by James Riley
Something bit into his neck just at that moment, and he reached up to swat away whatever bug it was, only to find a dart sticking into him. The room suddenly turned sideways, and Fort collapsed to his father’s hospital bed as people began shouting all around him.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a green, glowing portal, with Gabriel standing in the middle of it. Next to him was his father, holding a tranquilizer gun, as were the soldiers on either side of him. Everyone seemed so angry, which Fort didn’t understand.
He wasn’t sure how, but he could figure that out later. Right now, he just needed to sleep and hope that this wasn’t all just a dream.
- FORTY-SEVEN -
FREEZING-COLD WATER SPLASHED ON Fort’s face, and he instantly woke up, sopping wet. For a moment, he had no idea where he was, but the green paint on the walls gave it away.
He was back in the Oppenheimer School, tied to a chair.
And Colonel Charles was sitting across from him, calmly staring at him as he placed an empty bucket on the floor.
“What did you do to your father, Fitzgerald?” the colonel asked. “Ambrose ran some tests. She said that all the abnormalities have disappeared.”
It took a few seconds for that to filter through the fog in Fort’s brain, but when it did, he woke up immediately. “He’s okay?” Fort shouted. “My dad is going to be okay?”
“I asked you, what did you do to him?” the colonel said again. “Ambrose said she had some ideas that might be beneficial to the TDA, but she’d need to do further research. Now that’s all out the window.”
“I … just healed him,” Fort said, shaking his head. “That’s it.”
“Healed him?” Colonel Charles asked. “You mean what we’d done a hundred times since you brought him back? Why don’t you quit wasting my time and just tell me the truth?”
“Maybe it was the power of love,” Fort said, smiling weakly. “I don’t know. But it is the truth. All I did was use my Healing spell on him, and he woke up.”
The colonel stared at him in silence for a few moments. “He has no memory of the other dimension,” he said finally. “We’ve used some of Sierra’s mind amulets on him and have found literally nothing from that time. Did you wipe his memory somehow?”
“With Healing magic?” Fort said. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“Ambrose thinks you could have used Healing magic to make him forget, to restore his brain to an earlier version without those memories,” the colonel said, then rubbed his forehead. “But whatever. You know … I get it. I do. I understand why you all think you’re so right about everything. You’ve got the power, and we don’t.” He glanced up at Fort now. “But look at what you caused. If you’d just sent us into the UK like I’d asked, London would still be standing.”
Fort’s mouth dropped open. “We made some mistakes, yes, but I did try to send you, and the Carmarthen Academy students took you down immediately! They showed us this future, and told us how to stop it. We couldn’t have known—”
“That you were just causing it in the first place?” the colonel said. “Maybe not. But the governments of the world know, and they all are demanding their books back. The president has already refused, which is good, because otherwise I’d have had to take them away myself. We’re not giving them back, not to anyone.”
Fort felt his body go cold at the colonel’s words. “You’re going to start a war if you don’t. Trust me on that.”
“Then I start a war,” the colonel said, still strangely calm. “I’d do that and more to protect my country, Fitzgerald.”
That was almost worse without the anger and rage he’d had back in the briefing. Why was he so composed now? “Then you shouldn’t have the books at all,” Fort told him.
“Fortunately, that’s not your call,” the colonel said. “Someone had to take the fall for the UK, you know. So Oppenheimer is finally gone for good. Agent Cole will be running the school from now on, under my command.” He shrugged. “Not that it will matter to you, of course.”
“What do you mean?” Fort said, the chill getting worse.
“As promised, you’re expelled,” Colonel Charles told him, a small smile playing over his lips. “I’m here to wipe your memory. This … discussion is basically just a formality. I didn’t think we’d get much out of you. Whatever that jewel we found in your father’s hand was, there’s no magic left in it now. But we’ll still study it and see what we can find.”
“You’re sending me home?” Fort asked, dreading the answer. “What about my father?”
The colonel sighed. “Ambrose tells me he’s no longer useful, and we can’t have a civilian adult on the premises. So he’s going with you. Neither of you will remember this, but you’ll have your family, at least.” He gritted his teeth for the moment, a familiar anger rising up again, only for him to take a deep breath and calm himself. “You don’t deserve it, but maybe he does. If someone could give me back Michael …”
He trailed off at this, and Fort waited quietly for him to continue, inwardly not able to believe what was happening. His father was coming home? Even without their memories, he’d have his father back? After everything, losing him to the Dracsi, rescuing him, then finding out that a war was started in the future because of it all … his dad was going to be okay and come back to live a normal life with him?
Fort didn’t deserve it. He knew that, without a shadow of a doubt. Not after everything he’d done.
But there was no way he wasn’t going to take it anyway.
Silence filled the room for an uncomfortably long time before the colonel finally spoke again. “I’m guessing it’s useless to ask you where that Time student who was with you sent Rachel’s sword?”
Fort raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ellora sent the sword away?”
The colonel nodded. “She grabbed it from Rachel when we arrived, and it started burning her, but she used her magic on it and it disappeared. And then she blipped out herself. We have no idea where she went.”
