Crisanta Knight: The Lost King

by Culbertson, Geanna;

  I’d been absentmindedly stacking the mini macarons I’d served myself on a plate in front of me while I talked. I didn’t like macarons. But they were one of the prettier foods and sometimes I tried to make myself eat them. Though stacking them in pyramids was way more enjoyable.

  “At least Lenore teaching him to control his Pure Magic is a point in your defense,” Daniel commented. He picked up his goblet and took a drink of the bright blue liquid inside. I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t think he knew either given how he raised his eyebrows, as if surprised by the taste.

  “That’s what I thought,” I replied. “But I’m still nervous. I don’t like not knowing when Lenore is taking my case to the rest of the realm higher-ups, and who knows if she’ll let me defend myself.”

  “She will have to,” SJ said, looking up from her little lavender journal, which on closer look had the Lady Agnue’s insignia on it. “We will not give her a choice.”

  SJ had been casually writing in that small book while we sat here and ate, having pulled it out of her potions sack along with a quill. When asked, she explained that it was her potions journal from back at school where she wrote down designs for new concoctions. Apparently her mind had been buzzing with more ideas than usual lately and she was scribbling every time she got the chance.

  “Sorry that took a while,” Ozma said, coming in through the main doors. “How much longer can you guys stay?”

  “About an hour,” I replied. “We’re headed back to Book. I checked my Hole Tracker earlier. The next wormhole is in two hours, just outside the city.”

  “Okay,” Ozma replied. “In that case, SJ, can you come with me now? Julian would like to speak with you in his potions lab before you go.”

  SJ seemed a little unsure, but she shut her journal. “Of course, Ozma.”

  “Great, the rest of you please continue enjoying yourselves. And don’t feel like you have to stay here. Explore the rest of the Emerald Tower if you like. My brother says you’re familiar with the place from your last visit. Julian and I will be sure to meet you in the main foyer to bid you farewell in an hour. Glinda, can you come with me too?” Ozma asked.

  “Certainly,” Glinda replied, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

  SJ stowed her potions book and quill in her magic sack before both ladies rose from their chairs and followed Ozma out of the room.

  Kai leaned forward and lowered her voice. “You think it’s okay if we stop eating now? I didn’t want to be rude, but I’m still full from the re-coronation party.”

  “Uh, yeah. Me too,” I half fibbed, grateful for an excuse to stop eating mini macarons.

  “Daniel and I found a sweet archery course out back the last time we were here,” Blue suggested. “We could go check that out.”

  “I’m in,” Jason said.

  “Yeah, could be fun,” Daniel commented. “You’ll love it, Kai.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she responded. “Better than waiting around here.”

  “If you guys don’t mind, I think I’ll skip archery,” I said. “I’m not really in a shooting mood. I’ll probably wander around for a while.”

  “All right,” Blue said as she and the others got up from the table. “But half the time you ‘wander around,’ you get into mischief, so watch yourself.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I huffed.

  My friends left the room. I was glad to be alone. The silence was a relief.

  Before I let my feet wander, I let my mind do so. I thought about what Lenore was going to tell the realm ambassadors about my Pure Magic. I thought about the TA work I’d abandoned when I left school. I thought about my home and the reconstruction of my castle in Midveil after the commons rebellion attack. Lastly, in lieu of those less pleasing topics, my thoughts drifted to a happy one—my place on the Twenty-Three Skidd team back at Lady Agnue’s.

  Twenty-Three Skidd was traditionally an all-boys sport, but Lord Channing’s had opened tryouts to girls last semester, and I was one of five female protagonists who’d claimed a spot. I’d worked hard to secure my standing on my team, the Seven Suns, but had been devastated when the magic hunters’ kidnapping attempt had forced me to leave school before I got to play my first match. Graciously, the team captains had decided to hold my spot until my return after spring break. I really looked forward to reclaiming it. Lady Agnue’s did not have its own Twenty-Three Skidd arena, so going over to the boys’ campus three times a week for practice was one of the few things that brought me sheer joy.

