15: Brave

  I'm falling.

  When I stepped through the portal before, it was like walking into a darkened room. You take those tentative steps, hoping a light will turn on, and then it does, and the world appears around you, safe and sound.

  But that's not what happens this time.

  I'm falling, and I can't see a damn thing. Everything is as pitch black as the darkest night, and my body is whistling down, down, down through the air, and I'm going to throw up, and I hold myself as tensely as I possibly can, because when I hit the ground, I'm going to die...

  I gasp, the breath leaving me as my feet rest gently—as gently as a feather—against land.

  I open my eyes, shut tightly against imminent destruction, and I gasp again, clutching my stomach, tears swimming in my line of sight...

  Because I'm in my living room.

  My living room.

  I’m...back on Earth.

  “No,” I whisper, looking about frantically. “This isn't possible,” I manage, and then I'm crouching down, touching my couch, picking up my remote, feeling my body, making absolutely certain that I'm really here, that this is all really physical and not a dream...

  No. Not a dream. I drop the remote onto the coffee table, and I cross the room to look out the back door.

  It's nighttime.

  And it's storming outside.

  I shiver, flicking on the overhead light in the living room. I turn to look back. Magel isn’t here. That’s weird...

  And I notice something else I didn't see before.

  There's a light on upstairs.

  My senses seem to focus sharply in this moment. I can hear everything distinctly: the rain pelting the back door; I hear it dancing on top of the roof. I can smell the warm, comforting scent of my kitchen with its chamomile tea stored in different containers. I can see the brightness of the light on the hallway wall upstairs, can feel the floor beneath my feet...

  And everything crystallizes as I stare at the hallway upstairs, and at the shadow I'm seeing there, reflected on the far wall...

  “Virago?” I whisper, and then I'm shouting her name, rushing up the steps, tripping...

  And there she is. Her ice blue eyes are wide as she stands at the end of the hallway, and when she sees me, she rushes forward, grabbing me around the waist, picking me up, lifting me into the air, kissing me fiercely.

  “Holl
y, what are you doing here?” she asks, setting me back down gently to earth and trailing her hands quickly up my body to cup my face. She searches my gaze, her brow furrowed. “Are you all right?” There are actual tears in her eyes as she stares at me. “What happened? Has there been a coup, as Charaxus said there would be?”

  “Charaxus? What happened with Calla?” I ask her, but then Calla is in the doorway behind Virago, the doorway to my bedroom. She looks completely fine, not a hair out of place on her head. She’s actually holding one of my cups, and tea is steaming out of it. Either Virago or Charaxus had enough time to make her a cup of tea—so that’s reassuring, at least.

  “Oh, Holly,” she says, rushing forward, setting the cup on a table and then embracing me tightly. “What has Charix done?” she asks, her brow furrowed deeply as she gazes at me.

  And then Charaxus appears in my bedroom doorway.

  She sighs heavily, leaning against the wooden frame. Charaxus looks shockingly tired and gaunt, her normally pale face even paler, her blue eyes bright, as if she's fevered. “There is no time,” she says, stepping forward.

  But she's not strong enough to take that step, and she stumbles a little, falling forward.

  It's not elegant, the way she crumples—and it's not elegant, how Virago has to catch her, hooking her arm around Charaxus' ribs, all the while trying to keep her face from flickering with distaste.

  “Charaxus used up all of her power and energy to bring us here, the only place she could think of that would be safe for us—on another world entirely,” says Calla, her mouth downturned. “She was trying to keep me safe. Virago,” she says, gesturing behind her, “grabbed hold of the edge of Charaxus’ cloak when Charaxus stepped through the portal, so Virago was brought along by mistake. Charaxus was just trying to keep me safe,” she repeats, her face worried, “because her brother is after me.”

  “We could have fought him,” says Virago, her voice a low growl.

  “Virago,” says Calla, one brow up, “Charaxus did what she could, with Charix changing his plans at the last moment—”