“I don’t either,” Fort said, his mind racing. Ellora had escaped and taken Excalibur with her? She must have been trying to keep it out of the TDA’s hands. “What about Jia and Rachel? Are they okay?”
“Rachel is expelled as well,” Colonel Charles said, sighing again. “Such a waste, but she’s lost respect for authority, and we can’t have that. Such a good soldier before you came along, too.” He shook his head. “Jia, though, we’re keeping around, as relations with China are bad enough already. We’re hoping that leaving her here will buy us some time to keep the book of Healing.”
Rachel was being expelled too? Out of all of them, she was the one who seemed most suited to the school, and Fort couldn’t imagine what she must be going through right now. “You can’t blame Rachel. This was all my plan. I brought her along when she didn’t want to go. She shouldn’t be expelled, not for things I did.”
The colonel laughed. “She said the same about you.” He stood up from his chair and pulled a silver amulet out from under his shirt. “Enough of this. Time to forget everything, Fitzgerald.” He smiled. “You were a mistake from the start, and all you’ve done is make the world a more dangerous place. You’re so lucky that you’ll get to forget all of this, while those of us charged with protecting you clean up your mess.”
Don’t say anything, Fort thought. He can still not send Dad home with you.
“You’re right, sir,” Fort said, forcing himself to look sad. “This is all my fault. And I wish I could make up for it all.” That was the truth, so at least he could say it with a straight face.
“Wishes are for children, Cadet,” the colonel said, then touched the amulet. “It’s about time you learned that.”
He reached out and grabbed Fort’s arm, and the magic flowed through their connection, straight into Fort’s brain, as one by one, the colonel began to erase Fort’s memories.
- FORTY-EIGHT -
RIDING TO HIS AUNT’S APART
MENT in a car with his father would never have been something special, not before the D.C. attack. But now, staring at his real, healthy father in the front seat next to his dad’s sister, Fort couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.
The empty streets around them were more than a bit disturbing, though.
“It’s just the curfew,” his aunt had told him when they left the airport. “There’s been one ever since London was destroyed. I had to get special dispensation to even pick you both up at the airport. No one really knows if it’s safe to go out, you know?”
“I’m personally in favor of more staycations, I think,” his father had said, and his aunt gasped, realizing what she’d said. But in spite of everything, Fort found himself laughing. His father joined in, as did his aunt, and they all kept laughing until tears started to fall.
Once they’d reached her apartment, Fort saw a few people peek out their windows, but that was the only sign of life he could find. It was almost eerie, how empty the city was.
But even that couldn’t ruin this day for him. His father was coming home.
“I still can’t believe you’re okay!” Fort’s aunt said to his father as she carried Fort’s suitcase up the stairs to her apartment. “I only wish your memory had returned quicker after the attack. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like, not knowing who you were while you recovered. If only you’d had your ID on you, they could have reached out to me!”
“There’s a lot I still don’t remember,” Fort’s father said, his arm on Fort’s shoulders. “Nothing much after D.C. until I saw Fort standing in front of me, which, let me tell you, was a sight for some very sore eyes.” He smiled down at Fort, who couldn’t help but beam back up at him. “Probably came from all the weight lifting my eyes did.”
Both Fort and his aunt groaned.
“When we all thought you were … missing,” his aunt said, “the bank took your house. But maybe we can find a way to get it back, so you two can go home?” She blushed at this. “I mean, you’re always welcome to stay here! But I just figured—”
“Oh, we know,” Fort’s dad said. “And going home does sound nice. But right now, I’m just happy to be back with my son and my sister. It’s been a long eight months!”
As they went into his aunt’s apartment, Fort decided it looked exactly the same as the last time he’d been there. His aunt didn’t have a lot of money, and what she’d gotten after the attack had all gone to Fort’s multiple schools, so his behavior had just made things even worse for her. Yet through it all, she had never stopped trying to help, to make his life feel normal again. And for that, he’d always be grateful to her.
“I haven’t had a chance to fix up your room yet, Fort,” she said as they reached the kitchen. “I’m really sorry about that. Between finding out you were expelled and that your dad was okay, it’s just been a whirlwind!” She smiled at him. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about what they said. Sounds like you need a talk about following rules.”
Fort’s father laughed. “I think we can just enjoy being home for a few days at least. Give my boy here a break. I can’t even imagine what you both went through.”
“And definitely don’t worry about my room,” Fort told her. “I’m fine with whatever.”
“When you left, I meant to use it as a little gym,” she said, blushing again. “So I’m sorry about the stuff in there. Haven’t even had a chance to get in there in the last few weeks. Let me order some food, and I’ll move it all while you two eat.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Fort told her, grabbing his suitcase. As much as he never wanted to leave his father’s side again, he had to get into the room quickly, before she did. There was still one thing he had to do. “I’m not really that hungry. I’ll just go unpack and move the gym stuff out of the way, if that works?”
“Of course, honey,” she said with a nod. “That’ll give me a chance to catch your father up on this new world.” She sighed, running her hand through her hair. “It’s terrifying, honestly. The government says they’re considering instituting martial law, and no one knows anything about this Gathering Storm organization, but apparently they took credit for London, too. But how could they make these monsters? And there was a dragon of all things, flying around to different cities just a few days ago!”