  As an added bonus, Twenty-Three Skidd would be even more fun now that Daniel and I were in sync again, which we hadn’t been earlier in the semester. He and I were on the same team.

  Funny, lately he and I always seemed to be on the same team. It was such a difference from when we had first met and were always at each other’s throats. Boys could be so unpredictable. Daniel, Alex, Jason, even Chance Darling had proven that.

  Chance.

  Thinking about the grandson of King Midas was a frivolous waste of mental space, but I couldn’t help it. A while back I used to think Chance Darling was an annoying, narcissistic prince who I enjoyed cutting with my witty banter. When he’d changed and decided to embrace being a decent guy, I’d been thrown for a loop. Thinking about him now was a different kind of distraction. Not amusing, just interesting. Even Daniel—who clearly didn’t like the prince—had commented that Chance was following through on his promise to prove himself worthy of my affection.

  I didn’t know what exactly Mr. Darling had been up to in pursuit of this mission, but I’d been gone a long time so it could be anything. Although, while I was curious about what he had in the works, I was more curious about whether it would actually do the improbable and make me feel something for him. Considering my ever-evolving relationships with the other boys in my life, I speculated that it might not be as impossible as I’d once believed.

  I sighed and pushed out my chair. Rather than continue to sit around daydreaming, there was one last thing I had to do and I couldn’t keep dodging. I needed to see Mauvrey.

  After our initial meeting, Glinda had taken us to visit the sleeping princess, but I’d had a weird reaction. When the guards pushed open the doors and stepped aside, I’d caught a glimpse of Mauvrey and felt the impulse to withdraw. I’d told my friends that I needed to call Liza and would come back in a minute.

  It was a lie. I’d called Liza after my conversation with Merlin last night and had given her the full rundown. The truth was that I was avoiding seeing Mauvrey. But I knew time was running out, and it needed to be done.

  I worked my way through the Emerald Tower’s glistening halls until I came to the proper staircase. It was a hefty hike to the highest room in the highest tower. And yes, the irony of seeking the sleeping princess there was not lost on me.

  The same guards as before unlocked the door and granted me passage. I laid eyes on Mauvrey’s face through the doorway, took a deep breath, and entered—gesturing for the guards to close the doors behind me. Once the doors were shut I released a deep breath, which I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

  I moved closer and stared at Mauvrey’s sleeping form. Everything about her was the same—the golden hair, the clothes, the facial features. And yet everything was different, because a veil had been lifted. It was strange to accept that the girl I knew—the girl I loathed more than just about anyone apart from Nadia and Arian—was not this person. Every aspect of Mauvrey’s face inspired me with hate and my conscience had a hard time making peace with the fact that the hate was misplaced. In truth, I had no idea who this girl was. She could’ve been anything or anyone to me. If she ever woke up, that is.

  Mauvrey’s broken hands had been bandaged so they’d heal properly. There was a silver sparkling force field around the bed where she lay sleeping. It encased her like a dome—courtesy of Glinda’s ongoing magical protection. The balcony in the room had a thousand-foot drop to the ground. Looking down at the plunge, I swallowed my pride and ac
knowledged that Mauvrey would be safest in the Emerald Tower. I only wished there was some way I could have a stronger presence here too. The wormholes were appearing far less frequently now. I couldn’t simply hop from Book to Oz on a moment’s notice. Who knew how long there would be between each usable portal once the effects of yesterday’s Aurora completely faded.

  The doors behind me opened. “I thought I might find you up here,” SJ said, entering. She waved and the guards closed the doors in her wake.

  “How?” I asked.

  “You do not like loose ends, and I knew you would visit Mauvrey eventually. You merely needed some time to build up the nerve. I understand. If my history with the girl was the same as yours, I would have faked a call to Liza earlier too.”

  I smiled. I had to put on so many different faces on a regular basis, I loved that SJ could sift through them and still find me underneath.

