Chelsea spent a long time atop the Elemental Summit, talking with and learning from her Elemental. Her heart was full to bursting, because her Elemental wasn’t just her own.
Mother…
The sapphire in her emerald Elemental’s eyes was from her mother’s Elemental, who had remained behind for the sake of Marion Reiner’s dying wish: to keep her daughter safe. And all along, Marion’s Elemental had been quietly part of Chelsea’s own Elemental, the two of them fusing together long before Chelsea even knew about Elementals.
Her power is mine. And it always has been, ever since that day.
She twirled her twin silver lighter between her fingers with a light, gentle touch. They’d been her Talismans since she was a child, given to her by her mother. Embossed on each was the Fire Blossom emblem that Marion had created for her daughter.
Chelsea was overcome with gratitude. And she was struck by the sense that, though her mother was gone from this world, she was still with her, had always been with her, all these years after her death.
She looked across the Summit, where Lorelei sat with her Elemental across the field of flowers. They’d stayed separate from each other for this visit, meeting with their Elementals alone. The serenity of this mountain invited such solitude. High above wheeled Chelsea’s owl, relishing in the freedom of the vast, open sky.
But…
“It’s… time to go. Isn’t it?” Chelsea looked at her Elemental, who gazed back at her with the answer in her eyes.
“Can we… meet like this again?” Chelsea asked. There again, the answer was in her Elemental’s eyes.
I know you’re always with me. I just wish… I could see you like this. All the time.
A musical trill heralded the return of her owl Summon, coming to perch on her shoulders, his warm stomach nestling against the back of her head. She laughed softly, reaching up to tickle the owl’s chin.
I know you’re a part of every bit of fire I use. But I wish you were like my owl. Always here, in this form.
Her Elemental didn’t have a mouth, but the slight narrowing of her eyes and tilt of her head, and the accompanying warmth that tickled Chelsea’s heart, felt like a smile.
Slowly, Chelsea stood. She took in a deep breath, let it out slowly as a warm breeze swept across the Summit.
Yeah. It is time to go back.
She held out her hand, and her Elemental held out hers. Their fingers touched, ever so lightly, but it was a touch that blazed with passion, with courage, with determination.
And then her Elemental was gone.
Chelsea turned, and saw Lorelei already on her feet, her own Elemental gone. The two reunited, and walked silently back home.
——
Caleb struggled to open his eyes. Sleep lay like a dense fog over his mind, and escaping its grasp would not come easily.
Why was he asleep in the first place? When had he fallen asleep?
He’d been… fighting.
That’s right. Fighting, alongside Ariadne, to defend the Woven Nest.
Did I pass out?
It wouldn’t surprise him. Only…
It’s never felt like sleep before. It feels like time just skips ahead, and I have no idea it happened. And I can feel it coming on, enough that I can take measures to shield myself until I come back.
So then…
What happened?
Wherever he was, still half-asleep, it was quiet. It wasn’t the quietude of the Woven Nest, that serene calmness. No, this was…
Familiar.
For some reason, the silence sounded familiar. It wasn’t complete silence — that’s far too rare a thing. The faint sounds that he could barely make out as sounds, though, had a rhythm, a pattern, something that was etched on his heart.
And there was a scent on the air. That was it — the first thing he’d noticed, without realizing he’d noticed it. A warm, sweet aroma, tinged with… cinnamon? Yes, that was it.
Tea. Right? I think so.
But where had he had tea that smelled like that? Never back home, no, this wasn’t a scent associated with his home. It was familiar, but something he’d become familiar with only recently. It was…
Slowly, Caleb managed to open his eyes. The room he was in was filled with a soft brightness, an inviting, warm light that welcomed him. And it was that brightness which clued him in on his location.
Alexandra’s mansion.
That realization helped him wake more quickly, and he pushed himself up, taking in the room. Yes, he knew this room. It was where he’d stayed during his short time in Sunset Square, after rescuing Mineria, while he’d waited for Mister Midnight to recover.
As he sat up, the fog of sleep left him, and sounds became clearer. There was distant chatter, the faint clink of china, and interspersed in it was an occasional sound that made Caleb’s heart swell: the giggles of a young girl.
With a smile, Caleb got to his feet, checking his clothes and body. His few minor wounds had been healed, and his clothes had been mended, but he was still wearing what he’d been when he’d fought in defense of the Woven Nest.