“Well, we’re together now, and that’s what matters,” Fort’s dad said, his forehead wrinkling as he smiled. “I’m sure someone in the government knows what’s going on and is trying to fix it.”
Fort chose that moment to drag his suitcase over to his aunt’s second bedroom, not able to contain his response to his father’s words. As he reached his old room, he stopped outside, making sure they hadn’t followed him.
Then he slowly opened the door, slipped inside without turning on the light, and closed the door behind him. Finally, he flipped on the lights and almost screamed in surprise at the sight of a glowing yellow girl sitting on his bed.
“You know, this isn’t the best hiding spot for this,” Sierra said, patting the enormous dragon egg sitting on the bed beside her. “At least put it under the covers or something.”
Fort grinned at her. “I didn’t really have a free moment since I got it, if you remember.”
“I don’t, actually,” she said, bouncing on the bed. “Probably because I was frozen in time for most of your little adventure?”
“My little adventure?” he said. “Oh, you mean the one where your best friend Damian tried to kill me, Jia, and Rachel? Oh, and where London basically got destroyed by one of Cyrus’s old classmates?”
“Don’t high-road me, Fitzgerald,” she said, glaring at him. “The only reason you didn’t have your memory erased is because I jumped in and protected you from Colonel Charles’s spell. If it weren’t for me, you’d think you just failed out of some random boarding school and would have no idea of what had gone down in the last few months.”
“You could have warned me about that, by the way,” Fort said, beginning to unpack the bag the TDA had handed back to him when they’d sent him home, the bag he’d packed before going to the school and never seen again until now. “I thought I was really going to forget it all!”
His eyes lit up at the sight of his favorite hoodie, which he’d assumed was gone forever. Granted, that was because he thought he’d still be at the Oppenheimer School, and that wasn’t exactly happening, but still.
“Eh, you’re not that great an actor,” she said, lying back on the bed to watch. “Colonel Charles would have figured it out right away.”
“I noticed you glossed right over what I said about Damian,” he said, picking up the dragon egg and carrying it gently into the closet. That wasn’t much better as a hiding spot, but at least his aunt wouldn’t see it if she came in. He’d have to think of somewhere safer for it tomorrow.
“I’m not going to lie, Fort,” Sierra said, staring down at her feet. “I don’t know what to say about him. Wherever he is now, he’s hiding his mind from me. Which is smart, because I have a lot to say once I find him.”
“And Cyrus is still lost in time somewhere,” Fort said, not letting the good news of his father’s return make him forget that his friend was still missing. “Hopefully, William’s spell over him broke when he lost his magic, so Cyrus can make his way back.”
“I’m sure he will,” Sierra said. “And Jia and Rachel are both okay, since I know you’re about to ask. Jia’s still at the school, like you thought. But she said that Colonel Charles is watching her pretty closely.” She smiled. “Fortunately, Dr. Ambrose is helping her study in private. Jia’s still working on creating new spells by mixing the spell words she knows, so I expect she’ll burn the school down soon enough.”
“And Rachel?” Fort said, not sure he wanted the answer.
“She’s … a bit depressed, obviously,” Sierra said. “Not thrilled about being home, but she’s still got her memory too. I got to her just in time. She’s worried about whatever Ellora did with Excalibur, and that she s
till has to track down the Old One of Time magic within the next year.” Sierra frowned. “Also, she said something about how Merlin was going to train her, but his cottage burned down, so now she has no idea how to find him. You all really did get up to some strange stuff in a short time, didn’t you?”
“You’ve got no idea,” Fort told her. “Could you find Ellora for Rachel? She is going to need that sword.”
“I’ll do my best,” Sierra said. “And what about you?”
Fort paused. “What about me?”
“You took the faerie queen’s bargain too,” Sierra said, nodding at his bedroom door to where his father and aunt were in the kitchen. “Aren’t you afraid of what she’ll make you do?”
Fort felt his stomach drop at the reminder but forced himself to ignore it. “Nope,” he said. “Because I’ve got no power. All I can do is teleport and heal minor wounds. Whatever she wants from me won’t cause too much trouble. And besides, I’m done with all of this anyway. I’m out of the school, and my dad’s home. So it’s time to just live a nice, normal life—”
“Rachel said you better be ready to teleport her to wherever Merlin is, once she finds him,” Sierra said.
“A nice, normal life with some teleporting here and there,” Fort said with a sigh. “At least that means I’ll still get to see her, and maybe Jia, too.” He already missed them both, even having been gone for just a few days now. But after everything they’d been through, not having them around to talk to and share what it was like having his father back … their absence just felt like a huge hole in his life.
“Oh, Jia for sure,” Sierra said. “She’s on fire about learning magic without books, so that the world doesn’t go to war.” She sighed. “Remember when it was just about fighting evil monsters, and not worrying about humans, too? That was nice.”
Fort snorted. “That’s why I’m done with it all. Everything that went wrong in the last few months, it’s all been my fault. At least if I’m here, not at the school, I won’t make things worse. And maybe living a regular life will be kind of nice for a change.”