  “What do you think she’s really like?” I asked, nodding toward Mauvrey.

  “I have no idea,” she replied. “You once told me that before coming to Lady Agnue’s you and Mauvrey had met a few times because of your parents’ relationship with hers. You said she used to be nice.”

  “That was close to a decade ago. We were little kids then.” I bit my lip. “Do you think whatever happened to her happened that long ago?”

  “Again, I have no idea,” SJ replied. “But I will do my best to construct that potion with Merlin so we can have the answers.”

  “How’s that going to work, anyway?” I asked, turning to my friend. “Merlin never explained how you were going to work together from separate realms. What, are you guys going to set up a regular Mark Two conference call?”

  “Not exactly,” SJ admitted. “I have decided not to return to Book. I am going to stay in Camelot.”

  “What?” I exclaimed.

  “It makes the most sense,” SJ said calmly. “The potion that Merlin and I need to brew will require a lot of work and precision. We should be together to do it and I cannot exactly keep him in our closet at school. Plus, Arthur needs him.”

  “But I need you,” I said.

  SJ gave me a sad, soft smile. “I am only a few realms away,” she responded. “And we have Mark Twos. If I stay, not only will I be able to work with Merlin, but I can work with Julian too. The reason he wanted to speak with me in the potions lab is because he wanted to offer me a job—an internship, as it were. The man is brilliant with potions, Crisa—just as inventive and skilled as Merlin, if not more. He is impressed by my Portable Potions and sees potential in me. He wants to train me as an apprentice. How could I say no? Potions bring me joy. They give me purpose. I want to learn as much as I can, and who knows if I will ever have such an opportunity again. You understand, right?”

  “SJ, of course I do.” I sighed. “I’m happy for you. It’s just a lot to take in. So . . . you’re going to travel back and forth between Oz and Camelot and work with both of them?”

  “Yes,” SJ replied. “I just called Merlin to let him know. I will probably spend most of my time in Camelot until the potion is complete and train with Julian via Mark Two for now. But I will travel here when I can. Oz, Neverland, and Camelot all run on the same time zone, so that makes things easier. With a Hole Tracker of my own, our Wonderland maps, and my all-access storyteller visa, I will have no trouble.”

  “You’ll be traveling alone, though. What if something happens?”

  “You have to trust that nothing will and that I can take care of myself.”

  “But what if—”

  “Crisa,” SJ interrupted delicately. “Believe me, I know. I know you worry because you care, but you must understand that you are not the only person who feels this way. I have worried about you constantly since this thing with your magic began. Even when we were at school, I could not stop worrying. But I have come to terms with the fact that we cannot protect everyone, as I am sure you have. At some point, we have to swallow fear and accept that bad things can happen. We just have to find it in ourselves to believe with all our hearts that they won’t.”

  I crossed my arms. “Yeah . . . Wait. Won’t? SJ, did you just use a contraction?”

  “I thought it might lighten the mood.”

  I laughed. “What would Lady Agnue say? You never broke her princess rules, and I believe ‘No contractions’ is princess rule number twelve, and one of her favorites.”

  “Considering the bombshell I dropped on her a moment ago, I do not think she would care about a contraction,” SJ replied. “Before coming to see you, I called Lady Agnue and told her about the internship. I also threw in some truth about Mauvrey; it felt like the right decision and I was following your cue. Laying your cards on the table with Lena Lenore was bold and risky, but given how fast our plots are moving these days, I think it is time we moved forward more aggressively and stopped hiding in the shadows. It would save time and minimize nonsense if we addressed more issues head on so we can control the narratives.”

  “I agree with that,” I said. “So what did you tell Lady Agnue about Mauvrey?”

  SJ shrugged. “She did not need to know everything. I simply said Mauvrey was ill and recovering abroad. Regarding the internship though, I told our headmistress the full truth about my intentions to not return to school for a while.”

  “Those intentions are kind of funny given how you were so set on us returning to school as soon as possible so we wouldn’t fall behind.” I smirked.