Most importantly: he felt fine.
Healthy, happy, and —
His stomach growled.
— hungry.
Out of the room he went, and was surprised to see how well he remembered this wing of the mansion. Down the hall, a left turn here, a right turn there, and he arrived at the balcony overlooking the library. A curved staircase to his left led down into it, but he paused at the top, grinning at who he saw.
There were Shana, Altair, Annabelle, Rae, Kathryn, and Alexandra, seated by the fireplace, drinking tea, eating cookies, reading books, and chatting. The girls seemed to have become fast friends with Alexandra, who doted on them and smiled warmly, laughing easily at their jokes. And Altair was quite fond of their host, curling up in her lap contentedly.
Alexandra. Mister Midnight’s sister. The only trait that linked the siblings were their eyes: completely white, save for small black points in the center that, despite the size, seemed all-encompassing. It made it very hard to look either of them in the eyes for long. Other than that, Alexandra had a fair complexion, golden-blonde hair done up in a braided bun, and dressed in lavish hoop-style dresses in bright colors — often favoring white and gold — that would have given her quite the posh, elitist appearance if not for her easygoing, friendly demeanor.
Her laugh rang out, musical and bright, and Caleb smiled.
Nope. Nothing at all like her brother.
Caleb only made it halfway down the stairs before Shana noticed him. A wordless cry went up from her, and before Caleb reached the bottom of the stairs she’d crossed the library and tackled him in a tight, warm embrace.
“You’re awake!” she said. “It’s about time.” Altair leapt up to the stair’s banister, and from there to Caleb’s shoulder, having just enough space to clumsily perch there and lick Caleb’s cheek.
“How long was I out?” Caleb asked, laughing as he petted Altair with one hand and held his sister in the other.
“A few days,” Alexandra said, crossing the room with light, elegant steps. “Though it’s best you ask Andrea or Adelaida, they’re better at keeping track of time here.” She paused in front of Caleb, eyeing him closely, her lips set in a thin line. Slowly, she smiled. “Well. You’ve taken quite good care of yourself, Caleb. And a wonderful relief that is. You haven’t adopted all of my brother’s bad habits, then.”
“I’m not getting worse?” Caleb asked, suddenly self-conscious. It was Alexandra who’d diagnosed his Fractured condition, and Alexandra who’d provided him with the new glasses he so treasured.
“Not at all,” Alexandra said. “You keep wearing those glasses every second your eyes are open, and you should be able to continue to maintain your condition. With all the scrapes you’ve undoubtedly been in since your…” she paused, a finger on her chin as she gazed thoughtfully at a bookshelf.
“First visit,” Caleb said, picking up on her line of thought. “This is only the second time I’ve been here.”
“Ah, yes!” Alexandra clapped her hands together, smiling. “Yes, despite all you’ve been through since your first visit, you’ve managed to take excellent care of yourself. Do keep that up. And don’t be a stranger!” She laughed at Shana. “Your sister and I have become fast friends. I’m grateful for her company.”
“You’re such a wonderful host!” Shana said, finally pulling away from Caleb. Altair hopped down from Caleb’s shoulder to sit at attention at Shana’s side, and the pair of them bowed respectfully to Alexandra. “Thank you so much for your hospitality. And I’m so glad I can call you a friend.”
Alexandra laughed. “But of course, dear. Now, though, I do think I should spend some time with Caleb. He’ll be wanting a proper meal, no doubt. And there are others who will be overjoyed to see him awake, as well.”
“Yeah,” Shana said, smiling as if sharing a secret with Alexandra. Caleb eyed them suspiciously, but got nowhere.
“Come along, Caleb,” Alexandra said, holding out her arm. “We’ll take a slightly longer route to the dining room, but the trip will be worth it, I assure you.”
“We’ll come, too!” Kathryn said, and she and Rae came over to join Shana. All of them left the library together, making their way down the corridor and stopping at what Caleb knew as the training hall. He’d watched Adelaida and Andrea, Alexandra’s handmaidens and bodyguards, train in here during his last stay, and their unique weapons had helped him come up with new ideas for his own Containment Magic, adding new attack-style weighted chains to his repertoire.