  “I am not going to fall behind,” SJ replied indignantly. “I am at the top of our class and aside from that I am going to get home-school assignments like you did when you took your leave earlier in the semester. Also, based on the requirements presented in the school bylaws, I told Lady Agnue she can count my internship with the Wizard of Oz and Merlin as class credit. She agreed.”

  “I can’t believe she was so cool with it.”

  “Well, she was not actually ‘cool’ with it,” SJ corrected. “I just did not give her much of a choice. I told her that this is what I am doing and she could either find a way to accommodate me or explain to my parents and the school staff why I went AWOL.”

  My grin widened. “Dang, SJ. I’m impressed. That was pretty bold.”

  “I learned from the best,” she replied, nudging my side with her elbow. “Anyway, it has been decided. I told the rest of our friends already. All I need from you is that pendant around your neck with the Forget-Me-Nots.”

  “Oh, right.” I took off the cord necklace and handed it to her.

  She put it around her neck and then lifted the tube to study the flowers inside. “Who do you suppose Merlin wants us to save the second flower for? He did mention you needed to understand two enemies.”

  “Hard to say,” I replied. “Merlin only reveals what he knows when he feels like the time is right. You watch out for him, okay?”

  “Will do,” she said. “Now come.” She laced her arm through mine. “I am staying here for the night and will return to Camelot tomorrow. But the rest of you need to get going.”

  I nodded and let her lead me out. I took a final glance at Mauvrey, felt a thousand things at once, then squeezed SJ’s arm. I was so happy she’d found such confidence and purpose. I wanted her to feel fulfilled. Working with Julian and Merlin was the best path for that. She’d already given so much to me and to our cause against the antagonists. She deserved to follow her own storyline for a while, even if it meant us being apart.

  SJ and I walked down the stairs. With each floor we descended, we were that much closer to saying goodbye, which made my heart hurt.

  “I think having someone to mentor will be good for Julian,” I said, trying to suppress my emotion with conversation. “It might help him get over his heartbreak.”

  “It is an added benefit,” SJ agreed. “As is the space that my absence will open up in our room at school.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Kai, Crisa. It is not safe for her to return to Century City now that the antagonists know about
her. You must have thought of that. You need to leverage what we know about the realm’s higher-ups against Lady Agnue and force her to let Kai stay at school with you and Blue.”

  I blinked. “SJ . . . That’s brilliant.”

  “Always so surprised,” SJ mocked.

  Truthfully, I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. SJ was constantly brilliant. What was new was this level of assertiveness and sass she’d gained through our adventures. I liked it a lot. It made it almost impossible to believe that this was the same girl who had been swallowed by insecurity over not having a protagonist book and been jealous of me for being a constant focus of everyone’s attention earlier in the semester.

  We arrived at the ground floor and began our final stroll to the front of the Tower.

  “I’ll keep you updated on anything big that happens back home,” I said. “Let me know you’re okay once in a while too, okay?”

  “Will do,” SJ said. “But I will not have much time to talk. Every four and a half days in Book is equal to one day in the ONC time zone, so I will need to work quickly. I do not want to be away from Book for an eternity.”

  “Fair point,” I said. “In that case, I will try not to bother you. You don’t need me weighing you down any more than I already do.”

  SJ stopped, pivoted, and embraced me. “You are ridiculous, you know that?”

  My chest filled with warmth and my eyes misted over. I hugged her back hard and smiled. “Always so surprised.”

  aniel, Jason, Kai, Blue, and I bid our final adieus to our princess friend, as well as to Julian, Ozma, and Glinda. Before leaving, I reaffirmed my commitment to visit them soon.

  Ozma had already called her best friend Dorothy on the Mark Two to catch up and fill her in. While I regretted I couldn’t heal her right away due to my magic reboot, I looked forward to the eventual rendezvous and reuniting the lost girl with her friends. I could not bring everyone home—not Paige, or Alex, or even Mauvrey—but I could bring her home. At least this was a blessing.