Inside were the two handmaidens, who looked like identical twins — platinum blonde hair in a shorter-than-shoulder-length bob, pale blue eyes, with slender, fit figures and flat, emotionless expressions. They also wore identical uniforms — black dresses with gold trim and accents, so the only thing that separated the pair were that Adelaida wore oval, silver-rimmed glasses, while Andrea wore none.
The pair weren’t just training, however. They seemed to be doing a demonstration, for they had an audience who were delighted to watch their dance-like, graceful movements. Both were younger girls, the one on the left obviously Addie — Caleb could spot her two-toned hair in that asymmetrical cut anywhere. But the other…
Caleb stared. His heart skipped a beat. The other was dressed all in blue, and had blue hair, and wore a small top hat with clocks built into it that ticked away at different rhythms. And on her right wrist, two watches, one with a black band, one with white.
“Tock…?” Caleb asked, scarcely believing his eyes.
Both girls turned, and Caleb knew his eyes weren’t deceiving him now. Blue eyes that matched her hair — blue like the River of Time.
“It is you!” he cried, lips spreading in a wide grin. Tock had been staring, wide-eyed, as if caught between joy and doubt. But with that three-word pronouncement from Caleb, she too smiled wide, and hopped to her feet, racing with Addie to Caleb.
“You’re awake!” Addie said, and Caleb knelt to receive her hug, hugging her back. Tock stopped a few steps away, smiling at him. Her eyes seemed to glisten, as if wet with unshed tears. After a moment, she held out her hand.
“It is me,” she said, and that voice cut through the last bit of doubt that still clung to Caleb’s thoughts. She held out her hand, and Caleb took it in his. They smiled at each other, exchanging a firm, friendly handshake.
“That’s it?” Shana asked. “A handshake? Where’s the hug? All this emotion and excitement, and you’re just gonna —”
“It just feels right,” Tock said, nodding once, her hat bobbing.
“Yeah,” Caleb said, grinning. “But… how are you even here?”
“That’s… a bit of a story,” Tock said, chuckling.
“A story that he’d be delighted to hear over breakfast,” Alexandra said.
“It’s lunch time, actually,” Adelaida said, striding over on silent footsteps. She nodded once to Caleb. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks,” Caleb said.
“Caleb, Caleb!” Addie said excitedly, dashing over and taking one of Adelaida’s hands in both of hers. “Her name’s almost the same as mine! Just one letter different! Isn’t that so cool? And so weird? And so great?”
Caleb burst out laughing. “It sure is,” he said.
Adelaida and Andrea accompanied the rest of them to the dining room — one of several in Alexandra’s mansion, and this was one of the smaller ones, yet still had ample space for twice the size of their group — and the pair prepared an extravagant lunch before Caleb had time to get three words in with Tock. As he stared, blinking helplessly at the marvelous spread, Alexandra laughed.
“I have the greatest handmaidens in the world, don’t you know?” she asked. “But of course I do. Lance insisted on only the best for his sister.”
“Mister Midnight’s the one who recruited them for you?” Shana asked.
“Yes,” Alexandra said. “And he never explained how or where he found them. Simply showed up one day and said, ‘These two are going to be your handmaidens and bodyguards. You can count on them.’” Her imitation of her brother’s rough voice was thoroughly entertaining. “And then he left! But they’ve become dear friends as well.” She spread her hands invitingly. “Now please, dig in!”
“I feel kinda guilty not calling the others,” Shana said as she ate.
“Nonsense,” Alexandra said, laughing. “It’s nicer to get Caleb readjusted with a smaller group before he meets everyone.”
“Everyone?” Caleb asked.
“Eat,” Alexandra said, pointing an admonishing finger his way. “We’ll explain. I suppose Shana should start with what you missed in the Woven Nest.”
So Caleb ate, and listened, while Shana talked, occasionally backed up by Kathryn and Rae. Addie helped as well, filling in parts that the others couldn’t — though most of the time she was gushing almost incoherently about how “cool” and “super-awesome” and other superlatives Caleb was in his fighting. Though she did eventually explain how Caleb had come to a landing as Ariadne called a retreat… and then promptly passed out on the spot. Ariadne had carried him, and the rest was history.
“Oh, but don’t spoil the ending yet!” Tock said, just as Shana was getting to the point of the evacuation taking them to a different sector of the Woven Nest.
“Oh, right!” Shana said. “So, um… we got to the other place. And it was amazing! I’ll tell you all about it. But we weren’t there for long, before we, uh… got some help, and ended up here.”
“And that’s where I come in,” Tock said, grinning. “You see, I was given a special mission by the Lady — I’m sorry, no one is told her name or title, but Caleb knows who I’m talking about — far beyond the Time Wilds. It’s… not at all a mission I’d expected. This isn’t something that’s ever been done for us assistants at the Edge of Time. Normally, the only way we ever leave that place is by relinquishing all memory of it, but I was given special privileges, considering how things are so dire. I was called out because, well, Maxwell — that’s my partner in this mission, and he’s just fantastic — can pilot his study alone, but in order to get everywhere we need for this mission, he needs someone with special knowledge and Temporal Magic.”
“You have Time Magic?” Caleb asked.
Tock shook her head. “Temporal Magic. It’s different. Um…” She paused, bobbing her head from side to side, then shrugged, offering an apologetic smile. “It’s hard to explain. But it’s unique to those of us at the Edge of Time. It’s not something active, something that manipulates or controls. It’s more a way of… reading things. The River of Time, mostly, but all temporal flows and eddies, reading, understanding, and allowing us to react to what we see. Though I’ll be honest, I don’t entirely know why I was picked out of all of us…”
“Certainly it’s because of your personality,” Alexandra said with a radiant smile. “You’re simply a delight!”
“T-thanks…” Tock said, bowing her head, blushing. “Anyway! Yeah, so, that’s how I’m here.” She looked up, smiling at Caleb. “And you remembered me. Thank you.”
“How could I forget you?” Caleb asked.
“And even if he did,” Addie said, pulling out Tock’s pocket watch, “I’ve got this so I can remind him!”
“You guys…” Tock rubbed the back of her neck, ducking her head.
“But what’s this ‘mission’ about?” Caleb asked.
“Oh!” Tock said. “Right! Yes, so, Maxwell and I are using his special study to zip around the whole universe, finding the right people to help us counter the Endless Night! It’s a tricky business, because there are plenty of others — like you, Caleb — who need to be outside of these walls, traveling, being active out there. So we can’t get everyone we need all at once. The ones who are here, they’re dedicated to planning and preparing a very special magic that will play into the endgame.”
“And we need to do this in my home,” Alexandra said, “because, in its unique design to help me continue to exist physically among you despite my temporal displacement, it also is a place that Darkness cannot touch. The Lord of Night can see and hear a great deal — too much, if we’re being honest, out there in the wider world. But here, his eyes and ears will never reach. It’s the perfect place — the only place — to work a magic that he’ll never see coming.”
“It’s far from finished, yet,” Tock said. “But everyone who’s here is hard at work. And we have more to find and recruit! But Alexandra’s the one who helped us know that you and Shana and the rest were in danger, in a spot of trouble that only Maxwell and I could easily rescue you from, so we took a detour for that.”
“Remember, Caleb, what I said when you first came to my home?” Alexandra asked.
Caleb knew without even having to think about it, because it had been on his mind ever since. “You said you’d met my sister and me,” he said. “That was before Mister Midnight explained your temporal displacement.”
“Yes,” Alexandra said. “Adelaida is the one who’s most adept at helping me sort through the proper chronology of the events I experience, and she managed to help me pinpoint that moment — the moment that has now actually happened for you — and that was the key to knowing when you would be in trouble and when Tock and Maxwell should go after you.”
“Time is so weird,” Shana murmured, giggling.
“So then Maxwell is here, too?” Caleb asked, hoping he’d be able to meet his other benefactor.
“Oh, yes,” Tock said with a smile. “We’re kind of inseparable for the duration of this mission.”
“He and Shias have been spending a lot of time together,” Rae said.
“They’re totally kindred spirits,” Kathryn said with a laugh.
“Caleb, are you sure you’ve had enough?” Shana asked, leaning forward. “You’ve only cleaned your plate three times.”
“I…” Caleb paused a moment, then, with a laugh, added more to his plate. “I could probably go for one more helping.”
After lunch, Alexandra led them all to another wing of the mansion, where the main library was situated. Andrea and Adelaida didn’t follow, having other business to attend to, but otherwise their group remained together. In the larger library, Caleb reunited with Shias, who was there with Ben, and was able to meet Maxwell. But he was rather distracted, because…
“Isla?” he asked, staring at the mysterious member of Grimoire’s Council of Mages and her multi-tailed fox Summon, Dama, in shock. “You’re here?”
“It seems I was invited,” Isla said, smiling that mischievous smile she often wore. “Recovered and healthy again, are you?”
“Yes,” Caleb said. “It’s good to see you again.”
“We reciprocate the feeling,” Isla said, stroking Dama behind the ears.
“There are others, too,” Tock said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “They’re all kinda scattered, doing research and experimenting with different things. Isla’s been a big help! She knows Illusion Magic like no one else, even better than the most mysterious Enchanted we know of.” She giggled, watching Dama pace around Isla’s feet. “And she’s a lot of fun, too. She’s a riddle-master.”
“I’m not sure I’ve yet earned the title,” Isla said. “But I appreciate your high praise.”
“So what exactly is it you’re working on?” Caleb asked.
“It’s a secret, actually,” Maxwell said, fidgeting with his bowtie. “You see, for those who aren’t actively involved, it’s helpful to keep knowledge of the activities in this place to a minimum. For safety, of course. It’s not about a lack of trust.”
“You’ll find out when it’s ready,” Tock said, grinning mischievously.
“And until then… we have work to do outside,” Caleb said. “It’s been a few days already. Chelsea’s probably getting sick of waiting for me.”
“Probably,” Addie said, giggling.
“Caleb, you and darling little Addie can certainly return to Grimoire,” Alexandra said. “But it seems Shana will be staying.”
“What?” Caleb asked, staring at his sister.
She nodded. “Yup! I have a lot of delving into the Dreamworld to do, and with this being the safest place in the whole universe right now, I figured it’s the best place to do it.”
“She won’t be alone, of course,” Kathryn said, throwing her arm over Shana’s shoulder. Rae, Annabelle, Shias, and Ben joined them. “We’re all in this together to the end. Whatever the end is.”
“So don’t worry about me,” Shana said with a smile. “If anything, you’re the one who needs to be worried over. You have so much more to do. And you have a penchant for getting into trouble.”
“Why do you think I’ve been sticking close to him?” Addie asked, clutching Caleb’s hand tightly. “Someone’s gotta look after him.”
Everyone got a good laugh out of that — even Caleb. And despite their conversation, Caleb and Addie didn’t leave immediately. They stayed a little while longer, conversing and meeting with everyone — including the other mysterious invitees that Tock and Maxwell had brought to Alexandra’s for this mysterious mission.
But Caleb knew he couldn’t stay long. Soon enough, he was boarding Maxwell’s “study” with Tock and Addie, after saying goodbye to the twins and everyone else.
“Okay, this is way cool, though,” Caleb said, his heart not nearly as heavy as it might be thanks to how exciting it was to board this startling mixture of a study, a home, and a magical spaceship. And its sole entrance was a door, unattached to anything on the outside.
“It’s so homey,” Caleb said, running his hand along the back of a couch. “You even have a fireplace!”
“And this thing flies through space?” Addie asked, running this way and that, gazing at everything with wide eyes.
“Y-yes, it does that,” Maxwell said. “It’s a little more complicated than all that, but, well…”
“To keep it simple for now, yeah, it flies anywhere in the world, in pretty much no time at all,” Tock said, puffing up proudly, hands on her hips. “Especially when you have practice, like we do, we can get you to Grimoire instantly! It won’t feel instant from inside here, because time is weird like that, but anyway.”
“The early flights were… rough,” Maxwell said. “But we’ve gotten much better.”
“Sure have!” Tock said. “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!” As Maxwell headed to the helm, though, Tock lingered, then stepped up to Caleb, holding out her hand. “I’m really glad you remembered me. And… well, this isn’t goodbye. I know it isn’t. But it’ll be a long time before we see each other again. So…”
“So I’ll look forward to that day,” Caleb said, shaking her hand, smiling. Tock smiled back at him and gave a resolute nod. She headed to join Maxwell with an excited gait, and Caleb settled in with Addie. The study shuddered and shook, but not unpleasantly so, and they were off, soaring home to continue their adventure.
< Previous Chapter Next Chapter >